SC4’s Marketing and Management Club presented the first of their four part “Countdown 2 Career” discussion panels on April 2nd with “Dress for Success.”

The Marketing and Management Club’s goal of this series is to provide students with the needed skills to secure employment and market themselves. The “Dress for Success” seminar taught students how to be confident and look good doing it.

Speakers at the panel table included April Cook, stylist at Oasis Hair Company, Jim Relken, producer at ebw.tv, and Sarah Hayden and Jennifer Crabtree, Men’s Warehouse Managers.

Their goals for the show consisted of presenting proper attire for each professional setting and answering student questions.

First, the panel reminded the audience that how they carry themselves matters even before the interview- application drop off is just as important. April Cook recalled how her past manager would ask her if applicants were polite, professional and how they dressed. Models showed the audience easy business casual styles that would be appropriate for dropping off an application or for an interview. One audience member asked former Port Huron, Michigan mayor and business owner Jim Relken what he looks for in an applicant, to which he stressed the importance of eye contact, maintaining a sense of calm and “taking time to communicate effectively.”

Once you have landed the job, appearances are just as important as first impressions. Casual Friday is the perfect time to dress a little more relaxed than is typical, but it is easy to appear sloppy and unprofessional if you dress too casual.

“Some people would come in every Friday wearing pajama jeggings or even bathing suits,” said Cook, to exemplify a situation of underdressing. While underdressing is unprofessional, “It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed,” said Jennifer Crabtree. Upcoming seminars dates are April 15th on Interviewing and April 22nd on resumes. Each of these will be from 4:30 to 600 p.m. in SC4’s Fine Arts Theatre. For more information on these and more events presented by SC4’s Marketing and Management Club, visit sc4.edu/calendar.

Hannah Eppley

Staff Writer

The SC4 Theater was full of children’s laughter and smiles during the Drama Club’s production of Big Bad last Friday and Saturday.

The story centers around a trial of the infamous Big Bad Wolf. At the trial, witnesses such as Little Red Riding Hood, the boy who cried wolf and the three little pigs are called to the stand to deliver their testimonies. At the end of the play, the wolf pleads not guilty and tells the story of how he became a vegan after his mother brought home a human girl, and raised her as a cub. The way the play ends is determined by the jury, aka, the audience.

The crowd received the responsibility well and declared Mister B. Bad Wolf to be innocent. The children’s show attracted 120 audience members on Saturday, and about the same number of people attended both shows on Friday.

The shows director, Patrick Willis, was very pleased with the audience’s reaction when he played the piano during the Wolf’s monologue. “As I was walking off the stage a kid yelled ‘Bravo! Bravo!’ It gave me chills,” said Willis.

The wolf, who was played by Dan Williams, was met by many young fans after the show. One small boy, whose name was Jamie, approached Dan after his performance to tell him, in the most adorably animated way, “That was the best show ever!”

Dan, who was very happy with the way the show turned out, expressed his excitement for the Drama Club’s growing success. “120 people is a big turnout even for a regular Theater Discipline show, so to have that kind of output for a Drama Club production is great; and I think that the public has become more aware of us, which is good for SC4 because now instead of 4 shows, audiences have the option to see five or six shows a year which is good for everybody.

The Drama Club is now working to plan a show for the summer. While it is not a kid’s show, it is more of a comedy for an adult audience. It is hoped by various Drama Club members that the success of Big Bad will bring in another satisfying number of audience members.

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Angie Stoecklin

Staff Writer

“Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” a seminar inspired by a lecture which became a bestselling book by Randy Pausch, was met with a slight opposition of the technological persuasion. Due to an unidentifiable malfunction with the popular social-video networking program Skype, retired SC4 professor David McNash, or “Buz” as he prefers, was unable to present his part of the seminar, titled “Keep the Bar High: Do What is Right,” via live video feed from Florida as he originally intended.

However, keeping with one of the evenings main focuses of perseverance in eyes of antagonism, a reprieve was found through the whim of SC4 Professor James Berry. Using his cell phone, Berry called Buz and had him give his lecture via cell phone-through-microphone, causing some more than humorous audio quality (as well as a likely leg cramp on Berry’s part).

All levity aside, Buz’s message came through “loud and clear,” as one of having higher standards and expectations of one’s self, and about how having a loss of direction doesn’t mean loss of one’s journey in life and success.

James Berry also gave a lecture, which was heavily focused on the journey of life and career, and how no matter how far the story goes, it is not over until it is over, so to speak.

Important figures from various SC4 student clubs and organizations also came to inform and influence attendants to get involved both on and off campus. Clubs included the Erie Square Gazette, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Marketing and Management Club, Phi Theta Kappa and Student Government.

Matthew Kezel, a SC4 student, said, “Guys like Dave Goetze; once they found out what they wanted to do, they really focused on what they wanted to do. Professor Buz, he didn’t have direction with what he wanted to do. What I got out of this was as long as your journeying for something, don’t make it your final stop. Look at me, I’m 41 years old. I’m going for my 3^rd degree. Knowledge is the power towards what you possess.”

An apt quote for the mindset that the evening certainly orated.

One small step for a chapter in life, and one giant leap for the journey those chapters bring.

Kristopher Reynolds

Staff Writer

I caught up with Sean Lathrop to learn a bit more about the upcoming event. The SC4 GSA drag show was created three years ago in collaboration with Seekers, the local gay bar. The events have raised over $1400 in charity over three years. The events will feature armatures and professionals, including some students.

Also, we have invited a former Mr. National drag performer Spacee Kadett said Lathrup.

Zack Penzien

Production Editor

For Tiffany, writing has always been a passion. “I told my mother when I was a little girl that I want to write a book when I grow up.” At the age of 30, she accomplished her dream and published her first book, We‘ve Seen Santa.

Tiffany’s husband Clark provides the illustrations for the books. “When her first story got picked up she was looking into getting an illustrator, but the amount of money she would have to pay for one illustration was enough to make me pick up a pencil again.” It was the first time he had done so since high school. Tiffany added, “It makes it harder in some ways but also much easier because he’ll come to me and I can get more of what I visualize in combination with what he sees.”

After publishing their second book, I Love the Changing Seasons, the two of them were invited to Gardens Elementary School to speak to the students about the writing process. “It was so encouraging,” Tiffany said. “Before that we weren’t sure if we were going to continue writing or not, but they were just so full of hugs and love and were so awesome that it inspired us to continue on.”

And they did. After publishing their third book, Monster Beneath my Bed, Tiffany started writing their first chapter book, Adventures of Bear B. and Stone. After two years of writing the book, whose main characters are based off of the Higgins family dog and cat, it is now sitting on Clark’s desk ready for illustrations. Clark says, “It’s a lot of fun but at times it can be tedious, but when I set down that pencil and I hand it to her and say ‘done!’ It’s a great feeling because I know it’s just a matter of time before there’s a dozen copies sitting on the desk.”

The couple now resides in their hometown of Richmond Michigan with their son and daughter. Their books are available via Amazon.com as well as their Facebook page, “Books by Tiffany A. and Clark L. Higgins.”

Angie Stoecklin

Staff Writer