Dr. Sikkel works with charter school, CORALations Dr. Paul Sikkel, Marine Biology, has been working to help children understand the importance of coral reef research. What began as a class field trip to Puerto Rico in 2007 has developed into a continuing relationship between Sikkel, the non-profit CORALations, and an ecology charter school, Escuela Ecologica, on the island of Culebra. For the past three years, Sikkel has taken a group of college students to Culebra, where they have demonstrated collecting and laboratory techniques and taught the local students about the relationship between parasites and their reef-fish hosts. Sikkel designed a module for the school on parasite-host interactions with materials funded by the Puerto Rican Department of Education. Students and teachers at Escuela Ecologica monitor the coral reefs and collect samples. Sikkel returns to Culebra twice a year to help them collect and analyze their data. At ASU, Sikkel is eager to recruit students for his study of coral reefs around Culebra and the Virgin Islands. He also hopes to find ASU students interested in mentoring the young students at Escuela Ecologica. Engaging ASU students in this type of work, Sikkel believes, will benefit them now and in the future by exposing them to coral reefs, the richest, most diverse habitats in the world, and by exposing them to different cultures. See recent CORALations photographs. Celebration of Quilting in Piggott May 22 The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center (HPMEC), 1021 West Cherry Street, Piggott, will host the eleventh annual “Celebration of Quilting” Saturday, May 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Quilts will be displayed in the Pfeiffer-Janes House and the Hemingway Barn-Studio. Admission to the show is $3 per adult. Visitors’ Choice ribbons will be awarded in multiple categories with divisions for hand-quilted and machine-quilted items. Anyone may enter quilts and quilt-based creations with no entry fees. For details, or to pre-register a quilted article, call the museum at (870) 598-3487 or email Diana Sanders. In addition, the 12th Annual Heritage Park Car Show will be in progress at Heritage Park, two miles west of HPMEC. Museum hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday, 1-3 p.m., with tours on the hour. The museum is closed on Sunday. The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center is an ASU Heritage Site. KASU's Bluegrass Monday presents Lindley Creek May 24 Lindley Creek Bluegrass will perform a concert of bluegrass music on Monday, May 24, at 7 p.m. at Atkins Celebration Hall, 101 South Pruett Street, in downtown Paragould. The concert is part of the Bluegrass Monday concert series presented by KASU 91.9 FM. Admission is free, but KASU will literally pass the hat to collect money to pay the group. The suggested donation is $5 per person. From the Ozark Mountains, LindleyCreek Bluegrass is the Greer family: dad John, who plays bass, mom Kathie, who sings and plays guitar, eighteen-year-old Tate, who sings and plays banjo and guitar, fourteen-year-old Jase, who plays fiddle, and twelve-year-old Katie, who sings and plays mandolin. Lindley Creek Bluegrass has recorded six CDs and one performance DVD. In addition to the concert by Lindley Creek Bluegrass at 7 p.m., area bluegrass musicians are invited to come to Atkins Celebration Hall beginning at 5 p.m. for an open jam session. Musicians are asked to bring only acoustic instruments and to play only bluegrass music. The jam sessions will end promptly at 6:45 p.m. For details, contact KASU program director Marty Scarbrough, ext. 2367. Teresa Dunton is STARS award winner for March Teresa Dunton, Office of Admissions, was that office's March STARS Employee of the Month. The STARS program, which stands for Service Targeted at Recruiting Students, recognizes Admissions staff for their dedication and commitment to customer service. Dunton, the Academic Partnerships admissions coordinator, was nominated by Erica Weathers and voted for by her peers. The role of admissions coordinator is new to Dunton, and it requires her to work closely with other departments to get students enrolled. In addition, she has recently been training two new employees. Teresa Dunton earned the STARS award because of her hard work, her positive attitude, and her willingness to take on a new leadership role. 2010 WolfTracks Yearbook now available The 2010 WolfTracks Yearbook is now available to faculty, staff, and students. To obtain a copy of the book, visit the Campus Information desk on the second floor of the Student Union. For details, contact the Leadership Center at ext. 2055. Back to the top