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# ManUpandMentor with BBBS
Friday , August 19 , 2016 |
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By John Robinson john @ emporia . com |
ESU General Assembly serves as warm welcome
By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com
General Assembly kicked of the start of a new school year at Emporia State University on Thursday afternoon .
ESU faculty and staff gathered in Webb Lecture Hall to receive a warm welcome from administration .
ESU President Allison Garrett welcomed staff and faculty . Garrett began her presidency in January 2016 and said she is looking forward to experiencing her first fall semester at the university .
Campus buzzing again
The start of the semester marks a number of firsts not only for Garrett , but students as well . The first home football game is Sept . 1 . Fred Gray is speaking on campus on Sept . 15 . Garrett ’ s Inauguration is scheduled for Sept . 16 followed by Family and Friends Day on Sept . 17 .
Provost David Cordle had the honor of introducing new staff at the assembly . The university recently hired four new deans . They are as follows : ✦✦Ed Bashaw , Dean of the School of Business
✦✦Michelle Hammond , Dean of the University Libraries and Archives
Please see Assembly , Page 8
Jessie Wagoner / Gazette
ESU faculty and staff filled Webb Hall at Emporia State University Thursday afternoon for General Assembly .
President Garrett discusses upcoming school year
By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com
Emporia State University is again buzzing with excitement as students return to campus to begin the fall semester . Classes officially start on Monday , but many students are already back on campus .
Jessie Wagoner / Gazette
President Garrett welcomed staff and faculty to General Assembly on Thursday . Garrett provided attendees with updates for the new school year .
“ We are all set , but it is not because of me ,” ESU President Allison Garrett said . “ We have people that have been working hard all summer long to get ready for students coming back to campus .”
Summer maintenence
Maintenance is an ongoing project at ESU , but the summer does provide for some larger
Please see ESU , Page 8
Editor ’ s Note : School started Thursday in Emporia and 2016 is the first year under new Emporia Public
Case
Schools Superintendent Kevin Case . Gazette staff met with Case to discuss his transition to the district , his plans for the future and his thoughts on the state of education in Emporia . Today , Case discusses the challenges — both long- and shortterm — facing the district as well as its future . In Thursday ’ s paper , Case discussed his transition and gave a brief outlook on the year .
During the budget discussion , there was talk that
Q funding for special education and paraprofessionals has been underfunded since the recession . What can be done to ensure that those staff members and the students they serve are supported ?
For special education funding , there is a pot of money
A at the state level and , until they know the exact numbers , we don ’ t know where our budget is going to be . One of the issues we talked about at the budget hearing is making sure we have an adequate cash balance to the cooperative so we are able to ebb and flow a little bit with the changes we get from the state level .
So when the state doesn ’ t have any money , we don ’ t get any money and then we have to figure out how to make things work . One of the things we will continue to talk about is making
Please see School , Page 3
BBBS is calling all superheroes to become mentors
By Mary Ann Redeker maryann @ emporia . com
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Flint Hills is inviting Emporia area men who are superheroes to “ man up and mentor ” during their “ 90 Men in 90 Days ” campaign .
The campaign kicks off on Monday and runs through Nov . 20 . It is the hope of BBBS that men in Emporia and the surrounding communities , will step up and become a volunteer .
“ We would really like to recruit some men from our community ,” Stephanie Anderson , executive director of BBBS , said . “ The kids in our programs are from here , too . They will go on to become members of our society . I think we really need to be there for them , set a good example and provide them with that good mentor that they so badly need . We really need some men to step up .”
Currently BBBS has 86 littles waiting to be matched , 61 of which are boys .
“ Obviously we are targeting men because that ’ s what we need ,” Anderson said . “ If we got
VOL . 125 , NO . 42
30 women that would be great , but we need male mentors . Not that we wouldn ’ t match a female big with a male little . We have done that from time to time . But the boys want that male figure and need a male figure . It ’ s not that we are against it , it ’ s just it would be nice to have that match .”
Each year during this time , BBBS holds voluntary recruitment to enlist the help of college students who are coming back for the fall semester .
“ We attend the Block Party and other activities since we rely heavily on the college students ,” Anderson said . “ This year we wanted to do things a little differently . Last year we recruited 40 mentors and only three were men . It ’ s an issue for us . College students are great and they need those hours for community service , but then they graduate and move away . One of our main goals is to create stability in these kids ’ lives . We would really like to have
“ I think we really need to be there for ( the kids ), set a good example and provide them with that good mentor that they so badly need . We really need some men to step up .”
Stephanie Anderson , Executive Director BBBS of Flint Hills
some community members who are here and are established to become mentors as then it would be for a longer term .”
Anderson said BBBS would like to have a waiting list for bigs and not a waiting list for littles .
“ It breaks our hearts when we enroll our littles , our boys , and we know they are going to have to wait for a mentor ,” she said . “ The commitment
is only four hours a month , so that ’ s an hour a week mentors would be responsible for .”
Specific programs are available to cater to volunteers ’ needs and time constraints . There are lunch buddies programs and couples ’ match programs available to volunteers .
“ Our lunch buddies program allows you to pick one day a week and go have lunch with your little ,” Anderson said . “ We know the school lunch periods aren ’ t that long and just that time can help a child feel special . Also , if a volunteer ’ s spouse wanted to be involved too , they could be matched with a little . That way , they could help incorporate that child into their home and maybe have dinner one night a week . They can then do things with their family .
They don ’ t have to take the child out and do one-on-one activities with them . Obviously that ’ s when you get the mentor relationship but in this case , the child can see
Please see BBBS , Page 3
Mary Ann Redeker / Gazette
Members of the Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Emporia Gazette staffs pose with mascot “ Theo the Hero .” BBBS will launch a new campaign , ‘ 90 Men in 90 Days ,’ Monday until Nov . 20 to recruit men for the 61 boys in the program who are in need of mentors . Theo is the official mascot of the campaign and is available to area businesses for photo ops in support of the campaign . To book a photo with Theo call 342-5645 .