Harper to celebrate 40th year
40th anniversary celebration: Harper College's Student Activities Office will celebrate the founding of the college with events that commemorate milestones in the cultural landscape for the last four decades, yet are timeless productions for new audiences.
Remaining events include a theatrical run of "Cabaret," the award-winning hit musical, Friday through Sunday and Nov. 16 to 18; and a lecture by Gary Snyder, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and environmental activist on Nov. 15.
The Harper College Ensemble Theatre will perform Cabaret, winner of eight Tony Awards and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical in 1967, the year Harper opened its doors. The setting is Berlin, 1929, in the cabaret called the Kit Kat Klub, a watering hole for pimps, prostitutes and smugglers.
An impoverished American writer, Clifford Bradshaw, is seeking inspiration for a new novel by traveling Europe. A fellow traveler recommends he stay in a certain rooming house when they arrive in the German capital on New Year's Eve. Bradshaw ends up at the Kit Kat Klub for the New Year's festivities and eventually becomes involved with Sally Bowles, an English girl in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The cast includes Harper students, staff and community members. Performances will take place Friday-Sunday and 16-18 in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for general admission, with discounts for Harper students, faculty, staff, and senior citizens.
Performances on Friday, Saturday, Nov. 16 and 17 are at 8 p.m. Matinees on Sunday and Nov. 18 will be at 2 p.m.
Songs from the play include "It Couldn't Please Me More," "Willkommen," "Cabaret" and "The Money Song."
Gary Snyder, the winner of the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and other literary prizes, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 about "the evolution of our society and public policy regarding the environmentover the last half century."
Now in his late 70s, the Buddhist scholar and environmentalist has explored what he describes as "the mytho-poetic interface of society, ecology and language." Snyder has worked as a logger, a trail-crew member and a seaman on a Pacific tanker.
Tickets for Snyder's lecture cost $12 for general admission with discounts for Harper students, faculty, staff, other students and senior citizens.
Call (847) 925-6100 for information or go to the Web site harpercollege.edu to buy tickets.
Online protection: Harper College will host free programs designed to help people protect themselves and loved ones online Nov. 13 and 14.
"How to Protect Yourself Online: From Free Speech to Facebook" with C.L. Lindsay will consider how social networking pages can come back to haunt their authors. Lindsay, from the Coalition for Student and Academic Rights, will discuss what students need to know about their online life, including their rights, the law and potential liabilities. The program takes place at 2 p.m. Nov. 13 in Building E, Room E107, and 7 p.m. Nov. 13 in the Building J Theatre.
"Protecting the People We Love from Online Predators," featuring retired Cook County Sheriff's Police officer William Plahm.
Plahm, who was involved in the arrest and prosecution of nearly 200 child predators throughout the U.S. and four foreign countries, will discuss the exploitation of children via the Internet. The program takes place at 2 p.m. Nov. 14 in Building A, Room A238, and 7 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Building J Theatre.
Seating is limited, and tickets are required. Tickets may be picked up at the Harper Box Office, Building J, Room J135. For more information, call (847) 925-6100 or visit online at harpercollege.edu.
International Education Week: Harper College will be transformed into a world bazaar Nov. 13-15 for the college's second annual International Education Week.
Sponsored by Harper's International Programs and Studies Committee, International Education Week will offer an eclectic sampling of dance, food, music, art and fashion from cultures around the world, as well as lectures and films exploring the history, politics and customs of different regions.
"Our goal is to increase the exposure and knowledge of the overall Harper community to international cultures, diverse world subjects and topical world issues," said Jacque Mott, chair of the International Committee.
International Education Week activities are free and open to the general public. For a complete list of International Education Week Activities, call (847) 925-6894 or log on to harpercollege.edu and search the event calendar.
Financial workshops: The home financing crisis, current credit crunch and the skyrocketing cost of college tuition have made it more difficult than ever for people to achieve the American dream.
The Harper College Women's Program is offering its third annual series of financial workshops designed to help people achieve fiscal goals.
"This year we've brought in a series of community experts, as well as Harper experts, to address the issues women have told us they would like to learn more about," said Kathleen Canfield, director of the Career Center and Women's Program. "Issues like how to set up a budget, the advantages of credit and how to manage it, financing a college education and raising financially responsible children."
All programs will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with light refreshments from 6 to 6:30 p.m. The location for all programs is Building A, Room A243. Dates and topics are as follows:
• "Financing Your College Education," Nov. 15, presented by Cathy Huxhold, Harper College Financial Aid
• "Raising Financially Responsible Children," Feb. 21, presented by Susan L. Baker from New York Life
• "Credit and You," March 12, Presented by Harper College Vice President Judy Thorson
Admission is free, but registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, call (847) 925-6558.
Broker management:ŒThe Illinois Real Estate Act now requires real estate brokers to complete a new six-hour continuing education course. This fall, Harper College will offer a broker management course to satisfy those requirements.
The six-hour course will cover real estate brokerage licensing, agency agreements and issues, escrow and broker responsibilities, office management, risk reduction, and disciplinary actions.
A proficiency exam will be given at the end of the course. Broker management will be offered in two three-hour sessions, Nov. 26 and 28. Tuition is $119.
To register, call (847) 925-6300 or visit harpercollege.edu.
Musical mosaic: The Harper College Community Music Center's third annual Concert Series will continue at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 with "Acoustic Swing and More" by the Don Stiernberg Trio
Upcoming concerts include:
• The Hard Times Bluegrass Band at 7:30 p.m. March 8
• "Tango Fantastico" featuring The Alma de Tango Quartet, with special guests tango dancers Javier Gomez and Olga Kokaurova, at 7:30 p.m. April 12
All concerts are held on Harper's main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine. General admission tickets are $15 per concert, with discounts for students, seniors and children.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit harpercollege.edu or call (847) 925-6100.
Harper survey: According to a recent survey, 99 percent of transfer graduates and 98 percent of career graduates said they would recommend Harper College to friends and family.
The survey was conducted in fall 2006 and spring 2007. 1,105 graduates responded to the survey, which was done by phone and mail. Other results of the survey are as follows:
• 89 percent of transfer graduates and 93 percent of career graduates said they would return to Harper in the future
• 73 percent of employed career graduates were in a job related to their Harper program, and 79 percent reported being satisfied in their jobs
• 76 percent of transfer graduates reported being enrolled at least part-time in another institution
• 73 percent of transfer graduates reported that all their Harper credits transferred to their new institution
• 72 percent of transfer graduates were enrolled in a major related to their major at Harper
Harper Speakers Bureau: Provided as a community service, the Harper College Speakers Bureau provides access to local experts in a variety of distinctive subject areas.
The Speakers Bureau is available to community organizations such as chambers of commerce, library groups, service organizations and other civic groups free of charge. Experts cover a diverse array of topics including art, astronomy, career training, cultural trends, ecology, entrepreneurship, estate planning, exercise, small business development, math and science.
For more information on booking a Harper College Speakers Bureau guest, call (847) 925-6701 or visit harpercollege.edu.
Child Learning Center: The Harper Child Learning Center's preschool program offers a curriculum that forms a broad base of knowledge that children can use as they advance into the primary grades.
The learning center also strives to create a preschool environment that treats children as individuals and invites parents to visit so they may share in their children's "away from home" activities.
More information about choosing a preschool is available in a podcast on the Child Learning Center Web site at harpercollege.edu. Interested parents also may sign up for a free day visit at the center by calling (847) 925-6262.
Campus spa: The Therapeutic Massage Clinic at Harper is staffed by students in the program and offers clients Swedish massage at a cost of $35 for a one-hour massage ($30 for seniors 65 and older).
There are peaceful, private massage rooms available. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (847) 925-6000, ext. 2805.