Harper College notes
British Bands: At 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, the Harper College Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds present an eclectic program by composers closely linked to the British band tradition.
The concert will be held in the Performing Arts Center on Harper's main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine.
Included will be classic band works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Percy Grainger, Gordon Jacob and Kenneth Alford. The Harper Chamber Winds will also perform the Serenade No. 12 in C Minor, K. 388 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Tickets are $7 for Harper students, Harper employees, and seniors, $8 for other students, and $10 for the general public. For more information, call (847) 924-6100 or visit online at harpercollege.edu/boxoffice.
Global giving: This holiday season, students in the Harper chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society of Two Year Colleges, will collect textbooks and other college-level books to benefit Worldfund, an organization dedicated to reducing poverty in Latin America by supporting high-quality education for impoverished children.
"We've done various drives in the past, usually food drives around the holidays," said PTK Advisor John Garcia. "But I think students are becoming more aware that social justice is a global concern, and there are ongoing problems in global society, from poverty to sweatshops, which are more often ignored."
Garcia said PTK students will station drop boxes around campus to collect the books. The books will then be given to BetterWorld Books, a partnership organization, which sells the books and donates the profits to Worldfund.
Books will only be collected on Harper's main campus. For more information on the Phi Theta Kappa book drive, call (847) 925-6402.
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.
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:
• "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.
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.