Although the great 20th century writer Carl Sandburg hailed from “Lincoln Country” in Galesburg, Illinois, many people do not realize that Sandburg also belongs to North Carolina. He spent his last 20 years in the mountains near Asheville.
In celebration of his life (1878-1967), the WCC Players will perform “The World of Carl Sandburg” in several Wayne County locations March 27-30. Veteran local actors Geoff Hulse, Rosalyn Lomax, Gerald Simmons and Margaret Boothe Baddour will appear in the readers theater type show, sponsored by the Foundation of Wayne Community College.
Foundation Executive Director Jack Kannan fondly remembers Lomax, Simmons and Hulse 13 years ago in the Foundation’s acclaimed play, “Driving Miss Daisy,” with Baddour as director. “They all had such chemistry on stage,” he said. “That may have been our most successful show. We turned people away at the door.” Now the same troupe has become the “WCC Players,” Kannan added.
Geoff Hulse has starred in many Wayne Community College (WCC) productions, including portraying Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Blackbeard in “Hot Grog,” and the Ann’s Uncle in “Ann of Green Gables.” He is a criminal attorney with Haithcock, Barfield, Hulse & Kinsey.
Rosalyn Lomax, a retired WCC English teacher, has starred in numerous college and Center Stage Theatre shows over the years, with lead roles in “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Steel Magnolias,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Macbeth,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” She directed “Spoon River Anthology” and directs the youth theater group at First Presbyterian Church.
Returning to the WCC stage years after his debut as Hoke in “Driving Miss Daisy,” Gerald Simmons plans to try his hand at readers theater. He is a retired WCC English teacher who currently tutors students in the college’s Academic Skills Center.
Margaret Boothe Baddour has directed 13 plays at WCC, also taking roles as such characters as the wicked stepmother in “The Robber Bridegroom,” Witch #2 in “Macbeth,” and Puck in “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” She has directed “Grease” and “The World of Carl Sandburg” for StageStruck and is a retired Humanities, Creative Writing, and Drama teacher at WCC.
Conceived as an outreach project, the Sandburg production will feature performances at 8 p.m., on Friday, March 27 at the University of Mount Olive’s newly restored Southern Bank Auditorium, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 at WCC’s Moffatt Auditorium, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 29 at the Wayne County Museum, with a student show at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 30 at WCC’s Moffatt Auditorium.
“The World of Carl Sandburg,” written and arranged by Norman Corwin, debuted in 1960 on Broadway and starred Betty Davis, David Merrill and Clarke Allen. The script includes Sandburg’s poetry and jokes, excerpts from his prize-winning biography of Abraham Lincoln, and a selection of the folk songs he collected all over America in the “American Song Bag.” Sandburg is one of very few authors to win the Pulitzer Prize for both poetry and prose.
“This is a fun show,” said Director Margaret Boothe Baddour. “The four actors are not confined to stools and music stands but move freely around the stage with pieces committed to memory. Our musical accompaniment will be provided by professional musician Donald Thompson, with Sonny Boy Joyner on harmonica. Both are members of the Donald Underwood Thompson band.”
Over the years, “The World of Carl Sandburg” has been presented in Wayne County by adults in 1978 on the porch of Goldsboro’s Park House at Herman Weil Park, then by StageStruck kids in 2002 at the University of Mount Olive’s Rodgers Chapel as well as in the outdoor theater at WCC and at the Wayne County Museum.
“The show always evokes laughter and tears and pulse beats of patriotism as Carl Sandburg continues to work his magic,” Ms. Baddour said.
This past September, the WCC Foundation sponsored a trip to Sandburg’s home, Connemara, which is a historic site at Flat Rock, N.C. According to Ms. Baddour, the travelers marveled at the huge collection of books donated by Mrs. Sandburg and her prize Nubian goats, still romping in the pasture nearby. The Sandburgs and their three daughters and grandchildren all lived at Connemara in his sunset years.
Admission, payable at the door, to “The World of Carl Sandburg” will be $5 for adults and $2 for students and seniors for the Saturday WCC and the Sunday Wayne County Museum performances. Tickets will be available at the door.
The UMO performance will be open to students and members of the community.
For more information, contact Emily Byrd at the WCC Foundation at (919) 739-7022 or esbyrd@waynecc.edu.
Follow WCC on Facebook and Twitter.
Wayne Community College Continuing Education Services will offer several classes this semester designed to enhance job skills.
In the computer arena are:
Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint 2013, 6-9 p.m., Thursdays, Feb. 5-March 26, $70;
Web Design -WordPress (hybrid), 6-8 p.m., Thursdays, Feb. 5-April 9, $125;
Introduction to Microsoft Word 2013, 6-9 p.m., Thursdays, Feb. 5-April 2, $70;
Computer Repair/A+ Certification Preparation, 6-9 p.m., Thursdays, Feb. 5-May 14, $180;
Adobe Photoshop CC (hybrid), 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 10-May 12, $180;
Administrative Assistant Certificate, 9 a.m.-noon, Thursdays, Feb. 12-May 12, $180;
Introduction to Computers, 6-7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 16-April 14, $70;
Quickbooks, 6-9 p.m., Mondays, Feb. 16-May 11, $125; and
iPad Tips and Tricks, 6-8 p.m., Thursdays, March 5-April 2, $70.
Other course include
Supervisory Training, 3-6:25 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 3-26 or 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays, Feb. 11-May 13, $125;
Notary Public Education, 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 7, $70;
American Sign Language for the Workplace, 6-9 p.m. on Mondays, Feb. 9-March 30, $70; and
Introduction to Interior Design, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Feb. 17-April 7, $70.
All of the classes will be held on the college’s main campus in Goldsboro.
Students may register and pay in advance at the Continuing Education Division’s Customer Service Desk in the Walnut Building.
WCC’s “Occupational Extension” courses are designed to equip students with practical knowledge of a specific nature which will enable students to pursue careers. These programs include principles and rules particular to the specific skills being developed. Courses are scheduled in response to anticipated or known need to upgrade skills or aid in the development of new skills. The variety of programs scheduled is only limited by student interest, the availability of suitable facilities, and instructional services.
For more information, contact Monica Edwards at (919) 739-6933 or mdedwards@waynecc.edu.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, it serves 14,500 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 90 college credit programs.
Wayne Community College’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
Follow WCC on Facebook and Twitter.
Wayne County Reads will continue its “season of reading” with two book discussion sessions on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Liz Meador, a retired Wayne Community College (WCC) English instructor, will lead the exploration of the literary merits of this year’s book selection, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” by Barbara Kingsolver. Members of WCC’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Department will take turns leading the conversation about its content; Instructor Kathy Pfleger will present at the mid-day event and Department Chair Gabe Mitchell will direct the evening talk.
The discussions will be held in Weil Auditorium at the Wayne County Public Library on Ash Street in Goldsboro at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. A light lunch will be provided at the 11 a.m. session but participants should bring their own beverages.
The public can also view the “Lexicon of Sustainability” show of 24 “information artworks” that illustrate various concepts of sustainable agriculture. The works will be on display at the library Feb.2-6 then will move to a new location in the county each week in February in this order: Wayne County Museum, Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Historic Site, and Moye Library at the University of Mount Olive.
Other programs related to the book will follow this event every Tuesday in February.
Those events are:
“A Seat at the Table: N.C. Farming and Foodways Then and Now” Panel Discussion with Cheryl Alston, Wayne Food Initiative; Marisa Benzle, Center for Environmental Farming Systems; June Hoyle, Wayne County Master Gardener; Gabe Mitchell, Wayne Community College; Jessica Strickland, Wayne County Cooperative Extension; and moderated by Shorlette Ammons, NC A&T State University/CEFS – Tuesday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., Wayne County Museum
Book Discussion, Brown Bag Book Club – Wednesday, Feb. 11, Noon, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Library
Tuesday Tasting with Ed Cogdell – Local Food in Practice – Tuesday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., Ed’s Southern Foods and Spirits, Goldsboro (Due to limited space, participants will be chosen by drawings from attendees at each of the activities prior to it.)
“Exploring the Local FoodScape: An Evening of Agriculture” Panel Discussion featuring Dr. Sandy Maddox, Director of the University of Mount Olive Agri-Business Center, and Ed Olive, Assistant Director of the center – Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m., Moye Library, University of Mount Olive
Details about the events will be posted under the Wayne County Reads tab at www.wcpl.org.
All Wayne County Reads activities are free and open to the public with no registration required.
“Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” has won numerous prizes including the Book Sense Book of the Year Award and the James Beard Award for Writing and Literature. It can be borrowed from local library branches or purchased from the Wayne Community College Bookstore and Books-A-Million.
Since it started in 2004, Wayne County Reads’ selections have included “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Big Fish” by Daniel Wallace, “Night” by Elie Wiesel, “Walking Across Egypt” by Clyde Edgerton, “Blood Done Sign My Name” by Tim Tyson, “Blackbeard: America’s Most Notorious Pirate” by Angus Konstam, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time” and “Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan” by Greg Mortenson, “The Pleasure Was Mine” by Tommy Hays, “Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya, and “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.
The 2015 Wayne County Reads Partners are the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Mount Olive College, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Library, Wayne Community College, Wayne County Extension and Community Association, Wayne County Public Library System, Wayne County Public Schools, and many dedicated individuals.
For more information on Wayne County Reads, contact Tara Humphries at (919) 739-7002 or tarah@waynecc.edu.
Wayne Community College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing accommodations or have questions about access, please contact the college’s Disability Services Counselor at (919) 739-6729 or lbcowan@waynecc.edu.
Wayne Community College is a public, two-year college with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, it serves 14,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 100 college credit programs.
Follow WCC on Facebook and Twitter.
The WorkKeys® tests for the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) will be offered five times in February in Wayne County.
The Wayne Occupational Readiness Keys for Success (WORKS) program will provide testing sessions at 12:30-4:30 p.m. on Feb. 5, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Feb. 10, 4:30-9:00 p.m. Feb. 18, and 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Feb. 24. All of these sessions will be held in Room 136 in the Walnut Building on Wayne Community College’s main campus in Goldsboro. Pre-registration by calling (919) 739-7004 is required.
Cost to take the set of three skill assessments (applied mathematics, locating information, and reading for information) is $30 but assistance to cover that cost may be available.
The Airman and Family Readiness Center on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base offers free testing to military personnel and their dependents. The next session will be held 1:00-4:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 at the Watkins-Das Education Center computer lab. Pre-register by calling (919) 772-1123.
Those wishing to prepare for the NCRC may take advantage of the self-directed instruction and skills upgrade training offered in the WORKS Lab, which also is located in Room 136 of the Walnut Building. The lab is open 9 a.m.-noon on Mondays and Thursdays, 1-4 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 6-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Individuals may earn bronze, silver, gold, or platinum certificates based on their performance on the tests. The NCRC is recognized by employers across the state as a proven measurement of job skills.
Wayne County leads the state in the number of certificates earned, with more than 13,500 awarded through the WORKS initiative. Nearly 25 percent of the county’s population holds the credential.
WORKS is a collaborative effort of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Wayne Community College, Wayne County Public Schools, County of Wayne, Wayne County Career Center, City of Goldsboro, and the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board. It is housed Wayne Community College’s campus in Goldsboro.
More information on WORKS and the NCRC is available at www.wayneworksnc.com/works/.
Follow WCC on Facebook and Twitter.
Wayne Community College will host a free Financial Aid Workshop at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, in Moffatt Auditorium in its Wayne Learning Center on the main campus in Goldsboro.
This event, sponsored by College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC), will help parents and prospective college students understand the financial aid process. Sarita Broadway, a regional representative with CFNC, will talk about completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), applying for student loans, avoiding too much debt, finding scholarships and grants, saving for college, and more.
Those who can’t attend the workshop can still learn about planning, applying, and paying for college by visiting CFNC.org or by calling toll-free 1-866-866-CFNC to talk with a telephone representative.
For more information, contact Ms. Broadway at (919) 835-2396 or Sarita.Broadway@cfi.org.
Wayne Community College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing accommodations or have questions about access, please contact the college’s Disability Services Counselor at (919) 739-6729 or lbcowan@waynecc.edu.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, it serves 14,500 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 90 college credit programs.
Wayne Community College’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
