USI Coach Rodney Watson
50 influencers of Rend Lake College- Dr. Barbara Luchsinger – exemplification of caring
February 27, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Reece Rutland – Rend Lake College Media Services
INA, Ill. (Feb. 26, 2017) – Barbara Luchsinger began teaching at Mt. Vernon Community College in 1956 and served as the Department Chair from 1965-1975. Luchsinger was one of the first educators to be granted tenure by the college. She was one of 18 that the Board of Trustees awarded with the designation during their June 18, 1968, meeting. She was also the co-founder of the RLC Writing Lab.
She received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Iowa in 1969.
Long time Rend Lake College instructor, Barbara Luchsinger
During the second year at Mt. Vernon Community College, Luchsinger sponsored the publication of the college’s first yearbook. In addition to playing a major role in the establishment of the college’s writing and reading programs, Dr. Luchsinger also served as sponsor of the student newspaper and advisor for the Rho Xi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the national community college scholastic honor fraternity. She also was a patron for many years of the literary magazine published by the Arts and Communications Department. In later years, she was active with the RLC Foundation, working with and presenting special classes for the Institute for Learning in Retirement.
An excerpt from a piece to commemorate Luchsinger’s 25th anniversary with the college:
…she comes close to having helped start two different colleges.
She arrived at Mt. Vernon Community College the second year of its existence and, except for time off for good behavior (to pursue a doctorate degree from the University of Iowa), has been a mainstay ever since.
“Those first years we were determined to make the college ‘go.’ To get teaching load down, we both taught classes for nothing. Others did the same.”
“Rend Lake College did not spring full grown from an oak tree,” Dr. Luchsinger continued. “The Mt. Vernon Community College never intended to be a permanent institution. Always it was to be absorbed into an area college, although the area was not defined.”
“Since I’ve been around longer than the college, much of my life reflects the history. I won’t ‘heave my heart into my mouth’ to recap the early days. Often I was on campus from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. I’m thankful for the part I was allowed to play.”
She was a graduate of Mt. Vernon Township High School and Lindenwood College in St. Louis. Both of her graduate degrees are from Iowa, with some work at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a workshop in Economics from Northwestern University.
When the RLC Foundation began handing out its “Faculty Excellence Award,” Dr. Luchsinger was the sixth person so honored.
It wasn’t just time that Dr. Luchsinger gave RLC and its students. She also donated her 246-acre family farm in Dix to the RLC Foundation.
In addition to her official work with the college, Luchsinger was also active in the lives of her students. In 1996, she was selected as “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Human Services Club because of her eagerness “to help any student who comes to her seeking advice – academically or otherwise. She even took time to call an ailing student at home to wish her well.”
She passed away November 17, 2005, at the age of 75. She had been involved with Mt. Vernon Community College and Rend Lake College for almost 50 years in total.
Former RLC President Mark S. Kern said of Luchsinger, “We have a lot of caring people at Rend Lake College, and if anybody exemplifies that more than Barbara Luchsinger, I don’t know who it would be. Her heart is as big as this room.”
Jefferson County Sheriff has Warrior roots
February 25, 2017 By Leave a Comment
INA, IL – Jefferson County Sheriff Travis Allen is a proud product of Rend Lake College. From struggling high school student to master’s degree graduate, he shares his story of success, philosophy on law enforcement and advice with anyone interested in the field.
Allen graduated from Waltonville High School in 2002. Having had his share of struggles in high school, he said that following graduation, college wasn’t really an option he considered.
“I wanted to go out and achieve the world,” he explained. “I quickly realized that that wasn’t happening. I was working for minimum wage loading batteries in a warehouse. So, one day, I thought, ‘You know what? I’ve always wanted to be a police officer.’ So, I talked it over with my parents and enrolled here at RLC in the Criminal Justice Program.”
Allen completed his Associate in Applied Science Degree in 2005. But, before he had even graduated, the future sheriff was offered a position with the Army Corps of Engineers through an internship program, giving him the opportunity to gain valuable experience. His work at RLC and his new job helped convince him to continue with his education.
“I had a lot of friends who went to Rend Lake. Being from Waltonville, the smaller classes and locations were great too. I’ve never been in the position where someone else was going to pay for
Jefferson County Sheriff Travis Allen (RLC Media Services)
me to go off to school, so doing things affordably was always important to me. It gave me the opportunity to work all through school. I knew the Criminal Justice Program here was great. Once I enrolled, I absolutely loved it. It saved education for me. It was the first time I loved school.”
Describing himself as a student who didn’t enjoy high school, he said that he struggled for most of his four years. He joked that any of his high school teachers would have likely laughed at the thought of him going on to earn degrees.
Yet, go on to earn degrees is exactly what he did. After graduating from RLC, Allen transferred to Greenville College, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership.
Quickly after that graduation, he earned his first job in law enforcement with the Mt. Vernon Police Department. Around that same time, Greenville launched a master’s degree in Management Practice. He graduated from that program in 2012.
“It was so important to get that spark early on. Rend Lake College let me finally study things that I had an interest in. I got to do hands-on work that held my interest and that I got excited about. I really think RLC saved my academic career. If it hadn’t been for finding that interest, I probably would have ended up graduating from high school and going into the workforce,” he expressed.
Allen said his passion for law enforcement came from a mixture of his desire to work in a field that offered a different challenge and experience every day combined with the aspect of helping others and making a difference in his community.
In fact, he cites one of the biggest mistakes of his life as leaving the Mt. Vernon Police Department to take a full-time office job while working on his master’s degree. He said that at that time in his life, he saw dollar signs and a great benefit package, and thought that was exactly what he wanted.
“I really hated everything about that. I gained some great experience, but coming in every day and working in a cubicle was really the worst thing for me. But, everything has worked out. After a few years, while I was in the office job, I started working part-time for the Ina Police Department,” Allen said.
“I was able to get that department fixed up the way I wanted it and after about three years as part of that department, I decided I wanted to run for sheriff. And, after about a year-and-a-half of campaigning, here we are.”
Allen said his favorite thing about the new position is being involved with the community and shaping the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office into being the most people-focused department in can be. He said with all the recent negativity surrounding law enforcement, he wants to make sure his officers break the mindset of focusing on “just throwing bad guys in jail” and instead putting the priority on “serving and protecting the people.”
“There’s no question, it’s a time of change in the field. We have to change our mindset. We have to change how we do business. I mean, obviously, we keep locking people up, and it doesn’t seem to be working. Einstein said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” Allen explained.
“So, we’ve put a focus on being active with the children in our communities. We want to have a lot of activities with youth to show them that the police are their friends and neighbors. We have to change the mindset of an entire generation if we want to be successful. I just don’t feel like that ‘throw all the bad guys in jail’ mentality and not focusing on serving the community is a recipe for success.”
His biggest piece of advice for those interested in entering the law enforcement profession is to get your associate degree in Criminal Justice, but then focus on another subject for a bachelor’s degree. He has no regrets earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business-related fields.
. “This is my opinion. You might be better suited getting the bachelor’s degree in in a different field. If you are on the fence, a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice might limit your career options. What happens if you get out there in the field and don’t like it? A lot of law enforcement agencies don’t necessarily look for a bachelor’s in criminal justice. I can teach you how to be a police officer. The better-rounded a candidate is can be very important. We learn a lot of what we need with that associate degree and then the academy. What I’m looking for is that if you have a bachelor’s degree, it shows me you are dedicated and trainable. I don’t care so much what it’s in. I tell students who ask me, go into something you are interested in. You are going to be more likely succeed.”
For more information about RLC’s Criminal Justice Program, contact Ron Meek at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1239, or email meekr@rlc.edu. You can also visit: https://www.rlc.edu/programs-and-degrees/113-criminal-justice.
Dee Ozment: The man behind the name of Crab Orchard High School gym
February 23, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Steve Dunford – franklincounty-news.com
CRAB ORCHARD, IL – Christopher, Sesser-Vailer and Zeigler- Royalton participated in the Crab Orchard Class 1A Regional this week. I would like to introduce you to the one the facility is named after, Dee Ozment.
When Williamson county had a sales tax increase for capital improvements to their schools, Crab Orchard built a new high school. The school was opened during the 2004-05 school year.
Lyle “Dee” Ozment
After Christopher defeated Steeleville last night, I began to exchange messages with his widowed wife Dianne. I asked her if it would be too painful to write this story. She graciously said, “It is never painful to talk about Dee. He was a fine man and meant so much to so many.”
I have known Dee Ozment in many circles, first as a long time teacher/school administrator at Crab Orchard, who he dedicated 41 years to his Alma Mater. He was larger than life, had one of the most infectious smiles I ever witnessed. At the same time, he was a humble servant.
Dianne shared a clipping with me from the Marion Daily Republican the night the gym was dedicated to him. The story said that he would do anything that needed to be done in the district. He would help the custodians, and fill in as a bus driver if needed.
My eighth grade year my basketball team was there. For those who do not know, I went to school at Thompsonville. If you are familiar with the old gym down there it had concrete sidelines.
It was a mild December day and the sidelines was sweating. It was in the days of three-piece suits. Dee was out there with his vest on mopping the sidelines.
I refereed a lot of games at Crab Orchard. I worked my third or fourth varsity game there. It was against Thompsonville. It was a game that was rescheduled after a snow. Their athletic director Keith Johns (and still the A.D.) said I know it will put you in a spot, but I feel more comfortable with you than anyone.
Trying to be objective, I was giving my hometown a royal rooking. Dee put his arm around me and said son, thank you for coming. He said go out and call the second half like it is just any other team in blue. That will always stick with me.
I took a six-month job working for IDOT after college. The project was widening Route 13 to four lanes. I was in Crab Orchard a lot, and I would run into him. I loved taking to him about high school sports, picking his mind about education, and mostly about the Lord.
During that winter, I would be a substitute teacher there from time to time. I also was during a time I worked a second shift job in Marion. He would tell me would loved for me to teach there if they had a position open. I took that as a very high compliment.
Dee and his wife Dianne spent their weekends spreading the Gospel in churches and fairs across the Midwest. He was the lead singer of the Glorylanders quartet. She was the pianist/alto.
The group spanned over five decades, up until the time Dee went home to be with the Lord. The group had several personnel changes but he was a constant. I asked Diane to share some thoughts about the group:
“The Gloylanders were group of high school boys started singing around 1959. Members came and went over the years, and about 54 years later, when Dee went home to be with our Lord, the group was still going strong. But that time, it consisted of 3 family members and one non-family.”
“He had a deep love for Southern Gospel music that never wavered. His funeral service was a celebration with some of the most glorious music I have ever heard.”
My parents were “groupies” of them back in the 1970’s. Their signature song was The King is Coming, written by Bill and Gloria Gaither.
When he would sing it he would be in the aisle of the church as far as his mic chord would reach. The spirit would be so strong as he sang it with such passion.
Dee passed away on March 16, 2013 after a very brief illness. When he went home to be with his Lord, I thought of a line in “his song” over and over, “praise God he’s coming for me.”
He came for him that day. Because the Lord saved someone who still is an old rotten sinner, I will see him again one day.
Just a few footnotes on some Franklin County connections. Diane started her teaching career at Thompsonville High School, then taught several years at Crab Orchard before her retirement.
Richard Ozment, their son, taught at Sesser-Valier a few years. He is now a principal at Hardin County.
The Ozment’s daughter Rindy has been involved in Southern Gospel music all of her life. She is in a group with former Sesser-Valier and now Johnston City teacher Andrea Harris, the Clarks. Andrea’s father Gary Clark is the pastor of Oasis Nazarene Church in Harrisburg. Dee was the minister of minister of music there at his passing.
Images of the Harrisburg tornado
February 21, 2017 By Leave a Comment
50 Influencers of Rend Lake College: The Simmonses, grit in the face of tragedy
February 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Reece Rutland, Rend Lake College Media Services
INA, IL – The story of Rend Lake College’s only husband and wife pair to sit on the Board of Trustees should have be a happier tale. Unfortunately, this chapter of the story shows one of the greatest hardships encountered by those that founded RLC. Luckily, from that tragedy, a story of determination, triumph and legacy emerged and a family’s name was cemented in the history of the college forever.
In a meeting on July 26, 1965, in Whittington, the motion was made that a group be formed to establish a junior college district in the area consisting of six or more counties. Holland Simmons seconded the motion and thus sat the wheels in motion to officially form the Steering Committee for Rend Lake College.
Dr. James Snyder, left, Dr. Curtis Parker, center, and Mr. Holland Simmons, right, count up all the ‘yes’ votes that officially made RLC a reality. (Reece Rutland RLC Media Services)
Simmons, a Benton native and operator of Simmons Drug Store on the Benton Public Square,, sat on that committee, and like Apple, Baker and Parker, Simmons also held a spot on the Rend Lake College Executive Committee before going on to be the final member of the founding Board of Trustees. It was by his motion that Dr. Snyder was approved as the first president of Rend Lake College during the June 20, 1967, board meeting.
Tragically, Simmons service and life were cut short when he drowned in a boating incident while fishing on Lake Moses on July 27, 1969. His mother also perished in the mishap. However, Marie Simmons took up the cause and was appointed to serve out her husband’s term.
A resolution by the board was passed on August 19, 1969, to honor Holland after his passing. It read:
“Holland Simmons bequeathed an enduring legacy to Rend Lake College. That legacy is the spirit of friendship and harmonious collaboration which has characterized our endeavors since the College was conceived. Holland kept our house in order; no feelings of local pride or parochial selfishness have ever appeared. In his firm and quiet way, he always aimed us in the right direction. If circumstances offered the opportunity for rivalries or misunderstandings, the Board always directed, “Call Holland.” Our legacy of good feeling and harmony is embodied in Holland’s answer to those calls.
We who enjoyed his friendship and esteem his work believe that Mrs. Simmons will know the sincerity of our sorrow at Holland’s death, and too, our pride and appreciation of his accomplishments for Rend Lake College.
Therefore, be it resolved, by the Board of Rend Lake College that this tribute to our colleague and friend, Holland Simmons, be extended to him in memoriam, included in our minutes of this proceeding, and that a copy of this Resolution be delivered to Mrs. Simmons by the Chairman, with our heartfelt sympathy.
Signed
Curtis A. Parker
Allen Baker
Carleton Apple
Forrest Stewart
Melvin Farlow
Harry Irwin
Huel Cross”
Marie went on to become secretary of the board in 1972. to date, they are the only husband and wife to both hold seats on the Board of Trustees.
Both Simmons were also founders of the Benton Community Bank and both served as Board Chairs of that institution.
A small business owner, Marie, was unopposed when she ran the first time for the remaining one-year term which was earned by her late husband and then awarded to her via appointment. She was the leading vote-getter in a field of six when she ran for her first three-year term in 1971 and was re-elected again in 1974. In total,
Mrs Simmons, left, is pictured sitting next to Dr. Allen Baker, right, during the 1975 Board of Trustees photo. After the death of her husband, Marie served on the board for many years. (Reece Rutland – RLC Media Services)
Marie served as a Trustee approximately eight years. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Benton, Eastern Star and White Shrine. She served on RLC’s board until only a few months before her death on August 10, 1977, at the age of 68. It was her choice not to run for re-election that spring
Jerimy Porritt: Pastor, Servant, Friend.
February 18, 2017 By Leave a Comment
In Porritt’s 21 years on this earth, he fulfilled the Great Commission by taking the Gospel to the four corners of the Earth (West Frankfort Gazette photo)
End of the line: We visit the Southern Illinois towns where the Dakota Access Pipeline ends
February 17, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Brian Stover’s front yard is directly across U.S. 51 from the Patoka Tank Farm.
CAROLINA HIDALGO | ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO
PATOKA, IL- The southern end of the Dakota Access Pipeline is in Patoka, which is north of Centralia on US 51. Mary Delach Leonard of St. Louis Public Radio looks at the villiage of Patoka and the the community to the north, Vernon, and the tank farm that has existed since the 1940’s between the two. Several here in Franklin County will identify with Patoka for being a power house in Class 1A Boys Basketball, with and enrollment usually around 60 students. Please click on the link to read the full story. Here is an excerpt. Brian Stover raises chickens at his house in rural Marion County, Illinois, just across the road from the Patoka Tank Farm where the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline ends — about 75 miles east of St. Louis. Stover, 54, likes living out here in the country on U.S. Highway 51, between the tiny villages of Vernon and Patoka. He sells his eggs — including speckled ones from Easter Egger hens — for $2 a dozen. A hand-lettered sign on his back porch welcomes customers to his home … … Where the tea is Sweet Friends Belong Love Endures & Our Faith is Strong
‘M*A*S*H’ almost ditched Father Mulcahy, but Alan Alda fought to keep the character
February 16, 2017 By Leave a Comment
William Christopher, who played father John Mulcahy on M*A*S*H* for 11 Seasons (MeTV photo)
Professor Jeannie Mitchell shines bright at RLC
February 13, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Reece Rutland – RLC Media Services
INA, IL – Psychology Professor Jeannie Mitchell in the Liberal Arts Division is a 20-year veteran of Rend Lake College. With her
Jeannie Mitchell with an Rend Lake College student (RLC Media Services)
background in counseling coupled with her unrelenting passion for her students, it is no wonder that she has become one of the signature personalities on campus.
Mitchell grew up in Cambria and graduated from Carterville High School. She began her college education at John A. Logan before transferring to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to complete her bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology with a minor in Psychology. From there, she completed her graduate work at SIUC, majoring in Counseling with a concentration in Substance Abuse.
So, what started her down that specific path? She relayed a story that many college-aged individuals can relate to.
“I was in St. Louis over a weekend for New Years because my boyfriend lived there. I opened up SIU Edwardsville’s catalog and Speech Pathology was the only thing that looked interesting to me. So, I went with it,” she explained.
But, while she was studying a topic she found interesting, another aspect of the experience caught and held her attention, leading to an educational shift.
“When I was doing my undergraduate work, I realized that I really enjoyed my minor in Psychology. I also came to the realization that I was more interested in the people, the clients, more than the speech patterns we were studying. The graduate program I chose let me connect with people. It also had high employability. It looked a great option given my interests and what I had learned about myself,” Mitchell said.
Her goal coming out of college was never to be a teacher. She wanted to put her degree to use in a setting she had been trained for, working with individuals in a clinical/counseling setting. She started off interning at a substance abuse service agency in Marion for a year. Then, she took a position with Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (TASC), a private company based in Chicago that offered services state-wide to help reduce recidivism by using a case management approach to direct formerly incarcerated individuals to substance abuse treatment in a community setting.
Unfortunately, that door closed when new legislation was introduced that wiped out funding for the program.
“During that time, I got stuck in Chicago because of the weather. I was up there for four days. On the last day, I went to Meigs Airfield, which isn’t there anymore, and ran into Rex Ducan [former RLC Director of Cooperative Education] who was the only other person flying out of there that day. We started talking the whole way home. I knew that my contract was going to be dissipating and saw that there was an opening for AmeriCorps here at RLC, so I went for it.”
Mitchell spent two years in that position, getting to know the college and its students. She also spent a stint working for RLC’s Advisement Department following the AmeriCorps position. It was during this time that she got her first taste of teaching.
“My first teaching job at Rend Lake was an Intro to Psychology class on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. until noon. I had never thought of teaching as a career move. Honestly, I took that job to earn a little extra money and boost my resume. But, turns out, I absolutely loved it,” Mitchell said.
“That was when the light bulb came on, and I knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing.”
From those beginnings, Mitchell has turned her stop at RLC into a 20-year career, teaching full-time since 2001.
While she might have left the more clinical part of her education behind, Mitchell says that her training and employment history as a counselor offer her a unique toolset when approaching and relating to students.
“This is going to sound cheesy. But, so many times, as a teacher, you know that you are working with someone who is on the cusp of greatness. You know they are right there on the verge of discovering who they are and taking off to do something great. You get to be there right at the impetus of this person getting ready to do something huge with the rest of their lives, and that is such a great feeling,” she expressed.
“Anytime a student is comfortable enough to self-disclose something with me that they’ve never told anyone, those are really impactful moments for me. To know they feel safe and accepted is such a huge compliment as a teacher.”
Mitchell said that community college offers a unique environment for students to go through that process of learning and self-discovery. Transitioning to college is always a daunting process, but RLC’s ability to let students push their limits while maintaining some of their comfort zone and support structure can make all the difference in the world when it comes to taking vital steps in the next phase of a student’s life.
In addition to the lessons in the classroom, Mitchell also gives her students some practical experience as well. Every semester, students enrolled in her Child Psychology class select, as a class, an issue that they would like to raise awareness on. Then, the students hatch and execute a plan of action to spread knowledge and make a difference in the area they chose. Previous projects have tackled child abuse, foster care and making a Christmas tree for the United Methodist Children Home’s Festival of Lights.
Mitchell also shared her words of advice for those interested in pursuing careers in psychology fields.
“I would really urge anyone interested in psychology to shadow professionals currently in the field. Make sure to shadow many different people over many different capacities. You need to be introspective enough to know who you are, but know that it’s not about you.”
Outside of the classroom, Mitchell is a self-described “Pinterest addict.” She also enjoys antiquing and crafting. As an avid cook, she also helps organize on-campus cooking contests to benefit the Student Emergency Fund.
