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Community College Times
November 26, 2002
Walter Cronkite Lends His Voice To A Good Cause
The voice that for years gave Americans the peace of mind to end their day
on a positive note is now sounding out on behalf of community colleges.
Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News anchor for nearly two decades, will serve
as the voice of a major fund-raising campaign for the Kentucky Community and
Technical College System (KCTCS).
Cronkite taped the narrative for a video that highlights the accomplishments
of KCTCS and its colleges, and states the case for private support for KCTCS
education initiatives. At its recent President’s Gala and Benefactors Awards
Dinner, KCTCS announced its statewide campaign, called “Fulfilling the
Promise,” which will seek support for initiatives such as the new economy,
student success, and new educational opportunities.
“As the sun rises each morning, it brings with it new opportunities for
KCTCS to fulfill its mission and destiny - to change the lives of Kentuckians,”
Cronkite says in the video. “And a golden opportunity for you to keep the
enlightenment of education shining brightly across the Commonwealth.” Cronkite
taped the KCTCS voice-over audio at a Manhattan sound studio, where he met KCTCS
president Michael B. McCall; vice president Timothy R. Burcham; and two representatives
of Meridian Communications, which is providing marketing services for the “Fulfilling
the Promise” campaign.
“We started with Mr. Cronkite...we went for the best and we got him,”
said McCall, in answer to which other personalities the campaign had considered
using.
Cronkite, who turns 86 this month, was once described in a major poll as the
“most trusted figure” in American public life. His commentary defined
issues and events in America for almost two decades. Each weekday evening from
1962 through 1981, Cronkite closed his newscast with his trademark line: “And
that’s the way it is.”
Cronkite, who does no commercial endorsements, agreed to work on the KCTCS
project because of his support for education. After the taping, McCall and Cronkite
discussed the importance of community and technical colleges, and differences
between KCTCS and other states’ systems of two-year colleges.
“Our campaign was appealing to [Cronkite] because he has a real affinity
to and affection for education, especially the two-year system,” McCall
said. “He was intrigued by the reform of education here, which he said
was unique in these days and times.”
McCall referred to Cronkite as a gentleman and a scholar, whose instantly recognizable
voice lends credibility to his endorsements.
“My feeling has always been that education should demand our first priority
in expenditures,” Cronkite said in conversation with McCall. “Educators
are the keystone of the successful continuation of our democracy.”
In the video, Cronkite details KCTCS successes, including increased enrollment;
university transfer and workforce training programs; partnerships with employers
and other higher education institutions; and distance learning. Burcham called
KCTCS the state’s “ninth institute of higher learning,” the other
eight being four-year schools.
“When Kentucky decided to reform higher ed in 1997, it made the strategic
move to bring all two-year public schools together,” Burcham said. “KCTCS
operates as a whole with one governing board, which makes it efficient and effective
for projects such as this.”
The campaign will target the private sector both statewide and nationally,
when KCTCS begins distributing the video to major corporations such as Toyota,
UPS, Ford Motor Company and Cisco.
“Since we’re a new institution, we’re faced with a need to create
awareness and visibility,” Burcham said. “The video should associate
credibility with the organization, and we plan to use it in a strategic manner.”
KCTCS comprises 16 separate college districts, each with its own board of directors,
under the leadership of the main system, which constitutes the seventeenth member.
“We have one theme, one logo and 17 pieces,” Burcham explained. He
said currently four districts are involved and the system will phase in the
others as they become ready to move into the process.
Each college district will receive its own version of the campaign video, differing
according to the region. In addition to the general narrative, Cronkite recorded
a special segment for each individual video.
Cronkite closed the voice-over in the same style that comforted Americans at
the end of each of his thousands of CBS Evening News broadcasts: “This
is Walter Cronkite for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
And that’s the way it is.”
The following are excerpts from the video’s narrative:
“It was an exceptionally bright day in 1997 when the Commonwealth took
a historic step forward in its quest for a better future. The Postsecondary
Education Improvement Act created the Kentucky Community and Technical College
System (KCTCS) by combining the state’s public two-year colleges into a
more comprehensive, flexible and responsive system. KCTCS became the primary
catalyst for economic development, community growth, and enhanced educational
attainment of Kentuckians to meet the demands of the 21st Century.
“The goal? To improve the employability and quality of life of all Kentuckians
through associate degree courses of study, job skills training, and community-based
education. The results? In a word: remarkable.”
“The creation of KCTCS opened new doors of opportunity for all Kentuckians.
Whether coming directly out of high school, from the workforce, or the ranks
of the unemployed, students of all ages and backgrounds can achieve their dreams
of a more fulfilling life.
“For some, it’s a stepping stone to a bachelor’s degree. For
others, it’s their best hope of getting the education and training they
need for employment or career advancement.
“And KCTCS is the gateway to higher education for many of Kentucky’s
best and brightest high school graduates.”
The News-Enterprise
December 3, 2002
Angela Davis urges critical thinking during speech at ECC
Only a few thoughts, actions or movements are needed to change the world.
And if Angela Davis could have her way, an increasing number of people would
be obliged to think critically about our world and find ways to change it.
Davis, an internationally respected political activist and scholar, spoke Monday
to more than 250 people at Elizabethtown Community College about the preconceptions
and fears in our world, and the need for change.
She mentioned "terrorist" as a word inflicted by government officials
on the public as a way to spread fear. When Davis was on the FBI's Top 10 list
in 1970 as a Black Panther fugitive, President Richard Nixon often referred
to her as a "terrorist."
"I know how that word can shut down thought and produce fear," she
said.
It is important for people to raise questions, not only in an academic setting,
but all over the community, she emphasized.
Davis, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has spent the
last semester as a scholar-in-residence at the University of Louisville teaching
a course called "Women, Race and Class." She heads back to teaching
in California this week.
ECC hopes to bring more diverse speakers to campus, especially of Davis' caliber,
said Mary Jo King, an ECC spokeswoman.
"It's nice to have speakers with controversial and different ideas to
come and express their views," King said.
Davis' speaking engagement also addressed the problem of violence in prisons
and the rights of those prisoners. An increasing number of sexual assaults and
unnecessary body cavity searches have been seen all over the world, she said.
"How is it we can allow such unspeakable acts against people?" she
asked.
However, critical thinking and analyzing our world can lead to positive change,
Davis said.
One of the movements Davis would like to see is an anti-war movement in an
effort to prevent any action against Iraq.
She also answered questions about the priorities of our government and their
power and arrogance.
"Sometimes I feel ashamed to be an American," Davis said. "Profit
has become more important than people. Corporations are more important than
education."
Davis hopes this country can make connections with the world and become a part
of the world, not isolated.
The News-Enterprise
December 2, 2002
ECC program is music to her ears
Camille Hill has been a "Messiah" for the small music department
at Elizabethtown Community College. That's because she doesn't think of it as
a small program.
To prove her point, she plans on presenting "Handel's Messiah" with
group of about 30 students.
"I don't hold back just because we have a few students," she said.
Hill began teaching introduction to music and chorus at ECC in 1984. She became
interested in music after taking piano lessons at age 4 and spent many years
attending orchestra performances.
"Concerts are a very magical experience for a child," she said.
After attending Northwestern University, she started a family and put her teaching
career on hold. However later she went back to get her doctorate in music in
a joint program with the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.
"Finishing my degrees was something I always wanted to do," Hill
said.
It took her 10 years to complete her doctorate while she worked at ECC. She
graduated in 1996.
She is now the chairwoman of the school's Department of Arts and Humanities.
"I have all the paperwork to do now," she said.
Hill said the hardest thing about her job is getting students to join her Choristers
program.
"It's hard to schedule classes and put choir in it," she said.
She still enjoys being the director of talented students. She also tries to
help those who have little or no musical interests.
"Music is not very easy, you have to work out it very hard," she
said. "But it is a joy when a student exceeds her expectations and does
something wonderful."
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