January 22, 2010
KidsTalk, the Lee University Play Therapy Center, is moving from a site two miles away from the campus to the Mayfield Annex. This relocation, according to Dr. Jeffrey Sargent, chair of the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, will be advantageous for many reasons.
The early stages of the Play Therapy Center
Play is a natural part of childhood, and as such, play therapy is typically used for children. During play, children create their own worlds and express themselves. Play therapy is a therapeutic approach for children with emotional or social difficulties. Better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress are among the possible positive outcomes of play therapy.
The move to the Lee campus will not only allow for graduate student internships, but will also permit whole classrooms to observe therapy sessions. The new facility contains two-way mirrors to enable students to observe children of varying ages and developmental stages. Classroom learning will be enhanced by the opportunity to witness child behavior, instead of relying strictly on textbooks.
Close to completion, this picture shows the two way mirrors the center will have.
Dr. Sargent commented that the Play Therapy Center “serves an underserved population.” The move to the Lee University campus will allow the faculty to continue to interact with the children and families, as well as providing invaluable training and experience for students.
December 1, 2009
Last month, several Lee University students presented at the annual national conference of Pentecostals and Charismatics for Peace and Justice (PCPJ).
Pradip Subedi and Rachel Stern at Acting on AIDS booth
The mission of PCPJ is to encourage, enable, and sustain peacemaking and the search for justice as an authentic and integral aspect of the Pentecostal and Charismatic community. As well, they wish to inform people of national and international issues regarding injustice and oppression, and to facilitate action that encourages peace.
Six students from the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department had the opportunity to present at PCPJ through the Council on Revolutionary Endeavors (CORE), which is composed of three groups: Invisible Children, Acting on AIDS, and the International Justice Mission.
Ellie Morse presenting at PCPJ
PCPJ has offered to the students involved in CORE an opportunity to published on the PCPJ website in order to promote a continued relationship with the student organization. Dr. Murl Dirksen said that he hopes students will continue to be involved.
“I think anytime students can make presentations at conferences professionally, it is good for students and Lee. People are exposed to the quality of students we have here. We have great students, and I’m always proud of them going to conferences,” he said.
Ellie Morse, Katie Johnson, and Amanda Mitchell at Global Gift Shop display for PCPJ
In reference to the PCPJ conference and the students’ concern with social justice, Dirksen continued, “I think Lee students were happy to be affirmed that what they are doing is right and valuable.”
November 13, 2009
Dr. Matthew Krepps is now on the Community Advisory Panel for the Arch Chemicals, Inc. and Olin Corporation Companies.
The Community Advisory Panel (CAP) is a small, representative group of citizens who meet with plant management and employees to discuss issues of mutual interest including environment, health, and safety as it relates to the chemical manufacturing process. The CAP provides a forum for open dialogue between these citizens and plant management to better understand the risks involved with the chemical manufacturing process and address safety issues of its employees and the plant’s operational impact on the greater community.
Both companies are located in Charleston, TN, just north of Cleveland. These discussions and presentations in bi-monthly meetings provide CAP members with information that helps them serve a vital role in community outreach.
There are about 35 members on the panel and they meet bi-monthly to receive a safety report from both companies and have a discussion or lecture from an invited guest speaker.
Krepps earned his Ph. D. in Inorganic Chemistry and is also a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Guild of Organists.
November 5, 2009
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the National English Honor Society, held the Second Annual Graduate and Undergraduate Student Conference on Literature, Composition, and Rhetoric on October 16 and 17. Two Lee University students, Emily Carlisle and Mallory Leonard, were accepted to present their papers at the convention.
Carlisle presented her paper “The Eternal Poet” in a panel on Studies of American Literature. Her paper, which she wrote for 20th Century American Drama, focuses on Tennessee William’s play Suddenly Last Summer, and she subverts the protagonist’s perceived death. The reading slot for her was 7:30 a.m., and she says, “If you have to read your paper before the sun also rises, it is always a good idea to discuss Tennessee Williams’ religious hauntings in order to get the synapses firing.”
In her paper, “Struggle Against Water: A Deeper Look at Queen Gertrude in Hamlet,” Leonard uses feminist literary criticism to claim that Gertrude’s character serves as a warning to women who may give into patriarchy and deny their own femininity. She claims that Ophelia and Gertrude are opposites: Ophelia embraces her feminine nature and escapes the patriarchal structures around her through suicide, but Gertrude fears to follow and remains trapped in the world of men which destroys her.
This is the first conference at which either has presented, and both found the reading useful. Leonard says, “Overall, the experience was beneficial. This was my first experience reading one of my papers in front of anyone else, and I’m very glad I did it. I look forward to participating in more conferences in the near future.”
