On Campus: Harper News Roundup

This latest installment of news from Harper College features a faculty member's environmental award, a triumphant Speech and Debate Team performance and more.

Professor Honored for Environmental Work: For five years, Harper College students have cut brush, pulled weeds and restored living spaces for living things as volunteers with local environmental organizations. Now a Barrington-based group is honoring the professor who inspired them. Craig Stettner, an associate professor of biology who also oversees Harper’s Environmental Club, has been named the winner of this year’s William H. Miller Conservation Award, the highest honor bestowed by the 42-year-old Citizens for Conservation organization. Stettner, who has headed up the Environmental Club since 2002, routinely encourages his students to volunteer for Citizens for Conservation and other environmental groups, presenting the opportunity to earn extra credit while also getting hands-on ecological experience and the chance to improve the world around them, Citizens for Conservation Vice President Jim Vanderpoel said.

Speech, Debate Team Nabs State Titles: Four members of Harper College’s powerhouse Speech and Debate Team earned top titles at the recent state tournament at Northern Illinois University, propelling Harper to a third-place finish among two-year schools. The team clinched state championships in Dramatic Interpretation (Kate Fundarek of Hoffman Estates), Persuasion (Patrick Halprin of Hanover Park), Extemporaneous Speaking (Elisa Galvan of Hoffman Estates) and Parliamentary Debate (Galvan and Brianna Bitout of Arlington Heights). Overall, 12 of Harper’s 34 speeches advanced to the finals, earning the competitors top-six finishes. The team will perform for the public at the annual Comedy Night, set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 in Room A238, Building A on Harper’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. Tickets are $6 for general admission. Contact the Box Office, 847.925.6100 or www.harpercollege.edu/boxoffice.

Renowned Author to Return to Campus: Celebrated author T.C. Boyle has been more than a casual visitor to Harper College. He’s also taught on campus, stepping in to take over literature classes on his two most recent visits. Boyle, whose close relationship with the College led Professor Greg Herriges and colleague Tom Knoff to produce an award-winning documentary on the author’s work in 2008, will make his third trip to Harper this month. He’ll read from his latest book, “San Miguel,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 in the Building J Theatre, Room J143 in Building J on the main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. “San Miguel,” Boyle’s 14th novel, is the story of two families who occupy their own island at different times. A previous book, “The Road to Wellville,” was turned into a 1994 movie starring Anthony Hopkins and John Cusack. Tickets for the reading are $12 for general admission, and $8 for senior citizens. Contact the Box Office, 847.925.6100 or www.harpercollege.edu/boxoffice.

Class Makes '50s Staple Fun Again: Harper College is offering a new calorie-burning course that combines an old-school toy with new-school exercise. The Hula Hoop Fitness class will begin Tuesday, March 19, with workouts designed for core strengthening and cardiovascular health. The noncredit course, offered through the College’s Continuing Education Department, jumps on an evolving trend that has seen hula-hooping grow from a basic physical activity to a form of dance called Hoop Dance – which will be taught in the class – in the last decade. “I cThe course, which can burn up to 600 calories in an hour, will incorporate traditional movements like lunges and squats, with the added hula hoop challenge. It runs from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. For more details on the class or other fitness courses, call 847.925.6300 or visit www.harpercollege.edu/ce.