A production of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Off the Hill education series, River Rat and Cat is a comedy about friendship and cooperation.
This performance is a joint presentation of the Learning Center and The Arts Council of West Chester/Liberty, and is part of Miami University’s celebration of The Year of the Arts.
Miami’s Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the Corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive, in West Chester.
For more information visit www.muohio.edu/voalc or call the Learning Center at 513-895-8862.
Connect 4, an exhibition of the work of four female artists who live and work in Southwest Ohio, will open with a public reception from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.
The featured artists, who share a passion for printmaking, are Mia Knight, Barb Weinert-McBee, Sherraid Scott and Kim Vito.
This event has taken place every other year for the past ten years through the Dayton Printmaker’s Cooperative and the Gen Studio in Kyoto, Japan. The most recent exhibition for the project was at the Springfield Museum of Art, which presented the theme “House/Home.”
The artwork will be on display at the venue through June 15 and may be viewed Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Miami’s Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive in West Chester. For more information visit www.muohio.edu/voalc or call the Learning Center at 513-895-8862.
Hundreds of band students celebrated at an assembly in Lakota West’s gym Monday, April 9, 2012. The assembly was held to celebrate the band's accomplishment of being invited to perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2013. Photo taken by Cara Owsley.
To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.
Lakota West band to march in NYC Thanksgiving Day Parade – Band students celebrated a big announcement last Monday when school officials said that the band will perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in 2013.
Miami introduces new basketball coach – The Miami University athletic department chose its VOA Learning Center in West Chester Township to introduce its new head basketball coach last week. Former Tennessee State University head coach John Cooper will take over the job after Charlie Coles retired in March after coaching the Redhawks for 16 seasons.
Lakota West High School names new principal – Lakota West High School will have a new principal next school year as the school board voted unanimously last week to promote school administrator Gary Elgin Card to lead the 2,800-student school. Card, who is now associate principal at Lakota West Freshman School, will replace Lakota West Principal Richard Hamilton, who is retiring at the end of this school year.
Lakota West comes back to defeat rival Mason – Trailing 3-0, the Lakota West Firebirds stormed back with a five-run sixth inning en route to a 6-3 win against Mason Wednesday at Mason Middle School. The win improved the Firebirds conference record to a perfect 8-0 and kept them in sole possession of first place in the Greater Miami Conference.
Reds legends make a visit to West Chester – Fans of the Big Red Machine visited memory lane and met the team’s Gold Glove winning centerfielder, Cesar Geronimo, during a special signing session at the Sports Gallery in West Chester Township Friday. Midway through the event, Geronimo’s former teammate George Foster stopped by.
KiteFest takes to the skies – One of West Chester Township’s most popular events, WGUC Airwaves KiteFest at Voice of America Park, took place over the weekend. Rain caused problems on Saturday, but Sunday was a perfect day for the event that draws between 13,000 to 15,000 kite enthusiasts annually.
Midway through his introductory press conference Monday afternoon, Miami University men’s basketball coach John Cooper said nine words that signified the new era of RedHawks hoops.
“I like to get up and down the court,” Cooper said at Miami’s Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.
Fans burst into applause.
An attacking, pressing style is just one way the former Tennessee State coach plans to put his mark on Miami basketball. Accompanied by his wife, Melissa, 5-year-old daughter Kennedy and 4-year-old son Kameron, Cooper pledged to infuse the program with pride, passion and excitement.
“I feel honored and I’m gracious for the opportunity,” said Cooper, 43, as his father, John, and step-mother, Milly, looked on. “I stand before you because I believe this place can be special.
“It will take time, but enjoy the ride. This will be fun.”
Cooper accepted the job Friday, about five weeks after 16-year Miami coach Charlie Coles announced his retirement. Miami signed Cooper to a five-year contract with an annual base salary of $250,000 plus academic and athletic incentives.
Cooper went 43-52 in three seasons at Tennessee State, including a 27-25 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference.
His Tigers upset then-undefeated and seventh-ranked Murray State Feb. 9 and finished with a 20-13 record. It was Tennessee State’s first winning tally since 1995-96 and first 20-win season in 32 years.
Cooper was on athletic director Brad Bates’ radar before Feb. 19, when Tennessee State beat Miami 68-61 in a Sears BracketBuster game at Millett Hall. Analyst and former colleague Eddie Fogler, Cooper’s coach at Wichita State, had told Bates to keep an eye on Cooper.
Bates later tapped into other Tennessee resources he established during his time at Vanderbilt and was consistently given rave reviews about Cooper, a former Rhodes Scholar candidate.
Not only was Bates impressed by Cooper’s focus on academics, but he valued Cooper’s emphasis on relationship-building.
Athletic Director Brad Bates introduces John Cooper as Miami University’s head basketball coach Monday, April 9, 2012 at the school’s Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber of WestChesterBuzz.com.
“When we developed the profile of the coach we were looking for, one thing that came out really strongly for our players was that they wanted a coach that developed relationships on and off the court,” Bates said.
Cooper met with Miami players Friday morning to introduce himself and begin forging those relationships.
“It was great,” RedHawks guard Quinten Rollins said. “He had a lot of enthusiasm. I was impressed with the way that he spoke to us and the way he carried himself.”
Rollins said he and other RedHawks were excited about the prospects of Cooper’s playing style. Rollins remembered Tennessee State playing “really loose” during the February game at Miami.
Cooper plans to add Tennessee State assistant coach Sheldon Everett and director of basketball operations Trey Meyer to his Miami staff but has not finalized his full complement yet.
He expects to fill the two open RedHawks scholarships. He also hopes to fill seats at Millett Hall.
Cooper urged fans to help “protect our (floor)” at the arena, which housed an average 1,797 fans in 14 games last season. Tennessee State fared considerably better on its home court – 11-2, to Miami’s 7-7 – and averaged crowds of 3,338.
The bottom line, Cooper said, is that he will work his “tail off every single day” for Miami.
“I would hope that you will give me time to grow, get comfortable, and represent your university the right way,” Cooper said. “Because I’ll be here.
Connect 4, an exhibition of the work of four female artists who live and work in Southwest Ohio, will open with a public reception Sunday, April 22, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.
The featured artists, who share a passion for printmaking, are Mia Knight, Barb Weinert-McBee, Sherraid Scott and Kim Vito.
This event has taken place every other year for the past ten years through the Dayton Printmaker’s Cooperative and the Gen Studio in Kyoto, Japan. The most recent exhibition for the project was at the Springfield Museum of Art, which presented the theme “House/Home.”
The artwork will be on display at the venue through June 15 and may be viewed Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Miami’s Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive in West Chester. For more information visit www.muohio.edu/voalc or call the Learning Center at 513-895-8862.
An exhibition featuring classic tiles from the collection of Rookwood Pottery, “History Under Fire,” will open at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center with a public reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Drawn from its collection of more than 3,000 molds and hundreds of glaze recipes, the exhibition will include historical as well as contemporary works by Rookwood’s team of artists and craftsmen.
Jim Robinson, Chief Glaze Chemist for Rookwood, will speak in the Learning Center auditorium at 3 p.m. during the opening reception about the history of Rookwood and they work they are doing to preserve an artistic and historic tradition that dates back more than 120 years.
Rookwood was founded in 1880 by Maria Longworth Nichols, who brought together artists and glaze technicians to create an award-winning America presence in worldwide ceramics. Her efforts were first recognized when Rookwood received the First Prize Gold Medal at the 1889 Paris Exhibition.
Named after the Longworth family estate in Cincinnati, Rookwood became the first female manufacturing company in the United States, and today is owned by Cincinnati patrons Martin and Marilyn Wade. Rookwood tiles are found in Union Terminal, the US Military Academy at West Point, international museums and thousands of private homes.
The exhibition will be on display at the Voice of America Learning Center through April 13, and may be viewed from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. The exhibition is part of Miami University’s year-long celebration of The Year of the Arts.
The Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive, in West Chester. For more information visit www.muohio.edu/voalc or call the Learning Center at 513-895-8862.
An exhibition featuring classic tiles from the collection of Rookwood Pottery, “History Under Fire,” will open at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center with a public reception from 2 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 19.
Drawn from its collection of more than 3,000 molds and hundreds of glaze recipes, the exhibition will include historical as well as contemporary works by Rookwood’s team of artists and craftsmen.
Jim Robinson, Chief Glaze Chemist for Rookwood, will speak in the Learning Center auditorium at 3 p.m. during the opening reception about the history of Rookwood and they work they are doing to preserve an artistic and historic tradition that dates back more than 120 years.
Rookwood was founded in 1880 by Maria Longworth Nichols, who brought together artists and glaze technicians to create an award-winning America presence in worldwide ceramics. Her efforts were first recognized when Rookwood received the First Prize Gold Medal at the 1889 Paris Exhibition.
Named after the Longworth family estate in Cincinnati, Rookwood became the first female manufacturing company in the United States, and today is owned by Cincinnati patrons Martin and Marilyn Wade. Rookwood tiles are found in Union Terminal, the US Military Academy at West Point, international museums and thousands of private homes.
The exhibition will be on display at the Voice of America Learning Center from Feb. 19 through April 13, and may be viewed from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays. The exhibition is part of Miami University’s year-long celebration of The Year of the Arts.
The Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive, in West Chester. For more information visit www.muohio.edu/voalc or call the Learning Center at 513-895-8862.
WAR, by Canadian playwright Dennis Foon, examines how aggression and violence permeate youth culture as four young men struggle with the pressures of competitiveness, anger and vulnerability.
“WAR is a powerful and rich play that explores the ways in which boys use warfare as a metaphor for their lives: in sports, with their peers, in academics and in their relationships with others, particularly women,” said Mark Lutwak, Cincinnati Playhouse director of education.
“Contemporary ‘manhood training,’ as laid on young boys by popular culture, adults and peers, is wildly out of sorts with the kind of maturity that we expect and need from the our next generation. This play raises important questions that will be discussed long after the performance is over.”
At the end of the play there will be a time for facilitated talkback to help students articulate and respond to the issues of the play. One of the cast members will remain in character to respond to questions from the audience, joined by two Miami University Hamilton faculty members, Dr. Michelle Abraham and Gina Patterson.
Abraham, assistant professor of Psychology, studies the psychological experience of social relationships in regard to child development. Her research focuses on how early attachment relationships and other social relationships affect personal development, studies on adolescent romance, friendships and self-esteem, and the impact of multiple births on attachment development.
Patterson is a visiting assistant professor of English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Miami University Hamilton. Her research and teaching interests include Working Class Studies, LGBTQ Studies, and English Studies. She has received both departmental and university recognition for her teaching and influence on students, and is the faculty advisor for Stage Left: Miami University’s Musical Theater Organization.
The performance is recommended for audiences age 11 and up, and parents are encouraged to attend with their children. A study guide from Playhouse in the Park and directions to the Learning Center are available online at http://www.regionals.muohio.edu/voalc/news/news_events.html.
“Big Spaces and Large Planes,” a multi-media art exhibition, at Miami University’s Voice of American Learning Center will open with a public reception from 2-to-5 p.m. Sunday.
The exhibition to be featured in the gallery at VOA Learning Center is part of the ongoing collaboration between the VOA Learning Center and The Arts Council of West Chester and Liberty, and part of Miami’s university-wide celebration of the “Year of the Arts.”
The works of eleven area artists are featured in this exhibition, including work by Amy Mitchell and Maureen Nimis, whose works were in the first exhibition this season, are joined by Pattie Byron, Cathy Fiorelli, Donna Gingrich, Bonita Williams Goldberg, Jolie Harris, Linda Peetz Kramer, Michele B. Lea, Brian Luman and Masha Misco.
Pattie Byron, president of The Arts Council of West Chester & Liberty, noted that “many times in art it is not the main subject that makes the piece – it is the area around the subject. Regardless if the piece is representational or abstract these works are dynamic and interesting because of the spaces and planes in the compositions.”
The exhibition will remain on display through Feb. 9 and may be viewed during normal business hours at the Center – from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.
The Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of VOA Park Drive and Cox Road, in West Chester.
After a cup of coffee and a tour, participants will be able to spend time with Miami University regional staff to learn more about admissions, financial aid, and veterans programs and services.
Admission and academic counselors will share information on all that’s available at Miami’s regional campus locations in West Chester, Hamilton, Middletown, and the new Greentree Health Sciences Academy.
Included will be information about the Regionals’ new bachelor’s degree in Health Information Technology, and information about the Bachelor of Integrative Studies, a bachelor’s completion degree designed for people with associate degrees or a collection of college credits, who want to advance their careers and future job opportunities.
The Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive, in West Chester.
A production of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Off the Hill education series, River Rat and Cat is a comedy about friendship and cooperation.
