TUITION - There will be a tuition increase next fall. The new rates per credit hour are: In-district, $48. Out-district, $53. Out-of-state, $53. International, $99. The rates include tuition, $30, for all credit hours except international, which is $87, and fees. Fees per hour are $18 for in-district, $23 for out-district and out-of-state, and $12 for international.

SCHOLARSHIP - The ICC Faculty Association is considering candidates now for a scholarship awarded to a freshman majoring in education. Students may apply by contacting any member of the faculty.

EXCELLENCE - The Hutchinson Community College Academic Excellence Challenge Team won first place at the Wichita State tournament Feb. 16, qualifying for the national tournament in Chapel Hill, N.C.

AUCTION - ICC will hold an auction sale April 13 at the Cessna Learning Center to sell old monitors, computers, keyboards, printers, telephones and other items. The sale will start at 10:30 a.m.

NOTES - Notes from the President’s Cabinet include this notices: • The new college catalog is due this week. • Summer class schedules will be bulk mailed. • Three candidates are vying for foreign language instructor position. • New ICC stationery will feature the news dorms as a water mark.

GRADUATION - Students who plan to graduate in May must fill out a "Graduation Request Form," and have completed all graduation requirements by the end of this summer. Forms are available at the Registrar’s office in the Student Union.

DOING WELL - According to data from Emporia State University, ICC students there have recorded a 3.12 GPA average, while students from other community college and those beginning at ESU average 3.0.

Dilyara Suleymanova

Dilyara Suleymanova, 19-year-old ICC student from Russia, will be the first Russian and only the second international student to direct an ICC Anna play in the 43-year history of the popular productions.

Ms. Suleymanova, a student in ICC instructor Gary Mitchell’s play production class, will direct the English drama, "Moonlight Marionettes."

The Anna plays will be held April 11 and 12 in the William Inge Theatre. It is a festival to remember Anna Ingleman, who was the first drama teacher at ICC. In this festival, ICC students direct plays, and the audience judges which one is the best, and which actor and actress is the best in all plays. Three ICC students are directing plays.

The student directors are members of Instructor Gary Mitchell’s play production class. Students in that class learn how to direct a play as a director in first half of a semester, and actually try to direct a play in Anna plays. They need to pick up a story, make auditions, select actors, make time schedules for rehearsal, and all kinds of things.

Dilyara selected the English drama written by Andy Evans because "It is a mysterious drama. It is also very symbolic and philosophical. During the play, people don’t know what the story is about. People only can guess. At the end of the play, all of the meaning of the play is revealed," she said. In fact, Suleymanova had not known about this drama at all until she found it on the Internet. When she read the story first, she was really fascinated by the mysteriousness that this drama has, and decided to direct it.

There are three main characters in the drama. One night they meet each other. From that scene, the story develops. Suleymanova said we will see love, hate, jealousy and danger in the play. Also, the unexpected conclusion will surely surprise audiences.

Her major is actually journalism. But she is also interested in theater. For Russian people, it is normal for all people to go to see plays, musicals, movies and any other entertainments. She has felt a theater very close since she was child. Also, she has done several theater activities in her country. Usually, she acts in plays, rather than directs.

She is a very active and challenging girl. She is now taking 15 hours credit. After school, she works at the KIND radio station in Independence until 5 o’clock. She usually meets and talks with her friends after that. She does not have own car.

In addition, of course, language difference is a big problem for international students. We can guess there are many difficulties. However, Suleymanova said, "I know it’s very challenging. But, I don’t feel so much confusion, difficulties… now. I’m not afraid." Also, she said she is getting comfortable using English because she has always used it here since becoming a student last August. She is not stressed out at all. Also, she doesn’t feel busy for the situation that she has right now. Rather, she feels very comfortable for and enjoys her busy days. "I like being busy!" she said with really big smile.

Independence Community College announces that cast members selected for the 43rd annual "Anna Award" plays. The student-directed play competition, named for longtime ICC drama instructor Anna Ingleman, opens April 11, with the final performance and awards ceremony on April 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the William Inge Theatre. There are no reserved seats and general admission is $3. Admission is free for ICC students and staff.

Josh Hoppes, of Parsons, is directing "Impromptu" by Tad Mosel. The show centers around four actors summoned to appear on the stage without scripts, direction or instructions. Maria Hussain, from Saudi Arabia, plays Winifred; Tyler Newland, Neodesha, plays Tony; Daniel Williams, of Fredonia, plays Ernest; and Hanna Stohul, from Ukraine, plays Lora.

Dilyara Suleymanova, from Russia, has selected Andy Evans’ "Moonlight Marionettes." Her cast includes: Mike Pokorny, Independence, as Wart; Julie Dumler, Independence, as Hog; and Brandon Porritt, Caney, as Moth. The characters meet near a park bench in this play full of mystery and thwarted love.

Matt Escobar, Topeka, has combined David Ives’ "Sure Thing" and John Patrick Shanley’s "Welcome to the Moon" into a piece he calls "Every Day," a play that deals with adult subject matter and contains language some may find offensive. His cast is made up of Adam Harris, Independence, who plays Bill/Stephen, Becky Schwatken, Elk City, as Betty/Shirley, Wayne Traylor, North Carolina, as Vinnie, Mike Pokorny as Ronnie, and Matt Escobar as Artie the barkeeper.

Four judges will evaluate the plays on April 11. Following the plays April 12, the audience will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite play. The winner gets the "People’s Choice" award. Other awards that night will be given for acting, best play, and best director.

Gary Mitchell, ICC Play Production Instructor, is coordinating the presentations. He can be reached at 331-4100 ext 4231. Outside of Independence, call 1-800-842-6063, ext. 4231.

ICC’S BETA OMEGA CHAPTER of Phi Theta Kappa show off some of the awards they won at Regional Convention in Dodge City. Front Row: Instructor Brenda Thomason, Jennifer O’Neill, Jake Grzenda, and Chenoa Bowersox. Second row: Amanda Boydston, Cho Rong Park, and Ashley Mills. Third row: Instructor Karen Roush, Amber Collins, Daniel Williams, Trish JuAire, and Misty Grey. Back Row: Amy Haley, Emily Hamlin, and Ryan Daniel. Complete story on Page 8. (Buccaneer Photo)

The Beta Omega Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa attended the Regional Convention in Dodge City March 8, 9 and 10.

The Beta Omega Chapter won 10 awards and had one member elected as a district officer. Brooke Mills was elected as the Southern District Vice President.

Upon arriving in Dodge City on Friday, advisors Brenda Thomason and Karen Roush, along with four chapter members, Emily Hamlin, Jennifer O’Neill, Brooke Mills and Chenoa Bowersox, toured the city. They attended dinner at the Boot Hill museum and each chapter performed skits encompassing the activities for the year. The Beta Omega members did a cheer.

The entire state of Kansas is in the region. There are 24 chapters in the region. The state is then divided into three districts.

The period covered by the awards for accomplishments is March to February. Beta Omega won the Sister Chapter Award, along with the chapter from Pratt Community College. This award is for chapters that work together on an event. ICC and Pratt co-hosted the Leadership Conference last September. The award is a pair of hands, shaking. Each hand is separate and each chapter gets a hand. Beta Omega’s hand is in the display case in the lower level of the Academic Building.

The region gives out "Hallmark" awards. These awards are the big ones that reflect each chapter’s activities in the different committees of Phi Theta Kappa for the year. Essays and documentation of activities are submitted to the judging committee for consideration. ICC’s Beta Omega chapter won three Hallmark Awards; one in fellowship, scholarship, and service.

Several individuals received recognition at the conference. Jake Grzenda, Vice President of Leadership for the Beta Omega chapter, received the award for Outstanding Chapter Officer. Beta Omega President, Emily Hamlin, received honorable mention as Outstanding Chapter President. Both Karen Roush and Brenda Thomason received honorable mention as Outstanding Chapter Advisor. In each of these award categories, there were only two honorable mentions to go along with the actual winner.

A communications award is given to honor the chapter with the most outstanding newsletter and website. Beta Omega received an honorable mention in this category. The website is accessible from the ICC home page. There is a photo gallery that has pictures highlighting the trip to Dodge City.

The final recognition for the Beta Omega chapter was in the Outstanding Chapter category. For this award, there is one winner and one honorable mention. Beta Omega received the honorable mention. Coffeyville Community College’s Eta Gamma chapter received top honors in this category, giving Montgomery County the top two Phi Theta Kappa chapters in the state.

Inge Festival Opens April 17

The William Inge Theatre Festival will feature two performances of the musical review, All That Jazz, during its 21st annual event April 17-20.

The review will feature a choreographed concert highlighting the music of Broadway composer and lyricist team, John Kander and Fred Ebb. Performances will take place in the William Inge Theatre at ICC at 7:30 p.m. April 17 and 18.

"All That Jazz is an event specially produced just for The William Inge Theatre Festival," said Peter Ellenstein, Inge Festival Director. "The review is an exciting retrospective of Kander and Ebb’s work over the past four decades."

This year’s honored playwrights, Kander and Ebb have written music for Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Steel Pier, Woman of the Year, and many more. They have written for the top performers of our day, including Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Lauren Bacall, Joel Grey, Chita Rivera, Gwen Verdon and Robert Goulet.

The All That Jazz production will be presented in two acts with a 15-minute intermission. Performers include professional singer/dancer/actors, John Allee, Lauren Brody-Stewart, Melissa Driscol, Jean Kauffman and Tedd Szeto, all from Los Angeles. "We’ll also feature some choral numbers with a chorus of our community’s best local performers," said Ellenstein.

Tickets for All That Jazz performances and for other William Inge Theatre Festival events are available by calling the Inge Office at Independence Community College.

Tickets are also available for a pre-festival event, The 24-Hour Plays, April 13. Call the office at 620-331-4100 or 800-842-6063, Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for more information. After hours, call 620-331-7768.

The ICC Theatre Department’s production of Rick Besoyan’s musical, Little Mary Sunshine, will be presented at 7:30 tonight, Friday and Saturday night in the William Inge Theatre on campus.

Co-directed by ICC instructors Gary Mitchell and Ruth Hanka, the show features Rich Browning, Anne Kaff, Brandon Porritt, and Carrie Sanborn.

Mrs. Hanka shows her operatic talent as Madame Ernestine von Leibedich, while another ICC instructor, David Akins, appears as General Oscar Fairfax.

Maya Tuylieva, ICC freshman from Turkmenistan, handles all the piano accompaniment.

Mrs. Jeanine Thompson working on a board display

ICC students spend a lot of time in class each day. They get to know the teachers. They know who cares, who is prepared, and which teachers offer learning.

In other words, there are instructors on campus students look forward to seeing. One of the most enjoyable of those is a petite lady who has been dubbed Mrs. "T".

That instructor is Mrs. Jeanine Thompson. She teaches education majors this semester with classes in Introduction to Education, Children’s Literature, and Speed Reading Techniques.

Mrs. Thompson has taught at ICC for 24 years. Before joining the faculty at ICC, she taught at Pittsburg State University and in high school, and was a librarian. She says ICC has been her favorite place.

Why is Mrs. "T" so popular?

In Celebration -- Students in Mrs. Thompson’s children’s literature class celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss by bringing treats and dressing up. These cakes were made by Lisa Willard and Tercia Gustin. Buccaneer photo.

"She looks inside her students to find what makes them special," says Emily Hamlin, president of the Beta Omega Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and sophomore work study for Mrs. Thompson.

"She doesn’t care about skin color or age," Emily says, "she cares about her students."

"Her classes are fun," says Dilyara Suleymanova, an international student from Russia. "My speed reading class with her lasted only half the semester. I would prefer that it lasted all semester."

Sheryl Gorman, a non-traditional student from Independence, says "she really adapts to her students. She gives individual attention, and gets to know her students."

Mrs. Thompson grew up on a farm 45 miles southeast of Wichita. She is married -- her husband, Jack, is a retired ICC instructor -- and she and her husband have three grown children, one lives in Puerto Rico, and two live in Tennessee.

When asked if she is planning to retire, she answered "probably." When she retires she plans to move to Tennessee to be close to her grandchildren. "Now," she says, "they call me their Kansas Grandma."

THE LAB -- ICC students working in the Office Technology lab, one of five computer labs in the Academic Building.

Mrs. Thompson began her teaching career in 1978 in a bare office in the Academic Center. She is still in that office, but the walls are far from being bare.

Items of memorabilia cover her walls, cabinets, and even hang from the ceiling. The memorabilia of T-shirts, newspaper clippings, photographs are a part of her life. It includes autographs from National Basketball Association and National Football League players, former ICC students, and pictures of students from all over the world who simply send greetings to her.

The most prominent item is a large framed puzzle from the 1981-1982 men’s basketball team. They put it together for her as a thank you. Some of the team members were in her weekend class at a time when there was no food service available. They were usually hungry , so Mrs. T started making pancakes for them in class.

Mrs. Thompson’s philosophy on teaching is not complicated.

She says teaching is "50 percent knowledge of subject matter and 50 percent passion for teaching.

"A teacher must care for students and learn from them. The greatest joy in teaching comes from knowing that you have had a positive influence in the life of a kid. At ICC we get a wonderful variety of students, and I have learned so much from them. They come from different backgrounds, social classes and circumstances," she said.

"She is really good at communicating with us, and she tries to help us do well," said George Ragova, ICC student from the Republic of Georgia. "I like her."

Mrs. Thompson hopes she is an inspiration to her students and a good role model because, she said, "I care for each one of them."

Tonia Rael Cosmetology Winner

Mrs. Tonia Rael has always wanted to be a hairstylist. Ever since she was a little girl she has dreamed of opening her own shop specializing in hair and nails. Mrs. Rael is on her way, as she was the winner of the cosmetology class’s hairstyling competition last month.

Mrs. Rael said, "I got the idea for the hairstyles from magazines. I twisted the back of the long hair into an up-do and left it long with spiral curls. The other has shorter hair in which I twisted the front, left the back down in spiral curls and sprinkled with glitter."

Born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Mrs. Rael had always dreamed of opening her own shop. After getting her license she plans to work specializing in hair and nails until she and her husband, Antonio Rael Assistant Offensive Coordinator for the ICC Football team, are established in a more permanent location. Mrs. Rael had always wanted to get into cosmetology and got the chance at ICC.

The contest held March 1. Other winners in categories were originality by Tonia Rael; creativity by Tomecca Hayes; style by Eva Green. Thirteen students participated in the event held in preparation for prom season. Participants were: Cori Erbe, Roxanne Garcia, Erica Maupin, Eva Green, Tonia Rael, Tomecca Hayes, Misti Kendrick, Shannon Goode, Karri Lungsford.

Cosmetology instructor Debbie Cussimanio was pleased with the hairstyles. She said, "All of the entries were exceptional, one of the reasons we had people outside the school vote on them (the hairstyles) was because it would have been hard for me to choose. I like to have little competitions among the students because I think it helps spur creativity," she said.

The Adult Basic Education Department of Independence Community College will hold spring graduation ceremonies for GED recipients Saturday. The ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. at Memorial Hall followed by a reception in the Civic Center.

The guest speaker for graduation will be Kansas State Senator Derrick Schmidt.

There are 38 candidates for the spring graduation. Among them are, from Independence: Sarah Barisich, Thomas Carroll, Lacey Dozier, Richard Ferguson, Tallie Hancock, Levi Hart, Stephanie Mills, Lasharn Morgan, Betty Newmaster and Michael Stone. From Fredonia: Isreal Blosser, Dennis Harvey, Terry Wills and Dale Zimmerman. From Elk City: Craig Boeckner, Leslie Boeckner and Jennifer Padilla. From Altoona: Lisa Dunn. From Caney: Jennifer Ivie. From Neodesha: Flora Jantz, Linda Miller and Terry Ray. From Coffeyville: Anthony Thornton.

International Students Talk About Time at ICC

ICC’s 48 international students have been studying here almost 10 months; they have just six weeks left to study here. Most of the international students are looking forward to going back to their hometowns. Most of them have enjoyed their time in the United States.

The international students look at things differently from than they did when they first came here; they have a much better understanding of American life, the educational system here, and also the language they speak.

We talked to six international students selected at random to see what their reactions are, and learn about their plans after ICC. Here’s what we found:

Yasuhiro Homma, sophomore from Japan, said "I like studying here because I can concentrate on studying, and the instructors are willing to help me. But after the final six week, I will be ready to go back to my country. I will work part time to support myself. The best part of studying here is it keeps me busy, even though there have been time when there was too much homework for me. As a matter of fact, I don’t miss home that much. I will go back home to earn money. That’s my goal."

Dariya Plashchevska, freshmen from Kirovograd in Ukraine, said "What I like most are the people, and the way the instructors treat students. I also learned how to be happy here. I will try to come back to the U.S., or go back to my university if I can’t. The best thing about studying here is it is easy to study. On the other hand, the bad thing is I am afraid I will be not able to study in Ukraine after such a great experience here. Certainly, I am excited to see my family and friends to share my impressions about the U.S. with them. I am also sad to leave my host Mom, Brenda Thomason.

Sabuhi Sardarli, freshmen from Bako, Azerbaijan. said "I like the community very much, the college is also great. After going back to my country, I am probably going to study in my previous university. I am already a sophomore there. The best thing about studying here is ICC provides an excellent education. The worst thing about leaving ICC is I am going to miss ICC. At this moment, I am excited and I think my family feels the same way I do."

Hanna Brusyk, freshmen from Ukraine, said "I enjoy staying here. It is the most unusual year in my life. I learned something new everyday. About six weeks from now I will try to get ready, but it will be hard. I want to spend the summer time with my family and my good friends. After that, I will come back to my studies at the university. The good parts of studying here are the choice of classes, modern technologies, and scholarship opportunities. I am so excited to go back to the environment I was born in, but this year changed me a lot. I met a lot of nice people here. I will miss my American life."

Chorong Park, freshmen from South Korea, said "I am really enjoying my one year at ICC. It is so interesting to experience another culture and adjust to it. I’ve learned a lot and have a better understanding of how to live well with people who have different cultures from mine. Also I can say the most important thing for me is I met lots of good friends from different countries. After the semester, I am going to get a part-time job and work during the summer vacation in my country and then I will come back to USA. I am ready to go back and meet my family and friends. It has been a good experience to study in USA.

Jongyong Lee, freshmen from North Korea, said " I like it here because I can fully concentrate on my study. I am here next semester too. The best thing about studying here is that most students try to study hard. The worst thing is there are too many assignments. I am not so excited, but I want to be back home just for a while to take a break"

Dorothy DeLay was born in Medicine Lodge, Kansas. At the age of three DeLay could read so her parents allowed her to start taking violin lessons at the age of four. She gave her first violin concert at a local church when she was five. Dorothy said "she can still remember how good it felt to have her mother be so proud of her on that occasion."

When she was attending Neodesha High School, DeLay was found to have an IQ of 180 and was among a group of a hundred students nationwide selected for a survey by the Stanford-Binet research team that was gathering information to check the accuracy of IQ ratings.

The study tracked those one hundred students for a period of ten to twelve years following their graduation from high school. To see how they fared compared to a control group of the same number. Neither the high-IQ children nor the parents were told who had been selected. The only person who knew the identity of the chosen students was the school principal, whose responsibility it was to complete the necessary documentation and pass it on to the local superintendent of schools - who was, in DeLay’s instance, her father, so the cover of secrecy was inadvertently blown.

DeLay was the top student in all her classes, either because of or in spite of her notion that she had to be the best. Or something terrible would happen.

"If I came home with a score of ninety-six, the response was ‘Who got a hundred?’’ She was also the concertmistress of the orchestra. By this time, Neodesha, where the family lived, had come a long way from its dusty frontier town origins, and the orchestra included roughly a hundred of the school’s four hundred students - a statistic that any school today would envy, if it is lucky enough to have an orchestra at all.

Kansas is a part of the world to which DeLay still felt strongly linked, and she said that if the East Coast were to break off from the United States and sink into the ocean, she would go right back to the place were she was raised.

"I would get a whole bunch of little tiny violins and a whole bunch of little tiny kids together, and we would build a violin school from the bottom up’" Sand, Barbara (2000) Teaching Genius: Dorothy DeLay and the Making of a Musician, p.24, 27-28. (My copy of this book will be on loan to the Rankin Memorial Library and may be checked out.)

Dorothy DeLay began her distinguished career as a teacher at The Juilliard School in 1948. Her former pupils include such celebrated performers as Itzhak Perlman, Shlomo Mintz, Nigel Kennedy, Sarah Chang, Midori and Gil Shaham. Violinists of the Juilliard, Tokyo, Cleveland and Vermeer String Quartets and the concertmasters of major orchestras have also studied with her. At the Juilliard School she occupied the Starling Chair, and her summers were spent teaching at the Aspen Music School. She held master classes around the globe. Among her many honors were honorary doctorates from Oberlin College, Columbia University, Michigan State University, Brown University and the University of Colorado. She was a Fellow of the Royal College of Music in London and a holder of the National Medal of Arts (USA), Yale University´s Sanford Medal and the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan). Dorothy Delay was on the jury of the Hannover Competition since its inception in 1991.

ICC students are back from the week-long spring break. Some went to warm places, some went to cold areas, and some just stayed home. The break is supposed to give tired students a chance to rest, do something different for a short while, and help them get ready for the final exams.

Four ICC students talked about their spring break. Here’s what they had to say:

Aya Onishi, sophomore from Japan, went to Chicago with three Japanese friends. They traveled in her car. They left Independence Sunday morning and took about 12 hours to get to Chicago. None of the three have friends or relatives there, so they stayed in motels.

On the way to Chicago, they traveled through St. Louis, and visited Arch.

On the first day in Chicago, they went downtown to the Sears Tower, the Union station and the home stadium of Chicago Bulls National Basketball Association team.

That night they went to a Korean buffet. They enjoyed Korean foods until they couldn’t move. On the second day, they went to an outlet shopping mall, one of the biggest malls in the United States. After that, they went to a Japanese store and restaurant. They ate a lot of Japanese foods. She said that they planned to stay Wednesday night, but decided to come back to Independence by driving all night. During the trip, she said, she got ill. She had a bad cold. However, she said she had fun and liked Chicago. "I really like Chicago. I have been to several cities in the United States. But, Chicago was the best city for me. I really want to go there again."

Kelly Oliver, sophomore volleyball player, drove to South Carolina with two roommates to see their friend who was ICC student last year. They had lived in ICC dormitory. They were very close friends. But, he moved to South Carolina to go to a different school. So, Kelly and her roommates decided to go to see him. They left Monday and came back Sunday.

During the trip, they went shopping, went to the beaches, downtown, an aquarium and ate at a seafood restaurant "Hymans seafood restaurant".

She said, "We got real seafood. We got crab legs. And they were so good." The temperature in South Carolina was good. Although it was rainy when they went to a beach, it was warm almost every day.

Jongyong Lee, freshman from Japan, went to Denver with his roommate, Yasuhiro Honma, and had great luck on the trip. He went there to see a NBA game in which Michel Jordan, called by some as the greatest player in NBA history, planned to play.

He had reserved a ticket for the game more than two months ago. However, Jordan had knee surgery about four weeks ago and nobody knew whether he was going to play in that game. Although Jongyong was not sure that he could see Jordan play, he left Independence by car Tuesday morning hoping to Jordan.

It took 12 hours to get there. Next day, they went to Japanese restaurant and enjoyed Japanese foods that they could not get here. After that, they went to the stadium. Jordan had not played in the game before Tuesday. Lee and Honma were feeling down.

However, before the game began, several things made them happy. A plane-shaped advertisement was flying inside the stadium. Lee and Honma were surrounded by people and they all raised their hands toward the ad. He didn’t know why they were doing that, but he also did the same thing.

Then, only he got a little piece of paper from it giving him a free subscription to a Denver newspaper. Their luck also stood them in seating. Their seats were located in the middle stadium. They had a great view of the game.

But, before the game, he could move freely. So, he went down to the court and saw Jordan up close. He was very excited even before the game. Finally, the game began.

Then, a great thing happened that made him even more excited Michael Jordan came down to the court and played. That game was to the first game for him after his knee surgery. He played for 16 minutes. Jongyong said it was really exciting.

Maria Hussain, sophomore from Saudiarabia, went to Omaha, Neb., with four other international students and international student coordinator Susan Porter. In the last year, some international students also went to the same place, and it was fun.

Therefore, the same trip was planned for international students this year, too. Mrs. Porter has a sister in Omaha, so they stayed in her sister’s house during the trip. They went to museums, a zoo, shopping, ice-skating and bowling. She said her favorite place was the art museum because there were many pictures of different people, and Italian art work. She said it was a very impressing place, and she really enjoyed it there.

ICC DANCE TEAM members Hanna Brusyk and Sarah Hines performing in the ICC Field House. The dance team, which performed a most of the ICC basketball teams, was just formed this school year.

The ICC Academic Excellence Challenge Team will host a regional tournament Saturday morning that will include teams from Cowley County Community College, Allen County Community College, Fort Scott Community College and Neosho Community College. Cowley County is the defending state champions.

The team scrimmaged March 2 at Hutchinson Community College and walked away with two wins even though the Independence Community College team had two players that were not able to attend the scrimmage.

"It was the first time the ICC team has ever seen a Kansas match, so it was a new, but fun experience for the team," said Dixie Schierlman, Dean of Student Services and Challenge Team Sponsor.

"The team unsuccessfully scrimmaged Hutchinson twice but soundly defeated Cowley County and the All-Star Team which was made up of team members from Hutchinson and Neosho."

ICC team members are: Horace Agossou, Daniel Boydston, Amanda Boydston, John Long, Andrew Long, Tiffany Earl, and Becky Schwatken.

The ICC’s Theatre Department’s production of Rick Besoyan’s musical, Little Mary Sunshine, was another success that attracted a nice-size audience and showcased the talents a number of ICC theater students, area performers, and members of the faculty.

The show, presented March 7, 8 and 9, was co-directed by ICC instructors Gary Mitchell and Ruth Hanke, and featured performances by Rich Browning, Anne Kaff, Brandon Porritt, and Carrie Sanborn. The musical also highlighted the talents of Maya Tuylieva, a concert pianist from Turkmenistan who is a freshman this year at ICC.

Others in the cast included David Aikins, ICC physics instructor, and students Wayne Traylor, Ryan McDirmid, Travis Barnhart, Nichole Horan, Marisa Fritzmeier, Cody Uttinger, Kelly Duke, Cassi Dennington, Kandace McLaughlin, Anna Stohul, Adam Harris, and Matthew Escobar.

ACTING IN A SCENE from ICC’s production of Little Mary Sunshine are Anne Kaff as Little Mary Sunshine, Rich Browning as Captain Waring, and Ruth Hanke as Madame Ernestine von Leibedich.	The Young Ladies from Eastchester Finishing School -- Front row, left to right: Kandice McLaughlin, Cody Uttinger, and Casi Pennington. Back row, left to right: Anna Stohul, Kelly Duke, Marissa Fritzemeier, and Carrie Sanborn.	ANNA STOHUL, ICC exchange student from Ukraine, as a student at the "Eastchester Finishing School.
Instructor Gary Mitchell....musical co-director	BELTING OUT TUNES and providing plenty of action is a job for the "young ladies from Eastchester Finishing School."	Kandice McLaughlin....singing
MAYA TUYLIEVA, ICC freshman from Turkmenistan, provides the music for ICC’s Little Mary Sunshine.	ANNE KAFF as Little Mary Sunshine in a scene with Ruth Hanke, as Madame Ernestine von Leibedich.	ADAM HARRIS as the menacing Indian brave, Yellow Feather.