Adams State College will host Kathy Park Woolbert's book signing and reading at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Adams State College Luther Bean Museum, located on the second floor of Richardson Hall.

A thoughtful, creative, insightful artist, of many mediums, Park Woolbert's book "Seeing Into Stone" carves out her life as a sculptor. "The subject explores flaws," Park Woolbert said, "flaws in stone, my own physical flaws in vision, flaws in my (then recent) marriage (to fellow artist Henry Woolbert) -- and how to work with flaws and come to terms with the unattainability of perfection."

Park Woolbert apprenticed for many years through the 80s with the granite sculptor, Gordon Newell. During the time of her apprenticeship she was also adjusting to her recent marriage to Woolbert. They lived in the ghost town, Darwin, in the Mojave Desert in California. The book includes compelling narration of the characters found in the tiny desert town, descriptive prose of the beauty in the area, and Park Woolbert's personal and artistic journey.

"Carving is all about subtraction," Park Woolbert said. "You cannot add back on once you take it off. It takes a lot more courage to sculpt than many other art forms." Chiseling away, Park Woolbert has lead a life worth reading about and Seeing Into Stone forms images with words to delight and engage the reader.

"I broke a lot of pieces," Park Woolbert added. "Gordon was an unusual teacher." His methods included a glass of sherry, reciting a poem by Robinson Jeffers, and perhaps commenting 'some of my best work came from broken stone' as he walked away from a frustrated Park Woolbert. She describes Newell as "gentle, not one to intervene."

Park Woolbert said "Seeing Into Stone" was the subject of her creative work since declaring her major in creative writing at Adams State seven years ago. She continued to work on the book through her graduate program. She mentions her Adams State mentors, Professors of English Dr. Carol Guerrero-Murphy and Aaron Abeyta, as huge positive influences.

An Adams State adjunct professor English, Park Woolbert received her Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing with a minor in theatre from Adams State College in 2007; three years later she completed her MFA in non-fiction creative writing from Leslie University in Cambridge, Mass. Since the fall of 2010, Park has taught general education English course as an adjunct professor of English for Adams State. She also teaches the occasionally creative writing workshop, like last spring's Writing the Ten Minute Play.

Park Woolbert said finishing the book is “very satisfying and terrifying.” Seeing Into Stone is available on Amazon and Park Woolbert's website Dream Power Works.

Students and parents will be offered free professional help as they take an important first step to getting college financial aid. College Goal Sunday will be held in Alamosa from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Adams State College One Stop Student Service Center, located in the Student Union Building. Students can win $1,000 just by attending.

It's all part of the sixth annual College Goal Sunday, a national program that helps families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA must be completed for a student to receive any type of financial aid, including grants, work study, student loans and even many scholarships.

College Goal Sunday is an opportunity for students and parents to get free help in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. The FAFSA is the first step and a Federal requirement for all college students who plan to pay for college with the help of grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and student loans.

For more information on College Goal Sunday, visit College Goal Sunday.

Tickets, $10 per person, can be purchased at the door. The fundraiser includes free massages and manicures by the TSJC students, and a diversity of food and goods for sale by local vendors. Door prizes will be given throughout the day.

Theresa Rudder, president of the club, said: "This is a great Valentine present that could be given to your sweetheart or to any woman in your life."

The Woman's Citizenship Club is a proud member of the Colorado Federation of Women's Clubs and General Federation of Women's Clubs and has been in existence for 90 years. Since 1890, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs is one of the world's oldest and largest women's service organizations dedicated to community improvement through volunteer service.

For more information call Rudder at 719-589-9393 or theresarudder@msn.com.

The Adams State College Music Department Master of Art in music education was recently accredited by the National Association of Schools and Music. According to Dr. Tracy Doyle, chair of the music department, NASM has a reputation for high integrity and comprehensive review procedures. "Receiving accreditation from NASM is a good indication of the quality of the new program," Doyle said.

She said over the years there have been a number of inquiries and interest shown in the development of the program. Dr. James VanValkenburg, associate professor of music, was appointed the director. He said the first cohort will begin in the fall 2012. "Dr. VanValkenburg years of experience in the public schools and his proficiency with online programs makes him the perfect candidate for the position as director of the master’s degree," Doyle said.

According to VanValkenburg, the online music education master's program furthers students' musical and professional growth, enhances the success of the students they serve, and provides graduate course-work necessary for additional salary credit.

Accredited by both the NASM and The Higher Learning Commission, the two-year degree can be completed completely online, or candidates can spend the first year on campus and complete an area of concentration in performance, conducting or composition.

The degree is open to students who hold a bachelor's degree in music from an accredited institution of higher education; or hold a bachelor's degree in another subject and have completed a state licensure program in music; or hold a bachelor's degree in another subject and have earned a passing grade on a state standardized licensure exam in music or music education.

For more information contact the Adams State College Music Department at 719-587-7621 or visit Master of Art in Music Education.

The Adams State College Faculty Lecture Series begins the spring semester with "Adventures in Backpack Filmmaking," by Danny Ledonne, filmmaker and teacher, will address this issue. The event begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, in Porter Hall (the science building) room 130.

Until a decade ago, filmmaking required cases of heavy equipment and many crew members. With the advent of compact HD video cameras, it became possible to make "backpack films" in remote locations and with minimal crew -- often with stunning results. Filmmaker and Adams State adjunct professor Ledonne will share some of his recent work and reflect on the adventures behind the images from his travels to Alaska, Kenya, the Galapagos, and all around the continental U.S. Audience participation will be encouraged and there will be a strong likelihood for funny stories.

All talks are free and the public is invited. Complimentary light refreshments will be offered. For further information on the series of lectures, contact Dr. Kristi Duran, associate professor of physics, at 719-587-7767, or klduran@adams.edu.

A 13 percent increase in graduate students is fueling a 5 percent overall increase in Adams State's enrollment for the spring 2012 semester, compared to last spring. This marks the tenth consecutive semester in which the college achieved enrollment growth, according to Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Program Development Michael Mumper.

Total enrollment this spring is 2,909, including 828 graduate students.

Adams State's biggest graduate program is the online master's in Counselor Education, which now enrolls 452 students. The MA in Higher Education Administration & Leadership (HEAL) nearly doubled its enrollment, to 32; while the MA in Humanities - history emphasis, increased by half, to 30 students. A new MA in music education that begins next fall brings the college's master's degree programs to a total of nine.

"Another positive point is that undergraduate students have increased their average credit load," Mumper added. "We have been encouraging students to take at least 15 credits each semester, in order to graduate within four years." While on-campus undergraduate enrollment grew by 2 percent, the total number of student credit hours grew by more than 4 percent.

The top three undergraduate majors are business administration (376), human performance & physical education (213), and nursing (178), all of which have grown significantly since last year.

New freshman persisted from the fall to spring semesters by nearly 83 percent, slightly above last spring's rate.

Hispanic students account for 32 percent of on-campus undergraduates, and about 15 percent represent other racial or ethnic minority groups. Fifty-five percent of the undergraduate student body is female.

Wall, Smith, Bateman Inc. awarded accounting scholarships to the following Adams State College students, Chloe Cable, Joaquim Neto, Caitlin O'Neill, Anke Spiegelhauer, Wendi Crowther, Amanda Head, Matthew Leach, and Garrett Murchison.

Wall, Smith, Bateman Inc. current shareholders Ron Chapman, Kristi Cortez, Bob Gjellum, Sheila Hicks, Lyle Hood, Mike Hudson, Kimberley Temple, Melanie Valdez, Karla Willschau, and David Young continue to support Adams State College with the same spirit as the firm’s founders. Every year WSB awards scholarships to accounting students at Adams State College.

The accounting firm has been awarding scholarships since 1982; the average number of recipients per year is eight with approximately 200 scholarships awarded in the last 25 years. Crowther said the scholarship assistance made it possible for her to focus on her academic goals without stressing about financial obligations.

Many Adams State students have worked for the firm as interns. "We have expanded the program in terms of the number of students working as interns in our office," Larry A. Pochardt, WSB firm administrator, said. "Our firm supports Adams State's School of Business accounting program including the financial support of scholarships and the number of jobs we offer to graduating seniors, and the internships offered."

Dr. Ed Lyell, interim chair of the School of Business, said he appreciates WSB and encourages other businesses and organizations to partner with Adams State building working linkages for students. "More internships and project based learning opportunities was the top recommendation from a recent business student survey."