The musical “Hairspray” was performed Thursday, Friday, Saturday and twice Sunday for Campbellsville’s Homecoming weekend.

The musical was also performed the following Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Hodgenville.

According to the director, Starr Garrett, this is the first time the theater has sold out that many shows.

Both the Thursday and Friday showing during Homecoming were completely sold out three days in advance.

Haley Carmen, a sophomore, said she bought her tickets a week early.

Even senior Dakota Rogers, who played Corny Collins, said, “I almost didn’t get my parents tickets.”

Tickets for Saturday and Sunday of Homecoming were sold out by Friday afternoon. By early Saturday morning, the producers decided to add one more performance for Sunday night.

“Hairspray” is the story of Tracy Turnblad, a “pleasantly plump” teenager, who gets a spot on a popular dance show and believes in integration in 1962 Baltimore.

“The show is so iconic, everyone knows it,” Singrid Tipton, who played Turnblad, said. “There’s a lot of pressure living up to it.”

Production on “Hairspray” started the first week of classes with auditions beginning the first Monday.

The cast practiced six days a week, approximately 30 hours a week, with Saturday being 12-hour dance days, according to Rogers. All that work and effort came down to opening night which was sold out with a waiting list.

“It was crazy to turn around and see the entire theater full,” Rogers said. “I could feel the energy before I turned around. It was the best opening I’ve been a part of.”

The group was full of laughter and joy the following day, fielding calls the entire time commenting that they were completely sold out for the shows.

Not only did CU students take on the roles for “Hairspray,” but there were a few high school and middle school students included.

“They keep up,” Rogers said.

Many in the cast have been acting, practically since birth. Tipton said laughingly that she “came out belting.”

Sophomore Mary Kate Young said she was “super pumped” to watch the performance.

Four-year-old Haiden Russell was on the front row for a performance and sat in her mother, Delaina’s lap. She told her mother that she “liked girl’s night.”

After the intermission Delaina said, “Haiden was really excited when I told her we needed to go back in, asking ‘there’s more?’”

The praise continued for CU’s production of “Hairspray” after the show.

The crowd gathered in front of Russ Mobley Theater after the show to congratulate all the actors and to discuss what they thought of the show.

“It was really good, I want to watch it (the movie version) now,” Erin Benton, a sophomore, said.

Garrett said, “It’s been great; everyone had been really supportive.”

Leads in the play were: Singrid Tipton of Lawrenceburg, Ky. as Tracy Turnblad; Dakota Rogers of Harrodsburg, Ky. as Corny Collins; Lane French as Link Larkin; Sarah Porter of Harrodsburg, Ky. as Motormouth Maybelle; Joshua Percell of Campbellsville, Ky. as Seaweed; Michael Jennings of Edmonton, Ky. as Edna Turnblad; Zachary Wilson of Campbellsville, Ky. as Wilburn Turnblad; Lacy Mudd of Campbellsville, Ky. as Velma Von Tussle; Megan Kist of Radcliff, Ky. as Amber Von Tussle; and Holly Hammons of Danville, Ky. as Penny Pingleton.

Other cast members were: Lydia Bennett as Lydia; Suzanne M. Bennett as principal, matron, gym teacher and police officer; Chloe Benningfield as Shelly’s mom; Detrick Briggs of Campbellsville, Ky. as Gilbert; Rebekah DeVore of Louisville, Ky. as LouAnn; Brittany Downey as Tammy’s mom; David Emerson of Dunnville, Ky. as Spritzer; Bre’Shawna Gibson of Rineyville, Ky. as Cindy Watkins; Megan Hill of Springfield, Ky. as Pink’s staff; Blair Lamb as Sue (Shelly); Alia McClendon of Radcliff, Ky. as Little Inez; Jordan Moran as LouAnn’s mom; Michaela Parker of Oak Grove, Ky. as Lorraine; Reagan Pollock as Pam; Peter Randles of Radcliff, Ky. as Stewie; Zoi Rattliff of Greensburg, Ky. as Prudy Pingleton; Robert Ian Shepard of Somerset, Ky. as Mr. Pinky; Don Smith of Campbellsville, Ky. as Guard; Vanessa Vale as Beatnik Chick; Natalie Warren as Brenda; Steven Yospur of Friendswood, Texas as Pinky’s staff; and other characters portrayed by: Rhaven Dunn of Lexington, Ky.; Callie Parrott; and Allen Scruggs of Valsosta, Ga.

Crew members were: Nathan Cahall of Oneida, Ky., props manager; Jennifer Coffey of Louisville, Ky., runner; Anne Costa of Somerset, Ky., costume manager; Katy Doolin of Lancaster, Ky., sound; Tori Lepage of Campbellsville, Ky., hair/ makeup; Matt Lewis of Mayfield, Ky., lighting operator; Jordan McMurray of Greenwood, Ind., box office manager; Becca Noel of Bardstown, Ky., assistant stage manager; Edwina Rowell of Campbellsville, Ky., costumes; and Candace Shay Thomas of Harrodsburg, Ky., stage manager.

The theater’s spring production will be “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Imagine doing something responsible and economical and almost dying for it.

That is what happened to Billy Dengel, a second year nursing student at Campbellsville University.

“I started bicycle commuting to work last spring as a way to cut down on gas and get more exercise in my daily routine,” Dengel.

Dengel, an emergency room technician at Taylor Regional Hospital, said he was nearly run off the road while riding to work.

Frustrated with his situation, Dengel turned to the community and started searching for cycling advocacy groups. He found no such group.

Due to the lack of such a group, Dengel started Bicycle Friendly Campbellsville (BFC), an organization whose mission statement declares it is “dedicated to encouraging and educating the community on the joy and benefits of cycling or bicycle commuting and to bring awareness to the need for bicycle infrastructure in our community.”

“I just felt there needed to be more awareness of the bicyclists on the road and the health benefits of cycling,” Dengel said.

Bicycle Friendly Campbellsville, which was launched this past June, has more than 40 active members and 200 likes on its Facebook page.

Dengel’s initiative further paid off and also attracted attention from the Healthy Living Taylor County Coalition (HLTCC), a group dedicated to promoting health, community and tourism to Campbellsville.

Unknown to Dengel, the coalition had just created a “Trail Town Task Force” dedicated to having Taylor County being designated a “trail town.”

Dengel joined the taskforce to establish bicycle safety programs and trails. This attracted the attention of Kentucky’s Office of Adventure Tourism that was in charge of the Kentucky Trail Town program.

“I think it’s great that a college student is driving the momentum,” Seth Wheat, assistant to the executive director of Kentucky’s Office of Adventure Tourism, said.

“A community being designated a trail town is a tedious process but has many benefits for the community and, through the hard work of individuals like Mr. Dengel, the process is a lot easier,” Wheat said.

That process includes submitting a formal application, which takes in account the community’s proximity to areas for hunting, fishing and downtown areas, as well as dining and shopping places and how wide sidewalks are.

“Once the application is approved, we send outdoor recreation users to the community to try out the trail system, and they provide feedback about their experience. Then the community makes a plan to address these issues, and after that we submit their proposal to the governor’s office for approval,” Wheat said.

“The Trail Town designation offers a way for towns to diversify their economy, improve the quality of life, and a designated trail town marketing scheme provided by the state,” he said.

Elaine Wilson, executive director of Kentucky’s Adventure Tourism,  visited Campbellsville in August to start the process in Campbellsville and met with many of the members of BFC, the Trail Town Task Force, community leaders, including Debbie Carter, who is an assistant professor of social work at CU, board member of the Campbellsville’s Downtown Renaissance Committee, and wife of Campbellsville University President Dr. Michael V. Carter.

“We need to have a better trail system in Campbellsville, marked cycling lanes and better infrastructure to support riders. Crossing Broadway is pretty dangerous, and I think a pedestrian bike bridge is needed to connect downtown area to the campus,” she said.

Dengel’s dream is to have a trail system that spans Taylor County. BFC members and John Moore, an engineer with the highway department, have designed a trail map that connects the university, downtown Campbellsville, Green River Lake and many of the county’s major areas.

“The map reflects my hopes and dreams for Campbellsville to have a trail system for bikes and pedestrians which would bring tourist money to Campbellsville and offer us more options for staying healthy,” Dengel said.

Dengel said he thinks cycling lanes would benefit international students and individuals who choose not to drive everywhere.

“There are plenty of international students at CU who don’t own cars and cycling is great way for them to get around, but we need to have better infrastructure,” Dengel said.

Following the recent installment of the red pedestrian walkways by the baseball field, Carter said the university, specifically the building and grounds committee of the CU Board of Trustees,  will start working on more trails and lanes around campus.

Dr. Russell Barclay, visiting professor of public relations at Campbellsville University, was inducted into Landmarks Hall of Fame at the 30th Annual Landmarks of Excellence Awards Dinner held at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville on Oct. 16.

The Kentucky Chapter of International Association of Business and the Bluegrass Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America are joint sponsors of the award.

“I am very proud to call Dr. Barclay my colleague and Campbellsville University is very fortunate to share his expertise with our students,” said Dr. Keith Spears, Campbellsville University vice president for graduate and professional studies, said.

Spears was among the CU mass communication faculty in attendance, along with Jeannie Clark, broadcast/digital media producer for the Office of Broadcast Services; Dr. Thomas R. Jeffrey, instructional technologist and assistant professor; alumnus Rick Wilson; and students Harry Haynes, Kevin Thomas and Deborah Tiedemann.

“It was a great event, I was so proud to see Dr. Barclay receive the award,” Haynes said.

According to the nomination guideline for this award, honorees must be professional and held at the highest ethical standards working a minimum of 15 years in the communications/public relations fields, who has demonstrated outstanding service to the community, who is a role model and mentor to communicators/public relations professionals.

“It is quite an honor for Dr. Barclay to receive this induction because it is typically given to someone from our region, and it has only been given to one other educator in its history,” Rande Swann, co-chair of the selection committee and 2007 inductee into the Landmarks Hall Of Fame, said. “We felt since he is such an outstanding individual who has contributed so much throughout his career, he should be in the Hall of Fame.”

“I was honored beyond words,” Barclay said. “Academics rarely win such awards, and I feel blessed to have this honor, coming as it does from working professionals drawn from all walks of the communications industry.”

Barclay has made major contributions to the public relations/mass communication profession by mentoring more than 100 students majoring in public relations/communications, and the numbers continue to rise, according to Swann. She gave additional highlights of Barclay’s career that contributed to his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Barclay has been teaching for 35 years.

He has raised over $1 million in grants, donations and so on for enhancing PR education and training. He has also volunteered his communication skills to non-profit and governmental organizations.

Barclay came to Campbellsville University in August 2009 after growing bored with retirement.

Barkley and Spears are known across campus for their witty sense of humor which is clearly apparent in  their final remarks on the award.

“He makes me look good,” Spears said. “I know that if Elvis was here with us, he would be excited and gratified.”

“I only wish Elvis could be here to see this,” Barclay said.

According to statistics from the Center for International Education (CIE), a total of 304 international students attended Campbellsville University in 2012 from more than 40 countries. The most highly represented countries being Brazil, China, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea and Venezuela.

Many students from all over the world come to live and study harmoniously with each other at CU, and each person brings his or her differences from the culture of their country.

This is a good chance for international students to share their home c

ulture to CU students and the local community.

Huanhuan Deng, a Chinese student who is studying Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TEOSL) and teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at Campbellsville University, recalled her life over the past two years.

“It has been full of fun and challenges; happiness and tears. But CU broadens my horizons in the real world,” Deng said.

Now that the U.S. culture is a part of her, she is ready to expand beyond the borders of her self-created experience. Her latest idea: to teach for an extended period in the United States.

“I would like to have the opportunity to immerse myself in a different culture,  focus more on international language education and work closely with youth," she said.

Studying abroad let her learn about American cultures, make new friends and improve tangible career benefits.

“You can develop real competitive advantages over other students who never venture abroad to study,” Deng said.

International students can make a difference in everyday lives.

One of the biggest benefits of studying abroad, besides learning a foreign language and being educated, is making friends abroad and improving yourself.

“I meet my boyfriend in CU last year. He is from Brazil. We learn a lot from each other, even we are from different country. So I really enjoy this relationship,” said Aya Owade, a sophomore studying psychology from Japan.

Challenges always come along with starting at a new school, moving to a new town, meeting people and speaking a new language. Add to that a new country and new customs and even the most extroverted of them would be shy.

“I was an international student before. So I understand the distress of international students,” said Elaine Tan, international activities assistant.

Tan has three main tips for all international students.

First, open your mind and break out of your comfort zone.

“Most students make friends with those from their home country. This is because they feel more comfortable around each other,” Tan said. “Get to know more American students.

“Don’t just limit yourself to fellow Americans. You have an exciting opportunity to meet native citizens of a country who have diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

“Second, students should be more active. Campbellsville University offers various social activities for students, so there are countless opportunities to make friends. The CIE also has a lot of planned trips for international students during different breaks in every semester.

“Activities can include sporting events, clubs and volunteer organizations. You should find out what is happening on campus and join any activities that are of interest to you. You can also go to nearby cities and see the hot spots that other students visit,” Tan said.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

“Just speak out what you want to say. If you need help, you need to ask. There are a lot of people who would love to help you,” Tan said.

As the associate director of international education, Dennis Paiva encourages all international students to integrate into the school and local community.

“I am glad for each of our international students that are here at Campbellsville University, and I thank God for directing each student to our campus and having us cross paths in my life,” Paiva said.

“It is so nice to learn about different cultures and hear things from different perspectives. Because of that, I encourage our students to become involved and participate in campus life and the community, so they may enlighten others about their culture and perspectives.”

You may not be familiar with the name Rico Dickerson, but you most likely are familiar with his trademark, a Superman cape. 

Dickerson, a junior from Memphis, Tenn., may be seen around CU’s campus on a daily basis sporting the superhero’s familiar garb and logo. 

Why you may ask?

Because Dickerson is representing the one he believes to be the true Superman.

“Jesus is my superman, and I want to be just like Him,” Dickerson said.

Dickerson’s passion was sparked by Project Transformation (PT), a Christ-centered camp program designed to offer a safe, caring environment for inner city kids during the summer.

“Project Transformation amplified everything in me,” he said.

Dickerson interned at the Dallas PT location over the summer, working closely with about 90 other interns.

All of the interns were housed on Southern Methodist University’s campus, and together they served almost 900 inner city children in Dallas through eight different church sites.

Dickerson and the other interns worked with the children on a daily basis, leading activities and Bible studies, and also helping the children with reading.

There were different reading levels, and Dickerson worked with middle school aged children who were of a level 2 reading capacity.

The interns also conducted different icebreakers to get to know the children. One of these icebreakers was called TAG (Talking About God), where the children could discuss and ask questions about God and church.

The children were also able to help with daily worship services.

The last week of camp is called Urban Camp, and the children were divided up into different colored teams.

“Our team was called the Platinum Swag Avengers,” Dickerson said. “That last week is so amazing, but emotions are high.”

One of the activities that really stayed with Dickerson involved different superheroes, which inspired Dickerson’s current fascination with Superman.

“That and the song ‘Jesus Is My Superman’ really got me into the Superman thing,” he said.

“Without this experience [with PT], I wouldn’t have the presence that I do at Campbellsville University,” he said.

He hopes that he can use his influence to glorify God.

“God gives us all a platform to glorify His name, and some of us waste our platform. I want to do all I can to praise Him.”

Dickerson said he likes the attention that accompanies the outfit, but his intention is that God is the one who will ultimately get the glory.

“I don’t let it go to my head” he said.

Dickerson is a physical education major and is active on Campbellsville’s campus.

He is number one on the Fighting Tiger Football team, and also headed the movement to bring the Athletes in Action ministry to CU.