Moline, Ill. - What starts here, changes the world one student at a time. Black Hawk College is proud to host the 2015 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Conference, a three-day event at the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill. expected to see more than 1,000 attendees from across the United States betweenApril 8 and 10.

NACTA is an organization committed to advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning in agricultural, environmental, natural and life sciences, and this annual judging contest will bring that commitment to the heart of the Midwest in 2015.

"This conference is really an investment in the future of our agricultural young leaders." said Andrew Larson, an organizer of the 2015 NACTA Judging Conference and a recruiter for the Agriculture Department at Black Hawk College. "Our event will provide collegiate and high school students the opportunity to learn and develop valuable agricultural skill sets, while also getting the chance to network with key industry leaders and companies."

Attendees will range from 4-H members at the high school level to agriculture students at the collegiate level, and the main focus of the conference will be the judging competitions, which cover everything from soils and agribusiness to crops and livestock management.

The conference will also include the first Agricultural Networking Fair on Thursday, April 9, sponsored by Pfister Seeds. This networking fair is designed to provide participants and volunteers valuable opportunities to engage with industry leaders like John Deere and also give participants additional learning experiences in a unique environment.

Black Hawk College, along with many conference sponsors, are also organizing group activities in the Quad Cities to involve students and volunteers when they are not participating in a contest. These activities include a tour of the John Deere World Headquarters, a visit to the Niabi Zoo and a tour of the Figge Art Museum.

Interested participants can register for the conference, competitions and group activities on the 2015 NACTA Judging Conference website at www.BHCNACTA.com. Also posted online, a complete schedule of events for the weekend. Registration is open until March 25.

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Augustana students performed in St. Patrick's Day Concert

ROCK ISLAND, IL (03/23/2015)(readMedia)-- The Augustana Flute Choir performed a St. Patrick's Day Concert on Tuesday, March 17 in Wallenberg Hall. Ten student musicians shared their talents with the Augustana community, helping to celebrate this holiday. Selections included Jonathen Cohen's "Piccolos in the Pub" and David Bailey's "A Lively Irish Medley" among others.

Students from your area include :

Kayla Jackson, of Rock Island, IL

Ashley Martin, of Moline, IL

Ingrid Schneider, of Davenport, IA

Jens Hurty performed senior recital at Augustana College

ROCK ISLAND, IL (03/23/2015)(readMedia)-- Augustana senior, Jens Hurty, a vocal music performance major of Moline, Ill., performed his senior recital on Saturday, March 21 in Wallenberg Hall. He performed "The Song that Goes Like This" from Monty Python's Spamalot by John De Prez and Eric Idle and Johann Sebastian Bach's "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein" from Matthaus-Passion, among others. He was accompanied by Robert Elfline on piano and Kelsey Schauer, a mezzo-soprano.

Student recitals at Augustana College are a requirement for those pursuing a major in music performance. Other students pursuing a major or minor in music related to composition, general music, or education are highly encouraged to perform in a recital to showcase their progress and musicality.

Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. The college is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Current students and alumni include 155 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 13 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.

Danish Modern: Design for Living

Davenport, Iowa (March 23, 2015) - Iconic examples of 20th century furniture design will be coming to the Figge Art Museum beginning Friday with the exhibition Danish Modern: Design for Living. Organized by the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa, Danish Modern brings together a wonderful selection of the most influential pieces of post-war furniture design. 

As evidenced by stylish set designs of the popular AMC series Mad Men, Danish furniture design played a major role in American interior décor during the 1950s and '60s, where it was perfectly at home in the glass and steel skyscrapers of Manhattan and the ubiquitous pastel painted, single-level ranch homes of suburbia.

Dozens of vintage pieces from the period by designers such as Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Niels Otto Møller, Borge Mogensen and Hans Wegner will be on view. Wegner is featured with his most popular designs including the Round Chair, later known simply as "the Chair" after it gained wide popularity in televised presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

In addition, light fixtures, toys, tablewares and serving pieces will be included.

Wynne Schafer, a professional interior designer and primary consultant for the exhibition's layout, is thrilled for this exhibition to be featured at the Figge.  "Danish design is a highly regarded style expressing beautiful forms adapted for modern day needs," she explained.  "The designs are based on simplified historical forms and nature using high quality production and efficient use of materials.  These elegant products are timeless in style and bring beauty to our everyday lives."

Danish Modern: Design for Living reminds us of how intertwined Danish design and our daily lives were in the post-war era, and invites us to look ahead by looking back at some of the most forward-thinking designs of the time.

This exhibition is sponsored by Schafer Interiors and will be on view in the Katz Gallery this Saturday, March 28  - Sunday, June 21, 2015.

COMPANION EVENTS:

Opening Reception, Talk and Tour
Thursday, April 2
5:30 p.m. Opening Reception (members only)
7 p.m. Exhibition Talk (open to public)

Museum of Danish America Executive Director Dr. John Mark Nielsen will discuss Danish design as it's lived in Denmark. Following the talk, Tova Brandt, Albert Ravenholt Curator of Danish-American Culture, will give a tour of the exhibition.

Gallery Talk
Thursday, April 30
7 p.m. Danish Modern Talk

Join Wynne Schafer for a gallery talk about the exhibition. Schafer, a professional interior designer, is the primary consultant for the exhibition's layout and installation and has taught interior design and decorative art history for 30 years at Scott Community College. 

Docent-led Tours
1:30 p.m. Sundays, April 12, 19
1:30 p.m. Saturdays, April 18, 25

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members, and free to all on Thursdayevenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, March 23, 2015 /National FFA Organization) - A member of the National FFA Organization is being celebrated today at a White House event for students who excel in science.

Eric Koehlmoos, 18, of Iowa, is a member of the South O'Brien FFA Chapter in Paulina, Iowa. He was invited to the 2015 White House Science Fair that celebrates the accomplishments of student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions throughout the United States.

More than 100 of the nation's brightest young minds will be welcomed to the fifth White House Science fair. In the past, innovative inventions, discoveries and science projects have been showcased.

Koehlmoos won first place in his category and division, Power, Structural and Technical Systems, at the 2014 National FFA Agriscience Fair, an annual competition sponsored by Cargill, Bayer CropScience, John Deere, PotashCorp and Syngenta as a special project of the National FFA Foundation, during the National FFA Convention & Expo. The fair features the research and results of FFA members who plan on pursuing careers in the science and technology of agriculture. This accomplishment earned him the special White House invite.

Koehlmoos' project, "Grass to Gas," consisted of three years of research with prairie cordgrass and switch grass and their potential impact in the cellulosic ethanol industry.

"Because I come from a farm background, " Koehlmoos said, "I was very interested in the biofuel industry and the new cellulosic ethanol plants being built near my house."

During his three years of research, Koehlmoos found that both grasses produce nearly 200 more gallons of ethanol per acre than corn and wheat straw, two mainstream methods for ethanol production. He also discovered that when both grasses are pretreated with calcium hydroxide, ethanol yields are increased by as much as 80 percent and produces a byproduct that has higher protein values than corn distiller grains.

Koehlmoos plans to continue his research in college and would ultimately like to use these grasses to commercially produce ethanol in the Southern Plains, which would provide a sustainable solution to importing foreign oil while also not competing with the food supply.

The White House Science Fair will be webcast live at http:/www.whitehouse.gov/live. Highlights of today's event can be followed on Twitter: #WHScienceFair.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 610,240 student members who belong to one of 7,665 local FFA chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 610,240 student members as part of 7,665 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org, on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

About National FFA Foundation
The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations and individuals to secure financial resources that recognize FFA member achievements, develop student leaders and support the future of agricultural education. Governed by a 19-member board of trustees comprised of educators, business leaders, individual donors and FFA alumni, the foundation is a separately-registered nonprofit organization. About 82 percent of every dollar received by the foundation supports FFA members and agricultural education opportunities. For more, visit FFA.org/Give