Current Issue: Volume 16 - Number 11 - Nov. 30, 2001
Missouri fiscal condition precarious, León says
Dr. Julio León has told employees in a campus-wide e-mail that the fiscal condition of Missouri continues to worsen and now it appears as if a new round of withholdings will be necessary to balance the state budget. Dr. León said higher education institutions have not yet been asked to submit plans for withholdings or reductions but, according to the Associate Commissioner, the possibility remains high.
"To have a 5 percent withholding at the beginning of the year was painful and some difficult choices had to be made," Dr. León said. "If another withholding comes, it will be rather dramatic, and more difficult choices will have to be made. I know we can handle the situation."
Dr. León said as a precautionary measure, the College must look at the current budget and identify areas for potential further reductions. He also said that international mission and departmental travel expenditures and the purchase of equipment that has not been ordered will be suspended, effective immediately. He referred employees to the address: http://www.newstribune.com/stories/111601/sta_1116010955.asp
Missouri Southern Ranks #1 with MSU Benefits Group
Terri Agee, Business Affairs, reported this week that Missouri Southern has received praise from the Executive Director of the MSU Benefits Group for three accomplishments: MSSC had all 2002 Benefit enrollment forms in on time; had an initial 100 percent completion rate, the only one of six campuses in Missouri to do so; and returned the most accurate data among all six campuses. Debbie Dutch Kelley, Human Resources, says the success is due in great part to the department heads who helped set up information/enrollment sessions. Premiums for the new benefits will be deducted in December paychecks. New insurance cards are scheduled to be mailed in January, Kelley says.
Community Symphony Fall Concert set for December 3
A variety of music will be featured at the Fall Concert of the MSSC Community
Symphony at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3 in Taylor Performing Arts Center.
The group will perform selections including: Overture to La Forza Del
Destino by Giuseppe Verdi, Symphony in C Major by Georges Bizet
and Suite from Sleeping Beauty by Peter I. Tchaikovsky
The Community Symphony Orchestra is conducted by William Elliott, Music.
The players are composed of a variety of talented musicians from throughout
the Four-State area.
Area music lovers are invited to enjoy an evening of wonderful music at
7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3 in Taylor Performing Arts Center. The performance
is free and open to the public.
Winter Concert to feature combined bands, vocal groups
A variety of holiday music will be performed when the Missouri Southern
State College Symphonic Band, Jazz Band and Concert Chorale present a
winter concert Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Taylor Performing Arts
Center.
Under the batons of Pete Havely and Rusty Raymond, Music, the Symphonic
Band will perform On This Day Earth Shall Ring, The Eighth Candle (a prayer
and dance for Hanukkah), Silent Night and Jingle Bells.
Under the direction of Phil Wise, Music, the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra
will perform My Two Front Teeth, Good King Wenceslas, Jolly Old St. Nicholas,
Big Band Christmas and Festival.
Charles "Bud" Clark, Music, will direct the Concert Chorale
with the accompaniment of Marcus Van Dorn as it performs Caroling, Caroling
and Shine for You, featuring soloist Jordan Bailey, Festival Deck the
Hall with Dirk Myers as Student Director and O Holy Night, featuring Rebecca
McGowan as soloist.
The program is free and open to the public.
The Princess Finds a Way, a children's theatre matinee presented by Southern Theatre and the Show-Me Celebration Company, will be performed at 2:30 p.m., Dec. 1-2 at Taylor Performing Arts Center at MSSC. Cast members include:
- Aaron Stockton, freshman Theatre major from Carl Junction
- Sunni Stumpff, junior Theatre major from Cassville
- Stephanie Belt, senior Theatre major from Joplin
- Stacy Harter, junior Speech & Theatre from Joplin
- Rachel Weisensee, sophomore Theatre from Joplin
- Jordan Merritt, sophomore Theatre from Pierce City
- Joshua Reid, sophomore Theatre Education from Purdy
- Nathan Shoup, junior Theatre Education major from Webb City
- Bryan Whyte, freshman Speech & Theatre Education major from Webb City.
- Rachel Mastin, freshman Theatre major from Grove, Okla.
Stephanie Chrisman, senior Theatre major from Joplin, directs the play which provides a 1970's twist to a traditional fairy tale. Strobe lights will be used in the production. Anyone with a disability requiring accommodation must let the box office know 72 hours in advance. Tickets cost $1 for general admission and $.50 for senior citizens and students. Those wanting tickets should contact the Box Office in Taylor Performing Arts Center at (417) 625-3190.
Messiah to air on KGCS
A special holiday presentation will air on KGCS-TV, at 8 p.m., Sunday Dec. 16. The station will repeat the airing of last year's performance of Handel's "The Messiah," the community-wide presentation taped last December. "We're happy to be able to once again share this special holiday presentation with our viewers," says Judy Stiles, KGCS. "Many people worked together for this musical presentation, and we feel that it is important to recognize their talents by replaying this tape." The program may be seen on UHF channel 57 and cable channel 7 in the Joplin-Webb City area. It will also appear on the Missouri Southern channel on the Cox Communications cable system in Carthage.Kiwanis Apple Sales project benefits deserving programs
It is once again time for Apple Sales, the major fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club of Joplin. Proceeds from the purchases locally benefit the following programs: Cerebral Palsy Speech Therapy Program, Lafayette House, Salvation Army Kids' Christmas Party, College Scholarships, Children's Miracle Network, Missouri Boys State/Girls State, Joplin High School Key Club, Joplin Schools Foundation, and other youth/benevolent activities. The Washington Premium Grade Red Delicious or Golden Delicious sell for $29 for a bushel or $15 for a gift basket. Apples will be delivered on campus on Dec. 6, and will be C.O.D. Several members of the faculty/staff are Kiwanis members according to member, Ken Kennedy, Manager of Safety and Security, ext. 9741. Sunderland learns it pays to cook Lynn Sunderland, a chef with the college food contractor, AmeriServe, is the winner of a national contest sponsored by the Kraft food company. Lynn won first prize for her recipe for Ham Sandwich Soup. Officials from Kraft were on campus in the Lions Den Tuesday, Nov. 20 to present Lynn with a check for $2,000. The recipe is scheduled for national publication. A New York City native, Lynn attended Westchester Community College and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. She has worked at Missouri Southern since 1998.Amores Perros to show tonight in Webster Hall
Tonight, Friday, Nov. 30, the Contemporary Foreign Film series will be viewing the fifth video feature of the year, Amores Perros (Mexico, 2000) at 7:00 pm, Webster 105. The film is free and open the public. Review your name, information The online faculty and staff directory has been updated. We would like each of you to view your name and information and notify us of any inaccuracies. You can view the online directory at http://www.mssu.edu/phone/emroster.htm Please call the Public Information Office at ext. 9399 or e-mail: Rod Surber or Jessica Head with any corrections. Biology majors take part in deer project Thirteen biology majors participated in a deer population project Nov. 10 and 17, according to Scott Wells, Biology. The project, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation, uses college students from across the state to determine the age of animals and collect other data useful in the management of the Missouri deer herd. Students participating were Cherrie Brasher, Philip Burkhart, Shandy Carter, Natasha Durbin, Nathaniel Fair, Jason French, Brandee Harlan, Michael McNaught, Chad Phillips, Preston Spicer, Caleb Turner, Anna Wyman and Anatasia Wyrick. The project was coordinated by Scott Wells, Biology Department head, with the assistance of Bill Black, Biology.Planning Underway for Dr. King Breakfast Plans are underway for the annual Martin Luther King Breakfast. The breakfast will take place in Billingsly Student Center beginning at 7 a.m., Monday, Jan. 21. Further information will be distributed following our semester break, according to Al Cade, School of Education.
Students have all the luck
College is stressful so, in light of that fact, CAB will be sponsoring a very unique stress reliever right before finals week, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, according to Val Carlisle, Campus Activities. Val says there will be free 5-minute neck and shoulder massages for students, in three different campus locations - the Student Life Center, the Seattle Roast Cafe (bottom floor of the library) and the BSC Lion's Den Food Court. Therapists will be at all locations simultaneously. Participating will be massage therapists from Ultra-Rays, The Pain Relief Center, Natural Therapeutics, Bioskin Face and Body Clinic and Massage by Rachael.
FACULTY/STAFF NOTES
Kaye Abight,Teacher Education, presented "Using the Internet in Early Childhood Education" at the Kappa Delta Pi Convocation held in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 8-10. She also accepted two chapter awards for Rho Sigma, Achieving Chapter Excellence and 3rd Place in the Chapter Challenge Contest. Dr. Abight has been asked to serve on the national Planning Committee for the 2003 Convocation to be held in St. Louis.
Kaye Abight, Teacher Education, was the guest speaker for the Pi Chi chapter installation at Missouri Baptist College, Nov. 19. She spoke about "Building Leadership through Kappa Delta Pi Activities."
Sheri Beeler, Kinesiology, was one of the presenters in the October Quality Health and Physical Education training session. The session, sponsored by the SW Regional Professional Development Center, DESE, and Missouri Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, was titled "Using MAP Data To Improve Student Achievement."Sheri Beeler, Kinesiology, hosted the Carthage health and physical education teachers for the fall professional development day. The group toured the Health Education And Resource Training (HEART) Lab and participated in the Heart Adventure Challenge Course.
Jim Bray, Art, just opened a one-man show of paintings, watercolors and pastels at Northern Oklahoma College, Enid, Okla. The show will be on display from Nov. 15- Dec. 15. Jim also had painting accepted in national Living On The Prairie, Living On The Plains 2001 National Art Exhibit at the Coutts Memorial Museum, El Dorado, Kan. and had one painting accepted in the 2001 regional exhibit, Art From The Middle, Art From The Plains States at the Erman B. White Gallery, Butler Community College, Kan.
Pat Lipira and Sheri Beeler, Kinesiology, recently held an in-service workshop for Joplin R-8 physical education staff. The workshop focused on quality teaching strategies and assessments designed to improve student achievement.Students Audrey McAuliff, Jami King, Michelle Leachman and Darren Maute recently made a "Red Ribbon" week presentation to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at St. Peter's Middle School in Joplin. The students were accompanied by Donna O'Keefe, Kinesiology. The 7th annual MSSC Health Resource Fair, "Got Health?" was held Oct. 30. The fair, co-sponsored by Kinesiology, Student Support Center, Campus Wellness, Campus Recreation, and the Kinesiology Club, had another record setting year. Highlights included the "Fatal Vision" soccer kick and fitness challenge, the "Stress Busters," and personal fitness assessments by Kinesiology students, free blood pressure readings and cholesterol screenings. Participants experimented with their decisions in alcohol consumption at the Alcohol 101 booth, visited a variety of informational booths and received "goody bags" of educational resources provided by students in the "School Health Education" courses.
Kexi Liu, Music, was one of the adjudicators at the state competitions of Music Teachers National Association. The competitions were held last weekend at Missouri Music Teachers Association's 94th State Convention in Springfield. Kexi adjudicated competitions in four categories: MTNA Junior High School String Competition, MTNA High School String Competition, MTNA Collegiate Artist String Competition, and MTNA Collegiate Artist Chamber Music Competition. The winners go on to the national competitions.
Ann Marlowe, English, has had two poems published "A Whit of Walt" and "Wasps" in the fall edition of Missouri Teachers Write.
Upward Bound students from Carthage and Webb City schools attended a Student Shadowing Day at MSSC on Nov. 5. Kimberly Smith, Upward Bound, says Southern students volunteered to have the high school students "shadow" them for a day of classes on campus. Nine students participated in this event to allow them to observe and experience a "normal" day in the life of a college student.Mike Lawson, Biology, recently gave a presentation on benefits of student science research to area administrators, couselors and teachers participating in the George W. Carver Math and Science Project sponsored by the Southwest Center for Educational Excellence.
A big thank you goes out to the Missouri Southern campus community from the 2001 United Way campaign committee. Melissa Locher, Learning Center says wehave exceeded our goal for this year and have raised $16,370.54 for the United Way.
The School of Business recently hosted two members of the Chinese Financial Planning Association (CFPA). This group administers and has oversight for financial planners, insurance sales, and investment analysts in China. Richard Rawlins, Business, serves on the CFPA board of directors and discussed training of financial planners. They were also given a demonstration of MSSC distance learning capabilities.
Bill Stevens, School of Business Administration, served as one of the reviews, and was a discussant for a paper in the Social Issues/Diversity/Public Sector Track of The Southern Management Association Meeting, held in New Orleans, Nov. 7-9.CLASSIFIED
Must Sell: 15' Alumacraft fishing boat with trailer and 40 h.p. Mercury motor, power trim, trolling motor, fish finder, two live wells, and full cover. All lake ready. Good, clean boat. Only asking $1850. Call Ext. 9527 or 417-548-6135.For Sale: Holiday Special-1999 Dodge Stratus, 4 door, all power but seats, metallic grey, 26,000 miles. $7,500. Contact ext. 9770
For Sale: Looking for that special holiday gift? KGCS still has a limited number of Mark McGwire "talking" baseball cards for sale! The cards replay his historic 70th home run from 1998. (Don't miss your chance to get this collectible, now that McGwire has retired!) For more information, contact Judy Stiles at ext. 9777. For Sale: 1995 Blue Chevy Astro Van, $6,000.00 Call ext. 9559 or at home at (620) 783-5493.
