Current Issue: Volume 17 - Number 22 - February 28, 2003
Home
Page
INDEX
Full
Calendar
Weekly
Calendar
Faculty/Staff
Notes
Classifieds
Civil War scholar to speak at Jeans Lecture
Dr.
George C. Rable, Charles Summersell Professor of Southern History at the
University of Alabama, will give the Ninth Annual Jeans Lecture in
History at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 6 in Webster Hall Auditorium. His
lecture is titled "Patriotism during the Civil War." A leading
Civil War scholar, Dr. Rable has recently won the Lincoln Prize, the
most generous award in the nation in the field of American History. He
won the award of $20,000 for his latest book Fredericksburg!
Fredericksburg! which has been called "a majestic account of
the military, political, and social impact of that epochal battle."
He is also the author of the Confederate Republic: A Revolution
Against Politics and Civil Wars: Women and the Crisis of Southern
Nationalism, which won both the Jefferson Davis award and the Julia
Cherry Spruill Prize. He also wrote But There Was No Peace: The Role
of Violence in the Politics of Reconstruction (Georgia, 1984).
Saltzman signing tonight at Hastings
Art Saltzman, English, and the author of eight books, will sign copies of his new book, Objects and Empathy, from 6-8 p.m. tonight at Hastings Book Store, 7th and Rangeline Road in Joplin. The book, a collection of essays on literature, is the winner of the First Series Creative Nonfiction Award from Mid-List Press.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Art came to Missouri Southern after graduating from the University of Illinois in 1979. His books include This Mad Instead, Designs of Darkness in the Contemporary American Fiction, The Novel in The Balance, Objects and Empathy, and others. His creative writing has appeared in numerous journals. Awards for his writing include the First Series Creative Nonfiction Award (Mid-List Press, 2001), the Nebraska Review Creative Nonfiction Award, the Roy Ames Memorial Essay Award (Literal Latte), and three Pushcart Prize nominations.
Members of the public are invited to the book signing for Objects and Empathy to meet Art have books autographed if they desire and discuss literature and literary criticism. Copies of the new book are available at Hastings. For more information call Art at ext. 9643.
Kleindl Receives Fulbright Senior Specialists Grant
Brad Kleindl, Assistant Dean of the School of Business Administration, has received a Fulbright Senior Specialists grant in Business Administration at University of Free State. The Fulbright Senior Specialists Program offers two- to six-week grants to leading U.S. academics and professionals to support curricular and faculty development and institutional planning at academic institutions in 40 nations around the world. Created to complement the traditional Fulbright Scholar Program, which was started in 1946, the Senior Specialists Program aims at increasing the number of faculty and professionals who have the opportunity to go abroad on a Fulbright. The program's purpose is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."The traditional Fulbright Scholar Program offers grants ranging from two months to an academic year and some academics and professionals find it difficult to be away overseas for that length of time," states Patti McGill Peterson, executive director of the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, the organization that manages the Fulbright Scholar Program. "The new Senior Specialists Program offers them another option." Grantees also undertake new activities, ranging from conducting teacher training and developing and assessing curricula or educational materials to leading seminars or workshops or conducting needs assessments. For further information on the grant, contact Brad at (417) 625-3120 or visit the CIES web site at http://www.cies.org.
Brown Bag features Roettger
Today's Brown Bag Lunch and presentation will feature Vickie Roettger, Biology, speaking on the topic Oxford Through the Looking Glass. Faculty and staff are invited to attend the presentation from 12:10 to 12:50 today in Room 310 of the Billingsly Student Center. Just come, pick up your free lunch at the mini-buffet and go inside to enjoy an interesting talk. Lunch is provided by Academic Affairs and AmeriServe.
Music faculty members to present recital
The joint faculty recital by Jeff Macomber and Cynthia Hukill, Music, cancelled this week due to inclement weather, has been rescheduled for Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Webster Auditorium. The program will feature sonatas (and more) for piano and trombone. The performance is free and open to the public.
Blood drive next week on campus
The Student Nurses' Association, in collaboration with the Community Blood Bank, will be conducting a Blood Drive next week. Catherine Cole, Nursing, says the Blood Drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the third floor in the Billingsly Student Center. Please announce this event to students. Food and free T-shirts will be given to all donors.Graduation Expo reduces tension, confusion
Although exciting, college graduation can seem overwhelming as the result of the numerous tasks involved in completing degree requirements, checking on financial aid documents, closing college accounts, and ordering graduating materials. The first Graduation Expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 - 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 5 on the main floor of Billingsly Student Center.
Graduating students will be able to pick up pre-ordered caps and gowns as well as place orders for caps and gowns, select invitations and class rings from vendors, complete Financial Aid exit tasks, check the status of accounts with Business Office representatives, confirm information with Public Information for news releases, and meet with Alumni Association representatives. Career Services also will offer mock job interview sessions.
Students should contact Career Services for details by calling (417) 625-9343, e-mailing careerservices@mssu.edu or visiting the Website at www.mssu.edu/career. What previously involved several stops in multiple offices, can now be accomplished in one trip to one location, says Kelly Wilson, Student Support Center. "Our students have worked hard to accomplish this important goal in their lives and we want to make the graduation process as fluid and efficient as possible."
Pinkston to direct Little Theatre musical comedy
Alex Pinkston, Theatre, will direct the musical-comedy satire, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying at the Joplin Little Theatre, due to run May 12-18. Auditions for this show will take place at the Joplin Little Theatre (3008 W. 1st, just west of Schifferdecker) at 7 p.m., Monday and Tuesday evenings, March 10 and 11. Those interested should prepare about 90 seconds of an upbeat song (preferably from a musical play) and either bring their accompaniment on CD or cassette tape or bring sheet music for our rehearsal pianist. After singing auditions, there will be some brief scene reading and some simple dance movements. Not all roles require dancing, but all require singing. Those with questions should call ext. 9656.
German film Destiny next in Film Festival
Destiny is the fifth program of the 41st Annual International Film Festival presented by the Missouri Southern Film Society, has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 4 in Matthews Hall Auditorium. The film original show date was cancelled due to inclement weather.
In the movie, a despairing girl is given three chances in widely separated exotic destinies (early Baghdad, Venice and China) to save her lover. Director Fritz Lang used varied camera angles, chiaroscuro lighting and a slow tempo that allowed the camera to emphasize each composition to tell his story. Destiny was one of the first German films to win international acclaim. The philosophy of this "fairy tale" reflects the German mood in the 1920s of pessimism, defeat of the individual, romantic melancholia and the role of fate in ordering human lives.
Single admissions at the door are $2 for adults and $1.50 for senior citizens or students. The Missouri Southern Institute of International Studies assisted in providing financial assistance for the International Film Festival.
Lysistrata reading Monday evening
On Monday, March 3, at 5 p.m. in the Spiva Library coffee shop, the local Peace Awareness group will be sponsoring a reading of Aristophanes' Lysistrata, the classic Greek comedy in which the women of Athens and Sparta unite and stage a sex strike and occupy the Athenian treasury until their male counterparts agree to stop fighting the Peloponnesian War. The reading is being held in conjunction with national and international readings of the play on that day, which also happens to be Read Across America Day. Those interested are invited to attend and even read one or more parts. Copies of the play will be available for readers on Monday in Room 311-B of Hearnes Hall. Teachers are invited to announce the event to students. The play should last approximately 90 minutes to two hours.
Avoid identity theft, credit card fraud Ken Kennedy, Security, says everyone should understand the importance of protecting himself against identity theft and credit card fraud. These are growing concerns for Americans today, especially in the age of "paying by plastic." These crimes not only impact the companies that must deal with fraudulent purchases, but they also can be a huge blow to anyone who must clean up their credit after their identification has been stolen. These individuals are forced to endure major inconveniences; the devastating emotional damage can last for years. The following are tips to prevent random credit card fraud by criminals who victimize individual consumers who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time:- Sign your new credit cards as soon as they arrive.
- Treat your cards like money; store them in a secure place.
- Shred anything with your account number (including receipts and statements) before throwing them away.
- Don’t give your credit card number over the phone unless you initiated the call.
- Don’t write your card number on a postcard or the outside of an envelope.
- Remember to get your card and receipt after every transaction (including at the gas pump).
- If you don’t receive your monthly billing statement for a credit account, call your creditor immediately.
- Request a copy of your credit report once a year (see contact information below). Reviewing your report will tell you if anyone has applied for credit in your name and whether any accounts are being used without your knowledge.
- Never have your driver’s license number or social security number pre-printed on your checks.
- Make sure your checks get directly to the post office or lender. Drop them off at the post office. Leaving them in your own mailbox to be picked up by the postal carrier makes it easier for them to be stolen.
- Make a photocopy (back and front) of all the credit cards and ID cards in your wallet.
FACULTY/STAFF NOTES
Joey Brown, English, delivered a paper entitled "Writing in the Dirt: Landscape Identity in Oklahoma Fiction" at the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture Association annual conference. The conference was held Feb. 12-15 in Albuquerque, N.M. The paper will be published in the conference proceedings.
Alex Pinkston, Theatre, will direct a special Cuba semester production in the fall, which will be a celebration of Cuban literary and performance arts. An evening featuring poetry readings, song, dance, and perhaps a short play or scenes from several plays with a common theme is being contemplated. Suggestions from anyone with knowledge of Cuban literature and performing arts regarding material are welcome. E-mail Alex or call him at ext. 9656.
Judy Stiles, KGCS General Manager, has been asked to serve on the newly formed KOZJ-TV Advisory Committee. The committee includes area residents and business leaders. It is designed to provide input to Ozarks Public Television concerning services in the KOZJ-TV coverage area. The first meeting was held Thursday, Feb. 27.
For Sale: 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix, white, 4 door, all power options, 177,000 highway miles, am/fm/cassette, $2,200. Call ext. 9803.
For Sale: G.E. stove/oven with drawer. White, very good condition. $150 or best offer. Call 626-9328.
