Accents06-16-05

Missouri Southern State University students in the School of Business Administration will soon be able to use state-of-art financial management software to invest $300,000 of real money made possible by a grant from the Missouri Southern Foundation.

The Missouri Southern Department of Finance and Economics in the School of Business Administration today announced the opening of the Edward Jones Investment Center where a new laboratory will provide hands-on experience using the new equipment and software.

The investment center, located on the second floor of Matthews Hall on the MSSU campus, allows for the controlled investment experience that will provide students access to the dynamics of financial markets and risk management. Currently, only about 30 major universities have such a lab, said Mr. Brian Nichols, Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics at Missouri Southern.

Financial software will be used to simulate placing buy/sell orders and portfolio management. The center will include 30 computers with dual LCD monitors, an electronic ticker tape for equity indices, two television monitors with cable programming, a projector and Smartboard screen and one or more dedicated workstations for financial databases, such as Bloomberg and Reuters.

“This room will enhance practical understanding of financial data, increase analysis time, and educate students on software programs and information databases used in the financial services industry,” Nichols said.

“It will also provide a competitive edge for our business graduates and reduce training time for employers,” Nichols added.

The center is made possible, in part, by contributions from more than 50 Edward Jones investment representatives and home office general partners.

The center will be dedicated to Jim Goodknight, a pioneer investment representative for Edward Jones in the Four-States region. Jim is a 1963 graduate of Joplin Junior College, the predecessor of Missouri Southern State University.

Goodknight served as an Edward Jones investment representative for 32 years, a general partner for 15 years and a regional leader for 15 years.

In 1997, he received the company's prestigious Touchstone Award for outstanding service to Edward Jones.

The Goodknight training plan he developed has been used throughout the firm and the industry to help enhance client service. Jim is married to the former Barbara Truesdell and they have two children and six grandchildren.

Today's Brown Bag

Today's Brown Bag presentation and free lunch for faculty/staff will feature Jude Meche, English. His presentation is titled "A Different Kind of Mardi Gras: Les Courirs des Mardi Gras des petites villes d'Acadiana." The presentation will take place in Room 310 of the Billingsly Student Center today, beginning at approximately 12:10 p.m. and concluding at about 12:50 p.m. to accommodate those with 1 p.m. classes.

Lunch is free to those attending the session. The mini-buffet will be outside BSC 310. Free lunches are a courtesy of Academic Affairs and Sodexho Food Management Services.

MSSU grad, actor James Jordan, lands roles in top television programs

If the face of the guy you see guest starring on Cold Case, CSI or some other network television program looks like the guy down the street, that's because it just might be!

James Jordan, 1997 graduate of Webb City High School and a 2002 Missouri Southern graduate, is making headway in Hollywood. Jordan, who began work on a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Acting in 2002 at UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television, completed his degree in June of 2005.

During graduate school, he says, he began to rub elbows with some well-known Hollywood personalities.

“At UCLA I had numerous leads in shows,” James says. “I studied acting with such artists as Anthony Hopkins, Annette Benning, Jason Alexander and the famous acting coach to the stars, Larry Moss. I also was able to collaborate with film directors and screenwriters. I made movies and shot 3-camera sitcom style comedy.”

The glow of hot lights and smell of greasepaint are nothing new to James Jordan. The Southern graduate did nearly 40 shows in his time at Missouri Southern. They included When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder, Guys and Dolls and Sticks and Bones.

He also directed the plays Lone Star and The Zoo Story for the Missouri Southern stage.

“The biggest challenge to this business so far is trying to set yourself apart from the pack,” James comments. “There are just so many thousands of actors in this city and there are probably a few hundred who are your twins in everyway. I've actually been mistaken for another actor who works quite a bit. One time a casting director asked if he was my older brother! So, that's the biggest challenge -- to be a beat ahead and a beat apart."

Jordan says any success he has will be in large part result from his University training, his agents and manger and his own passion and perseverance: “I've been pretty busy,” he laughs.

At the present time, James Jordan is busy in Los Angeles getting ready for pilot season. His agents and manager are submitting him for other roles in films, and television. He also is routinely meeting with Executives from NBC, Warner Bros., Fox, Touchstone, Sony and Universal.

“This is all in an attempt to get ‘known’ to people in the industry,” he says. “That way they will have the chance to keep him in mind for future and existing projects.”

Jordan has guest starred on CSI, Over There, Cold Case, Close to Home, and Just Legal. He has also just completed work on the motion picture Seraphim Falls which stars Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson among others. Along the way, he has paid his dues as an actor by waiting tables when auditions and roles were scarce.

He says among the many people who influenced him and his career path were his family, in particular, his mother, Chris Jordan Meadows of Oronogo, and his stepfather, Charles Meadows: “They've always been incredibly supportive of my career choice,” the young actor says. “I always dragged them to my plays at Southern and they never missed one.”

"Being a professional actor is an amazing privilege," he says. "You get to travel, be seen, play, make good money, and have a career that is in some ways immortal. Your body of work will certainly outlive you.”

He credits all his teachers at MSSU and UCLA as well as Sean Penn, whom he calls “a genius” and someone to whom he has been compared ("the greatest compliment I’ve ever had," James says). Others he counts as inspirations are Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Billy Bob Thornton ( "who spent a decade not working as an actor and almost starving to death in the pursuit of his dream").

“I have to say human nature itself is a big influence," James Jordan concludes. "The mystery of life is so interesting to me. I guess I'm just trying to figure it out.”

Langston Hughes celebration February 24

The Langston Hughes Celebration will feature speaker Carmaletta M. Williams at 7 p.m, Friday Feb. 24 in Webster Hall Auditorium at MSSU.

Williams will speak on the topic "Mother to Son: the Letters of Langston and Carrie Hughes." She has an essay on this topic coming out in the near future in a book of critical studies on the Joplin-born writer. She is the author of Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me: Langston Hughes in the Classroom.

Carmaletta Williams is an associate professor of English at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. She has won a number of distinguished teaching awards including the Burlington Northern-Sante Faculty Achievement Award, two Distinguished Service Awards from Johnson County Community College, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Kansas Professor of the Year, and the League for Innovation's Innovation of the Year award for her videotape "Sankofa: My Journey Home." This video was a result of her Fulbright-Hays Award for study in Ghana, West Africa.

Williams recently returned from West Africa, where she established a faculty exchange between L'Ecole Nationale de Poste et Telecommunications and Johnson County Community College.

How much do you love your sweetheart? Enough to have a quartet come in formal attire and sing him or her a love song in four part harmony? The Missouri Southern Chamber Choir is hoping you care enough to have them come to your place of work, school, or home to fill your sweetie with delight, (or embarrassment) as they sing love songs that will say “I love you” when mere words are no longer strong enough!

“This will be the fourth annual singing of Valentines,” says Bud Clark, Music. “The Chamber Choir students have found themselves in tears from laughter when they have surprised a poor recipient of a Singing Valentine in a business meeting or a classroom filled with students that are more than eager to embarrass their teacher and see them blush.”

Clark says they have also seen tears of joy and genuine love that is expresses by those that send and receive this unique Valentine gift. “It is a great way for us to show our musical talents, as well as make someone happy on this special day,” says Clark. The choir is now taking orders and will sing during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14. To order your beautiful Singing Valentine, call Bud at 625-9562. All proceeds will go toward financing the Chamber Choir’s tour of the Four State area at the end of February.

Banner Bytes: Deadline today to enter software naming contest

The deadline is 5 p.m. today to enter the contest to name the new BANNER administrative software system.

Ideally the name should have some reference to something identifiable to Missouri Southern, such as LEO for "Linking Everything Online." The following suggestions have been given for letter usage:

Submit your contest entries to Rod Surber, Public Information, through campus mail or email surber-r@mssu.edu by 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10. Missouri Southern students, faculty, staff, and alumni are eligible to enter. A panel of judges will select the winner and prizes will be awarded.

Valentine Dinner to benefit Mansion renovation

Romance is in the air and the Student Alumni Association is having a Spaghetti dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day. Invite your sweetheart or friend to an evening of dinner, dancing and entertainment. The event will be held in the Conner Ballroom, on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

The menu will include pasta with a choice of meat marinara or alfredo sauces, salad, breadstick, and dessert. Dinner for two is $14. The cost of single dining is $8.50. All dinners include a complimentary photo. Flower and candy packages are available with reservations, a carnation and candy is $3 or chooses a rose and candy for only $5. All proceeds benefit the Mission Hills Mansion Renovation Project.

Reservations can be made at the Alumni Office. Tickets must be paid for at the time of reservation. All tickets must be purchased by Feb.16. For more information call Deb Gipson, Alumni, at ext. 9673.

Hansberry works focus of Literary Lions discussions

The Literary Lions Book Club is seeking participants to discuss this semester's literary works, the play A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, and Hansberry’s autobiography, To be Young, Gifted and Black.

Jim Lile, associate professor of theatre at MSSU, will moderate the Literary Lions Book Club this semester.

* The group will meet at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 16 and 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 30 to discuss A Raisin in the Sun.

* The group will meet at 6:30 on Monday, April 13 for a discussion of To be Young, Gifted and Black.

* At 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 20, they will view the film version of A Raisin in the Sun.

All meetings will be held in MSSU’s Spiva Library near the University Java coffee shop.

As a Literary Lions members, participants’ individual copies of A Raisin in the Sun and To be Young, Gifted and Black will be donated back to the Spiva Library.

The total cost to participate is $25 for the general public or $15 for Friends of the Spiva Library group members. The opportunity to participate is limited to the first 15 participants. Those interested should respond no later than March 1.

Those wanting to participate or obtain additional information should call the Literary Lions Book Club, by calling the Alumni Office (417) 625-9355.

E-reserves now provided by Spiva Library

Spiva Library is now offering a new service to faculty and their students: electronic reserves.

Faculty with e-reserve materials, journal articles, for example, will afford their students many benefits, including:

This new service was tested by Pat Murphy, English, in her English 435 class during the fall 2005 semester.

To learn more about it, including a demonstration, contact James Capeci, Library, at ext. 3180.

MSSU employee teams wanted

The offices of the Student Support Center, Housing and Student Activities will be hosting a Southern Olympics at 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 14 in Young Gym and Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Holley Goodnight, Student Support Center, says the event is held in conjunction with MSSU's Safe Spring Break programming. Approximately 5-10 faculty/staff teams are needed to participate against MSSU student teams. (A 10-team limit exists.) Faculty and staff will compete against Southern students. "This is guaranteed to be a fun and entertaining event," Holley says.

Teams will be made up of 3 members - male, female or coed. All members must compete in all events. All team members will receive a Free T-shirt. Competitions include:

As part of the 44th annual International Film Festival, Do You Remember Dolly Bell? will be shown at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14 at Cornell Auditorium in Matthews Hall on the MSSU campus.

Emir Kusturica’s first feature film is the tale of a young man’s entry into adulthood. Set in Sarajevo during the early 1960s, Kusturica gives an honest account of the reality of intrusive cultures when Western influences such as fashion and rock and roll and the promise of “European socialism threatened to roll over traditional customs.

Bergan and Karney’s Foreign Film Guide notes that “The film is a beautifully perceptive, bittersweet comedy full of delightful eccentric touches.”

Nominate students for the Outstanding Graduate Award by using a form sent to departments or accessed on the Alumni Association web site. A letter of recommendation is required to accompany all nominations, which are due in the Alumni Office by 3 p.m., Monday, Feb. 13. For information call Deb Gipson, Alumni, at ext. 9673.

Fresh Start sets dates for spring sessions

Fresh Start dates have been set for this spring and early summer. Holley Goodnight, Student Support Center, says sessions will be held on June 12, 19 and July 17 (all Mondays), June 13, 20 and July 18 (all Tuesdays) and June 14, 21 and July 19 (all Wednesdays). Holley says a night session will be held on Monday, July 10.

Amber Carr and Charles Nodler, Library, attended the LSTA Grant Writing Workshop in Springfield on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

The Cougar Card is back! This is the best buy one get one free card in town. The cost is $10, but you'll save much more than that as you can use it up to 24 times at any of 12 different merchants. See the card at: www.collegeheights.org Contact Bill at ext. 9778 for delivery of your card.

A paper by Chris Moos and Alex Vernon, School of Business, titled, "An Examination of Student Interest and Participation in International Opportunities: A Comparison of Business v. Non-Business Majors" has been accepted for presentation at the 5th Global Conference on Business and Economics to be held in Cambridge, England, July 6-8.

Michael Yates, Social Sciences, presided over the session "Mentoring Students" discussing efforts to increase secondary school minority student participation and interest in attending law school at the National Conference of the Education Law Association in Memphis.

Note of Thanks

At the death of my father, a large number of wonderful friends here a MSSU contributed to a memorial tree for him, to be planted outside of Webster Hall. Since I don't have names to thank each person individually, Accents! has graciously allowed me to thank you in this way. My family and I want you to know how much we appreciate your thoughtfulness. It means a lot to all of us.

For Sale: 1995 maroon Jeep Cherokee 4-wheel drive. New Micky Thompson Baja tires. Very good condition. $3000 or best offer. Call (417) 437-1937.

For Sale: L.L. Bean 3-room tent w/fly, $100. Great condition. Call Norma at 624-3830 or ext. 9757.

Wanted: A daybed in good condition. Prefer wooden but would consider an attractive metal one. A pop-up trundle would be an extra plus! Call ext. 9377 if you have one you no longer need and would like to sell.