Current Issue: Volume 26 - Number 16 - May 2, 2008
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Abbie Stratton named Outstanding Graduate at MSSU
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Abbie Stratton of Jasper, Mo. has been named “Outstanding Graduate” by the Missouri Southern Alumni Association at Missouri Southern State University. The award was formally announced at the Honors Convocation, Wednesday, April 30 in Taylor Performing Arts Center at Missouri Southern.
Stratton is a senior Elementary Education (Social Studies) major. She will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. She has been hired to teach 6th grade at Mark Twain Accelerated Elementary School in Carthage next fall.
Stratton grew up in Edna, Kan. She is the daughter of Dwight and Brenda Cooper of Edna, Kan. She is the granddaughter of Charles and Donna Rexwinkle of Independence, Kan. and Margaret Cooper of Edna, Kan.
She is a graduate of Labette County High School in Altamont, Kan.
Lee Elliff Pound, Director of Alumni Affairs at Missouri Southern, says the Outstanding Graduates are selected on the basis of superior involvement and leadership on campus and community, high academic achievements and respect of fellow students and faculty.
For a complete look at Abbie's many interests and accomplishments, visit http://www.mssu.edu/news/2008/OutstandingStudent08.html.
Today is Spirit Day!
Today, Friday, May 2, has been designated as an official "Spirit Day."
Anyone wanting to do so is encouraged to wear the MSSU colors of green and gold - and appropriate jeans for the day, according to Debbie Dutch Kelly, Human Resources.
CAB is sponsoring "Spring Fling" with a picnic on the Oval for students and all staff.
The Southern baseball team will host Central Missouri Saturday and Sunday. The golf team will take part in the NCAA Division II Regionals in Ohio May 5-7 and both the men's and women's track teams will participate Saturday and Sunday in the MIAA Outdoor Championships in Maryville, Mo.
In the event of inclement weather, activities will be moved inside the Billingsly Student Center.
Honors Signing this morning
Academic "all stars" preparing to enter Missouri Southern will take part in the Honors Signing ceremony, slated for this morning, Friday, May 2. The event will begin at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the Billingsly Student Center.
Honors Program Director, Michael Garoutte, says introductions and remarks will be made by MSSU President, Bruce Speck and Vice President for Academic Affairs, John Messick.
Photos of the students with their guests and Dr. Speck will be taken after the formal signing and then students will enjoy a picnic lunch and meeting with academic Deans.
To see a list of students joining the Honors Program, visit http://www.mssu.edu/news/2008/honorssigning08.html.
Canadian senior winner of MSIPC
Avan Yu of Canada is the Grand Prize Winner of the 2008 Missouri Southern International Piano Competition. Yu was selected following the Senior Division finals Friday night, and will receive a cash award of $15,000, plus a debut concert in Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall scheduled for Oct.13.
Tian Lu, 22, of China captured the second place award of $10,000. Peggy Pei-zhang Sung, 20 of Hong Kong is the third place winner with a prize of $5,000. Honorable Mention awards of $2,500 each were given to Fang Zhang, 29 of China and Lishan Xue, 22 of China.
This marks the second time Avan Yu has walked away with a prize in the Missouri Southern Competition. He captured first prize in the Junior Division of the 2002 MSIPC. He returned in 2003 for a solo recital as a benefit for the competition. Yu said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to be back in Missouri. Each time I have visited it has been a wonderful experience.”
The senior winners were selected from a field of 20 competitors in semifinal and finals rounds, performing before a five member panel of international judges. Nancy Weems of the University of Houston, Texas, chair of the judging panel said, “The level of playing here is always so high – this competition has a great reputation for that. It inspires us when we go back to teach our students, to see the level of achievement represented here.”
The three top winners in each division performed in the Gala Winners Concert last Saturday night in Taylor Performing Arts Center.
Junior winners announced Thursday night are:
- First Prize: Behzod Abduraimov, 17, Usbekistan
- Second Prize: Anna Han, 12, USA
- Third Prize: Yale Work, 17, USA
- Honorable Mention: Jung-Eun Kim, 14, Korea and Daniel Hsu, 10, USA
Threads of Hope...reaching out to Peru
Nanette Philibert's Organizational Behavior Class at The Robert W. Plaster School of Business Administration would like to thank the campus and Joplin communities for their generous contributions to the Threads of Hope project that helps women in Lima, Peru make a living by producing fiber art items. Donations were accepted from April 4 until April 22.
This initiative teaches business students about social responsibility and how it benefits communities. Local businesses also demonstrated their civic consciousness by donating gift cards and collection boxes.
The material will be transported to Plano, Tex., next week and then it will be routed to Peru.
Previous projects for the Organizational Behavior classes have included "Books for Africa" and "Greening Plaster Hall'," implemented in spring 2007 and fall 2007 respectively.
The current project demonstrates MSSU's commitment to extending a helping hand to those in need. More information about Threads of Hope can be found at http://www.forrestoutreachfoundation.org.
Hinkle new MSSU Student Senate president
Ben Hinkle, senior international studies major from Neosho, is the new president of the Student Senate at Missouri Southern State University. Hinkle and three other officers were elected in balloting April 28-29 at MSSU.
The Student Senate is composed of student representatives, a non-voting parliamentarian and the four officers. The Senate is responsible for the allocation of student fees to campus organizations and also serves as a voice for student opinion and concern.
Other Student Senate Executive Officers include:
- Vice President: William Lynch, junior political science & teacher education major from Joplin;
- Treasurer: Alesha Gilleland, sophomore sociology major from Joplin; and
- Secretary: Ashley Blankenship, sophomore biology major from Galena, Mo.
Speck, Kennedy on Missouri Southern Live
88.7KXMS/Fine Arts Radio International will air its first interview with President Bruce Speck at 5 p.m. tonight (Friday) on "Missouri Southern Live!" Jeffrey Skibbe, KXMS, host the program.
Dr. Speck will share insights into his own educational background, MSSU building projects, and educational initiatives. He will talk about the "branding" of MSSU services and the value of trademarks and service marks in the educational sector.
Garrison Keillor will share his "The Writer's Almanac" for the day. The hour-long program will conclude with a portion of an April 20 interview with Ken Kennedy, Public Safety, about campus security. Kennedy's security office recently upgraded to police force status, a topic discussed in a longer interview that will be re-posted on the 88.7KXMS website after this Friday's broadcast. The link to the posted interview will be:
http://www.mssu.edu/kxms/kxmshome.htm.
Lifetime Sports Academy
Applications are being accepted for the Children's Lifetime Sports Academy sponsored annually by the Missouri Southern department of Kinesiology. The dates of the academy this summer are June 9 -12 from 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. All children ages 7-12 are welcome to attend.
The goal of the academy is to teach the skills and to promote the appreciation of selected activities that can be played for fun, health, and fitness throughout life. Activities include golf, bowling, fishing, racquet sports, frisbee, and rhythms.
Children and grandchildren of MSSU faculty and staff receive a $10 discount. A fee of $60 per child will cover the four days of instruction, use of facilities and equipment, and a t-shirt.
Photos of previous academies, as well as registration forms and additional information, can be viewed on our website at http://www.mssu.edu/kin/sportsacademy.htm.
All children who attended the academy last summer should be getting a flyer in the mail soon. If you would like me to send you a flyer through campus mail, please contactl Patsy Lipira, Kinesiology, at lipira-p@mssu.edu or call (417) 625-9573.
PhotoSpiva 2008 links available
Pam Harris, Art, says links to a slide presentation of art are now available. The PhotoSpiva 2008 winners are now posted, and you'll find the artists' names and titles of all work accepted for the exhibition at http://www.spivaarts.org/nowshowing_photospiva08.html.
An underlined link titled "Picture of success with Rod Slemmons" will take you to a 23 minute interview/slideshow that was put together by local newspaper staff at The Joplin Globe. To go directly to the interview, the link is
http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_114111810.html.
A total of 116 photographers from 28 states submitted a total of 578 images to the competition. Seventy-eight images by 34 photographers representing 18 states were selected, making it one of the most competitive PhotoSpiva exhibitions in history.
The exhibit runs through June 1. The Spiva Art Center, located in downtown Joplin, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 - 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Center is closed Mondays and major holidays.
Newsmakers to feature Joplin Police Chief
Joplin Police Chief Lane Roberts will field questions on an upcoming edition of the KGCS-TV program Newmakers.
Roberts also discusses the accreditation process for JPD and the on-site evaluation set to occur and report to follow. He will provide a follow up on increased departmental staffing and equipment, resulting from the Public Safety tax in Joplin. He will discuss positions on the force recently filled as well as ongoing recruiting and training efforts.
The host for Newsmakers is Judy Stiles, KGCS. The program will air at the following times:
- 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 7 on KGCS-TV.
- 5:30 a.m. Saturday, May 10 on KOAM-TV
- 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 11 on KOZJ Public TV.
KGCS programming may be seen on UHF channel 57, Cable One channel 7 and Mediacom channel 77. KGCS operates as a service of the Department of Communication at Missouri Southern State University.
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A HOLLYWOOD NIGHT Raiders of the Lost Ark (Indiana Jones) |
Kansas City exhibit opens
Josie Mai, Art, has an exhibit opening Friday night in Kansas City at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center. The exhibit is up until May 31. Thirty young women from Carolina for Kibera's Binti Pamoja program were matched with 30 young women artists from the Missouri Fine Arts Academy.
Binti Pamoja translates to "Daughters United" in Kiswahili, and provides a forum for young Kenyan women to discuss issues that concern them. The Missouri Fine Arts Academy provides a unique program of artistic, extracurricular and social opportunities to Missouri's talented high school students.
The portraits will be delivered to the young Kenyan women in July 2008. All proceeds go back into the project. To purchase the catalog, see http://www.lulu.com/content/1453608.
Contemporary Foreign Film Series
The last feature film for the Contemporary Foreign Film Series' spring 2008 season will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday, May 9 in Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall.
This film will be shown as part of a Missouri Southern continuing education class. The cost of the class is $10 per person per semester and those interested may register before the film Friday evening. The final film for the semester will be shown on Friday, May 9.
The May 9 feature is Blame It On Fidel! (France, 2006; 95 min.).
Directed by Julie Gavras, the film explores, from a child’s perspective, what happens when her parents are caught up in radical politics in the France of the 1970s. Film Journal International called it “An instant classic…flawless all the way…one of the greatest child’s performances ever recorded on film."
For information, contact Nick Kyle, Art or Bill Kumbier, English.
Next senior exhibit begins May 4
The Spiva Art Gallery at Missouri Southern will exhibit the artworks of four senior graphics communication students from MSSU. This will be the third such exhibit in recent weeks.
The students are: Anthony Otero of Joplin; Dwayne Mactavious of Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Jason Williams of Purdy, Mo.; and Joshua Smith of Neosho, Mo.
Artwork to go on display May 4 will feature graphic design, photography, illustration, painting and ceramics.
A special opening reception will take place from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. on May 4. Refreshments will be served and those on hand will have an opportunity to meet the artists and learn more about their work.
The exhibit will be available during the remainder of the week for public viewing. Hours at the MSSU Spiva Art Gallery are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
National History Day in Missouri Winners announced
Several area students distinguished themselves in the recent National History Day in Missouri contest, held April 12 in Columbia, Mo.
National History Day in Missouri (NHDMO) is a yearlong history education program, sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia, at the University of Missouri.
It forms part of National History Day, a nationwide program which since 1974 has encouraged young people to explore history and has taught them to understand historical issues, ideas, people and events. Participants conduct in-depth research on individual topics related to an annual theme and present their findings in one of several formats -- exhibit, performance, documentary, web site, or research paper -- designed to foster creativity and imagination.
These presentations are evaluated at a series of local, state and national contests. The 2008 History Day theme is "Conflict & Compromise in History." A list of winners and participants is available at http://www.mssu.edu/news/2008/NHD_Mo_spring08.html.
The 2008 state contest included 545 students from 78 schools, all award winners at their respective regional contests. Listed below are state award winners and special prize winners from the Joplin region, one of nine in Missouri. For full contest results, go to http://mo.nhd.org/ud/php/winnersPubResultsSTATE.php?cid=1.
For further information, please contact Paul Teverow, History, at (417) 625-3114.
FACULTY/STAFF
Lee Elliff Pound, Alumni Association, was re-elected Treasurer of the Carthage R-9 School Board for 2008 - 2009.
Judy Stiles, KGCS-TV, says the station will air the 2008 Honors Convocation, held earlier this week at 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 4. The program will be shown in its entirety. She says KGCS will also provide live coverage of both commencement ceremonies planned for May 17.
Maryann Weber, Foreign Languages, presented a paper on Henri Lopes at the African Literature Association Convention held April 23-27 at Western Illinois University.
Student Carolyn White has been selected as the newest member of the Student Services professional staff. Carolyn will be the McCormick Hall Resident Director beginning June 1 according to Doug Carnahan, Dean of Students.
CLASSIFIED
For Sale: 1992 Chevy Van 20 "as is" equipped with wheel chair lift and motorized wheel chair. $3000. If sold separately: Van for $2,500, Wheel Chair Lift: $750. Transport Wheel Chair: $150. Call (417) 624-6505.
For Sale: Karaoke machine with two microphones, built-in screen, connecting cables to make your TV into a screen for lyrics, and music CDs. Will take best offer. Contact Sarah Johnson at ext 3128 or 626-2010.
For Sale: 2007 car only for $18,900! Chrysler 300T has only 8,000 miles. 22/26 mpg; Luxury with good mileage! Gold w/beige interior. Leather, lots of extras. Call Becky Gallemore at 659-5425 or at 540-3423 (cell).
For Sale: 2003 Buell Blast motorcycle, black, 2005 model year skins, 5k miles, has been garaged, and maintained per maintenance manual. Call 417-396-1341 or Judy Wilmoth at ext. 3167. Great for going to and from work or school.
Starting May 4: Cha Cha and Mambo lessons open to new students through the month of May. The lessons will be held Sunday afternoons, 1-3 p.m., at the Joplin Square Dance Center, 1801 W. 2nd. These dances can be learned as solo dances, but participants are encouraged to bring a partner. Call Mary Castleberry, ext. 3133 in the mornings, or 782-0158.
For Sale: Year old English Bulldog, female, brindle color. She is fixed and very lovable. She is good with children and other dogs. Please call Misti Knisley at (417) 621-5212 or e-mail knisley-m@mssu.edu.
For Sale: John Deere F525 lawnmower with 48 inch deck. $1,100. Call (417) 437-8487.
