Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day observance Monday

The annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute will take place Monday, Jan. 19 on the MSSU campus.

A special breakfast, open to the public, is slated for 7 a.m. in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Tickets are available for $6 per person at the MSSU Bookstore in the Mansion Annex and the University Coffee Shop in Spiva Library. MSSU students may use their Lion Bucks to purchase tickets.

The deadline for tickets to be purchased is 5 p.m. today.

At 12 noon on Monday, nationally-known urban educational leader Clarence Bozeman will deliver the day’s Keynote Address in Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall. The address is open to the public at no charge.

During 1962-1964 he transported Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and wife Coretta on numerous speaking engagements throughout the state of Alabama and the south. The conversations he took part in with the Kings ranged from aspirations and barriers in the black community, Montgomery bus boycott, student sit-ins, and other civil right challenges.

Beginning at 1:30 p.m., a Diversity Workshop sponsored by the Department of Advising Counseling, and Testing Services, will take place in Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall. The workshop is open to the public.

The Jan. 19 observance will take place one day before the inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African-American President of The United States.

For information about activities at MSSU, contact Al Cade, Teacher Education, at (417) 659-4426.

Honors Discovery Day Jan. 19

Honors Discovery Day will be held on Monday, Jan. 19 at in the Mills Anderson Justice Center Auditorium at Missouri Southern State University.

Honors Program Discovery Day is designed for prospective junior and senior high school students who qualify and are interested in the Honors Program. Students must have a composite score of 28 on the ACT and an average GPA of 3.5 in order to be considered for the Honors Program.

Information has been sent to all local high school counselors. Prospective students will shadow college students currently in the Honors Program for approximately one hour.

The schedule for the day includes the following:

• Check in, Justice Center Auditorium - 9 a.m.
• Welcome Remarks - 9:15 a.m.
• Campus Tour of MSSU - 10 a.m.
• Student Shadowing on Campus - 11 a.m.

Michael Garoutte serves as Director of the Honors Program.

Pianist Camicia to open Spring Piano Festival

The Music Department at Missouri Southern State University will hold its first Spring Piano Festival 2009 later this month. The Festival will include performances by several musicians this semester.

Pierluigi Camicia

Italian pianist Pierluigi Camicia will perform a recital of music by Scarlatti and Chopin at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 21 in Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall. The performance is free and open to the public.

A native of Apulia, Italy, Camicia began his music studies at the age of five. In 1962, at the age of ten, he won first prize in the prestigious national competition ENAL in the city of La Spezia. Mr. Camicia, also a Busoni and Chopin competition prizewinner, became a professor at the Bari Conservatory at the age of twenty, appointed by Nino Rota.

At the age of 21, he was a first-prize winner in Italy's premiere piano competition, the Città di Treviso, which helped launch a prestigious solo career in Italy and Europe. His piano studio has already produced a generation of notable pianists, including Benedetto Lupo, a prizewinner in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition in Forth Worth, Tex. He is presently the artistic director of the oldest concert series in Lecce, the Camerata Musicale Salentina, and director of the Tito Schipa State Conservatory of Music in Lecce.

MASTER CLASS

In addition, as part of his residence at MSSU, Mr. Camicia will give a master class open to the public for as many piano students in the community as time allows. The class will take place in Corley Auditorium from 10 a.m. - 12 noon on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Students interested in playing for the master class should contact Giuseppe Lupis, Music, at their earliest convenience at (417) 625-9543. Admission is free. A full biography of Mr. Camicia is available at the end of this release and is available online at http://www.mssu.edu/music/PierluigiCamicia.html. The Festival web page is located at http://www.mssu.edu/music/pianofestival.html

Next festival events include Matteo Andreini with a master mlass Tuesday, Feb. 10 and concert on Feb. 12; Giuseppe Lupis on Feb. 24; Denine Leblack concert/master class on April 20; and Enrico Elisio on April 29.

Saved or Destroyed Jan. 20 - 24 in Walton Theatre

Southern Theatre will present Harry Kondoleon's Saved or Destroyed, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20-24 in the Bud Walton Theatre.

Jade Leggott, senior theatre student, directs the play. For a cast list, see http://www.mssu.edu/news/2009/savedordestroyed.html.

Saved or Destroyed is a play about a play. The audience watches as a group of troubled actors tries to portray some rather dysfunctional characters. Their rehearsal takes an unexpected turn as the line between reality and illusion becomes less and less distinct.

Harry Kondoleon was the recipient of the 1983 Obie Award for most promising playwright. In his brief career, he received honors and fellowships from many organizations, including the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Kondoleon died of AIDS in 1994 at the age of 39. Saved or Destroyed was his last play.

Saved or Destroyed is rated "M" for mature audiences. The production includes language, action and subject matter believed to be inappropriate for audience members under the age of 18. For theatre production information or requests for accommodations related to a disability, call Terri Spencer, Theatre, at (417) 625-9393.

For reservations, contact the MSSU Box Office at (417) 625-3190.

Three MSSU employees receive Superior Service Awards

Three Missouri Southern State University employees were honored with Superior Service Awards at the annual Employee Appreciation Luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

The recipients were Dale Fletcher, Maintenance Technician; Jan Garner, Payroll Specialist; and Ann Quade, Library.

These non-faculty staff were singled out for the exceptional service they provide and the outstanding contribution they make as University employees.

Each recipient received a plaque and a check for $1,000. The Missouri Southern Foundation funded the awards.

Breast and Prostate Cancer Awareness Night

Breast and Prostate Cancer Awareness Night is set for Jan. 31 at the MSSU Basketball games vs. Southwest Baptist. The MSSU women play at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men. The night is sponsored by Freeman and St. John's.

MSSU's women will be wearing pink uniforms that night and those will be auctioned off to the 13 highest bidders. All proceeds from the sale of the uniforms will be donated as well. Those who are interested in bidding on a jersey can go to http://www.mssu.edu/athletics/09breastcancer.htm for more information.

"Bids will also be accepted at the game," says Kevin Greim, Athletics Ext. Ops. "We encourage all faculty and staff to come out that night to support the Lions and the cause. Since admission is free for faculty and staff, please consider making a donation on the way in."

A portion of gate receipts, plus all money donated at the gates will be donated to the Hope 4 You Breast Cancer Foundation (designated for breast cancer research/awareness) and the American Cancer Society (designated for prostate cancer research/awareness). Members of both Hope and ACS will be staffing the entrances to accept donations and to disperse information on breast and prostate cancer.

Future Lions Day Jan. 24

Future Lions Day will be held Saturday, Jan. 24 at Leggett and Platt Athletic Center & Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium.

Karen Bryant, Admissions, says over 1,000 local high school students and potential transfer students from junior colleges have been invited to attend the MSSU Lions -Truman State Bulldogs game at no charge.

Women’s action gets underway at 1 p.m. The men's game begins at 3 p.m. Games are played in Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Free pizza and information on attending MSSU will be provided in Young Gymnasium between games for all high school students interested in attending Missouri Southern.

Reservations are required. To reserve a place, go to www.mssu.edu/admissions or call (417) 625-9364.

Open Auditions for The Vagina Monologues Hailed by the New York Times as “funny” and “poignant,” and by the Daily News as “intelligent” and “courageous,” The Vagina Monologues is a theatrical event that dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women’s experiences. Open auditions for the all-female cast will be held today, Friday, Jan. 16 at 12 noon in the Balcony Lounge of Taylor Auditorium. Auditions are open to students, faculty and staff. Come with a one-minute monologue of your choice. Men are encouraged to participate in ushering, selling tickets, stage set-up, etc. The Vagina Monologues is a part of "V-Day," a global movement to stop violence among women and girls. This theatrical event dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women's experiences. To learn more about what The Vagina Monologues are, go to www.vday.org. The Vagina Monologues will be performed during Healthy Relationships Week Feb. 9-13. For information, contact Natalie Bruce, ACTS, at 625-9529.

Spring into Fun at Legacy Day

Legacies of alumni will receive the opportunity to find out what MSSU is all about at this year’s "Legacy Day." This year's theme of the annual event is “Spring into Fun with Missouri Southern.”

A legacy is a kid lucky enough to have one or even two relatives that attended or graduated from MSSU. On Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, these legacies will have the opportunity to chill with some of Missouri Southern’s fellow Lions and have a little fun at the same time.

Registration for the annual event will be held from 2:30 - 3 p.m., and a collection of interactive classes will follow from 3-5 p.m. The classes will be taught by Missouri Southern Teacher Education majors in the Taylor Education Building.

The legacies are invited to help cheer on the Lions at the double-header basketball game against the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats. The women will tip off at 5:30 p.m. and the men will tip off at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, please contact the Alumni Association at (417) 659-LION (5466).

Pine subject of interview on 88.7/KXMS

Rachel Barton Pine has parallel careers as both a classical violinist and a rock fiddler. She plays Mendelssohn one day, Megadeth the next. She also is vitally involved in music education and has one of the most sophisticated marketing concepts on the Web. We were intrigued by her career, her new Clement/Beethoven album, and most especially her Web portal. Rachel's audio and Web links are located at
http://www.mssu.edu/kxms/Internet_audio.htm.

Jeff Skibbe, 88.7/KXMS, invites listeners to check out the preview of our new 44-minute interview with this exceptional talent at http://www.mssu.edu/kxms/RachelBartonPine.mp3.

Below the audio link on the KXMS page listed above, you may link to Rachel's Web portal at http://www.rachelbartonpine.com/.

Rachel is also the survivor of a horrific accident. Read the paragraph labeled "Metra Accident" at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Barton_Pine.

Dodge Cancer Dodgeball tournament

Join the MSSU Relay for Life Team on Feb. 14 for the first ever Dodge Cancer Dodgeball Tournament.  The charity event will be held at Young Gymnasium (connected to the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center) on the MSSU Campus beginning at 9 a.m.  Teams may be co-ed, if desired, and consist of 6-10 players with an entry fee of $10 per person.  Concessions will be available and a Silent Auction will be taking place in the lobby of the gymnasium from 9 a.m. - 12 noon. 

Do your last minute shopping for Valentine’s Day while at this event.  Admission is free to the public with all proceeds from the entry fee and silent auction going to the American Cancer Society to help support research in their mission to cure cancer.  For more information please contact Josh Doak, Housing, at (417) 659-4460 or e-mail him at doak-j@mssu.edu.

To register your team, go to FACEBOOK and search for MSSU Relay for Life Dodgeball Tournament.and sign up today.

Project S.P.E.A.K. newsletter available

The first Project S.P.E.A.K. newsletter available at http://www.mssu.edu/edu/project-speak/news/proj-speak-newsletter-issue1.pdf.

Project S.P.E.A.K. (Speaking Proficiently Enables All Kids) is a National Professional Development Grant administered through the MSSU Teacher Education Department. It is designed to provide area teachers and MSSU teacher education majors the opportunity to earn Missouri endorsement for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) through state-approved courses and professional development activities.

Peggy Day, S.P.E.A.K, says the program was created to improve classroom instruction of teachers working with English Language Learners (ELLs) and the academic achievement of those students. It will systemically change the way teachers are prepared to teach ELLs in school districts in southwest Missouri. 

The Carthage, Cassville, East Newton, Joplin, McDonald County, Monett, and Neosho schools are participating in the program. The grant pays for the tuition and books for participants from those districts and MSSU Teacher Education students. For more information, contact the Teacher Education office at 625-3016 or visit the web site at http://www.mssu.edu/edu/project-speak/index.htm

Lunch and Learn Lecture Series The George A. Spiva Center for the Arts announces the next installment of its Lunch and Learn Lecture Series. It is titled "American Studio Ceramics: Contemporary Pottery in the U.S." The presentation will be given by Frank A. Pishkur, Art Department Head at MSSU, at 12 noon on Friday, Jan. 16. Those attending are invited to bring their own lunches. . Frank's visual presentation and lecture will feature an overview of the history of U.S. ceramics: major artists, events, and influences that led to the development of the vibrant array of contemporary, functional, Studio Pottery practices. A component of this presentation will explain how and where several of the artists included in the current "Clay Nation: Jed Schlegel & Friends" exhibition fall into this historical survey. Reservations requested. To reserve a seat, telephone (417) 623-0183. Labadessa Exhibit Steven Labadessa, Assistant Professor of Art is having a solo exhibition of his paintings at the Moraine Valley Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center in Palos Hills, Ill.. The exhibition, titled "Severe Beauty," will run from Jan. 12 - Feb. 5. Steven’s work marks explorations of contemporary visual aesthetics and languages in both popular and fringe cultures. Drawing inspiration from forms of expression throughout the world, it aspires toward a devout pursuit of a severe beauty, as well as pursuing virtuosity in practice that seeks ever-greater complexity in simplicity. More information about the exhibition can be found at the following link: http://www.morainevalley.edu/FPAC/Season/gallery.htm#Steven_Labadessa Steven's work is also being showcased in a two person exhibition "Corpus Asunder" with painter Elizabeth Crisman in Portland, Ore. at the Dan and Gail Cannon Gallery of Art. This exhibition, which ends Feb. 6, runs 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Faculty Exhibit MSSU's Spiva Gallery will be having an opening reception of an exhibition featuring current and past MSSU faculty. The reception will run from 4 - 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan.19.

KGCS features interview with retired MSIPC Director

An upcoming special edition of the KGCS-TV interview program Newsmakers features an interview with Vivian Leon, retired director of the Missouri Southern International Piano Competition. The program features an exclusive interview, focusing on the 20 years of the competition.

Mrs. Leon shares her memories of the competition and the competitors, the memorable performances by competition winners in Carnegie Hall, and her thoughts about the keys to success that lead to international recognition of the competition. In addition to reflecting on the past, she shares some thoughts about her retirement.

Airdates include:

KGCS-TV 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 18 5:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 19 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 21

KOAM-TV 5:30 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 17 KOZJ -TV 12:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 1

Newsmakers is produced by KGCS-TV, a service of the Department of Communications.

FACULTY/STAFF

Kathy Feith has been hired as the new Director of Financial Aid and will join the MSSU staff in early February. Kathy comes to us from a similar position at Missouri Western State University.  She previously worked at Missouri Southern in several positions, the most recent of which was Assistant Director of Financial Aid.

Linda Harvey, Communications, received a small grant from The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University (IUPUI) and have been named an Archives Research Fellow. She will travel to Indianapolis over spring break to do research in the CoP archives about how fund raising is taught as part of mass communication programs. Linda is an assistant professor and visiting scholar in the Communication Department.

Andrea Hellman, Teacher Education, Project S.P.E.A.K., will present a paper at the American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL) 2009 Annual Conference in Denver, Colo., on March 21-24. Her paper “Age of Acquisition and Second Language Lexical Proficiency” reports on two studies that investigated the ultimate attainment of second language (L2) learners in the lexical domain. The first study examined whether highly proficient adult-onset L2 learners reach native-level receptive vocabulary. The second study evaluated the function of age of onset and L2 receptive vocabulary.

Bill Kumbier, English and Philosophy, presented a paper entitled "Beethoven's Birdstrokes: Reflections on Figural Force in the Musical Score, the Pastoral Symphony and Copying Beethoven" at the 2008 Modern Language Association convention in San Francisco, Dec. 29, 2008.

Jason Weaver, adjunct in the Teacher Education Department and Technology Integration Educator and eMINTS Educational Technology Specialist for Joplin R-8 Schools, will present “Building Classroom Community in the Secondary Classroom” at the annual conference for eMINTS teachers, trainers, and administrators that emphasizes collaboration and technology use, on Feb. 4 - 6 in Columbia, Mo.

Also, Jason will present “Developing District-Wide Technology Initiatives” at the Missouri Staff Development Council, an annual conference open to teachers, administrators, and school board members on March 22-24 at Tan-Tar-A, and at the National Staff Development Council, an annual conference for professional development in schools open to teachers, administrators, school board members from across the nation on July 19-22 in Boston, Mass. .

CLASSIFIED

Situation Wanted: Former Nanny. Current MSSU staff member, available for night and weekend babysitting. For more information call (816) 519-1586.

Lessons: Beginning Waltz Lessons are being held on Sunday afternoons, 1-3 p.m., and are still open to new students. Square Dance Lessons are starting on Thursday evenings, 6:30-8 p.m. Both of these will be at the Joplin Square Dance Center, 1801 W. 2nd. Participants are encouraged to bring a partner, but we could use some "solo" men. For info call Mary Castleberry, ext. 3133 in the mornings, or 782-0158.

For Sale: House FSBO. Next to campus, 1350 ft, 3 bedroom, 1 and ½ tiled bathroom [in the master bedroom], big lot, vinyl side . Central air and heat, fence, storage, soft water, over sized two car attached garage. Price $85,000, and $5000 for buyer to buy cash for new carpet and interior painting, or $80,000. (417) 625-9610.

For Sale: 2004 Toyota Tacoma, 4 x 2, 83,000 miles, very clean, 6 cylinder, new tires. white with beige interior. $12,300 659-5425 or 540-3423.

For Sale: BLACKBERRY 8800 AT&T w/ 2 gig memory card. 4.5 O.S. No contract, unlocked $170. Also looking for used 7 or 9 inch laptop would consider some trading. 627-9154.