Phonathon underway

On the evening of Feb 5, the 27th Annual Phonathon kicked off its fundraising campaign with a total of 22 students making calls to alumni, friends and area businesses. The phone program will run through mid April with the students attempting to reach over 10,000 individuals.

In conjunction with the student's effort the annual appeal to faculty/staff is underway. Letters and pledge forms were sent to the faculty and staff in lieu of calling.

"Last year 64 Faculty and Staff members pledged $9,088," says Curt Betebenner, Foundation. "This year we have already received 16 responses totaling $2,965 from those on campus. Congratulations to Jeffrey Macomber, Music, for being the first to respond with a pledge to the 2009 annual fund campaign," Curt adds.

Spring Piano Festival’s 2nd Program Features Andreini

Matteo Andreini

The Music Department will hold the second program in its Spring Piano Festival 2009 later this month. The Festival includes performances by several musicians this semester. The upcoming program features pianist Matteo Andreini.

Master Class
Andreini will give a master class in Corley Auditorium from 3 - 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The class is free and open to all piano students in the community. To attend the master class, contact Guiseppe Lupis, Music, at (417) 625-9543 or e-mail lupis-G@mssu.edu

Performance
Andreini will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12 in Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall. The performance is free and open to the public.

Andreini was born in Arezzo, Italy in 1969 and began studying piano at a very young age under the guidance of Professor Itala Balestri Del Corona. Subsequently, as a student of Maestro Orazio Frugoni, Mr. Andreini obtained his diploma with Honors from the “Santa Cecilia” Conservatory in Rome.

In 2000, Andreini performed with baritone Claudio Del Tin in a series of concerts in Germany. In 2006 he was invited to play in various Swiss cities and in Salzburg, Austria, where he performed in the wonderful setting of the Archbishop’s Palace, once so dear to Mozart.

Matteo Andreini has appeared as soloist with various orchestras among which the “Guido d’Arezzo” and “Città di Grosseto” Symphonic Orchestras, the Lecco Lyrical-Symphonic Orchestra, the Oradea State Philharmonic Orchestra, the Craiova “Oltenia”, Bacau “Mihai Jora” and Vidin Philharmonic Orchestras.

KGCS will air the first performance in the Festival featuring Pierluigi Camicia at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Andreini is piano professor at the State Music Institute “P. Giannetti” in Grosseto where he has also collaborated in 2002 and 2003 with the city’s opera seasons. In 2006 and 2007 Mr. Andreini served as accompanist at the State Institute “R. Franci” in Siena within classes held by Professor Paolo Miccichè, participating in the staging of Mozart’s opera “Bastien und Bastienne” organized by the Institute and performed in Florence and Ravenna during the Ravenna Festival.

In 2008 Andreini was called to serve as pianist at the Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy. He is also founder and director of the “Guido d’Arezzo” Symphonic Orchestra.

Festival Web Page: http://www.mssu.edu/music/pianofestival.html.

Student's funeral today

Renard Johnson, business major and member of the MSSU Football team, passed away on Monday, Jan. 26 in an automobile accident while driving on icy roads.

The funeral will be held at 10 a.m.today, Friday, Feb. 6, at Greenwood Cultural Christian Center (off North Pine) in Tulsa. The burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery (off 66th Street North) in Tulsa.

The football team and coaches will attend the funeral.

Bandit on the loose

Warning! A “bandit” will be on campus from 9 - 11 a.m., today. This “bandit” will be looking for any loose change that you might want to donate to MSSU’s Relay for Life team.  ALL donations will go directly to the American Cancer Society in support of cancer research. 

Wildwood Ranch to be honored today

A 2,000-acre Joplin-area residential, commercial and industrial property, Wildwood Ranch Development Inc., a client of the Missouri Southern State University Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC), is among 20 outstanding small businesses in Missouri receiving the 2009 Rising Star of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award.

Wildwood Ranch Development Inc. will be honored in an award ceremony at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb.6, in Cornell Auditorium in The Robert W. Plaster School of Business Administration on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.

Representative Marilyn Ruestman and Senator Gary Nodler will present Wildwood Ranch Development Inc. with legislative resolutions honoring the impact of their enterprise on the economic development of the state.

The multi-use master development is a project envisioned by James Pinjuv, a southwest Missouri resident and veteran property developer. The development is southwest Missouri's largest planned community offering residential, commercial and industrial opportunities.

Sustainability Committee wins "Going Green" award

The MSSU Sustainability Committee been designated as one of three top winners in the Going Green Awards presented by The Joplin Business Journal. The committee won for its campus sustainable tree plan which was developed by Dorothy Bay and Scott Wells, Biology and Environmental Health, and implemented with tremendous assistance from Bob Harrington, Physical Plant, and Missouri Department of Conservation staffer, Tim Frevert.

For detailed information on the tree plan, visit http://www.mssu.edu/socsci/sust/tree.htm.

Over 157 new trees have been planted on campus. Funding was made in part with generous donations from faculty and staff last spring along with a FEMA reimbursement for campus damage during the ice storms of late 2007. The committee is now at work on expanding its sustainable landscapes by working with personnel across campus to continue promoting sustainable landscaping on MSSU’s campus.

The Joplin Business Journal Award will be presented Feb 12 to members of the committee who plan on acknowledging the wonderful support received from the campus community, according to Steve Smith, Social Science.

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! King Budward, the King of Clarkshire, has ordained that ye attend the 11th Biennial Madrigal Feast at Missouri Southern State University. This glorious event will take place on March 11 - 14, in the Black Box Theatre, where you will be transported back into the Renaissance period. It is a time of merriment, jousting, singing, dancing, magic, and wonderful food fit for a King and even peasants such as you. There is always turmoil and chaos throughout the evening and this year is no exception, with the arrival of the King of France, the King of Austria, and the Queen of Italy, to the Clarkshire Castle to sign a peace treaty.  What could possibly go wrong?  With that much testosterone in one palace…plenty! Could King Budward’s Kingdom be in jeopardy?  Could they be possibly plotting against the Clarkshire domain?  Come and see for yourself. Feast on turkey legs and hear the glorious singing of the Royal Chamber Choir throughout the evening. Your King Budward awaits your presents along with his enormously spacious Queen Susanna. The cost is a mere $25 per person. For ticket information call the MSSU ticket office, 625-9366, and bring your friends, but don’t bring your silverware. . . we have wiping wenches instead! What Ho! See you at the Feast!

Business leader Jo Luck to speak Feb. 19

The Robert W. Plaster School of Business's Business and Economic Executive Lecture Series will present Jo Luck, President/CEO of Heifer Project International, from 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. Feb.19 in Cornell Auditorium.

Luck was appointed President and CEO of Heifer International in July 1992 after serving for three years as Director of International Programs. Prior to joining Heifer, Luck served as Executive Director of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism for more than a decade.

She attended Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she served on their Executive Committee of the Alumni Advisory Board.

Luck also currently serves on the board of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations. She is a founding member of Women Executives in State Government (WESG), the International Women’s Forum, and the Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum.

Under Luck’s leadership, Heifer International has grown from a $7 million to a $100 million organization. Since 1944, Heifer has assisted more than 9.1 million families in 125 countries around the world, including the United States.

Chamber Choir offers “Singing Valentines”

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, possibly, embarrassment, as they sing love songs that say “I love you” when mere words are no longer strong enough!

“This will be the fifth-annual singing of Valentines,” says Bud Clark, Director of Choral Studies at Southern. “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 who are more than eager to embarrass their teacher and see them blush.”

Clark says they also have seen tears of joy and genuine love expressed 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 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13 (the day before Valentine’s Day). The cost is $25. All proceeds will go toward the Choral Department budget.

To order a Singing Valentine, call Bud Clark at (417) 625-9562.

Same Sex Marriage debate

A debate on Same Sex marriage will take place at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb.11 in Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall.

Is same-sex marriage good for society? The ongoing debate over civil unions and same-sex marriage often generates more heat than light. Yet the debate cannot be ignored, as legislators and voters around the country grapple with whether and how to recognize same-sex   relationships.

Dr. John Corvino & Glenn T. Stanton will work together to engage audiences in a many-faceted conversation about the role of marriage in a healthy society while giving audiences a chance to hear fresh perspectives.

The event is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board (CAB). Admission is free. For information, contact (417) 625-9346.

Senior Assessment Day

Senior Assessment Day will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Day classes will be dismissed with evening classes held. Faculty members will assist with proctoring the assessment test. Seniors will take the core curriculum test and most seniors will also be taking their major field test. Nearly 600 students are expected to participate.

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

KGCS to air programs on DTV

Programs focusing on how the digital television change will affect over-the-air (antenna) television viewers will air throughout next week on KGCS-TV. They were recorded while representatives from the Federal Communications Commission were in town to answer questions. Programs scheduled to air include:

8 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 8: -- DTV Public Forum -- this program is a repeat of the live forum presented on Monday, Feb. 2 in Corley Auditorium. Representatives from all local television stations joined William Freedman, FCC Associate Chief of the Media Bureau, to answer questions and explain the transition.

5:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 9 & Wednesday, Feb. 11: Newsmakers - This program features an interview with William Freedman, explaining the digital television transition from the FCC perspective and providing information for television viewers.

6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 9 & Tuesday, Feb. 10: - Visions Unlimited - This program, produced by Retired Senior Volunteers at KGCS-TV, presents information for senior citizens about the digital television transition. It includes basic information for viewers using antennas, including a demonstration of setting up a digital converter box.

KGCS programming may be seen on UHF digital channel 22, Cable One channel 7 and Mediacom channel 77.

Student to perform with Valdosta Orchestra

Anna Buckley

Anna Buckley, a senior Music Performance and German major from Neosho, Mo., was recently formally invited to perform a keyboard part with the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra of Valdosta, Georgia.

She will participate in the orchestra's performance of Honegger's King David Oratorio.

Buckley will be in Georgia from Feb. 25 to March 1 for rehearsals and a series of three concerts, two in Valdosta and one in Atlanta.

The Valdosta Symphony Orchestra's membership is a unique blend of resident artist-faculty, students studying professional music disciplines, talented community performers, and carefully selected professionals.

Anna Buckley is the daughter of Russell and Nancy Buckley of Neosho. She is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma, Alpha Chi and Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Honor Societies at Missouri Southern.

Buckley is a recipient of the Mamie Holden Scholarship, a local fine arts scholarship. She has augmented her studies of German by taking courses, visiting music conservatories, and traveling independently in Germany and Austria. She also has visited the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Fur Ball March 7 in Joplin

The Joplin Humane Society (JHS) will hold its annual Fur Ball beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 7 at the Joplin Holiday Inn. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m.  The event features a live and silent auction and will primarily help support the daily operations of the shelter. 

Robin Douglas, Lifelong Learning, says in 2008 nearly 12,000 animals entered the doors of the JHS. Almost 9,000 were euthanized due to lack of space and adequate funding.  JHS wants to build a new shelter to be located on North Main Street Road in Joplin. 

Tickets for the event are $50 per person and can be purchased at Commerce Bank, 211 Main Street, Room 314 in Joplin. Proceeds of this event will benefit the operations of the Joplin Humane Society. For Fur Ball ticket information contact (417) 206-3678.

FACULTY/STAFF

Andrea B. Hellman, Teacher Education and Project S.P.E.A.K., will present two workshops at the Missouri Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (MACTE) conference April 2-3 in Jefferson City. On April 2 she will present "Current research and best practices for accommodating English language learners in the mainstream classroom." She will review current best practices of accommodating English language learners in mainstream classes and will discuss findings from the Report on the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth.

The second day, she will present "Help! My students don’t speak English." The session will include what teachers should do if some of their students speak little or no English or if they speak some English but are not literate on grade levels. Also covered will be teachers’ responsibilities, best classroom practices for developing students’ English proficiency and ways to help English language learners thrive in learning environments beneficial for all students. 

Penny Honeycutt is the new Secretary in the Division of Lifelong Learning. Penny was formally the secretary to the Department of Social Sciences and will be transitioning between the two departments while going through training over the next two weeks

Rusty Raymond, Music, and a group of music students recently attended a special workshop/clinic sponsored by Palen Music Center of Springfield, Mo. More than 50 band directors from throughout Missouri attended the presentation. The clinician, Richard Saucedo, is Department Chairman and Director of bands at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. Saucedo is world-reknown for his creative original compositions, his arrangements for Hal Leonard Publishing, and for his writing for the World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. His ensembles have achieved success on and off the field (including a national championship in 2005) and he is sought after as one of the top guest conductors and clinicians in America. Southern students attending the clinic were Carrie Nageotte, Kelsey Warren, Courtney Humphries, Laura Guinn, James Cokely, Preston Besset, Courtney Honeyball, Michelle Wetzel, Sarah O'Neal, Jamie Billings, and Kate Glensky.

The next issue of Marginalia: A Literary Review (Volume 4, 2009) will be dedicated to the memory of Arthur Saltzman, who taught in the English Department until his death just over one year ago. His humorous essay on football announcing, "Confucian in the Huddle," written shortly before his death, will also appear in the journal.

CLASSIFIED

For Sale: IBM Laptop;Pentium II, currently 256 mb (can upgrade to 512 mb), ethernet ready, Window XP Pro 2, DVD drive,10 months subscription, spy & virus protected. Asking $150. Add-ons include USB wireless high gain adapter-- pulls great on campus for $25. Also have Microsoft wireless mouse, $15. Call 627-9154.

For Sale: 2004 Toyota 4 x 2, 4 door, white, bed liner, new tires, 83,000 miles. EXCELLENT condition. $12,000. Lots of extras! Also have three lighted wise men for the front yard. $35. Call Becky Gallemore (417) 540-3423 or (417) 659-5425.

Situation Wanted: Missouri Southern student, willing to house-sit this summer for faculty/staff member or someone else in the area. Contact Martha by e-mailing mynatt-m001@mymail.mssu.edu.

Two Houses for Lease: Two bedrooms, 1 bath, central heat & air, $500 month/$300 deposit. 2611 Rolla in Joplin. 1 year lease, no pets. ALSO: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, central heat & air, $495 month/$300 deposit at 3017 East 11th in Joplin. 1 year lease, no pets. Contact (417) 781-3166.