Accents is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters with the exception of semester breaks and holiday weeks.
The deadline for submission is no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Visit Accents archives for other past issues.
Email: Accents Editor
FAX: 417-625-3142
Voice: 417-625-9506
October 7, 2011
"Rodgers, Hammerstein & Friends" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27 in Taylor Performing Arts Center. Proceeds from the program, which is the President's 4th Annual Gala Concert, will benefit Friends of MSSU Music Fund, which supports the Department of Music and its scholarship offerings.
The program will feature the Southern Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Jeffrey Macomber, the Southern Exposure Show Choir, under the direction of Matthew Holt with MSSU President Bruce W. Speck as guest vocalist.
General Admission is $5. Tickets are available at the MSSU Ticket Office in Billingsly Student Center, the MSSU Music Department, the Missouri Southern Foundation office, the Ralph L. Gray Alumni Center and at Ernie Williams Music at 925 S. Range Line Road and Palen Music Center at 1202 S. Range Line Road.
Human Resources will have representatives from Humana on campus next week for 5 open enrollment informational meetings. It is critical that everyone attend one of the meetings.
Packets with application materials will be handed out and your questions can be answered. To prepare for these meetings, we urge you to familiarize yourself with the provided materials.
For details, see the email that was sent to faculty and staff on Thursday of this week.
Five Open Enrollment (OE) meetings of approximately one and one half hours in length are scheduled for employees to learn more about the insurance offerings from Humana for 2012. A Humana representative will be going over important information regarding our choices for 2012.
"We urge all employees to attend one of these sessions," says Debbie Dutch Kelley, Human Resources. "Spouses are also welcome," she adds.
Each employee will receive a packet with plan summaries and a required application form. These applications must be completed and turned into HR (Hearnes Hall room 217) by 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31.
The dates and locations of the meetings are:
Monday, Oct. 10:
Cornell Auditorium (Plaster Hall), 8:30 a.m.
Cornell Auditorium (Plaster Hall,) 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 11
Corley Auditorium (Webster Hall), 8:30 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 14
Corley Auditorium (Webster Hall), 11 a.m.
Corley Auditorium (Webster Hall), 2:30 p.m.
The play Antony and Cleopatra, written by William Shakespeare, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11-15 in the Bud Walton Black Box Theatre at Missouri Southern State University.
James Lile, Theatre, directs the play, this semester’s Egypt-themed production.
* A popular public figure enmeshed in an extramarital relationship.
* A calculating politician seeking to control the government.
* A region in turmoil as leaders jockey for positions of influence.
Are these current headlines from CNN? No. These are top stories from the late first century BCE in which this tragedy by Shakespeare is set.
See the link for a cast-list and more about the production!
The Missouri Department of Higher Education is helping promote the "Show-Me U Care" effort to urge volunteers to help with the effort to build Joplin.
"Missouri’s colleges and universities stepped up this summer to help our colleagues as they coped with the losses," says Missouri Commissioner of Higher Education David Russell, "but several leaders have told me they are ready to do more.
Many opportunities exist for volunteer groups to help residents prepare for the onset of cold weather, including making repairs, sorting and distributing supplies such as warm clothing, cleaning up small debris, and helping families move into FEMA trailers," Russell states.
Russell says volunteers throughout the state including students, faculty and staff from other Missouri colleges are being urged to sign up by calling Americorps at 417.625.3543 or visiting www.211Missouri.org
Missouri Southern State University is the recipient of a $100,000 Community Service grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, it was announced today.
The University’s Resource Development Center was the official recipient of the award from the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance 10th Anniversary Challenge. MSSU was one of only two organizations to receive the top award of $100,000 that will be used to promote activities in association with the National Day of Service and Remembrance over the next three years.
The Resource Development Center engaged more than 11,000 volunteers in service to honor the 10th Anniversary of September 11. “We worked with many local and national community partners on this project,” stated Sandi Lovett, Director of the MSSU Resource Development Center, “including Joplin area K-12 schools, Boy Scouts of America, Joplin Worship Center, Joplin area emergency responders, Stars of Hope, New York Says Thank You Foundation and the National 9/11 Flag team.”
The Leadership Academy is hosting MSSU’s first New Employee Welcome Reception.
This is a new tradition where faculty and staff hired as of July 1 have an opportunity to meet and greet members of our campus community, learn about the history and culture of MSSU and enjoy refreshments.
An invitation is extended to all faculty and staff in the hope you will join in welcoming our newest additions to MSSU.
A Welcome Reception for New Employees will be held from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11 in the Ralph L. Gray Alumni mansion area.
Please RSVP to PrideSponsor@mssu.edu no later than Friday, Oct. 7.
On Wednesday of this week (Oct. 5), Gov. Jay Nixon and First Lady Georganne Nixon today brought state and local officials, conservation experts and non-profit leaders together for a roundtable discussion at the Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center to coordinate efforts for replacing and replanting trees lost or damaged in the devastating Joplin tornado.
Today’s event underscored a new effort to leverage state resources and private donations to purchase thousands of trees for Joplin’s parks, schools and neighborhoods. The state is making grant dollars and tax credits available through the Departments of Economic Development and Natural Resources, to help leverage private dollars for purchasing new trees for Joplin. In addition, workers from the Disaster Recovery Jobs Program and the State Parks Youth Corps, as well as foresters from the Missouri Department of Conservation, will be made available for the planting of the new trees.
“By replanting thousands of trees in public parks, at schools, along streets and sidewalks, and in yards large and small, this community is showing that when you build a house in Joplin, you’re building a home,” Gov. Nixon said. “My administration is committed to making resources available to the City of Joplin to begin the process of replanting trees. Those resources will also be used to spur further investments from the private sector to maximize our impact.”
The Governor and First Lady were joined at the roundtable by a large number of experts including Dorothy Bay, professor of Biology at Missouri Southern State University. Bay says all the professionals at the roundtable were in agreement that, despite the rapid growth of leaves onthe trees after the tornado, the ones still standing are in very poor shape.
"They've desperately been trying to photosynthesize," she says. "But all the new growth will be very fragile, will break off with the wind. They might persist for a year or two," she adds, "but it would be far better to replace them with new trees."
Dorothy says one problem with the difficulty of trying to put trees in before buildings are constructed. She says the city's parks offer the best opportunity for moving forward.
"t's very important to realize that, after planting, the trees will need continued care," she comments. "The first five years are critical/"
"We want the city to look nice for the generations to follow," Dorothy states.
The first-ever MOSO Monday will be held from 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 10 in the Ralph L. Gray Alumni Center on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.
Alumni from the Robert W. Plaster School of Business Administration, including all past graduates with Business degrees from MSSU, are invited to enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and drinks and mingle with other MSSU alumni and faculty from the school.
Alumni can show their school spirit and stay connected with their fellow Lions in a relaxed environment, providing a networking experience for all involved.
An upcoming edition of Newsmakers television interview program focuses on regional environmental issues and a group working to keep the public informed.
The interview features representatives from the Environmental Task Force of Jasper and Newton Counties. Guests discuss a variety of concerns, including water quality in the area.
The program will air throughout the week of Oct. 9 on KGCS-TV.
Award-winning poet Nathan Brown is visiting the Missouri Southern State University as part of the Saltzman Series for Visiting Writers.
Brown's presentations at MSSU, which began yesterday, continue today.
Brown has published seven books, including Two Tables Over, winner of the 2009 Oklahoma Book Award and his most recent, Letters to the One-Armed Poet: A Memoir of Friendship, Loss and Butternut Squash Ravioli.
He will make several appearances during his visit to Missouri Southern including a "Chat with a Writer" in MSSU's Spiva Art Gallery at 10 a.m. today.
In addition to being a poet, Brown is also a singer-songwriter, photographer, professor in the Human Relations and Liberal Studies departments at the University of Oklahoma.
Find Nathan Brown on his website at www.brownlines.com.
For more information, contact Joey Brown, English, at brown-jr@mssu.edu
Faculty and staff can combine a cost-free lunch with valuable information at the Faculty Brown Bag Series during the fall of 2011. This fall's theme is "Making Inclusion a Priority at MSSU." Presentations will be held at the following dates and times:
"Millennial Students: Who They Are and How They Learn"
Noon, Oct. 14 - BSC Room 309
Presented by Susan Craig, First-Year Experience
"Are We Speaking the Same Language? The Needs and Challenges of International Students."
Noon, Nov. 11 - BSC Room 309
Presented by Stephanie Goad, Institute of International Studies
Faculty and staff are invited to any or all of the presentations. A free buffet-style lunch will be served. Be sure to RSVP at least one week in advance to Teara Neidert at ext. 9731 or email neidert-t@mssu.edu
Missouri Southern State University students Samantha Evans, Blue Eye, Mo., and Jeremy Thomas, Florissant, Mo., were crowned 2011 “Hollywood” Homecoming Queen and King last Friday on the MSSU campus.
Evans and Thomas were crowned on the oval by Missouri Southern State University President, Dr. Bruce W. Speck and Mrs. Carmen Speck.
The students presided over last Saturday's Homecoming Parade and were introduced at the Homecoming game last Saturday.
Over 120 students were initiated into the Missouri Iota Chapter of Alpha Chi, a national scholastic honor society, at Missouri Southern State University during ceremonies on Sunday, Oct. 2 on the MSSU campus.
In order be eligible for the organization, juniors or seniors must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or above.
Alpha Chi is a coeducational society whose purpose is to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students and to honor those who achieve such distinction.
The group's name derives from the initial letters of the Greek words Aletheia, meaning truth, and Xarakter, meaning character.
Starting Monday, Oct. 10 from 6-7 p.m., 88.7KXMS will broadcast the first of ten hour-long programs called “Performance Oklahoma,” a series of chamber music performances from the 2011 OK Mozart Festival.
Produced by KCSC Radio, the radio series producer/host is Kimberly Powell.
Visit the link for details of the first five programs in the series to be broadcast each subsequent Monday evening at 6 p.m. through Dec. 12.
MONDAY, OCT. 10
Calm more. Make a stress ball
10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Lion's Den
Free, Confidential Mental Health Screening
9 a.m. - 2 p.m., BSC Room 309
TUESDAY, OCT. 11
Smile More: Make Ice Cream
10 a.m. - 1 p.m, Lion's Den
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12
Play more: Sand Volleyball
Noon, Near the Residence Halls
Video Game Tournament
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Phelps Theatre
Prizes for top three places, snacks and soft drinks will be provided: Contact Sarah Neldeberg at neldeberg-s@mssu.edu for signups or drop by Hearnes Hall, Room 314
THURSDAY, OCT. 13
Unwind more. Mini-Massages
10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Lion's Den
FRIDAY, OCT. 14
Connect More. Mental health information and giveaways
10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Lion's Den
ALL WEEK: Make a Button, Info and Giveaways in Lion's Den
Visit www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening
keyword: helpinghand
Almost every week, new employees join the Missouri Southern family. If you have the chance, welcome the following new hires to the MSSU team.
The list begins with employees hired in late summer.
We're glad you're here!
| Carl Cobb | Asst. Professor | Communication General |
| Vivian Jackson | Asst. Professor | Nursing |
| Ron Cansler | Asst. Professor | English and Philosophy |
| Christi Mattix | Asst. Professor | Accounting |
| James Marsh | Asst. Professor | Engineering Technology |
| Douglas Myers | Asst. Professor | Marketing |
| Teddy Byler | Asst. Professor | Distance Dental Hygiene |
| Charles Adams | Asst. Professor | Criminal Justice |
| Alla Peters | Asst. Professor | Biology and Environmental Health |
| Kimberly Kester | Asst. Prof/ Interim Dir IEP | International English Program |
| Tanya Yantis | Asst. Professor | Marketing |
| Jennifer Dennis | Asst. Professor | Biology and Environmental Health |
| Bradley Creamer | Asst. Professor | Biology and Environmental Health |
| Daniel Williams | Asst. Professor | Theatre |
| William Davis | Instructor | Nursing |
| Maria Bejan | Asst. Professor | Finance |
| Thomas Schmidt | Assoc. Professor | Marketing |
| Brian Davis | Asst. Professor | Biology and Environmental Health |
| Brett Peine | Instructor | EMT Paramedic |
| Devon Estes | Asst. Professor | Art General |
| Susana Liso | Asst. Professor | Foreign Language |
| Holly Hackett | Asst. Professor | Psychology |
| Robert Bruno | Asst. Professor | Communication General |
| Hyunjung Kim | Asst. Professor | Communication General |
| Olive Sullivan | Faculty | Communication General |
| Kenneth Surbrugg | SBDC Consultant | Small Business Development Center |
| Lori Owen | Academic Skills Specialist | Learning Center |
| Tara Holmes | Academic Support Specialist | Project Stay |
| September | ||
| Samuel Agee | Software Installer | Information Services |
| Emily Leslie | Asst. Professor | Distance Dental Hygiene |
| Robert Kew | Public Safety Officer | Public Safety |
| Janet Swadley | Draftsman | Physical Plant Office |
| Ryan Arthur | Admissions Counselor | Admissions |
| Greg Jackson | Academic Support Specialist | Project Stay |
| Ranelle Cole | Early Childhood Teacher | Child Development Center |
The Missouri Southern Alumni Association reminds students that upcoming graduates may pick up caps and gowns at the Ralph L. Gray Alumni Center on campus.
Those picking up caps and gowns may go to the Alumni Center between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Faculty members with upcoming graduates in class are asked to remind students to obtain regalia, according to Elisa Bryant, Alumni Association.
The Missouri Southern Legislative Intern Program is seeking students to represent the University during the 2012 legislative session in Jefferson City. Students are assigned to legislators and work closely with them during the entire term of the session. Please don't limit this opportunity thinking it only applies to students with political aspirations. In the past our interns have:
* Drafted subject specific legislation in issues ranging from health care to energy reform;
* Participated in policy and caucus meetings;
* Organized and assisted in committee presentations; and
* Developed tour programs for visiting schools.
This program has been extremely successful for students to build their resume, make statewide contacts and prepare for further study/employment in a variety of fields. Students that are chosen for the program receive a 12 hour tuition scholarship and a living stipend.
An all campus email earlier this week included a handbook with all relevant program information as well as an application for entry into the program. Deadline for applications is Oct. 22.
For details call JoAnna Derfelt, Political Science, at ext. 9794 or email derfelt-j@mssu.edu.
An upcoming edition of the Newsmakers interview program on KGCS-TV features Missouri Southern Athletic Director Jared Bruggeman discusing Southern athletics. The program features a look at the recent football game in St. Louis for the Gateway Classic, including a story catching some of the highlights from the event. It also includes information about upcoming athletic events, and how Southern Athletics continues to reach out to support the Joplin community recover from the May tornado.
This Newsmakers interview will air next week on KGCS at the following times, 9:30 in the evening on Sunday, Oct. 9 and 6:30 in the evening on Wednesday, Oct.12. It will also repeat at other times on the station.
KGCS programming may be seen over the air on digital channel 22, as well as on regional cable television systems such as Cable One, Mediacom and Suddenlink. The station operates as a service of the Department of Communication at Missouri Southern State University
The Robert W. Plaster School of Business Administration at MSSU is excited to host Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry at the annual SOBA Executive Lecture Series in November.
Rogers-Etcheverry will speak at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 3 in Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall on the MSSU
Rogers-Etcheverry is president of My Husband’s Nuts, a Bakersfield, California-based company specializing in seasoned and candied almonds.
She travels nationally speaking about women entrepreneurism and her family legacy.
Her great-grandfather was cowboy-comedian, Will Rogers.
With her unique humor and down to earth style, Rogers-Etcheverry shares her extraordinary story about the process of becoming an entrepreneur, touching upon the ups and downs of business.
More information about Rogers-Etcheverry can be obtained from her website: www.myhusbandsnuts.com
Join us so you can be inspired too by a dynamic business woman!
Kexi Liu, Director of Southern Symphony Orchestra, has recently announced that the orchestra has started the second annual "Be a Maestro!" fundraising program for the orchestra. The conductor’s podium is up for auction.
The successful bidder will win the right to conduct a short piece in Southern Symphony Orchestra's February or May concert. The piece will be mutually decided by the winner and the Director of the orchestra.
The deadline to submit a bid is Thursday, Dec. 15. The winner will be announced Friday, Dec. 16, the last day of the fall semester.
The starting bid is $500, and bidders may make multiple offers with a minimum raise of $100. The funds raised will be used to invite soloists and purchase music for the orchestra.
To submit a bid or check the current bid price, contact the orchestra’s director liu-k@mssu.edu or 417.625.9681.
The baton is waiting--don't miss out!
Heartland Opera will present a Tornado Benefit Gala Concert for the Vocal Music and Drama Departments at Joplin High School. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21 in Taylor Performing Arts Center.
Admission is $10 per person with all proceeds going directly to Joplin High School. The concert will consist of a full symphony orchestra, professional soloists from around the country and a large chorus pulled together from the Carthage, Webb City, Carl Junction and Neosho High Schools as well as MSSU and Crowder College choirs.
It will feature professional opera singers on the first half of the performance and Broadway-quality musical theatre selections in the second half.
"We are also very proud to feature select MSSU vocal performance students as well as Jim and Mrs. Ann Lile from the MSSU Theatre department as soloists for the event!," says Nicholas Gilmore, Artistic Director of Heartland Opera Theatre.
For information, telephone 499.9977 or email gilmore.nicholas@gmail.com.
The "Mr. International 2011" competition will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20 in Corley Auditorium.
Come watch male International Students compete in Evening, Costume, Interview and Talent events.
Students interested in competing are asked to contact Stephanie Goad in Hearnes Hall Room 307 or email Kelsey Jensen at iep@mssu.edu..
FOR SALE: Small house (2+ bedroom) for rent. In country between Webb City and Carthage - Carthage address. House is about 1000 sq. ft. Non-smokers. Washer and dryer included. $450/month plus $400 deposit. Call 417.438.5206.
Accents is published during the fall, spring and summer semesters. For information, email smith-se@mssu.edu, call (417) 625-9506 or FAX (417) 659-4497.
Accents is published by the staff of the University Relations & Marketing Office at MSSU, 3950 E. Newman Rd., Joplin, Mo. 64801-1595.
Accents is a publication for the faculty and staff of Missouri Southern State University.
Stephen Smith, Editor, News Bureau Manager
Rod Surber, University Relations & Marketing Director
Those desiring accommodations for disabilities for any event mentioned in Accents are advised to give the sponsor 72 hours advance.
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