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Week of Feb. 19-24, 2008 Welcome to the Tower Topics E-newsletter for faculty, staff and students at Western. |
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Missouri Western State University, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-271- 4200 |
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Click any link for these stories: Western Receives President's Honor Roll Award for Service Residence Council Receives School of the Year Award Eggs and Issues to Feature Western Alumna Professor to Teach GPS Workshop Lost & Found: If you have lost any items, please come to SU 228 to claim them. You may be required to describe the item. Click on
Guidelines for Tower Topics: Tower Topics submissions should state time, date, place, sponsor, title of event, name of speaker's and admission fees. Send complete information to the Public Relations and Marketing office (Leah Spratt Hall, Room 106). The deadline for all entries is 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, for the next week's issue. Tower Topics will be online weekly during the fall and spring semester. For more information call 271-5651. Student Editor:
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Western Receives President's Honor Roll Award for Service For the second consecutive year, Western has been named by the Corporation for National and Community Service to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. “Community service is a hallmark of Western’s role as a model for the new American regional university,” said President Dr. James Scanlon. “The students, faculty and staff at Western work hard every day to make this region a better place to live and I appreciate this recognition of their efforts.” Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. Western was recognized for several of its service projects, including the Healthy Buddy program, which pairs Western students with elementary school students to meet weekly and talk about healthy habits; RISK, a filmmaking workshop for at-risk girls; the volunteer work of approximately 200 students, faculty and staff in helping rebuild a home in North Kansas City, Mo. for ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”; as well as service efforts by social work and psychology students and student-athletes. “Service to the community is an important part of Western’s statewide mission of applied learning,” said Dr. Kelly Henry, associate professor of psychology and applied learning director. “Students apply what they learn in the classrooms to real-life community problems. At the same time, they develop a habit of service that often continues after graduation.” “College students are tackling the toughest problems in America, demonstrating their compassion, commitment and creativity by serving as mentors, tutors, health workers and even engineers,” said Liz Seale, chief operating officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “They represent a renewed spirit of civic engagement fostered by outstanding leadership on caring campuses.” In congratulating the winners, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said, “Americans rely on our higher education system to prepare students for citizenship and the workforce. We look to institutions like these to provide leadership in partnering with local schools to shape the civic, democratic and economic future of our country.” Overall, the Community Service Honor Roll awarded six schools with Presidential Awards. In addition, four schools were recognized as Special Achievement Award winners, 127 as Honor Roll With Distinction members and 391 schools as Honor Roll members. In total, 528 schools were recognized. A full list is available at www.nationalservice.gov/honorroll. “There is no question that the universities and colleges who have made an effort to participate and win the Honor Roll award are themselves being rewarded,” said American Council on Education President David Ward. “Earning this distinction is not easy. But now each of these schools will be able to wear this award like a badge of honor.” The Honor Roll is jointly sponsored by the Corporation, through its Learn and Serve America program, and the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps, and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. |
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Residence Council Receives School of the Year Award Western’s Residence Council (RC) received the School of the Year Award at the Midwest Association of College and University Residence Halls (MACURH) No-Frills Conference on Feb. 9, 2008. The Residence Council Executive Board composed a 22-page award bid submitted regionally and voted on by the National Communication Chairs (NCC) within the region. For their recognition, they received a plaque that will be displayed in the Commons Building. They also received a traveling plaque that is engraved with Missouri Western State University which will remain with the Regional Board of Directors. “Residence Council has made a positive influence on our community,” Michael Speros, director of the office of residential life. “They have shown creativity, a willingness to take risks and the ability to develop and implement new ideas and programs. This has in turn increased attendance and interest in the council and their meetings.” The award bid highlights the many social outlets and community service opportunities RC provides to residents at Western. At the beginning of the school year RC organized “Griffon Greeters,” which involved 150 Western students helping freshmen move in. RC also put on another freshman program called “Meet Your Neighbor.” This program was put on the first day that the freshman moved in. They hosted socials and activities every night until classes began to help them transition into the college atmosphere. RC also reaches out to the community through events like “Trick-or-Treat Off the Street,” for the children of St. Joseph. While children went around the residence halls for candy, parents were entertained with games, activities, snacks, punch and candy. During the holiday season, they participated in Operation Christmas Child where they gave children gifts that were donated by students, as well as donated items the RC felt necessary for the children to have. They held their first clothing drive in the residence halls collecting 16 large trash bags of clothing for Goodwill Industries. RC also served Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Second Harvest Food Bank, Special Olympics and Light the Night. “Residence Council is an integral part of our department in helping us build community and better serve our residents,” Speros said. “They have worked very hard to create a strong residential community at Missouri Western and have given 101 percent. I believe the Residence Council deserved this award.” This award will be judged again at the national conference in May at Oklahoma State University. |
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Eggs and Issues to Feature Western Alumna Western alumna Jennifer Lynn is scheduled to speak about her book, “Deadly Secret: Purging Inner Demons,” during the next Eggs and Issues breakfast at 7 a.m. on Feb. 28 at the Fulkerson Center on Western’s campus. Lynn will speak about her struggle with an eating disorder known as bulimia nervosa, an eating disorder where individuals binge on food and then rid themselves of the food by purging. In her book, she describes challenges that spawned her battle with the eating disorder and presents the hurt she experienced from social cliques that dominated junior high and high school relationships. She discusses how she often felt alienated by these groups, as she encountered struggles with peers, siblings, parents, and within herself. Lynn was prompted to write this book by a series of dreams and a heartfelt desire for others to benefit from her life lessons. As a teacher, she believes that education and awareness lead to prevention. Her passion is to inform young adults of the treacherous and addictive potential of eating disorders. As a parent, she also identifies with the pain of watching your child struggle with identity and social acceptance. Lynn was born in Kansas City, Mo. She spent most of her childhood in Missouri and Kansas. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Western and is currently a full-time teacher for Atchison County Community School District in Effingham, Kan. To make reservations for the free breakfast, call 5646 by Feb. 25. |
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Professor to Teach GPS Workshop Western will host a three-day workshop entitled “Introduction to Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for Mapping and Navigation,” March 12-14. The workshop will be taught by Dr. Cary Chevalier, associate professor of biology and certified Trimble Navigation trainer, and is limited to a maximum number of 10 participants to ensure quality instruction and personal attention. If you are interested, reserve your place as soon as possible. Anyone who needs to know how to gather GIS-level mapping GPS data, correct it and export it into a GIS is encouraged to attend, including people in law enforcement, natural resource management, research involving geospatial-type data, urban planning/management, emergency providers or anyone else who needs to know how this data is collected and used. Professionals as well as students who anticipate going into fields that use geospatial data are welcome to attend. The course is designed with no prior knowledge in GPS required or expected. The workshop will train on Trimble Geo CE-XT mobile Geographic Information Systems (GIS) GPS units with Terrasync Pro software. Members of the course will use Pathfinder Office integration software and will learn to use Bluetooth wireless communication, WAAS real-time differential and Coast Guard Beacon real-time differential. For details including course content and instructions on how to register, visit www.wi.missouriwestern.edu/Seminars/gps_gis/index.html. For more information, contact Dr. Chevalier at 4252 or cchev@missouriwestern.edu. |
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Women's Basketball
Men's Basketball
Baseball
Softball
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Free Leadership Lexicon Leadership Lexicon will be offered March 1 in the Blum Union, sponsored by the center for student engagement. The Leadership Lexicon is a leadership conference held to help foster and develop the leadership skills of all students, from beginner to advanced, from Greek to non-traditional. Faculty, staff and students from Western as well as visitors from the local community will present a variety of skill building sessions. Those attending are able to interact with other student leaders and learn valuable skills to lead effectively. Other sessions will offer basic skills, such as how to make room reservations, order food and plan an effective program. Leadership Lexicon is free to all Western students and those that attend will be provided with a free t-shirt. Lunch and snacks will be provided. The check-in process begins at 9:30 a.m., and the program runs until 3:30 p.m. The lexicon will feature Major Brian Stackhouse as the keynote speaker. It will also include a variety of faculty and staff to help teach various leadership skills that you will use throughout your career. Fill out a registration form in the center for student engagement, Blum Union 207 by Feb. 27, or email slassen@missouriwestern.edu for an electronic form. Band Concert Western’s top concert band, the Western Symphonic Winds, will host a joint concert with the Northwinds Concert Band at 3 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Potter Hall theatre. The Western Symphonic Winds, conducted by Jeff Hinton, director of bands at Western, is composed of 45 students who are the best wind and percussion students on Western’s campus. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information contact Hinton at 4429 or hinton@missouriwestern.edu. Drunk Driving Seminar Mark Sterner's life changed drastically when three of his best friends and fraternity brothers were killed in a drunk driving crash during spring break. At 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Spratt Hall, Kemper Recital Hall Sterner will bring his message to Western's student body. The presentation is free of open to the public. For more information call MoDOT's Community Relations Manager M. Elaine Justus at 816-387-2353. Financial Aid Deadlines Financial Aid Applications (FAFSA and Scholarships) need to be completed by the March 1 deadline. Students who fail to complete their applications by this date will not receive all of the financial assistance that they may qualify for. Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov and www.sec.missouriwestern.edu/admissions/app/curstu/Login.asp to fill out the applications. Black Ice A hip-hop flow Poetry artist from Philadelphia known as Black Ice will perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 in Kemper Recital Hall for Black History Month on "Contemporary Images of Blacks in the Media." Discovered by Russell Simmons, Black Ice or real name, Lamar Mason, appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and was actually the first poet signed by Def Poetry Jam. He has performed for prominent people such as the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Minister Louis Farrakhan, and Muhammad Ali. Yearbook Pictures This is the last chance for the 2007-2008 school year for students to have their picture taken for the Griffon Yearbook. Pictures will be taken in Nelle Blum Student Union 222 on Feb. 21-22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you would like to make an appointment, please stop by the Griffon Yearbook, located in Eder 220 or you may go to www.thortonstudio.com. There is no sitting fee. |
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Tuesday, February 19
Wednesday, February 20
Thursday, February 21
Friday, February 22
Sunday, February 24
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For Rent: Large upstairs bedroom and bath for one or two persons, 10 minutes from campus. Non-smoker, no pets. Landlord would provide meals and laundry service if wanted. Call 233-5020 for more information. For Sale: Solid oak bunk bed that can also be a lofted bed and separate twin bed. Purchased from Colony House. $100. Call 279-7274 or 262-6973 for more information. |
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