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Week of March 15 - 21, 2004 Welcome to the Tower Topics E-newsletter for faculty, staff and students at Western. |
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Missouri Western State College, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-271- 4200 |
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Click any link for these stories: Western Receives $117,111 Grant Children's Author Cheryl Harness Visits St. Joseph Historic Preservation Course Offered in May Western Hosts Events for High School Students 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 Tuesday, 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 $117,111 Grant Students in science classes at several northwest Missouri high schools and middle schools will benefit from a $117,111 grant received by Western from the Missouri Department of Higher Education. The grant will fund a two-week workshop at Western this summer for up to 13 area science teachers along with laboratory equipment for each school involved in the workshop. The schools’ eligibility to participate is based on their students’ MAP scores in science. Dr. John Rushin, professor of biology and one of the coordinators of the workshop, said the two weeks will be spent developing programs, labs and various investigative programs to help students learn about science processes and the elements of scientific investigation. The workshop will focus on improving students’ engagement and helping them perform better in the science classroom and on MAP tests. Data-gathering instrumentation will be purchased for the workshop and then given to the participating schools so teachers can test the ideas and experiments during the school year. The workshop participants will meet four times throughout the school year to evaluate the program. "I’m excited and enthusiastic, and I am looking forward to a good experience," Dr. Rushin said. "We think we can cause a very positive effect on these schools." Four Western professors and a teacher from the St. Joseph School District will facilitate the workshop: Dr. Michael Ottinger, assistant professor of physics and co- director of the grant project; Dr. David Ashley, professor of biology; Dr. Victoria "Y" Wacek, assistant professor of education; and Jay Meyers, biology and science research teacher at Central High School and high school science coordinator for the district. Dr. Martin Johnson, dean of the school of liberal arts and sciences, is the principal investigator of the grant. Dr. Rushin noted that the workshop format will be an expansion of the college’s learning communities initiative. Participants will not only learn about the concept but experience it in the workshop. He said instead of the typical workshop lecture format, "we’re going to put all our ideas together and share them, and work with the teachers to develop activities." Dr. Johnson said he hopes workshop participants will carry the Learning Communities concept back to their classrooms because learning communities improve the quality of instruction. "In a learning community, students have to be actively involved in the learning process, which creates greater engagement and greater learning." |
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Children's Author Cheryl Harness Visits St. Joseph The St. Joseph Area Literacy Coalition will host Cheryl Harness, author and illustrator of children’s books, at two speaking engagements March 22. The first will be at noon in Western’s Warren E. Hearnes Learning Resource Center, room 102. She will also be at the Pony Express Museum, 914 Penn St., at 7 p.m. that evening. Both events are free and open to the community. Harness will offer a lecture and slide presentation about her books and the writing process she uses. She will discuss her 1996 book, "They’re Off! The Story of the Pony Express," and several of her works will be available for purchase. Harness has written and illustrated more than 20 historically based books. She received a bachelor’s degree in art education in 1973 from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg and held several jobs including art supply seller, theme park portrait designer, Hallmark greeting card artist and needlework designer until becoming an author/illustrator in 1985. Harness’ books are sold nationally by Barnes and Noble, Borders and Amazon.com. Both events are sponsored by Western’s Prairie Lands Writing Project, the Western Foundation and the education department. For more information about Harness, visit her Web site at www.cherylharness.com. |
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Historic Preservation Course Offered in May Dr. Bonnie Stepenoff, professor of history and the former director of the historic preservation program at Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, will present a historic preservation field school in St. Joseph May 17 - June 4. The school will be offered as part of the summer intersession. The field school is open to current Western students or community members, and may be taken for three credit hours or audit. Cost of the course is $441, but scholarships may be available. Enrollment will be limited to 15. The course will focus on preservation principles and survey methodology. Class sessions will consist of lecture, discussion, field work and lab work. The field work will include tours, inspections, photography and documentation of structures in a historic neighborhood. The 2200-2700 blocks of Francis Street in St. Joseph have been selected for the neighborhood survey. Stepenoff earned a bachelor of arts in social science from Ohio State University, a master of arts in history and a doctorate in American history from the University of Missouri – Columbia. She also holds a master of arts in library science with an emphasis in archives administration from University of Missouri – Columbia. She is the author of many articles in scholarly journals and two books: "Thad Snow: A Life of Social Reform in the Missouri Bootheel," and "Their Fathers’ Daughters: Silk Mill Workers in Northeastern Pennsylvania." She has 15 years experience working with historic preservation, including eight years with the State Historical Society in Columbia and seven years with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Historic Sites Program in Jefferson City, Mo. For more information, call Western’s department of history, philosophy and geography at 5688. |
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Western Hosts Events for High School Students by Paula White
High school students have numerous opportunities to visit Western this spring and summer, as several departments sponsor events that bring students to campus. The English, foreign languages and journalism department sponsored "High School Writing Day" March 4, which consists of workshops on writing in various genres. Approximately 175 high school students from 12 schools participated. English and education major students and professors helped out with events, and at the end of the day students read their works. MARSEF (Mid America Regional Science and Engineering Fair) was held March 12. Fifty- nine students from six high schools presented their research. Awards were given out in categories such as botany, zoology, computers, chemistry, engineering, medicine and health, best use of photography, and more. The English, foreign languages and journalism department also sponsors Foreign Language Day in April. Events throughout the day include a poster contest, a spelling bee, international cuisine contest, poetry recitation, ethnic dancing and student commercial contest for French, German, Spanish and Latin. The theme for the poster contest this year is, "Spring Brings Hope, So Does Understanding . . . Through Foreign Languages." High school students may also sign up to take placement tests in French, German and Spanish, which are all offered at Western. Another event that brings high school students to campus each year is the chemistry department’s Chemathon. This competition invites all area and regional high school students to compete in written, team and activity-based competitions in first-and-second-year chemistry and physics. A new category specifically designed to accommodate the growing number of area high schools offering chemistry through dual credit was recently added. Approximately 25 St. Joseph School District high school juniors and seniors who are participating in the Western Challenge will return for a second visit April 22. Throughout the day, students will meet with faculty members to discuss academic discipline-centered and college-life related topics. Dr. Dennis Rogers, professor of music, will coordinate the annual Drumline camp for high schoolers July 11-14. |
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Monday, March 15
Tuesday, March 16
Wednesday, March 17
Thursday, March 18
Friday, March 19
Saturday, March 20
Sunday, March 21
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For Sale: Recently appraised antique cloth, probably wall hanging, from 1876, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and of Washington being elected President. $225. Contact Pat Lollar, office of continuing education, at 4106. |
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