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Week of April 9-15, 2007 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 Math Student Selected for Internship 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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Watch out for reef rash. And fire coral. And the jellyfish, fire ants and bat guano. Those were some of the lessons learned by Western students from Dr. David Ashley’s Field Natural History class on spring break in Belize. But along with the hazards, they were rewarded when they learned to also watch out for the multicolored flora and fauna; majestic waterfalls, panoramic vistas, fragile coral, amazing caves, pufferfish, urchins, seahorses and more! “It was amazing scenery,” said senior Nicole Shiflett. “We saw things you just don’t see in Missouri. I pretty much fell in love with the Mayan ruins. People don’t believe me when I tell them all the things we got to do.” Shiflett said she plans to teach high school biology when she graduates and would love to take her students on a similar trip, so she also paid close attention to the logistics of the trip. “Overall, the whole trip was a great, different experience,” said sophomore Katie Kimberling. “I liked staying inland and interacting with the local people.” She said when they walked around the motel after dark, she felt like she was in a jungle. “Things would scurry across your path.” More Western students enjoyed spring break in London and Paris, and students also recently returned from a trip to New York.
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Greek Week has become a huge Greek life tradition on Western’s campus. For several years, Greek fraternities and sororities have come together every spring to unify their organizations and show the campus the perks of being Greek. This year’s theme, “We may stand out, but we never stand alone,” rings true for every Greek organization on campus. The Greek Week steering committee has planned several activities throughout the week of April 9-13 that encourage Greek unity and show the campus and the community what Greek life is really about:
Jessica Galcyznski, vice-president of inter-Greek relations on the Panhellenic council, said she hopes the week has a large turnout. “This year’s steering committee has been working so hard to make this a great Greek Week, and I know it will be!” Galcyznski said. “My favorite part about Greek Week is getting a chance to come together with other Greeks and just have fun. I love getting to see each organization perform at various events and also getting a chance to become closer to the other Greeks.” |
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The Student Government Association at Western has launched a program to help students save money at many area restaurants and retailers. The program, called Student Savings Club, is available now to all students, faculty and staff at no cost. By showing a school ID when making a purchase, anyone from Western will receive a discount or special offer. "It's hard for students and their families to handle all of the expenses of college these days," said Ashley Dobson of the Students Savings Club. "This program makes things a little easier by helping students to save money at some of their favorite places." Students can get a list of all the retailers and discounts by going to www.StudentSavingsClub.com. Some of the retailers who are participating include: Houlihan's, Legends Sports Bar & Grill, From You Flowers, Bliss Salon, Drury Inn, Holiday Inn, The Ground Round and more. |
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Jay Summers, from west campus, cleans Western's new bus. | |||||||||
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Western Math Student Selected for Internship Western mathematics major Tysa Updike may be waiting tables at a local restaurant now, but this summer she will have an opportunity to embark on a career path that has been her goal since high school. Out of approximately 300 applicants, Updike was one of 17 applicants selected for a 12-week actuary internship at Allstate Insurance Company’s headquarters in Chicago. “It’s a great opportunity,” said Updike, who will graduate in May 2008. “I am looking forward to the real life experience.” She said interns at Allstate are treated as new hires, so she knows she will gain a lot of experience. Additionally, approximately 80 percent of Allstate’s actuarial interns are offered full-time positions with the company. “Basically, that tells me that after I graduate, I won’t be waiting tables. That’s great to know.” Updike’s goal of becoming an actuary took shape in high school, when she discovered a study guide for an actuary exam that had belonged to her mother, who died when Updike was 13. She graduated from high school a semester early, and began taking classes at Western to pursue a math major and a business minor with an actuary career in mind. “I like the small class sizes,” she said of Western. “I know every single professor; we’re like a family here. If you can’t find your professor for help, someone else will always help you.” But she was all alone when she arrived in Chicago for a daylong interview for the internship position in February, and she said she felt a little intimidated when she realized some of the 35 other applicants who were selected for interviews were from Duke, Purdue and other large universities. But Jim Rowland, senior actuary for Allstate, said Updike “more than made the grade.” He said the qualities his company looks for in intern applicants include a very high aptitude in mathematics and analytical skills, but also the ability to communicate technical ideas to a non-technical audience. “Her commitment to the field is excellent,” said Rowland. “If Tysa pursues this career, I think she is going to do extremely well.” “It’s been a lot of hard work,” said Updike. “Actuary science is not easy. You have to be driven. It’s very difficult but very rewarding.” |
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Baseball
Softball
Tennis
Men's Golf
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Senior Art Exhibits Western will present an art exhibit of the work of three senior art majors April 14 – 25 in Potter Hall lobby. An opening reception will be held at 7 p.m. April 14.The displays will then be open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The work of Mitchell Buhman, Greg Carbin, and Tyler Krampe, will be on display. Buhman’s work includes pieces in design, photography, and sculpture; Carbin’s work includes pieces in design, illustration, painting, and photography; and Krampe’s work includes pieces in design, painting, and illustration. Teke-in-a-Box Western’s Xi Eta chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity will hold the fourth annual Teke-in-a-Box to raise money for America’s Second Harvest Food Bank. Students will live in makeshift cardboard “homes” outside the St. Joseph Hy-Vee grocery store, 201 N. Belt Hwy., for 36 hours from 6 a.m. April 13 through 12 a.m. April 15. Volunteers will accept monetary and nonperishable food donations in an attempt to beat last year’s total of $2,289 and 553 pounds of donated food. All donations will go directly to America’s Second Harvest Food Bank for distribution through their programs and services. For more information, contact Zach Ramsay, TKE alumni volunteer, at 816-294-6139. Spanish for Banking The Western Institute is offering a Command Spanish® course at its Kansas City Northland location. Spanish for Banking will be held from 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays from April 24-May 22 at Tuileries Plaza, 6336 N. Lucerne Ave., Kansas City, Mo. Hwy I-29 Exit 5 at NW 64th St. Cost is $150 and includes book. Enroll by April 14. Command Spanish® is the country’s leading provider of customized Spanish language and cross-cultural programs and products for non-Spanish speakers who interact with Spanish-speakers in the workplace. These courses provide learner-friendly language materials and workshops that require no prior knowledge of Spanish. For more information, contact Peggy Ellis at 4116 or ellisp. To enroll in a class, call 4100 Help is Coming to Honduras From April 9 until the week of finals, Western's nursing department will be placing boxes by the main entrances to all major buildings on campus. Their goal is to collect 4,000 toothbrushes, bars of soap and multivitamins for the underprivileged citizens of Honduras, the third poorest country in Central America. Two faculty members and 11 students from the nursing department will travel to Honduras in July. Be sure to donate to the good cause! Switchfoot Concert Pick up your ticket for the Switchfoot concert, with special guest Reeve Oliver. Tickets are free for Western students (bring your ID), and available for $10.00 to staff, faculty, and administrators and their families. The student and staff tickets are only available in the center for student engagement, Blum 207. They will not be available at the concert. The concert is April 17 at the Civic Arena. Doors open at 7p.m. The show starts at 8 p.m. Switchfoot is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board and funded by the Student Government fee. Get your ticket before concert day! Missouri Academy of Sciences Western will host the Missouri Academy of Science’s (MAS) annual meeting April 20 and 21. The meeting will feature presentations of scientific papers from professors, and college, high school and middle school students from throughout Missouri with topics on the results of original research, teaching experience, or other information of scientific interest. Between 400 and 500 participants are expected. Dr. Cary Chevalier, associate professor of biology and coordinator of the meeting, said Western last hosted 10 years ago. The MAS’s first meeting was in 1934. Today, there are more than 800 members on 49 college and university campuses. "Night at the Ritz" The 13th annual “Night at the Ritz,” sponsored by the Western Ambassadors, will be held April 27 at the St. Joseph Country Club, 50 Ridgeland Road. All proceeds from the event will fund scholarships for nontraditional students. This year’s theme is “Rush to Western Gold,” and will include dancing entertainment. The reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by a dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling 4582. The cost for individuals is $35. Corporate and individual sponsors are being sought for the event. Gold Scholarship Patrons donate $550 and receive eight seats at a table with a meal. They will be recognized as a sponsor on the program and at the event. Silver Scholarship Patrons donate $250 and are recognized on the program and at the event. Bronze Scholarship Patrons donate $100 and are recognized on the program. Raffle tickets for several prizes are on sale for $1 each and may be bought from any Ambassador. For more information call 4582. Home Hosts Needed for Western's International Guitar Festival Applications are currently being accepted for home hosts for the fifth annual St. Joseph International Guitar Festival and Competition sponsored by Western. The festival, which will be held May 16-20, draws participants from throughout the United States and several foreign countries. Home hosts receive two complimentary tickets valid for entrance to all festival events, a $300 total value. For more information or to receive an application to host a participant, call the Western music department at 4420. Former guests to the festival have come from 20 foreign countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Serbia, and Ukraine; and throughout the United States. This year, prize money and gifts are in excess of $8,000, which places the festival among the top four classical guitar competitions in the United States. Mystic Dance Team Tryouts If you are interested in trying out for the 2007-2008 Mystics dance team, tryout dates are April 21 and May 19. Please visit the website at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/orgs/mystics for more tryout information including time, location, and requirements. |
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Monday, April 9
Tuesday, April 10
Wednesday, April 11
Thursday, April 12
Friday, April 13
Saturday, April 14
Sunday, April 15
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Free: Children's swing set in decent shape. Free to anyone who will haul it away. Call Vicki Schneider at 816-662-4211 for more information. For Sale: 2002 Jeep Liberty, Limited Edition 4x4; heated leather seats, sunroof, 6-disk CD, all electric, tinted windows. In great condition. $11,500. Call 816-262-4274 or 816-676-0181 for more information. |
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