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Week of April 16-22, 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: Nursing Students Collecting Goods for Hondurans Teenage Girls to Learn About Filmmaking Eggs and Issues to Address India's Role in the Global Economy International Guitar Festival and Competition 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 Nursing Students Collecting Goods for Hondurans When the 11 nursing students from Western travel to Honduras this summer to work in a village clinic, they don’t want to show up empty handed. The students are collecting small bars of soap (hotel size), multi-vitamins for children and adults, and unopened toothbrushes to distribute to each clinic visitor. Their goal is to collect 4,000 of each item. Boxes have been placed in each building on campus and will remain until the end of the school year, so that faculty, staff and students may help them meet their goal. Also, students are encouraging individuals and organizations in the St. Joseph community to donate. If your group or organization would like to help collect items, contact student Lorie Stephens at lstephens for more information or to have your items picked up. The deadline for donations is June 30, 2007. The students will be part of Pro Papa Missions’ medical brigade, said Julie Baldwin, assistant professor of nursing. The mission will set up clinics in small villages in Honduras, and for 11 days, the nursing majors will distribute the health items, teach clinic visitors healthy habits, such as hand washing and oral hygiene; and assist in the clinic. They also hope to teach elders in the villages basic first aid and distribute first aid kits. Baldwin, said this is the first time the nursing department has participated in a study away program. “We are really excited about it,” she said. “This will enhance the students’ learning.” She will travel with the students along with nursing instructor and alumnus Linda Judah, who has participated on medical brigades to Honduras in the past. “I think this will be a very rewarding experience for all of us,” said Courtney Luke, a senior from Kearney, Mo. “I want to be able to correlate what I’ve learned in nursing school and what I’ve learned in my Spanish classes to a real setting.” |
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Teenage Girls to Learn About Filmmaking A joint project this summer between Western and Hollywood filmmakers will offer 15 girls between the ages of 11 and 13 an opportunity to learn hands-on the art of movie making. In the RISK program, the girls will spend three weeks – June 11 through July 10 - with the filmmakers on Western’s campus, making films that express their individual views on life, their personalities, and the challenges of being a teenage girl in today’s society. At the same time, Flaming Angel Films of Los Angeles will film the program and make it into a feature-length documentary that explores the question: “What are the pressures of being a teenage girl today?” The film company will host a RISK program in Kansas City, Mo. also. Deny Staggs, Western’s assistant professor of theatre/video and one of the production team, said the girls that are selected will participate in both the film-making program and a documentary, “RISK: At-Risk Girls Behind the Camera,” which will include interviews with their family members and the rest of the group. All participants and family members must be willing to be interviewed and appear on camera for the documentary. The final films made by the girls will be featured on Time Warner Cable in Kansas City, Mo. in early 2008. The RISK program is open to any girl in the St. Joseph area between 11 and 13 as of June 11, 2007. The filmmakers are looking for girls from all races, cultures and socio-economic conditions. Vans will be available for anyone who needs transportation, and there is no cost for the student to participate. The RISK program and documentary is the brainchild of award-winning documentary filmmaker Tara Veneruso of Flaming Angel Films. The film will also include Veneruso’s personal journey of becoming a film director despite being at-risk as a teen-ager. “A single teacher reached out to me when I was 15 and taught me it was fantastic that I was different and that I could make a positive difference in the world regardless of the negative and horrible things I had experienced in my life,” she said. “This film will capture this experience with a new group of girls and hopefully encourage the audience to reach out to teenagers who need our support and guidance.” Also involved in the project is John Serpentelli, who specializes in working with at-risk youth through his company Animation Stewdio. His work has been featured and commissioned by HBO Kids, Nickelodeon, and the up-coming Discovery Kids Network. Veneruso is a graduate of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts-Film Directing. She began her directing career with the award-winning and internationally distributed documentary “Janis Joplin Slept Here” in 1994. Many films and music videos have followed, screening at film festivals and museums around the world. All of the movies directed by Veneruso have been picked up for distribution. Fueling her interest in digital features and emerging technologies, Veneruso served as a consultant for Next Wave Films, a company of The Independent Film Channel. She has edited MTV/VH-1 top-10 music videos, shows for Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet and two documentaries for New Line Cinema’s “The Lord of the Rings – Two Towers” special extended DVD edition. Based in Los Angeles, Veneruso currently directs films as well as music videos and documentaries for bands including Spoon, Fastball, Rufus Wainwright, Mojave 3, and The Idaho Falls. The Director’s short film “Sidewalkers,” distributed by Warner Bros. Home Video, was an official selection at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Gen Art, and the Hamptons International Film Festival and other festivals. Veneruso serves as an expert on digital filmmaking for panels, universities, and film festivals including Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, SXSW, and AFI Film Festival. She has also spoken at the Ireland Film Centre, German Digitale, and in Seoul, South Korea, providing news and insights from the front lines of the digital revolution. She has taught courses at UCLA Extension on DV filmmaking and has written articles for Filmmaker, Sight and Sound, Film Ireland, IndieWire, and has contributed to Scientific American magazine. To obtain an application for the RISK program, contact Staggs at dstaggs or 4441. The group is also looking for sponsors for the program. Red Echo Group of Kansas City, Mo., is the sponsoring non-profit organization. For more information, contact Staggs or visit the websites at www.flamingangelfilms.com or www.RedEchoGroup.org.
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Western's Eggs and Issues to Address India's Role in the Global Economy “How to Conduct Business in India: India’s Role in the Global Economy,” is the topic of the next Eggs and Issues speaker series at Western. The talk, presented by Dr. Ramesh Kumar, professor of marketing at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, will be at 7 a.m. April 24 in the Fulkerson Center. Reservations are required for the free breakfast; call 5646 by April 20. Dr. Kumar will provide insights into contemporary India by focusing on the economy, the intricacies of its culture and the structure of the market in terms of how products and brands exist. He has 25 years of industrial, teaching and research experience. His areas of interest are exploring the application of marketing, and consumer behavior concepts in the context of India. His specific research interests include the branding and consumer behavior interface, relationship marketing, and combining online and offline marketing strategies. Dr. Kumar holds degrees in electronics and communication engineering, and he completed his MBA and Ph.D from Madras University in Chennai, India. He has published a number of articles and case studies in national and international journals, business magazines and business newspapers. He has contributed a refereed book chapter on online brand positioning to a book on E Marketing that was published in the United States. Additionally, Dr. Kumar has published five books on marketing concepts, has presented at conferences all over the world, and has trained executives in leading Indian and multinational companies. Dr. Kumar also received the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India Best Teacher Award by the Association of Indian Management Schools for his contribution to marketing education.
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Dan Nicoson, vice president of University Advancement, is pictured with Michelle Jacobo as she signs the scholarship agreements for her children to attend Western. The Jacobos were featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and received full-tuition scholarships to attend Western. | |||||||
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Jimmy Dick, Native American activist, educator, and spiritual singer/drummer; and Marie Gaudet, Native American author of children’s literature, videographer and producer of music CDs, presented during Western's fourth annual Native American Day April 11. |
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Western to Host International Guitar Festival and Competition Western will host the fifth annual St. Joseph International Guitar Festival May 16-20. Contenders will compete for over $8,000 in prize money, including gifts and debut concerts in St. Joseph, Boston and Houston. This year’s prizes ranks the festival in the top four classical guitar competitions in the United States. The week is full of several events including lectures, masterclasses, concerts and post-concert jam sessions. A free opening party and jam session will start the five-day event at 7 p.m. May 16 at Café Acoustic, 2605 Frederick Ave. Concerts are as follows:
After each concert, the performers, competitors, masterclass participants, local guitarists and audience members are invited to attend the four free post-concert jam sessions to relax and share different styles of music. Jam sessions are as follows:
During each day, masterclasses and lectures will be held. The masterclasses give players a chance to be coached in front of the audience by one of the headline performers.
All masterclasses are held in Leah Spratt Hall, Kemper Recital Hall. The lectures give performers a chance to give a class on their favorite hobby or another nonmusical subject. It allows the audience to get to know the performers on a more personal level. The lectures are:
The president of the jury members will announce the three competition finalists at the dinner at 6 p.m. May 19 at the Pony Express Museum, 914 Penn St. Anthony Glise is director of the guitar festival and instructor of guitar at Western. He is the only American-born guitarist to win first prize at the International Toscanini Competition. He is also the only guitarist ever awarded the “Individual Artist of the Year” by the Missouri Arts Council in 2006. Jason Riley, co-director of the guitar festival and instructor of guitar at Western, has professional experience that spanned nearly every style and includes composing, teaching, recording and performing. He has won competitions and reader’s polls in both the rock and country genres and has opened for such national acts as The Doobie Brothers, REO Speedwagon and The Little River Band. He has also made numerous radio and television appearances. For more information on the guitar festival visit www.missouriwestern.edu/guitarfestival/ or call the music department at 816-271-4420. |
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| Three-dimensional creations are on display upstairs in Potter Hall. Students built the art with different objects as an assignment. | ||||||||
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Baseball
Softball
Tennis
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Habitat for Humanity Western's student-run Habitat for Humanity will have openings for the 2007-2008 officers. Most of the current officers are graduating. For more information contact Alicia Falter, president, at anf7402. Rockin' 4 Robbie The ladies of Sigma Sigma Sigma will hold their annual Robbie Page Memorial philanthropy event April 19 outside Blum Union. They will be rocking in rocking chairs for 24 hours to raise money. The Robbie Page Memorial focuses on supporting play therapy for terminally children and providing support for playrooms, libraries and programs for children undergoing long-term hospital care. Do You Write Poetry? The center for multicultural education is bringing Ishle Park, Def Poetry Jam performer, to Western at 6:30 p.m. April 22 in the Blum Union lobby. Prior to her performance there will be an open mic session and all Western students are welcome to read their poems. The winner will be given an opportunity to eat dinner with Ishle Park and the CME staff following the performance. If you are interested please sign up in the CME office, Blum 210, or just show up! Griffon Greeters Residence Council would like to invite all students, faculty and staff to help with freshman move-in day. Anyone interested must reply by April 23. Come make the freshmen's move in process quick and easy. Move in day is August 21. Contact Charles Howell at cah4675 if you would like to help. Enchanted Evening Pictures The pictures from An Enchanted Evening are in the center for student engagement. They need to be picked up by April 25. Ping Pong Tournament The all-day-long ping pong tournament is April 28 beginning at 10 a.m. First prize is a Nintendo WII and a drawing for an X-Box 360. Residence students sign up at the Commons building, LLC, Vaselakos and Leaverton front desks. Nontraditional and off-campus students may sign up in the nontraditional student office, Eder Hall 200; dean of student development's office, Blum 228; or recreational services office, Looney Complex 147. Other prizes will also be awarded. Sign up through April 25. Senior Art Exhibits Western will present an exhibit of the works of three senior art majors April 27– May 8 in Potter Hall Gallery, room 206, and four senior art majors April 27– May 10 in the Potter Hall lobby. An opening reception will be held at 7 p.m. April 27. The displays will then be open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The work of Tracy Hamilton, St. Joseph; Barbara Meyer, St. Joseph; and Kristen White, Elwood, Kan.; will be on display in the gallery. The work of Jennifer Smith, Amazonia, Mo.; Natalie Odette, Faucett, Mo.; Jaime Woolard, St. Joseph; and Dana Wilson, St. Joseph, will be on display in the Potter lobby. Extreme Home Makeover The Extreme Home Makeover broadcast with the Jacobo family will be May 13 at 7 p.m. Mitchell Closing Due to bridge work and road construction, all campus entrances on Mitchell Ave. will be closed beginning May 14 for approximately 2-3 months. The Faraon St. entrance will be the only access to campus. |
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Monday, April 16
Tuesday, April 17
Wednesday, April 18
Thursday, April 19
Friday, April 20
Saturday, April 21
Sunday, April 22
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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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