Week of  May 14-28, 2007

Welcome to the Tower Topics E-newsletter for faculty, staff and students at Western. 

Missouri Western State University, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-271- 4200

Click any link for these stories:

Bid Approved for Western's Science and Technology Incubator

Dual Credit

Dr. Christopher Shove Honored

Western to Host International Guitar Festival and Competition

Tower Sports

News Briefs

Calendar

Ads

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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.

Bid Approved for Western's Science and Technology Incubator

Lee Grover Construction Co. of St. Joseph submitted the lowest bid for the construction of Western’s science and technology incubator. The bid of $2,695,764 was approved by the Board of Governors at their April meeting. Construction of the incubator on campus property west of Interstate 29 is scheduled to begin this spring.

The project will be paid for by a $2.5 million grant from the Federal Economic Development Administration, $125,000 from St. Joseph’s Institute for Industrial and Applied Life Sciences, and $70,764 from the university’s unrestricted reserves.

The 25,000-square-foot building, which could serve up to 15 high-technology firms with an interest in applied life sciences, also will give students internship opportunities and will play a role in Western’s proposed graduate programs in life sciences.

Also at the April board meeting, the board of governors approved naming the incubator the Christopher S. “Kit” Bond Science and Technology Incubator.

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Instructor Entertains and Educates in Dual Credit Course

When Greg Kriewitz taped a presentation of a heart bypass surgery patient for his Fitness and Wellness (PED 101) distance learning course, he got a great email response from the students taking the course. When it was time to re-tape the course this year, the instructor of physical education remembered the students’ positive reaction to the guest speaker, and he coordinated several more taped interviews with experts on fitness and wellness.

This past spring, Tara Stoll, of the instructional media center, taped Kari Staggs conducting interviews with people on campus and throughout the community -- a heart specialist, the director of the local drug task force, an athletic trainer (Western’s Kate Esely), a counselor (Western’s Dr. Tim Crowley) and others. 

“We’re trying to approach it from an entertaining, educational viewpoint,” Kriewitz said.  “I wanted something to hold students’ attention, but with substance.”

Along with the several interviews, Kriewitz is creating and taping segments called  “Ask Greg,” where he answers questions about fitness and wellness. This spring, he stopped Western students in the Blum Union and offered them the opportunity to ask him questions on tape about fitness and wellness.

“I’ve enjoyed it and I hope the watchers enjoy it,” he said. “We try to cover a lot of different ideas, not just what people perceive is physical education.”

Kriewitz has been teaching dual credit courses for six years, and this past year the course was taught for dual credit in 12 high schools. He visits each school twice each semester and invites the classes to spend a day on campus as well. When he visits, the high schoolers always ask him about other distance learning courses they can take.

The course is also broadcast at the Western Regional Diagnostic Correctional Center and the women’s prison in Chillicothe, so he visits those facilities as well.

It is estimated that more than 2,000 students have taken Kriewitz’s PED 101 through distance learning since he began teaching it.

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Dr. Christopher Shove Honored

Dr. Christopher Shove, dean and executive director of the Western Institute, received the Excellence in Higher Education Award at the recent annual education banquet for the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The award is given to outstanding instructors, professors or administrative staff members that have made a significant commitment to education in their institutions. He was recognized for the development of Western’s site in North Kansas City, Mo.

Dr. Shove worked with the developers of Tuileries Plaza at I-29 and NW 64^th St., and moved Western’s northland location there in August 2006. The space has fully equipped classrooms for students and staff, independent study areas, and wireless technology-linked classrooms. It also offers high accessibility and visibility.

The facility offers a bachelor of science degree in elementary education and a legal assistant certificate, along with art courses, Spanish courses, and business seminars.

Dr. Shove joined the Western Institute in July 2004. He was formerly the director of the Center for Geographic Information Science and Applied Geographics at the University of Toledo, Ohio, and a consultant for Space Data Systems, Inc. of Houston. Dr. Shove has conducted historical and cultural trips to Russia and has written scholarly publications on the transformation of the new Russia.

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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 rank 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:

• Aleksandre Tsiboulski, solo classical guitar, at 7:30 p.m. March 17 in Leah Spratt Hall, Kemper Recital Hall;

• Val and Lucia, Flamenco and Iberian-Celtic music with guest dancers, at 7:30 p.m. May 18 in Potter Hall Theater;

• Hungry Monks, historical and Celtic folk music, at 7:30 p.m. May 19 in Potter Hall Theater;

• the final competition rounds and awards ceremony at 3 p.m. May 20 at The Dome, 12^th St. and Felix.

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:

• 9 p.m. May 17 at “La Dolce Vita” at 36^th Street, 501 N. Belt;

• 9 p.m. May 18 at HiHo, 1817 Frederick;

• 9 p.m. May 19 at Magoon’s Saloon, 632 S. 8^th St.;

• 6 p.m. May 20 at Terrible’s St. Joseph Casino, 777 Winners Circle.

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.

• Guitar masterclass with Aleksandre Tiboulski held May 17 at 10 a.m.;

• A guitar/ Celtic and historical music masterclass with Hungry Monks held May 18 at 2 p.m.;

•  A Flamenco dance and music masterclass with Val and Lucia held May 20 at 2 p.m.

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:

• “Beginning Jazz Guitar” with Jason Riley held May 17 at 2 p.m.;

•  “How to Design a Web Page as an Effective Tool for Booking More Concerts,” with David Burk held May 18 at 4 p.m.;  

• “Recording in the Home Studio” with Thomas Ransom held May 19 at 4 p.m.

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.

There are two ways to helps support the guitar festival. First, go to a concert or free jam session. For Western employees and students, admission is only $5. Secondly, become a "Friend of the Festival." Contribute $100 in support of the festival and receive eight tickets and a charitable contribution credit of $60 from the Western Foundation. If you can't personally make use of all eight tickets, which can be used for admission to any of the festival concerts, pass them along to friends, co-workers, family or neighbors.

For more information about contributing to the festival, contact Dr. Mark Mikkelsen, associate professor of philosophy and director of the center for the arts, culture and literacy, at 816-617-2317 or mikkelsen.

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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Tower Sports

Softball

• Loss vs. Minnesota State, 1-4, May 10

• Win vs. Winona State, 7-0, May 11

WRDCC GED Graduation The Western Regional Diagnostic Correctional Center is holding a GED Graduation Ceremony at 1:30 p.m. May 30 in the visiting room located in Housing Unit 10. Rep. Martin Rucker will be the guest speaker. Everyone is welcome to attend, but you must fill out an entry authorization form beforehand. The forms are available from Jamie Willis in the Western Institute. Call her at 4112 for more information.

Wanted: Volunteers The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to help with Youth Night from 7-9 p.m. June 1 at The Salvation Army, 602 Messanie St. They are looking for volunteers to help supervise, run the concession stand and clean up. For more information or to sign up to help, call Carol Lemirand at 232-5824.

Mitchell Ave. Closing Reminder Beginning May 14, construction work will begin on Mitchell Ave from American Family Insurance to the I-29 overpass. Because of this, ALL campus entrances on Mitchell Ave. will be closed. The only way to access campus will be from Faraon St., where a temporary stoplight will be installed. Work should last approximately 2-2 1/2 months. When the fall semester begins, there may still be some construction happening on Mitchell, but the Mitchell Ave. entrances should be open no later than mid-August, weather permitting.

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Monday, May 14

• "ARC-GIS I" workshop with Tony Spicci of Graphic Information Technologies in Columbia, Mo.

• Roadwork begins on Mitchell Ave. Begin using Faraon entrance.

Tuesday, May 15

•  "ARC-GIS I" workshop with Tony Spicci of Graphic Information Technologies in Columbia, Mo.

Wednesday, May 16

• Guitar Festival (see article above)

Thursday, May 17

• Guitar Festival (see article above)

• Taste at the Top at 5:30 p.m. at the Fountains at Corby in St. Joseph for area alumni

Friday, May 18

• Guitar Festival (see article above)

Saturday, May 19

• Guitar Festival (see article above)

Sunday, May 20

• Guitar Festival (see article above)

Monday, May 28

• Memorial Day Holiday. Campus Closed.

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