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Week of May 22-28, 2006 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: U.S. Congressman Speaks at Literacy Luncheon John J. "Buck" O'Neil Speaks at Graduation Psychology Major Selected for New York College's Research Program 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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U.S. Congressman Speaks at Literacy Luncheon Since 1993, at the St. Joseph Area Literacy Coalition’s annual luncheon, a volunteer or group is awarded the Roy Blunt Literacy Citation Award for their impact on improving literacy. This year, the man for whom the award is named was the featured speaker at the luncheon.
“Literacy is the basis for all we are, all we can be,” Rep. Blunt told the audience of 100 at Western’s Fulkerson Center May 12. “I don’t know anything that opens the world to people more than what we’re celebrating here today.”
Don Miller, a volunteer at Humboldt Elementary School in St. Joseph, was this year’s recipient of the Roy Blunt Citation Award. He has been a volunteer for the St. Joseph School District since 2000, and logs about 100 hours per year working with students one-on-one and in small groups.
This year, 10 individuals and two groups were nominated for the citation award, the coalition’s highest volunteer award. The nominees included Western students Joe Belcher of St. Joseph; Lance Marshall of Chariton, Iowa; Nick Ziegler of Holt, Mo.; Brad Landrum of St. Joseph; Ivory Duncan of Kansas City, Mo.; Tawana Abrought of St. Joseph, and Daniel Atkinson of Agency, Mo.
Rep. Blunt, a Congressman for Missouri’s seventh district since 1997 and Majority Whip, was Missouri’s Secretary of State when the literacy award was named for him. He co-chaired the Missouri Opportunity 2000 Commission, served as chair of the Governor’s Council on Literacy, and was named Missouri’s Republican of the Year in 2000. He also served four years as president of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar.
Rep. Blunt commended the coalition for their commitment to literacy at all levels. “I can’t be more pleased to be associated with this and the efforts in this community to make better lives.”
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John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Speaks at Graduation “If I had that piece of paper like you’re going to get today, I might have been the first black general manager in the major leagues.” Those words were among the many anecdotes and encouraging phrases from John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil to the graduates at Western’s commencement ceremonies May 13. “Don’t stop - we’re depending on you,” he told the approximately 360 students who walked. “You are our future, and I know you’re going to do a wonderful job for us. You can be anything you want to be, and I know you want to be leaders in this wonderful country.”
Throughout his talk, he was often interrupted with laughter and applause, and at one point, he had the audience holding hands and singing along with him. But mostly, he told about his life experiences, encouraging the graduates and praising them for their accomplishments.
“Education is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself. It is a garden growing in your mind, and it grows all your life. I’m 94 and I’m still learning.”
O’Neil told the audience of how, as an eighth-grader, he looked forward to going to Sarasota High School in Sarasota, Fla. until his grandmother told him it was for whites only. He spoke highly of Mrs. Booker, his grade school principal, who tutored him so he could get a high school diploma. He was then encouraged to attend an all-black junior college. After two years of college he began playing professional baseball. “They said they’d pay me $700 a month and all my expenses, and that was the end of my education.” However, he says he often wonders where he would be if he had earned a four-year degree. That’s when he told the story of being one on a list of five applicants for a general manager position. “I didn’t get the job because I was black; I didn’t get the job because the man who did had a bachelor’s and master’s degree.”
He offered one last laugh when the audience gave him a standing ovation at his talk’s end. “Sit down. I was good, but I wasn’t that good.” |
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Psychology Major Selected for New York College's Research Program
Amanda O’Dell will spend six weeks this summer at Buffalo State College (BSC) in Buffalo, N.Y., in an intensive developmental psychology research program. The senior psychology major was one of 10 students selected nationwide to participate.
The program, funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, includes one-on-one research with a BSC psychology faculty member, two courses for college credit, and research rotations at several area agencies. O’Dell will also participate in workshops on applying to graduate school, career preparation and research ethics.
Dr. Teddi Deka, associate professor of psychology, encouraged O’Dell to apply, although preference was being given to New York students. “We were really excited,” said Dr. Deka. She’s a really good student. I thought this would be a good opportunity for her because she’ll get a lot of research experience.”
O’Dell hopes to conduct research in body image in developmental psychology. When she returns to Western this fall, she will continue the research, at least nine hours per week, with Dr. Deka serving as her faculty mentor. The research will be conducted as part of O’Dell’s honors independent research. Western’s honors program will pay her transportation costs to and from Buffalo.
O’Dell, currently the president of Western’s chapter of Psi Chi, the national honor society for psychology; and an officer in the psychology club, plans to attend graduate school after graduating from Western. |
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The Western baseball team was selected to play in the NCAA Division II national tournament for the first time in history. Western was tabbed as the number six seed in the NCAA Division II Central Regional Baseball Tournament. |
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Tuesday, May 23
Thursday, May 25
Friday, May 26
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