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Week of November 13 - 19, 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: Western Students Shine at International Competition National Hunger Homeless Awareness Week An Important Message from the Financial Aid Office 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 Students Shine at International Competition Describing it as “the most prestigious presentation accomplishment math and science students have ever had at Western,” Dr. Todd Eckdahl, professor of biology, said he couldn’t be prouder of the team of six biology and mathematics students from Western and a student from Central High School in St. Joseph that participated in an international competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. last weekend. The team came home with four awards, including first place in Best Oral Presentation. Dr. Eckdahl and Dr. Jeff Poet, assistant professor of mathematics, were the team leaders. The Western team was one of 32 teams from around the world that presented at the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) Jamboree, and was only one of three institutions that are primarily undergraduate institutions. It was the only institution from the Midwest. Western collaborated with Davidson College in North Carolina on the research project. Marian Broderick said she was humbled to see the caliber of competition, but “as more teams gave presentations, we relaxed a little. We realized we were on the same level.” She, along with Trevor Butner, of Savannah, Mo., gave the presentation, and Central High School student Lane Heard, of St. Joseph, assisted. “People in the audience responded well and enjoyed it,” Broderick said. iGEM is an international initiative out of MIT to expand the relatively new field of synthetic biology, Dr. Eckdahl explained. The research teams used interchangeable parts to build biological devices. Initially, more than 500 parts were supplied by MIT, but as teams created parts, all teams were allowed to use them. Western and Davidson teams contributed 62 parts to the collection, called the Registry of Standardized Biological Parts. Western and Davidson’s research project involved the use of the bacterium E. Coli to solve “The Pancake Problem.” Given an arrangement of different sized pancakes in a stack, the goal was to determine the least number of flips needed to order the pancakes from smallest to largest. Within an E. Coli cell, pieces of DNA are the “pancakes,” and enzymes are the “spatula.” The team constructed DNA with some of the pieces in an incorrect order and attempted to flip pieces of DNA until the correct order was obtained. The team has already shown that one pancake can be flipped and will continue efforts to flip multiple pancakes. “I was really pleased. At the outset, I didn’t expect we’d be able to flip a pancake,” said Dr. Eckdahl. “But even if nothing had worked, it still would have been a success in terms of the research experience the students had.” Dr. Poet noted that the research involved a lot of troubleshooting when something didn’t work, which led to a lot of learning. “It broadened my range of educational experience,” said Broderick, the only math major on the team. “I was able to take what I learned in math and use it in a different field.” At the Jamboree, first, second and third place awards were given in 10 categories. Along with Western’s first place award in Best Oral Presentation, the collaborative team of Western and Davidson won second place in both Best Poster and Best Cooperation and Collaboration, and third place in Best Conquest of Adversity. “I commend Missouri Western for giving their students that opportunity,” Broderick said of the Jamboree. “We were in the company of the world’s leading experts on synthetic biology. It was the most educational, but fun trip I’ve ever been on.” Along with Broderick, from Wichita, Kan., the Western research team consisted of Adam Douglas Brown, St. Joseph; Trevor Butner, Savannah, Eric Jessen and Kelly Malloy, Brookfield, Mo. Mo., Brad Ogden, Missouri Valley, Iowa; and Central High School student Lane Heard. |
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National Hunger Homeless Awareness Week at Western This week is National Hunger Homeless Awareness Week, and the center for multicultural education at Western has planned a variety of activities to raise awareness on the campus and in the community. “I hope students will take heed and realize how important this is,” said Ivory Duncan, student coordinator of the week’s activities. “We thought it would be a good idea to do something to make them aware of homelessness and hunger.” Duncan, a freshman from St. Joseph, noted that universities across the nation have activities planned for the week. The week will kick off with a reception and non-perishable food drive in the Blum Union lobby, and students will have the opportunity to pledge to skip a meal in honor of the hungry. The food drive will continue throughout the week, and the campus and community can drop goods off in the Blum Union, room 210. The center is hosting a speaker from the local Salvation Army at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 in Blum Union 218, who will talk about hunger in the United States. A documentary, “Bum Hunting,” which is about crimes against the homeless, will be shown and discussed at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16 in Spratt Hall Kemper Recital Hall. Duncan will facilitate the discussion. On Friday, Nov. 17, students will collect canned goods and non-perishables from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. in front of HyVee, 201 N. Belt Hwy. |
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Western initiated a new program on Missouri Western Television this month. “U-News” will air at 9:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, following the block of distance education courses. The program, which will run no more than 15 minutes in length, is a news program that will feature information about events and happenings on campus. Megan Glenn, a sophomore business management major from St. Joseph, is the primary on-camera host for the program. New segments will be produced every two weeks; the next new one will begin airing on Nov. 20. Please send story ideas to the website, http://www.missouriwestern.edu/IMC/ETS/mwtelevision.html. |
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| Students from Lawson High School try out the equipment in the fitness center when they visited campus recently. The students are in the dual credit physical education course. Greg Kriewitz, instructor of physical education, invited the students to campus. They also stayed for lunch and visited several academic departments and admissions. | ||||||||
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An Important Message from the Financial Aid Office Western’s financial aid office wants to send an important message to students: beware of financial aid scams. Just as sure as there are students trying to find ways to finance their college education, there are dishonest people who pretend they want to help, but they only want to take your money. The financial aid office noted that there should never be a cost associated with applying for grants or loans. Remember, an important component of students receiving financial aid is filling out the FAFSA each year, and the first word in that acronym is Free – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Often, “consultants” will invite students to a local presentation on financial aid. In the presentation, they will guarantee financial aid for a fee. Usually, the financial aid guaranteed by the “consultant” is a loan. Or, the seminar may turn out to be a sales pitch for an investment product. People will also call students and say they are an official from the US Department of Education. The callers tell students the department can replace their loans with grants, but it needs the students’ personal bank information. The financial aid office said the Department of Education will never call and request personal banking information over the phone. The office also warned about leaving your financial aid information lying around where someone could steal it. Identity theft is becoming more common, and financial aid information provides a thief with just what they need. Western’s financial aid office is happy to consult with students and parents, offering advice and helping them apply for financial aid. If anyone has any questions or concerns about financial aid scams, they can call Western’s financial aid office at 4361.
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Griffon football to play in postseason! For the first time since joining Division II in 1989, Western will play in a postseason regional matchup. They are slated to play Midwestern State Nov. 18 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Go Griffs! Western Softball Noted for Academic Success The Western softball team finished in third place in the 2006 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Academic Scholarship program. The Griffons' cumulative team GPA was 3.490 during the 2005-06 academic year. The third place standing in this program was the highest ever for a Griffon softball team. Football
Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
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A.V.O.W. Western will hold Against the Victimization of Women: Empowering University Women Presentation at 6 p.m. Nov. 16 in the Hearnes Center theater. The topic for the night is Survivors Speak Out, an intimate presentation by survivors of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence telling of their experiences. The purpose is to offer information to the women of Western to better educate them and raise their awareness on the risks/issues of being victimized through sexual assault, rape or domestic violence. This is part two of a five-part program. It is for women only. English as a second language For those students earning teaching degrees, Western now offers an endorsement to teach English as a second language. It can be earned at the same time as elementary or secondary certification. Two of the required courses are offered this spring: ENG 232 Language Awareness and ESL 367 Second Language Acquisition. For more information, contact Dr. Susie Hennessy, associate professor of French, at 5183 or hennessy. Foreign Language Placement The Foreign Language Placement exams are scheduled for Nov. 13, 14 and 15 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. in Murphy 107. Each test should take about 20-30 minutes. You do not need to sign up in advance or bring any materials. For more information, contact Dr. Susie Hennessy, associate professor of French, at 5183 or hennessy. Guitar Ensemble The Western Rock Guitar Ensemble will perform at 9 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Café Acoustic in St. Joseph. This electric guitar driven performance ensemble was developed for upper-level commercial music students to perform a variety of classical and contemporary styles with a rock aesthetic. The group features the double electric guitar work of Josh Huffman and Brett Blakemore supported by Jesse Boley with the drum set, Stacie Saythany with the electric bass and Marshal Carter with the guitar. Presidents' Presentation Western television will air the presentations of Dr. Elson Floyd, University of Missouri System president, and Dr. James Scanlon, given when Dr. Floyd visited Western’s campus Nov. 1. Both presidents spoke on Public and Private Benefits of Missouri Higher Education. The presentations will air at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 and Nov. 26. Attention First-Year Students Did you attend Destination Western or Griffon Edge this summer? If so, the First Year Programs Office needs your help! We are looking for students to give us their honest feedback and ideas for future programs. If you would like to help, please plan to attend one of the following focus group meetings (all meetings are at 5 p.m.): Nov. 13 in Spratt 214, Nov. 14 in the Jr. College Room, Nov. 15 in Spratt 214 and Nov. 16 in the large conference room of the Commons Building. Dinner will be served at each meeting, and seating will be limited to the first 40 students who attend. Hope to see you there! Attention Organization and Department Leaders CAB would like to invite you to participate in our programming for next semester. If you are interested in co-sponsoring a project or event with CAB, there are forms are in the SGA suite, Blum Union 217. All program/co-sponsorships proposals must be submitted by Nov. 15. If you are not interested in the co-sponsorship but would like to help out with some of the events, we have many opportunities available. If interested contact CAB at either cab or call the office at 4410. Alpha Omega Semi-Formal Can't wait until spring to throw a formal? The ladies of Alpha Omega would like to invite you to attend a semi-formal. The dance will be $2 for a single person or $3 for a couple. The dance will be held Nov. 19 from 7-10 p.m. at the YMCA, 315 S. 6th St. If you would like to attend please email to alphaomega and R.S.V.P. Limited spots are available. Want to be on the Griffon Yearbook Staff? If you are interested in being a part of the Griffon Yearbook, we would love to have you on staff. To take part, you will just need to enroll in JOU 212 during pre-registration. JOU 212 is a two-credit hour course. It counts as an elective and towards graduation. As part of the staff, you are welcome to take part in positions that are of interest to you such as copywriting, photography and design. Also during the spring, we do a hiring process as editors and assistants. These are paid positions. If you are interested, please e-mail us at anc8098 or call 4540. |
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Monday, November 13
Tuesday, November 14
Wednesday, November 15
Thursday, November 16
Friday, November 17
Sunday, November 19
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For Sale: Beautiful two-piece wedding dress, strapless, size 10, exquisite embroidery. Originally paid $800, sacrifice for $250. call Amy at 816-390-5443. For Sale: 2003 Ford F150 King Ranch Super Crew 4x4, V8 5.4L, 58K miles, saddle leather seats, loaded with all the options. Contact Susan Deering at 4277. For Sale: Range, Tappan electric. Almond/black, exceptionally clean. Like new, $250. Range hood, Kenmore, almond, like new, $80. Prices negotiable. Call 271-5841. For Sale: 1993 blue Jeep Cherokee, $2,000. If interested call 816-244-8009. |
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