Week of Dec. 4-10

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:

Art Professor to Speak on His Work

Western's Jazz Sextet to Perform

Adopt-a-Family - Your Donations Needed!

Winter Weather Alert

Tower Sports

News Briefs

Calendar

Ads

Archives

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.

Art Professor to Speak on His Work

Geo Sipp, associate professor of art, will talk about his long-term art project at a presentation at noon Dec. 6 in Potter Hall 107. His talk, “Wolves in the City,” is the second in a series of presentations by faculty members who received research grants last summer from the Western Institute. 

Sipp has been doing the sequencing and the illustrative narrative on a graphic novel about the 1957-1962 French-Algerian War for Independence. He takes images from old French black and white newsreels of the war, and creates prints in a several-step process. “It’s a much different type of process,” he said. “It’s experimental in nature in terms of media.”

Limited edition prints of Sipp’s illustrations for the novel have been included in a number of recent exhibitions. The print, “Oil Fields,” has been exhibited widely since it was created in May 2005. It most recently won the Lindquist Award at the Delta National Small Print Exhibition held at Arkansas State University. In November 2005, Arkansas State University acquired the print for its permanent collection.

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Western's Jazz Sextet to Perform

Western's jazz sextet will perform at 7 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Café Acoustic, 2605 Frederick Ave. Admission is free and open to the community.

Members of the ensemble are trumpet, Tim Thomas; reeds, Beaux Lux; guitar, Brett Blakemore; piano, David Haeker; bass, Andy West; and set, James Shumaker.

The jazz sextet, under the direction of Bob Long, director of jazz studies, features advanced jazz students in the music department. The students will perform works by a variety of composers representing several different style periods of jazz history.  Also, the students will perform their own modern arrangements of some of the classic works by such composers as Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.

This is the sextet’s second concert of the season. It will continue to perform regularly on the first Wednesday of the month at Café Accoustic.

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Adopt-a-Family - Your Donations Needed!

To all employees:

With the holiday season fast approaching, it is important to remember the true spirit of the holidays. 'Tis the season of giving. The Adopt-a-Family committee voted to adopt four families that could use a little help this season. Two staff members and two nontraditional students are in line to receive a break this holiday with the help of Western's employees.

"The last couple years have been amazing how people have extended a helping hand to someone who has less," Dixie Ham, of the athletics department, said. "This campus is amazing when they open their pocketbooks. It's unbelievable."

The committee started about 15 years ago, annually giving gifts to those in need. For Thanksgiving, the committee did a collection for two people. It collected groceries and money in hopes that the families would have a Thanksgiving full of feasts.

If you are interested in buying for a family, contact Ham for more information about the families. Also, take your presents to the building coordinators by Dec. 15. Building coordinators are:

• Looney Complex and Baker Fitness Center - Leanne Webber

• Wilson Hall - Kendy Jones

• Agenstein Hall - Victoria Sample

• Spratt Hall and Blum Union - Kim Weddle

• Hearnes Center - Jim Mulder

• Eder Hall - Kendra Wilcoxson

• Murphy Hall - Stena Hinkle

• Popplewell Hall - Carey McMillian

• West Campus - Mary Buckler

• Potter Hall - Bob Long

All cash donations can be made directly to Carey McMillian, Popplewell Hall, room 220. Please make checks payable to Missouri Western State University.

For any questions please contact Ham at 4488.

Adopt a Nontrad student!

If any individual, department or group from campus would like to "adopt" a nontraditional student (or his or her child) for Christmas, the Nontraditional Student Center has many who have asked for assistance.  There is a Christmas tree outside the center, Eder 200, that has ornaments with information on them. Please stop by to look if you are interested. Everything is coded for confidentiality.

Call Ellen Kisker at 4280 for more information.

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Winter Weather Alert

With the winter season now upon us, there is an increased need to be alert to the many hazards which this special time of the year brings. Colder temperatures mean snow and ice on the roads and walkways, and those conditions can cause accidents. Please take a few minutes to review the driving and walking tips listed below.

Driving Tips

Winter road conditions require your extra attention. Begin by staying off your cell phone. Drive at safe and legal speeds, staying alert and sober. Remember buckling up helps ensure that you will make it safely to your destination.

• Drive with your headlights on.

• Slow Down! Give yourself extra time to reach your destination when roads are slick. If at all possible, do not drive when the roads are icy. Consider delaying your trip.

• Leave room for maintenance vehicles and plows - stay at least 15 car lengths (200 feet) back and don't pass on the right.

• Watch for icy surfaces on bridges, even when the rest of the road seems to be in good condition.

• Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra seconds to react.

• Trucks take longer to stop, so don't cut in front of them.

• Don't use your cruise control or overdrive when it's freezing (or colder).

• Don't get overconfident with four-wheel drive. It helps you get going quicker but won't help you stop any faster.

• Don't pump anti-lock brakes. The right way is to "stomp and steer."

• Be patient with fellow drivers coming and going to the university, as we are all in this together.

• Realize that the university maintenance department is working throughout most of the day and night to try to eliminate the ice and snow from the walkways, roads and parking lots of the campus.

Winter Walking Tips

While the university maintenance department strives to keep the roads and public walkways ice and snow free, climatic conditions in northwest Missouri often make this a formidable task. Maintenance personnel perform daily checks during these conditions to review the freeze/thaw cycle and address any hazardous situations that may develop.

 The maintenance department uses a variety of snowplows, tractors, and de-icing materials and equipment to achieve this goal. By following established safety guidelines and being prepared, many accidents can be prevented. We have prepared some basic guidelines and information which may help you endure the winter weather and prevent an accident. 

• Wear boots or flexible overshoes with grip soles. Slick leather or hard rubber soles on dress shoes are unsafe on ice.

• Don’t walk with your hands in your pocket. This reduces your balance if you slip on the ice.

• Take short to medium steps or shuffle your feet in very icy areas.

• Don’t carry or swing heavy loads, such as large boxes or cases, which could cause you to lose your balance when walking.

• If the walkway appears to be icy, temporarily step off into the grass and negotiate a path around the hazard.

• Don’t step on uneven surfaces. Step well over or avoid curbs with ice on them.

• Place your full attention on walking. Don’t allow your attention to be divided by getting your keys out of your pocket, digging into your pocketbook for items, etc., while walking on ice.

• Don’t become complacent when you don’t see a lot of snow – one inch can be just as dangerous as six inches!

Remember, the best source of safety for anyone during the winter months is personal self-awareness. Taking a few minutes each winter morning to review these tips may help prevent an unwanted accident.

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Tower Sports

Football student-athlete Leon Douglas has been named to the "ESPN the Magazine" First-Team Academic All-American in the college division as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Douglas is a four-year letterwinner for the Western football team and recorded 47 tackles for the Griffons this season. Douglas moved to the defensive line just weeks prior to the season opener due to an injury and posted 6.5 sacks. He was part of a Griffon football team that won nine games for the third time in four seasons in 2006 and made its first ever appearance in the NCAA   Division II national playoffs. For his career, Douglas recorded 148 tackles, 21.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 10.5 sacks in 40 games for Western. Douglas is a member of the Western Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll and a member of the Western student-athlete advisory committee where he is co-president of the organization. Congratulations, Leon!

Men's Basketball

• Win vs. York, 80-55, Nov. 29

• 12/9 at Washburn in Topeka, Kan. at 7:30 p.m.

Women's Basketball

• Win vs. Montana-Billings, 75-56, Dec. 2

• 12/6 vs. St. Mary's (Texas) at 6 p.m.

• 12/9 vs. Washburn in Topeka, Kan. at 6 p.m.

School Closing Procedure As winter weather is around the corner, it is important to know Western's school closing procedure. Western will normally make decisions on whether to close campus for daytime classes by 5:45 a.m. and by 4 p.m. for evening classes. If Western does close, the information will be posted on the Western homepage, KQTV will be notified along with local and area radio and Kansas City radio and television stations. Western serves a large region, where weather conditions may vary greatly. The decision to close campus will be made based on weather conditions on campus. Even if campus does not close, please use your judgment to determine if roads in your area are safe to drive on.

J-Stor Now Available The library has purchased access to the first section of JStor, Arts and Sciences I. If you have research papers, this will be an excellent new resource. While this is not complete access, it is a start, and the journals now available can help many disciplines.

Dodgeball Night Tau Kappa Epsilon will hold a night of Dodgeball at 4:45 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Blum Union. Bring friends and meet new people at the same time.

Final Schedule The final schedule is online. Please see the link on the Western homepage.

Employee Christmas Brunch The Employee Christmas Brunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 12 in the Fulkerson Center. Please bring an unwrapped children's book.

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Monday, December 4

• Senate meeting at 5 p.m. in Blum 218

Tuesday, December 5

• TKE Dodgeball night at 4:45 p.m. in Blum Union

• Residence Council meeting at 7 p.m. in the Commons building

• ACT Residual at 7:45 a.m. in Eder 208

• Multidisciplinary Research Day from 12-2 p.m. in Blum 218/219

Wednesday, December 6

• CAB meeting at 4 p.m. in the Junior College Room

• "Wolves in the City," Geo Sipp, 12 p.m. Potter Hall 107

Thursday, December 7

• Student Court meeting at 5 p.m. in the President's Dining Room

• First Thursday Noontime Concert Series at 12:10 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 301 N. 7th St.

• Christmas art sale from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Potter Hall lobby

Friday, December 8

• Christmas art sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Potter Hall lobby

Saturday, December 9

• Christmas art sale from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Potter Hall lobby

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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: 1993 blue Jeep Cherokee, $2,000. If interested call 816-244-8009.

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