Week of December 12

Week of December 12-18, 2005

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, 271-4200

Click any link for these stories:

Center for Community Arts Offers Scrip Gift Cards

Western Requests Note Takers

Center for Multicultural Education Calls for Nominations for Award

Lost & Found: If you have lost any items, please come to Blum Union, Room 228 to claim them. You may be required to describe the item.

Click on Tower Topics to submit any story or photo ideas.

Guidelines for Tower Topics: Tower Topics submissions should state time, date, place, sponsor, title of event, name of speakers 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 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:
Katie Johnston

Staff Advisers:
Kristy Hill and Diane Holtz

Finals Goody Bags

Parents ordered goody bags for finals week from the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) with all of the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. SAAC raised about $400 for the foundation. Left: Angela Haworth decorates goody bags. Right: Therese Hand, Alyssa Berg and Marian Broderick fill the bags with treats.

Center for Community Arts Offers SCRIP Gift Cards

Now there is an easy way to support the Western Institute’s Center for Community Arts: the SCRIP gift card program.

SCRIP gift cards are offered by almost 100 national or regional chain stores and may be used at all locations. There is no extra cost to purchase one. When you purchase a card from the Center for Community Arts, retailers return a percentage of the sales (anywhere from two to 18 percent) to support the Center for Community Arts. A percentage of your card purchases can also be used toward tuition on any Center for Community Arts noncredit course.

Although SCRIP is referred to as “gift” cards, Rhonda Rund, director of the center for community arts, noted that many people buy them at stores where they regularly shop and use them for their regular purchases. Businesses include Hy-Vee, Best Buy, K-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe's, and many restaurants and gas stations, to name a few.

Orders may be placed the first and third Monday of every month, and the cards will be ready for pick up on Friday mornings in the Western Institute. Payment for the cards is due at the time of purchase, along with a SCRIP order form. There is one more opportunity to order a SCRIP gift card before Christmas. Cards ordered by Dec. 19 will be available Dec. 23.

For more information or to order a SCRIP card, call Nicole King in the Western Institute at 816-271-4100. For a complete list of retailers, visit www.glscrip.com.

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Multidisciplinary Research Day

Students from nearly every department displayed their work at the Multidisciplinary Research Day held Dec. 7 in Blum Union. The Multidisciplinary Research Day is a public forum for students to present applied learning projects that they have completed during the semester. Left: Anna Smith, Stephanie Benitz and Nick Morton look over a poster. Right: David Wyble and Melissa Lewis talk about her conservation project.

Western Requests Note Takers

Every semester over 80 students request the assistance of a classroom note taker and it is always a challenge to fill those requests, according to Mike Ritter, director of Disability Services. So the office has created a volunteer organization called “Helping Hands Note Taker Services,” where student note takers would provide a copy of their lecture notes to their classmates with disabilities.

The Disability Services office is currently seeking note takers for the spring semester. Those who volunteer their services will be recognized throughout the school year and at the end of each semester at a Helping Hands V.I.P. banquet.

“Western is known for having students with a heart for helping others,” said Ritter. “We know that in every class there is at least one student who is willing to be the class note taker for the semester.”

For more information, contact Ritter in Eder Hall, 202B, ext. 4330, or mritter.

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Pottery Sale

Students sold pottery that they made this semester at the pottery sale Dec. 8-9. Left: Nellie Trigg, art history major, displays her favorite piece of pottery. Right: Lauren Spencer, art major, sold purses at the sale.

Center for Multicultural Education Calls for Nominations for Award

The Center for Multicultural Education at Western is accepting nominations for the Drum Major for Justice Award. This award is given to members of the Western and St. Joseph communities who are committed to social justice, multicultural education, service and academic excellence.

One student, one member of the St. Joseph community, and one a Western employee will be chosen as the 2006 recipients of the award. The ceremony will take place Jan. 16 at the Drum Major for Justice Luncheon which honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rev. Bill Hedge, Dr. Stacia Bensyl and LaTasha Thaxton were honored with the Drum Major for Justice Award last year. Joyce Star, Victoria “Y” Wacek and Michael Johnson were the 2004 recipients.

The deadline to make nominations is Dec. 16. Nominations may be sent to Tay D. Triggs, multicultural education director, Blum 210, or by email at ttriggs@missouriwestern.edu.

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Tower Sports

Men's Basketball

Dec. 10 - Western 60, Pittsburg State 80

Women's Basketball

Dec. 10 - Western 65, Pittsburg State57

Football

Junior running back Jeremiah White has been named a first-team NCAA Division II All-America selection by the American Football Coaches Association. White rushed for a school record of 1,801 yards on 296 carries. White helped the Griffons to a nine-win season.

Volleyball

Senior outside hitter Marian Broderick has been named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women's Volleyball Team - College Division, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Broderick maintains a 4.0 GPA and earned honorable mention All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Associations honors during her final season. She was a four-year starter for Western, helping the Griffons advance to the MIAA postseason tournament for the first time in 2005.

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All students interested in being part of the University Democrats, contact Jessie Lent at jlent83@hotmail.com, or Luke Herrington at lmh6331. All people interested in helping with the organization, or those who believe in the values of the Democrats, contact us, and we'll help you get involved.
The Western baseball team will be holding its annual hitting and pitching camps throughout the months of December and January. The three-day camps are for ages eight-17. There will be seven hitting and six pitching sessions offered, which are arranged by age. The cost is $49 per camper, per session. For more information, contact coach Verduzco at 4484.
IT Services, in cooperation with the Western Institute, has added a new wireless network area in Spratt Hall. The entire atrium outside of the Western Institute, including portions of the adjacent hallways on both floors, are now wireless enabled.

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Monday, December 12

Final Exams

Tuesday, December 13

Final Exams

Wednesday, December 14

Final Exams

Thursday, December 15

Final Exams
Employee Brunch - 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Fulkerson Center - Employees are to bring an unwrapped children's book to be donated to needy children.
Considering College - 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Eder Hall, 208
Board of Governors Meeting - 5 p.m. Blum Union, 220

Friday, December 16

Final Exams

Saturday, December 17

Nurses Pinning - 1 p.m. Potter Fine Arts Center
Reception for Graduates - 1:30-3 p.m. Blum Union, 222-223
ROTC Commissioning Ceremony - 2 p.m. Blum Union, 218-219
Commencement with featured speaker Dr. Michael J. Baltezor- 4 p.m. Looney Complex
Wintersession Classes Begin
Residence Halls Close - 5 p.m.

Sunday, December 18

Library Closed
St. Joseph Community Chorus Annual Christmas Program - 7:30 p.m. Cathedral of St. Joseph, 519 N. 10th

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1995 Honda Civic EX for sale: Black, 2-door, 5-speed, A/C, power windows and lock, 100K miles, 1 owner. $3,400 Call 926-279-9727 or 816-244-9589.
For sale: Six-month-old bearded dragon in a 20" high glass aquarium. $100 OBO. Call 816-685-3021 and leave a message.
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