Week of  April 13 - 19, 2009

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:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Speak at Western Convocation

Computer Students Win National Competition

St. Joseph Community Chorus Presents Holocaust Tribute

Student Government Association Announces Election Results

Psi Chi Holds Anniversary and Initiation Ceremony

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.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Speak at Western Convocation

Environmental activist and attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be the featured speaker at the 16^th annual Convocation on Critical Issues at Western. Kennedy’s speech, titled “Our Environmental Destiny,” will begin at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 1, 2009 in the M.O. Looney Complex. The Convocation is free and open to the public. He will also speak at the annual Convocation Dinner at 7 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Fulkerson Center. Details on tickets for the dinner will be announced later.

“Few issues are more critical today than the environment,” said Dan Nicoson, vice president for university advancement and executive director of the MWSU Foundation. “Mr. Kennedy has been passionately involved in environmental issues for a number of years and will bring a unique perspective to our students and the community.”

Kennedy is senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and president of the Waterkeeper Alliance. He is also a clinical professor and supervising attorney at Pace University School of Law’s Environmental Litigation Clinic and is co-host of “Ring of Fire” on Air America Radio. Earlier in his career, he served as assistant district attorney in New York City.

Kennedy’s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. He was named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” for his successes in helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group’s achievement helped spawn more than 160 Waterkeeper organizations around the world. Rolling Stone magazine last month recognized Kennedy as No. 34 on their list of 100 “Agents of Change,” calling him “a guiding force in the environmental movement.”

Kennedy has published several books, including the New York Times bestseller “Crimes Against Nature” in 2004. His articles have appeared in numerous national and regional publications, and many have been included in anthologies of America’s best crime writing, best political writing and best science writing.

Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University. He studied at the London School of Economics and received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He also received a master’s degree in environmental law from the Pace University School of Law.

Western inaugurated the Convocation on Critical Issues in 1993 as part of an overall commitment to offer enriching experiences to students while bringing together the university and the community. The Convocation program is sponsored by the MWSU Foundation and is held in honor of R. Dan Boulware, former Western regent.

Past Convocation speakers have included Bill Bradley, James Carville and Mary Matalin, Sam Donaldson, Steve Forbes, David Gergen, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Jerry Linenger, David McCullough, Dr. Joseph Nye, Colin Powell, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Daniel Schorr, Patricia Schroeder, J.C. Watts and Bob Woodward.

For more information, call the MWSU Foundation at 816-271-5646.

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Computer Students Win National Competition

Victims of domestic violence in Buchanan County will soon be able to seek protection from their abusers online, through a Web development project that earned a team of Western students first place in a recent national competition.

“These students are learning about more than computer programming and developing Web sites,” said Connie Hecker ’93, instructor of computer science and one of two faculty members who traveled with 12 students to the National Collegiate Conference of the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) in Oklahoma City April 2-4. “They’re learning about their community, and what goes on with these victims.”

Working with the YWCA of St. Joseph and the Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the students developed a Web site called St. Joe Safe, to help victims of domestic violence complete the application for an order of protection in the privacy of their own home.

“We have for years struggled with a way for victims to apply for orders of protection without having to be in public at the Courthouse for extended time periods,” said Dwight Scroggins ’76, Buchanan County prosecuting attorney. “This has always been a barrier to applying and a risk factor while they are here. The new Web site will allow these to be done in privacy and safety while being at the Courthouse only long enough for a judge to review the application.”

About a dozen students designed St. Joe Safe during a Systems Analysis and Design course taught by Hecker last fall. A Web Application Development class taught by Deborah Becker this spring actually built the site. A Security class will also work on the site this summer, Becker said, to guarantee the confidentiality of the application process. The goal is to have the Web site available to the public by July 31.

Part of the challenge was explaining in plain English how to fill out the four-page form, which is full of legal jargon, Hecker said. Every blank on the online application has a help box, which describes what’s required in language appropriate for a sixth grade reading level. The students hope to add Spanish-language and audio help files as well.

The opportunity to work for real clients on a “live project” was welcomed by both instructors and students.

“It’s a much better learning experience,” said Eric Kottwitz, senior of DeKalb, Mo. “You know that when you complete it, there’s a good chance it will be implemented in the real world.”

 “You feel like you have a lot more responsibility on your hands,” said Blake Bussmann, senior of Moro, Ill. “You also get to learn more about the community. It’s sad but true that there are people who need this service. Nationally, we learned that only about 50 percent of domestic violence victims try to get help. Of those that do seek help, only about 30 percent are successful.”

By making the application available online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Bussmann said the students hope that more victims will be able to navigate the process, starting in Buchanan County but possibly expanding.

“We have already had interest from other jurisdictions,” Scroggins said. “I expect that once it is totally operative we will be sharing the students’ efforts with victim service providers across the state. Just within Missouri, I would expect this effort to benefit thousands of domestic violence victims.”

Bussman, Kottwitz, and Ben Hacking, senior of Gallatin, Mo., presented the project during the web application project competition at the AITP conference, where they won first place. Two individuals also won trophies: Maria Spurgeon, sophomore of St. Joseph, won second place in the banner contest, and Derek Spalding, sophomore of St. Joseph, won third place in the PC troubleshooting contest. The team of Amy Cox, senior of Dearborn, Mo.; Hacking; and David Haeker, senior of Parkville, Mo., won fourth place in the application development contest.

The conference drew more than 600 students from AITP student chapters across the country, including schools like Purdue, Texas Tech, the University of Florida and the University of Michigan.

“It was a great learning experience,” said Spalding, who is president of the Western student chapter. “We tested our skill set against other students from across the United States.”

Western also won the Web development competition last year, and the team’s success has not gone unnoticed by the AITP. “They now know who we are,” Becker said. “In fact, we’ll be co-hosting the conference next year in St. Louis.”

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St. Joseph Community Chorus Presents Holocaust Tribute

The St. Joseph Community Chorus presents a concert in remembrance of the Holocaust at 7:30 p.m. April 18 at Wyatt Park Baptist Church, 2902 Leonard Road in St. Joseph. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students. Children 10 and under are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Western department of music, Potter Hall, room 114. They will also be available at the door.

The concert is the final one for Frank Thomas as artistic director of the chorus. Thomas, associate professor of music at Missouri Western State University, has served as artistic director since 1980.

Scheduled just three days before Holocaust Remembrance Day, the concert will feature “The Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps,” arranged by Donald McCullough. The cantata represents the fruit of a year-long search by McCullough in the mammoth archives of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, seeking music that had emerged from the concentration camps. He also collected letters, interviews and articles that had anything to do with camp life, to serve as readings between each musical arrangement, and had the lyrics and text translated to English. The songs were described by American Record Guide as “heart-rending in their simplicity and sadness.” Dr. Matthew Herren, a Julliard graduate living in Lawrence, Kan., will accompany the chorus on the cello.

The chorus will also perform “Chichester Psalms,” a work by Leonard Bernstein commissioned by the Chichester Cathedral of Great Britain in 1964. Sung in Hebrew, this work was written for boy soprano, solo quartet and choir. It will be directed by Dr. David Benz, assistant professor of music at Western.

Financial assistance for the St. Joseph Community Chorus is provided by the Arts Fund of the Allied Arts Council and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency; Heartland Health; the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau; and the Western department of music.

For more information, call the department of music at 4420.

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Student Government Association Announces Election Results

Western’s Student Government Association (SGA) announces the results for the election held April 7-8 for SGA senators and a new SGA constitution.

The new SGA constitution passed with 377 votes for the new constitution and 98 votes against the new constitution. One major change that was heavily debated in the Senate is the name change for SGA vice president, Western Activities Council president, and Resident Council president. SGA vice president will now be the executive vice president; WAC president will now be SGA vice president for WAC; and RC president will now be SGA vice president for RC. “The name changes are something that needed to be done for students to realize that SGA oversees the WAC and RC branches,” SGA President-elect Josh Todd said.

Nineteen new senators have been voted in to serve on the 2009-2010 SGA. The new senators are Stephen Parr, Justin Tyler, Weston Baker, Mark Linebaugh, Leah Hayes, Peter Gregory, Zachary Slater, Lolita Murphy, Andrew Coult, Darryl Boswell, Steven Wichern, Taira Marriott, Alison Norris, Tara Dugger, Shar'ron Harris, Derrick McPherson, Colin Hoffman, Asia Brown and Alyssa Ostrander.

This election the SGA Elections Commission tried to increase voter turnout by having a computer to vote on in the Blum Union lobby and also on the second floor in Popplewell. Each student received a free t-shirt after voting. “The t-shirt incentive was a great way to get students out and vote for the election. I will definitely recommend an incentive for students who vote in future elections,” Cortney Keller, SGA elections commissioner, said. A total of 531 students participated in the election.      

SGA President-elect Josh Todd and Vice President-elect Ernest Chamblee, along with their executive board, will take office April 20 during an inaugural celebration at 4 pm in the Blum Union lobby. Students and staff are encouraged to attend.

For more information on the election, contact Cortney Keller, SGA elections commissioner, at ckeller1@missouriwestern.edu or 816-646-9776.

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Psi Chi Holds Anniversary and Initiation Ceremony

The Psi Chi chapter of the National Honor Society in Psychology at Western will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a banquet on April 17. At the banquet, eight new members will be inducted into the chapter. The initiates are Amanda Sue Beaver, Melissa Ann Brooke, Tricia L. Donaldson, Deanna Knox, Logan M. Parker, Sarah R. Ragan, Sara Jean Solomon, and Robin M. Ussher.

To be eligible for membership in Psi Chi, students must rank in the top 35 percent of their class and have at least a B average in psychology courses. More than 200 students have been inducted into the Western Psi Chi chapter over the past 20 years. These Psi Chi alumni have been invited back to campus for the anniversary celebration.

The 2009-2010 chapter officers will host the banquet and preside over the initiation. Lisa Hietbrink is president of the chapter; Shawna Wolfe is the vice president; Brandi Bruce is the secretary; and Rebecca Lehman is the treasurer. 

The featured speaker for the evening is Dr. Len Jennings of the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn. Dr. Jennings is a graduate of the Western psychology program and author of the award-winning book, “Master Therapists: Exploring Expertise in Therapy and Counseling.”  The title of Dr. Jennings’ presentation is “From Baseball to Psychology: My Cognitive, Emotional, Relational, and Cultural Journey.”

Psi Chi was founded in 1929 at the International Congress for Psychology held at Yale University. Currently, there are more than 1,000 chapters in colleges and universities throughout the nation, and Western is one of the few universities that have been designated as model chapters for the current academic year. The purpose of the society is to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship and to advance the science of psychology.

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Tower Sports

Baseball

• Loss vs. Emporia State, 0-10, April 6

• Loss vs. Emporia State, 2-6, April 6

• Win vs. Fort Hays State, 3-1, April 11

• Win vs. Fort Hays State, 5-1, April 11

• Win vs. Fort Hays State, 7-0, April 12

• Loss vs. Fort Hays State, 2-5, April 12

• April 17 vs. Southwest Baptist at 4 p.m. Doubleheader.

• April 18 vs. Southwest Baptist at 12 p.m. Doubleheader.

Softball

• Win vs. Lincoln University, 8-0, April 7

• Win vs. Lincoln University, 6-3, April 7

• Win vs. Southwest Baptist, 7-5, April 10

• Win vs. Southwest Baptist, 9-4, April 10

• Loss vs. University of Central Missouri, 0-4, April 11

• Loss vs. University of Central Missouri, 1-9, April 11

• April 17 at University of Nebraska-Omaha in Omaha, Neb., at 3 p.m. Doubleheader.

• April 18 at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo., at 1 p.m. Doubleheader.

Men's Golf

• April 13-14 at Ichabod Invitational in Topeka, Kan.

Women's Golf

• April 13-14 at Park University Spring Invitational in Parkville, Mo.

Tennis

• Loss vs. Truman State University, 0-9, April 8

• April 17-18 at the Northeastern Oklahoma Classic in Tahlequah, Okla. TBA

ENG 100 Reception At 3 p.m. April 13 in Hearnes 102, the EFLJ department and developmental writing program will host a reception for the ENG 100 student publication, "Discovering the Student, Discovering the Self." This is the third year for the publication and reception and, once again, we are all excited about this celebration of student work.

SNCTE Meeting SNCTE (the Student Affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English) will be having it's final meeting of the year at 3:30 p.m. April 14 in Murphy 106. At this meeting, we will be electing new officers, discussing ideas to boost recruitment, and welcoming any and all new members. The meeting should last less than one hour. For more information about the organization, please visit www.missouriwestern.edu/orgs/sncte. All English and Education majors or anyone with an interest in helping promote literacy is invited to attend. Contact Kyla Ward at kdavis11@missouriwestern.edu for more information.

Gem Society The Gem Society will host a lunch for Western women at noon April 15 in Blum 218-219. Cost is $10 per person. Call 4481 to make a reservation. The Gem Society is an organization whose mission is to get women of influence more involved with our women's athletic programs. The main focus is women inspiring women.

Nontrad Lunch Not leaving campus for lunch? On April 15, you can grab a lunch at the Nontraditional Student Center in Eder 200 - ham and cheese sandwiches, chips and a soda for only $2! Desserts are only $1! Proceeds benefit the Nontraditional Student Association and the March of Dimes. Lunch starts around 11 a.m. and will go until they run out of food! There will also be a lunch April 22 - chili dogs, chips and soda for only $2!

Student-Athlete Honors Banquet The department of athletics, in conjunction with the St. Joseph News-Press, will celebrate the successes of its student-athletes both on and off the field as part of the Missouri Western State University/St. Joseph News-Press Student-Athlete Honors Banquet to be held Wednesday, April 15th at 6:30 p.m. in the Fulkerson Center. The event is open to the public at a cost of $25 per person. Western athletics is accepting reservations through April 7. Those interested in attending may RSVP at (816) 271-5926. Seating is limited. Western athletics will honor 11 student-athletes as their respective sports’ “Student-Athlete of the Year” along with numerous team and individual achievements which have taken place over the past calendar year. These 11 athletes are finalists for the Missouri Western State University/St. Joseph News-Press Male and Female Student Athletes of the Year Award, which will be announced during the banquet. Western will also honor two Silver Anniversary Award winners who are alumni of the institution for outstanding achievements and representation throughout the past 25-plus years. Former football student-athlete Tom Early, Vice President of Bank of Lee’s Summit in Lee’s Summit, Missouri as well as former tennis student-athlete Dan Heckman, Vice President of US Bank in Kansas City, Missouri will receive the award which exhibits the characteristics of Integrity, Dedication, Leadership, a Commitment to Excellence and an obligation to serve as a concerned partner in their community. Steven St. John, host of the “Border Patrol” morning show on Sports Radio 810 WHB in Kansas City, will once again serve as master of ceremonies of the event.

Healthcare Decisions Day Faculty and students from the departments of nursing and history, philosophy and geography will be hosting an informational booth from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. April 16 in the Eder Lobby in recognition of the second annual National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). Information related to advance directives and healthcare decision-making will be available. This effort is sponsored by Heartland Regional Medical Center's Ethics Committee and is intended to encourage all adults to make their wishes known in regard to healthcare decisions. According to the National Healthcare Decisions Day website, www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org, "National Healthcare Decisions Day is an initiative to encourage patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be." A list of supporters and contributors to this effort is included on the NHDD website.

Ambassadors Luncheon Attention, all female employees and spouses of male employees! You are invited to the MWSU Ambassadors Luncheon on April 17. Joining us for lunch may help you decide if you would like to join the Ambassadors! The MWSU Ambassadors are a group of women from Western and the community who provide a bridge between the campus and the community. Our main focus is raising funds for scholarships for nontraditional students. We hold three luncheon meetings throughout the academic year, and we host the annual fundraiser, Night at the Ritz (coming soon - May 8!). If you are interested in attending the lunch, a social begins at 11:30 a.m. April 17, followed by lunch and a meeting at noon. We should be finished by 1 p.m. This lunch will be held at the St. Joseph Country Club and is $12 per person at the door. Victoria Bragin will perform on the piano for our program. Make your reservation for the lunch by contacting Ellen Kisker at kisker@missouriwestern.edu or 4280 by April 15.

Summer Schedule Note Please note that in the summer schedule, the Government, Social Work and Sociology classes are erroneously listed under "P." In the fall, the department name will change to Political Science, Social Work and Sociology. The fall schedule will reflect this change and the classes will be listed under "P."

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Monday, April 13

• ENG 100 student publication, "Discovering the Student, Discovering the Self" reception at 3 p.m. in Hearnes 102

• SGA Awards Banquet at 5:30 in Blum 220

• Griffon International Film Festival: Roger Rawlings, "Making the Independent Narrative" 3 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Potter Hall room 106

• Griffon International Film Festival: Film screening from 7-9 p.m. at the East Hills Library, 502 N. Woodbine.

Tuesday, April 14

• Final SNCTE meeting of the year at 3:30 p.m. in Murphy 106

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

• Griffon International Film Festival: Trey Hock, "Life on the Festival Circuit," 3 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Potter Hall room 106

• Griffon International Film Festival: Film screening from 7-9 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Potter Hall room 106

• Spring Jazz Concert at 7:30 p.m. in Potter Hall theater

Wednesday, April 15

• Lunch in the Nontraditional Student Center starting at 11 a.m. in Eder 200

• Gem Society luncheon at noon in Blum 218-219. Cost is $10 per person.

• Western Activities Council meeting at 4 p.m. in Blum 223

• Missouri Western State University/St. Joseph News-Press Student-Athlete Honors Banquet at 6:30 p.m. in the Fulkerson Center

• Griffon International Film Festival: Lars Pedersen Arendt, "Directing the Actor: Getting the Performance YOU Want" 3 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Potter Hall room 106

• Griffon International Film Festival: Film screening from 7-9 p.m. at the East Hills Library, 502 N. Woodbine

• Vocal Jazz Concert at 7:30 in Potter Hall theater

Thursday, April 16

• Healthcare Decision Day informational booth from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the Eder Lobby

• Griffon International Film Festival: Taymar Pixley, "Choosing Documentary Filmmaking" 3 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Potter Hall room 106

• Griffon International Film Festival: Film screening from 7-9 p.m. at the East Hills Library, 502 N. Woodbine

Friday, April 17

• Ambassadors Luncheon at the St. Joseph Country Club. Social begins at 11:30 a.m. and lunch begins at noon. Cost is $12 per person.

• Griffon International Film Festival: Andy Meyer, "Breakfast with Fried Green Tomatoes" 3 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Potter Hall room 106

• Griffon International Film Festival: Film screening from 7-9 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Potter Hall room 106

Sunday, April 19

• Symphonic Winds concert is at 7:30 p.m. in Potter Hall theater

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For Sale: Relatively new twin bed. Has firm mattress and springs. Reasonable price. Call Missy at 816-752-0344 for more information.

Wanted: One to two roommates wanted for a three-bedroom house. Five minutes from Western. Very nice home - $400-$450. You would have your own entrance and bathroom. Need someone ASAP. Call 816-387-6510 for more information.

For Sale: NASCAR Tickets! April 2009, Kansas Speedway, Craftsman Truck and Indy Car Series, 4 tickets each race. Half price - $25 per ticket. Email bjm1465@missouriwestern.edu for more information.

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