Week of  Sept. 25 - Oct. 1, 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 16th annual Convocation

Vartabedian Gives 'State of the University' Address

Agnew, Anderson Featured in Noon Concert Series

Incubator to Get New Laboratory Equipment

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 16th annual Convocation

Environmental activist, writer and attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will speak at the 16th annual Convocation on Critical Issues at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 1 in the M.O. Looney Complex. The event is free and open to the public. All 9:30 classes on that day are cancelled and offices may be closed so that students, faculty and staff can attend.

Kennedy is chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeepers, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, and is the first among a new breed of environmentalist. A high-profile political speaker and activist, he has used numerous media outlets, including his 2004 book, “Crimes Against Nature,” to call into question the environmental policies of the United States.

As a keynote speaker, Kennedy Jr. delivers a passionate defense of the environment and describes how its continued neglect affects the future of the planet and the health of future generations. He advocates a direct and aggressive approach against entities whose policies accelerate pollution and maintain the status quo. Kennedy calls upon all people to actively make a difference in their world.

“We have endeavored for years to bring a diversity of issues to these Convocations,” said R. Dan Boulware, a former Western regent in whose honor the Convocation series is held. “I am pleased that we will for the first time address issues about the environment and its impact on the world and our economy into the future.”

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.

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.

Parking Please note that the north end of Lot J will be closed in the early morning hours of Oct. 1 to provide Convocation parking.

Processional Nearly 150 faculty and staff members have indicated their intent to march in the Convocation processional. All who plan to march need to wear academic regalia (no hats) and should gather in the small gym no later than 9:15 Thursday morning.
 

Top of Page

Vartabedian Gives Chamber 'State of the University' Address

President Vartabedian spoke to more than 50 business and government leaders at the St. Joseph Rising breakfast sponsored by the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 25 at the Fulkerson Center.

Dr. Vartabedian described the growth of the university, reporting that Western has enjoyed record enrollment this fall for the fifth straight year. "But growth for the sake of growth is not what we're looking at," said Dr. Vartabedian. "We are looking at qualitative as well as quantitative growth."

The university has made tangible progress on most of the goals Dr. Vartabedian set when he took over as Western's president on July 1, 2008, including increased graduate student enrollment, better utilization of Western's retirees and efforts to improve the financial literacy of students. While those initiatives remain ongoing, Dr. Vartabedian described additional items on the university's agenda this year.

He asked for the community to get involved in two high-profile searches that are underway for the dean of the Craig School of Business and the newly created vice president for student affairs. "We would love to have the community involved in public forums when those finalists come on campus," he said. The deadline for the business dean applications is Sept. 30, and for the vice president's position is Oct. 5.

Dr. Vartabedian also described his vision for more international students on campus, more online courses and additional student housing.

"We are bursting at the seams," Dr. Vartabedian said. "We've outgrown our current capacity for student housing. We think we could use another 250 beds, which is amazing since Scanlon Hall is a relatively new hall and we thought we overbuilt. We will be working on a plan as soon as possible."

Dr. Vartabedian spoke about the outdoor campus project, using outside funds to enhance the university's appearance, as well as the Remington Hall and indoor sports and recreation facility construction projects. He talked about the many activities the university participates in.

"We are a lot of things," he said. "But all of these things have one primary goal, and that is giving our students a first-rate learning experience, and doing something meaningful with what they've learned."

Top of Page

Agnew, Anderson Featured in Noon Concert Series

The 11th season of the monthly First Thursday Downtown Noon Concert Series continues at 12:10 p.m. Oct. 1 inside the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church, 301 N. 7th St., with a performance by Shaun Agnew and Jerry Anderson. The series is sponsored by the church and the department of music at Western.

Shaun Agnew, baritone, is a 2004 cum laude graduate of Western with a degree in vocal music education with a performance emphasis in voice. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music pursuing a Masters of Arts degree in choral conducting and will complete the degree in December 2009. Agnew is the director of music and worship arts at Ashland United Methodist Church, where he directs the chancel choir, bell choirs and contemporary praise band.

As a seasoned performer, Agnew has performed on numerous occasions with the St. Joseph Community Chorus and the St. Joseph Symphony. In 2006, he began acting with Robidoux Resident Theatre (RRT) and has been featured in several recent productions. Joining RRT’s board of directors in the fall of 2007, he served as the musical director for “Forever Plaid” and “Fiddler on the Roof” earlier this year. Agnew was honored with the 2009 Mayor’s Art Award for Individual Performer.

Jerry Anderson, professor emeritus at Western, retired as director of keyboard studies in 2007, but continues to teach in his home studio. Many of his students have won awards in piano performance, completed master and doctoral degrees and are in successful performance and teaching careers.

The Missouri Music Teachers Association named him as Missouri Music Teacher of the Year in 2004 and in 2008 selected him to be a Music Teacher National Association Scholarship Foundation Fellow.

Since 1974 Anderson has been director of music (organist/choirmaster) at First Presbyterian Church where he plays the 46-rank Visser-Rowland pipe organ installed in 1989.

The audience is invited to bring lunch to eat while listening to the performances. Beverages will be provided. There will be an opportunity to meet the musician after the concert. In order to help defray expenses and to insure the continuation of the series, a freewill offering will be taken. The suggested minimum donation is three dollars. Additional financial assistance has been provided by the Commerce Bank of St. Joseph.
 

Top of Page

Incubator to Get New Equipment

Western's Board of Governors on Sept. 24 approved the purchase of four pieces of analytical laboratory equipment for the Christopher S. "Kit" Bond Science and Technology Incubator.

"This equipment is generally not found in an academic environment," said Dr. Gary Clapp of the Institute for Industrial and Applied Life Sciences, the public-private partnership that runs the incubator for the university. "Western should be proud of having these pieces of equipment available for students and faculty."

The equipment includes a liquid chromatography system with a mass spectrometer unit, a gas chromatography system with flame ionization and electron capture detectors, a gas chromatograph with a mass spectrometer, and an automatic polarimeter. This equipment is commonly used in industrial labs and will enhance the incubator as a training facility for animal health industry technicians, said Mel Klinkner, vice president for financial planning and administration.

The equipment costs approximately $285,000 and will be paid for by an appropriation included in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill that was signed by President Obama in March. Rep. Sam Graves was responsible for the appropriation being included.

Top of Page

Tower Sports

Griffon football Western improved to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 in MIAA play with a dramatic 37-34 home victory over Washburn on Sept. 19. Junior kicker Brad Beckwith drilled a school-record 53-yard field goal as time expired to provide the winning margin. The win boosted the Griffons in the AFCA Top 25 for the first time, at No. 18. They’re No. 14 in the D2football.com media poll. Western travels to Pittsburg State on Sept. 26 to face the Gorillas, ranked No. 23 in the AFCA poll and No. 19 in the D2football.com poll. Kickoff in Pittsburg, Kan., is at 2 p.m.

Missouri Court of Appeals The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District will convene court at Western for the twelfth consecutive year at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 7 in Kemper Recital Hall in Spratt 101. Students are encouraged to attend oral arguments. A three-judge panel consisting of Chief Judge Thomas H. Newton, Mark D. Pfeiffer and Karen King Mitchell will hear oral argument in three cases. Newton explained that the cases are appeals from previously held trials in area circuit courts. The judges will hear attorneys argue whether the trials had errors that should cause them to be retired, or the trial court's judgment reversed. The judges will read written arguments before the court session and may interrupt the attorney's with questions. The judges will break sometime during the arguments to explain the judicial system in general and the appellate judiciary in particular.

Banned Book Reading Western will hold its 13th annual reading of challenged and banned books to celebrate the American Library Association’s Banned Book Week from 7- 8 p.m. Oct.1 in the Blum Union, room 218. The event is free and open to the public, with refreshments following the readings. Western students, faculty and members of the St. Joseph community will be reading books that have either been banned or challenged in recent years in U.S. schools. The event is sponsored by the department of English, foreign languages and journalism; the department of education; the Western library; the student affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English; and the Prairie Lands Writing Project. For further information please contact Dr. Michael Cadden, professor of English and department chair, at 4369; Dr. Michael Smith, professor of education, at 4514; or Julia Schneider, library director, at 4369. Please visit the English, Foreign Languages and Journalism Blog for more information about these coming events: Banned Book Reading, Open Mic Reading, and the Foreign Film Festival at www.efljblog.blogspot.com.

St. Joseph Symphony The St. Joseph Symphony will present "Made in America" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Missouri Theater, 717 Edmond Street. The symphony, under the direction of new conductor and Western faculty member Rico McNeela, will perform music composed in America by Gould, Barber, Copland and Dvorak. Discount tickets for Western faculty and staff are available from the St. Joseph Symphony, 816-233-7701. The Public Relations and Marketing Office has a free pair of balcony tickets available. The first person to email Roger Swafford, rswafford1@missouriwestern.edu, can claim the tickets.

Donations Needed Oct. 2-4 the Office of Residential Life will be hosting a Resident Assistant Conference (the 2009 Heartland RA/SA Conference.) This is an annual conference that is hosted by different schools every year, and brings Housing Student Staff members together from across the region. This year we will have 70 participants arriving from other universities in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa and Wisconsin.  Part of the conference is a philanthropy project. We have picked the Friends of the Animal Shelter as our philanthropy. The conference participants have been asked to bring items such as cleaning supplies, dog and cat food, cat litter, toys, leashes and harnesses, etc., as well as cash donations, that we will be giving to the Animal Shelter on behalf of the Conference. In addition to this, we will be making fleece blankets to be used in the cat and kitten cages in the shelter. We are needing old fleece blankets, or pieces of fleece material, to use in making these blankets! If you have any blankets or material you would be willing to donate, please contact Bobbie Delaney at 383-7114 or delaney@missouriwestern.edu.

Post-Parade Party On Saturday, October 17, the Alumni Association will host its first faculty/alumni reception in conjunction with Homecoming. The Post-Parade Party will include an opportunity for all academic departments to mingle with their alumni and update them on what is happening within their departments and university wide. You are welcome to bring a display about your department if you wish, or just come visit with alumni. We know that alumni treasure their faculty and often ask about you. Please join us on October 17 at 10:30 a.m. in the first floor lobby of the Blum Union. Feel free to bring your families, as the Center for Community Arts will be offering several hands-on arts activities for kids. For planning and catering purposes, please RSVP to Alumni Services at 5646 or email mwalumni@missouriwestern.edu. We look forward to seeing you there!

Marine Corps Birthday Nov. 10 is the 234th birthday of the United State Marine Corps. Northwest Mo. Det. #180 Marine Corps League will be hosting a Birthday Ball at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 at St. Joe Terrible's Casino. Ticket cost is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Ticket includes dinner and all ceremonies. Contact Brenda Lindstrom for more information 816-262-6808 or lindstrom5811@sbcglobal.net.

Volunteers Needed to Help with Disability Students We are forming a transportation network to assist students with disabilities to get from the parking lots to their buildings. These is an ongoing need for transports as there are not enough handicapped spaces close to the buildings. Some of the disabled students do not have handicapped plates but they have trouble walking such long distances from the large parking lots. We are getting together to brainstorm about ideas that we can fill this need and help our fellow students. Please contact Robin Wormsley at 816-378-3700 or 816-383-1290.

For Employees

Staff Association 'Pay It Forward' Award The Special Events Committee of the Staff Association has created a recognition program called Western Pay it Forward Award for staff. The Western Pay it Forward Award is a way to recognize individuals who are doing nice things for others or making a contribution to the university. The goal is to build relationships with others and recognize them at the same time! The Western Pay it Forward nomination must be submitted during the month the individual was seen helping/assisting our campus community. A few examples would be: picking up a piece of trash, helping another colleague with a project or task, going out of their way to help a student, or anything above and beyond the call of duty. To recognize a staff member, go to the Staff Association Webpage and click the tab for Western Pay it Forward Award. The direct link is www.missouriwestern.edu/StaffAssn/payitforward.asp. Submit the nominee's name, the nominator's name and a brief description of why you are nominating the staff member.

Homecoming Judges Still Sought Western's 2009 Homecoming committee is still seeking faculty and staff to participate in judging this year's events. This is an essential part of Homecoming. Events are the 12-17th of October and don't require a huge time commitment. If you are interested in volunteering your time please contact Megan Glenn by email lmg7453@missouriwestern.edu or by phone 816-294-9170. Thank you for your help with this year's Homecoming.

Staff and Faculty Photos In order to make the photos on our website's department and office directories more professional looking, the Public Relations and Marketing Office has purchased a photography backdrop. Many of the head-and-shoulders photos on the website are already professional photos and they don't need to change, but if you do not like your photo, or you need one taken, Diane Holtz would be happy to take it. The backdrop is set up in Spratt 106. You may come over about anytime, but call first to make sure Diane is there. It will only take a few minutes to take the photo.

United Way A message from the MWSU United Way Campaign Committee: Western's 2009 United Way Campaign has begun, with a goal of raising $40,000. The money we raise will be allocated across 18 service agencies that service the greater St. Joseph area with a focus on the fundamentals of education, financial stability and health. If you are not familiar with what the United Way does for our area, I encourage you to visit www.missouriwestern.edu/unitedway to learn more. I think you'll be surprised by how far they stretch their limited dollars to maximize their impact. Our students have led the way by raising nearly $1,700 in a two-day period during the Griffon Edge program. Soon, you will be receiving your pledge card for the 2009 campaign and I hope you'll make the decision to "Live United" and give what you can. Even a nominal amount can go a long way and with the payroll deduction option, you can spread out your donation over the entire year.

For Students

Career Fair Plan now to attend the Career Fair from 1-3:30 p.m. Tues., Oct. 6 in the Fulkerson Center. Besides career positions, there will also be internships and part-time jobs available. Bring resumes and dress professionally. Come and network with employers.

Get Involved Interested in getting involved in a growing group of intelligent people trying to make a difference by improving themselves and serving others? Multicultural Institute is a multicultural leadership program designed to engage students in diversity activities, teambuilding, personal dialogue, service and cultural exploration. If you are interested in being part of this experience stop by the Center for Multicultural Education in Blum 210 for more information.

Wanna Get Involved? Do you ever find yourself around campus with nothing to do? Do you want to surround yourself with fun, outgoing, diverse people? If you fit this description, or just want to try something new, then come join ALAS, the Association of Latin American Students, where we focus on raising awareness for the Hispanic culture and provide support for Hispanic and Non-Hispanic students, all while having a good time. Oh, and by the way, you don't have to be Hispanic to join. For more information please com to our meeting at 4 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Center for Student Engagement (Blum 207) or contact acossyleon@missouriwestern.edu. Snacks will be provided!

American Criminal Justice Association Planning on majoring in Criminal Justice and/or Legal Studies? Delta Phi Upsilon (DPU) is the Criminal Justice fraternity at Western. We are a chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA), Lambda Alpha Epsilon, founded in 1937 to serve all criminal justice disciplines. DPU is a great way to get involved on campus and to do something that is related to your major. We have opportunities for everyone. Come join us at our next meeting held at 1 p.m. every Tues. in Wilson Hall 203M. New members are welcome! For further information contact Leona Long, DPU President, at lmurphy3@missouriwestern.edu. To learn more about ACJA, visit www.acjalae.org.

Top of Page

Friday, September 25

• Foreign Film Series "La Celestana," 6:30 p.m., Hearnes 102

• Griffon Volleyball, vs. Southwest Baptist University, 7 p.m., Looney Arena

Saturday, September 26

• Griffon Football at Pittsburg State University, 2 p.m., Pittsburg, Kan.

• Griffon Volleyball, vs. Missouri Southern State University, 2 p.m., Looney Arena

• Griffon Soccer at Missouri Southern State University, 7 p.m., Joplin, Mo.

• Griffon Women's Golf at SW Minnesota State Mustang Invitational, Marshall Golf Club, Marshall, Minn.

Sunday, September 27

• Griffon Women's Golf at SW Minnesota State Mustang Invitational, Marshall Golf Club, Marshall, Minn.

Monday, September 28

• Retirement reception for Mary Zacklene, 2-4 p.m., Eder 104

• SGA Senate meeting, 5 p.m., Blum 220

• Griffon Men's Golf, at NCAA Division II Preview Tournament, The Sagamore Club, Indianapolis, Ind.

Tuesday, September 29

• Griffon Men's Golf, at NCAA Division II Preview Tournament, The Sagamore Club, Indianapolis, Ind.

Wednesday, September 30

• Convocation Dinner, 7 p.m., Fulkerson Center

Thursday, October 1

• Convocation on Critical Issues with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 9:30 a.m., Looney Arena

• First Thursday Downtown Noon Concert Series with Shaun Agnew and Jerry L. Anderson, 12:10 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 7th & Jules

• Griffon Women's Golf at Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat Fall Classic, Mozingo Lake Golf Course, Maryville, Mo.

• Griffon Soccer at Truman State University, 4 p.m., Kirksville, Mo.

• Foreign Film Series "After Life," 6:30 p.m., Hearnes 102

• SGA Pool Party hosted by RC, 7 p.m., Looney Arena pool

Saturday, October 3

• Griffon Football, vs. Northwest Missouri State University, 1:30 p.m., Spratt Stadium

• Griffon Soccer at the University of Central Missouri, 7 p.m., Warrensburg, Mo.

• St. Joseph Symphony performance, 7:30 p.m., Missouri Theater, 719 Edmond Street

Top of Page

Top of Page