Convocation on Critical Issues

Enrollment Continues to Grow

For the seventh consecutive year, Missouri Western has set a record for enrollment. As of the official census date on Sept. 27, the fall 2011 enrollment is 6,296, an increase of 2.6 percent from last year, said Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost and vice president for academic affairs. Since fall 2003, Western's enrollment has grown by nearly 27 percent.

''This is very good news,'' Dr. Daffron said. ''We're excited to see continued growth in challenging times. We have worked hard to ensure that we provide a high quality education that is affordable, accessible and meets the needs of the region, and this indicates that we’ve been successful. Missouri Western remains a top choice for students in our area, and we’re grateful for that. It also indicates that we're doing well in retaining those students once they arrive on campus.''

Undergraduate enrollment is up 2.1 percent, from 6,010 to 6,135. That includes a 35 percent increase in dual-credit students, high school students who are taking college classes. Graduate enrollment is up by 29.8 percent, from 124 to 161.

Western students are taking 72,300 credit hours this semester, also a record.

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Visiting Artist

Wildlife Society Receives International Honor

The latest honor for the Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society at Missouri Western State University is the biggest one yet: they were named International Student Chapter of the Year for 2011 by The Wildlife Society.

“This is the most prestigious recognition available to student organizations in the wildlife management discipline,” said Dr. Cary Chevalier, associate professor of biology and faculty sponsor. “Our students were recognized from a field of 119 student chapters in the U.S. and Canada, including some of the largest, oldest student chapters at some of the most recognized natural resources management schools in the world. We can be very proud of the hard work and commitment of our students, and the international respect and recognition they have clearly earned.”

This is the first time a chapter from Missouri has been named International Student Chapter of the Year. The MWSU chapter was previously named North Central Section Student Chapter of the Year four times.

Student chapters are evaluated in several categories, including workshop development, professional development, contributions to wildlife management and natural resource education, community service and others. In its award application, Western’s chapter detailed members’ involvement in projects and programs at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City, Mo., and other nearby conservation areas, attendance at professional conferences and workshops, volunteer work in the community, research and other activities designed to serve the community while enhancing the professional skills and knowledge of students. The application covered the 2010-2011 school year.

Last year’s chapter officers were: Ben Limle, president, of St. Joseph; Kirby Asher, vice president, of Brookfield, Mo.; Jordan Miller, secretary, of New Virginia, Iowa; Misha Mazurkewycz, treasurer, of St. Joseph; and executive board assistants Wyatt Jackson, of Adrian, Mo., and Richard Pawling, of Edgerton, Mo. This year's officers met with President Vartabedian (above) to share the good news and accept his congratulations.

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Members of the Missouri Western Arts Society enjoyed a reception on the Potter Hall stage following a vocal scholarship benefit concert, "An Evening of Sondheim," on Sept. 22. Members mingled with the student and faculty performers (left). The Arts Society is an organization founded to provide financial support to the art, music and theatre and cinema departments. It now has nearly 200 charter members. The Society's co-chairs are Karen Graves and Dr. Laurel Vartabedian (above).

Theatre and Cinema Presents Civil War Era 'Romeo & Juliet'

An encampment of Civil War reenactors on the lawn in front of Potter Hall will give opening night theatergoers a hint: Western's production of William Shakespeare's ''Romeo & Juliet'' will be just a bit nontraditional. Instead of being set in 14th century Italy, the production directed by Tee Quillin, assistant professor of theatre and cinema, will be set in Missouri in 1861.

''The backdrop of Romeo and Juliet's love story is two feuding families who literally live in a state of war,'' Quillin said. ''With 2011 being the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, and with Missouri's status as a border state with strong sympathies on both sides, it was natural to localize Shakespeare's timeless story by setting it in a community much like St. Joseph at the war's outset.''

The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-8, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9. Tickets can be purchased at www.mwsutix.com,  in person at the Box Office inside Potter Hall or by phone at 816-271-4452. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for military personnel and Western faculty and staff, and $6 for students. The production is suitable for ages 14 and up. Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early: theatre productions last year frequently sold out before the date of the performance.

Western's production won't alter Shakespeare's text, which obviously doesn't mention a war that started nearly 300 years after he wrote the play. Instead, Quillin said, the sense of time and place will be created by costumes, scenery and an informative multimedia presentation before the play begins.

On two nights of the play's run, the sense of time will begin even before theatergoers enter Potter Hall. Members of the Missouri State Guard Civil War Reenactors will be camped on the lawn in front of the building Thursday and Saturday nights. The unit took part in the 2011 Trails West Civil War Reenactment and was featured in the Scout Pictures documentaries ''Days of the Pony Express'' and ''St. Joseph: Days of Civil War.'' After the opening night performance Thursday, unit members Jim Conlon, Stan Rippey and Justin Rother will take to the stage to answer questions about the Civil War era.

For the first time, Western held open auditions for ''Romeo & Juliet,'' asking members of the community to try out for roles along with Western students. Community members securing roles include John P. Tretbar, news director for KSJQ and KKJO radio stations, who will pay Friar Laurence, and Larry Clifton, who will play Lord Montague.

Student cast members include Kiefer Helsel, freshman of St. Joseph, as Romeo; Misty Ballew, junior of Pleasant Hill, Mo., as Juliet; Erin Williams, senior of Milan, Mo., as the Nurse; Matt Wright, senior of St. Joseph, as Lord Capulet; and Sarah Noe, senior of Gower, Mo., as Lady Capulet.

Joining Quillin on the production team are Don Lillie, assistant professor of theatre and cinema, scenic design; Russell Langdon, lighting design; Kelly Vogel, costume design; Lisa Rock, props design; and Don McBride, technical direction.

In addition to the four public performances, the cast and crew are presenting special student matinee performances at 10 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 10-12. The production is also being entered in the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival play competition. If selected, Western will be asked to take the entire show to perform for the Region 6 Festival at the University of Oklahoma early next year.

This is the first of four main-stage productions in the 2011-2012 ''Season of Classics.'' Also on the schedule is ''A Christmas Carol'' Dec. 9-18, ''Arsenic and Old Lace'' Feb. 16-19 and ''Little Shop of Horrors'' April 19-29. Season tickets are also available through the box office or online.

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Western Presents Free Concert at Krug Park, First in a Series

Two instrumental music groups from Missouri Western State University will present a free concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 in the Krug Park Bowl amphitheater. The performance by the Symphonic Winds and Jazz Ensemble is the inaugural concert in a series of fall and spring performances at Krug Park. The series is a collaboration between Western, the St. Joseph School District and the St. Joseph parks, recreation and civic facilities department.

The Symphonic Winds, under the direction of Jeffrey Hinton, assistant professor of music and director of bands, will perform popular marches, folk songs and a tribute to victims and survivors of natural disasters in Japan. The Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Bob Long, assistant professor and director of jazz studies, will perform big band classics and modern charts.

Seating is available for 1,200 in the amphitheater, and lawn seating is available in the bowl as well.

Future concerts in the Krug Park Bowl Concert Series will feature instrumental and vocal music groups from Western and from the St. Joseph School District. The series is the vision of Dr. Carlos Moya, vice-president of Friends of the Park, who approached Western's president, Dr. Robert Vartabedian, and St. Joseph superintendent, Dr. Melody Smith. They responded enthusiastically to his idea of having groups from area schools provide high-level entertainment at no cost.

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