Week of October 11 - 17, 2004 

Welcome to the Tower Topics E-newsletter for faculty, staff and students at Western. 

Missouri Western State College, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-271- 4200

Click any link for these stories:

Professor Ashley Honored with Naming of Species

Campus Unites for United Way

Western Enrollment Increases

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.

Student Editor:
Paula White

Staff Advisers:
Kristy Hill and Diane Holtz

Professor Ashley Honored with Naming of Species

The isopod is blind, has no pigment, can only be found in a cave in southern Missouri and is only one-quarter inch long. But the recent naming of that tiny invertebrate was a very big honor for Dr. David Ashley, professor of biology at Western.

Brackenridgia ashleyi is now the official name of the species that was discovered in the late 1970s in Tumbling Creek Cave near Protem, Mo. in the rural Ozarks. Julian Lewis, the taxonomist who described and named the invertebrate, wrote that he chose the name to honor Dr. Ashley in recognition of his years of outstanding effort monitoring the ecosystem of Tumbling Creek Cave.

“It was totally unexpected,” said Dr. Ashley of the naming. He said he was very honored that an isopod species was named after him, and that “indirectly, it also honors Missouri Western students because it (the cave work) is a group effort.”

However, he said does not feel his cave work is the most significant work of his professional life. “My most significant accomplishment is that I am an educator. I teach. That is how I would identify what I do with my life,” he said. “I love to research, but it’s much more fun when you have students to share it with.”

Dr. Ashley, who teaches several cave-related courses at Western, has been traveling with students three to four times a year to research and monitor habitats in Tumbling Creek Cave since 1992. For six years, he and his classes have conducted a systematic count of the cavesnail in that cave for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

But, Dr. Ashley said, along with the cavesnail work, he and his students make the most of their time in the cave, monitoring several species and studying a number of cave habitats. “If it’s alive and in the cave, I make them (the students) count it.” For example, he and students have studied crickets, crayfish, snails, salamanders, bats and flatworms in caves in order to understand natural history, population dynamics and movement.

They also take advantage of the aboveground “laboratory” of the Ozarks, studying streams, insects, and scorpions and tarantulas in glades.

“These experiences have been invaluable to the students,” he said. “It is career-related experience that will help students reach their ultimate goals.” 

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Campus Unites for United Way

The United Way campaign is underway at Western.  It kicked off with a rally Sept. 28 to inform people about United Way agencies.  A skit was performed by Deny Staggs, assistant professor of theatre, and Dr. Diane Gorcyca, professor of speech communication, to start off the campaign.  Prizes have been given to those who have turned in a pledge card throughout the campaign or attended the rally. The campaign runs until Oct. 28.

Some of the prizes that have been given away are a “free” day off to Pat Stillman in the athletics department and Dr. Jeanie Crain in the president’s office; Gold Coat football tickets to Cori Criger in the Instructional Media Center; an umbrella from Raymond James Financial Services, Ind. to Julia Schneider in the library; and the grand prize of an overnight stay at the River Towne Resort was won by Terry White in criminal justice. 

In a letter to employees, Dr. Scanlon encouraged giving to United Way and said he feels that it is an excellent way to providing help to the needy of the area.  “The nonprofit agencies and vital human care services and programs in St. Joseph and the surrounding counties made possible through United Way helps countless people,” he said in the letter.  “Whether it is day care for a child, counseling for a disturbed teenager, shelter for a battered woman, or care for a physically disabled individual, there is a United Way agency that can help.” 

There are building coordinators in each building who can assist if you have any questions regarding the United Way or need to pick up or turn in a pledge card.

For more information contact one of the United Way tri-chairs:  Dr. Jeanne Daffon, Darcy Groce or Barb Harris.

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Western Enrollment Increases

Western reported a Fall 2004 enrollment figure of 5,105 students, a 2.8 percent increase over the fall 2003 semester. This fall, first-time freshmen number 1,078, up from 1,044 last fall, which is a 3.2 percent increase. The number out-of-state and transfer students also increased, and the number of credit hours posted a 1.7 percent increase.

“We’ve returned to our normal pattern of increasing enrollment,” said Dr. David Arnold, vice president for academic and student affairs. “We’ve taken efforts to increase the incoming class and transfer students as well as increasing retention.” 

Howard McCauley, director of admissions, agreed. “Western is doing a lot of great things, and the community, the region and high school counselors throughout the state are recognizing that," he said. He noted that numbers of returning students were also up, which contributed to the overall enrollment increase. “We had a great enrollment from Buchanan County, which set the tone for the rest of the state.”

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• Kevin Locke will perform traditional Lakota flute music and hoop dancing at  Western at 1 p.m. Oct. 14 in the Thompson E. Potter Fine Arts Theater. Locke, whose Lakota name is Tokeya Inajin, meaning “The First to Arise,” is known throughout the world as a visionary hoop dancer, the preeminent player of the indigenous Northern Plains flute, a traditional storyteller, cultural ambassador, recording artist and educator.  The performance is made possible by grants from the Co-Curricular Events Committee, Center for Multicultural Education, Campus Activities Board and the Student Government Association.

• The economics department is having their third annual Econofest at 3 p.m. Oct. 14.  The Econofest acquaints students with faculty, programs, opportunities and scholarships.  The program will include presentations by department alumni as well as give an introduction to the Economics Club and International Economics Honor Society.  For more information, contact Lea Miller at 5870.

• Western will host the Griffon International Film Festival, a juried event featuring 40 comedy, documentary, and dramatic award-winning films from all over the world, including Scotland, Italy, England, and the United States. The festival begins at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Leah Spratt Multipurpose Classroom Building, Kemper Recital Hall, and will run all day Oct. 16 and 17. The community is invited to attend.

• Western  will host the 14^th annual History Bowl for area high schools in northwest Missouri at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 in the Frank Popplewell Administration Building, rooms 104 and 105. Observation of the event is free and open to the community and is co-sponsored by the department of history, philosophy, and geography, as well as the school of liberal arts and sciences at Western.  For more information, contact Dr. Greiert at 5688.

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Tuesday, October 12

• Tournament of Champions, 2 p.m., Spratt Stadium

Wednesday, October 13

• Volleyball vs. Washburn, home, 7 p.m.

• Presidential Debate Watch, 7:45 p.m., MC101.  

Thursday, October 14

• Kevin Locke performance, FA main stage, 1 p.m.

• St. Joseph Community Chorus Fall Concert

• GED, SS/C 208, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Friday, October 15

• Volleyball vs. Central Missouri State, Warrensburg, Mo., 7 p.m. 

Saturday, October 16

• Football vs. Northwest Missouri State, Maryville, Mo., 1 p.m.

Sunday, October 17

• St. Joseph Area Music Teachers Association, FA 112, 3 p.m.

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• For Sale:  1993 Ford Taurus, 60,000 miles, very clean, no rust, runs great!  $1,500.  If you are interested or have any questions, call 676-2859.

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