Homecoming 2011: Griffon Pride

Those entering campus via James McCarthy Drive Friday morning saw this large reminder that Homecoming Week is next week. This year's theme is ''Griffon Pride: Keepin' it Real."

Western Homecoming 2011: Griffon Pride

Students, faculty, staff and alumni of Missouri Western and the St. Joseph community will celebrate Homecoming 2011 Oct. 17 - 22. This year's theme is ''Griffon Pride: Keepin' it Real.'' Highlights of the week include a free performance by ''Last Comic Standing'' winner Josh Blue on Thursday, Oct. 20, and the annual Homecoming Parade and football game on Saturday, Oct. 22. 

Perhaps best known as the comedian who puts the cerebral in cerebral palsy, Josh Blue exploded onto the national comedy scene by capturing the attention and endearment of the country as the winner of NBC's ''Last Comic Standing'' in 2006. More recently, he debuted a well-received special on Comedy Central. Josh breaks down stereotypes of people with disabilities one laugh at a time. His stand-up routine is in a constant state of evolution and his off-the-cuff improvisational skills guarantee that no two shows are exactly alike.

Josh Blue will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 in the M.O. Looney Complex. The opening act at 6 p.m. will be ''Last Griffon Standing,'' comedy skits prepared by student organizations. The performances are free and open to the public.

The Homecoming Parade will take a longer route than years past. The parade will stage on Union Street, and step off from Union and Frederick Ave. at 9:30 a.m. The parade will travel down Frederick to Faraon Street, then west on Faraon to Fifth Street, south on Fifth to Felix Street, then east on Felix to Eighth Street. 

After the parade, the MWSU Alumni Association and the Western Institute's Center for Community Arts will sponsor ''Arts, Beats and Treats,'' a time of free crafts and activities for the whole family, from 10:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 22 in the Blum Student Union. Activities include fun craft projects, posters and banners to decorate, sugar cookie decorating and eating, face painting, balloon creations by That Balloon Dude and making Christmas cards for troops overseas.

The Homecoming football game is set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, as the Griffons host Truman State. 

Other student events include:

Monday, Oct. 17
--Griffon Treasure Hunters, 8 a.m. Kick off Homecoming events with the search for clues and win a 32 HDTV. The first clue will be available online at www.missouriwestern.edu/homecoming. 
--Amazing Griff Race, 6 p.m., Spratt Stadium. Teams of 5 will take a trip around the world learning about other countries and favorite pastimes while competing in an obstacle course. 

Tuesday, Oct. 18
--Extreme Griffon Takeover, 5 p.m., Blum Union. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to get involved by beautifying Westerns campus.

Wednesday, Oct. 19
--Griff My Ride, 6 p.m., Blum Union. Teams will compete to build a vehicle out of cardboard and duct tape. 

Friday, Oct. 21
--Dancing with the Griffons, 6 p.m., Spratt Stadium. Teams will compete in Westerns dance off before the crowning of royalty, the pep rally and bonfire.

Alumni events include:
Thursday, Oct. 20
--29th annual Alumni Awards Banquet, reception 5:45 p.m., dinner 6:30 p.m., Fulkerson Center. Tickets are $30 per person. Join the Alumni Association in honoring this year's alumni award recipients: 

***Distinguished Alumni Awards: Jackie Lewin '66, executive director, St. Joseph Museums Inc.; Dr. Bernie Patterson '73, chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Sen. Rob Schaaf '79, physician and Missouri State Senator; Eric Bruder '93, chief operating officer, WireCo WorldGroup.

***GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Awards: Dr. Shannon Brewer '01, assistant unit leader, Fisheries and Wildlife, State of Oklahoma; Kylee Strough '03, president, United Way of Greater St. Joseph

***Distinguished Faculty Award: Dr. Jane Frick, professor of English, foreign languages and journalism, and director of the Prairie Lands Writing Project

***Herb '35 and Peggy Iffert Award for Service to the University: David Shinneman, president, Shinneman Management

Friday, Oct. 21
--Third annual Griffon Alumni Golf Classic, 9 a.m., Fairview Golf Course. $35 per person for 18 holes of golf and a cart.
--Griffon Alumni Poker Showdown, 6:30 p.m., United Ballroom, 602 Felix St. $5 per person or $15 for a team of four. Register at the United Ballroom, then pick a card at each of the following locations: Snake Bite Club, Rendezvous, Felix Street Pub, Foster's Martini Bar and Em Chama's. Return to the United Ballroom to see who has the best hand, the worst hand, who picked the Griffon Cards and who is most spirited Griffon. Prizes will be awarded.

Saturday, Oct. 22
--Free pre-game tailgate, 11:30 a.m., Lot H. Let Missouri Western and Aramark Food Service do the cooking or bring your own grill. 

For more information on student events or the parade, call the Center for Student Engagement at 816-271-4159. For more information about the alumni events, call alumni services at 816-271-5646. To register for alumni events, visit www.griffonalumni.org.

 Top of Page

Western Announces Open Auditions for 'A Christmas Carol'

The department of communication studies, theatre and cinema  will hold open auditions for their upcoming production of ''A Christmas Carol'' by Charles Dickens, adapted for the stage by Michael Wilson and directed by Dallas Henry, assistant professor of theatre and cinema. There will be separate auditions for children and young adults on Saturday, Oct. 15, and for adults on Monday, Oct. 17. Callbacks for both groups will be on Tuesday, Oct. 18. 

Those interested should sign up for an audition time through Westerns online casting callboard at www.missouriwestern.edu/theatrecinema/callboard.asp.  Please fill out an audition form and bring it to the audition.

''This adaptation captures the magic and joy of the Dickens classic, and we're looking for great actors, especially great young actors, to help us tell the story,'' Henry said. ''It's a familiar story, but the production will have plenty of surprises as well. The message of the play - that the Christmas spirit doesn't depend on material things - is as important today as it was in Victorian London.''

Auditions for children and young adults, ages 6 to 17, will be held from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 in the Potter Hall Theater. Children auditioning should be prepared to sing one verse from a traditional holiday song a cappella. They should also prepare a short monologue, story, joke or short poem to recite. Total material prepared should not exceed two minutes.

Auditions for adult actors will be held 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17 in the Potter Hall Theater. Those auditioning must be familiar with the script, which is available for anyone to check out in Potter Hall 206. Actors should be prepared to read sides, which are posted online and will be available on the day of auditions. Actors can read sides for up to two characters. Memorization is not required, but recommended. Please be prepared to do a British accent, and sing an a cappella Christmas carol.

Most characters will be double and triple cast and some are open to either gender. All ethnicities open to casting. For more information, contact Dallas Henry at 816-271-4442 or by email at dhenry2@missouriwestern.edu.  

Rehearsals will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 19 and will run most nights Sunday through Thursday, except for the week of Fall Break, Nov. 18-26. Technical rehearsals will begin on Nov. 27 and performance dates are Dec. 9-20.

Children and young adult roles:
Tim Cratchit
Fred's daughter
Urchin/sleigh puller (three or more)
Schoolboys/girls (three or more)
Boy Scrooge/Fred's son
Young Scrooge of 14
Fan, Scrooge's sister
Belinda Cratchit
Peter Cratchit
Turkey Boy
Want

Adult male roles:
Ebenezer Scrooge
Mrs. Dilber, his housekeeper/Jacob Marley
Bob Cratchit, his clerk
Fred, his nephew
First solicitor
Second solicitor
Bert, a fruit and cider vendor/Spirit of Christmas Present
Mr. Marvel, a watchworks vendor/Spirit of Christmas Future
Undertaker
Mr. Fezziwig
Dick Wilkins
Mr. Topper
Old Joe
Ghostly apparition

Adult female roles:
Mrs. Dilber/Jacob Marley
Bettye Pidgeon, a doll vendor/Spirit of Christmas Past
First solicitor
Second solicitor
Rich lady
Undertaker
Mrs. Fezziwig
Nichola, Fezziwig's daughter
Wendy
Belle
Mrs. Cratchit
Fred's wife
Fred's sister-in-law
Ghostly apparition


Top of Page

 Western Hosts Verses and Voices Oct. 17-18

October is America's National Arts and Humanities Month, an event designed to encourage all Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of active participation in the arts and humanities. As part of this national emphasis in October, Missouri Western, the St. Joseph School District and Savannah R3 Schools will host the fourth annual Missouri Verses and Voices Festival on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 17 and 18. The Missouri Verses and Voices Festival inspires and celebrates the creative vision of the St. Joseph and Savannah middle and high school students. The students focus on writing and expressing the creative words of poetry through interpretive readings, music and visual art. Special guests for the 2011 Festival include David Clewell, Missouri's current Poet Laureate; Walter Bargen, Missouri's first Poet Laureate; and composer Mary Lynn Lightfoot of Kansas City. 

The Verses and Voices Festival events on Monday, Oct. 17 include a Writing Workshop at 4 p.m. in Western's Blum Union room 222-223. The Writing Workshop is hosted by Dr. Jane Frick, professor of English and director of the Prairie Lands Writing Project, and Dr. William Church, assistant professor of English. The Writing Workshop is open to all area students and teachers and will be taught by Missouri Poet Laureate, David Clewell, professor and director of creative writing at Webster University in St. Louis. 

All other events of the Festival are at the Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church, Frederick and Riverside. Also on Monday, the Open Mic Night event begins at 7 p.m. All those attending the Open Mic Night can read original and favorite poems with Missouri Poets Laureate David Clewell and Walter Bargen.

An important part of the Verses and Voices Festival is the Art and Poetry Display which opens at 6 p.m. both Monday and Tuesday. The Art and Poetry Display presents visual art and original poems that have received Awards for Vision and Creativity from the Poet Laureate, the St. Joseph and Savannah superintendents, Dr. Melody Smith and Dr. David Brax, and the principals of each area high school and middle school. The visual art in the Art and Poetry Display interprets poetry by David Clewell and St. Joseph poet, Eugene Field. 

The Verses and Voices Festival culminates on Tuesday, Oct. 18 with the Festival Concert at 7:30 p.m. at Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church. The concert includes the choirs of Benton, Central, Lafayette, LeBlond and Savannah High Schools, the Griffon Junior Singers, the St. Joseph Community Chorus Chamber Choir and the Missouri Western Concert Chorale. Each choir will present one song that sets a poem by a Missouri poet and one song by Mary Lynn Lightfoot. The audience's favorite moment of the concert is the beautiful sound when the combined choirs surround the audience to sing together. The concert also includes readings by high school and university Poet Laureate Award winners and readings by our Poets Laureate, David Clewell and Walter Bargen. Everyone in the area is invited to attend and enjoy the creative vision of our young people. Tickets for the concert are $10 and can be purchased at the door or from members of the choirs.

For questions about the Missouri Verses and Voices Festival call the Missouri Western State University Music Department at 816-271-4420. The executive committee of the local festival includes Mary Ann Haenni, Verses and Voices executive director; Kevin Griffin, supervisor of secondary fine arts for the St. Joseph School District; and Dr. David Benz, Verses and Voices founder and artistic director. Missouri's First Lady, Georganne Nixon, serves as the Honorary Chairperson of Missouri Verses and Voices. 

Top of Page