Feature on Sarah Puett, MAA alumna

Read the feature about Sarah Puett's progress as a PhD student in writing at the University of Minnesota.

ENG 361 Travels to London

ENG 361 (Harry Potter and the Popular Culture and Theater of London) visited England from May 7-17 under the supervision of Dr. Kay “Mad Eye” Siebler (Ravenclaw Class of 1986). Students enjoyed a Harry Potter Studio tour among many other activities. On a trip to York, students strolled the Medieval walls and cobblestone streets and took in the Viking center. They took a bus trip to the moors where the Hogwarts Express steam engine scenes were filmed.

In London itself, the group visited museums, had High Tea in an outdoor cafe, toured the Tower of London, admired the crown jewels, took a boat up the Thames, walked across London Bridge, and went to the Portrait Gallery (Salam Rushdie, Virginia Woolf, Dickens, and Wollstonecraft were on display; Rowling was not).  

 

 

 

Daugherty and Pippins Read Poetry

Heather (L) and Michel (R)

On Wednesday, May 16, Canvas 2018 contributors Heather Daugherty and Michel Pippins read their published poems at the St. Joseph Women's Press Club's quarterly meeting.

Heather is a current English major with a creative writing and publishing concentration, and Michel graduated in English with a creative writing and publishing concentration in 2016.

They both performed wonderfully! In addition, Dr. Marianne Kunkel read several poems from her forthcoming book of poetry, Hillary, Made Up (Stephen F. Austin State University Press), out September 15.

Mary Hess Starts Career

Good news to share so soon after commencement! Mary Hess, recent outstanding BA, English graduate, has found her first position.

Mary will be a marketing associate for Waller Truck Company in Excelsior Springs, MO. She will be managing their social media platforms and blog.

"I am excited to work in a field in which both my grandfathers worked before me," Mary shares.

Congratulations on the first of many post-graduate successes!

Stacia Studer Named Vice Principal

2002 BSE graduate Stacia Studer has been named the vice principal of Bode Middle School.

Stacia was named Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year for Northwest Missouri following her honor as St. Joseph School District's Teacher of the Year honor in 2016. She has taught in the SJSD since her graduation.

Congratulations, Stacia!

 

Spring 2018 EML Graduates

We congratulate our spring 2018 graduates!

Nahjae Charnele Bordelon, BA, Modern Languages
Sara Rose Brown, BA, English
Meranda Dawn Dennis, BA, English
Grace Antoinette Galbearth, BA, International Studies, Modern Languages
Amanda Rose Greer, BA, English
Stephanie Grace Gummelt, BA, English
Mariam Aleen Hess, BA, English
Arniecea A. Johnson, BA, English
Samantha Raye Lundy, BA, English
James Francis Marmaud, BA, English
Deir Montiel Dominguez, BA, International Studies, Modern Languages
Ronald Alexander Wilson, BA, Modern Languages

Masters Degree Hooding

Tonight three masters degree students were hooded in recognition of their graduation this spring.

Samantha Fidler-Newby, Like Lyu, and Jiuya Qin all received the Master of Applied Arts in Written Communication specializing in Technical Communication.

Congratulations, Master Griffons!

Canvas Launch 2018

On Wednesday, April 25, the EML department celebrated MWSU's literary and arts journal, Canvas for an afternoon launch of its 2018 issue. Canvas editor-in-chief Sara Brown and managing editor Huey led a program that featured award presentations, readings by contributors, and an announcement that, due to MWSU's adoption of Canvas software, Canvas will change its name to Reach. 

 

Thank you for all of the Canvas staff who participated in the launch, especially Allyson who made adorable beet pins to match the issue's beet cover. And thank you to all our EML and art faculty who attended, Dr. Mike Cadden, Dr. Bill Church, Dr. Gaywyn Moore, Dr. Kay Siebler, and Dr. Rebecca Foley. Finally, thank you for the MWSU Foundation who makes the publication of Canvas possible!

Melissa de la Cruz Visits Campus

On Monday, April 16, The Mochila Review hosted its annual author event, this year called "In the Shadow of Melissa de la Cruz." The author, who's written more than 45 books and topped many bestseller lists, read and presented to three groups of high school students at Central High School in the afternoon, and then shared her work at a public evening event in MWSU's Kemper Recital Hall. Opening the event were MWSU's theatre students performing stage adaptations from two of her books.

 

Ms. de la Cruz was an extremely warm and encouraging author; we're so grateful she visited us and we wish her the best on the rest of her book tour! Mochila sponsored this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council and with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the St. Joseph Public Library Board and MWSU's Prairie Lands Writing Project, School of Fine Arts, Center for Multicultural Education, International Student Services, and Center for Student Involvement.

The Spanish Club Organizes a Flamenco Night

On April 26th, Olé Music & Dance of Spain presented a show of flamenco at the Kemper Auditorium. Its director, Tamara Carson La Garbancito, is a UMKC graduate who trained in Spain on flamenco, the iconic dance and music from the South of Spain. She came to MWSU with a guitar player, a percussionist, and eight dancers, from the US, Mexico, Cuba and Spain.

The audience had the opportunity of learning a little about the complex world of flamenco and even of practicing the basic steps, since, after the show, Tamara and some of the performers offered a lesson on basic flamenco. This was the last event of the year for the Spanish Club.  

McCourt to be published

Congratulations to MWSU poet and long-time Mochila/Canvas staff member Chastity McCourt on her first publication! Her poem "Society Flawed" will appear in Portland Community College's journal The Pointed Circle.

Ferrier defends captsone project

Ms. Trudy Ferrier defended her capstone project entitled "Adapting Boy-Friendly Teaching Practices and Classroom Structures to Motivate Elementary Writers." Trudy is finishing her MAS degree in Assessment of Writing. Trudy is a third grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School in St. Joseph.



Dr. Mike Smith, Ms. Trudy Ferrier, Dr. Susan Martens, Ms. Dawn Terrick

Congratulations, Trudy!