EFLJ Blog

Chinese Spring Festival Event

2012-02-02T19:18:00.002-06:00

Celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival!
3:30 pm, February 8, 2012
Hoff 218-219 (Blum)

This most important celebration in China begins on Chinese New Yes Eve and ends with the Lantern Festival.
Join us to find out more about it!

Foreign Film Series Schedule

2012-01-31T16:33:00.007-06:00

Monday, January 30, Tambien la lluvia / Even the Rain (In Spanish with English subtitles) presented by Cathy Pankievicz

Wednesday, February 15, Crazy Stone, Chinese Film with English subtitles (TBA) presented by Tiantian Zou

Thursday, February 23, Cherry Blossoms (In German with English subtitles)

Friday, March 2, Le Herisson / The Hedgehog (French Film with English subtitles) presented by Claudine Evans

Tuesday, March 27, Biutiful“(In Spanish with English subtitles) presented by Eduardo Castilla Ortiz

Wednesday, April 4, In the Mood for Love, Chinese Film with English subtitles (TBA) presented by Tiantian Zou

Thursday, April 12t, Voces Inocentes / Innocent voices (In Spanish with English subtitles) presented by Ana Bausset

Thursday, April 19, Camille Claudel (In French with English subtitles) presented by Susie Hennessy, sponsored by French Alliance 6:00 pm.

All films are scheduled to show at 6:30 pm in Hearnes Hall 102 (Little Theater in the lower floor of our MWSU Library)

All are Welcome (even gum-chewers and ne'er-do-wells!)

Free Admission (though you are welcome to tell your date that you paid)

Chinese Spring Festival Approaches

2012-01-20T09:57:00.003-06:00

In honor of our Fulbright scholar, Tiantian, we share some news and information about the coming Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year.

The celebration begins January 22 (Chinese New Year's Eve) and runs through the Lantern Festival on February 6.

This will be the year of the dragon. It is well known that people born in the year of the dragon are wise, attractive, drawn toward service (such as posting blog entries), and exceed in humility.

The site linked below will, unlike some blogs, provide accurate information about the festival and the year of the dragon:

http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/spring-festival/

gōngxǐ fācái!

Jason Youngkeit has article accepted

2012-01-11T20:42:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Dr. Jason Youngkeit, whose article “Malinche de Laura Esquivel: una lucida reevaluación discursiva de lo histórico” will appear in Confluencia 28.1, which is the fall 2012 issue.

website: http://www.unco.edu/hss/confluencia/

English Instructor and Student Featured in The Bedford Researcher

2012-01-05T16:00:00.004-06:00

ENG 108 student Nicholas Brothers and ENG 108 instructor and Director of Developmental Writing Dawn Terrick are featured in the fourth edition of Mike Palmquist’s The Bedford Researcher.

The textbook is designed to “help students to understand research writing both conceptually and practically, combining a rhetorical framework with the accessible guidance students need to help them navigate the world of academic research writing.” In order to do this, the textbook features the process and work of real student writers.

In this most recent edition, you can follow Western’s own Nicholas Brothers as he writes and presents a research project for his ENG 108 class on private military corporations in the U.S. using both published, scholarly sources and interviews. Check out the website to see what one of our students is writing about.

Congratulations, Dawn and Nicholas!

November Accomplishments

2011-12-05T10:01:00.003-06:00

Pretty Cool Things Accomplished By EFLJers in November:

Presentations/Workshops
Dawn Terrick presented the paper “Coming in From the Boundaries: A Learning Community that Unites Elementary School Children with First-Generation College Students to Illustrate the Possibilities of Education” at the 16th Annual National Learning Communities Conference, hosted by Harper College, in Chicago, IL

Conference/Seminars/Committees
Susan Hennessy attended the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages annual meeting in Denver. She presented the Missouri Foreign Language Collaboration Initiative.

Exhibitions/Publications/Peer Review
Susan Hennessy’s article "Academy of Future French Teachers: A Plan for Recruiting" appeared in the November issue of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) National Bulletin.

Student/Community Involvement/Successes
Approximately 30 freshmen honors students attended a presentation by Beth Schild, former Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, West Africa. This event reflects the theme of Susan Hennessy’s HON 195 this semester: Being a World Citizen.

Jane Frick led a breakout session, "Building Relationships with Your State Department of Education" at the National Writing Project's annual meeting, held in Chicago, November 17-18. Frick also coordinated the delivery of Prairie Land Writing Project's "Making and Technical Writing" workshop, held at Missouri Western on November 12. The workshop was funded by a National Writing Project grant from the MacArthur Foundation and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Kaye Adkins, MWSU English professor, was the workshop conference keynote speaker; thirty-five area teachers participated.

Appointments
Jeanie Crain completed her third reaffirmation review for AQIP

The rest of us will try to amount to something soon.

Mary Stone Dockery Nominated for a Pushcart Prize

2011-12-05T09:45:00.005-06:00

Mary Stone Dockery, and English alum and KU graduate student, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Blood Lotus: An Online Literary Journal. The nomination is under the "Best of the Small Press Series."

The process for nomination is explained on the Pushcart Prize site: "Little magazine and small book press editors (print or online) may make up to six nominations from their year’s publications by our December 1, (postmark) deadline. The nominations may be any combination of poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot."

Congratulations on the nomination, Mary! Do let us know if you get the whatnot award.

Ana Bausset-Page Becomes Grandmother

2011-12-03T11:47:00.004-06:00

It continually surprises us in EFLJ, a department comprised exclusively of thirty-year-old faculty, when one of our own claims grandchildren. Ana Bausset-Page, brand new to our Spanish faculty, makes such a claim.

Little Evie, short for "Evelyn Perl Kirk," was born on November 23, 2011 (when Dana Andrews last turned 39). She was a home delivery. She weighed in at 6lbs, 8oz and measured 21 inches long. Ana's oldest son Ivan and his wife Christina are the proud parents. As you can see from the photo, Evie is actually a cute baby, unlike most of them who simply look like Winston Churchill with gas.

Evie has a two-year-old brother named Max. Nobody has asked Max, undoubtedly a "Wild Thing," what he thinks of all this. We are certain to find out.

Contratulations, Nana Ana!

Alumnus Tracy Jones Teaches Abroad

2011-12-03T11:36:00.003-06:00

Tracy Jones, a 1998 graduate with a BA in English/Writing, has taken his talents overseas.

Tracy completed an MA in TESOL at London Metropolitan Unversity in 2009 and continued to teach ESL students in London until the following year. He returned to South Korea in 2010 to work for a former employer, and was later recruited to help launch a new English language center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

In 2011, Tracy accepted a position as an English Lecturer at Raffles International College HCMC, a Singapore-based group of design/business colleges and universities with 37 campuses throughout Asia and Oceania.

Tracy can be reached at gurunam@hotmail.com.

Alum Raises Money for Abused Children

2011-11-15T09:31:00.004-06:00

EFLJ alumna LeAnn Neal Reilly announces her plan to donate income from book sales to Heath Evans Foundation as response to Penn State Case

Prompted by recent news reports of child rape at Pennsylvania State University, LeAnn
announced that she plans to donate a portion of her income from her second novel, Saint Sebastian‘s Head, to the Heath Evans Foundation (HEF). HEF, a charity founded by veteran NFL player Heath Evans, provides counseling and therapy to victims of childhood sexual abuse. Saint Sebastian‘s Head, which The Midwest Book Review calls "thoughtful and riveting," features an adult narrator dealing with the lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse among other serious issues.

LeAnn believes that Saint Sebastian's Head is particularly appropriate for her efforts to raise money for real-life victims of sexual abuse. Narrated by Weeble, a young woman nicknamed for her ability to keep her balance in challenging situations, the novel unflinchingly explores the lasting damage from childhood sexual abuse and Weeble‘s subsequent struggle to overcome its effects.

"Having worked so many years as a civil rights attorney, I think I 'get‘ damaged people," said Janie Hickok Siess, who recently reviewed Saint Sebastian‘s Head on her book review site Colloquium. "I‘ve represented a number of folks who survived traumatic events—for example, in the workplace, from sexual harassment, or from retaliation—and suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although PTSD isn‘t named in Saint Sebastian‘s Head, it‘s really at the core of Weeble‘s issues, I believe. Her behavior as a victim of sexual abuse rang true."

Cases like that at Penn State along with a strong desire to portray healing for victims motivated Neal Reilly to write Saint Sebastian‘s Head. The novel, narrated in two timelines, is partly set
in St. Joseph and partly inspired by the murders of Eric Christgen and Michelle Steele, which Neal Reilly recalls from her childhood. "Real life isn‘t as neatly tied up as a novel, but I want to make a difference for children who‘ve been sexually abused, if it‘s possible," Neal Reilly said. "Raising money for an organization that tries to bring healing and hope to those who have been hurt is a start."

Neal Reilly is also the author of The Mermaid‘s Pendant. She lives just outside Boston with her family. Saint Sebastian‘s Head, released on November 1, is available as a trade paperback edition and an ebook edition through online retailers and can be ordered through bookstores nationwide. Check out her website: www.nealreilly.com

FOR REVIEW COPIES OR MEDIA INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
LEANN NEAL REILLY

TO CONTACT JANIE HICKOK SIESS, PLEASE EMAIL:
JHSMAIL@COMCAST.NET

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEATH EVANS FOUNDATION, PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL:
INFO@HEATHEVANS.ORG OR (561) 282-6345

El Dia de los Muertos

2011-11-11T10:28:00.006-06:00

On November 1st the Spanish Club celebrated “El Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead). The large attendance, way over room capacity, made for a great celebration. The event was conducted by Eric McCrerey, The Spanish Club president.

Club advisors Dr. Castilla Ortiz and Dr. Bausset-Page used the event to teach students about this cultural event, especially the differentiation between El Día de los Muertos and Halloween

Students had a chance to color some skulls and share pan de los muertos (bread of the Dead). The walls were decorated with typical festival art found in many areas of Mexico throughout Latin America.

Dr. Bausset-Page had activities involving jargon and images about this special day in which the living and the dead celebrate life from an eternal perspective. As is typical, an altar was built to honor a dead person, in this case the 10th anniversary since the departure of the father of Dr. Castilla.

Spanish Immersion Day

2011-11-11T10:14:00.007-06:00

On November 5th The Foreign Language Faculty hosted a Spanish Immersion Day for high school teachers from surrounding schools. The day was filled with language practice and revision, cooking together Spanish dishes, oral games, a film discussion.

This is the first such encounter organized by our EFLJ foreign languages faculty in an effort to maintain and increase language skills among those teaching in regional high schools. Foreign language teachers, especially those without colleagues in their high schools, do not have many opportunities to maintain their language proficiency level.

Dr. Eduardo Castilla-Ortiz reports that the enthusiasm was high among the participants, all happy to have the chance to stay “en español” all day long with himself and Dr. Bausset-Page, both of whom are native Spanish-speakers. All day Saturday was spent sharing time, instruction, fun, and assessing the real needs of our foreign language teacher colleagues.

Participants were awarded certificates acknowledging this professional growth activity.

October Student and Faculty Activities

2011-11-03T12:18:00.007-05:00

Here is what faculty and students were up to in the month of October:

Eduardo Castilla-Ortiz presented the paper "Gay and Grey: Subjectivity Challenged in Literary Narrative" at the 36th Annual European Studies Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.

Susie Hennessy presented the paper "Thou Shalt Be Fruitful" at the annual Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium in Philadelphia.

Elizabeth Latosi-Sawin presented her paper "Models of Interdisciplinary Education" at the National College Honors Council conference in Phoenix, Arizona. She also participated in the meeting of the Teaching and Learning Committee of which she is a member and supervised undergraduate students in their exploration of Phoenix in one of the many City-as-Text excursions.

Kay Siebler presented the paper "What's So Femininst About Garters and Bustiers?: Is Neo-Burlesque Feminst Rhetoric of Patriarchy Recast?" at the national conference of Feminism(s) and Rhetoric(s) at Minnesota State University.

Ann Thorne presented two sessions at the 90thAnnual ACP/CMA National College Media Convention. The sessions were “Making it Fresh: Yearbook Story Ideas that Work,” and “Successful Yearbook Leadership.”

Kaye Adkins attended the international conference of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication, October 6-8 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she participated in the Administrator's Roundtable. Dr. Adkins is Treasurer for the organization.

Susie Hennessy attended the meeting of the Foreign Language Association of Missouri in St. Louis, where she met with consortium partners regarding collaboration for French and German.

Ken Rosenauer attended the Fall National College Media Convention in Orlando, where he delivered a report to the CMA Board of Directors, on which he sits as immediate past president of the organization. He also presented a session on CMA's Adviser Advocacy Program, which he leads and which assists media advisers when actions are taken against them in the performance of their duties. Rosenauer has been a CMA member since 1980, served as its president 2007-09, and is a member of its Hall of Fame.

Mike Cadden published the article “The Verse Novel and the Question of Genre” in the fall issue of The ALAN Review, the journal of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Bob Bergland, along with coauthors Cliff Brockman from Wartburg College and MWSU convergent media student and Griffon News Editor David Hon, presented a research paper at the National College Media Convention, "Pacemaker Winners' Circle: A study of Multimedia, Interactivity, Distribution and Content Management Systems at Top Newspaper Websites." The paper received the Ken Nordin Award for the top research paper presented at the conference.

Prairie Lands Writing Project sponsored its tenth annual “When Writing Teachers Write” Forum on Wednesday, October 19, at Missouri Western State University as a prequel celebration of the National Day on Writing, which followed on Thursday, October 20. Area teachers and Missouri Western English faculty, members Rosetta Ballew-Jennings, Joseph Marmaud, and Tom Pankieiwicz read their original poetry and prose.

Prairie Lands Writing Project and the Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism sponsored "Going for the Gold" pizza and writing workshops here at Missouri Western on three consecutive Thursdays, beginning October 27--for teachers and their students planning to enter the 2012 Scholastic Writing Awards Contest . English faculty members Bill Church, Michael Charlton, and Rosetta Ballew-Jennings conducted fiction writing, personal essay writing, and poetry writing workshops, respectively, at the sessions, which concluded with the students revising and critiquing the pieces they brought to the workshops.

Griffon Yearbook Wins Awards . . . Again!

2011-10-31T14:33:00.003-05:00

The Griffon Yearbook took Second Place Best of Show at the National College Media Convention in Orlando, Florida. The yearbook was entered in the under-300 pages yearbook division.

The editor-in-chief of the 2011 yearbook was Raphael'le Drew. Photo editors were Kelsey Saythany photo editor (fall semester), and Robin Gann (spring) semester. Erica Stevens was design editor (fall semester) and Hanna Greenwell was design editor (spring semester). Jourdan Huffman was copy editor. Assistant editors included Sarah Hatten, Lindsey Roberts, Courtney Slater and Heather Heater.

Congratulations to Dr. Ann Thorne, Yearbook Adviser, and the 2011 staff on representing the Yearbook, EFLJ, Missouri Western, and themselves so well!

Creative Writing Workshop and More to Come

2011-10-31T09:38:00.005-05:00

Dr. Bill Church, Western creative writing professor, led a "Going for the Gold" pizza and fiction writing workshop at Missouri Western on October 27 for teachers and their students, grades seven - 12, planning to enter the national Scholastic Writing Awards Contest.

Following Church's presentation, students shared their fiction contest pieces in critique groups (shown here). The "Going for the Gold" workshop was the first of three, sponsored by the EFLJ department and Prairie Lands Writing Project; coming this week: personal essay workshop conducted by Western English professor Michael Charlton; coming in two weeks; poetry writing workshop conducted by Western adjunct English professor Rosetta Ballew-Jennings; on November 12, Dr. Kaye Adkins conducts a professional writing workshop.

For more information on those upcoming events, please see the Prairie Lands Writing Project events page.

Faculty Once Again Defeat Media

2011-10-26T14:04:00.005-05:00

The Faculty “Heroes” (for what other name would suffice, Dear Reader?) once again defeated the Team of Media Outlets and Various Students (team name: “Huns”) in last night’s Eight Annual Griffon Basketball Tip-Off Party.

The Heroes, eight hale and valorous faculty and staff (Bergland, Bergman, Cadden, Ellis, Johnson, Lawley, Rhoad, and Unzicker), were comprised of no less than 24.3% EFLJ faculty. Bob “The Point Factory” Bergland (person with ball in picture) fought off both student elbows and his mid-forties to score forty-five of the thirty-six points that it took to beat the dreaded Huns. “I did what I could, and what I could was pretty darned impressive, If I say so myself,” Bob offered. While Mike “Moral Support” Cadden (short person without the ball in above picture) scored no “points,” his constant helpful comments such as “Atta boy, Bob” and “Way to take that rock to the hole, Bob!” and “Yea, Bob!” were considered by some to be the difference in a close game.

Down 22-10 in the early going, the Heroes decided that on defense they would stand between the Huns and the basket at which they appeared to be shooting. This strategy, drawn up in animated fashion on a white board at court’s edge, proved vital in the contest’s outcome. The Faculty prevailed 36-31.

The final minute saw the Heroes employing a “four-corners” strategy in which they held the ball in order to keep the other team from scoring. The consensus of the Heroes following the game was that this was much less tiring than actual basketball and would be employed immediately next year with the plan of winning 2-0.

Congratulations, Faculty. The students needed another reason to love you so.

EFLJ team "Dangling Prepositions" wins Trivia Contest

2011-10-26T07:40:00.006-05:00

The medieval "trivium" consisted of the lower division of the seven liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, and logic. How fitting, then, that a crack team from EFLJ, "The Dangling Prepositions," took last night's "Off the Wall Trivia Night" charity event sponsored by The Center for Community Arts at Missouri Western.

"Danglin'" teammate C.J. Jenéy reports that they "smoked the field" of a dozen teams and "arose from the ashes as this year's charity trivia contest champions." The team correctly answered 55 of 60 questions. Had they know anything at all about ancient Arabic or the length of the Great Wall of China, they'd have been perfect. What are they teaching kids in school these days?

C. J. used her extensive knowledge of medival bass fishing and horses to answer some tough questions. She was joined in the fray by the expertise of Stacia Bensyl (specializing in Japanese craft trivia, wood crafting, and the history of plumbing), Craig Goad (cross-word puzzles and Irish dance), Kaye Adkins (plants and birds and all that nature stuff), Ian Adkins (whatever kids know these days), Dana Andrews (movies and the rules of quidditch), and Michael Charlton (yo-yo trick nomenclature, science fiction, and Oklahoma facts) rose to new heights of triviality, identifying obscure facts from film, music, science, and history.
The $100 prize for first place was donated to the sponsoring group, The Center for Community Arts at Missouri Western, because that's just the sort of class act we know "The Dangling Prepositions" to be. That group from The United Way would have bought beer.

The Trophy will be on display as soon as it arrives from the engravers. C.J. says, "Enjoy basking in our radiant triviality!"

"What mighty contests rise from trivial things"
― Alexander Pope, "The Rape of the Lock"

Winning a trivia contest is no small matter. Congratulations, "Danglin' Preps"! It is you whom we are proud of.

When Writing Teachers Write

2011-10-21T20:44:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday, October 19, regional language arts teachers gathered for their tenth annual reading of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry sponsored by Prairie Lands Writing Project.

*John Minnick, North Kansas City Staley High School language arts department chair and language arts teacher

Rosetta Ballew-Jennings, Missouri Western English teacher

Katey Girard, Osborn Middle and High School communication arts teacher

Stephanie Hartley, Missouri Western State University graduate teaching assistant

Brandon Haskey, St. Joseph Central High School communication arts/creative writing teacher

Joe Marmaud, Missouri Western English teacher

Lisa Miller, Savannah Middle School communication arts teacher

Amanda Moyers, St. Joseph Central High School communication arts teacher

Tom Pankiewicz, Missouri Western English teacher

Melissa Robinson, Cameron Middle School communication arts teacher

Janet Smith, Crest Ridge Middle and High School library media specialist

Kyla Ward, St. Joseph Central High School communication arts teacher

*Forum Moderator

Jane Frick presented Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award

2011-10-21T20:13:00.004-05:00

Last night, October 20, coincidentally the National Day onWriting, Jane Frick was awarded the Alunmi Association's Distinguished Professor Award at the annual alumni awards dinner. The award is given to one faculty member a year and "honors a faculty member who has had a lasting influence on students." Jane was introduced by her former student, Dr. Melody Smith (BSE, 1987), superintendent of St. Joseph public schools.

Taking full advantage of her eight minutes at the podium, Jane recounted her early years at Western and what it was like to be a female professor in the seventies. It was a great reminder of how far university culture has come, and how people like Jane helped that happen. Jane was accompanied by husband Lyman and her sons David and Chris (pictured below).
Congratulations, Jane!

Missouri Poet Laureate to Conduct Writing Workshop

2011-10-13T09:50:00.003-05:00

MWSU faculty Dr. David Benz and Dr. Jane Frick will host our Missouri Poet Laureate, David Clewell, for a Creative Writing Workshop on Monday, October 17 from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM in Blum 222/223.

David Clewell is also director of creative writing and Professor of English at Webster University in St. Louis.

All Missouri Western students, faculty, and alumni are encouraged to attend and enjoy this creative time and opportunity with our Poet Laureate.

Refreshments will be served.

An Update on Lindale Banks

2011-10-13T09:37:00.003-05:00

Lindale Banks, a 1995 graduate with a BA in English (Writing), has been busy as a teacher, writer, and model since her graduation.

Lindale worked for the University of Kansas for five years following graduation. After that she moved to Madrid, Spain and became an ESL instructor. Her job was to teach Business English to Fortune 500 comany executives.

She served as a guest lecturer at Universidad de Comoultense in Madrid teaching students about the Harlem Renaissance era. "My students enjoyed it," Lindale reports, "because they were not familiar with Zora Neal Hurston, James Baldwin, Countee Cullen, and so many more. It amazed me to travel to Paris and see there was club called the Cotton Club in the Moulin Rouge district. Getting an English degree opened so many doors for me. Definitely the right choice. I thank God for people like Drs. Frick, Fulton, Shell, and McCay. They were lifesavers!!"

Lindale has worked with such best-selling authors as Rebecca Walker and Lisa Nichols and has been a fashion model for Lane Bryant, Sears, August Max, and more. She is back in the U.S. and is currently working as an ESL instructor at Metropolitan Community Colleges where she teaches grammar and American Life Skills to former refugees and other non-native English speakers. "My job is everything from teacher to counselor to social worker."

Lindale can be reached at lindalebanks@yahoo.com.

China's National Day

2011-09-30T10:42:00.003-05:00

In recognition of our Fulbright Scholar, Tiantian, we want to alert you all to the fact that October 1 is China's "National Day." The holiday lasts from the first to the seventh of the month. To know more, please visit the following websites:

http://www.china.org.cn/

http://www.xinhuanet.com/

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/

See the U.S. Department of State's recognition of the day: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/09/174821.htm

English Major Mercedes Lucero Publishes Poetry

2011-09-22T10:50:00.003-05:00

Mercedes Lucero, an English major with a minor in creative writing, has some publications about which to brag.

She will have two poems ("Saving Our Ship" and "How Much Younger") appear in an upcoming issue of Calliope, the official publication of the Writers' Special Interest Group of American Mensa, Ltd.

Mercedes will also have her poem "Impact" appear in Burner Magazine, and independent journal published in Toronto.

Congratulations, Mercedes!

Banned Books Week 2011

2011-09-19T10:16:00.002-05:00

Come and hear people read from books that have been challenged or banned in U.S. public schools and libraries. We gather for the 15th Annual Reading of Banned and Challenged Books in honor of American Library Association's annual Banned Books Week.

We'll be gathering in Spratt 214 (The Enright Room) on Tuesday, September 27 from 7-8 PM to hear readers, including Dr. Vartabedian and KQ-2's Bridget Blevins, share material that has been the targets of censors.

If you need more reason than the fact that the U.S. Constitution is pretty cool, there will be free snacks and drinks. Bring a date--he or she will think you're edgy and hip. I know we will.

Sponsored by the departments of EFLJ and Education, the MWSU Library, and Prairie Lands Writing Project.

Celebration of Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival

2011-09-15T10:23:00.011-05:00

On September 12, a celebration was held in honor of the Chinese mid-autumn festival. The program was arranged by Tiantian Zou, our Fulbright scholar from Xidian University. Her Chinese 100 class presented to a crowd of interested students, faculty, and St. Joseph residents.

The program featured an introduction to the festival as well as introductions and readings from important Chinese poets. Tiantian remarked that the students "did brilliant jobs on the pronunciation, intonation, and even gestures."

At the end of the recitation program there was served food and drink traditional to the festival: mooncakes with lotus seed paste, red bean paste, date paste, or pineable paste filling. The mooncake is a symbol of family reunion. Also served were apples (a symbol of peace and health), grapes (a symbol of harvest and happiness), Juhua Cha (a flower tea grown in Anhui in the east of China), Longjing (green tea grown in Hangzhou in the east of China), Tieguanyin (a green/black teah grown in Fujian in southeast China), Pu'er (black tea grown in southwest China), a confection called "Big White Rabbit," and Xienbei (a traditional snack).

Music typical of that played during the celebration was played as those gathered enjoyed food and conversation.

The program included the efforts of Jessica Foster (DJ), Jeff Stevens (technical support), Patrick Graham (master of ceremonies), Mesia Goolsby (greeter), LI Caihong, LU Qing, FAN Biao, and readers Trenton Cook, Davide Bennet, Nicholas Jones, Jane Frick, Ricky Maddox, Jessica Leffle, Amber Godfrey, Mesia Goolsby, Ruth Katchen, Cindy Heider, Shala Moore, Courtnay Inman, Angela Horn, Eduardo Castilla, Fred Weems, Wesley Moore, Lauren Thompson, Jeff Stevens, Patrick Graham, Sarah Gordon, Ceasera Robinson, Spencer Fraizer, Krystal Potter, Jessica Foster, Sharon Moore, and Tiantian Zou.

Foreign Film Series Schedule

2011-09-14T09:07:00.003-05:00

Please plan on coming to one or all of these films sponsored by the foreign language faculty. All films will be shown at 6:30 PM in 102 Hearnes Hall (Little Theater, basement floor).

Tuesday, September 20: Mujeres al borde de una crisis de nervios (Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown); in Spanish with English subtitles. Presented by Dr. Jason Youngkeit

Tuesday, October 4: La Historia Oficial (The Official Story); in Spanish with English subtitles. Presented by Tiantian Zou.

Monday, October 10: Die Ehe der Maria Braun (The Marriage of Maria Braun); in German with English subtitles.

Tuesday, October 18: Chinese film with English subtitles (TBA) presented by Tiantian Zou.

Monday, October 24: French film with English subtitles (TBA) presented by Claudine Evans.

Tuesday, November 1: Spanish film in English subtitles (TBA) presented by Dr. Jason Youngkeit.

Thursday, November 10: Incendies (Scorched); in French with English subtitles. Presented by Dr. Susie Hennessy and sponsored by the French Alliance.

Tuesday, November 15: Chinese film with English subtitles (TBA) presented by Tiantian Zou.

Admission is free, so bring a date . . . or two!

Saundra Dibella gains Court Interpreter Certification

2011-09-13T20:52:00.006-05:00

Saundra Dibella, part-time instructor of Spanish, has been certified as a Spanish/English Court Interpreter for the state of Missouri. The certification is issued by the Office of State Courts of Missouri and the Access to Justice Program.

Saundra took her Orientation Course in the summer of 2005, which is taught by professionals from across the country. Saundra had to familiarize herself with legal terms and court procedures and pass several examinations--two written and three oral.

The process took a while, as Saundra was teaching full-time with the School District of St. Joseph as well as part-time in EFLJ. Preparation took time, and often exam dates (offered only at certain times) were impossible to attend. Perseverance paid off, however, and Saundra is now in a position to serve the Spanish-speaking population of Northwest Missouri before our courts and to assist attorneys and their clients.

Congratulations, Saundra!

Graduate Certificate Program Boasts Twenty Graduates

2011-09-12T10:03:00.004-05:00

EFLJ and Prairie Lands Writing Project are happy to announce that the twentieth graduate certificate in the teaching of writing has been awarded.

The first certificate was awarded in 2007 to Debra Sue Schwebach. In the subsequent four years, the program has served former MWSU students, teachers in the St. Joseph School Disctrict, and part-time instructors of English for EFLJ. Some have gone on to do further graduate work in the department's Masters of Applied Arts in Written Communication.

Congratulations to the 2011 graduates: Mary Duffy, Joe Marmaud, Kyla Ward, and Theresa Christal.

Sue Beers (Gronemeyer) Improving Iowa Schools

2011-09-12T09:45:00.003-05:00

Sue Z. Beers, nee Gronemeyer, a 1976 BS-English Education graduate, has published her sixth book with ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development). Sue's publications focus on teaching literacy across the content areas, designing and implementing professional development skills, and teaching skills for a the new century.

Sue is Executive Director of Mid-Iowa School Improvement Consortium, a collection of approximately 160 school districts in Iowa that works to improve student achievement. Sue also does presentations to educational groups across the country and internationally on literacy and teaching 21st Century skills.

In addition to her degree from MWSU, Sue has a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Iowa State University and her secondary principal endorsement from Drake University.

Sue can be reached at suebeers@netins.net.

EFLJ Host to Fulbright Scholar from China

2011-09-09T09:09:00.005-05:00

Tiantian Zou has joined us for the academic year to offer classes in Chinese. This fall she is teaching three sections of CHI 100: Beginning Chinese I, which have a healthy enrollment. She will offer both 100 and the second course in the spring semester.

Tiantian has her BA and MA in Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics from Sichuan University, which is located in Sichuan Province, the "hometown of pandas and land of abundance," as she says. She taught English for five years in Xidian University.
Home is the city of Xi'an, a city with a history dating 5,000 years (see picture). There she has a husband who awaits her return. They've been married for almost three years.

Tiantian loves mountain climbing (well, we have river bluffs for her), traveling, photography, and driving. She's been to more than 20 provinces in China as well as other nations in the region. "Dakar is my dream," she says. Tiantian says that she was interpreter for the World's Strongest Man Competition in 2005 and 2006, which was held in Chengdu and Sanya, respectively.

Unprompted and without the offer of a drive to Rocky Mountain National Park for some mountain climbing, Tiantian tells us, "I love this school. Students are curious about learning Chinese, and I enjoy teaching my native language and culture to them while I learn English from them. All the teachers and people around me are so nice, offering to help whenever possible. I feel lucky!"

So do we, Tiantian. Welcome to St. Joseph.

Welcome to Dr. Ana Bausset-Page

2011-09-08T16:16:00.003-05:00

Dr. Ana Bausset-Page, assistant professor of Spanish, comes to us from Salt Lake Community College in Utah where she taught Spanish and Humanities. She has also taught at the University of Utah (where she earned her Ph.D.) and Westminster College.

Dr. Bausset-Page was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is married and has five children, two of whom graduated from Utah Valley University. The three youngest currently attend UVU.

"I am very excited to be here at Missouri Western, and I plan on getting involved in many activities here in St. Joseph. I enjoy acting and have done videos to promote education and communication among parents and teenagers. I love traveling. I just returned from Costa Rica before school started." Dr. Bausset-Page did not mention any pet peeves, embarrassing incidents from her past, or the possession of any sort of super powers. The staff of the EFLJ blog thought to make something up but thought better of it at the last minute.

Welcome, Dr. Bausset-Page!

Sue Ferguson Publishes Debut Collection

2011-08-30T09:23:00.004-05:00

Sue Ferguson (B.A., English, 1985) has published her first collection of short stories with Nine Month Publishing.

Gaze: A Collection of Stories features sixteen stories that explore relationships with friends, family, and strangers. Several stories have been published previously in various literary journals, including New Letters, Mochila Review, Downgo Sun, and Chrysalis Reader.

You can read more about the collection, including critical reviews, and order your copy here.

Congratulations, Sue!

LeAnn Reilly publishes second novel

2011-08-29T14:31:00.008-05:00

EFLJ alumna LeAnn Neal Reilly is publishing her second novel. Saint Sebastian's Head, a book of magical realism, is partially set in St. Joseph, MO.

Weeble has a secret so painful she’s hiding it even from herself. At ten, she meets Lauren Case, a book-loving daydreamer who offers Weeble refuge from the everyday degradations of life in her poor Midwestern family. Weeble fiercely protects Lauren, just as she protects her sister Annie. But there are forces at work she can’t withstand. When Richard Lee Grady arrives in town, he rips lives apart, including Weeble’s. Four years after college, Weeble has a new life, new friends, and the potential for love—if she can only admit what happened one hot July day in 1982.

ST. SEBASTIAN’S HEAD is a dark and riveting journey into the human heart, where fairy tales and incest, angels and demons, magical thinking and guilt, haunt one incredibly resilient woman.

For more information, view the trailer on LeAnn's website. The book is available online.

Congratulations, LeAnn!

Faculty Accomplishments this Summer

2011-08-12T12:11:00.003-05:00

Mike Cadden made presentations on Ursula K. Le Guin’s novel The Dispossessed at Joplin, Jefferson City, and Columbia public libraries as part of the ReadMORE program sponsored by the Missouri Humanities Council.

Jeanie Crain has been reappointed for another year to the AQIP Reaffirmation Panel. She will continue on the Advisory Council and on the Admissions Panel and will also continue to serve as a Peer Reviewer for Action Projects

Jane Frick was a certified scorer at the National Writing Project's (NWP) evaluation conference held in Chicago. She also participated in the National Writing Project's State and Regional Network's leadership team meeting, held in Cleveland, Ohio.

Susie Hennessy was named a Future Leaders fellow for the American Association of Teachers of French. The fellowship workshop took place at the association's annual meeting, held in Montreal in July. Hennessy also presented a summary of her teacher recruiting program at the conference. Her presentation was entitled: "The Academy of Future French Teachers: a Plan for Recruiting."

Elizabeth Latosi-Sawin delivered a paper at the 9th International Conference of the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment called "From Grief to Hope and Action: A Pedagogical Approach to Cross-Disciplinary Environmental Literature." She also participated in a seminar on Ecomedia for which she wrote and also presented a paper entitled "Blown, Burnt, and Swept Away by Nonfictional Realities."

Mary Stone Dockery publications

2011-08-06T09:55:00.005-05:00

Mary Stone Dockery's poem "Pices Elegy" has been published in the on-line literary journal Blood Lotus. Read our fabulous EFLJ alumna's work here.

Mary has also published a non-fiction piece in Blue Print Review. She wrote the initial draft in Dr. Sawin's course on creative non-fiction.

Congratulations, Mary!

Thompson Rides Off into Sunset

2011-07-05T09:33:00.006-05:00

Instructor Meg "Hopalong" Thompson will be leaving us in EFLJ for the opportunity to teach overseas. Meg and husband Todd will be teaching English in Seoul, South Korea this fall.

A gathering was held to see Meg and Todd off. This gathering apparently included pony rides and cowboy hats.

Good luck to Meg and Todd! We hope to get a few dispatches from Our Woman in Seoul this fall. Stay tuned.

Hennessy Knighted

2011-06-30T09:21:00.005-05:00

Susan Hennessy, Foreign Language Coordinator for EFLJ, has been named "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Palmes Académique" (Knight of the Order of Academic Palms).

Originally created by Napoleon, it is one of the world’s oldest civil awards, and is given to recognize major international contributions to French national education, and to those who have made major contributions to the expansion of French culture in the rest of the world. Nomination decisions are made by the French Minister of Education.

Congratulations to Sir Susie!

Cadden Concludes Term as President

2011-06-30T09:15:00.007-05:00

Mike Cadden concluded his term as President of the Children's Literature Association this June at the 2011 conference at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.

This year's conference welcomed 430 attendees, a record number.

Kuykendall Publishes

2011-06-14T08:19:00.004-05:00

Brooke Kuykendall, a 2006 graduate in Literature, has had her work accepted to be published in a variety of venues lately. She had a piece in Driftwood Review this past year, and she will have work appear in FutureCycle Flash and Edge Review this summer. Brooke's work graced the cover of this year's issue of The Mochila Review, and she was recognized with the Visual Arts Award for her photography in this year's Canvas: A Journal of Contemporary Literature and Art.

Brooke welcomes you to her blog site.

Owner of Second Story Photography, Brooke can be reached at 2ndstoryphotography@gmail.com

Brooke has claimed not to have a funny bone in her left arm.

Missouri Youth Write 2011

2011-06-02T14:26:00.002-05:00

Missouri Youth Write 2011, went online yesterday at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/scholastic. The 357-page journal features 112 winning entries from this year’s Missouri Writing Region for the 2011 national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Contest; the publication was supported by a grant from the Missouri Association of Teachers of English.

Students’ individual pieces are also published online at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/scholastic/winners2011.html in a listing which identifies students' schools, grade levels, teachers, and contest categories. The winning pieces were selected by Missouri teachers from among the 521 contest pieces submitted by students, grades 7 – 12, from throughout Missouri and the Kansas City, KS, area.

Thanks to Rebecca Dierking, Prairie Lands Writing Project (PLWP) Teacher Consultant and doctoral student at the University of Missouri, for serving as editor for Missouri Youth Write for the third year in a row. This year's web editor was Rachel Stancliff, PLWP graduate assistant here at Missouri Western.

Amy Chastain Defends Thesis

2011-06-01T10:24:00.003-05:00

Amy Chastain successfully defended her Master of Applied Arts (MAA) thesis, "Posting to the Blog: Attitudes, Usage, and Online Writing in the Developmental Writing Classroom," on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.

Pictured left are, from left to right, Dr. Kay Siebler (thesis committee member), Amy, Dr. Cynthia Jenéy (Amy's thesis director), and Dr. Michael Charlton (thesis committee member).

Professor Chastain will begin her work at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas this August.

Congratulations on your success, Amy!

Three EFLJ Faculty Promoted

2011-06-01T09:11:00.007-05:00

At its May 25th meeting, the MWSU Board of Governors announced the promotions of three EFLJ faculty to the highest faculty rank at the university.

Dr. Kaye Adkins (left), formerly Associate Professor of English, is now Professor of English.

Dr. Stacia Bensyl (right), formerly Associate Professor of English, is now Professor of English.

Dr. Ian Roberts (left), formerly Associate Professor of English, is now Professor of English.

Congratulations to Kaye, Stacia, and Ian!

Ed Webbley Vermont's Top Principal

2011-05-20T17:25:00.003-05:00

Ed Webbley, a BSE alumnus, was named the Robert F. Pierce Secondary Principal of the Year by the Vermont Principals’ Association.

You can read about Ed's award on the Addison County Independent's website.

Congratulations, Ed!

Amy Chastain to take College Teaching Position

2011-05-20T14:23:00.003-05:00

Amy Chastain, who will complete her thesis this summer and receive the MAA in Written Communication, will begin her college teaching life in the English Department at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas.

Amy will be teaching developmental writing and English Composition. A part of Amy's course load will be to advise the student newspaper, The Lantern.

Congratulations, Professor Chastain!

Dockery Publishes

2011-05-19T12:20:00.002-05:00

Mary Stone Dockery--once Griffon, now Jayhawk--Recently had two poems published on this website: http://acwlp.co.cc/: "After Getting the Mole Removed" and "Bare Ache."

Notes Magazine recently accepted her poem titled "Juan, 2000," which should appear in the June issue.

Keep at it, Mary!

EFLJ Accomplishments in April

2011-05-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

Presentations/Workshops
Cynthia Bartels presented her paper "Redefining the 1950's Home: Three Beat Women's Versions of June Cleaver" at the 2010 National Popular Culture Conference in San Antonio, TX.

Mike Cadden presented his paper “Fake and Exaggerated Realism in Children’s Literature” at the Conference of the International Society for the Study of Narrative in St. Louis, MO.

Jeanie Crain presented at the April Higher Language Commission Annual Conference on the subject of "Measures of Measuring Effectiveness: What AQIP Institutions Identify as Measures" in Chicago, IL.

Kay Siebler presented a paper at the Conference on College Composition and Communication in Atlanta, GA regarding best practices in training teachers to teach writing.

Conference/Seminars/Committees
Kaye Adkins attended the international conference of the Association of Teachers of Technical Writing and met with the organization's executive council as the liaison for the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication.

Student/Community Involvement/Successes
Over 50 Girl Scouts explored France, Québec and Africa during a French Immersion Camp on Saturday, April 23rd on the MWSU campus. Susie Hennessy, two teachers with the St. Joseph School District, and BSE French student Caitlin McKinney led the Girl Scouts on imaginary tours of Francophone regions while helping them earn badges about foreign countries and cultures. The girls learned about marine life in the Mediterranean, Carnaval in Québec, and traditional dress in Africa.

Cynthia Bartels’ student Stacey Weidmann presented her paper "Student Movements in Europe" at the 2010 National Popular Culture Conference in San Antonio, TX. Ms. Weidmann initially wrote the paper for Dr. Bartels’ Honors 395 course in the Spring of 2010.

On Wednesday, April 20, 2011, Dawn Terrick, the Director of Developmental Writing, hosted the 5th annual reading and reception for the ENG 100 student publication, Discovering the Student, Discovering the Self. The afternoon was a joyous event as family, friends, faculty, staff and administrators joined to hear ENG 100 students read their original work and celebrate the accomplishments of these students. Students shared their life stories from both inside and outside of the classroom. 85 people were in attendance and all were moved by the original works of the students. The event was shown on KQ2 News.

The staffs of Missouri Western's literary magazines, led by Bill Church, hosted a public reception and reading to celebrate the arrival of the 2011 publications on April 27 in the Enright Room of Spratt Hall. The Mochila Review, a national literary magazine featuring fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, is produced as part of ENG285 and is edited by Dr. Church. It is funded by the Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism. Canvas is the student literary magazine funded by The Missouri Western Foundation with additional support from EFLJ. The student staff and area contributors read selections from both publications, and awards were presented to the student winners for the best poetry, prose, and visual art.

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English Instructor's Student Presents at National Conference

2011-05-04T09:08:00.003-05:00

Ms. Stacey Weidmann presented her paper "Student Movements in Europe" at the National Popular Culture Conference in San Antonio on April 21. Stacey first prepared the paper for Dr. Cynthia Bartels' Honors 395 class in the Spring of 2010. Cynthia is an Instructor of English

The paper was well received, Cynthia reports, and Stacey was asked some good questions, including one about an event in 2006, to which Stacey replied, "I was in high school then!"

Congratulations, Stacey and Cynthia!

SPA 201 Students Perform for ESOL Class

2011-05-02T14:08:00.004-05:00

On April 28th, students from Dr. Karina Vazquez's SPA201 Intermediate Spanish II performed two chapters of Don Quijote for Ms. Miller's ESOL classroom at Humboldt School. Don Quijote's performance allowed students to improve academically and as members of the community. The combination of theater and Service Learning reinforced the five areas of language learning: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. Particularly in this last one, since students worked on a better understanding of the cultural and social issues regarding Spanish in their community.

Some students in Ms. Miller's class that came from Edison School remembered MWSU's performance of Alfonsina Storni at Edison. They had been looking forward to see theater in Spanish again, and participated actively in this new performance.

Karina wants to thank Dr. Eduardo Castilla Ortiz, who went to cheer the students as they handled the difficult task of operforming two plays totally in Spanish!!!

Participating students from SPA 201:
Jessica Koch
Brandon Bernhardt
Patrick Fuller
Reanna Matthy
Morgan Russell
Erica Stevens
Maria Theis
Teneia Corriger
Kimberly Noble
Tara Woods
Amber Garvey
Stephanie Hall
Michael Evans
Jodan Blew
Lesley Moser

Student Ambassadors in France

2011-04-24T08:03:00.004-05:00

Clarisha Blaylock and Donald Hughes, both French minors, have been selected for participation in the Centres Internationaux Francophones des Lions Clubs de France. This all-expenses-paid, month-long stay in France takes place in July. Selected students from around the world visit cultural and historical sites in France while serving as ambassadors for their home country. Clarisha and Donald were nominated by the Alliance Française.

Girl Scouts tour le monde francophone

2011-04-24T06:44:00.005-05:00

Over 50 Girl Scouts traveled to France, Québec and Africa during a French Immersion Camp on Saturday morning. Susie Hennessy, Corinne Russelle, Guylaine Thévénot (both teachers with the St. Joseph School District) and BSE French student Caitlin McKinney led students on imaginary tours of Francophone regions while helping the Scouts earn badges about foreign countries and cultures.

The girls learned about marine life in the Mediterranean, Carnaval in Québec, and traditional dress in Africa.

ENG 100 Reading has Record Crowd

2011-04-22T16:44:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday, April 20, 2011, the ENG 100 program hosted its 5th annual reading and reception for its student publication, Discovering the Student, Discovering the Self. The afternoon was a joyous event as family, friends, faculty, staff and administrators joined to hear ENG 100 students read their original work and celebrate the accomplishments of these students.

Dawn Terrick, Director of Developmental Writing, reports that "students shared their life stories from both inside and outside of the classroom. 85 people were in attendance, and all were moved by the original works of the students. Thank you to the students for their hard work and talent. Thank you to everyone who attended the event.

If you would like to read the students’ essays, go to http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/ENG100/

You can also visit KQ2’s website for a clip of their coverage of the event: http://stjoechannel.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=197617

Public Reading and Launching of Canvas and Mochila Review

2011-04-21T12:32:00.003-05:00

What: Public Reception for Canvas, the MWSU student and alumni creative writing and arts magazine, and The Mochila Review, our national journal of creative writing.

We will present awards to the winners in poetry, visual art, and prose, followed by students reading selections from newly published works. A special feature this year will be a tribute to Roger Kirschbaum, an alumnus who later taught here.

When: Wednesday, April 27, 3:00 - 4:30.

Where: The Enright Room, Spratt Hall 214-216.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments (maybe Rainbow's dumplings!) will be provided.

News from Teresa Stubbs

2011-04-20T18:12:00.002-05:00

Teresa Stubbs (BA, English-Technical Communication, 1995) reports that she lives and breathes in Louisville, Kentucky employed as Director of Marketing and Communications for Capario, a healthcare IT company out of Santa Ana, California.

She has taken up silversmithing and lost-wax casting in her spare time, making jewelry and small sculptures for family and friends.

Teresa would love to hear from her old friends. Contact her at teresastubbs@gmail.com

Professor Bill Church Wins Teaching Award

2011-04-20T09:57:00.004-05:00

Dr. Bill Church, Assistant Professor of English, is one of three recipients of the 2011 Jesse Lee Myers Excellence in Teaching Award.

Bill designed our new and very successful minor in creative writing, works with students on the publications Canvas and Mochila Review, directs the campus's Learning Communities program, and is involved in all levels of courses in the department. He is well-known as a teacher who makes time for his students--both past and present.

He will recieve his award on May 3 at 3 PM in the Kemper Recital Hall in Spratt Hall.

Congratulations on a well-deserved award!

More publications for Mary Stone Dockery

2011-04-19T15:22:00.002-05:00

Mary's poem "When Momma Left Me," originally written in Dr. Bill Church's poetry workshop, has been accepted by Coal City Review.

Poet Laureate of Kansas, Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, has chosen two of Mary's poems for publication on the website "150 Kansas Poems." This website was created to celebrate Kansas turning 150 years old this year. The poem "The Woman Doing Cartwheels in Her Living Room" will run on August 7, and the poem "Picking Pumpkins" will run October 12.

Congratulations, Mary!

Outstanding Graduate Awards

2011-04-18T19:11:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to EFLJ's 2010-2011 outstanding graduating student awards.

BA, Spanish: Laura Bilecki

BA, French: Katherine Laws

BA, English (Louise Lacy Award): Lauren Burbach

BSE (Mary Lee Doherty Award): Jessica Wilkinson

BS, Convergent Media: Kelsey Saythany

Our awardees will be invited to our last department meeting of the year to be honored. Thanks for your outstanding undergraduate careers at MWSU!

Logan Garrels Wins Writing Award

2011-04-14T08:53:00.003-05:00

Alumnus Logan Garrels received The Robert C. Wright Award, given to undergraduate and graduate students at The University of Minnesota, Mankato whose writing samples are judged to be the best by a nationally-recognized outside writer; this year's judge was Debra Monroe. Submissions were open to essays, poetry, and fiction. Logan's submission was a short story titled "Floaters."

Logan reports that the $500 will help with books and other student expenses--he is an MFA student at the University.

Congratulations, Logan!

Professor Frances Flanagan publishes newsletter article

2011-04-12T16:49:00.003-05:00

Professor Frances Flanagan, a retired member of our EFLJ faculty and recent celebrant of a 95th birthday, has published her article "The Heart of Community" in The New Wine Press (20.4, March 2011), a newsletter of the Order of the Precious Blood. The article discusses the concept of community, specifically the Companion movement--a lay support group in support of the Precious Blood, an order of the Catholic Church. Congratulations on your continued intellectual pursuits, Professor Flanagan!

ENG 100 Reading Scheduled for April 20

2011-04-11T12:50:00.001-05:00

Come join our students on the academic road to success! The annual reception for the ENG 100 student publication, Discovering the Student, Discovering the Self, will be held on Wednesday, April 20, at 3:00 pm in Blum 219. Refreshments will be served, students will read their original work and copies of the publication will be distributed.

Please mark your calendars for this event that will honor and celebrate our students. Spread the word to students, faculty and staff and help make this a successful event!

2011-04-07T11:16:00.003-05:00

Speaking in Tongues

Foreign Language faculty and students from Alpha Mu Gamma hosted Foreign Language Day on March 31, welcoming over 100 high school students for a day of competitions, ranging from poetry slam to recreating great moments in history. Lip sync and poetry recitation drew the largest number of performances. Award winners received music, movies, books and scholarships.

Here is the winning student-produced commercial for French.

Noticias from Sevilla

2011-04-05T11:43:00.014-05:00

BA Spanish major Eric McCrery (far right) is the inaugural student to study at the Universidad de Sevilla as part of our newest exchange agreement:

Greetings from Seville! Classes are going well; although they are flying by (I'm still nervous abut final exams, which seem like they will be here before I know it!) I attended a Salsa dancing class and plan to go more, as they say that I did very well!

I am also getting accustomed to the night life: hanging out with friends later in the day and staying out late (until two or three a.m.) This last weekend I met up with fellow MWSU student Cristen Cagle, who is studying in Granada; we took a day trip to the nearby city of Cordoba and explored the city and its important landmarks.

I'm having a great time here and I can tell my Spanish is improving, both with listening (the accent of this area can be difficult sometimes) and speaking!

Check this and other foreign language news out on our foreign languages facebook page.

Dr. Jane Frick Recognized with Faculty Award

2011-04-04T12:04:00.004-05:00

Dr. Jane Frick is the winner of the Alumni Association's DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD! Established in 1983, the Distinguished Faculty Award is given to a current faculty member by the Missouri Western State University Alumni Association in recognition of one’s lasting influence on students, excellence in teaching, professional/career accomplishments, and professional and ethical standards. Jane will receive her award (and likely a free meal!) at the Alumni Banquet during Homecoming weekend: October 20. This award provides us with the opportunity to recognize her enormous contributions to Western in general and this department in particular.

The Griffon News Rakes in Awards . . . Again

2011-04-04T08:28:00.003-05:00

At the Missouri College Media Association convention in Springfield this weekend, the Griffon News took home 18 awards, including five first place awards and a second place Sweepstakes award (based on the number and placing of entries earning awards), the highest sweepstakes award we've ever received. Congratulations to all the students submitting award-winning work, and all the students who work hard week in and week out to make the newspaper great. 　 Griffon News, Second Place, Sweepstakes; Third Place, Page One Design -Ryan Richardson, First Place, Feature Photography -Jesse West, First Place, Entertainment Review -Kallie Hartigan, Second Place, Multimedia -Matt Gleaves, Third Place, Sports Column -Alison Norris, Third Place, Multimedia -Sara Baum, Third Place, Editorial Cartoon -Matthew Fowler, Third Place, Sports Photography Charlene Divino, • First Place, News Section Front • First Place, Advertising (with Ryan Scroggins and Brooke Carter) • Second Place, Advertising (with Brooke Carter) Andy Inman • First Place, Informational Graphic • Third Place, Informational Graphic • Honorable Mention, Informational Graphic Dave Hon • Third Place, Investigative • Honorable Mention, Investigative Reporting • Third Place (with Luke Mason), Newspaper Website 　　　　

Vive la Revolucion!

2011-04-01T12:06:00.002-05:00

Subsequent to a bloodless coup d'état, this department is heretofore called the Department of Linguistical and Cultural Superiority (and English and Newspaper Reporters). Former chair Cadden has been deposed and is being held in an undisclosed location. All major programs offered in the LCSenr Department will now require 21 hours of a foreign language. A department meeting will be held at 3:00 today in the newly named Bibliothèque et Salon de Thé (211). Your new Chef du Département will address faculty in at least three languages. Cordialement, Celle qui Règne

Reading a Harbinger of the Cruelest Month

2011-04-01T08:53:00.002-05:00

"New Lit Out Loud" took a running head start at Poetry Month with a March 31 reading at Whiskey Mansion.

About twenty-five MWSU students, along with EFLJ faculty Meg Thompson, DawnTerrick, and Bill Church, joined community members who came to listen or share their own creative works.

Several selections read will be available late this month in the 2011 Canvas, MWSU's student literary and arts magazine.

Mercedes Lucero publishes story

2011-03-30T13:53:00.003-05:00

Ms. Mercedes Lucero, one of our new creative writing minors, just received an acceptance for a short story. Her story, "Memories I Cannot Recall," will appear in North Central Review.

NCR is, as described on their website, "a student-run literary journal that publishes the creative works of college and university students from around the country. Established in 1935, the NC Review became an exclusively undergraduate journal in 2005, one of just a handful of such journals in the nation."

Congratulations on this impressive achievement, Mercedes!

North Reports from East

2011-03-28T14:36:00.004-05:00

Joshua North, another MWSU French major studying in Angers, France this semester, files this report:

Doing a study abroad has been a very rewarding experience for me. Since I’ve been over here, I’ve learned many different things about the world. The city is a mix of cultures that I would have never expected. Not only are there lots of different cultures that are introduced through the exchange program here, but the city is also a rich mixing of people. For example, the Americans I have met include people from Arizona, North Carolina, Nebraska and Illinois. As for the rest of the world, I’ve met people from Ireland, Romania, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Austria and of course France. With this new view of the world, I have a new understanding of how the world sees us and vice versa.

Another thing that I will always remember about Angers is how beautiful their city is. As spring has just started around here, I’m sure the plants and the flowers will be coming into bloom and it will be even more beautiful. As a person who likes to get out and explore places, I appreciate the fact that Angers lets you rent a bike from the city for free. It has allowed me to get around town easier and with more freedom and to be able to visit many of the places that only the locals know about. One of the places I just recently found was “Le Jardin des Plantes.” I’ve returned there a few times since because of just the sheer beauty of the garden.

So overall, this trip has been a very rewarding and very educational experience, but of course it’s never in the ways you would expect when you first begin your journey. As a quote from Don Williams Jr. says, “~ The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination. ~” This quote is a very true one about this trip, I would of expected to learn lots of things from the classrooms, which is a true statement, but I’ve also learned a lot of things from just being on the streets of Angers and the people I’ve met here. In the classrooms, I’ve learned interesting rules about the French language and proper grammatical usage, but out in the parks, the streets, the dorms, the pubs, the stores, etc., I’ve seen and experienced things that makes this journey a very educational experience and the lessons I’ve learned, I will carry all through my life and I’m very grateful for the chance to take this journey.

Kathy Crawford starts Blog on Animal Welfare

2011-03-25T09:03:00.005-05:00

Kathy Crawford, BA English/Journalism and current graduate student, has started a blog dedicated to animal welfare issues in northwest Missouri. Kat's Dog Tales is part of a project for AIM 620, though Kathy hopes to expand the blog this spring and summer.

Kathy is an award-winning freelance journalist. She has written for magazines, daily and weekly newspapers as a general assignment reporter, and Web sites. She lives northwest of the greater Kansas City area with her husband, an electrician, and their four dogs, Steamboat, Sandy, Molly and Wendy.

A Griffon in France Reports

2011-03-24T10:51:00.003-05:00

Andrew Needham, a French major, has been abroad in France for the semester. Here is news from the continent:

My experience here in France... where to begin, there is a lot to say! I have really enjoyed my time here in Angers and being so close to Paris is really quite nice. Angers is a nice city that is neither too big nor too small; it simply is just the right size.

The university campus is nicely plotted outside the Centre Ville and there is a beautiful lake just behind the dorms for running, walking, picnics, etc… I will say that when I first arrived in my dorm room, I felt a bit cramped, but when I realized where I was and that a train to virtually anywhere in Europe was just 15 minutes away, I was quite comfy with my accommodations. Having one’s own bathroom is probably the biggest plus in the dorms; it is so incredibly nice to have a private bathroom that you don’t have to worry about sharing with anyone else.

The weather is neither too hot nor too cold here; it’s practically perfect every day. One of my favorite things to do is get a couple of friends together, hang out in my room and open wide my window as we chat and listen to music. Coming to Angers has been and is one of the most rewarding experiences for me. Being immersed in the French culture has helped my French so much and the university makes sure not to place too many foreign exchange students in one hall or building, so you are constantly surrounded by French people.

Studying in Angers is incredibly affordable and if you save up money before coming, there are hundreds of options for your breaks from class. The stipend that one receives from MWSU is more than enough to live off of and also gave me enough money to visit my sisters in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy to go snowboarding! Coming to Angers has been one the best decisions I’ve ever made and it opened the door for me to do and see so many things around Europe!

Almost April Fools Reading

2011-03-22T15:41:00.003-05:00

Our next open mic reading, "Almost April Fools Reading," will be at Whiskey Mansion

1723 Francis

7-9ish PM

Thursday, March 31

676-1529

Come by and enjoy some desert, coffee, and some New Lit Out Loud.

All genres welcome, if not always understood. Fishing tales are welcome.

Griffons in search of Arthur

2011-03-22T08:57:00.007-05:00

What follows is a field report from intrepid adventurer and raconteur, Professor C. J. Jeney (pictured in the Tower of London--with horses--where she belongs):

The English 361 Literature on Site: Tales & Legends of King Arthur class has returned from their overseas quest to find a legendary king!

The group departed from KCI on March 10, 2011 for London, and began our journey of wonder with a sightseeing tour of the city, led by the fearless David Jagger, our favorite tour guide. This was followed up by an evening jaunt to Picadilly Circus led by the equally fearless Margaret Easter (we had aimed for Leicester Square, but it is walled off, getting ready for the Olympic festivities in 2012--as is much of the city). After that, the whirlwind quest began. Keep up with us, if you can!

Tower of London -- built by William I (the Conqueror) on site of former Roman stronghold.London Museum -- home of London's greatest collection of Roman and Medieval artifacts on displayStonehenge -- Giants' Dance, grave of Ambrosius Aurelianus, re-erected by Merlin, site of MysteryOld Sarum -- Iron Age hil fort, Roman stronghold, Norman castle: home of the famous "Domesday Book"Salisbury Cathedral -- trubute to medieval church-building; soaring vaulted ceiling, magnificent spire; Magna Carta on display (and well guarded) in the chapter house.Roman Baths (Bath) -- Vacation Central for the occupying Roman forces, the baths have been excavated and partially restored for visitors ever since the 19th Century. Hail Caesar (and pass the soap!)Tintagel Castle (pictured left), Cornwall -- legendary birthplace of King Arthur.Newquay (pronounced "New'-kee") -- overnight stay in beachfront hotel; surfing Mecca for Princes William and Harry.Glastonbury Abbey -- final resting place of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere; excavated in 1191, a grave site marked with a lead cross: Hic jacet sepultus inclitus rex Arthurus in insula Avalonia ("Here lies interred the famous King Arthur on the Isle of Avalon").Chalice Well & Gardens -- site visited by Joseph of Arimathea after the death of Christ; the stories tell of a Grail hidden by Joseph in the sacred Well. Glastonbury Tor -- In the region of Avalon, surrounded by the Summer Country, the Isle of Glass rose above the misty waters. Romans sailed to its base; Meleagant carried off Guinevere; the Lady of the Lake looked down upon the Monks of Glastonbury... or was it all just stories?Leeds Castle -- dating its history back to the 9th Century, the castle at Leeds in Kent is still a working visitor destination, available for weddings, conferences, and other events.Dover -- White cliffs. Too hazy to see France. Canterbury Cathedral -- Est. 597 by Saint Augustine; site of the murder of St. Thomas Beckett; destination of pilgrims, place of worship, place of peace.Her Majesty's Theatre (optional) -- Now Playing: Phantom of the Opera! Open Day: -- Dr. Jeney treks to Hampton Court Palace, the famed residence of Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII (whose armor is pictured right); half of the palace was re-done in the Baroque style by William & Mary in 1689, thus creating the impression of visiting two palaces for the price of one. Sarah Spiers' pilgrimage to Colchester, the Land of Boudicca is a glorious, Roman-battling success. Leah Cotton experiences the joys of London Bus Tours, journeying in and around London, takes a ride on the London Eye, and meets up with friends in the city. Margaret Easter, Sofia Pierson, Deborah Becker, and Danyel Becker make a day of it in the British Museum.

During the trip, we paused to watch reports of the disastrous earthquake/tsunami in Japan. There were protesters in the streets of London with signs supporting Libyan resistance, and the entire town is all a-buzz about the 2012 Olympic Games and of course, the wedding of their darling Prince William to Catherine Middleton.

Some of us bought too many books. Some of us hunted for "Will and Kate" commemorative souvenirs. One acquired a tasteful replica of the Rosetta Stone (the actual stone, not the language software) in a BM gift shop. One person took altogether too many pictures of Tintagel Castle and forgot to click pics at Her Majesty's Theatre. Two people launched spontaneously into verses of Lerner and Loewe's "Camelot." One person walked barefoot in the healing waters at the Chalice Wells. Two people cried at Phantom. Four people hiked to the top of Glastonbury Tor (pictured left).

In the end, the group found King Arthur in the mists, the lore, the stories, and the forgotten ancient past of the Isle of Britain.

High School Writing Day 2011

2011-03-11T10:04:00.009-06:00

On March 10, 2011, High School Writing Day welcomed 167 students, 16 teachers, and 9 high schools to the Missouri Western University Campus. As advertised on the Praire Lands Writing Project website, "This annual event brings the best teen writers in Northwest Missouri to the campus of Missouri Western State University for a day of learning and fun." http://www.missouriwestern.edu/plwp/hswd/registration.html

From 8 AM until 2 PM, students engaged in writing and video workshops with subjects as diverse as writing the Graphic Novel, screenwriting, memoir, poetry, song-writing, and more.

Dr. Jane Frick and Mr. Tom Pankiewicz (pictured above) are the co-directors of this annual event. They were assisted by MWSU pre-service teachers and students from the SNCTE, our student chapter of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Tom Pankiewicz was impressed by the students ability to "tweet" in creative ways in response to some pictures shared on the large screens in the Fulkerson Center. Those tweets were "posted" on boards around the room for all to enjoy.

Enjoy some of the videos that students created:
http://staff.missouriwestern.edu/users/bergland/hswday1.mov

http://staff.missouriwestern.edu/users/bergland/hswday2.mov

http://staff.missouriwestern.edu/users/bergland/HSWD/index.html

Thanks to the MWSU Foundation and the St. Joseph School District for their support in this annual event celebrating student writing in Northwest Missouri.

Griffin a Greef!

2011-03-09T12:00:00.007-06:00

Brad Griffin (pictured left with Dr. Jane Frick), December 2010, Missouri Western BSE English graduate, was honored by the Missouri Association of Teachers of English, as a 2011 Robert J. Greef Award winner.

The award is given annually to outstanding English education seniors for their academic excellence in the field of English education, leadership, and character.

Brad and five other outstanding graduates from around the state (pictured right) received their awards at this year's Write to Learn Conference for language arts teachers, held at Tan-Tar-A Conference Center on March 3.

We are told that Brad's award was nicer than the others', though this can not be confirmed. Brad also maintains that the MWSU mascot is named for his family but was somehow spelled incorrectly. Sources are being checked.

Congratulations, Brad!

February Faculty Activities

2011-03-07T14:47:00.001-06:00

Presentations/Workshops
Michael Charlton gave a symposium at the Conference on Applied Learning in Higher Education on the client/student relationship in applied learning.

Cynthia Jeney presented her paper "Enide's Excellent Equestrian Adventure: Squire, Donzel, and Warrior Queen in Chrétien de Troye’s Erec et Enide" at the 17th Annual Conference of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, in Tempe, Arizona

Prairie Lands Writing Project sponsored two workshop forums for teachers at Missouri Western in February. Valorie Stokes, National Writing Project Web Presence Retreat Coordinator and Media Coordinator at Platte County High School, conducted an interactive workshop, "Yes, You Can Use Copyrighted Materials!" providing resources for educators related to Fair Use of copyrighted materials. Ten area teachers completed their online book study of the National Writing Project's Because Digital Writing Matters text with a face-to-face gathering at Missouri Western. Prairie Lands Writing Project and Greater Kansas City Writing Project teacher technophiles joined the book study members at the workshop, which was facilitated via Skype by Troy Hicks, one of the authors of Because Digital Writing Matters.

Conference/Seminars/Committees
Jeanie Crain completed an additional Reaffirmation Review and Recommendation for AQIP.

Exhibitions/Publications/Peer Review
Jane Frick and Tom Pankiewicz served as grant proposal reviewers at the National Writing Project's national evaluation meeting held in Berkeley, CA, in February.

Heather Heater Wins Photo Contest

2011-03-07T14:43:00.001-06:00

Heather Heater, a senior convergent media major, won first place and a $1,000 check in a Kansas City Star photo contest. Her entry, one of 146 submitted, shows a pinup model sitting on a classic car.

The contest was open to the public, with 45 percent of the votes from visitors to the Kansas City Star website and the remaining from judges at the Star.

The contest guidelines called for a photo depicting a favorite car moment, along with text that describes that moment. Heather wrote about her love of classic cars and taking photos of pin-up girls.

"I dress the models, do their hair and make-up and then set the scene," she wrote. "I loved the color of the car and thought that the flat black really brought out the color the of glossy pink."

She added that this was the first car that an owner allowed someone to sit on or rest against.
She picked up her check in Kansas City on March 3 and had her photo taken with a couple of Star representatives. Her photo will be published in the paper and online.

Pavitt trains Westar Employees

2011-03-04T08:40:00.002-06:00

Katherine Pavitt, BSE 2002, reports that she is starting a new job developing curricula and training Westar Energy employees for their SmartStar Project. She is starting a Master's program in adult education at Park Univeristy.

Katherine is currently living in Topeka KS and can be reached at kpavitt@hotmail.com.

Congratulations, Katherine!

Literature and Art journal asks for submissions

2011-03-03T17:06:00.003-06:00

A call from the editors of Canvas, MWSU's student literary magazine:

"You! Yes, you! The creative one!

Attention writers and artists alike:
Canvas, Missouri Western State University’s student literary and art journal, is now accepting submissions from students, alumni, staff, and faculty of Western until March 23! Artists, writers, and photographers are encouraged to submit their work as soon as possible!

Submissions can be e-mailed via canvas@missouriwestern.edu or delivered to the editor at rcb2080@missouriwestern.edu or asnyder3@missouriwestern.edu

Further, submissions can be hand delivered to the English, foreign languages, and journalism department in Fred Eder Hall, Room 212.

Canvas is an applied learning opportunity funded by the MWSU Foundation and will be available in May.

Share your art!"

Faculty and Student Accomplishments for December and January

2011-02-07T12:49:00.002-06:00

Here is a little of what we've been up to in EFLJ:

Jeanie Crain was involved in two AQIP/Reaffirmation reviews/recommendations.

Stacia Bensyl presented her paper “Marking Time: Commemorative Literary Magazines in Japanese American Internment Camps” at the 17th annual Japan Studies Association conference in San Francisco. This paper is part of ongoing research into literary magazines in the Japanese American internment camps.

Three students from Bob Bergland's spring 2010 International Journalism Research had their research published in The Convergence Newsletter, which is sent to 1,000 journalists and academics specializing in multimedia journalism.

Austin Jacobs researched multimedia, interactive and distribution features of Mexican newspaper websites, while Todd Fuller conducted similar research with US weeklies and Emily Gummelt worked with the top 100 circulation U.S. magazines. All 11 students from that course had their work presented at national or international conferences.

As part of their study of 17th-century French theater, students in Susan Hennessy’s FRE 422 (Intro to French Civilization and Literature) performed scenes from Molière's "The Doctor in Spite of Himself" for French students at Central High School.

The Mu Iota chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma held an initiation ceremony in December. Alpha Mu Gamma is a national honor society for students in foreign languages. The society sponsors National Foreign Language Week in March and promotes understanding of and interaction with speakers of foreign languages.

The Spanish section has sent its inaugural exchange student to study for the spring semester at the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain. The direct exchange agreement between MWSU and U. Sevilla enables students from each university to study for a semester or a year at the host institution.

Forty area educators--including Western English instructors Jane Frick, Thomas Pankiewicz, Meredith Katchen, Patricia Donaher, Meg Thompson, Steve Frogge, and Patricia Brost scored 2011 Scholastic Writing Contest entries online. The teachers successfully scored over 3500 At-Large and 521 Missouri Region personal essays, poems, senior portfolios, science fiction, short stories, short-short stories, dramatic scripts, journalism, and humor pieces. Sixteen teachers and authors scored Missouri’s top entries again at the University of Missouri – Columbia on January 29, selecting 122 students from throughout the state as Gold Medal, Silver Medal, or Honorable Mention winners. The students and their teachers will be honored at this year’s Write to Learn Conference to be held at Tan-Tar-A in early March. The winning entries will be published in Missouri Youth Write next June—including works by students from St. Joseph Central, Platte County, Maryville, Mid-Buchanan R-V, West Platte R-II, and Parkhill High School. Jane Frick is the Missouri Scholastic Writing Awards Regional Coordinator; Rachel Stancliff, a graduate student in Western’s MAA in Written Communications: Technical Writing Option program, serves as the Missouri Region Contest Submissions Coordinator and Web Developer.

Western’s SNCTE (Student National Council of Teachers of English) Club sponsored a successful “Teacher Job Search” panel at Western. Administrators from Lathrop, Platte County, North Kansas City, and St. Joseph in charge of hiring their district’s new teachers described their hiring protocols and offered how-to-get-a-job-teaching advice. Over 100 Western students attended the two-hour event. Jessica Wilkinson, SNCTE president and senior BSE English major, chaired the panel.

Prairie Lands Writing Project and Western’s SNCTE CLUB sponsored a “Yes you CAN use Copyrighted Materials!” workshop for educators. Participants learned about the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education and why media coordinators and teachers should embrace students’ use of mass media, popular culture and digital media as they re-mix and/or create their own texts. Valorie Stokes, Platte County High School Media Coordinator and National Writing Project Web Presence Retreat Coordinator, facilitated the workshop.

Graduate Student helps Pattee House Win Grant

2011-02-01T16:40:00.003-06:00

The announcement came yesterday that The Patee House in St. Joseph was awarded a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Completed in 1858, this huge structure was the eastern terminus of the Pony Express and one of the best-known hotels west of the Mississippi in the mid-19th century. The SAT award of $162,500 will help pay to scrape, re-glaze, and paint all 228 windows and exterior wood trims, as well as install 118 new maple windows.

We congratulate graduate student Ahmad Safi for his role in writing this successful grant. The grant was written as part of his work in EPR 620: Proposal and Grant Writing taught by Dr. Michael Charlton, Assistant Professor of English.

Book Fairies Land in St. Joseph

2011-02-01T16:21:00.004-06:00

Dr. Kay Siebler, Associate Professor of English, says, "I’m a Fairie and I’m Proud."

Kay explains what drove her to start a book-buying program for children in St. Joseph:

A disproportionate number of children in St. Joseph live in poverty, about 50 percent. The connection between poverty and lack of success in school is well-documented. And new research has shown that early literacy skills (age 0-5) are a strong indicator of life-long literacy and school success.

All of that is just statistics. Here is the personal story. I live in a “transitional” (read: run down) area of St. Joseph. Ergo, my child entered the public school system at Humboldt Elementary where 90 percent of the children are on free- or reduced-lunch and the school did not met Annual Yearly Progress in test scores last year. Humboldt is the poorest Title I school in the district (Title I schools are the government designation for a school with at least 40 percent of the student population in poverty).

In Kindergarten, Zephaniah [Kay's son] – introduced to Scholastic Books in preschool – waited with jittery excitement for the book forms. August passed. No book forms. September passed. No book forms. I decided to order through his previous preschool teacher. When I told her about my surprise that the public school teachers weren’t sending home Scholastic book forms, she said, “Well, a lot of the Title I schools don’t send them home. Few in the class can afford to buy books and the teachers often feel, when a few do order books, the others who don’t get books feel left out.”

Tragic.

These children, hovering around the poverty line or decidedly under it, are the very population that most needs to have books, to have books in the home, to have literacy encouraged in the family.

I approached Zephaniah’s kindergarten teacher and suggested that if she would send home the Scholastic book forms to the class, I would commit to buying a book for every child in the class each month. That way, literacy is encouraged (each child gets a book to take home as their own), the parents of these children have the book forms in the event that they can occasionally buy a book, and – at the end of the academic year – each child will have a small library at home, a way to read to siblings, a way for parents or siblings to read to them, a way to increase literacy among a struggling population overwhelmed by poverty.

I called myself “The Book Fairie” – I preferred being an anonymous donor to the children and their families. I decided I would pitch the idea to my colleagues –and faculty in other departments – and The book Fairy Program took off.

Currently, there are several other Book Fairies who are providing books to two St. Joseph Title I schools. Book Fairies have a personal relationship with the teachers. Some volunteer (without tipping their hat that they are the Book Fairie) in the classrooms they sponsor. Others write a check every month and appreciate the updates the teacher emails about the classroom. The teachers are grateful; the children love the books; children have books at home to read and re-read. One teacher said, “You mean the Book Fairie sends money out of their own pocket each month so we can get books for the students? That is amazing!”

It takes so little: $25 a month from Sept-May. It can mean so much to a student and their family who are struggling with poverty and educational success. It would be wonderful to have Book Fairies for classrooms in all of St. Joseph’s Title I schools. Wings, tutu, and wand are optional. Be a Book Fairie!

To contact Kay in order to collect your wings, write to her at ksiebler@missouriwestern.edu

Journalism Students' Research Published

2011-01-29T11:57:00.001-06:00

Three students from Bob Bergland's spring 2010 International Journalism Research had their research published in The Convergence Newsletter, which is sent to 1,000 journalists and academics specializing in multimedia journalism. http://sc.edu/cmcis/news/convergence/v7no9.html

Austin Jacobs researched multimedia, interactive, and distribution features of Mexican newspaper websites, while Todd Fuller conducted similar research with US weeklies, and Emily Gummelt worked with the top 100 circulation U.S. magazines. All 11 students from that course had their work presented at national or international conferences.

Congratulations!

Workshop on Copyright Use for Educators

2011-01-26T19:24:00.001-06:00

2011 “Yes you CAN Use Copyrighted Materials!” Workshop for Educators

Thursday, February 3: 4:30 – 6:30 PM

Missouri Western State University – Blum Union 222/223

Learn about the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education and why media coordinators and teachers should embrace students’ use of mass media, popular culture and digital media as they re-mix and/or create their own texts.

The hands-on workshop will include video case studies and lesson strategies developed at Temple University’s Media Education Lab. Valorie Stokes, Platte County High School Media Coordinator and National Writing Project Web Presence Retreat Coordinator, facilitates the workshop.

Participants will receive Professional Development certificates (two hours – information literacy) and instructional materials for classroom and school use.

The Workshop is FREE; RSVP by emailing writingproject@missouriwestern.edu by noon, February 3. Include name, school, email address, evening/cell phone.

This workshop is sponsored by Prairie Lands Writing Project, the Missouri Western Regional Professional Development Center, and Western’s SNCTE Chapter. Questions?: Contact Dr. Jane Frick (frick@missouriwestern.edu), Prairie Lands Writing Project director.

Dr. Jane Frick, Director
Prairie Lands Writing Project
Professor of English
Missouri Western State University
St. Joseph, MO 64507
frick@missouriwestern.edu
816 271-4315 (office)

Intensive French in Paris

2011-01-26T12:58:00.002-06:00

Spend 14 days in Paris in late spring (before all those tourists show up. Pigs!)

May 23-June 7, 2011

Immerse yourself in French

Earn 3 (count 'em) three university credits

Live like a Parisian (or just look like one)

Live in an apartment, shop at the markets, sample French food (Mmm. Cheese). Housing will be in apartments in central Paris (Rue St. Honore). Apartments are equipped with kitchens, laundry facilities, linens, towels, and cooking utensils. Each student will share an apartment with 2 or 3 students.

Experience French language and culture. Class time every weekday, required visits to museums, parks, monuments, and other sites. Pre-paid assignments and assignments on site, quizzes, and exam. Students must have completed FRE 100-101 in order to participate.

Enjoy Paris in the springtime (we'll always have that, no? Oui?). Shopping, cafes, movies, leisurely strolls in heart of Paris.

Program cost of $1,450 includes: tuition for 3 credits, ground transportation to lodging, lodging in double/triple occupancy, some admission fees. Additional costs will include airfare, passport (if you don't already have one), and, once in Paris, food, some transportation, incidentals.

Financial aid may be used. Hey, we're just Seine.

Contact Dr. Susan Hennessy at hennessy@missouriwestern.edu or 816-271-5813.

Blue Island Review Book Release and Open Mic

2011-01-12T12:46:00.002-06:00

Blue Island Review Book Release and Open Mic
Thursday, February 10, 2011
7:00pm
Whiskey Mansion
1723 Francis Street
St. Joseph, MO

Note: Cost is $4 a person, which includes dessert and coffee. If you are 21 or older, you may bring your own wine or other alcoholic beverage to the event.

THE BLUE ISLAND REVIEW is an annual journal produced by writers living in Lawrence, Kansas. We would like to invite you to a book release at the Whiskey Mansion, to honor our St. Joseph contributors, Meg Thompson and Ryan Bradley. We will hold a poetry reading featuring other Blue Island contributors, with an open mic to follow.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Blue Island books will be available to purchase for ten dollars at the event. The members of the Blue Island Poetry Group hold these tenets: that poetry is the art of making all suffer; that hypergraphia is a disorder that should be incubated; that the experience of poetry is to induce emotion through image, sound, and association; that narrative is prose, and should remain such in its multiple nefarious forms; that economy of words is most powerful; that love as it is known is a most brutal form of chemical warfare, and that to inflict poetry on the unsuspecting, both in print and in voice, is the highest calling of very sexy people. To that end, we have solicited contributions from writers living in (or connected to) northeast Kansas in the hopes that their work reaches more lovers of poetry than it otherwise might.

Blue Island is: Katie Longofono - Editor; Mickey Cesar – Assistant Editor; Mary Stone Dockery, Jason Robberson, Dana Schmidt, Amanda Schwartz, Kerry Townsend

Mary Stone Dockery Wins Poetry Award

2011-01-12T10:52:00.006-06:00

Mary Stone Dockery (BA-Literature, 2009) is the winner of the Langston Hughes Creative Writing Award in Poetry, co-sponsored by the Lawrence Arts Center and the Raven Bookstore in Lawrence, KS. The prize includes $500 and an award ceremony on February 1st (Hughes' birthday).

Congratulations, Mary!

Nina Lewis Beaver Reports from Diamond, MO

2010-12-09T10:01:00.005-06:00

Nina Beaver (Formerly Nina Lewis--BA-English, 1981; MA-English, University of Missouri, 1983) is alive and well and living in southwest Missouri with her husband of 23 years. The Beavers have four kits, two attending Missouri State University (somehow the "Western" got left out of there) and two in high school.

Nina has taught English at Crowder College (Neosho, MO) for 19 years and has been the Communications Division Chair for the last 5 years.

If you'd like to contact Nina, send her mail at nbeaver@crowder.edu.

Omer Libich to begin Graduate Work at LSU

2010-12-08T14:12:00.002-06:00

Omer Libich (BA-Spanish) has been informed that the Hispanic Studies Graduate Admissions Committee as approved his application to its MA program at Louisiana State University. The committee has also recommended him for a Teaching Assistantship (which includes full tuition waver).

Omer received the EFLJ Outstanding Spanish Graduate Award in the spring of 2010.

Congratulations, Omer! We'll be interested to hear reports about Cajun Spanish.

Geaux, Tigers!

Mary Stone Dockery teaches and writes in Lawrence, KS

2010-12-07T14:57:00.006-06:00

Mary Stone Dockery (BA-Literature, 2009) reports that good things are happening in Lawrence, KS. Mary, a teaching assistant and MFA student at KU, has had her creative work published with regularity.

Last year, Mary's piece "Somewhere Inside" (creative nonfiction) appeared in Touchstone. Her poem "Giving" appeared in FuturCycle poetry, both online and in print. Her poems "After Getting the Mole Removed" and "The Woman Doing Cartwheels in the Living Room" will appear in the Pennsylvania Literary Journal in January 2011. Mary has also served as a reader for the inaugural issue of the Blue Island Review, a journal published out of Lawrence, KS that features poets from the greater Kansas City area; Mary has had her work published in BIR as well. Currently, Mary is serving as a reader for the new literary journal for the creative writing program at KU - Beecher's - scheduled to come out in 2011.

Mary reports that teaching is going well and that her "students strive toward creative and insightful projects, always surprising [her] with how much they know."

Drop Mary a line (or a poem you'd like published) at dockstone82@gmail.com.

Betty Sawin Appointed to National Committees

2010-12-02T09:04:00.004-06:00

Dr. Betty Sawin, MWSU Honors Program Director, has been appointed by Dr. Bonnie Irwin, President of the National Collegiate Honors Council, to two standing, national committees.

Betty will be involved in Partners in the Parks Committee (charged to develop in cooperation with the National Park Service and other sponsoring bodies, academic experiential programs in national parks, and other facilities under the authority of the park service) and Teaching and Learning (charged to make available to the membership in NCHC scholarly essays, monographs, and other print and electronic materials focused on current research and ideas in curriculum design for academically talented students).

Congratulations, Betty!

Jacquelyne Webb's Report from Angers

2010-11-30T10:55:00.003-06:00

Jacquelyne Webb, double major in French and political science, spent the fall of 2010 in Angers, France studying at the University of Angers. Some highlights:

August
- I arrived on August 27th in France. I think I was in shock or maybe overwhelmed by everything. Traveling is very exhausting, even though I didn't really do much except cross 7 time zones! I stayed in a hotel across the street from the Saint-Serge campus of the University of Angers. I was maybe 10 minutes by bus from Belle-Beille, my fac or the building where all of my classes are held. (I didn't learn this little piece of information until about 2 weeks later when I finally got my bearings.) I moved into my dorm room the Monday after I arrived. My room sports its own private shower and toilette and window otherwise I live in a 9 square meter rectangle.

September
- Orientation week, stuff begins to make sense. I toured Angers with the International student body and chose my classes. I ended up with 8 classes all of which only meet once a week. Walking around Angers is fun, the old buildings and streets are great, but I would recommend wearing good walking shoes. I enjoy looking at all of the shops and going through the French and English styled gardens.

October
- The air has started to get cooler, but it is still really nice, especially by Missouri standards. STRIKES!! disruption to public transport but no canceled classes at Belle-Beille, yet. I got a week of vacation for Toussaint, all saints' day, and I traveled to Finland to see my host family and friends from 2004.

November
- The weather is definitely colder and there is frost on the cars at least at night and in the morning. It is hard to believe finals are coming so soon and just when I am starting to understand the French being spoken around me, too. The semester is almost finished, and I kind of wish I could stay for the next. Oh well, I can look forward to Christmas shopping in Centre-Ville, the center of town, with little to no car traffic after my tests are finished.

Donaher Edits Essay Collection

2010-11-16T11:43:00.006-06:00

Professor Trish Donaher has edited a new collection of essays: Barbarians at the Gate: Studies in Language Attitudes by Cambridge Scholars Press.

The book examines language attitudes through the lens of four convergences: Authority, Affiliation, Authenticity, and Accommodation, while touching on the perceptions people have and express about language. The essays range from studies of the attitudes of teachers and grammarians, regional attitudes that formulate our inner-geography, language attitudes in popular culture—including rap, country music, children's literature, television sitcoms and reality shows, and attitudes towards accommodating speaker diversity. The book, Trish says, "is meant to be both suggestive of the avenues in linguistics that deserve on-going investigation and a call to arms for language variation. I don't mince words in the Introduction when I say that linguists (and really anyone interested in language study) must 'foray out from the ivory tower now and again and become guerillas for language diversity and tolerance.' I hope this book helps lead the way."

Trish's essay "The Linguist's Dilemma: Usage Surveys, Teacher Attitudes, and The Question of Acceptability" also appears in the volume.

Professor Cynthia Jeney's essay "Netspeak and Other 'New' Englishes: Writing Experts' Attitudes toward Online Language" appears in the volume as well.

For more information, please see http://www.c-s-p.org/flyers/Barbarians-at-the-Gate--Studies-in-Language-Attitudes1-4438-1703-1.htm

Congratulations, Trish and CJ!

Tasting the Cheeses of France

2010-11-16T09:44:00.007-06:00

To celebrate National French Week, students gathered for a hands-on seminar on French cheese.

Ten of the over 400 varieties of fromage français were available for tasting.

Culminating a week of events, including presentations on the Peace Corps and study in France, the cheese tasting was sponsored by the Alliance Française.

Cadden Edits Essay Collection

2010-11-15T09:55:00.003-06:00

The University of Nebraska Press has just released Telling Children's Stories: Narrative Theory and Children's Literature, edited by Mike Cadden.

The collection, part of the series "Frontiers of Narrative," features fourteen new essays by an international slate of scholars and offers assessment of narrative strategies unique to children’s literature.

The volume is divided into four interrelated sections: “Genre Templates and Transformations,” “Approaches to the Picture Book,” “Narrators and Implied Readers,” and “Narrative Time.”

Find more information at the U. of Nebraska Press site:

http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Telling-Childrens-Stories,674643.aspx

Reading at Whiskey Mansion a success

2010-11-15T09:37:00.005-06:00

The New Lit Out Loud open-mic series enjoyed their first event at Whiskey Mansion last Thursday night, November 11.

About twenty people enjoyed the hospitality ("Best roast beef sandwich of my life," chewed Bill Church), the ambiance ("The refurbished tin ceiling in the kitchen was a big hit," opined Meg Thompson), and the strong material offered up by the readers.

Watch for news of future readings at what might be the new home of New Lit Out Loud.

Faculty and Student Achievements for November

2010-11-11T12:42:00.003-06:00

Dr. Susie Hennessy, Professor of French, presented her paper “Overindulging with Zola: Le Ventre de Paris” at the annual meeting of the Midwest Modern Language Association in Chicago, IL November 4-7, 2010.

Dr. Ann Thorne, Professor of Journalism, presented two sessions at the 89th ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Louisville, KY, Oct. 30th. The sessions were entitled “Leadership Skills for Yearbook Editors,” and Yearbook Story Ideas: Finding a Fresh Approach.”

Prairie Lands Writing Project (PLWP) at Missouri Western has received a $1000 grant from the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers to work with youth, especially those from low-income families, in preparing writing contest entries for the 2011 Scholastic Writing Awards Contest. As such, PLWP sponsored "Going for the Gold"writing workshops and pizza parties for area teachers and teenagers--held at Missouri Western, Lathrop High School, and Platte County High School on October 26, November 1, and November 8. Over 65 students and teachers from throughout northwest Missouri participated. Western graduates Amanda Moyers (English teacher at St. Joseph Central High School), Debra Schwebach (English teacher at Lathrop High School), and Tyler Carlson (English teacher at Platte County High School), presented at the workshops; MWSU English faculty members Jane Frick and Tom Pankiewicz led small group sessions with the student writers. PLWP at Missouri Western sponsors the Missouri Region for the national Scholastic contest; the deadline for Missouri Writing Region teenagers to submit their 2011 Scholastic Writing Awards contest entries is January 12.

The 2010 Griffon Yearbook took 2nd Place in the Best of Show Competition at the 89th Annual ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in Louisville, KY, in the category of yearbooks under 314 pages. This is one of the country’s largest gatherings of student media.The 2010 Griffon in a student publication, produced entirely by the Griffon Yearbook editors and staff. Raphael’le Drew was Editor-in-Chief and Graphic Design Editor. Jourdan Huffman was Copy Editor. Linda Shireman was Photo Editor in the early fall, and Kelsey Saythany was Photo Editor in the fall and spring semesters. Assistant editors included Erica Stevens, Lauren Dillon and Courtney Slater. Staff included Morgan Breckenridge, David Gordon, Sarah Hatten, Jerrod Huber, Mercedes Lucero, Jessica Anthony, Ellie Green, Lindsay Lujan, Dalto Liu, and Britany Rivers. Additional staff in the spring included Haley Bennett, Caitlyn Carter, Hannah Greenwell, Mark Koncevic, Lindsay Roberts, Amber Winslow, Robin Gann, Heather Heater, Cortney Keller, and Jeff Meyer.

Faculty Achievements for October

2010-11-04T14:20:00.001-05:00

Dr. Kaye Adkins, associate professor of English, and Dr. Michael Charlton, assistant professor of English, presented “Multi-Purposing Portfolios: Student and Program Assessments with a Single Instrument” at the conference of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication. Dr. Adkins and Dr. Charlton were joined by Miles Kimball of Texas Tech, who serves as an outside evaluator of the Missouri Western professional writing students' graduation portfolios.

Dr. Kaye Adkins, associate professor of English, has been elected as Treasurer of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication.

Dr. Jeanie Crain, professor of English, completed admissions review for two AQIP institutions applying to AQIP (involving application materials and written recommendation).

Dr. Eduardo Castilla-Ortiz, assistant professor of Spanish, presented “Gay Literature for Children in Spain” at the European Studies Conference in Omaha, Nebraska Saturday, October 9
Dr. Eduardo Castilla-Ortiz, assistant professor of Spanish, presented “Un modelo de ética erótica en novelas de Eduardo Mendicutti” at the XXXVI CONGRESO ANUAL DE LITERATURAS HISPÁNICAS in Indiana , Pennsylvania. Friday, October 22nd

Prairie Lands Writing Project sponsored three professional development sessions at Missouri Western in October: On October 18, Missouri's Poets Laureate David Clewell and Walter Bargen conducted a reading and poetry workshop hosted by MWSU English professor Bill Church.

On October 20, twelve area teachers read their original works at the "When Writing Teachers Write IX" Forum in celebration of the National Day on Writing. MWSU English faculty members who read included Bill Church, Megan Thompson, Tom Pankiewicz, Patsy Brost, and Mike Cadden.

Forty-nine area teachers attend the "Let's Look at Writing: Writing for YOU: Writing for Your Students" Saturday Seminar at Missouri Western on October 23. Presenters included MWSU Graduate Certificate in the Teaching of Writing alums Tia Frahm (Spring Garden Middle School language arts teacher) and Jenny Millard (Osborn Elementary grade 5 teacher); leadership team members planning the conference included English instructors, Jane Frick and Tom Pankiewicz.

Dr. Elizabeth Latosi-Sawin, professor of English, presented the paper “Energy and Life: Innovative Honors Education for the 21st Century” at the national meeting of the National Collegiate Honors Council in Kansas City on Oct. 22. She also presented 16 striking posters on environmental issues designed by students in Professor Harris's Graphic Design course.

Dr. Bob Bergland, professor of English, attended the National College Media Convention in Louisville Oct. 28-30 at which he served on the panel "International Teaching/Research Opportunities for Journalism Educators," discussing his 2005 and 2006 Fulbright experiences and the spring 2010 study abroad trip to Greece and Croatia.

Dr. Bob Bergland, professor of English, co-presented two papers with students at the Convergence Conference in Columbia, South Carolina Oct. 11-12: "Convergence and ACEJMC-Accredited Universities: A Program Analysis (with David Hon) and "U.S. Magazines and their Websites: A 2010 Study" (with Emily Gummelt).Two other students who conducted research as part of his spring Global Journalism Research class also gave papers at the conference. Austin Jacobs presented "Multimedia and Interactive Features in Mexican Newspaper Websites," and Todd Fuller presented "U.S. Weekly Newspaper Websites: A 2010 Content Analysis of Multimedia and Functionality."

First Thesis Defense in EFLJ

2010-11-02T14:50:00.002-05:00

Ross Scholz successfully defended his thesis for the MAA in Written Communication - Technical Communication Option. Committee chair Dr. Michael Charlton and members Dr. Kaye Adkins and Dr. Cynthia Jeney were unanimous in their decision to pass his defense of "Proposal for Studying the Workability of E-books in Public Libraries."

Ross researched his thesis while working at the St. Joseph Public Library and studied the challenges and opportunities of implementing devices like the Kindle in such a setting. Ross is our first student to defend the MAA thesis in Technical Communication and we congratulate him and his family. We would also to acknowledge the cooperation of the St. Joseph Public Library, the library board, and its patrons in this research.

Congratulations, Ross!

New place, new voices, new writing.

2010-10-25T14:25:00.003-05:00

The open-mic reading sponsored by EFLJ will take place in a new venue: Whiskey Mansion on the corner of 18th and Francis.

The reading wil take place on Thursday, November 11, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM.

Our hosts will have bottomless cups of coffee and pastries, and will make available a menu for anyone who wants a meal.

Please come by and read, listen, eat, and enjoy.

More information on the Whiskey Mansion:

http://www.whiskeymansion1885.com/index.html

Faculty defeat Student Government Association

2010-10-25T13:59:00.007-05:00

On Wednesday, October 20, The faculty basketball team, 1/3 comprised of EFLJ faculty, defeated the Student Government Association (SGA) 37-35. Bob "Sweet Knees" Bergland and Mike "No-Look-Pass-Oops-Sorry" Cadden represented EFLJ with some dignity if not actual ability.

The game was part of the seventh annual basketball tip-off party in the MWSU Fieldhouse. After the actual SGA staff fell woefully behind to the collective and considerable talent of the MWSU faculty team, the ringers were brought in to close the gap.

Considering that the game featured a continuous 15-minute clock, the faculty were at a clear disadvantage toward the end. Most faculty are not built to run for more than a few minutes at a time. Our strategy of looking ridiculous enough to reduce the opponent to laughter proved effective as they were unable to block our shots while doubled-over on the floor giggling.

The rest of the year will be devoted to resting in preparation for next year's game.

LeAnn Neal Reilly Book Tour Underway

2010-10-22T10:27:00.003-05:00

Follow LeAnn on her "Pump Up Your Book" blog tour. Details about her virtual and actual stops are on her web site: http://www.nealreilly.com/events/

If you've wondered how an author works in self-promotion (or were unaware that creative writers have to do that), this is a good vista into the process.

Good luck, LeAnn!