Alumna On Hand for 42 premiere in Kansas City

On Thursday, April 11, 2013, alumna Melissa (Bitterman) Cox was given the opportunity to photograph a one-on-one interview with The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's president, Bob Kendrick, by Brian Freeman {from KTGR in Columbia} as they conversed about the film 42 based on the story of Jackie Robinson and the impact it's had on Kansas City. 

Melissa and Brian at the premiere

Melissa and Brian also attended the red carpet premiere of the film, where they met and (and Melissa photographed) many inspiring people, including Billy Butler, KC Mayor Sly James, Dennis Leonard, Lou Brock, George Altman, Luis Mendoza, Bruce Chen, Linda Paige-Shelby (daughter of Satchel Paige) & David Robinson (son of Jackie Robinson) as well as film stars Derek Phillips, Andre Holland, Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford.

Melissa, owner of Lifeshots Photography, said "It was one of the most surreal, exciting, awesome days of my life. I got to be part of a celebration of one of history's greatest moments. I am still pinching myself and looking over the photos again and again. Then the film itself: aside from the one-liners that just kept coming throughout the whole movie and the fact that Harrison Ford BECAME Branch Rickey, the message and portrayal of the story moved me to tears. Whether you are a baseball fan, a history buff, or a Harrison Ford lover-- If you are an American... you must go see this movie."

Foreign Language Day 2013

Welcoming this year's crowd

First Place for lip-synching

On Tuesday, April 9, the English/Foreign Languages/Journalism Department hosted 215 high school students from nine high schools for the annual Foreign Language Day. 

Students competed in a variety of language-related activities, including poetry recitation, a quiz bowl, impromptu skits and video commercials.

Students studying Chinese, French and Spanish participated. Two new events gave students the choice between a spelling bee in their language or Afro-Cuban dance lessons!

Thanks to the high school foreign language teachers for bringing students to campus, to our full-time foreign language staff ( Drs. Hennessy, Castilla-Ortiz, and Bausset-Page), our Fulbright fellows Vicky and Dominic, our Chinese exchange professor Juan, and all who worked to make the event so successful.

Spanish Poetry Slam Winner

 

Dancing lessons

Students Achieve General Studies and Majors Honors

The following students have fulfilled requirements for both General Studies Honors and Majors Honors:

Sarah McClure (English Education)
Eric McCrerey (Spanish)
Caitlin McKinney (French)
Katie Walkup (English)

Congratulations!

Students Weigh In On Popular Culture

English majors Sarah McClure and Roxanne Chase and English/French major Caitlin McKinney gave papers at the 2013 Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association Conference held in Washington, D.C., March 27-31.

Roxanne (left) and Caitlin take a breather from touring D.C.

Sarah visits the Vampire Slayer-in-Chief

The students presented in the area of Literature and Science and were accompanied at the conference by Drs. Ian Roberts and Trish Donaher. Their papers were developed in the fall in Dr. Roberts' Literature and Science course. Donaher and Roberts also presented at the conference in the areas that they chair, Language Attitudes and Popular Linguistics and Literature and Science, respectively.

2013 Department Awards Announced

The department is proud to announce the winners of the outstanding graduate awards:

Louise Lacey Outstanding BA, English Graduate: Staci Hersh

Mary Lee Doherty Outstanding BSE, English Graduate: Sarah McClure

Outstanding Graduate in French: Donnie Hughes

Outstanding Graduate in Spanish: Eric McCrerey

Outstanding Graduate in Convergent Media: Dave Hon

Sandra Jacobs Award in Literary Studies: Matt Ausberger

Congratulations to these and all of our graduating students!

MAA student Sarah Puett off to Minnesota

Sarah Puett, a student in the MAA, Written Communication program, has accepted a graduate assistantship in the Rhetoric and Scientific/Technical Communication PhD program at the University of Minnesota.

Sarah will be teaching first-year composition and taking three graduate classes this fall. With five-years of funding as a Golden Gopher, she should be set in the Twin Cities until she becomes Dr. Puett!

Congratulations, Sarah!

First Thursday Reading

On Thursday, April 4, people gathered at Foster's Martini Bar to hear poetry, prose, and even some music performed by alumni, faculty, and current students.

Although the event competed with "St. Joe's Got Talent" in the Missouri Theater that evening, a good crowd was on hand at the reading to hear the real talent in town.



Plan to come by Foster's on the First Thursday in May to read or just listen.