Spring Break
A week of Court Warming events was capped off by Saturday's crowning of a king and queen. Jason Lurk, senior, pharmacy, and Bridgett Johnson, junior, political science, became the newest members of UMKC's royal court. Mr. and Mrs. Congeniality went to Tyler Musto, sophomore, chemistry, and Alyssa Jauregui, sophomore, biology.
Newly hired University of Missouri-Kansas City Director of Athletics Tim Hall knew as much as any person might about an institution before interviewing for the position. "I've been fairly well connected and was able to talk to some other conference commissioners along the way," said Hall.
Helen Thomas, a veteran print journalist who covered every president since John F. Kennedy, was at the Truman Presidential Museum and Library in Independence last Monday. Thomas was in town to honor the 122nd birthday of former first lady Bess Truman. Thomas, a Hearst Newspaper columnist, served for 57 years as a correspondent for United Press International and as White House bureau chief.
Anthony Boyer calls himself a blessed man. That is because the track athlete recently survived the hurdle of his life. Around 10:45 a.m. Valentine's Day, Boyer's pickup truck skidded off the road near 47th St. and Paseo Blvd. and crashed into icy Brush Creek.
Black men have been lost in history. Pellom McDaniels is attempting to find them. On Feb. 15, McDaniels discussed his research on black men from the Civil War to the present day. At the beginning of the lecture he posed the question, "What's happening with black men and boys?" His presentation entitled "Because I Am: Black Men, Masculinity, and the Language of the Body" was one of many events put on by the office of Multicultural Student Affairs to commemorate Black History Month 2007.
Next semester, UMKC will have a new professor who is already well known to the Kansas City area. Pellom McDaniels, a former Chiefs linebacker, will teach two courses in fall 2007. McDaniels has published a book of poetry, "My Own Harlem," as well as a children's book, "So You Want to be a Pro?" He has written a number of articles, given presentations, and even hosted a TV show, "Metro Sports.
Raising awareness about how race affects our everyday lives brought a small group of students and staff together last Thursday. The "Let's Talk About Race" event was one of many to celebrate black history month at UMKC. New York Times columnist Lena William's book "It's the Little Things: Everyday Interactions that Anger and Divide the Races" was the springboard for the discussion.
Jumpstart is a nationwide program devoted to helping children between ages 3 and 5 prepare for school. It was founded by Yale University in 1993. Between September 2006 and May 2007, Jumpstart Kansas City will serve over 260 children. Sixty-seven will get one-on-one attention, at Head Start centers and other preschools serving low-income families in Kansas City.
On Feb. 1, a new member joined UMKC's Office of Diversity and Equity. Grace G. Hernandez will serve as director of Affirmative Action. Hernandez received her Master of Arts in Human Resources Development from Webster University located in St. Louis. She relocated from Texas, where from 2003 onward she served as director of the Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) at the University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA).
Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued an executive order Feb. 5 to make the HPV vaccine mandatory for girls entering the sixth grade. The mandate is making headlines across the country. HPV, or the Human Papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States.
Campus Jesse Ross search Two Chicago billboards are the latest effort in the search for missing student Jesse Ross. The 14-by-48-foot billboards bear Ross' photo and offer $10,000 for information leading to Ross' return home. The effort is funded by private donations and money collected by UMKC students.
Feb. 9 12:25 p.m. Information - A staff member reported receiving harassing e-mails. 3:50 p.m. Injury - A student playing basketball in Swinney Recreation Center injured his ankle. The student was transported to the hospital for treatment. Feb. 10 10:39 a.
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