Spring Break
Around 60 people rallied en masse against violence and sexual abuse at a gathering in Mill Creek Park on the Plaza during the UMKC Women's Center's Take Back the Night (TBTN) march April 22. The predominately female assemblage was assisted by a UMKC police escort who ushered the participants from the Volker Campus to the J.
With the democratic race for president coming to a head, it can be difficult to turn on the TV without welcoming. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton into the living room. The fairness in media coverage these two candidates are receiving was the subject of a panel discussion last Monday at UMKC put on by The African American Student Union (TAASU) and the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists (KCABJ).
During Wednesday evening's thunderstorm, a group of honor students gathered inside the University Center, sheltered from the rain, to reflect on those who weren't. A panel consisting of Dan Dickey, administrator of the Emergency Family Shelter for City Union Mission, and Richard Tripp, director of Care of Poor People Inc.
The Edward R. Murrow Award is like the Oscar for broadcast journalism, sans the Botox and red carpet. Named after the legendary CBS news anchorman, it's an award given by the Radio-Television News Directors Association to journalists for outstanding achievements in TV and radio.
Earth Day began with cloudy skies and rain in the forecast last Tuesday, April 22. Mother Nature cooperated, though, and by mid-afternoon, a UMKC Earth Day celebration rocked the UMKC playhouse. Students from all over campus had the opportunity to eat earth-friendly food, learn tips about energy conservation, receive seeds to start a garden, ride an oversized tricycle and listen to live music.
In celebration of Earth Day, free trees were available at the UMKC bookstore from April 19 to 22. Two hundred trees were donated by the Missouri Department of Conservation for students and faculty alike to pick up and take home to plant. Three different species of trees were being given away, each indigenous to the state of Missouri.
Research is the process of creating new knowledge. Research can take many forms, from scientific theory testing to artistic endeavors, and this is what Students Engaged in Artistic and Academic Research (SEARCH) is all about. On April 11, UMKC hosted the SEARCH symposium, which is a celebration of undergraduate student research and creative accomplishments.
Freshly-appointed Fulbright Senior Specialist Peter Morello, associate professor in Communications Studies faces an intense two months of work this summer. His mission is nothing less than to help restore the free flow of information in Ethiopia, a country he calls an "emerging democracy.
Chancellor Guy Bailey looked around at the audience gathered for the UMKC Celebration of Excellence on Thursday afternoon and spoke with just a hint of envy in his voice. "Am I the only one is this room not going abroad this summer?" Bailey asked. As Bailey said in his brief comments to those present, one of the things universities become known for are the awards they receive and this year UMKC did very well indeed.
In the entire United States, 190 Guggenheim Fellowships were awarded this year. UMKC snagged two of them. One went to associate professor Paul Rudy, Coordinator of Composition at the Conservatory of Music and Dance, and the other to Elijah Gowin, assistant professor of Art in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Dustin Jensen is getting a degree he might not really need. He'll graduate in August with his second Udall scholarship helping him along the way, but his career is already flourishing. "I work for the Metropolitan Energy Center [MEC]," Jensen said. "It's a non-profit program implementer for the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star programs.
Daunting, humbling, appreciative are just a few words Kathleen Kilway, department chair and associate professor of chemistry, used to describe receiving the President's Award for Outstanding Teaching. According to an e-mail from Gail Hackett, Provost and Vice Chancellor for academic affairs, the President's Award for Outstanding Teaching is given to one faculty member in the University of Missouri System (UM) annually, and this year's recipient was Kilway.
SGA raises executive board salaries In last Wednesday's Student Government Association (SGA) meeting, the Senate voted to raise the salaries of the members of the SGA executive board by $1,000. SGA President Sean McClain said UMKC's executive board pay was the lowest in the University of Missouri system.
Urban Planning student Spencer Yaw's community engagement project, a garden shed made primarily from discarded wooden pallets, is drawing attention around campus. Situated just north of the University Playhouse, Yaw's creation, which won first place in the 2008 Search Symposium for Architecture and Urban Planning, is chiefly constructed of reusable material.
April 18 2:28 p.m. Mental Illness - An involved party in the School of Nursing was transported to the hospital for treatment of a mental illness. April 20 2:50 a.m. Traffic Arrest - Officers arrested a suspect for driving under the influence of alcohol.
