PSU students bring home gold, silver advertising awards
From Pittsburg State University
Students in Pittsburg State University’s Graphics and Imaging Technologies Department and Communication Department once again brought home the hardware from an elite advertising competition, the “ADDYs.”
Created as an opportunity to recognize and reward creative excellence in the art of advertising, the ADDYs have become the industry’s largest and most respected competition. The American Advertising Federation of the Heartland formally recognized the winning students at a recent gala event that doubled as a way for them to network with industry professionals.
A total of 66 PSU students competed, with 49 total wins — 47 from the GIT Department and two from the Department of Communication.
Of the GIT awards, 19 were gold and 25 were silver, with Abraham Guerra, a graphic communications major from Carthage, Missouri, winning Best of Show for his Cold War Documentary intro animation. Two students received Judge’s Choice Awards: Kaylea Robertson of Ozark, Missouri, for her “Track Your Travels Kit,” and Abigail Mitchell, who graduated in Spring 2021, for “Star Chips.”
Winning entries included projects in a range of areas, including packaging, direct marketing, photography, campaigns, brand identity, logo design, outdoor advertising, app development, website design, animation or special effects, and other categories.
Faculty involvement also played an important role: Associate Instructional Professor Traci Hughes, who coordinated the awards ceremony, led students in the design and production of the awards presentation, the Winner’s Book, and wide-format entry display posters. She purchased all of the student and professional awards from PSU’s Technology Education program.
Associate Professor Andrea McConnaughey helped with print production of the booklets and entry display posters, Associate Professor Rocky Restivo recorded the event, Associate Professor Rion Huffman was the event photographer, and Professor Christel Benson processed the 37 student sponsored entries.
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Waterfowl auctions, shows and swap meets suspended due to avian influenza
From the Missouri Department of Agriculture
To help prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the Missouri Department of Agriculture has suspended all domestic waterfowl and waterfowl egg auctions, shows and swap meets through the end of May. Federal officials have confirmed cases of HPAI in Stoddard, Bates, Jasper and Lawrence Counties. HPAI is known to be deadly for domesticated poultry.
The statewide auction, show and swap meet suspension only applies to domestic waterfowl and waterfowl eggs. However, it is not applicable for days-old duckling sales at feed stores. Such ducklings are born in National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) flocks, which are voluntarily tested by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The suspension affects domestic waterfowl, specifically, because they are more likely to comingle with wild, migrating waterfowl that carry HPAI. Also, it is proven waterfowl are less likely to show signs of HPAI, which can lead to unintentional spreading of the virus.
In addition, all poultry auctions, shows and swap meets are suspended in counties containing control areas or surveillance zones, determined by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, until the virus has been eradicated. Poultry can still be sold and exhibited in unaffected counties, at this time, with strict biosecurity measures.
“The Missouri Department of Agriculture is working hard to contain and eliminate the virus,” Missouri State Veterinarian Steve Strubberg said. “Restricting comingling of domestic waterfowl is crucial to stopping the spread of avian influenza in Missouri. And, as always, we encourage producers to tighten biosecurity protocols.”
Poultry producers should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and report sick birds or an unusual increase in death loss to the state veterinarian’s office at 573-751-3377.
The domestic waterfowl auction, show and swap meet suspension will be reevaluated at the end of May.
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MSSU’s Spring Career Fair to return March 16
From Missouri Southern State University
The Spring Career Fair at Missouri Southern State University will return as an in-person event from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
It marks the first time Missouri Southern’s Career Services department has been able to host the event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“The Spring Career Fair is an excellent opportunity for students and alumni from MSSU to connect with regional businesses and organizations within the Four State community,” said Alex Gandy, director of Career Services. “We are incredibly grateful for businesses and organizations returning to MSSU to recruit talented students and graduates.”
The fair allows students and alumni to find careers, internships and graduate-school opportunities in a wide variety of fields. Those attending will find hundreds of available positions and other offerings from the businesses and organizations on hand.
Attendees should dress formally and bring copies of their resume.
A complete list of businesses and organizations can be found on MSSU’s Hire a Lion page under the “Company Events” tab:
https://www.mssu.edu/student-affairs/career-services/student-hire-a-lion.php.
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Spiva exhibit to showcase photographer’s visual narrative
From Missouri Southern State University
“In the Midst of Things,” a solo exhibition by artist Sarah Hiatt, will open Monday, March 14, in the Spiva Gallery at Missouri Southern State University.
Hiatt is a photographer who explores the passage of time through a visual narrative created from personal experiences. Her works document struggles with her own purpose while themes of guilt and loneliness plague her life.
Hiatt, who lives in Chicago, Ill., works primarily within the photographic medium and bookmaking, as well as using archival footage, family historical documents, prose and poetry. She’s been part of the staff at Chicago Academy for the Arts since 2019, teaching photography, cinematography, and directing for grades 9-12.
Her work has been shown in Chicago, Long Island City, N.Y., Kansas City, Mo. and other cities throughout the United States and internationally. In 2019, Spurl Editions published a 58-page book of her photographs, “In the Midst of Things.”
A virtual artist talk will be available at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 17, followed by a reception in the gallery at 7 p.m. The talk will also be available to view via Zoom.
Zoom link:
https://mssu-edu.zoom.us/j/95910950732?pwd=ZWdYTUhIM2RFd2Z6SGE0TzBOOFAzUT09
Passcode: 897723
The exhibition at Spiva will run thruogh Friday, April 1. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Admission is free and open to the public.
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LCC Student Survey prompts change in course schedule
From Labette Community College
Labette Community College has been implementing campus wide changes to ensure student success, encourage retention, and enhance the college experience for students. The college formed a Strategic Enrollment Management committee made of constituents campus-wide. The monthly committee meetings serve as an avenue for ideas, collaboration and change implementation on the recruiting, retention, and completion of students while at LCC.
A student survey conducted through the committee determined that changes to class times as well as days classes were being offered were key in the recruitment and retention of students. Beginning the summer of 2022, class times will begin at the top of every hour or half hour, rather than the previous time of ten or twenty minutes after the hour. The summer schedule will also serve as a catalyst for change in the days of the week courses are offered for the 2022-23 academic year. Class days will be held Monday-Thursday, with the exception of some Career Technical Education courses which may have labs or clinical hours on Fridays.
The change in classes will allow students time for tutoring, testing, advising, studying, and work on Fridays. The schedule also allows faculty time to grade, advise students, and prepare for upcoming classes.
“The student survey identified that a four day a week class schedule is attractive to current and potential students. This allows students to focus on their specific needs and help them be a better student, parent, employee, and community member,” said Dean of Instruction, Kara Wheeler.
The new course schedule will begin in Summer 2022. Open enrollment for Summer and Fall 2022 will begin April 1. More information can be found at www.labette.edu.
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Joplin Public Library hires new PR/Marketing Assistant
From the Joplin Public Library
The Joplin Public Library is pleased to announce Lori Crockett has been hired as their new Public Relations & Marketing Assistant.
Crockett’s work experience, education, and professional skill set make her an outstanding addition to the Library team. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing degree from Missouri State University, with an emphasis in advertising and promotion. Her most recent work in photography, graphic design, and social media marketing have helped her build key skills that will benefit the Library.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Library team,” said Crockett. “I look forward to continuing their efforts to make our Library an accessible resource for the community.”
In her position Crockett is responsible for helping implement the Library’s marketing plan, enhancing awareness of the Library, and striving to build great relationships inside and outside of the Library building. She steps into a position previously filled by Chelsey Gatewood, who is moving out of state with her family.
For more information please contact Jeana Gockley at 417-623-7953 ext 1021 or [email protected].
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Kansas archeology training program registration opens
From the Kansas Governor’s Office
The Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association announced that registration is now open for the Kansas Archeology Training Program (KATP), which will be held at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, in Topeka, June 3-18, 2022. The public can register online through kshs.org through May 31, 2022. Participation is limited per day and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
The annual field school will partner with the park and the National Park Service’s Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC). The park includes the Monroe Elementary School and commemorates the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s legal segregation. This landmark victory for civil rights in America helped inspire the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Monroe Elementary School was built in 1927; the previous Monroe School was built in 1874. Both were intended as segregated schools for Black children, which provide a broader historical context to the location prior to the 1954 court decision.
The goal of this year’s field school is to expand knowledge of the school property from the early years when it was purchased by John Ritchie in 1855 and later when the current Monroe Elementary School was built. This will be an opportunity to explore structures buried on the property that once stood near the earlier Monroe School. Little is known regarding the preservation of these structures. Through archeology better understanding can be gained about those who lived in the school neighborhood. This project will help tell of the crucial time between the Civil War and the Civil Rights era, which profoundly impacted people’s lives throughout the nation. Research goals will be shaped by input from the National Park Service to assist in telling this story and gaining more understanding about the surrounding community.
The annual field school is an opportunity for the public to work alongside professional and avocational archeologists in finding and excavating archeological sites and processing the resulting artifacts. This year’s artifacts found at the site will be processed in the Kansas Historical Society’s archeology laboratory. No experience is necessary — just a desire to learn. Volunteers can attend a few days or the entire field school. Participants must be at least 12 years old, and children aged 12-17 must be accompanied by a parent or sponsor.
The registration fee for members of the Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Anthropological Association is $35 for standard participants, $25 for participants 65 or older, and $15 for all students currently enrolled at a middle school, high school, or college. For individuals that are not members of either organization, the fee is $90.
A full schedule of evening programs will be held in Topeka; a tentative schedule will be posted online. Admission to the programs is free and open to the public. Please note, the field school is closed on Mondays (June 6 and June 13), which is a great opportunity for participants to explore the area. There is potential for other scheduled programming on these days.
For more information contact Nikki Klarmann, [email protected]; 785-272-8681, ext. 266; kshs.org/katp.