Science students plan medical voyage to Peru

We often hear of medical professionals performing charitable work in other countries after they’ve established their careers in the United States.

But a group of Pittsburg State University pre-health majors aren’t waiting until their certificates are on the wall to use their medical knowledge to help foreign patients in need.

Fifteen students majoring in the biological sciences at PSU are raising funds to travel to Cuzco, Peru next May to volunteer in a variety of medical clinics. The group members, who were selected out of nearly 40 applicants based on their medical experience, grade point average and knowledge of the Spanish language, will spend two weeks working in rural outreach clinics, a women’s health clinic and an infectious disease clinic.

Organized by junior biology major Emily Walters, the group will be traveling with the help of ProWorld, an international organization that matches volunteers with volunteer opportunities across the world.

“It has really been a student-dreamed-up idea,” Walters said, crediting Dr. Daniel Zurek, associate professor in biology and the group’s faculty advisor, with offering guidance. “We had a lot of students in specific areas of health who were interested in going, but our mission is already so broad this first time that we have been trying to keep it contained to the general health area.”

While some students will receive travel stipends and scholarships from the university, the group is working on raising the remainder of the $47,000 tab. Their first fundraiser – an invitation-only dinner reception primarily for area physicians and PSU administrators – will be held Wednesday, Dec. 5, at the Stilwell Hotel in Pittsburg. Walters says other fundraisers, such as a phoneathon, a letter-writing campaign, and a black tie event, will be scheduled for the spring.

In addition to funding for their travel expenses, the students are also hoping to receive donations of medical supplies and products to use at the clinics.

“What these students are doing is amazing,” Zurek said. “They are not only providing care to medically underserved people half a world away, they are also building leadership and medical care skills that will pay off throughout their lifetime. It’s a privilege to be part of this.”

Word of mouth in the Pittsburg community isn’t the only attention the group hopes to get. A film student from the University of Kansas (whose documentary on nurse education during World War II was recently sold to the History Channel) has expressed interest in creating a documentary on the group’s preparation and trip. The filmmaker is working on finding funding of her own to be able to travel to Peru with the students.

“We believe this entire project will be a benefit for the people of Peru,” Walters said. “We’re hoping that we will find support because a lot of our local physicians are committed to cultivating future doctors.”

For more information on the trip, contact Emily Walters at 620-875-9170 or at emilykennedy@yahoo.com. To learn more about ProWorld, go to www.myproworld.org.

---Pitt State---

FCS Career Fair explores job opportunities

Two hundred high school students from 20 school districts across the area – including schools in Wichita, Kansas City and Tulsa, Okla. – will be on the Pittsburg State University campus Monday, Dec. 3, to learn what careers in family and consumer science could hold for them.

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences will sponsor its 8th annual Career Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Overman Student Center. The day will include workshops informing students about internship and career opportunities in the various areas of FCS, such as fashion and interior design, family management and early childhood development.

Faculty members will meet with teachers that day to discuss educational opportunities at the high school level. Students and teachers will also get a tour of the campus, including the FCS building.

“The old home economics label we all grew up with is aimed at what you do inside the home,” said FCS Chairman Duane Whitbeck. “We’re aiming now at careers you can have beyond the home.”

For more information, contact Whitbeck at 620-235-4456.

---Pitt State---

Board of Regents gives OK to School of Construction proposal

In a special meeting Monday, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a proposal from Pittsburg State University to create a School of Construction within the College of Technology. The Board’s approval moves the plan forward to the Kansas Legislature, which will be asked to consider it as part of a $17 million package of new higher education funds system-wide. The price tag for PSU’s School of Construction is $1,393,400.

President Tom Bryant said the Board of Regents approval gives the university the “green light” to work with the Legislature to fund the proposal.

“There is a lot of hard work that needs to be done to secure funding from the Legislature,” Bryant said. “A great deal can happen from the beginning to the end of the session and there will be many interests competing for limited state resources. We feel good about the proposal, however, and believe it will help meet some critical work force needs in the state of Kansas.”

The Regents had asked the universities for plans that addressed the issue of work force development. Vice President for Academic Affairs Steve Scott said the School of Construction plan does just that.

“Despite the strong growth of the construction program,” Scott said, “we are unable to satisfy the demands of the industry as they seek to hire our graduates.”

As proposed, the plan would: expand the Construction Management and Construction Engineering Technology programs, expand the bachelor of applied science degree program in construction with the goal of establishing numerous 2+2 agreements with community and technical colleges that offer construction related AAS programs, and create a new bachelor of science degree program in safety, health and environmental technology.

In addition, future academic programs that could be added include a possible bachelor of science degree program in land surveying, cooperative minors with Automotive Technology in heavy/diesel equipment in construction, cooperative minors in various construction areas such as mechanical/plumbing, electrical and civil construction, and certificate programs developed jointly with regional community colleges in an effort to enhance workforce development in skilled craftspersons for the construction industry.

A third component of the plan is the establishment of the Center for Construction Excellence in Field Management and Supervision. The center will focus on K-12, community college and technical college engagement and also on construction industry professional workshops and continuing education programs.

Scott said the proposal “offers an opportunity for the state of Kansas to further capitalize on the investment that's already been made in the Kansas Technology Center. As the unique aspect of our mission, the College of Technology is well positioned to help the state and region address work force shortages that exist in the construction industry.”

---Pitt State---

Art Association hosts "Silent Night Silent Auction"

Many pieces of original artwork will be on sale this weekend as the Pittsburg State University Art Association hosts the fundraiser “Silent Night Silent Auction.”

The auction will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30, on the second floor of Porter Hall. The donated works of Pittsburg State University Art Department faculty, members of the University Art Association, and supporters of the department will all be on sale.

The fundraising event is part of an effort to bring New York artist Rory Golden to the PSU campus in February 2008 for an altered book and painting workshop. Refreshments and entertainment from PSU Department of Music students will be provided.

For more information, contact April Richling at 620-235-4305 or at april_richling@hotmail.com.

---Pitt State---

KRPS features holiday programming

As radio stations throughout the area turn the switch to Christmas music this season, the Public Radio station at Pittsburg State University will celebrate the holidays with a variety of programming.

KRPS, 89.9 FM, will offer more than 92 hours of holiday music and shows beginning with an all-day event this Saturday, Dec. 1. The station will air “Music, Memories & More: a KRPS Old-Fashioned Radio Special” from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, with special programming from big names like Garrison Keillor and Click and Clack.

Also on Saturday, the station will host a holiday open house for community members and supporters. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., visitors are welcome to stop by the station located in Shirk Hall for tours and refreshments.

The rest of the season (through New Year’s Day) is full of a wide range of special holiday music. Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio,” “A Baroque Christmas,” “Peter Ostroushko’s Heartland Holiday 2007, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” “Christmas with the Philadelphia Singers 2007,” “The Nutcracker,” and “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols,” are all part of the schedule throughout the month. And for listeners celebrating Chanukah, programming is scheduled for Dec. 4-12.

For more information about these and other KPRS programs, contact KRPS General Manager Missi Kelly at 620-235-4288 or visit their Web site at http://www.krps.org/.

---Pitt State---

Students present work at reading, gallery display

Students in Pittsburg State University’s Senior and Graduate Poetry Writing class will present their original work at a reading and gallery display this Saturday, Dec. 1.

The students will be presenting their original broadsides – limited edition prints, usually in the form of posters with images, along with literary content such as poems – at 7:30 p.m. at The Little Room gallery, located at 108 W. 5th Street in Pittsburg.

The students presenting their work include Rebecca Bauman, Josh Davis, Eric Dutton, Angie Hine, Kathryn Kiwan, Bruce Shields, and Professor Laura Lee Washburn of the PSU Department of English.

In addition to the student’s work, broadsides produced by other artists including Marianne Evans-Lombe and Karla Elling with Mummy Mountain Press in Arizona will also be on display. Some broadsides will be available for purchase.

For more information, contact Washburn at lwashbur@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

Holiday shopping? 2008 PSU calendars on sale

Shoppers searching for a Christmas present that will last Pittsburg State University fans all year long still have a few weeks to purchase a 2008 PSU calendar.

The full-color wall calendars, which feature professional photographs of the PSU campus as well as important university dates and other Pitt State information, are a nice way to give friends and family a monthly memoir of PSU.

Calendars are $10 and can be purchased through the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations. Call 620-235-4758 or email alumni@pittstate.edu. Additional information can be found by going online by visiting The Jungle at www.pittstatealumni.com.

---Pitt State---

World AIDS Week observed at PSU

It may be a quiet week at Pittsburg State University as classes begin to wind down for the semester, but the voices of Southeast Kansas HIV and AIDS victims will be heard loud and clear.

Gorillas in Your Midst and Student Prevention and Wellness will sponsor World AIDS Week each day through Friday, Nov. 30, with an AIDS quilt display from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Overman Student Center. The quilt panels, on loan from the Tulsa Area Names Project, are dedicated to the memory of lost loved ones. Information on the quilt, brochures on HIV and AIDS, red ribbons and posters will be distributed.

At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, a ceremony will be held at the center near the quilt display. The event will include monologues gathered from residents in Southeast Kansas who live with HIV and AIDS, as well as poetry, songs, and a candlelight remembrance of those who have died from AIDS and those who continue to live with the disease.

The quilt panels will continue to be on display for the Pittsburg community on World AIDS Day this Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Meadowbrook Mall in Pittsburg.

In accordance with this year’s theme “HIV: Let’s Get Talking,” PSU professors have been asked to include discussions about the disease in their classrooms. Monetary donations for the quilt display will be accepted at the display sites. Donations will be forwarded to Doctors Without Borders, the Nobel Prize-winning medical relief organization, with the stipulation that money be used for AIDS relief in developing countries.

For more information, contact J.T. Knoll at 620-235-4062 or at jknoll@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

Holiday Buffet spreads seasonal cheer

Pittsburg State University faculty and staff will get a spirited start to the holidays next week with the annual Holiday Buffet.

The celebration combines good food with great entertainment – attendees are treated to a holiday concert performed by the Pittsburg State University Choir, directed by Dr. Susan Marchant.

The Holiday Buffet will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Crimson and Gold Ballroom in the Overman Student Center.

The menu includes carved turkey and ham, garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, rolls, tossed salad and cinnamon applesauce salad, and three flavors of pie.

Cost for the buffet is $7. The event is sponsored by Sodexho Food Services, the Overman Student Center, and Campus Activities Center.

---Pitt State---

University Development welcomes two new additions

Two new employees with experience in industry and law have joined the Pittsburg State University Development Office, according to Scott Roberts, director of University Development.

Chasity McCoy, a native of Rockdale, Texas, has joined the office to serve as the new major gifts officer for the College of Technology. McCoy will be responsible for cultivating relationships with the college’s alumni and constituents, as well as consulting with industry partners to strengthen financial support for the college.

McCoy, who graduated in 2001 with a bachelor of business administration degree from Texas A&M, has been working for the past four years for Schreiber Foods, Inc. at their Carthage location. As a production team leader, she managed more than 150 employees and worked on projects such as equipment design and product innovation. She was also involved in an environment sustainability project with one of the company’s cardboard suppliers, as well as a packaging design project for a major weight loss company.

McCoy is the first full-time major gifts officer for the College of Technology. Her hands-on experience in industry, she says, will be a benefit in her new role.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the college and learning what drives their programs and what their needs are,” McCoy said. “I’m excited to start working with them and to be a part of the team here at PSU.”

McCoy is a volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House, Meals on Wheels, a former co-chair of the United Way of Carthage, Mo., and a member of the Xi Delta chapter of Alpha Phi Omega at Texas A&M. She lives in Oronogo, Mo.

The Office of University Development has also hired a new director of Planned Giving. Shawn Naccarato, who graduated in 2001 with a degree in political science from Pittsburg State University, will serve the university by working largely with friends and constituents who would like to support PSU with a planned gift.

While attending Pitt State, Naccarato served in leadership roles for a number of organizations, including Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity, Student Government Association, Greek Council, Interfraternity Council, Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, and Senior Gift Council.

Naccarato earned his juris doctorate from the University of Missouri in 2004. While in school, he interned with the Office of the United States Attorney General for the Western District of Missouri. After completing his degree, he worked for three years for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as an assistant attorney general, specializing in criminal cases and special prosecution work. Currently, he is finishing his master’s degree in public affairs from the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri.

“I’m looking forward to using the skills I’ve gained from my education and work experience for the betterment of the university,” said Naccarato, who recently relocated to Pittsburg with his wife, Chrissy, an occupational therapist with Freeman Health Systems and his son Jude, 2, and newborn daughter Norah. “I’m excited to be back at Pitt State in a role where I can help to advance the university and work with constituents of PSU.”

Roberts, who hired the two after a national search, says he was pleased to offer the positions to McCoy and Naccarato, and that he looks forward to having them work in such important areas of University Development.

“I believe we’ve made the best selection for the benefit of the university,” Roberts said. “I am extremely impressed with their backgrounds and capabilities, and I know they are going to be successful at reaching out to even more supporters of the university in order to continue to grow the programs and offerings at Pittsburg State.”

---Pitt State---

Violence awareness groups to spread the warmth

With temperatures set to drop this week, three Pittsburg State University organizations are teaming up just in time to collect coats and blankets for families in need.

Students Against Violence through Education (SAVE), along with Men for Violence Prevention (MVP) and the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) are collecting clean, warm clothing and blankets today through Wednesday, Nov. 28. Drop-off boxes are located in Whitesitt Hall, Grubbs Hall, Axe Library, and at the information desk in the Overman Student Center.

All donated items will go to local families through the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Crisis Resource Center of Pittsburg.

On Nov. 28, the organizations will also be raising money for victims of violence. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Oval, members will be handing out cups of hot chocolate as well as flat glass Christmas ornaments that can be personally decorated. A donation of $2 is suggested.

For more information on how you can give, contact Donna Miller at 417-684-0280.

---Pitt State---

Knoll honored nationally as outstanding adviser

There’s no question to students at Pittsburg State University that Prevention and Wellness Coordinator J.T. Knoll goes above and beyond for them. From serving as a mentor to stepping in to offer health lectures when instructors need to miss class, his commitment to higher education is a constant.

Now, he’s earned national kudos for his work.

Knoll, the adviser for PSU’s Gorillas in Your Midst – Peer Health Education has been awarded the National Outstanding Adviser of the Year Award by the BACCHUS Network. The non-profit organization promotes student-driven leadership to encourage safe lifestyles on issues such as alcohol abuse, tobacco use, illegal drug use, unhealthy sexual practices and other high-risk behaviors.

The award was presented at the organization’s General Assembly meeting on Nov. 10 in Atlanta. Knoll, who was nominated by a student, was one of five winners from more than 900 schools across the nation. Other winners were from Harvard University, Gustavus Adolphus College, Roger Williams University, and Bradley University.

“It’s an honor to be acknowledged by BACCHUS, an organization that has supported student leadership and has been saving students’ lives since 1975,” Knoll said. “I wouldn’t have been selected were it not for the peer health education work of Gorillas in Your Midst. They’ve achieved repeated recognition at every level for the past 15 years.”

Other awards given at the conference include Outstanding Student, Outstanding Program, and Outstanding Alumni. This year, nearly 1,000 students and advisors from campuses across the country attended the ceremony.

---Pitt State---

Tastes and Sounds of Nations features food and arts

Pittsburg State University international students from across the world will be sharing in one of the semester’s most appetizing cultural events this weekend.

The annual Tastes and Sounds of Nations will be held from 6-9 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 16, in McCray Hall. Sponsored by the International Student Association, the event is broken into two parts, the first featuring crafts and food from students’ home countries and the second featuring students’ cultures through stage performances including music, martial arts, dancing, and skits.

This year, more than 10 countries will be represented, including China, India, Russia, and Taiwan. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Meltem Tugut at 620-235-4607 or at mtugut@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

Native American students to cook, serve Navajo Fry Bread

Members the Native American Student Association at Pittsburg State University will be giving away a tasty sample of their heritage this week.

The group will be baking and giving away fry bread, a traditional Navajo food, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at a table set up on the Oval. The bread will be cooked fresh with portable fryers brought out for the event.

Made primarily of lard and wheat flour, the flat bread became a staple in Native American cuisine in the 1800s. After the Navajos were imprisoned in New Mexico in the 1860s, the United States government eventually began providing them with some basic ingredients through a commodities program. With few ingredients, the Navajo women began making the bread, which is still a traditional food today in Arizona and New Mexico.

The free bread will be made by NASA students. For more information, contact Brandon Plott at 620-231-2264.

---Pitt State---

Documentary "Sicko" to be viewed, discussed

The most recent film from controversial director Michael Moore will be the subject of intense discussion among students and faculty this week at Pittsburg State University.

A showing of Moore’s film “Sicko,” a documentary about the deteriorating state of health care in the United States, will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, in room 109 of Grubbs Hall. In addition to analyzing the health care system in the U.S., Moore compares it to the government-funded, universalized systems in France, Cuba, the United Kingdom and Canada.

The showing is being sponsored by the PSU Kansas National Education Association, the Biology Club, and the Pre-Med Club. A panel discussion with representatives from these organizations will be held afterward.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 620-235-4670.

---Pitt State---

'First Lady of the Press' to speak at PSU

A legendary White House journalist credited with paving the way for female reporters will be the keynote speaker at the 2007 Profiles of Women in Government Lecture Series at Pittsburg State University.

Helen Thomas, commonly referred to as “The First Lady of the Press,” will speak at the lecture series at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the McCray Recital Hall.

Thomas, a former White House Bureau chief, has covered every president since John F. Kennedy, when she followed him to the White House in 1961 as a United Press International correspondent. It was during that assignment that she became famous for her sign-off “Thank you, Mr. President,” when closing presidential press conferences. She served with UPI for 57 years, traveling around the world with presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Thomas has been named one of the “25 Most Influential Women in America” by The World Almanac. After leaving her post at UPI earlier this year, she joined Hearst Newspapers as a syndicated columnist.

The Women in Government lecture series is presented by PSU and the PSU Foundation through the support of the Helen S. Boylan Foundation.

For more information on the lecture, contact the Office of Public Relations or Kathleen Flannery in Continuing and Graduate Studies at 620-235-4181.

---Pitt State---

Great American Smokeout observed at PSU

If the growing non-smoking culture in the United States isn’t reason enough for college students to kick the habit, two Pittsburg State University organizations are hoping next week’s events give smokers the motivation they need.

On Thursday, Nov. 15, the Gorillas in Your Midst Peer Health Education group as well as Student Prevention & Wellness will take part in the 2007 Great American Smokeout. This year’s theme, “If Not Now…When?” will be observed at Pitt State through several activities including a quit smoking slogan contest, tobacco jeopardy with a chance to win prizes, free “quit kits” with an outlined plan to identify smoking styles and handle cravings, and free medical information on how to quit. The Crawford County Health Department will also provide information on how to stop smoking. The activities will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Overman Student Center.

For more information on the Great American Smokeout or the day’s activities, contact J.T. Knoll at 620-235-4062 or at jknoll@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

New lecture series brings disciplines together

A new lectures series at Pittsburg State University will feature a professor whose work in mathematics is creating fascinating connections with other disciplines.

Dr. Cynthia Woodburn of the PSU Department of Mathematics will be the first speaker of the new Arts and Sciences Lecture Series. The series, which will begin with this first lecture at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, in room 107 of Grubbs Hall, is designed to increase interdisciplinary understanding among departments.

Woodburn’s lecture, “Wallpaper Patterns and Crystallographic Groups,” unites the mathematical theory of groups with art as well as biology, geology, solid state physics and chemistry. According to Woodburn, crystallographic groups played a role in the birth of modern mineralogy, as well as the discovery of the structure of DNA.

Dr. Lynette Olson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, says the lectures are a return to the series started by Dean Emeritus Orville Brill. “We have high hopes this new series will continue into the future,” she said.

Light refreshments will be served before the lecture. The series is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact the College of Arts and Sciences at 620-235-4685.

---Pitt State---

Auditions set for "Vagina Monologues" performance

Auditions for one of the most head-turning stage shows from the past decade will be held next week at Pittsburg State University.

Organizers of the PSU 2008 performance of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” will hold auditions at two different times and locations on Wednesday, Nov. 14. The first session will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Prairie Room, and the second session will be from 5-6 p.m. in the Collegiate Room. Both rooms are located in the Overman Student Center.

Students and members of the community are invited to audition for the show, which will run Feb 8-9, 2008, at PSU. The benefit production is being sponsored by the PSU Women’s Studies Club.

Past performances at Pitt State have raised more than $6,000, money which was donated to the Crisis Resource Center of Southeast Kansas. This year, the organization will receive 90 percent of the proceeds, with 10 percent going to V-Day’s 2008 spotlight campaign “Women of New Orleans.” In 2007, more than 3,000 “V-Day” events were held around the world in a global movement to end violence against women.

For more information on the auditions, contact Allison Lohr at 620-231-0016 or at wheatslohr@aol.com.

---Pitt State---

Minority students discuss retention

Pittsburg State University administrators will be sitting down with minority students for some one-on-one time at a group forum tonight.

PSU President Tom Bryant, Academic Affairs Vice President Steve Scott, and College of Education Dean Andy Tompkins will be the guests at “Celebrating our Colorful Heritage,” a round table discussion scheduled from 5-6 p.m. today in room 316 of Hughes Hall. These administrators will get the opportunity to speak directly to about 40 self-identified American minority students. The students are all seeking degrees in the College of Education.

“The goal is to listen to the needs of students of color,” said Tatiana Sildus, associate professor in the College of Education. “We’re trying to learn how we can make their experience the best it can be, what we can do to make sure they complete their degrees, and what we can do to attract more students of color.”

Administrators will rotate to tables around the room, speaking with different groups of students. The event has been organized by the College of Education Diversity Committee. Pizza, drinks and prizes will be available at the event.

For more information, contact Tatiana Sildus at 620-235-4504.

---Pitt State---

Cooking classes offered to students

Thanksgiving dinner is still weeks away, but some Pittsburg State University students will be enjoying the tastes of a homemade meal a little sooner.

Cooking classes will be offered to PSU students Nov. 7 and 14 at the Crimson and Gold Ballroom in the Overman Student Center. Students who have signed up will get a lesson in food basics, food safety, and will learn how to make recipes including chicken fettuccini with homemade Alfredo sauce and salad with homemade dressing. Next Wednesday, the same group will learn how to make fruit pizza dessert.

Food and cooking supplies have been donated by Sodexho, the university’s food service vendor. After the positive response from students last year, Sodexho Retail Manager Carol West said she decided to offer the classes once again.

“They had a lot of fun last year,” she said. “It gives them a lot of good ideas beyond Ramen noodles and microwavable dishes. Everyone seems to have an interest in cooking with all the cooking shows on TV now.”

For more information, contact West at 620-235-4992.

---Pitt State---

Clarinetist Hakan Rosengren, Chiara String Quartet to perform

An internationally acclaimed clarinetist and a string quartet known for their fresh approach to music will present the third concert in the Pittsburg State University Solo and Chamber Concert series. Hakan Rosengren and the Chiara String Quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9, in McCray Recital Hall.

Rosengren has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Israel and Asia. His recordings can be found on four record labels. Rosengren’s recording of Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time” was nominated for the Polish Frederyk Award and his Crusell recording on Caprice was nominated for the Swedish Grammy.

Tickets for the performance are $10 for general admission and $7 for persons over 65 or under 18. The Solo and Chamber Music Series is supported by major funding from the PSU Student Government Association.

For tickets, call the PSU Ticket Office at 620-235-4796 or visit their Web site at http://www.pittstate.edu/tickets/html/buyonline.html

Cans Across America collects food Wednesday

With the holidays on the horizon, Campus Dining Services at Pittsburg State University is preparing students for the season of giving.

The university will be participating in the second annual Cans Across America event, a nationwide attempt to stop hunger, on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at PSU. Campus Dining will be collecting canned goods from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gibson Dining Hall and at Gorilla Crossing in the Overman Student Center.

Last year’s Cans Across America drive brought in a total of 221,028 pounds of food in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most non-perishable food collected in a 24-hour period. On a mission to collect even more this year, the university is inviting community members to stop by with donations anytime during the day.

For more information, contact Diane Wirthwein with PSU Campus Dining Services at 620-235-4979 or go to www.forstudentsbystudents.com.

---Pitt State---

A "Day Without Shoes" provides warmth to needy

It may be getting colder outside, but that’s not stopping some Pittsburg State University students and employees from pledging to go shoeless for a day.

On Wednesday, Nov. 7, the PSU Fashion Merchandising Association will host a “Day Without Shoes,” a poverty awareness campaign to raise money for children without shoes. The group will hold a kickoff party at 8 a.m. in room 201 of the Family and Consumer Sciences building. Students, faculty, and staff in attendance will then head out to work and class without their shoes – instead armed with fliers about the cause.

The event is sponsored by TOMS shoes, a company that gives away a pair of shoes for each pair sold.

For more information, go to www.tomsshoes.com or contact the Office of Public Relations at 620-235-4195.

---Pitt State---

Event honors veterans and teaches lessons

Pittsburg State University will honor veterans and their families this week with a program that has an educational theme. “Lessons about service” will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9, at the Veterans Memorial on the PSU campus.

Like most Veterans Day observances, this one will include a color guard, patriotic music, speakers, a wreath-laying ceremony and even “Taps” and a cannon salute. Unlike other ceremonies, however, special guests will not only include veterans and their families, but also sixth graders from the Pittsburg schools.

“One of the things that distinguishes the Veterans Memorial at PSU is that it was designed not only as a place of honor and respect, but also as an educational tool,” said Ron Womble, director of public relations at PSU. “We’ve done a pretty good job of planning events at the memorial that pay honor and respect to veterans and their families and now we want to work on the educational aspect.”

Included in Friday’s program will be lessons on flag etiquette, the history of “Taps” and the tradition of the cannon salute. Speakers will touch on the lessons we can learn at the Veterans Memorial and the importance of sacrifice. Speakers will include Lt. Col. Scott Craig of the PSU Department of Military Science, PSU President Tom Bryant, former Pittsburg Community Schools administrator Joe Bournonville and Howard Smith, PSU assistant to the president. The Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars will lay a wreath during the ceremony and patriotic music will be provided by the Pittsburg Community Middle School Girls Select Choir. “Taps” will be performed by Will Koehler and the Pittsburg State University ROTC will provide the color guard and the cannon salute.

Nearly 130 new pavers have been installed at the memorial and those so honored and their families will be special guests at the program. At the conclusion of the ceremony in the amphitheater, those honorees will precede the students to the upper plaza area where they will be invited to find their pavers and pose for family photos.

Organizers say they hope they can expand the memorial’s educational use.

“We started small with a more manageable group,” Womble said. “Our hope is that the Veterans Memorial and the lessons that can be taught there can be integrated into the civics curriculum at all area schools. The future of our democracy depends on educating each generation and the Veterans Memorial is a great place to teach those lessons.”

Seating and parking will both be limited on Friday. Seating will be reserved for veterans who are having pavers installed in their names and for persons with limited mobility. Handicapped parking will be available at the memorial and nearby at the Bicknell Sports Complex with a golf cart shuttle to the memorial. For more information, call the PSU Office of Public Relations at 620-235-4122.

---Pitt State---

Native American flutist, storyteller to perform

An award-winning Native American flute player and storyteller will make a stop this week at Pittsburg State University.

John Two-Hawks will perform at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the U-Club in the Overman Student Center. Two-Hawks has been traveling across the nation presenting “The Cedar Dreams Tour,” his musical show that includes singing and storytelling about the Native American culture. Two-Hawks’ music has been featured on HBO and the History Channel, and perhaps most famously in the movie “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.”

At the performance, the Native American Student Association will also announce the winner of its logo design competition, which was held in October. The event is being held in conjunction with Celebrate Diversity Month. For more information on this free event, contact the Office of Student Diversity at 620-235-4294 or visit Two-Hawks’ Web site at www.johntwohawks.com.

---Pitt State---

Diversity lecture focuses on the workplace

An expert on maintaining productive relationships in the workplace will deliver the next Pittsburg State University Tilford Lecture Series on the issue of diversity.

Dr. Joni Barnard, a professor in Human Resource Development in the Department of Technology Management at PSU, will present “Diversity in the Workplace” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6, in room S111 of the Kansas Technology Center. The lecture is designed for both students who will soon be in the professional workplace as well as current managers and employees. The PSU Tilford Group, named after former Wichita State University graduate Dan Michael Tilford, was established in May to help foster an understanding of diversity and multicultural issues across the campus community.

Barnard, who has redesigned the department’s course on workplace diversity, spent 18 years in corporate management before beginning her teaching career at PSU. Her lecture will focus on what workplace leaders can do to effectively manage diversity and what is included in the broad scope of diversity when it comes to the workplace. The lecture coincides with late October/early November’s Celebrate Diversity Month.

“Dealing with diverse people in the workplace requires very articulate interpersonal skills,” Barnard said. “Employers are continuing to demand more and more of these skills from their employees.”

For more information on the lecture, contact Mark Johnson, vice chair of the PSU Tilford Group, at 620-235-4628.

---Pitt State---

Ten faculty recognized at 2007 Faculty Authors Reception

Dirty jobs, wearable sculptures, a book of satire, and a look at the history of PSU buildings – the authors of these books and more will be honored next week during the 2007 Faculty Authors Reception at Pittsburg State University.

Ten faculty authors and their works will be recognized at the reception at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Axe Library browsing area on the first floor. The articles and creative works of more than 40 other PSU authors will also be on display. The event is presented by Axe Library and the Friends of Axe Library.

The authors to be recognized at this year’s reception include:

Donald Baack, author of “International Business, Teacher Annotated Edition” (2008), a high school international business textbook;

Judy Berry-Bravo along with Pedro-Bravo Elizondo, authors of “Literatura Chilena en el Exilio: Fernando Alegria y David Valjalo” (2007), a study of two Chilean literaries who spent much of their lives in exile;

Stephen Haag and Maeve Cummings, authors of “Information Systems Essentials, 2nd ed.” (2008), an updated college textbook for students in MIS and IT;

Shirley K. Drew, along with Melanie B. Mills and Bob M. Gassaway, editors and co-authors of “Dirty Work, The Social Construction of Taint” (2007), a look at unpleasant and sometimes “dirty” professions that are necessary to society;

Daniel D. Ferguson, along with Richard D. Paulsen and Ariel Rodriquez, authors of “The Proceedings of GIIC 2005, the 4th Global International Internship Congress” April 5-8, 2005, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2007). The book includes 18 papers providing viewpoints on international internships for students;

Earl Lee, author of “Raptured, the Final Daze of the Late, Great Planet Earth” (2007), a humorous satire on Tim LaHaye’s popular “Left Behind” series;

Stephen Meats, along with Jonathan Holden and Greg German, editors of “Kansas Poetry. The Midwest Quarterly; a Journal of Contemporary Poetry” (2007), a book of poetry, literature review, and a tribute to Jonathan Holden and Denise Low, who have served as Kansas Poet Laureate;

Randy Roberts along with Shannon Phillips, authors of “A Closer Look; A Brief History of the Buildings, Facilities, and Sites of Pittsburg State University and the People for Which They are Named, 2nd ed.” (2007). This publication follows the first edition with updated articles and new material about the buildings;

Marjorie Schick, author of “Sculpture to Wear, the Jewelry of Marjorie Schick” (2007), a book portraying her career and history of artistic works;

Stephen L. Timme, author of “Wildflowers of Mississippi, 2nd ed.” (2007), a field guide for amateurs with color photos and botanical detail of 2,500 species of ferns, grasses, woody plants and more.

For more information about the annual Faculty Authors Reception, contact Axe Library at 620-235-4878. To learn about these and other faculty authors at PSU, visit the library’s Faculty Authors Web site at http://library.pittstate.edu/fac-author/.

---Pitt State---

Fiction writer to present reading

A decorated fiction writer and widely published author will present readings from his works next week at Pittsburg State University.

Robin Hemley, author of the novel "The Last Studebaker" and two short story collections including "All You Can Eat" and "The Big Ear," will speak at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, in the Governor’s Room at the Overman Student Center. A reception in the Heritage Room will follow the reading.

Hemley, director of the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa, is a graduate of the prestigious Iowa Writer’s Workshop Master of Fine Arts program. His essays and works have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and Southern Review. He is also the recipient of numerous writing awards, including first place in the Nelson Algren Award for Fiction (from the Chicago Tribune), the George Garrett Award for Fiction, The Governor’s Award for Nonfiction from the State of Washington, and two Pushcart Prizes. His book "Turning Life into Fiction" has sold over 50,000 copies, and his book "Nola: A Memoir of Faith, Art and Madness" is considered an important work on the condition of schizophrenia.

The reading is hosted by the Distinguished Visiting Writer Series and the Student Fee Council. For more information, contact the Department of English at 620-235-4689.

---Pitt State---

Choirs offer fall concert

Four Pittsburg State University choirs will come together for their annual fall concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, in McCray Recital Hall on the PSU campus. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert features the University Choir, the PSU Chorale, the PSU Women's Choir and the PSU Jazz Choir. The choirs will be under the direction of Dr. Susan Marchant.

The program will cover a wide variety of music genres. Organist Megan Hizey and pianist Kristin Humbard will accompany the University Choir. Graduate assistant Seth Harley will conduct the Women's Choir, which will be accompanied by flutist A.J. Beau. Vocal soloists will include Kondja Kamatuka, Rebecca Cutler, Bryan Ganer, Patrick O'Halloran, Daniel Troop and Kari Baker.

---Pitt State---