In order to better notify the campus community in the event of a crisis, Western recently implemented a new emergency notification system called Griffon Alert, which is comprised of a text mes­saging feature. Chief of Police Jon Kelley said The Governors task force on campus safety suggested the creation of a fail safe system to alert the entire campus population in the event of an emergency, and that is what Western did.

Several systems were looked at and the university ultimately chose this one.

“This system will allow for a more timely notice to the campus community in the event of an emergency that might impact the community,” Kelley said.

Griffon Alert is designed to send urgent messages to the cell phones and e-mail addresses of students, faculty and staff members who wish to sign up for the service.

Situations in which a message will be sent include: (Full story)

As you pass through the western doors into Blum Union, these days you might be stunned by the quiet stillness and the vast open spaces that now compro­mise the student union.

It is eerie. A hall that was once alive with motion and sound has now become barren, and students wonder if they shouldn’t rename Blum Union, the Great Western Desert. The recent relocation of the furniture in Blum Union has caused students across the campus to ask serious questions about the intent of the university.

People might wonder if there is some sinister intent behind those in power deploying such strange means of Feng-shui, or if the students are being pun­hed for some undisclosed offense committed to the student union itself. There are many questions that should be asked.

At the surface of the problem, the answer is quite simple and relatively insignificant. They cleared out the furniture in Blum because it was worn-out and needed to be replaced. The campus will soon be equipped with high- top tables and bar stool type chairs, much like the entrance of Eder Hall. There is no reason in that explanation for any students to be alarmed, if that is indeed the truth. (Full story)

The day is about to come when a different professor shows up at the front of the class to officiate over the instructor’s evaluation. “Students don’t take faculty evaluations seriously,”Western junior Stephanie Willett said. “Either they are mad at an instructor and wish to take out their frustrations in the evaluation or they are happy with the instructors and can’t wait to give them high marks.”

These evaluations are taken during the last two weeks of each semester. By this time a student should have a good understanding of their instructors and how well they teach. Keep in mind however that this time when the bubbles are filled out it is for the MWSU Web site. Considering Senate Bill 389 signed by Gov. Matt Blunt the next evaluations may be the first to be published on the Web site for any student to check out before enrolling in fall ’09 classes. (Full story)

The state gives Missouri Western $641 per student less than the state average, costing the university over $2 million a year.

The proposed 5.2 percent budget increase for Western’s next fiscal year will only slightly offset the equity deficiency. The offset, however small, is because Western’s increase is higher than the average state increase of 4.2 percent. State funding for Western was $5,301 per student last year, $641 below the state average of $5,942. Missouri Southern comes in behind Western at $4,887. With 3,999 FTE students, that $641 loss is equal to over $2.5 million.

Bruce Speck, president of Missouri Southern, feels that the only way to change the problem is for state legislature to realize the need for change. (Full story)

During the early hours of April 2, the Western jazz ensemble loaded a bus with equipment and headed south, to the town of Addison, Tex. to perform at the North Texas Jazz Festival.

This is a prestigious honor for The Missouri Western Jazz Ensemble.

The jazz ensemble held their send-off concert April 1 in Potter Hall Theatre.

The concert showcased the set list of the music they would be performing at the Festival in Texas directed by director of Jazz studies here at Western, Bob Long.

Western Jazz Ensemble is just one of the 16 university and community college big bands selected around the nation to participate at the festival.

the bands are selected by audition only.

“We sent in an audition CD along with an application form last fall,” Long said. (Full story)

Men’s golf team finishes in a disappointing third place at the MWSU invitational last week at Fairview golf course.

The Griffons played an excellent first round shooting a team total of 288, day two was not as good as the team shot a 295.  Only two strokes behind Missouri Southern, the second place finisher, the men shot a two day total of 583.  

Freshman, Derek Thorne, shot a 69 on the second day of the invitational helping him finish the tournament in fifth place with a two day total of 144.  Team captain Aaron Lisenbee, and Craig Lytle shot a 146 which led them both to a tie for a 9th place finish.    (Full story)

The entire process of education that we use in America is flawed and in many ways. One of the strongest forces that ruin the minds of potential learners is burn-out. It is a state of mind where structure and discipline wear on the soul of a young mind and suddenly they stop caring if they advance their academic careers or not. A huge contributor to this process is the pace at which we rush towards the professional pursuits that captain our vessels of destiny. Straight out of 12 years of education, during a time when our vital young bodies are thriving with hormones and energy, it is commonly expected that kids rush of for four to eight more years of structured education. It’s nuts.

Here is an idea; how about after high school, people take a decade or so to actually live life while they can. There is plenty of time for more school and professional playtime later. As it is today, one is supposed to wait until the adult diaper years to spend a year in Tibet, or hike the Appalachian trail. In our senior years of life our minds end up as a loose leaf memory storage devices with little stimu­lation. Why not spend those times academically? The better we get at medicine the higher the average age of death rises. In America we can expect to live an average of 80 plus years, yet retirement happens for most between the ages of 60 and 70. So you get a decade at the end of things to stockcar race while using a colostomy bag. What Joy. (Full story)