Kay Siebler- New Style of Teaching

Imagine walking into your typical English class and sitting in your normal seat. You take out your notebook and start taking notes from your professor’s lecture. Then suddenly, a topic comes across that you have never even thought about in your life. Your professor asks “Does money emphasize wealth?” Then she asks “What is feminism?” Then she asks the question “Why are you heterosexual?” Your mind is now intrigued for more!

In Kay Siebler’s English classes, she strives for pushing students to think outside of their comfortable mindset.Kay Siebler, who teaches English 104, 108, 301, 364, and numerous graduate courses, is a new professor in her second year here at Missouri Western State University. Coming from a private undergraduate institution in Iowa, Siebler is now here and ready for students to explore her interesting class perspectives with a P.H.D. in Education and an attention-grabbing background.

“I was looking to go to a bigger school and interact with a more diverse student population,” Siebler said about why she decided to come to Missouri Western. “I also wanted the opportunity to work with students pursuing not only an undergraduate degree but a graduate degree.”
Siebler also describes her unusual background and some significant facts that might make her a little different than an average professor.

“When I graduated [college] I went into the Peace Corps,” Siebler said. “When I was in Morocco in the Peace Corps, I was charged with teaching. I understood from that moment that teaching was something that I was really passionate about.”

After being in the Peace Corps for three years, Siebler tried writing for a freelance newspaper. However, her heart drove her back to education and ultimately to our institution’s doors. Taking what she has learned from Morocco, Siebler would like others to acknowledge a different perspective.

“I learned in Morocco that poverty is a real barrier to people,” Siebler said. “Our capitalist culture emphasizes money as a person’s worth. Consumption doesn’t make people happy.”

“I speak Arabic,” Siebler said. “I have a 5-year-old [in which] I chose to be a single parent, I used a sperm bank. I’m not heterosexual so marriage never appealed to me anyway. I’m a feminist; I actively work against systems of oppression. I really want to push [my students] to think about things that may be uncomfortable for them to think about.”

Siebler also addresses other teachers when discussing the full role of education and how it ultimately impacts a student’s mindset.

“If you go through you’re entire college degree and you never feel uncomfortable, or challenged or angry, or nervous within the context of a class, we are not doing our job,” Siebler said.

Previous student of Siebler, Charlene Divino, enjoyed Siebler’s English 104 class.

“I thought she was very interesting,” Divino said. “She really strived to get students to do the best they can do. There is no b.s. when Kay is teaching; she’s very upfront.”
Divino also feels that Missouri Western can truly benefit with her as a teacher. In Siebler’s future, she plans on developing Women’s Studies Minor Program. Siebler has also written her own textbook entitled “Composing Feminisms.”

“Missouri Western is really lucky to have her,” Divino said. “I think pushing the limit is always a factor in Kay’s class. She’s very principled and that’s what I like about her.”
Current English 301 student of Siebler, Jessica Baltezor feels that Siebler not only challenges you as a student but requires you to understand how you can use her class in a career situation.

“She cares about the success of the students in the classrooms,” Baltezor said. “She asks you how you are going to use this in your profession later on.”
If Siebler interests you, then take a class with her.

“I want to be the teacher that students call up their friends and say ‘Can you believe that wacko feminist lesbian and socialist teacher, here is what she said today’,” Siebler said.

Rebecca Foley- New Photo Exhibition

New assistant professor of art Rebecca Foley gets a real hometown welcome to Missouri Western and a chance to show her talent with her exhibit “There Goes the Neighborhood: Photographs of foreclosures and Other Homes Lost.”

The exhibit examines the idea of “home” and took a lot of work to put together. Foley, who at the time was an artist in resident at Ohio State University in Columbus, traveled all over the area taking photographs of more than 175 houses that had been affected by the foreclosure crisis.

“It’s been a really great opportunity to show my artwork with everyone in the art building and the community,” Foley said.

Foley said her own feelings of not wanting to put down roots in Ohio because of the knowledge of only being there for a year raised her interest for the concept of home. She said this also made her interested in the way her feelings related to events happening nationally.

Moving to new places is nothing new for Foley, but even though she has moved several times in the past year, she is happy to set up roots of her own and finally call St. Joseph her home.

“I have experienced the rural life growing up in Kentucky and I have also experienced the city life too, so it’s really nice to be at a place that is a combination of both,” Foley said.

Foley said she has always had a passion for art.

“I remember being a college student in photography classes and just thinking this is the best thing in the whole world,” Foley said. “I just loved the classes so much and I thought, ‘how cool would it be to be the professor.’”

Foley said her favorite thing as a professor is the one on one time she spends with her students.

“I like watching the students grow with their ideas and techniques and see what they will come up with,” Foley said. “It’s always exciting to see moments of creativity.”

Associate Professor of Art Allison Sauls said Foley is a great addition to the art department.

“She has a lot of energy, and she is very dedicated to her art and her students,” Sauls said.

Graphic design major Brooke Carter said she really enjoyed Foley’s exhibit.

“I loved how professor Foley came up with such a unique and interesting way to add to those photographs,” Carter said. “It made me want to find some photographs of my own and see what I could create. I love when artists are able to do that and inspire other artists.”