Live Wire Blog

Boomba!

2009-06-29T18:19:22Z

Taylor Phillips, a high school student from the Barstow School in Kansas City, wipes a tear from her eye after saying goodbye to friends made at the end of the 25th Missouri Scholars Academy on Friday night. About 400 students stood on the Quad with lit candles to remember, celebrate and honor their time together. Photo by Shane Epping.

Visit the MSA online photo gallery.

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June 25, 2009
Derek Byrne, Kansas City, Mo.

Thursday began like any other day at the academy. I shuffled half-asleep down the stairs to breakfast and then made my way to my major once again. Inevitably, though, the thought I had been trying to avoid crossed my mind: Tomorrow’s our last day. I was reminded of this fact in big group as we heard about the alumni association, as well as at our evening activity, a class sampler showcasing what scholars have learned in their classes over the last three weeks. Amid the human illustration of mathematical combinations and permutations, the video of a teacher searching for his “kidnapped” class and many other amusing and informative displays, a bittersweet sentiment could be felt. We all knew our lighthearted laughter would soon be replaced by tearful goodbyes.

As I sat among a group of people who were transformed in three short weeks from an assortment of unaffiliated students to a closely knit community, I thought about everything I’d had the opportunity to experience at MSA. I performed Shakespeare in the pool, discussed the concept of infinity at length and formed some incredible relationships. Later, as I began to gather the clothes lying on the floor of my dorm room, I thought about my experience at the academy and leaving it behind. Then I realized that, despite the upsetting prospect of leaving, the MSA experience isn’t over at the end of three weeks. My newfound knowledge in a multitude of subjects will serve me as I continue high school, enter college and make career choices. In addition, the friendships I have made here with intelligent, driven people will continue beyond the academy.

I’ll always look back on my three weeks here as one of the best opportunities I’ve ever been given, and anytime someone says, “Boomba!” I’ll always proudly respond, “Hey!”

Friends, family and alumni

2009-06-26T16:40:57Z

Photos by Christopher Young. See more in the online gallery.

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June 20, 2009
Brendan Pick, Florissant, Mo.

Alumni Day had come to Missouri Scholars Academy, and along with it came even more memorable moments. Starting the day with about an extra half-hour of sleep and maybe even a bite to eat, scholars attended their minors for three hours. This allowed scholars a chance to discuss and experience these subjects in more depth.

Following classes and, of course, lunch, scholars were able to take part in various activities, including a very colorful mock Hindu Holi Festival in which participants had a blast tossing around paint and water in celebration. Other activity options included viewing the 1997 award-winning film Contact, taking a dive playing sand volleyball or adventuring through the classic role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons.

The day’s excitement carried on through the night as scholars and alumni from academies in years past hung out, played Frisbee, cooled off in a local McDonald’s and, of course, danced at another street dance at Lowry Mall.

Tired and all “boogied out,” scholars returned to Mark Twain Residence Hall for a quick snack and then headed off to bed for a well-deserved rest.

June 21, 2009
Elizabeth Rodman, Boonville, Mo.

Today was the long-awaited Family Day. For the first time in two weeks, parents, siblings and other family members could visit scholars. My mom and my sister visited me. It was wonderful to see them, but I really wished my dad could have come, too. Happy Father’s Day to him and all the other great dads out there; you are loved!

We went to church and had lunch at Applebee’s before heading back to MSA. An organized program for scholars and their parents began at 1:15 p.m. in Jesse Auditorium. Parents got to see selected acts from Friday night’s talent show, and Ted Tarkow explained certain MSA concepts, such as the meaning of “Boomba Hey.” Also, in keeping with Big Group custom, we sang our birthday wishes to four scholars: Alex Eichstadt, Samantha Rosser, Ben Toby and Gentry Fowler.

Next, family members met their scholars’ teachers and resident advisers and momentarily escaped the heat to enjoy lemonade in the Mark Twain lobby. When 5 p.m. rolled around, however, families had to say goodbye and leave their scholars at MSA for a final busy week.

To finish off the evening, scholars learned about African tales and legends with Kunama Mtendaji, went to a presentation by Bob Burns about Scottish culture, or played Scrabble against World Scrabble Champion Nigel Richards. Congrats to the two teams who won against him!

Stepping out

2009-06-26T16:32:39Z

Photos by Christopher Young. See more in the online gallery.

GUEST BLOG

June 19, 2009

For many scholars, Friday began with hitting the snooze button three (or four or five) times. However, MSA has taught scholars that their exhaustion will soon fade as they dive into the day’s diverse range of classes, discussions and activities.

In Personal and Social Dynamics, our RAs and teachers lead us through a special exercise that allowed us to tell our classmates how much they mean to us. One by one, we sat in the middle of a circle of our peers and silently listened as our fellow scholars fed us a steady stream of compliments.

After an uplifting PSD, some scholars played low-key games of Frisbee and soccer on the quad before heading over to an afternoon activity called “Archie Bunker’s Neighborhood.” This frustrating and eye-opening simulation taught me about how racism and stereotypes affect community building.

Later, the academy was entertained by the Mid-Missouri High Steppers before filing into the geology auditorium for the MSA Talent Show. The show featured a variety of acts, including a cellist, a yo-yoer, the “Backstreet Boys” and the “Human Kangaroo,” who jumped over a 6-foot, six-inch scholar!

Finally, exhausted scholars gathered in the Mark Twain Lobby for snacks and a quick game of Apples to Apples or ERS before heading off to bed. As the second week of the program winds down, scholars like me are amazed by the numerous experiences that MSA has provided us so far.

Junkyard Grizzly

2009-06-26T15:01:54Z

Photo by Shane Epping

Former Tigers standout DeMarre Carroll, coming off one of the best seasons in Mizzou basketball history, was drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft Thursday night by the Memphis Grizzlies.

“It’s a whirlwind right now,” Carroll, also known as the Junkyard Dog, said. “I’ve done about a million interviews so far, but this has been an amazing night. I’m so excited to be headed to Memphis. It’s a young, improving organization, and it’s one I’m honored to be a part of.”

Carroll, a 6-foot-8-inch, 225-pound forward, was Mizzou’s 13th first-round draft pick (40th overall) and the first since Linas Kleiza was drafted — also with the 27th pick — in 2005. Carroll led Mizzou to a school-record 31 wins and a NCAA Elite Eight appearance.

A first-team All-Big 12 pick on the court, Carroll averaged 16.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, while ranking second on the team with 1.55 steals per game. He was also named the MVP of the 2009 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, where he led Mizzou to its first-ever Big 12 Championship. In addition to his on-court success, Carroll was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and began work on his master’s degree in 2008.

“I would like to congratulate the Memphis Grizzlies and the city of Memphis,” coach Mike Anderson said. “They are getting an outstanding individual into their community and someone who plays to win. That’s probably the biggest thing I can say: Memphis got a winner. I’m happy for the organization, the city of Memphis and, of course, DeMarre.”

As a university, Mizzou also made some history with the first-round selection of Carroll. Mizzou became the third team in the history of the Big 12 to have players selected in the first round of the NBA, NFL and MLB drafts in the same year. Standouts Jeremy Maclin (receiver) and Ziggy Hood (defensive line) went in April’s NFL Draft this year, while Tiger pitchers Aaron Crow and Kyle Gibson went in June’s MLB Draft.

The spice of life

2009-06-19T20:22:05Z

Photos by Christopher Young.

GUEST BLOG

June 17, 2009
Megan Gileza, Dardenne Prairie, Mo.

Today marked the halfway point in the academy, and, again, it was a busy, fun-filled day.

I began my day with biscuits and gravy at Mark Twain Market and then took some time to play cards in the lobby with the other scholars waiting for class. I’ve now fallen into the full swing of the academy’s schedule.

After lunch, I chose to spend my afternoon constructing tangrams. The friendly competition and challenging puzzles contributed to an awesome day. Following dinner, we had some down time; I took the opportunity to call some of the people I’ve been missing back home.

The resident advisers prepared a smorgasbord for the scholars tonight. Later in the evening we all headed out to our chosen activities. I’d signed up for the poetry slam workshop; it was really cool to be exposed to a form of poetry I didn’t know a lot about.

Preceding curfew, we had some time to unwind and socialize. At 10:30 p.m., everyone headed back to the residence hall for house meetings and some much-needed sleep!

June 18, 2009
Sarah Jones, O’Fallon, Mo.

Walking through the cafeteria this morning, one could see napkins with the words “Thank you” or “Have a nice day” on many scholars’ trays. These messages were written for the Mark Twain Market staff to show them how appreciative the scholars are of their hard work.

After breakfast, students headed to the Quad for taiso, led by Ake Takahashi. Taiso had been postponed due to the weather.

After majors, minors, Personal and Social Dynamics and a wide array of afternoon activities, scholars had a chance to participate in an etiquette dinner in which they learned the formalities of proper dining.

After dinner, we could choose from many interesting evening lectures and presentations, including a jazz lecture, West African dance, a talk by Missouri Poet Laureate Walter Bargen and a showing of Examined Life, a film by Astra Taylor.

Finally, scholars shuffled back to their rooms for some much-needed rest to get ready to start another exciting day.

The big picture

2009-06-19T17:57:39Z

Missouri Scholars explore professional, personal and humanitarian roles

Photos by Christopher Young. See more!

GUEST BLOG

June 16, 2009
Elliot Meyer, Hannibal, Mo.

As scholars awoke to what they thought would be another dreary, rainy day, some thought of just hitting the snooze button a few more times and spending the day in bed.

When students departed for their majors, the rained ceased and the sun started to come out. In True Story, we learned about the many possible jobs an education from the Journalism School at Mizzou can lead to. After majors it had become a sunny, humid Missouri afternoon outside.

The Personal and Social Dynamics session showed us that the roles we play in other people’s lives are important to a lot of people. Many scholars found it emotionally difficult to “throw away” our roles with the people who matter to us.

During the afternoon activity, camera obscura, I helped make a pinhole camera in a geology classroom by blocking out all the light entering the room, except for a small hole letting in light from the window. Everything outside was inverted and displayed on the screen inside. As we took turns going outside and climbing on vans, doing cartwheels and fake fighting, the scholars inside experienced the incredible phenomenon of how light travels.

Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein told us about how she had her world turned upside down during World War II. She was evacuated to England and communicated through letters with her parents, who were kept in concentration camps. She asked us not to applaud her presentation because she feels that it makes light of the horrific tragedies that happened in Europe.

Tuesday night brought the first night of Comedy Sports. Referee Ed Grooms had scholars telling stories of stop-sign-hating cowboys and zombie bacon. Some of the judges were emulating Simon Cowell with their scores, but the crowd thoroughly enjoyed this event.

The lowdown on higher ed

2009-06-18T18:05:47Z

Photos by Christopher Young. See more in the online gallery.

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June 15, 2009
Kathleen Brueggemann, Sullivan, Mo.

As scholars rolled out of bed on Monday morning, they could look out their windows to find a steady downpour of rain outside. While the weather may not have been ideal, it wasn’t enough to slow us down. Umbrellas, rain boots and waterproof gear of all kinds showed up as students were leaving the Mark Twain dorm on their way to their majors.

Despite the dreary weather, it was still a great day! In the afternoon, I continued to learn all kinds of fascinating things in my minor, “Under Seal: The Secret History of Letters.” We took a walk around campus and also spent some time talking in our classroom.

The evening’s activity was particularly relevant to the scholars. We attended a college fair. Colleges from all over the state and several neighboring states had booths and representatives. There were small schools and large schools, private and public, religious and non-religious. It was definitely a good mix. There were even two Ivy League schools present: Princeton and Harvard. I collected a heavy stack of pamphlets, pens and highlighters. I was excited to learn about all the opportunities offered at the various colleges and universities.

After viewing all the booths, we headed to an auditorium where some of our resident advisers, who are currently college students, answered questions we had about all aspects of college. Topics ranged from admissions to extracurricular activities and student life.

For the rest of the night, a large group of us spent time meeting new friends and taking pictures on the Quad. I enjoyed this time of getting to know some of my fellow scholars better and just relaxing. Monday was definitely a wonderful day!

Hunger, up close and personal

2009-06-18T17:54:27Z

GUEST BLOG

June 11, 2009
Kelsey Johnson

After a full day of classes at MSA, students had a difficult decision ahead of them: what to do. The main goal of MSA seems to be learning in an unconventional open classroom and touching on some “hush-hush” topics. Tonight it was world hunger.

The highlight of my night was the mysterious “hunger meal.” Rumors that the event might involve class separation, fasting and much more were overheard in the elevators and around campus. At first I thought it would just be a bunch of students fasting for the sake of hungry children around the world, but it was so much more.

As we walked into the private dining room, each student was handed a piece of colored paper; red, blue, yellow. The few “blue” students were pampered by the RAs and allowed to eat whatever their hearts desired. The “yellow” were told to serve themselves a dinner of rice and beans, but they did not have a table or drinks like the others did. Then came the “reds,” the poor workers and farmers; this is where I sat. Some of us were handed small bowls of rice and others of beans. No eating utensils were provided, and while some fashioned spoons out of their MSA name tag, many ate with their hands. Attempts were made by the blues to feed the lowly reds, but their efforts were intercepted by the RAs. Some reds were sent to “jail;” I was one of them.

After what seemed like forever in MSA jail, the room shifted from a pretend society back to a room of intelligent students. The facts were given about how bad poverty truly is in other countries and how many people in the United States ignore it completely. Ideas for solving world hunger and poverty were abundant in the room, along with some debate on which was the best solution. The event ended slowly with some heading out to eat and others continuing to fast for the night. Personally, I ate dinner, but I was much more conscious about what I ate and what was wasted.

The night was one of intense emotions and deep discussions, startling facts and astounding figures. As one of the roughly 60 students who attended, I know that I will be watching how much I consume for the rest of academy and continue when I return home.

Photos by Christopher Young. See more in the Missouri Scholars Academy’s online photo gallery.

Weekend fun at Missouri Scholars Academy

2009-06-16T18:06:09Z

Photos by Christopher Young. Visit the MSA online photo gallery.

June 12, 2009
Kathleen Brueggemann, Sullivan, Mo.

It was the first Friday of MSA, and excitement was buzzing in the air. We had our majors and minors as usual, but I found my major particularly intriguing. As a way to learn about yet another aspect of journalism, my True Story class loaded into vans and headed for Columbia’s very own NBC-affiliate news station, KOMU. News anchor Sarah Hill gave us a tour of the facilities, teaching us about the variety of jobs available at the station.

My favorite part of visiting KOMU was touring the set where the news is filmed. My classmates and I took turns sitting behind the news desk with earpieces in place, taking pictures of “America’s next great broadcasters.” It was a new and enjoyable experience, to say the least.

Later in the evening, I joined several other girls from my floor as we all prepared for the square dance. Many of the girls went all out with braids, plaid shirts and cowgirl boots. Some of the boys also dressed along the lines of the theme, but the majority of the boys, looked about the same as usual.

As we arrived at the location of the dance, the steps in front of Jesse Hall, scholars paired off as the band began calling off steps. The caller taught us moves such as the do-si-do and the ladies chain. As my partner and I swung through the steps, we saw many scholars laughing and enjoying themselves. We also did the “broom” dance and the Virginia Reel. The group ended the night with a waltz, switching partners every time the band paused. I met many new people throughout the dance, and it has definitely been one of my favorite experiences of the academy so far.

June 13, 2009
Megan Arnell, Chesterfield, Mo.

Another beautiful day at MSA dawned on Saturday with a little extra time to sleep in for us scholars. Everyone gathered on the quad after breakfast to participate in the rejuvenating exercise called Taiso, which was led by faculty member Ake Takahashi. Then we attended our majors to finish off our first week of classes.

The crowd went wild for hypnotist Conrad Dunn in the afternoon. Sixteen volunteers (and a few unexpected audience members) performed feats embarrassing and beyond hilarious in front of a nearly filled auditorium. My abdomen became positively sore from laughing at warnings of chicken invasions, waltzes with George Orwell, and fantastic dance exhibitions. Other activities in the afternoon included a nature hike, chess, Dungeons and Dragons, and an exploration of community dynamics. The weekend afternoon was also an opportunity to do laundry, relax in the lounge, or take a much-needed nap.

After dinner, the day wrapped up with a smash as scholars had the first street dance at MSA. Dance circles and dance-offs sprang up constantly among the mob of swaying, jumping, and bouncing scholars. We also enjoyed spontaneous scholars and residential advisers on stage dancing to Michael Jackson, Beyonce and *N SYNC. Finally, smiling and laughing but exhausted, we trooped off to bed for some rest after another busy, exhilarating day at MSA.

June 14, 2009
Allison Buenemann, Florissant, Mo.

For most of the scholars here at MSA, the first full Sunday here was relaxing and uneventful. That is unless you attended the three-hour-plus laundry party in the Mark Twain basement. All of us there learned that Sunday mornings are the worst possible time to try to get your laundry done. There were probably 40 of us crowding around the eight washers and dryers. This meant, for me, that there were plenty of people around to teach me how to do my own laundry!

On a more exciting note, Sunday also brought a lot of interesting styles of music to MSA. Japanese Taiko drummers performed for a large crowd during the afternoon, and a band made up of Missouri state legislators played later on in the night. A lot of us were really surprised to find out how hard all of our state representatives could rock out.

We wish a happy, class-free, Sunday birthday to Elizabeth Dingman, Andrew Iverson and Denny Garey!

Wake up!

2009-06-12T15:23:23Z

Missouri Scholars Academy Photos by Christopher Young

GUEST BLOG

Wednesday, June 10
Jody Barron
Salisbury, Mo.

Beep, beep, beep. The alarm clock: one of the most annoying sounds anyone will ever hear. I don’t know about some people, but I personally hate waking up in the morning. I know that once I’m up, the morning will be, eh, just O.K. But today wasn’t. It was TERRIFIC!

My major is “True Story,” and my class is in charge of putting together the newspaper for MSA. We had an awesome speaker from the MU School of Journalism. Her name was Liz Brixey, and she had an extremely creative way to get our attention: She started talking about Facebook.

Two people had birthdays: Elizabeth Kouloa and William Serber. They had to listen to us make our own melody to “Happy Birthday.” You can imagine that cacophony.

A really awesome thing I noticed about MSA is how quickly and effectively they help you if you have a problem. I broke a bracket off my braces Tuesday evening, and they took me to the orthodontist Wednesday afternoon! I just wanted to say how much I appreciate that.

So far, MSA has been crazily amazing! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the two-and-a-half weeks will be like.

Missouri Scholars Academy students write guest blog

2009-06-11T16:47:25Z

This week 330 of Missouri’s most academically gifted high school juniors settled in at Mizzou for a three-week taste of campus life.

In the Missouri Scholars Academy, top students from throughout the state live in an MU residence hall, take challenging courses in their chosen academic majors and minors, absorb local arts and culture, hear prominent guest speakers, embark on mind-broadening adventures, play camaraderie-building games and, in all likelihood, poke fun at MSA Co-Director Ted Tarkow’s hats.

2009 marks the 25th year of the much-lauded program. To celebrate the silver anniversary, Mizzou Wire has invited the young scholars enrolled in MSA’s “True Story” magazine course to blog about their experiences.

Check back daily for updates.

Photos by Christopher Young. Check out the online gallery.

GUEST BLOG

June 7, 2009
Latisha Hickem, Columbia, Mo.

Passing Jesse Hall, I saw girls in summer dresses and heels, boys in slacks and ties, and parents beaming with pride. As my mom and I followed the crowd into Jesse Hall, we were split and instructed to go upstairs, where it was hot and sticky. I was standing in line by no one I knew and felt really out of place. The line finally began to move, and we entered the auditorium to a welcoming audience. After sitting through a long presentation of speakers and congratulations, the introduction to MSA was over and marked the time that parents were asked to leave.

Driving back to Mark Twain Hall, my mom began to be her emotional self, tears and all, not wanting her little girl to leave for 20 days. I hugged my mom like a kindergartener on the first day of school and went inside to get ready for the group pictures. We all put on our maroon shirts, paraded to the Quad, and waited in the sun for the photographer. After pictures we had icebreakers to get to know our house members and then ate dinner at Mark Twain.

With full stomachs, we strapped on our tennis shoes and amped up for Playfair, the highlight of the day. Playfair was a blur of maroon shirts scurrying around the Quad. We played a number of games to get to know each other and even had a rock-paper-scissors tournament. The goal of the night was to build community, and tonight was a great start, leaving everyone laughing and having met someone new. Tired from Playfair, we got “healthy” snacks, socialized and went up to bed, excited about what the next day would bring.

June 8, 2009
Chris Dzurick, Fulton, Mo.

Our first full day of MSA kicked off with the first unknown: breakfast. It was actually a great opportunity to meet new people, even if a yawn was the most common word.

Our first activity split us up into our majors. I was happy to find that someone in my house was with me in my major, “True Story,” and that he was a wonderful writer and layout editor. The teachers surprised me with their understanding of what we wanted the paper to become and were very accepting of our ideas.

Even through we were not able to actually begin discussion in our minors, we were able to meet our teachers and peers in Personal and Social Dynamics (PSD). We all learned we had a lot in common, including a lack of geographical skills.

Perhaps the best and most inspirational part of our day was our guest speaker, Josh Sundquist. After losing his left leg to cancer, Josh is living his life to the fullest. He shared his experiences with us through many funny anecdotes.

Overall 17 hours flew by, and with a full day gone, we can finally rest for another packed day.

June 9, 2009
Denni Wiles, Liberty, Mo.

Three hundred thirty scholars returned to class for day three of the academy on Tuesday. This was more than just day three for two scholars; happy sweet 16 to Angie Robinson and Michael Castleman!

Amidst the celebratory mood, some majors began fieldtrips and others continued thoughtful debate.

Kindergarten lunch caused most to smile just before big group and minors courses. Rain showers led to umbrellas and jackets bobbing all around campus. Though the weather proved beyond dreary, we all managed some sort of fun in the afternoon, whether playing with tangrams, making wearable art or packing hot dogs at the local food bank.

After dinner scholars previewed entertainment put on by our very own MSA faculty and resident advisers! A smorgasbord followed, and everyone signed up for different recreation sessions put on by the faculty. The lobby environment before house meetings tonight displayed plainly that many tight-knit friendships already have been formed.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” -Andre Gide (French writer, humanist and moralist)

As advised, we are already stepping outside our normal zones to take advantage of the special environment of which we’ve received the privilege of being a part. Hometown dynamics are forgotten temporarily, and we can just enjoy being who we love being among peers with whom we can so closely relate. As the collaboration and exploration continue, anyone here can easily predict that the results will be exquisite.

Mizzou part of AL Central arms race

2009-06-10T15:19:49Z

The Kansas City Royals have drafted former Tigers pitcher Aaron Crow in the first round of the MLB first-year player draft. Photo courtesy Mizzou Media Relations.

Kyle Gibson, Mizzou’s ace in 2009, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins, also in the first round. Photo courtesy Mizzou Media Relations.

Two Tigers have been taken in the first round of the MLB first-year player draft. But as fate would have it, they may soon wind up being division foes.

Aaron Crow and Kyle Gibson pitched together on the 2008 Mizzou baseball team, leading the Tigers to success along the way. After being taken by the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins, respectively, they could be seeing each other again soon in the American League Central Division.

Crow, who graduated in 2008, was the ace of the Tigers’ staff that season. He won the Roger Clemens Award, given to the nation’s best collegiate pitcher, was an All American and led the nation with a 13-0 record. The Wakarusa, Kan., native now has a chance to pitch for the team he grew up rooting for after failing to agree to terms on a contract with the Washington Nationals last season.

“I’m going into a great situation with the Royals,” Crow told the Columbia Missourian. “I’m hoping to sign sooner rather than later and get to the majors as soon as possible.”

Crow was projected as a top-10 pick by experts going into the draft after having a strong season (3-0, 1.06 ERA) with the Fort Worth Cats of the Independent League. Analysts afterward said the drop to the Royals at No. 12 likely happened because of signability questions.

Gibson, this season’s ace, also was considered to be a top-10 talent much of the season. He went 11-3 and tied a school record with 131 strikeouts. However, after experiencing some soreness in his arm and a drop in velocity in his final outing of the season, teams shied away from taking him. An exam found Gibson to have a hairline fracture in his arm — something from which he should be fully recovered by the end of July.

Instead of going in the top-10, Gibson slid to Minnesota at No. 22. Few people expected him to last that long.

Both pitchers have until Aug. 7 to agree to terms with their new teams.

Softball team to play Georgia Saturday

2009-05-28T22:14:08Z

The Mizzou softball team lost 7-3 to Arizona State in the Tigers’ first game of the double-elimination College World Series.

Marla Schweisberger led Mizzou at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored. Rhea Taylor scored a run and drove in another, and Micaela Minner had the other RBI.

Senior Stacy Delaney replaced starter Chelsea Thomas in the third inning, going four innings and allowing one unearned run.

Mizzou next plays Saturday at 11 a.m. Central time against Georgia in a game televised on ESPN and online at ESPN360.com. For the full bracket, click here.

The three Rs of bargain shopping

2009-05-28T20:56:13Z

Reduce, reuse and recycle while you hunt for treasures.

The Tiger Treasures Rummage Sale starts at 7 a.m. (6 a.m. if you’re an early bird) Saturday, May 30, on the east side of Faurot Field at Mizzou.

Novelty lamps were among the great finds at last year’s sale. Photo by Shane Epping.

Students who recently vacated Mizzou’s residence halls, student apartments and fraternity/sorority houses have donated their stuff — electronics, athletic gear, books, clothes, thingamajigs — to be sold to fellow Columbians. The event helps bargain shoppers get great deals and keeps reusable items out of landfills.

Want to get a jump on the shopping competition? Show up at 6 a.m., and pay a $5 fee for early admission. Proceeds from early-bird charges are donated to the Heart of Missouri United Way, an umbrella organization serving area nonprofit groups.

See what was sold last year.

Big weekend for Mizzou softball, baseball teams

2009-05-26T18:50:49Z

Lindsey Ubrun, pictured against DePaul in the NCAA Regional, was dominant at the plate in Sunday’s College Word Series qualifier. She went 3-for-3 and drove in six RBI in the 9-1 victory. Photo by Shane Epping.

During Memorial Day weekend, the Mizzou softball team advanced to the College World Series, while the baseball team finished second in the Big 12 Tournament and earned a seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.

Softball

The softball team was in Westwood, Calif., playing UCLA in one of eight Super Regionals. Winning two of three games qualified the team for the CWS.

In the first game, the Tigers won a pitchers’ duel 2-1 on the arm of freshman Chelsea Thomas (16-4). It was Mizzou’s first win against the Bruins, snapping UCLA’s nine-game win streak while extending Mizzou’s to eight games.

The Bruins struck back in the second game, surviving a seventh-inning rally by the Tigers to win 5-2. The final game, in which a trip to Oklahoma City for the CWS was on the line, was hardly dramatic. Mizzou crushed UCLA 9-1 in six innings; the game ended early because of the run rule. (The run rule is invoked when a team leads by at least eight runs at the end of an inning.)

Senior pitcher Stacey Delaney got the start and win, allowing two hits and striking out four in the complete game effort. But the bats were just as hot; three Tigers went 3-for-3 in the game. Left fielder Kathryn Poet (three runs scored), third baseman Gina Schneider (home run, four runs) and first baseman Lindsey Ubrun (six RBI) made Mizzou an unstoppable force.

In the CWS for the first time since 1994, the Tigers (50-10) first play No. 10 seed Arizona State at 2 p.m. Thursday in a game to be broadcast on ESPN. For the full CWS bracket, visit the NCAA site.

Baseball

For the seventh consecutive season, the Mizzou baseball team has made the NCAA tournament. After finishing second in the Big 12 Tournament, the Tigers (34-25) had a strong NCAA résumé. Eight Big 12 schools made the tournament.

Mizzou is the No. 2 seed in the Oxford, Miss., Regional and first faces Western Kentucky at 3 p.m. Friday. Ole Miss, the host of the regional, plays Monmouth at 7 p.m. Check out the full bracket.

Each of the 16 regionals features four teams playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to take place Friday to Monday (if necessary). Selection of the eight super-regional hosts will be announced at approximately 10 p.m. Central time Monday on ncaa.com.

The 63rd Men’s College World Series begins play Saturday, June 13, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

App masters

2009-05-11T14:55:11Z

Team NearBuy wins RJI iPhone application contest

Photos by Karen Stockman

Journalism student Tony Brown and computer-science student Peng Zhuang present NearBuy, their competition-winning iPhone application.

A housing search tool has opened the door to software development for a group of Mizzou students.

An interdisciplinary team of computer-science and journalism majors has won the Reynolds Journalism Institute iPhone Student Competition with an application called NearBuy. Users of the location-based iPhone app can both search and post listings accessed through the Web’s most comprehensive databases of real estate classifieds — Craigslist, Google Base, Oodle — and sort out their options using interactive maps, neighborhood photos, mortgage/rent calculators, virtual tours and area residents’ reviews.

For their efforts, the team members — Tony Brown, Zhenhua Ma, Dan Wang and Peng Zhuang — win a free trip to next month’s Apple Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco.

They’re also raking in job offers from companies in the Sunshine State and close to home.

All in a year’s work

The four winning students were among about five dozen to embark on the iPhone-application-development journey set in motion early in the 2008-09 school year with a “speed dating” session in which students connected with like-minded peers to flesh out their ideas. By Thanksgiving, a panel of judges had narrowed down the number of competing teams to five, all of whom took a trip to California to visit the Apple headquarters. By April, three teams had successfully completed and uploaded their applications into the iTunes Store.

One of the three final teams — Chris Stein, Kevin Karsch, Mary Beth Bergsieker and Brian Grinstead — won the People’s Choice Award determined by online voting. Their application, NewsFlash, uses the iPhone’s spatial technology to deliver location-based news results with customizable features.

Both apps are a hit with users. By May 5, about 300 people were downloading NewsFlash daily, and more than 20,000 people had downloaded NearBuy in the previous month.

Branching out

Contest organizers say perhaps the most valuable outcome of the exercise is growth in interdisciplinary collaboration. Students and faculty in the School of Journalism and the College of Engineering found common ground.

Along with technological innovation, the projects evoked students’ awareness of user preferences and marketing trends. The NearBuy presentation to judges, for example, drew on popular iPhone commercials, replicating the audio effects with targeted music choices dead-on voiceover by team member Tony Brown. Even the techies got caught up in consumer awareness.

“We were not thinking about the most sexy technologies,” said Peng Zhuang. “We were thinking about how to deliver the right features to the right user at the right time. That’s the greatest thing I’ve learned from this competition.”

The NearBuy app makes it possible to post and research real estate listings using a iPhone.

Contest judges included Lex Akers, associate dean of in the MU College of Engineering; Mike Bombich, Apple Systems Engineer; Mark Glaser, executive editor for MediaShift.org; Ben Kruse, director of higher-education mobility for AT&T Business Services; and Jane Ellen Stevens, and RJI fellow 2008-09 and associate faculty in the Knight Digital Media Center at the University of California-Berkeley. Technical and financial support for the projects came from RJI, Apple, AT&T and the MU Interdisciplinary Innovations Fund.

Tigers lead the way in Academic Progress Rates

2009-05-08T14:37:33Z

The 2008-09 season has been one of the most successful in recent history for Mizzou on the field, with championships in football (Big 12 North), men’s basketball (Big 12 Tournament), women’s soccer (Big 12 Tournament) and softball (Big 12 Tournament).

Add another title to the list. The NCAA released its Academic Progress Rates for all sports, and the Tigers have become the unofficial league champion yet again. Five of Mizzou’s 20 sports led the Big 12 in APR — a tie with Oklahoma State for most in the league. Fourteen of Missouri’s its 20 programs ranked among the Big 12’s top three overall. Additionally, all but two of MU’s men’s and women’s sports ranked above the All-Division I national average.

The five leaders for MU were women’s golf (APR of 1,000), women’s basketball (995), women’s swimming and diving (993), women’s indoor track and field (989) and men’s swimming and diving (975). The highest APR score possible is 1,000.

Here’s the list of schools with the most APR leaders in their respective sports:

T1. Mizzou (5)
T1. Oklahoma State (5)
3. Nebraska (4)
T4. Kansas (3)
T4. Baylor (3)
T6. Iowa State (2)
T6. Texas (2)
8. Oklahoma (1)

The APR was developed by the NCAA in 2004 to measure the academic progress and performance of students in athletic programs at member institutions. The multi-year average for the latest Academic Progress Rate Report covers the last four years, and institutions are awarded points when a student-athlete remains academically eligible for competition and when he/she either returns to the institution the following semester or graduates. A maximum of two points per student, per semester is awarded.

“We are very encouraged and proud of the latest results,” Director of Athletics Mike Alden said. “The academic success and progress toward graduation of our student-athletes supports our core value of academic integrity here at Mizzou. We salute the classroom efforts of our student-athletes, our coaches and our academic staff.”

In addition to the five Big 12 leaders, the Tigers ranked second overall in men’s cross country, football, women’s gymnastics and women’s outdoor track and field, while the Tiger baseball, men’s golf, men’s indoor track and field, women’s cross country and softball teams each ranked third. The football program finished just one point out of the Big 12 lead with its score of 951.

The NCAA does not penalize institutions for student-athletes who remain academically eligible but did not return to the institution due to circumstances beyond the student’s and/or institution’s control. Examples include student-athletes who leave to pursue professional athletics, suffer from incapacitating physical or mental illness, or experience extreme financial difficulties as the result of a specific event, such as a death in the family.

Complete information on the APR Report can be found at the NCAA’s Web site, www.ncaa.org.

Mizzou Men’s Sports

Team (Big 12 Rank) — APR — All-Division I Average
Baseball (3) — 961 — 946
Basketball (5) — 959 — 933
Cross Country (2) —995 —964
Football (2) — 951 — 939
Golf (3) — 988 —963
Swimming and Diving (1) —975 —967
Track: Indoor (3) — 957 —953
Track: Outdoor (4) — 957 —954
Wrestling (4) —957 —948

Mizzou Women’s Sports

Team (Big 12 Rank) — APR — All-Division I Average
Basketball (1) —995 — 962
Cross Country (3) —995 —971
Golf (1) —1000 —976
Gymnastics (2) —991 —983
Soccer (7) —971 —973
Softball (3) —981 —968
Swimming & Diving (1) —993 —979
Tennis (6) —971 —974
Track: Indoor (1) —989 —965
Track: Outdoor (2) — 989 — 966
Volleyball (6) —973 —97

Walk this way, seniors

2009-05-07T22:18:22Z

Photos by Shane Epping

Symbolizing their exit from the university, seniors ran and walked through the Columns on Francis Quadrangle this afternoon. Following Tiger Prowl, a ceremony hosted by the Mizzou Alumni Association, festivities continued on the Carnahan Quad with food, drinks and entertainment.

May Day, May Day!

2009-04-30T14:54:11Z

Story by Nancy Moen | Photo by Shane Epping

An antidote is on the way to counter a case of spring fever that hit the College of Veterinary Medicine.

In a show of mass support for geekiness, the college has declared Friday, May 1, Nerd Appreciation Day. Students, faculty and staff will celebrate Assistant Professor Tim Evans’ selection as a Nerd of Mizzou by donning his attire of choice - Hawaiian-print shirts.

An e-mail from Tracey Berry, director of external relations, invited all veterinary medicine “nerds and wanna-be nerds” to participate. She urged attendees to individualize their costumes through accessories such as suspenders, high-water pants, pocket protectors and taped-up broken eyeglasses. A group photograph of the brightly bedecked geeks will be taken in front of the Veterinary Medicine Building at 1:15 p.m.

Individual sections in the college are planning Hawaiian-theme refreshments, and “aloha” music is expected to permeate gathering spots. Evans says he hopes the May Day event becomes an annual nerd celebration to showcase outstanding student research.

He also hopes some pineapple upside-down cake is included.

Reynolds Journalism Institute wins design award

2009-04-29T18:39:38Z

The ultra-mod Scandinavian vibe of the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) has caught the attention of Mid-American chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

This month RJI won a gold award in the education and research category at IIDA’s Mid America Design Awards.

The Kansas City firm SFS Architecture designed the interior of the building, which houses a high-tech futures lab and demonstration center; lecture and meeting rooms; an enticingly hip library; and gleefully futuristic constructions employing much glass, chrome and modern color sensibility.

Take a virtual tour.

NFL awaits seven Tigers

2009-04-27T20:28:06Z

Story by Ryan Gavin

At least seven Mizzou football players will be joining the NFL this fall. During this weekend’s NFL Draft, Tigers procured spots on pro teams across the country.

Receiver Jeremy Maclin and defensive tackle Ziggy Hood went in the first round to Philadelphia at No. 19 and Pittsburgh at No. 32, respectively. Maclin joins an Eagles team that was a win away from the Super Bowl last season, while Hood joins the defending champion Steelers.

Safety William Moore went to Atlanta in the second round. The Falcons lost in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs last year and are expected to contend again this season. Tight end Chase Coffman went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round. There he will be in the same division as Mizzou’s former All-American tight end, Martin Rucker (Cleveland Browns).

Lineman Colin Brown was taken with the third pick in the fifth round, going to his childhood favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs. Defensive end Stryker Sulak will be used as a pass rusher with the Oakland Raiders, who took him in the sixth round.

Chase Daniel, who owns nearly every Mizzou quarterbacking record, signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins. Other Tigers are free to sign with any team and could do so within the following weeks or months leading up to or during NFL training camps.

Pickens talks to full-house Mizzou crowd on Earth Day

2009-04-23T02:12:53Z

Photos by Shane Epping

Mizzou couldn’t have custom-ordered a more perfect Earth Day.

The sun shined over an impeccable green Francis Quadrangle in Wednesday’s 75-degree weather. Inside Jesse Hall, hundreds of energy-conscious leaders in business, government and nonprofit agencies milled about at the Missouri Energy Summit.

T. Boone Pickens was the keynote speaker Wednesday at the Missouri Energy Summit.

The summit’s main attraction was T. Boone Pickens, billionaire Texas oilman and creator of the Pickens Plan for harnessing all-American, clean energy and weaning the United States of foreign oil.

The content of Pickens’ presentation to a packed Jesse Auditorium audience was familiar to any Pickens follower and eye-opening to any newcomer.

Pickens predicts that if Americans don’t change our ways immediately, at the rate the country is going, 10 years from now the United States will be importing 75 percent of its oil — mostly from unstable, non-ally nations — and paying $300 a barrel for it.

On the other hand, if current house bill H.R. 1835: New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2009 passes, the country will be on its way to enacting the first step in the plan: using natural gas to fuel large vehicles.

The 80-year-old Pickens easily charmed his audience. Mizzou and Oklahoma State football talk dominated opening remarks. A microphone mishap led to an anecdote about accidentally sitting on a mic at another presentation and quipping, “Well, you can say that for the first 10 minutes he was talking out of his ass.” The transition to the question-and-answer session invited a frog-kissing joke, with the punch line “Talking frogs are worth a hell of a lot more than Texas oilmen these days.” After the keynote address, Pickens sloughed off his entourage to sign books and chat with an Oklahoma college football player recently drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.

Jacob Kerner, a sophomore at Columbia College who plans to transfer to MU, asks Pickens for advice about what to study.

Pickens both recruited young people from the audience and offered them some perspective. Talking at a graduation once, he said, he rhetorically proposed trading places with any of the graduates; a youngster would take Pickens’ jet, ranch, billions of dollars and eight decades of wisdom, and Pickens would take what he or she had. “What you have is a future.”

T. Boone Pickens talks to the press after his address, among university leaders such as University of Missouri System President Gary Forsee.

In talking with both the public and the press, Pickens occasionally fielded questions, challenges and devil’s advocates. He insisted he’s open to any pragmatic American solution to the energy problem but has little patience for further delays in implementing solutions. For naysayers Pickens has these words: “What’s your plan?”

Read Mizzou Wire’s interview with Pickens.

To learn more and/or join the Pickens Plan Army, visit the Pickens Plan site.

Vice Chancellor Rob Duncan shares scientific expertise on 60 Minutes

2009-04-20T03:06:09Z

Two decades after the first experiments in the nuclear-energy technology known as cold fusion were presented and then dismissed, scientists around the world continue the research and claim to be on the path to generating clean, renewable, inexpensive energy.

The award-winning CBS television news magazine show 60 Minutes recently reported on the trend in “Cold Fusion is Hot Again,” a piece that aired Sunday, April 19. For expert advice, 60 Minutes turned to Mizzou’s own Vice Chancellor Rob Duncan.

Vice Chancellor Rob Duncan leads a panel discussion about energy infrastructure during the Missouri Energy Summit. Photo by Shane Epping.

“With so many open questions, 60 Minutes wanted to find out whether cold fusion is more than a tempest in a teapot,” correspondent Scott Pelley said. “So 60 Minutes asked the American Physical Society, the top physics organization in America, to recommend an independent scientist. They gave us Rob Duncan, vice chancellor of research at the University of Missouri and an expert in measuring energy.”

Duncan traveled to Israel to evaluate the work being done at the lab Energetics Technologies. What did he conclude? Watch the full report.

Want to learn more? Hear Duncan speak this week during the University of Missouri System’s Missouri Energy Summit.

Vice Chancellor Rob Duncan to appear on 60 Minutes

2009-04-16T21:44:52Z

The CBS television news-magazine show 60 Minutes has called on the scientific expertise of Rob Duncan, MU’s vice chancellor for research.

In “Cold Fusion is Hot Again,” Scott Pelley reports on new research results in the emerging field of low-energy nuclear reactions, which some scientists believe could lead to breakthroughs in energy production. Pelley interviewed Duncan for the report, which airs at 6 p.m. Central time Sunday, April 19.

Duncan will present a synopsis of the 60 Minutes program at the University of Missouri System’s Missouri Energy Summit, to be held April 22-23.

First presented in 1989 by physicists Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, cold fusion is nuclear fusion taking place at or near room temperatures. The Fleischmann and Pons reports were dismissed when the scientists’ experiments could not be replicated. Now, 20 years later, interest in cold fusion — along with its possibilities for producing inexpensive and abundant energy — has resurfaced.

Duncan, who joined MU in September 2008, is an expert in low-temperature physics. Formerly chief operating officer of the New Mexico Consortium and founding director of the Institute for Advanced Studies at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Duncan has conducted research that will provide critical information for future NASA missions.

Duncan holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in physics from the University of California-Santa Barbara. He has taught at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and the California Institute of Technology, and he served as an associated dean at UNM.

Tune in to CBS Sunday to watch the report.

Thinking globally

2009-04-15T21:47:10Z

Highlights from MU’s International Education Week

The Chancellor’s Global Issues Forum. Photo by Shane Epping.

So far International Education Week has been all about appreciation — in two forms.

Through awards ceremonies, Mizzou has shown appreciation for students, faculty and staff who contribute to the internationalization of the university.
Through awareness-raising educational events, members of the Mizzou community are gaining greater appreciation for the role they play as global citizens in what is still one of the most prosperous nations in the world.

Some highlights:

Globetrotters

During the Tuesday afternoon Chancellor’s Global Issues Forum, students, staff members and international scholars received the first International Engagement Awards for global-perspective-building work on campus and abroad.

International Engagement Award winner Na Yang with Provost Brian Foster. Photo by Shane Epping.

Winners:

Outstanding Student Contribution

Ta Boonseng
Sampath Devaram
Daniel Huaco
Na Yang

Outstanding Staff Contribution

Seungwon You
Yuyan Zhang

International Scholar

David Ledoux
Steve Osterlind
Corinne Valdivia

World views

Wednesday marked the wrap-up of the International Center’s 2008-09 Study-Abroad Photo Contest. The work of the winners and the other 25 finalists will be on display in Ellis Library throughout June.

A Dominican Father (Santiago, Dominican Republic). Photo by Christie Pautler.

1st Place (Cross-Cultural Moments) - A Camel Ride in the Desert by Jedediah McKee
1st Place (Landscapes) - Picture Perfect by Amy Ward
1st Place (Portraits) - A Homecoming by Anne Flaker
Best in Show (Portraits) - A Dominican Father by Christie Pautler

Feed the world

Douglas Casson Coutts, a senior adviser for the United Nations World Food Programme, visited Mizzou Tuesday to talk to students about careers in humanitarian and development work and to lead a discussion about world hunger as part of the Chancellor’s Global Issues Forum.

Douglas Casson Coutts of the World Food Programme. Photo by Shane Epping.

During the forum, Coutts, who currently is developing an undergraduate course on world hunger at Auburn University in Alabama, shared some perspective-broadening statistics:

Every day 25,000 people die from hunger or hunger-related causes.
Though the world produces more than enough food to feed the 6 billion people on the planet, nearly 963 million people don’t have enough to eat.
The top 1.5 billion people control 75 percent of the world’s income, while 1 billion people live on $1 a day and spend $.70 of it on food.
Only 1 percent of the people in the world are college-educated, which puts Tuesday’s audience in an unusual position.

What can we do?

Mizzou is one of 87 members of Universities Fighting World Hunger, an organization that works toward hunger awareness and consciousness-raising, fund-raising, advocacy and academic initiatives to help reduce global poverty and malnutrition. As a land-grant research university in an agricultural state, Mizzou is positioned to make a difference.

“The land-grant tradition is very special. When the land-grant system was set up, it was focused on extension and giving back,” Coutts said. “What I’m here to do is to point out the privilege you have as one person out of a hundred who has a college education.”

Check out the organization’s site to learn how to help reduce hunger in Missouri and across the globe.