WILLIAM JEWELL COLLEGE SIFE TEAM WINS AT REGIONAL COMPETITION

L to R: Seth Smith, Caryn Comer, Christina Pryor and Matt Petersen with their team trophies at the SIFE Regional Award Ceremony in St. Louis, Mo.

The William Jewell College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team received honors recently at the SIFE Regional Competition held in St. Louis. This event was one of 21 SIFE USA Regional Competitions being held across the country this spring.The William Jewell SIFE Team was named 2nd runner up in the Overall Competition and a SIFE USA Rookie of the Year.

Team members Caryn Comer, Matt Petersen, Christina Pryor, Seth Smith, Andy Pitts and Marcus Mikkelsen presented a report of their yearlong community outreach projects to a panel of business leaders.The William Jewell SIFE team also learned that they would receive a special grant from the Corporate Investment Banking and Markets division of London-based HSBC Educational Trust (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation). The grant will be used to expand some projects in the area of personal financial success skills for the coming year.

During the 2004-05 academic year, the William Jewell SIFE Team organized 24 projects in the local community, teaching market economics, entrepreneurship skills, personal financial success skills and business ethics. Their projects are judged at competition on creativity, innovation and effectiveness. Eight Jewell Students have been recognized by SIFE and President Bush for devoting 100 hours of volunteer service to the community through their project work this year. Those students are: Caryn Comer of Kansas City, Mo.; Margaret Crocker of Springfield, Mo.; Heather Hoesly of Kansas City, Mo.; Emily Mistele of Peculiar, Mo.; Matt Petersen of Omaha, Neb.; Christina Pryor of Wichita, Kan.; Seth Smith of Braymer, Mo.; and Kara Sullenger of Liberty, Mo.

SIFE is an international nonprofit organization active on over 1,800 university and college campuses in more than 40 countries. The organization mobilizes university students to create economic opportunity for others while discovering their own potential.

JEWELL STUDENTS ATTEND NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Eight students and three faculty members representing the Departments of Biology and Chemistry at William Jewell College recently attended the 229th American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Diego, Calif. Three of the students presented the results of their undergraduate research projects at the Undergraduate Research Poster Session spon-sored by the Division of Chemical Education. The project titles and student presenters were:

• “Fatty Acid Transport in Vascular Smooth Muscle.” Brian Gillenwater (WJC’05, biology major);

• “Modulatory effect of taurine on two neurotransmitters, glutamate and gamma-aminobyturic acid (GABA), in HCN-2 neuronal cells.” Becky Snead (WJC’05, biochemistry major); and

• “Low-dose, long-term cell cycle effects of triethylene gloycoldimethyacrylate (TEGDMA ) on L929 mouse fibroblast cells.” Courtney Wilson (WJC 05), biology major).

Dr. Tara Allen, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Lori A. Wetmore, assistant professor of chemistry, are the research mentors working with these three students.

Also attending were Dr. Jason Morrill, assistant professor of chemistry, and Dr. Ed Lane, professor of chemistry, along with students TK Fu, Elizabeth Scott, Jeanette Cessarich, Ally Fry and Allison Cobb.

JEWELL STUDENT NAMED GOLDWATER SCHOLAR

Emily Abdoler, daughter of Richard and Debbie Abdoler of Clinton, Mo., has been selected to receive the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. She is a senior Oxbridge Molecular Biology and Bioethics major at William Jewell College. Abdoler was selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,091 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premiere undergraduate award of its type in these fields. The scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. “As a student in the Oxbridge Molecular Biology Honors major, Emily is exposed to a large quantity of information which requires her to not only understand the basic concepts, but also to evaluate critically and apply them,” said Dr. Dan Heruth, associate professor of biology at William Jewell.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields. Tim Perkins, a biochemistry major from Smithville, Mo., was also named one of 28 honorable mentions in the Goldwater competition.

JEWELL STUDENTS SEEK TO HELP DISABLED YOUTH IN SERVICE PROJECT

Twenty-four Jewell students participating in the Pryor Leadership Studies Program have chosen to bring the Miracle League to Kansas City for their capstone legacy project. The specially designed t-ball field provides a setting in which children with disabilities can experience the joys of athletic competition within a safe, nurturing environment. Created to give every child a chance to play baseball, the League enriches the lives of disabled children, their families and their communities by demonstrating that people are not always limited by their disability. Children can play safely on a specially constructed field with a synthetic surface and flat bases. “Our entire class is passionately taking on The Miracle League with a sense of urgency,” said Pryor Fellow Celeste Brunner. “We are confident the outcome of our efforts will be huge.”

Their goal is to raise $500,000 in cash or in-kind donations, which is the estimated cost of construction for the field. Jewell alumni Fred and Shirley Pryor have provided a $100,000 lead gift, and the students have partnered with the YMCA of Greater Kansas City to provide operational support. A gift of land has been secured for the facility near Highway 152 and Platte Purchase Road in Kansas City North. Each year, Jewell students preparing to graduate from the prestigious Pryor Leadership Studies Program work together to organize a service-learning project that aims to leave a lasting impact on the community and all who are involved. Endowed by Jewell alumni Fred and Shirley Pryor, the Pryor Leadership Studies Program teaches personal, vocational and civic leadership through critical reflection, mentoring and “real-world” experience.

CHRIS ROSSON RECEIVES HALL FAMILY FOUNDATION SUMMER GRANT

Chris Rosson, a junior double major in Business Administration and Economics at William Jewell College, is completing a year of study in Oxford, England. He is currently organizing his summer to engage in further academic research in the Middle East. Chris is the son of Ramona Rosson of Kansas City, Mo.

With the assistance of his professional mentor, Dr. Cecelia Robinson, director of the Jewell TRIOEducational Advancement Program, Chris applied for several scholarships and grants during the spring semester to enhance his studies in Israeli-Palestinian economic relations. His dream became a reality when he was informed in April that he is the recipient of a $3,000 Hall Family Foundation Summer Academic Enrichment Grant. Chris will travel to Palestine and Israel in June to begin his summer research. He plans to develop his findings into a senior honors project when he returns to Jewell.

JEWELL STUDENTS PRESENT RESEARCH

Four William Jewell College psychology students presented their original research recently at the 25th Annual Great Plains Students’ Psychology Convention The convention, held at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., was attended by students from 31 different schools such as the University of Nebraska, University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Emporia State University and Creighton University.

The research projects presented by WJC students were: Laura Curry - Self-Injury and Its Concomitant Features; Rachel Fouts - Effects of Group Membership on Mood and Self- Perception; Katie A. Heaton - Re-evaluating the Folstein MMSE Attentional Tasks: Variation in Selection Impacts Scoring; and Caroline Wheatley - The After-Effects of Helping: Secondary Traumatic Stress. Laura Curry and Rachel Fouts were awarded second place recognition in their respective research divisions. The student research was supervised and sponsored by Scott Sumerall and Ray Owens.

BLAKE RYAN IS DRAFTED BY KANSAS CITY COMETS

Blake Ryan ’05 has been drafted by the Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Ryan, from Kansas City, Mo., had a standout career at Jewell, netting 51 goals and tallying 49 assists (both school records) for a total of 151 points. Ryan helped lead the Cardinals to as high as a #11 ranking in the NAIA National poll and guided them to the NAIA National Tournament for the first time this past fall season. He was named to the all-Heart of America Athletic Conference team all four years and was an all-Region V and NAIA All-American the past two. “This is such an exciting opportunity for me,” Ryan said. “I am so thankful and honored to be drafted by the Kansas City Comets. I have always wanted to pursue playing soccer after my collegiate career and I could not have asked for a better chance.”

BLANTON TO PLAY FOR PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Ben Blanton, a star player on William Jewell College’s Cardinal baseball team, has been drafted as a shortstop by the Philadelphia Phillies organization. “I’ve been waiting and working for this opportunity my whole life,” Blanton said. “I’m hoping I can make the most of it. I’m thankful that I’ve had good coaches and good teammates over the years who have helped me get to this point.” Blanton, who is the son of Wes and Debbie Blanton of Liberty, is a business administration major with an emphasis in marketing and a minor in art from the Jewell class of 2005. Coach Mike Stockton said that Blanton was one of the key players involved in the baseball Cardinals’ recent success.

The team set a school record for wins in a season with 47 victories in 2004. Blanton was named the Heart of America Athletic Conference Player of the Year for 2004 and 2005 and was named Regional Player of the Year and a First Team All-American in 2005. He continues a rich family tradition of athletic competition at Jewell. His father, Wes ’75, was a pitcher on the Cardinal baseball team; his sister, Brooke ’01, was a noted scholar-athlete who competed in tennis. A 6’1” shortstop for the Cardinals, Blanton boasted a .423 batting average with 14 homeruns and 65 runs batted in in 2005.

ART MAJOR SHOWS WORK

William Jewell College senior art major Eric German has been chosen for a solo exhibit at the Zuppe Gallery in Kansas City. Eric’s exhibit of oil paintings and digital prints will run through the month of September 2005. The gallery is located at 110 W. 18th St. in Kansas City.

FRATERNITIES PARTICIPATE IN ‘SERVE LIBERTY DAY’

About 60 members of Jewell’s fraternities recently organized a “Serve Liberty Day” to assist area social service agencies with a variety of projects. According to campus minister Jeff Buscher, all three fraternities were equally represented, with KA’s, Fiji’s, and Lambda Chi’s sending approximately 20 men from each fraternity.