Mizzou Weekly

University of Missouri

Mizzou Weekly

Sept. 23, 2010 Volume 32, No. 5

Jazz students give MU a case of Vertigo

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

New recording is first for jazz studies program

Like many musicians, Arthur White is a bit of a showman. When the debut recording by the University of Missouri’s Concert Jazz Band was released last week, he made the most of his announcement to the ensemble’s members. Surrounded by about 20 musicians at the start of a rehearsal in Loeb Hall, White, the director of the university’s jazz studies program, thrust a copy of the CD in the air and shouted, “It’s here!”

The release of Vertigo: The Music of Mike Mainieri is indeed a seminal moment for jazz at the MU School of Music. For White, it’s just the beginning — he’s already planning a second recording next spring of the band performing original faculty and student compositions.

“I don’t like to think small,” he says. “Give me a forum to put out a CD, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Hopefully, it will become an annual project.”

Vertigo was conceived last November, when vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, founder of the influential jazz/fusion band Steps Ahead, visited MU as an artist-in-residence. Mainieri has hundreds of recordings to his credit, including collaborations with Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt and Dire Straits. Nominated for several Grammy Awards as a performer and producer, he had never recorded an album of his compositions in a traditional big-band setting.

White jumped at the chance to get Mainieri in a studio with the flagship ensemble of the jazz studies program, the Concert Jazz Band. He spent about 120 hours arranging six of the nine Mainieri compositions on Vertigo for a big band before the project was recorded in May at the Mansion, a studio at the Columbia home of Mizzou alum Bruce Barkelew.

White, a saxophonist, composer and arranger who has worked with dozens of jazz artists, including Russell Malone, Bobby Watson and Dewey Redman, has been at MU for just over a year. He came from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, where he recorded five well-received CDs with the NSU Jazz Ensemble. Robert Shay, director of the School of Music, says Vertigo is testament to the energy and enthusiasm White has brought to jazz studies at MU. “In a very short time, Dr. White has done a terrific job of establishing new standards for our jazz students,” Shay says. “We expect that this disc will enhance the visibility of the high quality jazz program we run.”

Phylshawn Johnson, a senior percussionist with the Concert Jazz Band, has played with numerous Columbia bands, including The Doxies, Mr. History and the Jon Hockenbury Quartet. A seasoned performer who has done “quite a few recording sessions,” Johnson credits White with being a “down-to-earth educator with a lot of vision and drive.” Vertigo, she says, captures an important moment in the history of MU’s jazz studies program. “At a concert, as soon as the music stops, the musical experience is over,” she says. “This recording will be part of the school forever and can be listened to again and again.”

White will lead MU’s Concert and Studio Jazz bands at a CD release celebration tonight at 8 p.m. at the Missouri Theatre. The new release will be on sale at the show and all proceeds will benefit jazz studies at MU.

White hopes Vertigo, as well as future projects, will raise the profile of MU’s jazz program, while giving his students a valuable learning experience. In his view, few things can make a musician — especially a jazz musician — better than taking part in a studio recording.

“There’s no better way to create an actual professional experience than by making them participate in one,” he says. “Recording credits are certainly great to have, and if we can create as many opportunities for those as possible, I think it’s my job to do that.”

Issue

• Jazz students give MU a case of VertigoNew recording is first for jazz studies program • ------With $650,000--- goal,------university kicks off 2010 United Way campaignDeaton: MU’s “culture of giving back” touches many lives • ------Tours, sports, open houses on tap for Family WeekendAnnual event showcases campus life and facilities • Turf tests under way at South Farm plotsCan artificial surfaces harbor bacteria? • Stewart Road to close for two years • Nominations sought for faculty award

More in the archive »

Published by Mizzou Weekly, 407 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, MO 65211 | Phone: 573-882-7357 | E-mail: [email protected]

An ------equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. University of Missouri

----Mizzou Weekly

Sept. 23, 2010 Volume 32, No. 5

With $650,000 goal, university kicks off 2010 United Way campaign

GOOD NEIGHBORS

Deaton: MU’s “culture of giving back” touches many lives

More Americans are living in poverty than at any time in the last half-century. More than 50 million people have no health insurance. Nearly 15 percent of the U.S. population, including 420,000 Missourians, struggles to get enough to eat.

Rich Oliver knows the economic hardships that have touched every community present a challenge for charitable organizations. But Oliver, tri-chair of the 2010 University of Missouri United Way campaign, is confident MU employees will do what they’ve done year after year — step up and make a difference.

“I know it’s going to be a tough year,” said Oliver, dean of the MU School of Health Professions, at the university campaign’s kickoff breakfast Sept. 17 in the Clinton Room at Mizzou Arena. “But a lot of people need our help.”

Indeed, Cindy Mustard, executive director of the Voluntary Action Center, which offers social and financial support to elderly and low-income mid-Missourians, said the number of families who sought services from the agency for the first time rose 23 percent in 2010. She attributes the increase to an employment rate of about 9 percent, the failure of disability and Social Security benefits to keep pace with inflation and an increase in the number of homeless families with children.

“We’re seeing people who have never had to ask for help before, and we’re seeing a need for services we haven’t always had to provide,” she said.

The Voluntary Action Center is one of 31 local agencies whose budgets rely on the United Way. Mustard said her agency has been “well supported” by the campaign since 1972. This summer alone, donations helped the center purchase 332 box fans for elderly residents, provide 4700 lunches to disadvantaged children (a roughly 10 percent increase over 2009) and help 357 children with “scholarships” to pay for swim lessons, participation in youth sports and other activities.

“There are more moms who may have had a job, but now don’t, but who want to keep some normality within the family,” Mustard said. “Parents want their children to still be able to participate, to provide them with what we call ‘tools to succeed.’ This is a lot of the reason why we’re seeing so many new families.”

Mustard said that, because the economy continues to struggle, funding from other sources, such as the city of Columbia, will likely remain flat over the next couple of years. That’s why the United Way is so important, said Don McCubbin, chair of the 2010 Heart of Missouri United Way community campaign.

Historically, the university has been “the single largest entity in the community campaign,” McCubbin said, and that generosity will be especially important to this year’s fundraising effort. “The need is real,” he said, “and the need is growing.”

More than 100 people — including university tri-chairs Frank Schmidt, professor of biochemistry, and Joe Scogin, assistant director of athletics — attended the kickoff of the university’s campaign. The breakfast featured appearances, via video, by UM President Gary Forsee and MU Chancellor Brady Deaton.

Deaton said the 500 university employees who gave to the United Way for the first time in 2009 represent a “culture of giving back that touches so many lives in the community.” Forsee, who set a system-wide goal of 25 percent participation in this year’s campaigns, noted that the 2010 goal of $650,000 is 20 percent of the Heart of Missouri United Way’s overall community goal of $3.3 million. “Your support is key to the health and well-being of your fellow citizens,” he said.

Issue

More in the archive »

Published by Mizzou Weekly, 407 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, MO 65211 | Phone: 573-882-7357 | E-mail: [email protected]

An ------equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. University of Missouri

----Mizzou Weekly

Sept. 23, 2010 Volume 32, No. 5

Tours, sports, open houses on tap for Family Weekend

THE MIZZOU EXPERIENCE

Annual event showcases campus life and facilities

Family Weekend is here and, as usual, there are plenty of events scheduled on campus — including the chance to take a peak inside the University of Missouri’s oldest building. Built in 1867, the Residence on Francis Quadrangle is also home to MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and Mrs. Anne Deaton, who will welcome students and families at their annual open house Saturday from 10 a.m. til noon.

That’ll give you time to get over to Faurot Field for the Tiger’s game against Miami (Ohio), which kicks off at 1 p.m. Discount tickets are sold out, but seats are available at www.mutigers.com or by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS.

If the other “football” is more your style, check out the Mizzou soccer team as it takes on traditional rival Kansas at 6:30 p.m. at Audrey Walton Stadium. Tickets are free to students with a valid student ID, $5 for adults and $3 for children.

One goal of Family Weekend is to allow parents an opportunity to visit the schools and campus facilities in which their children presumably spend most of their time. Here’s a sampling of tours and open houses, all free:

Friday, Sept. 24

Museum of Anthropology, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.,100 Swallow Hall

Student Health Center Meet & Greet, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Student Health Center

College of Human EnvironmentalSciences, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Stanley Hall Lawn

College of Arts and Science Advisement Center, 1-5 p.m., 107 Lowry

Tours of Ellis Library, 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Black and Gold Friday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., MU Bookstore

Trulaske College of Business, 1-5 p.m., Cornell Hall

Shabbat Dinner, 6 p.m., Mizzou Hillel

Mizzou on the Mall, 8-11 p.m., Lowry Mall (Rain site: Stotler Lounge, Memorial Union)

Saturday, Sept. 25

School of Nursing Open House, 8-10:30 a.m., Sinclair School of Nursing

College of Education Open House, 9-11 a.m., Townsend Lobby

Engineering Open House, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Lafferre Hall

School of Health Professions Annual Pancake Breakfast, 8-10 a.m., Clark Hall Lobby

CAFNR Family Weekend Open House, 8-10 a.m., Culinary Cafe, Eckles Hall Family Weekend Pre-Game Meal, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Pavilion at Dobbs, Plaza 900 and Rollins dining halls.

Sunday, Sept. 26

Brunch at Mizzou Hillel, 10 a.m., 1107 University Ave.

Free parking will be available after 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Hitt Street Garage, on Hitt Street between University Avenue and Elm Street. Parking in most garages is free Saturday, except in the Maryland Avenue facility and Parking Structure No. 7, which both charge $15 for game-day parking.

Issue

More in the archive »

Published by Mizzou Weekly, 407 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, MO 65211 | Phone: 573-882-7357 | E-mail: [email protected]

An ------equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. University of Missouri

Mizzou Weekly

Sept. 23, 2010 Volume 32, No. 5

Turf tests under way at South Farm plots

NOT-QUITE-A-PLANT SCIENCE

Can artificial surfaces harbor bacteria?

Scientists at the University of Missouri are testing different brands of artificial turf to study the effects of heat and bacterial growth on the surfaces, which are widely used on high school, college and professional sports fields.

Led by Brad Fresenburg, an extension and research associate in plant sciences at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, the research team will try to determine whether bacteria can exist in the surfaces, where once it mixes with athletes’ bodily fluids, can cause infection.

“It has not been documented whether players get the staph infection from a synthetic field or whether they had an open wound from the synthetic field and went into the locker room and were infected there,” Fresenburg said. “We know that locker rooms and other places tend to harbor those bacteria as well.”

The researchers also hope to answer questions about heat, including whether putting water on the artificial surface will increase humidity that, in turn, could raise the heat index on the field. Tests by Fresenburg and other turf management specialists have found that artificial surfaces can be 60 to 70 degrees hotter than grass surfaces. “Syringing” — injecting water into the turf — has been found to help “to some degree,” he said.

The plots — 15-by-20-foot sections of five popular brands of artificial turf — were installed in June. Three companies in Missouri and Illinois donated the turfs and other materials, including gravel, sand, crumb rubber from ground tires, and installed the plots. The synthetic turfs will be compared to natural Bermuda grass that grows adjacent to the fields.

Some temperature data were gathered the first two weeks in August, Fresenburg said, but plans to syringe the plots this fall have been put on hold because of the relatively cool temperatures until next summer.

Fresenburg said the team will begin studying bacterial growth and the conditions that could potentially cause it to thrive next spring. “We will try to inoculate the various plots under different conditions,” he said. “Then we will swab the surfaces and watch to see if the bacteria will grow in petri dishes. This will give us some indication whether it will survive.”

The test plots will also be used to educate students and future sports-turf specialists. Also as a part of extension outreach, the researchers will use the plots at various field days to demonstrate how to maintain and clean artificial surfaces.

“In my mind, there is a significant amount of maintenance that still needs to be applied to a synthetic field that often is not followed,” Fresenburg said. “We want to establish what those needs are and how to go about it.”

Issue

Published by Mizzou Weekly, 407 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, MO 65211 | Phone: 573-882-7357 | E-mail: [email protected]

An ------equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. University of Missouri

Mizzou Weekly

Sept. 23, 2010 Volume 32, No. 5

Stewart Road to close for two years

Stewart Road, between Providence Road and Fourth Street, will close for nearly two years while workers replace a coal-fired boiler and perform other maintenance at the University of Missouri Power Plant.

The street closure, which is scheduled to go into effect Oct. 4, is necessary to ensure the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers. Vehicle traffic that normally enters campus on Stewart Road will be rerouted south on Providence to Turner Avenue or north to Elm Street. Pedestrians and bicyclists will be re-routed through parking lots RC16 and RC15, on the south side of Stewart between Providence and Fifth Street.

The new boiler is designed to use woody biomass and blends of other biomass fuels, such as agriculture residues, pelletized grasses or waste-paper pellets. Workers will also be applying protective coatings to two chimneys at the power plant, which will continue to operate at full capacity.

Issue

More in the archive »

Published by Mizzou Weekly, 407 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, MO 65211 | Phone: 573-882-7357 | E-mail: [email protected]

An ------equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. University of Missouri

Mizzou Weekly

Sept. 23, 2010 Volume 32, No. 5

Nominations sought for faculty award

The Committee for the Alumnae Anniversary Fund for Recognition of Faculty Women is now accepting nominations from students and alumnae for the 2010 faculty award. Recipient of the $500 award will be selected on the basis of teaching excellence and other noteworthy contributions to the education of women.

One nomination letter from a student or alumnae, along with two or more supporting letters from faculty members, staff, alumni and other students is required. The deadline is Oct. 1 Recipients are honored in the fall at the annual Alumnae Anniversary Fund dinner and lecture held. For more information, visit wgst.missouri.edu/ (http://wgst.missouri.edu/)

Issue

More in the archive »

Published by Mizzou Weekly, 407 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, MO 65211 | Phone: 573-882-7357 | E-mail: [email protected]

An ------equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer.