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-Mosaics Collegee of Arts and Science September 2009 Vol. 1, No. 2 Candy CoburnCandy 1 -Mosaics Collegee of Arts and Science From the Editor e-Mosaics is published quarterly for the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri. Autumn is my favorite season, and as I I asked for story ideas before, and I actually write this, the weather in Columbia is cool got a couple. Thank you! One of those stories, It is distributed via e-mail, and it can also be accessed on the and drizzly — a nice preview of what’s to on communication graduate Cydney Boler, is Arts and Science Web site at come in the next couple months. in this issue on Page 13. coas.missouri.edu/publications.html Before we really dive into autumn, we I still would like to hear what you like and Editor/designer: Melody Galen, have the annual ritual of welcoming new what you don’t like about the magazine; as I 313 Lowry Hall, University of Missouri, freshmen to campus and welcoming back said last time, this is a work in progress, and Columbia, MO 65211, 573-884-0120 returning students. You can really tell the dif- you can help us become a quality publica- E-mail: [email protected] ference around town: there’s more traffic and tion that will be eagerly awaited every quar- Contributing writer: Laura Lindsey fewer empty parking spaces, you’re lucky to ter. You can reach me at GalenM@missouri. College Web site: coas.missouri.edu find two packages of ramen noodles at the edu or 573-884-0120. Cover photo of Candy Coburn courtesy of grocery store, and the relatively quiet places Thanks to Glenda Rice for pointing out Eric Adkins on campus are now teeming with students the oddly beautiful puddle of leaves on Photo on Page 2 taken by Melody Galen who have returned to (or begun) the special Lowry Mall shown on Page 2 so that I could in-between phase of life many of us remem- get a photo of it. ber as college. May your autumn be filled with just the I hope this issue of e-Mosaics inspires a little right mixture of accomplishment, relaxation, reminiscing for each of you. Putting this issue and fun. together went a bit more smoothly this time —Melody Galen around than it did the last, but that’s usual for BA ’90 English, BS Ed. ’90 such things. Either way, we’re pleased to be able to present this issue to our readers. e-Mosaics College of Arts and Science 3 From the Dean 4 Candy Coburn: Country Music’s Tiger 8 Don Sievert: Thinking Outside the Box 13 Cydney Boler: A Tiger in Jayhawk Country 18 Joshua Arner: Undergrad Dad 22 Mary Frances Hodson: Creative Hands and Mind 25 Fine Arts Building: Then and Now 30 Pictorial from Fall Welcome, Sept. 2009 Contents e-Mosaics College of Arts and Science 3 Welcome to the really incredible new faculty members. Nor- the like). The renovation process will be com- latest issue of e- mally, we would hire somewhere in the vicin- plete within two years. We’ll have more news Mosaics. So many ity of 35 new arts-and-science faculty, but this on these projects in a future issue of e-Mosaics. things have been past year, because of the bleak financial pic- Until a few years ago, Switzler was home happening around ture, the number was only 14. For this coming to the anthropology department. In fact, my the College of Arts year we’re looking at perhaps 20 or 22. We’d first office, way back in the early ’80s, was in and Science lately love to be able to bring in more, but I don’t the basement of Switzler. One day, one of my that I don’t know think we’re out of the financial woods quite Ph.D. students let out a loud yelp from the where to begin. yet. But still, I tried to ensure that all depart- back room of our “suite,” and I went back to First, let me say ments who requested new positions received see what had happened. She was holding up that like similar at least one. Of course, all our departments a three-inch-wide piece of plaster that had units across the are undersized relative to those at peer insti- fallen out of the ceiling and cracked her on country, the college has experienced some fi- tutions, but this has historically been the case. the head. This was not a unique occurrence. nancial hardships over the past year, but we’re In terms of new space, there’s some excit- Neither was buying a dehumidifier, just to still here — still doing path-breaking research ing news to report: two of the College of Arts keep the pages of your books from curling up and still turning out some of the most talent- and Science’s buildings are receiving major and rotting from mildew. Of course, we had to ed students in the country. This past year the renovations. That may not seem like such a empty the water from it every morning, in- college admitted a record-breaking number big deal, but around campus, renovated space cluding Saturday and Sunday. But those days of students, and we did it again this year. This is something over which to rejoice. Tate Hall, are over, and I couldn’t be more pleased! mirrors the record number of students on the home of the Department of English, and I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine. campus as whole — slightly over 30,000. And Switzler Hall, home to both the Department As always, please know we’d love to hear from you thought the student body was large when of Communication and Special Degree Pro- you — about anything. you were here! grams (General Studies, International Studies, —Dean Michael J. O’Brien We can’t handle that size student body and Interdisciplinary Studies), are being emp- without more teachers and more space. We tied of faculty, staff, and students as I write were fortunate this past year to recruit some (not to mention books, office furniture, and e-Mosaics College of Arts and Science 4 Country Music’s Tiger Candy Coburn, a “Big Dream in a Little Town” By Laura Lindsey fact, this up-and-coming “Hall of Fame,” Coburn pays tribute to her country star calls herself a strong female role models: “melting pot for music.” I’ve been inspired thru the years by some “I put everything in strong and fiery women my music,” says Coburn, They’ve led the way from the day they kicked “and it just comes out me.” their way out of the kitchen Growing up in south- So I’m workin’ my way, down that trail they east Missouri, this 1998 blazed… MU graduate in musical To the good-hearted woman Hall of Fame! theater says she remem- bers singing along to her Discovering Her Passion grandmother, Loma Jean’s, Coburn realized when she was performing in gospel and country re- middle and high school that she had a talent cords. Coburn recalls her for singing. While attending the University of grandmother had a great Missouri on a music scholarship, she enrolled voice, and she encouraged in an opera workshop, but she soon found Candy to sing in church that her heart wasn’t in it. beginning at the age of “I have so much respect for what opera singers do,” says Coburn, “but it just wasn’t Michael Wiseman, Into Wiseman, the Light Productions Michael three. Coburn credits both of her grandmothers me.” for shaping her into the She knew she didn’t want to teach music andy Coburn, BA ’98, is similar person she is today. — she wanted to perform — so she dropped to the famous Donny and Marie “One of them taught me to sing, and the out of college and played in a few bands. song, “A Little Bit Country, A Lit- other taught me to be a fierce woman,” says She later returned to MU to study musical tle Bit Rock and Roll,” except she Coburn. The songs she writes for her records theater. Coburn remembers working with Cis also a little bit gospel and a little bit pop. In reflect her life and upbringing. In her song, Jim Miller, professor in the Department of e-Mosaics College of Arts and Science 5 Country Music’s Tiger mentum on your own so you start receiving songs from Theatre, and his wife Marsha, who works great songwriters to perform,” in the department as an alumni liaison and says Coburn. In the begin- also regularly performs in the department’s ning, she performed acoustic productions. The Millers recall Coburn’s per- one night a week in a small formance in the musical Nunsense where she bar in Springfield, Mo. played the role of Sister Hubert. “It took a while for me to “She brought down the house with her fi- get to the point that people nal song, “Holier Than Thou,” says Jim Miller. liked my music,” says Coburn. “It was a gospel number, and she brought her “I went through a lot of mu- amazingly powerful voice and country gospel sicians, but after a while of roots to a stunning performance.” playing live, I saw that I could “The crowd jumped up and roared,” says do it.” Marsha Miller. “I knew I was in the presence Today, she writes half of awesome talent. She had a rock/jazz kind the songs on her records but Cast members from Nunsense (1998): Becky Brown, Gwen Langland, Direc- of voice that was really huge.” admits that performing live tor Jim Miller, Candy Coburn, and Marsha Miller.

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