Young readers Caroline and London show off summer selections from the newly installed Little Free Library on the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ South Campus. The University Child Development Center classmates are two of the countless passersby that are already making the most of the book exchange.
This photograph was taken by UMSL photographer August Jennewein and is the latest to be featured in Eye on UMSL.
UMSL Chancellor Tom George, pictured with North County Incorporated’s Rebecca Zoll, accepted a Community Development Award on behalf of the university at NCI’s annual breakfast. (Photo by August Jennewein)
The University of Missouri–St. Louis was among the honorees at an annual gathering of north St. Louis County residents and leaders last week.
North County Incorporated, a regional development association serving 47 municipalities as well as unincorporated areas, presented a Community Development Award to the university for its “active and varied response to the protests and civil unrest in the Ferguson area.”
UMSL Chancellor Tom George was on hand May 29 to accept the award, which was given in recognition of efforts ranging “from artistic to counseling to breakfast for the clergy who promote compassion.”
“Our students, faculty and staff have a reputation for putting UMSL’s mission into action on a regular basis,” George said. “Ferguson is our neighbor and part of our north St. Louis County community. I hope we can all continue to foster positive change and civil dialogue in our region.”
Rebecca Zoll, president and CEO of NCI, said the awards go to individuals and organizations that have shown a strong commitment to the north St. Louis County region through their business, civic and humanitarian acts.
NCI made mention of specific initiatives by UMSL’s College of Education, Department of Counseling and Family Therapy, Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis, Community Psychological Service, Center for Trauma Recovery, Missouri Institute for Mental Health and Chancellor’s Cultural Diversity Council.
To read about the UMSL community’s efforts in the wake of Michael Brown’s death last August, click here.
UMSL Chancellor Tom George discussed the university’s future on the June 22 episode of “St. Louis on the Air” on St. Louis Public Radio. (Photo by Alex Heuer/St. Louis Public Radio)
The University of Missouri–St. Louis is bustling with renovations and new construction projects despite being faced with financial challenges. UMSL Chancellor Tom George touched on these projects and other future plans for the university on “St. Louis on the Air,” a program on St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU.
“A major part of the campus got built during the ’60s,” George told program host Don Marsh. “We’re now probably having more capital construction, certainly dollar-wise – over $125 (million) to $130 (million) – at one time than we’ve had in the history of the institution.”
The university has been “very creative,” George said, in its approach to funding projects with state funding in decline since 2010. Projects discussed included the following new facilities:
Other projects mentioned were:
A combination of student-approved fees, gifts from donors and bonds account for the vast majority of the construction funding. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has released a $10 million match of funds already raised by UMSL for Anheuser-Busch Hall and $13.6 million in state bond funds to renovate Benton Hall. The reconstruction of Natural Bridge Road is funded through a combination of federal, state and local sources. Normandie Golf Course was purchased with private funds donated exclusively for that purpose.
George also discussed the status of Normandie and St. Agnes halls, the university’s role in helping Ferguson, Mo., heal and UMSL’s efforts to generate more funding for scholarships.
Visit the St. Louis Public Radio website to listen to the full interview.
The grand opening of the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center will happen later this summer. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of the pool. The entire facility can be viewed during an open house scheduled for July 28.
This photograph was taken by UMSL photographer August Jennewein and is the latest to be featured in Eye on UMSL. View UMSL’s Instagram page for more preview photos of the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center.
The Japanese National Honor Society recognized recent UMSL graduates (from left) Susanne Mackay, Kristin Kottemann and Anita Fike for excellence in the study of the Japanese language, a growing academic program at the university. (Photo by August Jennewein)
“Daijoubu? Daijoubu?”
The Japanese word for “OK” was the only one Susanne Mackay knew in March 2011, when a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, where her late mother was born and raised.
“We couldn’t communicate with my mother’s family at all – that’s the only word I knew, so it was hard,” recalls Mackay, a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at the time. “I thought, ‘OK, I need to learn Japanese.'”
It wasn’t offered at SIUE, and upon learning that the University of Missouri–St. Louis offered a major in the challenging language, Mackay transferred to UMSL as an art major. She expected to simply fulfill her major’s language requirement and then go back to SIUE. But after one year, she wanted to keep going, so she stayed at UMSL and switched her entire course of study to Japanese.
These days, she writes letters back and forth with her Japanese aunt, who was overjoyed to hear she was learning the language. Mackay finished up her degree at UMSL this spring and is now exploring certification options for teaching English to speakers of other languages.
“I’d like teach immigrants here in St. Louis,” Mackay says. “My mom kind of got thrown into America with three kids, and my father was in the military. And then he got deployed back overseas, and she was just stuck without knowing much English. So I would love to help other people be able to communicate, get the basics down.”
In May, Mackay was inducted into the Japanese National Honor Society along with fellow Japanese language graduates Anita Fike and Kristin Kottemann. The three new UMSL alumnae share a love for anime, a high regard for their talented “senseis” (faculty members) at UMSL and a drive to keep on learning.
“I like the idea of learning more and more,” says Kottemann, who transferred to UMSL from the University of Missouri–Columbia three years ago after a semester studying in Japan. “With Japanese being such a difficult language, it can be stressful. But as you put in that effort, you do get something out of it, and I kind of like that continuous struggle of trying to figure stuff out.”
Even though Kottemann started at UMSL a year later than Mackay, Fike and several other Japanese majors who recently earned their degrees, she quickly felt welcome.
“Michael sensei [Amy Michael], the main teacher, has always been very friendly and understanding and helpful for all the students,” Kottemann says. “And when I came here, I kind of immediately felt like I was part of a group, in my class.”
The Japanese Studies program got a boost last fall when the Japan Foundation awarded UMSL a grant enabling a new faculty hire, Assistant Teaching Professor Keiko Ueda.
“She’s from Japan,” Kottemann says. “Having her perspective, especially in our fourth year, was really good, I think.”
Fike, who has been accepted into a graduate program at Washington University in St. Louis for the fall, was impressed by the flexibility and student-centered nature of the program and faculty members at UMSL.
“I came in, and they didn’t know what level to put me in,” explains Fike, who began studying Japanese in junior high. “They’ve always been finding ways for me to keep learning … I really feel like the professors care about getting the students what they need.”
Mackay has appreciated the teaching style, with professors who “get really animated and draw it out of you.”
“If you’re stuck on something, they will go out of their way to help you and figure out a way to work things out in a way that makes sense to you,” she says. “And they’re always saying, ‘Stop by the office, stop by the office!'”
A highlight for Kottemann was a two-week Japanese study tour last summer with a handful of classmates and UMSL faculty members Beth Eckelkamp and Amy Michael.
“We got to have both teachers travel with us, and all of their knowledge,” Kottemann says. “It was really great having people there who can schedule things and take you around and tell you about stuff, because it makes the experience a lot more rich.”
Despite their newly minted diplomas, all three women still consider themselves very much students of the Japanese language.
“It’s something that you have to keep doing, and there’s always more to learn,” Mackay says. “You’re always running into things, like when you’re watching anime or hearing people talking at the Japanese Festival, that you’ve never noticed before. And just being able to spot those things is kind of fun.”
So is the complexity of the language itself, adds Fike, who was a student in the Pierre Laclede Honors College.
“I really like how conceptually ideas fit from Japanese culture to Japanese language,” she says. “Everything is very nuanced, I think particularly for Japanese. There’s a lot that doesn’t translate. They have all of these different ways of being honorable and humble and respecting someone, and we don’t have that.”
That nuance makes for clumsiness at times, she adds, but that’s OK.
“People make mistakes when they’re speaking [in their native language] all the time. When you’re speaking in a foreign language, you’re more critical of yourself, thinking, ‘Why can’t I say this right?’ But then you’ll mess something up in English about five minutes later.”
Social work major Candice Clossum assists middle school students Lauryn Rhodes and Jala Muhammad during a summer session in the E. Desmond Lee Technology and Learning Center. (Photos by August Jennewein)
“Patience” and “science” are two words that Candice Clossum didn’t especially associate with herself a year ago. Then she enrolled at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and landed an on-campus internship where she’s actually showcasing both skills.
In her part-time role at the E. Desmond Lee Technology and Learning Center in Marillac Hall, the soon-to-be sophomore collaborates on an outreach initiative that serves local middle school students.
“It’s a good feeling, because I thought I wouldn’t be patient with kids, but this has really shown me that I do have patience with them,” Clossum said. “And the fact that it was with science – STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] wasn’t really my strongest, but I now have a growing interest in it.”
The unique opportunity for work experience and mentorship came about when Clossum was an incoming, first-generation college freshman interested in staying on track academically and financially. Director of Student Support Services Yolanda Weathersby, who created UMSL’s StudentPlus Internship Program, reached out to Clossum through the Welcome Center and suggested the idea.
“The StudentPlus program is an investment in our UMSL students,” said Weathersby, adding that the experiential-learning program began in 2013 in response to a University of Missouri System action plan to grow retention and graduation numbers. “It’s pleasing to my heart to know we – the campus community – are truly making a difference in our students’ lives as they take this very important journey with our university.”
After undergoing a panel interview with Weathersby and potential mentors from across various units and departments, Clossum was paired with staff member Amber Bell-Christian, an assistant in the Technology and Learning Center.
As a participant in the StudentPlus Internship Program, Candice Clossum works closely with a mentor in an on-campus job that builds her repertoire while pursuing her degree.
“I watch my mentor and how she works, and she’s rubbed off on me,” Clossum said. “I find myself thinking, ‘What would Amber do?’ It’s a comfortable family setting, but at the same time it feels professional. My work ethic has changed a lot this year.”
The campus job is also convenient for Clossum, who lives in Oak Hall on South Campus. StudentPlus operates around student participants’ schedules, with the opportunity to work up to 150 hours a semester. In Clossum’s case, it works out to about 8 to 10 hours a week. She’s one of more than 80 students who collaborate with dozens of units and departments across campus.
“It came right on time, and I’ve had a great experience with the people there,” she said. “I really love working with them, and I can do it until I graduate. The hope is that I’ll be able to do the STEM program on my own down the road.”
Bell-Christian described the mentoring experience as an excellent one from her perspective, too.
“Dr. Keith Miller and I were looking for help with this new endeavor with Girls Inc., and Candice was the perfect person,” Bell-Christian said. “She has been so great with the girls. They look to her for comfort and encouragement. She is very organized and dependable, and she’s very quick on her feet when it comes to keeping the girls engaged and making sure they are having a good time while learning. She has just been such a great representation of the StudentPlus program and what those students do to make a difference here at UMSL.”
The program has also made a difference in Clossum’s choice of major. After initially thinking of either criminology and criminal justice or music education, she recently settled on social work.
“It fits my personality,” said Clossum, who hopes to keep contributing to the empowerment of women and girls. “I always want to help people, find the potential in people.”
The Florissant, Mo., native has been impressed with UMSL’s welcoming atmosphere since day one, and now she seems to be adding her own energy to that campus vibe. Serving as an orientation leader this summer and a first-year-experience peer mentor in the fall, she’s part of the team helping incoming students get their bearings at the university.
Clossum knows a little something of the challenges that come with such transitions.
“It’s just me and my mom, and I’m a first-generation student,” she said. “I’ve been blessed to have a lot of guidance along the way, but I still was nervous. There were questions I would ask my mom and she was like, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know about this class. I don’t know what book you should really get.’ There were some kinks, but it smoothed out along the way. I had to make a couple mistakes.”
The scholarship is the latest news resulting from a larger institutional effort to attract and retain student veterans and current service members at UMSL. (Photos by August Jennewein)
For those currently serving in the U.S. military, a University of Missouri–St. Louis education is now an even better deal.
This fall, UMSL will help active-duty students close the gap between the amount of Armed Forces Tuition Assistance they receive from the military and the full cost of a university education.
The result of a $50,000 commitment by the university, the UMSL Service Members Tuition Assistance Scholarship (SMTA) awards eligible students up to $1,000 per academic year. The scholarship applies to both undergraduate and graduate-level coursework. In the case of service members taking one or two three-credit courses at a time, SMTA makes up the tuition difference entirely.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jim Craig, associate teaching professor and chair of the Department of Military and Veterans Studies
“In essence, a UMSL education is available tuition-free for most active-duty students,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jim Craig, associate teaching professor and chair of the Department of Military and Veterans Studies. “It’s a great opportunity and speaks to UMSL’s increasing commitment to servicemembers seeking to pursue higher education.
“If you are active duty and you are using military tuition assistance, then the money is there for you,” Craig said. “You just have to apply.”
The scholarship is the latest news resulting from a larger institutional effort to attract and retain student veterans and current service members at UMSL.
Last fall, 429 veterans were enrolled at UMSL – an increase of 17 percent over the previous year. The university was recently named to the Military Times’ “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015″ list, and the UM System was also welcomed by the Pat Tillman Foundation as a university partner in the Tillman Scholars program.
For more information on the SMTA scholarship, contact the UMSL Veterans Center.
Media Coverage:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Associated Press (via KTVI)
The soon-to-open Recreation and Wellness Center creates a new North Campus horizon joining other iconic UMSL buildings like the Social Sciences & Business Building Tower and the Millennium Student Center.
Want to check out the new Recreation and Wellness Center? An open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 28. The center will open the next day with a grand opening to follow on Sept. 10.
The photograph was taken by UMSL photographer August Jennewein and is the latest to be featured in Eye on UMSL.
The new UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center is now open for business. Students, members of the campus community and area residents stopped by to try out the climbing wall, pool, fitness classes and much more during an open house Tuesday. (Photo by August Jennewein)
Looking out over a railing along the top floor of a brand-new campus facility, Adam Delgado wore a huge grin. The senior University of Missouri–St. Louis student was taking in the sights and sounds of the new UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center – something he’s been anticipating for a couple of years now.
Ferguson, Mo., resident Caleb Wilkerson, a sibling of UMSL students Tira and Iriah Wilkerson, practices his layup in the new rec center’s gymnasium. (Photo by Evie Hemphill)
“It’s awesome,” he said during an all-day July 28 open house that featured tours, classes, rock climbing and even Jamba Juice samples. “I knew it was going to be really, really sweet and everything, but I didn’t know it would be this breathtaking.”
Delgado’s only on campus one more week, since he graduates Aug. 8 and heads home to New York shortly thereafter. But having voted for the project as an underclassman, he said he couldn’t be more thrilled to see it come to fruition. He plans to make the most of the rec center every day leading up to commencement next weekend.
“It’s a really amazing addition to the campus,” said Delgado, who is planning a trip back to St. Louis and his alma mater this fall, “and hopefully it gets a lot of use.”
The light-filled natatorium sports everything from a zipline and a bouldering wall to a vortex and lap lanes. (Photo by August Jennewein)
Charlotte Kawa, a computer science major at UMSL, has been working inside the facility for a few weeks already. In her role as a climbing wall supervisor, she’s in charge of training rock wall attendants on aspects of the job such as tying knots and proper belaying technique.
“I’m just really excited to see everybody inside enjoying the space,” Kawa said Tuesday as clusters of students, faculty and staff, and community members stopped by to check out the colorful climbing area. “It’s a really incredible space – from the climbing wall to the zipline in the pool.”
New St. Louis residents Cooper, 3, and Trevor, 7, tackle the bouldering wall in the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center. Click here to watch a UMSL student climb the larger wall. (Photo and video by Jen Hatton)
Lifeguard and incoming freshman Guy Goodpaster was on duty in the natatorium as the first water aerobics class got under way in the 155,000-gallon pool.
“It’s pretty exciting – definitely cool to see the place come to life,” said the engineering major, who recently served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and landed the part-time, on-campus gig at the rec center this summer. “I feel like it’s going to boost the morale of students … I can’t wait to start swimming and using the gymnasium.”
Even before the doors opened Tuesday morning, junior biology majors Ruth Abraha and Charlene Masona were waiting outside the rec center. They agreed it was worth the wait.
“I felt like a VIP [walking through the automated entrance stiles in the lobby],” said Masona, who added that she tried every machine – “there’s so many!” – and expects to stop by for frequent workouts before or after classes this fall.
Abraha, who carpools to campus with her, said she looks forward to a convenient facility at the heart of campus, right near the Millennium Student Center. She was especially in awe of the natatorium.
“It’s very open, and you can see outside,” Abraha said. “It’s beautiful.”
Precious Penny, a junior criminology and criminal justice major, coaches biology senior Julia Yahl on a weight machine at the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center, which is now open for business. (Photo by Ryan Heinz)
UMSL student Tira Wilkerson’s mother and younger brother joined her at the open house celebration, remarking on the value the facility offers to the surrounding community. The Wilkersons, who live near campus, said they plan to purchase a family membership.
“It’s exciting, because I can come up here and work out too,” said 13-year-old Caleb Wilkerson, an eighth-grader at Ferguson Middle School and avid basketball player.
As steady crowds explored the facility for the first time, Assistant Dean of Students Miriam Roccia helped greet people and direct traffic.
“I’m going to mark this day down as the birth of my second child,” joked Roccia, who has spent three years as part of the team working on the long-awaited project. “More than anything, I am excited to see everything this building will provide for our students. From pickup basketball and intramurals to more than 100 student employment opportunities, this is a student-first building. I can’t wait to see it full of energy this fall!”
First floated as an idea over a decade ago, the new rec center received UMSL students’ vote of support in a March 2012 referendum and was soon after approved by the University of Missouri Board of Curators. The $36 million, student-fee-funded project broke ground in November 2013.
For hours and more information on the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center, click here.
Zachary Lee, a sophomore Engish major from O’Fallon, Mo., runs the elevated indoor track during the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center Open House on July 28. (Photo by Ryan Heinz)
New Student Orientation leaders (in yellow) dine with incoming freshmen who stayed the night in Oak Hall for the Triton Overnight Experience. NSO has two sessions left Aug. 6 and 7. (Photos by Kelly Heissler)
The first day of classes at the University of Missouri–St. Louis won’t be the first time incoming freshman Dylan Hoelscher sets foot on campus.
In fact, the Jefferson City, Mo., native and Blair Oaks High School graduate will already have visited the UMSL Triton Store and swum in Oak Hall’s pool thanks to New Student Orientation and the Triton Overnight Experience.
Hoelscher spent the night in a residence hall room and got a taste for campus living and social activities available to him.
“We went to the Pierre Laclede Honors College and played a few fun games to learn each other’s names while sharing some laughs,” he said. “That was one of my favorite parts. After that, we all went outside to the pool, which was very nice. We had some ice cream and root beer to top it off. Then we watched Space Jam outside.”
It may sound like all fun and games, but it meant a lot more than that to Hoelscher.
Incoming freshmen try out Oak Hall’s pool along with New Student Orientation leaders as a part of the Triton Overnight Experience.
“I’m very glad I participated in the overnight experience,” he said. “I had a blast and met many new friends from the new students to the currently enrolled students that were helping.”
While the Triton Overnight Experience opportunity has passed for incoming students, there are still two remaining New Student Orientation sessions on Aug. 6 and 7 (register here).
Students can be just as set to start the school year as Hoelscher feels now.
“I learned many new things during orientation, from where a class is to how to plan my schedule – and a lot about the financial system as well,” he said. “I think it is important to attend new student orientation so students can learn nearly everything they need to know to begin their first year at UMSL. If I hadn’t gone to orientation, I would have absolutely no clue about all of the amazing things UMSL has for me.”
So instead of the typical first-day freak-out, Hoelscher can focus on a strong start in the UMSL/WUSTL Joint Engineering Program.
“I want to study engineering because there are plenty of job opportunities, I have always enjoyed math and physics, and the salary will be enough to financially support my life after college.”
He plans on playing UMSL baseball, joining the Student Government Association and being as involved on campus as he can.
“I hope that I am able to balance hard work with having fun at UMSL,” Hoelscher said. “I have always been a very positive person, and I hope to make many memories.”
“What can we do outside the legal realm to change our society to be more inclusive and equitable?”
That question is at the center of an upcoming panel discussion at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, says Assistant Professor of Anthropology Sarah Lacy, who will moderate the Aug. 7 event.
Assistant Professor of Anthropology Sarah Lacy will moderate the Aug. 7 panel in the Millennium Student Center. (Photo by August Jennewein)
“Beyond Reform: The Limits of Legislating Equality for Black & Brown and LGBTQ+ Liberation” will explore ways that various groups subject to discrimination can work outside purely legal channels – and collaboratively – to achieve equality in society. The 6:30 p.m. discussion will take place in the SGA Chamber of the Millennium Student Center.
“We all suffer when one suffers, and by embracing the struggles of other communities, our protest spaces become diverse and also safer,” Lacy says. “We should not abandon legal battles and political ambitions, and we should continue to push political candidates to adopt platforms that lift up the oppressed. But we also need to think about how we affect public consciousness more directly, and that is partially the point of this upcoming community discussion.”
Panelists will include Barbara L. Graham, an associate professor of political science at UMSL; Eljeer Hawkins, an activist and union organizer in New York City; and Dean Spade, an associate professor of law at Seattle University and founder of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project.
Spade and Lacy spoke with UMSL Daily about the focus of the campus event, which is free and open to the public.
As a legal scholar, Professor Spade, in what ways have the “limits of law,” to steal a phrase from your book’s subtitle, captured your attention?
DS: The reason I became a lawyer was because I was an activist in movements seeking to end poverty, racism, prisons, gender violence and other harms that permeate our society and our legal systems. I went into law hoping that I could gain skills to help stop people from getting evicted, deported and imprisoned and be part of changing unfair systems that keep people poor, homeless and in danger.
What I have learned from being a lawyer and a law scholar is that the oversimplified idea that we can end the harms and violence we see by changing laws through courts, legislatures and elected officials is actually a big obstacle to change. We are raised to believe that legal change is the key way to make change, and we are told stories about how the U.S. was redeemed from systems of slavery, Jim Crow segregation, sexism, racist immigration quotas and the like by legal changes that brought equality and fairness. Yet we live in a society that is deeply unequal and unfair, and often these systems were only changed on paper; meanwhile, racialized and gender maldistribution got sharper and more severe.
Dean Spade of the Seattle University School of Law is one of the panelists speaking at the event, titled “Beyond Reform: The Limits of Legislating Equality for Black & Brown and LGBTQ+ Liberation.” (Photo courtesy Dean Spade)
One theme in my work is looking at how certain legal reforms are misleading, and analyzing law reform strategies from an understanding that U.S. law was built on racism, colonization and capitalism and is not going to be the way to end those things. Given that, what legal work do we want to do, and how do we want to do it, so that we can bring as much immediate relief as possible to people suffering from the violence of these systems but also work to dismantle, rather than mend and strengthen, these systems?
On first glance, the upcoming panel’s pairing of topics might seem a bit surprising. How do you see them intersecting?
SL: Many communities suffer oppression in our society. Racism, sexism, homophobia, et cetera produce the same outcome: one group does not have access to the same opportunities as another based on identity, and in severe forms, one of those opportunities they are denied is life. The fights for racial equality and gender/sexual orientation equality have focused on different highlight issues, but they both are underpinned by major economic forces.
People of color and LGBTQ+ people are much more likely to live in poverty. Addressing economic inequality through campaigns for increased minimum wage, rent control or public benefits would raise living standards in both communities. Therefore we address multiple identities with our thesis about ways to achieve liberation outside legal reform.
That is one problem with focusing on issues such as marriage equality. Not only is that issue more relevant to the higher socioeconomic classes of the LGBTQ community, it also does not achieve social equality. How does a queer person living in poverty see their daily existence improve by the legalization of gay marriage? They don’t. Their liberation cannot be legislated into existence.
What do you think these various groups and movements can learn from each other?
SL: We can look at how we as activists, allies and members of marginalized communities effect change locally and nationally that will improve our lives and the lives of our brothers and sisters. In the last year, communities of color have literally taken to the streets in cities across the country to cry out that police execution is inexcusable. However, LGBTQ community members, especially trans women of color, are also being targeted, but the response has been more muted. The death of anyone at the hands of law enforcement should be questioned, and if answers are not forthcoming, local government should anticipate streets full of people.
But I actually think both activist communities have done a good job of studying the history of the other. Still, all movements also need to have more democratic debate within the communities they represent as opposed to pursuing the interests of a limited number of activists.
Professor Spade, in what ways have you observed legal reform and other activities working together toward social justice?
DS: In my Law and Social Movements class, we talk about this exact question. What role should lawyers and law reform have in movements? When have lawyers and legal strategies been successful in helping movements make big changes? One of my favorite readings about this is the 1975 book “Detroit, I Do Mind Dying,” written by Dan Georgakas and Mavin Surkin. It tracks the development of the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers in the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, activists in the black liberation movement in Detroit were trying to expose the awful conditions that black workers faced and the brutal treatment that black people experienced at the hands of the police, in addition to many other issues.
(Event flyer courtesy Sarah Lacy)
The book tells stories about how the lawyers in the movement were successful at putting whole systems on trial in cases where usually it would be almost impossible to win. It is inspiring to learn how – within the broader social movement context, and with the ways that the black liberation movement was changing what people across Detroit (and the world!) thought about their lives and what was possible – radical things could happen even in courtrooms.
Unfortunately, these days many legal organizations are very separate from grassroots community organizing groups. Also, many lawyers who provide legal services to poor people are prevented by funding restrictions from engaging in tactics that would mobilize collective action rather than only addressing cases individually in proceedings in which the deck is stacked against the poor person. There is a lot of work to be done to radicalize legal service provision and poverty lawyering and help de-professionalize it and bridge it to social movements.
What do you make of the last year or so when it comes to remaining challenges and oppression in our world, across the U.S. and in our own communities? Where do we go from here?
DS: The last year has been a powerful time to witness the brilliant resistance of black communities to the ongoing pervasive violence they face. I am awed by the ways that grassroots work in local communities across the country has shifted public perception of policing and anti-black violence and brought new attention to the outrageous conditions of mass imprisonment and militarized racist policing that have become normalized across the U.S.
It has also been a time of important conversations about the specific ways that anti-black racism operates and the many roles in which people who want to support black resistance and black life can take responsibility and plug in to this resistance work. I am inspired by all the work people are doing, the risks that activists are willing to take and the generosity that people in different movements and organizations are showing each other.
SL: The last year has been both inspiring and devastating – devastating in that the true numbers of people in the United States being killed by law enforcement are finally coming to light, and it is shockingly high. But it’s inspiring to see that young people are not apathetic about it. Some search for electoral solutions, but many see protest and direct action as the best way to effect change. And the protestors are diverse in age, race, sexual/gender identity and class.
I think UMSL’s location near Ferguson is important. We are seeing the beginning of the next civil rights era with the Black Lives Matter movement, Dream Defenders, demands for greater visibility of the trans community and so forth. It is no accident that presidential candidates have been visiting Ferguson or sending delegates to conferences here. They too see these as seminal issues for the future of our country.
In helping to organize the panel, my aim is to support the movement for black and brown and LGBTQ equality in my own city. My students reflect this diversity. I stand with them, and I hope this shows them that higher education can be a powerful force for social and economic change.
(File photo by August Jennewein)
The University of Missouri–St. Louis will confer hundreds of academic degrees and welcome new graduates into the ranks of 92,000 fellow UMSL alumni during commencement exercises this weekend.
Vincent C. Schoemehl Jr.
A 10 a.m. ceremony on Aug. 8 will honor graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, College of Fine Arts and Communication, the School of Social Work and the Master of Public Policy Administration program.
Later in the day, at a 2 p.m. ceremony, graduates of the College of Business Administration, College of Nursing and the UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program will cross the stage. Both events take place in the Mark Twain Athletic & Fitness Center on UMSL’s North Campus.
Participants and well-wishers attending the morning event will hear remarks from former St. Louis mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl Jr. (BA history 1972). The UMSL alumnus was one of the youngest St. Louis mayors in the city’s history when he was first elected in 1981, after serving six years on the Board of Aldermen.
During his three terms at the city’s helm, Schoemehl was a leader on key redevelopment and historic preservation efforts throughout St. Louis. From the expansion of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to the renovation of Union Station downtown and hundreds of other rehabilitation projects, he emphasized public-private partnerships and urban design.
Robert J. Baer
Schoemehl ran for governor of Missouri in 1992, and in 2003, he returned to public office for a brief stint as a member of the St. Louis Public School Board. Fourteen years ago, Schoemehl stepped up as president and chief executive officer of Grand Center, Inc., an organization devoted to the reinvigoration of the historic Grand Center District in St. Louis.
UMSL will confer an honorary degree on Robert J. Baer, retired president and chief executive office of the Bi-State Development Agency (Metro Transit), at the morning ceremony. Baer’s impact on the metropolitan area has been felt in civic arenas ranging from public transportation to downtown renewal and more over the course of his career.
As executive director of the Bi-State Development Agency from 1974 to 1977, he helped secure funding to modernize the bus fleet and make needed improvements to various facilities. In various roles with the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners and the Metropolitan Sewer District, Baer’s efforts helped pave the way for the Edward Jones Dome, new police stations and improved MSD management. This was in addition to his job as president and CEO of UniGroup, one of the region’s largest companies and ranked No. 1 in the moving business.
Don Marsh
Baer stepped up again in 2007 as Metro Transit’s interim president and CEO, presiding over two tax initiatives, the development of Metro’s long-range plan and a successful campaign to provide secure funding for the transit system. A UMSL scholarship was established in Baer’s honor upon his retirement in 2010. The Robert J. Baer Endowed Fellowship in Public Policy Administration provides funding to high-achieving graduate students, a fitting tribute to Baer’s commitment to education, St. Louis and public service.
An honorary degree also will be conferred on long-time journalist and St. Louis Public Radio host Don Marsh during the 10 a.m. ceremony. Earning the trust of listeners, guests and the St. Louis community since he first moved to the region in 1971, he has covered many of the topics and events that have shaped the city and the world in that time.
Marsh got his start as a reporter and editor in New Jersey and then in Bonn, West Germany, where he was a correspondent and bureau chief from 1960 to 1966. He was news director for WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Md., for five years before becoming an anchorman in St. Louis.
In September 2005, Marsh joined St. Louis Public Radio, a public service of UMSL, as host of the daily talk show “St. Louis on the Air.” His 45 prior years of experience as a broadcast journalist have proved invaluable at the station as he conducts insightful interviews that help listeners sort through the issues of the day.
Ronald B. McMullen
Ronald B. McMullen (BS psychology 1973), president of Christian Hospital, will address graduates at the 2 p.m. event. In addition to leading the 485-bed, acute-care hospital in north St. Louis County, the UMSL alumnus also oversees Northwest HealthCare, a facility located six miles west of the hospital.
Christian Hospital is noted for its excellence in heart services, cardiothoracic surgery, emergency medicine, cancer treatment, behavioral health programs, radiology, urology, pulmonology and radiation oncology. Northwest Healthcare offers the community convenient 24-hour emergency care, a variety of outpatient diagnostic and imaging services, and a breathing center and sleep lab.
McMullen served as president of Alton Memorial Hospital from 1986 to 2007. He originally joined Alton Memorial as an assistant administrator in 1983. Prior to that, he was vice president of St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., and an administrative resident at Pontiac General Hospital in Pontiac, Mich.
For more information on UMSL commencement, see this page.
Local high school students discuss their social media platform concept, Hear4U, during The Pitch, a summer entrepreneurial program organized by UMSL’s College of Education. (Photo by Jen Hatton)
Lenardo Scott has an idea for a theme park. He calls it Super Sports Experience, and it would be indoors and air-conditioned.
“There’s always an area getting shut down at Six Flags because someone gets sick from the heat,” explained Scott, a Normandy High School student. “We thought about building a place indoors where it’s cool, and you don’t have to worry about going to the hospital. When it’s too hot outside, I feel like I’m about to have a heart attack!”
Scott was among 30 high school students who participated in The Pitch, a summer entrepreneurial program organized by the University of Missouri–St. Louis College of Education. The program challenged teams of students to develop innovative business projects. They focused on solving real-world commercial and social problems, giving the students free range to test and refine their wildest ideas.
For example, the minds behind Mujji.Go, a high-tech app that would allow mobile device users to exchange battery life, aimed to keep customers from missing important calls. Students brainstormed inventions and business models with the aid of guidance and provisions from UMSL professors Keith Miller, Carl Hoagland and Janet Murray. In a partnership with Stifel Bank & Trust, the professors funded books, food, classroom supplies and guest lecturers for the event that took place July 31.
Creating an even stronger support network, Amber Bell-Christian, coordinator of the E. Desmond Lee Technology and Learning Center, connected with community outreach organizations Girls Inc., M.A.D.E. Moguls, and Boys & Girls Club St. Louis. Bell-Christian was motivated to build great extracurricular programs after recalling her experiences as a local high school student.
“I remember when I was in high school and moved from Normandy High to Hazelwood Central — it was a total culture shock,” she said. “I was an A student all my life, but when I transferred to central, it seemed like those students were learning things I never did. Since working with Keith Miller and Girls Inc., I’ve found my niche helping students excel through learning experiences that other students have access to all the time. I love making a difference.”
Nour Salmeen, a UMSL MBA graduate assistant, also lent her time, business expertise and mentorship.
“The students seemed to really enjoy the experience,” she said. “Aside from the intensive work schedule and occasional stressed looks, they were always reminded that this program was meant to be fun.”
Encouraged by a positive atmosphere and compassionate leadership, students were not afraid to tackle concerns close to home. The designers behind Hear4U, a social media platform that would allow greater contact with incarcerated loved ones, wanted to help families thrive through adversity.
“We came up with this idea because my uncle and our friend’s father are incarcerated, so we thought it would be a good idea to create a business that helps connect incarcerated people and their loved ones,” said Jamoni Richardson, a junior at University City (Mo.) High School.
Each team presented their ideas to a panel of judges in the format of a three-minute elevator pitch. Judges, including Miller, evaluated presentations based on a detailed rubric. Teams earned points according to the quality of their opportunity recognition, market research, financial operations, presentation skills and marketing plans. Beyond practicing valuable skills, students were able to win prizes such as Amazon gift cards, web design and professional photography. Prizes were provided by multiple vendors including CCS.
After presentations concluded, students were presented with certificates of completion and the celebration could not be contained. Young men and women high-fived, danced, and shouted joyfully. Ultimately, competition and winning prizes didn’t matter to Makayla Jones, a freshman at McCleur North High School in Florissant, Mo.
“I was very nervous when I was doing my presentation,” she said. “But once I was finished, it was like a sigh of relief. Showing the judges our project wasn’t even about winning anymore — it was about team work and supporting each other.”
Incoming UMSL students Dureese Colvin (left) and Richard Dalton (middle) joined Paul Joshu and other area veterans as participants in the St. Louis Veterans Pre-Collegiate Fellowship on the UMSL campus in August. (Photo by David Grant)
Only 51 percent of veterans who start college actually graduate. That’s according to a study released last year by Student Veterans of America. And among those who do drop out, two thirds leave before their third semester.
The University of Missouri–St. Louis has teamed up with St. Louis Community College, St. Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis in an attempt to address that problem. Leading up to the start of fall classes, 10 student veterans from several area colleges participated in a one-week college preparatory workshop called the St. Louis Veterans Pre-Collegiate Fellowship.
“This five-day intensive workshop provides foundational academic skill-building for veterans in order to equip them with the competencies needed to succeed at the undergraduate level and beyond,” said program founder and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jim Craig, chair of the Department of Military and Veterans Studies at UMSL.
Nationwide, many student veterans report feeling overwhelmed by math and writing requirements, and they often lack connections to support networks during what can be a tough transition period. In order to best prepare student veterans for that shift to college life, the UMSL-hosted fellowship program focused on refreshing math and writing skills as well as connecting them with local resources and building relationships with other veterans.
“Perhaps most vital to their success is that the fellowship provides an informal venue for veterans to connect with other veterans who are going through a similar experience,” Craig said. “An effective peer connection can mean the difference between a veteran finishing a degree or not.”
In addition to completing nearly 20 hours of college-level reading, writing and mathematics during the program Aug. 10-14, the veteran participants engaged with representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran service organizations and veteran-focused charities. They also had the opportunity to network with local business professionals from Prism Medical, Veteran Distribution, Inc., Boeing, Emerson, Experience on Demand and Monsanto.
Students finished out the weeklong fellowship by volunteering alongside the veteran-run organization The Mission Continues for a service project that included painting and landscaping at Little Creek Nature Area, an outdoor learning facility of the Ferguson-Florissant School District.
For more information on the St. Louis Veterans Pre-Collegiate Fellowship, click here.
Breanna Tarkington, who often rides her three-wheel bike to campus, appreciates the ways UMSL serves its busy students, like extending office hours as a new semester approaches. (Photo by August Jennewein)
Not every college student’s daily schedule starts at 6 a.m. But University of Missouri–St. Louis senior Breanna Tarkington isn’t every college student.
“I start work at about seven in the morning, and then I get off at 2:30 p.m. and typically have class right after that,” said the pre-med student, who juggles being a parent along with her biology studies and job. “They’re long days.”
The fact that UMSL extends office hours this time of year at key locations across campus makes her life a little more manageable. Offices are open later into the evening and on weekends as a new semester kicks off.
“It gives me a chance to get stuff done,” Tarkington said of the extended hours, which continue through the end of August. That “stuff” ranges from financial aid questions, to visiting the bookstore, to making a convenient appointment with her academic adviser.
The longer hours make a significant difference for Pierre Laclede Honors College student Mitchell Haskin as well. While pursuing a degree in electrical engineering, he works a fulltime job doing tree removal.
“I typically don’t know when my workday’s going to end,” Haskin said. “It also makes it so I don’t have to take a day off of work.”
As commuters, both Haskin and Tarkington see it as another instance of the convenience and flexibility that have characterized their experiences at the university.
“UMSL really caters to the students who, you know, aren’t traditional,” said Tarkington, who is also busy planning a November wedding. “We work jobs, we have kids, and they do things for us. There’s Tiny Tritons, which is pretty awesome. There are clubs that commuters can actually participate in.”
Haskin spent several years attending community college part time before making the switch to UMSL and entering the UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program. Typically a car-free commuter to campus, he touts the easily accessible transit as another benefit of choosing the university.
A new shuttle-tracking feature is accessible through the UMSL mobile app.
“UMSL was really convenient, and I could afford it,” he said. “It’s easy to get around.”
A newly unveiled smartphone app should make navigating campus even easier for members of the campus community who use the campus shuttle to get around.
“Information Technology Services has been working with the Shuttle Solutions Committee and Campus Life on this,” said ITS project manager Wayne North, who noted that the feature is now available through the UMSL mobile app. It offers real-time tracking of shuttles, which will arrive more often – approximately every 10 minutes during the daytime.
Relatively small – but serious – changes like these can have a big impact for students, including Haskin and Tarkington, who is now in her final year at UMSL. In turn, those students further their impact on the region and the world.
“One of my dreams is to build my own drug rehab center in St. Louis,” said Tarkington, who has already completed an internship at one such community resource and plans to pursue public health after graduation. “It would deal with the children of the patients as well as helping them get their first job, their first house, things like that.”
With the first week of classes fast approaching at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, new UMSL students will get set for the semester during Triton Take-Off Weekend Aug. 21 to 23.
(Photos courtesy Kelly Heissler, New Student Programs)
“This is a unique chance for new students to enjoy their first weekend as a UMSL student,” said Megan Green, director of New Student Programs. “Triton Take-Off Weekend is full of opportunities to meet and socialize with peers, tour academic buildings and find classrooms, learn how to ride the shuttles and officially pass the Triton torch.”
The university is already buzzing with various orientation sessions and initiatives leading up to a new school year, but on Friday the level of activity on campus will soar, beginning with the start of Move-In Day for new on-campus students at 8 a.m.
Following the bustle of the morning and early afternoon, new students will gather for a kickoff presentation by keynote speaker Ryan Penneau, team activities and an ice cream social (Greek Freeze) Friday evening.
Highlights on Saturday include College Life 101, an “Olympics” competition in front of Oak Hall and Rock the Rec, the first large, campus-wide event to take place in the brand-new UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center. That celebration will feature smoothie samples, an intramural showcase, a Zumba class, rock climbing, ziplining and something called a “Coke Dive.”
On Sunday morning the fun and worthwhile preparation continues for the newest members of the UMSL community, with activities ranging from a Find Your Faith meet-and-greet to tours of campus buildings.
Later in the day, new students and all members of the campus community are encouraged to gather in front of the Thomas Jefferson Library to take part in the Serendipity Sendoff, a campus tradition that formally welcomes the newest Tritons to campus, and stay for a 5 p.m. picnic at the Millennium Student Center.
“We always look forward to sharing that tradition with the UMSL community and kicking off the Weeks of Welcome,” said Jessica Long-Pease, director of Student Life. “Those events really set the tone for the start of the semester.”
The Serendipity Sendoff on Aug. 23 welcomes new students to UMSL with an official passing of the torch to the incoming class.
Long-Pease encouraged students to remember to stop by the Fall Expo on Aug. 26 as well.
“It provides an opportunity to meet with student organizations and campus departments face to face,” she said. “Students can ask questions, find out about meeting schedules and create a plan for their involvement at UMSL. Being engaged and active on campus is so important and opens doors to even more opportunities for experience and growth. Taking advantage of that first chance to connect with others is something students won’t ever regret.”
For a full schedule of Triton Take-Off Weekend, click here. The Weeks of Welcome booklet (see the digital version here) also offers a handy guide to many student-driven campus events throughout the fall 2015 semester.
UMSL students (from left) Nour Salmeen, Andrea Bryant, Cameron Roark, Charlotte Kawa, Austin Culbertson and Trang Do offered a few words of wisdom for those new to campus this fall. (Photo by Evie Hemphill)
They may or may not be older or wiser than their incoming counterparts, but they’ve been around the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus for a while longer, and they’ve learned some useful things.
“They” are a handful of UMSL students who recently took time out of their summer schedules to ponder the following question from UMSL Daily: If a new UMSL student asked you for advice on surviving (and thriving!) at college this fall, what would you say?
Their answers provided tips, tricks and key ways to make the most of one’s college experience as an incoming UMSL student. (Click on the embedded videos or each student’s name, below, to hear additional tips in videos created by Jennifer Hatton.)
#1 Study and de-stress.
When asked for a few words of wisdom, “puppy videos” was one of the first phrases to come out of Charlotte Kawa’s mouth.
“Find something that lets you get out some steam,” said the senior computer science major. “I’ve struggled with that … You’re going to have to study, and it’s important to have that focus, but have fun, too.”
In addition to taking a moment here and there for baby-animal cuteness on the Internet, Kawa makes extracurricular activities she enjoys a priority. These include rock climbing, an interest that is now greatly enhanced by the new UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center where she is working as a climbing wall supervisor.
Most of all, though, Kawa’s advice to new UMSL students is to study.
“Make sure you set aside time for homework,” she said. “Come midterms and finals, you’ll be thanking me.”
#2 Get involved and study abroad.
Now a graduate student in the College of Business Administration, Nour Salmeen also attended UMSL as an undergrad. Originally from Kuwait, she moved to the U.S. at the age of 18. At UMSL, she made a point to get involved on campus early.
“Join a student organization,” she suggested, “or if you aren’t finding what you’re looking for, even create a new one.”
Another word of advice? Pursue study-abroad opportunities.
“Save up and pick a new country,” said Salmeen, who has spent time in Dubai and in China as a UMSL student. She recommends exploring on-campus opportunities too, such as internships and assistantships that build skills while paying bills.
And “don’t stress,” she added. “Just chillax.”
#3 Meet new people.
Cameron Roark, president of the Student Government Association, said new UMSL students should make a point to stop by the Fall Expo, set for Aug. 26 during the first week of classes. It’s a great chance to get a sense of the many options for getting engaged around campus – and to meet people.
“You have to put yourself out there,” he said. “The people I met the first few weeks of freshman year are some of my best friends now.”
Also, classes and coursework are important, but if you just come to campus for that, “you’re not going to get the whole experience you could get.” Finally, Roark said, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
#4 Venture outside comfort zones.
Senior chemistry major Trang Do, who is from Vietnam, echoes Roark on that last point, looking back on her first semester at UMSL.
“Talk to people,” she said. “You might think with some people, ‘Oh, I don’t know them – it would be strange,’ but maybe they can help you … Don’t stay in your box.”
Now an orientation leader who helps welcome new UMSL students to campus, Do remembers being hesitant and shy at first herself.
That changed, she said, especially after getting a part-time job at the Nosh inside the Millennium Student Center and beginning to meet more people. She also got involved with the Chemistry Club and is president-elect of the Vietnamese Student Association.
Academically, Do adds, it pays to “go to class and sit in the front row. Go to office hours. When you go in there, they are really nice and ready to answer questions.”
#5 Try things out (and sleep).
From Andrea Bryant’s perspective, three words are especially key: try things out.
“I think as a freshman what was important for me was trying new things,” said the senior business major. “I think that kind of helped me figure out what I wanted to do the rest of the [college] years.”
Bryant speaks from experience. She originally majored in nursing, opting to switch to business at the end of her sophomore year at UMSL.
“There are a lot of college students who end up changing,” she said. “I think that has made me less afraid to try new things and make decisions.”
Bryant’s other two pointers?
“Learn how to manage your time early, and get sleep.”
#6 Embrace new freedoms with care.
Communication major Austin Culbertson suggested “freedom” as something to watch out for as a new college student – that it’s important to keep oneself accountable.
“It’s making the good decisions,” Culbertson said.
Now a senior, Culbertson lives on campus and frequently rides his bike to navigate campus, which he remembers seemed pretty sizeable when he was a new face on campus.
“Don’t be overwhelmed the first time,” he said. “Campus is pretty big, but people are here to help.”
Finally, echoing Bryant, he emphasized trying new things – “whether it’s new friends or a new major.”
The UMSL mobile app includes various UMSL news, MyGateway, dining and safety features and includes a new live-tracking shuttle map. (Photo by August Jennewein)
Keeping up with the latest University of Missouri–St. Louis news and information has been a finger tap away since 2012 when the UMSL mobile app launched. Now the app will also help students better traverse campus.
The app’s newest feature is the inclusion of a live-tracking shuttle map, which will replace the paper schedules. Jessica Long-Pease, director of the Office of Student Life, said the map derived from students’ desire for greater shuttle stop accuracy.
“Their feedback (via the UMSL Shuttle Solutions Committee) was that the previous paper schedule was difficult to read, the shuttles weren’t making it to the stops at the times listed and the inconsistencies made it challenging for them to plan their routes on campus,” she said.
Information Technology Services collaborated on the new app feature with the Shuttle Solutions Committee, UMSL Parking and Transportation, and St. Louis Transportation. Using GPS technology, the map reveals the locations of active shuttles in real time.
“The live-tracking shuttle map gives students the ability to see where the shuttle is on campus, locate the quickest access point to its services and determine at a glance what the best option for their travel will be,” Long-Pease said.
A forthcoming update to the app will include each shuttle’s estimated time of arrival. Shuttle stop frequency varies based on time of day:
Shuttles are available from 7:30 a.m. through midnight Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.
In addition to the live-tracking shuttle map, the latest version of the UMSL mobile app brings back numerous favorite features. Students can access MyGateway to view class schedules, instructor postings and grades.
Looking for lunch or to sate your sweet tooth? A dining module shows what campus food options are open right this minute.
Users will also be able to keep up with all of the latest UMSL news with quick access to UMSL Daily, The Current, UMSL Tritons news, The U, St. Louis Public Radio and more.
Want to learn more about the UMSL mobile app and UMSL Daily? Visit the University Marketing and Communications team at the Fall Expo from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 26 in the Quad. While there, share your UMSL experience for a future UMSL Daily story and become #UMSLFAMOUS.
Zach Fernau lofts a bag during a game of cornhole Wednesday at UMSL’s Fall Expo while Zeth Fritz awaits his turn. The junior business administration majors were working the booth for Pi Kappa Alpha, one of 60 organizations and campus units that participated in the informational event for students.
The photograph was taken by UMSL photographer August Jennewein and is the latest to be featured in Eye on UMSL.
The Fall Expo is one of more than 100 events planned for Weeks of Welcome. Keep scrolling for images celebrating the new school year. And visit UMSL’s Instagram, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter pages to see even more photos.
Visit UMSL’s Facebook photo album page to view more “I Chose UMSL” photos from the Fall Expo and photos from the inaugural Dive-In Movie event at the Recreation and Wellness Center.
After a week of intense work building a much-needed home in Managua, Nicaragua, members of a UMSL Catholic Newman Center service team pause to bless the structure alongside the new owners of the house. (Photos courtesy of trip participant Rob Perry)
For a family in Managua, Nicaragua, what started as a crowdfunding idea at the University of Missouri–St. Louis last winter has resulted in a new, much-improved home.
“By raising the funds we did, we built a home for Felipe, Junior and the rest of their family,” said UMSL senior public policy major Belkisa Dautovic, one of the students who recently spent a week in the country as members of a UMSL Catholic Newman Center service team. “It was intense, but the result was unbelievable.”
Frequent games of soccer in the street served as welcome breaks during mornings spent mixing cement, pouring floors, stacking cinder blocks and tying rebar.
UMSL’s Newman Center, which celebrated its 50th anniversary on campus in 2014, has a reputation for service in the local community. But when a UMSL staff member suggested that students and others involved with the center help launch a UMSL crowdfunding platform online, plans for the center’s first international service trip began to take shape.
“The initial invitation to the UMSL crowdfunding effort is what helped us birth the idea and made it possible,” said Erin Duffy-Burke, assistant director of the Newman Center. “It got a lot of people involved, created a lot of momentum for advertising and got us over the initial chunk of fundraising.”
Composed of UMSL students, alumni and community members, the trip participants raised $7,800 through crowdfund.umsl.edu and a grand total of $23,975 when combined with bake sales, fish fries, a car wash, trivia night and more. Together with the $300 that each participant paid out of pocket, the funds covered the cost of building the house and also supported educational opportunities for children in Managua.
“It was a lot of work, but absolutely worth it,” Duffy-Burke said of the fundraising efforts. “In Nicaragua, we worked with an organization called Hand in Hand Ministries. Their primary focus is educational support for very low-income families, in the hopes of providing better education for the children and therefore a way out of poverty.”
Newman Center trip participant Matt Bono (at left) and Felipe (center), whose family now owns and lives in the new house, smile as Felipe’s grandson, Junior, exchanges a fist bump with UMSL alumnus Sean Leahy at the construction site.
UMSL alumnus Matt Bono, BS engineering 2009, said he was struck by the obvious joy and appreciation expressed by the new homeowner, whose family of six previously lived in a small tin structure.
“We had many discussions about the culture and about God, but I think the most lasting thing is that they have a more comfortable place to live,” Bono said.
From July 12 to 19, the UMSL-affiliated group spent each morning mixing concrete by hand, carrying buckets, grouting in and stacking cinder blocks, and tying rebar for the structural beams. In the afternoons, participants visited local schools and shops, spent time with students in a scholarship program and enjoyed the natural beauty of Nicaragua.
“Managua is the poorest city, and Nicaragua itself is the poorest country in Central America,” Dautovic said. “Even though most of the people live on less than $4 a day, there is a strong sense of community, and we enjoyed games of soccer on the dirt road – no one had lawns – with everyone we met.”
She was surprised by the number of dogs walking the streets in search of food.
“Animals are not kept as pets, and food and care for them is too expensive for most people living in Nicaragua,” Dautovic said. “It was either food for the dog or food for the family.”
Now back at UMSL for a final year of undergraduate study, Dautovic said she also has been reflecting on some similarities between Nicaragua and the United States.
“We’re still struggling for better pay, jobs and government,” she said. “In Nicaragua, 300 families are having their land, their livelihood, auctioned away [because of a deal] to construct a canal – larger than the Panama Canal – right across the country without conducting any environmental studies.
“Farmers are still marching in protest, but their voice is small compared to the money the investors and the politicians will make. The same could be said about proposed plans in America, like the pipeline, that will have huge environmental impacts many don’t want to admit.”
