As Missouri State gears up for Homecoming weekend, Oct. 16-18, the College of Arts and Letters invites students, faculty, staff and alumni to join the college for these scheduled events.
Thursday, Oct. 16
Master Class: Living the Dream – Composing and Publishing Music
Presented by COAL alumna Susan LaBarr, composer (BM 2004; MM 2007)
Susan LaBarr is an active, published composer, with works in print through Santa Barbara Music Company and Morningstar Music. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Music in and a Master of Music in Music Theory in at Missouri State University. In 2011, Susan won the Opus Award for her compositions Two Songs of Love Lost: Forever Gone and At Dawn of Day. This award is selected by members of the Missouri Choral Directors Association. In 2012, Susan served as Composer-in-Residence for the Chattanooga Girls Choir (TN). More recently, Susan served as the Missouri Composer Laureate, 2012 and 2013, a position selected by the organization Verses and Voices, and chaired by Missouri First Lady, Georganne Nixon. She also works as editor of Walton Music.
Event details
Time: 4 – 5 p.m.
Location: PSU Theatre, free parking available in Bear Park North, 754 E. Elm St., adjacent to Juanita K Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts
Friday, Oct. 17
Brick City Tours
Alumni, students, family and friends are invited to tour Brick City, the urban oasis of creativity that juxtaposes concrete and conjecture and serves as the home of the art and design department, which has space for classrooms, studio workshops and a gallery.
Event details
Time: 8 a.m. – noon
Location: Brick City, 215 W Mill St, Springfield, MO 65897
Phone: 417-837-2330
Master Class: Video Game Development
Presented by COAL alumnus Matt Raithel, Studio Director, Graphite Lab (Electronic Arts, 2004)
Matt Raithel and his team at Graphite Lab in St. Louis produced the mobile game app, My Little Pony Party of One, which reached No. 1 ranking in 73 countries by selling over one million downloads in one week (August 3-10). The game was animated primarily by another MSU alum, Matt Stevens (BFA Animation ‘09), under Raithel’s direction. Raithel has worked in the gaming industry since 2004 when he joined Black Lantern Studios in Springfield, where he served as an art director, director of art and design, vice president of operations and studio president.
Event details
Time: 12:20 – 1:40 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union Theatre
Master Class: Contemporary Dance
Presented by COAL alumnus Darrell Hyche II, Modern American Dance Company (BFA, 2013)
In his first year with the St. Louis company MADCO, under company director Stacy West, Darrell Hyche II, received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance performance and Bachelor of Science in psychology from Missouri State in 2013 and was a member of the University’s Inertia Dance Company under the direction of Ruth Barnes and Darryl Clark. Hyche has performed with the Springfield Ballet and the Ashleyliane Dance Company. As a scholarship student at the American Dance Festival, he worked with Brenda Daniels, Elizabeth Corbett, Sherone Price and T. Lang. He has also been in repertory works by William Forsythe, Nicholas Leichter and Merce Cunningham. In 2007, MADCO was invited to become the Professional Dance Company in Residence at the prestigious Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of University of Missouri St. Louis.
Event details
Time: 12:20 – 1:40 p.m.
Location: Art Annex, Room #5, 1045 E Grand St
COAL Alumni Panel
“Preparing for that First Professional Job or How I Survived the Biggest Professional Mistake I ever Made!”
A conversation with alumni Matt Raithel, Darrell Hyche II and Monte Kuklinski
Event details
Time: 1:50 – 2:50 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union Theatre
Master Class: Graphic Novels and Modern Storytelling
Presented by COAL alumnus Cole Closser, artist, author and illustrator (BFA, 2011)
Cole Closser, a Missouri cartoonist and illustrator of comics and graphic novels, will discuss the creation and publication of his graphic novel “Little Tommy Lost” which was featured in Juxtapoz magazine (August 2013) and named one of the 10 best graphic novels of 2013 by A.V. Club (the Onion). He is a graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts in art printmaking and drawing programs at Missouri State University and a Master of Fine Arts from The Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont. He will also be attending the COAL Wine and Cheese Alumni Reception in the Student Exhibition Center (5-6 p.m.) where his work is on display.
Event details
Time: 3 – 4 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union Theatre
MSU Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Come celebrate as COAL’s own Dr. Donal Stanton, professor emeritus of the communication department is added to the MSU Wall of Fame, located outside the ballroom in the Plaster Student Union (3rd floor). Stanton created the socio-political communication major in the College of Arts and Letters at Missouri State. He used his passion for rhetoric and the political process to improve the life of the campus and community at large and led generations of Bears to become great debaters. Other inductees include Linda Johnson, Marty Marty, John McAlear and Dr. George Swales.
Event details
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Location: PSU 3rd Floor
COAL Wine and Cheese Alumni Reception
The College Arts and Letters will host a reception for the college’s alumni in the Student Exhibition Center prior to the “Distinguished Bears” Alumni Dinner which will take place at the University Plaza Convention Center, 333 S. John Q. Hammons Pkwy. The exhibition center will be featuring an exhibition by art and design alumnus, Cole Closser, which includes cartoons and drawings from his graphic novel, Little Tommy Lost, which was named one of the 10 best graphic novels of 2013 by the A.V. Club (the Onion).
Event details
Time: 5 – 6 p.m.
Location: Missouri State University Student Exhibition Center, 838 E. Walnut St.
Parking available in Bear Park North park and ride garage, just west of the Juanita K Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, or at University Plaza Convention Center if you plan to attend the Alumni Dinner.
Missouri State University “Distinguished Bears” Alumni Dinner and Awards Ceremony
Missouri State University alumni and friends are invited to pay tribute to an exemplary group of Bears for their notable successes. Alumni and former faculty will be honored for their dedication, professional achievements and loyalty to Missouri State. The evening will include a social hour, dinner and entertainment by Missouri State musicians and performers. For further information please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 417-836-5654.
Event details
Social time: 6 p.m.
Dinner: 6:45 p.m.
Location: University Plaza Convention Center, 333 S. John Q. Hammons Pkwy.
Saturday, Oct. 18
Missouri State University Homecoming Parade
Missouri State University’s Homecoming Parade will start at 9 a.m. on St. Louis Street and John Q Hammons Parkway, moving south through the heart of campus to end at Grand Street.
Maroon & White Men and Women’s Basketball Scrimmage
In a collaboration between Missouri State University’s athletics and academics, the basketball Bears and Lady Bears will host a Maroon and White Scrimmage, with the proceeds going to support the new College of Arts and Letters Master Class Series, designed to bring successful COAL alumni back to campus to interact with students and the community.
The college’s dean, Gloria Galanes, said the scrimmage is a great opportunity for collaboration among departments.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the athletics department and very much appreciate this tangible demonstration of athletics supporting academics,” she said.
Both teams will be made available for autographs; posters and schedule cards can be provided to those interested in the signing session.
The event is free to students and children, and $5 for adults. You can attend both scrimmages for the price of one ticket. Tickets may be obtained in advance through the COAL online store, or in person at the COAL dean’s office, Craig Hall, Rm. 106. Temporary parking is available on Grand just south of Craig Hall for those wanting to pick up tickets in advance. For additional information, call 417-836-5247. Tickets will also be available in McDonald Arena Oct. 18, starting at 8:30 a.m.
Event details
Time: 10 – 11 a.m.
Location: McDonald Arena, 850 S Kings Ave
Free parking and shuttles available at Bear Park South at Grand and Holland or Bear Park North, Cherry and John Q Hammond Parkway.
College of Arts and Letters Homecoming Tent
The College of Arts and Letters will host a tent at Bearfest Village on the MSU midway (between Carrington Hall and Meyer Library) directly in front of Plaster Sports Complex. We’ll be serving lunch and would love to have all of our alumni drop by to reconnect with old friends and to meet our current students and faculty.
Event details
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Bearfest Village
Missouri State University Homecoming Football Game
Cheer the Bears to victory when they defend the Missouri State gridiron against the South Dakota Coyotes! During halftime, enjoy a performance by the Pride Marching Band and coronation of the homecoming king and queen. Single tickets to the football game are $12-22, and you can purchase them online, at a Missouri State University box office or by calling 888-476-7849. For more information, visit the Missouri State Bears website.
Event details
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Plaster Sports Complex