Reynolds College Blog

Call for musicians for “April at the Amphitheatre” concert series

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Musician applications are now being accepted for a new concert series, “April at the Amphitheatre,” located at the John Goodman Amphitheatre (JGA) in the Judith Enyeart Reynolds Arts Park of Missouri State University.

Sponsored by JGA and the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, the series will feature selected artists each Wednesday in April during the lunch hour.

Graphic of brown bag with instrumentsThe concert series is open to local artists from the Ozarks. Those selected will be awarded a $300 honorarium.

Each performance will last 40-45 minutes and is free and open to the public.

All performances are scheduled 12:15-1 p.m.

Contact Mark Templeton, Executive Director of JGA Marketing and External Relations, for more information.

Apply

Performance dates

April 3
April 10
April 17
April 24

 

Political science graduate student Chris Rinehart lands State Department internship

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Chris Rinehart has wanted to work at the U.S. Department of State since high school, when he first became interested in issues related to civil service and policy.

When he earned an internship position there for the Spring 2024 semester, he got one step closer to that goal.

Rinehart’s internship runs from February-April 2024.

MSU’s International Affairs track was excellent preparation

Rinehart chose the accelerated Master of International Affairs track when he arrived at Missouri State University in 2020. He graduated in 2023 with a BA in Global Studies and immediately entered the accelerated program.

“I was nervous about attending a university outside of the Washington, D.C. Beltway because foreign policy is so heavily concentrated in our capital, and almost exclusively so,” Rinehart admitted.

Rinehart found MSU to be a good fit and credited his courses with increasing his confidence.

Three of those courses were political science classes taught by Dr. Ashley Leinweber, associate professor of political science in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy. Leinweber and Rinehart also worked together in Model United Nations.

“I have really enjoyed the policy-based aspects of the courses I have taken,” he said. “And Dr. Leinweber has always been such a big supporter of my endeavors.”

“I am very thankful to have her and Dr. Gabriel Ondetti as professors because they are always willing to help me reach the next step in my academic and professional careers,” Rinehart added. [Read more…] about Political science graduate student Chris Rinehart lands State Department internship

MSU hosts National History Day Regional competition March 1

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Missouri State University will once again host the Region VII competition for National History Day (NHD) March 1, 2024, in the Plaster Student Union.

First round judging starts at 9 a.m., followed by potential run-off rounds. The award ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m.

Each year, NHD competitions showcase historical research projects developed by students grades 6-12. Students compete individually or in groups to curate museum-like exhibits, create documentaries, write historical papers, put on a performance or develop a website.

Students in the Region VII competition represent schools in Springfield as well as Christian, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Hickory, Howell, Laclede, Oregon, Ozark, Polk, Stone, Taney, Webster and Wright counties.

Region VII winners advance to the state-level competition, held in Columbia, Missouri, in April. State winners advance to the national competition in Washington, D.C., in June.

The 2024 NHD theme is “Turning Points in History,” according to the organization’s website.

An educational curriculum, not just a contest

National History Day ends with an exciting competition, but it starts several months earlier as an educational curriculum, according to Sara Zandi, who has served as Region VII coordinator since 2018.

“National History Day is a yearlong academic program that 6-12 grade educators choose to incorporate into their classroom curricula,” Zandi explained. “The curriculum focuses on project- and inquiry-based learning to scaffold learners’ historical thinking and information literacy skills.”

In a given academic year, teachers from 15 different middle and high schools in and around Springfield include NHD in their curriculum, Zandi estimated. The highlight of all that hard work—the competition itself—typically showcases 150-200 student projects.

A child and an adult adjust a display
National History Day contestants set up an exhibit.

[Read more…] about MSU hosts National History Day Regional competition March 1

Mock Trial Team extends competitive season with big wins at regionals

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Missouri State University’s Mock Trial team continued its remarkable 2023-2024 season by earning a trip to the first rounds of national competition.

With their winning performances at the regional competition in Norman, OK, the team now heads to the American Mock Trial Association’s Opening Round Championship Series or “ORCS.”

The ORCS will be held in Memphis, TN, March 7-10.

“We have 10 days to prepare for ORCS!” said Dr. Jennifer LaPrade, Mock Trial coach and assistant professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

“I am so proud of our team,” LaPrade said. “These students work incredibly hard and represent the best and brightest of Missouri State.”

“Memphis, here we come!”

Team awards

Like many schools with Mock Trial teams, MSU sends two teams to a Mock Trial competition.

One of MSU’s teams earned a spot in the Top 6, said LaPrade. “This makes them automatically advance to the next round.”

The second team earned Honorable Mention, which puts them on the waitlist to compete if a spot opens up for ORCS.

Individual awards

Meanwhile, individual members of the team were recognized at the regionals for their outstanding efforts.

Zackary Collison – Outstanding Witness
Layna Mangiapanello – Outstanding Witness
Josh Roberts – Outstanding Attorney
Alyssa Roney – Outstanding Witness

 

Follow the Mock Trial team

History alum Dr. Maurice Gipson guest speaker at African and African American Lecture Series

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Missouri State University’s African and African American Studies program welcomed Dr. Maurice Gipson as guest speaker for its annual lecture series Feb. 7.

Gipson, who earned his M.A. in history at MSU, presented “Black Dirt, Black People and Black Power: The Radical Road to Freedom in Arkansas.”

His topic explored the work of Arkansas activists who embraced Black Power as an organizing philosophy during the 1960s and 1970s.

Gipson currently serves as Vice Chancellor, Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at the University of Missouri-Columbia, as well as an affiliate faculty member of the history department. He earned his doctorate in history at the University of Mississippi.

Since its inauguration in 2015, the African and African American lecture series has been held annually, welcoming scholars from Mississippi State University, Rhodes College, University of Illinois, University of Kansas, St. Louis University, University of Minnesota and University of Oklahoma.

The African and African American Studies program is housed within the Department of History.

[Read more…] about History alum Dr. Maurice Gipson guest speaker at African and African American Lecture Series