Nurse Pam is offering flu shots. Courtesy of Maryville University.

“Influenza, an upper respiratory illness, is in the top 10 illnesses/reasons Americans die each year,” said Nurse Pam Culliton. “Generally influenza is more serious for the very young and the elderly but anyone with asthma, other chronic illnesses like diabetes or autoimmune illnesses and pregnant women can be severely impacted by a bout of influenza.”

“Influenza is a bad disease that can be fatal, particularly in older people and can make you sick for days,” added Dr. Robert Gresick Jr., radiologist at SSM St. Clare Health Center and SSM DePaul Health Center.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.  The flu can last for days or even weeks.

Getting the flu shot is important because it can help protect you from the flu virus.  As the flu season gets underway, it is vital that everyone get the shot; most importantly for those with respiratory conditions, pregnant women and young children who have never had the shot before.

You may be reluctant to get the shot because you feel it will make you get sick or because you don’t like shots in general.

Peyton Bond, junior, says “I’m not getting the shot. I don’t want to get sick!”

However, it is very important to get the vaccine so that you are protected from this year’s strain of flu virus.

“A flu shot makes you immune to the most serious strain of influenza virus that is expected to reach the U.S. in the fall, winter or spring,” says Dr. Gresick.

Because the flu is a very contagious disease, another important reason to get the shot is to protect those around you if you happen to come in contact with the virus.

“It is also important to get the vaccine to prevent illness that will impact others (your family members, your roommate, yourself!),” says Nurse Pam.

Stay ahead of the game this flu season and arm yourself and those around you by getting a flu shot!

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Have you ever loved something so much that you would do anything in your power to continue your passion? What if something happened that caused you to have to give that passion up? Would it break your heart and change your life forever?

A Late Quartet Opens in Theaters Nov. 21. Image courtesy of IMDB.

A Late Quartet gives passion a new depth. The movie, focused around Beethoven’s Quartet in C Sharp Minor (Op. 131), takes place in New York, in a quiet town near the crossroads of the city and countryside where a group of four talented musicians have been making music together for over twenty years. Differences abound, the quartet plays for standing ovations at full-house shows. On stage, the quartet appear engrossed happily in music, but little did they know there would soon be struggles that would occur.

Peter Mitchell, played by Christopher Walken, the cellist, receives a life-changing diagnosis from his physician and decides to make an important decision regarding the quartet’s future. This decision and announcement both come at a crucial time in the quartet’s current existence.

The remaining three members, second violinist Robert Gelbart (Philip Seymour Hoffman), first violinist Daniel Lerner (Mark Ivanir) and violist Juliette Gelbart (Catherine Keener), find themselves stuck at a fork in the road. Years of friendship and collaboration are threatened by competing egos and uncontrollable passions.

In light of what happens, will the group be able to put their differences and struggles aside and find the passion that can and should be constant – a love for music?

This film is an intriguing and enlightening look into the life of a musician – both on and off the stage. It contains several sub-plots that were filled with romance, deceit, and lust that were difficult to follow but nevertheless interesting. The film is well-done and highly recommended. It is currently showing at Plaza Frontenac Cinema. You can watch the trailer here.

Overall Grade: A

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Nine interior design students: sophomores Mariya Khezri, Kirsten Smethers, Maria Lesko, Melissa Hildenbrand, Tricia Militello, Jessica Reiss, Mary Bryan, Sarah Green and Hannah Beasley have been working hard on creating an entirely handmade and edible gingerbread house for Lydia’s House Gingerbread Contest. The house will be displayed at Plaza Frontenac from Nov. 17 to Dec. 2.

Maryville Interior Design sophomores are entering the 2012 Lydia’s House Gingerbread House Contest. Image courtesy of Microsoft.

The students had their first planning meeting on Oct. 25 and are busy working on the house, which is due Nov. 16. Interior design professors Darlene Davison and Jessica Senne learned of this competition through their work with Lydia’s House for Maryville Reaches Out.

“Darlene Davison and I worked with Lydia’s House for MRO this year, and learned of the competition then,” said Senne. “The gingerbread house competition is actually one of Lydia’s House’s largest fundraising events every year. So, I asked all of my students (sophomores and juniors) if they would be interested in entering the competition, and the sophomores were really enthusiastic about participating!”

The students have been working on their entry, a mini-gingerbread recreation of the “Del Taco” building in Midtown. Students are using principles learned in class ranging from working with clients to strategies used to recreate the design of an iconic piece of local architecture.

“The students began this process by meeting and discussing what kind of strategy to take, with regards to the design, and determined that because they’re design students they wanted to recreate a piece of iconic architecture, preferably something local,” added Senne. “With that in mind, they decided to build a mini-gingerbread “Del Taco” – the mid-century Modern flying saucer in Midtown that came very near to being demolished earlier this year, but was saved when a Starbuck’s decided to occupy the property.”

Other important pieces of the project include considering the materials involved in building the house, as well as adhering to the parameters of the project, which includes a completely handmade design.

“One of the contest rules is that the houses be entirely HANDMADE – we are not allowed to use any store-bought candy, cookies, gingerbread, etc., which is a real challenge,” said Senne. “Also, with respect to the building materials, everything has to be edible (i.e., no internal cardboard structures, etc.). So, with those rules in mind, we are still developing the edible building materials we will use.”

The Gingerbread House Contest is an annual event that benefits Lydia’s House, a program providing safe, transitional housing and support services to abused women and their children. The contest is designed to raise awareness of Lydia’s House and awareness of domestic violence. Proceeds from the contest directly support the women and children helped by Lydia’s House.

Houses will be displayed at Plaza Frontenac from Saturday, Nov. 17 to Sunday, Dec. 2 on the upper level of the mall near Bissinger’s. After the judging on Dec. 2, the houses will be raffled and sold and the proceeds will go directly to support for Lydia’s House. The contest is sponsored by L’Ecole Culinaire and the houses will be judged by culinary professionals, community members and celebrity volunteers.

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Halloween is just around the corner!

Most of us probably make a trip to Target or Wal-Mart at least once every week. If you haven’t already noticed, you’ve probably seen a handful of holiday decorations appearing throughout retailers nationwide. Halloween is just a few days away; you have seen those decorations up for sale since the middle of September. As Halloween comes and goes this week, soon you will see all of the Christmas holiday decorations coming out full-throttle into the aisles. The in-store decorations will be put up and the holiday music will start playing over the intercom system. After all, if people are in the holiday spirit, won’t that encourage them to start buying gifts early?

I probably know exactly what you’re thinking. The Christmas holiday season is the most anticipated time in the majority of retail stores, just in front of “back-to-school.” Christmas is the time of year when retailers make the most of their yearly sales. Everyone knows Black Friday officially begins the start of the holiday shopping season. Hundreds and thousands of sales are made that day, and it seems like people come from all over to get their hands on that new laptop or television that goes on sale when the clock strikes the magic hour.

Looking at the calendar, don’t you realize that there is a holiday in-between Halloween and Christmas? Thanksgiving, the holiday where thanks is given, and families come together to enjoy each other’s company and eat a delicious dinner. So, my question, along with millions of others, is: what happened to Thanksgiving? I’m sure no one forgot about it, and I do realize Thanksgiving may not generate as many sales on merchandise other than groceries, but I’m sure others may have asked the same question.

Now, my next question is… are YOU ready for the holiday season? Whether you are ready or not, we all know it will be here before we know it. I will get back to you with my answer in a couple months.

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Dr. Candace Chambers is the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. Image courtesy of Maryville University.

Dr. Candace Chambers is the dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. The College of Arts & Sciences offers more than 30 liberal arts and professional programs within the four main academic units of social sciences, humanities, mathematics and natural sciences, and art & design.

A native of central Illinois, Dr. Chambers grew up in the Bloomington/Normal area. She attended Illinois College and Oklahoma State University. Dr. Chambers has had several roles at Maryville in the College of Arts & Sciences. She was formerly a science professor and then became assistant dean of natural sciences and mathematics.

“I loved being a science professor. I miss it very much. I found great joy in taking some of the most challenging concepts in science and figuring out ways to explain them in ordinary ways,” said Dr. Chambers. “My goal was to be able to explain anything—in all of science—to my grandmother. She had a high school education. I can remember sitting at her kitchen table and explaining stochastic motion to her using her three-bean salad recipe as an example.”

Dr. Chambers’ experiences in the roles of professor and assistant dean helped prepare her for the role of dean. In addition to teaching, Dr. Chambers was a member of several committees, chair of committees, as well as a program director.

“My experiences as a science professor taught me how to listen to people that are having difficulties and how to help them; I also honed the craft of explaining challenging things in simple ways,” added Dr. Chambers. “I think that my many years as a faculty member, member of committees, chair of committees and director of several different programs prepared me for the position of dean as much or more than my time as assistant dean. My time as assistant dean really helped me to get to know the functioning, the roles, the people, etc. at Maryville.”

Dr. Chambers answered several questions about what she likes best about Maryville and the College of Arts & Sciences.

What do you feel are the College of Arts & Sciences’ best qualities to offer students?

Dr. Chambers: “The faculty. We have an outstanding group of faculty that are committed to teaching and mentoring. Our bright scholars and gifted educators could go anywhere—and they chose here. They love their disciplines—and adore sharing them with students both in and out of the classroom.  The faculty live academically engaged lives—and are enthusiastic about sharing their scholarly endeavors with our students.  You do not find this everywhere.”

What do you like best about Maryville University? 

Dr. Chambers: “The people. Students, staff, faculty—everyone is so great here.  Genuine. It is a great community in which to work and learn.  I feel lucky every day.”

Dr. Chambers offers the following advice for students:

“Take advantage of what your University/cchool/college/major has to offer! Seize the moment.  Talk to your faculty about getting involved in your field of study.  Participate in a service project, think about taking on a research project. Start now—you never know where it will lead you. I have seen many students that during their sophomore year just started with a conversation about something that they thought might interest them—and it ended up being a major part of their undergraduate experience—and ended up getting them a job, or graduate school assistantship.”

Maryville prides itself on being a community designed around academic achievement and overall development. Get to know your dean and other professors in your school; they are a wealth of knowledge and experience in their field of study, and they want to help you succeed.

The post Meet the Dean: Candace Chambers, Ph.D appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

Image courtesy of Alexandra Gresick.

The exhibit, titled Capturing Adventure – An Exhibit of Maryville Service Photography showcases the mission work of Chuck Gulas, Dean of the School of Health Professions; Cynthia Briggs, director of the Music Therapy program; Rebecca von der Heyde, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy; Steve DiSalvo, Director of Campus Ministry and Community Service; Kathy Quinn, Associate Dean of Students; Scott Angus, assistant professor of studio art; and alumna Megan Sparks ’11.

Image courtesy of Alexandra Gresick.

This photography exhibit, with images that are both breath-taking and informative, helps instill meaning in the viewer and makes them realize how fortunate they are to live in a community with abundant health care resources. Although the image quality is remarkable, Scott Angus, curator of the exhibit, wants to shift the focus on the experience behind the image instead of the technical skill.

“I do not want it to be about the talent of the photographer; I want it to be about the power of the image and the experience,” said Angus.

Image courtesy of Alexandra Gresick.

Maryville occupational therapy and music therapy faculty and students spent time in Guatemala, where they helped provide various therapy and health care assistance services that particularly helped with strengthening hand function. Dean Gulas went to Haiti, where much help is still needed after the devastating earthquake of 2010. Angus and alumna Sparks went to the Philippines, where they met a young man Angus photographed thirteen years ago while volunteering for UpLift International, an international effort to fix maxi-facial deformities. Quinn and several students traveled to Pensacola, Fla. to build a home with Habitat For Humanity. DiSalvo and a group of students traveled to Joplin where tragedy struck a year ago in the form of an F-5 tornado. There, they helped continue clean-up efforts and rebuilding.

This exhibit, featuring a collection of photographs and statements, showcases the benefit of attending Maryville, where community service is just as important as learning.

“To me, LIVE Maryville means you are not a spectator, you are a participant in a global university,” said Angus. “We are leaders in what we do. This show showcases the individuals and how they live and serve in their community.”

The exhibit is currently open during normal library hours until Oct. 27, 2012.

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Image courtesy of ComingSoon.net

“Finding Nemo,” a 2003 Disney Pixar animated movie, is the second movie Disney has re-released in 3-D. The first, “Beauty and the Beast,” opened in January 2012. The “Beauty and the Beast” 3-D version received mixed reviews with some saying they couldn’t justify the importance of translating a traditional two-dimensional animated drawing film into three dimensions. “Finding Nemo,” I felt, was different.

“Finding Nemo,” winner of an Oscar in 2004, made 3-D look amazing. An interesting concept to note is the translation of images from a two-dimensional computer-animated production to a three-dimensional production– which appears as if it has fewer chances to be obstructed.

For those of us who saw the 2003 “Finding Nemo,” we know the heart of the movie is Nemo, a young clown fish with a faulty fin, who ventures out to the open ocean on a dare from classmates, with much reluctance from his father, Marlin. Nemo is captured up by a scuba diver who places Nemo in his boat and heads back to Sydney. Distraught Marlin sets off in pursuit of his young son and eventually encounters a lovable blue tang fish, Dory, who has a short-term memory. The rest of the movie details Marlin and Dory’s journey, where they encounter jellyfish, sharks and other underwater hazards; as well as Nemo’s escape efforts from an aquarium in a dentist’s office.

The movie’s graphics are perfectly laid out– with clever photorealistic images, exciting action and a solid blend of voice casting. As a person who saw the original 2003 movie, I can now say almost ten years later that it was well-worth it to see the movie again. I had also never seen a 3-D movie before this one. Can I say that the 3-D is a requirement for Nemo? Maybe. It certainly was cool. I think it definitely enhances the film by making the characters and setting “pop out” into the audience, but the movie already had great animated effects in its prior two-dimensional format. The question lies in whether all animated movies should be formatted into 3-D, or if it is just another fad and/or money-making tactic in Hollywood.

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The biggest topic on everyone’s minds this year is parking – I’m talking about the lack of it. Many students who commute to campus arrive for class and complain about the parking situation. Public Safety is watching the parking lots closely to determine the location of available spaces during the day.

“As in the past, I hired additional personnel to assist students with finding available parking the first two weeks of school. This semester appears to be similar to past ones in that we have started to see available parking throughout the day as we enter the third week of the semester,” said Michael Parkinson, director of Public Safety. “One interesting thing we have discovered about this year is the very limited parking that is available during the 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. class period.  In the past we usually have seen the parking congestion start around 9:30 a.m. and this year it is starting much later.”

So what is Public Safety doing about the lack of available parking spaces during classes?

“Even during the heavy parking congestion we still find available spaces down by the Pine Apartments and back by the McNally House and Art & Design 3D building,” said Parkinson. “We are in the process of completing a parking survey that we do every year and this information will be forwarded to the vice president of administration & finance for review.”

Another thing that should be on your mind is your safety and security while on campus. Part of this is to be aware of crimes that occur on campus and knowing how to secure your personal property. There have been a few incidents that have occurred on campus since the start of the year.

“We have had some thefts this semester and most of the cases it was property left unattended and/or unsecured,” said Parkinson. “I can’t emphasize the importance of securing your property. We have also had some alcohol violations which is typical this time of year.”

Reviewing Maryville’s policy on drugs and alcohol is important for students.

“If you are under the age of 21 you can’t possess or consume alcohol and you run the risk of being arrested or cited by Town & Country PD as well as having to go through the University’s judicial process,” said Parkinson.

Parkinson offers the following safety tips and advice for students:

“It is important that you secure your property. Always lock your residence hall room and if you park on campus please secure your vehicle and leave valuables out of plain sight. Make sure when you are walking on campus, especially at night, that you are aware of your surroundings and walk in well-lit areas. If you have not done so, please sign up for the University’s emergency text system, Saints Alert. Finally, if you see any suspicious behavior, contact Public Safety right away at 529-9500.”

Stay safe and be alert.  Secure your property.  Know what to do.  LIVE Safely.

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Images courtesy of Chesterfield Mall and St. Luke’s Hospital.

In addition to a light breakfast, kids will enjoy a meet and greet with Clifford the Big Red Dog, hands-on craft activities, pretzel rolling, an energetic tumbling demonstration and more. St. Luke’s Hospital will present pre-school yoga as well as nutrition games designed to give children a head start on healthy eating.

“The St. Luke’s Hospital Play Area at Chesterfield Mall is a great new space for local families,” said Dr. Elizabeth Lucas, St. Luke’s Urgent Care medical director. “Not only does it provide a fun, safe diversion for little ones during family shopping trips, it’s also an opportunity for the children to learn healthy habits by exercising and getting some good health tips along the way.”

Of course, plenty of healthy play will be in store at the newly renovated St. Luke’s Hospital Play Area featuring bright, sturdy structures perfect for climbing and exploring. Parents and caregivers can supervise all the action from comfortable plush seating surrounding the space.

The Play Area grand opening is free and reservations are not required. Parents are welcome to bring cameras to capture the smiles. So, bring the kids, relatives and friends to the new St. Luke’s Hospital play area on the lower level of Chesterfield Mall near Sears on Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to noon for fun-filled activities free-of-charge.

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Image courtesy of Maryville Pawprint.

Ruby Sparks, a romantic fantasy concoction in the form of a novel character, is exactly what millions of guys and girls would dream about. Paul Dano stars as Calvin, a writer who found fame at the age of 19 after writing a New York Times bestseller. Although though he claims he is not the dating type, girls seem to flock to him and throw their numbers his way. Even with his brother’s attempts, Calvin struggles to find the girl who’s right for him. Little did he know she would literally appear right before his eyes.

First you get the big picture of who Calvin is – a quirky, lonely young writer with a bad case of writer’s block. He goes to his psychiatrist for help, who suggests he work on a writing assignment. This assignment turns into Calvin’s hopes and dreams of the perfect girl: “Ruby Sparks, 26 years old, from Dayton, Ohio.”

Calvin sits at his typewriter all day long (yes, typewriter), for days on end, and dreams up his fantasy girl. He gives Ruby life on the page, but she doesn’t just stay on the page. Calvin comes home one day and finds Ruby standing in his living room. Ruby Sparks, played by Zoe Kazan, is everything he’s written and dreamed, and more: she is madly in love with him. He soon discovers that everything he writes happens; therefore, he can make his dream woman do or say anything he wants.

Calvin, afraid to jump into another romance after a failed previous relationship, realizes he is falling in love with Ruby. He visits his psychiatrist again to express concern that he cannot fall in love with a girl who is not real. Realizing his true feelings, Calvin decides he doesn’t want to do anything to change her. He locks the manuscript away. As Ruby starts to become more “real” and develops her own life, Calvin realizes he is losing her and takes out the manuscript and writes to tweak Ruby to suit his desires. This soon backfires and leads Calvin to discover things about himself that he didn’t want to admit.

Ruby Sparks is a typical indie film, predictable with dialogue that is humorous at times, yet a tad bit uninspiring. Kazan plays the Ruby role well with tremendous energy while Dano shows a stiffer role as Calvin. You will surely get a kick out of Antonio Banderas, who makes a brief appearance toward the end of the film as a hippie furniture carver. If you like indie films with quirky hints of romance and drama, you’ll like Ruby Sparks. You can watch the trailer here.

Overall Grade: B

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