Musical artists perform at the SPSC benefit concert. Photo courtesy of Dustin York.

The Donius University Center blared with beautiful acoustics from local artists like Mariah Broeker who recently won an award for her musical talents and wowed the Maryville crowed with her angelic voice and upbeat lyrics. Concert for Kids was definitely an event that brought a sense of community and camaraderie among students.

“First a foremost, SPSC would like to thank everyone who came out to support us,” said Vice President Matthew Wigley. “It’s very rewarding to know that we are able to help be a part of something bigger than ourselves by giving back.”

SPSC went into the event with an objective to raise $100 for the “Gift of Reading Program” and raise awareness about early reading within school-age children in the St. Louis area. However, with the help of faculty, students and family members, the organization accomplished a great milestone leaving with a grand total of $184.25, nearly doubling their goal price.

The organization has worked over a month on the creation of this event and described the process as a whirlwind. From contacting media outlets and performers to formulating press releases, strategic plans and fact sheets, the event showcased just how talented this strategic communications group really is.

“Being able to use what we’ve learned in previous communication courses and apply them to real life situations at an early point in our college careers is an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” commented Secretary Amanda Van De Riet. “I highly recommend communication students getting involved next semester to showcase their skills while supporting a cause!”

The mission of the student group is “to help students become involved with using strategic communication skills to plan and host on campus events for the purpose of promoting a local nonprofit organization. In doing so, SPSC allows members to gain experience in the fields of strategic communication, event planning and advertising.

“When we first chose what kind of organizations we wanted to work with there was a unanimous decision for nonprofits,” said President Emily Blackshear. “Everyone in SPSC has such a great passion for people that there was no way we could pass by an opportunity to directly work with groups that work with all types of people.”

After a successful benefit concert, the group celebrated their efforts by taking a trip to Fuse Advertising Agency, one of the most prestigious advertising agencies in the Midwest, for a tour of their company and to also catch a glimpse of what professional communications looks like at the next level.

If you would like to be a part of this organization next semester contact SPSC advisor Dustin York at dyork1@maryville.edu and showcase your professional skills!

Follow SPSC on Twitter @MUSPSC and keep your eyes open for their new blog coming soon!

The post Maryville Community Donates Funds to St. Louis County Library appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

Jeff Hancock before and after the Color Run. Photo courtesy of Jeff Hancock

Each participant received a white T-shirt and runner headband. All runners approached the starting line fresh, white and clean, but but by the end of the race they were covered in multi-colored body powder. Runners stopped at color stations throughout the race to coat themselves in the powder. Volunteers stood at each station shooting the colored powder at the participants as they walked by. By the end of the race, they were not only covered in powered but they were in a state of pure bliss.

The Color run is not timed. The purpose is simple: runners are supposed to have fun! Participants could run, walk or skip– whatever made them happy. The Color Run was created to support health and to show that you can have fun while doing something great for your body.

The Color Run is the most recent 5K phenomenon. The organization has plans to embark on an international tour over the summer. With the rising success of the Color Run, each run teams up with a local charity. Autism Speaks was the choice for the April 27 event, and it was a huge success. Autism Awareness Month was established to educate society about autism and to gain support. The Color Run gave Autism Speaks great exposure and raised a substantial amount of money for the organization.

Although some participants opted out of attending due to the unfortunate weather conditions, a majority of those registered still came out for the party. It may have been cold and wet, but it will still be a day to remember.

“It was miserably fun,” said Maryville senior Jeff Hancock. “I was freezing, but it it was an experience I will never forget, and I am so glad that I didn’t back out.”

If you missed out, don’t worry. The Color Run is coming back to St. Louis this fall. Mark your calendar for September 15, 2013 and go to the Color Run’s website to register.

The weather didn’t reflect “the Happiest 5K on the Planet,” but the main goal of the Color Run was achieved: participants were healthy and had fun. Who wouldn’t love being covered head to toe in colorful goodness?

The post Autism Awareness Month Ends with Bang Full of Color appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

Maryville Talks Books welcomes author Michael Pollan. Photo courtesy of Ken Light.

For twenty five years, Pollan has been writing about where cultures intersect—on our plates, farms and gardens. In Cooked, for the first time ever, he explores how the four classical elements— fire, air, water and earth— can create our favorite foods and drinks. Pollan writes about grilling with fire, cooking with liquid, and fermenting everything from cheese to beer. Therefore the cook occupies a special role, standing between nature and culture, and transforming our world with the art of cooking.In 2010, Pollan was named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people. He has four previous New York Times bestsellers, including Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual (2010); In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto (2008); The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006) and The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World (2001).

The lecture series is sponsored in cooperation with Left Bank Books, St. Louis Public Radio and HEC-TV. The last author scheduled to visit this spring is Khaled Hosseini for And the Mountains Echoed. Past authors this year included: David Von Drehle, Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year; Lisa Gardner, Touch & Go; Daniel H. Pink, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth about Moving Others; and Elizabeth Strout, The Burgess Boys.

Ticket packages are available at http://cooked.brownpapertickets.com. For more information on Maryville Talks Books, contact Chris Hollenbeck at 314.529.6854.

The post Michael Pollan Serves Maryville the History of Cooking appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

Tweet from ESPN’s Darren Rovell

It was announced earlier this morning that NFL team, the New York Jets, have released the polarizing backup quarterback, Tim Tebow. Now, the keyword in that last sentence is “backup.” Never before in football has there ever been a more talked about backup quarterback than Tim Tebow. You may know him as the overly religious quarterback from Florida, or as one of the worst quarterbacks you have ever seen throw a football, but no matter what the reason is: Tim Tebow always draws a crowd.  After acquiring Tebow last year, the Jets tried to use Tebow in almost every position BUT quarterback.  From lining him up in the wildcat formation, to putting him on punt return coverage, you have to question what the real reason for the Tebow addition was.

On the release of Tebow, Jets coach, Rex Ryan said, “We have a great deal of respect for Tim Tebow…  Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped.”

Maybe the Jets got caught up in the Tebow-mania from his brief stint in Denver when he led them to the playoffs and actually managed to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first division game. After this year’s draft however, the Jets selected Geno Smith as the seventh pick in the second round. While the Jets attempt to solve their quarterback issues this off-season, Tebow will be looking for another job. While he possesses all the talent to be a great NFL player, a job as a quarterback in this league does not seem like one he should pursue. This could be the end of Tebow-Time or this could be the beginning of something new for the Heisman winner quarterback from Florida.

The post Is Tebow-Time Over? appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

Mark Schwanhausser, a senior financial services analyst at Javelin Strategy, is hoping these new ATMs will, “keep customers coming back and cut costs at the same time.”  So how exactly will these new automated teller machines work?

According to Javelin, it costs banks an average of “$1.25 to conduct an ATM transaction, compared to $4.25 each time a customer makes a transaction with a teller at a branch.” While the costs may rise in order to acquire these new ATMs, Schwanhausser believes it will most likely be cheaper than banking in-person. With the multiple capabilities of an traditional ATM, these new ATMs will be able to perform many functions that regular tellers already do at banks.  This will reduce the number of staff working in the banks but not completely replace workers with ATMs.  It’s just a way, “to give the customer a choice,” said Schwanhausser.

First, you must either have your credit or debit card, driver’s license or some form of photo ID to prove your authentication.  After this, a live teller will pop up on the screen to assist you. Then, you can choose to from a number of options such as cashing checks or splitting deposits between accounts and even making loans or credit card payments.  You can withdraw different cash amounts from a range of dollar amounts like $1, $5, $2o and $100.  Banks that are getting these new machines plan on staying open longer than traditional bank branches.  They plan to stay open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.  Bank of America says they will place the new ATMs in branch lobbies, 24-hour areas and drive-thru locations across the country this year.

Bank of America is just the first of many more banks to roll out these new ATMs.  Other banks like Citi, Wells Fargo, Chase and PNC all are planning on either releasing advance ATMs or just updated ATMs that perform a wide range of different functions. With all these new functions being added, you can still use ATMs for quick and easy cash withdrawals and avoid video chatting. Schwanhausser wouldn’t be surprise to see more banks invest in these new ATMs.  He thinks, “If people gravitate toward that and there’s enough volume there, I would expect ATMs to take on a greater role in banking.”

Stop by your bank within the next few months and see for yourself if these new ATMs are a change for the good or bad in customer service.

The post The Future Of ATMs appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

Carlos Arredondo (in the cowboy hat) and another bystander help Jeff Bauman, who was seriously injured by the explosion. Photo courtesy of mashable.com.

As we learned about the Boston Marathon bombing on Monday, April 15 our nation was overcome by a pool of emotions. We were angry, sad, frightened, astonished and craved answers, but it was in the aftermath of the pandemonium that we learned about heroic and compassionate efforts that took place that day and in the days following the attack.

Amid the chaos the day of the bombing, marathon runners approached to finish line and rather than moving on many of them pushed through the crowd to find victims who needed attention. Along with many other spectators who had not been injured by the blasts, the runners tore through debris to reach victims, they transported those with gruesome injuries, and cleared the way for ambulances.

Among theses sudden heroes, former New England Patriot Joe Andruzzi was caught in the panic, carrying a woman to safety. Later he released a statement saying, “The spotlight sudden remain firmly on…the countless civilians who did whatever they could to save lives. They were the true heroes.”There were medical tents set up, but their original purpose was to provide a place of rest and nourishment for fatigued runners. It could not handle the countless victims who needed immediate medical attention, but as the injured were brought to the tents, runners ripped out their IVs to make room for the wounded. Other marathon runners crossed the finish line, fled the scene, and kept running to Massachusetts General Hospital to give blood. Eventually, the Red Cross had to turn donors away because they simply did not have the room for any more blood.

The Yankees put their rivarly with the Red Sox aside and showed their support for Boston. Photo courtesy of the New York Yankees’ Twitter.

By Monday evening, people who were not at the scene directly following the blast had reached out to victims. A Google registry was created and over 8,000 Bostonians offered the stranded a place to stay, food and comfort. Several airlines including Delta, U.S. Airways, United and Jet Blue waived fees for flight changes in and out of Boston. AT&T, Sprint and Verizon extended their Wi-Fi and network services to meet the needs of their users in the Boston area.In the days following the bombing, acts of kindness did not cease. At Yankee stadium, the day after the bombing, fans filled Yankee stadium, some wearing Boston Red Sox hats and T-shirts. Despite their intense and, often times physical, rivalry, the Yankees honored Boston by playing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” A singalong of this song has become a favorite tradition at Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. Outside of Yankee Stadium, they proudly displayed a banner featuring the New York and Boston logos with the message “United We Stand.” The singalong also took place at Marlins Park in Miami while fans waved an American flag honoring bombing victims.

Then, the Red Sox returned home for the first time since the marathon and in the eighth inning they had a surprise appearance by Neil Diamond himself. Diamond reportedly arrived in Boston 40 minutes before the first pitch was thrown and contacted Fenway Park officials to let them know he was in the city and wanted to pay tribute personally. Diamond walked out onto the field wearing a Red Sox cap and said, “I bring love from the whole country.” He led the fans in singing one of their favorites, but also provided a boost that the city needed in a grim time.

Julian Edelman tweeted,“Visited #survivor #stud #hero Jeffrey Bauman Jr.” Photo courtesy of Julian Edelman’s Twitter.

Two days following the attack, the Boston Bruins played for the first time since the tragedy at TD Garden. The Bruins paid tribute to the first responders in their pregame ceremonies. Before the puck dropped, together the fans sang the National Anthem in a moving rendition. The video captures the emotionally overwhelming display of pride that outlasted such a horrific time in our country.

Numerous celebrities expressed their condolences for the city of Boston and the victims of the bombing. Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg and Ellen Degeneres, along with many others showed their love and support via Twitter. Actor, Bradley Cooper and New England Patriots’ wide receiver, Julian Edelman made a surprise stop by a Boston hospital to visit with bombing victims. Cooper also attended the memorial service that was held in Boston, during which President Obama paid tribute to the victims and all of those affected by the bombing.

The story of the Boston Marathon bombing will continue to develop over the next few days, weeks, and months. But we cannot forget all of those who came together in a time of crisis. Despite fear and chaos, people reacted with courage that day because that is what Americans do. It is times like these that display the true character of our country. Although, horrific and tragic, these acts of terror do not show our weaknesses, but show the world our strengths.

The post Among the Boston Terror, Compassion Prevails appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

“We are very excited about the direction that P.U.S.H. has taken these past two years,” President Mawuyrami Akoto said. “ We’ve had the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with not only Maryville students, but students from other schools in the St. Louis area. The future is bright for this organization and I cannot wait to see what else God has in store for us all!”

Maryville is home to multiple spiritual organizations. Courtesy of Maryville.

This young organization meets every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. in Buder Commons for high-spirited praise and worship, prayer and motivational sermons by guest speakers, such as the GO Team, which are another Christian organization that works closely with the community and local churches to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The anniversary celebration of P.U.S.H. will include a free delicious, mouthwatering five star dinner along with gift card giveaways, prizes, games and fun! This will not be your average dinner so don’t miss out on a great time!

Danyelle Beltz, an active P.U.S.H. member and designated master of ceremonies for the event, discussed how important this night will be for the organization.

“This night is huge for us,” Beltz said. “We’ve been praying for more student involvement and visibility for the organization and I believe this dinner will do great things for P.U.S.H.”

The group wishes to make a positive impact on the lives of others through intercessory prayer and inspired stories of individuals who’ve transitioned through the organization. If you’re looking for a place of fellowship with your peers and to stay in touch with your faith, join P.U.S.H. celebrate their anniversary in a big way!

The post Maryville Christian Student Organization Celebrates Anniversary in a Tasty Way appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

Student painting in Maryville’s studio art program. Photo courtesy of Maryville.

The main reason behind the recent success and growth in popularity is simple: the professors. Maryville’s art program has been consistent when it comes to its instructors, with long time designer Cherie Fister and artist Steve Teczar both having been in the program for many years. There are also a few new faces, including accomplished photographer Scott Angus. For more information on the instructors, click here. Maryville’s art and design program has the consistency of long time professors as well as new and fresh instructors.

Preparing for a real world professional job stresses many college students around the country. The art and design faculty dedicate themselves to helping students prepare for the workforce, and many students, therefore, graduate with confidence. Many of the professors have worked in professional design firms and creative agencies, so students can learn the real world demands of a career in design.

Most importantly, the freedom each student has is what sets the program apart from other schools. Students are able to work on projects that range from magazine designs to editorial spreads, and the topic and creativity is completely up to them. The best part is that students will always have an honest and diverse opinion from instructors since they all have worked in numerous fields.

In addition, Maryville has top-of-the-line computer programs; whenever there is an update to any program that is used in the art and design program, Maryville will update it. The advanced technology helps students get on top of the competition and get familiar with many different programs. Maryville has also recently spent time and money installing a new lighting studio and digital dark room, complete with four HD TVs, surround sound and sound proof recording studios.

When asked about the new digital dark room, graphic design major Eric Newby, said, “It’s pretty awesome. The atmosphere is cool and the TVs are definitely a nice feature.”

Maryville goes out of its way to make sure its art and design students have the best professors and the newest technology so every student is successful after graduation. The art and design program is an area of study where young design professionals can use their creativity to better society and in some cases, change the world. The program has been on the rise the past couple of years and is becoming known by professionals in the area as a must-see for new talent. The university always keeps up on new programs and does whatever it takes to make sure Maryville is one of the top art and design schools in the region. A degree from the art and design program opens up many doors to bright and exciting futures.

Are you excited about the advancements in the art and design program, or another program at Maryville? Leave comments below!

By Tyler Juengst

The post Maryville Art and Design Program on the Rise appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

The millions of Americans who are affected by food insecurity. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Johnson.

St. Louis Bread Co. is calling this a “social experiment” because they want it to be about the people, not the money. This company has encouraged their employees to remember that it is not their job to judge. Food insecurity comes in all shapes and sizes. All it is, is hunger. It is not knowing where the next meal is going to come from, or when it is going to arrive. For this reason, St. Louis Bread Co. has held a meeting at each bakery-café involved in the Meal of Shared Responsibility experiment, teaching their employees the true meaning of hunger and the facts surrounding it. An important part of these meetings was to stress the fact that hunger is everywhere and does not come in one stereotypical form. Hunger can be found in households all around this country, especially in today’s rough economic times. It is also important to remember that hunger does not necessarily mean emaciation. It does not always mean that someone is starving to death.

People can be hungry if they forgot their wallet at home, or had to buy unbudgeted medicine for their sick toddler. Hunger is everywhere. This is a big deal for college students, as well. Sometimes, students just don’t have the money to go out to eat with friends.

Maryville student Krissy Bryde commented, “This is so great for everyone involved.” Now, there is help for people who cannot afford a meal. Anyone can walk into a local St. Louis Bread Co. and find the food they need, in a non-judgmental way.

As previously mentioned, this is just an experiment for the moment. St. Louis Bread Co. is a for-profit corporation, and they still need to make money. For this reason, the Meal of Shared Responsibility experiment will be given a six month trial run. At the end of six months, the company’s goal is to break even or make a little extra money. This idea started three years ago at the Clayton location, where people can pay more or less for menu items to help others. This is still in use today. Then St. Louis Bread Co. began testing this in larger settings. Using only six bakery-cafes, the company actually made two percent more than they put out. If, at the end of six months, the company breaks even, there are talks of the Meal of Shared Responsibility experiment going nation-wide. This could change the food industry.

St. Louis Bread Co. is very active in helping the community in other ways, as well. The company participates in the Community Breadbox. Sitting next to all of the registers are donation boxes, and these donations are given to local charities. St. Louis Bread Co. also participates in the Day-End Dough-Nation program. Through this program, left-over baked goods are donated to local shelters and food pantries at the end of each day.

St. Louis Bread Co. will continue donating food and money to local people in need. Now, they are trying to provide society with a way to give to others and to afford their own meals. Click here for the Panera Bread website and here for hunger statistics. Hopefully, this “social experiment” will last more than six months. What do you think will happen?

By Caitlin Johnson

The post St. Louis Bread Company Fights Hunger with Pay-What-You-Can Chili appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.

• January 14, 2013 – North Korea reportedly began preparing for nuclear tests.
  

  North Korea continues nuclear threats against the U.S. Photo courtesy of Microsoft.

• January 24, 2013 – Just ten days later, North Korea says they plan on carrying out their third nuclear tests, which they said is “aimed at the U.S.” North Korea’s National Defence Commission said the nuclear test would be part of its action against “the sworn enemy of the Korean people” (The Telegraph.co.uk)
• January 25, 2013 – A day after threats of attacking the U.S. were made, the United States and China met to discuss what should be done about North Korea.  China’s media released a statement saying, “If North Korea engages in further nuclear tests, China will not hesitate to reduce its assistance.”
• February 4, 2013 – Moving into February, North Korea made plans for two nuclear tests. They wanted to show the world the advancements made in their technology and weaponry.
• February 5, 2013 – North Korea releases a video that appears to be a city in the U.S. resembling New York, coming under a missile attack and destroying the city.  This is obviously a North Korean propaganda film but how seriously should we take this message? Click here for the video.
• February 12, 2013 – North Korea confirmed to carrying out its third nuclear tests underground as earthquake monitors detected seismic activity close to the nation’s nuclear test site.  This trigged a ton of negative responses from members of the United Nations council and all over the world. 
• February 26, 2013 – Dennis Rodman visited North Korea for reasons still unknown to a majority of the country. Apparently he and other members of the Harlem Globetrotters went to North Korea to shoot footage for a upcoming TV show. Rodman then met with Kim Jong-un.
• March 4, 2013 – On his return to the U.S. from North Korea, Rodman told ABC news that Obama should call Kim Jong-un and talk about basketball to help warm up relations between the U.S. and North Korea.
• March 7, 2013 – The United Nations Security Council votes to tighten financial restrictions against North Korea in response to their third nuclear test.  This unanimous vote angered Pyongyang to threaten a nuclear strike against the U.S.

The next few months leading up to today, North Korea has continued to make threats against the U.S. They have said to have prepared their missiles for launch and have them aimed and ready to fire upon the American country and the threats are increasing every day.  The U.S. says they are prepared for anything North Korea has planned; and hopefully everything can be resolved within the next few months. Nobody wins in a nuclear war.

The post North Korea Continues Nuclear Threats Against U.S. appeared first on Maryville Pawprint.