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Graduate student published in 30 journals and counting pg 4
GRADUATION 2021
From the Midwest to Westminster: Grad heads to England pg 9
2 • | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | GRADUATION
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Senior showcases
7
Meet Sujash Purna
4
Meet Andrew Tiefenbrunn
8
Commencement schedule
5
Meet Kendall Vowels
9
Meet Alexi Hoefer
6
Meet Zaheer Popo
roared across the country. I couldn’t be prouder of our team.
Digital-only
Bears, how is it already the end of the 2021 spring semester? It feels like I just stepped foot back on campus — virtually — and now classes are coming to a close. 12 months ago I began the leadership role of editor-in-chief at The Standard, and a lot has happened since. I’m honored to have served the Missouri State community in this role and for my final sign-off, I want to look back at what we accomplished as a publication.
Missouri College Media Association Awards
In early April, The Standard’s staff was awarded more than 10 individual awards along with Best Newspaper in the Division I competition. 2020 was anything but an ordinary year, but our staff worked diligently to cover the COVID-19 pandemic, presidential election and civil unrest which
In August, The Standard became a digital-only publication, with the exception of our print tabloids, one of which is in your hands right now. Since first published in 1912, The Standard was physically printed. However, we decided to make this transition in conjunction with how the journalism industry is moving. I miss weekly newsprint, but the digital-only platform opened a lot of opportunities for us. Make sure to subscribe to The Standard’s free email newsletter for a campus and community news. Text THESTANDARD to 22828 to subscribe. I’m thrilled to pass on the torch to Diana Dudenhoeffer, who has served as The Standard’s digital editor this year. She has tremendous plans for the 2021-22 school year and you should be excited for what The Standard will offer its readers in the fall! Enjoy your summer break, Bears (or your frantic search for a post-grad job)! For the final time, Greta Cross, Editor-in-Chief
Standard staff Advertising staff
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Editors
Greta Cross editor-in-chief Desiree Nixon news editor Todd Dearing life editor Stephen Terrill sports editor Diana Dudenhoeffer digital editor Jaylen Early visual editor Allison Davis copy editor Maquelle Huntley copy editor Shannon Noonan copy editor
Reporters
Afton Harper breaking news reporter Tinsley Merriman MSU admin. reporter Jack McGee SGA reporter Makayla Strickland general assignment reporter Brayden Ash sports reporter Nicole Walker sports reporter Noah Tucker sports reporter Reginald Lee Jr. sports reporter T.J. Scott senior sports reporter Jade Morrow sports reporter Trevor Hahn sports reporter
Columnists
Blake Haynes columnist Gianna Kelley critic Lillian Durr columnist Lauren Johns music critic Paige Nicewaner columnist Olivia Davis columnist
GRADUATION 2021
is published by The Standard, Missouri State University’s student-produced newspaper. The university has not approved and is not responsible for its content, which is produced and edited by The Standard staff.
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Letter from the editor
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Intimate, wistful and with no shortage of
nostalgia: Sujash Purna’s immigrant experiences reflect in his new book of poetry
Sujash Purna finds that when he sits down to write a poem, what results is something mechanical and not at all spontaneous. Alternatively, when he’s riding the bus or waiting for a meeting to begin, inspiration often strikes. “I have my yellow legal pad and my pen,” Purna said. “I’m doodling and writing something unrelated. I’m not planning to write a poem … Those poems are much more spontaneous and natural. And I go back to those notes and sketches and snippets and type them up, and I realize that those have much stronger images and words.” Growing up, Purna thought he’d attend university in his home country of Bangladesh, but when he was 18 years old, he accepted a scholarship at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri to study literature. His journey brought him to Missouri State University after his wife accepted a job in Springfield, and he decided to attend MSU to work toward a master’s degree in English. A love of language is what drew him to creative writing. At a young age, Purna found himself inspired by British literature, reading J.K. Rowling, Jane Austen and George Orwell. His earliest poems involve simply playing with words, learning a new word in the English dictionary and using it in his work. Purna pinpoints coming to America as a catalyst for a big change in his writing. He found American poetry styles, which rely much less on structure and form, inspiring. Additionally, he found himself particularly drawn to immigrant poets. “(Work from immigrant poets) really resonate in mine, as I realize that some of their experiences are similar to what I am going through,” Purna said. Marcus Cafagna, English Department professor and coordinator of the creative writing
program at Missouri State, called Purna an “exemplary” student. “His personality is very welcoming, relaxed and easygoing,” Cafagna said. “He has a very easy-going way about people, which is perhaps deceptive because he is a very ambitious, hard-working guy.” Cafagna stressed Purna’s involvement in his two-year creative writing program has been unlike the average graduate student. Purna’s prolific work has been published in more than 30 poetry journals around the world, and Cafagna said he is impressed by the sheer volume of work that Purna has created. “He has produced four or five times the amount an average graduate student produces, and the quality of his poetry is very high,” Cafagna said. It was while Purna was in contact with Finishing Line Press, which publishes memoirs, novellas, plays, short stories and poetry books, that his dream of publishing a poetry collection started to come true. Now his book “Epidemic of Nostalgia” is available for preorder at finishinglinepress.com. The idea for “Epidemic of Nostalgia” came to Purna in 2017 while he was working on his first master’s degree. The book’s title comes from Purna’s poem of the same name, which he wrote while working a summer job at a cafeteria. “I used to just wallow and daydream a lot,” Purna said. “I used to think about my family back home, the people here and how I’ve changed over the years living in the United States.” Purna described the poems in the collection as intimate, wistful, and of course, nostalgic. “Some of the poems really spark a hopefulness about a future that’s going to be better than the struggles I’ve been through,” Purna said. While “Epidemic of Nostalgia” is his first book, his previous experiences with publications — and rejections from publications — have continued to shape his work. “My goal is to get 100 rejections a year,” Purna said. Some rejections are easy to get over and move on from, but others are more painful. Purna said rejections where he just barely miss-
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Sujash Purna sits in his living room behind of his coffee table adorned with a collection of journals, magazines and reviews in which his work is published. The graduate student is working toward his master’s in English and has made the goal for himself to get 100 publication rejections each year. es the cut are the ones that hurt the most. “When (publishers) are like, ‘We really loved your poem, but there were so many good ones that we couldn’t pick yours,’ that kind of rejection really hurts,” Purna explained. “But the ones that are like, ‘Oh, good luck elsewhere,’ those don’t really hurt me anymore.” Purna hasn’t let those 100 annual rejections get to him, though, and his perseverance has paid off. Recently his poem “Story City” was published in the South Carolina Review, a prestigious literary journal published by Clemson University in South Carolina. Big-name poets like Eudora Welty and Joyce Carol Oates have been published in previous journals. Now Purna can see his poems are taking on a new theme. Many of his recent works in progress are centered around politics, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and what it means to be a person of color living in the United States. Cafanga maintains Purna is exceptional in what he writes about. “Mr. Purna in writing his poetry does not simply record the life of an individual but seeks
to delineate concerns that are at once cultural and social in nature,” Cafagna said. Cafagna said it’s these ethnic, gendered and racial “cultural collisions” he sees in Purna’s work that gives his poems a level of complexity. Readers see the struggles and pleasures that come with cultural assimilation, immigration and family. In many ways Purna is writing to his family, to other immigrants and to the rest of us who aren’t recent immigrants. “When you read these poems, you don’t feel left out,” Cafagna said. Purna points to his undergraduate years that reflect the most in his current work-in-progress collection. He said he writes from those “challenging” experiences. His advice for undergrads? Don’t take things too seriously. While Purna admits grades are important, he said it’s also important to remember all of the experience you garner as an undergrad, good or bad, is valuable. “It’s kind of like a footnote in your book,” he said. “It’s not the story itself.” Follow Purna on Twitter, @purnathepoet, where he promotes his publications.
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GRADUATION | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | • 5
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FIND YOUR HOME WITH
JST PROPERTIES AVAILABLE PROPERTIES:
On May 13 and 14, Missouri State University will host an in-person commencement for graduating students. This will be its third in-person commencement since COVID-19 started, and the first one in a spring semester. Terry Weber, commencement committee chair, said MSU usually has two commencement ceremonies in December and three in May. This year, due to COVID-19, MSU has added additional ceremonies so graduates have the opportunity to celebrate in person. Commencement will take place at JQH Arena, though there are certain restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic. Only 750 graduates will be allowed per commencement but each is allowed up to four guests. Seating will be socially distanced, masks are required and there is no processional for students to march into the arena. Weber said these protocols were also in place for the October and December 2020 commencements. Each section of the college graduating will also have the dean of that college as the keynote speaker. Seniors participating in spring commencement include Justin Bible, senior exercise and movement science major, and Emma O’Donnell, senior English literature major. Bible finished his undergraduate program in three years, which he said went by fairly quickly. “I’ve had fun, but it was definitely a drag due to COVID-19,” Bible said. “I plan on continuing my masters here at MSU. With that I will get athletic training certification and try becoming an athletic trainer.” O’Donnell said while she disliked attending high school, she’s loved college and plans on centering her career around it. “I love that I get to choose my classes,” O’Donnell said. “There’s all these specialty classes in my major. It’s fun; there are cool
classes you can take in college you can’t take in high school. After graduate school I’d like to teach at college level and continue to write and publish papers.” The Office of the Registrar offers a full checklist for what graduating students need prior to commencement. For a complete guideline of events and regulations during spring commencement, visit missouristate.edu/registrar/graduation-eligibility-and-checklist.htm.
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2 p.m. College of Business undergraduate students 6 p.m. The McQueary College of Health and Human Services and Interdisciplinary Academic Programs undergraduate students
Commencements on May 14:
9 a.m. McQueary College of Health and Human Services graduate students and Reynolds College of Arts and Letters undergraduate and graduate students 1 p.m. College of Humanities and Public Affairs, College of Natural and Applied Sciences and Interdisciplinary Academic Programs graduate students 5 p.m. College of Education, William H. Darr College of Agriculture College of Business graduate students.
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6 • | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | GRADUATION
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Non-traditional graduate student continues to defy the odds Alexi Hoefer isn’t a typical graduate student. She’s a full-time social worker, mom and advocate in her community. Hoefer, 35, is a graduate student of Missouri State’s School of Social Work, intending to graduate in July after completing her extended practicum. Currently, she works at Ozark Center - Community Care Program, where she works with patients with mental health disorders in-person and remotely and is completing her practicum at Urgent Behavioral Solutions, both in Joplin. Hoefer was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, but moved to Missouri after graduating high school. She said she planned to take a year off school before pursuing college. Her plans changed when she gave birth to her daughter Zoey at 19. “I was a single-mom at 19, making sure I had enough money coming in to pay bills, have diapers and everything (Zoey) needed, so I went to work right away,” Hoefer said. But Hoefer said she knew she wanted more. After five to six years of working, she decided to work toward her associate’s degree, then bachelor’s degree. Hoefer worked with her bachelor’s degree for several years before applying to graduate school, which she explained as crucial to her future. Hoefer lives with progressive muscular dystrophy, a group of diseases that causes weakness and loss of muscle mass. Diagnosed as a child, Hoefer said her legs are most impacted and she anticipates having to be wheelchair-bound later in life.
Photos courtesy of Alexi Hoefer
Alexi Hoefer is a graduate student in Missouri State’s School of Social Work, anticipating to graduate in July after completing her extended practicum at Urgent Behavioral Solutions in Joplin. “Part of getting into grad school … my body is not going to allow me to continue going out into people’s homes in the community and serving them,” Hoefer said. “Getting my master’s (degree), I’ll be able to be office-bound, which is what my body is going to demand I do at some point. “I feel like having muscular dystrophy makes me want to do more. I’m always wanting to prove people wrong. I was never supposed to be able to walk, and I walked. I wasn’t supposed to do a lot of things, and when somebody tells me I can’t do something, I’m going to do it anyway.” Hoefer is indeed proving people wrong. Amanda Key, coordinator of Missouri State’s School of Social Work Master’s Program, first met Hoefer in 2014 and said she’s a student she will never forget.
Key and Hoefer met during a family and groups class where students learned how to engage with families and work in small groups. However, this initial teacher-student interaction wasn’t traditional. Rather than seated in front of Key, Hoefer was displayed on a TV monitor in front of the class. According to Key, at the time, Missouri State and Crowder College in Neosho had a relationship where students located in Neosho could join the Springfield-based class via interactive television, or ITV. While ITV allows for twoway, real-time conversation, Key said the experience is different from Zoom. “I remember feeling so terrible for her,” Key said. “She was the only person (from) Crowder College, so I had 25 students in Springfield and there, bless her heart, she was on a TV screen in front … all by herself in that classroom.” Despite the physical separation, Key said Hoefer made herself present each day in class. “She was just so determined,” Key said. “There were other students in the program who didn’t make it through.” But Hoefer did. Key described Hoefer as resilient and tenacious, in and out of the classroom. “She’s a humble advocate, and that’s another thing I love about her,” Key said. “She’s always had this ability to speak truth in a way that people listen and respect.”
“I feel like having muscular dystrophy makes me want to do more. I’m always wanting to prove people wrong. I wasn’t supposed to do a lot of things, and when somebody tells me I can’t do something, I’m going to do it anyway.” - Alexi Hoefer Currently, Hoefer volunteers with Free Mom Hugs - Missouri, a non-profit dedicated to supporting members of the LGBTQ+ youth community, and Joplin for Justice, a community of advocates in Joplin committed to taking action against injustices in their community. “Advocating is in my blood,” Hoefer said. “I just try to advocate for all of the social in-
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justices that I see around here.” Hoefer’s “advocating bug” has rooted itself in her daughter Zoey too, who is 14 years old.
Alexi Hoefer and her daughter Zoey Hoefer, pose for selfies.
“She’s an advocate like you won’t believe,” Hoefer said. “She’s really mad because there’s going to be a protest this weekend, and I’m working and I won’t be able to take her, so she’s trying to find a ride.” Hoefer said she believed her mother-daughter relationship is unique due to her being a young mom. “Sometimes I feel like less of a mom and more of a friend, and it might be because we kind of grew up together,” Hoefer said. “I think you do a lot of growing up after 19, even though you’re legally an adult. I think there’s a lot of maturity that happens during that time.” Hoefer said Zoey has a lot of “fire and spunk” and constantly motivates her to do better. Post-graduation, Hoefer plans to work toward becoming a licensed clinical social worker, or LCSW. Hoefer said this license would allow her to work independently with clients without supervision.
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GRADUATION | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | • 7
“Every student has a prerecorded video showcas- that I have completed throughout my time in the ing what they’ve been working on and people in Interior Design program.” the industry can pop in, view it and even chat with Fashion and Merchandising the student.” Price said the Theatre and Dance Department had been working since the beginning of the fall 2020 semester to develop the showcase after figuring COVID-19 restrictions would still be in place by the time April came around.
major, received the Outstanding Senior Fashion Design Award for this year, and her collection “Dauntless” will be one of the many collections displayed at the showcase this year. Ivie said her collection took her a total of 250 hours to complete. “I work a full-time job, and I’m also in a full semester of classes, so time was definitely a big part of the challenges I faced while designing and sewing my collection,” Ivie said. “I can definitely say I’ve learned more this semester than I have in any other semester. I’m much more confident in myself when it comes to creating anything I want, and it’s a great feeling.”
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Senior showcases highlight student work
Interior Design
Ahead of this year’s graduating class is a job market still recovering from COVID-19. Many departments host senior showcases for students to network with industry professionals. Here’s a preview of some of the showcases that are happening or have happened this year.
Theatre and Dance
In the past, the Theatre and Dance Department held two live showcases, one taking place in Los Angeles and the other in New York City. Due to COVID-19, the department chose to make their showcases digital. The department held streams April 21 and 22, with the Acting Showcase taking place first, followed by the Musical Theater Showcase the next day. According to Theatre and Dance Department Head Joseph Price, the streams acted like a virtual venue. “This year we teamed up with a group called Broadway Unlocked, which creates these virtual venues to show off what we’ve filmed,” Price said.
Because the showcase to display 3D designs, the department chose to host their showcase April 16 in person but move it to a larger space at the University Plaza Convention Center. According to Technology and Construction Management Department senior professor Nancy Asay, the showcase didn’t have food and an open bar like it has in the past. “Each student was given an equal section to display their work as well as their digital portfolio,” Asay said. “We were able to have about 350 people come and view the showcase, and some students have already had job offers.” According to Jolean Hackney, senior interior design major, who took home the “Best of Show Award,” the event allowed for a plethora of offers for jobs and internships for her. “The MSU Interior Design Senior Showcase was a great success this year, and the hard work that us seniors put into our show really paid off, and it made the night very enjoyable,” Hackney said. “My booth showcased custom-built furniture created by my dad and me, as well as many projects
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This year, the Fashion and Merchandising Showcase is May 12 at the Glass Hall Atrium with limited guests. The event comprises the seniors’ collections, which they have designed over the course of the spring semester and have been advertised and promoted by their merchandising senior partners. Associate Dean of the College of Business Elizabeth Rozell said despite challenges posed by COVID-19, this year’s seniors have “persevered and showed great talent.” “Our students have stepped up to the challenge of continuing with their dreams of being merchandisers and fashion designers,” Rozell said. “We have the same expectations of our students as in years past.” Tiffany Ivie, senior fashion and merchandising
Design
This year, the Design Department Showcase will be held at the Student Exhibition Center May 3 through 14. A limited number of people are allowed to view the showcase at a time. According to assistant art and design professor Masha Gerasimchuk-Djordjevic, the showcase was originally going to be virtual, but as vaccination rates in Missouri increased, the department decided to host it in-person. “During the showcase, students get to display the work that they have completed for a client as part of their design practicum class, as well as to select four pieces from their portfolios,” Gerasimchuk-Djordjevic said. “On the community level, it allows visitors to see what our students are capable of and that they are ready to go into the field of graphic design and illustration.” The showcase will be a walk-in event for any member of the community.
8 • | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | GRADUATION
Following his passion in music and roots in education, Andrew Tiefenbrunn is graduating Missouri State University this May with a master’s degree in music with an emphasis in instrumental conducting. Tiefenbrunn first got involved with bands in middle school and throughout his time at Owensville High School until his eventual participation in MSU’s Pride Marching Band, concert ensembles and jazz band. However, he was not without doubts about the path he wanted to follow. Prior to deciding his major in music, Tiefenbrunn was interested in pursuing a career in political science and international studies.
“I felt like there was a major component of my life missing because I wasn’t actively learning music anymore ... I came to the realization that I didn’t want a desk job; I wanted to be on my feet doing something that’s creative.” - Andrew Tiefenbrunn, music graduate student “I felt like there was a major component of my life missing because I wasn’t actively learning music anymore,” Tiefenbrunn said. “I was just playing in the marching band, and that was it. I came to the realization that I didn’t want a desk job; I wanted to be on my feet doing something that’s creative.” Tiefenbrunn, who’s from a family of teachers, was aware of the sacrifices he might have to make if he were to pursue a job in education. Despite the uncertainties, he said as soon as he stepped foot in a classroom when he began student teaching middle and high school students, it was full steam ahead. After obtaining his undergraduate degree at MSU, Tiefenbrunn took the position of assistant
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Andrew Tiefenbrunn seeks to further and share his knowledge of music in the years ahead
Dayton Chambers/THE STANDARD
Andrew Tiefenbrunn poses for a portrait outside of Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. Tiefenbrunn is graduating this May with a master’s degree in music with an emphasis in instrumental conducting. Recently, he took on the role as band director at Waynesville Middle School. band director at Mount Vernon High School in Mount Vernon. “I had an awesome experience there,” Tiefrenbrunn said. “However, I knew that someday I was going to go back and learn how to conduct and how to teach better from the front of the room or from the front of (an) ensemble.” He took advantage of the opportunity to return to Missouri State to learn under John Zastoupil of the Music Department and director of concert bands. “He is phenomenal at what he does: teaching young conductors and helping them learn the fundamentals (of conducting),” Tiefenbrunn said. Tiefenbrunn originally connected with Zastoupil during conducting workshops where teachers from all over the country come in for private lessons and the opportunity to conduct MSU’s bands, which Zastoupil hosts annually. “(Tiefenbrunn) had come to that every year we had done it since it started,” Zastoupil said.
“Him and I had a chance to work together at that a couple of times.” During the fall 2018 semester, Tiefenbrunn approached Zastoupil with an interest in returning to MSU to attend graduate school. Following an audition, he was admitted alongside three other students with different strengths that complemented each other to develop a team environment, according to Zastoupil. Regarding the size of MSU’s large band program, Zastoupil emphasized the importance of the responsibility graduate students play in respect to their fellow undergrads. “Andy’s ability to execute and follow through with things and organize a whole lot of details and process a large amount of data in a small amount of time is really profound,” Zastoupil said. Zastoupil praised Tiefenbrunn’s willingness to volunteer and help out with anything, whether it’s the community band or the youth wind ensemble.
“We’re gonna miss that about him — having someone that’s just so open to helping and not afraid to dive into something and take care of a project and take on a responsibility that maybe some other people were more hesitant to take on,” Zastoupil said. “(He) always goes into it with a great personality, always happy about it.”
“We’re gonna miss that about him — having someone that’s just so open to helping and not afraid to dive into something and take care of a project and take on a responsibility that maybe some other people were more hesitant to take on.” - John Zastoupil, director of concert bands at MSU
Tiefenbrunn will be taking that great personality with him to Waynesville, as he takes on the responsibility as band director at Waynesville Middle School. Despite seeing himself taking on a potential role at the collegiate level in the future, he said he’s in no rush. Zastoupil is proud of Tiefenbrunn’s new job and said he thinks the position will play to his strengths. “He’s going to be running his own program now, which is different (from being a band assistant director),” Zastoupil said. “I’m super excited for him. Like I said, he’s so good at organizing things and putting data together and writing plans, he’s going to be really successful.” Teifenbrunn said he has aspirations to write a book, continue academic research, obtain the national teacher’s certificate — advanced education credential — and eventually achieve a doctoral degree, whether it be in music, education or education leadership, all the while maintaining involvement in the music education community. “I love teaching middle school students,” Teifenbrunn said. “It’s such an impactful moment in a person’s life, and so if I can get involved and help create and guide young people to be good citizens and to be great people.”
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GRADUATION | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | • 9
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From the Midwest to Westminster: Kendall Vowels will soon be a grad student overseas.
Congratulations Library BearGrads Russ Bray/THE STANDARD
Entertainment management senior Kendall Vowels sits at her workspace.
Soon-to-be Missouri State alumnus Kendall Vowels has made strides in her music based career. Vowels planned the Student Activities Council spring 2020 concert almost an entire year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic when it was canceled in March 2020. “COVID-19 was a really big let-down,” Vowels said. “Everything I have been working for ... and it sucks that (the concert) is not going to get to happen.” Vowels said before the pandemic she was so hyperfocused on her school and activity work her sleep suffered and she did not incorporate enough “me-time.” Vowels decided it was in her best interest to take the fall 2020 semester off. “It took a lot of self-discovery and being okay with not doing things, but it’s hard to just sit back and stop,” Vowels said. “I am a person, not just a working machine.” Fortunately, Vowels was able to bounce back and remain successful and optimistic with her graduation in sight. Vowels is an honors student who has carried a 4.0 GPA throughout high school and undergrad. GPA scholarship requirements, self motivation and challenges are what she owes her success to. “I have always liked school and learning, but (entertainment management) is what I am passionate about,” Vowels said. “This is what I want to do. If I don’t understand it yet, I know I can get to that point.” Something that succeeds Vowels’ love of learning is her love of music. Vowels grew up attending concerts with her father, which led her to the
entertainment management field. “Music is my passion, and being in the entertainment management program really opened my eyes to the passion I have for business and event planning,” Vowels said. Post-graduation, Vowels will head overseas to obtain her master’s degree in live music management at the University of Westminster in London, England. While in her program at Missouri State, Vowels has connected with numerous mentors who she looks up to. “Kendall is one of those individuals that has a strong desire to do her best in whatever she undertakes,” said Philip Rothschild, entertainment management associate professor. For about a month and a half, Rothschild and Vowels worked together on a peer article published in the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association, a music business journal. “We both have an interest and passion in the music industry and the topic was very germane to the time,” Rothschild said. The article was about ticket refunding for live music events due to the pandemic. Vowels said research dealt with COVID-19’s impact on live events, such as refunds for shows and how performance venues were staying afloat throughout lockdown. The research from Vowels and Rothschild can be found on the MEIEA website at meiea.org/ Journal/Vol20/Rothschild. “I think Kendall is going to be a five-star professional,” Rothschild said. “She is going to excel in whatever she does, she is going to be wholly committed.” Vowels has made an impact with people she has worked with. “She is beloved by her peers, professors and friends. She is a well-rounded and well-grounded person,” Rothschild said.
Haley Allen
Master of Science, Business Administration/MBA
Omnia Awad
BS, Computer Science
Mackenzie Ballance BS, Health Services, Biodmedical Science
Braxton Crook BA, English/Literature
Mary Newsham BS, Psychology
Shannon Noonan BS, Journalism
Saurabh Shah
Master of Science, Computer Science
Manasa Sravanthi Chintakunta
Master of Science, Public Health
Mason Deterding
Bree Swanson
Courtney Fochs
Macie Turntine
Doctorate, Audiology
Master of Science, Speech-Language Pathology
Amber Holko
Diego Valenzuela Atala
Certificate of Completion, Bear POWER
Master of Science, Speech-Language Pathology
Sarah Hostetler Doctorate, Audiology
Kerbie Karr
Master of Science, Industrial-Organizational Psychology Graduate Certificate, Statistics and Research Design
BS, Fashion Design, Merchandising BS, Product Development
Master of Science, Business Administration/MBA
Tyler Wegrzyn
Master of Science, Speech-Language Pathology
10 • | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | GRADUATION
WELCOME TO THE MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, CLASS OF 2021!
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Language acquisition: A holistic experience
playing the organ. In teaching, Popo discovered he wanted to learn more about French and learn more about how people learn French. He saw a Facebook ad that led him to Missouri State University.
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Zaheer Popo, 31, is a graduate student working toward receiving his master’s degree in applied second language acquisition in May. His second language of choice is French. Popo said after high school in St. Lucia in the Caribbean, he worked as a banker and teacher. He taught elementary school in his home country of St. Lucia. Popo said it was then he discovered a love for teaching and decided to attend the University of West Indies in Barbados. When applying, he decided to get a French with linguistics degree. “A friend of mine did Spanish with linguistics and he was raving about linguistics,” Popo said. “So I decided to try it out and I loved it. I loved learning about the science of language, how language operates with an individual and in a society, and how we go about acquiring language.”
“I loved learning about the science of language, how language operates with an individual and in a society, and how we go about acquiring language.” - Zaheer Popo After his time in Barbados, Popo became a French and English teacher in French Guinea for seven months. He then taught in the U.S. Virgin Islands for three years before returning to his home country for a year. Along with his love for learning and teaching different languages, Popo also enjoys
Photos by Dayton Chambers/ THE STANDARD
In order to complete his master’s degree, Zaheer Popo needs to complete his thesis, which focuses on how Gen Z individuals learn the French subjective.
After looking to see if this ad was legitimate, he applied and got in contact with the program director, Luciane Maimone. Now almost three years later, Popo is about to graduate. Popo said MSU’s applied second language acquisition program is unique because it allows him to learn more about French and how to teach French. It provided a more holistic experience. Popo said most programs only offer one or the other. Popo said he must complete a thesis paper. His is on how members of Generation Z learn the French subjunctive.
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After achieving both his master’s degree, Zaheer Popo wants to look around the United States to find a PhD program in organ performance or one in applied language. Before playing the organ, Popo studied piano.
“I think that having him share his experiences at MSU may bring in a different perspective that is worth sharing with other graduate students and the MSU administration.” - Luciane Maimone Popo explained the French subjunctive is more of a mood than a tense. It is used in subjectivity. As an example, it is used to describe wishing or doubting. Popo said this is a complex subject for students to grasp. “Based on my reading of Gen Z’ers, there appears to be a preference for video-based learning,” Popo said. “My research is on how
videos can help students learn the French subjunctive easier.” Popo said his work would not be possible without a few people, including the program instructor of applied second language acquisition, Luciane Maimone, and his supervisor for his graduate teaching Tonia Tinsley. Maimone, an associate professor in the Modern and Classical Languages Department, said she thinks Popo represents success. “He is an international student, which is always harder for graduate students, but he never let that deter him,” Maimone said. “Instead, he represents very well one of the main values of our department, which is cultural competence. I think that having him share his experiences at MSU may bring in a different perspective that is worth sharing with other graduate students and the MSU administration.” Tinsley, associate professor in the Modern and Classical Languages Department, has worked with Popo in a more administrative role, said she thinks Popo has a limitless future. “I think that Zaheer is bound for great things,” Tinsley said. “He has a very strong work ethic and is committed to doing his best, whether it is as a graduate student, a French teacher or a musician.” Tinsley said she thinks Popo is a great teacher to people trying to acquire a new language. “Zaheer has a unique combination of humor, grace and patience that is ideal for working with students who are trying to master a new language,” Tinsley said. Upon graduation, Popo said he is planning to stay at MSU to finish his second master’s degree in organ performance. Once that is complete he is going to look around the United States to find a doctorate program in organ performance. If that is not available, he will look for a program in applied language.
GRADUATION | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | • 11
12 • | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 | GRADUATION
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There has never been a better time to major in Communication!
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COM
A 2020 study conducted by Georgetown University titled “Workplace Basics: The Competencies Employers Want” identified “communication” as the single most sought after job skill across ALL occupations.
Moreover, the next four most sought after skills—teamwork, persuasion, leadership, and problem solving—are all central to the study of communication. Similarly, The Princeton Review recently ranked all majors on college campuses based on three criteria: 1. Availability of jobs for graduates with that degree 2. Competitiveness of salaries in that industry 3. Enjoyment of major while in college Based on those criteria, Communication ranked as the second best major on college campuses.
Given the importance of communication in a global networked world, our graduates work in a remarkably diverse array of fields, including business and finance, media and entertainment, health care and social work, science and technology, art and education, and government and politics among others.
COME FIND OUT WHAT A DEGREE IN COMMUNICATION CAN DO FOR YOU! – Brian Ott, Department Head, Communication, 374 Craig Hall
communication.missouristate.edu
Craig Hall 375/417-836-4423