The Creative Writing Club wraps up for the semester
Students got the chance to tell their own story at the Creative Writing Club’s final meeting of the semester, held on Nov. 12 in Spratt 203. The event featured guest Elora Maxwell, independent author and digital marketing coordinator at MoWest, who gave a reading from one of her own stories and answered some questions from the audience.
Maxwell read a short passage from her novel, The River’s Deception. She aimed to inspire writers by showing them that becoming an author is not as far-fetched of a story as it sounds.
"Making connections with readers and aspiring writers is my favorite part of what I do,” said Maxwell. “I'm so passionate about what I write about that I just love sharing it with others in the hopes that they'll pick up that passion too."
Maxwell followed her reading by answering questions from the audience. She discussed her inspiration, the writing process, the publishing process and other facets of being an author.
Justin Eells, advisor of the club and communication professor, was interested in how her process differed from his.
“Her process was really interesting,” said Eells. "It's always interesting to see, because for everyone it's different…it's interesting to see, kind of how these books, how these ideas come to people, and how the project comes together.”
The Creative Writing Club is never complete without writing, and there was plenty of time for that. Eells presented a writing prompt that gave members places and times in history to help generate ideas.
Those not engaged with the prompt were discussing their own writing processes and brainstorming ways to improve their own craft. The workshopping element best reflects the core goal of the club: to foster an environment for writers to grow and be themselves—something Maxwell wishes she got to experience during her time as a student.
“A space for creative writers is something that I dearly wish I had during my time at MoWest,” said Maxwell. “It's wonderful that the Creative Writing Club offers a place that aspiring writers, or those who just love to get creative, can get together and explore the medium of writing. It's an opportunity that I hope others on campus will hear about and want to join because it really is a fun place to explore.”
The Creative Writing Club is a space for writers to develop their skills, learn from others and to be comfortable in expressing whatever story they want to tell.
“It's just kind of coming and hanging out and talking to other writers,” said Eells. “Writing is a solitary activity, as is reading. This is an opportunity to kind of form a community with other people who like to do the same thing.”
Although it’s the last meeting for this semester, the Creative Writing Club has plenty more to show in the next. To find out more about getting involved, contact Justin Eells at jeells@missouriwestern.edu.
The Griffs Roll for Initiative at D&D Club
MoWest trades pen and paper for sword and shield in the newly formed Dungeons & Dragons club. The RSO aims to build a community for both new and experienced players to try their hand at the role-playing game.
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game where players create characters to embark on a campaign guided by a Dungeon Master. The game blends storytelling with turn-based combat determined by the rolls of dice. President Dallas Mitchell has seen how welcoming D&D can be and wanted to share that experience with the students.
“I’m a strong believer that it kind of fosters creativity, inclusivity and just like a general space for people to be able to be themselves,” said Mitchell. “It was really important to me to create a space for other students so that they could.”
At club meetings, students can expect to participate in D&D sessions. Workshops will be held regularly so inexperienced members can learn the best practices when playing. There are also plans for socials and events like the collaboration with the Pop Culture club.
A big part of the D&D club mission is to give back to the community. The club plans to hold service events and fundraisers to strengthen that connection.
“I think it needs to be a give and take between us and the community and so finding ways to implement that type of outreach through D&D,” said Mitchell. “I think it’s both fun and a great way to do that and accomplish that.”
Last week, the D&D club collaborated with the Pop Culture club for an exhibition session. The officers and members of the club played a short campaign while a panel of experienced players would explain to the audience what was going on. Mitchell did not expect such a large turnout.
“I was very, very pleased, very happy,” said Mitchell. “I was not anticipating this many people today … There was such good energy in the room. I felt like people walked away with a better understanding than they came in with, and that was really our main goal.”
The oneshot campaign played during the exhibition was Nadine and the Ostentatious Owl. The goal was to escort a princess to a kingdom while preventing her antics of escape. Senior Em Kretzer attended the exhibition session and saw it as a great way to be introduced to D&D.
“I thought it was a very sweet idea to help people get introduced to D&D,” said Kretzer. “This made it look very approachable, if that makes sense. It made it look digestible, like it was very fun.”
D&D sessions never go as planned. Players only made it halfway through the campaign before the allotted time was up. Freshman Gracie Goscha participated in the campaign as a barbarian and enjoyed playing, despite it being her first time playing in front of a crowd.
“Little bit nerve wracking at first, but thankfully, my character is very loud, very proud, and she loves bread particularly,” said Goscha. “So it was a lot of fun.”
The club will meet bi-weekly. For more information, contact the president through her email at dmitchell24@missouriwestnern.edu.
MoWest aims to make textbooks more affordable
MoWest will partner with Barnes and Noble’s First Day Complete program in spring of 2026, aiming to make purchasing textbooks more affordable and accessible for students.
First Day Complete is an opt-in program that will charge students a fixed fee for their textbooks based on their applied credit hours. The fee is $24 per credit hour, meaning a student who’s applied for 10 hours will be charged $240 by Barnes and Noble for course materials.
Unlike the digital-only First Day program, First Day Complete ensures that both physical and digital course material will be readily available on the first day of classes, hence its name. Faculty decide what material will be included. Daniel Holt, Vice President of Finance and Administration, views the program as a win-win for all parties involved.
“It really simplifies the process for students,” said Holt. “It makes it easy for the store to administer books… There’s a lot of pros to it and very few cons.”
Students can opt-out of the program if they believe course material will not exceed the fee. Holt claims that the aim of the program is to make textbooks more affordable over the course of a student’s enrollment.
“It’s a game of averages,” said Holt. “As everything averages out, it should save students money.”
Along with saving money, another goal of the program is get students their course materials on the first day of classes. Students will not have to deliberate on what material is worth purchasing.
“It eliminates any issues with students who were late to order books,” said Holt. “It starts everybody off on the same page. They’re starting off day one with the resources they need to do the class.”
Moving forward, MoWest will measure the impact the program has on student success, and whether opting-in will actually benefit students.
MoWest holds 43rd annual Alumni Association Awards Banquet
Homecoming was back at MoWest and with it came the 43rd annual Alumni Association Awards Banquet on Oct. 3 in the Fulkerson Center. The event recognized students, faculty and members of the Alumni Association who have made significant contributions towards MoWest.
The banquet kicked off with opening remarks from Alumni Association Board Member, Andrew Love and President Dr. Kennedy. In her address, Dr. Kennedy highlights the importance of MoWest alumni.
“We believe in you, you as our alumni,” said Dr. Kennedy. “You represent the essence of our educational enterprise. You, our alumni, are the embodiment of our institution’s success.”
There were seven categories for awards distributed among 11 recipients. Videos were shown of the recipients in which they broke down the contributions they’ve made at MoWest.
Three Student Leadership Awards were presented at the banquet. These awards recognize graduates who display leadership, volunteerism or humanitarianism.
The recipients were: Mariana Casadiego Morales as International Student of the Year, Mackenzie Devine as Graduating Student of the Year for 2024 and Lauren Nylund as Graduating Student of the Year for 2025.
Devine explained what receiving the award meant to her.
“It means everything,” said Devine. “It means that what I did impacted someone. It impacted the community of St. Joseph and Missouri Western, and I’m very grateful to have made that impact.
Three Great Griffon awards were presented at the banquet. These awards recognize distinguished alumni from each college who contribute to the workforce or the university.
The recipients were: Terry Brock of the College of Liberal Arts, Phallin Thornton of the College of Science and Health and Tona Williams of the college of Business and Professional Studies.
The Iffert Award for Outstanding Service is given to an individual who contributes to MoWest’s mission and represents the institution’s legacy through acts of service. Both Dr. Robert Sigrist and Kimberly Sigrist received the Iffert Award.
Colton Saunders was awarded Graduate of the last Decade. He spoke on how MoWest has shaped him into the person he is today.
“It just makes me remember my time here at Missouri Western and be excited to call Missouri Western my Alma Mater,” said Saunders. “Just extremely thankful for all the professors and folks who… helped me get to where I am today.”
Dr. Teddi Deka who received the Distinguished Faculty Award, and Jim Reinert who received the Distinguished Alumni Award. Both recipients gave acceptance speeches for their awards.
After all award recipients were recognized, the Missouri Western Concert Chorale performed the school’s Alma Mater, cementing the 43rd annual Awards Banquet as one to be remembered. This is Gurtej Sohal, Griffon Media.
Racers went head-to-head at the Mario Kart Tournament
Students took their places at the starting line for the Mario Kart tournament on Nov. 19 in the Esports Arena. Racers went head-to-head in a series of matches for the chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. There was food, drinks and plenty of racing to be done.
The bracket split eight participants into two groups. The two highest scoring participants from each group competed in a final match to determine the winner. Mariah Gray led Princess Daisy across the finish line and was crowned the winner of the tournament.
Gray entered the tournament after some convincing from her friend. She came into it confident but cautious, making sure no Banana Peel caught her off guard.
“I didn’t want to be too cocky,” said Gray. “I was like, ‘What if I don’t win?’ I even told my friend that I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m gonna win or not, but I hope I do.’”
Her hopes were not misplaced. Despite winning the tournament, her nerves got the best of her early on and affected her performance.
“I could have done better,” said Gray. “I was…kind of shaking a little bit. I get kind of shaky whenever I’m around other people I’m playing, but I had a lot of fun.
Once she dealt with the jitters, it would take more than a Red Shell to stop Gray’s momentum. She won in a decisive fashion, taking first place in every match.
“I’m really happy,” said Gray. “I’m proud of myself. I need to have more faith in myself, I guess.”
Gray’s not the only one who was impressed with her performance. Dawn Cline, an intern for Griffon Esports, thought Gray had a standout showing.
“I think the winner did pretty good,” said Cline. “I was watching her play the whole time, and she was really good at Mario Kart. She got first place every time. It was impressive to watch her.”
Cline worked alongside Director of Esports Alec Mueller to make this tournament happen. Cline handled the marketing and officiating of the tournament, while Mueller handled the food, drinks and prizes. Their goal was to do something fun for the students before the rush of finals.
“We’re gonna be coming back for finals and stuff soon,” said Mueller. “So it’s just a way to decompress from academics and everything, just to take a break for a little bit and have some fun.”
Mueller and Cline are both open to hosting more tournaments in the future. Keep your controller handy so you don’t miss out on the chance to take home the gold.
Missouri Western 10th Annual Griffon Film Festival
The Missouri Western Cinematic Arts program requires all graduating students to create a thesis film. It’s a semester-long obligation where students spend months planning, filming and editing their projects. On April 25 and 26, Missouri Western gave these students a chance to premiere those thesis films with their annual Film Festival over at the Trail Theater in the heart of downtown St. Joseph.
Toby Lawrence, Associate Professor of Cinema, has been involved with the Film Festival for the last eight years. He remarks how the festival is imperative to students and their development.
“It’s a great time for the students,” said Larence. “That’s part of the reason we do it; to get to highlight and showcase their work and their efforts as they transition out into the professional world.”
At the Film Festival, the students are the stars — it’s only fitting they get treated as such. A red carpet was set up so the students could embrace their stardom upon arrival. Alongside was a backdrop for a photo-op, so their celebrity status can be cemented in film and not just in memory.
There were 11 total projects on display at the festival, seven of which were thesis films, while the remaining four were interstitials from the Griffon Film Society. It was a collaborative effort, as many of the students helped one another with their projects.
Luke Bowie, a sophomore cinema student, had a chance to star in Alienated, a thesis film directed by Rebecca Evans. He appreciates the chance to view the film after working on it for so long.
“It’s the same thing as turning in a really big project,” said Bowie. “You know, you put, like, hours and hours of effort into something, not myself as much as Rebecca, of course. But, you know, whenever I was acting in it, it felt like a lot of work, and then I didn’t really see a product until tonight. It was just beautiful to see all of that stuff, you know, come together.”
The projects were as varied as the senior students. One moment the audience is viewing a thrilling action film, while the next has them viewing a thought provoking documentary. This creative freedom allowed seniors to explore their passions and interests without having to worry about restrictions limiting their artistic vision.
Dr. David Sutera, Assistant Professor of Cinema, not only helped guide students through their final project, but assisted as an actor. He emphasized the quality of the production after seeing it from both sides of the teaching perspective.
“I’ve been a professor for about about 15 years, and this was probably some of the more professional operations on the set,” said Dr. Sutera. “They know how to get to the point and to be efficient on the set.”
Following the screening was an award ceremony. Acknowledgments were given to every facet of the production process, anywhere from Best Actor to Best Directing.
One of which was an MVP award given to Blake Elder. Along with directing his documentary, Leather Bound, he also worked heavily behind the scenes to set up the Film Festival.
“Some of you kinda call me the college dad,” said Elder after being awarded. “I’ve been around with you guys for four years now, and it’s been great, it’s been awesome; it’s more than I could’ve ever imagined. And I want to thank all the other cinema students for making all of this possible.
The festival wrapped up with a Q&A session where audience members could interact directly with the minds behind the projects. They learned about the inspiration for the projects and what led to the creative decisions.
The final thesis projects are the culmination of everything the senior students learned during their tenure at Missouri Western. The Film Festival marks the apex of their arduous journey through cinematography; they can glance back at the progress they’ve made, and then look beyond to see where their road will take them.
“We’re really proud of them, and wish them the best as they exit this school setting and go on to the professional world,” said Lawrence.