April 29, 2026鈥揋riffon Media students from 大象传媒 brought home ten awards from the 大象传媒 College Media Association and 大象传媒 Broadcast Educators Association Annual Conference in Springfield, 大象传媒 on April 11.

The students won the following state awards:

大象传媒 Broadcast Educators Association

• Video – Hard News Story: First Place, Rebecca Evans 鈥�25
• Short Film: Second Place, Bailey Woodbury, junior cinematic arts major from St. Joseph
• Video Commercial/Promo: Third Place, Woodbury

大象传媒 College Media Association Awards (Division 2)

• Website: Second Place, Griffon Media Staff
• Video: Second Place, Gurtej Sohal 鈥�25
• Video: Third Place, Charlie Sample, junior applied communication and journalism major from Columbia, 大象传媒
• Multimedia Package: Third Place, Sample
• Multimedia Package: Honorable Mention, Sohal
• News Writing, Honorable Mention, Woodbury
• Story Illustration: Honorable Mention, Ellice Randleman senior graphic design major from St. Joseph

Attending the conference from 大象传媒 were Kendall Warren, sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, 大象传媒; Sample; Johnny Fragakis, senior applied communication and journalism major from Petaluma, California; former editors Sohal and Evans; and co-advisers Dr. James Carviou and Dr. Luling Huang.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Attendees walk the red carpet at the 2025 Griffon Film Festival.

April 24, 2026鈥摯笙蟠� students will present a wide variety of video projects at two film festivals. The 大象传媒 Cronkite Film Festival will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101. The 11th annual Griffon Film Festival will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 1 at the Trail Theatre, 111 N. 9th Street in downtown St. Joseph. Both events are free and open to the public.

Cronkite Film Festival

The 大象传媒 Cronkite Film Festival is sponsored by the Department of Communication. It focuses on non-fiction storytelling, showcasing newscasts, sportscasts, individual packages, promos, social media campaign videos and a long documentary. The films were created in digital videography, Griffon Media, social media branding and multimedia storytelling classes throughout the 2025-2026 school year.

Griffon Film Festival

The Griffon Film Festival features work by cinematic arts and digital animation students over the academic year. Projects include short narrative fiction, commercials, public service announcements, industrial/educational films, experimental films, traditional animation, 3D computer animation and student game design. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a meet-and-greet and pictures on the red carpet and the awards show starts at 6 and runs until 10 p.m. The first 100 attendees will receive a free small bag of popcorn.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 20, 2026鈥揑n its eighth year

The organization inducted five new members into the prestigious honor society while recognizing their achievements with Griffon Media. The students pledge to uphold a high standard of journalism, ethics and responsible storytelling as part of their commitment to journalism and the organization, as well as the 大象传媒 community.

The following students were inducted:聽

• Jeimy Cruz-Aguilera, junior social work major from St. Joseph
• Chloe Hibler, sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Cameron, 大象传媒
• Payton Patterson, junior applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, 大象传媒
• Sarah Swallow, junior applied communication and journalism major from Highland, Indiana
• Kendall Warren, sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, 大象传媒

is the nation鈥檚 oldest honor society for student media leaders. It encourages ethical, accurate and innovative journalism nationally and creates a strong network of advocates for First Amendment education.

To date, the chapter at 大象传媒 has inducted over 150 students and earned over 250 national awards honoring the best work in collegiate media.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 16, 2026鈥揟he 大象传媒 School of Fine Arts and the MWSU Arts Society present the 大象传媒 Fine Arts Showcase from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 24 in the Potter Hall Theater. The showcase is free and open to the public.

The showcase will feature an open house and tours of the newly renovated facilities in Potter Hall. Take in the Senior Art Exhibit in the Drew Brown Art Gallery, explore updated spaces like the digital animation suite and graphic design lab, and enjoy light refreshments in the Dr. George S. Richmond Student Collaboration Center. Along the way you鈥檒l have the opportunity to connect with 大象传媒 students and experience the creativity that fills these spaces.

Reservations are encouraged but not required. Please call Jennifer Vanourney at 816-271-5910 or email jvanourney@missouriwestern.edu by April 20.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Dr. Lane DesAutels with Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy and other 大象传媒 officials at the COPHE Excellence in Teaching Luncheon.

April 16, 2026鈥揇r. Lane DesAutels, associate professor of philosophy, received the Governor鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Education during the annual Council on Public Higher Education Excellence (COPHE) Excellence in Teaching Luncheon in Jefferson City on April 7.

鈥湸笙蟠� is fortunate to have such a compassionate, intelligent and creative teacher as Dr. DesAutels,鈥� said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, 大象传媒 president and chair of COPHE, who emceed the event. 鈥淗is courses make the very foundation of the university experience, bridging the humanities with the applied sciences. Students appreciate the welcoming discussion environment that he cultivates, creating balanced space for multiple viewpoints. This is especially important in his classes because they explore timely and sometimes contentious issues.鈥�

Dr. DesAutels has been a faculty member in the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities since 2016, and serves as director of the Bachelor of General Studies/Science and Technology degrees. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Puget Sound, Master of Arts from Western Michigan University and a Doctor of Philosophy from University of Maryland, College Park. He previously received the 大象传媒 Award for Teaching Excellence and Academic Advisor of the Year Award.

The Governor鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Education is given annually to outstanding teachers at each of the nine COPHE member institutions who challenge and motivate 大象传媒 students to reach their maximum potential.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Students Erica Terrell and A. Lynn Cassani at the Great Plains Students’ Psychology Convention.

April 15, 2026鈥揟wo 大象传媒 psychology students were honored for their research presentations at the Great Plains Students’ Psychology Convention last month at the College of the Ozarks.

Erica Terrell, senior psychology major from Gladstone, 大象传媒, presented a poster authored by students from a Fall 2025 research team (Ava Garaway, Lauren George, Autumn O鈥橞rien, Kylan Stout, and Erica Terrell) titled “Contributions to College Leadership Formation.” The poster won a second-place award.

A. Lynn Cassani, senior psychology major from St. Joseph, delivered an oral presentation of her Majors Honors research, entitled, “Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and the Professional鈥檚 Point of View.” Cassani鈥檚 presentation also won a second-place award.

The Great Plains Students鈥� Psychology Convention provides an annual forum for psychology students in 大象传媒, Kansas and Nebraska to exchange ideas, discuss relevant topics, and gain experience presenting papers.

Terrell and Cassani were accompanied by Dr. Teddi Deka, professor of psychology.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Apr 12, 2026–大象传媒鈥檚 annual President鈥檚 Concert will feature a performance of Antonio Vivaldi鈥檚 鈥淕loria鈥� by the 大象传媒 Chamber Choir in collaboration with The Choral Experience at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 12 at First Presbyterian Church, 301 N. 7th Street in downtown St. Joseph. The concert, presented by the 大象传媒 Arts Society, is free and open to the public.

The concert will bring together 大象传媒 students and professional choral artists in a shared performance of one of the most celebrated works in the choral repertoire.

鈥淰ivaldi鈥檚 鈥楪loria鈥� is known for its vibrant energy, lyrical beauty and dramatic contrasts, making it a cornerstone of Baroque sacred music,鈥� said Dr. Paul Dease, director of choral studies. 鈥淭his collaboration highlights 大象传媒鈥檚 commitment to high-impact learning through performance, allowing students to engage in professional-level music-making while strengthening the University鈥檚 role as a cultural leader in the region.鈥�

大象传媒 Arts Society members who register in advance get preferred seating and an invitation to post concert reception. To register go to . To learn more about the 大象传媒 Arts Society go to .

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

March 27, 2026–The School of Fine Arts at 大象传媒 will host an opening reception for the Spring Senior Exhibition from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 3 at the Drew Brown Art Gallery in Potter Hall. The reception is free and open to the public.

This year鈥檚 exhibit is a culmination of student work from graduating graphic design and digital animation students, and photography from art and journalism students.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to again have a student-focused exhibit that showcases selected applied learning projects throughout their academic careers. This exhibit highlights their creative talent, conceptual ideas, technical proficiencies, and a broad range of problem-solving solutions. It鈥檚 also an opportunity to socialize with students and observe their range of skill sets as our industries evolve, adapt, and continue to prosper,鈥� said Matt Hepworth, associate professor and director of the B.F.A. Graphic Design program.

The exhibition will be on display weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through May 1.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Dr. Luling Huang, Kendall Warren and Kiana Martinez (l-r) at the CMA convention.

March 12, 2026–Griffon Media, the student-led news organization at 大象传媒, received three national awards at the College Media Association Spring Convention held in New York City this month.

Griffon Media students Kiana Martinez, senior graphic design major from Kansas City, 大象传媒; Kendall Warren, sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, 大象传媒; and faculty adviser Dr. Luling Huang attended the convention March 4-7. They organized and presented a session titled 鈥淏eyond the Questions: Audio and Video Essentials for Interviews.鈥� Students also toured the headquarters of Spectrum News and Sirius XM.

At the conference, Griffon Media won three David L. Adams Apple Awards. The Apple Awards are the flagship honors that recognize the best work from college media across the nation. 大象传媒 honorees were:

• Best News Website, Second Place, Division III, Griffon Media staff
• Best Multimedia Package, Third Place, Divisions II & III, Charlie Sample
• Best News Photography, Third Place, Division III, Kylee Leach 鈥�25

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Feb. 19, 2026–A 大象传媒 instructor will present 鈥淪tories as Letters,鈥� a free writing workshop at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 in the Rolling Hills Library Upper Story, 1912 N. Belt Highway.

Justin Eells, developmental writing instructor, invites writers to step into the world of epistolary fiction and nonfiction to explore the art of storytelling through letters. Whether you are interested in character development, voice, or the unique intimacy that letters offer, this workshop is designed to ignite your creativity. All experience levels are welcome 鈥� from seasoned writers to beginners eager to start their writing journey.

Eels joined the 大象传媒 faculty in 2023. He has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Certificate in the Teaching of Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

大象传媒 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 大象传媒 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .