Congratulations to UMKC Mock Trial

By , April 30, 2013 8:15 am

From left to right – Matias Bichara (junior), Rayyan Umrani (junior), Khalil Kennedy (freshman), Ida Ayalew (freshman), Whitney Young (freshman), and Brody Sabor (freshman).

Six members of the UMKC  Undergraduate Mock Trial Team competed at the National Diversity Mock Trial Competition in Chicago earlier this April.  The competition was established to encourage interest in the law among diverse undergraduate students and is hosted by the John Marshall School of Law.  Student participants conducted full trials in a courtroom setting and experienced how the law is practiced and applied.  The competition was judged by law students and local attorneys and judges.

UMKC was awarded five of the eight total awards given at the competition (4 top team awards and 4 top individual speaker awards).  And perhaps even more impressive, all six competing team members are first-year mock trial competitors.  The UMKC Mock Trial team was awarded the 2nd (Matias Bichara, junior),  3rd (Rayyan Umrani, junior)  and 4th (Ida Ayalew, freshman) place team awards.  In addition, Rayyan Umrani was awarded the 1st place top speaker award, and freshman Brody Sabor was awarded the 2nd place top speaker award.  In addition to awards, the students earned tuition waivers towards their first year of law school at select law schools:  Rayyan Umrani ($21,000), Matias Bichara ($9,000), Brody Sabor ($9,000) and Ida Iyalew ($3,000). 

The team is composed of undergraduate students and try-outs are held in the Fall of every year.  The team is coached by Jessica Bernard (Ensz & Jester and UMKC adjunct instructor), Anthony McDaniel (UMKC alumnus and current UMKC School of Law student), Irene Downs (UMKC alumna), Amanda Mendon (UMKC alumna), and Kate Young (UMKC alumna). 

New Next Fall – The RooWriter replaces the WEPT!

By , April 30, 2013 8:14 am

New Next Fall – The RooWriter replaces the WEPT!

Starting Monday August 19, 2013, the first day of the regular Fall semester, the online RooWriter Writing Assessment will officially be launched, replacing the handwritten Written English Proficiency Test (WEPT) with a more student-friendly and student-useful assessment tool.

All undergraduate students must complete the writing assessment in order to graduate and to enroll in certain courses—but now the assessment is on-line, within a longer window of time, and provides direct feedback on a student’s current ability to use academic reading and writing in the critical analysis of discourse.

Like the old WEPT, students write a persuasive written argument in the form of an essay based on a given Reading Packet.

Unlike the old WEPT, students now have a much larger selection of Reading Packets to choose from and will receive a copy of their essay as well as a critical response to that essay written by two RooWriter Evaluators rather than a simple (and unenlightening) pass/fail grade.

The criteria the Evaluators will use for assessing student performance on the RooWriter are based on the criteria used to assess student reading, writing, and discourse analysis in the new 30-hour University-wide General Education Program.

Taking the RooWriter will only satisfy the undergraduate graduation requirement after a student has completed Discourse II (or equivalent), but we encourage students to take the RooWriter at any time (and multiple times) before or after Discourse II as a personal diagnostic as they move through their UMKC career.

RooWriter Advantages for Students:

  • Take online anywhere, at any time, on any computer over the Internet; no long registration delays!
  • Typed with a word processor over 72 hours, rather than handwritten in a bluebook over a 3 hour period
  • A choice of discipline-specific Reading Packet of articles on a subject of interest to you
  • Receive a copy of your essay and critical feedback on your writing in a formative, diagnostic report
  • Can take more than once in your UMKC career, and before graduation, for a current assessment of your writing

Remember, if you have questions about your writing, contact the Writing Studio at 235-1146 to set up an appointment with a tutor or ask about upcoming writing workshops. The RooWriter will be working closely with the Writing Studio to help students make use of the reports the RooWriter provides. The Writing Studio has locations in the Atterbury Student Success Center and Miller Nichols Library.

Living with Bipolar Disorder

By , April 30, 2013 8:13 am

The UMKC Counseling Center will host the Kansas City chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for a free event called Living With Bipolar Disorder on May 1 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm in Pierson Auditorium in the Atterbury Student Success Center.

The event includes a screening of the film Living with Bipolar Disorder followed by a facilitated discussion.  The film features stories of people who have been treated for bipolar disorder or whose loved ones have had been affected.  Everyone interested in learning more about Bipolar Disorder is invited, especially students and anyone who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or who knows someone with this diagnosis.

For questions about the program, please contact Dr. Rachel Pierce at piercerac@umkc.edu or 235-5186.

 

 

2013 UMKC Student Art Exhibition

By , April 30, 2013 8:12 am

Opening Reception: Thursday, May 2nd, 5 -7pm

Exhibition dates: May 2nd, 2013 through TBA

Commencement hours: Friday, May 17th, 11-4pm

We are pleased to announce the 2013 UMKC Student Art Exhibition. All currently enrolled students at UMKC were eligible to submit work across a variety of media, include painting, photography, printmaking, graphic design, and video. Featuring pieces by 29 artists, this year’s show promises to be one of the most exciting yet.

The exhibition was juried by artist/curator Todd Keyser from the Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. Keyser’s work encompasses a reevaluation of the arbitrary nature of images and media in relation to the manifestation of reality.

For more information, please visit the website at http://info.umkc.edu/art/umkcgallery/contact/ or email umkcgallery@umkc.edu .

Spring 2013 Gallery hours:

Mon. 8am – 4pm, Tues. 11am – 4pm, Wed. 9am – 3pm & 6:30-8:30pm, Thurs. 11am – 7pm, Fri. 9am – 12pm, Sat. 11am – 4pm

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