The Crow’s Nest — December 6, 2024

Park Cross Country Runners Compete at NAIA Nationals

Four Park University cross country runners, three from the Parkville (Mo.) Campus and one from the Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus, participated in the NAIA Cross Country National Championship in Columbia, Mo., on Nov. 22.

Lukas Mehl (right), Parkville Campus sophomore, led Park’s competitors, placing 134th with a time of 25:22.3 on the 8,000 meter men’s course, while Parkville Campus freshman Cayden Walker placed 148th in a time of 25:27.7. In the women’s 6,000 meter race, Park-Gilbert senior Maryan Sharif placed 264th with a time of 24:37.4, with Parkville Campus freshman Lily Brecheisen not far behind, finishing 267th with a time of 24:40.0.

Park University Student-Athletes Earn NAIA Academic Honors

On Nov. 25, the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) announced its 2024 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes for fall sports. To qualify, students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, appear on the eligibility certificate for their sport and have attended their institution for at least one full year. A total of 61 Park University student-athletes, 40 from the Parkville (Mo.) Campus and 21 from the Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus, earned honors. The Parkville Campus women’s volleyball program led Park’s teams with 10 individuals being recognized, while the Parkville Campus women’s soccer and Gilbert Campus women’s soccer team added nine each. Find a complete list of the honorees at naia.org/sports/ScholarAthleteAwards/2024-25/fallscholarathletes.

Heart of America, Golden State Athletic Conferences Announce All-Conference Honors

The Heart of America Athletic Conference (of which Park University’s Parkville (Mo.) Campus is a member) and the Golden State Athletic Conference (of which Park’s Gilbert (Ariz.) Campus is a member, have announced all-conference honors for fall sports. Topping the November announcements was senior Zackery Fritz being named the HAAC Esports League of Legends Player of the Year for the second straight season, while defender/midfielder Noah Yalu was selected as the GSAC Freshman of the Year in men’s soccer. Additional Park athletes earning first team all-conference honors include: senior opposite hitter Izabella Ceratti, HAAC women’s volleyball; sophomore Lukas Mehl and freshman Cayden Walker, HAAC men’s cross country (by virtue of their fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively, in the HAAC championship meet on Nov. 9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa); junior midfielder Alicia Ypina, GSAC women’s soccer; and junior middle blocker Mallory Turner, GSAC women’s volleyball.

Park ICM Orchestra to Perform Holiday Concert on Dec. 7

The Park University International Center for Music Orchestra will perform its annual holiday concert on Saturday, Dec. 7, starting at 7:30 p.m. in Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel on the University’s flagship Parkville (Mo.) Campus. Admission to the concert is free, but attendees are asked to RSVP in advance. This year’s holiday celebration, “An Intimate Christmas with the ICM,” is set to enchant audiences with a beautiful blend of cherished Christmas favorites and delightful hidden gems. The ICM Orchestra, under the director of Steven McDonald, D.M.A., ICM director of orchestral activities and associate professor of music, will create a special evening of music full of holiday sounds and spirit. In addition, Payton Boldt, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in vocal performance at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, will join the orchestra as a guest soprano soloist. For more information about the concert, including scheduled repertoire and a link to RSVP, visit icm.park.edu/park-icm-orchestra-holiday-concert.

The next concert in the International Center for Music’s 2024-25 season will be a performance by the Park Trio – the ICM’s esteemed resident ensemble, featuring ICM faculty Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich, piano, Ben Sayevich, violin, and Daniel Veis, cello. The concert will be held on Friday, Jan. 24, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the 1900 Building in Mission Woods, Kan. For more information and a link to tickets, visit icm.park.edu/park-icm-presents-park-trio-in-recital.

Park University Seniors Featured in Campanella Gallery Exhibit

A trio of Park University seniors will showcase their works of art as part of an exhibit in the University’s Campanella Gallery (located inside Norrington Center on Park’s flagship Parkville Campus), Tuesday, Dec. 10, through Friday, Feb. 7. A reception for the artists will be held on Friday, Dec. 13, from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Gallery. Admission to the Campanella Gallery is free and open to the public. The students whose art will be featured, all seniors majoring in fine art, are: Courtney Flinn, Jessica Lowe and Hannah Slatier. Read more about the students and their work, along with Gallery operating hours, at park.edu/news/senior-art-exhibit.

Faculty, Staff, Student News

Debra Sheffer, Ph.D., professor of history, was a panelist for a University of Kansas Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics debate on Nov. 14 in Lawrence, Kan. The event, “The Counselors: Should the Draft be Reinstated?” featured a discussion on whether or not the military draft should be reinstated in the U.S. Sheffer was one of three panelists presenting the negating side of the issue. A story about the event appeared in the Kansas Reflector website on Nov. 15.

Two faculty and two graduate students combined to co-author an article on “Visuomotor Reaction Time Performance in Collegiate Contact and Limited Contact Teams Sports” that was published in the November edition of the Journal of Interdisciplinary Sciences. Ashley Bloodgood (right), assistant teaching professor of sport and exercise science, Mike Swoboda, D.H.Sc., assistant professor of sport and exercise science, Johanna Jessop, ’24, and seeking a Master of Education degree in organizational leadership and adult learning, and Nardia Padilla, ’22, seeking a Master of Public Administration degree, all co-wrote the study which assessed baseline reaction time performance of collegiate student-athletes participating in a contact team sport. The goal was to determine if significant differences in visuomotor RT existed between athletes who had previously sustained a concussion and were now cleared to play their respective sport against a control population of peers who have not sustained a concussion.

Bloodgood also co-authored the article “Can Lower-Body Strength and Power Alleviate Load Carriage Performance Decrements (Tactical Deficit) in Simulated Law Enforcement Job Tasks?” that was published in the November 1 edition of the International Journal of Exercise Science. The purpose of this study was to examine lower-body strength or power related to the tactical deficit in civilians performing police tasks.

Jack MacLennan, Ph.D., senior director for strategic initiatives and communications, and special assistant to the president (and also holds the title of associate professor of political science), was recently appointed to the St. Thomas University (Fredericton, New Brunswick) Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Park in the News

As part of the Kansas City Business Journal’s 25th anniversary of “Women Who Mean Business” (now known as “Women of Influence”), Theresa Garza, MPA ’14, a member of the WWMB Class of 2021, participated in a panel discussion that appeared in the KCBJ on Nov. 1. Garza is regional manager of governmental affairs for Spire Inc. and serves on the Raytown (Mo.) Board of Aldermen.

Matt Harris, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, was interviewed for a story that aired on Nov. 2 on KSHB-TV in Kansas City related to fact-checking Missouri’s Amendment 3.

Harris provided soundbites for stories that aired on KMBZ-FM in Kansas City on Nov. 5 related to estimates as to when results from the presidential election would be known. On Nov. 8, Harris was again interviewed by KMBZ-FM for stories related to what went wrong for Democrats across the country in the election.

On Nov. 6, Harris appeared live on KCTV’s (Kansas City) website and Facebook page for a 60-plus minute interview to provide insight on Donald Trump winning the presidential election, local election results and Kamala Harris’ concession speech.

That same day, Harris was interviewed for stories that aired on KCTV related to Missouri voters passing Amendment 2, which will allow sports betting in the state.

Harris provided comments for a story published in the Kansas City Star on Nov. 11 related to why a key KC-area Senate district that flipped to Republican is a “seismic shift.”

Ali Mammadov, a graduate certificate student in piano performance in Park University’s International Center for Music, appeared live on Kansas Public Radio’s “Classical Music in the Morning” program on Nov. 6.

The following day, strings students from the ICM appeared on KPR’s “Classical Music in the Morning.” Those performing were: violist Victor Diaz, graduate artist diploma student; violinist Aviv Daniel, junior music performance/violin major; violinist Yuren Zhang, graduate student seeking Master of Music degree; cellist Nikita Korzukhin, Master of Music graduate student; cellist James Farquhar, 2024 Master of Music graduate and current graduate certificate student; violinist Ilkhom Mukhiddinov, 2023 Bachelor of Music graduate and current graduate certificate student; violist Christian dos Santos, 2023 Bachelor of Music graduate and current graduate certificate student; and violinist Mumin Turgunov, senior music performance/violin major. In addition, pianist Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich, ICM director of collaborative piano, performed as well.

Melissa Feris, ’02, was featured on the CanvasRebel website on Nov. 13, featuring a number of the paintings she has completed.

GISDegree.org ranked Park University No. 7 on its “Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Geography” list.

Upcoming Events

(All events are Central time and on the flagship Parkville [Mo.] Campus unless noted)
          •  December 6 — Ellen Finley Earhart Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 2 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
          •  December 7 — International Center for Music Concert: Park ICM Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel
          •  December 8 — Fall Semester / Fall II Term Ends
          •  December 10-February 7 — Art Exhibit: Park University Senior Showcase, Campanella Gallery (Norrington Center); Reception: December 13, 3-6 p.m.
          •  December 24-25 — Christmas Holiday (all offices nationwide closed)
          •  December 26-30 — Park University Holiday (all offices nationwide closed)
          •  January 1 — New Year’s Day Holiday (all offices nationwide closed)
          •  January 13 — Spring Semester / Spring I Term Begins
          •  January 20 — Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (all University offices nationwide closed; Parkville and Gilbert daytime classes cancelled; Spring I classes held as scheduled)
          •  January 21 — Fishburn Archives Pirate Chat: “The Third Founder: Rev. Elisha B. Sherwood,” 7:30 p.m., Virtual
          •  January 24 — International Center for Music Concert: Park Trio, 7:30 p.m., 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kan.

To view a comprehensive schedule for all events, including athletics and student life, visit park.edu/calendars/park-events-calendar.