Savannah’s Senior Photos

I’ve had the honor of knowing Savannah for a little less than a year. She is has a bright and strong personality, and I was happy to capture some of that spark during this photos shoot.

We started our shoot at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The weather was perfect, and the lighting was almost magical.

Savannah owned every single pose. Her confidence made her one of the best models I’ve ever worked with.

She had requested some “artsy photos” before we started, and I was more than happy to capture some unique shots for her.After finishing up at the museum, we ventured into the Westport District of Kansas City to get an urban feel to some photos.

We found some awesome street art that made for bright, colorful photos.We also stumbled upon a cute, little record shop. The people working there welcomed us in and allowed us to us their shop as a set.I’m very pleased with how these photos turned out and I hope you enjoyed them. If you are interested in booking a shoot, contact me at jessikaephotos@gmail.com.

WAC loses over $80,000 on Spring Concert (published in 2015)

As Missouri Western prepares for the annual Spring Concert, it remains to be seen if the “Money Maker”-Ludacris- will be able to end WAC’s losing streak.

Since 2009, the Spring Concert has received 74 percent less in revenues, while paying its artists 11 percent more to perform. Because of this, WAC has lost over 21 percent more on the Spring Concert in 2014 than it did in 2009.

Within the past five years, WAC’s biggest event has cost them a big chunk of change, with amounts growing from $60,000 to $80,000. These costs include the costs of artists, along with various concert expenditures that vary in price from year to year.

With Ludacris alone costing $85,000, WAC may see large amounts continued to be pulled from their budget this year if revenue patterns follow the ongoing trend.

Ludacris was chosen by WAC’s director of music Reyhan Wilkinson, along with advisor Isaiah Collier and vice president Julia Buesher. Both Collier and Buesher declined to interviews.

WAC is given $60,000 from SGA to pay for an artist, but changes in the budget allow the music director more freedom in choosing that year’s artist.

“We can play around with different things in the budget,” Wilkinson said. “This year we spent about $85-$90,000 on artists.”

With a budget of around $100,000 for the concert each year, WAC requested an additional $30,000 from SGA’s rollover this year. Although they were denied the increase, WAC is prepared to lose money on the event.

“It is a very common trend for them to lose at least 5 digits every single year,” SGA president Daniel Hager, said. “That’s not anyone’s fault; that’s just how it has been ever since we’ve been putting on a Spring Concert.”

In 2009, WAC paid over $58,000 for country artist Blake Shelton and Bluegrass duo Joey and Rory to perform.  Even without a student ticket fee, 2009 brought the most revenue for WAC to date, with almost $40,000. Because of this large amount of revenue, WAC lost only $62,000 on the concert.

Rock bands Puddle of Mudd and Saliva cost over $50,000 and received over $30,000 in revenue the following year. After another year of high revenue, the concert cost WAC $61,000, making it the least-expensive concert in five years, despite the $93,000 in expenses.

Between 2010 and 2011, the money lost on the Spring Concert increased by 11 percent when hip-hop artists J.Cole and Jeremih performed for $45,000. Despite lower artist prices, WAC lost $70,000 on this event that only produced $3,600 in revenue.

In 2012, country artist Sara Evans and Shooting Blanks performed for $61,000, and WAC received $14,300 in revenue. Although the WAC saw an increase in revenue, the concert still cost nearly $70,000.

WAC lost the most in 2013 when the concert for 3OH!3, an American electronic duo, received no recorded revenue. This 20 percent increase in net loss from 2012 cost WAC over $85,000, and a $5 student ticket fee was instituted the following year.

This fee was introduced to offset the cost of higher caliber, award-winning future artists, according to WAC’s advisor Isaiah Collier. Last year, 312 students paid for tickets and an additional 200 were given away.

Wilkinson also believes that the fee will help bring in more popular artists for the Spring Concert.

“When you’re trying to reach a wider range of students, you’re going to go for a more popular artist, and those artists are more expensive,” Wilkinson said. “As long as we keep setting our bar higher, there’s going to be some type of fee in ticket prices for students.”

Despite this new student ticket fee, B.O.B. and SoMo’s performance brought only $10,000 in revenue after WAC paid over $90,000 to host the event. With a net loss of over $80,000 for last year, Ludacris will cost WAC $85,000 along with additional concert expenses.

“We always budget about $8-$10,000 for the lights and sound,” Wilkinson said. “This year, I think it was bout $7-$8,000, so we came in at the low end of what we had budgeted out for.

While concert prices add up quickly, this year WAC has raised the price of the concert from $5 to $7. Some members of SGA see why this could keep some students from attending the event.

“I think the $2 isn’t a huge deal,” student senator Kendra Greer said. “For students, that maybe it’s not the concert of their choice or somebody that they would have liked to see, they aren’t willing to pay for it; whereas maybe if it was free, more students would go to it regardless of the genre or artist.”

Although the price may keep some students from attending, Wilkinson feels that the optional student ticket fee is fair to students who do not wish to attend.

“At least this way, it’s kind of optional, instead of raising the SGA fee on tuition raised,” Wilkinson said.

While the student ticket fee may keep some from attending, SGA’s president believes this concert will see enough revenue to lower the cost for WAC.

“It’s not like $85,000 is gone,” Hager said. “I imagine we’ll see anywhere from $40-60,000 of that back in ticket sales. That’s just my prediction; I might be wrong. Who knows? We’ll see at the concert.”

Ticket revenue comes from both student ticket sales and tickets sold through Ticketmaster to those in the local community. According to Wilkinson, over 150 tickets have been sold to people outside of the university.

While tickets are being sold in the following months, WAC will see if Ludacris and a $7 student ticket fee can help raise revenue for this year’s Spring Concert.

Ludacris may continue trend of low attendance for MWSU spring concert (published in 2015)

As the Spring Concert approaches, it remains to be seen whether or not Ludacris will be able to break the trend of low attendance.
  The duty of planning the Spring Concert belongs to WAC, a branch of SGA in charge of activities.
“They [WAC] provide a lot of events on campus that are almost continuous every single year that a lot of students look forward to,” SGA president Daniel Hager, said. “Every single year, the numbers grow and grow.”

However, when it comes to the Spring Concert, the numbers have not continued to grow. In fact, records show that attendance has decreased by over 50 percent since 2009. 

 The highest record for attendance in recent years actually occurred in 2009. Country artist Blake Shelton headlined the concert and brought in 2,795 people. The following year another 2,282 people showed up to see rock bands, Puddle of Mudd and Saliva.

In 2011, when WAC invited hip-hop artists J. Cole and Jeremih to perform for the Spring Concert, attendance dropped by 49 percent from the previous year. Only 1,163 people attended, marking this event as the lowest-attended Spring Concert in the last five years.

Kendra Greer, a student senator who will be attending her fourth Spring Concert this year, noted the decrease in attendance.

“I think the number of attendance, at least in the students, seems to be going down, but it always seems that there’s a pretty good crowd from the community,” Greer said. “I think more students came when it was free; I think that would help get more students to come again.”

After the drop in 2011, attendance for the Spring Concert never even reached 1,500 again. The following year, WAC brought country back to Western with headliner Sara Evans, and pulled in 1,300 attendees, 200 more than the previous year.

In 2013 WAC drifted away from country again and invited American electronic duo 3OH!3. Unlike the JCole and Jeremih concert though, this show did experience a rise in attendance, with about 175 more in attendance than the Sara Evans concert.

The luck that WAC experienced in 2013 did not carry over into 2014 though. B.O.B. continued the trend of low attendance for hip-hop artists when he headlined the Spring Concert last year, bringing less than 1,400 people in attendance.

Despite attendance records, WAC has chosen yet another hip-hop artist for the 2015 Spring Concert. Ludacris, a popular performer from the early 2000s, was chosen by WAC’s director of music, Reyhan Wilkinson, along with WAC’s advisor Isaiah Collier and vice president Julia Buesher who both declined to comment.

“Since he is an older artist, I’ve gotten good feedback from some of the more nontraditional students,” said Wilkinson. “I feel like it will bring in a wider range of people. Also, it’s on a Saturday this year, so that will open it up more for people from the St. Joseph and Kansas City area.”

However, there are some SGA members who question the decision made by Wilkinson. 

“I don’t know where Ludacris came from,” Greer said. “I think that it’s kind of old, but at the same time we’re not a school like Mizzou that has millions of dollars to spend.”

Despite the conflict that arises while choosing an artist, Hager stands beside the decision made by Wilkinson.

“You’ll have some students that will speak up and say ‘Oh, we should have had country; we should have had Gabriel Iglesias [a comedian],’” Hager said. “This is what the director thought was in his best decision as to what the majority of the students would want.”

Rather than follow a rotating genre system used by other universities, WAC’s music director chooses the artist for the Spring Concert based on music that is popular that year in order to appeal to most students.

While trying to appeal to the majority of students, Wilkinson may not be reaching the entire campus. Through E-board meetings and write-ins, WAC members have their say about suggestions made by Wilkinson. Students on the other hand, are reached in more casual ways.

“I’ll tweet out every once in a while who I might be thinking for the Spring Concert,” Wilkinson said. “But it’s mostly word of mouth and the members of WAC.”

 The music director observed that word of mouth is not the best method for student input.

“Obviously there’s some limits there,” Wilkinson said. “We just try to keep it the broadest with someone who’s been on the radio a lot.”

One way WAC has considered reaching more students is by hosting a more festival type of Spring Concert, with several artists from different genres. If this were instituted, WAC would be spending $20,000 on a four different artists, rather than $80,000 on a single headliner like Ludacris.

Although there are doubts about how much draw Ludacris will have, Hager remains confident that this year’s concert will be a success.

“The only reason I was upset with Ludacris is just because he hasn’t released anything new recently,” Hager said. “Just because he hasn’t made a single recently, I don’t think that will diminish how many people want to go see that artist.” 

Contrary to Hager’s beliefs, Ludacris released a single called “Party Girls” just last December, a fact known by Wilkinson. On top of his recent single, Ludacris will be releasing his new album Ludaversal the same month he will be performing at the Civic Arena, which may bring more in attendance.

While a new album may draw people to the Ludacris concert, Wilkinson is aware that campus atmosphere plays a big part in turnout.

“I know student interest peaks and has its lows” Wilkinson said. “It just depends on what the student atmosphere is that year and what school spirit is like.”

Another big factor the music director must consider is of course, artist genre.

“Genre is very difficult,” Wilkinson said. “We do our best to pick one that will please most students.”
Even with Ludacris’ new album being released in march, attendance records from recent years show that Missouri Western may not respond well to another hip-hop artist. 
  

Vietnamese Dancer

Taken at Missouri Western’s 4th International Fair

Taken at Missouri Western’s 4th International Fair.

Easter Photos 2015

Parents kiss their daughter on the cheek.
Also liked this in black & white.

Parents kiss their daughter on the cheek.

Child ventures onto the trampoline instead of collecting eggs.

Young girl poses in her new Easter outfit.

Eastern State Penitentiary

In October of 2014, members of the Griffon Yearbook attended the College Media Association’s fall conference in Philadelphia. Between learning sessions and team building exercises, we  ventured to Eastern State Penitentiary.

Throughout the tour we took, we learned about one the the first penitentiaries in the world. Eastern State used religious beliefs and solitary confinement to enforce order among inmates like Al Capone.

Eastern State is considered one of the most haunted buildings in the world.

The gate of Eastern State’s Medical Wing remains locked during tours.

Leaves cover the crumbling walls of Eastern State.

Benches line the wall near the baseball field once used by inmates.

Some sections of Eastern State remain off-limits to visitors.

Visitors walk through Eastern State Penitentiary.

Visitors walk through Eastern State Penitentiary.

Amanda & Jason- Maternity Shoot

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.
My friend is a big fan of black and white photos, so I made extra copies for her.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.
My friend is a big fan of black and white photos, so I made extra copies for her.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.
My friend is a big fan of black and white photos, so I made extra copies for her.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.
My friend is a big fan of black and white photos, so I made extra copies for her.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.
My friend is a big fan of black and white photos, so I made extra copies for her.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.
My friend is a big fan of black and white photos, so I made extra copies for her.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.
My friend is a big fan of black and white photos, so I made extra copies for her.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.
My friend is a big fan of black and white photos, so I made extra copies for her.

I had the opportunity of taking my friend’s maternity photos. We managed to get out on one of the last warm days of fall and the sunset worked really well for the shoot.

Drag Show 2014

In celebration of LGBT history month, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014, Missouri Western hosted a Drag Show in the Fulkerson Center.

The large room was packed as over 360 people filled dozens of tables and stood along walls to watch the performance. As spotlights lit the runway, several female impersonators took the stage adorned in sky-high stilettos, glimmering gowns and huge hairdos. From the moment one hostess, named Sparkle, grabbed the mic, these drag divas had the full attention of their audience.

“We really aim for everyone to just have a lot of fun,” Sparkle said. “It’s our purpose to make sure our audiences is having a great time. If they’re just sitting there bored, then we’re not doing our job.”

Some numbers were classy, such as a rendition of “Good Morning Baltimore” from the Broadway musical “Hairspray.” But for the majority of the show, the audiences was treated to risque’ performances, some of which involved audience members.

During a Rihanna Medley, Sparkle took on the role of this artist from her bright red hair to her provocative dance moves. At one point Sparkle even came off the stage to dance on a table where several faculty members were seated, including Shannon Meyer and Isaiah Collier.

Throughout the performance, the dancers were able to pull several dollars bills from their corsets given to them by audience members. The entertainers didn’t keep these profits, however. The Center for Multicultural Education invited these performers to the campus to help with a very special project.

“It’s always done to raise awareness about a particular issue within the LGBT community,” said Latoya Fitzpatrick, director of the CME. This year’s donations went toward The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated in providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention to people of the LGBT community and those questioning their sexuality. They target people within the ages of 13 and 25 due to this being a time when many LGBTQ young people are three to four times more likely to end their own lives.

“I think it’s a great idea because LGBT [are more likely] to suffer from a mental illness of some sort,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think a lot of times that’s a population that a lot of people sort of sweep under the rug, because it’s so wrapped around the religious standpoint that people can’t get passed that. They don’t really delve into the actual person. No one deserves to be discriminated against: no one deserves to be killed, or beaten, or anything like that.”

Taylor McGrath, President of the Pride Alliance was glad to see the funds going toward a project that is helping people. The Pride Alliance met with some representatives earlier in the semester and discussed how to handle things like suicide and depression that might come from up; they learned most importantly that they should point those who are struggling to resources like Trevor. “I think it’s an awesome project and foundation for the funds to go to,” said McGrath. “I’m really grateful that they did that.”

“It has a lot to do with bullying especially in high school and middle school,” said McGrath in regards to the mental illness many LGBT youth face. “These kids are different, and they feel different, and other people make them feel different. And so they get picked on, or they feel unincluded, or they feel alone, and that leads to the anxiety and depression.”

McGrath is right; this bullying among young people is a huge dilemma in the LGBTQ community. According the Trevor Project website, each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average.

The Trevor Project provides access to 24/7 counseling from trained counselors by calling their lifeline, texting, or online chatting. There is also information available for people who are concerned for LGBT people in their lives.

Another source of counseling available to all Missouri Western students is through the counseling center located in Eder 203. There students can find counselors who specialize in helping people in the LGBTQ community among other things.

“In the event that someone is experiencing anxiety, or depression, or something serious I definitely think that they should go to counseling first because they will know how to help them,” McGrath said. Another support base for LGBT students is within the Pride Alliance.

“We are important as well as a form of community,” McGrath said. “These people feel alone, and when they know there are other [LGBT], asexual- anybody on the spectrum – if they know there are other people out there that are like that they won’t feel so alone.”

While donations were given for such a crucial cause, Missouri Western was able to enjoy an upbeat show filled drag queens in stilettos cartwheeling and falling into splits.

“I was really shocked at how many people came,” McGrath said. “I just didn’t know with how visible LGBT presence was on campus that that many people would show up to a drag show at Missouri Western. But that entire room was full; there were people that were standing because they didn’t have chairs, and that really awed me.”

The 2014 Drag Show was without a doubt filled with talent, humor and purpose.

Missouri Western Visual Arts Day 2014

Visual Arts Day: A Chance to Learn and Connect

Missouri Western’s third annual Visual Arts Day was held on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014. High school students from the St. Joseph and Kansas City area were welcomed to Potter Hall for this day of learning, competing and connecting.

A high school art teacher from Dekalb High, Laurie Atkins, had the opportunity to bring her students to Visual Arts Day for the first time this year.

“I’d talked to some of the other teachers who had brought their students, and they talked about what a great day it was,” said Atkins. Visual Arts Day gives teachers a chance to share ideas and get more involved with their students. Many teachers participate along side their students in workshops and compete in their own “3-Throw Competition” in the ceramics shop.

The hallways were crowded with the 900 students that attended this year’s program. After registering with their school, the young artists were set loose to decorate the hallways with their work. The All Media Student Art Exhibition allowed students the opportunity to showcase their artwork and to see the work of their contemporaries.

“I’m very impressed by a lot of the drawing and sculpture projects I’ve seen,” Atkins said. “I think it’s good for them to see the artwork that other students are doing. It gives the chance to say ‘hey maybe I could do something like that’ instead of a teacher just telling them how to do things. It’s good for them to see what other kids can do.”

A large variety of workshops were available for students in the Potter classrooms. Some of these workshops included the “3-Throw Competition”, Painting and Digital Animation. It gave participants the opportunity to try their hand at new art forms and meet fellow artists.

“Coming here helps you a lot to see how to express yourself – how other people do it,” said Morgan Rich, a junior from Mid Buchanan High School. “If you find other people that do this stuff, they’re easier to get along with. It’s like your group of people.”

“It helps me realize where I need to be going towards,” said Rich. “It helps you realize what it [art] really is; it’s not just drawing and painting things.” Rich plans to pursue a future in the art realm after graduation. This was her second year at the Visual Arts Days and she is considering joining Missouri Western’s art program.

“We’ve got a really good school here,” said Dr. Allison Sauls. “We’re the best kept secret of the state as far as our art department is concerned. It’s really a good art department; I would like to see some of the really good students come and see what we’re doing.”

Sauls is a professor of art history at Missouri Western and has watched Art Day grow over the past three years. “We had a big group last year…this year was just packed,” said Sauls. She also had some advice for the incoming art majors.

“Just know, right up front, you’re going to have to work hard,” said Sauls. “It’s not just puppies and fuzzy kittens, you got to work hard. And when you get out of here, although this is a terrific school, you’re going to be up with people from Harvard and big schools. You’ve go to get out there and show them that you’ve studied: you studied more than we’re giving you.”

The person who has had the biggest influence in Missouri Western’s Visual Arts Day is probably   David Harris. His history with Art Day has helped this program become a major event for the art students of local schools.   “Missouri Western had an art day back in the mid-70s,” said Harris. “I participated in one of those as a student.” When Harris taught at a community college in Kansas he got his start helping in Art Days. When he came to Missouri Western he was asked organize a similar event for the university.

“I worked on it a couple years trying to get it connected to art teachers and the state,” said Harris. “And then three years ago we had our first one, and I think we had almost 500 students that first year, about 700 the next year, and then 900 this year.”

Visual Arts Day wouldn’t have been able to grow to such an impressive size if it weren’t for the help of the entire art department.

“There is no way that we could do this without every single person being involved,” Harris said. “In fact, all the faculty has helped tremendously. The workshops and everything that happens that day, if it wasn’t for the rest of the faculty, there is no way we could do this. No way.”

With the help of so many faculty members and Missouri Western students, Visual Arts Day has grown and improved remarkably in these past three years.

“I would say Missouri Western’s Art Day is the premiere art event in the state,” said Harris. “I think the kids like it because it’s workshop-oriented. They have an art show, but there are also workshops where they can get involved. They can actually produce something, and I think it makes a real connection with high schools students because they’re touching things and making things.”

While students jump between workshops creating new things and competing against each other, the goal of Visual Arts Day is to unite artists.

“We get high school students coming in, their high school maybe has 10 or 20 people who are sort of in the arts,” said Harris. “They feel a little bit isolated because there’s 500 kids in the school and there’s 15 people who are sort of artists at their soul. And when they get here they sort of realize there’s a lot more people who feel the way they do.”

Missouri Western’s Visual Arts Day 2014

Students paint wooden houses in the “Brick House” workshop during Art Day. Missouri Western’s Visual Arts Day gave students the opportunity to try their hand in a variety of workshops.

High School student, Paige Rhodes, molds three pounds of clay on her potter’s wheel. Students got the chance to participate in the “3-Throw Competition”, in which participants try to make the widest and tallest shape possible in three minutes.

Students make monoprints in one of Missouri Western’s workshops. Using paper towels, q-tips and pencils, students selectively removed ink from the glass plates to create their artwork.

A large crowd of students, teachers, and Missouri Western volunteers gather to see the “3-Throw Competition” between teachers. Even the local high schools’ teachers were encouraged to get involved at Western’s Visual Arts Day.

David Harris, a Missouri Western instructor, gets his hands dirty in the “3-Throw Competition.” Harris has been organizing Western’s Visual Arts Day for the past three years.