Central Methodist University

The enrollment management office at Central Methodist University has welcomed a handful of new student ambassadors for the 2022-23 academic year. These students are some of Central's finest, chosen because of their proven leadership skills, devotion to CMU, and their ability to communicate effectively. They guide potential students and their families around the Fayette campus, sharing the buildings, history, and opportunities found here. Ambassadors explain how the campus functions and what students are likely to experience. Ambassadors assist at other CMU events as well.

With the start of the new academic year comes new residential life staff on the Fayette campus of Central Methodist University, as residence hall directors and residential assistants begin work in their respective buildings. The staff's work got started in earnest this month with student move-in and the start of the semester. Residence hall directors for the 2022-23 academic year include Maddi Pragman in Holt Hall, Breanna May in Howard-Payne Hall, Patrick Gittemeier in Burford Hall, Michael Morrisette in Woodward Hall, and Bryan Adams in McMurry Hall.

Nearly 100 Central Methodist University students were included on the program at May commencement for being honored with academic awards. Each department on campus chose and submitted names of award winners and honorees for the 2021-22 academic year.

More than 500 Central Methodist University earned degrees this spring, with graduates from the Fayette and statewide campuses, as well as online, walked across the commencement stage in May. Graduates were recognized for academic honors at the ceremony and were treated to a commencement address by former Missouri judge and lawmaker Ted House.

The office of Central Methodist University Provost Rita Gulstad announced recently the students included on the Spring 2022 Dean's List. More than 900 students across all campuses and online learning met the requirements for placement, including a grade point average of 3.50 or higher for the semester.

The office of Central Methodist University provost Rita Gulstad announced recently the students included on the Fall 2021 Dean's List. Almost 1,000 students across all campuses and online learning met the requirements for placement, including a grade point average of 3.50 or higher for the semester.

The next show coming to the Little Theatre stage for the 2021-22 season is Anna Ziegler's "Boy," directed for the Central Methodist University audience by Professor Lonna Wilke. Inspired by a true story, "Boy" explores the complicated terrain of trying to find love in a new body, and the inextricable bonds between doctor and patient. In the 1960s, a well-intentioned doctor convinces the parents of a male infant to raise their son as a girl after a terrible accident. Two decades later, the repercussions of that choice continue to unfold. The show will premiere at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 2, followed by 7:30 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday, and then a 1:30 p.m. show on Sunday. Shows will be livestreamed and open to in-house audiences at the Little Theatre. Call the box office at 660-248-6281 for tickets and more information.

For the first time under the direction of Dr. Patrick Dill, the Central Methodist University Chorale singers will soon set off for a tour of Missouri churches and high schools. The Chorale will set out on Thursday, November 18 and travel to various towns to perform through Monday, November 22. On the program for the tour are three sections: Lamentations and Exultations, Guiding Hope, and Illumination and Transformation, each including a number of songs. Visit https://news.centralmethodist.edu/2021/11/chorale-tour-november-18.html for the full schedule.

The Central Methodist University winter commencement ceremony on December 4 will marked the end of a long and challenging journey for the 300-plus students eligible to take part. Along with featured speaker Dr. Joe Parisi, CMU's vice president for enrollment management, students' family, friends, and other guests celebrated the hard work and dedication of all the Eagles who crossed the stage.

The new season at The Little Theatre on the campus of Central Methodist University will kick off next month with a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Carousel. Directed by Dr. Mark Kelty with music direction by Dr. Susan Quigley-Duggan, the show will run from October 14-17. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's second collaboration (after the successful Oklahoma!) cemented their reputation for soaring music and a riveting storyline. The time is 1873. The place, a small New England fishing village. Billy Bigelow, the handsome and swaggering barker for Mrs. Mullin's carousel, meets Julie Jordan, a lovely young working girl at the nearby mill, when Julie and her friend Carrie Pipperidge come to the amusement park. Billy and Julie fall in love and are soon married, but not happily ever after. Their struggles, in contrast to the agitated bliss of Carrie and her Mr. Snow, carry forward into the afterlife and back.

Weekly chapel events, a staple of student life at Central Methodist University, are already underway for the 2021-22 academic year, with three new chapel bands to lead the music portion. Under the guidance of Dr. David Witter, director of music ministry education, each of the bands will be headed by a student leader. Jack Fender of Columbia, Mitchell Crofton of Springfield, Ill., and Mikayla Kinkead of Fredericktown - all music ministry majors - have been selected as this year's leaders. The bands can be heard every week at chapel, in Assembly Hall at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays.

Coach Kenny Anderson and the Central Methodist University coaching staff have released the roster for the 2021 Eagle women's cross country team.

Coach Kenny Anderson and the Central Methodist University coaching staff have released the roster for the 2021 Eagle men's cross country team.

Coach Stephen Main and the Central Methodist University coaching staff have released the roster for the 2021 Eagle women's golf team.

Coach Stephen Main and the Central Methodist University coaching staff have released the roster for the 2021 Eagle men's golf team.

Coach Coleman Lee and the Central Methodist University coaching staff have released the roster for the 2021 Eagle volleyball team.

Coach Dan Schmidlin and the Central Methodist University coaching staff have released the roster for the 2021 Eagle women's soccer team.

Coach Alex Nichols and the Central Methodist University coaching staff have released the roster for the 2021 Eagle men's soccer team.

Coach David Calloway and the Central Methodist University coaching staff have released the roster for the 2021 Eagle football team.

With the start of the new academic year comes new residential life staff on the Fayette campus of Central Methodist University, as residence hall directors and residential assistants begin work in their respective buildings. The staff's work got started in earnest in August with student move-in. Residence hall directors for the 2021-22 academic year include Maddi Pragman in Holt Hall, Breanna May in Howard-Payne Hall, Marco Blanchard in Burford Hall, Brent Schuck in Woodward Hall, and Rose Bennett in McMurry Hall. Meanwhile, RAs for each of CMU's five main residential halls are on-hand to assist students with their needs.

Central Methodist University provost Dr. Rita Gulstad announced recently the students included on the Spring 2021 Dean's List. Nearly 1,000 students across all campuses and online learning met the requirements for placement, including a grade point average of 3.50 or higher for the semester.

This spring's commencement at Central Methodist University was split into two indoor ceremonies on Saturday, May 8, allowing nearly 200 graduates to receive their degrees in front of friends and family in Puckett Fieldhouse. CMU Board of Trustees chairman Dr. Robert "Tad" Perry '65 delivered the commencement address and received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater. On the awards front, this year's Selecman Award, Central's most prestigious prize, went to Shannon Peters. Martina Florido was the recipient of the Victoria Award, and Nehemiah Colyer was this year's winner of the Human Relations Award.

Central Methodist University's Fine Arts performers and majors were recently recognized for their talents and scholarly work at this year's awards ceremony.

The latest play coming to the Little Theatre is an adaptation of the timeless classic, The Little Prince, coming to the stage at the beginning of March. The spring performance will be guest directed by Christopher Oliver and will be shown to a live theatre audience and on an online livestream from March 11-14. Shows will be at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. on Friday, 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Many Central Methodist University students are heading out of town at the end of the week as the school takes a spring recess, but the members of the Central concert band are hitting the road for a different reason. Under the direction of conductor Skip Vandelicht, the band is going back on tour, with stops at five regional high schools on the itinerary. The band is scheduled to head out on Thursday for a 2 p.m. performance at Westran High School, followed by a noon show at New Franklin High School on Friday. On Monday, the band will visit Glasgow High School for an 8 a.m. performance, and the tour will conclude with two shows on Tuesday, at Fulton High School at 8:15 a.m. and Sullivan High School at 1 p.m.

Central Methodist University provost Dr. Rita Gulstad announced this week the students included on the Fall 2020 Dean's List. More than 1,000 students across all CMU campuses met the requirements for placement, including a grade point average of 3.50 or higher for the semester.

After a successful first run with performing to a live and online audience, the players of the Little Theatre are back this month with a pair of short plays in a show titled Haunted Lives. The show will run from November 12-15, with the Thursday through Saturday shows beginning at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinee will take place at 1:30. As with the previous show, in-person seating will be available on a limited basis for the campus community on evening shows, while Sunday seating will be invitation only. Livestream tickets will soon be available for purchase at https://www.showtix4u.com/event/42482. The November plays will be directed by professor Lonna Wilke, who will also serve as the scenic and light director. Terri Rohlfing is the costume designer, and Paul Byland is the scene shop foreman. Poppy Garner of Saint Charles, Mo. will be the assistant director and stage manager, while Harley Dohrman of Slater, Mo. is the assistant stage manager.

The annual GEMS of Vocal Literature Recital will be presented to a limited live audience and over livestream at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 23. Fourteen Central Methodist University vocal students under the direction of Dr. Susan Quigley-Duggan and Dr. Kristin Newbegin will present a varied program of Italian, German, French, English, and contemporary American songs. Selections include songs by composers such as Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Mahler, Bizet, Rorem, Thiman, Bernstein, and Quilter. Limited space will be available for physically distanced seating, open to CMU students, faculty, and staff wearing masks. The performance will also be streamed live online here: https://centralmethodist.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=d4f27710-13b2-4dcb-b0c8-ac55011b203a.

The show will go on at Central Methodist University's Little Theatre this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The first play of the season, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, will be performed from October 8 to 11. The musical comedy, with book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and music by Steven Lutvak, tells the tale of Monty Navarro, the black sheep of the D'Ysquith family, who finds out he is ninth in line to inherit a dukedom and decides to eliminate the other eight heirs standing in his way. Under the leadership of Dr. Mark Kelty, professor of theatre, this year's plays will be rehearsed, produced, and performed in new ways with the safety of all involved at the forefront. One of the biggest changes is that the performances will be livestreamed online, rather than staged in front of a live audience at the Little Theatre. More details on where to find the stream will be released closer to the show's opening night.

Central Methodist University's new Praise Ensembles, a staple of the weekly Chapel activities in Linn Memorial United Methodist Church, are beginning to take their places as leaders in faith for the campus community. There will be four ensembles this year, selected by David Witter, director of music ministry education and assistant professor of music.