The Buzz

University News - Spring 22

April 14, 2022 | Georgia Seagraves

Book Club

Associate Professor of English Cat Clifford started the GRACELAND BOOK CLUB in 2017 because she wanted to read 1984 by George Orwell and she wasn’t alone. Soon she had a group of students and faculty who gathered to foster community and celebrate the love of reading.

Book Club discusses books (usually novels) that the group decides to read. Last year’s selections ranged from “new classic” fantasy and dystopian novels like Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Dawn to Colson Whitehead’s recent award-winning novel The Nickel Boys. Students, staff, faculty and community members are welcome to join anytime and there is a strict “no guilt” policy — that is, members are encouraged to read if they can but not to feel guilty if they can’t!

What are you reading?

Here are some of the books alumni shared with us on social media back in the summer, along with a couple selections our Horizons team read recently.

Roger Powell ’12

Shane Adams ’99

Michelle Keenan Liner ’07

Terry Barker ’77

Tiffany Smith ’06

The Rise of “Stingdom”

While student attendance has ebbed and flowed at Graceland sporting events, this year’s Graceland Student Government (GSG) was determined to make it thrive. “We recognized that while we have so many student-athletes on campus, we were lacking school spirit at those events, and we wanted to find a way to support them,” said GSG president Casey Main ’22 (pictured front row, the one wearing floaties). From this initiative, coupled with the students’ desire to have a STUDENT SECTION, the “Stingdom” was born. The new student section can be seen attending sporting events with exciting themes like beach day, gold out, and jersey night.

A New Degree for a Changing World

The past few years have shifted and changed many paradigms while also challenging social and religious institutions. With a desire to change the world, the Community of Christ Seminary now offers a MASTER OF ARTS IN PEACE AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION for those who wish to explore the intersection of faith and action and how it can be applied in everyday life. The goal of this program is to spark important conversations around justice by combining spiritual formation, theological literacy, civic engagement, local ministry context, and innovative methods of social change and transformation.

KANSAS CITY, MO – Jun 15: Photo from the game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday June 15, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo (Photo by Jason Hanna/Kansas City Royals)

Together Royal

Graceland sponsored the KANSAS CITY ROYALS NURSE APPRECIATION NIGHT on June 15, 2021, as a special event to honor the hard work, strong commitment, and dedication of all nurses. Alumni, Graceland nurses, and Royals fans gathered together at Kauffman Stadium to celebrate the incredible sacrifice healthcare workers have made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Graceland gave out “Gutsy Nurses” shirts, hand sanitizer, shopping bags and even had two Gracelanders — Katie Bruels ’18 and Patrick Kirk ’19 — throw and catch the honorary first pitch.

Mark your calendars and join us at the K for our next Nurses Night on May 20, 2022.

Signs That Matter

Associate Professor of Art Karen Gergely and her 2D Design classes finished the Fall 2021 semester with A PARADE OF ORIGINAL SIGNS students made and carried across the Lamoni campus The assignment was for students to create signs that either represented their identity or something they believe would make the world a better place.

Lady Ja(gs)ckets

Women’s soccer players senior Natalie Need and freshman Annalisa Vincent were selected to join the GUYANA LADY JAGS NATIONAL TEAM, coached by Ivan Joseph ’96, in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round of matches held in February and April of 2022. Just before Nedd and Vincent returned to Guyana to start training ahead of the February matches, Graceland hosted a send-off party to celebrate their achievement.

Spicing Up The Commons

Since 1961, thousands of students have enjoyed community meals in the Floyd M. McDowell Commons. To make the experience even better, Graceland partnered with Sodexo in August of 1998 provide excellent food service to students on the Lamoni campus. This past summer, Graceland renewed their contract with Sodexo began an exciting new project to provide the Commons and the Swarm with a major upgrade. It was not just new paint and new finishings – the Commons received new seating including a variety of styles like booths and high-tops, an allergen-free station, plant-based options, and improved energy efficiency.