May 14, 2026鈥揟he Bushman Planetarium at 含羞草社区 will present public showings of 鈥淔ractals鈥� and 鈥淣anocam鈥� at 7 p.m. Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23. The planetarium is located inside Agenstein Hall, room 147.

鈥淔谤补肠迟补濒蝉”

A spectacular show that gives viewers a tour of the fractals in nature, endlessly repeating patterns made from simple algebraic equations. While these fractal zooms are mathematical abstractions, audiences are always amazed to recognize that patterns of nature 鈥� shapes such as trees, lightning, coastlines, insects, bacteria, seashells and more 鈥� can all be found within a fractal zoom. Each fractal tells the story of the processes that created it.

“Nanocam”

A fascinating journey exploring life forms that are invisible to the human eye and contribute to a better understanding of the world we live in. This show explores the kingdoms of bacteria, protists and their stunning mechanism of motility, the amazing structure of fungi, the specializations of plants and incredible complexity of the animal kingdom, seen through an electron microscope 鈥� a breathtaking trip into the five kingdoms of living things. This unique program, based on a scientific approach and featuring images that have never been seen before, offers another dimension of reality, a reality that is measured in micrometers.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military and senior citizens age 60 and up. Planetarium tickets are not sold at the door, so they must be purchased in advance either online at or in person at Agenstein Hall, room 140 during regular business hours.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

A 含羞草社区 student participates in a prescribed burn of the John Rushin Teaching and Research Prairie on April 1, 2023.

May 1, 2026–The Biology Department at 含羞草社区 will conduct a controlled burn of the John Rushin Teaching and Research Prairie this spring. The timing of the burn depends on weather conditions.听

Prescribed burns help maintain the health of prairie land to ensure it remains useful for research and applied learning. It will also provide wildlife conservation management students real-world experience in skills they will use professionally.

To avoid any possible discomfort from the smoke, it is advised that residents in the area close their windows during the burn. People in the immediate vicinity who are particularly sensitive to smoke are advised to remain indoors during the burn.

When the prescribed burn takes place, traffic will be restricted on the roads adjacent to the prairie: 50th Street (Scanlon and Vartabedian lots will still be accessible) and Messanie Street. Please respect barricades and allow teams to burn the prairie safely.

Based on the short-range weather forecast, the first window of opportunity is tomorrow, Saturday, May 2. Organizers expect to start around 9 a.m. Burning may continue into the afternoon, depending on conditions and progress.

If Missouri Western is unable to conduct the burn on May 2, the next possible date is Friday, May 8.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 17, 2026鈥摵卟萆缜� is creating a new scholarship for transfer students who want to pursue a degree in nursing.

鈥淲e know that there is a continual need for additional nurses in northwest Missouri, and 含羞草社区鈥檚 ability to educate those nurses is second to none,鈥� said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, president. 鈥淥ur program has been educating nurses for 55 years and has grown to become of the most respected nursing schools in the state. Students who have started their college careers elsewhere and are wanting to prepare for a career in nursing now have additional resources that will make a quality 含羞草社区 education even more affordable.鈥�

The 含羞草社区 Transfer Scholarship for Nursing is for students transferring from a community college or another four-year institution to pursue a degree in nursing from 含羞草社区. Award recipients receive $500, renewable for up to two years. The application process is simple, and the scholarship can be combined with other awards, but there is a limited number of scholarships available each year.

To qualify, you must be a transfer student, admitted to 含羞草社区, and have nursing declared as your major.

Missouri Western鈥檚 Bachelor of Science in Nursing program accepts up to 60 students each semester. The program has a graduation rate of more than 90%, a job placement rate of more than 95%, and graduates regularly exceed state and national averages for first-time pass rates on the NCLEX national licensing exam.

To learn more about the new scholarship, visit missouriwestern.edu/nursing/nursing-transfer-scholarship/.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 16, 2026鈥揟he Bushman Planetarium at 含羞草社区 will present public showings of 鈥淲onders of the Universe鈥� and 鈥淔orces of Nature鈥� at 7 p.m. Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25. The planetarium is located inside Agenstein Hall, room 147.

Wonders of the Universe

Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. On this breathtaking excursion, you鈥檒l witness the formation of galaxies and explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered. As your travels continue, you鈥檒l fly deep into our own Milky Way galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the solar system.

Forces of Nature

Come close to nature鈥檚 most powerful and extreme forces. Cameras capture large-scale volcanoes, earthquakes, and storms as a team of scientists travel the world in an attempt to figure out what causes these dangerous, yet undeniably thrilling natural occurrences. Putting their lives on the line in the name of scientific discovery, the experts forge their way through erupting pits, through volcanic flows, along fault lines, and in cars heading straight for tornados鈥� eyes. Narrated by Kevin Bacon.

The Bushman Planetarium features a Digistar 4 projection system and a dome that is tilted slightly, rather than directly overhead, making viewing easier. The Dolby 5.1 surround sound system enhances your viewing experience.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military and senior citizens age 60 and up. Planetarium tickets are not sold at the door, so they must be purchased in advance either online at or in person at Agenstein Hall, room 140 during regular business hours.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 14, 2026–含羞草社区鈥檚 third annual Griffon Esports Camp will be held May 26 through May 29.

Hosted by the Recreation Sports Management program, the camp will give participants the opportunity to use their passion for esports to promote personal growth and career development.听

Day sessions will run from 2 to 6 p.m. daily, for students ages 10 to 18. Games played will be Fortnite, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. and Valorant.听

Match night sessions will also be offered for campers 14 to 18 years old from 7 to 9 p.m. Games played will be Fortnite, Rocket League, Overwatch and Valorant.

Campers will:

• Earn a certificate of camp completion
• Learn computer science-related subjects
• Increase competition skills
• Develop self-esteem and physical capabilities

The registration cost for the full day camp is $150 per camper for all four sessions, or $40 per camper for each individual day. Match night registration is $65 per camper.听

Parents can register their children at .听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 6, 2026–Advance sales for the third annual native plant sale hosted by the 含羞草社区 Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society are now underway.

The goal of the sale is to spread the word about planting native. Students hope the sale helps educate the community on the danger of ornamental invasives and show people how beautiful our native plants are.

More than a dozen varieties of native perennial plants are available for $4 each, or $15 for a bundle of four. Reserve your plants online at missouriwestern.edu/nativeplantsale/.听

Pickup times are:

• Friday, April 24: 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Saturday, April 25: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Sunday, April 26: 10am 鈥� 2pm

The chapter will use funds from this sale to send students to important conferences like Midwest Fish & Wildlife and The Wildlife Society Annual Conference each year, as well as fund more speakers for the student chapter and host more professional workshops.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

March 19, 2026鈥揟he 含羞草社区 Social Work program and Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph will host a poverty simulation from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, March 27 in the Hoff Conference Rooms, Blum 218/219. There is no charge to attend.

Attendees will 鈥減lay鈥� characters during the simulation. They will have to work with other 鈥渇amily members鈥� or on their own to manage life with limited resources.听

鈥淧overty is not a concrete term,鈥� said Jana Frye, assistant professor of social work and BSW field education director. 鈥淚t may be different for different people, locations, with or without supports. This activity does have a lot of fun or silly moments. But it also brings to light the difficulties that those living in poverty face every day.鈥澛�

This activity is valuable for any person that works with people in any area of life, Frye said. It is also valuable for students who will someday be working in the community. At the end, there is a time to share and process the experience.

The Social Work program will provide 2.5 CEUs, for free, for any professional needing them.

Email Frye, jfrye3@missouriwestern.edu, for more information.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

March 18, 2026–The Bushman Planetarium at 含羞草社区 will present public showings of 鈥淟ifestyles of the Stars鈥� and 鈥淪ecret of the Cardboard Rocket鈥� at 7 p.m. Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military and senior citizens age 60 and up. Planetarium tickets must be purchased in advance either online at or in person at Agenstein Hall, room 140 during regular business hours.

“Lifestyles of the Stars”

This 鈥淎stroTours鈥� romp features a brilliant (but wacky) tour bus driver who takes the audience on a tour of the 鈥渉omes鈥� of the stars. A family of 鈥渟pace tourists鈥� asks all the right questions about stellar temperatures, composition, and stellar evolution. Our Astrobus guide, Tachyon, drives passengers to nebulae to explain star formation. Visits to a red dwarf, blue/white giant, red supergiant, and yellow stars include close calls with a stellar flare and a supernova. Complete with discussions about neutron stars and black holes.

“Secret of the Cardboard Rocket”

Embark on an outstanding adventure as two children spend a night touring the solar system alongside their ship鈥檚 navigator, an astronomy book. This short is produced with modern 3-D digital animation and a soundtrack with spectacular effects created at George Lucas鈥檚 Skywalker Ranch.

The Bushman Planetarium features a Digistar 4 projection system and a dome that is tilted slightly, rather than directly overhead, making viewing easier. The Dolby 5.1 surround sound system enhances your viewing experience.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Feb. 13, 2026–The Bushman Planetarium at 含羞草社区 will present public showings of 鈥淗ubble Vision 2鈥� and 鈥淓xtreme Planets鈥� at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 21. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military and senior citizens age 60 and up. Planetarium tickets must be purchased in advance either online at

Hubble Vision 2

Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided incredible images in unprecedented detail to astronomers and made an astonishing array of discoveries. 鈥淗ubble Vision 2鈥� takes the best and most exciting Hubble images and weaves them into an engaging story of cosmic exploration.

Extreme Planets

For centuries, humanity has wondered whether we are alone in the Universe. Now, we are finally one step closer to knowing the answer. With the discovery in 1995 of the first planet orbiting another star, we now know that planets are not unique to our own Solar System. This production explores what makes a planet 鈥淓arth-like鈥� in the first place, and takes an immersive full dome tour of several worlds that just might fit the conditions we鈥檙e looking for.

The Bushman Planetarium, located in Agenstein Hall, room 147, features a Digistar 4 projection system and a dome that is tilted slightly, rather than directly overhead, making viewing easier. The Dolby 5.1 surround sound system enhances the viewing experience.For more information, please call 816-271-4288 or email planetarium@missouriwestern.edu.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

Jan. 16, 2026–The Bushman Planetarium at 含羞草社区 will present a public showing of 鈥淪tars of the Pharaohs鈥� at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23.

Travel to ancient Egypt to see how science was used to tell time, make a workable calendar and align huge buildings. You鈥檒l learn about the connection the ancient Egyptians felt with the stars and various astronomical phenomena, and experience some of the most spectacular temples and tombs of the ancient world recreated in all of their original splendor.

The planetarium is located in Agenstein Hall, room 147. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military and senior citizens age 60 and up. Planetarium tickets must be purchased in advance either online at or in person at Agenstein Hall, room 140 during regular business hours.听

For more information, please call 816-271-4288 or email planetarium@missouriwestern.edu.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .