Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Flu shots scheduled

When and Where
  • Thursday, October 2, PAC C/D, 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, October 7, PAC G, 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  • Wednesday, October 22, in PAC C/D, 1 - 7 p.m.
  • Thursday October 23, PAC C/D, 3 - 7 p.m.
Cost
  • Students: $16
  • Significant others of students: $20
  • Employees without State of Illinois Insurance and their spouses, significant others, and their family members living in the home; who are 17 years of age or older: $20
  • State Employees and retirees who provide proof of State of Illinois Health Care Insurance: Free
For more information, call Campus Health Services at 6-6676

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sangamon Auditorium kicks off Family Events with The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley

The University of Illinois at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium will kick off its 2008-2009 Family Series with The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley on Friday, October 10, at 7 p.m. Family Series sponsors are ABC News Channel 20, Continuous Country 104.5 WFMB, and 99.7 KISS FM.

Based on the popular children's book series by Jeff Brown, this musical tells the story of Stanley Lambchop, an ordinary boy who is flattened when the bulletin board above his bed comes loose and falls on top of him. Now he can slide under locked doors, roll up like a mat or become a trampoline -- his friends even fly him like a kite. But there has to be more, and Stanley knows just what to do. Putting himself in a big envelope, he travels the world as a human letter!

Free pre-show activities for children will take place in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby beginning at 6 p.m. Activities include mask making, a dance presentation by the Springfield Youth Performance Group, and the opportunity for children to make their own Flat Stanley to take home.

Tickets for this event are $25 for adults or $14 for children 12 and under and are on sale now. To order tickets visit www.SangamonAuditorium.org or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217/206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by simply choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events at UIS. Please call the Ticket Office for more information.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217/206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bioblitz 2008

Third annual Bioblitz
Saturday, October 11, at the UIS Emiquon Field Station

For members of the campus community who care about biodiversity and want field experience
  • Learn to collect biological samples
  • Work with experts to identify them
  • Picnic lunch provided
  • $10 per person covers lunch and transportation
Space is limited. Sign up in the Biology Department office, HSB 223.

UIS Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series will examine "Lincoln and Presidential Campaign Politics"

The 2008 Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series presented by the University of Illinois at Springfield will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, October 15, in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS.

This year's topic is "Lincoln and Presidential Campaign Politics." The lectures and a reception and book signing that will immediately follow are free and open to the public.

Lincoln Legacy Lectures bring nationally known scholars and policy experts to Springfield to discuss issues that, while they are of contemporary interest, also engaged Abraham Lincoln and citizens of his era. Speakers focus on the topic's modern form as well as how Lincoln addressed it.

This year's featured speakers -- Dr. Jennifer Weber, assistant professor of History at the University of Kansas, and Dr. Silvana Siddali, associate professor of History at St. Louis University -- will draw parallels between the presidential campaigns of 1860 and 1864 and the campaign currently underway. The discussion will be moderated by Illinois State Historian Dr. Thomas Schwartz.

Dr. Weber (left) will speak on "How Lincoln Handled the Antiwar Movement." Lincoln faced harsh criticism from the outset of the Civil War. Antiwar Democrats objected to encroachments on civil liberties and to Lincoln's claims to expanded presidential powers. His strategy for dealing with Democratic critics was, for the most part, to ignore them -- an approach that very nearly failed. Weber will discuss how Lincoln's now-highly-regarded leadership might be considered today if the 1864 election had been held three months earlier, before the Northern armies started winning.

Dr. Weber is the author of Copperheads: The Rise and Fall of Lincoln’s Opponents in the North (Oxford University Press, 2006). Her works-in-progress include a collection of essays in honor of Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War historian James M. McPherson, with whom she studied as a doctoral student at Princeton University. She was an invited scholar at the conference marking the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in 2005, and she currently serves on the advisory panel for the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

Dr. Siddali (right) will speak on "Lincoln and the Constitution in Civil War Era Presidential Campaigns," will examine how the presidential campaigns of the time caused American voters to consider a number of crucial issues, including the perpetuity of Union and the right to extend or prohibit slavery in new territories. Both parties framed the contest as a vote on the Constitution, yet neither side foresaw the sweeping constitutional changes that would result.

Siddali is the author of From Property to Person: Slavery and the Confiscation Acts, 1861-1862 (Louisiana State University Press, 2005) and the forthcoming Missouri's War: The Civil War in Documents (Ohio University Press, 2008). She has been the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, including grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and was also an invited presenter at the opening ceremonies for the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Dr. Siddali received her Ph.D. in History from Harvard University.

Program moderator Thomas F. Schwartz (left) is chief historian for exhibits and content in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and director of Research and the Lincoln Collection in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

An acknowledged authority on Lincoln and his times, Dr. Schwartz is a widely published author. He serves as senior editor of the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association and as historical advisor for the Journal of Illinois History. He is also a member of the advisory board for the state and federal Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial commissions.

Presented by the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership, this year's Lincoln Legacy Lectures Series is also a University of Illinois Lincoln Bicentennial event. Cosponsors of this year's lectures are: UIS Speakers' Awards Committee, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Public Affairs and Administration, and Office of Undergraduate Education. The lectures are also made possible this year by a gift from Bill and Nancy Simpson of Springfield.

In previous years, lectures have focused on Lincoln and Race (2002), Ethics and Power (2004), Lincoln and Economic Opportunity (2005), Lincoln and America's Faith (2006), and Lincoln and the Law (2007).

Seating in Brookens Auditorium is limited; however overflow seating will be available in conference room C/D, where the audience can watch a large-screen live video feed. Conference room C/D is located on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. Those unable to attend in person can watch a live webcast by going to www.uis.edu/technology/uislive.html at the time of the event.

For more information, contact the Center for State Policy and Leadership at 217/206-6576.

Buffet supper will precede Capitol Steps performance at UIS

The UIS Alumni SAGE Society will sponsor a pre-election dinner party on Friday, October 31, prior to the performance of The Capitol Steps comedy group later that evening in Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois at Springfield. A cash bar reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. and a buffet dinner at 6 p.m. will be held in the Public Affairs Center Restaurant at UIS. The Capitol Steps' performance begins at 8 p.m. in the Auditorium.

The restaurant will be decorated for the event with election memorabilia, and participants are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue clothing and sport old campaign buttons.

The menu will include such dishes as Senate Bean Soup; Victory Garden Salad; Pork Barrel Loin; Chicken in Every Pot Pie; Depression Lasagna (meatless); WPA (White Potato Au Gratin) Spuds; Greenback Beans; Farm Subsidy Corn Soufflé; All-American Apple Pie Ala Mode; Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake; and the Midwest Bread Basket.

The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. The group has recorded 28 albums, including their latest, Campaign and Suffering. They’ve appeared on all the major television networks and their Politics Takes a Holiday specials can be heard four times a year on National Public Radio.

Cost of the dinner is $28 per person; ticket prices for the Capitol Steps vary. To make reservations for both the dinner and Capitol Steps performance, please call the Sangamon Auditorium ticket office at 217/206-6160. Space for the dinner is limited and dinner reservations should be made no later than October 24.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

UIS to present address on "Japan and a Changing Asia"

"Japan and a Changing Asia" is the subject of a presentation beginning at 7:30 p.m., Monday, October 6, in Brookens Auditorium, lower level of Brookens Library at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The program is free and open to the public.

The featured speaker will R. Michael Schiffer (left), program officer in Policy Analysis and Dialogue at the Stanley Foundation, where he is responsible for the Foundation's Asia programs as well as a range of other national and global security issues. Schiffer previously served as a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow at the National Institute of Defense Studies in Japan and, from 1995 to 2004, he was senior national security adviser and legislative director on the staff of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Schiffer is widely published on a range of international security, political, and media issues.

The Stanley Foundation -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan, private operating foundation -- works to promote public understanding, constructive dialogue, and cooperative action on critical international issues. The Foundation's efforts recognize the essential roles of both the policy community and the broader public in building sustainable peace.

This event is sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois and the Sister Cities Association of Springfield and is also presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university’s effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Upcoming ECCE programs for October include "Lawyers, 'Lawfare,' the War on Terrorism, and the Rule of Law," with law professor Steve Vladeck, on October 9; a screening and discussion of the documentary "What We Want, What We Believe" on October 13; the film "10 Questions for the Dalai Lama" on October 17; and a presentation by author Roberta Senechal on October 23.

See the complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester.

For more information about Schiffer's presentation, contact Steve Schwark, UIS professor of Political Science, at 206-6650.

For information about any ECCE event, contact Kimberly Craig, series coordinator, at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

Campus invited to investiture ceremony

Dr. Karl McDermott will be invested as UIS Ameren Distinguished Professor of Business and Government

5 p.m. Thursday, September 25, in Brookens Auditorium

The campus community is invited to attend the ceremony, which will celebrate both Dr. McDermott and Ameren.

Bookstore moving to Founders Hall

The UIS Bookstore in the PAC will be closed September 26, 27, 28, and will reopen in Founders Hall on September 29.

Friends of Brookens Library Book Sale

9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, October 3, in front of the library

Friends members preview sale - 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, in the Bibliographic Services area

Presented in conjunction with Homecoming Week

For details, contact Marci Rossi at 6-6597.

Monday, September 22, 2008

AAUW book sale benefits scholarships

American Association of University Women annual used book sale

8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, September 27, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 533 S. Walnut in Springfield

Pre-sale for early shoppers - 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, September 26

$5 entrance fee will be charged on Friday; Saturday admission is free

Thousands of good-quality hardcover and paperback books, LPs, CDs, videos, and DVDs will be available.

All proceeds benefit the AAUW local scholarship fund that for over 35 years has provided support for women returning to school at UIS and St. John's College. Endowed and annual scholarships at UIS support four women annually, and one nursing scholarship is awarded at St. John's.

Event also supported by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

For information or to donate items, contact Amy Green, AAUW educational foundation co-chair, at 546-3271 or e-mail booksale@juno.com.

Friday, September 19, 2008

UIS to present performance of multimedia play "99 Questions"

99 Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask an African American but Were Too Afraid for Fear They’d Break Their Foot Off in Your A**, a new multi-media play addressing stereotypes commonly held about African Americans, will be presented beginning at 7 p.m., Wednesday, October 1, in the Studio Theatre, lower level of the Public Affairs Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The performance is free and open to the public.

Created by actor/playwright/professor Mark Cryer (above left) in response to a racial slur written on a college student's door, 99 Questions is an attempt to break down barriers and begin conversations about race.

Cryer began his exploration armed with a video camera and a simple offer to anyone who chose to respond to the question "What have you always wanted to ask an African American, but were too afraid?" The result has been called "insightful, funny, poignant, and powerful."

An associate professor at Hamilton College where he teaches a variety of courses in acting and African American theatre, Cryer previously taught at Cornell University and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. His other plays include Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear, Buzzard Luck, and No Other People. His acting credits include performances off-Broadway, in television, film, and at many regional theatres.

The UIS Theatre program is co-sponsoring the performance, which is also presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university’s effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Upcoming ECCE programs include "Japan and a Changing Asia," with international security expert R. Michael Schiffer, on October 6; "Lawyers, 'Lawfare,' the War on Terrorism, and the Rule of Law," with law professor Steve Vladeck, on October 9; and a screening and discussion of the documentary "What We Want, What We Believe" on October 13.

See the complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester.

For more information about the performance of "99 Questions," contact Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, UIS assistant professor of Theatre, at 206-8307.

For information about any ECCE event, contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

UIS to host Sunday Star Party for people with disabilities

The University of Illinois at Springfield will host a special Sunday Night Star Party for people with disabilities on Sunday, October 5, weather permitting, in the UIS observatory. The party is free, but reservations are required.

Featured objects for viewing will be Jupiter, the largest planet, and the moon.

Conducted by Charles Schweighauser and John Martin, UIS professors of Astronomy/Physics, Sunday Star Parties use a telescope specially designed to give people with disabilities access to the sky. This is the first telescope in the world designed for, and dedicated to, people with disabilities.

The modified eight-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope employs a traditional optical design but with a fixed eyepiece that brings the image to the viewer. This eyepiece can be moved backward and forward in its tube as much as seven inches without refocusing, and can accommodate anyone from a large person in a high wheelchair to a child in the lowest, smallest wheelchair. A laptop computer runs the telescope, eliminating the need for a large keyboard and monitor that can emit too much distracting light on the dark observation deck.

To make a reservation, or for more information, contact Schweighauser at 206-6721 no later than Friday, September 26, for the October 5 Star Party.

UIS Emiquon Field Station to host "Stalking the Wild Mushroom"

"Stalking the Wild Mushroom," a public lecture and nature walk, will be presented at the University of Illinois at Springfield's Emiquon Field Station beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 30, at the Field Station. The program is free and open to the public; reservations are not required.

The program will be led by Dr. James Veselenak, UIS associate professor of Clinical Laboratory Science and Public Health.

The Emiquon Field Station is at The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve, located between Havana and Lewistown. Entrance to the field station is on Prairie Road, located off Illinois Rts. 97/78, approximately one-and-a-half miles north of the Dickson Mounds turnoff. A sign will be posted.

See a map to Emiquon.

The program will start with a short discussion and slide show and then proceed to a mushroom hunt in the nearby woods. "Fall is the best time to hunt and photograph the elusive mushroom," said Veselenak. "There are more varieties in autumn than any other time of the year. Plus, the recent rain and moderate temperatures should provide ideal growing conditions for mushrooms."

Everyone entering the property will be asked to sign a liability waiver. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult and must have their waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

In case of rain, the program will be rescheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7.

For more information, contact Mike Lemke, Emiquon Field Station Director, at lemke.michael@uis.edu or 217/206-7339.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Emiquon Field Station Picnic & Open House

11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sunday, October 5

Activities include lunch, tour of the Field Station, various family activities, canoe trips, and tour of the Dickson Mounds Museum

Transportation available -- leaving from the PAC teardrop entrance at 10 a.m. and returning after the event

The Emiquon Field Station is located on route 78/97, just north of Havana.

See a map to Emiquon and get updated information about the event.

To RSVP for transportation and/or attendance, contact Mike Lemke at 6-7339 or lemke.michael@uis.edu.

UIS presentation will examine sustainable agriculture

"Rethinking the Economics of Energy, Climate, and Food," an examination of sustainable agriculture, will be presented beginning at 7 p.m., Monday, September 29, in conference room C/D, lower level of the Public Affairs Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The program is free and open to the public.

The featured speaker will be Dr. John Ikerd (above left), emeritus professor of agricultural economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia and a recognized expert on issues related to sustainable agriculture.

Ikerd's major research and educational efforts have included evaluations of the impact of sustainable agriculture on the quality of life for farm families and others in rural communities. He has also served as the head of a three-state, five-year program funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that linked sustainable agriculture and sustainable community development. As Missouri's co-coordinator of extension programs in sustainable agriculture, Ikerd initiated a national professional development program for those whose jobs involved providing the public with information on the subject. He is the author of numerous books, including Sustainable Capitalism (Kumerian Press, 2005), A Return to Common Sense (R.T. Edwards Inc., 2007), and Small Farms are Real Farms (Acres USA).

Dr. Ikerd's address is presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Upcoming ECCE programs include "99 Questions You've always Wanted to Ask an African American," with actor/playwright Mark Cryer, on October 1; "Japan and a Changing Asia," with international security expert R. Michael Schiffer, on October 6; and "Lawyers, 'Lawfare,' the War on Terrorism, and the Rule of Law," with law professor Steve Vladeck, on October 9. The complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester is available at www.uis.edu/generaleducation/about/index.html.

For more information about Dr. Ikerd's presentation, contact Denise Keele, UIS assistant professor of Environmental Studies, at 206-7895.

For information about any ECCE event, contact Kimberly Craig, series coordinator, at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

UIS holding auditions for two pep bands

Community members are invited to audition for the Basketball Pep Band and the Basketball Jazz Combo – two athletic pep bands at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Auditions will be held Monday and Tuesday, September 15 and 16, beginning at 6 p.m. in room 33 of the Visual and Performing Arts Building on the UIS campus. Audition sessions are by appointment only.

Detailed information – including audition materials and requirements and a complete performance calendar – is available at www.uis.edu/music. Interested musicians should download and review the auditions materials before calling the UIS Music Program at 217/206-8405 to schedule an appointment.

The Pep Band is traditional collegiate pep band of 20 or more members who play wind, brass, percussion, and electronic instruments. Twenty paid positions ($20/game) are available in this band.

The Basketball Jazz Combo is a six-member group comprising three horns of any type and a three-member rhythm section. Members of the Jazz Combo are paid $75 per game.

First performances for both bands will be Monday, September 29, at the UIS Homecoming Bonfire and Thursday, October 2, at the Student/Faculty Basketball Game.

For more information, contact Todd Cranson, UIS assistant director of co-curricular music, at rcran2@uis.edu.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

UIS panel will discuss freedom of the press

As part of its observance of Constitution Day, the University of Illinois at Springfield will present a panel discussion of "Freedom of the Press in 2008" beginning at noon on Wednesday, September 17, in the lobby of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Constitution Day was created by law in 2004 to honor the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.

Panelists Bill Wheelhouse, general manager of public radio station WUIS; Dana Heupel, executive editor of Illinois Issues magazine; and Don Craven, attorney for the Illinois Press Association, will examine issues surrounding the First Amendment. Those unable to attend in person can watch a live webcast by going to www.uis.edu/technology/uislive.html at the time of the event.

The discussion is co-sponsored by UIS' Center for State Policy and Leadership, the campus' policy center, and is also part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS – events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Upcoming ECCE programs include the documentary "Rethinking the Economics of Energy, Climate, and Food" with Dr. John Ickerd on September 29 and "99 Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask an African American" with actor/playwright Mark Cryer on October 1.

See the complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester.

For more information about the panel discussion, contact Anthony Halter at 206-6576 or Dana Heupel at 206-6084.

For information about any ECCE event, contact Kimberly Craig, series coordinator, at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

UIS to take part in progressive reception for art exhibits commemorating 1908 race riot

Other venues will be the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and the Illinois State Museum

The University of Illinois at Springfield will be one of three host sites on Friday, September 19, for a progressive reception featuring art exhibits commemorating the Springfield Race Riot of 1908.

Other hosts for "Through the Eyes of Artists: Looking Back, Looking Forward" are the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and the Illinois State Museum. The event is free and open to the public and will feature artwork that captures the essence of the riot, its meaning, and what it can say to us today.

The reception begins at the Lincoln Presidential Library, Sixth and Jefferson Streets, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.; progresses to the State Museum, Spring and Edwards Streets, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.; and concludes at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery, located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Mike Miller, UIS associate professor of Visual Arts, is one of the organizers of the event, as well as a participating artist in the show at the Illinois State Museum. "Visual art is a powerful tool for instigating meaningful dialogue about critical issues in contemporary society," said Miller. "'Through the Eyes of Artists' continues a promising trend in the Springfield arts community of institutions working together to advance a common theme."

The exhibit at UIS will be "Talking Stones" (left) a multi-media installation project by Native American visual and performance artist James Luna, which will remain on display in the Gallery through October 22.

Luna notes that his installation springs from the idea that, in the right time and place, organic substances such as stones can "transcend the world of utilitarian tools and become objects that hold a spiritual soul and speak of knowledge of the other world." A special place in "Talking Stones" will accommodate a brick from the riot that "cast a dark shadow on the history of Springfield."

"In 1908…," the display at the Lincoln Presidential Library, features a work by Brian Gillis, formerly an assistant professor of Visual Arts at UIS. In this exhibit, Gillis turns historical sources into artworks that coax visitors into becoming witnesses. Sources include maps, arrest records, court proceedings, death records, National Guard documents, and oral histories.

The State Museum will present "Across the Divide: Reconsidering the Other," an exhibit featuring works in a variety of media by 16 leading contemporary artists that look back and forward and deal with race, ethnicity, religion, and other geo-political issues.

For more information on "Through the Eyes of Artists" call 217/558-8934 or go to www.abelincolnmuseum.org.

UIS Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information on "Talking Stones," go to www.uis.edu/visualarts/ or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at visarts-ga@uis.edu.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

UIS Pre-Law Center offers preparation for LSAT

The Pre-Law Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield will offer an LSAT Primer Program -- designed for UIS students and others planning to take the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT) -- from Friday, September 19, through Sunday, September 21, in room 3B of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus.

Sessions for the three-day program will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Presented primarily for UIS students but open to others on a space-available basis, the program will be particularly helpful to those planning to apply to law school within the next two years.

Cost is $190. Advance registration is due by Wednesday, September 17.

"The primary purpose of this course is to provide affordable LSAT preparation to students who will eventually apply to law school," said Pre-Law Center Director Dennis Rendleman. "In addition, it gives students the confidence to know they can succeed on the LSAT."

Rendleman noted that the course includes two LSAT exams administered under simulated conditions; instructional sessions in each section of the exam; test-taking strategies and hints for better performance; and personal strategies and writing tips.

The program is presented with support from UIS' Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies.

To register or for more information, send an e-mail to prelawcenter@uis.edu, or telephone 217/206-4529.

UIS to host Speed Networking Experience

The University of Illinois at Springfield's Office of UIS Alumni Relations, in conjunction with the UIS Career Development Center and the Entrepreneurial Club, will host a Speed Networking Experience from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30, in the Auditorium lobby area of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. Presented as a Homecoming event for students, alumni, businesses, and community professionals, the event is free, however advance registration is necessary.

Business trainer Marion Richter will be on hand to offer networking tips. Participants will learn how to make a large number of contacts in a short amount of time, and will also have the opportunity to make actual contacts that can enhance their professional and personal lives.

Reservations should be made by September 26; early registration is strongly encouraged. To register, go to www.uiaa.org/spfld and click on "Speed Networking Experience."

For more information, contact the UIS Career Development Center at careerservices@uis.edu, phone 217/206-7544.

US News & World Report rankings explained

A brown bag program with Laura Dorman, Office of Institutional Research

Noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, September 24, in PAC G

Learn:

  • How these rankings are determined
  • Where UIS stands
  • How rankings affects an institution's recruitment and reputation

For more information, contact Karen Moranski at 6-7440

Monday, September 8, 2008

Energy Report open forums

1-2 p.m., Tuesday, September 9, PAC G

11 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, September 10, PAC G

Those who are unable to attend in person are invited to provide feedback via e-mail to any member of the energy task force: Al Barnhart, Dave Barrows, Joan Buckles, Joe Eck, Wes King, Marc Klingshirn, John Ringle, Tim Ritzo, and Tih-Fen Ting (chair).

Support Group for Individuals Caring for Aging Family Members

Monthly brown-bag sessions open to students, employees, and family members of UIS and LLCC.

Facilitated by Vince Flammini, visiting clinical instructor, Social Work, and Carolyn Peck, associate professor, Gerontology

Noon to 1 p.m. in PAC E

On four Thursdays: September 25, October 30, November 20, and December 18

For more information, contact Carolyn Peck at Cpeck2@uis.edu.

Free Kaplan graduate/professional school practice exams

  • GRE, MCAT, GMAT, LSAT
  • 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Saturday, September 13, in PAC E-F-G
  • Realistic setting
  • Get results the following week

Preregistration required by September 11

Presented by the Office of UIS Alumni Relations

UIS professors to discuss "most grandiose experiment"

On the border between France and Switzerland, in a tunnel deep underground, a project is underway that promises to be "the most grandiose experiment in the history of science," according to an astronomer at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Charles Schweighauser, professor of Astronomy/Physics at UIS, says that the experiment -- being conducted by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and involving the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – will attempt to answer questions like "What is matter?" "What was matter like within the first second of the Universe's life?" and "Do extra dimensions of space really exist?"

Schweighauser says the scientific community is anticipating results that may very well open up a whole new way of looking at the Universe. "Our understanding of the Universe is about to change," he notes. "A lot of physicists will be disappointed if a whole new Physics doesn't come out of this experiment."

The LHC will be activated on September 10.

To help the public gain some sense of the scope and importance of the experiment, Schweighauser and two other UIS professors will present "Discovering a More Beautiful Universe with the Large Hadron Collider" beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 28, in conference room F, located on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. The illustrated program will be presented for a general audience and is free and open to the public.

Schweighauser will facilitate the discussion and will begin the program with "The Large Hadron Collider and How it Works," a discussion of the instrument itself.

Following Schweighauser's presentation, Dr. Hei Chi Chan, associate professor of Mathematical Sciences, will discuss "The Physics behind the Experiment: What they're looking for and hope to find."

Following Chan, Dr. John Martin, assistant professor of Astronomy/Physics, will speak on "The Physics Involved and How It Relates to the Early Universe," an examination of what the experiment may reveal about many unanswered questions on how the Universe evolved.

A question-and-answer session will follow the three presentations.

The Large Hadron Collider is a gigantic particle accelerator housed in a 27-kilometre tunnel near Geneva, Switzerland, and relies on technologies that until recently did not exist. LHC experiments are expected to provide insights into questions such as what gives matter its mass, what the invisible 96 percent of the Universe is made of, why nature prefers matter to antimatter, and how matter evolved from the first instants of the Universe's existence.

CERN is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. Headquartered in Geneva, it has 20 member nations; six other countries including the United States, as well as two international organizations, have been granted Observer status. CERN is one of the world's largest and most respected centers for scientific research. Its business is fundamental physics, finding out what the Universe is made of and how it works.

For more information, contact Schweighauser at 217/206-6721.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

UIS political art series resumes for fall with documentary on 1908 riot

The University of Illinois at Springfield series Political Art and the Public Sphere resumes for the fall semester with a screening of the documentary "Springfield Had No Shame" at 6 p.m. Monday, September 15, in Brookens Auditorium, lower level of Brookens Library on the UIS campus. Both the film and the discussion session that follows are free and open to the public.

Written and produced by David Antoine, staff member in the Office of Electronic Media at UIS, this film examines Springfield's August 1908 race riot through historical photographs, dramatic readings, and re-enactments of original newspaper accounts. Comments from historians and eyewitnesses are also included.

Political Art and the Public Sphere is a monthly event on the UIS campus; each program features a showing or performance of some kind of "political art," followed by a group discussion of the issues it raises. "The basic idea is to consider how 'art' raises provocative social and political questions," said series facilitator Richard Gilman-Opalsky, UIS assistant professor of political philosophy.

This fall the PAPS series will focus on questions of race and class in 20th century American politics. Topics for subsequent programs will include the Black Panther Party and the disenfranchisement of black voters in the 2004 elections.

"Public spheres are the places where people come together to communicate, to evaluate, and to circulate ideas and arguments," said Gilman-Opalsky. "In the public sphere, people form a collective political opinion and will. Ultimately and ideally, the public sphere brings the interests and demands of the public to bear on those who hold power."

The presentation of "Springfield Had No Shame" is also co-sponsored by the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS – events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

The next PAPS event will be a showing of the film "What We Want, What We Believe" at 6 p.m. Monday, October 13, in Brookens Auditorium. For more information about the PAPS series, contact Gilman-Opalsky by phone at 206-8328 or by e-mail at rgilm3@uis.edu.

UIS speaker series hosts multiple events commemorating riot centennial

Five sessions in the ECCE Speakers Series at the University of Illinois at Springfield this fall will commemorate the centennial observance of the city's 1908 race riot.

Programs in the ECCE series are campus-sponsored lectures or other events exemplifying engaged citizenship. The series is also part of the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience, a set of courses taken by undergraduates at UIS to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

All events in the speakers series are free and open to the public.

On Thursday, September 11, James Loewen, author, professor, and expert in race relations, will speak on "Lincoln's Unfinished Legacy" beginning at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library on the UIS campus.

A native of Decatur, Dr. Loewen taught race relations for 20 years at the University of Vermont and was also on the faculty at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. He has been an expert witness in more than 50 civil rights, voting rights, and employment cases. His book Sundown Towns was chosen as a Distinguished Book of 2005 by the Gustavus Myers Foundation and he is the recipient of an Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship.

On Monday, September 15, the documentary "Springfield Had No Shame" will be shown at 6 p.m., also in Brookens Auditorium.

Written and produced by David Antoine, staff member in UIS' Office of Electronic Media, this film examines the riot through historical photographs, dramatic readings, and re-enactments of original newspaper accounts. Commentary from historians and eyewitnesses is also included.

This event is presented in conjunction with UIS Political Art and the Public Sphere series, monthly programs that consider how 'art' raises provocative social and political questions.

On Wednesday, October 1, "99 Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask an African American but Were Too Afraid for Fear They'd Break Their Foot Off in Your A**" -- a multi-media play by Mark Cryer that addresses stereotypes commonly held about African Americans -- will be presented beginning at 7 p.m., in the Studio Theatre, lower level of UIS’ Public Affairs Center.

On Monday, October 13, "What We Want, What We Believe," a documentary about the Black Panther Party, will be shown at 6 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. In the 1960s and '70s Newsreel Films served as the unofficial recorder of much of the group's activities, and the film has been called "not a documentary so much as living history preserved on film." This program is also part of the PAPS series.

On Thursday, October 23, noted historian and author Dr. Roberta Senechal will speak on "Centennial of Fire" beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Public Affairs Center. Her book The Sociogenesis of a Race Riot: Springfield, Illinois, in 1908 (University of Illinois Press, 1990) received the Illinois State Historical Society Superior Achievement Award in 1991 and the Gustavus Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in the United States in 1992.

See the complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 fall ECCE Speakers Series, or contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245 or speakerseries@uis.edu.

A variety of other events related to the riot centennial, ranging from an art installation to special podcasts, is planned at UIS throughout the fall semester.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

UIS Theatre Program reception

"Welcome Back/Meet and Greet"

4:30 - 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 9, in VPA 170

All students, faculty, and staff members with an interest in theatre are welcome.