Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Local businesses and organizations invited to the Springfield Collegiate Career Fair at UIS

Area businesses and organizations are encouraged to register now for booth space at the 2013 Springfield Collegiate Career Fair at the University of Illinois Springfield. The fair will be held on Thursday, February 12, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus. The fair is an annual event hosted by the career development offices at the University of Illinois Springfield, Benedictine University at Springfield, Robert Morris University, and Lincoln Land Community College.

The Springfield Collegiate Career Fair is intended to bring students from all four institutions, local employers, and organizations together to discuss career opportunities in a broad range of available positions. Local businesses who are recruiting students to fill part-time jobs, internships, volunteer and other career opportunities are invited to participate in the event. The event has an average attendance of more than 400 students and alumni.

Booth assignments will be made on a first-come, first-served response basis. There is no cost for employers; however groups must register for space by February 4, 2013 at 5 p.m. Employers can register for the Springfield Collegiate Career Fair career fair by visiting the UIS Career Development Center’s online system called “CareerConnect” at www.uis.edu/career/. Click on the “Employers: Login here” option to get started.

The “CareerConnect” system also allows employers to establish a company profile and post career opportunities at no cost. UIS students and alumni are then able to view and apply for positions directly through the system by uploading their resume.

For more information or if you have questions about registration, contact the UIS Career Development Center at 217-206-6508 or employerrelations@uis.edu.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Auditions set for UIS Theatre's spring production of Awake and Sing! by Clifford Odets

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois Springfield will hold open auditions and crew interviews for the second production of its 2012-2013 season - Awake and Sing! a play by Clifford Odets - on Tues., Jan. 22 and Wed., Jan. 23, 2013. Crew interviews start at 6 p.m. and acting auditions start at 7 p.m. both nights in the Studio Theatre, on level one of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. Call-backs will be at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Jan. 24.

Auditions are open to students, staff, faculty, and community members with or without experience. Auditions will consist of “cold readings” from the script; prepared monologues are welcome, but not mandatory. Headshots/resumes are appreciated, but are not required. Scripts are available to anyone for 3-day check-out at the Brookens Library circulation/reserves desk. Those interested in working on a crew (running crew, costumes, props, stage management) will be asked to fill out a crew application form and meet briefly with the production staff.

Awake and Sing! startled audiences in 1935 with a story that hit close to home--ordinary Americans struggling to survive and even hold on to their dreams in depression-era New York. This story of a struggling American family involves young Ralph Berger trying to find his own way in the world, while his sister, Hennie, strives to decide who she is: a pretty catch for some man, or a leader who will chart her own course toward happiness. These yearnings cannot be denied, but Ralph and Hennie's parents--Myron and especially Bessie--have other ideas about what it means to live in the hardest of times. Today, this play delivers new resonance to audiences who find themselves in an economy seemingly unable to fully recover.

Production dates are April 5-7 and April 11-13, 2013. The curtain time for Thursday, Friday and Saturday night shows is 7:30 p.m. with the Sunday performance starting at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens (65 or older with a picture I.D.), $10 for UIS Faculty/Staff and $8 for UIS students (and all other college-level students) with a valid, current i-card or college I.D. card. Please note that a service charge, not included in the prices above, from Sangamon Auditorium will be added to each ticket price, at the time of purchase. To avoid a higher service charge, buying tickets in person at the Sangamon Auditorium ticket office is highly recommended.

For more information about auditions, the play, or helping behind the scenes, contact Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson at 217/206-6613 or ethib1@uis.edu. You may also visit the Theatre Program’s website at www.uis.edu/theatre.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

UIS Visual Arts Gallery hosts annual Silent Auction Benefit featuring original works of art

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery will hold its annual Silent Auction Benefit December 10-13, 2012. This year, the auction boasts a wide range of high caliber works by artists from Springfield and throughout Illinois. A closing reception, along with final bidding, will take place on December 13 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Visual Arts Gallery.

This annual fundraising event will feature an extraordinary range of work by artists who are celebrated locally and nationally. Local artists Chris Britt, Mike Miller, Felicia Olin, Thom Whalen, Kevin Veara, and Betsy Dollar are among the list of local artist donors. The list goes on to include Bloomington artists Erin Furimsky and Rob Fifield, Peoria artists Bill Conger and Heather Brammeier, Decatur artists Lyle Salmi and Annette Russo, Chicago-based artist Nick Henning and Betsy Odom, and also Brooklyn-based artist Victoria Calabro. These are but a sampling of artists represented at the auction this year.

This remarkable collection of donated works is accessible to the community through this annual Silent Auction Benefit, which supports gallery programming throughout the year.

“It’s really an incredible outpouring of support from these artists, and the quality of work is better than ever,” said UIS Visual Arts Gallery Director Jeff Robinson. “Now we look to the community for continued support through bidding. It’s likely one of the best opportunities to obtain an original work of art or even a functional, unique holiday gift, and very likely at a significantly reduced price. In turn, because of the support and money raised through this event, we can continue to bring exceptional gallery programming to the community throughout the year.”

The Silent Auction Benefit will launch bidding at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery on Monday, December 10, and bidding will remain open through Thursday, December 13. The Thursday reception, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., will include complimentary refreshments as well as offer final bidding for auction items. Enjoy festive holiday music performed by the UIS Chorus from 5:30-6 p.m. and the Chamber Ensemble from 6:10 to 6:40 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is centrally located on the UIS campus in the Health and Science Building, room 201 (HSB 201). Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on exhibitions, please visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at www.uis.edu/visualarts/gallery, or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or email Allison Lacher at alach3@uis.edu.

Monday, November 19, 2012

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents "Gerontological Education: Early Foundations and Future Demands"









WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Alumni SAGE Society and Illinois State Historical Society presents “Gerontological Education: Early Foundations and Future Demands” as part of the Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: Wednesday, December 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Room C/D, located on the lower level of the PAC on the UIS campus.

DETAILS: Learn about the early foundations of gerontological education and what specific trends and events contributed to the evolution of the discipline. Also learn from a current and futurist perspective what impact the baby boomer cohort’s life decisions will have on services. Dr. Carolyn Peck, UIS associate professor and chair of the human services gerontology program, and Ruth Bixby, founder and director of Lincoln Land Community College’s occupational therapy assistant program will present.

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $20/per person. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. Seating is available in the back for those who do not purchase the luncheon buffet.

Visit www.uiaa.org/uis to register online. For more information, contact the UI Alumni Association at UIS at 217/206-7395 or email alumni@uis.edu.

Friday, November 16, 2012

UIS Music Program presents Fall Showcase Concert

WHAT: The music program at the University of Illinois Springfield presents its Fall Showcase Concert entitled “Blow the Candles Out…”. Community members, students, faculty, and staff are invited to enjoy an evening of music filled with love, tragedy, comedy and enchantment.

WHEN: Friday, November 30, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Studio Theatre

DETAILS: The event will feature music highlighting a range of passions from the human experience. Highlights include an Indonesian lullaby, a traditional Greek piece, Themes from Romeo and Juliet, an enchanting new work by Phillipe Sparke, and arrangements of Sleigh Ride and Frosty the Snowman to indulge the holiday spirit.

Studio Theatre doors open at 7 p.m. and the evening music begins at 7:30. The performance is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served afterwards.

The Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Sharon Graf, will open the Showcase with a traditional sea shanty arranged by Gregg Smith: “Blow the Candles Out”. Directed by Dr. Yona Stamatis, the Chamber Orchestra will perform selections including “Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto” by He Zhanhao & Chen Gang and “Themes from Romeo and Juliet” by Tchaikovsky. Finally, Dr. Abigail Walsh will lead the Band through selections including David Maslanka’s “Rollo Takes a Walk,” and Samuel Hazo’s "Enchanted Spaces".

Donations are welcome and will be used to benefit the UIS Music Student Merit Award. This year’s awards will be presented at the Fall Showcase.

The UIS Music program began in 2001 and is comprised of students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as Springfield community members, all with a variety of skill levels. Anyone who is interested in joining the UIS Chorus, Band or Chamber Orchestra may contact Dr. Abigail Walsh by emailing music@uis.edu or calling 217/206-7549.

Monday, November 12, 2012

UIS celebrates cultural diversity during 35th annual International Student Festival



The University of Illinois Springfield celebrated its rich international and cultural diversity with an evening of exhibits, artistic performances, food tasting, and more on November 9, 2012.

It was all part of the 35th annual International Student Festival, the longest running student initiated festival on campus.

“It is incredibly important to have a festival like this to increase cultural awareness,” said Elizabeth Richardson, graduate assistant for the UIS Office of International Student Services. “We have a lot of different people living here in America and it’s really great to understand all of these different cultures.”

The festival was not only open to students, faculty, and staff, but members of the Springfield community, who came to enjoy the traditional festival. International students also enjoyed sharing their culture and learning about others.

“I’m so happy because we can introduce our cultures to the UIS community and the public you know, everyone can come,” said Zehra Ozkan Shahidi, a senior UIS international student from Turkey.

Zhe Chen, a UIS junior from China, came to the festival for many reasons, including the food. However, it is the fellowship that he will remember most.

“I (came) here to meet people outside of my race,” said Chen. “I want to be diverse as much as possible. It’s great.”

For more information on services for International Students and programs, please visit www.uis.edu/International/.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

UIS to celebrate 5th annual Sustainability Days

The University of Illinois Springfield will celebrate Sustainability Days (November 12-15, 2012) with several activities on campus. All events are free and open to the public.

Monday, November 12 

Electronic Waste Collection/Recycling
When: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: Brookens Library loading dock

“Art in Nature” Contest Submission Deadline 
Entries must be submitted to Mary Umbarger, SLB 16, by 10 a.m.
Prizes will be awarded for 1st place, 2nd place, & popular vote. All medians of art accepted.

Tuesday, November 13 

Launch of Food Services Clamshell Program 
Participants will have the option of replace there Styrofoam containers and get a clamshell container. This event is limited to the first 50 participants.
When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: PAC Food Emporium

Electronic Waste Collection/Recycling 
When: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: Brookens Library loading dock

“Art in Nature” Contest Voting Begins 
When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Across from the PAC Food Emporium

Wednesday, November 14 

Earth Fair 
Meet local environmental groups at the Earth Fair.
When: 6:45 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Tunnel outside Brookens Auditorium

Foreign Intervention & Domestic Conflict in the Congo featuring Séverine Autesserre 
Séverine Autesserre, will discuss her book, The Trouble with the Congo, which won the Chadwick Alger prize presented by the International Studies Association for the best book on international organizations and multilateralism published in 2010.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Brookens Auditorium

“Art in Nature” Contest Voting
When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Across from the PAC Food Emporium

Thursday, November 15 

“Art in Nature” Contest Voting
When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Across from the PAC Food Emporium

Sustainability Open Microphone and “Art in Nature” Reception
When: 4:30 to 6 p.m. (Contest winners announced at 5:30 p.m.)
Where: PAC C/D
Light refreshments will be served.

UIS Sustainability Days are sponsored by the Senate Committee on Sustainability, Lambda Pi Eta, Students Allied for a Greener Earth, Department of Environmental Studies, and BLH Computers of Springfield.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Illinois Innocence Project presents "Life After Exoneration" featuring exonoree Julie Rea

WHAT: The Illinois Innocence Project, based at the University of Illinois Springfield, will explore life after exoneration with special guest Julie Rea. After spending six years in prison, Rea’s murder conviction was overturned with the help of the Illinois Innocence Project.

WHEN: Monday, November 12, 2012 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Public Affairs Center (PAC), Conference Room G

DETAILS: On October 13, 1997, Julie Rea’s 10-year old son, Joel, was brutally stabbed to death in the middle of the night by an intruder. The crime shocked the small town of Lawrenceville, Illinois. Rea, a Ph.D. student at the University of Indiana, became the sole focus of the police investigation. She was convicted of the crime in March 2002 and sentenced to 65 years in prison.

On Oct. 24, 2003, the Illinois Innocence Project presented compelling evidence to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board regarding Texas serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells confession to Joel’s murder.

On June 24, 2004, an Illinois appellate court vacated Rea's conviction and ordered her immediate release. As she was set to take her first step out of prison, prosecutors re-arrested Julie, ignoring overwhelming evidence that she was innocent. However, on July 26, 2006, a jury in Carlyle found Rea not guilty of killing her son, finally setting her free.

Rea will discuss how she coped with her child’s death, years of incarceration, loss of education, career and family life.

This Illinois Innocence Project event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Mandy Altman at 217/206-6569. For more on the project, visit their website at www.uis.edu/innocenceproject/.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

PAPS to screen Fig Trees, a film exploring AIDS in South Africa

WHAT: The Political Art and the Public Sphere (PAPS) series at the University of Illinois Springfield presents a screening and discussion of the documentary Fig Trees. The documentary tells the story of Zackie Achmat, who in 1999 went on a treatment strike, refusing to take AIDS treatment pills until they were widely available to all South Africans.

WHEN: Monday, November 12, 2012 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS

DETAILS: Achmat’s symbolic act helped build his Treatment Action Campaign into a national movement—yet with each passing month, Zackie grew sicker. Fig Trees is a documentary opera that tells the story of Zackie's treatment strike and the larger story of the fight for pills on two continents.

The PAPS series is a monthly event on the UIS campus hosted by Dr. Richard Gilman-Opalsky, associate professor of Political Philosophy. This fall, Dr. Michael J. Murphy, assistant professor of Women and Gender Studies at UIS will co-host and moderate each PAPS event.

This semester, PAPS marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery and naming of the HIV virus (1982-2012). The fall series is dedicated to raising social, cultural, and political questions related to HIV, particularly how the disease has been treated as an affliction of a “despised sexuality,” as well as how different communities have been impacted by and have addressed the problem. All events are free and open to the public.

This event is co-sponsored by the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series and UIS LGBTQA Resource Office.

For more information, contact Dr. Gilman-Opalsky at 217/206-8328 or email rgilm3@uis.edu.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

UIS hosts 35th annual International Student Festival

Join UIS students, faculty, and staff to share an evening of cultural exhibits, artistic performances, food tasting, and more. 

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield presents the 35th annual International Festival with the theme “Spice It Up”.

WHEN: Friday, November 9, 2012 from 5-8 p.m.
  
WHERE: Student Life Building (SLB), located on the east side of the UIS campus. Parking is available in lot B, located next to SLB. A map of campus is available at www.uis.edu/maps/.

DETAILS: For over 30 years, the University of Illinois Springfield family has celebrated its rich international and cultural diversity with the annual International Festival. Friends from the greater Springfield community will be joining UIS students, faculty, and staff to share an evening of cultural recipes and exhibits, artistic performances, food tasting, and more, all with the international flavor that you have come to expect over the years.

Again this year, in order to make the festival accessible to all, we are not charging admission. Guests will have the opportunity to make a recipe book during the event. Every vendor will feature a unique recipe for guests to add to their recipe book.

 Be sure to pick up a program as you enter, so that you can find your way to the exhibits, cuisine, and performances in which you are most interested. Plan to spend some time getting to know people you have never met before, literally from every part of our world!

For more information, contact the Office of International Student Services at 217/206-6678 or e-mail iss@uis.edu.

Illinois Innocence Project presents "DNA as Evidence"

WHAT: The Illinois Innocence Project, based at the University of Illinois Springfield, is giving you a chance to learn about DNA. The project will host a lecture by Cris Hughes, Ph.D. from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She will discuss how human genetic variations in DNA can be used in a variety of contexts.

WHEN: Monday, November 5, 2012 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Public Affairs Center (PAC), Conference Room G

DETAILS: Participants will learn ‘the basics’ of forensic DNA, understand how DNA testing is used in the criminal justice system, and discover the science behind genetics at Native American anthropological sites.

Hughes will discuss how DNA has been used in her work on the border at the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner in Tucson, Arizona. She will also discuss her work at the Malhi Degraded DNA Laboratory at UIUC, which focuses on living and ancestral genetic variation in Native Americans. Additionally, she will address the way that degraded DNA, associated with crimes, is processed and used in cases.

This Illinois Innocence Project event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Mandy Altman at 217/206-6569. For more on the project, visit their website at www.uis.edu/innocenceproject/.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

UIS students honor veterans by tying yellow ribbons

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield students will be tying yellow ribbons and hanging them around campus in honor of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday. Students will also be collecting toiletries to send to troops.

WHEN: Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 1 p.m.

WHERE: Outside the Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) – Parking Lot I

DETAILS: The event is designed to raise awareness on campus about Veterans, specifically students, who have served or are currently serving our country. Community members and students are invited to help hang the yellow ribbons and share their Veterans’ stories. Along with the event, students will be holding a toiletry drive that will accept donations such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, bars of soap etc. Cash donations to assist deployed service members will also be accepted.

This event is co-sponsored by UIS Veteran Affairs, College Republicans, Residence Life, Resident Housing Association, Alpha Phi Sigma, Undergraduate Advising, Organization of Latin American Students, Lambda Pi Eta, UIS Habitat for Humanity, Communication Club, Volunteer Civic Engagement Center, Diversity Center, & the LGBTQA Resource Office.

UIS will also be holding a Veterans Day flag raising on Monday, November 12 at 9 a.m. in front of the Public Affairs Center.

For more information, contact the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center at 217/206-7716 or volunteer@uis.edu. Participants may RSVP to attend the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/105679719592131/.

UIS kicks off Holiday Stars Project with Trick or Treat for Canned Goods

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield students will be going door-to-door on Halloween night collecting canned goods for the Central Illinois Foodbank. The annual competition between students kicks off the UIS Holiday Stars Project, a month-long collection initiative on campus.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Various Springfield & Chatham neighborhoods

DETAILS: The UIS Holiday Stars Project, coordinated by the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center, is a campus-wide service initiative giving focus to UIS’ efforts to make a difference in the local community during the upcoming holiday season. The overall goal is to collect more than 8,000 pounds of food for the Central Illinois Foodbank by December.

The 14 teams, consisting of over 150 students, that have registered for the Trick or Treat for Canned Goods drive have been assigned to neighborhoods where they will collect non-perishable food items. Earlier this month, the teams canvassed the neighborhoods and distributed door hangers that explained the project. Collected items will be returned and weighed on campus and prizes will be awarded to teams that collect the most food.

The Holiday Stars Project continues through November, when specially marked collection bins will be placed around UIS. Everything collected during the project will be presented to the Foodbank in early December.

The Central Illinois Foodbank distributes over 8 million pounds of food annually to over 150 food pantries, soup kitchens, residential programs and after-school programs in a 21 county region.

For more information on the UIS Holiday Stars Project, contact Mark Dochterman, director of the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center, at 217/206-8448, or go to www.uis.edu/holidaystars.

Annual Scholarship Luncheon recognizes donors



The University of Illinois Springfield recognized scholarship donors during the annual Scholarship Luncheon on October 24, 2012.

“When you give a scholarship you give time, you give talent, and time in allowing students to fully develop and reach their potential,” said UIS Vice Chancellor for Development Jeff Lorber.

Nearly 300 people attended the celebration in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby. For many of the donors it was their first time meeting the students they support.

“It’s wonderful because you really get to experience their joy and their appreciation and you get to see that it is a real person and you get to find out about their life and how it’s helping them,” said Julie Staley, a scholarship donor.

This year’s athletic scholarship from the Staley Foundation supported freshmen UIS soccer player Dylan Hoschar. He says without the scholarship he would not have been able to attend UIS. He calls the scholarship a “dream come true.”

“Getting an education at the University of Illinois Springfield, this is a great school, so I want to get a degree here, hopefully a master’s, if not farther,” said Hoschar.

Glen and Lola Garrison attended the Scholarship Luncheon for the first time this year and were impressed by their recipient Jinger Sanders.

“Meeting and talking with them it’s just so surreal. It feels like I’ve known them forever,” said Sanders. “I’m just happy to be able to thank them in person.”

UIS Chancellor Susan J. Koch updated the audience about UIS’ growth and the latest developments on campus before thanking donors for their support.

“I’m deeply grateful to each of you who believes in the future of UIS, in the importance of a university education, and the education of your particular student,” said Koch.

UIS celebrates American Indian Heritage Month

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series presents “Hopi Running” as part of American Indian Heritage Month. Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert, assistant professor of American Indian studies and history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) will lead the discussion.

WHEN: Monday, November 5, 2012 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: This talk will discuss Hopi running past and present and the ways Hopis have used running to combat obesity, diabetes, and to further Hopi culture on the Reservation. Hopis are historically known for their ability to run great distances in record time.

Sakietewa Gilbert is enrolled with the Hopi Tribe from the village of Upper Moencopi in northeastern Arizona. Centering his research and teaching on Native American history and the history of the West, he examines the history of American Indian education, the Indian boarding school experience, and American Indians and sports.

Sakiestewa Gilbert received his Ph.D. and M.A. in history from the University of California, Riverside, and holds a M.A. in theology from Talbot School of Theology/Biola University.

This event is being co-sponsored by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Mahatma Gandhi Fund.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speakers Series events and more information, visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries. All events are free and open to the public.

Monday, October 22, 2012

UIS students host presidential debate watch party

WHAT: The Global Issues Club, College Republicans, and College Democrats at the University of Illinois Springfield will host a presidential debate watch party for students and the public on campus.

WHEN: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Homer L. Butler Housing Commons (located east of Kiwanis Stadium, just off Richard Wright Dr. on the UIS campus)

DETAILS: President Barack Obama and GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney will hold their final debate of the 2012 campaign on Monday, October 22. The debate will focus on foreign policy.

UIS students will gather in the Homer L. Butler Housing Commons to watch the debate on television. A post-debate discussion will be moderated by UIS Political Science Professor Stephen Schwark.

For more information, contact Blake Wood, UIS Campus Relations, at 217/206-6716 or bwood8@uis.edu.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Political Art and the Public Sphere to screen RED RED RED, a film exploring the politics of AIDS

WHAT: The Political Art and the Public Sphere (PAPS) series at the University of Illinois Springfield presents a screening of the documentary RED RED RED. The film by David Oscar Harvey focuses on a law in Iowa that severely limits the liberties of people with HIV. Following the screening, Harvey will take questions from the audience during a group discussion.

WHEN: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS

DETAILS: RED RED RED is a personal and political film that considers big questions about the contemporary state of queer politics and the dimensions of identity for HIV-positive persons. The film has screened at numerous film festival internationally.

Harvey is a filmmaker and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Iowa in the Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature. He is also an educator, activist, artist and scholar regarding issues surrounding HIV/AIDS. His academic writing on HIV/AIDS has been published in a variety of journals.

The PAPS series is a monthly event on the UIS campus hosted by Dr. Richard Gilman-Opalsky, associate professor of Political Philosophy. This fall, Dr. Michael J. Murphy, assistant professor of Women and Gender Studies at UIS will co-host and moderate each PAPS event.

This semester, PAPS marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery and naming of the HIV virus (1982-2012). The fall series is dedicated to raising social, cultural, and political questions related to HIV, particularly how the disease has been treated as an affliction of a “despised sexuality,” as well as how different communities have been impacted by and have addressed the problem. All events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Gilman-Opalsky at 217/206-8328 or email rgilm3@uis.edu.

Monday, October 15, 2012

UIS hosts 3rd annual Wepner Symposium on the Lincoln Legacy and Contemporary Scholarship

The University of Illinois Springfield Political Science Department presents the third annual Wepner Symposium on the Lincoln Legacy and Contemporary Scholarship, to be held Oct. 19-20, 2012. Portions of the symposium will take place on the UIS campus and the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield.

The symposium brings together scholars with diverse intellectual backgrounds, from political science to history and economics, and also seeks to bridge the gap between K-12 and university education. This year's theme is "Emancipation: What Came Before, How It Worked, and What Followed". All events are free and open to the general public.

Events begin on Fri., Oct. 19 with the Holtz Memorial Lecture, entitled “How a Railroad Lawyer Became the Great Emancipator: Lincoln and the Constitutional Limits on Emancipation”, at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located in the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS. Paul Finkelman, John Hope Franklin Visiting Professor of American Legal History at Duke University School of Law and President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy at Albany Law School will speak. Lisa Piergallini from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will discuss “Emancipation, Liberty, and Defense Strategy: Commentary”.

Day two of the Wepner Symposium begins on Sat., Oct. 20 at 8 a.m. at the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield. The morning theme will focus on “The Politics of Emancipation & Civil Rights after Emancipation” and will run until Noon. Featured speakers include Sally Heinzel, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Jackie Hogan, Bradley University; Neal Allen, Wichita State University; Richard Sobel, Northwestern University & Harvard University; and Rogers Smith, University of Pennsylvania.

Following lunch, the afternoon topic turns to “Cultural Bias and Historical Memory” from 1 to 5 p.m. at the UIS Public Affairs Center, Conference Rooms C/D. Afternoon speakers include Matthew Holden, Jr., University of Illinois Springfield; Roger Bridges, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center; Matthew Norman, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College; Gwen Jordan, University of Illinois Springfield; John Barr, Lone Star College – Kingwood; Stephen Schwark, University of Illinois Springfield; Chris McDonald, Lincoln Land Community College; and Heather Bailey, University of Illinois Springfield. Archie Lawrence from Springfield will deliver a commentary.

For more information on the Wepner Symposium, contact Gene Giannotta at ggiannot@uis.edu. The symposium can be found online at www.uis.edu/wepner/ and on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/mQBrO5.

Speakers Series presents "The Freshwater Crisis: Challenges and Solutions"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series presents “The Global Freshwater Crisis: Challenges & Solutions”. The discussion will be led by Gary Lamberti, professor and chair of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame.

WHEN: Wed., Oct. 24, 2012 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Sangamon Auditorium Lobby, on the 2nd level of the Public Affairs Center.

DETAILS: The planet’s fresh water supply is arguably in jeopardy with more than one billion people lacking access to clean water and more than three billion people lacking sanitation for their waste. Toxic chemicals ranging from metals to pharmaceuticals enter, accumulate, and bio-magnify in fresh water habitats. As a result, fresh water is globally threatened, with fish, mussels, and crayfish being the most endangered groups of animals worldwide.

Human and environmental well-being is dependent on the presence of high-quality and plentiful freshwater resources. In the discussion, Lamberti will address how the planet and human populations can deal with this fresh water crisis and explain possible solutions to ensure a plentiful supply of clean fresh water for future generations.

Lamberti, author of more than 130 scientific publications, and past editor of Methods in Stream Ecology, received his doctorate from University of California (Berkeley) in 1983. Lamberti is an aquatic ecologist and environmental scientist whose research focuses on salmon biology, the ecology of invasive species, wetland conservation, and river restoration. At Notre Dame, he teaches biostatistics, stream ecology, and restoration ecology. Lamberti is also a past president of an international society of aquatic scientists.

This event is co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of central Illinois and is free and open to the public. For a list of other ECCE Speakers Series events and more information, visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries.

Students invited to have "Chimichangas with the Chancellor"

WHAT: UIS Chancellor Susan J. Koch, along with the UIS Student Government Association (SGA), Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS), and Black Student Union (BSU) will host “Chimichngas with the Chancellor”.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 16 at 9 p.m.

WHERE: Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room

DETAILS: The forum will allow students to share their ideas and opinions with Chancellor Koch over FREE chimichangas in an informal setting.

This is the third forum in a series designed to create an ongoing open exchange of ideas between students and Chancellor Koch. The idea is to make the campus’ top leader more available to students in a comfortable environment.

The forum is the result of a sit down meeting between SGA members and Chancellor Koch.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

UIS Speaker Series presents "Asian Americans Are (Not) Funny?: Comedy and Racialization"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series presents “Asian Americans Are (Not) Funny?: Comedy and Racialization”. The discussion will be led by Caroline Kyungah Hong, assistant professor of English at Queens College CUNY.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Hong's talk will discuss the common misconception in U.S. popular culture that Asian Americans are not funny, unless they’re being made fun of for their physical, cultural, and social difference. Asian American comedy and humor employ the very same mediums that have historically been used to exclude and mark Asian Americans as the racial other, in order to destabilize prevalent images of Asian Americans as the yellow peril, the perpetual foreigner, and the model minority. Through examining the past, present, and future of Asian American comedy and humor, it discusses how Asian American comedic tradition challenges stereotypes and fixed notions of race, gender, sexuality, and class.

Hong’s research interests include Asian American studies, comedy and humor, ethnic studies, women writers of color, gender and sexuality studies, race and popular culture (especially film, TV, and comics/graphic narratives), and American studies.

For a list of other ECCE Speakers Series events and more information, visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries. All events are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

UIS Theatre presents Tartuffe by Molière

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois Springfield will debut its first production of the 2012-13 season with the play Tartuffe by Molière, opening Friday, October 26. Six performances will be presented in the Studio Theatre, on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS - on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, October 26, 27, and 28, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, November 1, 2, and 3. All shows will begin at 7:30 p.m., except the Sunday performance (October 28), which will begin at 2 p.m.

Moliere's 17th century comedy is brought to light in a contemporary translation by Ranjit Bolt. The play, subtitled, “The Hypocrite,” focuses on a religious fraud, Tartuffe, who slyly dupes a wealthy merchant, Orgon, into signing over his estate, and even his daughter, to Tartuffe. Orgon’s family readily recognizes Tartuffe’s unscrupulous behavior, and Orgon’s refusal to acknowledge Tartuffe’s fraud creates much of the comedy. Twice banned in the 17th century as sacrilegious, Moliere repeatedly petitioned Louis XIV, who finally allowed the play to be performed in 1669. Tartuffe has continued to gain popularity and relevance ever since. UIS Associate Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct.

The cast includes UIS students Jennica Danner (Dorine), Keegan Otwell (Damis), Diane Sahagun (Mariane), Nathaniel Ed (Valere), Blake Detherage (Tartuffe), and Hallie Lang-Kells (Laurent), along with alumni Sarah Collins (Elmire), Deirdre Blankenberger (Cleante), and Tom Hutchison (Officer). Community cast members include Susan Jeffers (Mme Pernelle), Amy Cantrall (Flipote), Christopher Beckstrom (Orgon), and Mary Myers (Loyal).

Production team members include Assistant Professor of Theatre Dathan Powell as Scene Designer/Lighting Designer/Technical Director and staff member Wes Abbott as Lighting Technician. Student production team members include: John Spurgeon, Liza Torrence, Alex Shaver, Emma Gillespie, Christopher Holmes, Colin Kautz, Kelly Zoelzer, Hallie Lang-Kells, Gretchen Addis, Will Newton, Zhang Zinzhu, and David Hecht.

Ticket prices are $14 for adults; $12 for senior citizens (65 or older with a picture I.D.); $10 for UIS Faculty/Staff; $8 for UIS students (and all other college-level students) with a valid, current i-card or college I.D. card; and $6 for 17 and under. Please note that a service charge, not included in the prices above, from Sangamon Auditorium will be added to each ticket price, at the time of purchase. To avoid a higher service charge, buying tickets in person at the Sangamon Auditorium ticket office is highly recommended.

For more information about this year's UIS Theatre season, contact Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson at 217/206-8307 or email mthom1@uis.edu, or visit www.uis.edu/theatre/.

Monday, October 1, 2012

UIS Lincoln Legacy Lectures to discuss the Emancipation Proclamation and Slavery Today

The 10th Annual Lincoln Legacy Lectures presented by the University of Illinois Springfield will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, October 11, 2012 in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS.

This year’s topic is “Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation.” The lectures, and a reception and book signing that will immediately follow, are free and open to the public. No reservation is required.

The Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series brings nationally known scholars to Springfield to discuss issues that are of contemporary interest and also engaged Abraham Lincoln and citizens of his era.

This year’s featured speakers are Dr. Allen C. Guelzo, director of Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College, and Ron Soodalter, historian and author. Dr. Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at UIS, will serve as moderator.

Guelzo’s lecture will discuss Lincoln’s decision making in “Four Roads to Emancipation.” Soodalter will describe “A Blight on the Nation: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today.”

Guelzo is one of America’s foremost Lincoln scholars and author of many books on Lincoln and the Civil War, including Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America (Simon & Schuster, 2004) and Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction (Oxford University Press, 2012).

Soodalter is the author of The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today (with K. Bales, University of California Press, 2010) and Hanging Captain Gordon: The Life and Trial of an American Slave Trader (Atria, 2006).

The Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series is sponsored by the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership in cooperation with the Lynn Chair in Lincoln Studies. Cosponsors of this year's event are: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Public Affairs and Administration, Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, Engaged Citizenship Speakers Series, Illinois Issues, Illinois State Library, University of Illinois Alumni Association, and WUIS Public Radio.

 Seating in Brookens Auditorium is limited; however overflow seating will be available in the Public Affairs Center, Level 1, Conference Room C/D, where the audience can watch a large-screen live video feed. 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 217/206-7094.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Internationally renowned artist Roger Shimomura presents America Behind Barbed Wire at UIS

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery welcomes Roger Shimomura, an internationally renowned and celebrated artist known for his prints, paintings, and performance works.

The gallery exhibit, America Behind Barbed Wire, runs from October 1 through December 1, and offers a varied collection of his prints. Shimomura will present a lecture on Thursday, October 11 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the Public Affairs Center, Room F. A gallery reception will follow from 6:30-8 p.m. in the UIS Visual Arts Gallery, located in the Health and Science Building, Room 201. This event is free and open to the public.

Shimomura is a significantly influential and celebrated artist. His work is an aesthetic and political comparison between contemporary America and traditional Japan. As a small child during World War II, he and his family were relocated from their home in Seattle to a Japanese American internment camp in Idaho. Using images from both cultures, Shimomura creates a complicated layering of pictorial information and social observation. He creates work that often pivots on exposing and battling both past and prevailing stereotypes and misconceptions that he encounters as a third generation Asian American. His stylistic representations reflect the aesthetic conventions of comic books, cartoons, and Pop Art. Working in these Western traditions, America Behind Barbed Wire reflects the artist’s long interest in the status of Asian Americans within American society.

Shimomura is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. He is in the permanent collections of over 85 museums nationwide, and has had over 100 solo exhibitions of his paintings and prints, as performance pieces. Select venues include the Franklin Furnace, New York City, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis and The Smithsonian Institution. He is the recipient of four National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in painting and performance art, a McKnight Fellowship, the Kansas Governor's Artist Award, a Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Fellowship, the Joan Mitchell Foundation Award, and was the first artist internationally to be awarded a Japan Foundation Grant, as well as the first in the state to receive the Kansas Arts Commission Artist Fellowship in Painting. His personal papers and letters are being collected by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is centrally located on the UIS campus in the Health and Science Building, Room 201 (HSB 201). Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information regarding America Behind Barbed Wire and future exhibitions, please visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at www.uis.edu/visualarts/gallery, or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or alach3@uis.edu.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

UIS to screen locally produced film The Yellow Wallpaper in Brookens Auditorium

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Women’s Center presents a screening of the film The Yellow Wallpaper. A discussion led by Springfield-based directors David Cain, Kevin Purcell, and actress Aasne Vigesaa will follow the screening.

WHEN: Sunday, October 7, 2012 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: The Yellow Wallpaper was filmed at the historic Vachel Lindsay Home in Springfield. The story was adapted from a short story written in 1892 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The Illinois Times writes, “It’s the story of a woman with a nervous disorder whose physician husband orders bed rest for her and refuses to let her pursue her interests. She is trapped in her bedroom with nothing to do and slowly, yet methodically, becomes unstable.”

Vigesaa's spell-binding performance as the "Narrator" leads you on an emotional journey of discovery and evolution as she transcends depression, her overbearing husband and the repressive medical practices of her era.

David Cain is an artist, filmmaker, composer, author, animator, and teacher. His production company, UMEDIA, Inc., is located at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield, where he is a resident artist. Kevin Purcell is a founding member of Over the Moon Productions, and directed Shakespeare Shorts and other plays. As an actor, Kevin was seen in UIS Theatre's production of As You Like It, as well as local productions. Aasne Vigesaa holds an MFA in Acting from Northern Illinois University, and has taught as an adjunct for UIS Theatre.

The screening and discussion of The Yellow Wallpaper is being co-sponsored by the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series and UIS Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

Monday, September 24, 2012

UIS helps educate voters on first-ever National Voter Registration Day

WHAT: Several student organizations at the University of Illinois Springfield are sponsoring a voter registration drive and educational events on campus to mark the first-ever National Voter Registration Day.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 from 4 to 6 p.m.

WHERE: PAC Food Emporium (due to rain)

DETAILS: Register to vote, learn more about election issues, and the importance of voting from UIS professors and candidates. Speakers for the event include UIS global studies professor Steve Schwark, who conducts research on American foreign policy, and UIS emeritus professor of political science Kent Redfield, interim director of the Institute for Legislative Studies. Students have also invited 13th U.S. Congressional District candidates Dr. David Gill and Rodney Davis to speak at the event.

In 2008, six million Americans didn't vote because they missed a registration deadline or didn’t know how to register. The purpose of National Voter Registration Day is to make sure no one is left out.

On September 25, volunteers and organizations from all over the country will "hit the streets" for National Voter Registration Day. This single day of coordinated field, technology, and media efforts will create pervasive awareness of voter registration opportunities nationwide.

The UIS event is being sponsored by the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center, Leadership for Life, Student Government Association, Black Male Collegiate Society, College Democrats, and College Republicans. The event will feature free food and music.

For more information, contact Mark Dochterman, director of the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center at 217/206-8448 or mdoch2@uis.edu. More information on the national event can be found at http://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Kate Bornstein to discuss award-winning book Gender Outlaw at UIS

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series will host a discussion on the book Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us. Award-winning author Kate Bornstein will lead the presentation and discussion.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 4 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Bornstein is a performance artist and playwright who has authored several books in the field of Women and Gender Studies. Her book, Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us, is described as being part coming-of-age story and part mind-altering manifesto on gender and sexuality, coming directly to you from the life experiences of a transsexual woman. In this talk, Bornstein will discuss Gender Outlaw and the gender continuum. A reception and book signing will follow the event. This event serves as the kickoff event for the October awareness month “Queertober”.

Bornstein’s books are taught in five languages in over 200 colleges and universities around the world. She lives in New York City with her girlfriend, three cats, two dogs, and one turtle, in whose company she wrote her new memoir, A Queer and Pleasant Danger: the true story of a nice Jewish boy who joins the Church of Scientology, and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today."

This event is co-sponsored by the UIS College of Education and Human Services, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Diversity Center, Human Development Counseling Department, LGBTQA Resource Office, Psychology Department, Student Government Association, and Women & Gender Studies Department.

For a list of other ECCE Speakers Series events and more information, visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries. All events are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Activist Tom Hayden to speak at UIS

WHAT: Tom Hayden, one of the co-founders of the 1960s group Students for a Democratic Society and author of the Port Huron Statement, will speak at the University of Illinois Springfield as part of the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series.

WHEN: Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 7:00pm

WHERE: UIS Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Few symbolized 1960s radicalism as boldly as Tom Hayden. In March 1962, the 22-year-old student journalist and activist sat down in his Manhattan apartment to begin work on an "agenda for a generation," a manifesto that would distil the fears and hopes and values of the student movement then rising on American campuses.

Three months later, Hayden co-founded the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the leading organization of the New Left movement. Under his direction, the the Port Huron Statement, set out a vision of bottom-up "participatory democracy" as the common thread binding the various left-liberal causes – civil rights, anti-poverty, anti-nuclear, peace, labor, free speech, campus reform – and a life-affirming answer to the conformism and apathy of the time.

In addition to being a co-founder of SDS, he was a Freedom Rider in the South, a member of the Chicago Eight put on trial for disrupting the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and a Vietnam War protester. Later he earned fame in other ways, by marrying actress and activist Jane Fonda and serving in the California legislature.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speakers Series events and more information, visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries. All events are free and open to the public.

Monday, September 17, 2012

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents "Chasing the American Dream to the Heartland"









WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Alumni SAGE Society and Illinois State Historical Society presents “Chasing the American Dream to the Heartland” as part of its annual Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Room C/D, located on the lower level of the PAC on the UIS campus.

DETAILS: Mike Lelys, executive director of Oak Ridge Cemetery and a first generation Lithuanian-American, will discuss the two distinct waves of Lithuanian immigration to Sangamon County, and how that culture has struggled, survived, and thrived in Illinois. Victor Juarez, Philadelphia campus taxpayer advocate for the IRS and first generation Peruvian-American, will share perspectives on Latino and Hispanic culture and immigration to central Illinois.

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $20/per person. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. Seating is available in the back for those who do not purchase the luncheon buffet.

Other upcoming Lunch & Learn events include “The Sky is Falling” on November 9 and “Gerontological Education: Early Foundations and Future Demands” on December 5. A discounted $35 series subscription is available if reservations are received by October 1. Lunch is complimentary for the November 9 program as part of the "Back to Class for a Day" event.

Visit www.uiaa.org/uis to register online. For more information, contact the UI Alumni Association at UIS at 217/206-7395 or email alumni@uis.edu.

UIS hosts leadership fair for high school students

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield and the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute will host over 200 high school students from around Illinois as part of a student leadership fair.

WHEN: Friday, September 21, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.

WHERE: College/Career Fair: Public Affairs Center (PAC), lower level Opening Remarks: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC)

DETAILS: The student leadership fair will allow high school students to hear nationally prominent motivational speakers, attend workshops on preparing for college, financial aid/literacy, and leadership development. Students will also have the opportunity to visit with recruiters representing vocational and technical schools, community colleges, 4-year academic institutions, and the military. In addition, students will receive helpful materials on college preparation and applying for scholarships.

Opening remarks will be delivered by UIS Chancellor Susan J. Koch and Jaime Cruz, president of the UIS Organization of Latin American Students at 9:30 a.m. in TRAC. Following the remarks, a keynote address will be delivered by speaker, educator, and author Jimmy Cabrera. The leadership development session will be led by motivational speaker Andres Lara.

The United States Hispanic Leadership Institute is a Chicago-based national nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization that promotes education, civil participation, and leadership development for Latinos and other similarly disenfranchised groups.

The free event is open to high school students of all backgrounds; however registration is required for admission. Students may register online at ushlislsspringfieldil2012.eventbrite.com.

For more information, contact Dr. Clarice Ford, UIS associate dean of students and Diversity Center director at 217/206-6333 or cford21@uis.edu.

Friday, September 14, 2012

UIS hosts "Property Rights on Trial: Fighting Eminent Domain and Civil Forfeiture Abuse"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Department of Liberal Studies, the Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Foundation, and the UIS Liberty Forum presents “Property Rights on Trial: Fighting Eminent Domain and Civil Forfeiture Abuse”. The presentation will be led by Attorney Scott Bullock of the Institute for Justice.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Scott Bullock serves as the senior attorney at the Institute for Justice. His work “focuses on property rights and economic liberty cases in federal and state courts.” He argued the controversial landmark Supreme Court case Kelo v. City of New London, defending the rights of residents threatened by the abuse of eminent domain for private development.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact William Kline, assistant professor of Liberal & Integrative Studies at 217/206-7418 or wklin2@uis.edu.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Speakers Series and WUIS host Constitution Day event exploring the 2012 elections

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series and WUIS public radio will host a Constitution Day event exploring the 2012 elections. The discussion will be moderated by WUIS News Director Sean Crawford.

WHEN: Monday, September 17, 2012 at Noon

WHERE: Sangamon Auditorium Lobby, UIS Public Affairs Center - 2nd Floor

DETAILS: WUIS Statehouse Bureau Chief Amanda Vinicky and Chicago Sun-Times Bureau Chief Dave McKinney recently returned from covering this year’s Republican National Convention in Tampa and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. They closely followed the Illinois delegations at each event and will share how these partisan platforms relate to the quadrennial constitutional election process.

Vinicky earned an M.A. in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield in 2005. She completed undergraduate degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2003. Amanda has been covering the Illinois General Assembly for WUIS and the Illinois Public Radio network since 2006.

McKinney has been Springfield bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times since 1995. Before that, he was a government and general assignment reporter at the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, where he began his career after graduating from Eastern Illinois University with a journalism degree in 1986. He has won numerous awards for his political coverage.

Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and offer thoughts on the effectiveness of this democratic process.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speakers Series events and more information, visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries. All events are free and open to the public.

Speakers Series presents "How Young Adults Can Move Forward to Challenge the Status Quo"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series and the Organization of Latin American Students at UIS presents “How Young Adults Can Move Forward to Challenge the Status Quo”. The discussion will be led by motivational speaker Andres Lara also known as “The Cuban Guy”.

WHEN: Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Hispanics, Latinos, and all immigrants to this country are those who were dissatisfied with the status quo in their homeland and were willing to do something about it. Leaving everything behind to start a new life with nothing says a lot about their commitment, determination, and motivation to excel. One example is Andres Lara. At age 16 Andres escaped from Cuba and arrived in America not knowing a word of English. Without his parents and without any money he was homeless and lived on the street. By age 24, Andres was an honors graduate of Montclair State University, the author of several international-selling books, and a nationally known speaker.

In this talk, and in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Andres Lara will tell his story. Using his experiences in both Cuba and the United States, Lara will discuss the broad social issues individuals – especially immigrants - face based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors and how such barriers can be overcome to achieve personal success and social change.

For a list of other ECCE Speakers Series events and more information, visit http://illinois.edu/goto/speakerseries. All events are free and open to the public.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Political Art and the Public Sphere to screen Blue, a film examining life with AIDS

WHAT: The Political Art and the Public Sphere (PAPS) series at the University of Illinois Springfield presents a screening of the documentary Blue, which explores filmmaker Derek Jarman’s experiences with AIDS. The screening will be followed by a group discussion.

WHEN: Mon., Sept.17, 2012 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS

DETAILS: Against a plain, unchanging blue screen, a densely interwoven soundtrack of voices, sound effects and music attempt to convey a portrait of Jarman’s experiences with AIDS, both literally and allegorically. Blue is the twelfth and final feature film by director Derek Jarman, released four months before his death from AIDS-related complications. Such complications had already rendered him partially blind at the time of the film’s release. The film was Jarman’s last testament as a filmmaker, and consists of a soundtrack where Jarman’s and some of his favorite actors’ narration describe his life and vision.

The PAPS series is a monthly event on the UIS campus hosted by Dr. Richard Gilman-Opalsky, associate professor of Political Philosophy. This fall, Dr. Michael J. Murphy, assistant professor of Women and Gender Studies at UIS will co-host and moderate each PAPS event.

This semester, PAPS marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery and naming of the HIV virus (1982-2012). The fall series is dedicated to raising social, cultural, and political questions related to HIV, particularly how the disease has been treated as an affliction of a “despised sexuality,” as well as how different communities have been impacted by and have addressed the problem. All events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Gilman-Opalsky at 217/206-8328 or email rgilm3@uis.edu.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

"Foot in the Door" Fair helps UIS students find part-time jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Career Development Center will host the 2012 “Foot in the Door” Fair for students looking for part-time jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities – both on- and off-campus. The event is free to all UIS students.

WHEN: Thursday, September 6, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE: Public Affairs Center (PAC), lower level Concourse & Conference Rooms C/D on the UIS Campus.

DETAILS: The “Foot in the Door” Fair is intended to bring students and local employers or organizations together to discuss career opportunities in a broad range of available positions. Students are encouraged to bring their resumes and networking cards to the event. A business casual dress code will be observed.

A partial list of off-campus employers attending includes the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Best Buy, County Market, Disney College Program, Fast Enterprises, LLC., Fastenal Company, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, Hope Institute, Horace Mann, Illinois Government (Dept. of Revenue, Prisoner Review Board, Division of Rehab Services, Office of the Governor), Memorial Medical Center, Wells Fargo, and WSEC-TV. The complete listing of employers and other event details can be found online at www.uis.edu/career.

This event is sponsored by the following UIS Departments: Career Development Center, Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center and Student Employment- Office of Financial Assistance

For more information about the “Foot in the Door” Fair, go online to www.uis.edu/career or call the Career Development Center at 217/206-6508. Individuals requesting disability related accommodations should also contact the UIS Career Development Center.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Annual Involvement Expo helps connect students



The University of Illinois Springfield hosted its annual Welcome Week Involvement Expo in an effort to get students active on August 29, 2012. The expo featured over 100 student organizations, clubs, community groups, and businesses.

“It’s kind of a one-stop shop where they can see what’s all around campus and really find where they fit in,” said Travis Lister, Involvement Expo coordinator.

Freshman English major Grace Latimore came to the expo looking to get involved. She’s not only looking to meet new friends, but gain valuable experience.

“I know college is all what you make it,” said Latimore. “I really want to get involved in a bunch of different groups and activities and just make these next four years special.”

Getting involved has paid off for seniors, such as psychology major Wesley Hill. He came to the Involvement Expo last year and is now president of the Psychology Club.

“It’s a great way to meet people. It’s a great way to do activities that will look good on a resume for the future,” said Hill.

Many students left the event with new found interests and their names on email mailing lists.

“Hopefully I’ll get some information and I can get involved as soon as possible,” said Latimore.

Popular UIS Friday Night Star Parties resume

The University of Illinois Springfield’s popular Friday Night Star Parties will resume the Friday after Labor Day and run through the end of October. Those dates include: September 7, 14, 21, and 28 and October 5, 12, 19, and 26. Friday Night Star Parties are held from 8 to 10 p.m., weather permitting, at the UIS observatory on the roof of Brookens Library.

Star Parties are hosted by John Martin, assistant professor of Astronomy/Physics. The observatory’s telescopes will be used to view a number of celestial objects, including the Moon, when visible; the Ring Nebula; globular star clusters M13 and M15; and other double stars and star clusters.

A typical Star Party begins with a presentation as visitors ascend the stairs to the observatory, learning about galaxies, the sun and stars along the way. On the roof observation deck visitors are invited to view the skies through telescopes and ask questions. Participants are welcome to arrive and leave as they wish between 8 and 10 p.m.

Friday Night Star Parties are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required and groups are encouraged to attend. The entrance to the campus observatory is located outside Brookens Library on the southeast corner of the building.

Star Parties may be canceled for cloudy weather. Questions about whether the weather is suitable for viewing should be directed to 217/206-8342 at 7 p.m. on the evening of the Star Party. For more information on Star Parties, email John Martin at jmart5@uis.edu or visit www.uis.edu/astronomy/about/starparties.html.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

UIS students to help three Springfield groups during annual Welcome Week Service-A-Thon

The University of Illinois Springfield Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center is hosting a Welcome Week Service-A-Thon to give students a chance to learn about service and give back to the community.

Students can choose to work various shifts throughout the day on Friday, August 31 in Springfield. This year the project will benefit three local organizations: Habitat for Humanity of Sangamon County, Springfield School District 186’s AVID tutoring program, and Hospital Sister’s Mission Outreach.
  • Students working with Habitat will help prepare and build a house located on North 5th Street, a block South of North Grand Ave., in Springfield. They will also spend time at the Habitat ReStore (1514 W. Jefferson St., Springfield) helping organize and prepare resalable items.
  • AVID tutoring program volunteers will be aiding teachers in 4 schools (Southeast, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Washington), as they prepare the students and the materials required for the students to be successful in the AVID program.
  • Students working at Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach (4849 Laverna Rd., Springfield) will be sorting medical supplies for shipment to places worldwide that are in need of specific supplies.
Each project falls under one of the UIS Volunteer &Civic Engagement Center’s areas of priority (Habitat – Hunger and Homelessness, AVID – youth and education, and Mission Outreach – public health).

Media covering the Service-A-Thon should call Derek Schnapp, director of Public Relations, on Aug. 31 to confirm locations and times at 217/206-6716.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Nationally recognized artist and curator Claire Hedden presents Vignettes at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery presents Vignettes, a collection of sculptural works from Claire Hedden, a nationally known artist and Curator for the Mclean County Arts Center in Bloomington, Ill. An opening reception, that includes a brief artist talk, will take place on Thursday, September 6, 2012 from 5:30-8 p.m. in the UIS Visual Arts Gallery.

Claire Hedden offers three-dimensional works that are, at once, intriguing, provocative, and charming. While the primary material-focus of her work is clay, Hedden incorporates a variety of materials into her work, among them wood, fabric, cardboard, and foam. She develops often ambiguous - yet familiar - forms, which reference time, place, and transition in an effort to mine a range of emotional potential.

“My work captures and animates liminal moments revealing a world in which objects, beings, emotions, and place are interconnected and in flux. Each sculpture’s form is an adaptation or challenge to its surroundings expressing a range of emotions like defeat, defiance, risk, or hope,” says Hedden.

Her careful selection of materials is deliberate and essential to the success of her work, as is her keen awareness of space.

“I utilize wood furniture or construction lumber supportively to provide context of domesticity or landscape,” says Hadden. “Cardboard, fabric, and foam add softness and counteract the density of the wood and clay while referring obliquely to their domestic roles. By interworking these materials, a dialogue emerges portraying physical and metaphorical spaces in our lives.”

Vignettes will open at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery on Monday, August 27, and will run through Thursday, September 27. The September 6 opening reception is free and open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be provided. To learn more about Claire Hedden and her work, visit her website at http://clairehedden.weebly.com.

The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is centrally located on the UIS campus in the Health and Science Building, room 201 (HSB 201). Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information on Vignettes and future exhibitions, please visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at http://www.uis.edu/visualarts/gallery, or contact the gallery at 217/206-6506 or gallery@uis.edu.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Freshmen Move-In Day at UIS



Extra: View photos from Freshmen Move-In Day

The University of Illinois Springfield welcomed approximately 275 new students and their parents during Freshmen Move-In Day on August 22, 2012.

“It’s pretty great. Everyone is really helpful,” said Conor Dixon, a freshman moving into Founders Residence Hall.

Dozens of volunteers from the UIS Christian Student Fellowship (CSF), leadership retreat participants, members of the UIS soccer and volleyball teams, and other groups helped with the move-in process.

“It’s a lot smoother here than at bigger universities,” said Ryan McKanna, a resident assistant (RA). “(Bigger schools) just don’t have the manpower to help move everyone in.”

Students were assigned arrival times in an effort to avoid headaches and congestion. Volunteers helped direct parents to parking spaces, helped unload and carry items, and led students to their new rooms.

“UIS is a really nice-sized place, but also has certainly all the big time elements that I think a kid needs in college,” said Dave Anderson, a parent. 

Anderson’s daughter, Erin, picked UIS because of it’s right-size and the biology program was a perfect fit.

Chancellor Susan J. Koch greeted many of the students and their parents as they began the move-in process. She left them with some advice.

“My first piece of advice is to go to class,” said Koch. “Go to class everyday. Don’t miss any classes because that is really the first sign of success.”

The second piece of advice, “get out there” and explore campus. Sign up for student clubs and organizations and become involved.

“You should get out there except, of course, if you have an exam you need to study for, then you should stay and study,” said Koch.

Following the move, parents and students enjoyed a “Welcome BBQ” and a variety of other fun and entertaining events. Fall Semester classes at UIS begin on Monday, August 27.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Auditions set for UIS Theatre's fall production of Tartuffe by Molière

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois Springfield will hold open auditions and crew interviews for the first production of its 2012-2013 season – Molière’s Tartuffe - on Tues., Sept. 4 and Wed., Sept. 5. Crew interviews start at 6 p.m. and acting auditions start at 7 p.m. both nights in the Studio Theatre, located on level one of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. Call-backs will be at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Sept. 6.

Auditions are open to students, staff, faculty, and community members with or without experience. Auditions will consist of “cold readings” from the script; prepared monologues are welcome, but not mandatory. Resumes are appreciated, but are not required. Scripts are available to anyone for 3-day check-out at the Brookens Library circulation/reserves desk. Those interested in working on a crew (running crew, costumes, props, stage management) will be asked to fill out a crew application form and meet briefly with the production staff.

Moliere's 17th century comedy is brought to light in a contemporary translation by Ranjit Bolt. The play, subtitled, “The Hypocrite,” focuses on a religious fraud, Tartuffe, who slyly dupes a wealthy merchant, Orgon, into signing over his estate, and even his daughter, to Tartuffe. Orgon’s family readily recognizes Tartuffe’s unscrupulous behavior, and Orgon’s refusal to acknowledge Tartuffe’s fraud creates much of the comedy. Twice banned in the 17th century as sacrilegious, Moliere repeatedly petitioned Louis XIV, who finally allowed the play to be performed in 1669. Tartuffe has continued to gain popularity and relevance ever since. UIS Associate Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct.

Production dates are Oct. 26-28 and Nov. 1-3, 2012. The curtain time for Thursday, Friday and Saturday night shows is 7:30 p.m. with the Sunday performance starting at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens (65 or older with a picture I.D.), $10 for UIS Faculty/Staff and $8 for UIS students (and all other college-level students) with a valid, current i-card or college I.D. card. Please note that a service charge, not included in the prices above, from Sangamon Auditorium will be added to each ticket price, at the time of purchase. To avoid a higher service charge, buying tickets in person at the Sangamon Auditorium ticket office is highly recommended.

For more information about auditions, the play, or helping behind the scenes, contact Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson at 217/206-8307 or mthom1@uis.edu. You may also visit the Theatre Program’s website at www.uis.edu/theatre.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

View the Perseid Meteor Shower at Emiquon

The University of Illinois Springfield’s Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon and the Dickson Mounds Museum will host a lecture and live viewing of the Perseid Meteor Shower on Sunday, August 12, 2012 at the Emiquon Preserve near Lewistown, Ill.

The lecture, “Meteor Showers Bringing Visitors from Outer Space”, will begin at 2 p.m. at the Dickson Mounds Museum, located at 10956 North Dickson Mounds Road. The talk is free and open to the public. It will occur rain or shine. The lecture will be given by John Martin, UIS professor of astronomy and physics, who will explain the origin and physics that cause the celestial fireworks show known as the Perseid Meteor Shower.

“On a typical dark night you can see about five or six meteors streak across the sky each hour,” explains Martin. “In August, the Earth will pass through a trail of debris left behind comet Swift-Tuttle. During that passage we will see the frequency of these visitors from beyond the Earth increase markedly during the Perseid Meteor Shower.”

Following the lecture, a Star Party will begin at 9 p.m. at the Lakeside Observatory on Emiquon’s Thompson Lake. Professor Martin will give a guided tour of the night sky and the Sangamon Astronomical Society will share views of the sky through their telescopes. Visitors are advised to dress appropriately for being outdoors and encouraged to bring binoculars and lawn chairs or blankets to sit on. In the event of an overcast sky on August 12, the event will be cancelled. Participants may call Martin at 217/206-8342 after 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 12 for weather information.

UIS’ Therkildsen Field Station is at The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve, located between Havana, Ill. and Lewistown, Ill. near the Dickson Mounds Museum. The program is free and open to the public; reservations are not required. The Thompson Lake landing is located directly off the east side of Illinois Rts. 97/78, approximately half a mile north of the Dickson Mounds turnoff. A sign will be posted at the turnoff. A map is also available online at www.uis.edu/emiquon/.

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.

For more information, contact John Martin at 217/206-8342 or jmart5@uis.edu.