UIS students to present their research at the Illinois State Capitol

WHAT: Ten University of Illinois Springfield students will present their research during the inaugural University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Day at the Illinois State Capitol. They will be joined by students from the Urbana-Champaign and Chicago campuses.

WHEN: Thursday, May 1, 2014 from 10 a.m. to Noon

WHERE: Illinois State Capitol – First level, North corridor

DETAILS: Students will be making poster presentations about their cutting-edge research and answering questions from lawmakers and the public. In total, 30 students were selected to present their work by the undergraduate research offices at each University of Illinois campus.

UIS students Jesse Britz of Divernon, Sarah Brust of Chatham, Megan Bott of Schaumburg, Annu Daniel of Hoffman Estates, Robert Elmers IV of Springfield, Nathaniel Hoyle of Jacksonville, Justin Mock of Springfield, Matthew Motley of Hillsboro, Keith Wallace of Springfield, and Kristen Zanon of Athens were selected to present their research.

This is the first time all three campuses have collaborated to present their research in the Capitol.

For more information, contact Derek Schnapp, UIS director of public relations at 217/206-6716 or dschn3@uis.edu.

UIS Music Program presents Spring Showcase Concert

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents its annual Spring Showcase Concert featuring performances by the UIS chorus, chamber orchestra, and band. The performance is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Friday, May 2, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Studio Theatre, UIS

DETAILS: The event will feature a wide array of music with many pieces including traditional Korean and African songs, a programmatic tone poem, and music featuring the first annual UIS Music Soloist Competition Winners. Highlights include Steve Reinecke’s “Pilatus Mountain of Dragons”, a traditional Korean arrangement of “Arirang”, as well as Sinfonia No. 86 by Franz Haydn.

The chorus, under the direction of UIS Associate Professor Sharon Graf, will open the Showcase with “Dona Nobis Pacem”, a traditional canon.

Directed by UIS Assistant Professor Yona Stamatis, the chamber orchestra will perform selections including “Meditation” from Thais by Jules Massanet. Zhu Ming, violin, will perform as a soloist. The second winner of the competition, Xincheng Liu, voice, will perform “O Sole Mio” with the orchestra.

Finally, UIS Applied Music Specialist, Abigail Walsh will lead the Band through selections including “The Hounds of Spring” by Alfred Reed and the “The Thunderer” by John Philip Sousa.

Donations are welcome and will be used to benefit the UIS Music Student Merit Award. 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 Abigail Walsh at 217/206-7549 or music@uis.edu.

Brian Banks to speak at the Illinois Innocence Project's Defenders of the Innocent Awards

WHAT: Brian Banks, exoneree and NFL athlete, will be the special guest at the Illinois Innocence Project’s seventh annual Defenders of the Innocent Awards. The Project is part of the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield.

WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 2014 (Social at 6 p.m., Dinner/Program at 7 p.m.)

WHERE: President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, 701 E. Adams Street, Springfield

DETAILS: In 2002, 17-year-old Brian Banks was wrongfully convicted of rape. At the time of his conviction, Banks was, by all accounts, a rising football star destined to play in the NFL. A high school acquaintance accused Banks of rape and kidnapping following a consensual sexual encounter. Banks spent five years in prison. Nearly a decade after his conviction, the accuser recanted her statements and acknowledged she fabricated the story.

Justin Brooks, director of the California Innocence Project, was the attorney who helped exonerate Banks. He will be honored with the Illinois Innocence Project’s Defender of the Innocent Leadership Award. He has also been a leader in developing RED Inocente, an organization devoted to creating and supporting innocence programs throughout Latin America.

Anthony Sassan, attorney at law at Zukowski, Rogers, Flood and McArdle, will be honored with the Pro Bono Award for over 11 years of work on behalf of Pamela Jacobazzi. The Illinois Innocence Project is working with Sassan to free Jacobazzi. The day-care provider was convicted in 1994 of violently shaking to death an infant in her care in DuPage County. Attorneys argue pre-existing medical conditions may have caused or contributed to the infant’s death, rather than Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Those wishing to attend the event are encouraged to register online at www.uis.edu/innocenceproject. A tax-deductible donation of $100 is encouraged for those making reservations. The event includes hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and dinner. To register by phone, please call the Illinois Innocence Project at 217/206-6569.

"Take Back the Night" march & rally at UIS calls for an end to violence against women

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Women's Center and Residence Life will hold the seventh annual Take Back The Night march and rally.

WHEN: Friday, April 25, 2014 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: The candlelight march will start with a brief ceremony near the colonnade on the UIS main quad and progress towards the Lincoln Residence Hall (LRH) Greatroom where a rally will be held.

DETAILS: “Take Back the Night” protests rape and all forms of violence against women. This event empowers women and all people to reclaim their right to be part of the night and the human experience of nighttime. “Take Back the Night” will include survivor stories, poetry, a healing observance, and t-shirts for students who arrive early.

The Clothesline Project and 10 Paper Cranes for Healing the Violence will also be on display. The Clothesline Project is made up of t-shirts telling women’s stories. This is the 20th Anniversary of The Clothesline Project at UIS. The 10 Paper Cranes project was created at UIS last year and is being replicated elsewhere. UIS students created paper cranes streamers, which are dedicated to victims/survivors.

The supporting organizations for the event include the Enos Park Neighborhood Association and the Feminist Activist Coalition of Lincoln Land Community College. Supporting UIS groups include the Asian Student Organization, Black Male Collegiate Society, Black Student Union, Indian Student Organization, Kalanidhi (an Indian Dance Organization), Muslim Student Organization, Necessary Steps Mentoring Program, Organization of Latin American Students, PStarHR, Sisters with Vision, and the Women’s Issues Caucus.

For more information on “Take Back the Night”, contact the UIS Women’s Center at 217/206-7173 or womenscenter@uis.edu.

Springfest 2014 ends with mud tug-of-war

Students at the University of Illinois Springfield ended Springfest 2014, a week-long event featuring a variety of fun and educational competitions, with the annual mud tug-of-war on April 19.

The theme of the 2014 competition was “Clash of the Comics”, which featured a total of 34 teams made up of over 350 students.

Springfest is one of the longest running and most popular traditions at UIS. Springfest challenges include a scavenger hunt, trivia night, flag & chant competition, and sports day.

For more information on Springfest, visit their Facebook page.

Scavenger Hunt kicks off 21st annual UIS Springfest

Over 350 students helped to kick off Springfest 2014 with the annual Scavenger Hunt on April 14, 2014. Springfest is one of the longest running student traditions on campus, which started in 1992.

Scavenger Hunt participants were given a surprise list of over 200 items to collect during a one-hour period. Points were awarded based on the number of total items collected.

“It’s a really big team builder because students get to go together and try and find items in their homes, they have fun finding the weird items,” said Leanne Deak, Student Activities Committee traditions co-chair.

Students were not allowed to use cars, bikes, or other transportation and had to collect all of the items on campus.

“I love Springfest,” said Jacquie Levine, a senior Global Studies major. “It’s kind of the highlight of my year, every year, at UIS.”

While some items on the list were straightforward, other items were a little harder to locate. Some of the stranger items on this year’s list included a pair of apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, and a tent.

For a complete list of Springfest activities, visit https://www.facebook.com/Springfest2013AtUIS.

UIS professor explores "Engagement in a World Without Bodies" as part of Speakers Series

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series presents “Engagement in a World Without Bodies”. The presentation will be led by Richard Gilman-Opalsky, UIS associate professor of political science.

WHEN: Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 7 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Gilman-Opalsky will discuss the emergence of a new mind-body split in the evolving contexts of cognitive labor and a cellular social life. He argues that the eight-hour workday has been replaced by a maximal-length workday, the workday of the wakeful state. The conscious energy of students and workers is increasingly available to friends, family, teachers, and employers with an expectation for 24-hour open access.

Gilman-Opalsky says the new regime of life and labor moves society toward a system of disembodied brain activity, which relegates the body to a kind of sensory-sexual apparatus that only requires basic maintenance. Brain activity has gone mobile, travels freely and fast in real time, and without the costly mass of the body itself. Indeed, new economic incentives demand that we use our brains beyond the limitations of our physical bodies.

A world without bodies is the profitable realization of a capitalist dream to overcome the physical boundaries of production and exchange. Gilman-Opalsky argues that dignity, freedom, and community are fundamentals of a good life, and therefore, that these questions matter to all of us.

This discussion is based on Gilman-Opalsky’s new book Precarious Communism: Manifest Mutations, Manifesto Detourned (2014).

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.

UIS Speakers Series explores "Consumerism, Society and our Ecological Future" on Earth Day

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speakers Series will explore “Consumerism, Society and our Ecological Future” on Earth Day. The featured speaker will be Tim Kasser, professor of psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at 7 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Human population and economic growth are putting increased pressure on the Earth; our actions and policies are leading to climate disruption, loss of biodiversity, pollution, and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.

Kasser will use psychological theory and research to show how contemporary culture’s focus on materialistic values and consumerism must be confronted if humans are to construct a sustainable future. He will present a strategic approach that provides lifestyle and policy alternatives that would not only be positive for the planet, but would promote people’s well-being and a more civil society. Come learn about this re-imagining of the American Dream!

Kasser has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles on materialism, values, and goals, among other topics. He is also author or editor of four books, including the The High Price of Materialism and Psychology and Consumer Culture. Over the last decade, Kasser has become increasingly involved with activist groups that work against the commercialization of children and that work towards a more inwardly rich lifestyle than what is offered by consumerism. Among others, he has consulted extensively with the Center for a New American Dream, the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood, and the World Wildlife Fund – UK.

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.

International expert presents "Making Sense of ObamaCare: Fact, Fiction, and Confusion"

WHAT: Theodore R. Marmor, professor emeritus at Yale University, will present a lecture entitled "Making Sense of ObamaCare: Fact, Fiction, and Confusion”. This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 6 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Marmor will discuss the political struggles that take place in medical care; the core claim is that there is no politics of medical care, but a huge range of political struggles in medical care. He’ll also address the origins, character, and implementation experience of what is known as Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, and 'health reform.' Marmor’s visit was initiated as part of a UIS Political Science course on current & emerging public policy.

Marmor taught for three decades in Yale’s School of Management, Department of Political Science, and Law School. He has been a visiting Professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, the School of Management at McGill, and the Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers in Paris as well as holding visiting fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Netherlands and All Souls College, Oxford.

Marmor was educated at Harvard University (B.A. and Ph.D.) and was a graduate fellow at Wadham College, Oxford. From 1992 to 2003 he was the Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s post-doctoral program in health policy, and in 2001 the Foundation also awarded him an Investigator Award in Health Policy.

Marmor the author (or co-author) of thirteen books, he has published over 200 articles in a wide range of scholarly journals. He began his career as an assistant to Wilbur J. Cohen, the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare who played a key role in creating Medicare.

His appearance is co-sponsored by the UIS College of Public Affairs and Administration, the UIS Public Health Department, the UIS Political Science Department, the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership, the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and with the cooperation of the Sangamon County Medical Society.

For more information, contact Matthew Holden, the UIS Wepner Distinguished Professor in Political Science, at 217/206-8519.

Illinois Innocence Project to host 5K Run & Walk for Innocence on the UIS campus

WHAT: Join the Illinois Innocence Project for the inaugural 5K Run & Walk for Innocence on the University of Illinois Springfield campus. The run/walk will help raise funds to support the efforts of the project.

WHEN: Saturday, April 26, 2014 (Check-in at 7:30 a.m. and the race start at 9 a.m.)

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus

DETAILS: The Illinois Innocence Project, part of the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield, aims to help exonerate innocent persons convicted of felony crimes in Illinois and reform the criminal justice system in Illinois and the nation. The project works to educate students, citizens, and policy-makers about problems, causes, and possible reforms of a criminal justice system affecting the innocent.

5K Run & Walk for Innocence participants are encouraged to register online at www.uis.edu/innocenceproject/. The cost is $25 for adults, $15 for students (with a valid iCard), and $10 for children before the race. The cost to register on the day of the race is $35. Participants will receive a t-shirt.

The 5K Run &Walk is the kickoff event to the project’s “Innocence Week”, which is designed to raise awareness about the Illinois Innocence Project.

For more information, contact Amanda Altman with the Illinois Innocence Project at 217/206-6569 or aaltm2@uis.edu.

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents "Selecting Great Performances"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Alumni SAGE Society and Illinois State Historical Society presents “Selecting Great Performances” as part of its annual Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: Thursday, April 24 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: Robert Vaughn, director of UIS Sangamon Auditorium, will discuss the process of identifying and selecting shows for the 2,000-seat performing arts venue— especially the back stage and behind-the-scenes technical requirements.

Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, UIS associate professor and director of theatre, and Dathan Powell, UIS assistant professor and scene design/technical director, will discuss performance selection and scene design for an emerging student theatre program.

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.

This semester’s Lunch & Learn Series is designed to stimulate thinking and build upon the university's tradition of open and intelligent dialogue.

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 Health & Wellness Fair offers free screenings and fun activities

WHAT: Over 45 Healthy – FREE and fun activities, games, and screenings loaded with great ideas to become active, to eat healthier, and to live a great quality of life. This annual fair takes place on the University Illinois Springfield campus and is hosted for the entire community. The services and activities are donated by more than 40 community organizations and campus groups to engage the community and to increase awareness on health issues. This annual event is held in conjunction with national Public Health Week.

WHO: Everyone is invited: individuals of all ages – with activities for children. The event is sponsored by UIS Health Services and developed in conjunction with a collaboration of providers through Springfield Health Check. A list of providers and activities is attached.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) at UIS

WHY: Americans are experiencing the impact of poor health choices. Rates of chronic health conditions and their associated costs are on the rise. Obesity contributes to a list of other chronic diseases including diabetes and heart disease. Many of these conditions are modifiable through healthy eating, increased activity and preventive check-ups. This UIS Wellness Day offers each individual the opportunity to get their health numbers (bio-metrics), and to explore a range of options to live a healthier life. Healthier life-styles happen one choice at a time. Attending the UIS Wellness Day is a great choice to jump-start those healthy choices.

UIS Health Services provides care for the UIS student body and health education for the entire campus. Springfield Health Check provides multi-level Workplace Wellness services for area businesses.

UIS Theatre presents "How I Learned to Drive"

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois Springfield presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning play How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel, opening Friday, April 11. Six performances will be presented in the Studio Theatre, on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS - on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 11, 12, and 13, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, April 17, 18, and 19. All shows will begin at 7:30 p.m., except the Sunday performance (April 13), which will begin at 2 p.m. UIS Associate Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson directs the play.

How I Learned to Drive takes an un-flinching look at "the gifts we receive from people who hurt us,” according to Vogel. The play’s protagonist, Li'l Bit, "received the gift of how to survive," from a surprising source. Through a non-linear series of emotional, and often times funny flashbacks and recollections, Li’l Bit takes the audience on a ride that explores how a family, a culture, and a society contributed to an inappropriate relationship. This thrilling ride has been described by Dramatists Play Service as “a wildly funny, surprising and devastating tale of survival as seen through the lens of a troubling relationship between a young girl and an older man.”

Elizabeth Ingram plays the role of Li’l Bit and Tom Hutchison plays the role of Peck. Ingram and Hutchinson are both UIS alumni. The play involves a “Greek Chorus” of actors, who play multiple roles. The “Greek Chorus” includes UIS students Liza Torrence, Christina Craig, Emily Hartney, Blake Barnes, and Robbie Quance, along with Lincoln Land Community College student Carys Fritz.

Dathan Powell, UIS assistant professor of theatre, is the scene designer/technical director. Community member Allaina Blackwell is the stage manager and UIS students Meghan Milewski and Angelina Russo are the assistant stage managers. UIS faculty members Carrie Switzer and Sheryl Reminger are co-costume designers, with UIS visual arts faculty member Brytton Bjorngaard providing projections and images. The lighting designer is UIS student David Hecht, and sound research/design is provided by UIS student Chip Deiss.

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. You may also purchase tickets over the phone by calling 217/206-6160 or online at www.uis.edu/SangamonAuditorium/.

Following the April 13 and April 17 performances, there will be post-show discussions as part of the UIS ECCE Speaker Series. All audience members are invited to stay for the talk-backs.

For more information on the production, contact Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson at 217/206-8307 or mthom1@uis.edu, or visit www.uis.edu/theatre.