UIS Speaker Series explores sustainability in a university setting

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will explore “What is a Sustainable University? How Students, Faculty, & Staff Can Work Together to Create a More Socially Just and Ecologically Sustainable World”. The event is co-sponsored by the UIS Campus Senate Committee on Sustainability and the UIS Students Allied for a Greener Earth (SAGE.)

WHEN: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

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

DETAILS: The University of Illinois at Chicago has emerged as a leader in “greening” its campus through an innovative set of programs that encourage students, faculty, and staff to work together to create educational programs, build infrastructure, conduct research, and otherwise strategize for sustainability.

Presenter Cynthina Klein-Banai will explain what UIC has accomplished, why it matters and what UIS can do to create a more socially just and ecologically sustainable world.

Klein-Banai has been serving as the Associate Chancellor for Sustainability at UIC since 2008, where she leads the Office of Sustainability and campus towards greater environmental sustainability. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences from UIC and is an adjunct faculty member.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events and more information, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.

UIS presents the 38th annual International Festival

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield invites the community to the 38th annual International Festival. Join UIS students, faculty, and staff to share an evening of cultural exhibits, artistic performances, food tasting and more. This year’s theme is the "World at a Glance”.

WHEN: Friday, November 13, 2015 from 5-8 p.m.

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC), located on the south side of the UIS campus. Parking is available in lot F and I, located next to TRAC. A map of the campus is available at www.uis.edu/maps/.

DETAILS: For over 35 years, the University of Illinois Springfield family has celebrated its rich international and cultural diversity with the annual International Festival. Some of our friends from the greater Springfield community will be joining UIS students, faculty, and staff to share an evening of cultural exhibits, artistic performances, and food tasting.

Admission is free and the festival is open to the public. Countries and organizations that will be represented include several African nations, China, India, Ireland, Peru, Scotland, the Middle Eastern countries, and more. Guests will have a chance to sample delicious ethnic dishes from many of the counties represented.

Guests should pick up a program as they enter to find their ways to the exhibits, cuisines, and performances. Everyone can spend some time getting to know people from every part of the world!

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

Internationally renowned artist and critic Buzz Spector to deliver artist talk at UIS

Buzz Spector, an internationally recognized artist and critical writer based in St. Louis, will present an artist talk at the University of Illinois Springfield on Thursday, November 5, at 6:00 p.m. The talk will take place on the third floor of Brookens Library, in room 376, and is open to the public.

The talk is made possible by the following community sponsors: DEMO Project, The Springfield Art Association, Prairie Art Alliance, UIS Visual Arts Gallery, Friends of Brookens Library and the UIS Department of Art, Music, and Theatre.

Spector will also exhibit his work in Eye to Eye, Mouth to Mouth, Ear to Ear, at DEMO Project, a Springfield art gallery that emphasizes contemporary art practices. Eye to Eye, Mouth to Mouth, Ear to Ear will open at DEMO Project on Friday, November 6, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. The exhibit will run from Friday, November 6 through Saturday, December 5. DEMO Project is open for the duration of the exhibit on Saturday afternoons from 1:00-4:00 p.m. or by appointment.

Buzz Spector works in a wide range of mediums including sculpture, photography, printmaking, book arts, and installation. His work makes frequent use of the book, both as subject and as object, and is concerned with the relationships among public history, individual memory, and perception.

Internationally recognized as an artist and critic, his work has been exhibited in museums throughout the United States and Europe, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Mattress Factory Art Museum (Pittsburgh), and the Luigi Pecci Center for Contemporary Art (Prato, Italy).

Spector is also a highly accomplished teacher who received the College Art Association’s Distinguished Teaching of Art Award in 2013. Having taught previously at Cornell University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he is currently Professor of Art at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

DEMO Project is located on the Springfield Art Association campus at 732 N. 4th Street, Springfield, IL. DEMO Project is directed by Springfield-based contemporary artists, all of whom have an affiliation to the UIS Visual Arts program. For more information, email demoprojectspace@gmail.com or visit www.demoprojectspace.com.

UIS Theatre presents "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois Springfield presents The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, opening Friday, October 30. 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 30, 31, and November 1, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, November 5, 6, and 7. All shows will begin at 7:30 p.m., except the Sunday performance (November 1), which will begin at 2 p.m.

UIS Associate Professor and Director of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct with scenic design by UIS Assistant Professor of Theatre Dathan Powell.

In the Oscar Wilde play, Algernon Moncrieff (Algy) and Jack Worthing are young Englishmen who are both looking for a little excitement in their aristocratic lives. To this end, they have each invented alter egos, in order to call themselves away from high society doldrums. For Algy, there’s “Bunbury,” who requires constant attention and for Jack, there’s “Earnest,” a name he has adopted for escapes to London from the country. Enter Algy’s aunt, Lady Bracknell, and her daughter, Gwendolyn Fairfax—with whom Jack falls in love. As Jack labors to pass Lady Bracknell’s inspections, Algy has fallen in love with Jack’s ward, Cecily Cardew. Both Gwendolyn and Cecily reveal that any marriage-worthy suitor of theirs must first possess a confidence-inspiring name such as “Earnest.” What unfolds is a hilarious, yet perceptive and universal journey for the young men, as they learn who they really are in name and in character…all of which leads toward their final understanding of the vital importance of being “earnest.”

The cast includes UIS students Beatrice Bonner, Andrew Conrad, Diamond Dixon, Christopher Vemagiri Marbaniang and Alessandro Vazquez. UIS alum Curtis Meinhardt and community members Melissa Betty and Mary Myers are also cast members.

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 from Sangamon Auditorium, not included in the prices above, 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.

For more information on the production, please visit the UIS Theatre website at www.uis.edu/theatre.

UIS Speaker Series examines Human Trafficking in Central Illinois

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will examine Human Trafficking in Central Illinois through a survivor’s eyes. The event is co-sponsored by the UIS Women’s Center, Grounds of Grace and Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 6 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Human Trafficking in Central Illinois is not just your typical pimp/prostitute scenario as most commonly recognized or addressed. It is often committed in “small-town USA” communities; potentially right next door. Speaker Patricia McKnight is one such survivor of family human trafficking.

McKnight will share her true story account along with information and discussion with Dana Pfeiffer, director of Grounds of Grace, an organization dedicated to assisting victims of human trafficking.

McKnight is a survivor of 30 years of abuse, violence and human trafficking from family members. Now, she passionately advocates changing laws, trains, educates and assists those dedicated to working to end human trafficking. She is the author of the book, My Justice, works through the Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery and hosts a radio program to elevate awareness. Pfeiffer is the founder and director of Grounds of Grace. She passionately assists families of abuse, violence and human trafficking.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events and more information, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents "Strange Matter"

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present Strange Matter, a mixed-media exhibition from Chicago-based artists Sarah and Joseph Belknap.

Strange Matter will open on Monday, October 26 and run through Thursday, November 19. An opening reception for the exhibit will take place on Thursday, October 29 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The exhibit offers a new body of work and installation that plays with light, space and perception. A wash of ambiguous quasi-Mars light blankets objects and drawings that rely on touch as a primary source of navigation. Graphite, the most stable of carbon forms, is worked into the surfaces and materials of the installation, coating everything – suspending time and movement.

Sarah Belknap and Joseph Belknap are Chicago-based interdisciplinary artists and educators who earned master’s degrees in Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They have been working as a team since 2008. Their work has recently been seen at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Trinity College in Palos Heights, Ill. and The Arts Club of Chicago.

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 exhibition programming, please visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at www.uis.edu/visualarts/gallery, or contact the gallery at 217/ 206-6506 or alach3@uis.edu.

UIS to cut ribbon on new team building Challenge Course

WHAT: The Department of Campus Recreation at the University of Illinois Springfield will be joined by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting at its new Challenge Course. The course is available to campus groups, athletic teams, community groups, and local businesses.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Spencer House, 1301 West Lake Shore Drive, Springfield

DETAILS: The low team challenge course (ropes course) consists of events that may occur on the ground as well as utilizing poles, wires, platforms and ropes a few inches to a couple feet off the ground.

The course is designed to teach participants teamwork, communication, problem solving, cooperation, trust and respect. After a series of challenges, a trained facilitator leads a discussion to help the group relate the experience to something relevant to their lives as individuals and as a team.

Most groups utilize the course for a half day (3-4 hours). However, each experience can be tailored to the groups’ needs and could go as short at two hours or as long as eight hours. The course requires a minimum of eight participants, with a maximum of 150 people.

Pricing depends on the desired amount of time, numbers of participants and group objectives. For more information, contact Jay Swenson with UIS Campus Recreation at 217/206-7103 or jswen2@uis.edu.

For more information, visit www.uis.edu/campusrec/facilities/challenge-course/.

UIS Speaker Series features poetry reading and discussion from Slow Lightning

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents ‘Cultural Code Switching in America,’ a poetry reading by author Eduardo C. Corral. The event is co-sponsored by the UIS Department of English, UIS LGBTQA Resource Office, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Vachel Lindsay Association.

WHEN: Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room

DETAILS: As part of Queertober, Eduardo C. Corral will present poems from his collection, Slow Lightning, a text that breaks taboos in embracing minority voices, using bilingualism and lyricism to explore the limitations individuals such as him experience.

Corral’s poetry addresses many possibilities as he provides a direct way of engaging with an anti-immigrant and heteronormative society to bring about positive social change.

Corral is a CantoMundo fellow. He holds degrees from Arizona State University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His award-winning poems have been featured in numerous publications including; Best American Poetry 2012, Beloit Poetry Journal, and the New England Review. Slow Lightning, was selected as the 2011 winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets competition.

Corral currently resides in New York City and teaches at Columbia University.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events and more information, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.

UIS Speaker Series examines the unexpected link between temporary populations in Los Angeles

WHAT:       The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE)Speaker Series will explore “Stay” in LA: Temporary Workers and Precarious Duration in Los Angeles, presented by Anne Cong-Huyen.

WHEN:       Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:    Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room

DETAILS:  The global city of Los Angeles has long been notorious for its conflicting representational history. It persists as a destination for workers from the global south searching for opportunities in the hemispheric north.

                     This talk will examine LA as a city where diverse temporary populations struggle to endure and stay, particularly the H1B1 workers from South Asia in the high-tech industry and Latino day laborers. These groups are commonly represented on opposite ends of the economic and social spectrum. However, they are linked by the temporary and racialized nature of their work.

                     Anne Cong-Huyen, coordinator of the Digital Liberal Arts Center at Whittier College in Los Angeles, holds a Ph.D. in English from UC Santa Barbara and is a previous Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Transnational Studies at UCLA. Her research focuses on migration and labor in global cities such as Dubai, Los Angeles and Ho Chi Minh City.       

                     This discussion is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Springfield Department of English.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events and more information, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.

UIS Speaker Series examines how Islam challenges Christian beliefs

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will explore Muslim-Christian differences in today’s society in “Islam, the Catholic Church, and the Future of the World,” with Notre Dame Professor Gabriel Said Reynolds. 

WHEN: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

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

DETAILS: This lecture will examine how Islam challenges Christian beliefs, reflect on how the Catholic Church has responded to these challenges through the centuries, and propose ways in which the Church and society might face the newest challenges of Muslim-Christian relations.

Gabriel Said Reynolds is a professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. He has authored The Qur’an and Its Biblical Subtext and The Emergence of Islam, as well as three volumes on the Qur’an and Christian-Muslim encounters. He has researched and lectured throughout the Middle East and United States.

This speaker series is co-sponsored by the University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Lecture Series and Notre Dame Club of Central Illinois.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events and more information, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.

UIS Lincoln Legacy Lectures to commemorate U.S. Voting Rights Act

What: The 13th annual Lincoln Legacy Lectures, presented by the University of Illinois Springfield, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Voting Rights Act of 1965 with "Lincoln and Voting Rights."

When: Thursday, October 15, 2015 from 7 to 9 p.m. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m

Where: Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS. Overflow seating will be available in the Public Affairs Center, Level 1, Conference Rooms C/D and G, where the audience can watch a large-screen live video feed.

Details: The Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series brings nationally known scholars to Springfield to present lectures on topics that both engaged Abraham Lincoln and the citizens of his era and are still timely today.

This year’s featured speakers are Michael Vorenberg, Associate Professor of History at Brown University, and Ronald Keith Gaddie, President’s Associates Presidential Professor of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.

Michael Burlingame, the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at UIS, will give opening remarks on “Lincoln and Black Voting Rights,” and serve as moderator.

In the first lecture, Vorenberg will describe “Voting Rights and the Meaning of Freedom: The View from the Civil War Era.” In the second lecture, Gaddie will discuss “Citizenship and Voting Rights in the Modern Era.”

The Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series is sponsored by the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership, in cooperation with the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies.

Cosponsors of this year's event include the Abraham Lincoln Association, UIS College of Education and Human Services, UIS College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, UIS College of Public Affairs and Administration, Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, Engaged Citizenship Speaker Series, Gobberdiel Endowment, Illinois State Historical Society, Illinois State Library, League of Women Voters of McLean County, Springfield Branch of the NAACP, Springfield Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and WUIS/Illinois Issues.

For more information, contact the Center for State Policy and Leadership at 217/206-7094 or visit www.uis.edu/cspl/.

UIS Homecoming Weekend activities announced

The University of Illinois Springfield invites you to celebrate our 19th annual Homecoming Weekend on October 16 & 17, 2015. The following is a partial list of events. To view a full list of Homecoming activities, visit www.uis.edu/homecoming/.

UIS Homecoming Parade 

WHAT: The parade is an annual tradition of Homecoming at UIS. Come out and enjoy the festivities, the UIS band and much more!

WHEN: Friday, October 16, 2015 at 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Campus – The parade will start in parking lot C-north and end in parking lot F near The Recreation and Athletics Center (TRAC). The best place to view the parade is along Eliza Farnham Drive, near Founders Residence Hall.

DETAILS: Community members are encouraged to attend to watch the parade, enjoy, and learn more about the many student organizations, athletics teams and campus departments that participate in the parade.

UIS Prairie Stars Men’s and Women’s Soccer 

WHAT: The NCAA Division II men’s and women’s soccer teams will play Maryville during the annual homecoming game.

WHEN: Friday, October 16, 2015 – The women’s game begins at 5 p.m., followed by the men’s game at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Kiwanis Stadium at UIS

DETAILS: Admission to the games is $6 for adults and children are $3. UIS students, faculty and staff are free with a valid iCard. Following the men’s soccer game, there will be a free fireworks display.

Prairie Stars Athletics Hall of Fame Induction 

WHAT: UIS Athletics will induct its second class into the Prairie Stars Athletic Hall of Fame during a formal ceremony on campus.

WHEN: Saturday, October 17, 2015 (Reception at 5:30 p.m., formal ceremony at 7:00 p.m.)

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) at UIS DETAILS: The 2015 class includes Dorothy Walsh Ripka, women's tennis (1995-1997); Naomi & Bob Lynn, Friend of the Prairie Stars; Dominic Giacomini, tennis coach (1991-2006); Rick Wiegand, soccer (1978-1979); and the 1988 NAIA National Champion Men's Soccer Team.

Guests must preregister for the reception in TRAC. For $25, guests can enjoy beer & wine along with hors d'oeuvres. Child 15 and under are free. To register, contact Paul Kabbes at pkabb2@uis.edu or 217/206-8547.