UIS Friday Night Star Parties return in September

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 8, 15, 22, and 29 and October 6, 13, 20 and 27. 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, UIS associate professor of Astronomy/Physics. The observatory’s telescopes will be used to view a number of celestial objects, including the planets Jupiter and Saturn; 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 8-10 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. Participants may also follow the UIS Observatory on Twitter (@UISObservatory) for updates. For more information on Star Parties, email John Martin at jmart5@uis.edu or visit www.uis.edu/astronomy/about/starparties/.

UIS Speaker Series hosts Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and school desegregation pioneer

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series and NPR Illinois will host civil rights activist Sylvia Méndez, recipient of the 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom, who will discuss her efforts to desegregate schools. This Hispanic Heritage Month and Constitution Day event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Monday, September 18, 2017, at 4 p.m.

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

DETAILS: When Sylvia Méndez was eight years old, her parents organized with four other Mexican-American families and filed a law suit in federal court against four Orange County, California school districts. Her family’s case, Mendez v. Westminster, paved the way in 1947 for the famous Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education which led to desegregation of schools across the country eight years later.

Their story demonstrates how a small group of citizens can and have changed the course of history. Their actions led to desegregation across the United States, but the current inequalities in the American education system remind us that we cannot take past successes for granted.

Méndez made her career as a registered nurse and now devotes her time to traveling and lecturing on the historic contribution she and her parents made to civil rights in the U.S.

Individuals with disabilities who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217/206-8507 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/.

UIS Speaker Series examines the dangers of for-profit law schools

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents “Law Mart”, a discussion of UIS Assistant Professor of Legal Studies Riaz Tejani’s new book. This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 13, 2017, at 6 p.m.

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

DETAILS: In “Law Mart”, Tejani argues that the rise of accredited for-profit law schools is exposing the limits of market-based solutions for American access to justice. His research reveals how for-profit law schools market themselves directly to enthoracial and socioeconomic minority communities. The schools relaxed admission standards, increased diversity rates, shook up the established curriculum and then watched student success rates plummet, thus creating a law school crisis where enrollment is down and student loan debt is up while the profession’s supply of jobs is shrinking. He questions the need for protections that better uphold institutional quality and sustainability.

Tejani is a legal anthropologist with research and teaching interests in legal education, comparative law, finance and globalization and race and ethnic studies. His current research uses ethnographic theory and methods to analyze contemporary changes in U.S. law school governance and organizational culture. His book, “Law Mart”, was published in July 2017 by Stanford University Press.

Individuals with disabilities who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217/206-8507 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance.

 For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/.

LGBTQA Resource Office to announce name change to better acknowledge complex gender and sexuality identities

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield LGBTQA Resource Office will announce its new name during an unveiling ceremony on campus. The office is changing its name to better acknowledge the complexity of gender and sexuality identities.

WHEN: Monday, August 28, 2017, at 3 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Student Life Plaza, located on the east side of campus

DETAILS: The new name acknowledges that there is no one term, name, acronym, or list of letters that can sum up the vast diversity of gender and sexual identities. The office will continue to promote space for individuals and communities to self-identify with words that best represent and validate their identities.

“This new name can serve as an important catalyst for dialogue,” said Clarice Ford, UIS vice chancellor for student affairs. “As educators, advocates, and supporters of LGBTQA+ persons, we strive to promote the work of developing deeper understandings of gender and sexuality across campus.”

The name change will also mark the 10th anniversary of the LGBTQA Resource Office at the University of Illinois Springfield. The ceremony will include games, giveaways, food and a photo booth.

For more information, contact Kerry Poynter, director of the LGBTQA Resource Office, at 217/206-8316 or kpoyn2@uis.edu.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery launches a new season with the 2017 Faculty Exhibition

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to launch the 2017-2018 season with the 2017 Faculty Exhibition. This exhibition of works by distinguished UIS Visual Arts Department faculty will open on Thursday, August 31 and run through Thursday, September 21. A reception for the exhibit will take place on Thursday, September 7, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The 2017 Faculty Exhibition provides students, colleagues and visitors a glimpse into the creative and professional work of the visual arts faculty at UIS. The exhibition will offer a look at the current research and prevailing concerns of these artists and designers.

Exhibiting artists include Brytton Bjorngaard, Shane Harris, Allison Lacher, Mike Miller and Jeff Robinson.

The Visual Arts Gallery is centrally located on the UIS campus in the Health and Science Building, Room 201, and is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Access Gallery is located in the Visual and Performing Arts Building and is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at www.uis.edu/visualarts/gallery or contact the gallery at 217/206-6506 or alach@uis.edu.

UIS co-hosts special Star Party viewing of the Perseid meteor shower

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Astronomy-Physics Program and Lincoln Memorial Garden will host a special Star Party to view the annual Perseid meteor shower.

WHEN: Saturday, August 12, 2017, from 8 p.m. to Midnight

WHERE: Lincoln Memorial Garden, 2301 East Lake Shore Drive, Springfield, IL

DETAILS: The Perseid meteor shower takes place annually in the beginning of August when the Earth passes through a stream of debris crossing the Earth’s orbit from the Swift-Tuttle. The 2017 shower is predicted to peak between August 11 and August 13.

The Perseid meteor show is known for producing more fireball type meteors than any other meteor shower. In a dark location on any given night, between 3 and 5 meteors per hour can be spotted. During the peak of a shower like the Perseid there could be up to 60 meteors per hour.

People attending the event at Lincoln Memorial Garden should park in the spaces just off East Lake Shore Drive. Observing will be done in Crawly Meadow across the street from the nature center. Attendees are encouraged to wear bug repellant, dress appropriately for the weather and bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.

The meteor viewing may be cancelled for cloudy weather. Questions about suitable weather viewing should be directed to 217/206-8342 after 7 p.m. on August 12. Updates will also be posted on the UIS Observatory Twitter feed (@UISObservatory). In the event of cloudy weather, John Martin, UIS associate professor of astronomy-physics, will give a presentation about the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse. That presentation will begin at 8 p.m. in the nature center.

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