Businesses and organizations are invited to take part in the Career Connections Expo at UIS

Businesses and organizations are encouraged to register now for the Career Connections Expo at the University of Illinois Springfield. This year marks the 20th year the career fair has been held at UIS. The Expo will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2018, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus.

The annual event is being hosted by the University of Illinois Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College and Benedictine University.

The Career Connections Expo is intended to bring students, alumni, community members, and employers together to discuss career opportunities and build professional connections. Organizations who are recruiting candidates for job and internship opportunities are invited to participate in the event. The event has an average attendance of over 400 students, alumni and community members.

Table assignments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Employers are encouraged to register as soon as possible as space is limited. The priority deadline to register is February 2, 2018.

Employers can register for the Expo through the UIS Career Development Center’s online system called “CareerConnect” accessible at www.uis.edu/career. The “CareerConnect” system 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.

For more information or to register for the event, contact the UIS Career Development Center at 217-206-6508 or employerrelations@uis.edu.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery to hold silent auction fundraiser featuring local and regional artists

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery will hold its annual silent auction and benefit fundraising event starting on December 4, 2017.

The auction offers more than 100 items donated by local and regional artists and supporters. Ceramics, photography, glass, painting and drawing, crafts and more will be available at the auction, and at prices unparalleled in Springfield. This event guarantees something for everyone, plus great food, drinks and fun -- all in support of the UIS Visual Arts Gallery mission.

Bidding begins on Monday, December 4 and a closing event, along with final bidding, will take place on December 7 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Visual Arts Gallery, room 201 in the Health and Science Building on campus. All events are open to the public.

“This strong showing of support from our local creative community annually paves the way to success for the silent auction benefit, which serves as the sole fundraiser for the gallery each year,” said Jeff Robinson, director of the UIS Visual Arts Gallery. "The auction features an extraordinary range of work and reflects a spirit of support amongst artists that thrive in Springfield.”

All proceeds from the silent auction will benefit UIS Visual Arts Gallery programming throughout the year.

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.

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 Music Program presents “Snow Globe” holiday concert

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents “Snow Globe,” holiday music from around the globe featuring performances by the UIS Band, and chamber groups featuring brass, woodwind, string and traditional Chinese instrumentalists.

WHEN: Friday, December 1, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Studio Theatre, located in the Public Affairs Center at UIS

DETAILS: Come join us for a fantastic night of music and imagery celebrating holiday music from Ireland, Canada, China, Greece, Ukraine and more. The UIS Band, under the direction of Applied Music Specialist Abigail Walsh, will open the multi-cultural holiday program with works including traditional carols arranged for band, Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” and Sean O’Loughlin’s "Imani," a piece inspired by traditional African instruments and in celebration of Kwanzaa. Brass and string Camerata ensembles will perform a Spanish lullaby turned carol and “Zorbas Dance (Syrtaki)” by Mikis Theodorakis, a piece that is often performed at Greek festivals.

The second half of the program will feature traditional Chinese instrumentalists performing “Spring Festival Overture” by Huanzhi Li, a piece performed for the celebration of Chinese New Year followed by the UIS Woodwind Ensemble performing “Koliady,” an arrangement of three Ukranian Christmas carols by Peter Senchuk. The band will return to close the program with music from the movie “The Polar Express,” celebratory Hanukkah music and ending the evening with an audience sing-a-long.

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.

UIS presents the 40th annual International Festival

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield invites the Springfield community to join us for the 40th annual International Festival. The longest running student-led program in the history of the University, the festival features fun and games from around the globe, cultural performances and exhibits, plus a variety of ethnic foods. Admission is free.

WHEN: Friday, November 3, 2017, 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 40 years, the University of Illinois Springfield family has celebrated its rich international and cultural diversity with the annual International Festival. Many 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.

Guests are invited to pick up a program as they enter so they can find their way to the many exhibits, food tastings, and performances. Guests are encouraged to spend some time getting to know people you have never met before, literally from every part of our world.

UIS has more than 600 international students from 42 different countries enrolled this semester.

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

UIS speaker to explore strategies for achieving and sustaining healthy communities

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Public Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health Office of Minority Health presents “Reducing Disparities: Strategies for Achieving and Sustaining Healthy Communities” featuring Mushtaque Chowdhury, the vice chair of BRAC, an international development organization based in Bangladesh which is the world's largest non-governmental organization. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Monday, November 13, 2017, from 6 to 8 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Public Affairs Center, Conference Rooms C/D

DETAILS: There are many determinants, such as income inequality, poverty, and education that have profound effect on one’s ability to be healthy. Chowdhury will bring a global perspective on strategies for reducing these inequities. He will discuss his experience in improving health outcomes for residents of Bangladesh by addressing social determinants. The audience will gain a better understanding of how social determinants affect health and identify strategies that could be applied to vulnerable communities in Illinois.

Chowdhury formerly served as executive director and founding director of the Research and Evaluation Division and founding Dean of the James P. Grant School of Public Health. He is also a professor of population and family health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York. During 2009-12, he worked as the senior adviser to the Rockefeller Foundation, based in Bangkok, Thailand. He also served as a MacArthur Fellow at Harvard University. Chowdhury was a coordinator of the UN Millennium Task Force on Child Health and Maternal Health, set up by the former Secretary General Kofi Annan. He has published nearly 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Chowdhury is a founder of the Bangladesh Education Watch and Bangladesh Health Watch, two civil society watch-dogs on education and health respectively. He has recently been nominated as the recipient of the Ronald McDonald House Charities’ “Medical Award of Excellence” for 2017.

For more information, contact Josiah Alamu, associate professor and chair of the UIS Public Health Department, at 217/206-8485 or jalam3@uis.edu.

UIS Music Program presents Fall Showcase Concert

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents its Fall Showcase concert featuring performances by the UIS Orchestra, UIS Chorus and UIS Band. The performance is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Friday, November 10, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Sangamon Auditorium

DETAILS: The UIS Orchestra, under the direction of Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology Yona Stamatis, will lead the program with music from local composers in celebration of the upcoming Illinois Bicentennial Celebration. The world premiere of “Music for Dr. Yona Stamatis and the University of Illinois Springfield Orchestra” will be performed by composer Ben Jacob, who also performs on violin in the UIS orchestra. Mark Rheaume, the low brass instructor at UIS will be the guest conductor for two movements of his “American Suite.”

Directed by Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology Sharon Graf, the UIS Chorus will perform several works including "All You Need is Love" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by Carter Stanley.

The UIS Band will close the program, under the direction of Applied Music Specialist Abigail Walsh, with a preview of the multi-cultural holiday program being held December 1 in the Studio Theatre. Works include "A Hannukah Festival" by Chris Bernotas, "Imani" by Sean O'Loughlin and more.

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.

UIS Speaker Series explores the endangered bee population as part of Sustainability Week

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents “Hope is the Thing with Little Clear Wings,” a Sustainability Week keynote presentation by natural history and conservation photographer Clay Bolt. This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 6 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Over the past 10 years, we've heard a lot about the shocking disappearance of honey bees. However, many people don't realize that North America is home to approximately 4,000 species of native bees that are irreplaceable pollinators with an extraordinary beauty all their own.

In 2013, Bolt set out on an adventure to meet, photograph and tell the stories of many of these beautiful, beneficial insects. Soon he came across a specimen of a rusty-patched bumble bee in a scientific collection and learned about its tragic decline. Determined to use his photography to create more awareness about the insect's demise, he worked with partners to create a film, which he then shared across the country on behalf of the bee, from small venues to a rare opportunity to present on Capitol Hill. In March, 2017 these efforts paid off, and the rusty-patched bumble bee became the first species of native North American bee to receive protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Bolt will share some of his favorite images and stories about native bees and talk about what people can do to make a difference in their lives.

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 Theatre presents “Machinal” by Sophie Treadwell

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois Springfield presents “Machinal” by Sophie Treadwell opening Friday, October 27. 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 27, 28, 29 and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, November 2, 3, 4. All shows will begin at 7:30 p.m., except the Sunday performance (April 9), which will begin at 2 p.m.

Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, UIS associate professor of Theatre, will direct the production. Dathan Powell, UIS assistant professor of Theatre, will be the scenic designer and technical director.

“Machinal” is an expressionist play inspired by the sensational 1927 New York murder trial of Ruth Snyder. “Machinal,” told in nine episodes, focuses on a young woman, as she navigates the oppressive, mechanized, hard society and the cultural expectations placed on her – and all women at the time. Treadwell takes the young woman through the stages of a kind of modern everywoman: work in a boring office, marriage to a boss who offers financial security, a motherhood that oppresses her, and a lover who abandons her.

The cast includes UIS students Beatrice Bonner, Shanda Courtaway, Dawson Daffron, Diamond Dixon, Chris Vemagiri Marbaniang, Krista Massat, Sherri Mitchell, Grant Naughton and Katie Simpson, along with UIS alumni Blake Detherage, Tom Hutchison and Ellyn Thorson and community members Sean McCord, Nic Mulcahy, Kenny Naughton and Judy Nichols.

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 to screen and discuss the classic film “Ran” about life in medieval Japan

WHAT: The UIS Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series and the NPR Illinois Foreign & Independent Film Series sponsored by the Office of Student Life present a screening and discussion of the 1985 film “Ran.” The discussion will be moderated by UIS Associate Professor of History Peter Shapinsky. This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Friday, November 3, 2017, at 7 p.m.

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

DETAILS: “Ran” explores the human condition through a lens of feudal Japan. In medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the newfound power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other and him.

A facilitated discussion led by Shapinsky will follow the movie to explore accurate historical understanding and cultural appreciation along with other takeaways from Akira Kurosawa’s classic film.

Shapinsky is the author of “Lords of the Sea,” a book on medieval Japan. He was the recipient of the 2016 University Scholar Award at UIS and is understood to be one of the foremost scholars on Medieval Japanese piracy and Japanese maritime history. Shapinsky is also fluent in Japanese to aid in his studies of East Asian history.

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 Diversity Center and Lincoln Home National Historic Site host a screening of the film "An Outrage"

The University of Illinois Springfield Diversity Center and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site invite the public to attend a screening of the film "An Outrage," a new documentary film about lynching, on Thursday, October 26, 2017, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Brookens Auditorium on the campus of the University of Illinois Springfield. The screening and discussion is free and open to the public; doors will open at 3:30 p.m.

The film, produced by the Richmond, Virginia-based independent filmmakers of Field Studio, had its world premiere at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. in March, and will be distributed by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project to nearly 500,000 teachers—and their millions of students—across the United States starting this fall.

In April, at the Indie Grits Film Festival in Columbia, South Carolina, "An Outrage" received the Audience Award, marking it as the favorite among more than 80 films in competition. In August, the film was awarded Best Documentary Short at the Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival in Vermont.

"An Outrage" was filmed at lynching sites in six states – Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia – with descendants of victims, community activists, and historians. The film highlights the oft-hidden history of lynching and its resonance today. Jonathan Holloway, Provost of Northwestern University and an historian of the Jim Crow era, notes in the film, “I promise you, once you start taking in the ‘unofficial histories,’ the official history doesn’t look quite so accurate anymore.”

The film is directed, edited, and produced by Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren, co-directors of Field Studio, who seek to make the film a hub for action. “Our principal goal,” notes Warren, “is to spur needed conversations that lead to real change, so the film conveys powerful stories and vital history in short form.” Ayers and Warren are currently on a 20-state tour of the film.

The filmmakers note that the film’s content is particularly timely in light of the national debate about the display of Confederate flags and monuments honoring Confederate leaders and the white supremacist violence in Charleston, Charlottesville, and elsewhere. “An Outrage reveals the long, unbroken tradition of white supremacy in America—as expressed by extremist organizers as well as community complacency—and how its history echoes for the families of the thousands of victims of racial terror,” Ayers says. Warren adds: “We hope the film demonstrates why people of conscience, from all political backgrounds, must resist ongoing injustice, threats, and violence motivated by hatred over ideas about race.”

"An Outrage" includes interviews filmed in an artistic style uncommon for historical documentaries. The interviews include Holloway; two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson (author of The Warmth of Other Suns); Mia Bay, Rutgers University historian and Ida B. Wells biographer; and Yohuru Williams, historian and University of St. Thomas Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

"An Outrage" will be available for free to teachers starting this fall through the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project, an anti-bias education program with a network of nearly 500,000 teachers across the United States. The film has a 33-minute run time designed for use in classrooms and community forums. Teaching Tolerance is also developing curriculum to use with the film.

Anyone wishing to obtain further information regarding the screening of the film "An Outrage" is welcome to contact Lincoln Home National Historic Site at 217-391-3241 or the University of Illinois Springfield Diversity Center at 217-206-6333.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents “of strange shadows” from Texas-based print collaborators Leslie Mutchler and Jason Urban

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “of strange shadows” from Texas-based collaborators Leslie Mutchler and Jason Urban. The exhibit will open on Thursday, October 26, and run through Thursday, November 16. An artist reception will take place on Thursday, October 26, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The exhibit, “of strange shadows,” is an investigation of color, print and collective memory. Contrasting a subdued primary palette with gray images of residual protest and violence, artist-collaborators Mutchler and Urban look back to the 1960’s and 1970's as captured in printed matter from the same era. The installation of layered digital prints evoke the smoking and obscured remnants of a civil strife and political tumult at once too familiar and yet distant. The layering of large-scale, abstracted images printed on everyday bond paper suggests the ephemerality and fragility of any one generation’s defining moments.

As artists and collaborators, Mutchler and Urban are interested in the handmade (handprinted) and the duality of actual and virtual, experience and meta-experience. Both have multiple degrees in printmaking and have been working for several years to make relevant the archaic and dying craft of print.

Mutchler’s recent projects are experiential and examine the functionality of the printed form through multi-participatory installations. Urban is co-founder and co-editor of Printeresting.org, a 2011 Creative Capital Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant winning blog, focused on interesting and relevant contemporary printmaking, print, and print-related issues. Both teach in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Austin where Mutchler is associate chair and director of the AAH Core Program and Urban is head of the studio division's print area.

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 Speaker Series presents "Investigating How Cancer Cells Survive: The Key to Blocking Metastasis?"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series and the Notre Dame Club of Central Illinois Hesburgh Lecture Series presents “Investigating How Cancer Cells Survive: The Key to Blocking Metastasis?” featuring speaker Zachary Schafer, an associate professor of biological sciences and the Coleman Foundation Collegiate chair of cancer biology at the University of Notre Dame. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Monday, October 23, 2017, at 7 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Metastasis, the process by which cancer cells spread from the primary tumor to distant sites in the body, is responsible for in excess of 90% of cancer deaths. This lecture will focus on recent Notre Dame research studying how cancer cells survive during metastasis, and how this information can be used for the development of novel cancer therapeutics. Schafer will present his research on the molecular mechanism utilized by cancer cells to survive during metastasis.

Schafer is a Springfield native and a 1997 graduate of Springfield High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Notre Dame and completed his Ph.D. in molecular cancer biology at Duke University. He proceeded to complete postdoctoral studies in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School. He is the recipient of a V Scholar Award from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, a Research Scholar Award from the American Cancer Society and a Career Catalyst Award from Susan G. Komen.

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 Illinois Innocence Project honors International Wrongful Conviction Day on October 2, 2017

WHAT: The Illinois Innocence Project (IIP), based at the University of Illinois Springfield, will host one of dozens of events throughout the world recognizing International Wrongful Conviction Day. The public is invited to a visual display recognizing individuals who were wrongly convicted and imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.

WHEN: Monday, October 2, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Quad – between the Colonnade and the Student Union

DETAILS: UIS students interning and volunteering with the Illinois Innocence Project have created a flag display recognizing the 2,098 innocent men and women who were convicted of crimes they did not commit and have been exonerated since 1989. “UIS blue” flags in the display represent 199 Illinois exonerees.

Collectively, these exonerees lost 18,250 years of their lives, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. Illinois exonerees lost a total of 2,135 years of their lives. An overwhelming majority of exonerees in the United States are people of color.

International Wrongful Conviction Day began four years ago with the Association in Defense of the Wrongly Convicted. The day is designed to recognize the tremendous personal, social and legal costs associated with wrongful criminal convictions. To date, seven nations participate with events designed to inform and educate the international community on the causes, consequences and complications associated with wrongful criminal convictions.

For more information on the Illinois Innocence Project – Wrongful Conviction Day events, contact Lauren Myerscough-Mueller at 217/206-6051.

UIS Speaker Series explores generational barriers to social change during panel discussion

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents a panel discussion on “Examining Barriers to Social Change: Challenges of Youth, Young Adults and Adults to Creating, Impacting and Enacting Reform.” This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 18, 2017, at 5 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Each generation has faced life circumstances which influence the behaviors and responses to the needs of others. While society evolves in its efforts of equality, tolerance, acceptance and understanding, generations must explore the limitations placed on change.

Panelists will discuss societal constructs, organizational barriers, generational differences and additional political factors on education, career-focus, the place of diversity in society and more.

Panelists include Tommy Jackson III, director of advising for University College at Kennesaw State University in Georgia; Marcus Bright, director of the Male Development & Empowerment Center/Black Male Initiatives at City University of New York, adjunct instructor at Lynn University (FL) and a commentator for the Huffington Post; and Utz McKnight, professor of political science and chair of gender and race studies at the University of Alabama.

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 Lincoln Legacy Lectures focus on Lincoln and Education

Illustration by Harry Dayton Sickles (1934)

The 15th annual Lincoln Legacy Lectures presented by the University of Illinois Springfield will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, October 12, 2017, in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS.

This year’s topic is “Lincoln and Education.” 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 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 Robert Bray, Colwell Professor of English Emeritus at Illinois Wesleyan University, and Paula R. Shotwell, educator and creator of the Lincoln Living History Project. Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at UIS, will give opening remarks on “Lincoln’s Views on Education,” and serve as moderator.

In the first lecture, Bray will describe “Lincoln’s Self-Education: The Personal and the Public.” In the second lecture, Shotwell will explore “Why Lincoln?: An Examination of Lincoln’s Role in Today’s Education.” The speakers will discuss the contemporary implications of their lectures at the beginning of the Q & A session.

Bray is the author of a prize-winning book, “Reading with Lincoln” (Southern Illinois University Press, 2010). Shotwell developed a Living History Project with the staff of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, which was given a Superior Achievement Award by the Illinois Association of Museums. Burlingame is the author of the two-volume biography, “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” (Johns Hopkins University Press, paper, 2012).

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, Brookens Library John Holtz Memorial Lecture, Engaged Citizenship Speaker Series, Gobberdiel Endowment, Illinois State Historical Society, Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, NPR Illinois, UIS Colleges of Education and Human Services and Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the UIS Office of Advancement.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. Seating in Brookens Auditorium is limited; however, overflow seating will be available in the Public Affairs Center, Level 1, Conference Rooms C/D, where the audience can watch a large-screen live video feed. Those unable to attend in person can watch a live webcast at the time of the event.

For more information, contact the Center for State Policy and Leadership at 217/206-7163 or visit the Lincoln Legacy Lectures website.

UIS to host two screenings of a documentary series exploring WWII Japanese American internment

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield will host two screenings of the “Hidden Histories” film series. One of the three short films that will be shown is “A Song for Manzanar”, which is based on a story of the family of Springfield resident Yosh Golden, who was born in the Manzanar concentration camp in California during WWII. Both screenings are free and open to the public.

WHEN: Friday, October 6, 2017, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Springfield native Kazuko Golden produced and directed the film “A Song for Manzanar.” The film is part of a touring program featuring short narrative films about Japanese American incarceration during WWII called “Hidden Histories.” Other films that will be shown include “The Orange Story” and “Tadaima.” The films provide a reminder of the profound cost of abandoning American ideals and equal protection under the law, and the continuing threat of punitive government policies in a climate of fear.

Richard Gilman-Opalsky, UIS associate professor of political science will moderate a panel discussion following the 4 p.m. showing. Panelists will include Kazuko Golden, Yosh Golden, Erika Street Hopman from the “Hidden Histories” project who produced “The Orange Story” and Ali Nizamuddin, UIS associate professor of political science, representing the Islamic community.

The 7 p.m. screening will also be followed by a panel discussion about the films. The audience is then invited to a reception outside Brookens Auditorium to meet and greet Erika Street Hopman and Kazuko Golden, whose film has been screened at film festivals and venues across the U.S. and in France at the Cannes Film Festival where it was shown in the short films section. The screening is sponsored by the UIS Diversity Center and the History, Political Science, Sociology/Anthropology & Women & Gender Studies Departments.

The first screening, at 4 p.m., is part of the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series and Political Art and the Public Sphere (PAPS). Students will only receive ECCE credit for the 4 p.m. event. Individuals with disabilities who plan to attend the 4 p.m. event and anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217/206-8507 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance.

For more information about the screenings, contact Richard Gilman-Opalsky at 217/206-8328 or rgilm3@uis.edu.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents "Live Through This" by photographer, writer and suicide awareness activist Dese’Rae L. Stage

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery presents “Live Through This,” a UIS Engaged Citizen Common Experience (ECCE) lecture and corresponding solo exhibition from photographer, writer and suicide awareness activist Dese’Rae L. Stage.

Stage will present her lecture on Thursday, September 28 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. An exhibition reception will immediately follow at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The exhibition will run from Thursday, September 28 through Thursday, October 19.

Stage is a Philadelphia-based artist, suicide awareness activist, and public speaker. She struggled with self-injury for nine years and survived a suicide attempt catalyzed by an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. These experiences, coupled with the loss of friends to suicide and the lack of resources for attempt survivors, prompted her to create “Live Through This”.

“Live Through This” is a collection of portraits and true stories of 180 suicide attempt survivors in 33 cities across the United States. “Live Through This” reminds us that suicide is a human issue by putting faces and names to the statistics that have been the only representation of attempt survivors in the past.

Stage speaks at universities and conferences nationwide. She provided commentary for The Glenn Beck Program, Fox News and BBC Radio. Her writing was published by Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, and XoJane. In January 2017, she received a SXSW Community Service award, the American Association of Suicidology’s inaugural Transforming Lived Experience Award and received Investigation Discovery’s Every Day Hero award. “Live Through This” has received extensive media coverage, including features in The New York Times, Associated Press, NPR, and more. Stage is featured in an upcoming documentary about suicide prevention advocates called “The S Word,” due out later this year.

“Live Through This” is co-sponsored by the UIS Visual Arts Gallery, The UIS ECCE Speaker Series, NPR Illinois (WUIS) and the UIS Office of Gender and Sexuality Services. “Live Through This” launches Queertober at UIS, a month-long celebration in October that features educational, informative, and social events that raise awareness and provide support for sexual and gender minority students (LGBTQIA+) and communities at UIS.

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 Lunch & Learn Series presents "Archaeological Treasures"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Office of Advancement, Alumni SAGE Society, Chancellor’s Office and the Illinois State Historical Society presents “Archaeological Treasures” as part of the Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: Thursday, September 28, 2017, 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: Lynn Fisher, UIS associate professor, will discuss her archeological research and how the treasures uncovered lead to understanding human evolution. Presenting on new archaeological research and recent discoveries in central Illinois and the Midwest will be Terrance Martin, curator emeritus of the Illinois State Museum and an adjunct professor of anthropology at Michigan State University.

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $23/per person. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. A discounted series subscription is available for $60/per person before September 21.

Other upcoming Lunch & Learn events include “Transcending Borders” on October 17 and “Illinois Stories” on November 15. These lunch-time programs will stimulate thinking as they build upon the university's tradition of open and intelligent dialogue.

Visit www.uis.edu/advancement/alumni/ to register online. For more information, contact the UIS Office of Advancement at 217/206-6058 or email advancement@uis.edu.

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.

UIS Theatre program announces 2017-2018 season performances

University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) Theatre is excited to announce its production lineup for the 2017-2018 academic year. During fall 2017, the program will present “Machinal” by Sophie Treadwell. The spring 2018 production will be “Six Characters In Search Of An Author”, by Luigi Pirandello. The program is also bringing back the popular “Student-Directed Scenes” in December 2017.

“Machinal” will be performed six times, Oct. 27-29 and Nov. 2-4, 2017, in the Studio Theatre, lower level of the Public Affairs Center. Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, UIS associate professor of Theatre, will direct the production. Dathan Powell, UIS assistant professor of Theatre, will be the scenic designer and technical director.

Open auditions/crew interviews will be held September 5-6, 2017, in the Studio Theatre. Callbacks will take place on Sept. 7. Auditions and crew positions are open to students, faculty, staff, and community members. Check www.uis.edu/theatre/auditions/ for times and information. Some of the crew positions include stage manager, props crew, sound research, costumes, dresser and running crew.

“Machinal” is an expressionist play inspired by the sensational 1927 New York murder trial of Ruth Snyder. “Machinal”, told in nine episodes, focuses on a young woman, as she navigates the oppressive, mechanized, hard society and the cultural expectations placed on her – and all women at the time. Treadwell takes the young woman through the stages of a kind of modern everywoman: work in a boring office, marriage to a boss who offers financial security, a motherhood that oppresses her, and a lover who abandons her.

The spring production, “Six Characters In Search Of An Author”, will be performed April 13-15 and 19-21, 2018, in the Studio Theatre, located on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center. UIS Associate Professor of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct with scenic design by Assistant Professor of Theatre Dathan Powell. Open auditions/crew interviews will be held Jan. 21-22, 2018, in the Studio Theatre. Callbacks will take place on Jan. 23. Auditions and crew positions are open to students, faculty, staff and community members. Check www.uis.edu/theatre/auditions/ for times and information.

The UIS production of “Six Characters” will be the Robert Brustein 1998 adaptation of the original 1921 piece. The story follows a group of theatre artists as they rehearse a known play, and are interrupted by six characters from another play, which its author never finished. These six characters find themselves in a purgatory of sorts, trying to find a “home” in which their stories can live.

Pirandello’s play reminds us that all great art takes on a life of its own, after being created, and we are challenged to find meaningful difference between a work-in-progress and its eventual effects on audience members.

Also back this fall, students enrolled in Directing for Theatre will present their work in “Student-Directed Scenes” performances. They will be held December 4-5, 2017, in the Studio Theatre, located on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center. Open auditions/crew interviews will take place in early November. Check www.uis.edu/theatre/auditions/ for audition details.

“Student-Directed Scenes” showcases students’ final projects, which will include an interesting variety pack of scenes from contemporary American plays.

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 general admission, $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.

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

Brazilian Professor to present on Conservation of Large Rivers

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield will host a lecture on “The Impact of Hydroelectric Dams on Aquatic Communities,” by Professor Luiz Felipe Machado Velho from the Universidade Estadual de Maringa. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Monday, July 17, 2017 at 2 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Professor Luiz Felipe Machado Velho’s lecture is part of a summer exchange program with UIS on the theme of Conservation and Restoration of Two Large Rivers in the Americas, partially funded by a grant from the Innovation Fund from the Coca-Cola Foundation-sponsored competition, “100,000 Strong in the Americas.”

Velho and four UEM students are spending three weeks studying restoration projects in the Illinois River floodplain.

Their hosts at UIS include Keenan Dungey, UIS associate professor of chemistry, Michael Lemke, UIS professor of biology, Jonathan GoldbergBelle, senior director of UIS International Programs. Additionally, five UIS students are participating in the program.

All participating students recently collected samples from the Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon and will be comparing their results to those based on samples they collected on the Parana River in Brazil last month.

“This exchange program builds on our 10-year collaboration with the Universidade Estadual de Maringá, creating additional student research opportunities, sharing our aquatic ecology projects with a broader audience, and contributing to public policy on river management,” said Dungey.

It is expected that the eight Innovation Fund grants, handed out internationally in 2016, will result in 115 students studying abroad, preparing them to be more globally competent for the 21st century workforce.

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

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents “Walking Enos Park: Who is your neighborhood?” by Astrid Kaemmerling

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “Walking Enos Park: Who is your neighborhood?” by Enos Park artist-in-residence Astrid Kaemmerling. The gallery partnered with the Enos Park Residency for Visual Artists to fund Kaemmerling and a community-focused solo exhibition.

“Walking Enos Park: Who is your neighborhood?” will open with a reception on Wednesday, June 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will run from Wednesday, June 28 through Friday, July 28. The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is open for the duration of the exhibit on Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m. or throughout the week by appointment.

“Walking Enos Park: Who is your neighborhood?” is a visual and sound art exhibition which aims to represent the voices of local residents and community members in order to uncover the character of Enos Park. “Who” is the Enos Park Neighborhood? -- and “What” do artists in Enos Park need to grow & prosper?

As an artist in residency at Enos Park, Kaemmerling is currently hosting the “Enos Park Community Walking Laboratory,” a community-centered walking art project. The exhibition represents the research she conducted during walks with individual community members through Enos Park. The laboratory will be open throughout the time of the exhibition from June 28 to July 28, and community members are welcome to make a walking appointment with the artist.

“The exhibition will grow over time, and aims to provide insights into the social, economic and demographic situation of Enos Park as seen, told and experienced through the eyes of the community,” said Kaemmerling.

Kaemmerling is a German-born artist, scholar and educator based in San Francisco, California. Her work as an interdisciplinary artist spans the genres of visual, performance and media art and strives to connect place memories of the past, such as collected travel experiences, with a critical exploration of specific neighborhoods and selected urban places.

Kaemmerling has been exhibited internationally in Germany, Italy, Korea and the United States. Her work has won several awards and fellowships, such as at the Cittadellarte-Fondazione Pistoletto (Italy) and the Vermont Studio Center (Vermont). She is the founder of The International Community of Artist-Scholars, a community of artists who work at the intersection of art & research, as well as founder of The Walk Discourse, a Bay Area based laboratory for walking artists and walking enthusiasts to share walking art methodologies, practices and tools. The interest in interdisciplinary collaboration has led her to the School of Interdisciplinary Arts at Ohio University where she received her Ph.D. and completed a dissertation on walking art; her writing has been published in peer-reviewed journals and publications.

The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is centrally located on the UIS campus in the Health and Science Building, room 201 (HSB 201). For more information on exhibition programming, please visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at www.uis.edu/visualarts/gallery, or email Amanda Lazzara at alazz2@uis.edu.

UIS student brings video games to life through an interactive event at the Illinois State Military Museum

Photo Courtesy: Chris McDonald

Lizzie Roehrs of Springfield, a junior communication major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has partnered with the Illinois State Military Museum to bring her love of military history and video games to life.

Roehrs created the “War Games” event, which will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Illinois State Military Museum, located at 1301 N MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield. The event is being held in conjunction with a WWII encampment.

Visitors will be able to interact with reenactors and historical equipment that are highlighted in popular World War Two (WWII) video games, such as “Call of Duty World at War”. They will also be able to talk with historians, try on uniforms, watch reenactments and weapons demonstrations, and explore a recreated trench. Unique artifacts, which are not usually available to the public, will also be display.

“The point of the event is to teach visitors about the real-life events and equipment behind what people see in video games,” said Roehrs. “This event is an opportunity for video game lovers and history buffs alike to come experience the weapons, gear and uniforms of World War Two first-hand.”

The event originally started as a hypothetical campaign in UIS Assistant Professor of Communication Ann Strahle’s Introduction to Public Relations class. However, Roehrs decided to take it a step further by creating the actual event at the Illinois State Military Museum where she is currently interning.

“My inspiration for this event came from wanting to find a way to bring a new crowd of people into the museum,” said Roehrs. “I wanted to find a connection between entertainment and history that would appeal to people who maybe aren't usually museum goers. I also wanted to show people that play these games that there is more to the history than what they see in a video game.”

Roehrs, a self-proclaimed “history buff”, says she’s always been interested in World War Two. Her father is a historian who specializes in military and diplomatic history of WWII and her grandfather is a WWII veteran.

For more information on the event, email Lizzie Roehrs at eroeh2@uis.edu or contact the Illinois State Military Museum at 217/761-3910.

UIS to host a free movie on the quad screening of Disney’s “Beauty & the Beast”

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield will host a free movie on the quad screening of “Beauty & the Beast” (2017), a live-action re-telling of Disney's animated classic. The screening is free and open to the public. Please bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating.

WHEN: Friday, June 9, 2017, at 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Quad near the Colonnade

DETAILS: Disney's animated classic takes on a new form, with a widened mythology and an all-star cast. A young prince, imprisoned in the form of a beast, can be freed only by true love. What may be his only opportunity arrives when he meets Belle, the only human girl to ever visit the castle since it was enchanted. The movie stars Emma Watson, Josh Gad, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Audra McDonald and Stanley Tucci.

The movie will be projected onto a large inflatable screen that will be set up on the quad. The event is made possible by UIS Student Life.

For more information, contact Mary Umbarger, UIS Student Life program assistant, at 217/206-4762 or mumbarg2@uis.edu.

UIS Orchestra presents an "Afternoon at the Movies" concert and meet and greet

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Orchestra will perform well-known tunes from several popular movies during its “Afternoon at the Movies” spring concert. Following the performance, a meet and greet will be held for high school students and parents who want to learn more about the UIS Music Program and the new academic minor.

WHEN: Sunday, May 7, 2017 – concert at 3 p.m., meet and greet at 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Sangamon Auditorium, located in the Public Affairs Center

DETAILS: The concert will feature pieces from famous movies, such as “Star Wars”, “The Pink Panther” and “James Bond”, and includes the “Warsaw Concerto” by Richard Addinsell, featuring pianist Miaomiao Liu, winner of the UIS Solo Competition. Yona Stamatis, UIS assistant professor of ethnomusicology, will direct the orchestra.

After the concert, high school students and parents can meet and speak with UIS music professors and students to learn about new opportunities in the UIS Music Program, including new course offerings in musicology, ethnomusicology, music technology, music theory and performance, the new music minor degree offered at UIS and brand new individual instrumental and vocal instruction for fall 2017. Students and parents can also learn about the $10,000 Camerata Scholarships offered to non-music majors and various musical opportunities on campus.

The concert is free, but donations used to benefit the UIS Music Student Merit Award are welcomed. 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.

For more information, contact Stamatis at 217/206-8583 or ystam2@uis.edu.

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

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Women's Center and Residence Life will hold the 10th annual “Take Back the Night” march and rally. The event protests rape and all forms of violence against women. This year’s theme is “Be the Change!”

WHEN: Friday, April 28, 2017, 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) Great Room where a rally will be held.

DETAILS: “Take Back the Night” empowers women and all people to reclaim their right to be safe in the nighttime and at all times. “Take Back the Night” will include poetry and a healing observance. This year’s logo includes a heart – signifying our current times point us to a need to return to core issues and to the heart of the human experiences which inspired take back the night events worldwide. Sweatshop-free t-shirts will be distributed.

The Clothesline Project and 10 Paper Cranes to Heal the Violence will also be on display. The Clothesline Project is made up of t-shirts telling women’s stories. The 10 Paper Cranes project was created by UIS Women’s Center five years ago. Students create paper cranes streamers dedicated to victims/survivors. It is now replicated elsewhere – in USA and globally.

The supporting organizations for the event include the African Student Association, Afrobeat Dance Crew, College Democrats at UIS, Epic Praise for Christ, Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority, Indian Student Organization, International Student Association, Lincoln Land Community College, Organization of Latin American Students, TARA Mediation Club, and Vietnamese Student Association.

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

NPR Illinois hosts first forum on the state budget

NPR Illinois | 91/9 UIS will host 11 free events across the state open to the public to talk about how different regions have been impacted by the budget impasse. The forums sponsored by AARP are a chance to hear directly from Illinois residents about their experience without a state budget and panelists’ views on these impacts.

The first event will take place in Springfield, IL on Thursday, April 27, 6 p.m. at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre. Moderated by Sean Crawford-NPR Illinois News Director, panelists for the Springfield forum are Amanda Vinicky- Chicago Tonight reporter, former NPR Illinois State House reporter, Jonathan Lackland - Director of State Government Relations at Illinois State University, Howard Peters-AARP Illinois Executive Council Member.

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS has aggregated their budget coverage on the impact of the impasse under the “Past Due” banner at nprillinois.org. Past Due is a commitment by NPR Illinois to cover the historic Illinois budget impasse and to explain the impact that continues to build. NPR Illinois reporters investigate how Illinois is, and will be, affected by the uncertainty.

UIS Music Program presents Spring Showcase Concert

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents its Spring Showcase Concert featuring performances by the UIS Chorus, UIS Orchestra, and UIS Band. The performance is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Friday, April 28, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Sangamon Auditorium, located in the Public Affairs Center at UIS

DETAILS: The event will feature a wide array of music including pieces from famous movies, such as “The Pink Panther” and “James Bond”. It will also include works by Mozart, Vaughn Williams and Copland as well as guest collaboration with Lincoln Land Community College. “Work of Art” by Shannon Wexelberg features vocal soloist Stephanie Marsaglia, a winner of the UIS Soloist Competition.

The UIS Orchestra, under the direction of Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology Yona Stamatis, will lead the program with music from the movies. The orchestra line-up is a preview for the highly anticipated “Afternoon at the Movies” concert that the group will present on May 7 at 3 p.m. in Sangamon Auditorium.

Directed by Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology Sharon Graf, the UIS Chorus will combine with the Lincoln Land Community College Choir under the direction of See Tsai Chan. They will perform a set of sacred and folk song selections and Francis Nesta’s comedic piece “The Argument”. They will return at the end of the concert to join the UIS Band to perform Aaron Copland’s “The Promise of Living”.

The UIS Band will end the program under the direction of Applied Music Specialist Abigail Walsh, starting with Franz von Suppe’s famous “Poet and Peasant Overture”. Other works include “The Winged Stallion” by Rossano Galante, “Yagi Bushi”, an arrangement of a Japanese folk song by Naohiro Iwai, and Ralph Vaughn Williams’ “English Folk Song Suite”.

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.

Ten UIS students to present at the U of I Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol

Ten students from the University of Illinois Springfield will present their work at the third annual University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Day at the Illinois State Capitol on Tuesday, April 25, 2017.

The students will display their research from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the first floor south corridor of the capitol building. Students will make poster presentations about their research and answer questions from lawmakers and the public.

UIS students will join their peers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Students were selected in a competitive process by the Undergraduate Research Steering Committee.

Student	Major	Project	Faculty Mentor	Hometown
Noah Sisson	Business	The BAD System	Bruce Sommer	Virden
Breanna Henderson	Environmental Studies, Sociology/Anthropology	Seeds of Possibility: Social Cohesion and Local Participation in Springfield's Community Gardens	Megan Styles	Springfield
Briana Rodriguez	Political Science	Finding the Beauty in the Ugly	Vicki Perkins	Streamwood
Tonda Chasteen	Biology	Inter-Institutional Collaborative Chemistry Assignments	Layne Morsch	Lewistown
Katelyn Camardelle	Legal Studies / Political Science	United States Maternity Leave and the State-Sponsored Opportunity Gap	Eugene McCarthy	McHenry
Abigail R. Norville	Biology	Hepatitis C Among Homeless People in Major Central Illinois Cities	Tracy Schatteman	Palmer
Jack Zinnen	Biology	Focus Stacking as a Means of Capturing Images of the Small World Around Us	Michael Lemke	Springfield
Christina Hanula	Visual Arts	Dementia	Shane Harris	Springfield
Vanessa Pratt	Legal Studies and Communication	Drug Courts: The Cure for the American Legal System's Addiction to Punishment	Nicole Overcash	Quincy
Leanna Kehl	Psychology	Important Characteristics of Early School Readiness According to Teachers and Caregivers	Michele Miller	Des Plaines

The event is co-sponsored by the UIS Undergraduate Research Support Program and the UIS Chancellor’s Office.

For more information, contact UIS Associate Professor of Chemistry and Director of Undergraduate Student Research Keenan Dungey at 217/206-7345 or kdung1@uis.edu.