SIU President's Communique (1-27-2012)

Carbondale Calendars and Events Edwardsville Calendars and Events East St. Louis Calendars and Events

Weekly Communiqué (January 27, 2012)

SIUC Debaters Start 2012 with Impressive Showings
Elijah P. Lovejoy Library to Host “Lewis & Clark” Traveling Exhibition
Black History Month at SIUC Kicks Off with Opening Ceremony on Feb. 1
SIUC’s Grad Bash Offers Fun, Resources for Class of 2012
SIU Alumni Association Awards $15,000 in Textbooks, Supplies
MLK Award Winners Announced at SIU Edwardsville
SIUC’s ‘Film Fridays’ Feature Avant-Garde, Edgy Works
SIU’s Simmons Cancer Institute’s Summer Internship Program Expands
SIUC’s Maple Fest-Pancake Breakfast Expands to Four Days
New Director Hopes to Connect Community, The Gardens at SIUE
SIU Alumni Association Invites Applications for Student Awards
SIUC Softball Selected Third In Preseason MVC Poll

1. SIUC Debaters Start 2012 with Impressive Showings

The SIUC Debate Team started off 2012 with four tournaments and impressive finishes: one first-place win, three thirds, one fifth and two ninths. At the University of Utah, with more than 70 debate teams, Ben Campbell and Mike Selck went undefeated. The duo worked its way through the single-elimination debate, went toe-to-toe with the current top-rankers, a team from the University of Texas at Tyler, and came out on top. The duo of Sid Rehg and Josh Rivera took third place in that same tournament. The second University of Utah tournament saw Campbell and Selck in fifth and Regh and Rivera in ninth -- both still in the top 10. The next pair of tournaments was at Western Washington University, the site for both national championship tournaments this year. More than 90 teams attended these two tournaments, including traditional debate powerhouses, of which SIU Carbondale is one. This time, Campbell and Selck grabbed third twice, while Rehg and Rivera took a fifth and a ninth.

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2. Elijah P. Lovejoy Library to Host “Lewis & Clark” Traveling Exhibition

“Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country,” a traveling exhibition, is on display at the Elijah P. Lovejoy Library on the SIUE campus through March 2. The exhibition tells the story of the explorers’ historic 1804–1806 expedition from a different point of view — that of the Indians who lived along their route. During the explorers’ journey to the Pacific coast and back, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their small group of voyagers crossed the traditional homelands of more than 50 Native American tribes. The exhibit examines this monumental encounter of cultures, and the past and present effects of those events on the lives of the tribes, which still live in the region. The exhibit draws upon original documents in the rich Native American collections of the Newberry Library, Chicago, and in the collections of the Washington State Historical Society, the Minnesota Historical Society and other institutions. Photographs of handwritten documents, maps, paintings and drawings provide a colorful background for the story of the encounter. Organized by the Newberry Library, in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country” was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): great ideas brought to life. Additional support came from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Sara Lee Foundation is the lead corporate sponsor; Ruth C. Ruggles and the National Park Service also supported the exhibit. For details about programs for the public in connection with the exhibit, or for more information, contact Library and Information Services, (618)650-4636, or email kbouman@siue.edu.

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3. Black History Month at SIUC Kicks Off with Opening Ceremony on Feb. 1

Black History Month at SIUC traditionally includes a look back into the history of a people as well as a look forward. This year, the opening ceremony asks individuals to look at important role models in their own personal histories -- their mothers, grandmothers, and other elders. The opening ceremony, “Remembering Our Mothers: Celebration Ritual Honoring the Mothers, Grandmothers, Elders and Ancestors,” begins at 5 p.m. on Feb. 1 in the Student Center Ballrooms. Everyone in the University and surrounding communities is welcome. Those who want to participate should bring a memento of a mother, a grandmother, an elder or an ancestor to pin to the “walls of remembrance” for the ceremony. Mementos can include photographs, letters, a scrap of material, even just a name written down on paper or other material. The ceremony includes expressions of remembering and a prayer of blessing. A reception follows.

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4. SIUC’s Grad Bash Offers Fun, Resources for Class of 2012

It was the start of a journey for SIUC students when they began their college careers, and it’s the start of a journey when they graduate. A new University event will send them off right -- fully prepared for commencement, with resources to start the next phase of their journeys, and with the thanks of the University community of which they have been so important a part. The inaugural Grad Bash ‘12 will be part celebration, part resource and information sharing. Grad Bash is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Feb. 16, in the Student Center Ballrooms. The event will provide a “one-stop shop” for all students graduating in 2012. They will be able to apply for graduation, order their caps and gowns, verify their permanent address with the Office of Records, and meet with representatives from the SIU Alumni Association, through whom they can register for alumni chapters or clubs, order a class ring and more. The event is also a launching pad for the next step forward, whether the path leads to a career or to graduate school. Representatives from Career Services will be on hand, as will members of the SIU Graduate School, the SIU School of Law and the online MBA program.

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5. SIU Alumni Association Awards $15,000 in Textbooks, Supplies

Thirty-five Southern Illinois University Carbondale students received more than $15,000 in textbooks and supplies from the SIU Alumni Association in January. The awards came during ceremonies Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the Student Center Ballrooms. In April 2008, the SIU Alumni Association’s national board allocated funds for investment, with the earnings earmarked to support the financial needs of current and future SIU Carbondale students. The Board’s scholarship committee, with the assistance of the University’s financial aid office, identified the need for textbooks and supplies as an area of extreme importance for student success, concluding the money could best be used to fill this type of gap that often occurs in student funding. Students are chosen based upon their academic success and demonstrated SIU Carbondale alumni family legacy.

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6. MLK Award Winners Announced at SIU Edwardsville

The annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian and Scholarship awards have been announced by SIUE. The awards will be presented at the University’s annual celebration of the birthday of the Rev. King at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7, in the Meridian Ballroom of SIUE’s Delyte W. Morris University Center. A reception will follow in the Goshen Lounge for the winners of the Scholarship and Humanitarian awards. Winners of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. High School Essay, Poetry, and Visual Arts Awards also will be honored. Recipients of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. awards include Deontay “Sean” Crawford of Springfield, a junior majoring in biological sciences with a concentration in dentistry through the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences. Crawford is the recipient of the MLK Scholarship and Humanitarian Award. Cheryl Heard, assistant director of the SIUE Kimmel Leadership Center, who has worked for positive social change for 16 years through St. Louis area grass roots organization, Racial Harmony, is the Faculty/Staff Humanitarian Award recipient. The Rev. Dorris Davis, founder of the Dorris Davis Helping Hands Shelter for homeless men in East St. Louis and dedicated community volunteer, was chosen as the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service award. Winners of the MLK high school competition awards are Jacob Till-Meidinger of Belleville, a senior at Belleville West High School — visual arts award; Berit Ericson of Columbia, a senior at Waterloo High School — poetry award and Richard Roberts of Alton, a sophomore at Alton High School — essay award. Tickets for the MLK luncheon are $15; students, $8. For reservations, call (618) 650-2660.

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7. SIUC’s ‘Film Fridays’ Feature Avant-Garde, Edgy Works

Films and videos that feature “edgy and avant-garde” work are part of SIUC’s “Film Fridays at the Varsity” series this spring. The first screenings, “Constructing Situations and Making a Scene,” feature five videos and will be shown at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27, at the Varsity Center for the Arts, 418 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale. Made possible by the SIU Student Fine Arts Activity Fee, admission is free and open to the public, although the general public is encouraged to donate to the Varsity Center for the Arts. The screenings all begin at 4:30 p.m. with an introduction by curators, followed by casual open discussion after the films. Additional information on the films and the schedule will be on the Cinema and Photography department website.

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8. SIU’s Simmons Cancer Institute’s Summer Internship Program Expands

Qualified undergraduate college students who plan a career in medicine or research with a focus on cancer are invited to apply for a summer lab internship program at Simmons Cancer Institute at the SIU School of Medicine. The interns will have the opportunity to learn basic laboratory techniques while working under the supervision of SCI research faculty members. The internships will be offered at both the Springfield and Carbondale campus for the first time since the program was created in 2009. The number of internship slots has also been increased from three to four. The paid internships are awarded on a competitive basis. The deadline to apply for the program is March 15. The internship dates are June 1 to August15. Successful candidates will be required to write a brief paper regarding their experience at the term’s conclusion. The preferred method of submission is by using PDF-formatted documents emailed to tcasson@siumed.edu. They can also be mailed to Cooper’s office at SIU School of Medicine, P.O. Box 19626, Springfield, IL 62794-9626.

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9. SIUC’s Maple Fest-Pancake Breakfast Expands to Four Days

The chance to enjoy a breakfast of pancakes with real maple syrup combined with a fascinating workshop is such a popular treat at SIUC’s Touch of Nature Environmental Center that the event is expanding to four days with a new format and a special touch for children in 2012. This year’s annual Maple Festival and Pancake Breakfast is set for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Feb. 25 and 26 and March 3 and 4. Each day, participants can enjoy breakfast, featuring pancakes and maple syrup and sausage, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Freeburg Hall and Sledgefoot Lodge. Throughout the family friendly event, you’ll be able to visit a series of interesting, interactive learning stations, at your leisure, in any order. There, you’ll learn about tree identification and tree physiology, including discussion about why trees have sugar and why sap flows when it does. Find out how to tap the trees and the techniques to use in boiling the sap into syrup. The cost of the festival and meal is $15 for those ages 13 and older and $8 for children ages 5-12. Children age four and younger can participate at no cost. To sign up, or for more information, call (618)453-1121.

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10. New Director Hopes to Connect Community, The Gardens at SIUE

Jane Drake, the new director of The Gardens at SIUE, plans to make the bridge in The Gardens stretch well into Edwardsville and throughout the Metro East area. Drake wants to grow community awareness and involvement in the Signature Garden through outreach programming and events. She first cultivated a love of horticulture as owner/operator of a small farm in northeast Kansas. Drake graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in horticulture from Kansas State University. After relocating with her family to Edwardsville, she connected with The Gardens when she volunteered there as a graduate student. She graduated with a Master of Science in biological sciences with an emphasis in science education in 2009. After graduating from SIUE, Drake went to work at The Audubon Center at Riverlands in West Alton, Mo., where she was the education director. She was responsible for collaborating with project partners, establishing a volunteer program, assisting with Center development and grant coordination and establishing nature-based outreach programming for all ages. The Gardens at SIUE is a 35-acre public botanical garden and is recognized by the Missouri Botanical Garden as a Signature Garden. Included in The Gardens are natural areas, gardens, sculptures and a walking path. The Garden also includes The Lantern, an Asian-influenced garden pergola embraced by white pines. Near Turtle Pond, a winding path lands in a plaza surrounded by a small amphitheater, creating an intimate space for special events and contemplation.

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11. SIU Alumni Association Invites Applications for Student Awards

The SIU Alumni Association and Student Alumni Council are accepting applications for the 25 Most Distinguished Senior Awards and Super Student Scholarships. The 25 Most Distinguished Senior Award recognizes graduating students who have made significant contributions to the University during their undergraduate careers. Recipients are honored for enriching SIU Carbondale through academic achievement and activities including athletics, residential life, military programs, Greek life, and participation in registered student organizations. The SIU Alumni Association and SAC will also honor two outstanding junior students with a $500 scholarship. Recipients are honored for enhancing the University with their involvement in various facets of campus life. The scholarship funds are raised solely by SAC members. Applications and a list of requirements are available at www.siualumni.com/ss. All applications are due Friday, March 9. For more information, contact the SIU Alumni Association at (618)453-2408.

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12. SIUC Softball Selected Third In Preseason MVC Poll

The SIU softball team has been picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll as voted on by the league's coaches. The Salukis earned 81 points in the poll, including one first place vote, behind preseason favorite and 2011 regular season champion Illinois State and second place Northern Iowa. In 2011, the Salukis finished the season with a 36-17 record overall and finished third in the regular season MVC standings with a 16-7 record before losing to Drake in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Dawgs kick off their 2012 campaign on Feb. 11 at the KSU Classic in Woodstock, Ga. against Miami (Ohio).

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