Fall music showcase concert

7:30 p.m., Friday, December 12, PAC Studio Theatre

Free and open to the public

Donations accepted to benefit the UIS Music Student Merit Award.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery to hold annual silent auction

The Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield will hold its 18th Annual Benefit and Silent Auction fundraiser Tuesday, December 9, through Thursday, December 11. Art in every medium – including paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, and photography – will be on display for silent bids each day in the gallery, located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus. The event concludes Thursday evening with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gallery, with final bids placed at 7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

Gallery manager Morgan Carroll said that donations of artwork will be accepted through December 3. Inclusion of donated items is subject to approval by the faculty of UIS' Visual Arts department.

The auction is the gallery's only fundraiser and all proceeds are used to support future exhibitions. The 2008 fall season included "Talking Stones," an exhibition by visual and performance artist James Luna, and "An Indian from India/Bollywood Satirized," a group of selected works from two exhibitions focused on culture by photographer Anuu Palakunnathu Matthew.

Regular gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Contact Carroll by phone at 206-6506 or by e-mail at gallery@uis.edu for more information or to arrange to drop off a donation.

UIS student groups to present "Patriotic American Muslims through History"

"Patriotic American Muslims through History," a panel discussion on the contributions American Muslims have made to this country through to the present day, will be presented at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, December 4, in conference room C/D, lower level of the Public Affairs Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The event is free and open to the public.

Sponsors are UIS student groups Muslim Students Association and Peace Students Organization.

Panelists will include Dr. Maryam Mostoufi of the Islamic Society of Greater Springfield and the Greater Springfield Interfaith Association, and Dr. Baker Siddiquee, UIS associate professor of Economics. The discussion will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

The Peace and Muslim Students organizations work to unite people of all religions, races, castes, origins, ethnicities, colors, and sexes; promote peaceful and nonviolent solutions to problems; and encourage peaceful means of negotiation.

For additional information, contact Mohammed Khaleel Yacoob, PSO/MSA vice-president, at 405/537-5081.

New Zealand Ambassador to speak in Springfield

His Excellency Roy Ferguson, ambassador from New Zealand, will be the featured speaker Wednesday, December 3, at a lunch at the Prairie Heart Institute's Dove Conference Center. The event is part of the Ambassador Series co-sponsored by the University of Illinois at Springfield and WSEC-TV. Advance reservations are required.

The program begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch served at noon.

At the lunch, Ambassador Ferguson will share business, economic, and political insights from his distinguished career in public service, which includes ambassadorships to South Korea and North Korea and other foreign affairs positions. A question-and-answer period will follow his presentation.

This is the second event in the Ambassador Series. Future programs include:
His Excellency Welile Nhlapo, ambassador from South Africa (January 22); His Excellency Oleh Shamshur, ambassador from Ukraine (March 11); and His Excellency Wegger Christian Strommen, ambassador from Norway (date TBD).

Cost for the remaining five events is $720 for a table of eight for the series, and $90 per person for the series.

For more information, contact Stacey Willenborg at 217/206-6058.

Ira Glass coming to Sangamon Auditorium, UIS

Host of NPR's This American Life will present "Radio Stories and Other Stories"

Popular National Public Radio host Ira Glass will visit the University of Illinois at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium, on Saturday, December 13, at 8 p.m. to present "Radio Stories and Other Stories," based on his award-winning Showtime and public radio shows. The sponsors are ACE Hardware and Public Radio WUIS 91.9.

Glass is the affable host and producer of the quirky hit show This American Life, now heard by millions each week and recently adapted for television by Showtime. He travels the country meeting everyday people from all walks of life telling "unexpected stories that happen to be true." Glass will share some of his favorite yarns and answer questions from the audience when he visits Sangamon Auditorium, UIS.

Glass began his career in 1978, when he was 19, as an intern at National Public Radio's network headquarters in Washington, DC. Over the years, he worked on nearly every NPR network news program and held virtually every production job in NPR's Washington headquarters. He has been a tape cutter, newscast writer, desk assistant, editor, producer, and has filled in as host of Talk of the Nation and Weekend All Things Considered. He moved to Chicago in 1989 and put This American Life on the air in November 1995. Under Glass's editorial direction, the program has won the highest honors for broadcasting and journalistic excellence, including the Peabody and DuPont-Columbia awards, as well as the Edward R. Murrow and the Overseas Press Club awards.

Tickets for this event are $42 or $37 and are on sale now. To order tickets visit www.SangamonAuditorium.org or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at (217) 206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by simply choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events at UIS. Please call the Ticket Office for more information.

About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at (217) 206-6150 or by email at onstage@uis.edu.

World AIDS Day

The campus will host a number of activities in observance of World AIDS Day, Monday, December 1

11:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., PAC F

• Free AIDS testing

2:30 - 7:30 p.m., PAC C/D

• Movie and dialog
• Second Life (UIS virtual reality) - Scavenger hunt and dance
• Suffice, the Center for First-Year Students - chorus, writers, & poets speak out against AIDS
  

6 p.m.

• Special guest speaker: Nigerian artist Ibiyinka Alao, first-place winner of the 2001 UN International Art Competition

Co-sponsors: BASUAH (Brothers and Sisters United Against HIV/AIDS); Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Minority Services; and UIS African-Caribbean Student Organization, African Student Association, Center for First-Year Students, Counseling Center, Diversity Center, Health Services, Office of Student Life, Office of Technology Enhanced Learning, and Public Health program

Brookens to host "An Evening with Ray Bradbury"

Brookens Library will host an evening with legendary author Ray Bradbury, via a live satellite interview, beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 19, in Brookens Auditorium. The program and a reception in the PAC restaurant immediately following are free and open to the public.

Bradbury is the author of such classics as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. From his home in Los Angeles, he will discuss his life and work in a conversation with Dr. Loren Logsdon, professor emeritus of English and Western Civilization & Culture at Eureka College. Logsdon, a friend of Bradbury and an expert on his writing, will open the evening with a short address.

Bradbury is a native of Waukegan, Illinois, and one of 35 Illinois authors whose names are engraved on the fourth floor frieze of the Illinois State Library. Fahrenheit 451 is a cautionary tale about a media-obsessed society where citizens have stopped reading. Some of its themes are censorship, freedom of expression, and the effects of television and technology on society.

The program is part of The Big Read in West Central Illinois. For more information about the program at UIS, contact the office of the dean of Library Instructional Services at 6-6597.

UIS to host artist's talk "Strangers in a Familiar Land"

The Visual Arts Visiting Speakers Series at the University of Illinois at Springfield will present "Strangers in a Familiar Land," a brown bag talk featuring Jeff Curto, beginning at noon on Friday, November 21, in UIS' Visual Arts Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.

Curto (left) is coordinator and professor of photography at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, where he has taught since 1984. His presentation at UIS will complement and expand on "Indians from India," the concurrent exhibition by contemporary photographer Annu Palakunnathu Matthew. Matthew’s work references 19th century colonial photography in this country and India.

The Visual Arts Gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information, go to www.uis.edu/visualarts/ or contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at visarts-ga@uis.edu.

UIS to host program in "Central Illinois Patchwork of People" series

The University of Illinois at Springfield is holding a program in its "Central Illinois Patchwork of People" series on Tuesday, November 18, in Conference Room C/D in the Public Affairs Center lower level on the UIS campus. A luncheon buffet begins at 11:30 a.m. and the presentation will take place at noon. Tickets for the luncheon are no longer available, but the presentation is free and open to members of the public who make reservations.

The presentation is part of a series that is examining the people and cultures that have influenced life in Central Illinois and will feature the topic "What They Built." John Hallwas, professor emeritus of English at Western Illinois University and Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar, will discuss "Small Town Heritage: Illinois Townscapes 1870-1920." Richard Hart, president of the Elijah Iles House Foundation, will present "Prairie Acropolis: Greek Revival Influences on the Architecture of Central Illinois."

This series is being co-sponsored by the UIS Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society. Reservations to attend the presentation should be made by Monday, November 17. For more information or to make a reservation, contact the UIS Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@uis.edu or 217/206-7395.

UIS Emiquon Field Station to host lecture on "Deep Views of the Past"

The University of Illinois at Springfield's Emiquon Field Station will host a public lecture titled "The Emiquon Archaeo-Geological Project: Deep Views of the Past" at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18, at the Field Station, which is at The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve, located between Havana and Lewistown. The program is free and open to the public; reservations are not required.

The featured speaker will be Alan Harn, assistant curator of anthropology at Dickson Mounds Museum.

In 2004, before water returned to the historic floodplain, the Ameren Corporation worked to anchor a gas pipeline that stretches across parts of the Emiquon Preserve. The excavations that resulted provided an opportunity for Harn and Sally McClure of The Nature Conservancy to gain new insights into paleo climates, bottomland geomorphology, and their relationships to past human civilizations at the site.

In this talk, Mr. Harn will describe the excavations and interpret the complex array of subsurface information that was revealed. Deep sediment profiles indicated that today's Thomson Lake is only the most recent in a series of Illinois river paleochannels to have occupied the bottomland. Archaeological remains distributed along these water courses allowed researchers to determine when the paleochannels and their associated landforms developed and died away. Uniquely preserved deposits of paleo vegetation on the lake beds also provided botanists with new information about climate more than 10,000 years ago.

Entrance to the field station is on Prairie Road, located off Illinois Rts. 97/78, approximately one-and-a-half miles north of the Dickson Mounds turnoff. A sign will be posted at the turnoff. See a map.

For more information, contact Mike Lemke, Emiquon Field Station director, at lemke.michael@uis.edu or 217/ 206-7339.

Artist's lecture and demonstration

Featuring Doug Jeppesen, associate professor of ceramics, Waubonsee College, Sugar Grove

Wednesday, November 12
Ceramics studio, VPA 76

• Demonstration: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.
• Lecture: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
  

Sponsors: Visual Arts Department, UIS Speakers Award Committee

Cherryholmes Christmas kicks off the holiday season at Sangamon Auditorium

Kick off the holiday season at Sangamon Auditorium with Cherryholmes Christmas on Saturday, November 22, at 8 p.m. Presented in cooperation with Midwest Bluegrass Festivals and 91.9 WUIS Public Radio.

Until April 1999, this dynamic family band did not exist, and half of its youthful members hadn't even picked up an instrument. By 2005, this high-energy Nashville-based group was named IBMA's Entertainers of the Year. Since then, Cherryholmes has been nominated for a Grammy (for their self-titled album in 2006) and their latest album, Cherryholmes II Black and White, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass chart.

Watch a Cherryholmes video
Read the Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine November cover story

Audience members at this performance are invited to help UIS support the Central Illinois Food Bank by bringing canned goods for the Holiday Stars Project. The goal of this campus-wide community service project is to collect 4016 pounds of food. Donations will be collected in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby prior to the performance.

Tickets for this event are $37 or $32 and are on sale now. Order tickets online or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at (217) 206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by simply choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series, and Family Events at UIS. Please call the Ticket Office for more information.

About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at (217) 206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

UIS hosts expert to discuss “The Psychology of False Confessions”

The University of Illinois at Springfield will be hosting Richard Leo, associate professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, for a presentation on “The Psychology of False Confessions” on Monday, November 10 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room on the UIS campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Leo is an expert on false confessions and his research of police interrogation procedures has led to a movement toward the video-taping of custodial interrogations. During the event, Leo will address questions regarding why individuals would falsely confess to crimes they did not commit and discuss measures to avoid false confessions from being used in the justice system for wrongful convictions.

Prior to the event, there will be an author’s reception in the Public Affairs Center restaurant in the lower level of the PAC from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. The cost is $50, and funds raised during the reception will go to support the work of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project. The book The Wrong Guys, which Leo co-authored, will be available for purchase, and Leo will hold a book signing after both the reception and the presentation.

The subject of Leo’s book The Wrong Guys - a group of four Norfolk, Virgina men wrongly convicted based on false confessions - is also the focus of a film called “Eight Men Out,” which the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project will be running on cable channel Access 4.

Leo’s appearance is sponsored by the UIS Speakers’ Award Committee. The lecture has been certified for 1.5 hours of credit in the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, a national organization that provides continuing legal education to lawyers.

The UIS Downstate Illinois Innocence Project is housed within the Institute for Legal and Policy Studies. Under the project, students in Legal Studies and other degree programs provide research and investigative assistance to attorneys who are helping individuals who have been arrested, tried, found guilty and imprisoned for crimes the Project believes they did not commit.


For more information, contact Rhonda Keech at 217/206-7989.

University to hold Sustainability Week

The University of Illinois at Springfield is raising awareness about sustainability and the environment by hosting Sustainability Week from November 10 through November 15. Activities held throughout the week focused on sustainability include:

Monday, November 10
A bike ride will begin at 1:30 p.m. in front of Lincoln Residence Hall on the UIS campus and will be led by UIS Bike Enthusiasts.
Battery recycling begins – dead batteries will be collected in designated containers in the Public Affairs Center (PAC) Food Emporium and the lobby of University Hall until 12 p.m. on Friday, November 15.

Tuesday, November 11
Students Allied for a Greener Earth (SAGE) will be holding a recycled art contest, and judging will take place in the PAC Food Emporium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wednesday, November 12
Judging for the SAGE recycled art contest will take place in the PAC Food Emporium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thursday, November 13
Judging for the SAGE recycled art contest will take place in the PAC Food Emporium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A Sustainability Forum will be held at 6 p.m. as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at 6 p.m. in PAC Room F. Members of the UIS faculty from various disciplines will discuss ideas generated from current literature on sustainability and shared societal responsibility.

Friday, November 14
A Coffee House with Chad Perrone, a singer/songwriter, will be held at 8:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room. Students are encouraged to bring their own coffee mugs, and attendees will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card to Target.

Saturday, November 15
The UIS Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center will hold a service project in coordination with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a national event promoting the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling. For more information about or to participate in America Recycles Day, contact the UIS Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center at 206-7716 or volunteer@uis.edu.

“We hope the events planned for the week will help students learn more about ethical and sustainable decision-making and will encourage students to evaluate their impact on the environment,” said Mae Marie Noll, undergraduate academic advisor and co-presenter of Sustainability Week.

For more information about UIS Sustainability Week, email Noll at mnoll1@uis.edu.

Microbial ecologist from Michigan State University to deliver Merck Science Seminar

Dr. Jay Lennon, assistant professor of Microbiology at Michigan State University, will present the third annual Merck Science Seminar at the University of Illinois at Springfield on Wednesday, November 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lennon’s presentation, “Energetic Importance of Terrestrial Carbon in Lake Ecosystems” will be held in Conference Room H of the Public Affairs Center. The seminar is free and open to the public.

Lennon’s research is in the area of aquatic ecology with a focus on the microbial community. During the seminar, he will present on the export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from land to water based on data collected at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. He will discuss experiments, surveys and theory that examines how terrestrial DOC is used by aquatic microbes, and how this material subsequently moves through aquatic food webs.

The seminar is sponsored by a grant from the Merck Institute of Science Education and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The grant is part of the Merck/AAAS undergraduate science research program started in 2000, and UIS was one of only 11 universities in the nation to receive the award in 2006.

In addition to funding the annual seminar, the grant has supported the research of four undergraduate students each summer for the past three years. The students were mentored in collaborative projects by faculty from the science programs, including Chemistry (Keenan Dungey and Gary Trammell), Biology (Michael Lemke, Amy McEuen and Lucia Vazquez) and Clinical Laboratory Science (Wayne Gade and James Veselenak).

For more information, contact Keenan Dungey, associate professor of Chemistry, by phone at 217/206-7345 or by e-mail at dungey.keenan@uis.edu.

UIS to display paintings by UN award-winning artist

"One Night of Grace," paintings by Nigerian artist Ibiyinka Olufemi Alao, will be on display in the Student Access Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield from Monday, November 17, through Friday, November 21. (The painting "One Night of Grace" is shown at left.)

An artist's talk beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18, will be held in conference room H of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. A reception will also be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, in the Access Gallery, which is located in the Visual and Performing Arts Building on the east side of the campus. Get directions

The exhibit, artist's talk, and reception are all free and open to the public.

The events are sponsored by the UIS Art Students League; co-sponsors are the Illinois Department of Public Health Center for Minority Health Services and Springfield School District 186.

Alao recently took first place in the prestigious United Nations International Art Competition. His winning entry, "Girls and a Greener Environment," chronicles the life of a young girl from infancy to adulthood, and the values she acquires along the way.

His paintings have been exhibited in this country at a number of venues, including the Harvard Business School, the Indianapolis Art Center, the Martin Luther King Art Center, the African Unity Festival, the Nigerian Consulate, the Nigerian Embassy, the United Nations headquarters, the World Bank headquarters, and the Empire State Building. His work has been published by the Metropolitan Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.

Alao is currently touring the United States with his art, working with school-aged children, and giving talks about the mystery and magic of Africa.

For more information about the exhibit at UIS, contact Dannyl Madura, Art Students League president, at 217/220-2320 or dmadu2@uis.edu.

Paralympic athlete Jean Driscoll to speak at UIS

Paralympic athlete Jean Driscoll (left) will be presenting "Dream Big and Work Hard" on Thursday, November 6, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The program, part of the Girl 2 Girl DreamSpeakers series, will be held in the Student Life Building gym on the east side of the UIS campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Driscoll, a 1991 graduate of the University of Illinois, is recognized by Sports Illustrated for Women as one of the top 25 female athletes of the twentieth century. She won silver medals in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympic Games and served as a Presidential delegation member to the 2008 Olympics. She holds the world record in the 10,000 meter track event and marathon road racing distances and is the only person ever to win the Boston Marathon eight times.

The presentation is sponsored by the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center, Athletics, and Office of Disability Services.

Girl 2 Girl DreamSpeakers is a mentoring program for girls in grades 8, 9, and 10 in Springfield School District 186 and is made possible through a grant from the Sangamon County Community Foundation and its Women for Women Fund.

For more information, call 217/206-7716, e-mail volunteer@uis.edu or go online to www.jeandriscoll.com.

Black Springfield Speakers Series

Part I: Education

7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, November 5, Brookens Auditorium

Speakers include

• Santita Nunn, director, School-aged Programs, Springfield Urban League
• Farries Morrison, first black educator and administrator in Springfield
• Dr. Walter Milton Jr., superintendent, Springfield School District #186
• Sharon Beler, director, LLCC Springfield East Campus
  

Reception immediately follows presentations

Presented by UIS African-American Studies Department

Co-sponsors: Diversity Center, Speakers' Award and Diversity Task Force Funding Committee

For more information, contact Kemau Kemayo at 6-8248

UIS program will examine the crisis in Sudan

The University of Illinois at Springfield will present documentary photographer Ryan Spencer Reed speaking on "Sudan: The Cost of Silence" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, in Brookens Auditorium. Reed's presentation and a book-signing session that follows are free and open to the public.

Brookens Auditorium is located on the lower level of Brookens Library on the UIS campus.

Abandoning his medical studies in 2002, Reed moved to Africa and eventually found himself in a camp in northwestern Kenya where most of the more than 90,000 refugees were Sudanese. The harsh conditions these people faced affected Reed so deeply that he has since focused his work exclusively on Sudan. He has traveled to that country, especially Darfur, several times to document the conflict there, and his program at UIS will examine the political, historical, and social issues at work.

UIS sponsors of the event are the Social Work Club and the Office of International Programs, with support from the UIS Speakers Series and Diversity Task Force, and the Riis-Parks Project.

See more information about Reed's work The Sudan Project

For more information about the UIS event, contact Larry Livingston, UIS assistant professor of Social Work, at 206-7527

31st annual International Festival will focus on "Harvest Celebrations around the World"

The University of Illinois at Springfield will host its 31st Annual International Festival, this year focusing on "Harvest Celebrations around the World," from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, November 16. The event is free and open to the public.

The festival will feature cultural performances and exhibits, plus a variety of ethnic foods from local restaurants. All activities will take place in the lower-levels of the Public Affairs Center and Library on the UIS campus.

This year, in "theme park" fashion, each room will represent a different part of the world with continual performances, food, and exhibits presented together. Programs will be available to help participants visit the celebrations of their choice. The theme of "celebrating the harvest" is intended to illustrate how people in other countries observe their equivalent of America's Thanksgiving holiday.

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

WUIS marks War of the Worlds 70th anniversary

In observance of the 70th anniversary of Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds, WUIS, in association with Gordon Productions, will present a re-creation of the original program at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in downtown Springfield.

WUIS will broadcast the performance on Halloween night at 9 p.m.

With a nod to the night that the Mercury Theatre radio group panicked America, the live show at the Hoogland Center will be presented as if it were an actual 1930s radio show. The actors will be dressed in period costumes, reading from scripts, while sound men provide all of the appropriate sound effects.

Cast members are Kevin Purcell (reading the Orson Welles role), Don Schneider, Pat Foster, Dennis Rendleman, Flynn Hanners, Brett Rutherford, and Steve Krampitz, along with local broadcasters Dave Leonatti (WUIS), Bob Murray (WTAX), Jim Leach (WMAY), Johnny Molson (ALICE 97.7/WMAY), and Joe Crain (NewsChannel 20).

Tickets for the stage performance are $12, and can be picked up at the Hoogland box office, by calling 523-2787, or online.

For information about the broadcast on Halloween night, call WUIS at 217/206-6516.

See an article about the performance from the October 30 State Journal-Register.

UIS men's basketball team will face ISU in Normal for the first time

UIS Alumni Relations will host pre-game party

The University of Illinois at Springfield Prairie Stars men's basketball team will travel to Redbird Arena in Normal for the first time on Tuesday, November 11, to take on the Redbirds of Illinois State University. UIS' Office of Alumni Relations will host a deli-buffet pre-game party, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Kaufman Football Building, adjacent to Redbird Arena.

The cost of the party, which includes a ticket to the game, is $15 per person, $10 per person for children 12 and under. For more information and to make a reservation, or call 217/206-7395.

Coached by former NBA star Kevin Gamble, the Prairie Stars finished the 2007-08 season with a 22-10 overall record while the Redbirds, coached by Tim Jankovich, ended their campaign with a 25-10 overall record.

UIS returns four starters, including All-American Kelvin Johnson at point guard, American Midwest Conference First Team guard Jacob Motteler and center Ralph Woodson, along with guard Nick Livas.

ISU returns two starters to their lineup and will fill the gap with four returning seniors on their roster. The Redbirds are led by Osiris Eldridge, who finished second in the voting for the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.

UIS Diversity Center to host traveling exhibit "Summer of Hate"

The Diversity Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield will host the traveling exhibit "Summer of Hate: A Modern Perspective on the Springfield Race Riot of 1908," from November 3 through 21 in the Center, room 22 of the Student Life Building on the east side of the UIS campus.

Ken Page, president of the Springfield branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), will unveil the exhibit during an opening reception at 5:30 p.m. on November 3 in the Center. Both the exhibit and opening reception are free and open to the public.

Commemorating the centennial anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot of 1908, the 14-panel exhibit includes photographs, maps, and historical accounts of the violence that resulted in the deaths of six people and the destruction of dozens of homes and businesses and led to the founding of the NAACP.

Area high school students researched and created the exhibit with assistance from staff members at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. After researching the riot using historical materials in the Presidential Library, the students toured Springfield to pinpoint key riot locations, gather modern and historical images, and create maps.

"It is my hope that events such as this exhibit will translate into positive action that will last one hundred years," Page said.

For more information, contact the UIS Diversity Center at 217/206-6333 or e-mail diversitycenter@uis.edu.

UIS to host annual Hunger Banquet

The University of Illinois at Springfield will host its third annual Oxfam Hunger Banquet on Tuesday, November 18, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Great Room of Lincoln Residence Hall on the UIS campus. The dinner is free and open to the public, however reservations are required.

The event is held in observance of National Hunger and Homelessness Week and will focus on the theme "Spreading the Peanut Butter Thin," based on the book Spread the Peanut Butter Thin! by central Illinois author Leah Riley. Riley will be present at the dinner to discuss her personal experiences with poverty. The program will also include a video and discussions about hunger.

The Hunger Banquet is presented by UIS student organizations Women's Issues Caucus, Las Olas, Alternative Spring Break, Christian Student Fellowship and by the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center. Donations of non-perishable food and canned goods will be accepted for the 2008 Holiday Stars Project, a campus-wide holiday service initiative benefiting the Central Illinois Foodbank.

During a Hunger Banquet, guests are randomly assigned high-, middle-, or low-income rankings and are served meals that range from gourmet fare to small portions of rice and water, depending on the guest’s designation. The purpose is to heighten participants’ awareness of hunger in the U.S. and internationally. Guests are invited to share their thoughts after the meal.

"Oxfam" was the original postal abbreviation for the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, which was started in England during World War II to provide relief to war victims in Europe. Oxfam America, an affiliate of Oxfam International, is a relief and development organization that works to create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.

To make a reservation for the UIS Hunger Banquet or for more information, contact Lenore Cole in the Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center at 217/206-7716 or e-mail volunteer@uis.edu.

UIS Theatre Program opens season with "Cloud 9"

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield will open its 2008-2009 season with the British play Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill. Six performances will be presented in the Studio Theatre, lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS -- on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, November 7, 8, and 9, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, November 13, 14, and 15. All shows will begin at 8 p.m. except the Sunday performance (November 9), which will begin at 2 p.m.

Described by the New York Times as "intelligent, inventive, and funny," Cloud 9 explores the politics of sexuality and sexual identity. Using cross-gender casting and role-doubling, Churchill creates a stinging and satirical look at the relationships between the sexually repressed Victorian era and the sexually liberated late 20th century. Act 1 takes place in British Colonial Africa in 1880, where the characters secretly attempt to resist the constraints of Victorianism. Act 2 takes place in London 100 years later – although the characters have aged only 25 years – and everyone has thrown off their 19th century restraint. (Note: This production is intended for mature audiences and is not suitable for children.)

Act 1 characters include Clive, a government official; his wife, Betty; their daughter, Victoria; Clive's friend Harry, an explorer; Mrs. Saunders, a "new" woman, challenging the Victorian ideals; Clive's son, Edward, who still plays with dolls; and Joshua, a servant. By Act 2, some of the same characters return, having aged only 25 years, and they are affected by their encounters with new characters -- Gerry, Lin, Cathy, and Martin. Various roles are cross-gender cast, and almost all of the actors play one role in Act 1, and a different role in Act 2.

The cast is: Troy Thomas-Pfaffe (Clive/Martin); *Dwight Langford (Betty/Gerry); *Leif Mogren (Joshua/Edward); *Colleen Kabbes (Edward/Betty); Mary Myers (Maud); *Ashley Warren (Ellen/Victoria); *Cassie Oswald (Mrs. Saunders/Lin); and *Roger Boyd (Harry Bagley/ Cathy/Soldier). * denotes a UIS student

UIS Assistant Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct.

The performances on November 8 and November 13 are also presented as part of UIS' ECCE Speaker Series -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university’s effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world. These performances will include post-show discussions with the cast, director, and dramaturg.

Tickets – $12 general adult; $10 senior citizen, 55+ with photo ID; $8 UIS faculty/staff with current i-card; $6 all students with current school ID – are available now at the UIS Ticket Office, located on level two of the Public Affairs Center. Purchase tickets in person, by phone at 217/206-6160 or 800/207-6960 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.uis.edu/theatre. Tickets will also be available at the ticket office on the day of the performance, beginning 90 minutes before curtain time.

The spring production will be Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It, directed by UIS Director of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson. Production dates are April 17-19 and 23-25.

For more information about the plays, or about UIS' Theatre program.

For information about the ECCE Speakers Series, contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245.

UIS presents a look at "Campus Computing and the Law"

"Trouble Online: Campus Computing and the Law," a program aimed at giving college students insight into legal rights and responsibilities related to social networking sites, will be presented Wednesday, November 12, at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The event will be held twice, at noon and 5 p.m., in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library on the UIS campus. Both sessions are free and open to the public.

In a program hailed as "entertaining, even hilarious," attorney/advocate C. L. Lindsay III (at left) -- author of The College Student's Guide to the Law: Get a Grade Changed, Keep Your Stuff Private, Throw a Police-Free Party, and More! (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2005) -- will lead a discussion designed to teach students "everything they need to know about their online lives," including what their rights and potential liabilities are, as well as how the laws operate. Topics will include the various ways that information posted to a student's Facebook or MySpace page can open the door to problems such as repercussions for violating plagiarism and intellectual property laws, diminished job opportunities, and increased vulnerability to Internet predators.

A recognized expert in the field of student rights and educational law, Lindsay is the founder and executive director of the Coalition for Student & Academic Rights (CO-STAR), a national organization that provides free legal assistance to thousands of college students each year. Lindsay's weekly column, "Ask CO-STAR" is distributed nationwide on Knight Ridder/Tribune's College Wire Service.

Sponsored by the UIS Career Development Center, the event is co-sponsored by the UIS Office of Alumni Relations, Student Activities Council, and Student Government Association. It is also presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

For more information, contact Kristen Chenoweth in the Career Development Center at 206-6501. Individuals who would like to request disability-related accommodations should contact the Center at 206-6508 no later than October 31.

For information about ECCE events, contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery to present photography exhibit "Indians from India"

Selections from "Indians from India," works by noted photographer Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, will be on display in the Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield from Monday, November 3, through Wednesday, December 3.

An artist's talk and discussion session will be presented at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 6, in the gallery, followed by an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The artist's talk, reception, and exhibit are free and open to the public. The gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS campus.

Matthew is an associate professor of Art (Photography) at the University of Rhode Island whose work can be seen in numerous collections, including at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York.

Of "Indians from India" she notes, "As an immigrant, I'm often questioned about where I'm 'really from.' When I say that I am Indian, I often have to clarify that I'm an Indian from India, not an American-Indian." In this portfolio, she compares early photographs of Native Americans with those taken by 19th century British photographers in India.

Since Bombay is home to a thriving movie industry -- producing more than 1,000 films each year -- the city has come to be known as "Bollywood." Matthew notes that her work "Bollywood Satirized" is a commentary on the social expectations she experienced growing up in India. Using digital technology to alter Indian movie posters, she re-interprets the images to humorously challenge the traditional gender roles and behavior of Indian society.

The artist's talk and discussion session on November 6 is also presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information, contact the gallery by phone at 217/206-6506 or by e-mail at visarts-ga@uis.edu. For more information about Dr. Matthew's presentation, contact Liz Thomas, UIS assistant professor of Visual Art, at 206-7547.

For information about the ECCE Speakers Series, contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

UIS will offer workshop on basic GIS applications

The Geographic Information Systems Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Springfield will present "Using GIS to Explore Your Community: A Fundamental GIS Applications Workshop" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, November 14, at UIS. Advance registration is required and space is limited.

The program is designed for anyone with a beginning interest in spatial visualization and mapping. Basic computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft Office are the only prerequisites.

In addition to the basics of GIS and how to use the ArcGIS 9.2 software, participants will learn how to: create thematic mapping; display data specific to individual interests; find the best locations for projects; conduct spatial queries and spatial processing; and map addresses, locations, and other points of interest.

Instruction will also be given in downloading and mapping community data, as well as how to work with census data, natural resources data, economic data, housing data, and other specific data.

All participants will receive a comprehensive workbook, including step-by-step instructions, and a copy of Illinois Data Inventory Handbook.

Geographic Information Systems provide a new way to explore the world and offer a dynamic digital environment for visualizing and analyzing geographic information. GIS users can access, acquire, analyze, and display information in the forms of maps, 3-D simulations, tables, and figures.

UIS' Geographic Information Systems Laboratory was established in 2005 and currently supports research and teaching for many academic units.

Cost to attend the workshop (does not include lunch) is $125 for current UIS students, faculty, or staff members, and $250 for all others. A limited number of student scholarships are available.

To register or for more information, or contact Angela Maranville, GIS Lab coordinator, at 217/206-8403 or amara2@uis.edu.

UIS speaker to discuss "Queer Love in the Time of War and Shopping"

"Queer Love in the Time of War and Shopping," a presentation by Dr. Martin Manalansan (shown at left), will be held beginning at 3 p.m., Wednesday, October 29, in Brookens Auditorium, lower level of Brookens Library at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The program and discussion session that follows are free and open to the public.

Dr. Manalansan is interim director of Asian American Studies and an associate professor of Anthropology at the U of I Urbana-Champaign campus. "Queer Love…" reflects his interdisciplinary research into socio-cultural anthropology, gay and lesbian studies, sexuality and gender, and race and ethnicity. It is also the title of the chapter he contributed to The LGBT Studies Reader (currently under review). Manalansan's other research interests include immigration and globalization, cities and modernity, food and culture, public health, the Filipino diaspora, Asian Americans, and the Philippines.

His address is presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

The next ECCE program will be "Indians from India" and "Bollywood Satirized," an art exhibit and discussion on November 6. See the complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester.

For more information about Dr. Manalansan's presentation, contact Lan Dong, assistant professor of English, at 206-8334.

For information about any ECCE event, contact Kimberly Craig, series coordinator, at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

An Evening with David Crosby and Graham Nash at Sangamon Auditorium

Legendary musicians David Crosby and Graham Nash will take the stage at the University of Illinois at Springfield's Sangamon Auditorium on Sunday, October 26 at 8 p.m., sponsored by 100.5 WYMG - Springfield's Classic Rock.

Grammy-winning Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Famers, Crosby and Nash embark on a tour as "two together." Billed as "An Evening with David Crosby and Graham Nash," this special performance offers a rare opportunity to savor an intimate, harmony-heavy experience with two of rock's most legendary singer-songwriters.

"This is a rare treat for central Illinois," said Bob Vaughn, director of Sangamon Auditorium. "We often have to travel to Chicago or St. Louis to see big-name performers like David Crosby and Graham Nash -- and pay twice the price. The show is selling very well, but we often release tickets that are being held for various reasons. For those who haven't yet purchased tickets, my advice is to call the Ticket Office. The staff will be happy to assist you in placing your order."

Tickets for this event are $52 or $42 and are on sale now. Order tickets online, or call the Sangamon Auditorium Ticket Office at 217/206-6160 or toll free at 800-207-6960. Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the Ticket Office, which is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Individual tickets to all Visiting Artist Series and Family Events are on sale now, and tickets to Broadway shows go on sale approximately six weeks prior to each event. Patrons can receive a discount through the Create Your Own Series option by simply choosing at least five events from the Visiting Artists Series, Broadway Series and Family Events at UIS. Please call the Ticket Office for more information.

About Sangamon Auditorium, UIS
Sangamon Auditorium, located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield, hosts more than 120 performances annually. Also home to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Ballet Company, it is the only auditorium of its kind and size in the Springfield area, with a seating capacity of 2,018. Sangamon Auditorium continues to fulfill its mission of presenting and supporting varied cultural and educational professional arts activities to audiences in Springfield, Sangamon County, and the surrounding areas. The auditorium administrative offices can be reached at 217/206-6150 or by e-mail at onstage@uis.edu.

UIS to host Sunday Star Party for people with disabilities

The University of Illinois at Springfield will host a special Sunday Night Star Party for people with disabilities on Sunday, November 9, weather permitting, in the UIS observatory. The party is free, but reservations are required.

Featured objects for viewing will be Jupiter, the largest planet, and the moon.

Conducted by Charles Schweighauser and John Martin, UIS professors of astronomy and physics, Sunday Star Parties use a telescope specially designed to give people with disabilities access to the sky. This is the first telescope in the world designed for, and dedicated to, people with disabilities.

The modified eight-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope employs a traditional optical design but with a fixed eyepiece that brings the image to the viewer. This eyepiece can be moved backward and forward in its tube as much as seven inches without refocusing, and can accommodate anyone from a large person in a high wheelchair to a child in the lowest, smallest wheelchair. A laptop computer runs the telescope, eliminating the need for a large keyboard and monitor that can emit too much distracting light on the dark observation deck.

To make a reservation, or for more information, contact Schweighauser at 206-6721 no later than Friday, October 31, for the November 9 Star Party.