Fall 2011 Archived News
- UW-La Crosse art show to feature works by graduating seniors
- UW-L students to exhibit in downtown gallery
- New Tenure-Track Faculty 2011
- "Journalism of the 19th Century: A Survey of Major Novelists and Poets." - A Presentation of the English Department's William J. and Yvonne Hyde Colloquium Series.
- UW-L’s Festival of Carols will celebrate the season and new music staff
- Lights! Camera! Shakespeare! UW-L Theatre’s Shakespeare with a twist
- UW-L’s popular Swinging Yuletide concert is Saturday, Dec. 3
- New conductor leads UW-L Choral Union in holiday-season concert
- New director leads UW-L Wind Ensemble in folk-themed concert
- "Triplets, Sidewalk Chalk, and Squirrels: A UW-L Folktale" - A Presentation of the English Department's William J. and Yvonne Hyde Colloquium Series
- UW-La Crosse Faculty Member Cuts CD
- Annual breakfast raises funds for student-parent scholarships
- UW-L to host National Conference on Undergraduate Research — again
- Dr. Rob Wilkie Announces Release of First Book
- Two UW-L Alumni Win State Teacher of the Year
- College Fall Meeting Presentation
- College Summer 2011 Highlights
- Art Gallery show to feature installation of Lenka-Novakova
- TV telethon to support Coulee Region Humane Society
- Ireland hiker sets La Crosse program
- UW-L Theatre presents darkly funny and unexpectedly moving family story
- "Yeats's Shakespeare and Joyce's Objection: Two Dogmas of Cosmopolitanism" presentation is Nov. 11th
- Teachers to attend annual learning conference at UW-L
- Screaming Eagles Band wraps up season with a bang
- "Adaptation: From Short Story to Short Film" presentation on Oct. 12
- Soprano opera singer directs UW-L Women’s Chorus
- End-of-life issues no longer taboo for these documentary makers: Producers to lead discussion on ‘Consider the Conversation’
- UW-L theatre opens with the race to create TV: ‘The Farnsworth Invention’ opens Oct. 14
- 2011 Hispanic Heritage Month Festivities
- UW-L psychology professor discusses men’s issues on weekly radio show
- UW-L professor drums up sounds from her South Korean roots
- ‘High School Band Day’ set at UW-L Saturday, Oct. 8
- La Crosse Area Hmong New Year Festival is Oct. 8 & 9
- Speaker to discuss environmental issues Oct. 12
- UW-La Crosse art show to feature sculpture, wall reliefs
- UW-L veteran students to attend ‘From Combat to College’
- Speaker to discuss gender and sexuality issues in Chinese culture
- UW-La Crosse metalsmiths return to discuss their craft
- Piano artists-in-residence coming October 1
- Signal Hill Mound rededication set at Wyalusing State Park
- Successful Telecolaboration via Virtual Dual Immersion: Theory, Method, Curriculum and Assessment Workshop
- UW-L professor to give lecture on the U.S. Constitution, politics today
- Screaming Eagles Marching Band camp begins
- Teachers to get hands-on archaeology experience at UW-L
- Riverside Jazz Party to conclude series: Afternoon, evening of music is July 17
- Satirical musical is this year’s Summerstage production:
‘Urinetown’ coming to UW-La Crosse - Jazz in the Park set to kick of 37th year in La Crosse
- Local TV stations donate equipment, share experience with students
UW-La Crosse art show to feature works by graduating seniors
UW-La Crosse art students will fill the University Art Gallery with their work before they cross the stage to get their diploma in December.
The annual fall semester Senior Exhibition opens with a reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in the University Art Gallery, on the first floor of the Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets. The exhibit runs through Thursday, Dec. 15.
Seniors exhibiting their work include: Kirk Benson, Sarah Higley, Christina John, Annie Kreger, Brittany Luecke, MicahMarie McCann, Audrey O’Keefe, Nate Shields, Thong Vang, Angie Voigt and Heaven Yang.
Regular gallery hours are noon-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and during Toland Theatre events. Admission is free. The gallery opens for appointments by calling the UW-L Art Department 608.785.8230.
If you go—
Who: Graduating seniors from UW-L
What: Senior Exhibition
When: Opens with a reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2; runs through Thursday, Dec. 15. Regular gallery hours: noon-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and during Toland Theatre events.
Where: University Art Gallery, first floor of the UW-L Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets.
Admission: Free.
UW-L students to exhibit in downtown gallery
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students will be featured in an upcoming art exhibition in a downtown La Crosse gallery.
“Visual Manifesto: Exposing Works by Emerging Artists” features a variety of works, including printmaking, photography, drawing, painting, metal work, sculpture, ceramics and graphic design. The show opens at the Vitamin Studio, 129 S. Sixth St., with a reception with the artists from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. It runs through Friday, Dec. 16.
The student artists showing their work are enrolled in ART 399 Professional Practices, which aims to prepare students to be successful in the professional art world. The student artists and their work include:
• Corey Geary and Meng Thao, who work primarily in graphic design and illustration through Photoshop and Illustrator. Geary hopes to capture the viewer’s attention with his unique style. Thao creates digital art and metalwork in copper, nickel, silver, and some of their alloys largely inspired by modern-day artists.
• Rachel E. Hein, Katie Johnson and Jessica Hetchler, who incorporate three-dimensionality in their work. Hein combines metal and jewelry techniques in her pieces that respond to form and creates unification through elements of design. Johnson draws inspiration from her background in psychology to create works in metal and printmaking. Hetchler’s work responds to significant events in her life and explores these themes through the combination of ceramics and printmaking by transferring prints onto clay.
• Brittany Vogt, Sarah McManus and Jessalyn Kimball, printmakers who are inspired by the human form. Vogt uses a variety of printmaking techniques to exploit the dynamic human form through portraiture and sculpture. McManus uses multiple plate intaglio prints to expose elements of the human experience. Kimball combines art with Eastern philosophy to find a more primal way of expressing nature within her drawings and prints.
• Jessie Schlender, Dani Mejchar, and Zachary Morin, who translate their artistic views into photography. Schlender uses black and white photography to capture human relationships. Mejchar works with light, form, and space in her portraits to express the human souls innocence and intensity. Utilizing film and lithography, Morin’s work conceptualizes issues drawn from Midwestern tradition and his Chicano heritage. Adopting a documentary style, the imagery engages the viewer through intimacy.
• Amber Brader and Alison Benson, who explore their environment through painting. Brader uses color, line, and a variety of forms to straddle abstract and contemporary styles. Experimenting within the picture plane allows her to create a division of space. Benson explores her personal background through both painting and ceramics. Her work highlights the nature of the Kickapoo Valley, as well as the vintage accessories she associates with her childhood.
The Vitamin Studio was formed in 2008 as the Green Bay Street Studio before it moved to its downtown location with a new name. Along with providing exhibits, the studio holds drawing sessions, classes and workshops for artists of all ages.
Gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Mondays; noon-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; noon-8 p.m. Wednesdays; 1-5 p.m. Fridays; and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free. Get more info at www.artvitamin.org
If you go—
Who: UW-La Crosse students
What: “Visual Manifesto: Exposing Works by Emerging Artists”
When: Friday, Nov. 18-Friday, Dec. 16. Gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Mondays; noon-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays;noon-8 p.m. Wednesdays; 1-5 p.m. Fridays; and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays.
Where: Vitamin Studio, 129 S. Sixth St.
Admission: Free
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Dying Star (2011) by Rachel Hein Copper, Sterling silver, Cabochon stone |
Tacky Wallpaper by Amber Brader |
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From Inside Out by Brittany Vogt Hand Built and Wheel Thrown Stoneware 15” x 10” x 10” |
Don’t Laugh by Jessie Schlender Black and White Photograph |
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Untitled (red woman) by Jessalyn Kimball |
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New Tenure-Track Faculty 2011-2012
Jonathan Baker Department of Sociology/Archaeology
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Grace Deason Department of Psychology
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Rebekah Fowler Department of English
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Omar Granados Department of Modern Languages
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Christina Haynes Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
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Joseph Johnson Department of Educational Studies
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Collier Butler Kaler Department of Educational Studies
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Stephen L. Mann Department of English
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J. Thomas Seddon IV Department of Music
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Monica Urbanik Department of Art
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Russell Vaden Department of Psychology
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Adam Van Liere Department of Political Science/Public Administration
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"Journalism of the 19th Century: A Survey of Major Novelists and Poets."
A Presentation of the English Department's William J. and Yvonne Hyde Colloquium Series.
Dr. Thomas Pribek, English Department faculty member, will continue the 2011-2012 William J. and Yvonne Hyde English Department Colloquium Series with a presentation entitled "Journalism of the 19th Century: A Survey of Major Novelists and Poets." Some form of journalism was the original--even continuous--work of nearly every popular American writer, from Benjamin Franklin all the way to the 1930s, when the "new media" of the day contributed to creating the image we have (and teach) today of the journalist as fact-based, objective, even impersonal.
The presentation will talk about how a narrative-based reporting was typically part of any prose writer's career, and often poets too: journalism was part of the literary mainstream, not a separate genre or rival point of view.
The presentation runs from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Friday, December 9th, in 113 Wimberly Hall. The event is free and open to the public. To arrange for disability accommodations, contact english@uwlax.edu or call 785-8295. For more information, visit http://rhetor.blogs.com/english.
UW-L’s Festival of Carols will celebrate the season and new music staff
Combine seven UW-La Crosse choirs and a little holiday spirit and what do you get?
UW-L’s 19th annual Festival of Carols.
The concert featuring traditional, well-known carols as well as new yuletide music written by UW-L composers will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, in Valhalla at UW-L’s Cartwright Center – Gunning Addition.
Three new music directors will conduct or accompany various works performed.
For the finale, Kathryn Skemp Moran, conductor of the Women’s Chorus, will be a soprano soloist and David Richardson, new director of the Choral Union, will be the piano accompanist. During the finale, all choirs will join in for two choruses from George Frederich Handel’s “Messiah,” “And the Glory of the Lord” and “Hallelujah.” It will also include a composition “He Will Feed His Flock” written by UW-L Director of Choral Music Studies Gary Walth. Audience members who wish to sing the Hallelujah chorus as part of the finale are welcome to join students on stage.
Tom Seddon, new director of the Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, will direct a brass choir, which will lead the audience and choirs in three carols.
Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 608.785.8415 or at the door. Suggested ticket donations are $5 for students, $8 for senior citizens and $10 for others. The doors open at 2:30 p.m. for a pre-concert performance by Vocal Jazz groups and LX Noise.
UW-L Festival of Carols CD and the latest UW-L Vocal Jazz Ensemble I CD, as well as Concert Choir sweatshirts and fleeces, will be available for purchase before and after the concert.
If you go—
What: UW-L’s Festival of Carols
Where: Valhalla at UW-L’s Cartwright Center – Gunning Addition
When: 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10
Admission: Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 608.785.8415 or at the door. Suggested ticket donations are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $5 for students.
The conductors and music groups performing are:
- Gary Walth director of the UW-L Concert Choir, Männerchor, Vocal Jazz Ensemble Kathryn Skemp director of the Women’s Chorus
- Terence Kelly director of the Chamber Choir
- Tom Seddon director of Brass Choir
- Student Conductors Sarah Shervey, Anthony Rasmussen and John Knepper will direct
- Vocal Jazz Ensemble II
- Student Conductor Sarah Shervey will direct LX Noise
Lights! Camera! Shakespeare! UW-L Theatre’s Shakespeare with a twist
The UW-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts production, Shakespeare in Hollywood, proves a crafty blend of fact and fiction, stage and silver screen with the unruly twist on a Shakespeare classic.
It’s 1934 and Shakespeare’s famous fairies Oberon and Puck magically have materialized in Hollywood on the set of Max Reinhardt’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Warner Brothers Studio. Instantly smitten by the glitz and glamour, they are ushered into the world of the silver screen to play (who else?) themselves? You can’t go wrong with this fabulous farce of the glitz and glamour and madness and mirth of early century Hollywood. Mischievous magic sparkles in this hilarious movieland romp.
Shakespeare in Hollywood by Ken Ludwig will show at 7:30 p.m. December 2-3 & 8-10 with matinee performances at 2:00 p.m. December 4 & 11 in Toland Theatre in the Center for the Arts at 16th and Vine Streets.
Tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m. Monday, November 28. Box office hours are 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays and one hour before each performance. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and non-UWL students, $4 UW-L students; call (608) 785-8522.
If you go—
Who: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts
What: Shakespeare in Hollywood by Ken Ludwig
Where: Toland Theatre, UW-La Crosse Center for the Arts
When: December 2-3 & 8-10 at 7:30 p.m., December 4 & 11 at 2:00 p.m.
Admission: $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and non-UWL students, $4 UW-L students; call (608) 785-8522. Tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m. Monday, November 28. Box office hours are 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays and one hour before show times.
Cast: Colleen Schulz, Amy Nelson, Natalie Goodman, Jessie Fanshaw, Jake Voss, Douglas Nogrady, Nick Brandt, Austin Hernandez, Kevin Fanshaw, Seth Steidl, Lewis Youngren, Andrew Kelly, Elizabeth Metz, Jandrea Novak, Suzanne Clum, David Holmes, Cody Wesner, Brian Coffin
UW-L’s popular Swinging Yuletide concert is Saturday, Dec. 3
Celebrate the holiday season with UW-La Crosse music groups at the popular Swinging Yuletide Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.
The La Crosse Jazz Orchestra, UW-L Jazz Ensembles, and the LaX Jazz4tet join to play big band and vocal jazz holiday favorites during the annual event at Valhalla, Cartwright Center – Gunning Addition.
This year’s performance marks the return of “The Nutcracker Suite” from the Les Brown Orchestra. Other selections include those from American Jazz Musician Glenn Miller, Big Phat Band, The Airmen of Note, and a number of new and seasoned artists.
Cabaret seating and beverage service is available. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also make an appearance.
For tickets call 608.785.8415. Tickets are first come, first serve. General admission is $5 for students and $10 for others. Reserved seating is $20.
If you go:
What: Swinging Yuletide Concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3
Where: Valhalla, UW-L Cartwright Center - Gunning Addition.
Tickets: Call 608.785.8415. General admission is $5 for students and $10 for others. Reserved seating is $20.
New conductor leads UW-L Choral Union in holiday-season concert
New Conductor David Richardson will lead UW-La Crosse’s Choral Union in a series of symphonic works to ring in the holiday season Sunday, Dec. 4.
UW-L’s Choral Union will perform Rutter’s “Gloria” and Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s “Messe de Minuit pour Noel,” a work based on French Christmas carols, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at The Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman, 530 Main St., La Crosse.
Richardson started conducting the 60-community member choir this fall after serving eight years as a vocal coach and accompanist at Boston University. As an accompanist, he has worked for various choral groups and operas including the Houston Grand Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Boston Lyric Opera.
“I’ve been impressed by his musical knowledge and attention to detail,” says Roy Munderloh, a bass in the choir. “ I think he is making a good impression on everyone his first year.”
In addition to his UW-L position, Richardson is a vocal coach and the musical director for operas at Viterbo University. Last year he conducted Viterbo’s opera performance of “The Marriage of Figaro,” which led him to apply for the Choral Union conductor position.
“I’m learning the ropes as a conductor, but have collaborated with many conductors in the past,” he says. “The next step is to getting the experience.”
Richardson says he’s looking to recruit more members to Choral Union. The group of UW-L students, faculty, staff and community members primarily performers larger symphonic works. Next semester they will perform Mozart’s “Requiem.” Auditions are necessary for placement only. Contact Richardson at drichardson@uwlax.edu if interested.
Tickets to the performance are available at the door. They are $5 for students and $10 for others.
If you go—
What: UW-L’s Choral Union performance
Where: The Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman, 530 Main St., La Crosse
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4
Admission: Tickets are available at the door. They are $5 for students and $10 for others.
New director leads UW-L Wind Ensemble in folk-themed concert
New UW-La Crosse director Tom Seddon will lead the UW-L Wind Ensemble in an English folk-song themed concert 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at the Christ Episcopal Church, 111 Ninth St. N., La Crosse.
The ensemble will perform “Lincolnshire Posy” by Percy Grainger as well as a number of other folk songs, concluding with “A Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson.
“Lincolnshire Posy” is a six-movement work based on folk songs that Grainger collected in the first part of the 20th Century from Lincolnshire, England, and then set for band. “It’s one of the premiere works for bands — a turning point in band music,” Seddon explains. “It completely changed the way people think about band music as an expressive art form — not merely performed marches or transcriptions of orchestral pieces.”
Like the music he conducts, Seddon, who joined UW-L’s music faculty this fall, is also making a transition in music style. His primary role was director of bands, including directing athletic bands, for the last seven years at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Conn. As UW-L’s new director of the Wind Ensemble and director of Orchestral Studies, he’s been allowed to explore the “creative music process” more deeply, he explains.
At CCSU he earned the university’s 2009-10 Excellence in Teaching Award. He plans to display that same devotion here at UW-L. Seddon calls his teaching style “demanding.” But he says the success of his bands doesn’t just depend on him. “I don’t say it’s my band or my orchestra,” he explains. “It’s our group. We are all artists and we have to work together to learn about art and express it to others.”
Seddon is also a member of a brass quintet, Talcott Brass, which has toured the U.S. and Europe. He lives in Shelby with his wife, Alana, who is the orchestral director at Viroqua High School, and their two sons, Peter, 14, and Paul, 6.
If you go—
What: UW-L Wind Ensemble concert
Where: 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1
When: Christ Episcopal Church, La Crosse, 111 Ninth St. N., La Crosse.
Admission: Free
"Triplets, Sidewalk Chalk, and Squirrels: A UW-L Folktale"
A Presentation of the English Department's William J. and Yvonne Hyde Colloquium Series.
Continuing the 2011-2012 William J. and Yvonne Hyde English Department Colloquium Series, please come and enjoy a UW-L folktale created by students in Dr. David Hart's "World Literatures: Migrations of Folklore" class. It features squirrels (not thrown at people), sidewalk chalk, and a princess in distress. The presentation runs from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Friday, December 2nd, in 113 Wimberly Hall. The event is free and open to the public. To arrange for disability accommodations, contact english@uwlax.edu or call 785-8295. For more information please visit http://rhetor.blogs.com/english.
UW-La Crosse faculty member cuts CD
Karyn Quinn joins Kansas City, Portland musicians to form jazz trio
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Great Days is the CD UW-L Music Department Faculty Member Karyn Quinn recorded with Kansas City and Portland jazz musicians. Susan Schuyler, who teaches in the UW-L Communication Studies Department, assisted with the CD cover and packaging. |
A decade-long summer jazz workshop led by a UW-La Crosse faculty member and two other university musicians has reached a crescendo of a CD. Long-time Coulee Region jazz bassist Karyn Quinn teamed up with Kansas City Pianist Wayne Hawkins and Portland Drummer Todd Strait to record “Great Days.”
“We have always felt a great connection when we have played at summer camp during the past 10 years,” says Quinn. “But most of the time we’re backing up horn players. So, after talking about the three of us doing a recording for years, we finally decided to do it after I missed a summer clinic because of a bike accident.”
On a grant from the UW-L College of Liberal Studies and jazz studies program, Hawkins and Strait came to La Crosse in October 2010 to record the CD at Sound Stations’ studio. While here, they also taught lessons to students, gave master classes, and worked with the university’s jazz bands and combos. And, the trio presented lecture recitals to classes.
Quinn says the CD, released in July, will be a hit for fans of jazz trios featuring piano, bass and drums. “The tunes have great improvisation, but nothing too ‘wild’ or ‘far out’ so they are fairly easy to listen to,” she says.
Quinn says it’s hard to pick a favorite song on the CD, but she likes some of Hawkins’ original compositions, "Grace" and "O Meu Lugar.” “He also did an arrangement of Joni Mitchell's ‘Both Sides Now’ that I really love to play,” notes Quinn.
CDs are $15 and available locally at the University Bookstore, Leithold’s, SSE Music, Pearl Street Books and Dave’s Guitar. The disc can be ordered online through CDbaby, Amazon and CD University. Listen to portions of tracks — and download them — at iTunes or CDbaby. Downloads are 99-cents a song or $9.90 for the album.
Quinn earned a music education degree from UW-L in 1984. After earning a master’s in bass and jazz studies from the University of Northern Colorado, she returned to campus to teach in 1989.
Annual breakfast raises funds for student-parent scholarships
The Seventh Annual Self-Sufficiency Program Locally Grown Scholarship Breakfast will run from 8-9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the UW-La Crosse Cleary Alumni & Friends Center.
The annual fundraiser supports scholarships for graduates of UW-L’s Self-Sufficiency Program, a free, one-semester program aimed at helping low-income parents prepare to be successful in college.
The breakfast is free and open to all. An RSVP is appreciated by Friday Nov. 18. The breakfast will feature extraordinary student-parents and their stories of the new beginnings with the help of SSP and the Locally-Grown Scholarship program.
UW-L Student Susan Fabian said SSP helped her with financial support and moral support. Fabian, a mother of two and SSP graduate, received an SSP scholarship in 2009. However, she said the greatest part of the program was the connections she made with other student parents who believed in her.
“Many of these students are reclaiming their life. They had a lot of people telling them they couldn’t do it,” says Andrea Hansen, the new director of the Self-Sufficiency Program. “Now they have a group of people saying, ‘We’re happy for you. We think you can do it and we’re going to help you.’”
If you go:
What: Annual Self-Sufficiency Program Locally Grown Scholarship Breakfast
Where: UW-L Cleary Alumni & Friends Center
When: 8-9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30
RSVP: Nov. 18 by contacting Andrea Hansen, SSP director, uwlaxssp@gmail.com or 608.785.8733
Cost: Free. Donations are welcome.
Q & A with Andrea Hansen, new director of the Self Sufficiency Program
Q: What is the Self-Sufficiency Program?
A: Low-income parents have a chance to experience college-level reading and writing during this one-semester program on the UW-L campus. They learn what it takes to apply to college and succeed as a college student. The program aims to help them identify and develop their academic and career goals.
Q: Who are the students in the Self-Sufficiency Program?
A: Women and men are welcome to apply to the program at any time. Participants need to identify themselves as low income. This semester, we have a group of women ranging in age from 21-47 years old coming from many different life paths. We have students who have lived in homeless shelters and received help at treatment centers. We have women stuck in low-income jobs with dreams of providing more fully for their family. Almost all of them are first-generation students. All are taking the courageous first step to reclaim their lives through education.
Q: In what ways does the Self-Sufficiency Program support participants?
A: It familiarizes these students with the ‘how to’ of college whether admissions, financial aid, career services or academics. Colleagues from these campus offices and from our sister institutions make presentations to put a face and name to the steps involved in going to college. We try to give people access to the unofficial knowledge that is passed on in families with a college history. We also have a writing instructor and a math tutor who help the group prepare academically for college. Finally, SSP graduates are eligible to apply for scholarships in their freshmen and sophomore years. Many continue to benefit from the network of support they establish in SSP for years.
The program is about providing information and skills, encouragement and cheering each step taken along the journey.
Q: I’m interested in supporting a student-parent. How do I do it?
A: You or your organization/club/group might consider supporting a student with a gift of $500, the amount of a one-semester scholarship or become a 2011 Breakfast Sponsor at the $350 level. Anyone interested in sponsorship can contact SSP Director Andrea Hansen at 608-785-8733. Your generosity will help graduates with college-related expenses and remind them that the local community is invested in their academic success and the well being of their families. If the sponsorship amounts are not possible, donations of any amount are greatly appreciated and will be put to good use. To give online visit https://foundation.uwlax.edu/cgi-bin/funds, select "other," and enter "SSP Locally Grown Scholarship Fund" in the text box.
To give by mail, write your check payable to "SSP Locally Grown Scholarship Fund" and mail it to: Andrea Hansen, director, SSP, 4306 Centennial Hall, University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54501.
UW-L to host National Conference on Undergraduate Research — again
Conference expected to attract about 3,500 participants
UW-La Crosse was again chosen to host the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
The conference, April 9-11, 2015, is anticipated to be the largest UW-L has ever hosted and will include more than 3,000 presentations on topics from anthropology to zoology, as well as performing arts and visual arts. It is expected to attract about 3,500 faculty and students from more than 300 colleges and universities in all 50 states.
Kathleen Enz Finken, UW-L provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, calls the conference an exciting event and an extraordinary learning opportunity for all — students, faculty, staff and community members.
“It establishes the value of student research as a tool for teaching, and allows for exceptional mentoring opportunities,” she explains. “In addition, it provides students the opportunity to hone their professional presentation and networking skills.”
Typically colleges and universities have to wait 10 years before they are allowed to host again. UW-L was offered the opportunity to bid again because the university hosted a very successful 2009 conference, says Penny Tiedt, interim director of UW-L Continuing Education and Extension. It is also a signal that NCUR values the UW-L's commitment to undergraduate research and they view the school as a model for it, says Enz Finken.
Based on NCUR 2009 participants, the 2015 event will likely generate more than $1 million in direct economic impact to the community as visitors dine in area restaurants and stay in area hotels, says Dave Clements, the executive director of the La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
This is the second time UW-L has hosted the conference and the third time a UW school will host the conference since it started in 1987. UW-Whitewater hosted in 2002. When UW-L hosted the conference in 2009, 2,400 students and faculty attended from about 280 universities in 37 states. That was during the recession and some cancelled because of travel expenses, so more are expected this time, notes Gubbi Sudhakaran, UW-L physics professor and 2009 conference chairman.
“This puts us in the limelight,” says Sudhakaran. “It is a great event for UW-L and the community.”
More details on the conference such as presentation topics and ticket information will be available as the conference date approaches.
Dr. Rob Wilkie Announces Release of First Book
Dr. Rob Wilkie’s first book, The Digital Condition: Class and Culture in the Information Network (Fordham University Press, 2011), examines the complex underpinnings of class inequalities and societal changes in a digital culture. “Social divisions such as class have played the primary role in how technology develops,” Wilkie explains, “but … little attention is given to class in most studies of technology.” While scientific and technological developments have simultaneously opened channels of communication for more and more people, as contended in the book’s introduction, “the wealth of a few” is being promoted “by exploiting the labor of many” (p. 2). At a time when digital devices such as iPods and Smart Phones continue to become increasingly common in culture, Wilkie explores the relationship of these familiar devices to class disparages.
According to Peter McLaren, University of California, “Wilkie offers in his book a cutting-edge theorization of digital culture that will instantly establish him as one of the most exciting new voices working in critical and cultural theory today.”*
Dr. Wilkie is an Assistant Professor of English, and his research specialties include writing and technology, digital and visual culture, cultural and critical theory, and twentieth and twenty-first century American literature and culture.
For more information on The Digital Condition: Class and Culture in the Information Network visit fordhampress.com.
*Quote courtesy of Amazon.com.
Two UW-L Alumni Win State Teacher of the Year
Two University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Master of Education graduates have been named Teacher of the Year in their respective states and will go on to vie for the title of National Teacher of the Year.
Patricia Markos, Director of the Master of Education-Professional Development (ME-PD) Learning Community program says, “I am very proud of our graduates: Bradley Markhardt, 2011 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year; and Katy Smith, 2011 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Our program takes pride in developing teacher leaders!”
Bradley Markhardt, 2011 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year
Bradley Markhardt, agriculture education teacher at Black River Falls High School, will represent Wisconsin in the National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) contest. He is recognized for interactive classroom instruction and creating relationships through the National FFA Organization (formerly Future Farmers of America). Through community partnerships, he also developed a land lab for student and community gardening, learning and research.
“I am a concrete learner,” Markhardt stresses. “I learn best when I can experience that which I want to know about … My style of teaching draws heavily on my learning style and within this style, I strive to design lessons for a diversity of learners.”
Markhardt earned a Master of Education degree in Professional Development from the UW-L in 2000.
Photo courtesy of the School District of Black River Falls.
Katy Smith, 2011 Minnesota Teacher of the Year
Katy Smith is recognized as Minnesota Teacher of the Year for her work as an Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE)/parent teacher at Goodview School in Winona. She is the first ECFE teacher to win the award and is Minnesota’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year.
“What I hope all students do,” Smith explains, “is stop, slow down a bit and understand the inner workings of their children—how they are wired, learn best and what motivates them.”*
Smith earned a masters degree at UW-L from the Professional Development (ME-PD) Learning Community in 2003.
Photo courtesy of Winona Area Public Schools.
National Teacher of the Year Competition
NTOY candidates are exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled teachers in state-approved or accredited schools. The winner will be selected April, 2012, introduced to the nation by President Obama and honored at a series of events in Washington, D.C. For the remainder of the year, the winner will represent the nation in over 150 events, speaking engagements and media appearances.
For more information, visit the Council of Chief State School Officers. http://www.ccsso.org/
*Quote courtesy of news.uwlax.edu
UW-La Crosse art show to feature installation
The artwork of Canadian artist Lenka Novak will fill the UW-La Crosse Art Gallery.
Novak’s exhibition opens with an artist discussion from 4-5 p.m. followed by a reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, in the University Art Gallery, on the first floor of the Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets. The exhibit runs through Saturday, Nov. 19.
Novak will create a site-specific installation in the University Gallery. She constructs environments in her work based on recreation and reflective thought. By using simple technologies and moving light, she develops works that engage the viewers’ sensory perceptions of light, space and visual memory.
Born in the Czech Republic, she currently lives and works in Canada. Her award-winning work has been exhibited throughout North America and internationally. Find out more about Novak at www.lenkanovak.com.
Regular gallery hours are noon-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and during Toland Theatre events. Admission is free. The gallery opens for appointments by calling the UW-L Art Department 608.785.8230.
“Deep Waters I” by Lenka Novak, a light sculpture installation that includes six steel pools of water, screens and theatre lights. Her site-specific installation at the UW-L University Gallery runs Oct. 28-Nov. 19.
If you go—
What: Artwork of Canadian artist Lenka Novak
When: Opens with an artist discussion from 4-5 p.m. followed by a reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. The exhibit runs through Saturday, Nov. 19. Regular gallery hours are noon-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Where: University Art Gallery, first floor of the UW-L Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets.
Admission: Free.
TV telethon to support Coulee Region Humane Society
It’s the 13th year UW-L students will help raise funds
Dogs, cats and other animals at the Coulee Region Humane Society will benefit from an upcoming live TV telethon produced by UW-La Crosse communication studies students.
The 13th annual Coulee Region Humane Society Telethon will air from 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, on KQEG-TV Channel 23, Charter Cable Channel 5, Digital 989 and UW-L campus channel 6. Rick Wilson, KQEG TV-23, and Carrie Vick, a UW-L communication studies majors, will host the show. Guests during the three-hour event will include owners of pets adopted from the society, pet therapy specialists, dog trainers and society advocates. The phone number to pledge during the telecast is 608.785.8379.
Along with money, donations of towels, sheets, soap, bleach, office and animal supplies or other items that could be used at the humane society are sought. Donations for the society’s general fund may be dropped off at the studio, 205 Wing Technology Center, 1705 State St., during the telethon, or arrangements may be made by calling Professor Pat Turner at 608.785.8369. Checks should be made payable to the Coulee Region Humane Society. Monetary donations or goods can also be dropped off at Coulee Region Human Society, 911 Critter Court, Onalaska.
Give-aways during the telethon include: a $180 guitar from Dave’s Guitar Shop; $280 studio session from The Studio on Main; $234.21 camping gift certificate from Pettibone Resort; $340 from Chiropractic First for chiropractic services that includes x-rays, comprehensive exam, and consultation; $300 of health supplies from Complete Nutrition La Crosse; and two eight-week sessions valued at $120 each from Tammy Zee’s Yoga Studio. Also, numerous businesses have generously provided coupons to be given away throughout the evening.
The telethon originated in 1999 when UW-L student Kristen Lloyd decided to produce a live TV telethon instead of writing a traditional research paper. The student-produced telethon is sponsored by UW-L’s Communication Studies Department and campus TV station WMCM, in conjunction with Charter Communications and KQEG-TV23. Last year’s telethon raised more than $5,500 in money and supplies.
To participate —
What: Coulee Region Humane Society Telethon
When: 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19
Where: Airs on KQEG-TV Channel 23, Charter Cable Channel 5 and Digital 989. Drop off donations during the telethon at 205 Wing Technology Center at UW-La Crosse, 1705 State St., or call 608.785.8379.
Ireland hiker sets La Crosse program
An avid hiker who has lead numerous tour groups from UW-La Crosse in Ireland will give a slideshow presentation on campus.
Maeve Kelly has been leading walking tours in Ireland with now retired Archeology Professor Jim Gallagher for the past 15 years. The tours, sponsored by the UW-L Office of Continuing Education, have taken place throughout Ireland. UW-L Music Professor Gary Walth currently leads the tours from La Crosse, including last July’s trip to Maeve's Dingle Peninsula in southwest Ireland.
Kelly’s lecture and presentation at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, in 58 Center for the Arts, will highlight recent tours and give information on future hiking tours, including those planned in June and July, 2012. The presentation, free and open to the public, is for both those interested in a UW-L-sponsored hike and others.
Kelly lives in Cork City and is the owner of the Walking Boots Tour Company. She leads tours throughout Ireland and in other European countries. She has a degree in archeology and Celtic civilizations and is a frequent lecturer on the history of south and western Ireland.
See more at: www.walkingbootstours.com
If you go—
What: Lecture and presentation on hiking in Ireland
Who: Maeve Kelly
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11
Where: Room 58, UW-La Crosse Center for the Arts
Admission: Free
UW-L Theatre presents darkly funny and unexpectedly moving family story
The UW-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts production, From Up Here, asks audiences to contemplate the broad concerns contemporary teens face: hormones, bullying, disappointment, forgiveness, family pressures and new relationships.
From Up Here by Liz Flahive will show at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 9 through Saturday, November 12 with a matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, November 13 in Frederick Theatre in Morris Hall at 16th and State streets.
A darkly funny and unexpectedly moving family story, From Up Here is a captivating piece about love, forgiveness and the actualities of today’s youth at home and school. The play opens to what seems like an ordinary, upbeat scene in the household of a suburban American family. Kenny, a high school senior, is getting ready to head back to the classroom with his younger sister, Lauren, and stepdad, Daniel. With the introduction of Grace, his mother, and the kind of kooky Aunt Caroline, there begins to be subtle suggestions of something not quite normal with this group of individuals. When Daniel goes through Kenny’s backpack with a checklist of permissible school supplies, it suddenly hits home: Kenny is a teenager on his first day back to school after having brought a gun and a targeted list of peers with him to school.
Funded in part by a grant from Xcel Energy.
Tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m. Monday, October 10. Box office hours are 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays and one hour before show times. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and non-UWL students, $4 UW-L students; call (608) 785-8522.
If you go—
Who: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts
What: From Up Here by Liz Flahive
Where: Frederick Theatre, UW-La Crosse Morris Hall
When: November 9-12 at 7:30 p.m., November 13 at 2:00 p.m.
Admission: $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and non-UWL students, $4 UW-L students; call (608) 785-8522. Tickets go on sale at 1:00 p.m. Monday, October 10. Box office hours are 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays and one hour before show times.
Cast: Anastasia Morgan, Derek Sveen, Nick Mompier, Katie Katschke, Ashley Hovell,
Matthew Waller, Donald Hart, Sarah Kroth
"Yeats's Shakespeare and Joyce's Objection: Two Dogmas of Cosmopolitanism"
A Presentation of the English Department's William J. and Yvonne Hyde Colloquium Series.
Continuing the 2011-2012 William J. and Yvonne Hyde English Department Colloquium Series, Adam Putz, IAS in English, will present his research on the influence of Shakespeare in Dublin during the Celtic Revival on W. B. Yeats, the figurehead of this movement, and James Joyce, an early critic of its nationalist excesses.
In his objection to Yeats’s Shakespeare, Joyce offers an answer to the crisis of authenticity undermining the concerted effort undertaken by cultural figures during the Revival "to speak on behalf of the Irish" after the fall of Ireland’s "uncrowned king," Charles Stewart Parnell. The presentation runs from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Friday, November 11, in 113 Wimberly Hall.
The event is free and open to the public. To arrange for disability accommodations, contact english@uwlax.edu or call 785-8295. For more information please visit http://rhetor.blogs.com/english.
Teachers to attend annual learning conference at UW-L
Major focus:
The UW-La Crosse Master of Education-Professional Development (ME-PD) Learning Community Program will host its 14th annual November conference. Several hundred teachers from throughout Wisconsin will come together for a weekend of learning, sharing, networking and celebrating their graduate work.
Time/Place:
Saturday, Nov. 12, and Sunday, Nov. 13, in Cartwright Center at UW-La Crosse
Background:
Those attending the conference are students in the ME-PD Learning Community graduate program for teachers and other education professionals.
A highlight of the weekend will be the Action Research Fair. Educators from the area and others interested in participatory research being conducted in classrooms around Wisconsin can visit the fair from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday in Valhalla, Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition.
Approximately 45 fourth-semester graduate students will be presenting results of their Participatory Action Research at roundtable discussions as part of a culminating graduation requirement prior to commencement Sunday, Dec. 18. They will join over 3,000 other teachers from over 300 state school districts who have graduated from the ME-PD Learning Community Program since it began in 1997.
The weekend will also include a Saturday morning welcome keynote from 2010 Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year, Leah Lechleiter-Luke, and a motivational closing keynote on Sunday by Fred Kush, President of JFK Associates.
The ME-PD program is part of the university’s Institute for Professional Studies in Education.
Award-winning Program
The program can boast that it has helped mentor two of the Midwest’s top teachers.
Brad Markhardt, a 2001 graduate of the program and teacher in Black River Falls, was named 2011 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year. Katy Smith, a 2003 graduate who teaches in Winona, was named 2011 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. See more at: http://spotlight.uwlax.edu/institute-for-professional-studies-in-education/
http://uwl-web.com/lantern/uw-l-alumna-named-2011-teacher-of-the-year/
For more information:
Reporters wanting more information may contact Sarah Dixen, Conference Coordinator, at (cell) 507-313-8238 (office) 608-785-5409 or sdixen@uwlax.edu
Screaming Eagles Band wraps up season with a bang
The UW-La Crosse Screaming Eagles Marching Band will wrap up the season with a Review Concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, in Mitchell Hall. Admission is free.
The concert highlights musical selections from halftime shows, including the music of the band Earth, Wind & Fire and the rock group Boston. The band will finish the concert with its rendition of Lmfao’s “Party Rock Anthem.” This song reflects the strong student leadership in the band as Chris Barnes, student director, arranged the music and student Anthony Mottaz wrote the percussion music. Cassidy Stuchlik, drum major, with the help of fellow drum majors and section leaders, led the dance instruction.
Over the course of the season, which began Aug. 21, the band gave 17 performances including football games and community events.
UW-L Screaming Eagles Marching Band performing at the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex
If you go—
What: Review Concert
Where: Mitchell Hall, UW-L
When: Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
Admission: Free
"Adaptation: From Short Story to Short Film"
A Presentation of the English Department's William J. and Yvonne Hyde Colloquium Series
As part of the 2011-2012 William J. and Yvonne Hyde English Department Colloquium Series, Matt Cashion, Associate Professor of English, will present a screening of the short film, LAST WORDS OF THE HOLY GHOST, adapted from his short story, first published in Willow Springs Literary Journal.
The film premiered July 27 at the LA Shorts Film Festival; it has also appeared at the Lucerne International Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival, the Coney Island Film Festival, and the Driftless Film Festival. The presentation runs from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Friday, October 21, in 122 Wimberly Hall.
The event is free and open to the public. To arrange for disability accommodations, contact english@uwlax.edu or call 785-8295. For more information, including the trailer and the story on which the film is based, please visit http://rhetor.blogs.com/english.
Soprano opera singer directs UW-L Women’s Chorus
The group's first performance of the season is Oct. 21
On the opera stage, Kathryn Skemp Moran plays the ingénue — the sweet, innocent and unworldly young woman. In reality, Skemp Moran is much more bold — bringing her worldly opera talent and techniques to UW-La Crosse students.
Skemp Moran started as the new Women’s Chorus director this fall and will lead the choir in its first performance of the year at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, in Annett Recital Hall, Center for the Arts. The choir will perform a mix of music from Mozart to a more modern African American spiritual. Admission is free.
Skemp Moran brings more than 10 years of opera experience to UW-L, including singing with the Chicago Opera Theatre, Aspen Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and Glimmerglass Opera. She continues to perform opera and will tour with the Boston Pops Orchestra after Thanksgiving and into December.
“She brings a lot of energy to rehearsal, which is good — especially when it’s 3 p.m. and everyone wants to take a nap,” says Megan Trotter, a UW-L freshman in Women’s Chorus. “She is a lot of fun and has helped us with our technique — especially with breathing and vowel sounds.”
Skemp Moran also teaches private vocal lessons at UW-L and Viterbo University.
She was attracted to the position because she grew up in the La Crosse area and feels the area is a good spot to raise a family with her husband, Liam Moran, who is also an opera singer. So far she says she is enjoying her new role.
“I think I’ve become a better singer since I’ve become a teacher,” she notes. “I have to explain the concepts and that has solidified my technique more. If I tell a student to do something, I have to be confident in it.”
Forty women are in UW-L Women’s Chorus. The freshman to seniors come from diverse majors.
David Richardson, a Viterbo vocal coach and music faculty member, is also a new choir director on the UW-L campus. He conducts the UW-L Choral Union, the chorus comprised of community members and students. Skemp and Richardson replace Paul Rusterholz, who retired after 22 years at UW-L.
If you go—
What: UW-L Women’s Chorus fall concert
Where: Annett Recital Hall, Center for the Arts
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21
Admission: Free
End-of-life issues no longer taboo for these documentary makers
Producers to lead discussion on ‘Consider the Conversation’
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The documentary “Consider the Conversation” and its producers will be the focus of a UW-La Crosse program Oct. 19 |
End-of-life issues. It’s a conversation most people don’t want to have. It causes even more stress when families are under the most stressful time of their lives.
A UW-La Crosse communication professor hopes to start changing that among students in his persuasive campaigns classes — and others.
Associate Professor Mike Tollefson persuaded the producers of “Consider the Conversation: A documentary on a taboo subject” to come to La Crosse to discuss their film about meaningful dialogue about end-of-life issues. The program is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, in Main Hall Auditorium. Admission is free, but tickets are required. Get tickets through the Cartwright Center Information Counter at 608.785.8877.
Following the 60-minute documentary, producers Michael Bernhagen and Terry Kaldhusdal will lead a panel discussion on end-of-life. They’ll be joined by Bud Hammes, Gundersen Lutheran; Pastor Barbara Kopperud, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church; Nickijo Hager, Mayo Clinic Health System, and Dr. Michael Brennan, UW-L Sociology Department.
“Consider the Conversation” is billed as a powerful and inspiring film on the American struggle with communication and preparation for the end of life. The two long-time friends, Bernhagen, a veteran hospice educator, and Kaldhusdal, a state teacher of the year, were motivated by personal experiences with loss to create the documentary. The program doesn’t seek to hand down answers; rather, it provides questions for people to consider while discussing end-of-life issues.
For more about the documentary, visit: www.considertheconversation.org
If you go—
What: “Consider the Conversation: A documentary on a taboo subject”
Who: Documentary producers Michael Bernhagen and Terry Kaldhusdal
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19
Where: UW-La Crosse Main Hall Auditorium
Admission: Free, but tickets are required. Get tickets through the Cartwright Center Information Counter at 608.785.8877.
UW-L theatre opens with the race to create TV
‘The Farnsworth Invention’ opens Oct. 14
The upbeat, zesty drama “The Farnsworth Invention” opens the UW-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts 2011-12 season.
The show takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14-15 and 20-22, with 2 o’clock matinees Sundays, Oct. 16 and 23. Performances are in Toland Theatre in the Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets.
“The Farnsworth Invention” was written by Aaron Sorkin who created TV’s “The West Wing” and Oscar-winning “The Social Network.” Set in 1929 the drama details a sprint to the finish as two ambitious visionaries at opposite ends of the country race against the clock to successfully produce the 20th Century’s most influential invention: television.
Alternately narrated by the play’s protagonists, theatergoers will witness the development of what would eventually become the modern TV set through the eyes of self-taught prodigy Philo T. Farnsworth and his adversary, the ambitious entrepreneur David Sarnoff. The path to supreme prestige is filled with ups and downs, toils and tribulations the two live through the devastating crash of the stock market, the establishment of the radio as a means of public communication, and the founding of the contemporary National Broadcasting Company.
Tickets go on sale at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, in the Box Office, on the first floor of the Center for the Arts or at 608.785.8522. Tickets are $4 for UW-L students; $12 for other students and senior citizens; and $14 for others.
If you go—
WHO: UW-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts
WHAT: The Farnsworth Invention, a drama by Aaron Sorkin
WHERE: Toland Theatre, UW-La Crosse Center for the Arts—16th and Vine Streets
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14-15 and 20-22; 2 p.m. Oct. 16 and 23
GET TICKETS: Beginning at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, in the Box Office, first floor of the Center for the Arts or at 608.785.8522. Tickets are $4 for UW-L students; $12 for other students and senior citizens; and $14 for others.
2011 Hispanic Heritage Month Festivities
Sept. 16 Opening Reception. Brief remarks by Barbara Stewart, Associate Dean for Campus Climate and Diversity, followed by musical program and reception. Free hors d’oeuvres. Strzelczyk Great Hall, Cleary Center, 4-5 PM.
Film Series
Sept. 20
Sugar (2008), 120 mins. English. Produced and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. By 2008, more than 25% of major-league baseball players were Latin American, including a large number of Dominicans. Film narrates their experience adjusting to life in the U.S. through the eyes of 19-year old Miguel "Sugar" Santos in a fictional Midwestern town. Discussion led by Professor Christine Hippert, Soc/Arch.
6:30-8:30 PM, 339 Cartwright
Oct. 4
Broken Embraces (2009), 127 mins., Rated R for sexual content, language, and drug material. Spanish with English subtitles. Produced by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Penélope Cruz, Lluis Homar, and Blanca Portillo. Romantic tragic comedy featuring a blind writer’s remembrance of his past as a film director (and a different identity) and his love affair with beautiful leading actress. Discussion led by Professor Jean Janecki de Sotarello (Modern Languages).
6:30-8:30 PM, Valhalla B, Cartwright Center
Lecture Series
Sept. 26Alma Rosa Álvarez, “Liberation Theology in Chicana/o Literature: Manifestations of Feminist and Gay Identities” Ward Room, Cartwright Center, 6:30-7:30 PM,followed by reception. Free hors d’oeuvres.
Alma Rosa Álvarez, PhD, professor of English and Writing at the Department of Language, Literature, and Philosophy at Southern Oregon University. Álvarez studies the intersection of sexuality and faith in Chicano culture. She is presently at work on two projects: Catholic Outreach to the LGBT community and on creative non-fiction that centers on the stories of Cristeros, migration and the effects of "inseguridad" in Momax, Zacatecas, the town her family is from. Her publications include Liberation Theology in Chicana/o Literature: Manifestations of Feminist and Gay Identities (Routledge, 2007).
Oct. 17
Maru Buendía-Sentiés, “Making Films on the U.S.-Mexico Border,” 260 Graff Main Hall, 6-7 PM followed by reception. Free hors d’oeuvres.
Maru Buendía-Sentiés, MFA, is a US-Mexico borderlands filmmaker whose work focuses on human rights and immigration. A recipient of the Cary Grant Film Award (2007) of the Princess Grace Foundation, Buendia-Senties was born in Mexico City and raised on the U.S.-Mexico border. Her award-winning films have been featured in film festivals in Europe and the Americas. Her short film “Bienvenido” (2010) portrays the struggle of a Mexican immigrant to overcome stereotypes. Her 2009 award-winning "Entre Líneas" is a story about two friends—Caroline and Ricardo—who live on different sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Their friendship allows the viewer to perceive at the U.S.-Mexico borderlands culture, conflicts between Mexicans and Mexican Americans, and the universal struggle to maintain and find identity in a multicultural society. Buendia’s presentation will discuss her work and screen 2 short films.
UWL Hispanic Heritage Month made possible by: LASO, the UWL Latino Students’ Organization; ILLAS, the UWL Institute of Latina/Latino and Latin American Studies, UWL College of Liberal Studies; the UWL Office of Multicultural Student Services; the UWL Office of Campus Climate and Diversity; the UWL Office of the Provost Visiting Scholar of Color Program, and the Departments of English, History, and Sociology/Archeology.
For information or ADA accommodations, contact Max Nobiensky, ILLAS Student Assistant at 785-8337.
Looking for information on the Latino community in the area? Check out the La Crosse Latina/o Community Resource Guide brought to you by the La Crosse Latina/o Collaborative a joint project of UW-La Crosse and Viterbo: http://www.uwlax.edu/ls/latinamerica/Latino%20Collaborative2_mg.html
LASO, the UW-L Latino Student Organization, meets every Thursday at 6:30pm in Cartwright Center Room 257. All are welcome to join and learn about our culture! Want more info? Email us!
President: Sara “Chiqui” Medina-Bielski, medinabi.sara@uwlax.edu
Vice President: José Rubio-Zepeda, rubiozep.jose@uwlax.edu
Secretary: Leticia Mendoza, mendoza.leti@uwlax.edu
Sponsor: Constance Vanderhyden, cvanderhyden@uwlax.edu
Interested in studying abroad with UW-L faculty?
“Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Argentina,” Buenos Aires Dec. 28, 2011 to Jan. 20, 2012, Professors Janecki and Macías, 6 hrs credit (ENG 200 and HIS 360), $3,895. Field trip to Iguazu Falls included. Contact: jjanecki@uwlax.edu Partnership with Academic Programs International. SPANISH NOT REQUIRED.
"Alternative Spring Break in the Dominican Republic," March 10-18, 2012. Professor Hippert, 1 hr. credit. Approximate cost $2600. Contact: chippert@uwlax.edu
Intermediate/Advanced Spanish Language and Medical Spanish at the Academic Language Institute, Alicante, Spain. J-term 2012, dates TBA. Professor Wallace, 6-7 hrs credit, approximately $3,500. Students spend time with practicing medical professionals in experiential learning opportunities. Homestay, regional excursion and trip to Granada included. Contact: mwallace@uwlax.edu.
“A Cultural Tour of Ancient Peru" Summer I session May 2012. Professor McAndrews, 3 hrs credit, cost TBA. Contact: tmcandrews@uwlax.edu
UW-L psychology professor discusses men’s issues on weekly radio show
On average men die seven years younger than women. They engage in higher rates of substance abuse and are four times more likely to complete a suicide attempt.
“There is a real need for clinicians and researchers to take another look at men’s issues,” explains Ryan McKelley, licensed psychologist and UW-L professor of psychology. “A lot of negative health indicators for men aren’t explained biologically.”
McKelley is getting the word out about men’s issues as a weekly guest on the internet radio show, “The Secret Lives of Men.” Authors of books and documentaries on boy’s and men’s issues are interviewed on the show and McKelley follows up with his reactions. In the past, McKelley has been invited to speak about issues such as trust, intimacy and masculinity.
He has conducted plenty of research studies with the goal of understanding what is getting in the way of men taking better care of themselves and their relationships. A large part of his research focuses on masculinity and non-traditional ways to provide help for men other than therapy. McKelley has studied the role of fathers and recently published a study on stay-at-home fathers and why they transition into the role. He will launch a study this fall on men’s emotional expression.
“It’s not that men don’t cry,” says McKelley. “It’s that they don’t cry in certain environments.”
He also recently published an encyclopedia chapter in the “Encyclopedia of Women in Today’s World” on the social construction of masculinity.
“It’s not necessarily this innate biological thing — masculinity ebbs and flows depending on historical times and the culture it’s embedded in,” he says. “For instance, there are Pacific Island states where men do the child rearing.”
Listen to McKelley online
McKelley participates in the internet radio show from 2-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays. “The Secret Lives of Men” is available at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thesecretlivesofmen/
Check out the segment on group therapy for men where McKelley and host Chris Blazina discuss the stereotypes about group therapy and the tendency of men to not seek psychological help as often as women. McKelley says studies show conflicting results regarding whether group therapy is a good option for men. In his opinion, it could be a viable option because men already naturally tend to congregate in social groups whether at sporting events or work-related functions.
“I think a men’s therapy group takes that model and adds extra layers to it,” explains McKelley. “I think if men think of it in those terms — we are going to get together and share some stories and maybe help each other out — it can make that process a little more palatable.”Find McKelley’s discussion at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thesecretlivesofmen/2009/06/09/groupy-therapy-for-men-what-is-it-and-does-it-help
UW-L professor drums up sounds from her South Korean roots
Major focus:
Soojin Kim Ritterling, UW-La Crosse associate professor of music education, was born in Jeonju, South Korea, an area rich in traditional Korean farmer’s dance and music. Today Ritterling teaches her UW-L colleagues and students the same traditional, rhythmic music on the drum she learned in Korean grade school. She formed the UW-L Women’s Samulnori group, which consists of about 10 faculty and staff members who meet every Monday at noon at the UW-L gazebo during the summer to practice this traditional drumming.
Time/Place:
Noon Mondays at the gazebo in the center of the UW-L campus in front of Wing Technology Center. The next rehearsal is noon Monday, July 11. The rain site is room 56 in UW-L’s Center for the Arts.
Samulnori, meaning four things playing, refers the four different instruments used in traditional Korean farmer’s music and dance. The four instruments include the Janggu, an hour-glass-shaped drum; Kkwaenggwari, a small gong; Jing, a large gong; and Buk, a barrel drum. The women’s group focuses on the Janggu because it is the most challenging.
Faculty say drumming is a nice break.
“It’s really great because when you are playing you can’t think of anything else,” says Psychology Professor Betsy Morgan. “And for some of us who lean toward the cerebral, it’s good to do something else.”
The women’s faculty and staff group performs with the UW-L Korean Percussion Ensemble, a student group, also under Ritterling’s direction. They perform at public schools, various campus locations and other public venues during the school year.
Ritterling says there are no instructional manuals on Korean traditional percussion music. Her goal is to develop one, including a historical overview of the traditional music, musical scores and how to use the music in the U.S. classroom setting.
She took a sabbatical during the 2009 -2010 academic year in Korea with a grant from the Fulbright Scholarship Program to learn more about the traditional percussion music and how it is performed in contemporary Korean society. This will all be incorporated in her book.
“As a native Korean, and now as an American music educator, I feel that it is my responsibility to provide this unique material in formats that can be easily used,” explains Ritterling.
Photo/video opportunities:
The traditional drumming is also beautiful in appearance. The women learn hand and arm motions that go along with the drumming.
For more information:
Contact Soojin Kim Ritterling: office: 608.785.8417 or home: 577.849.4308 or email kim.sooj@uwlax.edu
http://news.uwlax.edu/drumming-up-sounds-from-south-korea/
‘High School Band Day’ set at UW-L Saturday, Oct. 8
Four area high school bands will step out with the UW-La Crosse Screaming Eagles Marching Band for the Eagles’ football game Saturday, Oct. 8.
The Screaming Eagles will host its first "High School Band Day" Saturday, welcoming students from West Salem, Bangor, Logan and Central high schools. Around 175 high school band students and directors will spend a game day with the Screaming Eagles Marching Band, as well as perform during the halftime show.
The visiting students will rehearse with the Screaming Eagles from 9:15-10:30 a.m., eat lunch together and march to the stadium with the university band. Once the game begins, the students will sit in the stands with Screaming Eagles, engage in the cheers and other traditions associated with the band.
The football game is set to kick off at 1 p.m. at Roger Harring Stadium in Veteran’s Memorial Field Sports Complex. The Eagles host Jamestown College (North Dakota).
At halftime the high school students will join the Screaming Eagles on the field to perform a special halftime show. Selections will include: "Crazy Train," "Shout it Out," "You Can Call Me Al" and "On Wisconsin." Not only will the high school students be play with the university band, they will be learning the dances and chants associated with the songs.
LA CROSSE AREA HMONG NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
The La Crosse Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Inc. and the La Crosse Hmong community is proud to host the 2011-2012 La Crosse Hmong New Year Festival. The revered Hmong New Year is the most anticipated holiday for the Hmong people. Traditionally, the New Year is a hallmark celebration of the end of harvesting season and a welcome of the New Year. In the La Crosse Area, the celebration is held before the coldest weather sets in so everyone can observe the festival out-of-doors. The Hmong New Year is open to the public and the community invites everyone to attend.
The 2011 Hmong New Year will be held this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9 at the La Crosse CRUSA soccer fields, 2500 Hauser Street in La Crosse. The grounds will be open from 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The New Year Opening Ceremony will be held Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
New Year activities include: Hmong culture and talent shows, traditional Hmong ball tossing, sport competitions such as soccer, volleyball, and flag football. There will also be vendors who offer a variety of foods, arts, and crafts. An evening concert will be held on Saturday evening at the La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Admission:
Day Events
Saturday - $15 per car donation
Sunday - $15 per car donation
Evening Event:
Evening concert - $10. Children under 13 is free of charge
Speaker to discuss environmental issues Oct. 12
Mary Power, a professor at the University of California-Berkeley, will discuss the importance of field stations and research reserves in protecting natural ecosystems during a public presentation at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 1400 Centennial Hall at UW-La Crosse.
Power will also give a scientific seminar on food webs in river networks at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, in the same location.
Power is UW-L’s Distinguished Speaker in Life Sciences this year. Each year UW-L’s Biology and Microbiology departments sponsor an expert to speak on timely topics in the field of life sciences. She is the faculty manager of the Angelo Coast Range Reserve and director of the California Biodiversity Center. She has spent her life studying river food webs.
The presentations are sponsored by the College of Science and Health; the biology, microbiology and chemistry departments; the River Studies Center; Sigma Xi; the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center; UW-L's biology and microbiology clubs; and the UW-L Environmental Council.
If you go—
Who: Mary Power, University of California-Berkeley
What: “The role of field station research in guiding Earth stewardship under environmental change”
Where: 1400 Centennial Hall, UW-La Crosse
When: 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 12
Admission: Free
If you go—
Who: Mary Power, University of California-Berkeley
What: “Food webs in river networks: algal mediated linkages of rivers to watershed and nearshore marine ecosystems.”
Where: 1400 Centennial Hall, UW-La Crosse
When: 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13
Admission: Free
UW-La Crosse art show to feature sculpture, wall reliefs
UW-La Crosse will open its 2011-12 art gallery season with a collection of sculpture and wall reliefs.
The work of Judy Onofrio opens with an artist discussion from 4-5 p.m. and a reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, in the University Art Gallery, on the first floor of the Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets. The exhibit runs through Saturday, Oct. 15.
Working with abstract assemblages that combine bones, bits of architecture and hand carved fruits and flowers, Onofrio’s pieces reflect an ongoing fascination and sensitivity to the complexities of life, mortality and the process of claiming one’s own universal experience. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and can be found in public and private collections worldwide. Onofrio has received recognition with an artist fellowship from the Bush Foundation and the McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist Award. Find out more about her work at: www.judyonofrio.com.
Regular gallery hours are noon-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and during Toland Theatre events. Admission is free. The gallery opens for appointments by calling the UW-L Art Department 608.785.8230.
If you go—
Who: Sculpture and wall reliefs by Judy Onofrio
What: UW-L Art Gallery Exhibition
When: Opens with an artist discussion from 4-5 p.m. and reception from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16; runs through Saturday, Oct. 15. Regular gallery hours are noon-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Where: University Art Gallery, first floor of the UW-L Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets.
Admission: Free.
Sculpture by Judy Onofrio, exhibited at the UW-La Crosse Art Gallery Sept. 16-Oct. 15 will include:
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“Compote,” animal bones, found objects and acrylic. |
“Niche,” animal bones, found objects and acrylic. |
UW-L veteran students to attend ‘From Combat to College’
After serving in the U.S. Navy, Daryl Thomas planned to go to college.
The one thing he forgot when he was 400 feet below sea level on a submarine? To mail in his $35 application fee. He found out about the minor glitch in his application when he arrived on shore in Japan and checked his email.
“My heart sank,” he said. “It’s hard to get mail when you're under water.”
Luckily, Thomas’ girlfriend back home in the States could send in the fee and UW-La Crosse staff helped him secure housing.
Thomas started school at UW-L in September 2008, and he is well aware of the challenges veteran students face — even after applying for college from the other side of the world. That’s why he started “From Combat to College,” an orientation for incoming veteran students, last year. This year’s event is slated from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.
“It’s important that veteran students attend so they understand all that is available to them,” explains Carol Oyster, UW-L professor and Student Veteran Association adviser. “Incoming students can get bombarded with so much stuff. We wanted to highlight what is important for vets.”
UW-L has more than 200 veteran students and 35 new, incoming veteran students this fall. At the orientation veteran students will learn about topics such as veteran’s benefits, counseling services, career planning and receive a campus tour. They’ll also learn about social opportunities and some of the perks of student life.
Thomas, SVA president, hopes the event attracts more members to UW-L’s Student Veterans Association. The group started during the 2005-2006 school year as a way for veterans to socialize, but has expanded to offer veterans resources and more. Within the last year, the group has become affiliated with the national organization, Student Veterans of America; an SVA website was created; and a student veteran seat was added to the UW-L Student Senate. In the fall, plans are in the works to open a new Student Veterans Center in the basement of the Cartwright Center, in a portion of the space previously occupied by Career Services. Thomas says it would be a place for veterans to meet, find resources and hold SVA meetings.
SVA continues to look for more resources for veterans. During the week of Aug. 29, UW-L faculty and staff will receive an online survey asking whether they are veterans. SVA ultimately would like to find faculty and staff veterans willing to be listed as resources for veteran students.
Improvements in resources for veterans at UW-L has led to SVA receiving UW-L’s Outstanding Student Organization award for the 2010-2011 academic year and UW-L was also placed on G.I. Jobs’ 2011 list of Military Friendly Schools.
Check out the Veterans’ Center website www.uwlax.edu/vets for upcoming veteran events, meetings and student veteran resources.
If you go—
Who: UW-L veteran students
What: “From Combat to College” orientation for incoming veteran studentsWhere: Port O’ Call, Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition
When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday Sept. 2
Speaker to discuss gender and sexuality issues in Chinese culture
Cultural norms surrounding issues of gender and sexuality in China are changing. Wei Wei, a professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai, China, will discuss this trend during two presentations Monday, Oct. 3 and Tuesday, Oct. 4 at UW-La Crosse.
Wei will discuss representations of homosexuality in Chinese media and whether major Chinese cities are facilitating space for local LGBT communities to be public about identity.
“His talk really exposes the counter example that China is. There are perceptions that China is very closed and rigid,” says Mahruq Khan, UW-L professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. “We are starting to see a greater embracing of the public LGBT community in China.”
Khan says the discussion will illustrate the kinds of diversity issues that emerge in very globalized cities such as Shanghai and also spotlight how local and global culture are interconnected.
Wei's visit is sponsored by the UW-L Visiting Scholar/Artist of Color Grant through the Provost's Office. Admission is free.
The lectures:
7 p.m Monday, Oct. 3, 102 Wing Technology Center: "Better City, Better Gay Life."
This talk will focus on the significance of local homosexual identities in globalizing cities in China undergoing rapid urban development. Wei will examine whether the fight for public gay space leads to further democratization of Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Wei argues a strong connection exists between a city that is global in nature and how it facilitates the emergence of public gay space.
12:30 p.m Tuesday, Oct. 4, 1400 Centennial Hall: "The Representation of Homosexuality in the Chinese Mainstream Media"
Wei will discuss the contradictory realities facing many homosexuality-themed films that are banned in China yet are internationally recognized. The concepts of social taboo, moral ambiguity and the symbolic annihilation of LGBT individuals will also be used to understand this cultural phenomenon and its political implications.
UW-La Crosse metalsmiths return to discuss their craft
Talk is set day before memorial to their art teacher and mentor, Bill Fiorini
Two UW-La Crosse alumni who are metalsmiths will return to campus to talk about their work, and their memories of former art professor Bill Fiornini who died earlier this year.
Dale Wedig and James Viste will speak from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in 116 Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets. The presentation is free.
Wedig is professor and head of metalsmithing and sculpture at Northern Michigan University. He has exhibited and lectured extensively nationwide. His work can be seen in various permanent installations across the country.
Viste is a technician and faculty member in the crafts department at the College for Creative Studies. He is a nationally known blacksmithing demonstrator and exhibitor and has participated in several national Ironwork Restoration Projects with Cranbrook Academy of Art and the Detroit Institute of Arts. He is the manager of Edgewise Forge LLC.
Wedig and Viste are UW-L grads who studied metalsmithing under Fiorini. The lecture is a day before a memorial service to Fiorini will be held at the Cleary Alumni & Friends Center Friday, Sept. 30, from 4-6 p.m.
The lecture is free and open to the public and made possible by the Bill Fiorini Art Metals Shop Fund, Ruth Ann Knapp and the Art Department.
If you go—
Who: UW-L alums and metalsmiths Dale Wedig and James Viste
What: Lecture
When: 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29
Where: 116 UW-L Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets
Admission: Free
Piano artists-in-residence coming to UW-La Crosse
Duo to feature African music
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The piano duo of William Chapman Nyaho and Susanna Garcia will perform at UW-La Crosse Saturday, Oct. 1. |
Two accomplished pianists will share their talents at a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse artist-in-residence program.
William Chapman Nyaho and Susanna Garcia will be guest artists on campus Thursday, Sept. 29, through Saturday, Oct. 1. Their visit ends with a recital by the duo at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Annett Recital Hall, Center for the Arts. The concert is free.
Nyaho is a free-lance musician from Washington, D.C., who has edited and published five volumes of piano music titled, “Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora.” Garcia, an associate professor of piano at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, is a nationally known piano teacher who has performed throughout the southwest. She has given numerous presentations and master classes throughout the country.
UW-L Associate Professor of Piano Mary Tollefson says the residency will provide a different look at African music. “It’s interesting how we often suggest that traditional African music is ritual music that includes singing and drumming and often music that is passed down only by oral tradition,” Tollefson explains. “This residency program will help UW-L students and the La Crosse Community broaden their perspectives of what comprises African music.”
Tollefson says Nyaho’s volumes of African piano music are progressive in difficulty and provide a wealth of styles.
The artists-in-residence will meet with students, lecture in classes, and provide performance insight through master classes with UW-L piano students. The culmination of their residency will be Saturday’s concert of multi-cultural repertoire for four-hands at one piano and then at two pianos.
The residency program is sponsored by the UW-L School of Arts & Communication, the UW-L Foundation, the La Crosse Community Foundation and Xcel Energy.
If you go—
Who: William Chapman Nyaho and Susanna Garcia
What: Concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1
Where: Annett Recital Hall, UW-L Center for the Arts
Admission: Free.
Signal Hill Mound rededication set at Wyalusing State Park
A rededication of Signal Hill Mound at Wyalusing State Park will commemorate the 100th anniversary of its original dedication in 1911. The program will focus on the original dedication and the legacy of archaeologist Charles E. Brown and ongoing efforts to help preserve mound sites by archaeologists and the Wisconsin DNR. The program is at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at the site adjacent to Wyalusing State Park’s Green Cloud Picnic Shelter near Bagley.
The Wisconsin Archaeological Society is sponsoring a picnic (brat cookout with $5 donation) at the Green Cloud Picnic Shelter following the ceremony. An afternoon tour of the Sny Magill Mound Site at Effigy Mounds National Monument is optional. Those planning to attend should contact Kurt Sampson at ksampson2@wi.rr.com or 414-774-7381.
The event is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Archaeological Society, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Friends of Wyalusing State Park, Effigy Mound National Monument, and the UW-L Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center.
If you go—
What: Signal Hill Mound Rededication Ceremony
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24
Where: Signal Hill Mound Site, adjacent to Wyalusing State Park’s Green Cloud Picnic Shelter, Bagley. Tour: from 2-3 p.m.: meet at the Sny Magill Unit; 6 miles south of McGregor, IA on CTH 56.
Admission: Free; State Park Fees for entrance apply
UW-L professor to give lecture on the U.S. Constitution, politics today
The U.S. Constitution was signed Sept. 17, 1787.
Stephen McDougal, UW-L professor of political science, will help the public remember that day and understand the implications of the document in U.S. politics today.
He’ll present “The Constitution of 1787: Law vs. politics” from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15 in the Hall of Nations in UW-L’s Centennial Hall, two days prior to Constitution Day.
McDougal notes that even the commemoration of the day two days early was once a subject of political debate based on wording in the Constitution. Congress originally mandated that every educational institution receiving federal funds teach about the Constitution on Constitution Day. But when Constitution Day falls on a Saturday, like this year, the literal interpretation of the law would make it harder for school students to attend. So the Department of Education created regulations that allow for more flexibility as to when commemorations can occur.
McDougal notes that the Constitution was not intended to answer all of the public’s questions but provide broad principles for guidance. These principles aid political discourse and courtroom debate surrounding topics such as free speech, printing of money and government healthcare.
McDougal says while the healthcare controversy may have died in the media, the healthcare bill, and specifically the statutory requirement that every individual purchase it, remains a lively debate in courts.
“I want to lay out how political conflict is being played out through constitutional concepts,” says McDougal. “The constitution is a very important part of our politics.”
If you go—
What: Lecture, “The Constitution of 1787: Law v. Politics”
When: 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept.15
Where: Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall, UW-L
Admission: Free
7-7:15 p.m. Welcome
7:15-8 Presentation
8-9 Discussion
Refreshments will be served
Screaming Eagles Marching Band camp begins
Major focus:
The Screaming Eagles Marching Band is practicing all next week for the first home football game Saturday, Sept. 3. Band camp begins Sunday. During the week, practices are intense from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a few scheduled breaks. Students will learn about 20 songs, practice band formations, work hard and have fun.
“It takes a lot of work to put a marching band together,” says Tammy Fisher, director of the marching band.
Time/place:
8 a.m. to noon Monday, Aug. 29, and Tuesday, Aug. 30, the band members will be rehearsing at the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. For other good times to attend, contact Director Tammy Fisher at608.792.4170.
Photo/video opportunities:
Each day of band camp has a theme. Monday is “Stoplight Day,” an ice breaker where students who are available wear green, those in a relationship wear red and those unsure wear yellow. Other days during the week include clash day, high school flashback day, sports day and section day.
For more information:
Visit the Screaming Eagles Marching Band website http://www.uwlax.edu/semb/index.html
Teachers to get hands-on archaeology experience at UW-L
Major focus:
Teachers will fashion arrowheads, use spear throwers, participate in archaeological site excavations and more during a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for Teachers July 11-29.
Twenty-five K-12 teachers from across the nation will attend the three-week program to explore how human cultures adapt to complex and ever-changing environments. They will learn how Native American and Euro-American peoples have adapted to the rugged landscape, challenging climate and rich resources of the Upper Mississippi River Valley over the past 13,000 years, and how those adaptations keep changing even today. The participants will take new teaching approaches back to their classrooms.
Time/Place:
July 11-29 at Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center (MVAC) at UW-La Crosse. The institute includes field trips to local Amish farms and organic growers; Effigy Mounds National Monument; a cave with Native American rock art; and other locations.
UW-L was awarded a $139,781 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to support the summer institute, one of 19 Summer Institutes for K-12 teachers funded by NEH for 2011. The institute links archaeology to a variety of topics and teaching areas and offers teachers stipends to cover the costs of participating.
UW-L Professor Emeritus Jim Theler, the institute’s lead instructor, will draw on four decades of archaeology experience to offer lively classroom discussions, demonstrations, field trips and readings. The participating teachers will also work on individual projects tailored to their own classroom teaching. Many of the projects will be posted online to make them available to teachers nationwide.
The Institute’s co-directors are Kathy Stevenson, MVAC’s projects director, and Bonnie Jancik, MVAC’s director of public education. All three instructors were part of previous NEH Summer Institutes MVAC offered in 2007 and 2010. The past participants, Jancik says, were enthusiastic about the experience and said it gave them a wealth of information and ideas to take back to the classroom.
“Those are the results we’re looking for,” Jancik adds. “We want this program to have the broadest possible benefit — not just for the participating teachers, but for their students and colleagues as well.”
MVAC is an extension of UW-L’s sociology and archaeology departments. The archaeological studies major at UW-L is one of the few comprehensive undergraduate degree programs in archaeology in the United States and the only one in the Midwest.
For more information:
Bonnie Jancik, MVAC director of public education: 608-785-6473 or jancik.bonn@uwlax.edu
Riverside Jazz Party to conclude series
Afternoon, evening of music is July 17
The La Crosse Jazz Orchestra will conclude the 37th annual Gertrude Salzer Gordon Jazz in the Park series with an afternoon and evening of music.
The Riverside Jazz Party 4th Edition runs from 2:30-10 p.m. Sunday, July 17, in La Crosse’s Riverside Park. Former Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra featured trombonist Wycliffe Gordon headlines the bill. Gordon is a former veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and has been a featured guest artist on Billy Taylor's "Jazz at the Kennedy Center" Series.
Smooth Jazz guitarist Brian Rolland from Boston will be featured during two concert sets, along with the Brazilian and Contemporary Jazz group ZIJI headed by singer, pianist and composer Chris Salerno. The complete schedule includes:
2:30 — Chris Salerno and ZIJI
3:30 — Brian Rolland Trio
4:30 — Chris Salerno and ZIJI
5:30 — Brian Rolland Trio
7 — La Crosse Jazz Orchestra with Wycliffe Gordon.
The La Crosse Jazz Orchestra, formerly the Great River Big Band, has headlined the Riverside Park series since it began. The director is Greg Balfany, UW-La Crosse Music Department Chair.
Admission to the Riverside Jazz Party is free. The rain site is Valhalla in UW-La Crosse’s Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition. Get more details at: http://www.lacrossejazzorchestra.com/
If you go—
Who: The La Crosse Jazz Orchestra
What: Riverside Jazz Party 4th edition
When: 2:30-10 p.m. Sunday, July 17
Where: Riverside Park, La Crosse
Admission: Free
Satirical musical is this year’s Summerstage production
‘Urinetown’ coming to UW-La Crosse
A contemporary satirical musical about equality, justice, and the courage to fight for rights will be performed at UW-La Crosse. “Urinetown” is this year’s Summerstage production, which features university and community actors. Performances run at 7:30 p.m. July 1-2 and 7-9, and 2 p.m. Sundays, July 3 and 10, in Toland Theatre in the Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine streets.
Greeted by the show’s self-aware narrators—the seasoned Officer Lockstock and the youthful street urchin Little Sally—the audience learns of a town plagued by debilitating water shortages and economic hardships. What little water is left is portioned and taxed by Urine Good Company, headed by the seemingly suave, smooth-talking Caldwell B. Cladwell.
For the ever-growing, poverty-stricken community this means bathrooms are now public and tightly controlled with stringent punishments for those who “pee” without “payin’.” The show’s protagonist, Bobby Strong, is propelled to stand against injustice at the encouragement of Caldwell’s innocently optimistic daughter, Hope, when his father does not have the means to pay the toll and is sent off to the ill-fated Urinetown, never to be heard from or seen again.
Tickets for Urinetown go on sale at 1 p.m. Monday, June 27. Tickets are $9 for UW-L students, $14 for other students and senior citizens, and $16 for others. Tickets can be purchased at the box office in the lobby of the Center for the Arts or at 608.785.8522.
If you go—
WHO: UW-La Crosse’s Summerstage
WHAT: “Urinetown”
WHERE: Toland Theatre, UW-La Crosse Center for the Arts, 16th and Vine Streets
WHEN: July 1-2 and July 7-9 at 7:30 p.m.
July 3 & 10 at 2:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $9 for UW-L students, $14 for other students and senior citizens, and $16 for others. For reservations call 608.785.8522 beginning 1 p.m. Monday, June 27.
Jazz in the Park set to kick of 37th year in La Crosse
A familiar band with a new name — the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra — will head up the 37th annual Gertrude Salzer Gordon Jazz in the Park series. The Great River Big Band, which has headlined the Riverside Park series since its beginning, has changed its name to the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra “to better reflect who we are and what we do,” says director Greg Balfany, UW-La Crosse Music Department Chair.
The series includes three Sunday evening performances, along with the annual Sunday afternoon Riverside Jazz Party. All concerts run approximately 80 minutes, are free and held in La Crosse’s Riverside Park. The schedule includes:
7 p.m. Sunday, June 12 —
Singer Drummer Tim Henke steps out front with his renditions of Sinatra favorites “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and “Street of Dreams.” Henke’s other selections include Sammy Davis Jr.’s up tempo version of “When You’re Smiling.” Bassist Karyn Quinn takes a solo role on John Clayton’s earthy composition “Soupbone.” Tenor Saxophonists featured include Jim Piela and newcomer Alan Cordingley who toured five years with the Glenn Miller band before joining the faculty at UW-Platteville. Scott Jensen’s thrilling Latin composition “Chico’s Chase” features soprano saxophonist/director Greg Balfany and pianist Chris Frye.
7 p.m. Sunday, June 19 —
Eau Claire singer/actress Cathy Reitz swings hard on Ella Fitzgerald’s “I Want to Be Happy” and “That Old Black Magic.” Other selections include an evocative rendition of Duke Ellington’s “In My Solitude.” A special feature of the concert is the addition of Wilma Sheffner’s Jazz Four. The group will perform “On the Sunnyside of the Street” with the band and an a capella version of “Smile.” Tenor saxophonist Jeff Erickson returns from an International Tour and will be featured on the Stan Kenton version of Glen Miller’s “Tuxedo Junction.”
7 p.m. Sunday, July 10 —
The 2nd annual big band dance. The band recreates the sounds of Benny Goodman, Glen Miller, the Dorsey’s, Count Basie and many others in a concert and dance. In addition to the swing fox trots of the ‘40s the band will perform an exciting mixture of Latin, Waltzes, a polka or two, and some rock ‘n’ roll.
2-10 p.m. Sunday, July 17 Riverside Jazz Party 4th edition —
Former Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra featured trombonist Wycliffe Gordon headlines the bill. Gordon is a former veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and has been a featured guest artist on Billy Taylor's "Jazz at the Kennedy Center" Series. Smooth Jazz guitarist Brian Rolland from Boston will be featured in the afternoon, as well as a regional group or two.
Rain sites for the evening concerts are Forest Hills. The rain site for the jazz party is Valhalla in UW-La Crosse’s Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition. Get more details at: www.greatriverbigband.com.
If you go—
Who: The La Crosse Jazz Orchestra
What: 37th annual Gertrude Salzer Gordon Jazz in the Park
When: 7 p.m. Sundays, June 12 and 19, and July 10, and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 17
Where: Riverside Park, La Crosse
Admission: Free
Local TV stations donate equipment, share experience with students
When Pa Moua-Yang started TV broadcasting classes at UW-La Crosse, she had the dreaded “teleprompter stare.” Her eyes moved back and forth making it painfully obvious she was reading.
A donation from WKBT News 8 in La Crosse is giving UW-L students like Moua-Yang more opportunities to get behind the camera and do away with bad habits.
The station recently donated three studio cameras and other equipment valued at $38,200 to the Communication Studies Department when it upgraded to high definition cameras. UW-L Foundation Development Officer Joe Kress was instrumental in securing the donation.
Students started using the cameras during spring semester at the student-run TV studio in Wing Technology Center.
“We usually think of UW-L when we are replacing equipment because we know there is a communications department and we’ve had many students graduate and become employees here,” notes Scott Chorski, general manager of WKBT. “It’s a good idea to help when we can.”
WKBT and other local stations, such as KQEG, WLAX and WXOW, have donated desks, blinds, picture backdrops and other equipment and furnishings that help make the studio look more professional, says Pat Turner, assistant professor of Communication Studies.
“We have a close working relationship with all the stations in town and they’ve been very supportive of our program whether donating items they no longer need, providing guest speakers or employing students,” explains Turner.
James Bushman, a recent UW-L graduate, said he was using his UW-L training on the fly when he was hired at WKBT as a weekend producer and sports camera operator while still in school.
“It’s one of those things where a lot people would say I got thrown into the lion’s den,” says Bushman.
Although the responsibilities are a lot for a full-time student, Bushman is grateful for the opportunity. It has helped him build camera and communication skills. This past year Bushman received a $2,000 scholarship for excellence in broadcasting from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation — one of two at this amount awarded in the state.
“Between the station and the university I’ve gotten a great amount of confidence in this area,” he says. “It’s been nice to have all these opportunities to give me a chance to really prove myself.”
Moua-Yang agrees. In the UW-L studio, she has had the opportunity to watch herself on camera and improve. Today the recent graduate feels “more natural and confident” and the class has helped her improve on the teleprompter stare.
Campus TV: Worth watching
Did you know: UW-La Crosse is home to the WMCM TV studio, located on the second floor of the Wing Technology Center, where UW-L students produce a variety of shows that are broadcast on Campus Channel 6, Charter Channel 96 and Digital 989.
Tune in for a weekly newscast, profile interviews and talk about sports. They even produce a game show, “Get Classy.” Shows produced during the school year are replayed over the summer months. New shows will start again in September.
Students receive Communication Studies credit for working at the station, as well as hands-on experience. This November students will team up with KQEG TV to produce the 13th annual Coulee Region Humane Society Telethon. For more information visit: http://www.uwlax.edu/commstudies/wmcmtv/index.htm