Calendar

March 2
·   Robert Jones on Valley Talk
·   Bake Sale to Support the United Way
·   W.O.W. Event:  Comedian Amy Anderson
March 3, 4 & 5
·   UMC Hosts High School Basketball Tournaments
March 5
·   Equestrian Hunt 6
March 6
·   Equestrian Hunt 7
·   Swing Dance Lessons
March 7
·   Magnificent Monday:  Nutrition/Cooking
    Demonstration
·   International Dinner Series "France from F to E"
March 8
·   UMC Hosts High School Basketball Tournaments
March 9
·   W.O.W. Event:  Wax Hands
·   Great Conversations Series:  "Design of Everyday
    Life"
·   W.O.W. Event:  Play "Little Shop of Horrors"
March 9-11
·   UMC Music-Theater Department presents "Little
    Shop of Horrors"
March 11
·   UMC Hosts High School Basketball Tournaments
March 14-18
·   Spring Break
March 15
·   UMC Hosts High School Career Day
March 21
·   International Dinner Series "Japan Land of Rich
    Traditions"
March 22
·   Center of Sustainable Development Discussion
·   Third Sustainability Seminar presented by Okey
    Ukaga
·   Terrific Tuesday "Resume and Mock Interviews"
March 23
·   W.O.W. Event:  Neo Print/Wacky Candy
·   W.O.W. Event:  Grand Theatre Movie Night
March 25
·   Floating Holiday, no classes, offices closed

News Items

Robert Jones on Valley Talk March 2
Robert Jones, Senior Vice President for System Administration will be a guest on Valley Talk on Wednesday, March 2 at 10:40 a.m. on KROX radio 1260 AM.  Everyone is invited to listen to what Robert has to share.

Bake Sale to Support the United Way March 2
We are looking for people that might be willing to bake items to sell on Wednesday, March 2, to help the United Way in our community.  United Way is still $7,400 short of their goal this year.  Please bring baked items to the Dowell Info Desk by 9 a.m. on Wednesday; have items individually wrapped or on plates in half dozen amount, and the Dowell Info staff will price them.  Baked goods will be sold between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Sahlstrom Conference Center Lobby.  The bake sale will have a slight “twist” to kick off Women’s History Month!  So bake or buy and support your United Way!

Comedian Amy Anderson to Perform March 2 at W.O.W. Event
Comedian Amy Anderson will perform Wednesday, March 2, at 8 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium.  She may not be Swedish, as her name implies, but she is Minnesotan through and through.  Comedienne, Amy Anderson, was born in Korea and raised by Scandinavians in Excelsior, Minnesota—now that’s good humor.  Amy’s high energy and unique style of comedy has been featured at a wide variety of clubs, college events and theaters for over five years and has made her one of the most sought after young talents in comedy.  Amy’s extensive background in sketch comedy, theater and music shine through in her strong presence on stage.  So get ready for some genuine laughter…the girl’s really funny.  The event is free and open to the public and sponsored by Student Programming and Activities for Campus Entertainment (SPACE).

UMC Hosts High School Basketball Tournaments
The University of Minnesota, Crookston will continue to host high school basketball tournaments Thursday, March 3 through Friday March 11.  During this time we ask that if you are using the fitness center to enter via the southwest door of the sports center.  Parking will also be at a premium at times; we do have security and parkers hired, but it is anticipated that 25,000 people will be on campus during this time, so we appreciate your patience.  Thank you to Facilities & Operations, Dining Services, Residential Life, Business Affairs, Admissions, and all of you that work the tournaments to help make the event successful.  It is greatly appreciated. 

--Stephanie Helgeson, Athletic Director

International Dinner Series Begins March 7 with Focus on France
“France from F to E” presented by Fabien Pommier and Romain Thomas will launch the 2005 UMC International Dinner Series on Monday, March 7.

Each evening in the series will begin at 6 p.m. with an ethnic dinner, followed at 7 p.m. by a program focusing on the culture and traditions of the respective country.  The dinner is served in Brown Dining Room of UMC’s Sahlstrom Conference Center and is by reservation only.  Cost is $8.00 per person.  Please make reservations for the dinner series by calling Angelika Huglen at 218-281-8540, Brent Melsa 218-281-8538, or Mario Prada 218-281-8508.

Subsequent evenings will feature the following seminars: 

Monday, March 21
“Japan Land of Rich Traditions”
Presented by Chiemi Okamoto, Kaori Sudo, Yumiko Wakabayashi, and Shunsuke Miyake

Monday, March 28
“Brazil More than Soccer, A Rising Star”
Presented by Danilo Cerqueira, Vladimar Moura, Cleverson Iramina, and Mariana Martins

The series will culminate with the annual International Dinner, set for Saturday, April 9, at 6 p.m. in Brown Dining Room.  Cost is $10 per person.

Great Conversations Series Continues March 9
 
The Great Conversations series continues Wednesday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. in 220 Dowell Hall.  The conversation “Design of Everyday Life” is free and open to the public.  Join Wendy Pradt Lougee and Henry Petroski, two leading thinkers, discuss how curiosity and research can unravel the extraordinary stories behind ordinary objects.

Wendy Pradt Lougee is University Librarian and McKnight Presidential Professor at the University of Minnesota.  Prior to accepting this position in 2002, she served as Associate Director of the University of Michigan Library system.  Well known for her pioneering contributions to the design and development of digital libraries and electronic publishing, she has been recognized by the Association of College and Research Libraries with the Hugh Atkinson Award and as a Computerworld Honors Program Laureate for technology innovation.  A native Midwesterner, Lougee holds graduate degrees from the Universities of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Henry Petroski is the author of numerous fascinating books tracing the history of ordinary objects including The Book on the Bookcase; The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance; The Evolution of Useful Things and Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and The Spanning of America; Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing. He also wrote and hosted the BBC documentary "To Engineer Is Human" which was broadcast on PBS.  He serves as a professor of Civil Engineering and History at Duke University.  His work has been recognized in his field with the Ralph Coats Roe Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Civil Engineering History and Heritage Aard from the American Society of Civil Engineers.  He is also the recipient of three honorary degrees and the Alumni Centennial Award from Manhattan College where he received his bachelor's degree and an Alumni Award for Distinguished Service from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received his PhD.

The event is sponsored by UMC Concerts & Lectures.  For further information, visit the “Great Conversations” website at <www.cce.umn.edu/conversations/>.

Little Shop of Horrors at UMC March 9, 10, and 11

The musical “Little Shop of Horrors” will be presented the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) Music-Theater Department Wednesday through Friday, March 9, 10, and 11.  Performances will begin nightly at 8 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium.  Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and children, $1 for UMC students (with FREE admission for UMC students on Wednesday, March 9).

The musical comedy centers around a man- (and woman-) eating plant befriended by a lonely flower shop employee.  The play is based on the book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken and is produced by special arrangement with Music Theater International.  The UMC Music-Theater Department acknowledges a generous grant from the UMC Concerts and Lectures Committee for this production.

The UMC student cast includes:

• Joshua Clark as Seymour

• Jeana Kunkel as Audrey

• Dave Reiners as Mushnik

• Dan Webster as Orin

• Sasha McCarger as Chiffon

• Kelsey Herrboldt as Crystal

• Marquita Sivertson as Ronnette

• Kevin Osmondson as The Voice of Audrey II

UMC Student Center Construction Update
Construction of the new Student Center is in the final stages and is proceeding towards a successful completion.  Framing and electrical mechanical rough in have been completed and drywall is finishing up. Finishes such as acoustical ceilings, woodwork, cabinetry, and final painting are underway.  Ceramic tile and bathroom fixtures are being installed along with final electrical and mechanical fixtures.  The mechanical and electrical systems are being completed and testing and startup of these systems will take place in the upcoming weeks.  Flooring and specialty items will be installed over the next month followed by final cleaning and furniture installation.  Although some exterior work will be completed the summer, the building should be ready to occupy by the first of June.
--Shane Roers, Roers Construction

UMC Receives Approval for New Residence Hall

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved to amend the fiscal year 2005 capital budget by $4.3 million to incorporate funding for a new student housing project on the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) campus.  The project was part of the four capital budget amendments that were recently approved by the Board of Regents.  The $4.3 million appropriation includes both the University’s cost and the construction cost for the project.

Joe Massey, Chief Executive Office of UMC said, “We are very pleased with this decision by the Board of Regents.  This new facility will be a wonderful addition to our campus.”  The new residence hall will be an 81-bed facility, with a commons area, and housing for administration.  As part of the project, an atrium will join the new hall to Westside apartments.  Construction is set to begin in May 2005 and completed in the fall of 2006.

Items for the Brief
I am attempting to ensure that UMC is always included in the Brief, and with that responsibility, I thought it might be helpful to remind everyone what the purpose of the Brief is and what kinds of things the editor is looking to include.  

The purpose of the Brief is to focus on items of particular interest to faculty and staff in order to support a sense of professional community.  These items may be exactly those things that would never make the local paper...in other words, of interest to faculty and staff only.  Student news is generally a lower priority for this particular publication.  If you have items that you think might be worthy of publication in the Brief, please forward them to me, and I will make sure that they are sent for consideration in the Brief.  I will need these items by Friday afternoon for inclusion in the next week’s issue.  I appreciate your assistance, and with your help, we will represent UMC in every issue.

Thank you for your help.
--Elizabeth Tollefson, Office of Development and Alumni Relations

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
Application Deadline March 7
UROP application material for projects May 23, 2005 through June 30, 2005 (Intersession) or July 1, 2005 through June 15, 2006 is now available in the Academic Affairs Office.  The maximum award is $1,700 – stipend up to $1,400 (hourly rate is $11.50) and expense allowance up to $300.  Completed applications are due in the Academic Affairs Office by 4:30 p.m. on March 7, 2005.  Deadline is firm; late applications will not be accepted.  The Undergraduate Research Opportunities program offers financial awards to full-time undergraduate students for research, scholarly, or creative projects undertaken in partnership with a faculty member.  UROP affords undergraduates the unique educational experience of collaborating with a faculty member on the design and implementation of a project.  At the same time, faculty members have the opportunity to work closely with students and receive valuable assistance with their own research or professional activity.  UROP encourages students to conduct research and pursue academic interests outside of their regular courses by employing them to work on special projects.  Projects are expected to contribute to the student’s academic development.  UROP applications are judged on the:  quality of the proposed project, strength of collaboration with faculty sponsor, educational benefit to the student.

Campus Preview Thank You
Thank you to all who helped participate in our February 18, 19, and 21, 2005 campus preview visit days.  We had 7 visitors go through on Friday, 12 visitors on Saturday, and February 21, 10 visitors were scheduled to come through and 14 ended up coming because they had brought friends.  These are 33 students and their families that we hopefully had a great positive impact on in their decision making process to attend UMC.

A special thank you goes out to Pam Holsinger-Fuchs for her enlightening presentation, my admissions staff for putting this all together, and to those faculty and staff that came in on Saturday and scheduled us in during the week.  We know that many times it's the faculty that confirm the decision of our incoming students and again, your enthusiasm to help recruit shows through!

Our visitor feedback before they left was very positive and we hope to have many more successful visits like these.

Thanks and have a great day!
--Mary Feller, Interim Director of Admissions

Accolades
Pam Holsinger-Fuchs has been selected to receive a 2005 Sister Pat Kowalski Leadership Award by Minnesota Campus Compact.  This biennial award is given to leaders in higher education who demonstrate strong and sustained leadership in advancing campus civic engagement.  Selection of award recipients was based on three criteria:  commitment to building high quality, high-impact service-learning and civic engagement initiatives; success at building strategic, reciprocal, long-term partnerships within and outside their institutions; and success in catalyzing institutional change necessary to sustain and grow these efforts.  The award is named for Sister Pat Kowalski, who served as Director of Community Partnerships at the University of St. Thomas from 1992 until her death in 1999.  At the time of her death, Pat was the only service-learning/community partnerships director to serve on the administrative cabinet of her institution, and she played a major role in the growth of St. Thomas’ efforts in this area.  Pat was also a fervent advocate of mobilizing a wide variety of campus resources, including students, staff and faculty, and strategically coordinating all these efforts to better serve the surrounding community.  Such vision is highly consistent with Minnesota Campus Compact’s conception of the “engaged campus.”  Pam will receive her award April 15 at Minnesota Campus Compact’s Annual Meeting of Presidents in St. Paul.  For more information, see "Awards" on the Minnesota Campus Compact Web site.

Mark Huglen published the following:  “Communication and Conflict: A Software Technology Game” in The Successful Professor 4.1 (2005): 8-9.  The essay addresses teaching and learning ideas associated with technology and the course “Communication in Human Relationships.”

John Loegering recently received the Chapter Service Award from the Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual meeting in Fergus Falls.  In presenting the award, Chapter President, Mark Hanson noted, “John works hard to promote wildlife sciences in Minnesota, encourages involvement outside the classroom to facilitate personal and professional development in his students, and helps foster an environment where students have fun as they begin to integrate with professions.  In a nutshell, John is doing things that are beneficial for wildlife, wildlife science, and the Minnesota Chapter of TWS.  We are grateful for John’s hard work in Minnesota.”

Hockey players Patrick Knutson (Jr-EGF), Marc Tveit (Sr-Roseau) and Jaden Isakson (Fr-Bismarck) were named to the All-tournament team over the weekend when they played Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in the MCHA championship game.  The defending champions, UMC lost the game in overtime to MSOE 3-4 ending their season 14-15-2.  For pictures from the tournament, go to <http://www.mchahockey.com/photogallery/photo_gallery_2005_mcha_tourname.htm>.

VolunTEAM Update

Chaperones for BASHED Annual Youth Retreat:  This annual youth retreat invites 100+ teens from Polk County to attend a weekend of learning leadership skills, communication skills, conflict resolution, team building and information on risky teen behaviors.  We are looking for chaperones for this three day, two night event.  We would prefer chaperones that enjoy dealing with active teens.  Chaperones will be assigned to a group during the day time - they will accompany their group to learning sessions to attend to participation and any behavior problems.  Chaperones will be assigned to a cabin with 6-8 teens for sleeping hours.  Chaperones must be willing to deal with positive and negative behaviors of the teens, as well as correct any negative or inappropriate behaviors.  Bus transportation to the event will be provided.  For more information, contact D’Anne Johnson at 218-281-3385 or djohnson@pcphealth.org.
Childcare:  Five or 6 childcare providers needed Tuesday, April 5, from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. at the Crookston Family Service Center. (The Head Start building, formerly Carmen School).  Activities are already planned, you just need to show up!
Childcare:  Five or 6 childcare providers needed Tuesday, April 12, from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. at the Crookston Five or 6 childcare providers needed Tuesday, April 5, from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. at the Crookston Family Service Center. (The Head Start building, formerly Carmen School).  Activities are already planned, you just need to show up!
Help with Kids’ Activities:  Assist with activities at the “Big Wheels Farm Festival,” Tuesday, April 26, from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. at the Crookston Family Service Center. (The Head Start building, formerly Carmen School).  Activities are already planned, you just need to show up!
Distribute Flyers:  Post approximately 50 flyers for “Month of the Young Child” activities around town.  Flyers will be ready to be distributed in early March.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Crookston VolunTEAM, please contact Lisa Loegering in the VolunTEAM office (112 Dowell) at 281-8526 or loege005@umn.edu.  Or, simply visit <www.volunteam.org>.
--Lisa Loegering, Assistant Director of Service Learning/Crookston VolunTEAM Coordinator

Special Dates
Birthdays:
March 4 – Martin Lundell
March 4 – Lisa Samuelson
March 6 – Wendell Johnson
March 7 – Tom Mulvaney
March 7 – Bob Nelson
March 8 – Donna Larson

Reminder:  Faculty and staff are encouraged to share well wishes for birthdays, anniversaries, births, etc. with the rest of the campus.  Please send items for this week’s special dates via e-mail to Sue Dwyer at sdwyer@umn.edu.  Thanks.

UMC Insight
UMC Insight, the weekly radio program about UMC, airs on KROX Radio 1260 AM Saturdays at 8:45 a.m.  Tune in Saturday, March 5, to hear an exciting interview hosted by Liz Tollefson, Office of Development & Alumni Relations.

UMC Insight files are also available via the Web at:  www.UMCrookston.edu/newsevents/insight/04-05/index.htm

UMC Bulletin
The UMC Weekly Bulletin is posted at:
<www.UMCrookston.edu/campusinfo/wkbulletin/bulletin.htm>

Publication Information:
The UMC Weekly Bulletin is published by University Relations weekly September through May.  Copy deadline is noon on Tuesday of each week.  The Weekly Bulletin is produced by Sue Dwyer, word processing specialist.  Please send items for the bulletin electronically to Sue Dwyer at sdwyer@umn.edu.

Disability accommodations will be provided upon request for all events.  The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

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