Bell Ringers Sought

The familiar red kettles are coming to campus.

Student Organizations and Leadership Programs (SOLP) and the Salvation Army are seeking volunteers to serve as bell ringers on campus this holiday season.  Volunteers are needed to ring bells outside the Milo Bail Student Center Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 21-23, and Monday through Friday, Nov. 28-Dec. 2.  Time slots are available in half-hour increments from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition, bell ringers will be stationed outside of Sapp Fieldhouse 30 minutes prior to men's and women's home basketball games this semester.  Volunteers are especially needed for the dates and times listed below.  To sign up, call SOLP at 402.554.2711.

Tuesday, Nov. 22

Men's basketball vs. Missouri Valley

6:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 2

Women's basketball vs. Mesa State - Double Tree Classic

6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Women's basketball vs. Adams State - Double Tree Classic

4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 6

Women's basketball vs. Peru State

5:30 p.m.

Men's basketball vs. York

7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10

Women's basketball vs. York

5:30 p.m.

Men's basketball vs. Peru State

7:30 p.m.

Kwesi Lecture Series Continues Nov. 14-15

The 2005-06 Kwesi Lecture Series at UNO continues Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 14 and 15, with presentations exploring African and Egyptian history, civilization, religion and culture.  The lectures, sponsored by Cultural Awareness Programs, are free and open to the public.  The remaining schedule is listed below.

Monday, Nov. 14

"The African History of Christianity"

Presenter – Merira Kwesi

11 a.m. to noon

Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) Ballroom

Tuesday, Nov. 15

"The Egyptian History of Christianity"

Presenter – Ashra Kwesi

11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

MBSC Ballroom

Wednesday, March 22

"Sistahs in the Struggle: A Tribute to Black Women"

11 a.m. to noon

MBSC Ballroom

Thursday, March 23

"The African Origin of Civilization and Western Freemasonry"

11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

MBSC Ballroom

For more information, call 402.554.2711.

International Education Week Nov. 14-18

International education will be showcased at UNO Nov. 14-18 in conjunction with the observance of U.S. International Education Week.

This semester, there are more than 800 international participants at UNO.  The three countries that send the greatest number of students to UNO are India, Japan and South Korea.  In all, 103 countries ranging from Azerbaijan to Zambia are represented on campus.

Below is a listing of International Education Week events at UNO.  For more information, call 402.554.2293.

Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 9-18

Photo Contest and Exhibit

University Library

Monday, Nov. 14

Bethsaida Exhibit Tours

10 a.m. to noon

343 Arts and Sciences Hall (ASH)

Movie: "Afghanistan Unveiled"

3 p.m.

Eppley Auditorium

Study Abroad Information Table

10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) south entrance                                                 

Tuesday, Nov. 15

Café Internationale (Open House)

2 to 4 p.m.

220 and 241 Arts and Sciences Hall

This event has been designated as a UNO Spirit Committee event.

International Career Seminar: Preparing for Global Business and International Careers

3 to 4 p.m.

305 Roskens Hall

Wednesday, Nov. 16

Werner Fornos, president of the Population Institute (guest speaker)

Empowering Women Around the World: Maternal & Child Health Care (topic)

1 p.m.

MBSC Dodge Room

Bethsaida Exhibit Tours

1 to 3 p.m.

343 ASH

Student Recital

3 p.m.

Strauss Performing Arts Center Recital Hall

Thursday, Nov. 17

Study Abroad Information Table

10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

MBSC south entrance                                                  

International Outreach

1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Crestridge Elementary School

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18-19

Nebraska Neighbors

West Point, Neb.

Forum on Media Coverage of Hurricane Katrina Nov. 15

A forum discussing the strengths and weaknesses of media coverage of Hurricane Katrina is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 15, at UNO.

"Getting the Story Right in the Aftermath of Katrina" will feature Omaha area communication professionals, commentators and academics discussing their roles in covering the hurricane and in analyzing the coverage.  The audience also will have an opportunity to ask questions.

The event will be held from 1 to 2:15 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Nebraska Room.

Ben Gray, host of "Kaleidoscope" on KETV-Channel 7, will moderate the forum, which will feature the following participants:

- Rosanne Bachman, director of communication for the American Red Cross Heartland Chapter;

- Tom Becka, talk show host on KFAB Radio;

- Erin Grace, Omaha World-Herald reporter;

- Cynthia Robinson-Moore, faculty member in the UNO School of Communication; and

- Peter Soby, KETV-Channel 7 photojournalist.

The forum is sponsored by three student organizations in the UNO School of Communication – the Ad Club, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

"Katrina attracted a huge amount of media attention," said Sherrie Wilson, associate professor in the UNO School of Communication.  "People were glued to their televisions because of the human tragedy that was happening in our own country.  Journalists need to look back at this coverage to see where they did well and what could have been improved upon."

For more information, contact Karen Weber, PRSSA adviser, at 402.554.2246 or kweber@mail.unomaha.edu.

Charla Series at UNO Continues Nov. 16

The Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) at UNO will host the next installment in its Charla series Wednesday, Nov. 16, on campus.

"Castro, Chavez, Fox and Lula: Changing Faces of Latin American Regimes?" will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Council Room.  The event is free and open to the public.

"In the aftermath of a very contentious Summit of the Americas this past week in which at least two competing visions of U.S.-Latin American economic integration were articulated by some of these leaders, informed discussions of this type become increasingly critical," said Lourdes Gouveia, OLLAS director and a professor of sociology at UNO.  "As a premier center concerned with Latin American issues, not only at UNO, but regionally, we at OLLAS feel a responsibility to further enhance our engagement with the region through our Latino/Latin American Studies program."

The scheduled speakers include Dr. Gouveia; Gustavo Cano, a faculty fellow in OLLAS and the UNO Department of Political Science; and Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, OLLAS assistant director and associate professor of political science at UNO.

"Charla" is the Spanish term for a conversation or chat.  Funding for this event is provided in part by the U.S. Department of Education.  Refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact Lucy Garza, OLLAS project coordinator, at 402.554.3835 or lgarza@mail.unomaha.edu. 

Campus Dialogue Nov. 17

Students, faculty and staff interested in making UNO a safe environment for members of the GLBTQ community are invited to participate in a campus dialogue Thursday, Nov. 17.  The event will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Council Room.  All those interested in attending are invited to bring their lunch.

For more information, contact Sharon Ulmar at 402.554.2872.

This Week's American Indian Heritage Month Activities

November is American Indian Heritage Month.  The event is being celebrated at UNO with a variety of activities.  All events are free and open to the public.  This week's schedule of events is listed below. 

Thursday, Nov. 17

Speaker - Theresa LaFramboise

Topic -  "Linking Suicide Prevention to Psychological Resilience with American Indian Adolescence"

1 p.m.

306 Arts and Sciences Hall

(This event is being sponsored by the UNO Department of Psychology.)

American Indian Heritage Month activities at UNO are sponsored by Cultural Awareness Programs in the Office of Student Organizations and Leadership Programs.  For more information, contact Sharif Liwaru at 402.554.2711.

Library Catalog Maintenance Scheduled for Nov. 17

The UNO Library Catalog will be down all day Thursday, Nov. 17, for scheduled hardware upgrades.  Off-campus access to electronic resources will not be available during this time.

For more information, contact Karen Hein, systems librarian, at khein@mail.unomaha.edu or 402.554.2144.

Sigma Tau Delta Food Drive Under Way through Nov. 18

Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society at UNO, is sponsoring a food drive through Friday, Nov. 18.  Donations of non-perishable food items and basic household goods can be dropped in the box outside the UNO Department of English in 192 Arts and Sciences Hall.

For more information, contact Sarah Wrobleski at 402.850.9297.

T-shirts to be Sold at Kaufman-Brand Open Nov. 19

Maverick fans who attend the Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday, Nov. 19, at Sapp Fieldhouse will have the opportunity to help the University of New Orleans campus community recover from the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

T-shirts bearing the "UNO to UNO Hurricane Relief Project" mark will be sold at the wrestling meet for $10.  In addition to T-shirt sales, collection bins will be stationed throughout Sapp Fieldhouse.

Earlier this fall, students, staff and faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) launched the UNO to UNO Hurricane Relief Project, a sustained fund-raising effort aimed at providing relief to their colleagues at the University of New Orleans (UNO). 

All funds raised at the Nebraska UNO throughout the course of the year will be earmarked for a recovery fund established by Tim Ryan, chancellor of the Louisiana UNO, for members of his university community who lost everything.

Each November, UNO hosts the Kaufman-Brand Open, the nation's largest collegiate wrestling meet.  It attracts 700 wrestlers from 35 teams in 12 states to Sapp Fieldhouse.  The meet, originally named the UNO Open, was renamed after the late Ryan Kaufman, a Maverick national champion and a member of UNO's Athletic Hall of Fame.  Kaufman, an Omaha firefighter, was killed in a traffic accident in 1991.  Glen Brand, an Omaha resident and former Olympic champion, has given financial support to the tournament and also sponsors the Glen Brand Open at UNO each January.

The UNO to UNO Hurricane Relief Project T-shirts also can be purchased in University Affairs, 108 Eppley Administration Building, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on how to donate or get involved with "UNO to UNO," contact Rita Henry at 402.554.2779 or Teresa Gleason at 402.554.2762.

E-billing for Student Accounts Coming in January

Starting this January, students at UNO will no longer have to worry about their tuition bills getting lost in the mail.

The first round of E-bills, the billing statements for UNO student accounts, will be issued in conjunction with the start of the spring 2006 semester, which begins Jan. 9.  The E-bills will be generated at the end of the first week of classes, said Tammy Goldsberry, manager of Cashiering/Student Accounts at UNO.

The E-bill will be made available for viewing and printing online in E-BRUNO, UNO's Web-based registration system.  It will replace the paper bills UNO students receive in the mail.

When student bills are generated and available in E-BRUNO, the students will be notified via their Lotus Notes student e-mail accounts.  They can then login to E-BRUNO and click on "View Billing Statement (E-Bill)."  In addition, the e-mail notification will include helpful tips on reading the E-bill statement and making payments.

In addition to its convenience, the E-bill will enhance the security of managing student information, Goldsberry said.  The e-mail notification will not include any sensitive information.  Rather, it will contain a link to the E-BRUNO site so students can access their bills.  All students must enter a student ID and PIN to gain access to the E-BRUNO site.

Also, the E-bills statement area on E-BRUNO will have links to archived copies of prior bills. 

Students will be able to pay their E-bills online via credit card, or they can print the remittance form and either mail it in with the payment or pay it in person at the UNO Cashiering/Student Accounts Office, located in 109 Eppley Administration Building.

For more information, call Goldsberry at 402.554.2954, or visit the Web at http://cashiering.unomaha.edu.

UNO Forensics Team Tournament Results

The UNO Forensics Team traveled to Lee's Summit, Mo., Oct. 29-30 to compete in the Central States Forensics Invitational — two tournaments in one weekend — hosted by Longview Community College and Truman State University.  Students from a number of states – including Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oregon and Texas – were in attendance.  More than 600 speeches and presentations of literature were presented at each tournament.

The results of the tournaments are as follows:

Oct. 29 competition

- Teresa Oberdorfer advanced to the semifinal round in prose interpretation and dramatic interpretation.

- Rachel Samson was a semifinalist in dramatic interpretation and program oral interpretation.  She also placed third in persuasive speaking.

Oct. 30 competition

- Channa Rench advanced to the semifinals in prose interpretation.

- Rachel Samson was the tournament champion in persuasive speaking.

Other UNO students participating in the tournament were Ross Rippe, Ross Waldron, Julie Hamilton and Becky Boyer.

Maverick Watch

Go Mavs!  Support your Mavericks by attending their home events.

Students are admitted free to all home athletic games with a valid UNO ID and game-day ticket.  The spouses, significant others and children of students also are admitted free.  At the game, students must present a valid UNO ID to receive a ticket.  Tickets do not have to be ordered in advance.  Tickets will be available on the day of the game at each home event. 

The above offer is not valid with post-season events at home.  For more information, call 402.554.MAVS (6287).

At home this week…

Tuesday, Nov. 15

Women's basketball vs. Rockhurst

Sapp Fieldhouse

6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Women's basketball vs. University of Nebraska at Kearney

Sapp Fieldhouse

7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 18

Hockey vs. Alaska-Fairbanks

Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St

7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19

Wrestling – Kaufman/Brand Open

Sapp Fieldhouse

9 a.m.

NCAA Division II football playoffs

Caniglia Field

12:05 p.m.

Ticket prices – $15 for reserved seats, $10 for adult general admission, and $5 for student/senior general admission.

Swimming & Diving vs. Minnesota State, Moorhead

Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building Pool

Noon

Hockey vs. Alaska-Fairbanks

Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St

7:35 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 22

Hockey vs. Minnesota State, Mankato

Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St.

7:05 p.m.

Men's Basketball vs. Missouri Valley

Sapp Fieldhouse

7 p.m.

For more information about UNO Athletics, visit the Web at http://gomavs.unomaha.edu/.

Mavericks to Host Nov. 19 Playoff Game

UNO will make its seventh trip to the NCAA Division II football playoffs and its first since 2001.  The Mavericks received a bye in the first round Nov. 12 and will host either Northwood or Saginaw Valley State Saturday, Nov. 19, at Al F. Caniglia Field.  The kickoff will be at 12:05 p.m.

Tickets went on sale to the public Nov. 8.  Ticket prices are $15 for reserved, $10 for adult general admission, and $5 for student/senior general admission.  You can purchase tickets by calling 554-MAVS, or stop by the ticket office in the lobby of Sapp Fieldhouse.  The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

UNO finished regular season play Nov. 5 with a 42-14 win over Minnesota State, Mankato and tied for the North Central Conference (NCC) title with a 4-2 mark.  It's the seventh NCC title for UNO and the fifth under head coach Pat Behrns. 

Under Behrns, the Mavericks have made four previous trips to the playoffs in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2001. 

Great American Smoke Out Nov. 17

In recognition of the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smoke Out, a trio of UNO organizations have teamed up to host an educational activity on campus Thursday, Nov. 17.

To illustrate the consequences of smoking, The Wellness Stampede, the Student Health Advisory Council and Eta Sigma Gamma will set up a smoking deaths graveyard on the Milo Bail Student Center plaza from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  The "graveyard" will be filled with 2,452 tombstones to represent the yearly Nebraska deaths that occur from smoking.

In addition, information will be available on the dangers of smoking and tobacco use, smoking cessation tips, and alternatives to cigarettes and cigars.

For more information, contact Dave Daniels at 402.554.2008.

Program to Benefit Omaha Food Bank

The UNO Department of Athletics and Phones Plus have created an awareness program to benefit the Omaha Food Bank.  UNO students, faculty and staff are being asked to donate non-perishable food items at designated basketball games this November at Sapp Fieldhouse.  The schedule of designated games is listed below.

Phones Plus will provide a coupon for a free phone accessory item to those who donate at the Maverick basketball games scheduled for Nov. 15, 17 and 22.  UNO students, faculty and staff also will be able to receive a free cellular phone with the purchase of a calling plan.

The local community is also being asked to get involved by donating non-perishable items at two Phones Plus locations in Omaha – 2815 S. 84th St. and at 132nd and Maple streets.  UNO fans who donate at the store locations will receive a voucher for a free UNO hockey ticket.

The designated November games are as follows:

Tuesday, Nov. 15

Women's basketball vs. Rockhurst

Sapp Fieldhouse

6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Women's basketball vs. University of Nebraska at Kearney

Sapp Fieldhouse

7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 22

Men's Basketball vs. Missouri Valley

Sapp Fieldhouse

7 p.m.

For more information, contact Bob Flannery at 402.554.3882 or rflannery@mail.unomaha.edu.

"Mother Courage and Her Children" Opens Nov. 17

The UNO Department of Theatre's production of David Hare's adaptation of "Mother Courage and Her Children" by Bertolt Brecht opens Thursday, Nov. 17.  Performances continue Nov. 18-19 and Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in the UNO Theatre, located in the Weber Fine Arts Building.

Set during the Thirty Years War, the story centers on Anna Fierling, who drags her cart of goods and family through the hellish battlefields of 17th century Europe. Written by Brecht during his exile from Germany before WWII, the original production premiered in 1941.  Hare's adaptation premiered at the National Theatre in London in 1995.

The house opens at 7 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. curtain for all performances.  There will be an opening reception following the Nov. 18 performance.  The Nov. 30 performance will be ASL interpreted.  A talk-back session with the artists will follow the Dec. 2 performance.

The box office, located on the first floor of the Weber Fine Arts Building, opened Nov. 7.  Tickets are $15, and $10 for students and seniors.  They may be purchased in person or by calling 402.554.2335.

For more information about the production, contact Ron Zank at 402.554.2406.