Hurricane Relief Message from Chancellor Belck

To All UNO Students:

The needs of our sister campus in New Orleans continue to be great. The campus is slowly coming to life, but hundreds of faculty and staff have lost their homes as well as their offices. Many campus buildings are unusable, and residence halls are uninhabitable. Our campus will continue its efforts to raise money for the "UNO Recovery Fund," which was established to assist faculty, staff and students who lost so much in the hurricanes and resultant flooding.

Donation jars are available in the Food Court, Maverick Buffet and the Bookstore. T-shirts are available for $10 in University Affairs, Eppley 108. The fund-raising activities during both "March Mavness" March 27- 31 and Greek Week activities April 10 – 14 will benefit the University of New Orleans. A student from the "other" UNO will be here to share her story and be the featured speaker at the Greek Week Banquet on April 14.

If you would like to make a donation by check, make it out to the "University of New Orleans" and send it to Rita Henry in Eppley 202.  All donations will be sent to the University of New Orleans at the end of the semester.

The lives of faculty, staff and students at the University of New Orleans have undergone changes that most of us cannot imagine. Your donations to their Recovery Fund will be very much appreciated.

Thank you for your support of this community outreach effort.

- UNO Chancellor Nancy Belck

UNO Circle K Club to Hold Drive Week through March 3

Five organizations will benefit from the UNO Circle K Club's "Drive Week" set for Monday, Feb. 27, through Friday, March 3. Circle K International is a collegiate service organization sponsored by Kiwanis.  

"We will be showcasing each charity that we're working with," said Ann Philbrick, UNO Circle K secretary. "We're hoping to educate the campus about what each organization does for the community and why donating is so important." The organizations involved in "Drive Week" and the dates they will be featured are listed below.

Monday, Feb. 27

Food drive for the Omaha Food Bank

Tuesday, Feb. 28

Clothing drive for the Open Door Mission

Wednesday, March 1

Book drive for Books for Africa

Thursday, March 2

Eyeglass drive for a mission trip to the Dominican Republic

Friday, March 3

Personal care item drive for Youth Emergency Services

Donations will be accepted every day of "Drive Week" and can be dropped off in the Milo Bail Student Center at either the Student Organizations and Leadership Programs Office or the first floor information desk and in the entry to University Library.

Student Organizational Academy Begins March 1

Student Organizations and Leadership Programs invites all UNO students who are currently involved in a UNO club or organization to attend one or all four sessions of the newly created Student Organizational Academy.

The Student Organizational Academy was designed to give UNO students additional opportunities to expand individual and organizational leadership skills by offering four informational and developmental sessions. The schedule is listed below. 

Session 1

"Organizational Development and Successful Delegation"

Wednesday, March 1             

1 to 2 p.m.      

Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) Omaha Room

Session 2

"How to Run an Effective Meeting"

Thursday, March 2                 

1 to 2 p.m.      

MBSC Omaha Room

Session 3

"How to Plan a Successful Event"

Wednesday, March 8             

1 to 2 p.m.      

MBSC Omaha Room

Session 4

"Officer Transition and Effective Communication Methods"

Thursday, March 9                 

1 to 2 p.m.      

MBSC Omaha Room

"Please present this information at your next organizational meeting and encourage members to attend as many sessions as possible," said Sharif Liwaru, cultural awareness programs adviser. "Encourage attendees to call me at 554.2711 to reserve their seats. Be sure to make time at the next meeting following this event so academy attendees can share what they have learned with other members of the group."

International Banquet, Culture Fair This Week

The March 2 Culture Fair has been designated as a UNO Spirit Committee event.

The annual UNO International Banquet and Culture Fair will be held this week on campus. Both events are sponsored by International Student Services (ISS), a Student Government agency.

The fair will be held Wednesday and Thursday, March 1-2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom and Nebraska Room. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature student displays representing their respective countries of origin.

The banquet, featuring international cuisine and performances, will be held Saturday, March 4. The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the event will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Banquet tickets are currently available. The cost is $10 for students, and $20 for faculty, staff and community members. Tickets can be purchased in the Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) Business Office or by calling 554.2979.

The banquet will be followed by a free dance in the MBSC Fireplace Lounge until midnight.

For more information, contact Erin Cron, ISS adviser, at 554.2711.

Those who attend the March 2 Culture Fair will be eligible to receive a "Spirit Ticket" from the UNO Spirit Committee. A drawing for a basket of international food will take place. Participants do not have to be present to win. For more information, contact Becky Bohan Brown at 554.2243 or Mary Sweaney at 554.3668.

Student Participation Sought for NSSE

Here's your chance to tell the administration what you think about your university.

UNO students who were freshmen or seniors during the fall 2005 semester and are still enrolled this spring have been invited to participate in a national online survey on student engagement.

NSSE, the National Survey of Student Engagement, is a nationwide survey of freshmen and seniors that looks in-depth at experiences in the classroom, student engagement outside the classroom, and overall satisfaction with academic programs and student progress.

The survey opened Friday, Feb. 3. Invited students received an e-mail with the subject line "TellNSSE," which asked them to participate and provided a link to the Web site. The survey will be conducted entirely online. Follow-up reminders will be sent to the invited students Feb. 24, and March 4 and 23.

The survey is entirely voluntary and confidential. No individual student responses are identifiable.

Questions about the survey should be directed to the Office of Institutional Research at 554.2367 or Linda Mannering at lmannering@mail.unomaha.edu.

13th Annual No Limits Conference March 3-4

Women's issues will be spotlighted March 3-4 during the 2006 No Limits Conference at UNO. The two-day event will include a variety of presentations and discussions on topics ranging from women's history and sexuality to feminism.

The conference, titled "Riding the Waves: Feminism Across Generations, Difference and Community," will be held in the Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC).

There is no conference registration fee, although registration is required either in advance or on site. Registration forms are available on the Web at http://www.unomaha.edu/wmst/conference.html. On-site registration begins Friday, March 3, at 10:30 a.m. The conference is free and open to the public.

Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, will explore a wide range of topics related to women's lives, history, cultures, feminism and women's studies. The issues will be explored through the presentation of academic papers, creative writing, film, music, performance and visual arts.

The inaugural No Limits Conference was held in 1994. The event rotates among the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Kearney and UNO campuses.

This year's sponsors include the UNO Women's Studies Program; the Nebraska Arts Council; the Nebraska Humanities Council; the UNO College of Arts and Sciences; the UNO Departments of Political Science, English and Sociology/Anthropology; the Goodrich Program; Cultural Awareness Programs; the Women's Resource Center and the UNO Art Gallery.

To access a complete conference schedule, click on the link below.

No Limits 2006

For more information, contact Dr. Falconer Al-Hindi at 554.3834, or visit the Web at http://www.unomaha.edu/wmst/conference.html.

National Sierra Club President to Speak at UNO March 8

The national president of the Sierra Club will discuss economics, business and the environment in America at a public forum set for Wednesday, March 8, at UNO.

Lisa Renstrom, a graduate of Westside High School and UNO, was elected the 51st president of the 750,000-member Sierra Club in May 2005. She will speak at 7 p.m. in Eppley Auditorium on the UNO campus. The event is free and open to the public, and student groups are welcome.

"We are told so often today that we have to choose between a healthy environment and a strong economy. While environmental protection comes at some cost, most issues are not that simple," said John McCarty, a professor of biology and director of environmental studies at UNO. "Lisa Renstrom combines a strong background in the business world with a commitment to a healthy environment. I am looking forward to hearing the perspective she brings to the difficult environmental questions facing America today."

Renstrom received her B.S. in business administration from UNO in 1982. 

Dr. McCarty said the subject of Renstrom's address is timely for Omaha and the state, as both are concerned with attracting and keeping young professionals in Nebraska communities. In a survey of college students conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education last fall, 75 percent identified better environmental protection as an important priority for them.

"Community leaders here in the midlands recognize that by investing in environmental protection and by helping to conserve natural habitats, they are not only helping the environment but are also making the metropolitan area more attractive to those young professionals our economy depends on," Dr. McCarty said.

The forum is sponsored by the UNO Environmental Studies Program, the UNO College of Business Administration and the Nebraska chapter of the Sierra Club.

For more information, contact Dr. McCarty at 554.2849 or jmccarty@mail.unomaha.edu.

UNO Job Fair March 8

Career Exploration and Outreach will host a job fair Wednesday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom. The event will feature employers who are actively seeking candidates for open positions and internships.

Professional interview attire is expected, and students can pre-register to attend the fair through Friday, March 3.

To register, students must have a profile on the UNO CareerConnect system. Students can visit the Web at http://unoceo.unomaha.edu and click on the "CareerConnect" link to create a profile and register for the fair.

For more information about the job fair, CareerConnect and other services offered by Career Exploration and Outreach, call 554.3672, or stop by 211 Eppley Administration Building.

University Library Launches Partnership with SCOLA

Building on previous cooperation between Satellite Communications for Learning (SCOLA) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Computer and Electronics Engineering at The Peter Kiewit Institute, University Library will serve as a SCOLA partner in developing access to four video channels of foreign language educational programming.

SCOLA is a nonprofit educational organization that receives and re-transmits television news programming from around the world in more than 80 native languages.

University Library will cooperate with the UNO Department of Foreign Languages to create new ways for UNO students to acquire and sharpen their language skills. "It's exciting to have access to so many authentic language sources," said Carolyn Gascoigne, chair of the UNO Department of Foreign Languages. "The timeliness of the topics should provide relevant and interesting learning opportunities for our students."

Online access to SCOLA video streams is available under the research tools heading on the library home page at http://revelation.unomaha.edu/. Future plans include development of a SCOLA viewing center, and University Library will be a founding partner in SCOLA's project to create a permanent video archive of daily news broadcasts.

"We're pleased to have UNO as a partner in our mission to help the people of the world learn about one another; their cultures, their languages and their ideologies," said Francis Lajba, president and CEO of SCOLA. "We feel university libraries are a great place to pursue this mission, and the UNO library will be a great place to start."

For more information, contact Gayle Roberts at 554.3213.

UNO Counseling Center to Host Growth Group This Spring

The UNO Counseling Center invites interested students to participate in a personal effectiveness and growth group on campus this spring. The goal is for participants to learn more about themselves, their relationships and "doing life" more effectively. Topics to be covered include communication, assertiveness and building confidence.

The group will meet weekly starting the week of Feb. 27 and continuing through the week of April 17.  Possible meeting times are Tuesdays or Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on the third floor of the Milo Bail Student Center. Those interested in participating should let the center know which meeting day is preferable.  The room location of the weekly meetings will be determined at a later date.

For more information, stop by the UNO Counseling Center in 115 Eppley Administration Building, or call 554.2409.

Maverick Watch

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

Faculty and staff are admitted free to all home athletic games with a valid UNO ID and game-day ticket, excluding hockey. The spouses, significant others and children of faculty and staff also are admitted free. At the game, faculty and staff must present a valid UNO ID to receive a ticket. Tickets are available on the day of the game at each home event. For more information, call 554.MAVS (6287).

At home this week…

Wednesday, March 1

Baseball vs. Missouri Western

The Ballpark at Boys Town

137th and West Dodge Road

Noon and 3 p.m. (Double header)

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

UNO Theatre to Present Tartuffe March 1-4

The UNO Department of Theatre will present Richard Wilbur's translation of Tartuffe by Moliére March 1-4 in the UNO Theater. The house opens at 7 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. curtain for all performances.

The religious fraud Tartuffe has wormed his way into the affections and household of Orgon, a rich merchant, with pantomime piety and counterfeit zeal. So comprehensively has he hoodwinked Orgon that he looks set to succeed in driving away Orgon's son, marrying his daughter, seducing his wife and imprisoning Orgon himself.

The production is directed by Douglas Paterson, professor of theatre at UNO.

The March 1 performance will be ASL interpreted. A talk-back session with the director, designers and cast will follow the March 3 performance.

The box office is located on the first floor of the Weber Fine Arts Building. Ticket prices are $15 for the general public and $10 for UNO students, UNO faculty, UNO staff and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased in person, by e-mail at unoboxoffice@mail.unomaha.edu or by phone at 554.2335.

For more information, contact Ron Zank at 554.2406.

Benefit Production of The Vagina Monologues March 3-5

The UNO Women's Resource Center will present a benefit production of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues in conjunction with the 2006 No Limits Conference March 3-5 at UNO.

The production, directed by Sonali Kumar, will be performed in Eppley Auditorium in the Eppley Administration Building Friday through Sunday, March 3-5. The house will open at 7 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. curtain for all performances. The March 5 performance will be ASL interpreted. A talk-back session with the director, designers and cast will follow the March 4 performance.

This year, more than 1,150 communities around the world are hosting V-Day benefits to raise funds for ending violence against women. More than $4 million was raised last year through performances of The Vagina Monologues.

"Hot on the heels of their success, UNO has joined this global movement as part of the V-Day 2006 College Campaign," Kumar said. V-Day Omaha 2006 will benefit Heartland Family Service, which provides a variety of services to protect children, help adults and strengthen families. Founded in Omaha in 1875, the agency serves 40,000 people annually in 12 Nebraska counties.

Tickets for the March 3-5 performances can be obtained through the UNO Women's Resource Center on the first floor of the Milo Bail Student Center. As all proceeds benefit Heartland Family Service, tickets are a suggested donation of $10. They may be purchased at the door, by e-mail to tgobagoba@mail.unomaha.edu or by calling 554.2730.

For more information about the production, contact Tumelo Gobagoba at 554.2730.

For more information about the 2006 No Limits Conference, visit the Web at

http://www.unomaha.edu/wmst/conference.html.

UNO to Host Concert Featuring Transcontinental Duo March 8

The music and culture of Bulgaria and America will join forces in a unique concert set for Wednesday, March 8, at UNO.

"Dan and Daniella: A Transcontinental Musical Merger" will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Strauss Performing Arts Center Recital Hall. The event will feature Bulgarian-born Daniella Ganeva and American Dan Moore. Both are internationally known musicians. 

Ganeva is a classically trained musician who champions contemporary music.  Moore is known for his work in jazz and ethnic music. "Together, they generate a repertoire that defies classification in an elegant evening of distinctive music for melodic percussion," said Tomm Roland, event organizer and coordinator of percussion studies/multicultural music at UNO.

The performance will include selections from their individual solo repertoire as well as compositions and arrangements specially created for the duo. 

The concert is sponsored by Yamaha, Innovative Percussion, Sabian, LP, Mike Balter, Grover Percussion and the University of Iowa. Tickets are $8 for the general public and $5 for all students. They can be purchased in advance by calling 554.3427 or at the door.

For more information, contact Dr. Roland at 554.3155 or troland@mail.unomaha.edu.

UNO Forensics Team Tournament Results

The UNO Forensics Team traveled to Wayne, Neb., Feb. 11-12 to compete in the "Wildhawk," two forensics tournaments in one weekend hosted by Wayne State College and Northeast Community College. The team won 26 awards during the weekend and finished in fourth place. UNO also qualified one additional competitor and five additional events for competition at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) later this year.

Individual results are listed below.

Feb. 11

The Mavericks placed fourth in the tournament sweepstakes. Channa Rench was the tournament champion in dramatic interpretation. Rench also placed second in prose interpretation and fourth in program oral interpretation. Marty Ertz finished third in communication analysis, after-dinner speaking and informative speaking. Buey Ruet placed third in program oral interpretation. Teresa Oberdorfer was fifth in program oral interpretation and, together with partner Matt Eledge, placed fourth in duo interpretation. Rachel Samson placed fifth in prose interpretation and was named the top novice competitor in the event. Melissa Gubbels was seventh in extemporaneous speaking.

Feb. 12

UNO's team brought home fourth place in the tournament sweepstakes. Rench was the tournament champion in both dramatic interpretation and program oral interpretation. Ross Waldron placed third in dramatic interpretation and was the top novice competitor in the event. Ertz finished third in communication analysis and seventh in informative speaking. Samson was fourth in dramatic interpretation and sixth in program oral interpretation. She was also the top novice in the event. Oberdorfer placed fourth in prose interpretation and fifth in program oral interpretation. Gubbels was fifth in extemporaneous speaking.

These placings, combined with those from previous tournaments, have qualified Ertz to attend the AFA-NIET.  Team members Rench and Ruet have each qualified for additional events for the national tournament.  Together with Oberdorfer and Samson, they bring the total number of events UNO has qualified for national competition to nine.

Up next, the team will compete in the Nebraska Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Tournament.