Tsunami
impact felt at NIU
 With
its Center for Southeast Asian Studies and its international student
population, NIU has ties to virtually all of the nations affected
by the Indian Ocean tsunami.
While faculty,
staff and students who work or live in the affected countries
appear to be safe, the university community didn’t escape unscathed.
Lensi Tweed
and Elvi Handayani, who moved to DeKalb from Indonesia after marrying
NIU students, have learned in recent weeks that about 50 members
of their extended family were killed or remain missing. The sisters
also lost more than 60 friends and former neighbors.
“Every day
I call my mom and sister, and they add to the number,” said Tweed,
who works as a server at the Blackhawk Food Court in Holmes Student
Center. “It is very difficult. I can’t sleep at all at night.
I’m thinking I should do something here for them.”
The tsunami
devastated Tweed’s hometown of Banda Aceh, once a city of 400,000
people. It is situated fewer than 200 miles from the epicenter
of the extraordinary earthquake that triggered the natural disaster.
One government official in Banda Aceh told the Chicago Tribune
that an estimated 60 percent of the city’s population is gone
– either dead, missing or just staying away because of grief or
fear.
FULL
STORY
NIU
survey finds Illinois residents
support medical malpractice reform  President
George W. Bush knew in advance his campaign for medical malpractice
tort reform would play well in Madison County, Ill., where he
unveiled his plan Wednesday.
Northern Illinois
University’s Center for Governmental Studies, whose recently completed
Illinois Policy Survey, found that residents of southern Illinois
were the most likely in the state to have lost doctors due to
rising malpractice rates as well as the group most strongly favoring
the capping of awards in such cases.
Those feelings
could be tied to the reputation of southern Illinois’
Madison County.
It was recently ranked the worst “judicial hellhole” in the nation
by the American Tort Reform Foundation for its propensity to hand
out large settlements in medical malpractice cases. That reputation
has had consequences for residents of the region.
According
to the NIU survey, 44 percent of those living in southern Illinois
say they have lost a doctor because he or she left a practice
or moved a practice out of state to escape high malpractice premiums.
FULL
STORY
NIU
survey: Support for I-PASS structure is weak
 I-PASS
transponders were a popular stocking stuffer this past holiday
season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that people like the
new toll collection program, say NIU researchers.
The devices,
marketed by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, allow users
to pay tolls without stopping at tollbooths. As of the first of
the year, drivers with the devices save 50 percent on the cost
of a toll, which now stands at 80 cents (at most tollbooths) for
passenger cars that don’t have the devices.
That two-tiered
system didn’t sit well with a majority of the 1,300 Illinois residents
surveyed in November and December 2004 for NIU’s annual Illinois
Public Policy Survey.
Amongst all
respondents, only 28 percent said that they supported the plan
to charge higher tolls for those who do not use I-PASS (65 percent
opposed the plan and six percent were unsure). In fact, no matter
how the data was cross-tabulated and narrowed, there was no group
that supported the program at more than a 50 percent level, says
NIU Professor of Public Administration Michael Peddle.
FULL
STORY
Former
wrestler prepares
for career teaching blind children
 Bill
Closson is an imposing guy.
A two-time,
Division I All-American heavyweight collegiate wrestler from Pittsburgh,
Closson won the Pennsylvania state championships in high school
and placed sixth during the 1996 Olympic trials. Tall and muscular,
he looks like the top bouncer at the hippest nightclub in town.
Yet Closson,
who “hung up the shoes” seven years ago and became a high school
social studies teacher, has his sights on a career to help children
without sight. Closson is a master’s degree student in NIU’s Programs
in Vision, located in the Department of Teaching and Learning
in the College of Education.
“You’re there
to put them on a level playing field,” Closson said. “Being a
teacher goes well beyond the classroom. It’s important for teachers
to represent the demographics of society. Children need role models
from every group, and different kids are going to identify with
different teachers.”
Coordinated
by Professor Gaylen Kapperman, NIU’s course of study is among
the country’s best and largest programs in blindness and visual
impairment, preparing students to become teachers of visually
impaired children, rehabilitation specialists for newly blinded
adults and instructors of orientation and mobility.
Closson, and
students like him, are desperately needed.
FULL
STORY
NIU
mourns loss of Kevin McKeough
 True
to his South Side Irish roots, Kevin L. McKeough always carried
three things with him in life: a quick wit, a story and a passion
for politics. The combination enthralled and inspired large lecture
halls full of students learning the ins and outs of American government.
McKeough,
a popular political science professor who retired in late 1999
after three decades of service to the NIU community, died Tuesday,
Dec. 28, at his home in Geneva.
“According
to his priest, Kevin believed in the Holy Trinity: the South Side
Irish, the White Sox and the Democratic Party,” said Mikel Wyckoff,
a friend and colleague in the Department of Political Science.
“He was an
eloquent and formidable advocate, be it for his fellow faculty
members or for classic liberal causes,” added Wyckoff, who in
summing up the life of his friend had jotted down the words, “social
justice.”
“Kevin had
a strong appreciation for people on the lower rungs of the ladder,
and he thought politics could be brought to bear to even out some
of those injustices.”
FULL
STORY
NIU
mourns former professor, vice provost
 Longtime
NIU biology professor T. Daniel Griffiths, who became a vice provost
for research and graduate programs at Marquette
University in July
of 2003, died Dec. 21 in Milwaukee.
He was 57.
Griffiths
suffered a heart attack Thursday, Dec. 16. He
is survived by his wife, Barbara, and sons Michael, Eric and Justin.
“The
entire NIU community is saddened by the death of Dr. Griffiths,”
said NIU President John Peters. “Dan devoted much of his life
to the betterment of Northern
Illinois University,
and we are a richer institution for his efforts. Our hearts and
prayers go out to the Griffiths
family in their time of grief.”
Griffiths’
colleagues at Marquette
shared in that grief.
“Dan
was a valued member of our senior leadership team, and he will
be greatly missed,” Marquette President Robert Wild said. “The
prayers and sympathy of all of us here in the Marquette
community are with Dan’s wife, Barbara, and all the other members
of the Griffiths family.”
FULL
STORY
NIU
remembers retired art professor
Walter
Neil Ball, retired from the NIU School of Art, died Jan. 3 at
the DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing Center in DeKalb. He was
74.
Born Dec.
14, 1930, in Pratt, Kan., he was the son of William Palmer Ball
and Helen Edith (Haog) Ball.
After serving
in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Walter went on to earn
a Bachelor of Arts from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan.;
a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Wichita in Wichita,
Kan.; and a doctorate from The Ohio State University in Columbus,
Ohio.
He taught
art at Wisconsin State University in Superior, Wis.; The Ohio
State University in Columbus; Sacramento State University in Sacramento,
Calif.; and Wisconsin State University in Oshkosh, Wis. In 1968,
he joined the faculty at NIU, where he taught painting and drawing
in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts until his retirement
in 1996.
FULL
STORY
World
renowned artist returns
to alma mater for exhibition  If
you were one of the millions of Americans who in 2002 mailed your
holiday cards with the red stamps picturing unique and happy snowmen,
check for leftovers.
The stamps
are the work of Tommy Simpson, a 1962 NIU alum who this week makes
his first return to campus since his graduation with a bachelor’s
degree in art education.
Now a world
renowned artist for four decades, Simpson will attend a 5 p.m.
Thursday reception for his first exhibition in the School of Art’s
Jack Olson Gallery and give a lecture at 6 p.m. He also will spend
Wednesday working with students of sculpture.
And maybe,
hints Acting Coordinator Ann O’Brien, Simpson will autograph visitors’
snowmen stamps and nudge their worth beyond 37 cents.
FULL
STORY
Kudos
 Read
good news about – and send congratulations to – Matt Swan, LeRoy
Pernell, Melody Mitchell, Wally Czerniak, Cindy Phillips and Teri
Reid.
FULL
STORY
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Discussion
groups, counseling
available for those affected by tsunami
Because
people at NIU who have strong connections to areas of the world
impacted by the tsunami are likely to have intense feelings about
the disaster, several offices of the Division of Student Affairs
and the Division of International Programs have come together
to offer discussion groups, individual consultations and a tsunami
relief fund.
Counseling
and Student Development Center staff members will facilitate discussion
groups at which members of the university community can express
their feelings and thoughts. The discussion groups will be held
at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the Asian American Center, 429
Garden Road, and at noon Thursday, Jan. 20, in Williston Hall,
Room 400.
The
Counseling and Student Development Center is offering the opportunity
for NIU students affected by the tsunami tragedy to talk individually
with a member of the counseling staff from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday,
Jan. 19, at the Asian American Center and from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 20, at the International Student and Faculty Office
(Williston Hall, Room 406).
If
these times are inconvenient, students also can visit the Counseling
and Student Development Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during regular
business days. The center is located in Room 200 of the Campus
Life Building and can be reached at (815) 753-1206.
The
Office of Student Involvement and Leadership Development will
be partnering with other campus and community constituents to
spearhead a relief drive. The relief drive will seek to secure
financial contributions, clothing items, bottled water and other
non-perishable food items.
For
more information, please contact Darnell Bradley with the Office
of Student Involvement and Leadership Development at 753-6190,
or via e-mail at dbradley@niu.edu.
LLI
lecture to examine
translation of foreign films
“Lost in Translation?
Issues in Translating American, German, and French Films” is the
topic at Wednesday’s NIU NIU Lifelong Learning Institute’s Notables
“Brown Bag” Lecture Series.
Katharina Barbe, an
associate professor in the NIU Department of Foreign Languages
and Literatures, will speak from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday,
Jan. 19, in Room 505 of the Holmes Student Center.
The NIU Notables Lecture
Series recognizes faculty for their outstanding achievement. The
series is open for everyone to see the kinds of important research
that comes out of NIU.
Upcoming lectures include:
- Wednesday, Jan.
26: “NIU Center for Burma Studies” presented by Catherine Raymond,
director, NIU Center for Burma Studies
- Wednesday, Feb.
2: “Treasures of Mexico” presented by Michael Gonzales, professor,
NIU Department of History
- Wednesday, Feb.
9: “The Poetry of Love” presented by Stephen Franklin, visiting
assistant professor, NIU Department of English
For more information
about the N IU Notables Lecture Series, call 753-5200 or visit
the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming
at www.niu.edu/CLASEP.
NIU
Alumni Association to host
private ‘Jacqueline Kennedy’ viewing
Take an intimate glimpse
of Jacqueline Kennedy’s remarkable life as the NIU Alumni Association
hosts a private viewing of the elegant exhibition, “Jacqueline
Kennedy: The White House Years – Selections from The John F. Kennedy
Library and Museum,” on Friday, Jan. 28, at The Field Museum in
Chicago.
Selections from the
John F. Kennedy Library and Museum offer a unique view of the
former first lady’s influence and her impeccable sense of style.
See how Mrs. Kennedy used her passion for the arts and history
to heighten American culture, from her restoration of the White
House to her flawless hosting of events and her reputation around
the world as the epitome of grace and class. On display are more
than 70 articles of clothing and personal items, classic and rarely
seen photographs, handwritten notes, video excerpts from her White
House tour and other historic items.
Made possible through
the generous support of The Grainger Foundation and Marshall Field’s,
this exhibition was organized by The John F. Kennedy Library and
Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This one-of-a-kind
evening begins at 6 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, followed
by a gourmet dinner. The cost is $150 per person and includes
valet parking.
Register online from
www.myniu.com or by calling
the NIU Alumni Association at 753-1452 by Friday, Jan. 21.
NIU
Community School offers
Art Express class for children
NIU faculty, staff,
and students are reminded that their children receive a discount
to attend a wonderful art class on Saturday afternoons beginning
in late January.
Art Express is a five-week
multi-media art class for children ages 4 to 14. Taught by NIU
School of Art education students, this class explores a variety
of creative art activities. The class meets from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturdays
from Jan. 29 to Feb. 26. The class is offered through the NIU
Community School of the Arts, and the fee for children of NIU
employees is only $15.
The NIU Community School
of the Arts offers a wide variety of classes, ensembles and lessons
in the arts for children and adults throughout the year. For a
more updated schedule and registration information, call Renee
Page at 753-1450 or check out the Web site at www.niu.edu/extprograms.
Chicago
musical to benefit
Visual and Performing Arts fund
Join the NIU College
of Visual and Performing Arts for an evening of fun and festivity
Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Apollo Theatre (2540 North Lincoln Avenue
in Chicago) to see “Menopause the Musical,” a fabulous and fun
musical written and produced by NIU alum Jeanie Linders.
The evening includes
the performance and a post-show reception with cast members. Silent
auction winners will be announced that evening along with the
winner of the raffle for a four-day, three-night getaway in Las
Vegas for two, airfare included.
Tickets for the performance
are $55 each and $45 for groups of 10 or more. All proceeds will
benefit the CVPA Dean’s Fund for Arts Initiatives.
Dinner/theatre packages
also are available. The package includes dinner at Sopranos Restaurant
(2901 North Sheffield Avenue, in Chicago), the performance of
“Menopause the Musical,” post-show reception and, for local area
patrons, bus transportation to and from Chicago. The cost of the
package is $90 individual and $80 for groups of 10 or more.
Visit www.cvpadeansfund.com
for information and to order both show and raffle tickets.
Faculty
Development offers
conference on portfolio integration
NIU’s Faculty Development
and Instructional Design Center will offer a conference on portfolio
integration from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 4, in the Holmes
Student Center.
This conference is
for anyone interested in portfolio integration for learning and
assessment. Faculty, students, administrators, and support staff
in two- and four-year colleges and universities will find this
conference beneficial for increasing their awareness of how the
reflective process of portfolios is fundamental to teaching and
learning.
Participants can become
informed about current issues in portfolio development and practice,
interact with leaders in the field and network with those who
are actively involved in portfolio assessment, engage in lively
discussion sessions and generate ideas and share common experiences.
Kathleen Blake Yancey,
the R. Roy Pearce Professor of Professional Communication at Clemson
University, is the keynote speaker. Her most current book, “Teaching
Literature as Reflective Practice,” is a study of how we help
students become members of a reading public.
Registration includes
refreshments, lunch, choice of conference sessions, and demonstrations
and exhibits. For further information about the conference and
presenters, visit http://www3.niu.edu/facdev/conference/portfolio.htm
or call 753-0595.
Spring
Break trip heads
to the Yucatan, Mexico
Imagine yourself in
Cancun and Merida this coming March at NIU’s spring break.
Join the “NIU
Travel with a Professor” group leaving Saturday, March 12, and
returning Sunday, March 19, in another of NIU’s successful educational
visits to Mexico.
Enjoy a visit to Chichen
Itza (El Castillo, ball court, and the sacred well). Enjoy a city
tour of Merida, the capital of the Yucatan state. Visit Uxmal
and Kabah’s Palace of Masks. See Coba and the ruins of Tulum,
set atop coastal cliffs overlooking the Caribbean.
Participants will also
staying at the Sheraton Resort in Cancun, the Hotel Mayaland at
Chichen Itza, the Hyatt Regency in Merida and the Gran Porto Real
in Playa Del Carmen.
Michael Gonzales, a
professor in the NIU Department of History and director of the
Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, accompanies the
group and is preparing a reading list for all participants. Please
sign up early as space is limited. For more information or to
register, call NIU at 1-800-345-9472, e-mail LASEP@niu.edu
or visit the Web site at www.niu.edu/CLASEP.
NIU
sponsors annual trip
to Stratford, Shaw festivals
The Department of English
will sponsor its annual trip to Ontario’s Stratford Festival from
July 25 to 29. This popular trip has been an annual event since
1987.
This year, the group
enjoys productions of “The Tempest,” “As You Like It,” “Fallen
Angels,” “Hello Dolly!” and “Major Barbara” plus an optional selection
of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
The group will travel
on Thursday, July 28, to Niagara-on-the-Lake to the Shaw festival
to see “Major Barbara.” There will be time to stop at Niagara
Falls for a visit and lunch. The group members stay in downtown
Stratford in Bentley’s Inn. The four different theaters and a
variety of restaurants are nearby.
The faculty member
for this popular “NIU Travel with the Professor” is William C.
Johnson, a professor in the NIU Department of English. He will
conduct a pre-trip orientation Saturday, July 16, in the Holmes
Student Center.
The group size is limited
to 50, and reservations are being taken now. Make reservations
by calling 753-5200 or e-mailing LASEP@niu.edu.
The fee of $995 covers housing, tickets to five performances,
two meals, guided coach tour of Stratford and transportation from
DeKalb. A private motor coach will take the group from DeKalb
to Stratford with a stop in Chicago to pick up Chicago participants.
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