In Brief

Northern Pride hosts
weekly lunch in HSC

Northern Pride, a social support network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender faculty and staff, invites interested LGBT and ally individuals to join them for a weekly lunch. The group meets at noon Thursdays in the Blackhawk East room of the Blackhawk Dining Room in the Holmes Student Center.

For more information about Northern Pride or other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender resources, contact the LGBT Resource Center at (815) 753-LGBT or lgbt@niu.edu. A calendar of upcoming events is available online at www.niu.edu/lgbt.

NIU Art museum presents
poetry readings, lectures

Several Chicago poets will come to NIU at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, for a poetry reading in Altgeld Hall 315 as part of an exhibition at the NIU Art Museum.

Poets who will read their works are John Rezek, Simone Meunch, Kristy Odeliius and Dan Beachy-Quick.

The exhibition, “necessary angel: Broadsides from the Poetry Center of Chicago,” runs until March 11 at the museum's North Gallery on the first floor of the west side of Altgeld Hall.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call (815) 753-1936 or click here www.vpa.niu.edu/museum for more information.

Theatre brings past alive
through 'War and Peace'

NIU's School of Theatre and Dance presents a Helen Edmundson adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel, “War and Peace,” which runs from Thursday, Feb. 23, to Sunday, Feb. 26, and Thursday, March 2, to Sunday, March 5, in the Stevens Building O'Connell Theatre.

This rarely produced play features Edmundson's succinct and summarizing version of Tolstoy's novel about a Russian generation on the brink of social upheaval during one of the most tumultuous periods in its history.

The play follows two prominent Russian families and their personal struggles with the many complexities of life, including romance, scandal, war and redemption. The story ultimately focuses on the bigger philosophical nature of cultural and social change.

Christopher Markle directs the production. Performances start at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 for general admission, $8 for seniors and $7 for students.

More information and ticket reservations are available by contacting the Stevens Building Box Office at (815) 753-1600 or by visiting the School of Theatre and Dance Web site at www.niu.edu/theatre.

Third Onion group to present
two student-written plays

Third Onion, the student-run theater company associated with the NIU School of Theatre and Dance, will present the original work of two student playwrights at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, and Friday, Feb. 24, in the Stevens Building Corner Theatre.

“Tangled Curls,” by Elise Johnson, is a nightmare fantasy play in which the heroine imagines all her past lovers together in the same room.

The second play on the bill, “Cracks in the Wall,” written and directed by Roxanne Garcia, describes the play as “a woman's journey through various types of abuse at three different stages of her life.”

Tickets are $3 and available only at the door. The curtain may be held to accommodate students and faculty who have a late rehearsal in the same building. No reservations are necessary. Call (615) 604-0254 for more information.

Community School schedules
Performathon for Feb. 25

The Performathon, a fundraising event for the scholarship programs of the NIU Community School of the Arts, is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, in the Music Building.

More than $60,000 has been raised for area children to study the arts since 1993, when the programs were started. This year's event features a record-breaking number of musical performances, a bake sale, a music swap and a raffle.

The day begins at 11 a.m. with a series of performances that continue throughout the day in the Recital Hall. Performing are the children, teens and adults enrolled in lessons and classes with the Community School of the Arts. The more than 75 musicians and artists have been sponsored by donations from family and friends.

The recital is free and open to the public. Donations will be taken at the door or can be mailed to NIU Community School of the Arts, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115; make checks payable to Northern Illinois University.

Artwork created in the Art Express class during the fall will be on display in the Recital Hall gallery, along with other artwork created by students in the program.

Bakers are preparing their specialties. Used sheet music and books, LPs, tapes, CDs and other music items have been donated for the music swap, another popular feature of Performathon. The bake sale and music swap will be in the Concert Hall lobby all day.

There are many raffle prizes, including four tickets to a Saturday, March 18, Bulls game donated by Ken Spears Construction. Raffle tickets are available for $1 each in Room 132 of Music Building and during the Performathon.

For more information, call Renee Page at (815) 753-1450 or click here. www.niu.edu/extprograms

Educators' job fair comes
to Convo Center Feb. 27

The 21st Annual Mid-America Educators' Job Fair will come to the NIU Convocation Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27.

There are no fees and no pre-registration for the event sponsored by Career Services. Click here for all fair information. http://www.niu.edu/careerservices/cs_mae.html

For other questions, please contact bkaufmann@niu.edu.

Barbara Peters to show fashions
for Women's History Month

To open the celebration of National Women's History Month at NIU, Barbara Cole Peters, a private collector of women's 20th century fashions, will display a selection of red and black garments from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 1.

Peters will speak at the event, titled “Lady in Red & Black: Ode to Northern Illinois University,” and Nancy Jacobs will discuss how the situation for women in DeKalb has evolved over the past seven decades.

Reservations are required and space is limited. For location, further information or reservations, call the Women's Studies Program at (815) 753-1038.

U.S. Army Brass Quintet
to perform March 1 at NIU

From Washington, D.C., the United States Army Brass Quintet will perform a free concert at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, in the Recital Hall of the NIU Music Building.

The quintet, on a recruitment tour, also will conduct a free master class at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 2, in the Recital Hall.

Since its inception in 1972, the U.S. Army Brass Quintet has performed in 39 states and 12 foreign countries. The quintet performs at the White House and at such nationally televised events as presidential inaugurations and official state ceremonies in the nation's capitol.

For more information, call (815) 753-1551.

Geology announces
spring colloquia schedule

NIU's Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences has announced the schedule for its Spring 2006 Colloquia.

All talks will be held at 4 p.m. in Davis Hall 308 and are co-sponsored by NIU's Graduate Colloquium Committee. Call (815) 753-1943 or click here for schedule updates and more information. http://jove.geol.niu.edu

Friday, March 3: Eileen Poeter, Colorado School of Mines, “All Models Are Wrong: How Do We Know Which Are Useful?

Friday, March 10: Scott Ishman, Southern Illinois University, “Late Cenozoic Paleoceanographic Evolution of Northern Chile .”

Friday, March 24: Harold Tobin, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, “Getting Inside the Plate Boundary: Drilling and Instrumenting Subduction Zone Megathrusts.”

Friday, March 31: Nancye Dawers, Tulane University, “Growth Patterns of Large Normal Faults: Constraints Basin and Range Landscape Evolution.”

Friday, April 7: Matthew Hurtgen, Northwestern University, “Neoproterozoic Sulfur Isotopes and Snowball Earth Events.”

Friday, April 14: Peter Vagt, MHW Global, Inc., topic to be announced.

Graduate Group Show begins
at Jack Olson Memorial Gallery

NIU's Graduate Arts Association and Jack Olson Memorial Gallery presents the Graduate Group Show through Wednesday, March 8.

The Graduate Group Show is an annual exhibition featuring the work of NIU's current graduate students. Participating artists are seeking MFA , MA and MS degrees from the School of Art.

Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (815) 753-4521 for more information.

LGBT seeks nominees
for annual Ally Awards

Do you know someone who has shown their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people or the LGBT community during the 2005-2006 school year?

The deadline to nominate someone for the Second Annual NIU Ally Award is 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 10. A nomination form is available here. www.niu.edu/lgbt/allyawards.htm

The Ally Awards are sponsored by the LGBT Resource Center and the Presidential Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity as a way to recognize individuals, departments and groups who have done something positive for or on behalf of the LGBT community.

Recipients of the awards will be honored from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday, April 3, in the Clara Sperling Skyroom of the Holmes Student Center. A brief recognition ceremony will take place at 2:30 pm. All are welcome.

Faculty Development to honor
outstanding graduate TAs

NIU's Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center is seeking nominees for awards that honor outstanding graduate teaching assistants for their contributions to the university's teaching mission.

Three awards will be presented, and each recipient will receive a plaque and be recognized at a reception held at the end of the spring semester. At least one of the awards may be presented to an outstanding teaching assistant pursuing a master's degree.

Eligible candidates must be enrolled as a graduate student in good standing at NIU during the semester the award nominations are due; have been employed as a graduate teaching assistant for one or more semesters, excluding the semester of nomination, during the past two years at NIU; have been responsible for teaching a course fully or teaching-related support, such as leading discussions, tutoring, recitation or laboratory development and supervision, which involved student contact as part of the graduate teaching assistant employment; and have not previously received this award at NIU.

Each academic or academic support unit that employs graduate TAs for teaching and related activities is invited to nominate one outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant from its department for the award. Nominations must include supporting documents to be considered for the award. The nominations can be submitted by the head of the unit or designee, and each nomination should include five hard copies of the following:

• Nominee information: name, degree, major, phone, e-mail address, department where graduate teaching assistantship was/is held, semesters and years employed as a GTA in that department, course(s) responsible for as a GTA, and responsibilities handled.
• Nominator information: name, title, department, phone, e-mail address, how long have known the nominee, and in what capacity related to the nominee's GTA responsibilities.
• Reasons for nomination: explain the nominee's outstanding contributions as a GTA at NIU, impact on the course(s) handled by the nominee and the students, efforts made by the nominee to improve teaching by participating in TA development programs, etc.
• Supporting documents: evidence of outstanding teaching or related support, such as student evaluations, reviews by supervisors, department/college/external recognition, etc.

A subcommittee of the Faculty Development Advisory Committee will review the nominations and select the recipients of the award. The committee may request additional information or clarifications from the nominees or nominators.

Five copies of each nomination should be submitted to “Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award Committee, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University” by Friday, March 10.

Summer, fall class schedule
available online March 13

The Summer 2006 and Fall 2006 Course Offerings will be online on the NIU Course Finder (www.courselistings.niu.edu) beginning Monday, March 13.

A printable Schedule of Classes in Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) and a printable PDF file of the Registration Information pages – for example, the semester calendar, add/drop deadlines or TRACS timetables – will be available online at www.reg.niu.edu. Click on “Schedule of Classes & Registration Information.”

Registration for Summer 2006 and Fall 2006 begins the week of April 3, 2006. Registration time assignments are assigned to undergraduate students based on the total number of credit hours earned at the completion of the Fall 2005 term, including transfer, proficiency and NIU hours. Graduate students and students-at-large are assigned registration times alphabetically based on the first letter of the last name within the classification.

Students may log on to WebConnect (www.reg.niu.edu/connect) and choose “TRACS Registration Eligible Times” for the specific day and time they become eligible to register. Students also can view encumbrances (holds) that may prevent registration by choosing “Encumbrances” on WebConnect.

Bookstore to close
for spring inventory

The University Bookstore in Holmes Student Center will close for inventory from Monday, March 13, through Wednesday, March 15. Regular store hours resume Thursday, March 16.

Call (815) 753-1081 for more information.

Nominations sought for
annual Eychaner Award

The NIU Presidential Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (PCSOGI) and Prism of NIU are seeking nominations for the Eychaner Award, which is presented annually to recognize individuals affiliated with NIU who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender community.

The nomination deadline is 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 24.

The award is presented in two categories, one recognizing contributions made by an NIU student and one recognizing the contributions of a faculty or staff member or an NIU alum.

A full description of the award, including eligibility and nomination guidelines, is available online here. www.niu.edu/lgbt/eychaner.htm The Web page also includes a list of past recipients and a printable nomination form.

Nomination forms are also available at the LGBT Resource Center , Holmes Student Center 7th Floor. For questions, contact the LGBT Resource Center at (815) 753-LGBT (5428) or via e-mail at lgbt@niu.edu.

Travel funds available
to study LGBT topics

NIU's Presidential Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity has limited travel funds available to help support faculty, staff and students who wish to attend conferences, workshops or seminars for the purpose of learning about or presenting scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender topics.

Individuals requesting funds will be asked to submit a PCSOGI Request for Travel Support form, including a breakdown of costs and other sources of funding support. All travel must take place in the current fiscal year (July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006). The travel support form is available online here http://www3.niu.edu/lgbt/travelform.htm and should be submitted via e-mail.

To apply for funds or for more information, contact Patricia Liberty Baczek at (815) 753-5428 or e-mail plb@niu.edu.

First-Year Connections recruits
UNIV 101/201 instructors

First-Year Connections is looking for prospective UNIV 101/201 instructors for fall 2006.

UNIV 101 is a one-credit, 12-week course designed to assist freshmen in developing the necessary academic and social skills to make the most of their experience at NIU. UNIV 201 is a similar course designed to meet the specific needs of transfer students.

Teaching UNIV 101/201 offers opportunity to impact new students as they adjust to life at NIU. Instructors also have the option to work with a peer instructor: a volunteer upperclass student trained to assist in the classroom as an additional resource.

Instructors must be current or retired members of the NIU faculty, staff or administration; have completed at minimum a master's degree; and have prior experience teaching at the college level.

Interested candidates who do not meet the last two criteria may have the opportunity to co-instruct. Typically, UNIV instructors receive a stipend of $1,000 for teaching a single section or $500 for co-instructing. All instructors must attend the required workshops and department meetings.

Click here for application materials or contact firstconn@niu.edu. http://www.orientation.niu.edu/orientation/FYC/InstructorApplications.htm

2-20-06