Sachidanand Sahai, renowned Indian cultural historian and Southeast Asian specialist, will give a public lecture about the Bayon temple at Angkor Thom, Cambodia. The lecture will take place at 5 p.m. today in Room 104 of the Stevens Building.
Sahai, who is visiting in the United States, is an alumnus of the University of Paris, Sorbonne, where he carried out research under George Coedes who promulgated the concept of the “Hinduized States of Southeast Asia.”
Sahai has studied and written extensively about folk texts of Laos and sacred space of temples in Cambodia. His most recent publications are “The Bayon of Angkor Thom,” “Ta Prohm: A Glorious Era in Angkor Civilization” and “The Mekong River: Space and Social Theory.” He is the former vice chancellor and chair of the Southeast Asian Studies Department, Magadh University, Bodh Gaya, India.
His visit is sponsored in part by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies through a Title VI, U.S Department of State grant; the Office of International Programs; and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at NIU. The lecture is being held in conjunction with the exhibition “Cambodia Born Anew” at the NIU Anthropology Museum, Stevens Building. The museum will be open before and after the lecture.
A reception will be held following the talk.
“And They Came to Chicago,” a documentary that has aired on PBS and NBC-5 in Chicago, will screen at 7:30 p.m. today in the Diversions Lounge of the Holmes Student Center.
The event is sponsored by the Department of English and the NIU Forensics Team.
The screening will be followed by a discussion and a question-and-answer panel with addresses by Dominic Candeloro, author of “Chicago’s Italians: Immigrants, Ethnics, Americans and Italians in Chicago,” executive director of the Italian American Historical Association and historical consultant for “And They Came to Chicago;” Martin Nelson, film editor for “And They Came to Chicago,” editor for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Sci-Fi Channel, PBS and others; and Judy Santacaterina, adviser in the NIU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, longtime coach of the NIU Forensics Team and featured subject in “And They Came to Chicago.”
The screening is free and open to the public. Professors should feel free to bring their classes.
On the menu at Ellington’s this week: Ambrosia is scheduled for Tuesday. Just Paradise takes over Thursday.
Ambrosia (an authentic Greek meal fit for the gods) features spanakopita and bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds and goat cheese for starters, Greek stuffed eggplant over lemon orzo and lemon rosemary pork skewers with broiled tomatoes over lemon orzo for entrees and baklava and ladi tourta (olive oil cake) for dessert. Each table also will be served tzatiki dip with pita crisps.
Just Paradise features tropical fruit cup and Caribbean shrimp for starters, Caribbean grilled fish and Jamaican jerk tempeh for entrees and key lime pie and fried plantains for dessert. Each table also will be served mango-lada (a mango version of the piña colada).
Seating is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with service until 1 p.m. The cost is $8 per person. Ellington’s is located on the main floor of the Holmes Student Center. Call (815) 753-1763 or visit www.ellingtons.niu.edu to make reservations.
Laurel Jeris, an associate professor in NIU’s Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education, will give the John A. Niemi International Lecture at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the Cavan Auditorium of Gabel Hall.
She will present “Two Eyes, Two Ears and One Mouth: A Cultural-Outsider Reports on Women’s Ways of Leading in Sri Lanka.” The evening is sponsored by the Office of International Initiatives, the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education and the College of Education.
Jeris will share her experiences of co-learning and research made possible through a series of grants from the U.S. Department of State, NIU and the College of Education that supported partnerships between NIU and four non-governmental organizations in Sri Lanka. The partnerships focus on women’s capacity-building, poverty alleviation and advocacy.
As her relationship with rural grassroots women evolved over several years, Jeris captured their stories of leadership development, gendered perspectives on leadership and messages for women around the globe.
In Tuesday night’s multi-media presentation, audience members will meet 25 of these women who shared their experiences with a cultural outsider.
Journalist Mark Danner, a longtime staff writer for The New Yorker who has reported for more than two decades on foreign affairs and international conflict, including on the war in Iraq and the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, will visit NIU this week to deliver the next installment of the W. Bruce Lincoln Endowed Lecture Series.
Danner’s NIU lecture, titled “In War’s Dark Shadow: Americans, Terror and the Coming of Endless War,” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, in the Altgeld Hall Auditorium. Admission is free, and the lecture is open to the public.
Danner is the recipient of numerous awards for his work, including an Emmy, the National Magazine Award, three Overseas Press Awards and the Carey McWilliams Award presented by the American Political Science Association. In 1999, he won a MacArthur Fellowship, the so-called “genius grant.”
Danner’s books include “The Secret Way to War: The Downing Street Memo and the Iraq War’s Buried History” (2006); “Torture and Truth: America, Abu Ghraib and the War on Terror” (2004); “The Road to Illegitimacy: One Reporter’s Travels Through the 2000 Florida Vote Recount” (2004); and “The Massacre at El Mozote: A Parable of the Cold War” (1994).
The Endowed Lincoln Lecture Series is named in honor of the late W. Bruce Lincoln, a world-renowned historian of Russia who taught on the NIU faculty for more than three decades until his retirement in 1998.
The NIU women’s basketball team takes on Western Illinois University with tip-off at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Convocation Center. Bring your ticket from the NIU vs. Kent State football game and get in for only $2.
Also, check out the Full Court Package: four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for only $25. The Full Court Package must be pre-ordered by calling (815) 752-6800.
Don’t miss the non-stop action Saturday, Nov. 24, as the football team concludes its season at Huskie Stadium hosting Ball State with kick-off at 3 p.m. Later, the men’s basketball team opens its regular season home schedule against Stephen F. Austin with tip-off at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center. Bring your football ticket to the basketball game and get in for only $2.
During November, bring a new, unwrapped toy to the basketball game and receive admission for $1. All toys will be donated to the United States Marine Corp Toys for Tots.
To reserve tickets for any of these games, call the Convocation Center Ticket Office at (815) 752-6800.
The Christian Faculty and Staff Prayer Luncheon is scheduled for noon Tuesday, Nov. 20, in the East Room of the Blackhawk Cafeteria.
Participants may bring a lunch or purchase one there. All are welcome.
NIU’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Women is accepting nominations for the 2008 NIU Outstanding Women Student Awards. This recognition process, begun in 1980 as the Women’s Student Leadership Awards, is intended to foster the development of leadership among women students, both graduate and undergraduate.
The nomination deadline is Monday, Dec. 17.
For details regarding eligibility, criteria and the nomination procedure, visit http://www.niu.edu/women/pcsw/osa.shtml or call (815) 753-0320.
To access the nomination form, visit http://www.niu.edu/women/pcsw/nonform.shtml.
NIU’s next Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute will take place the week of May 12, the Office of the Provost and the Committee on Multicultural Curriculum Transformation have announced.
Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty, instructors and supportive professional staff are invited to participate in the institute, which assists participants in incorporating multicultural perspectives and content into their courses, improving communication with students and preparing alumni to participate in a diverse workplace and society.
Qualified faculty and instructional staff interested in participating in the institute are encouraged to apply for Multicultural Curriculum Transformation stipends. Each individual selected will receive a $1,000 stipend to support transforming existing courses or developing new classes that address multiculturalism. Faculty and staff on 12-month contracts can participate in the institute but are not eligible for the stipend.
The deadline for applications is Feb. 1; the review of applications will begin Jan. 15. Information about applications for the institute is available on the Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Web site at http://www.niu.edu/mct/institute/application.shtml. Applications should be submitted electronically to mcti@niu.edu.
The institute features plenary sessions by prominent specialists, focused thematic discussions by NIU faculty and students, syllabi critiques, video presentations and small group discussions. The institute’s sessions focus on topics related to race, gender, social class, disabilities and sexual orientation. Plenary sessions and some panels are open to the public; small group sessions are restricted to participants.
Approximately 220 individuals have participated in the institute since its inception, and they have benefited from opportunities to learn about multicultural issues, share experiences and ideas and establish lasting professional relationships. Participants have made a significant impact on NIU’s programs at all levels across all colleges.
Contact Nakia Brown at (815) 753-8557 or via e-mail at mcti@niu.edu for more information.
The Friends of the NIU Libraries invite the public to attend a presentation titled, “Schoolhouse Memories: From Sawdust to Quilt,” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, in the staff lounge on the lower level of Founders Memorial Library.
Lucy Townsend, curator of the Blackwell History of Education Museum at NIU and a professor in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations, will discuss memory-making as it relates to local country schools. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, call (815) 753-8091.
NIU’s Supportive Professional Staff Council is requesting nominations for the Presidential Supportive Professional Staff Award for Excellence.
This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the university. All Supportive Professional Staff are eligible. If you have previously nominated an individual, please consider re-nominating them.
Four awards will be presented, and each award will be for the amount of $1,500. In addition, each recipient will receive a plaque in recognition of their accomplishments. To be eligible to receive this award, an employee must be actively employed at the time the award is presented in April 2008.
The nominator is asked to address the following topics in a letter addressed to the SPSC Awards Coordinator:
A completed nomination packet consists of the Nomination Referral Form and four letters: a nomination letter and three letters of support. The support letters must address the above topics. Only these four letters will be considered for each nominee. All nominations must include the nominee’s name and nominator’s name, title and department. Awards will be announced by President Peters in February, and the awards will be presented at a reception hosted by the President, scheduled for April 1. Nominators are responsible for submitting the complete set of nomination materials.
The Nomination Referral Form, nomination letter and letters of support should be sent to Deborah Haliczer, SPSC awards coordinator, and must be received in the Office of Human Resource Services, 1515 W. Lincoln Hwy, by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5.
There will be no extensions of the deadline. Direct any questions to Deborah Haliczer at (815) 753-6039 or by e-mail at dhaliczer@niu.edu.
Treat yourself to a New Year’s getaway in London, where old English charm and endless sightseeing await.
This Alumni Association trip includes round-trip airfare, seven nights accommodation in London, ground transportation, daily breakfast, an energetic New Year’s Eve Party, a backstage tour of the Duke of York’s Theatre and two theater performances of your choice.
There is a limited amount of time to book your holiday trip. Visit the Alumni Web site or call (815) 753-1452 soon.