“Robert Altman has made a dozen films that can be called great in one way or another, but one of them is perfect, and that one is ‘McCabe & Mrs. Miller.’ ”
— Roger Ebert, “The Great Movies”
NIU’s Robert Self, an expert on the films of the late Robert Altman, surely wouldn’t dispute this claim from the world’s best known film critic.
Self has written a new book devoted to chronicling the greatness of “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” a long neglected movie classic that turned the western genre on its head, reflected the counterculture movement of its time and served as a precursor to academic studies that portrayed the American West in a new and more realistic light.
“This is Altman’s most beautiful film and his most poetic film in a lot of ways,” says Self, an NIU professor emeritus of English and acting associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Self’s new book, “Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller:Reframing the American West” (University Press of Kansas), was a three-year labor of love.
“My editor and I felt there had been widespread recognition for some of Altman’s major films, such as ‘MASH,’ ‘Nashville,’ ‘The Player’ and ‘Shortcuts,’ but there hadn’t been the kind of critical and public attention to what we felt was one of his best films. That’s really what motivated this book project,” Self says.
“McCabe & Mrs. Miller” debuted in 1971. The movie tells a downbeat story of a gambler and a prostitute in a hardscrabble mining town in the Pacific Northwest, and it doesn’t have a happy ending. “Altman’s portrayal of the American frontier is not the mythic West that we see in westerns of the ’40s, ’50s and into the ’60s,” Self says.
The hero, played by Warren Beatty, is not a gunslinger who makes right the path of civilization, but an inept opportunist who dies a meaningless death at the hands of corporate gunmen. And Altman elevates Julie Christie’s Academy-Award nominated role as Mrs. Miller to a place of parity in the text with the male. Prostitution is given a realistic portrayal.
“Everyone perceived the film as an anti-western or alternative western or not a western at all because it violated the classical norms of America’s oldest generic story,” Self says.
The film appeared at an experimental time in moviemaking. Filmmakers such as Altman, Sam Peckinpah, Arthur Penn and Clint Eastwood recognized that the West wasn’t won by idealism—that western expansion was, in fact, a conquest fueled by genocide of Native Americans.
“The filmmakers were in many ways ahead of the historians,” Self says. “Their films came along at a time when there were widespread challenges to traditional American values and notions of the past. Their films were part of the counterculture, which challenged concepts of authority and the treatment of women and minorities and made us reconsider the way we told our stories and depicted history.
“ ‘McCabe & Mrs. Miller’ takes a stance toward the West in a way that the New Western History would begin to develop by the end of the ’70s and ’80s, when historians actively revised the historical view of life on the American frontiers,” Self adds.
Altman’s western also was noteworthy for its moviemaking innovations. “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” was shot sequentially along with the construction of its set. The filmmakers built the town as they shot the movie. “As the story begins, the set starts off as a crude settlement,” Self notes, “and by the end of the film it’s a busy mining town.”
Altman and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond achieved a faded, old-fashioned quality to the imagery of the movie by “flashing” the film stock, or exposing it to light, before shooting. The golds and reds and greens of the set design reflect the landscape painting of the Rocky Mountain School of American painters. Intertwined throughout the narrative, Leonard Cohen’s trenchant ballads of loss on the soundtrack add to the film’s melancholy feel.
Self, who has seen the movie more times than he cares to count, says his new book is aimed at a general audience, ranging from hardcore Altman fans to those who want to be introduced to the director’s work. When he died in 2006, Altman left a rich legacy of films, though not many were successful at the box office.
“ ‘MASH’ was his biggest box-office hit, and that was in 1970 at the beginning of his Hollywood career,” Self says. “Robert Altman was a renegade director who innovated the style of the American art cinema, an artist as he said who made gloves in an industry that sells shoes. He won’t be remembered as a popular or blockbuster moviemaker, but I think in the realm of serious filmmaking he stands as one of the more important directors of our time.”
Self has been teaching at NIU since 1969. His previous books include “Robert Altman’s Subliminal Reality” (University of Minnesota Press), a comprehensive analysis of Altman films.
Professor Guadalupe Luna will serve as the interim associate dean of the NIU College of Law beginning Jan. 1, 2008. She will fill the vacancy left by current Associate Dean Malcolm Morris, who will serve as interim dean.
Luna, who joined the NIU Law faculty in 1992, teaches primary in the areas of agricultural law, immigration law, landlord/tenant law, property law, remedies, voting rights and jurisprudence.
An avid scholar, Luna has written and lectured extensively on property and agricultural law issues with a focus on race. She has published numerous scholarly articles, as well as book reviews and other publications. Her current projects include writing an article “Chasing Treaty Promises,” for the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal, and work on a book chapter, “Global Migrants in the Manner of Local Shelter: Anti-Immigrant Backlash Hits Home.”
In addition to her academic writings, Luna has conducted numerous presentations and workshops nationwide. She is a board member and frequent presenter for LatCrit, Inc. (Latino & Latina Critical Legal Theory, Inc.), which promotes social awareness and activism through scholarly projects and colloquiums. She also has presented for the National Association of Latino Law Students, the National Association of Chicana/o Studies and the American Association of Law Schools.
Prior to teaching, Luna was a civil rights attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in San Antonio, Texas, and a judicial law clerk for the late Hon. Theodore McMillian. She received her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Minnesota, where she was editor-in-chief and staff member of the Law & Inequality Journal.
Luna and Morris will assume their new positions after the departure of Dean LeRoy Pernell, who is leaving NIU to take a position as dean of the College of Law at Florida A&M University.
Two teams of NIU students are among the finalists in Chipotle Mexican Grill’s student advertising contest, “30 Seconds of Fame.”
The students’ 30-second video ads, titled “Just the Fax” and “Lucho Libre,” are posted along with the 10 other finalists on Chipotle’s Web site at www.chipotle.com.
The winning entry is expected to be announced Thursday, Nov. 15. The winning team will receive a $15,000 prize, with an additional $15,000 going to the team’s university.
Chris Darkes, a senior communication major, said the idea for the “Just the Fax” entry came to him in a dream. “I pitched it to the other members and they liked it, so we just went ahead and filmed it,” said Darkes, who appears in the spot.
Other students who produced “Just the Fax” are Brittany Samson, Sara Honchar and Joe Giorgi.
“I think it’s pretty exciting,” said Kristen Morrison, a senior communication major and member of the team that created the “Lucho Libre” entry. “We looked at a few (videos) from last year’s contest and thought we could do something that would measure up.”
“Lucho Libre” team members also include Tom Conlon, Nick Ziolkowski, Steven Stein, Geoff Maxfield, Steve Coughlin, Ruben Ramos, Kathryn Panger, Matt Weinstein and Matt Kososki.
Both teams are made up of members of the NIU Student Film and Video Association.
“The students did everything. They chose their teams, wrote the scripts and did all the production work,” said Laura Vazquez, a professor in the Department of Communication and adviser to the association. “I think they did a great job. The videos are very creative and well-produced.”
Vazquez said Chipotle sent invitations to more than 70 universities to encourage participation in the student video contest.
“To have two of the top 12 spots is pretty amazing,” Vazquez said. “It’s all about talent. And we have it right here at NIU.”
Sarah Weddington, a nationally renowned attorney and women’s rights advocate, will present the Fourth Annual Marla Dickerson Public Interest Lecture this week at the NIU College of Law.
Weddington will present her lecture, “Some Leaders are Born Women,” at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, in the Francis X. Riley Courtroom of Swen Parson Hall. A reception will follow the lecture in the Marshall Gallery. Weddington also will sign copies of her book, “A Question of Choice,” which will be available for purchase.
Weddington is best known for arguing the winning side of the landmark Roe v. Wade case before the United States Supreme Court in 1973 when she was only 26. Since then, her roles in public service have spanned from attorney, legislator and presidential adviser to women’s rights advocate and professor.
Weddington’s notable career in public interest began in 1972, when she was the first woman from Austin elected to the Texas House of Representatives. Her career in government also included serving as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s general counsel, as assistant to former President Jimmy Carter and as director of the Texas Office of State-and-Federal Relations.
Today, Weddington writes and speaks extensively on women’s issues and the development of leadership skills. She authored the bestseller, “A Question of Choice,” which details the Roe v. Wade case, and she currently is working on her next book on the topic of leadership and self-renewal.
She has been recognized nationally on a number of occasions for her role as a leader and advocate for women’s issues. Among her many accolades are the prestigious International Athena Award, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Margaret Sanger Award, the Woman of Distinction Award from the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, and being honored as the “Texas Woman of the Century” by the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Texas.
Weddington received her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1967 and is a distinguished alumna of McMurry University.
Funded by a donation from the Dickerson Family, the Marla Dickerson Public Interest Lecture Series was established to bring distinguished speakers to the NIU College of Law to discuss current issues relating to public interest and appropriately honor the spirit of Dickerson.
Dickerson is a former NIU Law student who died in a plane crash in 1994 during her second year of law school. She was determined to use her legal education in public interest.
This event is free and open to the public.
Huskie Marching Band Director Tom Bough and his staff are experts in figuring ways to move musicians, flag bearers and dancers around a football field.
Fitting that group comfortably on the stage of the Music Building’s Boutell Memorial Concert Hall is another matter.
“Honestly, we’re much too big and much too loud for that space,” Bough said. “We want to make better use of the Silverettes, the color guard and the drum line. We want to make it more of a show with more set changes and more ensemble changes. The Convocation Center gives us room to stretch out.”
So, drum roll please: The marching band’s annual year-end concert is indeed moving to the Convocation Center.
General admission tickets are now on sale for the concert, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30. Tickets cost $5; doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Convocation Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (312) 559-1212.
Fans of the Huskie Marching Band can expect a rousing evening of music and fun, Bough said, although marching is kept to a minimum.
The band will perform highlights from all of the season’s halftime shows as well as some of the tunes and musical cheers played from the stands. The Silverettes, the color guard and the drum line all have special routines planned.
“At many universities, the year-end marching band concert is a huge draw. Thousands of people come out. We really want to offer that to the NIU community and to our fans across the state,” Bough said. “We’re really just trying to make this a fun evening of music and dancing and choreography. It’s a very affordable night and very family-friendly.”
Sheer numbers also inspired the move.
Marching band enrollment stood at 42 when Bough arrived in May of 2005; the band, known as The Pride of the Midwest, now boasts 165 members.
“I’m really happy about the growth. We’ve got great students who really get the word out,” he said. “I look forward to the opportunity to showcase the talent and dedication of the Huskie Marching Band at this exciting performance.”
Visit http://www.niu.edu/band/ for more information.
With a tremendous surge during the final week of the competition, NIU finished atop the standings in the Donate Life Illinois “I Am. Are you?” Campus Challenge.
NIU gained the most registrations out of the 20 participating colleges and universities taking action in support of the 4,700 Illinoisans and 97,000 people nationwide currently in need of lifesaving organ and tissue transplants.
Oct. 1 marked the launch of the inaugural challenge, a friendly statewide lifesaving donor registration competition between Illinois colleges and universities. The challenge was created in response to a statewide poll last year showing that nearly half of adults identifying themselves as registered donors are unaware of Illinois’ new donor registry, established Jan. 1, 2006. In addition, nearly two-thirds of adults in Illinois are unaware of the need to re-register to join the new registry and ensure their wishes as a donor.
The Student Nurses Organization lead the effort at NIU by hosting registration drives on campus, e-mailing the link to the online registry (www.IAmAreYou.org) to contacts and using Facebook to build campaign awareness and promote registration efforts.
“I’m very proud of the effort given by our entire group,” said Hillary Kirschbaum, president of the Student Nurses Organization at NIU. “It feels good to win the challenge, but most importantly, we were able to make a positive impact on a critical public health issue, and hopefully, help save some lives in the process.”
Even though the Campus Challenge has come to a close, Donate Life Illinois campaign efforts will continue on college campuses.
Students, alumni, faculty and all Illinoisans can join the new donor registry by visiting the Donate Life Illinois campaign site at www.IAmAreYou.org; visiting any Illinois state driver’s license facility; or by calling the Illinois Secretary of State Organ/Tissue Donor Program at (800) 210-2106.
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.