The University Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestral Activities Brian St. John, will present a concert in Neu Chapel on Tuesday evening, February 26, at 7:30.  The concert will open with Mendelssohn’s Ruy Blas Overture, written for an 1839 performance in Leipzig of Victor Hugo’s play of the same name.  Flutist and Department graduate Kerri Kappler, 2012 winner of the Department’s Vukovich Concerto Competition, will then join the orchestra for a performance of Cécile Chaminade’s Concertino for Flute and Orchestra.  In celebration of African American History Month, the orchestra will then conclude the concert with a performance of William Grant Still’s Afro-American Symphony, the first and most popular of the five symphonies written by the noted African American composer and conductor.  The concert is free and open to the public.

Congratulations to junior Kaitlin Emmert (violin) and seniors Joe Luegers (piano) and Jia Yu How (voice), this year’s winners of the Department’s Vukovich Concerto Competition.  Each of them will perform as soloist with the University Symphony Orchestra during the 2013-14 season of concerts.
 

All this week, 91.5 F.M.-WUEV will be conducting a “Radiothon” to help kick off its 2013 Fund Drive at the University of Evansville.  WUEV will try to staff each hour this week with live deejays to take requests and help raise awareness of the 2013 Fund Drive.“We’re hoping to have a little fun this week, and help spread the word of what we are trying to do here at the radio station,” said WUEV General Manager Tom Benson.  “As a non-commercial station, we rely on private support to help drive what we do at the radio station, and to help support a learning environment for University of Evansville students at the station.

“The goal of the ‘Radiothon’ this week is to increase the awareness of our fund drive, which will help support equipment upgrades that are needed at the radio station.  We also want to connect with our listeners and thank them for being supportive of the station this week.”

Listeners and supporters can both make song requests, as well as make pledges to WUEV by contacting the radio station by phone at (812) 488-2020 this week.  Donations can also be made by visiting the newly redesigned wuev.org website.  WUEV will maintain its typical format for the most part during the “Radiothon,” with the only changes occurring between the hours of midnight and 8 am, where student deejays will be allowed to pick the format.

“Our deejays are really excited about this ‘Radiothon,’ as they get to have some creative freedom and are able to connect with our listeners more,” said Benson.  “The deejays were really the ones wanting to do this ‘Radiothon,’ and I am all for it.

“Hopefully, we will be able to reconnect better with our listeners this week, and also inform some people about how easy it is to support our radio station.  With the new website design, it is extremely easy, and every little bit of support we get really goes a long way for us.  We cannot thank our listeners and supporters enough for what they allow us to do at the radio station.”

The Panhellenic Association at University of Evansville is celebrating International Badge Day Tuesday, February 26.

All sorority women on campus, collegians and alumni, are invited to wear their badge on Tuesday in celebration of our collective sisterhood. 

International Badge Day was established in 1997 by the National Panhellenic Conference to set aside a day or an event for women across the nation to wear their sorority badges or Greek letters in a celebration of sisterhood.

This year’s theme is: “Wear Your Letters on Your Heart.” National and international sorority groups are also participating in this annual event scheduled for March 4, 2013.  Due to the University of Evansville spring break schedule, we have chosen to celebrate early!

The Panhellenic Association is comprised of four inter/national sororities, Alpha Omicron Pi, Chi Omega, Phi Mu and Zeta Tau Alpha, and one local sorority, Delta Omega Zeta.  The sorority community at UE is over 400 women strong; boasts an average GPA of 3.35 and continually donate time to local service agencies.

About the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)
NPC, one of the nation’s largest organizations advocating for women, is the umbrella group for 26 national and international sororities present on more than 600 college campuses. For more information, including a complete list of NPC sororities, visit: www.npcwomen.org.

With generous support from the Efroymson Family Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, the University of Evansville is pleased to feature Douglas Miller of Louisville, Kentucky, in the new Emerging Contemporary Artists Lecture Series.

Miller will present a free, public lecture on his career and work at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 26 in the Melvin Peterson Gallery, 1935 Lincoln Avenue. Sixteen of his works will be on display in the gallery from February 22-March 1. In addition to pencil, ink, and acrylic, Miller’s works incorporate less traditional mediums such as mascara, crayon, correction fluid, and coffee.

Miller’s drawings have been exhibited in Louisville, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles. Additionally, he does freelance illustrations as well as private and corporate commissions. In 2009, Miller graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Louisville. Recently, he received a national award from American Artist Drawing Magazine and was voted Best Visual Artist for two consecutive years in the LEO Weekly readers’ choice poll.

His artwork can be found in the collections of the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science; the University of Louisville; the University of Louisville’s Speed School of Engineering; and numerous private collections.

For more information on Miller’s lecture and the Emerging Contemporary Artists Lecture Series, please call the Department of Art at 812-488-2043.

All May graduates should attend Commencement Central to finalize their graduation plans.  You can choose to either stop by Monday, Feb 25 from 4-7 p.m. upstairs in the Ridgway University Center OR Tuesday, Feb 26 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. just outside the UE Bookstore. It only takes a few minutes to complete your plans. During the event you will meet with the Registrar's Office, Alumni Office and Career Planning Office. You will also be able to purchase your cap and gown and/or graduation announcements if you so desire. The Jostens ring representative will be onsite Tuesday only and can discuss your class ring needs and any discounts she is offering during this event. This event is an easy process to make sure you are ready for graduation.  Participants will also be eligible for prizes on each day.

Members of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia will be in Ridgway University Center on Friday, March 1 from noon-1 p.m.. to allow students to sign up for the annual Battle of The Bands. The event  will take place on Saturday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m., while auditions will be held a week prior at 7 p.m. on Friday March 15. Student bands are allowed five minutes (the equivalent of around 1 song) to play their audition. Choice of sign-up times are available on the audition date (March 15) between 7 and 9 p.m. Both the auditions and the event will take place in Wheeler Concert Hall. Up to six final bands will be selected to prepare 15 minutes of material for the actual event.

Adventist Campus Ministries will be having Bible study on Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. in Room153 (Eades Music Room) in the McCurdy Wing of Schroeder Family School of Business Building.

This week we will be discussing a variety of topics centered around the US Constitution and the Bible. Different political points of view, military service, etc will be some of the things discussed.

Anyone is welcome to attend and you can contact: Alexandra Statham (as509@evansville.edu) for more details.

Join UE PRIDE as they host guest speaker Kelley Coures, a local polititian and the education chair of the Tri-State Alliance, to speak about LGBT History on Thursday, February 28 at 6 pm in Koch 100. The presentation will take us on a trip through time, exploring how LGBT issues have existed for over 4000 years, and can also earn you .25 Honors points!

Calling all enthusiastic and funny people for Master of Ceremonies for the International Banquet on March 23. Tryouts will be on February 27 from 8-9:30 p.m. in Eykamp 251, Ridgway University Center. Come with a sketch prepared. If you have any questions, contact gr36 or bb172.

In the Mix, a local performance ensemble that includes UE Professor of Theatre Diane Brewer, invites community members to participate in the process of developing a performance that mixes music, dance, and spoken word.

The workshop will run from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, March 3, in Eykamp Hall 253. Working without a script, participants will physically explore ideas in the morning, rehearse them in the early afternoon, and end the day with a culminating performance.

The workshop is open to ages 14 and older and is free for all participants. E-mail inthemix@inthemixensemble.org to reserve a space in the workshop or a seat at the performance.

Fitness Center Hours for Spring Break are:

Friday March 1 – 6:30 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday March 2 – Closed
Sunday March  3  - Closed
Monday March 4 to Friday March 8 - 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday March 9 – Closed
Sunday March 10 – Closed

Students interested in living in a new Townhouse, North Hall, or other Village unit for 2013-14 should stop by the Office of Residence Life to pick up their Village Request Cards.  These request cards are due back to the Office of Residence Life by 5:00 p.m. on Friday March 1.  More information on applying for the Villages can be found here. 

Students returning to UE housing next year, should submit an updated Housing and Food Service contract for 2013-14 by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 1. More information on the housing assignment process for returning students may be found on the Residence Life website.

Nominations are now being accepted for consideration of The Howard S. Rosenblatt “Dean of Students Leadership Awards”.  These awards will be presented at the 20th Annual Leadership Awards Reception scheduled for April 18, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.  Awards are presented in the following categories:
• Student Organization Advisor of the Year
• Student Organization of the Year
• Student Leader of the Year

Over 80% of UE students participate in at least one student organization or program.  These organizations are successful because of the commitment of the student leaders and the advisors who give freely of their time and support.  The recipients of these awards are selected based on their commitment to the University of Evansville as well as the development and success of their efforts within their chosen student organization.

The deadline for nominations is March 29, 2013.  Please click here to download a nomination form or stop by Room 230 in the Ridgway University Center to pick up a nomination form from the Dean of Students Office.  If you have any questions, please contact the Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students at extension 2500 or by e-mail at km306@evansville.edu. 

Thank you in advance for celebrating our student leaders’ achievements. 

If you wish to visit the Writing Center for a paper that has an imminent deadline, you'll find ample openings in the calendar this week--before the Center closes for Spring Break. To make an appointment, just go to http://acelink.evansville.edu, click on "Areas," "Writing Center," "Writing Center Appointments," and "Create an Appointment." The Center will close at noon Friday, March 1, and reopen at noon Monday, March 11.

The Department of Creative Writing announces the Cowgill Award in Creative Writing in honor of Major and Mrs. George Cowgill

George and Mary Cowgill believed in the power of a good education and the potential freedom and opportunity higher education could provide.  Though he achieved much in his life, often through determination and a knack for being in the right place at the right time, Mr. Cowgill felt he could have achieved more if he had earned a college degree and instilled this belief in his sons.  Mrs. Cowgill taught English for many years and continued her own education, eventually becoming a high school guidance counselor, where she helped many students in their search for the right college.  A number of those students attended the University of Evansville, including her son Michael (BFA, creative writing, ’95).  In her retirement, she volunteered at St. Gerard, a high school for pregnant teenagers in St. Augustine, Florida.

Mr. and Mrs. Cowgill both worked hard and made sacrifices so their sons could attend college.  Though creative writing wasn’t their first choice of major, they supported Michael’s choice both at UE and later at the graduate level at George Mason University.  They were lifelong readers and considered writing an honorable profession.  Michael honors their spirit and memories with this gift to the Department of Creative Writing.
DEADLINE MARCH 1, 2013

(NOTE: ALL GRABILL/KLINGER FICTION ENTRIES ARE AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED FOR THE COWGILL AWARD)

One $1000 prize will be awarded for the best story

ELIGIBILITY:  Any UE Writing major or minor.

ENTRIES:  Maximum 15 pages of short fiction.

Format:  All entries are to be typed on one side of 8 ½ x 11 sheets, double-spaced.  Each is to have a title, and pages are to be numbered.  The writer’s name is not to appear on the work, but each submission is to have an attached (stapled) cover page (8 ½ x 11) listing: the genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, academic essay), the title, author, the UE ID number, class rank, and the name of any teacher who has read or heard the work.  PLEASE NOTE: NO SUBMISSIONS WILL BE RETURNED.

DEADLINE:  THEY MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013, AT 4:00 P.M.  No late manuscripts will be accepted.

DATE OF AWARD OF PRIZES:  Prizes for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction will be awarded at the Creative Writing Coffee Hour on April 19 at 4 p.m. in Eykamp 253,  Ridgway University Center.  All are welcome to attend.

Faculty and administrators are encouraged to nominate one or more seniors for the Guthrie May and Mabel Dillingham Nenneker Outstanding Senior Service Awards.  One male and one female will be recognized at commencement.  There will be 10 finalists selected to attend a luncheon on May 1, 2013.  To nominate someone, please print a nomination/application form which can be found here or by contacting km306@evansville.edu.  Attach your signature to the bottom of the form and have the senior attach it to a summary of their contributions to the University.  Please turn nominations into the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students by Wednesday, March 27, 2013.  

The Office of Development wants to know what does philanthropy mean to you?  In one hundred words or less share what philanthropy means to you and the winning essay author will get $100.  All full time students are eligible and essays must be submitted by March 8th to Liz Riffert at EL37@evansville.edu. The winner will be announced at the start of Philanthropy Week on March 18th. 

Pi Gamma Mu, the Honor Society for the Social Sciences, will be collecting new and used shoes for Soles4Souls, a charity dedicated to providing shoes to those in need around the world.  Shoes of all styles and sizes are welcome!  Collection boxes will be located in Ridgway University Center, Koch Center, Graves Hall, Carson Center, and the Department of Law, Politics, and Society in SoBA 50.  Collection will run from Monday, February 25 through Friday, March 22nd.  Our goal is to collect 200 pairs!  If you have any questions, contact Mari Plikuhn at mp168@evansville.edu.

The University of Evansville baseball team will continue its 2013 season with a pair of midweek games in the state of Tennessee, as the Purple Aces will travel to UT Martin Tuesday for a 3 p.m. game against the Skyhawks, before playing nationally-ranked Vanderbilt Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn.

Evansville (1-5) was swept in a three-game set against nationally-ranked Arkansas last weekend in Fayetteville, Ark., and will be looking to halt a five-game losing skid Tuesday at UTM.  The Aces hit just .194 as a team in the series against the Razorbacks and were led by senior Chris Pearson, who finished 4-for-9 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored.  Redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski went 3-for-9 against Arkansas, driving in three runs and recording UE’s only extra base hit.

Evansville got solid starts from its trio of starters in sophomore Kyle Freeland, redshirt junior Sam Johns and senior Kyle Lloyd, but the Aces’ bullpen struggled for the second-straight week, giving up 16 runs, including 12 earned runs, in just 8.1 innings against the Razorbacks.

As a team, UE is hitting .249 and getting on base at a .317 clip.  Evansville has tallied 10 extra base hits, including seven doubles, and has stolen seven bases in eight chances.  The Aces are fielding .977 as a team, but have been outscored, 40-22, over their six games this season.  Evansville pitching staff has combined for a 6.24 ERA and struck out 46 opposing batting around just 20 walks. 

Individually, Kaczmarski leads the Aces with a .381 batting average, four doubles, a .571 slugging percentage and three stolen bases.  The redshirt sophomore has reached base in 24-straight games.  Redshirt junior Johnny Day is second on the squad with a .286 average and owns a team-best .423 on-base percentage.  Senior Jason Hockemeyer leads the team with five RBI and is hitting .227 with a triple.

Senior Kyle Lloyd leads Evansville’s pitching staff with a 3.27 ERA, allowing four earned runs in 11.0 innings on the hill, and is tied for the team lead with 13 strikeouts.  Kyle Freeland has the Aces’ only win this season and boasts a 3.75 ERA and has fanned 13 opposing hitters, while walking just one.

UT Martin (3-5) lost its first five games of the season, before earning a three-game sweep of IPFW last weekend on its home field.  The Skyhawks won all three games by one run and posted a 1-0 shutout in game two. 

UTM is hitting just .237 as a team and has struck out 62 times, while coaxing 18 walks for a .307 on-base percentage.  UT Martin has also struggled in the field, as it has committed 17 errors on the season for a .941 fielding percentage.  On the base paths, the Skyhawks have stolen four bases in eight tries.  UT Martin’s pitching staff owns a 5.05 ERA, has combined for 69 strikeouts around 27 walks and opposing teams are hitting .299 against it.

Wade Collins leads UTM with an impressive .482 batting average, three doubles, six RBI and a .577 slugging percentage.  Grant Glasser is hitting an even .300 and has legged out a pair of doubles, while Kenny King, who is hitting .294, has accounted for the Skyhawks’ only home run this season and has recorded five RBI.

Taylor Cox has been the top starter for UTM, allowing just one earned run over 9.2 innings of work for a team-best 0.93 ERA.  Alex Boshers has also started a pair of games for UT Martin and is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA with eight strikeouts and two walks.  Dan Tobik has struck out a team-high 12 and is 0-0 with a 5.00 ERA.

Vanderbilt (7-1) has won its last five games and enters the week ranked in the top five three national polls.  The Commodores will host Arkansas State for a single game on Tuesday, before hosting the Aces Wednesday afternoon.  Last weekend, VU swept Monmouth in a three game series and outscored the Hawks, 29-3.

Vanderbilt is hitting .327 as a team and four Commodores are hitting .379 or better.  VU has stolen 31 bases in 38 chances this season and is fielding .976 as a team, committing just seven errors in its eight games.  Vanderbilt’s pitching staff has combined for a 2.79 ERA and has held opposing hitters to a .210 batting average.

Jack Lupo leads the Commodores with a .417 batting average and leads the team with nine stolen bases.  Xavier Turner is hitting an even .400 with a pair of doubles and six RBI, while Connor Harrell has been the top power bat in the VU lineup and leads the squad with 14 RBI, two homers and a .731 slugging percentage.

Philip Pfiefer has been the ace of the Vanderbilt pitching staff thus far, going 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA, allowing just one earned run and striking out 12 in 14.0 innings.  Kevin Ziomek has notched a team-high 18 strikeouts and is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA.  Tyler Beede has also earned two wins in his two starts and has surrendered just seven hits over 12.0 innings.

Evansville leads the all-time series with UT Martin, 8-2, and won both meetings last season.  The Aces and Vanderbilt have met 53 times on the diamond, with VU holding an 18-35 advantage in the all-time series.  Last year, UE topped Vanderbilt, 5-3, in Nashville.

Probable Pitching Matchups (Evansville listed first)
TUESDAY – RHP Ryan Billo (0-0, 54.00 ERA) vs. RHP Cody Miller (0-0, 6.00 ERA)
WEDNESDAY – TBD vs. TBD

For the first time this season and the fifth time in his career, Evansville senior Colt Ryan was named Player of the Week by the Missouri Valley Conference on Monday.

Ryan is wrapping up his career in style and amped it up in a big way in the last two games, posting a total of 52 points to go along with 14 rebounds.

In the home victory over Illinois State, the Batesville, Ind. product tallied a game-high 31 points on a 9-18 night from the floor.  He finished with four 3-pointers, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

He helped the Aces to their third road win of the season on Saturday with his 21-point outing at Wright State.  Ryan was 8-of-19 while posting a pair of treys.  For the second game in a row, Ryan hauled in seven rebounds while dishing out a pair of assists.

Just as impressive was his climb up the MVC free throw list last week.  After starting the week with 537, Ryan finished with 549 and moved into the top five in MVC history, jumping four players, including Larry Bird.

Ryan is the third UE player honored by the league this season.  D.J. Balentine earned Newcomer of the Week honors in December while Troy Taylor was named Co-Player of the Week later that month following his triple-double at Creighton.

The Purple Aces athletics department has announced a special Kid’s Day promotion for the home basketball games at the Ford Center on Saturday and Sunday.

Included in the promotions are Saturday’s men’s game versus Indiana State and Sunday’s women’s contest versus Bradley; both will be Senior Day for their respective teams.

Adults who purchase a regular-priced ticket will receive a free kids ticket with the vouchers linked above.  This can be done at either the Carson Center ticket office on the UE campus or at the Ford Center.  The offer is good for valid sections only.

For more information, please call 812-488-ACES
 

The USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams were announced today and once again, the University of Evansville Cross Country Teams were represented on the lists.

For team honors, a total of 145 institutions represent 30 conferences that compose the men's group.  For the women, a total of 200 institutions represent 30 conferences.

To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.00 or better and have started at least five runners at their respective NCAA regional championship.

The Evansville women posted a cumulative GPA of 3.525 and were honored for the 16th time overall and for the 13th season in a row.  The men earned their seventh honor and their sixth in the last eight seasons.