Join us Thursdays at 9 pm on the second floor of Ridgway next to the radio booth to discuss food options in the cafeteria with a Sodexo representative and see what we are about. 

From 3:00-5:30 on Sunday February 22nd, come support the Men's Basketball team as they take on #13 Wichita State. The event will take place in the Class of 1959 Gallery and Lounge, there will be free popcorn! 

Fellowship of Christian Athletes is holding a food drive in Ridgway from Wednesday, February 18th through Friday, February 20th from 12-2 each day. Come donate non-perishable food items or hygiene products (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.) to go toward the Bosko missions in Haiti. 

Hey everyone! I-House this week will be over Thailand and Pooh will be presenting :) His major is marketing with a minor in psychology! His main hobby is procrastination and he loves all the people he's met here at UE! So come watch him present this Wednesday at 7pm upstairs in Ridgway! 

Join us in receiving ashes at the 5PM Mass Wednesday, Feb. 18 in Neu Chapel. The Most Reverend Charles C. Thompson, Bishop of the Diocese of Evansville will preside. UE student hospitality ministers include Katie Ziebell, Fran Prexl and Kaela Guglielmo. Nick Raupp and Alanna Payne are our readers; and Kat Marcussen, Cheryl Zurliene, and Cecelia Cottrill are communion ministers. Jon Robson and Isaiah Frey will serve at the altar with Bishop Thompson. Nathan Kabat, Brooks Brown and Emma Kelley are among the musicians sharing their gifts with us for this Mass. All are welcome. We hope you will join us in marking the beginning of the Season of Lent at this 5PM Mass this Wednesday. Questions? Call or text 812-760-8610. 

Join us this Saturday evening February 21st at 7:00 pm in Room162 in Schroeder School of Business Building to watch a Spanish-language movies that won an Oscar award for Best Foreign Language Films. For more information please contact Francis Prexl-Orti (fp21@evansville.edu) or Dr. Lorena Andueza (pa55@evansville.edu)

The University of Evansville Department of Theatre proudly presents Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa, opening Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m., in Shanklin Theatre. Additional performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 21, 26, 27, 28, and at 2:00 p.m. on Feb. 22 and Mar. 1.

Written by one of Ireland’s most important playwrights, this poignant tale garnered the 1992 Tony Award for Best Play. Inventively told through the eyes of an adult harkening back to memories of his youth, the play centers on the daily life of the five Mundy sisters. On the verge of the Industrial Revolution, the opening of a nearby knitting factory threatens their simple home-based livelihood in the bucolic County Donegal. In contrast to their worries about the future, the family’s first wireless radio allows the sisters to experience a spirit of freedom and an opportunity for expressiveness that was previously missing in their traditional Irish Catholic household. This lyrical story is rich in its portrayal of the complex kinship of sisters and the authenticity of family life.

Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $13 for senior adults, students, and UE faculty and staff. UE students may obtain one free student rush ticket beginning at noon on the day of the performance they wish to attend. Tickets may be purchased by calling (812) 488–2031, Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. 

A Writing Center Boot Camp: Thesis Statements is planned for Wednesday, February 18 at 5 p.m. in the Writing Center. Learn the basics of thesis writing in this useful session on what exactly the thesis is, why it is so important, and how it should be structured. We will also cover some basic tips on organizing essays.

Please join us as we celebrate 25 years of UE's archaeology program at a reception on Friday, February 20 at the May House. Enjoy desserts and Jezreel Valley wine while learning more UE's unique archaeology and art history program. Archaeology professor Alan Kaiser will be on hand to sign copies of his new book "Archaeology, Sexism and Scandal" about UE professor emerita Mary Ellingson and a silent auction will feature donated items and services from local restaurants, museums, spas, and more! For more information and to register online: http://www.uealumnionline.com/s/1096/index.aspx?sid=1096&pgid=1197&gid=1&cid=2355&ecid=2355&post_id=0 

February 26-27, Sodexo Chef Hilko Ferdinand Van Eeden from The Netherlands will be cooking culinary cuisine from his homeland of The Netherlands. Everyone is welcome to this event! You don't need a meal plan to enjoy the cuisine. You can use your Flex, debit or credit cards. 

This Friday (February 20th) is the priority deadline for several upcoming short-term study abroad programs, including:
• Applied Process Development: Dominican Republic
• British and US Health Care Systems
• Chinese Health Care System
• Contemporary European Business Issues
• Exploring Asia in South Korea
• International Cultural Immersion Experience: Trinidad and Tobago

Students interested in participating in one of these programs should submit their applications by the priority deadline to confirm their place. Applications received after the priority deadline will be reviewed as space is available.

Information about costs, dates, and other deadlines can be found on the UE Study Abroad page: http://www.evansville.edu/studyabroad/shortTerm.cfm

The online application is available here: http://www.evansville.edu/studyabroad/shortTermApp.cfm

Please contact Marissa Mitchell, coordinator of short-term programs abroad, at mm353 or 488-2039 if you have any questions. 

Students interested in living in the Villages (Townhouse, North Hall, Apartments, or Houses) for 2015-2016 should pick up Village Request Cards this week in the office of residence life.

The Villages are reserved primarily for students with 60+ credit hours. In order to apply to live in the Villages, each person in your group must have at least 44 credit hours on file with the University by the end of the previous fall semester.

Village request cards are due back to the office of residence life by 5:00 pm on Friday February 20.

More information on the housing assignments process can be found on the residence life section of the University website at http://www.evansville.edu/residencelife/whereWillYouLive.cfm
 

The employee wellness nurse will be in Koch North lobby on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1 - 3 p.m. 

The March 1 deadline to apply for scholarships for next year is approaching. Various scholarships are available, so please apply for awards from both of these organizations which support students attending United Methodist colleges:

United Methodist Higher Education Foundation
www.umhef.org

General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
www.gbhem.org/scholarshipapplication

Later this month, UE will host delegates from all throughout the state for the Indiana Residence Hall Organization Conference (IRHOC). The goal of the conference is to share creative and beneficial ideas that will make campus residential communities even better. The IRHOC Committee is looking for hospitable, energized students who are willing to volunteer for various positions during a portion of the conference that will take place from February 28 to March 1. Each volunteer will be eligible for service hours and a free t-shirt. To learn more about the conference and sign-up for a slot, log on to irhoc2015.com and select “Volunteers” from the navigation menu. Questions can be directed to irhoc2015@gmail.com. Sign-up now to receive your preferred volunteer slot. 

The University of Evansville African American Alumni Association (UEAAA) is pleased to announce the application process for the Zerah Priestly Carter University of Evansville African American Scholarship is now open. Alumni members raised the necessary funds to make this an endowed scholarship and named it in honor of Zerah Priestly Carter ’38, the first African American graduate of the University. The deadline to return all materials to the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations is Friday, March 20. This scholarship is awarded each year to deserving African American UE students.

The 2015 scholarship funds are IN ADDITION TO other financial aid/scholarships awarded to the recipient! Interested and qualified students are encouraged to apply at this time. Go to the UEAAA website to see the criteria for the scholarship or to download an application. Questions? Contact H. Angela Williams at 812-488-2900 or aw162@evansville.edu.
http://www.evansville.edu/alumni/ueaaaCarter.cfm
 

File the 2015-16 FAFSA by March 10 at www.fafsa.gov

Continuing students should file the 2015-16 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for federal, state and University need-based financial aid, including all federal student loans. UE's FAFSA code is 001795.

Filing by March 10 is essential for Indiana residents, and highly recommended for all. Questions regarding the FAFSA should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid (Olmsted Hall, Room 116) at (812) 488-2364, (800) 424-8634 or financialaid@evansville.edu.

IRS Data Retrieval Tool
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool transfers parent and/or student IRS tax information to the FAFSA. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is available through the FAFSA approximately 3 weeks after the 2014 federal tax return is filed electronically. IRS Data Retrieval can be used for the initial FAFSA or to correct estimated tax information on a submitted FAFSA.

The City of Evansville is assessing what needs to be improved with how buses operate in the Evansville area. There is a very short, but nonetheless very important, general public survey on the project website at www.metstransitstudy.info. To show exactly what University of Evansville students, faculty and staff need in terms of functional public transportation you are encouraged to take the time to complete the short survey. Please also pass this along to friends, family, co-workers, etc. 

Dr. Kyle Kiesel, Professor and Chair of Physical Therapy, along with his two colleagues, Gray Cook and Greg Rose presented a 3-hour lecture on injury prevention in professional football players in Indianapolis at the NFL combines.  They were invited to present by the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society and there were approximately 120 NFL Athletic Trainers in attendance.

Along with Dr. Phil Plisky, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, Dr. Kiesel has published several studies regarding injury prediction including two related to injuries in the NFL.

Assistant Professor of Biology Noah Gordon recently presented research co-authored with UE biology majors Kane Stratman and Maddie Ralph at the 75th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. The research focuses on how two species of tree frog are interacting in response to the range expansion of one of them. 

D.J. Balentine hit 8 of his 16 shots to finish with a game-high 24 points as the University of Evansville men's basketball team took down Drake by a 61-52 final on Tuesday night at the Ford Center.

Balentine hit 6 of his 7 free throw attempts along with a pair of treys for the Purple Aces (19-8, 9-6 MVC). Behind him were Egidijus Mockevicius and Jaylon Brown, who tallied 8 points apiece. Brown hit a career-best eight free throws while posting five assists and three steals. Mockevicius hit three shots and a pair of free throws.

Pacing the Bulldogs (8-19, 5-10 MVC) was Jacob Enevold. He posted ten points and a game-high 7 rebounds. Trevor Berkeley finished the game with 10.

"It was a hard-fought game, both teams played really hard," UE head coach Marty Simmons said. "I thought our guys hung in there and showed some good resiliency. We were fortunate to make enough plays to get the win."

Enevold gave the Bulldogs the early 2-0 advantage as the UE offense missed its first shot while turning the ball over twice in its first three possessions. D.J. Balentine got the Aces on the board at the 2-minute mark. Balentine scored a game-high 14 in the period on an efficient 6-8 start.

Minutes later, Duane Gibson found Jaylon Moore open underneath the basket as Moore converted to give the Aces their first lead of the day at 6-4. That bucket was part of a 7-0 run that saw the Aces take a 9-4 lead. Evansville's offense was stellar at the start, holding Drake to just 2-for-11 to begin the contest.

Midway through the half, Drake fought back to tie the game at 14-14 as Ore Arogundade was true from 14 feet. The Aces fought back once again, embarking on an 11-2 stretch to take their largest lead to that point at 25-16. Blake Simmons notched four points in the fun.

The Bulldogs got within four points at 25-21 inside the 3-minute mark, but UE took a 30-23 lead into the halftime break thanks to a Balentine triple. Evansville shot 60% in the opening frame while limiting Drake to 36% on 9-of-25 shooting in the stanza.

Out of the break, Drake came out on fire, drilling their first four shots to get within a point at 32-31. Jaylon Brown kept the Aces on top, scoring the first four points of the period from the free throw line. Despite his efforts, the Bulldogs kept their rally going as their 7-10 start from the field in the second half saw them take a 39-37 lead.

Evansville began the frame 0-for-7 before an Adam Wing bucket tied the game back up at 39-39 with just over 11 minutes left in the game.

Wing's basket marked the beginning of what would be a 10-0 run that saw the Aces go up 47-39. Wing had six of those ten tallies. A Trevor Berkeley bucket put a temporary end to the run, but Evansville took back the upper hand.

"We tried to get stops and rotated pretty well," Wing said. "We knew once we could get stops, we would be able to run on them in transition. Our guys did a great job of pushing the ball."

Balentine notched five points in a row as the Aces took their largest lead of the night at 52-41 with just over six minutes left. A quick 5-0 spurt, capped off by a Gary Ricks triple, got the Bulldogs with six points at the 4-minute mark, but the Aces were able to withstand the run and earn the 61-52 win.

Entering the night, UE ranked 7th in the country in assisted basket percentage. The Aces showed just why as they were credited with 18 assists on 20 makes. Brown had five while three others totaled three apiece. The Aces also finished with a 28-26 edge on the boards.

Evansville takes to the road for a pair of games over the next eight days. The trek begins on Sunday as the Aces will play at #13 Wichita State. ESPNU will cover the game, which begins at 3 p.m. Next Wednesday, the Aces will head to Cedar Falls, Iowa to face 11th-ranked UNI. That game will be on ESPN3. Evansville dealt UNI its lone MVC loss this season on New Year’s Day.

Due to inclement weather, the University of Evansville baseball team’s upcoming weekend series at the Western Kentucky has been relocated.

Rather than meeting in snow-covered Bowling Green, Ky., the Aces and Hilltoppers will now head south to play a weekend in Emerson, Ga. The contests will be played at the Perfect Game Baseball Field at LakePoint Sporting Community. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 5:00 p.m. CT and concludes with a single game on Sunday, Feb.22 at 2:00 p.m. CT. All games are slated for nine innings each.

Due to the relocation, there will be no audio or video feeds for the series. However, live stats will be provided throughout the weekend and are available at WKUSports.com .

Evansville (2-1) began the season by sweeping a doubleheader at Arkansas – Little Rock on Saturday, Feb. 17. The pair of victories secured a road series win from the Trojans on Opening Weekend.

Evansville has their first home game at Braun Stadium on Friday, February 27 when they play Oakland as part of a three-game weekend series.

For the next four days, the Purple Aces women’s swimming and diving team will be participating in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Carbondale, Ill.

For live video, daily results and full information on the championship, please visit the MVC Championship Central here: http://www.mvc-sports.com/swimdive/news/2014-15/7692/2015-swimming--diving-championship/#.VOOD3SxFxBQ

Last year, the University of Evansville finished in fourth place and looks for more in this year’s trip to Illinois. This season, the Aces were picked to finish fourth once again in the pre-championship poll. Several individual performances highlighted last year’s championships. Evansville started the day one finals off with a bang, with the relay team of Danielle Freeman, Abby Smith, Sam Montgomery and Michelle Tipton winning the 200-yard freestyle A-heat by .25 seconds, setting a new school record with a time of 1:33.23.

Maja Magnusson continued the Aces success in the 500-yard freestyle C-Final, winning her heat with a time of 5:10.08 and junior Michelle Tipton finished third in the A-Final with a time of 4:57.02.

In the 200-yard IM, senior Melissa Thurman pulled off a come from behind victory in the C-Final with a time of 2:11.29 and in the B-Final Mackenzie Powell finished fifth with a time of 2:09.71, Caroline Lee finished sixth with a time of 2:09.55 and Charlotte Lechner finished eighth with a time of 2:12.67.

The second day of last season featured the 200-yard medley relay and the Aces squad of Abby Smith, Caroline Lee, Taylor Shotwell and Maja Magnusson, who came away with a third place finish in heat one with a time of 1:47.98 and in heat two the team of Michaela Kent, Melissa Ball, Danielle Freeman and Mackenzie Powell finished third as well with a time of 1:44.31.

On the final day, the Lady Aces swam in the C-Final of the 200-yard backstroke where Charlotte Lechner finished in fourth place with a time of 2:11.08 and Taylor Shotwell finished in sixth place with a time of 2:12.49. In the B-Final Taylor Davidson nearly broke the school record finishing in third with a time of 2:04.76 and Michaela Kent finished in seventh with a time of 2:07.03.

Abby Smith capped the weekend off by bringing home the MVC’s Elite 18 Award.

This marks the second time in a span of 10 days that UE will be heading to Carbondale as the women faced the Salukis on Feb. 7. In that event, the Aces took the win in the 50 free as Danielle Freeman finished with a 24.56, it was the winning time by just 0.01.

Several Aces recorded second-place outings, including the 100 medley relay as Michaela Kent, Caroline Lee, Sam Montgomery and Abby Smith were runner-up with a 51.19. Smith swam on her on in the 25 free, finishing just 0.03 off the win with an 11.42. Kent finished in second in the 50 backstroke as she swam a 28.22.
 

Both the University of Evansville men’s and women’s cross country teams were named All-Academic Teams by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The award is given to teams who finish with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and both Purple Aces squads finished above that, led by the ladies, who checked in last semester with a 3.54. Academic success is the pinnacle of the UE experience and the cross country teams are no different as both squads have made regular appearances on the academic list.

For the women, this is their 15th-consecutive honor while the men brought home the award for the 10th season in a row.

“The Women were Academic All-Americans only three times and the Men none before I started my coaching career here at the University,” UE head coach Don Walters said. “The importance of being a Student-Athlete is to be the Student first and still enjoy the benefits of the Athlete second. I am proud of my teams for understanding what success really means.”

“For the last five years all graduating seniors that did not continue on to higher education had jobs before they received their diploma,” he continued. “This is the most important thing that we strive for at this level and place in our lives. Congratulations to all past and present Student-Athletes.”

Along with the academic accolades, Walters also announced the team awards for the season.

Taking the Most Valuable Runner award for the men was senior Josh Genet. Josh became a 4-time MVR this season while being injured during the summer and never totally recovering. He still led the team in all events and continued to improve his times in all but one meet. More important - Josh holds the school record for the 10K. His dedication and leadership will be missed next season. He also was the team co-captain.

Fellow senior Matt Hamilton received the Leadership and Service Award from the MVC. Matt also was team co-captain. He is another senior that will be hard to replace next season.

Sophomore Ben Johnson received the 100% Award. He had an outstanding season and set his PR for both the 8K and 10K and improved his times in every meet except one. Ben worked very hard in practice every day all while helping our Freshmen Isaiah Frey to learn how to compete.

Frey ran well in his first season, setting a new PR in every race. He also ran in the MVC Championship and the NCAA District Championships.

Earning the Most Improved Award was senior runner Loren Oboikovitz. Loren set her 5K and 6K PR at the MVC Championships and District Championships ending her career in the best way possible.

Elizabeth Kingshott dropped her times in every race this season and for her efforts, earned the Most Consistent Award. She finished first on the team at the opener and third at the Conference Championships.

Kirsten Perrey and Laurel Wolfe were Co-Most Valuable Runners for the ladies. Perrey dropped her time in every race except one while setting her PR for the 5K at the Evansville Invitational and 6K at the NCAA District Championship. She finished first on the team 2-times second once and third three times. She was team co-captain and is a very positive person that will be missed next season.

Wolfe set her Personal Record in the 5K at the Louisville Classic. She finished first on the team four times, second twice and third once. She was also the team co-captain.

As a team, the Aces had 17 Personal Records set for the 2014 season while the women took the team championship at the Evansville Invitational.

Purple Aces volleyball coach Manolo Concepcion has announced that the program will hold three camps over the summer.

The first will be a Youth Camp, which is set for July 13-17 and will take place from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day. This camp will be focused on teaching players entering Kindergarten to 8th grade the essential volleyball skills in order to become mechanically efficient by emphasizing on technical training. The main goal is to give individual attention to each camper. Each athlete will be broken down into groups based on the skill level.

Next up is a High School Skills Camp, which is slated from July 20-24. This camp will be focused on teaching players entering 9th to 12th grade the essential volleyball skills in order to become mechanically efficient by emphasizing on technical training. The main goal is to give individual attention to each camper. Each athlete will be broken down into groups based on the skill level.

Finally, a Position Camp will take place from July 27-29. Participants will choose one position that they will focus on the duration of the camp. Each camper will receive specific training towards the skills and techniques associated with that position, and will developed in accordance to age and experience.

Concepcion, who has worldwide coaching experience and several years of collegiate work, will be directing the camp. He will be joined by new assistant Cheneta Morrison, who was a 2-time All-American for the University of Indianapolis. Active players from the UE program will also be participating.

For full information, click the link to the brochure above. Contact Coach Concepcion at 812-488-2755 with any questions.
 

Jaylon Moore needs your help! Jaylon is one of 16 finalist vying for a spot in the State Farm Dunk Contest during Final Four Weekend. Head over to www.darkhorsedunker.com, register using your email, and vote. You can vote once a day. Let's get JayMo to Indy! 

A great day for the University of Evansville baseball program will take place on Wednesday, February 18 as the new locker room will officially be dedicated.

The $55,000 project saw all of the funds privately raised, including an extremely generous donation courtesy of UE alumnus Ken Maikranz and wife Martha.

Near the end of 2014, the locker room was completely demolished and rebuilt from scratch.  The project consisted of adding custom-made double-sided oak lockers as well as new flooring, tiling, showers, graphics and lights.

For the first time, a sound system and television were placed in the room allowing the team the opportunity to watch film.  The renovation also gives the team a prime place to meet and gather on a regular basis.

Official dedication will take place on the Wednesday, February 18 beginning at 3 p.m.  UE President Dr. Tom Kazee will speak as well as Athletics Director Mark Spencer, head baseball coach Wes Carroll and current player Shain Showers.

The event caps off what has been a great year for the program as it is coming off of a regular season Missouri Valley Conference Championship as well as seeing pitcher Kyle Freeland taken 8th in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies.