As part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (i.e., the “fiscal cliff bill”) recently signed by President Obama, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has directed employers to increase the amount of FICA taxes withheld from employee paychecks for Social Security effective January 1, 2013.  In December 2010, as part of legislation that extended Bush-Era tax cuts (the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010); the federal government negotiated a temporary reduction in the FICA payroll tax. This reduction was not extended as part of the new act, which means the amount collected for FICA will be reinstated to its previous rate from 4.2% to 6.2%.

As Congress did not vote on the bill until after the University of Evansville processed its January 4 bi-weekly payroll, we had no choice but to deduct taxes at the old 4.2% rate.  Therefore, we will need to catch up the extra 2% that was not deducted on the January 4 payroll.  This catch-up will occur over the next two bi-weekly payrolls: January 18 and February 1.  Beginning with the February 15 bi-weekly payroll, the normal 6.2% FICA tax will be deducted.  There will be no catch-up for employees paid on a monthly basis, as this payroll will not be processed until the end of January.  However, employees paid on a monthly basis will also be affected by the increase to 6.2%.

If you have any questions, please contact Gloria Spencer ext. 2159.

 

If you are interested in the outdoors and enjoy camping, hiking, canoeing, and rock climbing, etc., check out the UE Venturing Crew – Outdoor Club!  The group has big plans for the spring semester, including a road trip to Nashville (with stops at the REI Store and Opry Mills Shopping Mall), and backpacking, rock climbing, and mountain biking at Fall Creek Falls State Park.  Are you experienced in the outdoors and looking for an opportunity to hang out with like-minded people?  We are the group for you!  Have you never been camping, but always wanted to learn?  Here’s your chance!

Our first outing of the semester will be camping and day hiking in Shawnee National Forest on January 25–27.  Cost is $30 (includes food, travel, and campsite fees).  Anyone interested in the crew is invited to attend.  Membership does require a $20 annual fee.  For additional information, please contact venturing@evansville.edu or pay your fees to Nicky Lodewyk in Olmsted 217.  The deadline to sign up for the upcoming campout is Monday, January 21.

For more information, including photos of past adventures, check out: http://www.facebook.com/#!/UEVenturingCrew365

The UE community is invited to stop by an information table at Ridgway this Friday January 18 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. to learn more about participating in the 2013 season of the Jezreel Expedition. The Jezreel Expedition is a new excavation project in Israel sponsored by the University of Evansville and the University of Haifa and co-directed by Jennie Ebeling of the Department of Archaeology and Art History. For four weeks this May-June, UE students will have the opportunity to earn three credits by participating in the Jezreel field school. In addition to excavating the biblical site of Jezreel, which was home to Ahab and Jezebel’s winter palace, students will hear lectures on a variety of archaeological, historical and biblical topics, visit archaeological and historical sites in the area, and spend a weekend in Jerusalem.

ALL majors are welcome.

For more information, contact Dr. Ebeling at je55, Barbara Pieroni at bp66,  or visit our website: www.jezreel-expedition.com.

Nerd Wars is almost here!!! The Annual Nerd Wars Trivia Night Fundraiser will be held on Tuesday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp 251-252, Ridgway University Center!

Teams of up to 5 people will compete in a trivia night style competition consisting of six rounds of 10 questions each from 12 different categories. The team that correctly answers the most questions will be the winner! There will be prizes for the winning student team and the winning faculty team, as well as other prizes throughout the night!

Sign up forms are available in Lisa Hofferth’s office (KC 238) and tables will be in Ridgway today to register.  Teams must register by Friday January 25th; it is $5 per person to register.  Get your geek on!

Communication 499 Independant Study in Film Production are planning Cast and Crew Calls for the Spring 2013 Production. The Cast and Crew Calls will be Friday, January 18 from 4-6 p.m. and Saturday, January 19 from 2-4 p.m. in Room 71, Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building.

More information about the production can be found at http://whatteenagegirlsdointhewoods.blogspot.com/2013/01/casting-call.html

Send an email to GO522films@gmail.com for more information or to reserve an audition time. Auditions are open to everyone. Ten Minutes will be allotted and selections of the script are available upon request.

Starting Friday, January 25, colleges in Evansville are participating in a Martin Luther King Jr. food drive at Schnucks locations accross the city. UE volunteers will be collecting at the Schnucks at 3501 North Green River Road. The food drive lasts from Friday evening through Sunday night. Please sigh up for hour slots using this web link
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnCbGkp17DcAdE5iNGdKM29FNmtLTk5aTmNIdHVQZEE#gid=0.

A minimum of 2 volunteers per time slot is needed. Volunteers will be collecting food and handing out fliers. If there are any questions please contact the office of Community Services initiative (488-2538) in Ridgway University Center.

This resource includes bibliographic records and full text covering essential areas related to criminal justice and criminology. The increasing globalization of criminology is reflected in Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text's coverage of hundreds of journals from around the world. Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text contains more than 300,000 records selected from the most important sources within the discipline. This resource includes full text for more than 200 magazines and journals as well full text books & monographs.

*Contains Both Abstracts and Full-text

*Full text includes Journals, Magazines, Books and Monographs

*International Resources

If you have any questions please contact Kathy Bartelt (kb4) or Shane White (sw69)

The research team that includes UE physical therapy faculty members Phil Plisky and Kyle Kiesel has been nominated for a military innovation award. The team has been working diligently for the past 3 years to reduce the 10 million limited duty days and over $550,000,000 in medical costs for preventable musculoskeletal injury in those who protect our freedom.

The team's research (Military Power, Performance and Prevention) has been submitted to the MHS Innovation Challenge and they need your vote TODAY!  YOUR vote can help UE faculty members win this challenge and the opportunity to continue pursuing effective methods of predicting risk injury in our Soldiers.  Click on the link for details and to VOTE:  http://mhsquadrupleaimchallenge.challenge.gov/submissions/13268-screening-for-musculoskeletal-injury-1-defense-healthcare-burden.

Together, our votes can continue to make an impact on this valuable mission. Please vote now and share this with as many people as you know ask them to vote!

As the market moves away from single magnetic stripe technology on credit and debit cards towards new contactless smartcards using Radio Frequency ID (RFID) chips to embed information such as account numbers, expiration dates, etc., there is a new surge in identity theft and fraudulent payments involving electronic pickpocketing.  Electronic pickpocketing is well on its way to becoming the number one way to obtain personal information being broadcast by radio waves from credit cards, passports and other ID cards.   For more information visit http://www.wkyc.com/news/investigative/article/255188/230/Investigator-Electronic-pickpocketing-a-growing-problem

The good news is that electronic pickpocketing is easily preventable by using Radio Frequency ID (RFID) blocking wallets, security sleeves, etc.  To prevent electronic pickpocketing of UE Pcards, UE cardholders will be receiving a complimentary Identity Stronghold security sleeve via campus mail from the Office of Administrative Services to keep their UE Pcard safe.

For those interested in keeping personal credit cards secure, Identity Stronghold security card sleeves are now available for purchase from the UE Bookstore.
 

Do you have a love for meeting new people and UE?  If so, then Admission Ambassadors is the organization for you!  Applications are now available in the Office of Admissions, and they will be due January 25.  Stop by the Admissions Office to grab your application, and feel free to ask any questions you might have!

All students are invited to register for the 2013 Students In Leadership Conference to be held Saturday February 23 in the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building.  Applications are available online at: http://www.evansville.edu/studentengagement/leadershipGroups.cfm

Applications will be accepted until Friday, February 1. The first 30 students to register will receive a free copy of Social Excellence: We Dare You by Matthew G. Mattson, Jessica Gendron Williams & Josh Orendi, the basis for our Keynote Program.

Conference Features:
Breakfast reception

Keynote Program: Social Excellence by Phired Up Productions: “Social Excellence [n]: A state of perpetual generosity, curiosity, positivity, and openness to limitless possibility. A desire to intentionally connect with others. The ability to engage in deep, meaningful conversation. Acting in a responsible and respectable manner with high expectations of others. Being authentic and living everyday with integrity as the best version of oneself. Being confident and vulnerable. Being fun and compassionate. Being open, kind, and bold. The highest level of societal participation and contribution.”

Lunch with Evansville professionals

Rotating Sessions with Phired Up Productions, Interview preparation with the Center for Career Development and personal leadership development skill building with the Center for Student Engagement

For more information contact advisor Cara Fabrocini (cf107) or SIL Chair Liz Bracewell (eb143)

Spring Phonathon is looking for Student Callers.  If you love to brag about UE and have great communication skills, why not get paid for it?  This position requires that you have at least 2 evenings available a week for 4 weeks. Training will be provided!  Incentives are given for exceptional work ethic and calling results.  Please call Liz Riffert in Annual Giving at 812-488-2440 or email at EL37@evansville.edu if you are interested.

Applications for students interested in becoming an International Orientation Leader (IOL) are available in the Office of Cultural Engagement and International Services (RUC 220). Or you can access the application here: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B75InBRslYiBckljUmgwakdvWjA. We are seeking any student – domestic or international – who is outgoing, helpful, responsible, and loves all things international. Applications are due on January 30, so begin your application today! Email Lauren Doss at ld101@evansville.edu if you have any questions!

Applications for students interested in becoming an Orientation Leader (OL) will be available beginning January 7, 2013 in the VP/Dean of Students Office.  The office is located in Ridgway University Center, Room 230, in the Student Life Center.  Application deadline is Monday, January 21, by 4:30 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact the VP/Dean of Students at ext. 2500.

Professor of Creative Writing William Baer’s award-winning play, Three Generations of Imbeciles, has been selected for the regionals of the prestigious Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.  The five-day regional festival, with attendance over 1300, took place recently at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, and Dr. Baer’s play, one of six plays chosen from a six-state region, was performed by Cuyahoga College of Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday night, January 11, under the direction of Robert Ellis.

Chair and associate Professor of Art Stephanie Fraiser has her commercial design and artwork featured in a solo exhibition in the Shircliff Gallery on the campus of Vincennes University. The show runs January 10 through February 7. Frasier will be providing an artist's lecture titled "Faith by Design" on February 7, 11:00 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Colt Ryan scored a game-high 25 points, but an 11-for-20 performance from three-point range helped Drake earn an 83-69 win over the University of Evansville men’s basketball team at the Knapp Center on Wednesday evening.Ryan was just 4-of-16 for UE (11-7, 4-2 MVC) but posted a perfect 16-16 performance from the charity stripe.  D.J. Balentine finished with a strong 13-point effort while Ned Cox chipped in 12.  Drake (8-9, 2-4 MVC) was led by Chris Hines, who notched 21 points.  Ben Simons finished with 18 while two other Bulldogs finished in double figures.

“You have to give them (Drake) resistance and cannot let them get the ball.  I am just disappointed in our effort and ability to execute fundamentals tonight,” UE head coach Marty Simmons said.  “Everything is built through practice and that is key.  We have to get locked in heading to Indiana State on Saturday.”

Early on, each team looked to have the same plan in mind – getting the ball down low.  The Aces connected on two out of their first four shots, but turned the ball over four times in the opening four minutes.  Drake hit just one of its first eight attempts as UE held a 5-4 lead. 

The offense kept cranking as D.J. Balentine found his shot, hitting his first four field goals, including a pair of treys as hit second one gave Evansville a 19-9 lead as the Aces hit 7 of their first 10 buckets.  Ben Simons kept the Bulldogs in it, though, as his seven early points helped them cut the deficit to just one at 23-22.  After starting the game 7-of-10 from the floor, UE hit just one of its next eight shots.

That all changed as Colt Ryan found the bottom of the net for the first time on the night as his three-pointer put Evansville on top by a 26-22 tally, but Drake kept rolling as junior Seth VanDeest kept drawing fouls on UE’s forwards while scoring nine points.  They knotted the game at 28-28 before an 11-4 run gave them a 39-32 advantage as DU hit three quick long-range shots.  The Bulldogs started the tilt 1-of-7 beyond the arc, but hit three of its next four in the run.  Evansville countered with a 6-0 run of its own to trail by just one at the break, 39-38.  Ryan scored a total of 13 points in two games versus Drake last season, but matched that total in the first half.  Balentine notched ten in the first frame.

The run continued into the second stanza as Ryan tied the game back up at 40-39 with a bucket on Evansville’s first possession.  That lead was short-lived, though, as the threes kept raining down for the Bulldogs as three of their first four of the second half were good.  The Aces kept up the pace as they made their opening six free throws while Ned Cox drained his second 3-pointer.  Their efforts put UE up 57-56 before Simons responded with consecutive shots as the Bulldogs’ lead opened up to 63-57.  Over a stretch of over six minutes, Evansville missed nine shots in a row as Drake extended its advantage.

Chris Hines joined in on the three-point barrage as his trey capped off a 10-0 run before another one gave Drake its first double-digit lead at 69-59.  Evansville’s offensive struggles continued as they missed 14 buckets in a row while the Bulldogs embarked on an 18-3 run to put the game out of reach for the Aces.  Egidijus Mockevicius ended the stretch with a bucket with just over 3 minutes left ending a field goal drought of ten minutes.  While the bucket helped, the defense could not stop the Drake attack as the Bulldogs hit seven out of nine threes to open the second half.

Second-half shooting was all the difference as UE was just 7-29 (24.1%) while Drake connected on 15 out of 23 attempts, 65.2%. Drake shot 51% for the game while holding the Aces to just 33%.  The Aces did perform very well from the line, hitting 26 out of 28 free throws.

Indiana State is up next for UE as the Aces travel to Terre Haute to face the Sycamores on Saturday evening.  Tip is set for 7:05 p.m. CT at the Hulman Center.

With a 2-1 record in the Missouri Valley Conference, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team is off to its best start in conference play since it the 2006-07 season.  The Purple Aces will look to improve on that mark when they play their first set of Valley road games this week at Illinois State and Indiana State.  UE is scheduled to take on the Redbirds at 7:05 p.m. Thursday in Normal, Ill., and will conclude the road trip with a 1:05 p.m. contest against the Sycamores Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind.

Evansville (4-10, 2-1 MVC) completed its three-game MVC homestand with a 71-65 win over Southern Illinois Sunday afternoon behind a career-high 26 points from redshirt sophomore Khristian Hart.  Hart scored 18 points over the final 20 minutes of the game and finished 8-for-9 at the free throw line, connecting on a pair of late free throws to seal the win for the Aces.  Sophomore Mallory Ladd notched her fifth-straight double-double with 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while senior Taylor Ware also finished in double figures with 10 points.

The Aces have been one of the top scoring teams in Valley play, averaging 67.3 points per game in their first three league games, a mark that ranks them tied for second in the MVC.  In addition, UE is leading the conference in rebounding margin (+10.3) and is second in free throw percentage (83.3%) through its three MVC contests.  Overall, Evansville is currently third among Valley teams in three-point field goals made (95) and free throw percentage (74.5%). 

Ladd, who was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Monday, leads the Aces in scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (11.0 rpg) and free throw percentage (97.4%), and has made her last 37 attempts from the charity stripe.  Hart is averaging 13.8 points per outing and has tallied a team-best 16 steals. Senior Samatha Heck averages in double figures at 13.6 points per game and has been Evansville’s top shooter, boasting a 44.8 percent field goal percentage and a 43.5 percent three-point percentage,  a mark that ranks her second in the MVC.  In addition, Heck leads the conference in free throw percentage among qualified players at 94.3 percent.

Illinois State (11-5, 3-1 MVC) has won seven of its last night games and split a pair of MVC road games last weekend, falling 64-45 at Creighton on Friday, before rebounding with a 71-66 victory over Drake on Sunday.  Candace Sykes led the Redbirds with 19 points in their win over the Bulldogs and six-time MVC Newcomer of the Week Janae Smith added 16 points and eight rebounds.  Alexis Jenkins also finished in double figures with 12 points.

Illinois State has been one of the Valley’s best teams both offensively and defensively, as the Redbirds rank third in the league in scoring (67.3 ppg) and fourth in scoring defense (61.1 ppg).  Illinois State leads the conference in blocks (3.8 bpg) and is tied for the league lead in rebounding margin (+4.7).  In addition, the Redbirds are shooting 74.7 percent from the foul line and averaging just over 15 turnovers per outing.

Smith has been one of the top players in the Valley, as she leads Illinois State in nearly every statistical category and leads the MVC in rebounding (9.4 rpg), ranks second in scoring (16.1 ppg) and fifth in field goal percentage (49.5%) and blocked shot (1.0 bpg).  Sykes averages 14.0 points and 5.6 boards per game for the Redbirds, while Jamie Russell also averages in double figures at 12.7 points per contest and ranks third in the Valley in steals at 2.3 per outing.

Illinois State returns10 letterwinners and four starters from last year’s team that finished 19-13 overall and second in the MVC with a 13-5 mark in league play.  The Redbirds are under the direction of third-year head coach Stephanie Glance, who is 54-29 at the helm of the program.

Indiana State (10-5, 2-2 MVC) split a pair of conference road games last weekend at Drake and Creighton, downing the Bulldogs, 67-49, prior to suffering a 69-50 loss to the Bluejays in Omaha.  With their leading scorer, Anna Munn, out with an injury, Marina Laramie paced the Sycamores with 11 points and Kasey Johnson added 10 in the loss, while Travecia Franklin led all players with 11 rebounds.

Indiana State leads the MVC in scoring defense, allowing just 51.5 points per game, and has held opponents under 40 points on four occasions.  The Sycamores are also forcing 19.6 turnovers per contest, including a league-leading 10.1 steals per outing.  However, Indiana State ranks ninth in the Valley in three-point shooting percentage (28.9%) and eighth in free throw percentage (65.4%).

Munn, who missed the game at Creighton after suffering an injury in the second half at Drake, has been the Sycamores’ leading scorer this season and ranks third in the conference with a 14.7 points per game scoring average.  The Indianapolis native also ranks third on the squad in rebounding (4.4 rpg).  Racheal Mahan leads the team in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and blocked shots (15), and is Indiana State’s second leading scorer at 13.3 points per game.  Taylor Whitley is also averaging in double figures for the Sycamores (10.1 ppg) and has dished out a team-high 45 assists.

Indiana State returns seven letterwinners and just two starters from last season’s team that finished 15-16 overall and tied for fifth in the final Valleys standings with a 9-9 mark in league play.  Head coach Teri Moren is in her third season with the Sycamores and owns a 41-37 record at Indiana State and a 171-110 mark in her 10th season as a head coach.

Evansville trails the all-time series with Illinois State, 25-12, and were swept by the Redbirds last season.  The Aces’ last win over Illinois State came during UE’s 2009 MVC Tournament title run, when Evansville topped the Redbirds, 73-60, in the opening round.  The Aces last win at Redbird Arena came in 2007.

Indiana State owns a 26-13 advantage in the all-time series with Evansville and won both matchups with the Aces last season. The Sycamores have won the last six meetings with UE, as Evansville’s last win over Indiana State came during the 2008-09 campaign.  The last time the Aces defeated the Sycamores at Hulman Center was during the 2007 conference season.

University of Evansville men’s basketball fans will have the opportunity to control the discount for the ticket special for the January 29th home game against Northern Iowa with their attendance at the Purple Aces’ next home contest against Bradley, Jan. 23 at 7:05 p.m., as part of the UE Attendance Challenge Ticket Special.

The higher the attendance at the Bradley game, the bigger the discount will be for the game against Northern Iowa, as fans will receive $1 off a regular priced adult ticket for every 1,000 fans in attendance.  For example, if 9,000 fans pack the Ford Center for the Jan. 23 game against the Braves, Aces’ fans will receive a $9 discount on tickets to the Northern Iowa game.

The discounted tickets to the Northern Iowa game will be available starting Thursday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m.  Tickets can be purchased by calling 488-ACES or by visiting the Carson Center or Ford Center ticket offices