The Department of Music welcomes guest artist Todd Gaffke to campus this Friday for an afternoon masterclass and an evening recital. Gaffke is currently assistant professor of saxophone at the University of Akron, and he enjoys a diverse career as a performer and educator. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Europe, performing a variety of modern compositions for or involving saxophone, as well as classics and transcriptions of works originally composed for other instruments. His playing has brought him wide acclaim and numerous awards, and he is also a very talented jazz musician, having performed at several jazz festivals and with the Harry James Orchestra. For his UE appearances, Gaffke will be accompanied by his University of Akron colleague, pianist Deborah Yasutake. The masterclass will occur in Wheeler Concert Hall at 5:00 p.m., and the recital will follow in Wheeler at 7:00. Both events are free and open to the public.

The Department’s Epsilon-Upsilon Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national collegiate music fraternity, will give an all-American recital in Wheeler Concert Hall this Sunday, March 1, at 6:00 p.m. Chapter members will perform a diverse program that will include selections ranging stylistically from art music to popular song by composers ranging from John Corigliano to John Williams to George Gershwin to Billy Joel. Also on the program will be two works composed by Department of Music students and fraternity members Ian Murrell and Matthew Banks. The concert is free and open to the public.
 

In observance for the Lenten season, Café Court will be serving fish on Fridays at Grill 155. 

There will be free HIV Testing at the Health Center on February 27. To make your confidential appointment call 488-2033. 

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 12 noon on the day of the performance they wish to attend. Tickets may be purchased by calling (812) 488–2031, Monday through Friday, 12 noon to 5 p.m. 

Temple Adath B’nai Israel, in partnership with the University of Evansville Department of History and Department of Religious Life, is proud to bring Dr. Gary Zola to Evansville to speak about the remarkable history linking American Jewry and Abraham Lincoln. On Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. in Ridgway University Center (Eykamp Hall), Zola will explain why American Jews have embraced America’s sixteenth president as a man who “possessed a Jewish soul.” The talk is free and open to the public.

In addition to being the acclaimed author of We Called Him Rabbi Abraham: Lincoln and American Jewry, Zola is the executive director of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA) and the Edward M. Ackerman Family Distinguished Professor of the American Jewish Experience & Reform Jewish History at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati.

Dr. Gray Philip Zola is also known as a historian of American Jewry who specializes in 19th century American Judaism and the history of American Reform Judaism. In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Zola to serve as a member of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, an independent agency of the Federal government. Established by Public Law in 1985, the Commission exists to foster the preservation and protection of the cemeteries, monuments, and historic buildings associated with the foreign heritage of United States citizens.

You're invited! University Worship this Sunday, March 1, 10:30 a.m. in Neu Chapel! This week we continue to observe the holy season of Lent by trying to understand what it means to be forced into the wilderness. How do you handle the wilderness of life?

Donuts and coffee bar before and after the service!

The Neu Chapel Society will be hosting our Tailgate Party with homemade comfort food immediately following worship! It's free and friendly! Bring a friend! 

Students wishing to reside in one of the residence halls for 2015-16 should plan to attend one of the information sessions about the residence hall selection process. Meetings will be at 4:00 pm and 9:30 pm in Hyde 126 on Tuesday, March 3, and Thursday, March 5.

More information about the housing selection process can be found online at http://www.evansville.edu/residencelife/whereWillYouLive.cfm

Join us this Saturday evening, February 28, to watch two Spanish-language movies by the director who recently won the Oscar for Best Director and best film. The first movie will be screened in Hyde Hall 202 at 4:30 pm, and the second one in Room162 in Schroeder School of Business Building at 7:00 pm.  For more information please contact Francis Prexl-Orti (fp21@evansville.edu) or Dr. Lorena Andueza (pa55@evansville.edu) 

All May graduates should attended Commencement Central to finalize their graduation plans. On Monday, March 2, it will be located upstairs in the Ridgway Center from 4-6:30 p.m. On Tuesday, March 3, it will be outside the Bookstore from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Attend either session and it only takes a few minutes, although Monday's session is usually a little longer due to a larger turnout. You will meet with the Registrar, Alumni, and Career Planning offices as well as purchase your cap and gown and/or announcements if desired. The Josten's ring rep will also be present to discuss your class ring options too. Prizes and food will be offered as well. Mark your calendars today! 

Students who have received Federal Direct Loans while attending UE and plan to graduate, withdraw, or transfer are required to attend a Loan Repayment Counseling Session. The Office of Financial Aid will hold the first of three sessions this semester on March 2 from 6:00-6:30 p.m. in Ridgway University Center, Eykamp 251. Future sessions will be held on April 29 at 2:00 p.m. and May 8 at 11:30 a.m. in Eykamp 251. 

The UE Bookstore will begin returning unsold textbooks from the Spring term soon, starting with used books. If you still need a textbook please stop by the Bookstore and purchase your book as soon as possible. The Bookstore will be happy to hold a textbook for you if you are unable to purchase a book until later. Just ask the store staff. 

Returning students interested in living on-campus can log into WebAdvisor and submit a housing contract for 2015-16. Once logged into WebAdvisor, select “Housing and Meal Plan Registration” under the Housing and Meal Plan section. Housing contracts should be submitted by March 6th. More information on the returning student housing selection process can be found online at http://www.evansville.edu/residencelife/whereWillYouLive.cfm

The Josten's ring representative will be on campus Monday, March 2nd from 4-6:30pm upstairs in the Ridgway Center and also Tuesday, March 3rd from 11-2PM outside of the UE Bookstore. Stop by and browse the selections and get all your questions answered. There will also be special pricing on selected styles of rings. You don't have to be an upcoming graduate to take advantage of the offerings. 

Libraries will observe the following schedule of hours during the Spring Recess. Contact Library at 488.2462 with questions.

March 6  (F):      7:30 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 7  (S):     CLOSED
March 8  (S):     CLOSED
March 9  (M):     8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 10  (T):    8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 11  (W):   8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 12  (T):    8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 13  (F):    8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 14  (S):    CLOSED
March 15  (S):    3:00 p.m.  -  Midnight
March 16  (M):    Resume Regular Hours

Atefeh Yazdanparast, assistant professor of marketing, had a paper accepted at the Academy of Marketing Science Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. The paper titled “An Examination of the Role of Objective Self-Awareness on Cosmetic Surgery Motivations” follows an experimental method and examines the interplay of objective self-awareness (a situational factor commonly experienced in daily life) and body esteem (an individual attitudinal characteristic) on motivations to undergo cosmetic procedures. Motivated by the growing popularity of cosmetic surgery in the United States, the research draws on theories from social psychology and contributes to extant research on consumer cosmetic surgery decision making. 

Mark Davis, associate professor of biology and faculty athlete representative, has been appointed to the national NCAA research committee. The committee consisting of 10 members from across the country evaluates, supervises, and coordinates the NCAA’s research activities. Research areas include: mental health issues, physical well-being concerns, and best educational practices along with other association matters. They also make recommendations to the NCAA Executive Committee regarding expenditures of funds for research projects and propose research topics in intercollegiate athletics to the Managements Councils of the association. 

Thank you for making the Honors Program Nerd Wars a success! Attendees and spectators enjoyed the fun and food sponsored in part by funds from the Student Government Association. Prizes were awarded to the winning student team, Les Quizerables (Toby Kuhnke, Grace Bush, Joey Estes, Grace Hunter, Harrison Mann) and the winning faculty/administrator/staff team, Consilience (Dr. Ann Powell, Dr. John Stamm, Dr. Joyce Stamm, Dr. Daniel Byrne, Dr. Kristie Hochwender). The Nerd Wars trophy grand prize went to Consilience, the team with the most total points. $776.00 was generated from the event and given to Honors Ace Mentors (HAM). HAM is a UE student volunteer outreach program administered by the Honors Program/HAB to provide tutoring, cultural enrichment, and mentoring for grade school through high school students in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation.

The University of Evansville Women's Tennis team (4-2, 0-0 MVC) is set to take on Southern Illinois Edwardsville on Friday night. The match is slated to start at 7:00 p.m. CT at Tri-State Athletic Club. The Aces will then travel to Belmont University on Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. CT show down with the Bruins.

Evansville is coming off a hard fought 4-3 win over Eastern Illinois last Sunday night. In the match the Aces were unable to get the doubles point but in the end took four out of the six singles matches to secure the win. The match came down to flight six singles where Mina Milovic was able to defeat Kamile Stadalninkaite of Eastern Illinois to wrap up the win.

The Cougars come in to Evansville with a record of 4-3. The Cougars boast wins over Butler, Chicago State, Missouri State, and Western Illinois. Belmont is currently 3-5 on the season but had won three in a row until they took a loss at Tennessee on February 22nd. Evansville will look to continue their success over Ohio Valley Conference foes. They are currently 3-0 when facing OVC opponents.

After this weekend the Aces next home match will be on March 21st when they take on Lipscomb University.
 

The University of Evansville Women’s softball team (3-10, 0-0 MVC) heads to Macon, GA this weekend to participate in the Black and Orange Challenge at Mercer University. The Aces are slated to see action against Kennesaw State, Buffalo, and host Mercer. Evansville is coming off a weekend in Troy, AL where they finished 1-3 on the weekend.

First up for the Aces will be Kennesaw State on Friday at 1:15 p.m. ET. Kennesaw State was able to get the best of the Aces last weekend when they won 7-4 at the Troy Invitational. The Owls are currently 6-4 on the season. At 5:45 p.m. ET later that night the Aces will take on host Mercer. Mercer is currently 7-8 on the season. On Saturday the Aces will get started at 10:00 a.m. ET against Kennesaw State again. The Aces will then face Mercer again at 2:30 p.m. ET. On Sunday morning Evansville will then face Buffalo at 11:30 a.m. ET. Buffalo is currently 3-7 on the season.
 

The University of Evansville women’s basketball team (11-15, 6-9) is back at home on Friday, Feb. 27 to host the Indiana State Sycamores. The tip is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.

The Purple Aces are having Dollar Night on Friday as tickets, soda and popcorn will all be available for just $1. It is also Service Night as the local police, fire, and EMS Department members will receive free tickets courtesy of ProRehab. Evansville women’s basketball will also be holding an Alumni Gathering at Backstage Bar & Grill after the game. Appetizers will be provided and there will be a cash bar. There is a kid friendly area for those under 21 years of age. UE Athletics will honor the service members and alumni at halftime.

The Aces enter this game after a loss at Northern Iowa on Sunday. Guard Sara Dickey led UE with 10 points in the game and is just two points shy of 500 this season. Dickey will become only the second player in program history to have two, 500 point seasons as a Purple Ace.

On the stat sheet, Evansville’s Dickey (19.2 points per game), forward Mallory Ladd (14.6) and Hart (10.2) are all averaging double figures. Dickey also has the most assists (62) as Hart has totaled a team-best with 43 steals for UE this year. Ladd is notching a team-high 0.9 blocks per game. Forward Sasha Robinson is securing 8.0 rebounds per game, a team-high. UE is averaging 62.2 points and 33.1 rebounds per game. The Aces make 40.0% of their field goals, 34.7% of threes, and 64.7% at the free throw line.

Indiana State (16-10, 6-9) has lost three games in a row including a 76-61 defeat at Drake on Sunday. The Sycamores also lost at UNI 64-29 on Friday night last weekend.

Statistically, Mahan paces the Sycamores with a team-best 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds. Guard Travecia Franklin leads Indiana State with 61 assists. Guard Natasha Zurek has more steals than any of her teammates with 49. Indiana State is averaging 61.8 points and 38.2 rebounds per game. The Sycamores shoot 37.1% from the floor, 27.5% beyond the arc and 64.5% at the charity stripe.

Evansville is projected to finish fourth in the MVC preseason poll, their highest projection since 2008-2009. Indiana State was voted fifth in the MVC preseason poll. Dickey was named to the MVC preseason team. The Sycamores didn’t have any players highlighted on the league’s preseason team. Evansville is guided by fourth year head coach Oties Epps as Indiana State is led by first year head coach Joey Wells.

The Sycamores lead the all-time series 32-15 including a 67-52 home win against UE earlier this season.

Tickets can be purchased over the phone at 812-488-ACES (2237), in person at either the Carson Center or Ford Center ticket office, or online via Ticketmaster.com. 

Bill Hadley, a University of Evansville alum from the class of 1969, will hold a book signing at the final home game of the season for the Purple Aces basketball team on Saturday, February 28. His book - Winning the Big Try - chronicles the 1964-1965 championship season. The book signing will be next to the UE Bookstore Kiosk at the Ford Center beginning at noon.

Also for that same game, a special discounted rate is being offered to UE Alumni. $8 for adults/ $5 for children 17 and under. Tickets must be pre-ordered through the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at www.uealumnionline.com/2015MBBAlumniPromo.

Deadline to order tickets is Thursday, February 26.

The bookstore is offering a 20% discount to alumni in the bookstore on Friday, February 27, or at the game Saturday. For more information on the book, visit www.BigTry6465.com.
 

A great week at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship was capped off by an announcement on Tuesday that saw the Purple Aces women’s swimming and diving team rank fourth in the nation in GPA while the men also garnered CSCAA All-America Team honors.

The College Swimming Coaches Association of America announced its Scholar All-America Teams and the University of Evansville women checked in at #4 on the list with a 3.55 GPA. Clemson, Eastern Illinois and Ball State were the top three. It also marked the top effort in the Valley.

Not only were the women honored, but the men did a solid job on their own, posting a 3.03 cumulative team GPA to also garner the accolade.

“I am very excited about the ranking for both the men and women. As a program we want to represent UE in the highest of lights,” said 2015 MVC Coach of the Year Rickey Perkins. “To show that we have true student-athletes who strive to be competitive in classroom just as much in athletic competition. It is truly an honor to be surrounded by such a remarkable group of student-athletes.”

An unbelievable 12 student-athletes on the women’s side finished with GPA’s above 3.50. Leading the way for the ladies were Kasey Rein, who has a 3.936 GPA while Abby Smith is at 3.9. Samantha Montgomery is just behind with a 3.888. Evansville’s women have won the award each semester since the spring of 2009.

For the men, they are back on the list after missing the rankings last spring. Five Purple Aces finished the fall with a GPA of 3.50 or above with Everett Plocek leading the way. He stands at a perfect 4.0. His efforts helped Evansville land back on the list with a cumulative GPA of 3.03.

The Team Scholar All American Award is presented to college and university swimming and diving teams, who have achieved a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The award is presented twice annually, once in the fall semester and again in the spring to recognize teams achieving a 3.0 in the semester coinciding with the NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA/CCCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

This completes a stellar week for the program as the women took fourth place at the MVC Championship while breaking eight school records. Rickey Perkins garnered his fourth MVC Coach of the Year award. It is an impressive feat for the leader of the program, who has taken it to heights not seen before in the Division I era of UE athletics.

On Wednesday, Evansville's group of Michaela Kent, Mackenzie Powell, Danielle Freeman and Abby Smith set the school mark in the 200 medley relay to open the tournament in Wednesday's final. The quartet swam a time of 1:43.50 to finish in second place while posting the best time in school history. The second school record of the opening day for UE came in the 800 free relay. Freeman was part of the record-breakers once again, joining Michelle Tipton, Maja Magnusson and Jessi Hildebrand as the group registered a 7:35.42.

Thursday saw Smith, Montgomery, Freeman and Tipton set another mark in the 200 free relay. They posted a time of 1:33.06, which is also the best-even MVC time.

On Friday, three more school records went by the wayside today including the 200 free as Tipton posted a 1:48.35. Freeman earned the new school mark in the 100 fly with her time of 55.63. In the 400 medley relay, Kent, Powell, Montgomery and Tipton registered a time of 3:47.87. On Saturday, two more school records fell.

Tipton set the 100 free time with a 50.00 while taking second in the event. Tipton was at it once again as she was one of four to break the 400 free relay mark. Joining her was Montgomery, Smith and Freeman as they swam a 3:23.95.

Next week, the men take their turn as they compete in the Mid-American Conference Championship. Set for March 4-7, the event will take place in Geneva, Ohio.