Horse and carriage rides will be provided on the Sesquicentennial Oval this evening as part of Christmas on Campus festivities. Please be sure to remove your car at the end of the work day if you parked on the oval so your car won’t be in the way of the horse and carriage rides. No new cars will be able to enter the oval starting at 4:00 p.m.

Sarah Lee Bivin has been presented with the December 2016 Employee Excellence Award.

As gift records coordinator and avid Purple Aces fan, Sarah Lee has committed 18 years to advancing the mission of the University.  As much of what she does is behind the scenes, it's difficult to grasp the importance of her work. She ensures that donor gift money is processed according to their wishes, acknowledged appropriately, and that all transactions are coordinated with the Office of Fiscal Affairs. 

She provides excellent customer service to our constituents, whether they are alumni, donors, or part of our campus community. Her dedication and attention to detail are highly valued across campus.

Congratulations, Sarah Lee!
 

The University of Evansville will mark the holidays with Christmas on Campus today - Friday, December 2. The celebration will include photos with Purple Santa, reindeer games, ice skating, carriage rides, Candlelight Advent Vespers and the lighting of the University’s Christmas tree. The celebration will include photos with Purple Santa, reindeer games, ice skating, carriage rides, Candlelight Advent Vespers and the lighting of the University’s Christmas tree.

Also - go Christmas shopping at the UE Bookstore. There will be giveaways and 15 percent off the original price of all clothing and gift items for all shoppers during the night! UE faculty and staff get 20 percent off as part of the annual faculty/staff discount.

The public is welcome to any and all events for only $5 per family! 

Visit www.evansville.edu/aceschristmas for the complete schedule of events, or to fill out the online registration form to save time during the event.

A farewell reception has been scheduled for vice president for fiscal affairs and administration Jeff Wolf this afternoon from 2:00-3:30 p.m. in Dunigan Hall in the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building. Jeff accepted the presidency at Educational and Institutional Insurance Administrators in Chicago, and his last day at the University is tomorrow - Friday, December 9.

The campus community is invited to attend the University of Evansville’s annual Candlelight Advent Vespers service this evening at 7:30 p.m. in Neu Chapel.

This year’s Vespers service will feature Kantorei, UE’s smallest and most select choir, and the University Choir. The service will include Advent and Christmas carols by candlelight and sacred readings by UE students, faculty, and administrators. Patrick Ritsch, Neu Chapel organist, and Alanna Keenan, professor of music, will be providing musical leadership throughout the service.

Be sure to come early for good seats. All are welcome!

Immediately following Vespers, Timothy Zifer, professor of music, will lead the Tannenbaum Trumpets during the Christmas tree lighting processional, which begins at Neu Chapel and ends in front of Graves Hall. Join us as President Kazee flips the ceremonial light switch and illumines UE's beautiful Christmas pine.
 

UEMTA is selling cookie jar mixes in the Lobby of Krannert Fine Arts Building  from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. today. They are selling chocolate chip cookie mix, double fudge brownie mix, M&M cookie mix, and oatmeal raisin cookie mix. Each jar is $8 or two jars for $12. They make awesome holiday gifts for the baker in your family.

The UE Bookstore will have its annual Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day TODAY, with a special sale and giveaways. Also the bookstore will be offering 15 percent off all clothing and gifts purchases to any customer that comes to the store. Special hours in conjunction with Christmas on Campus will be 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. today.

Come celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception tonight! Mass will begin at 9:30 p.m. in Neu Chapel. Father Godfrey Mullen will be our celebrant. Hope to see you there. More information can be found on this flyer, or by contacting Olivia Voegerl at ov4@evansville.edu.

As the semester comes to an end, finals, packing, and the thought of leaving your friends for a whole month can be a lot to take in. Relax. Take a breather. Come hang out with us at the Newman Center and enjoy some delicious snacks, Christmas activities, and the company of some wonderful people! Bring your friends! The event will be held on December 3 at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see you there. If you have any questions, contact Olivia Voegerl at ov4@evansville.edu.

Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support Albion Fellows Bacon Center sponsored by Chi Omega. Come to the Chipotle on North Green River Road TODAY between 5:00-9:00 p.m. Bring this flyer, show it on your smartphone, or tell the cashier you’re supporting the cause so that 50 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Albion Fellows Bacon Center.

Join us at Neu Chapel this Sunday, December 4, at 11:00 a.m. for a special Christmas service. Together we'll mark the end of the semester, and celebrate the holiday season. This will be the final university worship service of the semester.

All are welcome to join us for Mass this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Neu Chapel. Fr. Tony Ernst will be our celebrant. Hope to see you there! For more information contact Olivia Voegerl at ov4@evansville.edu.

Ladies in Pink and Trebles Without a Cause will join together for their end of the semester concert. The concert will feature popular contemporary tunes along with a few familiar Christmas jingles. Come join them for the fun on December 3 at 3:00 p.m. in Shanklin Theatre!

The athletics department is looking for new students or staff members to act as the Ace Purple mascot during select home games and other events during the school year. You can earn $20 per game/appearance and scheduling is very flexible. Please contact Adam Friedman at af199@evansville.edu with any questions or to express interest. Help us continue the tradition of Ace Purple!

If you see an oil, antifreeze, or other chemical spill on campus, report it to the UE Department of Safety and Security at 812-471-6911. Spills can enter storm drains and end up polluting the river. To prevent spills from a vehicle, keep it well-maintained. Fix any fluid leaks promptly and make sure to clean up any spills from your vehicle.

Just a friendly reminder as the holiday shopping season is upon us - distribution services does not accept personal packages or mail for employees from carriers. For liability reasons, employees should have personal mail and packages delivered to their home addresses.

Note the following mail services, central receiving, and copy services adjustments and plan accordingly. These adjustments will help ensure there is sufficient time to transport mail for processing, complete campus deliveries, and copy service requests before campus is closed for the Christmas break (Friday, December 23-Monday, January 2).

A campus distribution services delivery reminder/notification is being distributed to departments the week of December 12, via campus mail to be returned to distribution services, if someone will be available at the routine department mail/receiving delivery locations to receive and sign for mail or shipments on Thursday, December 22.  Departments are asked to respond no later than Monday, December 19.

Mail Services Adjustments
Mail will be delivered to offices that have responded to the campus distribution services delivery reminder notification that will have someone available at the designated department mail delivery location to receive and sign for mail on Thursday, December 22. 

Campus mail will be delivered to administrative offices (student accounts, registrar, accounting and audit, financial aid, and president’s office) on Thursday, December 22.

All outgoing USPS mail/parcels must be in UE mail services for transport to Data Mail on December 22, no later than 1:00 p.m.

Those needing to mail a letter, etc. after 1:00 p.m. on December 22 or during Christmas break may do so by taking their mail to the post office and paying for the postage via a UE Pcard.

Post offices will be closed Monday, December 26, and Monday, January 2.

UPS Information:
UPS is closed Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2.

Central Receiving Adjustments
Receiving will deliver to offices that have responded to the campus distribution services delivery reminder/notification saying that someone will be available at the designated department mail/delivery location to receive deliveries on Thursday, December 22.

Packages will not be accepted in receiving after 3:00 p.m., Thursday, December 22-Monday, January 2.

In-house supply orders received prior to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21, will be delivered on the afternoon run of Thursday, December 22.

In-house supply orders received after 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 22, will be delivered on Tuesday’s afternoon run, January 3.

Copy Services Adjustments
Plan your copy job requirements ahead of time to provide sufficient turn-around time as copy services will be closed December 23-January 2.

Distribution services will resume normal operations on Tuesday, January 3.

For distribution services questions, contact the following:

Mail Services - mailservices@evansville.edu

Copy Services - copyservices@evansville.edu

Central Receiving - centralreceiving@evansville.edu

The student priority application deadline for the Fall 2017 Harlaxton Semester Program is coming up on Wednesday, December 7. Get your applications in before this deadline to guarantee your space in the program. Applications may still be submitted after this date, but will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis until all spaces are filled.

You can submit your application online through the Education Abroad and Harlaxton College Programs welcome webpage.

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Scott at ls283@evansville.edu or visit the Office of Education Abroad in the Schroeder School of Business Building.

Phi Beta Delta is an honor society “dedicated to recognizing scholarly achievement in international education.” The University of Evansville has recently been designated as the Theta Eta Chapter of Phi Beta Delta, which honors both students and faculty/staff for their involvement in international activities.

You are now welcome to nominate fellow faculty and staff members to be inducted into Phi Beta Delta.

For more information regarding how to nominate a faculty/staff member, go to UE’s study abroad page and look under Related Links.

All questions and completed forms may be e-mailed to Greta Becker at gb91@evansville.edu. Please have all forms turned in by December 20.

A documentary series for WNIN public television made by two UE professors will have its broadcast premiere on December 7 at 8:00 p.m. on WNIN channel 9. The second episode will air December 8 at 8:00 p.m. The series was directed by Joe Atkinson of the department of communication and written by James MacLeod of the department of history.

The series features interviews with over 40 people, most of whom were living in Evansville during World War II.

"It was a quite incredible experience to speak to these people," said Atkinson. "We were not sure how many we would manage to find, but my phone was ringing every day and we met some marvelous individuals."

Each episode lasts for one hour and covers the wide range of manufacturing in the city during the war as well as entertainment, rationing, fundraising, housing, and many other topics.

"What really struck us was how much the war affected your everyday life," MacLeod said."85,000 people were employed in war industry, but every man, woman and child in Evansville was aware that there was a war going on, every single day. It was, in a very real sense, total war."

The series will also be shown as a movie at the Showplace East on December 1 and 4.

You can view the documentary's trailer on YouTube.

The residence halls will be closed for winter break from noon on December 15 to 3:00 p.m. on January 6. Students participating in official University functions or other approved activities have the opportunity to apply for winter housing. Simply submit an online winter request form by noon on Reading Study Day to be considered. For more information about winter housing, contact the Office of Residence Life or see the winter housing website.

Assistant professor of creative writing Katie Darby Mullins has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize for her story "Please Clap," which appeared in the Foliate Oak Literary Journal.

The results from the study abroad photo contest are in! The winner of the Live Like A Local category is Abigail Miles. She went to the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem, Israel, in the summer of 2016.

"The Armenian Quarter is a section of Jerusalem identified with having a large population with an Armenian background,” explained Miles. “The woman pictured on the right of my photo was desperate to visit this part of Jerusalem because she is part Armenian and has a strong connection to the Armenian Genocide. Her ancestors lived in Van, one of the cities that suffered significantly from the genocide, and most of them were killed. The remaining managed to escape and immigrate to America.”

“Unfortunately, many have forgotten this genocide,” added Miles, “and it has been overshadowed by the other genocides in history. These people suffered greatly and my friend's family was one of them. Walking through this quarter meant she was walking through her past. Many of those living there welcomed her like a long-lost cousin. They welcomed me – an outsider - as well.”

Miles went on to say that the “picture also represents entirely different cultures and backgrounds meeting. They are both shading themselves from the same sun and walking the same streets. These two important things, the Armenian Genocide and every human's importance and equality need to be remembered."

View Miles’s photo on the UE study abroad Facebook page.

The results from the Study Abroad photo contest are in! The winner of the Harlaxton category in the study abroad photo contest is Michael Cui. Michael studied at Harlaxton in the spring of 2015.

"The sunsets at Harlaxton in spring are always amazing,” said Cui. “There is a small hill in Harlaxton that is the best spot to enjoy the sunset at the manor. There are always students sitting on the hill having fun and enjoying the sunset. That is my favorite spot too, and sometimes I would bring my camera to capture this because it holds some of my best memories in my life and I don't want it to fade away. So I captured this sunset and I can always look back when I miss my time in Harlaxton."

See Cui’s winning photo on the UE study abroad Facebook page.

Linda Wulf's mother-in-law, Shirley Mae Helen Wulf, passed away on Wednesday, November 30.

The viewing will be on Sunday, December 4, at Kutis Funeral Home, Inc., Affton Chapel, 10151 Gravois Road, St. Louis, MO 63123 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Burial will be Monday, December 5, at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Please keep Linda and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

David Green, senior lecturer in British studies at Harlaxton College, has had an article translated into Spanish. Titled "¿Revolución o evolución? Dirección y organización militar durante la Guerra de los Cien Años," it is published in Desperta Ferro: Antigua y Medieval, 38 (2016). 

UE faculty and staff may begin picking up their two complimentary tickets for the Women's Basketball game against Oakland City at 11:00 a.m. on December 6 and the Men's Basketball game against Bowling Green at 7:00 p.m. on December 6. Tickets may be picked up from the Carson Center ticket office with your UE ID. Since we will be clearing out the arena between games, separate tickets will be required for each game.