During the period of March 18 through April 12, benefit-eligible employees may enroll or make changes in the University’s health, life, long term disability, and dental insurance, and ACES flexible spending account benefit plans. It is the only chance for benefit-eligible employees to enroll or make changes until the next open enrollment period unless you have a qualifying change in status.

Please review the documents in the Open Enrollment section of the MyUE portal at: https://bit.ly/2GcdKph, beginning with the open enrollment memo, for important announcements, reminders, and changes which will occur June 1 to the University’s benefits. 

We will once again utilize an on-line enrollment process, eliminating all paper enrollment forms for health, life, dental, and long term disability insurance, as well as the ACES flexible spending account. This will ensure the accuracy of your enrollment elections and maintain records electronically regarding your current and future participation. Enrollment/changes to your TIAA and Emeriti VEBA Trust retirement plan salary deferrals will continue to be processed on paper forms available in the Office of Human Resources. Therefore, you do not need to re-enroll in the TIAA or Emeriti retirement plans.

ALL benefit eligible employees (including those who do not want to make any changes to their current coverage) must enter their elections by April 12.

Please review the open enrollment memo and On-Line Benefit Enrollment Documents on the HR Area of the MyUE portal, which should answer many of the questions you might have about this system.   

Please contact the Office of Human Resources at ext. 2943 with any questions. 

Submitted by Lori LeDuc ll138@evansville.edu

Medical Spanish practice is designed to help students practice communication skills in Spanish for medical settings. Students may arrive and leave at any time. The next session is Monday, April 1, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in Room 64 in the Schroeder School of Business Building. Please contact associate professor of Spanish Diana Rodríguez Quevedo at dr130@evansville.edu for more details. ¡Nos vemos el miércoles!

Submitted by Diana Rodríguez Quevedo dr130@evansville.edu 

The University of Evansville Exercise and Sport Science Student Organization, in collaboration with the Center for Career Development, cordially invites you to attend its annual Health Careers Forum. The event is planned for Wednesday, April 3, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center.

There will be panelists from different organizations in the health field who will come to share their experiences. This event will be a great opportunity for everyone who would like to make acquaintances with local health care professionals.

Students are expected to RSVP as soon as possible by filling out the registration form. For more information on registration, email ea97@evansville.edu. 

Attendees are asked to dress business-casual. All EXSS students are advised to attend.

Submitted by Emily Armstrong ea97@evansville.edu

The Resident Student Association will be holding elections for the 2019-20 executive board on Wednesday, April 3. Elections will take place in Room 203 in the library. 

Submitted by Shelby Hoyert sh327@evansville.edu

Every year, University of Evansville students travel the globe with Habitat for Humanity. Last May, two students - Brea Mullen and Amanda Ackerman - documented their experience.

Watch the trailer for Habitat Guatemala: A Habitat for Humanity Mission and get ready for the premiere!

Show times are:

• April 4 at 7:30 p.m.in Eykamp Hall in Ridgway University Center on the University of Evansville campus.
• April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at WNIN's Old National Theater in Downtown Evansville.

Join the Newman Club this Wednesday, April 3, at 5:00 p.m. for our weekly dinner and discussion. This week's topic is "God the Creator: The Stunning Convergence of Scripture and Science" hosted by UE's own professor of philosophy and religion Jim Ware. He will be talking about the beauty and mystery of science and scripture. We will be serving lemon chicken breasts afterward. All are welcome!

Submitted by Michaela Kunkler mk305@evansville.edu

Friends of UE Music invite you to join us for this year's Rite of Spring. The event will be held on Saturday, April 13, in Eykamp Hall in the Ridgway University Center on UE's campus. This year's event celebrates the contributions of Kim and Mary Fillingim!

The event includes cocktails, dinner, musical performances, and dancing accompanied by UE's Jazz Ensemble!

For more information and reservations visit: www.evansville.edu/majors/music/eventDetails.cfm?eventId=15518.

Submitted by James Sullivan js820@evansville.edu

Please join us Wednesday, April 3, for the UE Student Research and Honors Symposium! Students will be presenting their research in sessions from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Rooms 253 and 254, Ridgway University Center. Those wishing to attend the symposium are welcome to participate in sessions throughout the day as they are able. A detailed schedule of presentations and symposium presenters can be found here.

Submitted by Leslie Barton lb261@evansville.edu

Eykamp String Quartet
Tuesday, April 2
7:30 p.m., Wheeler Concert Hall
On Tuesday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m., the Eykamp String Quartet will be presenting a wide-reaching program featuring works by John Adams, Joseph Haydn, and Robert Schumann. The concert is free and open to the public. For complete program information, visit the music department concert calendar.

Student Recitals
Saturday, April 6
April Kuhnert, mezzo-soprano, senior recital, Wheeler Concert Hall, 1:00 p.m.
Megan Gemmel, soprano, senior recital, Wheeler Concert Hall, 2:30 p.m.
Haley Russler and Haley Taylor, guitar and viola, senior recital, Wheeler Concert Hall, 4:00 p.m.

Submitted by James Sullivan js820@evansville.edu

Come to PRIDE's annual Drag Show on Saturday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m.!

This year the theme is fairy-tale creatures. Enjoy a mocktail bar and professional drag and student performers!

Ticket proceeds benefit Matthew 25 and AIDS Resource Group. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. If you are interested in a "VIP" experience, sitting at an 8-person table that includes a free drink and waiter service from the bar, then you can purchase the VIP Ticket for $6 in advance or $8 at the door (if there are still seats available).

Email uepride@gmail.com for more information or if you have any questions.

And don't forget to come to our Health Fair from 6:00-7:00 p.m. before the show, free of charge!

Submitted by Charlie Hoeg uepride@gmail.com

Please join the Newman Club in Neu Chapel on Wednesday, April 3, at 8:00 p.m. to pray for refugees. This multilingual candlelight service will have music, and there will be an opportunity to write letters in support of refugees at the end. Please contact Kristen Sportiello at ks491@evansville.edu if you'd like to become more involved in the Newman Club's migration initiative.

Submitted by Sam Wallisch sw265@evansville.edu

The University of Evansville’s annual Chutney Literary Conference is set for April 5-6, on UE’s campus. UE students will be presenting critical papers, and will have the opportunity to win awards for their efforts.

The conference starts with the Melvin M. Peterson Literary Forum’s Hemminger-Brown Lecture on Friday, April 5. The lecture will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Room 162 (Harkness Hall), Schroeder School of Business Building. The guest speaker will be Edward P. Comentale, professor of English, associate vice provost for arts and humanities, and director of the Arts and Humanities Council at Indiana University Bloomington. His topic will be “Kurt Vonnegut and Hoosier ‘Quality of Place.’”

“This talk introduces my work in developing “quality of place” programs with communities in southern Indiana," said Comentale, "and then explores how Vonnegut’s fiction provides ways of thinking through vexed questions about the state’s identity, culture, and politics."

Comentale added that, after "a close look at depictions of Indiana and its people in Vonnegut’s early novels as well as his autobiographical accounts of his childhood in Indianapolis, I will examine how, in his later work, he places the state’s cultural history squarely at the center of national history and makes it representative of the problems that plague the nation at large. A widening class divide, political radicalization, the collapse of civic discourse - Vonnegut’s writing locates both the causes and potential corrections to these issues in the traditions and communities he knew in the Hoosier state and then makes a case for writing and storytelling as essential to restoring the country’s democratic institutions.”

Comentale is the author of Modernism, Cultural Production, and the British Avant-Garde and Sweet Air: Modernism, Regionalism, and American Popular Song. He co-edits a scholarly book series on fan cultures for Indiana University Press, through which he has published The Year’s Work in Lebowski Studies and The Year’s Work at the Zombie Research Center.

The conference ends on Saturday, April 6, with student panels planned for 9:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m., and noon in Rooms 271 and 272 in the Schroeder School of Business Building. The Grabill and Klinger Writing Prizes will also be awarded at this time.

For more information on UE’s annual Chutney Literary Conference, call 812-488-2963.

Isra Chaker, civil right activist, campaigning expert, and public speaker, will be at the University of Evansville on Thursday, April 4, to present “College Students Rise Up: Advocation in the Trump Era, Dismantling the Misconceptions of Refugees, the Muslim Ban, and Breaking down Stereotypes on National Television.” The event, which is free and open to the public, is from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall in Ridgway University Center.

Chaker serves as the refugee campaign lead at Oxfam, one of the leading international NGOs in the world. In this position, she uses her campaign expertise to manage Oxfam’s campaign, that advocates for vulnerable people such as refugees, asylees, and temporary protected status (TPS) holders. The campaign also opposes discriminatory policies such as the Muslim bans.

Being personally impacted by the Muslim ban, and not being able to reunite with her extended family in Syria, Chaker is passionate in her work in reuniting families and advocating for vulnerable people. Recently, she was a featured speaker at the national #FamiliesBelongTogether March in Washington, DC, an event which drew over 40,000 people.

One of Chaker’s infamous projects that went viral in 2017 was bringing refugees to President Trump’s childhood home in Queens, New York, to share their experiences and their “American Dream.”

Chaker has been interviewed and featured on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman, NowThis, AJ+, ABC News, Al Jazeera, CNN, the Associated Press, VICE News, the Washington Post, and more.

Chaker was appointed Global Ambassador for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency USA (UNRWA) for her invaluable contributions in raising awareness and funds for their projects supporting refugee assistance.

In addition, Chaker was recently chosen as an ICON for the "We The Future" campaign by Amplifier, which recognizes 10 young activists from across the country in their leading work on current social justice issues affecting humanity. Chakra was chosen to represent the refugee and immigration justice theme, known as "We the Future, will not be Banned." She is the only Muslim in the campaign, and her art work, as well as a curriculum she designed to break down the stereotypes and misconceptions of Muslims, refugees and immigrants, will be taught in over 20,000 schools across the United States this academic year.

Event contact: LaNeeca Williams

“First Americans: Paintings and Prints by Contemporary American Indian Artists” will be on display at the University of Evansville in the Krannert Gallery in the Krannert Hall of Art and Music from April 8-May 11. The exhibit will feature works from local art collections, curated with the assistance and expertise of Stephen and Sandra Falls of Haubstadt, Indiana. There will be a reception on April 25 at 6:30 p.m. Both the exhibit and the reception are free and open to the public.

This exhibit is part of the Emerging Contemporary Artist Lecture Series sponsored by the Efroymson Family Fund and the University of Evansville’s Department of Art.

Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., and Sunday, noon-8:00 p.m.

For more information, please contact the UE Department of Art at 812-488-2043, email art@evansville.edu, or visit the gallery’s Facebook page.

Submitted by Corliss Chastain corlisschastain@gmail.com

Join the Newman Club this Tuesday, April 2, at 8:00 p.m. in Neu Chapel to celebrate a Catholic Mass! Fr. Raab will be the celebrant. All are welcome!

Submitted by Michaela Kunkler mk305@evansville.edu

Want to make a difference in your community - or even the world? Start now by proposing your own ChangeLab project. Class credit and financial support is available, and your idea can help nonprofits, for-profit businesses, or civic projects.

Submit your idea for the Spring 2020 semester here by noon TODAY - Monday, April 1:
Faculty
Students

Spots are limited, apply early! For more info on ChangeLab, visit www.evansville.edu/changelab.

Submitted by Cindy Kelley ck116@evansville.edu

The first ever Community Changemaker Challenge is underway, and EVERYONE is invited to pitch their idea on how to improve our city. Folks of all ages and walks of life are welcome to form a team. The top four teams will win $1,000 in cash and pitch their idea to a panel of community investors. A 60-second video is due on April 8 by midnight. Learn more.

Submitted by Cindy Kelley ck116@evansville.edu

Don’t wait until you graduate – make a difference now! Check out the list of ChangeLab courses available for the Fall semester. For more information, visit evansville.edu/changelab.

Submitted by Cindy Kelley ck116@evansville.edu

The TIAA-CREF representative will be on the UE campus for individual counseling sessions on April 17 and 18. To schedule an appointment, call TIAA-CREF at 1-800-732-8353.

Please note that the meeting location has been changed to Room 153 (Eades Music Room), Schroeder School of Business Building.

Submitted by Lori LeDuc ll138@evansville.edu

ECO invites you and your student-organization to volunteer at Earth Day Birthday 2019. On Monday April 22, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on the East Terrace Lawn, there will be environmentally themed activity booths which we need your help overseeing. Some examples of activities include decorating recycling bins, up-cycling t-shirts into reusable bags, and recycling toss (AKA corn hole).

All volunteers will receive a FREE Earth Day t-shirt as a thank you for helping. If you or your organization are interested in volunteering, please sign up on the Earth Day Birthday 2019 SignUpGenius accessed through the following link: www.signupgenius.com/go/5080f49a9ac2ba1fb6-earth.

For more information, please contact Olivia Blasdel at ob28@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Olivia Blasdel ob28@evansville.edu

Newman is offering a laid-back approach to retreats perfect for your hectic schedules! This 4-day retreat on campus will fit into YOUR schedule. Participants will schedule meetings with a spiritual director Monday-Wednesday for about 30 minutes a day. Spiritual directors are trained to focus on the problems and issues students are having in college. They can meet early or stay late - it is up to you! All participants will receive instructions for prayer, a booklet to guide their 4-day journey, and other essentials, compliments of the Newman Club Ministry.

The retreat officially begins on Sunday, April 14, with dinner at 5:30 p.m. At that dinner, participants will plan their week with their spiritual director. Students also have the option to attend the Diocesan Chrism Mass Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., with a dinner at Turoni's to follow. All activities are free of charge this year.

If you are interested in signing up or have other questions about how this may fit into your schedule this year, please email Catholic Campus Minister Jenny Koch (je46@evansville.edu) or call/text her at 812-454-0062.

Submitted by Michaela Kunkler mk305@evansville.edu

On March 22-23, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) held its 2019 Illinois-Indiana Section Meeting at the University of Evansville. The focus of the conference was Reaching Tomorrow’s Engineer Today. The conference featured a distinguished speaker, Jennifer Amos of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a keynote speaker, Stephanie Farrell of Rowan University and current ASEE president. The meeting was attended by over 100 educators, students and practicing professionals, with 20 technical papers presented in five sessions, along with 14 posters presented in a standalone session. 

In conjunction with the conference was a Vex Robotics Competition design challenge for 6th-12th grade students conceived and implemented by associate professor of mechanical engineering John Layer, who served as chief judge. The winner of the competition was Holy Redeemer Catholic School.

On March 22, Stephanie Farrell led a session on Safe Zone training, geared to STEM faculty. This training was held in the Library Boardroom and was attended by faculty from UE, Purdue, IUPUI, Ivy Tech, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

The College is very appreciative of the efforts of associate professor of mechanical engineering Peter Schmidt, assistant professor of mechanical engineering Jessica Lofton, and assistant professor of electrical engineering Mark Randall in leading the planning committee for this successful conference as well as the support and assistance of the UE student chapters of ASME, IEEE, and PRIDE.

The conference was sponsored in part by generous donations from CHA Consulting, AMERICA MAKES, The University of Southern Indiana, ALCOA, Accuride, and other community partners.

Submitted by Kimberly Higgins kh209@evansville.edu

ECO is collecting clean, glass jars, and old T-shirts for Earth Day Birthday. 

Submitted by Paige Johnson pj31@evansville.edu

The inaugural International Food Festival, hosted by the International Club, is set for April 12. Tickets can be purchased before the event for $7, starting April 1, at the Office of Cultural Engagement and International Services on the second floor of Ridgway University Center in Student Life.

Submitted by Farrah Beidas fb33@evansville.edu

The Crescent, University of Evansville's student magazine, is available for FREE to all students at magazine stands across the campus! Read about what makes UE home, Nerd Wars, Colony Collapse and more. And make sure to check out everyone's favorite section - Campus Crime. Pick up an issue on magazine racks across campus. The Crescent is a student magazine - by and for the students of the University of Evansville - that is published six times during the academic year. The Crescent serves as an open forum for the UE community. Copies are free to students and the goal is to present relevant content in a fair, accurate, and unbiased manner.

Submitted by Tim Young ty32@evansville.edu

File the 2019-20 FAFSA by April 15 at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Continuing students should file the 2019-20 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 April 15 is essential for Indiana residents to receive state aid, and highly recommended for all.

Questions regarding the FAFSA should be directed to the Student Financial Services (Olmsted Administration Hall, Room 106) at 812-488-2364.

Submitted by Trisha Hawkes th187@evansville.edu

Are you staying in Evansville over the summer? If so, Residence Life is offering summer housing in Schroeder Residence Hall. You can find more information about summer housing online here - https://www.evansville.edu/residencelife/campushousing/summerHousing.cfm

Submitted by Brian Conner bc32@evansville.edu

Family, friends and loved ones of the late Dr. Marvin E. Hartig are pleased to announce the application process for the Dr. Marvin E. Hartig Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is dedicated to the loving memory of Dr. Hartig, Dean of Evansville College’s Evening College in 1967, and administrator for the Center for Advanced Study, director of the Evansville chapter of the American Institute of Banking (AIB), and the international student advisor. In 1974, Dr. Hartig was appointed Dean of Academic Services. He retired in 1984 after serving his alma mater for thirty-five years and passed away in 2007.

This scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving sophomore student. Preference will be given to a student working while being enrolled as a full-time student. International students are encouraged to apply.

The application can be found here.

Deadline: Please return all materials to the Office of Student Financial Services by April 26.

The decision will be announced by July 1.

Questions: Trisha Hawkes, administrative assistant to the Office of Student Financial Services, at th187@evansville.edu or 812-488-2364

Submitted by Trisha Hawkes th187@evansville.edu

University of Evansville associate professor of communications Tamara Wandel has received a 1 for All First Amendment public relations grant. She was one of 10 professors from across the country who received this grant from 1 for All, a nonpartisan educational program based at Middle Tennessee State University’s Free Speech Center.

These $2,000 grants are used to build awareness and increase understanding of the First Amendment. The grants support college public relations and strategic communications professors in giving their students hands-on PR campaign experience while building awareness and understanding of the First Amendment.

Wandel will use her grant in the fall to work with students on a PR campaign concerning the first amendment, sports, and politics.

“We’re very pleased to recognize some of the most creative professors in public relations and strategic media education, all with a commitment to ensuring that today’s college students have a clear understanding of the importance of the First Amendment to our democracy,” said Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech Center and founder of the 1 for All educational program.

The campus PR effort is a project of 1 for All and the Free Speech Center at MTSU. The effort is completely nonpartisan and educational.

The bats for the University of Evansville opened the day strong, belting two home runs, but UNI fended off the challenge as they swept Sunday’s doubleheader against the Purple Aces softball team.

UNI (15-13, 6-2 MVC) started the day with an 11-6 win.  UE (12-19, 2-6 MVC) mustered up eight hits in the game with Halie Fain picking up two. Bailee Bostic’s grand slam highlighted the scoring while Lindsay Renneisen added a homer of her own.

With one out in the top of the first, Eryn Gould singled down the left field line to bring up Renneisen, who hit a long ball to left, giving UE the early 2-0 lead. The Panthers came right back with two runs in the bottom of the first and three more in the second. Sammey Bunch had a 3-run shot in the inning.

Facing their first deficit of the day, the Aces went back on top in the third when Bostic connected on a 2-out grand slam to make it a 6-5 game. Haley Woolf, Mackenzie McFeron and Fain scored on the play. McFeron and Fain singled in the frame while Woolf reached on a walk. The score remained in favor of Evansville until the bottom of the fifth when a 5-spot by UNI gave them the lead for good.  A 3-run shot by Courtney Krodinger was the difference. The Panthers added one more in the sixth as they finished with the 11-6 win. 

Izzy Vetter went five innings in the circle. She gave up 10 earned runs on 10 hits. Jaime Nurrenbern gave up one run in an inning of work. Erica Oler, who went four innings of relief, took the win.

Evansville finished with three hits in game two as Renneisen, Mea Adams and Toni Galas found their way on base. Renneisen and Adams had 2-out singles in the first and second frames, but were unable to convert. UNI scored first, plating a run in the first before tacking on three more in the third.  A pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth frames saw the Panthers finish with an 8-0 win in five innings.

Bunch was the star for UNI once again, going a perfect 4-4 with four RBI and a run scored. She had four of the Panthers 12 hits. Emily Lockhart threw the first four innings for the Aces while Ashleigh Downing went 1/3. Jaclyn Spencer got the win for UNI, allowing three hits in five innings while fanning eight.

Up next for UE is a 3-game series at Southern Illinois. The Aces and Salukis meet up next weekend in Carbondale.

Down to their last at-bats, trailing by two, the University of Evansville baseball team staged a four-run, then held off Bradley to earn a 6-4 victory, sealing a sweep on the first weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play.

The Aces drew first blood in the top of the first, as sophomore first baseman Tanner Craig delivered an RBI single to left, scoring Troy Beilsmith, making it 1-0 Evansville.

On the hill, senior left-hander Alex Weigand came out strong, striking out three across the first two innings of shutout work.

In the third, Tanner Craig would strike again, stinging a single to shortstop, Craig Shepherd, extending the Evansville lead to 2-0. However, in the bottom of the frame. the Braves would knot it up, on a two-run homer off the bat of Jean-Francois Garon. That would be Weigand's only blemish on the day, as he tossed four innings, striking out 6 while allowing two runs on six hits.

Senior right-hander Justin Hayden would take over from there, tossing three shutout innings, keeping the game knotted up. However, in the eighth, Bradley would put a pair aboard with one out, chasing Hayden from the game. Freshman left-hander Michael Parks would come in in relief, and the Braves' Nick Murray greeted him with an RBI single to left. Later in the inning, a sacrifice would plate an insurance, putting Evansville in a 4-2 deficit headed to the ninth.

However, in the final frame the Aces ignite. Troy Beilsmith got the rally started, reaching on a fielder's choice, scoring senior left fielder Matthew Jones. Senior center fielder Nate Reeder would knot the game uo with an RBI single through the left side of the infield, tallying freshman pinch runner Eric Roberts, tying the game at four. Next, Tanner Craig would cap a big day at the plate with a go-ahead run-scoring single to right. The four-run eruption would end with senior third baseman Sam Troyer reaching on an error, bringing in Nate Reeder for the insurance tally.

Michael Parks would come back out to pitch a shutout ninth, putting the wraps on the 6-4 victory.

The victory gives Evansville its first series sweep of a team since taking the brooms to Western Illinois last season (March 2-4), while improving their overall record to 14-9. Bradley's mark drops to 12-10.

The Aces are back in action Wednesday against Tennessee-Martin at Charles H. Braun Stadium. First pitch is at 6:00 p.m.