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

UE Philanthropy Week is next week, April 8 - 12, ending in Pep & Vim on Friday April 12, UE's Annual Day of Giving.

The philanthropy table is a perfect opportunity to show your support of UE while getting in any volunteer hours needed for group organizations.

All students, if you would like to help, please sign up using the link below. Shifts are in hour increments. Please feel free to sign up more than once if you are able!

Philanthropy Table
Monday - Thursday, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Ridgway University Center, Tables 2A  and 2B (By the Info Desk)

Sign up Here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iASZ1O2IcOkVdx9mltCHZCaGzHv7IxI-TR_zdNKKRT4/edit?usp=sharing

If you have any questions, please contact Nichole Coffey at 812-488-2900 or ns50@evansville.edu. 

Submitted by Nichole Coffey ns50@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 8, 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 lunes!

Submitted by Diana Rodriguez Quevedo dr130@evansville.edu

UE students in ChangeLab (Tiny Homes) and the UE chapter of UNICEF will host Cardboard City, an event to highlight homelessness, on Friday, April 5, on campus. Students will construct cardboard shelters and compete to see how long they are able to stay in them outside of Ridgway University Center. They will also collect monetary and material donations for local agencies that work to provide services for the homelessness. A prize will be given to the student team that collects the most donations.

Event Schedule
• 5:30 p.m. - Team registration in Ridgway University Center
• 6:00 p.m. – Speakers and activities featuring Aurora, Inc., local nonprofit that works to prevent homelessness. Poverty simulations will also be provided for participants, courtesy of the Evansville Christian Life Center and UNICEF

Event contacts: Chace Avery and John East

The University of Evansville’s inaugural International Food Festival is Friday, April 12, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. at the Café Court in Ridgway University Center. This celebration of the home cuisine of UE’s international students is open to the public. Tickets for adults are $7 until April 11, and can be purchased at UE’s Office of Cultural Engagement and International Services, located on the second floor of Ridgway University Center. If purchased at the event, tickets will be $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. UE students are admitted free.

The festival food will be prepared by UE international students with the assistance of Chartwells, the University’s food service. The menu will include such dishes as poutine, grape leaves, kabsa, biryani, feijoada, matar paneer, and baklava. Entertainment for the event will be provided by the local folk music group, Redwood Preservation Society.

For more information, please contact UE’s Office of Cultural Engagement and International Services at 812-488-2279 or internationalstudent@evansville.edu.

Event contact: Megan Sicard

Please join us in the Phillips Study Alcove on the second floor of Ridgway University Center from 2:00-04:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, to say farewell and wish the best to Lindsay Roberts, director for the advancement of learning. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome. 

Submitted by Kim Flowers kf186@evansville.edu

The campus community is invited to join the Neu Chapel Forum this Thursday, April 4, at 8:00 p.m. as we welcome Jim Zaher, a death doula who works with the dying as they transition into leaving this world. He will give a special presentation on what it means to have a good death and the special work done by a death doula. All are welcome to join the conversation! The Neu Chapel Forum meets in Grabill Lounge (downstairs in Neu Chapel)

Submitted by Keith Turner kt160@evansville.edu

AT Club will be hosting a clothing drive Tuesday, April 2 through Thursday, April 4 in Ridgway University Center. The items will be going to Uncharted International and the YWCA in Evansville. The club will be accepting T-shirts, sweatpants and shorts. If you donate, you can guess how many clothing items we will donate and whoever guesses the closest will receive a gift card of their choice.

Submitted by Lauren Schnell ls271@evansville.edu

Join Newman Club for dinner and Mass with the bishop on Tuesday, April 9! The Newman Campus Community invites you to a special dinner with Most Reverend Joseph M. Siegel, DD, STL. We will be having a dinner at 6:00 p.m. at the Newman house and then hang out until mass at 8 p.m. at Neu Chapel. All are welcome to come join us for the free dinner and discussion and/or Mass with the bishop!

Submitted by Sam Wallisch sw265@evansville.edu

Our graduating creative writing majors will read from their poetry and prose, at the Coffee Hour Senior Reading event held on Friday, April 12, at 4:00 p.m. in the Melvin Peterson Gallery. The faculty will also announce the winners of the Virginia Grabill Writing Awards. Please join us for a delightful and often moving send-off to our graduating seniors.

Submitted by Michelle Lehman ml281@evansville.edu

Lambda Chi Alpha's Luau: Carnival for a Cause is planned for this Saturday, April 6, from 1:00-6:00 p.m. at the Lambda Chi Alpha house. The event is to raise money for Aurora Homeless Shelter in Evansville. If you have questions or would like more information, contact dw219@evansville.edu.

Submitted by Daymon Weller dw219@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.

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

There will be a Catholic Mass celebrated this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Neu Chapel on campus. Father Godfrey will be the celebrant. All are welcome!

Submitted by Sam Wallisch sw265@evansville.edu

The Earth Day Birthday committee is hosting a recycling competition among all student organizations. The competing organizations are to collect clean, glass jars, and old T-shirts to use at Earth Day Birthday on April 22, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. The competition will last from April 1-17. There will be a table in Ridgway University Center from April 15-17 between 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. for recycled items to be deposited. The winning organization receives free food as a reward! 

Submitted by Paige Johnson pj31@evansville.edu

With the consolidation of Student Accounts and Financial Aid into Student Financial Services, we have tons of extra/unused organizational office supplies. Please feel free to stop by our office in Room 105 (formerly Student Accounts) in the Olmsted Administration Building to shop your heart out!

Submitted by Thrisha Hawkes th187@evansville.edu

The 8th Annual Dialogue on Diversity Conference will take place Friday, April 12, at Spalding University. The primary objective of the conference is to construct a space where participants can engage in thoughtful and instructive conversations about the relevance and role of diversity in the fields of business, education, media, health, politics, community engagement, and religion.

Conference sessions will focus on providing audience members with best practices and current research in diversity, inclusion and/or social justice that can be utilized in the workplace, in and out of the classroom, and in the community.

We will leave at 7:00 a.m. and return to campus by 5:00 p.m. Seating is limited and on a first come, first served basis but all are invited to attend. Please send your interest to LaNeeca Williams, chief diversity officer, by Friday, April 5, to reserve your seat.

Submitted by LaNeeca Williams lw161@evansville.edu

The Monarchs and Milkweed Changelab team gave a presentation to the Nature Notes Lecture Series for Friends of Audubon on Saturday, March 30. The team discussed the decline of the monarch population, the role of milkweeds in supporting monarchs, and the value of native plants to support North American biodiversity. After educating the dozens of community members, the Monarchs and Milkweed Changelab team gifted the attendees with native milkweed plants. In addition, the team shared seeds of native plants that can be grown in people’s backyards.

The seeds given away came from UE’s Native Plant Garden, which provides a venue where over 100 species of native flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees.

Native plant diversity has great value for several reasons, including beneficial ecosystem services through improved ecosystem function, support for native insects (including insect herbivores and pollinators), and the food resources to other animals (e.g., birds via seeds and/or prey items). Unfortunately, habitat destruction has led to the loss of wetlands, prairies, and forests, resulting in reduced numbers of native plant species. As one would expect, the loss of floral diversity has caused a reduction in the number of herbivores and pollinators, and a reduction in ecosystem services.

If you are interested in having an opportunity to plant milkweeds for monarchs or if you are interested in having native seeds to grow other plants, look for the two additional events that the Milkweed and Monarch team will have in the community during April.

Submitted by Cris Hochwender ch81@evansville.edu

What was it about UE that made you choose to attend here? How far from home did you consider going to college? The Office of Admission wants to hear your answers to these questions, and many more, during our upcoming focus group Tuesday, April 9, at 4:00 p.m. This conversation will be held in Room 172 in the Schroeder School of Business Building. Each student participant will receive a coupon to UE’s Starbucks. 

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

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

2019-20 Margery Florence Kahn Scholarship applications are now available.

It was the desire of the donor, Margery Florence Kahn, that her scholarship be awarded to "dedicated and conscientious students who exhibit a true passion for their chosen fields of study, and who, in the opinion of the members of the University of Evansville faculty, are likely to bring the same enthusiasm into the performance of their jobs or the practice of the professions which they will pursue following graduation."

All University of Evansville full-time undergraduate students who will be juniors or seniors in 2019-20 may apply. An essay of about 300 words must accompany the application, along with two to five faculty recommendation letters.

Applications and recommendation letters are available from the Student Financial Services in Room 106 in Olmsted Hall and should be returned by APRIL 15.

You may also request application materials by emailing th187@evansville.edu.

Questions may be sent via email or call 812-488-2364.

Submitted by Trisha Hawkes th187@evansville.edu

Dr. Atefeh Yazdanparast, Associate Professor of Marketing, was named the 2019 Marketing Management Association (MMA) Master Scholar during the MMA International Conference in Chicago. The Master Scholar competition strives to recognize and honor an outstanding marketing scholar that has engaged in innovative and impactful practices in research. Based on the written submissions from nominees, three finalists including Atefeh Yazdanparast were identified and each made a 15-20 minute presentation on their stream of scholarship at the MMA conference in Chicago. Based upon the applications and presentations, the judges selected Atefeh Yazdanparast as the 2019 MMA Master Scholar award recipient. 

Atefeh Yazdanparast, associate professor of marketing, was named the 2019 Marketing Management Association (MMA) Master Scholar award recipient at the MMA International Conference in Chicago. The MMA Master Scholar competition recognizes and honors outstanding marketing scholars that have engaged in innovative and impactful practices in research. The engagement of other faculty, students, and/or community in accomplishing research, and a history of effective scholarship with an innovative approach to conducting research are considered by the panel of judges in identifying the recipient of the award.

The University of Evansville baseball team overcame a slow start at the plate to rally past Tennessee-Martin for their sixth straight victory, winning 6-3,  in a non-conference match-up Wednesday night at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

After falling behind 1-0 in the opening frame, the Aces' bats ignited in the fourth inning. The rally began, when with a pair in scoring position, a passed ball got passed the Skyhawks catcher allowing sophomore first baseman Tanner Craig to race home with the equalizer. Next, freshman designated hitter A.J. Fritz would send a single through the left side of the infield, bringing in fellow freshman Danny Borgstrom, giving Evansville the lead, 2-1. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, junior shortstop Craig Shepherd delivered a clutch two-out RBI single, scoring Fritz and adding to the Aces' pad, 3-1. Finally, senior centerfielder Nate Reeder would cap the five-run frame, launching a 2-run double to center, plating both junior catcher Ben Komonosky and senior leftfielder Matthew Jones, putting UE in the lead, 5-1, after four innings.

Meanwhile, freshman reliever Sam Steimel, who took over for fellow newcomer Shane Gray, who tossed the first two innings, tossed a scoreless third and fourth frame, putting him in line for his first collegiate victory. Yet another freshman, Garrett Presko, would take over from there, tossing two more scoreless frames, while striking out four in the process.

Evansville would tack on one more run for good measure in the fifth, when A.J. Fritz hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season, making it 6-1 UE after five frames.

UT-Martin would cut the Aces' lead down to three in the eighth inning, but senior closer Austin Allinger came in to put out the fire, striking out a pair while tossing a scoreless ninth, picking up his team-high fifth save of the season.

The win improves Evansville's record to 15-9 on the season. The loss drops Tennessee-Martin's mark to 11-17.

Up next for the Aces is a big weekend showdown for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference, as Dallas Baptist comes to town for a three-game series, beginning Friday night at Charles H. Braun Stadium. First pitch is at 6 p.m.

With rain in the forecast for Carbondale, Ill., this weekend, the University of Evansville and Southern Illinois have altered the weekend schedule.

Game one will now take place on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. with Saturday’s doubleheader remaining at noon. There will be no games on Sunday due to the weather forecast.

Evansville and SIU had a game for the ages last season, battling 16 innings before the Salukis finished with a 1-0 win in the series opener at Cooper Stadium. UE starter Morgan Florey and SIU pitcher Brianna Jones went the distance, combing to strike out an NCAA record 46 batters.