Our diligent efforts to launch the inaugural conference on community solidarity have yet to garner strong community interest and support, as evidenced by insufficient registrations. Therefore, the conference is canceled for Saturday, January 20th. This community work is essential, so we'll explore another time to share this resource with the Evansville region.

The University of Evansville African American Alumni Association (UEAAA) proudly presents a special Black History Month event featuring Arnell Hill '80, the award-winning creator of a documentary spotlighting his UE experiences. The documentary, honored at the Indy Fest Film awards and showcased at the Heartland International Film Festival, offers a unique insight into the African American student journey at the University of Evansville. This event will take place at the EVPL Central Library on Walnut Street on February 6th, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. free of charge.

UEAAA invites faculty to include this historic event as an extra credit option in their Spring 2024 syllabi. Sponsored by the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library, this is a unique chance for students to explore the African American student experience.

For more information, contact UEAAA.

Many tutoring sessions for the spring semester have begun. The tutoring schedule can be found here: https://www.evansville.edu/advising/academic-peer-tutoring.cfm.

Peer tutoring is a free service managed by Academic Services that is open to all current UE students. Each session is run by peer tutors who are familiar with the course material, having gone through it all themselves before. This is a great resource for if you have questions, want to refresh yourself on information, or even if you need a space that will help you focus on studying and other work.

Haven't attended tutoring before? Here are some fast facts and tips:

• Tutoring operates on a drop-in basis in which students can come and go from the tutoring session at any point in the posted time frame.
• Bring your course materials with you.
• Come up with specific questions so that the tutor knows how to best help you.
• Tutoring is not a replacement for asking your professor questions and seeking their help.
• Please be respectful of other students as well as of tutors.
• Sessions listed as “TBD” are still being decided and will be available as soon as possible.

If you have any questions regarding peer tutoring, please contact Laci Rowe at lr152@evansville.edu / 812-488-5170 or by stopping into Academic Services (Olmsted 116)!

Pictured above, Alayna Acree, President of UE Clay Club, and Professor Todd Matteson, Advisor to UE Clay Club, present a check to Amanda Drew, Community Food Bank, in the sum of $6880.00.

On Tuesday, October 31, the Clay Club held its 21st Annual Chili Bowl Sale on the University of Evansville’s campus. There were over 500 handmade ceramic bowls for sale with the majority being sold for $10 and other from $15 to $100. In previous years the sale of the bowls lasted from 15 to 30 minutes. This year the bowls sold out in a record time of 6 minutes 30 seconds. People waited in line longer for chili than they waited to buy the bowls.

There were double the number of people this year. This one day event brings one of the largest crowds to campus. This event draws not only UE students, faculty, and staff but also the UE community and supporters. Professor Matteson states, “We have families that drive over 2 hours to be here. The sale is anticipated every year and has become a tradition for many.”

This year the UE Clay Club chose the Community Food Bank Inc. of Dubois County as its beneficiary. The UE Clay Club has a member that benefitted from the food bank in the past and wanted to give back and pay it forward from their experiences. The UE Clay Club decided to donate all of their profits this year to the Community Food Bank.

Since 2016, when the UE Clay Club became a Student Government Association sponsored group, they have been operating the Chili Bowl Sale as a Philanthropic Event and Fundraiser, donating close to $30,000 to fight hunger. Each year the UE Clay Club members have to research and decide which organization they want to support.

Professor Matteson has two requirements for the students as they choose where to donate: one, the organization needs to be mostly funded by private donors; two, they must spread the gifts to organizations inside and outside of Vanderburgh County. This is done on a rotating basis. Professor Matteson states, “We have a lot of students that also reside in the surrounding counties. These counties need our support too.” This furthers UE's commitment to fighting hunger within the greater community.

Harlaxton is accepting applications for Summer I, Summer II, and Fall 2024! Our priority deadline application for the summer terms is on January 30. Applications for the summer will be accepted on a space available basis after that date. If there's a specific course you want to take at Harlaxton this summer, get your application submitted by the priority deadline. Applications for the fall semester will be accepted until March 4.

If you have worked with your advisor on planning for one of these upcoming terms at our amazing manor, now is the best time to apply! The application process is simple and all online, and you can find details on the Harlaxton website: https://college.harlaxton.co.uk/programs. Feel free to contact the team if you have any questions at harlaxton@evansville.edu!

The Academic Success Lab is now open for the spring semester! Peer academic coaches are available to assist students with study skills, time management, test preparation and much more. The Success Lab is located in the Clifford Memorial Library, Room 259 (right down the hall from the Writing Center) for drop-in hours. Academic coaches are also available to meet virtually. The schedules for both in-person and virtual academic coaching hours are located online here: https://www.evansville.edu/advising/academic-success-lab.cfm

The academic coaches look forward to working with students this semester!

The Honorary Degree Committee looks forward to receiving your recommendations for honorary degrees to be conferred at the May 2024 Commencement. We need your help in selecting accomplished individuals to receive one of our university’s highest honors. Nominations may be made on the basis of individual service to the University or individual achievement that exemplifies the University’s mission. Recently selected persons have excelled in a variety of areas, including law, medicine, education, business, literature, politics, and entertainment. The committee will forward their nominations to President Pietruszkiewicz so he can make his recommendations to the faculty for their approval. Please email the following information to Ben Johnson, committee chair, at bj23@evansville.edu by Wednesday, January 24: Your name, the name of your nominee, the rationale for your nomination, biographical information on the nominee, and contact information for the nominee. Thank you in advance for your ideas.

Students expecting refunds of excess financial aid are encouraged to input their bank information within Self-Service for direct deposit. This can be found under Banking Information in Self-Service.

If you need further assistance, contact the Office of Student Financial Services at 812-488-2565.

The Fall 2023 Deans' List is currently on display at the library. Congratulations!

DIY Overnight Oats. Mixing up creativity, health, and a pinch of teamwork for a delicious start to the day!

Get Your W-2s and 1095Cs Earlier with Electronic Consent

The Office of Accounting/Payroll will be issuing W-2s for 2023 no later than January 31, 2024.  You may choose 1 of 2 options to receive your W-2:

• Electronic W-2 – If you provide your consent, you will be able to view/print in Self-Service as soon as they are ready.  Notification will be sent through AceNotes.
• Paper W-2 – If you prefer, you can continue to receive your W-2 in the mail.

An electronic W-2 will give you earlier access than a mailed copy.  It is IRS compliant and can be submitted with your tax return as usual.

To give consent for the electronic W-2, log in to Self-Service https://selfservice.evansville.edu and go to “Tax Information”.  Select “Receive my W-2 only in electronic form” and save.

If you are eligible to participate in the university’s health plans, you may give consent to receive your 1095-C form electronically here also.  If you choose to withhold your consent to view/print your online W-2 and 1095-C, a paper copy will be mailed to your home address.  Please make sure that your current address is on file.

If you have questions, please contact Dawn Bury at ext 2159 or db287@evansville.edu.

Camp Road Trip - February 23-25. 2024

Register today to be a Road Trip Host!

The Office of Admission needs current UE students who live in a residence hall or Jones Hall to host prospective high school seniors for Road Trip. Deadline to register is February 9th.

Please contact Heather Cook (hw30@evansville.edu), Alli Haley (ah757@evansville.edu) or Jennifer Troutman (jt65@evansville.edu) with questions.

David Green has edited the most recent volume of Nottingham Medieval Studies, one of the leading interdisciplinary journals for the study of European history and literature in the Middle Ages. This is a special edition dedicated to Michael Jones (Green's PhD supervisor) and has the title 'Centres and Peripheries in Medieval Britain and France'.

Our Deepest Sympathy to the Family and Friends of Kenny Zirkelbach who passed away at his home on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Kenny retired from the University of Evansville in 2016 after 37-1/2 years, and held positions in Grounds and later Facilities Maintenance.

Kenny was a 1977 graduate of Bosse High School, and is survived by his wife of 39 years, Nancy; mother, Barbara Smallwood; children, James Zirkelbach of Evansville, Ron Hayes, Jr. (Sarah) of Akron, Ohio, and Amy Fairchild (Ryan) of Evansville; two brothers, Don Zirkelbach (Joyce) of Enfield, Illinois and Duane Smallwood (fiancé, Shari) of Evansville; four grandchildren, Abigail, Isabella, and Elijah Hayes of Akron, Ohio and Kole Fairchild of Evansville. He adored his grandchildren. Other survivors include his mother-in-law, Florence Angerer; sister-in-law, Janet Duncan (Robert); brothers-in-law, Mark, Brian Angerer (Dennifer) and Steven Angerer (Kara); and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. To read the rest of the obituary please click on the following link. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/evansville-in/kenneth-zirkelbach-11623051

Next up for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team is a home contest against Valparaiso on Wednesday evening inside the Ford Center.  Tip is set for 7 p.m. CT with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network having the coverage.

Last Time Out

- Following a first half that featured five lead changes, the Purple Aces fell to Missouri State by a final of 74-64 on Saturday

- The Bears led by one at the half before taking a lead of 16 points in the final stanza

- Josh Hughes set his career mark with 22 points as he converted 7 of his 10 3-point attempts

- Antonio Thomas recorded 15 points while Yacine Toumi (8 pts, 12 rbs) and Kenny Strawbridge Jr. (9 pts, 10 rbs) were on the cusp of posting double-doubles

Triple Play

- Through his first 16 games this season, Josh Hughes hit a total of six 3-pointers; in the Jan. 13 game against MSU, Hughes converted 7 of his 10 outside attempts on his way to a career-high 22 points

- Hughes’ seven triples is the most by a freshman in the MVC this season and second-highest in a game for any Valley player in 2023-24

- He has made the start in each of the last five games and posted 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in the first start of his career at Cincinnati

- He has scored at least 7 points in 5 of the last 7 games

Tallying up the Boards

- Highlighted by a career-best 12 rebounds against MSU, Yacine Toumi is 8th in the MVC with 6.8 boards per game and 4th with his average of 5.7 defensive caroms

- Over the last six games, Toumi has averaged 8.5 rebounds per game (91 total)

- He has posted double figures in 7 of the last 9 games and is second on the team with a season mark of 10.6 PPG

- Toumi has averaged 12.2 points over the last nine games (110 total pts) and recorded double-doubles against Tennessee Tech and Indiana State

Putting a Steak Together

- Over the last four games, Antonio Thomas has quietly averaged 9.3 points, including a 15-point effort against Missouri State

- He has recorded 7 or more points in 12 of the last 16 games including 27 in the win over UNI, his top Division I scoring effort

- He recorded 27 points on 8-of-11 shooting and a 9-for-10 effort from long range

- At Bellarmine, Thomas made a run at a triple double, posting 9 points, 8 boards and 5 assists and finished in double figures with 10 points at Indiana State and 10 vs. Murray State

- Thomas is 12th in the MVC with a season free throw mark of 81.8%; he has converted 29 of his last 34 attempts

On a Roll

- In the Jan. 13 game against the Bears, Kenny Strawbridge Jr. had an efficient 9-point, 10-rebound performance

- The rebounding tally was his top of the season and over the last three games, he has hauled in 7 caroms per game

- Over the last eight contests, he has posted an average of 11.4 PPG (91 total points) while seeing his season average rise to 10.1 per contest

- Strawbridge registered 15 points at Indiana State after totaling 14 at Cincinnati

- His season mark of 21 points came in the triumph over UT Martin

Scouting the Opponent

- Valparaiso comes to Evansville with a 5-12 overall record and a 1-5 showing in the MVC

- The Beacons are coming off their first Valley win of the season as they defeated Illinois State by a final of 59-50 on Sunday in Normal

- Sunday’s win ended a 10-game losing streak

- Isaiah Stafford paces Valpo with an average of 16.2 points per game and a season mark of 28 triples and 39 steals

- Cooper Schweiger is second on the team with 10.6 points and 5.2 boards

- Their top rebounder is Jaxon Edwards, who checks in with 5.9 per game