PUBLICATIONS Inside Illinois Vol. 21, No. 5, Sept. 6, 2001

briefnotes

Assembly Hall
New series subscriptions accepted
New subscribers to Assembly Hall’s five-show News-Gazette Broadway Series can now order tickets through the first show on Oct. 23.

Opening the season is "Rent," which won a Tony Award for best musical and a Pulitzer Prize.

Also on the bill are recent shows that earned Tony awards for best musical: "Ragtime" and "Titanic." Giving the series a classic flavor will be "Annie Get Your Gun," currently the most successful revival on Broadway, and "My Fair Lady."

"Rent" will be at the Assembly Hall for three performances Oct. 23-25. "Titanic" will be Nov. 9; "My Fair Lady" on Dec. 12; "Ragtime" on Feb. 4; and "Annie Get Your Gun" on March 28. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for individual shows are on sale. To order series tickets, go to the Assembly Hall box office in person or phone 333-5000 or fax 244-8003. More information is at www.assembly.uiuc.edu.

Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies
Grant increases opportunities
The Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies will increase its efforts to attract and retain top students and faculty members, thanks to a $2 million grant from the Freeman Foundation.

According to center director George T. Yu, the four-year Undergraduate Asian Studies Funding Initiative grant has two primary, interrelated goals. "The first is to appoint and maintain first-rate faculty across the disciplines in Asian studies and provide a support structure enabling the faculty to be current and innovative," Yu said. "The second is to attract, increase and retain present and future Illinois students to Asian studies through a diverse range of opportunities and support structures."

The overall goal of the initiative, he added is "to make Asian studies a regular part of the curriculum for present and future Illinois students."

The grant will support faculty appointments, professional development, research, curriculum development, faculty/student exchanges, undergraduate student scholarships, regional and topical seminars for secondary school teachers, and a lecture and film series.

Krannert Center honors memory of Ron Beebe
Scholarship fund established
Friends, colleagues and former students from around the country gathered at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts last month to celebrate the life of former associate director Richard Ron Beebe, who died Oct. 30. To honor his memory, the Ron Beebe Scholarship Fund was established.

Credited with the complete and successful restructuring of Krannert Center’s production areas (costumes, audio, scene design and props), Beebe served as a teacher and a mentor to countless students who have gone on to successful careers in theater. During his nearly 20-year career at Krannert Center, he was the guiding force behind the creation of the Board of Producers – the governing body of the center comprising the leaders of Krannert Center, the departments of dance and of theater, and School of Music. In collaboration with David and Wendy Knight, Beebe created Summerfest and directed many of the popular plays produced in this department of theater summer series. Beebe also is credited with the establishment of Krannert Center’s Intermezzo Cafe, Interlude and catering services.

The scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate stage management student who demonstrates the qualities for which Beebe was known: a passionate commitment to the arts, and a deep sense of caring for those he taught and with whom he worked.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the Ron Beebe Scholarship Fund should make checks payable to the Ul Foundation and mail them to the attention of June Holmes at KCPA, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., MC-072.

5K walk/run – with or without your pet
Road race for animals is Sept. 9
Omega Tau Sigma, the professional veterinary fraternity associated with the UI College of Veterinary Medicine, is sponsoring its eighth annual "5K Road Race for Animals" Sept. 9. The race starts at 8 a.m. outside the parking lot of the Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building. Entrants are invited to run or walk with or without their pets.

Pre-registration is $16 and will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 8 at the south entrance to the cafeteria at the Veterinary Basic Sciences Building. Registration on race day is $20 and will be from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. at the same location. The first 100 registrants will receive a T-shirt.

A portion of the proceeds from the race will benefit Canine Companions for Independence, which breeds, raises and trains dogs for physically disabled people. For more information or to register, contact OTS at 355-6577.

New members welcome
Ally Network to host orientation
The Ally Network will hold a Network Orientation meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 7 in the conference room of the Arcade Student Services Building. There will be a break at 12:55 p.m. for those who need to leave early. New members are welcome. The group plans to continue to meet the first Friday of each month to continue the series, "Increasing Understanding on Issues of Sexual Orientation Within the University Community." For more information, contact the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Office at 244-3277.

Master of the Hammond B-3 organ featured
WILL-FM profiles Jack McDuff
A new WILL-FM production, "Message From Home: A Tribute to Brother Jack McDuff," is a musical tour through more than 40 years of McDuff recordings. To be broadcast from 8-10 p.m. Sept. 15 – two days before McDuff would have turned 75 – the program starts with his 1959 recordings with Willis "Gatortail" Jackson and continues through his 1999 release, "Bringin’ It Home." The special will be followed by a two-hour live program featuring more McDuff music and local reminiscences about McDuff, who grew up in Champaign-Urbana.

McDuff worked with some of the most famous names in jazz music, influencing countless young artists. "McDuff was to the organ quartet what Art Blakey was to the hard bop quintet," said WILL’s Paul Wienke, producer of "Message From Home" and the host of the live follow-up special. "He was where all the great guitarists and sax players went to school to learn how to make his music." McDuff died earlier this year.

"Message From Home" is narrated by UI theater professor Lisa Gaye Dixon, and features interviews with McDuff friend and fellow Hammond B-3 organist Russell Cheatham; McDuff’s cousin, singer Victoria Capo Britt; and tenor saxophonist Ron Bridgewater, a UI music professor. The program will be distributed by WILL-FM to radio stations nationwide.

WILL AM-FM-TV
Nominations sought for awards
WILL AM-FM-TV is accepting nominations for a new series of awards recognizing community members for contributions in the areas of the arts, education and citizenship. Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar and his wife, Brenda, are honorary chairpersons for the awards, the "WILL Awards: Signaling Excellence in the Community."

The awards presentation and reception, to be hosted by UI President James J. Stukel and his wife, Joan, at the UI President’s House in April 2002, will be part of WILL’s 80th anniversary celebration.

"We want to use the occasion to recognize others who’ve been involved in making our communities better places in which to live," said Don Mullally, general manager of WILL-AM-FM-TV. "We chose the arts, education and citizenship because they are key areas for civic engagement, and for WILL’s programming and projects in the community such as free concerts, child-care workshops, and political debates."

A 15-person selection panel from across the WILL coverage area will select the award recipients.

Nominations must be postmarked or delivered in person to Campbell Hall by Nov. 15. Nominators must submit a form explaining the nominee’s contribution to the community. To obtain a form, call WILL at 333-1070, or download a form from the WILL Web site at www.will.uiuc.edu.

Computer Fear Film Festival
Film festival is Sept. 8
This year’s Computer Fear Film Festival at the UI not only promises to be bigger than last year’s inaugural event, it’s guaranteed, thanks to the marquee lineup.

The annual festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Sept. 8 at Foellinger Auditorium with a showing of "Iron Giant" (rated PG), followed at 8 p.m. by "Colossus: The Forbin Project" (PG). A third film, "Demon Seed" (R), is to begin at 10 p.m. Admission is free.

"The point of the festival is first and foremost to have fun, and while we are doing that, to learn more about how movies portray computers – as opposed to reality, whatever that is," said Marsha Woodbury, festival adviser and UI faculty member in computer science. "We want to encourage discussion about the issues, too, as we did last year with our exploration of artificial life."

This year’s festival theme is artificial malice.

"The idea is to see how machines in movies pose a threat to society when we cede control to them or give them power to harm or threaten people," Woodbury said. "The funny part is that we fear computers only when they look like Colossus. Today people get into their cars without the least computer fear, yet our vehicles have scads of computer chips. We fly and take trains and go on cruises, totally putting our trust in the computer technology that helps to control the process. Our toys, our phones, our microwaves, even our singing greeting cards have computer chips. What if they all decided they were sick and tired of us?"

Short subjects featuring computer-generated videos and music provided by ACM will be shown before and after the movies.

The festival is sponsored by the Computer Fear Group, the UI Association for Computing Machinery, and Women in Computer Science, with support from Coca-Cola.

Pizza will be available outside Foellinger Auditorium.

The festival Web site is www.acm.uiuc.edu/cf3/.

Krannert Art Museum
African art exhibition on view
African masks, woodcarvings, beadwork, and bronze and terra cotta pieces are among the art and artifacts on view through Nov. 4 in a new exhibition at the UI’s Krannert Art Museum.

"African Art: The Gift From the Faletti Family Collection" showcases more than 20 pieces donated to the museum over several years by collector Richard Faletti and his family.

Faletti, a UI law school graduate from Spring Valley, Ill., started his collection after a series of business trips to Nigeria, beginning in 1979. Through his travels, he developed an appreciation of traditional African arts, which eventually evolved into a passion for studying and collecting West African art. The museum’s Faletti collection includes noteworthy examples of art from the Dogon, Senufu and Yoruba peoples.

The following events, free and open to the public, are planned in conjunction with the exhibition:

• Sept. 12, 7 p.m., a gallery talk by Krannert curator Gisele Atterberry.
• Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Krannert auditorium, a book discussion with Carol Spindel, author of "In the Shadow of the Sacred Grove," her account of life in an Ivory Coast village.
• Oct. 13, 9:30 and 10:15 a.m., storytelling with Dawn Blackman of Motherlands Multicultural Resource Center, Champaign.

The museum is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; until 8 p.m. on Wednesday; and from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. A donation of $3 is suggested.

South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
South Asian families films featured
The South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program, in cooperation with the Unit for Cinema Studies, is offering a film series, "South Asian Families at Home and in the Diaspora," during the fall semester. The series includes documentaries, comedies and socio-political dramas that focus on various aspects of South Asian families, both at home (South Asia) and in the Diaspora (the United States and the United Kingdom).

The series begins with "Roots in the Sand," a documentary on the earliest group of Indian immigrants, the Sikh, to the United States, who settled in California and married Mexican wives. Other films include Richard Attenborough’s "Gandhi"; Mira Nair’s "Mississippi Masala" (on an Indian/African-American relationship in Mississippi); Udayan Prasad’s "My Son, the Fanatic" (with Om Puri) about Pakistani immigrants in Britain; and Ali Kazimi’s "Some Kind of Arrangement" (on Indian Americans’ attitudes toward arranged marriage). The films are shown at 7:30 p.m., starting Sept. 5. The first three screenings are in 141 Wohlers Hall. The remainder are in 66 Library. Screenings are open to the public and will be followed by discussion. For more details, see www.uiuc.edu/providers/psames.

Beckman Institute
Imaging Technology Group forum
Beckman Institute’s Imaging Technology Group will hold a forum to explain the resources of the Visualization, Media and Imaging Laboratory in Room 4269 of Beckman Institute (4th floor tower room) from noon to 12:45 p.m. Sept. 13. VMIL, which is open to all UI faculty and staff members, and students, can support a variety of projects that include image editing and analysis, scientific visualization, 3-D animation, video and DVD production, high-resolution scanning, and 3-D printing and presentation production. Benjamin Grosser, director of VMIL, will speak about the VMIL’s computer hardware, its software and multimedia resources, how to become a user, user training, costs of usage and other resources available to users.

American Cancer Society
‘Facing the Challenge’ of cancer
Cancer patients, family members, friends and health- care professionals will learn about the latest thinking in cancer treatment at an upcoming daylong program. This year’s "Cancer: Facing the Challenge, Bridging the Gap" will focus on building health-care partnerships, patient advocacy and ways to obtain reliable cancer information.

The program will be from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Chancellor Hotel, 1501 S. Neil St., Champaign. The community event is presented by the American Cancer Society in conjunction with the UI’s College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign.

An information fair will allow participants to ask questions about medication, nutrition, fitness, insurance, employment rights, life planning, information resources and conventional medical oncology and radiation oncology treatments as well as complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and herbal therapies.

The featured speaker of the day will be Patricia Johnson, professor in the UI College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign. She is the medical director of Carle Foundation Hospice and chair of the Carle Clinic Board of Directors.

The cost of the program, which includes continental breakfast and lunch, is $10 per person, ($8 for students). Financial assistance is available. Registration deadline is Sept. 15. For more information, call the American Cancer Society at 356-9076 or (800) 252-1110.

South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
New undergraduate minor offered
The South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program has received approval for an undergraduate minor in South Asian Studies, beginning this semester. The minor is especially suited for students interested in a program of studies with focus on South Asia, as a complement to their disciplinary study. The structure of the minor provides students a great amount of flexibility. Possible areas of emphasis include language and literature, as well as history and the social sciences. Students interested in the minor may consult www.uiuc.edu/unit/psames/SasianMinor.html. To make an appointment to see an adviser, e-mail psames@illinois.edu or call 244-7331.

Product Interaction Research Laboratory
New lab offers team approach
A new research lab will bring together faculty members and students from industrial design, graphic design, marketing, business and engineering to solve real-world product development problems for industry.

The Product Interaction Research Laboratory in the School of Art and Design’s industrial design department is being launched to promote a team approach to product development. The focus of such research and development, according to PIRL’s lead professor, William Bullock, is on identifying user-driven solutions.

"User needs must be met through technology," Bullock said, but "successful companies must create innovative products that delight customers." For that reason, PIRL will enlist the expertise of faculty members and students from a range of disciplines to work toward common goals and solutions.

Each semester, advanced students in industrial design, graphic design, business and engineering will receive course credit for work on a project specified by a company contracted by the UI PIRL team. The course will be team-taught by professors from the various disciplines, and input will be provided by corporate staff members as well. During the semesterlong course, students will take the product through the research and development stage, ultimately producing a final presentation, models and/or prototypes and recommendations for the clients.

In addition to corporate funding, PIRL has received start-up support from the College of Fine and Applied Arts and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.

For more information about the lab, located in Noble Hall, contact Bullock at 265-0873, or wbullocu@illinois.edu

University YMCA
‘KYU’ fall lecture series begins
The YMCA is hosting the "Know Your University" lecture series every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. in Latzer Hall at the University YMCA. All lectures are free and open to the public.

The first lecture, "Campustown 2002 and Beyond," is Sept. 11. Charlie Shapland, president and CEO of Campustown 2000, will talk about the status of future plans for the area. A member of the Champaign City Planning Office will discuss details of the plans and answer questions.

On Sept. 18, Bruce W. Fouke, professor of geology will lecture on what UI researchers are learning about our single-celled ancestry and about the evolution of the biosphere in "Yellowstone Geysers: The Valley of Life."

The future of the University Library will be discussed as seen through the eyes of University Librarian Paula Kaufman on Sept. 25 in "Crumbling to Dust: The Future of the University Library.

For more information about the lecture series, including the remaining lineup, visit www.universityymca.org.

‘Compassion and Conscience’
‘Friday Forum’ begins Sept. 21
The Friday Forum fall lecture series, titled "Compassion and Conscience," will begin Sept. 21. The series is focused on informing the campus and Champaign-Urbana community how compassion and conscience impact society on a local, national and international level. Mary Ann Lundy, former deputy general of the Council of Churches, will give the first lecture, "Conscience and Civility: How to Value a Protagonist."

Richard Feldman, professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin and former UI campus minister will speak Sept. 28 on "Forgiveness Among People and Populations."

Friday Forum lectures, free and open to the public, are from 12:15-12:55 p.m. at Latzer Hall at the Universtiy YMCA, with a question-and-answer period from 1 to 1:30 p.m. The series is sponsored by the Episcopal Church Foundation, McKinley Foundation, University YMCA and Wesley Foundation.

Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities
IPRH film series begins Sept. 5
The Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities is presenting a film series in conjunction with its annual theme, "The Means of Reproduction." The fall semester’s film lineup investigates biological, technological and social reproduction. From the battle over abortion rights to alien monsters that incubate in human hosts, from lovesick androids to the AIDS virus, these films reflect the ways in which humans view reproduction in the contemporary world.

The film lineup includes: Sept. 5, "Making Mr. Right (1987) with John Malkovich, Ann Magnuson and Glenne Headly; Sept. 26, "Aliens" (1986) with Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton; Oct. 17, "Citizen Ruth" (1996) with Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz and Mary Kay Place; Nov. 14, "Fast, Cheap and Out of Control" (1997); Nov. 28, "Longtime Companion" (1990) with Campbell Scott, Mary-Louis Parker, and Bruce Davision.

All screenings begin at 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium (Room 62) of the Krannert Art Museum. The films are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact the IPRH at 244-3344, or on the Web at www.iprh.uiuc.edu

Division of Environmental Health and Safety
Training sessions offered
Annual training is required for UI employees with anticipated exposure to human blood and certain other human materials, including human cell lines. The Division of Environmental Health and Safety is now offering campuswide training sessions on occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens. Pre-registration is required. For more information, or to register, visit www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~bss/training.htm or call 333-2755.

Levis Faculty Center
Tailgate at Levis
Levis Faculty Center Sponsors Inc. will host a tailgate party on the second floor of Levis Faculty Center from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 11. Faculty and staff members are invited to unwind and celebrate the new school year in an informal setting. Hors d’oeuvres prepared by Classic Events will be served for a charge of $4. Beverage and cocktail service also will be available.

Urbana Car Pool
Daily campus shuttle available
The Urbana Car Pool has started Monday through Friday shuttle service twice daily between the Urbana, Springfield and Chicago campuses. Transportation service from the Chicago campus to O’Hare International Airport also is available. Space is limited. For information on price, schedules and reservations, call 333-3910 or visit www.oandm.uiuc.edu/gcp/carpool/carpool.htm.

Best of Broadway
Sinfonia performs Sept. 16
Sinfonia da Camera opens its 18th season at 5 p.m. Sept.16 with its "The Best of Broadway" gala event at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. With Hugh Wooldrige ("Peer Gynt") returning as director and David Firman joining him as special guest musical director, the concert will feature highlights of 20th century Broadway favorites. In addition, vocalists from around the world will be featured, including Teri Bibb, Dawn Harris, Janice Helms, David Michael Johnson, Connie Kunkle, Steven Marking, Melissa Osmond and Paul Sperry.

Pianist Ian Hobson will kick off the evening with a cabaret hour in the Krannert Center lobby at 5 p.m. as he accompanies sopranos Dawn Harris and Jan Helms and tenor Paul Sperry.

During "The Best of Broadway," guests will enjoy show tunes from "Porgy and Bess," "Oklahoma!," "My Fair Lady," "West Side Story," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Cats," "Jesus Christ Superstar" and others. The extended intermission between Parts I and II includes a freshly made picnic supper, compliments of the Bread Company and Sinfonia da Camera, as the cabaret continues in the lobby.

Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award
2001 Martirano Award Concert is Sept. 20
The UI New Music Ensemble will perform the 2001 Martirano Award-winning compositions beginning at 8 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Tryon Festival Theater of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
Miami-based composer Orlando Jacinto Garcia’s "Paisaje del sonido II" for solo contrabass and chamber ensemble received the first prize of $500. UI professor of music Michael Cameron will perform the solo part and Garcia will conduct his composition, which uses strings, wind chimes and wine glasses.

Swedish composer Jesper Nordin’s "calm like a bomb" for violin and electronics won second prize and will be performed by guest violinist Dorothy Martirano. Romanian composer Violeta Dinescu’s "et les fruits passeront la proruesse des fleurs" for septet received an honorable mention and also will be performed by the ensemble.

The three winning compositions were selected from 278 entries from 24 countries. Garcia was born in 1954 in Havana, Cuba, and is a professor of music at Florida International University in Miami. Nordin was born in 1971 in Stockholm and recently completed his postgraduate diploma in composition at the Royal University College of Music in Stockholm. Dinescu was born in Romania and lives in Germany where she is a professor of music at Uni Oldenburg. The New Music Ensemble also will perform "Capriccio for Oboe and 11 Strings," by Krzysztof Penderecki; "Octandre," by Edgard Varese; and "Octet," by Salvatore Martirano.

The Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award, coordinated by UI professor of music Zack Browning, is an international competition for composers that offers a cash prize and a performance of the winning composition. The competition is held in memory of Martirano, who was a professor of composition at the UI from 1963 to 1995.

Second Sunday Concert
60th anniversary celebration is Sept. 9
A performance by Arbítrio, followed by a reception celebrating WILL-FM’s 60th anniversary, opens the 2001-02 WILL-FM Second Sunday Concert season Sept. 9.

The public is invited to the 2 p.m. free concert in the West Gallery of the Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, and to stay afterward for a WILL-FM anniversary reception in the adjoining East Gallery.

WILL-FM, a classical music station that also airs jazz, big band music and radio theater on the weekends, received the first educational FM license in the nation in fall 1941.

Arbítrio features Alicia Cordoba Tate, oboe; Doug Spaniol, bassoon; and Bradley Haag, piano. They will perform a transcription of a Haydn piano trio, as well as two works written for them: "The Half Moon," by Fengshi Yang and "Twelve for Three," by Charles Lipp. The concert will also be broadcast live on WILL-FM 90.9 (101.1 in Champaign-Urbana).

The season line-up: Oct. 14, Kirkland Trio; Nov. 11, UI Concert Choir; Dec. 9, Gustavo Romero, piano; Jan. 13, Peter Schaffer, violin; Feb. 10, East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra ensembles; March 10, UI Graduate Brass Ensemble; April 14, Musicelli; May 12, Solomon & Friends, clarinet and more.

The concerts are a joint venture of WILL-FM, the UI School of Music and the Krannert Art Museum.