PUBLICATIONS Inside Illinois Vol. 28, No. 20, May 21, 2009

Email to a friend

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Summer Studio Theatre announced

The Summer Studio Theatre returns to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for its 19th season as a professional repertory company. Under the direction of Brant Pope, head of the department of theatre, it provides a repertory season of intrigue, humor and melodrama. Pope says that the quality of the characters found in each of the plays is the strength of this summer’s season.

This year’s performances: “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” by Charles Ludlum, a comedic satire; the heartwarming “Tuesdays With Morrie,” by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom, based on Albom’s book of the same title; and Doug Wright’s one-man tour de force, “I Am My Own Wife.” The plays will be presented in rotation from June 5 through July 1.

Ticket orders can be submitted by phone, mail, online or by visiting the ticket office. Information also is available online at KrannertCenter.com.

Fifth annual conference

Qualitative research discussed this week

The fifth annual International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry takes place on campus through May 23.

More than 1,300 participants from more than 75 countries were scheduled to attend the event, the largest annual conference of qualitative researchers in the world, according to congress director Norman Denzin, a professor in the Institute of Communications Research in the College of Media.

The conference, which began May 20,  also is the largest held on an annual basis on the UI campus, according to the campus Conferences and Institutes office.

The first congress was organized by Denzin and others in 2005 in reaction to moves by governments and funding agencies to define good science and research strongly in favor of a quantitative, “evidence-based,” biomedical model, which emphasizes controlled experiments and number-gathering, Denzin said.

This meant restrictions on funding for qualitative research, which emphasizes observation and often seeks to record the voices of marginalized populations, he said.

The “No Child Left Behind” legislation, with its requirements for frequent testing and pressures on schools to raise test scores, is probably the most prominent example of the trend, which has continued to the present, Denzin said. The trend also affects fields such as communications, health care, social science, business and law, he said.

The theme of this year’s congress is “Advancing Human Rights Through Qualitative Research.” More than 1,000 papers are being presented on topics such as academic freedom, indigenous human rights, torture, social justice, and disparities in education, welfare and health care.

At the first conference in 2005, participants founded the International Association of Qualitative Inquiry. The UI also is home to the multidisciplinary International Center for Qualitative Inquiry. More information on the conference is available at www.icqi.org.

Emergency Preparedness Exercise

Volunteers needed for emergency drill

Volunteers are needed to participate in an emergency preparedness exercise from 9:30 a.m. to noon June 2 at Assembly Hall. The full-scale exercise will test plans for distributing preventative medications to members of the public in the Champaign-Urbana area during an infectious disease outbreak. Using the scenario of a pneumonic plague sweeping eastward across the state, volunteers will pose as asymptomatic persons who go to pick up bottles of medication. About 100 volunteers are needed, and anyone may  participate, said Todd Short, director of emergency planning in the Division of Public Safety, who is coordinating the drill with staff members from McKinley Health Center. This event is designated an “approved event” by associate provost for human resources Elyne Cole. Staff employees who volunteer may do so without having to charge a benefit to cover their absence, operations permitting and with prior, appropriate supervisory approval.

Volunteers will need to be at Assembly Hall at 9:30 a.m. June 2 for a brief orientation and to complete a waiver form. Free parking will be provided in the northeast lot of Assembly Hall. To volunteer, contact Short at tshort@illinois.edu or 244-4877. All volunteers must contact Short on or before May 28 to participate.

Planting party

Gardeners needed June 6

Volunteer gardeners are needed June 6 to help create a perennial garden at the College of Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building. The garden, consisting of plants characteristic of native tallgrass prairie in Central Illinois, will be created by the east front entrance of the Basic Sciences Building and to the south of the building around the sculpture called “Growing in Illinois.” Volunteers will plant 8,000 seedlings using small, drill-mounted augers under the direction of experts from Grand Prairie Friends.

In addition to beautifying the grounds, the garden will educate visitors about the biologically rich grassland that once covered about 60 percent of the Illinois landscape. The garden will reduce the need for mowing and foster a natural habitat that supports native insect and vertebrate species. The project is made possible through a grant from the Student Sustainability Committee.

Sign up by completing the volunteer form online at http://vetmed.illinois.edu/green/. The Web site also has a project description, prairie plant maps and pictures.

Back to Index