ARTLabis an interdisciplinary project initiated by the NIU School of Art investigating the in/visible as its overarching theme for 2010-2011.
ARTLab shares an interest in making visible the invisible structures — social, disciplinary, physical, linguistic, conventional, ritual — that shape our experience, including the imperceptible, the subliminal, the imagined, the remembered, the overlooked, the erased, the secret, the spectral, the sacred, the covert, the technological and the transcendent.
Three excursion trips have been planned for this fall.
Green Roof Research Tour
Saturday, Sept. 25
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
$15.50 for NIU Art Museum members, students and seniors; $20.50 for others
Lunch costs on own.
Payment may be made at the NIU Art Museum (first floor, west end, Altgeld Hall) or at (815) 753-1936 by cash, check or credit card.
Registration deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 22.
Segway Tour of Grant Park and Lakefront
Saturday, Oct. 9
9:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
$85 for NIU Art Museum members, students and seniors; $90 for others
Payment may be made at the NIU Art Museum (first floor, west end, Altgeld Hall) or at (815) 753-1936 by cash, check or credit card.
“We are very proud of what Lauren has been able to accomplish over the past week,” said NIU head coach Ray Gooden. “She continues to make her game as complete as she possibly can, and continues to make improvements in doing so.”
As a two-time honoree of the award as a freshman, Wicinski becomes the first in program history to achieve the feat. Her performance over the week helped NIU to a 2-1 record as she registered a team-high 42 kills (4.67/set). She tallied double-figure kills in all three matches and has done so in 13 straight, while she also led the team in points with 45.5 (5.06/set).
Against Wisconsin, she put up 15 kills and a .294 attack percentage. In a 3-0 win over Youngstown State, she notched 15 kills and a .310 attack percentage. With 12 kills and an ace in a 3-0 win over Iowa, she led the Huskies to their first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2001.
Wicinski and the Huskies (13-1) return to action at Victor E. Court with a 7 p.m. contest tonight against DePaul (1-11).
Over his 37 years in the educational field, he has served with distinction and dedication to several colleges as president, chancellor, vice president, dean and associate dean. His latest publication is “A Parenting Guidebook: The Roles of School, Family, Teachers, Religion, Community, Local, State and Federal Government in Assisting Parents with Rearing Their Children.”
Monday’s event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.
The Community Learning Series (CLS) is one of the first operational initiatives to result from the College of Education’s strategic plan. It is designed to engage the NIU community, our alumni and retirees and interested individuals in the local and regional communities.
Subgoal 2-2. Increase the recruitment, retention and completion rate of students of diverse backgrounds.
Subgoal 2-3. Increase the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds.
Subgoal 2-4. Engage in diversity in our curriculum, scholarly and artistic endeavors, and daily operations.
Goal No. 3 – Engagement
Subgoal 3-3. Involve practitioners in ensuring high standards, relevant programs and job-ready graduates.
Subgoal 3-4. Think regionally, nationally, and globally in our partnerships and collaborations.
Goal No. 4 – Innovation
Subgoal 4-5. Work with graduates, alumni, and the community for innovative and creative ventures.
Goal No. 5 – Culture
Subgoal 5-5. Engage our alumni in the life of the college.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on College of Education alum Kimmons to speak Monday on ‘Importance of a Quality Education’
Carr is receiving the award after boasting shutout victories over SIUE (1-0) and Green Bay (1-0) with the women’s soccer team this past weekend.
The England native is receiving the award for the first time in her career after totaling two shuouts and eight saves in goal this weekend. Carr recorded three saves against SIUE on Friday to snap the Cougar’s six-game undefeated streak, before earning five saves to shutout Green Bay on Sunday.
After her strong performances in goal, Carr now leads the MAC in shutouts with three. The Huskie ranks fourth in the MAC with a goals against average of 0.86 and seventh in save percentage (0.786) after recording 22 saves in seven games this season.
“I’m pleased for Amy and the whole team, this is truly a team recognition award,” said NIU head women’s soccer coach Carrie Barker. “Amy’s been in the country and with our program for less than two months, and it’s amazing how fast she’s adapted to life of an American collegiate athlete.”
NIU (4-3-0) will open conference play Friday when the Huskies face Toledo on the road in a 3 p.m. contest. The Huskies will then return home to host Ball State at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26.
For more information on NIU women’s soccer and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Huskie women’s soccer goalkeeper Amy Carr honored as MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Wilber, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., averaged 49.0 yards on a career-high five punts. He had three punts over 50 yards with punts of 51, 56 and 55, with all three of the those kicks pinning the Illini inside their own 12-yard line. Illinois returned only one punt on the day and that was for minus one yard as three of Wilber’s five punts resulted in fair catches and one was downed.
Averaging 41.3 yards a punt this season, the Huskie senior is fourth in the league in punting. Wilber has 12 punts on the season for 496 yards, including three punts over 50 yards. Three of his punts have been placed inside the 20-yard line, while another three have resulted in a fair catch.
Northern Illinois continues its three-game road trip when the Huskies travel to Minneapolis, Minn. to face Big Ten foe Minnesota Saturday night. Fans can watch all the action live on the Big Ten Network with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m.
LUCY — Let Us Connect You — is the 24-7 service available from Information Technology Services that connects to everyone at NIU.
Whether you’re looking to call a student, faculty, staff or even a department, LUCY’s got your number. And, although LUCY has been around for a few years, the system recently was upgraded.
If you have not tried LUCY, ITS invites you to check it out and let us know how you feel. Call Lucy at (815) 753-4000, and ask for a person (faulty, staff or student) or department. Then tell us … “How is LUCY doing?” … we’d like to hear how LUCY works for you!
If LUCY does not pronounce a name correctly, e-mail niutel@niu.edu.
LUCY do’s and don’ts
Speak normally. LUCY understands normal speech patterns.
Use first name and last name (no middle initial).
You can “barge-in” – no need to wait for the prompt.
Although it works over a speaker, you may get better results using the handset.
Talking with background noise or with food or gum in your mouth could hamper LUCY’s effectiveness.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on NIUTEL wants to know: How is LUCY doing?
NIU football coach Jerry Kill was on the sidelines Saturday at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign despite spending much of the week in a Chicago hospital.
Today, the coach issued a thank-you note to all the fans and friends who have wished him well in the last week.
“I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me, (my wife) Rebecca and our entire family with your good wishes, prayers, cards, e-mails, phone calls and notes over the past week. I heard from so many people – from Huskie fans, to coaches from around the MAC and across the country to former players, friends and more. We truly appreciate all of your support as we work hard to prepare for the Minnesota game this week. Thank you again and GO HUSKIES!”
— Coach Jerry Kill
For more information on NIU football and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on A word of thanks from Coach Jerry Kill
Champaign, Ill. – The Northern Illinois Huskies went toe-to-toe with another Big Ten Conference foe Saturday, battling in-state foe Illinois down to the final play at Memorial Stadium in Champaign before falling to the Illini, 28-22.
Northern Illinois fell to 1-2 on the season with the loss while Illinois improved to 2-1 and earned its fourth win all-time over NIU.
“In the end, it was about running the football and them making six or seven more plays than we did,” said NIU Head Coach Jerry Kill. “I think we took some strides today. I think the greatest sign is that we are getting better as a football team and that is what I am excited about. I think we have a good football team.”
With Kill on the sidelines despite spending much of the week in a Chicago hospital, the Huskies claimed a 12-7 lead in the first quarter. After Illinois scored in just 1:54 on its first drive of the game on a nine-yard run by quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, the Huskies came back with a pair of scores.
NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish, who finished the game with a season-best 208 yards on 19-of-25 passing, hit Nate Palmer with a 42-yard completion on a post-pattern to the Illinois one-yard line. From there, tailback Chad Spann scored on a one-yard run. The Huskies attempted a two-point play, but Harnish’s pass to kicker Mathew Sims fell incomplete and NIU trailed 7-6.
The Huskie defense forced Illinois to punt and Northern Illinois took a 12-6 lead on its ensuing possession when Harnish sprang free on a 37-yard touchdown run. The NIU junior finished with his second straight 100-yard rushing day as he ran for 117 yards on 11 carries. Sims’ PAT kick hit the post and was no good, leaving the Huskies with a five-point lead, 12-7.
Illinois came back with an 11-point second quarter to take an 18-12 halftime lead. UI kicker Derek Dimke opened the quarter with a 25-yard field goal after the Huskie defense stopped the Illini at the eight-yard line. The teams traded possessions until Illinois put together a nine-play, 66-yard drive, scoring on an eight-yard run by Jason Ford. Scheelhaase added the two point conversion to provide Illinois with a six-point halftime margin, 18-12.
After a scoreless third quarter that featured both punters, Northern Illinois opened the fourth quarter in Illinois territory at the 46-yard line. But Harnish fumbled after a 15-yard pick-up to give the ball back to the Illini. Two possessions later, Illinois extended its lead to 21-12 on a 32-yard Dimke field goal as the Huskie defense once again forced the three-point try.
Northern Illinois came back quickly. Harnish took the ball to the UI 19 with a career-long 47-yard run and on the next play, tailback Jasmin Hopkins ran to the right before stopping and lofting a pass to receiver Landon Cox in the end zone, who made the catch for the 19-yard touchdown. Illinois transfer Michael Cklamovski added the PAT and the Huskies were within two at 21-19.
Illinois got the ball back with six minutes remaining and converted a fourth-and-one play en route to the decisive touchdown. UI tailback Mikel Leshoure went the final 29 yards on a rush, part of his 180 rushing yards on the day.
The Huskies were not done, though. NIU drove to the Illinois 31 on six plays and Cklamovski kicked his first career field goal – a 48-yarder – with 19 seconds remaining to pull Northern Illinois within six points. However, Illinois recovered the onside kick attempt to thwart NIU’s final chance.
Harnish totaled 325 yards of total offense in the game, and posted the best completion percentage of his career. Cox caught a team-leading six passes with tight end Jack Marks and receiver Martel Moore snagging five passes each. The Huskie defense allowed Scheelhaase to complete just eight of 16 passes for 70 yards in the game.
“[Chandler] played a tremendous opponent and got better today,” Kill said. “He just needs to keep getting better. We are very pleased at the progress he is making for this football team and I think our football team is excited about that.”
The Huskies take on their second consecutive Big Ten opponent this Saturday as they travel to Minneapolis, Minn. for a 7:30 p.m. game versus the Golden Gophers.
For more information on NIU football and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Huskies come up short at Illinois, 28-22
The NIU women’s soccer team had something extra to celebrate on their 2010 Senior Day this Sunday, after the Huskies (4-3-0) posted a 1-0 victory over Green Bay (2-4-2) at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex to wrap their non-conference schedule.
The seniors combined forces with their Huskie squad to dominate play throughout and give NIU its third shutout of the season.
Northern Illinois head women’s soccer coach Carrie Barker feels it is very fitting to celebrate a win on senior day.
“As we finish our non-conference season, it is great to see us finish on high for our seniors today,” said Barker. “We had two solid performances this weekend that gave us two shutouts and two wins. This is an excellent way to wrap up the first part of our season and head into conference play.”
The Huskies controlled the ball throughout the opening half, registering 10 shot attempts from seven different players. However, a strong Green Bay backline held NIU to just three shots on goal. The Huskies held their opponents to five shot attempts, while freshman goalkeeper Amy Carr recorded three saves to keep the Phoenix scoreless through the first half of play.
In the 53rd minute, freshman Frances Boukidis gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead when she headed the ball into the back right of the Phoenix net. Lauren Eberts and Kelsey Passaglia were credited with assists on the goal after Eberts found Passaglia in the box and before Passaglia headed the ball to Boukidis.
Following the goal, Green Bay put a lot of pressure on the Huskies but the NIU defense held off a late rally by the Phoenix to secure their third shutout of the season. Despite the pressure, the NIU offense would not let up outshooting the Phoenix 18-12, with nine shots on goal to Green Bay’s five, by the end of contest.
NIU saw 11 Huskies register shots attempts, eight of whom fired shots on goal. Mo Smunt led the charge with five shots and two shots on goal, while Passaglia fired three shots and Corinne Frankenberg registered two shots. Passaglia and Frankenberg each notched a shot on goal.
Carr played all 90 minutes in goal for the Huskies, recording five saves to earn her third shutout of the season.
Following today’s contest NIU will hit the road Friday as the Huskies open their conference schedule at Toledo. The match-up between the Huskies and Rockets is set to begin at 3 p.m. at the Scott Park Soccer Complex in Toledo, Ohio.
For more information on NIU women’s soccer and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Huskies celebrate victory on Senior Day
After dropping its first match of the season on Tuesday against Big Ten Wisconsin to end a school-record 11-0 start to the campaign, the Northern Illinois volleyball team has picked up where it left off by sweeping Youngstown State yesterday and doing the same on Sunday afternoon to Iowa, 25-22, 25-17, 25-23.
“It’s nice for us to be able to rebound,” said NIU head coach Ray Gooden. “For us to be able to take the lessons from Tuesday night, have a short memory, and do some positive things is great. It could have been very easy for us to split up and not do positive things. I think we’ve done a lot of positive things in these past 24 hours.”
In exacting a bit of revenge on the Big Ten at Victor E. Court, the Huskies (13-1) notched their first win against an opponent from the conference since 2001 — also a win over Iowa, who fell to 5-4.
“I think it’s great for our team and I think it’s great for NIU,” said Gooden of his first win over a Big Ten foe. “I think people recognize names like Iowa and Wisconsin and teams like that. It’s no disrespect to any of the other teams we play, but for us to have a successful event against a Big Ten team is always a positive mark for not only our program, but the athletic department as well.”
In improving to 7-1 at “The Dog House” the Huskies grinded out a stellar win by possessing significant advantages in kills (38-32), hitting percentage (.200-.103), and blocks (8-4).
In the opening set, NIU came out hot with a 13-4 run that proved too large for Iowa to recover from. The Huskies used five blocks to help fuel the spurt. The Hawkeyes would close within three points, 23-20, near the end, but a kill by freshman middle blocker Sarah Angelos (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) and an Iowa serve error would give the Huskies the set.
With the score knotted at 10-10 in the second set, NIU rallied to end it on a 15-7 run. Four kills by freshman outside hitter Lauren Wicinski (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) highlighted the run.
In the final stanza, NIU called a timeout to regroup after losing a three-point lead, leaving the score tied at 20-20. The break slowed Iowa down, as two errors put the Huskies ahead again. The second of which came on an outstanding effort by junior setter Kristin Hoffman (Batavia, Ill./Batavia), who saved an NIU overpass by forming a solid block to put the ball back on Iowa’s side. The result on the next play was a wide crosscourt attack by the Hawkeyes, who would then call a timeout of their own. NIU then ended the match by getting a kill from Angelos and two from Wicinski.
“Kristin’s play over the net was critical,” Gooden said.
Leading the way for NIU was Wicinski, who totaled 12 kills. Sophomore middle blocker Mary Kurisch (LaCrosse, Wis./West Salem) tied a season-high with seven blocks, adding seven kills as well. Hoffman ran the offense to the tune of 31 assists. She also turned in eight digs, two blocks, and two kills on three swings. Senior libero Maddie Hughes (St. Charles, Ill./North) led the back row with 18 digs.
It ended the weekend on a brighter note — literally.
Seven minutes prior to the first serve Saturday parts of DeKalb suffered a power outage and “The Dog House” went completely black and silent for a few seconds before the Convocation Center’s back-up generator kicked on, providing a dim light. Officials Rod Rodriguez and Daniel Wong deemed the light insufficient enough for a safe match. Arrangements were then made to relocate the event to the rec center and the match started two hours after its originally scheduled 1 p.m. start time.
“It’s not always how you plan it, sometimes it’s a little out of our control,” Gooden said. “I appreciate Youngstown State understanding, and our fans that were there, along with our kids, for being flexible.”
In the new location, the Huskies had to quickly adjust to a playing environment that included a lack of “feel” with no music, public address announcer, and two small scoreboards. However, 154 fans still managed to make their way in and made their presence felt.
“Even though it wasn’t our home court, we still felt at home,” said Gooden. “It’s ironic that the size of the court was similar to that of Elon, where we played earlier this season. All of our players are familiar with the rec center because they played there either during spring practice or during the summer for camp. Even without the confines of Victor E., we still felt the energy of our crowd.”
The Huskies did not seem frazzled by the unexpected change in venue, nor did they show any ill effects from the end of their school-record 11-match winning streak to start the season. NIU soundly went about its business by sweeping Youngstown State, 25-21, 25-15, 25-18, in 1 hour and six minutes — about an hour less than it took to get the match started.
NIU (12-1) dominated the Penguins (2-11) in just about every statistical category by holding an edge in kills (43-26), hitting percentage (.312-.067), assists (41-24), aces (3-2), digs (40-32), blocks (8-4), and points (54-32).
The Huskie seven-match home stand continues at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, with a match against DePaul before opening Mid-American Conference play next weekend.
For more information on NIU volleyball and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Huskie volleyball sweeps Iowa for first Big Ten win since 2001, completes unblemished weekend
For its opening program of the year, NIU Opera Theater presents scenes from two related works: “The Threepenny Opera” and “The Beggar’s Opera.”
Performances are at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, and 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, in the Recital Hall in the Music Building.
In 1728, London saw the premiere of “The Beggar’s Opera,” a ballad opera in which popular songs of the day were arranged by John Christopher Pepusch and fitted with new, satirical lyrics by John Gay. In 1928, composer Kurt Weill and librettist Bertolt Brecht adapted the earlier work to create their own “Threepenny Opera.” Finally, in 1948, the renowned English composer Benjamin Britten wrote his own arrangements of the music from the original 1728 opera.
The NIU Opera program features examples from all three versions. The basic plot and main characters remain the same in each.
Macheath, a notorious street thug, marries Polly Peachum, whose father runs a thriving trade by supervising the city’s beggars and panhandlers. Macheath is as incapable of fidelity as he is of honesty because he already has a wife as well as ongoing relationships with a number of prostitutes. Some of the characters acquire new names from Brecht: for example, Lucy Lockit, Macheath’s “other” wife and daughter of the jailer, become Lucy Brown, daughter of Macheath’s old friend and the chief of police, Tiger Brown.
Among the many numbers on the program is the well-known “Ballad of Mack the Knife,” which became a popular favorite following a successful 1954 Off-Broadway revival starring Weill’s widow, Lotte Lenya.
This fall, the NIU Opera Theater ensemble includes 11 undergraduate and graduate voice students who receive musical and acting training while preparing a variety of vocal repertoire. The program is co-directed by stage director James Tucker and conductor Lucia Matos, with assistance from faculty pianist William Koehler and graduate accompanist Glenda Courtois-Garcia.
The concerts are free and open to the public. The NIU Music Building, 300 Lucinda Ave., is accessible to all. For more information, contact Lynn Slater in the School of Music at lslater@niu.edu or (815) 753-1546.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on NIU Opera Theater to perform scenes from related ‘Threepeeny Opera,’ ‘Beggar’s Opera’
The NIU School of Music will host a concert by guest artists Duo XXI (Anna Cromwell, violin; Mira Frisch, cello) at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3, in the Music Building Recital Hall.
The program will consist of seven new pieces commissioned by Duo XXI, each inspired by something non-musical, such as a painting, a poem, nature, etc. Composers featured are John Allemeier, Ferdinando De Sena, NIU School of Music faculty member David Maki, Brian Arreola, Stephen Anderson, Jonathon Kirk and Paul Johnston.
Duo XXI is committed to developing the musical culture of the 21st century through commissioning, performing and recording new music.
Both members are passionate string professors who reach a diverse audience through concerts, conference presentations and outreach workshops. The duo’s mission is to unite today’s students, performers and composers to enliven music and to cultivate the intimate and expressive string duo as a genre for our time. Albany Records will release the Duo’s new CD, “Quest: New Music for Violin and Cello,” in late 2010.
Highlights of Duo XXI’s recent performances include recitals at the National Gallery of Bermuda; the Bravo! Institute in Minneapolis; and the McColl Center for Visual Art in Charlotte, N.C. The ensemble also has performed at many universities throughout the United States.
In addition to giving numerous recitals during 2010–2011, Duo XXI will perform at the Society of Composers Incorporated National Conference and present a lecture-recital about string duo repertoire at the American String Teachers Association National Conference.
The concert is free and open to the public. The NIU Music Building, 300 Lucinda Ave., is accessible to all. For more information, contact Lynn Slater in the School of Music at lslater@niu.edu or (815) 753-1546.
Date posted: September 20, 2010 | Author: Mark McGowan | Comments Off on Duo XXI to perform Oct. 3
