Date: 2/25/00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Matt Yochum, director of public relations and election commissioner, Northern Iowa Student Government, (319) 273-2650
Dennis Lindner, director, ITS-Information Systems, (319) 273-2424
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — More than 3,000 students voted in this Wednesday's University of Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG) election – setting an all time record for voter turnout. Election officials give much of the credit to technology. This was the first time UNI students were able to vote online.
“Online voting is a tremendous success,” said Matt Yochum, a UNI senior from Des Moines and NISG's elections commissioner. “We set a voter participation record last year, with slightly more than 15 percent of students voting. This year, we blew that away with 3,111 students voting, that's a 24 percent turnout.
“Instead of forcing students to go to specific campus locations to cast their ballots, they now can cast their votes from any Web browser connection in the world,” said Jochum. “By taking the ballots to them, so to speak, we make it easier for students to have a voice in who is running student government. Those students away from the campus for such things as student teaching, cooperative education or study abroad, don't have to feel disenfranchised – they don't have to come to a dining center or a table in Maucker Union to cast their ballots as in previous elections.”
The new procedure will get another workout next week. While Wednesday's turnout exceeded expectations, the outcome was not definitive. Five sets of presidential/vice presidential candidates were on the ballot, but no team won a majority (50 percent plus one). A run-off election will be held Wednesday, March 1, between the top two vote-getting pairs: Phil Parsons of Packwood and Matt Rasmusson of Cedar Falls; and Dan Sterenchuk of Cedar Rapids and Mike Russell of Williams.
Julie Heiple, data access administrator in UNI's ITS-Information Systems, said just like this week, when students come in to the student computer labs Wednesday, the default screen will have a link to the voting process.
There will also be links on the UNI Home Page and the Access UNI page. The system will check their social security number and PIN, and give them the appropriate ballot online.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Ryan Williamson, customer service representative, Financial Aid Office, (319) 273-7613
Vicki Grimes, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa— “The Anatomy of Prejudice” is the topic of a presentation to be delivered by Jane Elliott on Tuesday, Feb. 29, at the University of Northern Iowa. The presentation will be at 7 p.m. in the Maucker Union Expansion.
Elliott, a former educator in Riceville, is best known for her “Brown Eyes/Blue Eyes” experiment conducted in 1968, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Elliott separated her all-white third-grade class according to eye color. Those with brown eyes were labeled superior, treated well and pampered. Those with other eye colors were labeled inferior, sent to seating areas where there weren't enough chairs, and not allowed to drink from certain water fountains. The experiment was designed to help white students understand and experience the effects of racism.
Elliott has appeared on a number of television programs, including Oprah, Today, and PBS's Frontline. Her work has been featured in several award-winning documentaries, and she has conducted her famous experiment for businesses across the country during race-relations workshops.
Elliott's appearance on UNI's campus was coordinated by Rebecca Feldman, a senior political communication major from Ankeny, and Ryan Williamson, customer service specialist in UNI's Financial Aid Office. “Ryan and I got into a conversation about diversity issues some time ago, and both found it eye-opening,” says Feldman. “We wanted to find a way to encourage others to have similar dialogues.”
Sponsoring organizations are the UNI Student Alumni Ambassadors, Northern Iowa Student Government and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. The event is free and open to the public.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Darci Buhr, UNI Orchesis Dance Company technique and co-publicity chair, (319) 268-1167
Vicki Grimes, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa Orchesis Dance Troupe will hold its spring show, Friday through Sunday, March 3-5, at the Oster Regent Theatre in Downtown Cedar Falls, corner of 1st and Main Streets. The show will be held at 8 p.m. Friday, March 3 and Saturday March 4, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 5. The show features approximately 25 dancers performing 17 numbers including ballet, jazz, tap and modern styles.
The Orchesis spring show presents “dancers expressing a variety of ideas important to them,” said Georgia Sandvik, UNI assistant professor of physical education and Orchesis advisor. “Some of the dances are funny and free-spirited and others have a deeper meaning. We hope the dances will bring some enjoyment to UNI and the Cedar Falls/Waterloo communities. We are also very excited about performing at the wonderful Oster theatre.”
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Among special numbers in the show, Orchesis members will perform “Gypsy,” a folk dance choreographed by Katya Dennisova, a graduate student in physics education. Cynthia Herndon, UNI associate professor of physical education, also choreographed and will present a modern piece.
The concert is open to the public. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling (319) 222-4953. Tickets may also be purchased at the door for the same price.
The Greek term meaning “to dance,” Orchesis was first organized by a group of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in 1917. The students wanted more opportunity to study dance than was possible in regular university classes, so they organized a university dance club called Orchesis. Eleven students on the UNI campus organized an Orchesis dance group in 1926. Since then, the organization has grown and currently has 22 members.
Note: To obtain the names of the students in the dance troupe, please contact the Office of Public Relations at (319)273-2761.
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