9/27/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
UNI ranked among top 100 public college values by Kiplinger's magazine
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa has been ranked among the nation's "Top 100 Values in Public Colleges" by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.
Ranking criteria include entrance exam scores, graduation rates, numbers of sophomores returning after their freshman year, student-faculty ratios, amount spent on student instruction, quality and cost measures, and total cost overall.
UNI ranked 95th overall, 33rd in terms of in-state tuition, and 46th in terms of its four-year graduation rate. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was ranked No. 1 overall.
A complete list of the rankings and ranking criteria can be found at kiplinger.com/php/college/2002/public.html.
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09/27/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Mike Bobeldyk, UNI Maucker Union program coordinator, (319) 273-5888
Vicki Grimes, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Week-long UNI Homecoming celebration culminates with weekend activities
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa's Homecoming celebration begins Sunday, Sept. 29, and continues through Sunday, Oct. 6, with a variety of activities and events.
Key events leading up to the weekend celebration include:
Window painting for the residence halls, Sunday, Sept. 29; and window painting on the Hill for student organizations Monday, Sept. 30 from noon to 5 p.m. The Kick-Off ceremony and Panther Pride Competition will be at 6 p.m. on the corner of West 23rd and College Streets. Pep-bands, UNI spirit squads and Panther Pride Cry Competition will be featured.
On Tuesday, Oct. 1, a Red Cross blood drive will be hosted in Maucker Union, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as a joint effort between the homecoming committee and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Inflatable Fun Day will be at the Maucker Union Plaza, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday,
Oct. 2.
On Thursday, Oct. 3, the Panther Scramble obstacle course will be from 4 to 6 p.m. by the Campanile. A Homecoming Video Dance Party will be from 9 p.m. to midnight in the Maucker Union Expansion.
Friday, Oct. 4, has been declared Purple and Gold Spirit Day, with students, faculty and staff encouraged to wear school colors. At 8 p.m., Lawther Field will be the site for a pep rally. The event includes the Panther Pride Cry finals and fireworks. Beginning at 11:45 p.m., students will gather for campaniling -- the tradition of being kissed under the Campanile at midnight.
Saturday's events will start with a 5K cross-country run at 8 a.m., just west of the UNI-Dome, followed by the Homecoming Parade at 10 a.m. This year's grand marshal will be John "Jersey" Jermier, who served as UNI associate director of athletics from 1980 to1999. The parade will start near Cedar Falls High School, West 12th and Division Streets, at 10 a.m.; and end at West 23rd and Campus Streets by Campbell Hall.
The Saturday football game will kick-off at 4:05 p.m. Following the game, "Video Stars," a Chicago band playing hits from the '80s, '90s and today, will perform from 9 p.m. to midnight on the lawn east of Lang Hall and comedian Bobby Tessel will perform at midnight in the Maucker Union Coffeehouse. Homecoming concludes with the Panther Midnight Breakfast, a free breakfast bar for students, in the Maucker Union Coffeehouse, from midnight to 2 a.m.
Throughout the week, Pennies in a Pick-Up will take place outside Maucker Union and at all Homecoming events. Pennies placed in a specified pick-up truck will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club. Homecoming buttons also will be sold throughout the week in Maucker Union.
For more information regarding Homecoming activities, contact Mike Bobeldyk, UNI Maucker Union program coordinator, at (319) 273-5888.
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9/27/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Renee Romano, vice president for educational and student services, (319) 273-2331
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
UNI unveils plans for safe homecoming celebration
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa Administrators, public safety officials and students at the University of Northern Iowa have devised a plan they hope will lead to a safe, enjoyable homecoming. UNI's homecoming activities run Monday, Sept. 30, through Saturday, Oct. 5.
Renee Romano, vice president for educational and student services at UNI, said the size and tenor of last year's celebration in the College Hill neighborhood that borders the university were the catalysts for the plan.
"We considered that situation to be potentially dangerous for students and visitors," explained Romano.
She noted that while last year's event ended with an unusually high number of citations from the Cedar Falls Police Department, only a handful of those went to UNI students. "This year, we want homecoming visitors to be aware that we are aggressively targeting anyone who displays negative behavior," said Romano. "We are asking UNI students to take leadership roles during the celebration, and we're reminding our visitors there are heavy penalties for illegal acts such as underage drinking and using fake identification to purchase alcohol."
The plan focuses on safety issues, new city ordinances and coordinating the efforts of the university, city and community organizations. An information campaign includes a series of four posters to increase awareness of the consequences of negative or illegal behavior, a brochure that will be mailed to students and distributed in residence halls, and meetings with student and community organizations.
The brochure contains guidelines for parties, reminding hosts about city ordinances regarding noise and alcohol consumption; tips for celebrating safely within large crowds; and reminders that the fine for using fake identification to purchase/consume alcohol is $145, while the fine for supplying alcohol to minors can run as high as $1,500.
"We certainly don't want to inhibit the fun that typifies UNI's homecoming celebration," Romano said. "But we are going to be vigilant about safety."
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9/27/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Christopher Martin, co-chair of the Hearst Lecture Series committee, (319) 273-2788
Vicki Grimes, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
Hearst Lecture Series to bring Imagine Chicago to UNI Oct. 1
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Bliss Browne, founder and president of Imagine Chicago, will speak at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1, in Lang Auditorium on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Browne's address, "Renewing Systems from Within: Harnessing Imagination for Public Good," will open UNI's 2002-2003 Meryl Norton Hearst Lecture Series.
Since 1992, Imagine Chicago has engaged many communities in Chicago and across the world in understanding, imagining and creating the future they value through intergenerational civic projects, said Christopher Martin, co-chair of the Hearst Lecture Series committee. Martin says Browne's perspectives become particularly relevant as Cedar Falls and Waterloo consider a bid for Vision Iowa funds.
Browne is a graduate of Yale, Harvard, and Northwestern University with degrees in history, theology, and finance. She is an Episcopal priest and was formerly a corporate banking executive at First Chicago. She serves on several museum advisory boards, as a director of seven Chicago non-profit organizations and was a member of the Saguaro seminar on Civic Engagement in America. Browne is internationally known for her uncommon ability to bring widely separated groups into productive dialogue.
The Meryl Norton Hearst Lecture Series is sponsored by the UNI College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and the Department of Communication Studies. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Christopher Martin at (319) 273-2788.
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09/27/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Gerri Perreault, associate professor and director, UNI Leadership Studies Program, (319) 273-6898
Vicki Grimes, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
UNI Leadership Studies Program to discuss 'Friendly Fire'
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- "Dissent and Patriotism" is the focus of a discussion by Peg Mullen, author of "Unfriendly Fire." The event will be Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Seerley Hall Great Reading Room on the University of Northern Iowa campus. The discussion is sponsored by the Leadership Studies Program and is open to the public, free of charge.
Mullen, a native of the Cedar Valley, wrote "Unfriendly Fire" after her son's death by friendly fire in Vietnam. During the program she will answer questions and will be available to autograph books afterwards.
According to Gerri Perreault, director of the UNI Leadership Studies Program, the purpose of the program is to provide the opportunity to learn about the leadership views and practices of leaders from across a variety of sectors of society.
To reserve seating call 273-2332.
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9/27/02
News Brief
Following is a story lead and the University of Northern Iowa sources who can best address this topic. Feel free to contact the sources directly.
UNI professor discusses teen drug use in new book
A new book co-authored by UNI Professor of Social Work Katherine van Wormer encourages the controversial harm-reduction focus when it comes to teens and substance abuse. "That means encouraging moderate as opposed to binge drinking, for instance. Behavior that is forbidden becomes an attraction to many teens. I think adolescents should learn to drink from moderate drinkers rather than drunken peers."
In "Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective," van Wormer also notes that teens who are risk-takers are likely to try drugs, but so are the very shy and inhibited ones. "They tend to be easily led, and will often follow their peers into drug use." Teens prone to depression often try to self-medicate, and are therefore likely to not only try illegal substances but also to use them long-term.
She says the potential for long-term physical damage as a result of drug use is high with teens. MRI scans show teens are more susceptible to the effects of drugs because their brains aren't mature, and won't be until about age 23. The book also points out that other addictions, like risk and gambling, are just as dangerous as substance abuse, and teens aren't immune. "It's not always the substance, but the addictive tendency in the individual. Some people get addicted to everything they touch," van Wormer says.
Contact:
Katherine van Wormer, professor of social work, (319) 273-6379
Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing and Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
9/27/02
News Brief
Following is a story lead and the University of Northern Iowa sources who can besdt address this topic. Feel free to contact the sources directly.
UNI Forensic Program hosts one of nations' largest tournaments Sept. 28-30
One of the largest debate tournaments in the nation, the 2002 Ulrich Season Opener Debate Tournament, will take place Saturday through Monday, Sept. 28-30, on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Hosted by the UNI Forensic Program, the tournament is expected to draw more than 70 teams from 40 different colleges and universities. Leah White, UNI director of forensics, said teams are entered from as far away as Pittsburgh; Denton, Texas; and Long Beach, Calif.
Sessions Saturday and Sunday will be held in classrooms and buildings throughout the campus, while Monday's tournament elimination rounds will be held at the Ramada Inn in Waterloo.
The UNI Forensic Program is open to all students interested in competitive speech and debate. Last year, the UNI debate program was ranked second in the Central District according to the Cross Examination Debate Association annual rankings, and the speech team was ranked 19th at the National Forensic Association National Championship Tournament. Catherine Palczweski is the director of debate at UNI and Will Major is the director of individual events.
The tournament is named in honor of the late Walter Ulrich, former debate coach at UNI.
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Contact:
Leah White, UNI director of forensics and assistant professor of communication studies, (319) 273-7200
Vicki Grimes, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761