UNI is site for AIDS Memorial Quilt display

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa will observe AIDS Awareness Month with a display of the world-famous AIDS Memorial Quilt Tuesday, Oct. 22, from noon to 10 p.m., and Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Maucker Union Expansion.

Joan Thompson, health educator at UNI, said the eight 12-foot-by-12-foot sections of the quilt feature eight individual panels, each displaying the name of a person who died from an AIDS-related illness. "The quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic," she said. "There has been much complacency about the need for HIV prevention, yet more people are living with AIDS in this country than ever before. That population represents an increasing need for continued HIV education and prevention services."

In cooperation with the Cedar AIDS Support System, there will be a panel discussion on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in Room 246 of the Schlindler Education Center. Persons living with HIV/AIDS and their significant others will discuss how the disease has impacted their lives.

The events are supported by UNI Wellness and Recreation Services and the UNI Entertainment Committee, with funds allocated by the Northern Iowa Student Government. The events are free and open to the public.

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10/15/02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Richard Utz, professor of English Language and Literature, (319) 273-3879

Gwenne Culpepper, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761

UNI hosts conference on Medievalism

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The 17^th annual international meeting of the Conference on Medievalism will be Friday, Oct. 18 and Saturday, Oct.19 at the University of Northern Iowa.

Hosting the conference are Richard Utz, professor, and Jesse Swan, associate professor, both in the Department of English Language and Literature. The event is for scholars in all fields concerned with post-modernism, the study of the Middle Ages and their scholarly and popular influence on Western society.

Speakers will be John Ganim, University of California at Riverside, "The Afterlife of the Gothic Cathedral: Modernism, Post-modernism and Medievalism in Contemporary Architecture"; William Paden, Northwestern University, "I Learned It at the Movies: Teaching Medieval Film"; Bonnie Wheeler, Southern Methodist University, "Post-modernism Meets King Arthur"; and Verlyn Flieger, University of Maryland at College Park, "A Distant Mirror: Tolkien and Jackson in the Looking-Glass."

The plenary session of the conference will be in the Great Reading Room of Seerley Hall. Concurrent sessions will be in Lang Hall.

For more information contact Richard Utz at (319) 273-3879.

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10/15/02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Kathleen Kerr, faculty advisor, UNI International Dance Theatre, (319) 273-6195

Vicki Grimes, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-2761rel

UNI International Dance Theatre officers elected

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Iowa's International Dance Theatre (IDT) recently elected officers.

Elected officers include: Holly Karlen of Polk City, president; Judith Slaikeu of La Porte City, vice president; Jill McGinnis of Urbandale, secretary; Alicia Johnson of Nevada, treasurer; and Shawn Cannon and Joplyn VanHouten of Council Bluffs, NISG liaisons.

The group is open without audition to students, faculty, staff and community members and performs dances from around the world and the United States. They perform four concerts annually, two in the fall and two in the spring.

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