A total of $25,252 was recently transferred to University Advancement to create a scholarship endowment named "Second Gear of the University League." That officially closes the books on the Second Gear Shop. The thrift shop was a non-profit, volunteer "recycling" center that for many years recycled its proceeds as support for student scholarships and various worthwhile projects. Interest generated from the University League's parting gift will fund several scholarships of $500 or more each year.

Get your tickets now; the last one was a sellout. The event is the special "Celebrate the Season" meal with a holiday menu by Jay Larsen, UDS executive chef, and holiday sounds by faculty member Sarah Meredith and students from the music program. The date is Friday, Dec. 10, at noon in the Phoenix Room. The menu features mushroom and wild rice soup, chef carved top round of beef, garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, parsley buttered carrots, assorted rolls, cinnamon honey butter, a special dessert and coffee, tea or milk for only $7.50. You're advised to get your tickets in advance, starting today, at the Information Center/Main Desk on the lower level of the Union.

The Weidner Center for the Performing Arts has at least two openings remaining on its very well-received holiday theatre and shopping trip to Chicago planned for Dec. 3, 4 and 5. The cost is $549 per person, double occupancy. The itinerary includes the new Aida by Elton John and Tim Rice, time for Saturday shopping and sightseeing, an interactive dinner theatre experience at Tony & Tina's Wedding, and VIP star treatment at the Sunday matinee performance of Fosse. Premium accommodations are at Hotel Allegro in the heart of the Theatre District. Call ext. 2312.

You already know (from a recent LOG ONline) about UW-Green Bay being featured in the Nov. 12 issue of Backstage, the national performing arts weekly. The issue is available on campus now and it shows UW-Green Bay among good company. Others featured include Penn State, Duke, Idaho, Baldwin-Wallace, Butler and a couple of others with impressive theatre reputations. The Theatre department here has copies of Backstage; you can also check out excerpts on UW-Green Bay and its Weidner Center advantage at University Communication's "Quote" page at www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/page/thenews.htm

Several dozen members of the Phoenix pep band and cheerleading squad received a nice reception Saturday morning along the route of the Green Bay Holiday Parade led by grand marshall Pikachu. Kristine Masarik and Sarah Danek were student directors of the pep band contingent. It was a busy weekend for the cheerleaders, with parade duty and appearances at yesterday's Packers game and Saturday night's 46-38 Phoenix win over UNC-Wilmington.

This week's sampling of diversity initiatives, in keeping with Plan 2008 and the spirit of enhancing the climate on campus, looks at ongoing efforts by faculty and staff in the Professional Program in Education. They have identified efforts to embed cultural awareness and diversity experiences throughout the curriculum and within courses; a special certification program to actively recruit minorities into the profession; participation in the East High School mentoring program; successful recruitment of minorities for faculty and staff positions; participation in campuswide events; the articulation agreement with the College of the Menominee Nation; and research on at-risk populations.

Student Services Program Manager, International Education: 12-month academic staff position; apply by Dec. 15 to Joyce Salisbury; Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies: tenure-track position; apply by Jan. 3 to Denise Sweet; Assistant Professor, Humanistic Studies and Religion: tenure-track position; apply by Dec. 6 to Gilbert Null; Academic Curator of Art, COA: nine-month academic staff position; apply by March 6 to Carol Emmons; Assistant or Associate Professor of Education specializing in literacy in the Elementary/Middle Schools with an emphasis on writing: tenure-track position; apply by Jan. 10 to Joan Thron; Assistant or Associate Professor of Social Work: Tenure-track position posted Oct. 1 for start in January or August 2000; apply to Anne C. Kok.

Janice Cusano, Education, Multicultural State Chair for the Wisconsin Music Educators Association, organized and participated in a panel discussion titled "Teaching Music from Diverse Cultures: Issues from Philosophy to Practice." The event took place Oct. 29 at Monona Terrace in Madison. In addition, she coordinated the first annual Ethnic Music Festival at the WMEA Conference, which featured musical groups from around the state that performed Celtic harp, ethnic drumming, Native American song and dance, Swiss yodeling, Japanese Taiko, and Latin American drumming.

The UW-Green Bay Performing Arts program has been notified of its success in receiving an Arts Challenge Initiative grant in the amount of $5,428 from the Wisconsin Arts Board. The grant supports ongoing programming; the request was written by Toni Damkoehler, performing arts event coordinator for COA.

Joseph M. Moran, NAS, was notified of his election as a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). "Election to the grade of Fellow serves as a recognition of outstanding contributions to the atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences, or their applications, during a substantial period of years." Not more than two-tenths of one percent of all AMS members may be elected each year. Official recognition of Moran's election will take place at the Society's annual meeting in Long Beach, CA, in January. Moran has been a member of the UW-Green Bay faculty since 1969.

Alla Wilson, Business Administration, was presented with the 1999 Woman of Achievement Award by the Green Bay/De Pere Business and Professional Women organization. The award recognizes distinguished service to the recipient's profession and community. Wilson was recognized for her work at UW-Green Bay, her involvement in various national professional organizations and honor societies, and her service on the local level to Urban Hope and groups supporting women in small business. The award was presented at a program in Green Bay Nov. 8.

Regan Gurung, Human Development, is co-author with T. Duong of "Mixing and matching: Assessing the concomitants of mixed-ethnic relationships" in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Gurung also had a short writeup on emotion and pregnancy in the October issue of Parenting magazine.

LOG ONline is prepared for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay faculty and staff by the Office of Marketing and University Communication. To submit a Brief, a Publication, a news item, an announcement, or just plain feedback, UW-Green Bay employees can call ext. 2626 or e-mail us at Log@uwgb.edu.