Vol. 38, No. 85, April 2, 2007     /     Log Archive

Men's NCAA title game tonight and women's on Tuesday, but for some of us the biggest basketball event is Mickey Crowe's 50th birthday, tomorrow. If you're a long-time resident of these parts and old enough to remember the mid-1970s and his one game against UW-Green Bay, send him a card. "Mickey Crowe, Basketball Sensation, Eau Claire WI 54701" oughta find him, and might cheer him up. (See note in this column.) In real news today:

Fall 2007 Research Scholar award goes to Arent
Russell Arent, assistant professor of Humanistic Studies, has been selected by the Research Council to be the Fall 2007 recipient of the Research Scholar Award. The award entitles Arent to a three-credit course reassignment in order to pursue a special project. His selection was based on his proposal, "Listening and Speaking Across Cultures."

Congratulations, Coach Tony Bennett, HUS Class of '92
Yes, that was a UW-Green Bay alumnus at halftime of Saturday's Final Four game, accepting honors from the Chevrolet guy and Leslie Vissers of CBS. Tony Bennett '92 has now swept the major coach of the year awards — the Associated Press, the coaches association — for turning downtrodden Washington State into a nationally ranked contender in men's basketball. A four-year Phoenix star, he earned his bachelor's in Humanistic Studies in May 1992, played in the NBA and New Zealand, and was an assistant at Wisconsin and Washington State before this year. For an AP story, click http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070331/GPG02/703310583/1226.

*****

Bennett's awards add luster to an already sparkling Phoenix Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday evening, May 12. Bennett will be joined by teammate Ben Johnson '92 and founding women's coach Carol Hammerle. See http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/logarchive/logarchive38/2007mar26.htm#fame.

Top dog celebrates birthday
Andy the dog entertained guests at a reception last week for Chancellor Bruce Shepard. Photos of the little cutie (Andy) are online at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/page/photo.htm.

Popular Empty Bowls chili/soup fundraiser is Wednesday
The student Art Agency presents Empty Bowls this Wednesday (April 4) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Studio Arts cafeteria. For a $10 donation to the Golden House abuse shelter you get a work of art (a handmade ceramic bowl) filled with delicious chili or soup of your choice from generous sponsors KaVarna, Patrick's, St. Brendan's Inn or Titletown Brewery.

Students' consulting work with National Railroad Museum picks up steam
In the March 20 LOG we told you about history Prof. Andrew Kersten and his class helping the National Railroad Museum get on track as a more education-focused attraction. Today's Press-Gazette carries a full story at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/GPG0101/704020569/1207/GPGnews.

Students recognize Prof. Style with 'Women's Leadership Award'
Prof. Christine Style was chosen to receive the Women's Leadership Award at the annual Women's Leadership program held last month on campus. Student government leaders solicited nominations campuswide based on professional achievement, civic involvement and contributions to student development. Jen Schanen received the student award.

Congratulations to UW-Green Bay's Golden Apple honorees
The Partners in Education Golden Apple Awards banquet will air live this Wednesday evening (April 4) on WLUK-TV Fox 11. Congratulation to Kathleen Bazaldua, UW-Green Bay Class of 1997, a team-teaching winner with Green Bay's Nicolet Elementary School. She majored in elementary education and minored in Spanish here. Another honoree is Barbara (Caldie) Forsberg '86, who majored in human development and completed a professional program in education. A specialist in reading/language arts alternative curriculum at Pulaski Middle School, she will be featured in Tuesday's Press-Gazette. Bazaldua's team is highlighted today at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/GPG0101/704020571/1207/GPGnews.

Guilford a challenger to Laatsch's title? Let's clarify
One of this newsletter's retiree readers wrote recently to question a reference used here: That the institution's longest-serving faculty member, ever, is Prof. Bill Laatsch. The genial geographer was honored this academic year for 40 years of service, mostly at UW-Green Bay but with a couple of pre-1968 years at the UW's Fox Valley Center. The reader didn't question Laatsch's primordial primacy, but rather, suggested that former biology Prof. Harry Guilford might be worth a mention, too. A quick check of the records shows that Guilford, a one-time secretary of the faculty and senate speaker who helped shape the curriculum here, was appointed to the faculty of the two-year UW Center in Green Bay in 1950. He retired from day-to-day duty in 1988, after 38 years in Green Bay. Additionally, it is also true that Guilford was granted professor emeritus status that June, and retains it today... 57 years since he started.

Actually, Guilford says, it has been 61 years since he joined UW payroll
Reached at his Green Bay area home by telephone, Prof. Emeritus Guilford, for his part, was willing to concede the senior service title to Laatsch, but he did mention that, counting four years of graduate assistantship, he is quite proud to have a 61-year professional relationship with the UW or its Green Bay campus... "but you can't count that (assistantship)" he admits. Guilford's listing in this year's faculty/staff directory includes a mailing address, and we have a current e-mail for him at LOG@uwgb.edu, if you're interested in dropping him a note.

And don't forget Al Loomer
In response to a related question: mathematician and meteorologist Al Loomer, who turns 94 years of age this month, remains active with the University. (He marched at commencement in December, for example). He joined the Green Bay center faculty in 1955 and was granted emeritus status upon his retirement from full-time duty in 1983, so it has been 52 years since he began his Green Bay career.

Next Chancellor's coffee chat is scheduled for Friday
Have an observation or concern? Chancellor Shepard would like to hear from you. Remaining dates for spring 2007 — with all Open Office Hours held from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Union's Common Grounds Coffee House — are:
• Thursday, April 5       • Friday, April 20       • Tuesday, May 1

Nothing new to report
We have received no updates as of this posting with regard to the alleged report of an attempted abduction last Monday night in the Studio Arts parking lot. Campus police were told a woman (not a student) fled when a man approached and wanted her to get into his car.

Reminder: Visiting French vocalist, tonight
Cercle Francais, the French program and Humanistic Studies, among others, are hosting acclaimed Paris-born vocalist Claudia Hommel for a concert at 7:30 this evening (Monday, April 2) in the University Theatre. An artist-in-residence and instructor at DePaul University, Hommel will be accompanied by singer and pianist Bob Moreen. Admission is free.

Reminder: Snow Queen reception, this afternoon
The campus community is invited to a reception today (4:30 p.m. Monday, April 2, in SA 411) to celebrate artist Lori J. Reich's donation to the UW-Green Bay art collection. The Snow Queen and Her Seven Deadly Sirs is an 8-foot-long work on canvas. See http://www.lorijreich.com/snowqueen.htm.

Reminder: Soprano/harpist Wednesday at Weidner
Soprano and Irish harpist Patricia O'Neill will perform in Fort Howard Hall of the Weidner Center at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (April 4). Admission is free. For more, see the main news page at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/page/index.htm.

Play ball!
Just when the weather turns cold again — wouldn't you know it? — the Phoenix softball team (9-10, 1-2 Horizon League) readies for its home opener, against defending regular-season champion UIC. Saturday's doubleheader starts at 1 p.m., while Easter Sunday's lone game is at 11 a.m.

Are you a woman? A good golfer? With NCAA eligibility remaining?
Plan to show up Saturday, April 14, at 2 p.m. at the Shorewood Golf Course. Interested students are invited to an open tryout organized by the women's golf coach, Luca Hana, hanal@uwgb.edu. The team will begin play as the newest Phoenix sport in fall 2007.

SBDC program looks at 'maximizing performance'
The UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center is offering a one-day program on maximizing performance. The program, which will run from 8:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, will provide techniques to help professional coach each staff member to be their best, fine-tune goal-setting skills and reduce reoccurring personnel problems. Check it out online at http://www.uwgb.edu/sbdc.

A recap on big watershed symposium/conference
On Wednesday, March 14, 55 high school students from seven area high schools convened at UW-Green Bay for the fourth annual Lower Fox River Watershed Monitoring Program Student Symposium. The event was held jointly with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance stormwater conference, bringing more than 150 people to campus for the joint event. Students and teachers from Luxemburg-Casco; Green Bay Preble, East and Southwest; West De Pere; Appleton East and Markesan high schools were present. The day began with an overview of the conditions in the bay of Green Bay by Vicky Harris of UW Sea Grant, followed by a discussion of biotic monitoring and non-point source pollution loads entering the bay from the Lower Fox River and its tributaries by Kevin Fermanich of UW-Green Bay and Tim Ehlinger of UW-Milwaukee. The session concluded with representatives of the Wisconsin DNR and federal EPA describing a new pilot project related to bay water quality.

Symposium included presentations, 'Jeopardy'-style contest
During the morning session of the watershed symposium, high school students gave PowerPoint presentations of their research projects and participated in discussions summarizing and comparing three years of student-collected data from each watershed. Over the lunch hour, a poster session was held jointly with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance. Students and teachers discussed their activities with stormwater professionals and university researchers. In the afternoon, student quiz bowl and land-use role playing activities were held. In the quiz bowl, teams of students competed against each other in a "Jeopardy" style contest. In the role play activity, students were divided into interest groups, such as property owner, developer, environmental group, elected officials and home buyer. The students were presented with two different subdivision design plans (conservation by design and conventional) for the same tract of land and asked to defend which one should be selected. This session was facilitated by Peter Schleinz of Brown County Planning Commission and Kendra Axness of UW Extension. Greta Jochman, a freshman at UW-Green Bay, helped plan this year's symposium. Jochman had participated in the Lower Fox River Watershed Monitoring Program for three years as a high school student at Appleton East High School.

Longtime Founders Association supporter Joe LaForce passes away
Joe LaForce, a director on the Founders Association Board of Directors in the 1980s, and with his wife, Mac, a longtime supporter of UW-Green Bay, passed away recently in Florida. The LaForces have been Founders members since the 1970s. Joe founded LaForce Hardware in Green Bay and developed it into a national company. A story appeared in the March 31 edition of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

You have until next Tuesday to reserve a spot for Asian luncheon
From the Union: "There is still time to buy your tickets for the Asian Luncheon at the University Information Center. Tickets are on sale through April 10. You can call ext. 2217 and charge them, if you don't want to walk down and visit in person. It is interesting to check out the construction, if you haven't been in the Union lately. A reminder that the ticket center has moved into the Manistique room for the construction period. Come enjoy some exotic foods prepared by a guest executive chef from Sodexho. Check out the menu at http://www.uwgb.edu/union/asian.asp. Besides the great food, you will be entertained by an Asian slide show presented by Paula Ganyard. Hope you can take an hour out of your busy day to have some fun."

Hoops sensation Crowe once played against Phoenix
Who is Mickey Crowe? A Wisconsin high school version of Pete Maravich. Overflow crowds packed gyms across Northeast Wisconsin to catch his high-scoring act — 40, 50, even 70-point games — with his barnstorming St. Nazianz JFK Prep team in the mid-1970s. His money shot was a fallaway pirouette, often launched from just inside halfcourt. He was never a college star — substance abuse saw to that — and his dad/coach's dream of turning Silver Lake College into a national name turned out to be just that, a dream. (Dave Buss's UWGB team whipped the Crowes 111-71 at the Brown County Arena in a much-anticipated "showdown" on Jan. 19, 1976.) Mickey made news again in 1981 as a bystander at a presidential assassination attempt — he was dogging Reagan himself at the time — and in recent years the Wisconsin media tracked him down whenever some new hotshot would threaten his scoring records. There's a tremendous profile of his hit-or-miss life at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070314/GPG02/703140554/1226/GPGsports.

Alumnus finds humanity, occasional smiles, in homeless ministry
A year later, we check back on former Phoenix soccer player Adam Bruckner. In spring 2006 we generated much reader interest with our Inside UW-Green Bay magazine story on his volunteer ministry befriending Philadelphia's homeless and helping them re-start their lives. We revisited his Web site recently and it appears he's still at it, still helping those on the streets. In Bruckner's own words:

If you have never met a homeless man or woman, you might be shocked. These are helpable people. They are sports fans. They care about looking nice. They debate politics. They read the newspapers. They pray. Some of them have kids. Some of their families have no idea they are outside. They were once children with dreams and now are adults who need help. Some of them are very funny... The Top 3 I've heard: Where do you live? I'm in an abandominium (deserted house). How bad is it sleeping outside? It's great. Year-round air conditioning. And this: Adam, do you know what the greatest nation in the world is? DOUGH-Nation. Can I have a dollar? (Not that day.)

To revisit our magazine story on Bruckner from last year, click http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/insidearchive/06june4.htm#ministry.

Briefs
Toni Bergeon, University Services Associate in the Dean of Students Office, is in a sixteen-person fiber art exhibition titled "Women Who Run with Scissors" at the Plymouth Arts Center. The exhibition features five pieces of work by Bergeon. The other exhibitors are also from the Green Bay area. The exhibition runs through April 22, admission if free.

Prof. Dean D. VonDras, Human Development and Psychology, recently published the article "Associations between aspects of spiritual well-being, alcohol use, and related social-cognitions in female college students" in the Journal of Religion and Health. Results suggested religious- and existential well-being to be inversely associated with indices of alcohol use and the likelihood of attending a social event where alcohol is present. Further, religious well-being was found to be negatively associated with beliefs concerning the social-effects of alcohol, while existential well-being was observed to be a significant predictor of a composite set of attributions related to alcohol prevention. Importantly, these data suggest religious and existential aspects of spiritual well-being as moderators of behavior as well as causal attributions and beliefs that represent a cognitive mechanism of alcohol prevention in college women. Use of counterfactual exercises as an educational technique, and potential barriers of religious and existential oriented prevention programs are briefly discussed. The article may be viewed electronically at the following link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10943-007-9119-0 (you may need to copy and paste the URL into your browser).

You can submit material for inclusion to the Office of Marketing and University Communication at Log@uwgb.edu. Past issues are achived at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/logarchive/logarch.htm.