December 2001
Cougars Fall In Heartbreaker
Tampa scored 14 seconds into overtime and eliminated SIUE 2-1 from the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament.
Kareem Escayg scored from 15 yards out just seconds into the extra period and dashed SIUE's hopes of winning a third national championship.
The Cougars completed the season with a 17-3-3 record with a run equaled since the Cougars advanced to the NCAA Division I semifinals in 1982.
With a picture remembrance of the 1979 national championship trophy safely guarding the bench, SIUE had taken the early lead as David Mwendapole scored from 15 yards out as he split defenders and accepted a pass from Yuzuru Takami at 13:44. "The pass that Takami made was just incredible," Mwendapole said.
Tampa then went on the offensive by outshooting SIUE 12-5 in the game. The Spartans didn't tie the game until 86:55 when the team's leading scorer, Roy Fink, tied the game with a header that slipped past SIUE goalkeeper Matt Evers.
Escayg came out blazing early in the overtime period and dashed past the SIUE defenders. "He buried it. It was a good shot. It wasn't any kind of letdown in the defense," said SIUE's Evers.
Justin McMillian, SIUE's leading scorer, was shut out by the Spartan defense. He said Tampa used an edge in the overtime. "I certainly believe they had that play set up and it certainly worked," McMillian said.
Engineering Building Wins CDB's Madigan Award
The School of Engineering Building, along with its building project construction partners, has been selected to receive the Illinois Capital Development Board's (CDB) 2001 Thomas H. Madigan Award.
The awards, given annually to the organizations involved in the successful completion of a state construction project, will be presented at a luncheon ceremony in Springfield on Friday, Nov. 30.
"'Partnership' was the key word in the successful design and completion of the School of Engineering's new building," said SIUE Chancellor David Werner, SIUE chancellor. "From the project's inception to its completion, this building has been a cooperative (effort) between the university, the School of Engineering, its faculty, staff and students, the building's architects, contractors, the CDB, and the many individuals and companies who worked on its construction. The university is not alone in rightfully being proud of (this) magnificent new building."
With its striking blue glass and brick design, the School of Engineering Building stands on the west side of the central campus and first opened its doors to students for Fall Semester 2000.
The Madigan Awards, now in their 14th year, are not design or construction awards but are presented to all parties involved in the successful completion of a state project, including the building's user agency, the CDB project managers, contractors, and architects/engineers. The awards recognize the partnership essential to the successful completion of a CDB project. Since its inception, more than 50 projects have been honored with Madigan Awards, representing more than 350 project team members.
The SIUE building is receiving a special merit for new construction award. In addition to the university, those being recognized with the award are FGM Architects Engineers; William Brothers Construction Inc.; Rite Electric Company; GRP Mechanical Co. Inc.; Kane Mechanical Inc.; Belleville Mechanical Inc.; L&K Fire Protection Inc.; Central Electrical Contracting Inc.; Terry Phelan; Ross & Baruzzini of Illinois Inc.; Oates Associates Inc.; and Construction Value Specialists Inc. Each partner will receive a plaque commemorating the award.
The Madigan Awards judging committee consists of six industry professionals representing general and mechanical contractors, architects, engineers, user agencies, and the CDB.
ICBCHE Gives Excellence Award To SIUE's Initiatives
The Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education (ICBCHE) has recognized SIUE for its minority recruitment and retention initiatives with its ICBCHE Excellence Award. The award was presented to the university at the committee's annual conference held at the University of Illinois Chicago at the end of October.
The ICBCHE Excellence Award was established to identify, recognize and honor successful, creative and effective approaches to areas that have an impact on the performance and achievement of students, faculty and staff. This year the committee used the award to recognize programs that encourage the recruitment and employment of African American faculty and staff.
"SIUE's desire to increase the presence of minority faculty and staff is a primary goal throughout the institution," said Rudolph Wilson, assistant provost for cultural and social diversity. "We are pleased to have our efforts recognized in such a manner by the ICBCHE."
At the university, as new and replacement positions become available, search committees are encouraged to develop a recruitment plan to include strategies for inviting minorities to apply. Job descriptions are written in such a manner as to encourage qualified minority applications. Monitoring of the recruitment efforts by the chancellor, vice chancellors, deans, EEOC coordinator, and directors sends a strong message to search committees to commit to diversity in their recruitment efforts.
Through attrition, departments that are not diversified are encouraged to make a strong effort to seek minority applicants. Sometimes, at the urging of deans and directors, new positions are established due to enrollment increases or faculty replacement. Search committees are encouraged to increase the presence of minority faculty and staff at SIUE.
The Minority Recruitment and Retention fund supports programs that help SIUE faculty and staff become more knowledgeable and sensitive to minority recruitment efforts. They are encouraged to attend conferences, institutes and programs whose themes deal with minority recruitment and retention. By understanding the complexity of the development of a positive minority recruitment plan, these individuals come back to the University with the needed information to support diversity initiatives.
SIUE has an outstanding history for the recruitment of minorities. Beginning in 1967, the Experiment in Higher Education on the East St. Louis campus-a recruitment model-was established. By 1968, an associate provost for minority affairs position had been created, charged with recruiting minority faculty at the Edwardsville campus. The Minority Recruitment and Retention fund was established in 1989 through the financial support of the Illinois legislatures and then-university President Earl Lazerson.
The Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education was formed in 1982 with the intent of consolidating efforts toward monitoring, halting, and reversing decline of Black students, faculty members, and staff in higher education. The ICBCHE is an organization dedicated to addressing a multitude of pressing issues that confront Black people on college campuses.
ICBCHE is primarily composed of people who are involved in and concerned with various facets of post-secondary education. Memberships encompass the faculty, staff, students, and administrators, of public and private educational institutions, legislators, and others who embrace the ICBCHE vision.
Opening
SIUE launched its new disc golf course last month, and as part of that grand opening, Chancellor David Werner took a few tosses (see photo below). The opening was followed by a Scramble Disc Golf Tournament sponsored by the Office of Campus Recreation. Bringing a disc golf course-also known as Frisbee™ Gold - to SIUE was an idea of Werner's. "Disc golf is one of those new 'cutting edge' recreational opportunities," he said. With the growing popularity of disc golf-there are more than 700 courses across the country-the sport has even gone pro with the creation of the Professional Disc Golf Association. To use the new course, students, faculty and staff need to show their ID at the Prairie Hall front desk to check out a set of golf discs and/or scorecards. There is no charge to check equipment out and individuals may use their own discs to play. For more information about the new disc golf course, call Chad Rodgers, assistant director of recreational programs, (618) 650-3242, or Shelly Wolfe, marketing coordinator for University Housing, (618) 650-4628. (SIUE Photo)
Teachers, Aides Learn CPR At East St. Louis Center
Teachers and teacher aides in the Project Success and Latchkey programs at the East St. Louis Center recently received certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.
Laura McCleod, American Red Cross certified instructor and St. Clair County Head Start staff member, taught the two-day training course to 17 participants. "It is vital that our teachers and teacher aides know how to properly administer possible life saving techniques such as CPR," McCleod said. "Teachers and teacher aides are trained each year in CPR and every three years in first aid."
Project Success serves children ages six to 12 who are referred by the Department of Children and Family Services and are in need of special services. The main objective is to promote welfare of the whole child. Children receive daily balanced meals, counseling, tutorial services, cultural exposure, and stimulating positive socialization skills.
Latchkey is an after-school child care program that provides a safe place for children to stay while parent are away from home, at work, in school, or in training. It also gives supplemental education support through tutorial service, academic enrichment and social, cultural and physical development. Janina Turley is program director of both programs.
