News

October 2004

October 4, 2004

SIUE Business School To Offer First Alumni Reunion

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The School of Business at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will present its first Alumni Reunion on Oct. 16-17 that will give special recognition to the 25th anniversary class of 1979.

Special reunion events for the School reunion kick-off on Saturday, Oct. 16, with a lecture, An Economist Looks at the 2004 Election, by Garett Jones, at 1:30 p.m. in the Korte Classroom, Room 2407 of Founders Hall.

Alumni may renew friendships and network with former classmates, faculty, and also meet Dean Gary Giamartino at the Reunion Reception that same day at 6 p.m. in the second-floor University Gallery of SIUE's Morris University Center; dinner follows at 7 p.m.

Weekend festivities end with a School of Business Alumni Brunch from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, at the Dean's Suite, Room 3307 of Founders Hall. Cost of the dinner is $35 per person; the brunch is $15 per person. For more information or to make reservations, contact Cheryl Camp by telephone: (618) 650-3363, or, by e-mail: chcamp@siue.edu.


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October 4, 2004

SIUE's Meridian Society To Begin Second Year Of Granting Awards

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty and staff are encouraged to attend an Oct. 12 meeting of The Meridian Society, the first philanthropic women's group of its kind at SIUE, as the society requests proposals for funding grants.

The society is entering its second year of granting awards to university-based individuals or groups whose objectives epitomize two of SIUE's Long Term Goals-Active Community Engagement: "Achieve an integral and indispensable relationship with Illinois and the St. Louis metropolitan area; work cooperatively within SIU to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts"; and Excellent Reputation: "Participate and excel in actions that earn national recognition for quality."

The "Request for Proposal (RFP)" meeting is scheduled from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Events Room of B. Barnard Birger Hall on Oct. 12. "We will be accessible to answer questions concerning our application and evaluation processes for the year 2005-2006," said Rowena McClinton, assistant professor of Historical Studies at SIUE.

"Application forms will be available at the meeting," she said. "We urge those wishing to participate to send a representative of a proposed project, if unable to attend. We have asked last year award recipients and or representatives to attend to assist with questions."

For more information, contact Professor McClinton by telephone: (618) 650-2229, or, by e-mail: rmcclin@siue.edu.


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October 7, 2004

Chancellor Vandegrift Calls For Creation Of 'An Intentional Future'

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Calling for the university community to create its own "intentional future," Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift stated today that SIUE is a premier metropolitan university, affirming that SIUE will continue toward goals of attaining "excellence to the fullest" and becoming a nationally known university.

Vandegrift set 2010 as the goal for SIUE to "make material progress" toward his goals, and also set 2015 as the ultimate year to successfully complete the challenge.

He also named three major themes for continued improvement and achieving national recognition: 1) to further attract and retain increasingly better students; 2) strive to position SIUE as a premier metropolitan university "in the marketplace of ideas"; and 3) further develop the university's resource base.

Addressing faculty, staff, retirees, and students, Vandegrift today said he was giving what he called his "First Impressions" speech rather than a state of the university address because he has been chancellor only since July 1.

Vandegrift, who was provost of Georgia Southern University, took the SIUE post when Emeritus Chancellor David Werner retired. Vandegrift acknowledged Werner's efforts and thanked the former chancellor for his leadership in striving to make SIUE a premier metropolitan university, calling for the university community to "boldly embrace the future we have articulated in our Vision Statement."

The university's vision states: "Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, as a premier Metropolitan University, will be recognized nationally for the excellence of its programs and development of professional and community leaders."

In support of his announcement that the university has achieved status as a premier metropolitan university, Vandegrift cited schools, academic departments, and university initiatives as proof. He also praised the faculty for scholarly efforts nationally and internationally, and staff for efficiently managing university systems and "maintaining a beautiful campus." He also noted several students who have excelled in their studies and activities.

"I mention these programs and people because I believe that now is the time to call attention to examples of excellence at SIUE," Vandegrift said. "I mention these programs and people because now is the time to recognize ourselves for our excellence."

He also noted recent peer rankings in U.S. News and World Report that gave SIUE high marks as further proof of the university's excellence. "These peer reputation rankings suggest to me, and I want you to note with pride, that we are already recognized for having a top tier faculty," Vandegrift said. "Indeed, I want you to know that I am fully convinced that we are a premier metropolitan university. And we should do what is necessary to gain national recognition for what we are."

The new chancellor said that he had visited nearly every campus building since arriving at SIUE and has been impressed by the "kindness, generosity, openness, and friendship" shown to him. "I have learned that SIUE has a well-formed sense of community, clearly articulated values, and a welcoming environment," Vandegrift said. "These qualities were not produced by chance, but through hard work and dedication of talented Edwardsville faculty, staff, and administrators.

"But, if we truly seek to be recognized nationally as being premier, we must believe in ourselves to achieve that recognition.

"The purposes of higher education lie in the fulfillment of human potential," he said. "We add value to people's lives. Since higher education is inherently a people business in the end, it is people who make the process successful. At SIUE we have wonderful people, clearly articulated values and goals, and a strong commitment to make our vision a reality.

"To achieve our shared vision we need only to believe in ourselves, to believe in our life's work, and to believe in the strength of our university community."

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October 11, 2004

SIUE's Early Childhood Center To Celebrate 35th Birthday

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The pre-schoolers who toddled through the doors of the first childcare center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1969 were nurtured by a group of caring personnel and students who were dedicated to early childhood education.

Those children are now in their late '30s and are no doubt better for their experience as part of the SIUE Early Childhood Center (ECC). In fact, some of them probably brought their own children to the ECC during the next 35 years.

Well, the ECC would love to see them and/or their offspring at the 35th anniversary open house at the center, located just across from the SIUE Rec Plex on Northwest Road. "It's our own birthday party," said Rebecca Dabbs-Kayser, director of the center since 2000.

The party takes place from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, and will include a birthday cake, craft activities for children, face painting, an art and photo exhibit, and popular local storyteller Marilyn Kinsella. "It's going to be a great time in which our past 'alums' and their parents can visit with old friends and maybe make a few new ones," Dabbs-Kayser said.

"It's also a chance to learn about our scholarship program for SIUE student families."

As for the caring nurturing atmosphere that was at the center when it began, the tradition continues. "Our staff is a dedicated group of teachers who are committed to our children," Dabbs- Kayser said. The center cares for about 50-60 children ranging in age from two to five-year-olds, offering activities that foster creativity and problem-solving.

The ECC is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, and all ECC teachers have degrees in early childhood education and many are working on advanced degrees. SIUE student assistants also participate in the ECC curriculum with the children.

Throughout the year, the staff creates a portfolio for each child, recording accomplishments, activities, and special events, such as the Annual Vehicle Day, in which ECC children are able to explore various vehicles, from fire trucks to U.S. Army vehicles. "Each day at the center is an adventure, from watering the garden to painting at the easel," Dabbs-Kayser said. "We offer our children the opportunity to make choices for themselves in a diverse, educationally sound environment."

The scholarship endowment was established by Dabbs-Kayser's predecessor at the center for 29 years-S. LaVernn Wilson, who believed that student families faced special challenges in pursuing and reaching their academic goals. "LaVernn knew, as we know, that many SIUE students with children have to juggle their studies and work a night job to make ends meet," Dabbs-Kayser said.

"So, when she retired, LaVernn established a scholarship endowment through the SIUE Foundation to help these students and their families." The scholarship assists student families with childcare costs at the ECC. "This is a huge help to students with children on their way to graduation," Dabbs-Kayser said. "But we need more donations for the endowment to fund the scholarship.

"Our hope is that our alums will want to give back to the ECC, and we'll provide a way for them to do that."

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October 11, 2004

New Organization Seeks Students Interested In Entrepreneurship

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Taking job creation and expansion as a whole, the largest growth is in the area of small business, according to the Small Business Administration. This economic trend is something that college students ought to be aware of and familiar with because many could be employees or owners of small businesses in the future.

This is where CEO comes in. Collegiate Entrepreneurial Organization is a new student organization at SIUE that helps students explore entrepreneurship as a career path.

While the group is primarily targeted toward students who are interested in starting their own businesses, senior Michelle Kosteck says that it also helps "to raise entrepreneurial awareness among all students."

Kosteck said CEO is needed "so students … can develop business skills, acquire specialized expertise, and receive encouragement. This is important because our free market economy relies upon the innovation of business creators," she said.

CEO's mission is to inform, support, and inspire college students to seek opportunities through enterprise creation. Activities that will likely be sponsored by CEO include a national conference in Chicago this November, featuring entrepreneur speakers, informational forums, and honorary achievement gatherings.

Although CEO can be beneficial for students seeking a Business degree, it also may be helpful to non-business students. A dance student, for example, might want to join CEO to learn about principles necessary to open a dance studio.

While many student organizations are restricted to majors, CEO hopes to attract students in all fields. Jim Mager, director of the SIUE Small Business Development Center, stresses that the new organization is not exclusive. "One challenge that we face is letting the students know that it is for everyone," Mager states.

In addition to CEO helping students consider business ownership, it is also an organization for students wishing to gain more knowledge about entrepreneurship. Mager says, "If students have an appreciation for entrepreneurship and don't start a business, they will be better employees."

Kosteck is optimistic about the group. "Students have come up to me and asked about it," she said.

The first CEO meeting was conducted Sept. 14. For more information, contact Jim Mager: jmager@siue.edu or Michelle Kosteck: mkostec@siue.edu.

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October 11, 2004

EDITORS: Photos suitable for print are available

Tickets Still Available For Dean, Blankley Debate Oct. 13 At SIUE

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Tickets still are available for the Oct. 13 appearance of former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean and well-known political pundit Tony Blankley, both of whom will offer lively debate as part of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Arts & Issues series at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE's Morris University Center.

Dean and Blankley replace Marlin Fitzwater and Joe Lockhart on the Arts & Issues 2004-05 bill because of scheduling conflicts.

Appearing on the covers of Time and Newsweek, all eyes were on Howard Dean earlier this year as he mounted an influential campaign as a candidate for the 2004 Democratic nomination for President. Dean, a medical doctor, has previously shared a private practice with his wife, Dr. Judith Steinberg Dean, in Vermont. He earned a bachelor's at Yale and received a medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

Dean was a member of the Vermont General Assembly from 1983-85 and was elected lieutenant governor of the state in 1986, gaining re-election in 1988 and 1990. He became governor upon the death of Gov. Richard A. Snelling in August 1991 and was elected to a full term in November 1992, gaining re-election in 1994, 1996, 1998, and in 2000.

Blankley served for seven years as press secretary for then-U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. In that role, Blankley became the leading spokesman for the "Contract with America." Before his career on Capitol Hill, Blankley had served as a speechwriter and senior analyst for President Ronald Reagan.

After leaving Gingrich's staff in February 1997, Blankley joined George magazine as a contributing editor. He currently is a regular panelist for the McLaughlin Group and he also appears regularly on CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, as well as CNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Rivera Live, The News with Brian Williams, and MSNBC.

In June 1999, Blankley joined the Washington Times as a weekly political columnist; he also is a popular columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

Tickets for the Oct. 13 Arts & Issues event are $12; students, $6. A season brochure is available by contacting John Peecher, (618) 650-2626, or by e-mail: jpeeche@siue.edu. Individual tickets also may be purchased at the Web site: artsandissues.com.

The remaining Arts & Issues season includes: Windham Hill Winter Solstice Holiday Tour (Nov. 19) is SOLD OUT; Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Kathy Mattea (Jan. 21, 2005); The Acting Company with its rendition of Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona (Feb. 27, 2005); the powerful a cappella singing of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (March 19, 2005); the exciting sounds of the Dallas Brass (April 22, 2005); the special appearance of the "funkified" gospel music of The Blind Boys of Alabama (Feb. 4, 2005) is SOLD OUT.

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October 11, 2004

SIUE International Trade Center To Co-Sponsor Two October Seminars

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville International Trade Center, with the help of speaker John Kolmer of Bradley University, will sponsor two seminars-Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 18-19-for companies having problems understanding NAFTA's Certificate of Origin (CO) and Rules of Origin.

The seminars are scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Monday (Level I) and from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday (Level II), both on the second floor of SIUE's Morris University Center.

Kolmer, NAFTA trade specialist for the International Trade Center/NAFTA Opportunity Center at Bradley, will conduct the seminars. Kolmer coordinates a program of counseling and training for current and future exporters to Canada and Mexico.

Some of the topics to be discussed in this seminar are:

Level I

Harmonized Tariff Schedule Numbers and how to obtain them
Advanced Rulings from Customs Authorities from Canada, Mexico, and the US
Certificate Blanket Periods
NAFTA Rules of Origin
Preferential Criteria
Regional Value Content Requirements
Producer or Supplier Declarations
Record Keeping Responsibilities
Managing Customs Audits

Level II

Country of Origin Marking Rules for Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.
Understanding Tariff Shift
Application of the DeMinimis provision
Case Studies and Group Exercises:

• Tariff Classification
• Preference Criteria Determination
• Regional Value Content Calculation

Silvia Torres, director of SIUE's International Trade Center, said the seminar is helpful in keeping up with any changes in NAFTA regulations. "Even if a company's freight forwarder is filling out the CO for them, that company still is directly responsible for the information declared and the proper record-keeping requirements needed to back up their declarations," Torres explained.

"U.S. Customs has shifted the burden to the exporter of record, not a company's freight forwarder or customs broker," she said. "It is in the company's best interest to at least review the CO prior to sending their NAFTA customer a copy."

For more information about the seminar, contact the SIUE International Trade Center, (618) 650-3851, or by e-mail: international-trade-center@siue.edu.

The fee for the Level I seminar is $60; Level II, $40. Each seminar includes a NAFTA handbook, free parking, and refreshments.

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October 14, 2004

SIU Board Approves Change Of Scope For Boiler System Project

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees voted today to explore its options in light of a recent decision by Illinois Power Co. (now AmerenIP) to terminate a 33-year agreement between the utility and SIU Edwardsville under which natural gas has been provided.

Under the current agreement, IP monitors the university's use of natural gas through a single "master meter," while owning and maintaining the gas lines that service the university's hot water and boiler systems.

IPC announced in March its decision to terminate the agreement. That decision left the university with three options to consider: 1) allow the utility to meter each of the buildings so that IPC continues to own and operate the existing distribution lines on campus; 2) leave the existing master meter in place and SIUE purchase the existing distribution lines from IPC; or 3) leave the master meter in place and SIUE replace the existing IPC distribution with one owned and operated by the university.

Today's board action calls for an engineering study to make recommendations about what the best course of action is for SIUE. If the second option were chosen, the matter would again come before the board.

In December of last year, the SIU board voted to discontinue use of the campus-wide boiler system and provide gas-fired, hot-water boilers and domestic water heaters in each of the core campus buildings as a cost-cutting measure. Because of favorable bids on the base project, the cost of today's proposed change in scope will be funded from within the original approved amount.

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October 21, 2004

School Of Business Entrepreneurship Center To Conduct Series

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Entrepreneurship Center, part of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business, will conduct a Nov. 10 forum, the first in a four-part series with topics ranging from assisting entrepreneurs seeking equity investment to putting together a management team. It's part of the center's Entrepreneurship Forum Series.

The Nov. 10 forum, Capital Formulation, will help entrepreneurs and current business owners learn how to present a business concept or business expansion to investors. In addition, the series will provide opportunities for individuals to communicate business ideas to others who might have an interest in partnering or in funding a business plan.

Nov. 10 panelists Jack Cranley, an attorney, and Trevor Gonterman, a venture capitalist consultant, will discuss "tricks of the trade" for approaching and attracting equity investment. They will provide tips on where and how to seek equity investors, how to protect a business idea, and how ideas can be turned into assets.

The first forum is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Ramada Inn, Fairview Heights; cost is $25 per person, which includes refreshments. For more information, contact Center Director Jim Mager by telephone: (618) 650-2669 or by e-mail: jmager@siue.edu.

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October 21, 2004

SIUE School Of Nursing To Offer Management Program

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing will begin offering a 12-credit-hour nurse management program in January. The program will feature online courses for nurse managers and nurses who want to move into management positions. Registration deadline is Nov. 19.

The program is designed to strengthen and expand the management skills of registered nurses in hospitals, home health agencies, long-term care, and other health care settings in which registered nurses serve as managers. Enrollment is for registered nurses with an associate degree, diploma, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree. The program will include four courses, each for three hours of academic credit.

The courses will be delivered online with one or two classroom meetings in each course. Students must have basic e-mail, internet, and word processing skills to use the online format.

Duration of each course will be eight weeks, with the first course beginning at the start of spring semester and the second beginning at mid-semester. Students enrolling in two courses each semester will complete the program in two semesters. Credit earned in the nurse management program may be transferable to the RN-BS program or the graduate program in the SIUE School of Nursing. Experienced nursing faculty will teach the courses.

Course content will include: The dynamic role of the nurse manager in the health care organization; principles of nursing management; leader and management theories, skills and behaviors; and leadership concepts including power, teamwork, collaboration, planning, empowerment, motivation, and decision making, to name a few.

For more information, contact Doris Davis in the School of Nursing by telephone: (618) 650-3960 or (800) 234-4844, or, by e-mail: dordavi@siue.edu.

Participants may register on the first night of class, but a spot must be reserved by Nov. 19 to ensure enrollment.

The first class of the spring semester will begin the week of Jan. 10. Students will be notified of a day, time, and location for an orientation session during that week.

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October 28, 2004

Poet, Playwright Sonia Sanchez Comes To SIUE Nov. 3

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Sonia Sanchez, an award-winning poet, playwright, activist, and Black Studies pioneer, whose poetry appeared in the movie Love Jones, will bring her "Full Moon of Sonia" performance to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3.

She'll perform in the Conference Center, on the second floor of SIUE's Morris University Center. Billed as a family program, the performance is free to the public.

Sanchez also will tour historic sites in East St. Louis, such as the Katherine Dunham Museum, and meet with local school students and members of the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club.

Among her many accolades and honors, Sanchez won Lifetime Achievement Awards this year alone from the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta and the Furious Flower (Black) Poetry Conference in Virginia.

The author of more than 16 books, including We a BaddDDD People, I've Been a Woman, Homegirls and Handgrenades, and Wounded in the House of a Friend, Sanchez also is a contributing editor to The Black Scholar magazine.

Sanchez's book, Does Your House Have Lions? was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. And, in 2000, she served as one of 17 special contributing editors of "Words from 15 Cities: Poetic Voices of Contemporary Urban Cultures (in the U.S. & Nigeria)", a special edition of Drumvoices Revue, the university's multicultural literary journal edited by the EBR Writers Club, and for which Maya Angelou wrote the foreword.

A professor emerita of English and Women's Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, Sanchez is currently promoting her new CD, Full Moon of Sonia.

Sponsors of the Nov. 3 event include the English Language and Literature Association (ELLA),

Student Activity Fees, the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of English Language and Literature, Drumvoices Revue, and the SIUE Office of Cultural and Social Diversity.

For more information, write jmoy@siue.edu or call the department/EBR Writers Club: (618) 650-3991.


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October 28, 2004

FOTAD Presents Its Annual Mystery Dinner Theater At SIUE

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Have you been waiting for an evening of dinner, shopping, and detective work? A perfect opportunity to accomplish all three will take place at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Sunday, Nov. 7, with Murder in the Air, this year's Mystery Dinner Theater presentation and silent auction from SIUE's Friends of Theater and Dance (FOTAD).

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. to the University Restaurant on the second floor of SIUE's Morris University Center, where guests may view silent auction items until approximately 7 p.m. when the play will begin and dinner will be served. Reservations must be made by Nov. 5.

FOTAD is a support organization for the SIUE Department of Theater and Dance. Tickets are $35 per person and include dinner as well as several chances to win attendance prizes. Proceeds from the Nov. 7 event benefit FOTAD's scholarship fund.

For reservation information, call the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774, or, from St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext. 2774.

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PREVIEW 2004 Best Ever With 1,706 Guests

PREVIEW SIUE continues to grow each year, with yesterday's crowd at the Morris University Center the biggest its ever been, said Karen Bollinger, assistant director of Admissions and Academic Marketing Services and chair of the PREVIEW organizing committee.

In fact, PREVIEW's growth from 2002 to 2003 marked an increase of only 19 students, but from 2003 to 2004 the increase was 69 students."This is our day for high school students and their families, as well as community college students, to see what we're about," Bollinger said. "They are in the midst of deciding an important step in the educational process and we do everything possible at PREVIEW SIUE to put our best foot forward."

Bollinger said university departments and units, including faculty and staff, were on hand to answer questions about academic programs and services available to students. "We welcomed 1,706 total guests, including 706 prospective high school and transfer students," Bollinger said. "In terms of student attendance, this was our best-attended open house since PREVIEW began in 1985.

"On behalf of the PREVIEW SIUE Committee, I thank the faculty, staff, and students who contributed their time and energy to this important event. Their contributions helped us roll out the red carpet to the next generation of SIUE students," she said.

Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift made opening remarks in Meridian Ballroom, before students and families toured the central campus, including the residence halls and Cougar Village.

Informational sessions were scheduled throughout the day, with topics including Countdown to SIUE; Financing Your Education at SIUE; and Emerging Careers, as well as academic sessions presented by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Pharmacy.

"PREVIEW SIUE is an opportunity for prospective students and their families to get answers to all their questions in one visit to campus," Bollinger said. "Our program is one of the few campus-visit programs that includes participation from virtually all academic and student services units in one setting."

Early Childhood Center To Celebrate 35th Birthday

The pre-schoolers who toddled through the doors of the first childcare center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1969 were nurtured by a group of caring personnel and students who were dedicated to early childhood education.

Those children are now in their late '30s and are no doubt better for their experience as part of the SIUE Early Childhood Center (ECC). In fact, some of them probably brought their own children to the ECC during the next 35 years.

Well, the ECC would love to see them and/or their offspring at the 35th anniversary open house at the center, located just across from the SIUE Rec Plex on Northwest Road. "It's our own birthday party," said Rebecca Dabbs-Kayser, director of the center since 2000. The party takes place from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, and will include a birthday cake, craft activities for children, face painting, an art and photo exhibit, and popular local storyteller Marilyn Kinsella.

"It's going to be a great time in which our past "alums' and their parents can visit with old friends and maybe make a few new ones," Dabbs-Kayser said. "It's also a chance to learn about our scholarship program for SIUE student families."

As for the caring nurturing atmosphere that was at the center when it began, the tradition continues. "Our staff is a dedicated group of teachers who are committed to our children," Dabbs- Kayser said.

The center cares for about 50-60 children ranging in age from two to five-year-olds, offering activities that foster creativity and problem-solving. The ECC is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, and all ECC teachers have degrees in early childhood education and many are working on advanced degrees. SIUE student assistants also participate in the ECC curriculum with the children.

Throughout the year, the staff creates a portfolio for each child, recording accomplishments, activities, and special events, such as the Annual Vehicle Day, in which ECC children are able to explore various vehicles, from fire trucks to U.S. Army vehicles.

"Each day at the center is an adventure, from watering the garden to painting at the easel," Dabbs-Kayser said. "We offer our children the opportunity to make choices for themselves in a diverse, educationally sound environment."

The scholarship endowment was established by Dabbs-Kayser's predecessor at the center for 29 years-S. LaVernn Wilson, who believed that student families faced special challenges in pursuing and reaching their academic goals. "LaVernn knew, as we know, that many SIUE students with children have to juggle their studies and work a night job to make ends meet," Dabbs-Kayser said.

"So, when she retired, LaVernn established a scholarship endowment through the SIUE Foundation to help these students and their families." The scholarship assists student families with childcare costs at the ECC.

"This is a huge help to students with children on their way to graduation," Dabbs-Kayser said. "But we need more donations for the endowment to fund the scholarship.

"Our hope is that our alums will want to give back to the ECC, and we'll provide a way for them to do that."

For more information, call the Early Childhood Center, (618) 650-2556, or, from St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext. 2556.

Click here for a historic timeline of the SIUE Early Childhood Center.

Annual Security Report Is Available On-Line

The Fall 2004 issue of the SIUE Annual Security Report is available on-line: admin.siue.edu/studentrightto

The report contains campus safety and security information and crime statistics for calendar years 2001, 2002, 2003, and is published in compliance with the the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, formerly known as the Federal Student Right To Know and Campus Security Act of 1990.

The report also may be accessed through the SIUE Home Page: www.siue.edu under Resources for Current Students/Campus Safety/Campus Security Policies and Crime Statistics. The report is also available at the Lovejoy Library Circulation Desk, or from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration, Rendleman Hall, Room 2228, Campus Box 1158.

'Sculpture' Provides Teaching Tool For Engineering Faculty

Is it art or is it a teaching tool? In the case of the new 3,000-pound steel "sculpture" dedicated last week in the courtyard of the Engineering Building, it is most definitely a teaching tool … and, at least an interesting conversation piece.

The design for the structure was created in 1986 by Duane Ellifritt, now an emeritus civil engineering professor at the University of Florida, and an artist in his own right. Since then, the steel teaching tool has been replicated on many campuses throughout the country, where it has been used for the benefit of engineering students. The "sculpture" consists of steel beams and columns of varying sizes and lengths that present a collection of steel connections found in most buildings.

Although the structure can be found on more than 100 campuses across the country, including Washington University in St. Louis, it is usually tucked away in a corner for use by students and faculty only. "We decided to display it with an artistic treatment and make it part of our landscape at the Engineering Building," says SIUE Construction Emeritus Professor S. Narayan Bodapati, chair of the SIUE Department of Construction and project manager for installation of the Ellifritt.

"Our project also is different because we were able to place the structure, design the foundation, with brickwork and lighting, and landscape the site, all at no cost," Bodapati said. "And, this is because of the generosity of our many alumni who are employed by construction businesses throughout the region," Bodapati said.

Engineering Dean Paul Seaburg said that since the 1981 Hyatt Regency skywalk collapse in Kansas City, engineering schools have been placing more emphasis on teaching steel connections. Since then, the subject is given more emphasis in the classroom. "Students will benefit from Professor Ellifritt's sculpture, especially our structural engineering majors," Seaburg said.

"They can see first hand how steel connections can be made more rigid, especially tubular members which are hollow."

Ellifritt himself said that teaching the design of steel connection can be a challenging process in the classroom. "Connection design was thought to be a 'detail problem,' best left to fabricators," Ellifritt wrote. "In the summer of 1985, after seeing the inability of many students to visualize even simple connections, I began to search for a way to make connections more real to them," he said.

From that perceived need, Ellifritt designed his sculpture as "something that would be an attractive addition … on a campus, something that would symbolize engineering in general, and that could also function as a teaching aid." Ellifritt's own artwork can be viewed on-line at www.ellifritt.com/gallery.html.

Bodapati said it was very gratifying to find so many SIUE engineering alumni and local businesses that were willing to help with the project. "One of our current civil engineering students helped with the design of the foundation and our construction students helped with installation of the steel sculpture," Bodapati said.

"This project could have easily cost the school tens of thousands of dollars, but with everyone's help we were able to do it for free."

Those individuals and/or businesses that donated time and materials to the project include: the SIUE Construction Alumni Association, Civil Engineering major Ashlee Keller, SIUE Associate Civil Engineering Professor Brad Cross, SIUE Civil Engineering faculty member Brent Vaughn, Lin Renken, Henderson Inc. Architects, Atlas Iron Works, Stripmasters of Illinois, Keller Construction, SIUE Construction major John Clark, Richards Brick Co., Heitkamp Masonry, Grant Masonry Contracting, J.F. Electric, and the SIUE Office of Facilities Management.

SIUE Men's Soccer Grabs GLVC's Top Seed

No. 5 ranked SIUE earned the right to play host to the 2004 Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's Soccer Tournament with a convincing 3-0 victory Saturday (10/23) over Bellarmine.

Mike Banner (Upper Marlboro, Md.) scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Cougars. His first goal came just 52 seconds into the game. It was all SIUE needed to wrap up its 21st consecutive regular season GLVC game without a loss.

Michael Burgund (Bethalto) made his senior day a special one with a goal at 12:32. Banner grabbed an assist on the goal. Victor Pacheco recorded an assist on both of the first two goals.

SIUE, 13-2-2 overall and 8-0-2 in the GLVC, also got a breakaway from Banner at 81:29. Banner split at least four defenders by himself at midfield and outplayed Bellarmine goalkeeper Brad Lipe for an wide open goal. Bellarmine is now 7-9-2 and 3-6-1 in the GLVC.

SIUE plays at regional rival Truman State on Thursday (10/28) in the regular season finale.

The Cougars next play in the semifinals of the GLVC TOurnament at Korte Stadium on Nov. 5. The six-team tournament begins Oct. 31 when the No. 4 seed plays the No. 5 seed and the No. 3 seed faces the No. 6 seed. Both of those quarterfinal games will be played at the higher seed.

Cougar Women's Soccer Outlasts Knights

Christina Stremlau and Lindsey Kampwerth each had second-half goals to lead SIUE past Bellarmine 2-0 in Great Lakes Valley Conference women's college soccer tonight.

Jessica Brown and Kim Roady combined for the shutout by making two saves in the game. The pair picked up their 11th shutout of the season to set an SIUE record.

Stremlau scored the game-winning goal for the second game in a row at the 49:40 mark, and Kampwerth netted her second goal of the year with 14:45 left to seal the victory. SIUE ends the GLVC regular season with a 9-1 record and a 13-4 mark overall.

Seniors Ann Crawford, Angela Light, and Christen Carducci all had assists on Senior Night for SIUE.

The Cougars out shot the Knights 20-6 in the contest as SIUE has won for the sixth straight time and the 12th time in their last 13 games. During those 13 games, the Cougars have out scored their opponents 30-4.

SIUE will battle Southeast Missouri State in a non-conference match for their last regular season home game of the year on Thursday (10/28) at 7 p.m.

SIUE Volleyball Powers Past Indianapolis

SIUE played its best offensive match at the Vadalabene Center this season with a three-game sweep over Indianapolis.

SIUE defeated the Greyhounds 30-19, 31-29, 30-19.

The Cougars improved to 20-6 overall and 11-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Indianapolis, which suffered its second straight conference defeat, fell to 19-10 and 10-3 in the GLVC.

It's now four consecutive 20-win seasons for the Cougars and Coach Todd Gober, SIUE's all-time leader in volleyball victories.

On Saturday (10/23), SIUE hit .383 as a team with a trio of Cougars finished with double-digit kills. Heather Bonde (Millstadt) led all players with 18 kills. Kindra Westendorf (Effingham) followed with 15 kills, while Tina Talsma (Ontario, Canada) had 12. Krystal Majernik (Normal) posted 46 assists and added 10 digs. GLVC digs leader Allison Buss (Towanda) collected 22 digs on defense.

SIUE now turns to non-conference play when it entertains Washington University on Tuesday (1026). The first serve is at 7 p.m. at the Vadalabene Center.

Boyll Wins GLVC Men's Cross Country Title

Ryan Boyll became the first runner in SIUE history to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship on Saturday (10/23).

Boyll ran the 8,000-meter course in 25 minutes, 36.58 seconds, defeating his nearest competitor Jesse Davis of Southern Indiana by just less than 10 seconds. SIUE's Brian Taghon also earned All-GLVC honors for the second time with a seventh-place finish in 26:10.05.

The win was especially sweet for Boyll, who didn't crack the top 10 last season after placing 12th. Boyll's winning time was just the eighth fastest time of the season by a Cougar.

As a team, SIUE placed fourth our of eight teams with 98. Lewis won the meet in the closest team finish in GLVC history. Lewis scored 55 points just ahead of Southern Indiana's 57.

SIUE is now idle until Nov. 6 when it plays host to the NCAA Great Lakes Regional at its own cross country course. The NCAA regional will be a 10,000-meter event and features teams in the GLVC, a handful of independent schools and members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Flounders Named GLVC Freshman of the Year

Kelly Flounders (Homer Glen) placed ninth in her first Great Lakes Valley Conference Cross Country Championship and was named the league's Freshman of the Year on Saturday (10/23).

Flounders, who also was named All-GLVC for finishing among the top 10, ran the 6,000-meter course in 23 minutes, 21.01 seconds It was the third fastest time ever by an SIUE freshman and the 11th fastest time in school history.

As a team, SIUE placed sixth out of eight teams. Wisconsin-Parkside won the meet with 47 points followed by Southern Indiana with 60.

Mary Witte (Normal) was the next best finisher for the Cougars with a 20-th place finish in 24:02.01.

The winner of the race was Southern Indiana's Heather Cooksey, who won in convincing fashion in 21:32.90. She won the race by more than 50 seconds over Wisconsin-Parkside's Michelle Boldon.

SIUE's next competition includes all of the GLVC teams and the other members of the Great Lakes region. SIUE is the host institution for the 2004 NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 6 at the Cougar cross country course.

USI Picked To Win Men's GLVC Title; Bellarmine, Indy Pace Women's Race

The University of Southern Indiana men are a clear choice to capture the 2004-05 Great Lakes Valley Conference basketball crown, while no less than four teams will battle for the women's title in a vote of league coaches.

USI (28-7, 15-5), last year's NCAA Division II runner-up, totaled 96 points and captured six first-place votes. The Screaming Eagles outdistanced Kentucky Wesleyan (22-8, 14-6), which totaled three first-place votes and 87 points and Northern Kentucky (16-15, 9-11), with two first-place votes and 78 total points.

The Panthers, however, are barred from postseason play by the GLVC and are not eligible for the GLVC and NCAA Tournament this season. While KWC's games will count in the regular season standings, that gives USI-ranked No. 5 in the pre-season Division II poll-a seemingly comfortable role as favorites in the poll.

SIU Edwardsville (74 points), Indianapolis (70) and Quincy (52) will join NKU as Southern Indiana's strongest challengers, while St. Joseph's (46), Lewis (42), UMSL (23), UW-Parkside (21) and Bellarmine (19) complete the field.

While the men's race seems clear, the women's is a toss-up with four different teams registering first-place votes. Bellarmine, Indianapolis, Quincy, and Northern Kentucky are all viewed by some coaches good enough to capture the conference championship.

Bellarmine (21-9, 15-5) and Indianapolis (23-9, 14-6) tied for the favorite role with 86 points apiece, but the Knights tallied four first place votes to the Greyhounds' two. Quincy (29-5, 17-3) registered three first-place votes and is a point behind with 85 points, while Northern Kentucky (17-11, 12-8) captured two first-place votes and 77 points.

Southern Indiana (69 points) and Lewis (57) are next, followed by UW-Parkside (48), SIU Edwardsville (33), UMSL (26), Saint Joseph's (18) and Kentucky Wesleyan (17).

The poll did not allow coaches to vote for their own teams.

Cougars Still Looking For No. 1 Seed

When the SIUE Soccer Cougars takes on Bellarmine next Saturday (Oct. 23) the Cougars will need a win or a tie in their final Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season game to clinch the No. 1 seed and a first round bye in the GLVC tournament.

"They (Bellarmine) are fighting for the conference tournament," said SIUE soccer coach Ed Huneke. "We have to go out and take care of business."

The Cougars, ranked No. 5 nationally, will take their 12-1-2 overall record and 7-0-2 mark in the GLVC on the road this Wednesday (10/20) against Rockhurst in a non-conference match. The Hawks have a record of 6-4-2 on the year.

"They will have nothing to lose," said Huneke. "They will be playing for respect, and we better be ready."

SIUE outlasted Missouri-St. Louis 1-0 in double-overtime and tied Quincy 0-0 this past weekend. After defeating UMSL, the Cougars are 3-0-2 in overtime games. "Good teams find a way to make it happen, and Friday night (10/15) (against UMSL) was a classic example," Huneke said. "We found a way and, again, that is what top level teams do."

SIUE is unbeaten in its last 20 regular season GLVC games and have won nine of their last 11 games this year. The Cougars are 6-0-1 at Ralph Korte Stadium this season, outscoring their opponents 18-4 during those contests.

SIUE is leading the GLVC with 19.5 shots per game, while holding opponents to only 5.5 shots per game.

The Cougars have a wealth of scoring with four different players tied for the team lead in goals. Victor Pacheco (San Luis, Brazil), Pete Cacciatore (St. Louis), Tim Collico(St. Louis), and Adam Lanter (Edwardsville) have netted five tallies this season.

Overall, SIUE has seven different players with game-winning goals this season. John Matthews (Edwardsville) scored his second game-winning goal against Missouri-St. Louis on only his second goal of the season. "John is a great player, and he is one of the most respected players on the team," Huneke said. "He has the full package."

Greg Crook (Columbia) and Nicholas Frasca (St. Charles) each had shutouts over the weekend. The pair has combined for nine shutouts. The two hold a goals against average of 0.44 this season.

"They are really quality goalkeepers," Huneke said. "Even though they are not seeing a lot of shots, they have been ready. They haven't let us down."

The Cougars travel to Kansas City, Mo., to take on Rockhurst on Wednesday (10/20) night at 6 p.m. before traveling back home for their final GLVC regular season match of the season on Saturday (10/23) at 5 p.m.

Roady And Brown Tie Record

SIUE women's soccer goalkeepers Kim Roady (Granite City) and Jessica Brown (St. Louis) have combined for 10 shutouts on the season, tying a school record. The pair has sparked SIUE to 12-4 record overall and a mark of 8-1 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

"It is a blessing to have two quality goalkeepers on our team," said SIUE women's soccer coach Lynda Bowers. "They have both been tremendous all year." Roady has five of the shutouts with a GLVC-leading 0.12 goals against average. Brown has made 28 saves this year and has combined with Roady on four of the shuouts.

The Cougars have won 11 of their last 12 games after starting the year with a 1-3 record. They defeated Missouri-St. Louis and Quincy each 1-0 this last weekend. "It is quite a turnaround from last year," said Bowers. "The soccer gods are smiling on us."

Last year, the Cougars started the season 7-1 before losing six of her last nine for a 10-7 record. SIUE is currently a part of a three-way tie with Northern Kentucky and Wisconsin-Parkside for the No. 1 seed in the GLVC tournament.

The Cougars defeated the Norse, yet lost to the Rangers. They are looking to secure one of the top two spots and a first round bye in the six-team tournament.

The Cougars will take on Bellarmine in the final GLVC regular season home game this Saturday (10/23). "They (Bellarmine) are a good team that can beat you," said Bowers. "There is a lot of pressure on us and we can't stumble."

Christen Carducci (Powell, Ohio) scored her second goal in as many games in the win over UMSL. "She is emerging when she needs to," said Bowers. "She has really come up big for us."

Christina Stremlau (St. Louis) netted a goal with 13 seconds left to push SIUE past Quincy for her second game-winning goal of the year. "It is just one of those games where we were out-played and just kept working," said Bowers. "It's a tribute to the work ethic of this team and to her."

Back Kayla Fromme (New Berlin) has led a defense that has allowed four goals in its last 12 games. "She has really kept our backfield together," Bowers said. "As a group, they have been solid all year."

Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday (10/23) against Bellarmine.

Big Week Awaits Volleyball Cougars

Three teams share the lead in Great Lakes Valley Conference volleyball and will do battle in what should prove to be a hectic week for league play.

SIUE, 18-5 overall and 9-1 in GLVC play, faces Southern Indiana on the road on Wednesday (10/20), Saint Joseph's at home on Friday (10/22) and Indianapolis at home on Saturday (10/23). All three would be in the six-team GLVC Tournament if it started today.

That fact alone gives SIUE Coach Todd Gober pause for concern.

Southern Indiana and Indianapolis currently are tied with SIUE, with 9-1 records in league play. Saint Joseph's is in fifth with a 6-4 mark in conference play. "This week will definitely put someone in the driver's seat," Gober said. "I think you have to call Southern Indiana the favorite since they play us and Indianapolis at home."

Gober said Southern Indiana has two of the best middle hitters in the conference, while Indianapolis has two of the best outside hitters. "The winners of this week's games are going to be the ones who serve well and play defense the best because all of the teams hit the ball well," he said.

SIUE middle hitter Heather Bonde (Millstadt) leads the SIUE offense with a .331 hitting percentage and a team-best 299 kills. SIUE's other middle hitter, Tina Talsma (Orono, Ontario), holds a .289 hitting percentage and a team-leading 1.05 blocks per game.

Kindra Westendorf (Effingham) has emerged has the team's top outside hitter with 278 kills and a .285 hitting percentage. On defense, SIUE boasts the GLVC leader in digs with Allison Buss (Towanda). Buss passed the career 1,000-dig mark and holds a 5.06 digs per game average this season. As the team's libero, Buss also leads the team in service aces with 47.

Cougars Head To GLVC Championships

The SIUE men's and women's cross country teams will face off in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships this weekend in Highland Heights, Ky.

The Cougars will look to senior Ryan Boyll (Normal) to lead the way. Boyll posted a season best time of 24 minutes and 55 seconds in 8,000 meters at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Oct. 2.

Junior Brian Taghon (East Moline) also has had a solid year after a 25:01 mark at the same race. Freshman Erik Steffens (Moline) has had several strong performances, with times of 25:56.90 at the Bradley Invitational and 25:57.62 mark at the EIU Invitational.

For the women, senior Mary Witte (Norman) has had the two highest finishes this year. A 18:59.12 performance in the 5,000 meters at the EIU Invitational, and a 19:08 mark at Bradley Invitational has led the way.

Freshman Kelly Flounders' (Homer Glen) times have been impressive. She has three of the top five performances for the Cougars this season, including a time of 19:17.20 on Sept. 17 at the Eastern Illinois Invitational.

The GLVC Championships will be held this Saturday 10/23) beginning at 10:30 a.m. with the men's 8,000 meters. That will be followed at 11:30 a.m. with the women's 6,000 meters.

SIUE Women's Golf Ranked 17th Nationally

The fall women's golf season may be completed, but the statistics are just coming into focus. SIUE has been ranked tied for 17th in the country in the NCAA Division II coaches poll released by www.thegolfchannel.com.

SIUE Coach Larry Bennett sifted through the pages of statistics he received from Golfstat, the official statistics provider to the NCAA Championships. In terms of scoring average, SIUE is 13th in the nation among NCAA Division II schools and fifth in the East region as well as 177th among all schools in all divisions.

SIUE holds a scoring average of 83.41 and has a head-to-head record of 50-15 during its five fall season tournaments.

Sophomore sensation Kallie Harrison leads SIUE with a 77.4 scoring average in 10 rounds of play, placing her fifth in the East region and 11th nationally. She holds a 4-5-1 record against the top 20 NCAA Division II-rated players in the country.

Freshman Rachel Roberg is second on the team with an 83.0 scoring average. She is ranked 24th in the region and 82nd nationally. Roberg is followed on the Cougar roster by Brittany Hood (32nd in region), Jessie Tiffe (43rd in region) Natalie Connaway (48th in region), and Kelly Morris (72nd in region).

The Cougars completed the fall season with a third-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

SIUE Men's Soccer Ranked No. 5

SIUE men's soccer is now ranked No. 5 in Division II. SIUE moved up one spot from No. 6 to No. 5 in the latest national rankings from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

SIUE coach Ed Huneke and his Cougars hold a 11-1-1 record overall and a Great Lakes Valley Conference-leading 7-0-1 mark in league play. SIUE's latest game was a 1-1 tie at then 12th-ranked Lewis on Sunday (10/10).

The Cougars will be at Ralph Korte Stadium this weekend for homecoming as they take on GLVC rivals Missouri-St. Louis and Quincy. SIUE battles the Rivermen on Friday at 5 p.m., and the Cougars will take on the Hawks on Sunday afternoon at 1.

Below is the national and Great Lakes region rankings as of Oct. 12.

Athletics Events To Play Big Part In Homecoming 2004

It's homecoming week at SIUE, and SIUE athletics event once again will play a big part in the week's festivities.

A pep rally and bonfire is tentatively scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday (10/14) near Woodland Hall. On Friday (10/15), SIUE soccer entertains Missouri-St. Louis at Korte Stadium with the men's match at 5 p.m. followed by the women's match at 7:30 p.m. The 2004 homecoming king and queen will be announced that evening.

Korte Stadium also will be the site of the Third Annual Chili Cook-Off sponsored by SIUE Club Sports. Anyone affiliated with SIUE may enter. For more information, contact the Office of Campus Recreation, (618) 650-3245. To taste the chili, the cost is $2 for SIUE students and children under the age of 10. All others pay $3.

SIUE also will play host to Missouri-St. Louis in volleyball on Friday. The first serve is at 7 p.m. at the Vadalabene Center. SIUE volleyball faces Quincy in a home contest at 1 p.m. Saturday (10/16).

SIUE soccer faces Quincy in a doubleheader with the men's match set to start at noon and the women's contest to follow at 2:30 p.m.

This year's Jack Blake Award winner, Cal Thomas, will receive his award during the halftime of the men's match.

The Jack Blake Award is given in honor of former Olympian and SIUE soccer standout Jack Blake. The established criteria for the honoree is outstanding soccer play, leadership, displays a positive spirit of university and community involvement, dedicated to high fitness and intensity and holds a grade point average of 2.5 or above.

For more information about SIUE Homecoming, go to the Campus Activities Board Web site: www.siue.edu/CAB/homecoming.html.

Cougars Stay On Top Of GLVC

SIUE remains on top of the Great Lakes Valley Conference after a 1-1 tie at Lewis. The No. 6 ranked Cougars now have a record of 11-1-1 overall, 7-0-1 in the GLVC.

After falling behind the 12th-ranked Flyers 1-0 in the first half, SIUE bounced back to tie the game at the 71:46 mark. The Cougars out shot Lewis 23-9 for the match. "We really took it to them in the second half and in overtime aswell, but they (Lewis) hung in there," said SIUE soccer coach Ed Huneke.

"We weren't happy with the tie, but we were happy with how we played. They are a good team, and it sets the stage for us to play them again down the line."

Brian Higgins (St. Louis) netted the game-tying goal for his fourth on the season. "He is quite effective at making good penetrative runs in crowds, and that is not easy to do," said Huneke. "He got through their last line of defense and capitalized on a small window of opportunity."

Junior Kevin Thibodeau (St. Charles) and Mike Banner (Upper Marlboro, Md.) collected assists on the Higgins goal. Freshman Ross Beveridge (Dunfermline, Scotland) recorded two shots in the game against Lewis. "He came off the bench and played really well," said Huneke. "I was really pleased with his ability to posses the ball."

SIUE leads the GLVC in goals (34) and shots per game (17.6). The Cougars also are second in the conference in goals against average (0.49) and goals allowed (6). The Cougars are 5-0 at Korte Stadium this year outscoring their opponents 17-3 and outshooting them an amazing 109-28.

SIUE will look to continue that streak as they face Missouri-St. Louis and Quincy this weekend. "They are rivals, and we have had a long standing tradition with both of those teams." said Huneke. "A lot of the players know each other. So, we have to realize they are really looking to get some respect in the local area with a big game."

The Cougars face UMSL at Ralph Korte Stadium on Friday (10/15) at 5 p.m., following that with a matchup with the Hawks on Sunday (10/17) at noon.

Women's Soccer Face UMSL, Quincy

SIUE women's soccer brings its solid play back to Korte Stadium for homecoming this weekend. SIUE is 10-4 overall and 6-1 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

The Cougars are fresh off of two wins last week. They defeated non-conference opponent McKendree 2-0 on Wednesday (10/6) and followed that with a 4-1 GLVC win at Lewis on Sunday (10/10).

Ann Crawford (St. Louis) netted two goals against the Flyers. "They were both solid shots and two really good goals," said SIUE women's soccer coach Lynda Bowers. Crawford leads the GLVC with nine goals and is tied for second in the conference with 20 points.

Kelly Dill (Florissant, Mo.) and Christen Carducci (Columbus, Ohio) also notched goals in the win over Lewis. "Christen has been coming off an ankle injury and she got a chance that game to really get back in rhythm," said Bowers. "She really needed that goal. It was nice to see."

In the win over McKendree, SIUE used a balanced attack, outshooting the Bearcats 19-7. "Even though they are a NAIA school, it is still a rivalry game for us," said Bowers. "I knew it would be a tough match. That was a really good game for us."

Kayla Fromme (New Berlin) and senior Jackie Thomann (St. Louis) each had their first goals of the season in the victory. "That goal really sparked the rest of her (Thomann's) game," said Bowers.

Sophomore Padra Bencini (Carbondale) has led the Cougars from her back position. "She has been extremely solid, and she really held ourdefense together," said Bowers.

SIUE has won nine of its last 10 games by outscoring its opponents 26-4 since Sept. 10. The Cougars do battle with Missouri-St. Louis and Quincy at Korte Stadium this weekend. "It is nice to play at home," said Bowers. "Both UMSL and Quincy will be hard-fought games, and they are two really important ones for us."

Game time for the match against the Riverwomen is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday (10/15). The game versus the Hawks starts on Sunday (10/17) afternoon at 2:30.

Volleyball Aims For Business As Usual

SIUE volleyball coach Todd Gober knows if his team can keep putting together wins the Cougars have a good chance at winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference. SIUE is currently 16-5 overall and 7-1 in GLVC action.

"Now we just have to take care of business and play hard," said Gober. "The top teams in our conference are very equal."

SIUE picked up two road wins over Lewis and Wisconsin-Parkside over the weekend. The Cougars came from behind to outlast the Flyers, including a 15-12 fifth game on Friday (10/8) night.

"It was a good weekend, and Lewis played great against us," said Gober. "I have to give tons of credit to them. We just pulled it out. It was guts and hard work on our part that helped us find a way to win."

Outside hitter Kindra Westendorf (Effingham) led the charge with 23 kills against Lewis and 12 kills against the Rangers. "Kindra had a great weekend," said Gober. "She is someone who the other team is keying on. She had two huge matches."

Junior Krystal Majernik (Normal) recorded 109 assists in the two contests. She is averaging 11.64 assists per game this season. "She is very, very good at distributing the ball," said Gober. "She is running our middles better, and she is finding that consistent tempo. She is holding the ball a little longer and that is freezing the other teams middle blockers."

One of the middle hitters finding success from Majernik is Heather Bonde (Millstadt). Bonde had 33 kills in the matches against Lewis and Wisconsin-Parkside. She ranks fourth in the GLVC in points per game (4.77) and leads SIUE in kills per game (3.97).

"Heather had a great week offensively," said Gober. "She was terminating, and she is starting to understand she has to focus on to keeping her game on track."

Allison Buss (Towanda) leads the conference in services aces per game (0.58) and is second in the GLVC with 4.95 digs per game as the Cougars' libero. Buss had 26 digs in the victory over Lewis.

"Allison had a few huge digs against Lewis that really stopped their momentum," said Gober.

Jamie Jones (Flanagan) came in off the bench for SIUE and made some huge contributions in both wins. "Jamie Jones came in an did a great job defensively and helped us win game four against Lewis," said Gober. "Then in game five she was a key factor with her serving three straight points for us."

The Cougars will be at home this weekend to face Missouri-St. Louis on Friday (10/15) at 7 p.m. SIUE takes on Quincy on Saturday (10/16) afternoon at 1.

Cougars Battle At Border Wars

The SIUE men's and women's cross country teams battled in the Missouri-Illinois Border Wars at SIUE's Cross Country Course. The 21st-ranked Cougars finished sixth out of 28 teams. The women's team finished 15th out of 28.

Senior Ryan Boyll (Normal) led the way on the men's side. Boyll finished fifth at the meet with a time of 25 minutes, 35.45 seconds. Junior Brian Taghon (East Moline) came in at 11th place with a time of 25:58.11. Freshman Erik Steffens (Moline) continued his string of strong performances, placing 39th out of 273 competitors with a time of 26:56.31.

On the women's side, senior Mary Witte (Norman) finished 55th a time of 19:49.94. Freshman Kelly Flounders (Homer Glen) came in at a 62nd place at 20:01.32 in the 5,000 meters. Senior Lee Ann Lomax (Georgetown) came in at 69th place just more than six seconds behind Flounders to finish at 20:07.89.

The Cougars will travel to Highland Hts., Ky., for the GLVC Championships on Oct. 23 beginning at 10 a.m. for the women and 11 a.m. for the men.

Yingst Earns GLVC All-Conference Selection

Senior Chrissy Yingst (Belleville) has been named a GLVC All-Conference selection. She had a record of 6-3 on the year at No. 1 singles.

SIUE's women's tennis team finished its season with a fifth-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. The Cougars ended their season with a 5-6 record.

The Cougars lost 5-0 to Southern Indiana in their opening round match of the six-team tournament. SIUE bounced back to defeat Bellarmine 5-3 in the fifth place match.

In the win over the Knights, Yingst won at No. 1 singles 7-6, 6-1.

Senior Allison Coats (Belleville) gained the victory at No. 2 singles 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, and Lisa Warner (Arlington Hts.) won at No. 4 singles 6-1, 6-4.

SIUE took two of the three doubles matches to help gain the victory against Bellarmine. The Cougars had lost to the Knights 6-3 on Sept. 3.

The Cougars finished off their regular season by winning four of their last seven matches.

Season Tickets On Sale For Cougar Basketball

Season tickets are now available for sale for the 2004-2005 SIUE basketball season. This year's home schedule includes 15 men's games and 12 women's games.

All home games are played at SIUE's 4,000-seat Vadalabene Center.

The cost for chair-back "blue seats" are $65. Only a limited number of blue seats remain available.

A season pass for general admission seating is $60 for the general public and $50 for SIUE faculty, SIUE staff, SIUE alumni and senior citizens.

To secure your seat for the 2004-2005 season, contact the SIUE Athletics Department at 618-650-2871.

Fannie Belle Lebby To Be Featured In Tribute To Prof. Redmon In U. City

Woodie Award nominee Fannie Belle Lebby will perform her one woman show, Ladies of the Blues, including portrayals of blues artist Alberta Hunter and comedienne Moms Mabley, at a tribute for poet and author Eugene B. Redmond on Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd., in the University City (MO) Loop.

Redmond is an SIUE professor of English Language and Literature and poet laureate of East St. Louis. He also is the author of 12 books, six plays and is founding editor of the multicultural literary magazine, Drumvoices Revue. He is the recipient of the Pushcart Prize, a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and an inductee in the National Literary Hall of Fame for writers of African Descent.

The Oct. 30 event is a fundraiser for the documentary Arkansippi Bard, a biographical film about Eugene Redmond. Also performing is the Soular System Ensemble, a poetry touring troupe of the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club.

An avid photographer, Redmond's photo exhibit, Visualizing Black Writers: An Extra-literary Exhibit from the Eugene B. Redmond Collection, is currently touring and has been on exhibition at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

Simone de Cyrene Productions, Inc., producer's of the film about Redmond, is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to chronicle diverse Midwest artists who have contributed to the Black Arts Movement and globally enriched the cultural landscape.

Two performances will take place Saturday-3 p.m. and 9 p.m. VIP tickets are $40, which includes a reception at 2 and 8, respectively, while general admission is $25 for each performance only.

Tickets may be purchased through MetroTix: (314) 534-1111 or (800) 293-5949, Monday thru Sunday. Mastercard/VISA/American Express/Discover cards are accepted. For more information, call Sheryl Johnson, (314) 550-5599.

SIU Board Approves Change Of Scope For Boiler System

The SIU Board of Trustees voted recently to explore its options in light of a decision by Illinois Power Co. (now AmerenIP) to terminate a 33-year agreement between the utility and SIU Edwardsville under which natural gas has been provided.

Under the current agreement, IP monitors the university's use of natural gas through a single "master meter," while owning and maintaining the gas lines that service the university's hot water and boiler systems.

IPC announced in March its decision to terminate the agreement. That decision left the university with three options to consider: 1) allow the utility to meter each of the buildings so that IPC continues to own and operate the existing distribution lines on campus; 2) leave the existing master meter in place and SIUE purchase the existing distribution lines from IPC; or 3) leave the master meter in place and SIUE replace the existing IPC distribution with one owned and operated by the university.

Today's board action calls for an engineering study to make recommendations about what the best course of action is for SIUE. If the second option were chosen, the matter would again come before the board.

In December of last year, the SIU board voted to discontinue use of the campus-wide boiler system and provide gas-fired, hot-water boilers and domestic water heaters in each of the core campus buildings as a cost-cutting measure. Because of favorable bids on the base project, the cost of today's proposed change in scope will be funded from within the original approved amount.

Five Companies Are Awarded Bids To Build New Pharmacy Facility

Construction contracts totaling $3.26 million have been awarded to five Southwestern Illinois companies for a new facility to house the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

The action was taken recently by the SIU Board of Trustees Executive Committee, which authorized the awarding of contracts to L. Wolf Company of Granite City, for general contracting ($2,006,001); Pyramid Electrical Contractors of Fairview Heights, for electrical ($333,970); France Mechanical of Edwardsville, for plumbing ($446,300); Hock Mechanical Inc. of Belleville, for ventilation ($421,845); and Bi-State Fire Protection, for fire prevention ($49,135).

The project, which includes construction of a new 15,000-square-foot facility, was approved by the board at its September 2003 meeting. The board also earlier this year gave the executive committee authority to award bids if it would expedite the project's completion by the beginning of Fall Semester 2005.

The project calls for construction of the building adjacent to 200 University Park Drive, where the School of Pharmacy administrative offices are currently located in SIUE's University Park. The new facility will provide labs, classrooms, and office space for the School.

The entire plan calls for additional funding to further renovate 15,000 square feet of additional space in the existing building at 200 University Park Drive for more classrooms and offices. Bids on the renovation aspect of the project are expected in the coming weeks.

Total cost of the project is estimated at $5 million and will be funded through issuance of certificates of participation to be retired with revenue generated by tuition from Pharmacy students. The entire project must be completed by the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year.

NCERC's Martha Schlicher Named Director Of SIUE Research Center

Martha Schlicher, who has more than 16 years of experience in developing and commercializing new technologies for agriculture, has been named director of SIUE's National Corn-To-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC).

As the NCERC becomes operational, Rodney Bothast, previously the facility's director, and Schlicher have rearranged the management structure to allow Bothast to focus exclusively on the research aspects of the facility, while Schlicher assumes responsibility for day-to-day operations and implementation of the center's strategic plan.

Schlicher has been the NCERC's associate director for Administration and Finance since January.

The NCERC was created with $14 million in federal funds and $6 million from the state of Illinois. Research at the center is focused on finding ways to ensure the sustained growth of fuel ethanol markets by improving the economics of its production.

Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from corn and other feedstocks. Its use improves the environment, provides jobs for rural America, creates new markets for agricultural crops, and enhances energy security.

While the NCERC has been educating visiting groups on the benefits of biobased fuel since construction began, the facility will open its doors to commercial clients this fall. Laboratory and computer modeling research has begun on two grant-funded projects, while the final plant commissioning and testing is occurring to meet the project needs of the initial commercial clients.

From 1988 to 2002, Schlicher held a number of significant positions-spanning research to sales and marketing-at Monsanto Co. in St. Louis, including regional business director, strategic business director, registration and regulatory sciences director, and environmental sciences director, to name a few.

In 2002, she joined the staff of Divergence in St. Louis, where she was responsible for market definition and strategy, regulatory, manufacturing, partner identification, and market development for the company's agricultural projects under development.

Schlicher earned a bachelor of science at Indiana University and a doctorate in organic chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also received an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

She is recipient of numerous technical and leadership awards including two Monsanto Achievement Awards, a Monsanto Technical Excellence Award, and a YWCA Women in Leadership Award. Schlicher led Monsanto's University Outreach programs with the U of I for a number of years and was an Illinois Farm Bureau Adopt-a-Scientist designee.

School Of Business Center To Conduct Series

The Entrepreneurship Center, part of the SIUE School of Business, will conduct a Nov. 10 forum, the first in a four-part series with topics ranging from assisting entrepreneurs seeking equity investment to putting together a management team. It's part of the center's Entrepreneurship Forum Series.

The Nov. 10 forum, Capital Formulation, will teach entrepreneurs and current business owners how to present a business concept or business expansion to investors. In addition, the series will provide opportunities for individuals to communicate business ideas to others who might have an interest in partnering or in funding a business plan.

Nov. 10 panelists Jack Cranley, an attorney, and Trevor Gonterman, a venture capitalist consultant, will discuss "tricks of the trade" for approaching and attracting equity investment. They will provide tips on where and how to seek equity investors, how to protect a business idea, and how ideas can be turned into assets.

The first forum is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Ramada Inn, Fairview Heights; cost is $25 per person, which includes refreshments. For more information, contact Center Director Jim Mager by telephone: (618) 650-2669 or by e-mail: jmager@siue.edu.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Quinn Visits Alton Campus To Promote New State Mandate

To promote a new state statute that requires grade school students to receive dental exams-as they do mandatory health exams-Illinois Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn recently visited with faculty and students at the the SIU School of Dental Medicine. The visit was part of the state's Healthy Smiles Week, designed to promote the new statewide policy.

Under the new state statute, children entering kindergarten, second and sixth grades, in public and private schools, must receive an oral health exam. "Tooth decay is the number one chronic illness in children," Quinn told the media at a news conference on the Alton campus.

He also noted toothaches are a leading cause of school absences. "This new school mandate will affect hundreds of thousands of children statewide and is aimed to address the growing epidemic of dental disease among young children."

For the Healthy Smiles Day event at the SIU dental school, 200 children from Horace Mann and West Elementary schools in Alton were given exams throughout the day.

Dr. Debra Schwenk, head of the dental school's Community and Preventive Dentistry program, coordinated the event. Dr. Debra Dixon helped cover the screenings of the 200 secod and third graders who came through the clinic.

Additionally, 14 SDM students helped facilitate the event by providing screenings and also offering oral health education lessons for the elementary school students. Several of the SIU dental students also supervised and played oral health education games with the children.

Dr. Ann Boyle, dean of the School, welcomed Quinn, Illinois Sen. Bill Haine, and Lisa Bilbrey, Special Projects administrator of IFLOSS, to the event. "These exams are a critical and necessary first step toward improving the oral health of Illinois children," Boyle said. "In turn, we know better oral health leads to better overall health."

In 2000, a study of access to oral health care for Illinois low-income children showed only 33 percent of children enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program utilized oral health care during the year. The study also found that only 34 percent of active general and pediatric dentists were enrolled as Medicaid providers.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently signed the legislation, sponsored by Illinois Rep. Miller, a Democrat from Dolton. He is the General Assembly's only dentist. Students would have to show proof of certain immunizations and tests (confirmation of a dental exam) upon starting that school year.

Quinn further expressed hope that the Healthy Smiles Week initiative would become an annual state health initiative to promote awareness of the importance of oral health.

School Of Nursing To Offer Management Program

The School of Nursing will begin offering a 12-credit-hour nurse management program in January. The program will feature online courses for nurse managers and nurses who want to move into management positions. Registration deadline is Nov. 19.

The program is designed to strengthen and expand the management skills of registered nurses in hospitals, home health agencies, long-term care, and other health care settings in which registered nurses serve as managers. Enrollment is for registered nurses with an associate degree, diploma, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree. The program will include four courses, each for three hours of academic credit.

The courses will be delivered online with one or two classroom meetings in each course. Students must have basic e-mail, internet, and word processing skills to use the online format.

Duration of each course will be eight weeks, with the first course beginning at the start of spring semester and the second beginning at mid-semester. Students enrolling in two courses each semester will complete the program in two semesters. Credit earned in the nurse management program may be transferable to the RN-BS program or the graduate program in the SIUE School of Nursing. Experienced nursing faculty will teach the courses.

Course content will include: The dynamic role of the nurse manager in the health care organization; principles of nursing management; leader and management theories, skills and behaviors; and leadership concepts including power, teamwork, collaboration, planning, empowerment, motivation, and decision making, to name a few.

For more information, contact Doris Davis in the School of Nursing by telephone: (618) 650-3960 or (800) 234-4844, or, by e-mail: dordavi@siue.edu.

Participants may register on the first night of class, but a spot must be reserved by Nov. 19 to ensure enrollment.

The first class of the spring semester will begin the week of Jan. 10. Students will be notified of a day, time, and location for an orientation session during that week.

Men's Basketball Heads To Assembly Hall

When your opponent is picked to win the Big Ten and selected No. 1 preseason in the nation by Lindy's, that might be enough to make a coach worried.

For SIUE men's basketball coach Marty Simmons, the Cougars' exhibition game at Illinois on Friday (11/5) at 7 p.m. is a good way to assess his team's skills. "Our main focus is on us," said Simmons. "We're looking for how we respond."

Simmons said he will be watching to see how SIUE responds to the press defense, how well the team blocks out and how effective the team screens. It's going to be the little things that matter to Simmons and not necessarily the information on the scoreboard at Assembly Hall.

SIUE also plays at Western Illinois on Wednesday (11/3) and at Indiana next Friday (11/12). "After playing those three teams, we should be a better basketball team going into the season," Simmons said.

SIUE returns two of its top leading scorers in guard Calvin Sykes (Chicago) and forward Joel Jaye (Chicago). SIUE was 16-12 last season and picked to finish fourth in the 11-team Great Lakes Valley Conference this season.

The Cougars begin the regular season at home Nov. 15 against Lincoln Christian at 7:30 p.m.

Women's Basketball Opens Exhibition Season

With three exhibition games against NCAA Division I schools to start the season, SIUE women's basketbal coach Wendy Hedberg said she's ready to start of the 2004-2005 season.

The Cougars plan to use the exhibition games as an opportunity to get better. "I want to see where we are defensively as a ballclub," said Hedberg. "The games may expose our weaknesses because of the quality of play."

SIUE begins its exhibition season at Bradley on Saturday (11/6) at 2 p.m. The Cougars face Western Illinois next Monday (11/8) at 7 p.m. and Southeast Missouri State on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. "With these games, you are just trying to play somebody different to prepare for the season," said Hedberg.

SIUE opens its regular season on Nov. 16 at home against Robert Morris. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Men's Soccer Set For Conference Tournament

It seems like there's always a big men's soccer game between Quincy and SIUE in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

In fact, this will be the fourth time in the last five years that the two teams have met in the conference tournament. SIUE won last season 4-0 and again in 2001 by the score of 2-0. Quincy won the GLVC Tournament match 1-0 in 2000. "Here we go again," said SIUE men's soccer coach Ed Huneke.

The two teams tied 0-0 this season on SIUE's field, one of two ties for the Cougars. SIUE is 14-2-2 heading into the GLVC Tournament.

SIUE is the host institution for the conference tournament, having secured the best record in the GLVC. SIUE plays Quincy at 7:30 p.m. The No. 2 seed Wisconsin-Parkside faces third-seeded Lewis in the other semifinal game at 5 p.m. The championship game will be play at 2 p.m. Sunday (11/6).

Huneke said he doesn't see much difference between the Quincy game earlier this season and the one about to be played. "We just have to key in on certain players," he said.

The Cougars completed the regular season Saturday (10/30) with a 2-1 victory over Truman State. The game was played on the artificial turf at Washington University in St. Louis.

Huneke said he knows his players felt the sense of urgency in the Truman State game. "That was a big win for us trying to obtain the first-round bye in the (NCAA) regionals," said Huneke. "There was a lot riding on that."

The top three teams as selected by the NCAA advance to the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Tournament. The top team earns a bye waiting for the second and third seed to fight it out. The NCAA Tournament begins Nov. 11 at a site to be determined.

Women's Soccer Travels To GLVC Tournament

SIUE and Northern Kentucky will meet in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament in Kenosha, Wis., on Friday (11/5).

The outcome of the game may have NCAA implications, one fact that should motivate both ballclubs. "They have a lot of motivation to defeat us. They'll be gunning for us," said SIUE Coach Lynda Bowers.

SIUE became the first team in the GLVC to defeat Northern Kentucky during the regular season since Oct. 9, 1999. SIUE defeated NKU 2-0 at Korte Stadium.

Northern Kentucky has won five of the last six GLVC Tournaments and have a 16-0-1 record all-time in tournament play. "They have been on a roll lately," said Bowers of Northern Kentucky. The Norse defeated sixth-seeded Missouri-St. Louis 4-1 Sunday (10/31) in the GLVC Tournament quarterfinals.

The GLVC Tournament will be played in Kenosha, Wis., at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, which earned the No. 1 seed through the league's tiebreaker system. Wisconsin-Parkside, SIUE, and Northern Kentucky all finished the GLVC season with 9-1 records in league play.

SIUE faces NKU at 11 a.m. followed by Wisconsin-Parkside against fifth-seeded Bellarmine, which earned its spot in the GLVC Tournament by defeating Saint Joseph's 1-0 in overtime Sunday (10/31).

The Cougars head into the GLVC Tournament with one of the top scorers in the league. Ann Crawford (St. Louis) leads SIUE with nine goals and three assists. SIUE's goalkeeper combination of Jessica Brown (St. Louis) and Kim Roady (Granite City) have posted a school-record 11 shutouts.

Volleyball Enters Final Weekend Of GLVC Play

A strong finish to the regular season and a possible bye in the first round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament is what the SIUE volleyball team aims to accomplish this weekend.

The Cougars, 22-6 overall and 12-2 in GLVC regular season play, face Quincy on Friday (11/5) at 7 p.m. and Missouri-St. Louis on Saturday (11/6) at 1 p.m. It is the final weekend of play in the GLVC. "We can't take either Quincy or Missouri-St. Louis lightly," said SIUE Coach Todd Gober. "I expect those teams to play better on their home court than they did at SIUE.

The Cougars defeated both Quincy and UMSL earlier this season in three games.

SIUE is one match behind Southern Indiana for first place and one-half of a match ahead of Northern Kentucky for the No. 2 seed. The top six teams advance to this year's GLVC Tournament with the top two seeds earning a bye into the semifinals.

The Cougars head into the final weekend with the top defense in the league. Opponents are hitting just .159 against the Cougars. SIUE is third in offense with a .257 hitting percentage.

SIUE middle hitter Heather Bonde (Millstadt) is seventh in the GLVC in hitting percentage at .321. She also leads the Cougars in kills with 371.

Cross Country Plays Host To Region

SIUE will showcase its cross country course Saturday (11/6) as it plays host to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Championships.

There will be 21 men's teams and 22 women's teams competing in the meet. The men's race begins at 11 a.m. with the women's race to follow at 12:15 p.m. on SIUE's cross country course.

SIUE Coach Eileen McAllister said her teams were apprehensive about hosting a third meet this season but have changed their minds at the prospect of the championships taking place on their home course. "Now they are actually excited about a home meet. They don't have to worry about traveling for this meet," McAllister said.

The top four women's teams and the next two individuals advance to the cross country national meet on Nov. 20 in Evansville, Ind. The top three men's teams and the next two individuals also advance to the national championships on the campus of Southern Indiana.

McAllister said she wants her team to gain experience from the meet. "I just want them to end the season on a positive note," she said.

Regular Season Ends With A Win

John Matthews headed in a corner kick from Victor Pacheco with 19 seconds left in the first half for the game winner as SIUE went on to a 2-1 victory over Truman State.

Truman State and SIUE fans were on unfamiliar turf with the game moved on Friday (10/29) evening to Washington University's Francis Field in St. Louis. The artificial turf field provided a fast pace and a number of scoring chances.

SIUE, 14-2-2 and the No. 1 seed for the Great Lakes Valley Conference, scored first as Michael Burgund buried a shot past Truman State goalkeeper Nate Gibson from point-blank range. Gibson had saved one shot from Matthews and a second from Burgund during the play. Burgund controlled the rebound and scored the goal.

With time running out in the first half, SIUE converted a corner kick from Pacheco. Matthews took the ball at the near post and slipped the ball in the net.

Despite only an 11-9 advantage in shots, SIUE dominated the play near the goals with nine corner kicks to Truman State's zero. Paul Link provided some confidence at 63:17 scoring from 15 yards out on an assist from Drew Vogt. Truman State pressed in the second half but couldn't get another goal past SIUE goalkeeper Nicholas Frasca, who had four saves.

SIUE now awaits its opponent for the GLVC Tournament semifinals at Korte Stadium next Friday (11/5). The Cougars will play the lowest remaining seed after tomorrow's quarterfinals.

SIUE will play either fourth-seeded Quincy, fifth-seeded Northern Kentucky or sixth-seeded Indianapolis if the Greyhounds pull off an upset against third-seeded Lewis.

Cougars Aiming Higher For 04-05 Season

Coach Marty Simmons sits in his Vadalabene Center office knowing that his SIUE men's basketball is going to be a good team.

He knows it. His fellow Great Lakes Valley Conference coaches acknowledged it when the Cougars were picked to finish fourth in the league. Still, Simmons knows hours and hours more of practice and repetition are the only thing that can truly make those beliefs true.

SIUE finished 16-12 last season, the school's first winning campaign since the 1998-1999 campaign. The Cougars were 11-4 a season ago at home; the first time SIUE had double-digit victories at the Vadalabene Center since the 1993-1994 season.

"Overall, we're faster, bigger, and more athletic," said Simmons. "But I'm not ruling anything out right now. It may be the guys playing hardest in practice who are out there."

To achieve that faster, bigger, and most athletic look, the Cougars hit the recruiting trail hard again during the off-season. SIUE added freshman J.B. Jones (Belleville) as well as transfers Michael Sams (Mt. Zion), Pat Readus (Memphis, Tenn.), Martel Mahon (Chicago), and Cordell Jeanty (Toronto, Ontario).

Simmons said the newcomers figure to make an impact right away. Finding the right mixture of players may be Simmons' biggest obstacle.

Simmons said he would look to senior guard Calvin Sykes (Chicago) for more after Sykes posted 11.8 points per game last season along with a team-leading 109 assists.

"We're looking for more leadership out of Calvin," Simmons said. The Cougars expect Sykes to make the transition to the off-guard position. It's a more natural position for Sykes, and it opens up a spot at point guard for J.B. Jones (Belleville) and redshirt freshman Anthony Jones (Centralia).

"J.B. Jones is a leader out there. He finds a way for his team to win," Simmons said of the 6-foot-2-inch freshman who played last season for Belleville West High School. "A.J. (Anthony Jones) is an outstanding shooter who is quick with the ball and fast off the dribble," Simmons said. Simmons also has his eye on 6-4 Mahon and 6-1 Readus at the guard position. Both add speed to the lineup.

The Cougars also will have a great deal of flexibility with his lineups. Several players can play multiple positions.

Kris Crosby (Belleville), a 6-5 forward, returns for his senior season after scoring 2.5 points a contest last season. Crosby can play three different positions, noted Simmons. SIUE also looks to Sams, a 6-6 guard-transfer from Illinois State as a multi-dimensional player, and Jeanty, who exhibited the ability to post up defenders at John A. Logan College to the tune of 24.2 points per game.

Tim Bauersachs (Pinckneyville) returns for his senior season after leading the Cougars in rebounding with 5.3 per game last season. A strong defender and a much-improved offensive threat, Bauersachs earned his spot in Simmons' lineup through hard work in practice and at game time.

Joel Jaye (Chicago) averaged 10.7 points per game without a starting assignment last season. He led the GLVC in three-point shooting last season at 50.9 percent. "Joel has worked hard in the preseason at getting to the basket and getting to the free throw line," Simmons said.

The Cougars also return a stronger center in 6-11 Dan Heimos (Waterloo). "Dan added some muscle during the offseason. We need him to make those 15-17 footers to open more things up inside," said Simmons. Heimos already established himself as one of the GLVC's top shot blockers with 47 blocks last season.

Forward Justin Ward (Moline), a former GLVC Freshman of the Year, also will battle for playing time. "He's a good scorer and an exciting player to watch," said Simmons.

SIUE also added 6-9 redshirt freshman Doug Taylor (McClure). "He has a good shooting touch and gets up and down the floor." The Cougars are hoping the additional 25 pounds Taylor added over the last season will help lift his play as the Cougars get ready for a rigorous schedule.

The Cougars have an outstanding road exhibition season planned beginning with Illinois on Nov. 5 followed by Western Illinois on Nov. 10 and Indiana on Nov. 12.

SIUE opens the regular season at the Vadalabene Center on Nov. 15 against Lincoln Christian. The GLVC season opens Nov. 26 at home against Lewis.

Cougar fans also can follow the team to Hawaii for a special two-game set in Honolulu. SIUE faces Dominican (N.Y.) on Dec. 19 and Washburn (Kan.) on Dec. 20.

Youthful Team Lifts SIUE Women's Basketball

Experienced" is not going to be the first word out of the mouth of SIUE women's basketball coach Wendy Hedberg as she describes her 2004-2005 team.

With two seniors on the team, neither of whom have been regular starters over the last three seasons, the Cougars will look to a young team. Some of those players are battle-tested in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and others are a solid group that has been highly successful at other levels.

"Every player can contribute to this team," said Hedberg. "We're going to start three different lineups during the exhibitions and take a look at who plays better with who."

Seniors Annie Miller (West Salem, Wis.) and Sara Unterbrink (Madison, Mo.) have a combined five starting assignments in six combined years with the Cougars. Hedberg said both Miller and Unterbrink are playing the best basketball of their careers right now. Both see their senior season as a chance to finish well.

Hedberg won't be looking in any one person's direction when talking about leadership. This year's Cougars have a handful of players eager for a breakout season.

Tanya Guell (Plymouth, Wis.), a 6-foot-1-inch junior, is the team's top returning scorer with 13.0 points per game and second in rebounds with 4.3 per contest. "We're looking for her to be a force down low," said Hedberg. "She is very capable with good moves around the basket."

Julianne McMillen (Pana) was averaging double figures in scoring and rebounding before a mid-season injury cut her effective playing time. She rallied to average 10.1 points and a team-leading 7.3 rebounds per game.

Hedberg thinks the sophomore is capable of being only the second Cougar player in the last 25 years to average a double-double over the course of a season. The last player to do that was Kim Lowe in 1997-1998. Lowe was an All-American the next season.

Amber Wisdom (Geneseo) returns for her junior season after leading the Cougars in assists with 96 in 2003-2004. "I think this is the best preseason Amber has had since she arrived," Hedberg said.

Jamie Kennedy (Colfax) also returns looking for playing time in the backcourt. She played in 24 games last season and averaged 2.1 point per game.

Hedberg will look to a talented group of newcomers to add some spark to the lineup.

Tiffany Sproat (Fairview Hts.) and Whitney Sykes (Pontoon Beach) played high school basketball last season just miles from one another at Belleville East High School and Granite City High School, respectively. "Sproat attacks the basket and the offensive boards," said Hedberg. "Sykes is a great shooter, but I think her best attribute is her passing."

Amy Austin (Jeffersonville, Ind.) joins Sproat and Sykes in the Cougars' freshman class. Austin was an All-Stater in Indiana for Jeffersonville High School. Hedberg said she'll be a combination point and off guard who is a very athletic defender.

Lindy Carey (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) is a transfer from IUPU-Ft. Wayne. Hedberg said Carey is an offensive-minded player with a good three-point range.

Alisa Carrillo (Santa Ana, Calif.) is a transfer from Orange Coast College, a junior college in California. Carrillo was a team Most Valuable Player last season after averaging 17.2 points per game.

The Cougars are coming off an 11-17 record. SIUE struggled in losing five of its final six games but played one of its best games of the season in a 53-49 GLVC Tournament loss to Quincy, which went on to compete in the NCAA Elite Eight.

This season, the Cougars are courting a high-challenging schedule. SIUE opens the exhibition season on Nov. 6 at Bradley followed by trips to Western Illinois on Nov. 8 and Southeast Missouri State on Nov. 12.

SIUE opens the regular season on Nov. 16 at the Vadalabene Center against Robert Morris. The Cougars begin the GLVC season at home on Nov. 26 against Lewis.

SIUE has two tournaments planned on opposite ends of the country. The Cougars play Concord on Nov. 19 and Fairmont State on Nov. 20 in Athens, W.V. On Dec. 19, SIUE faces West Texas A&M followed by Harding on Dec. 20. Both of those games will be played at the Hoops N' Surf Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Nov. 2 'Fan Jam' Will Highlight SIUE Basketball

SIUE basketball fans will get their first look at the 2004-2005 Cougars on Tuesday, Nov. 2, when the teams present "Fan Jam."

Cougar fans of all ages are invited to the free event. The festivities get under way at 6:30 p.m. with free pizza and soda. The Cougars have a number of games planned including the Prize Putt, a free- throw contest, a three-point contest, a lay-up contest and a dribbling contest for children.

SIUE women's coach Wendy Hedberg and her Cougars take the court at 7:45 p.m. and will warm-up before playing a 20-minute scrimmage. SIUE men's coach Marty Simmons and his Cougars will play a 20-minute scrimmage at 8:20 p.m.

The SIUE exhibition season begins Nov. 5 when the SIUE men's team travels to Champaign to face the Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois at 7 p.m. at Assembly Hall.

For more information about Fan Jam, call SIUE Athletics at (618) 650-2871.

Simmons, Hedberg Featured At Coaches Clinic

SIUE men's and women's head basketball coaches Marty Simmons and Wendy Hedberg will be the featured instructors for the free Coach it Right! coaches clinic at the Vadalabene Center this Saturday (10/30).

The instructional clinic takes place from 1-4 p.m. and is hosted by SIUE, the St. Louis Sports Commission's Sports for Kids program, and the Taco Bell Coaches Club.

Simmons and Hedberg will show coaches how to properly teach basketball fundamentals and techniques to their young athletes. Coaches will receive tips on half court and transition defense, set plays on offense, the fast break, sportsmanship, and much more. David Strickfaden, managing partner of Fitness Designs Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab, also will be on hand to talk about training, nutrition, and conditioning for basketball.

Every coach who attends the clinic will receive a free Sports for Kids clipboard, perfect for organizing practices, rosters, diagrams, and plays.

Simmons enters his third season at SIUE. His team notched a fifth-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference last season and was selected to finish in the final four this season. Before coming to SIUE, Simmons was an assistant coach at the University of Evansville.

Hedberg is entering her 26th year as coach at SIUE. She has compiled a record of 391-298 and four NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. Her teams have had a 111-69 mark in GLVC action since 1994.

To register by telephone, call (314) 992-0689, or, visit the Web site: www.stlouissports.org/kids/basketball_2004.htm.

SIUE Volleyball Blanks Washington U.

SIUE collected 47 kills and overpowered Washington University 30-19, 30-27, 30-26 in women's college volleyball on Tuesday at the Vadalabene Center.

The Cougars improved to 21-6 overall. Washington U., the No. 4-ranked team in NCAA Division III, fell to 20-5.

SIUE led the distance in the match, puzzling the Bears defense in game one. The Cougars recorded a solid games two and three behind junior setter Krystal Majernik's 38 assists. Kindra Westendorf, who led all players with six blocks, led the offense with 12 kills. Heather Bonde and Shannon Winkeler added 11 and 10 kills, respectively.

Emilie Walk powered the Bears offense with 10 kills. As a team, the Bears collected 12 blocks.

SIUE now heads to Louisville, Ky., for a Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup against Bellarmine. Match time on Friday (10/29) night is 7.

Men's Soccer Changes Truman Game To Saturday

SIUE men's soccer coach Ed Huneke announced today that the game at Truman State scheduled for Thursday (10/28) at 2 p.m. will now be played on Saturday (10/30) at noon.

Cougar Men's Soccer Clinches No. 1 Seed

SIUE men's soccer took care of business last Saturday (10/23) by wrapping up the No. 1 seed for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament semifinals and finals on Nov. 5-7.

The Cougars' 3-0 win over Bellarmine clinched the top seed and a first round bye in the tournament. The quarterfinals are this Sunday (10/31). "It's nice accomplishment, and it feeds into some other nice benefits for the postseason," said SIUE soccer coach Ed Huneke.

For the second year in a row, SIUE finished GLVC play undefeated with a 8-0-2 record, 13-2-3 overall. The Cougars are unbeaten in their last 21 GLVC regular season games.

SIUE will do battle with regional rival Truman State on Saturday (10/30) for its final regular season game of the year. "They always have a good team," said Huneke. "It will be a good challenge for us, and I expect a quality game on both sides."

In the win over Bellarmine, Mike Banner (Upper Marlboro, Md.) recorded two goals, including a breakaway goal from midfield. The sophomore has four goals in nine games for SIUE, and he leads the conference in shots per game at 4.22. "I was really pleased with Mike's play," said Huneke. "We benefit greatly when he plays well."

Senior Michael Burgund (Bethalto) netted the Cougars' other goal in the win over the Knights to give him four goals on the season. "He has been a real steady player for us as a defender, but he has also picked up some nice goals," said Huneke."

SIUE has seven players on the team with 10 or more points. The Cougars are first in the GLVC with 18.24 shots per game, and SIUE is third in the conference in goals (39), goals per game ( 2.29), assists (38), assists per game (2.24), points (6.82), goals allowed (9), and goals against average (0.50).

Women's Soccer Finishes GLVC Season Tied For First

The SIUE women's soccer team has won 12 of their last 13 games and in the process finished the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season tied for first. The Cougars have a record of 13-4 overall, 9-1 in GLVC play.

"One of our goals was to try and finish first," said SIUE women's soccer coach Lynda Bowers. "It is nice to accomplish one of your goals."

The Cougars will finish off their regular season schedule Thursday (10/28) with a home match against Southeast Missouri State. Game time is 7 p.m. at Korte Stadium. "It will be a tough test for us," said Bowers. "I hope that we rise to the occasion and build our momentum going into the conference tournament."

Heading into the game against SEMO, SIUE has won seven in a row at Korte. The Cougars have not allowed a goal at home in 704:14 since they gave up a tally on against Grand Valley State on Sept. 5. "These girls have gotten better every game, and our leadership has been great this season," said Bowers.

The Cougars outlasted Bellarmine over the weekend 2-0. For the second game in a row, Christina Stremlau (St. Louis) had the game winner. Lindsey Kampwerth (Highland) added a late insurance goal to seal the win for SIUE.

The win not only improved the Cougars conference mark but also goalkeepers Jessica Brown (St. Louis) and Kim Roady (Granite City) set the record for shutouts in a season with 11. Roady has given up just one goal in more than 762 minutes of playing time this season.

Senior Ann Crawford (St. Louis) had an assist in the contest as she leads the team with 21 points. "She has played good all season long for us," said Bowers.

Christen Carducci (Powell, Ohio) also added an assist against the Knights, and she has netted two goals and added two assists in her last four games. "She has really come on strong to end out the season," said Bowers.

Padra Bencini (Carbondale) has been solid all year leading a Cougar defense that allows only 8.7 shots per game. "She has been so good this year," said Bowers. "She works so hard on her game, and it has paid off."

Volleyball Looking For A Strong Finish

The SIUE volleyball team has its sights set on ending the season on a high note. The Cougars are one game behind Southern Indiana for first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

The Cougars hold an 11-2 GLVC mark, 20-6 overall. SIUE has three conference road games remaining against Bellarmine, Missouri-St. Louis, and Quincy.

SIUE defeated then fifth-place St. Joseph's and third place Indianapolis each 3-0 this past weekend to put them in second place. "We had two strong wins, and we want to continue to play well," said SIUE volleyball coach Todd Gober.

The Cougars will battle Washington (Mo.) on Tuesday (10/26) at home. The Bears are ranked fourth in Division III volleyball. "This is going to be a fun match," said Gober. "This is a game we need to win to keep our momentum going."

Leading the way for SIUE this past weekend was middle hitter Heather Bonde (Millstadt) who added 33 kills to her team-leading 347. "Heather is doing a really good job," said Gober. "She is quick, she jumps well, and she is very strong."

SIUE middle hitter Tina Talsma (Orono, Ontario) is leading the GLVC with 95 total blocks and is second on the team with a .289 hitting percentage. "Tina has been doing a great job blocking," said Gober. "She always is in good blocking position."

Krystal Majernik (Bloomington) has been steady as the team's setter with 11.66 assists per game. Majernik picked up seven kills in the win over St. Joseph's. "She is consistent and confident, and that is the kind of performance we need from our setter."

On defense, Allison Buss (Towanda) is the GLVC leader in digs with 5.24 per game. Buss and the Cougars have held their opponents to a GLVC leading .158 hitting percentage this season. "Allison has got to be one of our most valuable players," said Gober.

After facing the Bears on Tuesday night the Cougars will travel to Louisville, Ky., to take on Bellarmine on Friday (10/29) at 7 p.m.

USI Picked To Win Men's GLVC Title; Bellarmine, Indy Pace Women's Race

The University of Southern Indiana men are a clear choice to capture the 2004-05 Great Lakes Valley Conference basketball crown, while no less than four teams will battle for the women's title in a vote of league coaches.

USI (28-7, 15-5), last year's NCAA Division II runner-up, totaled 96 points and captured six first-place votes. The Screaming Eagles outdistanced Kentucky Wesleyan (22-8, 14-6), which totaled three first-place votes and 87 points and Northern Kentucky (16-15, 9-11), with two first-place votes and 78 total points.

The Panthers, however, are barred from postseason play by the GLVC and are not eligible for the GLVC and NCAA Tournament this season. While KWC's games will count in the regular season standings, that gives USI-ranked No. 5 in the pre-season Division II poll-a seemingly comfortable role as favorites in the poll.

SIU Edwardsville (74 points), Indianapolis (70) and Quincy (52) will join NKU as Southern Indiana's strongest challengers, while St. Joseph's (46), Lewis (42), UMSL (23), UW-Parkside (21) and Bellarmine (19) complete the field.

While the men's race seems clear, the women's is a toss-up with four different teams registering first-place votes. Bellarmine, Indianapolis, Quincy, and Northern Kentucky are all viewed by some coaches good enough to capture the conference championship.

Bellarmine (21-9, 15-5) and Indianapolis (23-9, 14-6) tied for the favorite role with 86 points apiece, but the Knights tallied four first place votes to the Greyhounds' two. Quincy (29-5, 17-3) registered three first-place votes and is a point behind with 85 points, while Northern Kentucky (17-11, 12-8) captured two first-place votes and 77 points.

Southern Indiana (69 points) and Lewis (57) are next, followed by UW-Parkside (48), SIU Edwardsville (33), UMSL (26), Saint Joseph's (18) and Kentucky Wesleyan (17).

The poll did not allow coaches to vote for their own teams.