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October 2009

Around Campus
UNF launches $110 million campaign

Photo by Mario PeraltaUNF President John Delaney Friday night launched the public phase of an ambitious $110 million capital campaign designed to transform the University and the lives of students who attend it.

Called The Power of Transformation, the campaign has already raised more than $60 million during its quiet phase, including two $1 million gifts from the campaign co-chairs, W. Radford Lovett II and Russell B Newton III. Both lead gifts will be devoted to scholarships and Transformational Learning Opportunities, which are among the main goals of the campaign.

Delaney told the nearly 400 donors, including alumni, friends, community volunteers, faculty and staff who attended the campaign kickoff event at the UNF Arena, that the gifts by Lovett and Newton illustrate the level of community commitment to the campaign and to the University.

"Both Rad and Rusty are far more than generous donors. They have both been involved in the UNF Foundation for many years in positions of leadership," Delaney said. "Their willingness to step forward to lead this campaign epitomizes their selfless dedication to UNF and to the community. We know their actions will inspire the success of our campaign."

The Lovett family gift will enhance the previously established Katherine H. Lovett Endowed Scholarship Fund, created in honor of Lovett's mother. A special part of this scholarship will fund Transformational Learning Opportunities such as study abroad and undergraduate research.

Similarly, Newton and his wife, Kathy, are devoting 100 percent of their most recent gift to scholarships. Specifically, they are contributing to the First Generation Scholarship Program, The Jacksonville Commitment and the Ann C. Hicks Merit Scholarship.

Lovett and Newton are being joined by two prominent Jacksonville couples who have been stalwart supporters of UNF and who have agreed to be the honorary co-chairs of The Power of Transformation. Blanche and Luther Coggin along with Ann and David Hicks are lending their support to the campaign. Luther Coggin, who is a member of the UNF Board of Trustees, and his wife, Blanche, previously donated $5 million during the University's first campaign Access to Excellence. The University's Coggin College of Business was named in their honor. Ann and David Hicks were co-chairs of Access to Excellence and contributed more than $3 million to the campaign. Both couples utilized the state of Florida's Matching Gift Program, which doubled their gifts.

"These four individuals are outstanding examples of leaders who have served this community in so many ways. We are honored for the support they have provided to us in the past and look forward to their insight and wisdom in the future," Delaney said.

Other donors recognized during the evening were the Bernard Osher Foundation for its $1 million gift establishing the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in the Division of Continuing Education.

The Power of Transformation campaign will build on the success of Access to Excellence. That campaign from 1997 to 2003 set out to raise $65 million for the University. The campaign eventually raised more than $100 million from 11,000 donors including 25 gifts of $1 million or more. Among other accomplishments, the successful campaign created more than 180 new scholarships for UNF students.

Delaney said The Power of Transformation will provide significantly more scholarship assistance at a time of great need among students. "These scholarships are important in their own right because we are striving to increase the number of Florida residents who have a four-year degree. In a larger sense, however, these scholarships are critical if Florida is to take its place in a knowledge-based global economy."

The specific priorities/goals of The Power of Transformation campaign are as follows:

Student Scholarships - $29.5 million

To continue funding for The Jacksonville Commitment, First Generation Scholarships and other forms of financial assistance

Graduate Fellowships - $5.95 million

To encourage motivated professionals to pursue advanced studies in fields essential to the economy of our region

Faculty Support - $20.6 million

To enhance the ability to recruit and retain talented faculty providing individual attention and quality academics for our students

Academic Enhancements - $28.67 million

To enable departments throughout the University to fulfill UNF's mission of providing excellent undergraduate and graduate programs, centers and institutes with transformational experiences in this country and abroad

Capital Projects - $25.3

To assure new campus buildings and educational tools critical to maintaining a stimulating learning environment for an ever-growing student populationriorities

Delaney said being in a global economy means UNF must provide the educated workforce of tomorrow to stimulate innovation and capital creation and break the reliance on a primarily service-related economy.

"We can't afford to waste another year, another month, even another day while the rest of the world catches up or even bypasses us in technological leadership and entrepreneurship," Delaney said. "For our children and our children's children, we must harness The Power of Transformation."

For more information about the campaign, visit www.unf.edu/wetransform.

Around Campus
Starr, Senior win Gabor/UNF Foundation Awards for Employee Excellence

Gabor Award Winners Jim Starr and Vivian Senior (photos by Joao Bicalho)Mary Starr was having a tough day on her job as a hairdresser. Nothing seemed to go right. That all changed in a hurry when her boy Jim stopped by her shop on his way home from UNF with some news that turned the day from rotten to wonderful.

Mary's boy Jim is Jim Starr, this year's winner of the Gabor/UNF Foundation Award for Employee Excellence for University Support (USPS) employees.

Vivian Senior is the winner of the Gabor/UNF Foundation Award for Employee Excellence for Administrative and Professional (A&P) employees.

Mom was the first person Starr wanted to tell after winning the award Sept. 14. "She was ecstatic," Starr, 28, said of his mother's reaction. To make it even better for his mother, he brought the plaque he received for winning. His mother's co-workers thanked Starr for cheering her up.

"My parents always taught me to work hard," said Starr, the primary instructional designer for online training in the Center for Professional Development and Training. Starr also called his father, Jim, with the good news. His dad was excited, but after talking briefly about the award, father and son did what they often do - got into a discussion about the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. The Starrs came to Jacksonville from Philadelphia.

Starr, who has worked at the University for 10 years, is a training specialist at the Center for Professional Development and Training. He started at CPDT in 2004. Among his duties, which cover three pages top to bottom, include maintaining the center's Web pages to ensure the content is appealing, accurate and timely. Starr redesigns the Web page each year for the center's Professional Development Forum at the University Center.

"Jim is a self-learner and enjoys expanding his knowledge and skills," said CDPT Director Ida Gropper in her letter recommending Starr for the award. "If there's a new graphic or Web application, he's among the first to want to learn it and see how it can benefit the department [center] and other constituents. Jim always looks for ways to cut costs while maintaining quality. His many skills include Web development and graphic design."

Starr has a bachelor's degree from UNF in communication. He has helped several departments at UNF with their Web pages and other computer-related issues. "I love to lend any help I can offer because of my technical skills," Starr said. "Winning the award was very humbling because there are so many people who also deserve it."

Like Starr, the first person Senior, associate director of Career Services, told about winning the Gabor/UNF Foundation Employee Excellence Award was her mother, Sharntrel McKever.

Mom acted calm, cool and collected about it: "I knew it," McKever said of her daughter's win. This despite the fact that Senior's mother in the weeks before the award ceremony constantly asked Senior questions about the status of the award process.

"There were so many deserving nominees, and I feel extremely blessed and honored to have been granted this award," Senior said. There are so many opportunities to contribute to UNF and student success, and I've been happy to do my part. One thing I always say to students is that I love my job, and I want them to love their jobs as well. It's very fulfilling and validating to know that my thoughts and ideas were translated into actions and accomplishments that others felt worthy of acknowledgement."

Senior started working as a student assistant at Career Services in 1988. She has worked her way up through the ranks to second in command to Rick Roberts, director of Career Services. "I have grown up here [UNF] personally and professionally. ... There's so much diversity to what I do here," Senior said.

Some of Senior's duties at Career Services include directing the career development component of Career Services and managing career counseling and career assessment programs and resources. She also works closely with faculty, administrators and University advisers to meet the career needs of students. The primary function of Career Services is to help students and alumni find jobs. Senior has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in counselor education, both from UNF.

"Vivian is a true team player and has an excellent rapport with not only her co-workers, but also with students, faculty, administrators and staff from a wide range of departments," Roberts said in a letter recommending Senior for the award. "She demonstrates a true interest in helping students to engage in their own career development process and be successful in terms of their careers. She is an excellent representative for the University, Career Services and the A&P Association."

Marianne Roberts, office manager in the Department of History, was runner-up for the Gabor/UNF Foundation Award for Employee Excellence for USPS employees. Anne Fugard, director of study abroad at the Coggin College of Business, was runner-up for A&P employees.

Since 1992, the Gabor/UNF Foundation Employee Excellence Awards have recognized employees for outstanding job performance, professionalism, participation in professional development, dependability, contributions to the campus community and going above and beyond the requirements of their jobs.

The University Support Personnel Association Staff Affairs Committee, which can include past Gabor/UNF Foundation Award winners, evaluates USPS employees nominated for the award to determine the winner and runner-up. The Gabor/UNF Foundation Award Committee, comprised of the Administrative and Professional Association executive officers and the two past award recipients, selected the award winner and runner-up for A&P employees.

The A&P Association tweaked its process a bit this year by using online forms instead of paper forms and asking all A&P Association members to endorse and provide feedback on nominees. This year 24 A&P employees, the most ever, were nominated.

Starr and Senior each received $600, a reserved parking place for a year, a plaque and a framed certificate. They also were photographed with UNF President John Delaney. Roberts and Fugard each received $300, a plaque, a framed certificate and a photograph with Delaney. The Gabor Agency, UNF's supplemental insurance provider, and the UNF Foundation fund the awards. The award ceremony took place for the first time in the auditorium of the new Student Union.

Around Campus
Faculty, staff rewarded for internationalization efforts

Drs. J. Michael Francis and Mei Zhao (photos by Josh Balduf)Dr. J. Michael Francis, Dr. Mei Zhao and Greshka German were honored recently with prestigious Outstanding International Leadership awards for making substantial contributions to internationalize UNF. The University for several years now has made internationalization a priority issue.

Francis, an associate professor in the Department of History, received the award in the full/associate professor category. Zhao, an assistant professor in health administration programs in the Department of Public Health, won in the assistant professor/ lecturer category, and German, until recently an academic adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences, won an award in the service category, which is open exclusively to UNF staff members.

Francis, Zhao, and German will each receive $2,000, have their names placed on an annual plaque and receive individual plaques in recognition of their achievements.

"The Outstanding International Leadership and Service Awards recognize the efforts of individual faculty and staff in helping our students become international in both their academic and personal lives," said Dr. Tim Robinson, director of UNF's International Center. "Knowing that many of these efforts are unsung, these awards serve to highlight and acknowledge three outstanding international faculty and staff each year."

This is the sixth year the awards have been presented. There were 12 nominees for the Leadership Awards and five for the Service Award. A subcommittee of the University's International Council reviews the nomination materials. The International Council, which includes two representatives from each college at UNF, one representative each from the Honors Program and the International Studies Program and the director of the International Center, sends its recommendations to Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, vice president of Student and International Affairs, who makes the final decision on the winners. The International Council advises and recommends activities to promote the internationalization of the University, subject to the approval of Gonzales and UNF President John Delaney.

Among many other activities, Francis, who has taught at UNF since 1997, organized and led 14 study-abroad programs to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Peru and Spain. Nearly 200 students have participated in the study-abroad programs. Francis has raised more than $75,000 in the last 10 years through private donations and grants for study-abroad trips. Francis said the trips have enhanced his teaching and scholarship as well as provided insights, detailed information and a heightened sense of enthusiasm for his teaching and research.

"I am delighted to receive the 2009 International Leadership Award, and I look forward to continuing my commitment to promote study-abroad opportunities for UNF students," Francis said. "I remain convinced that high-quality study-abroad programs are not only transformational experiences for our students, but they also improve the quality of education on our campus. I am honored to have been recognized for my contributions, and I am grateful to all the students who have shared in the many adventures of the past decade."

Zhao has been a professor at UNF since 2004. She designed four new exchange programs with prestigious universities in China; led three study-abroad programs; designed and implemented an international co-curricular lecture for UNF with one of China's premier health services researchers; supervised UNF's Chinese Culture Student Club; and designed and implemented the China Institute at UNF. The institute is comprised of faculty members who have an interest in creating connections with Chinese universities and organizations for teaching, research, student exchanges and other activities.

In May 2008 following a major earthquake in China, Zhao coordinated a UNF-Jacksonville Chinese Association earthquake relief charity event called "Filling the World with Love." The event to raise money for earthquake victims included a poster exhibition, silent auction and performance show.

"I am really honored to get this award," Zhao said. "It has been a great transformational experience working with the students and faculty members for the international exchange programs at UNF. It is truly teamwork."

German's contributions toward the internationalization of UNF included working with the International Center and the International Studies and World Language Departments on the procedures to transfer courses for international institutions. The College of Arts and Sciences recently developed a liaison program where each academic adviser has been assigned to several majors of their preference. German was the liaison for the International Studies Department, History Department and Criminal Justice Department.

She said she worked most closely with the International Studies Department and its chair, Dr. Pamela Zeiser, to ensure students complete the required international experience for their major. "One of my ultimate outcomes would be to have every student at UNF enjoy an international experience," German said. "My encounters in my international experiences have stuck with me and have become a part of my advising philosophy where every student should be exposed to other beliefs, traditions and views so that they can appreciate their own."

German left UNF the last week in July to prepare for an upcoming move to Hawaii, where her husband, who is in the Navy, was transferred. She is also finishing her master's degree in history.

The criteria for the Leadership Award include the internationalization of curriculum. Among the examples of this criterion are developing new courses with an international focus, adding international dimensions to existing courses and/or designing a new academic program with international content. The criteria also involve the creation of study-abroad programs or international-exchange activities.

Criteria for the Service Award include the extent to which the nominee has helped create an international ethos on campus through work or service activities and the extent to which the nominee's personal interactions with students, staff and faculty manifest an international awareness and respect.

Around Campus
The sounds of music

Cellists playing during last year's Feast of Carols event (photos by Ashley Earles-Bennett)At a time when arts programs all over the country are cutting back on series events, the Department of Music continues to flourish. With stellar visiting artists here to perform and teach, the 2009-10 season offers an array of exciting concerts.

Beginning this month, the department celebrates fall with custom-tailored events to commemorate the season. The 5th Annual Upbeat Pink: A Musical Tribute to Breast Cancer Survivorship, presented by the Department of Music and Mayo Clinic, features not only the critically acclaimed UNF Wind Symphony and UNF Chorale, but also special guests the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra with conductor Michael Butterman, as well as internationally recognized cancer specialist and researcher Dr. Edith Perez.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month offers support for education, awareness and empowerment of those who fight to find a cure for breast cancer. This endeavor by local musicians and organizations is an acknowledgement of support and encouragement. Additional events include the Octubafest for tuba enthusiasts of all ages and the annual Intercollegiate Choral Festival, featuring local choral ensembles from UNF, Jacksonville University, Florida State College at Jacksonville and the UNF Brass Ensemble performing brass masterworks in the beautiful sanctuary of a local church.

October also kicks off the 22nd anniversary of the Great American Jazz Series with a special UNF jazz faculty recording and broadcast for a radio show featuring WJCT's "This Is Jazz" host and producer Bob Bednar. This component of the UNF Jazz Studies Program regularly brings in jazz artists as residents and, along with other opportunities, has enabled UNF Jazz ensembles to perform in concert with more than 100 esteemed artists.

November features performances by renowned UNF faculty, talented music student works and a concert by Trio Florida, UNF's first faculty ensemble in residence. The trio is dedicated to performing piano masterpieces with an additional emphasis on playing works by great American composers. The month concludes with two large ensemble concerts featuring UNF's Concert Band and a collaborative effort by the UNF Wind Symphony and UNF Percussion Ensemble.

The December calendar highlights three major performances. During the holiday season, community members enjoy gathering to sing popular carols and hear holiday tunes that invoke the holiday spirit. To ring in the holiday season, the UNF Chorale and UNF Chamber Orchestra present Handel's "Messiah." The majesty and beauty of this work make it one of the most popular works in Western choral music.

In addition, another favorite local choral event, the 4th annual Feast of Carols, returns with performances by the UNF Chorale, the UNF Chamber Orchestra and the UNF Brass Ensemble along with community ensembles. To add a little spice to the season, the first guest performers of the Great American Jazz Series, The Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker Project, heat up the stage accompanied by the award-winning UNF Jazz Ensemble 1.

More information about the 2009-10 concert calendar can be found at www.unf.edu/coas/music.

Around Campus
Motherwell exhibit at MOCA Jacksonville

Robert Motherwell's "Seaside Studio"More than 1,000 people attended the Sept. 17 opening of the new exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a cultural resource of UNF, and dozens took the opportunity to work with the UNF Printmaking Guild to create works in the style of one of the night's star artists, the late Robert Motherwell.

The exhibition, "Robert Motherwell: Lost in Form, Found in Line," runs through Jan. 3, 2010,at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.

Lectures supporting the Motherwell exhibition will provide MOCA patrons with additional insight into Motherwell as an innovative artist and person, provide historical context of the artist's importance in contemporary art and enrich them about the past, present and future of the art of printmaking.

Dr. Elizabeth Heuer, UNF assistant professor of art history, will conduct a lecture at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at the Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra about the literary influences, particularly those of poet Rafael Alberta, in Motherwell's work. Her second lecture at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at MOCA examines his career and contribution to printmaking history. A final lecture by P. Scott Brown at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11, at MOCA will explore Motherwell's historical predecessors.

Born in Aberdeen, Wash., in 1915, Motherwell was the youngest and most prolific of the group of artists called the New York School of Abstract Expressionists. Included in this group were Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko and Franz Kline. Their interest was in exploring the deeper sense of reality beyond the recognizable image. They sought to create essential images that revealed emotional truth and authenticity of feeling.

Motherwell's philosophy was that abstraction was the process of peeling away the inessential and presenting the necessary. Throughout his career, Motherwell made daring experiments in painting and in intellectual investigations surrounding it. He experimented in a range of media from painting to collage to printmaking. Valued for its energetic imagery, his work attempted a pure emotional response made real in paint.

Beyond his individual efforts as an artist, Motherwell played a major role in the intellectual and artistic development of the New York art world of the time. It was this revolutionary sensibility that determined both his life and his art.

Like the great masters, Motherwell's importance can be seen in his attempts at expressing something monumental. Motherwell's large abstract paintings achieve majesty in the public eye while his politics and spirituality were welcomed reminders of a time when one could make art that did not engage the cynicism of a post-modern era.

Motherwell committed himself to producing highly experimental work of emotional depth throughout his life. On July 16, 1991, at the age of 76, he died: the last of the great Abstract Expressionists.

Admission is free for museum members and UNF students with a valid I.D.

UNF History professor awarded prestigious Kislak Fellowship

Dr. J. Michael Francis (photo by Mario Peralta)Dr. J. Michael Francis, an associate professor of history at UNF, was awarded the prestigious Jay I. Kislak Fellowship at the Library of Congress. Only one fellowship is awarded annually in the international competition.

Francis will spend the 2010-2011 academic year in Washington, D.C., where he will continue his research on the history of early colonial Spanish Florida. The Kislak Fellows Program supports scholarly research that contributes significantly to a greater understanding of the cultures and history of the Americas. It provides an opportunity for a period of up to eight months of concentrated use of materials from the Kislak Collection and other collections of the Library of Congress through full-time residency at the Library of Congress.

Francis has taught at UNF since 1997. He is the author of "Invading Colombia: Spanish Accounts of the Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada Expedition of Conquest" and is currently completing his second book titled "Politics, Murder and Martyrdom in Spanish Florida: Don Juan and the Guale Uprising of 1597," which will be published in 2010. His next book project, "The Martyrs of Florida," is under contract with the University Press of Florida.

In 2007, he received a four-year appointment as research associate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and has received numerous awards, including a 2009 Cushwa Center Research Grant from the University of Notre Dame and the 2009 Outstanding International Leadership Award from UNF.

Francis earned his Ph.D. in 1998 from the University of Cambridge, where he specialized in colonial Latin American history.

He serves as book review editor for the journal Ethnohistory, series editor for "Fighting Words: Competing Voices from ... " and series associate editor for "Latin American Originals." He also represents UNF on the University Press of Florida's advisory board.

The Kislak Collection is a major collection of rare books, manuscripts, historic documents, maps and art of the Americas donated to the Library of Congress by the Jay I. Kislak Foundation, located in Miami Lakes, Fla. The collection contains some of the earliest records of indigenous peoples in North America and superb objects from the discovery, contact and colonial periods, especially for Florida, the Caribbean and Mesoamerica.

For more information about the Kislak Fellowship, go to http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/fellowships/kislak.html

Nominations available soon for Outstanding Teaching Awards

Nominations for the 2009-2010 Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching Awards will be accepted beginning Monday, Oct. 5. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16.

Guidelines for the awards can be found on the UNF Faculty Association Web site at www.unf.edu/groups/unffaa  by clicking on "Faculty Awards." Nomination forms may be downloaded from the same site. Completed nomination forms can be sent by e-mail to facassn1@unf.edu or delivered to the Faculty Association Office in Honors Hall, Building 10, Room 1120.

Faculty who perform meritoriously in undergraduate teaching during the previous two academic years are eligible to receive an Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. UNF allocated funds for this fiscal year for nine Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards of $2,000 each.

UNF also will award a $2,000 stipend to the winner of the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. This award is to be given annually in recognition of excellence in graduate teaching during the previous two academic years.

Lufrano Intercultural Gallery Grand Opening

"Prayer Offering - Kaddish" by Helene BakerThe Lufrano Intercultural Gallery held its grand opening in the Student Union in September with the exhibition "Tribute and Remembrance Vanitas and the Holocaust in the Works of Helene Baker."

The Lufrano Intercultural Gallery's mission is to addresses social issues meant to enlighten and tell a people's story.

Baker, a Jacksonville-based artist, was born and educated in Boston. An accomplished painter of flowers and fruit, Baker is drawn to organic imagery because of its symbolism. The beauty of flowers and fruit can also remind the viewer of the brevity and ultimate fragility of our existence, according to the artist.

During a yearlong hospitalization as a child, Baker formed a vivid memory of the death of two children on her ward. Her early consciousness of death was heightened later by an increasing awareness of the Holocaust brought on as her parents realized that most of their family in France and Poland had perished.

Baker's paintings and drawings, in tribute to the Holocaust victims, combine beautiful still life with subtle imagery of boxcars, confiscated cutlery, eyeglasses and prayer shawls. Baker says her intent is that viewers will make a spiritual connection with these lost items and be reminded to halt the genocide still present in the world. Baker graduated magna cum laude from UNF in 1983 with a B.F.A. in painting and drawing.

A gift from Drs. Anne and Robert Lufrano made the gallery possible. It is on the second floor of the Student Union, Building 58E, Room 2400. Department of Art and Design Chair Dr. Debra Murphy curated the show, which runs until Friday, Oct. 30.

The gallery's hours are: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. For more information, call the Intercultural Center for PEACE at ext. 2475.

Get to Know
Megan R. Kuehner

Megan Kuehner (photo by Josh Balduf)Department: Enrollment Services Processing
Job: Registrar
Years at UNF: Five

What person had the greatest impact on your life?
My mother has had the greatest impact on my life. My mom is one of those rare people who act with integrity. When I say that, I mean that she walks her walk and talks her talk. I value that quality in a person more than I can say. It takes courage to be your authentic self and stick by your principles. My mom shows me that it can be done and done well.

What are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about the need to constantly grow as a person. I had a supervisor who told me that a person should always be thinking about the next goal, the next accomplishment. I try to always be working on improving in some area of life.

If you won the lottery, what would do with the money?
I know the right answer is to pay bills or save for the future, but I would make travel plans immediately. There are so many places that I want to see and experience. I would jump on a plane ASAP.

What was the best money you ever spent?
Buying a house was the best decision for me. Home ownership is a great feeling of accomplishment, and it is also a great lesson in priorities.

What is the proudest/happiest moment of your life?
I have had a couple of great moments. I was happy to obtain my master's degree. I was very happy to marry my husband, and I was proud to become a mom. I think there are many more minor moments that stand out as opposed to the big ones. Just crossing off all the items on your "to do" list can make you feel proud.

Tell us about your family.
I have been married to my husband, Gary, for seven years. We have one daughter, Lily, who is 3. Gary is a captain on the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. Lily attends UNF's Child Development and Research Center. She's in the Bears' classroom.

What is your favorite thing about working at UNF?
I like the excitement and energy that comes from working at an educational institution. Our students will go on to lead the community and make a difference in society. There is a lot of promise and optimism in that knowledge. I see some of the students' achievements, and I feel a great deal of hope for all of us.

If you were not working at UNF, what would you be doing?
I worked in social services before coming to UNF. I would probably be in that field.

If you could choose any other career, what would it be and why?
I would love to be a museum curator. Art is a combination of beauty and history. I think it would be exciting to introduce that to the community.

What would you like to do when you retire?
Seems very far away so it is hard to say. I would definitely like to travel and volunteer.

What is the best thing you ever won?
A race - only my age group, though.

What is your favorite way to blow an hour?
Reading - anything from US Weekly to a novel.

What was the first concert you ever attended, and what was the most recent concert you attended?
This is going to lead to lots of teasing, but it was Debbie Gibson in Metro Park. Most recent? The Eagles - worth every penny!

What's the last book you read?
"The Help" by K. Stocket

Milestone Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following employees, who will celebrate a milestone anniversary at UNF in October.

25 Years:
Janice Ishii,
Executive Secretary, Alumni Services

20 Years:
Alisa Craddock,
Library Services Specialist, Thomas G. Carpenter Library
Charles Haynes, Maintenance Supervisor, Physical Facilities

15 Years:
Lois King,
Office Manager, College of Education and Human Services

10 Years:
Ruth Harrold,
Director of the English Language Program, Student Affairs
Mary Smith, Office Manager, College of Arts and Sciences
Valerie Stevenson, Associate Controller, Controller's Office
Patricia Watson, Executive Secretary, Enrollment Services Processing Office

Five years:
Wilson Navarro,
Accounting Coordinator, Controller's Office
Zak Ovadia, Director, Facilities Planning and Construction
Heather Strange, Senior Accounts Payable Receiving Representative, Controller's Office
Osvaldo Vazquez, Coordinator of Academic Support Services, Brooks College of Health

The following employees were either hired by UNF or accepted new positions at UNF from mid-August to mid-September:

Elizabeth Andrews, Office Manager, Sociology and Anthropology
Patricia Booker, Adjunct, Communication
Nicole Bowser, Adjunct, English
Jo Carlisle, College Adviser, Enrollment Services
James Caudill, Information Booth Attendant, Parking Services
Tracy Collins, Adjunct, Communication
Patricia Connolly, Adjunct, Childhood Education
Elizabeth Couch, Adjunct, English
Steven Crews, Assistant Director of Facilities Management, University Housing
Jeffrey Cumber, Adjunct, Mechanical Engineering
Bill Dickenson, Parking Services Technician, Parking Services
Barbara Drummond-Huth, Adjunct, Brooks College of Health
Marie Farren, Adjunct, Sociology and Anthropology
Michael Finnie, Adjunct, Brooks College of Health
Jennifer Fortune, Mental Health Counselor, Counseling Center
Sandra Fuller, Adjunct, Childhood Education
Charles Grey, Adjunct, English
Sara Grillo, Admissions Coordinator, Admissions
Joni Hannigan, Adjunct, Communication
Robert Hansell, Admissions Coordinator, Admissions
John Harrington, Groundskeeper, Physical Facilities
James Heisner, Coordinator of Athletic Compliance, University Compliance
Christine Holechek, Adjunct, Art and Design
Lonnie Keepers, Adjunct, Mathematics and Statistics
Jeremy Kespohl, Adjunct, Honors Program
Ervin Lewis, Associate Athletics Director, Intercollegiate Athletics
Betty Lustig, Director of Development, Brooks College of Health
Ross McDonough, Adjunct, Sociology and Anthropology
Mark Mize, Adjunct, Building Construction Management
Patricia Moore, Mental Health Counselor, Counseling Center
Tayve Neese, Adjunct, English
Janet Ostler Walker, Adjunct, Brooks College of Health
Jill Parrott, Adjunct, English
Michael Pruitt, Adjunct, Psychology
Ramaprasad Rajaram, Instructor, Economics
Marjorie Ray, Adjunct, College of Education and Human Services
Donald Rhoads, Adjunct, Marketing and Logistics
Hari Rizal, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities
Jennifer Santos, Adjunct, Psychology
Shannon Shoultz, Coordinator of Research and Program Services, Small Business Development Center
Le'Titia Silas, Assistant Coach for Track and Field, Athletics
Alvin Tolliver, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities
Rose Marie Turner, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Counseling Center
Jonathan Wadley, Adjunct, Political Science and Public Administration
Tracey Woodard, Adjunct, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Lynn Young, Adjunct, Sociology and Anthropology

Dr. Marsha Lupi
(COEHS Dean's Office) announces the birth of her first grandchild, Jordana Brooke Bugge, who was born Aug. 24 to proud parents Alexis and Alex Bugge. She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

Chad Learch and Kate MattinglyKate Mattingly (International Business) and Chad Learch (Admissions) will be married Oct. 10 in Jacksonville Beach.

Faculty & Staff

Brooks College of Health

Nursing: Dr. Barbara Olinzock received the SCI Nursing's Best Article of the Year Award for 2008 for her article titled "Enhancing the Learning Needs of Patients with SCI: A Patient Education Tool." SCI Nursing is a journal published by the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professions. The award was presented in September at the Association of Spinal Cord Injury Nurses Annual Conference in Dallas.

Debra Wagner, Jane Sander and Mary Bear published "Turning Simulation into Reality: Increasing Student Competence and Confidence" in the Journal of Nursing Education, Vol. 38, No. 8, August 2009.

The Florida Nurse Association selected 100 nurses to receive the recognition of Great 100 as part of its celebration of 100 years of service. This statewide recognition included awards to 10 School of Nursing nurse/faculty members. They are Drs. William Ahrens, Kathleen Bloom, Pam Chally, Barbara Drummond-Huth, Kay Fullwood, Barbara Kruger, Lillia Loriz, John McDonough, Doreen Perez (Student Affairs) and Lucy Trice.

Dr. Jan Meires and alumna Laura Boudreaux published "Grand Rounds: Man, 29, With Apparent Throat Obstruction" in the August 2009 issue of Clinician Reviews: A peer reviewed journal, Vol. 19, No. 8. Meires and Dr. Katherine Robinson co-authored two chapters in Lippincott's Online Course for Porths' Pathophysiology, a peer-reviewed online course published in May 2009.

Coggin College of Business

Career Management Center: Shannon Italia
was awarded the summer 2009 Soaring to Excellence Award, which is given to an individual for notable contributions to the University that are significantly above and beyond the range of the job assignment and performance expectations.

Marketing and Logistics: Dr. A. Coskun "Josh" Samli delivered a paper titled "Coping with International Poverty through Globalization" at the American Marketing Association Annual Educators' Conference, which is the largest conference of its kind in the world. It was held in Chicago.

College of Arts and Sciences

Art and Design: Vanessa Cruz presented a paper titled "Brave New World: Where Does Experimental Animation Belong?" at the 4th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices in Chicago.

Jenny Hager received the second-place award at the Pensacola Museum of Art Juried Members' Exhibition at the Pensacola Museum of Art.

Stephen Heywood's ceramic works were accepted into in the National Juried "Friendly Fire CERAMICS" at the Foundry Arts Centre in St. Charles, Mo., the Wichita National All Media Craft Exhibition 2009 at the Wichita Center for the Arts in Wichita and the Westmoreland Art Nationals in Latrobe, Pa., in which he won the Best in Craft award.

Alexander Diaz's photography works called "Humor and Happiness in Contemporary Art" was exhibited at Space 301 in Mobile, Ala.

Biology: Dr. Daniel Moon published "Interactive Effects of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Salt Stress and Exploitative Competition on the Herbivores of Baccharis Halimifolia" in Ecological Entomology. Moon, Drs. Peter Stiling, Anthony Rossi and Bert Drake published "Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Long Term Exposure to Elevated CO2 May Increase Herbivore Densities" in Global Change Biology. Moon, Rossi, Dr. Dale Casamatta and Dr. Kelly Smith presented "Experimentally Enhanced Native Riparian Buffer Zones of the Lower St. Johns River Reduce Nutrient Loading and Increase Plant and Invertebrate Diversity" at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in Albuquerque. At the same meeting Moon and Jamie C. Moon presented "Interactive Effects of Fungi, Salt Stress and Exploitative Competition on the Herbivores of Baccharis Halimifolia." Moon and Moon also presented this research at the Royal Entomological Society Meeting at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England.

Dr. Doria Bowers and Erica Mejia presented "Temporal and Biochemical Aspects of Sindbis Virus Dissemination in the Mosquito Host" to the American Society for Virology in July. At the same conference, Bowers, Mejia and Dr. Jay Huebner presented "Detection of Influenza-A Virus Using Photo-electric Sensors."

Dr. Michael Lentz presented a poster co-authored by Casamatta titled "Molecular, Morphologic and Biological Characterization of Cyanophages from Eutrophic Lakes in Northeast Florida" at the Molecular Genetics of Bacteria and Phages Meeting in Madison, Wis.

Dr. Cliff Ross presented "The Use of Cellular Biomarker System for Assessing the Health of Aquatic Plants" to the St. Johns River Water Management District in Palatka. He was funded by the Smithsonian Marine Science Network to study coral spawning and the impacts of environmental stressors on coral larvae biology in Belize. Ross also received a Florida Institute of Oceanography Award to study "Seagrass Pathogens of the Florida Keys."

Criminology and Criminal Justice: Dr. Jennifer Wesely and co-author Jim Wright published "From the Inside Out: Efforts by Homeless Women to Disrupt Cycles of Crime and Violence" in the journal Women and Criminal Justice, Vol. 19, No. 3.

Math and Statistics: Dr. Scott Hochwald presented "The Amazing, Astounding Phantasmagorical Central Binomial Coefficient" at the Mathematical Association of America's MathFest 2009 in Portland, Ore.

Philosophy: Dr. Bert Koegler published "Consciousness as Symbolic Construction: A Semiotics of Thought after Cassirer" in Constructivist Foundations, Vol. 4, No. 3, Vienna, Austria. In June, he also presented "Interpretation as Prima Philosophia: Rorty and the Normative Roots of Dialogue" at the Pragmatic Hermeneutics Conference at the Interdisciplinary Center for Research, University of Bielefeld and at the Department of Philosophy at Frankfurt University.

Psychology: Dr. Lynne Carroll and Andy Gauler presented a workshop titled "Assisted Living: Are Gender and Sexual Minority Aged Welcome?" at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Toronto in August.

Sociology and Anthropology: Dr. Melissa Hargrove reviewed "Lorenzo Dow Turner: Father of Gullah Studies" (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2007) by Margaret Wade-Lewis for the Journal of Southern History.

Dr. Krista Paulsen published "Ethnography of the Ephemeral: Studying Temporary Scenes Through Individual and Collective Approaches" in the journal Social Identities.

Dr. Adam Shapiro presented a paper titled "Marital Transitions and Trajectories of Subjective Health" at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco.

College of Computing, Engineering and Construction

School of Engineering: Dr. Chris Brown
met with staff from St. Johns County Environmental and Urban Planning Academy (grades 9-12) to discuss collaboration opportunities on co-credit classes and joint projects such as designing and building a "Green Neighborhood."

Dr. Chiu Choi presented and published "Computational Method for Medium Scale Stiff Lyapunov Differential Equations," at the 7th Asian Control Conference in August.

Dr. Dean Krusienski published "A Method for Visualizing the Independent Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Brain Activity" in the EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing (Special Issue on Statistical Signal Processing in Neuroscience), article ID 948961, 2009.

Dr. Adel ElSafty hosted an August seminar by Tarmac America for engineers, architects, design builders, general contractors and sub-contractors on the benefits of concrete paving versus asphalt beyond just the initial construction costs.

Dr. Stephan J. Nix received the Engineer of the Year Award from the Florida Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers in August.

Dr. Pat Welsh gave a presentation in August titled "St Johns River Water Quality" at the city of Jacksonville's Environmental Protection Board Symposium on Sustainability for Jacksonville's Future.

School of Computing: Dr. Karthikeyan Umapathy presented his paper "From Service Conversation Models to WS-CDL" at the Americas Conference on Information Systems in August (http://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2009/542/).

College of Education and Human Services

Department of Childhood Education:
In September, Dr. Nile Stanley and Ben Brenner, undergraduate psychology major and musician, were featured speakers at the Florida Reading Association's 47th Annual Conference in Orlando. They presented "Performance Literacy through Storytelling." Also, Stanley and Steffani Gilligan, a teacher at J. Allen Axon Montessouri School, presented a workshop, "Family Literacy Project Rockets You to Writing." These projects were supported by gifts from the Cummer Family Foundation. Additionally, Stanley has been invited to develop and conduct national seminars on his performance literacy research and pedagogy for Staff Development Resources, Torrance, Calif., a leader in professional development since 1974.

Department of Exceptional Student and Deaf Education: Drs. Donald Moores and Len Roberson have just published an article on deafness in "The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion," published by the University of Chicago Press in August. The Companion is a one-volume encyclopedia that brings together contemporary scholarship on children and childhood from a variety of disciplines. It consists of more than 500 articles covering all areas of child-related study, from pediatrics, child development and psychology to law, public policy, education, history, religion, sociology and anthropology.

Good Question

Designated Parking Spaces (photo by Julie Williams)Q - From Deirdre Meehan (COEHS Dean's Office): Why isn't there premium parking for staff anywhere between the Library and Building 57? It seems unfair to the employees who can't afford a designated parking pass to have to walk so far to their vehicles. Shouldn't premium spaces be in every single lot? It makes more sense to put some designated spots next to the buildings and the premium spaces right behind them in each lot.

A - From Vince Smyth (Parking Services):
Lot 3 has only 56 non-disability spaces. Small lots like this do not work well for multi-category parking. If Lot 3 had some premium spaces, all premium permit holders (including students) would look to this lot as a potential for parking, with very few spaces available.

Q - From Diane Welch Kazlauskas (Thomas G. Carpenter Library): How will the staff of MOCA [Jacksonville, a cultural resource of UNF], be integrated into UNF staff and faculty? Will they have Osprey1 cards? Will they be on UNF payroll? Will they be faculty, USPS or some combination thereof? What is the timeline?

A - From Shari Shuman (Administration and Finance):
At this time, MOCA employees are not considered University employees. Therefore, they are not on the UNF payroll nor are they considered faculty, A&P or USPS. Next year, the University will re-evaluate the feasibility of having MOCA employees become UNF employees. For now, MOCA employees have a UNF e-mail address and receive the daily campus updates and all University correspondence. They currently do not have Osprey1 cards, but we may provide them in the near future.

Preventing falls by the elderly

Dr. Chitra Balasubramanian (photo by Joanna Norris)Each year, thousands of older Americans fall at home. Many of them are seriously injured or disabled. Here are some tips to prevent falls by the elderly.

What should I know about falls?
One in three adults age 65 and older fall each year, therefore falls are very common in this age group. While not all falls lead to injuries, some falls can result in life-changing and devastating consequences. A major fall can also increase your direct and indirect medical costs.

What are the consequences if I fall?
Falls can result in loss of your independence, can limit your societal participation and can substantially affect your quality of life. Major medical consequences of a fall include fractures of the hip and spine, traumatic brain injuries, brain hemorrhage and death. Minor medical consequences of a fall include lacerations and soft-tissue injuries. Major and minor falls result in a period of immobility that can lead to muscle weakness and de-conditioning. Falls can also lower your confidence and result in developing a fear of falling, which can by itself increase your future risk for falling.

When should I seek help?
If you fall more than twice in a six-month period, an evaluation for causes should be undertaken. If you are a senior citizen, any fall should be considered serious whether it leads to injury or not.

Who is at risk for falling?
Most falls are multi-factorial, implying more than one underlying cause. You may be at risk for falling if one or more of the following categories applies to you: 75 years of age or older; balance and walking problems; reduced muscle strength; poor vision (cataracts, glaucoma, wearing wrong glasses); medication intake (sedatives, antihypertensives, antidepressants); musculoskeletal problems (osteoporosis, arthritis, muscle stiffness); neurological problems (stroke, Parkinson's disease); cardiovascular problems (postural hypotension, drop attacks, fainting, arrhythmias); depression; dementia; and risk-taking behaviors. Environmental hazards leading to falls include slippery floors, poor lighting, rugs and stairs.

Whom should I consult to have a risk assessment?
You can consult your physician who will perform a physical exam to diagnose any underlying causes leading to falls. You can also consult a physical therapist or an occupational therapist. Physical therapists are professionals who can quantitatively assess your risk for falling. They can also design individualized exercises to improve your balance and coordination. Occupational therapists can assess your safety by identifying environmental risk factors. They can recommend appropriate actions to improve safety and modify your daily activities to prevent falls.

Can I do anything to prevent falls?
You can remember the pneumonic "Elder EMS" for the four things that you can do to prevent falls:

E (in Elder) - Exercise regularly. Strengthening, balance and coordination exercises can prevent your risk for falls. Tai Chi, brisk walks, swimming and dance are great forms of exercise, among others.

E (in EMS) - Eyes. Have your vision checked regularly. You may be wearing the wrong glasses or have cataracts or glaucoma, leading to poor vision that can increase your chances of falling.

M (in EMS) - Medications. Have your medications reviewed by your pharmacist or physician. Most medications have side effects like drowsiness and light-headedness that increase your chances of falling.

S (in EMS) - Safety. Make sure your environment is safe. At home, you can do some basic modifications to make your living environment safer. For example, you can improve your home lighting; install grab bars in showers; use non-skid shower mats; keep your doorway, hallway and entry free from clutter; avoid wearing slippers; and remove any loose throw rugs or secure them with double-sided tape.

Dr. Chitra Balasubramanian is a physical therapy professor at UNF. For questions regarding this topic, you can e-mail Balasubramanian at c.k-balasubramanian@unf.edu . The column "Ask UNF" regularly runs in Inside and The Florida Times-Union, promoting the expertise of UNF faculty and staff.

Sponsored Research

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs announces the following grants and contracts:

Pamela Bell (Child Development Research Center), "Family Fall Literacy Festival 2009," Target Stores, $2,500

Dr. Joseph Butler (Biology), "12-Month Finding on a Petition to List the Gopher Tortoise as Threatened or Endangered Throughout Its Range," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $10,001

Dr. Kerry Clark (Public Health), "Investigation of Human Lyme Borreliosis in the Southern U.S.A.," Lyme Disease Association Inc., $10,000

Drs. Lucy Croft and Annabel Brooks (Student Affairs), "Student Summit," Florida State University/U.S. Department of Education, $8,500

Dr. James Fletcher (Engineering), "Preliminary Implementation Plan for the FDOT Mobile Retroreflectivity Unit (MRU)," Florida Department of Transportation, $208,589

Dr. Cheryl Fountain (Florida Institute of Education), "CROP (College Reach-Out Program): Jacksonville Precollegiate Connections, 2008-2009," Florida Department of Education, $47,673; and "CROP (College Reach-Out Program): Jacksonville Precollegiate Connections, 2008-2009," Florida Department of Education supplement, $2,210; "CROP-ARRA (College Reach-Out Program/American Recovery and Reinvestment Act): Jacksonville Precollegiate Connections, 2008-2009," Florida Department of Education/U.S. Department of Education, $10,386; "Florida's Collaboration for Young Children and Their Families 2009-2010," Administration for Children and Families/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, $225,000; and "Product Development and Distribution Project for the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) Education Program, 2008-2009," Florida Department of Education, $10,000

Dr. Paul Harwood (Public Opinion Research Laboratory), "IPTM/FDOT Driving While Impaired (DUI) Survey, 2009," Institute of Police Technology and Management/Florida Department of Transportation, $46,405

Michael Kennedy and Shelly Purser (Health Promotion), "Smoking Cessation: Smokeless Tobacco Cessation Year 2," North Florida Area Health Education Centers, $35,000

Dr. Dean Krusienski (Engineering), "General Purpose Brain-Computer Interface System," Health Research Inc./National Institutes of Health, $84,433

Dr. David Lambert (Building Construction Management), "Motorcycle Traffic Crash Mapping and Analysis," Institute of Police Technology and Management/Florida Department of Transportation, $30,046

Dr. John McDonough (Nursing), "Advanced Education Nursing Program," Health Resources and Services Administration, $481,549

Dr. Nirmalkumar Patel (Physics), "Nanocrystalline Gas Sensors Arrays for Detecting Gases in Stratosphere and Mesosphere," Florida Space Grant Consortium/National Aeronautics and Space Administration, $14,396

Dr. Robert Thunen (Sociology and Anthropology), "Preserving the Past: Promoting and Exploring Northeast Florida's Archaeology," Preservation North Florida, $100,000

Dr. Jeffry Will (Center for Community Initiatives), "Healthy Start/Magnolia Infant Mortality Reduction Project 2009-2010," Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition Inc./Health Resources and Services Administration, $92,370; "Racial Disparities in Employment in Jacksonville," Jacksonville Human Rights Commission, $8,000


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Skip the Bus and Become More Buff

October 3, 2012

Written By

Written By:

Physical activity. If you’re as busy as me, the thought alone
can be daunting, bringing on feelings of guilt and stress. Managing your time
gets hard in college, especially if you’re still adjusting as a freshman or a
transfer student. Exercise for 60 minutes each day? You can’t even finish your
homework. How the heck are you going to fit an entire hour of physical activity
in there? And frankly, sweating it out at the gym in front of all the other
gym-goers doesn’t seem very tempting to many of us. However, exercise really is
important. There are so many reasons that exercise is great that it almost
seems crazy not to fit physical activity in- click on this link to get inspired
by all those benefits:

7 Mind Blowing Benefits of Exercise

So, if you’re feeling extra
sedentary these days (sitting around doing homework doesn’t burn a whole lot of
calories), it’s time to think outside of the box-like room that we call the
gym. There are a million different ways to add more activity into your life.
They’re hiding in every little crevice on campus. What about that bus? On a
cold winter’s day, it may seem tough to get from your accounting class at one
end of campus to your management class at the other without grabbing the bus, but
if you take the time to walk there at a rapid pace that raises your heartbeat. That’s
10 minutes out of that 60 taken care of. Living in the Sercs or the Gables?
Take the stairs, not the elevator! Walk into Durham to get your groceries, and
carry them back to build strength in your arms. If you get to class a little
early, walk up and down the stairs a couple of times. When you add up these
little pieces of physical activity-and they do add up- they are incredibly beneficial
to you, your self-esteem, and your health.

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 Former St. Thomas Aquinas teacher charged with possessing child porn | New Hampshire
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Former St. Thomas Aquinas teacher charged with possessing child porn

PORTSMOUTH - A former St. Thomas Aquinas music teacher cleared of misdemeanor sexual assault in 2009 was arraigned Monday morning for possession of child pornography.

Daryl Robertson, 38, of 565 River Road, Eliot, Maine, was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail after his arraignment in 10th Circuit Court, Portsmouth District Division.

Robertson was arrested Friday in Massachusetts on a fugitive from justice charge, after Greenland police obtained a warrant charging him with seven counts of possession of child sex abuse images. The images, according to court complaints, depict young boys engaged in sexual conduct.

Police searched the home of Robertson's parents in Greenland on Jan. 31 at the prompting of investigators with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Greenland Detective Dave Kurkul said Monday that Robertson, who has been living in Eliot, Maine, is expected to face more charges in federal court based a search of his home by the U.S. Postal Service.

Robertson was found not guilty by a Strafford County jury in 2009 on a misdemeanor sexual assault charge. Prosecutors had alleged in that case Robertson groped the genitals of a male student in November 2007. The incident happened at Robertson's home.

Robertson was employed by St. Thomas Aquinas in Dover as a music teacher from 2002 to 2008. He also worked three years in the Laconia school district, according to court records.

Defense lawyer Alan Cronheim argued in court that his client did not pose a safety risk and had no prior criminal record. Kurkul asked a judge to maintain the $100,000 cash bail, "based on the serious nature of the crimes, and pending federal charges."

Kurkul said in court that Robertson could pose a flight risk and should be barred from any contact with children.

Prior to his arrest, Robertson has been self-employed as a landscaper and also books tour buses for music events, according to Kurkul.

Each of the possession of child sexual abuse images charges are class A felonies, punishable by up to 7 ½ to 15 years in state prison. Kurkul said that U.S. Postal Service executed a search warrant at Robertson's home in Eliot, Maine, and are expected to bring "a substantial amount of charges."

28th Annual Chocolate Festival 28th Annual Chocolate Festival
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Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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 Construction begins on new Kingdom Hall for Jehovah’s Witness congregation in Manchester | New Hampshire
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Construction began this week on a new Jehova's Witnesses Kingdom Hall on Candia Road in Manchester. Joe Giza, left, of Francestown and Al Lewellyn,of White River Jct., Vt., wait for someone to move a piece of equipment at the end of the afternoon on Thursday. (JOSH GIBNEY/UNION LEADER)

Construction begins on new Kingdom Hall for Jehovah’s Witness congregation in Manchester

MANCHESTER — A new Kingdom Hall for the local Jehovah’s Witness congregation will soon rise on Candia Road, built entirely by volunteers.

“We have brothers and sisters who are very skilled and are able to give their tie and resources to get it done,” said Doris Ammann of Manchester, one of the local members helping the construction effort.

The membership outgrew the Manchester Kingdom Hall that stood on South Mammouth Road for a quarter century. It was sold two years ago to the Church of the Redeemer, a Presbyterian congregation.

Work began at the new location this past week with site preparation work. Heavy equipment was used to remove debris, dig the foundation and set utility trenches on the site. Some volunteers who own construction companies pulled heavy equipment off their commercial jobs and trucked it to Manchester.
Jehovah’s Witness members from Vermont and New Hampshire work as volunteers through a regional building committee. Other construction is planned during the construction season, including a hall in Lancaster in October. A Kingdom Hall in Merrimack was the scene of another volunteer project last year.
Glenn Partridge, one of the organizers of the work in Manchester, said the number of volunteers on the site will peak in June after the preliminary work is finished. Hundreds of members are expected to turn out to perform the manual labor that goes with getting the structure ready.
“Our main work is preaching the Bible,” Patridge said. “Once we get the building up, we can get back to what we do.”

Volunteers commit for days at a time. Some stay in campers they drive to the community where a new hall is being built; others stay with host families in the community.
The Manchester Planning Board approved the one-story, 5,000-square foot-building several weeks ago.

Representatives promised that the new structure would be used only for religious-oriented activities — worship, bible study, and occasional funerals and weddings.
In its official application, members said they do not “conduct dinners, bake sales, rummage sales, concerts or Bingo games,” and don’t use the building for such secular purposes as day-care or food pantries.
The first services in the new structure are planned for July.

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Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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Urinetown Urinetown
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Sunday, 2 p.m.

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God's Intention, God's Promise

First Sunday in Lent

God's Intention, God's Promise
Photo taken at Thoburn College, the first women's college in Asia.

“Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.” —2 Thessalonians 3:13.

When I was asked to write a Lenten meditation based on the 150 years of the work of United Methodist Women and its earlier incarnations, my thoughts went straight to this verse. Ever since the 1860s when two women home on furlough from the mission field of India spoke to a group of Boston women, lighting a fire of determination, United Methodist Women members have taken to heart John Wesley's call for social justice and have put their determination to work.

Throughout the years, through different names and different missions, the vision of these women has driven the work of what is now United Methodist Women. This organization has not become “weary in doing what is right.” Thoburn College, the first women's college in Asia, was an early educational endeavor, and today's conference Mission u events continue to teach sometimes difficult truths to those willing to learn. When in earlier times male physicians were not allowed to care for women in India, single women were sent to meet that need. Today's United Methodist Women still reaches out to women, children, the young and the elderly.

There is no doubt that brave women taking such a stand and doing such work have not always pleased everyone. Taking a stand and seeking to reach out to the marginalized costs. Sometimes it costs us peace with those unwilling to understand. Sometimes it costs a night's sleep, our health, our money, certainly our time. Sometimes it can be lonely, although with United Methodist Women, we have each other. Yet always, it costs. We can get weary.

But Paul told the church at Thessalonica, “Do not be weary in doing what is right.” How do we do that when there is so much wrong and so much work to be done to make it right?

Helping Professions

People in any helping profession get weary. When I was working with special needs children and adults I read that the average time for burnout in my work was 18 months. When one thinks about those who make a full career in this field, that average is quite startling.

Sometimes we can keep going by using coping mechanisms. My coworkers and I developed a type of gallows humor to release some pressure when we were alone together. Psychologists, psychiatrists and other counselors have their own therapists and confidantes.  Otherwise the consequences can be dire. Yet not matter how we cope, we get weary. Where do we turn when that happens?

One of my favorite old gospel songs tells a tale of weariness:

I traveled down a lonely road and no one seemed to care.
The burden on my weary back had bowed me to despair.
I oft complained to Jesus how folks were treating me;
And then I heard Him say so tenderly:

My feet were also weary upon the Calvary road;
The cross became so heavy I fell beneath the load.
Be faithful, weary pilgrim, the morning I can see;
Just lift your cross and follow close to me.

—“Follow Me” by Ira Stanphil

As followers of Jesus Christ we have a knowledge of God's presence and God's ability to know the outcome of our endeavors. We also know that Jesus has been where we are. He knows our burdens. He's had his own, more than we could ever experience. During Lent, we take the time to meditate on his burdens that he took on for us, even when he didn't have to. And he, too, became weary in doing what is right. Jesus knows we get weary. He said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

So when we feel the weariness, we know we have somewhere to go for empowerment, comfort and relief. Whether as individuals or in relationship with sisters in the work before us, we can go to that place. By prayer, worship and sharing we can be renewed to continue the work still to be done. Those who have gone before us found that place of rest, renewal and strength, and because of that much has already been accomplished.

As members of United Methodist Women we still have a great work before us. Children still hunger, women are still marginalized, political leaders still need to be taught and held accountable. We can be assured that if God asks us to “not be weary in doing what is right,” then there is support and protection that will help us along the way.

God knows our hearts. That's why we see the needs when we look around us. Our Creator gives that insight to those who want it and are ready to take on the task. When we do that, we are dong what is right. We are where we need to be, and God is with us there.

William Carey, the father of modern mission, once said, “Expect great things of God, attempt great things for God.” For 150 years, United Methodist Women has done that. During this time of Lent, let's take the time to consider how Jesus knows what we experience, because he's been there, and he still is. In Matthew 28:20, he tells his disciples to spread his love all over the world, and then he promises, “And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Today we are those disciples. Amen.

Great God, our Creator, thank you that you never give us a task without giving us the tools we need to accomplish it. Thank you for the women who have gone before us, for their vision, courage, and tireless determination. Help us, like them, to not “be weary in doing what is right.” Show us the needs before us, and guide us in your work. In the name of your son we pray, amen.
Patricia Parent is a Native storyteller, musician, writer and lifelong student of the Bible. She and her husband of 41 years (a United Methodist elder whom she met at Bible college) live in Fall River, MA.

Posted or updated: 2/11/2016 11:00:00 PM

Our Lenten Journey

In this season of Lent, we are reflecting on the 150-year legacy of United Methodist Women. Each of our Lenten reflections is part of our ongoing legacy of putting faith, hope and love into action.

Save March 23 as the date to celbrate 150 years with a gift to the legacy fund.
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Lady Rebels Handed Road Loss At Boise State

Mia Bell scored 10 points for the Lady Rebels on Saturday.

Feb. 1, 2014

Box Score

BOISE, Idaho ( - UNLV's offensive struggles in both shooting and turnovers paired with Boise State's hot shooting from the floor led to the Lady Rebels suffering their largest setback of the season, 79-49 on Saturday afternoon in Mountain West women's basketball action from the Taco Bell Arena. The Lady Rebels entered the game tied for second in the conference with the Broncos, but the loss now drops their record to 9-12 overall, 6-3 in league play. Boise State improved to 12-8, 7-2 in the MW.

The Broncos took control early, as UNLV was forced into 11 first half turnovers. Boise State was also on fire from three-point range in the first half, hitting 7-of-14 from downtown over the opening 20 minutes. Their first two gave them a 12-4 lead five minutes into the game. Mia Bell answered with a trey for UNLV to cut the edge to five, 12-7 with 14:41 on the clock. UNLV would go scoreless for the next 5:20 of the game, while missing six shots and committing five turnovers. Boise State took advantage of that drought with a 13-0 run, going ahead 25-7 on a three-pointer from Kayla Reinhart at the 9:39 mark.

Bell broke the scoreless streak with a jumper and Rejane Verin added a pair of free throws to bring UNLV within 14 points. BSU then closed the half scoring 17 of the last 25 points, and went into the break up 42-19. The Lady Rebels shot just 6-of-20(30%) from the floor in the half, and made 1-of-7 from three-point range after entering the game shooting 45% in league play.

The second half was not much better for UNLV, as it was held to 31% (9-of-29) shooting and 10 more turnovers. That led to the Broncos holding a 23-12 edge on points off turnovers, usually a stat that's in favor for the Lady Rebels. UNLV would miss 12 of its first 14 shots from the floor in the second half, leading to a 40-point deficit, 66-26 with 10:06 to play. The Lady Rebels did make a late run, scoring 11 unanswered at one point and closing to within 25 before the game ended with the 30-point win for the Broncos.

Verin led UNLV with 17 points, including 11 in the second half. Bell was the only other player in double-figures with 10. UNLV's final percentage from the field was 30.6% (15-of-49), 2-of-12 from three-point range for 16.7%, and 17-of-26 at the free throw line for 65.4%. The Lady Rebels did hold a 34-33 edge on the boards, but were -7 in the turnover category.

Five Boise State players finished in double-figures, led by Deanna Weaver's 16 points. Kenna McDavis added 15, while Miquelle Askew posted 12. Five Broncos made at least one three-pointer, including three players with three treys each. The Broncos finished the afternoon shooting 48.4% (30-of-62) from the floor, 12-of-28 from three-point land for 42.9%, and 7-of-11 at the line for 63.6%.

The Lady Rebels return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 5, with a home contest against Colorado State at 7 pm. That is also Play 4Kay night at UNLV, with all fans wearing pink receiving $2 admission.

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Tag Archives: handrail

Installing a modern railing on a closed box staircase

modern railing on closed box stairs

A year or two ago, suffering from terrible decor overload, I tore out the gaudy beige and gold twisted, scrolling picket staircase railing which adorned our main stairway. Since then I searched and searched for a modern replacement to take some focus away from some other design remnants left over from the previous owners (ehm, terrible tiles). The problem ended up being that there aren’t many railing options for closed box staircases, and fewer DIY modern indoor railing product. Like many industries the railing/stair manufactures don’t cater to the public, products are intended for contractors. With my wife newly pregnant it was time to kick this railing project into overdrive and get it done, after much searching and planning I found and installed a solution that worked out great.

For those of you wondering a box, or closed box, staircase is a staircase where the stringers (the support boards on either side of the stairway) enclose the stairs. In some cases stairways enclosed by walls are referred to by the same name, this is not the case here. If the one or both of the stringers do not enclose the stairs, but leave them open to extend past the stringer, the stairway is known as open, or partially open at least.

Railings on closed box staircases are, in most cases, mounted to the angled top edge of one or both stringers or affixed to the outside of the stringer. In the case of mounting the posts on the stringer the base of the pickets, or posts, can only be as wide as the width of the stringer, which can be quite restrictive.

In our case the stringer was under 2″ wide, not wide enough for most posts, and because of the 2nd floor landing spacing there was no room to affix posts to the outside of stringer. These issues left us very few options, even fewer modern design options. A modern-style steel railing needs something in the neighbourhood of a 3″ square base for each post, many require a flat surface as well, our stringer has neither. Mounting the posts on the stair tread, on the inside the stringer would result in a very awkward looking staircase and eliminate 3″ of stair width — so no help there.

The solution I came up with was to cut hardwood blocks to bolt to the inside of the stringer to add additional width to the stringer where support the posts was needed. It worked like a charm, painting the risers white along with the wood blocks gave the staircase a farm house look.

The railing hardware is from Inline Design, who offer some fantastic designs and will customize hardware to suit your needs at no extra cost — which you will need if any posts are mounted on either landing as well as the stringer since they will need to be difference heights to maintain the proper handrail (and potentially cable) angle. Thankfully, Inline Design has very reasonable shipping rates to Canada and the U.S., though some custom charges do apply. The hallelujah component from Inline Design is a pivoting base for their posts, this allows mounting the post to a stringer, or any angled surface as long as it has at least 3″ square available. All in all this project came in at about half the cost of having a contractor do it — and I’m not sure any local companies would have offered the blocking solution I ended up with. I’m almost certain I would’ve been told the entire staircase would have to be redone in order to install this type of railing.

The above step-by-step gallery should give a pretty clear picture as to how this all worked, feel free to ask questions in the comments.


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**Paranormal Summit October 7th**
Meetings are held in room 285 of the

Durham Science Center at UNO

All are welcome!

Welcome to the University of Nebraska at Omaha Paranormal Society!
The purpose of this club is to apply the scientific method to paranormal research, collect
evidence through the use of scientific equipment, teach new members the basics
of ghost hunting and test new experimental technology.
  If you are interested in UFOs visit our other website,

You can check out our list of collaborating ghost hunting groups around Omaha!

The UNO Paranormal Society Social Media
Facebook Group: The UNO Paranormal Society
Facebook Summit Page: The UNO Paranormal Summit


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If you cannot see the videos embedded below, please click here to watch our selection of videos on YouTube.

More videos on water cooperation on

Opening Video Messages for the Strategic and High-Level Meeting on Water Security and Cooperation organized by UNESCO-IHP on 11-13 September 2013 | Nairobi, Kenya

Ian Eliasson, Deputy Secretary General of the UN Michel Jarraud, Chair of UN-Water Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO

Read more on the meeting


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Smirnoff, Chmerkovskiy to star in 'Forever Tango'

June 19, 2013 at 1:08 PM
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NEW YORK, June 19 (UPI) -- "Dancing with the Stars" professionals Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy will work together this summer in Broadway's "Forever Tango," producers said.

The pair will perform the "sensuous dance of lovers" at the Walter Kerr Theatre in Manhattan July 9-28, a news release said.

They will join the previously announced special guest vocalist and five-time Grammy Award-winner Gilberto Santa Rosa in the show.

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Channing Tatum on being a dad, 'poo' excitement

By KATE STANTON,   |   June 24, 2013 at 6:04 PM
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Channing Tatum welcomed a baby girl with wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum on May 31 in London, where the 33-year-old actor was filming. Nearly a month later, the 33-year-old dad shared some friendly parenting advice with Extra cameras while promoting his action flick, "White House Down."

"I'll give you some baby advice, you’re not going to do anything for the first six months," he said. "You’re just like, can I have the baby at some point today?"

And you’re never going to be so excited when something poos, cause it’s like, 'Aw yeah, I’m in the game!' Let me have it, give it to me,' And then you give it back to her cause you know you don’t really do very much.

Jamie Foxx, who has two teenage daughters of his own, piped in with some wisdom of his own.

“All of the stuff that your parents did to you, you’re doing to try and it’s not going to work," the 45-year-old actor said. "You be the father and you be the friend. You keep the doors open so they can come talk to you.”

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Ken Ehrlich to executive produce the Emmy Awards show

May 8, 2013 at 1:09 PM
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LOS ANGELES, May 8 (UPI) -- Ken Ehrlich will produce the 65th Prime Time Emmy Awards show, which is to take place Sept. 22 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, CBS announced.

This will be Ehrlich's sixth time producing the ceremony honoring the year's best in television.

"Ken has been a great partner with CBS throughout the years on many specials," Jack Sussman, executive vice president of specials, music and live events for CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. "The incredible ratings success of the Grammy Awards, particularly in recent years, demonstrates his talent for packaging industry celebrations into exciting live television events with tremendous energy and entertainment. We're thrilled to have him on board as executive producer of this year's 'Emmy Awards.'"

"We are excited to welcome Ken and his team back to the Prime Time Emmys," said Television Academy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Rosenblum. "This is a landmark year in television excellence and we are confident he will produce an extraordinary show."

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[VIDEO] Giuliana Rancic strips down on E!

By GABRIELLE LEVY, UPI.com   |   June 17, 2013 at 9:23 AM

When Joan Rivers dares you to do something for her 80th birthday, you don't have much choice but to take the dare.

At least that's what happened when Rivers, the "Fashion Police" host, dared Giuliana Rancic to strip down for the broadcast of "E! News."

Rancic, who co-hosted this Sunday's Miss USA pageant, took Rivers up on the challenge, although she said producers wouldn't let her go totally bare: She appeared with three black "censor" bars blocking her birthday suit from view.

Check it out:

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NBA First Round Playoffs (39 images)

The best of the East and Western conferences during the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Updated: April 29, 2013 at 10:25 AM
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Golden State Warriors Carl Landry (L) scores against the Denver Nuggets .Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried during the first quarter during the First Round Playoffs game two in Denver on April 23, 2013. Denver leads the series 1-0 over Golden State. UPI/Gary C. Caskey
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NFL: Cincinnati 24, Carolina 13

Aug. 25, 2011 at 10:37 PM

CINCINNATI, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Andy Dalton outdueled Cam Newton in a unique battle of rookie quarterbacks Thursday, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a 24-13 pre-season win over Carolina.

Dalton and Newton guided unbeaten college teams that finished in the top two spots in the national rankings last year. Newton's Auburn Tigers won the national title and Dalton's TCU Horned Frogs defeated Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Dalton completed 11-of-17 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown Thursday. He was at the helm while the Bengals were putting together four scoring drives in the second period for a 24-7 halftime lead.

Newton was 6-of-19 for 75 yards without a passing touchdown but he did run 16 yards for a first-period score.

Dalton's touchdown throw went for 40 yards to A.J. Green. Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott had scoring runs for the Bengals and Mike Nugent kicked a 55-yard field goal at the end of the first half.

Both teams are 1-2 in the exhibition campaign.

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Reporter regrets protests against film

Sept. 16, 2012 at 10:16 AM
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CAIRO, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The Egyptian journalist who first reported on the anti-Islam film blamed for violent Muslim protests said he regrets the chaos and deaths his story sparked.

Gamel Girgis -- who reports on Christian emigrants for al Youm al Sabaa, the Seventh Day, a daily newspaper in Cairo -- said he initially didn't want to write about the anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims." He was alerted to the film's existence by Morris Sadel, a Coptic Christian in Washington, D.C., who said he produced the film, McClatchy Newspapers reported Sunday.

"He told me he produced a movie last year and wanted to screen it on Sept. 11 to reveal what was behind the terrorists' actions that day, Islam," Girgis said.

Protests started Tuesday throughout the Mideast after news spread of the Web-based film produced in the United States that impugned the character of the Prophet Muhammad.

U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other American officials were killed Tuesday in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

"I regret publishing the story because of the events that took place in the Islamic world but I am a journalist, and it is news," Girgis said. "If it wasn't me publishing it, it would have been someone else."

Meanwhile, Yemen's parliament issued a statement Sunday demanding the removal of U.S. Marines -- who were sent to Yemen earlier in the week to protect the U.S. diplomatic mission from protesters, CNN reported.

Zaid al-Thair, a political adviser to Yemen's ruling General People's Congress, said the arrival of U.S. Marines in Yemen calls into question who was behind the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen, which left four protesters dead.

"In the end of the day, the United States is benefiting more than all and was able to bring its forces inside Yemen," said al-Thari.

Rising tensions in Sudan and Tunisia has prompted the Obama administration to order all but emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to evacuate diplomatic missions in those countries, The Washington Post reported. Officials warned Americans not to travel to the two countries Saturday.

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Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reads a book next to Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson at ceremony to honor donors at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem on Friday, October 27, 2006. American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has pledged $25 million to Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, the largest gift ever given to the museum by a private donor. (UPI Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis/POOL)
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Sheldon Gary Adelson (born August 6, 1933) is an American billionaire businessman. Adelson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited which operates The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Adelson vastly increased his net worth upon the initial public offering of Las Vegas Sands in December 2004. He is currently the 13th richest American, with a fortune amounting to $14.7 billion.

Adelson's parents were Jewish. His father's family came from Eastern Europe. Adelson was born and grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, a section of Boston, where his father was an entrepreneur and sometimes drove a taxicab. He worked at a young age selling newspapers on local street corners and owned his first business by the time he was twelve. In the years that followed, he worked as a mortgage broker, investment adviser and financial consultant. He started a business selling toiletry kits, and in the 1960s he started a charter tours business with two friends. He went to college at City College of New York but did not complete a degree there.

Adelson was born into a traditionally Democratic family but became a staunch Republican as his wealth grew. "Why is it fair that I should be paying a higher percentage of taxes than anyone else?" he was reported to have once asked. He began making major contributions to the Republican National Committee following clashes with labor unions at his Las Vegas properties.

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Pediatric Services at UPMC Mercy

General Pediatric Services

General pediatric services range from routine check-ups, well, and sick visits, to specialized care from infants to children and young adults through the age of 21.

Newborn Nursery

UPMC Mercy’s newborn nursery, a part of UPMC Mercy Family Maternity Services, is designed to support and encourage early family bonding between mother and infant.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

UPMC Mercy's Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) cares for critically ill babies born not just at UPMC Mercy, but at community hospitals throughout the tri-state area. Premature babies, as well as babies with intensive medical problems, are cared for in this 13-bed, state-of-the-art facility staffed 24 hours a day by neonatologists and registered nurses. A special nesting room for new parents and their child is available to help provide a smooth transition home.

Short Stay and Special Procedures Pediatric Unit

The short stay and special procedures unit is for children who require brief outpatient diagnosis and treatment.

Child Abuse Program/A Child's Place at Mercy

A Child's Place at Mercy, sponsored by the Sto-Rox Neighborhood Health Council, Inc. and with a location on the UPMC Mercy campus, is an interdisciplinary team of pediatricians and psychologists who are specially trained to assess children when there is a possibility of abuse. When parents, teachers, doctors, or caretakers suspect that a child has been sexually or physically abused, they may contact A Child's Place at Mercy for forensic medical and psychosocial evaluation.

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Saturday 18/05/2013, 22:16

Ban Lehane give Jungo Jean

Askai banned
Troompah free

striker Arno Yookie are banned cards like Ongh Avola roam free
wheres the balance?

are elo updates done? ur only cares about having us purchase credits for new cards, where they can create 4 cards every other week but cant make simple changes to elo to make the game more enjoyable and actually want people to purchase credits?
elo wasnt as good when i first joined from the first years the game was out from what i heard, but from when i joined until its become a mediocre game where 50/50 run rampant and braindeads can go around random pilling due to no balance

where the rating system is just who can win more 50/50s

Sunday 19/05/2013, 09:21

I'm an asian. Everyone's argument is invalid.

Sunday 19/05/2013, 09:28

Talking about XC as a singularilty like you know every member at all.

Post #47: Ah yes, calling every XC member having a higher record than you being a no-lifer and a group of non-intelligent teenagers. How mature of you to reply like that and how smart of it. I admire that!

Calling someone with a better record than you when they made that record in less than 4 hours? Is there an activity in life that there's a possibility of being called a "no-lifer" because he exceeded a certain number of hours? I must say someone let's say an adult,who thinks teenagers is a group of inferior and immature people between the ages of 15-21,who works 10 hours minimum in a day is a "no-lifer" then.

The word crying isn't an appropriate word enough to describe to someone complaining yet you used which made me more amazed by this person who even used the words "trashcan" to the word "guild" which he doesn't know himself perhaps.

You don't even know the concept of "skill" itself that someone who has that which made a record above yours may have cheated like you said in your unjustified opinion. And you say that we play 15 hours a day even if a 1400 is just an hour or two for most players inside the "trashcan guild" you are referring.

I'l use the last phrase you even typed.

You may have evidences but you don't the evidences nor the arguments themselves. Such a mature and intelligent thinking that you led me to an amazement.

Sunday 19/05/2013, 09:29

You don't know*

Sunday 19/05/2013, 09:31

There is an important concept to note. It is called "Perfect Imbalance." Here's the short version. Some elements of a game are better than others. Players will obviously be drawn to using them more and more. Other players will grow annoyed by this trend and search for a counter. If/when the counter is found, players will be drawn to it and the original overplayed idea will lessen as a result. Sometimes though, a counter isn't available and needs to be added. This is why Skeelz, stop, and backlash exist, to help fight SoA.

Now, why does this concept exist and why is it important? Because without it, this game would be boring. If every week you could hit 1500 with Mono Jungo, then everyone would play that. But presently, Troompah (easier to counter than Askai) and Ongh are routinely banned by democratic vote and other clans do see play. The staff see that some cards are used so often and know that interest would wane if it were constant, so they put on the top played cards on a list and let us, the players, dictate the next week's roster. People who place higher are given more of a say. The votes are your voice.

The reason low star cards like Arno, Lea, and other staples are banned is because they enable certain decks. If you've got a bunch of great low stars, then you can fit in more high stars. This is the reason Jungo, I believe, are played so much. They have several great options for every position. It is odd that they have yet to lose that to the bans.

Sunday 19/05/2013, 15:41

Duessel, don't drag me into the same group with Char, I don't like that. And he doesn't have a 1500, char sucks. I was sincerely making recommendations. I did fairly well in ELO before these present bans; I'm not crying about these bans, i'm just saying, there are a lot of overpowered cards in ELO right, or Overpowered combinations, Like Jungo. Elo would be more fun if they banned some of the strong cards and unbanned some of the undeserving banned cards :S

Sunday 19/05/2013, 16:11

Stop complaining. "Perfect balance in elo" will never exist. The fact that you don't draw the broken card of the format and your opponent does, doesn't make elo bad . Luck is very important but skill is indispensable. Simply enjoy this mode and make an effort to adapt and play it as it is, take it as a challenge to your skill or if you lack of it, go play something "better".

Sunday 19/05/2013, 16:59

+1000000 Stillborn

I think all of the complaints about ELO are due to the fact that a skilled player and a scrub can beat you using the same "OP" opener in this game. So what's the difference? Let me educate you guys.

A scrub will play the same stupid opener of 500 pills on Grudj or old on Troompah every single game, because it works a little over 50% of the time for him. A good ELO player might play the same moves in certain games, when he has LOOKED AT YOUR HAND AND FIGURED OUT HOW YOU'RE LIKELY TO RESPOND. He will make the risky play when he knows that's his best chance of winning, he will play conservatively when he knows that's his best chance of winning, and he will split up his pills when he knows that's his best chance of winning.

This is how good ELO players end up with improbable streaks of over 10 wins, often multiple times every week, over and over and over again. I have seen people reliably achieve streaks of 12-15, and when I was a bit more into ELO, I could pull it off myself. No, ELO is not perfectly balanced... Honestly Askai and Olga's ban did too little to weaken Jungo and Freaks, their bonuses are too strong and the amount of round-winning cards in both clans is too high. Fortunately split-clanning mitigates the problem almost entirely, and we have several clans that shut OP bonuses and abilities down. If you have an issue with strong abilities, run a SoA half. If you have an issue with strong bonuses, run a SoB half.

Sunday 19/05/2013, 18:53

These players use the excuse elo is fine because these cards are really the only reason theyre not below 800 elo every week, yet they also fail to understand that elo is popular in events with event creators switching the rules of it by a bit, nobody cares about elo anymore, and nobody will spark a sudden interest in it again the way these cards cause 50/50s and -22's and what not. the problem is in events, where you could easily luck out on a dj korr or be a noobed out of a Kiki due to abuse of op braindead no skill cards.

Answer to this subject