High-Powered Family On Campus Today
 

Missoula isn't the center of the universe, but you wouldn't know it by the people who have visited lately. Two weeks ago it was presidential contender John Edwards. Last week it was U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

This week UM will host the U.S. deputy secretary of the treasury and the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.

Not so coincidentally, the two positions are held by brothers -- both sons of the late Joseph Stanley Kimmitt, a former secretary of the U.S. Senate and legendary aide to the late Montana Sen. Mike Mansfield.

Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt and Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Kimmitt will be joined at UM by three siblings: Mary Laxton, Jay Kimmitt and Judy Rainey.

The Kimmitts are coming to Missoula to announce the J. Stanley Kimmitt Public Service Lecture and Internship. They will meet with students and tour campus today, Sept. 21, before participating in a panel discussion at 3 p.m. in Don Anderson Hall Room 210.

Born in Lewistown in 1918, Stan Kimmitt moved with his family to Great Falls after drought destroyed the family's wheat crop in the early 1920s. Kimmitt attended UM as an undergraduate in the 1940s, where he took an Asian studies class from Mansfield.

 

 Homecoming Offers Events For All
 

The state's largest parade, tailgating and Grizzly football are just a few of the many time-honored events planned for UM's 2007 Homecoming, Wednesday through Saturday, Sept. 26-29.

The theme for this year's Homecoming is "Montana Legends: Discovery Never Ends."

A Homecoming week kickoff celebration for the local community will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at Southgate Mall's Clock Court. The event features appearances by Monte and the UM dance squad and a chance to win prizes, including "the ultimate tailgate party."

The Yell Night Pep Rally, which includes Singing on the Steps, Lighting of the M and fireworks, will be held early this year -- at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, on the UM Oval.

The weekend is chock full of events, including the Homecoming Art Fair in the University Center, receptions and open houses, Class of 1967 reunion events, the All Alumni Social and Dance and the Homecoming Ball.

The annual Homecoming Parade launches at 10 a.m. from downtown Missoula's Circle Square and then travels south on Higgins Avenue to University Avenue. Local artists Monte Dolack and Mary Beth Percival are this year's parade marshals.

UM's Homecoming football game against Weber State kicks off at 1:05 p.m. Saturday in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Complete event information is available online.

Homecoming schedule 

 Distinguished Alumni To Be Honored
 

Four exceptional individuals have been selected by the UM Alumni Association to receive Distinguished Alumni Awards during Homecoming festivities on Friday, Sept. 28.

The four will be honored during a 5 p.m. ceremony in the University Center Ballroom. The public is invited to attend.

2007 Distinguished Alumni Awards will go to Shane Bishop, national producer for Dateline NBC; Paul Caine, retired Navy aviator and commercial real estate consultant; Al Kelley, professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of California, Santa Cruz; and Harley Lewis, director of development at the University of Arkansas.

Bishop, a Conrad native, graduated from the UM School of Journalism's Department of Radio-Television in 1986. Caine, a 1956 business administration graduate, grew up in Miles City.

After receiving a UM forestry degree, Kelley went on to earn a doctoral degree in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley. Lewis, who grew up in Butte, earned a bachelor's degree in 1963 and a master's degree in 1964 at UM.

2007 Distinguished Alumni Awards 

 Law Conference Examines Energy Policy
 

The role the American West plays in providing energy will be the focus of the 31st Annual Public Land Law Conference Sept. 24-26 at the UM School of Law.

"Rocky Mountain Energy Leadership: Strategies for a New Energy Future" will offer a forward-looking program with an emphasis on how laws and policies can position Rocky Mountain states to play a leadership role in sustainable energy policies.

The conference kicks off with a keynote address titled "The Power of the Rockies: Living With Energy in the Old West, the New West and the Next West" at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, in the University Center Theater. The speaker, Patricia Limerick, directs the Center of the American West.

Limerick's lecture is free and open to the public; however, the rest of the conference is limited to attorneys, faculty members and students who register in advance.

The Public Land Law Conference is presented by the Public Land and Resources Law Review, a student-run publication of UM's School of Law, in partnership with the University's Public Policy Research Institute.

Registration forms, conference fees and a schedule of events are online.

Public Land Law Conference 

 James Taylor Tickets Go On Sale Today
 

Legendary singer-songwriter James Taylor will perform in concert Saturday, Oct. 27, at UM.

The event begins at 8 p.m. in the Adams Center.

Tickets are $65 and $85 including fees. They will go on sale at noon today, Sept. 21, at GrizTix outlets in Missoula and online at http://www.griztix.com. Ticket sales are limited to six per person and will not be sold by phone until after 1:30 p.m.

Between noon and 1:30 p.m., tickets will be set aside for exclusive sale at GrizTix outlets: an allocation of 800 tickets will be for sale at the Adams Center box office and an allocation of 750 collectively for sale at Southgate Mall, Worden's Market and The Source in the University Center.

At 1:30 p.m. any remaining tickets will be available for purchase at all GrizTix outlets, online and by calling 888-MONTANA (666-8262).

Taylor's folk-rock career began in 1968 with his self-titled debut album, then hit the big-time in 1970 with his top-10 hit song "Fire and Rain" from the album "Sweet Baby James." He has since released 24 albums and earned 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards, as well as five Grammy Awards.

James Taylor official Web site 

 Prominent Alum Produces Video On U. District
 

During a walk through Missoula's University District on any given fall day, one will find perfectly manicured lawns, gold and orange leaves strewn about and of course, students walking to class.

But a closer look at the University District reveals a history deeply rooted in UM and the Missoula community. That's exactly what alumnus Don Oliver '58 set out to share when he created and produced a five-minute video segment on the district as a companion to a sidebar he wrote for the fall 2007 issue of the Montanan, UM's alumni magazine.

The voice of Oliver, who had a 30-year television news career with NBC, is recognizable as the narrator of the piece, which can be found on the video-sharing Web site YouTube.

The video explores the past, present and future of the University District with archived images and video of houses as they stand today.

"Many university communities across the nation have deteriorated and are in disrepair," Oliver said in the video. "But here in Missoula, strong leadership by caring owners has maintained the charm and integrity of the University District."

University District Houses on YouTube 

 Campus Art Venues Present Open House
 

The UM Art Collaborative will present the second annual Open House for the Visual Arts from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28.

Participating venues on campus are the Gallery of Visual Arts on the first floor of the Social Science Building, the Montana Museum of Art & Culture in the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center, and the University Center Art Gallery, second floor Room 227.

The free Homecoming week event celebrates the visual arts on campus and is open to the public with a special welcome to UM students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Two exhibitions showcasing black-and-white photography will be in the Meloy and Paxson galleries of the Montana Museum of Art & Culture. "Traces: Montana's Frontier Re-visited, New Photographs by Richard S. Buswell" is in the museum's Meloy Gallery. "Mike Catlin, Butte: The 1970s," is in the Paxson Gallery.

The University Center Art Gallery presents "Contrive and Classify," the large wall installations of Oregon artist Susan Murrell.

At the Gallery of Visual Arts is the annual Department of Art Faculty Exhibition, with a diverse array of media represented.

In conjunction with the faculty exhibition, Associate Professor Valerie Hedquist will present a free, public art history and criticism lecture, "An American History of the English Blue Boy," from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in Social Science Building Room 356.

 

 Peace And Justice Film Series Marks 5th Year
 

The UM Students for Peace and Justice and the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center are celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Peace and Justice Film Series at UM.

Films will be shown on Thursdays at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the University Center Theater. There will be a discussion after each film.

Upcoming films include:

• Oct. 4 -- "Biomimicry: Learning from Nature," an 89-minute two-part series based on the acclaimed book, "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature" by Janine Benyus.
• Oct. 11 -- "Before Stonewall" at 5:30 p.m., "After Stonewall" at 7:30 p.m. The films explore events surrounding the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York's Greenwich Village, which marked the beginning of the gay rights movement.
• Oct. 18 -- "Go Forward Iraqi Freedom Congress!" -- a documentary made by Bill Weinberg in Japan.

The films continue into December. A complete schedule is online.

Peace and Justice Film Series 

 Griz Basketball Team To Repaint M
 

So they can jump, shoot and dribble. But can they paint?

Missoula will find out at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, when the UM men's basketball team gives the massive M on Mount Sentinel a fresh coat of whitewash.

"It's a good team building exercise," said assistant men's basketball coach Andy Hill. "It also gives our guys a chance to learn about Griz pride and tradition during Homecoming week. And besides, it needs to be done."

The basketball team last painted the 39-year-old concrete letter atop Montana's busiest hiking trail in September 2004. At that time Hill and current head basketball coach Wayne Tinkle were both assistants, and they believe it's a nice way for the team to give back to the community by continuing the M-painting tradition.

Hill said the paint job should be in much better shape than it was in 2004, when the M hadn't been painted in 15 to 20 years. It takes about 100 gallons to paint the M.

Montana Grizzlies 

 Vote Early And Vote Often
 

Don't forget to vote daily for UM's favorite furball, Monte, who has once again been nominated for Capital One National Mascot of the Year.

Monte landed the national champion mascot title in 2002 and 2004. This year he's competing against 11 other fuzzy and feathered mascots from universities across the country.

Monte fans will need to choose a nickname and vote for mascots in all six match-ups. One vote is allowed per day.

The winning mascot will be announced during the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, 2008.

Vote for Monte 

 Griz Football Back In Action
 

The second-ranked Montana Grizzlies return to action Saturday after having last week off.

The Griz conclude their 2007 non-league schedule hosting the University of Albany Great Danes at 1:05 p.m. in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Saturday is "Maroon-Out Day" and all Griz fans are encouraged to wear maroon shirts and jackets to the game.

Montana Grizzlies 

 Montana Volleyball Opens Conference Play
 

The UM volleyball team hit a season-low .048 and was swept by Northern Colorado Sept. 13 in Greeley in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams.

But on Saturday, Montana rallied and defeated Northern Arizona in three games in Flagstaff. The Grizzlies hit .291 against the Lumberjacks, matching their second-highest hitting percentage of the season. Montana limited the Lumberjacks to .098 hitting.

Montana evened its Big Sky Conference record at 1-1 and is 5-7 overall.

UM hosted league-leading Portland State last night and takes on Eastern Washington at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Adams Center's West Auxiliary Gym.

Montana Grizzlies 

 Montana Soccer Drops Two On Road
 

Iowa State forward Leslie Hill scored in the 62nd minute, leading the Cyclones past the Montana soccer team 1-0 Friday evening in a neutral-site match in Minneapolis, Minn.

On Sunday, four players scored second-half goals to lead Minnesota past UM 4-0 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in St. Paul, Minn. The Golden Gophers out-shot Montana 25-11 in the win.

The Grizzlies dropped to 1-5 on the year.

UM will host the 2007 Montana Nike Cup this week, with Boise State, Detroit and Oregon State joining in the weekend competition. All matches will be played at South Campus Stadium in Missoula.

Play begins at 2 p.m. today between Oregon State and Boise State and continues with Montana against Detroit at 5 p.m. or 30 minutes after the end of the first match.

The event wraps up Sunday with a noon matchup between Oregon State and Detroit, followed by a 2:30 p.m. Montana-Boise State contest.

Montana Grizzlies 

 Cross Country Teams Take Second
 

UM sophomores Kara DeWalt and Brett Carter led the Grizzlies to second-place finishes at Saturday's Montana State Invitational in Bozeman.

DeWalt was third in the women's race, while Carter was sixth in the men's race.

The Grizzlies took second in the women's race, following Utah State in first and edging out Weber State, the 2006 Big Sky Conference champion and one of the favorites for 2007.

DeWalt finished the three-mile course in 17:02. She was followed in Montana's top five by freshman Katrina Drennen in fourth, sophomore Brooke Andrus in ninth, freshman Anna Stone in 28th and freshman Kesslee Payne in 33rd.

On the men's side, Montana followed Weber and narrowly defeated Utah State. Carter ran the five-mile course in 24:48, leading UM junior Dan Bingham in 12th, sophomore Steven Gimpel in 15th, sophomore Michael Fisher in 19th and junior Mac Bloom in 24th.

Montana next competes Sept. 29. The women will travel to Eugene, Ore., for the Oregon Invitational, while the men go to Salem, Ore., for the Willamette Invitational, and both B teams go to Helena for the Carroll Invitational.

Montana Grizzlies