UM's annual Singing On the Steps ceremony will feature a pep rally, Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony and lighting of the "M" tonight, Oct. 8, during Homecoming.

A Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony and reception will be held at 6 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. Teresa Branch, vice president for student affairs, will be the master of ceremonies for the scripted formal event.

After the award ceremony and reception, guests are invited to the Oval in front of Main Hall to celebrate with the Grizzly Growl Pep Rally. The Oval will be decorated with lighted luminaries. At the rally, the Royal Ambassadors will be presented and the UM marching band will play.

The rally also features the Grizzly football team and coaches, the cheerleaders, the UM Dance Team and Monte. UM Advocates will light the M as the pep rally ends.

Two lawyers who paved the way for women in the Montana legal profession and an author who has dedicated her life to preserving the state's small-town cultures will be honored as distinguished alumnae of UM.

Diane MacDonald Barz of Polson, Doris Swords Poppler of Billings and Lee Birkett Rostad of Martinsdale will receive 2004 Distinguished Alumni Awards Friday, Oct. 8, during UM's Homecoming.

The public is invited to the 6 p.m. awards presentation and reception in the University Center Ballroom.

Two University of Montana seniors will be presented as Royal Ambassadors at UM Homecoming's annual Singing on the Steps tonight.

The event takes place on the Oval in front of Main Hall beginning at 8 p.m.

Ann Douglas, a senior in psychology, and Karissa Drye, a senior in elementary education, won this year's positions as UM Royal Ambassadors. The two will represent the University and the UM Alumni Association at events throughout the year.

Republican and Democratic candidates for governor of Montana will debate at 2:10 p.m. today at UM.

The debate, featuring Democrat Brian Schweitzer and Republican Bob Brown, will take place in the Montana Theatre in the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center. The debate is free and open to the public.

Four panelists are allowed to ask three questions each. The panelists are Gale Price, Associated Students of UM president; Chuck Johnson of the Helena Independent Record; Dick King, a representative from the Montana Economic Development Association; and Jerry Brown, dean of the School of Journalism at UM. The moderator is Mike McInally, editor of the Missoulian.

The community center at UM's new Lewis and Clark Village has been named in honor of a longtime administrator who spearheaded the project.

The building, located in the heart of UM's apartment complex adjacent to Dornblaser Field, will be called the Barbara Hollmann Community Center.

The naming recognizes Hollmann's 23 years of service to UM students. The state Board of Regents granted Hollmann the title of Vice President for Student Affairs Emitera after she retired from the position in spring 2003.

A Spokane, Wash., couple has committed $1.5 million for the new Executive Education Center at the UM School of Business Administration. The gift also will start the Gilkey Executive Lecture Series.

The donors are Priscilla and Harold Gilkey, who earned degrees from UM in the 1960s -- his in business; hers in English. They are making the gift to assist the business school in its mission to develop forward-thinking leaders and entrepreneurs.

The new center was authorized by the state Board of Regents last week. The project has two purposes: to expose UM business students to businesspeople with outstanding credentials and experiences and to serve the needs of firms of this region by providing advanced training and networking opportunities.

Works of art included in this year's Best of the West Art Auction will be showcased during a special exhibit beginning with a reception today at UM.

The preview reception, showcasing all auction artwork, runs from 4 to 7 p.m in the Paxson and Meloy galleries of the Montana Museum of Art and Culture. The museum is located in the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center. It is free and open to the public. The art will be exhibited until Friday, Oct. 29, and also can be viewed on the museum's Web site.

This year's Best of the West Art Auction is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, in the University Center Ballroom. Tickets cost $100 for single seats or $75 for each person in a couple. To buy tickets or for more information, call (406) 243-2019.

The second annual American Indian Alumni Dinner will be held tonight as part of Homecoming activities.

The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. in University Center Rooms 331-334 and costs $35 per person. The evening features a silent auction, as well as an open microphone for dinner guests. Almost a thousand members of the UM American Indian Alumni group are invited.

For more information call Weasel Head at (406) 243- 6352 or Larry LaCounte at (406) 243-4907.

Recent UM graduates are invited to a Homecoming tailgate from 11 a.m. to 1:05 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9.

The tailgate will be held at the west end of the River Bowl in the north tailgate area next to a big balloon with UMAA on it. The tailgate features meat and vegetarian calzones, cookies, soda and more. It is sponsored by UM's Alumni Association and Liberty Mutual.

All UM graduates from the past 10 years are encouraged to attend and reacquaint themselves with old friends. Recent graduates will be asked to sign in or show their invitation before entering the tailgate area.

After a grueling nomination process at colleges nationwide, UM's Monte, for the third consecutive year, has been named to the Capital One All-America Mascot Team. The national mascot of the year will be chosen from among these 12 critters.

Starting Monday, Oct. 11, Monte fans can vote for their favorite mascot online. Voting will consist of 11 weekly matchups between the finalists, and the polls will close Dec. 26. The online "popular" vote will be combined with judges' ranking (50/50 weighting) to determine the ultimate winner.

Monte became the first Capital One National Mascot of the Year in January 2003. Last year's winner was Cocky from the University of South Carolina. The next winner will be announced Jan. 1, 2005, during the nationally televised Capital One Bowl on ABC.

Craig Ochs threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers to lead the Montana Grizzlies football team to a 42-21 victory over the Weber State Wildcats Saturday night in Ogden, Utah.

With the win, Montana moves to 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in Big Sky Conference play and retains their No. 7 ranking in Division I-AA.

Next comes Idaho State University, which is ranked fourth in I-AA in passing at 338 yards per game. The Bengals are the Grizzlies' Homecoming opponent at 1:05 p.m. Saturday in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Montana Volleyball lost its Big Sky Conference home opener to Northern Arizona last Friday in four games 40-42, 30-26, 28-30, 22-30. Then Big Sky Conference favorite Sacramento State beat the Montana volleyball team in straight games on Saturday night, winning 30-16, 30-16, 30-20.

UM dropped to 0-4 in league play, 3-11 overall. They'll face Montana State University tonight in the West Auxiliary Gym to wrap up their current four-match home stand.

The UM women's soccer team, in the midst of an 11- day hiatus, opens Big Sky Conference play against the Eastern Washington Eagles on Sunday, Oct. 10. Match time is scheduled for 3 p.m. at UM's South Campus Field.