There will be no TGIF News next Friday, Nov. 26, in honor of turkeys everywhere. TGIF will return to your inbox Dec. 3. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at UM!

Harry Fritz, who has taught history at UM-Missoula for nearly four decades, has been named the 2004 Montana Professor of the Year by two national organizations that promote teaching excellence.

Fritz is among 50 of the nation's top professors honored this week in Washington, D.C., as guests of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that a UM faculty member has won the award, which recognizes one professor from each state for outstanding teaching at the undergraduate level.

A history department faculty member since 1967, Fritz consistently has been one of the University's most popular professors, filling the minds of thousands of UM students with lessons of the past. His courses on American and Montana history remain as popular today as when he began his tenure. He has won every UM teaching excellence award given by administration and students - some twice.

An internationally recognized expert on Lewis and Clark, Fritz has appeared in documentaries on and written extensively about the Corps of Discovery. His new book, "The Lewis and Clark Expedition," was published earlier this year by Greenwood Press.

Football fans everywhere are responding to the Brawl of the Wild, as UM's Montana Grizzlies prepare to do battle with the Montana State University Bobcats.

The showdown begins at 12:05 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. It's Missoula's turn this year to host the celebrated competition, so Bozeman players and fans will make the trek over the mountains.

The sellout crowd is expected to surpass 23,300, the largest in the history of a rivalry dating back to 1897.

For an unprecedented seventh year in a row, UM law students have won the right to compete at the National Moot Court Finals in New York City.

A UM team placed first in the Northwest Regional Moot Court competition at the University of Washington in Seattle Nov. 4-6. The team members are Jeff Roth from Missoula, Matt Thuesen from Billings and Whitney Welsh from Whitefish. All UM competitors are third-year law students.

A second UM team made up of Ryan Heuwinkel from Council Bluffs, Iowa; Megan Morris from Butte; and Jenifer Reece from Durango, Colo., stayed in the competition until the quarter-finals. Their brief placed second.

UM has placed first or second in the Northwest region seven years in a row and won the national championship in 2000. The team is coached by Howell and Visiting Professor Andrew King-Ries.

Meanwhile, the law school's American Bar Association negotiation competition team advanced to the final round of the Region 10 competition held Nov. 13 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The UM team of Katie Olson and Doug Schultz, both second-year students, competed against others from 20 law schools throughout the Northwest and Canada. Although they did not win first place, Olson and Schultz may still compete in the national finals.

The Fall Dance Showcase wraps up its week of performances at UM with programs tonight and Saturday in the Open Space of the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center.

The showcase, hosted by the Department of Drama/Dance, is presented in two alternating programs at 7:30 p.m. nightly and at 2 p.m. Saturday. In all, the programs feature original works by 15 choreographers and spotlight a cast of 45 dancers, as well as chorus music by UM's Department of Music.

Tickets cost $7 and are sold in advance at the center's box office and one hour before the performances. They can be purchased by calling (406) 243-4581.

Singers from the UM and Missoula community will perform in the annual Habitat for Humanity "Messiah" concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, in the University Theatre.

The concert merges professional soloists, a 30-piece orchestra and a community choir. There is no charge for the concert, but a free-will donation will be accepted at the door. It aids Habitat for Humanity in plans to provide housing for eligible low-income families.

In its ninth year, the concert features soprano soloist Anne Basinski, alto Karen Callan, tenor David Cody and baritone Stephen Kalm. Thomas Cook will conduct. The orchestra includes members of the UM Symphony, Missoula Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra of the Rockies and local high school orchestras.

Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 150,000 houses around the world, including 25 in Missoula. The 26th Missoula home is nearly complete.

More than $70,000 of artwork was sold at the Best of the West Art Auction Saturday, Oct. 30, held by the Montana Museum of Art and Culture.

The event, which took place in the University Center Ballroom at UM-Missoula, was attended by more than 140 guests. Twenty-three volunteers helped with the dinner and auction.

Revenue raised from the event goes toward Art Matters, the museum's new educational outreach program; conservation and preservation efforts for works in the permanent collection; and new signs for the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center.

Nearly 70 percent of the artwork on display was sold. "Cowboy Roping Steer," a watercolor by Edward Borein, sold for $8,500. Selling for $6,700 was Jay Laber's mixed media sculpture "Thank You."

Doug Baldwin's ceramic version of Washington-Grizzly Stadium is for the birds. Well actually, ducks.

A retired art professor and UM alumnus, Baldwin has spent more than 30 years sculpting tiny duck-like figures out of red terra cotta clay. One of his latest creations is a table-top-sized replica of UM's football stadium - filled with more than 4,000 ducks. Duck players, duck coaches, duck spectators and even duck referees.

Baldwin moved back to Missoula after retiring in 2003, establishing a studio in his living room, which is filled with duck stadiums and an array of ceramic duck characters. Baldwin has made hundreds of duck stadium replicas out of clay. But Washington-Grizzly Stadium was his most challenging project.

"It doesn't really represent anything. It's just ducks going to a game," Baldwin says. "But I don't think there's anything quite like it."

Baldwin hasn't really displayed his finished product. He says he would eventually like to exhibit and sell the stadium.

Two UM student athletes will be rewarded with the Montana Athletes in Service Award during Saturday's football game.

The two UM winners are Shane MacIntyre, football player from Helena, and Vasi Jankovich, a junior in track from Mercer Island, Wash.

MacIntyre is a biology major whose community service includes Missoula Youth Homes, Youth Griz for a Day and nonprofit fund raising. Jankovich, who majors in history, has donated her time to the Poverello Center, orthodox church and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Two student athletes from Montana State University received the award, as well. The awards are given by Montana Campus Compact and recognize UM and Montana State University athletes for their dedication and time spent on civic engagement through community service.

The Montana Grizzlies shot out of the gates quickly last Saturday, scoring four touchdowns in the first quarter, and never looking back in a 52-21 lopsided defeat over Sacramento State at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The Grizzlies scored more points in the first quarter than they have in any one half this season. Montana quarterback Craig Ochs was near-perfect, completing 26 of 31 passes for 300 yards, three passing touchdowns - all to Jon Talmage - and a 30-yard receiving touchdown by Jefferson Heidelberger.

Montana also jumped up two spots in the I-AA national rankings to No. 7. Montana's 52-21 drubbing of Sacramento State last weekend appears to have assured the Griz a berth in the 16-team playoffs for the 12th straight year.

A victory over the 'Cats this weekend would give Montana a share of its seventh straight Big Sky championship alongside Eastern Washington University. The Griz would get the conference's automatic playoff berth thanks to a 31-28 win at EWU in October.

Montana Volleyball ended its 2004 season Monday in a non-conference win at Gonzaga University.

Montana bested the Bulldogs 24-30, 30-26, 34-32, 31-29 at Martin Centre in Spokane, Wash., finishing the season with an 8-17 record, its best mark in four years.

Sophomore outside hitter Claudia Houle put down a career-high 32 kills and had a career-high 27 digs to lead Montana. Houle has been named the Big Sky Conference's Top Newcomer and selected to the All-Big Sky Conference second team in a vote by the league's eight head coaches.

The Montana women's basketball team held Deja Vu - a team of former Lady Griz stars - to 33.3 percent shooting and 52 points in a 73-52 victory in its final exhibition game Sunday afternoon in Dahlberg Arena.

Freshman Johanna Closson had 15 points to lead Montana in scoring for the second game in a row. Junior Jody McLeod had 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for her second double-double in two games, and senior Hollie Tyler added 10 points.

The Lady Griz open the regular season Tuesday, Nov. 22, at home against UM-Western.

Senior forward Kamarr Davis scored 31 points to lead the Montana Grizzlies in defeating the UM-Western Bulldogs 89-68 last Friday. The exhibition basketball game was held in front of 3,040 fans in Dahlberg Arena at UM's Adams Center.

Montana opens its season Sunday, Nov. 21, playing nationally ranked Gonzaga at 3 p.m. in Spokane.