This is the last issue of TGIF News you'll receive in 2004, as we join students on winter break. Spring semester begins Monday, Jan. 24, 2005, and TGIF will be back Friday, Jan. 28, with all your UM news, events and sports. Happy holidays and a very Merry Grizmas!

UM will offer two venues for the public to gather and watch the Montana Grizzlies play the Dukes of James Madison University in the NCAA Division I-AA national championship game tonight, Dec. 17.

Free parties will be held at the University Center Theater and Southgate Mall. Drawings will be held for lots of Griz logo items, and snacks and beverages will be provided. Either venue is suitable for families.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at the UC Theater, located on the third floor of the University Center, where the game will be shown on the movie screen.

Co-sponsored by UM, the Southgate Mall party also gets under way at 5:30 p.m. at Sears Court, with two big-screen televisions provided by Sears. Chairs will be set up for viewers.

Although the mall stores close before the game ends, merchants carrying Griz logo wear will reopen their doors if the team wins and sell championship merchandise, said Trisha Piedalue, Southgate Mall marketing director.

UM's Office for Civic Engagement surpassed its goals this semester in projects including the annual Trick-or-Eat canned food drive and voter education program.

Trick-or-Eat collected 6,500 pounds of food this year from University neighborhoods. More than 800 volunteers participated in the event held every year on Halloween. About 4,000 meals for needy families were provided to the Missoula Food Bank because of the volunteers' efforts.

The voter education and registration program was led by two student coordinators from the Office for Civic Engagement in coordination with other campus groups, including Votestock and Extreme Voting Week. Overall, the program registered 1,800 people to vote, surpassing its goal by 300.

The Office for Civic Engagement is based in the Davidson Honors College. It was founded to promote service and civic involvement in the UM community.

Longtime UM executive officer Bob Frazier will stay on as interim dean of the Helena College of Technology through the academic year, President George Dennison announced Thursday.

Frazier has been in the HCOT leadership role temporarily since Nov. 12, shortly after Dean Steve Hoyle retired. After reviewing candidate applications for the interim position, Dennison concluded that "Frazier best meets the needs of the Helena college at this time." Frazier will continue as interim dean until late spring 2005, allowing Dennison time to conduct a national search to permanently fill the position.

Frazier has considerable experience working with the Montana Legislature, having served as a higher education liaison for many years. He currently is special assistant to President Dennison and University executive vice president, overseeing marketing efforts of the Missoula campus. Frazier has worked in higher education for more than 26 years and previously served at Montana State University.

Senior quarterback Craig Ochs threw three touchdown passes, and sophomore cornerback Tuff Harris picked off two passes, as Montana avenged an early-season loss to the Sam Houston State Bearkats, beating them 34-13 Saturday in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Harris returned the two picks 109 yards, and both led to Griz touchdowns. Ochs rushed for a career and game-high 77 yards on eight carries.

The seventh-ranked Grizzlies have advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA national championship game and will play the eighth-ranked James Madison Dukes from Harrisonburg, Va., today, Dec. 17. Kickoff is at 6:04 p.m. MST at the University of Tennessee's Finley Stadium/Davenport Field in Chattanooga.

The game will be televised nationwide on ESPN2.

Junior Kevin Criswell scored a team-high 14 points and 13 different Grizzly players got playing time as Montana defeated Montana Tech, 62-44, Wednesday night at UM's Dahlberg Arena.

UM evened its record at 4-4 with the win, while the Orediggers dropped to 3-8.

Last week, Montana senior Kamarr Davis scored 15 points to lead the Griz to a 69-66 non-conference men's basketball win over Southeast Missouri in front of 3,283 fans Thursday at Show Me Arena. Saturday, the Missouri Tigers buried the Griz 87-62 behind 26 points from Linas Kleiza, in front of 8,406 fans at Mizzou Arena.

The Grizzly basketball team is on the road this week and next for three contests in California. The Griz road trip stops at UC-Santa Barbara Saturday, Dec. 18; at San Francisco Monday, Dec. 20; and at Stanford Thursday, Dec. 23.

Idaho's Heather Thoelke hit a 3-point shot with 2.1 seconds remaining to tie Wednesday night's game, then hit the ensuing free throw after it was ruled she was fouled on the play. The shot gave the Vandals a 59-58 victory over Montana at Moscow, Idaho.

Lady Griz junior Katie Edwards had given Montana a three-point lead with 17 seconds to play when she hit a jumper in the lane.

Friday night Gonzaga used an 11-0 run midway through the second half to take the lead, then held on down the stretch for a 57-51 victory over Montana at Dahlberg Arena. The loss was only Montana's second in its last 26 home games.

The Lady Griz will close out their pre-Christmas schedule Monday, Dec. 20, with a game at Miami.