Bear Briefs

Read Ready to Retire

Don Read

UM Athletic Director Don Read will retire July 1 after serving in that position since May 2004. "It's been an honor and a privilege to work for (UM President) George Dennison and serve this great University," Read said. "I have enjoyed every minute of my time here. (UM) is blessed with outstanding coaches, staff, and athletes. The future for Griz athletics is bright. I leave with a sense of both sadness and satisfaction in my heart." President George Dennison said, "Don Read has performed superbly, just as we all expected. He has decided he needs to leave, and I respect his decision. I want to say, however, that we will sorely miss his graciousness, wisdom, expertise and guidance." Dennison said UM will immediately launch a national search for a new athletic director. Read was Montana's head football coach from 1986-95. He has more wins than any football coach in school history with a career record of 85-36. He had 10 straight winning seasons during his tenure. He culminated his outstanding career with his 1995 Grizzly team winning the Division I-AA national championship with a 22-20 victory over Marshall. Read retired from coaching at UM in April 1996.

A Day at the Derby

The board of the Daly Mansion in Hamilton will host its fourth annual Kentucky Derby Day Saturday, May 2. A fund-raiser for the historic mansion, the event starts at noon and will include a simulcast of the race from Churchill Downs with cash betting allowed, hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, a thoroughbred auction, a Kentucky gourmet dinner at 5 p.m. and more. The event costs $75 per person or $750 for tables of 10. Attendees must be 18 years of age. Derby attire is requested, and all guests will receive a Kentucky Derby mint julep glass. Custom designed hats by Donna McCrimmon are available at the Mansion Gift Shop by appointment April 22-May 7. An annual collector's painting by Montana artist Julie Chapman also will be auctioned during the gala. For more information, call (406) 363-6004, visit http://www.dalymansion.org or e-mail developmentdirector@dalymansion.org.

UM Tops for Udall Scholarships

After more students earned prestigious Morris K. Udall Scholarships this year, UM now has received more Udalls than any other institution in the country since the scholarship program started in 1996. With four of this year's 80 Udalls coming to UM, the University broke a tie with Cornell for the No. 1 position. Winning students who will receive $5,000 scholarships are Zachary Benson of Colstrip; Marcia St. Goddard of Browning; John Powell of Muncie, Ind.; and Jeffrey Ross of Rivers, Manitoba. The Udall Foundation awards merit-based scholarships of up to $5,000 to college sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated outstanding potential and a commitment to pursuing careers related to the environment. The foundation also rewards American Indian and Alaska Native college students who have demonstrated outstanding potential and commitment to careers in tribal public policy or health care.

Griz Girls Graduate

According to the 2004 NCAA report, the Lady Griz basketball team was one of only three female squads in this year's March Madness to have a 100 percent graduation rate. The other two teams were Holy Cross and Vanderbilt. The rate measures whether a scholarship athlete graduated within six years after entering school between the 1994-95 and 1997-98 academic years. The average for women's teams in the NCAA tournament was 70.1 percent. The men's teams in the NCAA tournament had an average graduation rate of 42.4 percent.

UM Praised for Community Involvement

UM has been named a "college with a conscience" by the Princeton Review and Campus Compact. UM is among 81 institutions of higher learning in 33 states to receive the designation. As a result, Princeton Review will highlight UM in its forthcoming book "Colleges With a Conscience: 81 Great Schools With Outstanding Community Involvement." Available in bookstores June 21, the book offers two-page profiles on each college, as well as advice for applicants. The Princeton Review, a publisher of college guides, partnered with National Campus Compact, which promotes the civic purposes of higher education, to develop the "Colleges With a Conscience" program. They worked together to select schools that exemplify the ideals of community service and civic engagement. The two national organizations selected their "College With a Conscience" honorees from more than 900 colleges. They used the following criteria: admission practices and use of scholarships to reward community service; support for service-learning programs; student activism and student voice in student governance; and level of social engagement of its student body.

International Law Competition

Jacey Messer, a third-year law student at UM, stood out from the pack during the 46th annual Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, held March 27-April 3 in Washington, D.C. Messer placed 13th out of 326 oralists at the competition. In addition, the UM team submitted the fifth-best applicant memorial out of 108. UM had the highest-ranked memorial - a brief filed by the party initiating the case - of any U.S. team. Besides Messer, the other UM International Moot Court Team included Matt Lowy, Eli Parker, Ryan McCarty and Stephanie Happold. They competed against 102 other law schools from 90 countries around the world for the Sherman & Sterling Jessup Cup. The competition requires students to participate in a simulation of practice before the International Court of Justice, or "World Court." The students worked since September on a hypothetical case between two fictional countries that concerned legal issues resulting from a pirate attack against a ship carrying nuclear materials. UM won the right to participate in the international competition last winter by placing among the top finishers at the regional competition in Seattle.

Educational Job Opportunities

Are you looking for a job in education? If so, UM will host the most extensive career fair west of the Mississippi River May 1-2 in the Adams Center. The 20th annual Multi-State Educators' Career Fair allows job seekers to meet and interview with school district administrators for more than 1,500 job openings in Montana, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Wyoming and beyond. Candidates can interview for positions in the classroom, special education, counseling and administration. Last year's fair drew more than 150 school districts from 17 states, and organizers anticipate an even bigger event this year. The candidate registration fee is $25 before April 22 and $30 after that date. Additional information, including a complete schedule of events and a registration form, is available online at http://www.umt.edu/career/ecf/ecf.htm

Hunt an 'Eggstravagant' Success

The Fifth Annual Easter Eggstravaganza drew more than 2,000 people to the UM Oval, where hundreds of kids collected baskets full of goodies. This year's hunt offered more candy and better prizes than ever before because of the generous support from local businesses that sponsored the event. Many thanks to Southgate Mall, Community Medical Center, The Bookstore at UM, the UM President's Office, A Carousel for Missoula, KECI-TV and the New 102.5 Mountain FM for making Easter extra special for so many local children. This year's hunt also featured more than $1,000 in prizes for parents. Special thanks to the following businesses for donating gift certificates for food and merchandise: Trenary's Irish Pub, Pizza Hut, Iron Horse Brew Pub, Press Box, Grant Creek Deli, Cold Stone Creamery, The Gym, Crazy Mike's Video, Holiday Inn Parkside, Friends, the New 102.5 Mountain FM, Southgate Mall and McKenzie River Pizza.

University Garners Grants

The Student Assistance Foundation has announced it will give $156,853 to UM through its Acce$$ Grant Program during the 2005-06 academic year. In all, the Student Assistance Foundation has provided UM with $660,244 in grants since the program's inception five years ago. The nonprofit foundation was set up to provide financial assistance to students unable to fund their education. Since the program's start, nearly $2.2 million dollars have been invested in Montana colleges. This year, more than $562,000 will be given to Montana's participating universities and colleges. To qualify for emergency situation funds, students must be in a position where they need financial help to remain in school. For more information visit http://www.safmt.org .

Revisiting the Trail Tribes

A new UM documentary allows viewers to visit the descendants of American Indians encountered by Lewis and Clark. "Contemporary Voices Along the Lewis and Clark Trail" is a half-hour film produced and directed by Sally Thompson, director of UM's Lifelong Learning Project. The documentary is a dialogue with 18 men and women who represent 13 tribes from the hills and plains of Kansas to the mouth of the Columbia River. Filmed on location, viewers are taken to tribal homelands to hear elders and educators tell their stories about life after Lewis and Clark. Since 2001, Thompson, an anthropologist and educator, and videographer Ken Furrow have interviewed 100 people in 27 tribes from St. Louis to the West Coast, documenting the ongoing stories of tribal members still living in the same areas where the Corps of Discovery met their ancestors two centuries ago. The documentary can be ordered online at http://www.umtbookstore.com .

Support UM Program by Rocking

The music of twin sisters Tegan and Sara has been described as "post-punk grrrl rock not bound by conventional musical clichés." On Friday, April 29, this unique duo will perform at UM's third annual Spring Thaw, a fund-raiser for UM's Entertainment Management Program. The indy rock concert kicks off at 8 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. Local musician Purrbot will open. Tickets cost $15 and are available at the UC Box Office, Ear Candy, InHouseTickets.com and Rockin Rudy's. Spring Thaw sponsors include the Entertainment Management Program, UM Productions, the Blaze 96.3 FM and Wild 107.5 FM. UM's Entertainment Management Program is one of the few such programs in the country. Now in its fourth year and limited to 35 to 45 students, subjects covered during the course include venue management, touring management, new media, artist management, and entertainment marketing and promotions. The program already has placed several graduates at prestigious entertainment firms. To learn more about the program call Maria Brunner at (408) 951-4229 or Scott Douglas at (607) 972-1160.

Sell Stuff at Giant Garage Sale

Remember that Beanie Baby collection you just had to have eight years ago? If it's just clutter now, try selling it at the World's Largest Garage Sale from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30. The sale - which benefits the UM Advocates - takes place on the lower level of the parking garage on Campus Drive next to the Mansfield Library. Vendor set-up begins at 7:30 a.m. The event will be held rain or shine. Vendor spaces are available for $20. Each additional space beyond that can be purchased for $10 each. Anything of value can be sold at the sale - from furniture and kitchenware to clothes. Sales held previously have drawn nearly 100 sellers and thousands of shoppers. Don't miss this opportunity to sell your old knickknacks and even furnish an apartment. Registration forms can be found at The Source information desk in the University Center. For more information call the Advocates at 243-5874.

Online News Service Lands Grant

Headwater News, an online daily news service for the Rocky Mountain West, has received a major grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The grant will provide Headwaters with $200,000 over three years to continue and to enhance its reporting of news and opinions that help shape the region. Headwaters, located online at http://www.headwatersnews.org , is a project of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, a policy center at UM. The Web site's audience includes journalists, environmental activists, federal and state officials, and more. Headwaters was founded in 1999 with a grant from the Hewlett Foundation. It has since grown to include funding from a mix of foundation grants, reader support and revenue from product sales. The Hewlett Foundation makes grants to address the most serious social and environmental problems facing society, where risk capital, responsibly invested, may make a difference over time. The foundation places high value on sustaining and improving institutions that make positive contributions to society.

Fantastic Photography

UM journalism student Lee Tortorelli placed in the latest round of the national Hearst Journalism Awards Program. Tortorelli, a senior from Spokane Valley, Wash., captured sixth place and a $500 award. He competed in the picture story/series category.