September 2003

Bear Briefs
Family Fun -- Don't forget to sign up for Family Weekend, which comes to campus Oct. 24-26. The event is a great time for parents, families and friends of students to experience UM through campus tours, academic lectures, brunch and more. A full schedule of Family Weekend events is online at http://clark.umt.edu/homepage/news/default.asp. For additional information, call Jessica Wilcomb at (406) 243-2488 or e-mail her at wilcombjl@mso.umt.edu.

Literary Loss -- James Welch of Missoula, one of Montana's greatest novelists, died Aug. 4 of a heart attack after a 10-month struggle with lung cancer. He was 62. A product of the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Indian reservations, he studied liberal arts and creative writing at UM before producing seven books that have been translated into nine languages. His works on American Indian life included "Winter in the Blood," described by the New York Times as "nearly flawless"; "Killing Custer," an examination of the famous battle from a Native perspective; and "Fools Crow," which earned him the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for fiction and the American Book Award -- as well as a knighthood from the French government. Donations in his memory may be made to the James P. Welch Jr. Scholarship Fund at the UM Foundation, P.O. Box 7159, Missoula, MT 59807.

Higher History -- The state Board of Regents allowed UM to resurrect its history doctoral program this summer, paving the way for students to begin their Ph.D. hunts in the fall of 2004. UM had offered a history doctorate from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, but the program was discontinued due to fewer faculty and less financial support. The renewed program will offer doctoral degrees with specialties in the history of the American West, Montana history, environmental history and American Indian history.

Celebrating Volunteers -- Author Robert Putnam will deliver the keynote address at the Montana Campus Compact's 10th anniversary celebration Thursday, Sept. 25 in Billings. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom at Montana State University-Billings. It is open to the public and a donation is suggested at the door. All proceeds benefit the Montana Campus Compact. Putnam's bestselling book, "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community," explores the idea that Americans are becoming less and less connected to one another and to community affairs. Campus Compact volunteers are involved in a wide variety of community-building efforts, including tutoring in Montana schools, facilitating after-school activities for youth and more. Call Dean McGovern at (406) 243-5177 for more information.

Parade Pointers -- The Homecoming Parade will glide through Missoula at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. The application deadline for parade entries is 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. This year's theme is "Set Your Sights on Home" (Lewis and Clark sighting Montana). The entry fee is $15, and entry forms are available at the UM Alumni Association office in Brantly Hall. For more information, call (406) 243-5211.

Afghan Student -- As part of a unique program to educate and empower Afghan women, UM has awarded a full scholarship to Florence Nabiyar of Kabul. She came to Montana courtesy of the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women, a program sponsored by nine U.S. colleges. Nabiyar, 21, will study business administration at UM. Her family lives in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and she is one of four children. She graduated from Ariana High School and worked this summer with the UN International Labor Organization. She will join another Afghan woman already attending UM, Sousan Rahimi, who came to Montana last year as part of the same initiative. Rahimi is studying journalism and political science at UM.

Bear Built -- The Missoula and UM chapters of Habitat for Humanity are seeking volunteers to help build homes for those in need. The first-ever "Griz Built" home is being constructed at the corner of Fourth Street and Garfield Avenue in Missoula. To help out or for more information, call the Habitat for Humanity of Missoula at (406) 549-8210 or the UM volunteer committee at (406) 243-5177 ext. 6. A building schedule is available online at www.habitatmsla.org.

Cheer Champs -- UM cheerleaders, the dance team and Monte the mascot captured top honors at the Universal Cheerleaders/Dance Association college cheerleading camp in August at the University of Utah. UM cheerleaders took first place in the cheer, sideline cheer and game-planning categories. UM also was named the "Most Collegiate," which is given to the team that best exemplifies what a college cheerleading program should be. In addition, the UM dance team won the Leadership Award, in which the entire camp votes on the dance squad they would most like to be on. Monte also received the "Most Collegiate" award, which is the highest honor at the camp and is voted on by the Universal Cheerleading/Dance Association.

Helping Student Firefighters -- UM extended important fall semester deadlines for 155 students fighting wildfires. The extension gave student firefighters extra time -- until Sept. 22 -- to meet registration, financial aid and other deadlines. "I think it appropriate, under these circumstances, that we recognize the willingness of our students to put themselves in harm's way to protect the natural and built environments in Montana," UM President George Dennison said. "By reserving their places, we can let them know that we appreciate what they have done." The extension applied to all students working in firefighting efforts, including those providing support services for fire crews, as well as National Guard members and other military personnel.

Flagship Funding -- Missoula's Flagship Program works to boost social, academic and career achievement for area children by creating opportunities for skill development both in and out of school. UM has been a strong supporter of the program since its inception, and President George Dennison has committed $12,000 per year to fund mini-grants that help University faculty members develop curriculum specifically for Flagship schools. This has provided a rich array of after-school classes taught by faculty members and students. The grants are administered by UM's Office for Civic Engagement, which also supplies hundreds of student volunteers every year.

Interesting Art -- "Yielding Lines," paintings by St. Ignatius artist Jeneese Hilton, will be on display at the Montana Museum of Art and Culture's Paxson Gallery through Nov. 14. Hilton finds inspiration in the imagery and ideas of diverse belief systems, including Taoism, American Indian traditions and Norse mythology. Her expressionistic painting style uses layers of colors mixed directly on the canvas. Born and raised in Browning, Hilton has worked on Indian reservations in Montana and Washington, an Eskimo village in Alaska, and the Marshall Islands and Bikini Atol while serving with the Peace Corps in Micronesia. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday, as well as 3 to 7 p.m. Friday. For more information, call the museum at (406) 243-2019.

Job Juncture -- The 15th annual Big Sky Career Fair will be held Wednesday, Oct. 1, on the third floor of UM-Missoula's University Center. The fair will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to UM students, University alumni and community members. Employers can register to attend the fair online at http://www.umt.edu/career/bigsky.htm or by calling (406) 243-6150.

University Relations | Cary Shimek, Editor
The University of Montana-Missoula
32 Campus Drive | Missoula, MT 59812
phone (406) 243-2522 | fax (406) 243-4520
© 2004 The University of Montana