Bear Briefs

It’s All Relative—Parents, siblings and grandparents of UM students will invade campus and the Garden City Oct. 27-29 for annual Family Weekend festivities. This year’s jam-packed schedule of activities begins at 8 a.m. Friday and continues until noon Sunday with events that include a city tour with Mayor John Engen and an American Indian sunrise ceremony on Mount Sentinel to honor families. Hundreds of family members from coast to coast and many states in between will trek to Missoula to check in on students, take them shopping for mid-term supplies and enjoy the many offerings of campus and community in late October. To see a complete Family Weekend schedule, visit http://www.umt.edu/urelations/family.htm.

Radio Show Wins—The Montana Broadcasters Association named an experimental radio program at UM the “Outstanding Non-Commercial Radio Program of 2005.” The Footbridge Forum brings students and citizens together to discuss issues ranging from the development of south campus to American Indians and higher education. Students produce, promote and host the show, which airs on KBGA College Radio monthly. Senior Heather Hintze of Whitefish attended the MBA awards ceremony in August to accept the award on behalf of her fellow students. The honor comes with a plaque and $500. The program was developed by R-TV Assistant Professor Denise Dowling and has won numerous awards since its inception in 2003.

Blogging Begins—Ten UM students are writing about their lives and their college experiences in online journals on the UM home page. “Voices” went live last month, replacing the Faces feature. The new blogs are intended to give prospective students an idea of what life at UM is like, as well as to foster a sense of community among UM students, employees and alumni. Online student journals reflect the increasing popularity of blogs and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. UM’s student bloggers were chosen to reflect a broad cross-section of majors, class levels, hometowns and interests. They were selected by a committee of representatives from University Relations, Enrollment and New Student Services, Information Technology and the UM Web Development Committee.

Mascot History—UM has a long tradition of school spirit, and one important symbol of that spirit over the years has been the UM mascot — always a bear, but not always the fur-costumed ball of energy we know today as Monte. An exhibit tracing the evolution of UM’s mascot is on display in the lobby of the University’s Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library through October. The timeline of the display of mascot memorabilia, created by Teresa Hamann of the library’s K. Ross Toole Archives, begins in 1897, when a live bear cub traveled with UM’s football team, then simply known as the “bears.” UM’s football team was renamed the Grizzlies in 1923. The exhibit moves though the numerous live bear cubs who served as University mascots, first named Teddy, then Fessy and finally, in the 1960s, Cocoa. UM’s costumed mascot during the 1980s, dubbed Otto, donned a variety of fun-loving outfits to entertain crowds at Grizzly football games, Hamann said. It wasn’t until 1991 that UM’s mascot became known as Monte, short for Montana. “During Homecoming in October, UM alums will have an opportunity to take a stroll down memory lane through the exhibit,” said Donna McCrea, head of archives at the library. But even with information from the archives, University Relations and the Adams Center Hall of Champions, McCrea said the library doesn’t have a complete history of UM’s mascot. She is asking University alumni, staff, faculty members and others to search their scrapbooks and UM treasure troves to help build the library’s collection of photographs, newspaper clippings and other items that document mascot history. To donate items or photographs, call McCrea at 406-243-4403 or e-mail donna.mccrea@umontana.edu.

Better Bus—The Missoula Urban Transportation District, which oversees the city bus service Mountain Line, has recently donated a 35-foot bus to UM. Nancy Wilson, director of the ASUM Office of Transportation, said the donation of the 35-foot Gillig Transportation bus is a first. Wilson said Mountain Line just received five new buses and was going to have a surplus, so ASUM requested that they donate one of the vehicles to UM. Wilson said she hopes that extra size will help alleviate an enduring problem for Park-N-Ride and U-DASH bus services: having to leave people behind. The services combine to give approximately 1,800 rides each day, and during peak times students are sometimes left to wait for the next circuit before they can hitch a ride. The bus, while not brand new, will still be the newest vehicle in the fleet, which should mean added reliability and longevity. The donated bus is a 1996 model compared to the two buses in use now, which were built in 1988 and 1989.

Adult Courses—UM’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has received a $300,000 grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation to fund courses for older adults in the greater Missoula area. The first installment of the grant arrived just in time for the fall term and an open house. The open house will introduce the Montana Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to prospective and returning MOLLI members and give them a chance to meet instructors and the volunteer council members who guide the institute. Classes are interactive sessions with no projects or examinations that meet on six consecutive Fridays. There are three six-week terms offered each year. In addition to a $25 annual membership, MOLLI members pay a $50 fee per course with discounts for couples enrolled in the same class. For more information, call Continuing Education at 406-243-2905 or visit http://www.umt.edu/ce/plus55.

Pakistan Exchange—UM took another step to promote research and study opportunities among nations this month when UM President George Dennison signed an agreement with the University of Peshawar, Pakistan. The agreement makes possible faculty and student exchanges between the two universities. The first exchange prompted by the agreement was a visit to UM by Asif Khan, director of the University of Peshawar’s National Centre of Excellence in Geology. While in Missoula, Khan gave presentations on the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the focus of his current research.

Tax Institute—If the intricacies of the U.S. tax code get you excited, it’s time to attend UM’s 54th Annual Tax Institute. Offered by the UM School of Law, the institute will be held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27-28, at Missoula’s Doubletree Hotel. Eleven speakers will present topics such as “A Taxpayer’s Principal Residence: Not Only a Castle But a Magnificent Tax Shelter.” The event costs $300 for registrations received by Oct. 20 and $350 for those received thereafter. Continuing education credits are available. The Institute is intended for attorneys, accountants, trust officers, financial planners, development officers and insurance professionals. To register go online to http://www.umt.edu/LAW/alumni/Tax_Institute_2006.htm and mail the registration form to 2006 Tax Institute, School of Law, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812-6552. For more information, call the law school at 406-243-4311.