UM students soon will receive UM Debit Cards as part of a new program to electronically disburse all future financial aid and refund payments.

The new cards will allow each student to have the option to create an account accessed by the card or to have the funds transferred immediately into an existing account via direct deposit.

 "Going paperless with these UM-themed cards will save the University a lot of money," said Mark Pullium, director of UM Business Services. "It also will be faster and more convenient for our students. This offers a much better choice than our old paper system."

Even if students elect to use direct deposit, they are asked to keep the debit card because it can be used to make changes in how they participate in the refund program in the future.

Pullium also stressed it's vitally important that students immediately make sure their current mailing addresses on file with UM are up to date to ensure they receive their new debit cards and can participate in the program.

UM has partnered with Higher One, a national financial services company focused on higher education, to bring the electronic payment program to Missoula. Higher One encourages students to activate their cards as soon as they receive them.

As part of the program, Higher One offers an Easy Refund program that will allow students to gain access to their money the same day that UM releases it for distribution.

To learn more about the new program, visit the UM Debit Card website.

UM Debit Cards

Mount Holyoke College President Lynn Pasquerella will give the Stan Kimmitt Lecture on Public Service at UM on Monday, Nov. 15.

Pasquerella, an internationally celebrated medical ethicist, will present "Overcoming Moral Distress: Reforming Organizations and Institutions" at 8 p.m. in the University Theatre. The presentation is an event of UM's President's Lecture Series.

Earlier that day from 3:10 to 4:30 p.m., Pasquerella will give a seminar titled "Biology and the Concept of Death as Un-American" in Gallagher Business Building Room 123. Both events are free and open to the public.

Pasquerella's career is marked by local and global engagement. She will speak about her experiences in Africa, where she served as project leader for a research team working to empower women in an AIDS-ravaged area of Kenya, and in American higher education, where she is a leader in promoting the careers of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

A longtime philosophy professor at the University of Rhode Island, Pasquerella served as URI's vice provost for research and graduate school dean, and as provost and chief academic officer at the University of Hartford before being named president of Mount Holyoke College in July. She earned a bachelor's degree at Mount Holyoke College and a doctorate in philosophy from Brown University.

President's Lecture Series

Canadian broadcast journalist Duncan McCue will deliver the UM School of Journalism's Marjorie Nichols Lecture titled "Red, White, and News: Reporting on First Nations in Canada" at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, in Skaggs Building Room 117.

McCue is Anishinaabe, who are members of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation located in southern Ontario. He is an award-winning reporter, who for more than 12 years has worked at CBC-TV News in Vancouver, British Columbia. His news and current affairs pieces are featured on CBC's flagship news show, "The National." McCue is also an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia School of Journalism and has taught documentary journalism to indigenous students at First Nations University and Capilano College.

McCue earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a law degree from the University of British Columbia. Currently, he is a Knight Fellow at Stanford University, where he is spending the 2010-11 school year developing a curriculum to assist journalists covering aboriginal issues.

Marjorie Nichols was a 1966 graduate of the UM School of Journalism who distinguished herself in her native Canada by her widely read national political commentary. When she died of cancer in 1991 at age 44, she was one of Canada's most influential journalists.

School of Journalism

A daylong workshop Friday, Nov. 5, at UM will offer several perspectives on the rights and sovereignty of indigenous peoples. "Indigenous Peoples' Sovereignty: Global and Local Perspectives" will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Gallagher Business Building Room 106.

A reception will follow in the rotunda of UM's Payne Family Native American Center. The workshop and reception are free and open to the public.

The event of the Indigenous Peoples and Multicultural Societies of the UM Native American studies department and the University of Tromsø Centre for Sami Studies is co-sponsored by UM's Office of the Provost, Department of Native American Studies, International Programs and Humanities Montana.

Featured speakers include Alan Parker, director of the Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute at Evergreen State College. A citizen of the Chippewa Cree Tribal Nation, Parker lived for many years on the Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law in 1972 and practiced law in Washington, D.C., for more than 20 years before joining the Evergreen College faculty in 1997.

For more information, call UM Native American studies Professor Kate Shanley at 406-243-5832 or e-mail kathryn.shanley@umontana.edu.

Award-winning ceramicist Beth Lo will give the next installment of the Provost's Distinguished Lecture Series at UM on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

Lo, a professor in UM's School of Art, will present "Making a Language: A Slide Show Retrospective of the Artwork of Ceramicist Beth Lo" at 6 p.m. in the University Center Theater.

The lecture will address Lo's artistic influences of family and cultural heritage and the process of creating visual form. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

Lo was born in Lafayette, Ind., to parents who had recently emigrated from China. She received a Bachelor of General Studies degree from the University of Michigan in 1971 and then studied ceramics with Rudy Autio at UM. She received a Master of Fine Arts degree at UM in 1974.

When Autio retired in 1985, Lo stepped into his role as professor of ceramics at UM. She has exhibited her work internationally and has received numerous honors, including the United States Artists Hoi Fellowship in 2009, the Marion Vannett Ridgway Award in 2005, a National Endowment for the Arts Visual Artist Fellowship in 1994, a Montana Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship in 1989 and an American Craft Museum Design Award in 1986.

For more information about the lecture series, visit the Office of the Provost website or call 406-243-4689.

UM will hold events Monday through Friday, Nov. 15-19, to celebrate International Education Week. All events are free and open to the public.

The International Education Week opening ceremony will take place at noon Monday, Nov. 15, in the University Center Atrium. Speakers are UM Associate Provost for International Programs Mehrdad Kia, Foreign Student and Scholar Services Director Effie Koehn and International Student Association President Alina Calianu.

Information about study abroad opportunities will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day in the University Center Atrium, and a panel discussion about study abroad will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, in UC Room 330.

The public and UM community are invited to explore options for international careers and teaching abroad at "International Market," a workshop from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in Lommasson Center Room 154. The workshop is hosted by UM Career Services.

Featured speaker Stephen Kinzer will present "Turkey and Iran: America's Partners in the New Middle East?" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, in the University Center Theater. A best-selling author, Kinzer is a professor of international relations at Boston University. He is a former New York Times correspondent and served as chief of the Times bureau in Istanbul.

A complete International Education Week schedule of events is on the UM International Programs website.

Nominations are now being accepted for UM's autumn 2010 Outstanding Student Leader Award. All UM students are eligible and can be nominated by any member of the campus community in a position to identify outstanding individuals who deserve the honor.

The award recognizes hard-working individuals who strive to make UM a better place for students to live, learn and grow. Based solely on leadership and service to the University, the distinguished award is given to a student who exhibits ethical, creative leadership and promotes a positive campus environment while remaining in good academic standing.

The winner will be recognized by the University Center's Leadership Programming and may receive an in-state tuition waiver for spring semester 2011, depending on eligibility. University regulations restricting fee waivers will apply.

Applications will be assessed and judged according to the requirements listed on the nomination form. Some requirements for nomination have been changed from previous years. Nominations will be accepted until Friday, Nov. 19. Nominees will be recognized at the Student Leadership Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, April 26, 2011.

Nomination forms can be picked up at The Source in the UC or on the UC Recognition Programs website. Completed applications can be turned into the Student Suite in UC Room 209C or faxed to 406-243-4340, attention: Kat Herrera.

For more information, call Herrera or Michael Paine at 406-243-5527 or e-mail cld2.student@mso.umt.edu.

UM's Programming in Recreation class will host a screening of "Come Find Us," a high-definition ski and snowboard film shot entirely in Montana, on Friday, Nov. 5, in Missoula.

The film, by Toy Soldier Productions, features Montana's most talented up-and-coming freestyle riders and is devoted to revealing both the hidden talent and vast variety of freestyle terrain that the state has to offer.

"Come Find Us" will begin at 8 p.m. at the Wilma Theatre, located at 131 S. Higgins Ave. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Advance tickets are available at Gull Ski & Snowboard and at Edge of the World in Missoula.

The premiere event, hosted by Lost Trail Powder Mountain, is a fundraiser for UM's Backcountry Club. The event will offer information about the local ski community and a chance to win prizes.

The public is invited to celebrate the life and work of artist Ben Steele, who is a Bataan Death March survivor and was a Japanese prisoner of war during World War II, on Steele's 93rd birthday, Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Steele, a Montana native, created oil paintings and drawings that chronicle the Japanese bombing of Clark Field in the Philippines after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the capture of more than 76,000 Allied POWs, the infamous Bataan Death March and his experiences as a Japanese prisoner of war in the Philippines and Japan. His story was featured in the book "Tears in the Darkness," a 2009 New York Times best-seller written by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman.

The celebration will begin at 12:15 p.m. at the Western Heritage Center in Billings with a Montana National Guard Honor Guard and the presentation of a flag from the state Capitol. Montana Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger will attend.

At the ceremony, Steele will recount his incredible journey of survival, and the Western Heritage Center will host an open house to celebrate his birthday with his wife of 59 years, Shirley, and many friends who will be present to honor him for his service to our country.

The Montana Museum of Art & Culture in Missoula, the Schoolhouse History and Art Center of Colstrip and the Western Heritage Center are all currently honoring Steele with displays of his World War II paintings and drawings.

In September the Montana Museum of Art & Culture, located at UM, announced Steele's gift to the museum of 11 original oil paintings and 82 drawings.

"Ben is a treasure," MMAC Director Barbara Koostra said. "We are thrilled that his POW artworks have become a part of the MMAC Permanent Collection. His message is one of peace and hope, and people will learn a great deal about the lessons of war from his important, powerful art."

"Dusk," one of a trilogy of plays that will be presented in Missoula over the next several months, explores the difficulties in coming to terms with life-sustaining treatment options from a medical and a personal perspective.

The performance, presented by the Institute of Medicine and Humanities and produced by Montana Repertory Theatre director Greg Johnson, will begin at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, in the Roxy Theater, located at 718 S. Higgins Ave. Tickets for the event are free and are available at the door.

A dessert reception will be held before the performance at 6:30 p.m., and a talk-back session with "Dusk" playwright Bryan Harnetiaux of Spokane, Wash., will take place after the performance.

"Dusk" tells the story of an aging father and a fractured family and their struggles with health care decision-making. Gil Everette has had a heart attack and is now in congestive heart failure. On the eve of his 65th birthday, he and his adult children, with a medical social worker on hand, explore his wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment options as he is challenged by his children to fill out and sign a physician orders form.

The Institute of Medicine and Humanities, a collaboration of UM and St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, encourages people to attend with a significant other: a spouse, grandparent, son, daughter or other person who has played a prominent role in their lives. For more information call Megan Twohig at 406-243-4576 or e-mail mtwohig@saintpatrick.org.

The "3x3x3 Rideshare Challenge" at UM asks students, faculty and staff to commit to commuting to campus with three people, three times a week for three weeks, Nov. 3-24.

The goal of the challenge, organized by CoolPool, a group of environmental studies graduate students, and sponsored by the Associated Student of UM Sustainability Center, is to reduce UM's carbon emissions. People can join at any time, and all means of ridesharing are encouraged.

Those who log their carpooling through posts and photos on Facebook at http://facebook.com/3x3x3atUM will be eligible to win Dairy Queen ice cream and other gift certificates. A grand prize of a new Hellgate Cyclery bicycle will go to the rideshare post or photo with the most Facebook "likes."

Based on the response to the "3x3x3 Rideshare Challenge," CoolPool will create a report with recommendations for a future permanent rideshare program at UM.

More information about the rideshare challenge is on the Greening UM website.

Greening UM

A reception to honor the contributions of Linda Juneau, who served as UM's tribal liaison for several years, will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, in the Bonnie HeavyRunner Gathering Space of The Payne Family Native American Center. A short ceremony highlighting Juneau's accomplishments will begin at 4:30 p.m., and refreshments will be served.

Juneau helped lead fundraising efforts for the Payne Family Native American Center, which houses all of UM's Native American programming under one roof - the first building of its kind on any U.S. university campus. She also played a major role in planning the groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies for the building and fostered positive relationships between Montana tribes and UM.

For more information, call Fredricka Hunter, director of American Indian Student Services, at 406-243-6352.

The UM Percussion Ensemble and Islanders steel drum band will present their Fall Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, in the University Theatre. General admission is $10, and tickets for students and seniors cost $5 at the door.

The concert will feature a variety of music styles, including works by Pat Metheny and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In addition to large ensemble works, there will also be chamber-oriented works and a piece reminiscent of the Broadway group "Stomp!" The Islanders will close the concert with upbeat calypso, soca and Brazilian music.

For more information, call Daniel Darrah at 406-243-4819 or e-mail daniel.darrah@umontana.edu.

The Neuro Networking Club at UM will sponsor a free screening of the HBO film "Temple Grandin" from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, in the University Center Theater. The event is free and open to the public, and free parking will be available near the UC.

The film, which premiered in February and won seven Emmy Awards, is a biopic about autistic activist Temple Grandin, who revolutionized the humane treatment of livestock on cattle ranches and in slaughterhouses. It stars Claire Danes as Grandin, who won a best actress Emmy for her performance.

The Neuro Networking Club is a UM social group for adults with autism or Asperger's syndrome and their friends. The group will host a discussion on topics presented in the film after the screening.

For more information, call event organizer Treva Bittinger at 406-543-0003 or e-mail treva.bittinger@umontana.edu.

Weber State running back Vaingamalie Tafuna had four rushing touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 30-21 victory Oct. 30 over the Montana Grizzlies at Steward Stadium in Ogden, Utah.

Montana quarterback Justin Roper threw for three first-half touchdowns but also threw three second-half interceptions in the loss.

The Wildcats outrushed Montana 259-111. The power running attack of Weber State also gave the Wildcats a massive 40:28-19:32 edge in time-of-possession and helped them convert 50 percent of their third down opportunities. The Griz led 261-129 in passing yards. WSU held a slim edge in total offense yards, 388-372.

Roper was 22 of 38 for 261 yards to lead the game. Running back Chase Reynolds had 125 all-purpose yards, 71 on the ground and 54 on six receptions. Jabin Sambrano led all receivers with 70 yards and a touchdown on four catches.

Montana (6-3, 5-2 Big Sky) is off this weekend, and returns to action at noon, Saturday, Nov. 13, against North Dakota in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Senior Katrina Drennen finished second and freshman Keli Dennehy placed fourth to lead the UM women's cross country team to the 2010 Big Sky Conference title Oct. 29 at the Fairways Golf Course in Cheney, Wash.

It was the Grizzlies' first conference championship since 1984, when UM women's sports teams competed in the defunct Mountain West Conference. Montana snapped Northern Arizona's three-year run of Big Sky championships, and the Grizzlies became the first team other than the Lumberjacks or Weber State to win the title since 1995.

Junior Kesslee Payne was 12th, senior Kara DeWalt finished 14th and senior Brooke Andrus placed 17th as Montana scored 49 points to beat out Weber State, which placed its top three in the top nine overall but totaled 63 points.

Idaho State's Erica Wendt-Richardson won the five-kilometer women's race in a time of 15:46. Drennen was five seconds back with a runner-up time of 15:51, her third straight season finishing in the top three and her fourth consecutive year earning All-Big Sky Conference honors for a top-10 finish.

Dennehy was fourth in 16:00. Payne ran a 16:20, DeWalt a 16:23 and Andrus a 16:37.

In the eight-kilometer men's race, junior Lynn Reynolds placed fifth with a time of 22:15 for the second consecutive season, but the Grizzlies struggled to an eighth-place team showing.

With five runners in the top 10, Northern Arizona handily won the team title with 27 points. Montana State, which had its top five in the top 17 overall, placed second with 56 points.

Montana will compete at the NCAA Mountain Region championships on Saturday, Nov. 13, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Freshman Courtney Watson scored her first collegiate goal and sophomore Kristen Hoon posted a shutout in her first collegiate start Oct. 29 as Montana wrapped up its season with a 1-0 victory over Eastern Washington in Cheney, Wash. It was the final match of the season for both programs.

The Grizzlies, who went 2-1-1 over their final four matches with three shutouts, finished the season tied for fifth in the Big Sky Conference with seven points at 2-4-1. Montana went 3-12-3 overall.

Portland State senior Whitney Phillips had 21 kills on .265 hitting to lead the Vikings to a 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-21, 25-23) victory Oct. 29 over Montana in Portland, Ore.

The victory was Portland State's 13th straight win over Montana. UM senior Jaimie Thibeault finished with 16 kills on .387 hitting and added a match-high five blocks. Junior Amy Roberts had 12 kills and freshman Kayla Reno hit .229.

Senior libero Brittney Brown had 18 digs. Freshman Megan Murphey had a season-high 13 digs, and Roberts finished with 12.

On Oct. 30, Montana jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but Eastern Washington stormed back to win the final three sets in a 3-2 victory in a Big Sky Conference match at Cheney, Wash. The Grizzlies took the first two sets, 26-24, 26-24, and held an 18-12 lead in the third set before the Eagles rallied for 25-22, 25-18, 15-10 wins.

The win extended the Eagles' home-court winning streak against the Grizzlies to 15 matches dating back to 1995.

Montana (10-12, 6-5 Big Sky Conference) maintained its third-place Big Sky standing despite the weekend losses. Idaho State (14-11, 6-6 BSC), Eastern Washington (7-15, 6-6 BSC) and Sacramento State (12-13, 5-5 BSC) are lurking just a step behind with .500 Big Sky records.

Montana will host Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. Nov. 5, and Northern Arizona at 7 p.m. Nov. 6. Both matches are in the Adams Center West Auxiliary Gym.