WEATHER FORCES JAZZ CONCERT TO RESCHEDULE

The Jazz Concert originally scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30, (see below) has been rescheduled because of deteriorating weather conditions. The concert will take place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, in Kelce Hall.

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The Pittsburg State University Jazz Ensembles plan to offer a little something for every type of jazz lover in their winter concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30, in Memorial Auditorium. The concert is free.

Director Bob Kehle said the program will include a wide range of musical styles.

"We'll have down-home gospel, straight-ahead swing, Buddy Rich, Duke Ellington, Ottis Redding and basic blues," Kehle said.

The Two O'clock Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Todd Hastings, will open the performance. Their program includes: "Blufoladas," by Mark Taylor; "In a Mellow Tone," by Duke Ellington and arranged by Mark Taylor; "All the Things You Are," by Jerome Kern and arranged by Mike Tomaro; "Ivory Coast," by Jeff Hellmer and featuring Alicia Santee on piano; "SPG," by Dave Singley with Matt Bennett as conductor; "Laura," by David Raskin and arranged by Lennie Niehaus with Matt Bennett as conductor; "Blue 'n' Boogie," by Dizzy Gillespie and arranged by Mark Taylor; and "Respect," by Ottis Redding and arranged by Paul Murtha.

The PSU student combo, Giant Steps, will perform "The Chess Players," by Wayne Shorter.

The PSU One O'clock Jazz Ensemble will close the program with: "Summertime," by George Gershwin and arranged by Bill Potts; "Blood Count," by Billy Strayhorn featuring Russell Jones on the alto sax; "Rockin’ in Rhythm," by Duke Ellington; "Brass Roots," by Don Sebesky, arranged by Andy Clark and featuring Russell Jones on the alto sax and Zach Elkins on the soprano sax; "Whodunnit?" by Gordon Goodwin; and "Channel One Suite," by Bill Reddie, featuring Lewis Hundley on the tenor sax.

For more information on the concert, contact Bob Kehle at 620-235-4468, rkehle@pittstate.edu. For information about the PSU Department of Music, call 620-235-4466 or visit the department Web site at www.pittstate.edu/music.

---Pitt State---

Forum: Big rewards for those who think small

Sometimes, in order to think big, one needs to think really, really small. That will be the central theme at the Nanotechnology Entrepreneurship Forum at Pittsburg State University on Friday, Dec. 1. The forum is sponsored by the Center for NanoComposities and Multifunctional Materials (CNCMM) at PSU and will take place from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Governor's Room of the Overman Student Center.

Five panelists representing nanotechnology research and industry will attend. They are Dr. Elizabeth Friis, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas; William D. Goodson, president and CEO of TrailMaster Infrared Monitors in Lenexa, Kan.; Dr. Olga Koper, vice president of technology and technical services for NanoScale; Dr. Angela N. Nwaneri, associate patent counsel for Johnson and Johnson and vice president of patent law for Alza Corp.; and Dr. Peter Wu, vice president and chief scientist for Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.

Friis' topic will be "Biomedical Product Development." Her area of research is biomaterials and biomechanics, with special emphasis on orthopaedic implant design and product development. Goodson, a PSU alumnus, will discuss "Radar Transparency in a Global Economy." Koper, a co-inventor on 10 patents, will discuss "Innovation and Entrepreurship: NanoScale – Thinking Big in a Small Science." Nwaneri will offer a "Review of Nanotechnology Patenting Activities." Wu, whose work with corrosion protection on aircraft and environmentally safer processes has led to advancements in manufacturing, will speak on "Intrepreneurship in the Corporate Structure."

Organizers of the forum said their goal is to generate awareness of entrepreneurship in the field of nanotechnology for PSU students and others attending. The CNCMM at PSU is developing a graduate level materials science and technology program.

Moderators for the forum are Dr. Virginia Rider, coordinator of the Pre-Med Program; Dr. Charles Blatchley, chairman of the Physics and Chemistry Departments; and Dr. Christopher Ibeh, director of the CNCMM.

The CNCMM is a campuswide interdisciplinary research project at PSU sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. The CNCMM provides a mechanism for coordinated efforts of basic, applied and innovative research in the areas of nanocomposities and multifunctional materials for naval structures and homeland security.

For more information about the Nanotechnology Entrepreneurship Forum, contact Beth Uhler, administrative assistant at 620-235-6175, buhler@pittstate.edu or Christopher Ibeh at cibeh@pittstate.edu. For more about the Center for NanoComposities and Multifunctional Materials, visit their Web site at www.cncmm.org.

---Pitt State---

Annual winter concerts set for Timmons Chapel

The holiday season wouldn't be complete without the annual Timmons Chapel winter concerts, which are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 & 8. The concerts are a gift to the community from students and faculty in the Pittsburg State University Music Department.

David Hurley, a member of the Music Department faculty and director of the Christmas concerts, said the program is made up of seasonal and classical compositions and includes music for brass, vocalists, the Chamber Orchestra and the bells.

To add to the festive mood, Timmons Chapel will be decorated in holiday greens. The Gothic-style, all-faiths chapel was a gift of the late Bess Spiva Timmons and the Timmons family in 1966.

There is no admission fee for the concerts, but seating in Timmons Chapel is limited. For more information, please contact the Pittsburg State University Department of Music at 620-235-4466.

---Pitt State---

Roundtable: Civil Liberties in the 'War on Terror'

From the day terrorists brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 2001, America has faced the dilemma of how to protect its citizens while also preserving their civil liberties. Faculty members of Pittsburg State University's departments of Social Sciences and History will discuss those thorny issues in a roundtable discussion entitled "Civil Liberties in the 'War on Terror'" at 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 27. The event will take place in the Governors Room of the Overman Student Center. It is free and open to the public and refreshments will be provided.

The participants will be Dr. Michael Kelly, chairman of the Department of Social Sciences; Dr. John Daley, chairman of the Department of History; Dr. James Spradling, an instructor in the Department of Social Sciences; and Dr. Paul Zagorski, a professor in the Department of Social Sciences.

---Pitt State---

Ensembles to perform at Pittsburg Public Library

Some of the world's greatest composers will be at the Pittsburg Public Library (in spirit, at least) on Friday, Dec. 1. Student and faculty ensembles from the Pittsburg State University Department of Music will perform the works of Bach, Dvorak, Mozart and Saint-Saens at 3:30 p.m. as part of the Pittsburg Public Library Chamber Series. The ensembles will be under the direction of Dr. Selim Giray, a member of the Music Department faculty. The performance is free and open to the public.

---Pitt State---

PSU groups plan AIDS Week observance

Gorillas In Your Midst, a peer health education group; Student Prevention & Wellness, the Women's Studies Club at Pittsburg State University and the AIDS Resource Network of Southeast Kansas (ARNOSK) will sponsor a variety of activities in observance of World AIDS Week, which begins on Nov. 24th and culminates with the internationally observed World AIDS Day on December 1. The theme for this year's observance is "You, Me, Us."

Activities begin on Friday, Nov. 24, with an AIDS quilt display at Meadowbrook Mall. Sections of the AIDS quilt, which has memorial panels dedicated to the memory of lost loved ones, will be on display at the mall Nov. 224-26 and at the Overman Student Center Nov. 27-29. The quilt is on loan from the Tulsa Area Names Project. Information on the NAMES Quilt, brochures on HIV-AIDS and its prevention, red ribbons and posters will be available.

Wednesday, Nov. 29
A memorial World AIDS Day Observation will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29, in the Governor's Room of the Overman Student Center. It will include an presentation titled "Stories From the NAMES Quilt" by Terry Klein, president of the Tulsa Area Names Project chapter, and Ray Chance, NAMES Project western area representative; poetry and musical presentations; and a candlelight remembrance of all who have died from AIDS as well as those who continue to live with the disease.

Thursday, Nov. 30
"The Day My God Died," a feature-length documentary that presents the stories of young girls whose lives have been shattered by the child sex trade, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30, in the Balkans Room of the Overman Student Center. In places such as India, sexual servitude is a virtual death sentence. In Bombay, for example, 90 new cases of HIV are reported every hour.

Donations received during the World AIDS Week observance will be directed to Doctors Without Borders, the Nobel-prize-winning medical relief organization, with the stipulation that the money be used for AIDS relief in developing countries.

For information about the PSU observance, call J.T. Knoll, PSU prevention and wellness coordinator at 620-235-4062 or send him an e-mail at: jknoll@pittstate.edu.

To contact Terry Klein, president of the Tulsa Area Names Project or Ray Chance, NAMES project western area representative, call 918-663-0820 or 918-828-4712.

---Pitt State---

Group plans auditions

The PSU Women's Studies Club will hold auditions on Dec. 4-5 for its upcoming production of The Vagina Monologues. The auditions will be held from 3-7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4, and from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, in 107 Yates Hall. No acting experience is required.

The award-winning play is scheduled to be performed on Feb. 9-10. Proceeds from the production will go to benefit the Crisis Resource Center of Southeast Kansas (CRC) and "Women in Conflict Zones," which is the V-Day spotlight campaign for 2007. Past performances have raised more than $4,000 for the CRC.

The PSU Women's Studies Club is a university and community organization that helps examine the diversity of women’s lives, experiences, and voices in our multicultural and globalized world through activism.

For more information about V-Day's college campaign, visit their Web site.

For more information about the Vagina Monologues auditions, call Rithu Chillal at 620-235-6083 or send her an e-mail at desideratum920@hotmail.com.

---Pitt State---

PSU takes holiday break

With the rest of the nation, Pittsburg State University is preparing to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no classes and no retail food services on campus after the end of the day today (Tuesday, Nov. 21). Administrative offices will be open on Wednesday, but will close on Thursday and Friday. The Overman Student Center will be open from 6 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both the Gorilla Bookstore and Commerce Bank will be open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

The university will resume its regular academic and administrative schedule on Monday, Nov. 27.

---Pitt State---

College of Technology hosts regional conference.

The Pittsburg State University College of Technology will host its 64th annual Four-State Regional Technology Conference Nov. 16-17 at the Kansas Technology Center on the PSU campus. The long-running conference is designed for the professional development of technology teachers, school-to-career teachers, administrators and counselors.

Organizers have scheduled nearly 80 presentations and exhibits over the two-day event. Additionally, numerous exhibitors will be on hand and several off-campus tours have been scheduled. The presentations cover a wide range of topics. A few include: Lego Robotics, Teaching Special Needs Students in the Technology Classroom, Building Skills: An Introduction to the Building Trades, and the NASA Moon Buggy Competition: Matching Science to Technology.

Exhibits are open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, and from 8 a.m. until noon on Friday, Nov. 17. For more information, please call the College of Technology at 620-235-4365 or visit the Four-State Regional Technology Conference Web site at www.fsrtc.org.

---Pitt State---

Group hopes to interest students in health care careers

High school students and their counselors from the region will learn about opportunities in health care at the third annual Health Care Career Day on Friday, Nov. 17, at Pittsburg State University. The event is sponsored by the Four-States Health Professions Consortium and the PSU Department of Nursing.

Organizers have planned a full day of activities for the students and their teachers. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. in McPherson Hall. Throughout the day, various exhibitors will have displays. Participants may choose to attend career-specific sessions on careers in or as: medical doctor, nursing, operating room technologist, radiation technology, dentistry, occupational and physical therapy, laboratory, psychology, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, emergency medical technologist, flight nurse and paramedics. St. John's Regional Medical Center, and Freeman Health System in Joplin are scheduled to bring in their life flight helicopters and Crawford County EMS in Pittsburg will bring in the ambulances for tours between 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Activities are expected to conclude at 2:45 p.m.

The Four States Health Professions Consortium was created in 2001 in order to address the current and future health care shortages in the Four-State area. The consortium consists of representatives from hospitals, academic institutions, public health, area health education centers, local businesses and legislators.

Consortium members include: Barton County Memorial Hospital, Lamar, Mo.; Cox Health System, Springfield, Mo.; Freeman Health System, Joplin, Mo.; Hospital District #1, Girard, Kan.; McCune Brooks Hospital, Carthage, Mo.; Missouri Rehab Center, Mt. Vernon, Mo.; Nevada Regional Medical Center, Nevada, Mo.; St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Mo.; St. John's Health System, Springfield, Mo.; Crowder College, Joplin and Neosho, Mo.; Forest Institute, Springfield, Mo.; Franklin Technology Center, Joplin, Mo.; Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, Mo.; Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kan.; Missouri State University., Springfield, Mo.; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Fayetteville, Ark.; Northeast Oklahoma A&M College, Miami, Okla.; Area Health Education Center NW, Fayetteville, Ark.; SWMO Area Health Education Center, Springfield, Mo.; Economic Development, Neosho, Mo.; Joplin Chamber of Commerce, Joplin, Mo.; SW Workforce Investment Board, Joplin, Mo.; Gary Little, Healthcare Consultant, Seneca, Mo.; City of Neosho, Mo.

For more information, please call the PSU Department of Nursing at 620-235-4431.

---Pitt State---

Rock band performs at GorillaFest

A "home-grown" blues and classic rock band from northeast Kansas, 13th Step, will perform for this Saturday's GorillaFest at Pittsburg State University. The band is known for a rock and blues sound influenced by the members' love of Hendrix, Cream and Zeppelin. 13th Step will perform from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Gazebo in Gorilla Village just east of Carnie Smith Stadium.

GorillaFest, a free communitywide tailgate party that precedes each home football game, begins at 11 a.m. and concludes at 2 p.m. Students in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation will host free games for kids beginning at noon in the shelter house. Food vendors will offer a variety of tailgate foods and several student groups will have booths in the village.

The high point for each GorillaFest is a pep rally led by the Pride of the Plains Marching Band and the PSU Spirit Squad. The pep rally will take place at approximately 1:10 p.m.

For more information about GorillaFest, call the PSU Office of Public Relations at 620-235-4122.

---Pitt State---

Students hope to raise Veterans Day awareness

The Student Government Association at Pittsburg State University will host a Hot Chocolate and Cards event for Veterans from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, on the Oval. The students will serve hot chocolate and give out yellow ribbons to make students, faculty and staff aware of Veteran's Day (November 11). Anyone who stops by will also be encouraged to fill out a thank you card, which the SGA will mail to deployed soldiers for Thanksgiving.

---Pitt State---

Army veteran, author to deliver Women in Government lecture

Army veteran and author Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch will be the speaker for Pittsburg State University's Profiles of Women in Government lecture series on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Kickbusch will talk about "Living Our Legacy" at noon in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom in the Overman Student Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.

In her presentation, Kickbusch will pose the questions, "What if you were living your legacy now? What if your vision for the future was part of everything you do today?" In this presentation, Kickbusch challenges participants to become living legends in their personal and professional lives.

In 1996, Kickbusch concluded a distinguished 20-career in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of Lt. Col. Her military career was marked by a series of firsts. When she earned her ROTC commission, she was the first woman commissioned as an ROTC officer in the state of Texas. Later in her career, Kickbusch was the highest ranking Hispanic woman in the combat support field in the U.S. Army.

Born and raised in a tiny barrio in Laredo, Texas, Kickbusch overcame challenges of poverty, discrimination and illiteracy. That experience was one of the motivating factors for Kickbusch to found Educational Achievement Services, Inc., (EAS) upon her retirement from the Army. As part of EAS, Kickbusch created the Family Leadership Institute, which is a comprehensive program dedicated to helping immigrant Hispanic families participate in their children's education.

In the past decade, Kickbusch has worked with children, parents and educators in some of America's roughest neighborhoods in 43 states. In addition to her work with youth, Kickbusch consults extensively with corporations and government agencies to develop leadership among and improve the performance of their employees. Her clients include Avon, IBM, Verizon, Kansas Power and Light, the U.S. Postal Service and NASA.

The Profiles of Women in Government Lecture Series is presented by Pittsburg State University and the PSU Foundation, Inc., through the generous support of the Helen S. Boylan Foundation.

For more information, please contact the Office of University Communication at 620-235-4122.

---Pitt State---

Crowder Jazz Orchestra performs at PSU

The Crowder Jazz Orchestra will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, in the McCray Recital Hall at Pittsburg State University. The orchestra is under the direction of Todd Hastings, a member of the PSU Music Department faculty. Alan Hood, a trumpet professor at the University of Denver, will be the guest soloist for the performance.

The Crowder Jazz Orchestra was formed in the fall of 2005, Hastings said, and grew out of a love for traditional big band jazz music and a need for a community-based ensemble in the Camp Crowder community. The band’s personnel are comprised of community and professional musicians alike.

"The CJO has the ability to connect with audiences of all musical tastes and ages and often presents public concerts in tandem with educational outreach events," Hastings said.

Recent concerts by the orchestra have included performances at the Webb City Jazz Festival, Crowder College, and Missouri Southern State University. The ensemble's repertoire ranges from classic jazz standards to arrangements by today's leading big band composers and arrangers.

"The collective credentials of this ensemble are extraordinary," Hastings said.

Members of the group have performed with such luminaries as Joe Williams, Slide Hampton, Henry Mancini, Doc Severinsen, Aretha Franklin, Bernadette Peters, Charlie Haden, Woody Herman, Wayne Newton, Ben Vereen, The O’Jays, and many others.

For information, contact Hastings at 620-235-4485, thasting@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---

Group plans activities for Great American Smokeout

Gorillas in You Midst, a peer health education group at Pittsburg State University, and PSU Student Prevention and Wellness, will sponsor several activities for the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 16. The theme for this year's event is "Smart, Sexy and Smokefree."

From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on that day, the students will staff a booth in the main level lounge of the Overman Student Center. In addition to a stop-smoking display from the Crawford County Health Department, there will be medical information on smoking cessation, free "quit kits" for smokers, information on how to help a friend quit smoking and telephone and Internet resources for support. Students will also be invited to play Tobacco Jeopardy for prizes and there will be cash prizes for a slogan contest.

---Pitt State---

Stand-up comic making waves

Stand-up comic Kelly Taylor will perform at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, in the U-Club of the Overman Student Center at Pittsburg State University. Taylor's performance, sponsored by the Student Activities Council, is free.

Taylor is relatively new to the comic scene, but already he is making waves. It was just three years ago that this Canadian gave up a mediocre career in hockey to pursue his comedy dream. This summer, Taylor placed second in the Just for Laughs Homegrown competition. His performance attracted the attention of NBC Universal, Happy Gilmore Productions and Jimmy Kimmel.

Since then, Kelly has appeared at the Vancouver and Calgary Comedy Festivals and has opened for the likes of Blake Clark, Eddie Brill and Rich Hall. This fall, Kelly is maintaining an aggressive tour schedule that takes him to scores of campuses throughout the Midwest.

For more information, contact the Student Activities Council at 620-235-4801, sac@pittstate.edu.

Kelly Taylor on the Web: www.kellytaylorcomedy.com

---Pitt State---

Seminar focuses on school crisis prevention and response

Because school security is such a timely subject in the region and nationally, the Pittsburg State University College of Technology is opening up a Four-State Technology Conference seminar on crisis prevention and response to professionals in area school districts.

Randall Listrom, president of Listrom and Associates, LLC, will deliver three hours of instruction on "Preventing and Responding to Crisis" on Thursday, Nov. 16. The class will run from 1:30-4:30 p.m. in S102 of the Kansas Technology Center.

Listrom's class is just one of the events scheduled for the 64th annual Four-State Technology Conference, which is designed for the professional development of technology teachers, school-to-career teachers, administrators and counselors. The conference runs Nov. 16-17 in the Kansas Technology Center on the PSU campus.

Dr. John Iley, chairman of the Department of Technology Studies, said opening the crisis prevention and response class to a wider audience was driven by the timeliness of the subject matter and the belief that it might benefit a wide range of people in the education community. Interested professionals need not register for the entire Four-State Conference, but should contact Lori Hall at 620-235-4365 to be put on the seminar-only attendance list.

---Pitt State---

Watts to speak at Veterans Day observance

Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Watts (Ret.) will be the keynote speaker for the Veterans Day observance at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Veterans Memorial at Pittsburg State University. Watts, who is a native of Seneca, Mo., and is a 1956 PSU graduate, served more than 33 years in the airborne, infantry and armored forces.

Watts entered the Army upon completing the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at PSU in 1956. He earned a bachelor of science degree from PSU and later a master of science degree from Auburn University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and Staff College, and the Air War College.

Watts served two tours of duty as an infantry officer in Vietnam and has had several major command assignments. Those include commanding general of the VII U.S. Corps, Germany; commanding general of the First Infantry Division; commanding general of the U.S. Army Readiness and Mobilization Command; deputy commanding general of the First U.S. Army; and commander of the 2nd Armored Division in Germany.

The Veterans Day observance will include the dedication of an additional 140 pavers at the Veterans Memorial, bringing the total number of pavers at the memorial to 2,750.

The Pittsburg High School Band will perform the National Anthem and "Manhattan Beach March." "America the Beautiful" will be sung by Christy Beebe and the Great Highland Bagpipes will play "Amazing Grace." Taps will be played by PSU student Matt Carter. The Rev. Veryl Strong of the Frontenac United Methodist Church will deliver the invocation.

Others on the program include Dr. James AuBuchon; Randy Roberts, PSU archivist; Dr. Steven A. Scott, vice president for Academic Affairs; and 1st Lt. Drew Polen of the Kansas Army National Guard. Steve Robb will deliver the benediction.

For more information on the Veterans Day observance, call the PSU Office of Public Relations at 620-235-4122.

For information about the Veterans Memorial at PSU, including memorial pavers, visit the Web site at www.psuvetmemorial.org.

---Pitt State---

PSU student nurses share message about HPV

Graduate student nurses at Pittsburg State University want PSU students to know about the genital human papillomavirus (HPV) and a recently approved vaccine that could prevent the spread of the disease and the cervical cancer that it causes. The student nurses will staff an informational table in the first floor lobby of the Overman Student Center from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Nov. 7-9.

Student organizers of the informational campaign say it is particularly important to get the message to college-age students because they are in a high risk group for contracting and spreading this common sexually transmitted disease. To help increase student interest, the graduate student nurses will have drawings for a wide range of prizes ranging from meals at local restaurants, to haircuts and even an Apple iPod.

In June of this year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first HPV vaccine. The vaccine has been licensed for use with females between the ages of 9 and 26. FDA officials said the vaccine offers protection from infection and diseases associated with HPV types that cause approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that the vaccine be given routinely to females 11-12 years of age and used with girls as young as 9 at the discretion of their health care provider.

For information about the graduate nurses HPV information efforts, please call the PSU Department of Nursing at 620-235-4431.

For information about HPV:
National HPV & Cervical Cancer Prevention Resource Center Website at www.ashastd.org/hpv/hpv_overview.cfm
Or
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at
www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/default.htm

---Pitt State---

Poet to read from his works at PSU

Poet David Lee will read from his works at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9, in 109 Grubbs Hall on the Pittsburg State University campus. Lee is the second writer in the 2006-2007 PSU Distinguished Visiting Writers Series. The reading is free and open to the public.

At 11 a.m. that day, Lee will visit with students in a class in 303 Grubbs Hall. That is also open to the public.

Lee, named Utah’s first poet laureate, is well known for his 1974 book, "The Porcine Legacy," which he followed up a decade later with "The Porcine Canticles."

A former chairman of the Department of Language and Literature at Southern Utah University, Lee has said, “Poetry is not a spectator sport. It cannot work unless we have active engagement between the poet, the poem and the reader. All three are equally responsible for what is going to happen inside the poem.”

Lee has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and is the recipient of the Utah Governor’s Award for lifetime achievement in the arts. He has published more than a dozen titles, most recently "So Quietly the Earth," "News from Down to the Café: New Poems," and "A Legacy of Shadows: Selected Poems."

Lee's background may be unusual for a poet. He studied to be a minister, was a boxer, is a decorated Army veteran, and played semiprofessional baseball as the only white player to ever play for the Negro League Post Texas Blue Stars. Lee has raised hogs and labored in a cotton mill, but ultimately labored in the fields of academia, specializing in the poetry of John Milton.

Speaking of how he creates voice in his poems, Lee said, “In a previous life, I was a ruminant. A ruminant has four stomachs. He chews and swallows a thing, and then he coughs it up, and he chews it again, and swallows it, and repeats this at least four times.”

Lee is admired for his humor, his exceptional use of dialect and for charting the lives of ordinary people.

For more information, please contact the PSU Department of English at 620-235-4689.

---Pitt State---

Library honors PSU authors

Pittsburg State University's Axe Library and the Friends of Axe Library will honor the university's authors at a 3 p.m. reception on Nov. 9 in the library's browsing area. The reception recognizes scholarly and creative works published during the past year.

This year's book authors include Suzanne Arruda, Maeve Cummings, Donald Baack, and Mihail Ionescu.

Suzanne Arruda is being honored for her historical mystery novel, "The Mark of the Lion." Dr. Maeve Cummings' well-known textbook, "Management Information Systems for the Information Age," has come out in a new sixth edition. Another well received textbook, "Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communication," by Dr. Donald Baack has been published in its 3rd edition. This year, "The IMC PlanPro Handbook," a handbook and software to supplement the marketing book was also published. Rapra Technology has published Dr. Mihail Ionescu’s book, "Chemistry and Technology of Polyols for Polyurethanes."

Also featured at this year's reception is, Dr. John C. Ross, composer. His most recent composition, "Prelude and Caprice" has been released as part of "Melange, New Music for Piano." The reception will feature an audio version of "Prelude and Caprice" as well as other scores written by Dr. Ross.

Also being honored are PSU faculty who have published articles, papers, and other creative works. Their works are on display in the browsing area. These authors include Melvin Roush, Virginia Rider, Andrew Guo, Zoran Petrovic, Tomas Vlcek, Wei Zhang, Felix Dreher, Tatiana Sildus, Connie Shum, Thomas Hahn, Randy Winzer, Phil McNew, Kathleen DeGrave, Stephen Meats, Casie Hermansson, Laura Lee Washburn, Brenda Mishmash, John Daley, Stephen Harmon, Sergey Radchenko, Earl Lee, Robert Lindsey, Jane Victor, Eric Harris, Meltem Tugut, Ananda Jayawardhana, Cynthia Woodburn, Bobby Winters, Judy Berry-Bravo, David R. Hurley, Charles Blatchley, Don Ward, Browyn Conrad, Harry Humphries, Roy Janisch, James McBain, Donald Viney, Brenda Frieden, Richard Lipka, Joni Barnard, Gregory Belcher, and Robert Frisbee.

A bibliography of all published work, those displayed and others, will be available at the reception.

---Pitt State---

Renowned lute player returns to PSU

Hopkinson Smith, called by some the finest lute player in the world, returns to Pittsburg State University on Thursday, Nov. 9, as part of the 2006-2007 Solo and Chamber Music Series. Smith will perform at 7:30 p.m. in McCray Recital Hall. Dr. Susan Marchant, series director, said Smith's third appearance on the series is a result of popular demand.

Smith lives in Basel, Switzerland, where he teaches at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Smith gives frequent concerts and master classes throughout Eastern and Western Europe and in North and South America. He has an extensive discography, which includes more than 20 solo recordings. His most recent release is "Dowland: A Dream."

Since the mid '80s, Smith has focused principally on solo music for early plucked instruments. In addition to the Renaissance lute, these include the vihuela, the orbo, Renaissance and baroque guitars and the baroque lute.

Tickets for the performance are $10 for the general public and $7 for persons over 65 or under 18. Tickets may be purchased in advance through the PSU Ticket Office in advance, phone: 620-235-4796; or on the Web at www.pittstate.edu/union/tickets/.

Learn more about Hopkinson Smith and hear his music on the Web at www.hopkinsonsmith.com.

---Pitt State---

National safe sex activist & educator to visit campus

Pittsburg State University students will hear an alcohol awareness message that differs from the usual "don't drink and drive" theme. National alcohol awareness speaker Joel Goldman will talk to students about "Sex under the influence" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, in the McCray Hall. Goldman's appearance is part of the campus Alcohol Awareness Week observance.

Most college students are sensible enough to know that drinking and driving don't mix, Goldman said. One wrong turn, one misjudgment from an impaired driver and lives can be lost. Most of those same students, however, give far less thought to another alcohol-related behavior that can be just as life-threatening: unprotected sex.

"My job is to help students make the connection between alcohol and sex and the consequences we're likely to face when we mix the two," said Goldman. Some of the consequences Goldman highlights in his program are direct, such as contracting a sexually transmitted disease, including HIV. Others are more subtle, Goldman says. "Like when we pair up with an 'ex,' someone we know we don't want to be with and wouldn't go home with if we'd given it sober consideration," he said.

Goldman shares stories from his own college experience to illustrate his message.

"I remember one morning I woke up and discovered that I'd gotten stitches in my leg," Goldman said. "And, if that weren't enough, I wasn't alone in my bed! I had no idea how either of these things occurred."

Goldman uses creativity and humor in sharing stories of his own and othersʼ exploits while under the influence. He also shows a video that presents a unique "before and after" perspective from students on college campuses.

"We asked students what they thought about sex and alcohol," Goldman said. "During the daytime, their answers were thoughtful and showed true knowledge about the consequences."

At night, their stories changed dramatically.

"The same students caught on tape after they'd had a few drinks were much more honest about how they really behaved. The video effectively demonstrates that even the most aware among us can lapse in judgment when alcohol is in the mix."

Approximately 80 percent of sexual assaults on campus involve alcohol and alcohol plays a significant role in a large number of other campus problems as well. Given these statistics, Goldman feels there is no more important topic to discuss on college campuses today. Goldman said students must begin talking honestly about the problems caused by excessive alcohol use.

"There is no judgment anywhere in this presentation and the point is not to get students to stop consuming alcohol altogether," Goldman said. "Instead, I hope to give them some tools that they can use to make better decisions."

Goldman has been speaking to college students about risky behavior for more than 10 years. He has presented on more than 800 campuses and at more than 50 national conferences. He is the recipient of top national awards from the National Interfraternity Conference, the Association of Fraternity Advisers, and the Ryan White Foundation for his work in educating college students.

For more information, contact J.T. Knoll, PSU prevention and wellness coordinator, 620-235-4062, jknoll@pittstate.edu.

---Pitt State---