The Cultural Center Hosts New Events
Every second and fourth Tuesday, at high noon, students will be able to gather again at the Center for social interaction and stimulating conversation. A documentary titled the "Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), founded in 1994, is a nationally recognized organization who combats slave labor by promoting human rights and fighting for fair wages. Members largely consist of Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian immigrant farm workers. Immediately following the video, and all other presentations, a moderator from Service-Learning will lead a discussion. Service-Learning provides internship credits for students who perform work in their field of study outside the classroom. The Center also started hosting Happy Hour last fall, and Parker is just as pleased with it as she is with the Brown Bag Video Series. "Depending on the event," she says, "we've had anywhere from eight to 30 people show up." Happy Hour is scheduled at the Cultural Center every Friday afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00. Activities can range from artifact making to painting to salsa lessons. Parker says they sometimes serve refreshments and usually have a person leading the week's activity. For more information about these and other upcoming events at the Cultural Center, check out the web site at culturalcenter.boisestate.edu or call 426-1449. [ Back to top ] Global Expression 2004-2005 Series
Last October, as part of the Global Expressions 2004-2005 Series, poet, novelist and screenplay writer Sherman Alexie came to speak at the Special Events Center. To kick off the brand new series, no one had to pay before walking through the door, and having someone like Alexie come to campus to give a free presentation was a big one-time deal. Alexie, a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian wrote The Business of Fancydancing, a collection of poetry and stories, and was described as "one of the major lyric voices of our time" by the New York Times Book Review. In 1992, he received a National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship, and his debut publication was selected as a Notable Book of the Year. Smoke Signals, his first screenplay, became the first feature film ever produced, written, and directed by American Indians. Boise State Student Activities, the sponsors of Global Expressions, have lined up an equally impressive cast for the rest of the year. Performing on February 12, will be COBA, the Collective of Black Artists. Through music, dance, folklore and rituals, COBA celebrates traditional and contemporary African and Caribbean cultures while promoting interracial peace and cross-cultural education. On Saturday, April 2, the world famous Harlem Gospel Choir will perform. The Choir, dedicated to creating a better understanding of the African-American culture, raises funds for children's charities. According to Rob Meyer, the Associate Director for Student Activities, the purpose behind Global Expressions is to shine the spotlight on the "rich and varied cultures. ..of our state and of our world, and to provide the Boise State Community with professional quality performances at a student price." Through music, spoken word and dance, art embraces diversity in a new form. "It is a performance genre not being provided by another group or department on campus," says Meyer. "We are hoping to create an annual subscription series filled with diverse presentation styles in both music and dance. It's a series that we hope will generate a lot of interest with our students as well as the Treasure Valley community." Tickets are still available at Select-a-Seat for COBA and the Harlem Gospel Choir: $5 for students, seniors 55+, and Boise state employees and alumni; $10 for general audiences. For additional information call 426- INFO (4636) or visit events.boisestate.edu.
 [ Back to top ] SUB in First Phase of Lavatory Remodel
It's been about 15 years since the restrooms in the SUB last received an update. The tiles and fixtures have long lost their shine, and the worn-out partitions are so 1980s. But that's changing. The first phase of remodeling the seven sets of restrooms throughout the building began over Holiday break. The downstairs Patio and the upstairs Hatch lavatories have been selected as the first two to undergo major facelifts during the next three years. Jack Rahmann, Associate Director of the Student Union, says overhauling all of them at once is too much, so the decision of which rooms to be completed first was based on those with the highest traffic. "In our planning, " he says, "we chose the most heavily used rooms ...one downstairs used by the students, and one upstairs used by students, faculty and guests for meetings and other events." The rooms, all of which will be completely gutted right down to the concrete, will have "an upscale look" that incorporates the already existing colors of the facility - earthy tans and browns along with blue accents. In addition to the contemporary design, high efficiency fixtures and toilets will be installed to substantially reduce water usage and help save costs.  [ Back to top ] A New Look, A New Menu, A New Attitude
The extreme makeover at the Table Rock Café (TRC) is looking exceptionally good, but there's still more to come. Executive Chef Mike Turner has reason to brag about the new self-service, all-you-can-eat pizza and pasta station that will be available for lunch and dinner during the spring semester. Turner says, "The only rule is nothing should leave the restaurant." After conducting a survey to determine students' favorite foods, the staff ran an experiment to verify results that offering pizza would be a worthwhile addition to the menu. "We wanted to get a gauge of how it would go, and we had a great response," says Turner. On a Tuesday night, 35 large and 70 personal cheese pizzas were laid out and consumed in a short amount of time. But meat lovers don't let the word "cheese" scare you. There'll be plenty of pepperoni and sausage to go around. The goal is to try to accommodate everyone's taste buds. In addition to the winter comfort foods already being offered - for example, lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, and Nate's Kickin' Mac & Cheese - the new pasta dishes will vary from Asian to Italian to French. Those sporting a sweet tooth are not going to be left out of the new food fare. Peach and berry or apple pie dessert sauté promise to be a culinary extravagance. Imagine slivers of apples seasoned with sugar and cinnamon tendered to perfection and served warm with a scoop of just-starting-to-melt vanilla ice cream. If that doesn't make your mouth water. .. "Just4 U" is yet another new option for hungry patrons at TRC. Out of 400 campuses across the country, Boise State was chosen to participate in an ARAMARK pilot program targeting health conscious consumers. The plan, says Turner, "is determined by lifestyle with regards to healthier .. eating." Carb counters, calorie savvy dieters, and heart smart people, for example, will be able to get a nutritional breakdown per serving - carbohydrates, fats, proteins, etc. - to accompany their meal. "We feel good about Just4U," says Turner. "We want to educate students about it and make sure they understand how the program works." Turner has been at Boise State since March 2003. He started working when the contract food service company, ARAMARK, took over the account from Fine Host. He's been long in the business of fine dining. He comes to campus after working for a private estate, country clubs and resorts, and likes ARAMARK's philosophy towards residential dining - it should be more restaurant than student cafeteria, and food should be "cooked in batches." Batch cooking means you might have to wait a longer to dig in because food is made in stages - smaller quantities at a time - rather than mass produced all at once. "It's fresher, better tasting food," says Turner, "with an emphasis on texture, flavor and color." According to Turner, cooking for a university is a unique challenge. "We run a five-week cycle menu. Most colleges run on three to four. We try to switch between American, Chinese, Mexican, and Italian. Looking over a period of 35 days, we try to keep them [students] interested so they don't get bored ...and we also want to satisfy those parents who pay for their plans." Turner says trying to please so many customers. As many as 5,500 to 6,000 a week - where a lot of diverse tastes and cultures converge keeps him going, and he wants everyone "to please fill out those comment cards. We really do read them,"' he says. "If you don't tell us what's wrong, we can't fix it." Sounds like he's working hard to make it good.
Be sure to check out the new dining web site for a variety of menus from daily dishes to full catering: diningservices.boisestate.edu/outlets.htm. For students, faculty and staff who don't want to pack a meal, they can sign up for a Commuter Meal Plan. Choose from two options, one for 22 meals, or one that provides 45 meals, and receive up to a 33% discount off the door price at Table Rock Café. [ Back to top ] Sexual Assault Response Advocacy
For more information on the process of reporting a crime and available services, please call the Women's Center at 426-4259 or visit womenscenter.boisestate.edu/resources/sarp [ Back to top ] Advisor Profile: Dr. Martin Orr, Idaho Progressive Student Alliance
Orr is Chair of the Cultural and Ethnic Diversity Board and the Mexican American Studies Conference, and serves on the advisory board of The Arbiter. For a few years, he advised the Sociology Club, and is currently faculty advisor for the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance (IPSA). IPSA was founded in 1998 at Boise State to bring together student leaders from high schools and universities to lay the foundation for a statewide student coalition. Their mission is to "work for social, economic and environmental justice." Orr says the organization hopes to someday include all of the Gem State, "to connect future leaders of the progressive movement in Idaho." Although his position as faculty advisor can be "pretty routine" at times - reviewing and signing forms, reading and responding to e-mails, occasionally attending meetings - he says volunteering for students has its benefits. "Student organizations are extremely important for developing all kinds of talents and relationships...contributing to that general mission is very rewarding. It's also nice having interactions in which students take the lead more than is generally possible in the classroom. I've learned an incredible amount from the programs, workshops, and organizing efforts of student organizations. When asked who inspires him, Orr named many people including Jeremy Maxand, Executive Director of the Snake River Alliance, and one of Orr's first students at Boise State. Maxand "has become a great friend and colleague," he says. "We've worked together on a number of projects....Energetic, courageous, diplomatic and politically savvy, he is a truly remarkable community leader and educator." Orr also pays special tribute to his first sociology teacher, Jeffers Chertok, who recently passed away. "His example as a teacher, scholar, advisor, administrator, and humanist will always inspire me. Jeff's commitment to education, research, and human progress was second to none. He was always generous with his time and sincerely interested in both the intellectual and personal development of his students and colleagues." Professor Orr is a founding member of Idaho's Independent Media Center, a former editor of the Pacific Sociological Association's (PSA) newsletter, a member of their 2001, 2002, and 2005 Program Committees, and a member of the PSA Committee on Freedom of Research and Teaching. In 1987, he earned his Masters in sociology at the University of Oregon, and his B.A. in sociology at Eastern Washington University in 1984. His work has appeared in publications such as The Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, Sociological Focus, and Nature, Society, and Thought. [ Back to top ] Advisor Profile: Melanie Reese, Conflict Management Services
CMSSO provides free mediation services to Boise State and the community, and they also offer conflict management training. Reese says the club has faltered in the past for lack of committed undergraduates, but has regained strength the past few years. Any student interested in conflict and mediation can participate, but club members mostly consist of students in the Dispute Resolution Program. For certification, students are required to have 20 hours of mediation practice, and an additional 60 hours of study and/or experience. Currently, most students do internships with the Small Claims 4th District Court, mediating cases prior to a hearing with a judge. As advisor, Reese mostly helps plan projects. The latest one was sending care packages to Iraq. In the past they held "mediator nights" where groups would role play mediations. "This was great, " she says, "because we had community mediators join, which offers more exposure to varying techniques for students." Reese enjoys being advisor because it gives her the opportunity to meet students in a less formal setting and she is inspired by "people who follow their dreams." As inspiration for all, she shares the following story: "Jim, was a seed salesman in South Dakota when he retired at 55. He told his wife that he always wanted to be a college professor, although he had no degrees. So, he enrolled at the state college, and finished his bachelor's in four year, then his master's in two. ...At 61, I met him as he started his doctorate with me at the University of Nebraska. His wife wouldn't move to Lincoln with him, so he lived in the dorms. When people said to him, 'Jim, you'll be 64 by the time you finish all this schooling,' he'd reply, 'I'm going to be 64 anyway; Light as well be doing what I want. ..' He finished school and is teaching, and his wife finally joined him. He's so happy. ...Life is awfully short." Reese has been at Boise State since 1996. She taught for the Department Communication for five years before joining the Selland College of Applied Technology to direct their communication core course. She also teaches in the BSU Dispute Resolution Program, is a practicing mediator and consultant and serves on the board of the Idaho Mediation Association. Her work has appeared in Idaho Business IQ, and she has several articles forthcoming in the Creative Problem Solver's Handbook for Negotiators and Mediators, and in the academic journal Communication Teacher. She has also co-authored the book Mediation Theory and Practice with Dr. Suzanne McCorkle. [ Back to top ] [ Back to top ] [ Back to Newsletters ]
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The Cultural Center is always creating new ways to educate students and promote the importance of a diverse community. During the fall semester, the Center introduced the Brown Bag Video Series, and according to Coordinator Ro Parker, the lunchtime event was a success and will continue throughout the 2005 spring semester. "The turnout has sometimes been small, but the discussion has been great," she says. 
The Sexual Assault Crisis Line is staffed by trained advocates who will help
victims of sexual assault with initial crisis intervention and crisis counseling.
Response Team members offer services for female and male survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse, stalking, relationship violence, and unwanted sexual contact. Services are also provided for those interested in giving support to survivors: The Response Team can provide:
Professor Martin Orr moved to Idaho 10 years ago and has been teaching sociology at Boise State ever since. His dissertation to earn his Ph.D at the University of Oregon in 1992 "examined the effects of the civil rights movement upon the development of theories of race and ethnicity." He has continued to explore "the historical and political context of theories of society," and has written about the anti-globalization movement. He likes to get involved. He can't help himself.
Melanie Reese earned her B.A. from the Boise State University Department of Communication in 1988, finished her M.S. in Communication from the University of Oregon in 1990, and earned her doctorate in Communication from the University of Nebraska in 1996, focusing on the study of conflict in personal and professional settings. She specializes in helping people work their problems and is advisor for the Conflict Management Services Student Organization (CMSSO).