Each day in the U.S., more than 80 people take their own lives. Each year, Alaska loses more than 125 residents to suicide; approximately 50 of these individuals are Alaska Native. In addition, suicide has been noted to be the second leading cause of death for college students. Each of these individuals leave behind loved ones to struggle with the loss, grief and all of those questions that begin “Why...?”

Too often, survivors of suicide loss believe the death of their loved one is somehow shameful or that they or their family are to blame. But research shows that more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying, although not always diagnosed, psychiatric illness at the time of their death, most often depression. The holiday season can be particularly difficult for survivors, but there is help available.

Please join us this Saturday, Nov. 21, in Rasmuson Hall, Room 106 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for a day of healing for those who have survived the tragedy of suicide loss. At this event, UAA’s Native Student Services, Psychological Services Center (PSC), the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will join survivors from more than 175 cities and countries throughout the world to watch a 90-minute AFSP broadcast, and through dialogue and interaction, provide an opportunity for the survivor community to come together for support, healing, information and empowerment.

For more information about this event, please e-mail Xiomara Owens, PSC clinic coordinator, at anxco@uaa.alaska.edu. For more information about National Survivors of Suicide Day go to www.afsp.org. For local resources, if you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call 911 or one of the following numbers:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255)
• Alaska’s Suicide and Crisis Center Hotline: 1 (877) 266-HELP (4357)
• Anchorage Community Mental Health Crisis hotline: (907) 563-3200

The Student Health and Counseling Center will sponsor its annual soup lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 1-2, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Rasmuson Hall Lobby.

The health center wishes to remind students that seasonal flu shots and H1N1 Intranasal are still available for those who  are 18 years and older.

What spurred the green competition between the two universities were the latest Sustainability Report Card results, published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. Each year the Sustainable Endowments Institute assesses 300 public and private colleges and universities with the largest endowments and publishes the results on http://www.greenreportcard.org/. The 2010 grade for UAA was a B- and UAF received a grade of a C-.

While exact details are still being worked out, both schools will engage their art students in the creation of a trophy made from recycled materials. The school with the highest report card grade will house the trophy of the losing school during the 2010-11 academic year. The next set of scores will be released in October 2010.

The measures that each school will take to raise their Sustainability Report Card grade will be determined individually, and each university is currently plotting their secret green strategy for the year. What isn’t secret are the terms for the losing team:

• The chancellor of the losing school will deliver the trophy (Sustainability Cup) to the chancellor of the winning school.
• The chancellor of the losing school will prepare a “sustainable” meal for the chancellor of the winning school using locally grown products.

This exciting new competition between UAA and UAF will not only get the campus communities pumped up for a show down, but will help raise the awareness of sustainability on both campuses and reduce our environmental footprint in Alaska.

For additional information on the challenge, please call Scott McCrae at UAF (907) 474-7905, or Kristin DeSmith at UAA (907) 786-1263.

The upgrade to eLive 9.6 brings with it many new and improved features including:

• Multipoint video allowing up to six people to share their web cams simultaneously
• The ability to invite participant to a session while the session is in progress
• Instantly email students directly from within the eLive session
• Polling buttons are now located in the participant window improving ease of use for students
• Improved audio and video quality
• Drag and drop functionality to move students in and out of breakout rooms
• The option to allow students to move themselves in and out of breakout rooms
• Updated icons
• Audio record reminder
• Synchronized Notes can be formatted and display the speaker notes from PowerPoint

How can I learn more about the feature improvements associated with the upgrade?

The Faculty Technology Center will be offering a "Welcome to eLive 9.6" workshop during December and January. Faculty members are encouraged to attend the sessions either in person or via eLive. Sessions will run for 60 minutes and include time for Q&A. To view the workshop schedule and register for sessions, please visit the following url: www.uaa.alaska.edu/facultytechnologycenter/workshops.cfm.

How will this affect my current session recordings?

In the testing IT Services has done so far, it does not appear that this upgrade will impact faculty access to the current session recordings. We encourage each faculty member to check the links to the recordings after the upgrade and contact IT Services Call Center at (907) 786-4646 option 1 or toll free (877) 633-3888 if you observe any changes or inconsistencies.

If you have any questions about the eLive 9.6 upgrade or would like to inquire about the faculty workshop opportunities, please call the IT Call Center at (907) 786-4646 option 1 or Toll Free (877) 633-3888.

Thank you,

UAA IT Services Call Center

Voice and theater majors will present a program of musical theater excerpts in the UAA Recital Hall. Truly eclectic, the program combines old favorites such as "Tonight" and "A Boy Like That" from West Side Story, with lesser known scenes from Urinetown, Light in the Piazza, Side Show, Secret Garden, Chess, Little Women, Kiss of the Spiderwoman and Spring Awakening. Directed by Mari Hahn, the program is a continuous stream of evocative moods ranging from romantic to hilarious. Lighting is by Cedar Cussins and accompaniment is by Janet Stiles on piano. This program marks the first collaboration between theater and music students, and the continuation of the apprenticeship program with the Anchorage Opera. The partnerships have resulted in exciting developments.

Admission is $10 general, $5 students and seniors, $2 for UAA students. Tickets are available at the UAA Box Office. For more information, call (907) 786-1009 or e-mail Mari Hahn at afmh@uaa.alaska.edu.

Come learn how to make traditional Chinese dumpling and wonton appetizers. There will be snacks. All fellow students are welcomed.

This event will feature Chelly Harrison and Su Isakson. These two will explain what it was like growing up as a hearing child of deaf parents. Admission is free and donations will be accepted.

Come to ‘Medical Moments,’ two hours of American Sign Language (ASL) storytelling by native ASL users about their experiences in sickness and in health. Here you will have the opportunity to see vivid case studies about specific medical procedures, illnesses and symptoms from deaf persons who experience them. In addition, you will have the chance to ask questions about health signs that you’d like to “doctor up.” So build your ASL immune system of medical signs and anatomical classifiers! Anyone at any ASL level will enjoy this funny, friendly, learning environment.

Tickets are $10 for the general public and students, children under 12 are free. For CEU and ACET credit, the fee is $20. If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact Anne Dawson at dawson@asdawson.com.