The Midwest’s premier environmental film festival is coming to Northeastern Illinois University. Read more about the screening of “Island Earth,” a student who is advocating for the health and well-being of incarcerated women and Stage Center Theatre’s next play in this week’s edition of Noteworthy at Northeastern.
Around the Commons
‘Island Earth’
The One Earth Film Fest will screen “Island Earth” at 7 p.m. March 6 in Alumni Hall. The event is free (plus complimentary parking on the fourth floor of the Parking Facility), but reservations are recommended. Directed by Cyrus Sutton, “Island Earth” is a rich, complex tale of a young scientist's journey through the cornfields of GMO companies and loi patches of traditional Hawaiian elders. This event also includes a screening of the five-minute film “The World of Convenience: Plastic Bottles” by Northeastern student Stephanie Teresi. After the “Island Earth” screening, join in a conversation about urban agriculture with Nick Lucas, Programs Manager of Advocates for Urban Agriculture; Katie Daniel, Director of Operations and Development at Family Farmed; and LaManda Joy, Executive Director of the Peterson Garden Project. Seamus Ford, Co-Founder of Root Riot Urban Garden Network, will facilitate. This event is sponsored by the NEIU Green Fee Committee and the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education will honor Northeastern retiree Richard Rutschman with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 26th Professional and Student Development Conference on April 20 at Illinois State University in Normal. Rutschman retired from the Center for College Access and Success in July 2017 after 26 years with Northeastern.
Alumni Awards
Northeastern and the Alumni Association are now accepting nominations for the 2018 Northeastern Illinois University Alumni Awards. Winners will be presented during NEIU Weekend’s Golden Gala on Sept. 15. The deadline to submit nominations is April 6. View past winners.
And there’s more!
- Signup is now open for the Undergraduate Open House on Feb. 28.
- English Department Chair Tim Libretti and Assistant Professor of English Ryan Poll presented at the Council for American Studies Education Conference on Feb. 23 in Chicago. Libretti’s presentation was titled “Haters Gonna Hate?: Understanding and Overcoming the Roots of Hate in American Culture,” and Poll’s was titled “The Progressive Hope of Star Wars: How a Billion-Dollar Franchise Speaks to Contemporary American Crises.”
- Associate Professor of Psychology Amanda Dykema-Engblade has co-authored an article in the American Journal of Men’s Health titled “Social Support for Exercise as a Predictor of Weight and Physical Activity Status Among Puerto Rican and Mexican Men: Results From the Latino Men’s Health Initiative.”
- The Gerontology program will host information sessions on Feb. 23 and March 16.
- The 26th Annual Student Research and Creative Activities Symposium is accepting submissions through March 9. The event will take place April 20.
In the media
An advocate for incarcerated women
In a story about legislation that improves treatment of and for incarcerated women, the organization Women Working for Change featured Northeastern student Colette Payne. Now 50, Payne uses her past experience in prison to advocate for better policies for incarcerated women. “We, as women, need to support each other,” Payne said. “I’m here to do whatever I can to help the next woman: those who are in front of me, [those] still trying to find their way, and those who come behind me.”
Also in the media ...
- Chicago Tribune movie critic Michael Phillips mentioned the April 18 screening of “Yolanda and the Thief” in the Auditorium in a story about director Vincente Minnelli.
To do
‘Episode 26’
Stage Center Theatre’s new play, “Episode 26,” will premiere on March 1. “Episode 26” is an affectionate send-up of the Saturday morning sci-fi serial genre. The hero is Buzz Gatecrasher, who finds himself on Planet Darvon with his sweetheart, Hillen Dale, and with Dr. Art Deco, the obligatory dotty scientist. Darvon is ruled by Vaknor, a cross between Darth Vader, Ming the Merciless and Dracula, who fancies himself Emperor of the Universe. With the help of Arno, the winged King of the Hawk People, Buzz vanquishes Vaknor and saves the Universe only to be reminded by the announcer that we all have to tune in next week for Episode 27! The play runs March 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. and March 3 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
Mark your calendar!
- “Thou and I” exhibition, through March 16, Fine Arts Center
- Community Conversations: Black Women's Liberatory Pedagogies, 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27, Golden Eagles
- Thursday Night Live: Candy Ambulance, 9:30 p.m. Feb. 27, Student Lounge
- Thursday Night Live: FastPlants, 10 p.m. March 1, Student Lounge
- “Hard Problems in Topology” lecture, 11:30 a.m. March 2, BBH 364
#FollowFriday
Woodward and Bernstein
Northeastern has posted a short highlights video from the recent Daniel L. Goodwin Distinguished Lecture Series event featuring journalism icons Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Follow along on YouTube for lots more videos from around Northeastern!
Do you have a story tip? Let the public relations office know!
Mike Hines, Director of Public Relations and Web Communications, m-hines@neiu.edu, (773) 442-4240
