“20 Years of Bright Ideas” was theme for 20th annual URC
Friday, April 25, 2008, 11:59 EST
Article Tools
News
More than 400 participants and 50 teams gathered at the Butler University Health and Recreation Complex April 18-19 to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
This was the fifth year for Relay For Life on campus, and the Monopoly theme filled the gyms with banners proclaiming, "Don't Let Cancer Gain a Monopoly." The average college student has to juggle a lot. What with academics, extracurricular activities and social functions -- it can be difficult to balance all those things and stay healthy at the same time.
The various health and fitness services at Butler University, which include the Health Center, the Counseling & Consultation Center and the Recreation Center and Peers Advocating Wellness for Students (PAWS); all have one thing in mind: to educate Butler students about ways to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer in some way during their lifetime, whether it is a friend or a family member. On April 25, the women of the sorority Delta Delta Delta hosted their annual Tri-Deltathon on Schwitzer lawn. The key to life is doing everything from passion, Brent Scarpo told a group of students in the Reilly Room on Sunday afternoon.
The casting producer who has worked on such films as “The Shawshank Redemption”, “That Thing You Do” and “Air Force One” spoke to Butler students as part of a kick-off to the annual Greek Week. Recently elected SGA president Ryan Waggoner for the 2008-09 school year now has his official executive board for the next school year.
Also at the last SGA meeting of the year, the assembly approved three grants and a new student organization Thanks to a $25 million grant, the Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) will be starting construction on a new building. According to Butler's vice president of operations, Michael Gardner, the grant came from the Lilly Endowment. The construction will start with a groundbreaking in May and is projected to be ready for classes by the fall of 2009. Butler University’s Center for Urban Ecology got a boost toward their goal of becoming an established research center for the plants, waterways, and wildlife of Indianapolis on March 26 -- a $100,000 boost to be exact.
The center received a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Fund. The niece of the late Nina Pulliam and trustee on the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Board, Carol Peden Schilling thought Butler’s Center for Urban Ecology was a perfect fit for the grant. As the 2007-08 school year is winding down, unusual incidences have been occurring more around campus. Two residence halls and the Apartment Village experienced acts of burglary and trespassing over the past week.
An all-campus e-mail was sent out by the Butler University Police Department (BUPD) last Thursday informing the Butler community that “on Wednesday, April 16 at approximately 5:30 p.m., two men were arrested [for Residential Entry] at the Apartment Village after entering student apartments without permission.” Dear Butler Community,
We are pleased to let you know that Stephen Trent, who was reported missing last week, has been found safe. He is at home with family at this time.
Thank you for your concern about Stephen’s safety and well-being.
Sincerely,
Student Affairs
This year’s conference theme was “20 Years of Bright Ideas.” The conference, which was held all day, was the largest yet with 484 presentations of posters and papers. Each presentation lasted about 15 minutes, and the research topics ranged from pharmacy and literature to Spanish and education.
"I love this event because it gives young people a chance to shine," said Butler Philosophy and Religion lecturer Dr. Richard McGowan in a news release.
McGowan co-directs the conference each year along with Dr. Robert Holm, director of Butler's Institute for Research and Scholarship.
“Its purpose is to encourage students from all disciplines to become involved in research and creative endeavors,” according to the URC Web site.
The URC first began in 1988 with the help of Professor Jim Berry so students would have an opportunity to present their studies. In the 1990s, Berry invited surrounding Indiana universities to take part in the conference. Saint Joseph’s College, where McGowan was teaching at the time, was one of those schools.
Professor Robert Padgett had coordinated the conference since 1988, but McGowan and Holm took over the directing position three years ago. “They continue to burnish the splendor of this annual meeting,” Butler President Bobby Fong said in a news release.
When the conference was first held, it was limited to the area of science. Since then, it has expanded to 23 areas of study including gender studies, media arts and international studies.
Some examples of the types of topics that were presented include: “The Effect of Reminders of 9/11 on the Relative Value of Security and Civil Liberty,” “The Florentine Camerata and Their Influence on the Beginnings of Opera” and “Do Preschool Interventions Affect K-10th Grade Performance?”
Butler’s URC is the largest in the Midwest.
“The fact that Butler offers this is huge,” Ashley Dick, Butler sophomore psychology major, said. “To do research is one thing, that’s great, but to be able to present it is huge.”
Dick took part in a group presentation titled “Grumpy Old Men and Golden Girls: Using Stereotypes to Alter Memory Self-Perception in Older Adults.”
Dick, who started working on her presentation in November [2007], said she was nervous at first. She said once she began, she relaxed and enjoyed herself. “It was a really friendly environment. It was fun!”
Research experience is important especially for students majoring in an area of science. Dick said it is a big part of a student’s success because it helps when applying for graduate school and getting work published.
Co-directors McGowan and Holm re-affirmed the importance of community in addition to academic benefits in a welcome address for the conference. “This conference represents people coming together to affirm the value of knowledge and truth. Of such values are bonds of community strengthened.”
Related article:
"The costs of canceled classes"