Behind the Building
UNC’s Marcus Garvey Cultural Center, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in February, is named in honor of Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. (1887–1940), a proponent of black cultural nationalism and Pan-Africanism in the 1920s and ’30s. An international traveler and speaker, Garvey influenced the cultural development of black Americans during the Harlem Renaissance. When it opened Feb. 1, 1983, the center was located in the Weber House. It moved two years later to the Beverly House before being relocated to its current home in the Davis House.
Read about the center’s anniversary celebration at www.unco.edu/news?4919
Fast Facts
- UNC’s other cultural centers are the Cesar Chavez Cultural Center, Native American Student Services and Asian/Pacific American Student Services.
- In fall 1983, 8 percent of UNC students identified with an ethnic minority, compared to 22 percent in fall 2012.
Readers Say: Mix It Up
Variety. That was the takeaway message to the magazine staff from results of the 2012-13 readership survey. A random selection of readers was asked to answer questions about Northern Vision, which is now distributed free to more than 100,000 alumni and friends. Here’s what we learned:
- 88% read most or every issue
- 66% prefer reading the print edition
- 23% prefer reading a combination of the print and online editions
- 93% said the magazine serves as a reminder of their campus experience
The coverage topic of most interest: institutional history and traditions, which 29 percent of survey respondents reported being “very interested” in reading.
As for ranking the other reading categories, some liked Class Notes the best. Others liked it the least. Some craved longer stories. Others said two-to-three page features were too long. It’s clear the contradictory statements form a consensus. The magazine needs to contain a mix of stories to engage a wide audience.
Click here for the full survey results, or share your feedback at northernvision@unco.edu
The Legend of Totem Teddy
UNC unveiled a photo exhibit that recognizes the inspiration behind the school’s mascot. The University Center display honors the legacy of the totem pole, from the time it arrived in a crate as a gift from an alumnus in 1914 to its rightful return to the tribe in Alaska it belonged to in 2003. Featuring a bear carving at top, and nicknamed Totem Teddy, it became a source of school spirit — in 1923, the mascot was changed from the Teachers to the Bears.
See www.unco.edu/totemteddy for more stories and photos. Read a first-person account from a student who researched and presented on Totem Teddy during Academic Excellence Week at www.unco.edu/news/?5177
Division I Success On, Off Court
The Bears’ volleyball team won its second consecutive Big Sky championship last fall after staging a thrilling comeback against Idaho State in front of the home crowd at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. The victory secured the team’s third berth to the NCAA Tournament in the past four years. The women’s basketball team followed suit this spring with an appearance in the Big Sky championship for the second straight year and received an automatic bid to the WNIT — the team’s third straight postseason appearance. What’s more, the NCAA honored both teams for academic achievement with the Public Recognition Award for being in the top 10 percent on the Academic Progress Rate.
Follow the Bears at www.uncbears.com and be sure to read about the 2012-13 inductees into UNC’s Hall of Fame at northernvision.unco.edu/spring2013/halloffame: O. Kay Dalton, football coach/contributor, 1989-2005, 2012; Mick Holmes, football, 1966-69; Toby Moser, men’s basketball, 1986-90; Ruth Nelson, five-sport athlete, 1966-70; Bob Oliver, director of Athletics, 1982-92; Mike Pantoya, wrestling, 1988-91; Kiha Thomas Sutta, soccer, 1999-02; and the 1988-89 men’s basketball team.
$25,000 Winner of Biz contest
The makers of an innovative device placed inside a prosthetic to provide a secure fit and monitor internal conditions earned an infusion of $25,000 from a UNC contest in March.
The puck-shaped insert uses a vacuum from inside the prosthetic to suspend it to the amputee. What’s more, the device contains an onboard computer that links to a smartphone or tablet app to provide real-time feedback — such as the number of steps taken — and to allow pressure to be adjusted by the individual.
The product by Vertikle Enterprises LLC/5280 Prosthetics took first place at the fourth annual Entrepreneurial Challenge sponsored by UNC’s Monfort College of Business.
“The prize money will enable us to get the product manufactured and delivered to customers,” says company president Walter Wilson.
The other winners of cash prizes among more than 50 companies that entered business concepts for the contest:
- Second place ($15,000): Grouse Malting and Roasting Company, focusing on organic, gluten-free grains for brewing and baking.
- Third place ($10,000): WildFit Gyms, an outdoor fitness equipment concept featuring website and mobile app integration.
Center to Be a Hub for Financial Literacy
A class that manages a university investment portfolio valued at more than $1 million is among the many UNC students who will benefit from the new Financial Education Center in UNC’s Monfort College of Business. The state-ofthe-art facilities will provide students of all disciplines with the tools to achieve financial literacy.
“Our son Brian (BA-12) would have benefitted greatly from such a venue and resource on campus,” says Bob Phelps, a proud UNC parent who, along with his wife, Bonnie, provided private support to fund the Financial Education Center. “We believe all students who graduate from college should be financially literate so they can make well-informed financial choices.”
The university has been working to raise $900,000 in private support from individuals and organizations to pay for the new facility. NCMC Inc. provided the initial gift of $250,000 to launch the project with El Pomar Foundation and others giving generously to make the center possible.
Planning and design work is under way. The renovated space in Kepner Hall will feature a trading room, a teaching lab sponsored by the Phelps family, the multi-use North Colorado Medical Center Conference Room and an auxiliary classroom. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall and students will be using the new space starting in early 2014.
If you’re interested in making a gift to the Financial Education Center, please contact Nina Smith, (970) 351-2304, nina.smith@unco.edu.
Read more about the investment class, Student and Foundation Fund, and its 20th anniversary at www.unco.edu/news?4616. To support UNC students in achieving financial literacy and more, visit www.unco.edu/give
Retiring after Five Decades at UNC
School of Art and Design Director Dennis Morimoto will retire on June 30, ending a career as a UNC student, faculty member and administrator that spans 52 years.
He’s been a fixture on campus ever since he enrolled as a student in 1961 (except for a year away in 1979 to earn his doctorate in education from Arizona State University), amassing 46 years of service to the university while sharing his insights on fine art photography and photojournalism with thousands of students.
Morimoto will be feted at a retirement event June 7 that will include an exhibition of his former students’ photos in Guggenheim Hall’s Mariani Gallery. A scholarship is being set up in Morimoto’s name. For more details about the reception and scholarship, contact Susan Nelson at susan.nelson@unco.edu or (970) 351-1921.
Foundation for Blind Honors Prof
The American Foundation for the Blind awarded UNC Professor Kay Ferrell as one of two 2013 winners of the Migel Medals, the highest honor in the blindness field. Ferrell is professor of Special Education at UNC and the author of Reach Out and Teach: Helping Your Child Who is Visually Impaired Learn and Grow. She has taught all ages of individuals with visual and multiple disabilities, from infants through adults.
