Nov. 28, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Women's programs tote UNLV banner
Soccer, volleyball, tennis squads thrive in fall
By JEFF WOLLARD
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Amid all the recent criticism of UNLV's lackluster football team, there's an easy temptation to cast the school's entire athletic program in the same unfavorable light.

But that would be a mistake, considering the success of the Rebels' women's sports teams. Collectively they've had one of the strongest fall seasons in recent school history.

The women's soccer team swept through the Mountain West Conference Tournament to earn an NCAA berth. The volleyball team had a 20-10 record and defeated some top-level competition before narrowly missing a postseason invitation. The tennis team boasted two ranked players and acquired two more with the potential to have success in the spring.

Though soccer coach Kat Mertz expected a rebuilding season, she thinks her squad demonstrated great character in reaching the NCAAs for the third consecutive year.

"I'm really happy to be part of this," the second-year coach said. "It shows you can win at UNLV. We have the facilities here as well as the support. I think my players have grown, both on and off the field."

Mertz added that most schools envy the success her team has enjoyed.

"There are over 365 Division I programs," she said. "And they all compete for one of 64 spots (in the NCAA tourney). We did it, and that's a great accomplishment."

Though third-year volleyball coach Allison Keeley admitted to disappointment after the Rebels were overlooked by the NCAA selection committee Sunday, she said her team is making progress toward achieving its long-term goals.

"I'm very happy," said Keeley, who inherited a program that had only four winning seasons in the previous 14 years. "We competed hard every time out and we finished the season with no regrets."

The positive results have heightened Keeley's optimism. She said she hopes to continue building a fan base that will appreciate what's going on inside Cox Pavilion.

"Women's sports are very dynamic," she said. "If we can tap into the local community a bit more, I think we can be a great source of entertainment. And our female athletes are great role models."

The women's outlook for next fall is good as well. Mertz will lose just one starter, Keeley will lose only two and tennis coach Kevin Cory will return his top four players.

Keeley said she has every reason to believe her team will take another step in the right direction next year.

"Of the top four teams in the conference, we had the youngest team on the floor this year," she said. "This year I think we really learned what it takes. You have to learn how to win, and I think we're starting to learn what it takes to win games."

Cory's team has been ranked for years. Mertz and Keeley think it's just a matter of time for their squads.

"We want to be a top-20 program," said Keeley, who noted that her team reached a milestone this season with 20 victories. "There are certain steps you have to take to get there, and one of those steps is to have a 20-win season."

Mertz agreed that success is a process.

"I've seen the highest level," said Mertz, an assistant coach for perennial soccer powerhouse UCLA before taking over at UNLV. "I've been there, and I want to continue to strive to make us better."

Keeley said she's already working on a game plan for next season.

"We're going to sit down this week and think about the things we want to get done next year," she said.

Those goals will include an MWC championship. The way things are going, such lofty dreams appear to be well within the realm of possibility.

Nov. 01, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV receives largest donation
MGM Mirage gives $1 million in bid to keep state's scholars
By LAWRENCE MOWER
REVIEW-JOURNAL

MGM Mirage handed UNLV officials the largest corporate scholarship donation in the school's history on Tuesday -- a check for $1 million -- to be used to attract National Merit semifinalists from throughout Nevada and the rest of the country.

Gary Jacobs, executive vice president for MGM Mirage, said the company will be evaluating the donation each year for the next four years. If officials like what they see, the company could donate an additional $1 million each year toward the endowment for a total gift of $5 million, Jacobs said.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas currently has fewer than three dozen National Merit semifinalists, Honors College Dean Stephen Rosenbaum said.

Considered to be among the top students in their respective states, National Merit semifinalists are almost assured acceptance by the top schools in the nation, he said. For schools like UNLV that don't necessarily have a strong academic reputation, a full scholarship can be a key factor in attracting these students, officials said.

Of the roughly 90 or so students who win National Merit distinction in Nevada, the "vast majority of these students leave (the state) for their education," Rosenbaum said.

The UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees works with an independent financial adviser to determine the best financial options, but right now they don't know how many students the endowment will fund, officials said.

For fall 2007, however, the plan is to award one student a four-year scholarship.

Costs to attend UNLV range from an estimated $12,000 per year for an in-state student living off campus to more than $27,000 per year for an out-of-state student living on campus.

The process to receive National Merit distinction is competitive and arduous. High school students compete against other students in their respective states, not against students across the country, according to Elaine Detweiler, a spokeswoman for National Merit Scholar Corporation, the company that distributes the awards.

That gives each state a proportional amount of scholars each year, she said.

"California gets the most, and states like Idaho and Nevada don't get that many," Detweiler said.

To receive the scholarship, students typically must score in the top 1 percent in their states on the Practice SAT during their junior year of high school.

For Nevada, the benchmark was a score of 209 out of a possible 240. Other states have qualifying scores ranging from 203 to 224.

More than 1.4 million high school students take the PSATs each year, but only 16,000 actually become National Merit semifinalists.

After qualifying, entrants must provide letters of recommendation, an essay and other documentation.

"It's way more work than even filling out my college applications," said Sarah Littener, a senior at UNLV and a graduate of Northern Nevada's Smith Valley High School.

Littener, a National Merit semifinalist, said schools such as Boston College and the College of William and Mary offered her partial scholarships, but she got a "full-ride" scholarship at UNLV.

Nick Glorioso, a UNLV sophomore and Silverado High School graduate, is one of UNLV's many National Merit semifinalists in the school's Honors College, in which students have to take 30 credit-hours of additional intensive and multicultural classes.

He said attending UNLV has worked out well for him, and not just because he got to stay close to home; he got to be an intern for Sen. Harry Reid's office last semester.

Oct. 04, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

INSIDE BUSINESS

[[[Stephen Spelman
Jeff Bargerhuff]]]

Public relations ethics class offered by UNLV

University of Nevada, Las Vegas Educational Outreach will offer a course in public relations ethics Saturday.

The class, designed for public relations professionals, will run 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Room 103A of the university's Paradise Campus, 851 E. Tropicana Ave.

Course fee is $190. Call 895-3394 or visit edoutreach.unlv.edu for information.

Kirvin Doak Communications, a public relations agency, named Vanessa Thill senior account executive and Andrea Dutcher and Wendy Zamaripa account coordinators.

G. Rodney Harbaugh of Lee & Associates, a commercial real estate brokerage, named Stephen Spelman to succeed him as president of the Las Vegas office.

Spelman began serving as president on Sunday. Harbaugh will remain at Lee & Associates as a senior vice president of the Las Vegas office.

The American Bankers Association, a nonprofit trade group, named Jeff Bargerhuff chairman of its marketing network council. He is senior vice president/marketing director for Nevada State Bank.

Nite Tours International named Lauren Tozzer account executive.

Winder Farms Home Delivery, a grocery-delivery service, opened at 4168 N. Pecos Road, Suite 106.

Sed Poche opened a State Farm insurance agency office at 2351 W. Craig Road.

Inside Business is prepared by the Las Vegas Business Press. Send information about new hires, promotions and new businesses to Las Vegas Business Press, 1385 Pama Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89119; fax to 871-3298; or e-mail to lists@lvpress.com. To subscribe to the Las Vegas Business Press, call 383-0400.

Sep. 28, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Parents try to toe line in kickers' sibling rivalry
By MARK ANDERSON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

[[[Freshman walk-on Ben Jaekle will kick for UNLV on Saturday against UNR and older brother Brett, with their parents taking turns rooting on each sibling.
Photo by John Gurzinski.]]]

[[[Lorry Kristal, left, and sister Holly Prybal show off jerseys they will wear to Saturday's UNR-UNLV game at Sam Boyd Stadium. Kristal's sons, Ben and Brett Jaekle, kick for the Rebels and Wolf Pack, respectively.
Photo by Ronda Churchill.]]]

The plan called for two years of relative calm to settle over the Jaekle household.

While Brett Jaekle was kicking for UNR, brother Ben would be at UNLV watching and learning behind place-kicker Sergio Aguayo.

Aguayo suffered a knee injury in the Rebels' season opener, however, and now Ben Jaekle is preparing for his fourth college game -- against older brother Brett's Wolf Pack.

"It's so unbelievable," said Lorry Kristal, the kicker siblings' mother. "It's something we didn't expect to happen for at least two years. Suddenly, it's here now."

At least, Kristal and her husband, George Jaekle, are prepared. They will wear half-blue, half-red jerseys with the name "JAEKLE" on the back. The blue portion will have Brett's No. 13, and the red part will have Ben's No. 86.

Kristal will sit on one team's side of the stands for the first half and switch to the other for the second half. George will do the opposite, so each son will be represented by a parent throughout the game.

The couple said they will cheer for their sons but not for either team.

"That's what you've got to do, because how can you choose one of the kids over the other?" Kristal asked. "You can't."

This weekend will be the hardest for the family, but Lorry and George have made plenty of adjustments for the rest of the season, too.

When the Rebels realized they could not redshirt Ben, the family altered its plans to attend all of Brett's Wolf Pack games, canceling airline reservations and creating new itineraries.

Now, the parents will split up on Saturdays so they have a presence at all UNLV and UNR games. Even oldest brother Derek, who attends UNR, will split time watching both teams.

"It's truly amazing," Kristal said. "I'm so excited for my kids. Never in a million years did I think this would ever be, and here it is happening."

It's incredible for the brothers, too. Both were standout kickers at Bonanza High School, and Ben considered following Brett to UNR.

But the wait to play appeared to be longer there than at UNLV. Brett, named an honorable-mention Freshman All-American by the Sporting News last season, has two years left after this one.

Aguayo, chosen in preseason as the Mountain West's best special teams player, was supposed to have one year remaining after this one. He might get another year back if he doesn't return this season.

Aguayo practiced Wednesday for the first time since his injury and might play Saturday. But even if Aguayo comes back, Ben Jaekle would handle kickoffs.

Ben walked on at UNLV thinking he could be on the field in 2008, not this month. His playing time is as unexpected as this week's meeting with Brett.

"Going from watching him and being his fan in the stands to actually kicking against him, that's going to be a little weird," Ben said.

Brett agreed.

"It's very weird," Brett said. "Every day it's becoming more and more weird, and exciting, too."

All three Jaekle brothers were always competitive. Derek, too, was a standout kicker at Bonanza and also played baseball. Brett and Ben played other sports as well, with Ben lettering on three varsity teams.

With UNLV off last week, Ben watched Brett play Friday in the Wolf Pack's 31-21 victory over Northwestern in Reno.

The brothers went out to dinner and, of course, this week's game came up in conversation.

"Are you ready for it to be really loud on Saturday?" Brett asked Ben. "It's going to be a lot crazier than you expect, so just be ready."

It will be especially crazy for the family, a day when the joy and disappointment will be tempered.

"They both want to win," Kristal said, "but they don't want the other to lose."

One will, though.

"I love my brother to death, but this game, it's our rival," Brett said. "When it's over, I'll love him again."

All graduates of UNLV Singapore will be invited to join the UNLV Alumni association. Additionally, UNLV Singapore will be creating its own local chapter and will be assisting the chapter in developing a strong network of alumni. ...*1

www.unlv.edu.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=65 - 33k - �??��?n - ��ƾW�?

--------------------------------------------
Reference

*1. Google. 'UNLV William F.Harrah College of Hotel Administration,' "A search of 'UNLV Alumni' on the Google.com," Mountain View, California: Google.com.

Jul. 23, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

IN DEPTH: Jordan: UNLV has certain something
Son of ex-NBA star says Las Vegas attractive, despite distractions

[[[Jeffrey Jordan brings the ball upcourt during a game at the Nike All-American Camp in Indianapolis on July 6. Jordan's father, NBA legend Michael Jordan, attended part of the camp to watch his son.
Photo by The Associated Press.]]]

[[[Rebels coach Lon Kruger says that having top high school players in Las Vegas for summer tournaments is not an advantage for UNLV.
Photo by K.M. Cannon.]]]

By MATT YOUMANS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

It has been a long time since UNLV was on top of the college basketball world. It was so long ago that Jeffrey Jordan, one of this season's elite high school seniors, was a toddler at the time.

Jordan's memory is blank when it comes to the Rebels' national championship team in 1990, but he knows the program has produced NBA talent.

He also said the lure of Las Vegas should attract some top prospects, many of whom are here this week for three of the summer's biggest tournaments.

"Right now, UNLV is kind of behind all the big schools like North Carolina and Duke," said Jordan, a 6-foot guard at Loyola Prep Academy in suburban Chicago. "But I think if kids had the chance, they would seriously look at playing there."

Jordan, the oldest son of former Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan, was recruited by UCLA for a while, though he's more likely to end up at a Big Ten school or Iowa State.

He is not in Las Vegas this week, but he was here for the Easter Classic in April, and he said he thinks the Rebels might have a slight recruiting advantage with some players who enjoy the atmosphere while in town for a summer tournament.

"Vegas itself helps the recruiting process. I think the campus is nice, and I think it's definitely attractive to play there," Jordan said while at the Nike All-America Camp in Indianapolis in early July.

"I think the reputation Vegas has could kind of steer parents away from it, but I think the kids would be interested in going there."

Even so, very few of the nation's best prep players have UNLV near the top of their list. The program's bright image has faded.

Rebels coach Lon Kruger said this is an easy travel week for his coaching staff, but having so many elite players in his backyard is not a big advantage.

"It depends on the kid. We've never had anyone really come out and say they had a terrible experience with their summer team in Vegas, so given that, it's always good to get kids in town and let them experience a great city," Kruger said.

"I have never seen it as being a negative factor. With most kids it's a nonfactor. None of these kids remember 1990, of course. Most of them weren't born."

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said UNLV does not own a recruiting edge in the summer, and he laughed about one reason why.

"It could be a negative because it's 110 degrees out there when they run those tournaments," Boeheim said.

Kruger said that "there is an intrigue" for kids who visit Las Vegas.

"A kid occasionally will say, 'Hey, I've been coming to Vegas ever since I was a ninth-grader and I love it.' But I don't think it necessarily contributes to signing a kid because he played in Vegas in the summertime."

Jul. 18, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

LOW EXPECTATIONS: MWC poll no solace to Rebels
Media predict eighth-place finish for UNLV, but Sanford unbowed
By MARK ANDERSON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

CORONADO, Calif. -- An eighth-place finish was forecast for UNLV's football team by Mountain West Conference media Monday, far from shocking for a team coming off back-to-back 2-9 seasons.

But just as quickly as the poll picked the Rebels to finish only ahead of Wyoming in the nine-team conference, UNLV coach Mike Sanford discounted the significance of the balloting.

"Preseason predictions are based on what you did last year," he said as the league opened its preseason media gathering. "What we did last year wasn't very good, so you've got face the cruel reality of what you were last year -- and that's how people view you. Obviously, I have much higher expectations than what we've been ranked."

That view was shared by UNLV senior tailback Erick Jackson.

"We didn't finish at the top last year," Jackson said. "We finished at the bottom, so (the ranking is) not a surprise.

"We're not enthused by it. We want to finish at the top of the conference. We're working hard right now, and we're going to see what happens."

MWC defending champion Texas Christian got 16 first-place votes and 213 points to earn the No. 1 spot in the poll. The Horned Frogs went 11-1 last season, 8-0 in the league.

"I take it about like I did when we were (picked) sixth last year," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "There are a lot of good teams in this league. Last year, we won two games in overtime and beat San Diego State by three points. I don't think it's easy to make a run through the Mountain West Conference."

The other first-place votes went to No. 2 Brigham Young (five), No. 3 Utah (three) and No. 4 Colorado State (one).

Three Rebels were chosen to the preseason all-league team, more than No. 5 New Mexico, No. 6 San Diego State or No. 7 Air Force received.

"It's positive that people see us in that light, especially one guy that's a complete newcomer in (junior cornerback) Eric Wright," Sanford said.

Wright, though, showed his ability two years ago at Southern California. He started the final four games as a redshirt freshman, intercepting a pass in the Orange Bowl as USC beat Oklahoma to win the national championship.

Rebels junior linebacker Beau Bell also was named to the team. He finished fourth in the conference last year with 92 tackles, and also had 7 1/2 tackles for losses and 3 1/2 sacks.

The third Rebel chosen was junior kicker Sergio Aguayo, who made game-winning field goals against Idaho and San Diego State last season. Against the Aztecs, the tying and winning kicks were from 52 yards.

Aguayo also was named the league's preseason special teams player of the year.

"It's obviously an honor to have teammates who are selected to that, but it's not how you start, it's how you finish," Jackson said. "We're not really paying too much attention to that type of stuff. (The players) know that if we don't produce, it obviously does nothing for us."

Jun. 28, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Five regents request meeting
Dental school cheating prompts calls for new notification procedure
By K.C. HOWARD
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Five regents on Tuesday requested a special meeting in July to discuss the UNLV dental school cheating scandal.

The Review-Journal reported this month that 10 of the 71 students in the school's first graduating class were caught falsifying electronic signatures belonging to a part-time faculty member.

They used the signature to sign off on patient records, among other documents, to approve work they had completed.

Some regents and officials within the Nevada System of Higher Education were distressed that university officials did not consult with them before they learned about the scandal through the news media.

"Nothing is worse than not knowing," Regent Thalia Dondero said.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas officials allowed the students to graduate but sanctioned them with 1,500 hours of community service over five years and 30-day suspensions that will remain on their academic records.

Regents Dondero, Linda Howard, James Dean Leavitt, Howard Rosenberg and Steve Sisolak requested the meeting to discuss possible policy changes the board could make to ensure they're not caught off guard again.

The state's universities and colleges now send out "regents' alerts" to the board on issues that arise on campus and might warrant a call to regents from reporters.

But there is no policy requiring school officials to issue an alert, which regents could correct at the special meeting.

Dondero said she wants a policy so presidents know when to get regents involved.

The board also could discuss changes to campus disciplinary procedures.

"Ultimately, all degrees within the system are granted by the Board of Regents. They may wish to codify or discuss policies under which those degrees may be revoked," said Dan Klaich, executive vice chancellor and chief counsel for the system.

But he cautioned regents that they should consider carefully to what extent they want to inject themselves into disciplinary matters for which campuses have hearing bodies and due process procedures established.

Regents do not have the authority to increase the sanctions imposed on the 10 students, according to a report on the students' actions released Friday by Bart Patterson, the system's deputy chief general counsel.

Sisolak said he wanted to discuss creating a policy allowing the board to revoke diplomas that were obtained deceitfully.

The meeting will likely take place in late July or early August at UNLV, regents said.

"This is not about how the specific things went down. This is about the policy about how the chancellor and Board of Regents get involved," said Chancellor Jim Rogers. "At this point it was over before anybody knew about it."

Other issues to appear on that agenda are the financial troubles of the orthodontics program within the dental school, and the accountability and activities of UNLV's Institute of Security Studies.

The university is conducting an audit of the institute.

"These are three issues that aren't going away," Sisolak said. "We've always been operating in the sunshine, so let's do it the same way."

Jun. 13, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV students accused of forgery to receive degrees
By K.C. HOWARD

�2006 REVIEW-JOURNAL

The 10 UNLV dental school students who are alleged to have forged faculty signatures on university documents, including patient records, were each ordered to perform 1,500 hours of community service and will receive their degrees, higher education sources said.

The certification of the students was criticized by some members of the local dental community, who said the students, part of the first graduating class of dentists, committed serious professional and ethical violations and are unfit to practice.

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Chancellor Jim Rogers said reports that students were caught using the computer password belonging to a part-time faculty member to sign off on patient treatment plans, diagnoses and other work concerned him.

"If you cheat on something little, you sure as hell will cheat on something big. I'm concerned about that sort of mentality being involved in any professional school," Rogers said Friday.

Students are required to have almost every aspect of patient health care approved by supervising faculty.

The scandal became public last month after several anonymous sources with direct knowledge of the students' actions confirmed the university allowed the 10 students to walk in the May commencement ceremony. The sources asked to remain anonymous because they still worked or took classes at the school and feared retaliation from the administration.

They said the students' diplomas were withheld while the university determined the appropriate action.

An honors council, composed of students, faculty advisers and the associate dean of student affairs, investigated the matter. In May, they recommended to interim Dean Richard Carr the students redo a year of school. As an alternative, they suggested the students perform 1,000 hours of community service and pay a fine.

Sources said Carr last week required the students to perform 1,500 hours of community service in oral health over a period of five years, which works out to be about 188 eight-hour work days.

It was unclear how the university planned to enforce the punishment and whether transcripts would be put on hold until the hours were completed.

Board of Regents Chairman Bret Whipple said he received a call from the father of one of the accused students who thought the punishment too extreme because his son had done all of his work but forged the approving signature.

Whipple said he tried to persuade the family not to appeal the dean's decision, which he said was less extreme than what the honors council suggested.

Whipple said he had received calls from dentists who thought the punishment was too lenient.

"It's certainly not a positive," Whipple said of the students' acts. "But it's a positive in the fact that (school officials are) trying to address it. It's unfortunate that they are the first class; at the same time, it's just a small few."

Officials at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, citing federal laws that protect students' identities, have declined to confirm or deny the allegations against the students. They denied a records request the Review-Journal filed to obtain the number of students involved, their names and the sanctions.

Carr defended the first graduating class and its academic and professional standards.

"I would put my reputation on the line for our graduates," he said.

The UNLV School of Dental Medicine stands behind the dentists it certifies, and the public has no reason to be concerned about the quality of graduates, he said.

The school is accredited by the American Dental Association. Carr said the school received commendation for its student affairs and admission practices and its information technology.

He said matters of academic impropriety are handled internally by the school and do not affect accreditation status.

Rogers said he is worried about the public's perception of the professional school and wants the system's chief attorney to look into whether appropriate actions were taken. He was unavailable to confirm Monday whether he had started an investigation.

The dental school is expected to be a big part of Rogers' pet project, the proposed health sciences center. It needs millions of dollars in investments from state and private entities in the upcoming years, and Rogers said he wants to ensure the dental school is not graduating dentists who have questionable morals.

"I'm not casting any stones or making any accusations, but I can tell you at the moment I'm not satisfied," Rogers said.

The Southern Nevada Dental Society has received several calls from members concerned about whether professional standards and ethics were violated, said Robert Anderson, the society's executive director.

No consensus existed among callers on how the school should handle the matter, he said.

Members are cognizant that this is the first class and that there is a learning curve, he said.

"We haven't had issues like this come up before," he said.

Some members of the local dental community were more specific about what they believe the repercussions should be, arguing the 10 graduates are unethical and unfit to work on patients' mouths.

"I would never be associated with this school," said Frank Drongowski, a maxillofacial surgeon who teaches part time at Louisiana State University and practices part time in Southern Nevada.

He said he was shocked when he heard about students cheating from instructors at UNLV's dental school. He said the students should have had to repeat a year at least.

Typically in dental school, "everything has to be off checked by an instructor, and that's why this issue is so serious," he said. "You have students who think they're above that and are essentially working without an instructor being involved."

UNLV officials said 69 of the 71 students who made up the first graduating class took the licensing exam, the Western Regional Boards, this spring. Eighty-six percent passed, an exceptionally high number for a new school, Carr said.

Sources said at least three of the 10 students were known to have passed the exam, and one of them has left the state to do a residency program.

"Putting people's teeth in the hands of people who don't have the ability to do the right thing," said Woodrow Wagner, a retired dentist, who practiced in Las Vegas for 40 years, "I'm kind of ashamed."

-- Apr. 28, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

SPOTLIGHT

Dancers leap into 'Spring' at UNLV

The UNLV Dance Department presents "Spring" today through Sunday in the Black Box Theatre in the Alta Ham Fine Arts Building, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway.

The concert features work by Mark Swanhart, dancer and choreographer of Celine Dion's "A New Day," and Jon Lehrer, associate director of Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago.

The concert also will feature choreography by Victoria Dale, Siri Taylor, Stella Kutz and dance department undergraduate students.

Performances are at 8 p.m. today, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $15 general admission and $5 for seniors and military.

For more information, call 895-2787.

Apr. 22, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Script's promise shines through at UNLV
By ANTHONY DEL VALLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Local Master of Fine Arts candidate Ross Howard has written a sometimes uproarious Joe Orton-ish farce called "The Loggerheads of Lambhuna Drive," but you'd never guess how promising the script is judging from the current production at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre.

Let's see if I can get the plot straight. Ferdinand (Brandon Burk) and wife Constance (Melanie Ash) are mid-30s, white, British doctors running an underground abortion clinic in their home in the States. They want children but can't seem to have any, so a social worker (Kama Ruby) sends over two. A boy (Devaune Ratteray) and a girl (Ashley Vargas). But they are in their late teens and black.

At first, the couple is disappointed. But then the wife has an affair with the boy, and the boy has an affair with the husband, so all is not lost. Did I mention that the boy has apparently had an affair with the social worker? And it looks like he's also going to tangle with a young woman (Kaitlin Bennett) who's come to the clinic for her fifth abortion.

Throughout all this, the social worker keeps popping up because she is obsessed with making sure the children have a good home. By the time everything is sorted out, the doctors decide it would be best to return to England where people can live their lives in the "right mind."

Howard's humor is occasionally more crude than funny, and I'm not sure his script is really about anything. But he often demonstrates a sharp wit. He has a talent for the fantastical, and knows how a spin a line.

Director Mandy Peters makes a huge mistake with the material by playing it too broadly too quickly. Farce needs time to build up steam so that it can eventually explode "naturally" into insanity. Too many of the characters seem to exist only for applause because the director fails to establish a reality base.

The usually reliable boyish Burk tries to play older and distinguished by faking attitude. His performance is all vocal inflections and poses. You never believe his doctor is a living, breathing character. Ruby plays the social worker as if she were a one-stick figure in a comedy sketch. The role gets more laughs when the actress is not so aware of the jokes. Ratteray brings an innocence to his role as the seductive boy that is spectacularly inappropriate. Everyone here tries to manipulate everyone else, but Ratteray's Disney-esque attitude belongs in another play.

Ash, though, manages to uncover the humanity as well as the humor in her role of the female doctor. She's the only performer who gives her character a genuine dramatic arc.

What makes the evening worth seeing, apart from Ash's felt and funny performance, is Howard's script. He has a demented vision of life that's worth experiencing.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.

Apr. 08, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

JANE ANN MORRISON: Visiting writer first inspires awe, then inspires all with eloquence, brevity

Literary talent and fame are intimidating, especially if the person is someone you really, really admire, such as Toni Morrison.

Given the chance to speak to her, what do you say? Fawning and babbling are equally inappropriate and should be avoided at all costs. Dropping your jaw at first sight (my instinctive reaction) was a compliment to her, but not the coolest of responses.

But a psychology teacher had no problem speaking from the heart with grace and style during the question-and-answer session after Morrison's speech Thursday at UNLV. "I just didn't want to miss the opportunity to get this close to you and say thank you," the beautiful black woman said.

Short and eloquent, just like Morrison's 20-minute speech and her answers afterward.

Morrison, 75, read her speech in that hypnotic way of hers, in a voice that can say a word such as "authenticity" and make you think about that one word as if it's a new word with many possible meanings. She said the word "gifts" and the final "s" just kept flowing from her lips.

"How bleak existence becomes when we are deprived of art," she said, summarizing the theme of her speech in just 10 words.

Morrison was a coup for the Black Mountain Institute's first lecture at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, but there is an intimidation factor. The Nobel Prize-winning, Pulitzer Prize-winning literary genius writes in a way that brings sounds and smells and colors alive, as well as it does the black experience.

Sarah Ralston, executive director of the North American Network of Cities of Asylum, the part of Black Mountain Institute that provides refuge to endangered writers, lucked out because of the intimidation factor.

When Ralston attended a dinner before the lecture, she saw that sitting on one side of Morrison was Beverly Rogers, wife of Chancellor Jim Rogers. But the others at the table had left the seat on Morrison's other side empty.

Ralston, a former television anchor, didn't hesitate to grab the seat next to Morrison, even though she's in awe of Morrison's genius. "She's my literary hero," Ralston said. She introduced herself, and Morrison recognized Ralston's name from the information she had seen on the Cities of Asylum.

Life-changing literature such as Morrison's eight novels, including "Song of Solomon" and "Beloved," which won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize, inspires other writers. Review-Journal fashion editor olu moses told me she has dreams about Morrison's characters.

With Morrison as the first lecturer for the new institute to be headed by UNLV President Carol Harter, the bar has been set high. Harter will need to find someone with similar stature next year. (By the way, Morrison has an imposing stature but isn't a tall woman. Why is that always such a surprise when we see heroes in person?)

Over dessert, Morrison asked Ralston, "So, how do you top me next year?"

The Q&A at the lecture made her less intimidating and showed off her wit.

Why does she wear her hair in dreadlocks?

"My hairdresser died."

Does she think the United States is ready for a female president?

"A certain kind."

The guiding principles for voting for presidents today, she said, "is do you want to date him or do you want to have a beer with him. I just want him to run the country. I don't want him to be my friend."

When the last questioner rambled on without asking a question and eventually might have asked whether Morrison knew of a curriculum that would inspire students, Morrison said one word to the nearly unintelligible question.

"No."

Then she left the stage, not milking her audience for more applause. She'd had plenty of that.

The evening with Toni Morrison was over, but phrases of her speech remain vivid, as when she said that during the news media's coverage of Hurricane Katrina, "heroes were trivialized and trampled," and that art and literature "sharpen our moral imagination."

Her voice remains alive in my mind. When I read a few chapters of "Beloved" before going to bed Thursday, I read more slowly, savoring certain words, hearing them as she would say them, with precision and specificity.

For writers, even newspaper scribblers, Toni Morrison inspires ... and intimidates.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0275.

Google.cn and Google.com published this section (UNLV Alumni) at 11:18 a.m. in the morning on March 23, 2006. It covers about the 25 fliers from January 7, 2006 to March 21, 2006.

Just type your name, the title of a report or an article, your concerned, the name of an organization, an event, or a reporter;{like "Chairperson Elaine Chao", "�⏬��", "�L��䗗���", and among others) on the searching box of Google.cn and Google.com please, and what can you find the good things that Google and WBTI have for you?*2

Many people have a good perspective on Google. Google.cn and Google.com will put more effort and wisdom to contribute to English and Chinese readers being an efficient visitor on the searching of fluent and useful information. Washington Business and Technology Institute's (WBTI's) website has been continuously published by Google.com and Google.cn about every 11 days. We wish advanced performance may be extended from Google.cn to WBTI.*3

You're on Google.cn and Google.com, if you're on Washington Business and Technology Institute's website at http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti

[[[A compliment or encouragement is verbal sunshine! We are pleased to quote the following three short but meaningful ones:
***** No matter how busy you are, you must take time to make other person feel important. ---Mary Kay Ash
***** There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assit another human being---to help someone succeed. ---Alan Loy McGinnis
***** There are two things people want more than sex and money ...recognition and praise. ---Mary Kay Ash
All art, permanent or temporary, has a life in the immediate experience, but then has a life in the imagination. ---Anish Kapoor 1954- :in "Sunday Times" 11 July 1999
"Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination." ---Dwight D. Eisenhower]]]

[[[Dear Dr. & Mrs. Lei:
I am writing this letter to invite you to my next Senior Advisory Committee meeting at 9:30 am on Thursday, February 23, 2006, at the Lieburn Senior Center, 6230 Garwood Avenue (map is enclosed). ..... Dr. Tony Tung-tien Lei has been U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Senior Advisor since January 2000.]]]*4

[[["It's really my pleasure and honor to be named as an Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration of WBTI. WBTI has a good reputation with its Advisory Board and faculty members. The Board has Governor Kenny Guinn as its Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign as Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman as Executive Directors. With the excellent and informative publications of 'Google.cn', 'Google.com', 'Communitylink of Reviewjournal.com', 'Next Weekly' and among others, high-ranking officials of Nevada with the spiritual leadership of Chairperson Elaine Chao of WBTI have been inspired to help realize the creed for professional righteousness, community service, and humane spirit of WBTI," expressed Justice Michael Douglas of Nevada Supreme Court at the Event and Dinner Party in the Emperor's Garden Restaurant on February 4, 2005 in Las Vegas. It was held by the Committee to implement the ART EXHIBIT of Mr. QIN QUAN XIONG.]]]*5

[[[Some of the significant idea from the letters to Dr. Tony Lei, President of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI):
"It's my great pleasure and honor to be named by you as a Senior Advisor and Honorary Chairman of CCDAPCC of WBTI. Please know that I irrevocably stand by my personal commitment to diversity issues in this state and that my sense of patriotism and faith in America stems from its embrace of that diversity." --A. William Maupin, Chief Justice of Nevada Supreme Court
"As Mayor, I will continue to devote my energies into the preservation and improvement of the standard of living enjoyed here in the City of Las Vegas." --Oscar B. Goodman
"It is only with the dedication and commitment of good people like yourself that I will achieve my goal of becoming Governor of this great state. Dema and I can't thank you enough for your assistance and your positive activivities in the community." --Kenny C. Guinn]]]*6

[[["As the Hononary Chairperson of International Cities Business Council of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI), I'll have more venues to work for international tourism with Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn who is the Chairman of the Advisory Board of WBTI. We're putting all our effort and wisdom to work for our people, land, and country under the spiritual leadership of Chairperson Elaine Chao of WBTI," said Lorraine Hunt, Lt. Governor of Nevada, on November 11, 2005.
The above message was signed by Lt. Governor of Nevada Lorraine Hunt:.....]]]*7

[[["It's my great pleasure to extend my warm greetings of 'Happy Lunar New Year!' to every American and Chinese here in Las Vegas and North America through the Communitylink (at http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti) of the largest newspaper in Nevada, Las Vegas Review-Journal," said James Gibbons, U. S. Congressman and Senior Director of Washington Business and Technology Institute, in the Event and Dinner Party held by Nevada Republican Party and ARCC on January 29, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event and dinner party were sponsored by Asian Republicans of Clark County for a reunion of the lunar new year to the Chinese, Asian, and American people in Las Vegas:.....]]]*8

---------------------------------------------
References

*1. Michael Douglas is a distinguished Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court. Valerie Weber is a famous and achieved Assemblywoman of Nevada and the Minority
Whip of the Assembly. Cheryl Moss is an outstanding District Court Judge of Nevada serving in Las Vegas, Clark County.
*2. PAI of WBTI. 'U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao's on Google!' "A search of 'U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao' on the Google.com," Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*3. Ibid.
*4. Berkley, Shelley. 'I am writing this letter to invite you to,' "A letter from U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley to Dr. and Mrs. Tony Tung-tien Lei," (February 8, 2006), Las Vegas, Nevada: Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Office.
*5. Denton, Mark; Vega, Valorie; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Michael Douglas has been appointed Associate Professor of GSBPA by WBTI,' "A search of 'Justice Michael Douglas wbti' on the Google.com," (March 25, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*6. Guinn, Kenny C. 'Nevada Proud of Our Troops in the Middle East,' "Section of 'Business & Administration' of the WBTI website," (March 23, 2006), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*7. Hunt, Lorraine. 'As the Hononary Chairperson of International Cities Business Council,' "A search of 'Chairperson Lorraine Hunt' on the Google.com," (March 26, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*8. Gibbons, James. 'It's my great pleasure to extend my warm greetings of,' "A search of 'James Gibbons, U. S. Congressman' on the Google.com," (March 27, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.

Apr. 03, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV institute to welcome Toni Morrison as speaker
By K.C. HOWARD
REVIEW-JOURNAL

[[[Toni Morrison
Author to speak Thursday at UNLV's Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall

Carol Harter
UNLV president will become executive director of Black Mountain Institute]]]

The UNLV Black Mountain Institute has been described as a think tank of public discourse, a one-night lectern for traveling intellectuals and a home for refugee poets, internationally acclaimed essayists, novelists and other artists.

Imagine the institute as a revolving red carpet for the literary famous, and you're not far off.

The Black Mountain Institute's first speaker will be Toni Morrison.

"Not bad, is it?" said UNLV President Carol Harter, who is stepping down June 30 to raise money for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and become the Black Mountain Institute's executive director.

"She is the only living American recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature," Harter said. "Being a great (William) Faulkner fan and scholar, Toni Morrison is to me a sort of African-American version of Faulkner. I've read every single one of her books. I've taught several of them. Having her is such a joy."

The author of "Beloved" and "The Bluest Eye" will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at UNLV's Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall. UNLV officials hope a slew of famous writers follow in her footsteps to give lectures at the school, including Salman Rushdie.

Morrison's lecture is free to the public, but UNLV spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said no more tickets were available.

A "stand by" line will be created outside the hall to fill any seats left empty before the event starts.

The Black Mountain Institute, which was approved by the Board of Regents last month, will be housed on the main campus at UNLV. It will be funded over the next three years with $268,500 of state dollars, with additional funding coming from donors.

It is named for the North Carolina Black Mountain College, a now-defunct progressive liberal arts school whose prominent guest lecturers included Albert Einstein. The school led to a group of freestyle poets who were closely associated with the Beatniks.

The institute also was named for Southern Nevada's own Black Mountain.

The institute, which officially will open this summer, is made up of two centers: the Forum on Contemporary Cultures and the North American Network of Cities of Asylum. The Cities of Asylum program will be the lead fundraising organization for the institute.

The Forum on Contemporary Cultures will invite two writers with "huge international reputations" to serve as fellows on campus, said Richard Wiley, a UNLV professor and administrator for the institute.

"While they're here, they will engage in some public colloquia always together, or often together, so we can foster argument," Wiley said.

He hopes the first topic the first two forum fellows take up will be Israeli and Palestinian relations. "So we have a balance right? Writers of unlike minds."

He hopes these great thinkers, poets, essayists and playwrights will reveal truth about the great "bugaboos" of contemporary discourse in social, historical and political arenas.

Author Russell Banks, president of the North American Cities of Asylum, said: "An institute like this can become influential on policy and the wider culture, but what's kind of interesting and intriguing is that, again, it links the community in which it's actually rooted to the larger world."

The institute is unique among think tanks in the United States, such as the Brookings Institution, because it is nonpartisan, Banks said, adding that more universities should create similar institutions.

Morrison's talk was funded by Beverly Rogers, Chancellor Jim Rogers' wife, and the institute.

"I assume she's going to speak about Cities of Asylum and writers who need our support," Banks said of Morrison.

Morrison, who is also a member of Cities of Asylum, taught at Princeton University, as did Banks.

"I assume she will draw attention to America's long history of providing a haven to writers and artists and so forth under threat," he said.

The country's acceptance of refugee artists has diminished since the Cold War, when America had a political interest in harboring the enemy's artisans, Banks said.

Las Vegas became the first city in the United States to host Cities of Asylum in 2000. It has since been established in other U.S. cities to provide a home and stipend for refugee artists who need to escape persecution or censorship in their home countries.

Mar. 31, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Laughlin, Logandale hosting big events
By JEFF WOLF
REVIEW-JOURNAL

It's homecoming for two of this year's hottest rodeo athletes as major events take place in Laughlin and Logandale.

Laughlin Rodeo Days began Thursday and end Sunday, and the Clark County Fair & Rodeo in Logandale is set to begin Thursday and ends April 9. Each event in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association culminates with a championship round of the ProRodeo Tour.

Matt Shiozawa didn't make Sunday's calf roping short-round in Laughlin, but he hopes to improve when he competes Tuesday and Wednesday in the pre-event "slack" sessions in Logandale, where he grew up.

Shiozawa, who lives in Chubbuck, Idaho, won $47,115 in last year's National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center to finish the season eighth in the world standings. He started this week sixth in money with $21,097.

In bull riding, Jake Wade, an Alamo resident and a member of the UNLV rodeo team, scored 78 Thursday to tie for fourth in the first round in Laughlin. He is seventh in earnings with $26,317. ...

Brothers Jay and Randon Adams of Logandale are 14th in points among team roping's headers and heelers.

The top 12 in each category after 12 select rodeos will advance to the May 13 and 14 ProRodeo Chute-Out finale in Tulsa, Okla.

� PRCA HALL OF FAME -- The ProRodeo Hall of Fame grew by seven with the 2006 class.

The class consists of two-time bull riding world champion Jim Sharp; 1982 all-around world champion Chris Lybbert; six-time NFR and five-time world champion bull fighter Rob Smets; 1960 world champion steer wrestler Bob Robinson; rodeo supporters John and Mildred Farris; and the late Doc Sorensen, who created the Flying U Rodeo Company.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for July 15 at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo.

� PRO BULL RIDERS -- Adriano Moraes leads Mike Lee by 158.5 points in the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series standings entering this weekend's Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

Former UNLV rodeo athletes Ross Coleman and reigning PBR champion Justin McBride are eighth and 10th, respectively, in the standings.

Coleman sustained a concussion March 10 competing in Kansas City, Mo., and is not expected to return until April 14. ...

Smets, who said he will retire after this season, continues to recover from surgery three weeks ago after sustaining a neck injury March 3 at the Reno-Tahoe Invitational.

The broken neck is the third in Smets' 27-year career. A full recovery is expected, but it's uncertain when he will return.

Mar. 20, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV rallies for win over Citadel
Rebels tie game in ninth, win it in 10th
By MATT YOUMANS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Not one to frown and appear down on his luck, UNLV junior Chris Bonnell has helped lead the baseball team to several comeback victories the past two years.

The Rebels showed their resiliency again Sunday, beating the odds and The Citadel 8-7 in 10 innings at Wilson Stadium.

"We just don't quit," Bonnell said. "It helps out a lot that we come back all the time. A lot of our wins are comeback wins, and we never stop believing in ourselves."

UNLV, seven games below .500 on Feb. 24, improved to 12-12 by finishing off a three-game sweep of the Bulldogs (12-9).

It was not an easy climb back to level ground. The Rebels did it by beating respected opponents such as California, Texas, Texas Tech and UC Irvine.

"Any time we get back to .500 after starting 1-8 is pretty good," Bonnell said. "We played tough teams. It's a tough schedule, but we've got to play it in order to get to the postseason."

The Citadel took a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth, and its near-perfect closer, right-hander Link Saunders, stood tall atop the mound. Saunders' numbers were impressive -- 19 innings pitched, one earned run, three walks, 33 strikeouts and a 0.47 ERA.

UNLV's C.J. Lang led off and was hit by a pitch. Mike Cruz reached on an error, and Keith Smith singled to load the bases. Bonnell's sacrifice fly tied it.

Saunders (3-2) allowed Ryan Kowalski to single to lead off the 10th. Kowalski advanced to second on Zach Borba's sacrifice bunt, then scored the winning run on Cruz's line-drive single to center.

Kowalski barely beat a strong throw to the plate from center fielder Trent Weathers.

"The great thing about that game is being in a number of games like it, having to battle back and win games in your last at-bat," Rebels coach Buddy Gouldsmith said.

"That's a sign of great teams. It's too early to say that about this club, but the difference between good teams and great teams is winning the close ballgames."

It was the fourth time this year UNLV came from behind in the seventh inning or later to win.

Senior right-hander Jabe Beard (1-1) got the victory, allowing one earned run in 2 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits and struck out five.

Bonnell went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. He had RBI doubles in the fourth and fifth innings.

East and West are no longer separated by vast distances and differences, but are becoming integral parts of the emerging global village and of the world community in the making.*1 Asia's economic, cultural, and political influence is growing steadily, and today's students need training in diverse areas of Asian civilization for future careers in an increasingly globalized marketplace. The Asian Studies program at UNLV is dedicated to enhancing knowledge about the traditions and contemporary societies of China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines, and other Asian countries. UNLV's participating faculty in the Asian Studies program offer a wide selection of teaching and research interests in multiple disciplines, aimed at communicating and sharing the distinctive cultural, political, linguistic, literary, artistic, and historical aspects of Asian life.*2

---------------------------------------------
References

*1. UNLV. 'A profile of UNLV,' "A search of 'Chinese Association of Las Vegas,' on the Google.com," (March 9, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*2. Ibid.

Feb. 03, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

RETIRING UNLV PRESIDENT: Harter says thanks
Emotional speech makes end of her 11-year run official
By K.C. HOWARD
REVIEW-JOURNAL

[[[University of Nevada, Las Vegas President Carol Harter receives hugs from well-wishers Thursday following her speech in the UNLV Foundation building, where she announced her resignation. She talked about her departure for the first time since news broke last week that she plans to work for the foundation after she steps down June 30.
Photos by John Gurzinski.]]]

[[[Listening to Carol Harter's speech Thursday are, from left, Don Snyder, co-chairman of the UNLV Foundation's capital campaign; Dan Van Epp, foundation chairman; Chancellor Jim Rogers; and Regent James Leavitt.]]]

Almost a week after university system officials confirmed that she will step down, UNLV President Carol Harter walked through a throng of standing, applauding supporters like some kind of rock star Thursday to make it official -- she's leaving.

"You make it really tough on a girl, especially an old one," Harter, 64, told the crowd of about 400 students, faculty, administrators and well-wishers.

"The future's so bright, I got to wear shades. That is just as true today as it was then," she said, quoting the 1980s pop tune from Timbuk 3. "Though I may be retiring from the presidency, I want all of you to know, I'm not retiring from UNLV."

Her emotional speech, which brought tears to both Harter and her supporters, highlighted some of the accomplishments of her last 11 years on campus.

The growth over the last decade from 19,000 students to more than 28,000 also saw the addition of more than 100 new academic programs, 58 percent of which are at the graduate level.

There were 17 buildings constructed on campus, more than $300 million in donations raised and law, dental, nursing and public health schools created under her tenure.

She urged the community to take advantage of about 2,000 acres of North Las Vegas desert and develop it into a research haven.

Minority leaders in the community have criticized her commitment to diversity, but in her speech Harter emphasized the progress the institution has made. Minority enrollment has increased to 35 percent, from 22 percent, during Harter's tenure. Minority faculty has increased to 21 percent, from 13 percent.

"No amount of rhetoric can change the data," she said.

It was the celebration of Harter and UNLV that she wanted at the formal announcement of her resignation. There was no mention of Chancellor Jim Rogers, who some have said forced her out.

She said she was saddened that "media speculation" broke the news last week.

"Please understand that was not in my control," she said, adding that she was there to announce her resignation with mixed emotions.

The final words of her speech brought the crowd to its feet. She tossed her head, seemingly blinking back tears, and said: "I thank you all. And, damn it, all of you who know me know I will not go gentle into that good night."

Rebecca Mills, vice president of student life, said Harter had helped create a vision for UNLV that those on the campus would work to continue.

Harter left the venue as she had entered, shaking and touching hands of fans and hugging those who had tears in their eyes.

Supporters called her classy. They told her they loved her, and no one seemed to dwell on why she's stepping down, least of all Harter.

"We're past that," she said when the Review-Journal asked whether it was her choice to leave. "There's no good purpose to be served by that."

Over the last couple of months, Harter's strained relationship with Rogers prompted UNLV Foundation officials to offer a truce: a job at the foundation.

"That last thing we needed was a train wreck, which is potentially what could have happened," said Don Snyder, co-chairman of UNLV's $500 million capital campaign.

The foundation voted Thursday morning to offer Harter an executive position.

The campaign needs help as it continues to move forward, and no one can raise money like Harter, Snyder said.

Harter emphasized her excitement over raising money for the campaign and the Black Mountain Institute. It is a policy think tank that will bring in "major intellectuals" to discuss international issues in a public venue, she said.

Midtown UNLV, the university-area redevelopment project she was leading with major donor and developer Michael Saltman, still will continue.

The new president undoubtedly will have influence on the project, Saltman said.

A search committee also was announced Thursday to select Harter's replacement.

Regent Steve Sisolak will be the chairman. Regents James Leavitt, Jack Schofield and Linda Howard will make up the committee, and Regent Mark Alden will be an alternate.

As for the mood among students, UNLV student body president Peter Goatz said some were excited she's leaving. They feel her priority is off campus raising money and not undergraduates, he said, adding that he hopes the next president is someone who students can talk to outside the Flora Dungan "ivory tower" where the president works.

"I didn't even know who the hell she was," said Lauren Cleere-Lloreda, a sophomore.

Another sophomore, Marissa Nestlebush, said she hoped Harter would be remembered for her work to make UNLV "the next UCLA," referring to the University of California, Los Angeles. And she said she hoped that work would continue after Harter leaves.

Jan. 30, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Art donors exhibit rare level of generosity toward UNLV

As a young couple, Mannetta and Michael Braunstein trekked to El Salvador in the summer of 1970 because, frankly, it was a cheap vacation for the nurse and medical student from Indianapolis.

Mannetta remembers seeing her first pieces of pre-Columbian art in an antiquities shop and saying, "These pots look real." And they were.

So they started buying pieces during their early vacations in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. As always, timing is everything. When the Braunsteins began collecting, the art of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus was neither popular nor fashionable.

Today, pre-Columbian art is their passion, and UNLV is benefiting from that passion. The Braunsteins, who moved to Las Vegas in 1976, are among those who have donated to a drive to raise $500 million for the university.

UNLV announced Tuesday that it had passed the $300 million mark, raising $37 million in the last quarter of 2005.

The Braunstein donation of $5 million worth of pre-Columbian art is the largest donation by a UNLV alumnus. (Mannetta obtained her bachelor's degree in anthropology here in 1993.)

The anesthesiologist and his wife are not part of the Las Vegas cocktail circuit. They're not regulars on the Review-Journal's party page. They don't cruise around in expensive cars.

But they started giving pre-Columbian art to UNLV in 1978. Today, the Marjorie Barrick Natural History Museum houses the Dr. Michael and Mannetta Braunstein Exhibit Hall. The Mannetta Braunstein Research Library opened in November. Their donations, both now and as part of a planned estate donation, ultimately will exceed more than 5,000 pieces.

The collection is one of the largest known private collections of pre-Columbian art in the world, curator Aurore Giguet says.

It's open to the public, and it's free, but because of the limited parking availability at UNLV, the best time to visit the gallery would be on a Saturday, when the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. And it would be well worth a visit to see the masks, the textiles and, among my favorites, the ceramic dogs, each one unique, most smiling as if happy to be on display.

The day the $300 million donation mark was met, I met Mannetta at the museum and made a tough request: Show me your three favorite pieces.

The task wasn't easy for her, but she steeled herself to walk past other beloved pieces and went first to the Codex Borbonicus, an antique replica of a manuscript, a ritual calendar once used by the Aztecs. With zest, she explained the pictographs, telling me how the red dots marked a counting system and the spiral in front of a mouth signified speech. She brought life and meaning to a book created probably about 1450.

Her second choice was more whimsical, a toad whistle from Mexico that would have been used in rituals and dated probably from about A.D. 100 to A.D. 300. At a recent research symposium at the museum, the experts were intrigued by the smiling toad, partly because they could see it had been cast from a live toad, a bufo marinas, which was highly poisonous and had the effect of LSD, Mannetta said. A lot of bufo marinas skeletons have been found in ceremonial areas. You almost could see the shamans tripping as Mannetta talked.

Her third favorite piece was a small Olmec mask from Mexico carved from blue jade and worn as a pendant, and dating from about 600 B.C. to 300 B.C. The man's face carved into the jade was serious, reflecting more serious times and serious art.

"Nobody can put together a collection like this now; it's not available," said Mannetta, a recognized pre-Columbian art appraiser. "It's a tight market."

The decision to donate such a large part of their collection was a big one, Mannetta said. "There were collectors with tempting offers."

Money wasn't the deciding factor for the couple without children. Their existing bonds with UNLV prevailed.

And this way, there is an opportunity for a collection gathered over 36 years to be used for research, making it truly a gift that keeps on giving.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0275.

-- Jan. 06, 2006
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

MOVIE REVIEW: 'Casanova'

Flirting with Danger: The romantic exploits of 'Casanova's' sly hero earn him a number of enemies
By CAROL CLING
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Despite her doubts, firebrand Francesca Bruni (Sienna Miller) can't resist the overtures of Venice's notorious Casanova (Heath Ledger).

What happens in Venice stays in Venice.

Unless your name happens to be Giacomo Casanova -- and they've just made another movie about your storied exploits.

The real-life Casanova (as far as we can tell from his memoirs) led a life of infinite and fascinating variety -- and not just sexually, having pursued pursuits ranging from magic to literature to law to politics to philosophy to music to espionage to diplomacy.

This Casanova, however, leads a far less eclectic existence in 18th-century Venice. And if his reputation as a legendary lothario depended on the exploits depicted in this cheerfully rambunctious costume romp, nobody would make a movie about him in the first place.

But that's because this "Casanova" deals with more with love than sex.

Oh, Casanova ("Brokeback Mountain's" Heath Ledger, light years away from riding that melancholy range) has his share of close encounters, to be sure, and seems decidedly delighted to be engaged in such amatory matters.

That is, until he meets his match -- a proto-feminist firebrand (Sienna Miller) who masquerades as a man and pens best-selling philosophical treatises under a masculine nom-de-plume.

Additional cases of deliberate deception and mistaken identity crop up before "Casanova" finds its happily-ever-after.

And director Lasse Hallstrom (rebounding in bouncy fashion after the dreary likes of "An Unfinished Life" and "The Shipping News") seems only too happy to keep the merry-go-round spinning 'round.

It's 1753, and Casanova's the toast of the town, the scandalous inspiration for strolling players in St. Mark's Square -- and the object of lust among Venice's panting female population.

Alas, they're not the only ones after him.

The Roman Catholic Church also has its eye on Casanova for committing the crimes of "heresy and fornication" (not necessarily in that order). Repeatedly. And they keep hauling him -- repeatedly -- to the dungeon at the end of the Bridge of Sighs.

Luckily, Venice's reigning duke (Tim McInnerny) likes Casanova -- and likes rescuing the rascal from the church's draconian clutches. But things have gotten out of hand. Either leave Venice forever, the duke instructs our boy, or find a wife and settle down.

Leave Venice? Perish the thought. So Casanova and his invaluable manservant Lupo (the nimble Omid Djalili) begin the search for the ideal bride: one of Venice's few remaining virgins, the hot-to-trot Victoria (Natalie Dormer).

Their engagement enrages the boy across the canal, shyly romantic Giovanni Bruni (Charlie Cox), who's been pining for Victoria for ages -- and promptly challenges Casanova to a duel.

Giovanni's not much with the sword, unlike his big sister, Francesca (Miller), who disguises herself for the duel but eventually reveals herself to be Casanova's dream woman: beautiful (but of course), brilliant and utterly invulnerable to his romantic ministrations. The perfect catch has met his match.

Besides, Francesca's also got a fianc�. True, she's never met him. All she knows about Papprizzio (Oliver Platt) is that he's the lard king of Genoa. Which means that he may be a tub of lard, but he's more than able to keep Francesca, Giovanni and their widowed mother ("Alias' " Lena Olin, alias Mrs. Hallstrom) in the style to which they've become accustomed.

And if that's not a big enough carousel of complications for you, let's add one more to the merry mix: all the way from Rome, papal enforcer Bishop Pucci (Jeremy Irons), who's such a hard case he even has a crew cut atop his otherwise curly wig.

Clearly, this "Casanova" doesn't pay the strictest attention to historical detail.

In that sense -- and many others -- the movie recalls the playful, knockabout verve of Richard Lester's 1970s "Three Musketeers" romps -- or, more recently, the 1998 Oscar winner "Shakespeare in Love," without the soaring glories of the latter's Oscar-winning script. (The "Shakespeare in Love" connection may be more than coincidental; playwright Tom Stoppard, who co-wrote "Shakespeare," reportedly did an uncredited script polish.)

Another playwright, Jeffrey Hatcher ("Stage Beauty"), working with newcomer Kimberly Simi, whips up a genial mix of slapstick, frothy farce and scattershot satire, with a few courtly nods to notions of identity and the nature of love.

Hallstrom doesn't dwell on the latter, opting to keep the plates spinning while his all-star cast goes for baroque.

From Platt's pompous posturing to Irons' icy ire, the supporting cast supplies much of the movie's comic verve, while Miller makes a feisty, if occasionally strident, heroine.

And, providing comic contrast with his tragic turn in "Brokeback Mountain," Ledger's sly, insouciant Casanova emerges as a rapscallion of irresistible wit and charm -- who realizes, much to his surprise, that he's just as interested in love as he is in lust.

Happy Holidays!

UNLV ALUMNI TAILGATE

Once again on November 5th, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley was the signature sponsor for the UNLV Alumni Tailgate. As a UNLV graduate and former student body president, the Congresswoman takes great pride in continuing her support of the UNLV community. The Congresswoman enjoyed spending the morning with fellow alumni and their families. .....
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***** The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. ---Eleanor Roosevelt
***** The vision of things to be done may come a long time before the way of doing them becomes clear, but woe to him who distrusts the vision. ---Jenkin L. Jones

"The Spring 2003 Symposium of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) was held at the Steak House of Binion's Horseshoe Club, Las Vegas on April 14, 2003. We've planning Certificate Program in Management, which was designed for China Business Chain, Inc., in Shanghai, China, among others. It's again a milestone of the cooperation for a practical prgram in education between UNLV and WBTI. Toy Gregory and Oscar Jornacion were appointed by WBTI as Adjunct Assistant Professors of Criminal Law and Managerial Accounting, respectively," Dr. John Wang, Spokesman of WBTI announced on April 15, 2003.

The theme of this mini symposium is: The Entrepreneurship of MBA/PKE Certificates Program for the People of English and Chinese Speaking. The Panelists are Dr. Keong Leong, Judge Toy Gregory, and Publisher Oscar Jornacion. As Dean of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (GSBPA), WBTI, Dr. Keong Leong is also the Chairman and Professor of the Department of Management of UNLV. Toy Gregory is now Chief Judge of the Las Vegas Municipal Court. Oscar is the President and Publisher of "Nevada Examiner".

Honorable Guests of the Party were Director of the Las Vegas Office of "Chinese Daily News", Jimmy Hsu; Regional Representative of U. S. Senator John Ensign, Kathie Ambrosio; Representative of the Communitylink of Las Vegas Review-Journal; and Mrs. Oscar Jorncion.

"It's a challenge to me to utilize my knowledge and experience for such an honorable status as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Criminal Law. I wish one day I may also have the opportunitiy to teach a course at Shanghai, China," said Chief Judge Toy Gregory. The Symposium functioned also as a celebration Dinner Party for the appointment of Dr. Keong Leong as Dean of GSBPA and the Grand Oppening of the Las Vegas Office of Chinese Daily News. Chaired by Dr. Tony Lei, President of WBTI, the Symposium accompanied elegantly with a Champagne Dinner was sposored and host by him and his wife at the Steak House of Binion's Horseshoe Club.

"As a graduate school in business, I'll put more emphasis both on values of theoreticality and practicality. I'd like to suggest eight courses for our China Certificate Program in Management: Financial Analysis, Managerial Accounting, Quality Management, Just-in-Time & Lean Operations, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology, Applied Economic Analysis, and Strategy Formulation and Implementation," said Dean Dr. Keong Leong on the Symposium.

"Asian Pacific American have made profound contributions to American life, including the arts, economy, education, science, technology, politics, and sport. This community was here to help build trascontinental railroad, to serve in the Civil War, and to develop the latest Internet technology. I'm pleased to assure all you leaders of the community here today that I'll continue working to preserve and advance the heritage and value of Asian Americans. I'll put my effort to reach out and address issues of importance to the Asian American community, including the economy, education, safety, racial profiling, and hate crime, and immigration, among others. I'd like also to show my appreciation of all your accomplishments and contributions to the American way of life and your oustanding participation in the political, business , and educational processes. It's my pleasure to accept the honor as Professor of Administrative Strategies of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration of Washington Business and Technology Institute," said Harry Reid, U. S. Senator and Assistant Democratic Leader of the Senate at Asian American Leaders Tea with United States Senator Harry Reid on May 31, 2003 at Korean Garden B. B. Q. House in Las Vegas.

-- Nov. 18, 2005
Copyright � Las Vegas Review-Journal

Betty Buckley brings holiday songs, show tunes to UNLV

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Performing Arts Center will present "An Evening with Betty Buckley" at 8 p.m. Dec. 3 as part of the New York Stage & Beyond Series.

The concert is billed as a "warm, brilliant start to the Las Vegas holiday season." Texas native and Broadway star Buckley will sing favorite show tunes and holiday classics.

Buckley won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats."

She received her second Tony Award nomination for best actress in a musical for her performance as Hesione in "Triumph of Love."

And she received an Olivier Award nomination for her interpretation of Norma Desmond in the London production of Webber's "Sunset Boulevard," which she repeated to more rave reviews on Broadway.

Tickets to Betty Buckley cost $45, $60, and $90 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office at 895-2787 or by visiting pac.unlv.edu. Student rush tickets cost $12.50 each and are available one hour prior to each event, based on availability and with valid student identification.

UNLV faculty and staff discounts also are also available.