beat the drum, bless, blow off steam, carouse, ceremonialize, commend, consecrate, dedicate, drink to, eulogize, exalt, extol, feast, fete, glorify, hallow, have a ball, honor, jubilate, keep, kick up one’s heels, laud, let loose, lionize, live it up, make merry, make whoopee, mark with a red letter, memorialize, observe, paint the town red, party, perform, praise, proclaim, publicize, raise hell, rejoice, revel, revere, ritualize, signalize, solemnize.

Source: www.thesaurus.com

Posted by Tom R.

The goals of National Mentoring Month include the following:

• Raise awareness of mentoring in its various forms.
• Recruit individuals to mentor youth, especially in programs that have waiting lists of young people.
• Promote the rapid growth of mentoring by recruiting organizations to engage their constituents in mentoring.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has provided more than $500 million since 1994 to support juvenile and youth mentoring programs. OJJDP’s efforts focus on strengthening, expanding, and implementing youth mentoring activities and youth development programs throughout the country through grants to national and local organizations. Many of the initiatives focus on reaching at-risk youth and working with underserved populations including foster children, tribal communities, and juvenile offenders who are reentering their communities (Mentoring, Office of Justice Programs).

To learn more about mentoring, please visit NCJRS’s Mentoring Resources Special Feature. This resource contains links to publications and related organizations, agencies, funding resources, and Web sites that focus on mentoring activities.

Source: NCJRS (www.ncjrs.gov)

Posted by Tom R.

According to results from the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 1 in 6 women (16.2 percent) and 1 in 19 men (5.2 percent) in the United States have experienced stalking victimization at some point during their lifetime in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed (National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Summary Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Stalking between intimate partners is widespread and often associated with lethal abuse. Despite the enactment of anti-stalking laws in every state, relatively few stalkers are cited or arrested by law enforcement, and even fewer are prosecuted (A Statewide Study of Stalking and Its Criminal Justice Response, final report of a study sponsored by the National Institute of Justice).

In recognition of January being National Stalking Awareness Month, NCJRS invites you to view its Stalking Awareness Special Feature, an online compilation of stalking-related publications and resources.

Source: NCJRS website (Special Feature page)

Posted by Tom R.

This month we once again have art on display (and for purchase) courtesy of Bill Taitano and the Classical American Art Gallery.

Artists on display, now through January, include:

• Lee Reams
• Dr. Paul Krauter
• Vicky Sparkman
• Karen Lamb
• Marcellous Mitchell

Feel free to stop by and peruse the wonderful art work.  I’ve got my eye on a couple.

Posted by Tom R.

Many colleges and universities use all-in-one PC units in their lab, others are experimenting with them as kiosk replacements.  The technology in all-in-one PCs began with Apple’s iMac — but PCs have matured to the point where they offer the same types of features as standard PCs in a smaller form.  All-in-one PCs eliminate all the wires hanging everywhere, and have fewer parts.  Fewer parts mean there is less that can go wrong and they’re easier to troubleshoot.    Most units feature touch displays, built-in wireless connectivity,  integrated webcams, and built-in microphones.

All-in-one PCs lend themselves to a student union where people can access information, find out what’s happening around campus, and get information related to college (admissions, enrollment, etc…)  in an open area kiosk set-up.  However, unlike traditional kiosk solutions that cost thousands of dollars, you can get all-in-one PCs for under $1,000.

Another potential use for All-in-one PCs is the library.  Here, students can find books, access pay-per-use Internet research sources, use units as a job-search tool, online testing during proctored exams, and access campus-related links to events and resources.

All-in-one PCs are more efficient, easier-to-manage devices.  They’re more compact and have fewer moving parts — making for easier maintenance and troubleshooting.  Although most have standard features, there are some differences among products.  Over time, standardization (components and features) is expected to drive prices down even further.

There are limitations, though.  All-in-one PCs place more of an emphasis on looks and lifestyle than they do on raw processor power which doesn’t lend itself to record-breaking score on the latest 3D games–they’re just not powerful enough.  (see Pionneau, 2011 at http://www.digitalversus.com/computer/reviews-all-in-one-computers-a475.html)

For more reviews on all-in-one PCs, see some of the following links:

• Top Ten Reviews: All-in-One PCs at http://all-in-one-pc-review.toptenreviews.com/
• About.com Best All-in-One at http://compreviews.about.com/od/allinonepcs/tp/AllInOnePCs.htm
• a slightly old (2009) but still very informative article from PCWorld at http://www.pcworld.com/article/168576/allinone_pcs_with_a_touch_of_style.html

Pamela Louderback

NSU will participate in “Remembrance Day, National Roll Call 2011,” which is an event on college campuses across America. Faculty, staff, student, administration and community members will gather to read the names of the more than 6,000 service men and women, as well as government employees, who have been lost in the War on Terror since September 11.

The ceremony will begin at 5:45 a.m. at Second Century Square on the NSU-Tahlequah campus with a flag raising ceremony, National Anthem and Native American Warrior Song.  President Martin Tadlock, who is a veteran, will provide opening remarks.

At 1 p.m. the ceremony will pause for a minute of silence across the nation to commemorate those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

That afternoon at about 4 p.m. at the Administration Building flagstaff, the NSU ROTC unit will hold a special flag-raising and presentation ceremony to memorialize Specialist Joshua Seals of Porter.  His parents, Rhonda and Stanley Seals, will be there to participate. They will be joined by SFC Bernard Jackson, Jr., who is their liaison to the Oklahoma National Guard.

Specialist Seals attended NSU as a student in 2009 while he was a member of the Oklahoma National Guard. He died in Afghanistan in August during his deployment with the 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

For more information, contact Major Jason Junkens, commanding officer of the NSU ROTC program, at 918-444-3062.

Posted by Tom R.

It was a team effort.  Our winners are from left to right:

Katrina Williams – Secretary; Diamond Urbano – President Pro-tempore; and Danielle Chastain – Deputy Pro-tempore

NSU BA Pumpkin Contest Winner

Short throw projectors are also referred to as wall mount projectors.  They are typically used in applications where the projector is wall mounted within a few inches of the projection screen. Fixed installation projectors come in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios.  As well, these projectors may include support for networking.  You may be thinking, so what?  What does all this mean to me as an educator?  Well, what this means is that unlike the standard (or ‘long throw’ projectors), you can project the big picture even when you only have access to a tight space environment with much less space required between the projector and the screen.   This takes care of the problems brought about when using a standard long throw projection system such as landing a tiny projected image or blocking out the projections with your shadows when you find yourself in a small,  constrained room with little space.

No more worrying about shadow puppet shows by bored students!  And you can actually see your audience.  These projection systems are great for small and medium-sized classrooms, and eliminate many of the issues of having a traditional projector at the rear of the room.  By using a wall-mount kit and front/rear view projection, you can apply your projectors in virtually any presentation environment.  Not to mention that short throw projection also gets rid of that annoying fan noise and heat exhaust, helps keep the room clutter-free from long running cables, and frees you from squinting your eyes against the bright glare of the projector lamp.

Now that you know some of the benefits of short-throw projectors, the next question is, ‘which one should I purchase for my classroom?’  There are many models available — so the key is to find one that suits your needs best. Below are just a few models you may want to consider:

1.  ViewSonic PJD7383i Interactive 3D-ready Short-throw Projector – has a resolution of XGA (1,024 X 768), a brightness of 3,000 lumens, and is priced at around $1,050

2.  InFocus IN3914 Interactive 3D-ready Short-throw Projector – has a resolution of XGA (1,024 X 768), a brightness of 2,700 lumens, and is priced at around $1,225

3.  ViewSonic PJD7583wi Interactive 3D-ready Short-throw Projector – has a resolution of WXGA (1,280 X 800), a brightness of 3,000 lumens, and is priced at around $1,250

Several places to research short-throw projectors and learn about projection distance and how short throw projectors can make presenting easier, go to:

• Projector Central at http://www.projectorcentral.com/new-super-short-throw-projectors.htm or
• ProjectPeople.com http://www.projectorpeople.com/resources/short-throw.asp
• Or for a listing of projectors priced under $1,500, visit the following link — campustechnology.com/0511_shortthrow

Happy Shopping!

Pamela Louderback