The Synergy Project

Student Jeff Lipscultz wrote up an artilce for the UNO Honors Program and a very innovative, interesting and involving set of classes that honors offered. Read on below . . .


The Synergy Project: A Multidisciplinary Honors General Education Curriculum
Jeff Lipschultz, VP of Communication, Honors Program Student Advisory Board
Imagine a more meaningful general education experience -- one with less crowds, more focused students, and teachers who cooperate with each other to ensure the smoothest experience possible. Thanks to the Synergy Project, the creation of a group of UNO professors, this is now a possibility. This semester, the linked courses available in this program are World Civilizations II, Introduction to World Literature, and Introduction to Philosophy. I sat down with Dr. Laura Grams, assistant professor of philosophy, Professor Fred Amis, instructor in the Department of History, Professor Matthew Marx, instructor in the Department of English, and Ryan Murphy, a student and teaching assistant for the Synergy Project.

Assignments in the Synergy Project are combined across the courses. According to Professor Marx, "the whole point is to go for depth, and so the topic we have for the papers are emphasizing thematic depth and the students' own thought rather than just regurgitating what they've learned in class; they're actually putting what they've learned in class together to write something new.“ This includes opportunities for research.

Looking back on the past year, Professor Amis is pleased with the evolution of the program and indicates that "the feedback…indicates that the students are getting a lot out of this.“ Given this success, the project will be continued next year; fall offerings will be World Civilizations I, World Religions, and Honors English Composition. Dr. Michele DesMarais will be assuming responsibility for World Religions. "We will increase the amount of coordination and overlap“ between the components of the curriculum, Professor Amis said.

The faculty have found the classes of honors students to be impressive. "The freshmen in this class are producing consistently higher quality papers than my other class," said Professor Marx; "I'd like to think that's because of the approach we're taking here, in just allowing them the room to think." Clearly, the students in the Synergy Project classes benefit from the atmosphere of meaningful thought. "The level of discussions is usually pretty good," said Professor Amis; "I would say that some of these discussions are on par with upper-level and, on occasion, they are on par with graduate level work." In addition, the students are noticably more engaged and driven to do well than in a standard freshman course; in the end, this pays off for them with superior grades. "They seem to have a lot of energy and a lot of enthusaism," said Dr. Grams.

Philosophical discussion of consciousness is a principal theme of the project. "They begin to see the story behind" the material of the courses, according to Professor Marx. Ryan Murphy describes the experience as "four-dimensional academia," at which one comes "from angles you never knew existed," fueling a desire for participation. Compared to other UNO courses, he finds the Synergy courses to be "more rigorous academically, but in a good way,“ thanks to the possibilities for discussion with class sizes limited to less than twenty seats. In contrast, a standard introductory history class serves more than sixty students. "It is almost like being in Plato's Academy, to some extent." Discussions that begin early in the day have been known to continue through the afternoon in the different component classes; according to Dr. Grams, "an idea will come up and it's something that was discussed in the history class in the morning, or someone will ask a question that relates to something they'd been reading about in literature." These connections are further strengthened by the faculty members making a habit of attending each other's classes.

The students participating in the project have bonded well, forming an environment of collaboration that extends beyond the classroom; Professor Amis has noticed that they tend to congregate in the classroom, and eight of this semester's thirteen will be traveling together with the faculty members to Europe this summer. The study tour will include three weeks in England, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy.
-----------------------------------------------

Big round of applause for Jeff. I'll do some checking to see how the study tour is shaping up!

Good season for baseball

Here's the link to the Omaha World-Herald story on the end of the season for the Mavericks at the CWS Div. II World Series.

UNO Baseball: Mistakes send Mavs home

More on the baseball team

Here's the latest info from gomavs.unomaha.edu --

No. 1 Tampa Halts Mavs' Momentum, 9-2

Bryan Frew had an RBI and scored a run

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Defending champion and top-ranked Tampa hammered out 15 hits, defeating the University of Nebraska-Omaha 9-2 Sunday night at Riverwalk Stadium. The Mavericks will take on Cal State-Los Angeles in an elimination game Tuesday.

Click here for the rest of the story.


Top Five for the start of summer

I asked Latavia Adams from over in Student Government to pen a few Top Five lists for me. I'll be sharing her thoughts over the next few days. To start out (and it seems timely) here are the . . .

Top Five Best Things To Do This Summer
1. Volunteer
2. Take summer classes at Metro
3. Snag a cool paid internship
4. Attend every game of the College World Series
5. Walk around Downtown while eating Ted and Wally's Ice Cream!

Thanks Latavia!

Tune 'em in, and cheer the UNO Mavericks on

This is good to know. The baseball team will be on the radio. Tune in. Should be a lot of fun.

From gomavs.unomaha.edu.

UNO Championship Games to Air on KBLR 97.3
The University of Nebraska at Omaha's baseball games Friday and Sunday in the Division II College World Series will be broadcast in eastern Nebraska on KBLR 97.3 FM.

Mark Kraynak, the voice of Iowa Western basketball, will be doing play-by-play, with UNO Sports Information Assistant Joel Sartan providing color commentary.

The Mavericks, who won the Central Region championship last week, will take on North Atlantic Region champion Kutztown Friday at 1 p.m. at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala. Sunday the Mavs will face either Cal State-Los Angeles or defending champion Tampa at 2:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.

UNO Track and Field to Compete at Outdoor Nationals

This is from today's eNotes.

"The UNO women's track and field team will compete today through Saturday, May 24-26, at the NCAA II Outdoor National Championships in Charlotte, N.C.

The Mavericks will compete in six events in the NCAA II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The UNO competitors who captured North Central Conference (NCC) titles, as well as the events and qualifying times and standings, are highlighted below:

- 100-meter dash
Molly Belling (No. 1 qualifying time, 11.49);

- 200-meter dash
Belling (No. 2, 23.64) and LaVerne Monger (No. 15, 24.26);

- 400-meter dash
Pinar Saka (No. 11, 55.33) and Monger (No. 13, 55.67);

- 400-meter hurdles
Magda Orzylowski (No. 13, 61.80);

- 4x100 relay
Orzylowski, Belling, Saka and Monger (No. 6, 46.40); and

- 4x400 relay
Karin Clarkson, Angela Kampshnieder, Jessica Purdy, Monger and Saka (No. 5, 3:43.96).

Sophomore sprinter Belling of Omaha was named the NCC's Outstanding Athlete by the league's track and field coaches after her performances at the conference meet. It is the second consecutive year she has received the honor.

Belling won the 100-meter race with a record time of 11.49 seconds and the 200-meter race with a time of 23.64. She broke her own meet record in the 100 with a time of 11.49, which is the fastest time in the nation this year. She also was a member of the winning 4x100 relay team for the Mavericks, who finished fourth in the meet.

The Mavericks won their first NCC indoor championship in 26 years Feb. 24 in Vermillion, S.D., capturing seven event titles. UNO then went on to finish 10th in the NCAA II Indoor National meet March 9-10 in Boston."

Rainy day, good day for classical music

Did you know you can tune into KVNO online?

Right from the desktop, it's easy to log in and listen up at the KVNO Listen Live page.

Chancellor on Consider This
John Christensen will be the guest this week on UNO TV's Consider This. More information to come.

Mavs Going to D-II College World Series

Congrats to the team and to Alabama!

From gomavs.unomaha.edu.
Mavs Top Mules Again, On to Montgomery
Porter Hits Two Homers, Takes MVP Honors

Evan Porter hit two home runs to lead the Mavericks to the Division II World Series

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The University of Nebraska at Omaha got two long balls from Evan Porter and a clutch pitching performance from Brandon Dahl, defeating Central Missouri, 9-4, to win the NCAA Division II Central Regional Championship Sunday afternoon at Crane Stadium.

UNO (36-22) swept through regional play, going a perfect 4-0, defeating the three highest-seeded teams in the tournament. The Mavericks advance to the NCAA Division II World Series in Montgomery, Ala. for the first time in school history.

Click here for more.

I'm taking a day off . . .

. . . but news about UNO just keeps coming. Here's a nice thing to know.

UNO Wins Third NCC Women's All-Sports Title

UNO, with four league championships, has won its third straight North Central Conference (NCC) women's all-sports trophy. The Mavericks were third overall in the NCC Cup standings for all sports, aided by one men's title and two runner-up finishes.

The women's teams won championships in soccer, golf, indoor track and tennis, and finished second in swimming and diving, volleyball and softball, registering 53.5 points to second-place North Dakota's 50.5. Maverick women were also fourth in outdoor track, fifth in cross country and seventh in basketball.

The men, with just four sports, shared the football championship and recorded second-place finishes in wrestling and baseball, as well as a tie for fifth in basketball. With no entry in six sports, UNO finished seventh in the league race won by Minnesota State.

It is the fourth time in the past five years that UNO has been the women's leader.

Overall NCC Cup Standings are listed below:

1. Minnesota State - 87.5
2. North Dakota - 84.0
3. UNO - 72.0
4. South Dakota - 70.5
5. Augustana - 55.5
6. Minnesota Duluth - 54.0
7. St. Cloud State - 50.5

Facebook stats on UNO Network
It's interesting stuff they collect over at Facebook. More than 11,000 people are in the UNO Network and here's a couple of top ten lists of interests -- favorite music and favorite film.

Top Music

1 Fall Out Boy

2 Country

3 Incubus

4 311

5 The Killers

6 The Fray

7 Rascal Flatts

8 Jack Johnson

9 Sublime

10 Coldplay

Top Movies

1 Wedding Crashers

2 Old School

3 The Notebook

4 Fight Club

5 Anchorman

6 Tommy Boy

7 Blow

8 300

9 Office Space

10 Happy Gilmore

Omaha World-Herald stories on Christensen, new AD

Two super stories in the World-Herald today.

Click on the headlines and check them out:

Christensen is up and at 'em on all fronts at UNO

and

UNO Athletics: Miller wants trust restored in department

New UNO Athletic Director Appointed

Big day over in UNO Athletics. Read on.

David Miller Appointed to be UNO Athletic Director
Omaha - David Miller has been selected as the new director of athletics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and will assume his duties on May 24, Chancellor John Christensen announced today.
“David has impressed us all with his thoughts on college athletics and the importance of placing the student-athlete front and center,” Christensen said. “David wants the students in his program to succeed both on and off the playing field.” Read the full release.

Upcoming event-- this one has a great speaker (and breakfast)

UNO, Creighton to Co-Host Globalization Lecture
Omaha’s two major universities will co-host a breakfast lecture on globalization with Bharat Desai, chairman and chief executive officer of Syntel, on Thursday, May 24, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) William H. and Dorothy Thompson Alumni Center. A free continental breakfast will start at 7:30 a.m. Desai’s presentation, “Globalization 2020,” will begin at 8 a.m.

The Creighton University Joe Ricketts Center and the UNO College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T) are the event’s co-sponsors. Click here for the full release and complete registration information.

More big news tomorrow for campus . . .

. . .and I'll post it when the info. becomes available in the afternoon.

In the meantime, here's a fun new local website to take a peek at-- Omahype. It's another place to check on the local music scene. Good stuff.

And thanks to all the good folks who have e-mailed, facebooked, left messages for me on my new position. You never think about how many people you are connected to (staff, profs., students) until you have news. It's nice and it's humbling all at the same time. I've heard Dr. Christensen talk about how UNO has always felt like a family to him and I've got to agree (and not just because he's my boss.)

And look for a major feature on Dr. Christensen in Friday's Omaha World-Herald, too.

A late day update. . .

. . . this will be in eNotes tomorrow, but I'm happy to provide a preview here in Maverickland.

Kaldahl name Director of UNO University Relations
Omaha - Tim Kaldahl has been named director of University Relations at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). He begins his new duties immediately.
Kaldahl has served as interim director since August of 2006. He came to UNO as the assistant director of media relations in 2003. In his new role, he is responsible for overseeing the university’s internal communications, media relations, advertising/marketing and Web efforts.
“It’s exciting to tell the university’s story,” he said. “This is a tremendous opportunity, and it means a great deal to me.”
Kaldahl has a long history with the UNO campus. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in journalism at UNO in 1990 and also completed UNO Honors Program requirements as an undergraduate. He received his master’s degree in English at UNO in 1999. In between those two degrees, Kaldahl worked for a semester on UNO’s first Czech Semester program through the National Collegiate Honors Council in 1992.
Kaldahl’s professional career in communications includes stints as a reporter at a Sarpy County weekly newspaper and at the Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs. He started his public relations career in 1993 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He later worked in communications and marketing at Alegent Health.
Kaldahl can be reached at (402) 554-3502. His office is located in 108 Eppley Administration Building.

Mavericks in Europe

The UNO Choir looks to be having a great time in Europe. How do I know?

The blog they are keeping is loaded to the gills with photos of everything -- wooden shoes, castles, square, food, people. The page is Tour 2007.

It's about perfect outside . . .

. . . and campus is unbelievably pretty. It's been an interesing, important week on campus. And it's spring in Nebraska.

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."
-Anne Dudley Bradstreet

Check out the names
Here's the link to all the student who graduated last week. See if you know anybody on the big list.

Soundfile Friday
The Mountain Goats are wonderful. They make me laugh. And "No Children" is just fun.

Two new English 1164 sections open

This is a short quick post via Joe Price, coordinator of administration in UNO English --

"I'm trying to get the word out to students that we just opened two sections of ENGL-1164, Composition II, for the summer terms, one in session B and one in session C. I know this isn't "sexy" news, but... "

More available classes are always good. Pass the news along to people who need to know. TK

And for all the Bright Eyes fans out there . . .

Here's a trippy set of pictures from a website called Brooklynvegan.

Quantel wins!

I didn't get confirmation on this until just now. Click on this link to Fox College Sports.

Photos from today's announcement about chancellor . . .

. . . are now online. Check out this smart slideshow at Through The Lens.

University of Nebraska Names John Christensen UNO Chancellor

It's official. And pictures tell a story. Here's Dr. Christensen with President/Regent Alexander Williams after the announcement this morning.

And here's a link to the announcement. Christensen Announced as UNO Chancellor

And here's the stuff that's good to know, too --

• Dr. Christensen ia the first chancellor of UNO who also has a degree from UNO.
• All three of the Christesens' sons have graduated from UNO. Anders Christensen received his teaching degree at last Friday's commencement.
• The applause at the announcement this morning was long and loud.

UNO Chancellor Announcement Set for 10 a.m. TODAY

M E D I A A D V I S O R Y


Date: May 8, 2007

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Location: University of Nebraska at Omaha Thompson Alumni House, 6705 Dodge Street, Omaha - Bootstrappers Room

Purpose: University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken will announce his selection of the new Chancellor of UNO.

Note: No additional information will be available prior to 10:00 a.m.

Parking: Parking available adjacent to Alumni House

Quiet here at the ranch

The first day after spring commencement is always quiet. No exception today. Here's some info below on different things going on.

My favorite graduation picture from last week


Tim Fitzgerald took the photo. (And if I had a cell phone back when I got a diploma, I would have called my parents, friends, etc., too!

Mavs to Meet Winona State in Regional Match-up

From gomavs.unomaha.edu
"UNO will make its 18th straight regional tournament appearance, meeting Winona State in the first round of the NCAA II North Central Regional tournament Thursday afternoon at 3 in Mankato, Minn.

The Mavericks, 30-18, split with Winona State in the regular season, losing 1-0, before posting a 5-2 win late in April.

First-round games Thursday:
10 a.m.: Minnesota Duluth vs. Soouthwest Minnesota State
12:30 p.m.: Central Missouri vs. Emporia State
3 p.m.: UNO vs. Winona State
5:30 p.m.: Minnesota State, Mankato vs. Missouri Western State"

UNO Bats Explode for Split with Minnesota State
From gomavs.unomaha.edu
"Chris Weimer belted a three-run homer, while Matt Boro and Alex Kotera each drove in a pair of runs to lead a 15-hit attack as UNO outslugged Minnesota State, Mankato, 13-7, in the front end of a North Central Conference doubleheader Saturday at the Ballpark at Boys Town. MSU came back to quiet the Maverick bats in the nightcap for a 2-1 win and a split.

The twin-bill ended regular season play for UNO, which is now 30-20 overall, before the start of the NCC tournament on May 10 in St. Cloud, Minn. UNO finished league play at 14-6, while MSU is now 40-8 and 17-2.

UNO wasted no time getting it going in the opener as Bryan Frew tripled to lead off the first and scored on a wild pitch to start a four-run inning. Tyler Cloyd doubled home a run and Matt Eikmeier singled in another. Frew drove in Matt Meyer in the second as the lead grew to 5-1.

But MSU ralled with two runs in the third and four in the fourth for a 7-5 lead.

UNO responded with four in the bottom of the fourth, led by Weimer's three-run blast to take a 9-7 lead. UNO padded the margin in the fifth on Kotera's two-run single and added to it in the sixth on Boro's two-run single to center.

Shawn Smith earned the win with four innings in relief of starter Josh Lundin to improve to 2-2.

In the second game, MSU scored an unearned run in the first on a lead-off single by Kosuke Hattori and a throwing error by pitcher Ryan Hines on a sacrifice bunt by Scott Kemp that allowed Hattori to come all the way home.

Minnesota State doubled its lead in the second on an RBI single by Pat Ottum.

UNO cut the margin in half with a home run to left by Boro.

MSU got perfect relief pitching from Patrick Lenton, who struck out six of the seven batters he faced to earn his second save."

Student commencement address

Below is the text of Justin Ptacnik's commencement speech. It's a good one.

Come on down to the event today. Start time is 2 p.m. at the Civic.

Justin Ptacnik Commencement Address
Regents, President Miliken, Chancellor Christensen, distinguished guests, alumni, University administrators, faculty, staff, friends and family members, welcome to the spring 2007 University of Nebraska at Omaha Commencement ceremony. To my fellow graduates: Allow me to congratulate you on the fulfillment of your degree requirements; to welcome you to our Commencement ceremony; and to you thank you… thank you, for helping make the past four years of my life a True, College, Experience.

Like many of you, when I came to UNO four years ago I was more concerned with graduating from college than I was with actually attending college. Now, a few pounds heavier and a little wiser, I wish I could do it all over again. I say this because somewhere between MWF class at 8:00 am as a freshman, and TT class at 11:00 am as a senior, I had the time of my life. Over the course of the past four years I have shared experiences with many you as a student, fraternity man, senator, ambassador, intern, friend and leader. With a few of you, I climbed the UNO bell tower and slept on campus in cardboard boxes. I doubt that I am alone in my admission, that I have made some terrible decisions, and I trust that if I am not, you were all as fortunate as I was, to have learned from your mistakes.

In the midst of all that we have experienced, I hope that at some point you forgot that you were attending a metropolitan, commuter campus in the heart of Omaha and realized that you were going to school, at a University, that could rival any campus in the region. As I look back on some of the accomplishments of UNO, I am truly amazed.

Over the past four years alone this University has seen
• World leaders • National Media attention
• Championship athletic teams • Nationally known entertainers
• construction of state-of-the-art facilities • And much, much, more

Amongst this excitement, we students were being educated by renowned professors and participating in campus organizations like Student Government, fraternities and sororities, and leadership development programs, to name just a few. We were forging relationships and challenging each other in the classroom. We were creating True College Experiences for each other…

I am a firm believer that as individuals, we are all a product of two things – our environment and the people with which we interact. Over the passed four years we have had the best of both worlds. In UNO, we have had a nurturing environment that has served as an incubator for our ambitions, our intellects, and our pleasures. In each other, we have had a small world of gracious diversity, camaraderie, and education. To everyone here that has helped make this University what it is today, and especially to those of you who helped make it what it has been for the past four years, I am deeply indebted. Because whether you are someone who will stand next to me on my wedding day, or a random individual I met in the library my freshman year, in some way, you have left an indelible impression on my life. For this, I offer my sincere appreciation and thanks. I wish you all the best of luck, and once again, thank you for being a part of my True College Experience.

The end is near . . .

. . . but just the end of the semester. I like commencement and always enjoy seeing students walking into the Civic, hearing the applause and cheers from family and friends. (And I look great in academic regalia . . .well, except for the mortar board. Nobody can pull off wearing that kind of hat.)

And smart people have said lots of smart things about education and getting educated.

"The foundation of every state is the education of its youth."
-Diogenes

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence."
-Robert Frost

"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. Our requirements for world leadership, our hopes for economic growth, and the demands of citizenship itself in an era such as this all require the maximum development of every young American's capacity. The human mind is our fundamental resource."
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Special Message to the Congress on Education, February 20, 1961

"Curiosity is the very basis of education and if you tell me that curiosity killed the cat, I say only the cat died nobly."
-Arnold Edinborough

"If you consider what are called the virtues in mankind, you will find their growth is assisted by education and cultivation."
-Xenophon


Saturday Night (to Sunday morning) Relay For Life at UNO
Eleven teams of walkers from the University of Nebraska at Omaha will go around the clock to fight cancer during the American Cancer Society Relay For Life from 7 p.m. Saturday, May 5 until 7 a.m. Sunday, May 6. UNO’s Sapp Fieldhouse will host the event.

More than 100 people, primarily students, will be taking part. Relay For Life is a unique fundraising event that allows participants–including patients, medical support staff, corporations, civic organizations, churches, students and community volunteers–to join together to fight cancer. This is the first time UNO has had Relay for Life on campus.

“The funds raised will enable us to continue our investment in the fight against cancer through educational programs, research, advocacy and services to patients,” said Holly Darby of the American Cancer Society.

For more information, call the Omaha chapter of the American Cancer Society at (402) 393-5800.

Two days until the end of the semester

UNO Commencement May 4 at the Civic

More than 1,200 students will graduate Friday, May 4, during the UNO spring commencement ceremony. The event will be held at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, 1804 Capitol Ave., beginning at 2 p.m.
Justin Ptacnik, a Blair, Neb., native, will present the student commencement address. He will receive a bachelor of science degree in management information systsems. Ptacnik will begin working in the Management Trainee Program at First National Bank following graduation and plans to pursue an M.B.A.

For more information about the May 4 commencement, call 554.2358 or 554.3502.

Belling Earns NCC Honor

Molly Belling

From gomavs.unomaha.edu
"Sophomore sprinter Molly Belling has been named a North Central Conference outdoor track athlete of the week for her performances last weekend.

Belling won the 100 and 200-meter races at the Nebraska Open in Lincoln on Sunday. She also finished seventh in the 100-meter race at the Drake Relays, the only NCAA Division II athlete to advance to the finals.

Belling currently has two provisional qualifying times, 11.8 seconds in the 100 meters and 23.97 in the 200.

Other Mavericks with provisional qualifying times currently are LaVerne Monger in the 100 (11.96) and 200 (24.32); Ashley Freeman in the high jump (5-7); LaCheryl Prince in the triple jump (38-7); Magda Orzylowski, 400-meter hurdles (1:01.80); the 4x100 relay team of Libby Dibiase, Belling, Pinar Saka and Monger (46.42), and the 4x400 relay team of Karin Clarkson, Angela Kampschnieder, Jessica Purdy and Monger (3:43.96).

The Mavericks resume outdoor action this weekend at the Nebraska Invitational in Lincoln."

Three Selected to NCC All-Academic Team

Kellyn Kramolisch Alison Jergenson Brooke Wagner

Also from gomavs.unomaha.edu
"Three University of Nebraska at Omaha players have been selected to the North Central Conference's All-Academic softball team by the league's sports information directors.

Senior second baseman Kellyn Kramolisch, junior outfielder Alison Jergenson and sophomore shortstop Brooke Wagner all earned spots on the 12-member team. It is the first time for all three to be selected to the team, which requires a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average and at least two semesters in school."

A podcast for finals week stress

I first met Dr. David Corbin back in the 1980s when I was an undergrad. He's smart and healthy and committed to the idea of bettering the health of others. With that in mind, he sent this my way yesterday and it's a good idea --

"Free Stress Management Podcasts Available during and after Finals Week
Finals week can be very stressful, and stress can contribute to poor performance. That is why David E. Corbin and Josie Metal-Corbin, professors in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, have developed six stress management podcasts that they are making available to the UNO community.

Of course, it is necessary to study to prepare for your exams, but it is also important to take some stress management breaks now and then to give your brain a chance to refresh itself. The free podcasts are: two different types of body scans, two yoga-related podcasts (31 points and 61 points), differential relaxation and autogenics.

According to Dr. Corbin: “Many of us experience some level of nervousness or tension before tests or other important events. A little stress can actually help motivate us; however, too much of it can become a problem — especially if it interferes with our ability to prepare for and perform on tests. That is why we put together these free podcasts.” These podcasts are also intended to help people calm down after exams are over when they are anxiously awaiting their final grades.

To access these podcasts, visit: http://www.unomaha.edu/healthed/stressmgmt.html then click on the link to the podcasts.

You can download these stress management audio exercises for free on your mp3 player or you can listen to them on your computer. If you do not have an mp3 player you can check out an iPod Shuffle at the reserve desk at the UNO library.

For more information contact Dr. David E. Corbin at 554-2670 or dcorbin@mail.unomaha.edu."

Back in the day when I first met Dr. Corbin, I was smoking nearly a pack a day (nothing like the dopey image of writer smoking while typing, right?) He's been an anti-smoking/wellness advocate forever. I'd like to say it was Dr. Corbin that helped me stop smoking, but that isn't true. The real reason was two-fold: 1, Smoking became more and more expensive and I'm cheap. 2, My mom laughed her head off when she me sucking down a Camel. I believe her exact words were "you look ridiculous." I thought I looked like Humphrey Bogart. The lesson? Take up jogging or walking or biking.

And check out the de-stressing podcasts, too.