News

The year was 1973. U.S. troops had been withdrawn from Vietnam, the World Trade Center in New York became the tallest building in the world, and the groundbreaking ceremony for UNO's Roskens Hall was about to begin. It was in that year that UNO had the largest enrollment in the school's history.

Maybe there's something in the water.  Maybe they've spent too much time in the sun.  Or maybe they're just constitutionally incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, but something is clearly wrong with Arizona's most prominent Republican politicians.  Arizona's not known for being the most progressive state in the union; I'm old enough to remember the way they fought against recognizing Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday in the early 1990s.

During a recent visit to Mammel Hall, UNO's Environmental Advocate and Sustainability Champion Patrick Wheeler focused on a group of computers. "I'm not sure why all those [computer] monitors are on," he said. "They could probably power off the ones they're not using." While he applauds the sustainable construction and design of the College of Business Administration's new building, Wheeler emphasizes the importance of continued sustainable practices by its occupants. "It's an opportunity for us to do some good things," he said. "It's not just a 'green' thing - they're issues of need."

UNO's South Campus recently added a 120,000-square-foot addition with Mammel Hall. The three-story structure is the new home to the College of Business Administration. Construction began in June 2008 and was completed this fall. The building's list of impressive features includes interactive touch screen as well as digital displays showing historical and general information pertaining to the school. Classrooms are equipped with smaller digital displays to show relevant events, including class and meeting times.

When asked to name her favorite feature of UNO's new Mammel Hall, UNO marketing major Nicole Morrison said, "Free printing." Spoken like a true college student, Morrison isn't the only student impressed with UNO's newest building. UNO senior and business management major Nick Moss singled out the touch screens as one feature that adds to his enthusiasm.

Volunteerism among college students has become a major influence in making a memorable college experience. Pay isn't usually part of the volunteer equation, but UNO's Student Organizations and Leadership Programs likes to reward students for contributing to their communities. 

The Board of Regents met on Dec. 1 with committee meetings beginning at 9 a.m. and a board meeting at 1 p.m. The meetings were held in Varner Hall at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. On the agenda was the finalization of the building decisions for the West Haymarket Arena, including the approval of the Joint Public Agency's agreement.

 Friends are the most influential factor determining whether teens use or abuse alcohol, according to a recent presentation by University of Nebraska Medical Center professor Melissa Tibbits. Tibbits recently presented a colloquium titled "Preventing Alcohol Use and Abuse in Adolescents" at UNO's College of Public Affairs and Community Service building. The colloquium was part of an ongoing series of lectures coordinated by UNMC's School of Public Health.