The University of Toledo is recognizing LGBTQA History Month with several events throughout October.

The Office of Excellence and Multicultural Student Success, LGBTQA Initiatives and Spectrum UT are dedicated to serving the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and allied students. 

“LGBTQA History Month is important because it allows us to reflect back on the roots of our movement,” said Melissa Brodsky, a second-year student majoring in bioengineering, who is vice president of Spectrum UT. “While we have made many advancements in the past few months, it is to important to recognize that we came from struggle. October is the month to celebrate where the LGBTQA community has been and where it is going.”

Events began last week and run through the end of the month concluding with a Halloween Ball on Oct. 31. Some highlights include:

Thursday, Oct. 10
•  “Banned Books: Censorship of LGBTQ Content in Books for Youth” by Dr. Sharon Barnes, UT associate professor of women’s and gender studies, 3:30 p.m., Carlson Library Fifth Floor. This event is part of the University’s 16th annual UT Banned Books Week Vigil.
•  Spectrum Hate Crimes Vigil, 8 to 10 p.m., Student Union Steps.

Friday, Oct. 11
•  National Coming Out Day Celebration, noon to 2 p.m., Student Union Room 2500. Stop by and receive a “Gay? Fine by me” T-shirt and show your support.

Wednesday, Oct. 16
•  Keynote address by Kate Bornstein, gender activist, author, playwright and performance artist, 8 p.m., Scott Park Auditorium.

Click here for a full list of events for LGBTQA History Month.

Cheryl Shuman, who calls herself the “Martha Stewart of Marijuana,” will give a free talk at The University of Toledo about medical cannabis.

“The truth about medical cannabis with Cheryl Shuman” will take place 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 in Nitschke Auditorium. The event will include a talk from Shuman as well as a panel of physicians and patients to discuss their experiences with medical marijuana.

The event is sponsored by Northwest Ohio NORML and the UT Libertarian Party student organization. NORML, which is an acronym for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, works to move public opinion to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults and advocates for consumers.

“Through civil and political action, we can advance our state’s drug laws toward a more sensible policy,” said Mary Smith, director of public relations for the local NORML chapter. “Our chapter represents the interests of Ohio citizens who believe the medical and recreational use of marijuana and industrial use should no longer be a crime.”

“The UT Libertarian Party is proud to collaborate with NWO-NORML to bring such a high caliber speaker to campus,” said Kenneth Sharp, a first-year law student at UT and president of the student organization. “Many of our graduates in the fields of medicine, pharmacy and law may encounter the need for such information as more states legalize or decriminalize marijuana, but the federal laws still make it a crime.”

In 2006, Shuman’s battle with cancer and subsequent use of cannabis treatments earned a lot of publicity and led to her appointment as the executive director for Beverly Hills NORML. She became a visible advocate for the medical marijuana reform movement and helped launch Kush Magazine in 2010, a monthly cannabis lifestyle magazine.

Shuman lectures internationally about medical marijuana and has appeared on national news outlets such as 20/20, Piers Morgan Live on CNN and Good Morning America.

Shuman is visiting Ohio with talks in Toledo and other cities in support of the Ohio Rights Group, which is petitioning for the Ohio Cannabis Rights Amendment. For more information about Shuman, visit cherylshuman.com.

Shuman will be available for interviews. Contact Mary Smith of Northwest Ohio NORML at 419.461.2420 or anormlday@live.com to schedule or for more information about the event.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Oct. 12, 2013)
The Independent Collegian (Oct. 17, 2013)

Come out and celebrate the right to read at the 16th Annual University of Toledo Banned Books Week Vigil.

In conjunction with the national American Library Association’s Banned Books Week in September, the UT vigil will take place Thursday, Oct. 10, on the fifth floor of Carlson Library.

“We want to celebrate the right to read,” said Dr. Paulette D. Kilmer, UT professor of communication and coordinator of the event. “The right to read is the right to think freely, and if we limit access to what people read, we control what people think.”

The free, public event will begin at 9 a.m. and run until 5 p.m. Throughout the day, a number of presentations will be given about the right to read and think freely by members of the campus community. Light snacks and refreshments will be available all day along with door prizes that will include banned books as well as other goods.

New to the festivities this year: Episodes of “The Simpsons” and “South Park,” which are television shows that have been banned in certain countries, will be shown. Kilmer said she wants to showcase the right to think freely in a way more students can relate to.

“When you talk about the right to read, you’re also talking about the right to access other cultural materials. We are talking about our freedom of expression,” Kilmer said.

Topics and speakers for the event will be:

•  9 a.m. — “Celebrating the Right to Read Freely — Welcome to a Day of Discovery” by Marcia King-Blandford, interim director of UT Libraries, and Dr. Paul Fritz, professor and chair of communication;
•  9:30 a.m. — “The Responsibility of Free Speech” by Dr. David Tucker, associate professor of communication;
•  10 a.m. — “Feminism and Censorship” by Brigitta Burks, Toledo Free Press staff writer;
•  10:30 a.m. — “500 Keys,” an episode of “The Simpsons,” in which Lisa discovers a secret room full of banned books at school;
•  11 a.m. — “Speaking and Reading in Prison: Reflections on Freedom and Punishment” by Dr. Renee Heberle, associate professor of political science;
•  11:30 a.m. — “Women as Defined by Men” by Warren Woodbury, Toledo author;
•  noon — The Dr. Linda Smith Lecture: “Carl Joseph: Crusader for Social Justice” by Barbara Floyd, director of the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections;
•  1 p.m. — “Hazelwood: Freedom of the Press in High Schools?” by Danielle Gamble, editor in chief of The Independent Collegian;
•  1:30 p.m. — “A Walk With Fear: Banned Books of the Horror Genre” by Torrie Jadlocki, communication student;
•  2 p.m. — “Jeopardy!” led by The Independent Collegian staff;
•  2:30 p.m. — “The Black Eden: Idlewild, Michigan” by Dr. Glenn Sheldon, honors professor of humanities;
•  3 p.m. — “The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs,” an episode of “South Park” in which J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is revisited;
•  3:30 p.m. — “Censorship of LGBTQ Content in Books for Youth” by Dr. Sharon Barnes, associate professor of women’s and gender studies;
•  4 p.m. — “You Can’t Teach That!” by Cindy Ramirez, English teacher at Bedford Senior High School; and
•  4:30 p.m. — “Troubled Tunes” and “Posey” By Dr. Edmund Lingan, associate professor and chair of theatre and film, Risa Cohen of the Glacity Theatre Collective, and Erika Frank, visiting assistant professor of theatre.

Media Coverage
The Independent Collegian (Oct. 9, 2013)

The University of Toledo bow tie could be on display during the 2013 World Series and UT needs your vote to make it happen. 

To vote for the UT bow tie, visit utole.do/utbowtie and like the photo on Bow Tie Cause’s Facebook page before the contest concludes at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.

The UT bow tie is from the University’s annual Tie One On event to support prostate cancer care, awareness and outreach. Ken Rosenthal with Fox Sports wore it during his 2012 World Series coverage and the UT design is in the Bow Tie Cause’s Bow Tie Challenge for him to wear it again in 2013.

The two bow tie designs with the most votes are guaranteed to be worn during the World Series and those that finish in third through sixth place will be worn during the ALCS games.

To register for Tie One On at the UT vs. BGSU men’s basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 5 visit utoledo.edu/tieoneon.

Media Coverage
13 ABC and WTOL 11 (Oct. 10, 2013)

The University of Toledo community is honoring and remembering those affected by domestic violence with events in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Life-sized silhouettes created as solemn displays to commemorate victims known as the Silent Witness Project will be on display from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today (Tuesday, Oct. 8) on the steps outside the Student Union on the UT Main Campus. The silhouette displays serve as memorials to girls and women whose lives were ended abruptly and violently at the hands of a husband, ex-husband, partner or stalker.

A Survivor Vigil will conclude the day’s events at 6 p.m. to honor survivors and remember those who have lost their lives to domestic violence.

The Domestic Violence Awareness Month events are coordinated by the UT Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Program.

Media Coverage
FOX Toledo and 13 ABC (Oct. 9, 2013)

There is a general misunderstanding that matriarchal societies are “ruled by women.”

According to modern matriarchal studies, these non-patriarchal societies are actually shown to be gender-egalitarian and consensus-based societies, actively creating peace and sustainability.

Dr. Heide Goettner-Abendroth, a philosopher and researcher on culture and society known as the founding “Mother of Modern Matriarchal Studies,” will present “Societies in Balance: Re-thinking Matriarchy in Modern Matriarchal Studies” 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 in the Student Union Ingman Room.

The lecture will provide an outline of the deep structure of matriarchal societies, including economic, social, political, and cultural aspects, which have been gained from cross-cultural research on still existing indigenous matriarchal societies all over the world.

Goettner-Abendroth, who was born in Thuringia, Germany, earned her Ph.D. in philosophy of science at the University of Munich where she taught philosophy for ten years. She is the founder and director of the International Academy HAGIA for Matriarchal Studies and Matriarchal Spirituality in Germany.

In 2003, Goettner-Abendroth organized and guided the 1st World Congress on Matriarchal Studies in Luxembourg and in 2005 the 2nd World Congress on Matriarchal Studies in San Marcos, Texas.

She was elected in 2005 by the international initiative “1000 Peace Women Across the Globe” as a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The lecture is sponsored by Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at The University of Toledo.

University of Toledo Rocket fans can count on Mike O’Brien’s steady hand at the wheel of UT Athletics into the next decade following today’s announcement that his contract as the University’s vice-president and director of athletics has been extended through July 2021.

“Throughout his tenure Mike O’Brien has elevated the Toledo Rockets onto the national stage, while prioritizing the ‘student’ in our student-athletes. Guided by his leadership, our student-athletes have achieved unprecedented athletic and academic excellence. Our community can be very proud of its athletics program under Mike’s leadership,” UT President Lloyd Jacobs said.

UT Vice President and Athletic Director Mike O’Brien

“With all Mike has accomplished, I am so impressed by his drive and desire to continue to excel and to inspire those around him to greater effort and achievement,” Jacobs said. “The University of Toledo and the Mid-American Conference are the beneficiaries.”

“I would like to thank Dr. Jacobs and the Board of Trustees for the support they have shown not only to me but to the entire athletics program during my tenure. I have had the good fortune to be surrounded by incredible student-athletes, coaches and staff who are committed to helping make The University of Toledo such a vital part of our community,” O’Brien said.

“While we recognize there is still much work to be done in the growth of our program, we can be very proud of what we have achieved over the last decade, athletically, in the classroom and in the community. I look forward to leading the Rockets as we strive to reach new heights in the future.”

In the last year alone, O’Brien has been named Football Bowl Subdivision Northeast Region Athletic Director of the Year and accepted the 2011-12 Cartwright Award, given annually to the MAC athletic program with the highest degree of excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship. That same year the Rockets took home the Jacoby Trophy as the MAC’s top women’s athletic program for the first time in school history.

In his 12th year as vice president and athletic director, the Rockets have won or shared 25 league titles in eight different sports under O’Brien’s watch. In the classroom, UT student-athletes have earned overall department grade-point averages above a 3.1 in each of the past nine semesters and UT won the Mid-American Conference Institutional Academic Achievement Award in 2011-12 and 2012-13, presented annually to the school with the highest grade point average.

During O’Brien’s tenure UT has earned six bowl appearances in football, two NIT appearances in men’s basketball and five WNIT appearances in women’s basketball, including a WNIT championship crown in 2011. Women’s soccer has advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times, while men’s golf has competed in the NCAA Championships twice. UT women have qualified for the NCAA Championships in either track or cross country a combined 15 times and received All-America recognition nine times since 2002, in addition to winning four cross country titles. In women’s swimming & diving, UT has won two MAC championships, while four Rockets have qualified for the NCAAs, with one twice earning All-America honors.

O’Brien has led the rehabilitation and construction of renovated and news sports facilities to meet the needs of an ascendant athletics program. New or renovated facilities include:

•  Outdoor track
•  Tennis courts
•  Soccer fields
•  Savage Arena
•  Charles A. Sullivan Athletic Complex
•  Fetterman Training Center
•  A renovation of the Larimer Athletic Complex is set to begin this winter

O’Brien has served as the chair of the Mid-American Conference Athletic Director’s Committee, and is currently the conference’s athletic director representative to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). He also has served as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Issues Committee, and currently chairs the MAC Football Coaches Committee.

O’Brien also led efforts to add Ohio State, Miami (FL), Colorado, Purdue, Arizona, Missouri, Navy, Fresno State, Boise State, Wyoming and Cincinnati to the home football schedule; worked with the Inverness Club to bring the 2009 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships to Toledo; and secured a multi-year deal with Learfield Sports to increase UT’s advertising revenue.

O’Brien and his wife Michelle have a son Jack.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Oct. 2, 2013)
The Blade (Oct. 2, 2013)
The Independent Collegian (Oct. 8, 2013)

“Witness: The Power of the Photographic Image With David Hume Kennerly,” a free, public lecture and slide presentation by the esteemed news photographer, will take place Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in UT’s Student Union Room 2592.

Kennerly

In a career of more than 50 years in photography, Kennerly has been present at and documented many notable moments of the 20th century: President Richard Nixon’s famous farewell from the White House, the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight of 1971, combat during the Vietnam War, and Robert F. Kennedy’s speech just before his assassination.

James Earl Jones said of this photographer’s presence at history in the making, “David Hume Kennerly is like Forrest Gump, except he was really there.”

At age 25, Kennerly won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. He is a contributing editor for Newsweek Magazine and has traveled to more than 140 countries on assignment. From 1974 to 1977, he served as President Gerald Ford’s personal photographer.

“It’s truly an honor for us to have David Hume Kennerly come to UT,” said Deborah Orloff, UT professor of art. “He has an incredible array of rich experiences to share as both a photographer and witness to history. This is a really unique opportunity, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”

Kennerly’s visit is presented by the College of Communication and the Arts, and is sponsored by Canon’s Explorers of Light Program.

As a Canon Explorer of Light, Kennerly regularly travels all over the country to discuss his career. Canon Explorers of Light are an elite group of highly accomplished master photographers who share their experiences and insights on their art form. Their lectures and travel are subsidized by Canon.

Click here to download a photo of Kennerly.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Oct. 3, 2013)

“Portal,” a new sculpture by award-winning artist Gordon Huether, will be installed in the traffic circle east of Stranahan Hall on The University of Toledo’s Main Campus Wednesday, Oct. 2.

This rendering shows what Gordon Huether’s “Portal” will look like when installed on UT’s Main Campus.

Huether is traveling from Napa Valley, Calif., to oversee the installation of the circular piece that will be about 15 feet in diameter and consist of aluminum tubing with blue and gold dichroic glass accents. White LED lights will illuminate the sculpture at night.

The work will be installed Wednesday morning with a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 4 p.m. Huether will be at the event and available for remarks.

“This work will serve as an iconic portal to the eastern edge of Centennial Mall,” said Dr. Steven LeBlanc, executive associate dean for academic affairs and professor in the College of Engineering, who is chair of the Campus Environs and Beautification Committee.

Funding for “Portal” came from the Ohio Percent for Art Program related to the construction of Stranahan Hall North and the renovation of Gillham Hall and the Health and Human Services Building.

Huether was selected from more than 50 artists who submitted proposals, according to LeBlanc. The artist has won more than 50 public art awards and been commissioned for more than 150 pieces around the world during his 30-year career.

Click here to download an artist rendering of what the sculpture will look like.

For more information, contact LeBlanc at 419.530.8264.

Media Coverage
WNWO (Oct. 3, 2013)
The Blade (Oct. 23, 2013)

BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ MEETINGS

Monday, October 7, 2013
Driscoll Alumni Center, Board Room
2:00 p.m. Finance and Audit Committee Meeting
3:00 p.m. Trusteeship and Governance Committee Meeting

Tuesday, October 15, 2013
The Hotel at UTMC, Faculty Club Room
7:30 a.m. Clinical Affairs Committee Meeting
9:00 a.m. Academic and Student Affairs Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Libbey Hall
5:30 p.m. Board Social Dinner

Any questions may be directed to the University Communications Office by calling (419) 530-7832 or via email at jonathan.strunk@utoledo.edu.

Joan A. Stasa
Secretary, Board of Trustees

October 1, 2013