The University of Southern Indiana Professional Selling Team competed in the 2012 National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) at Kennesaw State University in Georgia March 2-5. Two USI seniors, Lucas Ball and Cody Sharkey, competed against 126 students from 64 universities across the United States and Canada. The team finished in the top 50 of all competing universities.

“The purpose of the NCSC is to encourage students to strive to reach their unimagined potential,” said Chad Milewicz, team coach and assistant professor of marketing. “The students who pursue that challenge are rewarded with potential job offers and a powerful learning experience that will stay with them the rest of their life.”

Inaugurated in 1999, the NCSC hosts the top collegiate sales students and faculty from the most elite sales programs in North America. The largest and oldest sales role-play competition in the world is sponsored by national and global companies who recruit students at the event. The 39 companies sponsoring this year’s event put on a two-day private career fair for participating students. Event director Dr. Terry Loe said that about 70 percent of students who attend leave with job offers.

Students compete over a three-day period as sales consultants in a series of role-plays. “USI helps us develop the necessary skills to be successful, and the NCSC gives us the opportunity to showcase those skills at a national level,” said Sharkey.

Ball, Sharkey and alternate team member Adam Kaps were recruited for internships and job opportunities by global organizations such as Tom James, UPS, and Vantive, and national companies such as Wyndham Vacation Ownership and Cox Media Group.

“The 2012 NCSC offered invaluable experience not only to the competitors, but to the alternates as well,” said Kaps. “Aside from actually competing, I was able to observe and participate in role-plays with the USI team leading up to the competition, and make connections with professionals from multi-million dollar companies.”

Applications to join the 2013 USI Professional Selling Team and take part in the NCSC career fair are available and can be obtained by contacting Milewicz at cmmilewicz@usi.edu.

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will be the guest speaker at a meeting of the Evansville Northside Optimist Club
on Thursday, March 15, at noon at Wolf’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant, 6600 N. First Ave. Mayor Winnecke
will talk about his first few months in office and share information about a financial education initiative
targeting teens hired through the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program.

Optimists International is an association of more than 2,900 Optimist Clubs around the world dedicated
to “Bringing Out the Best in Kids.” The Evansville Northside Optimist Club is currently recruiting new
members. For information on membership, contact Linda Freeman-Schaffstein at 812-963-1976. For
more information on Optimist International, visit http://optimist.org.

A hit novel that became a hit play that became a hit film! Jack Nicholson played the leading role of McMurphy in the movie as a charming rogue who pleads insanity to get out of his latest prison sentence. Unfortunately, his plan backfires and he is sent to a mental institution where he clashes head on with a fierce disciplinarian by the name of Nurse Ratched. McMurphy and Ratched compete for the hearts and minds of the other patients in a power struggle of wits and charisma versus smarts and tyranny. He leads his fellow patients out of introversion, stages a revolt so that they can see the World Series on television, and arranges a rollicking midnight party with liquor and loose women. The play stands as one of the finest dramatic and heart-wrenching scripts in modern theatre and culminates in both a shocking yet somehow sweet ending. (Contains some adult language)

Faculty members from the University of Evansville’s Department of Creative Writing are pleased to announce the creation of a new program for high school students. The Harlaxton Summer Writing Program for High School Juniors and Seniors will give promising students the opportunity to work with experienced authors to further their craft and their global curiosity.

The first session is scheduled for June 13-28, 2013, at the University of Evansville’s British campus near Grantham, England.

“Since 2005, the Department of Creative Writing has hosted summer writing programs for undergraduate and graduate students at Harlaxton College, so we’re excited to build on the success of this tradition by creating a new session specifically for high school students,” said Rob Griffith, Summer Writing Program director and UE associate professor of creative writing. “The opportunity to live and study in a historic manor house, work with notable British and American faculty, and explore England’s rich literary history through travel is an unparalleled opportunity for young writers.”

During the program, students will attend discussions about British literature, history, music, and art, then take field trips to see plays and visit landmarks about which they have learned and read — including the cities of London, Stratford-upon Avon, York, Cambridge, and Lincoln. Students will also write about their study abroad experiences and discuss their work in writing workshops and personal conferences with faculty members.

Students entering their junior or senior years of high school are eligible to apply for the program. An application is available online online and must be accompanied by up to two poems or 10 pages of prose.

Join the USI Student Alumni Association for Breakfast with the President from 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 20, in Carter Hall in the University Center. The breakfast will be a pancake, sausage, and fruit buffet.

This annual tradition allows students the opportunity to discuss campus issues and concerns while having breakfast with President Linda L. M. Bennett. All students and employees are welcome and encouraged to attend.

A panel of USI students representing eight organizations will ask Dr. Bennett a series of questions about the University and campus policies. The 2012 panel includes Jordan Whitledge, Student Government Association; Sarah Aydt, Activities Programming Board; Kurtis Kelley, Black Student Union; Lauren Reckelhoff, Panhellenic Council; Katie Webster, Student Housing Association; Brenda Ramirez, Latinos – Hispanic Student Union; Mark Furman, Interfraternity Council; and Blake Frazier, Student Ambassador Organization.

Breakfast is free for all students who attend. Students with a valid Eagle Access Card may pick up a free ticket at the Alumni & Volunteer Services Office, located in University Center East next to the Bookstore. Others may call 812/464-1924 to make reservations ($8 per person) for the breakfast. Reservations are required.

JuJu is a 1-year-old DSH. JuJu certainly lives up to her diva status as a Torti. She’s feisty and playful. She will make an excellent addition to a multi-cat home but she can also find things to entertain herself so if she is an only cat, she wouldn’t mind. A couple of kids would be most welcome. JuJu loves to sneak up on things and pounce so her new family needs to be stocked up on cat toys before she comes home. For more information, please call 812-426-2563.

Attorney Les Shively who recently made the short list as a candidate for the Indiana Supreme Court has filed a lawsuit against the City of Evansville and the Evansville City Council seeking exemptions to the recently passed smoking ban for a roster of his clients including two local VFW posts, American Legion Post 265, Owls Nest No. 30, the River City Eagles, the Riverbend Association, and the German Maennechor.

In a similar action in Louisville, Kentucky a group of clubs brought a lawsuit against the City of Louisville for exempting Churchill Downs on the grounds of unconstitutionality and prevailed. The outcome was not what Mr. Shively is seeking though, the outcome in Louisville was a judicial determination that the exemption for Churchill Downs was struck down resulting in a comprehensive smoking ban.

In a separate action Attorney Charlie Berger has filed a similar suit representing “bar owners”

It shall be iteresting to watch this proceed as such a determination may also strike down the recently passed statewide smoking ban in the State of Indiana. Is it true that this action was predicted by the CCO back on Feruary 14th.