The Current News

In less than 80 days the accreditation visiting team will be on UMSL's campus.

The countdown began long ago.The University of Missouri - St. Louis reminds everybody of this on the school's homepage. Many were used to seeing a triple digit number. Finally, the number of days until the North Central Association site visit is nearing a single digit.

An idea that first originated many years ago has finally been unveiled at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The University Libraries, which includes UMSL's three libraries, are now customers of Printing Services.

The Thomas Jefferson Library and the St.

The Diversity Roundtable is relatively new to UM-St. Louis and has the initiative of bringing all the different diverse student groups on campus together.

Started in 2005 by Davida Skannal, a then UM-St. Louis senior, the Diversity Roundtable has been encouraging communication between UM-St.

While walking through the quad last Thursday, there were a few things you may have noticed. First, there were at least 50 expo tents where UM-St. Louis student organizations sat out and tabled for their organization, trying to encourage students, new and old, to join their organization.

To quote Richard Adams' classic Watership Down, "My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today."

The words from the sometimes chilling tale of rabbits that haunted my thoughts as a youth--I would watch the film again and again, every time still tearing up over the plight of the poor bunnies--have struck a chord in my heart today.

There is a fantastic tradition on campus of complaining about Chartwells, the corporation that runs UM-St. Louis' cafeteria, catering and meal plans.

I have never eaten regularly at the Nosh or any of the other officially-sanctioned grub joints on campus, but I have to admit I was pretty pleased a year or two ago when I found out there would be a cafeteria in the Provincial House.

Walking into to the University of Missouri-St. Louis, you can't help but notice that we have a very diverse community of students.

In fact, the University celebrates and encourages students from different countries to "Pick UMSL."

They send brochures and information to countless numbers of international students from all over the world in hopes that UMSL will be the university with which they choose to study abroad.

There was talk about it happening for a year. Before that, there was speculation.

Finally, it happened.

The University moved the Richard D. Schwartz Observatory at UM-St. Louis to a new location: Next to the Fine Arts Building off Florissant Road, by the softball field.

Well the semester is off with a bang, and UMSL is full of many new faces as well as many familiar ones.

Take a look around and you may notice another student you recognize from a previous school, be it high school or college. You may find a person or a few people who you've worked with before.

Usually, the activities planned for Welcome Back Week revolve around fun, games, and an abundance of free food. The result, hopefully, is that UM-St. Louis students become excited to begin the new school year and will continue to be involved on campus.

Every once in a while, however, there is an event that asks students to give back to their community.

As Welcome Week and its numerous events rolled through UM-St. Louis, students with every background, major, and hobby found endless options for free entertainment.

Rounding out the week was a night of food and music in the Pilot House, sponsored by the Office of Student Life.

Welcome Week kicked off Monday, Aug. 18, with the Amazing Arthur & Ice Cream Social.

The Amazing Arthur, a comedian with multiple talents, performed magic tricks, juggled, yo-yoed, and hypnotized students as they enjoyed free ice cream.

Tuesday, students enjoyed a good old-fashioned drive-in movie in Parking Lot C outside of the Millennium Student Center.

A group of roughly 50 University of Missouri-St. Louis students crowded in to a cramped space in Oak Hall with empty stomachs and open minds, eager to learn about healthy eating habits.

Kevin T. Roberts, better known as Kevin the Food Dude, came to give a cooking presentation as part of the Welcome Week festivities organized by Student Life, which took place on campus all last week.

The beauty of the Missouri countryside and its small towns are represented in colorful, lush impressionistic paintings by artist Billy O'Donnell in a current art exhibit at the St. Louis Mercantile Library on campus.

"An Artist Paints Missouri: Landscapes by Billyo O'Donnell" features paintings from the artist's project to paint all 114 counties in the state, plus the independent City of St.

Last week, it was the hit documentary of the Sundance Film Festival, "American Teen." This week, it is the hit comedy of Sundance, the delightfully strange "Hamlet 2."

In 'Hamlet 2," British comedian Steve Coogan stars as a failing high school drama teacher who decides to produce a happy musical sequel to William Shakespeare's drama.

The pace of popular culture rarely slows down, and the ability to keep up with it can make or break a band.

While everyone wants to hear something new and originality is always prized, many bands launch themselves into the spotlight by playing a known style or even mirroring another popular band.

The title of Woody Allen's latest film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" sounds like the name of a character but is actually a list of the main characters in the story.

In "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," two young American women, Vicky and Cristina, spend a summer of romantic, sexual adventure in the art-filled city of Barcelona, Spain.

Saturday, August 16 Property damage - 7802 Natural bridge road A window in an abandoned house was found to have been broken. The house is set to be demolished, and nothing else was determined to be disturbed. Monday, August 18 drug violation - fugitive arrest millennium student center A person was causing a minor disturbance in the game room of the Millennium Student Center.

Campus Activities TAI CHI Classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 2. Class will meet every Tues & Thurs for 8 weeks, 5:30-6:30pm, 221 Mark Twain. For more info and registration, contact the Campus Rec Office, 203 Mark Twain, 516-5326 COME PLAY WITH US! UMSL Intramural TENNIS, FLAG FOOTBALL, BOWLING, and COED VOLLEYBALL.