News Archive

(03/31/08)

MUM to Host Cancer Society Benefit Concert

Miami University Middletown's Relay for Life team will present a benefit concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 at 2 South Main Street, former home of Bank One, in Middletown.

The Third Annual Hope For Our Friends concert includes soloist Mira Raye, the First United Methodist children's choir, pianists Barbara Orth, Mary Ellen Clinard, Jimmy Rogers and Rod Nimtz, accordionists Steven Conley and Pamela Fields and the United Voices of Middletown. Joining this year's program is MUM's Finest, a hip-hop vocal group that recently formed on campus.

The concert also features the dedication of a 1926 Baldwin baby grand piano donated to MUM by Dr. Cheryl Gabe, former Executive Director of the Middletown Area Family YMCA, for use in musical presentations in this historic downtown venue.

Dr. Gabe earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at Miami, continuing on to receive her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. After a 35 year career with the Northwest Local Schools, she returned to Miami for a year before serving for two years with the YMCA. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Miami University Alumni Association and continues to serve on the advisory committee for the School of Education, Health and Society.

The piano is a unique instrument - a player grand piano. "Having this instrument available to us in the former Bank One building opens up many new opportunities to present performing arts events in the downtown area" noted MUM Dean Kelly Cowan. "We are grateful to Dr. Gabe for her generous gift, and are looking forward to developing programming that will link to our new Miami Middletown Downtown initiative."

As in the past, all of the proceeds for the concert will go to the American Cancer Society. Ticket prices are $10 for adult general admission, $5 for ages 5 through 12 and adults over 60. Children under 5 are free. For more information, call (513) 727-3200.

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(03/31/08)

Watts Prophets to Perform in Middletown

"Talk Up, Not Down" will be the theme of an upcoming meeting of old and new school hip hop in Middletown.

At 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, California's Watts Prophets will join the newly formed MUM's Finest group for a hip hop celebration at the Middletown Community Center. This event is free and open to the public.

"This event is for those who love hip hop, those who don't understand hip hop and even those who are opposed to hip hop," said Miami Middletown Coordinator of Diverse Student Recruiting and Programs Kevin L. Aldridge. "This program will cover the genre from its roots with the Prophets to its most current evolution with our own MUM's Finest."

The Watts Prophets — Richard Dedeux, Made Hamilton and Otis O'Solomon— were the best of the students in the prestigious Watts Writers Workshop in 1967. The earliest work by the twenty-something aged poets was an expression of their rage against powerlessness. Racism, poverty and violence were their everyday reality and provided the thematic foundation for what was a very unique style—what many today acknowledge as the roots of rap. Now, their message is tempered by 30+ years of working in Watts, bringing to the stage the same fire that ignited their birth but tempered by time and wisdom.

MUM's Finest was formed in 2007 when Miami University Middletown students Doug Arnold, C.J. Hooton, Craig Pitts and Gailon Revere met between classes and began to work together. Their performances, which they describe as "creative writing in the form of hip hop," address the issues they face living in Middletown, Ohio.

The Middletown Community Center is located at 800 Lafayette Avenue in Middletown.

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(03/28/08)

Tru to be Featured at Reading on April 1

The Gardner-Harvey Library and Miami Middletown Campus Bookstore will present a reading by Eric Melbye of his novel Tru on Tuesday, April 1 from 12-1 p.m. at the Gardner-Harvey Library.

Dr. Melbye will share some selections from Tru, take questions from the audience, and sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase at the event. Light refreshments will be served.

Tru is the story of Gertrude Hayes, a lifelong social outcast living out her final days in a residential home. When Tru's only genuine friend gives her a journal, the restless ghosts of her past immediately close in on her, demanding that she confront the memories she so desperately wants to leave behind.

Eric Melbye is an associate professor of English and Creative Writing at Miami University-Middletown, and Editor of the Segue online literary journal. His fiction and poetry have been published in a number of magazines and online journals. He co-edited, with Michelle Lawrence, Under Our Skin: Literature of Breast Cancer (The Illuminati Press, 2006). Tru is his first novel.

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(03/26/08)

Foreign Relations Council President to Present Annual Casper Lecture

Ambassador Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, will present the annual Alex and Lena Casper Memorial Lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 7, in the Campus/Community Center at Miami University Middletown. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Haass joined the Council on Foreign Relations as its president in July 2003. Prior to that he served as Director of Policy Planning for the Department of State, where he was a principal advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell on a broad range of foreign policy concerns.

Confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold the rank of ambassador, Haass served as U.S. Coordinator for policy toward the future of Afghanistan and was the lead U.S. Government official in support of the Northern Ireland peace process. For his efforts, he received the State Department's Distinguished Honor Award.

He served as Special Assistant to President George H.W. Bush and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council, and prior to that in various posts in the Departments of State (1981-85) and Defense (1979-80), and was a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate.

In addition to his governmental service, Ambassador Haass has worked at The Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and served as a lecturer in public policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

Books authored by Haass include: The Opportunity: America's Moment to Alter History's Course, The Reluctant Sheriff: The United States After the Cold War, Economic Sanctions and American Diplomacy, and Intervention: The Use of American Military Force in the Post-Cold War World.

A Rhodes Scholar, Haass holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and both the Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Oxford University.

The Casper Lectures were endowed by the late Isidor A. Casper, a Miami alumnus and prominent Middletown attorney, to honor the memory of his parents. Past Casper Lecturers have included Nobel laureates Linus Pauling and Oscar Arias, journalists Daniel Schorr and Robert Novak, and Ambassadors Elliott Richardson and Edmund Muskie.

A reception will follow the lecture.

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(03/24/08)

Campus to Host College Planning Program for Adults

Miami University Middletown will host "Return & Learn," a free college planning program for adults, from 6 - 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 in Johnston Hall.

This program is designed for adults who are returning to the classroom. In addition to basic information on how to apply for admission and financial aid, the discussion will include strategies to succeed in college, selecting a college major and the hopes and concerns participants may have about being a student again.

Reservations are highly recommended. For more information on all of Miami Middletown's Corporate and Community Institute programs or to register log onto http://miamiuhamilton.augusoft.net/ or call the Corporate and Community Institute at (513) 727-3300. Miami Middletown is located at 4200 E. University Blvd.

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(03/24/08)

Miami Middletown to Host Blood Drive

Miami University Middletown will host a blood drive from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 in Room 142 of the Campus Community Center. Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh 110 pounds, be in good general health and must bring a photo I.D. with their full name.

For information on donor eligibility, visit www.cbccts.org, call (800) 388-4483 or email canidonate@cbccts.org. Miami Middletown is located at 4200 E. University Blvd.

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(03/19/08)

Miami Middletown To Host Spring Campus Visit

Miami University Middletown will host its annual Spring Campus Visit at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1 in the Campus & Community Center. Check-in will begin at 5 p.m. This session had previously been scheduled for March 27 as College Bound: A College Planning Program.

Miami faculty and students will share information on academic programs, campus life, financial aid and scholarships, student support services and relocating to Miami University in Oxford after starting at Miami University Middletown. Family members are encouraged to attend.

Reservations are recommended. Prospective students can enter to win Miami gear.

For more information, call (513) 727-3216 or 1-86-MIAMI-MID toll-free or email mumadmission@muohio.edu. Miami University Middletown is located at 4200 E. University Blvd.

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(03/07/08)

Saturday, March 8 Class Cancellations

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(03/07/08)

Friday, March 7 Class Cancellations

Today's campus tours scheduled at 10 am & 3 pm have been canceled. The Cafeteria and Bookstore will be closing at 12 pm. Miami University's Credit Union will be closing at the Middletown campus at 11:45 am. The city bus will only pick-up or drop-off individuals at the Breiel Blvd entrance.

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(03/05/08)

Miami Middletown Downtown Announces March Events

Miami Middletown Downtown opens its doors this month with a slate of events which includes music, film, a book club, career help and a writing group. All events are free and open to the public at newly renovated space at 4 North Main Street, former home of the Masonic Temple, in Middletown.

"We want Miami Middletown Downtown to be a place where our campus and community can connect in meaningful, educational ways—and have a fun time doing it," says Eric Melbye, director of the center.

On Tuesday, March 18, multiple guitar master and Miami University faculty member Jim McCutcheon will perform at an open house at the new facility. An irresistible ambassador for his instrument, McCutcheon is a versatile musician whose activities include classical guitar performance, teaching, arranging and composing. Doors open at 5 p.m., with McCutcheon performing from 7-8 p.m.

On March 20, a "career changers" self-assessment session, "What Do I Want to do When I Grow Up?" designed to provide information and evidence for charting a particular career path. This program begins at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, March 22, the Illuminati Writing Group will meet at 2 p.m. This casual writing and work-shopping group is for all levels and genres of writing. Peer critique and writing exercises will help you polish your craft while having fun with other local writers.

On Tuesday, March 25, the Booking It! Non-Fiction Book Conversations group will meet at 7 p.m. to discuss Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace..One School at a Time.

On Thursday, March 27, the Cult Film Cult will meet at 7 p.m. to watch and discuss a classic or contemporary "cult" film.

Miami Middletown Downtown is a multipurpose activity center designed to bring the campus and community together by providing flexible space for workshops, lectures, seminars, meetings, cultural events and more.

For more information on any of these events, call (513) 727-3200.

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(03/04/08)

Doll Named Student of the Month

Stephanie Lee Doll has been named Miami University Middletown's Student of the Month for January. The sophomore from Monroe is a pre-nursing major.

Doll was nominated for the award for her outstanding work at Miami Middletown's Information Desk and Admission Office. According to her co-workers, she is always willing to volunteer with events and cover extra shifts.

Doll maintains a high grade point average while working on campus and is also a Sunday school teacher. "She is a wonderful role-model for those children and for new students at Miami," says nominator Miranda Manning. She is the daughter of Mike and Elaine Doll of Monroe.

The Student of the Month award is given in recognition of students who make a significant contribution to the campus either in or out of the classroom.

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