text:
Follow the Malawians in the
Lakeland College M.Ed. Program
I had the opportunity to drive three of the graduate students into Sheboygan last Friday evening to attend a concert of the African Children's Choir at St. Luke's United Methodist Church. The choir was from Uganda and was on a grand tour of the United States. The children, most of them orphans, were wonderful singers and dancers, full of talent, vitality, and smiles. The whole experience was very uplifting, and it was good to do something away from campus with Ndamyo Mwanyongo, Margaret Mulaga, and Bertha Singini, the subject of today's profile. I think the three graduate students had a good time listening to familiar music from Africa, as I occasionally heard quiet singing coming from Bertha, who was sitting next to me in the pew.
Meet Bertha Singini
Bertha was born in Mzuzu, in northern Malawi and lives now in Blantyre, in the south, where she has worked at the Teacher Training College (TTC) there for five years. Before that, she taught for eleven years at the TTC in Malawi's capital, Lilongwe. Prior to Lilongwe she was working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Malawi, Chancellor College.
Bertha is married and has two teenage daughters, ages 19 and 14. She misses them enormously and tries to speak to them every day. When she first told her family that she wanted to apply to Lakeland to pursue her master's degree in early grade reading instruction, her husband (who works for a tobacco company) said, "This is your chance, Bertha. Don't miss it!"
Bertha has traveled some in her life already and besides the three students who attended Lakeland as undergraduates, she is the only other person in the cohort who previously visited the United States. In 2011, she was an attendee at a "Women Aglow" Christian conference held in Houston,Texas. Before that, she traveled to Freiburg, Germany (along with fellow graduate student Ndamyo Mwanyongo and many other teachers representing all the public Teacher Training Colleges in Malawi) to attend a conference on "Learner Centered Education" sponsored by GIZ, or Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Society for International Cooperation.)
Bertha, along with several of her fellow M.Ed. students, would like to see discussions opened up with the Ministry of Education back home to create an office strictly dedicated to issues related to teaching reading. She also has a vision that more books could be made available for children to take home with them to read during their free time. Her graduate thesis will examine how literacy skills can be used in other content areas in the primary school curriculum, for example, in social studies.
Bertha still thinks about her visit to Bookworm Gardens that took place during the first two weeks that the Malawians were here, and it remains one of her favorite experiences in Wisconsin to date. Although she knows that resources would be an issue in building a similar activity center in Malawi, and that a Bookworm Gardens there would be very different from the one here in Sheboygan, she can imagine something like it back home. "We just need to identify a place," she said.
One of the most striking things to me about Bertha is that she is full of laughter. While she can be quite serious when talking about the important things that matter to her, her words are often prefaced by laughter, which seems to burst out at times in a cascade of joy. Being able to laugh easily no doubt serves her well, when days become stressful and there is so much important work to be done.
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
I continue to think about what it means to be an effective teacher. Last week, I wrote about the need for passion. As I continue getting to know the graduate students, I think that every effective teacher is also a determined, life-long learner. A teacher must continue to expand his or her own knowledge in order to be effective at expanding the minds of others. There is constantly new information and skills to learn and new ways to learn those things. Even when teaching the basic skills--such as reading and writing--a teacher must be prepared to try new methods and bring in new examples in order to reach his or her students. Overton Simbeye is determined to use these sorts of strategies in order to engage young learners in Malawi, and he emphasized this fact when we spoke recently.
Meet Overton C.D.R. Simbeye
Overton Simbeye works at the Teaching Training College in Karonga. His wife is a primary school teacher, and they are raising seven children, three from a first marriage. Overton tried to come to Lakeland in 2003. This was during the eleven-year period when the college was admitting Malawians in cohorts of five students each year to obtain bachelor's degrees in education. He was not selected that first time, but he was determined to get a college education. So instead of Lakeland, he pursued his bachelor's degree at Domasi College of Education in Malawi. When the opportunity arose to participate in an M.Ed. degree program in early grade reading instruction at Lakeland, he was extra determined to be accepted into the program. This time he was accepted, and he says he is very glad to be here.
Overton told me that his thesis project for the degree will examine the effects of scaffolding techniques on young learners. I was not familiar with the concept of "scaffolding," so he explained it: "Scaffolding activities make teachers and learners focus on reading by placing it into a context." For example, before students read a new text in class, the teacher might first set the stage by walking the students through some guided imagery to help them visualize what they already know and think about the subject described in the text. By preparing them to read in this way, the teacher shows the students how the reading itself becomes more meaningful. Consequently, there is better comprehension and more retention of the text. Overton further explained that another good strategy is to read in "chunks," and to stop periodically and talk about or reflect on what has been read along the way. He is looking forward to trying out various techniques like these in Malawi and observing what works best for young learners there.
One thing that has impressed Overton since he came to study at Lakeland is how generous people are in Wisconsin. "We have had a lot of invitations from churches and the Rotary Club to visit them," he said. Like Phillip Nachonie, Overton remembered fondly a recent afternoon at the home of Pastor Brian De Jong, when all the graduate students got to ride the horse. Overton has been touched by the openness and generosity he has seen here. He has also noticed that people here are good with time management, and he is eager to impart that concept to his student teachers back home.
Overton also shared with me the meaning of his full name, Overton Chitukula Daniel Reuben Simbeye. "Overton" was a name that his father heard a British man in Zambia use, and he was told the name meant "chief." "Chitukula" is a clan name. The next two names are Biblical, "Daniel" (God is my judge) and "Reuben" (Behold my son). Overton's grandfather's name was Daniel, and his father's, Reuben. Finally, the surname Simbeye is a tribal name. Overton said, "When I see all my names, I feel I must try and try and try."
Overton looks forward to returning to Malawi and getting to work on making adjustments to the TTC curriculum and improving teacher training. He is determined to see this happen. When I asked him if he thinks the system will change, he said, "I have no doubt. The content we are learning here will help us make a change. We are starting to learn good early grade reading strategies. There are ten of us. We will have the weight [to make improvements in the system]. The people back home are eager for change."
Riding the horse at the home of Pastor Brian De Jong, Sheboygan Falls
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Like all skills, teaching is one we can learn. But, it helps if we have a lot of energy, because teaching also requires considerable patience and a large dose of ingenuity. Sometimes, students are not focused on learning. Sometimes, the conditions in which the learning is supposed to happen are not ideal. Either way, a teacher needs a lot of resourcefulness to do the job at all. But to do a great job, there must be energy combined with imagination. This is passion. Without passion, teachers will not be role models for their students. I'm sure this is what most of us remember about our favorite teachers over the years; they were passionate about their subject and passionate about imparting it to us. I hear this idea about passion come up often when I talk to the graduate students from Malawi.
Meet Michael Simawo
Michael was born in Blantyre in the southern part of Malawi. He has taught in Blantyre, in Lunzu, and now teaches at the Teacher Training College in Machinga, alongside two other Lakeland graduate students, Phillip Nachonie (who we met last week) and Elymas Tembwe, whose profile on this blog is yet to come. Michael is married; his wife does part-time data collection work for various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and also helps care for Michael's nieces and nephews. They are not the parents of any children of their own.
When we talked recently, one of the first things Michael told me is that he felt that there is still much to be done to better train teachers in Malawi. He hopes that a passion for teaching becomes one of the reasons young people choose teaching for their profession, not simply because there are many job openings for teachers in Malawi. He hopes that the training of teachers becomes more rigorous and of higher quality and that teachers are regularly monitored and assessed. He hopes that teachers will be dedicated to their students and work fervently to see these learners succeed.
The graduate classes are underway again, and Michael feels refreshed after a few days off and ready to dig into some new ideas with his cohort. The courses this term are Contemporary Philosophies of Education, Organization and Operation of American Education, a tutorial in reading called, Means for Mastery of Reading Pedagogy, and Educational Research and Evaluation.
As the term begins, Michael is looking forward to start reviewing the literature for his thesis project. He plans to research the effects of incorporating various teaching resources into the curriculum, for example, name cards, flash cards, and other print resources. He wants to determine what kinds of resources are most effective and then work to get more of them in use in classrooms in Malawi. He said, "Keep in mind, this topic is grounded in the fact that in Malawi, teaching resources are very scarce."
Michael explained to me that all of the M.Ed. students are proposing thesis topics now and will read the existing literature. Then back home, they will undertake what is called "action research." This means that they will all be working at their regular jobs in the TTCs, teaching future primary school teachers, and simultaneously collecting and analyzing their thesis data. They have a lot of work ahead of them.
Michael envisions that someday he might be part of a team of literacy consultants for Malawi, people who could recommend solutions to schools and teachers who are having difficulties getting their kids to read. He wants children in Malawi, he says with great energy, "to learn to read so that later, on their own, they can read to learn."
Regarding this, Michael is quite passionate.
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Part of the fun of being in Wisconsin is trying new things. During the recent break from classes, the graduate students had the opportunity to visit the home of Rev. Brian De Jong in Sheboygan Falls. Pastor De Jong serves at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sheboygan. He hosted a backyard party for the students, and the festivities included a special twist. The Malawians got the opportunity to ride a horse. Phillip Nachonie, like most of the others, had never done this before. His reaction: "It was an experience, I tell you." I sat with Phillip outside the Campus Center on a beautiful summer day and heard about his first horseback ride, as well as his determination to work with his colleagues to help young learners back home in Malawi.
Meet Phillip Nachonie '06
Phillip Nachonie's first experience at Lakeland began over ten years ago, when he arrived as an undergraduate student. During his three years here, Phillip attended Grace Presbyterian and as Pastor De Jong describes him, "Phillip was a faithful attendee and got quite involved in activities of the church." When Phillip graduated with his bachelor's degree in general education in 2006, he returned home and went to work immediately at the Teacher Training College (TTC) in Lilongwe. Then in 2010, he was hired to work at a new TTC that opened in Machinga, about 160 miles southwest of the capital. He lives there with his wife and their four children: three girls, ages 17, 15 and 7, and one boy, age 11.
Recently, Phillip was invited to be a researcher for a project that was undertaken by USAID to collect data on the reading progress of young learners in Malawi. The assessment study found that learners in Grade 2 were failing to read, for the most part, at the most basic level. To Phillip and his colleagues, this finding was both distressing and alarming. When he saw that there was an opportunity to come back to Lakeland to obtain his master's degree with a focus on early grade reading instruction, he felt it imperative that he apply. He hopes to do everything in his power to help young Malawians become better educated. "I am fully aware," he said, "that reading forms the basis of all other learning."
For Phillip, like the other graduate students in the Malawi program, the short break between classes has combined a mixture of relaxation, shopping, and fun, with formulating a topic for his master's thesis. He told me how he had narrowed his thoughts down to two possible projects, and will now pursue the second of the two.
The first topic he was pondering had to do with how new teachers are monitored and assessed and what could be done to ensure that they are truly reaching their students. The challenge for Phillip in pursing this topic would be logistical: "This project would involve a lot of movement around the country to collect the data." He soon realized that it would be more than he could cover.
The second project has to do with time allocation and management. "There is not enough time allocated strictly to reading in the early grades," Phillip observed. He would like to study the impact of devoting more time on reading instruction in an early grade classroom. Phillip envisions that there would be great value in "shedding off" some topics from the curriculum in the early years, and giving more focus to reading. "I will be happy if we are successful in this. I think we will be."
Phillip has been very pleased with the coursework at Lakeland, and describes the experience here as "eye-opening." He said that the idea about the amount of time spent on reading came to him from the discussions that took place a couple weeks back in the course, Second Language Acquisition. "In this place, I am getting many new ideas. I'm sure that what I have learned and what I will learn this semester will help to shape my project."
He also spoke very highly of his nine colleagues. Echoing a theme we have heard before on this blog, Phillip said of them, "They are open to discussion. It is not a one-man show. We cannot succeed on an individual basis."
Phillip on horseback, with Grace De Jong assisting.
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
The graduate students are on a short break right now. Classes ended last week and will begin again right after Labor Day. When I informally polled the group about what they are doing during their time off, I learned that they have been relaxing, making trips into Sheboygan to look for winter clothes (yes, it will be winter again one day), watching soccer on television, listening to music, and also reading the education literature on literacy to look for "gaps in the knowledge" that might lead to fruitful thesis topics. Even when on break, these graduate students are never far from their studies, are they? In fact, in an eighteen-month graduate program, there really are few breaks. One of the teachers, a self-described "strong and determined woman," is a 2008 graduate of Lakeland. She spoke with me about out how happy she is to be back.
Meet Ndamyo Mwanyongo '08
Ndamyo Mwanyongo graduated with her bachelor's degree from Lakeland in 2008, but her connection to the school goes back earlier than that. Her husband, Andy Blessings Mwanyongo '02 was in the first cohort of five students who came to Lakeland from Malawi in 1999 to earn bachelor's degrees. She fondly remembers visiting the campus when he was a student here, to hear him sing in the choir. "Lakeland is like family to me," she said.
Several years later, Andy encouraged Ndamyo to apply to Lakeland herself. She still feels deep appreciation for the support her husband gave her. He took care of their home and family during her three-year absence. Their two sons were 16 and 11 when she first left. She said the youngest one, especially, missed his mom.
Now she is back for a second degree and couldn't be happier to be here. Ndamyo said her youngest son, now 19, assured her, "It's only one year this time. We'll manage."
Ndamyo told me she is pleased to know that her example of being selected to leave Malawi twice to study has inspired many of the younger teachers back home. "It's an opportunity that I don't take for granted. I feel like I can make a difference. I think the student teachers respect me and look up to me."
I have no doubt that Ndamyo is right about this.
Ndaymo teaches at the Teacher Training College in Kasunga, a town 60 miles north of the capital city of Lilongwe. She would like to see reading taught in a broad manner. "I do not want to see it narrowed," she said. "I teach very widely, using all the expressive arts." Ndamyo, like her husband Andy, is very interested in music. "We play music as a family a lot." She has used music, drama, and drawing as a tool in teaching not only young learners, but student-teachers, too.
"In Malawi, we must start with better training for teachers. We need to incorporate other subject areas. And, we need a means for engaging parents. In Malawi, parents are not so involved with children's education. We need to help them see their role."
Ndamyo knows first-hand the value of parents' involvement in a child's education. She was the fifth of nine children. Her dad was a secondary school teacher and her mom was a primary school teacher. There were books at home and she watched her parents read and her siblings study. She had models for reading at an early age and in-home tutors to help her when she needed help. In sixth grade, she went off to a boarding school that encouraged library use and then, in secondary school, her teacher was a Peace Corps volunteer who strengthened Ndamyo's developing English with phonetic reading skills.
On a different note, I asked Ndamyo about the interesting middle names that people have in Malawi. Remember, last week, we learned that Elias gave himself the middle name, Ambitious. The parents of her husband, Andy, gave him the middle name Blessings. Ndamyo has a middle name, Kettie, which is the name of her mother's sister. I asked her the meaning of Ndamyo. Her name means "troubles, challenges." She said her mom had some troubles when she was pregnant with Ndamyo, hence the given name.
The way I see it, Ndamyo may have been born in challenge, but being strong and determined, as well as open-minded, she has been the recipient of many blessings. She is here now to put all that to good use for the children of Malawi.
Ndamyo (left) with students at the Viyere Primary School in Mzuzu, Malawi,
where she did her student teaching after graduating from Lakeland in 2008.
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Last week the Malawi graduate students were struggling in class with the question, "what do we need to do in Malawi to improve the acquisition of reading skills for our youngest learners?" In a vigorous class discussion, they talked about how teaching has changed in the many years since they were student teachers themselves. For one thing, when they were learning to be teachers, tests involved essay questions that required written answers. Now, too much testing is left to multiple choice questioning, which as one person said, "is not really a test of true knowledge." In an effort to move more people more quickly into the profession of teaching, according to the M.Ed. students, standards in Malawi have been lowered. But, as recent reading assessments reveal, less-skilled teachers don't do children much good. And so, we come back to the question: what can be done?
Meet Elias Ambitious Jonas Lyson
Elias was born in Zomba in the southern part of Malawi, and he lives now in the capital, Lilongwe, where he is in his fifth year of employ at the Teaching Training College (TTC) there. His wife teaches primary school and they have four children: three girls ages eighteen, fourteen, and twelve and a boy, nine.
In his first weeks in the graduate program at Lakeland, what Elias has found most surprising is the emphasis on time management. He shared, "Teachers here are serious with time. That is the first thing I want to emulate when I go home. If class starts at eight, it starts at eight." He was also delighted to see classrooms at Valders elementary school that were rich with print materials everywhere he looked. "The environment is very conducive to learning," he said. "Classroom set-up, desk set-up...all these things are so important." He also found it amazing that even kindergarten-age children are able to use technology as part of a normal school day.
Like his colleagues in the Lakeland Master's program, when Elias saw the advertisement to come to Wisconsin, it was the focus on "early grade reading instruction" that particularly caught his eye. His first thought at the time was, "If I can go for this opportunity at Lakeland, I can assist the learners in Malawi."
Elias wanted to make clear to me that the strategies being discussed in class are often known to teachers in Malawi, but sometimes it is a matter of resources or the teacher's individual creative energy that impacts the ability to follow through on them. The best strategies do nothing if they are not implemented. With 100 students in an average classroom, there are many challenges a teacher faces.
When I spoke to Elias and Margaret Mulaga (his colleague at the TTC in Lilongwe) together one afternoon recently, they echoed something that Elias had first shared with me on his own: Classrooms need to be made secure and lockable so that teachers can put up educational materials—making a "print-rich" learning environment—and leave the materials there, knowing the resources will be safe until the next class. As it is right now, teachers have to carry their materials to class, put them up and take them down each time they teach. This is inconvenient and exhausting in a situation that is already stressful with so many children to teach at one time.
Elias also taught me the acronym, TALULAR, which stands for "Teaching and Learning Using Locally Available Resources." So, if the teacher doesn't even have a classroom, what can the teacher do to put up print resources? Can they be hung on a rope? Can they be tacked to a tree? Yes and yes. But, all these things require ingenuity, creativity and physical energy. Elias hopes to instill these qualities in his student teachers when he goes home.
You will notice that Elias has two middle names. One is Jonas, the name of his grandfather. The other is Ambitious. This is a name that Elias gave himself after high school, because he felt it represented his desire to be a better teacher. It strikes me that by making the commitment to gain his M.Ed. degree from Lakeland College, Elias is on the path to fulfilling his destiny.
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Earlier this week I got to be a student again when I visited the "Second Language Acquisition" class and listened to several presentations by the Malawi students. I learned different strategies for teaching English as a second language, for this is essentially what the teachers must do in Malawi. In the early grades English is a subject but by fifth grade, all classes are in English. The native tongue, Chichewa, must make room for this. The challenge is that many teachers back home are not proficient in English themselves, which causes a downward spiral in learning. The Malawian graduate students here at Lakeland are determined to find ways to turn things around. They would like to see the standards raised for teachers. They would like to see teacher training be more intensive, and longer. They would like to see reading taught across the curriculum, not just in the language classes. And they said over and over that the best teachers need to stay focused on the early grades, not moved up to high school. I left class this morning so impressed by their knowledge and dedication. They have many challenges ahead.
Meet Margaret Mulaga
Upon arriving at Lakeland, Margaret Mulaga was surprised to find that the college is in a farming area. She was also surprised by the ubiquity of cheese. "I don't like cheese," she admitted. Also, she was very surprised by how much the weather can change in a day. And, to that I said, "Margaret, so are we!"
She was greatly inspired by the visit about a month ago now to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. She was especially struck by the displays and demonstrations that talked about how the earth moves (earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis). She mentioned that these were things she had recently been teaching about back home and it was very interesting to see how the museum explained these things.
Last spring, when Margaret's husband showed her an advertisement in the newspaper announcing the opportunity to come to Lakeland for a Master's degree in early grade reading instruction, her first thought was, "Let me be one of those people who can teach our children to read, so the country can develop."
Margaret and her family (three girls ages seventeen, fifteen and thirteen, and one boy age four and a half) live in Malawi's capital city, Lilongwe, where she teaches at the Teacher Training College (TTC) there. She began her teaching career at age 21 working in the primary grades and later taught secondary school. She received her BA four years ago at Domasi College of Education (part of the University of Malawi) and began to work at the TTC as a teacher trainer. She is now thinking long and hard about what can be done in order to improve early grade reading instruction back home.
She explained to me that in Malawi, you are very lucky to have only eighty students in your classroom. More consistently, a typical class size is 200 children. For us here in the U.S., who find it untenable to have forty, these numbers give us pause. How can anything at all be accomplished with that many children at once?
Margaret feels that strategies can be developed to work with these large groups and that teachers must help each other to be creative and innovative. One thing that is needed is the "print-rich" classroom. Students need to come into their classroom and see words and letters everywhere. And, if school happens to be under a tree, the teacher needs to be creative and still provide visuals of words and letters to inspire young minds.
Perhaps it is a tall order, but when I talk to Margaret, I feel that if anyone can help create a change, she can.
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
My conversations with the teachers from Malawi have been very enlightening. Themes recur when I ask them: "what needs to be done to improve early grade reading instruction in Malawi?" Multiple times, I have heard answers such as: "we should teach reading across the curriculum," and "we need to develop teaching strategies for diverse learners" and "we must create print-rich learning environments." In upcoming posts, I will share more of what the teachers are telling me, and what ideas are brewing as they continue their studies. Today, let's meet another dedicated teacher:
Meet Benjamin David
Benjamin David works at the Teacher Training College (TTC) in Blantyre, in the southern region of Malawi. It was here that Benjamin was first trained to be a teacher, graduating eighteen years ago. From there, he went to an elementary school in the middle of the country in Machinga where he worked with young people for twelve years, teaching not just reading, but eight other subjects as well.
In 2009, the TTC in Blantyre called him back and hired him to train young teachers. Like his fellow Malawians in the Lakeland M.Ed. program, Benjamin takes his job very seriously. He says, "In Malawi, learners want to learn, but the teachers do not always have a good approach, or good materials….They don't know the right techniques to help the students."
When I asked him what kinds of things he was learning here that will help him with the situation back home, he was quick to reply, "We need to form a group back at home, a task force that can plan projects and workshops. We should begin in an individual TTC, and go from there." He indicated that discussions about forming teams like this had come up in the Curriculum and Classroom Dynamics class, and had clearly planted a seed.
Strength in numbers, with like-minded colleagues. Teamwork. Always a good thing.
Benjamin pointed out to me that there are only ten Malawian teachers here at Lakeland, learning new things. They are just ten among hundreds of teacher trainers and curriculm planners in Malawi. Benjamin sees that part of his job is to discover which of all the things he is learning can be successfully customized to the context of Malawi and to bring that back to his colleagues at home. He stated, "This is not just a mere change, rather it's a change to be directed towards meaningful input to a Malawian learner."
Benjamin said that the most strange and surprising thing so far was his journey here: the plane ride. The word he used was "weird," having never traveled anywhere by plane before. He was also greatly impressed by Bookworm Gardens, the children's reading garden in Sheboygan. He liked how books are available to visitors right there in nature, in a rich, experiential, visual environment that enhances the story. He especially enjoyed hearing Valerie Elzinga, wife of Professor Jeff Elzinga and a teacher in Valders, tell the story of Jack and the Beanstalk during the visit.
Benjamin is excited to be at Lakeland. He looks forward to returning home to his work and his family—a wife, three daughters (ages fifteen, seven and two), and a son, age ten—a year from now with new energy and new tools to teach reading. One key, he said, is "to model for learners how to read." He feels that this has not happened enough in Malawi.
He said, "When things are changing, it is a good thing."
Benjamin David (far right) at Bookworm Gardens with colleagues,
left to right: Overton Simbeye, Phillip Nachonie `06 and Elias Lyson.
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Yesterday afternoon, as we were preparing a summer lawn party to celebrate the presence of the Malawians at Lakeland, the sky went very dark in the east and we determined we should move the festivities inside. Good thing. By 5:15, we had a deluge on our hands. But thanks to the usual Lakeland teamwork, the party went on undisturbed. Nearly eighty guests braved the rain and joined us in the Wehr Center to welcome the Malawians. The invitees were members of Lakeland's two leadership giving groups, the 1862 Society and the Founders Society. It was a time to make new connections and find old friends. (Three of the students graduated from Lakeland once already: Kapera Mlowoka `08, Ndamyo Mwanyongo `08, and Phillip Nachonie `06.) Today's post begins a series in which I will introduce each student to you and his or her hopes and dreams for education in Malawi. As President Eck put it last night in his remarks to the gathered friends, "...We are all here to make the world a better place. The Malawians have traveled a long, long way. They have left their homes, jobs and families to dedicate themselves to becoming the best teachers they can be. Let us raise a toast to them tonight and in the coming year, let us support them on this journey." And, let me add, remember to bring an umbrella.
Meet Kapera Mlowoka `08
When Kapera Mlowoka graduated from Lakeland College in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in general education, he never would have imagined that one day, he would find himself back here.
Earlier this year, when one of his fellow teachers at the Teacher Training College (TTC) in Kasunga where he works shared the information that Lakeland was offering the opportunity to receive a masters of education degree with support from USAID, Kapera knew immediately that he must return, and as he put it, "grab this chance to acquire the best possible skills in reading instruction."
Kapera explained to me that in Malawi, a person does not necessarily get the job that he or she wants or is best-suited for, but the job that is available. There is a great need for teachers in Malawi and people go into this line of work simply because there are so many openings.
He would like to see that those who become teachers truly have a passion for teaching. If not at first, then he hopes he can inspire this passion in them. He works hard to get his teachers-in-training to realize the importance of education and the value of what they are undertaking together. They must understand, he said, "that the development of any nation starts with education. Children must learn to read."
Kapera is seated, surrounded by his students at Kasunga TTC, wearing a white shirt and black tie
Kapera is from Mzimba in the north of Malawi, and works at the TTC in Kasunga about 120 miles from his birth place. He and his wife and four boys live in special housing at the school. The oldest son is nearly 18 and the youngest is 8. Kapera told me that when he was here the first time getting his undergraduate degree, his youngest child was born while he was away. He did not meet his son until he went home three years later.
Kapera is thrilled to be back at Lakeland. The biggest change, he said, is the new front entrance which has added "great beauty" to the campus. But, mostly, everything is just as he remembers it and just as he expected it to be. When he arrived on June 21, he said it felt like he had been here yesterday. With his warm, winning smile, he added, "I feel as if I never left."
Left to right, standing: Overton Simbeye, Margaret Mulaga, Kapera Mlowoka `08, Elymas Tembwe, Phillip Nachonie '06, Michael Simawo, Ndamyo Mwanyongo '08, Bertha Singini; seated: Benjamin David, Elias Lyson
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
It was just a little over one month ago that ten teachers left their homes, jobs, and families in the African country of
The Malawians will return home a little over a year from now to develop and complete their thesis or action research projects, explain and defend their work before a panel of educators, and then continue their jobs in the Teacher Training Colleges where they are already employed. They will bring with them a wealth of new knowledge and awareness gained during their time in
When I met with them over lunch in Bossard last Friday, they were finishing their second week of classes. They told me about their two foundation courses, "Reading in the Content Area," taught by retired Sheboygan Area School District reading teacher, Nancy Buhr, and "Curriculum Dynamics" taught by Bill Klein, principal at Cleveland Elementary School. Since arriving, the Malawians have been to The Museum of Science and Industry and Millenium Park in Chicago, Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan, and the Old Wade House in Greenbush. The consensus among them in regards to these visits was one word: "amazing."
The Malawians are here under the auspices of an $880,000 federal grant provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The grant covers their travel, tuition and other instructional fees, health insurance, monthly stipend and a laptop computer for each person. When these ten students return to Malawi in June 2015, ten new students will arrive to begin their M.Ed. degree program. The college is responsible for the costs of room, board, some incidentals, and administrative support.
In a 2011 "Education Strategy Document" published by USAID, we read, "The global state of education is poor. More than 70 million school-age children do not have access to schooling. Of those who do attend, hundreds of millions more are not being taught the basic skills that they require to be competitive economic actors in a global world."
The faculty and administration of Lakeland College recognize that improving the quality of education world-wide begins with building a culture of reading among children and their families. Because of the college's long-standing relationship with Malawi, we were determined to work directly with the Ministry of Education in Malawi to train reading teachers. Teachers in Malawi teach bilingually, in the native language of Chichewa as well as in English. We are committed to helping them learn how to design and implement curricula and teaching strategies that will cultivate skilled, self-motivated young readers in their home context. We envision these children growing into adults who will lead dynamic and meaningful lives; they will be contributors to a more peaceful, just, and equitable society.
Three of the ten Malawian students are already graduates of Lakeland College, having received their B.A. degrees here, and you will learn more about them, as well as the novice Wisconsinites, in good time. When I asked the group what might be an appropriate name for the blog, it was Lakeland alumna Ndamyo Mwanyongo '08 who suggested Takulandirani, the Chichewa word for "welcome."
The Malawians have already worked as teachers at home for several years, but for the next year, they will be students at Lakeland, and the college welcomes them with open arms. This blog is dedicated to telling you the story of their educational journey. Please welcome them by following us as we go.
This post is written by Lisa Vihos, the Director of Sponsored Programs and Research at Lakeland College. The program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this blog are the responsibility of Lakeland College and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Contrary to popular belief, Blizzard's official patch notes have to be typed out as well.
These seem quite legit to me. Fake patch notes tend to be attention grabbers, citing class changes or more specific instances of things that get people excited or angry. These notes are completely devoid of such things.
For example, rather than just note which classes have had their talents implemented, you'd expect to see sections for the classes with vague pronouncements about certain talents and their functions. That's forum trolling gold, and it's completely absent.
That all said this could be a forgery, but if that's the case it's the finest forgery I've witnessed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Step 1) All ranged DPS is at max range, all melee dps is on his ass. Assign certain healers to certain zones. Must have >3 people outside of melee range at all times (in 10 man). Druid healers, Disc Priests, and Restoration Shaman benefit from the Shadow Crashes at least a little bit, so consider leaving them out if you need more bodies outside of his melee range.
Step 2) Get a range checker and set it to 15 yards. This is for Mark of the Faceless.
Step 3) Make sure people know the three rules of this fight. Rule 1) If you are Marked, MOVE. If you're near someone who is Marked, MOVE. Rule 2) Stop everything you're doing if you're anywhere near a person who is getting Shadow Crashed. Rule 3) Assign one or two interrupters for Searing Flames. Make sure their interrupt won't miss. Don't make it a ranged person unless you have to.
Step 4) Win. All caster DPS should wait for Shadow Crashes to DPS, as DPSing without them is the fastest way to go OOM ever and you're essentially doing thing in doing so. Shadow Crashes are 200% damage and haste at 25% mana cost. It's amazing.
Resto druids can cast Lifebloom from the pools to 3 stacks and then step out. The mana return on Lifebloom does work at full effect even though the heal does not when you cast it in a pool.
Disc Priests can cast PW:S from the pools with no reduced effect because it is not a heal.
Resto Shaman can cast Earth Shield from the pools with no reduced effect because the initial effect is not a heal. When charges are consumed, it will heal for less if you are in a pool. Healing Stream Totem follows this same rule--it's at 100% effectiveness only when the shaman is NOT in a Crash pool.
Step 5) If you're not winning, break the Vapors. It's the only way to regen mana. Remember to break one even if your healers are doing fine as forgetting will activate hard mode (Learned the hard way!). You heal 100 mana at the cost of 200 HP. Then 200 mana at the cost of 400. 400/800, 800/1600, etc. At 5-6 stacks, get out. You will die if you stay in too long. The damage is Shadow and semi-Resistable.
The fight is all about placement. Mark of the Faceless and Saronite Vapors should be the only sources of damage for anyone other than the tank (unless you're doing hard mode). Mark isn't too bad if you move quickly. You should mutually move away from one another whenever possible. Try to pick a direction to run as well (we use the wall at the back). If people are getting hit by Shadow Crash, it's a DPS loss, a loss of mana on the healers, and time lost healing the tank (who is taking huge hits non-stop by the way).
Oh, and as for the kiting? You don't have to... necessarily. If you pop a cooldown for it each time you should be OK. Our main tank is a DK so he just pops Icebound Fortitude each time he does it. The 50% damage reduction counteracts the 100% damage increase, so it's as if nothing happened. Not gonna work in 3.2, but it's still not too bad.


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Shannon Sharpe scores a touchdown
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SAP's software powers many enterprises, but the company is in transition with new co-CEOs and a software as a service suite called Business ByDesign that targets the mid-market. SAP's software developer network is viewed as a powerful community that can deliver answers quickly. SAP is also betting heavily on business intelligence via its acquisition of BusinessObjects.
Featured Stories
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Articles about SAP
Hybris, SeeWhy, CRM, cloud: How SAP is pulling it all together
SAP is pushing its Customer Engagement and Commerce suite as a way firms can take advantage of technologies for sales and marketing across all their digital channels.
Australian workforce not ready for technology shift: SAP
A new study has revealed that less than half of Australian employees are receiving training on improving their analytic skills and knowledge around the cloud.
SAP confirms purchase of travel expenses platform Concur for $8.3B
Following reports earlier this month about already seeking a buyer, Concur's board of directors have unanimously approved the transaction.
SAP invests in Brazil cloud facility
German firm announces multimillion-dollar investment to offer some applications on its own cloud to local customers - but ERP is not on the cards.
SAP pumps $60m into Victorian job growth plan
SAP plans to spend AU$60 million on its Victorian staff and infrastructure over the next five years, following the launch yesterday of its Melbourne innovation centre.
Contact Energy deploys SAP to escape price war
Electricity generator and retailer rolls out SAP-based retail and billing systems and a new customer segmentation model.
SAP to invest $500 million in Africa through 2020
The venture by the German enterprise software giant comes on the heels of a stream of other tech companies pledging investments throughout Africa's developing countries.
From the field to the cloud, SAP champions big data as new MVP in sports
In the sports world, the same kinds of things you do for customer engagement, you do for fan engagement, according to SAP's chief marketing officer.
Adoption of customer services systems to grow 46 percent in Latin America
Argentina and Chile will top demand while Brazil will slow down, says Frost & Sullivan.
SAP HANA: Users are struggling to see the business case
SAP's push behind its HANA in-memory platform may have raised awareness of the technology across business but that high profile is not yet necessarily translating into adoption.
SAP ANZ bumps up cloud expertise with new COO
SAP Australia and New Zealand has promoted its SAP Asia Pacific Japan regional lead for cloud and line of business solutions to the COO role.
Russia to Apple, SAP: Give us source code, prove you're not spies
Russian officials have asked the companies to hand over their source code so it can be tested for surveillance capabilities.
SAP supports open source Cloud Foundry and OpenStack for cloud
SAP has been moving its enterprise suite to the cloud for some time, and now it's embracing the open source cloud.
SAP Q2: Legal charge hurts profit, 2014 outlook raised
Despite a smaller-than-expected operaiting profit, the German software maker has raised its 2014 outlook for cloud-based products.


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John Burkoff on Whether Pittsburgh Mayor is Likely Target of Federal Investigation
Pitt Law Professor John Burkoff commented on the likelihood of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's becoming a target of the federal investigation of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Ravenstahl last week announced the resignation of Chief Nate Harper in light of allegations that Harper had ties to businessman Art Bedway, who has pled guilty to falsely representing his company to win a contract to install computers in city police vehicles. Though Ravenstahl denies he is a target, there are questions surrounding his knowledge of a police credit union's issuance of debit cards to members of his security detail.
"There is a great likelihood that [Ravenstahl] wouldn't become a target if everything stays the same and nothing startling emerges from the investigation," Burkoff told the Pittsburgh City Paper. However, he continued, "Sometimes, like a jack-in-the-box, things can pop up."
Read the entire article here.


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Narrow your search
Two gadgets enter the ring, but only one can leave the champion! Each week Brian Tong pits two compe
Looking for phones? CNET's reviews of the best phones include photos, video, and user reviews.
At IFA 2014, Alcatel announced a slew of midrange 4G LTE devices that come in several colors and five different sizes.
Pricing not available
It can't compete with the One M8's premium metal skin, but the HTC Butterfly 2's powerful camera and processor make it one of the company's best flagship phones.
Pricing not available
These Solo 2 may not win audiophile hearts and ears, but for its intended audience -- namely, folks who are looking for a fast, exciting headphone with lots of high-quality bass -- this is an excellent on-ear headphone.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a phone for the size and price of the Huawei Ascend Mate 2 4G that performs as well as it does.
With its slick metal body, the HTC One Mini 2 is among the most luxurious compact phones around. HTC, however, has given it a set of specs that put it more alongside the dirt-cheap Moto G than the One M8. This is definitely not the flagship One M8 in a more compact form. If style is of the utmost importance, it's worth checking out, but the Moto G is much better value.
The Gear 2 Neo offers the best balance of features and price among Samsung's three 2014 smartwatches, but it falls short of must-have status.
Samsung has made strides with the Gear 2, but this smartwatch is on its own island with few apps and Samsung-only device compatibility. At this point, you're better off waiting for Android Wear.
A major update to our favorite Windows 8 hybrid, the IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro is still a better laptop than tablet, but the new version adds a future-proof better-than-HD display at a great price.
With its ability to push Android notifications to your wrist, the Sony SmartWatch 2 is more useful than Samsung's Galaxy Gear, but the Pebble is still the best smartwatch deal around.
The Microsoft Surface 2 is great for getting work done, but those looking for extensive app support (beyond Office) will find top Apple, Android, and Amazon tablets to be better options.


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See her eyes light up when you give her one of our lovely cross pendants. Show him you care with one of the cross necklaces for men. Or, prove to the world that love waits with a purity ring that she'll wear with pride.
2014 Graduation Key Ring in Cap BoxRegular Price: $9.99 Special Price $2.50Add Your ReviewLet your graduate know that he or she already holds the key to success! Celebrate your class of 2014 graduate with this unique graduation key ring, shaped like diploma scroll. The verse on the scroll reads, "For I know the plans I have for you." - Jeremiah 29:11, along with ... Learn More
Amazing Grace Crystal Bead Bracelet$22.99Add Your ReviewThis colorful Amazing Grace crystal bead bracelet is a fun accessory for little girls! Made with alternating multicolored crystal beads, white pearl beads and silver beads, this sweet bracelet also features a small silver cross charm at the clasp. The bracelet is held wi... Learn More
Amethyst Cross Pendant Necklace$24.99Add Your ReviewThis lovely amethyst cross pendant necklace is a beautiful expression of faith. Perfect as a gift for any occasion, women of all ages will love wearing this ornate black and silver cross, set with purple amethyst stones. The necklace includes a simple 18" silver chain and co... Learn More
Assorted Phat Bands Bracelets
Swanson Christian Products$1.99Add Your ReviewBoth stylish and expressive of your love for Christ, these Phat Bands bracelets are perfect for teens looking to add some accessories to their wardrobe. Learn More
Cat's-Eye Cross Bracelet$14.99Add Your ReviewThis bracelet features a white cat's eye cross pendant which hangs from a silver-colored chain. Perfect for commemorating your child's first communion, this bracelet is a keepsake your little one will treasure forever. Learn More
Children's Butterfly Necklace$7.99Add Your ReviewThis delicate butterfly necklace is a perfect accessory for any little girl! Sweet and feminine, the butterfly pendant is set with pink and purple genuine European crystals and is 18 karat gold-plated. The necklace includes a gold-plated chain and comes packaged in a butterf... Learn More
Christ's Story Bracelet$14.99Add Your ReviewLet the beads of this bracelet guide you through the story of Christ's life in the good times, and the bad. The Christ's Story Bracelet features various sizes and shapes of gold colored beads with four silver colored charms representing Jesus's birth, death, resurrection and... Learn More
Communion Story Charm Bracelet$14.99Add Your ReviewWith glass and metal beads interspersed with symbolic charms, this meaningful stretch bracelet will guide your child through this momentous day. This communion story charm bracelet includes silver-colored charms shaped like a crown, a chalice, a set of praying hands and an i... Learn More
Communion Story Charm Bracelet$14.99With glass and metal beads interspersed with symbolic charms, this meaningful stretch bracelet will guide your child through this momentous day. This communion story charm bracelet includes silver-colored charms shaped like a crown, a chalice, a set of praying hands and an i... Learn More
Cross & Chalice Lapel Pin$6.99Commemorate the special day with this lovely two-tone metal lapel pin, a lasting reminder of a little one's First Communion. Featuring a gold-colored cross with a silver center and a tiny gold chalice, this lapel pin comes with a cross-shaped card with a special message for ... Learn More
Need help ordering? Or call 1-888-319-0319


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Jake from the Armoury @ the première of "E Poi C'è Napoli"
Ph: Beyond Fabric
Ph: Beyond Fabric
Team Armoury
Ph: Beyond Fabric
Passionate about the universe of tailoring, the Armoury presents a small preview of "Antonio's Colours" - a documentary on renowned tailor Antonio Liverano, depicting his everyday life, background, influences and unmeasurable talent.
Source: vimeo.com
MAN 1924 SS14 Pitti Preview
Mr. Carlos Castillo's label has been gaining momentum and well deserved attention for some time now. MAN 1924 embodies Mr. Castillo's impeccable sense of style, perfectly blending sartorial tradition with a casual effortlessness, all while maintaining a charismatic aesthetic. A perfect use of seasonal fabrics such as lightweight cotton, tropical wool, linen and seersucker helps bring this vision to life, being used in unstructured sports coats, safari jackets and summery shirts.
This balanced fusion between polished and relaxed, portrayed in Mr. Castillo's own attires (I remember bumping into him and his cousin Jorge while going out for dinner: linen shirt, foulard, cotton cargos, brogues), is part of what makes the brand so appealing and unique. You can find everything from a morning coat or tailored suits, up to everyday alternatives with a trademark panache. A happy coincidence that during my visit to stand, team Armoury was already checking the upcoming collection…
The Armoury
Ph: Beyond Fabric @ Pitti Uomo
The Armoury @ Pitti


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6 posts tagged with England and alcohol. (View popular tags)
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England has a drinking problem. Since 1990, teenage alcohol consumption has doubled. Since World War II, alcohol intake for the population as a whole has doubled, with a third of that increase occurring since just 1995. [...] The United States, although no stranger to alcohol abuse problems, is in comparatively better shape. A third of the country does not drink, and teenage drinking is at a historic low.How a vertically integrated alcohol industry is to blame, and why the US could find itself in the same position soon.


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What better way to display those A+ tests and art-class creations than with a few of these awesome DIY fridge magnets, made to look like little Polaroid photos? We stumbled across this idea by Jennifer Kirk over at her site, Ambrosia Creative, and are already thinking of making a set for the fridge and one for our office cubicles. They're too cute!
Because this project involves using a sharp blade to cut out your photos, we think it's best suited to older kids. However, with supervision, younger kids could help with assembly—not to mention photo selection.
What you'll need:
• Your favourite family photos
• Photo paper
• Rubber cement
• Ruler
• Exacto knife
• Chip board (think the back of a notebook or really sturdy card stock)
• Clear tape
• Opaque white marker
• Magnets
• Glue
You'll find the full instructions for this Tiny Polaroid Magnets craft, as well as a downloadable Polaroid template, over at Ambrosia Creative. We think they'd also make a great homemade gift for friends and loved ones.
Looking for more great craft ideas? Check out our complete Fun section for plenty of crafty projects and fun activities.
Have you met Boo? He's a five-year-old pomeranian and he...


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- 15:31
- Mat Gallagher
- Add comment
And the results are out
With 2009 now drawn to a close, we've been scratching our heads as to which of the numerous products that have passed through the WDC office during the past 12 months are worthy of our most prestigious of awards.
It's very much been the year of DSLR video, innovation and the year when, quite possibly, megapixels have finally ceased to be crammed onto overpopulated little sensors too - at least, if Canon's culling of the G11's megapixel count is anything to go by. It's also been the year of ultra-high ISO counts, with the Nikon D3s being the first camera ever to offer up the sky-high sensitivity of ISO 102,400 - well and truly trouncing the capabilities of analogue film of old.
2009 has definitely seen mirrorless, interchangeable lens Micro System Cameras - most notably the Micro Four Thirds system of Olympus and Panasonic - lay out their claim to market domination. They are here to stay and will continue to push the technology forward. Yup, it's been quite the year
all round and 2010 looks set to be just as exciting.
With all of this in mind, and after many hours of debate and multiple shortlists, eventually, between the occasional friendly argument, the results came in and the best of the best came to the fore. So, without further ado, drum roll please, the 2009 WDC Award winners are...
Best Consumer Compact 2009:
Panasonic Lumix FX550
Best Advanced Compact 2009:
Canon Powershot G11
Best Superzoom Compact 2009:
Sony Cyber-shot HX1
Best Micro System Camera 2009:
Panasonic Lumix GF1
Innovation Award 2009:
Samsung ST550
Best Entry-level DSLR:
Nikon D3000
Best Mid-range DSLR:
Canon EOS 500D
Best Advanced DSLR:
Canon EOS 5D MkII
Best Lens 2009:
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM
Best Software 2009:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8
Best Accessory 2009:
Rosco The Strobist Collection
Product Of The Year 2009:
Canon EOS 5D MkII
For more details and the runners up, see our January 2010 issue


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Simple Tv
50,000 - 100,000 downloadsAdd this app to your listsTweets por @AppsZoom
Simple Tv is the best app for watching live tv channels from countries like :
Albania, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, U.S.A., Vietnam channels in your android for free!
Please note that for the tv streams you need to have a good wifi connection/4G.
-Some channels no broadcast live 24 hours a day, for this reason, in some moments of the day the display of a channel can be displayed in black or with some messages like "the program is not available".
-Some channels may take several seconds to load.
IMPORTANT: All content shown in the application "Simple Tv" are links to third parties, public domain and totally unrelated to the application.
Tags: simpletv, dlvr.it, simpletv adult, simple tv adult linkleri, adult simple tv, simpletv для андроид, simple tv adult, simple tv, simple tv liste, simple tv linkleri.
-channels from Philippines, China and Portugal were updated
-background from internal video player changed from white to black
-Indonesia and Philippines added
-the channels from your own list are appearing correctly
-the crash when they were opened is fixed
-"add channel" button added
-"delete all" button added
-own list added
-design revamped
-app is ad-supported
-the 30 seconds limitation has been removed
(59 stars)
Why so verry slow ?! :(
(59 stars)
It is working well,good job.
(59 stars)
This app keep on saying that i have to install a mx player in order to watch channels feom other country, eventhough i already installed the player..
(59 stars)
I would have given a 5 if there are more channels. Hope it will work soon.
(59 stars)
Sorry, the video cannot be played! Please pakiaayos pagopen ko ngayon di na magplay...pero last few days okay naman sya!
(59 stars)
Kaya lang bkit ayaw uli gumana..???
(59 stars)
I like this app i can watch tv anywhere ;)!


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The S-Files: When node_load won't load, and the anonymous user has vanished
Posted on Thu, Jan 21, 2010
by Robert Douglass
by Robert Douglass
Tech Support Case Studies Use these two SQL commands to repair your Drupal 6 site to restore the anonymous user database record:
The symptoms you'll see that tip you off that this is needed:
INSERT INTO users (name, mail) VALUES ('', '');
UPDATE users SET uid=0 WHERE name='';
- node_load() is not loading nodes that you can prove are in the node table.
- node_delete() is not deleting nodes that you can prove are in the node table.
- The query
SELECT * FROM users WHERE uid=0;returns zero rows.
Note that if you get a Duplicate entry error like the following, you need to delete the spurious rows prior to running the corrective queries I list at the beginning of the post.
# delete user 0
mysql> DELETE FROM users WHERE uid=0;
Query OK, 1 row affected (0.00 sec)
# try to restore user 0 directly
mysql> INSERT INTO users (uid, name, mail) VALUES (0, '', '');
Query OK, 1 row affected (0.00 sec)
# see that it didn't work
mysql> SELECT uid FROM users WHERE name='';
| uid |
| 19611 |
# If you see this....
mysql> INSERT INTO users (name, mail) VALUES ('', '');
ERROR 1062 (23000): Duplicate entry '' for key 2
# Do this.
mysql> DELETE FROM users WHERE name='';
Posted on by agentrickard (not verified).
For what it's worth, the missing user 0 issue is usually the result of doing a MySQL dump and transfer from one database to another. This happens because {users}.uid is set to autoincrement, and the MySQL importer can't insert row 0.
When doing a database transfer, check the {users} table. Row 0 is normally transformed into row N (where N is the next autoincrement value). You may not want to insert a new row, but instead set that existing row to uid = 0.
This can possibly be prevented if you can use SET SQL_MODE=NO_AUTO_VALUE_ON_ZERO when doing the import.
Posted on by slantview (not verified).
The other things that can tip you off about this is that you can no longer store $_SESSION information for anonymous users. I just had to deal with this exact same issue.


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Course Reserves
Access Online Reserves
New Course Reserves Tool
See here for more information about this project.
Course Reserves Overview
Reserves and Copyright
All content placed on Reserves Direct must comply with U.S. Copyright law. This section provides information and guidelines to assist with public domain and fair use determination, as well as whether permissions on copyrighted materials are needed.


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EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: HUMIDITY ALERT!« on: July 24, 2014, 11:01:03 PM »
Air conditioning.
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Okay, here's a little redemption for the Kite Surfer photos I posted earlier in the thread - a little more on the "Waterscapes" topic . . .Nice images ... was the composition of the first image deliberate to give it a "naughty" look? ... I love it
For those of you who are not as immature as I am, just tilt your head to see the first image in portrait orientation
Black Skimmers
"X" Flyer! Cool!


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By Aly Semigran, Hollywood.com Staff
If the constant onslaught of '90s nostalgia (thanks, Buzzfeed!) has been any indication, anyone born in the '80s just finds it way too hard to say goodbye to yesterday. Luckily for the Nickelodeon-raised, Ecto Cooler-swilling members of Generation Y, it doesn't appear to be coming to an end anytime soon.
To counter the '90s rock super tour lineup that included the likes of Sugar Ray, Lit, and Everclear that hit the road last summer, over on the pop spectrum, New Kids On The Block joined forces with their fellow boy band behemoths Backstreet Boys to create the ultimate dreamy boy band NKOTBSB. Not only did they wind up recording new songs together, but the two groups toured the country singing their classics, sending the jelly shoe and slap bracelet-wearing community into an utter screaming frenzy.
It seems the NKOTB are hell-bent on bringing back all the boy bands of yesteryear, as it was announced on Tuesday that 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men will join them on a 28-city tour this summer. (So look out, Menudo, BBMak, and NSYNC; Joey, Jordan, Donnie, Jonathan, and Danny are going to be comin' for ya!) Check out the full list of dates and prices here.
The legendary event, hilariously titled The Package Tour, kicks off in Connecticut and tickets for all the shows will go on sale on February 2. Even better, The Package Tour will feature all three bands in their entirety. While the NKOTBSB tour suffered from a severe lack of Kevin, all of the members of 98 Degrees (Nick, Drew, Jeff and Justin, so long as he doesn't get arrested again) and Boyz II Men (Nate, Shawn, and Wanya) will be on hand for this nostalgia extravaganza. New Kid Donnie Wahlberg said in a statement, ""Ladies, we're coming for you. This is going to be the craziest year yet the single, the album, the tour with 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men We can't wait to give fans 'The Package!'" Heh. Package. Get it?
As a child of the '80s who grew up on this music and was the proud owner of a NKOTB Trapper Keeper, I guess you could say I do (cherish this news) and that I'll be hangin' tough until the tour stops in Motown Philly. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go construct a very glittery poster asking for Donnie's hand in marriage.
[Photo credit: WENN]
More: 98 Degrees Reuniting? Good They're The Best Boy Band of the '90sDonnie Wahlberg's NKOTB Twitpic Will Make Your Inner Tween's Heart SoarBackstreet Boys Announce Reunion Performance: Our Favorite BSB Memories
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U-Haul International
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- 7-Keto
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Gaia Herbs, Herbal Digest, DailyWellness Herbal Tea, Caffeine-Free, Peppermint, 20 Tea Bags, 1.41 oz (40 g)
- Shipping Weight: 0.41 lbs (0.19kg)
- Product Code: GAI-14531
- UPC Code: 751063145312
- Package Quantity: 20 Tea Bags, 1.41 oz (40 g)
- Dimensions: 2.6 x 3.1 x 5.1 in, 0.2 lbs (0.09kg)
- Expiration Date: Nov 2015
Product Overview
- Naturally Soothing
- Optimizes & Supports Digestive Health
- Herbal Dietary Supplement
Teas Which Honor Nature's Purity, Integrity, & Potency
Gaia Herbs teas are all-natural herbal medicines with each cup delivering a delicious taste experience as well as fast-acting relief. We protect the potency and taste of our teas with foil-lined, flavor-seal pouches and protect our planet with tea bags tied without the use of staples or glues.
Teas are the most traditional way of taking herbal remedies. For decades, Gaia Herbs has been an industry leader, delivering herbal solutions for adults and children through capsules, liquid extracts, and syrups.
With comforting tastes of Mint and Anise.
Daily Wellness
Longevity and vitality come naturally when your body in a state of harmony. Gaia Herbs DailyWellness products promote optimal wellness by giving you the daily support you need.
Herbal Digest Herbal Tea
A healthy digestive system is key to optimizing health by supporting normal assimilation of nutrients after meals. Herbal Digest tea, enjoyed after a meal, can be useful for every day digestive health or to sooth occasional digestive distress. Herbal Digest tea offers a naturally pleasant taste through its balance of aromatic and digestive ingredients such as Ginger root, organic Peppermint, and organic Lemon Verbena.
A Partnership of Mutual Beliefs
Herbal Digest Herbal Tea is produced in Tuscany, Italy by Aboca, the herbal supplement leader in more than 25,000 European pharmacies and health food stores since 1978. Gaia herbs' partnership with Aboca is born from a mutual belief in sustainable product development, dedication to quality, and a deep respect for science and nature working in harmony.
Suggested Use
Pour one cup of freshly boiled water over tea bag and steep, covered, for 10 minutes. Drink after a meal.
If you have a medical condition or take pharmaceutical drugs please consult with your doctor before using this product. Licorice should not be taken during pregnancy, kidney or liver disorders, hypertension, edema or excessive potassium depletion. Consult with your practitioner if breast feeding.
|Supplement Facts
|Serving Size: 1 tea bag
|Servings Per Container: 20 tea bags
|Amount Per Serving
|% Daily Value
|Peppermint leaf [Mentha peperita] ♦
|800 mg
|Star Anise fruit [Illicium verum]+
|400 mg
|Licorice root [Glycyrrhiza glabra]+
|300 mg
|Lemon Verbena leaf [Lippia citriodora]♦
|160 mg
|Yarrow leaf [Achillea millefolium]+
|Caraway seed [Carum carvi]+
|Gentian root [Gentiana lutea]+
|Ginger root [Zingober officinale]+
|† Percent Daily Value not established.
♦ = Organic ingredient according to EU Reg. CE nº 834/07
+ = Ecologically Harvested
Customer Reviews


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Hang tight!
Recipe by Chef John
"I served mine with some beautifully ripe slices of avocado that gives the final bowl another layer of silky richness. By the way, don't let the cocoa powder in our chili spice mixture throw you off! It's only a small amount and it really works. My chili was garnished with sour cream, diced jalapeno, cilantro and avocado."
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Secret Chili Spice Mix:
1/4 cup
ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon
ground cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons
1 1/2 teaspoons
ground dried chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon
dried oregano
1 teaspoon
unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon
ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon
ground cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon
olive oil
onion, chopped
2 1/2 pounds
ground turkey
3 cloves
garlic, minced
1 cup
tomato puree
2 cups
2 (12 ounce) cans
pinquito or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Spicy but very tasty. Added an extra can of maple flavoured beans. Will use this recipe again. Thanks chef John!
Quite nice but nothing special
28 Ratings
We loved this chili!
I will make it again for my husbands birthday party. It is spicy so just put less spice and add until it is right for you. Very good.
Giving this 4 stars only because it was too spicy for me. It was good, and I should add we ate it the next day loaded with cheese, sour cream and guacamole and ate it as nachos. We liked the nachos as all the condiments and chips cooled down the spice. It's very thick and does has a really good flavor. But like I said (for me) way too spicy. So if you like it hot you will love this chili.
Chef John this is the most flavorful WONDERFUL chili I have ever made! Absolutely 100% GREAT!
What a terrific EASY recipe and better for you than using fatty ground beef.
Highly recommended and will most definitely put it on our regular menu.
Easy to make. Yes, it was spicy but just the right amount. My husband and I enjoyed the meal while my teens did not. I would make this meal again.
I have made this chili at least 6 times, including for two parties. It is great chili and even better with sour cream and cheese. I also add pickles peppers at the end sometimes. If it is too hot reduce the Chipotle chili powder some.
This is a very good recipe, but I'm not a huge fan of mole and I think for me the addition of the cocoa was not for me. However, many others were very pleased with the taste. I also used black beans instead of pinto beans (personal preference). Some other reviewers complained this was too spicy, not for us. We added jalapenos. We also topped it with greek yogurt (in lieu of sour cream)
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Chef John's Turkey Chili
Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 448
Calories from Fat: 170
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Published on Thursday, December 26 2013 14:51
Dear Lyons,
None of us will forget 2013. About a week after the flood, I was talking with Trustee Lavern Johnson. Even standing amid the debris of a town she has loved and worked for longer than almost any of us, she had the historical perspective to say,
Login to read more: Happy Holidays!
Published on Thursday, December 19 2013 18:52
Thanks to Our Facebook Rescuer!
On behalf of the many people who sought news about their home town of Lyons, I would like to thank Linda Pecone for
Login to read more: Thank you Linda & Bonita!
Published on Thursday, December 19 2013 18:41
Dear Lyons Community,
We wish to send our thanks to the people of Lyons for the reception of our book, "Bertha Saves the Day." It is not often ideas, circumstances, and timing join to ignite a story, but that certainly happened at the holiday bazaar. Upon reflection,
Login to read more: Lyons Spirit
Published on Thursday, December 19 2013 18:48
Dear Lyons Community,
As we approach the end of 2013 and look forward to new beginnings in 2014, I reflect on all that has happened to Lyons this year.
The flood brought a new awareness to the meaning of giving, helping, and supporting those around us. September 11,
Login to read more: New Beginnings in 2014
Published on Thursday, December 05 2013 14:34
Dear Citizens of the Greater Lyons Library District,
In a letter to the Editor that appeared in a recent issue of the Lyons Recorder, Mark Browning wrote, "If we're going to continue debating a possible new library/resource center let's get some facts straight."
Login to read more: " I hope that readers will gain insight "
Purchase A Subscription: " I hope that readers will gain insight "


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3 products
The Roxy create beach fashion for girls and is part of the Quiksilver collection. Roxy's clothes are sporty and colourful and high quality to suit the active person. Roxy is one of the biggest brands for surf and water sports in the fashion industry and you can find it here at Nelly.com.


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Carburetor, Model 4150 HP, 750 cfm, Square Bore, 4-Barrel, Dual Inlet, Silver, Each
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Taking some cues from racers and street heroes alike, Holley has taken their own 4150 carbs to the next level with the new 4150 HPs. Updates include cast main bodies without choke horns, and smoothed venturi transitions for increased airflow. Since they're aimed directly at optimizing power and performance for racing applications, other important modifications include screw-in air bleeds, stainless steel throttle plates, notched floats. They also have Dominator style fuel bowls to allow fuel line plumbing from either side.
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Create a stunning focal point in any room with this contemporary low voltage halogen 10 light pendant, finished in a chrome plate and featuring a blast of clear faceted acrylic spheres.
*Free delivery over £50 refers to home delivery orders placed on diy.com only. Charges refer to the value of goods being delivered and excludes delivery from stores or services. Excludes bulk delivery.
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Life Partners Holdings, Inc.
Finance Companies TX, United States
| Nasdaq: LPHI
Life Partners Holdings, Inc. provides financial services, including secondary insurance such as life settlements. The company through subsidiary Life Partners, Inc., originates, analyzes, and facilitates the purchase of life settlement transactions on behalf of its worldwide network of clients. The company provides purchasing services for life settlements. It facilitates these transactions by identifying, examining, and purchasing the policies as agent for the purchasers. Life Partners Holdings was founded on May 11, 1971 and is headquartered in Waco, TX.


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AdvertisingAdvertise in the Henrico Citizen
The Henrico Citizen is Henrico County's award-winning hometown newspaper and is the most relied upon source of community news for Henrico County residents.
The Citizen, published twice monthly, has a circulation of 34,000+ per month and reaches Henrico residents directly through the mail and by pick-up at more than 140 locations, including all Martin's, Kroger, Walmart and Wawa stores in Henrico County, all county libraries, hospitals, retailers, restaurants and other locations.
The Citizen's online home keeps Henrico residents informed on a daily basis, with breaking news alerts, frequent updates and online extras not available in print.
Whether your business is large or small, an advertisement in the print or online edition of the Citizen will reach thousands of Henrico County citizens for a low cost.
Or, you may click on the "Contact Us" menu on our sidebar and follow the instructions.
A special advertising section featuring news and information of interest to boomers and senior citizens, as well as their families and caregivers.
Feb. 6
May 1
Aug. 7
Nov. 6
Jan. 16
Apr. 17
Jul. 17
Oct. 16
Features coverage of each high school graduation in Henrico County.
Jun. 19
A special advertising section, featuring news and information about health; beauty and fitness; body, mind and spirit issues; ways to stay in shape and lose weight; and more.
Jan. 2
Apr. 3
Jul. 3
Oct. 2
A special section highlighting some of the top preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school teachers in Henrico County, as nominated by readers and selected by the Henrico Citizen.
Mar. 20
Features information about businesses that serve home interior and exterior needs, including home decor, home renovation, landscaping, plumbing, painting, heating and air conditioning and more.
Mar. 6
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May 1
Sep. 18
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Dec. 4
Features educational content, games, crafts and puzzles for children, as well as news geared toward parents.
Feb. 20
May 15
Aug. 21
Nov. 20
Gayton Baptist Church dedicates new outreach center
The John Rolfe YMCA and Gayton Baptist Church have partnered in an effort to bring greater health and wellness opportunities to the community.
Through this partnership, the John Rolfe Y will run Youth Winter Sports programs, including basketball and indoor soccer, in Gayton's newly renovated $5.5 million outreach center that features a new gymnasium, youth and teen space, social space with café, meeting space and full service commercial kitchen. > Read more.
Henricus Historical Park to host Publick Day Sept. 20
Citizen Staff Reports 09/15/2014
Henricus Historical Park will commemorate its anniversary during Publick Day, a signature annual event that celebrates the establishment of the second successful English settlement in the New World. In September 1611, Sir Thomas Dale, along with soldiers, tradesmen and farmers, ventured from Jamestown to create the Citie of Henricus. Leaders of Henricus developed the first English hospital, chartered the first college in North America, established tobacco as the first cash crop in Virginia, and created a place where Pocahontas lived and met John Rolfe.
Publick Day will take place Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free and parking is $5 per vehicle. > Read more.
Commonwealth Parenting, CMoR-Short Pump to present 6-part parenting forum series
As part of its 30th anniversary year and partnership with the Children's Museum of Richmond, Commonwealth Parenting will present a six-part RVA Parents Forum Series to address some of the toughest issues confronting parents.
Parenting experts and family educators will tackle topics ranging from bullying to alcohol, sex to divorce, and technology and stress. Parents will learn how to identify potential problems.
"We're excited about bringing this much-needed forum series to parents in central Virginia. Through our valuable partnership with Commonwealth Parenting, we can have a deeper impact in the community through parent and caregiver education," said Karen Coltrane, president and CEO of the Children's Museum of Richmond. > Read more.
Page 1 of 117 pages 1 2 3 > Last ›
Extras sought for AMC's 'TURN'
Paid extras are being sought to appear in the AMC television series TURN: Washington's Spies, which will begin filming its second season in the Richmond area at the end of September and continue through February.
No experience is required, but producers say that extras must have flexible availability, reliable transportation and a positive attitude.
Arvold Casting is holding an open call on Sunday, Sept. 21 and is seeking men, women and children who are Caucasian, African American and Native American, with thin to average builds and who can realistically portray people living in Revolutionary War times. Long hair is a plus but not a must. > Read more.
Weekend Top 10
For our Top 10 calendar events this weekend, click here! > Read more.
Weekend Top 10
Check out these three B's in Henrico this weekend: books, bluegrass and "Born Yesterday." Other activities to participate in – and feel good about – are the 15th annual James River Regional Cleanup and the 5th annual Richmond Out of the Darkness Community Walk. For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.
Highland Springs HS wins Keep Virginia Beautiful grant
Henrico Police investigating suspicious death
Accreditation woes for HCPS
Goodwill, Thalhimer partner to help job-seekers 'Suit Up'
Fairfield MS student market now offering fall hours
- More News
Print Edition
Sep. 18, 2014Click here to read the print edition.
Extras sought for AMC's 'TURN'
Weekend Top 10
Weekend Top 10
When the cliche stands tall
Weekend Top 10
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Edna L. Baisley
Obituary – Alexander Matthew Harpine
Obituary – Margaret Allen Ferguson
- More Obituaries
Gayton Baptist Church dedicates new outreach center
Henricus Historical Park to host Publick Day Sept. 20
Commonwealth Parenting, CMoR-Short Pump to present 6-part parenting forum series
- More Community
Peeling off the labels
A messy food fight
Let's all go back to school
- More Opinions
Hermitage to host Monday night football events
Down to the wire
Babe Ruth 13U World Series arrives in Glen Allen
- More Sports
Reader Survey | Advertising | Email updates
ClassifiedsREADERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus s h.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today!… Full text
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CalendarLewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Ave., will hold a fall plant sale from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 19 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 20. Regional… Full text


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The Great Pet Portrait Project!
This is Smith. He is one of my whippets. His full name is Robert Smith, on account of his sexy black eyeliner (You know, like Robert Smith out of The Cure). He's a poet, philospher, farter, sprinter & cat poo eater.
Unfortunately, Smith's little top front teeth are not at all well, and have to be taken out, as well as one of his big back teeth. It's not his fault – he's always eaten dog food with no sugar added, and only occasionally stolen delicious (poisonous) chocolate with Arthur, his partner in crime.
He'll need his other other teeths cleaned as well, to keep the dreaded rot from setting in elsewhere, and give him a beautiful smile with his remaining ivories.
I'll miss his little front teeths very much, especially as the two in the middle have a wonderful Spongebob-like quality to them when he lies with his tongue out. I remember when those little teeth first grew in. But Smith will be much happier without them & smell considerably better, too, which will make ALL of us much happier.
When Smith comes home from his appointment with the vet on Wednesday, he will be our special gummy whippet, with a very expensive mouth (about £200 worth).
SO, to pay for my special expensive gummy whippet, I am initiating Project Pet Portrait!
For just £5, I shall draw your beloved beast & email you a 300dpi (that's proper hi-res print quality, should you wish to have it made flesh & framed), A5-sized portrait.
Each portrait will be uploaded to Smith's twitter feed (shush, there's nothing wrong with dogs having twitter) & my twitter feed, with some kind of watermark on them, so nobody can steal your picture (they won't be super hi-res like yours either).
If you want to keep your picture secret (if, say, it's for a present, or your pet has a secret crimefighting identity), just let me know & I'll not post it to the feed.
To claim your portrait, Paypal me a simple fiver (laurie [at] veryworrying [dot] com), with your twitter name in the info box & then skitter over to twitter & tweet me a pic of your little furry/scaly/feathery/slimy/rocky loved one for reference.
I'll put a banner with their name on each image (unless you request otherwise) & can add small props (hat, toy, bone, bow-tie). If you want your pet in an exotic location or with more exciting props (recently vanquished dinosaur, fighter plane, etc), contact me beforehand & we'll sort out a price. Speech bubbles added at no extra cost!
If you're not twitter-enabled, you can send your pet pic to the same email address.
I'll keep taking requests until midnight (GMT) on the day of Smith's op (wednesday 15th), but if it's super popular, Pet Portraits could well come back in the future! I'll make sure all requests paid for before the deadline are drawn, and return money for any received afterwards that won't get drawn.
Any monies I make that go over the cost of the op will be spent on further whippet maintenance: booster shots, de-fleaing, de-worming (etc), which I shall of course keep you updated on via the Twitter.
Other potential whippet expenditures include a new coat for Smith when it rains, and a pyjama onesie for Arthur (whippets have thin fur & really do like wearing onesies when it's cold – vital for the British summer).
Also, of course, really horrible smelling dried-meat treats will be purchased for Arthur & Smith to chow down on (soft treats, if Smith's mouth is tender).
Thank you so much for your support. I hope you like your pictures!
Love from Laurie (and Smith)


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Concerts in Evanston
- The Mozart Requiem
- Sunday, October 19, 7:30 pm
- War and Peace
- Sunday, May 17, 7:30 pm
Getting There:
- Get map & driving directions »
- Directions to Pick-Staiger Concert Hall from the parking structure
- Driving south on Sheridan Road:
Turn left onto Campus Drive and then take a right onto Arts Circle Drive.
- Driving north on Sheridan Road:
Turn right onto Campus Drive and then take a right onto Arts Circle Drive.
- Parking and Special Needs Access:
As of Monday, June 25, 2012, Arts Circle Drive will be closed to traffic. Please allow extra time for parking.
Free parking is still available on weekends and after 4 p.m. on weekdays in the structure located on Campus Drive. After turning onto Campus Drive from Sheridan Road, enter the parking structure on your right by way of ramps leading to the upper and lower levels.
A small lot directly west of Louis Hall will have reserved spaces available after 4 p.m. on weekdays and at any time on the weekends for patrons with handicap placards. After turning onto Campus Drive, continue driving straight past the parking structure and John J. Louis Hall and park temporarily in the available turnaround space. From there, escort your guests by following the sidewalk eastward and using the ramp or stairs next to the Block Museum to access the Arts Circle Plaza, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, and Regenstein Recital Hall.
After dropping off your guest(s), you can either park in the handicap accessible spaces in the lot directly west of Louis Hall or continue south on Campus Drive and enter the parking structure on the left.
Nearby Restaurants:
- Campagnola
- 815 Chicago Avenue, Evanston
Reservations: 847.475.6100
- Dave's Italian Kitchen
- 1635 Chicago Avenue, Evanston
No reservations: 847.864.6000
- Oceanique
- 505 Main Street, Evanston
Reservations: 847.864.3435
- Tapas Barcelona
- 1615 Chicago Avenue, Evanston
Reservations: 847.866.9900
50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston (Northwestern University campus)
Mapquest Map
Important information about getting to the concert hall from the parking structure
About Pick-Staiger Concert Hall
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, a 989-seat venue, is located on the shore of Lake Michigan on Northwestern University's Evanston campus. The main lobby entrance for concerts is on the west side of the building (revolving and regular doors). Wheelchair accessible seats (16) are located on the ends of rows G and H.
Since its inception the hall has functioned as both a classroom and performance facility for Bienen School of Music performing ensembles, faculty recitals, festivals, and professional guest artists. A typical season of programming includes orchestral, wind ensemble, choral, opera, chamber, jazz, folk, world, contemporary, brass, and percussion concerts as well as solo recitals, lectures, master classes, and other related events.
Pick-Staiger's diverse programming is designed to showcase the developing talent of Bienen School of Music students; to promote interaction among faculty members, students, and professional artists; and to provide affordable cultural presentations to the community at large.
Pick-Staiger is also home to professional performance organizations such as The Chicago Chamber Musicians, Chicago Philharmonic, Northshore Concert Band, Evanston Symphony Orchestra, and others who rent facilities from the Bienen School of Music.
Directions to Pick-Staiger Concert Hall from the parking structure
After parking your vehicle, walk to the north-central stairwell of the parking structure and exit to a pedestrian walkway. This path will lead you along the east side of the theatre buildings and up the stairs to the Arts Circle Plaza and Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.


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The Maps Service Improvement Initiative (MSII) is a voluntary initiative to better understand how the users are using the Maps application. This improved understanding is used to improve future releases. By joining MSII you will give Nokia information about the way you use the Service. The collected data includes details about your device and software attributes, such as your device serial number, device model, operator and country codes, software versions and other such details as well as information on your usage patterns, such as activation of different features of the Service and other commands and requests you make when using the Maps application. The MSII data is then analysed and aggregated in a statistical and non-personal manner to learn from similarities in usage patterns between various users. The aforesaid statistical and non-personal analysis may involve combining the MSII data with other data we have collected as part of your use of the Maps application. Once the analysis is done the MSII data will be deleted. Your geographical locations or actual content of your usage such as search queries will not be collected.
After you have joined MSII you may opt-out anytime from the participation to the MSII in the Nokia Maps or Drive settings menu (by deselecting Maps improvement in the settings).