Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles, "once known for long waits, scandals and non-existent customer service, is now garnering national awards for service," reports the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. "The credit for the significant improvements in service largely belongs to the current commissioner, Ron Stiver, and his administrative team," adds the newspaper.
"There are shelters, missions and soup kitchens for the homeless. But a theatre troupe?," asks the Indianapolis Star in a story profiling an organization founded by a DePauw University alumnus. "Off the Streets began in 1988, after Brad Hauter, founder and co-executive producer, saw homeless people on the train tracks in Gary and wanted to help." Hauter, a 1987 graduate of DePauw, returns to the University this fall as head men's soccer coach.
Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, will hold an interactive dialogue with the DePauw University community as part of the September 18-20, DePauw Discourse 2008: America's Role in the World. "In Conversation with Madeleine Albright" will take place Friday, September 19, at 8 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium of the Judson and Joyce Green Center for the Performing Arts. The event is free and open to the public.
Egyptian dissident Saad Eddin Ibrahim, who taught sociology at DePauw University from 1967-74, is the 2008 recipient of the Pundik Freedom Award, which is presented by the Danish daily newspaper Politiken. The award of 100,000 Danish Kroner (U.S. $20,000), given to leading international human rights and democracy advocates, is being made in recognition of Dr. Ibrahim's "outstanding effort in the service of human rights and civil society in Egypt."
"The themes and issues taken up by the TV show continue to resonate with popular audiences," Kevin Howley, associate professor of communication at DePauw University, says of The X-Files. A second movie based on the television series, The X-Files: I Want to Believe, opens this Friday, and a preview story in the Arizona Republic includes analysis from Dr. Howley.
The DePauw University School of Music is cited as one of the top programs in the nation for creative students in the new, second edition of Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers. The guide is aimed at college-bound students interested in the performing and creative arts.
"The choir will be led by one of the world's leading exponents in 16th & 17th choral music, Gabriel Crouch, who is a former baritone with the King Singers and professor of music at DePauw University, Indiana," notes an announcement of a Sunday concert in Brisbane, Australia. Crouch will direct "a massed choir comprised of experienced choristers from around Brisbane who will be participating in a Renaissance Choral Music Workshop held over the course of the weekend at the [University of Queensland] School of Music leading up to the concert."