Lakeland University will be hosting a pair of award-winning writers for two upcoming events.

Barton Sutter and Christian Wiman will be the featured writers for Lakeland's annual Great Lakes Writers Festival and for the university's annual Mission House Lecture.

The Mission House Lecture is Nov. 1 in Lakeland's Younger Family Campus Center beginning at 7:30 p.m. "So Many Ways of Saying God" will explore the ways faith is being remade for the modern age.

This program will feature a moderated dialogue between Wiman, a professor in religion and literature at Yale Divinity School, and Sutter, retired faculty member of the University of Wisconsin-Superior and an award-winning poet from Minnesota.

The Great Lakes Writers Festival, set for Nov. 1-2, provides seasoned and emerging writers the opportunity to talk with peers, to discuss their work and to learn from the pros in workshops.

The festival is hosted by Karl Elder, Lakeland's Fessler Professor of Creative Writing.

A complete festival schedule is available at greatlakeswritersfestival.org. Community members are invited to participate in all events, but are especially encouraged to attend readings and workshops. See the events page for information on workshops and contests.

Both the Mission House lecture and the Great Lakes Writers Festival are free and open to all.

Sutter was the winner of the Minnesota Book Award in three categories. He received a master's degree in creative writing from Syracuse in 1975 and for years worked as a printer and freelance writer and part-time instructor at various universities. In 2011, he retired from more than a decade of teaching full-time at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. His humorous, well-received, new book of poems is "Nordic Accordion."

Wiman is a poet and essayist who received a bachelor's degree at Washington and Lee. Wiman served as editor of Poetry magazine for 10 years. His latest book is "Selected Poems." His essay collections include "My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer" and "Ambition and Survival: Becoming a Poet." Wiman has taught at Stanford, Northwestern and now Yale Divinity School.

Lakeland University has joined the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) and Lakeshore Technical College (LTC) in leading the nation with the first program that will allow high school students to earn an associate degree at their high school and complete a bachelor’s degree in just two years following graduation.

By taking dual-credit courses, SASD high school students can earn an LTC associate degree in information technology (IT) – web and software developer at the same place and the same time they complete their high school diploma. Through the partnership, the associate degree will be offered with no tuition cost to students and their families.College Here & Now, an innovative public-private partnership, was unveiled on Monday, Oct. 29, at Sheboygan North High School.

Students can then continue their education to earn a Lakeland bachelor’s degree in computer science in just two years following graduation. If those students participate in Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program, they can earn scholarship money and wages to graduate with little or no tuition debt. 

While College Here & Now will debut in the fall of 2019 as a pathway to gain entry into the computer science and information technology fields, future pathways under discussion by the three institutions include majors in business, healthcare and education.

LTC and Lakeland classes will be offered at North and South High Schools in dedicated classrooms which the higher education institutions will also use to offer other college coursework.

“College Here & Now expands and enhances learning opportunities and experiences for students, which in turn, will ensure our students are highly qualified and have the skill sets needed for success in our competitive world,” said Sheboygan Area School District Superintendent Seth Harvatine. “Having two classrooms at both North and South High School for LTC and Lakeland removes the time and transportation barriers for students seeking to take college-level classes.”

Paul Carlsen, president of Lakeshore Technical College, noted that while College Here & Now is a win for the entire Sheboygan community, it is most importantly a win for students.

“College Here & Now is a commitment to provide a college education to every student in the Sheboygan Area School District, including students who never thought college was for them, but take college courses because of this partnership. College is not hundreds of miles away and only attainable through crippling student loan debt,” Carlsen remarked.

College Here & Now creates a new workforce for local employers fueled by a student-centered approach by SASD, LTC and Lakeland.

Lakeland President David Black said the university’s co-op program is a perfect match for College Here & Now.

“By working together, we are eliminating the barriers that prevent many students from earning a college degree,” Black said. “At the same time, we’re providing human capital for the many great employers in this region, especially in areas where they have high needs. We are excited to continue working with SASD and LTC to expand College Here & Now to more academic areas so we can reach more students.”

The program includes a full set of courses starting a student’s freshman year, and continuing each year until graduation. However, students can enroll in the program at any time and take advantage of the various college courses offered on campus. Information will be provided to students starting in eighth grade as they begin planning their high school coursework.

For more information about College Here & Now, contact the Superintendent’s Office in the Sheboygan Area School District at 920-459-3512. Students can begin registering for courses in the pathway program in February 2019.

Lakeland University is ranked fourth among all Wisconsin colleges and universities in the just-released 2019 Best College & University Rankings by the personal-finance website WalletHub.

WalletHub compared 951 colleges and universities across seven key dimensions: 1) student selectivity; 2) cost & financing; 3) faculty resources; 4) campus safety; 5) campus experience; 6) educational outcomes; and 7) career outcomes.

Lakeland is also one of five Wisconsin schools ranked in the top 100 in the Midwest.

Recognizing the challenge of predicting future outcomes, WalletHub’s Best Colleges ranking also analyzes post-attendance metrics — the student-loan default rate and the share of former students outearning high school graduates, for instance — to show the value of the education students can expect to receive beyond their undergraduate studies.

Lakeland took major steps to address student debt this year by introducing its Cooperative Education program. Co-op students will earn wages working for local corporations, and can use that money to pay their tuition, thus reducing post-graduation tuition debt. The students will also graduate with 12-18 months of professional work experience and invaluable connections.

WalletHub data collected is relevant to undergraduate students only.

Wisconsin's Top 10 includes: 1) University of Wisconsin-Madison; 2) Milwaukee School of Engineering; 3) Ripon College; 4) Lakeland University; 5) Marquette University; 6) Cardinal Stritch University; Q Carroll University; 8) Viterbo University; 9) St. Norbert College; 10) Edgewood College.

Lakeland University is launching a new initiative to empower women and make sure their story is heard.

Lakeland University's new Women's Leadership Institute (WLI) will create resources to help female students achieve their professional and leadership goals.

The institute will serve female students enrolled through Lakeland's main campus and its evening and online programs, as well as Wisconsin Technical College System students who will be seeking a bachelor's degree after graduating with their two-year associate degree.

Dr. Susan May, president of Fox Valley Technical College, is serving as chair of the institute's Board of Advocates. She said the institute is an ideal expansion of the strong relationships Lakeland has with Wisconsin's Technical College System.

"I've seen firsthand how Fox Valley Technical College students and graduates have benefited from our outstanding partnership with Lakeland for more than 40 years," May said. "This new institute's focus on developing unique opportunities for women leaders is so needed, and expanding these opportunities to female students from our technical colleges is of particular interest to me.

"I look forward to working with Lakeland in shaping outstanding leadership experiences for the next generation of women leaders in eastern Wisconsin."

May leads a board filled with other technical college, community and Lakeland leaders. A complete list is here: https://lakeland.edu/pdfs/WLI-board-of-advocates.pdf.

The institute will be offered through each of Lakeland's seven centers located throughout Wisconsin – Chippewa Falls, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, Neenah, Wisconsin Rapids and Lakeland's main campus in Sheboygan County.

Students can get a head start on a Lakeland degree by taking two courses that have a specific focus on women in leadership while they're still enrolled at their technical college. The courses would count for credit at Lakeland and women are eligible for scholarship support.

Participation in Lakeland's WLI will set students up to seamlessly transfer to Lakeland upon earning their associates degree and graduate with a bachelor's degree in as little as 18 months based on their transfer credits, earn scholarships and discounted tuition and earn credit for prior learning or current work projects.

Students that enter the Women's Leadership Institute will be introduced to a variety of formal and informal learning opportunities providing opportunities to grow their leadership skills and abilities.

"We'll be connecting students in the institute with other women in similar situations," said Jess Gaffney, director of the institute. "We're going to provide our students with a support network that will motivate them to do better professionally and personally, not only for themselves, but for their families."

Students will receive support through the LU-ONE mentor program, admission to the National Society of Leadership and Success Lakeland Chapter and additional programming opportunities including involvement in SOAR: Women Reaching Higher (Lakeland's professional women's networking event), guided book reads and other networking opportunities.

Women will also be encouraged to learn about pathways in nontraditional fields offered at Lakeland such as computer science and criminal justice.

For more information, contact Gaffney at GaffneyJL [AT] lakeland [DOT] edu or learn more online at Lakeland.edu/WLI.

A team from Plymouth High School won the 29th annual Lakeland University Michael J. Devaney High School Math Meet, held in October at Lakeland.

The Plymouth team topped a field that included 30 teams from 10 local high schools and 204 students.

Members of the winning Plymouth team included seniors Alex Heun, Derek Holec and Michael Tronka; juniors Jacob Ashworth, Kyle Kraus and Dallas Kreisa; and freshmen Reed Gahagan and Matt Sheridan.

Second place went to Team No. 1 from Kohler High School and third place went to Team No. 1 from Sheboygan North High School. Teams from Cedar Grove-Belgium and Howards Grove placed fourth with a tie, and North Team No. 2 placed sixth.

Other schools entered included Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah, Oostburg, Sheboygan County Christian, Sheboygan Falls and Sheboygan South.

Michael Tronka won a gold medal for the top individual score of 22 out of a possible 40 points. Tied for second place were Ethan Plenske from Sheboygan Falls, Kyle Kraus and Dallas Kreisa from Plymouth with 21. Fifth place went to Harshal Kanade from Kohler with 20. Tied for sixth place were Jack Yang from North, Jack Baldwin from Howards Grove and Aleah Roeber from Kohler with 19. Ninth place went to George Palof from Kohler with 18.

Honorable Mention awards went to 13 students: Luke Gotwald and Jackson Pond from North, Dustin Eilers from Howards Grove, Ansel Olsen and Alex Oty from Plymouth, Noah Bartelt, Ella Reinemann, James Vollmer and Ben Weiss from North, Ashley Thyes from Kohler, Joe Wilsnack from Cedar Grove-Belgium and Jacob Ashworth and Reed Gahagan from Plymouth.

Lakeland Theatre will deliver plenty of laughs when the university stages "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)" on Nov. 8-11.

The play is a humorously irreverent romp through the Old and New Testament told in an improvisational way, covering the Bible's greatest hits courtesy of authors Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor.

Performances are in the Bradley Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8-10 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 11. Purchase tickets at the box office before the performance or online at Lakeland.edu/theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 60 and over and $5 for non-Lakeland students.

"This is the perfect show for people who need a break from life or a good belly laugh," said Lakeland Theatre Director Charlie Krebs. "This show definitely doesn't take itself too seriously, and helps us poke a little fun at ourselves."

The show opens in the rafters as we hear God creating the universe. From Genesis, God hands it off to a troupe of players who show you things you never noticed before in the Bible. Who knew Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and friends were so funny? Did you know the Three Wise Men brought Baby Jesus baseball gloves? Or that the Angel Gabriel competed in a pro wrestling matchup?

The performance will feature some audience participation, along with music snippets from The Beatles, The Carpenters, "Frozen" and "Jesus Christ Superstar."

The cast includes: Abby Kelly, Chloe Skibinski, Connor Siemers, Dustin Holmer, Megan Sullivan, Melissa Reise, Nick Myers Olson, Rachel Ulatowski, Thomas Duckert, Yuki Hampton and Zachary Mock.

Lakeland University and its Cooperative Education program received a state grant for more than $225,000 as part of Wisconsin's Commute to Careers grant program.

The funding will allow Lakeland to build a more robust transportation program that will especially aid students participating in Lakeland's Cooperative Education program. Lakeland will receive $111,637 as a program grant and $117,000 to purchase vehicles which will be used as student shuttles.

"With the growth in the Cooperative Education program, we have seen a dramatic increase in the need for employment-related transportation as many of our students do not have vehicles on campus," said Lakeland Chief Operating Officer Rich Haen.

Changes with Lakeland's shuttle program are expected prior to the start of the spring semester, Haen said.

Lakeland's award was part of 29 grants totaling more than $5.1 million awarded under the Commute to Careers program, a multi-agency initiative to eliminate transportation barriers for workers seeking to advance their careers or enter the workforce. The program is funded by the Wisconsin Departments of Workforce Development (DWD) and Transportation (WisDOT).

Lakeland's rural Sheboygan County campus is an ideal fit. The university will use the grant dollars to enhance services to students and purchase more vehicles that will be used to shuttle students to and from work.

"Co-op is an economic driver for this area, as we have created a new talent pool for regional employers who are struggling to fill jobs," Haen said. "As we recruit more students who participate in co-op, we know the demand for transportation will increase. This grant money will help us provide services our students need so we can deliver the benefits of co-op to students and employers."

Lakeland University senior art major Emma Schad, of Sheboygan Falls, will culminate her studies with her senior art show, which opens with a reception on Friday, Nov. 16, at 4:30 p.m. in Lakeland's Bradley Gallery.

Attendance at the reception and admittance to the Bradley Gallery are both free and open to the public. Schad's exhibit will run through Dec. 14. The Bradley Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, when Lakeland is in session.

Schad, who came to Lakeland through the Sheboygan County Scholars program, said she majored in art with a graphic design emphasis after enjoying design and layout as editor-in-chief of her high school's yearbook.

"Throughout high school, I never took any actual art or design classes, so I came into college knowing almost nothing about the field," Schad said. "In my first semester art classes, I was intimidated, as I was surrounded by students who have been drawing and painting their whole lives. I spent many late nights feeling overwhelmed, as I tried to catch up to the other students in my classes."

She stuck with it, and quickly improved while earning some valuable experience. She served graphic design internships for Bemis Manufacturing Company, Lakeland University and Sun Graphics Media. She'll be graduating in December and has accepted a position with Sun Graphics.

Her impact on the program will last, as she founded Lakeland's new Design Club earlier this year.

Schad's exhibit includes pieces from the courses she's taken, as well as work from her internship experiences. Stylistically, Schad said she's a minimalist.

"I love simplicity," she said. "However, with branding, it's not about my style; it's about the style that best communicates the client's personality and vibe. My goal is to always create a visual design that best represents the client I'm working for."

Schad also served as managing editor and copy editor for the Lakeland University Mirror, was a Blue & Gold Champion helping lead new student orientation, served as secretary of the Student Activities Foundation Board, a member of the Lakeland women's tennis team and a member of Lakeland's student government.

Lakeland University's music ensembles have an evening of festival carols and holiday spirit planned at the annual Christmas at Lakeland concert.

The Lakeland band, jazz ensemble and choir will all be part of the concert, set for Friday, Dec. 7, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Bradley Theatre. Admission is free and open to all.

The band and jazz ensemble will perform a variety of popular tunes including "Let it Snow!" and music from Charlie Brown Christmas. The band will also perform an original piece called "December Dance" by Andrew Boysen.

The choir portion of the concert is "A Ceremony of Carols" with interesting arrangements of popular Christmas tunes such as "The First Noel," "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and "Ding Dong Merrily on High."

There will be an audience sing-along accompanied by the band, and the choir and band will play a combined piece.

The Lakeland instrumental ensembles are directed by Evan Chancellor, while the choir is directed by Emily Davis. Both are members of Lakeland's music faculty.

Nearly 300 students were named to the Lakeland University Dean's List for academic achievement for the 2018 fall semester.

To earn recognition on the Dean's List, undergraduate students must carry a full-time schedule of at least 12 semester hours and earn a 3.5 grade point average.

Lakeland's list includes students taking classes at Lakeland's main campus and through the university's evening and online programs.

Students on the Lakeland Dean's List include:

• Ifrah Abdullahi
• Corey Allen
• Betsie Anderson
• Isaac Anderson
• Rachel Anderson
• Eliana Arbetman
• Megan Austreng
• Jack Banks
• Jacob Barthels
• Desiree Bass
• William Behrmann
• Tracy Beniger
• Cassandra Benoit
• John Bentler
• Shannon Bishop
• Benjamin Blanchette
• John Boeckers
• Gregory Boex
• Sanja Boor
• Natalie Bova
• Chassity Bradford
• Marissa Brakob
• Cailyn Branback
• Amanda Brandt
• Karson Brown
• Emma Bruder
• Taylor Bubolz
• Erik Buchelt
• Meghan Bucholtz
• Amanda Buckler
• Taylor Burns
• Sean Buyeske
• Nathalie Cairo
• Karley Campbell
• Tralese Campbell
• Christopher Carmody
• Angela Carollo
• Ellen Cary
• Clarice Case
• Olga Casian
• Lao Chang
• Carter Chapman
• Danielle Chismarick
• Courtney Christel
• Korryn Clint
• Tali Coleman
• Thomas Coleman
• Katie Cummins
• Zachary Decker
• Vannia Diaz Mozo
• Talya Dillahunt
• Jennifer Dobush
• Caitlin Dreier
• Garrett Duffin
• Michelle Emmons
• Kayleigh Engel
• Naema Ennin
• Megan Erickson
• Kyle Ericsson
• Meghan Etten
• Janai' Farr
• Stephanie Figueroa
• Jesse Fischer
• Caitlin Fitzgerald
• Alea Fortier
• Zachary Fritz
• Alyssa Gabrielse
• Jacob Gallipeau
• Danielle Gamerdinger
• Merjema Ganija
• Rylee Garand
• Sterling Gardner
• Abigail Gastrau
• Addisyn Gerber
• Megan Goeser
• Kortney Goetsch
• Nathan Golownia
• Megan Goodlad
• Vashia Gordon
• Conner Grall
• Joseph Griffin
• Elizabeth Groonwald
• Emily Grzesiak
• Danielle Gulliford
• Katelynn Gunderson
• Talia Gutierrez
• Jolene Halbach
• Kayla Hemb
• Jaliyah Henderson
• Nicole Herda
• Bacari-Ridge Herring
• Gregory Hintz
• Vincent Hoderny
• Joshua Hogan
• Tia Hoisington
• Jana Holly
• Lauren Holschbach
• Timothy Houts
• Joshua Huenink
• Dakota Hunter
• Yurika Ichise
• Maddeline Ivy
• Erin Iwanski
• Miranda Jacobson
• Daniel Janeshek
• Tyler Jensen
• Brianna Johnson
• Gerhardt Johnson
• Megan Johnson
• Zackary Jones
• Abigail Juozapaitis
• Samuel Kaminski
• Abigail Kelly
• Kody Kester
• Ryoto Kinoshita
• Alexander Kleiber
• Paige Klein
• Daniel Koerber
• Nicholas Koerber
• Helena Kolfhaus
• Shyanne Koski
• Joshua Kuhn
• Maxwell Kutz
• Dylan Lange
• Mitchel Larsen
• Victoria Lauren
• David Lee
• Dominique Lee
• Jennifer Lee
• Jessica Leicht
• Andrew L'Empereur
• Erin Leverenz
• John Levitt
• Alexandra Lira
• Logan Lisowski
• Mai Lor
• Tou Lor
• Sarah Lotz
• Israel Macias-Gutierrez
• Christian Martinez
• Patrick McDonald
• Hannah McFarlin
• Todd McLean
• Joseph McNaught
• Nastacia Meinen
• Hunter Michalak
• Spencer Miesfeld
• Taylar Miller
• Denita Mims
• Zachery Mock
• Amira Mongin
• Randall Moyer
• Kristin Mueller
• Leah Murray
• Nickolas Myers Olson
• Eric Naumann
• Vanessa Negrete
• Trenton Nickel
• RonniJo Nigro
• Colleen Nolan
• Kalie Novak
• Jared Nummerdor
• Marissa O'Connor
• Kenneth Odom
• Ryan Oharriz
• Madison Olson
• Zachary Olson
• Cody Orde
• Heather Ordonez
• Abbey Ott
• Olivia Parrott
• Sarah Payne
• Ariell Peeples
• Riley Phelps
• Sydney Pingitore
• Alyson Piper
• Natalie Polifka
• John Posey
• Emma Posnanski
• Neenah Primas
• Mason Prunick
• Robert Rayfield
• Maia Reed
• Jakob Reichow
• John Rennells
• Bryce Risch
• David Rodriguez
• Elizabeth Roe
• Neil Rohde
• Marco Romantini
• Natsuki Saito
• Nathan Sampson
• Philip Samuels
• Zachary Samz
• Azucel Sanchez Beltran
• Brianna Sandvick
• Mai Sato
• Emma Schad
• Thomas Scharinger
• Emilie Schartner
• Morgan Schiedemeyer
• Rachel Schleicher
• Dayne Schleusner
• Michael Schmidt-Thiede
• Tegan Schneider
• Makenzie Schodrow
• Zoe Schrameyer
• Ann Schroeder
• Grace Schumacher
• Collin Schutz
• Jennifer Schwartz
• Madison Schweitzer
• Molly Schwibinger
• Mackenzie Seeber
• Matthew Seider
• Callie Shimek
• Elizabeth Siebert
• Amelia Sitte
• Chloe Skibinski
• Aaron Smith
• Rachel Smith
• Lindsay Sorenson
• Jessica Spaight
• Laura Spoerl
• Tracy Stefanski
• Andrew Stenberg
• Justin Stewart
• Patrick Sullivan
• Danielle Sutton
• Kristen Sutton
• Shosei Suzuki
• Shizuku Takayama
• Kanon Tamura
• Edwin Tetzlaff
• Fong Thao
• Toua Thao
• Sarah Thomas
• Alicia Thone
• Hoang Truong
• Thuy Truong
• Luke Ulatowski
• Rachel Ulatowski
• Lexia Upson
• Nicole Van Engen
• Amy Van Straten
• Eeshi Vue
• Kane Vue
• Joshua Wahlstrom
• Steven Wasmundt
• Autumn Weimann
• Shelby Welsh
• Cody Wentz
• Sydney Wickman
• Ashlee Wierzbach
• Tyler Williams
• Ali Wilson
• Brandon Winter
• Bill Xiong
• Sue Xiong
• Amy Yang
• Mai Ying Yang
• Dylan Zastrow
• Alexis Zickuhr

The work an award-winning Milwaukee artist and educator will be featured on the next exhibition at Lakeland University's Bradley Gallery.

Tom Berenz, assistant professor of painting and drawing at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, will open a solo show with a reception on Friday, Jan. 25, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Bradley Fine Arts Building on the Lakeland campus. The exhibit will run through Feb. 22.

Attendance at the reception and admittance to the Bradley Gallery are both free and open to the public. The Bradley Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, when Lakeland is in session.

The exhibition will include approximately 20 acrylic and oil paintings, including some very large works, from 2015-18.

"My paintings are about my relationship to the world around me; cerebral and physical, intellectual and visceral," Berenz said. "I use the chaos as a metaphor to discuss personal, sociopolitical, environmental and ideological issues. Through the motif of confusion, I explore the existential self and examine personal narratives, with some being more literal and others more enigmatic.

"Notions of loss, place, memory, space and time are central as I reexamine personal experiences from my past and present. The imagery is in constant flux, but always returns to a pile. A pile is everything and it is nothing. It is a mound that once was and now isn't; a mass of information, both physical and metaphysical, organized and chaotic."

Berenz's work has been in numerous solo and group exhibits all over the Midwest for more than a decade. He's also been a frequent speaker, juror and reviewer. He has gallery affiliations in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Texas, California and Montreal, Canada.

Berenz received a bachelor of fine arts in graphic communications and painting from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a master of arts in painting from Northern Illinois University and a MFA in 2D from UW-Madison.

Learn more about him online at tomberenz.com.

Lakeland University and Lakeshore Technical College are partnering again this year to help collect tax refunds for area residents who need it the most.

Students in the accounting program from each institution will provide free tax preparation and electronic filing for low income tax filers. This service is available through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), which is designed to help low-to-moderate income people file their tax returns. CliftonLarsonAllen is sponsoring the VITA program this year.

The service is available through Lakeland at the Sheboygan Salvation Army, 710 Pennsylvania Ave., and through LTC at LTC's Cleveland campus. Reservations are required for the tax service.

• Sheboygan Salvation Army: Tax preparation will be open on Thursdays from 5-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. starting Feb. 2 and ending April 11. To reserve a spot at the Salvation Army, call 920-565-1000 ext. 2290. Phone calls are accepted between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reservations will be accepted beginning January 28.
• LTC's Cleveland campus: Tax prep is available on Tuesday nights from 5:45-8:30 p.m. starting Feb. 5 and ending April 2. To reserve a spot at LTC, call 920-693-1398. Phone calls for the LTC site are accepted starting on Jan. 21 between 12 p.m.-3 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Last year, Lakeland and LTC students prepared and filed approximately 500 returns that helped local taxpayers collect more than $1 million in refunds.

People interested in taking advantage of this free service must have income under $54,000 a year. Applicants must bring:

• A photo ID
• Social security cards for themselves, their spouse and dependents
• W-2 forms
• 1099 forms
• Rent certificate or 2018 property tax bill
• A copy of their 2017 tax return.

Returns cannot be done for those taxpayers having income from outside Wisconsin sources, those having complex tax returns, those having rental income, those who are non-US residents and those who are married filing separately.

A unique look at the Milwaukee Brewers and their recent business success will be the topic of Lakeland University's 18th annual Charlotte and Walter Kohler Distinguished Business Lecture.

Rick Schlesinger, Milwaukee Brewers president-business operations, will deliver a talk entitled "The Business of Major League Baseball" on Tuesday, March 5, in Lakeland's Bradley Theatre.

The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m.

The business of Major League Baseball in Milwaukee has become more complex as the Brewers near the club's 50th season in Milwaukee.

Schlesinger will discuss the challenges of fielding a competitive team in one of the game's smallest markets, noting the creative solutions the team has used to generate revenues to help fund player payroll and related player development needs.

Last year, the Brewers found great success in advancing to just one game short of the World Series. The goal is to field a competitive team every year, and Schlesinger will discuss how this can only be done when the baseball and business operations departments work together toward that singular goal.

He will also discuss how the Milwaukee Brewers have created a strategic approach to maximizing the opportunities presented and overcoming obstacles on the path to success.

Schlesinger in his 17th season with the Milwaukee Brewers and first as president of business operations after being promoted to his current position on Jan. 23, 2019. He previously served as executive vice president of business operations (2003-10) and spent the past eight seasons as chief operating officer (2011-18).

Schlesinger oversees the club's business affairs, including finance, human resources, information technology, legal, sponsorships, marketing, ticketing, communications, broadcasting and non-baseball special events. Additionally, he oversees the Phoenix Spring Training complex operation as well as the operations of the Brewers-owned Class-A Carolina Mudcats.

In nearly every aspect of the business, the Brewers have eclipsed records during Schlesinger's tenure. In 2018, more than 2.85 million fans attended games at Miller Park, representing the 11th time in the last 12 seasons that the organization has exceeded the 2.5 million attendance mark.

The team has sold in excess of 2.3 million tickets for 13 consecutive seasons, making the Brewers one of just eight Major League teams to reach that level each year since 2006.

Under Schlesinger's guidance, the club has enhanced the fan experience at Miller Park on numerous fronts. In 2017, the Brewers initiated a complete transformation of the food and beverage hospitality experience, which marked the largest club-funded project in the history of Miller Park. Those efforts were honored with the 2017 Ballpark Digest Award for Best New Concessions Experience.

The most significant investment for 2019 is the renovation and complete rebuild of the Arizona-based facility, Brewers Fields of Phoenix. The $60-plus million project includes a new clubhouse building with locker rooms and vastly improved facilities for all of the baseball operations functions. It also features a wide array of fan enhancements, including new concessions, retail stores, seating and scoreboard.

Prior to joining the Brewers, Schlesinger served as vice president, business and legal affairs/assistant general manager for the Anaheim Angels from 1998-2002 after previously working in motion picture development and production for Walt Disney Pictures and Television.

Lakeland University has redesigned its bachelor's degree in music to provide more options for students who are drawn to the wide range of career paths in music.

Lakeland music majors will now select from one of three emphasis areas – musicology, songwriting & composition or business & contemporary music.

"People sometimes look at majors within the humanities and don't always see connections between the programs or coursework and the 'real world,'" said Joshua Kutney, dean of Lakeland's School of Humanities & Fine Arts. "These changes will allow our general music degree to be career focused and provide opportunities for students to do experiential learning outside the classroom based on what they might want to do after graduation."

The changes will also allow students to leverage opportunities in Lakeland's Cooperative Education program, which allows students to earn 12-18 months of professional work experience prior to graduation, or to consider adding a second major.

"The emphasis areas really provide students with more individual choices that will allow them to tailor a pathway based on their career interest," said Lakeland Assistant Professor of Music Evan Chancellor. "We are confident this approach will be popular with students, and we're excited to see the pathways that students will take as part of this program."

All three emphasis areas take advantage of existing Lakeland coursework and give students a taste of classes that prepare them for post-graduation careers.

"It's not uncommon for people working in music to have several jobs within the field," Chancellor said. "For example, someone who owns or works in a music store might perform as part of their own band. We've structured this major to give students multiple experiences to prepare them for life after graduation."

In addition to the bachelor's in music, Lakeland's popular music education and music performance degree programs will also remain as options for students.

The negative impact on Native Americans of the centuries-old Doctrine of Discovery will be the topic of a program by Lakeland University’s Ulrich Center.

An Ethics Colloquy will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 4, on the second floor of the Younger Family Campus Center on Lakeland's Main Campus.

The program will be led by Larry Littlegeorge, a member of the Hochunk Nation, the Warrior Clan, and the Rev. Rob McDougall, associate minister with the Wisconsin United Church of Christ, whose primary responsibility is for the Northwest Association of the Conference.

Littlegeorge was baptized in 1957 at the Hocak (Hochunk) Church (formerly Winnebago), which is part of the Wisconsin Conference of the UCC. He completed the WI Conference Lay Academy in 2016 and is currently a spiritual leader of the Hocak Church.

He has personally felt the effects of racism that he traces back to historic documents like Papal Bulls laying out the Doctrine of Discovery, and he has done a great deal of study and writing on the topic.

He will McDougall in providing an overview of the Doctrine of Discovery and explaining why the issue is being studied by Conference churches prior to considering a resolution to repudiate the document at the 2019 Annual Meeting.

Addressing the human trafficking crisis will be the focus of the annual Lakeland University Founders' Day Lecture.

Joan Dawber, founder of LifeWay Network, will deliver a talk entitled "A Modern Response to Modern Day Slavery" on Tuesday, March 26, at 11 a.m. in Lakeland's Bradley Theatre. Her talk is free and open to all.

Dawber will present the story of LifeWay Network, an organization working to abolish human trafficking and help every survivor be strong, connected and free.

She will discuss human trafficking globally and in the United States, who it impacts, tactics used by traffickers and red flags people can watch for to prevent, recognize and report trafficking.

Attendees will leave knowing the importance of community and the power of collaboration in this work against the second largest criminal industry in the world.

Dawber has been engaged full time in working to abolish human trafficking for more than a decade. Since she founded LifeWay Network in 2007, her focus as the executive director has been establishing safe housing for human trafficking survivors in the New York area and educating the general public on the important issues regarding modern day slavery.

Two Lakeland University faculty members were recently approved for promotion by the LU Board of Trustees.

Jessica Kalmar was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor of psychology. Cristi Chang was promoted to professor of mathematics.

Chang is Lakeland's senior mathematics faculty member, having joined the faculty in 2005. She has taught numerous courses in mathematics and computer science, she excels in the area of mathematical software and has authored or co-authored numerous Lakeland courses.

Chang is the primary organizer of the annual Devaney high school and middle school math meets, which bring hundreds of students to Lakeland each year. She also organizes Lakeland's Integration Bee and Lakeland's annual badminton tournament.

A member of numerous committees during her time at Lakeland, Chang is advisor to the Math Club and Global Student Association.

Chang has a Ph.D. in mathematics and a master's in computer sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from National Tsing-Hua University in Taiwan.

Kalmar, a Lakeland faculty member since 2013, has co-authored and presented several research projects with her students, and she's frequently been a featured speaker on campus and in the community discussing topics ranging from graduate school to Orthodox Jewish tradition.

At Lakeland, her research in the psychology laboratory has focused on stigmatizing attitudes towards individuals who suffer from mental illness. She has also co-chaired the annual Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium and served on numerous committees.

She came to Lakeland from the Yale University School of Medicine, where she served as an associate research scientist in the Mood Disorders Research Program, Psychiatry Department.

Kalmar is the recipient of numerous professional honors and several foundation grants, her research has been published in more than 30 professional journal articles and book chapters and she co-edited a book, "Information Processing Speed in Clinical Populations."

She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and political science from Yeshiva University's Stern College, New York, N.Y., a master's degree in psychology from Queens College, City University of New York and a Ph.D. in psychology with a neuropsychology specialization from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Imagine Dr. Faustus selling his soul to the devil, but as a doo-wop, blood-sucking rock musical comedy. Lakeland University Theatre will present the popular musical "Little Shop of Horrors" as its spring production.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. on April 4, 5 and 6 and a 2 p.m. matinee on April 7, all in Lakeland's Bradley Theatre.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and $8 for non-Lakeland students and can be purchased online at Lakeland.edu/tickets or at the box office before the performance.

A geek named Seymour finds a Venus Flytrap seedling one day after a solar eclipse and brings it to the flower shop where he works. He nurses it to health with his own blood (it seemed so innocent at first).

He names the plant Audrey to impress the girl he likes who, of course, also works there. Like Faust, he sells his soul to the devil (the plant) and as it grows its appetite goes beyond a few harmless drops of blood to an insatiable need for human flesh. And it goes downhill from there, but with a great rock soundtrack.

"Underneath it all is a timeless tale of love which is unfortunately doomed from the start, though Audrey and Seymour don't know that," said Lakeland Theatre director Charlie Krebs. "I'm drawn to the show in the same way I was drawn to chasing firetrucks as a kid – you know it's not going to end well, but you can't not look."

"Little Shop of Horrors" is riddled with intrigue, fraught with peril and takes place "down on skid row" where richly written and colorful characters crash in and out of each others' lives.

"The ingenious music is infectious, funny and moving and the whole play is written with stunning craft," Krebs said.

The cast lost a week's rehearsal due to the winter weather and university closures, but Krebs said the group rallied in a way that pleasantly surprised him.

"Somehow, that forced us to make up for lost time, and ideas from everyone involved came together in a collision of invention and creativity," Krebs said. "The cast is superb and had a creative chemistry the likes of which I've not seen in a long time."

The cast: Abby Baumgartner, Abby Kelly, Alyssa Olsen, Brandon Farmer, Brice Kensey, Chloe Skibinski, D'Ondre Fisher, Dustin Holmer, Dylan Zastrow, Emily Sonntag, Honoka Sato, Jasmine A. Smith, Elizabeth Randa, Megan Sullivan, Michael Becker, Skylar Garza, Thomas Duckert, Yurina Suzuki, Zach Mock
Music director: Emily Davis
Orchestra pit director: Evan Chancellor
Chorographer: Jessica Mueller
Costumer: Della Jahnke
Technical director: Chris Wylie
Stage manager: Maia Reed
Director: Charlie Krebs

Lakeland University's strong commitment to financial literacy efforts has again been recognized with a Wisconsin Financial Literacy Award, the fourth time Lakeland has been honored.

Lakeland's Office for the Advancement of Free Enterprise Education (OAFEE) was selected by the Governor's Council on Financial Literacy to receive the Governor's Financial Literacy Award for 2018.

Lakeland was one of 13 individuals, businesses and organizations honored as recipients of the 2018 Governor's Financial Literacy Award in a ceremony at the State Capitol in Madison, Wis.

"Financial literacy skill training is something we all need throughout our lives from elementary school to the workplace to retirement," said Gov. Tony Evers. "The dedication of these individuals and groups to helping the people of Wisconsin become financially secure and achieve their dreams is commendable."

An awards ceremony hosted by Evers and his Council on Financial Literacy was held on March 21.

The recipients were selected by the Governor's Council on Financial Literacy from the nominations submitted for consideration. Criteria weighed during the screening process included innovative implementation, demonstrated measurable results, collaboration with partners and whether the effort was focused on needs-based groups.

Lakeland's OAFEE offers a series of college-style seminars to Wisconsin heroes (veterans, police) and opinion leaders (teachers, nonprofit & clergy leaders, elected officials & policy makers, journalists). The 2019 Financial Literacy award honored Lakeland's Economics for Heroes program.

The OAFEE also offers an annual conference for teachers to assist them in learning more about, and effectively teaching, the history of the American economy.

The office, which is based in Lakeland's Milwaukee Center, serves Wisconsin in improving the understanding of our economy and financial system, and how to participate more effectively in both.

Previous Lakeland winners are Scott Niederjohn, dean of Lakeland's Schilcutt School of Business & Entrepreneurship and a national expert on financial literacy, who received the award in 2011 and 2014, and Lakeland's Center for Economic Education, which won an award in 2012.

Approximately 200 works will be featured in the 2019 Lakeland University Annual Student Art Exhibition, a competitive show that features the best pieces by Lakeland students enrolled in the university’s various studio art and graphic design classes from the current school year.

A reception and awards ceremony will be held on Friday, April 12, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Bradley Fine Arts Building on the Lakeland campus. The show will run through May 9. Attendance at the reception and admittance to the Bradley Gallery are both free and open to the public.

The Bradley Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, when Lakeland is in session.

Visitors will view a wide range of media and the best examples of any given assignment, in addition to the most advanced course work in which students largely set their own objectives.  

The opening reception features an awards ceremony including Best of Show, second place, third place, several honorable mentions and a People's Choice Award, which is determined by all those in attendance at the reception. Attendees will be given time to take in the entire exhibition and cast their ballot for their favorite piece.