National American Indian and Alaska Heritage Month. The theme of this year's observance “Celebrating our Strengths” is chosen to acknowledge the various Tribal cultures and the rich heritage, art, history, and traditions of the American Indian and Alaska Native People. In conjunction with this month celebration, the National Museum of the American Indian will be officially opened for the public to learn about the cultures and traditions of the Native Americans from North, Central, and South America.
  There are more than 100 American Indian/Alaska Native tribes living in United States today. Most tribes have their own languages. Unfortunately, some of these languages are dying fast; most of them have less than 100 speakers and many are no longer taught to the new generations.
  How can we incorporate Native American traditions in our classroom teaching? Once again Education World offers lessons to help teachers of various disciplines and levels celebrate and study Native American traditions and cultures through many interesting and fun activities.

names of 26 states in the United States.

National Family Caregivers Month
  November is National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM). This is an opportunity to honor and recognize more than 50 million family caregivers including spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandchildren, and other family members. They form an invisible healthcare workforce and literally underpin our healthcare system by providing homecare services. Caregivers provide emotional support that can be crucial to the health of the patient. They also provide direct services that include transportation, grocery shopping, and household chores and repairs. Caregiving is no longer predominantly a women's issue since men now make up 44 percent of the caregiving population.
  Family caregivers sacrifice time, energy, and wages to care for the loved ones with disabilities or chronic illnesses live in their communities. Over their lifetime, they can lose much in combined Social Security benefits, pension benefits, and wages.
  Plan to celebrate but do not know how? Click for suggestions.

Celebrations in November and December
  There are more than 10 celebrations related to the months of November and December. Some of them are:
American Diabetes Month
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
National Adoption Awareness Month
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
National Healthy Skin Month
National Hospice Month
National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week
National Family Week
National Farm-City Week (Nov. 21-27)
World Freedom Day (Nov. 9)
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
Human Rights Day (Dec 15) & Bill of Rights Week
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (Dec. 7)
World Aids Day (Dec 1)
Wright Brothers Day (Dec. 17).
For a complete list of celebrations in November and December , click once.

World Aids Day
  By the end of 2003, the Joint United Nations Programs on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, estimates that there were 35.7 million adults and 2.1 children living with HIV, and during the year 4.8 million new people became infected with the virus. Although these figures are less than the year before, they are not something we can celebrate because many other facts remain unchanged. For example, about half of all people who get infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35, developing countries contribute a total of 95% of people with HIV/AIDS, and women with HIV/AIDS are becoming the majority. Additionally, this epidemic remains widespread in many countries for various reasons including tradition and stigma. In these countries, for example, women either have no power to tell their husbands to practice safe sex or are terrified to admit to their husbands that they are HIV positive although their husbands caused the infection.
  This year “Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS” is chosen as the theme for WORLD AIDS Day. One of the reasons this theme is chosen is to indicate how many women and girls are vulnerable to HIV due to irresponsible behavior of others. It is hoped that this initiative will help raise awareness about, and help address, the many issues affecting women and girls with HIV and AIDS.
  For more reading materials on women and AIDS, click here. Let us show our support for World Aids Day by wearing the Virtual Red Ribbon online.The Red Ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness that is worn by people to demonstrate care and concern about HIV and AIDS.
  Do you think you know everything about HIV/AIDS? Test yourself with HIV/AIDS quizzes.

Christmas Concert
  Christmas Choral Concert will be held on Dec. 4 at 7:30 pm in Goranson Hall. The concert will feature the ISU concert, Women's and Chamber Choirs, and the Camerata Singers singing Christmas music from all over the world. Admission is $5 for the general public; $3 for ISU faculty and staff; $2 for pre-college students; and free for ISU students with valid Bengal cards. Tickets are available at the door.
For more information, contact the ISU music department at 282-3636.
  

Festival of Giving
  The ISU Students' Community Service Center is organizing “A Festival of Giving” at Pine Ridge Mall on Dec. 4 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Tickets are $5 each. All proceeds from this activity will be used to pay for a trip to Puerto Rico where students will build a house for a family in need.
  The night will include special discounts at every store in the mall, free gift-wrapping, prizes drawn every hour, live entertainment all night, and free food sponsored by local businesses. The discounts will include 15 percent off at American Eagle, Waldenbooks, and Day-by-Day Calendars; 20 percent off at Afterthoughts and Master Cuts; $10 percent off a purchase of $50 or more at Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, and Lady Foot Locker; and other special discounts at every store.
  For more information, call 282-3494.

Students Sponsor Toiletry Drive
   Related to the Festival of Giving, the ISU Students' Community Service Center (SCSC) is also sponsoring a toiletry drive during the holiday season for people who are homeless. The personal items needed include soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, infant care products, and other personal care items. Donations should be unused and unopened. Small travel-sized products are welcome. Donations may be brought to the SCSC office in the Student Activities Center on the top floor of the PSUB or to the PSUB information Desk. Donation pick up can also be arranged by calling 282-3494.

Professor of the Year
  Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education have selected Dr. Cynthia Hill, an ISU associate professor of economics, for 2004 Idaho Professor of the Year, a prestigious award. Dr. Hill was selected from nearly 400 top professors in the United States. For Dr. Hill, the best way to facilitate students' learning with regard to economic course is to include what are known as “economic experiments.”

Distinguished Nurse
  Associate professor emerita of the ISU nursing department, Dr. Grace Jacobson, was honored as a nominee for the Idaho Distinguished Nurse of the Year by the March of Dimes. Earlier to that, Randy Hudsbeth, a 1976 graduate of ISU nursing program, was chosen as Distinguished Nurse. In addition to that, approximately 25 percent of the nominees for Nurse of the Year honored at the ceremony were ISU nursing graduate from the baccalaureate or the master's program.

Book on Diversity
  “Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education (4th ed.)” by Sonia Nieto, published by Allyn and Bacon. This book explores the meaning, necessity, and benefits of multicultural education for college students of all backgrounds. The book is suitable for teachers and educators of all levels as it looks at how personal, social, cultural, political, and educational factors affect the success or failure of students in today's classroom. The book examines how students' lives are affected by multicultural education or the lack of it. Topics discussed include racial, religious, cultural, linguistic, and sexual diversity.

Distinguished Faculty Nominations
  Nominations are being sought for three ISU faculty members to be selected as the Distinguished Teacher (DT), Distinguished Researcher (DR), and the recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award (DPSA). The three winners will receive certificates and cash awards at the May 2005 Commencement exercises. Nominations for the DT and DPSA awards are now being accepted through January 14, 2005.
  Candidates for the DT will be chosen solely on the basis of teaching expertise. However, they must be nominated by members from at least TWO groups: students, faculty/staff, and alumni. The selection process is based largely on nominations received from students and alumni. Candidates for the DPSA may be nominated by one or more groups from students, faculty/staff or the public. This award is based solely on public service activities.
  All nominees must be members of the university faculty currently in the third or subsequent year of full-time service at ISU and planning to continue as a member of the university faculty in 2005-2006. Up to five finalists in each category will be honored at a banquet prior to Commencement.
  Nomination forms for the DT and DPSA may be obtained from, and returned to, Angela Osterman at Office of Academic Affairs, Administration Building, ISU Box 8063, Pocatello, ID 83209; the office of each academic dean; ISU offices in Idaho Falls and Twin Falls; the Eli M. Oboler Library Information Desk; the College of Technology cafeteria in the Roy F. Christensen Building; or the ISU home page at http://www.isu.edu/acadaff/awards. Information on the procedure for selecting the DR may be obtained from Office of Research or contact 282-2179.

Note:
The images in this newsletter were retrieved from the UNAIDS web site at http://www.unaids.org/, AVERT web site at http://www.avert.org/worldaid.htm, NPR web site at http://www.npr.org/, Matrade web site at http://www2.matrade.gov/,and ISU photo gallery.