Legacy of Student Enrichment Honored in Perpetuity Mention the name “Fred Johnson” in the College of Natural Resources (CNR), and what happens next is quite remarkable: Smiles grow wider, quickly spreading, and people recount anecdotes of how Fred transformed their lives and the lives of those around him. Such is the legacy of this CNR professor, who devoted 38 years to sharing his tremendous enthusiasm for teaching with thousands of students. A strong proponent of experiential education and “real life” applications of learning, Fred and his family spent much of their time on the McCall Field Campus; to many, “Fred Johnson” and “summer camp” are synonymous. Fred’s legacy of great teaching lives on through the Fred Johnson Endowment for Teaching Excellence in Forest Resources, which recently reached $60,000 thanks to recent gifts by the Johnson family and fellow supporters. Fred’s advice to students: “Find something you love to do, then do it with passion.” For more information about this endowment or other opportunities to support CNR, contact Jennifer Farnum at 208-885-5145 or jfarnum@uidaho.edu. | | | A Window to the Outside World First published in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News: Hexian Xue, a professor of Chinese at the University of Idaho, believes learning Chinese really isn't as hard as Americans might think. "When students attend the first few classes, to be honest, they do not have the confidence to learn the Chinese language well," Xue said. "But step by step, day by day, for at least some of the students, they become comfortable to say, 'Chinese is not as hard as I assumed.'" Xue, who teaches multiple levels of Chinese as well as a cultural course on Chinese cinema, is a co-director of the UI's Confucius Institute. The institute's goal is to spread knowledge about the Chinese language and culture. "As you know, the English language and the Chinese language are two very different languages. The pronunciation is different, the spelling is different and the grammar is different," Xue (pronounced sh UH eh) said. "There has been, for a very long time, an assumption among the people, particularly among the community around us, that it is very hard to acquire the language." To combat this assumption, the Confucius Institute holds community Chinese language classes in Moscow, Coeur d'Alene and Boise. In Moscow, the classes consist of two levels of Mandarin, each only $50 for the fall, and a Chinese calligraphy class at only $25. They're held Monday through Thursday in the Moscow Chamber of Commerce office. READ MORE | | | High-tech Sunglasses Entertain Vandal Fans It’s the start of a classic marching band performance during halftime of a University of Idaho football game: The whistle blows, drums sound, the color guard twirls its flags and horns bellow. Members of the Vandal Marching Band begin moving into formation. They form the iconic letter ‘I,’ set their sunglasses down on the field, and the props begin flashing in a dizzying display of lights. When the band members go on to form the Vandals script, the ‘I’ is still illuminated in the middle of the turf. The crowd erupts in cheers at the unanticipated light show, and then sings along as the UI fight song resonates throughout the Kibbie Dome. This innovative performance is the product of a partnership between the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering and UI’s marching band — an effort that began in 2012 when Bob Rinker, associate professor of computer science, and Athletic Band Director Spencer Martin met at the behest of student Josh Armstrong. READ MORE | | | | | |