Freshman receive their room assignments
in Ponchartrain Hall during Freshman Move-In Day 2012 at UNO.
Photo courtesy of Blake Edwards.

Another $209 million dollars – that’s the amount Governor Jindal is proposing to cut from Louisiana’s higher education 2013-2014 budget.  As bad as that sounds, it gets worse, according to an article published in today’s Baton Rouge Advocate.  The current plan relies on “one-time money,” “contingencies”  and tuition increases as high as 10 percent.  If it passes in its current form, Louisiana’s public colleges and universities will have had their funding cut by 84.5 percent, $1.24 billion, since 2008.  Read the full story here.

Meanwhile, classes grow larger, course offerings disappear, talented teaching staff look for jobs in other states, and students bear an ever increasing debt load.

Tell us what you think.

As challenging as the event was to produce, the International Student Organization proved once again that they were up to the task.  On March 9, the Human Performance Center was filled with people embarking on the magical and enchanting voyage into a variety of cultures, customs and traditions.  Their senses were stirred by the aromas and delicious tastes of cuisines from all over the world.

Cultural exhibits, like islands in a sea, were each filled with a flood of items from countries like Pakistan, Japan (represented by Nippon and Genshiken clubs), Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Nepal, Vietnam, China, and the United States.  Attendees sailed boat-like from one island to the next, learning about its culture. Other organizations who presented cultural exhibits included the Muslim Students’ Association, Amnesty International UNO, Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society, Model United Nations, Latin American Student Association, Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Division of International Studies, Lion’s Club International, and, of course, the International Student Organization.

The best cultural exhibit award went to UNO Genshiken anime club.

The night’s entertainment began with a band of nine people, mostly of international students, who played as guests enjoyed their meals. And what meals they were!

Mediterranean bread combined with East and South Asian flavors of rice or Mexican tacos, Italian lasagna, Chinese eggrolls, Spanish snacks and Middle Eastern dishes – almost anything imaginable was available. And, of course, there were desserts – two kinds of French pastries, ooh-la-la. Vegetarian choices were also well represented.

Once the food lines had dwindled the performances began.  Graceful dancers, not older than ten, performed a Tibetan Dance.  Irish Dancers rocked the stage for several minutes wearing glittery emerald-green costumes.  A guy from England performed a dance filled with eternal energy. Bollywood and Latin American dances had the audience up and moving with the rhythms of their energetic and upbeat music.

This year’s fashion show was more like an extension of the talent show with its mini performances and skits. Bright red traditional Russian sarafans and lushly swooping dresses from El Salvador and Nicaragua made the audience clap loudly in rhythm as their lively models danced cheerily. And how surprised everyone was when a little girl went on a stage wearing a shiny traditional Pakistani costume! Japanese kimonos were as beautiful and impressive as the dresses of the Indian girls. Saudi Arabian traditional outfits were simple but yet they said it all. And last but not least, the Nepali outfits, consisting of red and gold dresses for the girls and plain grayish shirts with belts and pants of the same color for the guys, were stunning.

From the perspective of the audience, the night seemed beautifully organized.  But how does it look from the side of the stage? It looks like a chaotic mess with endless cables and microphone chords.  There is a constant search for performers in a crowd of people.  Stage hands are in the spotlight for a few seconds placing chairs for performers, moving microphone stands, or directing performers to their places. But that’s just the end of a long process.

For weeks, committee members worked hard on looking for volunteers and sponsors. This year, more than 60 people volunteered to help with the event. Some restaurants donated food, which helped a lot with finances. Finding performers is always tricky. Getting them to come in for auditions is tough; eliminating them is tougher. Colorful flyers had to be spread out on campus, tons of paperwork had to be done, and endless meetings had to take place to make it all happen. But it is worth it, especially when so many people show their appreciation after the event is over.

One of the most appreciative was Nate Faulk, president of the Student Activities Council, who co-hosted with last year’s hostess, Rosine Pema Sanga.

“I have to give a shutout to International Night and The International Student Organization,” said Faulk at the end of the evening.  “Such an enlightening and refreshing event. I was honored to be part of the show and had a blast.”

The hundreds of others in attendance acknowledged their agreement with thunderous applause.  Everyone, including the International Student Organization, is happily looking ahead to International Night 2014.

All photos courtesy of Joseph Solis/UNO Office of Marketing and Communications.

“We want to be not only a center for Austrian studies, but for Austrian-European studies,” explains Bischof,  “and to create intellectual conversations on campus.”

The films featured were “The White Ribbon”, “Love”, and “The Lives of Others.” All three films focused on different Central European countries and were selected by Dr. Laszlo Fulop, an assistant professor in the UNO Department of Film and Theater.  Dr. Fulop happens to be from Hungary.  Each movie explores a different time period in the particular countries they represent.

“All three of the films represent types of repressive societies,” states Bischof. “These are art films, not action or entertainment films.”

For instance, “The White Ribbon” or “Das weiβe Band” was released in 2009. This black and white film, from director Michael Haneke, showcases life in a northern German village right before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
The other two films also depict grim aspects of history. “Love” or “Szerelem,” released in 1971 and directed by Karoly Makk, takes place in Hungary in the 1950s under communist rule.

“I liked ‘Love’ the best,” says Fulop. “It’s the simple story of a woman being strong and getting through some fantastic hardships.”

“Love” follows a woman through her life after her husband was arrested by the secret police. The filmmakers used a more avant-garde, unique style in the filming process.

“I like films that approach their subject matter so that it dictates the form,” adds Fulop. “In watching this film, you suffer as an audience member, but it has a real happy ending.”

This film came out about two decades after Joseph Stalin’s death and the release of large numbers of Hungarian prisoners, a very critical time for Hungary as a nation. The film’s content and the way of undertaking such serious issues were groundbreaking for the international film community in the 1970s.

The third film, “The Lives of Others,” or “Das Leben der Anderen,” was released in 2006 and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. It tells the story of the highly oppressive secret Stasi in the German Democratic Republic of Eastern Germany in 1984. The film aims to depict Stasi members as being just as human as the people they were often ordered to monitor.

“We wanted to show three films about different countries by directors with different backgrounds,” states Fulop.

Bischof and Fulop also hope to host a Central European film festival on UNO’s campus during a weekend next semester. If there is sufficient interest, a European films class may even be in the works.

“We’re trying to create programs that are attractive to the UNO and New Orleans community,” says Bischof.

This is how most of the marketplaces in the United States work; if you do not like the quality or price of an item, you can easily go to another store or search the internet for competitive products. You could even investigate why these shoes cost what they do. However, in the healthcare market, there is little transparency and far less competition between hospitals than exists between shoe-makers.

The chargemaster is a ubiquitous document found in all hospitals.  It lists everything for which patients might be charged and the related prices.  The variability of the chargemaster reveals how patients are almost never aware of how much a CT scan, or even an aspirin, will cost in a given hospital. And costs for these can and will vary from hospital to hospital, even in hospitals located quite close to each other geographically. The chargemaster’s prices are rooted in no discernible reality. However, even if you knew the cost of your particular medical need, where else could you go?

“If you were in pain or in danger of dying,” asks Steven Brill, “would you turn down treatment at a price 5% or 20% higher than the price you might have expected — that is, if you’d had any informed way of knowing what to expect in the first place, which you didn’t?”

This is how the medical marketplace works.

Brill is a noted journalist and author whose 36-page exposé in “Time” chronicled several patients and their bills.  He used their experiences to demonstrate what has gone wrong with the US healthcare system.  This article is part two of a continuing series in which I will take you through the important points of Brill’s research.

So what exactly are the profits of non-profit hospitals? According to the Internal Revenue Service, non-profits are allowed to take in more money than they spend, they just cannot distribute it to shareholders. Since hospitals do not have shareholders, the excess funds are funneled into what Brill coins as the “medical arms race.” Hospitals build bigger, but not necessarily better, facilities and equipment. In fact, due to this mini arms race, the U.S. has more hospital beds than it can fill and machines or medicines that are more expensive but are not proven to be more beneficial than those of previous generations.

“As of 2010, MD Anderson of Texas made $531 million. Profit margin of 26% on $2.05 billion. The president’s yearly salary is $1.8 million, which does not count outside earnings of three of his pharmaceutical companies that he can keep financial ties with,” Brill reports.

“The president of MD Anderson is paid 3 times the salary of the president of the entire University of Texas system.”
Any business would be envious of those profits, and this is not a one-off event. Non-profit hospitals that do not post profits in that league are few and far between.

Of course, it is possible to argue that many of these hospitals use their excess profit for charity cases. However, Brill cites at least one example where this statement might be deceiving.

“A note at the end of an Ernst & Young audit that is attached to Mercy’s IRS filing reported that the chain provided charity care worth 3.2% of its revenue in the previous year,” says Brill. “However, the auditors state that the value of that care is based on the charges on all the bills, not the actual cost to Mercy of providing those services — in other words, the chargemaster value. Assuming that Mercy’s actual costs are a tenth of these chargemaster values — they’re probably less — all of this charity care actually cost Mercy about three-tenths of 1% of its revenue, or about $13 million out of $4.28 billion.”

We like to think of non-profits as pillars of the community, and indeed they generally are. But, as Brill has shown, they are not entirely innocent and free of responsibility.

What were the IDF speakers here to discuss?
According to the website for Stand With Us, the group which organized the soldiers’ visit, their mission is “dedicated to informing the public about Israel and to combating the extremism and anti-Semitism that often distorts the issues.”  In addition, the website states: “We believe that knowledge of the facts will correct common prejudices about the Arab-Israeli conflict, and will promote discussions and policies that can help promote peace in the Middle East.”

This event, however, did not seem to live up to this stated mission.
Before the speakers told their stories, they played a song to try and bring some unity to the collection of people in the lecture hall.  As everyone rose to their feet, almost the entire room removed their jackets, hoodies, and button-up shirts, revealing red shirts underneath.  Every shirt had a paper sign taped on the back with the names of children and people killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  These blood-red shirts were clearly symbolic of the carnage which takes place every week in the disputed lands between both sides.

Protest signs in response to “Israeli Soldier Stories” event.
Photo courtesy of Peter Russo/Driftwood.

There were perhaps sixty individuals or more who joined in this silent protest.  After ten minutes of standing in silence, the majority of protestors left, leaving only a few very outspoken individuals.

Amid the disorder and indignation, the two IDF soldiers (both of whom were female), tried to tell specific stories of things they have witnessed in Israel and Palestine during their service; there was even a story of how a young Palestinian child was saved by the IDF in a dangerous neighborhood, despite endangering the Israeli soldiers and medics.  Both speakers emphasized that they “value human life” and want passionately for peace to come from the desperate situation.
Eventually, the speakers wrapped up their topics and points they wished to raise, and the meeting opened up into a free-for-all of bickering.  There were arguments over Zionism (each side having a different opinion of what the term actually means), arguments over history, and arguments over motivations.  In short, it was the usual sort of conversation which surrounds the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Palestinian protestors were unsatisfied by the answers to their questions, and many of them stormed out of the room.  Drew, the other speaker, followed protestors out of the room multiple times, seeking to have a one-on-one conversation and diffuse their anger.

Unfortunately, the talk/protest provided little in terms of an academic understanding of what takes place in this conflict.  There were no statistics on casualties, people displaced, or whether current policies have decreased or increased violence.  The mission of Stand With Us to inform the public of the facts of the conflict did not seem to come to fruition on this day.  Chloé Valdary, president of Allies of Israel, the student organization which hosted the event, attempted to explain the dysfunction.

“What led to the breakdown at Thursday’s event was a simple lack of civility on the part of certain members in the audience as well as our own failure to conduct an organized Q&A session,” said Valdary.  “We were aware that protestors were going to be in the audience, but we had no idea that people from outside the school who don’t even attend the university would show up to protest the event.  As such, we were ill prepared to deal with the situation.”

Serein Mohamad, who helped organize the protest, saw things differently.

“Our point was to hold a peaceful protest.  We remained silent out of respect for the children whose names were taped across our chests, children that were murdered by IDF soldiers,” Mohamad said.  “We had about 60 people participate, a diverse group of people, ranging from Palestinian to Honduran, Catholic to Muslim.  All of us had the same motive: peace for Palestine.”

“The few guys that stayed after to talk to the IDF soldiers definitely made some good points,” continued Mohamad.

“They even got the soldiers to apologize on behalf of what Israel was doing.”

Valdary concedes that the IDF speakers apologized to the protestors “for any harm they had felt foisted upon them by the Israeli government.”  However, she said this conciliatory and apologetic sentiment was not reciprocated.

“Protestors screamed in support of Hamas, a genocidal organization that calls for the death of world Jewry,” Valdary continued.  “Allies of Israel and our respective affiliates want peace.  We want peace with our Arab brothers and sisters and desire to coexist with them, raise our children with them, and live a sustainable, meaningful life.  Unfortunately the protestors who were present, by and large, were advocating not for an end to the conflict but an end to the very existence of the state of Israel.  That is pure evil.”

While Valdary and others believe peace can be achieved, Mohamad remains skeptical of the motivations of Israel and the IDF.

“Those who claim IDF soldiers are ‘peaceful’ have not seen the things I have seen,” she said.  “I completely understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but for those who claim that Israel is the victim under the Palestinian hand obviously have never seen the other side.  That’s pure ignorance.”

Needless to say, no great breakthrough happened on the UNO campus, and the band played on.

On Saturday, March 2, UNO’s Leadership Cabinet hosted its annual conference entitled “UNO Influence.”  The theme for this year’s day-long event was “Daring to Dream, Defining Risk, and Develop a Plan.”  Speakers from UNO and area non-profits and businesses discussed topics ranging from business ethics to the importance of understanding others before approximately 80 participants, mostly UNO students, but some from Loyola, Delgado and as far away as the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

It was a day rich in knowledge, developing self-awareness and learning how to influence others.

For example, Dr. Kim Williams from UNO’s College of Business led a lively discussion about the difference between leaders and managers.  Participants were encouraged to complete a brief questionnaire that helped them discover which traits they most often portrayed.  Not only were they able to learn more about themselves, they were also able to clearly see which traits they could further develop if they wanted to be more effective leaders.

UNO alumna Betsy Lopez led an intriguing group participation session that challenged how we view controversial social topics.   Ms. Lopez, who trains and recruits volunteers for CASA New Orleans, a children’s advocacy group, first had everyone complete anonymous questionnaires.  She collected them, redistributed them, and then had people separate into groups depending on how the person who completed the form responded to the questions.  Often, people ended up in groups that were contrary to their own responses.  Next came the really interesting part:  People had to defend the answers others gave, even when they didn’t personally agree with those answers.  It was an eye-opening experience, one that made all those in the room stop and think.  Each participant, at one time or another, had to see an issue from someone else’s point of view.

Things really got interesting when the keynote speaker stepped up to the mic.

Kristoffer Carter, originator of the motivational series, This Epic Life, started his rousing presentation with his own outlandish guitar playing and singing.  The audience was in fits of laughter from the start, and Carter punctuated his moving presentation with comical musical interludes and humorous stories based on his own experience.   Beneath the surface of this laugh fest ran a serious theme:  Cultivating the lens through which we each view the world.

Carter had participants identify the values that meant them most to them from a long list that included everything from acceptance to zeal.  Once those were identified, participants were asked to take a few minutes to write an over-arching statement, or “personal philosophy” as Carter called it, based on the virtues they chose.  The idea was to summarize how each person intended to live by their most important values every day.  Many found the exercise extremely moving, especially after a few people got up to read their statements.  It was clear to see how Carter’s ideas had motivated them.
Motivating people toward leadership is one of the goals of Leadership Cabinet.  Members understand that one of the most important qualities they will need after completing college is the ability to lead others.  UNO Influence is just one of several important programs the organization hosts each year.

According Dale O’Neill, Coordinator of Leadership & Community Service Programs at UNO, the event was a big success.
“The 2013 UNO Influence featured amazing presentations by community leaders that focused on youth empowerment, inclusive leadership, community resources, team building, social justice issues, and much more,” said O’Neill. “Our participants left with new knowledge concerning how to be a leader and make positive change in their community.”

More than 80 people attended UNO Influence.
Photo courtesy of UNO Leadership Cabinet.

Le’Yondo Dunn, a junior majoring in business at UNO, served as chairman for the event.  He and a committee of five other students worked for nearly two months lining up speakers, developing an advertising strategy and coordinating everything from table décor to driving Carter back and forth from the airport.  No detail was overlooked.

“It was a lot of work, but I’ve learned that people who are student leaders still have a lot to learn, even myself,” said Dunn, “ I was able to walk away from the event with valuable knowledge and experience, not only in leadership but also in event planning and development.”

Apparently, the effort was worth it.  The event seemed to go off without a hitch and Dunn was pleased with the results.

“Conference evaluations showed that 92% of the attendants would come to the conference again and 96% would suggest a friend to come,” he said proudly.

It was “an event designed to bring speakers together about various subjects related to evolutionary theory,” says Dr. Mark Phillips of UNO’s Philosophy Department, who has organized the event at UNO since shortly before Hurricane Katrina.

It was interdisciplinary; various speakers at each year’s Darwin Day illustrated how Darwin’s influence went beyond the sciences, and they in their various fields encouraged broad appreciation for Darwin’s influence in intellectual discourse generally. Speakers came from departments of Biology, of course, but also from Psychology, Chemistry, Physics, English, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, and others.

Among the event’s well and widely regarded contributors are: Daniel Dennett, an American philosopher specializing in issues around philosophy of mind; Robert Trivers (who spoke at the event in 2012), a giant of evolutionary theory, whose most recent work concerns human psychology and self-deception; Michael Ruse, philosopher of science, deals with issues surrounding reconciling religion with evolutionary theory; and Michael Shermer, historian of science, founder of Skeptic magazine, and frequent contributor to Scientific American magazine.

Darwin Day provided a venue for the open discussion of evolutionary theory in the greater New Orleans area, an outlet for those with a desire to discuss certain aspects of contemporary culture and evolutionary theory to see how their views meshed with what major figures in the field are claiming today. Dr. Phillips believes it “contributed to the intellectual integrity of the University and the city generally,” adding that its draw for the secularly minded did not overshadow his desire to appeal to religiously minded members of the community.

The event gave Dr. Phillips, the pragmatist of the philosophy department, an opportunity to focus on things of general interest to him. “

I’m not interested in traditional philosophy, but I am interested in explanations of the kinds of questions that philosophers were concerned about before in terms of evolutionary theory.”

His claim is that evolutionary theory helps to either answer philosopher’s questions or can help us to stop asking questions within philosophy that no longer make sense if seen in light of evolutionary theory – such as the split, made clear in Descartes’ philosophy, between mind and body as distinct, separate, and different in kind. To counter the conception of mind as distinct in kind from bodies, Phillips sees that evolutionary theory, via pragmatism, helps us stop asking questions of that sort.

Regardless, Darwin Day will be discontinued this year, probably for financial issues felt almost throughout the university. Although a number of people have already shown interest for another event this year and have been disappointed to discover its demise, the monetary belt-tightening seems to hit intellectual and academic endeavors the worst at UNO.

It’s no use being afraid. Secualrly minded people have only recently been able to have their ‘coming-out’ party. Some can tend to be overzealous, which is regrettable but understandable at the same time. Darwin Day was meant to encourage a dialogue between the secularly and religiously minded, to make people more at ease, to remove the taboo between the two camps contantly at odds when it comes to which team they are on concerning these kinds of ideas. Maybe it can have its resurrection – or if you prefer, can wake from hibernation.

If you are interested in seeing another Darwin Day, engage in social media action, write letters to the editor, contact the Philosophy Club or Dr. Phillips, and find others creative ways of letting your opinion be known.

Research is an important component of the college experience at a four-year university.  This is especially true at UNO because it is a major research institution.  InnovateUNO, described on its website as the “first ever juried … Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Showcase,” is unique because it targets undergraduate students and encourages them to become involved in research before ever entering graduate school.

For this event, the definition of research was broadened to include creative and scholarly work in all disciplines and prizes were awarded in a number of categories.  But to earn them, students had to research, prepare and present.
“It was a lot of work,” admitted Michael Larey after he explained the concept of his poster “Priming Consumer Attitudes,” which won first place for the College of Business.

From nine o’clock that morning until 2:30 that afternoon, judges listened to oral presentations on topics ranging from “The Effect of Identity Salience on Consumers’ Purchase Intention,” which won second place for the College of Business and was presented by Valeria Aguerri, to Jonathan Redmann’s “Binding Free Energy Calculation Planning Using Graph Theoretic Techniques,” a first place winner for the College of Sciences.

Posters were presented from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m on the fourth floor of the library.  There, students explained, by means of posters, concepts like “Multilingual Interactive Children’s Educational Technology (MICE),” the first place winner for the College of Engineering presented by Garret Fried.  Another interesting poster display was presented by Cecilia Russell from the College of Liberal Arts.  Ms. Russell’s poster described “Gender Bias vs. Feminism in Comic Books,” for which she won second place.

At the same time, in the lobby near Java City, judges were considering the visual artwork of four very talented contestants.

Harriet Burbeck, a transfer student majoring in Studio Arts, competed in the Visual Arts category.  Though she did not win, she enjoyed participating.

“That was neat,” she said, “Hanging out with my fellow artists, all of whose art is amazing.”

InnovateUNO is not only fun and creative, it’s important, as Dr Fos pointed out.  He was there to present the winners with their certificates.

“It’s important when students come to a four-year college to be able to synthesize the knowledge they gain and to do creative things with it,” said Fos.  “InnovateUNO is designed to encourage them to do it and also to showcase their creativity.”

It appears the design was well-executed, considering the number of people who entered the competition and the level of excitement that preceded the announcement of the winners.  As their names were called, winners claimed their certificates and had their pictures taken with Dr. Fos and UNO’s new provost, Dr. Jim Payne.  Small cash awards, $50 for first place and overall best and $25 for second place will be credited to each winner’s UNO account.

In addition, overall best and first place winners from each college will have the honor of representing UNO on the state level at the Second Annual University of Louisiana System Academic Summit on April 12 and 13 on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Dr. Matthew Tarr, Director of Undergraduate Research, who led the planning and implementation of the event was very pleased with the outcome.

“I had an idea at the beginning of what I thought would happen today,” said Tarr, “and I was overwhelmed by how much better it was than what I expected.   I really think everyone should be congratulated.”

The problem stems from a change in the way that the IRS processes form 8863, the form dealing with Education Credits. The IRS on February 22 began sending out letters of notice to some of the affected individuals saying their returns were under review and requesting more information from some filers.

According to a blog posted by H&R Block’s Director of Social Business, Scott Gulbransen, the problem amounts to a letter of the alphabet.

“In previous years, H&R Block has transmitted a “Y” for Yes and a blank for No for questions 22-26 on Form 8863. The IRS no longer accepts this format leading these returns to be reviewed further, but without delaying the estimated 21-day refund cycle. Once we learned of this change, we worked to comply with the new IRS process and now are transmitting an “N” for a No answer,” said the post.

That 21-day estimate has since been revised upwards to 4-6 weeks, although H&R Block has made assurances that it would “not take that long.” For some filers, many of whom have already been waiting for more than a month for their returns, any further delay seems a slap in the face.

IRS spokesperson, Michelle Eldridge, said in a statement to Forbes, “The IRS is continuing to review the situation and working with affected software companies to assist in the processing of these tax returns. Typically the review process for a situation like this takes up to 8 weeks. We are taking special steps to help taxpayers. This means the IRS may need as much as 4-6 weeks from this date to issue a refund to the taxpayer. While the number of tax returns affected is around 10 percent of the total returns claiming the credit, the IRS continues working aggressively to address this situation and hopes to reduce those projected refund time frames further.”

Thousands of angry customers affected by the delay have taken to H&R block’s Facebook to voice their frustrations over the delays.

In several posts on its Facebook page, the company has sought to soothe some of the ornery feelings directed at them over the handling of the delay.

The IRS first warned of possible problems with the tax returns of those who had claimed the Education Credit in mid-February; H&R block did not make a public acknowledgement of a possible issue until February 28 when it posted a statement on its Facebook page saying that “Some taxpayers are receiving letters from the IRS informing them their returns are now under further review. Some of these letters are related to Form 8863,” said the post. It went on to say, “Others who have filed Form 8863 have also received letters from the IRS asking for additional information. Clients must provide these details to the IRS in order for their return to be processed. If your return was prepared in an H&R Block retail office, please contact your tax pro to help you.”

One issue the delay is causing is that many students cannot file their FAFSA applications without the information from their tax returns.

In another statement posted on H&R Block’s Facebook page the company said “If an affected client applies for financial aid through the FAFSA program and is waiting for their return processing to be complete in order to finalize the FAFSA application, there are manual steps they can take that will allow their FAFSA application to proceed while their return is still processing.”

The post also said that, “[t]he Department of Education suggests:

• If your return has not yet been processed by the IRS – you can manually enter the tax return data on the application.
• Return to the online FAFSA form to update the information when your return has been processed.
This information is posted on the Department of Education website http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.”

Taxpayers who haven’t received a letter or been otherwise contacted don’t need to take any further actions.
With the IRS scrambling to fix the problem, affected filler, as frustrating as it may be, have little to do now except to play the waiting game.

Nobles: What would you say has been a heavy influence throughout your life?
Drye: I’ve had many. People like Wynton Marsalis & Ellis Marsalis, both of whom I consider mentors and friends. The great history of recorded music, especially jazz. Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington and on and on. Then, there are the relationships with fellow musicians and friends like Martin Butler, Chris Thomas, Victor Atkins, Geoff Clapp, Brice Winston, Nicholas Payton, Peter Martin, Victor Goines, John Boutte, Jason and Delfeayo Marsalis, Derek Douget and again the list truly goes on and on and on. The mentors and recordings are helpful in guiding and shaping one’s influences, but for me, it’s surely been the relationships that have had the most profound affect on my life and career.

Nobles: I noticed that you lived in Paris for some time, what was that like?
Drye: Living in Paris was just a chance to be free, anonymous if you will. It was new to me, and I to it. Relationships started there, set in motion the life I live now. Had I not lived there, my life would have gone in a different direction. So, in a word, it was pivotal.

Nobles: How have the different places you’ve gotten to live in shaped you and your sound?
Drye: Friendships are very important to me. Every place I’ve lived (whether long or brief) – North Carolina, New Orleans, Ohio, Paris, Washington D.C., Grand Cayman, Seoul and NYC, where I now live, has brought new people into my life. It’s also helped reinforce old friendships. I’m certain that comes across each time I play.

Nobles: Who are some of your musical influences in jazz as well as other genres?
Drye: Hearing Wynton Marsalis is what made me want to play jazz. He advised me to go to UNO to study withhis father Ellis Marsalis. So, first those two men, as well as Delfeayo Marsalis, who gave me my first regular gig and forever planted the seed of performing jazz, and Jason Marsalis. The many jazz recordings I’ve heard, starting with Louis Armstrong on up to Victor Goines’ and Marcus Robert’s first records truly inspired me to practice. Recordings have been a tremendous source of enjoyment and resource. Finally, present musicians, young and old, inspire me everyday. And honestly, I can hardly get through a day without hearing Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway or Prince!

Nobles: Are you excited to be back in town for such a great occasion?
Drye: Of course, a chance to revisit my alma mater, play with old friends and enjoy the good food and weather of this great city is very humbling. I’d like to sincerely thank UNO, the Sandbar committee, Snug Harbor, Victor Atkins and Steve Masakowski for the opportunity and support. I’d also like to give a very special thanks to Jason Patterson for setting the wheels in motion to make this happen and seeing it through to the end. I’m extremely grateful for his support and assistance!

Nobles: How long did it take you to record and who are some great artists you got to collaborate with for this record?
Drye: I recorded in roughly 7 hours. The musicians I chose were the first that came to mind because I had dreamt of making a record with that band. So, simply put, my record Oblation is a dream come true!

Nobles: Would you want to give some history into growing up and what got you into music?
Drye: I started playing trumpet in elementary school. My dad bought my first horn for me when I was only eight years old. I eventually won an audition and went to study music and finish high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem, N.C. From there, UNO and New Orleans, where I got a Bachelor’s degree in music, as well as priceless experience playing in the city and on the road. Then, the Aaron Copland School of Music where I received an MM degree.That said, I could only point to Star Wars for bringing me to music. The sound of the trumpet in the theme song spoke to me. That one moment made all that other stuff happen. Crazy huh?

Nobles:  What else do you enjoy besides the trumpet – musically or otherwise?
Drye: I have so many interests it can be quite confusing. First and foremost, my family! Musically, I like writing and producing. I’ve owned a recording studio for about six years with my partner Donald Edwards, who taught drums at UNO while I was attending.
I also love cycling. It’s another very serious passion of mine, though I don’t compete. I’m pretty serious about scuba diving, skiing, snow boarding, workout out and reading too!

Nobles:  Lastly, is there any advice you have for aspiring jazz musicians, especially at UNO right now?
Drye: Take this time to hone your skills. Spare time is much more scarce once you leave school. Now is the time for preparation! It’s essential to keep that mindset daily. It will surely pay off on the end, just as much as not preparing will leave you unpaid!

Jazz at the Sandbar Series
Spring 2013
Held at the Cove at 7:00 p.m.
March 20: Joanne Brackeen, Piano
April 3: Mulgrew Miller, Piano
April 10: Rex Gregory, Saxophone