Hillel presents Israel Fair today outside UNT Union

The eighth annual UNT Israel Fair, hosted by UNT Hillel, the Jewish student organization, is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today on the campus green north of the University Union.

The non-political event focuses on the music, culture and life­styles of Israel, and will include traditional Israeli food from Pita Pit, live music and dancing, an “Israeli Army” inflatable obstacle course and educational materials.

For more information, e-mail amy@unthillel.org.

David Itkin appointed as director of orchestras

David Itkin was recently named director of orchestras at the UNT College of Music.

Itkin, who will begin as director in the fall semester, will replace Anshel Brusilow, who is retiring after 35 years at UNT. As director of orchestras, Itkin will oversee the orchestral studies program, conduct the UNT orchestras, teach graduate conducting and continue developing master’s and doctoral programs in orchestra conducting.

Itkin is in his first season as music director and conductor of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, third season as conductor of the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra and 15th year as conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

In the course of his career, he has visited 44 U.S. states and 15 countries, including concerts and recordings with the Winnipeg Sym­phony Orchestra and the Slov­en­ska Filharmonija at Can­carjev Dom in Ljubljana, Slo­venia.

Itkin’s first film score, Sugar Creek, was recorded in 2006 by the Arkansas Symphony for the film’s 2007 release. His most recent major work, Exodus, an oratorio, premiered in April 2005 in Little Rock with William Shatner narrating. Exodus was released on CD in January.

Lecturer to look at issues of Chilean media

“Media Issues in Chile,” a lecture by María Ignacia Errázuriz, dean of the School of Com­mu­ni­cation at Universidad de los Andes in Santiago, Chile, presented by the UNT Center for Spanish Language Media, is set for 4 p.m. Monday in Room 184 at the UNT Radio, TV, Film and Performing Arts Building.

Admission is free. For more information, call 940-565-2756 or e-mail lboyle@unt.edu .

Moot Court Squad ends year ranked first in state

The UNT Texas Moot Court Squad ended its competition year with two of its two-student teams ranked first and second in the state by the Texas Undergraduate Moot Court Association and with one of the teams winning the association’s competition held at UNT.

The association gave out its year-end awards April 5 following the UNT tournament. The UNT tournament was one of several organized each year by the association, founded to advance the legal and analytical skills of undergraduate students who plan to attend law school.

During a moot court, a simulation of an appellate court’s proceedings, teams of two students examine a legal problem and present arguments for both sides of the case to a group of appellate judges. The judges review the students’ arguments and ask them questions about the case.

UNT senior Nate Gies and his partner, senior Emily Ownby, argued both sides of a fictional court case that is similar to a real Supreme Court case to win the UNT tournament. They defeated another team of UNT students in the finals — seniors Jesus Gon­zalez and Shanna Valentine. A third UNT team of senior Allie Hallmark and senior Francisco Gonzalez reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated.

It was the third win of the academic year for Ownby and Gies, who also won the Southwest Regional tournament sponsored by the Texas Tech University School of Law in October and the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law TUMCA tournament in February.

Valentine and Jesus Gonzalez were ranked as the top team for 2007-08 by TUMCA, based on their performances throughout the year, while Gies and Ownby were ranked second best.

UNT’s Moot Court Squad members also won three of the top 10 speaker awards at the UNT tournament, and six of the students were among those named the top 10 orators for the year by TUMCA.

Out of the 62 students participating in the UNT tournament, junior Graham Rainer was named the tournament’s top speaker. Halmark was named the fifth-best speaker, and Ownby was named ninth best.

Rainer was also ranked as the top orator for the year by TUMCA, with Jesus Gonzalez ranked third, Valentine fifth, Ownby seventh, Gies eighth and Hallmark ninth.

Dr. Kimi King, UNT assistant professor of political science and Moot Court Squad coach, said the eight year-end speaker awards are the most the squad has won since it began in 2000.

First UNT undergraduate studies in UAEM program

The collaboration between UNT and the Universidad Autó­noma del Estado de México is taking a step forward with the enrollment of the first UNT undergraduate student at UAEM in a semester exchange program.

Rosa Fonseca, a senior political science major, began her studies at UAEM earlier this spring.

“I wanted to study in Mexico, because even though I was born in that country, I never really lived in it. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity,” Fonseca said in a news release.

For more information, call 940-565-2773 or visit www.uaemex-unt.org .