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 Campaign kickoff events spread the excitement To help launch the biggest fund-raising effort in Iowa history, The University of Iowa and the UI Foundation hosted two very special events on Saturday, June 8, 2002. By all accounts, the events provided "thrills and chills" for audience members, and were a fitting start to the UI's ambitious Good Better. Best. Iowa! campaign. At Macbride Hall auditorium that morning, a roundtable of six of the UI's most distinguished and thought-provoking faculty members discussed "The Power of Perception: A Lens to Our World," helping to demonstrate why increased support for faculty is among the campaign's most important goals.
The participants' lively conversation touched on topics as diverse as poetry, politics, and environmental pollution, often returning to the theme of how the U.S. is perceived today by other cultures. (View webcast.) Panel members (as pictured at right) included moderator Joan Kjaer of public radio station KSUI; Amitava Bhattacharjee, physics and astronomy; Diana Cates, religion; Gerhard Loewenberg, political science; Marcella David, law; Jerald Schnoor, civil and environmental engineering; and Christopher Merrill, International Writing Program. Cellists Anthony Arnone and Hannah Holman provided a musical prelude to the event, and Marvin Bell, UI Writers' Workshop faculty member and poet laureate for the state of Iowa, began the program with a brief poetry reading.
The campaign's official kickoff event was held at 3:00 that afternoon in Hancher Auditorium. Promoted as a "memorable, musical, multimedia journey through the University's past, present, and future," the fast-paced program featured everything from opera (with full orchestra) to jazz, and from modern dance to modern art. Video elements highlighted many UI faculty, students, staff, and alumni, including Grammy-winning vocalist Al Jarreau. Former UI head football coach Hayden Fry was one of several guest speakers. (View webcast.) Hundreds of UI alumni and community members attended the Hancher event, many of whom were visibly moved by the appeal to "stand and take your place" in the University's bright future. The audience erupted into cheers and applause at the close of the 80-minute program, after learning that the campaign has already raised more than $526 million toward its $850 million goal. Webcasts To view the Webcasts, your computer must have the RealPlayer plug-in, which may be downloaded for free. A plug-in is a small, free program which, when downloaded and "plugged in" to your Web browser, plays sound clips, displays animation, or other features.
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