Happy Holidays to U of L Alumni and Friends!

Cards in Eighth Bowl Appearance
U of L's Cardinal football team will face Virginia Tech at the 61st Toyota Gator Bowl on January 2, 2006. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EST at Alltel Stadium and will be televised on NBC. For more details, go to the U of L Athletics Gator Bowl web page.
Make your plans now to join the Cardinals in Florida. For travel package information and reservations, go to Champion Sports Tours.

Katrina Tax Act Could Help U of L Donors
Under the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act ("KETRA") you might be able to deduct charitable gifts of cash to any qualified public charity up to 100 percent of your contribution base (generally your adjusted gross income). Deductions for charitable gifts of cash are normally limited to 50 percent of the contribution base. To qualify, these gifts must be made between Aug. 28, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2005.
To learn more about how this might apply to your specific situation, please contact the Development Office at 502-852-6478.

Women's volleyball team Courtesy U of L Athletics

Women's Volleyball Advances to the Sweet 16 Lena Ustymenko had 20 kills and 11 digs for her 12th double/double of the season to lead U of L to a three-game sweep of Maryland in the second round of the 2005 NCAA Volleyball Championship Dec. 3 at Louisville Gardens. U of L improves to 31-2 with the 30-23, 30-26, 30-28 win and makes its fourth Sweet Sixteen appearance as they advance to the Omaha Regional where they will face Florida Dec. 9. It is the Cards' second straight Sweet Sixteen appearance. Maryland ends its season at 28-5.

Student Ceramics Support Budding Artists, U of L Arts
U of L student artists and ceramics faculty members will offer their wares Dec. 9-10 at their annual ceramics sale. Pieces range in price from $3 to $150 and include functional and sculptural objects. The ceramics studio will be open for the sale 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 10.
The studio is located in room 136 of the Studio Arts Building at Floyd and Warnock streets. Sale proceeds help the U of L Hite Art Institute's Ceramics Art Organization, enable students to travel to national art conferences and support visiting artists and free public workshops. For more information, call Todd Burns at 502-852-6796 or e-mail him at todd.burns@louisville.edu.

Recent Graduates to Receive Survey
Some alumni will receive an e-mail survey about job placement in early 2006. The survey is part of the requirements by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The university will be considered for reaffirmation of SACS accreditation in 2007, and SACS requires feedback from recent graduates. More information about the SACS process can be viewed on the provost's web site.

U of L Libraries 2 millionth volume celebration unveiled "GOAT: Greatest of All Time: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali."

Libraries Unveil Heavyweight Book about Heavyweight Champ University Libraries unveiled its 2 millionth volume at a Nov. 16 ceremony, 18 years to the day it unveiled its 1 millionth volume. The celebration commemorated not only the book "GOAT: Greatest of All Time: Tribute to Muhammad Ali," but also Ali's life and contributions. U of L has the 724th copy of only 1,000 copies of the book; only six copies are held in libraries. View the story in multimedia format.

Three Professors Win Fulbright Awards Three U of L faculty members have received prestigious Fulbright Scholar grants to lecture universities in 2005-2006. Political science associate professors Julie Bunck and Michael Fowler will lecture in Mexico and Japan, respectively. Allen Furr, associate professor and chair of sociology, will lecture in India. The awards go to recipients with outstanding academic or professional achievements and who have demonstrated leadership in their fields.

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Sports Fan
In the past, Parkway Field hosted great sports icons such as Pee Wee Reese, Joe DiMaggio and Babe Ruth. The field's wall was razed in 2004 but a limited number of outfield bricks have been preserved and can be yours. Proceeds benefit the U of L Beautification. For more information, visit the Beautification Project web site or call Rachel Mulloy at 502-852-8811.

Other University News
To find out about other university news and events, visit the U of L news web pages.

Join the U of L Online Community!
Register with the U of L Online Alumni Directory and you can update your information and search for former classmates and friends. Joining is free.

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The University of Louisville Alumni Association, in conjunction with the university’s Office of Communications and Marketing, publishes the U of L Connection for alumni and friends of the university. Information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe to U of L Connection can be found below this newsletter.