The Tuesday Musical Association wrapped up its 125th anniversary season in Akron with a bravura performance by the renowned Canadian Brass ensemble at The University of Akron's EJ Thomas Hall.

Prior to the evening performance, the quintet gave a mini-performance and conducted a master class workshop with music students in the Guzzetta recital hall. The Canadian Brass played Brahms’s "Hungarian Dance #7" for the mix of grad-students and undergrad music majors, then invited the Grad Brass plus One to take the stage.

The graduate students played Ingolf Dahl’s "Music for Brass Instruments." After the number concluded, members of the Canadian Brass critiqued the performance and coached the students, helping them to refine their technique. The instruction ranged from the fine art of bowing and the importance of connecting with the audience -- explaining how it needs to be a two-way communication, “Convey the love to the audience” -- to learning how to listen to the music while they are playing.

The winner will receive a grant for the team's selected nonprofit.

This semester, 52 English Composition II students put their skills of persuasion to the test as they worked to earn a $2,000 grant for one of three area nonprofits – Mobile Meals, Akron Rotary Camp and RePlay for Kids. Taking part in the Pay it Forward program at The University of Akron, the students learned key research and writing techniques all while giving back to the community.

After viewing all of the advocacy projects, a panel of judges selected one video to represent each nonprofit. Now, the students need your help.  

From April 21 through 5 p.m. on April 26, they invite you to vote for one of the three projects featured on this page. You may vote for your favorite project one time per day. After the voting ends on the 26th, the video that receives the most votes will earn a $2,000 grant to fund the project detailed in the video. The other two nonprofits will earn $500 grants, and the students will help determine how those funds will be spent.

A device that marks dollar bills in Braille, a wheelchair equipped with a keypad for communication and an easy-slip-on, self-strapping shoe for seniors and others with disabilities represent just a few of the inventions students in grades six through 12 will present at the March 9 BEST Medicine engineering fair, which takes place at the National Inventors Hall of Fame® STEM School.

Hosted by The University of Akron and the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, the event challenges youngsters to create medical devices and innovative therapeutic inventions while engaging them in discussions with health-care researchers.

Students from throughout Northeast Ohio are expected to show off their ingenuity at event, which will take place at the National Inventors Hall of Fame School in Akron. Directed by Brian Davis, Ph.D, UA professor and department chair, biomedical engineering, BEST Medicine encourages students to explore all aspects of medical device invention, from applying for patents to developing prototypes. A group of Euclid middle school students cross-trained in mathematics, science, computer skills, language arts and social studies, for example, will present everything from product literature reviews to engineering goals and constraints.

In many ways, our culture is one of enlightenment and sophistication, but our behavior and beliefs regarding race still tether some of us back to an insidious past. Whether it’s in the workplace, in public or through social media, race-related challenges are alive and well.

Throughout the first half of February, The University of Akron will offer a way for students and community members to discuss race-related issues in a constructive forum that includes keynote speakers, face-to-face conversations, a film festival and a kiosk where users can literally see themselves in someone else’s skin.

“Rethinking Race: Black, White and Beyond” takes place from Feb. 1 through 15, and offers dozens of opportunities for the community to participate in a vital conversation about an issue that is as old as our country. The event also offers a number of different angles – whether academic, historical or artistic – from a number of different vantage points.

Archie the Talking Snowman is back, and a whole new generation (both young and old) is discovering just how much fun it is to talk to him.

Archie was born at Chapel Hill mall one fine December day in 1968. A 20-foot tall giant in woolen scarf, black silk top hat and clutching an over-sized broom, and known as Archie Arctic, he quickly found his voice and began to entertain the mall visitors with his playful and lively banter. Soon, children began to come up to him and share their Christmas stories and wishes. For, you see, Archie was a good listener. That’s why he became so popular, drawing thousands of visitors to his display every holiday season.

Later, he thought it would be trendy to go by the name of just 'Archie.' The girls and boys really loved him. So, it was with great sadness and surprise, when, after 35 years, Archie suffered a nervous breakdown and struggled with severe depression, claiming the stress of standing there motionless was just too much to bear and he abruptly went into hibernation in 2003.