Omaha Symphony tenor trombonist Jason Stromquist will perform a solo recital at noon this Wednesday in the Lauritzen Theatre in the Madsen Fine Arts Center.

Stromquist is beginning his third season with the Omaha Symphony. He is also an adjunct instructor at Dana. A native of Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, he studied at the Aaron Copland School at Queens College in New York City.

Among the pieces Stromquist will be performing are works by two American composers: “Sonata for Trombone and Piano” by Eric Ewazen and “Elegy For Mippy II,” by Leonard Bernstein, dedicated to Bernstein's brother as a eulogy for his pet dog.

Stromquist also will be performing works by German composer Ferdinand David and French composer Eugene Bozza.

Congratulations to the Dana College Men’s Soccer team for qualifying for the Region III soccer tournament for the first time.

Dana finished in a tie for fourth place in the Great Plains Athletic Conference race with a record of 8-4. The Vikings finished their regular season with a mark of 10-8.

Dana will take on Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa this afternoon. Kick off is set for 4 p.m. The top seed Hastings College will play the winner of the Dana-Morningside match-up on Friday afternoon.

Prof. Vern Wirka will be part of the News Radio 1110 KFAB election reporting team. Election night coverage on KFAB begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, immediately after the polls close across Nebraska. KFAB will have complete coverage of local, regional and national races.

Diane Nickeson-Ray LCSW, CMSW, Dana College Counseling Center director, and Patti Nielsen, campus nurse, both attended the 2006 Nebraska/GPAC Dean’s meeting held at Clarkson College in Omaha on October 24. They were able to meet with representatives from Northwest College, Nebraska Wesleyan, Morningside, Midland, and Concordia University.

Dana College students Megan Hunt and George Roath are judging an oratorical competition sponsored by the Arlington Neb. American Legion Post 71. Post 71, event coordinator, Lonnie Tourek, expects several entries for the contest, which aims at giving high school students the opportunity to develop public speaking skills. The competition will be held Thursday evening at Arlington High School.

V.G. Johnson, the wife of former Dana history professor Dr. Niel Johnson, died in Independence, Mo., on Oct. 10 of a heart attack. Her funeral was held on Oct. 14 in Independence, where the Johnsons have lived for many years. Niel taught at Dana from 1969 to 1975, and V.G. taught in the Blair public school system and directed the choir at the Congregational Church in Blair.

Seasoned chess players as well as those new to the game can hone their skills by participating in a new group at Dana College.

Earlier this fall, Dr. Jeff Solheim, professor of mathematics and computer science, started a new club for faculty, staff and students who enjoy playing chess and for those who are interested in learning how to play. The group meets at 3:30 p.m. Thursdays in the Forum through December 7.

“ Chess is a love of mine, and I wanted to see if I could find others who were also interested in playing,” Solheim said.

This fall, group members have been participating in an on-going intramural tournament. The contest included several rounds, with participants arranging their own time and place for games. The winner of each game was awarded one point, while the loser received no points. If a game ended in a tie, each player earned half a point. After each game, players reported their scores to Solheim. Currently, Library Director Tom Nielsen and Solheim are tied for the lead after three rounds.

The club also will hold a round-robin tournament this Saturday, Nov. 4, from 8:45 a.m. to noon in The Forum. The tournament, which is open to all faculty, staff and students as well as members of the public, will feature several sections for players of different ages and abilities. Participants need not have played in the on-going fall tournament in order to play in Saturday’s tournament, Solheim said. Those interested in participating are asked to bring their own chess sets to The Forum by 8:45 a.m. so they can be paired for the first round.

For those who missed the action this fall, Solheim said the chess club will meet again during the spring semester at a yet-to-be-determined time and location.

For more information on the Dana Chess Club and upcoming tournaments, contact Solheim at (402) 426-7265 or e-mail chess@dana.edu.

"Out There" — Exploring Careers in Science, Math and Computer Science will be held on campus Thursday morning in The Forum beginning at 10 a.m. Students can participate in a panel discussion, Q & A session and luncheon with a panelist of their choice. Contact the Career Services Office to register or for more information.

All are invited to attend the Chamber of Commerce After Hours for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails on Friday, Nov. 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Memorial Community Hospital and Health System is the sponsor (810 North 22nd St. in Blair). Contact Dr. Kate Joeckel if you would like more information.

The deadline for application to the University of Nebraska and the University of Iowa Medical Schools is November 1. Contact AMCAS website for more information: www.aamc.org/students/amcas/