Do you know a student or faculty or staff member who has either made a positive change in his/her personal wellness or has demonstrated a commitment to health and wellness? Nominate him/her for the MSU Golden Apple Award. Nominees may include (but are not limited to) individuals who have recently begun a fitness routine, quit smoking or have made some other positive change that has affected their overall health. The nominee may also be a person who acts as a healthy role model and motivates others. The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 11. Winners will be recognized at the annual Wellness Day, Monday April 4. For more information, e-mail Marie Cascarano.

The President's Commission on Affirmative Action is sponsoring Affirmative Action Day on Thursday, March 3, beginning at 10 a .m. in College Hall, Room 310, with a video conference panel discussion on the politics of affirmative action. Panelists include Brigid Harrison of Political Science; Michelle Meyers-Shipp, director, Division on EO/AA, NJ Department of Personnel; Nancy Hicks, assistant to the president for Affirmative Action and Ethical Standards, Richard Stockton College; Luis Rodriguez of Sprague Library. A live stream of the discussion will be available on campus. A flag raising will take place at noon outside the Student Center followed by lunch in the Student Center, Ballrooms. Donna Brazile, veteran Democratic political strategist and chair of the Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute, will give the keynote address: "The Politics of Affirmative Action" at 2 p.m. in the Alexander Kasser Theater. At 3 p.m. there will be a reception where Brazile will sign copies of her book, Cooking With Grease: Stirring the Posts in American Politics, which will be available for purchase.

Procurement Services will hold its third annual Vendor Fair at the University's Student Center Ballrooms on Tuesday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Vendor Fair provides the campus community with an opportunity to meet and speak with vendors who provide products and services used by the University on a regular basis. The event is also an opportunity for suppliers to introduce their companies to the campus community as well as network with other members of the business community. Additional information is available from Michael Jackson, assistant director of Procurement Services, at 973-655-4447.

The FRS training manual is now available on the Division of Finance and Treasury - FRS Documents Web site. The manual has been updated to reflect current screens and login procedures. The manual is in PDF format and includes bookmarks to assist navigating through the document. The manual will no longer be printed and distributed in bound hardcopy. The Web site also includes links to FRS Frequently Asked Questions and documents used to request user access and new accounts in FRS. For more information, call Marlene Kolesar at 973-655-7373.

Transportation and Parking Services Variable Message Signs will be used on Quarry Road and East Quarry Way to identify general parking lots that have available spaces. Quarry Road leads up to the left from the Clove Road Bridge, and East Quarry Way leads into the general parking area going downhill from Blanton Hall. This is a two-month pilot project and feedback is welcome.

The NJ Jackals released its 2005 baseball schedule, beginnng its eighth season with a game hosted by the Bangor Lumberjacks in Maine. The team's first home game at Yogi Berra Stadium will be June 2, also against the Lumberjacks. The Jackals will play 92 games this season. For more information, go to www.jackals.com.

Dining Services is offering two meal plans for faculty and staff--15 blocks with $50 Flex Dollars for $125 or $57.50 of Flex Dollars for $50. The 15-block plan may be paid for through payroll deduction (four pay periods at $31.25 each). Flex Dollars can be used any time at any dining facility except the Red Hawk truck. Blocks can be used at the Blanton and Freeman dining halls (one swipe equals one meal) or at the Student Center Café, Rathskeller and Red Hawk Diner, where one swipe equals $3.80. Swipes can be used during meal equivalency hours only, which are as follows:
Student Center Café: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Rathskeller: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Red Hawk Diner: Monday-Sunday, 11 p.m.-8 a.m. The Dining Services Menu Hotline is 973-655-7988.

Faculty, staff and students can receive a 10-percent discount on tickets to performances at the Bergen Performing Arts Center, formerly the John Harms Center for the Arts, in Englewood. Call the Box Office at 201-227-1030 and mention the MSU discount when ordering tickets. Box Office hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. A schedule of events is posted on the Center's Web site.

Montclair State employees can take advantage of special discounts available through the Alumni Association Affinity Partnerships. Offers include 40-percent discounts on televisions, MP3 players, and other consumer electronics, long-term care and pet insurance, vacation condos around the world and more. Employees may not use state funds to purchase goods and services through the Web site. Please make personal purchases only.