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eiu alumni newsletter

november | 2007

EIU Alumni Association

Campus Celebrates President Perry's Inauguration

Dr. William Perry was officially welcomed as president of Eastern Illinois University during his inauguration ceremony on Nov. 3. In the week leading up to the event, the University community held several activities to celebrate the inauguration of its 10th president. Events included a presentation by motivational speaker John Cassis; a forum on academic freedom; a student-only “Pizza with the President” event, for which students were asked to bring canned goods to benefit local charities; and a community reception complete with campus tours.

To read President Perry’s inaugural address, please click here for the full story.

Pictures and audio from the inauguration can be found at Journal Gazette/Times-Courier..

The Success of Homecoming 2007

Alumni returned home Oct. 19-21 to meet with old friends, current students and faculty during Homecoming 2007. This year’s celebration incorporated two new events: Family Fun Night, which kicked off the Homecoming celebration for the surrounding community; and the Kids Corner, which took place during Saturday afternoon’s tailgating festivities. Both events provided an array of fun activities for children of all ages including inflatables, face painting and carnival games.

Additional events included the annual pancake and sausage breakfast; a 2.5K race, the Homecoming parade, the newly expanded Alumni Tent City (showcasing more than 20 college, student, alumni and community tents), the Panthers' 45-24 victory over Tennessee-Martin, and the Alumni Awards dinner.

Thank you to all of the alumni and friends of EIU who made this year’s Homecoming a success!

To view photos of the football game, please visit the DEN.

Estate Donation Increases Couple’s Giving to $1 Million

The decision by Lois Joseph ’36 and her husband Harold to leave their estate to EIU was not only determined by their love for EIU, but also for a woman who graduated from the institution more than a century ago. The couple discussed and planned the best way they could give back to the institution that gave them so much joy. Together, they agreed their overall desire was to create a scholarship in memory of Lois’ mother, 1904 graduate Mary Coon Cottingham, and to establish a visiting writers and scholars speaking series.

In order to fund these projects, the Josephs established a $600,000 charitable gift annuity, allowing the couple to turn over part of their assets to the EIU Foundation, yet continue to live comfortably on quarterly annuity payments over the course of their lives. On Oct. 19, 2007, the remaining portion of the Josephs’ estate was presented to the university by the couple’s fiduciary.

The estate gift, combined with the charitable gift annuity, total in excess of $1 million. Both the scholarship and the writers/scholars series are projected to get under way during the 2008-2009 academic year.

Read the full story here.

EIU Alumnus Helps Make John Cusack’s Latest Film

Luke Ryan’s ‘01 latest Hollywood project, “Martian Child” starring actor John Cusack, recently opened in theaters across the country. “My job consisted of developing the material with the writers and filmmakers and then overseeing shooting of the film and editing of the film on behalf of the studio,” said Ryan in an interview with the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier, referring to his primary responsibilities as associate producer of "Martian Child." The film also stars Joan Cusack, Amanda Peet and Oliver Platt. Ryan previously served as a producer for the films “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and “King’s Ransom.” In 2005, he was honored for his outstanding accomplishments as a recipient of EIU's Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

Read the full story at the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier.

Former Gov. Edgar Visits Campus to Kick Off Speaker Series

This past summer, former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar ’68 and his wife, Brenda ’98, finalized the details of a $150,000 gift to allow the University to host two prominent speakers per year. The program, known as the Edgar Speaker Series, kicked off on Oct. 30 with the former governor delivering his speech, titled “From Old Main to the Mansion,” to a standing room-only crowd in Buzzard Auditorium. Edgar’s speech concentrated on the life lessons he learned while at Eastern and how those lessons served him in his personal life and time as governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. Although the date has not yet been set, Mrs. Edgar will take her turn behind the lectern in the spring.

Read the full story at the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier.

English Department Also Named First Choice

The English department was recently announced as the second graduate program to be recognized as an EIU First Choice program. The First Choice designation is given by the Graduate School to EIU departments that meet criteria that show that their programs are worthy of being graduate students’ first choices. The history department’s graduate program was the first to receive this status in October. Programs that are named “First Choice” will retain that status for three years. During that time, they will be eligible for extra financial resources from the Graduate School to further strengthen their status. At this time, six other graduate programs are under consideration for this designation.

Read more at the DEN.

Pantera Restaurant Gives Students a Taste of Real Life

Students in the Commercial Quantity Food Production course receive hands-on experience with Pantera, a student-operated, full-service restaurant that serves EIU faculty, staff and students. A different menu is offered every Tuesday. "We're trying to give these students a little edge on their career choices and make sure they have experience in their field before they go out and look for a job," said instructor Kathy Rhodes, adding that four Summer 2007 graduates are now managing Chicago restaurants.

Read the full story at Journal Gazette/Times-Courier.

Panthers to Make ESPNU Television Appearance

Panther Athletics recently released its television schedule for the 2007-08 men’s and women’s basketball seasons. WEIU will broadcast all 12 regular-season home men’s games, along with six additional home women’s games. The men’s squad will also make their second straight season appearance on ESPNU when they take on Tennessee State on Jan. 19. In addition to WEIU’s coverage of home basketball, all home and road Ohio Valley Conference games this season can also be seen via live Internet streaming at www.OVCSports.tv.

Basketball season tickets are now on sale, and tickets can be purchased online at www.EIUpanthers.com, in person at the Lantz Arena ticket office, or by phone at 217-581-2106.

EIU men's basketball: http://www.eiupanthers.com/index.asp?path=mbball
EIU women's basketball: http://www.eiupanthers.com/index.asp?path=wbball

It’s an EIU Culinary Party!

You’re invited to a private, hands-on culinary party, on Dec. 1 in Chicago. Join the latest Chicago-area craze and learn how to prepare a variety of tapas, including plates of spicy patatas bravas, baked goat cheese in tomato sauce, sizzling shrimp, chicken croquettes and more! Following the completion of the lesson, enjoy the fruits of your labor and the company of your fellow alumni and friends during our hospitality reception.

Fill out this pdf form and return to the Alumni office.

Legacy Scholarships Available for Descendants of Eastern Alumni

Applications for the 2008-2009 Legacy Scholarships are being accepted by the Alumni Services office through Feb. 1. To be eligible, an applicant must be the child or grandchild of an Eastern graduate and must begin attending the University during the 2008 fall semester. Recipients are required to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and have been involved in extracurricular activities. To apply, the student should send a letter of application stating his/her qualifications (including how he/she is related to an Eastern alumna/us), two letters of recommendation and high school/college transcripts to EIU Alumni Services, Attn: Legacy Scholarship, 600 Lincoln Ave., Charleston, IL 61920.

Visit the EIU Scholarship page to find out more about other scholarships offered at Eastern.

EIU Alumni Information

Join the Alumni Association Today

Please consider joining the EIU Alumni Association. Your membership will allow us to continue to expand our programming and offerings to the university community.

The association has been able to steadily increase its financial support to the university over the past several years in the form of student scholarships and grants because of the support of members like you.

In addition, you don’t want to miss receiving Old Main Line, the alumni magazine which is for members only. It’s a great way to stay on top of what’s happening on campus for only $30 annually. Join online or call us at 800-ALUM-EIU. We appreciate your continuing support!

Show Your Panther Pride! Order EIU Merchandise Online

Purchase your EIU merchandise by visiting our online bookstore.

EIU Radio

Listen to WEIU via the web at weiuhitmix.net

On Our Website

Upcoming Events

Registration information and a complete listing of events is available on our website.

Minority Alumni Reception
Nov. 15
EIU Campus
Charleston, IL
Chicago Tapas Class
Dec. 1
Northshore Cookery
Highland Park, IL
Wicked, Alumni Night on Broadway
Dec. 15
Fox Theatre
St. Louis, MO
Tony Romo Watch Party
Dec. 16
Dallas, Texas
Night at the Opera
Jan. 11, 2008
Lyric Opera
Chicago, IL
EIU Alumni Night
Feb. 7, 2008
Lantz Arena, Charleston
(Details TBA)
Scottsdale Alumni Reception
Feb. 9, 2008
Scottsdale, AZ
(Details TBA)
Annual Lincoln's Birthday Alumni Social
Feb. 12, 2008
San Francisco, CA
(Details TBA)
Bolingbrook Alumni Reception
April 3, 2008
Bolingbrook, IL
(Details TBA)
IASA Conference Reception
April 24, 2008
Springfield, IL
(Details TBA)
 

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