October 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Ames Library at Illinois Wesleyan University is one of the recipients of a grant from the Illinois State Library, which has awarded $177,000 to be shared by five Illinois universities to study the research methods of non-traditional and underserved students.

“Librarians think we know how students conduct their research, or we know how we wish they would conduct their research,” said Lynda Duke, academic outreach librarian and associate professor for The Ames Library, and lead researcher on the project for Illinois Wesleyan. “The reality is we do not have data that allows us to say that we truly understand their research process.” The study will assist the library in tailoring resources to better fit the needs of students, according to Duke. “As a result of this study, we hope to adjust our current services, or offer new options. Changes might range from adjusting the physical layout in different areas of the library, making modifications to our Web site or offering a new resource or service.”

The grant comes from the Library Services and Technology Act under the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, and was awarded to help answer the question, What do students, especially those in the underserved and non-traditional group identified by each library, actually do when they are assigned a research project for one of their class assignments and what are the expectations of students, faculty and librarians of each other with regard to this assignment? Illinois Wesleyan librarians will focus their research on international, African-American, Latino-American, Asian-American and Native American students, as well as library and teaching faculty. The library will employ methods such as mapping diaries, interviews, photo surveys and observation to gain understanding of how research assignments are approached by students. University Librarian Karen Schmidt notes, “This approach to understanding student use of library programs and spaces represents an emerging field of study for academic libraries. We are honored that Illinois Wesleyan was selected to be involved in this exciting venture.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Cassie Stachniw, a junior German and Russian and Eastern European Studies double major from Galesburg, Ill. has been selected to participate in “The United States Meets Germany: A Forum for Young Leaders.” The event will take place from Nov. 10-14 in Berlin.

Stachniw, who is currently studying abroad in Berlin through the Institute for International Education of Students (IES) program, applied to participate in the conference. The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD), which sponsors the forum, seeks students from the United States and Germany, as well as the wider international community to participate in the forum. Students must also have a strong academic background and/or professional experience and should demonstrate leadership skills and have an active interest in international affairs with particular emphasis on the US-German bilateral relationship.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Seventh Annual Ames/Milner Visiting Author Program will welcome novelist Tim O’Brien on Thursday, Oct. 23.

Hailed as “the best American writer of his generation” by the San Francisco Chronicle, O’Brien is the author of eight books, most notably The Things They Carried, a collection of related stories about a platoon of American soldiers in the Vietnam War. He received much acclaim following the novel’s 1990 publication and subsequent nomination for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award. The book won the Chicago Tribune Heartland Award in fiction, the New York Times named it one of the 20 best books of the last quarter century and noted author John Updike selected the title story for inclusion in The Best American Short Stories of the Century.

Following is the schedule for the Visiting Author program on Oct. 23:

• 2 p.m.-3 p.m.: Presentation followed by a question and answer session at the Center Court of the Hansen Student Center (300 Beecher St., Bloomington), Illinois Wesleyan University

• 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Presentation followed by a question and answer session at Braden Auditorium of the Bone Student Center (100 University St., Normal), Illinois State University. A book signing will follow in the Barnes and Noble College Bookstore, also in the Bone Student Center

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Thinking green now comes in all colors, and styles. Illinois Wesleyan University students have established a vintage clothing store, and all in the name of environmental awareness.

The store, called PreShrunk, will have its grand opening from 1:30-3:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25 in the basement of Adams Hall (1401 N. Main St., Bloomington), with a direct entrance from Main Street.

“Clothing can have a huge impact on the environment, whether it is the chemicals used to make the clothes or the growing landfills where people throw away clothes,” said Josh Clouse, who graduated from Illinois Wesleyan in May and is one of the original planners of the store. “Something as small as a store can reduce our footprint on the environment.”

Manned entirely by Illinois Wesleyan volunteers, PreShrunk is a not-for-profit effort, with all profits to be donated to local sustainable or ecological efforts. “We know we are limited in the resources we have,” said junior Mari Mermelstein, who will act as the executive manager for PreShrunk. “Not everything has to be new to be fun or useful.”

Mermelstein, a math education major, said the effort will also act as an educational tool for students. “We have an executive board of five students who help make administrative decisions,” she said. “We’re learning the ins and outs of a small business.”

Even locating the store on campus will be a small sustainability boon, said Clouse. “It may be one less time a student needs to get into their car to buy clothes. They can walk to the store on campus and reduce car emissions,” he said.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – It can be a challenge living with a stranger, but at Illinois Wesleyan students have met that challenge. Kim Stabosz, class of ’09, and Erin Wondrak, class of ’09, have been living together since freshman year.

Stabosz said she was nervous about the initial meeting, which did not go quite as expected. “The entire time Erin was pretty silent, and I freaked out because I didn’t know why she wasn’t talking. I was so scared she was going to be quiet,” Stabosz said.

Needing an escape from parents and siblings who were helping them move in, the newly formed pair explored their residence hall. “The second we were away from our parents it was instant relaxation and we just clicked,” said Wondrak and the bonding began.

The Office of Residential Life (ORL) (http://www.iwu.edu/~orl) has a responsibility to pair compatible students as roommates. To promote positive roommate relationships, ORL’s First-Year Experience (FYE) Program is hosting its second annual “Celebrate Your Roommate Week” Oct. 13 to 17 (see schedule of events) to remind students that having a roommate should be a pleasurable part of the college experience.

“The event was created to help students understand how to value their roommate. Conflicts may arise around this time of year, and we are hoping this will progress communication,” said Stacy Ploskonka, Gulick Hall residence director. “Celebrate your roommate week is about ensuring that there are good relationships between roommates and encouraging them to get to know each other better.”

ORL looks for similarities when matching roommates. Stabosz and Wondrak discovered they both had a passion for dance, so they auditioned for the dance team and the Student Choreographed Dance Concert (SCDC) together. They watched many movies together as well, including, The Princess Diaries, and they would talk for hours at night.

According to ORL, the roommate matching process begins early in the summer. First-year students are mailed a letter asking them to fill out a survey online about their lifestyle habits and their interests. The survey includes categories of questions about bedtime, cleanliness, smoking, social environment and pet peeves. Students are sent basic contact information about their roommate so they can begin talking before they arrive at Illinois Wesleyan. ORL suggests that students talk to their roommates before they officially move in together.

“We use a listing of about 20 different preferences that have been determined as key concerns for students. Differences in lifestyle preferences such as drinking and smoking habits or living habits such as cleanliness or desired temperature in the room are issues that can easily cause roommate conflicts,” said Terrance Bond, assistant director of Residential Life. “By asking some of these questions up front, we can attempt to pair students with others who closely match their individual preference.”

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