November 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – For Illinois Wesleyan University senior Kristin Zavislak, seeing the Ara Pacis – the Roman Emperor Augustus’ monument to peace in Rome – was more than breathtaking, it was oddly familiar.

“I started to notice how the Ara Pacis Augustae was strikingly similar to the Lincoln Memorial,” said Zavislak, a Greek and Roman Studies major from Lombard, Ill.

Her discoveries were recognized earlier this year when Zavislak was chosen as one of five undergraduate students from across the United States to present at the Classical Association of the Middle West and South in Asheville, N.C. Her topic, “An American Emperor and the Roman President: Images of Lincoln and Augustus,” garnered attention. “I heard people talking in the lobby about my presentation, and knew then it was going to draw a crowd,” said Zavislak.

The classical influence on American artists was especially strong in Lincoln’s time. Known as Neoclassicism, it was a period when artists discovered a rebirth of interest in ancient Greek and Roman architecture and art. Zavislak’s paper explored the similar look and feel of art depicting President Abraham Lincoln and the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Students from an Illinois Wesleyan University class are taking a look at how to make the west side of Bloomington stronger.

Illinois Wesleyan students enrolled in the University’s Action Research Center (ARC) class have spent the semester investigating the needs of youth in west side neighborhoods, as well as the resources that are currently provided by not-for-profit organizations. Students will present their findings at 3 p.m., on Friday, Dec. 5 at Beckman Auditorium of The Ames Library (1 Ames East, Bloomington). They will be joined by students from an Illinois State University class, who will present findings on issues facing seniors on the west side.

The event is free and the public is invited. Members of the Bloomington City Council have been invited, along with members of the West Side Revitalization Task Force, which studies ways to rebuild and attract homeowners and businesses to the city’s west side neighborhoods.

Students in the ARC class conducted surveys and interviews with youth and several organizations to ascertain challenges and opportunities for young people. “The goal is to help find some creative ways to get youth engaged in improving their community,” said ARC Director Deborah Halperin.

Illinois Wesleyan junior Rae Rein said she was thinking of the future when she joined the ARC class. “Everyone says youth is the future, but how can young people get to a promising future if they don’t have the resources they need in the present?” Rein asked. “If we want to see kids succeed, then we have to give them the opportunities to succeed.”

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Daniel Turner, director of academic advising at Illinois Wesleyan University, has been elected president of the Illinois Academic Advisors Association (ILAAA). The organization, which serves around 300 advisors and academic professionals from across the state, works to provide professional development opportunities for advisors in higher education institutions.

“It is such an honor to represent my colleagues and help to provide resources for advisors in the state,” said Turner, who was elected last week at the state ILAAA conference in Chicago. Part of his duties will be to oversee the next conference, which is scheduled for November of 2009. “To be part of these conferences is an amazing experience,” said Turner. “These daylong events provide more than leadership opportunities, they give professionals the chance to build relationships that can benefit all institutions of higher learning in Illinois.”

The ILAAA, which was founded in 1997, is part of the National Academic Advising Association, which offers membership to academic advisors and those in advising roles in higher education, including private and public universities and community colleges.

Turner joined Illinois Wesleyan in September, coming from Northern Illinois University (NIU), where he was acting director of their Academic Advising Center (AAC).

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan University will be sending faculty and staff to Morocco as part of a new joint seminar that is laying the groundwork for exchanges between universities in the Islamic countries and Illinois Wesleyan.

Those involved in the seminar will prepare for the trip during the spring semester at the Illinois Wesleyan campus and then spend a week in Morocco in June. The seminar is part of the University’s ongoing effort to promote international understanding and opportunities. Applications for those interested in the seminar are available on the Staff Council Web site, and due December 1. An informational meeting for faculty and staff will be Monday, November 17 at 3 p.m. in the auditorium of the Minor Myers, jr. Welcome Center.

Illinois Wesleyan has recently established ties with universities in the Middle East and will establish ties with universities in India. Members of the administration have made visits to Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, and both Al Zaytoona University and Arab Open University in Amman, Jordan.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Whether it is majestic mountains, lush rice paddies or ancient temples, the word China invokes images both striking and intriguing. With the introduction of Chinese language classes this fall at Illinois Wesleyan, students are making a deeper discovery of China, a country that is a combination of thousands of years of history, and at the same time a modern global power. We asked professors who have knowledge of China to share their favorite places.

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