We are thrilled and happy to announce that Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas’ work as co-editor of the anniversary edition of The Anthology of the Illinois Woman’s Press Association, recently won first place in the 74th Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest in Illinois for the category of “Books and Creative Writing.” 

This year she also earned an additional four 1st place and two 2nd place awards in other categories as well.

• 1st Place: Books and Creative Writing  – Short Stories – Single story
• 1st Place: Writing – Columns – General
• 1st Place: Writing  – Personality profile – 500 words or fewer
• 1st Place: Photography and Graphics – Single photograph
• 2nd Place: Writing – Columns – General
• 2nd Place: PR Materials  – Brochures – Nonprofit, government, or educational

The Illinois Woman’s Press Association (iwpa.org) celebrates its 130th anniversary this May. It was founded in 1885 by 47 determined women. IWPA is an organization of professionals whose objective is to maintain and improve standards of members in mass communications in Illinois. These founding members filled a need for communications and support between women writers. Today, we embrace members of all genders and generations. A record of IWPA’s legacy can be found on Wikipedia. IWPA is an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women (nfpw.org)

Have you ever been watching Dora the Explorer with the grandkids and thought you knew the voice of the Hairy Trees from someplace else?  Or Lois Lane in the Fleischer Cartoon digital remix series Superman. Well in both cases you are hearing voice-over actor Marjorie Kouns ’79  (aka “storyteller”).  She is part of the Gulf Coast’s Hollywood South Movement.

To learn more about Marjorie’s accomplishments, go to a link to an article from Biz New Orleans.

Illinois Wesleyan athletic director Dennie Bridges, who coached the Titans’ men’s basketball team to 667 wins over a 36-year span, will be honored with the dedication of “Dennie Bridges Court” in the Shirk Center performance gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 21.

The event will take place at halftime of the Titans’ final regular season game, a 7 p.m. “Seniors’ Day” contest against Elmhurst. A number of former players, including seven-time NBA all-star and 1977 IWU graduate Jack Sikma, will be on hand at the game.

Bridges, who will retire from the university in July as its longest-serving athletic director, led IWU to a national Division III championship in 1997 and third place finishes in 1996 and 2001.

His teams had a 667-319 record from 1965 to 2001 with 17 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships, 14 NCAA Division III tournament appearances and seven NAIA national tournament appearances.

“The naming of the court in Dennie’s honor is a well-deserved tribute to his long and successful career at Illinois Wesleyan,” said IWU President Richard Wilson. “His dedication and commitment as a coach, teacher and administrator have served as a model for many athletes and friends across the country, in this community and at this university.”

From 1957 to 1961, playing at Memorial Gymnasium (now the Hansen Student Center), Bridges was a four-year letterman and all-conference player in basketball. Coaching for 29 seasons (1965-94) at Fred Young Fieldhouse, his teams won 285 games in the building (285-71) and in the first seven years of the Shirk Center, Bridges’s IWU squads won 93 of 98 home games.

Several IWU alumni will be starring in the hit Neil Simon comedy, Laughter on the 23rd Floor at First Folio Theatre from January 28 through March 1, 2015.  Directed by Alison C. Vesely ’79 and starring Hayley L. Rice ’04 as Carol and Wayne Temple ’98 as Milton.

Laughter on the 23rd Floor transports theater patrons back to 30 Rockefeller Center in the 1950s and features a meticulously designed set and costumes, a la Mad Men.

If you are in the Chicago area through March 1, 2015, check out Laughter on the 23rd Floor at the First Folio Theatre.

Illinois Wesleyan athletic director Dennie Bridges, a Titan since he enrolled as a student in 1957 and later the men’s basketball coach for 36 seasons, has announced he will retire.

For more details, go to iwusports.com.

Congratulations Dennie.  Good luck in your retirement.

Cynthia (Benn) Tweedell ’76 has been recently named Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness at Ohio Christian University.

Cynthia also on a new book published, Best Practices in the Integration of Faith and Learning for Adult and Online Learners. (Edited with Cheryl Fleming) If you would like to read this book or others by Cynthia, they are available on Amazon.

Congratulations Cynthia!!

Adriane Powell

The University is pleased to announce Adriane Powell as the Director of Alumni Relations at Illinois Wesleyan University.  Adriane has been an adopted Titan since 2010, and has lived in the Bloomington-Normal community for over 30 years.  She loves to meet IWU alumni where they live, work, and play.  Adriane has experience working with a diverse group of IWU alumni and is looking forward to continuing to connect with Titans all over the world!

Hope you all had a great holiday season.  It was wild at our house with all the kids and grandkids there.  Be healthy in 2015.