The Illinois Wesleyan fiscal year is ending quickly on July 31. Have you renewed your support yet this year? *
It’s not too late to be added to the list!
We still need 163 alumni to step forward before July 31 to increase alumni participation 1% over last year.
*Check by visiting http://www.iwu.edu/annualreport/.
The 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regimental Band resting between sets at the Ball.
BLOOMINGTON — A chance to hob-nob with history, up close and personal, is one of the highlights of this summer’s edition of the annual Lincoln’s Festival.
Spread out over seven Bloomington locations, the history began living Friday night, 18 July, with an expansion of a new offering that debuted “under the radar” at last year’s fest. “Encounters with Lincoln’s Bloomington,” from 5 to 8 p.m., featured a dozen costumed performers from the local Historic Acting Troupe, an offshoot of Heartland Theatre Company’s senior acting program, Young at Heartland.
The actors returned to life by portraying storied figures from Bloomington-Normal’s past as Allen Withers, James Allin, Sarah Walker Davis and Hester Vernon Fell … all of whom are tied to the festival’s designated 1850-65 time frame.
Starting at the McLean County Museum of History, you could encounter period folks at Heritage Plaza, 115 W. Jefferson St. (formerly W.H. Roland’s Department Store); and Ensenberger Condominiums lobby, 212 N. Center St. (formerly Ensenberger’s furniture store). Capping the encounters was Abraham Lincoln interpreter Randy Duncan, from Southern Illinois, performing at 7:40 p.m. at Francois Associates, 118 W. Washington St., site of Lincoln’s 1858 third-floor lecture. Marcia Young, of the David Davis Foundation, says that the encounters were introduced in a “soft opening,” without ballyhoo, at last year’s fest and they were an immediate hit.
Though similar in concept to the Evergreen Cemetery Walk, the Lincoln’s Festival encounters involve the costumed actors following a general script that also left leeway for first-person interaction, in character, with the public.
“The actors know enough that they’re able to function as living history exhibits,” says Young. “They do a of preliminary research to allow that.” The encounters were modeled after Springfield’s popular “History Comes Alive” program, in which costumed actors routinely inhabit historic downtown locations all summer long, thanks to an accommodating grant.
Following those interactions, the festival proper expanded to Saturday and Sunday into its traditional wide-ranging offerings at the six other locales, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day (times may vary from locale to locale):
It’s a great weekend and follow the 33rd Band’s website for next year’s event. The ball has instructors and everybody dances. My 6 and 4 year old granddaughters even learned two or three dances.
Bob
After serving Illinois Wesleyan for decades, Ann Harding retired in June as director of Alumni Relations.
Ann took on her first role at IWU in 1988 as the internship coordinator in the Career Center. Soon she was forging connections with IWU alumni and other professionals around the world, linking them with current students in need of practical experience. Those connections with alumni continued after her promotion to assistant director at the Career Center. She took on leadership of Alumni Relations in 2006.
Her many initiatives to keep alumni connected to their alma mater included creation of several affinity groups that unite alumni with common interests. Among those groups is the Council for IWU Women, founded by Marsha Guenzler-Stevens ’78.
Marsha credits Ann with helping the council and other alumni groups get off the ground. Much of that success, says Marsha, is due to Ann’s ability to connect with the University community, including relationships with students she formed at the Career Center.
Ann also made significant changes to Homecoming. With help from the Dean of Students’ Office, her team of staff and volunteers put together a slate of family-friendly events that appeal to alumni and their families as well as current students.
Ann plans to stay involved with IWU and keep in touch with alumni across the country. “We formed more than just a professional relationship,” she says. “We formed friendships.”
A national search has begun for Ann Harding’s successor.
Hello, I am Bob Jackson. Bruce Story and I are now the editors for the electronic newsletters for the 70s. Since I am new to you, here is a little information about me.
I was a ’76 graduate and was a music major. I played trumpet in many of groups at IWU. Music is still important in my life. I play in at church, in a Civil War Reenactment Band, and a Brass Band.
Susan and I will celebrate our 40th Anniversary this coming January. We have four children and 7 grandchildren. The children are starting to move farther away from Bloomington, IL. Rachael and her family {husband Dave, Carlos (12), Miguel (9), and Sofia (6)} live in Frankfort, IL. Andy and his family {wife Emily, Isabelle (6) and Waverly (4)} live in Newburgh, IN. Emily and her family {husband Micah, Elijah (5) and Mira (1)} just moved to Rochester, MN. Nate moved to Austin, TX a year ago.
I taught band for 10 years at a small school district in Western Illinois (Triopia). Then I worked for State Farm for 25 years. Now I am retired and am full-time Papa to my grandkids. The rest of my spare time is quilting and antiquing. I have made quilts for four of my grandchildren, several for myself, and two for friends. It is a great mental exercise and helps me slow down and do things correctly.
There are many other things I could tell you but I think this is enough for the first time.
If you have anything you want to post on the newsletter, send it to me at bob@jazzbob7.com.
Bob
Debra Fansher Roeschley ’76 has informed us that she retired in June 2014. She has been an educator in Illinois public schools for 35 years.
Debra is also the proud parent of Jason Roeschley ’11. Jason taught in Mexico as part of a Fulbright Scholarship in his senior year at IWU. Debra plans to travel to Aguascalientes, Mexico often to visit him. Jason recently began teaching at International House in Aguascalientes after receiving his master’s degree in Spanish linguistics from Illinois State University.
We congratulate Debra on her retirement and on the success of her son, Jason.
John Fish, who led the Urban Studies Program in Chicago which enabled many IWU undergrads to build an understanding of urban issues, passed away this past week.
Click here for his obituary and details of his memorial service.
If you are looking for a good read for the summer, The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse is a good candidate for your list. The book has also been selected to be part of IWU’s Summer Reading Program.
The Summer Reading Program is an opportunity for incoming students to participate in a shared intellectual conversation with the IWU community. Students can express ideas about a The Madonnas of Echo Park that other IWU students, faculty, staff, and alumni have reading. When Freshmen come for their first week at IWU, they can respectfully resound to ideas others bring to the discussion.
You can participate in an alumni only book discussion group in Bloomington, Chicago or Washington DC, please click here to register or contact your area Alumni Regional President directly. Click here to RSVP for the campus book discussion group on Friday, August 20, 6-8pm.
On Wednesday, September 3rd, the author will be discussing his book at the President’s Convocation at 11 am at Westbrook Auditorium in Presser Hall, IWU. It’s will be a great opportunity to meet the author and hear more about the novel.
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George portrays Kentucky statesman Henry Clay in the Kentucky Chautauqua program!
Read more, here.
Kevin discussed his various roles and Hollywood adventures, including as Ben Cafferty on HBO’s Veep!
Read the full article, here.
On April 5, 2014 Xi Chapter celebrated its 100th anniversary with Alpha Gamma Delta. Among the returning alums were Carol Coons Hayner ’66, Margie Tribble Nickles ’70, Jody Wolfgang Hostetler ’67, Darlene Jenks Frederick ’67, Julie Raber Kemp ’67, Ginger Basket Samara ’65, Kay Gerhart Durkin ’65.