Raymond and Lia Gewargis (Analitis) ‘16

Lia Gewargis (Analitis) ‘16 and Raymond Gewargis were wed on July 27, 2019 in Atheras, Kefalonia, Greece.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Mrs. Lia Gewargis ’16 and Mr. Raymond Gewargis

Bridesmaids included Lauren (Estes) Del Ciello ’16 (sixth from left), Kacie Graves ’16, Allie Handzel ’16 (first from left), Anna Lowenthal ’16 (tenth from left) and Lizzy Sanders ’16 (third from left) and children of Bob Gulino ’97 and Mollie Thompson Gulino ’97 twelfth, thirteenth and fifteenth from left)

Thank-A-Giver Day

Thank-A-Giver Day (TAG Day) is on Monday, February 11. This day provides the IWU campus community with the opportunity to thank the donors who support Illinois Wesleyan. IWU celebrates each year in mid-February because it marks the symbolic point during the academic year – about 70% of the way through – when tuition dollars run out and support from alumni and friends, our endowment, and external grants kicks in for the remainder of the year.

Thank you to all donors who help make the IWU experience possible!

Matt Mason ’16 to Compose Piece for International Beethoven Composition Project

Matt Mason ’16 was invited to compose a new piano piece for an international composition project called 250 Pieces for Beethoven in celebration of his 250th birthday. For the upcoming anniversary  2020, Bonn pianist Susanne Kessel invited composers from around the world to compose piano pieces which refer to Ludwig van Beethoven and his work. Since 2013, Susanne Kessel issues personal invitations to composers of new music, jazz and film music. The premieres of the piano pieces are being held in Beethoven’s birth city, Bonn, while further performances of selected pieces will be held in other cities as well. Radio recordings (WDR) and CD productions will accompany the project. All the pieces will be published by 2020 from EDITIONS MUSICA FERRUM and will be available for the international music world. Other composers include Academy Award winner Bruce Broughton, David Bowie’s Pianist Mike Garson, 3 time Pulitzer Prize nominee, and many others from all over the world.

Alumnae to Perform in “Firefly Love” in Chicago

Allyce Carryn Torres ’13 and Alexa Fajardo Eldridge ’16 will be preforming in “Firefly Love” at Something Marvelous, a magical realism theater festival based in Chicago.
Something Marvelous cultivates new works of magical realism and curates a reflective dialogue with the community to examine, broaden, and embolden the genre. Our work uses theatricality to awaken imagination and inspire empathy for new perspectives.

Firefly Love by Alejandro Ricaño and translated by Héctor Garza  will run from June 30 to July 15, 2018 at Athenaeum Theatre, Studio One in  Chicago.
Allyce will be preforming as Lola in Firefly Love and is an Actor, Teaching Artist, and Activist originally from San Diego. Recent credits include WHAT OF THE NIGHT at Stage Left & Cor, THE BOTTLE TREE at Stage Left, FEFU & HER FRIENDS at Halcyon Theatre, and INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH at 16th Street Theatre. Her credits at Something Marvelous include DON’T LOOK and REFERENCES TO SALVADOR DALÍ MAKE ME HOT. She is the Managing Director of Windy City Performs, the Company Manager of Something Marvelous, and an ensemble member at Stage Left.
Alexa will be preforming as Lola in Firefly Love on July 6th and 8th. She  is a Cuban American actor and Improvisor new to the Windy City and loving every minute! Alexa just finished a year long Acting Apprenticeship at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, FL where she performed in Stephen Spotswood’s Rolling World Premiere of DOUBLEWIDE as Lorelai, and you can find her now at The Second City as a student in their prestigious conservatory program!
Click here for more information about Firefly Love and links to tickets.

The Red Scarves

Ryan Donlin ’17, Robby Kuntz ’18, and Braden Poole ’16 are members of the band The Red Scarves. This Chicago-based pop rock band formed at IWU, and credit their jazz and classical music studies as key to creating their songs. They recently performed here in Bloomington on Sept. 30. You can read more about it here.

Countdown to Homecoming 2017!

There is less than one month until Homecoming 2017! While counting down the days until we are all back on campus, let’s reminisce about the time we spent at IWU. My fondest memory from IWU is sitting on the quad during the warm fall days. Would anyone like to share their favorite IWU memories? Comment below.

If you are still deciding on which events you want to attend during Homecoming, the International RSO Fair is highly recommended. It will be on Saturday (10/14) at the Hansen Student Center, Center Court from 11 am – 1 pm. Come learn more about our multicultural registered student organizations and enjoy activities and musical performances. A light lunch will be provided, so please register either online or by phone by 10/8! You can visit the Homecoming Facebook page or the International RSO Fair Facebook event for more information.