Category Archives: Events

School of Theatre Arts to Present Tartuffe

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts will present Tartuffe, a play by renowned 17th century French playwright Molière, with translation by Richard Wilbur. Performances will take place at McPherson Theatre (2 Ames Plaza East, Bloomington) at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14 to Saturday, Feb. 18, with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19.

Tickets will be available for purchase Monday, Feb. 6. General admission ticket prices range from $10 for performances Tuesday through Thursday, and the matinee on Sunday, to $12 for performances Friday and Saturday. Senior citizens receive a $1 discount off the general admission price and students may purchase tickets for $2 with a valid Illinois Wesleyan ID.

First staged in Versailles in 1664 and composed of almost 2,000 rhyming couplets, the play follows the story of a man, Orgon, and his mother who take in the apparently pious Tartuffe. Orgon’s family, however, is not convinced by Tartuffe’s feigned righteousness. Determined to reveal Tartuffe for the fraud that he is, a plan is set to entrap him by exposing his lust for Orgon’s wife Elmire.

Activist Who Inspired “Dead Man Walking” to Speak

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and activist Sister Helen Prejean will address the Illinois Wesleyan University Founders’ Day Convocation at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, in Westbrook Auditorium of Presser Hall (1210 Park St., Bloomington). The event is free and open to the public. Founders’ Day honors the 30 founders who signed the charter for the University in 1850.

In celebration of the University’s 162nd anniversary, additional activities will include The Ames Library’s annual exhibit highlighting the documents from the University’s founding, including Illinois Wesleyan’s “birth certificate.” A screening of Dead Man Walking will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Hansen Student Center (300 Beecher St., Bloomington). On Wednesday, Feb. 8, free cake will also be available at all food service sites on campus in celebration.

Prior to the Founders’ Day Convocation, First Wednesday Chapel hour will feature “Voices of Nonviolence from King to Prejean,” on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. in Evelyn Chapel (1301 N. Park St., Bloomington). The event is free and open to the public. Excerpts from King and Prejean’s writings will be offered. Film clips will be shown from Just Vision, an Israeli-Palestinian organization dedicated to nonviolence, and music spirituals will be performed by the new Evelyn Ensemble and Professor of Music Carren Moham.

Voters’ Views Will Shape Interactive Musical Event

Jan. 16, 2012

Bloomington, IL — Grassroots 2012, an interactive political poll that engages respondents as part of a live musical event, will provide a preview of how Illinois voters view the issues, primary races and potential presidential election matchups. A town hall discussion of the issues follows the Grassroots 2012 electronic polling. The event takes place at Illinois Wesleyan’s Westbrook Auditorium on Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

bullet Watch the event in streaming video.

“Music has often been associated with political expression, but this is a totally new concept and one that brings people together to express and discuss their views in a very unique and entertaining way,” said co-composer David Brian Williams, a retired music and arts technology faculty member at Illinois State University. Williams and University of South Carolina collaborator Tayloe Harding created the Grassroots event during the 2008 presidential campaign, polling audiences in George and Alabama.

This innovative approach to political polling engages the audience with an original music score, digital imagery, electronic polling and a town hall discussion. During the live musical performance, audience members use digital clickers to respond anonymously to polling questions that probe primary and general election issues, with responses instantaneously totaled and displayed on screen. After each set of questions the music changes to reflect the intensity of opinions expressed by the audience. Following the performance and polling there will be a bipartisan town hall discussion and a second round of electronic polling intended to see if the discussion influenced any opinions.

“The importance of bipartisan political dialogue has never been more important than it is today, which is why we are so excited about the opportunities to gather opinions and engage citizens in discussion via Grassroots 2012,” says Illinois Wesleyan’s Professor of Political Science Tari Renner, an expert in political polling, who will lead the town hall discussion.

Teach-In to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University’s Action Research Center (ARC) and political science honor society Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA) will host a “teach-in” comprising of three, one-hour panel discussions on Monday Jan. 16 from 1- 4 p.m. in Hansen Student Center (300 Beecher St., Bloomington).

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the teach-in will focus on three topics relating to food and social justice. While he is most known for his impact on the Civil Rights Movement, King’s teachings also addressed a wider scope of social justice.

The Teach-In schedule is as follows:

• 1 p.m. – National Efforts to Create Local Food: keynote speaker and alumnus Danny Burke ’09 will present, “Meaningfully Engaging Diversity,” along with community voice Lindsey Record of Illinois Stewardship Alliance.

• 2 p.m. – Sustainable Agriculture in Bloomington and IWU: keynote speaker Danny Kenny ’13 will present “Community Gardens in Higher Education,” along with community voice Elaine Sebald of Heartland Local Food Network.

• 3 p.m. – Insecurity: International, National, and Local Perspectives: keynote speaker Professor of Political Science William Munro will present “Food Aid, Philanthropy, and the Farm Bill: How Should We Tackle Hunger in the Global Food Economy?” along with community voice Emily Carroll of Food and Water Watch.

Chair of Political Science and Associate Professor of Political Science James Simeone notes that the teach-in is held in the spirit of King’s creation of the International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment (IAACM), which strove to constantly challenge societal norms. As an activist, King never wanted to become well-adjusted to society, explained Simeone, because there was always more work to be done. “He was the gadfly on the horse, like Socrates,” said the political science professor.

Jesse White to Speak at Fellowship Dinner

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White will be the keynote speaker at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellowship Dinner on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. The Jesse White Tumbling Team will be featured, as well.

Co-sponsored by Illinois Wesleyan University and the United Community Gospel Singers of Bloomington and Normal, the event will be held in the Young Main Lounge of the Memorial Center (104 University St., Bloomington).

White was first elected to the office in 1998 as Illinois’ 37th Secretary of State and is the first African-American to hold the position. Before he was in office, White founded the internationally known Jesse White Tumbling Team in 1959. The group serves as a positive alternative for children residing in and around the Chicago area. Over 13,000 young men and women have benefited from the program since its inception. Making over 1,500 nation-wide appearances each year, the team has been featured during half-time shows for the National Basketball Association, and tapings of Late Night with David Letterman and Good Morning America, as well as a number of other programs.

Wesleyan to Host 22nd Annual MLK Gospel Festival

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The twenty-second annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Gospel Festival will be held on Monday, Jan. 16 at Illinois Wesleyan University. Free and open to the public, the event will run from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. in Westbrook Auditorium of Presser Hall (1210 Park St., Bloomington).

The celebration in honor of the birth of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., will include performances by The United Gospel Singers of Bloomington/Normal Mass Choir, The Hour of Deliverance Youth Choir, Boys and Girls Club Choir, the Rev. Frank and Mrs. Bettye McSwain, Elder Homer Calhoun, Gayles Memorial Mass Choir and Praise Dancers (Aurora, Ill.), The Fantastic Jones Family (Springfield, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan Chapel Gospel Choir and the Rev. Spencer Gibson and the Integrity Singers (Peoria, Ill.).

Also performing will be Mount Pisgah Sunbeam Choir, Union Missionary Baptist Church Junior Gospel Quartet, Union Missionary Baptist Church Adult Choir, Illinois State Interdenominational Youth Choir, Loving Missionary Baptist Church, Jam Production Choir, Mt. Pisgah Praise Dancers and Mt. Pisgah Adult Choir.

Memorial Concert to Honor the Late Dr. Campbell

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – On Sunday, Oct. 23, the Illinois Wesleyan School of Music will hold a memorial concert for the late Dr. C. Lawrence Campbell, who served as a member of the Illinois Wesleyan faculty for 33 years.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Westbrook Auditorium of Presser Hall (1210 Park St., Bloomington).

A professor of music, piano, piano pedagogy and literature, Dr. Campbell, a member of the Illinois Wesleyan faculty since 1978, held degrees from Northwestern University and Indiana University. A celebrated artist who held many distinctions, Dr. Campbell was named a winner or finalist in several national competitions, including the Chicago Young Artists’ Competition, the Allied Arts Piano Competition, the Talman Musical Arts Competition and the international auditions of the Artists’ Advisory Council. He was named to the Fern Rosetta Sherff Professorship in 1998, honoring his distinguished teaching, research and service to the University.

Psychology Department Celebrating 50 Years

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The study of psychology has always had a place at Illinois Wesleyan.

On a shelf in the office of Interim Dean of Students Roger Schnaitter sat a small, black book bound by a spine cracked with age. Yellowing pages revealed the 1871 textbook, titled Psychology, or The Science of Mind, was written by the Rev. Oliver Munsell, second president of Illinois Wesleyan. “The teaching of psychology goes a long way into our history,” said Schnaitter. Like the science itself, psychology at IWU evolved over the last 162 years, only finding a permanent home on campus 50 years ago.

This year at Homecoming, the Psychology Department will honor those 50 years, and also pay tribute to a lost member of the faculty. On Saturday, Oct. 22, the Psychology Department will hold a 50th anniversary reception at 4:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Center for Natural Science Learning and Research (201 E. Beecher St., Bloomington). The event will also include a tribute to Professor of Psychology Jim Dougan, who died unexpectedly last year.

Students Plan Homecoming Activities to Show School Spirit

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University students have created student-oriented activities to celebrate 2011 Homecoming: Lights, Camera, Action. This year, students will search for the school mascot, Tommy the Titan, vote for Homecoming court, and dress-up as celebrities – to show their IWU school spirit.

Many events will be ongoing, such as “Where on Campus is Tommy the Titan.” Throughout the duration of Homecoming week, students will search for clues on where to find Tommy and are encouraged to take photos of the mascot and post them to Facebook or Twitter. Featured events will also include the “Celebrity Jeopardy” and the 60th Annual Titan Games, during which students compete against each other in various relay races.

Distinguished Alumni to be Recognized at Homecoming

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Two Illinois Wesleyan University graduates will be honored for their advances in entertainment, and one for his dedication to the University at the annual Alumni Awards Lunch on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 11:30 a.m. in the Shirk Center (302 Emerson St., Bloomington). The event is part of Illinois Wesleyan’s 2011 Homecoming: Lights, Camera, Action from Oct. 21-23.

Honored this year will be Chief Creative Officer (CCO) for DreamWorks Animation Bill Damaschke ’86, Vice President of Direct to Fan Creative and Technology at Atlantic Records Eric Snowden ’00, and IWU Minority Alumni Network board member Deon Hornsby ’97.

Bill Damaschke will receive the 2011 Illinois Wesleyan Distinguished Alumni Award. As CCO of DreamWorks, he is responsible for leading the creative and artistic direction of the animation studios. Joining the company in 1995, Damaschke has been integrally involved in overseeing each of the company’s animated releases during his tenure at DreamWorks Animation, from the Academy Award®-winning blockbuster “Shrek” in 2001, through the Academy Award®-nominated “How to Train Your Dragon” and the upcoming “Puss in Boots,” which will have a special screening at Illinois Wesleyan’s Hansen Student Center on Friday, Oct. 21.

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