Category Archives: Events

McPherson Theatre Presents “Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)”

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts will present “Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)” by Shelia Callaghan Sept. 21-25 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. in the McPherson Theatre (2 Ames Plaza East, Bloomington).

Tickets will be available for purchase on Monday, Sept. 13. General admission ticket prices are $12 for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday performances and $14 for Friday and Saturday performances. Tickets are available to seniors for $1 off the general rate. Students may purchase tickets for $2 with a valid Illinois Wesleyan ID.

This one-act comedy depicts the relationship between cynical 11-year-old Janice, her anxious mother and their deteriorating, yet verbal, apartment. After receiving an unusual Christmas list from her daughter, Janice’s mother must wait until Christmas day for the truth behind Janice’s troubling requests to be revealed. The only comfort available to Janice and her mother throughout this time are fantasies of their respective celebrity crushes, Justin Timberlake and Harrison Ford.

Homecoming Highlights Include 40th Anniversary of Observatory

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – At this year’s Illinois Wesleyan University Homecoming alumni will gather to mark the 40th anniversary of students peering toward the heavens from the Mark Evans Observatory. Tours of the observatory will be from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, with a reception at 4:30 p.m. in the Commons of the Center for Natural Science Learning and Research (CNS) (201 E. Beecher St., Bloomington).

When it was completed in 1970, the Mark Evans Observatory – like space exploration itself – offered hope in a turbulent time. Even the building of the observatory brought excitement to campus. In March of 1969, Col. Frank Borman, commander of the Apollo 8 space mission, arrived on campus for Founders’ Day to lay the cornerstone of the observatory and receive an honorary degree.

“He piloted his own jet into Bloomington,” then-University President Robert S. Eckley recalled in his memoir, Pictures at an Exhibition: Illinois Wesleyan University: 1968-1986. “He generated more interest and excitement than any other visitor to the campus during my years at Wesleyan.” Though he was not the main speaker for Founders’ Day, Eckley noted that Borman, “captivated the audience and the campus,” by offering a message of hope during a time when racial tension and war gripped the nation. “For a man who just returned from circling the moon, nothing was impossible,” wrote Eckley.

Russian Scholars to Explore Childhood Around the Globe

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University will welcome a delegation of scholars from Russia as part of “Childhood & Globalization: An International Colloquium” from Sept. 13-17.

The colloquium will consist of readings and discussions with scholars principally from Illinois Wesleyan, Illinois State University (ISU) and the Russian State University for the Humanities (RGGU) in Moscow. Several sessions are free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by Illinois Wesleyan’s Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), the International Studies program at IWU, the Isaac Funk Foundation and the ISU Department of English.

Altogether, eight scholars from Russia will take part in the colloquium, which will focus on children’s literature and politics of childhood around the globe. The Russian scholars are from RGGU and St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts. Co-organizers for the colloquium are Illinois Wesleyan faculty members Isaac Funk Professor of Russian Studies Marina Balina and Associate Professor of French and Italian Scott Sheridan.

“United by a desire to investigate such a multifaceted subject as childhood around the globe, our colloquium attempts to address many different aspects of this issue – from the politics of childhood and its historical context, to literary production and various cultural practices and depictions of children in different forms of media,” said Balina.

Wesleyan Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Events at Illinois Wesleyan University will help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on Sept. 16 and Chile on Sept. 18.

The Illinois Wesleyan Office of Multicultural Student Affairs is sponsoring an Immigration Reform Forum on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Hansen Student Center (300 E. Beecher, St, Bloomington). The keynote speaker will be Marti Jones, the executive director of the Immigration Project, which offers immigration legal services throughout downstate Illinois. Jones will then join a discussion forum at Hansen. The event, also sponsored by the Spanish and Latino Student Association, is free and open to the public.

The public can enjoy an evening of salsa lessons on Oct. 2. The event is a fundraiser for Radio Latino, a Spanish-language program heard on Illinois Wesleyan’s student-run radio station WESN 88.1, and is one of only two Spanish-speaking programs in Bloomington-Normal. Lessons will be from 7-8 p.m. in the Young Main Lounge of Memorial Center (104 E. University St., Bloomington), with a time for “free dance” following. Tickets for the event are $5 for the public and $3 for students, and can be purchased at the door.

Illinois Wesleyan students, faculty and staff will also participate in activities to celebrate the month, from a “Salsa Throwdown” cook-off of salsa recipes, to a group trip to visit the Hispanic Families Workgroup, which works to improve and create opportunities for Hispanic and Latino families in McLean County.

Homecoming and All That Jazz

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — It will be a weekend of music, memories, fireworks, football and tributes as alumni and friends gather for Illinois Wesleyan University’s Homecoming Oct. 8-10, with a theme of Homecoming and All That Jazz.

Highlights of Homecoming weekend activities include two 40th anniversary celebrations. The IWU Jazz Program will celebrate four decades with the Jazz Band Reunion concert on Friday, Oct. 8, comprised of four bands of alumni spanning the four decades. The concert will take place at 9 p.m. in Hansen Student Center (300 E. Beecher St., Bloomington), and will be led by Professor Tom Streeter, who founded the Jazz Program at IWU in 1970, and plans to retire at the end of the academic year. Dancing is encouraged.

The Mark Evans Observatory will also celebrate 40 years on campus with tours of the observatory from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, with a reception from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Commons of the Center for Natural Science Learning and Research (CNS) (201 E. Beecher St., Bloomington), honoring University Professors Ray Wilson and Lew Detweiler.

Also celebrating an anniversary will be the Hispanic Studies Program, founded in the 1999-2000 school year. There will be a reception for alumni, current and former faculty, and friends from 4:30-6 p.m. Saturday at the Joslin Atrium in the Memorial Center (104 E. University St., Bloomington).

Merwin and Wakeley Galleries to Feature Paintings and Ceramics

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University’s Merwin and Wakeley Galleries (6 Ames Plaza West, Bloomington) will feature the artwork of Michiko Itatani, as well as the ceramic work of Lou Pierozzi, from Thursday, Sept. 2 through Thursday, Sept. 30.

All exhibits are free and open to the public. The opening reception for both exhibitions will take place on Thursday, Sept. 2 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Itatani’s display, consisting of eight works from 2002-2010, is centered around the theme of “Cosmic Wanderlust” and will be shown in the Merwin Gallery. “I am presenting my personal fiction based on the human desire to reach out into the mental and physical space beyond our grasp,” said Itatani. A professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, Marie Sharp Walsh New York Studio Grant and John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, among others. Her paintings have been shown nationally and internationally. Itatani received her master’s degree in fine arts at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1976.

Pierozzi’s ceramic display, Rediscovering America, will be featured in the Wakeley Gallery.

Ceramics and Painting on Display in Art Galleries

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The ceramics of Michael Schwegmann and the paintings of alumna Kay Seefeld will be displayed in Illinois Wesleyan University’s Merwin and Wakeley Galleries, respectively, from May 5 through May 26.

The galleries are located in the Joyce Eichhorn Ames School of Art Building (6 Ames Plaza West, Bloomington). The opening reception for both exhibitions will be held on Thursday, May 6 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Graduating Class of 2010 Celebrates Lifelong Learning

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – At the 160th Commencement ceremonies for Illinois Wesleyan University, President Richard F. Wilson congratulated the more than 500 graduates of Illinois Wesleyan, saying he was proud to share the event with the students, their families and friends. “Commencement marks the beginning not the end,” he said. “Today, we honor you and wish you well, wherever your journey may take you. We know what you have accomplished here and what you are capable of accomplishing as you move forward with your lives.”

George Vinyard, the president of the University’s Board of Trustees, also celebrated the graduates, and let them know that despite the challenges they see in today’s world, they are well-prepared to take on any adversity. “In my humble opinion, ‘Knowledge and Wisdom’ express precisely what higher education should be about, and what we need more of today,” said Vinyard, referring to the Illinois Wesleyan motto, Scientia et Sapientia.

New Endowed Funds Support School of Nursing

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – President Richard F. Wilson announced two new endowment funds for the Illinois Wesleyan University School of Nursing at a dinner Saturday, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the awarding of bachelor of nursing science degrees on campus. The funds are part of the ongoing Transforming Lives: The Campaign for Illinois Wesleyan.

The two funds, the Donna Hartweg Endowed Scholarship and the Sandra Futhey Rice Endowment Fund, will support the School of Nursing.

This year marks the retirement of the former director of the School of Nursing, Donna Hartweg, who is also the Caroline F. Rupert Professor Emeritus of Nursing. In her honor, alumni, friends and family established the endowed scholarship in her name. The scholarship will offer financial support to one nursing student each year. So far, there have been more than 100 contributions to the scholarship fund.

“You have given me the highest honor I could ask for with this endowed scholarship,” said Hartweg.

The ongoing success of the School of Nursing is the focus of a new fund from alumna Sandra Rice, a 1977 graduate. It was announced at the dinner that Rice and her husband, Louis, established the Sandra Futhey Rice Endowment Fund to provide overall support for the School of Nursing.

Annual Conference Highlights Student Research, Creativity

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The annual John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference will be held at Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. across campus, featuring keynote speaker and chemist Timothy Zwier.

The event is free and open to the public.

The day will be dedicated to student research, whether through poster and oral presentations, music performances or art displays. A unique opportunity for undergraduates to be recognized for their research endeavors, the 2010 conference will include presentations from a broad range of disciplines. In the past, these have included posters from students in fields such as economics, environmental studies, Greek and Roman studies, theatre, biology and business administration. Research posters will be displayed in morning and afternoon sessions along with 10 sessions of 15-minute oral presentations.

The day’s keynote speaker will be the M. G. Mellon Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Timothy Zwier of Purdue University, who will speak at 1:30 p.m. in Anderson Auditorium of the Center for Natural Sciences (CNS) (201 Beecher St., Bloomington). His speech is entitled “The Happy Marriage Between Laser and Supersonic Expansion.”

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