ILLINOIS STATE E-LUMNI NEWS - Volume 3, No. 6
June 29, 2004
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT KILLED IN IRAQ
A 23-year-old Illinois State University student was killed in a suicide attack while serving with the United States Army in Iraq.
Jeremy Ridlen, a sophomore, was a member of the Illinois National Guard’s 1544th Transportation Company headquartered in Paris, Illinois. He was killed on May 23rd when a suicide bomber drove a dump truck rigged with an improvised explosive device into an American military supply convoy traveling near Fallujah.
Ridlen was a 1998 graduate of Maroa-Forsyth High School. His twin brother Jason Ridlen, also an Illinois State student, is a member of the 1544th Transportation Company but was not traveling with the convoy at the time of the attack.
WOW! TAKE A LOOK AT SCHROEDER HALL!
It’s fun that e-mail allows us to keep you updated on some observable changes on campus. Here’s one that we think is one of those “wow”-inspiring updates – the progress being made on the Schroeder Hall rehabilitation project.
A picture being worth a thousand words, just take a look at this Web page: www.illinoisstate.edu/alumni/schroeder.shtml.
IN EXCHANGE COMPLETED, DEDICATED
If that headline includes a term that’s completely foreign to you, either you graduated before the early 1990s or you knew it only as “the School Street project.”
In Exchange is the formal title of an area of sculpture (including a water treatment) and plantings that beautified the closed section of School Street between Stevenson and Williams Halls. The project also provides outdoor seating and meeting space, including an amphitheatre.
The project was funded entirely by private donations. Members of the Classes of 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, and 1999 voted to help fund In Exchange with their class gifts.
A dedication ceremony was held in May. For photos (even though they just can’t do it justice….), see www.illinoisstate.edu/alumni/inexchange.shtml.
REDEFINING “NORMAL” CAMPAIGN UPDATE
In early May, President Al Bowman announced a number of large gifts accounting for some 90 percent of the funding for a new strength and conditioning facility in Redbird Arena. This put the Redefining “normal” fund-raising campaign past the $80 million mark. Additional gifts to date bring the total just over $82 million – with six months remaining to achieve the $88 million goal.
If you haven’t yet participated, now is the time! Participation is every bit as important as amount. More information is available at the Campaign Web page.
IN BRIEF: UPDATES FROM AROUND CAMPUS
It seems like there has been a lot of news since our last issue, so in brief, here are some links to news notes out of some of the Colleges and other university divisions.
College of Applied Science and Technology
Faculty members David Kennel, Technology; Doug Kingman, Agriculture; and David Loomis, Economics, submitted a successful proposal for a $500,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to help purchase and construct a 1.5 megawatt wind turbine for generating electricity at the University Farm near Lexington.
College of Arts and Sciences Gary A. Olson, interim associate vice president for academic affairs at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, has been named the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1.
College of Fine Arts
Lonny J. Gordon, an acclaimed painter, choreographer and dancer, and most recently professor of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has been named dean of the College of Fine Arts.
Mennonite College of Nursing
It was announced that Mennonite College of Nursing ranks above the state and national averages for the number of graduates who passed the national nursing licensure examination on the first try in 2003.
Athletics
Earlier this month, Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger was reassigned to the president's office; Linda Herman has been named the interim director of athletics.
NEW WEB SITE FEATURE: PHOTO ALBUMS
The Alumni Web site now offers more visual fun: a photo album feature which allows us to showcase a variety of visual images from Illinois State's history as well as from recently-held alumni gatherings.
Photo albums will regularly include historical photo arrays from 25 and 50 years ago. Right now, you can also view albums from last year’s Homecoming, reunions for TV-10 and Student Alumni Council, and a recent alumni reception in Galesburg.
To access the photo albums, go to the Alumni home page at www.IllinoisState.edu/alumni and click on the button for “Photo Albums.”
SEEKING YOUR PHOTOS FROM 25, 50 YEARS AGO
And while we’re talking about the photo albums….. The initial historical photo albums of campus life 25 and 50 years ago were built using yearbooks and University photo archives. Alumni are invited to scan photos from their personal scrapbooks and submit them to us for possible use on the Web. If you have or can make a digital version of a photo that you think well represents campus as it appeared in 1979 or 1954 (or 1980 or 1955 -- to prepare us for 2005), please send it electronically to Julie Goodlick in Alumni Services, jdgoodlick@IllinoisState.edu. We make no guarantees that your photograph will be used. Also, please do not send prints to the Alumni office!
HOMECOMING 2004: CALL FOR ALUMNI KING & QUEEN NOMINATIONS
Beginning in 2000, Illinois State University brought back the tradition of Homecoming royalty. Each year now, a student court is determined from among student leaders -- while at the same time, the Alumni Association seeks an alumni King and Queen from among those who attended more than 50 years ago. The 2003 Alumni King and Queen were Jack '41 and Dolly (Vance) '41 Secord.
Do you know someone who graduated from Illinois State (Normal) University in 1954 or before who would make good royalty for Homecoming 2004? If so, consider nominating him or her. You'll find additional criteria with our downloadable nomination form.
ASK ALUMNI SERVICES
QUESTION: "So, what does it cost for tuition and fees at ISU these days?" --- Steve Derby ’88, Chicago
ANSWER: Well, Steve, that depends on whether you’re a returning student or an incoming one. Recently the Illinois General Assembly passed a “truth in tuition” bill requiring state universities to guarantee a new student the same tuition rate for four years.
For the 2004-2005 year, according to a recent press release, ”new students taking a 15-hour class load each semester will pay $6,090 in tuition and mandatory fees annually . . . [That amount will be] locked-in for four continuous academic years, or longer for undergraduate programs that take more time to complete. Continuing full-time students will pay $5,340 annually in tuition and mandatory fees. Tuition and fees for new out-of-state full-time students will be $11,316 annually. Full-time (12 hours per semester) graduate students will pay $4,776.” For more information, read the entire press release from May.
Note: If you have a question for us, please e-mail Julie Goodlick in Alumni Services.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Details on alumni events can be found on our Events Calendar Web page.
