Mail to the Illinois State magazine editor for August 2015:

To the Editor,

I am very impressed with the Student Sustainability Committee and its projects, especially the solar-powered table (February 2015). As an environmental educator, I am always excited by the ways Illinois State is lowering its carbon footprint and making sustainability visible.

Good job!

Carol Peterson ’75

To the Editor,

I thoroughly enjoyed “Shattering the Stereotype” (February 2015). I was one of those home economics students who learned to cook, clean and live in the Rambo House, graduating to plentiful jobs teaching in Illinois. As a result of my excellent education, I taught in Illinois public schools for 11 years, and then worked for the University of Illinois Extension teaching family life programs for an additional 13 years.

A few of my ISU home economics memories include the white uniform, white tennis shoes, a hairnet and our “bible”—The Betty Crocker Cookbook (still use mine)—that were required for all foods classes with Professor Blossom Johnson. We were required to wear dresses to all home economics classes at Turner Hall, despite the harsh winter weather.

While living in the dormitories, we had to wear a dress to dinner in the cafeteria. The dorms I lived in were totally all girls. We had to sign in and out if we were going to be away and were granted only so many “late hours.”

The skills I learned at ISU have been used all of my life for work, family or community. Now such an education is in Family Consumer Sciences, with a goal to empower graduates to cover many global issues such as culinary arts, nutrition/dietetics, apparel/interior design and still the family.

Cheers for ISU and its positive progression! Proud to be an alum!

Mary Elizabeth (Green) Evans ’68