Read a sneak peak of what you’ll see in the next issue
Keep an eye on the mailbox, as the May issue of the alumni magazine will be arriving soon. In this issue of Illinois State you will find the following features:
- Long before capturing an Emmy and Golden Globe for portraying coach Sue Sylvester on Fox’s series Glee, Jane Lynch ’82 honed her theatrical skills at Illinois State. She remains grateful to faculty who prepared her for a career that has taken her from Chicago’s stages to movie sets and now, the top of Hollywood.
- It took student passage of a fee referendum, partnerships across campus, and years of patience for Illinois State to replace its makeshift Student Recreation Building. The wait ended this year with the opening of the $50 million Student Fitness Center and McCormick Hall, which immediately became one of the most popular campus spots.
- For nearly 100 years Old Main stood as the central structure on campus. Some still remember its grandeur, including Eugene Hunter, who holds the longest service record of any Illinois State employee. Hunter worked in what was the first classroom building. He and others are sharing their memories with a team of faculty and graduate students who are researching the building through oral histories and artifacts removed from where Old Main once stood on the Quad.
- Terry Kinney ’76 and Jeff Perry ’78 connected as two undergraduates passionate about acting. Their friendship and talent resulted in the creation of Chicago’s Steppenwolf, which is the nation’s premier ensemble theater.
