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Volume 12 • Number 2 • Fall 2011
Books to battle: Hovey put Illinois State in Civil War annals
Illinois State Normal University (ISNU) was caught up in national politics soon after the school was established in 1857. Students and faculty alike talked of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and the election of Illinois’ favored son as president. Soon after Abraham Lincoln took office, campus conversation turned to South Carolina’s succession, the
Scientist’s saga of saving the giant panda species
During his 30-year career as a reproductive biologist who specializes in rescuing threatened animal species from demise, David E. Wildt ’72 has used his high-tech scientific skills to help save such exotic creatures as the Florida panther and the black-footed ferret of the American Great Plains. But Wildt’s greatest challenge—and the biggest thrill of his
Alumna succeeds in reaching, teaching autistic children
For a year her job gave her stomach aches. Standing in front of high school juvenile delinquents from gritty neighborhoods put Kari Dunn Buron in knots. The physical education teacher was only 21 and it was her first teaching experience. “I was not that much older than they were and they were a lot more
Mock trial team finds national success
The Illinois State mock trial team toils away in the campus shadows with minimal support or recognition, yet shines brightly among its national competitors. The small percentage of individuals who realize the University even has such a team inevitably ask how a school that doesn’t offer a law degree ended up with an award-winning program
ISU lauded nationally for active citizenship program
Illinois State’s efforts to engage students in activities that sharpen skills related to political processes and leadership have been lauded, as the University is the sole recipient of the 2011 New York Times Political Engagement Project (PEP) Program of Excellence Award. Part of the American Democracy Project, PEP addresses the problem of political disengagement in
Where are they now? Clarence Moore
Fifty years ago, in 1961, I joined the ISU Agriculture Department, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It’s hard to believe that I’ve had an affiliation with the department for half a century. I retired from ISU in December of 1989, but continued to teach part-time for a couple of years and have kept
Mail to the Editor: November 2011
Mail to the Illinois State magazine editor for November 2011: RELIVING OLD MAIN To the Editor, I came to ISNU from a small Oklahoma college. I had classes on the second floor and it was a special comfort for me to enter Old Main (“Artifacts & Memories,” May 2011). It was the only spot on
Redbird captures national championship in javelin
Sophomore Tim Glover joined an elite group of Illinois State student-athletes earlier this year when he won the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championship in the javelin. He took the event in June with a mark of 263-06 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. The throw earned Glover All-America honors, and set
Football team makes Special Olympics connection
Defensive linemen drive through opposing offensive protection and take out whoever has the football. ISU’s Colton Underwood excels in the job. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound sophomore was deadly on the field last season, finishing with 16 tackles, including two sacks. And yet when 3-foot-2, 50-pound Wyatt Whitlow encountered Underwood at a Special Olympics Young Athletes event
Arch Madness tourney is around the corner
Start planning your trip to the St. Louis area during the first two weekends of March to support both Redbird basketball teams. The 2012 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament is March 1-4. The Millennium in downtown St. Louis will be the team hotel. The following weekend, March 8-11, the women’s basketball team plays
Weisbecker Scholarship Fund: A family of Redbird fans
Finding a little extra in a young family’s budget is not easy, but Amy and Randy Roser have supported Redbird Athletics for more than a decade. This is why they do it.
Black Colleagues Association: Desire to make a difference
Not many high-schoolers know what they want to do with their life. Ronnell Robinzine ’09 was different. Even before he was old enough to drive, he wanted to be a lawyer. “I saw lawyers as leaders making a difference in society, and I wanted to make a difference,” he said.
O’Daffer Fellowship: Going the extra mile
Not many people would drive four hours every day for three years to pursue a dream. That is what Jenni McCool, Ph.D. ’09, did when she chose Illinois State for her doctorate. Moving to campus wasn’t an option for McCool, who didn’t want to uproot her two toddlers and husband from their home in Macomb. But
Disability Concerns scholarship: A lasting impression
Garrett Anderson ’10 is the first in his family to graduate from a four-year college. This puts him one step closer to a career helping fellow veterans. More importantly, his graduation left a lasting impression on his 4-year-old daughter. “She was at my graduation and she thought it was the greatest thing in the world,”
Alumni Association directors elected
There is new membership within the Alumni Association following a board of directors campus meeting in September. Tim Pantaleone ’07 of Bloomington was elected to his first, three-year term. He is a finance supervisor at State Farm Insurance Companies. While on campus he was a manager for the softball team and entertained as Reggie Redbird.
Keep in touch during extended vacations
Are you headed to a warmer climate for winter? Make certain you receive this magazine and other important Illinois State mailings while away from your home address. Simply send your seasonal address to Alumni Relations, along with the dates for the change of address. Doing so also guarantees that you’ll receive information about alumni events
Professor provides welcomed push into Red Cross
The power of partnering with faculty was made clear to Amy Rude ’07, M.S. ’11. While finishing her master’s degree in social work this past spring, Rude’s participation in a relief effort with the American Red Cross was made possible through intervention from her academic department. Rude was able to help flood victims because of
Alum inventor creates OrigAudio products
Travel is a passion for Michael Szymczak ’06. Music is equally important, which explains why Szymczak started the company OrigAudio with a friend. They developed portable audio products, including a fold-and-play speaker set powered off an iPod, and a unit that turns common objects—such as a cup—into a speaker.
Protecting pay, benefits for service members
John R. Davis ’78 is director of legislative programs for the Fleet Reserve Association, which represents enlisted members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The association protects the pay and benefits of service members and their families. Davis appeared before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense this past summer to voice concern
Award-winning alum lands at local radio station
School of Communication alumna Jamie Reed ’07 has been behind a microphone since her days at ISU’s student radio station, WZND. There three years, she took on the roles of music director and general manager. Now Reed is the award-winning, on-air talent for Bloomington’s WBNQ. The Illinois Broadcaster’s Association named her the first place recipient
Alum’s Great Urban Race is a winner
Inspired by The Amazing Race, Joe Reynolds ’03 decided in 2007 to energize communities across the country with an event called The Great Urban Race. Teams of two loved completing clues and racing to the finish line. Success was so immediate that Reynolds created a company in Chicago called Red Frog Events. Soon there was
How we met: Amanda Thomason and Mike Williams
While attending Illinois State, Amanda Thomason ’05 and Mike Williams ’04, M.S. 07, never expected they would live next door to their future spouse. Amanda met Mike when her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, paired up for an exchange with the fraternity next door, Alpha Gamma Rho.
Redbird legacy: Following mom into education
When Estella Hensley ’34, ’71, attended Illinois State in the 1930s, she never predicted a legacy in the making. She earned a teaching certificate with her mother’s persuasion and began her career in a Central Illinois country school. For nearly 10 years she taught first through eighth grades, and did so much more.
