A Half-century of Concerts at Illinois State University
Story by John Twork
Web design by Ella Jahraus
All photos in this story are from performances at Illinois State University.
From the “Prince of Darkness” to the “Queen of Soul,” dozens of music’s brightest stars have shined at Illinois State University over the past half-century.
Braden Auditorium (originally named Union Auditorium from 1973-81) has hosted over 300 concerts during its 50-year run as Illinois State’s intimate, 3,500-seat theatrical venue. Larger shows rocked Horton Field House beginning in 1964 until Redbird Arena (now CEFCU Arena) opened in 1989. And, before Illinois State’s modern venues, students danced to the likes of Count Basie at McCormick Gym.
Through more than five decades of concerts at Illinois State, generations of Redbirds share memories of belting out lyrics at live campus shows—from Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” in 1975 to Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” in 2023.
Here are our top 50 concerts of the past 50-plus years at Illinois State.
Fifty years after the curtain rose on Braden Auditorium (then Union Auditorium), it remains a coveted venue for touring artists and fans alike. Pop-infused folk singer-songwriter Noah Kahan sold out Braden for his performance at Illinois State during the 2023 spring semester. A few months later, the rising star played Chicago’s iconic Lollapalooza music festival ahead of a sold-out international tour.
A few alumni stars have appeared on Braden Auditorium’s stage years after they were regulars in Illinois State’s classrooms. Country singer-songwriter Suzy Bogguss ’79, a Grammy award-winning musician, performed at Braden in 1999 to raise funds for Illinois State’s yet-to-be-built Center for the Performing Arts. Comedian Craig Robinson ’94 played the keyboard alongside his band, The Nasty Delicious, at a 2014 Family Weekend musical-comedy show at Braden.
A few hours before opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 25-year-old Lenny Kravitz, bottom right, appeared at The Gallery in Downtown Normal where he was honored by Illinois State’s Black Writer’s Forum “for his outstanding work in the music industry,” according to a February 19, 1990, Vidette article. “What can I say? This is my very first award,” Kravitz proudly told the packed crowd. When asked by an audience member if he would play “Rosemary,” a song off his debut album, at that evening’s concert, he said it wasn’t on the setlist. “So, on the spur of a moment, Kravitz was handed a guitar by someone in the audience and showed the crowd real, honest music, the way it is supposed to be,” according to Vidette writer Kawone Harris ’93.
40
Iggy Azalea
Braden, 10/18/14
Australian rapper Iggy Azalea rode a wave of newfound stardom into Braden Auditorium, with her song “Fancy” topping the Billboard Hot 100 list a few months before arriving in Normal. Along with her hit single, Azalea brought to Braden two dresses for the show that each needed to be shortened by an inch to better accommodate her onstage dance performance. Scrambling with the unexpected request, Braden manager Barb Dallinger, ’81, M.S. ’01, contacted Melissa Schrier ’86, a friend and sewing hobbyist. Schrier dropped what she was doing, picked up her sewing machine, and set up in Braden’s star dressing room. Just a couple hours ahead of showtime, Schrier finished the dresses, which Azalea wore for the evening’s sold-out concert. Before going on stage, Azalea signed Schrier’s sewing machine. “That was incredibly sweet of her,” Dallinger said.
Longtime Braden manager Barb Dallinger has read dozens of tour riders listing items that performers request—or demand—for their performances. Dallinger often parsed the lists by asking managers, “Is it a ‘must have,’ or a ‘want?’” One unnamed star requested a six-pack of white athletic socks and undershirts because she liked the feel of new socks after a show. Dallinger politely declined. Another asked for a specific brand of bottled water only available in Colorado. After arriving in her dressing room to find a case of Evian, Dallinger said the star threw each bottle into the hallway, yelling, “This is not the water I ordered!” Dallinger fondly remembers country band Lonestar’s request for “a meal like grandma would make on Sunday.” “The catering group knocked it out of the park,” Dallinger said. “They made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and pie. It was incredible!
In search of a quiet spot after soundcheck to write music with his acoustic guitar, country singer-songwriter Brad Paisley wandered up a spiral staircase connecting the stage level of Braden Auditorium to the upper level of the Bone Student Center. According to former Braden manager Barb Dallinger, Paisley ended up in the former Office of Alumni Engagement, where he was greeted by collective, surprised exclamations of “Brad Paisley?!” Staff set Paisley up with a private conference room where, for the next few hours—as Dallinger frantically searched for the missing country star—he strummed away, potentially working on his next hit single.
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New Friends of Old Time Music
Founded by former Illinois State University students Greg Koos and Mike Metcalf ’71, the New Friends of Old Time Music was a student organization that put together a remarkable run of weekly music shows on campus from 1970-87. The free concerts featured “traditional American music,” according to Koos, including signature folk, bluegrass, and blues. New Friends performers included John Prine, Leon Redbone, Tom Waits, Steve Goodman, Bill Monroe, pictured, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and many others.
Classically trained soprano Julie Andrews, widely known for her lead roles in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, spent a few days in the fall of 1987 at Braden Auditorium rehearsing her first-ever concert tour directed by husband Blake Edwards, according to longtime Pantagraph arts and entertainment editor Dan Craft ’80. “They wanted to keep it under the radar, so they chose Braden and ISU,” Craft said. “That was a pretty big deal for Bloomington-Normal.” Andrews then opened the tour with two shows at Braden during Family Weekend.
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Signature Room
For a half-century, artists preparing for a show at Braden Auditorium have been surrounded by the stars who shined onstage before them. Covering the cinder block walls, ceiling tiles, bathroom—even the clock—in the star dressing room, are signatures, messages, and artwork penned by past performers. From a flowingly scripted “Prince” (the “I” dotted by a heart) to a 4-foot-tall chili pepper drawn by none other than the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the dressing room is a living time capsule of Braden’s storied history
Normal Mayor Richard T. Godfrey proclaimed November 7, 1983, as “Genesis Day” in honor of the band’s decision to open its 12-week North American tour in Normal. Phil Collins, middle, and his fellow band members accepted a plaque marking the honor and held a press conference for local media.
If there ever was a band that could conquer the acoustic atrocities of Horton, it is Genesis. But that’s no surprise. -David Bill, Pantagraph
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Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound Machine
Redbird, 11/11/89
Less than 10 months after Redbird Arena’s inaugural concert (featuring glam metal band Ratt in January of 1989), Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine heated up Illinois State’s newest venue with their high-energy, Latin-influenced music during Parents’ Weekend. The Grammy-nominated group packed their 90-minute show with dance-worthy hits—opening with “Conga” and closing with an encore of “Get on Your Feet,” which was then No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Vidette writer Susie Ginther ’90 noted the concert’s entertaining theatrics, including a “colorful light show,” plus “an astounding alto saxophone solo played by Mike Scaglione.”
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‘We’re on Your Way’
Bloomington-Normal has long attracted top-tier touring musicians. This is due, in part, to the community’s location at the intersection of three interstates, inevitably placing it in the middle of cross-country tours. “Our marketing campaign (to tour promoters) for a while was, ‘No matter where you’re going, we’re on your way,’” said longtime Braden manager Barb Dallinger. The community, including its college students, also has a reputation of supporting live music, according to former Pantagraph arts and entertainment editor Dan Craft. “It’s a strong music town,” Craft said.
Soft rocker Barry Manilow performed four times at Illinois State, including a sold-out, two-night stand at Union Auditorium in 1976. “Although I felt more like an observer than a participant, it occurred to me that I was witnessing probably the greatest thing ever to occur in the Union Auditorium since its groundbreaking,” wrote Vidette reviewer Ralph Baum ’77. “(Manilow) gave to (the audience) what they wanted; and they gave to him right back.” Manilow’s performance included a medley of his famous commercial jingles, including “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” Throughout Barb Dallinger’s tenure managing Braden, she said Manilow was the venue’s most-requested artist by community members.
A live recording from English rocker Peter Gabriel’s concert at Braden Auditorium was incorporated into the 1983 double album and long-play cassette, Plays Live, which featured 16 songs primarily recorded at four Midwest venues. It was subsequently rereleased in remastered CD and digital formats. The Vidette concert review, which praised Gabriel’s “well-refined form of art-rock,” noted that Gabriel told the audience, “Those of you who are observant may have noticed a very large truck outside. It is in the process of recording you at this very moment.”
As the lights died and the backing band entered in twos, the audience became excited. A sweet but raspy voice came from somewhere, ending the wait. With enough sequins and hair to kill Liberace once again, Dolly Parton entered the stage and blew away the audience. -Bruce Whitenack, The Vidette
15
The Smashing Pumpkins
Redbird, 3/23/94; Braden, 10/4/07
Four years after playing at The Gallery, a college bar in Downtown Normal, Chicago-based alternative rockers The Smashing Pumpkins returned to Normal in 1994—with two platinum records under their collective belts—to open their spring tour at a sold-out Redbird Arena. Fans were treated to a high-energy concert featuring two encores. “Thanks to you 10 people who used to come see us at the Gallery,” lead singer Billy Corgan told the crowd between songs. The Smashing Pumpkins previously opened, along with Pearl Jam, for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Braden Auditorium in 1991, and they returned to headline a Braden show in 2007.
The long list of concerts in Normal includes a handful of notoriously controversial performers, none more so than heavy metal rocker Marilyn Manson, who played Redbird Arena in 1997. “There was so much controversy,” said longtime Pantagraph arts and entertainment editor Dan Craft. “Church groups were protesting, and the anti-Marilyn Manson faction blew it up into a front-page news story.” Craft also recalls controversy surrounding rock band Jefferson Starship’s 1982 performance at Horton Field House. “A local minister had discovered what he believed to be a satanic message recorded backwards on a Jefferson Starship record,” Craft said. “Starship’s Paul Kantner went on WJBC radio’s afternoon show, Problems and Solutions, and had a live debate with the minister before that evening’s concert.” In both cases, the shows took place without any major incidents.
“I’m feeling pretty normal tonight,” Bruce Springsteen joked to a full-capacity crowd at Braden Auditorium Tuesday night (during his solo, acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad Tour). I’m in a normal place with a bunch of normal people,” said “The Boss.” “It feels good to be normal.” -Matt Miller, The Vidette
Blues legend B.B. King and his famous Gibson guitar, “Lucille,” played at Illinois State four times beginning in 1974 when King was 48 years old. He returned in 1992, 1995, and finally, in 2006 at age 81. Former Braden manager Barb Dallinger said King was among the friendliest artists to perform during her tenure. “He was just the sweetest man,” said Dallinger, right, with King. “I spent quite a bit of time with him on his bus, which was special.” While chatting, King expressed his interest in Braden’s graduate assistant and internship program. “The type of experiences our students were receiving were rare in the fine arts community,” Dallinger said. “He was quite impressed with not only the experiences they were getting, but also how well they were doing it.”
After singing 18 songs, the Beach Boys took a small intermission. Joyce Kay, an usher for the performance, found herself enjoying the show as she repeatedly got up to dance and sing along. “I think [the show] is fantastic,” said Kay. “It makes me feel young again. It makes me feel like I’m a student again at ISU.” – Becky Fletcher, The Vidette
5
Grateful Dead
Horton, 4/24/78
Widely revered by “Deadheads” as one of the best shows from one of the band’s best tours, the Grateful Dead’s Horton Field House concert was immortalized in a limited edition, three-CD live album produced by Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux in 2013. The show—part of the ISU Entertainment Committee’s Springfest—was recorded by Grateful Dead audio engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson. “It’s long been one of my favorite shows from a really, really good tour,” Lemieux said in a video introducing the live album. “What we have is this incredible show, start to finish.” Lemieux said he ranks the renditions of “Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain” and “The Music Never Stopped” at Horton among the band’s best versions ever.
Held from 1972 to 1977, the Rites of Spring—Illinois State’s version of Woodstock—were free, all-day events anchored by emerging musicians performing on a stage on the south end of the Quad. In its final year, the Rites drew nearly 20,000 students from across the country to see a lineup that included REO Speedwagon and the Charlie Daniels Band. Excessive drinking and the use of recreational drugs by many of the event’s attendees along with the festival’s cost to the University led, in part, to the Rites’ demise.
The “Rocket Man” helped launch a golden era of rock concerts at Horton Field House in the 1970s. Wearing a flashy suit, platform shoes, and rimmed glasses, 25-year-old Elton John electrified Horton. Students had camped on the Quad for two days to secure tickets. In his review of the Elton John show, Vidette feature editor Mike Waters ’73 said the audience was treated to a “masterpiece” of a concert. “Without letting up, he hit high point after high point, continually bringing the audience screaming to their feet,” wrote Waters.
For 50 years, Braden Auditorium’s towering walls have reverberated some of the finest voices in music—none more magnificent than Aretha Franklin’s. “Franklin proceeded to prove that she still reigned as the Queen of Soul while presenting her wide vocal range to the audience,” wrote the Vidette’s Carrie Browning ’96. “She asked the audience for a little help with the old favorite ‘Think.’ Franklin was surprised with the enormous response from the audience and moved onto ‘Respect.’ The entire audience stood up, rocked with the music, clapped their hands, and yelled out “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.’” Franklin later played a “slow but sweet” rendition of “You Send Me” on Braden’s grand piano before closing with “Spirit in the Dark,” leaving the audience “impressed with Franklin’s style and pizzaz,” according to Browning.
What memories do you have of concerts at Illinois State? Did we miss your favorite show? Share your stories and photos
Special thanks to Julie Neville, M.S. ’12, Illinois State University senior archives specialist, and Bill Kemp ’88, M.S. ’00, McLean County Museum of History librarian.
Cover by Half Hazard Press
Illinois State men’s basketball alum Tony Wills ’17 is in his first season as an assistant coach for the UIC men’s basketball program. Fellow Redbird alum Luke Yaklich ’98—an assistant at Illinois State during Wills’ four-year playing career—is UIC’s head coach, and former Redbird player Madison Williams ’20 is also an assistant coach.
“This opportunity means a lot to me to come help build with Coach Yak, who coached and developed me at Illinois State,” Wills said. “Coach Yak has the formula for success. He’s won everywhere. I’m beyond excited to be a part of the Flames program.”
During his senior season in 2016-17, Wills made 32 starts and helped the Redbirds (28-7, 17-1 MVC) earn a share of the MVC regular-season title. He was also named to the MVC All-Defensive Team.
“Tony had a great career at Illinois State where I had the opportunity to watch him grow and develop as a student-athlete,” Yaklich said. “The passion and energy he competed with as a student-athlete matches his love for teaching the game and positively impacting young people. Tony’s work ethic and ability to connect with people is special.”
Prior to UIC, Wills coached at Southern Illinois University.
Newly enshrined Illinois State Athletics Percy Hall of Famer Jenny (Kabbes) Fuente ’02, M.S. ’04, is one of only three student-athletes in Redbird volleyball history to tally more than 1,000 kills (1,167) and 400 blocks (457) in her career. Who are the other two Redbirds to achieve this feat?
The class included Mike Jones ’83 (wrestling), a 1983 All-American and two-time NCAA qualifier; Jenny (Kabbes) Fuente ’02, M.S. ’04 (volleyball), a two-time Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) First-Team selection and four-time All-MVC pick; Stacey Miller ’11 (golf), a 2009 MVC Championship individual medalist and three-time All-MVC selection; and Cameron Siskowic ’07 (football), an All-American and two-time Buck Buchanan Award finalist.
In addition to the 2023 Percy Hall of Fame class, longtime Illinois State Athletics photographer Dennis Banks was honored with the Campbell “Stretch” Miller Award, which celebrates the contributions of those whose main services were not playing or coaching at Illinois State but were important to the Athletics program’s success.
Illinois State women’s basketball alum Mary Crompton ’21, M.S. ’23, was one of four Missouri Valley Conference student-athletes to receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship from the conference for her exemplary academic and athletic performances.
Crompton graduated in May with a master’s in biological sciences after earning a bachelor’s—in just three years—in physiology, neuroscience, and behavior. She maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA throughout her Illinois State career.
Following her final season, Crompton became the first women’s basketball student-athlete in Illinois State history to be named a first-team Academic All-American. She also became the 30th Redbird to eclipse 1,000 career points, and she set the program record for made 3-pointers, with 300 career triples.
Illinois State’s award-winning student television program is turning 50 years old in 2024 and celebrating with a TV-10 reunion weekend, April 12-13, 2024.
Alumni and friends are invited to honor the newest Broadcast Hall of Fame inductees, mingle with friends, and catch up with the latest happenings at TV-10. More details will be available in the coming months at isu10news.com.
Redbird Prime has been rebranded to encompass all alumni 60 years and older and will now be called Golden Redbirds.
The Golden Redbirds Alumni Network will offer exclusive professional, educational, and social events including its premiere event, the Half Century Club reunion. Members will also receive special communications and content. To learn more, visit Alumni.IllinoisState.edu/Golden-Redbirds.
Three accomplished School of Communication alumni returned to campus Homecoming weekend to share their personal stories and career insights during the Share Your Success Leadership Panel.
Hosted by the School of Communication’s new Career COM-petency program, the panel included: Alicia Bettes ’94, an executive producer of national news for Spectrum News, Chris Saksa ’16, a global learning and development manager at Aon, and Matt Tumbleson ’04, the vice president of basketball communications for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
More than 40 students, faculty, and staff crowded into a Fell Hall classroom on October 13, to hear Bettes, Saksa, and Tumbleson answer questions and provide advice about preparing for job interviews, becoming a leader, growing professionally, and more.
Nailing a job interview
Matt Tumbleson
Tumbleson said preparing for a job interview is key. Being prepared allowed him to be his authentic self during his interview, which he said is an important quality to bring to any job.
“I had prepared for where the conversation could potentially go, all the different possible angles, and then the conversation became very authentic,” Tumbleson said. “But it was because I was prepared to navigate it to where it needed to go.”
Saksa talked about the importance of storytelling during an interview—having a story prepared for each interview question and giving the interviewer specific, personal examples.
“One of the biggest things that I learned here at ISU was that when you’re going through a job description and applying for your first job, you should go through and pick all the main points out of there and say, ‘I have a story about this,’” Saksa said. “So, when they asked me, ‘Tell me about a time when you had to develop curriculum for somebody?’ Or, ‘Can you tell me about how you would navigate this situation?’ I’d be like, ‘I have a story for you.’”
Bettes stressed the importance of researching the hiring company and the interviewer or hiring manager ahead of time.
“When you go into an interview for a job, whatever job that you’re going into, know your subject,” Bettes said. “Before I start telling my story, I want to know who I’m talking to. In an interview situation, if I know I’m speaking to Mary Adams, vice president of ‘XYZ corporation,’ I’m looking her up on LinkedIn. I’m Googling her to find out a little bit about her background. It just speaks volumes to who you are and your dedication and commitment to whatever the role is that you’re interviewing for.”
Becoming an effective leader
Alicia Bettes
The panelists also discussed what it means to be a leader, and more specifically, what it means to lead effectively.
Bettes said it is a privilege to become an entrusted leader. “I also believe that everyone has leadership qualities inside of them,” Bettes said. “Whether it’s at a corporation, whether it’s at home, whether it’s at school, church, you name it—you all have the ability to step out and take the lead in whatever you do. So, leaders are workers and workers are leaders. Leadership is people.”
Top-down management isn’t necessarily the most effective leadership method, according to Saksa. “I actually think it’s flipped,” Saksa said. “I report to the people that report to me, and it is my responsibility that they show up every single day and they can be their authentic self and reach their full potential. If I’m going to be a good leader, I have to put them first and make sure that they’re successful. So, I think if you identify what your values are, what your competencies are, and where your areas of strengths and weakness are, then you can better serve the people.”
To students who will soon be entering the workforce, Tumbleson encouraged them to “work hard to find themselves.”
“Try to work hard to understand yourself and develop confidence in yourself,” Tumbleson said. “And to the point on leadership, this helps with being a leader too, because you’re not trying to be something you’re not; you’re the same to your group and to your team.”
The panelists further discussed the importance of identifying qualities of effective leaders and combining them to create a personal leadership style.
Advancing in a career
Chris Saksa
The panelists agreed that they felt prepared for their careers after graduating from Illinois State. They credited helpful staff and professors, registered student organizations, and other campus resources. They encouraged students to take advantage of opportunities on campus and carry what they learn at Illinois State into their careers.
“My advice is to never stop learning,” Saksa said. “The slogan at ISU is ‘Gladly we learn and teach.’ Notice that the word ‘learn’ comes first. So, my biggest piece of advice to all of you is just never stop learning. Never stop stepping out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s a giant step or whether it’s a small step.”
Bettes encouraged students to continue pursuing their passions in their careers and beyond. “You have this degree? Yes, pursue whatever that degree is. But if there’s somewhere along the way, something else interests you, don’t be afraid to step out,” Bettes said. “That’s how you grow.”
The panelists reminisced about some of their favorite professors and how they’ve kept in contact after graduation. They said it’s important to build relationships with faculty and utilize them as a resource.
The Share Your Success Leadership Panel was the second of eight Career COM-petency workshops planned this academic year. The program was developed to replace the long-standing COM Week model for professional development opportunities in the School of Communication.
The Career Services “Your Future Starts Here” sign in the Bone Student Center inspires all who pass the glowing red neon lights. So, when business analytics major Emmie Kersh incorporated it into the design for a Cintas carpet mat as part of her internship with the Fortune 500 company, she herself became as bright as the reflection displayed on the concourse.
Senior Emmie Kersh displays her Redbird pride.
“One of the best parts of my internship with Cintas was the environment and the culture of the organization. They are friendly, supportive, and authentic. Cintas really is who they say they are,” states Kersh. “During my interviews and orientation, staff kept sharing that they allow their interns and trainees to run with their ideas. So, when I suggested they design a special mat with ISU branding for them to use when recruiting on campus, I was super excited to be the one to design it!”
Cintas management trainee Sean Cox ’23 agrees with Kersh’s assessment of the organization’s culture. “Everyone is incredibly supportive of me and my career. Whether it is one of my office partners or my regional business director, every individual in this organization genuinely cares about me and my growth as an individual,” Cox said. “Knowing that I have this amount of support drives me to do everything I can for Cintas.”
Cintas opportunities
Both Redbirds joined Cintas in 2022. Cox learned about Cintas by attending an on-campus career fair. “I had prior knowledge of Cintas before, so I went to their booth and talked to them about a potential career opportunity. What really attracted me to the program was their room for growth. As a management trainee, you are a top priority for management and sales positions after you graduate from the program.”
“The application process was very simple,” states Cox. “While connecting at the career fair, I gave the Cintas representatives my email address, and they sent me a link to apply for their program. The interview process was very in-depth and thorough. Cintas did an exceptional job getting to know me as a candidate and explaining the responsibilities and expectations of the management trainee role.”
Although both Redbirds studied business in college, Cintas is an organization that considers students from all majors and fields of study. “We chose to be a partner with Illinois State University because we have seen firsthand the caliber of students graduating from the University,” states Cintas Campus Talent Acquisition Manager Sarah Clanton.
Career Services encourages students from all majors to apply with Cintas because of the transferable skills they develop inside and outside the classroom. “We have found that most employers seek candidates with strong transferable skills, skills such as communication, creative thinking and problem solving, teamwork and collaboration,” states Career Services Associate Director Natalie R. Alexander. “Having partnered with Cintas for many years, we know they are an incredible organization for any student who has developed those skills whether in the classroom, through involvement in a student organization, volunteer service, part-time jobs, etc.”
Cintas’ interest in candidates with strong transferable skills is also reflected in their management trainee program. During the 15-month period, participants gain an in-depth understanding of the organization’s various divisions and processes. They rotate through a series of training including working with an office manager, warehouse operations, service, sales, training and compliance, and even receive CPR and AED certification. In this way, as they progress in their career, they can easily change roles without changing companies.
“If you come into the program with a positive attitude, it will become what you make of it. Cintas provided all the tools and resources to become an incredible leader. You will be challenged, but you will also be given every opportunity to grow and develop your skills,” states Cox.
This fall, Kersh continues her internship with Cintas. “I am not sure yet where I will end up after I graduate, but I am grateful that I am learning so much from this internship,” Kersh said. “If you love people and appreciate a culture that is open to new ideas, Cintas is a great company to consider.”
The red mat that Emmie Kersch designed is currently displayed in the Cintas huddle room on the second floor of the Bone Student Center. It is a reminder to all that not only does your future start here at Illinois State, but perhaps your future can start here with Cintas, too.
The College of Applied Science and Technology has released the next episode of the college’s new podcast, The PodCAST. It’s a chance to sit down with alumni who are innovative thought leaders in their fields. Looking at their career journeys, guests talk about turning points, roadblocks, and lessons learned on the road to success. Grab some headphones and settle in to hear stories from alumni who have been there, done that, and have tips to share.
This episode features a conversation with Cody Whitehead. Whitehead is an alum of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and currently serves as the Franchising Manager at Inspire Brands, in charge of Franchise Sales for Jimmy John’s and Sonic.
