Illinois State Alumni Magazine Volume 11, Number 1, Summer 2010
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V o l u m e 1 1 • N u m b e r 1 • S UMM m e r 2 0 1 0 Illinois State Illinois Illinois State Illinois building on yesterday. prepares for tomorrow by new heights with a plan that Athletics program reaches Redbird spirit is soaring as the alumni magazine illinois state alumni magazine Volume 11, Number 1, Summer 2010 Editorial advisory GROUP Pete Guither; Amy Humphreys; Joy Hutchcraft; Lynn Kennell; Katy Killian ’92; Todd Kober ’97, M.S. ’99; Claire Lieberman; Marilee (Zielinski) Rapp ’63; Jim Thompson ’80, M.S. ’89; Toni Tucker; Lori Woeste, M.S. ’97, Ed.D. ’04 PUblishEr, Stephanie Epp, Ed.D. ’07 Editor-in-chiEf, Susan Marquardt Blystone ’84, M.S. ’03 alUmni Editor, Annette States Levitt ’96, M.S. ’02 class notEs Editor, Nancy Neisler coPy Editors, Susan Marquardt Blystone ’84, M.S. ’03; Steven Barcus ’06, M.S. ’09 lEad DesiGnEr, Dave Jorgensen, M.S. ’03 DesiGnErs, Jeff Higgerson ’92, Carol Jalowiec ’08, Michael Mahle, The First Jon Robinson WEb EDITOR, Brian Huonker ’92 Word PHOTOGRAPhEr, Lyndsie Schlink ’04 PROdUCTION coordinator, Mary (Mulhall) Cowdery ’80 it’s the most wonderful time of the year on campus WritErs, Kate Arthur, Roger Cushman ’62, Mary Ann Ford ’72, Sean Kelly as the students have returned, ready for the challenges and opportunities Illinois State (USPS 019606) is published quarterly for members of the of the new semester. Illinois State University Alumni Association at Alumni Center, 1101 N. Main I genuinely enjoy interacting with our students, and make it a prior- Street, Normal, Illinois 61790-3100. Periodicals postage paid at Normal, Illinois, and at additional mailing offices. ity to converse with members of our student body on a regular basis. One Magazine editorial offices are located at 1101 North Main Street, Normal, question I always ask is what convinced them to choose Illinois State. Illinois 61790-3100; telephone (309) 438-2586; facsimile (309) 438-8057; For years I’ve heard the expected answer of excellence in a specific aca- e-mail [email protected]; Web site www.IllinoisState.edu/alumni. Postmaster: Send address changes to Illinois State, Illinois State University, demic major, especially our reputation as the place to prepare for a teaching Campus Box 8000, Normal, IL 61790-8000. career. Our personal touch remains a strong and unique draw, and our Voluntary subscriptions of $25 per year to help defray the mounting expenses associated with publishing Illinois State are greatly appreciated. central location is still appreciated by many. Checks payable to the Illinois State Foundation can be sent to Alumni But there is another reason students come to Illinois State, and it’s one Relations, Campus Box 3100, Normal, IL 61790-3100. Call Alumni most alumni may not realize is an increasingly significant factor in the col- Relations at (309) 438-2586 with any questions. Material may be reprinted with prior approval, provided no commercial lege selection process: sustainability. Prospective students want a campus endorsement is implied and credit is given to the author, to Illinois State dedicated to going green. University, and to Illinois State. Illinois State’s commitment to sustainability efforts is exemplary. Web site: www.IllinoisState.edu Earlier this year the University was cited in The Princeton Review’s Guide to An equal opportunity/affirmative action university encouraging diversity 11-0001 286 Green Colleges. Inclusion is based on whether students have a campus alUmni association board of dirEctors quality of life that is healthy and sustainable, how environmentally respon- Gary tiffany ’74, President sible a school’s policies are, and how well a school prepares students for Greg ayers ’90 Jeff charnogorsky ’85 employment in the green economy. bob freitag ’84 We score well in all areas due to the efforts of our sustainability coordi- Katie harl ’09 dan Kelley ’70 nator, Enid Cardinal, and Green Team sustainability committee members. Jerry Kerber ’74 Through their leadership Illinois State has an extensive campus-wide recy- Emily miller Kimmey ’99, m.s. ’01 lynda lane ’66 cling program, energy efficiency measures are in place, and our graduates mary ann louderback ’74, m.s. ’80, Ph.d. ’84 now don biodegradable commencement regalia. ashley mayor ’08 lois (rademacher) mills ’62, m.s. ’69 The campus also provides transportation alternatives, including a Kathy coyle murdoch ’86 shuttle bus and car and bike share programs. A Center for Renewable Ener- bob navarro ’91, m.s. ’93, Ph.d. ’02 marilee (Zielinski) rapp ’63 gy has been established, and an interdisciplinary renewable energy major Kaci rollings ’94 engages students in relevant projects that bring textbook learning to life. don shafer ’76 terrence sykes ’93 One example is the work of an undergraduate team that converts near- martin vanags ’84 ly 6,000 gallons of waste fryer oil from our dining centers into fuel used Janessa Williams ’89 mike Willis ’82 in campus fleet vehicles. Students researched the technology, purchased Jerry Wright ’62 equipment, and perform all production operations. The biodiesel produced linda yap ’74, ’81 is economical and cuts diesel fuel greenhouse emissions nearly in half. betty Kinser ’73, m.s. ’75, Board of Trustees Alumni Liaison Experiences such as this guarantee Illinois State graduates leave cam- alUmni Relations stephanie Epp, Ed.d. ’07, Executive Director pus with a distinct advantage, and solidly demonstrate that the University Gina bianchi, m.s. ’99, Director continues to meet student expectations. Take pride in the fact your alma Kim chickering, Director stephanie flater duquenne ’04, Assistant Director mater is evolving to remain responsive to the issues of the day. Kelly howell, Director annette states levitt ’96, m.s. ’02, Director Jamie (Kelly) sennett ’99, Director Al Bowman This document is available in alternative formats upon request by President, Illinois State University contacting Alumni Relations at (309) 438-2586. Spreading the red Academics are the priority at Illinois State, but Athletics is integral to the campus experience. Nobody understands the impact and potential better than Athletics Director Sheahon Zenger. A former football coach, Zenger is now the man behind the bench applauded for creating a game plan that empowers student-athletes, improves facilities, and builds Redbird pride. Cover: Brett Kay, right, and Tyler McNeely had reason to celebrate this past season, as the base- ball team was one of many to soar above the competition. The team captured the conference championship and first NCAA win since 1976. 8 12 Contents 2 U n i v e r S i t y n e w S 1 2 U p t o w n n o r m a l Alums returning for Homecoming are in for a surprise when they wander from the Quad. What used to be Downtown is now Uptown Normal, with many former student hangouts renovated or replaced. A circle drive, new restaurants and shops, and a 228-room Marriott Hotel give a whole new look 21 and feel to the campus community. 1 6 C e n t U r y C e l e b r a t i o n With the campus built around rich farm land, the Depart- ment of Agriculture is a vital ISU program. Much has changed since the first courses were offered a century ago, and yet an ag degree has never been more valuable. Today students are prepared for high-tech jobs that are waiting before gradua- tion day arrives. 2 1 F r o m S a C r i F i C e t o S UCC e SS Some take college for granted, while others walk a rough road to get their degree. Charity Mendoza falls into the latter category as a high school dropout and mother of six. She’ll 16 reach her hard-fought goal of graduating this semester, with plans to inspire others on the ISU campus that made her dream possible. 2 4 a l U m n i S ERV v i C e S 2 6 H o m e C OMI i n G 2 0 1 0 2 8 c l a ss n o t e S University news an unexpected $3.5 million gift may be the most significant endowment for teacher education in the nation. by Kate Arthur Even at 92 Elisabeth Greenebaum remained independent, pushing her two-wheeled cart through the snow of a Chicago winter, politely declining offers of help from those at the condominium where she lived. A favorite of everyone who knew her, Greenebaum was” also private. She didn’t want anyone to know until after her death that she was giving Illinois State $3.5 million to help students become ‘‘ teachers. “She did understand that when she was gone, it would certainly be known what she did (for Illinois State) and that was fine with her,” said Greenebaum’s attorney, Don Padgitt. He called the ISU Foundation about the gift that established The Greenebaum Memorial Fund in Memory of Elisabeth C. Greene- baum, Helen and Jacob Greenebaum, and Henry E. Greenebaum. The donation may be the most significant endowment for teacher education scholarships in the country, according to University Advancement Vice President Emerita Dianne Ashby. elisabeth and Henry Greenebaum had no ties to the University and never talked to anyone on campus about leaving Greenebaum a legacy. But she did watch Illinois State from afar, subscribing to the local paper for years. Her childhood home was in nearby Pontiac, and her dream was to get her master’s in childhood education at the University. She instead graduated from the University of Chicago in 1937 and moved back to Pontiac to assist her parents, Jacob and Helen, with maintaining the family owned Illinois State Savings Bank.