CAMPUS NEWS

CAMPUS TREES ���

Nestled near Dinkmeyer Hall are two seven-son fl ower trees. Named for the way its buds cluster in groups, the seven-son produces lovely jasmine-scented blossoms in late summer, followed by spectacular red seedpods in the fall. SPEAKER Q&A

Before giving this year’s Rudolf G. Schade Lecture on History, Ethics and Law, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, commentator and author George Will spoke with Prospect about his work, his advice for college students and his outsize book habit.

What do you want people to learn from your lecture? I hope they’ll take away an understanding of the complexity of a modern society, the trade-off s and choices we make in policies, and the necessity to think clearly about the things we embrace. Freedom, equality, justice—these are complicated issues and don’t lend themselves to bumper stickers or simple slogans.

When did you feel the most optimistic about where our country was headed? From 1980 to 2000—the country had put away the Cold War without a shot being fi red, had lightened the weight of government, and had brought about a huge explosion of economic creativity and wealth creation. It was before the rise of identity politics and the festival of easily rubbed-raw sensitivities that are threatening to paralyze our society and extinguish the free exchange of ideas.

What aspect of your work do you enjoy most? I love to write. There’s a physical pleasure in putting together sentences and paragraphs. It’s much more satisfying than being on television,

George Will came to Elmhurst on March 9 to explore the political argument today.

which is survival of the briefest and doesn’t last. I’ve published eight collections of my columns—they’re between hardback covers and they’re in libraries, and they’ll be around for a while.

What are you reading for pleasure? I’m addicted to audiobooks. I get up every morning at 5:20 and by 5:21, I’m listening to a book. I go through 100 books a year and just fi nished an 80-hour book—(Winston) Churchill’s enormous, million-word biography of his ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough. And I’m about to start another biography of one of my heroes, James Madison, by Jay Cost.

What advice would you give to college students today about how to make the most of their collegiate experience? Read. Read books. For all the chatter about new media, books remain the primary carriers of ideas, and only ideas have large and lasting consequences on humans.

A FULBRIGHT PIONEER

Norbaya Durr ’22 is headed to Botswana, thanks to an award from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. With the support of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship, Durr will teach at a host institution in Botswana during the 2022–2023 academic year. A double major in biology and English who also minored in chemistry, she is the University’s ninth Fulbright student, its first recipient who is a woman of color, and the first who will be going to Africa.

A new mural, “Be Bold. Be Elmhurst,” has transformed the back wall of R.A. Faganel Hall, thanks to the efforts of Elmhurst art faculty Rafael Blanco and Andrew Sobol. Watch the highlights at elmhurst.edu/MuralVideo. WCPE CELEBRATES SILVER

It’s been 25 years since Elmhurst established a center devoted to empowering students to meet their career goals. Today, the Russell G. Weigand Center for Professional Excellence is an integral part of campus life, connecting hundreds of students with internships, mentors, career advising and much more.

In February, the WCPE kicked off a celebratory year with a gathering for students in the Founders Lounge. In May, faculty, staff, employers and friends gathered for a festive happy hour to look back on 25 years of connections.

Martin A. Gahbauer (left), executive director of the WCPE, with Lawrence Carroll, the WCPE’s founding director.

CALLING ALL VOICES

Two new projects will honor the University’s 150th anniversary and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Calling All Voices, a podcast series, amplifies the voices that have made the University what it is today; and an update to the previously published institutional narrative, An Ever-Widening Circle: The History of Elmhurst College, provides an opportunity to reexamine the University’s past and future goals. Both projects are funded in part by a two-year grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, or NetVUE.

CAMPUS NEWS THIS IS OUR MOMENT

On Dec. 6, 1871, the Rev. Carl F. Kranz and 14 students arrived in Elmhurst to establish the institution now known as Elmhurst University. On Dec. 6, 2021, our community came together to celebrate the pioneering spirit of our founders.

For more photos of the festivities, visit elmhurst.edu/150.

SHAKE IT UP

A life-size snow globe provided a perfect backdrop for commemorative photos.

Visitors gathered throughout the day to watch sled dog demonstrations.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Theatre students reenacted Elmhurst’s founding through a series of vignettes. Read more on page 22.

STARRY NIGHT

Twinkling lights and a stunning ice sculpture created a festive scene on the University Mall.

POLAR EXPRESS

A professional ice carver created a sculpture of a train to commemorate Rev. Kranz’s 1871 arrival in Elmhurst.

EU ON THE RISE RETURNS

On March 10, more than a dozen Elmhurst students took the stage to compete for cash prizes at Elmhurst University on the Rise, the annual talent showcase. Hosted in person for the first time in three years, the event featured a variety of music and dance genres.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES AS AN HSI

As part of Elmhurst’s ongoing efforts to build a more equitable and inclusive community, the University recently became a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), enabling it to apply for federal grants to expand opportunities and access for Hispanic students.

WHAT A RUN!

Elmhurst athletes had a magical March, delivering team and individual performances that will go down in Bluejay history.

The men’s basketball team set a school record with 27 wins and finished as the national runner-up, ending the season on an electrifying run all the way to the NCAA Division III championship game. Guard Jake Rhode earned secondteam All-America honors and became the Bluejays’ all-time leading scorer. Meanwhile, wrestler Jimmy McAuliffe ’22 finished his storied career by earning All-America honors for the fourth time. And track standout Ava David ’23 sprinted to All-America honors with an eighth-place finish nationally in the indoor 200 meters. Congratulations, Bluejays!

NEWS BRIEFS

JULIE SUDERMAN HAS JOINED THE UNIVERSITY as vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer. She comes to Elmhurst from the Big Ten Conference, where she was senior VP and CFO. IN RECOGNITION OF ELMHURST’S SESQUICENTENNIAL, the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry recognized the University as Business of the Year. It also inducted President Emeritus Bryant Cureton and former first lady Jeanette Cureton into the Civic Hall of Fame. CHAPLAIN H. SCOTT MATHENEY and Elmhurst students Alyssa Stasiuk ’25 and Diana Tkach ’24 spoke powerfully at a community gathering in Wilder Park on April 6 to support the people of Ukraine. ELMHURST HAS NAMED CHRISTINE GRENIER ’06 as its next vice president for admission. Grenier, currently senior director of first-year and international admission, will begin her new role on Sept. 1.

CAMPUS FAREWELLS

Before joining Elmhurst as director of elementary education, Assistant Professor DEBBIE COSGROVE spent 36 years in public education as a teacher (kindergarten through sixth grade), a principal and an assistant superintendent. Her research interests included STEM education (she was co-principal investigator on two National Science Foundation Noyce grants), partnerships, development, co-teaching, and the teaching of linguistically and culturally diverse students.

As music department chair and professor, PETER GRIFFIN made the music department sing—nationally and internationally—for more than a decade. Beyond the classroom, Griffin remains active as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator across the country, leading clinics at state and national conferences and conventions.

JULIE HALL amassed a lengthy list of honors in 28 years as volleyball head coach, but she says her relationship with her players was her greatest reward. “Any individual awards or honors I may have accomplished are entirely because of our student-athletes, and the memories and the smiles they bring me are priceless,” she said.

If you’ve heard a commercial for Coca-Cola, Sears or McDonald’s, you might have heard MARK STREDER’S work. Streder, director of music operations at Elmhurst, owns a music production studio and has played piano, A number of esteemed faculty and staff members announced their retirements this year. Please join us in wishing them well.

keyboard and electronic music with many of the Chicago area’s top musical acts. At Elmhurst, Streder also advised the Music Business Student Union.

Associate Professor JOAN VILIM wanted to show students the complex world of finance to help them appreciate the real-life relevance of their work. To do that, she drew on her experience as a vice president with an insurance company and a portfolio manager with Heller Financial. At Elmhurst, she also was a valuable member of campus leadership, coordinating the Financial Literacy Program and the Business Mentoring Program.

Professor THERESE WEHMAN’S dedication to early childhood education shaped her career, and her expertise is respected worldwide. At Elmhurst, she was director of the MAT in early childhood education and M.Ed. in early childhood special education programs. She has presented nationally and internationally and has published numerous articles, curriculum materials and a textbook. English Professor LANCE WILCOX is a knowledgeable authority on 18th-century British literature who has published essays, textbooks, book reviews, conference talks, poems, song lyrics and more. Wilcox’s classroom edition of Samuel Johnson’s The Life of Mr Richard Savage, co-edited with Nicholas Seager of Keele University in England, was published in 2016.

NEWS BRIEFS

A FAMILIAR FACE ON CAMPUS, Glen Brittich was named director of athletics after serving in other leadership roles in the department for the past three years. He also spent six years as an assistant football coach. THE LINCOLN ACADEMY OF ILLINOIS recognized this year’s recipients of the Order of Lincoln, the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service, during a formal ceremony on campus on April 30. SONALI RAJPUT ’22, a biochemistry major and firstgeneration college student, was named 2022 Senior of the Year during an awards ceremony on May 10. See the full list of winners: elmhurst.edu/StudentAwards. ELMHURST’S GRADUATE NURSING PROGRAM is among the top 135 in the nation, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report.