@Mac Alumni Newsletter

It's hard to believe it's almost summer...at Mac that is! Students are gearing up for the end of the semester - writing papers, registering for classes, studying for next week's final exams. Remember those late nights cramming? Did you have any special routines or stories of finals? If so, we'd love to hear them.

Alumnae volleyball game

The MacMurray College volleyball team will kick start their 2012 campaign with an alumnae scrimmage on Aug 24th, 2012. The team is inviting any past players and coaches to join them for an evening of volleyball fun! The matches will start at 6 p.m. in the Bill Wall Gymnasium and will be followed by an informal social at Northridge Hills Golf Course. Feel free to sign up to play, come and watch, or participate in the social gathering. Coach Danielle Doerfler and all the current players would greatly appreciate the support and look forward to meeting alumnae. For further information and to register, please click here. Any questions, please contact Coach Doerfler at 217-479-7156 or danielle.doerfler@mac.edu.

Homecoming 2012 announcements

We are in the initial planning stages for Homecoming, which is October 19-21, 2012, and wanted to be sure and get you the dates now, so you can reserve the weekend. Activities will include the traditional parade, Highlander football, soccer games, the Alumni Dinner and Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, and much more. One thing is certain...you won't want to miss it!

Reunion organizers
Reunion classes are forming to help plan the celebrations this fall. Be a part of the excitement! Responsibilities of the reunion committee vary, but could include writing at least one letter to your class (which the Alumni Office will reproduce and mail) and contacting classmates to encourage them to attend the reunion. The occasion of your anniversary reunion is a marvelous opportunity for you to connect or reconnect with your friends and classmates. If you would like to help in the planning of your reunion, please contact the Alumni Office at 217-479-7030 or e-mail.

The organizer line-up so far...

• 2007 — Megan Jackson Waterstraat
• 2002 — Carol Hauser Christensen
• 1997 — Jen Curran
• 1992 — Sarah Eadie Rhea
• 1987 — Cindy Lewis
• 1982 — Donna Adams Stare
• 1972 — Dave Rossow, Carol Richards Bertrand, Bob Bell
• 1962 — Linda Lowe Birdsell, Carole Kleihauer Zimmer, Carol Van Tassel Creighton, Sue Clark

We hope you'll make plans to attend Homecoming 2012.

'Take Back the Night' makes the news

MacMurray's annual Take Back the Night Rally was featured in a segment aired on WICS Newschannel 20, the ABC affiliate in Springfield, IL. Check out the College's YouTube channel for the clip featuring Jeannie Zeck, associate professor.

Pianist informs, wows audience

Claude Cymerman (pictured on the right) performed an evening of solo piano transcriptions at Annie Merner Chapel, including a virtuoso rendition of "Porgy & Bess."

A part of the MacMurray Speaker Series, Cymerman, a professor of music at DePaw University in Greencastle, IN, also talked about the challenges of musical transposition, giving examples of how various instruments in an orchestra are replicated on a piano.

Concluding the 2011-12 Speaker Series this academic year was Robert Seufert (pictured on the left), the William F. Short Professor of English Literature, who is planning to retire at the end of the academic year. He presented "My Life in 18 Poems." Dr. Seufert, who has been writing poetry for 50 years, selected poems that best reflected the changes and stages of his life.

Livewire celebration dinner

On Thursday, March 22, Livewire employees and staff celebrated over dinner at Grace United Methodist Church in Jacksonville. For the fourth year, Mike '83 and Beth Gallegly '91 Fender and their children hosted the Livewire group. Livewire raised over $163,000 through a total of 903 pledges and obtained 154 new donors.

Music minor

A minor in music has been added to the list of programs at MacMurray College. The description is as follows:

The minor in music requires 20 credit hours of study in music distributed as follows: four semesters of the same applied music (assuming one credit each semester; this requirement can be satisfied in two semesters if the student takes two credits each semester); four semesters of choir for a grade; MUSC 101 (Music Theory I) & 102 (Music Theory II); and MUSC 371 (Conducting). Students choose one additional course from among MUSC 221 (Music Masterworks), MUSC 224 (Music of the World's Cultures), MUSC 301 (Music History I) and MUSC 302 (Music History II).

The requirements for the minor, with the exception of choir, can be fulfilled in one year of study. Everything except choir, applied lessons, and MUSC 221 will be offered in a two-year rotation.

The courses have already been added to the Fall 2012 schedule that is on the website.

Student news

Students dance the night away
Spring Formal was held on Saturday, March 24, at Hamilton's 110 N. East in Jacksonville. After a dinner hosted by Hamilton's Catering, spring formal court members were announced. This year's king and queen are seniors Karl Tooren and Jen Ogden. Tooren is a physical education major from Hoffman Estates, IL, and Ogden is a special education major from Springfield, IL. Check out MacMurray's Facebook page to view the photo album.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 217-479-7030 or via email at alumni@mac.edu. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Christina Wells
Director of Alumni Services