Announcing BenFest. Coming this Summer!

Dear Alumni and Friends of Benedictine University,

Thinking about what to do during summer vacation? Why not make plans to come home?

It is wonderful to dream about summer while we are shivering from the cold and digging out of snowstorm after snowstorm here in Lisle and elsewhere throughout the United States. Summer brings to mind vacation plans, and what a vacation destination we have for you. How about coming home to Benedictine by attending our first BenFest weekend on June 26-28?

You must be asking, what is BenFest?

BenFest begins on Saturday, June 26 with a welcome reception at the Coal Ben, our on campus pub. There you can connect with your former classmates, professors and current students who, like you, are excited to be back on campus. This would be a perfect time to show the kids where mom and/or dad went to school and to share some (but not all) of the stories from the good old days!

Sunday is full of activities beginning with Mass followed by an alumni picnic, games and music. But this is only the opening act. Later that day at 8:00 p.m., Benedictine University will present "The Fab Four," a world-renowned Beatles tribute band. You will not want to miss our first "Concert in the Quad." You can hear a bit of their music by visiting the BenFest Web site.

Finally, the 16th Annual President's Invitational Golf Outing will be held Monday, June 28. Our special guest this year will be professional women's golfer Natalie Gulbis. We have moved to the beautiful Cantigny Golf in Wheaton where we can now offer a single tee time at 11:15 a.m. Put together a foursome that includes at least one alumnus and you can compete for the coveted Alumni Cup. Proceeds of the outing support student scholarships. Participating in this event is a great way to help Benedictine students complete their education and have fun at the same time. All the details can be found on our Web site at www.ben.edu/golf. This is a day on the golf course you will not want to miss! Please contact me if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities.

For more details about this exciting weekend, please visit www.ben.edu/benfest. If you are interested in staying on campus, contact me at (630) 829-6080 or dsmith@ben.edu.

Thinking about what to do during summer vacation? Come home to Benedictine University!

Sincerely,

Deb Smith
University Events Director
Benedictine University

Updates from University Development

The Class of 2010 has raised 93 percent of its $5,000 goal, which is going toward the renovation of the Dan and Ada Rice Center. To learn more about the 2010 Senior Class Gift and how you can give your support, visit the Senior Class Gift Web page.

We received contributions for the Fr. Michael E. Komechak, O.S.B., Art Gallery

Updates from Alumni Relations

The seventh annual College of Science Reunion will be held Friday, February 26, 2010. Join us as we celebrate our history and recognize our professors emeritus, living and deceased. The event is free and includes cocktails and dinner from 6:00-8:00 p.m. RSVP to Julie Nelligan, alumni relations director, at (630) 829-6077 or e-mail jnelligan@ben.edu.

The first meeting of the Arizona Alumni Chapter was held on January 20 at the Phoenix East/Mesa Hilton. This meet-and-greet was a great start for area alumni to network with one another, talk about future events and listen to a campus update from Executive Vice President Charles Gregory. Please contact Julie Nelligan at jnelligan@ben.edu to become part of this growing chapter and help plan our next event.

The Career Workshop series presented "Your Golden Rolodex: How to Network for Results!" by Vicki Austin on January 27. This interactive workshop explored the many ways to network, reconnect with friends and contacts, and action steps to build a "Golden Rolodex." Check out the entire presentation at the Career Development Web site.

Do not forget to share news about your career, promotion, family or anything significant in your life with us! Please send your news to Julie Nelligan at jnelligan@ben.edu. Your “Class Note” will appear in our next issue of “Voices.”

The 2010 Red & White Gala was held on February 6. Forty alumni attended and shared stories, enjoyed a great dinner and danced the night away. Bring your sweetheart to next year’s Red & White Gala scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2011. Remember only one person in the couple needs to be alumnus of Benedictine.

Photos from the Red & White Gala

Watch some Benedictine baseball in the Florida sunshine!

Florida alumni are invited to join us to cheer on our Benedictine University Baseball team at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10 at the Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida. Afterward, join fellow alumni for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee. Please RSVP to Julie Nelligan at (630) 829-6077 or e-mail jnelligan@ben.edu by Wednesday, March 3. You can also contact Torian Richardson, Florida alumni chapter president, at (727) 244-6878 for more information.

Renovating Rice Updates

Check out the newly renovated Rice Center Arena.


The Benedictine women's and men's basketball teams played at the Dan and Ada Rice Center for the first time this season on January 16 and earned two victories on the newly-installed hardwood floor. Construction in the Rice Center displaced the basketball teams for the better part of two months, forcing the Eagles to play all their home games on the road.

The updated arena includes the hardwood floor as well as a surrounding all-purpose surface complete with track sprint and distance lanes. Additionally, new scoreboards and message centers were installed in the arena along with "island" baskets.

The completion of the arena calls for a telescopic bleacher system complete with preferred chair back seating and a "student" section along the east wall.

The next step in the renovation of the Rice Center includes the construction of a comprehensive fitness center to include equipment for all levels of physical wellness, and the transformation of the current Trophy Room into the "Rice Legends Center," which will house a hospitality room and the Benedictine University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Eagles induct 2010 Hall of Fame Class

The Benedictine University Athletics department inducted four former student-athletes and a pair of special contributors into the Benedictine University Athletic Hall of Fame on January 30. Track and field standout Elyse Weber, men's tennis star Ben Marchlewicz, basketball great Charles Pisoni, football record-setter Michael Gallagher and University patrons Dan and Ada Rice joined 34 individuals and two teams previously inducted into the Hall of Fame.


Read More about the Hall of Fame Inductees

The Fr. Michael E. Komechak, O.S.B., Art Gallery

Benedictine University lost one of its most revered monks and long-time art curator, Fr. Michael E. Komechak, O.S.B., to cancer. Fr. Michael's passion for art placed Benedictine University in the unique position of possessing a diverse and comprehensive art collection that rivals and surpasses that of larger institutions whose collections are housed in a museum. The entire Benedictine University campus has become a repository for art. The time has come to bring the collection under one roof. Benedictine University has embarked upon a fundraising campaign to create a central location on campus to house the Fr. Michael E. Komechak, O.S.B., Art Gallery.

The new art gallery will provide:

A Center of Excellence for the Visual Arts at Benedictine University that will be:

• a premier venue for exhibitions by students, faculty and neighboring artists
• a place for students and artists to expand their knowledge and understanding of artists from around the world
• a place to preserve Fr. Michael's art collection for generations to come

A Revitalizing Force for Benedictine University that will be:

• a major new attraction for visitors and guests of the University
• a cornerstone for continuing the legacy of Fr. Michael and advancing the visual arts at the University
• a motivating factor for attracting and retaining valuable visual art faculty and students

A Foundation for Quality Education and Community Access that will:

• enhance Benedictine's reputation as a leading liberal arts institution with a fine arts academic program
• respond to the growing multicultural communities at the University by providing greater educational opportunities
• provide the surrounding community access to a prestigious art collection and exhibits by artists from around the world

We invite you to be part of this campaign to fulfill the final dream of Fr. Michael. Please contact Jason Leppin at jleppin@ben.edu or (630) 829-1814 with any questions.

Report on Local Alumni Participation

Universities depend on financial support and participation from their alumni. The national average for alumni participation fluctuates around 11 percent.

Alumni participation is defined as financial contributions made in support of the University. There are currently 21,344 alumni of Benedictine University. Of those, 1,367, or 6.4 percent, made a donation to the University last year.

Benedictine University hopes one day to meet the 11 percent average. Below you will find a chart that shows how our alumni participation rate is growing or declining each month compared to the previous year.

Upcoming Kaplan Practice Tests

Saturday February 27, 2010
MCAT (will be given on computer)	9:00 a.m.
LSAT	9:00 a.m.
DAT	9:30 a.m.
OAT	9:30 a.m.
PCAT	8:45 a.m.
GRE	10:00 a.m.

Register at www.kaptest.com or call (800) KAP-TEST. All tests will be administered on campus. Rooms will be announced after you register.

Campus Trivia

Two winners will be selected in a random drawing of all who respond correctly. Each lucky winner will win a Benedictine prize!

Please enter your information in the form:

Name:
Class Year:
E-mail Address:
Phone Number:
What is the significance of Tuition Freedom Day at Benedictine University?

Tuition Freedom Day provides students with the opportunity to say “thanks” to the many Benedictine University alumni, parents and friends who made a gift to the University in the past year.

Tuition Freedom Day represents the two-thirds point in the academic year when a student’s tuition dollars stop covering the cost of his or her education and the remaining one-third is covered by the generous support of our donors.

Tuition Freedom Day is the day that students sign giant "thank-you" posters and write notes to the donors who make their education affordable.

All of the above.