UPCOMING 
Important dates
May 23: Decatur
Julie Curry, deputy chief of staff for labor and economy for the Illinois governor's office, will speak at this year's commencement ceremony, to be held Sunday, May 23, at Decatur Civic Center. Retiring professors Dr. Paul Dorsey and Dr. Dan Guillory will be recognized during the ceremony. Tickets are required for admission. MORE

June 4: Decatur
Come golf with MU alumni and friends! The 8th Annual Big Blue Golf Outing will be held at Scovill Golf Course. The four-person scramble includes lunch at noon, a shotgun start at 1 p.m., and award ceremonies at the end of the day. Cost per person is $100 and includes lunch, green and cart fees, plus many giveaways. All proceeds support Millikin athletics. For more info, call Lori Kerans at  217-424-6344 or send her an e-mail at lkerans@millikin.edu.

June 13-17: on campus
Send the kids to Millikin's new Total Athlete Camp. MORE

Aug. 4-8: on campus
Millikin track and field alumni are getting back together and YOU are invited! Join us for a reunion of track and field alumni during the 2004 USATF Masters Outdoors Championships, to be held at the Big Blue, Aug, 4-8. Those eligible (age 30+) are invited to compete and everyone is encouraged to volunteer at the meet. A free alumni reception will be held from 8-10 p.m., Friday, Aug. 6, at the Alumni and Development Center. 
Click here to get registration forms and a meet schedule.

Aug. 22: Chicago
It's Millikin Day at U.S. Cellular Field as the Chicago White Sox take on the Boston Red Sox. Sit with the Big Blue group in section 533 starting at row 11, in the upper box behind home plate. Tickets are $22 each. Call toll-free to 1-877-JMU-ALUM (locally, dial 424-6383).  

Oct. 8- 10: 
Homecoming on campus
All alums are welcome to come on back to the Big Blue for Homecoming, and special reunions will be held for all classes whose years end in 4 or 9. Learn more here.

Introduce high school students to Millikin through Refer a Friend. MORE

Shop online from First Step Records, MU's student-run recording label. To order CDs in the First Step catalog, click here.

Shop online through the Millikin bookstore to get MU gear, gifts and more. 

The University Choir has a website of their January 2004 tour. 

All alumni actors, artists, singers, dancers and musicians: Send us details of upcoming engagements for  the Millikin website. Drop a line to alumnews@millikin.edu, or fax your performance schedule to 217-424-3755. Click here to see what's posted.

SEE NCAA DIVISION III 
TRACK & FIELD AT ITS BEST.
Millikin hosts the NCAA Outdoor Championships May 27-29 at Frank M. Lindsay Field, and tickets go on sale May 19. The Big Blue will also host the first United States Track Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame induction ceremony on May 26. Nominees for the initial class include several Olympians who competed as NCAA Division III track and field athletes. The meet is expected to draw nearly 800 athletes and their coaches from approximately 125 Division III institutions across the country. This year marks Millikin’s second time as host; the championships were also held at the Big Blue in 2001. If you are interested in being a volunteer at the meet, call assistant coach Marcie Fisher at 217-424-3601.

FROM EAST TO WEST, 
MU IS THE BEST.
In less than three weeks, two Millikin-connected vocal groups were named grand champions, one in New York and one in California. Millikin's own OneVoice swept the  International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella in New York on April 25, and Chapter 6, a group of alumni swept the May 8 Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival in San Rafael, Calif., winning grand champion plus two other awards. MORE

area alums: 
here's a second helping 
of some food for thought.
Decatur-area alumni and friends can get seconds on Food for Thought. Following the successful introduction of the "Food for Thought" lecture series last year, Millikin's alumni and development office presents a new series with a political theme for 2004. Both lectures will be presented at noon luncheons at the Decatur Club, 158 West Prairie Ave. On Monday, June 21, retired U.S. Rep. Tom Ewing  '57 speaks on "Washington Politics: How Do They Differ in an Election Year?" On Monday, June 28, Brian Posler, associate professor of political science, will present "All's Fair in Love, War and Politics." Detailed information, including costs and how to make reservations, will be coming soon in the mail and posted on our online calendar of events. 

kidd named a shining example.
David Kidd, a 1968 MU grad, was one of only three Illinois residents to receive a Shining Example of Liberal Arts for Leadership award from the Associated Colleges of Illinois. He was honored for his commitment to helping low-income youth beat the odds to finish high school and go to college. Kidd, a retired principal, is director of Youth Engagement Strategy (YES), a partnership among business and educational institutions in Decatur and Macon County. 

DECIDE TO RENT THIS YEAR.
Season tickets go on sale July 1 for Kirkland Fine Arts Center's 2004-05 Performing Arts Series. The series includes the touring production of "Rent," the Tony award-winning Broadway show. MORE

HEAR THAT DRUMMING? 
IT'S GETTING LOUDER.
Yes, word is getting out about MU's Chamber Percussion Ensemble, which won the 2003 International Percussion Ensemble Competition late last year. The group's first CD has been called "spectacular."  MORE

FRESHMEN ASKED TO take a LEAP.
Thanks to two anonymous donors, each incoming Millikin freshman will be given a copy of a character-building book to read over the summer before coming to campus this fall. The Leadership Education Authors Program (LEAP) is designed to develop leadership skills and introduce the students into academic life at Millikin.  MORE

millikin  fund nears goal.
As the 2003-2004 fundraising year draws near to its June 30 conclusion, the Millikin Fund hovers just $37,000 below its $1.8 million goal. Millikin Fund gifts are used where Millikin needs them most -- student scholarships and financial aid, computer hardware and software updates, and other campus needs. Help MU finish strong for the year and be counted on the 2003-04 Honor Roll of Donors! Click here to give online or call toll-free to 1-800-JMU-ALUM. Thanks for your support!

picture this trivia.
Do you know the answer to this month's trivia quiz?

Can you identify the campus building pictured here?

A. Staley Library
B. Leighty Tabor Science Center
C. Pilling Chapel
D. Perkinson Music Center

Send your answers to alumnews@millikin.edu and be sure to include your name and address. Five lucky winners will be selected from a random drawing of all who respond correctly; each will win a prize from the astronomical assortment of alumni doohickeys!