UPCOMING 
Important dates

Sept. 18-19: on campus
Local alums, clean out your closet. Donations will be  accepted this Saturday for a Sunday Greek-sponsored rummage sale to benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters. 

Sept. 24: Chicago area 
Young alumni & friends event: Join us from 6:30-9 p.m. at Curragh Irish Pub, 1700 Woodfield Rd., Schaumburg. Appetizers provided. RSVPs appreciated, but not required. The young at heart are also welcome! RSVP at alumnews@millikin.edu

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

Oct. 17-21: on campus
Fall phonathon volunteers will be calling alumni and friends these evenings to request donations for the Millikin Fund. Alumni callers say it's also a great way to reconnect with old friends and classmates. Want to volunteer? Send an e-mail to Millikin Fund Director Amanda Landacre Podeschi  '02 or call her at 217-424-6383.  

Nov. 6: Elmhurst, Ill.
The Annual Howard Nyberg Football Party immediately follows the 1 p.m. Millikin football game at Elmhurst University.

MORE on alumni events

Hot links
Keep up with all the latest MU sports news by clicking here. 

Know high school students searching for the right college? Suggest that they check out MU this Saturday during Campus Preview Day. Reservations not required. Or get them on Millikin's mailing list for prospective students. MORE

The MU Alumni Office wants to know what services and activities would be of interest to alums. Take a survey by clicking here.

Shop online: 
First Step Records
Millikin bookstore  

All alumni actors, artists, writers, singers, dancers and musicians: Send us details of upcoming engagements or releases 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.

THE RANKINGS ARE IN.
IT'S GOOD NEWS. 
Among the good news found in the annual college rankings released last month by U.S. News & World Report magazine: Millikin was ranked very high in academic reputation by its peer institutions, whose top administrators named it the highest rated school in Illinois and in the top five for the Midwest region in that particular category. MORE

FREE SMILES AT THE ALUMNI HOUSE.  
Yep, we dare you to enter the Alumni Center and not get a free smile, especially during the Friday night reception during Homecoming weekend! (The free food at the reception will have you smiling, too!) This year's Homecoming, Oct. 8-10, has something for all alumni & friends. Just check the schedule. You're even invited to dust off that band instrument and play a few licks with the Concert Band on Saturday. For complete details about Homecoming, click here. Register online now; all registrations are due by Oct. 1 so don't delay!

IT'S DEBATABLE.
Local alumni and friends are invited to come to campus Sept. 30 for DebateWatch, an opportunity to watch the televised presidential debate with MU students. After the debate, Debate Watch facilitators will lead a discussion about the issues and the candidates. MORE  Prep yourself for the debate by studying up on an "election-intensive" website prepared by Staley Library.

WHOW! IT'S BIG BLUE FOOTBALL.
Everyone gets in FREE to the Big Blue's football home opener this Saturday, Sept. 18, at 1 p.m., and all veterans will be recognized and receive a free lunch at 11:30 a.m. In addition, Andy Beals '03, Millikin’s all-time leading football scorer, will be presented with the Lindsay Medallion. Can't make it to the game? Alumni and friends living in many parts of Central Illlinois can set their dial to WHOW-95.9 FM to listen to the game live. WHOW also also offers a small number of Internet connections for listening to the game. Click here and then click on the streaming audio link on WHOW's website to participate. 

BACK TO SCHOOL TIME FOR 
MU FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.
The families and friends of Millikin students are invited to visit campus during the annual Fall Family Weekend on Friday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 26. Be sure to stop by the Alumni Association Fundraiser between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for a quick $5 lunch. All proceeds go to a student-alumni relations award which will be presented to an outstanding graduating senior next May. MORE

GALLERY MAKES A BLUE MOVE.
Blue Connection, Millikin’s retail art gallery, opens this weekend in the new Decatur Area Arts Council’s Madden Arts Center, 117 North Water Street. The gallery's opening in its new location is also held the same weekend as Decatur's Arts in the Park festival in nearby Central Park.  MORE

what book is on your nightstand?
Are you a lifelong learner or just enjoy a good read? Share info with your fellow alumni about the latest good books you've read. Send the title(s) of what you're reading and a few sentences explaining what it's about and why you enjoyed it to MillikinQuarterly@millikin.edu. Be sure to include your name and class year, and feel free to include your job title and where you work if you wish. 

lessons learned: teachers 
share back-to-school advice. 
Several alumni with teaching experience sent in their advice for "Teaching 101," a back-to-school feature in the fall issue of Millikin Quarterly magazine, in mailboxes now. All the responses received wouldn't fit in the magazine, so check out the complete listing here. Want to add your advice to the collection of teaching tips? Send it to MillikinQuarterly@millikin.edu. 

NOW SERVING UP...
YOUR STORIES OF SERVICE 
Are you a Scout leader? Do you regularly give blood or volunteer for a hospital, school or other organization? Do you serve in the military? Write and tell us about yourself or alumni you know who give of their time to serve others. Send info to MillikinQuarterly@millikin.edu for an upcoming feature on community service and be sure to include your name, class year, address, telephone and e-mail address (if applicable) in case we have questions.

THE CATEGORY IS 
CAMPUS REFLECTIONS.
Can you guess the answer to this month's trivia quiz? 

At the top of this newsletter, a campus building is reflected in the glass windows of the new Leighty-Tabor Science Center. What building is it?

A. Kirkland Fine Arts Center
B. Scovill Hall
C. Gorin Hall
D. Shilling Hall

In honor of Ken Jennings, the all-time winningest player on TV's "Jeopardy," please place your response  in the form of a question. Send your questions to alumnews@millikin.edu and be sure to include your name and address. Five winners will be selected from a random drawing of all who respond correctly and each will receive a prize!

Last month's winners -- Patty Ranken Hunter '69, Dena Kareotes Arendt '83, Christy Winney Pursell '92 -- correctly guessed that Millikin distributed 1,512 bottles of water during Millikin Day at the special events tent at the Illinois State Fair. Each received a Millikin write-on, wipe-off memo board.