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What is The Blue View?
The Blue View is the voice of the alumni and development office. Most of the time, the voice is that of Tim Martin, associate director for young alumni relations, giving his personal slant on what's happening on campus, MU memories and more. But occasionally, other members of the office may take over for Tim and express their unique Big Blue thoughts.
We hope you'll enjoy The Blue View and weigh in on what is said here. We'd love to hear from you!
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10/20/2011 10:16 AM
Tuesday night, Oct. 18, was the Ewing Lecture at Millikin. The Ewing Lecture was endowed in 2001 to honor Thomas Ewing, a 1957 graduate of Millikin and a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Speakers are prominent in the areas of public policy and public service. David Frum, a political analyst, author and former special assistant to President Bush, presented his lecture, “Real Problems, Real Solutions: Transformative Ideas for Today’s Political Landscape.”
I love being on a college campus. Loved it as a student at Millikin from 1992-1996. Love it now as a member of the Alumni and Development staff. I was reminded again, very clearly, Tuesday evening why that is. In the time spent with Mr. Frum and Congressman Ewing at dinner and in the nearly hour-and-a-half of time spent listening to Mr. Frum’s presentation and the questions and answers that followed, I felt engaged in a thoughtful, respectful political discussion. It was a great experience; the kind of experience that is nurtured by a liberal arts college environment.
I am certain that there were diverging political philosophies at our dinner table and in the audience Tuesday evening. However, instead of that resulting in argumentative tones or decisions to stop listening, it appeared that there was a respectful dialogue beginning, much like I remember my classes being as a student here. I was proud to be a part of it.
If you would like to join the conversation, Mr. Frum graciously agreed to share the text of his speech with Millikin. It will also be available at his website, Frumforum.com, early the week of Oct. 24, 2011.
 Pattie Smith-Phillips '96
Associate Director of Donor Relations
10/14/2011 4:26 PMAs Homecoming weekend fast approached Millikin, my little desk in the Alumni Center, where I write articles and news spots interning for the Millikin Quarterly, seemed to be the last peaceful center of the universe.
There were presentations to prepare for, news stories to release, speakers and awards to anticipate, and all manner of tasks to accomplish. While my job usually never requires me to lift my fingers from the keyboard, I was put to work folding an infinite supply of programs and putting up signs and decorations all over the alumni house. It was a nice break from the usual routine, and if there would have been a little more red and green as opposed to blue, I would have thought we were getting ready for an early Christmas.
There were plenty of other unexpected gifts from the weekend. First, I was lucky enough to attend the Alumni Awards Ceremony on Friday night. Never have I seen so many people express so much love and appreciation for this school.
Every alumni who received an award humbly thanked their families, their friends, and especially their alma mater, which had given them the opportunity and the tools to take their lives in the direction they wanted.
As an undergraduate at Millikin, I sometimes consider what my attitude towards this institution will be after I graduate. I ponder this as I walk past Shilling Hall to and from class every day. I’m also starting to ponder what my experiences will be like as an SAE when I graduate, especially after this eventful weekend for the house.
When not at the Alumni house, I was in the thick of Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s Centennial Celebration. Alumni of all ages began trickling in on Thursday, looking at the house like kids in a candy store, trying to connect what the house is now to what they had while they were undergraduates.
When Friday struck, the trickle quickly turned into a torrential downpour. That morning, a large tent was erected in our parking lot while we active chapter members were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to make sure the house was ready for the weekend.
On Saturday morning, the active chapter and the alumni came together for a meeting about potential renovations to the house. Alumni as far back as the ’60s attended, and it was a great opportunity for the chapter to work together.
Later that day, we all dressed in what we fraternity men call pinwear (coat and tie with, of course, your fraternity pin) and drove to the Decatur Club for the banquet. The hall was beautiful, the speakers were engaging and the food was all right.
A brother from the ’90s, who told us to call him “Mouse,” led a prayer before we ate, beginning with a quote from Psalm 133: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity,” and it was very good and very pleasant.
My favorite part of the evening was when the active chapter was given the opportunity to show off its talents. We have quite a few music majors in the house, and some of our singers stood in front of the assembly and sang a few SAE songs quite beautifully. No matter how old or young the brothers in attendance were, they all sat in awed silence and lost themselves in memories of good fellowship.
Finally, we returned to the house for a reception, where I heard many stories. Some were sad, some were heartwarming, and some are not fit for print, but they all filled me with a sense of pride to be a part of an organization with such soul and such a multifaceted history.
 Jackson Lewis '13
Writing intern
7/12/2011 8:06 AM
In May, the Alumni Association welcomed a group of new members: the graduating seniors. About a week before the commencement ceremony, the University posted onFacebook asking for suggestions of some things students should do before leaving Millikin.
Several comments came in—most were exactly what you’d expect:
• eat a Winery burger
• hit LSB one last time
• stop at Krekel’s … again.
But there were some not-so-common responses, too; posts about cleaning up your online presence and taking a sentimental walk around campus.
One Facebook post by Michael Wille ’98 especially made me think. He said: "Thank your favorite professors..."
I hope the May grads put Michael’s advice into action before graduating. Hopefully it’s something you did, too, before you left MU.
Michael’s words reminded me how much I appreciated the professors who made a difference in my experience at Millikin. One professor in particular comes to mind: Dr. Tom Duncanson in the Communication Department. He was THE person who sparked a turning point in my college experience, challenging everything I thought about anything and bringing me to a higher level of thinking.
He opened so many doors for me and helped me develop new ways to approach my life. And I will never forget his classes.
How about you? Who were professors who impacted your life through a particular lecture they presented or some personal advice they shared?
Leave us some comments about your favorite professors and tell us why you’ll never forget them.
 Tim Martin ’10
Associate Director for Young Alumni Relations
Millikin Alumni & Development Office
6/7/2011 1:36 PM
Millikin lost a good friend and a generous benefactor with the death of Charles "Perk" Perkinson, on May 31. He and his late wife, Patricia '45, helped transform MU through their $8 million gift to renovate and endow the School of Music building, which was renamed Perkinson Music Center in their honor.
As long-time Millikin supporters and donors, the Perkinsons’ many gifts to Millikin also included naming Perkinson Gallery in Kirkland Fine Arts Center, as well as bringing the iconic Mr. B.B. statue to campus.
They took great care when choosing the book for Mr. B.B to read, “Man’s Search for Meaning.”
“We think the passages, “The Meaning of Life” and “The Essence of Existence,” are things everyone contemplates—especially college students who are out there on their own for the first time. For us, this is the perfect selection,” said the Perkinsons.
In recognition of their extended support of Millikin, Perk and his wife were conferred the Doctor of Humane Letters degree in May 1998 and were co-recipients of the 2000 Alumnus of the Year Award.
Perk not only provided financial support, but also took a personal interest in the university. Just this past April, I was fortunate enough to enjoy his warm and generous nature while sharing a table with him at Millikin’s Spring 2011 Associates dinner.
That’s what I’ll remember whenever I see a student walk into the Perkinson Music Center for a voice lesson or sit down on the bench for a photo with Mr. B.B.
 Jerry Johnson ’82
Associate Director of Communications
Millikin Alumni & Development Office
5/23/2011 12:14 PMIn the February 2011 issue of Out of the Blue, we asked if you remembered the name of those fun courses that were held between fall and spring semester back in the 1970s and ’80s. Many of you sent in the correct answer, “Winter Term,” along with fond memories of their favorite Winter Term classes, such as mystery novels, refinishing furniture and living with an Amish family.
My favorite Winter Term class was radio broadcasting, which I took in January 1982. Kim Walker taught the class and was the faculty adviser for Millikin’s student-run radio station, WJMU. In that brief course, I learned about the FCC regulations that governed radio and how to operate the equipment in the recording and control booths. After passing the final exam, I was certified to work at the station, including on air.
I had always loved music and this class had now given me the opportunity to check an experience, radio disc jockey, off my “bucket list” (though I didn’t realize I was doing that at the time).
WJMU’s studio was located on the top floor of Shilling (LA) Hall. The broadcast booth was about 8x10 feet in size and lined with acoustic tiles and carpeting. It contained a simple sound board with two turntables and a bin full of color-coded, “recommended” LP records.
The DJs were free to play just about anything we wanted, as long as we included a certain percentage of cuts from the recommended collection. That wasn’t too difficult because a lot of the bands that were starting to gain momentum in early 1982 were some of my favorites; Talking Heads, Squeeze, the Police, Elvis Costello, XTC and U2. I even brought in some of my own records.
My time slot wasn’t the most glamorous, Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m., and I wasn’t the exactly best DJ on air. One night I accidently flipped the wrong switch and cut the signal to the transmitter, broadcasting dead air for 15 minutes before the mistake was corrected. But, I always looked forward to dropping the needle on the vinyl, cueing up the next song and telling my listening audience about the greatest band they’d never heard of. It made my last semester at Millikin extra special.
Do you have a fond memory or hobby inspired by a Winter Term class?
Jerry Johnson ’82
Associate Director of Communications
Millikin Alumni & Development Office
4/29/2011 11:49 AM
Who I am
First, a word of introduction: my name is Jake Tolbert. I'm the office geek here at the Alumni and Development Office. I do have a real title, but by "real" I mean "really long" (it's actually Assistant Director of Electronic Communication and Data Management—how's that for a mouthful!)
I work with the Communications and Services team on the technical side of things to make sure our information stays up to date.
At heart, I'm more than a bit of a geek: I enjoy blogging about Linux and open source software and tweeting about obscure technology.
Changing the way we think
In the last several months, we've tried to change the way we think about online communication. We've put a lot more emphasis on social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter.
Our focus is on building communities for Millikin alumni, so people always feel connected to their alma mater, but to meet people where they are, rather than try to build some new place, one more web page you have to check (and then eventually forget about).
With that in mind, we're trying to reflect that shift in our website, too: We want to make it easy for you to get the information you want and to keep us updated on what you're doing, so in turn, we can keep you informed about Millikin.
A new homepage
Our new homepage, for example, provides a list of quick links on the sidebar to the things we felt people really wanted from our site.
Our focus was on finding the actions people wanted to do and making them easy. The tasks we focused on were:
- Finding other alumni
- Keeping your information up to date
- Giving to Millikin
- Providing feedback
- Accessing your MU email
Friendlier forms
And we've made some serious revision on the Update Your Info form, after it was brought to our attention that some folks were turned off by its length.
To help with that, we've divided the form into sections, making it easier for you to find the section relevant to you and fill it out, without having to scroll down screens of questions about your dog and your dog's first, last and middle names. (Just kidding! Although feel free to tell us your dog's name if you wish. We love pets!)
What do you think?
That’s the update on the new site – what do you think? We’re already planning additional improvements in the months to come and would love your feedback. Take our survey and let us know what you think!
3/31/2011 3:02 PM Comedian Jay Leno was on campus in March to perform at this year’s Goodheart Event -- and it was free for students! Thanks to Trustee Emeritus Peggy Madden and her late husband, G. William Madden, the Goodheart Event offers free entertainment for Millikin students and staff. The Maddens set up the event in 1999 in memory of Mrs. Maddens' father, in honor of Peggy’s father, William R. Goodheart Jr., who founded the MCA recordings in the 1920s. It's an amazing gift for our students.
Previous Goodheart Event performers include Bill Cosby, David Spade and Wayne Brady.
Did you see any of them perform when you were a student? What were the best moments?
3/31/2011 2:57 PM Welcome to the our alumni blog, “The Blue View.”
I'm Tim Martin, the Associate Director for Young Alumni Relations. I’m a 2010 MU grad and I'll be the primary writer for this blog.
While I was a Millikin student, I was involved in many activities, including Delta Sigma Phi, Order of Omega, Student Senate and Homecoming Committee. I was also an RA (Resident Assistant) and First Year Experience Mentor.
My new role in the Alumni and Development Center focuses on graduates of the last decade, but I hope to find ways to engage all of our alumni and help them maintain their ties with the university.
Although Alumni and Development plans regional events and homecoming each year, we know our busy and diverse alumni can’t always attend these events. In an effort to keep you all connected, we offer alumni a Facebook page, Twitter account and LinkedIn group.
We hope you'll join us on these sites and share your memories of Millikin, as well as your recent accomplishments. I look forward to hearing from you with ideas for topics you'd like to read about, event suggestions or general comments on how our office can better serve you.
Please feel free to email me at tmartin@millikin.edu or call 217.424-6383 or toll-free at 855.JMU-ALUM(568-2586).
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