Jake Morrissy '14 making a name for himself in the Windy City

Each summer the Chicago Tribune salutes the emerging theatre talent in the city and finds the young stars of the future whom can be seen on Chicago's stages.

Among the Tribune's Class of 2019 includes Millikin University graduate Jake Morrissy '14, who last winter, got a dream role at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Ill., playing Leo Bloom in "The Producers."

The Chicago Tribune writes, "He was spectacular, singing and dancing with such hilarious panache as to eclipse pretty much every other Leo in the crazy Mel Brooks universe."

"I just love doing musical comedy," Morrissy says, "helping people spend two and a half hours away from all the woes and troubles of the world."

Morrissy was born and raised in the southern suburbs of Chicago. It was there that his passion for performing grew and eventually led him to Millikin University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre in 2014.

Since graduating, Morrissy has been fortunate enough to work with many of the incredible theatres in the Chicagoland area, some of which include: Paramount Theatre, CPA Theatricals, Open Door Repertory Company and Kokandy Productions. His regional work includes Tent Theatre, Little Theatre on the Square, Capital City Theatre and the world premiere of "Numbers Nerds" at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Morrissy made his Broadway Debut as Elder McKinley in the hit musical "The Book of Mormon" in Aug. 2019.

"I always try to remember that any show might be someone's first show and someone else's last show," said Morrissy. "That means you have to give the audience the respect every one of them deserves."

Morrissy will perform in the "The Secret of My Success” at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora in Feb. 2020.

Jake Morrissy '14 making a name for himself in the Windy City

Each summer the Chicago Tribune salutes the emerging theatre talent in the city and finds the young stars of the future whom can be seen on Chicago's stages.

Among the Tribune's Class of 2019 includes Millikin University graduate Jake Morrissy '14, who last winter, got a dream role at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Ill., playing Leo Bloom in "The Producers."

The Chicago Tribune writes, "He was spectacular, singing and dancing with such hilarious panache as to eclipse pretty much every other Leo in the crazy Mel Brooks universe."

"I just love doing musical comedy," Morrissy says, "helping people spend two and a half hours away from all the woes and troubles of the world."

Morrissy was born and raised in the southern suburbs of Chicago. It was there that his passion for performing grew and eventually led him to Millikin University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre in 2014.

Since graduating, Morrissy has been fortunate enough to work with many of the incredible theatres in the Chicagoland area, some of which include: Paramount Theatre, CPA Theatricals, Open Door Repertory Company and Kokandy Productions. His regional work includes Tent Theatre, Little Theatre on the Square, Capital City Theatre and the world premiere of "Numbers Nerds" at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Morrissy made his Broadway Debut as Elder McKinley in the hit musical "The Book of Mormon" in Aug. 2019.

"I always try to remember that any show might be someone's first show and someone else's last show," said Morrissy. "That means you have to give the audience the respect every one of them deserves."

Morrissy will perform in the "The Secret of My Success” at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora in Feb. 2020.

Smith to be key offensive weapon for Big Blue Football in 2019

Millikin University wide receiver Jordan Smith, a senior from Shelbyville, Ill., made Millikin football history in 2018 by surpassing former Millikin and Green Bay Packer receiver Jeff Query for the most receiving touchdowns in program history (30).

Smith ended the 2018 season with 60 catches for a school record 1,044 yards, becoming the first Big Blue receiver to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season. Smith scored a conference leading 17 touchdowns. He set Millikin and College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) records for touchdown catches in a season. Smith's 102 points tied the conference mark for points in a season, and with one season remaining in his career, Smith holds the Big Blue record for touchdown catches at 37 and ranks third all-time in receiving yards at 2,300.

Following the 2018 season, Smith was named to the CCIW All-Conference First Team for the second straight year.

Opposing teams will have Smith zeroed in on as the biggest weapon in the Big Blue offense for the 2019 season. The offense will be led by quarterback Cal Pohrte, a junior from New Lenox, Ill. Pohrte replaces Nicco Stepina who ended his Millikin career with 14 different school records including: career passing yards (9,384), career passing touchdowns (93), career pass completions (722), career total offense (10,264), pass completions in a season (207), touchdowns passes in a season (30), passing yards in a season (2,785), total offense in a season (3,070), passing yards in a game (381) and touchdowns in a game (seven).

"Jordan has taken a huge step. When he came here, he was already an all-world player at Shelbyville and was raw and it was really about his athleticism," Millikin Head Football Coach Dan Gritti said in an interview with the Herald & Review. "Then he got better technique wise but now really where he has had the biggest strides is mentally. He has a much bigger command of everything that we are doing and a much better understanding so we are able to put more on his plate offensively."

Pohrte noted, "Jordan is Jordan. I've never played with a receiver like him before and we have thrown in practice the past few years and it's impressive to see what he can do on the field."

Smith will continue to rewrite record books this season as his 2,300 career yards are just 284 yards away from becoming Millikin's all-time leading receiver.

If Smith can continue on his path to success, Gritti is certain NFL teams will show interest in the receiver.

"He's like the prototypical NFL receiver," Gritti said. "He's put on 10 pounds this year so he's getting there. I'm sure the way they are looking at it that if he has another great year and spends that offseason putting on more strength, he is prime at least for a look from the NFL."

Smith noted, "It is a great opportunity. It is something that keeps my hopes up and something I would love to do. We will see. We have a season ahead and that's what I need to focus on right now."

Greater Decatur Youth Band celebrates a summer of musical experiences

For over 25 years, the Greater Decatur Youth Band, in partnership with the Decatur Park District, has been an important component of music education in the Decatur (Ill.) community, and the program is coming off one of its most successful summers to date in 2019.

The Youth Band, under the direction of Dr. Neal Smith, coordinator of instrumental music education at Millikin University, gives young musicians opportunities to have fun and rewarding musical experiences over the summer months, and to build on the musical opportunities they have during the school year.

This year, 80 students participated in the Youth Band, including 20 who took part in the Band's Jump Start program. The Jump Start program is designed for students who want to start learning to play an instrument in the summer. Millikin teachers provide individualized instruction using musical activities designed to help students understand their instrument and to develop their musicianship.

The Jump Start program was directed by Alexandra Rodriguez, adjunct faculty member at Millikin and music director at St. Teresa High School in Decatur.

"Alexandra and I were very impressed by what the students were able to accomplish over two months and we're looking forward to seeing this program develop in the future," said Neal Smith. "We also had nine area high school students who served as interns and two assistant conductors coaching students, running sectionals, playing along, and many of them had a chance to conduct the band in performance."

The Youth Band held three concerts over the summer: July 10 at the James Millikin Homestead; July 17 at the Miller Quad on Millikin's campus along with the Decatur Municipal Band; and July 24 at the Pavilion at Fairview Park in Decatur.

The band finished its season by performing in the Decatur Celebration parade on Aug. 3. "It's always fun to watch these young students as they respond to the great reception they get from the crowd," said Smith.

The Youth Band program includes three bands – beginning (Jump Start), intermediate and advanced.

"We want to keep them playing in the summer," said Smith. "For a lot of the kids, this is a much bigger group to perform with and they get to do a lot more. They're also able to get more performing experiences."

Smith notes that the program was a great opportunity for the interns, especially for those who expressed interest in becoming music teachers. Among those was Millikin student Riley McDorman, a senior music education major from Lisle, Ill.

For McDorman, he helped organize the concerts, picked the music, rehearsed the music and had a chance to conduct all three bands. McDorman, as he describes, was "fully immersed in the music teaching world."

McDorman hopes to become a band director as well as teach and conduct music at the middle or high school level.

"This was my second year with the program. When I first started, and I was in front of the band, it was that moment that I knew music education was the field I wanted to go into – it was really fulfilling," said McDorman. "This opportunity has shown me that I'm on the right path."

The Youth Band is under the administration of the Decatur Park District which works with Millikin University's School of Music to provide equipment and a space for practicing.

"We want them to learn some good basic musical skills, but more than that, we want them to have fun in musical context here at Millikin, and associate Millikin with making music and having fun while they're making music," said Smith.

Millikin sees four percent increase in first-year students from fall 2018 

On Monday, Aug. 26, Millikin University started the first day of the 2019-20 academic year with its largest first-year class in seven years. Millikin welcomed 490 first-year students to campus to begin the fall 2019 semester, a four percent increase in first-year students from fall 2018 when it enrolled 468 first-year students.

The 490 first-year class is the largest since 2012.

"Millikin's hallmark practice of Performance Learning is a state-wide, regional, national and now, international, draw," said Millikin President Dr. Patrick E. White. "Millikin students in every discipline put their learning into practice and action. With outstanding academic programs, new offerings, competitive athletic teams and an excellent and dedicated faculty, Millikin really is one of the best private, comprehensive universities in the country. It is wonderful to be recognized not only by the Princeton Review for this status, but to see such an increase in our new students. Millikin momentum continues to move forward with energy and excitement."

The quality of the first-year class remains strong. Millikin welcomed 96 honors students in the freshmen class. Millikin also enrolled a record 116 total international students from 35 countries, up from 95 international students last year.

Laura Atkinson, a new international student from Malaysia, says Millikin faculty, staff and students have been very welcoming to her and other international students.

"What's great about Millikin is that everyone is willing to do their best to help you. The faculty, staff and students always try their best to answer all your questions with a smile on their face," said Atkinson. "In my process of applying to Millikin, I had help from many of the faculty on campus. They have been nothing but extremely informative with their amazing assistance. I believe that my next four years here are going to be amazing and eventful."

Millikin is continuing to draw talented out-of-state students as 34 percent of the first-year students come from outside Illinois; this includes international students comprising five percent of the class.

New this year was Millikin University's Macon Matters Scholarship initiative, which awarded $22,000 Merit Scholarships to all new traditional first-year or transfer students who attended high school or community college in Macon County. First-year students from Macon County attending Millikin this fall increased from 34 in fall 2018 to 75 in fall 2019; 66 percent of this year's class are students from Illinois.

"We are extremely proud to have achieved such growth in our first-year student population. This is especially significant given the competitive private, higher education market and the fact that Illinois is the second largest exporter in the U.S. of college-bound students attending school outside their home state," said Sarah Shupenus, vice president for enrollment and marketing at Millikin.

New this academic year are majors in the following academic programs: Arts Administration, Computer Science, Exercise Science, Finance, Health Promotion, and Sport and Recreation Management. Millikin also added Men's Volleyball to its NCAA Division III athletic offerings.

New developments on campus are enhancing Performance Learning experiences for Millikin students and building more awareness of Millikin's excellence. Construction on Millikin's new Center for Theatre and Dance is ongoing as well as the Workman Family Baseball Field, which is set to open this fall. Millikin University will be the only school in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) with an on-campus baseball-only facility with a full turf field and a clubhouse. The on-campus facility will be one of the best college baseball fields in the Midwest.

First-year chemistry major Sydney Griggs, a Presidential Scholar from Decatur, Ill., says the moment she walked on campus she knew Millikin was the right place.

"Everybody is so welcoming, and it feels like a tight-knit community on campus," said Griggs, who is also a Long-Vanderburg Scholar and John & Ula Leighty Science Scholar. "The faculty are very approachable and the upperclassmen have been great. One of my biggest goals as a student is to develop into a more confident person, and I'm already starting to see it since I've stepped on campus."

Millikin University is a private, comprehensive university with a diverse student population of approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students. A Millikin education features Performance Learning, a unique learning approach offered only at Millikin that gives students the chance to build the confidence and skills to succeed before and after graduation. Millikin offers more than 50 majors in the College of Fine Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Professional Studies and Tabor School of Business, and is located on a 75-acre residential campus in Decatur, Ill. Last year, 99 percent of Millikin graduates gained employment or continued their education within six months of graduation.

Involvement Fair offers opportunities for Millikin campus to learn about student organizations

Each year, students have the opportunity to get to know Millikin University's 90-plus student organizations at the annual Student Involvement Fair. This year's fair was held on Tuesday, Aug. 27 in the University Commons Banquet Room on Millikin's campus.

Couldn't make it to the fair? Here are a few organizations that might interest you:

Interested in government or politics? Check out the Multicultural Student Council (MSC). The MSC is a liaison to many of the underrepresented student organizations at Millikin. The student-driven council helps support and promote unity between organizations for the betterment of the campus community. There are many other great government student organizations including Student Senate, Model United Nations, Panhellenic Council and many more.

If you're looking for a way to enhance your academic experience, one of the academic-based student organizations could be for you. There are many different clubs including French Club, Italian Club, Math Club, Society of Physics Students, Sociology Club, just to name a few. If you don't get enough of a subject in the classroom, join one of the organizations to help feed your interest!

Love the fine arts? Join an organization like Millikin's mixed A cappella group Dissonance which gives you the opportunity to perform at different events and venues. There are many different organizations that rehearse together and perform at Millikin and in the surrounding community. If singing isn't your thing, there's multiple instrumental organizations like Millikin's Piano Club, Flute Society, Guitar Club and more.

While Millikin originally was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church when the school was founded in 1901, the university is open to all different religions and beliefs. There are five different religious and spiritual organizations on Millikin's campus. Fellowship of Christian Athletes, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Jewish Student Union, Multicultural Voices of Praises and Newman Catholic Society.

If your interest doesn't fit into one of the previous categories, maybe one of the special interest organizations could be what interests you. Whether it be a love for anime, video games, animals or Ultimate Frisbee, there are organizations that fit those interests specifically.

Millikin has some of the best Greek organizations to choose from including six different fraternities and sororities. Informal recruitment takes place this fall, and formal recruitment occurs in the spring. You will be sure to find a home in Greek Life.

Still not quite finding what you're looking for? Well then start your own student organization! Millikin makes it extremely easy to create an organization that has your specific interests in mind. Follow the five steps to starting a new student organization and you can create an organization for students with the same interest as you. 

Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Newman Catholic team up to host community kickoff

"Eat mor chikin."

Millikin University students did exactly that at the Faith Community Kickoff hosted by Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Newman Catholic on Thursday, Aug. 29, on the Miller Quad. The two organizations came together to provide Millikin students with a night full of fun, music, and yes, Chick-fil-A.

Logan Bader, senior community service chair for Newman Catholic, was excited for FCA and Newman Catholic to team up and plan the event.

"Both organizations were started when I was a freshman," he said. "It was great to have the two organizations come together to put on an event that brought out over 200 Millikin students."

The night started out with students gathering on the Miller Quad to play various yard games. Students worked up quite an appetite while playing bags, nine-square, Frisbee and football. When it was time for dinner, there was a massive line of students waiting to get one of the chicken sandwiches that were catered in from Chick-fil-A.

Entertainment for the night was provided by an up-and-coming Christian band from Nashville, Tenn., called Mass Anthem. The band has close ties with central Illinois as two of the band members, brothers Chad and Tyler Sowards, hail from Springfield, Ill.

Millikin student Korbin Farmer, a senior philosophy major from Columbia, Ill., and one of the senior leaders for FCA, was excited to get the band on campus.

"The event was proof of how special Millikin is," said Farmer. "A few of us students had heard Mass Anthem last spring in Decatur (Ill.) and we thought it would be cool to have them come perform on campus."

The band was a hit with the students with their rock sound, upbeat energy and great dance moves. As the concert came to an end, the students got to indulge in ice cream and had the opportunity to meet the members of the band.

"I am overwhelmed by how successful this event was," said Bader. "Especially in that it was all centered around the promotion of faith within the student body. I feel so blessed to have been a part of this event's planning and success."

FCA will host their organization's kickoff event on Sunday, Sept. 8, at the Workman Family Softball Field on Millikin's campus. The organization meets weekly each Sunday in the Griswold Physical Education Center at 8:30 p.m.

Newman Catholic hosts services at 12 noon on Sundays in Pilling chapel where any Millikin musician or singer is welcomed to help lead music during the services. They also host a variety of events throughout the academic year, including small group discussions, social events and movie nights.

"I could not think of a better way to start the year than with this event. I'm excited to see what else the year holds for both FCA and Newman Catholic," Farmer said.

Millikin recognized for contributions to the public good

Washington Monthly's 2019 College Guide and Rankings, released Aug. 26, have recognized Millikin University as being a "Best Bang for the Buck" Midwest university. Millikin was ranked among the top 50 in the category at No. 29 of 372 schools.

According to the Washington Monthly, four-year institutions were rated based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and community and national service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).

The "Best Bang for the Buck" Midwest category ranks 372 schools according to how well they "help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices." The rankings are broken down by five geographic regions: Northeast, Southeast, South, Midwest and West.

"Millikin's commitment to preparing students for professional success, democratic citizenship in a global environment, and lives of meaning and value are coupled with an institutional commitment to serving dedicated students who come from the full range of experiences and backgrounds reflected in American society," said Millikin Provost Dr. Jeff Aper.

Dr. Aper added, "Millikin's quality and accessibility combine to show up better in the Washington Monthly analysis than 92 percent of other institutions across the entire Midwest. This is a 'Top Ten' kind of ranking we should be very proud of because it reflects our overarching commitments to meaningful and effective education through Performance Learning that really works for a very diverse student population, including many who are the first in their families to attend college."

Millikin University welcomed 490 first-year students to campus to begin the fall 2019 semester, a four percent increase in first-year students from fall 2018 when it enrolled 468 first-year students. The 490 first-year class is the largest since 2012.

Washington Monthly author Robert Kelchen noted, "The best bang for the buck colleges across each of the five regions are a mix of some of America's most elite institutions and hidden gems that make up for a lack of name recognition with strong student outcomes and a commitment to upward mobility."

Kelchen added, "Over the last few years, we at the Washington Monthly have been thrilled to see growing public attention paid to colleges' roles in fostering upward social mobility among their students. This is our eighth year of producing a ranking of 'best bang for the buck' colleges, which is laser focused on showing which colleges do a good job promoting social mobility—and which don't."

For this year's lists, the Washington Monthly took into account the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants who earned bachelor's degrees. Another change was to take a state's income distribution into account in some of its measures to adjust for economic factors beyond a college's control.

Since 2005, Washington Monthly has released its an annual College Guide and Rankings, rating schools based on "what they are doing for the country."

Millikin University is a private, comprehensive university with a diverse student population of approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students. A Millikin education features Performance Learning, a unique learning approach offered only at Millikin that gives students the chance to build the confidence and skills to succeed before and after graduation. Millikin offers more than 50 majors in the College of Fine Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Professional Studies and Tabor School of Business, and is located on a 75-acre residential campus in Decatur, Ill. Last year, 99 percent of Millikin graduates gained employment or continued their education within six months of graduation.

App designed to provide fast, reliable mobile experience for users to find Millikin content

Want to learn more about upcoming events on Millikin University's campus? Dining options or the latest Millikin news? This fall semester, Millikin University has launched its first mobile app called "MU2go," an app that provides quick access to content for students, faculty, families and friends who interact with the Big Blue community.

The MU2go app is designed to provide a fast, reliable mobile experience for users to find Millikin content including: information about campus dining locations, hours and menus; quick access to emergency contacts and frequently used apps; and information on the latest University happenings as well as special events. With the MU2go app, users can quickly access the content that is important to them.

"MU2go will make it easier for users to access the content they need without having to navigate through the website to do so," said Millikin Web Developer Jessica Landgrebe, creator of MU2go.

"Having a mobile app keeps Millikin University in step with modern technology."

MU2go is a hybrid application available for both iOS and Android devices. It features content, filtered down by target audience, so only one application is needed for all users. The app is available now on the App Store or the Google Play Store.

"A mobile application can act as a recruitment tool for prospective students and a retention tool for existing students," said Landgrebe. "By providing mobile applications to help meet students' and the community's growing expectations, we can increase retention and enrollment numbers across the University. By leveraging mobile applications we can better engage with the Millikin community, Decatur (Ill.) and surrounding communities."

Also available is the MilliMoji app – a sticker pack that makes it easy for users to express themselves in emoji shorthand, enrich conversations and show their school pride. Users can create fun conversations with Millikin friends and family, check in at their favorite events and places by sharing on social media, all from their phone's own messaging system.

The MilliMoji app is a native application also available on both iOS and Android app stores. For Android, the MilliMoji app is a standalone app used to share emojis and stickers. The MilliMojis can be easily integrated into the messaging keyboard using Gboard, where the emojis and stickers can be shared in all messaging apps. For iOS, the sticker pack is automatically integrated into the user's messaging keyboard to be shared with family and friends.

For more information about the MU2go app or to download the app to your device, visit millikin.edu/millikin-apps. 

"This program reaches so many people"

Millikin University student-run organization Big Blue Backpacks is once again beginning another year of providing nourishment and wellness for students in need at Dennis Lab School in Decatur, Ill. The organization officially kicked off its fourth year of providing bags of food for students during a press conference held at the Good Samaritan Inn on Sept. 6, 2019.

With the support of private donors in the community as well as local agencies, Big Blue Backpacks purchases food items and packs them into bags to give to students for over-the-weekend nourishment. The program benefits the children at Dennis Lab School in so many ways including their attendance rates, health, academic success and confidence in self.

Over the last three years the organization has provided just under 150,000 food items to students at Dennis.

Big Blue Backpacks provides food bags for 80 students over 27 weeks during the school year, and has provided meals for over 500 students in the last three years. Members of Big Blue Backpacks put the bags together every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at the Good Samaritan Inn and they are distributed to students the following Friday.

Backpacks go home every Friday filled with two breakfast meals, three dinners, two lunches, two snack items and hygiene products.

"My students continue to make a significant difference in the lives of students at Dennis School by providing weekly backpacks for those in need," said Mary Garrison, professor of social work at Millikin University and Big Blue Backpacks faculty adviser. "Through their commitment to ensuring the provision of food each week my students are learning leadership skills, the importance of giving and seeing that their work makes an impact."

Big Blue Backpacks was created and launched in Sept. 2016 with the goal of providing seven weekend meals for 80 Dennis Lab School students each weekend during the academic year.

"The Big Blue Backpacks program provides the wrap-around services on the weekends for our students to have those needs met."

Examples of common items found in the bags include granola bars, oatmeal, breakfast bars, noodles, soups, canned vegetables, pasta, macaroni, gummy bears, fruit snacks, pudding cups and fruit cups.

Keith Creighton, assistant principal at Dennis Lab School and a 2000 Millikin graduate, expressed his gratitude for the Big Blue Backpacks program. "It is said that it takes a village to raise a child and the Big Blue Backpacks program is a perfect example of that quote manifested. Times during the year where households are uncertain of having enough food to meet the needs of all family members is referred to by the USDA as food insecurity. The Big Blue Backpacks program provides the wrap-around services on the weekends for our students to have those needs met," he said.

Big Blue Backpacks member Joycelyn VanAntwerp, a junior psychology major form Kewanee, Ill., says her interest in helping children led her to joining the program.

"This is the perfect opportunity to help meet a need that is not only in Decatur but all over the United States," she said. "It's nice to know that this is helping kids and I think about that every time we pack the food – all this work is for them and it's going to make them better. It think it's really important for older students to get involved and help younger students so that we can build up a generation of kids who want to help and want to give back."  

This year, Big Blue Backpacks is currently seeking financial donations to raise $9,000 to supply enough food for 80 students.

Big Blue Backpacks' ongoing donation options include several different levels of sponsorships for giving including:

• Desk: $80 feeds one child for an entire school year
• Lunch Table: $800 feeds 10 children for an entire school year
• Classroom: $2,000 feeds 25 children for an entire school year
• School Bus: $4,000 feeds 50 children for an entire school year

Rev. Stacey Brohard, executive director of the Good Samaritan Inn, shared his thoughts on the importance of collaboration for the community. "Four years ago, we knew that we had a need that needed to be met in Decatur, and it's often said that the solutions to our problems are right here in our own community," he said. "This program reaches so many people. It takes a community to make this happen and the students are always looking forward to expanding this program every year."

For more information about Big Blue Backpacks, visit bigbluebackpacks.weebly.com, call 217.424.5074 or e-mail bigbluebackpacks@gmail.com.   

Peer mentor finds his calling in nursing

If you ever see someone around campus dancing at the most random times, throwing the "OK" sign around too many times to count, or making some great beats and pretending to play the drums - you most likely have met Millikin University junior nursing major Marcus Hayes.

The Joliet, Ill., native is well-known for his high energy, contagious smile and dedication to his passions and studies.

Hayes serves in many different roles on Millikin's campus including being a residential academic peer mentor, a supplementary instructor and a leader for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Being a peer mentor, specifically, is one of Hayes' favorite things that he gets to be a part of.

"The main focus of being a peer mentor is academic, but it really is so much more than that," Hayes said. "I love being there for the freshmen. Freshmen year can be a struggle at some points. Seeing how they manage that struggle and being there for them through it all is pretty cool."

Having deep connections with other students not only has helped Hayes become a better peer mentor, but has helped him grow in other areas of his life as well.

"Being a peer mentor has shown me how I should best approach people, have conversations with people about their current situations, and really just learn how to be real and raw with others," said Hayes.

As a peer mentor, the genuineness and care Hayes has for others are among the many traits that make him stand out in his role. Hayes utilized these same traits during his summer job as a camp counselor at Camp Timberline in Estes Park, Colo.

His passion for helping others has led to aspirations to work as a nurse in the intensive care unit (ICU) or with anesthesia.

One reason that Hayes originally ended up at Millikin was because of the University's excellent School of Nursing. In high school, Hayes was unsure whether or not nursing was his calling, or if Millikin was the right choice for him. However, his time at Millikin thus far has reassured him that he is in the right place.

"Performance learning is one of the greatest things that Millikin has to offer," Hayes explained. "As nursing students, we are essentially thrown to the wolves, which is great since we gain experience right from the start with having to perform in the actual environment where we will be working in one day."

Along with his love for Millikin's academics, Hayes could go on and on about what stands out the most about Millikin, which in his opinion, is none other than the people that make up the Big Blue community.

"Millikin attracts people that are always fully accepting and cool with being themselves. No one is trying to conform to anything, but rather we encourage each other to do our own thing," Hayes said.

Being able to experience life and pursue individual goals in any way possible is what Hayes loves about the Millikin community. Everyone finds a different way to make Millikin their own with great support along the way.

"The people are the reason why I am still here in Decatur (Ill.). I feel as I am a part of something much bigger than myself," Hayes said.

U.S. News recognizes Millikin for Value, Innovation and Social Mobility

U.S. News & World Report has once again recognized Millikin University as a leading institution in higher learning in its 2020 "Best Colleges" guidebook released on Sept. 9, 2019. Millikin is ranked No. 10 in the "Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest" category making Millikin the highest ranked institution in Illinois on this list.​

Millikin University was also recognized for its excellence in a number of other categories including: "Best Value Schools" in the Midwest at No. 28; "Most Innovative Schools - Regional Colleges Midwest" at No. 5; and "Top Performers on Social Mobility – Regional Colleges Midwest" at No. 25.

The "Best Regional Colleges" category, which Millikin is included in, is comprised of 373 schools that are divided and ranked in four geographical groups: North, South, Midwest and West. Millikin has participated in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges" publication and data collections for over 20 years. For the majority of those years, Millikin has been ranked in the top 18 or higher.

"We are delighted by Millikin's continued high ranking among Midwest colleges, and we are particularly proud of the recognition of Millikin's significant achievement in innovation, value and social mobility," said Millikin President Dr. Patrick E. White. "Our founder James Millikin was an innovator, entrepreneur and pioneer who was committed to changing the lives of students from all walks of life. Millikin University continues that mission and we are honored that others recognize our achievement on behalf of our students and community."

U.S. News & World Report's "Best Value Schools" ranking takes into account both academic quality and cost. The ratio of quality to price accounted for 60 percent of the overall score; the percentage of all undergraduates receiving need-based grants accounted for 25 percent; and the average discount accounted for 15 percent. Millikin is the third highest ranked college in Illinois on this list.

Ranked No. 5 for "Most Innovative Schools - Regional Colleges Midwest," Millikin University is listed among colleges that received the most nominations by top college officials for being the most innovative institutions. U.S. News asked top college officials to identify schools that the public should be watching because of the cutting-edge changes the colleges are making on their campuses as well as the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.

Millikin University was also recognized as a top performing Midwest school for social mobility. This category "measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants." Pell Grant recipients typically come from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000. Social Mobility was among several new categories U.S. News provided in its 2020 edition, including First-Year Experiences, Learning Communities, Service Learning and Study Abroad.

"Again this year the U.S. News & World Report College Rankings reflect the quality and success of the Millikin community. This year, Millikin has been specifically recognized not only for its ongoing tradition of academic excellence and outstanding student outcomes, but also for being an outstanding value for students, for being a leader in innovation in undergraduate education, and for being an institution that inspires and supports significant social mobility for students," said Millikin Provost Dr. Jeff Aper.

"These are wonderful and gratifying recognitions of the breadth and depth of the ways in which Millikin sets the pace for college education that is forward-looking, oriented toward student success, and genuinely contributing to the greater good."

To place each school in its ranking, U.S. News strictly maps its categories to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education's Basic Classification system. Each school had an overall rank that was calculated from 15 key measures of quality. U.S. News uses multiple measures to capture the various dimensions of academic quality at each college such as graduation and retention; graduation rate performance; social mobility; faculty resources; expert opinion; financial resources; student excellence and alumni giving.

U.S. News & World Report writes, "The indicators include both input measures, which reflect the quality of students, faculty and other resources used in education, and outcome measures, which capture the results of the education an individual receives."

Dr. Aper added, "College ranking systems have for many years relied heavily on general reputation and financial resources, and while both are important, they tell very little of the larger story of the difference an institution makes in the world. These additional measures, as they relate to value, innovation and social mobility, say so much more about the critical ways in which Millikin is among those institutions that change lives and change the world."

U.S. News & World Report ranks colleges and universities for best quality as well as for best value. The complete 2020 edition of U.S. News & Report's "Best Colleges" guidebook, and nearly 50 different types of rankings and lists, is available at usnews.com/best-colleges.

Millikin University is a private, comprehensive university with a diverse student population of approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students. A Millikin education features Performance Learning, a unique learning approach offered only at Millikin that gives students the chance to build the confidence and skills to succeed before and after graduation. Millikin offers more than 50 majors in the College of Fine Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Professional Studies and Tabor School of Business, and is located on a 75-acre residential campus in Decatur, Ill. Last year, 99 percent of Millikin graduates gained employment or continued their education within six months of graduation. 

A health guide for busy college students

College is a demanding time when students have to juggle many things including classes, studying, athletics and maintaining a social life. Sometimes students get so caught up in these aspects they forget to take care of themselves. It's an important time to develop healthy habits because they can impact your studies and hard work.

We compiled some healthy living tips to help you perform your best during your Big Blue experience.

1. Go to Bed Earlier

It's very uncommon for college students to have a regular time that they go to bed. Often they are surviving on power naps and Starbucks to get through their day, and falling asleep at 3 a.m. While you can survive on a schedule like this, you won't work to your full potential. Ensuring that you are getting eight hours of sleep is vital. Instead of taking power naps and spending hours avoiding your homework scrolling through Instagram during the day, utilize the pockets of your day that you have free to study, socialize and finish homework. That way when you are heading to bed, you can fall asleep knowing that you had a productive, fulfilling day.

2. Find Time for You

Often people find themselves not achieving their goals because they are burned out and exhausted. They feel as though they never have time for the activities that they enjoy. What is actually happening is that they are not prioritizing making time for those joyful activities. For some people this could be committing to a yoga class every week, finding a few hours to have a jam session with your bros, or maybe it's simply reading a book and drinking coffee. Whatever your happy time is, you have to make time for it consistently every week.

3. Surround Yourself with People Who Respect Your Goals

Surrounding yourself with fellow students or colleagues who support you and your goals will make it easier to achieve them. They will be there to hold you accountable and motivate you to succeed because they genuinely want you to.

4. Write Your Goals Down and Keep Them In Places Where You Will See Them

Studies show that when your write things down you are more likely to remember them. Doing this with your goals will remind yourself of your personal priorities. Strategically placing them in locations where you will see them (i.e. bathroom mirror, dashboard of your car, on your computer monitor) will serve as a constant reminder of what you are working towards.

5. Give Yourself Time

Major goals do not happen overnight. Staying patient and working hard will pay off in the end. One of the biggest mistakes a person can make is getting frustrated with slow results and giving up. Don't do this! Achieve your goals, one day at a time.

Phi Kappa Phi grant to support professor's research on the effects of herbicides and reproductive cancers

Dr. Jennifer Schroeder, associate professor of biology and director of academic effectiveness at Millikin University, has been awarded a Love of Learning Award from the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi worth $500. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Dr. Schroeder is one of 200 recipients nationwide to receive the award.

Established in 2007, the Love of Learning Program gives 200 awards annually in support of post-baccalaureate professional development. The selection process for a Love of Learning Award is based on the applicant's academic achievement, campus and community service, intended use of award funds as it relates to academic and career goals, and a personal statement.

Dr. Schroeder plans to utilize the Love of Learning Award to expand her research that examines the potential effects of herbicides on human cells and how it relates to the growing rate of reproductive cancers in rural areas. Correlative studies have indicated that pesticide and herbicide exposure could serve as a potential contributor for reproductive cancers in rural areas.

"Several years ago, a Millikin biology student worked on a project that looked at pesticides and how they impact stress response in cancer cells, and there's a tie-in particularly with high incidence rates of reproductive cancers in rural areas," said Schroeder. "There are several reasons, but one is that those species are exposed to more chemicals." 

Despite several studies examining the effects of these chemicals on indicator species, Schroeder says little research has been done both on human cells and within physiological ranges of exposure.

Beginning in 2009, Schroeder and several Millikin undergraduate research students examined the potential effects of three triazine herbicides (atrazine, cyanazine, and simazine) on human cells. In 2012, they published research examining a slight increase in breast cancer cell viability after the cells were exposed to the pesticides, and in 2014, they identified that the compounds did not deter the ability of cancerous cells to migrate.

In 2016, Schroeder published a study that looked at GPR30, a G-protein coupled receptor, and its effect on three cancerous and one non-cancerous breast cell line along with three concentrations of atrazine, cyanazine or simazine herbicides. This was the first time Millikin used a technique called real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). "This gave me the opportunity to train students in a new avenue of research not previously done at Millikin, yet one that is critical for molecular biology and was an integral part of my published postdoctoral work," said Schroeder.

Since spring 2019 and over this past summer, Schroeder has been working Millikin biology major and Leighty Scholar Stephen DeMartini, a senior from Gillespie, Ill., to study the effects of the herbicides on different stress response mechanisms within the cells. One difference they've been studying is key oxidative stress.

"Oxidative stress is one way our cells respond to differences in the environment," said Schroeder. "Stephen (DeMartini) has been trying to identify which genes might actually be working differently because of that pesticide. He's looked through and identified several genes that are potential targets, and we've started to look at whether there's a difference in the expression of those genes when they are treated with the pesticide versus when we don't."

Schroeder says they hope to use real-time PCR to pinpoint the specific targets of action within the cells, and determine if there are differences in these genes between cancerous and non-cancerous cells.

"Real-time PCR is a technique that is used at a lot of larger research institutions, and it gives us a snapshot of what's going on in the cells and we can do tons of replicates," said Schroeder. "This grant is going to help Stephen expand the number of trials he can do."     

Since spring 2009, Schroeder has trained and worked with 32 students in her research lab, as well as helped mentor seven students in other labs due to overlap between their research interests. Several have now gone on beyond Millikin to thrive in graduate research or medical school.

"It's great because our students get several different types of Performance Learning opportunities. At Millikin, we strongly encourage students to do the hands-on work and it gives them a chance to really see if this is what they want to do," said Schroeder. "We also give them chances to present their research off campus as well as on campus at events like Celebrations of Scholarship."  

Since 1932, Phi Kappa Phi's award programs have recognized members and students on its chapter campuses for outstanding academic achievement. In addition to the Love of Learning Program, Phi Kappa Phi awards graduate and dissertation fellowships, study abroad grants, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives.

Millikin Homecoming and Family Weekend 2019 set for Sept. 27-29

Are you ready to Go Big & Come Home? Join Millikin University alumni, families and friends and display your Big Blue pride at Homecoming and Family Weekend 2019, Sept. 27-29. Millikin will host a full week of activities leading up to the weekend when hundreds of alumni and friends return to Millikin's campus.

This year's theme, "Go Big & Come Home," invites Millikin graduates to come home to celebrate and reconnect with their Millikin family.

Homecoming Week activities will start on Monday, Sept. 23 with Kick-Off on the Miller Quad featuring inflatables, food and entertainment all evening. The annual Homecoming Talent Show featuring student performers will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. Millikin's annual Chalk the Walk event will be held on Friday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. behind Shilling Hall on Millikin's campus.

On Friday, Sept. 27, the Millikin community is invited to join President Dr. Patrick White and Athletic Director Dr. Craig White for the dedication of Millikin's newest athletic facility and the new home of the Big Blue Baseball program, the Workman Family Baseball Field. The dedication ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. Following the ceremony, attendees can take a tour of the facility and watch as the Big Blue Baseball team takes the field for a team scrimmage. The Workman Family Baseball Field is located behind the Decatur Indoor Sports Center (DISC) at 1295 W. Wood St. in Decatur, Ill.

Also on Friday, Sept. 27, Alumni Award recipients will be honored at a celebratory dinner and program held in the Bob and Debi Johnston Banquet Rooms on the 3rd floor of the University Commons from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. This year's honorees are:

2019 Alumni Award Recipients

• Co-Alumnus of the Year: Don McIntyre '52 and Nancy Todd McIntyre '53

• Merit Award: Sarah Smith-Raschen '98

• Merit-Loyalty Award: Terry Peel '68

• Loyalty Award: James "Jim" Neff '78

• Young Alumnus Award: Dian Romonosky '11

On Saturday, Sept. 28, Millikin's Homecoming and Family Weekend Parade will kick off at 10 a.m. The parade will begin at the corner of Wood Street and Oakland Avenue, go east on Wood Street to Pine Street, turn north on Pine Street, then head west on Main Street, ending at the corner of Main Street and Fairview Avenue.

On Saturday evening, the Big Blue Football team will take on the Wheaton Thunder under the lights at 6 p.m. at Frank M. Lindsay Field.

On Sunday, Sept. 29, Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at the Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Brunch, held in the Bob and Debi Johnston Banquets Rooms in the University Commons from 12 noon – 2 p.m. This year's inductees are:

2019 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

• Mark Coglianese '85, Football, Men's Track and Field

• Jennifer Falbe Douglass '00, Women's Basketball, Cross Country

• Terri Jones Kawczynski '85, Women's Basketball

• Debbie Kiick, Volleyball Coach, Softball Coach

• Kevin Wolff '85, Wrestling

Some of the Homecoming and Family Weekend events have fees and require reservations. For questions or to register by phone by the Sept. 22 deadline, contact Millikin's Alumni & Development Office at 217.424.6383 or 1.877.JMU.ALUM. Visit millikin.edu/homecoming for the most up-to-date Homecoming and Family Weekend information.

Millikin Homecoming and Family Weekend 2019 Events

Friday, Sept. 27

3 p.m.

Workman Family Baseball Field Dedication

5:30 p.m.

Alumni Awards Dinner

Saturday, Sept. 28

10 a.m.

Homecoming and Family Weekend Parade

11 a.m.

All-Millikin Lunch and James Millikin Homestead Ice Cream Social

3 p.m.

University Choir and Alumni Choir Concert

6 p.m.

Big Blue Football vs. Wheaton College

Sunday, Sept. 29

12 noon

Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Brunch

Millikin's Patrick White 'bleeds blue'

Dr. Patrick E. White joined Millikin University as interim president in July 2013, and under his leadership, Millikin has been revitalized and reimagined, and he has built a solid foundation for further growth and success.

Known around campus for his approachability and tireless support of all things Millikin, President White is hard to miss when it comes to attending most events.

"You know by his voice or his laugh," Kalli Farmer says in an interview with the Herald & Review. "Or in a crowd, you can just see him. You just know right away because he's all over the place. He's hard to miss."

Farmer, a senior from Columbia, Ill., added, "He has great conversations with us. He comes to softball games, music and dance events, just supports the students and everything we do. The fact that he can do that is incredible. He works all day and still, you see him at all the events. He makes the students a priority and it's just awesome to see that in the president of a university."

Back in February 2019, Dr. White, Millikin University's 15th President, announced plans to retire effective June 30, 2020.

Under President White's leadership, there have been significant contributions to enhancing Millikin University's campus as well as Performance Learning experiences for current and future Millikin students. In 2015, Millikin completed its "Transform MU" capital campaign 14 months early, exceeding its $85 million goal by over $10 million. This successful initiative led to the design and construction of innovative, transformative facilities on the University's campus. The Workman Family Softball Field, one of the best in the nation, was unveiled for the spring 2017 softball season. The $31 million University Commons, which serves as the "front door and main street" to campus, opened in August 2017 and houses the Staley Library; the Doug and Diane Oberhelman Center for Leadership Performance; the University dining hall; and additional spaces designed for collaborative use by faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community.

Under Dr. White's guidance, the campus will soon be enriched by the completion of the Workman Family Baseball Field, which will be formally dedicated on Sept. 27, 2019, as a part of Millikin's Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities.

Additionally, the University's new Center for Theatre & Dance will be completed in fall 2020. For the first time, Millikin's School of Theatre and Dance will have a facility equal in quality and potential to its national reputation. This $29 million state-of-the-art facility will feature a 260-seat flexible theatre with an orchestra pit and balcony, lighting and sound labs, a costume studio, collaboration spaces, costume and design classrooms, modern equipment and office space for current staff with room for growth.

"I would not be able to list every little thing," said Gina Bianchi, vice president of alumni and development at Millikin. "We surpassed our goal and he was one of the reasons we were successful. He's very much a people's president," Bianchi said. "He tries to be everywhere at everything and that's demanding on his time, but that's the way he likes it."

President White notes that he has plenty of time left to keep Millikin moving forward and continuing its "momentum."

"I still have about 12 percent of my presidency to go," White said. "There's a lot of work to get done even as we move into the search and transition process, we're continuing to work on raising funds for the Center for Theatre and Dance, and we're beginning to raise money for our additional changes in athletics."

White added, "One of the things of which I'm most proud is, I like to point out, it's not just me. It's my leadership team, the cabinet, the faculty and staff, the board of trustees that helped Millikin get its momentum back and going again."

"Our students and our alums are excited about the future of Millikin, and our present, and what we're doing, and the key to that is the work that the faculty and staff have done to define and articulate and highlight our understanding of Performance Learning."

In addition to the remaining fundraising efforts for the Center for Theatre and Dance, the University is gathering contributions for Phase I of the Griswold Center renovation and expansion project – a $12 million project. Phase I will include building a facility to house six new locker rooms for varsity and junior varsity football, Men's and Women's soccer, and Men's and Women's track & field and cross country. Phase I also includes a fitness center for the entire campus community as well as classrooms and team meeting spaces.

"He's a guy who really, really wants, every day, to figure out how to take a forward step to make some good things happen," said Millikin Provost Dr. Jeff Aper. "He keeps his eye on the small things, like being sure he is directly responsive to students one on one and in large groups, to details like thinking about real big items, like putting together planning and funding for projects like the University Commons or the Center for Theatre and Dance. Those are huge projects, but he gives the same energy and attention to all things that matter, and that's why he's a remarkable guy as president."

Millikin Board of Trustees Chairman Randell Blackburn, retired vice president, Transportation, Union Pacific Railroad, says Dr. White's leadership has changed the Millikin experience for everyone.

"I think the most important thing is, he has a message of growth and growing the university in all aspects," Blackburn said. "He really supports the mission and the vision of the university and it really comes down to Millikin as a national leader in Performance Learning, student engagement, preparing students for professional success, and a personal life of meaning and value."

Most college students are no strangers to the burdens that come with financing their education. For students whose majors require unpaid internships, those burdens are felt even more acutely.

As an information systems major, Justin DeBo ’18 is keenly aware of the impact that internships have on students and their future career success. However, it wasn’t until learning about the experiences of his friends — Benjamin Viette ’18 of Belvidere, Ill.; Morgan Huffman ’18, currently living in Mount Zion, Ill.; and Taryn Pepping ’17 of Johnston, Iowa — that he realized just how varied those internship experiences can be for Millikin students.

As he learned more about what his friends had experienced throughout their educational journeys, DeBo felt led to make a difference in the lives of individuals working in the helping professions. To that end, DeBo, a Normal, Ill., native now working as a software developer for State Farm, worked with Professor Mary Garrison to create the Viette-Huffman-Pepping (VHP) Non-Profit Internship, with the support of DeBo's employer. The endowed fund is designed to benefit students participating in unpaid internships with non-profit organizations.

While at Millikin, DeBo began working with MU Performance Consulting (MUPC), a student-run venture specializing in information systems consulting services. Through this opportunity, DeBo became engaged with Dove, Inc.’s Homeward Bound program, which provides housing, case management, referrals and supportive services to homeless individuals in the Decatur area. It was in this capacity, while working alongside Huffman, that DeBo’s eyes were really opened to the struggles of individuals around him.

“Morgan worked with me on the Dove project,” DeBo said. “She was really one of the people who [helped me with] understanding homeless people. … She made me more understanding and more compassionate toward people from different backgrounds. She had a big impact on me while I was here.”

As an art therapy major, Pepping fully understands the depth and breadth of the non-profit internship experience and the commitment it requires. Desiring a more focused approach, Pepping wanted to find an internship that would afford her supervised time specifically in her field of study. After much research, and with the support of her James Millikin Scholar project supervisors, Pepping was put in contact with Hope Learning Academy in Springfield, Ill., a school dedicated to the development of students with autism and other developmental disabilities.

For nearly two years, Pepping served Hope as its art intern. “I don’t think I would have as much knowledge about the psychological effects of various art materials, planning for therapeutic projects, or the importance of flexibility and adaptation for individual clients if I had not had first-hand experience from Hope,” Pepping said. Now a graduate student in the Seattle area, Pepping finds herself still reflecting upon her internship experience today. “Those experiences are fueling my learning even now and are still strengthening my passion for continuing in my growth as an art therapist in training.”

DeBo credits Pepping’s presentation about her internship as one of the deciding influences in the creation of the VHP fund. In addition to serving Hope for two years as an unpaid intern, Pepping made the drive to Springfield to work with the students multiple times a week, using money from her own pocket to fuel her travel. DeBo respects that kind of commitment and sacrifice, and he believes it should be rewarded. “Maybe [the VHP internship] could help [students] not need another job while they’re at college or pay for their gas to go back and forth,” he said. "Something to just make their lives a little easier.”

Human services students often find themselves taking risks and stepping outside of their comfort zones to effect positive change in the world. Viette and Huffman, accompanied by Garrison and other students, traveled to Los Angeles over spring break of their senior year to serve individuals living in extreme, chronic homelessness in LA’s Skid Row area. DeBo was good friends with Viette from his years at Millikin and found this to be consistent with Viette’s compassionate nature, making him an ideal mentor to individuals currently making their way through the internship experience. “These people have all gone through these internships, so they could provide mentorship to others,” DeBo said. “It gives them someone who they know they can reach out to.”

As a professor of social work who serves alongside students committed to the helping professions, Garrison is excited about the impact that the VHP fund will be able to have on others. She believes that it particularly speaks volumes to have human services students receive much-needed support from an individual from another field of study. “I think it really validates the students who do the work. For most people, if you see marketing or information systems, even if you aren’t really in it, you might understand it,” Garrison said. “When we’re talking human services, people don’t really understand the work that goes on … and also the real challenges. It is a hard job. I think it really validates that their work is important. They're not just helpers. They’re skilled professionals, and we’re helping to support their development as professionals in any way we can.”

Currently, the VHP internship fund is at a level that will allow one student to receive $500 for their internship work. The goal is to grow the fund to $20,000, enabling its impact to stretch further and reach even more students. “Ideally, I would love for it to be able to fund any non-profit internship for any major. … I would love for people who have that passion to be able to do that kind of work – and to be able to do it without having to give up something,” DeBo said.

DeBo believes strongly that the VHP internship gives individuals, particularly young alumni, a way to make a tangible difference in the lives of Millikin students. “I’m hoping it will touch people and encourage them to give so that the people in these professions can continue to give back,” he said. “I think it’s important. We need people doing that work.”

Garrison agrees, saying, “They’re going to be taking care of us one day.” She is grateful for the opportunity being provided to current students. “I can’t thank Justin enough,” she said. “It’s cool that he looked at those three peers, thought this through, and wanted to support their legacy and look to the future.”

If you would like to make a gift to support the Viette-Huffman-Pepping Non-Profit Internship, please click here. Thank you for your support!

How Millikin's Chef Pehr and Adam Hayes are changing the way students think about eating

Junior Adam Hayes, a nursing major from Lockport, Ill., is one of Millikin University's resident assistants. Hayes strives to make sure that his residents not only feel at home at Millikin, but that they have the resources they need in order to succeed during their first year.

Hayes recently put on a program for his residents on Saturday, Sept. 16 in the University Commons Dining Hall, where students had the opportunity to spend part of their lunch listening to Chef Brian Pehr, Millikin's executive chef for dining services, offer insight into healthy eating habits. While students enjoyed lunch, Hayes touched on the importance of having a healthy lifestyle while being a college student.

"I want to help students create a healthy lifestyle during their educational experiences at Millikin," Hayes said. "Students need to realize that they don't have to cook Ramen noodles in their room every night; there are great choices at the café that are delicious, healthy choices."

Chef Pehr is making sure that the University Commons Dining Hall is built around the idea of taking food from the farm to the fork, and the way he is doing that is quite innovative. There's obviously no place to have a farm on campus, but Chef is making it works with the space he has.

"I can't have a farm, so why not grow crops on the roof of Leighty-Tabor (Science Center)?" said Chef Pehr.

Since last May, Chef Pehr has been growing various crops and herbs on the roof top of Leighty-Tabor Science Center on Millikin's campus. Thus far, the garden has grown to have over 60 pounds of tomatoes, 12 pounds of peppers, and various herbs that Chef Pehr uses to make oils and dressings.

"I want to put out great food, so we have to make sure we have great products to start out which having a garden like this allows us to do just that," Chef Pehr said.

Chef Pehr isn't content with his garden quite yet, he's got big plans to expand it. Within the next year, there will be new additions to the garden like cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Expanding the garden will bring fresh produce straight to the kitchen, and Chef could not be more excited about it.

"We help mold young people's minds," Chef said. "If we challenge them to think outside the box, then shouldn't we do the same?"

In an interview with WAND-TV, Hayes noted, "What we're doing in this program is reaching out to students and advocating for the dining hall that there's options in there that will help you have a healthy lifestyle. I just hope to see people come into the dining hall and get food that they like and tastes good, but also gives their body the energy they need for classes, exams and to do well."

Tabor School of Business brings first-year students and local professionals together for mentoring program

When new business students begin their academic journey at the Tabor School of Business, they are quickly introduced to unique opportunities that not only teach them successful business practices, but help them build confidence to succeed in their chosen career path.

In their first year, freshman business majors at Millikin University are involved right away. They are given an integrated experience combined with learning labs. Part of this experience is delivered through two courses: Business Creation and Team Dynamics.

Freshman students in Tabor's Business Creation course gain a basic understanding of business by having the opportunity to create a business plan that outlines a proposal to operate an enterprise of their choice. The Business Plan course has four sections with 25 students in each section. Students in the sections are grouped accordingly in teams of five. The Business Creation course is also combined with the Team Dynamics course where students not only learn how to work in teams, but learn team leadership, management and the role of conflict.

For those getting acclimated to the business world, a mentor can serve as a trusted confidante who provides guidance and can have a direct, positive impact on the growth of a business over time. This year, to help guide the first-year students during the development of their business plans, the Tabor School of Business and Millikin's Center for Entrepreneurship created a mentoring program consisting of 15 business professionals from the local community. The mentors come from a variety of industry backgrounds including legal, real estate, retail and marketing.

Each team in the course will receive a mentor. The mentor works with the team throughout the semester to develop their business plan and to work on their pitch. Many of the mentors are Millikin graduates including some that earned their MBA degrees from the Tabor School of Business.

The mentors came together to greet the first-year students at a "Meet the Mentors" event on Sept. 13.

"This is an amazing opportunity because of the generosity of the mentors and the opportunity for students just coming into Millikin to come together for this very unique class," said Julie Shields, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. "We are a model for other universities who are figuring out how to help students professionalize their lives earlier in their education. What the students are being exposed to now is very important."

Dr. J. Mark Munoz, professor of management and international business at Millikin University, and new faculty member Dr. Yuhan Hua, assistant professor of entrepreneurship, both lead the four sections of the Business Creation course. Dr. Munoz has brought mentors to his class in previous years, and with Dr. Hua needing mentors for this year, the mentoring program was started.

"We've seen how much of a network Dr. Munoz has and we wanted to do the same with Dr. Hua's class," said Bethany Gotts, program assistant for the Center for Entrepreneurship. "We went through our connections and the people in the community who would be good mentors, and we set them up with an orientation. There will be 11 mentors for Dr. Hua's two course sections."

During the Business Creation course, the mentors will meet with the teams four times in person to discuss marketing, financing and other industry-wide topics. At the end of the course, the students will give their business plan pitch and the winner of each Business Creation section will compete in Millikin's annual Freshman Business Plan Competition in December.

The Freshman Business Plan Competition is the culmination of the Business Creation and Team Dynamics courses. The winning teams receives a cash prize to use towards an international experience with Millikin, such as an immersion trip or a study abroad course.

"The mentors we have come from various backgrounds. They are experts in their fields and active in the community," said Gotts. "Some of the mentors are professionals who we've never interacted with before, so it's a good way to build a fresh network."

Among the mentors is David Freeman of Springfield, Ill. Freeman, who owns a consulting firm and recently earned his MBA from Millikin, says he had a mentor who helped him launch his business two years ago.

"I thought the help I was given is something that I could pass on to the students," said Freeman. "I hope to bring some truth and some experiences from avenues that didn't work, and be able to provide information on things that do work. What Millikin is doing is phenomenal in terms of the involvement with the community. Millikin's reach is broad and good, and I think it's very beneficial for the students."

Jeffonne Owens of Decatur, Ill., is another mentor who completed her MBA at Millikin in May 2019. Owens says the best part of the MBA program was the business plan process.

"I said to myself – if I ever get the chance, I'm going to be the best mentor that I can be. When I got the invitation to be a mentor I was really excited," said Owens. "I want to make sure that this is a great experience for the students. I know how it felt to bounce ideas off of someone and to be a think partner, and I want to be that for them."

Constitution Day panel features members of local media

The term "fake news" is something that has become widely used over the last four years and has generated many discussions about disinformation in conjunction with mainstream journalism. Millikin University's Department of History and Political Science brought this topic to the forefront as part of its annual Constitution Day event on Sept. 17.

The event, titled "Freedom of the Press in the Age of Fake News," featured a panel of four members from the local media including: 1970 Millikin alumnus Steven Hurst, retired international political correspondent; Penny Weaver, editor at the Mahomet Citizen; Allison Petty, regional editor at the Herald & Review; and Sydney Sinks, a sophomore English writing major at Millikin and news editor at the Decaturian – Millikin's student-run newspaper.

"Today we are discussing the First Amendment of the Constitution," said Dr. Laura Dean, assistant professor of political science at Millikin, who served as moderator for the event. "According to Reporters Without Borders, 2018 was the worst year on record for deadly violence and abuse towards journalists. Fake news was not a term many of us used before 2016 and it is now seen as one of the greatest threats to democracy, free debate and western democratic ideals."

In front of a packed audience in the Bob and Debi Johnston Banquet Room of the University Commons, panel members from different perspectives of journalism offered their views on the topic of fake news.

"Politicians, armies, religious leaders and community leaders are always trying to sell a story, and they want their story told to their benefit. It is our duty to tell the story as truthfully as we can and sometimes it's a very difficult thing to do," said Hurst. Throughout his career, Steven Hurst covered many newsworthy events, including the fall of the Soviet Union, the Tiananmen Square protests in China and the Soviet War in Afghanistan. Hurst began as a reporter with the Herald & Review in Decatur, Ill., in the 1970s prior to serving as head of the Associated Press Baghdad bureau.  

Early on, panel members were asked to provide their thoughts on what they think the First Amendment means to them.

"As a student journalist, we work with our adviser to try to find stories that will help inform the students on campus," said Sydney Sinks. "We handle controversial issues very carefully with our adviser and the First Amendment gives us the opportunity to find information, and it's great as a student to learn and practice under the Amendment."

Penny Weaver says her newspaper doesn't just "regurgitate" things but that they report and dig a little bit deeper. "That's part of our responsibility and freedom of the press," she said.

When asked how her job as a journalist has changed in the current political environment, Allison Petty reflected on a time where her newspaper faced fake news issues head-on.

"When I started as a reporter before fake news, you still encountered people who had a mistrust in media maybe because of a bad interaction or they were misquoted by someone," said Petty. "I think it's much more pronounced now, and in general, I think we are all more polarized. One thing that is good about technology capabilities is that we can show our sources….listen to the audio, see the video – that is one way we try to combat that inherent mistrust."

Penny Weaver addressed the topic of disinformation spread on social media. "The facts are sometimes very simple and very black and white," she said. "You show readers what you reported and you show them your source. I think sourcing everything is even more important these days."

Attendees at the event received a free pocket Constitution as Millikin political science and history students were on hand to register fellow students to vote. Millikin journalism students were also in attendance to hand out different student publications. The event closed with a Q&A session with audience members.

"When you're dealing with an emotional issue, it becomes very dicey because emotion overrules reason," said Hurst. "Often times, we find the consumers of our products driven by emotion, not reason, and there's not much you can do about that. There's no way to change a person's mind if they are dealing with emotion rather than reason."

Constitution Day 

Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution more than 230 years ago on Sept. 17, 1787. The U.S. began celebrating Constitution Day in 1940 when Congress passed a resolution authorizing the President to publicly recognize all who had attained citizenship of the United States.

Constitution Day became an official holiday alongside Citizenship Day in 2004 when, with the help of support from Senator Robert Byrd, the "Constitution Day" amendment to the Omnibus Spending Bill passed.