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In this Issue

FY'14 Budget Update | Historic Men's Basketball Season Ends at Purdue
"The Purple Chair" Debuts on University Television
Join WIU in Chicago for Picasso and in Canton, Quincy & Springfield this Spring!

 

FY'14 Budget Update

In March, Governor Pat Quinn presented his public address and recommended a Fiscal Year 2014 operating budget of $49.6 million for Western Illinois University, which will result in a $2.5 million decrease from Western's FY'13 state appropriations (and a $10.3 million decrease since FY'10). Governor Quinn's complete Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposals can be found here (Western Illinois University, Section 6-287). While the legislature will hold hearings this month on state appropriations, and will present its version of a FY'14 budget, it is clear WIU will be facing another challenging year.

WIU's priorities will be to continue to provide quality academic programs, to implement a tuition rate that will allow Western to remain affordable for students and families, and to retain faculty and staff. Delays in FY'13 reimbursements continue to affect the University. Currently, the State of Illinois owes WIU a total of $46.8 million.

Read more.

Historic Men's Basketball Season Ends at Purdue

Men's Basketball 2013

The Fighting Leathernecks led nearly all of the first half, but Purdue proved to be too much, downing Western 81-67 in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational March 20 inside Mackey Arena.

The Leathernecks conclude their historic season with a 22-9 overall record, better than any other WIU team in the program's NCAA Division I history.

The team earned a share of The Summit League's regular season title for the first time in 30 years, finished 13-3 in Summit League play, and recorded a 12-2 mark inside Western Hall. In addition, head coach Jim Molinari was named The Summit League's 'Coach of the Year' and senior Terell Parks was tabbed 'Defensive Player of the Year.'

Read more.

"The Purple Chair" Debuts on University Television

Joe Decker"The Purple Chair," a Western Illinois University Television Services (University Television) original series, made its screen debut in March. The first guest for "The Purple Chair" was Joe Decker, a 1998 WIU kinesiology graduate and "The World's Fittest Man." Decker, the owner of Gut Check Fitness in California, described his journey into the world of fitness and provided guidance for those who are starting – or want to start – on the road to a healthier lifestyle.

Each month a new episode of "The Purple Chair" will air. April's show will feature Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, talking about how to achieve peace in today's society. According to Amanda Shoemaker '11, associate director of WIU's Alumni Programs and host of "The Purple Chair," although the show does have some focus on the guest and his/her background, what makes this program unique is that it's designed for the viewer to learn more about a particular topic, such as fitness, peace, motivating yourself, cyber-bullying and more.

Read more.

Join WIU in Chicago for Picasso and in Canton, Quincy and Springfield this Spring!

Signature Spring Event – The Art Institute of Chicago featuring Private Viewing of Picasso
Friday, May 3, 2013
The Art Institute of Chicago
230 S. Columbus Dr., Chicago, IL
6-8 p.m. with private viewing of Picasso in Chicago Special Exhibition (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
$20/person includes social, delicious hors d'oeuvres, cash bar & private viewing
Art InstituteA century ago, in 1913, the Art Institute of Chicago became the first art museum in the country to present the work of a young Spaniard who would become the preeminent artist of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso. This spring the museum celebrates the special 100-year relationship between Picasso and Chicago by bringing together over 250 of the finest examples of the artist's paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and ceramics from private collections in the city, as well as from the museum's collection, for the first large-scale Picasso exhibition organized by the museum in almost 30 years!

Western Wednesdays in Chicago
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Gage
24 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL
5-7 p.m.
There is no charge for this event/includes social, complimentary appetizers while they last & cash bar

Western Wednesdays

Canton, IL Alumni & Friends Social
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 – hosted by President Jack Thomas
Official Time-Out Sports Bar
68 E. Elm St., Canton, IL
6-8 p.m.
$10/person includes social, delicious appetizers & cash bar

Quincy, IL Alumni & Friends Social
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 – hosted by President Jack Thomas
O’Griff’s Grill & Brewhouse
415 Hampshire St., Quincy, IL
6-8 p.m.
$15/person includes social, mouth-watering appetizers & cash bar

Springfield Alumni & Friends Reception
Join Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas in Springfield for a legislative update and to hear about the latest at your Alma Mater!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Sangamo Club
227 E. Adams St., Springfield, IL
6–8 p.m.
$15/person includes social, delectable appetizers & cash bar

To register for any of the above events, call (309) 298-1914, fax (309) 298-2914 or visit www.wiu.com/alumni; email A-Association to register for the Western Wednesdays in Chicago.

 

2013 Alumni Event Incentive

Your WIU Alumni Association hopes to encourage more of our Alumni and Friends to join us at one of our nearly 60 events around the world each year. We're kicking off the "Alumni Event Incentive Program" - register for one of our regular events and receive $5 off the registration of another alumnus!

Social Media

 

 

RockyCan you find this exact Rocky (in black and white) somewhere else in the eNewsletter? If you find him, email us at
A-Association@wiu.edu
and let us know where he was placed. One winner will be picked from all the entries emailed on the first day of the month and will get a WIU Prize Pack! Good luck!


****
Congratulations to the March winner--Steve Sarver '92. He discovered Rocky on the Quad Cities Campus page in the March issue.
Congratulations to the April winner--Amy Knight Baker '01. She discovered Rocky on the Foundation page in the March issue.****

 

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Western Illinois University Alumni Association
1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455
309-298-1914