Candidates for the Illinois lieutenant governor position discussed their candidacy in Peoria Saturday. From left are Democrats Mike Boland, Thomas Castillo, Art Turner, and Rickey Hendon, and Republicans Brad Cole, Jason Plummer, and Don Tracy. They are among 13 candidates running for the office in Tuesday’s primary.

Don’t forget: the primary election is Tuesday. How I wish I’d been able to vote in my day! I’m so glad for groups like the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria. Members not only value the right to vote, but they want to make informed choices.

With that in mind, the League and our own Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service hosted an Illinois Lieutenant Governor Forum Saturday at Bradley. Did you know we have 13 candidates vying for the lieutenant governor’s office in our state? Eight of those candidates came to Peoria to participate. They said it was the first time they had been invited to a bipartisan forum.

The top issues in our state, Illinois’ financial crisis and joblessness, were discussed. But, did you ever wonder what the lieutenant governor does? For the last several terms, the person in this position has been the leader of Illinois River restoration efforts and also oversees the Main Street economic development program for smaller and rural communities. Both are important to us in the tri-county area.

I was impressed with the number of students who came to the forum—altogether about 70 people were there. Now, everyone needs to make the effort to vote tomorrow. I expect to see plenty of people sporting those “I voted” stickers!

Our president is a busy lady, but she always seems to find time for our students.

Thursday, she also found time to visit Lisle Applegate’s second-grade class at Glen Oak School in Peoria. The school had invited community leaders to read their favorite books to school children, and President Glasser brought one of her favorites, Flat Stanley.

It was fun watching the children, who were so enthusiastic and attentive. I’ve always believed in the power of a good education, and I was pleased that she told the children how important it is. She talked to the children about why we need to read and how much smarter we get when we read.

President Glasser told the students to picture themselves as judges, doctors, teachers, architects, and other professionals, and she also told the children to think about how reading will help them accomplish the goals they set in life. She also asked them to think about where they will go to college and informed them about Bradley. The children promised her they would read every day, and she left them with a gift: a red pencil with the Bradley logo on it.

It was uplifting to hear President Glasser tell the children that she has great hope for their futures. I hope they always remember what she said, and maybe one day, I will see them at Bradley.

The rivalry between Bradley and Illinois State University is always exhilarating. Whenever our men’s and women’s basketball teams meet the Redbirds, the whole crowd is charged up with excitement. On Saturday, the men’s team will be making the trip east on I-74 to play at Redbird Arena, but that’s not the only competition between our schools.

The Challenge on 74 was held Wednesday, and the best part of this competition is that everyone is a winner! We competed with ISU to see which school could bring in the most blood donations for the American Red Cross. Instead of bouncing basketballs, students were squeezing stress balls while giving blood on the performance court of the Markin Center. I was thrilled to see so many students willing to help out with this very important cause.

The Red Cross hoped to collect at least 200 pints of blood between the two schools, and they actually collected 258! I’m proud of everyone from both schools who donated, but of course, I’m especially happy that our Bradley students, faculty, staff, and fans donated 114 of those units of blood. We even won an award for having the highest percentage of students participating. (ISU gets the award for the most donations.) The award will be presented at the women’s game at 2 p.m. Sunday at Illinois Central College and again when the men host ISU at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 9.

Professors whose portraits are included in the Gallery of Excellence stand to be recognized during a ceremony unveiling the new gallery.

If I were asked to name the key factor that makes Bradley “just right,” I wouldn’t hesitate a moment. Our faculty are dedicated teachers, mentors, and scholars who really make a difference in our students’ lives. Time and again, students talk about professors who inspired and guided them. Yesterday, the University unveiled a special exhibit to honor some of our outstanding faculty members. Now, when people come into the atrium of the Cullom-Davis Library, they see portraits of these wonderful people.

Dr. Chuck Stoner, who holds the McCord professorship, spoke on behalf of the faculty who were honored. He said we all know of universities where faculty are removed from their students. At Bradley, though, the faculty are in the classroom, interacting with and teaching their students. He soon had the audience picturing Kevin Stein reading a poem, Bob Fuller striding across the stage as he made a point in a religious studies class, and Phil Horvath weaving a connection between financial theory and organizational success. These are just three examples of the fine faculty we have at Bradley.

The faculty members included in our Gallery of Excellence come from all five colleges. They hold endowed chairs and professorships or are Caterpillar professors. I’m so pleased that we as a University are recognizing these fine professors, who represent all of our faculty who make a difference in students’ lives.

To read more about the Gallery of Excellence and the professors spotlighted there, visit bradley.edu/galleryofexcellence.

There’s nothing like the sound of excited chatter as a group of children approach. I smile when I hear the unmistakable sound from a distance, and as they get closer, the glee in their voices brings joy to my heart.

I was thrilled to see a group of about 20 third graders from Harrison School visiting campus yesterday afternoon. The group marched up the steps of Olin Hall to see the model of the planet Jupiter on display in the stairwell. The model is part of a community replica of the solar system. Sheldon Schaefer from Lakeview Museum (and an adjunct professor here at Bradley) said the children, who are in an after-school enrichment program that integrates the arts with the school’s core curriculum, recently made their own models of Jupiter. The children also saw two of the three sculptures on campus created by our own professor of art emeritus Nita Sunderland.

The field trip was all part of a Peoria geography lesson that also included a stop at Giant Oak Park, near my former home on Moss Avenue. The giant oak tree there is more than 500 years old. I remember admiring the tree all those years ago, and I’m pleased to know it’s still a point of interest. The group also went downtown to visit City Hall and the Peoria County Courthouse, and they posed for pictures by the Abraham Lincoln statue outside the courthouse. The children ventured to the riverfront, which I understand some had never seen before. While they were there, they saw another of Nita’s sculptures and one by Peoria artist Preston Jackson.

I’m so happy the field trip included a stop at Bradley. I hope some of these children were inspired by their visit to campus and will one day be students here.