A new home on Fraternity Row

For many years, the Pi Phi’s have made their home on the north side of Main Street. Now the sorority is joining Bradley’s other Greek houses on Fredonia Avenue, our Fraternity Row.

This week, the Pi Phi’s new sorority house quickly took shape on a lot at the corner of Institute and Fredonia.

Semi trucks delivered six modules from Homeway Homes in nearby Deer Creek on Monday. The modules were assembled, three on the bottom and three on the top. A roof was under construction Tuesday afternoon.

Of course, there’s still much work that needs to be done to the home, but it is scheduled for completion this summer. That means the first residents will move into the new home this fall. I understand the sorority house will offer accommodations for 33 Pi Phi’s in 15 double rooms and three singles. The house also will feature a chapter room with seating for 100-plus members, two kitchens, a library, meeting rooms, an elevator, and an apartment for the house director.

I remember when Pi Beta Phi’s predecessor, Lambda Phi, originated on campus in 1901. It was the oldest organization on campus when it became Pi Beta Phi in 1947. I’m pleased to know an anonymous $25,000 gift named the Lambda Phi dining room at the new house.

As we move forward, it’s always good to reflect on our beginnings.

One-stop opportunity for grads

It’s hard to believe that another semester is drawing to a close. One sure sign is the Graduation Fair. This event, which has become a tradition since the first one in December 2008, was moved to our beautiful new Hayden-Clark Alumni Center this year.

There, in the Peplow Pavilion on the third floor, graduates had a one-stop opportunity to take care of all those last-minute details. It was fun seeing students such as those in the photo above trying on their mortarboards. Everyone wants their names spoken correctly at Commencement, and graduates filled out cards giving the phonetic pronunciation of their names for use on the big day.

Students also could pose with cut-outs of my statue and of President Joanne Glasser or have graduation photos taken in their caps and gowns.

They could buy, or maybe find gift ideas that mom and dad could buy, at the bookstore table. Diploma frames, Bradley T-shirts and mugs, and other such items also were on display. My favorite item available for sale is the “thinker” gargoyle statue, a replica of one of the gargoyles high atop the Alumni Center. These are sure to be collectors’ items one day.

Graduation is a time when students are considering their futures, and they had a chance to discuss those opportunities with representatives from the Graduate School and the Smith Career Center. They also could register for Bradley’s Online Community at the Alumni Relations table, learn about the Bradley Fund, and more.

Of course, what student doesn’t like food? An array of goodies were available for students to snack on while they filled out surveys, wrote thank you notes to their favorite professors, and simply enjoyed time with their friends.

A fitting tribute to our alumni

I was so pleased to see so many Bradley alumni, faculty and staff, and friends gathered outside the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center this morning for a very special dedication ceremony. The ceremony climaxed with the presentation of the keys, decked out with red and white ribbons, just like the key presented to me at the opening of Bradley Hall all those years ago. There was only one way to express the jubilation everyone felt at the official opening of this new building–fireworks punctuated this grand ceremony, then everyone was invited indoors to see this newest jewel on campus.

Inside, a beautiful showcase of our University’s history awaited. People could look at the cases displaying memorabilia and telling our history. I was touched to see some of my jewelry on display. I remember wearing those hair pins and putting on the bracelets that were on display. A lovely black mourning dress, much like the ones I wore after the deaths of all my children, is displayed there, too. What really caught my eye was the fireplace mantle, which looks exactly like the one in my home on Moss Avenue. Ahhh, I remember meeting with Mr. W.W. Hammond each morning in front of that fireplace to discuss business matters.

It was heartwarming to see so many people looking at the interactive Alumni Connections area and perusing the cases that displayed student life, decade by decade. On the second floor, they could see the conference room and office area. Finally, the third floor has a very lovely pavilion with a balcony overlooking our new west quad. Visitors were treated to Avanti’s gondolas and other goodies.

What a delightful way to open our beautiful new Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. I want to extend a special thank you to Robert and Kathleen Clark and Jerry and Marilyn Hayden for their generosity. Thank you, too, to many other alumni and friends who have made this gorgeous tribute to our alumni possible. This is a beautiful facilty, and I am touched that it backs up to our original Bradley Hall. We have the traditions of our past to the east and our bright new future facing west.

Hail, Red and White!

Keeping the dream alive

Founder’s Day is always a highlight of the year for me. It’s such a thrill to see alumni I remember as college students returning to campus decades later to accept the University’s highest alumni awards and to see our dedicated faculty and staff recognized for all their hard work.

When I looked at the program, I couldn’t believe this is the 115th Founder’s Day. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday that we opened the doors to Bradley Polytechnic Institute. My goal was for students to gain a foundation for leading independent, productive lives. I’m so glad to see that the University has continued to evolve to ensure that those same founding principles are as firm as ever.

All a person has to do is attend Founder’s Day festivities to see the success our alumni are enjoying. At the Founder’s Day convocation inside the Markin Family Student Recreation Center, we gathered to honor the achievements of four exemplary alumni. Steve Gorman, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Delta Air Lines; Robert Turner, co-founder of Turner Investments; The Honorable James Shadid, United States District Judge; and Chuck Ebeling, retired corporate communications officer and chief spokesman for McDonald’s Corporation were named Centurions. Mr. Gorman also was named our 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. My eyes welled with pride as I watched these wonderful alumni receive their awards and then reflect on their Bradley experiences.

Of course, several of those successful alumni paid tribute to professors. We all know what an incredible role our faculty play in building that solid educational foundation. Four fine professors were honored for their teaching and scholarship: Dr. Jose Sanchez, Dr. Stephenie Chaudoir, Dr. Stacey Robertson, and Dr. Paul Gullifor. In addition, Jon C. Neidy of our Continuing Education staff received the Francis C. Mergen Award for community service. As I saw these dedicated individuals step forward to receive these honors, I was reminded once again of how incredibly fortunate we are to have faculty and staff who devote so much time and effort to strengthening our great University.

Yes, I am the founder, and I thank everyone for paying tribute to me and reflecting on my life story each year. But, it is the alumni, the faculty and staff—and of course, the students, who have made this University grow into what it is today. I thank each of you for keeping my dream alive.

A “B”-utiful start to Homecoming

Homecoming is one of my favorite events on campus. I am looking forward to all the exciting activities that have been planned for the coming days—especially this year when Homecoming and Parents’ Weekend have been combined. Last night heralded the beginning of the festivities when about 400 students gathered for the Lighting of the “B.” This wonderful tradition, begun in 1928, was revived in 2003 when Homecoming was moved to the fall. This year, we have a new “B,” created by Bill Hardin, one of our dedicated and loyal alums who has done so much for our University. Many thanks go to Bill for his generous and heartfelt gift.

Thanks also go to Michelle Whited and the entire Student Activities office for planning a dance party event that students really seemed to enjoy. With the threat of rain, the event was moved indoors to the Michel Student Center ballroom. Glow sticks and T-shirts were distributed, and students joined in a group dance using the glow sticks.

With today’s technology, being indoors didn’t stop students from witnessing the lighting of the “B.” The view from a web cam on the Hartmann Center was projected inside so everyone could view the big event. A few students also joined me in Founder’s Circle to watch the lighting in person.

What a fun way to kick off Homecoming! If you would like to read more about our new “B,” visit http://www.bradley.edu/inthespotlight/story/?id=172663. For a list of Homecoming events, visit http://www.bradley.edu/homecoming/. And finally, if you want to read about the history of the “B,” go to http://www.bradley.edu/about/news/article.dot?id=172386.