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Student Bloggers:
UIS' Next Generation of Students
By Janee Mitchell
UIS introduces yet
another new addition this fall, student blogging. Student
blogging (keeping an online journal, or “web log”) has been used
in at least one other university and proved successful in
recruiting new students. UIS adopted this form of recruitment,
hoping to use it to lure prospective
students.
The students were chosen through faculty recommendations. After
conferring with SGA President Tyson Roan, Karen Moranski,
Director of Capital Scholars, invited the suggested students.
The UIS Bloggers are comprised of undergraduate students, from
freshmen to seniors. There are seven bloggers from all four
classes of students.
The journals will discuss the
students’ experiences, goals and other aspects of their life at
UIS. The UIS Bloggers come from different walks of life and the
prospective students will be able to relate to bloggers with
similar stories to their own.
The goal of the bloggers is to
provide a way for future students to gain insight on campus life
before they even arrive. Prospective students will find friends
and a close connection with the university. This will give the
students certainty in choosing UIS for their education needs.
Kymeicko Unik Williams, junior
majoring in Psychology, is one of the UIS Bloggers. Williams
agreed to become a part of the bloggers because of her love for
the university. Williams said, "I hope to provide a ‘Unik’
experience for incoming students. I want to be one of those
people who when they come, they say she's the reason."
Moranski said what she likes
most about the UIS Bloggers is that they provide a "real student
voice" for the prospective students. Students don't have to
wonder about college life or courses; they experience it first
hand through the bloggers.
Moranski said that the success
of the bloggers would be measured at the end of the year. If
they prove successful they will continue on to possibly add to
the tradition of the university.
Williams said that although the
bloggers serve as a good recruitment tool, there is still one
thing the program lacks. She said that there needs to be more
diversity among the bloggers. "The group would be more
compelling with internationals", she said.
Williams also said
that the bloggers need more culture, possibly even bringing on
gay and lesbian contributors to ensure everyone has
representation. Prospective students need to know that UIS is
not just a "black and white" campus, she said.
During the
Multicultural Student Affairs welcome dinner on Thursday, Sept.
23, Christopher Miller, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs,
applauded the increasing diversity of the university. The
university has not yet reached its ideal, however it is well on
its way. Perhaps with more time and group development the UIS
Bloggers will become more diverse.
On With the Show:
Fall 04’ Theatre Auditions
By Janee Mitchell
The 2004-2005 season
of the theatre program will begin with a production of “View of
the Dome”, a play by Theresa Rebeck. The show will be opening on
Nov. 5 and run through Nov. 7, and again Dec. 12-14. The
auditions for the show were held Sunday, Sept. 19 through
Tuesday, Sept. 21.
 The
theatre program has put on a production every semester, and now
the program is going into its third year and fifth production.
Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, Assistant Professor and Director of
Theatre, said that there can be anywhere from 60 to 100 people a
night.
This semester’s production,
“View of the Dome”, will be a comedy with sort of a dark side.
The play takes a seemingly critical but hilarious look at
politics. Thibodeaux-Thompson said that, while the play does not
say Democrats versus Republicans, it could be interpreted that
way. He also said that this production will show how we (as a
society) are too often caught up in superficial business rather
than real issues of interest.
Thibodeaux-Thompson decided on
this production as the first of the year because he was taken
with it after seeing the play done in New York. This production
also coincides with the upcoming political elections. “View of
the Dome” may be used as some form of comic release in the
middle of this chaos we call a presidential election.
The final day of the auditions
for the production was full of talent and eagerness to become
apart of the show. The would-be cast consists of both UIS
students and members of the community. Even Lincoln Land
Community College wants to be apart of the show. Corey Morrison,
a junior fine arts major, is a Lincoln Land student. He has
already been apart of the production of “Our Town” at
Springfield College, and hopes that he will stand out more and
be chosen as a cast member for this semester’s UIS production.
Morrison said that the audition experience was “challenging and
inspirational”.
UIS Capital Scholars are also
breaking out on the acting scene. Whitney Alao, a freshman
majoring in Psychology, said that she has been interested in
acting since high school. The audition process provided her with
more experience and allowed her to work with older people, which
she had never done before.
Alao said that the director,
Thibodeaux-Thompson, “is a nice man. I feel if given the chance
to work with him, I’d learn a lot.” Other would be cast members
had great things to say about their director also, however, it
is not known what they will say once the cast is announced.
The auditions were extremely
competitive. The students worked together and enjoyed
themselves, but they were all reading for some of the same
parts. It’s a “dog eat dog” world when you’re an actor and at
least three other people are reading for the role you want.
Thibodeaux-Thompson said casting
will be a challenging task because there was a lot of talent at
the auditions. He also said that his policy is that if you are a
UIS student and you want to be involved in some way, you may not
get your first pick, but you will do something, even if it’s
offstage.
Some students may be sitting on
edge awaiting news of their acceptance or denial as a cast
member, but there will be those who are happy either way. Ross
Kelley, a junior liberal arts major, said that he is open to
anything and enjoys the time and experience given to him in the
auditions.
According to Kelley, “Theatre is
an enlightening and very enjoyable experience to have in life.”
He will stand by the director’s decision even if it means he has
to work the lights. Students who are not chosen as apart of this
semester’s cast will be able to audition for the spring show.
Next semester the theatre
program will bring Lanford Wilson’s “Fifth of July” to UIS. The
play will be showing April 1-3 and April 8-10. Audition dates
for the spring production will be announced soon and students
interested are encouraged to contact Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson at
6-6613. |
