Fundraisers, trivia, and turkey- oh, my!

If you happened to be on the SIUE campus last week, you may have noticed a bunch of people running around in some very strange costumes. These people weren’t crazy- they were running in the Nearly Naked Mile! Each year, STAT (Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow) puts on a charity run to support the Glen Ed Pantry, and this year’s was a great success. There has been a lot happening on campus lately- and as the weather gets colder, I would suggest making a trip to the Vadalabene Center now that basketball season is here!

This past weekend was also one of the Alumni Association’s biggest fundraisers, the annual trivia night. There was a great turnout this year, and over $3000 was raised. If you were at the event and were stumped by some of the questions, I would recommend that you start practicing for next year as soon as possible 🙂 

 

Thanks to everyone who attended trivia night!

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, it’s time to enjoy family, friends, food ,and football. This year, my friends and I have decided to have our own Thanksgiving dinner and I got elected to cook the turkey- so wish me luck! Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Halloween!

Hi alumni,

What great weather for our Halloween weekend! While I generally try to stick to come of the more “classic” Halloween costumes, this year I decided to go with a more current tv character by dressing up as Flo from the Progressive commercials. What did you decide to be this year- I would love to hear!

Also, thank you to everyone who attended the SIUE Alumni Day at the Grafton Winery. We hope that everyone who attended had a fun time socializing and meeting new people. We have several events coming up within the next few weeks for both students and alumni so check the alumni page as well as the student STAT page for upcoming events!

Life as an SIUE Cougar..

Hi Alumni,

It’s been another busy week for me here on the SIUE campus! It seems like tests and group projects are still in full swing without any kind of break in my future. A couple of weeks ago, I attended the career fair on campus, which made me realize that I really need to get started on my job applications for when I graduate in the spring. To top it all off, it seems that the cold weather is finally rolling in, making my walks to class much less enjoyable.

The Alumni Association has been working on planning our next few events, including a trivia night coming up on November 12th, which means it’s time to start catching up on your sports, pop culture, and SIUE history knowledge. I’ve gotten a lot of great opportunities working here, like getting to attend some of the events on campus and getting to meet the Chancellor, several of our athletics coaches, and all the wonderful staff in Birger Hall!

Oh, and last but not least, the Cardinals are in the World Series! Let’s go St. Louis!

Concerts, Dinners, and more!

This past weekend was another successful Homecoming weekend for the Alumni Association. If you didn’t attend any of the festivities, you missed out on some great music, food, and watching a victory for the SIUE men’s soccer team.

To kick off the weekend, the Alumni Hall of Fame dinner was held Friday evening, October 7th. We had record attendance and those who were there got to hear some truly inspiring stories from this year’s inductees.

On Saturday (October 8th), the day began with an alumni reunion lunch, where I got to hear some very interesting stories about our school’s history. I had no idea that there used to be a real cougar on campus! The chili cook-off had some delicious entries this year, and those who stayed for the soccer game after got to see the men’s soccer team capture a shutout victory. To end the night, Three Dog Night performed at the Vadalabene Center and had the crowd dancing and singing along.

 

One of the tasty chili cook-off entries!

We would like to thank everyone who helped make this Homecoming weekend so great- but that doesn’t mean the fun is over! The Alumni Day at the Grafton Winery is coming up along with several other exciting events, so make sure to keep an eye out for what’s next!

Autumn Leaves

Fall is officially here.. my favorite time of the year. I love nothing more than watching the leaves change colors, bonfires, and going to pick out the perfect pumpkin. It seems like fall is also the time where students start to feel the pressure of being busy with school and classes, and with four tests this week, I was definitely feeling the pressure! It probably didn’t help that I “needed to” stay up and watch the St. Louis Cardinals play every night this week and cheer them on to a wild card victory.

Everyone with the Alumni Association is still getting ready for Homecoming (one week away!). If any alumni are on campus this week, be sure to look around at all the advertising the Alumni Association has been putting up  across the campus. The Alumni Association also hosted an alumni networking breakfast this week on the 27th in Clayton, Missouri. This event is a great way to stay involved with SIUE and get to know and network with alumni from the area.

Look out for what’s coming up soon- we have a lot of exciting things planned!

And So it Begins…

A new semester, and another new intern to take over the Alumni Affairs blog! My name is Audrey, and I have to say, my first week here has been a blast!

Homecoming is just around the corner, which means that everyone is working like crazy to get ready for the big event. The Alumni Association has lots of events planned for homecoming week, including lining up speakers for several classes, planning an alumni lunch, hosting a chili cook off and bags tournament before the big soccer game, and sponsoring the Three Dog Night concert on campus.

All of this means a busy first week as an intern. Since you’ll be hearing from me all semester, let me tell you a little bit about myself.  I just started my senior year here at SIUE, and my major is Business Administration with specializations in marketing and human resources. I was born and raised in Peoria, IL, but I love being here in Edwardsville. I’m looking forward to working with the Alumni Association and writing this blog (my first attempt as a blog writer) this semester!

Hometown Party Kick-Off in Effingham, IL!

Tonight is the first of many Hometown Parties the Alumni Association, SIUE Admissions  have worked hard putting together this summer!  If you haven’t been informed already on what our hometown parties are all about, you are in luck!

Our hometown parties are designed to welcome incoming freshman and transfer students to SIUE.  This event will give new students an opportunity to meet faculty, alumni and other students who are coming to SIUE in the Fall of 2011.  This event is also going to give parents a chance to ask questions, and learn more about the SIUE community.

It is our hope that we can make the new cougars feel relieved rather than nervous about their first day in August.  Hopefully, connections will be made and friendships will be formed at these events.  I know that If I would have had this opportunity I would have been there!  I came to SIUE all alone, had no close friends there with me coming into moving in day.  I know that If I could have met other students coming to SIUE before that first day, I would have felt so relieved and less scared.

If you know of any incoming freshman or transfer students coming to SIUE in the Fall, please inform them on this great opportunity!

Tuesday, July 19- (TONIGHT)- Effingham, IL  6pm-8pm @ Knights of Columbus Hall

Thursday, July 21– Springfield, IL 6pm-8pm @ Secret Recipes Banquet Hall

Tuesday, July 26- Chicago, IL 6pm-8pm @ Katherine Legge Memorial Lodge

Thursday, July 28– St. Louis, MO 6pm-8pm @ Bartolino’s Osteria

Busy Bee..

That is exactly what I am!  A Busy Bee!   So far, my internship with the alumni association here on campus has been awesome.  There is never a dull moment, from the folder machine deciding when it wants to work,  to free Jimmy John sandwiches!  Never a dull moment is an understatement!  Right now, what we are working hard on is the Hometown Parties that start in July.  If you haven’t heard or read about them, I will tell you!

Our hometown parties are designed for incoming freshman and transfer students to network with other students and alumni in their hometown area.  We are hoping that our hometown parties will give our future students a chance to loosen up before their first day on campus.  It is also a great way for parents to talk to alumni and other parents attending. 

I think these parties are a great way to get students excited about coming to SIUE, and hopefully ease their doubts and concerns before starting in the Fall & they even get a free dinner ON US, what could be better!?

Our hometown parties will be taking place in Effingham, IL, Springfield, IL, Chicago, IL, and St. Louis, MO.

Check out our website for more information and to register! www.siue.edu/alumni.

Summer can get boring… :(

I love summer, I love not having to worry about getting up too early and making it to class on time.  I love that everyone seems so much happier during the summer time.  But one downfall of summer, is that I get bored.  I know…what college student gets bored of summer?!? I just feel like there isn’t that much to do around this area for kids or college students.  Besides the SIUE Cougar Lake Pool, which is awesome, there isn’t that much that Edwardsville/Glen Carbon has to offer….if that’s the case for you, or if you know someone who wants to plan something for kids, bring them out to our Alumni Day at Circus Flora on June 25!

Circus Flora is celebrating its 25th Anniversary, and this show is going to be very entertaining.  I know what you are probably thinking….its summer & it’s hot. No need to worry, the show takes place under an air-conditioned tent!  The show is going to be spectacular, and spots are filling up, but do not worry.  Here at the Alumni Association we have quite a few tickets left to sell!  So,if you need to get the kids out of the house, or if  you just want to plan a fun and entertaining night out, give St. Louis’ Circus Flora a chance! You will not be let down!

Meetings to Baseball Games…

On Thursday, June 2nd., I helped Katie with preparing for the Alumni Association Board of Directors Annual Meeting.  This event was a great opportunity for alumni members to speak their thoughts on what they would like to see happen while being associated with the Alumni Association.  Ranging from events such as our networking breakfasts’ to our Hometown parties.  I heard a lot of feedback on whether or not the alumni prefer getting invites for events through mail or internet.  Overall, the meeting was a great way to catch up on what the Alumni Association is doing and how they are working hard to better serve the alumni here from SIUE.  Following the meeting, was a yummy networking reception!

And last but not least, the highlight of my week….The Cardinal vs. Cubs Game!!

Yesterday, June 5th, the Alumni Association hosted a day at Busch Stadium.  The event went great, with more than 150 alumni members and friends.  We first enjoyed a fantastic lunch provided by Carmine Steakhouse just a few blocks from the stadium.  The game was very exciting, but ended with Pujols hitting his fourth home run in the last three days.. He did it again.  Now, you may sense some animosity, I am a PROUD Chicago Cubs fan.  🙂 But all in all, I was pleased with how the game went, it was expected to say the least.   

So many great events are still to come in the upcoming weeks.. I can’t wait.  Getting the chance to meet so many successful people is truly a blessing.  This week was very educational, ranging from printing name tags (which can be a pain, haha)  to learning what the Alumni Association Board of Directors do behind the scenes, which is A LOT!  Keep your eyes open for what’s next!

-Natalie-