Looking to get out of the house, Chicago alums? We’ve got ideas…

*taps mic* Hey is this thing on?

It’s been awhile since we’ve done a Demon Tracks update of DePaul University/alumni events, so as our effort in the fight against cabin fever, here  are a few upcoming  events to jot in your calendar.

Last week, Time Out Chicago had a great write-up of the latest exhibit at the DePaul University Art Museum: “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Museum Collections and ‘Deaccessioning’” which explores the often controversial process of removing artwork from a museum’s permanent collection. Art geeks take note: “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” runs now to March 19th

If you’re a jazz fan, plan ahead for March 11th, when DePaul School of Music grad and acclaimed trumpeter/bandleader Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic presents “From Ella to Mandela: The Legacy of the African and American Spirit” at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.

If networking is more your thing, you’re in luck, DePaul Career Week 2010 is coming next week, February 13 – 21.  It’s  a full week of career oriented workshops and networking events for alums and other members of the DePaul community. If you’re in journalism, graphic design or another creative field, check out Blue 2 Blue Networking on February 18th, it’s a networking day just for you. Or join other alums at Beer, Burgers and Business Cards on February 19th.

Any fun events on your radar that may be of interest to DePaul alums? Leave them in our comments!

Alumna To Be Bait on “Shark Tank”

Here’s a little news bite as seen in the Jan. 19, 2010 issue of the RedEye newspaper:

Nicole Jones (SNL '99, MA '08)

January 29 is the day DePaul grad and Sensual Steps Shoe Salon owner Nicole Jones (SNL ‘99, MA ‘09) is scheduled to appear on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”

Tune in!

Celebrate MLK Jr. Day with DePaul

It’s a common Facebook status update today: “Looking forward to my 3-day weekend!!” But on Monday, Jan. 18, it’s not just about sleeping in and lounging around. DePaul will be celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a variety of events on campus during the month of January and into February. Take a peek:

Jan. 18
* Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast
Includes a theatrical performance by Austin Talley (THE ‘07) and keynote address from Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel and professor of religion at Morehouse College.

* 12th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Reflection and Commemoration

* Screening of “Citizen King” from noon to 2 p.m. in the atrium of the Student Center

Jan. 21
* “Increasing Innovation and Productivity by Building a Diverse Workforce” Panel Discussion

Jan. 22
* DPUBLC 2nd Annual Black Town Hall Meeting

Feb. 1
DePaul Celebrates Black Historical Veterans Dinner
The dinner will honor Tuskegee Airmen, Buffalo Soldiers, Triple Nickels and others

Help for Haiti

DePaul President Fr. Holtschneider has eased the worry of alumni, students, faculty and staff at DePaul by sharing this news via e-mail: “to our knowledge, there are no current DePaul University study-abroad students, faculty or members of the professional staff presently in Haiti.”

While we are grateful that no direct members of the DePaul family are in Haiti, many there are suffering from the tragic earthquake. If you’d like to help, here are a few places where you can offer your support:

>> Catholic Relief Services
To donate, call 1-877-HELP-CRS, donate online at www.crs.org or send a check to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. In the memo portion of your check, write: Haiti Earthquake

>> World Food Programme
They’ve established a special link for the DePaul community:
https://www.wfp.org/donate/haiti?utm_source=depaul&utm_medium=depaul&utm_campaign=depaul

>> International Committee of the Red Cross
According to their website: “Your contribution will be attributed to all our activities in Haiti, approximately half of the budget for which will be dedicated to the victims of the earthquake.”

>> UNICEF
Excerpt from the UNICEF executive director’s statement: “UNICEF is deploying necessary supplies to Jacmel and Port-au-Prince as quickly as possible to assist with recovery efforts including clean water and sanitation, therapeutic foods, medical supplies and temporary shelter.”

Alumni Center Welcomes Grads “Home”

If you missed the grand opening of the DePaul Alumni Center on Dec. 5, now’s a great time to check out your new on-campus “home.” Located just off the Fullerton el stop on the Lincoln Park Campus, this classy facility was built especially for use by DePaul alumni! It’s just one part of the university’s Welcome Center — which includes both alumni- and admissions-related spaces.

All DePaul graduates are invited to stop by, whether you have a question for Alumni Relations staff or just need to warm up for a minute (what’s with all the snow!?) while you’re in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The center has fully equipped PCs with Internet and printing capabilities, plus wireless access, so you can check email, do research, check out job postings or whatever you need! Alumni can even park for free during the visit (but be sure to check out the parking info for details on how and where).

Here are the fast facts:
DePaul University Alumni Center
2400 N. Sheffield Ave., Suite 150
Open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Can’t make it to campus? Flip through these photos from the grand opening or watch this mini video tour:

DePaul Events for January 2010

Happy New Year from Demon Tracks! Chicago alums: Don’t let the cold and snow bring you down – there’s a couple of interesting events going on at the DePaul Loop and Lincoln Park campuses this month, check them out:

January 14th kicks off the opening of “The Breathing Factory,” an exhibition of  artist Mark Curran’s photographs and videos examining the aesthetics of the high-tech “clean room” industry. The exhibition opens Jan. 14 at the DePaul University Museum on the Lincoln Park campus and goes until March 19th

On January 20, DePaul’s Institute for Business and Professional Ethics (IBPE) will host former Lehman Brothers Vice President Lawrence G. McDonald, author of  ”A Colossal Failure of Common Sense: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers.” This free, public event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in Room 8005 of the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd.

And don’t forget to check out the DePaul Alumni and Friends website for a whole list of alumni events across Chicago and the U.S.

DePaul Professor, Defense Attorney Writes About Death Row

If you’re anything like me — just one of the staffers here at Demon Tracks — you sink your teeth into any memoir or historical non-fiction book. So you may be curious to check out a new release from Andrea D. Lyon, clinical professor of law, associate dean of Clinical Programs, and director of the Center for Justice in Capital Cases at DePaul.

Here’s the skinny on the book and where you can catch the author in 2010:

Lyon is kicking off the release of  “Angel on Death Row: My Life as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer,” with several appearances around the country. According to her website, the book is “the story of the first woman in the nation to serve as lead attorney on a death penalty case.”

Andrea Lyon

New York
Jan 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Barnes and Noble
396 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10011

Chicago
Jan 14- 6:00 p.m.
Flossmoor Public Library
1000 Sterling Ave.
Flossmoor, IL 60411
Contact: dicastroj@flossmoorlibrary.org

Jan 20- 6:00 p.m.
Barnes and Noble
Introduction by DePaul President the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M.
1 East Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60614
Contact: dliebow@depaul.edu

Detroit
Feb 4- 7:00 p.m.
Ann Arbor District Library
343 South Fifth Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Contact: grimest@aadl.org

Want to read an excerpt? Get the ebook chapter, A Mother Accused, from the Amazon Kindle, Sony eReader and iTunes stores.

A DePaul Christmas Carol

Consider checking out the Goodman Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol, where The Theatre School at DePaul is very well represented.

From The Theatre School, here’s a rundown of the DePaul alums/faculty performing and working as crew for The Goodman:

KATIE JEEP (BFA, Acting, ‘00) plays Abby and Mrs. Dilber
ADAM POSS (BFA, Acting, ‘07) plays Percy and the Undertaker
LARRY YANDO (MFA, Acting, ‘88 & Faculty) plays Ebeneezer Scrooge.
MICHAEL BEGORA (BFA, Theatre Technology, ‘05) is the Assistant Technical Director
STEPHEN GEIS (BFA, Theatre Technology,’90) is the Shop Carpenter NAMBI E. KELLY (BFA, Playwrighting, ‘95) is this year’s Playwrighting Fellow
KARL KOCHVAR (BFA, Lighting Design, ‘80) is a Resident Scenic Artist
DAVID NAUTON (Faculty) is the House Audio Supervisor
BIRGIT RATTENBORG-WISE (Faculty) is the Head Draper
KRISTIN TORGRIMSON (BFA, Stage Management, ‘10) is a stage management intern
ROCHE SCHULFER (Faculty) is the Executive Director
ALDEN VASQUEZ (Faculty) is the Goodman Theatre’s Production Stage Manager

DePaul alum gets Oscar buzz and Time Out love

Check out the latest Time Out Chicago for an interview with DePaul alum Brad Smith, a grad of The Theatre School, whose song “Help Yourself” is featured in the new George Clooney film Up In The Air. The song plays a big role in the film and scored Smith some early Oscar buzz.

from Time Out Chicago:

Oscar blogs began buzzing that “Help Yourself” would be a contender for Best Original Song. Smith later admitted to having some of the chord structure and the melody before Reitman contacted him, a violation of the strict Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences stipulations for the category. “Paramount explained that other studios are going to be seeking to get you. And so I didn’t want to be bogged down with having to explain stuff when I knew that the reality was, under the strictest definition of the rules, it didn’t qualify. It’s still eligible for the Golden Globes,” he says, grinning. “Which would be something.”

Dashed Oscar hopes aside, congrats and good luck, Brad!

DePaul Alum Wins Emmy

A belated congrats to alumni Philip Jones (LAS ‘92), who, along with the Bridges Media Group. recently won an Emmy from the Chicago/Midwest chapter of National Academy of Arts & Sciences for his work on the production team for video “Journey to Sunda.”

From the Bridges Media website:

“The story details Dec and his Rockit Ranch Productions partners Gomez and Young as they traveled throughout the Japan, China and the Southeast Asian Island region finding inspiration for the yet un-named restaurant while documenting the cuisine and culture of their visits through photography.”

Check out the video here: