Two Alumni Launch Literary Mission

Daniel Parra (LAS ’08)

Friends and recent DePaul graduates Daniel Parra (LAS ’08) and Kolin Jordan (LAS ’05) have joined with five other partners to establish a new independent publishing collective to “identify and publish works defined as unorthodox, progressive, experimental, irreverent, intellectually risky and cult-classics,”  according to co-founder Parra. “[We look for] works that the conventional giant publishers would never venture to publish.”

Kolin Jordan (LAS ’05)

Called 7Vientos, the new collective released its first book in December 2011. Llegaron los hippies / And the Hippies Came was originally published in Spanish by Manuel Abreu Adorno in 1978. The newly published version is a “flip” book—the text starts in Spanish, but readers can flip the book over in the middle and read the story in English. It is the first time Adorno’s cult-classic will be released in English.

Jordan and Parra began the independent publishing company in Chicago in 2010 with five other members of various backgrounds and nationalities. The members describe themselves as sharing a love for literature and a passion for alternative outlets as creative options for those seeking to break from the status quo.

“We are really happy to see that all the hard work and many hours of dedication we have invested into publishing our first book is now paying off,” said Jordan. “Even now, still riding the wave of success of the first, we’re looking forward to our next book.”

This spring, 7Vientos plans to publish its second book, Saturnario (Saturnalia) by Rey Emmanuel Andujar.

Tags: alumni, depaul alumni, DePaul University

Bruno to Help Lead Olympic Team in London

Doug Bruno and Geno Auriemma coach the U.S. women's basketball team in 2010.

At a press conference on DePaul’s campus today, Doug Bruno, head coach of the Blue Demons women’s basketball team, announced that he has been chosen to be assistant coach of the 2012 U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team during the Olympic Games in London this summer.

Bruno will assist head coach, Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, alongside Marynell Meadors, coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, and Jennifer Gillom, the former head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks. It is the same coaching staff that helped the U.S. team win gold at the 2010 FIBA World Championships, earning the U.S. an automatic ticket to the London Games.

“USA basketball is a special, special organization,”’ Bruno said during the announcement.

Last season, Bruno led his Blue Demons to the most successful season in school history, making the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight year, and reaching number seven in the national polls.

The Olympic team will be announced this spring from a 27-member national team pool, and preliminaries for the women’s basketball competitions will begin on July 28, 2012.

Click here to read more about Bruno’s appointment and see photos from the press conference.

Tags: BIG EAST, Blue Demons, depaul, doug bruno, olympics

So You Think You Know DePaul – January 2012

Need some midwinter inspiration? The owner of this anodized appendage can help! Where on campus is it located?

The first person to correctly post the answer in the comments section will receive an alumni-themed prize! To post your answer, click “Leave a Comment” below.

Tags: So You Think You Know DePaul

Arts & Letters Building Opens to Students

Classes began on Jan. 3 in the new $33 million Arts & Letters building, bringing 47 state-of-the-art classrooms to the heart of the university’s Lincoln Park Campus.

The 119,000-square-foot building, located at 2315 N. Kenmore Ave., features an interior staircase overlooking a dramatic four-story atrium. Light-filled bays just off the atrium on each of the four floors accommodate lounge and study areas, while a stained-glass image of St. Vincent de Paul overlooks the main entrance. The landscaped courtyard of the new building includes attached tables and chairs to provide additional gathering spots under a pergola.

Digital Commons, a computer lab located just off the main lobby on the first floor, provides students with work stations, and the entire building also offers wi-fi access. Two academic departments, English and History of Art and Architecture, are housed in the building along with faculty offices and meeting rooms.

With the building complete, Bob Janis, vice president for facility operations, says DePaul will apply for LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The new Arts & Letters building at 2315 N. Kenmore Ave.

Click here to see other photos of the Arts & Letters building.

Tags: Behind the Scenes, DePaul In the News, DePaul University

Political Science Graduate Takes Students to the Hill

Adjunct Professor Krista Johnsen takes her graduate class to the GovGreen Conference

Students attending a class trip to Washington, D.C., for their Sustainability and Environmental Policy class got a special treat from a DePaul alumnus now working on Capitol Hill.

Worku Gachou (LAS '09)

Worku Gachou (LAS ’09), a staffer under Congressman Ed Royce, gave the students an exclusive tour of the Capitol Building and talked about life after graduating from DePaul University. Students also met with Royce, the chairman of the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF), an organization that promotes public-private partnerships encouraging international economic development by protecting natural resources and implementing sustainability measures.

Adjunct Professor Krista Johnsen, who led the trip, also took the graduate students to other one-on-one meetings with lawmakers and officials, and students visited the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters to participate in the GovGreen Conference on the Federal Agency’s sustainability policy implementation efforts.

“The students very much enjoyed getting a small taste of what it’s like to work on The Hill,” says Johnsen.

Students John Geahan and Aron Philipchuk listen to Matt Bogoshian, EPA's senior policy counsel for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, at EPA Headquarters.

Tags: alumni, Behind the Scenes, depaul alumni, DePaul Faculty, DePaul University

So You Think You Know DePaul – December

The DePaul seal is part of a stained glass window in this calming campus locale. Where is it?

The first person to correctly post the answer in the comments section will receive an alumni-themed prize! To post your answer, click “Leave a Comment” below.

Theatre Grad Charms Chicago Again as Scrooge

DePaul grad Larry Yando plays Scrooge (Photo: Dean La Praire)

DePaul alum Larry Yando (THE MFA ’88), Chicago’s beloved Ebenezer Scrooge, returns to his role in “A Christmas Carol” this season. The production will run at the Goodman Theatre through Dec. 30.

Yando, who has played Scrooge for four of the past five years, has received rave reviews from local media for his performance this year:

• “What makes this version worth a look is actor Larry Yando who returns for his fourth turn in five years as Ebenezer Scrooge. Tall, skinny and kind of loopy, he embodies Scrooge with every movement, every syllable spoken.” – Chicago Sun Times

• “… Yando is especially rich and definitive this year. It looks to me like this formidable Chicago actor is keeping himself challenged by adding different layers of transformation ….” – Chicago Tribune

• “His lead performance provides all the pained frustrations and warm fuzzies that come standard with this epic, broken-man-turned-nice-guy redemption story.” – Time Out Chicago

In addition to his seasonal role, the Blue Demon actor has been busy throughout the year. A past recipient of The Theatre School’s Alumni Award for Excellence in the Arts, he hosted the school’s 23rd annual awards ceremony in March. In November, he won a 2011 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for supporting actor in a musical for his work in “Candide” with the Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company. And Yando will appear next spring in the two-part play “Angels in America” at the Court Theatre in Chicago.

To see available shows and buy seats for “A Christmas Carol,” visit the Goodman Theatre’s ticketing page.

Tags: A Christmas Carol, Goodman Theatre, Larry Yando, Scrooge, The Theatre School

Student Scores Big Donation for Social Service

Taylor Lee, co-founder of Leaders for Tomorrow

Taylor Lee, a junior at DePaul, has secured a major gift from national cleanser company Dove to support a program she organized to help girls build self-esteem.

Lee, who studies public relations and advertising at DePaul, co-founded Leaders for Tomorrow, an organization that is centered on developing leadership and entrepreneurship in the college community. Part of Lee’s social mission is to work with young girls in the community by developing programming, curriculum and events that will encourage and enrich their self-esteem.

The funding opportunity arose while Lee was taking the PRAD 256 class in the College of Communication. One of her assignments was to write a business letter to a company, which Lee then used to support her request for funding from Dove. The company had gained national attention a few years ago for its Campaign for Real Beauty, which challenged the stereotypes set by the beauty industry. It featured regular women (non-models) who were beautiful in their own way and did not fit with the idealized images of models, supermodels and celebrities.

As well as monetary support, Leaders for Tomorrow received donations from other sources, such as product donations and guest speakers supporting their cause.

“The work we do with young girls is a part of a social mission we implemented in order to give back to the community,” says Lee. “I am very humbled by this gift and I know the girls will be thrilled.”

Not only was Dove impressed by Lee’s mission, her DePaul instructor, Judy Friedman, was too.

“What an example of resourcefulness, leadership, and applying your skills to make a difference in the world!” Friedman wrote in an email. “Positive outcomes like these are what education is all about!”

To learn more about Leaders for Tomorrow, or to support the cause, contact Lee at lots.depaul@gmail.com .

HOOPLA Newsletter Courts Basketball Fans Online

DePaul University basketball fans have a new way to keep up with their Blue Demons for the 2011-2012 season. The Athletic Development team recently launched a daily electronic version of HOOPLA, its six-year-old newsletter. Alumni and friends can sign up for issues via email and stay up to date with the latest men’s and women’s basketball news.

HOOPLA features many different sections, from game schedules and ticket information to interviews with current and former players and coaches. Readers can enjoy photos and stories from DePaul hoops history, plus weekly trivia contests.

Alumni and friends are also invited to share their pictures, from photos of their best-dressed Blue Demon pets to shots of themselves with DePaul ballplayers. The magazine showcases a fan photo each Friday.

To receive HOOPLA, email Mario Stula (COM ’11), the editor and a Blue Demon basketball alumnus, at mstula1@depaul.edu. Fans can also follow the publication on Twitter at @hoopla_magazine or join the Facebook Fan Page.

Tags: Athletics, DePaul basketball, HOOPLA

Thank You, Arts Alumni!

Thank you to all of the arts alumni who participated in the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), a survey that explored the lives of arts alumni nationwide.

Over the summer and fall, arts alumni around the United States took this survey to provide the first national data on how artists develop in this country, and to help identify the factors needed to better connect arts training to artistic careers.

This data will allow educators, researchers, and arts leaders to identify the systemic factors that helped or hindered the career paths of alumni, whether they have chosen to work as artists or chosen to pursue other paths.

Tags: alumni, DePaul Theater School, depaul university school of music