Swingin’ with Bob Lark and his Alumni Big Band

Jazz it up next week with DePaul University School of Music Director of Jazz Studies, Bob Lark and his Alumni Big Band. This group — made up entirely of DePaul University alumni and faculty — is giving a very special one-time performance on Tuesday, Dec. 14. See all the details below.

What: Alumni Big Band Performance
When: Tuesday, Dec. 14 @ 8 p.m.
Where: The Jazz Showcase in Dearborn Station, 806 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago
Ticket Info: Call (312) 360-0234

The Alumni Big Band includes:
Scott Burns, Marques Carroll, Ryan Cohan, Dana Hall, Ted Hogarth, Jon Irabagon, Dan Jonas, Glenn Kostur, Chris Madsen, Dominic Marino, Dan Nicholson, Mike Pinto, Joe Policastro, Michael Stryker, Craig Sunken, Vance Thompson and Brent Turney; and DePaul faculty members Tim Coffman, Kirk Garrison, Bob Rummage and Thomas Matta.

The show will include 11 original compositions by Lark in arrangements by alumni Marino, Matta, Garrison, Pinto, Joe Clark, Scott Dickinson, Ryan Adamsons and Andrew Thompson. The evening will also feature a guest performance by New Trier High School Jazz Ensemble, directed by School of Music alumnus Nic Meyer.

Have a Blue Demon Holiday!

Happy Holidays by evoo73 on Flickr

Thanksgiving is just a couple days away, and snow is in the forecast for us here in the Chicagoland area. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about alumni activities celebrating the holiday season. Whether you’re located in the Arizona desert, the Rocky Mountains, the San Francisco Bay area or right here in DePaul’s hometown, a number of special events are planned and we hope you’ll join us!

Dec. 2: Arizona Chapter Networking Happy Hour
Before we get too far into the holiday rush, join Arizona Chapter members, fellow alumni and friends for a casual networking happy hour in Scottsdale at the Tavern Grille.

Dec. 4: Alumni & Friends Holiday Lunch in Denver
Enjoy a special lunch at Sullivan’s Steakhouse with fellow DePaul alumni and friends in the Denver area.

Dec. 10: Christmas at DePaul
Celebrate the holiday season at the fourth annual Christmas at DePaul, a musical retelling of the Christmas story.

Dec. 16: Holiday Lights Tour in Chicago’s Loop
The Chicagoland Alumni Chapter invites fellow alumni and friends on a bus tour of the Loop’s beautiful holiday lights, including stops to view Macy’s  window displays and shopping at Christkindlmarket.

Dec. 18: Holiday Service Project in San Francisco
Spread the holiday spirit this year by joining alumni and friends at the San Francisco Food Bank to help sort food donations for those in need.

Is your December calendar already full? Not to worry — many more events are planned throughout the winter, so keep your eye on the Alumni Calendar and join us when you can!

Reunion Weekend: Here and Done and Here Again

DePaul alumni and guests enjoying the Reunion Dinner and Celebration

Reunion Weekend 2010 is over — but what weekend it was! More than 800 alumni and friends stopped by reunion events over the course of this three-day celebration, Oct. 15-17. Thanks to everyone who was able to attend!

Here are a few quick highlights:

• During the traditional Reunion Luncheon on Oct. 15, over 70 graduates from the Class of 1960 and earlier were welcomed into DePaul University’s Fifty Year Club.
• Later that same day, 150 recent graduates partied at Rockit Bar & Grill in River North for the Young Alumni Reunion.
• On Saturday, Oct. 16, hundreds of alumni and guests filed into Chicago’s beautiful Drake Hotel for a cocktail reception, three-course meal and remarks from DePaul’s president. Along with graduates celebrating a reunion year anniversary, alumni of fraternities and sororities at DePaul also reunited at a special cocktail reception — then joined the full brigade for dinner.
• Sunday included the Reunion & Family Weekend Mass, as well as the Reunion & Family Weekend Brunch. During brunch, DMaC, a student-run men’s a capella group at DePaul, serenaded alumni and friends as they enjoyed the closing event.

Were you there? If so, we might have caught you on camera! Take a look through the Reunion Weekend Photo Gallery and see if you spot yourself. And if you couldn’t make it this year, browse the albums to see what all the fuss is about!

And even though this Reunion Weekend has come and gone, there’s always next year! Mark you calendar for Reunion Weekend 2011: Oct. 14-16.

Of course, alumni are always invited to the many special events planned throughout the year. Be sure to check the alumni events calendar regularly for DePaul activities in your area. See you soon!

Reunion Weekend 2010 Starts Today!

Reunion Weekend 2010 is finally here! In just a few short hours, more than 150 DePaul alumni and guests —  including many graduates from the Class of 1960 — will be congregating at the Lincoln Park Student Center for the Reunion Luncheon and Fifty Year Club induction ceremony. Later today, graduates from the past five years will get their party on at Rockit Bar & Grill to celebrate the Class of 2005′s fifth reunion. And many alumni will swing by Blue Madness tonight, too.

We can’t wait to see everyone at  events throughout the next few days. If you’re curious, check the list of who’s planning to attend. If you didn’t  make it back to DePaul this weekend, don’t worry — we’ll have plenty of updates and photos to share!

Happy Anniversary to the DePaul University classes of 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005!! Have a great weekend!

Chester Bolek (COM ’49, MS ’73) Looks Back

“I’m one of the really old seniors who call Chesterfield Villas home,” jokes 90-year-old Chester Bolek (COM ’49, MS ’73). Chester grew up in Chicago’s “Little Poland”  neighborhood and, encouraged by his parents Frank and Rose Bolek, chose DePaul University for college. “I have an ongoing love affair with my school… even though I graduated over half a century ago,” he says, “[DePaul] molded me into a clear-thinking person.”

Recently, Chester shared with DePaul about another “ongoing love affair” — this one with his wife of more than 65 years, Dorothy Bolek. The couple met at a DePaul dance, and Chester tells the story best himself:

64 E. Lake Building
(circa 1949)

64 E. Lake St. – Chicago, Ill: These are not just street numbers — mere digits. They are the focal point of my life. This was DePaul University’s address in 1941. There I acquired the fabric which allowed me to evaluate the events in my life and make decisions based on Christian principles in a materialistic world. 

Great as all that was, there is something that surpasses all that in importance. I ment my future wife, Dorothy, there at a DePaul dance — same address — on October 17, 1941. Dorothy was there as the date of one of my friends… . What can I say? She was good looking — major correction — she still is. Looked like Alice Faye, the movie star. Remember her?

My date grumbled somewhat! I danced a lot with Dorothy. After the dance I suggested we go to the Hotel Gramere overlooking Garfield Park. There they had a lounge, The Glass House, which was a cool place. Well, we went there and to my surprise the leader of the band was an acquaintance of mine… . I then introduced him to the group. Talk about making an impression — I just lucked out!

This was the beginning of a World War II romance, and it all began at 64 E. Lake St., Chicago, Ill.

This coming weekend, Oct. 15-17, we’re looking forward to hearing more memories from DePaul alumni during Reunion Weekend 2010. Phone registration is still open for the weekend’s many events; simply call the Office of Alumni Relations at (800) 437-1898. If you can’t make it back this weekend, but want to share a DePaul memory, post a comment here or send an email to dpalumni@depaul.edu.

Thanks, Chester, for sharing such a lovely snippet from your life!

Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul

Today, Sept. 27, is the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, which honors the legacy of DePaul University‘s namesake.

St. Vincent de Paul, a French Roman Catholic priest, spent his life in service to the people around him, particularly the poor and underserved.  For the past 350 years since his death — as well as during his lifetime — women and men have admired his work and continued this mission in his name.

In his writing about St. Vincent de Paul, the Rev. Edward R. Udovic, C.M., Ph.D., Secretary of DePaul University,Vice President for Teaching and Learning Resources, and Senior Executive for University Mission, describes St. Vincent’s vision in this way:

Within the Roman Catholic Church, Saint Vincent de Paul is known as the ‘Apostle of Charity.’ Vincent lived in Paris for almost all of his adult life. When he looked around at the city he knew so well he saw people in need everywhere. His faith told him that these people were his brothers and sisters in Christ. He felt a personal responsibility to do something that would make a difference in their lives; to do something that would change a world in which suffering and poverty were so taken for granted.

For more detail about the life of St. Vincent and how his work is reflected in DePaul’s efforts today, visit the DePaul Office of Mission and Values website.

Thanks for the Memories!

School started at DePaul University this week and a new crop of first-year students are traversing all over campus — getting lost on the L, forgetting their dorm name and generally having a great time! In the spirit of the new school year, @depaulalumni (on Twitter) asked alumni followers for their memories of the first few days at DePaul. Here’s a sampling of their thoughts…

@jbandersoncpa The 1st day of class was my 4th day ever in Chicago. Got lost on the El back to LPC, ended up at 63rd. Oops.

@jenod85 Late night Clark’s! And taking the L for the first time – only I went the wrong way.

@advitak Not sure I call it a favorite memory, but all SPS students were *mugged* by the director — given SPS mugs in the first class.

@dunjastef I missed my 1st class bc I thought the door was locked, turns out it was just heavy

@jbasile Fiesta Mexicana and singing songs that we made up in the Quad, yes, I was a theater major!

Want to share a story from your first few days at DePaul? Follow @depaulalumni on Twitter or add your comments below. We love hearing your memories and so do your fellow graduates!

A Look Back at the LPC

Imaged hosted at ChicagoNow.Com / Media Credit: DePaul University Special Collections and Archives

Remember the Barn? Maybe the Castle? How about Alumni Hall? These probably sound familiar if you were walking DePaul’s campus 50 years ago. And even if you don’t know what the heck “The Barn” is — check out a recent blog post on ChicagoNow.com that shares images of DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus from the ’50s and ’60s.

It’s Summertime Baseball with DePaul

The stats don’t lie: the Chicago White Sox are sitting pretty at No. 1 in the American League Central, thanks to an exciting 10-point (er, make that 10-RUN win… this silly writer apologizes for her mistake) win over Kansas City on Sunday.

DePaul alumni are invited to catch the Sox in Chicago this summer on Aug. 27. Start the fun early with alumni and friends during the pregame party at Rocky’s Beer Garden, then head to the stands to see the Sox take on the Yankees. The pregame gathering includes a hearty dinner buffet and cash bar, plus it’s Blackhawks night at the Cell and there will be a fireworks show after the game. You don’t want to miss this!

Rocky’s Pregame Party
White Sox vs. Yankees Game

Date: Aug. 27
Time: Pregame Party 5:30 p.m.  /  Game: 7:10 p.m.
Location: Rocky’s Chicago, 234 W. 31st St., Chicago / U.S Cellular Field
Cost: $55. Includes game ticket and full dinner buffet and cash bar at Rocky’s.
Registration Info: http://alumni.depaul.edu/events/EventDetail.aspx?event_id=994

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And just because the Sox are heating up, don’t think we’ve forgotten about our beloved Cubbies!

Blue Demons Hoops: Opponents Announced

Get your blue face paint ready — the DePaul Blue Demons basketball schedules are here!

Men’s Basketball
According to a DePaul Athletic Department press release, Coach Purnell and the men’s team are scheduled to face Cincinnati, USF and West Virginia twice next season while splitting the remaining dozen conference contests between the road and Allstate Arena. Home  opponents  include Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Villanova. The guys will travel to Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s and Syracuse for road games, along with the return games for the home-and-away opponents.

Women’s Basketball
The DePaul women’s basketball team and Coach Bruno will host Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF and West Virginia during the 2010-11 season. On the road, they’ll play Cincinnati, UConn, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Syracuse and Villanova.

Tix for Young Alums
Just a little FYI for those of you recently graduated, DePaul alumni from the classes of  ’07, ’08, ’09 and ’10 can get 100-level season tickets  for only $99/seat (normally $180/seat).  Call 773-325-SLAM for details and ask about the Young Alumni Season Ticket Package.