The school year is finishing up back on campus, and Im sure were all looking forward to the sum-mertime months here in D.C. But before I start fo-cusing on events impacting our local club, I want to bring your attention to some important matters happening in Illinois and at the university.

The current budget proposal for the state of Illinois would slash higher education funding by up to 30 percent. That is a drastic increase from the cuts the state has seen in recent years. Those cuts would have a major impact on tuition costs at the university, among other things. While we may be far away in D.C., there are still ways our alumni can help support the university.

Illinois Connection is a grassroots advocacy net-work for the university. We are encouraging our club members to reach out to any friends or family

DC IllinotesUniversity of Illinois Alumni Club of Greater Washington D.C. Spring 2015 www.dcillini.org

Illinois in Washington

Continuing its outreach to local interns and recent graduates, the DC Illini held an-other successful semesterly Young Illini Welcome Reception and Career Discussion Event on Jan. 29 at the D.C. office of Hunton & Williams. The fifth such event in the clubs nearly 2-year-old outreach effort, the event represents an ongoing partnership between the DC Illini and the universitys Illinois in

Washington intern program.The welcome reception provided an oppor-

tunity for the approximately 15 participating interns and recent graduates to network with a group of 20 local alumni. Following the re-ception, the group participated in a series a small group speed dating discussions a new feature for this semesters event. Par-

Club hosts networking event for D.C.-area interns

During the Young Illini event on Jan. 29 interns joined alumni for small group discussions on careers, networking and the social scene in DC.

Illini of the Year Luncheon

Club members expect the new lo-cation of the Illini of the Year Lun-cheon Wildfire Tysons Corner will bring more members to the annual event, to be held this year on May 17 at 12:30 p.m.

In the past, club members noted that the luncheons were pricey and far from public transportation. But the new venue offers Silver Line Metro access, and it will allow the club to sell tickets at lower prices.

Board member Merle Mulvaney (58 ACES) started attending the DC

Illini luncheons in 1992 and has not missed one since.

Its a nice event. You get to meet people who you normally wouldnt run into because a lot of the folks who attend dont have time to regu-larly attend other club events, he said. I always have fun.

Jack Wagner said he benefits professionally from attending the annual luncheon.

It isnt a straight networking event, yet you meet someone and later remember a name, which leads

to a connection or referral, he said.Tickets are $35 for members and

$45 for non-members. The ticket

price includes a family style meal, dessert and beverages. All tickets can be purchased via dcillini.org.

Children under 12 need not pay for a ticket; parents will be able to pay Wildfire directly for what they order off the childrens menu the day of the luncheon. Children guests still must purchase a free ticket on dcillini.org for headcount purposes.

Wildfire Tysons is located at 2001 International Dr., McLean, Virginia 22102. n

DC Illini President Nisha Patruni

New annual luncheon venue expected to yield higher turnout

Alumni can help University amid budget cuts

Interns on Page 5 President on Page 5

University of Illinois Alumni Club of Greater Washington D.C. Spring 2015 www.dcillini.org

Illinois alumni started 2015 off by heading back to D.C. Central Kitchen to provide invaluable ser-vice to those in need. They worked with graduates of D.C. Central Kitchens culinary job training program to prepare meals for nearby homeless shelters, transitional homes and nonprofit orga-nizations. They spent time washing and slicing produce to ensure that those in need have healthy food options and prepared other tasteful dishes.

I loved volunteering there and cant wait until we do it again! Jen Nevius, DC Illinis events co-chairwoman, said.

D.C. Central Kitchens mission is to use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities.

The first quarter of 2015 also marked the be-ginning of a significant shift in our philanthropy and outreach endeavors. We began highlighting members of DC Illini who are either employed by or serve on the executive board of philanthropic organizations. Each quarter, we will spotlight our fellow alumni and their organizations while also holding volunteer events to allow other Illini to support their cause.

Our first quarterly spotlight is on Kate Akalonu, a 2001 alumna of our Champaign-Urbana campus. Kate is currently the manager of communications at N Street Village in Washington, D.C. N Street Village is a community of empowerment and re-covery for homeless and low-income women in Washington, D.C. With comprehensive services

addressing emergency and long-term needs, N Street Village helps women achieve stability and make meaningful gains in their housing, income, employment, mental health, physical health and addiction recovery.

During the first quarter, our alumni served breakfast, lunch and dinner to the women at N Street Village. DC Illini Director of Philanthropy and Outreach Director Andra Wilson took her teenage son AJ to prepare and serve lunch in N Streets Bethany Center Jan. 31. On Feb. 28, Mar-cus VanSickle, who is a UIC alumni member, and a friend headed over to N Street Village to prepare and serve dinner to residents.

We managed to get the food prepared and served without incident and many of the residents expressed gratitude for our efforts, VanSickle said. It was truly a great opportunity to give back.

Stay tuned for our quarter two alumni spotlight and organization: Illinois alumnus Carl Vacketta and the Capital Area Food Bank. n

I Loved Volunteering: DC Illini Making a Difference

When Merle Mulvaney and his wife Jan first moved to the area in the 1970s, they had only attended one University of Illinois event since they graduated in 1958. But af-ter one DC Illini get-together, the couple was hooked.

They ended up becoming one of the uni-versitys biggest supporters in the area and even won the schools Distinguished Service Award in 2009.

Now, after about 40 years with DC Illini, Mulvaney has become the unofficial dean of the club. While chat-ting with DC Illinotes about the clubs fu-ture, he discussed how it has changed and some of the opportu-nities and challenges the organization faces in the years to come.

In the early days of the club, the univer-sity didnt have a large Washington pres-ence, Mulvaney said. So the club was a key connector between the school and lawmak-ers. The job came with perks: Members got invites to swanky events and were able to hobnob with key university leaders.

Our club members were really beneficial to the university, said Mulvaney, an Army veteran who originally came to Washington, D.C., to take a job at the Pentagon.

Some of his fondest memories were of special events the club hosted at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia, and the exclusive tours of the Capitol grounds and Smithsonian museums coordinated by members who had high-profile positions at the institutions. Indeed, one previous architect of the Capitol was a University of Illinois graduate.

Looking ahead, Mulvaney said the club needs to determine how it will integrate itself with the clubs of the University of Il-linois other campuses: Springfield and Chi-

DC Illini dean looks back on history of the club

DC Illini Volunteering

D.C. area Illini including Andrea Wilson, Gary Johnson, and Andreas son Ajani (AJ) (below, right to left) shared their time and skills at the D.C. Central Kitchen and N Street Village to start off DC Illinis 2015 philanthropy.

Mulvaney on Page 5

Merle Mulvaney

University of Illinois Alumni Club of Greater Washington D.C. Spring 2015 www.dcillini.org

The crowds came out for DC Illinis third an-nual Unofficial St. Patricks Day Bar Crawl on March 7. The party started out strong at City Tap House and continued to pick up speed at Jackpot. At Penn Social, members cheered on the Illini as they took on Purdue in an attempt to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament. Things wrapped up at Iron Horse, and Illini could be heard shouting I-L-L into the night.

From recent grads and interns to seasoned al-ums, Illini of all ages turned up in force. Our Il-linois in Washington interns made a strong show-ing and connected with the young alums. There was even a reunion between old friends who hadnt seen each other in years.

Carol Stalun and Cathleen Paul were room-mates at the Alpha Phi house in 1979. In the years following graduation, the two moved all around the country but still kept in touch, even attend-ing each others weddings. Finally, in 2013, Carol and Cathleen both lived in the same state. Despite busy schedules, the two came together during Un-official for a roommate reunion.

We had such a good time at the D.C. Unofficial St. Pats bar crawl. How fun to feel like we were back in college and going to the bars on Daniel [like Kams] and Green streets! We even made it to all four bars! Cathleen said.

Whether people were forging new connections or re-establishing old ones, everyone who came out showed some Illinois love and embraced the spirit of Unofficial.

If you enjoyed the event this year, or are looking for ways to improve it, contact Susie Wachowski (swachow2@gmail.com) to give feedback or be-come part of the planning committee. n

District Illini recreate campus event for third consecutive year

Illinois alumni Dennis Paul, Cathleen Paul, Carol Stalun and Jerry Stalun joined the DC Unofficial bar crawl as their own mini reunion. Cathleen and Carol were roommates in Alpha Phi in 1979

DC Illini had a new home for basketball games watches this season. Illinois basket-ball fans enjoyed cold beverages and root-ing for the Illini at 201 Bar in Capitol Hill with a private room, huge flat screen TVs and a personal bartender.

Having our own space means that you know you can walk up to anyone and start a conversation because we have similar ex-periences, even if we graduated 30 years apart, Paige Deckert (09 LAS) said. It makes it feel much more like a community.

Members also saw new faces out at the new bar. Thanks to some dedicated Illini basketball fans, the club had quite a large turnout this season.

There were also new activities during the games. This season featured a raffle of Illinois gear during halftimes with great giveaways like Illini shirts, mugs and other choice swag. The person who attended the most game watches won a $50 bar tab; Paul Christianson and Kyle Easter tied for this and both walked away with the gift certifi-cates.

While the basketball season may be over, stay tuned for information about football game watches this fall. n

A new spot for Illini game watches

DC Unofficial

D.C.-Area Illini Events CalendarNational Library of Medicine Tour April 17, 3 p.m. A special tour of the campus in Bathesda, MD

Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Govt April 29, 5 p.m. Honoring Rep. John Lewis, civil rights leader

Capital Area Food Bank volunteering May 16, 1 p.m. Donate your time with fellow alumni!

Annual Awards Luncheon May 17, 15 Join us in honoring the 2014 Illini of the Year!

Nationals vs. Cubs June 6, 15 Watch the Northsiders at Nationals Park with fellow Illini.

Donate to the DC Illini scholarship

fund! http://bit.ly/1vMtAsd

All donations to the DC Illini scholarship fund are tax deductible and qualify for

university gift credit.

University of Illinois Alumni Club of Greater Washington D.C. Spring 2015 www.dcillini.org

For the first time since the battle-ship USS Illinois took part in President Theodore Roosevelts Great White Fleet, the name of the state of Il-linois will again be borne at sea. The crew of the USS Illinois was honored on Illinois Statehood Day in December by the Illinois State Society at a reception on Capitol Hill.

The event featured the USS Illinois commanding officer, Cmdr. Jesse Por-ter, as well as members of the Illinois congressional delegation, including Sen. Mark Kirk, a former officer in the Naval Re-serve.

Set for commissioning in late 2015, the Virginia Class nuclear submarine USS Illinois will not only be driven by the men and women of the U.S. Navy, but also the spirit of the Fighting Illini.

The USS Illinois is the state-of-the-art in sub-marine technology and will provide the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nations

undersea supremacy well into the 21st century. However, the crew of the USS Illinois must be prepared for the inevitable point in any de-ployment when time on the ship becomes wearing. Master Chief David DiPietro, the submarines chief of the boat, explains that this is where Illinois and its universi-ties play a role.

We want the crew to not just look at the Illinois as a submarine,

but as something bigger, so we take the ships namesake personally. Each

division in the boat is named after an Illinois university, and the entire ship ad-

opted the University of Illinois.He added, In fact, our nickname is the Fight-

ing Illini.To learn more about opportunities to support

the USS Illinois, visit the USS Illinois Commis-sioning Committees website at http://ussillinois.org. n

Fighting Illini battleship crew honored at reception

The USS Illinois, a Virginia Class nuclear submarine, will be commisioned in late 2015. (Photo provided)

We look forward to strengthening our membership in 2015 and have some excit-ing initiatives to announce. We welcome Brian Legan as our new membership direc-tor and Jayme Hennenfent as the inaugural member of the newly formed membership committee. We are seeking two or three other volunteers to serve on the 2015 mem-bership committee. If you are interested, please contact us at DCIlliniPresident@gmail.com.

At our last quarterly board meeting, Bri-an recently presented an assessment of core areas supporting strong membership for the upcoming year:

(1) Re-invigorate membership enroll-ment and increase diversity.

(2) Raise awareness about the value of dues-paying membership in our club and the distinction from UIAA membership.

(3) Develop and implement a member-ship recruitment strategy.

(4) Enhance the value of dues-paying membership.

As the second-largest Illinois alumni club, we are committed to enhancing our membership and tailoring our clubs activi-ties and benefits to ensure that we are serv-ing the needs of our evolving base. We also remain committed to raising funds to sup-port scholarships for deserving students. A robust dues-paying membership is vital to this cause since two-thirds of membership dues are dedicated to the scholarship fund.

While our membership is strong and con-tinues to grow, we also experience a high number of membership lapses each year as well as a large number of non-dues-paying members who we are interested in getting more engaged. Given the unique access that the D.C. metropolitan area offers to ac-tivities, resources, charities and venues, we want to ensure that membership in our club offers value in areas that are most impor-tant to our alumni.

We are embarking on several initiatives to achieve our objectives and look forward to a terrific year. n

Membership committee seeks new volunteers

USS Illinois and the Illinois State Society

To get the latest updates on game watches, vol-unteer opportunities and other events, or to share your Illinois news or photos with your fellow al-ums, please join us on social media.

In her first three months, our new social media director Paige Deckert (LAS 09) already ramped up our presence across many social platforms, and were excited to see whats in store for the rest

of the year. Remember to also stay on the lookout for announcements on our website, in emails, and in this DC Illinotes newsletter!

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/dcilliniOn Twitter: @DC_Illini

On LinkedIn: Illinois Alumni Club Greater Washington

DC Illini on Social Media

ticipants rotated through six different 8-minute-long small group discussions led by local alumni.

Calling it a chance to meet other Illinois alumni in the D.C. area, one recent graduate said, it was great to hear from a variety of dif-ferent people all with different backgrounds. Lang, a principal at the marketing firm August, Lang & Husak, said the discussion leaders also found the conversations lively, I was impressed by the opportunities the interns have found for themselves all over Washington. Each group at the table seemed to find something during our question-and-answer session that was relevant to their time in D.C.

The DC Illini is excited to continue building this successful program. The club invites alumni

to attend future welcome reception and career discussion events, which are held at the begin-ning of the spring, summer and fall semesters, and are conveniently located across the street from the Foggy Bottom Metro.

As well, we are seeking sponsors to fund fu-ture similar events, so that the club can continue its outreach efforts to interns and recent grads. Advertising opportunities are available. If you are a club member and/or local business owner interested in supporting the program, or have any other questions, please contact the DC Illini Intern Outreach Coordinator Eric Hutchins at emhutchi@gmail.com.

For more on the intern program, you can also read an article in the Spring 2015 Illinois Alumni magazine, available at: http://www.dcillini.org/images/vault/139.png n

University of Illinois Alumni Club of Greater Washington D.C. Spring 2015 www.dcillini.org

OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS

INTERNS from page 1

The DC Illini strive to support the educational purposes of the University of Illinois, cultivate friendship among club members and express loyalty to the university. We are also committed to providing community service to the area as well as to the U of I. We do this through a variety of educational, social, cultural and athletic activities, and programs. Graduates, former students and friends of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Chicago or Springfield may join. DC Illini provides a great way to get to know the area and to expand your social and professional networks. Dues-paying DC Illini members receive discounts on club events. Club dues are $30 per year. Two-thirds of your annual dues go directly to the club scholarship fund to support local students going to the University of Illinois.

Events Co-ChairsClaire Huber, Jennifer Nevius

Membership ChairBrian Legan

Scholarship ChairJason Cantone

External CommunicationsEric Hutchins

Annual Luncheon ChairEmily Bardales

Illini of the Year ChairBob Bevins

Philanthropy and OutreachAndrea Wilson

Bears Viewing ChairJim Billamoria

CAN RepresentativeJake Schinder

Jan Mulvaney Award Dir.Merle Mulvaney

PresidentNisha PatruniVice President

Julie Hutchins

Secretary

Linda Moll

Treasurer

Lloyd Stallings

you still know in Illinois and en-courage them to sign up as an ad-vocate through Illinois Connection. Although many of us are no longer Illinois residents, we can also sign up. Help Illinois ConnectionWa ad-vocate for state and federal funding, student financial aid, and research, which will help ensure a bright, suc-cessful future for the University of Illinois. Please visit their website for more information.

The proposed budget and impacts

on tuition make the scholarships we offer as a club even more important. As the cost of out-of-state tuition continues to rise, our scholarships may help talented students decide to attend Illinois with that little bit of financial help. We have already started our DC Illini Scholarship process and are currently accepting applications from high school stu-dents in the D.C. metro area.

Over the coming weeks, DC Illini board members will call students in the area who have been accepted to Illinois and encourage them to ap-

ply for our scholarships. Its a way that we engage the community and that we can recruit for the univer-sity.

Last year, we saw a great im-provement in the number of appli-cants and believe our outreach to students played a key role. Every year, we have a difficult time choos-ing the winners because we receive so many qualified applicants, and we dont think this year will be any different. Our scholarship commit-tee will select scholarships recipi-ents and then invite the students

and their families to attend our an-nual luncheon in May.

Speaking of the luncheon, I hope to see many of you there!

We are trying a new location this year and will be at Wildfire in Ty-sons Corner. Were excited to try the new venue and think it will be an enjoyable experience for every-one. We welcome any feedback you have on the event and change of res-taurant.

Nisha Patruni 08DC Illini President

PRESIDENT from page 1

DC Illinotes included articles by Nisha Patruni, Julie Hutchins, Eric Hutchins, Andrea Wilson, Claire Huber, Emily Bardales, Susie Wachowski, Whitney Wyckoff and Brian Legan.

Newsletter ChairJason Cantone

Newsletter DesignAdam Nekola

Newsletter EditorWhitney Wyckoff

cago. And he said the university has to learn to make a better case for engaging graduates to join alumni groups after students leave the campus.

Well work our way through that some-how, he said.

In all, though, Mulvaney said the club has been a wonderful experience for him.

The club is a wonderful opportunity for old and young to mingle and learn from each other, he said.

He added, We maybe have different inter-ests, but the one thing we have in common is were all graduates from the University of Il-linois. And sometimes just having one thing in common is all it takes. n

MULVANEY from page 2