Lyons Township High School and its feeder school districts in La Grange and Western Springs joined the growing list of schools to be closed Thursday, due to subzero temperatures.

Despite frigid temperatures, attendance was good at two La Grange area parochial schools, which scheduled classes today while neighboring schools were closed.

St. Cletus School in La Grange reported 88 percent attendance, slightly higher than on Wednesday, said Principal Margaret Hayes.

“Our kids don’t take the bus. It was really important for our working parents that we stay open. They count on us,” Hayes said. “We left it to the parents’ discretion, that they should make the final decision.”

In LaGrange Park, about 83 percent of students showed up for class today at St. Louise de Marillac School, said Principal AnneMarie Mahay.

“Parents are thrilled we were open. We use the same bus as at the public schools, but all seven kids who take it were dropped off today,” Mahay said. “Our heat is wonderful, and the kids are warm and toasty.”

Classes were cancelled Wednesday at St. Louise while staff monitored how the boiler and heating system would respond to the year’s first major cold snap. With no problems detected, the decision was made to resume classes today, Mahay said.

As an extra incentive to brave the cold, students were allowed to wear whatever they wanted, rather than regular uniforms, to stay warm and comfortable, the principal said.

Both principals reported no staff absences due to the extreme cold.

“It’s too early in the winter to use so many days,” Hayes said. “What if we get some snow. It’s more dangerous when we put cars out in the snow and people don’t want to drive.”

Lewis University in Romeoville announced the following students were named to the dean’s list for the fall semester. To be eligible, students must have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit with a grade point average of 3.5 out of a possible 4.0 and with no “D” or “F” grades.

From Burr Ridge
Madelyn Pedersen studying English
Peter Holland studying business administration

From Countryside:
Jennifer Finley studying accountancy
Kristine Korzelik studying early childhood education/special education

From Darien
Robert Dudasik studying computer science
Hannah Salvato studying psychology
Nicole Reidy studying social work
Brandy Bailey studying English
Janelle Wisniowicz studying computer graphic design
Christopher Malpede studying sport management
Brana Reidy studying computer graphic design
Julie Gunnerson studying psychology
Keanna Peterson studying criminal/social justice
Paige Niestrom studying social work
Daniel Quinnert studying accountancy
Miguel Gonzalez studying elementary education
Austin Cremer studying paralegal studies

From Hinsdale
Cody Pyle studying aviation flight management
Gregory Chomko studying aviation administration

From Indian Head Park
Dustin Warf studying nursing

From La Grange
Elliott Nelson studying sport management
Mary Claire Hubert studying social work
Aron Nelson studying criminal/social justice
Melissa Neigebauer studying health care leadership
Jorie Pristo studying nursing

From Western Springs
Stephanie Slechta Pav studying criminal/social justice
Gregory Arata studying elementary education
Geena Grzeca studying nursing

From Willowbrook
Elyse Wells studying paralegal studies
Stacy Uranich studying human resource management
Monica Figus studying psychology
Joseph Vacek studying aviation flight management
Laura Streit studying computer graphic design

Lewis University graduated more than 500 undergraduate and graduate students in December.

From Burr Ridge
Amy Pacella with a master of science in nursing
Daniel Capocci with a bachelor of arts in criminal/social justice
Kareem El-Ali with a master of science in information security
Madelyn Pedersen with a bachelor of arts in English
JoAnne Tibbs with a master of business administration
Peter Holland with a bachelor of science in business administration

From Countryside
Kristine Korzelik with a bachelor of arts in early childhood education/special education.

From Darien
James Pavlikwith a bachelor of science in chemistry
Michael Swiatek with a master of business administration
Joseph Mika with a bachelor of science in business administration
Simone Beller with a bachelor of arts in sociology
Christopher Malpede with a bachelor of arts in sport management
Jennie Fultz with a bachelor of arts in health care leadership

From Hinsdale
Joseph Glatz with a master of business administration
Patricia Kelly with a master of education in C&I/English as Second Language

From La Grange
Anne Phillipp with a master of arts in reading specialist
Maria Broche with a bachelor of science in nursing

From LaGrange Park
Leah Lowery with a master of science in nursing
Tina Mikulecky with a bachelor of science in nursing
Maria Maldonado with a bachelor of science in nursing

From Western Springs
Michael Merna with a master of science in management

Arizona State University named the following graduates from the spring of 2014.
Andrew Hoch of Burr Ridge
John Banke of Hinsdale
Jessica Kruchten of Hinsdale

The following undergraduate students at Arizona State University who earn 12 or more graded semester hours during a semester in residence with a GPA of 3.50 or higher were named to the dean’s list.
From Burr Ridge: Erik Rohner, Alexander Hamilton
From Hinsdale: Elizabeth Rollo, Victoria Ashford
From Oak Brook: Jill Gruttadauro
From Willowbrook: Nicole Blumenstein

The following students were named to the fall dean’s list at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. A minimum 3.5 grade point average is required for academic eligibility.
From Clarendon Hills: Alberto Busch, Joseph Condon
From Hinsdale: Nicole Spinazola
From Willowbrook: Riley Gallagher

Elizabeth Peters of La Grange received a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education in December from University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis.

Bradley University in Peoria named the following students to the dean’s list for the fall semester. To be eligible for the dean’s list a student must achieve a minimum 3.5 gradepoint average for the semester on a 4.0 scale.
From Indian Head Park: Kevin E Campbell
From La Grange: Jillian I Soyak and Danielle K Blazek
From LaGrange Park: Melissa A Kriauciunas, Esther R Manske, Dana E Olsen and Bradley T Webster.

President Obama’s proposal to provide free community college tuition is getting high praise from community college leaders.

But that praise is tempered with questions about whether such a plan is possible considering the financial straits of the federal and state governments.

What is being touted as America’s College Promise, Obama is proposing to provide two years of community college to students who maintain good grades. Under the plan, the federal government would pay for 75 percent of the cost with participating states picking up the remaining 25 percent.

The White House estimates that if all states participated, nine million students could benefit — saving on average $3,800 in tuition per year for a full-time student. The program would cost an estimated $60 billion over 10 years.

While a boon for his college and other community colleges, College of DuPage President Robert Breuder questions where the federal government would find the money to finance such a program. The U.S. government already is operating with a budget deficit of $564 billion.

“Secondly, where is Illinois going to get the 25 percent match,” he said.

Breuder said if free tuition were available, he would expect the biggest increase to come from students from middle-class families who are taking on debt to pay for tuition at a four-year institution. He said free tuition for two years at a community college looks much better than a bill for a semester at a four-year institution.

He doesn’t expect an increase in the number of students in lower income brackets. Breuder said grants and subsidies already are available to low-income students that make college free to them. Breuder said if anything, the plan will elicit conversations about the importance of community colleges in helping develop a changing workforce.

“This president has brought attention to community colleges and has done more to promote community colleges more than any other president,” Breuder said.

By 2020, an estimated 35 percent of job openings in the United States will require at least a bachelor’s degree and 30 percent will require some college or an associate’s degree. Forty percent of college students are enrolled at one of America’s more than 1,100 community colleges. Roughly 900,000 students were enrolled at an Illinois public community college in credit or noncredit courses during fiscal year 2013, according to the Illinois Community College Board.

The president’s tuition-free plan was inspired by programs in Tennessee and Chicago.

In Tennessee, lottery funding helps provide free community and technical college tuition for two years to the state’s high school graduates. The Chicago Star scholarship program covers the costs of tuition, fees and books to City Colleges of Chicago for Chicago Public Schools graduates who have at least a 3.0 grade-point average and are academically ready for college-level math and English courses.

Lyons Township High School senior Sean Shafer from Western Springs was recognized Jan. 2 with the Eagle Scout award for completing a two-part project bringing the prairie to the school’s biology courtyard at the south campus in Western Springs.

Q. How did you decide on the project?

A. The biology courtyard hasn’t been used too much or taken care of for some time. There were a lot of weeds and invasive species. I had Dave Stormont for a biology teacher, and he and I worked together on picking out plants for the project.

Q. What did you hope to accomplish?

A. I planted a bunch of prairie grasses and native plants with the hope native insects and birds would return, and when students would go out there, they would get a feel for how the area around here used to be

Q. Was it difficult to remove the old vegetation first?

A. The school hired people to rototill the plot. They took everything out and refreshed the soil. That was fantastic. Then we planted the seedlings for the new plants to come in.

Q. Did you have help?

A. I reached out to Scouts in my troop, Troop 216 out of LaGrange Highlands, and friends and family. I had a small task force of 15 on any day that we worked.

Q. This was a two-part project?

A. Yes, we did the planting in June 2013 and then came back to remove the invasive species that had come back in August 2014.

Q. What did you learn from the project?

A. It was really fun to lead my friends and family to do this project. I also learned about the need to stay in constant communication to avoid long delays. I’ll have these skills in the work world and college. The project is no easy task, but it was worth it.

Q. How long have you been involved in the Boy Scouts program?

A. I’ve been a Cub Scout as long as I can remember and then went on to Boy Scouts My dad was an Eagle Scout, and he was a big force in getting me to stick with it.

Q. What do you like about scouting?

A. It gives you a lot of different opportunities, like basic outdoorsman skills or first aid. In August, I sailed around the Florida Keyes. We got to do a lot of sailing and snorkeling around coral reefs with a little bit of fishing. There are so many opportunities to do so many different really cool things.

Q. What do you like about camping?

A. I love winter camping, sometimes more than summer camping. It’s really cool when you’re out there and there’s dead silence, nothing moving around and just a little bit of snow coming down. It’s really quiet and really cool. And, there are all the different activities, like sledding or snowboarding. But you have to be really prepared for the cold.

Q. Do you have time for anything else at school?

A. I like to stay busy. I’ve been on the swimming and water polo teams all four years. Water polo starts the end of March. It’s very disciplined and a very difficult sport with a big time commitment. But those who stay with it are committed. I like the camaraderie of the team. We have a blast. I also sing tenor in choir and madrigals.

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Family: parents, Mary Lynne and Andy, brother, Kevin, 13, and sisters, Lauren, 22, and Rachel, 20

Birthplace: Midland, Mich.

Moved to Western Springs: 2008, after growing up in Minnesota

Future career: chemical engineering

Frigid temperatures may have deterred some shoppers Friday, but bargain hunters made up for it the next day at the Lyons Township High School Relay for Life Garage Sale.

The sale of donated items raised at least $5,000 in the fight against cancer, said Assistant Principal Kris Costopoulos, one of the club’s sponsors and a two-time cancer survivor.

“We’re still waiting to hear from the company USagain on how much we made from the leftover textiles,” Costopoulos said. The Chicago firm recycles clothing and shoes.

Winter’s blast impacted the number of student volunteers available to set up for the sale, which began Friday night in the Corral at the south campus in Western Springs, the sponsor said. Although classes were cancelled Thursday due to dangerous wind chills, plenty of items had been donated in the preceding weeks.

“We had everything from housewares, clothes, books, kids’ toys, small appliances, some furniture, videos, electronics, tools—a little bit of everything,” Costopoulos said. “Customers seemed to enjoy the thrill of the hunt!”

Proceeds from the sale will be combined with two other fundraisers. A date hasn’t been set yet for the Bark in the Park event for supporters and their dogs.

The Relay for Life’s marathon fundraising walk with pledges will be staged again at the close of school, after a dance marathon was held instead last spring.

LT’s relay will be combined with the West Cook Relay for Life June 6 around the track at Bennett Field at the south campus.

“Instead of overnight from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., it will now be from noon to midnight,” Costopoulos said.

Pleasantdale Middle School students spearheaded the return of the West Cook Relay Aug. 8 in Burr Ridge. Thirteen teams of about 70 participants signed up to walk from Westchester, Brookfield and Countryside. Nazareth Academy students from LaGrange Park also contributed $10,000 to the event’s combined total of $43,000.

The man who was instrumental in transforming a small Catholic college with 1,400 undergrads into a global university with more than 10,000 students will step down at the end of the year.

For more than two decades, William J. Carroll has served as president through massive campus expansions and a name change from Illinois Benedictine College to Benedictine University. He plans to lead the university on the border of Naperville and Lisle through the transition to a new president before leaving in December.

“When I started this journey in 1995, the school was on the cusp of closing,” Carroll said. “Enrollment was down, and the university was embroiled in racial tensions and open hostility.”

Racial tensions drew media attention in 1994 when a quarrel between friends over an intramural basketball game led to a campus melee involving 10 to 20 students. Carroll worked to change the racial climate as well as boost enrollment.

By 2005, Benedictine University was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a “Top School” in the Midwest and in the “Top 10 Schools” for campus diversity in the Midwest.

“Today, with class sites in China, Vietnam, Arizona and throughout Illinois, we are the fastest-growing university in the country with nearly 10,000 students worldwide, have a host of remarkably dedicated and compassionate faculty and staff, and the university is recognized as one of the most diverse and welcoming in the country,” he said. “We conduct inter-religious dialogue sessions, designate prayer space for non-Catholic religious groups, and established an Interfaith Cooperation Committee.”

Last year, the Chronicle of Higher Education ranked Benedictine as the No. 1 fastest-growing campus in the country among private, nonprofit doctoral institutions between 2002-2012.

Carroll said he is ready to pass the torch to a new leader who will embrace Benedictine as he has, and lead the school and a new generation of students to continued success.

The university’s Board of Trustees is planning a national search to find Carroll’s successor. Incoming board chairman Jim Melsa will lead the search.

“Bill and I have seen the university through some tough times in the past as well as through the growth and achievements that have made it the great school we know and love today,” said Will Gillett, the outgoing chairman.

“His leadership and friendship throughout the years is something I personally value. He is an outstanding leader, and we are very grateful for his 20 years of service to the BenU community.”

The most noticeable achievements during his presidency are on the campus site itself, including the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex, parking garage, Founders’ Woods apartments, Birck Hall of Science, Kindlon Hall of Learning, and Rice Center and Neff Welcome Center renovations.

The next big improvement will be the fall 2015 opening of the new Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business.

Besides expanding in Lisle, the university saw growth in programs, services and technology, including the Office of International Programs and Services, the Center for Civic Leadership, the Center for Values-Driven Leadership, the National Moser Center for Adult Learning and the creation of branch campuses in downstate Springfield and Mesa, Arizona.

One of Carroll’s first accomplishments as president was to establish the Richard C. Becker Great Issues–Great Ideas lecture series because he saw the need to expose students to varying viewpoints to help them learn how to think, not what to think.

Among the notable national and international speakers of diverse beliefs were former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, Paul Rusesabagina of Hotel Rwanda, former first lady Barbara Bush, retired Gen. Collin Powell, U.N. Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick and television journalist Ed Bradley.

Carroll said the growth and success of Benedictine University was not solely his doing, but was the mission of the monks and other founders before him who set out to achieve excellence in education while serving God and others.

“All that has been accomplished in these 20 years is because of what it means to be Benedictine,” Carroll said. “Setting high goals and achieving them, then not being complacent but rather continuing to look into the future while not forgetting those who helped you get there. Welcoming the stranger with open arms to build peace and understanding, making student success our main focus and doing what is right — not what is necessarily profitable.

“That’s what it means to be Benedictine,” he said.

A Highlands Elementary School fifth-grader has been selected as one of 10 finalists in a nationwide video contest to win $10,000 for her school.

Talia Effeny entered the Trees Rock contest in November sponsored by Scotties Facial Tissues as a class assignment with the LaGrange Highlands school’s 104 other fifth-graders.

​

“I was really excited and surprised when I found out I was in the top 10,” Talia said, her face beaming. “I thought it was just in the state, but then I was told it was the whole United States.”

Entries were judged on promoting the importance of trees with a creative flair in a video of up to 3 minutes. Talia said she decided to take her assignment home and asked her mom to video her sharing interesting facts in a nearby forest preserve.

“OK, let’s face it, “ she begins in the video. “We wouldn’t exist if trees didn’t exist.”

After detailing a number of benefits trees provide, Talia outlined her plan for spending $10,000 on a sustainable project for Highlands School.

“I’ve always wanted some benches for an outdoor classroom, where we also could eat lunch outside,” she explained. “I would like a garden with all these fruits and vegetables and also a stream or lake with a wooden bridge over it.”

In addition, a group of trees would be planted, with one for each grade to take care for, as well as a section of apple trees, she said.

Talia edited the footage her mom shot and developed original music for the video through the GarageBand program.

“You can’t use other people’s music for the video, so I picked all different instruments to make my own music,” she said.

Online voting in the nationwide contest began Jan. 12 and continues through Feb. 6 at www.scottiestreesrock.com. Adults, age 18 and older, may vote once a day throughout the contest period. Talia’s video is listed as the second entry in the category for third- through fifth-graders.

Principal Brian Graber said the possibility of Talia winning the contest comes at a perfect time.

“Earlier this year, our fifth-graders began planning for the installation of a school/community garden, but we weren’t sure where the funds were going to come from,” Graber said. “We’re thrilled for our student who was selected as a finalist.”

Staff members and families are spreading the word through social media to rack up votes for Talia, said her teacher, Amanda Schlegel. Her class made signs reminding teachers to vote, and flyers were passed out to parents picking up their students.

“We have some other grants we’ve applied for through Lowe’s and Whole Foods,” Schlegel said. “A lot of research has gone into this. A garden club came and took a look at options where to locate the garden, how to get water there and how we’d have parents take over during the summer.”

Talia said she enjoys working in her family’s garden at home, especially since her dad likes to cook, and he uses basil grown in their garden.

The fifth-grader’s success so far in the contest has highlighted future career possibilities and the need to keep her options open.

“I love learning about trees and plants, but I also like filming and editing,” she said. “I like making changes and putting a story in order.”

Schlegel said she’s proud of her student.

“She’s quiet and very respectful, and to see her enthusiasm in from of the camera came as a nice surprise,” Schlegel said.

The College of DuPage continued to employ the engineer at its campus radio station — and continued to pay bills submitted by his private company — for nearly two years after he was convicted of a felony for using that same business to steal from another local college, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The situation raises questions about financial oversight at the taxpayer-funded community college, where the ethics code bars employees from participating in business transactions from which they personally profit, and about whether school officials heeded warnings about engineer John Valenta’s business dealings after his March 2011 arrest.

[Read the full story at the Chicago Tribune]

It’s too soon to tell how or whether students will make up a day of classes canceled Jan. 8 at Lyons Township High School.

Superintendent Tim Kilrea told the School Board Monday staff members will report to work June 1, the day after commencement exercises are scheduled.

But Kilrea said state education officials are reviewing options on the school’s calendar concerning student attendance, and a determination hasn’t been made.

And more importantly, about two months of winter weather remain, leaving open the possibility of additional cancellations if dangerous conditions arise, the superintendent said.

Student and staff safety is the top concern when he and superintendents of area elementary districts determine whether to close, Kilrea said. Whether the buses are functioning reliably is also a top concern, because 68 percent of LT students are eligible to ride a bus, he said.

“We try to give everybody as much notice as possible,” he said.

LT seniors will have a day off March 3 while juniors and underclassmen undergo a morning of testing and be dismissed before lunch. State education officials have set that day to administer the ACT college entrance exam to juniors. LT had planned to give the test in April.

A practice ACT will be given to sophomores. Freshmen will take the PLAN test, four multiple-choice tests in English, math, reading and science, to gauge how well they will do on the ACT.

The Lyons Township High School Senior Madrigal Choir recently performed at a naturalization ceremony during which 140 new citizens were sworn in.

The choir, under the direction of music teacher Connie Lyda, sang three patriotic songs at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in the courtroom of the Federal Magistrate Judge Susan Cox, a 1976 graduate and LTHS Hall of Fame inductee. The candidates, from 38 different countries, repeated the citizenship oath after Cox.

She pronounced them citizens and gave an inspirational call to attendees on the responsibilities of being U.S. citizens. Students performed before and after conferring citizenship.

“The event was a huge success and our students were honored to be a part of such a momentous occasion,” Lyda said.

Judge Cox said she plans to invite the senior madrigals to the ceremony each year.

Lori Clarke, a community health education major from LaGrange Park, was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for the fall semester. To be eligible, students must have earned not less than a 3.5 semester grade point average and have carried a minimum of 12 credits.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has recognized students named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester. To be eligible for the Dean’s List, students must complete a minimum of 12 graded degree credits in that semester. The following area students were honored:

From Burr Ridge:

Kristen Grilli, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Jonathan Kett, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Dean’s List
Molly Reimann, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Dean’s List
Jessica Vardas, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Dean’s List

From Clarendon Hills:
Luke Schranz, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List

From Hinsdale:
Chelsea Boyle, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Laena Carroll, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Madeline Floodstrand, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Andrew Franz, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Matthew Genovese, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List
Bridget Gilmore, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Dean’s List
Mary Huetteman, School of Business, Dean’s List
William Hurd, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List
Carolyn Toth, School of Nursing, Dean’s Honor List

From Indian Head Park:
Alison Austermuehle, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Allison Stuck, School of Business, Dean’s List

From La Grange:
Evan Booth, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Cara Cicciarelli, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Kathleen Lawler, School of Business, Dean’s List
Daniel Patterson, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Samuel Perez-Tamayo, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List

From LaGrange Park:
Evan Boyd, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Tessa Herman, School of Pharmacy, High Honor Roll
Anastasia Montgomery, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List
Ricardo Zuniga, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List

From Oak Brook:
Gregory Betman, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List
Azad Darbandi, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Dean’s List

From Western Springs:
Madeline Horan, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Emily McGann, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Eliza Milord, School of Business, Dean’s List
Margaret Orlowski, School of Education, Dean’s List
John Rafferty, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List
Daniel Scannell, College of Engineering, Dean’s Honor List
Christopher Swade, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List
Charles Withington, College of Letters and Science, Dean’s List

Emma Smoczynski of Burr Ridge, a junior at the University of Missouri, has made the Dean’s List for the first semester. Smoczynski has also been selected as a lobbist intern for the second Semester and will spend two days per week at the Jefferson City capitol. She was named a Kinder Scholor and will spend her summer in Washington, D.C. as an intern.

Ian Glazko and Phoebe Glazko were named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester at Michigan Technological University. To be included, students must achieve grade point averages of 3.5 or higher. Both are graduates of Hinsdale Central High School. Ian is studying computer systems science, and Phoebe is studying environmental engineering.

Jonathan Dillon of Hinsdale received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Baylor University on Dec. 20.

Rachel D Laughton of Hinsdale, a student in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University, was named to the Dean’s Academic Honor Roll for the 2014 fall semester. To be named to the Dean’s List, a student must be an undergraduate with a minimum grade-point average of 3.7, while enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours.

The following students were named to the first semester Dean’s List at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. The list includes 354 undergraduate students who earned a grade point average of 3.60 or better on a 4.0 scale.
From Burr Ridge: Janae Fry, Alexandra Thiel
From La Grange: Maeve McDonnell
From Oak Brook: Timothy Wolande

Truman State University has released the fall 2014 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs’ List. To qualify for this list, an undergraduate student must attain a semester 3.50-3.99 grade point average and must complete 12 semester hours of credit.
From Burr Ridge: Alec Cangelosi, psychology
From Countryside: Kelly Meade, health science

Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. named its Dean’s List for the fall 2014 semester at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. The following students, the degree they are seeking and their major, were named to the Dean’s List:
From Burr Ridge:
Nora Heiderscheidt, Bachelor of Science, Speech Pathology and Audiology
Michael Lenoch, Bachelor of Arts , Journalism
From Clarendon Hills:
Holly Hyland, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy
From Hinsdale:
Jack Alberts, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Meghan Brady, Bachelor of Arts , Public Relations
Kathleen Collins, Bachelor of Arts , Communication Studies
Sarah Hillegass, Bachelor of Science, Accounting
Oleg Humenyuk, Bachelor of Arts , Political Science
Andrew Peacock, Bachelor of Arts , Advertising
Andrew Thaus, Bachelor of Science, Information Technology
Claire Wood, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy
Julie Wright, Bachelor of Arts , Communication Studies
From La Grange:
Meghan Flannery, Bachelor of Arts , Psychology
Eileen Kennedy, Bachelor of Arts , Communication Studies
Caroline Newman, Bachelor of Arts , Corporate Communication
Robert Titzer, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
From LaGrange Park:
Alexandria Arnston, Bachelor of Science, Exercise Physiology
Lindsey Olsen, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy
Matthew Serafin, Bachelor of Arts , Corporate Communication
From Western Springs:
Riley Donovan, Bachelor of Arts , Public Relations
Caroline Gilger, Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, Biomechanics
Patrick Giuliano, Bachelor of Science , Business Economics
Anna Gustafson, Bachelor of Arts , Communication Studies
Linda Hucko, Bachelor of Science, Accounting
Michaela Martino, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nursing
Michaella Quinn, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nursing
Rose Robinson, Bachelor of Arts , Advertising
Grace Shannon, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nursing
Maureen Sweeney, Bachelor of Science, Speech Pathology and Audiology
From Willowbrook:
Mario Conforti, Bachelor of Science, Accounting
Pauline Donaldson, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nursing
Emily Saltiel, Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Sciences

Brian Thomas of Western Springs received a bachelor of arts degrees from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona.

Iowa State University undergraduates have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the 2014 fall semester Dean’s List. Students named to the Dean’s List must have earned a grade point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded course work. The following area students, listed with their major, made the Dean’s List:
From Clarendon Hills:
Lucas Confalonieri, Architecture-Professional Degree
Andrew John Mallek, Mechanical Engineering
From Indian Head Park:
John Edward Harlow, Chemical Engineering
From La Grange:
Maria Lombardi, Pre-Interior Design
Samantha Anne Pearsall, Marketing
From LaGrange Park:
Andrew Dominick Puntini, Architecture-Professional Degree
From Western Springs:
Ellyse C. Bonnema, Elementary Education
Kristen V. Brandt, Psychology

Katherine Fitzgerald of Western Springs, a sociology/anthropology major at St. Olaf College in Northfield Minn., was named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester. She is a graduate of Lyons Township High School. The Dean’s List recognizes students with a semester grade point average of 3.75 or higher on a 4-point scale.

Chicago Tribune reports the College of DuPage board of trustees Thursday night approved a buyout package for its president that will give him a more than $750,000 severance payment and bring his controversial tenure at the publicly funded community college to a premature close.

The board voted 7-1 to pay President Robert Breuder more than double his base salary when he retires in about a year, on March 31, 2016. His contract had been set to end in 2019, according to a college spokesman.

Board Chairwoman Erin Birt did not publicly disclose the terms of the agreement, but the Tribune obtained a copy of it.

The proposed agreement would give Breuder $762,868 for voluntarily retiring from the Glen Ellyn-based college, which he has overseen since January 2009. It also promises that the college will name its new Homeland Security Education Center after him as long as he maintains conduct that is “not materially detrimental to the reputation of the Board and/or the College.”

Read more at the Chicago Tribune.

At a recent suburban Rotary club meeting, our town’s local school superintendent gave a brief report about the new PARCC tests, which stands for Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers.

To paraphrase, it sounded like the new tests for grade school-age children was going to be a long and grueling slog of weeklong tests and assessments. The superintendent also explained that one of the tasks for educators would be to prepare students who have always earned top grades that they might not do so well this time around.

This is coming from a great suburban district with a reputation for quality education.

As I listened to the report, I kept asking myself, “What are we trying to accomplish?”

After a generation of legislation aimed at improving education, with increased tests and higher standards with the goal of leaving no child behind, what do we have to show for it? Not much I’m afraid.

And then I realized, we are not even addressing the main issue facing our schools.

Here it is, 60 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court case that outlawed segregation in public schools, and here in the Chicago area we still have legally segregated schools.

Most high performing schools are in mostly white and mostly wealthy suburbs, or are highly selective magnet schools in the city. Underperforming schools are mostly in poor, minority city neighborhoods or suburbs.

Why don’t we focus our gigantic federal effort on fixing education on schools that are in crisis, schools that have vast majority of poor students who are not meeting the standards for that grade level?

The reason is because the federal government is like the bad manager who runs your department at work. You know the type.

The bad manager wants to treat all employees equal. The bad manager does’t want the appearance of favoring one employee over another. So if one employee is habitually late, all employees get the same memo about tardiness. If a few workers are underperforming, everyone gets the scolding lecture at the department meeting.

And that’s the state education bureaucracy in a nutshell.

Rather than focus on the serious issues facing underperforming schools and the students who are consigned to having a 50-50 chance of graduating from the time they start kindergarten, the education bureaucracy proposes and dispenses laws and rules and regulations for everyone.

Some schools are doing just great. They don’t need extra money of bureaucratic hoops to jump through. We should just leave them alone.

But a lot of schools, especially those in poor, mostly minority neighborhoods, with large minority or poor populations, need help.

We need to focus our efforts on those schools. We need a Marshall Plan for Education, for schools that have been devastated by half a century of legal segregation and bad housing policy.

About 700 fans were pumped to cheer on three Special Olympics basketball teams Jan. 22 at the Lyons Township High School fieldhouse in La Grange.

“We had an absolutely spectacular turnout at our Pack the Place event,” said Abby Shapland, head coach for the teams.

“It meant the world to our players and coaching staff to have such tremendous support,” Shapland said. “It certainly motivates the players, and it’s something they look forward to all season long.”

In addition to family, friends and community members, a number of LT groups turned out to root for the Gold, Blue and White teams. There were members of the Lions Den and LT Weirdos student cheering sections, the entire boys swim team, girls basketball players, faculty, cheerleaders and the Steppers dance group, Shapland said.

The coach said the extra boost of school spirit helped inspire the players to do well. The Gold Team tied Hinsdale Central, the Blue Team won against Leyden and the White Team tied Riverside Brookfield.

The Best Buddies program, which pairs students in special education and general education classes for various activities, will send students to a state tournament March 13 to cheer on the White Team.

In closing out the season, the Gold Team took second place in the district tournament for Division 1, and the Blue Team came in third in the district tournament for Division 4, the coach said.

“It’s been a wildly exciting season,” Shapland said after her first year with the team. She is assisted by Bridget McGuire and J.V. Williams.

Thirty-six students take part in the program and learn more than basketball plays, the coach said.

“It’s about getting more students involved, learning about sportsmanship and friendship, experiencing joy, showing courage and being a part of a larger community,” Shapland said.

Watching the students develop on the teams is “an incredible, humbling and inspiring thing,” she said.