impact
Your community college
Vol. 4, No. 1
JIM BELUSHI COMES HOME
Jim Belushi loves the magic of being in the moment.
“Some people do yoga or golf. I perform on stage to gain
that focus,” said the actor and comedian.
Belushi will bring that magic to the McAninch Arts
Center on Saturday, March 8, when he and the Board of
Comedy perform two shows for the grand opening of
the McAninch Arts Center, which recently underwent
an 18-month renovation. The first performance will be a
fundraiser for the College’s Foundation.
Jim Belushi and Linda Black
in a COD production of
The Children’s Hour. “I’m
so grateful for the love and
kindness I received there,”
Belushi said.
It’s a homecoming for Belushi, a 1974 College of DuPage
graduate who established the John Belushi Scholarship
in 1987 in memory of his brother, also a former COD
student. Growing up in Wheaton, the brothers would listen
to recordings by such classic comedians as Bill Cosby,
Bob Newhart and Vaughn Meader on the family’s lone
phonograph player. It was a high school speech in the fall of
1969 that led Belushi to the theater.
“Oct. 15 was the first Vietnam moratorium march in
Chicago, so the next day I came into class with a band on
my arm, pretending to be a hippie, and yelled at them for
not being there,” he explained. “My teacher gave me an
‘F’ because the speech wasn’t organized, but he loved my
presence and power. He invited me to an audition for the
school’s production of Chekhov’s ‘The Boor.’
“B.F. Johnson from COD’s Theater department attended
all of the plays at the local schools, like a coach scouting for
athletes. After one performance he approached me and said
I should consider the College’s summer theater program.”
Belushi followed Johnson’s advice and landed the
part of Harry Brock in “Born Yesterday” (which in
2011 he played on Broadway to strong reviews).
He participated in the summer theater program
for two years before enrolling at COD.
“I’m so grateful for the love and kindness
I received there. I needed the attention they
gave to me because I was a screwed up kid.
(Assistant Professor of Performing Arts)
Richard Holgate steered me away from
the hooligan business and found purpose
for me.
“In addition to teaching, he would go
to various professors’ homes and redo
the bathrooms or the roofs or whatever
needed to be done, and I was his
assistant. He only charged for materials,
and when they asked how to repay him,
he’d say, ‘Give Jimmy 50 bucks.’”
Holgate said Belushi combined
a good comic instinct with an
affable nature.
“Jim was extremely generous with his time and
willingness to help others. I’m happy to say he hasn’t
changed much,” Holgate said, noting the two still stay
in touch.
Belushi also served as a student representative
on the College’s Board of Trustees and is proud
that he helped get the parking lot paved. But
his theater studies provided motivation and
opportunity.
“When I hit the stage at Southern Illinois
University, I had so much experience that I
was cast in the leads. If I had gone to SIU as a
freshman, I never would have got my feet on
the boards like I did at COD.”
After graduating from SIU, Belushi
successfully auditioned for Second City.
Television, films and two years on “Saturday
Night Live” followed, but his career truly
took off after his role in the Apollo Theatre
production of David Mamet’s “Sexual
Perversity in Chicago” and the subsequent 1986
film version called “About Last Night.”
He has appeared in more than 75 movies and
spent eight years starring in the TV show “According
to Jim.” Yet Belushi still maintains a strong connection
to Chicago. He opened the Comedy Bar in the River
North neighborhood, and after performing there last
summer he drove his daughter to Wheaton and the
College of DuPage campus.
“I loved it here and I still do. One of the reasons
I’m doing the show at the MAC is to honor the
gifts that I received from College of DuPage.”
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
Photo by Gary Lupton
In conjunction with the
striking transformation
of the College of DuPage
campus in recent years, it
comes as no surprise that
another College mainstay, the
lovable mascot Chappy, has
undergone his own makeover.
Serving as mascot since
1968, Chappy the roadrunner
perfectly symbolized the
roving experience of students,
faculty and staff at the
College during the first two
years at the College before
there was a permanent
campus. Chappy, spirited
and still on the move, can
be found across the campus
making appearances at
games and other events.
Choctaw Taylor works out
in the new 11,000-squarefoot Chaparral Fitness
Club, just part of the
renovation of the Physical
Education Center (PEC).
A FITNESS
MAKEOVER
When it opened its doors in 1983, the Physical Education
Center at College of DuPage was at the cutting edge
of physical education and athletics facilities among
institutions of higher learning, but over the course of 30
years, that edge had begun to dull. The PE Center was in
serious need of a makeover.
According to Associate Dean of Physical Education
and Athletics Director Paul Zakowski, a primary challenge
stemmed from balancing the four components of the
center: academic programs, athletics, the professional
fitness center and community rental services.
“The facilities here were comparable to those I had
seen at four-year schools,” Zakowski said. “They served
us well, but there were certain limitations in the original
design that had become increasingly challenging. In the
old building, there were overlap issues between the various
components of the center and it was nearly impossible to
separate the assorted activities.”
The result of a referendum approved by District 502
voters in November 2010, the much-needed renovation
of the PE center includes a dramatic transformation of
the south entrance into a more visible and inviting main
entrance that includes a lobby and a concession area,
the 11,000-square-foot Chaparral Fitness Club featuring
cutting-edge exercise equipment, stretching and cardio
spaces, and new monitors and sound system throughout.
A new 14,000 square-foot Varsity Athletic addition on
the south side of the center houses facilities for student
athletes, including men’s and women’s locker rooms, a
strength lab and a training room.
Of course, a project of this size doesn’t come
together easily.
Zakowski, who credits the success of the renovation
to a great team effort by the staff, faculty, President
Dr. Robert L. Breuder and the architects, said that through
the planning stages there needed to be a primary focus or
“deciding factor” to aid in decision-making.
2
Physical Education
Center undergoes
renovation, opens
Chaparral Fitness Club
“When it came time to decide on what we needed with
the renovated facilities, we prioritized education as the
core component of the facility,” said Zakowski. “We used
that as our guide along the way. When any choice needed
to be made, we put academics first.”
According to Earl Dowling, Vice President of Student
Affairs, the renovation of the PE Center is intended not
only to meet a significant need for updated facilities in
the 30-year-old center, but also to more effectively engage
students and student athletes, as well as faculty and
members of the community in terms of health and fitness.
“The College has done a great job addressing at a high
level the needs of the students and the community on
every front—academically, financially and culturally, but
there was another component that we wanted to tackle—
their health and well-being. The new PE Center will
provide that missing piece.”
Dowling added that in addition to providing a
greatly enhanced learning environment with access to
cutting edge facilities and equipment, the state-of-theart Chaparral Fitness Club will serve to complete the
aesthetics on the east side of the campus.
“We have fine dining and the theater and now we’ve
added a state-of-the-art fitness center,” he said. “College
of DuPage has been very successful at combining the
academic and the co-curricular to provide a total student
experience that rivals many four-year schools.”
The completion of the PEC marks a new era for COD.
Since 2009, the College has overseen the tremendous
transformation of its Glen Ellyn campus, including new
buildings and renovations to nearly all pre-existing
facilities. By 2015, every building on the campus will have
either been recently renovated or newly constructed.
1968
1990s
2002
2009
CHAPPY
4.0
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
3
Photos above and top left by Terence Guider-Shaw/special to College of DuPage
Whether through gifts of time, talent or treasure,
the impact of contributing to COD is significant.
A CULTURE OF
PHILANTHROPY
Most people know that the cost of a college education
is high and climbing higher. Some know that state
government support for public institutions has
dropped dramatically (College of DuPage, for
example, budgets for less than three percent of its
revenues to come from the state). And many have
heard that students often incur significant debt trying
to bridge the gap.
But few people know about college foundations—
independent not-for-profit organizations whose sole
beneficiary is the school they serve.
The College of DuPage has one such foundation.
After many years of serving quietly as a receptacle
for donor dollars, the College of DuPage Foundation
is now flexing its fundraising muscle and making
more impact.
With almost $13 million in assets, the COD
Foundation is aggressively pursuing its mission to
“Increase access to education and enhance cultural
opportunities for the surrounding community.”
00
700
College of DuPage Foundation
Growth of Scholarships and Awards
2009-2013
600
500
431
400
300
621
293
288
2009
2010
336
200
100
0
2011
2012
2013
Last fiscal year, the COD Foundation awarded
more than $1 million in scholarships and financial
aid, plus support for cultural arts, academic
programs, educational equipment, faculty awards
and more.
In recent years, the Foundation also has helped
fund health sciences to prepare nurses, homeland
security to train first responders and culinary
programs to train food-service professionals.
Foundation Executive Director Cathy Brod said
it’s unusual for a community college to have such a
strong foundation.
“Compared to four-year institutions, it’s not as
common,” said Brod. “But there’s been increased
interest, especially in the past five years.”
Brod came to COD after years of fundraising for
Harper College, the University of Illinois Health
Center and the American Cancer Society.
Foundation Board Chair Susan Lang Berry said
Brod’s impact has been immediate, with fundraising
doubling in 18 months.
4
“It’s a fascinating time of transition,” said
Lang Berry, managing director of Private Bank and
Trust Co.
“Cathy’s brought a focused approach to
fundraising. We go to people who’ve benefited from
COD. We just recruited a graduate to the board.
We have more board members and the level of
investment has escalated. There’s a real commitment
to seeing COD succeed.”
Brod said community college foundations look
more to the community than alumni for their
support. Indeed, the COD Foundation boasts many
contributions from and partnerships with local firms,
including those that frequently hire COD graduates
or send employees to COD for continuing education.
In addition to seeking community support, the
Foundation runs an employee campaign and receives
strong financial support from COD faculty and staff.
While Brod and Lang Berry are pleased
with community and employee support, they’re
confident alumni will be more active once given the
opportunity.
“One reason community college fundraising
among graduates is often less successful than fouryear institutions is that many—including COD—
have no alumni association. In fact, only about 15
percent of community colleges have an alumni
relations program.
“We want to change that,” said Brod, who plans to
add an alumni relations director soon.
“Alumni giving potential is strong,” said Brod.
“Many of our students have less debt load than their
four-year-college counterparts. They’re out working
and successful. I hear often that they’d like to help
COD students who are experiencing what they
experienced.”
Fundraising isn’t the only reason Brod and her
colleagues are building a database of 120,000 COD
graduates. Brod believes many COD alumni
would like to get involved as volunteers to benefit
today’s students.
Brod is also working to create a culture of
philanthropy on campus so that future alumni know
the benefits of giving after they graduate.
Whether through gifts of time, talent or treasure,
Lang Berry says the impact of contributing to COD
is significant.
“With the cost of COD at just over $4,000 per
year,” said Lang Berry, “a $500 to $1,000 scholarship
is a big deal. Imagine that going to a single mom
completing her degree; it just pulls on your heart.”
Lang Berry says COD’s cost-effectiveness has a big
impact on the Foundation’s fundraising success.
“As people get to know the college better, it trickles
down to the Foundation,” said Lang Berry. “The
students’ needs—and potential—are great. When
they hear our story, they ask, ‘What can I do to help?’
It’s very contagious. We and our students are grateful
for every dollar of support.”
Photo by Corey Minkanic/special to College of DuPage
FEEL
Photo by Terence Guider-Shaw/special to College of DuPage
MICHAEL RESTAINO:
College of DuPage
Presidential Scholar
LING THE BENEFIT:
At 18, Wheaton’s Michael Restaino is working on Plan A
and Plan B at College of DuPage.
Plan A: He becomes the next Jim Belushi, goes to
work at Second City. Lands on “Saturday Night Live.”
Plan B: He becomes the teacher every student wants.
“I don’t mind being a starving artist; I can afford
to lose a few pounds,” said Restaino. “But seriously,
with a teaching degree, I’ll be able to substitute while
I’m auditioning and in-between gigs. Nonetheless, if I
do become a starving artist and hate it, or if a career
in acting is just not in my cards, I feel completely
comfortable following another dream: teaching.”
Besides, said Restaino, “I think a theater degree
would be extremely helpful in the classroom. In order
to keep their students’ attention, teachers constantly
must compete with modern technology. Being theatrical
and entertaining will help.”
Restaino, who plans to graduate from COD in the
spring of 2015, is a COD Presidential Scholar. That
means a full-tuition scholarship and enrollment in
COD’s Honors Program.
In his “spare” time, Restaino works with the beforeand-after-school program at a local elementary school
and is assistant choir director for a Catholic school.
He loves two COD comedians who came before him:
the Belushi brothers.
“Jim Belushi came to visit my elementary school
a few years ago,” said Restaino. “I was very excited!
Of course, I was in high school at the time and didn’t
actually get to see him.”
TWO WHO RECEIVED
SCHOLARSHIPS FROM COD
LAURIE WALKER: Illinois Health Improvement
Association Scholarship recipient
Laurie Walker remembers the date: Dec. 23, 2003.
That’s the day the younger of her two sons was
diagnosed with diabetes. It’s also the date that inspired
Walker to change careers.
In the mid-80s, Walker earned a bachelor’s in Mass
Communications at Illinois State University and took
summer classes at COD to get ahead in school while
completing an internship.
Twenty-five years later, the Aurora resident wanted to
work in medicine.
“Eight months after Brian’s diagnosis, I started
working as a nursing assistant at the endocrinology
office where my son was treated. Their physicians and
nurse encouraged me to go back to school to earn my
nursing degree. The nurse at my son’s endocrinology
office was also the mother of a child with diabetes.
That combination was invaluable to our family and me.
I wanted to be able to provide that same experience to
other families navigating diabetes.”
So with her older son at Marquette and Brian in
high school, Walker won a scholarship and earned her
associate’s degree in nursing. After graduation, she
landed a nursing job with DuPage Medical Group and
helped launch its Pediatric Endocrinology Group.
Walker said the scholarship made a big difference.
“There seem to be fewer scholarships available to
returning students,” said Walker. “Many scholarships
are for recent high school graduates. I had to search for
scholarships that were appropriate for a returning student.
“I had to cut back my work hours to accommodate
my classes and studies. This scholarship helped fill
the gap. Plus, I was paying for my oldest son to attend
college at a four-year university.”
Brian is now 20 years old, working toward a
bachelor’s in Environmental Health, and took a summer
class at COD to get ahead in his studies. He plans to
take another this summer.
Like mom, like son.
For more information or to make a gift online, visit cod.edu/foundation.
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
5
making an
impact
AROUND CAMPUS
Beyond the classroom, there’s a lot to experience at College of DuPage, whether it is
dining at Waterleaf Restaurant, listening to WDCB 90.9fm or attending a McAninch Arts
Center event. There is always something new and interesting happening at COD.
Romance Package: Book an overnight stay for two at
The Inn at Water’s Edge and receive:
A bottle of champagne
Chocolate-covered strawberries
Turndown service
Continental breakfast the next morning
Call (630) 942-6888 or visit innatwatersedgehotel.com.
Good through March 31, 2014.
•
•
•
•
Photo by John Boehm/special to College of DuPage
A personal message from College of DuPage
President Dr. Robert L. Breuder:
Waterleaf Restaurant is currently serving a winter
inspired menu featuring comfort foods like Macaroni and
Cheese, Beef Short Ribs and Porchetta. Enjoy Executive
Chef Nadia Tilkian’s creations for lunch, dinner or brunch
Wednesdays through Sundays. Make reservations at
(630) 942-6881 or waterleafrestaurant.com.
Dear Neighbors,
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Nothing
endures but change.”
That is certainly true of higher education in general
and College of DuPage in particular.
The futurist Buckminster Fuller created what he
called the “Knowledge Doubling Curve.” Back before
1900, human knowledge doubled approximately
every century. Now, it’s every 12 months.
For a college that analyzes and shares human
knowledge, we must constantly reinvent our
curriculum, our facilities and our teaching methods
to keep ahead.
But the most amazing reinvention on this campus is
that achieved by our students. As you’ll learn from
our cover story about COD graduate Jim Belushi and
the profile of current COD student Michael Restaino
(page 5), traditional students transform themselves
from uncertain teenagers into professional adults.
As you’ll learn from COD graduate Laurie Walker
(page 5), working adults on our campus remake
themselves for different careers. Sometimes, those
are careers that didn’t even exist when our nontraditional students first attended college.
All the while, community leaders, taxpayers and
generous donors transform this institution with
their tax dollars, public/private partnerships and
charitable donations of time, talent and treasure via
the COD Foundation (see story page 4).
In the process, you help COD change and endure.
That helps our students change and thrive. And they,
in turn, help this community change and grow.
The McAninch Arts Center renovations are complete and COD alum Jim Belushi is making a special
appearance on March 8 to celebrate the Grand Opening Season. Information about show schedules and
locations can be found at AtTheMAC.org or call (630) 942-4000.
It’s exciting to watch and rewarding to lead.
I’m grateful to each and every one of you for
the opportunity.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert L. Breuder
President, College of DuPage
6
Listeners to
WDCB 90.9fm and
wdcb.org can now enjoy
even more jazz programming.
WDCB has extended its afternoon
“DCB Jazz” with Bruce Oscar by
one hour, now ending at 7 p.m.
Mark Colby (sax) and
Eric Hochberg (bass)
Terry Banies lived expecting
to die any day. He wanted to
take the easy route in life,
but it turned out to be the
exact opposite.
FINDING SERENITY
Photo by Lloyd DeGrane/special to College of DuPage
One day, when Terry Banies was a little boy, he
looked down from the window of his family’s
apartment in the Robert Taylor project—a South
Side of Chicago high-rise complex.
In the courtyard below, he saw nine or 10 guys.
They formed a circle. The circle grew smaller
and smaller.
When the circle broke up and the boys went their
separate ways, there was a body on the ground.
Banies still shudders at the memory.
In the projects, one of his
sisters was killed. Two of his
brothers went to prison.
He recalls walking down
the stairs one day when he
was approached by several
older boys. They told him
he had to come with them.
He said he couldn’t. He said
he’d promised his mom he’d
be home by 5:30 p.m.
“They said if I didn’t go with them, something
bad would happen to me and something bad would
happen to my family.
“I’m not the type of man that makes excuses for
his shortcomings,” said Banies, “but waking up every
day expecting something bad to happen to you is not
the ideal situation for anyone to have to endure.”
At 13, he ran away. He lived in shelters, abandoned
buildings, downtown streets. He joined gangs. He
did drugs.
“My life hasn’t been a picnic,” he said.
But Terry Banies is a turnaround artist.
He turned a life of running, getting high and
a DUI into a commitment to help others address
similar perils.
He turned a prison stint into a general
education degree.
He turned the GED into human services study
at College of DuPage.
He turned COD classes into a bachelor’s in Social
Work at Governors State University.
“It’s a way to help families out,” said Banies. “I like
it. Often, I’m able to connect things from my past to
help me be empathetic with other people’s situations.”
Banies credits COD for helping him find his way.
He received much more than classroom
instruction, he said. “I received a lesson on being
successful in life.
“I met all the instructors at COD,” said Banies,
“but the one who had the biggest impact on my life
was Dr. Maryann Krieglstein. She pulled something
out of me that I never knew
existed. She empowered me
with this realistic vision of
who I was to become. She
allowed me to address some
of the hurt and pain that
had lain dormant in my life
for quite some time.
“I wanted to give back
just as she had done for
me, so I started discussing with her the credentials
I needed to become a social worker and she said
if that’s what I wanted to do to go for it. So Dr. K
helped me find a school that I could afford and
empowered me with the belief that I could do it.”
Today, that circle of guys in the Robert Taylor
courtyard is long past. Now, the guy who’s come
full circle is Terry Banies. Someday soon, if it hasn’t
happened already, someone somewhere will be alive
because Banies turned his life around and chose to
help others.
“I met all the instructors at COD, but the one who had the biggest
impact on my life was Dr. Maryann Krieglstein…she allowed me to
address some of the hurt and pain that had lain dormant in my life
for quite some time.” — Terry Banies
College of DuPage :: impact :: cod.edu/impact
He turned the social work degree into a social
work job at South Suburban Family Shelter—a
domestic violence agency.
He’s now on track to finish his master’s, also from
Governors State, and hopes to earn his Ph.D.
For 10 months on the job at South Suburban,
Banies has been giving back to the world that almost
did him in. He works at “abuser intervention.”
He helps domestic violence perpetrators redirect
themselves. He helps them address the physical,
emotional, mental or financial abuse they’ve been
perpetrating on their loved ones.
7
impact Vol. 4, No. 1
Published March 2014 by the Office of Marketing
and Communications at College of DuPage
President
Dr. Robert L. Breuder
Vice President of
Marketing and
Communications
Joseph Moore
Marketing Director
Laurie Jorgensen
Writers
Amy Calhoun
Bruce Hetrick
Brian Kleemann
Mike McKissack
425 Fawell Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6599
Art Director
Lou Demas
Designer
Mark Brady
ECRWSS
Direct all comments and questions to the editor at impact@cod.edu.
Residential Customer
©2014 College of DuPage. All rights reserved.
College of DuPage Board of Trustees
Erin Birt
Board Chairman
Wheaton
Kathy Hamilton
Board Vice Chairman
Hinsdale
Allison O’Donnell
Board Secretary
Winfield
Joseph C. Wozniak
Co-Vice Chairman
Naperville
Dianne McGuire
Naperville
Kim Savage
Darien
Nancy Svoboda
Downers Grove
Stephanie Torres
Student Trustee
Naperville
impact
Your community college Vol. 4, No. 1

Visit Us on the Web
JIM BELUSHI
COMES HOME
We hope you enjoy this issue of impact and discover
something new about your community college.
There’s more to these stories, so be sure to check out
our impact web page for other highlights, photos
and video interviews.
COD alum Jim Belushi
and the Board of Comedy
are making a special
appearance on March 8
to celebrate the Grand
Opening Season of
the newly-renovated
McAninch Arts Center.
For more information,
visit AtTheMAC.org or
call (630) 942-4000.
cod.edu/impact
impact
Vol. 4, No. 1
Your community college
COD ALUM
JIM BELUSHI
COMES HOME