The following is a portion of a guest column written by UIS Chancellor Susan J. Koch. It was published in the October 13, 2013 edition of The State Journal-Register.
"The university experience comes with a great many important decisions: what major to choose, what courses to take, what activities to pursue, how to manage the financial burden of school, to name a few.
Like most, I made those choices, too. But perhaps the best decision I made as an undergraduate had nothing whatever to do with my major. I decided to try out for a play and became, at least for a few months, Bella Manningham, whose diabolical husband was trying to drive her insane in the classic Victorian thriller, “Angel Street.”
The performance won me the best actress award for that year; but being involved with theatre proved far more valuable than the little plastic trophy that still sits on my bookshelf.
I was reminded of that valuable experience and how lucky I had been to attend a university with a strong theatre program when I had a conversation recently with University of Illinois Springfield Theatre professors Eric and Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson. They, along with their colleague, Dathan Powell, are building an intellectually vibrant and engaging theatre program at the University of Illinois’ Springfield campus."
Read the full column online
