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HEADLINERS

Commencement 2008 Schedule

We anticipate a special weekend recognizing the hard work and dedication your student has demonstrated here at Wheaton College. In an effort to help parents and families fully enjoy this significant milestone, the following information has been prepared to help answer questions. Updates will be provided in coming issues of ePartnerships and on the Registrar’s website. Click here for complete Alumni Weekend schedule and information.

Tickets

The number of tickets each graduate receives varies from year to year, based upon the number of graduates. Details regarding this year's ticket information will be sent to graduating seniors later this month.

Recognizing the importance of this event to friends and family of our graduates, overflow seating is provided in Coray Alumni Gym (primary—hosted by faculty) and BGC Barrows Auditorium (secondary) with the graduation ceremony broadcast on large screen video. These venues do not require an admission ticket and enable friends and family to leave early to greet the graduates in the plaza outside of Edman Chapel.

Schedule (subject to change)

FRIDAY, MAY 9

SATURDAY, MAY 10

SUNDAY, MAY 11

Anderson Dining Commons Hours/Pricing (in addition to other luncheons or dinners)

Saturday/Sunday continental breakfast; Lunch/Dinner are cafeteria style. Sunday brunch price for children ages 3-7: $7.50. All prices include tax.

Housing 
Click here for a list of hotels. Additional housing information for parents and guests is available from the Housing Office,630-752-5027.  

Photography/Recordings
In order to avoid confusion, guests are asked not to take flash photographs or make tape recordings during the Baccalaureate and Commencement programs. DVD's are available for purchase from Media Resources, (630) 752-5061. Professional photographs of the graduates are taken and made available to parents and students.

Festival of Faith, Baccalaureate and Commencement programs are broadcast on WETN 88.1 FM, televised on Channel 72 in Wheaton (others listed on the website) and at www.wetn.org.

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Senior Class Gift

The tradition of the Senior Class Gift continues this year with the Class of 2008. Following the model established by previous graduating classes, the Class of 2008 will make their mark and give back to Wheaton by supporting the following initiatives with their class gift:

• An Endowment for Evangelism
• The J. Dennis Hastert display in the Memorial Student Center
• The Wheaton Fund

The evangelism endowment is a new fund that will allow the College to expand students’ appreciation and participation in the church’s evangelistic task, while the Hastert display will be part of the new J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy. The display will detail the former Speaker’s life and be located on the first floor of the newly renovated Memorial Student Center.

Fundraising for the Senior Class Gift begins on March 17th. If 65% of the senior class contributes to the Senior Class Gift, then an anonymous donor will make a $10,000 gift to the Wheaton Fund. The overall goal is to get 80% of the Class of 2008 to make a gift, which would be a new record. The Class of 2007 currently holds the record with a 78% participation rate.

For more information on the Senior Class Gift, please contact Michael Adzovic, associate director of annual giving, at 630-752-5926 or Michael.C.Adzovic@wheaton.edu.

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Ask the Career Director

Director of Career Services, Ita Fischer, answers questions from parents.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Remember when people would ask your young children that question? Most kids responded with the expected, “A fireman or a ballerina.” One of my sons told our neighbor that he wanted to be a duck! No matter what their aspirations, for some reason, between the ages of 5 and 20, students stop thinking of “what they want to do when they grow up!” I just came from a college recruiting conference where the panelists unanimously stated that one of the issues in hiring our students today was their inability to articulate what they wanted to do. No matter how good their academic record or their extra-curricular leadership experience, when asked, most were only able to give a vague answer. Most students today have a very limited idea of the job market beyond the obvious: accountant, business, pastor, or teacher. Encourage them to explore the specific: auditing vs. general accounting; corporate finance vs. investment banking; college pastor vs. college ministry. Help them start thinking beyond their major because most employers don’t look at their major when hiring. Employers look at critical thinking skills, writing skills and most importantly, a “can-do” willingness that will set them apart. I want to encourage parents to start the dialog early: “What do you want to do after you graduate, son?” Let me reassure you that starting the dialog and encouraging your child to explore does not limit their opportunities. On the contrary, it helps them focus.

For more information from the Career Services office, please contact Ita Fischer at Ita.Fischer@wheaton.edu.

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TAKE NOTE

Important Dates

Click here to view Wheaton's newly updated calendar pages http://www.wheaton.edu/calendars.

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Dean's List and Commencement Press Releases

Making the Dean's List or earning a diploma is a proud moment for any parent. If your student has earned the right to be called a Dean's List scholar or a graduate of Wheaton College this past semester, and you would like to share the news, visit http://www.wheaton.edu/news/release-request.html.

The Media Relations office at Wheaton College has posted a quick form there, which will be used to create a press release written specifically about your student. Parents, you may then forward the press release on to your local media outlets for coverage.

Questions? Email the Media Relations office at Media.Relations@wheaton.edu.

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Financial Aid

If your student is applying for financial aid for the 2008-09 school year, now is the time to begin filing 1040 tax forms the FAFSA and Wheaton College Institutional Application can be completed on line in April. Access the Financial Aid Office web site at www.wheaton.edu/finaid to locate applications, forms, and other information. Funds will be awarded beginning in May. Be sure to have your student(s) access Banner Web with their Banner Web PIN number where they can see if their paperwork has been filed correctly, and will be alerted if documents are missing. Additional forms may be required after the FAFSA has been received.

Priority in making awards is given to freshmen who have been accepted and have returned all of their forms since they need to respond to their offer of enrollment by May 1, 2008.

Federal Stafford Loan funds may be available for students for the 2008 summer school term. Students need to complete a summer school financial aid application which is available on line, have a completed 2007-08 FAFSA on file, and have remaining eligibility before a Stafford Loan can be made. If you have questions on a loan or financial aid in general, counselors are available in the Financial Aid Office and can be reached at 630-752-5021 or by e-mail.

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Wheaton College Bookstore

Graduating Seniors - We have graduation announcements, diploma frames & more! Share your joy with friends and relatives by ordering graduation announcements. Order early and have plenty of time for mailing – and then relax and enjoy graduation weekend. Check out www.wheatonbooks.com for diploma frames & class rings so you can look at some additional gift ideas for your student. Our sincere congratulations to students and parents!

Last chance for Academic Pricing on Software – Check out our current prices for software. We will be adding Adobe software products shortly at great savings. Your student is also eligible for purchasing an Apple computer from us before graduating; we will have an Apple Open House on April 15th. Have your student watch their CPO for further information.

Textbooks for Fall 2008 - We will have our website available for your returning student to order all their academic resources – tell them to check the first week of May for information at www.wheatonbooks.com.

Reading Day Sale – We will have a sidewalk sale and lots of great buys for your students on Monday, May 5th! They can do textbook BuyBack and find some great deals on many of our products.

Encourage your student - With finals coming up, let your student know you are thinking of them . . . "Send a Smile" to your Student by visiting www.wheatonbooks.com and select Gifts. You can send packages related to birthday, congrats, get well or happy face balloon bouquets paired with a gift certificate for $10 or $20; or we will charge a gift certificate towards a bag of $15 worth of munchies to cheer on your favorite student. These goodies and a note from you (as per your order instructions) will be cheerfully assembled. Tax is included in the price. There is a $5.00 fee for delivery to all campus housing. Please provide accurate housing and phone contact information for the student. We require a minimum of 24 hours notice for delivery.

ThunderBucks PLUS – Give your student more dollars to spend for food on campus and for purchases at the Convenience Store on campus! Load dollars to your student’s account from our website!

Gift Cards - Bookstore gift cards can be used for all the items that we carry at the Bookstore and Convenience store, including textbooks, gift items, music, general books, classroom supplies, laundry detergent, toothpaste, shampoo. Choose the denomination you want loaded on your student’s gift certificate and we can call them to come and pick it up.

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Student Health Services

Student Health Services (SHS) is located at the Wyngarden Health Center, situated on the campus in the “Quad." SHS is available to all students enrolled in classes at Wheaton College, regardless of insurance. Walk-in visits to see a nurse are free of charge. A nurse must be seen before seeing a medical provider. There are five medical providers available for appointments for a fee of $20.00. Massage therapy is also available for female students at a low cost. A registered Dietician is available for appointments on Saturdays. Please call SHS at 630-752-5072 for an appointment.

SHS hours are Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Nurses are on call all other hours and can be reached for an emergency by dialing Public Safety. 

SHS offers a variety of low cost services:
•Laboratory services
•Immunizations
•Prescription medications  (after seeing a medical provider)
•Allergy immunotherapy (after seeing an allergist)
•Wart removal
•Loan of medical equipment
•Rapid strep, mono and influenza testing
•Self help table free of charge
•Sport and work physicals
•Medical shuttle (Monday-Friday 7:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)

SHS is sponsoring MidWest Midwifery’s seminars on March 25 and April 1, Preparing for your HoneyMoon and Family Planning respectively. Students may sign up for these seminars at the Health Center.

If a student is traveling with a Wheaton College sponsored trip they may use the SHS Travel Clinic.  A travel consultation will assess vaccination status, antimalarials and antidiarrheals that are country and person specific.  The consultation fee is $20.00 + immunization fees. Please call for an appointment.

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GET CONNECTED

Listen Online

The WETN web site presents live and archived webcasts of Wheaton College events like concerts, Chapel messages, and athletic contests. See the dates and times and listen or watch live at www.wetn.org. 

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If we do not have your e-mail address on file please consider e-mailing it to us. Along with receiving links to e-Partnerships and Parents in Prayer, your address will be added to our emergency distribution list.

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The Artist Series

The Artist Series at Wheaton College 2007-08 season will include performances by Ladysmith Black Mambazo (grammy-award winning group known for their work on Disney's The Lion King and Paul Simon's Graceland album), Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Pinchas Zukerman, violinist, and the State Symphony of Mexico - just to name a few.

Tickets are still available! Call 630.752.5010 or visit www.ArtistSeries.org for more information.

		Wheaton College has moved up to the #12 spot in Kiplinger's Personal Finance list of “100 Best Values in Private Colleges.” Wheaton is also noted as having the lowest “sticker price” on the entire list. You can check out the article here.

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