PRIOR EVENTS, 2006

Event: The Houston Illini Club invites you and your family/friends to join fellow Illini and enjoy Illinois alumnus Kris Becker's performance with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra. Kris will be at the piano with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven Concerto No.4.  For more information on Kris or the performance, please reference http://www.krisbeckermusic.com. 

When: The performance is FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, at 8:00 pm. Houston Illini Club members are encouraged to meet in the lobby of the venue between 7:30 and 7:45 pm. Where: Rice University, Alice Pratt Brown Hall (Shepherd School of Music), Stude Concert Hall. The main entrance to Alice Pratt Brown Hall faces Rice Stadium. There is a big lobby and the Stude Concert Hall is on the left (north)- There are other recital and rehearsal halls but it will be obvious where the performance will be taking place. The parking is easy but requires a credit card to get in and then you use the same card to get out.

Updated 9/22/06 from prior postings.  Per event-organizer Derek Harmon "Tickets are available for the game at the Astros Will Call windows. The tickets are under your last name and not the club's. The Will Call windows are arranged alphabetically by last name, and are on the Texas Avenue side of the ball park."

Owing to lack of field level seats we're planning to get tickets on the Mezzanine @ $16 per ticket in lieu of the previously notified $37 per ticket.  Accordingly, to join the Houston Illini for this event please send $16 per ticket.  If you've already sent in $37 each we will refund the difference at the game.

Based on interest the Houston Illini Club will attend the September 24th Houston Astros vs. St. Louis Cardinals game beginning at 7:05 p.m. at Minute Maid Park. We are planning to purchase a block of tickets on the Mezannine level. Ticket prices will be $16 each.  If interested, please send in your check for $16 each to the club by August 14th.  Write your checks to UIAC of Houston, P.O. Box 542314, Houston, TX 77254. 

The Houston Illini Club invites you and your family & guests to join fellow Illini for a Shakespeare at Winedale event. We will be seeing the production of King Lear. The website link is http://www.shakespeare-winedale.org

Saturday, August 5, 2006.  Attendees will meet at a west Houston location at approximately 4 PM on Saturday, attend the Shakespeare stew at Winedale for dinner at approximately 6 PM, attend the production at 7:30 PM and return to Houston. We will carpool for those that don't want to drive and meet up with those that want to go directly to Winedale. The ticket price is $10 for adults, $5 for students. The stew donation is $5.

The Houston Illini Club invites you, your family, and guests to join us for our annual scholarship dinner.   Our guest speaker from U of I will be journalism Professor William C. Gaines, Pulitzer-prize winner author and the man who investigated the identity of Watergate's "Deep Throat."  The event will take place at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro restaurant in Sugar Land on Sunday, May 21. 

About the Program: Uncovering Deep Throat

For 30 years after the scandal of Watergate the identity of the insider known to the world only as "Deep Throat" remained a mystery.  That is, until two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bill Gaines and his investigative reporting class set out to unmask the individual. Over the course of four years, the research of Gaines and his students received nationwide attention — and an answer to their quest.  Join professor Gaines to learn more about this exciting chapter in the history of journalism and American government.

About William C Gaines

William C. Gaines is Knight Chair for Investigative/Enterprise Journalism, Department of Journalism at U of I, and isn't your average professor.   In his 25 years of investigative reporting for the Chicago Tribune, Gaines exposed unsafe conditions in Chicago hospitals and corruption in the Chicago City Council, winning a Pulitzer Prizes for each.  Gaines is also the author of "Investigative Reporting For Print and Broadcast," which has been used in more than 60 journalism schools. In addition to his work at the University of Illinois as the Knight Chair for Investigative/Enterprise Journalism, Gaines is co-author of a book about the life of jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton.  On 4/13/06 Professor Gaines wrote about our forthcoming meeting:

It is good that the alumni are still interested in "Deep Throat."  I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight and reveal some new information that I believe is very important. Deep Throat played a bigger role in the Post coverage than Woodward and Bernstein let on, stole documents and breached the confidentiality of FBI informants. We have the documents to prove it.  I will be accompanied by a student, Mike Oltmann, who will make some remarks about his experiences in the class.

About the Scholarship

The Houston Illini scholarship is awarded annually to a local Houston area student bound for the University of Illinois based upon academic and leadership potential.  The award is $1000, supported by a portion of each member’s dues.  Please join us in congratulating this year's recipient of this important club scholarship.
 

• Send $25 per person to the Houston Illini Club, UIAC of Houston, P.O. Box 542314, Houston, TX 77254 by May 14th.  Note: Full refunds will be provided if the member notifies Graham Duhamel by email at least 48-hours prior to the event, i.e. by May 19th.
• RSVP to the event organizer and Scholarship Chair Graham Duhamel <wduhamel@houston.rr.com>.

Sunday, May 21st, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro in Sugar Land, Texas.  2120 Lone Star Dr., Sugar Land.  Click here for a map and directions

The Houston Illini Club invites you and your family & guests to join fellow Houston Illini as the Fighting Illini men's basketball team play in the NCAA Tournament.  Owing to Illinois beating Air Force (78-69) we now advance to play Washington (Keep your eye on this link for our bracket.)

We will meet at Scott Gertner's Sports Bar, 3100 Fountain View Drive, Houston 77057

The Houston Illini Club invites you and your family & guests to join fellow Houston Illini as the Fighting Illini men's basketball team play in the NCAA Tournament.

We will meet at Scott Gertner's Sports Bar, 3100 Fountain View Drive, Houston 77057

The Houston Illini Club invites you and your family & guests to join fellow Illini as the Fighting Illini men's basketball team tries to repeat as Big Ten Tournament champions.

We will meet at the Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) Bar & Grill in Midtown, 510 Gray Street (at the intersection of Gray and Smith Streets.) 

Love the Illini? Celebrate the weekend after Valentine's with the Illinois basketball team and Houston Illini this Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2:30 p.m. It's Illinois vs. Indiana on a large screen at Berryhill Sugar Land in the Sugar Creek Shopping Center, 13703 SW Fwy, Sugar Land (281-313-8226). Pay for your own meal/drinks ... Bring the kids! For more information, e-mail Dan and Dorothy Lillig at dpuchlillig@aol.com. Please e-mail us and let us know if you can make it! Go Illinois!

We will meet at the Berryhill Sugar Land in the Sugar Creek Shopping Center, 13703 SW Fwy, Sugar Land (281-313-8226)

   vs.

HOUSTON ILLINI CLUB has acquired tickets to the Saturday, February 11th game between the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz.  This will be an interesting Illini reunion of last year’s stars Deron Williams and Luther Head - as they face off in what promises to be a great game.  Graham Duhamel is the event organizer, and has already distributed via mail the tickets to those club members whom had sent in their check.

NEWS FLASH... Thanks to Graham's arrangements with the Rockets, Luther has agreed to meet with our group AFTER the game!

We will meet at the Toyota Center, 1510 Polk Street, Houston, 77002 

The Houston Illini Club was recently contacted by Molly Freeman, the Assistant Softball Coach at The University of Illinois. Our Fighting Illini softball team will be playing a tournament in Waco this coming weekend (i.e. Feb. 10-12), and Molly has extended a personal invitation for members of our club to join in for a ROWDY time at the park.

The scheduled games for the Illini are:

• Feb. 10th, 12:30pm, Illinois vs. Wichita St.
• Feb. 10th, 5:30pm, Illinois vs. #10 Baylor
• Feb. 11th, 10:00am, Illinois vs. Tulsa
• Feb. 11th, 3:00pm, Illinois vs. #10 Baylor
• Feb. 12th, 9:00am, Illinois vs. Wichita St

Anyone interested in carpooling, caravanning, or simply meeting with fellow Illini at any of the games, please e-mail Club President Brad Turner at blt74@yahoo.com. Molly says that the team would REALLY appreciate our support.

Here is some information about the team that Molly has provided: We are about to start our 7th season in The Big Ten! We have been very successful in our program's short history, and are gearing up for a HUGE year with what we believe is the most talented team we have had!! Our games are generally last about an 1 1/2 to 2 hours. It is an ACTION PACKED 7 innings!!

Click on this link for further information http://fightingillini.collegesports.com/sports/w-softbl/ill-w-softbl-body.html.
 

Shanna Diller, Illini star at 3rd base:

The Houston Illini Club invites you and your family & guests to join fellow Illini as the Fighting Illini men's basketball team plays a key Big Ten road game against the Badgers of Wisconsin.

We will meet at the Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) Bar & Grill in Midtown, 510 Gray Street (at the intersection of Gray and Smith Streets.) 

The Houston Illini Club invites you and your family & guests to join fellow Illini as the Fighting Illini men's basketball team plays a key Big Ten road game against the Hoosiers of Indiana.

We will meet at the Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) Bar & Grill in Midtown, 510 Gray Street (at the intersection of Gray and Smith Streets.) 

The Houston Illini Club invites you and your family & guests to join fellow Illini as the Fighting Illini men's basketball team plays Michigan State.