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USF News

USF Announces 2024-2025 Illinois High School Art Exhibition and Competition

Illinois Hugh School Art Exhibition & Competition

Joliet, Ill. – This University of St. Francis (USF) Art and Design Department invites high school students to participate the annual USF Illinois High School Art Exhibition & Competition set for Saturday, January 11, 2025 from 12-2 p.m. at the USF Art Gallery (25 E. Van Buren, Joliet). The event, a celebration of creativity and expression of all Illinois high school students, is a fantastic opportunity for students currently attending high school during the 2024-2025 academic year to display their artwork, celebrate their artistic accomplishments and win prizes and scholarships.

All mediums are welcome, including painting, drawing, photography, digital art, sculpture, mixed media, and more. Each teacher may submit work from up to 10 students, 2 works per student.

Prizes to be awarded at the event include: one Grand Prize $10,000 USF Scholarship awarded to one senior; one Best of Show Award of $100 in each category (painting, photography, sculpture, works on paper, digital/other), and; Honorable Mention Awards ($25).

To register for the event, an online submission form (click here or visit www.stfrancis.edu/artgalleryvisit to access the submission form) must be completed and submitted by November 29, 2024. Once registered, artwork can be dropped off at the USF Art Gallery on December 3 and 4 between 3-5 p.m.

Any high school students interested in a portfolio review should email Jennifer Moore, USF Art Gallery Director, at jmoore@stfrancis.edu to schedule an appointment. USF Art & Design faculty will also be on-site during the reception on January 11, 2025 to review portfolios of seniors interested in earning a Talent Scholarship at USF. Please note that there is a limited number of Talent Scholarships available. Preference is given to students in their senior year who participate in the portfolio review on January 11, 2025.

If you have any questions or need further information, please reach out to Jennifer Moore at jmoore@stfrancis.edu.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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Joliet Symphony Orchestra Presents PICTURES on November 23-24

Joliet Symphony Orchestra

Joliet, Ill. – The Joliet Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-2025 Season continues with “Pictures” on Saturday, November 23 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 24 at 4 p.m. The concerts will take place in the Sexton Auditorium (Moser Performing Arts Center) on the main campus of University of St. Francis (USF), which is located at 500 Wilcox Street in Joliet.

Featuring local photographer and painter Deanna Gibson as guest artist, “Pictures” offers a special opportunity for audience members to be a part of and connect with the music and make special memories for everyone in attendance. Jean Sibelius’ ever-popular Finlandia, Sir Edward Elgar’s striking Serenade for Strings, Maurice Ravel’s melancholic Pavane pour une infante defunte, and Alexander Borodin’s panoramic In the Steppes of Central Asia will guide us to our final piece: Modest Mussorgsky’s tour de force Pictures at an Exhibition.

Deanna Gibson will be creating art DURING the performances. A dedicated creative arts professional with a passion for photography, design, painting, sculpting, sewing, and curating exhibitions, Deanna was born and raised on a farm in the Midwest and pursued a Fine Arts degree at Northern Illinois University where she was honored by having her work chosen for the cover of The School of Arts book. She found success in her photography and has been published in countless books, magazines, and newspapers as well as created many album covers, billboards, commercial marketing materials, and advertisements. As an artist she has enjoyed many group exhibitions, two solo shows, and has collectors nationally and internationally. She is a member of the St. Charles Arts Council, The Art Center Highland Park, Water Street Studios and Fine Line Creative Arts Center, and currently holds classes, curates, and creates art for The Curator’s Cafe in Joliet.

Don’t forget to come 45 minutes early to our performances and enjoy an opportunity to learn more about the music during our “Noteworthy” pre-concert chats with Artistic Director & Conductor Sean Paul Mills and guests.

Ticket prices are: Adult – $10; Seniors, Alumni & Non-USF Students – $5; USF Students, Music Educators, and Youth (18 & under) – Free. Tickets may be purchased in advance at stfrancis.edu/music-at-moser, or reserved in advance by phone at 815-740-3367 or by email to kmacek@stfrancis.edu. Walk-ins are welcome, but ticket availability cannot be guaranteed because concerts often sell out. Visit stfrancis.edu/music-at-moser or www.jolietsymphonyorchestra.org for upcoming shows.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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Join USF for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 7

Breakfast with Santa

Joliet, Ill. – Get ready to start your holiday season with the University of St. Francis (USF) at the annual Breakfast with Santa event on Saturday, December 7, from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. in the Sullivan Recreation Center (on the main USF campus located at 500 Wilcox Street, Joliet, IL 60435). This annual Christmas tradition continues with a delicious breakfast, a visit with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, holiday crafts and more.

Registration, which is open to the community, is required for all attendees and can be processed at www.stfrancis.edu/alumni/events. The admission cost (paid at the time of registration) is $15 per attendee ages 4 and up. Attendees ages 3 and under are admitted free of charge (but must also register). Please note that space is limited and that registration closes on November 25. Contact 877-811-ALUM or alumni@stfrancis.edu if you have any questions.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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WalletHub Ranks USF as a 2025 Top Illinois University

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) was once again ranked as one of the best schools in Illinois according to WalletHub’s 2025 Best Colleges and Universities rankings.

In this year’s WalletHub report, which was compiled by comparing more than 800 higher education institutions across 30 key measures within seven categories that included Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing and Career Outcomes, USF was recognized as one of the top seven of the twenty-four ranked colleges and universities in Illinois. WalletHub’s rankings also placed USF as the top-ranked Illinois university in the “Campus Safety” category for a fourth consecutive year, and in the top four of twenty-four ranked Illinois schools in the Cost & Financing category. To view the list in its entirety, visit https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750.

For more information on USF programs, financial assistance options or to learn more about registration, visit www.stfrancis.edu/admissions-aid/.

The University of St. Francis is also consistently ranked among the best when it comes to quality education, affordability, and accessibility. Visit www.stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked/ to view USF’s most recent national accolades.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Featured in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2025 Edition

Aerial view of USF's main campus in Joliet, Ill.

Joliet, Ill. – The Princeton Review®, known for its many education services and resources for college-bound students, features the University of St. Francis (USF) in the new 2025 edition of its online resource, The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges.

Accessible for free at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide, the Guide profiles 511 colleges that foster a culture of environmental responsibility and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.

The Princeton Review chose the colleges for this edition of the Guide based on a survey it conducted in 2023-2024 of administrators at nearly 600 colleges about their institutions’ sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges about their “green” campus experiences. The school selections were based on more than 25 data points from the surveys.

“We are delighted to recommend the University of St. Francis to students who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a ‘green’ one,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief. “USF, which offers excellent academics, also demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability in its campus programs, policies and practices.”

USF has completed several sustainability-focused projects over the past several years, including the creation of a pollinator garden, maintenance of on-campus beehives, study and restoration of the Charlotte Codo Prairie in Frankfort, composting, and the creation of community garden.

“It is an honor for the University of St. Francis to continue to be recognized for its sustainability efforts by The Princeton Review. This recognition serves as a nice acknowledgement of our efforts to increase the campus’s sustainability projects and awareness,” said Dave DiLorenzo, USF Director of Community and Employee Relations.

Franek also noted that The Princeton Review is seeing substantive interest among college applicants in attending green colleges. Of the nearly 8,000 college-bound students the company polled for its 2024 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 61% said having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend a school. A report on the survey is at http://www.princetonreview.com/college-hopes-worries.

The Princeton Review has published its Guide to Green Colleges annually since 2010. Information on how the company selected the schools for the Guide and tallied the Guide’s Top 50 Green Colleges ranking list is here. The education services company is also known for its other resources for college applicants including its dozens of other categories of college rankings, and its annual book, The Best 390 Colleges, (2025 Edition published August 2024).

About The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students as well as working professionals achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. These include online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. Founded in 1981, The Princeton Review is now in its 43rd year. The company’s Tutor.com brand, now in its 24th year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 27 million tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York, NY. For more information, visit www.princetonreview.com/.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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American Red Cross Blood Drive at USF on Tuesday, November 12

USF - American Red Cross logos

Joliet, Ill. – The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency shortage as there continues to be a critical need for blood products to ensure patient care. Help those in need as the University of St. Francis (USF) hosts its next American Red Cross blood drive on Tuesday, November 12, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Assembly Hall Gymnasium at USF’s St. Clare Campus, which is located at 1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet. The drive is open to the community.

For an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org and enter “60435” in the red “Find a Blood Drive” box on the home page. You can save up to 15 minutes when you donate blood by using RapidPass. Visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass for more information.

If you are an eligible type O, B – or A – donor, consider making a Power Red donation. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused blood component.

For more information, please visit redcrossblood.org.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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