Join Dean Whitaker for the annual homecoming/reunions dean’s reception at Medill on Friday, Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m.
Where: MFC Forum – 1870 Campus Drive.
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Homecoming Dean’s Reception Friday, Oct. 3
Author: Belinda Clarke
Chris Serb (MSJ95)
“Eckie: Walter Eckersall and the Rise of Chicago Sports” is part biography, part social history about Walter Eckersall, a three-sport champion in the early years of formal high school competition in Chicago and the best football player to ever compete at University of Chicago. Eckersall went on to become the Chicago Tribune’s lead sportswriter, creating the role of sports-star-turned-sports-journalist. His primary focus was football, but he also advocated the re-establishment of boxing in Chicago and the growing Olympic movement. He was also a champion of equal opportunity for Black athletes when they desperately needed allies.
But Eckie was no saint! A terrible student who never graduated high school and rarely went to class in college, Eckie got expelled a month after his eligibility expired. He was arrested for theft, got a woman pregnant out of wedlock, hastily married her in a shotgun wedding, then quickly abandoned his young family. He also struggled with a drinking problem, exposed during divorce proceedings but quickly buried by complicit media peers. A cautionary tale, and one that echoes with the college athletic experience today.
“Eckie” brings this long-forgotten figure back into the spotlight he deserves, in the larger context of the growth of Chicago sports, and sports journalism in general.
Frank DeCaro (BSJ84)
Half a century after the drug-fueled, DJ-driven, glamour-drenched musical phenomenon of disco was born at a New York City loft party, disco’s musical and fashion influences live on in popular culture. “Disco: Music, Movies, and Mania under the Mirror Ball” (Rizzoli New York) is an entertaining, yet serious tribute to a musical genre that has never been given its proper due, nor taken its true place in the historic struggle for LGBTQ+, gender, and racial equality.
Painting a vivid portrait of this provocative era – with photos from disco’s heyday up through today – DeCaro explores the cultural importance of disco and how the music and dance of queer Black and Latin clubs became a mainstream phenomenon.
Through personal interviews with disco’s biggest stars including Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston, Village People, and a never-before-published sit-down with Donna Summer, the book champions the diverse origins of disco while celebrating its influence on today’s groundbreaking artists such as Lady Gaga, Duo Lipa, and Miley Cyrus. It’s a must for all lovers of Seventies music, movies, television, fashion, and pop culture.
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The Witch’s Apprentice and Other Stories
Ekta Garg (MSJ2002)
Have you ever wondered why Jack and Jill needed that pail of water in the first place? Or how Sleeping Beauty managed to prick her finger despite a royal order to destroy every spindle in the kingdom?
Fairy tales and nursery rhymes have given us some of the most iconic characters and images in storytelling; think Cinderella’s glass slipper or Jack’s oversized beanstalk. But what about the in-between moments? The ones that never made it to the page?
In this enchanting micro-collection of short stories, award-winning author Ekta R. Garg explores the untold scenes between the lines of some of our most loved tales. Find out what the Wicked Witch of the East was doing in the road before Dorothy’s house fell on her. Learn where Goldilocks came from. Meet the conmen who convinced the emperor he had new clothes and more.
Rediscover the wit, heart, and magic of the classics, and see them as you’ve never seen them before in “The Witch’s Apprentice and Other Stories.”
Andrew Steven Hullinger, known affectionately as Andy, left this world on July 4, 2025, suddenly and unexpectedly due to complications of cancer, which he had been living with for over a year. Born in Decatur, Illinois on October 12, 1965, Andy’s optimism and imagination inspired everyone he met. He passed away with his wife by his side in Evanston, Illinois, leaving a legacy of curiosity, creativity, and joy.
Andy was the beloved husband of 35 years to Meg Egan and the proud father of Lily (Michelle) and Ben (Margaret) Hullinger. He was a cherished brother to Dana (Lynnette), Jon (Morgan), and Ty Hullinger. His role as a fun-loving uncle to Amanda, Fiona, Rachel, Maeve, Riley, Cait, Roan, Finley, Maddie, and Luke, as well as a great-uncle to Joseph and Isaac, will be fondly remembered. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jasper and Joyce Hullinger.
Andy earned his Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication at Blackburn College in 1987 and applied his skills and passion for design throughout his professional life. His career included influential positions as Creative Director/Designer for numerous advertising agencies, including Dept. 11, HY Connect, energyBBDO, Y&R, Element 79 Partners, Leo Burnett Company, Capps Digital, and Willson Graphics. In 2008, Andy changed career paths to become a Design Professor and Department Chair of Web Design & Development at Harrington College of Design. In 2015, he achieved his MFA in Communications Design and worked as an educator and lecturer at Medill. He loved his new role as a teacher, helping to shape the talents and creativity of his students. His students all loved learning from him. His creative pursuits and recognitions also included working as a Type Designer for T26 and the creation of the award-winning children’s book App, Dragon Brush. One of his font designs, Christmas Gift Script, can be found in the older editions of the 3rd Harry Potter book, The Prisoner of Azkaban, in reference to Mr. Padfoot on the Marauder’s Map.
Whether playing guitar with his band at The Musical Offering, singing with the North Shore Choral Society, or designing for the Women’s Western Golf Association, Andy brought a unique flair and enthusiasm to every creative endeavor. A noted “jack-of-all-trades and self-proclaimed “Renaissance Man”, his talents and hobbies ranged from caring for animals to collecting fountain pens, Blackwing pencils, and Field Notes. Andy was a skilled woodworker, luthier, and entertainer, who was a card-carrying member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Order of Merlin.
Andy was a devoted and loving father to Lily and Ben Hullinger. He took great pride in being a parent, especially through reading books to his kids, creating costumes for Halloween, assisting them with the Science Olympiad, and being an active mentor in their day-to-day lives. Andy was proud to see his creativity reflected through Lily and Ben’s numerous artistic passions.
Andrew Steven Hullinger’s journey through life was one marked by laughter, hope, and an unwavering commitment to enriching the lives of others through his creative spirit, kind heart, and quick wit. His memory will continue to inspire and uplift those who were fortunate enough to know him.
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The History of Journalism in Latin America
Rick Rockwell (BSJ79)
From the deserts of northern Mexico to as far south as the Rio Plata in Argentina, this book from Routledge traces the history of journalism in Latin America from its earliest roots and examines how it relates to the modern importance of media in the twenty-first century.
By exploring mestizo roots, “The History of Journalism in Latin America” examines Indigenous foundations, pre-colonial methods, and post-colonial systems of communication to show how earlier publications became instrumental to regional nineteenth-century independence movements throughout Latin America. Although the history of communication in the region is characterized by the control and censorship of empires, be they Indigenous or European, this study argues that modern journalism at its core is the story of crusading for freedom and independence. Through a country-by-country approach, this book explores key themes such as family media empires in Mexico, newspaper competition in Brazil, the dissemination of political agendas in Colombia’s El Espectador, and conservative media outlets in Argentina and Chile. It demonstrates the varied roles of media: businesses, societal forces, and institutions of governmental change.
Rick Rockwell is the co-author of the award-winning Media Power in Central America (University of Illinois Press, 2003).
Renee Cordes, deputy editor at Mainebiz, won three Gold Awards from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers in the 2025 Editorial Excellence Awards. Her first-place finishes were for Best Feature Single Story, Best Explanatory Journalism and Best Beat Reporting, Economics and Finance. Mainebiz, part of New England Business Media, is based in Portland, Maine. Renee, who spent most of her professional career in Europe, joined Mainebiz in 2017 as a senior writer and was promoted to deputy editor in early 2025.
Carrie A. Liberante was named Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at Thriving Mind South Florida. She previously served as Senior Director of Communications for the organization. Before joining Thriving Mind, Liberante worked in communications at medical schools in Florida and as a health writer and city editor at newspapers in the Northeast.
James was selected as a 2025-2026 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. He will be among 24 journalists spending the academic year at Harvard where he plans to study documentary theatre and how the stage can be a medium for investigative journalism and storytelling. James is also the host and reporter of the new investigative podcast Heat Listed, from Wondery and Vespucci Group. The series follows a Chicago family’s journey out of the cycle of violence and a police initiative — ripped from the pages of science fiction — that sets out to stop gun violence and help break such cycles.
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Ian Douglass (MSJ06)
Ian Douglass was a member of the creative team that received a 2025 Webby Award for “Leroy Smith: Michael Jordan’s Myth,” which was the winner in the Sports Video & Film category.