May 22, 2025 | Laura Payne, Mike Raycraft, Kim Shinew and Monika Stodolska Jack Kelly, a professor in the Department of Leisure Studies at Illinois for many years, died on Feb. 10, 2025, at the age of 94. Faculty members of the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism collaborated to write this remembrance of Kelly. […]
Tag: Mike Raycraft
2025 Sapora Symposium: Honoring a century of legacy at Huff Hall
May 22, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Themes of visionary leadership and George Huff were briefly overshadowed by Grimace The theme of the 2025 Sapora Symposium was visionary leadership, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Huff Hall and paying tribute to the legacy of George Huff. Only one thing could potentially overshadow that, and it is purple and […]
Immersive learning: RST faculty guide students out of the classroom and into the real world
May 22, 2025 | Jonathan King RST faculty members design and lead innovative educational practicums that immerse students in experiential learning environments By JONATHAN KING Renata Endres is taking her belief in an applied teaching approach on the road—on Route 66, to be precise. “I believe the most effective way to bridge the gap between the […]
2025 Sapora Symposium: Honoring a century of legacy at Huff Hall
May 21, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo George Huff was the theme, but Grimace stole the show The theme of the 2025 Sapora Symposium was visionary leadership, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Huff Hall and paying tribute to the legacy of George Huff. Only one thing could potentially overshadow that, and it is purple and lovable: Grimace. […]
Pritzker to RST students: Stay in Illinois
Feb. 6, 2024 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker encouraged University of Illinois students to live and work in his home state If there is one thing Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker knows about, it’s hospitality. A member of the family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, Pritzker on Jan. 25 gave the opening remarks […]
RST 180 a ‘once-in-a-lifetime-trip’
Oct. 22, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo RST 180 has a rather dry course title: Professional Applications. But for the students who take the class, it is anything but. RST 180, which returned in 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, is a three-credit course that concludes with a 12-day tour of recreation, sport and […]
What makes RST’s ‘Hall of Fame tour’ course click?
Aug. 20, 2024 | Sam Rink The Hall of Fame tour that serves as the essence of the Recreation, Sport and Tourism 180 experiential course has been the subject of much discussion since it was introduced in 2016. The 12-day excursion component of the course—led by RST Clinical Associate Professor Mike Raycraft—spans more than 2,000 miles […]
Students bring volunteer force to ‘Medfest’
May 22, 2024 | Ethan Simmons MedFest was set up to provide free medical screenings for Special Olympics athletes. The stage was set at Wintrust Sports Complex in the Village of Bedford Park—a suburb of Chicago—when nearly 600 Special Olympics athletes from across the state began to stream in. With the help of a substantial […]
RST 180 ‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ trip for students
June 20, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo As much as the trip is about learning the logistics and operations of iconic RST sites, it is also an epic road trip RST 180 has a rather dry course title: Professional Applications. But for the students who take the class, it is anything but. RST 180, which returned […]
RST 180 returns with new locations and funding
May 16, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo RST 180 packs 20 field trips into one, two-week-long bus ride RST 180, a class that takes students on a tour of some of the country’s best-known sports and tourism sites, returns in 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. But this year’s iteration has some new wrinkles: […]