May 22, 2024 | Ethan Simmons An RST alumnus developed a digital platform to help venues maximize their booking potential. Atop the usual final exams and projects, University of Illinois senior Sean Chang has been charting a different path for his final year in the Recreation, Sport and Tourism program—by building his own business. With […]
Tag: RST Newsletter Spring 2024
Long-time RST faculty member Espeseth remembered for work and friendship
May 22, 2024 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo It’s no surprise that a man who was as outgoing as Bob Espeseth dedicated his life to creating opportunities for others to be outdoors. “When we grew up, we were always doing stuff, always camping a lot, being outdoors,” said Robert Espeseth, one of Bob’s five children with wife […]
How Black distance runners shaped the sport from the shadows
May 22, 2024 | Ethan Simmons While Black American athletes such as basketball’s Bill Russell, baseball’s Jackie Robinson and tennis’s Althea Gibson received significant coverage in the newspapers of the day, ‘marathoning was on the margins’ The world of competitive long-distance running took off in the 1970s. But stories of the sport’s Black architects and […]
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 […]
Message from Interim Dept. Head Bill Stewart
May 21, 2024 | Greetings friends and alumni of the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, Welcome to the 2024 spring edition of the RST newsletter. This publication features research endeavors from our faculty, notable student accomplishments and the ongoing engagement of our esteemed alumni. We were delighted this semester by a visit from Gov. […]