Upcoming Events for Lewis Alumni & Friends
📸 Photos will be taken at events for use in publications and online. Contact alumni@lewisu.edu if you don't want your photo taken.
August
Coloring to Heal: Ruth Hong Art (Art Exhibit) - August 17 - September 20, 2026 | Gallery talk on August 27 at 7 p.m. | Making art allows Ruth Michalsen (she/her) of Ruth Hong Art to appreciate the present. She lives with complex PTSD. She uses a variety of mediums, especially her own cut photographs, to depict personal experiences. Her work explores life's themes including mental health, childhood, and self-compassion. Ruth resides in Romeoville, Illinois with her husband and two boys. | Wadsworth Family Art Gallery | Free admission
September
Adam Smith: What He Said, What He Didn't - Tuesday, September 15, 2026 | Professor Gregory Harms will provide an introduction to the thought of Adam Smith. Along the way, he will demythologize Smith, and show him to be the moral philosopher he was. Harms is an independent scholar long specializing in US foreign policy and the Middle East. He lectures, keeps a blog, and publishes articles on CounterPunch, Truthout, Mondoweiss, and Juan Cole's blog, Informed Comment. He is also the host of a podcast called "The Inquiry," which discusses politics, culture, and philosophy. Harms has traveled throughout Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and has been interviewed on BBC Radio. An award winning author, Harms has taught philosophy as an adjunct professor for almost fifteen years; his areas of specialization are moral and political philosophy. He spends most of his time in the company of Rousseau and Adam Smith. He is presently working on a book on the latter. | 2 p.m. | Location: AS 158A | Free admission
MAN CAVE: Volumes I and II (Theatre Production) - September 21, 2026 | The Timothy Mooney Repertory Theatre presents: MAN CAVE, a One-Man Sci-Fi Climate Change Tragicomedy, Volumes I and II! Six years ago, Tim Mooney brought "Man Cave; a One-Man Sci-Fi Climate Change Tragicomedy" to Lewis University. "Man Cave" featured "the last man on Earth, broadcasting to whatever Klingons, Vulcans or Tralfamadorians might still be listening." "Man Cave" was only one of SEVEN one-man shows, Mooney has brought to Lewis over the years. Now, Tim has returned to the theme of the original "Man Cave," with a SEQUEL. That second play now combines with "Volume I" to present a two-part "one-two punch" in a single evening! Those who caught the original "Man Cave" may remember that play ending on a "cliffhanger," with lots of people wondering just what happens next! | 7:30 p.m. | Keith White Theatre in Oremus Fine Arts Building | Free admission
October
My Town, My Country by Bill Bartelt (Art Exhibit) - October 1-23, 2026 | Gallery Talk: October 22, 2026 | Bill Bartelt grew up in Joliet, the son of a farm dealer, in the days when it was still both a "cow town" and a "railroad town." The fascination for both has never left him. During a Chicago career in show business, Bill painted the rails, bridges, and watertanks that he first loved as a kid. Travels around the countryside kept him close to his rural roots, and the hills, forests and rivers have kept him sustained and inspired. | Wadsworth Family Art Gallery | Free admission
Lewis Fest - Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4, 2026 | Join fellow Lewis students, families, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends for a weekend of activities, fun, and community at our annual celebration of Lewis Fest! | There will be athletic games, activities for kids of ALL ages, food and drink, theatre performances, Mass, and more. For the full weekend line up of activities and to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.
The Gods of Comedy (Student Theatre Production) - October 2-4, 2026 and October 8-11, 2026 | This is a fast-paced comedy by Ken Ludwig about two young classics professors, Daphne and Ralph, who make a career-changing discovery: a supposedly authentic, unknown manuscript of the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. When the manuscript goes missing, Daphne desperately calls on the gods of ancient Greece for help—and to her shock, the Greek god Dionysus and the Muse Thalia actually appear. Instead of quietly solving the problem, the two immortal visitors create chaos across a prestigious university campus. | Play times vary by date | Philip Lynch Theatre | For more info and to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.
Live Sound Boot Camp - Saturday, October 3, 2026 | As a music teacher or church musician, you are often the conductor, the roadie, and the sound engineer all at once. This live sound bootcamp is designed to strip away the intimidating factors of live audio and provide you with a repeatable, professional workflow. | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Lewis University Romeoville Campus - One University Drive, Romeoville, IL | To register, CLICK HERE. Questions? Please contact music@lewisu.edu.
"They Cloned Tyrone" (Film Screening & Discussion) - October 7, 2026 | Join us for an in person film screening of, "They Cloned Tyrone," a pulpy sci-fi mystery with sharp social commentary that follows three unexpected allies as they uncover a chilling conspiracy hidden in their neighborhood. After the screening, join us for a discussion exploring race, surveillance, power, and satire in contemporary Black cinema. | 4:30pm | University Dining Room - AS 104C | Free admission.
2026 Men's Volleyball Fall Festival - Friday & Saturday, October 9 & 10, 2026
MVB Legacy Golf Outing - Friday, October 9, 2026 | Join fellow MVB alumni, parents, family and friends as you hit the links to support the Lewis University MVB Legacy Endowment Fund. | Start: 9 a.m. | Sanctuary Golf Course - 485 Marley Rd., New Lenox, IL | For more information and to register, CLICK HERE. Questions? Please contact Dan Friend at friendda@lewisu.edu.
MVB Fall Festival Activities - Saturday, October 10, 2026 | Join MVB alumni, parents, family and friends on Lewis' Romeoville Campus for a variety of activities. | One University Pkwy., Romeoville, IL 60446 | For more information and to register for any and all activities, CLICK HERE.
MVB Potluck Picnic - 1 p.m. | MVB will provide the main dish and attendees are asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share. | Gazebo on University Green
MVB Red/White Scrimmage - 3 p.m. | Cheer on the Flyers during an intrasquad game! | Neil Carey Arena
MVB Alumni Game - 4:30 p.m. | Alumni are invited to take the court and relive their Lewis glory days! | Neil Carey Arena
Flyer Baseball Golf Outing - Saturday, October 10, 2026 | Grab your clubs, bring your Flyer spirit, and join us for a day on the golf course in support of Lewis' Baseball student-athletes. | 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. | Links at Carillon Drive, Plainfield, IL 60544 | Registration is required and sponsorships are available. For more information and to register, please CLICK HERE.
Gros Institute Memorial Event - Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | The World We Refuse, the World We Build: Resistance, Community, and Collective Survival—In a time of escalating authoritarianism, ecological crisis, and social fragmentation, resistance cannot only be about opposing what harms us. It must also be about building the relationships, practices, and forms of solidarity that make collective survival possible. Drawing on movement history, abolitionist thought, mutual aid, and years of organizing experience, Kelly Hayes will explore how refusal can become a generative force: a refusal of abandonment, isolation, disposability, political despair, and the lie that we are powerless. She will consider what it means to build communities capable of protecting one another, sustaining struggle, and expanding our sense of what is possible. This talk will invite participants to think about revolution not simply as a distant event, but as the ongoing work of becoming people who know how to care for one another, resist together, and create the conditions for a more livable world. | 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. | University Dining Room AS 104C | Registration is required for this free event. | Free will donations to Gros Institute accepted. | To register, CLICK HERE.
Signum Fidei: Flight Path to the Future—A Night to Soar - Saturday, October 24, 2026 | Join us as Lewis University proudly celebrates its enduring legacy in the world of aviation, all in support of the Mission Fund (providing vital financial support for students experiencing unanticipated crises, like the loss of a parent) | 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. | Westin Chicago Lombard | Cocktail attire | Reserved seating, cocktails, dinner, and dancing to the music of "Maggie Speaks" | Sponsorship opportunities available | Discounted tickets for young alumni | For more information and to purchase tickets, please CLICK HERE. Submit your aviation career update and headshot for display at Signum Fidei to alumni@lewisu.edu.
November
Kathryn Gauthier and Gregorio Mejia: A 50 Year Retrospective (Art Exhibit) - November 5-25, 2026 | Gallery talk November 5 at 7 p.m. | Multidisciplinary artist Kathryn Gauthier is a graduate of Emmanuel College and Trinity Rep Conservatory. Her extensive fine art career has progressed in tandem with her interests in the performing, culinary, and healing arts. She maintains memberships and frequently shows with CAVA, CSA, and Woman-made Gallery, and is represented in art collections in Chicago and Massachusetts. Gregorio Mejia, a graduate of the American Academy of Art, has distinguished himself with numerous awards throughout his 50-year career. He maintains memberships in the Palette & Chisel, CSA, CAVA, and the National Portrait Society among others. In addition to his fine art career, he is an experienced muralist, advertising production artist, and painting instructor. | Wadsworth Family Gallery | Free admission
Debating the 2nd Amendment - Monday, November 9, 2026 | Join Br. Peter Hannon and Dr. Mark Schultz of the history department in a debate over the meaning of the 2nd Amendment. How do we strike a balance between freedom and responsibility? | 1 p.m. | AS 024 | Free admission
Deathtrap (Student Theatre Production) - Friday, November 13- 5 and Thursday, November 19-22, 2026 | Deathtrap is a dark comedy-thriller by Ira Levin that combines mystery, suspense, and humor. Rather than relying on gore or violence, Deathtrap builds tension through clever writing, misdirection, and shocking revelations. It became one of the longest-running comedy-thrillers in Broadway history and was later adapted into the 1982 film Deathtrap starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve. | Directed by Kevin Trudeau | Philip Lynch Theatre | To purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.
Timothy Archbold: Music for Cello and Piano - Monday, November 16, 2026 | Join us for an unforgettable evening of classical music as renowned cellist, Timothy Archbold, takes the stage at Lewis University. This extraordinary artist will perform a captivating program featuring beloved classical works alongside newer compositions. | 7:30pm | St. Charles Borromeo Convocation Hall | Free admission
December
Senior Capstone Exhibition (Art Exhibit) - Thursday, December 3-14, 2026 | Gallery talk on December 3 at 7 p.m. | This biannual art show coincides with the capstone course, Senior Project. The course challenges graduating students to put their newly acquired skills and understanding of art to the test by participating in a professional exhibition experience. | Wadsworth Family Gallery | Free admission
January
Flyer Red Dinner & Hall of Fame Ceremony - Saturday, January 23, 2027 | Join us at our annual Flyer Red Dinner where we will celebrate Flyer Athletics and induct a new class of individuals into the Lewis University Athletics Hall of Fame. | 6 p.m. Cocktail hour and 7 p.m. program and dinner | Flight Deck in St. Charles Borromeo - 101 Airport Road, Romeoville, IL 60446 | Registration is required. For more information and to register, CLICK HERE.
February
March
April
For questions, contact Brandon McGee at mcgheebr@lewisu.eduor 815-836-5123.