Former IVCC student Andrew Kelly dies over break
By JJ Ossola
IV Leader Editor, Jan 25, 2007
Illinois Valley Community College graduate Andrew Kelly
died Dec. 28 at St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria after a brief illness.
Kelly, 20, had been attending Northern Illinois University at
the time of his illness, majoring in radio broadcasting journalism. Kelly had
called a few Marquette basketball games for 96.5 WKOT while attending IVCC. Also
while attending IVCC, Kelly was a member of the IV Leader as a columnist who
focused on student issues and sports.
Maggie Rhynes, 2005-2006 IV Leader editor, recalled attending
a journalism seminar on the Eastern Illinois campus: “I didn't know Andrew very
well but I remember being surprised by his constant energy, he was always upbeat
and looking for fun. While we were at the swimming pool, Andrew climbed onto a
table and yelled, ‘I love journalism!’ before jumping in. He was so good
natured, outgoing and ready with a joke.” Kelly also wrote for the News
Tribune’s ‘Word.’
Kelly, who started tuba lessons from the age of 8, played in
the La Salle-Peru high school band, the IVCC Jazz band and was a member of
Egon’s Unicat. Kevin Kramer, lifelong friend and band mate, said, they formed
their first band, Dublo Seven, in high school. Andrew picked up trombone for the
band’s sake. “He figured it out,” Kramer said. “He played like a tuba player: he
blared a lot, but it worked out because he didn’t need a mike and it just sort
of blended in well.”
Kelly was a member of the Zion United Church of Christ in
Peru, and was a church camp councilor from 2002. Kramer said, “The last night
[of camp], our band would come and play for a dance. The kids were so excited
that a band was coming to play for them.” Egon’s Unicat has performed one
benefit show at Ninth Street for Andrew’s family and raised about $1,500.
An all-ages benefit will be held at the Cancun in Ladd, but
no date has been set. Kramer said Kelly would be remembered as a guy who loved
life, music and “rockin’ out as much as possible.”
Excerpts from Kelly’s columns:
Recreation room sits empty - unused, unloved (2/03/05) “This room is a fantasy land for all who enjoy the entertainment of a joystick in their hand, whether it be to slay evil doers, or slam down a monster jam with Kevin Garnett. It’s a great place to burn calories and gain muscles for all the ladies to ogle. Sadly, this room sits empty.”
Time for a change in IVCC lobby (2/24/05) “Ways of telling time have been around since the age of Sumerians and Egyptians. Whether it be with sundials, Rolexes, or the ever-popular Swatch watch, people throughout history have been able to find out what time it is without the slightest problem. With this being said, why is it taking so long for IVCC to move into the new millennium and buy a clock for the main lounging area of the school. With student tardiness spreading throughout IVCC like the plague in Medieval Europe, a simple clock to hang on the wall would be a definite antidote for the tardy disease, or how it is scientifically called tardus latus. ”
What the college needs now... (1/26/06) “Now seriously, what would make you scream out ‘Yay, School!’ more, than being concussed by a screaming fastball to the noggin. Instead of that ridiculous book fair that seems to pop up in the lobby every semester, let’s move all the couches aside and have the tournament right there. Instead of buying useless coloring books (or whatever else they sell), let’s bust out our balls and let them fly.”