V9.5 NEWS FROM SU
News from SU (Vol. 9 No. 5)
May 17, 2007
An Electronic Newsletter for Southwestern Alumni
GET CONNECTED:
Register for the Online Alumni Directory. IT'S FREE! Update your own information and look up friends. Contact the Office of Alumni Relations for your personal registration number.
FEATURED STORIES:
The Association President Welcomes New Graduates
Are College Rankings Fair?
Affordability Estimator Receives Recognition
ALUMNI NEWS:
Local Association Updates
The Association President May be Visiting You in 2007
GOLD Alumni Challenge
The Class of 1985-1996 Alumni Challenge
Show your Pirate Pride with an Alumni Pirate ID Card
2007 Reunion Classes Are Planning Celebrations
Register Your Alumni Connection Group
Class Notes Spotlight
Keep Connected
LIFELONG LEARNING:
Aldersgate Day Celebration Planned
Georgetown Festival of the Arts
Amy Tan Featured as the 2007 Writers Voice Speaker
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS:
Teaching and Advising Award Recipients Announced
Most Viewed Page on the Southwestern University Web Site
Going Green: Southwestern Signs Treaty Committed to Sustainable Living
What's New in Pirate Athletics
Who's Who from SU
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Houston Association Happy Hour – May 17
The Association President Visits Abilene – May 21
The Association President Visits Midland/Odessa – May 22
The Association President Visits Lubbock – May 23
The Association President Visits Amarillo – May 24
Aldersgate Day Celebration – May 24
The Association President Visits Oklahoma City – May 25
Dallas Association Wine Tasting – May 31
Georgetown Festival of the Arts – May 31-June 3
Washington, D.C. Association Race for the Cure – June 2
Dallas Association Day of Service – June 9
President Schrum Visits Washington, D.C. – June 20
Greater Georgetown Association Happy Hour – June 21
Greater Austin Association Happy Hour – June 27
Washington, D.C. Association Baseball Game – July 16
Homecoming and Reunion Weekend – Nov. 2-4
FEATURED STORIES
The Association President Welcomes New Graduates
During Commencement May 12, Joe Seeber ’63 welcomed more than 300 graduates as the newest members of The Association of Southwestern University Alumni. Seeber presented each graduate with an "S" lapel pin, as an outward symbol of membership in The Association. The 2007 Commencement speaker was Gwen Griffin Sherman ’80, who serves as director of finance and administration for the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Look in this summer's edition of the Southwestern@Georgetown magazine to read more about the Class of 2007 through "Senior Stories."
Are College Rankings Fair?
This month, President Jake B. Schrum ’68 was one of 12 liberal arts college presidents who signed a letter urging college presidents not to participate in the “reputational” part of the annual U.S. News & World Report survey, in which college presidents are asked to evaluate other institutions. The letter also urges colleges not to use the U.S. News rankings in promotional materials as an indication of the quality of their college or university, due to a large portion of the rankings (25 percent) derived from the “reputational” survey, as opposed to more objective measures of academic quality. Click here to read President Schrum's letter. Fox News Austin covered this story. Click here to view a video clip.
Affordability Estimator Receives Recognition
In December 2007, Southwestern introduced an online Affordability Estimator to give prospective students a more realistic view of the financial investment and available assistance to attend Southwestern, since 85 percent of Southwestern students receive some type of financial assistance. The Affordability Estimator calculates the approximate annual cost of attendance based upon a student's family income and class rank. Last month, the Affordability Estimator received the Grand Award in the World Wide Web Page category from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District IV. Check out the Affordability Estimator, which will continue to be revised and improved.
ALUMNI NEWS
Local Association Updates
Check out what local associations are doing across the country!
The Bay Area Association Seeks Finance Chair
The Dallas Association Holds Wine Tasting – May 31
The Greater Austin Association Plans for Blues on the Green at Zilker Park – June 27
The Greater Georgetown Association Invites Alumni to Happy Hour – June 21
The Houston Association Holds May Happy Hour – May 17
The New York Area Association Seeks Membership Chair
The San Antonio Area Association Officers Announced
The Washington, D.C. Association Plans for Race for the Cure – June 2
The Association President May be Visiting You in 2007
Joe Seeber ’63, president of The Association of Southwestern University Alumni, is making plans to visit alumni in cities throughout the United States during the 2007 year. Check out future editions of News from SU for exact times and locations. Should you be interested in helping plan Joe's visit to your area, please e-mail alumni@southwestern.edu.
May 2007
Abilene, Texas – Monday, May 21 – Spano's Italian Restaurant (4534 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene)
Midland, Texas – Tuesday, May 22 – The Racquet Club, Garden Room (3009 Racquet Club Drive, Midland)
Lubbock, Texas – Wednesday, May 23 – Cagle's Steak House (118 N. FM 179, Lubbock)
Amarillo, Texas – Thursday, May 24 – home of Brian and Carol Rushing Bruckner, both ’90 (2409 Parker, Amarillo)
Oklahoma City, Okla. – Friday, May 25 – Deep Fork Grill (5418 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City)
For information on Seeber's visits, check out The Association of Southwestern University Web site.
GOLD Alumni Challenge
Three anonymous alumni donors have committed to matching 4:1 any gift made by a GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) alumnus/a until June 30, 2007. For example, with the match, a gift of $25 becomes a $125 gift. This challenge is offered to all GOLD alumni (Classes of 1997-2007). All matched dollars will go towards the Annual Fund, but you may designate your portion of the gift if preferred. Any gift or pledge made since Jan. 1, 2007, is eligible. For more information, contact the Office of Annual Giving at 800-960-6363.
The Class of 1985-1996 Alumni Challenge
Thanks to a $200,000 challenge gift from two Southwestern families, the Classes of 1985-1996 Alumni Challenge makes it possible for your gift to be matched 2:1.
For example:
Your $100 becomes $300 = periodical subscription for A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library
Your $250 becomes $750 = exercise equipment in the Corbin J. Robertson Center
Your $500 becomes $1500 = faculty development and scholarship
Your $1000 becomes $3000 = funds student scholarship
Every gift, whatever its size, makes an immediate and valuable difference. Accept the Alumni Challenge today! Your gift matters. Contact the Office of Annual Giving at 800-960-6363 to make a credit card gift by phone weekdays between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CST, go online or mail a gift to The Office of Annual Giving, Southwestern University, P.O. Box 770, Georgetown, TX 78627. Make your gift before June 30, 2007 to qualify.
Show your Pirate Pride with an Alumni Pirate ID Card
Have you had your Alumni ID Card made? If so, you will be receiving your new card in the mail. Not yet had your card made? Visit the Pirate Card Office (J.E. & L.E. Mabee Residence Hall, Room 102) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. to get your Alumni Pirate ID Card. If you cannot make it to campus, just send us a passport-size photo as a JPEG file (300 dpi) to alumni@southwestern.edu and we will have a card made and send it to you! Please include your name, class year, current address, phone and e-mail address with your photo. Click here to see what benefits alumni receive with an Alumni Pirate ID Card! Questions? Call the Office of Alumni Relations at 800-960-6363.
2007 ReunionClasses Are Planning Celebrations
The 2007 Reunion Planning Committees need your help! If you would like to help plan your reunion, contact the Office of Alumni Relations by calling 800-960-6363 or e-mailing alumni@southwestern.edu. Representatives from the following classes have begun planning 2007 celebrations:
Class of 1947 (60th Reunion)
Class of 1957 (50th Reunion)
Class of 1962 (45th Reunion)
Class of 1967 (40th Reunion)
Class of 1972 (35th Reunion)
Class of 1982 (25th Reunion)
Class of 1987 (20th Reunion)
Class of 1992 (15th Reunion)
Class of 1997 (10th Reunion)
Class of 2002 (5th Reunion)
Be sure to mark your calendar for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2007, scheduled for Nov. 2-4, 2007!
Register Your Alumni Connection Group
Do you keep up with a group of Southwestern alumni with whom you share a common interest or would you like to form a group for a common purpose? If so, you can form an Alumni Connection Group! Alumni Connection Groups acknowledge groups of alumni (of at least 25 identifiable alumni members) who are associated through mutual interests and strengthened by their relationships with one another and Southwestern. When you affiliate your Alumni Connection Group with The Association of Southwestern University Alumni, there are many benefits, including representation on the Alumni Assembly. E-mail alumni@southwestern.edu for an affiliation form and more information.
Class Notes Spotlight
Have you heard? Mike Rossman ’73 was presented the Organization Advisor Award at Southwestern’s Ninth Annual Student Leadership Banquet for his service to Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. See what your classmates are up to by visiting Class Notes online. While you are there, submit your own class note!
Keep Connected
If you, or your ISP, use filtering software, e-mail from the Office of Alumni Relations may be mistakenly identified as illegitimate e-mail and not delivered to your inbox. To ensure that Office of Alumni Relations e-mail is not confused with illegitimate mail, please add the following e-mail addresses to your address book:
hewettg@southwestern.edu - Georgianne Hewett ’90, associate vice president for alumni and parent relations.
luceroj@southwestern.edu - JoAnn Lucero, assistant director of alumni relations.
radisonm@southwestern.edu - Megan Radison, assistant director of alumni and parent relations.
whitems@southwestern.edu - Mary Sharon White, senior secretary.
LIFELONG LEARNING
As stated in the University's Core Values and The Association's Mission, Southwestern encourages lifelong learning and a passion for intellectual and personal growth. Learn more about upcoming lifelong learning opportunities by visiting www.sugrads.org.
Aldersgate Day Celebration Planned
Aldersgate Day commemorates John Wesley's "heart-warming" experience at Aldersgate Church in London in 1738. In honor of the 269th anniversary of Aldersgate Day, Ellsworth Peterson ’55 and Rev. Milton Jordan ’62 have coordinated a celebration for Thursday, May 24, in the Lois Perkins Chapel at Southwestern University. The celebration will begin with coffee in the Arthur and Evie Jo Wilson Chapel Plaza at 10 a.m. followed by a 10:30 a.m. presentation of “Trampling a Pernicious Doctrine: John Wesley Beyond Aldersgate” by Rev. Milton Jordan ’62. Guests will break for lunch at 11:30 a.m. A lunch buffet will be served in the Pirate’s Cove located on the lower level of the Red & Charline McCombs Campus Center for $4 per person. Following lunch, Ellsworth Peterson ’55, professor emeritus of music, will present "Continuing the Wesleyan Tradition: Samuel Sebastian Wesley" from 1-2:30 p.m. Interested alumni and friends are welcome. Please RSVP to the Office of Alumni Relations at 800-960-6363 or alumni@southwestern.edu.
Georgetown Festival of the Arts
This year's Festival brings a greatly expanded offering in the visual arts, two days of free music and fun in San Gabriel Park and, of course fireworks! Also, keeping to the tradition, the Festival introduces another composer, Franz Schubert, whose magnificent music will fill ears and hearts over the Festival's four days, scheduled for May 31-June 3, 2007. Several members of the Southwestern University community will be performing and lecturing in this year's festivals. Performers include Virginia Hyde Dupuy ’71; Bruce Cain, professor of voice; Kiyoshi Tamagawa, chair of the Music Department; Kenneth Sheppard, professor of music; Anna Carney, adjunct instructor of music; and, Pam Gregory Rossman ’72, chapel organist. Lecturers include Susan Youens ’69; J. Michael Cooper, associate professor of music and Margarett Root Brown Professor of Fine Arts; and, Farley Snell, professor emeritus of religion and former University Chaplain. Artistic director of the festival is Ellsworth Peterson ’55, professor emeritus of music. Please visit the Festival of the Arts Web site for a schedule of events.
Amy Tan Featured as the 2007 Writers Voice Speaker
Amy Tan, author of the 1989 bestseller The Joy Luck Club, will be the 2007 speaker for the Writers Voice series sponsored by the A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library at Southwestern. The 2007 Writers Voice lecture has been set for Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007. Tan has written several other novels since The Joy Luck Club, including The Kitchen God’s Wife (1991), The Hundred Secret Senses (1995), The Bonesetter’s Daughter (2001) and Saving Fish from Drowning (2005). Her first work of non-fiction, The Opposite of Fate, was published in 2003. Tan also has written two children’s books, The Moon Lady (1992) and The Chinese Siamese Cat (1994). More information about Tan's lecture will be provided in Fall 2007.
Unable to Attend the Brown Symposium? Check Out This Audio File
Did you miss this year's Brown Symposium, "Who Do We Think We Are?!" If so, you can listen to Laura Hobgood-Oster, associate professor of religion and holder of the Elizabeth Root Paden Chair in Religion, highlight the work and research of symposium speakers. Click here to listen. (Please note: Your computer will require an audio file player, like Microsoft Media Player.)
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
Teaching and Advising Award Recipients Announced
On April 25, Southwestern students, faculty and staff congratulated the recipients of the 2007 Southwestern Teaching Awards and the Southwestern Advising Award. Southwestern Teaching Award Recipients include Fay Guarraci, assistant professor of psychology, and Lisa Moses Leff, associate professor of history. The Southwestern Advising Award was presented to Sandi Nenga, assistant professor of sociology.
Most Viewed Page on the Southwestern University Web Site
What’s the most “viewed” page on the Southwestern University Web site? It’s a set of teaching resources developed by Aaron Prevots, assistant professor of French. Prevots has created a Web site devoted to teaching and learning French through music. It’s called “French through Songs and Singing,” and can be found at www.southwestern.edu/~prevots/songs/. The site became available to the public in October 2006, and already gets between 25,000 and 30,000 "hits" per month. Click here to read more.
Going Green: Southwestern Signs Treaty Committed to Sustainable Living
The Southwestern University campus is looking much greener to Ben Johnson ’07 these days, but it’s not because the spring rains have left the lawns lush and green. After nearly a year of effort, Johnson and other students on campus have succeeded in convincing the University to formally commit to a more sustainable, or “green” way of doing things. That commitment became official April 19, when University President Jake B. Schrum ’68 added Southwestern to a growing list of colleges and universities around the world that have signed a treaty known as the Talloires (“Tal-wahr”) Declaration. Click here to read more.
What's New in Pirate Athletics
Have you checked out the new Pirate athletics Web site? If not, visit www.southwesternpirates.com for the latest news on Pirate athletics.
Men's Baseball: The baseball team closed their year with a 19-24 record, ending their season at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championship.
Men's Golf: Christopher Paiz ’07 was named a Golf Coaches Association of America Division III Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar May 14, along with 42 other NCAA Division III junior and senior men's golfers.
Men's Lacrosse: The Men's lacrosse team won their third consecutive Lone Star Alliance Division B conference championship and received their third invitation to participate in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) National Championship Tournament. Southwestern Lacrosse finished the regular season ranked #12 in the nation, their highest ranking ever. In the opening round of the MCLA schedule, the Bucs lost to #6 ranked University of Northern Colorado.
Track and Field: The men's and women's track and field teams had a tremendous meet at the SCAC Championships, as the Pirates set six school records and the men's 4x400 relay team won first place.
Women's Golf: The Pirate women's golf team jumped two spots into second place at the NCAA Division III National Championship Wednesday, May 9, in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. On April 29, the women's golf team won the SCAC championship, securing their place in the Division III National Championship.
Women's Lacrosse: Spring 2007 is the women's lacrosse team's first Texas Women's Lacrosse League (TWLL) conference title and it came in dramatic fashion. On April 28, the women trailed Rice 7-2 at half-time and then rallied to tie the Owls at the end of regulation 10-10. During overtime, Kas Kramer ’08 and Dana Deane ’07 each scored a goal to lead the Bucs to a thrilling 12-11 win.
Women's Tennis: The Southwestern University women's tennis team finished fifth in the SCAC Championship Tournament.
Who's Who from SU
Each month the University highlights Southwestern's students, faculty, staff and alumni who make unique and meaningful contributions to the University community or the communities in which they live. To read the profiles for this month, visit Who's Who from the Southwestern University Web site.
- Crystal Johnson ’10 – First-Year Student.
- Willis Weigand – Assistant Professor of Chemistry; Director of General Chemistry Labs.
- Clay Coleman ’04 – Residence Life Coordinator.
- Leslie Charlton ’00 – Alumna.
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