V9.4 NEWS FROM SU

News from SU (Vol. 9 No. 4)
April 24, 2007
An Electronic Newsletter for Southwestern Alumni

After the tragedy at VirginiaTechUniversity, Southwestern is especially mindful of what it means to be a community. Last week, in support of our students, Southwestern held a counseling staff-led conversation, a Town Hall meeting regarding security on campus and a Candlelight Vigil on campus in memory of the victims and survivors. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the entire VirginiaTechUniversitycommunity.

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:
Southwestern Receives $6 Million Gift Pledge to Renovate Historic Cullen Building
Celebrate the Career of Retiring Faculty Member
"Students Turn Campus into a Living Laboratory"
Help Update the University Web Site

 

ALUMNI NEWS:
Alumna to Give 2007 Commencement Address
Local Association Updates
Seeking Leadership in the Tri-State/New York Area
The Association President May be Visiting You in 2007
Aldersgate Day Celebration Planned
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:
Theatre for Young Audiences: The Trial of Goldilocks
Amy Tan Featured as the 2007 Writers Voice Speaker

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS:
Back Issues of Southwestern@Georgetown Now Available Online
Southwestern and ACC Sign Agreement
Handball Club Wins National Title
What's New in Pirate Athletics
The Sarofim School of Fine Arts Spring 2007 Calendar
Who's Who from SU

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Annual Student Art Exhibit – April 23-May 4
Dallas Association Picnic – April 28
The Trial of Goldilocks – April 28-29
Tri-State/New York Area Association Nominations Due – April 30
Commencement – May 12
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
Washington, D.C. Association Race for the Cure – June 1
Homecoming and Reunion Weekend – Nov. 2-4

FEATURED STORIES
Southwestern Receives $6 Million Gift Pledge to Renovate Historic Cullen Building
The most recognizable landmark on the Southwestern University campus – and one of the most historic buildings in Georgetown and Williamson County – will get a much-needed renovation thanks to a $6 million gift pledge from the Cullen Trust for Higher Education. The gift will provide funds to renovate the Roy and Lillie Cullen Building (once known as the Administration Building), which was originally constructed between 1898 and 1900 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Click here to read more.

 

Celebrate the Career of Retiring Faculty Member
Suzanne Chamier, professor of French, will retire at the conclusion of the Spring 2007 semester. Chamier was honored during a reception and program Monday, April 16. Chamier, as all faculty retirees, may be honored through contributions to the Retired Faculty Scholarship Fund, part of Southwestern University's general student scholarship program. Contributions may be mailed to the Office of Institutional Advancement, P.O. Box 770, Georgetown, TX 78627.

 

"Students Turn Campus into a Living Laboratory"
President Jake B. Schrum ’68 wrote an op-ed piece titled "Students turn campus into a living laboratory" for the Austin American-Statesman. Here is a excerpt from Schrum's article ... "Recently, I've wondered where the American people might find the leadership to tackle environmental issues. Climate change and the rapid depletion of our natural resources are just two of the issues that need immediate attention. While many of our national leaders do not seem to be serious about addressing these issues, fortunately we have found another source of leadership: college students..." Click here to continue reading the article.

 

Help Update the University Web Site
Southwestern is currently evaluating the content and design of the University Web site (www.southwestern.edu). We are seeking the opinions of current and future students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends of the University so that the site can better meet users' needs. We invite you to take a brief moment to complete the Southwestern University Web Usage Survey. With your help, we can improve the University's online resources. Thank you.

 

 

ALUMNI NEWS
Alumna to Give 2007 Commencement Address
Gwen Sherman ’80, who serves as director of finance and administration for the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will give the 2007 commencement address at Southwestern University. The ceremony will be held Saturday, May 12, at 2 p.m. Sherman graduated from Southwestern University in 1980 with a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting. Click here to read more.

 

Local Association Updates
Check out what local associations are doing across the country!

The Bay Area Association Officers Selected
The Dallas Association Plans Spring Picnic – April 28
The Greater Austin Association Coordinated Inaugural Event – See photos!
The Greater Georgetown Association Invited Pirates to a Picnic
The Houston Association Visited by The Association President
The San Antonio Area Association Elects Officers
The Washington, D.C. Association – Join the Southwestern Alumni Race for the Cure Team

Seeking Leadership in the Tri-State/New York Area
Alumni in the Tri-State/New York area have expressed interest in starting a local association. A local association will offer a wide variety of opportunities to continue your Southwestern Experience. Rekindle old friendships, make new acquaintances, continue in your path of lifelong learning, enjoy special events, explore professional opportunities and much, much, much more! If you are interested in serving in a leadership role with this forming local association, please contact Joanne Chiang ’01 by Monday, April 30. For more information, visit www.sugrads.org.

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
    Midland/Odessa, Texas – Tuesday, May 22
    Lubbock, Texas – Wednesday, May 23
    Amarillo, Texas – Thursday, May 24 – home of Brian and Carol Rushing Bruckner, both ’90 (2409 Parker, Amarillo)
    Oklahoma City, Okla. – Friday, May 25

For information on Seeber's visits, check out The Association of Southwestern University Web site.

 

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, Jr. ’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, Jr. ’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.

 

GOLD Alumni Challenge
Three anonymous alumni donors have committed to matching 4:1 any gift made by a GOLD (Graduates 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 1997-2006). 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 for 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 a 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? Robert “Bobby” Linhart ’92 is the performing arts director at St. Francis Episcopal School and president of the board of directors for Houston Country Playhouse. He was named Houston Crystal Apple Teacher of the Year for 2000 and is a Freemason, S.P. Waltrip Lodge #1328. He and his wife of 10 years, Stephanie, have a son, Andrew. 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 promotes lifelong learning and a passion for intellectual and personal growth. Learn more about upcoming lifelong learning opportunities by visiting www.sugrads.org.

Theatre for Young Audiences: The Trial of Goldilocks
The Southwestern University Theatre Department invites a young (and young at heart) audience to attend The Trial of Goldilocks, a fairy tale fantasy. Guilty or innocent? Was the young girl a selfish spoiled brat intruding where she didn’t belong? Or, was she the victim of three conniving bears (and their animal “band of hoods” in the woods)? In rhyme, mime and mirth, this exciting new comedy brings Goldilocks to court on charges of breaking and entering, and examines the familiar fairy tale from three points of view: the traditional, the Bears’ and then Goldilocks. Performances are scheduled for Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29, at 3 p.m., in the Jesse and Mary Gibbs Jones Theatre of The Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center. Purchase your tickets online.

 

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.


CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
Back Issues of Southwestern@Georgetown Now Available Online
Are you new to campus and would like to read back issues of Southwestern’s award-winning magazine? Or perhaps there was a story in a back issue of the magazine that you would like to share with someone, but you can’t put your hands on it. Six back issues of Southwestern@Georgetown magazine are now online. These magazines feature cover stories on the arts at Southwestern, community-based learning, the Paideia_® Program, the Thinking Ahead campaign, business and the liberal arts and new student life initiatives. Each page of these online magazines has a feature that enables you to share the stories with friends and family. Check it out!

Southwestern and ACC Sign Agreement
Southwestern University has signed an agreement with the Austin Community College (ACC) District that will make it easier for honors students from ACC to transfer to the University. The agreement targets students in ACC’s Honors Program who are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree within a liberal arts environment. Read more.

 

Handball Club Wins National Title
The Southwestern University handball club recently finished first in its division in the U.S. Handball Association's Collegiate Tournament. Forty-one schools participated in the tournament, which was held in Canoga Park, Calif. 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: Southwestern is now one win away from Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championship Tournament! Read more!
Men's Golf: Despite dropping one spot in the final standings, the Southwestern men's golf team finished strong at the West Region Invitational and placed seventh. The men do not play again until hosting the SCAC Spring Sports Festival beginning Saturday, April 28, at White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown.

Men's and Women's Tennis: The men's and women's tennis teams traveled to San Antonio, TX the weekend of April 13-14, for matches with St. Mary's University, Trinity University and Austin College. The women's team posted a 2-1 record on the trip with victories over St. Mary's and Austin. The men went 1-2 with their sole win coming in the form of a 9-0 defeat of Austin College.

Track and Field: Junior Preston Hollis ran personal-best times in the 100 and 200 meters when the men's and women's track and field teams took part in the 36th annual David Noble Relays hosted by Angelo State University April 14. The meet was the Pirates' last before they compete in the SCAC Track and Field Championships in San Antonio Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28.

The Sarofim School of Fine Arts Spring 2007 Calendar
The end of the academic year is in sight for Southwestern students. With that, The Sarofim School of Fine Arts has scheduled their end-of-year performances, including the Opera Theatre, Wind Ensemble, Art Exhibit, Jazz Band and Orchestra. Check out the Fine Arts Calendar for a list of dates, times and locations.

 

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.

• Kyle Marshall ’08 – Junior Student.
• Helene Meyers – Professor of English.
• Hannah Long – Head Volleyball Coach.
• John David Fields Jr. ’69 – Alumnus.