V10.2 NEWS FROM SU FOR ALUMNI
News from SU for Alumni (Vol. 10 No. 2)
Feb. 19, 2008
An Electronic Newsletter for Southwestern University 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 and Parent Relations for your personal registration number. Through the online directory, be sure to update your preferred e-mail address! Starting March 1, all electronic communications from
SouthwesternUniversitywill be sent only to your preferred e-mail address. Therefore, please update your preferred address with Southwestern by Friday, Feb. 29.
ALUMNI NEWS:
Southwestern Lifelong Friendship Survey
Planning for Your Child’s College Education
Local Association Happenings
Law Alumni Group Forming
Eleven Class Reunions Are Being Planned!
Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Invited to Founders’ Day Celebration
Refer a Prospective Student Online
“HEDS Up,” Classes of 1997 and 2002!
Class Notes Spotlight
LIFELONG LEARNING:
Chautauqua Institution 2008 Summer Program and Group Rates
Guest Artist Exhibit
Road Scholars Hit the Road
Guest Artists’ Performances
The 30th Brown Symposium
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS:
President Jake B. Schrum Receives Award
Southwestern Recognized for Community Service
Southwestern Receives Funds to Launch Center for Hispanic Studies
Grant Funds Summer Interns To Work with Victims of Domestic Violence
Pirate Athletics
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Artist Exhibit Opened - Feb. 13
Bay Area Association Happy Hour - Feb. 21
Metropolitan Phoenix Association Wine and Cheese Reception - Feb. 21
Greater Austin Association Road Scholars Presentation - Feb. 26
Fort Worth Area Association Wine Tasting Event - Feb. 27
Washington, D.C. Association Happy Hour - Feb. 28
San Antonio Area Association Leap Day Happy Hour - Feb. 29
Pi Kappa Alpha Founders’ Day Celebration - March 1
Dallas Association Happy Hour - March 6
Greater Georgetown Association Theatre Event - March 8
Bay Area Association Happy Hour - March 20
Bay Area Association Road Scholars Presentation - March 26
Big Apple Association Happy Hour - March 27
Brown Symposium - April 3-4
Los Angeles Area Association Barbecue - April 12
Career Connections Barbecue - April 18
Homecoming and Reunion Weekend - Nov. 7-9
ALUMNI NEWS:
Southwestern LifelongFriendshipSurvey
Southwestern University is known for instilling “a passion for lifelong learning,” but for the next issue of Southwestern magazine, we want to highlight and celebrate the other treasure Southwestern alumni take away with them: lifelong friends. Do you and a group of your Southwestern friends get together regularly? Do you take an annual trip or have a favorite gathering place? Alumni are always telling us about the uniqueness of the Southwestern Experience. We’d like to hear your story of lifelong friendships formed at Southwestern. If you are willing to share, simply fill out the online survey and return it to Amanda Randall, assistant director of alumni relations, by March 15, 2008. Click here to download the online Southwestern Lifelong Friendship Survey.
Planning for Your Child’s College Education
No matter if your child is a junior in high school or in the middle of third grade, you are probably thinking about his/her college education. Southwestern University would like to inform you about various resources available to you.
- We encourage you to join the Legacy Link program, developed for (grand)children of Southwestern University alumni. By enrolling your (grand)child in the program, he/she will begin receiving information about Southwestern as well as helpful advice about college admissions during their high school years. Click here to enroll your (grand)child.
- Check out Southwestern's Online Affordability Estimator. The Affordability Estimator gives an early approximation of what a new student can expect to pay to attend Southwestern.
- Learn more about the Independent 529 Plan. The Independent 529 Plan allows you to prepay tuition today that your child can later use at any member college. It provides a guarantee against tuition inflation, and the flexibility to choose from some of the nations’ top colleges. Independent 529 Plan has no start-up fees, no maintenance fees and no annual fees, and is free from federal taxes.
For additional information on any of these resources, please contact the Admission Office at 800-252-3166.
Local Association Happenings
Check out what local associations are doing across the country! Many local association officers are planning events for 2008. If you have any recommendations for events in your area or are interested in starting a local association, contact Megan Radison, associate director of alumni and parent relations, at 800-960-6363.
The Bay Area Association Plans Happy Hour - Feb. 21, 2008
The Big Apple Association Plans Happy Hour - March 27, 2008
The Colorado Association Organizes!
The Dallas Association Plans Happy Hour - March 6, 2008
The Fort Worth Area Association Invites Alumni to Wine Tasting - Feb. 27, 2008
The Greater Austin Association Coordinates Road Scholar Presentation with Professor Eric Selbin - Feb. 26, 2008
The Greater Georgetown Association to Host “An Evening at the Theatre” - March 8, 2008
The Houston Association Plans 2008 Calendar
A Kansas-Missouri Association is Forming - Contact Megan Radison for details!
The Los Angeles Area Association Plans to Host Barbecue – April 2008
The Metropolitan Phoenix Association to hold Wine and Cheese Reception - Feb. 21, 2008
The San Antonio Area Association Plans Leap Day Happy Hour - Feb. 29, 2008
The Washington, D.C. Association Invites You to a Happy Hour - Feb. 28, 2008
Law Alumni Group Forming
An Alumni Connection Group is forming for those working in or interested in the legal profession. Join in professional networking, career mentoring and other professional, social and service-oriented activities relating to the study and practice of law. If you are interested in participating, please contact Blake Stanford ’81, Alumni Connection Groups Chair on the Alumni Council. For information on how you can form an Alumni Connection Group for alumni who share your profession, affiliation or special interest, visit The Association of Southwestern University Alumni Web site or contact Amanda Randall, assistant director of alumni relations.
Eleven Class Reunions Are Being Planned!
Pirates Reunite! Your classmates and friends have started planning a class reunion! Class volunteers attended the Reunion Planning Workshop in January (during Volunteer Leadership Weekend) and they have great ideas in store for your celebration, but they still need help. If you're looking for an excuse to gather friends and classmates, Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2008 (Nov. 7-9, 2008) is the perfect time and Southwestern University is the perfect place! Volunteers from the following classes have formed class reunion planning committees:
1948: 60th Reunion 1958: 50th Reunion
1963: 45th Reunion 1968: 40th Reunion
1973: 35th Reunion 1978: 30th Reunion
1983: 25th Reunion 1988: 20th Reunion
1993: 15th Reunion 1998: 10th Reunion
2003: 5th Reunion
Class reunion planning committees have a variety of options to choose from when planning their celebration. These options can include (but are not limited to):
- Planning the class reunion party.
- Participating in the Homecoming Parade.
- Coordinating a "Classes Without Quizzes" session.
- Planning an informal happy hour and/or breakfast.
- Challenging classmates to a friendly athletic game.
- The list continues...
If this sounds of interest to you, please contact JoAnn Lucero, associate director of alumni relations, at 800-960-6363. JoAnn can connect you with your class reunion planning committee.
Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Invited to Founders’ Day Celebration
Pi Kappa Alpha alumni and their guests are invited to attend the Alpha Omicron Alumni Association’s (AOAA) Founders’ Day celebration Saturday, March 1, 2008, at the San Gabriel House Bed & Breakfast, across the street from the University (1008 E. University Ave., Georgetown, TX 78626). Rick Jenkins, the President of the Lone Star Region of Pi Kappa Alpha, will be attending to discuss recruiting. The tentative agenda is:
- 2 p.m. Golf tournament at the Kurth-Landrum golf course, Southwestern University. Funds raised will be donated to fight testicular cancer. Click here for a campus map.
- 4 p.m. Food and refreshments at the San Gabriel House.
- 5 p.m. AOAA business meeting, with recognition of the men who are members of the Gold Chapter (50 years since initiation) and Silver Chapter (25 years since initiation).
- 6 p.m. Barbecue dinner.
- 7 p.m. Informal presentation by Rick Jenkins, Pike Lone Star Region President.
If you stay Saturday night, rooms are available at the San Gabriel House; an alternative is the Holiday Inn Express (600 San Gabriel Village Blvd., Georgetown), in which you can reserve a room by calling 512-868-8555. We look forward to seeing you at the Founder’s Day AOAA celebration! RSVP to Dustin James ’79, AOAA president, at 832-265-4347 or dustintexan@gmail.com.
Refer a Prospective Student Online
The recruitment climate for the best students is competitive and the admission staff is always interested in learning about potential students for whom the University may be a good fit. How can you recognize a student who may be a good fit? In the first-year class that enrolled Fall 2007, half ranked in the top 10% of their high school class. Eighty-two percent graduated in the top quarter of their class. Southwestern’s average SAT and ACT scores continue to be well above the national average. And, most students who enroll at Southwestern have taken honors and AP classes during their high school career. Now you can refer prospective students online so that they receive an Admission Information Packet. Click here to refer a student you know!
“HEDS Up,” Classes of 1997 and 2002!
If you are a member of the Class of 1997 or 2002 and have not yet completed the HEDS survey online, you still have the opportunity to do so until Feb. 28. This national survey, prepared and tabulated by the Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS) Consortium, asks about your college experience and how it has prepared you for your life and work. All responses are kept strictly confidential. No individually identifiable information from this research is released to other parties, on or off campus. Southwestern uses the aggregated survey results in a variety of ways, including discerning areas and methods for institutional improvement and prompting discussion on the quality of preparation that the University provides to students for graduate studies, professional pursuits, volunteer services and civic involvement. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at 800-960-6363.
Career Services News
Do you enjoy barbecue? If so, we invite you to the annual Career Connections Barbecue Friday, April 18. For more information, please click here. Internships help student pave the way for career success. Southwestern celebrates another outstanding student, Caitlin Cooper ’09, who is beginning her career success by winning a national internship award. For details, please click here.
Class Notes Spotlight
Have you heard? Robert Towle ’90 was promoted to vice president of global operations for Travelport, Inc., where he manages a shared services team, including a 300-person finance operation in Gurgaon, India. See what your classmates are up to by visiting Class Notes online. While you are there, submit your own class note!
LIFELONG LEARNING:
Chautauqua Institution 2008 Summer Program and Group Rates
If you are looking for an enriching, relaxing experience for you and your family this summer, the Chautauqua Institution is offering special, all-inclusive group rate for Southwestern University alumni. The Chautauqua Institution is a not-for-profit organization that offers programs and facilities for spiritual renewal, intellectual stimulation and art appreciation. Among its amenities are accommodations at the Athenaeum Hotel, performance venues, golf, tennis, and educational and recreational facilities. For more information about the Chautauqua Institution and details about the 2008 program, visit http://www.ciweb.org/.
Guest Artist Exhibit
An exhibit by internationally known printmaker, Rudy Pozzatti, entitled “Bestiaries,” opened Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the Fine Arts Gallery, in The Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center. The collection features images from two hand-printed artist's books, “The Bestiary of Bishop Theobaldus” and “Darwin's Bestiary.” Pozzatti is a distinguished professor emeritus at the Hope School of Fine Arts of Indiana University.
Road Scholars Hit the Road
Local associations are planning Road Scholars Presentations for 2008. Make sure you do not miss the Southwestern University faculty member visiting your area! Scheduled events include:
- The Greater Austin Association (Feb. 26, 2008) - Eric Selbin, professor of political science and University Scholar, “Latin America's Shifting Political Winds: Will We Catch a Cold?”
- The Bay Area Association in California (March 26, 2008) - Eric Selbin, professor of political science and University Scholar, topic TBA.
- The Big Apple Association (October 2008) - David Gaines, professor of English and director of the Paideia® Program, topic TBA.
Guest Artists' Performances
Thad Anderson, instructor of percussion at Southwestern University and Eileen Meyer Russell, association professor of low brass, are hosting guest artists on Saturday, March 29. The concert performances include Eric Hollenbeck, percussionist, at 4:30 p.m. in the Lois Perkins Chapel, and Sotto Voce, a tuba-euphonium quartet at 7 p.m. in The Alma Thomas Theater. Both concerts are free and open to the public. High school students who play euphonium, tuba, and percussion are also invited to activities during the day, including music reading and performing and master class sessions with the artists. Students who want to participate in the day's events, which start at 10 a.m., should contact Thad Anderson (percussion) or Eileen Meyer Russell (euphonium and tuba). Thad Anderson can be reached at 512-863-1369. Eileen Meyer Russell can be reached at 512-863-1732.
The 30th Brown Symposium
The 30th Brown Symposium will be held April 3-4 in The Alma Thomas Theater, located in The Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center. This year's theme is “Umwelt: Exploring the Self-Worlds of Human and Non-Human Animals,” based on an influential paper by Jakob von Uexkull (1934) who argued that to truly understand animal behavior, one must appreciate the animal's “umwelt” or self-world. Presentations by four speakers and an art exhibition will reflect on how humans can experience the self-worlds of species other than our own. This year's speakers and featured artist will be:
- Dr. Diane Ackerman, writer and poet, author of The Zookeeper’s Wife and An Alchemy of Mind.
- Dr. Christopher W. Clark, Imogene Powers Johnson director of the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and senior scientist in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior.
- Dr. David Fogel, president and chief executive officer of Natural Selection, Inc.
- Dr. Michael S. Gazzaniga, professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
- Rudy Pozzatti, artist and distinguished professor emeritus of fine arts at Indiana University.
Online registration is open until March 21. For more information, contact Sue Smith.
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS:
President Jake B. Schrum Receives Award
President Jake B. Schrum ’68 was awarded the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) CEO Award for District IV, which includes Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. The CEO Awards were created in 1999 to recognize leaders of CASE-member institutions for taking exceptional initiative to promote and support education. Nominees must show excellent skills in articulating their vision and leading others to achieve it, in establishing positive images for their institutions while leading them toward higher levels of success, in increasing their institutions' stature within the community, and in encouraging innovation and entrepreneurial among employees. Nominees must actively and supportively participate in key advancement efforts.
Southwestern Recognized for Community Service
Southwestern University is one of only three colleges and universities in Texas that have been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for 2007. Click here to read more.
Southwestern Receives Funds to LaunchCenterfor HispanicStudies
Southwestern University has received $268,000 in government funds that will be used to launch a new Center for Hispanic Studies. The center will be run in partnership with the National Hispanic Institute (NHI), which is based in Maxwell, Texas. Southwestern graduate Ernest Nieto ’64 is the director of that institute, which has conducted leadership programs for Hispanic youth nationwide since 1979. Its programs include the Young Leaders Conference for 9th graders, the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session for 10th graders and the Collegiate World Series for 11th graders. One of the goals of the new center will be to conduct research on the effectiveness of programs that are designed to prepare Hispanic youth for college, including those run by NHI. Click here to learn more.
Grant Funds Summer Interns To Work with Victims of DomesticViolence
Southwestern University has received a $66,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to fund a summer intern program that will enable students to work with victims of domestic violence. During the summer of 2008, 10 students will work for agencies committed to addressing the epidemic of domestic violence. The students will help answer domestic violence emergency hotlines, provide care to children living at domestic violence shelters, work with law enforcement officials to provide support to victims, teach English as a second language to victims, assist agencies with grant writing efforts, and help with public awareness campaigns such as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Click here to read more.
Pirate Athletics
Have you checked out the Pirate Athletics Web site lately? If not, visit www.southwesternpirates.com for the latest news.
Men's Basketball: Three SU men's basketball players reached double-digits in scoring as the Pirates won a crucial Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
game against Hendrix College on Saturday (Feb. 16) in Georgetown, TX by a score of 80-79. The Pirates are tied for fourth in the Western Division. The
SCAC conference tournament takes place from Feb. 29 through March 2 in Conway, Arkansas.
Women's Basketball: The strong inside play of Beth Thomas (Houston, TX/Clear Lake HS) helped pave the way for a big SCAC win for the
Southwestern University women's basketball team as they defeated Hendrix College 60-50 in Georgetown, TX on Saturday (Feb. 16) evening in the final
home game of the season. They are on the road for a pair of games on Feb. 22-24, before the conference tournament at the end of February.
Swimming and Diving: The SU men's and women's swimming and diving teams posted fifth and ninth place showing at the Southern Collegiate Athletic
Conference Championships that concluded on Saturday (Feb. 16) in Southlake, TX.
SU Home 
1001 E University