V8.13 NEWS FROM SU

News from SU (Vol. 8 No. 13)
Nov. 20, 2006
An Electronic Newsletter for Southwestern Alumni

Happy Thanksgiving!

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FEATURED STORIES:
Meet "Captain Ruter," the Official Pirate Mascot
One for the Books: "The Story of Southwestern"

ALUMNI NEWS:
Register Your Alumni Connection Group
Attention, Williamson County Alumni!
Look at What's Happening in Houston
Dallas Association to be Launched
Washington, D.C. Association to Host I-35 Happy Hour
2007 Reunion Classes
Class Notes Spotlight
Perfect Holiday Gifts

LIFELONG LEARNING:
"Chinese Painting Exhibit"
Theatre Performance: "Durang, Durang"
New Mexico Road Scholars Event Details
Brown Symposium XXIX: Who Do We Think We Are?!
Alumni Choir to Perform in New York City
Career Services News

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS:
Construction to Start on New Residential Center
Southwestern Continues to Have Major Impact on Local Economy
Writer's Voice Series Brings Former Poet Laureate to Southwestern
What's New in Pirate Athletics
Who's Who from SU

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
"Durang, Durang" Performance – Nov. 29-Dec. 3
Houston Happy Hour – Nov. 30
Washington, D.C. Happy Hour  – Dec. 5
Southwestern Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent – Dec. 7
New Mexico Road Scholars Event – Dec. 9
Houston Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent – Dec. 12
Dallas Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent – Dec. 14
Recognition Ceremony for Candidates and Graduates – Dec. 17
SU Connections: Metroplex – Jan. 5, 2007
Volunteer Leadership Weekend – Jan. 19-20, 2007
Brown Symposium – March 5-6, 2007

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FEATURED STORIES
Meet "Captain Ruter," the Official Pirate Mascot
On Nov. 14, 1916, Southwestern University adopted the Pirate as the University's official mascot. To help celebrate 90 years of Pirate athletics, the University officially named the mascot "Captain Ruter," in honor of Martin Ruter, founder of Rutersville College. Over 100 suggestions were submitted by students, faculty, staff and alumni. The other two finalists were: Captain Ruter, Sir Jack and Uncle Buc. The winning name was announced during halftime of the basketball game Saturday, Nov. 18, when the Pirates take on Texas Lutheran University. Happy Birthday, Captain Ruter!

One for the Books: "The Story of Southwestern"
The Association of Southwestern University Alumni (ASUA) thanks the nearly 1300 alumni and friends that returned to Southwestern for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, "The Story of Southwestern." With record breaking numbers, a happening Alumni Hospitality House and a new honorary alumnus, Southwestern will not be the same post-Homecoming 2006. Thank you to all of the alumni volunteers who helped make each reunion special, and a special thanks goes to Homecoming and Reunion Alumni Chair Stephanie Arsenault ’02. Check out some highlights from the weekend!

ASUA Awards Presentation
The ASUA paid tribute to some of its finest members at the Association of Southwestern University Alumni Awards Presentation. Recipients included:
    William B. Jones ’06 - Honorary Alumnus.
    Ray Dean Page ’84 -Citation of Merit.
    John C. Schmidt ’61 - Citation of Merit.
    Sara Alvis Daly ’95 - Young Alumna Achievement Award.
    Marisela Treviño Orta ’99 - Young Alumna Achievement Award.
    David Gaines - Mr. Homecoming.
    Selma Teinert - Pearl A. Neas Award.

Alumnus and His Band Play at the Homecoming Picnic
If you missed Eric Hanke ’01 and his band play at the Homecoming Picnic, you are in luck. You can see Hanke in concert! Check out his upcoming performances at http://www.erichankeband.com.

Parade and SING! Winners Announced
There was tough competition for student organizations during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. The ASUA and Student Foundation wish to congratulate the following groups who participated in SING! and the Homecoming Parade, "Once Upon a Time..."

SING! 2006 Winners
1st Place: Zeta Tau Alpha
2nd Place: Alpha Delta Pi
3rd Place: EBONY

Homecoming Parade Winners
Grand Champion: Sigma Phi Lambda
Most Entertaining: Alumni Council, The Association of Southwestern University Alumni
Most Enthusiastic: Alpha Xi Delta

Homecoming and Reunion Weekend : The Story Continues...
The ASUA would like reports on the Homecoming and Reunion Weekend events that you attended! What happened? Who was there? What did you learn? Any special moments? The ASUA will run selected submissions in the first Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Megaphone. Submit your news to alumni@southwestern.edu.

Drawing Winner Announced
The ASUA is pleased to announce that Rana Afeiche ’96 is the winner of the Homecoming and Reunion Weekend drawing! Afeiche receives two free plane tickets to anywhere in the continental United States. Congratulations, Rana!

Mark your calendar for 2007! Homecoming and Reunion Weekend is scheduled for Nov. 2-4, 2007.


ALUMNI NEWS
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, then you are eligible to 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. E-mail alumni@southwestern.edu for an affiliation form and more information.

Attention, Williamson County Alumni!
The ASUA is pleased to announce that alumni in the Williamson County 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! An Organizational Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. in the Lynda Ballroom of the Red & Charline McCombs Campus Center at Southwestern University. (View campus map.) At this meeting several topics will be on the agenda, including:

•  An overview of the ASUA local association program.
•  Title of the local association.
•  Officer elections for the five positions available.
•  Brainstorming of program/event ideas.

Elected officers will be invited to attend Volunteer Leadership Weekend, scheduled for Jan. 19-20, 2007, at Southwestern University. This is a great opportunity for officers to network with other alumni, learn from other local association officers and receive training. For more information, contact Megan Radison at radisonm@southwestern.edu or 512-863-1486.

Look at What's Happening in Houston
A happy hour is scheduled for Nov. 30, at the Cotton Exchange Bar and Lounge (202 Travis Street), from 6-8 p.m. While you are there, pick up a Southwestern University Alumni T-shirt for $12 each. Mark your calendar for "A Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent," scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Rev. Jim Bankston ’70 will give the service, while Rob Phillips ’93 will direct music by the Clear Lake High School Choir. RSVP for the Candlelight Service by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@southwestern.edu or 1-800-960-6363.Your Houston officers want to know your ideas for Association activities. Complete the Houston Association Survey. Don't forget to check out the Houston Association Web site for a list of scheduled events and photos from previous gatherings.

Dallas Association to be Launched
The Dallas Association of Southwestern University Alumni officers will be installed at their first official event, "A Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent," scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m., at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church (9200 Inwood Rd.). Mark your calendar and join us for this inaugural event! Officers include Steve Cotton ’77, president; Meredith Morgan ’97, programming chair; David Leggett ’97, membership chair; and, Ryan LaMountain ’04, communications chair. RSVP by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@southwestern.edu or 1-800-960-6363. Check out the Dallas Association Web site for updates on events.

Washington, D.C. Association to Host I-35 Happy Hour
Attention, Washington, D.C. Alumni! Do you think fondly of your years in Central Texas? If so, you are not alone! The Washington, D.C. Association of Southwestern University Alumni and the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the St. Edward's University Alumni Association are getting together for an I-35 happy hour event. Meet up with old friends and make new ones Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006, from 5:30-8 p.m. at Cafe Asia (1720 I Street NW, DC 20006). RSVP by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@southwestern.edu or 1-800-960-6363. Check out the Washington, D.C. Association Web site for updates on future events.

Attention, 2007 Reunion Classes!
Are you searching for an excuse to gather friends together? Has it been a while since you have visited Southwestern? Will you be celebrating a reunion in 2007? The Office of Alumni Relations is looking for volunteers to coordinate and plan 2007 reunions! Identified volunteers will be invited to attend the Volunteer Leadership Weekend, Jan. 19-20, 2007, for training and planning. We are looking for volunteers to form Reunion Planning Committees from the following classes:

Class of 1957 (50th Reunion) - Three confirmed volunteers.
Class of 1962 (45th Reunion) - Two confirmed volunteers.
Class of 1967 (40th Reunion) - Five confirmed volunteers.
Class of 1972 (35th Reunion) - One confirmed volunteer.
Class of 1977 (30th Reunion)
Class of 1982 (25th Reunion) - One confirmed volunteer.
Class of 1987 (20th Reunion) - One confirmed volunteer.
Class of 1992 (15th Reunion) - Three confirmed volunteers.
Class of 1997 (10th Reunion) - Six confirmed volunteers.
Class of 2002 (5th Reunion) - Four confirmed volunteers.

Interested? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations by calling 1-800-960-6363 or e-mailing alumni@southwestern.edu. If you know someone who would be a great Reunion Planning Committee member, we want to know that, too!

Class Notes Spotlight
Have you heard? Ashley Moore ’04is completing a master’s degree in forensic psychology at Marymount University in Washington, D.C. She works as an analyst in the Exploited Child Unit of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. See what your classmates are up to by visiting Class Notes online. While you are there, submit your own class note!

Perfect Holiday Gifts
Are you still looking for perfect holiday gifts? Give the gift of Southwestern! The Office of Alumni Relations has several novelty items for sale. One cherished item is the Cullen Keepsake Ornament. Each ornament costs $10 (includes tax), plus $1.50 for shipping and handling. Click here to view the Cullen Keepsake Ornament. Also, if you did not pick up "The Story of Southwestern: A Collection of Alumni Stories," at Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, it's not too late! Copies of the booklet are $5 each (including tax), plus $3 for shipping and handling. Finally, cookbooks ($5) and aprons ($3), plus shipping and handling, are still available. Stop by the Alumni Center (Roy and Lillie Cullen Building, Second Floor) or call the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-960-6363 to make your purchase!


LIFELONG LEARNING
As stated in its Core Values, Southwestern University promotes lifelong learning and a passion for intellectual and personal growth. Learn more about upcoming lifelong learning opportunities by visiting www.sugrads.org.

"Chinese Painting Exhibit"
The Art Department welcomes alumni to visit "Chinese Painting Exhibit," displaying scrolls from the National Palace Museum in Taipei. This exhibit will be on display Nov. 10-Dec. 6, in the Fine Arts Gallery of The Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center. (Hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 2-5 p.m.)

Theatre Performance: "Durang, Durang"
The Southwestern University Theatre Department invites you to attend "Durang, Durang" by Christopher Durang. These inventive, imaginative and hilarious one-act plays full of audacious originality and brilliant parody come from one of America's funniest and most outrageous and eccentric playwrights. "Durang, Durang" delivers a pungent potpourri of biting satire, dark comedy and clever parody crammed into a compilation guaranteed to shock both sense and sensibility. Don't miss this dizzying tour of Durang's audacious world. Performances are scheduled for Nov. 29-Dec. 3, in the Jesse and Mary Gibbs Jones Theatre of The Alma Thomas Fine Arts Center. Wednesday and Thursday performances will begin at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday performances will begin at 8 p.m., while Sunday performances will begin at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. When available, purchase your tickets online.

New Mexico Road Scholars Event Details
Join us in Socorro, N.M., Saturday, Dec. 9, for A Guided Tour of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, presented by David Gaines, associate professor of English and director of the Paideia® Program. This Road Scholars Event is hosted by Jon ’67 and Janet Lott Morrison ’68, with special guest President Jake B. Schrum ’68. The event will begin at 2:30 p.m. with a welcome, followed by the wildlife viewing. The Road Scholar presentation will commence after the viewing. To attend, please RSVP by Friday, Dec. 1, to the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-960-6363 or alumni@southwestern.edu.

Brown Symposium XXIX: Who Do We Think We Are?!
What are humans in relationship to the many other animals with whom we share the Earth? Religious and philosophical traditions alike have addressed this question in myriad ways and arrived at countless answers. Scientists and ethicists continually grapple with this problem as our choices and actions contribute to the extinction of species after species. While we often live in harmony with other animals, we also experiment on them, mass produce them for food, use them for entertainment and encroach on their habitats. We live constrained by the deep-seeded foundational dualism - “us” and “them” - that we are human and they are animals. But we are all animals, inexorably interconnected. So this symposium (re)asks, “Who Do We Think We Are?!”

Open to the public without charge, the Brown Symposium XXIX is scheduled for March 5-6, 2007. Featured speakers include Paul Waldau, Inés Talamantez, Alice Walker and Marc Bekoff. Click here to view the schedule. Register online! The 29th symposium in the series,“Who Do We Think We Are?!,” has been developed by Laura Hobgood-Oster, associate professor of religion, chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department and holder of the Elizabeth Root Paden Chair in Religion. The symposium is funded through an endowment established by The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston.

Alumni Invited to Perform in New York City
Interested in singing at Carnegie Hall? Kenny Sheppard, professor of music, will conduct the Southwestern University Chorale, Alumni Choir, Chorus Austin and San Gabriel Chorale in a performance of the Lord Nelson Mass, May 26, 2007, at 8 p.m. The travel dates for the group are May 23-27, 2007. Non-performers may participate in the travel packages. Contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations for more information.

Career Services News
Could your organization use a bright, talented student as an intern? Consider recruiting at Southwestern's Internship Connections Fair in February. For more information, please click here.


CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
Construction to Start on New Residential Center
Construction will start this month on a new residential center that will enable Southwestern to move toward its strategic goal of having 95 percent of its students live on campus. The complex will be built adjacent to the existing Grogan and Betty Lord Residential Center between 8th Street and Southwestern Boulevard on the north side of campus. Total cost of the project is estimated to be $5.5 million. Southwestern raised $1 million for the project from private donors and the remainder will be financed by revenue bonds. Donors to the project include the Grogan Lord Foundation of Georgetown, Jack Blanton of Houston, Frank and Louise Carvey of Fort Worth and Red and Genevieve Caldwell of Amarillo. Click here to read more.

Southwestern Continues to Have Major Impact on Local Economy
Southwestern University had an estimated direct economic impact of nearly $94 million on the Georgetown-Williamson County area in 2005-2006, according to figures released last month by the Office of Fiscal Affairs. This was an increase of more than $3 million from the estimated 2004-2005 economic impact of $90.5 million. Click here to read more.

Writer's Voice Series Brings Former Poet Laureate to Southwestern
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky was the featured speaker at the 2006 Writer's Voice series sponsored by the A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library at Southwestern University, held Nov. 8. Pinsky was Poet Laureate and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1997-2000. His first two terms as Poet Laureate were marked by such dynamism and enthusiasm that the Library of Congress appointed him to an unprecedented third term. As Poet Laureate, Pinsky founded the Favorite Poem Project, in which thousands of Americans shared their favorite poems. The original anthologies, Americans' Favorite Poems and Poems to Read, include letters from project participants and became best-sellers. Read more about the 2006 Writer's Voice Presenter.

What's New in Pirate Athletics
There is great news on the Pirate front! Three members of the women's soccer team were named on the SCAC All-Conference Team, including Laura Kromann ’10 (Newcomer of the Year), Lindsey Abel ’07 and Casey Grier ’09. Jameson Otto ’07 is headed to the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship after placing 10th at the South/Southeast Regional. Several athletic teams finished the season with winning records. The Southwestern University men's and women's cross country teams traveled to Atlanta, Ga. for the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regionals Nov. 11. Plus, the Southwestern University volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Division III Regional Semifinals but fell to rival Trinity Nov. 10. The women's soccer team ended with a winning season, while the men's soccer team finished with their best season while in the SCAC! Have you checked out the new Pirate athletics Web site? If not, visit www.southwesternpirates.com for the latest news on Pirate athletics.

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.

• Delilah Dominguez ’09 – Sophomore Student.
• J. Michael Cooper – Associate Professor of Music and Margarett Root Brown Chair of Fine Arts.
• Katherine O'Dell – Slide Librarian.
• Karen Harton ’01 – Alumna.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
"Durang, Durang" Performance – Nov. 29-Dec. 3
Houston Happy Hour – Nov. 30
Washington, D.C. Happy Hour  – Dec. 5
Southwestern Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent – Dec. 7
New Mexico Road Scholars Event – Dec. 9
Houston Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent – Dec. 12
Dallas Candlelight Service for the Season of Advent – Dec. 14
Recognition Ceremony for Candidates and Graduates – Dec. 17
SU Connections: Metroplex – Jan. 5, 2007
Volunteer Leadership Weekend – Jan. 19-20, 2007
Brown Symposium – March 5-6, 2007