Alumni E-Newsletter – May 2005
In This Issue:
Alumni Happenings
From our Campuses
Stetson in the News
Sports Spotlight
Faculty Memories
Alumni Opportunities
600 Come
'Home' to Stetson for Homecoming 2005
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| Will Oliver '80 shared this photo from Homecoming Sunday. He was taking pictures of Holler Fountain when a bicyclist on an antique bike just happened to pedal by. |
Peter
Matulis ’94 and his wife, Amy, got into the Homecoming spirit with
green-and-white balloon hats and cotton candy at the Mad Hatter Mainstreet
Block Party.
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Stetson alumni, students, faculty and staff took over Indiana Avenue in downtown DeLand for the first annual Mad Hatter Mainstreet Block Party during Homecoming 2005. A rock band, The Big Idea, kept the party going for hours. Students welcomed alumni "home" with green and white leis, and kids of all ages were entertained with balloon hats, a stilt-walker, caricature artist and races in a giant, inflated bungee run. The Homecoming King and Queen were crowned, and Alumni Board members announced the 2005 Legacy Cup winners - Pi Kappa Phi and Pi Beta Phi.
Homecoming 2005 was a huge success, with more than 600 alumni and family members participating. Highlights included a Party on the Porch at the President's Home, three baseball games against the University of Central Florida, and reunions for the classes of 1955, 1980, 1995, 2000 and 2004. Alumni reconnected with classmates and favorite professors during the weekend, April 1-3. Dr. John "Laddie" Buckingham '55 won the week-long resort vacation provided by Cendant Travel. Congratulations, Dr. B!
The Daytona Beach News-Journal provided coverage on the importance of alumni support to Stetson, the Block Party and "famous" alumni. Read the stories at www.news-journalonline.com/liblink/040605stetson1.htm and www.news-journalonline.com/liblink/040605stetson2.htm.
Alumni Awards Announced at Homecoming
Recipients of the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Awards:
Winners of this year's Outstanding Young Alumni Awards:
The 2005 Doyle E. Carlton Award recipient:
Music Board Members, Alumni Gather in Asheville, N.C.
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| Alumni, from left, Music Board member Dorothy Peterson Johnson, MA ’66, Ellen Yaxley Raab ’45, Alumni Board member Ellen Kirby Winner ’74 and George Lycan ’63 attended the alumni event at the Asheville (N.C.) Renaissance Hotel. |
Alumni from the Asheville, N.C., area and School of Music Board of Advisors members met at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel for an alumni event on April 15. President Doug Lee and his wife, Margaret, attended, along with Dean of the School of Music Jim Woodward and his wife, Kathie. Alumni and friends shared memories of their Stetson experience, and the Music Board had a successful meeting in Black Mountain that weekend.
Columbia, S.C., Area Alums Share Stetson Stories
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| Alumni and their spouses, from left, Arch Martin ’82, Janice Jones Mizelle ’64, Albert Mizelle, Catherine Eller Martin ’83, Alan Davis ’72, MA ’74, Dick Thirlwell ’59, Joseph Slade ’60 and Mary Slade met in downtown Columbia, S.C., for an alumni event. |
Alumni Board member Alan Davis '72 hosted area alumni in downtown Columbia, S.C., on April 17. Attendees were excited about the number of fellow Hatters who reside in and around Columbia and hope to have more events in the future. The group met for more than two hours, sharing Stetson stories and receiving an update on campus happenings.
Where in
the World Do You Wear Your Stetson Green?
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| Gaida Gomez Zirkelbach '00, JD/MBA '03, at left with Buddy, and Casey Clark ’00, with Maple, helped raise money for the Humane Society of Broward County at the Walk for the Animals in March. |
Alumna Casey Clark '00 showed her Stetson spirit - on her pants leg - while participating in the "Walk for the Animals" benefit for the Humane Society of Broward County. She and fellow alumna Gaida Gomez Zirkelbach '00, JD/MBA '03, took Gaida's dogs, Buddy and Maple, on the walk through downtown Fort Lauderdale.
You just never know where you’ll run into a Stetson alum. Though she doesn’t have a photo of the occasion, alumna Jenn Messina Babore '98 shared a story about running into fellow alum Eric Jahrmann ’98, MBA ’00 at the Grand Canyon. "I was wearing my Stetson T-shirt at a store in Grand Canyon National Park," she said. "A man walked up to me and asked if I went to Stetson University. I looked up and realized I had gone to school with this person. I said, 'You're Eric!'"
Have you been photographed wearing a Stetson T-shirt or sweatshirt? We'd like to get a copy for use in a university publication. Be sure to tell us when and where you were, and include the names of the people in the picture. Also, please give us your full name (including maiden name) and year of graduation.
Send printed photos to Karla Gort, associate director of Alumni Relations, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8257, DeLand, FL 32723, or e-mail electronic copies to alumni@stetson.edu. Digitized photos in .tif format should be a high resolution scan (at least 300 dots per inch). Photos will not be returned.
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina Lead in Alumni Numbers
The Office of Alumni Relations keeps in touch with more than 25,000 alumni worldwide. It's no surprise the state of Florida has the most in the United States, with 12,403. But did you know Stetson has alumni in every state, in Washington, D.C., and in Puerto Rico? Check the map to see how many fellow Hatters you can call "neighbor." The top 10 states are shaded.
602 Earn Degrees at Spring Commencement
Years of hard work were rewarded this month when 602 students received degrees at spring commencement ceremonies at the DeLand campus and at the College of Law in Gulfport.
In DeLand, 380 students earned bachelor's degrees and 62 students earned master's degrees in ceremonies May 6-7. U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, was the speaker and also received an Honorary Doctor of Public Administration degree.
At the College of Law on May 14, 160 students graduated, including nine who received the Master of Laws degree in International Law and Business. Twenty students earned both the Juris Doctor and MBA degrees. Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals was the speaker.
Stetson graduates will now go out into the world for a wide range of adventures and professional pursuits. Among the graduates' plans: an internship in London through the University of Cambridge; a job with Citibank Smith Barney in Boca Raton; a job-hunting trip to China; film school at the University of California-Davis; a position as youth director at Trinity United Methodist Church in DeLand; a six-month trip to Australia; and an accounting position with Keyes & Strange CPA in Daytona Beach.
Undergraduate Admissions for Class of '09 More Selective
Applications for admission to Stetson are up for the third year in a row. Last year, the University broke the 2,000-mark for the first time and, this year, Stetson already has 2,733 applications.
Admissions for the Class of 2009 are more selective, too, with 67 percent accepted this year compared to 76 percent last year, and that will improve the quality of the incoming class, said Deborah Thompson, vice president for Enrollment Management. Average SAT scores are up as well. The University is anticipating a 2 percent increase in diversity over last year's freshman/transfer class. Stetson celebrated its biggest-ever Accepted Student Preview Day on April 23, with 363 students coming from 22 states.
Stetson Home Page Gets Makeover
Take a look at Stetson's newly redesigned home page: www.stetson.edu. The new color palate matches the brick of Elizabeth Hall and coordinates with the University's Admissions Marketing Campaign. It also features a clean and simple layout with bold photos and quotes that convey key strengths of the Stetson experience. In coming weeks, many pages on the site will take on the fresh new look as work continues on pages beyond the home page.
The makeover was a collaboration between Media Services, several students and Stetson's Web Team. "Hits" on the website are up 28 percent from last year - and they came from 179 countries and territories around the world in 2004. The University has more than 20,000 viewable web pages.
Dr. Leonard Nance Named Dean of First Year Studies
Dr.
Leonard Nance, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since 1999
and a member of the faculty since 1989, has been named to a newly created position
- dean of First Year Studies. He will continue as the University's adviser on
diversity and chair of the Diversity Council.
As dean, Nance will oversee students' movement from enrollment until the beginning of their sophomore year. Programs designed to support and retain new and transfer students, including New Student Orientation and Advising, will fall under his leadership.
College
of Law Wins World Championship
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| Law students Burks Smith III '02 and Kathryn Harrigan Christian '02, both Stetson undergraduate alumni, were part of the championship team. |
Stetson College of Law became the first American law school since 1996 to win the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition, held in March in Vienna, Austria. Teams from 150 law schools in 47 countries competed. Stetson defeated the University of Vienna in the final round, winning the prestigious Frédéric Eisemann Award. At the competition, law students presented arguments on a hypothetical international business dispute.
The championship team included law students Katherine Hurst, Ryan Jones, Megan Schultz, Burks Smith III '02 and Tom Yaegers, with Kathryn Harrigan Christian '02 assisting on the memoranda. Both Smith and Christian are Stetson undergraduate alumni.
Stetson plans to start construction this summer on six new DeLand campus residence halls. University officials have signed an agreement with Collegiate Development Services of Irving, Texas, to design and build the facilities with an expected occupancy for the fall 2006 semester.
The buildings, which will be designed to complement the campus' mostly traditional architectural style, will be constructed on land already owned by Stetson and will house 335 residents. One structure, a 119-bed traditional residence hall, will be at Arizona and Bay streets. The other five will be apartment-style residences with 216 bed spaces. This complex of small buildings will be just west of Garfield Avenue between Michigan and Ohio avenues.
Students Capture Fourth Win at National Investments Competition
For the fourth time, Stetson's Roland George Investments Program took top honors this spring in a student portfolio competition at the University of Dayton's Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) Symposium. The Stetson team placed first in the Fixed Income Management category.
Dr. Larry Belcher, director of the Roland and Sarah George Investments Institute, accompanied the team: seniors Gerri Catha, DeBary; Nicole Galinat, Ocala; Jason Buser, Melbourne; and B.J. (William) Gilcher, Fort Myers. The fixed income portion of the George portfolio is valued at $1.36 million and earned a 5-percent return in 2004. The entire portfolio is worth $2.8 million.
Stetson Faculty Accomplishments
College of Law Ties as Top American Advocacy School
Stetson College of Law has once again tied as the best school in the nation for trial advocacy training in the 2006 graduate school rankings from U.S. News & World Report. The magazine also recognized Stetson's legal research and writing program, which tied for third in the nation.
Smiling Through Obstacles
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES ---- Chad Gordon of Carrollwood is visually impaired, he can't write legibly and he uses a wheelchair because of the cerebral palsy he's had since infancy. But that didn't stop him from graduating with honors from Stetson on May 7. He earned a bachelor's degree in English. An anonymous donor provided $60,000 for Gordon's four years at the University after reading about him in the newspaper. "What I'll remember the most," Gordon said, "is all the wonderful relationships. Everyone is so caring and willing to help me."
Stetson Reopens Gillespie Museum of Minerals
ORLANDO SENTINEL ---- After being closed for renovations for more than a year, Stetson's Gillespie Museum of Minerals celebrated its grand reopening in February. Highlights of the renovations include a new environmental room with Florida specimens, a display of dog-tooth calcite pieces from Crystal River, a new gift shop and a redesigned indoor cave room. The 2,200 square foot museum is the only one in Florida dedicated solely to the display of gems and minerals.
Copious Notes on Key for Recital Exam
DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL ---- Senior recitals for Music majors are the ultimate final exam. Stetson senior Jeremy Robins had an extra dose of pressure at his public performance in April, because the composer of a piece he performed on his saxophone was in the audience. World-renowned Karel Husa, 83, reacted positively to Robins' performance of "Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Concert Band." Robins essentially took a piece written for a band and compacted it into a chamber number, with his saxophone accompanied by a pianist and two percussionists.
The New Pope, Benedict XVI
WESH/CHANNEL 2 ORLANDO ---- Pope Benedict XVI is likely to be popular with conservative Catholics, but less popular with moderate and liberal Catholics who are looking for a more socially progressive agenda, Stetson Religious Studies Professor Phil Lucas said in a TV interview the day the new pope was selected. In a news story that also featured the Rev. Patrick Caverly of the Orlando Diocese of the Catholic Church, Lucas said Pope Benedict XVI would likely continue Pope John Paul II's strong stand against artificial birth control and has many views in common with U.S. President George W. Bush.
Stetson Earns First Appearance at NCAA Basketball Tourney
The
women's basketball team did Stetson proud at the 2005 NCAA Division I Women's
Basketball Championship in Knoxville, Tenn. The Hatters earned an automatic
bid after claiming the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship title. Stetson was
one of five teams making first-ever NCAA Tournament appearances. The 16th-seeded
Hatters ended the season with a 17-14 record after falling to No. 1 Louisiana
State University in the first round of the championship. The game aired live
on ESPN on March 20.
The team's success gave Stetson national exposure on ESPN and extensive coverage across Florida. Player Kristy Brown did an interview explaining "What is a Hatter?" for The Tennessean and Sports Illustrated on Campus selected Stetson's pep band as "Best Band" in the women's tournament.
Student-Athletes Score in the Classroom
Stetson's 255 athletes continue to shine as students, as well. Fifty-three percent earned academic honors this year, and their fall semester GPA averaged 2.89 - exactly the same as the entire student body. The most recent NCAA graduation rate of 66.7 percent for student-athletes is higher than the general student population's graduation rate at Stetson (63 percent).
The University scored 973 points out of a possible 1,000 on a new NCAA academic measuring tool, the Academic Progress Rate (APR). That places Stetson 50th in the nation among Division I schools and above all other colleges in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Three Elected to Stetson Athletics Hall of Fame
Three former student-athletes were inducted into the Stetson University Hall of Fame in April. They are:
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Atlantic Sun Baseball Tournament Tickets Now on Sale
Tickets are now on sale for the 2005 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Championship, to be hosted by Stetson May 25-28 at Melching Field at Conrad Park. Come watch the top six teams in the conference compete for the A-Sun Championship and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Single-day tickets are $8 for general admission, $12 for reserved seats. A tournament pass for all four days is $30 general, $40 reserved. To order tickets, call the Hatter Ticket Office at (386) 738-HATS (4287) or stop by Edmunds Center during business hours. Visa and Mastercard accepted.
We asked you for funny, sweet or poignant stories about your favorite Stetson professors - and we got them. Here's a sampling. We'll print more in future editions of H@tmail. Send your "Faculty Memory," along with your full name (including maiden name) and year of graduation, to alumni@stetson.edu.
The professor: Rick Medlin,
Psychology
The story, submitted by Laura McLeod Caruso '97: I did not expect Child
Psychology to be a particularly funny course, but Dr. Medlin made me laugh out
loud during several classes. My favorite memory is of the lecture he gave about
crying. He explained that babies had different cries to signal different problems
and told us how the cries differed. While this was interesting, it didn't hit
home until he demonstrated. Listening to Dr. Medlin cry like a baby repeatedly
was hysterical! He even had appropriate facial expressions to accompany the
cries. Now when my newborn wails, I think back to that class (wishing I remembered
the distinctions) and it always makes me smile.
The professor: Rob Brady,
Philosophy
Submitted by Christopher J. Howard '95: Dr. Brady, who recently passed
away, gave me a true gift. He was my "sensei," or teacher, while I
studied at Stetson and began my journey into Judo (translated as the Gentle
Way). At a time when I was not as psychologically strong, he gave me a path,
an art and encouragement that continues to this day. What he taught me was about
warrior spirit -- the strength, skill and speed to navigate life's challenges.
As a role model, he conveyed the idea that one person can make a huge difference
in the lives of others. I am one of those lives who was touched by his work.
I carry his message of humility, as well as power, into my interactions with
others to date. He taught me about community and about mutual benefit. He taught
me that I am worth defending and that I can defend myself. He taught me that
receptivity is just as powerful as force, and that balance is the key to a healthy
life. What I understand now is that, as individuals, we must take care of our
physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. We are responsible for meeting
the various needs of ourselves, and it is best done in the context of community.
As we learn to receive from the community we naturally have gratitude. We become
oriented toward service when we realize the powerful need that is met when we
feel supported, when we belong.
In February, I placed second at an international Judo tournament in San Jose, Calif., thanks to Dr. Brady's gift. I dedicated my tournament to Dr. Brady as it was "The Sensei Memorial Tournament." How often do we honor the legacy of those who have come before us? It has been said that the spirit of the dead will survive in the memory of the living. May Dr. Brady's legacy continue to contribute to my life as well as others who had the opportunity to know such an interesting man.
The professors: Leon E. Braxton,
Modern Languages, and Harold Schultz, History
Submitted by Ned B. Ricks '68: Where do I begin? In Mr. Braxton's German
classes, he taught us "Braxton's rules" that were so simple compared
with those in the textbooks. He would say, "If you don't know the German
word, try to make one up; the Germans do that!" When I was stationed in
Germany with the Army late in the 1960s, I lived in a small German community
for awhile and got along in the language. My German was limited but, with the
good will of the locals, I could communicate using "Braxton's rules."
Dr. Harold Schultz was my absolute favorite professor at Stetson. I think I
took every class he offered at one time or another, especially in English history,
which I still love. He was also a Stetson faculty member on one of the Summer
in Sussex programs, so I got to know him and his wife better. Great folks! He
would try to paint the whole picture of what was going on at the time of a historical
happening. He would say, "History is only current events in the past tense."
Those are only two among a dozen or so that come to mind right now.
The professor: Byron Gibson,
English
Submitted by George Shriver '53: I was so impressed with the Shakespeare
course taught by Dr. Gibson that one day I walked with him from class and commented
that there were so many wonderful lines from the plays that could be quoted
in sermons. Without batting an eye, he said: "Have you thought of reading
the Bible?"
Online Giving an Easy Way to Participate in Annual Fund Drive
Alumnus Bill Newsome '74 was attending a scientific conference in Helsinki, Finland, when he received an e-mail from Stetson asking him to consider a year-end gift to the University's Annual Fund for Scholarships campaign. Dr. Newsome, professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, wanted to participate before the May 31 deadline. Knowing he could not mail a gift back to the United States in time, he made his contribution over the Internet, using Stetson's secure online giving Web site.
Online giving started at Stetson in December 2003 and has grown in popularity because it's fast and easy, said Nathaniel Lemmon, associate director of Annual Giving. Already this year, Stetson has received 74 gifts via the Internet, totaling nearly $15,000. "It's an easy way for the donor to contribute," Lemmon said.
The current Annual Fund campaign is in its last two weeks. Join your classmates and friends to help Stetson reach its $2.3 million goal. Give online by visiting www.stetson.edu/give and using the convenient online giving form or call (386) 822-7455 to make a donation by credit card over the phone.
Wanted: Stetson Memorabilia
Got any Stetson memorabilia tucked away in your closet? Why not donate it to the University? The Archives is looking for all things Stetson, especially team uniforms, sports equipment and other memorabilia, fraternity or sorority items, club memorabilia, scrapbooks and diaries, and Stetson hats and hat boxes. Your donation will be carefully preserved and, at times, displayed for special events.
The duPont-Ball Library has set up a Web page at http://helmet.stetson.edu/library/alumni/ with information on donating memorabilia. The library's other services for alumni are also listed.
Surplus Yearbooks Free to Alumni
Did you lose your Stetson yearbook in a move - or never have one? The duPont-Ball Library is offering free surplus yearbooks to alumni. Yearbooks are available for the years 1947 through 1997 with the exception of 1956, 1957, 1976, 1982, 1987 and 1993. Contact Susan Ryan, associate director of the Library, at sryan@stetson.edu for your free yearbook.
We Want to Know How Stetson Helped You
Alumni tell us all the time that Stetson made a difference in their lives. Now we're hoping you'll share your story too. We're looking for stories for publication, to share with prospective students and parents and others in the Stetson community.
In 200 words or less, describe how your education and experience at Stetson shaped your professional and/or personal life. Please submit your story to alumni@stetson.edu. Be sure to include your full name (including maiden name) and year of graduation. If your story is selected, it will be used in print and/or on our Web site and we'll contact you for a photo. Your story can really help.
Specialty License Plates, Return Address Labels Available
Florida
residents are encouraged to buy a Stetson University license plate as soon as
possible. The University must have 1,000 new plates purchased or renewed each
year and Stetson needs to sell 300 more by the end of June to continue the tag.
Your Stetson tag is available for an extra $25 at Florida Motor Vehicle offices,
so put a little pride in your drive.
Visit the alumni Web site at www.stetson.edu/administration/alumni/sp.htm to order your Stetson University return address labels. The custom labels include a variety of university landmarks and graphics.
Does your Company have an Internship Program?
Stetson's Office of Career Services is looking for internship opportunities for students. Let us know if your company has an internship program by contacting Career Services at (386) 822-7315 or career@stetson.edu.
Through internships, job shadowing, workshops or career advice, alumni can help fellow alumni and students with career development using Stetson's new Career Network. The network is a free, online database that matches students with alumni for professional opportunities. To participate, register at www.stetson.edu/careernetwork. The registration process is easy, and there is no charge to sign up or be involved in the network. Once you log in, you can enter your own career information to participate in the Career Network and/or search the network to identify contacts in a career field of interest to you. Access to the database is password protected and only accessible to Stetson students and alumni.
List of Student Awards Now Online
Stetson gives more than 115 student awards, recognizing excellence in academics, community service, leadership and commitment to values. A list is now available on the University Web site at www.stetson.edu/library/Student_Awards.html.
Three new awards were added this year:
Don't Let Your Friends Miss Out
As the University moves to more e-mail communication, we need e-mail addresses from all alumni to keep Hatters current on Stetson news and events. If you know classmates or friends who are not receiving this e-newsletter, please encourage them to update their e-mail address and/or other contact information at www.stetson.edu/administration/alumni/sit.htm by clicking on the Alumni Update Form.
From networking opportunities to requesting a transcript to finding a fellow Hatter, the Alumni Association offers a variety of services and programs. For details, visit www.stetson.edu/administration/alumni/sp.htm.
H@tmail is an electronic newsletter to keep Stetson alumni up-to-date, published by the Office of Alumni Relations and the Office of Public Relations and Communications. Questions or comments can be directed to Karla Gort, associate director of Alumni Relations, at kgort@stetson.edu or (386) 822-7482.
To unsubscribe from H@tmail and all University electronic communications, send an e-mail message to kgort@stetson.edu with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.