SUU Alumni

Cedar Bridal Showcase

2012-02-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

The Cedar Bridal Showcase will be Saturday February 25, 2012 at the SUU Alumni House from 11 am until 4 pm. Admission is free, so stop by and check out the fabulous Cedar City wedding vendors. The first 50 Brides through the door will win a two-nights stay. Mark your calendars to be at the Cedar Bridal Showcase.

Terrific Gift for SUMA

2012-02-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

Beverley Taylor Sorenson

Southern Utah University is one step closer to construction for the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), thanks to the Sorenson Legacy Foundation who recently granted $1 million to the SUMA project. This gift brings fundraising for the museum to nearly $9 million in cash and pledges. As the University nears its $12.5 million goal, University officials hope to break ground for SUMA in the near future.

“We are incredibly grateful to Beverley Sorenson and the Sorenson Legacy Foundation for this terrific gift,” stated SUU President Michael Benson. “Beverley’s commitment to arts education and her tireless efforts on behalf of school children everywhere will be evidenced in the daily activities of this magnificent facility.”

SUMA, currently in its final design phases, will be free and open to the public. Its backers see thousands of school children taking in all the museum has to offer on a daily basis. It will also be the only art museum of its caliber in southern Utah.

SUMA is truly unique in its vision, relative to its educational scope, explains dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts, Shauna Mendini. “SUMA will be the first nationally accredited art museum operated by students in an environment mentored by faculty and museum administrators.”

Cathedral Mountain by Jim Jones

Beyond its anticipated role as “a landmark, harboring paintings by southern Utah’s beloved artist, Jim Jones,” Mendini projects “SUMA will serve to inspire and engage our entire community.” Given its unique educational mission, it can also be presumed that SUMA’s success will set a new model for arts administration and museum studies education across the nation.

SUU’s campus is currently home to the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, which has served the campus well for the past 35 years. However, as the University’s arts programming is central to the success of the arts across the community, expanded exhibition areas and learning spaces will go far to more deeply engage arts enthusiasts across the region.

Such an undertaking would have been impossible without the support of forward-thinking arts advocates, such as Beverley Sorenson, who has stepped forward to expand the region’s exposure to and appreciation for the arts.

Reece Summers, director and curator for the Braithwaite Gallery, adds, “This accredited facility will allow us to borrow art from other museums around the world, host major traveling exhibits, as well as showcase art from our permanent collections. Five exhibition galleries and the large educational space will provide year-round changing exhibits and educational programming. In this, this gift truly helps fulfill our vision for SUMA to bring the art of the world to Cedar City.”

With education as its central purpose, the 28,000 square foot Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) promises to become a major regional cultural attraction in Cedar City by providing space to exhibit, collect and preserve historic and contemporary works of art significant to the interior American West. The museum will also host art exhibitions that represent the principal artistic styles and periods of world cultures.

Southern Utah Museum of Art

This state-of-the-art museum will be home to approximately 7,000 square feet of exhibition space composed of several individual galleries. These galleries will host exhibitions from around the world, be home to a special collection of the work by Utah artist, Jim Jones, and feature rotating exhibits from the permanent collections. SUMA will also regularly exhibit work of Southern Utah University’s Art and Design students and faculty, and provide a venue for displaying regional artists and juried shows.

Approximately 6,000 square feet of the museum building will be dedicated to collection storage, care, and research. The building design will have windows into the working collection spaces answering the natural curiosity of visitors about where the Museum’s collection is housed and how the art is preserved. Another 3,000 square feet will provide indoor/outdoor classroom and studio space for hands-on educational activities for K-12 school groups emphasizing the current exhibitions.

Through engaging exhibits and ongoing educational programming, SUMA will be a significant cultural resource for the people of Utah and the many visitors to our area.

Pre-Grad Fair

2012-01-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

Class of 2012, Graduation is fast approaching. Are you prepared? If not be sure to attend the Pre-Grad Fair held on February 1, 2012 from 10 am until 2:30 pm in the Starlight Room in the Sharwan Smith Center.

At the Pre-Grad Fair you can meet with the Registrar's Office to make sure you are on track to graduate. The Cashier's Office to pay your diploma and cap and gown fees. If you pay for your cap and gown before February 15th you will receive a $5.00 discount. Financial Aid Office will be available to assist you if you have a Perkins or Stafford loan, inquire about an exit loan interview that must be completed prior to graduation. The Bookstore will be available to help you order personalized announcements and other graduation memorabilia. Academic and Career Development Center can help you learn about job resources and upcoming career fairs. If you are planning to attend graduate school at SUU the Admissions Office will be on hand to fill you in on graduate school options. Finally, Alumni Relations will be available to answer all of your Commencement questions as well as how you can stay connected with your alma mater once you graduate.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2012 Pre-Grad Fair!

SUU Registrar's Office check graduation
eligibility for a 2012 prospective graduate

Josten's Ameen Shaheen shows a
class ring to a 2012 prospective graduate

McKenzie and Layne Papenfuss complete paperwork and
look over graduation information at the 2012 Pre-Grad Fair

Largest Gift in SUU History

2012-01-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Walter Gibson, '51

Southern Utah University announced on January 20, 2012, the largest single gift in its 115-year history: $4 million from Walter M. and Alice Gibson. The funds are designated for the College of Science and Engineering (COSE) and will help fund an endowment for student and faculty research initiatives and scholarships.

“This is truly a game-changing gift for one of our largest and most dynamic colleges,” stated President Michael Benson. “We are extremely grateful to the Gibson family for their commitment to and support of the advancement of science at SUU. Their generosity will benefit the educational pursuits for countless students for generations. This is truly amazing.”

In recognition of this historic donation, SUU will be naming the College of Science and Engineering in honor of the late Walter Maxwell Gibson, who graduated from the Branch Agricultural College (now SUU) in 1952 with an associate’s degree in chemistry.

While the late Walter Gibson furthered his studies at the finest institutions, he oft spoke of his time at the BAC as a life-changing opportunity, according to his son, David Gibson.

1950 BAC Freshmen Class Officers.
Left to right: Sheldon Callister (vice-president),
Carolyn Young (secretary) and Walter Gibson (president).

“My father loved his time at the College,” said David. “He felt it helped him develop a love of science and discovery that continued the rest of his life and prepared him for a meaningful and successful career in academia and business. He was very excited to give back to SUU in a meaningful way.”

According to the dean of COSE, Robert Eves ('84), similar results will play out year after year among SUU’s science students thanks to the Gibson gift. “This endowment will make it possible for SUU to deepen the experience and expand the opportunities for thousands of College of Science and Engineering students yet to come.”

Eves adds, “There are clearly some new opportunities that this kind of gift can provide that have previously been unattainable.” Moving forward, he hopes to “honor the Gibson family’s commitment to improving education and providing real life experiences where students can apply their theoretical knowledge to deepen the learning experience.”

Walter Gibson as a
student at the BAC

And that is exactly what Walter would have wanted, according to Gibson’s wife, Alice.

“We are so pleased to support Walter’s beloved college and hope this gift will help students best prepare for successful careers in science and engineering — just as the BAC did for Walter so many years ago.”

After graduating from the BAC, Walter Gibson continued his studies at the University of Utah, earning a bachelor’s degree and then completing his doctorate in nuclear chemistry at the University of California-Berkeley in 1956, under the tutelage of Nobel Laureate Glen Seaborg. After a career in research at Bell Laboratories, he served as Physics Department Chair, Dean of Graduate Studies, and VP of Research for University at Albany, State University of NY. In 1990, Walter co-founded X-Ray Optical Systems (XOS), later serving as its chief technology officer until his death in 2009.

The Walter Maxwell Gibson College of Science and Engineering will have its official unveiling in May, just before SUU’s 113th annual Commencement.

President's Gala & Old Main Society

2011-12-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

President Benson

Saturday, December 10, President Michael T. Benson hosted the 2011 Holiday Gala to thank and recognize members of The Old Main Society and President's Giving Society.

The Gala was an opportunity for Southern Utah University to thank the many generous donors who give so much of themselves to enrich the lives of students and advance the University.

Honorees that evening were Garth and Geraldine Rollo, Iron County and the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism and Convention Bureau. New members inducted into the Old Main Society included: Dale & Patty Gilbert, Garth & Geraldine Rollo, Greg & Debbie Forsyth, Bryce & Joyce Woodbury, Keith & Nina Barnes and Judith Tweedie. And the evening wrapped up with a visit by David Archuleta.

Garth Fisher ('53) and Geraldine Rollo ('54) grew up in differingcircumstances more than 350 miles apart, but were united at the BranchAgricultural College in 1952. What has transpired in the shared life since is alegacy of accomplishment, service and compassion.

Garth Fisher and President Benson
Old Main Society & Legacy Circle

Garth was born and raised in the farming community of Vernal,Utah, during the Great Depression and worked the family acreage while findingtime to hunt and fish. He became an all-state athlete at Uintah High School andcontinued his schooling and basketball career in Cedar City, graduating fromthe newly-renamed College of Southern Utah before earning a degree in educationwith emphases in English and physical education from Brigham Young University.He taught school for a year, then entered the United States Air Force, becominga pilot and navigator. He flew 190 missions over Vietnam, but he and Jerrylooked at the three children they had at the time and decided that a teachingand research career would be a better fit for them.

As a young girl, Jerry helped her father with thebookkeeping for her father, Morgan Rollo, who was the editor and publisher ofthe Iron County Record, and among the most revered journalistic figures in thestate’s history. Jerry attended Cedar High School and the BAC, taking generaleducation courses and specializing in accounting. She was an accomplishedmusician, shined as the school’s drum majorette, and took part in a widevariety of activities as one of the most popular co-eds on campus.

In 1952, Garth and Jerry met in a D. L. Sargent biologyclass and that meeting led to marriage. When the couple graduated and moved onto Provo for Garth’s schooling, Jerry lent great support as a bookkeeper.

Later, Garth went on to earn a master’s degree in physicaleducation from Cal State Sacramento and a doctorate in exercise physiology fromthe University of New Mexico. The Fisher family grew and Jerry held down thehome as Garth began his BYU career where he became one of the world’s leadingexperts in health and fitness, and a renowned author. He was director of theHuman Performance Research Center at BYU and chair of the Governor’s Council onPhysical Fitness and Health among other awards and honors.

Along the way, the Fisher family grew in a big way upon thedeaths of Garth’s brother and sister-in-law, left four children parentless. TheFishers raised those children as their own and Garth has ever lauded Jerry’scompassion and dedication in the task.

While Garth and Jerry remember their days at the BAC and CSUwith fondness, they acknowledge that their educations were a financial challenge.They know all too well that higher education of today is even more difficult topay for and does not promise to become any easier. That is why they choose tohelp the students of today and the future by earmarking their personal fundsfor scholarships, including one that honors the memory of Morgan Rollo in theform of an endowment for journalism students at SUU.

President Benson, Alma Adams, Dan Webster,
Dale Brinkerhoff and Maria Twitchell ('95)
Old Main Society Centurium Circle

IronCounty government and the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau have, inconcert, made a tremendous and valuable contribution to the quality of lifehere and, on a daily basis, enrich the lives of citizens and visitors alikewhile serving as pivotal facilitators of Southern Utah University’s mission toserve its constituency.

TheCounty, led by generations of county commissioners, has always been a keyelement in the success of Southern Utah University, and through its CedarCity-Brian Head Tourism Bureau, has championed our county as a destination fortourism. Through a fortuitous and collaborative partnership with SUU and with ahost of talented and industrious citizens and communities, both bodies havemade our magnificent region known as a magnet for visitors from around theworld.

Moreover,the Commission, with the guidance of the Tourism Bureau, has channeledfinancial resources to the building of Southern Utah University programs thatserve Iron County citizens as well as a vast public outside of our boundaries.The Commission and Tourism Bureau have been both visionary and pragmatic intheir consensus that Southern Utah University and Iron County share a uniquecapacity to enrich all who visit here.

Annualfinancial contributions—along with various other enthusiastic avenues ofsupport—to such University programs as the Utah Summer Games and UtahShakespeare Festival, has made a marked difference in the execution of thosetourism-based enterprises.

TheCounty has provided varied tax revenues for a number of crucial needs of theUniversity, including the 1996 funding for the Conference Center in the SharwanSmith Center and, this year, toward the completion of two crucial facilitieskey to the area’s future as a destination for tourists; one that will promptmore visitors to stay here, and for longer periods of time.

TheCommission and Tourism Bureau are indeed important backers of the NewShakespeare Theatre and the Southern Utah Museum of Art, projects that will notonly aid in the efforts to promote tourism, but will serve as culturalcornerstones of a vast region of the southwest.

Theresponsibilities of the Iron County Commission are vast and complex, withtourism but one consideration. The duties are weighty and expansive. CountyCommissioners Alma Adams, Dale Brinkerhoff, and Dan Webster, as well as thosewho preceded them in their roles, have ever dedicated their time and characterto the building of this place we share.

TheTourism Bureau, besides marketing the area, conducts research and makesrecommendations for all requests for funding while serving as a key contact ofthe University. The work of Executive Director Maria Twitchell and associatesAmber Bennett and Bonnie Char Oldroyd, as well as that of past director LareeGarfield, has been of inestimable help in the advancement of the University andof benefit to all in Iron County.

Welcome to the newest members of the Old Main Society:

Garth ('53) and Geraldine ('54) Fisher
Benefactor Level

Dale and Patty Gilbert
Gold Medallion Level

Greg and Debbie ('91) Forsyth
Old Main Society Level

Bryce and Joyce Woodbury

Old Main Society Level

Keith and Nina Barnes
Legacy Circle

Judith Tweedie ('61)
Legacy Circle

Singing sensation David Archuleta made a surprise visit to the Holiday Gala and performed O Holy Night. He was in town with his MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS tour and performed later that evening at the Heritage Center in downtown Cedar City. The concert featured both traditional holiday and familiar classics, as well as an assortment of David's own pop favorites. Members of the SUU Symphony Orchestra accompanied him during the second half of the concert.

Big Win for the T-Birds on the Road; Support of Alumni

2011-10-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the T-Birds on their come from behind victory 35-28 over the Weber State Wildcats. The tailgate party was a lot of fun and a great way to reconnect with other alumni and current students. It was a great day to be a T-Bird as the stands were filled with SUU Red.

Other festivities of the tailgate included, Alumni Relations awarding a student scholarship for $250.00 for next semester. The scholarship was awarded to Joe Howe, a senior music major from Cedar City. A contest for the Best Salsa was held at the tailgate. Josie Beth Archibald took 1st Place with Camaree Staheli coming in a very close 2nd! Keep your salsa recipes handy for our next encounter with Weber State in 2012. Congratulations to our winners!

During the game SUU fans were continuously pumped up through the support of the cheerleaders and the SUU drumline. The fans were excited as they watched their team beat the Wildcats.

Don't forget about the last home game of the season as the T-Birds take on UC Davis Saturday October 29th at the Eccles Coliseum. Game starts at 1:00 PM.

Thor's Thunder Classic 2011

2011-10-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Color Country Pediatrics and team members Brad Larson, Kent Bradford, Dr. Brian Burrows ('98) and Greg Larson ('98) for winning the 2011 Thor's Thunder Classic with a score of 56 (15-under par) on Monday, September 26.

It was a fantastic day at Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club with 35 teams and 140 golfers participating in a 4-person scramble to benefit scholarships and the advancement of Southern Utah University. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Special thanks to Color Country Pediatrics for their continued support as title sponsor of Thor's Thunder Classic. Thanks also to our major sponsors: Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club, Dell Computers and SUU Marketing.

We also had wonderful support from the following organizations and individuals through their hole sponsorships: AMPAC, Big-D Construction, Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue, Dick & Sunny Reinhold, FFKR, Hill Sports, Intermountain Valley View Medical Center, Leavitt Group, Les Olson Company, MHTN Architects, Midwest Commercial Interiors, Nate & Lindsay Esplin, President Benson, State Bank of Southern Utah, Wells Fargo Bank and Zion's Bank.

Members of the SUU Women's Golf Team also participated in the tournament playing on teams and hitting tee shots from a few of Entrada's par 3 holes. Pictured left to right: Sadie Palmer, a senior from Tooele, Utah; Kacy Buckner, a senior from St. George, Utah; Rose Pelletier, a sophomore from Palmer, Alaska; Monica Jung, a freshman from Sydney, Australia; Shantell Spackman, a freshman from Richmond, Utah; and Kaohi Loo, a sophomore from Beaverton, Oregon.

Homecoming 2011

2011-09-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Homecoming officially got underway on Saturday, September 17, with the annual Alumni Luncheon in the Gilbert Great Hall. Alumni from all eras gathered to remember and celebrate the ties that bind us all together as alumni of Southern Utah University.
Honored at the luncheon were Outstanding Alumni Gail ('51) and Jane Bradshaw, Distinguished Service Award Recipient Lee Fife ('72) and Young Alumnus Tommy Burr ('02).

The Bradshaws have been stalwart supporters of Cedar City, our region and of Southern Utah University. Fueled by their own spirit of service and through the family business, Bradshaw Chevrolet Buick, they have aided their community and SUU in profound ways.

Lee Fife recently completed an eight-year tenure on the SUU Board of Trustees, serving as chair of the Audit Committee, and the University greatly benefitted from this lifetime of experience in finance. He is the founder and senior lending officer for SunFirst Bank in St. George.

Tommy Burr is the senior Washington correspondent for The Salt Lake Tribune, covering Congress, the White House and federal agencies. He is past-president of the Washington-based Regional Reporters Association and chairman of the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents. In 2010 and 2011 he was named the National Press Club's Regional Reporter of the Year.

Prior to the Alumni Luncheon, several SUUSA Administration Reunions were held. Included in that mix were Steve Kiisel ('06-'07), Ryan Richey ('01-02) and Kimber Heaton ('91-'92). Take a look and see who you recognize.

Steve Kiisel Administration Reunion

Ryan Richey Administration Reunion

Kimber Heaton Administration Reunion

Later that day, the Homecoming Parade made its way down University Boulevard with entries from across campus and the community. This year's theme was "Kickin' It Old School" and the Agriculture Club took home first prize in the float division with its large cowboy boot kicking a football.

Bands make all the difference at a parade and we were thrilled to have three SUU Alumni enter their high school marching bands: David Jordan ('97) from Canyon View High School, Steve Shirts ('87) from Cedar High School and Carylee Foremaster Zwang ('05) from Parowan High School. All three directors have long supported and participated in the SUU Homecoming Parade and we appreciate their continued efforts.

Following the parade, large crowds gathered at Thunderbird Village and tailgated in preparation for the big game. And Thunderbird Football did not disappoint! Junior quarterback Brad Sorensen completed 20-of-28 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns as we rolled to a 45-22 win over UT-San Antonio in front of 8,683 fans.

It was a fantastic Homecoming celebration. Thank you to everyone who attended and let's do it again next year!

The Future is Rising Celebration

2011-09-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

President Michael T. Benson marked an exciting turning point for the University when he publicly launched its $100 million fundraising campaign, "The Future is Rising: The Campaign for Southern Utah University" on Friday, September 16.

The Upper Quad was over-flowing with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and community members as they enjoyed live entertainment and free drink, food and desserts. It was a one-of-a-kind outdoor celebration that was unmatched in school history.

Entertainment took place on two stages and featured Peter Breinholt and Ryan Shupe, Kurt Bestor and the SUU Symphony Orchestra and wrapped up with The Joe Muscolino Band. Brian Vaughn ('95) and David Ivers from the Utah Shakespeare Festival served as Masters of Ceremonies and kept the energy going throughout the evening with trivia questions and prizes drawings.

That evening, the President announced that over the past several years the University has been working toward its campaign goal. With the following recent contributions, the University has raised $60 million, which is more than half toward it ultimate goal of $100 million:

$1 million from Garth and Jerri Frehner for a new Business Building
$1 million from Hyrum and Gail Smith for the new Shakespeare Globe Theatre
$1.7 million from Maud Tucker on behalf of Rocki Alice and in memory of Frederick D. Trismen for the Southern Utah Museum of Art
$3 million from D. Eldon Lunt for a new Business Building

Included in the $100 million end goal — the most ambitious fundraising initiative in the institution’s history — are five carefully selected campaign priorities that span all aspects of the University:

Enriching Student Life - $30 million
This includes important enhancements to the programming and resources that facilitate the experiential, hands-on education for which SUU has come to be known.

Key aims will focus on lowering the faculty-to-student ratio, providing more opportunities to augment classroom work and increasing student scholarships.

Academic Excellence - $14 million
Despite enrollment increases and budget cuts, the University is committed to maintaining its hallmark personalized learning environment with the very best faculty and educational tools to carry the University into the future. To this end, $14 million will be raised in support of faculty positions, educational resources and scholarship.

Campus Enhancement and Expansion - $43 million
SUU’s campus has developed with a keen eye to its uniquely beautiful surrounding environment and natural resources. Future campus enhancement and expansion will remain both strategic to the institutional mission and in harmony with the interests and resources of the greater community.

Portions of such expansion include the much-anticipated Southern Utah Museum of Art, a new Shakespearean Globe Theatre, a business building, university housing and athletic facility enhancements.

Community Engagement - $2 millionSince its inception, SUU has worked to provide outreach services for economic and regional development, partnering with various organizations to enhance the greater community.

Additional support for such endeavors will enhance and expand community services across the region and state, as well as prompt SUU’s students to commit to a wider sphere of service and good will.

Emerging Opportunities - $11 millionThis final objective will facilitate the University’s ability to meet a wide range of additional and shifting needs through a variety of gifting programs, including the SUU Fund, deferred gifts, bequests and endowments on which the University can appropriately plan for its future needs.

The entire evening was capped off with a spectacular fireworks show, more entertainment by student-favorite Tyler Ward and Homecoming's traditional True T-Bird Night at Old Sorrel.

What an amazing night of celebration. SUU is definitely on the rise!

Learn more by clicking: The Future is Rising: The Campaign for Southern Utah University.

Science Center Dedication

2011-09-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

A large crowd of students, alumni, donors and community members attended the dedication of SUU's new Center for Health & Molecular Sciences on Friday, September 16. The dedication was part of the Future is Rising and Homecoming celebrations.

Dedicatory remarks were made by Robert Eves ('84), dean of the College of Science and Engineering; Matthias Muller, Division of Facilities and Construction Management from the state of Utah; Evan Vickers, Utah State Representative from District 72; President Michael T. Benson; and Kezia Brown ('10), an Outstanding Chemistry student from Cedar City. The dedicatory prayer was offer by David Nakken ('85).

One highlight of the dedication was a"Flash Mob" and creation of a human DNA chain by 67 Science majors. President Benson and Dean Eves even joined in at the end! SUU Professors Paul Ocampo and Chien-Ying Wang did the choreography and directed rehearsals as they helped the left-brained Science majors find their inner creativity. The "Flash Mob" was accompanied by Dr. Lynn Vartan's SUU Drum Line.

The new 48,422-square-foot structure includes expanded lab, office and classroom space vital to the hands-on, collaborative education our science students deserve. Additional building tidbits: 104,345 bricks, 1,630 yards of concrete, 58.7 miles of copper wire and 37.8 miles of data wire.

Thank you to all who have seen this project through to fruition.

Kurt Bestor Rehearsal

2011-09-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

As campus prepares for The Future is Rising Celebration on Friday, September 16, a unique and rewarding collaboration has occurred between Kurt Bestor and members of the SUU Symphony Orchestra. Since much of his music includes the accompaniment of an orchestra, Kurt asked the Symphony Orchestra to join him on stage. So today, he was on campus to rehearse for the show. Definitely a unique and memorable opportunity for our student musicians.

Kurt Bestor is an Emmy-award-winning composer, who for over 20 years has composed an incredible variety of music in a myriad of styles and genres. From over 40 feature-length films, 16 popular CDs, numerous television themes, and mix of live shows, he has established himself as one of America's most prolific and versatile composers.

Homecoming Cardboard Boat Races

2011-09-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

Homecoming 2011 is underway and one of today's highlights was the annual cardboard boat race.

Marking its 10th anniversary, this popular event is held at the Aquatic Center inside the J.L. Sorenson PE Building and is organized by SUU's Engineering Technology & Construction Management Department.

Students, faculty and staff from all across campus are invited to rig up homemade boats. The only requirement is that each boat must be made from nothing but cardboard and duct tape, hold two people afloat and must be no bigger than six feet in length and three feet in width. Beyond that, participants can be as creative as they want.

Professional in Residence Richard Cozzens participates each year and for the past four years, has included the boat race as a course requirement for his Introduction to CAD/CAM Engineering Technology students. His challenge: If his students beat his boat, they get an "A" for the project. He's only been defeated by one of his once.

Welcome Back Thunderbirds

2011-08-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Everyone on campus welcomed new and returning students to the first day of class on Monday, August 22 - even Gunther The Rock (painted by SUUSA) was part of the celebration.

Flight School, the orientation for new Thunderbirds, was held August 18-20. It was filled with motivational speakers, training and activities (campus tie-dye, movie night, service Saturday) to help the newest members of our SUU family settle into college life.

One highlight of Flight School is the annual freshmen assembly followed by the Carter Carillon Tradition. This tradition entails new freshmen processing from the Centrum to the Upper Quad where they walk under the Carillon to the cheers and high-fives of faculty, staff, alumni and students. It is a freshman's passage into the Thunder Nation, and of course the only time he or she should walk under the Carillon before graduation.

Flight School made such an impression on students and families that one parent, Joyce Frahm Read, posted the following on Facebook:

"I want to sincerely thank all of the staff and students for all of their hard work over the past several days. What you put on for the new incoming students was simply the most amazing thing I've ever seen. The orientation, the speakers, and Flight School were wonderful. I knew when I drove away from SUU yesterday that my son had made the absolute RIGHT choice when picking a university. Thank you so much for all you do!!"

What a great start to a very promising year!

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New Student Alumni Freshmen

2011-08-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

Prior to Thunderbird Flight School, new freshmen members of the Student Alumni Association met on August 17, to become acquainted with each other and learn more about their involvement with Student Alumni during the coming year.

Later that evening, they met up with other freshmen leaders from across campus for dinner, activities and words of advice and encouragement from Donna Eddleman, Vice President of Student Services.

The mission of the Student Alumni Association is to facilitate interaction and understanding between current students and the SUU Alumni Association. The organization works to enhance the student experience by providing leadership and involvement opportunities that build and strengthen a lifelong loyalty to SUU while helping students become aware of their potential role as an alumnus.

Alumni Days at Shakespeare

2011-07-12T12:24:00.001-07:00

It's not every day that a new tradition is established. But June 27-29, a new tradition was established for the Alumni Association as nearly 100 alumni and friends came together for the first-ever Alumni Days at Shakespeare.

The three day event brought alumni and their families and friends back to campus to enjoy one of SUU's most recognizable and valued treasures - the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Monday, June 27, featured The Glass Menagerie and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Festival Founder Fred C. Adams and Executive Director R. Scott Phillips ('76) attended a special reception in the Alumni House and spoke about the 50th anniversary season and the many events, activities and exhibits taking place.

Noises Off! and Richard III were Tuesday's plays. Plus, an exclusive dinner for alumni and guests was held at the Alumni House and attended by Fred, Scott and Co-Artistic Director Brian Vaughn ('95). Fred recounted the early days of theatre at SUU (then CSU) along with an amazing story of how he and his students traveled to New York to watch a few Broadway productions and made a stop in Washington D.C. that included a trip to the White House and a picture with President Lyndon B. Johnson and other top administration officials.

Wednesday began with an exclusive Backstage Tour where guides provided a behind the scenes view of both theatres and insight on the creation of scenery, costumes, hair and make-up design. The day's matinee in the Randall L. Jones Theatre was The Music Man, followed by Romeo & Juliet in the Adams Shakespearean Theatre that evening. An ice cream social was held that evening at the Alumni House and attended by Festival cast and crew - several had just walked off the stage minutes prior to the social. It was fantastic getting acquainted.

Response to the inaugural Alumni Days at Shakespeare was so positive that we are excited to make this event an annual tradition. Thank you to all who attended.

Alumni Days 2012 is scheduled for June 25-27. We hope to see you next year!

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Demolished

2011-06-14T15:10:00.001-07:00

University Boulevard saw a dramatic change on June 13, with the demolition of a Utah Shakespeare Festival building.

For many years the building was home to The Utah Shakespeare Festival Administration Offices until they relocated to the complex next door on the corner of 300 West and University Boulevard. Most recently the demolished building housed the Festival Production Offices.

The new open space provides a beautiful view of the Randall Jones Theatre and its courtyard from University Boulevard - just in time for the Utah Shakespeare Festival's 50th Anniversary Season. It also adds to the excitement of the much-anticipated Centre for the Performing Arts: two city blocks of theatres, shops, and open gardens and walkways.

SUU in China -- Making an Impression

2011-06-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

China is absolutely amazing. I am living in this hotel that is INCREDIBLE! I am treated like royalty here. Yesterday we met and mingled with the 80-member company of Chinese dancers . . . all I can say is WOW! We all have our work cut out for us to make an impression.

Speaking of impressions. I've made some good ones already! Xun Sun (SUU Orchestra Director) asked Jennie Smith and me to prepare musical numbers to perform and share with the Chinese people. So, yesterday while mingling, Sun asked if I could sing them a song and I obliged. While standing amongst the crowd of dancers, Sun got their attention and was going to translate my introduction before I sang. I reduced the nuptials to one term: Lady Gaga. They all cheered! I sat down at the studio's piano and began to play and sing my cover of Born This Way and totally ROCKED IT! They were completely crowded around the piano as I sat there with my wonderful 5,4,1 progression and sweet pop rhythm (thanks Professor Sara Guttenberg).

China is the most beautiful and wonderful country. Yesterday Karyn Allen and I set out to explore Wuhan and ended up finding a 1600-year old Buddhist monastery. It was one of the most incredible experiences. There were so many different temples all housing shrines - some were more than 30 feet tall. The entire monastery was built into the side of a hill and at the top of the hill was a giant tower that overlooks the city of Wuhan. It was an amazing adventure.

Payden Adams is a senior Dance and Theatre Arts major from Cedar Fort, Utah, and is one of 14 SUU dance students in China rehearsing for The Dream of Helen.

The Dream of Helen is a dance drama featuring nearly 100 dancers and an orchestra of 90 which includes six SUU music students. Faculty from the College of Performing and Visual Arts have collaborated in the creation of the production, which is inspired by the life and achievements of Utah native Helen Foster Snow who was an instrumental bridge builder of U.S./China relations. Helen's mother, Hannah Davis Foster, taught at the Branch Normal School (now SUU).

SUU Emeriti Breakfast

2011-06-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Members of the Southern Utah University Emeriti Association fired up their grills and skillets today for their annual spring breakfast at the Alumni House. About 80 members attended and enjoyed the good company of their friends and colleagues.

The Emeriti Association is comprised of retired faculty and staff members and their spouses. This dynamic group gave their professionals lives to the building and strengthening of SUU and remain involved today though yearly socials, the funding of scholarships and helping to preserve our rich heritage. Several of the Emeriti helped create a new tradition this past May by marching in the Commencement Processional and attending College Convocation Ceremonies.

Thank you to our wonderful Emeriti for their love of SUU and their continued involvement.

New Facebook Page

2011-05-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Alumni Relations Office created our original Facebook group as a way to connect with alumni and for alumni to reconnect with each other. Facebook is now making changes to their "groups" and we no longer feel that a group will meet the needs of the ever-growing Alumni Association. Our group has been scheduled to be archived, and will no longer be used by our office to send out information. Because of this, we invite you to "like" us at our new Facebook page to stay up-to-date about what is happening with the Alumni Association and what events will be coming to your area.

112th Commencement

2011-05-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

On May 6th, Southern Utah University celebrated it's 112th Commencement Ceremony in the Centrum Arena. This year SUU graduated 1741 graduates, including 335 master’s degrees, 997 bachelor’s degrees 389 associate’s degrees and 20 certificates. The graduates ranged from ages 17-64, and came from 37 U.S. states and 14 different countries from around the globe. 992 of the grads are females and 749 are male, 59 of them being married couples.

The University bestowed honorary doctorate degrees on alumna and dedicated SUU public servant, Anne A. Judd, alumnus and business leader Edward C. Stokes and Harvard Business School professor and commencement speaker, Clayton M. Christensen. You can read Clayton’s speech here and student speaker Landon Gray Mitchell’s speech here.

Congratulations to the Class of 2011, and welcome to the Southern Utah University Alumni Association!

Thunderbird Night at the Bees

2011-05-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Alumni Relations and the Admissions Welcome Center partnered with the SUU Marketing & Public Relations Office on Thursday, April 28, 2011, for the second annual Thunderbird Night at the Salt Lake Bees.

It was a great night for a baseball game and BBQ, and we enjoyed visiting with alumni, their families and members of the 2011 freshmen class. We were also fortunate that the weather cooperated (unlike our first attempt on April 7, when we were rained out). Ted Whitaker ('71) our vice president for chapter relations threw out the first pitch and even got his picture taken with Bees right-hander Eric Junge and members of the Honeybees.

Watch News from the Nest (our electronic newsletter) for information on other upcoming alumni events. If you don't already receive the enews, click on the link to the right and sign up.

Glory Days -- PBL

2011-04-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Recently I was reading my local newspaper and I ran across an article that mentioned FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and PBL (Phi Beta Lambda) had just help their annual state convention/competition. This immediately took me back to my days as a member of PBL at SUU. For those of you unfamiliar with PBL, it is a business club created to help develop college students to become effective and successful business leaders.

At SUU, the PBL experience was more than just learning business, it was a full collegiate experience. Under the tutelage of the late Doris Williamson, this club helped us to become involved on campus life as well as become involved within the local community. Each year we would spend hours helping with mailings for the Utah Shakespearean Festival, we held a food drive at Thanksgiving to help those in need. We participated in the Sub-for-Santa program. We sponsored and held the annual Business Person of the year banquet. This allowed us to meet with local business members, interview them and find out how they became involved in their business and what their future goals were. Each fall we attended a conference. At this conference senior students were encouraged to bring their resume and meet with real HR personnel from the business industry. Despite these being "Mock Interviews" I know of several students who were offered jobs after their interview.

During the spring quarter we would compete against students from the other colleges and universities in the state. Competitions and testing were in all areas of business including: accounting, business writing, economics, ethics, business law, marketing, interviewing, and public speaking. Additionally each chapter could submit a yearly history and there was a competition for Outstanding Chapter in the State, our chapter always fared well in this competition.

SUU representation at 1995 National Competition in Orlando Florida

If you placed in the top 10 you could compete at the National Leadership Conference. The national sites rotated through such places as Anaheim, Orlando, and Washington DC. I was lucky enough to be able to attend two of these conferences, Anaheim and Orlando. This was a great experience as we were allowed to meet and compete against other students going into business from all across the United States. More importantly, it was a valuable opportunity to begin networking with other future business professionals. In addition to the conference, we always planned time to visit local attractions; Disneyland, Epcot, or whatever else happened to be nearby. These trips were a great time and Doris always knew the best places to go for dinner.

PBL was an outstanding experience for me at SUU. I know much of my fondness of this experience is due to Doris and her extreme devotion to the students. She always went to whatever level necessary to help us reach our full potential.

"Glory Days" is a recurring post by Clinton Painter, a 1996 alumnus with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting.

New Intramural Field Sod

2011-04-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sod rolled out yesterday on the Bud Bowman Intramural Field.

SUU's first student only intramural field is located directly east of the J.L. Sorenson Physical Education Building and is where the old city pool and hydrotube were located (Cedar City recently opened a new aquatic center on Leigh Hill).

Bowman field measures 360 feet x 220 feet and recently had lighting installed to allow for night use beginning fall semester 2011. The field is a needed addition to campus as the number of SUU intramural teams hovers around 50, making it one of the highest student participation rates (if not the highest) in the Utah System of Higher Education.

The field is named after Bud Bowman, a 1948 alumnus who lived just a few blocks from campus. He retired from the Utah Highway Patrol and then spent sixteen years in the Utah House of Representatives. During his legislative career he was credited with helping to secure funds for local skate parks, the Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, the J. L. Sorenson Physical Education Building and the property where the intramural field is now located. Bud passed away May 20, 2009 from cancer.

Lunch at The Main 2011

2011-03-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Founders Celebration continued on Wednesday, March 23 with Lunch at The Main, a founders walk that takes current students to various locations on campus where they learn about SUU's rich heritage while enjoying food at each stop.

Emeriti professors Richard Dotson (Chemistry) and Al Tait (Botany) were at Old Main where they recounted the sacrifice of community members who financed the construction of Old Main, the difficult lumber expedition and the uses of the building through the years.

Professor emeritus Gary Giles (Accounting) was stationed at the Braithwaite Building where he introduced students to Royden C. Braithwaite (for whom the building was named) and shared other tidbits such as how the building was used as an overflow hospital during the 1918 influenza epidemic.

Georgia Thompson, former Vice President of Student Services, shared stories of the Sharwan Smith Center and how the community came together (as it has so many times) to aid in its construction. The center was built in three stages and includes the Centrum Arena.

Iron County Alumni Chapter President Bruce Barclay and SUU Librarian Janet Seegmiller shared the story of Old Sorrel and the wintertime expedition to gather lumber to build Old Main and meet the legislature's deadline.

A special thank you to SUUSA for sponsoring Lunch at the Main, and to the Service & Learning Center, Presidential Ambassadors and the Student Alumni Association for staffing each location.

Founders Banquet 2011

2011-03-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Founders Celebration got underway on Wednesday, March 16 with the annual Founders Banquet in the Gilbert Great Hall.

Four alumni were honored for their service to Southern Utah University: Lois Bulloch ('59), Mary MacDonald ('38), Warren Bulloch ('14) and Ken Benson ('55).

Lois made an indelible mark on SUU through her 18 years as the administrative assistant in student services. Her work and service extended beyond campus and reached into the community through terms on the Enoch City Council, Iron County Commission and numerous other boards.

Mary learned to appreciate many of the beautiful things of life at the feet of her mother, Lillian MacFarlane, who was the first music graduate of this institution. Mary taught ceramics as well as three-dimensional design at SUU and was a favorite among her students.

Few Cedarians had as a great an impact on their town and its school as did Warren in the 20th century. He was a prominent businessman and civic leader serving on numerous boards simultaneously. Warren was the first chairman of the board of trustees, was a long-time member of the state board of regents and championed this institution's rise to four-year status. He passed away in 1980.

Ken is an integral and vital ingredient in the bright history of SUU and is one who is fondly remembered and revered by many. He was one of the first directors of the Upward Bound program and served 14 years as director of student activities. He was ever known as a student's administrator because of his compassion for students and his ability to reach out and include others.

Thank you to all of our honorees for their devotion and dedication to SUU!

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President Michael T. Benson presents Distinguished Service Awards to
Lois Bulloch & Mary MacDonald.

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Donna Benson admires the portrait of her husband Ken Benson while Don Bulloch assists President Benson in unveiling a portrait of his father Warren Bulloch. Both portraits will join those on display in the Great Hall.

Glory Days -- SUUSA Elections

2011-03-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

When I look back at my time at SUU, one of the most memorable, trying, and wonderful experiences I had was running for SUUSA President. I am not certain where I found the courage to run for office, but I still look back fondly at this experience.

One evening I was talking with one of my good friends, Justin McEwen. He had been toying with the idea of running for Academic Vice President. I encouraged him as I thought he would do an incredible job. Throughout the course of the conversation I decided that running for President was something I could do. I had previously served as an officer for PBL, I had been Student Body Controller, and I had been around campus enough that I figured enough people would know me. Justin and I then spent hours trying to figure out who else to run with us. We needed an additional Vice President and all 12 Senators. We formulated a plan and went to work.

Talking people into running for office was probably the most challenging part of the entire campaign. As we added members to the party, we started using their minds to help us fill out the rest of the ticket. After several days we finally had a full ticket and started holding meetings to come up with a party name, logo, platform, and other issues that we felt were important or that needed to be addressed. The library was currently under construction and there was a lot going on at SUU so we settled on "Students at Work" as our party name and our signs would look like a yellow construction logo. Then the real work began. We painted signs, created brochures, talked to our fellow students to see what issues were important to them, we recruited supporters to help us. We had to get donations, we talked to businesses to see what kind of deals we could get on our campaign materials and we worked to get everything done. The preparation work took over our nights, weekends and sometimes even took precedence over our classes.

Students at Work Party

Finally, the first day of the campaign arrived, we hoped we were ready. The official rules said we could not start campaigning until 8:00 a.m. About 8:15 I had my first fine. Two of my room mates wore our shirt to school that first day, they had 8:00 a.m. classes and wore the shirts on campus. This was considered campaigning early and I had to start an appeal with the Elections Committee. This incident was the only negative aspect of the entire campaign for me. I enjoyed setting up a table in front of the Student Center and meeting more of my fellow students. Meeting new people has always been one of my favorite past-times. Each evening we would gather together and go door-to-door through all of the apartment complexes. It was our goal to talk with all SUU Students.

Although I was not with at the time, one of my favorite stories comes from this door-to-door activity. One of the groups of our Senate Candidates was knocking on doors, I believe it was at College Way, or maybe Stadium Way. They knocked on the door and stepped inside the apartment to talk with their fellow students and as they looked around they noticed one of our large "Students At Work" signs was being used as a table in the apartment. One of the senate candidates asked if that was our sign? The students sheepishly replied that it was. She then told them they could keep the sign as long as they promised to vote for us. (I have always assumed they did.)

After a week of hard campaigning, it was finally time for the Primary Elections. All of the parties met in the Student Center living room to wait for results. When the results came back, I missed making the general elections by two votes. I have never been upset about not making it to the general elections, because putting together the campaign and meeting so many wonderful people was a worthwhile experience. My fellow party members and supporters are some of my favorite people from my SUU days. Spending so much time together, working for that common goal was definitely a bonding experience. One of those experiences that makes you stronger as you go through it, individually and as a team. I know it is something I have never regretted.

View 2011 SUUSA Election results: http://www.suunews.com/news/2011/mar/09/suusa-elections-now-open/

"Glory Days" is a recurring post by Clinton Painter, a 1996 alumnus with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Glory Days -- Turn Up the Radio

2011-02-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

One of my great loves in life is music. It doesn’t matter what the genre, I can pretty much listen to it and I can usually find at least one song that I enjoy from most any artist. Which is why I decided to step out of the little world I was living in and try my hand, or voice, at being a DJ on the SUU radio station. At that time we were Thunder 91 and we played Top 40 music.

The first day I walked into “class” was pretty interesting as I was now putting faces with some of the various voices I had heard for the past couple of years. Fortunately, there were a few others new to the radio and Professor Art Challis quickly put us at ease. Because I was new, I had a chance to visit the radio station and watch a few of the veterans before I was actually allowed to put on the headphones and start spinning some music. Well, we didn’t really spin anything. All of the music was stored on “Carts”, they were similar in appearance to an 8-track tape. (If you are unfamiliar with what an 8-track looks like, feel free to Google it.) Even more important than learning about the radio station or even getting approval from the FCC to be on air, I had the challenging task of picking my on air name. I visited with a few friends and decided that I was going to use the nickname I was given by my card playing buddies, which was Dex. But just to distinguish between cards and radio, I would go by DJ Dex when I was on the air.
We had schedules laid out before us and we were expected to play PSAs as well as read a few promos and of course, play the music. Each time as I started my shift I would quickly glance over the music that had been played the last few hours and then would look through the carts to find what music I wanted to play for the next hour.

With a microphone in front of you and a brick wall less than 3 feet beyond the microphone, I often times found myself wondering if anyone was listening. In an attempt to prove to myself that someone was listening, I would intentionally leave 10 or so minutes without music and I would ask for requests. Most often the only people that ever called in were my friends and it was mostly just to tell me to stop by for a visit when I got off the radio. Well, one night I asked for some listeners to help me fill the rest of the hour. The first caller was one of my most memorable requests I had received that year. The gentleman called in and said to me: “I am not certain of the name of the song, but it has lumberjacks singing”. Without missing a beat, I knew exactly which song he wanted. It was “Go West” from the Pet Shop Boys. When I first heard that song, I had the same impression. I put the song on for him and I assume it was the one he wanted because I told him to call back if it wasn’t the right song and well, he didn’t call back.

Another night as I was finishing up my shift, I played our required PSAs and then turned on “Breath Again” by Toni Braxton. Within seconds the phone started ringing. I wondered what the caller was going to request, but as I answered the phone I heard hysterical laughter. This laughter sent my mind racing wondering if I had messed up and said something funny on air, or if I had inadvertently let slip one of those words you can’t say over the air. When the laughter finally subsided the caller asked me “Did you do that on purpose?” I was still uncertain on what I had done, so I prodded a little more until the caller told me that the last PSA I had played was one from the American Lung Association which of course talked about breathing and then I played “Breath Again”. Apparently, at least one listener found this to be amusing.

One of the highlights of the year came at the end of the year as we had a DJ versus Professor Softball game. The air staff from Thunder 91 was able to exact revenge on the professors from the School of Business, Communication & Technology. I have to admit, it was a little sweet as I was able to tag out Professor Alan Hamlin when he tried stealing home.

In addition to the fun I had as a DJ, I gained a little notoriety at home. One weekend when I was home visiting my family, I ran into an old friend from high school; he asked me if I was on the radio station in Cedar City. I told him that I was and he said “I knew it!” He then proceeded to tell me that he was a truck driver and was driving through southern Utah when he rested upon our little radio station. He heard a familiar voice on the radio and he said it only took him a few minutes to recognize it as me and said he couldn't’t wait to ask if it was me.

Even though I never pursued a career as a DJ, spending a year on Thunder 91 was a great experience. Something I have fondly reminisced about over the years. It is definitely one of those unique opportunities offered by SUU.

"Glory Days" is a recurring post by Clinton Painter, a 1994 alumnus with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Pre-Grad Fair 2011

2011-02-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 2, SUU Alumni Relations hosted the 3rd annual Pre-Grad Fair in the Starlight Room of the Sharwan Smith Center. The fair provided prospective graduates with a one-stop-shop to make sure graduation paperwork was all in order, pay for their diploma and cap & gown, inquire about student loan exit interviews, order personalized graduation announcements, learn about SUU graduate programs and have one of their first introductions to the SUU Alumni Association.

While the fair is not a graduation requirement, roughly 400 prospective graduates took advantage of the service and booths stayed busy throughout the time block. It is amazing to think that Commencement 2011 is only 87 days away!

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Left to right: Shelia Johnson & Kristin Wiggins ('06) from the Registrar's Office checking paperwork; Wes Brinkerhoff ('89) from the Cashier's Office taking a cap & gown payment; Sherri Batt from the Bookstore showing graduation memorabilia.

Washington D.C. Alumni

2011-02-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

Members of the Washington D.C. Alumni Chapter gathered together on Monday, January 17, to watch the Utah Jazz take on the Washington Wizards - the Wizards won 108-101.

The mid-day basketball game was a great way to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and meet other Southern Utah University graduates who are in the DC area.

Watch for news and information on future events in the Washington D.C. area.

SUU vs UCLA Gymnastics Meet

2011-01-21T12:24:00.001-08:00

The Thunderbird Gymnastics team upset the NCAA defending national champion UCLA Bruins 194.750 - 194.425 in front of a home crowd of more than 5,000 in the Centrum on Friday, January 14.

"This was an incredible meet tonight, " head coach Scott Bauman said at the end of the night. "The crowd really made all the difference. I don't want to take away from our gymnasts, but that crowd was what really helped us win by three-tenths tonight."

UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field was equally impressed with the SUU crowd. After the meet she came on the floor to speak to the crowd over the public address system and called the Centrum atmosphere the best competitive atmosphere she has ever experienced. She also praised our Thunderbird team and coaching staff.

Take a look at a few pictures from this historic meet, courtesy of Dr. Deb Hill and Dr. Greg Stauffer:

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Left to right: Lindsey Schultz, Bailey Pendley, Ari Lamb & Caitlin Kennedy

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Left to right: Lauren Jeffrey, Shannon Coughlin, Michaela Chernoch & Brooke Cersosimo

Prior to the meet, SUU Alumni, Thunderbird Athletics and SUUSA hosted a party in the Sharwan Smith Center Rotunda that was attended by an estimated 1,000 Flippin' Birds fans.

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Left to right: Jared Wilcken ('98), Karl Bradshaw ('58) & Jeannine Davis serve up sandwiches; Enoch & Tasha Decker ('01) Seegmiller family and Thor enjoying the food and festivities.

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Left to right: Louise Hill Jones ('72) and Brenda Stones Schmutz ('82); Patrick Terrones & Marsha Rowley ('10) two of the busiest and hardest working members of the SUU Facilities staff.

Glory Days

2011-01-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

It was a clear and beautiful Saturday morning, in September 1988, my brother and I packed up our late model Ford with everything needed to survive a year away at college. As we backed out of the driveway I looked up to see tears streaming down my mother's face as she stood on the porch waving as her two oldest sons drove away to college. For my brother it was his second year, this was my first venture away from home.

The drive to Cedar City seemed to take forever, as I couldn't wait to establish myself and become the independent "adult" I knew college life would provide for me. Once we finally arrived we pulled up to College Park, it was even better than what it had appeared in my previous Cedar City trips. There were tennis courts in the back-yard and it was across the street from the football stadium. This had to be the hub of all college life. We hunted down the apartment manager, paid the rent for our first quarter, picked up our keys and started moving in. Being the first renter to move in, we had the pick of rooms. I quickly unpacked and soon my roommates and neighbors began to show up. I busied myself the rest of the day helping my new friends get settled into their apartments.

The following week brought Welcome Week and Freshman Orientation. All of my roommates had been at SUU for at least a year and they encouraged me to skip the events. I later found this to be a mistake as the Welcome Week activities are a great way to meet new people.

Finally, the first day of classes arrived. I walked the block from my apartment to the Centrum. As I stepped in Psychology 101 taught by Les Jones I quickly scoured the room for a familiar face; seeing no one, I soon settled on what looked to be a friendly face. I climbed the stairs and asked if the seat was taken. With a smile on her face, she told me it was empty, I sat down and quickly played the "get to know you game" before Professor Jones started class. After 45 minutes of syllabus review, class discussion, question & answer time and even a bit of an introductory lecture, class was dismissed. I repeated the same activity multiple times that day, in Old Main, the Business Building, and the General Classroom Building.

After a full day of classes I walked back to my apartment, exhausted. Little did I know that day was my first day of self-discovery. While at SUU I would learn discipline, I grew socially, and emotionally, I gained respect for others as well as myself. I was provided opportunities to serve in Student Government, was a member of a Fraternity, gave campus tours as a Presidential Ambassador and traveled to Los Angeles and Orlando with PBL. Yes, SUU provided me opportunities and experiences that I would never even have imagined on that first day. Yes, the best was still yet to come.

"Glory Days" is a recurring post by Clinton Painter, a 1994 alumnus with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Alumni Holiday Tailgate Party

2010-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

Southern Utah Alumni and Boosters came together for a holiday tailgate party on Saturday, December 11, in the Sharwan Smith Center Rotunda. More than 300 Thunderbird faithful enjoyed chili, cornbread and a visit from Santa Claus. The bash was part of an SUU Basketball double-header where the women crushed Utah Valley 69-50 and the men narrowly missed knocking off Weber State 71-77. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Scott Brown, Max Torres and Mark Babcock.

Challis Pascucci (senior, forward from Goodyear, AZ), Aliyah Towns (daughter of SUU Womens Head Basketball Coach JR Payne), Santa Claus and Caitlyn Sears (senior, guard/forward from Cedar Hills, UT).

Kennedy Jones, Greyson Jones, Michelle Jones,
Jennifer Oberhelman and Dave Oberhelman.

Join us at our next alumni and booster party on Friday, January 14, at 6:15 p.m. in the Rotunda as the Flippin' Birds Gymnastics Team hosts defending NCAA National Champion UCLA. The meet is set for 7 p.m. in the Centrum.

President's Gala & Old Main Society

2010-12-14T13:25:00.000-08:00

On December 1, President Michael T. Benson recognized Larry & Joan Dahle, Neil & Anne Gardner, Zions Bank and Don & Sylvia Bulloch as Benefactors in the Old Main Society and thanked them for their generosity to Southern Utah University and its students.

As Old Main symbolizes the history, spirit and achievements of the University, so the members of the Old Main Society symbolize the enrichment of the disciplines and activities through a partnership of private and public resources.

The Larry and Joan Dahle Endowed Scholarship in teacher education has benefited close to 200 needful students at SUU. Through the endowment, the Dahles are realizing their goal of aiding those who have a desire to gain an education and to teach others.

Neil and Anne Gardner were among the first to offer funds to set the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) project in motion, adding to a long history of giving to the arts at SUU. In addition, they have donated generously to the Thunderbird athletic program over the years.

Led today by Utah native Scott Anderson, Zions Bank supports Utah organizations dedicated to elevating life in the Beehive State and has indeed been generous to SUU and its students. Scott and his wife Jesselie have also worked as a couple to advance Utah through a variety of causes. SUU has been the beneficiary of their good work as has the Utah Shakespeare Festival, upon whose board of governors Jesselie has sat as a key member.

Don & Sylvia Bulloch know full well the value of and the need for adequate lab space in SUU's College of Science and when the call came to aid in the expansion of the Science Center to better prepare its students, the Bullochs stepped forward with enthusiasm, just as they have stepped forward all of their lives as true southern Utah pioneers, whether it be for athletics or any other need the University may have had.

The Oak Ridge Boys made a special, and surprise visit, to the President's Gala where they sang Amazing Grace prior to their Christmas Show in the Centrum Arena.

Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Concert

2010-12-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

The Oak Ridge Boys returned to Cedar City and Southern Utah University on December 1 with their always popular Christmas Show. This year marked their 15th appearance at SUU and continues a tradition that has spanned the careers of the Oaks and generations of Thunderbird fans. View official Oak Ridge Boys pictures from their SUU concert at: http://oakridgeboys.posterous.com/the-boys-are-back-in-cedar-city-for-christmas.

Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Joe Bonsall and Richard Sterban sing in the Centrum Arena. The concert featured their greatest hits along with Christmas favorites such as: "I'll Be Home for Christmas", " Christmas Cookies",
"My Son" and "Jingle Bells".

Santa Claus made a grand entrance and brought gifts for the kids in the audience. The line was long but well worth the wait as more than 350 Santa Hats were given to children of all ages.

William Lee Golden - look at his Cedar Canyon photographs at http://oakridgeboys.posterous.com/william-lee-goldens-cedar-city-ut-photo-galle

The Oak Ridge Boys love Utah and Cedar City, and comment that "over the year we have made many friends and also made a lot of history in this great college town." Check out their KCSG Television interview at http://vimeo.com/17425408 .

Homecoming 2010

2010-11-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you to alumni, students, faculty & staff, community members and friends of Southern Utah University who all came together to make Homecoming 2010 a resounding success!

Enjoy a brief glimpse at some of the festivities and we'll see you next year.

Thor's Thunder Classic 2010

2010-10-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Another successful Thor's Thunder Classic was held at Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club on Monday, September 27, 2010. A big thank you to our title sponsor Color Country Pediatrics and to major sponsors Suh'dutsing Technologies, Entrada and SUU Marketing. These sponsors, along with our hole sponsors and teams, all contributed to the ongoing effort of raising needed funds for student scholarships and further expansion of alumni programs. Your efforts truly help advance Southern Utah University.

Painting the Town Red!

2010-10-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Homecoming 2010 (October 15-16), SUU Facilities painted SUU's trademark Thor logo at the intersection of 300 West and University Boulevard. While other institutions of higher education have logos at busy intersections around their campuses, the SUU masterpiece is the largest collegiate logo of its kind in the state of Utah measuring 28 feet x 32 feet.

Thank you to the SUU Paint Shop Crew & Go Thunderbirds!

Senegal President Visits SUU

2010-10-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Southern Utah University and President Michael T. Benson had the distinct honor of welcoming President Abdoulaye Wade of the Republic of Senegal to Utah, Cedar City and SUU.
President Wade and his delegation were graciously hosted at the Alta Club in Salt Lake City on Saturday, September 25, by SUU alumnus and former Utah Governor Michael O. Leavitt. Sunday, September 26, the delegation flew to Cedar City and were welcomed at the Cedar City Regional Airport by city and university officials.

President Wade visited Kolob Canyon, engaged in a discussion with the SUU Construction Management Department on cost-effective housing options for Senegal, and enjoyed dinner at President Benson's home. That evening, at a special convocation ceremony in the Gilbert Great Hall, President Wade spoke to an over-flow audience and received the degree of Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa.Abdoulaye Wade was elected as Senegal's third president in 2000, ending 40 years of one-party rule in his nation. He has transformed Senegal into a model democracy and accomplishment in Africa. President Wade has built thousands of miles of roads, a string of rural university campuses and hundreds of kindergartens throughout his country. He has also championed the widespread mechanization of agriculture and the institution of free-market reforms and literacy, public health, antipoverty measures and has fought corruption. Working for the continental concord and world unity, he has changed the face of Africa and instilled pride and cohesiveness throughout the continent.

Chicago Alumni Event

2010-08-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

The SUU Alumni Chapter in the Chicago/Midwest area is alive and well! We had a wonderful day at Wrigley Field on August 22, 2010, as we watched the Chicago Cubs play the Atlanta Braves (Atlanta won). The game was also historic as it marked the retirement of legendary Cubs Manager Lou Piniella. Thank you to everyone who attended and stay tuned for a possible Chicago theater event on October 1.

Front Row: Geno Kett, Andrew Kett, Stacy Kett,

Back Row: Wade Howald, Anna Hernandez,

Michael Anderson and Anna Ables

Michael Anderson and Anna Ables

Front Row: Anna Ables, Jonathan Dumar,

Deanne Brown, Wade Howald
Back Row: Michael Anderson, Anna Hernandez, Adam Gauzza

Deanne Brown , Stacy Kett

Anna Ables, Adam Gauzza, Jonathan Dumar

Southern California & Lagoon Picnics

2010-08-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Southern California Alumni held a BBQ August 14, and welcomed incoming students from their area to SUU. Thank you to our chapter president Ralph Spence for organizing the event.

August 7, was our inaugural "SUU Alumni Day at Lagoon" in Farmington, Utah. Alums and their families took advantage of a special discount offer and enjoyed a day at the amusement park and came together in the early evening for a picnic.

Southern California Chapter President Ralph Spence with incoming
freshman Kelly Christensen and her family.

Utah County Alum Pat Fossat and his wife Janae soaked after a Lagoon ride.

Alumni Darin & Heidi Anderson and their family at Lagoon.

Alum Dirk Hooley and his wife Lauren enjoying the picnic at Lagoon.

Alumni Movie Night

2010-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

SUU Alumni Movie Night August 5 in the Cedar City Main Street Park was a huge success. Several hundred alumni and friends of Southern Utah University watched "The Blind Side" on a 21-foot screen, enjoyed free kettle korn & otter pops, heard from Coach Ed Lamb as he reported on early successes of camp and met the 2010 Thunderbird Football Team. Thanks to all who attended.

Utah County BBQ

2010-06-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

SUU Alumni from the Utah County area gathered June 21 for the annual Utah County BBQ at the Olmsted Power Plant located at the mouth of Provo Canyon. Upwards of 70 Thunderbirds enjoyed beautiful weather, good food and a chance to reconnect with each other. Thanks to Utah County Chapter President Everett Kelepolo and his committee for a great event. We hope to see you next year -- third Monday in June!

Utah Summer Games 25th Anniversary!

2010-06-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Utah Summer Games recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary of amateur sport competition. Take a look at some of the festivities from this year's Opening Ceremonies.

Thunderbird Night at the Bees

2010-04-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

SUU Alumni combined with the Admissions and Marketing Offices for a FANtastic night at the Salt Lake Bees on April 17. Nearly 450 alumni, prospective students and their families enjoyed a BBQ, a great baseball game and fireworks.

Thank you to everyone who attended.

Founders Celebration 2010

2010-04-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

Southern Utah University celebrated its founding March 24 & 25 with a variety of festivities:

Thursday
A new SUU tradition was created. Lunch at The Main featured food and stories from our founding as presented by SUU Alumni and Emerti. It was an overwhelming success!

The Howard R. Driggs Memorial Lecture was presented by Daniel Walker Howe, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American Historian.

Friday
The restored Jenson Saw Mill was dedicated at the Frontier Homestead State Park Museum (formerly the Iron Mission State Park). The Saw Mill is significant in SUU history as it cut the original timbers used to build Old Main.

The annual Founders Celebration Dinner & Awards was held in the Great Hall where David Grant , Diana Graff and Terry Alger each received Distinguished Service Awards. David served as a member of the Board of Regents and was a tireless proponent of SUU; Diana Graff is a 35-year library veteran of SUU and served as our first female academic dean; Terry Alger served as SUU Provost for 18 years during an important time of growth for the University and is still a professor of Chemistry. Also during the ceremony several important donors were recognized for their generosity in making the new science building a reality.

Happy Birthday SUU!

Music Alumni Reception

2010-02-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

SUU Music Alumni, Music Department Faculty and current SUU students gathered for a reception on Friday, February 5, at the Hilton Garden Inn in St. George. The reception was part of the annual Utah Music Educators Association Convention. Thank you to everyone who attended -- it was great catching up! Mark your calendar for next year's UMEA Convention.

Jerry Sherratt Reception

2010-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Southern Utah University and Cedar City Corporation celebrated the public service of Jerry Sherratt ('51) on January 14, with an Open House and Program in the Gilbert Great Hall. His extraordinary service as President of SUU and Mayor of Cedar City transformed both campus and community. Thank you Jerry for all you have done!

President's Holiday Gala

2009-12-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas is the perfect season to remember those that make a difference at Southern Utah University. We are grateful to you and all of our wonderful alumni and friends for the time you volunteer and resources you give to strengthen and advance SUU. Your efforts make a tremendous difference in the lives of our students.

President Michael T. and Debi Benson

Recently, the University honored two individuals and one foundation for their generosity: Margaret S. Driggs for her support of the Special Collections Department at the Sherratt Library; The Daniels Fund for its commitment to providing non-traditional student scholarships and supporting the Utah Summer Games; and Gerald R. Sherratt for his endless generosity to all aspects of education at Southern Utah University.

Camille Bradford, daughter of Margaret Driggs

The Daniels Fund -- Mike Heaton (Daniels Scholarship Program)
and Linda Childears (President & CEO)

Gerald R. Sherratt

Peter Breinholt

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
from all of us at Southern Utah University!

Homecoming 2009

2009-10-30T12:53:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who attended and made Homecoming 2009 a success.

The weekend was filled with reunions, the dedication of the Sterling R. Church Auditorium, True T-Bird, the 5K, Alumni Brunch & Awards Ceremony, a fantastic parade and of course the football game -- we won 35-10.

We hope you enjoy a glimpse of the festivities and we'll see you next year!

Thor's Thunder Classic 2009

2009-10-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club hosted the 2nd annual Thor's Thunder Classic on September 28. Alumni and friends enjoyed a great day of golf as they raised money to assist in the advancement of Southern Utah University through scholarships and alumni programs.

Special thanks to our Title Sponsor Color Country Pediatrics and Major Sponsors The Leavitt Group, Suh'dutsing Technologies LLC and Entrada.

We were pleased to have as our special guests Governor Gary Herbert, Commissioner of Higher Education Bill Sederburg, Regent Marlon Snow, State Representative Evan Vickers, former SUU President Steve Bennion and former Commissioner of Higher Education Rich Kendall.

Plan now to join us for next year's tournament at Entrada on Monday, September 27, 2010.

Football Home Opener: Dixie State vs. SUU

2009-09-08T14:26:00.001-07:00

A record 10,028 fans packed Southern Utah University's Eccles Coliseum Septmeber 3 when the T-Birds faced off against Dixie State for the first time since 1962. We won 36-7.

More than 800 students, alumni, friends and football parents tailgated at Thunderbird Village prior to kick-off and set the stage for a fantastic evening of football.

Pre-game ceremonies brought 1963 Student Body President Richard Henrie and 1962 Tight End/Outside Linebacker Jim Jensen to Cedar City to recognize the tradition of the "Battle Axe." In 1937 a Battle Ax was created that carried the names of Dixie College and the Branch Agricultural College. This Ax was presented to the winning team in all athletic competitions between the two institutions. In 1963, when athletic competition between the two schools ceased, a duplicate Ax was made so both institutions would have a “Battle Ax” for display. SUU's Axe was crafted as true to the original as possible and is on permanent display in Old Main.

Las Vegas Night at the Movies

2009-08-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Southern Nevada Alumni Chapter hosted a night at the movies on August 14 at The District at Green Valley Ranch. Alumni enjoyed Tale of Despereaux, ice cream, pop corn, a carousel and perfect weather! Thanks to everyone who attended and made it a fun evening.

Scholarships were awarded to Donovan Lewis (Durango High School), Charles Phillips (Basic High School), Jacob Marrs (Arbor View High School) and Dominique Davis (Las Vegas Academy).

Join us Saturday, September 12, in San Diego as Thunderbird Football takes on San Diego State. Tailgating begins at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) in Parking Lot H2 at Qualcomm Stadium. Kick-off is at 5:30 p.m. (Pacific Time). Call 888-586-1997 for more information.

Salt Lake BBQ and Senior Send-Off

2009-07-13T10:41:00.001-07:00

Our third alumni gathering of the summer was held Thursday, July 9, in Salt Lake City. More than 120 alumni, current students and incoming freshmen attended a BBQ at Fairmont Park and then spent the evening at the ballpark watching the Salt Lake Bees.

Scholarships were presented to Camille Anthian (Copper Hills High School), Lauren Ashton (Alta High School), Hannah Christensen (Olympus High School), Hayden Crane (Riverton High School), Jesse Egan (Alta High School) and Makenzie Porter (Bingham High School).

Thank you to everyone who attended and we'll see you next year! Don't forget the SUU vs. Utah State Football Game on Saturday, September 26. Game time in Logan is 6 p.m. and tailgating will begin at 4 p.m.

Thanks to our great cook!

SUU National Alumni Board President Mark Russell

Juliann Smith, Lisa Sander, Jenn Morley and Mechelle Mellor

Mario Garcia Family

Megan Russell and Josh Hansen award a

scholarship to Camille Anthian

Lola Bird, Jenn Morley, Darin Bird, Jeff Maynes,

Megan Russell, Lauren Bird and McKay Maynes

Utah County BBQ & Senior Send-Off

2009-06-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Utah County Alumni Chapter held its annual Summer BBQ and Senior Send-Off on Monday, June 22, at the beautiful Olmstead Power Plant Park. Nearly 80 alumni and their families attended, along with incoming freshmen from the area -- welcome to SUU!

Congratulations to Tori Creighton (Lone Peak High School) and Brandon Jolley (Lehi High School) who are the recipients of two Utah County Alumni Chapter Scholarships.

Thank you for coming and see you next year!

Washington County BBQ & Senior Send-Off

2009-05-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Washington County Alumni Chapter recently held its annual Summer BBQ and Senior Send-Off at Vernon Worthen Park in St. George. Nearly 100 alumni and their families attended and enjoyed good food and great company.

Chapter President Ryan Richey presented alumni scholarships to Payton Harris and Alyssa Morris. Both are new freshman and we welcome them -- and all incoming freshmen -- to SUU!

Alumnus Sam Lutui and his cousins Filipe and Sione Fa -- of Biggest Losers fame -- stopped by and shared their experiences from the hit televsion show.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make our BBQ a success!

SUU Commencement 2009!

2009-05-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Southern Utah University's 110th Commencement Ceremonies were held Saturday, May 2. The Class of 2009 totaled 1,755 - the largest ever - with 394 receiving master's degrees, 1,015 earning bachelor's degrees, 340 associate's degrees and six educational certificates. Graduates came from 15 different countries, 41 states and 26 Utah counties. They ranged in age from 17 to 67 years old and included 694 men and 1,061 women.

Honorary doctorate degrees were presented to reowned painter Jim Jones, LDS President Thomas S. Monson and the late philanthropist and economist Edward Rondthaler IV.

Congratulations to the Class of 2009 and Welcome to the SUU Alumni Association!

Alumni Magazine Online this Spring!

2009-03-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

In an effort to be budget conscious in times like these, we've decided to reduce costs by distributing the SUU In View Alumni Magazine online rather that in print. We do this on a trial basis for this spring's issue.

The alumni magazine is one of our most important tools in keeping you, and other members of the Thunderbird Nation, connected. Its content remains consistent with the kinds of stories and updates we've provided for the past seven years. The spring 2009 edition includes features on: the new Zion Alliance, academic excellence in gymnastics, alumni making a difference through service learning, the College of HSS and much more!

So go to http://suu.edu/alumni/magazine/spring09/, take a look and let us know what you think.

Founders' Celebration 2009

2009-03-31T08:43:00.000-07:00

SUU's 112th birthday was celebrated March 12, 2009.

During banquet festivities, an alliance was signed with the Paiute Tribe of Utah and Distinguished Service Awards were presented Marva Middleton, former administrative assistant in the Office of the Provost and June Sewing, community activist and executive officer of the Building Industry Association of Iron County.

Provost Rod Decker and Professor Jim Bowns were inducted into the Hall of Honor. Each has served SUU for 44 years and has excelled and impacted the departments in which they have worked. Their portraits were unveiled and will hang in the Great Hall. Rod Decker's portrait was done by Del Parsons and Jim Bowns' by SUU Art Professor Ben Sowards.

Cedar City's Heritage Center played host to a piano concert following the banquet featuring Steinway Artists Kirill Gliadkovsky & Anna Gliadkovskaya, SUU students Joshua Infiesto & Savannah Sommers and SUU President Michael T. Benson. The concert also marked the official designation of SUU as an All-Steinway School!

Etch Your Name Into the Past and Be Part of SUU's New Housing Complex

2009-03-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

With Manzanita Hall gone and the new resident housing complex opening this fall, alumni are invited to leave their mark by being part of a new courtyard!

For a $100 tax-deductible donation, your name will be etched into an original Manzanita brick that will be used in a walkway between the new housing buildings that stand where Manzanita Hall once stood. Funds raised will be used to complete the courtyard which will include benches and flowers. The courtyard is sure to be a much used walkway and a fun gathering place for students.

To purchase your brick, contact the SUU Development Office at 435-586-7775 or email McKenzie Hyde at hyde@suu.edu.

Check out the new hall, the floor plan, photos and amenities at: http://www.suu.edu/ss/housing/Halls/Phase2/index.html

Welcome Home Governor Leavitt

2009-02-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Southern Utah University welcomed home alumnus Michael O. Leavitt and family after a distinguished career as Governor of Utah, Administrator of the EPA and finally Secretary of Health and Human Services. During his remarks he shared a little of his Washington experience with us as well as his insights on public service. It was a fantastic reception! Thank you to all those who attended. We are thrilled to have him on campus while he continues to cultivate the Leavitt Center for Politics in Society and works on personal projects.

Utah Music Educator's Association Reception (UMEA)

2009-02-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

The College of Performing and Visual Arts and SUU Alumni Relations hosted their first annual UMEA Alumni Reception on Friday, February 6, 2009, at the St. George Comfort Suites. It was fantastic to have visit with SUU Alumni who are teaching music across the state. We are excited for this annual tradition and if you plan to attend the 2010 UMEA conference in St. George, mark your calendar for the Friday evening of the conference.

Scott & Jessica Forsyth. Scott was named UMEA Junior High Music Educator of the Year! Congrats Scott!

Dean Bill Brynes updates the groups on CPVA happenings.

Pre-Grad Fair

2009-02-06T14:40:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday February 4th Alumni Relations put together the first Pre-Grad Fair which provided a one-stop shop for potential graduates to make sure they were ready for graduation. We had about 500 in attendance which is about 1/3 of the 2009 graduating class. Alumni Relations is excited to make this event a tradition. Thank you to all those who helped make this a huge success.
Check out the slide show to see our future young Alums!

SUU Students Serve

2009-01-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Many young Alum will remember Alternative Spring Break (ASB). Well, the Service Learning Center has expanded ASB to include a second trip during winter break the Guymas, Mexico. At Alternative Winter Break (AWB), SUU students, faculty and staff have a unique opportunity to travel to and serve the people of Guymas, Mexico. To those that have gone it is a life altering experience. Their service includes: Jerry's Club (a boys and girls after school club), rebuilding of parks and homes, painting through out the community, work in hospitals and the list goes on and on. If it is a need, SUU student try to fill that need.

Boy with a "Happy Factory" toy.

Children playing in the newly filled trampoline hole.

Painting a local building.

Alternative Winter Break 2008 Group Picture

If you have stories from the holidays or reminiscing you'd like to share we would love to hear! Please send them our way.

Class is back in session...

2009-01-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

The holidays have ended, classrooms are now full and stories of winter break are floating around campus. Here is what happend around the Alumni office over the holidays.

The Iron county Alumni chapter hosted a holiday hoopla!

Everyone enjoyed the nacho bar and visits with Santa between the women's and men's games.

We enjoyed a second night of fun at the Utah county Alumni chapter's tailgate at the SUU vs. UVU game in Orem.

Both events were a huge success thanks to the hard work of both the Chapter representatives and Linda. Thank you to all that came out, showed your support and enjoyed a fun night with us.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-12-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

The Alumni office wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, so we put together this little movie for you. Enjoy!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

2008-12-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

This week has been a week of snowy weather in southern Utah. On Monday we had about a foot of snow fall! It didn't stop there though...Wednesday brought another storm and more snow...Cedar with fresh fallen snow and the southern Utah blue sky is a breathtaking sight.

Yup you are see that right....Monday afternoon the snow was at 11"

Ron being useful...

Student Alumni Career Networking Luncheon

2008-12-09T10:37:00.001-08:00

On November 13 the Student Alumni Association put together a Career Networking Luncheon. The panel consisted of recent Communication graduates Lisa Larson, '01 (The Spectrum), Ben Kroff, '02 (The Boulevard) and Bret Nelson, '06 (Leavitt Group). They answered questions from those in attendance about current hiring trends, what a resume should look like and what it is really like to be in the workforce.

We would like to thank our presenters for taking time out of their busy schedules and in some cases traveling to Cedar City to participate in our panel. Their insights shared will prove to be very valuable to future graduates as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Zion Alliance

2008-12-09T08:44:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, Southern Utah University formed educational alliance with the Zion Park Group, marked by a formal signing ceremony between SUU, Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument and Pipe Spring National Monument at the Zion National Park Nature Center.

The SUU Alumni Relations office was proud to be involved in this event. It was a day full of fun and history making. It is truly a privilege to expand our partnerships with the national parks in southern Utah. They are filled with majestic beauty and amazing opportunities for learning.
Thank you to Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument and Pipe Spring National Monument for your hospitality and willingness to partner with SUU. We look forward to many great experiences to come.

This partnership speaks to SUU’s continued commitment to providing unique educational opportunities that capitalize on the University’s business relationships, local resources and surroundings – taking education far beyond the walls of the classroom.

For the entire press release please click the following link:

http://www.suu.edu/ad/pr/news/archives/viewarticle.aspx?id=576

Thor's Celebrity Thunder Classic

2008-10-09T13:09:00.001-07:00

On Monday October 6th Alumni Relations hosted the 1st and soon to be annual Thor's Celebrity Thunder Classic at Entrada. We had a amazing support and are proud to call the event a success. We hope you'll enjoy seeing some to the pictures from the tournament.

Homecoming 2008!

2008-10-08T13:03:00.001-07:00

This year's Homecoming celebration was said to have been the best one yet. Thank you to all of you supported this year's Homecoming! We had an amazing crowd at all the Alumni events. It was fun to see you all and have you back on campus. We hope that next year our numbers will continue to grow!

Welcome!

2008-06-02T12:22:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the SUU Alumni blog! We are excited to get reacquainted with some old friends and provide a way for you to do the same.
To be added to this link, simply leave a comment or email your updated contact info to alumni@suu.edu
Also, we would love to add any stories or pictures involving you an alumni that you are willing to share.

Thank you!
Alumni Relations Staff
Mindy, Ron, Linda and Ashlee