Homecoming 2011

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

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

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

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

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.