Saint Mary's Magazine Spring 2004 - Saint Mary's University of ...

ALUMNI NEWS
Saint Mary’s Alumni Association
keeps our alumni connected
Iam honored to be serving as president of the
Saint Mary’s University Alumni Board of Directors
this year. I have many fond memories of my experiences
while a student at Saint Mary’s, of the faculty and staff,
and of course, my fellow students. The education and
life skills I received from Saint
Mary’s, as I’m sure many of you
can agree, have enabled me to
aspire to higher achievements and
have guided me through difficult
times, as well.
The goal of the alumni
association is to advance the
mission of Saint Mary’s University
of Minnesota by establishing
Mari Beth (Utke ’89)
Ross, president,
SMU Alumni Board
of Directors
ongoing and mutually beneficial
relationships between the university
and its alumni. Each year the
alumni board works very hard to
fulfill this mission. This year is no
exception. I am fortunate to have a wonderful group of
alums – spanning graduation years from 1954 to 1998
– working with me. I am thankful for their continued
enthusiasm and commitment to Saint Mary’s and the
alumni association.
One of the new tasks the board has committed to is
to construct a veterans memorial on campus to honor all
current students and alumni who serve – and who have
served – in the armed forces. The board created a
subcommittee that is currently soliciting ideas from
artists for the design of the memorial. We will continue
to keep you updated on our progress with this
monument.
With input from the board of directors’ Admissions/
Communications Committee, the new SMU website
rolled out in February 2003. Through the website, there
are many easy ways to connect with the university, see
what is happening on campus, find information, register
for upcoming alumni events, make a gift to your alma
mater, and access e-mail addresses of fellow alums to
rekindle friendships. You can also communicate with the
alumni office and sign up for our many alumni
volunteer opportunities. Check it out today at
www.smumn.edu/alumni.
Our Awards Committee joined forces with the new
Cardinal ‘M’ Club and assisted them in nominating and
inducting six alumni into the Sports Hall of Fame at the
inaugural awards program, held on Sept. 20, 2003.
Approximately 350 people were in attendance for the
ceremony, which also honored current student-athletes
for their many academic and athletic accomplishments.
Our Events Committee continues to look for ways
to enhance Homecoming weekend. One of our
improvements for Homecoming 2004 will be joining the
annual alumni awards ceremony with the Homecoming
dinner. This change will give our alumni more time in
the evening for other social opportunities and to plan
special class gatherings. In addition, the committee
continues to work with the alumni office to execute the
next Saint Mary’s Convention, which will be held in the
Twin Cities on Nov. 12-13. The convention will take the
university (faculty, staff and students) out to our alumni,
parents and prospective students, and will highlight
cutting-edge programs, inform others about new
educational opportunities, and include many events for
socializing and networking.
Our University Relations Committee continues to
enhance our annual “Life after Saint Mary’s” event. This
event brings a variety of alumni on campus to meet with
our current students about career options, networking
skills, interviewing advice, and résumé-writing expertise.
The event took place on Friday, March 5. If you are
interested in coming back to campus to talk with
students about your career and life after Saint Mary’s,
please contact the alumni office at (800) 635-5987,
Ext. 1499.
The Twin Cities and Chicago Alumni Chapters
continue to plan and host events allowing opportunities
for alumni to reconnect with one another. In the Twin
Cities, some of the recent events have included:
Community Outreach Day, Basilica Block Party alumni
tent, St. Paul Saints baseball game, a Guthrie Theater
event, Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks NHL
outing, and our annual SMU vs. St. Thomas hockey
game and reception. In Chicago, they had another
successful golf outing this past summer, an annual
Chicago Cubs outing and events for young alumni. In
addition to Twin Cities and Chicago, alumni gatherings
are being planned this year in Winona, Missouri, Florida,
Colorado and Washington, D.C. If you are interested in
any of these events or would like to volunteer, contact
the alumni office at alumni@smumn.edu.
There are a number of opportunities to stay
connected with the university, whether it is by attending
an event, connecting with current students, or offering
your time and talents. I encourage you to become
involved with SMU. If you have any comments,
feedback, or ideas, we would love to hear from you
today!≠
24 SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE SPRING 2004