In this issue:

Seeing a Different Side
SDSU Students Build Homes, Reputations

SDSU "Nawleanteers" prepare to leave for Louisiana.

Stephanie Buchanan had never been to Louisiana.

When the 18-year-old SDSU business major volunteered to travel to the New Orleans area to assist with rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Katrina, she thought she knew what to expect. What she found was an eye-opening experience.

“I thought I was prepared going into it, but I don’t think anyone can be prepared,” said Buchanan, a sophomore from Orange County. “I think I can speak for everyone by saying it’s not what you expect.”

Buchanan was one of 22 volunteers with College Students for New Orleans who traveled to St. Bernard Parish last month on a nine-day mission to make a difference. It was the fourth such trip for the SDSU student organization since the group formed in the spring of 2007.

“This past trip we took two 12-passenger vans, drove 36 hours straight, and we didn’t stop over night,” Buchanan recalled. “It was a little crazy.”

Adam Kronenberg ('08) shovels debris.

SO MUCH DEVASTATION

Their destination was Camp Hope, an abandoned middle school converted for the purpose of housing volunteers who help rebuild homes. Buchanan couldn’t believe there was so much work left to do.

“It’s amazing it’s been almost three years (since the hurricane) and there’s still so much devastation,” she said, describing once-bustling communities that remain largely abandoned. “It’s kind of eerie to have just the foundation of a house where you know there used to be people living.”

While Buchanan gained her first glimpse of Katrina’s aftermath, Adam Kronenberg (’08) was more familiar with the scene. After their first trip to the New Orleans area over spring break in 2007, he and fellow SDSU student Mark Kellner vowed to return with reinforcements. They formed an official campus organization with Kellner as president and Kronenberg as vice president.

Calling themselves “Nawleanteers,” a term coined by Kronenberg from the local dialect for “New Orleans volunteers,” the two began a drive to recruit other students. Kronenberg approaches prospects with the verve of an evangelist.

“The need is great,” he testified. “These are communities of people who’ve been displaced who want to come back, but don’t have the means for a variety of reasons: for not having government help, for not having insurance, for not having a plan for something like this. It’s people who genuinely need help and what’s brought me back time and time again is that it’s so legitimate.”

Stephanie Buchanan (2nd from r) installs drywall with other SDSU "Nawleanteers."

“They’re just good, hard-working Americans,” Kronenberg continued. “You hear their stories and they really have been forgotten in so many ways. They’ve been let down by so many different sources with their local leadership, state leadership, and federal leadership and when they see these grass-roots organizations helping them out, a lot of them tear up and it’s really overwhelming for them.”

HARD LABOR

The students work through the St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit, grassroots organization that raises money for materials and provides volunteer labor to help displaced residents of St. Bernard Parish rebuild their homes. As laborers, the students often find themselves performing tasks they’ve never done before.

Buchanan’s group installed insulation and drywall “Coming into the week, I would never have thought I would be able to do what I did,” she marveled. “We were doing drywall on ceilings. In the corners we were doing all these crazy angles and it was really cool to say we could do it, but I was definitely sore all week.”

“Hard labor is basically what they need,” said Kronenberg, a 23-year-old from El Cerrito who graduated this spring with a degree in social science, but is still working on his teaching credential program. “I’ve never done anything like it before and I absolutely love it.”

Buchanan described a homeowner named Dave who viewed the young volunteers with skepticism at first. “You could tell he was a really nice guy, but he kind of had the opinion of, ‘Oh, look at those California hippies,’” she recalled. “We worked so hard and we could tell that he grew to respect us. He got to know us and it was just really cool to see that relationship evolve.”

“The homeowners overwhelmingly are appreciative,” Kronenberg agreed. “On more than one occasion they said that it’s us, it’s the volunteers who come out that keep them going and give them hope that they can come back and rebuild.”

SDSU student volunteers outside a home damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Both Kronenberg and Buchanan intend to help keep that hope alive. They plan to lead another group of student volunteers to New Orleans August 22 – 31 during the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29.

SOMETHING REALLY GREAT

Kronenberg is confident he can round up a large group of volunteers. The biggest obstacle, he says, is money. The cost per person is about $300 for the week.

“That’s the biggest deterrent for people who are interested in going, but don’t have enough money because they’re college students,” he explained. “But that‘s exactly what New Orleans needs in the St. Bernard Project is young, capable, energetic people who can rebuild.”

“What I love,” he added, “is that when we go out there, the organizations, when they hear about us, they know we’re super-hard workers. We’ve developed that sort of reputation.”

It’s a reputation Buchanan, who has agreed to take over as president of the Nawleanteers, would like to see expanded. “There’s been a lot of negative press about San Diego State recently and it was just really cool for me to look around and see 22 of my peers with good hearts all doing something really great,” she said.

“To see that from San Diego State instead of the other stuff for once, I’d like people to see that side of our school more.”

For more information about the 'Nawleanteers," visit studentsvolunteer.googlepages.com.

Part of the Solution
New Alumni Association Leader Calls on Alums to Help SDSU Meet Challenges

SDSU President Stephen L. Weber addresses June 19 Alumni Association Board of Directors meeting.

When SDSU President Stephen L. Weber addressed Alumni Association board members last month at their final meeting of the 2007-2008 year, he spoke of the challenges facing the university in the year ahead. Among those listening intently as he outlined the likelihood of budget cuts, student fee hikes, and enrollment reductions was new Alumni Association President Adrienne Finley (’71).

“The budget is an important issue and I think we’re going to have to keep tabs on the long-term effect that has on our university this year,” she said. “Some people might say that would open up some opportunities for alumni to get involved and help be part of the solution to whatever challenges the university has.”

“If it’s budget, if it’s reputation, if it’s activities, if it means being supportive to the faculty and staff,” Finley continued, “I hope we can be part of the solution.”

Finley officially assumed her new position July 1 after she was symbolically handed the president’s gavel by immediate past president Bill Trumpfheller (’87) at the June 19 meeting. Despite the sobering message delivered by Weber, Finley said she’s looking forward to a banner year as leader of the Alumni Association.

“We’re most excited about the new Alumni Center set to open next year and getting people involved in that,” she said. “My dream is to break a bottle of champagne on the front door.”

New SDSU Alumni Association president Adrienne Finley ('71) (l) receives gavel from immediate past president Bill Trumpfheller ('87).

Trumpfheller, who concluded his second term as Alumni Association president, cited the March groundbreaking for the new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center as the highlight of his nine-year involvement with the Alumni Association. “It’s something I and a lot of people have been involved with for a long time,” he explained. “It’s just a great next step for us and it’s going to move us into the future.”

Also moving the Alumni Association into the future is a new group of directors voted onto the board. They include Barbara Powels Bowen (’05), Ernest Dronenburg (’66), Joe Farrage (’89), Katie Rogow (’90), Deanna Shoop (’97), Peggy Stephenson (’84), Kirk Walwick (’81), and Tim Young (’91).

The board bid farewell to termed-out members Dennis Kuhn ('90), Chuck Luby (’59, ‘64), Wendy Reuben (’78), Ramon Riesgo (’91), Jarl Turner (’88), and Glen Vieira (’81). Each received a special framed certificate in recognition of their years of service to the SDSU Alumni Association.

Parting Thoughts
Departing Alumni Association President Shares Second Term Reflections

SDSU Alumni Association past president Bill Trumpfheller ('87).

Bill Trumpfheller ('87) is the fifth person to serve two terms as president of the SDSU Alumni Association – the second to serve them nonconsecutively. In addition to the year he completed last month, he was also president of the organization from 2000 – 2001.

During his first term, the former SDSU journalism major was instrumental in putting together a strategic plan for a new alumni center. This past year, he saw those plans come to fruition with groundbreaking for the new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

Below are Trumpfheller’s thoughts on his second term, his involvement with the SDSU Alumni Association, and the changes taking place at SDSU:

“For me, the key is having fun. It was a milestone year because we broke ground on the new alumni center. I think the first thing I did this year was I got to go to Cooperstown and see one of our alums (Tony Gwynn) get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. How could that not be fun?”

“Then you move on to a new alumni center groundbreaking. Then you give scholarships to deserving students. You start to look at what we do. We do this because we want to, because we’re proud of our alma mater. If you’re not having fun with it, it’s time to move on to something else.”

“Obviously, I’m going to continue to be active as past president. One of my philosophies has always been that the degree you receive from a university is only as valuable as the current reputation of that university, so I’ve always gotten involved to help enhance the value of my degree. I would like to see all of the alums out there approach it the same way. If we’re all up about San Diego State and promoting San Diego State and let everybody know how wonderful the institution is, the value of our degree goes up.”

“I got a great education. I am where I am because of what I got from San Diego State. If everybody understands the role the university played in their lives and promotes it that way, we’re all better off. It’s hard to do, but we all need to be evangelists and storytellers.”

“A lot of my friends who graduated in the mid-eighties have this perception of the challenges, like, ‘It was hard to get this or that class.’ Get over it. That’s history. It’s what you make of it in the future, so get involved and make it better. Don’t (complain) about what the past was. Get involved and make something happen.”

“I think anyone who takes the 360 Tour (of campus) just goes, ‘Holy (cow)! This place is unbelievable!’ If you were an engineering major, for example, and you walk through what the engineering students are doing now it’s absolutely different from what they did 20 years ago.”

“It’s all good. The end result is good. What we’re doing is good for the university and it’s good for the upcoming students. I’ve got two kids. I’d love it if they would attend San Diego State University and I want them to be as proud of the place as I am.”

To see a complete list of SDSU Alumni Association presidents, visit alumni.sdsu.edu/past_presidents.htm

New Alumni Center Making the Grade
Groundwork Complete, Construction Set to Begin

Grading nears completion at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center site.

By the end of this week, grading is expected to be completed at the site of the new $11 million Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. Actual construction on the facility at 55th Street and Hardy Avenue is set to begin later this month.

“We expect to be breaking ground on footings in a week or so,” said construction manager Steve Nelson (’96) of Midwest General, Inc. “By the end of August you should see steel in the air.”

Demolition began in March, followed by excavation and grading at the site of the former Football Operations Center. Completion of the 30,000-square-foot facility is scheduled by the end of 2009.

View images of the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center site at alumnicenter.sdsu.edu.

Pave the Way
Order Your New Alumni Center Paver Now

Help pave the way for the new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. Place your name directly in the building through Project Pave the Way, a campaign designed to fill the rotunda of the new facility with stone pavers bearing the names and messages of SDSU alumni and friends.

Once completed, the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center will feature a spectacular rotunda encompassing approximately 900 feet of floor space. The floor covering will include stone pavers bearing the names and engraved messages of those wishing to leave a lasting impression in the new building.

The pavers come in three sizes for three donation amounts. A gift of $1,000 sponsors a 4” x 14” stone. A 6” x 28” paver comes with a donation of $2,500 and for $5,000 a much larger message may be left on a stone measuring 8” x 42”. All paver gifts are 100% tax deductible and will also support the SDSU Alumni Student Scholarship Fund.

Affordable payment plans are available, but construction is progressing at a rapid pace and time is running out, so ensure your spot now. Build your legacy into the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center through Project Pave the Way by visiting www.sdsualumni.org/pavers or contact Kelley Suminski at (619) 594-3406.

20/30s Alumni Day at the Races

20/30s Alumni members at 2006 Day at the Races.

Enjoy a day of racing on Saturday, August 9 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club with 20/30s Alumni! Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and first post is at 2 p.m. After the races, stick around for the beer festival and the Bob Marley Roots Rock Reggae Fest with Ziggy Marley.

Tickets are $12 for Alumni Association members and $16 for non-members and guests. Price includes admission to the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and a reserved seat in the Stretch Run area. To register, visit alumni.sdsu.edu/2030s.

Aztec Family Day Festivities Set
Meet Aztec Coaches and Student Athletes

San Diego State fans can meet coaches and student-athletes from a variety of SDSU teams during Aztec Family Day 2008 set for Saturday, August 16, at Qualcomm Stadium. The fun begins at 1:00 p.m. on the concourse level where the SDSU band and cheer squads will appear and fans may purchase authentic Aztec gear at the annual clearance apparel sale.

The San Diego State football team is scheduled to take the field at 2:00 p.m., with an autograph session to follow. Pre-paid reservations for the 2008 Kick-Off Dinner at 5:30 p.m. can be made by calling the Aztec Athletic Foundation at (619) 594-6444 no later than Friday, August 8.

Admission and parking are free. Fans are encouraged to bring a new stuffed animal for kids at Children's Hospital when entering through Gate E.

Football fans may visit the Aztec Ticket Office at Window E to pick out season seats on the spot! Season tickets for the six-game home schedule start at just $50 or as little as $8.33 per game, a savings of 46% over individual game pricing. For additional ticket information call the Aztec Ticket Office at (619) 283-SDSU.

Learn more about Aztec Athletics at www.goaztecs.com.

Fall Campus Tour Schedule Announced
Sign Up For a Lifetime Member 360 Tour Now

See for yourself why, for the second consecutive year, SDSU is ranked the number one small research university in the nation. Get a behind-the-scenes look at campus programs by scheduling a 360 Tour today. Fall tour dates are now open and SDSU Alumni Association lifetime members are eligible as a benefit of membership.

SDSU visitors on 360 Tour of campus.

Two-hour 360 Tours are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Each tour begins and ends in the President’s Conference Room in Manchester Hall and includes stops for an inside look at some of SDSU’s most highly regarded programs. Space is limited. Lifetime members of the SDSU Alumni Association may make reservations by contacting Lifetime Membership Coordinator Ashleigh Yturralde (’04) at (619) 594-ALUM (2586) or by sending an email at agibson@mail.sdsu.edu.

Reserve your space now. Available dates and times for the next season of 360 Tours are:

Fall 2008:

• September 12, 7:45 a.m.
• September 19, 8:15 a.m.
• October 10, 9:00 a.m.
• October 24, 7:45 a.m.
• November 7, 8:15 a.m.
• November 21, 9:00 a.m.
• December 5, 7:45 a.m.

For a list of new lifetime members, visit alumni.sdsu.edu/lifetime_members.

Fulbright Grants Announced
Recent Alumni Encouraged to Apply

Three Aztec alumni are among the latest Fulbright grant recipients who will spend a year abroad. The following is a list of Fulbright grant awardees for the year 2008-09 and their assignments:

Andres Deza (’05), MS graduate in Biology/Fish Ecology, will work in Chile conducting research on kelp forests.

Erica Hashiba (’05), Master's in Linguistics, undergraduate degree in Asian Studies, will teach English in Macao.

Eli Magana (’08), graduate in Political Science and Japanese, will go to Korea where he will be enrolled in Yonsei University's Korean Studies program.

Other Fulbright grants have been awarded to ongoing students:

Iliana Angulo-Arreda, graduate student in Public Health and Latin American Studies, will be in Brazil, studying psychosocial factors affecting women living with HIV/AIDS.

Brian Campbell, in the Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) program, will teach English in Brazil.

Martin Lacayo-Emery, Geography, will be in Switzerland working on computer programming to assist public policy makers.

Megan Strang, staff in the International Business program, will teach English in Austria.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright program has had as its goal the building of intercultural understanding. In 2007, the program awarded approximately 6,000 grants, providing opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students and alumni to spend an academic year in one of 155 countries.

The next grant cycle is underway. Alumni who have graduated in the past three years are among those eligible to apply through SDSU for a Fulbright grant. Three Fulbright information sessions are planned for this summer on campus. They are set for:

Wednesday, July 30 from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. in AL105
Tuesday, August 19 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. in AL 101
Thursday, August 28 from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. in AL 101

SDSU's deadline is Sept. 22, 2008 for applications for academic year 2009-10. Interested students and alumni may visit www.fulbrightonline.org for more information and contact Dr. Pat Huckle, SDSU Fulbright Adviser at huckle@mail.sdsu.edu.

SDSU Alum: You Could Save on Insurance & Support the Alumni Association

Beginning in January of 2005, the SDSU Alumni Association teamed up with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company to offer SDSU alumni savings on Liberty’s personal auto, home, condo & renters insurance.*

“We’re thrilled with this voluntary, group savings program from Liberty,” said SDSU Alumni Association Associate Director Tammy Blackburn. “Many of our alumni could receive a good value on insurance through the program, and a great company like Liberty Mutual supports the Alumni Association as part of the deal.”

Blackburn was a member of the team that forged the relationship between SDSU and Liberty Mutual. She says some alumni received information from Liberty about the group savings program in the mail last month.

Liberty Mutual is a Fortune 100 company that has been helping individuals live safer, more secure lives since 1912.

If you are interested in further information and live in California, please contact Liberty directly by calling Annabel Buso:

Annabel Buso
Liberty Mutual Insurance
CA Insurance License #0807413
Phone: (866) 520-6782 ext. 58239
Email: Annabel.Buso@LibertyMutual.com

If you reside outside of California please contact Liberty directly at 800-730-6938 or visit www.libertymutual.com/lm/sdsu. Please be sure to mention client # 110426.

If you do not wish to receive any further information from Liberty, you may opt out by visiting www.sdsualumni.org/affinity.htm.

*Discounts and credits are available where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; not all applicants may qualify. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA.

This organization receives financial support for allowing Liberty Mutual to offer this auto and home insurance program.

Chapter Interest Up
Fee Elimination Credited with Membership Jump

A year ago, the SDSU Alumni Association Board of Directors voted to restructure the organization’s chapter system. It eliminated the $5 annual membership fee, allowing members to join a variety of chapters for free. The result has been an increase in Alumni Association chapter membership.

Since fees were eliminated last year, chapter interest has almost doubled from 1,000 to more than 1,900. Alumni Association members were asked to designate a chapter of primary interest and any number of chapters of secondary interest. Each chapter is funded based on the number of members who list it as a chapter of interest.

“Now we know so much more about who our members are and what they want to do,” says Alumni Association chapter coordinator, Diane Barragan. “It helps us allocate our resources more efficiently and better serve our members.”

Barragan also credits the program’s growth with increasing chapter interest. In the past year, four new chapters have been recognized creating organizations for Athletic Bands Alumni, Psychology Alumni, Aztec LGBT Alumni, and Associated Students Alumni. These new groups help broaden the scope of the chapters program by connecting alumni through a wider range of interests.

NEW FACES

“We have seen a lot of new faces at this past year’s events,” explained Barragan. “We’ve also had tremendous leadership and great volunteers helping organize events.”

More than 1200 people attended 52 chapter-sponsored events last year, including 22 regional events. Those gatherings, with guests ranging from Aztec coaches to SDSU President Stephen L. Weber, brought alumni together in places like Sacramento and Los Angeles. The largest chapter event was the Business Alumni Network’s February 19 “Three Tom Tuesday” that featured a panel of three prominent alumni and attracted an audience of 130.

“It has been a busy year for our chapters,” Barragan concluded, “but we’re hoping next year will be even busier.”

Check out the schedule of chapter events at www.sdsualumni.org/cgi-any/calendar_show.dll/layout?sitename=sdsu.

Alumni Association members, designate your chapters of interest at chapters.sdsu.edu/join.htm.

Associated Students Alumni Chapter Approved
New Group Sets Events, Scholarships, Networking as Goals

Associated Students alumni now have a chapter to call their own. By unanimous vote at its June 19 meeting, the SDSU Alumni Association Board of Directors approved official recognition of the Associated Students Alumni Chapter. The designation came after a five-month organization effort headed by Chris Doolittle (’02), who will serve as the chapter’s first president.

A professional drummer who performs and teaches, Doolittle described the board’s vote as “beautiful music to my ears.” He said he’s looking forward to reuniting A.S. officers, council members, and employees from several decades. “The chapter can now get on it’s way to becoming the most successful alumni chapter the university has ever seen,” he said.

Doolittle said the A.S. chapter’s board of directors’ top priorities include getting the word out about the chapter and signing up members. He views the chapter’s long-term goals as sponsoring “large-scale social events at spectacular venues, (fundraising for) scholarships, and professional networking events.”

Official designation of the Associated Students Alumni Chapter brings the SDSU Alumni Association’s chapter total to 28. Alumni Association members may join any number of chapters free of charge.

If you’re interested in joining the new A.S. alumni chapter, visit chapters.sdsu.edu/as or contact Chris Doolittle at chris@sticktape.com or (619) 850-7164.