Fall 2007 Magazine
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F A L L 2 0 0 7 FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA UT PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL REPORT Contents Vol. XXIII, No. 1 Fall 2007 About the Cover Features Stadium Center opened this fall, providing housing for 448 students. The new residence hall features suite-style living, plus dining facilities. See page 39 for more details. Learning to Serve. UT creates a culture 1 Design by Anne Rowland. Photo by Bob Thompson. of caring, where students, faculty and staff volunteer their time to make a positive change Duplicate Mailings in the world. Please help us cut down on mailing costs. If your household is receiving more than one copy of the UT Journal, send us the address labels from each copy. We A New Model. The University moved to a 6 will review our records and correct any duplication. four-college model this year, which will aid in Send your labels to The University of Tampa UT’s development. Office of Alumni Relations Box H 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. Pigskins and Pride. Former UT football players 14 Tampa, FL 33606-1490 and coaches got together to discuss good Address changes also can be made online by clicking times. on ut.edu/alumni/address.cfm. The Dream Lives On. President Ronald L. 35 Vaughn looks back on the accomplishments of the last year and ahead to the next 75 years in the hearts of Spartans. Departments UT The Front Burner .............................................................. 8 Beyond the Lectern .......................................................11 The University of Tampa Journal is published three Spartan Sportsbag ...................................................... times a year–fall, winter, spring–by The University 17 of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606- 1490. Third-class postage paid at Tampa, FL. Opinions Muezzin ...................................................................... expressed in the Journal do not necessarily represent 22 those of the faculty, administration or students. Eric Cárdenas ..........................................Executive Editor Class Acts ....................................................................23 Robin Roger ...............................................................Writer Anne Rowland ......................................................Designer Contributing Writers: Homecoming Information ..........................................30 Jay Hardwick, Tom Kolbe, Brian Overcast, Taylor Albertson Pinke Leaving a Legacy ........................................................32 Contributing Photographers: David Brothers, Christine Goodwin, Jay Hardwick, Dr. James Harf, Jessica Leigh, Cliff McBride, Alex Spartan Dollars and Sense ........................................ 34 McKnight, Andy Meng, Taylor Albertson Pinke, Robin Roger, Anne Rowland, Karen Shaw, Casey Stevens, Bob Thompson, Brian Vandervliet Donor Honor Roll ........................................................42 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Journal, The University of Tampa, Box H, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33606-1490. The University of Tampa is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Minaret Moments ........................................................72 UT CREATES CULTURE OF Community Outreach nstead of going to the beaches in Cancun the Humane Society, Metropolitan Ministries or the slopes in Aspen, University of and Covenant House. An impressive 69 percent Tampa junior Molly Murphy decided to of UT seniors who responded to the National spend her spring break in Meridian, MS, Survey of Student Engagement last year said Ibuilding homes for Habitat for Humanity. they had done community service at UT. By Robin Roger She and her classmates helped finish the “I truly believe volunteering changes lives Staff Writer electrical work in one home and started the for both the volunteer and those receiving siding and roofing on another. Two of the new help,” Murphy said. “By being involved with homeowners were elderly and unable to work P.E.A.C.E. and volunteering at UT, I have met so on the site because of partial blindness and dis- many great and dedicated people who want to Above: Students (from left) ability, so they prepared lunch every day for the make a change in the world, which inspires me Renee Gerstein, Lisl Hinrichs workers. to do the same. I feel more connected with the and Victor O’Brien help clean horse paddocks for the Martin “They were so thankful and gracious for Tampa community as well as the UT campus Luther King Day of Service. (Photo by Robin Roger.) our work, which made the experience so much through volunteering.” more fulfilling,” she said. UT has a heritage of service because it was Murphy, a leader for the student founded by community leaders, said President organization People Exploring Active Ronald L. Vaughn. Many alumni have become Community Experiences (P.E.A.C.E.), is one of civil servants, including mayors, governors and many students who volunteer while at UT. A ambassadors. Professors and staff members E majority of students and employees volunteer have served as state legislators and city AK Anearly 80,000 hours each year at more than councilmen. WOR E CONTINUED ON PAGEL 2 M 200 organizations,CH including Autism Speaks, TH D ANGEIN FALL 2007 unteering more than 100 hours of their time to community service during the academic year. Students compete for honors such as student volunteer of the year, Greek student volunteer of the year, volunteer organization of the year and Greek volunteer organization of the year. The competition between fraternities and so- rorities gets particularly intense, with some organizations logging hundreds of hours. Community service hours also are recorded in students’ co-curricular transcripts, a self-re- ported document that lists activities students participated in while enrolled at UT. The tran- script provides prospective employers with information on the students’ involvement. Into the Streets ne of the things we try to teach UT “ O students is their role as responsible citizens,” Vaughn said to the 205 students Krysten Loielo ’07, a student coordinator for P.E.A.C.E., gathered for this year’s Into the Streets. “We makes friends with the children she taught in the “You have a responsibility as a community want them to learn to be aware of the problems Dominican Republic. citizen and as a leader,” said Vaughn. “I believe (Photo by Casey Stevens.) and challenges in their community and that leadership involves service. So if you’re contribute to the betterment of society.” going to learn how to lead, you’re also going The students disbursed throughout the Service Off to need to learn how to serve, and not just Tampa Bay area, offering their services at Met- the Court in your own organization, but in the broader ropolitan Ministries, Lowry Park Zoo, Hope When they’re not community.” Children’s Home and other organizations and competing or attending Service has been integrated thoroughly into agencies. Each year this event shows incoming classes, UT’s student student life as a part of leadership and student athletes volunteer their time freshman how they can make a difference in in a number of ways. development. From the moment freshmen the community. Many read at elementary come in the door, there are many opportunities “Hopefully this is just a starting point for schools and participate in for them to partake in service experiences while students,” said Casey Stevens, assistant director Big Brothers Big Sisters. One group talks to high at UT. Students start their college experience of civic engagement and adviser to P.E.A.C.E. schools students about what with the ELITE Retreat, where they make “We want students to get a taste of what service it takes to be a collegiate hygiene kits that are donated to Metropolitan is about and to know that it will be a part of athlete. Others counsel teens about the dangers of Ministries. They also participate in volunteer their education at UT.” drinking and driving. events like Into the Streets and the Martin In the spring semester, about 100 students Athletes raise funds Luther King Day of Service. volunteered for the Martin Luther King Day of for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, helping make Students also can join The University of Service, lending a hand at Gorrie Elementary children’s dreams come Tampa Diplomats. Students in this service School, Seniors in Service at Tampa Baptist true. organization work events like orientation, Manor, Hudson Manor, Keep Hillsborough County And each year athletes from every sport put on sev- commencement, family weekend, Minaret Clean and Bakas Horses for Handicapped. eral clinics and coach little Climbs and golf tournaments and do not receive league and youth teams. any monetary compensation. Anyone in the In P.E.A.C.E. “Our athletes are role campus community can request diplomats to models and by getting them n addition to organizing these one-day out into the community work at their events. I events, P.E.A.C.E. coordinates a volunteer they get to put into practice “These experiences, among others, center where students are paired up with all the life skills we want promote collaboration with others and personal them to have,” said Larry organizations that need help. P.E.A.C.E. serves Marfise, athletic director. reflection, which are key concepts of leadership as a referral agency for those organizations and “It’s crucial that they give development,” said Stephanie Russell Holz, students with limited knowledge of the area back. Our goal is to train assistant dean of students and director of the them to be productive