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Michigan State University Varsity ‘S’ Club

NEWSLETTER

VOL. 56 ISSUE 3

‘S’ Club Golf Outing hosts great weather and 208 Spartans - young, old and in-between (More pictures starting on page 4)

S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 State University 2013-2014 Varsity ‘S’ Club 535 Chestnut Rd. - Rm 276 East Lansing, MI 48824 Varsity ‘S’ Club Phone: (517) 355-8523 Fax: (517) 355-7708 Email: [email protected] Executive Committee Website: www.msuvarsitysclub.org President Cheryl Gilliam ’81 1st Vice President Wally Dobler ’58 2nd Vice President R. Paul Vance ’01 We value your opinion and want to know what Secretary Mike Vorkapich ’94 you think about the Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club Treasurer David Brogan ’56 Past President Colin Cronin ’94 Newsletter. Send us an e-mail, call or fax with items or topics you would like to see included in Board of Directors future newsletters. If you have suggestions on Don Behm ’67 Tim Bograkos ’04 Sue Selke ’76 Don Weatherspoon ’67 how to improve the publication, let us know.

Young Alumni Elections for the Board of Directors of the Varsity ‘S’ Lauren Aitch ’09!! Erica Mann ’11 Club are held each spring. If you would like to serve Brooke Sauchak ’12 on the Board, simply visit our website, click on the Office Staff: Marilyn Bria (Office Hours: M-Th, 12-4; F, 12-3) application tab, print the form, complete, and mail to Newsletter Editor: Ron Berby the the club office. President’s Message:

The start of another exciting academic year is upon us. This will be our first full year under the MSU Athletic Department. Alan Haller has been hard at work learning about our rich history and planning for our growth into the future. We will be submitting our new Constitution for your review and to vote on in the Fall – this will be sent out in a separate mailing. You must be present at our annual banquet to vote on the updated Constitution. It is our goal to make this Club more accessible to all Spartan letterwinners no matter where you live and work. This will take some time to grow satellite clubs outside of the East Lansing area, but we hope to have them in such cities as LA, Atlanta, NYC, etc. With your support and willingness to assist us, anything can be possible in our future. Continue to reach out to Alan and I and let us know how we are doing and what can we do to improve our club for you. Tell us what you like and more importantly what you don’t like. We appreciate your honesty and feedback. I am entering my last year of service as your president and am looking forward to a great year for all of us. It is indeed my pleasure to serve and represent you. We are Spartans for Life! Below are the highlights of the past year for your review and to celebrate our successes. MSU Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club 2012-2013 Accomplishments Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club Room Improvements:  J. Bruce McCristal’s Hall of Fame for individuals and teams display is waiting to be hung.  Pictures of Big Ten Champions for this year are posted in the Club Room.  Updated our audio/visual systems with new TVs throughout the club room.  New soft seating for the club room has been ordered.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 2 (continued from page 2) MSU Varsity ‘S’ Club Member Benefits:  ‘S’ Club Membership voted to merge our Club into the Athletic Department.  Appointment of first executive director, Alan Haller.  Athletic Department and 'S' club Board updated Club Name and Logo.  Replacement letter jacket program coordinated with Athletic Dept and Holden-Reid clothier continues with a total of ~60 replacement letter jackets ordered to date.  Established new procedures to the lower level of the S Club room which greatly improved traffic flow.  Participated in the 2012 Pentwater Homecoming Parade.  Member discount program has over 30 local merchants offering discounts to our membership.  Hosted a Winter event, cheering on the MSU Women’s Gymnastics Team at a home meet.  Hosted a Spring Club Outing, cheering on the Men’s Tennis Team with their 100 year anniversary.  Continue to recognize outstanding alumni letter winners wth Sparty Awards and recognition at the annual Golf Outing and Fall Reunion Banquet. The 2013 Major Award Winners are: Eric Zemper, Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll; Lauren Aitch; Duane Vernon; George Perles; and Karen Langeland.  The 2013 Joey M. Spano MSU Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club Fellowship awarded to Brooke Sauchak. Funds to support this fellowship are sought to provide fellowships to returning alumni letterwinners for advanced degrees at MSU.  Held annual golf outing at Forest Akers with 204 golfers on June 5, 2013.  Attended the 2013 National Letterwinners Club Meeting and learn and share best practices.  Held annual Reunion Weekend during September 2012.  Participated as a Club in the 2012 Homecoming Parade.  Published Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring newsletters.  Continue to support website as we migrate to the Athletic Department Version.  Admitted four new Honorary Members into the MSU Varsity ‘S’ Club: Bruce Coleman; Seth Kesler; Jennifer Smith; and Scott Westerman.  Continued to support the SASS Annual Academic Gala by donating 4 Sparty Awards to the top individual and team academic awards.  Varsity ‘S’ Club Room used by men’s and women’s teams to host events for their student-athletes.  Updated MSU Varsity ‘S’ Club membership dues structure.  Represented the MSU Varsity 'S' Club on the MSU Athletic Council. Young Alumni (YA) Activities:  Held the Second Annual YA homecoming tailgate.  Sent membership letters to our Winter and Spring letter winner graduates.  Set another record for new members at the Spring Open House for Spring Student-Athlete graduates. Sincerely; Cheryl M. Gilliam, Track 1978-1981 - B.S. College of Agriculture, School of Packaging Mens 2013 Tennis Team achieves Dual Honors At right is Coach Gene Orlando (2nd row left) with his historic 2013 team. Due to this editor’s error, his team was not credited with this year’s top GPA among Spartan mens teams, with a mark of 3.36, their 6th straight, and record 9th time for the honor. His Spartans also performed exceptionally on the court, as after 100 years of MSU men’s tennis, they were the first to be invited to the NCAA Tournament.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 3 Brooke Sauchak Receives the Spano ‘S’ Club Endowed Fellowship

By Taylor Sampson The MSU Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club is pleased to name Brooke Sauchak the 2013 recipient of the Joey M. Spano Alumni ‘S’ Club Graduate Endowed Fellowship. Sauchak will be awarded $2,000 towards her graduate studies at Michigan State where she is pursuing a Master’s of Human Resources & Labor Relations. A three-year letter-winner in Diving, Brooke graduated in August 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. She currently serves as a graduate assistant to the Varsity ‘S’ Club and will spend her summer working for the Delphi Corporation as a member of their Human Resources staff. Brooke’s remarkable accomplishments in the classroom, in the pool, and in the community exemplify the characteristics the Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club seeks in its honorees. These include 2010 Distinguished Scholar, for students recognized for earning a minimum GPA of 3.7 or higher the previous academic year; Academic All Big Ten student-athletes recognized for being a letter-winner in their second academic year with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; Jennifer Parks Sparty Award for Leadership; individual recognized for leadership and community service skills on the Swimming & Diving team; Student-Athlete Support Services “Student-Athlete of the Month” Community Service Award, presented for outstanding outreach involvement within the Student-athlete community at MSU. She was also awarded a Graduate Office Fellowship and the Auto Owners Insurance Champion in the Classroom award. Despite her demanding schedule as a student-athlete Sauchak has shown great leadership abilities and has dedicated herself to various community service programs. Since 2009 she has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing. She volunteered at and the Salvation Army for events such as Chuck a Puck, Spartan Buddies, Telethon, the Children’s Miracle Network, Teams for Toys, Adopt a family, and the Seasonal Assistance Program offered by the Salvation Army. She co-captained the Student-Athlete Relay for Life team, and participated in Girls Get Going, and the Greater Lansing Food Bank. She volunteered in elementary school programs and a sports skill program. Brooke’s outstanding work ethic and discipline has impressed her teammates, and, in particular, her coach. “Brooke was a very dedicated student athlete,” states Spartan Head Diving Coach Eric Best. “Brooke, was a non-recruited walk- on, who through hard work was able to qualify for the NCAA Regional Championships her Junior year. She was an incredible leader for our team in and out of the pool.” “It is an incredible honor to receive the Joey M. Spano Fellowship”, said Brooke. “I am pleased to say that pursuing my Masters at Michigan State University was the best decision of my career. Not only have I been able to remain on campus and involved in athletics and the community, I have gotten the opportunity to work with the Varsity S Club. Varsity S has and will remain an incredible asset to me throughout my years as a Spartan.”

Scenes from the 2013 ‘S’ Club Golf Outing

S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 4 More Golf Outing Scenes

S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 5 Michigan State University Varsity ‘S’ Club Merchant Discount Program The Varsity ‘S’ Club coordinates a program with several campus-area merchants to give club members a discount on purchases when you present your membership card. So if you live in the East Lansing area, or when you visit campus, please patronize these fine merchants who support MSU athletics. Listed below are merchants participating in the program. Discount amounts vary by merchant, so please check with your cashier or waitperson prior to ordering.

Albert’s Furniture - 32344 Michigan Ave. - Wayne Applebee’s - 2284 Woodlake Drive - Okemos Arby’s - 2220 Jolly Rd. - Okemos Bell’s Greek Pizza - 1135 E. Ave. - East Lansing Bravo! Cuchina Italiana - Eastwood Town Center - Lansing Cosi - 301 E. Grand River Ave. - East Lansing Dusty’s Cellar - 1839 W Grand River Ave. - Okemos Emil’s Italian Restaurant - 2012 E Michigan Ave. - Lansing Forest Akers West Pro Shop - MSU Golf Courses Grand Traverse Pie Co. - 1401 E Grand River Ave. - East Lansing Grand Traverse Pie Co - 3536 Meridian Crossing - Okemos Gilbert & Blake Steak & Seafood - 3554 Okemos Rd. - Okemos Harper’s - 131 Albert Avenue - East Lansing Holden & Reid Clothiers - - Lansing Twp. Kellogg Hotel - State Room Restaurant - MSU Campus Kellogg Hotel - Gift Shop - MSU Campus Leo’s Lodge - 2525 E. Jolly Rd. - Lansing Leo’s Outpost - 600 S. Pennsylvania Ave. - Lansing Leo’s Spirits and Grub - 2085 W Grand River Ave. - Okemos Michael’s (Framing Dept. only) - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp. Panera Bread - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp. Panera Bread - 4738 Central Park Dr. - Okemos Reno’s East Sportsbar & Grill - 1310 Abbot Rd. - East Lansing Reno’s West Sportsbar & Grill - 5001 W. Saginaw Hwy. - Lansing Spartan Book Store - International Center - Campus Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe - 1601 Lake Lansing Rd. - East Lansing Student Book Store - 421 E. Grand River Ave - East Lansing Trippers - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp. Velocipede Peddler - 2758 Grand River Ave. - East Lansing Woody’s Oasis - 1050 Trowbridge Rd. - East Lansing

Additional merchants will be added as the program develops. For more information about the program, contact the Varsity ‘S’ Club office at 517-355-8523 or the committee members listed below: Ron Berby - 517-290-8043, Wally Dobler - 517-372-8096, Eldon VanSpybrook - 248-895-0015

S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 6 ‘WHERE ARE THEY NOW?’ 1950s Dane Fortney, Track -1973-76 - Rex Lynne, Lacrosse 1984-88 - James Ferguson, Wrestling Dane lives in Commerce Twp., MI Rex lives in Alexandria, VA and is 1957-59 - James lives in San and is with Lacks Trim Systems. in the Marine Corps. Francisco, CA and is Vice Jolaine Manore, Volleyball Mark Lytle, Track 1983-85 - Mark President of the International 1971-74 - Jolaine lives in lives in the Washington area and is Association of Fire Fighters. Temperance, MI and is a teacher an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Leland Hendrie, Football 1959 - and varsity coach at Bedford Department of Justice. Leland lives in Fort Collins, CO Public Schools. David Martin, Football 1986-88 - and is President/CEO of PHD Bob Stevenson, Lacrosse David lives in Ada, MI and is CFO Insurance Brokers. 1970-72, Head Coach 1973 - Bob of the Fusion Education Group/ Robert Monczka, Baseball - lives in Ann Arbor, MI and is an MRL Acquisition Group. 1959-60 - Robert lives in West Attorney with Stevenson/ Kristin Nelson, Swimming Bloomfield, MI and is Professor Keppelman Associates. 1983-87 - Kristin lives in Saginaw, Emeritus at Michigan State. John Sturges, Hockey 1972-76 - MI and is a Radiologist with ADI. John lives in Madison, WI and is Bobby Reynolds, Hockey 1960s President of Wexford Properties. 1986-89 - Bobby lives in Houston, Constantine Demos, Football TX and is Vice President of 1963-64 - Constantine lives in 1980s Quantum Difference. Montgomery, TX and is owner of Gary Harpel, Hockey 1978-82 - CSD Enterprises. Gary lives in Atherton, CA and is 2000s Lewis Leonard, Fencing 1962-64 Senior Program Manager with Maggie Giddens, Field Hockey - Lewis lives in Okemos, MI and is Arista Networks. 2002-05 - Maggie lives in owner of Innovative Polymers, Inc. Kevin MacCarthy, Football Wilmington, DE, is a coach with Manager 1978-81 - Kevin lives in 1970s Plexus Fitness, and is an Robbinsville, NJ and is Package International Field Hockey Kellie Dean, Football 1971-73 - Development Director with Umpire. Kellie lives in Okemos, MI and is Batallure Beauty. President/CEO of Dean Mike Kavulich, Track & Cross Kayla Kalmbach, Diving Transportation and Dean Trailways Country 1982-87 - Mike lives in 2006-10 - Kayla lives in of Michigan. Plymouth, MI and is Director of Midland, MI and is with Sales with Tower International. Hemlock Semiconductior.

Spartan Notables Gather

At the right are Spartans attending an Orange County, California MSU Alumni Club/Varsity ‘S’ Club event. From left they are Bob Apisa - football 1960s, Head Football Coach Mark Dantonio, Athletic Director Mark Hollis, Joe Barrie - football 1930s, ‘S’ Club Executive Director Alan Haller, Clinton Jones - football 1960s, and Matt Vanderbeek - football 1980s

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Michigan State University Varsity ‘S’ Club 535 Chestnut Rd., Rm. 276 East Lansing, MI 48824

NOTICES Does your Varsity Jacket, which fit when you were twenty, seem tiny these days? Or, do the Passings: moths like it even more than you do? Alan “Big Al” Akana, 50, Football 1984-85 - died Take heart. A Varsity ‘S’ Club Replacement Jacket Saturday, June 1st, 2013. Al was an engineer may be just what you need! at Honua Kai Resort on Maui. Always proud to Interested? Contact the Club office at: have been a Spartan, he wore number 65. He 517/355-8523 met his wife, Debbie, while at MSU. Ted Guthard, 75, Football 1962 - died June 8th, SAVE THE DATES 2013. Ted lived in Birmingham, MI. He Aug. 10, 2013 - Spartan Pentwater Pre-season passionately coached at MSU and Lahser High Tailgate Party School, and was never far from humor. Sept. 12-14 (Thur.-Sat.), 2013 -Reunion George Szypula, 92, Gymnastics Coach 1947 Weekend - MSU vs. Youngstown State to 1988 -died July 20th, 2013. An NCAA Oct. 11, 2013 - Homecoming Parade (‘S’ Club tumbling champion at Temple, he was Mr. members, alumni letterwinners, and families Gymnastics at MSU for over four decades. welcomed to march) With his retirement from college coaching, Oct 12, 2013 - ‘S’ Club Young Alumni Tailgate Szypula decided he needed more, and Party before Indiana football game coached the sport for another 16 seasons at Dec. 31, 2013 - Last day to submit candidates . for 2014 Varsity ‘S’ Club Awards

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