Delta StateSPRING 2010 THE MAGAZINE FORR DDELTAEL TA SSTATETATE UUNIVERSITYN IVER SITY AALUMNIL U MN I AANDN D FFRIENDSR IEN D S Ticket to Ride Liz Davis wins MTV’s Starmaker Fraternities compete in tug-of-war on the Quad during Homecoming Week 2009. PULL YOUR WEIGHT! Show your school pride by helping recruit future Statesmen and Lady Statesmen. There are several ways alumni can help recruit. Try staffing a college fair in your community, submit names and addresses of the college bound students in your family or community, and market Delta State in your community or work place. Contact the Office of Admissions at 662.846.4020 or visit www.deltastate.edu to find out more ways you can help! 1.800.GO.TO.DSU . www.deltastate.edu Contents Spring 2010 FEATURES Alumni Magazine 16 PPAYINGAYING IITT FORWARDFORWARD President...............................................Dr. John Hilpert Making it Possible for Future Generations to Alumni Magazine Advisory Board: Pursue Higher Education. Editor ...........................................Dr. Michelle Roberts Managing Editor ..................................Michael Gann Alumni Board Representative ...................... John Cox 18 HHITTINGITTING THETHE HIGHHIGH NOTESNOTES Alumni Representative .......................... Edward Pope Alumnus Liz Davis convinces P. Diddy to do something Foundation Representative ........................Billy Nowell he has never done before. Academic Council Representative ............Jeff Slagell Staff Council Representative .............Deborah Moore Alumni-Foundation, Department Editor ...Jeffrey Farris Athletics, Department Editor ......................Matt Jones Executive Director, Alumni-Foundation ... Keith Fulcher Board of Directors Delta State University Alumni Association: John Cox, President; George Bassi, President Elect; Serena Clark, Secretary/Treasurer; Daye Dearing, Past President; Judson Thigpen, Foundation President; Michael Aguzzi, Rob Armour, Billy Dorgan, Ryan England, Sayward Fortner, Chrissy LaMastus, Felecia Lee, Mary Luther, Richard Myers, Cary New, Jeremy 18 Pittman, Russ Russell, Karen Swain, Sarah Tapley, Liz Davis performs Walter Trevathan, Dwaun Warmack, Dana Warrington, during MTV’s Starmaker Lynn Weaver competition. Image Courtesy of Mark Burnett Productions. Board of Directors Delta State University Foundation, Inc.: Judson Thigpen, President; Mike Neyman, Vice President; Anne Weissinger, Secretary/Treasurer; Frank Sibley, Past President; John Cox, Alumni President; 22 A TTRUERUE STATESMANSTATESMAN David Abney, Dr. Bill Alford, Louis Baioni, Anita Bologna, Ike Brunetti, Hunter Cade, Jeff Ross Capwell, Charlie Capps kept the Delta at the forefront John Crawford, Rex DeLoach, Keith Derbes, Dr. Anna of Mississippi politics. Looney Dill, Hank Drake, Carl Easley, Webster Franklin, Bryce Griffis, Earnest Hart, Tim Harvey, Tom Janoush, Peter Jernberg, Gloria Johnson, Ed Kossman, Jr., Rex Lyon, Ned Mitchell, Billy Nowell, Carol Puckett, Randy Randall, Nan Sanders, Jeff Tarver, Sam Waggoner, DEPARTMENTS Brian Waldrop, Margaret Walker, Dr. David Webber The Delta State Magazine 2 President’s Message 8 Athletics is published by the Vice President for University Relations, DSU Box A-1, 1003 West Sunflower Road Cleveland, Mississippi 38733 3 Alumni Message 12 Development E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 662.846.4000 4 Campus Briefs 24 With the Classes Design: Laura F. Walker, Department of Communications and Marketing Note: In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, only one magazine per household is mailed. On the cover: Liz Davis in studio. Photo by Michael Gomez Photography. Spring 2010 • Delta State Magazine • 1 President’s Message Dear Friends, If one works for several years in higher education, it is a certainty he or she will have experienced what I like to call the vicissitudes of funding. In other words, the amount of money available to open the doors, fill the seats, and operate is changeable, usually within a reasonable range of variability. During my 32 years in senior administration, funding has been pretty stable within such a range . until recently. Now budget cuts prompted by the sluggish national economy and the resultant shortfalls in state revenues remind me of the surf. As one retreating wave drags sand and shells into the ocean, the next wave rolls in steeper and crashes harder. We’ve cut millions because of four mid-term reductions this year alone, and almost surely there are more rollbacks on the way. Believe it or not, many higher education colleagues in other states are facing even worse situations. Though managing for stability and quality in a long and deep recession is difficult, it is unquestionably worth the time and energy everyone is giving. When you see students graduating and taking the first steps toward career success, you know the teaching, research, and service of the university deserve our best efforts. As you read the contents of this alumni magazine, you will enjoy a small sampling of the many accomplishments, events, and developments happening at your university. Every day I remind folks that despite the budget reductions, more than 90 percent of our funding resources are intact and our organization is strong. We are fortunate to have a history of sound operations and a resilient team of faculty and staff. We’re also fortunate to have generous alumni and friends. At the Delta State Foundation and the Delta State Alumni Association giving has never been better. Folks know it is time to help with scholarships and unrestricted gifts available for the areas of greatest need. We are very grateful to everyone whose heart and billfold open a little wider these days to help us meet our challenges. All the best to you for a pleasant and productive summer! Visit when you can. Sincerely, John M. Hilpert President 2 • Delta State Magazine • Spring 2010 Alumni Message Dear Alumni and Friends: Just the other day, a friend of mine asked me, “Why do you spend so much time with Delta State?” The answer to that question is very simple. Like most of you, I love our University, and I want it to continue to be the jewel in the Delta that we all know it to be. I loved my time at Delta State, and I want to see other students enjoy similar experiences. I simply feel that it is our duty to give back to the University who has given us so much. We have a very ambitious year planned for your Alumni Association. We have over twenty-five chapter meetings planned for the upcoming year, as well as our special events for Spring Sports Weekend in Cleveland, New York City, Atlanta, and Lake Tiak-O’khata. I have had the pleasure of meeting a great number of you when I have visited the local chapters, and the enthusiasm that everyone brings for our alma mater is refreshing. I am pleased to report that membership in the Alumni Association is at an all- time high, and that the Statesmen Nation is alive and well. I cannot say “thank you” enough to all of our many friends and volunteers who have helped our Alumni Association continue to grow and prosper. I am sure that a great number of you have heard or read about the great challenges that our University is facing in these tough economic times. However, I want to personally encourage each of you to remain positive about our University, and to continue to do your part to make it grow. While many of you lend important and significant specific support to the University throughout the year, please know that one of the greatest gifts you can give the University is your loyalty. I have said it at countless chapter meetings in the last fourteen months, but in my mind, the single greatest marketing tool this University possesses is each alumni’s individual support. When a friend or colleague inquires of you where you went to school, I want you to stick out your chest with pride and say, “Delta State University.” Please recommend a potential student to our recruiting office. Please continue to do your part to help further the legacy of our great university. Your continued good work “in the field” will only further our mission of being one of America’s greatest regional universities. It continues to be an honor to serve all of you as your National Alumni Association President. I look forward to seeing all of you in the year ahead. Go Statesmen! All my best, JoJohnohhn CC.. CoCoxx ’9’9696 National Alumni Association President JOIN YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Make check payable to DSU Alumni Association MAIL TO: DSU Box 3104, 1003 West Sunflower Road, Cleveland, MS 38733 Graduation Year or Year Attended _____________________________________ Please check the type of membership that best suits your needs. 1 year ($20 Single, $30 Joint) Life ($400 Single, $600 Joint) Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________ (for our tax records, please use your full legal name) Select which Alumni groups you would like to join: Nickname ______________________________________________ Birth date ______ / _______ / ______________ Accounting $10 Black $5 Music $5 Aviation $5 Economics $5 Nursing $5 Address _________________________________________________________________________________________ Art $5 Family and Consumer Science (H. Ec.) $5 Athletics $10 City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________________________________________ Total amount enclosed: __________________________________________ Employer ________________________________________________________________________________________ Check VISA MasterCard