Fall/Winter 2006-07 Volume 50, No. 1 pg. 14 DEPARTMENTS 8 Swingin’ Like a Star: President’s Message The Rise of OCU’s Freddy Sanchez Focus on Alumni Focus on Athletics 11 Life in the Windy City In Memory a Breeze for OCU Dance Alumni 23 From OCU to I Do: Nine Couples Whose Experiences at OCU Led to a Walk Down the Aisle pg. 11 27 Y Tú, Ceasar? Alumnus Ceasar Espinoza Returns to His Roots pg. 23 FOCUS • 2501 N. Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73106-1493 FOCUS Fall/Winter 2006-07 President, Tom McDaniel Oklahoma City Focus is produced semiannually by the Communications and Marketing and Alumni Departments for alumni, parents, and Editor Christine Dillon University friends of Oklahoma City University. E-mail alumni news to [email protected] and any story ideas to [email protected] Vice President for Art Cotton Writers Leslie Berger Institutional Advancement Check out Oklahoma City University on the Internet at Rich Tortorelli www.okcu.edu. Senior Director Sandy Cotton Oklahoma City University pledges to recruit, select and promote Designers Issei Aoyama of Development diversity by providing equality of opportunity in higher education for all persons, including faculty and employees with respect to Allison Bastian hiring, continuation, promotion and tenure, applicants for Kevin Miller Senior Director of Vicki Patterson admission, enrolled students, and graduates, without discrimina- Communications tion or segregation on the grounds of race, color, religion, national and Marketing origin, sex, age, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or Photographers M.J. Alexander veteran status. Issei Aoyama Director of Alumni and Jeanne Short The Vice President for Student Affairs, located in Room 205 of the Tina Brannon Planned Giving Services Clara E. Jones Administration Building, telephone 405-208-5831, Jerry Hymer coordinates the university’s compliance with titles VI and VII of the President, OCU Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of Hugh Scott Jacque Fiegel ’76 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Alumni Board Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. f O C C U U S S A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Five years ago, on an inaugura- Board has recently offered to extend what is ahead. Be aware that beyond tion day filled with tradition and our time here with a new five-year the clear and measurable goals are ceremony, I shared some of our contract and we have accepted. important, less tangible ones. institutional dreams for Oklahoma So in this issue, as Brenda and We want to continue to connect City University. I prepare to embark on the next with our constituents; we want That list in a broad sense phase of our journey at Oklahoma a nurturing, family atmosphere included enhancing the student City University, we pause to reflect where our students get excellent experience at OCU; strengthen- on our tenure here and to imagine instruction, individual attention, ing the university’s connection with you what the future can be. and spiritual opportunity that with our church and our com- We do so knowing that in the combines knowledge with char- munity; improving our diversity history of an institution it will acter. It is a formula that will and inclusiveness; expanding our experience the vagaries of life, just produce servant leaders for this infrastructure so that we could like individuals do. Growth, soci- generation and those that follow, grow existing programs and cre- etal change, economic downturn, and in our own unique way, light ate new ones; and ensuring our rebirth, celebration, and leader- the world with OCU Stars! financial stability by growing our ship changes are but a few. But We have a leadership team in endowment, increasing annual faith, vision and commitment to which I have great confidence. giving programs and initiating core values are the things that will From a personal standpoint my disciplined budget practices. ensure that an institution will sur- health is good, and Brenda and Now, five years later, we are vive in difficult times and flour- I look forward to continuing to well on our way to realizing ish in the good. Fundamental for serve you and the University for those goals and new ones as well. Oklahoma City University is our years to come. As Brenda and I reflect on our bedrock commitment to serve our time here we are thankful for the students and to instill in each of Sincerely, opportunity we have been given to them a sense of service to others. serve at OCU and for the unflag- The pages that follow will out- ging and essential support of our line for you some specific recent trustees, faculty and staff. The highlights and provide a glimpse of f O C U S lOCU’s Celebration of the Century began in the remarkable, newly- constructed Meinders School of Business. The building was made possible with a gift from Herman and LaDonna Meinders, who underwrote its entire cost. It was here that we announced the begin- ning of our $100 million capital campaign, “Lighting the World One Star at a Time” lCampus infrastructure has been a strong focus for the Board of Trustees these past five years. We’ve increased usable space on campus by expanding a number of existing buildings. Among those to undergo renovation and/or expan- sion were the Norick Art Center, the Lacy Visitors and Admissions Center, several areas of the Administration Building including the Shdeed Presidential Suite and Gamble Foyer. Lights and refur- bished seating were added to our Jim Wade Baseball Field. lOklahoma City University’s Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management isn’t just training dancers and managers. A new program will teach stu- dents how to teach dance. The American Dance Master Teacher Training Program will be open to undergraduate and graduate students and will train students to teach ballet and American jazz and tap, as well as to own and operate a not-for-profit or com- mercial dance studio. Mary Price Boday, who spent the last six years as the artistic director of the Illinois Ballet and the Central Illinois Dance School, heads up the dance pedagogy program, which debuted in fall 2006. f O C U S Wanda L. Bass Music Center Miss America Sculptures lIn April 2006, the $8.5 million, 113,000- square-foot, state-of-the-art Bass School of Music opened with a community celebra- tion. The dedication of this amazing struc- ture was the culmination of OCU’s Centennial Celebration. Thousands were on hand to tour the building and enjoy performances and an uplifting ceremony. f O C U S l New outdoor features now con- lAccreditation is critical to the tribute to the liveliness and beau- continued success of a university. ty of our campus. After a lengthy process, the Higher The Kerr McGee Centennial Learning Commission (NCA) Plaza and Miss America recently notified OCU that the Sculptures now serve as a grand, Institutional Actions Council has welcoming entry point to cam- acknowledged our successful com- pus from Northwest 23rd and pletion of a Commission-mandated Blackwelder, and our outdoor focused visit. In January 2003, student basketball court adds an Oklahoma City University School Tom Love element of fun to campus life. of Law was granted membership into the Association of American lIn 2004, OCU launched its first Law Schools, an organization that Centennial Book Festival, spear- includes America’s most prestigious headed by Trustee Ann Lacy. The law schools. Festival, now in its third year, draws authors and aficionados of lIn 2005, Oklahoma City University the written word from across the took a big step toward creating a region to our campus. national model for arts integra- tion in higher education with a grant from the Priddy Trust. Ten lGuest speakers faculty members received Priddy on Campus have Fellowship awards, one component Sandra Day O'Conner of a new nine-part “Arts Across included Colin the Curriculum” initiative. Priddy Powell, Sandra Fellows for the 2007-08 year have recently been named. Day O’Conner, Elie l Wiesel, Desmond In addition to new programs in graphic design and photography, Tutu, Karen Hughes, degrees in film are now being offered via OCU’s Moving Image Kurt Vonnegut, Arts Department. Fritz Kiersch, George Will, and who has directed projects such as Stephen’s King’s “Children of many others. the Corn,” “Into the Sun” starring Desmond Tutu Anthony Michael Hall and the 1990s television series “Swamp Thing,” is lThe Love’s Entrepreneurship Center heading up the new department. was established in 2004 by Tom and Judy Love. One of America’s lAthletics has seen its fair share most successful entrepreneurs, Tom of change and growth these past learned how to make his own busi- five years as well. We’ve added ness work, and with a founding gift of varsity rowing (men and women), $1 million, he established the Love’s and have hosted three Head of the Entrepreneurship Center at Oklahoma Oklahoma Centennial Regattas, City University to help a new genera- each more successful than the last tion of entrepreneurs. and which drew rowers from the Kurt Vonnegutp f O C U S 5 US National Team and Harvard, to name a few. This fall, women’s volleyball was added to OCU’s athletics program as was wrestling. Existing programs have enjoyed great success as well, including National Championships for both Men’s and Women’s Golf; Baseball; and Women’s Basketball. lOne of our biggest achievements came in the form of the early completion of the $100 million campaign, “Lighting the World One Star at a Time.” In 18 short months, more than 20,000 gifts from individuals, foundations, companies and organizations from across Oklahoma, the nation and the world made this dream a real- ity.