Alumni Newsletter - May 2007



Volume VII, Issue 8
____________________________________________



I. FROM THE OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

WANT TO WORK FOR YOUR ALMA MATER?

The Office of Alumni Relations is hiring for a newly created full-time position. The Assistant Director of Alumni Relations has the following responsibilities: Assists with the planning, programming, and development of new initiatives, manages budgets for events, and coordinates publicity for events. Attends various meetings and programs, arranges for campus guests and/or entertainment at events, and recruits, trains and motivates alumni volunteers to host regional events.


In addition to this position, there is another position open in the Institutional Advancement department. The Assistant/Associate Director of the Annual Fund is responsible to oversee and manage the student phonathon, including recruiting, hiring, training, supervising and evaluating the student callers. The Assistant/Associate Director will also coordinate the direct mail process and oversee the student giving program.


ALUMNI TO MEET IN CLEVELAND
Bridgewater College alumni and friends are invited to a luncheon at noon on Sunday, July 1, as part of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Cleveland. Tickets are $15 each and can be ordered through the denomination's Web site, www.brethren.org/ac/, or by mailing your check, payable to Bridgewater College, to Church Relations Office, College Box 186, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA 22812. President Phillip C. Stone will be the featured speaker for the event, which is scheduled in the Dolder/Hassler Room on the 6th floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cleveland. The conference's Sunday worship service will begin at 10 a.m. in the Cleveland Convention Center, and all are welcome!


TWO UPCOMING AMAZING ALUMNI TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES!

Start making plans now to take advantage of two upcoming alumni travel opportunities. The BC Alumni Association is sponsoring a trip to Italy the summer of 2008 that will be led by Steve Watson, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion. Then in the summer of 2009, Dave McQuilkin, Professor of History & Political Science, will be leading a trip to Australia. Here are just a few of the itinerary highlights of the two trips:


Summer of 2008 - ITALY, May 17 - May 30, 2008 (tentative)

$3,600 estimated cost. Includes flights from Dulles, all hotels and breakfasts, entrances to most events and museums, and about half of the evening dinners.

- See ancient Pompeii and Vesuvius

- Experience the beauty of the Amalfi Coast and Isle of Capri

- Tour the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and the Roman Colosseum and Forum

- Stroll through the Renaissance beauty of Florence and Tuscany

- Ride with a gondolier on the canals of Venice


Summer 2009 - AUSTRALIA

- Snorkel the beautiful Great Barrier Reef.

- Explore the enchantment of Kangaroo Island. See Kangaroos, Koalas, Wallabies, Platypuses, Penguins and rare birds in their natural habitats.

- Experience the majesty of Ayers Rock.

- Take in an opera at the world-famous Sydney Opera House and explore the city's rich cultural history.


If you are interested in participating in either of these trips contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 540-828-5451, or email alumnews@bridgewater.edu.


STUDENTS RECOGNIZED BY THE BC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The Bridgewater College Alumni Association has recognized several students for excellence in the campus community. Erin A. Brummett and Karrin Temple were presented the Alumni Association scholarships for the 2007-2008 academic year, Brandon M. Showalter, received the Citizenship Award and Chelsea Goss was awarded the inaugural Alumni Legacy Scholarship. Click here for complete story.


RECOGNIZE AND THANK TWO RETIRING BIOLOGY PROFESSORS

Two Biology Department professors, Dr. L. Michael Hill and Dr. Sarah Swank, are retiring at the end of this semester. Dr. Hill came to Bridgewater in 1972, and Dr. Swank came in 1981. Honor them and all their years of outstanding service and dedication to the College by sending pages for a "book of letters" for each of them. Recognize and thank them for their service and the impact they had on your life, or simply wish them well in their future endeavors. Mail individual flat 8.5x11 pages to: Office of Alumni Relations, College Box 40, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA 22812. Or email us your pages at alumnews@bridgewater.edu. In addition, you are invited to make a special gift in honor of Drs. Hill and Swank. All money collected will be used for special projects within the Biology Department. You may enclose your gift with your letter if you wish to make a donation. Questions? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 540-828-5451 or email alumnews@bridgewater.edu.


MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW FOR HOMECOMING 2007!

Be sure to mark your calendars now for Homecoming 2007 on October 12-14. Contact your friends and make your plans now to return to campus to be part of this fun-filled weekend featuring the annual Hall of Fame Banquet, Young Alumni Tailgate, parade, and football game vs. Guilford College. Class years in reunion are: 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 & 2002.



II. CAMPUS NEWS AND UPDATES
TIME IS RUNNING OUT

With just over a month left, alumni participation is currently 23%. We need you to make your annual gift to the Bridgewater Fund before June 30, 2007 in order to achieve our goal of 28% this year. The easiest, most convenient way to do this is to visit www.bridgewater.edu and click on "Give to BC". There you can make a secure, online gift using your credit card. Or call 1-800-476-4289, extension 5448, and a staff member will assist you in making a credit card gift by phone. Gifts to the Bridgewater Fund provide essential resources for student scholarships and financial aid, faculty development, library improvements, and student programs. Every gift of every size makes a difference and bolsters BC's alumni participation rate. Don't wait! Give today--it will feel great! Thank you.

GEICO CHIEF URGES BC GRADS TO "PROTECT INTEGRITY'

As Bridgewater College's graduating seniors and their families celebrated on the campus Sunday, the chairman, president and CEO of GEICO O.M. "Tony" Nicely urged the 298 graduates to "protect your integrity and reputation." Nicely, a former Bridgewater College student who worked his way up through the ranks of GEICO to occupy the top spot in 1993, centered his remarks on the importance of ethics, integrity and a good reputation in both private and professional life. "Your integrity and reputation are your most valuable assets," Nicely said. "We can afford to lose money on honest mistakes, but we simply cannot afford to lose one scintilla of our reputations." He added that moral and ethical behavior does not guarantee success, but that "it forms a strong foundation for any successful endeavor." He wrapped up his commencement address by telling the graduates that ethics is not the same as "whatever society expects." Ethics, he said, is standing up for what is right. Click here for more of Nicely's commencement address.


III. ATHLETIC NEWS AND UPDATES
EMORY ELIMINATES BC FROM REGIONAL PLAY

No. 1 seed Emory University scored two runs on the bottom of the first Thursday and never trailed en route to a 10-1 victory over Bridgewater College in the NCAA Division III baseball regional at Ferrum College. With the loss, Bridgewater was eliminated from the tournament, finishing the season with a 21-23 overall record. Click here for complete story.


EAGLES WIN ODAC BASEBALL TITLE!

Bridgewater College junior Nolan Shaffer pitched a complete-game, two-hitter Sunday, April 29, leading the Eagles to the ODAC Championship with a 7-0 victory over Hampden-Sydney. The victory gave Bridgewater its 12th ODAC title, the most in conference history. The title was the 10th for head coach Curt Kendall. Kendall also reached another milestone a night earlier when the Eagles defeated the Tigers for his 500th career victory. Bridgewater last won the conference tournament in 2002. Click here for complete story.


SOFTBALL ELIMINATED BY DEPAUW, 6-1

Bridgewater College's quest to reach the Division III Softball World Series came up short Sunday afternoon in New Concord, Ohio, when the Eagles lost to DePauw, 6-1. The Eagles advanced to the championship round by defeating Anderson, 5-2. Seniors Kate Reitz and Lindsay Ware closed out their college careers by being named to the New Concord Regional All-Tournament team along with BC junior Jennifer Hall. The Eagles finished the season with a 40-8 record - the best mark in college history and made the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAAA Division III tournament. Click here for complete story.


BUTLER, BARRY EARN ALL-AMERICAN HONORS

Bridgewater College softball players Caity Butler and Laura Barry were honored on the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American team released Thursday. Butler, a sophomore, was named to the first team as the designated player, becoming the first player in the history of the Bridgewater softball program to receive first-team All-American recognition. Butler finished the season with a team-high .428 batting average. She recorded 59 hits and hit eight homers and drove in 44 runs. Barry, a junior, was named to the All-American third team at catcher. Barry was second on the team in hitting with a .425 average. She finished the year with 17 doubles, nine homers and 47 RBIs. She led the Eagles with a .754 slugging percentage. The Eagles have had four All-Americans in the past two seasons. Click here for complete story.


SOFTBALL PLACES FIVE ON ALL-REGION TEAM

Bridgewater College placed five players on the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Atlantic Region team, including two on the first team. Bridgewater catcher Laura Barry and designated player Caity Butler each received first team honors. Seniors Kate Reitz (second base) and Lisa Rhodes (pitcher) were named to the All-Region third team. Reitz hit for a 422 average while Rhodes entered regional play with an 18-1 record and a 1.12 ERA. Lisa Rhodes was also named the ODAC Pitcher of the Year. Click here for complete story.


BC MEN PLACE SECOND AT ODAC TRACK MEET

The Bridgewater College men's track team placed second at the ODAC meet Saturday, April 28, and the women finished fourth. The men scored 130.5 points to finish behind meet champion Lynchburg. The women finished the day with 69.5 points. The men's team won four individual titles and one relay and also set two new ODAC records. Click here for complete story.


SMITH NAME BC'S FIRST SWIM TEACH COACH

Bridgewater College announced Monday, May 7, that Fran C. Smith has been hired as the first head coach of the women's swim team at the college. Smith has been involved with the area swim scene for the past 15 years. She has coached the summer swim league team since 1993 with great success. In the past 10 years, her team has won the league championship meet five times. She became the first head coach of the Turner Ashby High School swim team in 2004. At Turner Ashby, she has had at least five swimmers qualify for the state championship meet in each of the past three years. In 2006, she coached the men's 50-yard freestyle state champion. Click here for complete story.




IV. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
DER HOOP - CLAY MICHAEL, '06, PLAYS PRO BALL IN GERMANY

The following article was written by Luke Brietzke, sports writer for "The Journal" of Martinsburg, WV and was recently featured on their website:

For many basketball players, professional leagues in Europe create opportunities to prolong their careers. But for Bridgewater College alumnus Clay Michael, the same chance gave him the privilege of deferring his future. Michael was a four-year starter for BC, but was recognized more for academics, where he earned the ODAC scholar athlete of the year award. Still, with his academic success and law school ambitions, it seemed Michael was more likely to make a living in the court than on one. But then, a few weeks before graduation, a stranger presented Michael with another opportunity. A German sports writer, e-mailed BC coach Bill Leatherman and floated the idea of Michael playing professional basketball in Germany after graduation. Michael got his break with TSG Reutlingen, a German level four club. Now, after beginning a professional career overseas, Michael is very happy with the decision he made. "When I look back at it all, I'll probably look at it as a blessing in disguise," he said. "I think there's a reason why the average age of incoming law students is 26 or 27. I think you really have to figure things out before you go into law school. I can use this time to figure things out and see what I want to do; let me see there are other opportunities out there and I have no idea where I'll end up. Right now, I'm kind of living day by day."

If you have an interesting story idea to spotlight the achievements of an alumnus/a or perhaps an interesting alumni human interest piece, please email it to wesbensh@bridgewater.edu for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue.


V. UPCOMING EVENTS
May 29 - SUMMER SESSION Begins

July 1 - ALUMNI LUNCHEON at Church of the Brethren Annual Conference: Noon, Cleveland, Ohio.

Aug. 12 - PICNIC IN THE PARK AT CAMDEN YARDS, Baltimore: Picnic in Garden Terrace at noon; Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox, 1:35 p.m.

Aug. 31 - EAGLES WE-HAUL (freshman move-in day.)

Sept. 4 - FALL SEMESTER BEGINS

Oct. 12-14 - HOMECOMING WEEKEND 2007.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BACK ISSUES OF EAGLE CURRENTS AND BRIDGEWATER MAGAZINE
Were you too busy at the time to read an issue of Eagle Currents or maybe you deleted the email by mistake? Click here for online back issues of Eagle Currents.
Misplace an issue of the Bridgewater magazine or want to share an article with a friend? Back issues of Bridgewater are available online by visiting:
Click here for online back issues of Bridgewater.


This electronic newsletter is published by the Bridgewater College Office of Alumni Relations. Comments and suggestions are welcome. If you know of someone who is not receiving the publication but would like to, please ask them to email alumnews@bridgewater.edu

The electronic mailing list is restricted so that only the BC Office of Alumni Relations can post to the group. You will not receive broadcast replies to these messages from other recipients. If you do not want to receive Eagle Currents, simply email alumnews@bridgewater.edu and type "unsubscribe" in the subject header. Be sure to include your name and class year so we can suppress your email address on our database.

For more information, check the BC Office of Alumni Relations' Web site at www.bridgewater.edu/alumni or call 540-828-5451.