Awesome Alumni, Astronomically Astonishing Aztecs, Big-time Board Members and Student Eloquence Login to comment

Thursday, May 02 2013 01:05:48 PM

What a month! San Diego State, over the past three weeks, has provided an incredibly mind-enhancing array of programs.  For the most part they were available to the public.  Here is the rundown:

April 10th — Blessing Combat Leadership Panel

400 Cadets from four services heard from four incredible veterans who, with exquisite humility, rendered lessons of leadership gleaned from their service in Afghanistan and Iraq.  These heroes--all under thirty-- left me and everyone else in the room in awe of the bravery and maturity of our veterans. This panel was made possible by former AS president and former alumni president Mr. Ed Blessing (’60) of Dallas, Texas.  


April 11th — Lecture by Campanile Board Member Greg Lucier

Greg is the CEO of Life Technologies and gave a stellar presentation to a packed house in the Fowler Family Ballroom in the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. Life Technologies is a monster San Diego company which, among other things, has done some incredible pioneering in gene mapping and sequencing.  Greg raised all sorts of issues which will soon be huge ethical concerns. Who, for instance, Greg asked, should own a baby’s gene-sequenced data which would indicate its likelihood of contracting deadly diseases and conditions? The next day Life Technologies sold for $13.2 billion.


April 12th — Cesar Chavez Celebration Luncheon

Another Fowler Ballroom event, we all got a good history lesson while being marvelously entertained by an army of mariachis. Alex Montoya’s speech about overcoming obstacles (he was born missing 3 limbs) was beyond inspiring.


April 17th — The Business of Craft Beer

This was another terrific event put on by our largest alumni chapter.  BAN (Business Alumni Network) brought together a stellar panel of local craft beer industry visionaries who regaled a large crowd at the McMilllin Conference Center with their insights into the local craft brew business.  San Diego is number one in this field, and the market share for craft beer keeps growing. Afterwards the group flowed across the street to Aztec-owned Slater’s 50/50 where the evenings’ discussed elixirs were vigorously sampled. This is Scot and Karen Blair--owners of Hamilton’s Tavern and the Monkey Paw Brewing Company.


April 19th — Aztecs Take Mars

This was an incredible lecture by seven of our fantastic alumni who played significant roles and made serious contributions to the mind-boggling mission of landing the Curiosity rover on Mars. Jordan Evans (’93), Joey Brown (’05), Doug Clark (’85), Brandon Florow (’05), Mark Ryne (’80), Bonnie Theberge (’86) and Amanda Jeremiah Thomas (’97) described their various roles in the operation and detailed some of the science and engineering behind the mission.


April 20th — The Montys

This year's Montys were held in the Hyatt Aventine and featured the aforementioned Mars Rover group along with: Ron Roberts (’65), Catherine Stiefel (’92), Sherrill Amador (’64), Larry Banegas (’87), Terry Atkinson (’69), Kristan Brown (’00), Margaret Calvin (’86), Edward Blessing (’60), and Bryan Ransom (’93). For 41 years the Alumni Association has been awarding Montys to each college, Imperial Valley and for University Service and Alumni Service. The stories (produced through campus-based KPBS) are told via video vignettes after which each individual Monty winner is presented by President Hirshman with the hefty replica of Donal Hord's iconic "Aztec" sculpture. Truly inspirational all, the ending featured University Service awardee Bryan Ransom joining a suddenly-emerging Aztec Pep Band for a rousing finale.


April 23rd — John F. Kennedy 50th Anniversary Celebration and Reenactment  

The brainchild of Anthropology Department Chair Seth Mallios, this event in Aztec Bowl offered an inspirational retrospective on a defining moment for San Diego State. Associated Students officers Rob O’Keefe, Channelle McNutt and Tom Rivera each delivered stunning oratory of JFK’s speech on the occasion of his getting an honorary doctorate on June 6th, 1963. Of the 200 gathered, a dozen attendees were actually present 50 years ago.  We all were inspired by the students, President Hirshman and Seth, who reminded us of the still-relevant themes of civil rights and the importance of education espoused by John F. Kennedy on our campus 50 years ago.

April 24th — Chancellor Timothy White Visits SDSU  

On a day when our new Chancellor was featured above the fold of the front page of the LA Times for break dancing with students from CSU Dominguez Hills, Dr. White got serious at San Diego State.  During this open forum in the Fowler Athletics Building, Chancellor White demonstrated compassion for students and staff and drilled down into significant academic discourse while continually demonstrating sincere straightforwardness and humor.

April 25th — Mayor Bob Filner Speaks to Alumni Association Board of Directors

Alumni Association President Bill Earley and President Hirshman welcomed San Diego’s mayor, Bob Filner, who fondly reminisced about his 20 years on campus as a history professor. Our politically eclectic yet civil-minded alumni board was rewarded with the mayor sharing a scoop regarding San Diego and Tijuana jointly bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games.


April 25th — Aztec Achievement Awards  

For two years while the Aztec Union is being built, we have enjoyed the privilege of sharing the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center with the Associated Students executive officers. Done in impeccable style, the evening featured all the goodness you could possibly hope for from a student body.  Inspiring stories of overcoming hardship, extreme academic focus, abundant leadership, and even valor were interspersed with comedic emcees, music, hilarious videos and all around fun.


These are just a few high-profile examples of how our alumni, students, faculty and staff engage with each other, the San Diego community, the state and the nation to enhance the SDSU experience and propel the university to the forefront of America’s institutions of higher learning.  It is nothing short of astonishing what takes place here on a regular basis and I feel proud and very fortunate to be a witness to it all.

“He Was One of Us” Login to comment

Thursday, April 04 2013 05:20:09 PM

“He Was One of Us!”

This was the actual headline in the Daily Aztec on the day following the assassination of JFK. 

Wait! What? Huh?

Well, it is true.  John F. Kennedy was awarded the very first doctorate and very first honorary degree bestowed by San Diego State.  Since it is the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s visit to our campus on June 6th, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to read up on the history.  What I learned, in addition to the fact that 250,000 San Diegans lined El Cajon Boulevard from Hillcrest to campus for his motorcade, is that awarding this doctorate actually paved the way and certainly accelerated SDSU’s ability to grant doctorates at all.  When you add it all up, that visit 50 years ago by the only sitting United States president to our campus undoubtedly serves as the key defining moment in our history.

So, in this issue of e-News, enjoy all the coverage.  And please join us on April 23rd at 12:30 p.m. in Aztec Bowl (L Lot) as we reenact and celebrate this awesome historic remembrance.

New Tools

Wednesday, March 06 2013 11:19:17 AM

I suppose that there were doubters when cave dwellers drew pictures on the walls so it is no surprise that we hear some backlash regarding the avalanche of what is known as social media. But really, word processors are better than typewriters, fax machines more efficient than mail and on and on.  At SDSU we have embraced the modern world and are fortunate to have experts in Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In and everything else that pops up as a viable method for extending our ability to communicate and connect with our alumni and constituents.

So I have a healthy respect for the new tools.  When it comes to using them personally I'll admit, however, to being Facebook-averse and Twitter-challenged, but I am a big fan of Linked-In.

Recently I was informed of Instagram and believed it to be a good way to display the fine photos my I-phone collects as I go about my fortunate profession of interacting with Aztecs.  So, here you go:
instagram.com/herrick727

Admissions: Does Your Child Have What it Takes? Login to comment

Wednesday, February 06 2013 04:47:00 PM

This is to all of our alumni who are parents or grandparents of high school-age children who are contemplating becoming Aztecs.

As you may have heard, it is getting harder and harder to get admitted to San Diego State. It is no longer a secret that this is a tremendous university with an outstanding faculty who deliver a top tier education.  And, despite SDSU’s undergraduate tuition of approximately 6,600/year, it is still an incredible value to go to SDSU.

So it is really worth knowing the rules for admission.

Many parents are disconsolate when they learn that being children of alumni provides no leg up.  Sorry, as a public university that is just the way it is.  Secondly, while such extracurricular activities as yearbook, orchestra, debate, athletics, volunteerism and ASB are important facets of your child’s high school experience and may be considerations in scholarship decisions, they are not used as part of the admission determination.

So what, you might ask, does figure?

It is quite simple really. We take the grade point average and multiply it times 800. Then we add the first two prongs of your SAT.  So, say for instance your daughter had a 3.8 and scored 1200 on the first two prongs of the SAT.  Her index would be (800 x 3.8 = 3040 plus 1200) = 4240. That’s good, but please keep in mind that the index goes up each year. I also need to mention that the minimum index varies from major to major, there are requirements regarding the a-g courses and that preference points are awarded for applicants in our local admission area, which constitutes high schools south of Route 56. (For more information go to arweb.sdsu.edu/es/admissions/freshmen/index.html)

So, the best thing you can do to prepare your sons and daughters to attend your alma mater is to keep on them about their grades and to invest time in SAT prep and practice.

Thanks for doing all you can to keep the Aztecs in your family!

Just Your Typical Saturday on the Mesa Login to comment

Monday, January 28 2013 12:51:51 PM

On the brief walk from PS 5 to the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center at 6:55 a.m., I’m relieved it isn’t raining. When I emerge out the back door 10 minutes later, it’s pouring as runners for the Stephen Strasburg 5K are arriving.   Ever stalwart Aztecs, they hunker down, determined to compete despite the elements.  The various crews from Athletics, the timers, the course monitors, and the vendors are all assembling their tents.  All are wet.  Where is our alumni team, I wonder?  

Then I remember that Tammy Blackburn had ingeniously arranged a meet-and-greet with Stephen, Coach Tony Gwynn and almost 100 eager Aztec fans.  They’re in the Allan Bailey Library getting their autographed jerseys and photos taken with two amazing Aztec baseball players. "These jerseys turned out great," the eight-time batting champ and iconic coach, Tony Gwynn, remarks.

"And they're easy to sign," quips the young Washington Senators phenom.


Suddenly, I decide to run the race.  I change, get registered and hit the starting line as Stephen and Tammy are starting the race.  The painful jog through campus is pure delight.  Young kids, moms and dads, Aztec fans, fast high schoolers and determined walkers enjoy the moist-yet-spectacular somnambulance of our campus on a Saturday morning. Not everyone, apparently, appreciates the sport:


After some post-race malingering with Aztec runners, it’s time for a shower and off to SDSU President Elliot Hirshman's pregame reception in the Allan Bailey Library at the alumni center.  The Associated Students board is just finishing their annual retreat in the Fowler Family  Ballroom, so I enjoy a quick visit from AS President Rob O'Keefe. At the reception, Campanile Foundation President Kit Sickels and Board Member Dorothy Codling reminisce about how Mrs. Corbett made them read two books per week when they were in elementary school together on campus at the Campus Lab School!


Then it’s off to see our Aztec men’s basketball team tackle the formidable University of New Mexico Lobos.

With an astonishingly raucous Aztec throng screaming loudly, State demolishes the previously-undefeated-in-conference leaders.


55-34. ’Nuff said.

A rainy day at SDSU?  Sometimes.  Gloomy?  Never!

Aztecs Fan Bob Yarbrough Login to comment

Tuesday, January 22 2013 12:09:25 PM

Last Friday I attended services for a longtime Aztec stalwart, Mr. Bob Yarbrough. Bob lived a beautiful life and his wife, Mary Carol and son, Todd, who was an Aztec volleyball star, are left to continue Bob's tremendous spirit and service and positivism.

During the service for Bob, we were informed that Coach Steve Fisher had visited Bob. It was just a couple of weeks ago as Bob's time was ending due to brain cancer.

Bob loved all things Aztec and he certainly loved Aztec basketball and Coach Fish. That Steve took the time to visit Bob Yarbrough simply underscores what we already know: Steve Fisher is a phenomenal person.

Rest in peace, Bob.

Thank you, coach.

Go Aztecs.

The Montys and Mars Login to comment

Wednesday, January 09 2013 05:12:33 PM

The list of San Diego State Monty winners going back to 1971 is a joyous read. It is such a potent alumni hall of fame. I promise that if you peruse the list you will feel a surge of pride for San Diego State.

So, every year the pressure is on to select those who have best represented SDSU.

This year the College of Engineering went off-roading a bit and decided to award Montys to the entire group of State grads who were part of the team that landed the Curiosity rover on Mars. I was fortunate enough to visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) last month and talk with our alums. Since it is difficult to even consider the scope of sending a robot 43 million miles so that it can return awesome quantities of phenomenal data back to us here on earth in Pasadena, I will simply share my primary impression: It required a heckuva lot of teamwork.

Our grads worked on the flight path, the landing, the overall engineering, the antenna out in the Mojave Desert and the design for the vast amount of experimentation. They utilized their Aztec educations in engineering and physics, their enthusiasm for the Rocket Club and even their experience in the Marching Aztecs. They took what they gleaned from the labs on our campus and fit into an effort and accomplishment literally out of this world.

This year's Monty winners – all of them - define amazing.

Going Out With a Bang Login to comment

Wednesday, December 05 2012 12:29:30 PM

Our football program is wrapping up its final season in the Mountain West Conference with its first championship in the league and a third consecutive bowl game.  Our Aztec gridders seem to be packing neatly for their move next season to the Big East.  

The conference title, shared as it is, was won the hard way with a rare victory on the blue turf of Boise and in a one-point heart-in-your-throat overtime squeaker in Reno led by a backup quarterback.   It marks the program’s first championship since 1986.  

That year we were kings of the WAC and thought SDSU’s winning ways would extend for years to come.  No one foresaw the championship drought that has lasted for more than a quarter century.

This season, our team was picked to finish no better than fifth in the conference, but MWC Coach of the Year Rocky Long and his players had other ideas.  They proved the “experts” wrong by establishing the 2012 squad as an Aztec team for the ages.

Heading into the Poinsettia Bowl against BYU, our guys have a chance to finish the season with a 10 – 3 record.  It would be the first time the program has achieved 10 wins in a single season since 1977.

So as we head out the conference door bound for an uncertain, but, hopefully, brighter future, let’s help our team go out with a bang.  Let’s break the Poinsettia Bowl attendance record we already hold after our last appearance there.

Our team is already sending a message to the college football universe that the Aztecs are back.  So buy a bowl ticket, fill some seats at Qualcomm and help them spread the word.