CLAS: Alumni Communications July 2007 Alumni Newsletter

IT'S SUN DEVIL TIME!

Mark your calendar for the

CLAS Homecoming Block Party & Picnic

Saturday, October 27th ~ 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Come out and enjoy great food and drink as more than 30 schools and departments will be showcased from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences between Old Main and the Piper Writers House. This year's event promises something for the entire family! Featured displays and activities will include "Lucy", reptile exhibits, a wind wagon, glass blowing, body fat analysis, science demonstrations, meteorite displays, trivia games, hands-on arts and crafts and much more. Be sure to stop by at 3:00pm for the Homecoming Parade. After the block party and picnic, head over to Sun Devil Stadium to cheer on the Sun Devils as they take on the California Golden Bears - kick-off time is 7:00pm. Picnic tickets will be available online after August 1 by visiting http://clas.asu.edu/alumni.

Piper Writers House to Feature Prominent Alumni during CLAS Block Party

Saturday, October 27 ~ 4:00 – 7:00pm

Readings and signings by prominent CLAS alums featuring: Teague Bohlen, The Pull of the Earth - '97 M.F.A. Creative Writing; Joshua Rathkamp, Some Nights No Cars At All - '04 M.F.A. Creative Writing; Beth Anstandig, The Garden of Forking Paths (co-editor) -'95 B.A. English, '98 M.F.A. Creative Writing; Eric Killough, The Garden of Forking Paths (co-editor) -'98 M.F.A. Creative Writing

CLAS Alumni Author Spotlight

James F. Christ, a 1988 graduate of Political Science at ASU just released his third book, BATTALION OF THE DAMNED: The 1st Marine Paratroopers at Gavutu and Bloody Ridge, 1942, published by the Naval Institute Press. His previous works include Mission Raise Hell: The US Marines on Choiseul, Oct-Nov 1943; and Memories from Tuskegee, the biography of Lieutenant Colonel Clarence Jamison. James' forth book will be available in 2008.

The Jonathan and Maxine Marshall Distinguished Lecture Series

The Jonathan and Maxine Marshall Distinguished Lecture Series brings to ASU nationally known scholars concerned with promoting culture through the humanities and a better understanding of the problems of democracy. The free public lecture is held every fall and is funded by grants from Jonathan and Maxine Marshall and The Marshall Fund of Arizona.

"The Problems and Promise of Democracy in the Middle East"

September 18, 2007 7:30pm ~ Gammage Auditorium

This year's event will feature Robin Wright, who has been a commentator on ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN news programs, including the PBS Newshour, "Meet the Press," "Face the Nation," "This Week," “Nightline," "Frontline," "Larry King Live," "Washington Week in Review," as well as several other American and European programs. More information / RSVP - http://clas.asu.edu/newsevents/publicevents/marshall/

The Feldt/Barbanell Women of the World Lecture

WOW! As in the Women of the World Lecture, scheduled for October 17, 2007 in the Arizona Ballroom in the Memorial Union on the Tempe campus. This year's lecture will feature Gloria Steinem, an American feminist icon, journalist and women's rights advocate who will be speaking on Feminism for the 21st Century. More than two decades after founding Ms. magazine, Gloria Steinem remains America's most influential, eloquent, and revered feminist. This event is sponsored through the Women and Gender Studies Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For more information, please call 480-965-2358 or visit http://www.asu.edu/clas/womens_studies/.

CLAS International Wine and Beer Festival

The 8th Annual ASU CLAS International Wine and Beer Festival was a huge success, thanks to our many wonderful sponsors and guests! More than 400 people joined us in celebrating our travel abroad scholarship program. 

We raised over $10,000 from our silent auction, nearly five times more than what was raised just two years ago!  These additional funds contribute toward our CLAS alumni scholarship endowment, allowing us to continue to grant meaningful scholarships for well-deserving students who seek to expand their academic experience through travel study programs. 

This year, we were able to award two separate scholarships. One of our recipients is a senior majoring in Plant Biology who will be studying plant identification in Costa Rica. Our other recipient is a junior majoring in Political Science who will be using his award for Chinese studies in Beijing. Mark your calendar for next year's event, April 26, 2008.

Be Part of the CLAS Alumni Chapter

The CLAS Alumni Chapter is actively recruiting talented and creative CLAS alumni to join our chapter! We are planning a variety of programs and activities for the upcoming year that will have multiple interests to our alums. As a volunteer you will provide ideas, support students, participate in networking opportunities and assist with community service projects and various events that honor ASU tradition.

Stay connected with your alma mater and help others get connected! If you have an interest in volunteering and want to demonstrate your Sun Devil pride, contact Joyce Olive, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at jmolive@asu.edu or 480.965.8151.

CHAPTER NEWS

The CLAS Alumni Chapter recently participated in the very first local Sun Devil Send-Off ice cream celebration at the Tempe campus. With about 45 in attendance, both parents and students, it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with our future alumni. Presenters welcomed students, described the alumni and parents associations and facilitated an ASU trivia game. In the spirit of the event, pom poms, fight song cards and raffle tickets were distributed by our chapter volunteers. An incoming CLAS student majoring in Creative Writing won the raffle for a $50 gift card to the ASU Bookstore. Please visit http://www.asu.edu/alumni/rsvp/sendoffs.html for information on future Send Offs.

Become a Member of the ASU Alumni Association

Take a moment today to invest in the future by becoming an ASU Alumni Association member. The annual dues of $45 offer an affordable way to support what is becoming one of the top ranked universities in North America.

Visit http://www.asu.edu/alumni/membership or call 1-800-ALUMNUS.

We want to hear from YOU!

If you'd like to share your accomplishments with other alumni in future issues of CLAS News or simply update your contact information, go to http://clas.asu.edu.alumni/updateform/ to enter your Class Note.