Directly Speaking

Remembering Coach Coryell

2010-07-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Amidst the sadness of Don Coryell’s passing are some extraordinary reminiscences of this revered Aztec.

While iconic NFLers and esteemed scribes alike passionately speak to the abundance of Coach Coryell’s innovative expertise and beautiful human qualities, I can’t help but consider Don’s impact on the college-turned-university, San Diego State.

So let’s think back a bit. Don came to Montezuma Mesa in 1961 and left 11 years later with a record of 119, 24 and 2. It has always been difficult for me to fathom the enormity of that record. But what about State? How were we transformed in that era, and what did the football coach have to do with that transformation?

In 1961 enrollment had skyrocketed to 13,000! Freshmen women wore beanies. The homecoming game was played before 4,000 in Aztec Bowl. By 1969 the undefeated Aztecs had moved into San Diego Stadium (now Qualcomm) and drew 48,000 fans at the Pasadena Bowl. When Don left after the 1972 season for the NFL, we were on the verge of becoming a university and no one had played a higher-profile role in setting the stage for that designation than Coach Coryell.

Don Coryell provided us a platform of hope. In 25 years of talking with Aztec alums on a daily basis, I have seen no one come close to generating as many impassioned and reverent soliloquies as our beloved coach. I contend that Don gave us a confidence that transcended football. He gave us the foundation for excellence. He bolstered our self esteem to such enormous heights that State propelled itself into becoming a world-class academic institution.

Our alumni of the era and the subsequent generation, who never missed a Saturday night in San Diego Stadium as youths, had no chips on their shoulders. For example, Tom Helmantoler ('68) writes: “We could always look to Saturday night fun at the stadium and an Aztec win, after we all got off from our weekend jobs. We all knew, without thinking about it, that we had a good, decent, honest and friendly man in charge of the program, it made us proud to say that we were SDSU Aztecs. It still does.” And while many have been frustrated at the relative mediocrity of our football fortunes in the subsequent four decades, who can question that San Diego State University has become an elite institution whose desirability as measured by application rates is annually now in the top 10 in the country?

But what about the retired Coach Don Coryell? How did he continue to forge a legacy of excellence for SDSU? How did he convert a singularly driven compulsion for success on the football field to his life after football? As someone whose job it was to regularly invite Don to campus to attend big events, be the honorary homecoming chair, or simply to attend games and visit our coaches and teams, I was always struck by his humility. He was kind to everyone and completely unpretentious. He remembered your name. He was always genuinely interested in people. There was zero phoniness.

I came to really enjoy my phone calls with Coach Coryell. I would ask him about what his retired life was like while he was in Friday Harbor. He’d tell me this: “Well, today I am going to ride my bike downtown like I do most days and then my big decision is going to be whether to buy clams or fish for dinner.”

Then, on those delightfully special days when I would get to escort Don and Aliisa around the campus or the stadium, I began to realize that his driving passion for our university never faded. He loved San Diego State. He loved our alumni and he wanted nothing more than to optimistically and enthusiastically speak with any and all about how we were always getting better.

Speaking of Coach Don as the obsessively driven coach whose mental focus rarely strayed from strategies to get into the end zone, Vickie Idhe, 25-year Aztec ticket manager, shares this gem: “I was coming out of our offices at the stadium when Don was coaching the Chargers and I saw him exit onto the sidewalk. He stopped, put down his briefcase and fished for his car keys. Then he left without grabbing his briefcase. I ran to catch him but he got away so I took his briefcase back into my office. Not being able to resist the temptation to see what top secret game plan was in store that week, I peeked. It was empty!”

Thank Don’s family, including his daughter Mindy Lewis and her husband Mike and Don’s granddaughter Loni, for understanding and facilitating Don’s many interactions with us on campus. And thanks also to the scores of players including the household names like Sipe and Buchanon and Dryer, whose imitation of the Coach surely brought down the house at Bully’s a hundred times. All of these former Aztec football players universally loved their coach and their collective passion is a real part of our school’s excellence.

So thanks, Coach Coryell, for inspiring us and for inspiring San Diego State University to greatness. May your inspiration remain in the hearts of all Aztecs for all time.

Aztec Icons Remembered

2010-06-08T15:18:00.001-07:00

Recently our family of Aztec titans lost two of its charter members: Bob Breitbard and Art Linkletter.

While sad days no doubt, given the fullness and longevity of these lives, their passing provides reasons to celebrate and remember.

These two gentlemen each possessed an extreme abundance of personal charisma. Whether it was genetic or learned is debatable, but what isn’t open to debate is that their futures were forged and nurtured at San Diego State College.

I consider it a phenomenal career perk to have been in a position to know these men, so here are some personal observations of each:

Like most 40-to-90 somethings, my 1960s suburban Massachusetts upbringing included Art Linkletter as a fixture. I fondly remember using the pliers to select the proper channel and fiddling with the hangar-supplemented rabbit ears to partake in Art’s charming interactions. As a lad, I marveled at how Art Linkletter could so live in the moment on live TV and react so entertainingly to the random utterances of children. He exuded warmth, empathy and humor. His show was fun and funny.

So, fast forward 30 years and I am in the car with now-Vice-President-but-then-development-officer, Mary Ruth Carleton, going to visit Art in his Los Angeles offices. Our intent was to get to know him better so that we could ask him for a million or so for athletics and our gerontology center. Art took us to lunch and regaled us with bawdy stories about John Wayne and the Rat Pack. He told us how his good friend, Walt Disney, asked him to emcee the grand opening of his modest amusement park in 1955. Art said that Walt asked him to do it for free because he was uncertain of the park’s financial survival. Art told Walt okay, but managed to extract the concession rights to camera film in perpetuity.

Art also shared with us his infatuation with theater and then radio while he attended SDSC. He was so determined and thrilled to get started here in San Diego. He left little doubt that the nurturing and encouragement he got at State propelled him into one of the longest-running careers in television history.

One smart Aztec.

So, now another:

As a rookie executive director of the Aztec Athletic Foundation in the late ’80s, I was well aware of the status and standing of Bob Breitbard. His resume of giving, support and involvement with San Diego State stretched all the way back to the ’40s when he had even coached the football team one year. The problem was that I didn’t know him. That problem was alleviated when he phoned me one day and most diplomatically suggested that we had under acknowledged his gift to the AAF. With false bravado I blurted out that our record keeping was consistently stellar but if that were not correct I would personally come downtown and mop the floors in his Hall of Champions. That began a long string of marvelous interactions with a most gracious, giving, elegant and engaging Aztec. I was honored to be in that large club of friends with whom Bob shared temporary custody of his Babe Ruth locker tag, his Ted Williams .406 bat and countless other treasures. Between various subsequent stints washing the Hall’s windows and detailing Bob’s car (it turns out our record-keeping was occasionally suspect), I visited with Bob countless times. I always marveled at his perpetually engaging manner as he “pinned,” and kissed all the ladies and regaled everyone with his heart-felt and driven quest to honor our community’s sports history.

Bob Breitbard loved this town, this community, and our university and he proved it every day.

One internationally-famed personality. One enormous community presence.

Two beloved Aztecs.

BCS Rant

2010-05-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday’s UT had a thorough treatise on the criteria the BCS uses to consider adding another conference to its cartel.

www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/08/can-mwc-trust-in-the-bcs-system

Previously I have noted the financial discrepancy between the haves and have not’s which would make any mathematically-oriented observer wonder if college football can survive with half of the teams being unable to compete financially.

So, here are the three criteria the Mountain West needs to conquer:

Average rank of highest ranked team
Average ranking of all teams in conference
Number and ranking of teams in top 25

For the first two, the MWC must be in the top 6, for the third in the top 50%. (There are 11 conferences, 6 are currently in)

Lets look at this a couple of ways:

First, and most blatantly, to have those standards be accompanied by qualifiers is like saying that in order to win the MVP, Adrian Gonzales has to be in the top 6 in batting average, RBIs and home runs. Obviously, his rank in those categories need only be measured against all the other sluggers in that particular year. Unless, of course, Major League Baseball only wanted to have an MVP on rare occasions. Hmmmmm.

When you compare the Mountain West to the other conferences in the cartel, over the first two years of this 4-year evaluation process, you get The SEC way ahead with the Big-12 solidly in second and then the MWC, Pac-10 and Big East tied for third, then the Big 10 and ACC.

The other thing is that all three of these criteria are based upon rankings. And while the science that goes into these is reasonably sophisticated, the BCS bias permeates by virtue of the fact that the richer teams begin the season with higher rankings and then they get more home games and thus a greater inherent advantage. When you factor in the actual head-to-head contests (see Utah’s bowl record the past 9 years) you get a truer result.

The cartel, however, knows how to keep its edge. That would explain why undefeated TCU played undefeated Boise State this past year in the Fiesta Bowl. The cartel cannot have the WAC or MWC conference knocking off any of its big boys!

But there really is one more kicker. And that relates to what might happen if they let us in. Is it really good enough for SDSU to cross over into the land of milk and honey because the Horned Frogs, Utes, Cougars and Falcons have great programs? Does the cartel become okay should we happen to be in it? Or is the inherent dysfunction associated with the fact that 40 to 50 of the 119 Division 1-A schools will still be attempting to compete with a twenty-million-dollar annual handicap mitigated if we aren’t one of them?

Maybe.

Stay tuned.

Generous Alumni Leave Lasting Legacies

2010-05-05T11:38:00.001-07:00

In this month’s newsletter there is a story about some extraordinary million-dollar donors to San Diego State and the increasing importance of private support for the university. Having known all of the individuals mentioned in the article for quite some time, what their recent donations illustrate for me is how persons with red and black loyalty actually comprise a much broader spectrum of commitment that can make a tremendous impact on the quality of education in this region in myriad ways.

Bob Payne has made hundreds of gifts to SDSU over 40 years. Twice they were over a million dollars and once almost a million. He has chaired the Campanile Foundation, advocated for athletics, and provided sage council to our SDSU presidents going back to Malcolm Love. He has had a profound influence in our community as a businessman, chair of the Super Bowl, owner of the Padres and perpetual community advocate and cheerleader. He is well known to our city’s cognoscenti. Despite his honors and achievements, Bob possesses disarming humility and projects genuine warmth which makes him beloved.

Our University is so lucky to claim Bob Payne as one of our alums. He is the kind of titan who, when he donates yet another $2.4 million, it doesn’t even surprise anyone. His recent gift will positively impact not only SDSU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, but the hospitality and tourism industry in San Diego and beyond as well.

Then there are Robin and Chuck Luby. Like Bob, they have been intimately involved with the university for more than four decades. Their public personas, however, have been more typical of the vast majority of our graduates. Education, science, business, volunteerism, leadership and pure love for the university have occupied their time since graduation. The Lubys are way low-key. They love books and theater and Shakespeare and the Aztecs. They participate in dozens of various university alumni committees and have attended thousands of events. Yes, thousands. Their financial donations over those four decades have garnered far less attention than their giving of time and talent.

Until now.

The Lubys gave our library $4 million last month by committing presumably their entire estate. This gift will profoundly affect the quality of offerings of our library and thus the quality of an SDSU education forever.

Bob Payne. Chuck Luby. Robin Luby: Truly Aztecs for Life.

How did we ever live without this place?

2010-04-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

All right Aztecs, listen up! April 17th marks exactly six months since the grand opening of the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, so I figure a report on our activities is in order.

People are asking, “Is the Parma Payne Goodall being utilized?”

You betcha!

131 events and 7,000 visitors in less than 6 months!

So what types of events have we been hosting here and how have they impacted our alumni and the campus? Let’s check out the highlight reel:

Our grand opening was fabulous as 600 people braved the 90-degree day and witnessed the dedication. A week later, we held our first business forum with the “Social Media Symposium” which drew 160 tweetering twitterers. November brought us some monster events including an alum’s retirement dinner for 200; a sold-out scholarship luncheon sponsored by Susan Weber’s BRIDGES group; a what-not-to-wear” seminar for students; the College Area Community Council; and our first sold-out event, the 5,000th Lifetime Member Celebration.

In December we just kept cranking up the heat with Alumni Chapter activities, Campanile Foundation events, a parade of Basketball pre-game receptions and dinners and luncheons with President Weber. January, February and March brought more of the same plus a high-tech, high-security community forum put on by our Homeland Security Department.

We’ve had highly-attended lectures by an Olympian and a mathematician. We’ve had retreats and seminars and corporate events and parties and celebrations of all kinds. Perhaps our biggest event was last month’s women’s basketball sweet 16 viewing party — our second such event in five days. These events showed how nimble and potent our alumni can be to quickly e-blast our constituents and produce satisfying, high-quality and fun events in the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

You know, during all those years we had to fine tune the articulation of the types of events we wanted to have in this building, we kept hearing similar refrains from the donors and the alumni community. The message was to keep this building dedicated and committed to serving the alumni public and the friends of SDSU. The theory is that when people who have a viable interest in the betterment of San Diego State come together from outside the campus and mix and mingle with those of us like-minded insiders, significant things accrue. So far, the mixing and mingling has occurred. In my next report I will tell you about the accruing of significant impacts!

Teaching the Math Teachers

2010-03-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

At a recent conference of alumni directors, a point was made that promoting academic-based initiatives is a powerful way to connect alumni associations with both faculty and alums. Things have apparently changed in this business since one could forge a career around planning tailgates.

Actually, these alumni directors were issuing a wakeup call that those in our position have been rendered less relevant by Facebook. But the conference organizers are now demanding that in addition to continued attention to the traditional connecting tools like in-person meetings, telephone, snail-mail and email, we had now better become conversant in all forms of new media.

So, we are. Check here: http://twitter.com/sdsualumni

With regard to academia, last week the SDSU Alumni Association hosted an event entitled, A Showcase of Math education at SDSU. Two hundred thirty people showed up at our fabulous Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center to hear a lecture by a best-selling mathematician (is that an oxymoron?). Prior to the entertaining talk by John Allen Paulos, we got to see all of the incredible work we do at SDSU in the field of math education. Did you even know that we have more faculty committed to math education than any other school in the country?! Or that our joint doctoral program in math education is ranked second in the nation? Or that our Center for Research for Math and Science Education (CRMSE) is making an enormous difference in the quality of the teachers who inevitably enter the regional K-12’s?

Anyone can conclude how essential these programs are. And the 230 alumni and local educators came away understanding how vital a role San Diego State plays in preparing, encouraging and willing our next generation to fully comprehend the essential tools required for advancing our world.

Way to go, State!

Aztec Football: Future, Past and Present

2010-02-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

The first Wednesday of February is National Letter of Intent signing day for prospective college football players and a day in which we revel optimistically in the efforts of Brady Hoke and his staff.

It appears that we are concentrating locally with players from wildly successful Oceanside High School, San Diego County the rest of the state. Today, I find myself dwelling on Hoke rule # 61: BELIEVE.

At the same time, we have the opportunity to assist in righting a wrong long overdue and that is to collectively will Coach Don Coryell into the hallowed National Football League Hall of Fame. It is a bit frustrating that the alleged voting media cognoscenti don’t yet understand what all Aztecs fans know: That Don Coryell was responsible for transforming football into the immensely watchable product it has become. While going on-line to cast your vote at www.fanschoice.com does not actually count in the official balloting, the karma couldn’t hurt.

And finally, it is comforting to know that regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s Super Bowl, one Aztec for Life will be crowned current champion. Congratulations to Freddy Keiaho of the Colts and Lynell Hamilton of the Saints.

GO AZTECS!

Aztecs for Life

2010-01-29T09:35:00.000-08:00

Union Tribune

Thanks for you continual excellent coverage of the Farmers Insurance Open by Tod Leonard.

Regarding your sub headline concerning the Scott Piercy: "Ex-Aztec Piercy has the first-round lead"

FYI there are no Ex-Aztecs. We are all Aztecs for Life!

Count the toes

2010-01-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

Ok listen up fine Aztec alumni. We need your help. There seems to be some controversy lurking regarding the number of toes on the left foot of our venerable iconic symbol: The Aztec. As you likely know the original Aztec was sculpted by Donal Hord and sits in the Prospective Student Center, while his grandson is the awesome centerpiece of the rotunda of the brand new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

You tell us: Is his left pinky toe hidden beneath his robe as is asserted by SDSU alum and architect Jeremy Blake, or does our beloved Montezuma suffer from a digital deficiency?

Today's UT

2010-01-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

Today's UT reports that the "Big 6 BCS conferences expect pay outs from bowl games of either $22 or $17 million per school. Meanwhile the Mountain West and the WAC lead the have-nots with around one million per school. This payday due to the great seasons from Boise and TCU.

Eventually some powers that be will figure out that every game played requires one loser. And that long term, the schools with no chance of competing for victories with a 20 million dollar handicap will elect to invest their scarce dollars into educating students.

About Ken Kramer

2010-01-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

Ken Kramer, investigative optimist, is back on the airwaves with his genuinely uplifting and iconic “About San Diego.”

I know this because I like Ken Kramer and I have enjoyed his show ever since I moved to San Diego in 1984 and listened to it on the radio. Since then, of course, Ken moved to television and for many years and 600 episodes on NBC 7/39 we were regularly treated to truly powerfully positive heart-melting vignettes about San Diego and our eclectic denizens. These stories were always delivered with Ken’s great voice, comfortably paced presentations and, most importantly, his ability to cajole us towards a prideful place.

I know I am sounding like a media critic who has been wined and dined and wooed and bamboozled into drinking Ken’s Kool aid.

Yes, I have.

I think as we age we get the ability to truly know the things we appreciate. We actually understand what makes us feel good. For me, one of those things is Ken Kramer’s “About San Diego.”

And I understand why we regularly get bombarded with bad news, scandal, treachery, crime, disaster and malfeasance. But to get it occasionally punctuated with stories about goodness is essential to my well being. Perhaps yours, too.

So last night Ken Kramer announced his new partnership with KPBS. This only happened, he told us, because of the “underpinnings which define the character” of the principles from NBC 7/39 and KPBS which agreed to allow Ken and KPBS to use all of the material from his previous 600 shows aired on NBC 7/39. Wow. Hats off to NBC former general manager, Phyllis Schwartz, (SDSU ’77); current General manager, Jackie Bradford; KPBS GM Tom Karlo, (SDSU ’75) and, obviously, Ken himself (SDSU ’74, and current SDSU Alumni Association board member) for putting the public good ahead of the usual corporate agenda.

Here is when you can see Ken’s new show on KPBS. Enjoy some happy time!

www.kpbs.org/tv/schedule/

Aztec Athletics

2009-12-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

As we commence the process to hire a new Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, I’d like to weigh in on some of the things we have going for us.

First of all, athletics at the Division One level is part of who we are at San Diego State University. We have incredible athletic history; lengthy and potent. And we have tens of thousands of graduates who claim to have attended games in the fog in Aztec Bowl, who met the train when the 1941 Basketball team triumphantly returned from Kansas City and who never missed a Marshall Faulk touchdown.

So our tradition of fielding Division One teams, despite the constantly increasing financial challenges, isn’t likely to go away. And it shouldn’t.

In 1985 we hired a visionary athletic director who was resolutely determined to upgrade our facilities. And lo and behold, here we are with first-class everything where 24 years ago we had nothing. Do you need a recount? Okay, Tony Gwynn Stadium, new Aztrack, new Softball Stadium, new Tennis complex, new Aquatics complex, colossal athletics administration complex with state-of-the-art weight room, a still-beautiful Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl, a fantastic Rec Center and even a new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

So we have an aging Qualcomm Stadium and some legitimate angst regarding the future of the Chargers and the stadium trickle down. We can only hope and work and will ourselves to collectively conquer this community challenge.

And let’s not forget our coaching staff. Plenty of sports have surged lately with some new and some veteran coaches who seem to share the mindset that winning games within the proper parameters of academic transcendence and NCAA regulations is doable at a place like San Diego State. Our “big three,” of course, - Burns, Hoke and Fisher - have our confidence like no previous triumvirate. Ever.

Finally, and most importantly, we have a great university. We have the brain power on our own campus to attack and conquer the challenges and opportunities presented by having Division One Athletics. So let’s get to it!

Brian Sipe

2009-11-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

At 6:43 this morning I was pulling into PS 5 to go to work at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. I saw Aztecs Quarterbacks Coach Brian Sipe walking up 55th Street. Since I was stopped at the left turn light I had the chance to observe Brian and I took some pride in seeing that he was staring at our beautiful new alumni center and its exquisite rotunda.

After all, this was Brian Sipe, Little League World Series champion, Aztec superstar, NFL MVP, accomplished architect, and outstanding high school football coach, among many other accomplishments. Here was a man whose extraordinary tangible achievements have only been exceeded by his extreme humility and graciousness.

And just as I was thinking we have to start rallying our alumni around the Aztec team that Coach Hoke and his staff have begun to put together, what did I see?

Brian Sipe leaned over and plucked a piece of trash off of the sidewalk and deposited it into the next trash can.

Perhaps this is the time for all of us Aztec fans to start pitching in.

Why We Need an Alumni Center

2009-10-07T17:14:00.001-07:00

An Alumni Center for San Diego State. Why?

Having primarily focused my professional life for the past decade on this quest I thought I should be able to answer the question.

When we think about San Diego State what comes to mind? A university growing with the times and our region to produce the workforce we need in business, education and science? A massive State school which delivers quality education for bargain tuition? Perhaps an all grown up Cal State commuter school with a burgeoning research effort struggling for an identity in the shadow of the UCs? Or maybe a once proud football program attempting yet another return to glory with Brady Hoke as coach?

We have heard plenty of this and much more over here on the Mesa. Certainly there is much to be proud of in the product of SDSU. But there is much to be done to help elevate the university’s standing among institutions of higher learning and in the community we serve. A big part of that job is raising awareness of San Diego State and encouraging greater involvement among its alumni.

Increasing support for the university through strong alumni relations builds the foundation for a better institution. You can’t build a powerful organization without a strong base and at the Alumni Association, everything we do is directed toward strengthening the university’s base.

There are more than 200,000 SDSU alumni. Presently, fewer than 8,000 are Alumni Association members. Growing Alumni Association membership is the first step in a process that ultimately leads to enhancing the university’s prestige. The more engaged and involved the alumni are, the stronger the university becomes as a result.

So what, then, is the role of the new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center in helping to strengthen our base? First, it serves as a literal touchstone for Aztec alumni all over the world. If you want to reconnect with the university, this is the place to do it.

Want to come to campus, but you’re not quite sure where to go? Check in here. You’ll be welcome.

Do you have questions about university programs or events? This is the place to call if you don’t know exactly where to plug in. We’re happy to help you.

This is your home. It’s the one place on campus you will always belong no matter how the campus has changed or how long it’s been since your last visit.

The Alumni Center is also the physical location where our common experience as Aztecs may be shared and remembered. It’s where we’ll celebrate our collective triumphs and mourn our tragedies. Our traditions will be honored here.

And even as our rich history is revered in this place, so is our future planned and prepared for. Various boards and committees representing the university and its alumni will meet here. They will imagine, they’ll dream, and draw on their talents, educations and experiences for ideas to help make SDSU a stronger institution in the years to come.

In the end, what will this new Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center mean for San Diego State? It’s hard to say exactly. We’ve never had anything quite like it before. But the possibilities are thrilling.

So we invite you to come check it out at 11:00 a.m. on October 17 or any time after that when you’re in the neighborhood. Ultimately, my fellow Aztecs, the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center is all about you.

“Mr. San Diego” Also “Mr. SDSU”

2009-09-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Our own Bob Payne has been named the San Diego Rotary Club’s “Mr. San Diego” for 2009. Mayor Jerry Sanders will present the award next week recognizing Bob for his humanitarian achievements and civic contributions.

Here on the Mesa, where he graduated in 1955, we’ve thought of Bob as a sort of unofficial “Mr. SDSU” for some time. He’s a member of the President’s Council and Chairman of the Board of The Campanile Foundation, of which he is a charter member. In 1988 he was honored by our organization as SDSU Alumnus of the Year.

A colleague asked me recently how I felt about Bob winning the Rotary's prestigious award.

Asking an alumni director's attitude regarding Bob Payne winning an award is kind of like asking how Leo Durocher about having Willie Mays in the lineup.

Bob Payne is the poster child for model alumnus. If Wikipedia allowed me to contribute a definition, then Bob's Picture would grace the entry “Model Aztec Alumnus.”

You could take a bevy of robotics engineers and they would never in a million years create a greater representative for your university.

Allow me to count the ways:
Leadership
Generosity
Wisdom
Involvement
Passion

Congratulations, Bob.

Dynamite Web Site

2009-05-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

As a 50 something, I am somewhat “username/password” challenged. So when I got the email suggesting I register for the severely upgraded SDSU Alumni Web site I took a deep breath and began to fill out the form.

To my infinite delight, it only took 30 seconds and I was rewarded with a computer ding acknowledging my hi-tech prowess.

These days, of course, an alumni association Web site needs to have dynamic content, user friendly formats and pragmatic applications such as on-line registration and collecting memberships and donations securely and efficiently. Most importantly, the look, feel and ease of maneuvering have to be stellar.

I am very proud to say that your sdsualumni.org is all of that and more. With real time RSS feeds from the campus, athletic department and the Daily Aztec, our Aztec for Life site is a great portal to all things SDSU. Please give us a look at sdsualumni.org.

Student Veterans Organization

2009-04-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Looking out my window from our temporary Manchester Hall digs I get to take in some of the daily happenings which make working on a college campus so rewarding. Whether it is the Associated Student Council politicians holding fort, students debating zealots, or Greeks hawking baked goods for charities, the scene is always dynamic.

Today I am witness to a video production of one of our more celebrated students, Nick Popaditch. I have to duck outside to see what this is all about and discover that our marketing and communications department is creating a video designed to encourage support for SDSU. At least that is what Nick seems to be trying to do take after take.

What I marvel at is how anything can be considered daunting or even challenging to him given what life has already thrown at him. Nick Popaditch, as you may know, lost an eye, most of his vision and very nearly his life in 2004 during combat in Fallujah when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded next to his head. For his innovative combat tactics and leadership even when wounded, Popaditch received the Silver Star, the military's third-highest award for valor. His subsequent book which describes his service and transition back into civilian life is absolutely a must read.

www.amazon.com/Once-Marine-Commanders-Inspirational-Recovery/dp/1932714472/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240338475&sr=1-1

Now Nick is a student at San Diego State. He and some other dedicated veterans work with the Student Veterans Organization, which is an on-campus association dedicated to making the transition from soldier to college student more palatable. They do great work. Check them out at: http://universe.sdsu.edu/military President Steve Weber has fully embraced our “Troops to College” initiative and has recently returned from Washington where he was invited to share our veterans’ services as a national model. Our goal is to become the premiere university in the nation in providing services to our military students.

Just another way SDSU does what needs doing in the world.

The Montys

2009-04-14T14:07:00.001-07:00

If this were twitter I would have only 140 characters and already spent half. But it isn’t. This is about the Montys - one of those classic timeless traditions where humans actually eschew thumb communication and enjoy the grandest and most satisfactory of all interactive options: The one where you are actually face-to-face.

There are so many ways I could go about this. I could provide a post-game recap with facts and statistics. I could ramble from my insider’s perspective about event anxiety and relief. I could mention all the Aztec celebrities sitting courtside (so to speak). I could glowingly describe the fabulous body of work by the awardees, which would inevitably instill much pride. I could enthusiastically brag about the venue, the vignettes, the musical theater singers, the songs and lyrics, the production values, the food, the wine, the decorations, the joyousness of the presentations, the uplifting personas of so many Aztec alumni and the overall collective assessment that the event bespoke class.

But I won’t. You had to be there. Hopefully, next time you will join us.

NIT

2009-03-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

It is often claimed that we are a bit obsessed with athletics in the alumni business. But there is just so much you can accomplish with Facebook and Twitter (Although this u-Tube video paints a decent picture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRXHQ-fgwIM)

But in the aftermath of our basketball team’s dramatic conquest Wednesday night, it is impossible to not marvel at the power of athletics.

I saw grown men cry. I shared the exultation with people in their 30s, 40s 50s, 60s, and 70s. I saw 12,000 Aztec fans will Steve Fisher’s fine squad to Gotham for the NIT Final Four.

But most of all, we saw the culmination of ten years of student zaniness known as "The Show." Recently featured on the cover of 360 Magazine, our wild and crazy student section has been honing its we-can-make-you-miss-a-critical-free-throw act for many seasons. With 42 seconds left, St. Mary’s NBA-bound point guard, Patty Mills, and his 86% foul shooting rate stepped to the line in a tie game. He was faced with 500 demonstrative, big-head-wielding, jumping up and down, screaming, banana suit wearing, and certified crazy students. Clang.

The subsequent court storming by the young, witnessed by the old, was a convergence of monumental emotion. Twelve minutes later, Ritchie, Lo, and Kyle - our three mega stars - who all prevailed over significant challenges to forge our fantastic season, finally emerged from the mob scene love fest.

Can’t find that on Linked-In!

We Need Stuff

2009-02-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

As you may know we are building an alumni center. The Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center will open this summer. We certainly hope you come and visit.

What is an alumni center? Well, it will be a building for you, our alumni. A place to meet old friends, and to access faculty and students. A place for history and memories. A place to check in with cutting edge knowledge. A place to remind you of the power of San Diego State, and to enjoy the burgeoning relevance of your alma mater.

So today I am asking for your historical artifacts. We need Del Sudoestes, blue book ball posters, theater and musical programs from decades past, ticket stubs from Bob Dylan in Peterson Gym, Oingo Boingo at the Backdoor, Jimmy Buffet at the OAT and X-Fest in Aztec Bowl. We need your intramural trophies and your letters from Dean Peterson. We need the tangible evidence of your memories. And we need your books; books relevant to San Diego State and books by our alumni are to be featured—if we only had them. We need your photographs. In short, we need alumni artifacts.

If you have been packing these things around for 10 or fifty years you might as well give them to us. We expect the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, like San Diego State itself, will be around for at least another 112 years. We will take good care of your donations and avail them to generations of Aztecs to come so if you are so inclined please let me know at herrick1@mail.sdsu.edu.

Oh, there is one more thing. We need a Grand Piano. Can’t hurt to ask.

Buzz Matters

2009-01-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

There probably isn’t another college campus in this country with more great news associated with it these days than SDSU. Right now we’re dancing in clover. Here are a few things to be happy about if your blood runs towards a red and black hue:

Our alumna, Kathleen Kennedy, produced the film (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) with the most Oscar nominations.
This month our cheerleaders won the National Championship: http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/c-cheer/spec-rel/011909aaa.html
Aztec pitcher Stephen Strasburg is widely recognized as the best college baseball player in the country. http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/010809aad.html
Our women’s basketball team, in addition to beating fourth-ranked Texas earlier this year, just whomped BYU by 20. Since we are hosting the NCAA first round at Cox Arena, and since the way it works in women’s basketball is that you get to stay near home, we could very well be playing March 21 and 23 in Cox Arena! http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/09-ncaa-champ.html
Our men’s basketball team has considerable depth and talent and will undoubtedly make a run at the Dance. The “Show” serves as catalyst for great atmosphere and great wins against substantial Mountain West teams. A few good seats remain at: http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/82694?brand=qualcommaztecs
One of our students, Destin Cretton, just won the Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival for “Short Term 12.” http://advancement.sdsu.edu/marcomm/news/releases/spring2009/pr012209sundance.html

I am not making this stuff up, check it out for yourself:

And finally, head football coach Brady Hoke has hired coordinators of substance and our own Brian Sipe as QB coach, and has generally convinced all paying attention that the resurrection of Aztec Football is, in fact, possible.

It is, indeed, a good time to be an Aztec.

2009

2009-01-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

It is one of the recharging days between semesters where the campus is devoid of students yet the internal engine recovers and prepares for the next wave of minds requiring stimulation.

And what a fine day to work at this awesome place and to be able to reflect on recent events while planning future growth.

Growth, one might ask? Haven’t the economic challenges of our state necessitated reduced SDSU enrollment? Well, yes they have, but we still have 33,000 students whose minds must grow. And we still have 200,000 alumni whose minds are meeting, responding and conquering the hurdles popping up every moment a la whack a mole. Not to mention the stimulation and growth required of our own minds.

Here are some of the issues of the day from an alumni relations perspective:

How do we properly steward the ownership of 50,000 (growing to 75,000) email addresses?
What is the ideal blend of university perspective versus reporting balance in our communications?
How often do we feature athletics versus everything else going on in the university?
How can we best encourage our constituents (alums) to utilize the wildly popular social and professional networking sites like Facebook, and Linked-in to spread the word about San Diego State events, programs, lectures, entertainment and activities?
In an era of declining annual membership (and surging lifetime membership) how do we finance our quest for greater engagement?
How do we utilize our sprouting Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center to encourage more alums to visit our campus?
In short, how do we best harness the practical, creative, and generous energies of our alumni to better this institution?

I am certain 2009 will reveal some extraordinary advancement.

Allan Bailey

2009-01-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

On December 21st we lost a tremendous Aztec, colleague, co-worker, alumni past president, friend and mentor Allan Bailey. In a career spanning 41 years Allan served the university as professor of accounting, Dean of the college of Business and CFO of the Campanile Foundation. A staple of university relations, a fixture at Aztec athletic events and beautiful role model, Allan was emblematic of the emergent quality of education offered by San Diego State. While at the time of this writing we are awaiting the scheduling of Allan’s campus memorial, I am glad to share the following letter sent to our alumni board of directors.

To Our Alumni Board and Our Past Alumni Presidents

By now I am sure you have all heard of Allan’s passing. I am sorry I could not call you all individually last week so that you did not have to hear it electronically.

But, Allan undoubtedly would have preferred a low-key reaction. It’s just that his impression on our world was so substantial that it is difficult to react in a below-the-radar way.

In recent years we have gotten a glimpse of the great life Allan had outside of San Diego State. We know his wife Nancy, and Allan, and some of his family and friends went on some spectacular trips together. We know that he cherished his family and got nothing but pure joy from having grandchildren. Essentially, we got to know how important Allan’s family was to him. We already knew how important our university was to Allan. More so, we know how important Allan was to SDSU.

In my Allan Bailey mailbox I have 2,556 messages from Allan dating back to September 1999. Wow. That is daily communication for ten years. No wonder I feel like I have lost some hard-to-describe body part comprised of brain, will, heart, soul and gumption.

Allan was a veritable facts machine. He had inordinate quantities of data-- well organized and at his fingertips. But Allan also had the key relationships to go with the information. He had built up huge stores of goodwill at every turn. The President, all the Vice presidents, the board members, the donors; they all had tremendous respect for Allan. And then, to compliment that he had the support and respect and genuine appreciation from everyone else who worked with him. Only now are we beginning to compare notes and realize that Allan was everyone’s mentor. Hundreds of us over the years. How could one person do all that?

I cannot fathom how. But I can fathom how proud I will be to walk into the Allan Bailey Library at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center everyday starting next July. (Thank you Mark McMillin.) Allan and I were to have moved into that building in tandem. But, having all been trained, mentored, coached and inspired by Allan Bailey, my colleagues and I will do our very best every day to carry on the mission of making San Diego State a better place.

Technologically speaking

2008-12-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

Recently we have sent out thousands of emails asking people to update their data. Since it is 2008 some of you have pointed out that that it looks “fishy,” and that someone might be “phishing.”

Actually it is all legit. We have contracted with Harris Connect to publish a new SDSU Alumni Directory. Harris has a fine reputation, is the leader in this field nationally, and also published our Alumni Directories in 1994 and 1999.

When the dust clears on this effort we expect to have better, upgraded data and many more valid email addresses to work with.

This leads me to muse about the alumni business in the current day and age. Consider these two anecdotes:

A couple of years back I was trying to get one of our most illustrious donors to sign his pledge form. He had agreed to a dollar amount for our alumni center but had ignored my emails with attachments that required his signature. These, were follow-ups to my phone calls which were follow-ups to our meetings. Finally he suggested I fax him the paperwork. Within minutes he had faxed back a legal $500,000 commitment.

A colleague told me that he was frustrated that his own college aged son was ignoring his calls, text messages and emails. But he discovered he could get an immediate response by posting a message on his Facebook page.

It seems like that until recently we just had the big three: Face-to-face, phone calls and emails on the computer. Depending on the gravity of the circumstances you’d pick one or more of the above. But now the landscape has changed.

FaceBook. MySpace. Linked In.

Texting. Skyping.

Twitter.

All we really know is that within a couple of years or less these terms might be history and we’ll have new ones. Oh yeah, we also know that there is plenty we don’t know.

But we do know this: Content rules. Whether we are pushing or others are pulling we need good stuff.

Glad we have some.

In the Company of Aztecs

2008-10-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it is the Monday following Homecoming and I am compelled to churn a couple of thoughts. First of all, we should get the football angst dispensed with: Yes we would all prefer we were having a better season, but the ability to get together and simply enjoy each other's company in the context of major College Division 1 football is essential regardless. And its fun.

For instance, on Saturday night there were no jokes along the lines of "well at least we are saving on gunpowder this year." No, the Aztec cannon worked overtime and since it was Homecoming and we had a steady parade of celebrants to the field, our ears were constantly ringing.

Speaking of the steady parade, alumni president Adrienne Finley honored Bob and Darlene McCray with the Aztec Spirit Award. Bob McCray, hobbling on the foot he broke at Notre Dame, had the entire McCray enclave with him on the field to celebrate. And speaking of playing hurt, Buddy Black was there. He was the Homecoming Honorary Chair and Buddy managed to smile and wave perfectly despite the rotator cuff surgery. Meanwhile, Bob White and Kevin Falconer were seen huddling up on the Press Level.

Other noticeable Aztec Greats were on the field. Fred Dryer, having fulfilled his duties as Grand Booba of the Boo Parade, tossed the opening coin. And Akbar Gbajabilamilla looked good on the sidelines as the reporter for the Mountain Network.

While crowning the Queen and King, Dr. Jim Kitchen was looking good, but not as good as Lakeisha Nacoste and Nathaniel Donnelly. Nathaniel, as the past president of the Student Veterans Organization, had spent the morning at the alumni association's 12th annual War Memorial Ceremony. There, Bucky Peterson gave the keynote address as a packed crowd remembered fallen Aztecs and were treated to several stirring speeches, the annual wreath-laying, and a spectacular vintage plane flyover accompanied by an emotional echoing of "Taps." Shortly thereafter, 130 "Golden Aztecs" filed into Casa Real for some serious reminiscing, a hearty welcome from Ed Blessing, student body president in 1958, and a delightful San Diego State nostalgic romp from NBC 7/39's consummate pro and Aztec alumnus Ken Kramer.

So, yes, Aztec fans and faithful alumni all got to enjoy the reunions, the tailgating, the reminiscing, and each other. And even though one thing might make the experience a little better, the experience of being in each other's company is a real good one.

Buddy Black

2008-10-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Buddy Black is going to be the honorary chair of Homecoming this year. He has been an Alumni Association Lifetime Member since 1996.

When I contacted Bud a couple of years ago to congratulate him on becoming the Padres manager, he gave me his cell number and offered to help the Aztecs in any way he could. Ever since I met Buddy back in the nineties, I considered him to be the quintessential Aztec alumnus: accomplished yet humble. Buddy has World Series rings as both a player and a coach, yet he is phenomenally easygoing and levelheaded. He is an avid follower of San Diego State and can be found at plenty of Aztec basketball games during the winter.

Like any big league manager, he knows that even his closest friends and family members will sometimes challenge his daily decision making regarding whether to pull Peavey or pinch hit Hundley. But no one is going to second guess Bud Black’s loyalty to San Diego State.

So, come on out to the Q on October 25th and lend a cheer for a true gentleman who will always bleed Aztec red and black.

For information on SDSU Alumni Association Homecoming activities, visit alumni.sdsu.edu/homecoming.htm.

South Bend: Take Two

2008-09-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

More than four thousand Aztec alumni and fans followed the football team to Notre Dame. The game was exciting, although the outcome disappointing for SDSU.

But what about the actual experience of the fans? Our royal Red and Black bleeders who braved modern commercial air travel and traded hard-earned green to be a part of this historic Aztec crusade?

The punch-line is: We had a blast!

From the Chicago-to-South-Bend train ride to the tailgate at the entrance of the College Football Hall of Fame, we enjoyed the quintessential college football experience. This was Aztec football in the heart of the greatest tradition of the game and we were a legitimate part of it.

If the Red and Black evidence outside the Hall wasn’t proof enough, there was plenty more inside: displays featuring Aztec legends Marshall Faulk, Fred Dryer, and coach Don Coryell. Coach Chuck Long is enshrined there, albeit for his playing days at Iowa.

College Football is fun. Ergo, it was most satisfying to marvel at its Mecca. And that our team played well made the actual game portion of our journey a joyous holiday. Sitting in the stands with the fabled Golden Dome and “Touchdown Jesus” in full view was nothing short of a thrill.

Add in the incomparable politeness of the Domers, (“Welcome to Notre Dame. Welcome to Notre Dame. Welcome to Notre Dame!”) the throwback stadium atmosphere, which despite the absence of a Jumbotronic replay scoreboard also offered a complete absence of canned noise, blaring music and corporate intrusions which left us with pure football.

The experience was singular and unforgettable. And on top of it all, in an opportunity that occurs all too infrequently, SDSU was showcased before a national television audience. Our Aztecs - fans and football team - used that opportunity to shine.

Road Trip

2008-08-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

I have been working here since 1986 and been to many football games. Basically, I have attended all of the home games and the ‘big’ away games. During the late ’80s and early ’90s that was mostly UCLA. In 1995 we went to Oklahoma and that began an impressive streak of games at Cal, Wisconsin, Washington, USC, Illinois, more UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Ohio State three times, Michigan, more UCLA, Wisconsin again, and Washington State. Of course I also attended a bunch of games in the WAC and Mountain West and sometimes we would win those games. Alas, I missed the games at Kansas in 1999 and at BYU in 2000, which we won.

So, as you may have surmised, our Aztecs are 0 for my big road game attendance. But we had our moments. Many, many times in those tradition-drenched stadia we had those goliaths on the ropes. The exhilaration was palpable but the subsequent bus ride sobering.

Maybe it’s me.

But I remain ever hopeful. Perhaps this is the year. Perhaps Notre Dame is the team.

Perhaps now is our time.

Ideas

2008-07-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have this recurring phobia that some day a decade or so from now I will leave this fascinating alumni business and that I will suddenly have an epiphany that would revolutionize the business and leave me slapping my head that I hadn’t thought of it sooner.

Fortunately I belong to a fairly esteemed group of alumni directors from around the country. They share their epiphanies. Most all of the directors of the large schools in the Big 10, Pac 10, ACC, SEC and Big 12 are outgoing, bullish on their institutions and definitely pro alumni. They believe in the power of alumni and university partnerships and they are pretty darn good at what they do.

For instance the LSU alumni association and their director Charles Roberts became the manager of the campus shelter subsequent to Hurricane Katrina. He and his staff became overnight hotel managers and did not go home for 2 weeks during the aftermath. Archie Griffin…yes that Archie Griffin is the alumni director at Ohio State. His Association hosted a party for 70,000 people the night before their championship football game. Finally, Howard Wolf—alumni president at Stanford lunches with Google and Yahoo CEOs and truly understands how to communicate in a technological world gone amuck. They all share their insights.

But let’s get back to some new ideas. Unlike rocket scientists (like Ellen Ochoa ’80, Deputy Director of NASA and former astronaut), but not quite as much as Baseball Managers (like Bud Black ’79), alumni directors are prone to being second guessed. So here is what I want you to do: Send me your ideas and suggestions for our Alumni Association. Here is my email: herrick1@mail.sdsu.edu I promise I will give them real scrutiny and consideration. Not only that I’ll share them with these other alumni directors at next month’s meeting.

Perhaps, together, we can evolve something significant for San Diego State and our alumni. Thanks.

Old Guys Rule

2008-04-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

Some weeks just happen to hit one demographic disproportionately. Such was this one where I got a healthy helping of our greatest generation.

I felt like I was in a marvelous time warp where civility and gratitude reigned; where family, country, service and alma mater mattered.

Now don’t worry, I am not going to start sermonizing. And I am sure I can find some nice things to say about 20 and 30 somethings and even teenagers if pressed. But to be in the company of these Aztec octogenarians this week leaves me compelled to brag some and to beam and tout.

Monday was a luncheon honoring the founders of the war memorial on campus. President Weber hosted them for lunch and spoke to the importance of the “obelisk’s solemnity,” and its historically essential affect on our current students. He emphasized our commitment to current veterans and reiterated State’s gratitude to the founding group of the memorial.

Then Ed Moore (’43) got up. He spoke of his pride in all of the people in the room and to his gratitude that the university (actually “college” to these guys) has embraced the memorial and the annual ceremony honoring fallen Aztecs. Then he went and said some beautiful things about everyone one of the founders including Anthony Ghio (’43), (Anthony has been a community icon via Anthony’s Restaurants. He has modestly and quietly been devoted to the community for 60 years) Harry Hodgetts (’41) and Bob Menke (’43). Harry played on the 1941 national championship Aztec Basketball team and from my well-positioned observation post has spent the intervening decades actively participating, supporting, and working on behalf of San Diego State. Bob Menke has a similar resume of unending service to the University. Along with their wives Pat and Pat, the Hodgetts and the Menkes have been an endlessly generous stream of volunteerism, good advice and financial support. Ed’s speech was laudatory and heartfelt. It was articulate, well-paced and contained an irrepressibly emotional underpinning that stopped 25 dessert forks in their tracks for 15 minutes.

On Tuesday I had an uplifting chat with Tom Ables. He and Nancy are about to celebrate their 60th. That is about the length of time Tom hasn’t missed an Aztecs game. Actually he has missed two, but we are talking home and away! During those decades Tom has had close relationships with every single football coach, basketball coach and athletic director. He has provided NCAA-legal employment for scores of players, designed Aztec logos, written hundreds of Aztec newsletters and felt the joy of victory and agony of defeat over and over. Beyond his pro bono work - yes it is all pro bono - Tom has contributed towards Aztec scholarships generously forever. A truly amazing guy. Even his recent hip replacement surgery was scheduled around Aztec football. Can any of us claim commitment on this magnitude?

Well, maybe Leon Parma can. I had the pleasure of meeting with Leon on Wednesday. Leon, class of ’51, has a mind-blowing resume which includes owning lots of companies, partly owning the Padres, quarterbacking the Aztecs, being president of Sigma Chi, bringing the first Super Bowl to San Diego, donating millions to SDSU and, oh yeah, being best buddies with President Gerald Ford. But there we were watching the video clip of his speech at our alumni center ground breaking where he said that “everything good that has ever happened to me and my family was a result of San Diego State.” Leon takes humility and grace to a heretofore unknown stratum.

Service. Commitment. Humility. Passion.

Aztecs.

Groundbreaking

2008-03-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

This week's Alumni Center Groundbreaking turned out to be truly one of the most enjoyable events probably ever hosted on this campus. The mood was like that of a gathering of longtime friends.

For some reason I had been obsessing over this event for months but the past 2 weeks had been somewhat over the top. I found myself fiddling with the script and making lists on little pieces of scratch paper on planes, in my car, during meetings about other stuff; pretty much constantly.

I guess that is because I had been chipping away at this project for as long as I had been an alumni director which is going on 9 years.

Some years I thought I was the problem, sometimes the school, sometimes the prospects. Usually I just felt like it was a difficult and complicated assignment which we would eventually conquer if enough people kept trying. And eventually enough people did.

So the events leading up to the groundbreaking provided some nice opportunities for historical reflection, some nostalgia for the old building, and some real sense of gratitude for the individuals who stepped up.

What I was left with as the confetti faded away but not before providing us with timeless photos of the historical moment was simply this: Our Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center will exist because the University and the Alumni Community collectively willed it to happen. And soon we will have a building whose primary output will be the harvesting of good ideas and deeds that come from bringing the alumni community and the University together.

2008-02-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Matt Dathe was editor of the Daily Aztec back in 1989. He became president of the Alumni Association in 2003. He is married to Stephanie who is a graduate of the class of 1995. They have a delightful baby daughter who will undoubtedly attend San Diego State. The reason I know this is that Matt and Stephanie live and breathe for SDSU. They are high-achieving, diehard Aztecs committed to the overall well being of their community and our university.

Matt is the type of guy whose compliments are sincere; (he regularly appreciates our monthly newsletter http://alumni.sdsu.edu/enews) and whose criticisms are well thought out and constructive. So recently when he told me about a day he spent with his grandfather-in-law I listened with great interest.

It seems that Matt had some issues surrounding his own grandfather whom he lost a while back. I got the impression that Matt regretted not going on a trip with him and then one day it was too late. Determined to keep his regrets in the “then again too few to mention” category, Matt asserted himself with his grandfather-in-law Jack. As you can see from the attached photologue, Matt persuaded Jack to make a one day, 15 hour foray to his Hometown in Oregon.

When I asked Matt how Stephanie had reacted to his trip with her grandfather he sloughed it off and said “the baby was sick, and it was difficult for her with me being gone.” When I asked Stephanie I got a much stronger reaction, which included some welling up. Made me proud to know him.

So if any of you were thinking about acting out on an impulse that keeps finding its way into your front burner conscious, I’d say go with it. So would Matt.

For photos, visit http://alumni.sdsu.edu/blog/jackbook.pdf.

Sandwich Alum

2008-01-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

Jeff Goodall is a sandwich alum. His parents are SDSU grads and his son is a student. Jeff attended Point Loma Nazarene, but since he has attended hundreds of Aztec Basketball games he is entitled to some alumni status.

One thing that always struck me about Jeff was that his courage quotient was off the charts. I will never forget hearing, about ten years ago, that Jeff was about to undergo some life-threatening surgery in order to provide some critical body part for his son’s friend.

So, knowing where he lives in the winery area of north Poway, I asked him recently how he had fared during the fire season. I guess I wasn’t too surprised to hear he’d fought the fire all week. I think you will find the following photo-journalistic account of his and his neighborhood’s saga (Including Derek Cohen, SDSU ’85 and his son Zack) as fascinating as I did:

http://goodall.cc/firestorm_2007.htm

Aztecs to Write Home About

2007-12-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

Jan and Jim Sinegal are a couple of Aztecs to write home about. If there were an Alumni Hall of Fame they would be inaugural members. Come to think of it there is an Alumni Hall of Fame for SDSU. It’s called the Montys. Last week Jan was in town because she won one and will be properly feted on March 29, 2008 at the 38th annual Montys at the Marriott Hotel and Marina.

So while Jan was being interviewed and videoed about her difference-making involvement in granting scholarships to future Aztec alumni, Jim sat on a concrete planter in front of the Athletics building returning phone calls and answering emails. As the president of Costco, idle time is not an option for Jim Sinegal.

As alumni director, I enjoyed golf-cart chauffeuring and being a part of the subsequent conversation with Jan, Jim, President Weber, Vice President Carleton and Education Dean Rick Hovda.

Steve asked Jim about Sol Price, founder of Price Club and a mentor to Jim. “I go to lunch with Sol every few months, Jim said. He is 90 and still as sharp as ever. He treats me as if I am still an 18 year old shelf stocker.”

The irony here is that Jim is the CEO of one of the world’s greatest retail operations. As one of Time Magazine’s “2006 Top 100 Most Influential People” you would think he might project something other than immodest humility.

But he doesn’t. Steve and Jim talked about Sol Price. The president stated that Sol once told him that he would best serve SDSU by being a harsh critic. He may have been, but the result of Sol’s vision and SDSU’s talent was what Dr. Weber characterized as the “most important thing the university has ever done.” He was talking about the City Heights project where State took over the management of Rosa Parks Elementary, Monroe Clark Middle and Hoover High School. In fact, the Sinegals are using the model at Seattle University.

Hearing Steve and Jim talk about the visionary Sol Price fueled some more of my Aztec pride. Sol Price, Jim Sinegal and Jan Sinegal are the type of people who tackle monumental social challenges. Through their experience, creative problem solving and extreme generosity they actually improve our world.

Just the type of Aztecs you’d want to write home about.

The Football Operations Center

2007-12-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Well, we are finally going to do it. We are going to tear down these hallowed halls known as the Football Operations Center, now occupied by the staff of the SDSU Alumni Association. I sit in the southwest corner in a room formerly used by Denny Stolz, Al Luginbill and Ted Tollner and their staffers.

This is a great place. Before it became the Football Operations Center it was a wedge of dirt between Choc Sportsman Oval (Aztrack) and Terry Pool and Peterson Gym. Don Coryell spent some quality time on this very spot. In 1986 in Denny Stolz’s first year we won the WAC and made it to the Holiday Bowl. In January 1987 Fred Miller and Al Luginbill fired up the local construction and contracting community with an enthusiastic plea for a better facility for Athletics. Those guys could get pretty fired up. Bill Cowling of Dixieline Lumber jumped up and said “Count me in for the lumber.” Dozens of others joined the parade and this building got built as if it were an old fashioned barn raising. The Associated General Contractors led by Bill Burke and Art Lujan were among the dozens of generous entities that stepped up and provided tradesmen and sub contractors to handle every aspect. They did it all for football season tickets. By 1988 this $3,000,000 building was operating at a total cost to SDSU of only $70,000.

This became the hub of the athletics department. While the majority of the staff sweltered or froze in Peterson Gym our athletes got taped up, weight trained, counseled, and tutored here. It was a state of the art athletic oasis.

Then John Moores came along and built a better oasis and plenty of other stuff. Fred’s lament that we had no competitive facilities has been completely eradicated in the past 20 years.

So now we are going to build something even better on this historic site: Our Alumni Center. This is going to become an even more incredible gathering spot for Aztecs than this FOC. But that will remain a topic for another day. Gotta pack up.

Aztecs Supporting San Diego

2007-11-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

I may have pinpointed the moment in time when the fortunes of Aztec Football went 180.

It started at last year’s Montys when Audrey Pine bid $1,000 for the right to conduct the Marching Aztecs in our Fight Song at an Aztec game. Audrey had a feeling her husband Tom might enjoy that.

Fast Forwarding to Saturday’s Wyoming game Tom and I found ourselves on the sideline late in the first half. Tom had spent the week procuring his authentic Cowboy outfit, thinking up his skit, and dealing with me regarding the details of pulling it off. I had spent an hour or two pestering Bryan Ransom, (Band Director) and Steve Schnall and Sean Briner from Athletics into allowing it to go forward.

There had been some collective consternation and understandably so. Not only was the proposed skit too long in a halftime that was saturated with important elements like the induction of the Aztec Hall of Famers, http://goaztecs.cstv.com/trads/sdsu-trads-98hof.html the mood of the evening was not frivolous. In fact, everyone was uptight about the pregame ceremony which was to be a tribute to the Fire and Police and volunteers. The lineup included Mayor Sanders, Fire Chief Jarman, Police Chief Lansdowne, County Supervisor Chair Ron Roberts, and Red Cross Director Joe Craver. President Weber would give a live on-field tribute along with Jeff Schemmel and Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson. It was a trying event to arrange. When one added in the undeniable context that attendance at Aztec football has been falling rapidly with no abatement provided by cheap tickets, everyone involved at the university was getting a little anxious. They weren’t really in the mood for fun.

I stashed Tom in a corporate box and went to the field to check out the ceremony. For some inexplicable reason the Qualcomm PA system seemed to have a few loose screws and the announcer’s spiel was incomprehensible. But as always, the trusty Diamondvision camera caught the tenor of the event and the VIP’s faces were dutifully scrolled on the Jumbotron. The throng of fans—mostly on the new home side, understood what was happening and paid attention. When Steve took the live mike, the PA system rallied and I was able to enjoy watching Steve speak his tribute while hearing the words 2 seconds later. In the elevator Steve sincerely remarked to the VIPs “Isn’t sports marvelous for bringing people together?” The collective responses of agreement were convincing.

By the time I got back to Tom, the Aztecs were down 14 nil. He was despondent. “They haven’t got the proper scheme. The formation is wrong for this group of players!” he lamented. Eventually we walked around the stadium. Tom was still in a funk. “We’re not improving,” he whined. “Coach says we’re improving, I countered. It may not show up in the win column yet.” “Do you think Long can do this?” Tom asks. “I do” I said.

I decided to change the subject to get Tom psyched up for his 2 minutes of fame. “What we need is some levity. We need to change the mood of this place. You are just the guy to do it.” “Okay,” he said without much enthusiasm.

We collected President Weber and got down to the field. Tammy Blackburn interviewed Steve on TV. They talked about how well our community and our SDSU community contributed to fire trauma abatement.

Tom and I went into a tunnel under the stands and got him into his cowboy gear. While he was putting on his chaps I snuck a peek at the game. Wyoming went up by three touchdowns. Tom walked out of the tunnel. His fake mustache, ten gallon hat, yellow bandana, boots and chaps were convincing. I laughed out loud. Tom smiled. We scored.

Suddenly the half ended and a stampede of Cowboys rushed by. Tom ventured into their path and was high fiving and barking at them. “What did you say to them?” I asked in the wake. “I said we were going to kick their asses in the second half!”

Before we knew it the cameras were rolling, and the Aztec Warrior mascot was denying Tom the Cowboy entry up the ladder to conduct the band. The Marching Aztecs booed loudly. Tom fell down in a choreographed heap and the mascot (Miguel) and I quickly helped transform him into a red and black tuxedo-clad fight song director. Tom leapt up the ladder, vigorously conducted and then turned and bowed to the fans. The cheering was real.

I went to the president’s box and introduced myself to the Fire Chief. “I know you are getting important accolades for your terrific work recently, but I just wanted to say that I thought you executed an excellent coin flip.” “Well, she said, the result was we lost the flip but I did get good rotation on it. Last week, Arnold just flung it up in the air!”

We scored. Steve and I went visiting. He naturally approached all the box guests and introduced himself. Vice president Roush talked about some obscure football eligibility rule. Vice president Kitchen talked about a conference of University presidents he’d attended that day. On our way to the booster box I asked Steve about his legacy. He told me that every president of a great university brings a new and needed dimension. Steve’s is to sync up the university and community. We scored.

As we were headed back he told me how proud he was that our school had produced so many local leaders who had really stepped up over the past three weeks. He envisioned a full page ad in the UT with pictures of Jarman, Kolender, Sanders, Roberts, Slater-Price, Cox, Madaffer, Jacob, Horn and Faulconer beneath the headline “Aztecs Supporting San Diego.” I found myself contemplating how important State really was. I thought about how football is a nice stage for convening a lot of really good people. Winning football would be a bonus but really, as a University we were doing remarkably well.

Our defense was quietly exerting some influence. We scored again. Everyone stepped up. We won.

Peace Memorial

2007-10-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

I knew this was coming. I knew that as soon as we widely publicized our "War Memorial" that someone like Joanne Singh would write wondering why we don't have a "Peace Memorial."

I enjoy being an alumni director of a huge university with a couple of hundred thousand alumni who represent all sides of controversy. Really. I am not sure of whether my centrist political nature has helped me in my profession or whether my profession has molded my sensitivity for all sides of challenging, oft gut-wrenching and always thought provoking issues. But I am certain that people see things differently and that their passions are valid regardless of point of view.

So I will do my best to answer Joanne who writes:

Dear Alumni
Is there a peace memorial on campus for Conscientious Objectors, speakers and writers and protestors for peace and against wars, persons and organizations who try to help victims of wars and atrocities? Many have given their lives for goodness, for compassionate living, for loving one's neighbor as oneself. How do we honor them? Joanne Singh

Dear Joanne,

So far we have no Peace Memorial on our campus. That doesn't mean we couldn't though. 12 years ago we had no War Memorial. A small cadre of determined graduates from the 40's decided we needed to memorialize their fallen classmates from WW II. They raised the necessary funds, petitioned the university administration, designed the monument and worked with the university to get it erected in 1996. They annually hold a ceremony during Homecoming that evokes significant emotion. I find that the vintage plane flyover, the laying of the wreathes and the playing of Taps fills me with gratitude for what I concede to be the greatest generation.

So what about the subsequent generations Joanne? Can we stake a claim? Can any of our Aztec alumni muster the organizational, political and philanthropic capital to memorialize peace on our campus? Its doable. San Diego State University and President Steve Weber have an incredible track record for partnering with community and external constituencies to make a real difference in our collective quality of life. This just may be an initiative worth pursuing.

Jim

Finally, I believe we do honor our alumni for goodness and compassionate living. Each year when I hear the stories our "Montys" award winners have to tell, I am truly inspired. http://alumni.sdsu.edu/montys/past_awardees.htm Who knows, perhaps Joanne will receive a "Monty" someday for being the driving force behind our campus "Peace Memorial."