News from The Association
Premier Alumni Center For Premier Alumni Organization
The Association of Former Students is excited to announce that a construction project to provide numerous
enhancements to the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center will begin in early March. The 20-year-old
building is a great facility. To continue to serve a former student and current student base that is
much larger than when the building was first conceived, the overall functionality needs an update.
When the project is complete, the building will provide a welcoming and engaging environment for prospective,
current, and former students and their families. The proud history of Texas A&M will come to life in
blazing video with the installation of a state-of-the-art video wall in the Great Hall. Aggies will
be excited to see the core values of Texas A&M come to life through precious artifacts that will rotate
on display in a new mezzanine area on the second floor.
Due to the generosity of Harold J. '46 and Reta K. Haynes, the exterior will feature a magnificent new
Ring Plaza on the campus side of the building, which will contain a larger-than-life bronze sculpture
of an Aggie Ring, big enough to walk through, and sure to become a gathering place for Aggies of all
ages.
Construction will begin in early March and is planned to last for six months. The building will be vacated
and most of The Association’s staff will move to temporary quarters at the Crystal Park Plaza office
building, located at 2700 Earl Rudder Freeway in College Station. Campus Programs and the Ring office
will move to a temporary location on the Texas A&M campus in the Grove, just south of the Albritton
Tower. There will be no changes to our phone number or mailing address. Our telephone number will remain
the same, 979-845-7514, and mail can still be sent to our current address at 505 George Bush Drive,
College Station, TX, 77840.
More information and details will be forthcoming in future issues of E-News, in the March issue of Texas
Aggie, and on
AggieNetwork.com.
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The Association To Co-host Alamo Bowl Activities
In conjunction with Texas A&M’s appearance in the Alamo Bowl, several events have been organized for
the Aggies’ arrival in San Antonio. The Iron Cactus restaurant on San Antonio’s River Walk will be the
weekend’s Aggie headquarters. From 6-11 p.m. Dec. 28, the restaurant will be open for drinks, food and
camaraderie. Sunset Station, a quick walk from the River Walk, will host Midnight Yell. Cash sale of
food and drinks will begin at 10 p.m. On game day, Aggies will be back at the Iron Cactus 11 a.m.-5
p.m. Kickoff is 7 p.m. in the Alamodome. For more information on Alamo Bowl activities, go to
http://www.12thmanfoundation.com.
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2008 Black Former Student Network Summit Set For Jan. 17-20
The 2008 Black Former Student Network Summit is scheduled for Jan. 17-20 on the A&M campus. The theme
for this year’s summit is “Honoring the Legacy,” and commemorates those who have cleared a path for
the progress that African-Americans have experienced. The theme also challenges future generations of
African-American Aggies to remember and honor their predecessors through continued progress and achievement.
The summit is open to former and current students along with interested campus personnel. For more information
about the BFSN Summit, or the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference held in conjunction with
the summit, visit
http://www.bfsn.org.
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Join The Traveling Aggies On An Upcoming Trip
Join the Traveling Aggies as they journey around the world on specialized trips including the following:
Spain; April 10-19
Spain is a land of fiery excitement and wild, untamed beauty. You’ll be enchanted by the majestic capital
of Madrid and captivating Mediterranean landscapes of the Costa del Sol.
Waterways and Canals of Holland & Belgium; April 27-May 5
Tulips and painted pottery, tatted lace and diamonds–these iconic treasures are found in the pastoral
countries on the North Sea coast. Discover the renowned and hidden gems of two neighboring, but distinct,
cultures as you cruise the magnificent waterways and canals of Holland & Belgium. You’ll be pampered
with state-of-the-art modern comforts and impeccable Old World service aboard the first class MS Switzerland
II.
Essential Europe; May 16-June 9
Are you looking for that special graduation gift for your Aggie? The Association of Former Students
is pleased to announce our eighth annual celebratory summer tour: Essential Europe. This 25-day, 11-country
tour offers the chance to visit Europe’s must-see destinations before settling down into a new job or
graduate school. So, where do you want to go? To pick your destination or for more information, call
(800) 633-7514 or visit
AggieNetwork.com/Travel.
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Spring Reunions Start In January
Held year-round, reunions are one example of why Texas A&M University stands out from other schools.
Reunions boost camaraderie, strengthen the Aggie Network and offer memories Aggies can’t make on their
own. Your next get-together may be sooner than you think. Check
AggieNetwork.com/Reunions to see the full reunion calendar, and make plans to be at your Class’s
gathering.
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News from Texas A&M University
Finalist Chosen For Texas A&M University President
Dr. Elsa Murano was chosen by the Board of Regents as the lone finalist for the position of president
of Texas A&M University Dec. 7. If approved, Dr. Murano, 48, will be one of the youngest presidents
to lead A&M. She’s already the first Hispanic and first woman ever nominated for the position. Prior
to her appointment as president, Murano was the first Hispanic-American and first woman to be named
the vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M, and the first
Hispanic-American to serve as the undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For several related articles, visit
AggieNetwork.com/Press/NewPresident.
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World Media On Campus For Presidential Campaign Speech
More than 100 national media representatives gathered on campus Dec. 6 to hear presidential candidate
Mitt Romney speak at the Bush Presidential Conference Center. The former governor’s “Faith in America”
speech garnered the most media attention a program at the university has had since the opening of the
George Bush Presidential Library 10 years ago. Many political experts have compared Romney’s speech
to a similar campaign speech given by John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic elected president. Romney
is a Mormon. CNN, Fox News and other major news outlets carried the speech live. For more on Romney’s
speech, visit
http://www.theeagle.com/local/Romney__Faith_no_obstacle.
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Call For Nominations From College Of Education And Human Development
The College of Education and Human Development is accepting nominations for their 2008 Outstanding Alumni
Awards. Deadline for nominations is April 4. One award will be presented to a graduate who earned a
degree within the past five years and meets award criteria, and up to three awards will be presented
to alumni who graduated five or more years ago. Honorees will be recognized at the College’s Awards
Celebration Banquet Oct. 10. All individuals with a degree from the college and its predecessor majors
are eligible for consideration. For questions, contact Diane Oswald at doswald@tamu.edu or (979) 845-5355.
Additional information about the award and a nomination form can be found at
www.cehd.tamu.edu/articles/outstanding_alumni.
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CNVE Sponsors Entrepreneurship Conference
The Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at Mays Business School has announced a major entrepreneurship
conference April 23-25. Envision ’08 will feature noted business speakers from around the country and
dozens of workshops led by and for Texas entrepreneurs. CNVE is the organization that sponsors the
annual Aggie 100 event every October. “This promises to be an even bigger event,” said Richard Scruggs,
director of the center. The event will be held at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, prior to
Fiesta weekend. Organizers encourage participants to stay and enjoy the festivities. For more information
and to register, visit the conference Web site at
www.envision08.com.
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Texas Clipper Sunk For Reef
The Texas Clipper, a World War II transport vessel and training ship for Texas A&M University at Galveston,
was purposely sunk off South Padre Island Nov. 17 to be converted into artificial reef. The vessel was
to remain upright at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, yet, somehow, tipped to its side. The ship
was to attract marine life and create a unique diving destination, boosting local tourism by an estimated
$30 million a year. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department continues to make plans for the ship. For
more information, visit
http://www.theeagle.com/texas/Sunken_ship_lists_at_bottom_of_Gulf.
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Aggies Come From Almost Everywhere
Where do students at Texas A&M University call home? A recent survey by the Texas A&M Office of Institutional
Studies & Planning says the answer is “everywhere.” More than 86 percent of Aggies graduated from Texas
high schools while more than 13 percent come from elsewhere in the U.S. or abroad. When all those locals
come together, Aggies are one of the 10 largest student bodies in the nation and the largest outside
a major metropolitan area. For more on this story, go to
http://dmc-news.tamu.edu/templates/?a=5347&z=15.
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Aggie Calendar
Dec. 29: Football, Valero Alamo Bowl vs. Penn State
Alamodome, San Antonio, 7 p.m.
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=MFB
Dec. 29: Men’s Basketball vs. Florida A&M
Reed Arena, 1 p.m.
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=MBB
Jan. 2: Buck Weirus Applications Available
Jan. 3: Transfer Student Conference
Jan. 5: Men’s Basketball vs. LSU
Reed Arena, 7 p.m.
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=MBB
Jan. 9: Women’s Basketball vs. Kansas State
Reed Arena, 7 p.m.
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=WBB
Jan. 11: Women’s Swimming and Diving at Rice
Houston, TBA
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=WSW
Jan. 11: Howdy Camp and Last Day to Register For Spring Semester Classes
Jan. 12: Men’s Swimming and Diving vs. Auburn
Student Rec Center Natatorium, TBA
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=MSW
Jan. 14: First Day of Spring Semester Classes
Jan. 18: Last Day to Add/Drop Spring Semester Sources
Jan. 18: Track and Field @ Leonard Hilton Memorial
Houston, All Day
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=TRK
Jan. 21: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Faculty and Staff Holiday
Jan. 25: Last Day to Apply For May Graduation
Jan. 29: Women’s Basketball vs. Missouri
Reed Arena, 7 p.m.
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=WBB
Jan. 30: Men’s Basketball vs. Texas
Reed Arena, 8 p.m.
http://www.aggieathletics.com/index.php?SID=MBB
University Links
Subscription Information
To read this E-Newsletter online, go to www.AggieNetwork.com/HTMLEmails/ENewsletter/2007/December/default.htm.
This monthly electronic newsletter from The Association of Former Students keeps you informed and up-to-date
on happenings at Texas A&M University and throughout the Aggie Network. If you received this as
a forward, visit www.AggieNetwork.com/Login.aspx to update your information with The Association
and to receive your own copy in the future.
505 George Bush Drive
College Station, Texas 77840
(979) 845-7514
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