EAAvesdropping is spending a bit of time with the family this holiday season, which is why posting has been a bit slow for the past couple of weeks (and probably will be until next week). Still, we're keeping track of news and are excited to see that the Emory Alumni Association (EAA) and Emory Annual Fund's (EAF) cookie decorating day earned a mention on the Drop in & Decorate: Cookies for Donation website.

Nice for us, but way nicer for the families at the Gatewood Ronald McDonald House, who received the treats.

--Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

Tuesday morning, December 22, the Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Staff Recognition Committee crashed the DAR Information Services holiday party. It was a friendly takeover as the staff recognition committee delivered hot chocolate, apple cider, highly coveted Mini-Moo's coffee creamers and ... a string quartet.

The Emory Annual Fund was in desperate need of some holiday cheer this year, so I took it upon myself to usher in the holiday season with a little decorating. The theme this year is A Blue Christmas, and it really looks quite HAMdsome, if I do say so myself. (That’s right, I went there…and there are plenty more pork references to come.)

Now, you may be thinking, what reason do I, The Blue Pig, have to be blue this holiday season. (And of course, many of you may be thinking, what the heck is The Blue Pig, and why is it writing today's EAAvesdropping post.)

After all, so far this fiscal year more than 300 Emory undergraduates have embraced the spirit of giving that is embodied in the Emory community and have contributed over $2,500 to the Class Gift Campaigns, and that number will only grow as we move into next semester.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to go HOG wild during holidays as much as the next even-toed ungulate, but it’s not an easy time to be a swine. Some folks dread gathering around the table with their loved ones and the string of off color jokes from your BOARish uncle that inevitably ensues. During those times, just remember that things could always be worse. After all, your holiday dinner would not be possible without significant contributions from my family. (I’ll miss you Uncle Sal!)

Have a happy holidays and a PIGtastic new year!

Oink, oink, oink!!

--The Blue Pig, Class Gift Campaign mascot, Emory Annual Fund

And that's good enough for me!

Yesterday, staff here in the Miller-Ward Alumni House decorated holiday cookies for delivery to the Ronald McDonald House, which is located just around the corner.

Just a small, happy and hopefully helpful way to celebrate the season.

I think my favorite is that Christmas tree in the foreground, although I think I see a blank spot. Good thing my mom didn't see that. She'd make me move things around to cover it up.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

Yes, all the lights were shut off immediately after this picture was taken, honest!

The $81.3 million Whitehead Biomedical Research Building opened in 2002 as Emory's first Leadership in Energy Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building. The LEED program was established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to promote environmentally friendly, whole building design practices.

Buildings on campus with LEED designation save energy and water, feature improved air quality, are sited appropriately--such as in areas with public transportation, and are constructed using a percentage of recycled, local or rapidly renewable building materials.

Academically, the Whitehead Building is home to the Departments of Human Genetics and Physiology, the Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and research programs in the departments of Medicine and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

Whitehead's environmental friendliness was a harbinger of things to come ... by the end of the 2009-10 academic year, Emory is projected to cross the threshold of 2 million square feet of LEED construction.

GALALALALA, LA, LA, LA, LA!

Despite an already-stacked calendar of holiday events and festivities, Emory Gay and Lesbian Alumni (GALA), Emory OUTLaw, and the Goizueta Pride Alliance had a wonderful showing at this year’s GALA Holiday Social last Friday, December 4.

The event, which was organized and executed by Terry Sartor 93B 93C (long-time GALA alumni volunteer leader) was held at Mixx--a fun, simple, clean (!) establishment that is, self-admittedly, fairly unknown at the moment.

In many ways, Mixx was the perfect venue for this year’s Holiday Social–like the event and the people who attended, Mixx was carefree, but put together with thought and care. Among the limited offering of LGBT bars in Atlanta (or, rather, the limited offering of non-sketchy LGBT bars in Atlanta), Mixx was something new. And new was nice.

GALA’s partnership with Emory OUTLaw and the Goizueta Pride Alliance was also a nice addition. The positive impacts of this new partnership were immediately apparent upon entering the event, as alumni from all of Emory's schools and affiliations reveled in the holiday spirit side-by-side.

The best part: everyone seemed to be having fun, a feeling easily overlooked in a season jam-packed with shopping lists, extended family, and resolution planning. It may have been the stellar service, or the smell of tasty food in the air. Or maybe it was the campy--albeit charming--vintage video clips being projected on the walls . . . or perhaps it was the twinkling Christmas lights scattered throughout the private room. Heck, maybe it was just the cocktails talking . . . whatever magical combination of factors brought on the palpable sense of relaxation at this year’s GALA Holiday Social, it was something special--something special that this event planner wishes he could bottle up and save for later.

Cheers to a wildly successful holiday event, and to hoping others will be just as great this season!

Ben Corley 07C, assistant director, regional programs, EAA

More than 150 alumni attended the New York Chapter of Emory Alumni's Fourth Annual Toys for Tots Holiday Party in the heart of Manhattan at the plush Touch Lounge, Thursday, December 3. Guests enjoyed premium cocktails and tasty nibbles while grooving to Emory's very own DJ David Marc Kuntz 98B 04MBA. Everyone left with a warm and fuzzy feeling--not from the open bar, but from the huge donation of toys and books collected at the door for Toys for Tots.

See more photos on the EAA's Facebook fan page.

After being sniffed by security dogs and emptying our pockets down to loose string and chewing gum wrappers, we trudged up two flights of marble staircases, carrying cardboard boxes, easels, and laptops.

Breathless, we arrived at the Cannon House Office Building Caucus Room, then gasp again. The room was awe-inspiring—lofty ceiling, gilded moldings, crystal chandeliers—and already filled with people busily preparing for our November 18 presentation of Voyages: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database.

Clangs and bangs bounced off the walls and ceiling as the tech company assembled a 12-by-9-foot projection screen and the catering staff lined up chairs. Stepping carefully around ethernet cables and electrical wires duct-taped to the floor, my Emory co-workers Julie Delliquanti and Julie Braun unpacked and set up the exhibit posters, while Nafees Khan 10PhD and I plugged in and checked (and rechecked) the computer kiosks to be used for searching the nearly 35,000 slaving voyages recorded in the Voyages database.

Two hours later, boxes and wires and supports were hidden away under draped fabrics, black velvet and glossy gold, the room communicating an atmosphere both celebratory and solemn. Along the walls, oversized posters depicted Africans liberated from slave ships, statistical graphs, and maps charting the volume of the trans-Atlantic slave trade were gathered.

As the most comprehensive resource on the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and available freely online for public research and contribution, the Voyages database is a powerful tool for discovering the global and personal impact of this once legitimate business, and a growing memorial to the over 12 million enslaved Africans whose lives were devastated or destroyed.

I don’t recall when guests started arriving, only that one moment I was surfing through the database (above) with a few early arrivals and the next I found myself surrounded by conversations and questions ...

-- Liz Milewicz 09PhD, project manager, Voyages

To read more, visit the December 2009 issue of EmoryWire.

See the photos.

From its inception 90 years ago as a regional school of business, to its role as an internationally recognized institution preparing principled leaders for global enterprise, Goizueta Business School has a long tradition of breaking new ground.

Goizueta celebrated its 90th anniversary with a gala on Wednesday, December 2 at the High Museum of Art. The event honored distinguished alumni, faculty, staff and friends of Goizueta, toasting the last 90 years through awards and a video program on how the school has helped shape the lives of many.

The following individuals were honored for their time, talent and contributions:

Outstanding Staff Impact Award:
• Julie Barefoot, associate dean and director of MBA admissions
• Andrea Hershatter, associate dean and director of BBA program

Outstanding Faculty Impact Award:
• Art Dietz, Mills B. Lane Professor of Finance and Banking (posthumous)

Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award:
• John Spiegel 65MBA, vice chairman and CFO of SunTrust Banks Inc. (retired)

Outstanding Corporate Partner:
• The Coca-Cola Company

During Goizueta’s first 90 years, the U.S. survived both the Great Depression and World War II, proving that crisis-driven change is not new. In the challenges of today’s economy, the future of business education remains strong.

Dean Larry Benveniste said there has been no drop-off in applications to Goizueta, underscoring the significance of business education and the Emory degree. “I believe Emory has always been a place with strong values and commitment to leadership. The education remains very valuable. As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, we look forward to another 90 years of excellence.”

Goizueta through the decades

1919-1929
On Feb. 18, 1919, the dean of Emory College, Howard Odum 1904C, recommended the creation of a “school of economics and business administration” to the Board of Trustees. The new school, in conjunction with the college, offered courses in economics, accounting, and business law. By 1925, there were 145 students.

1930-1939
In 1938, the business school moved to its home in the C.L Fishburne building. Three women earned degrees from the BBA program.

1940-1949
The school, reduced to one faculty member during WWII, merged with the college. Walter H. Rich, president of the Rich Foundation, donated $250,000 for the construction of a building. In 1949, the school was admitted to the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business.

1950-1959
After a lapse of two decades, the school began accepting female students again in 1954. In the same year, the MBA program commenced with 19 registered students.

1960-1969
In 1961, the Evening MBA program was introduced. When the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business began accrediting master’s programs, Emory’s program was one of the first to be approved. Four years later, Emory appeared on the list of the top American colleges and universities producing U.S. executives. The school also hosted the Intercollegiate Business Games—computer games whose format mimicked war games developed by the Rand Corporation.

1970-1979
In 1977, the school dedicated a $2 million addition and renovation of the Rich Memorial Building, incorporating two important features: the Management Center and the Computer Center. The Executive MBA program was created in 1979, and the school introduced the joint JD/MBA degree.

1980-1989
The school developed the first MDiv/MBA degree in the country. Years of thoughtful and steady expansion improved rankings: In 1986, the Gourman Report ranked the Emory graduate business program 26th in the country, and the Executive MBA program was ranked in the top 15 in a BusinessWeek survey.

1990-1999
In 1994, the school was renamed for Roberto C. Goizueta. A $20 million gift from the Goizueta Family Foundation and another $20 million from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation in honor of Goizueta ensured years of financial security for the school.

2000-2009
The millennium brought about a new PhD program in business administration and a new program in real estate. Goizueta installed its current dean, Larry Benveniste, in 2005.

Source: Goizueta Magazine Fall 2009

To read more about the school’s past, present and future, see the latest issue of Goizueta Magazine.

After the bustle of the day's-worth of meetings, walking into the Alumni Leadership Reception last Friday night was a welcome sight to see.

Hosted by the Emory Alumni Board (EAB) it was a holiday gathering of sorts for the EAB members and their counterparts from Emory's school and unit alumni boards. The festive decorations at the Miller-Ward Alumni House set the scene for a beautiful evening.

We made a beeline for the appetizers (I’m a sucker for tiny pastries), grabbed a glass of champagne and made the rounds. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and I was delighted to see such a diverse group of alumni gathered in the holiday spirit.

Once everyone had grabbed their gifts and been hurried onto the shuttle (which was no easy task to steal people away from their food and new friends) to attend the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, we counted the evening a success and headed off to Joia for the Young Alumni Holiday Party.

The Atlanta young alumni celebrated the seasons with festivities at Joia Restaurant and Lounge at the aptly named “Joia to the World” (haha, get it? Yeah, it’s a stretch, we know) holiday party.

Roughly 160 Atlanta young alumni piled into the Midtown joint, which boasts living window models, (yeah, awkward if you don’t realize that they’re alive until they move), picked their list (naughty or nice), ate from a cupcake tower by Love n’ Cupcakes with flavors only Keebler Elves could dream up: champagne wedding, southern red velvet, and homemade hohos (all of which give the dancing sugar plums a run for their money), and took advantage of the several mini-class reunions which seemed to be centered around the open bar.

The official party wrapped early--around 10:00 p.m., after all, with a migration across the street to the Irish pub Ri Ra for the unofficial after-party. After all, leprechauns are the new elves.

-- Kelley Quinn 08B, coordinator, Emory Alumni Board, and Cassie Young 07C, coordinator, alumni programs

This rendition of the Emory crest decorates the window next to the elevator on the first floor of the Miller-Ward Alumni House (MWAH). (It may look like stained glass, but in truth, it's not ... it does look sharp, though, and when the sun shines through, the hallway glows Emory blue)

A three-dimensional crest is located just around the corner over the fireplace in MWAH's Walt Davis Room.

Big news happens at Emory even when EAAvesdropping is on Thanksgiving break.

On Tuesday, November 25, the White House announced that President Barack Obama appointed Emory President Jim Wagner as vice chair of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.

Click here to read the official release.

In this position, Wagner and other members of the commission will advise the president on bioethical issues that may emerge from advances in biomedicine and related areas of science and technology.

Wagner has championed the role of ethics in Emory's mission by significantly enhancing the prominence of the Emory Center for Ethics and including ethical engagement as a pillar of the University's strategic vision. Emory also offers a master's program in bioethics.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

Thanksgiving brings feasts of buttery turkey, tasty stuffing, mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, and warm pumpkin pie. And for us college students, Thanksgiving is also a much-needed, mini break—a time to take a deep breath before plunging into the hell that is finals.

No matter what you do or where you go, Thanksgiving break is important to any college student — freshman or super-senior, graduate or undergraduate, American or international.

Event planning is serious business. Especially when you are talking to people with guns.

Such are the complications of holding events on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. For sheer atmosphere and proximity to both power and impressive architecture, the location is tough to beat ... once you get in.

Destinations: Washington, DC -- Voyages: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, a partnership between the Emory Alumni Association and the Emory Libraries, took place Wednesday night, November 18 in the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building. Some 250 people attended, and the stories told (many of them previously unknown) of millions of Africans' voyages to the Americas in chains were horrifying, riveting, educational, and shocking all at the same time.

One of the hosts for the evening was Rep. John Lewis, whose Georgia congressional district includes Emory. We'll have more on his appearance as well as photos and other reflections on the EAA's latest (and one if its most successful) visit to DC in future EAAvesdropping posts.

Stay tuned.

But for now ... back to our discussion of security.

Vehicle access to the Cannon House Office Building requires passing through checkpoints run by the U.S. Capitol Police. If the stern looks of the officers aren't a strong enough deterrent of funny business, the guardrails and retractable steel and concrete barriers should be.

Getting through the checkpoint requires a hefty list of approvals, which is understandable. Among the last officers to approve entry are a couple who have four legs.

"We were told we need to be sniffed by canines," was the line spoken to one of the human officers by a co-worker--a person who obviously hasn't experienced too many law enforcement interrogations (not that *I* have, mind you, but I've heard stories).

Apparently the dogs didn't find anything suspicious other than minivan exhaust and the overpowering smell of cardboard from the dozen or so boxes we were hauling, because after a moment (albeit a long one that included a few calls to verify we were who we said we were), the police lowered the barriers and waved us through.

Once inside the Cannon building and after climbing the stairs to the third-floor Caucus Room, the Libraries staff went to work. They assembled several Voyages workstations and the display board visuals accompanying them with such speed and ease, it was if they'd been practicing set-up for a month.

It was something that would impress even the most stoic U.S. Capitol police officer. Or his dog.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

About 130 Emory alumni are members of the Emory Alumni Consulting Group (EACG), a new EAA-sponsored group whose goal is--as the name implies--to bring together alumni who are professional consultants. A decent amount of those 130 attended the first mixer for Atlanta's EACG members on Friday, November 13, at Loca Luna in Midtown. Steering committee members (left to right) Adrian Tonge 02C 07MBA, Aditya Rao 08B, Adriana Hernandez 04PH, Will Porteous 06B, and Joe Durbin 97C, are pictured above.

Brian Rutter 03MBA, a member of the Emory Alumni Board (EAB) and a consultant himself, offered words of encouragement and stressed the importance of building the Emory network. He noted that all alumni play vital roles in building and expanding the network, not just for themselves, but for current students--the next generation of Emory alumni.

The EACG provides opportunities for networking, professional development, and online collaboration among alumni and students. This fall, Atlanta members of the EACG provided mock interviews and seminars for students at Goizueta Business School and through The Career Center. More service activities and continuing education are planned for the spring.

Membership is open to alumni from all Emory schools who work in consulting. Getting involved is easy, visit E-Connection, Emory's online career networking site (registration is required), find the “Emory Alumni Consulting Group,” and submit a “Group Membership Request.”

-- Carolyn Bregman 82L, director, alumni career services, EAA

An apple a day ...

Emory alumni in Northern California volunteered at the San Francisco Food Bank as part of Emory Cares International Service Day. Special thanks to project coordinator Myles Abbott 69C for sending us the photos!

Visit the EAA's Facebook page for more healthy images.

We had a great time volunteering on Saturday with the Walltown Neighborhood Ministry in Durham, NC! Seven alumni participated, representing five Emory schools: Candler School of Theology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, James T. Laney Graduate School, Oxford College, and the School of Law

We weeded flower patches and raked and bagged leaves in the yards of homes managed by the Walltown ministry. The ministry has done a lot to clean up and to improve the Walltown neighborhood, including building and renovating homes for elderly and less-fortunate families. The yards we cleaned up were adjacent to St. John's Missionary Baptist Church, one of several churches in the area that contribute to the ministry.

At the end of the project we talked about finding more ways to connect Emory alumni in the Research Triangle, and we hope to participate in Emory Cares again next year!

See the photos.

--Natalie Owens 07Ox 09C, Emory Cares project coordinator, Raleigh-Durham, NC

In Seoul, South Korea, 15 Emory alumni and students volunteered at The Peace House, a residential facility for physically and mentally disabled men. Young Ryul Choi 08C, Jungweon Hwang 08B, Jaewoo Lee 07C, and Eugine Oh 03C were the project coordinators.

Neither cold nor rain could halt Emory Cares International Service Day in Westchester Co., NY.

Emory volunteers helped with a Habitat for Humanity build in Mamaroneck and, according to project coordinator Michael Lulkin 78L, the Emory team was "among the best in terms of enthusiasm, spirit, and ability to learn and skillfully perform the work."

To see what Lulkin was talking about, visit the Westchester slide show on the EAA's Facebook page.

Emory Cared Saturday afternoon at historic Oakland Cemetery. Legions (yes, pretty much legions) of students and alumni fixed up the Georgia Historical Society's historic marker landmark that Bobby Jones 27L (golfer and Emory Law alumnus), Margaret Mitchell (author of Gone with the Wind), 25 Atlanta mayors, 6 Georgia governors and more notable greats call their final resting place.

Our massive group split into teams, and throughout the afternoon the cemetery came alive with the activity of Emory folks beautifying one of Atlanta's historic places. As part of the restoration project (Oakland was hit rather heavily by the tornado of 2008), volunteers planted vegetation like rosemary and liriope (yeah...I had to Google that name), transplanted trees, mulched, watered, made deliveries, prepped projects, and the list goes on and on.

Despite the heavy labor, being attacked by fire ants (vicious little beasts) and capturing a ghost in a photo (OK, so YOU tell me what it is), the project was a great success: we left the cemetery greener, cleaner, and mulchier (is that even a word?) than when we arrived.

The day was gorgeous--the fall sunlight elongated the shadows of the ornate graves, and with the cobble-stoned pathways breaking the horizon against a backdrop of the Atlanta skyline, well, it couldn't have been a more perfect day.

And it didn't hurt that Six Feet Under was right across the street.

Oakland Cemetery is open 365 days a year from approximately 8:00 a.m. to approximately 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

-- Cassie Young 07C, coordinator, alumni programs, EAA

Who knew that service could be one big party?

All the telltale signs were there for the start of Emory Cares International Service Day on McDonough Field Saturday afternoon: Gold, helium-filled balloons. Music blasting from the stage. And lots and lots of happy, excited people.

An estimated 1,000 Emory volunteers packed McDonough, where they signed in and gathered with their groups (30 in all) for transport to their service projects around Atlanta. Some of the trips were pretty quick (shortly after leaving McDonough a couple dozen volunteers were aleady hard at work planting tree and beautifying Cox Ravine about 150 yards away), and others were far enough away (Jonesboro, for instance) that volunteers just drove straight there.

Every participant earned an Emory Cares t-shirt, and they flew off the tables, fast and furious. All the small and mediums were gone immediately, it seemed. And despite the masses of humaity, the entire sign-in process ran smoothly thanks to to the students from Volunteer Emory and the Student Alumni Association (SAA) staffing the tables.

MCdonough opened at 12:30 p.m. and by just after 1:00 p.m., most everyone was gone and on their way. Registration was a model of happy efficiency and the first step in what would be an exciting--and meaningful--day across the Emory community.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

The Emory mace is one of the University's most valued talismans. Given to Emory in 1965 by D.V.S., the Emory College senior honor society, the mace makes its most frequent appearances at Commencement. The image above reveals just a portion of the mace (albeit an extremely neat portion of it ... that skeleton is a reference, of course, to Dooley).

For other images of the mace, click here and here. Emory Magazine Editor Paige Parvin 96G wrote a great biography of the mace, too. It warms one's old bones ...

Just 15 hours after voting to pass health care reform legislation in Washington, Kathy Castor 88C was speaking to Emory alumni in Tampa.

The Goizueta Business School courtyard is usually this empty on a day like today. Many a student apply to the b-school in hopes of graduating from this prestigious institution. And, as a perk that all other majors envy, they get Fridays off.

I received an email this morning concerning the weather here in Atlanta. It was too nice. Sunny, bright blue skies. Was that OK?

Today was the day of Dr. Ward's funeral and campuswide memorial service. Gray clouds and rain seemed more appropriate for such a sad day, the email said.

I thought about that for a second. A sunny day ... Actually, I don't think Dr. Ward would have wanted it any other way.

That sunshine is just Dr. Ward smiling down from heaven upon all of us at Emory, a community he made his own for 80 years. He would want us to celebrate his life not mourn his passing.

Gray skies are the last thing you'd expect the day of Dr. Ward's memorial service.

Early this morning, Dr. Judson C. "Jake" Ward 33C 36G, dean of alumni (his senior portrait is at right), was laid to rest in the family plot in Cobb County, northwest of Atlanta. In the afternoon, hundreds of his friends gathered at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church to say goodbye. A reception followed at the Miller-Ward Alumni House, Ward's campus home the final nine years of his life.

David Jones 76T, senior pastor of Glenn Memorial UMC was there in Cobb and he was the first speaker at the memorial, where a portrait of Ward, ringed in bright flowers, decorated the front. Jones said it was appropriate that Glenn host the service for Ward, who worshiped there and also taught Sunday School for 56 years, "No one was more at home in this sanctuary or on this campus than Jake Ward," he said.

"Imagine talking to the same people for 56 years. That's something no preacher can get his head around," said Larry Bauman 55T 71T, Glenn Memorial UMC pastor, emeritus, of the class that was eventually called 'the Jake Ward Class,' because of its iconic instructor.

More than one speaker recalled their first meeting with Ward. "I was a guest in his office for a couple of history lessons," said President Jim Wagner. Some of those lessons Ward had typed for his benefit, Wagner quipped, just in case he forgot them.

"Jake knocked on my door at Vanderbilt in 1969," said President Emeritus James Laney 94H, who at the time was a professor at the Nashville school. "He is responsible more than anyone else for my coming to Emory," said Laney, who would serve as dean of the Candler School of Theology before being named president in 1978.

"I later found out who he was," said Laney of Ward, who was then dean of the faculty at Emory. "I'd never had a dean knock on my door. I had never had an assistant dean knock on my door. I had always been summoned to them.

He was my first boss here and my first mentor," Laney continued. "And his appointment as dean of alumni was magical. He brought life and zest to the alumni association."

"He was truly a good man."

-- Eric Rangus, director, communications, EAA

Read more about Dr. Ward's life

See a slide show of Dr. Ward through the years

Share your memories

Maybe it was the taxi driver.

After serving as a captive audience for the driver’s diatribe on why armed militias are going to be necessary in the “reclaiming” of America, his minimally veiled threats toward the president, and the scary way he sped up every time he went on a Michael Savage–inspired rant, Emory photographer Kay Hinton and I were more than happy to throw a handful of bills at him as we arrived at our destination on K Street in downtown D.C.

With that prelude, once we got into the elevator and rode up to the Center for Health Transformation to interview its founder, Emory alumnus Newt Gingrich 65C, the former Speaker of the House—sometimes cast as a strident conservative—seemed downright conciliatory.

Gingrich (who started Emory’s Young Republicans club during his sophomore year) has been a six-time congressman, the co-author of the Contract with America, and a political player and pundit for more than 30 years. When he graced the cover of the New York Times Magazine in March, we thought it was time to catch up with him and run a profile in his own alumni magazine, which should be in your mailboxes now. The electronic version, with bonus audio, is right here.

Amiable, full of opinions, and spouting statistics as if they were kudzu, Gingrich carved nearly an hour out of his jam-packed day to speak with us and pose for photos. This despite the fact that Gingrich and his wife, Callista, were preparing to leave for a two-week tour of Asia. An avid reader and author, he had already stocked his Kindle with a dozen books to read on the trip. Some faves: Ace Atkins historical mysteries and John Sanford’s detective thrillers.

“FDR used to read mysteries,” he told me. “It relaxes you, and really good mysteries teach you about people.”

Indeed, Gingrich was excited about the release of his own book this fall—a historical novel about George Washington crossing the Delaware called To Try Men’s Souls (co-written, like both of his previous novels, with historian William Forstchen).

During the interview, we touched on topics including this summer’s explosive town hall meetings about health care, the importance of living wills (he has one), the critical need for education reform, and the joys of visiting with his grandchildren.

Gingrich, at 66, says he’s nowhere near ready to sit back and rest on his laurels. “I could retire anytime I wanted,” he said. “But if you want to continue to contribute . . . you have to stay active.”

Gingrich said he believes the future of politics must be “tripartisan,” aiming for consensus among Republicans, Democrats, and independents.

I only wish our taxi driver could have been there.

-- Mary Loftus, associate editor, Emory Magazine

Dr. Judson C. "Jake" Ward 33C 36G, dean of alumni, passed away this morning, peacefully in his sleep. He was 97 years old.

Ward's positive mark on the Emory community is almost impossible to measure. His accomplishments as a student, teacher, administrator and dean are easy to quantify, but the positive light he brought to Emory with his mere presence will forever burn brightly in the minds and hearts of everyone who met him.

His hands and his heart helped build Emory and our community could not have grown into what it is without him.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. Ward's wife, Sue, their four children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

If you would like to leave your own memory of Dr. Ward, please leave a comment below.

--Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

Updated: Tuesday, November 3, 12:32 p.m.

A University-wide memorial service will be held for Dr. Ward at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on Wednesday, November 4, at 2:30 p.m. Parking will be available in visitors lots around campus. A reception will follow at the Miller-Ward Alumni House (at 815 Houston Mill Road). During the reception, guests are welcome to sign a condolence book, which will be presented to the Ward family.

If you are unable to attend the memorial or the reception, EAAvesdropping will be updated with the full story.

Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 8:59 p.m.

Click here to read about Dr. Ward's memorial service

See a slide show of Dr. Ward through the years

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

This is how I'll be spending my Friday night ...

That's OK. My position on the staff of the Emory Alumni Association (EAA) frequently grants me access to some spectacular events I'd miss otherwise.

Tonight's Emory Medal ceremony honors Henry Bowden Jr. 74L and Arthur Keys Jr. 92T. You can read more about the recipients in Emory Report. The medal is the highest University honor given exclusively to alumni, and the EAA takes it very seriously.

Medalists are literally the best we have to offer, and they have earned a celebration worthy of their great contributions to our community.

We've been planning the ceremony for months ... especially my co-workers Leslie Wingate 82C and Missy Rodil, and EAA volunteer Tom Brodnax 65Ox 68C (none of whom know I'm mentioning them here, so please don't say anything) ... and there's always a certain relief that washes over you once the ceremony evening arrives. Of course, that certain relief is preceded by many, many instances of stress that when channeled properly can help a person bend steel with their bare hands.

The ceremony begins tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Cox Hall, and it's black-tie optional. I like the optional part. I mean ... I'm happy when my shirt and tie match (not always an easy thing when I'm picking out clothes in a poorly lit condo). When you're wearing a tux, I guess it's not difficult to match, but prom was such a long time ago.

Anyway, I'm just finishing up here in the office and will head over to campus in just a little bit to set up.

I'll be back either after the event tonight or on Saturday morning to let you know how things went.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

Back in May 2008, the Emory Alumni Association hosted a social at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. More than 500 alumni came out to celebrate and wrap up the 2007-08 academic year. Coming just two weeks before Commencement, the event was a perfect way to introduce graduating seniors to alumni life ... and to a lot of fish.

Emory's Atlanta Young Alumni typically can be found mixing and mingling at the newest hot spot or local sporting event. But this past Saturday, October 24, you could find us in a cemetery.

That's right. In the spirit of Halloween, as well as a love for Emory's hometown, we ventured to Historic Oakland Cemetery in Grant Park for their annual tour. Picture something a' la "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" meets an afternoon at SweetWater in the 1880s.

Greeted by a gentleman decked out in 19th century garb, we were left to our own devices to walk the grounds until we stumbled upon a mini fair of beer, hot cider, and--who would have guessed--corn dogs! Being unseasonably cold (and we Emory folk dress to impress without concern for the weather), it was a nice surprise to find hot drink and beer to make you forget about the cold a bit.

Our group was led by a guide also donning 1800s-inspired regalia. We visited six specific grave sites. At each, an actor shared a monologue about the life and death of his or her character underground. Mixed with a bit of humor and a lot of history, we all enjoyed getting the back story on what lies beneath (or above, in the case of the sarcophagi and mausoleums).

After a couple hours (and some severely numb extremities), we headed to Six Feet Under across the street to warm up and enjoy some great food...mostly fried, of course. This event was a definite departure from a typical Young Alumni event, but was well worth bearing the cold for.

For anyone who's yet to go, I'd recommend a visit during normal daytime hours until the next nighttime tour. One tidbit we learned: fellow Emory alumnus Bobby Jones 27L rests there. Bring a camera, perhaps some paper, and charcoals (who doesn't love those childhood memories of making headstone etchings?), and I'll see you there!

-- Darrah Brustein 06C, co-chair, Atlanta Young Alumni Board

Emory doesn’t have many alumni in Italy (yet!) so our chapter in Milan is really more "Emory and Friends"

By "friends" I mean people who have connections to Emory either as parents of current students (like my husband and me), guidance counselors at the international schools who recommend Emory to their best students, Emory exchange students doing a semester abroad in Italy, and Italian students who did a semester at Emory.

Brainstorming at an Emory and Friends dinner last fall, we were trying to come up with a worthwhile event for Emory Cares International Service Day that would make an impact and still work within the constraints of the Italian system.

Kim Barton, the Dean of the International School, came up with the idea of a pasta drive for Padre Beccaro, a school dedicated to serving the immigrant community’s children in Milan (above). Everyone loved the idea because it was simple and useful. And asking people to donate a package of dried pasta to a good cause was easy.

Now the American School of Milan, the International School of Milan, the Benvenuto Club of Milan (a member of the Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas), and the Emory exchange students will all collect pasta, which will be accumulated with a celebration dinner on November 19, then boxed and delivered to the Padre Beccaro School on November 23.

One lady commented to me last week that what we were doing was very nice because it was ... and this was her word ... “democratic.” Even those with very limited means can contribute and not feel that their generosity is insignificant compared to what some other people can give.

They say, “It takes a village….” If so, through Emory Cares, we’ve created our own village of cooperation and community service in Milan.

Click here to learn more about how to get involved and donate pasta for Emory Cares in Milan

-- Irene Gambino, Emory Cares project coordinator, Milan, Italy; Emory parent

The lantern is one of Emory's most enduring symbols. A lantern sits atop the Haygood-Hopkins Gate; another appears on the gonfalon of the James T. Laney Graduate School.

The lantern above is attached to the Anthropology Building.

The Dooley Statue on Asbury Circle has undergone a makeover.

To celebrate tonight's Emory Drag Extravaganza: Transforming Today's Leaders event, students from Emory Pride and possibly these two, turned Lord James W. Dooley into Lady Debbie K. Dooley ("Debbie K." being the first name and middle initial of Mrs. James W. Wagner).

As per Emory tradition, the Spirit of Emory takes on the name of the President. Or in this case, the Mrs. President.

These shadow puppets took over Patterson Green as part of an outdoor performance by the Emory Gamelan Ensemble in 2006. Rooted in the cultural traditions of the Indonesian islands of Bali, Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as Malaysia, gamelan (a type of ensemble) was originally performed during ceremonies, rituals and religious rites.

The Emory Javanese Gamelan, founded in 1997, consists of 16 to 20 musicians performing on a full set of instruments — both “slendro” and “pelog” tunings — made by Javanese artisans Pak Djumadi and Pak Tentrem.

On September 30, 2006, the puppeteer Midiyanto presented a shadow puppet play, or “wayang kulit,” in collaboration with the ensemble.

We found a disk with these photos on a shelf here at the EAA and wanted to bring the performance back to life. We have a lot of photo disks over here ... who knows what we'll find next ...

It’s the return of one of my favorite EAA events, Seniors at Sweetwater! Only this time less sappy. Looking back to April, I can’t figure out what all the fuss was about. Turns out life after graduation isn’t so bad.

Last night the Class of 2010 and Atlanta Young Alumni gathered at Sweetwater Brewing Company for some seasonal brews. I figured the recently cold weather would keep people away, but after about an hour or so things really picked up. All in all, about 150 seniors and alumni showed up to pass the evening with pizza and beer.

Yes, pizza.

The addition of Maddio’s Pizza to the event couldn’t have been more perfectly planned.

Sweetwater had all of their fall beers on tap, providing quite a delicious lineup. My favorite was the charmingly named “Wet Dream” beer from the Dank Tank series. You’ve got to give Sweetwater credit; they have some clever, albeit inappropriate, names for their beers. Motor Boat is another fall favorite with a little bit more to the name.

We spent most of our time people-watching, noting with a little sadness that we knew very few seniors who were there, and that we’ve officially become old. And yes, I say that in the “we’re actually not old, but like to complain that we are" kind of way that comes with still being jealous we’re not in college any more.

Obnoxious, I know, but it’s all we’ve got.

Of course, there were some familiar faces in the crowd and several of the other alumni were friends that I brought along, so all in all everyone had a great time.

Except for the band. They were set up outside in the cold (hey, 33 degrees at night is cold in my book) and as it got dark the few brave souls who had ventured outside left them to fend for themselves. I hope they eventually came inside to enjoy the evening as well.

Being an alumna isn’t too bad after all--my pre-graduation anxiety about leaving Emory seems to have been for nothing. The EAA does a good job of making sure there are enough events to give everyone a chance to reminisce about the good old days--even if they were only a few months ago.

And I’m not just saying that because I work here.

-- Kelley Quinn 08B, coordinator, Emory Alumni Board

As member of the Fall Band Party committee of the Student Programming Council, I needed to help prepare Emory for the talented musicians.

-- Lindsey Bomnin 12C, communications assistant, EAA

Who would have thought Bible illustrations from the 16th century would speak to a recovering Hindu from the 21st century? Yet the exhibition opening tomorrow at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, has enough devotion, symbolism, and religious ferment for every persuasion.

Scripture for the Eyes: Bible Illustrations in Netherlandish Prints of the Sixteenth Century presents Dutch and Flemish masters from Lucas van Leyden, Maarten van Heemskerck, and Hieronymus Wierix with loans from important institutions including the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Antwerp’s Plantin Museum, and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Visitors are in for a wonderful treat: virtuosic prints in various styles that inspired great masters, including Rembrandt, who consulted them in later centuries. Eighty woodcuts and engravings literally glow against the claret red walls of the museum’s third-floor galleries, a color the Carlos Museum design team is especially proud of after examining every hue of red possible in the physical world.

I was well aware of the reach of the Bible, having studied parts of the Bible as literature in India, yet I couldn’t have imagined the pivotal role of biblical art during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation movements in Europe. The boom of print publishing houses coincided with the proliferation of biblical texts and images and why was this important? It popularized the word of God through scripture.

Walter Melion, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Art History, and curator of the exhibition, also notes that Antwerp was the center of the production of vernacular Bibles in many languages, including English. In fact, the exhibition includes five rare volumes of the Antwerp Polyglot Bible (in several languages) from the Emory Libraries.


I had quite a few “illuminating experiences.” Wierix’s “Christ in the Wine Press,” invited me to go beyond the image of Christ bleeding into the sacramental wine with God turning the press to fully comprehend Christ’s suffering for all humanity.

Also captivating was Goltzius series called “Life of the Virgin,” where he imitates great masters from Federigo Barocci to Albrecht Dürer, signifying the multiple forms of beauty required to evoke the Virgin’s physical and spiritual perfection. Gorgeous details--some of the lines so exquisitely and finely rendered, the artist could have only done so using a magnifying glass and the slow attentive persistence of true devotion to the subject matter.

Amen.

-- Priyanka Sinha, director of communications & marketing, Carlos Museum