With graduation just around the corner, I know what many members of the Class of 2011 are thinking—at least I know what I was thinking when I graduated from the Emory College of Arts and Sciences last year—"If only I had time to …"

When I entered Oxford College in 2006, four years seemed a lifetime away; there was so much I had on my list of things to do. For instance, for as long as I’ve lived in Atlanta, last year was the first time I attended an Atlanta Hawks game.

But often, in between studying for major exams, writing 12-page papers, and fulfilling extracurricular responsibilities, I just wanted to catch some zzz’s. In the end, it’s clear that four years isn’t nearly enough time to take in all that Emory and the greater-Atlanta area offer.

Therefore, in celebration of our 175th anniversary, the Emory Alumni Association (EAA) would like you to compile a list of 175 things for seniors to do before graduation.

Take a moment and think about the things you wanted to cross off your bucket list before graduation. I’ll go first.

No.1: Plan a picnic at Lullwater on a beautiful spring afternoon and learn about the monkeys who used to occupy the space.

Archive your ideas on the official EAA Facebook page.

-- Tania Dowdy 08Ox 10C, online services specialist, EAA

See more photos from the 100 Senior Honorary induction and reception.

See individual photos of the 100 Senior Honorary inductees.

The aptly named 100 Senior Honorary inducted three-digits-worth of new members from the Class of 2011 on Wednesday, February 2. Following the induction ceremony at Glenn Auditorium, everyone adjourned to the Math and Science Center for a continuation of the celebration.

One of the EAA’s newest and most exciting traditions, the 100 Senior Honorary debuted in 2005. Many previous recipients have matured into alumni leaders, and one of the responsibilities asked of the 2011 class is that they continue this strong pipeline of leadership.

Members of the 100 Senior Honorary were selected based on their outstanding contributions to the Emory community, including academics, athletics, leadership, volunteering, and mentoring.

Each of the University’s undergraduate schools, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta Business School, and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is represented, and several of the 100 for 2011 are Oxford College continuees.

The 100 Senior Honorary is selected by a committee consisting of staff members from campus life, residence life and housing, athletics, and undergraduate deans.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

Monday night, November 8, with the help of Mark Wallis from Atlanta Wholesale Wine , many members of the Emory College of Arts and Sciences' senior class had the opportunity to learn about wine tasting in the first Life 101 event of the year.

Each year, the Student Alumni Association (SAA), an interest group of the Emory Alumni Association (EAA), hosts Life 101, a series of events and seminars that is designed to teach students important life skills they may not necessarily learn during their normal college experience, such as etiquette at a business dinner, how to change a car tire, or what a credit score means.

For this kickoff Life 101, the Class of 2011 sampled eight different wines. Although some of the attendees had already had some exposure to wine tasting, this was a great event for seniors to not only continue to learn about wine, but also to spend time having fun together.

It was a great night and everyone had a wonderful time and learned some valuable information about wine and wine tasting!

Photos from the event can be found on the Senior Experience Facebook Group.

The SAA also co-sponsors the 100 Senior Honorary Award, for which nominations are now being accepted online. For more information on the SAA or the Life 101 Series and other events offered for students by the EAA, visit www.alumni.emory.edu/students.

-- Stephanie Cohan 11C, vice president, senior experience, SAA

What do a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, working Hollywood actor/playwright, VP of marketing for Coke, and a chief of cardiology have in common? They, among several others, were noted as Luminaries for the Emory College of Arts and Sciences' Class of 1985.

The Class of 1985 Luminaries were a select handful of Emory alumni who had gone on to significant achievement post-graduation and were back on campus celebrating their 25-year reunion during Emory Homecoming Weekend. Were they the only successful members of the Class of 1985? Far from it, but they are special in their continuing relationship to Emory.

Each luminary had a distinctive experience on campus as students and for their visit back Homecoming Weekend. Some spoke in classes related to their professional field, others hosted small forums with students for intimate discussions, and nearly all participated in one of four industry-based panels for students.

I was lucky enough to meet them all and be there when they met up with each other again. Many of them hadn’t seen each other since graduation, and the memories flew—the first year of Dobbs as a co-ed dorm, Adam Beguelin's 85C computer (one of the first on campus. Guess who is on his sixth technology start-up?), the last year of Wonderful Wednesdays.

Though their experiences were diverse, I feel confident saying that they all had a great time and re-energized their connection with Emory this weekend by meeting students and getting a feel for Emory today. Let’s hope they (and you) will be back to celebrate long before another 25 years passes.

Here’s to the Luminaries of the Class of 1985: Vicki Arroyo 85C, Adam Beguelin 85C, Haynes Brooke 85C, Kai Ryssdal 85C, Emily Saliers 85C, Larry Sperling 85C 89M 92MR 97FM, Chandra Stephens-Albright 85C, and Robert Van Orden 85C.

-- Kate Lawlor 01C 10MBA, senior director for alumni relations, Emory College of Arts and Sciences

Doing a concert production means we’re not telling the story to each other, we’re telling it directly to the audience and bringing them into the story with us. Over the next three weeks of rehearsal, we’re going to spend every minute communicating why that is going to make it so much more powerful.

And I'll be communicating my experiences with you here on EAAvesdropping.


Until then, if you’re wondering why your local Publix is out of honey and tea bags … you’ll know why.

-- Becky Herring 08C, events coordinator, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

In my last semester in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, I received numerous emails asking me to vote.

"Vote for what?" you might ask. Not a political candidate or a piece of legislation, but for the name of an initiative that would recognize the many community and diversity resources across campus and show that although each resource has its own goals, all of them are committed to improving Emory.

I supported the idea, and I voted. Little did I know that my vote would mean so much. Shortly before graduation, the Office of Community and Diversity offered me a job helping to coordinate a new initiative whose name had just been chosen: “We are Emory.”

I took the job, not really sure of what I would be doing, but had full faith in the people I would be working with. Since that initial survey and initial job offer, We are Emory has developed into a University-wide initiative that aims to recognize people, programs, offices, and institutions dedicated to access, equity, and inclusion. A key component of We are Emory is the identification and celebration of the 100 Community Builders.

The 100 Community Builders are those dedicated to making Emory a place where ideas and practice merge, where thinking and doing are synonymous. Among the Community Builders are students, faculty, staff, and alumni from every division and unit of the University. Many of the alumni featured work for the University as well.

As a new alumna, I join a community that is 108,000 strong, and as a new employee, I become a part of part of a community that comprises more than 23,000. These inspiring 100 Community Builders are just a small percentage of the many who enliven the Emory community, whether it is through their daily endeavors in their workplace or through less frequent activities like volunteering with Emory Cares.

No matter their relationship with Emory, in building that relationship, they become a part of something bigger than themselves. They are Emory. We are all Emory.

Learn more about We are Emory on our website and Facebook fan page.

-- Maria Town 09C, fellow, Office of Community and Diversity

“Why give to Emory College?”

For anyone who has asked that question lately--or been asked--we have the top five (or so) reasons from a conversation held last month among a few Emory College alumni, staff and faculty.

For example, “Emory College” is not the same as “Emory University"--the college’s endowment is actually quite small compared to its peers.

Tash Elwyn 93C, Chandra Stephens-Albright 85C, Wendell Reilly 80C, and Matthew Bernstein (chair of the Department of Film Studies) are all volunteers supporting the college in raising $100 million during Campaign Emory for scholarships, faculty support, and enhanced facilities.

They dropped by the fourth floor of Candler Library and joined Bobby Paul, dean of Emory College, Kim Loudermilk 97PhD, senior associate dean of Emory College, Josh Newton, senior associate vice president for development, and David Raney 99PhD, editor of the Quadrangle magazine, to share their ideas--and enthusiasm--for supporting the college during these lean economic times.

See the video.

-- Hal Jacobs, senior editor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences

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

Hello everyone,

I'm Lindsey Bomnin, the new work study assistant for EAA communications, here at the Miller-Ward Alumni House. I'm a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a journalism and political science major.
That's me to the right. You are actually looking at the picture on my Emory ID. That also means you are looking at pre-freshman-year Lindsey. Much has changed since then. Obviously, one of those things is not my face.


I'm also a staff writer for The Emory Wheel. Tuesday's issue features one of my more entertaining articles (I hope) about the free Britney Spears concert tickets given out at the DUC last week.


...and perhaps some more blogging.

-- Lindsey Bomnin 12C, communications assistant, EAA

I graduated from the Emory College of Arts and Sciences in 2007 and moved to Washington, DC last summer. My work schedule there didn't allow me to buy a plane ticket back to Atlanta until this past weekend, but I will tell you right now that it was well worth the very long wait.

As soon as I landed, my lovely host and longtime friend Cassandra Young 07C of the EAA took me down the winding roads of the Druid Hills neighborhood straight to Emory. It was only appropriate that my first stop back in Atlanta be Emory's campus—after all, it was my home for four amazing years. I told Cassie that I wanted to explore Emory again, this time, my first, as an alumna. So we headed down Clifton Road and turned onto Asbury Circle, filled with curiosity and excitement.

Stepping onto campus brought back so many memories—I felt right back at home. I also felt like a student all over again, especially since I was hauling around my laptop and old book bag while walking past my freshman and sophomore dorms (McTyeire Hall and Woodruff Residential Center, respectively).

Classes were in session and campus was alive. Students were mingling at the poster sale at the DUC, walking in and out of Cox Hall ... a few were busy endorsing Emory Crew on the sidewalks with colorful chalk, and others were taking advantage of a beautiful day by studying on the Quad.

I took my little tour of campus into the Robert W. Woodruff Library, bought myself an iced coffee from Jazzman's Cafe, and headed straight to the little desk I studied at during finals. I noticed improvements all over the library: newer computers, expanded seating area, interactive walls where students could write notes, and so much more.

I left the library to go explore some more. While walking around, the only thing that came to my mind was how gorgeous our campus is. The new infrastructure was just breathtaking—the brand new Psychology Building at the bottom of the hill at the corner of Dowman and Dickey Drives all the way up to the new freshman dorms adjacent to Eagle Row. Emory students are lucky: they get to experience the beauty of our campus while taking advantage of the state-of-the-art facilities.

I'm proud to be an Emory alumna and was so thrilled to be back on the campus that provided me with an excellent education and memories that I will cherish for life.

--Monica Samanta 07C, Arlington, VA

They actually sang the alma mater. In tune, right words and everything. Four thousand voices, led by President Jim Wagner and a couple of dozen upperclassmen, marked the Class of 2013's first day at Emory with song.

Saturday, August 22, was freshman move-in and the start of Orientation Week for new students in the Emory College of Arts & Sciences. The morning started with a little bit of cloud cover and a remarkable coolness in the air. Not the typical heat and oppressive humidity of an August morning in Atlanta, but a crisp hint of fall before the day began to warm up. It was appropriate weather for the start of an academic season and very welcomed by the students, families, and staff (including President Wagner and his cabinet) who were hauling boxes into the freshman residence halls.

The Class of 2013 has a lot of mosts associated with it. Most culturally diverse, most geographically diverse, most prepared in terms of academics, etc. On Saturday, what was most evident is that they are young and excited. They looked fresh out of the package, completely lacking that slightly jaded, cooler-than-thou attitude that seems to arise with finishing a semester or two of college.

I worked the Orientation Fair on Saturday and got to watch the crowd change as the day went on. Early in the morning I saw whole families with a student in tow, but as the afternoon wore on I saw many more students come through together. New roommates (and new friends) exploring campus for the first time stopped by the table.

The clusters of students sans families grew larger during the President’s Dinner and Coke Toast that evening. While Mom & Dad desperately tried to get a cell signal on McDonough Field in order to find their newly-minted freshman, the students gladly flocked together through the line for barbecue.

The dinner and Coke Toast marks the Class of 2013's official welcome to Emory and induction to the Emory alumni community of more than 108,000 strong. They were welcomed indeed, by Emory Alumni Board (EAB) President Crystal Edmonson 95C, who led the ceremony, and President Wagner, who reminded them to cherish every moment of the time they spend here. Aluminum bottles clinked, toasts were drunk, and new friends shared a meal and a Coke. Best of all, when the crowd stood to sing the alma mater, everyone sang along.

--Kate Lawlor 01C, director of alumni and student leadership, EAA

"Success After Emory."

That would actually make a great tagline for the EAA. Alas, it's already taken.

The Emory College of Arts and Sciences just launched the 2009 edition of its web feature, Success After Emory, and it's pretty spiffy. Success After Emory is an impressively designed collection of 34 profiles highlighting the accomplishments (and future plans) of our newest alumni. Be careful when you're scrolling through the photos, though. The remarkable stories of these new graduates might make you wonder what in the world you've been doing since you graduated.

Or maybe that's just me.

To give you just an inkling of what you'll read: former Student Government Association President Maria Town 09C is staying at Emory and will be working for the University's Office of Disability Services. On the other end of the geographical spectrum, Ann Horn 09C is moving to Africa to work with a nonprofit, Grassroot Soccer, that helps with HIV/AIDS education.

Many new graduates will be continuing their education. Zachary Nadler 09C is one example. He'll be at the University of California studying astroparticle physics. Several other of our young alumni will be taking some time off, just to get some perspective on life after college.

Success After Emory also includes several video profiles and well as some class statistics.

Well, what are you waiting for, go there now! And if you like, check out our successful 2008 graduates.

--Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

Schistosomiasis may not kill you. But it sure doesn't make life all that enjoyable.

A waterborne parasitic disease, schistosomiasis affects nearly 200 million people worldwide, primarily in developing nations. Its treatment is a research focus of Justin Remais, director of the Rollins School of Public Health's Global Environmental Health Program, and an assistant professor at the school.

Remais was the featured speaker at Faculty Destinations: Boston, Thursday, June 25, and his address brought a freshness to the sometimes over-analyzed subject of climate change. He also connected that change to his own, innovative work on schistosomiasis in China, which really personalized it.

I was paying total attention to his every word, and I wasn't the only one. There were lots of "oohs," "ahhs," and "wows" from the crowd.

You can't get schistosomiasis (sometimes called "snail fever" since thumbnail-sized snails are the parasite's hosts) from drinking contaminated water. You get it from touching contaminated water. If you are unlucky enough to do that, the parasite infects you by burrowing into your healthy skin. Yuck. Then it messes up your internal organs, but won't necessarily kill you. The disease is treatable with medication, but it's not a pleasant affliction to have by any stretch.

But if Remais has his way, millions of people can avoid this terrible disease.

You can read more about Remais' fascinating work here.

We had a great crowd of nearly 30 (pretty good for a summer day in Boston without rain ... the first in nearly two weeks, I'm told). Guests traveled from as far away as Providence, RI. We had several current students who brought their parents, and alumni not just from RSPH, but from Oxford College, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Law.

It was great seeing such a vibrant mix. The crowd was one of the most responsive I've seen. Following Remais' address and Q&A, guests lined up to talk with him afterward. We stayed in the meeting room some 45 minutes past our planned completion time.

I hope we don't have to pay extra.

Anyway, the excitement of our guests is just one of many things I'll remember from this trip.

Another thing I'll always remember really doesn't have anything to do with the event. I'll always remember I was in Boston when I heard Michael Jackson died (and Farrah Fawcett, too). My mom always tells me where she was when she heard President Kennedy was assassinated (and where her parents were when Pearl Harbor was attacked).

My tragedy signposts, and those of my 30-something generation, have been the Challenger explosion (high school journalism class ... doubly haunting since I went to high school near Tampa, FL, and we could step outside and see the aftermath) and 9/11 (the University Communications office at Emory).

Now, I'm not sure the death of an entertainer (albeit one as marvelously talented yet dreadfully tormented as Jackson) necessarily approaches the tragedies above, but at least in my mind it's going to be prominent. When I heard Michael Jackson died, I was setting up our literature table, getting ready for the event. The reception was in a neat, bar/meeting area in the hotel called Il Barista. It's an image that will stick in my mind for some time. I think it's because was I was doing was so far outside my routine. Had I been sitting in traffic on the Connector, I'm sure I'd feel different. A bar in Boston, though? Yeah, that will be a memory with some legs.

OK, back to lighter subjects. We'll post a Boston slide show early next week and a lot more EAA news to write about. Until then, have a great weekend!

The Class of 2009 was clearly on a Ben & Jerry's sugar high (courtesy of the Class Day speakers of the same name, ice cream entrepreneurs Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield) as Emory Alumni Board President Crystal Edmonson 95C started off the series of final speeches to our soon-to-be alumni.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as each school was called--the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Goizueta Business School, and finally the Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Senior Lecturer of Organic Chemistry Matthew Weinschenk, a much-loved teacher--at least according to Emory College Senior Associate Dean Joanne Brzinski via "research" pulled from rateyourprofessor.com--led the last Coke Toast these students would ever see before they joined the ranks of Emory's alumni.

The Class of 2009 raised their custom labeled Coca-Cola bottles to match Weinschenk's gesture, and laughed in waves as University photographer Bryan Meltz, perched on her portable scaffolding (makes for a good photo angle) almost ran over President Jim Wagner by pushing the wrong control. President Wagner took the almost-accident all in a stride, charmingly playing to the audience before he delivered the final remarks and led the 2009 over the Houston Mill bridge to alumni-dom.

Waiting on the other side of the bridge (which represents one of the most significant events at Emory--the Candlelight Crossover) were roughly 100 alumni with glowing candles, ranging from the Class of 1959 to the most recent young alumni from 2008. As the brass band struck up, the Class of 2009's student leaders--Maria Town 09C (SGA President), Elizabeth Farrar 09C (College Council President), and Abi Freeman 09C (Intersorority Council President and Class Day Chair)--joined President & Mrs. Wagner and Susan Cruse, the senior vice president for development and alumni relations, in leading the newest legions of alumni to their symbolic finish line--the Miller-Ward Alumni House.

After the graduating seniors filtered through the ranks of their predecessors, they enjoyed a gourmet dessert reception--including the famed chocolate fountains--before heading out into the night to catch up on sleep in preparation for the rest of Emory Commencement Weekend....Well, at least we assume that's where they went.

-- Cassie Young 07C, program development coordinator, Emory Commencement Weekend, EAA