April 14, 1912 is the day the titanic struck the iceberg. No, I don't know this because I've seen the movie Titanic dozens of times, but I know this because it's the day after Judson C. Ward 33C 36G was born.

Dr. Ward, Jake, Dean of Alumni, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, teacher, mentor, and friend. These names barely begin to scratch the surface of the long and purposeful life that Dr. Ward lived.

I knew Dr. Ward as the Dean of Alumni and one of the namesakes of the Miller-Ward Alumni House. It was a treat to spend time with him, whether it was a passing hello in the hall or when he stopped by my office for a visit. He would sometimes give me a kiss on the cheek or squeeze my hand. He knew how to make you feel appreciated. The handwritten notes, the correspondence he fired off on his typewriter, the favors he did without hesitation--these are treasured memories by all who received them.

I will always remember April 13, the birthday of a wonderful, giving man and the weekend the Titanic sank. I only know this because Dr. Ward told me so. He thought that it was the biggest event that took place the weekend of his birth--not in my eyes. Happy Birthday Jake!

Everyone has their favorite Dr. Ward story. Please share your story with us.

For more information on Dr. Ward, read a commemorative blog post from our archives or view his 96th birthday in photos.

--Missy Rodil, EAA Miller-Ward Alumni House director

Meet the senior members (and a few of their friends) of Emory's two-time Div. III national champion women's swimming and diving team!

From left to right, they are: Katie Mroz, Sylvie Curci, assistant coach Cindy Fontana, Liz Horvat, Swoop, Morgan Klinzing, Amy Minowitz, April Whitley, and head coach Jon Howell.

The Eagles' win marks the team's fourth national title and second back-to-back championship (Emory also claimed championships in 2005, 2006 and 2010). For the full story about the women's swimming and diving team's victory, click here.

That bell in the middle of the photo is the Victory Bell, and on Monday, March 28, all of Emory's varsity athletics teams gathered at the Miller-Ward Alumni House for the annual Victory Bell ceremony to both celebrate their accomplishments and send off Emory's senior student-athletes in style.

See Victory Bell photos of all Emory's teams.

In all, March has been a pretty good month for the Eagles. In addition to Emory's triumphs in swimming and diving (which included a national title in the 200-yard butterfly, won by junior Patrick Augustyn), the University recently won University Athletic Association (UAA) titles in baseball, golf, and softball.

Read more here.

It truly is a great day to be an Emory Eagle.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

To see more photos from the event, visit our alumni photo page.

This is how EAA staff say Happy Valentine's Day to each other: with a lonely heart-shaped bowl of chocolate on the staff kitchen table. It was full this morning, so we can only imagine what it'll look like by the end of the day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

No, we haven't taken down our holiday decorations either.

The Miller-Ward Alumni House's Walt Davis Room just looks too festive! We'll get to it, though. Too many exciting things on tap for 2011 to be picking up pine needles every day.

Photo by Cassandra Young 07C.

More often than not, I’m your friendly blogger recapping the latest young alumni happy hour that I’ve been to, but I figured it was time to share what I actually do here at the Emory Alumni Association (EAA) Although, I think my dream job would be just going to happy hours.

Is it me? Or does time seem to fly by faster these days?

Today is the final day of my summer communications internship at the Emory Alumni Association (EAA). I cannot believe it! I feel like it was just yesterday when I walked through the doors of the Miller-Ward Alumni House (MWAH)
on my first day--greeted by the quaint courtyard and the elegant, McLarty spiral staircase.

This internship has been worthwhile and wonderful. I have gained more writing and editing skills as well as meaningful relationships with my co-workers. I loved being a contributor to EAAvesdropping--where I wrote in a wittier, personal tone rather than formal and academic (no offense, Samford's department of communication studies). However, I did have more serious assignments such as press releases or EmoryWire pieces, so I got the best of both worlds.

I am also going to miss everyone at the EAA. I've never been around so many hard-working, friendly, helpful, and all-around FUN people! If I ever had questions or concerns, someone was always willing to help. Any time I walked down the halls of the EAA, I was always greeted with a smiling face. Some of my favorite memories are lunch breaks with the other interns, piling in someone's car like sardines to go take a tour of something on campus/lunch outings, and surprise baby showers.

Like I said in the title, it's not goodbye, it's see you later!

Thank you EAA for this amazing experience!

--Farah Shackelford, communications intern, EAA

Welcome to Atlanta (no, I'm not about to quote Ludacris)--where driving somewhere that is five minutes away takes half an hour (or more). Where all 12 lanes on I-85 are somehow in a complete standstill no matter what time of day. Where we say things like "I guess I'll work an extra two hours tonight because I don't want to sit in traffic."

If you're from Atlanta, you can definitely relate to this. Especially if you work at Emory.

As we all know, summer has come to a close, meaning it's time to go back to school. Yes, this is a good thing, but not so much for the traffic. The roads are full of moms in minivans packed with kids going to school, teenagers eating Pop-Tarts as they head to high school, teachers, commuting college students, grad students, AND those of us who are going to work.

Has anyone noticed there are TWICE as many cars on the road today than there were a week ago? Particularly on the roads around Emory. Crazy.

Once I finally got into work this morning, I walked from office to office in the Miller-Ward Alumni House (MWAH) to discuss traffic in the area. I noticed that a majority of my colleagues were the most frustrated about Houston Mill Road. One would think driving on a tucked away, quaint, two-lane road would be pleasant--but not between the hours of 7:00-9:00 a.m.

The photo above is what most of Emory's employees have to wait in to get to work (including myself). There are times where I have actually said out loud "I am SO close (because I can see the Emory bridge and the turn into MWAH) yet SO far away" (since I'm completely stopped in bumper-to-bumper traffic ... and I'm not adventurous or rebellious enough to hop in the opposite lane to get to work faster).

Clifton Road can be rough, too. It's an extremely busy road packed full of people who have places to go and there are important buildings such as Emory Law School and the Rollins School of Public Health which are constantly bustling. It's like an obstacle course--cars must constantly dodge buses and pedestrians and wait at long red lights.

Construction on the North Decatur Road roundabout began this week too. It'll be wonderful when it's finished. Next year. Ugh.

OK ... so let's switch to a more positive note. How can we solve this traffic issue? Unfortunately, there is nothing I can say that will magically fix this problem (I wish), but there are ways we can make the grueling drives to and from Emory a little bit better.

Jennifer Crabb 98Ox 00C, director EAA initiatives/technology, rides with her mother to and from work every day. Even though she gets stuck in gridlock traffic like the rest of us, she has company. Maybe carpooling with someone who lives near you will help the commute go by a little faster and make it more enjoyable.

We all know that the buses that constantly stop on the sides of Clifton road tend to hold up traffic. You've probably experienced road rage or possibly yelled out an explitive or two after slamming on the breaks behind a stopped bus.

Maybe we should look at this as a sign, since Emory is a pro-bus/pro-sustainability university. If more of us ride buses, the less cars on the road (and pollution in the air)! Our stress levels will decrease (which leads to less gray hairs and wrinkles ... always a good thing) as well as our commute times.

Or maybe the idea of creating rockin' playlists, purchasing albums/Emory podcasts on iTunes or listening to books on tape doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

I'll see you guys on I-85 during rush hour this afternoon! Can't wait! (Can we sense the sarcasm?)

--Farah Shackelford, communications intern, EAA

So things are a little eerie and quiet around the Miller-Ward Alumni House today.

It's the start to a holiday weekend jam-packed with fireworks, hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, and the hot summer sun! I am used to hearing things like laughing in the kitchen, meetings gathering in the staff conference room, and the tap-tap of keyboards throughout the house--the sounds of a hard day's work!

We work hard here at the MWAH, but everyone deserves a vacation day every once in a while! Even the "Untitled" chair, which can be found on Emory's art walk tour (via sustainability map) is empty!

Happy Independence Day!

Bander. Is that even a word? It's not in the dictionary. I think I just made it up.

Banded. That's a verb. It's what a bander does. Banding is the act of wrapping a little piece of waxy paper around someone's wrist. The presence of the band allows the wearer to drink adult beverages. Banding was my job at Friday night's Torch and Trumpet Soiree, the Emory Alumni Association's annual dance party celebrating the Class of 2010.

I worked the ID table, where several of my coworkers swiped Emory Cards (the catch-all ID every Emory student carries). Those who registered as 21 (the vast majority of the seniors did) got banded by the Emory Annual Fund's Chad Wood and me. The whole process was pretty smooth. Not once did I see anyone try to beat the system. Heck, no one even tried to cut in line.

Maybe students these days just aren't all that creative ... or maybe they're just plain responsible. Either way is fine ... it made the job easier.

The traffic-cone orange bands clashed with pretty much every dress I saw (something that was mentioned to me more than once), but no one really seemed to mind. Our guests didn't even mind when I stuck the adhesive to their wrist rather than the other end of the band (this happened more than once too). Trust me when I say it's a bit painful to remove. Yes, the hair on your wrist comes with it.

One the soon-to-be alumni and their guests (which included siblings, significant other and lots of parents) got past us, they scattered either to outdoor patio, the ballroom (where the Gary Motley Trio performed early and DJ TJ 06C rocked late) or further down the hall toward one of several bars where they showed off their bands in return for a drink or two.

Like Thursday night's Candlelight Crossover, the students came in waves. One of the largest followed the conclusion of the 100 Senior Honorary reception at the Miller-Ward Alumni House. a large number of honorees crossed back over the bridge to the Emory Conference Center Hotel to attend the Soiree. The symbolism is kind of neat.

It's like they got to act like students for one more night.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, Emory Alumni Association

... outside the Miller-Ward Alumni House. Pollen not included.

Meet the Victory Bell.

Most days, it lives a laid-back life, tucked comfortably in the shadow of the McLarty Staircase at the Miller-Ward Alumni House (MWAH). But one night a year, it emerges as the centerpiece of one of the largest celebrations of Emory's athletics teams.

The Victory Bell Celebration to honor senior student-athletes took place at MWAH, Monday night, March 29, and more than 100 athletes and coaches came out to congratulate student-athletes representing each of Emory's 16 varsity sports.

Following a welcome from Director of Athletics and Recreation Tim Downes, keynote speaker Jenn Hildreth Riehn 99C, a three-sport athlete as a student and now a commentator for Fox Sports South, delivered a brief, engaging speech, in which she, in part, credited her athletics experience at Emory for helping her get to where she is now.

"Being an athlete helped me in my career; it gave me credibility," said Hildreth Riehn, who experienced her greatest Emory success on the soccer field (a goalkeeper, she is tied for fourth all-time in wins).

Then came the ringing of the bell. Actually ... let me back up a bit.

The Victory Bell ceremony is a young tradition here at Emory, but the bell itself has an interesting history. During World War II, more than 3,500 alumni and former students served in the military, and 121 lost their lives. In 1945, to honor Emory's contributions to the war effort, a 10,700-ton cargo ship was christened the Emory Victory, and on that ship, was the Victory Bell.

During the Korean War in the early 1950s, the Emory Victory returned to service. Following that conflict, the bell was sent to Emory as a memento. The Emory Victory went on to serve as a supply ship in the Pacific for more than 20 years. In 2001, the bell moved to the Miller-Ward Alumni House, where it remains today.

Seniors and coaches from each team took turns ringing the Victory Bell, but the number of rings allotted to each team depended on a few things.

Each bell ring represents one of six accomplishments: academic excellence, representing Emory in intercollegiate competition, winning a UAA championship, representing Emory in post-season competition, earning a top 10 final ranking, and winning a team or individual national championship.

For the 2010 ceremony, the women's swimming and diving team (by virtue of its recent national championship) and women's tennis team (courtesy of junior Lorne McManigle's 2009 singles title) earned the maximum six rings. In all, the bell was rung a combined 54 times.

And the Victory Bell is a lot louder than it looks.

See the photos from the Victory Bell Ceremony on the EAA's Facebook fan page.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA

On Tuesday, March 2, students, faculty, alumni, staff, and administrators gathered at the Miller-Ward Alumni House for this year’s Pride Awards. The awards, which serve as an annual celebration for members of Emory’s LGBT community, were a rousing success again this year despite less-than-ideal weather.

Highlights of the evening included remarks from a handful of 2010 graduates as well as the presentation of a number of awards and accolades, including The GALA Leadership Award, the Chesnut LGBT Person of the Year Award, and Studies in Sexualities Essay Contest Awards.

Other highlights included a photo slideshow featuring successes and challenges faced by Emory’s LGBT community last year, the ever-witty antics of Michael Shutt, director of the Office of LGBT Life and emcee for the evening, and two amazing performances by AHANA, Emory’s multicultural a cappella group.

As in the past, this year’s Pride Awards centered around recognition and success. One other theme also ran seamlessly throughout the night, perhaps more overtly than in years past: gratitude.

Student speakers conveyed their thanks to mentors and friends, award recipients expressed deep appreciation for the laurels they were receiving . . . everyone, it seemed, recognized not only the successes being celebrated at the awards, but also the many sources of support that allowed for these achievements to exist in the first place.

This message came through loud and clear in special remarks from Allison Dykes, vice president for alumni relations. She shared the exciting news that approximately $130,000 has been raised in gifts and pledges toward the GALA Leadership Scholarship, noting that this accomplishment would not have been possible had it not been for the generosity and leadership of Emory’s alumni and friends.

The talented voices of AHANA captured the message in its simplest form in their soulful, goosebump-inspiring performance of a Boyz II Men classic, Thank You.

The 2010 Pride Awards were sponsored by The Emory University Office of LGBT Life, Emory Gay and Lesbian Alumni (GALA), the Emory Alumni Association (EAA), and the President's Commission on Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Queer Equality.

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

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

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.