If you've read the latest issue of EmoryWire, or simply looked at the main Emory webpage, you'll know that the Class of 2009 is about to graduate. May 7-11 is the campuswide celebration of Emory Commencement Weekend, and you can EAAvesdrop on events no matter where you are!
Check EAAvesdropping frequently over Emory Commencement Weekend--EAA staff will be blogging from events every day, giving alumni readers a first-hand view of the fun. Live vicariously through us! It's EAAvesdropping you can feel good about.
Through our blog posts, our goal is to give you a fun sense of what it's like to be on campus during this very important, very fun weekend. But, if you prefer your Commencement updates in 140 characters or less, click here to follow the EAA's new Twitter page. We'll be Tweeting from all over the place--Oxford, Lullwater, the Block Party, a seat under a tree at the Quadrangle, the back of a campus tour bus, who knows? Part of the fun of following will be to learn where the EAA will turn up next.
Finally, as we mentioned in EmoryWire, today's EAAvesdropping post is also set up to collect your feedback about our latest issue. (To make it easy for you to review, we'll even provide you another link to EmoryWire here.) What do you like, dislike, or want to read in EmoryWire, the EAA's signature electronic newsletter? The only way we'll know is if you comment below. Thanks for reading, and EmoryWire will be back in June with full Commencement coverage and hundreds of photos from across campus.
Until then, be sure and check EAAvesdropping for daily Emory Commencement Weekend coverage and whatever else we can think of.
--Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The professor of defense
Pellom McDaniels 06G 07PhD is a big man.
You need to be to play seven years in the National Football League, and McDaniels, a defensive end and linebacker who played with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1993-98 before closing out his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons in 1999, retains every ounce of his athleticism and gravitas 10 years after he retired.
McDaniels, who earned master's and doctoral degrees in American studies at Emory when his playing days were over, was the special guest at the March 26 panel discussion, Changing the Game: Race and Sports at Emory and Beyond. The panel was presented by Emory's Transforming Community Project and co-sponsored by the Caucus of Emory Black Alumni (CEBA) an interest group of the EAA.
An audiofile of the discussion was recently uploaded to the EAA's Alumni Academy album on iTunesU and is available for free download.
McDaniels, who played collegiately at Oregon State, now lives in Kansas City and is an assistant professor of history and American studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Emory, of course, still doesn't have a football team, but if we wanted one, McDaniels, who is still in great shape, is a sure starter.
Joining McDaniels on the all-pro Race and Sports panel were Department of Athletics staff Tim Downes, Clyde Partin Sr. Director of Athletics, and women's basketball coach Christy Thomaskutty; student-athletes Jason Campbell 11C (men's indoor and outdoor track) and Amelia McCall 11C (volleyball), and as a special guest Lloyd Winston, first coach of Emory's men's basketball team as well as the first African American coach at Emory in any sport. Emory Alumni Board (EAB) member Amri Johnson 96PH served as moderator.
Each tells an intriguing story. Winston, now a resident of St. Louis, was a trailblazer without ever intending to be, and his wry recollections of the past and thought-provoking questions about the future of Race and Sports were among the discussion's highlights.
Campbell and McCall offered the enlightening perspectives of student-athletes of color who have to negotiate the pressures of succeeding on the track (or court) and in the classroom every day. And Downes and Thomaskutty, student-athletes themselves in their collegiate days, discussed the complicated world of administration, coaching, and how to put together winning programs in a society that doesn't always offer the easiest playing field.
And holding it all together was McDaniels, who presented some of his academic research while still remaining accessible. For more than a half hour after the panel was complete he was still shaking hands with guests and laughing with students, staff and alumni alike. None of whom apparently were quarterbacks.
--Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Who says you can't go home?
At the 1 hour, 7 minute mark of last night's Sugarland concert at the Gwinnett Arena, Kristian Bush 92C stepped up for his first lead vocal of the night. He took took over the Jon Bon Jovi part of the duet, Who Says You Can't Go Home?, a no. 1 single for Bon Jovi and Bush's partner Jennifer Nettles. It was a great highlight for the hard-working musician, and something the sold-out crowd, few of whom sat down at any point of the night, appreciated.
As the song played, a large video screen flashed a smorgasbord of Atlanta-area icons (The Varsity, the Georgia Dome, Eddie's Attic, the "Gwinnett is Great" water towers). There were no Emory images, alas. but the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech got flashes (and the UGA logo won the fan vote).
The Atlanta love shown was just one way the duo expessed their great appreciation for their home state and its fans. Sugarland's show included not only a string of their new and old hits, strategic picks from the current album, Love On The Inside, but some inspired covers from Georgia artists, like an exquisite (albeit too short) cover of R.E.M.'s classic, Nightswimming. And their final song was a trippy cover of the B-52's Love Shack with Bush delivering a camp-free male vocal and Nettles donning a frizzy, foot-high blond wig, somehow channeling both Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson at the same time.
While Nettles (justifiably) earns her share of attention, Sugarland, which won two Grammys earlier this year and has been cleaning up the acronym-heavy country music awards or some time (CMA, ACMs, etc.) is a true partnership. For instance, when Nettles belts the Grammy-winning ballad, Stay, Bush is right next to her, passionately playing guitar. There are two spotlights shining down.
It's hardly diva-in-training behavior.
The pair is boundlessly energetic, too. Bush, in particular, endlessly sprints from one end of the stage to the other like he's just downed a half-dozen espressos. Their connection to the crowd, and to each other, is remarkable. For Bush, it's a long way from playing house parties on Fraternity Row.
For those of you who enjoy such things, the set list from the show (the first of huge tour that will cross-cross the continent this summer) is below. Fans will recognize a lot of the band's hits. The set also included a smattering of new songs that gave Bush and Nettles a chance to stretch. For instance, their second encore, So Long, featured Nettles on piano (one of four instruments she played on the night) and rockin' bass solo by Bush, while Blood on Snow plunged some moody lyrical depths that were a great contrast to their upbeat material.
Settlin'
It Happens
Want To
Nightswimming
Joey
Already Gone
Genevieve
Blood on Snow
All I Want To Do
Everyday America
Stay
That's How I Like It
Down in Mississippi (And Up To No Good)
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Something More
It Happens
Want To
Nightswimming
Joey
Already Gone
Genevieve
Blood on Snow
All I Want To Do
Everyday America
Stay
That's How I Like It
Down in Mississippi (And Up To No Good)
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Something More
---------------------
Baby Girl (Acoustic)
Baby Girl (Acoustic)
---------------------
So Long
Love Shack
Jet (signing autographs)
So Long
Love Shack
Jet (signing autographs)
--Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA
Friday, April 10, 2009
Headed for the "County Line"
I'm headed to the Arena at Gwinnett Center tonight out in Duluth. Why should you care about this? Well, the Grammy-winning country duo Sugarland is playing there tonight, and I'm very excited. Again, I guess, you may be asking, "Why should I care?"
Well, the male half of Sugarland, mandolin player/guitarist/songwriter Kristian Bush 92C is an Emory alumnus, having graduated with a double major in English and creative writing. Emory Magazine editor Paige Parvin 96G wrote a great profile of Bush in the magazine's Spring 2008 issue.
The female half of the duo, Jennifer Nettles, didn't graduate from Emory, but she is no stranger to the campus. I remember vividly a show she put on under the DUC Terraces back in 2002 when she was fronting the Jennifer Nettles Band. More rock than country back then, she played more than 90 minutes. For free. It was spectacular, and I'm so glad she has hit it big. Few performers I've ever seen are more talented, charismatic, and deserving.
If anyone else is a fan, check back on EAAvesdropping this weekend. I'll try and post a review, maybe a set list, list any Emory shoutouts, that sort of thing. Not sure what'll happen. Have a great holiday, be it Passover or Easter.
--Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA
Well, the male half of Sugarland, mandolin player/guitarist/songwriter Kristian Bush 92C is an Emory alumnus, having graduated with a double major in English and creative writing. Emory Magazine editor Paige Parvin 96G wrote a great profile of Bush in the magazine's Spring 2008 issue.
The female half of the duo, Jennifer Nettles, didn't graduate from Emory, but she is no stranger to the campus. I remember vividly a show she put on under the DUC Terraces back in 2002 when she was fronting the Jennifer Nettles Band. More rock than country back then, she played more than 90 minutes. For free. It was spectacular, and I'm so glad she has hit it big. Few performers I've ever seen are more talented, charismatic, and deserving.
If anyone else is a fan, check back on EAAvesdropping this weekend. I'll try and post a review, maybe a set list, list any Emory shoutouts, that sort of thing. Not sure what'll happen. Have a great holiday, be it Passover or Easter.
--Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA
Monday, April 6, 2009
A sweet Saturday at Sweetwater
As my friends and I discussed the past four years of our lives at Emory, it is hard to believe how quickly they have gone by.
It seems like just yesterday that I was a scared little 18-year-old moving into Longstreet with big dreams of college life. Now with about a month left until we graduate and go our separate ways, it is time to celebrate and reflect on how far we’ve come.
Seniors and Sweetwater was our chance to do just that. Saturday, April 4, the EAA invited the Class of 2009 and Atlanta Young Alumni to come out to the Sweetwater Brewing Company for an afternoon of mingling and beer. The weather couldn’t have been nicer as I stood on the crowded patio listening to the live band and seeing all the familiar faces I’ve come to know.
Having all my friends together for the day was a treat, but it has me thinking about what comes next.
I shouldn’t be as shaken up about graduation as I am, considering I graduated a semester early and have been working at the EAA since December, but the finality of Commencement puts everything into perspective. I think I’ve been living in denial for the past few months, still hanging out with my friends, who are all seniors, and not really acting like a part of the real world. I’m reluctant to admit that I have graduated and now have a job, when it’s easier (and more fun) to pretend I’m still an Emory student.
It’s hard to think about everyone moving on, but I know we’ll stay close after graduation. Thankfully I have my job at the EAA so I still get to be involved with Emory. I’m even more thankful for other upcoming Commencement events for seniors, like Candlelight Crossover and the Torch and Trumpet Soiree, so that I can put off the real world for just a bit longer.
Commencement is on Monday, May 11, and I’m sure it will be here before we know it. But until I wear that cap and gown, I’m going to continue enjoying being a senior.
--Kelley Quinn 08B, leadership team assistant, EAA
Pictured above (from left to right): Kelley Quinn 08B, Jessica Lake 09C, and Lauren Rabach 09C
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Philanthropy never looked so good
A stifled smile and beckoning crook of the finger is how Whitney Ivey 08C paced the models from off the runway during the first Atlanta Young Alumni and Caucus of Emory Black Alumni (CEBA) fashion benefit for children’s leukemia research, Thursday, March 26. I could see Whitney framed through the lens of my Canon Rebel XT (I was the self-appointed photog for the night), trying her best not to laugh at the intentionally over-exaggerated poses by some of the male alumni models as she sent them one-by-one, alumna by alumnus, down the red carpet in between Bill Hallman’s two ateliers in Virginia-Highland.
Montshona Edwards 07C, event-coordinator extraordinaire, confidently watched her fellow alumni strut their stuff from the end of the runway as the rest of the alumni models hid inside the back room, checking makeup, hurriedly fixing scarves, trying to hide pesky price tags, and anxiously awaited Whitney’s subtle signal.
It all started as a proposal for an event partnership between CEBA, an interest group of the EAA, and the Atlanta Young Alumni. Montshona then added the fashion twist, and Darrah Brustein 06C offered the “in” we needed—Bill Hallman’s contact information. And so, the seeds of the CEBA-Young Alumni fashion show were planted, but everyone knows that Emory alumni are never fully satisfied—why stop there?
That’s when the idea of making it a benefit came into play—we could make the fashion show into something more, something that would hopefully last longer than spring’s fleeting fashions (fabulous as they were). If we made the show benefit the Emory’s Children Leukemia Research Fund, not only could we fund-raise from alumni for a great cause, but we could double our outcome as all donations would also count toward Campaign Emory, the University’s $1.6B dollar campaign.
All our planning, excitement, lengthy email threads, and runway run-throughs resulted in a fantastic fashion show; with wine and hors d’oeuvres in hand, CEBA members, young alumni, and even some Emory staff gathered at Bill Hallman to usher in the season’s fashions—at a 15 percent discounted rate, courtesy of Mr. Hallman himself. Stationed at a faux driftwood table, DJ Mike Bradley, a friend of Jamie Chan 06C, donated his skills and spun amazing beats and mixes to keep the crowds hyped while Blue Taylor, a professional MAC makeup artist from the Purple Door Salon graciously anointed the models with signature fashion stripes—blue for the boys, white for the ladies.
After the models had made their two runs down the runway (wearing signature outfits they had picked out themselves a couple of days earlier…with some subtle post-production help from the Highlands’ fashion guardian angel, Bill) alumni mingled and entered a raffle for a free month of boot camp, courtesy of BTB Fitness, while backstage we wrapped up the night with some mini-photo shoots before closing up shop.
Click here to see pictures from the event, and if you’d like to join me and other alumni in making a gift to the Emory Children’s Leukemia Research Fund, visit www.emory.edu/give and then type in Children’s Leukemia Research Fund in the “other designation” box.
Who knew that being philanthropic could be so fashionable?
--Cassie Young 07C, program development coordinator, Emory Annual Fund
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The reader
"I still can't believe that Natasha Trethewey gave a poetry reading in our living room!" Charles Haynes 71C 85G told the EAA the other day.
Yes, I guess it's not every day a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet stops by for a visit, but that's the beauty of the EAA's Faculty on the Road program. Not all of Emory's teaching is done in the classroom. When Emory faculty travel, the EAA invites them to meet with alumni while they are on the road (hence the name "Faculty on the Road"). Sometimes it's for dinner; other times, like Trethewey's recent visit, there is a presentation involved. The formality varies.
Haynes, a 2005 Emory Medalist, and his partner, Christopher Wilson, hosted Trethewey and 20 other members of the Emory community in their Alexandria, Va. home on March 15, and from all reports the day was wonderful.
Trethewey read poems from several of her collections, including her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Native Guard, and answered questions from the guests. Haynes and Wilson said she was engaging and insightful, and for anyone who has met Trethewey and heard her present, that description is no surprise.
Poetry readings can be a great time, especially when the presenter is skilled. Alexandria wasn't the first time Trethewey has read for alumni, and we look forward to working with her again.
-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA
Yes, I guess it's not every day a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet stops by for a visit, but that's the beauty of the EAA's Faculty on the Road program. Not all of Emory's teaching is done in the classroom. When Emory faculty travel, the EAA invites them to meet with alumni while they are on the road (hence the name "Faculty on the Road"). Sometimes it's for dinner; other times, like Trethewey's recent visit, there is a presentation involved. The formality varies.
Haynes, a 2005 Emory Medalist, and his partner, Christopher Wilson, hosted Trethewey and 20 other members of the Emory community in their Alexandria, Va. home on March 15, and from all reports the day was wonderful.
Trethewey read poems from several of her collections, including her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Native Guard, and answered questions from the guests. Haynes and Wilson said she was engaging and insightful, and for anyone who has met Trethewey and heard her present, that description is no surprise.
Poetry readings can be a great time, especially when the presenter is skilled. Alexandria wasn't the first time Trethewey has read for alumni, and we look forward to working with her again.
-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA
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