Fifteen hundred students
turn out for High School Honors Nights

	Alumni on the Go
	by Debbie Widger, '81, '93
	Alumni Relations Director
	NMSU Alumni Association
	MSC 3AS, P.O. Box 30001
	Las Cruces, NM 88003
	(505) 646-3616
	dwidger@nmsu.edu

High School Honors Nights

The 2000 High School Honors Night programs officially ended on April 27. We do honor the best and the brightest - this year 4,502 New Mexico students. Of those, 1,541 attended.

We had two firsts this year. A student who was honored in Clayton wrote an article for her newspaper and complimented NMSU. Our other first was to be snowed in. Las Vegas had close to a foot of snow, so we had a night off. A couple of weeks later, West Las Vegas and Robertson High Schools allowed me to hand out certificates to students.

I want to thank all our alumni around the state for their donations. This year your contributions total $1,285. We couldn't do this or any of our other programs without you!

African American Reunion - April 27-30

More than 100 African American alumni attended an April 27-30 reunion that lived up to the theme, "Preparing for Change in the New Millennium."

The first Rob Evans Golf Tournament supported the Evans Scholarship fund, and a student scholarship and awards luncheon drew more than 70 minority students and faculty members. Winners of $1,000 scholarships each were criminal justice student Terrina Harford, computer science student Jovonna Thomas and engineering student Nigel Raynor.

Alumni had fun networking at a barbecue at Preciado Park. They ended the reunion with a black tie banquet with Albuquerque KOB-TV reporter Angela King as emcee and Willis Johnson, program director for KKDA Soul 73 in Dallas, as keynote speaker.

Nora Ramzy, '78, national director for Reunion 2000, said the reunion was so successful the next one is in the works for the last weekend of April 2003.

Baptist Student Union Reunion - July 1-2

Former students affiliated with the NMSU Baptist Student Union and their guests were invited to a July 1-2 reunion, including a family picnic and banquet. Coordinators were David Englehart, '80, and Tania Zieske. Alumni can keep in touch with the BSU through its Web page at page at www.nmsu.edu/~bsu or call the BSU at (505) 522-7370.

Homecoming/Class Reunions - Oct. 12-14

Plans are under way for the 50th (1950) and 40th (1960) class reunions. Classmates will be contacting you about joining the festivities, which will no doubt include reminiscing and catching up with old friends.

Friday, Oct. 13 - Each college will honor its distinguished alumni recipient with a reception. The Alumni Social will be the perfect chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones, and then you can get out your favorite boots and dance to the Desperados at the Alumni Dance.
Saturday, Oct. 14 -  The Eye-Opener Breakfast and first Homecoming parade of the new millennium will be followed by tailgating and Aggie Alley beginning at 4 p.m. Then the Aggies play the Tulsa Hurricane at 6 p.m.

ROTC Reunion 2000 - Oct. 13-14

Gary Cataldo, '70, has been working with Quinnie Flint, '58, and Kirk McCarter, '56, '57, to contact all 800 former Army and Air Force ROTC members with details of the Oct. 13-14 reunion. Information will be mailed to alumni in July, and advance registration will run from July to Oct. 3. On Friday ROTC will have a hospitality room in conjunction with the alumni social and dance. On Saturday a memorial service is planned at a tailgate party. By May, 50 graduates and 45 guests already had indicated they planned to attend. Individual class activities are encouraged.

Alumni Chapters
Roswell, N.M., Alumni Barbecue - May 20

Jim, '71, and Marilyn Manatt of Roswell hosted the first Aggie Alumni get-together in years on May 20. They are wonderful hosts. Not only was the food great, but the weather was beautiful. Morgan Nelson, '41, was our senior graduate, and Will Patton, '00, was the youngest graduate. Both earned their degrees in mechanical engineering.

Several guests won door prizes. The Pistol Pete cookie cutters were a big hit; I even sold a few.

This group is ready to get together again. One idea is to come to Las Cruces for the NMSU vs. Army game on Oct.

Colorado Alumni Barbecue - Aug. 12

Palmer Park in Colorado Springs is the place to be Aug. 12. Julie Hall, '83, is working on the details for the second annual event. Northeastern New Mexico Roundup - Aug. 13 We had so much fun at the Colfax Tavern last year we are going back Aug. 13. Tailgate Parties Plans are under way for tailgate parties in Columbia, S.C., Sept. 2; Athens, Ga., Sept. 23; El Paso, Texas, Sept. 30; and Denton, Texas, Nov. 18.

Mailers will go to alumni in these areas. You can check the Alumni Association's Web page at www.NMSU.Edu/Administration/alumni/public_html/ for details as they are finalized. You may also e-mail, call or write us for information.

NMSU vs. Army - Oct. 7

The Aggies play host to Army on the NMSU campus this year. Details and ticket information will be available this summer.

Membership

Membership in the NMSU Alumni Association is up over last year. Thank you! Information on joining will be mailed in July. I hope you will return your form and encourage others to join with you.

License Plates

More than 200 Aggie alumni license plates have been sold in New Mexico. It is fun to drive around the state and see Pistol Pete on cars. If you are interested, check with your local Motor Vehicle Division office. Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces have plates in stock. In other towns the MVD may have to order a plate for you. Funds collected go for scholarships and alumni programs.

Directory to be updated

The new NMSU Alumni Directory promises to make finding fellow graduates as easy as opening a book. Scheduled for release in May 2001, the directory will be the most up-to-date and complete reference of more than 56,000 NMSU alumni ever compiled. The most recent directory was published in 1997. The directory will include graduates' names, addresses and phone numbers plus academic data and business information (if applicable). It will be a bound, library-quality book. The NMSU Alumni Association has contracted the Bernard C. Harris Publishing Co. Inc. to produce the directory. Harris soon will mail a questionnaire to each graduate. If you prefer not to be listed in the directory, please contact the Alumni Office.

Outstanding Grads
 

NMSU's Spring 2000 Outstanding Seniors with their diploma frames are, front row, from left, Olga Lyudovyk, Center for International Programs, Ursa Brown Glaberman, College of Arts and Sciences, Gwendolyn A. Bruno, College of Business Administration and Economics, and Bonavita Quinto, Graduate School, College of Education. In the back row, from left, are Karen Hanson, College of Education, C. Nathaniel Roybal, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, Augusto Roman, College of Engineering, and Abbie Polk, College of Health and Social Services.

Photo by Michael Kiernan

Spring 2000 Dona Ana Branch Community College Outstanding Students, from left, are Lori Ann A. Herrera, manufacturing technology, Technical Studies Division, Ean Paige, respiratory care, Health and Public Service Division, Melissa Wall, associate of arts and associate of criminal justice, White Sands Education Center, and Rebecca Taulbee, business office technology, Business and Information Systems Division.

Photo by Melissa Bollschweiler