Seniors Select Homecoming Court
Members of the Alma College senior class nominated 12 of their
classmates to the 2007 Homecoming Court. During homecoming week, the
entire student body votes for the King and Queen with the results
announced during halftime ceremonies of the football game on Saturday, Oct. 13.
The
Homecoming King and Queen candidates are (pictured above, front row,
from left) Monica Rentfrow of Alma, Amy Wegener of Traverse City,
Carlie Alchin of St. Helen, Aaron Weisberger of Mullet Lake, Terra
Teague of Monroe, (back row, from left) John McFalls of Milford,
Benjamin Place of Boyne City, Rebecca Peacock of Grandville and Anthony
Rosenblum of Huntington Woods. Not pictured is Brandon Smith of
Harrisville.
Student performances, Pizza Sam Night, class reunions, the parade and football game highlight Homecoming 2007 at Alma College.
A full schedule of homecoming events and receptions will take place
Oct. 12 through 14. Highlights include the Pizza Sam Night reception
for alumni from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 in the Tyler Van-Dusen
Rotunda, the Matt Rienke 5K Scot Trot at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, the
11 a.m. Saturday parade along Superior Street, the noon Saturday alumni
picnic on the chapel lawn, and the 1:30 p.m. football game against
Wisconsin Lutheran.
The Alma College Choirs join with former choir members for the annual
homecoming concert and alumni awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct.
13 in the Remick Heritage Center. Alumni rehearsal begins at 6:30 p.m.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Other student performances over homecoming weekend include an 8
p.m. Friday concert by the Percussion Ensemble and the College
Theatre production of “The Diviners” at 8 p.m. Oct. 11-13 and 3 p.m.
Oct. 14.
Click here for detailed information regarding homecoming activities.
Special homecoming guests will include the 50- and 25-year reunion
classes of 1957 and 1982, along with alumni Dave ’60 and Pat’59
Hubbard, who will serve as this year’s parade grand marshals.
Four alumni awards will be presented during the weekend festivities:
Distinguished Alumni Award
Robert ’75 and Sandra Caswell ’76 Foote have changed how thousands of
people see the world. Almost every year since 1991, the Footes have
traveled to Central America to administer free eye care through
Michigan’s chapter of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH).
They and their team prescribe glasses, treat eye infections and perform
cataract surgeries.
“We go for about two weeks, which consists of about five to seven
clinic days,” Sandy explains. “We try to see 800 to 1,500
patients, and usually hand out between 4,000 and 5,000 pairs of
reading, prescription and sun glasses.”
Robert, an optometrist at Traverse City Eye Consultants, and Sandy, a
medical technologist at Munson Medical Center, have accompanied or
co-directed trips to Honduras, Peru, Mexico and Guatemala. In 2000,
they also served five Detroit homeless shelters through VOSH
International.
“Our Alma experience made us not afraid to try new things,” she says.
“This takes will and a lot of hard work. Alma taught us how to be
successful, but also that you need to take success and try to make a
difference, and you do that one person at a time.”
Smith Distinguished Service Award
Roger Arbury’s involvement often takes a most delicious and festive
form as he donates his catering services to College and alumni events.
The 1962 alumnus also helps organize and participate in alumni meetings
in the Naples, Fla., area.
“Alma was and is such an important part of my life,” says Arbury. “I
hope to stay active with the College for a long time. I really like
alumni groups because I can keep in touch with the College and my
friends.
Young Alumnus Award
Christopher Ahn ’98 works for Beringea, an international private equity
and investment banking firm with offices in Royal Oak. His business
administration degree has proved useful in his ventures, whether he is
advising company transitions, organizing successful events for Alma
alumni, or fund raising for community projects and groups.
Ahn credits his array of involvements to his persisting curiosity to
learn and experience new things. He has started a small business
that installs wireless systems. He has joined the Royal Oak Library
Board, which he, with various political ambitions of his own, says is
“a microcosm of city management.”
He also judges for the Great Lakes Entrepreneur Quest, a contest that
awards seed funding to start-up businesses. In addition, Ahn is the
treasurer/secretary of the College’s Metro-Detroit Round Table Group,
which promotes networking opportunities for Detroit-area alumni and
current students.
George Hebert Lifetime Service Award
Bob Eldridge ’71 is a former head basketball coach, athletic director
and alumni director at Alma College who retired as alumni director in
2006. “Working with alumni for the past 11 years has been the highlight
of my career,” says Eldridge.
During his time as alumni director, he increased the number of Tartan
Clubs from 12 to 47 nationwide; advised the student-alumni group Alma
Leadership Alliance, which grew to be the largest leadership
organization on campus; and enhanced Homecoming from a one-day event to
a Friday-to-Sunday celebration of the College. Bob and his wife, Pam,
live in Alma.
Posted: Tue, October 9th, 2007 at 1:26PM
