Hastings College Alumni eNews

Hastings College Kicks Off 45th J-Term

January 2011 marks the 45th J-Term (formally known as Interim) at Hastings College. One of the most successful and popular features of Hastings College’s academic program, J-Term allows students to immerse themselves in one course, as compared to the four or five taken in a regular semester. Students have the option to focus on a topic in their major field or to study something new. This year, J-term will once again take students around the world with several classes involving off-campus study in locations such as India, Ireland, France, New York, Florida, and South America. In addition, students can take a variety of courses on-campus, including Comic and Graphic Novel Story Telling and Illustration, White House Scandals and the US Political System, and The Sociology of Blues Performance, among several others. During this year’s J-term, you can follow several of the classes via travel blogs and special features on the Hastings College website and at the Hastings College Facebook Fan Page.

Hastings College Claims National Title

The Hastings College Men’s Soccer Team ended its year on a perfect note, claiming the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship and a perfect 25-0 record. The Bronco Men captured the first NAIA title for the Hastings College program, beating Notre Dame (Ohio) 5-3 in the finals. In addition to its school-record 25-0 season, the team also shattered a more than 30-year tournament record for the most goals scored, with 21 in five matches, including 15 in the last three games. The Bronco Women advanced to the 2010 NAIA National Championship title game, having upset the Nos. 16, 1 and 9-seeded teams in the tournament. The Lady Broncos fell to Lee University (Tenn.) 3-0 and ended their season as the 2010 National Runner-Up with a record of 17-5-3. The Hastings College Soccer Program will celebrate its accomplishments with an Omaha area reception on Sunday, January 9, at Upstream Brewing Company in West Omaha. All alumni are invited to attend. To RSVP for this event, click here.

Help HC Achieve Its New Year’s Resolution

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? Whether you have or have not, Hastings College is asking its faithful alumni to help the Hastings College Foundation achieve one of its resolutions for the year – returning its alumni giving percentage to above 30% by the fiscal year-end on June 30, 2011. Alumni giving is currently at 17%, leaving much work to be done before the end of June. This past year, alumni giving fell to 29%, its lowest level since the 2001/02 fiscal year. While this goal is ambitious and requires help from many individuals, the Foundation is optimistic that as an alumnus, you will help make this resolution an achievable one. Any gift, be it $5, $50 or $500, will help and have an impact on the alumni giving percentage. For those of you who have made a gift this year, we thank you for your continued support and ask that you encourage your friends and classmates to make a gift. If you have not yet made a gift this fiscal year, click here to help Hastings College fulfill its resolution in 2011.

HC Today is in a Mailbox Near You

The most recent issue of HC Today was delivered this past month. The Fall/Winter 2010 issue of the magazine features numerous pieces including:

A pictorial tour of the Hastings College campus as it appears today
The 2009/10 Annual Report of Donors which recognizes the over 4,000 donors who made charitable contributions to the College this past fiscal year
A current listing of alumni class notes that were submitted to the Alumni Association in the past several months

If you have questions about the HC Today magazine or did not receive a copy in your mailbox, you can view a copy online or contact the Alumni Association at (800) 775-2585 or by email at alumni@hastings.edu and we will place a copy in the mail. If you would like to submit a class note to appear in the next edition of HC Today, you can do so by clicking here.

Alumna Wins National Cooking Contest

Hastings College Alumna Lindsay (Miller) Weiss ’97 was recently named Good Morning America’s “12 Days of Cooking Challenge” winner. Appearing on the national morning show this past December, Lindsay cooked alongside Iron Chef Michael Symon as she demonstrated how to prepare her Chai-Kissed Chocodoodle cookies. If you would like to learn how to make Lindsay’s recipe or would like to watch the television segment in which she appeared, both can be found at the Good Morning America website.

Christensen Named 2010 Creigh Weyer Scholar

April Christensen '12 April Christensen, a junior from Hardy, Nebraska, has been named a Creigh Weyer Scholar by the Creigh Foundation. This highly-selective, post-graduate scholarship for Hastings College students offers up to $40,000 in grants to support graduate study in any field in the United States or overseas, as well as active mentoring, guidance and support from senior leaders in business, government and academia. Christensen is a double-major in piano performance and biology. Active in environmental initiatives both on campus and in the community, she plans to pursue a Master of Public Affairs degree and has an eventual goal of leadership in sound environmental practices and sustainability. Among other activities, she has completed internships with the Alaska Conservation Foundation in rural Alaska and with the Center for Research on Invasive Species and Small Populations in Idaho.

Hastings College Presidential Search Update

The search for Hastings College’s fifteenth president continues to move forward. This past month, the Presidential Search Committee met to begin selecting candidates whose backgrounds and experiences seem especially consistent with the qualifications described in the Presidential Search Profile. A group of just over 100 applicants with wide ranging accomplishments in higher education and related fields has applied to fill the presidential role, following Dr. Phil Dudley’s retirement at the end of June 2011. The Presidential Search Committee will continue to meet and narrow down the pool of applicants and then begin the interview process. These are exciting times in the life of Hastings College, and we look forward to keeping you informed as the search for the next president of the College moves forward.

Upcoming Events

The Hastings College Alumni Association and the Hastings College Men’s Soccer Team will host an Omaha Area Celebration and Reception on Sunday, January 9 at Upstream Brewing Company (West Omaha) from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. (Add to Outlook Calendar). More…
A PBS Speaker/Documentary “Scrappers: A History of the WWII Scrap-metal Drive in Nebraska” will be presented in the Wilson Auditorium on Monday, January 10 at 7:00 p.m. (Add to Outlook Calendar)
The Hastings College Alumni Association will host a Kansas City Area After Hours on Tuesday, January 11 at McCormick & Schmicks in Kansas City from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. (Add to Outlook Calendar). More…
The Hastings College Alumni Association and the Department of Music will host a New York Area Dessert Reception from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Opera Learning Center at the Metropolitan Opera Guild in Manhattan on Tuesday, January 18. (Add to Outlook Calendar). More…
Hastings College athletics will be participating in numerous events throughout the month of January. To see a full schedule of events, visit the Hastings College Athletics Website.
To see a full calendar of upcoming Hastings College events, visit the Hastings College Online Calendar.

More to Come

This eNewsletter will be sent periodically throughout the year with up-to-date news for our alumni. To update your email address, log on to the online alumni community.

1/4/11