From everyone here at APAN, have a Happy and Healthy Summer!

May/June/July 2004

In this Issue:

I remember back to the spring of 2002 when the rejuvenation of APAN began and the following are just a few of the highlights and accomplishments achieved by APAN over the past two years: 

• APAN is Susquehanna University’s largest volunteer program with over 500 members from 34 states plus DC.
• During the past two years our active participation rate has been 53%
• APAN College Fair Program
  • APAN members have covered a record number of college fairs - 352 since September 2002!
  • In large part due to APAN member feedback, we have been able to improve the college fair program and now have nicer “real” table banners, major board signs, “Where is SU?” board signs and the SU Fast Facts sheet. We will strive to improve the college fair program and appreciate all of your continued comments, advice and suggestions.
• Adopt-A-School Program
  • Every single accepted student this spring (1713) received a personalized letter from an APAN member .
  • Over 1100 accepted students were assigned to APAN members to be contacted via phone or e-mail with the goals of increasing yield and establishing the student’s level of interest in SU.
  • As of today, 288 of these students will be joining the Class of 2008!
• Admissions Receptions
  • Four rising senior picnics were hosted last summer, reviving a program which had not taken place since the mid 90’s.
  • A total of 22 rising seniors attended the 4 picnics. 16 applied, 12 were accepted and 4 of these student (2 Early Decision) will be joining the class of 2008.
  • An Accepted Student Reception was held in NYC at the Simply Pasta Restaurant on March 27th. Attendance including accepted students and their parents was nearly 100 people. The event received very positive feedback and greatly helped our yield from the NY metro area. We look forward to further expanding these receptions next spring.
  • As always, APAN members played a big part in hosting our Summer Send-Offs for incoming students.
• VIP Referral Card
  • A VIP Referral Card was mailed to all alums from 1940 on and all APAN members. The card allowed the recipient to hand a high school senior a VIP Fee-Waiver certificate or submit the names of high school freshmen, sophomores or juniors they felt would be a good fit for SU.
• APAN Interview Initiative
  • A pilot program this year allowed APAN members to conduct off-campus interviews with applicants from their home area who had not yet had the chance to interview with a member of the admissions staff.
  • Please keep your eyes posted for more information as we look to expand this program next year.
• E-mail / Web Site
  • We continue to move towards our goal of making APAN an all e-mail and web-based program and expect to continue this goal during the year ahead.

Famous Anthropologist Margaret Mead once said about volunteers, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” These words are what the Alumni-Parent Admissions Network is all about…Working together to recruit qualified students who we hope will choose to attend Susquehanna University and one day make a difference in the world. It has been my pleasure working with you over the past two years and on behalf of Sean, Pam, Chris, myself and the rest of the Susquehanna community, we look forward to many continued successes over the years ahead. Best wishes for a happy and healthy summer and we will be in contact soon.

-Dave

One of the benefits of writing and editing the Pipeline is that, as the complete administrative body of this newsletter, I get to choose what is and isn't included each month--(Every once and a while I throw Dave a bone too!)-- and in this section specifically, I can comment on just about whatever I want. This is not a privilege I generally abuse, but this month I may because I would like to talk about three separate subjects that, honestly, are unrelated, but that I will attempt to unite under the auspice that all three are important to me.

The first is that, as I am sure you all realize, we have come to the end of another semester, and I would be at fault for not recognizing all of you for all of the hard work you have done over this year. We as a program have had another incredible year and have helped deliver another tremendous class to SU and it is something to be proud of. APAN is a program that I have invested a lot of time into and is important me because of the relationships I have developed with all of you, and I, along with Dave, Chris, and Pam, thank you for all of your contributions to make both SU and APAN successful!

Perhaps the only program that I'm involved with here on campus more than APAN is the Track and Field team, and, as I included in the last Pipeline and I am sure you all have heard by now, Coach Taylor is retiring after 26 years at the helm. Alumni weekend this year will feature a celebration for Coach on Sat. June 5, and will include, at 3pm, a one mile run/walk at Lopardo Stadium, followed by displays of track memorabilia and dinner in the field house at 6 pm. I hope that you all in your time here had the privilege to meet Coach at some point, or that if you didn't you will make the point of meeting him sometime in the future. I have had the honor and privilege to run for and work with Coach these past two years, and it has been a tremendous experience. More than he cares and teaches all of us about winning and losing, Coach teaches us about life, about what it means to be part of a team, and what it means to be a success. Coach more than anything else teaches us and helps each of us reach our full potential not just on the track, but in the classroom and as members of a community, and I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to get to know him as a coach and as a friend.

Finally, and most importantly, is that May means it's Mother's Day, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my mom for all that she does for me and all of the support she gives me. The person I have become and am today is because of the influence and role my mom has played in my life. While the problems sometimes get big, even the way she faces daily tasks and challenges amazes me, and the strength she shows in spirit and belief is something that I can only hope to develop. The caring and kindness she shares with everyone--family, friend, stranger--is remarkable. Time after time she is an example for me of what it means to love and be loved, and I don't think I make it known to her enough how much I love her and how proud I am to be her son.

I hope all of you mothers out there had a wonderful Mother's Day, and I am already looking forward to another wonderful year! Have a great summer!

-Sean

The APAN Member of the Month section highlights individual APAN members who have contributed significantly to the expansion and success of APAN over the past year.

The APAN Member of the Month for the month is Bill Foote. Bill, Class of '74, initially attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, but after his sophomore year, wanting a smaller school and following in the footsteps of his brother who had just enrolled, Bill transferred to SU for his Junior and Senior years. As a Finance major, Bill graduated SU with the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and he feels SU prepared him well for the business world. "I was fortunate in that my father told me that college was 50% academics and 50% social," Bill relates. "I think my degree in Business provided the educational background to get that first job and the social aspects are characteristics that stay with you forever."

Some of his fondest memories of his time here include members of the faculty. His favorite professor was Dr. William Remaley and Bill recalls helping Dr. Remaley build his house when he first joined the faculty here! Bill also remembers "...asking my brother which classes I should take my first semester so that I could get a good start at my GPA and he mentioned Intermediate Accounting I...which turned out to be one of the hardest classes I took my 4 years!"

Bill first joined APAN because he believes in giving back to those that have given to him, and joining APAN seemed like a great way to give back to the university. Although he now lives in Colorado, Bill is very active in the Adopt-A-Student program and has had a hand in personally recruiting a number of prospective students to SU!

Thanks for all of your hard work Bill! Congratulations!

This month’s SU Outstanding Performer is senior Toni Davis. Toni, a native of New Carrollton, MD has been selected to the 2004 United States Paralympic Team in swimming, and will compete at the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece from September 17-28. Toni finished first in her class in the 100-meter butterfly, second in the 50-meter freestyle and third in the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Paralympic Swimming Trials at the University of Minnesota on April 26 to earn a spot on the team. To see all of the results, news, and records from the meet, click here.

Toni holds the American records in her class in the 50-meter butterfly (41.65 seconds), the 100-meter butterfly (1:34.02) and the 400-meter individual medley (8:10.73), and is currently ranked among the top 10 in the world in the 100 butterfly. In 2003, Toni won the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly events at the USA Swimming Disability championships.

At Susquehanna she competed in the butterfly and freestyle, and swam on the Crusaders' 400-yard freestyle relay team at the Middle Atlantic Conference championship at Wilkes-Barre on February 15.

“Toni is an exceptional young woman who simply will not allow what others might view as a handicap deter her from achieving her goals,” said Susquehanna head swimming coach Ged Schweikert.

Toni graduated from Susquehanna on May 16 with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, and has been accepted in the graduate program at The University of Scranton.

Congratulations Toni, and we wish you the best of luck in Athens in September!

Calendars, Schedules and Events

(Click the link to see all of the latest happenings on campus!)

Botchie Receives McGowan Scholarship

Andrea Botchie, a junior from Chambersburg, Pa, has been selected as the first ever recipient of Susquehanna University’s 2004-2005 William G. McGowan Scholars Award. The award, which was developed last spring through the generosity of the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, is open to all full-time rising junior business majors who plan to complete their senior year in the Sigmund Weis School of Business.

Botchie is a Dean’s List student and member of the Honors Program. She serves as a student advisor to the Sigmund Weis School of Business and is an Honors Program mentor. She is treasurer of the Society for Collegiate Journalists and is online editor of The Crusader, the campus newspaper. A business major with a minor in information systems, Botchie plans to pursue a career in financial services after graduation in 2005. The McGowan Charitable Fund will make an award in the amount of $18,000 to Susquehanna’s general scholarship pool, in recognition of Botchie's achievements and the strength of the university's business program.

Look for APAN at Alumni Weekend!

If you are going to be on campus for Alumni Weekend, stop by the APAN tables in the Shearer Weber Dining Rooms in the Degenstein Campus Center! The APAN tables will be setup at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the 5th and will be staffed by Dave and Chris! Stop by if you would like to chat and, of course, we are always looking for new and enthusiastic members, so if you know someone who would be interested let them know and tell them to stop by! You can see the entire Alumni Weekend Schedule of Events by clicking here.

SU Virtual Tour Receives 4-Star Award

The new SU virtual tour, featured on the Office of Admissions Web site, has received the Four-Star Virtual Tour Award from the prominent university and college Web site www.campustours.com. The Four-Star award, given to one deserving virtual tour per month, was awarded for a tour that, "...provides a straightforward overview of the university's academic atmosphere, student life and recreational opportunities. Susquehanna University's elegant virtual tour entices students with a good mix of academics, student life and extracurricular activities. The CampusTours Awards Committee found this to be an excellent online excursion." You can see the full review for yourself at www.campustours.com, and if you haven't seen the SU Virtual Tour yet, what are you waiting for? Check it out now by clicking here!

As the temperature rises and the skies clear, students are spending more and more time outside in the sunshine, and one of the most popular outdoor activities right now is frisbee golf. The game is simple: each competitor has a frisbee, and like golf, works their way through an 18 "hole" course. Instead of trying to putt a ball into a hole however, competitors are trying to hit selected trees with their frisbees in as few throws as possible, and whoever has the lowest score at the end wins! The spacious and leafy SU campus has been overtaken by the craze, with frisbee golfers on every walkway and path! The next time you're on campus, grab a frisbee and "tee-up" a game for yourself!

Hot Off the Presses!

-Susquehanna University's School of Natural and Social Sciences has added Ecology to the list of majors available to students.

ADOPT-A-STUDENT REMINDER

Thank you to all of those who participated in the Adopt-A-Student program., The program was once again a tremendous success. If you have not yet returned your forms to the Office of Admissions it is not too late! Please return your forms as soon as possible! You can submit your contact forms on-line at http://www.susqu.edu/apan/adoptstudentform.htm.

APAN WEB SITE UPDATE

We would like to remind you that all of the materials you receive via mail will also be available through links on our Web site, http://www.susqu.edu/apan/. A PDF version of the APAN manual is available to view and print on the APAN Web site. Please continue to check the APAN Web site as we are continually making updates and improvements. Many key aspects of the program are now run on the Web site. Members can update their personal information, refer a prospective student, submit their College Night Evaluation form, order an APAN Polo Shirt, and read their favorite monthly newsletter, The Pipeline!

COLLEGE FAIR UPDATE

Thank you to everyone who made the spring college fair program a success. If you have not returned your inquiry card, evaluations or table banners to us, please do so as soon as possible. You can submit your evaluation online at http://www.susqu.edu/apan/FairEvaluation.html. Watch your e-mail during the summer for the fall college fair list!

RISING SENIOR RECEPTIONS

The Office of Admissions will once again be hosting receptions for rising high school seniors and their families this summer. Please watch your e-mail for more information about how you can help us with these events.

REFER A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT

Please be sure to send us the names of any rising high school sophomores, juniors or seniors who you think would make a good Susquehanna student. You can submit the student's name on-line at http://www.susqu.edu/APAN/studentreferral.htm and we will send information out about Susquehanna to the student over the summer.

REPLYING TO E-MAILS

We here at APAN are continually sending out mass e-mails as it is the fastest and most efficient way to contact all members. If you are going to contact us in response to a specific e-mail, it is fine to leave the same subject line. However, if you are responding to us with an urgent or important request, PLEASE CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE to reflect your request. E-mails with the changed subject line will be read and replied to as soon as possible. If you need to reach us right away, please contact Pam at 1-800-326-9672. Thank you!

APAN POLO SHIRTS

If you have not already ordered an APAN polo shirt, we still have a limited number available. The shirts cost $20 and are available in M, L, XL and XXL (add $2 for XXL). To order your APAN polo shirt, please click here.

ADDRESS/CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGES

Please be sure to keep us informed of any changes to your contact information (address, phone numbers, e-mail). IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE YOUR CURRENT E-MAIL ADDRESS. You can update your information on-line at http://www.susqu.edu/apan/UpdateInformation.htm and we will be sure to pass your updated information along to the Office of Alumni Relations.