Quarter in Review
Sendoffs 2009

What a Successful Sendoff Season!

All through July and August, Lehigh University opened its arms to the Class of 2009. Sendoffs were held in over 25 locations from Southern California and the Rocky Mountains to Chicago and Vermont! Many incoming students and their families were welcomed into the homes of alumni, which gave them an even greater Lehigh family feel. Attendance at these events was at an all time high of over 1,300 alumni, incoming students and families.

Each Sendoff was a great opportunity for incoming students and parents to meet and mingle with current undergraduates, alumni, faculty and staff. You could feel the excitement and anticipation about the first days at Lehigh! The personal stories and fond memories of everyone at these events let our newest members know that they were about to embark on the greatest years of their lives and begin their life-long relationship with the Lehigh family!

Looking Ahead
Phonathons

Let's Make Lehigh Shine!

Come out to a Phonathon in your hometown and make Lehigh Shine! Please join fellow alumni from your area and contact classmates on behalf of the Lehigh Fund in support of financial aid, facility renovations, the arts, athletics, and much more! You will have a great time reconnecting with fellow alumni, sharing good food, and enjoying the highlights of the evening such as prize giveaways and friendly competition.

Best of all, your time will help Lehigh’s students succeed and keep Lehigh a top-notch, cutting-edge institution.

Space is limited! Reserve your seat at an exciting location near you by September 19. Call (610) 758-3130 or email kdh3@lehigh.edu today!

Join us from 6:00- 9:00 pm on:
Monday, September 26 – Princeton
Tuesday, September 27 – New York City
Tuesday, September 27 – Northern New Jersey
Wednesday, September 28 – Boston
Thursday, September 29 – Lehigh Valley
Thursday, September 29 – Philadelphia

We are also challenging your local Alumni Club to fill the facility in your area with volunteers! (15-20 volunteers per location). The top 3 Lehigh Alumni Clubs with the highest average number of gifts per caller will be rewarded with a cash prize to be used toward a Club event. 1st Prize: $1,000; 2nd Prize $500; 3rd Prize: $250.

Lehigh/Lafayette Telecasts

Come see the excitement of the 141st Meeting of College Football’s Most Played Rivalry! On November 19, 2005, over 50 Alumni Clubs across the country will be hosting the annual Lehigh/Lafayette Telecasts. Watch the Brown and White crush the Leopards…from San Francisco to South Mountain. Please visit our website at http://www.lehighalumni.com/go/telecast for more information starting October 10, 2005!

Save the Date

• January 5, 2006: Philadelphia hosted by John Franchini '97 (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius)
• January 10, 2006: New York City, hosted by Brad Scheler '74, '05P, '08P (Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson)
• January 10, 2006: Los Angeles, hosted by Jason Honsel (Harvard Westlake School)
• January 11, 2006: New York City, hosted by Brad Scheler '74, '05P, '08P (Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson)
• January 12, 2006: Washington D.C., hosted by Sterling Ashby '92 (Blackwell Igbanugo P.A.)
• January 24, 2006: Bethlehem, hosted by Bill Trotter '67 (Hotel Bethlehem)

The Lehigh Club of New York, home of L-in-Life since 1939,
will honor Ted Scheetz ‘54 on April 25, 2006.

Club Spotlight
The Lehigh Club of the Twin Cities
(Minneapolis/St. Paul)

The Lehigh Club of the Twin Cities has sky-rocketed to one of the most successful Alumni Clubs in the country. From Happy Hours and Baseball Games to Lehigh/Lafayette Telecasts and Sendoffs, the Twin Cities has made their mark in the Alumni Clubs world.

They held their first Freshmen Sendoff this summer on July 23rd, where they welcomed 9 incoming student from the area. The event was held at the home of Jeff ‘77 and Joan Wright and there were over 35 people in attendance! The club was also excited to welcome Lehigh’s Director of Alumni Clubs, Jill Anderson ’91, to the event. The Club’s President, David Yussen ‘99 said, “The visit raised awareness that the school is really behind us, and made a strong impression on the families in attendance.” It was a huge triumph and can only mean that there will be greater events in the future.

Other fabulous Club events have been the annual Lehigh-Lafayette Telecast, a Happy Hour at a local Irish Pub, a Picnic and Concert at Lake Harriet Bandshell and a Groundhog Day celebration. Through these events, they have watched attendance grow in leaps and bounds by seeing a wide range of alumni, in terms of class year (from the ‘60s to the‘05s), come out in support of their Alma Mater.

Their success is due in large part to its dedicated president, David Yussen ‘99. David moved to Minneapolis in December of 2000, after living and working in Philadelphia for a couple years. He was an avid fan of the Lehigh-Lafayette games, having never missed one since 1995, so his first initiative when he arrived in the Twin Cities was to jump-start the local Lehigh-Lafayette telecast event.

David attributes this past year’s success to a slow but steady growth in awareness and the continuity of holding events every several months, for several years. “It gave people the opportunity to get to know one another, without feeling that involvement requires a heavy commitment” he said. Some of David’s long-term goals are to build the alumni membership and participation, continue to partner with Admissions to increase local awareness and support recruiting, and set up a forum (bulletin board or mailing list) for Club members to interact in between events.

This Club is unique in the sense that they are very far from the university, 1,200 miles to be exact, so trips back to South Mountain are not always feasible. David said that he finds the alumni in the area to hold as much pride and enthusiasm for Lehigh as do those in Northern NJ, NY or PA. In fact, many of Club’s members are East Coast natives. “While there are seemingly unlimited possibilities for events, including live professional sports, music, theater, or museums, the geographic dispersion of its members makes it difficult to accommodate everyone” he said. But, is a challenge the Club is eager to take on with programs reflecting the interests of the alumni.

The Club is excited and ready for another eventful year! Some of the activities coming up are the 2005 Lehigh-Lafayette broadcast, which will be held at Champps Americana in downtown Minneapolis. Following that, there will be a winter event after the holidays and for next summer, they are planning a family outing to tailgate and watch the minor league team, the St. Paul Saints.

Volunteer Spotlight
Webmasters

Alumni Clubs Take the Electronic Age by Storm!

Due to the awesome Alumni and hard work of the Webmasters listed below, they have helped their respective Clubs stay connected, engaged and involved. Please take a moment to recognize the efforts of these dedicated alumni. Check out the links below and learn more about the great Alumni Club in your area!

Scott McConaghy ’02, The Lehigh Club of Boston
http://www.lehighboston.com/

Mary L. Cottingham ’90, The Lehigh Club of Central New Jersey
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/luaa_midnj/

Kevin Chick ’95, The Lehigh Club of the Connecticut Valley
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lehigh_Club_of_CT_Valley

Dennis Zehner ’99, Home Club
http://www.lehighhomeclub.org/

Matthew DiLorenzo ’89, The Lehigh Club of New York
http://www.lehighnyc.org/a_Welcome.html

Joe Schneider ’90 and Tom Roman ’98, The Lehigh Club of Northern New Jersey
http://www.lehighnj.com/

Steve Rittler ’99, The Lehigh Club of Philadelphia
http://www.lehighphilly.org/index.cfm

Paul Littlefield ’91, The Lehigh Club of San Francisco
http://www.lehighsf.org/