February 2006
Alumni Association News
1. $10 MILLION GIFT LARGEST IN SJSU HISTORY:
 San José State
University has received the largest private individual gift in its nearly 150-year
history, a $10 million donation from business leaders and SJSU alumni Donald
and Sally Lucas, pictured at left, announced university President Don W.
Kassing. The gift will be used to support the Graduate School of Business in the
College of Business at San José State University. "Donald and Sally Lucas
exemplify what successful business leaders can do to make a significant
difference in the quality of our programs and the lives of our students," said
Kassing. "This raises the bar of philanthropy at San José State and sets the
pace to inspire leadership gifts that will help position us as one of the top
universities in the California State University system. It also demonstrates the
value that the Lucases place on their educational experience at San José State,"
he added. Please click on Lucas
Gift to read more.
Events and Programs
2. ALUMNI NIGHT AT FREY NORRIS GALLERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco resident and SJSU Alumna, Beth Lemke has
partnered with the Alumni Association to create an evening of wine and art for
alumni in the San Francisco
area. Come out and meet fellow Spartans, enjoy a
glass of wine, appreciate some of San Francisco's
outstanding
contemporary art, and hear a brief update about the campus. This
event is free to all SJSU alumni and friends.
When: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Where: Frey Norris Gallery
Register: Click on Frey Norris alumni evening, or contact Paul Richardson at 408-924-6527 or via email.
3. DR. E. BRUCE REYNOLDS LEADS ALUMNI TRIP TO CHINA
Come learn about the Alumni Association's upcoming trip to China in October
2006. Respected China scholar Dr. Bruce Reynolds will lead this excursion
into the wonders of China. This session is a no-obligation informational
evening. Light appetizers and drinks will be provided. Registration forms
will also be available for those who wish to sign up for the trip.
When: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Where: SJSU Alumni Offices, 84 W. Santa Clara Street
Register: Click on China travel evening, or contact Paul Richardson at 408-924-6527 or via email.
4. RECEPTION AND SPEAKERS PANEL AT MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTER FOR THE
PERFORMING ARTS
This winter’s Exceptional Women Executives event,
“On-ramps, Off-ramps and U-turns,” highlights the challenges of
the progressive woman’s career path. The 
Exceptional Women Executives program celebrates SJSU’s top success stories,
women who have attained distinction in their chosen field of endeavor. The
evening will begin with a wine and hors d'oeuvre reception followed by the main
event. The panel will feature two distinguished speakers, Marissa Peterson
(former Executive Vice President at Sun Microsystems) and Lisa Salamone ’77
(former Senior Vice President at Gap Inc.). Dr. Michele Bolton ’78, a former
SJSU faculty member and author of The Third Shift: Managing Hard Choices
in Our Careers, Homes, and Lives as Women, will
moderate. The evening will end with dessert and the opportunity to meet and talk with
panel participants and other outstanding guests.
When: Wednesday, March 1, 2006 4:30 to 6:30 pm
Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing
Arts
Fee:
$45.00 includes wine reception and dessert.
RSVP: Please click on Career Highway event, or contact Mital Poddar at 408-924-1017 or via email.
5. CSU ALUMNI DAY IN SACRAMENTO
We Cordially invite you to join alumni from other CSU campuses at the CSU
Alumni Reception in California's capital. There will be hosted appetizers
and a no-host bar. This event is free and open to all SJSU alumni and
friends.
When: Monday, March 20, 2006; 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Where: Sacramento
Convention Center, Room 307, 1400 J Street Sacramento, CA 95814
RSVP: We ask that all
interested in attending to rsvp by clicking on Sacramento event, or contacting Paul Richardson at
408-924-6527, or by email.
6. FIFTH ANNUAL SPARTANS IN THE DESERT
 Join us for our annual event in Palm Desert. This is the Southern
California event of the year that cannot be missed. Friday night will
include a reception and dinner. Saturday will include rounds of golf on
one of Palm Desert’s elite public courses and a golf clinic by Spartan Great Ken
Venturi. SJSU President Don W. Kassing will be in attendance. Don't
miss this fun and exciting weekend!
When: Friday and Saturday, March 3-4, 2006
Where: Palm Desert, CA
Register: Click on Desert alumni event, or contact Paul Richardson at 408-924-6527 or via email.
Alumni on the Move
7. ALUMNI DUO ENTER MOVIE IN COMPETITION
Alumnus Ryan Harper was the producer and fellow alum Josh
R. Jaggars the Associate Producer of Steel City
, which was accepted into the
prestigious competition 
segment of this year's Sundance
Festival. The indie feature received a deeply respectful review in
Variety, which said, "Its honest, unshowy performances and textured
depiction of life in a working-class community in a nowhere Southern Illinois
town make this modest indie feature an affecting experience." Another big
Hollywood trade paper, The Hollywood Reporter, raved, "A family drama that is
the visual equivalent of a Bruce Springsteen song, Steel City offers several standout performances and a
satisfing low-key story that should resonate for festival and art house
audiences." Acclaimed "actor's actor" John Heard stars in Steel City
as a jailed father trying to reconnect with his
fragmented family, with Laurie Metcalf cast as his ex-wife.
Ryan and Josh co-founded production company Your Half Pictures in 1999. More recently, the two up-and-comers graciously spent
an afternoon regaling Dept. of TV, Radio, Film and Theatre advanced writing
students with Hollywood advice and anecdotes while in town for the Cinequest
screening of their earlier feature, 30 Mile.
8. ALUMNA IS NEW ASSISTANT DA FOR SANTA CLARA COUNTY
 Rolanda Pierre-Dixon, ’77 Political Science, who was previously supervising
deputy district attorney in charge of the Family Violence Division, has been
promoted to assistant district attorney, making her one of only five to hold the
position in the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. She will now
oversee the Juvenile Dependency Division and training.
9. MEMBER OF COB'S ADVISORY BOARD SET TO HEAD
AGILE SOFTWARE
Jay Fulcher, ’85 Management, current president and COO of
Agile Software Corporation, a provider of product lifecycle management
solutions, will take over as CEO of
the company in May. His career spans 20 years of senior
management roles at leading enterprise software companies, including PeopleSoft.
He also sits on SJSU’s College of Business Advisory Board.
Share Your News with Fellow Spartans
Do you have alumni success stories to
share? Let us know by clicking here.
10. SJSU LEGACY STORY
 In
1956 Ray Barch, pictured at left with his wife Melody, attended SJSU while enlisted in the
Air Force at Parks Air Force Base, outside of Pleasanton, California. He
was the editor of the base newspaper. Ray completed his degree in Journalism
in 1958. In 1970, after their third son entered
kindergarten, Melody enrolled at SJSU and completed a degree in art, with a psychology
minor. She went on to get a Standard Elementary Teaching Credential in
early childhood education and, while in her first teaching position at Horace
Mann Elementary School, worked toward a masters degree in Library Science, which
she received in 1980. She worked for 21 years as a school librarian in the
New Haven Unified School District.
In 1980, their son John enrolled at SJSU and worked
toward a degree in Political Science, finishing in 1986. Years later he
encouraged his wife 
Adelina to enroll at SJSU as an Accounting major; she completed her degree in
1999. She is currently employed as an accountant for a technology firm and
is planning to work toward a CPA accreditation. Melody and Ray’s sons James
and David are graduates of the University of California.
Tell Your Own Legacy Story
Do you have an SJSU story you would like to share with other Spartans? Email
and let us know!
Member Benefits Spotlight
12. SJSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PARTNERSHIP WITH
KAPLAN: FREE PRACTICE TESTS FOR GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, DAT/OAT AND
NCLEX!
Thinking about going to grad school in the next five years? We know how
stressful those admissions tests can be and how important it is to earn the score
you need. Come to this free event and get some practice for the real thing!
When: Saturday, February 25th. Check-in begins at 8:30am
Where: SJSU. The
MCAT, LSAT, DAT and OAT are being held in the BBC 2nd floor. The GMAT, GRE and
NCLEX will be in WSQ.
RSVP: Call 1-800-KAPTEST, or go online: www.kaptest.com
Campus News
13. SJSU's HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT PARTNERS WITH PEBBLE
BEACH RESORTS
San José State University's Department of Hospitality Management and the
Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies have announced a joint partnership
with Pebble Beach Resorts to assist with the 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach National
Pro-Am, which runs from Feb. 6 through 12. SJSU students worked directly with
Pebble Beach representatives to manage, plan, coordinate and oversee hospitality
areas at one of professional golf's most celebrated events. Known as the Special
Events Management Team, the participating students were selected after a very
competitive series of interviews conducted by SJSU faculty and Pebble Beach
staff. "The 29 students selected were among the best qualified from the more
than 50 students who applied," said Rich Larson, who will serve as the faculty
liaison for the team. "These students will have an opportunity to work in a
first-class hospitality event and get course credit for it at the same time."
The students were involved in intensive training sessions with Pebble Beach
staff, both at SJSU and onsite at Pebble Beach in January to prepare them for
the event. Student managers are working cash concession venues located along the
course, in skyboxes overlooking the fairways and greens, and in corporate
hospitality tents. Please click on Pebble
Beach partnership
to read more.
14. "VOICE OF THE SPARTANS" DON HAYWARD DIES AT AGE 72
We are sad to announce that Don Hayward, a veteran valley newscaster and longtime
announcer for the San José State University Spartans football team, died
Saturday after a battle with brain cancer. Hayward, 72, worked at San José's
KNTV (Channel 11) for two decades, leaving in 1982. After leaving KNTV, Hayward
continued to volunteer as the "Voice of the Spartans" for SJSU. He called plays
at SJSU football games for 36 years, retiring in 2002. Neither Hayward nor his
wife, Darla Belshe, who acted as his spotter during the games, was paid. Bob
Hosfeldt, the former general manager at KNTV, said Hayward, his best friend from
high school, loved football and was committed to community service. Hayward also
donated to help provide scholarships for SJSU students in the Department of
Radio, Television and Film. To read more about Mr. Hayward, please click
on Voice of the Spartans.
15. SJSU GOES WIRELESS
Spring semester heralds the launch of a new wireless
network for students, faculty and staff on campus, reports Richard Porter,
university computing and telecommunications network analyst and project manager
for the new wireless network. Covering 63 acres of campus area, the new
Comcast-run wireless network offers 552 access points, which provide four times
the coverage offered by the earlier BlueSocket wireless network, says Porter.
"Every place except the Market Cafe, Event Center and Campus Village is
covered," he adds. The wireless network can also be accessed from King Library,
allowing easy access to e-mail and the Internet to those with an SJSUOne
account. Launched last month, the wireless network meets the latest security
standards and has a multi-layer defense protocol. Additional information on the
wireless network can be found athttp://www.sjsu.edu/networking/wireless.
Spartan Sports Ticker
15. SJSU HOCKEY FINISHES RANKED #1
 The SJSU Hockey Club Team just capped off the
greatest season in 15 years of SJSU ice hockey, going 26-1-1 and earning the
number-one ranking in the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association) western
region, comprised of 30 teams, for the first time ever! Thanks to the team's
supportive fan base, they also didn't lose any home games for the first time
ever, going 18-0-1 at home.
The SJSU Hockey Club Teamwill be traveling to Rochester, New York in March to
compete with the top 16 teams in the country for the ACHA national
championship. Before they leave, they are either going to be playing an
unofficial game against UNLV or doing a SJSU hockey skills competition and
rookie vs. veteran game as a fundraiser to help them get to New York. This will
be on February 25th at 6:45pm at Logitech Ice in San José (at the corner of 10th
and Alma, kitty corner to Spartan Stadium). Anyone looking for something
new to get excited about in the Spartan Nation, this is your chance! More info can be found at
the SJSU Hockey Club Team's website, www.sjsuhockey.com.
17. MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
2/18: vs. UCSB 4:30 PM - "Central YMCA Day" Half-time: Youth basketball
programs
2/23: vs. Fresno State 7:00 PM - "Paint the House Blue and
Gold!" National Anthem Singer: SJSU Student - Megan Araujo
Half-time: Greek Competition Post-game: WAC Play UP Player of
the game presentation/ FREE mini basketball toss.
2/25: vs. Hawaii 3:00 pm Pre-game:
Senior Night - Honoring MBB Class of 2006 Half-time:
Honor with introductions the Alumni Board on court. Post-game: Fan
appreciation - team autographs
18. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
2/16: vs. Louisiana Tech 7:00 pm - "First televised
Spartan WBB game! Paint the house Blue and Gold!" Post-game: WAC
Play UP Player of the game presentation/ FREE mini basketball
toss
2/18: vs. New Mexico State 7:00 pm - "Central
YMCA Day" Half-time: Youth basketball programs
3/2:
vs. Nevada 7:00 pm - "Faculty and Staff Night"
3/4:
vs. Utah State 7:00 pm - "Senior Night", Half-time: SJSU Junior
Cheer Clinic Program, Post-game: Fan appreciation - team autographs
19. BASEBALL SCHEDULE
2/16:
vs. BYU 6:00 pm (GAME WILL BE PLAYED AT
BLETHAN FIELD)
2/17: vs. BYU 6:00
pm
2/18: vs. BYU 1:00 pm
2/24: vs. Loyola
Marymount 6:00 pm (GAME WILL BE PLAYED AT BLETHAN FIELD)
2/25:
vs. Loyola Marymount 1:00 pm
2/26: vs. Loyola
Marymount 1:00 pm
20. SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
2/22: v s. CAL 2:00 pm
21. GYMNASTICS
2/24: vs. UC Davis 7:00 pm
22. TENNIS
2/15: vs. Sonoma State 2:00
pm
2/23: vs. Albany 2:00 pm
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