April 2008
News & Notes

        
Montclair Alumni Teachers Gather
MSU's alumni educators who work for the Montclair Board of
Education gathered on March 6 at the George Inness Annex of
Montclair High School for an afternoon of music, memories and camaraderie. Montclair State Alumni Association President and Superintendent of Schools Frank Alvarez '76, along with MSU’s
Dean of the College of Education and Human Services,
Ada Beth Cutler, were among the attendees.
Pictured above l to r: Elaine Fine, MSU Prof. of Curriculum & Teaching, Rocky the Red Hawk, Mary Fiumara '06 MA and Marie Attanasio '65.
For more on the event, click here.

       
Bergen County Alumni Hold Mixer
Alumni in the Bergen County area got together on Thurs., March 20 at
Biagio's Ristorante in Paramus to kick off the launch of the Bergen
County Alumni Chapter. The mixer was a great opportunity for alumni
to reconnect and network and discuss how to give back to the MSU
community through volunteerism.

Alumni are making connections not only in New Jersey but across
the country. Join a group or help form one. Current active chapters
include: Bergen County, Black Alumni, Communication Studies, MBA,
San Diego Area, Capitol  (Wash. D.C.) Area and South East Florida.
Visit www.msualumcommunity.com for more information.

Attention Parents and Grandparents of H.S. Seniors!
Each year, the Montclair State University Alumni Association
Scholarship Committee considers applications of entering full-time
freshman who are the children or grandchildren of an alumna or
alumnus who is either a current Pride Member or a Life Member
of the MSU Alumni Association

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is awarded in the form of a tuition waiver. Final selection is based on academic achievement as determined by the Office of Admissions, on financial need, as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid and on the quality of the essay submitted by the applicant.

Interested students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) indicating MSU as one of the recipients.

A completed application form and the accompanying 200 word essay must be received by the Office of Alumni Relations by April 14, 2008.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Alumni and Community Relations at 973-655-4141 or alumni@mail.montclair.edu.

MSUAA Executive Board Voting Open
Voting is underway for the 2008-2009 Executive Board of the Alumni Association. This volunteer board is responsible for formulating policy and conducting the affairs of the Association. The officers of the Board are the President, Executive Vice President, Vice President for Membership and Programming, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Secretary. The Executive Board meets several times per year. Officers serve two year terms and the at-large members serve three year terms.

Cast your ballot for your MSUAA Executive Board representatives now. Click here for a printable ballot. Signed ballots must be received by May 16.

Alumni Connections will feature an article each month during the centennial year written by members of the Montclair State University Alumni Association. The retrospective stories will look back decade-by-decade at the school and the culture of the times. 

Alma Mater, dear Montclair: the '90s... it's all good!
With the awesome ’80s just a memory, Montclair State heads into a new era under the leadership of its seventh president, Irvin D. Reid. The 1990 yearbook deems the start of the decade “A New Beginning,” a foreshadowing of not only the changes about to take place at the school, but around the world – politically, technologically and culturally.

In August 1990, Iraq invades Kuwait and launches what becomes the Persian Gulf War and in October, the Berlin Wall comes crashing down and in 1991 the release of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” which changes the face of music and creates a phenomenon known as “grunge,” not just referring to the musical genre but to a way of life. The decade is filled with technological advances including the development of the World Wide Web. Reality television begins with MTV’s “Real World.” And sensational news stories abound: the O.J. Simpson trial, Princess Diana’s death, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Columbine High School shooting and the sordid tale of Monica Lewinsky and President William Jefferson Clinton.

In 1992, MSC bestows Dr. Joseph T. Moore with its first Distinguished Teacher award. The following year, the baseball team wins its third national championship and an addition to Sprague Library opens. In 1993 Stone Hall goes co-ed.

On April 27, 1994 Montclair State achieves university status, making it the first of New Jersey’s public colleges to be designated a university by the New Jersey Board of Higher Education. Bells ring on campus to announce the change, and students, faculty and staff proudly don buttons – printed in advance in anticipation of the change – with the Montclair State University name.

Dickson Hall, with classrooms and offices, opens in 1995, later to include George Brantl Hall, and the Philip S. Cohen Lounge. Dickson Hall is named after Montclair State's fifth president, David W.D. Dickson, the first African-American president of a four-year college in New Jersey.  In addition, Montclair State opens the Center of Pedagogy, the first of its kind in the nation.

In 1997, the Distance Education Room in College Hall is established – the ultimate in interactive technology – and one of 40 in the state to be funded by the New Jersey Intercampus Network. Deputy Provost Gregory Waters is named interim president.  Carol Blazejowski ’78 , Montclair State’s all-time leading scorer, is named vice president and general manager of the WNBA’s New York Liberty. (In 1994, Blazejowski was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. and into the inaugural class of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn. in 1999. She is the first Montclair State athlete to have her jersey retired.)

In 1998, Dr. Susan A. Cole becomes Montclair State's eighth and first woman, president. Montclair State receives approval from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education to offer a doctor of education degree in pedagogy, the first doctoral program in the University's 90-year history. Floyd Hall Arena and Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center open. This year, Red Hawks head football coach Rick Giancola celebrates his 100th victory with the team. Giancola, who wrapped up his 25th season in 2007, is the winningest coach in Montclair State history, leading MSU to eight NJAC titles and bringing his team to the NCAA tournament seven times, reaching the quarterfinals four times.

In 1999, Science Hall, an addition to Richardson Hall, which houses the College of Science and Mathematics, opens with 11 labs, three greenhouses and student annex. Montclair State adds another degree to its list of offerings, a doctorate program in pedagogy.

The Alumni Association creates Alumni Green, an area located between College Hall and Sprague Library, adorned with brick-lined walkways, flower beds and benches dedicated to honor graduates, friends, professors and campus organizations. To date, there are six named benches, 13 memorial trees and more than 300 inscribed bricks in place on Alumni Green.

The Alumni Association also establishes the “Alumni Legacy Scholarship Fund,” awarded to children or grandchildren of members of the MSUAA. In addition, the Association underwrites the rededication of a replacement WW II memorial tablet in Life Hall. The tablet includes Montclair State’s single known combat loss of the Korean War, Corporal Alexander "Sandy" MacMillan.

Several notable people receive honorary degrees during the ’90s: Melba Moore ’70, Margaret Sokol ’38, Yogi Berra, Bruce Willis, Sam Mills ’80 and Floyd Hall among others.

The decade comes to an end and Montclair State gets set to welcome the new millennium.