March 2008
News & Notes

4th Annual MSU Alumnae Basketball Game
It was a close game on Feb. 9 when about 20 alumnae took on the MSU women's basketball team.

Following the game, the Red Hawks joined the nationally recognized Breast Cancer Awareness initiative, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) "Think Pink" for their game against Rowan University.

The event, which attracted over 400 attendees, helped raise $750. During the event, limited edition Think Pink t-shirts were sold. At halftime of the game, a local youth basketball team, Glen Ridge girls’ basketball, was invited to play a scrimmage.  

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.

Legacy Scholarships for Incoming Students
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.

Plans for 25th anniversary and other reunion classes
Plans are underway for the 25th anniversary class of 1983 and classes ending in 3s and 8s.

Save the date for Sept. 20, the same date as the University's Centennial Festival. We'll be hosting an outdoor family brunch in the President's Circle just for you. It will be a great opportunity for you to reconnect and reminisce with your classmates before taking in all the action at the festival which will include rides, entertainment, crafts and more.

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 '80s... totally awesome!
The 1980 La Campana yearbook featured “A Short History of Montclair State College,” written by senior editor Lisa Burkhart ’80.  “It has taken three-quarters of a century for Montclair State College to become the higher education institution that it is today,” she says. “In 1980, Montclair has a student enrollment of 14,000. It offers 32 majors in six schools and a wide selection of minors.” 

The beginning of the new decade was a rather quiet time on campus yet big things were happening around the world. The “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic hockey team defeats the Soviet Union 4 to 3, for the gold; John Lennon is assassinated; Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington and 65 people are killed in one of the biggest volcanic events ever recorded. This is the year Stephen Adubato graduates and goes on to become a recognized TV news analyst. In addition, Kops Lounge in Russ Hall is named after revered faculty member Walter Kops.  

In 1981, the country got a new president, former Hollywood actor and California governor, Ronald Reagan, who just 69 days into the new administration was wounded by a would-be assassin,
John Hinckley, Jr.

Dedicated to Lawton W. Blanton, Jr., former dean of students, Blanton Hall opens in 1982. Created with a "mall" atmosphere, this residence hall accommodates more than 650 students. The Student Center Annex opens this year as well, housing classrooms and the Class One organizations of the Student Government Association.

Throughout the years, Sprague Field has witnessed many exciting and memorable events. But never had so many people gathered at one time to witness one of them than on Oct. 30, 1982 as Montclair State took on Trenton State in a battle of the unbeatens in the 50th meeting of the oldest active collegiate football rivalry in the state of New Jersey. With a stadium capacity of 6,000, the crowd on this night far exceeded that amount as spectators lined the hills around Sprague Field and stood four rows deep along the fence that surrounded the playing field. When it was all counted up 8,613, fans watched as Montclair State clinched its second straight and ninth New Jersey Athletic Conference championship with a 25-13 victory. The following week, Montclair defeated Glassboro to cap off an 8-0-2 campaign, the last undefeated in program history.

By 1983 the campus grows to 219 acres in size, and parking, as always, is a challenge. That year, MSC names its first distinguished faculty member, Dr. Bertha Quintana. President David W.D. Dickson resigns, succeeded in ’84 by Dr. Donald E. Walters.

The world was shocked by two tragedies in 1986: the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the USSR.

In 1987 Walters resigns due to illness and Provost Dr. Richard Lynde serves as interim, then acting president. Also in ’87 the baseball team wins a national championship, and the Institute for Critical Thinking opens. Sam Mills earns his degree this year, and later goes on to a successful NFL career. The Honors Program is started in ’88; while in the following year, the Global Education Center opens.

As the decade comes to a close, the college experiences two big changes. Irvin D. Reid becomes Montclair’s seventh president and the original name of the MSC mascot, The Indians, is changed to the Red Hawks. Through a contest to come up with the name and logo, the mascot was chosen. More than 150 entries were submitted and a committee chose the final name. Holly Gera, then-director of Campus Recreation, came up with the winning name. Gera thought the red-tailed hawk was an appropriate mascot for the college. Upper Montclair is one of the best locations to find the red-hawk. The red feathers of the species of the hawk also enabled the school colors red and white to remain the same.

The ’80s will be remembered for many things, especially pop culture and new technology. Personal computing, communications (the first hand-held mobile phone), and music devices took the world by storm.

Madonna, “Flashdance,” hair bands, MTV, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “General Hospital’s” Luke and Laura and fads and icons too many to mention fill the decade.  And young people during this time, mostly graduates just out of college, who come to find themselves living an affluent lifestyle with high-paying jobs earn a name for a generation: Young Urban Professional or “yuppie.”