It's only week one, but fall term is already well underway in Allen Hall. This week brought nearly 1,500 journalism students back to campus.  There is much excitement in the air. 

Late last week we received approval to move forward with schematic design for the Allen Hall transformation project. We have more than $5 million in pledges for the project and we are working hard to raise the additional dollars needed to meet the $7.5 million in bonding authority.  If you are interested in supporting this transformation or learning more about our plans, please contact Sara Mason, Director of Development.  

There are a number of exciting events planned for fall term, including What is Film? Change & Continuity in the 21st Century" to be held at the Turnbull Center on November 6 and 7.  Keynote speakers are Academy Award winning director/producer Will Vinton, known as the pioneer of Claymation; SOJC alum Bryce Zabel, whose many accomplishments in Hollywood include winner of last year’s Writers Guild award for the Hallmark medical thriller miniseries “Pandemic"; Stuart Cunningham, Distinguished Professor, Queensland University of Technology, and Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation.

We'll kick off Homecoming weekend a week later with the 2009 Hall of Achievement Dinner and Reception on Friday, November 13.   We’re pleased to honor the late Ann Sullivan ’42 and Steve O’Leary ’69 at the SOJC’s signature event. Glenn Cole ’92 will receive the inaugural Eric Allen Award at the event, which raises money for scholarships and the Hall of Achievement Student Fund.  If you’d like to attend or know more about the event, please let us know – we’d love to see many of you there.  

If you are in Eugene on Thursday, I hope you'll plan to join us in Allen Hall for our Back-to-School Ice Cream Social.  Rain or shine, we'll gather in the Allen Hall Atrium and plaza to catch up on summer adventures and kick off the 2009-10 school year.

As always, we welcome your feedback and want to stay connected with you.  Send us an alumni note, join our Facebook group, or simply e-mail to say hello.  We’d love to hear from you.

Best regards,

Tim Gleason

Edwin L. Artzt Dean

t: tgleason