This fall, Keene State College will collaborate with The Community Kitchen and Scully Architects to host a CANstruction event. Classes, student organizations, and alumni are invited to participate!

CANstruction is a design/build competition where groups compete to design and build giant structures made entirely out of canned foods. The results are displayed to the public as magnificent sculpture exhibits. Cans are then donated to local food pantries. Event sponsors will donate all cans needed for the sculpture. Teams DO NOT NEED TO SUPPLY THEIR OWN CANS. The CANstruction website displays photos and videos from other events around the country.

There are a few ways that you can participate:

Judge:
We are looking for an alumnus to serve as a judge for the event. You would need to be available in Keene during the day on Monday, November 1, 2010.

Form a Team:
If you are interested in getting a team together to compete, contact Sara Telfer at (603) 358-2425 or stelfer@keene.edu. We would love to have an alumni team involved!
Interest Deadline: September 10, 2010

The actual event will be Sunday, October 31, through Sunday, November 6, 2010.

• Team build date: October 31, 2010 @ 10 a.m. – Student Center Flag Room
• Judging: November 1, 2010 – Student Center Flag Room
• Awards will be given in the following categories: Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, and Jurors’ Favorite.
• Maximum size for a structure is 10′l x 10′w x 8′h.
• Display: November 1–6, 2010 – Student Center Flag Room
• DeCANstruction: November 7, 2010 – Student Center Flag Room

Donate Canned Food Items:
In addition to the sculpture competition, the public is invited to donate canned food items at the time of the exhibition and at the close of the competition. All of the canned food used in the structure is donated to local food pantries and soup kitchens.

Changed jobs lately? Gotten a promotion? Taken a cool vacation? Acquired a new family member? Presented at a conference? Done some community service? Be sure you keep us in the know! Alumni tell us all the time that they really want to hear what their former classmates (that would be you) are up to. We publish that news in the “Class Notes” section of Keene State Today (your alumni magazine) and lots of people (us included) love reading it.

So, what’s up? It only takes a minute to let us know. Write a few lines and send them to your class secretary or use our handy online form.  We really do want to know!

Is there a more beautiful time on campus than the fall? Keene never looks better than when she’s wearing her autumn colors. Miss it? We thought so, so we’re giving you the perfect excuse to come back and enjoy KSC at her best. More than just a homecoming, the Alumni Fall Festival & Homecoming will feature opportunities for you to meet with old friends and current students who are members of campus clubs and organizations. You can also look forward to some great entertainment, tailgaiting, and KSC pride competitions out at Owl Stadium. Relive the excitement of cheering on the men’s soccer team under the lights Saturday night. Look for more information in August on our website.

Though June’s Reunion Weekend was over a month ago, people are still talking about the great time they had. Everyone seems to think it was one of the best Reunions ever. No doubt, the new Alumni Center made people feel especially welcome. This magnificent building clearly states that KSC values and welcomes its alumni. You met the same cherished old friends, enjoyed the same great food, and had a great party in your new Center – no wonder everyone was so happy.

So how do we build on that momentum and make next Reunion even better? The Alumni Reunion Weekend Committee will be getting together soon to review the event and make plans for 2011. If you attended Reunion 2010, please help us plan for next year by filling out our brief survey. Tell us how you liked the events, venues, schedule, food, etc. Your opinions matter! We make adjustments each year based on the feedback we hear from participants.

You can even sign on for a seat on the 2011 committee and really make a difference!

Thanks!

Do many of your fond memories of KSC involve the time you spent as a member of a student club or organization? Wouldn’t it be a blast to meet up with the old group again? Well, here’s your chance – the Alumni Fall Festival Weekend is coming up in October, a great excuse to get the old gang back on campus. The Alumni Office will be happy to help you organized a gathering and can help you coordinate with current student groups, arrange a meeting place, plan for refreshments, and get the word out to your special affinity club or group.

Sound good? Email the Alumni Office, or give them a call at 603-358-2369.

Three years in the making, the long-awaited film, Enter to Learn, Go forth to Serve: the First 100 Years of Keene State College, will premiere at the Colonial Theatre in Keene on Friday, October 1st, kicking off the Alumni Fall Festival & Homecomig weekend. Emeriti faculty member Larry Benequist and a host of talented production staff have spent countless hours creating this wonderful documentary chronicling the history of Keene State College. He has researched college documents, ancient film footage, slides, yearbooks, and ephemera and interviewed more than 100 alumni, former and current administrators, faculty, and staff.

Dr. Benaquist showed part of the film to a packed house last year during the centennial Reunion.Tickets for the big event will be available in September. You’ll definitely want to mark this one on your calendar!

The Keene State College Alumni Association hosted its 2010 Reunion Weekend June 4–6. As a part of the festivities, three outstanding alumni were honored at the Annual Reunion Luncheon on Saturday, June 5.

Bruce Stronach '74, Alumni Achievement Award

Bruce Stronach ‘74 received the Alumni Achievement Award, given to a Keene State College alumnus/a whose professional achievement in her or his chosen field brings honor to herself or himself and to KSC. Stronach currently serves as dean of Temple University, Japan Campus. He was president of Yokohama City University in Japan from 2004 to 2008 – the first foreign president of a Japanese public university – and is known as an expert in Japanese popular culture and politics, and as an educational pioneer and reformer. He served as acting president, provost, and chief operating officer at Becker College in Worcester, MA, from 1998–2004. Books, articles, and monographs he has published include Beyond the Rising Sun: Nationalism in Contemporary Japan, Politics East and West: A Comparison of Japanese and British Political Culture, and Popular Culture in Japan and America.

Brent Elwell, Outstanding Service Award

Brent Elwell (1977–2010) was honored with the Outstanding Service Award, given to an individual or organization that has provided outstanding service to KSC through leadership, commitment, and influence in the programs and activities of the College. Anyone who has been around Keene State College athletics the past 15 years knew Brent Elwell. At KSC sporting events he could be found handing out a towel or words of encouragement, videotaping the history of KSC sports, or just providing a pat on the back for a job well done. He also worked on campus in the mailroom and in the bookstore. Brent died in January at age 33, after a long battle with cancer. His father Ned accepted the award on his behalf.

Jack Griffin '72, Sprague Drennan Award

Jack Griffin ‘72 received the Alumni Association’s Sprague Drennan Award, given to a KSC alumnus/a who has demonstrated noteworthy participation in alumni activities and events. Griffin served on the Alumni Association Board for six years (one year as president); was a leader for the Career Planning and Placement alumni efforts to help and support students with job searches, resumes, and interview skills; and is a strong supporter of regional alumni events.

The recipe for a successful reunion weekend: great people + great food + great energy! We were pleased  to host alumni from every decade – all way back to Bea Patch ‘35, who celebrated her 75th class reunion. The weekend was wonderful and the spirit was great! We loved watching folks reconnect, revive old memories, and create a few new ones. We were delighted to see so many members of the classes of 1960, 1975, and 1985. Whether they hung out on the quad or danced the night away to the Tom Foolery Band, a good time was had by all. See you next June!

All dressed up for the Grand Opening, June 4, 2010

Nearly 300 alumni  gathered at the corner of Main Street and Marlboro Street in Keene on Friday night, June 4, to celebrate the grand opening of the new Alumni Center. Sincerely appreciatve people spoke about the family that is the KSC alumni body, the welcome and generous support of the USNH system, and the many people and organizations that contributed to the campaign that made the Alumni Center possible. When the formal part of the dedication was over, everyone headed inside to tour the building and have a really really good party!

To encourage the guests to see everything, we handed out raffle tickets at several locations throughout the Center. Raffle prizes included books by alumni authors, gift certificates, wines, a copy of the Jonathan Daniels film, gift baskets of NH products, beautiful Vera Bradley items, and two exquisite turned wooden bowls – all prizes handcrafted by alumni or donated by alumni-owned businesses. And perhaps best of all was just talking to and mingling with the other guests in the magnificent Centennial Hall, enjoying good food and drink, and listening to the music of the Scott Mullett Quartet.

Alumni visited the Center throughout the weekend and seemed delighted with this impressive new building. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by – we would love to visit with you too!

If you’re one of the nearly 1000 graduates who joined the proud ranks of KSC alumni last Saturday, or if you’re one of their (probably even prouder) parents, family, or friends, take a stroll through the extensive Commencement 2010 Photo Gallery. It was a great day, and we took plenty of photos. Check ’em out — and come back — we’ll be posting more pix later in the week!