THE OFFICIAL JSUNAA DALLAS/FORT WORTH CHAPTER NEWSLETTER
T H E E
I LOVE NEWSLETTER
Meet The President On the Recruiting Trail Campus Highlights Annual Texsippian Cookout Black Winemaker’s Fundraiser Jackson State University Dallas Fort Worth Chapter Celebrates JSU Athletics What’s Going On??? Calendar of Events
A Message from the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter President Fellow Jackson State University Alumni and Friends: As a graduate of Jackson State, it is with great pleasure that I bring you warm greetings from the JSUNAA Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapter. Additionally, I want to thank you for giving back to a place that has given so much, to so many. Please know that our chapter is devoted to our alumni and look forward to building and maintaining great relationships and increasing participation in all alumni sponsored events on the local and national levels.
Our mission is to assist JSU alumni with building a life-long relationship with the institution. It is a pervasive effort that must begin with educating first time freshmen on the importance of giving back and understanding their specific role as an active alumnus. We encourage all alumni to support our local chapters and beloved alma mater. We are diligently developing, coordinating, and promoting new opportunities designed to better inform alumni. Additionally, these programs will enhance alumni connectivity and involvement with Jackson State University. Our chapter is an officially active chapter under the umbrella of the Jackson State University
National Alumni Association, Inc., (JSUNAA). We work in collaboration with Division of Institutional Advancement and Alumni & Constituency Relations to advance alumni and community goals. In closing, thank you for your commitment and continued support of our chapter and Jackson State University. As President, it is a privilege to work for you, my fellow alumni as we remain committed to ONE JSU. Please feel free to come meet with us at our monthly meetings held near Downtown Dallas, it’s your home away from home. Thee I Love!
MEET THE PRESIDENT Come Out & Meet JSU President Dr. Meyers On April 6th, JSUNAA/DFW Chapter will be hosting current Jackson State University president, Dr. Carolyn Meyers. We invite all JSU family and friends to come out while we welcome the president, as she and her staff will be in the metroplex receiving a recognition on behalf of Jackson State University. Although this event will be sponsored by the alumni association, you do not have to be an active member to participate. The time and location will be available soon, but for more information, feel free to contact info@dfw-jsu.org
On the Recruiting Trail for JSU JSUNAA DFW Chapter attends several local college and career fairs to help spread the name of Jackson State University and recruit future students and alums to the university. During the last quarter of 2013, we recruited over 100 students to JSU via prospective student cards and/or applications. One of the most underrated ways that alums can give back to JSU is to encourage and recruit
prospective students to attend Mississippi’s only Urban University. We are always look for future tigers and through the efforts of chapter members, Linda Adams and Yolanda Bowens, we have been able to maintain a steady schedule of college fairs and an excitement among prospective students when JSU is in the house. If you know of any college or career fairs, feel free to contact info@dfw-jsu.org
JSUNAA/DFW Shows Off School Spirit for Televised Games Being the MACK of the SWAC, JSU has been a fixture on regional as well as national television coverage with our football prowess on display for everyone to see. Below are a few of our social events with us showing our school spirit: Feel free to come to our next event and help us cheer our blue Bengals on to victory!!!
Campus Highlights • Student enrollment highest peak 9134 • JSU is the most diverse public HBCU inMississippi • JSU Development Foundation tripled fundraising to $7.5million in 2012 including $3.2million • JSU National Alumni Association named HBCU Alumni Association of the year • Tiger Tech which is an Apple authorized store now open on campus • Starbucks now opened on campus • Remodeling of historic Alexander Hall • JSU is a leading collaborator in the Jackson Heart Study, the most comprehensive research project ever conducted in the world on cardiovascular disease in African Americans • JSU has produced more meteorologists than any other school in Mississippi • JSU has extended partnerships with local community colleges such as Hinds and Holmes Community College to ease the transition between these institutions to JSU • JSU alums, faculty, and staff have combined submitted and completed 100+ successful patents over the last 10 years • JSU Madison campus now open
Campus Highlights • JSU Institute of Government now open downtown • Athletes chosen for distinguished academic performance and even a commemorative Wheaties cereal box
Texsippian Celebrates Mississippi Colleges and Universities The annual Texsippian Cookout on August 10, 2013 gave Mississippi higher learning alums a chance to have a family reunion of sorts at Reverchon Park and Recreation Center in Dallas, TX. This event was hosted by JSUNAA DFW Chapter, with co-hosts being MVSU, Alcorn State, and Tougaloo College Alumni chapters. This was the second that we have hosted this event at Reverchon park and the great food,
great music, and cool atmosphere in the recreation hall ensured that a good time was had by all. There were also sport competitions that took place. This event always serves as an opportunity to reflect on school days past while enjoying some good old fashioned smack talk between in-state rivals. We look forward to continuing this annual event and we ask that you attend and bring a friend to remind the other HBCU alums of Mississippi that Jackson State indeed runs the Magnolia State.
• Washington Monthly magazine ranked JSU among top colleges in social mobility, research, and service • Top producer of African Americans educators as well as biological and biomedical scientists • Among top two HBCUs for federally funded research and development • iPad initiative with incoming freshman • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) partial tuition waiver for eligible incoming freshmen initiative • Sonic Boom of The South named HBCU band of the year • New Residence Halls scheduled to open 2015 • Spearheaded the largest private real estate development in the JSU community in more than 30 years • JSU Cinema and newly renovated campus union game room options • JSU dining along with several restaurant options such as Burger King, Subway, Chick filA, Pizza Hut, and Heritage dining
BLACK WINEMAKERS DINNER
Black Winemakers Dinner Provides a Tasty Twist to Fundraising On July 14, 2013 JSUNAA DFW Chapter hosted our inaugural Black Wine Maker’s Dinner at Villa’s Brazilian Steakhouse in Irving, TX. The idea behind this event was to create a new arena of fundraising for our scholarship fund
while introducing attendees to a new market of minority winemakers from various areas of the United States. “This event is so unique because minority wine makers make up such a small portion and it is really great to have an event that spotlights them” said Mr. Art Buckley, chapter member and event chair. The wine flowed for a great cause an the venue served as an excellent backdrop for conversations between alumni of our dear old college home. “We hope that this turns into an annual event that will educate the public about JSU, but will also allow us to fellowship and have some fun.”, said chapter president David Robinson Jr. The event was highlighted by the speaker of the evening, Mr. Alphonse Dotson. Mr. Dotson, co-owner of Dotson-Cervantes wines, was a former NFL star and a fellow HBCU alum. He spoke about his start as a winemaker and how there is a need for African-American makers and support for minority winemakers today. The most savory part of this event was the fact that we were able to raise funds and awareness for our scholarship fund. We look forward to seeing you this year as we continue to support this event.
YOUR LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Vision Our vision is to continue our commitment to Jackson State university, Jackson State Univ. National Alumni Assn. and the Jackson State family around the country. Our chapter will be one of the premier alumni chapters in the metroplex. The chapter will be recognized by JSUNAA as one of the best in the country. We will develop and implement programs to enhance members leadership skills within the chapter and their professional endeavors. We will serve as a model for the organization to duplicate. JSU DFW alumni chapter will seek unique methods to increase revenues for the chapter and for Jackson State University. We will support honesty, integrity and trustworthiness among all members.
• New Business Cards for recruiting efforts of students and Alumni • Holiday Greeting Post Cards sent to alumni in the Dallas Fort Worth Area • Texsippian Picnic was moved to Reverchon Park as well as an indoor facility in response to Texas heat. • Texsippian Post Cards will be available this year • Black Winemakers Dinner Post Cards will be provided this year • Two $250 grants was provided to a JSU student from the DFW Area in dire need of financial assistance
Your contributions to the Dallas Fort Worth Chapter are making a difference.
SUPPORT TIGER FOOTBALL AND THE DOME BY PURCHASING SEASON TICKETS NOW!!!
SET YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE TEXSIPPIAN COOKOUT. SATURDAY AUGUST 9, 2014 AT REVERCHON PARK
BLACK WINE MAKER’S DINNERS IS TENTTIVELY SET FOR JULY 13 AT VILLA’S BRAZILIAN RESTAURANT