Fall 2009

Message to Alumni from the Executive Director

Myron Hughes

Fellow Bearcats,

People usually talk of spring as the season for rebirth and rejuvenation. On a college campus, however, nothing compares with the fall. Here at UC, we have welcomed our largest and most prepared freshman class ever, seen our alumni and students galvanized by the historic start to the new football season (including UC’s first-ever Top 10 ranking), and announced the arrival of a new president, Dr. Gregory Williams, who will begin his duties on November 1.

Attending events is an obvious way to connect with your university and fellow alumni, and our events calendar is always busy, in Cincinnati and elsewhere (thanks to our 35 alumni networks in the U.S. as well as groups in India and China). Our biggest event is coming up soon: Homecoming 2009 is scheduled for October 24, with a weekend of activities within the colleges, special interest/constituency groups and the university overall. Of course, the annual parade down Clifton Avenue is always a highlight — this year’s theme is “Connecting Bearcats” — and afterward the Bearcats will beat arch-rival Louisville on the football field. Please join us if you can.

If you come to any of the four remaining home football games, be sure to stop by the Bearcat Blitz tailgate festivities at the Myers Alumni Center. You’ll see the beginning of a series of significant enhancements to our facility, including a pair of huge TV screens that elevate our ability to stage meetings and host alumni gatherings. Outside, a new handicap-access ramp to the building will be built this winter.

In my travels, I’m fortunate to meet many members of our wonderfully diverse UC family, and despite their differences in age, profession, geography, ethnicity, etc., they say very similar things. They mention the great pride they have for their school and the education that prepared them for life; they express a desire to help other Bearcats; and they cite the value of making connections with others in the vast UC network. And they truly savor that UC connection! We hosted more than 100 alumni at our UC-Oregon State football pre-game party in Corvallis, Oregon, and the enthusiasm from our alumni in the area was off the charts.  One alum stated, “Now I understand, possibly for the first time in my life, why alumni associations make outreach efforts.” To me, this is what it’s all about … This is truly Bearcat Pride!

One of the most frequent things I hear from alumni is, “Myron, how can I help?” My answer is simple: Be engaged as an alum in whatever way works best for you, and support our good work by being a Sustaining or Life Member of the UC Alumni Association. A vibrant and connected alumni community is critical to the health of a university, and the network of fellow alumni is invaluable throughout our lives. From the day each of us chose to attend UC, we’ve been in this together. Let’s always celebrate that and find ways to serve one another.

Myron L. Hughes
Executive Director