Dear Davidsonian,

It’s a time of year that brings with it its own unique excitements. The greatest family holiday of all – Thanksgiving – arrives, and we then all try hard to work off the pounds we picked up that weekend. Davidson’s 450-some Seniors look at their exams and realize that they’re down to their final semester at Davidson. Basketball season – for all that that’s meant in the last couple of seasons – begins, and brings with it dozens of opportunities for alumni and other members of the college family to gather together. We start hearing the holiday tunes on the radio and in places of business wherever we go… and remember the shopping that we need to accomplish in the few dwindling hours before The Big Day. Don’t you just love it?! So here it is: your monthly reminder that life at Davidson is as vibrant as ever, and woven in between so many of the people and things in your daily life about which you care so much. And here’s this month’s homework for you: think about how Davidson can be more a part of your monthly routines, and how you can be more a part of Davidson. And then let me know what you’ve come up with, and what we can do to help you get there!

Alumni Travel Opportunities in 2009
Davidson’s alumni travel program is gearing up for another great year in 2009 – and we want you to come along! This year’s trips will be to:

·         Holland and Belgium (April 10-18; hosted by Shaw Smith, Professor of Art History and Humanities)

·         WWII: Normandy to the German Frontier (July 1-9, hosted by Peter Wagner ’92, Director of Alumni Relations)

·         Israel (December 12-21, hosted by Jonathan Berkey, Professor of History)

·         Presidential trip to Argentina (January, exact dates TBD, hosted by Susan and Tom Ross ’72, President of the College)

For more information about these great trips, please contact Eleanor Cross ’01 in the Alumni Office today!

President Ross Addresses the State of the Economy
By now we hope that you’ve seen the letter from Tom Ross regarding the economy and how Davidson is adjusting to the current state of affairs. But if you haven’t, please do read how we’re responding to today’s recession.

Economics Mentoring Program Assists Davidson Students
Headed by professor of economics Vikram Kumar, the Comparative Advantage program helps assist Davidson students who are headed into finance and economics by pairing them with mentors within the Davidson family.

Your Alma Mater. Love It. Live It. Attend Events in Your Area!
Do the right thing for Davidson – don’t miss out on alumni chapter events in your hometown! Please bookmark the Web page for the alumni chapter near you, and check back regularly. We’ll keep it updated with events and other news that’s coming your way, including information about the locations you should meet up with other Davidson folks to watch basketball telecasts. Keep your eyes open, and bring your Davidson roommates or friends with you!

See You in New York City?
Are you going to the men’s basketball game vs. West Virginia in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden, New York City, on December 9? Join us at Local West, 1 Penn Plaza, at 33rd Street and 8th Avenue, from 4-7 p.m. for a great pre-game event with a huge Davidson crowd (currently over 200!); please let us know if you will be attending. Thanks!

Davidson Loses Longstanding Emeriti
In the last couple of months, the Davidson family lost some of the most notable members of its faculty emeriti. Learn more about the lives and careers of Louise Nelson, Allen Wolf, and Bill Frey.

Charlotte’s Steele Creek Youth Network Visits Davidson
Primarily a violence- and gang-prevention program, the SCYN sent 30 Charlotte youths to Davidson for a day recently to take in some football, enjoy the campus, and speak with mentors and role models among Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and the Sistahs of Essence.

Recently Published Davidson Faculty
Members of Davidson’s teaching faculty have had new works published recently, and it’s worth a look! See what Paul Studtmann, Alan Michael Parker, and Gerardo Marti have been working on.

News From Athletics
November marked the end of most fall sports and the beginning of most winter sports, so there’s more news than one might shake a [insert favorite sports device here] at. What I can report to you is that the women’s volleyball team suffered an early exit from the SoCon tournament thanks to top-seeded Samford; men’s soccer exited the first round of the SoCons thanks to Georgia Southern but have some important individual honors to mention (as does women’s soccer); the field hockey team garnered enough votes in the national polling to be ranked #26 nationally at the end of the season!; and the football team finished the season with a resounding win over Butler. In winter sports, both men’s and women’s swimming took first in the Davidson Invitational; the wrestling team has started their competition for the season; the women’s basketball team enjoys their first home game tonight after a challenging early-season non-conference schedule; and the men’s basketball team has charged out to a 5-1 record and four straight weeks of being ranked nationally.

Basketball Inspires Creativity
I wish we could somehow tally the hours that Davidson students, faculty, staff, friends, and alumni have spent over the last two years talking about, thinking about, or writing about this newest Basketball Phenomenon of the last two or three years. I’m sure the figure would boggle the mind. We all know that Davidson people are creative people – great thinkers and great writers. It’s become clear that the excitement around our basketball program has been particularly inspiring. How about a small business which produces Davidson basketball shirts, none of which actually say “Davidson Basketball” on them? Or how about a brand new book about the 2007-08 basketball season, coming down to Taking the Shot in that one final moment in Detroit?

The Careers Office – AND DAVIDSON STUDENTS – Need Your Help
Can you help with finding jobs for Davidson graduates and young alumni? In their password protected system, the Careers Office electronically posts opportunities ranging from entry-level up to five years experience.  If you know of opportunities within your company and would like to collect resumes or can give Career Services the contact person with your company, please contact Brenda Harvey. Visit the  for other ways your employer can be recruiting Davidson students and young graduates.

Get your 2008-2009 Alumni Calendar Today
They’re late, but they’re here! Order yours today as another way to keep up with what’s happening at Davidson (and enjoy some great photography while you’re at it).

Gifts for Your Favorite Wildcats
Don’t forget about the Gato Rojo wine, produced by George Little ’64 and Lee Martin ’64 at Round Peak Vinyards. Also browse other gifts great for any Wildcat in your life – ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION!

Check out the Latest Photos from Campus
Keep up with Davidson’s daily life with Davidson News Illustrated. The latest installment is from October 30; you can also see the archived versions.

Make Davidson Your Homepage!
What are you waiting for? Keep up to date with all the latest news and information from your dear alma mater. Make http://www.davidson.edu your homepage today!

Have photos of your last Davidson gathering or life milestone? Please send them to us for the online scrapbook.

Have information that your friends and classmates will want to know? Send a class note for publication in the Davidson Journal and the online class notes page.

Has your contact information changed recently? Please send us your address updates, now and in the future.

We’ll email you with Davidson news each month, unless there is something too exciting to wait. If you do NOT want to receive these emails, or if your email address changes, please contact Ginny Rucinski in the Alumni Office.

I invite your comments about this eNews or Davidson in general. We’d also love to hear your news for inclusion in the class notes of the Davidson Journal. Simply reply to this email and I’ll get back to you. I look forward to hearing from you!

With best wishes,

Peter Wagner ’92
Director of Alumni Relations
pewagner@davidson.edu
704-894-2642