That wooshing sound the other day was
obviously summer flying by. No sooner than everyone got their commencement information filed away, then it was time to prepare for a new school year. Summer camps have wrapped up, and offices throughout campus are preparing for the new arrivals – and old friends.

Students will begin arriving the third week of August with the residence hall students moving in on August 21. Those students will be presented by the Admissions office and campus staff members with a free Tiger Tag for their vehicles. It’s a great time for parents and students alike to become familiar with FHSU, the faculty and staff.

Classes will begin August 25, and next thing you know – it will be commencement time again. Speaking of which, it’s not too early to mark your calendars for the 2009 FHSU Commencement scheduled for May 16.

Calling all Front Range Fort Hays State University alumni and friends – it’s time for a Tiger Alumni and Friends party prior to the FHSU vs. Colorado School of Mines football game on Saturday, September 6! Show your Tiger pride and reunite with fellow Tigers at The Golden Hotel, an exquisite facility nestled in the heart of Golden offering a grand view of the mountains and Clear Creek.

The day begins with a social at 9:30 a.m. followed by a delicious Rocky Mountain Brunch at 10 a.m. Bring your friends and family for some good old-fashioned Tiger fun, and you might even win a special Fort Hays State door prize. Rekindle your ties with friends and FHSU special guests, including President Edward Hammond and hear the latest and greatest in Tiger news.

This event is one you won’t want to miss - register today as space is limited! Simply visit https://www.fhsu.edu/alumni/eventrsvp.shtml or call the FHSU Alumni Office toll free, 1-888-351-3591. Advance registrations are required.

Six individuals will be enshrined into the Tiger
Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 11, 2008. The individuals to be inducted include Mike Appelhans (Track & Field), Dennis Edwards (Men’s Basketball), Skip Numrich (Football), Casey Seyfert (Football/Track & Field), Garry Sigle (Cross Country/Track & Field), and Tom Spicer (Athletic Director/Contributor).

The individuals will be inducted in Eagle Communications Hall of the Robbins Center on the campus of Fort Hays State University at 10:00 a.m. Registration for the event will be at 9:30 a.m. The inductees will also be honored later that afternoon at halftime of the football game between Fort Hays State and Missouri Southern beginning at 2:00 p.m.

Fort Hays State University announced in July the hiring of Julie LeMaire as Head Softball Coach. LeMaire becomes the sixth coach in the program's history since softball was reinstated in 1999 as an intercollegiate sport at FHSU.

LeMaire comes to the program from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. LeMaire served as the assistant coach at Lynn for two years. She worked primarily with the pitching staff, outfielders and hitting. In her first year at Lynn, the pitching staff posted a 5.83 ERA. LeMaire's guidance helped dramatically improve that number to 2.69 for the 2008 season. Prior to her stint at Lynn, LeMaire served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of North Dakota for two years.  

A native of Basco, Ill., LeMaire earned a bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Quincy University in 2004 and earned a master's degree in Kinesiology from the University of North Dakota in 2007.

Plan to join FHSU alumni for the annual
Boothill Golf Tournament at the lush green course of the ever-popular Dodge City Country Club. Scheduled for Saturday, September 6, participants can enjoy great golf while raising scholarship funds for Fort Hays State students from Ford and surrounding counties. Contact the alumni association for further details at (785) 628-4430, 888-351-3591, or online at http://www.fhsu.edu/alumni.

Looking for a fun way to keep in touch with FHSU alumni? Check out Facebook and "Become a Fan of Fort Hays State University."

Launched and monitored by FHSU University Relations, the FHSU fan site will host a variety of activities similar to those normally found on a Facebook site. Watch for fun contests, a place to submit photos and videos and an opportunity to let everyone know what you are up to. If you have a Facebook account – simply sign up and enjoy increased activity with fellow alums and current students.

The fan link can be accessed through the FHSU Web site at http://www.fhsu.edu.

Letter winners from all sports at FHSU have
been invited to a K-club reunion during the 2008 Homecoming Weekend festivities. The invitations have been issued and the reservations are in progress. Here is the line-up of activities:

8 a.m. Continental Breakfast, Victor E. Lounge, Gross Memorial Coliseum, Gate 3. Meet head coaches from various sport programs and view the new chair-back seating. 9:30 a.m. Load K-Club Homecoming Parade Entry on flatbed trucks, GMC Parking Lot. 11:30 a.m. Immediately following the parade, head to Lewis Field Stadium for a delicious lunch provided by the Gridiron Club, located inside the stadium at the southwest corner. 2 p.m. FHSU vs Truman State University – Lewis Field Stadium. Sit in a special section of the stadium while watching the Tigers challenge the Bulldogs and be recognized with your group during the game.

For more information contact the alumni association at (785) 628-4430, 1-888-351-3591, or visit online at http://www.fhsu.edu/alumni.

The leading journal for colleges and universities in America and the world has included Fort Hays State University in three of its categories of “Great Colleges to Work For.”

The Chronicle of Higher Education published the results in its July 18 issue, recognizing FHSU among “institutions that have created exceptional work environments.” The listings were based on 15,000 survey respondents from 89 colleges across the country.

The survey results are divided into three sizes of institutions: small, with 499 or fewer employees; medium, with 500 to 2,499 employees; and large, with 2,500 or more employees. FHSU, with its approximately 750 employees, fell into the medium-sized group. Five schools were listed at the top for each of the three sizes in the 27 categories of evaluation. The top five schools were listed alphabetically rather than from 1 to 5.

FHSU was listed in three of the categories: health insurance; facilities and security (appearance of the campus is pleasing, and the institution takes steps to provide a secure environment); and physical workspace conditions (facilities adequately meet needs).

Under the state of Kansas deferred
maintenance initiative, Picken Hall, the flag-ship of the Fort Hays State University campus, has been named as the number one priority for completion. Tax credits have now been assigned and are available for purchase with an investment in the retooling of this historic facility. The minimum gift that will qualify for the 50% credit is $10,000.  Naming opportunities have also been assigned to all areas of Picken Hall.  Please visit the web site: www.fhsu.edu/foundation for additional information, or contact the FHSU Foundation office at (785) 628-5620, toll-free 1-888-628-1060.

The six regent universities in Kansas have come together to help the American Red Cross save lives. The American Red Cross Central Plains Region needs nearly 20,000 pints of blood from September 1 to October 31, to meet the needs of hospital patients. You can become part of this lifesaving endeavor by giving blood and voting for your university.

The University Alumni Association with the highest percentage of blood donors across Kansas will receive a trophy and bragging rights for the entire year. Vote for your alma mater by turning in a ballot at the blood drive.

Call 1-800-GIVE LIFE to schedule your appointment to donate at a blood drive near you.

Picken Hall, Fort Hays State University’s first building, constructed in 1904, is being cleared out for the first major renovation since 1960. The main addition will be on the east side – a two-story central area to provide a unified, friendlier entry for what is being considered a “one-stop shopping” concept for vital student functions. Picken Hall will house seven entities: Admissions, Registrar, Graduate School, Academic Advising and Career Exploration, the Kelly Center, Student Fiscal Services and the Financial Assistance Office. The target completion date is summer 2010.

All offices located in Picken have been relocated: Academic Advising and Career Exploration to Wiest Hall, room B701; Center for Civic Leadership to Wiest Hall, room B714; Debate to Wiest Hall, room B722; Docking Institute of Public Affairs and Survey Center to Wiest Hall, room B629; Dr. Harriett Caplan, affirmative action officer, to McCartney Hall, room 227; Faculty Senate to the current Faculty Senate president's office, Dr. Ken Trantham, Tomanek Hall, room 251; Foster Grandparent/Senior Companion office to Wiest B712; Graduate School to Wiest Hall, room B703; Information Networking and Telecommunications labs and offices to Tomanek Hall labs 127B, 127C and 125, and a suite of offices in 123; Kelly Center to Wiest Hall, room B603 (counseling) and B150 (testing); and Personnel Office to Wiest Hall, room B729.

The schedule for the 2008-2009 Encore series
has been released and tickets are on sale.  All programs will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will take place in the opulent Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the campus of FHSU. Please call the Student Service Center in the Memorial Union, (785) 628-5306, or Rhonda Tutak, (785) 628-5308 for ticket information or visit www.fhsu.edu/perf_arts.

2008

October 6, – Golden Dragon Acrobats

October 29, - Capitol Steps

November 10, – Soweto Gospel Choir

2009

January 21, – Barrage

February 26, – To Kill a Mockingbird

March 10, – Hairspray

March 23, – Guarneri & Johannes String Quartets

April 3,  – Ain’t Misbehavin’