Homecoming 2010, Annual Alumni Meeting

The annual meeting of the Iota Alumni Association will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the Kappa Sigma House. We encourage all active and alumni brothers to attend.

Here’s the Full Weekend Schedule: [Invitation for Iota Friends & Brothers] [SU Official Schedule]

Saturday, November 6th:

  • 10 a.m.: Coffee & Donuts
  • 11 a.m.: Homecoming Parade
  • 11:30 -1:00: Lunch on the Mall (tix from SU)
  • 3:00 p.m.: Active/Alumni Chapter Meeting
  • 4:00 p.m.: Open House, The Sig House is 50 years old this year!
  • 7:00 p.m.: Dinner at the House
  • 10:00 p.m.: Homecoming Party for Alumni

Sunday, November 7th:

  • 10:00 a.m.: Coffee & Donuts, before you head from home

Also, the actives have published a Fall Newsletter on the status active chapter: [Fall 2010 Iota Chapter Newsletter]

Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Website

Notes from Alumni Weekend

Softball Score:
Actives – 14, Alumni – 16

Alumni Advisor-elect:
Timothy Stapleton

Graduating Seniors:
Enjoyed an ice-water bath
Awarded “A History of Kappa Sigma” (The Pharr History)

New Capital Challenge for House Repairs:
$1,000 match challenge from Brother Dan Middlebrooks – contact Alan Haworth to lend your support.

Softball_2010
photo courtesy Heather Hanson

Alumni Weekend 2010 Schedule

UPDATE: 4/9 5:34pm Central See link below for directions to softball field.

When you arrive at the house, please register at the registration table where we will take your name, contact information, and $10 weekend contribution.

Friday April 9th

– Registration table opens on front porch @ 8:00 pm

– Friday evening there will be a casual gathering at the house.  Come on by!

Saturday April 10th

– Registration table opens on front porch @ 9:00 am

– Active/Alumni chapter meeting @ 11:00 am

– Lunch @ noon

– Softball from 3:00-6:00 pm * (field: Leader-Cedar Park Youth League Park)

– Return to the house for Saturday evening fun

* Maps will be provided on Saturday to the field.

See who’s coming from Facebook.

Starting a family, AA Crenshaw looks to pass the torch

In an email to Iota alumni this week, Brother Marshal Crenshaw announced the very happy and welcome news that he and his wonderful wife Molly are expecting their first child later this year. After six years of service in the capacity of Alumni Advisor for Iota Chapter, Marshal also announced his intention to step down once a suitable replacement can be found.

On behalf of the Iota Alumni Association and six years of recent Iota actives, we’d like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Marshal.

Beginning now and through Alumni Weekend (April 9-11), we will be taking nominations and actively seeking out candidates for consideration.

If you’re interested in this role, please join us next weekend or contact any alumni/active brother or leader who submit your name as a nominee. Marshal will play an important role in selecting and training his replacement.

Alumni Weekend 2010 Set for April 9th & 10th

Alumni Weekend for the Spring of 2010 will take place over the second weekend in April, from Friday April 9 through Saturday April 10.

Program details will follow, but you can probably count on the following:

  • Friday Night Poker Tournament
  • Coffee & Doughnuts
  • A General Active & Alumni Meeting
  • Lunch on the Lawn
  • Babies, Toddlers, and Kids
  • Softball (field TBD)
  • Your PB’s kids one year older since you saw them last year
  • Dinner at your favorite spot around town
  • Instrumental music and singing on the porch
  • Lots of fun and fellowship
  • A live band that you can dance to
  • A surprise visit from someone you’ve not seen in years

You can count on a lot more too…

Mark your calendars. Make the case to your wife now. It may help to ask her to come. The kids too.

See you in April!

Feb. 6th is Iota Career Day, Area Alumni Invited to Attend

Post by J. Scott Hanson, Ph.D.

Brothers,

During the 2009 Alumni Weekend, the Alumni Association formed a committee tasked with assisting actives in preparing for life after college.  In support of this effort, the Iota Chapter AA will be holding a Career Day event on February 6th.  Several alumni have collaborated to plan this day of presentations and discussions addressing professional topics (see attached agenda) for the benefit of the undergraduate chapter and recent graduates.

We encourage brothers who can spare the time to join us for any or all parts of the day.  Alumni attendees can assist by participating in discussions and sharing their own experiences throughout the day. We specifically encourage alumni in the Austin area to make time for the evening networking event at Fish City in Georgetown, which will be a great chance for these guys to practice networking strategies discussed during the day.

This is the first event of this kind for the chapter and for Southwestern.  In fact, the Career Services Center will participate in the event and has graciously provided the venue and the food and beverages for the day.  If this proves successful, the CSC is considering a similar event on a larger scale for the entire university in the fall.

When we typically gather with the active chapter, we spend much of our time talking about our life in college.  This is an opportunity for us to speak to them about our lives after college and, hopefully, to help them get off to a great start. 

Please mark your calendar and RSVP to Scott Hanson (j_scott_hanson@yahoo.com) by Wednesday February 3rd.  We look forward to seeing you there.

AEKDB,

Scott

Actives Support Peace Conference, Continue Rob Atkinson’s Legacy

Guest post by Brother Martin Fergus:

Dear Kappa Sigma Friends & Brothers,

I am proud to announce that the 2010 National Student Peace Alliance Conference will be held at Southwestern University on February 26-28. This conference will focus on evidence-based programs that are effectively reducing and preventing violence both at an international and domestic level. The conference will bring together 500 pro-active, pro-peace and solution-oriented young people from across the country to unite around a common, and practical, goal — peace.

Such a prestigious honor for our University could not have occurred without the hard work of the recently deceased Rob Atkinson, the national legislative director for SPA, and the hard work of many other active Iota members involved in Student Peace Alliance at SU. This Conference will most certainly make an impact in Texas as well as on Kappa Sigma nationally.

As we want to make this conference as effective and impactful as possible, Kappa Sigma actives are launching a fundraising campaign to support the conference with the goal of raising $1000 by the date of the conference. We are one month away.

Please consider making a contribution to help provide the proper resources and financial support students need to make this conference exceed the University’s expectations and make a difference in Student’s lives.

You can donate at: http://www.studentpeacealliance.org/give/give or mail a check payable to “Student Peace Alliance” at The Peace Alliance, PO Box 27601, Washington, District of Columbia 20038. If you are interested in sponsoring the conference or would like more information please call 325-518-5889.

Sincerely,

Martin Fergus A.E.K.D.B.

President Student Peace Alliance Southwestern Chapter

325-518-5889

fergusd@southwestern.edu

http://www.studentpeacealliance.org/conference

 

Homecoming Schedule of Events

Southwestern’s Homecoming & Reunion Weekend will take place over the weekend of November 6-8. As we do each year, the Iota Chapter will host several events for returning alumni and guests. Here’s a run down of the weekend’s schedule:

Saturday Nov. 7:

  • Active/Alumni meeting 3pm
  • Open house at Sigma 4pm
  • Kappa Sigma Reception at the  Alumni Hospitality House 6pm

Notable reunion events:

  • 60th reunion for Roger Davidson’s class
  • 40th reunion for Harry Crenshaw’s class

If you’ve got a reunion year celebration or other group event to announce, post a comment to this post.

Iota Shines at Biennial Grand Conclave

Brothers,

I am happy to report to you that your delegates at the 67th Grand Conclave had a great experience. I am so proud of our active brothers Lance Turri and John Burden for their enthusiastic participation in this important event. As our delegates they represented our order with honor and that distinct style that is all Iota.  John met with Michael Wilson and the new Worthy Grand Treasurer and has their assurance that Iota is in good standing. They also expressed their respect for our chapter and it’s long and important history. I left the conference with a better understanding of our national operations and a greater love for our amazing chapter.

It is with great excitement that I would like to invite all alumni officers, and any others that are interested, to our annual E.C. retreat at my home in Walburg on August 29th at 10:00 a.m.

We will be helping our young brothers with officer transitions and setting goals for the up coming year.

Thank You,

AEKDB…

Marshal Crenshaw
Alumni Advisor

Vote Martin Fergus!

4/26/09: Update: Martin did not win the race but we congratulate him on a great campaign. You can read about the results courtesy of the Megaphone Online.

Our active brother Martin Fergus is running for Student Congress President. For those of us who can’t vote, we wish you the best of luck on election day, April 8, 2009!

Martin’s running on a robust platform…

• Martin will enforce transparency in Student Congress activities, policies, and resolutions. There is no reason why information about our initiatives as Student Congress should be difficult or a challenge to find. Student Congress has an obligation to represent its constituents in a clear and professional manner.
• Martin plans to develop more effective and efficient organizational practices for Student Congress. As President, Martin will move our Congress in to the 21st century of student government by using centralized information with electronic and internet tools like Wiggio, Twitter, blogging, and websites in order to create a stronger Congress that responds quickly to problems and allow the voice of the campus to be heard.
• Martin will facilitate public exposure for Southwestern’s Congress. Our student Government is a body that is supposed to work for the students. He will work to make Congress well recognized and promoted on campus so that students are energized about the issues that matter.
• Martin will revitalize partnerships between Student Congress and Student organizations. There are a lot of strong organizations around campus that make up the life and energy of Southwestern and Student Congress should be there to help work alongside these organizations. Martin will promote policies that will help give all student organizations the resources they need to fulfill the initiatives they are striving for.
• Martin will strengthen communications between representatives and the Executive Council.
• Martin will work with the administration of Southwestern University to allow for greater autonomy and freedom among the student body.
• Martin will launch strategies to help alleviate the financial burden on students in this time of economic struggle.

About Martin:
Martin hails from Abilene, Texas, and he graduated from Abilene High School in 2006. Throughout his high school career, Martin was active as an Eagle Scout, a lifeguard, he served as Captain of the AHS swim team, and he worked as a summer camp counselor at Camp Rio Vista in Hunt, Texas.

Martin is a Political Science major with a Sociology minor, and he is active at Southwestern as President of the SU Student Peace Alliance, and he also serves as the National State Organizer for SPA. Martin is a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, and he currently serves as Philanthropic Chair. Martin has served as Senatorial district 24 democratic Chair. Martin spent his summer working as a campaign field organizer fort he Dwight Fullingim Political Campaign for Congress, and he also has experience in the legal field having worked as a Legal Assistant for a law firm in Abliene.

Martin is a Dean’s List student with a passion for serving the Southwestern community. He strives to listen to all student concerns, has strong relationships with members of the Southwestern administration, and Martin wants to be YOUR Student Congress President for the 2009-2010 school year.

Iota Alumni News: Spring 2009

Volume 2: Issue 1 – Spring 2009

Feature stories

Alumni Weekend 2009, March 27-29
Taking place over the weekend of March 27-29, the advanced planning for Alumni Weekend 2009 is in full effect. Come join us at 1 PM on Saturday for the Alumni/Active meeting and learn the latest news on active chapter achievements, alumni and active philanthropic activities, and much more. Lunch and Softball will take place immediately following. Saturday night live music plans are in the works as well…[Read more]

Chuck Merrill Peace Scholarship inches toward $100,000 in donations 
Since being officially launched in 2007 with the support of Trish Merrill and Brother Bruce Barrick, the Southwestern endowed scholarship in the name of Chuck Merrill as captured the imaginations and support of the many friends and brothers of late Brother Chuck Merrill. The campaign continues to solicit contributions to Southwestern in the name of the “J. Charles Merrill Endowed Scholarship.” [Read more]

Iota Chapter joins Fisher House project in support of military families
The Fisher House program is a private-public partnership that supports America’s military in their time of need. The Fisher House Foundation has given Kappa Sigma the unique opportunity of naming rights to one these “comfort homes” for a minimum donation of $100,000. The active chapter of Iota Chapter has set a goal to raise between $1,000-2,000 toward this national fraternity goal. [Read more]

Assistant Alumni Advisors announced
Working in conjunction with Alumni Advisor Marshal Crenshaw and the national fraternity, three Assistant Alumni Advisors (AAA) were recently appointed: Stephen W. Butler, AAA/gp, William C. Mathers, AAA/gt, and Jonathan B. Goodman, AAA/gs. The role of the AAA is to work collaboratively with the active chapter leadership and individual office holders to support their leadership development and execution of their roles. The AAA will also help to provide additional continuity of knowledge through active leadership transitions. [See all alumni leaders here]

Alumni Association Business

Join the “Alumni Dues” effort in 2009 and these generous donors from 2008:

Thomas Hambleton
Roger Davidson
Scott Clearman
Brian Walsh
Bruce Barrick
Mark Rangle
Chet Lofgren
Charles Bedard
Matt Lawrence
Mohammed Raheem
Matt Browning
Steve Butler
Robert E Lee
Joe Abel
Paul Bakouris
Russell Ramsey
Danny Middlebrooks
Tanner Garth
Erik Harpst
Perry Zigbly
Chris Mathers
Ben Orgain
Mike Orsak
William McCall
John Schmidt
Lee Boyle
George Morrison
Dylan Wood
Mitch Brownlee
Pat Sparks
Tim McGarity
Matt Barnes
Jeremiah Jarrell
Blake Stanford
Alan Haworth
Marshal Crenshaw
J.L. Love

Thanks to all of our alumni who have donated time, money, and their expertise these past years!

(Please send us a note if we wrongly left your name off this list.)

Membership dues to the Iota Chapter Alumni Association are a suggested minimum contribution of $60 per year. Many brothers, especially younger alums, have opted for a monthly credit card donation. Contact Alan Haworth, Treasurer, by phone (214) 536-6268 or email to set-up a regular donation.

You may also send a check, payable to Iota Chapter Alumni Association to the address listed below:
Alan Haworth
9135 Drumcliffe Ln
Dallas, TX 75231

News & Notes

Brother Brad Francis and his wife Kerri announced the birth of their baby son [note: editorial correction made 5/2/09] Kepler on Novermber 17, 2008.

The parents of our late Brother Rob Atkinson visited Southwestern campus in January for the memorial service honoring their son, tragically killed on December 4, 2009 while walking from campus across University avenue where he was struck by an oncoming car. [See the video celebrating Rob’s life here]

Brother James Grace completed another marathon to raise support and awareness for autism research. He finished the Chevron Houston Marathon and raised $7,985 for the Organization for Autism Research (OAR). [Read more]

Brother Bret Starr was featured in the online edition of Business Week in an article titled How SaaS Helps Cut Small Business Costs. [Read the full article here]

Actives Andrew Ivy, Martin Fergus, and Jack Frazee joined alumni Jonathan Goodman at the Lone Star Conclave in Richardson, Texas. [Read more]

The Grand Conclave of Kappa Sigma will take place in San Antonio, Texas, July 22-26. All actives and alumni in good standing are encouraged to attend. Iota Chapter will be sending a delegation. Contact any active or alumni leader if you’re interested in joining. [Read more]

Alumni on the Web: On the Iotachapter.org Web site, check out the “Links” section to Alumni on the Web. Many Iota brothers are active online, personally, professional, academically, and charitably and we’ll take advantage of the Iota Chapter Web site to serve as a hub for this rich collection of online content.

Next Issue of Iota Alumni News:
To submit news, notes, or ideas for Iota Alumni News, please contact Jonathan Goodman at 817.923.1997 or jbgoodman (at) alumni (dot) southwestern [dot] edu

Iota Chapter joins Fisher House project

As reported in The Caduceus of Kappa Sigma (Special Edition 2009), “In the spring of 2008, the Supreme Executive Committee of Kappa Sigma Fraternity unanimously approved the Kappa Sigma named, Fisher House project.”

The Fisher House program is a private-public partnership that supports America’s military in their time of need… The Fisher House Foundation has given Kappa Sigma the unique opportunity of naming rights to one these “comfort homes” for a minimum donation of $100,000.

The active chapter of Iota Chapter has set a goal to raise between $1,000-2,000 toward this national fraternity goal.

Martin Fergus, Iota Chapter philanthropic chair, has engaged local Georgetown area organizations to co-sponsor a fundraising event this Spring. The Iota Alumni Association has joined with Martin to encourage all alumni to make a donation to support the Fisher House program and help Iota Chapter contribute to this fraternity-wide effort.

To Donate:

Making an online contribution is the most efficient donation method, but checks are accepted. Please be sure to make the payment to “Fisher House Foundation” and write the name of the chapter you are sponsoring in the “memo” section of the check. Checks can be mailed to:

Fisher House Foundation
Attn: Kappa Sigma
PO Box 2346
Rockville, MD 20847

The chapter you are sponsoring will only get credit for your donation if you include the chapter name on the check

 

The Fisher Houseâ„¢ Program

The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America’s military in their time of need. A long-term stay in a military hospital, sometimes thousands of miles from home, could mean expensive lodging and long separations from loved ones. But in recognition of the special sacrifices of severely wounded or ill service members and their families, the Fisher House Foundation donates “comfort homes” so that America’s military families can be together during extended treatment for serious injury or lengthy physical and/or occupation therapy…

Today, 38 Fisher Houses operate at 18 military bases and nine Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers throughout the nation and overseas in Germany. Since our nation has been at war, the requirements for Fisher House have changed. Many of our returning service members need intensive physical and occupational rehabilitation. Their Fisher House stays have become longer, and, as a result, more guest suites are needed. Also, because of the nature of their injuries, all new Fisher Houses are being designed to be completely handicapped accessible.

The Fisher House Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, builds new houses, assists in coordination private support, and encourages public support for the homes. Donations to the Fisher House Foundation and individual Fisher Houses are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.

The Foundation has received the highest possible ratings from the “watch dog” organizations that evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of nonprofit organizations: For every dollar donated to Fisher House Foundation, 97.5 cents goes directly into the Fisher House program. “Overhead,” the combination of management and fundraising expenses, is only 2.5 cents.

Making an online contribution is the most efficient donation method, but checks are accepted. Please be sure to make the payment to “Fisher House Foundation” and write the name of the chapter you are sponsoring in the “memo” section of the check. Checks can be mailed to:

Fisher House Foundation
Attn: Kappa Sigma
PO Box 2346
Rockville, MD 20847

The chapter you are sponsoring will only get credit for your donation if you include the chapter name on the check

Who can stay in the Fisher House?

  • Patients’ family members, relatives and significant others
  • Active duty, retirees, and veterans and their family members

For what other reasons can individuals stay in the Fisher House?

  • Scheduled for early-morning testing or treatment and live more than an hour from the hospital
  • Scheduled for same-day surgery
  • Scheduled for tests before surgery
  • Scheduled for a procedure or testing
  • Released from the hospital but not officially released from a doctor’s care
  • Nursing mother whose baby is still hospitalized
  • Parents living off-post with a seriously ill child in the hospital

Report from the Lone Star Conclave

The Lone Star Multi-District Conclave 2009 took place this weekend, February 20-21, on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas located in Richardson, Texas.

Representing the active chapter were Andrew Ivy (GP), Martin Fergus (Philanthropy/Fundraising Chair), and Jack Frazee (House Manager). Jonathan Goodman (Assoc. Scribe & Assit. Alumni Advisor) represented the volunteer alumni leadership.

The Conclave program included general sessions and multiple breakout sessions. Area DGMs and the Area Development Manger delivered reports on the state of the fraternity, presentations on fraternity initiatives such as “Kappa Sigma University” – a leadership development program, and an educational session on fraternity history.

The breakout sessions provided a format for attending actives and alumni to interact and share ideas on topics such as recruitment, risk management, fundraising, awards/recognition, and financial management.

Finally, Texas will host the next Grand Conclave this summer. Please consider joining our active and alumni delegates at the 67th Biennial Grand Conclave, July 22-26, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas.

Alumni Weekend Announced for March 27-28

Alumni Weekend for the Spring of 2009 will take place over the final weekend in March, from Friday March 27 through Saturday March 28.

Program details will follow, but you can probably count on the following:

  • Friday Night Poker Tournament
  • Coffee & Doughnuts
  • A General Active & Alumni Meeting
  • Lunch on the Lawn
  • Babies
  • Softball
  • Your PB’s kids one year older since you saw them last year
  • Dinner at your favorite spot around town
  • Music on the porch courtesy of acoustic guitars and Bruce Barrick
  • Lots of fun and fellowship
  • A live band that you can dance to
  • A surprise visit from someone you’ve not seen in years

You can count on a lot more too…

Mark your calendars. Make the case to your wife now. It may help to ask her to come. The kids too.

See you in March!

Rob’s Memorial Service at Southwestern

From the Facebook group formed in Rob’s honor:

Texas (Southwestern University) Memorial Service for Rob Atkinson

Date/Time: Friday, January 23, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.

Location: Southwestern University Chapel (Lois Perkins Chapel), 1001 East University Ave., Georgetown, Texas, 78626. Phone: 512-863-6511.

Type of Service: The service will be non-denominational. It will include prayers, music, a eulogy, and speakers. It will last about two hours.

Who May Attend: The service is open to everyone who would like to attend. Parents who want to bring their children, and who feel their children could handle the intensity and length of a service like this, are welcome to bring them.

A Note from the Active G.M.

Dearest Brothers,
Last night as I’m sure most of you are aware our brother Mr. Robert Patrick Atkinson was hit by a car. Rob died without any suffering immediately thereafter. The active brothers are pulling together and have received an immense amount of support from the Southwestern community. What we can all walk away from this tragedy with, is gratitude. Gratitude for being fortunate enough to know Rob intimately he was and is a beacon of hope and peace for all of us. I sincerely apologize for not contacting you all sooner if you have any questions or need support please feel free to contact me. With that my only wish is that you will show the people nearest you how much you love them and that we will see you soon. As Rob would say with Love and Respect.
A.E.K.D.B
G.M. Tanner Garth
Please forward this to your brothers

UPDATE: Memorial Services for Rob Atkinson

A memorial service will be held today on Southwestern University campus at 2 p.m, today, December 6 in the Howry center.

As noted below, a formal service will be held in January at SU.

We will continue to update this post as more information becomes available.** First update below: 12/08/08.

AEKDB.

Friday, December 05, 2008 7:57 PM

 

Dear Members of the Southwestern Community,

Many of you have asked how you can show support for Rob Atkinson’s family. We have spoken with his parents, John and Janice, today, and they have asked that expressions of sympathy be sent to them at johnandjan (at) afdop (dot) org.

The Atkinsons plan to have a memorial service for Rob in San Diego no earlier than Dec. 13-14. As mentioned earlier, we will have a memorial service for him on campus after the holiday break.

Donations in memory of Rob may be sent to the Peace Alliance, P.O. Box 70095, Rochester Hills,MI 48307. Be sure to specify that the donations benefit the Student Peace Alliance.

Jake B. Schrum
President

——————-

Fri 12/5/2008

Dear Members of the Southwestern Community,

I was deeply touched this afternoon as we heard students, faculty members and staff share the impact that Rob Atkinson had on their lives.

This message is to update you on our plans as we continue to help the campus community cope with Rob’s tragic death. Those who were at the gathering this afternoon heard that his fraternity, Kappa Sigma, plans an event to remember Rob at their house at 7:30 tonight. We will hold another campus-wide gathering tomorrow (Saturday) at 2 p.m. in the Howry Center. 

A formal memorial service for Rob will be held after the holiday break, and we will let you know as soon as the date for that service is set. We are still waiting to hear what arrangements Rob’s family is making for a service in his hometown. We do know they plan to come to campus for the memorial service in January. 

The chapel will be open all weekend for those who would like to use it. Please remember that counselors are available during working hours at the Robertson Center, and after hours by calling the SU Police at 512-863-1944. Counselors are happy to come meet with any individual groups on campus who have been touched by Rob’s loss. 

As you may have learned today, Rob’s death is really a double tragedy for our campus because the car that hit him was driven by a fellow Southwestern student. We ask that you keep [this student], his family members, and his Kappa Alpha fraternity brothers in your thoughts and prayers as well.

Jake B. Schrum
President

——————-

 

 

The loss of our brother, Robert Patrick Atkinson

It is with a heavy heart that we report on the death of Rob Atkinson, our active brother and student at Southwestern. We are all praying for Rob’s family, and his extended family, as we cope with the loss of someone so special.

As more information becomes available, we will post it on this site.

Copied here is the communication from SU President Jake Schrum to the Southwestern campus community.

Dear Members of the Southwestern Community,

Tragedy struck the campus Thursday night when senior Robert Atkinson was hit and killed by a car as he was crossing University Avenue around 8:20 p.m.

Rob was a leader on campus and was involved with numerous organizations, including the Theatre for Social Justice group and the Student Peace Alliance. His death is a tremendous loss for us, particularly coming at this time of year.

Those who knew Rob and would like to gather together today may do so at 1 p.m. in the ballrooms. We will keep you posted as additional services are scheduled. As always, members of our Counseling Services staff are available in the Robertson Center for those who need help coping with this tragedy.

Please keep Rob’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Jake B. Schrum
President

Local news coverage:
KVUE.com news report
KXAN.com story and video

Rob in his own words:

Students Unite for a Department of Peace
by Rob Atkinson

My motivation in doing political and social activism work is rooted in a strong spiritual desire for strengthening community identity and creating a normalization of compassion, which can be significantly furthered through political work. Along with being very involved in the Student Peace Alliance, I practice the Lakota spiritual tradition and am president of a Native American student organization on my campus, I am a musician, painter, and public speaker. I have also studied urban environmental sustainability through a collective I lived at last summer, and am looking forward to a possible internship this next summer working with nonprofit violence-prevention groups in central Texas. For me, it all boils down to political and social activism as a vehicle of spiritual integrity, and the deep joy that emerges when our abstract visions for a good world actualize into realistic and concrete initiatives.
—Rob Atkinson

Rob Atkinson – Teaching Peace Conference – Part 1