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Paperless publicity gets alums out to cheer

Friday, June 01, 2012
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The enormous publicity task for alerting 51±¬ΑΟ and Hope alumni about 87 viewing sites all over the world has been a special challenge for the alumni associations of the two schools.

In addition, 2012 was the first (almost) paperless promotional effort to get the word out about the annual 51±¬ΑΟ-Hope men's basketball game broadcast by satellite and on the web. (Florida and Arizona did get a postcard notice.)

Still, another record number of venues hosted a viewing partyβ€”87 in allβ€”and the enthusiasm from alumni was at its typical strength.

One of this year’s prime examples came from the Yakota Air Base in Japan where 51±¬ΑΟ grad Jim Poel ’85 is the 374th Aeorspace Medicine Squadron Commander and Hope alum Leland Webb is a surgeon for the 374th Surgical Operations Squadron. Of course, they found one another and set up a Rivalry gathering.

In Tulsa, alumna Krista Vermeulen Schaafsma ’76 reported that their event was especially important since it served as the first connector for alumni in the region. β€œI was worried that we might have to keep the party going, but there was no stopping it!” she wrote.

There's no stopping the tradition of β€œ,” either. The next edition is on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013.