campaignnews
SA L UT E T O “ T HE R O C K ”
New giving club pays homage to ’70s-era classes he 1970s was a decade of revolution and reflection at colleges and universities across the United States. Campus activism reached new heights during the era distinguished by the Kent State tragedy, the Watergate scandal, and the escalation and eventual end of the Vietnam War. At Roanoke College, the 1970s was the decade that saw the first co-ed dorm, the end of the Miss Roanoke College pageant, the College’s first NCAA title — and construction of a 10-foot-tall concrete pylon on the Back Quad. That student monument, now known as “The Rock,” still stands, primarily as a means of publicizing campus events, but moreover, as a symbol of the free expression that characterized the ’70s. The Class of 1972 — which will celebrate its 45th reunion in 2017, the College’s 175th anniversary year — is making plans to commemorate that exceptional era during Alumni Weekend 2017. As part of the “Revolution #45” reunion, a new giving group sponsored by the 1969-1976 alumni — called The Monument Club — is being developed in support of the Roanoke Rising campaign. “The purpose of establishing The Monument
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Club is to acknowledge the connection many classmates have with building the monument on campus in the ’70s,” says Patsy Stevens ’72, co-chair of Revolution #45.“The building of the monument signaled a time of revolution and of enormous change for Roanoke College. The monument represents our youth; bringing up powerful memories and forming a common bond for those of us who were there during that era.” Monument Club membership would be open to anyone in the 1969-1976 class years who makes a donation, either a monetary amount or “planned giving” commitment of $25,000 or more to the College prior to April 9, 2017, the conclusion of “Revolution #45” reunion. Part of the reunion planning focus is to raise awareness about planned giving, making sure that everyone knows how these gifts contribute to the Roanoke Rising campaign. “We need to ensure that students attending the College now and in the future can make the same connections and enjoy the lasting bonds of friendship as we have,” says Doug Clark ’72, who is co-chairing Revolution #45 with Stevens.
Maroon Ribbons
Alumni Weekend through April 15, maroon ribbons were placed around campus by current students to highlight many of the spaces, programs and projects made possible thanks to generous and thoughtful gifts from donors. These ribbons represented the tangible ways that philanthropic dollars support our campus. The ribbons, however, did not begin to recognize all of the people affected by gifts — students receiving scholarships, professorships funded by donors, the endowment, and operating funds that support every aspect of college life year after year.
CAMPAIGN PROGRESS
GOAL:
$200,000,000 $172,400,000*
Janet Sarjeant ‘73, Ann Guzewicz (wife of Robert Guzewicz ‘73), Sarah Waters Southard ‘77, Nancy Baird Mulheren ‘73, Wendi Spicer Beaver ‘73, Dale Sarjeant ‘74, Kathy Hoback Bauman ‘73, Betsy Garrison Krut ‘72 pose at “The Rock” during the 2012 Alumni Weekend.
For more information, please contact: Mary Grace Theodore, Assistant Vice President, Resource Development and Campaign Director, at theodore@roanoke.edu or (540) 375-2487; Patsy Stevens ’72, patsystevens@att.net; or Doug Clark ’72, dougfhhs@gmail.com.
* As of May 3, 2016. Includes $30.13 million for the Cregger Center.
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