Around the Lake

How do you make 25 grand?
Ask a question about questions

“How do we know which questions to ask?”

Good question. With it and a 1,500-word accompanying essay, Amy Robin Hoffman, ’03 netted $25,000. Hers was the winning entry in the University’s third Richmond Quest competition, which every other year looks for a compelling question the entire university community can explore through a series of specially developed lectures, programs and courses. Hoffman, an English and women’s studies double major from Cincinnati, Ohio, plans to attend the University of Connecticut to pursue her doctorate in English literature. (See related article on page 13.)

Hoffman had some additional questions after the March announcement that her entry, one of nearly 250, had wowed the selection committee. Why had nobody submitted the question before? Why was her question deemed more worthy than the reams of papers, essays and other assignments to which she had devoted more time and thought?

She accepted the check without question. She will use the money to pay off her Dodge Neon, buy lots of CDs and upgrade her living conditions in graduate school.

She said the idea for the question came to her in a 2 a.m. brainstorm in the waning weeks of the competition. “Socrates said that an unexamined life is not worth living, and perhaps an unexamined question is not worth asking,” her essay begins. “As the Richmond Quest approaches its third installment and students pose question after question, it seems like an appropriate time to consider the value of questions themselves.”

Hoffman, an Oldham Scholar and self-proclaimed bookworm, continued, “It is imperative that we ask ourselves whether the questions are as important as the answers.”

In making the announcement of the Quest winner, University of Richmond President William E. Cooper said questions are at the root of the educational process.

Hoffman’s question could be used as the basis for Quest courses on how preliminary decisions about which questions guide the course of scientific inquiry, how novels and other forms of literature ask questions about the human experience, and why doubts and questions are important in understanding religions.

Here are some of Hoffman’s suggestions for speakers and programs relating to her question:

• Lynn Margulis on her struggles to gain scientific recognition for her answers to unorthodox questions about the evolution of the cell and other biological mysteries

• A panel of College Board, Educational Testing Services and others on standardized testing

• Alex Trebeck, host of Jeopardy!, who could speak about his career of giving answers

• Cameron Crowe, director and former writer for Rolling Stone, on interviewing famous rock musicians and then moving his “questioning” to a different medium

• Michael Frayn, Tony Award-winning author of the play, Copenhagen, on his interest in the historical “what-if’s” surrounding World War II

Previous Quest topics have been “When does discovery inspire change?” and “Is truth in the eye of the beholder?”

New Westhampton dean seeks both harmony and autonomy

Juliette L. Landphair, who served since June 2002 as interim dean of Westhampton College, now holds the position permanently. The University named her to the position in April, and the appointment was effective immediately.

Landphair previously served as interim director of the Women Involved in Living and Learning program.

“Dean Landphair has shown an ability to handle crises, creatively meet the demands of an evolving campus and student culture, and generally bring the academic and student life programs into greater harmony,” said Leonard Goldberg, vice president of student affairs.

Landphair holds a B.A. degree from Tulane University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Virginia. She has taught courses at Richmond, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and University of Virginia on women’s studies, U.S. history and feminism in the United States. She has served on panels and made presentations at numerous conferences on history and women’s studies.

As interim dean, Landphair worked with Richmond College, the men’s co-curricular and residential component of the university, to centralize housing under Richmond College and academic advising under Westhampton College. As dean, she said, she hopes “to continue to recognize the students’ desires to be together, but to affirm their identities as Westhampton College students and Richmond College students.”

Philip Morris USA headquarters to lease University’s Alcoa-Reynolds building

Philip Morris USA has agreed to lease the entire Alcoa-Reynolds building at Richmond Quadrangle, the former Reynolds Metals executive offices, which the University acquired through a generous gift-purchase agreement in 2001.

Philip Morris USA, a subsidiary of Altria Group Inc., is relocating its corporate headquarters from New York to the Richmond facility. Around 700 employees were working at the New York offices. The relocation will integrate the company’s management staff with the 6,800 employees and functions already located in Richmond.

“This agreement will benefit the University of Richmond by providing the resources to fund our strategic priorities in the short term, while preserving this historic property for future use by the university,” said President William E. Cooper.

“The best of the best” sent forth with inspiring words

More than 900 diplomas, including some designated for a special group of war veterans, were awarded May 3 and May 4 in graduation ceremonies marked by an emphasis on honor and sacrifice.

Robert S. Jepson Jr., R’64, told the graduates and more than 6,000 people present at Sunday’s 173rd commencement exercises: “Remember always that your fingerprints on time will be determined by what you give, not by what you have taken.”

What the University gave to a group of 63 World War II veterans was closure. These were people who had their Richmond education interrupted by a call to duty, and never received a diploma. To a rousing standing ovation in the Robins Center, 18 of the vets — decked out in cap and gown — collected from President William E. Cooper certificates conferring honorary bachelor of letters degrees.

“Your accomplishments have built post-World War II America and helped provide a platform for freedom in many other parts of the world,” Cooper said. “You have waited over half a century for this day.” (See story, page 24.)

Drawing on his seven years as a prisoner of war in another conflict, Vietnam veteran Paul E. Galanti told graduates of the School of Continuing Studies — celebrating its 40 years of existence — that “no matter how bad things seem in your personal life, others have had it worse.”

That’s why it is essential to hold tight to the freedoms we enjoy in this country, said federal Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger, who addressed the 157 graduates of the University’s School of Law. He warned about increasing assaults on Americans’ liberties that “start as a trickling stream but could soon become a torrent.”

Schlesinger, judge of the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, is a 1965 graduate of the law school and a recipient of its William Green Award for Professional Excellence.

Speaking for the law school faculty, incoming dean Rodney A. Smolla told the graduates that “one of the hardest things in life is to balance the needs of one’s family with the demands of professional life.

“If you lose friendship and companionship and love,” Smolla said, “you lose the meaning of life. If you let your job take over, you may conquer the universe but lose your soul.”

Jepson, renowned philanthropist and CEO of two companies, delivered a “lesson on life and leadership.” He told the graduates, “Your grade will come years from now, based on a lifetime of actions. I hope you get an A.”

Those actions, he added, are “a clear window into your soul.” Jepson couched his recipe for success in seven personal leadership tips.

Jepson founded the University’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies — the first of its kind in the country. And while he said he had achieved many honors in his lifetime, none was greater than the opportunity “to be commencement speaker at my alma mater.”

Cooper, who awarded Jepson the President’s Medal, said Jepson had that opportunity as the result of “a great confluence of events,” including the University’s decision two years ago to have an alumnus as graduation speaker and the milestone reached this year as the Jepson School celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The University bestowed its President’s Medal on Jepson for his support over the past 20 years, which has included two terms on its board of trustees and contributions that established not only the leadership school, but also the alumni center and the university’s main stage theater.

Receiving honorary degrees were: U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow of Richmond, doctor of commercial science; Myron T. Mann, R’71, an international businessman who lives in Australia, doctor of commercial science; Jane S. Richardson, Duke University biochemist who developed kinemages, the standard of illustrating proteins in research, doctor of science; and Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt University biblical scholar, doctor of divinity.

Undergraduate degrees were awarded to six students who completed studies in the University’s newest major — environmental science. (See story, page 22.)

The University carried out another tradition of having a specially selected student address her fellow graduates. This year, Jessica D. Aber called on her peers to keep in mind the three words on the back of their Spider cards — honor and integrity — as they venture into the broader world. She said the Richmond diploma should serve as “a constant reminder of your commitment to honesty and integrity” in a world where Pulitzer Prize winners plagiarize, athletic coaches lie and corporate executives deceive.

Galanti, the Continuing Studies commencement speaker, told graduates that “one individual can make a big difference in life.” Galanti retired from the Navy in 1983 and went on to become executive director of the Virginia Pharmaceutical Association, CEO of the Medical Society of Virginia and executive director of the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation. He received a master of commerce degree in 1976 from Richmond’s University College, now the School of Continuing Studies.

Receiving diplomas at the School of Continuing Studies commencement were the first graduates of Public Safety University, a program for members of Richmond public safety agencies who complete their educations in exchange for a service commitment to their employers.

Rosalind Reilly, who teaches English in the School of Continuing Studies, received the annual distinguished faculty award. She told graduates that as a girl she had always wanted to walk on the moon. Her journey “into inner space” has been just as fulfilling as her childhood dream, she said. “We lift off together to new insights and inspirations.”

Sarah Gunn, president and owner of The Toymaker of Williamsburg received the distinguished alumni award. She advised graduates to stay in touch with the University and to “think about going further with your education. There’s always the next step.”

Jepson concluded his remarks to members of the Class of 2003, whom he described as “the best of the best,” by urging them to run toward life “with hearts full of hope and with stars in your eyes.” And when you get there, he said, “tell ’em UR sent you.”

Richmond spins wider web at Goldman Sachs

The Spider web is growing at Goldman Sachs. By next month, a dozen alumni will be employed by one of the oldest and most prestigious global investment banking firms. In the last three years, seven of the recent additions to Goldman have been hired following graduation and two students were hired laterally from brokerage firms. Two students have also been hired for internships this summer.

“Having gone to UR,” said George Wellde, B’74, Richmond Board of Trustees member and senior partner at Goldman Sachs, “I’ve made it a personal challenge to recruit the best and brightest students from the University to work at Goldman.”

Since joining the Board of Trustees in 2000, Wellde and Donna Winston, head of Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities (FICC) recruiting at Goldman, have partnered with Andy Ferguson, director of Richmond’s Career Development Center, to identify and connect talented Richmond students with opportunities at Goldman Sachs. Through mock interviews, coaching from Goldman employees, networking opportunities and open dialogue between CDC staff and Goldman’s recruiting team, students are prepared for the intense interview process.

Richmond students compete with graduates from every top university. Wellde cited Richmond students’ well-rounded education, strong work ethic, curiosity about the markets, and commitment to success as strong factors influencing the selective Goldman hiring process.

Embarking on their career search early also helps. Four of the alumni at Goldman got their starts as summer interns.

“The 10-week training program really taught me the ins and outs of how Wall Street works,” said Ryan FitzSimons, ’01, “and I was able to focus on exactly what I was looking to pursue as a career choice and make it happen.”

Fahim Rashid, ’04, who will complete an internship this summer in Goldman’s London office, said, “I wanted to take advantage of some world-class training and get some ‘inside info’ on what being an investment banker is all about.”

“Goldman Sachs has been very satisfied with the quality of Richmond students,” said Winston. She’s made multiple trips to Richmond to advise, coach and recruit students, who are typically hired for jobs in sales, trading and investment banking positions. “Year after year, the overall candidate pool grows stronger and the students we’ve hired have been very successful; that’s what keeps us coming back.”

Fulbright forms love/learning triangle

It brought them together. It tore them apart. And, now it is reuniting them once again.

The Fulbright.

This prestigious scholarship has played a big part in the lives of Richmond history professor Matthew L. Basso and his wife, Angela Smith.

The two met when both were graduate students at the University of Minnesota. Basso was working on a Ph.D. in American studies, and Smith, a New Zealand resident studying in America on a Fulbright fellowship, was working on a Ph.D. in English literature. Basso ended up getting a job as an assistant professor of history at Richmond, and the couple had a lovely wedding in April 2002 at the University’s Jenkins Greek Theatre.

But shortly thereafter, Smith had to return to New Zealand to fulfill the obligations of her Fulbright agreement. She had pledged to spend two years sharing her knowledge with fellow New Zealanders, and so she began teaching at Massey University in Wellington.

Not willing to wait that long to live with his new bride, Basso sought a vehicle to take him to New Zealand. He got a Fulbright of his own. He secured additional funds from the dean of arts and sciences at Richmond. So, after one academic year apart, Basso and Smith have been reunited in Wellington, where Basso will conduct research as a Fulbright scholar.

Established in 1946 and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright program provides funds for students, scholars and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and teaching in elementary and secondary schools.

Basso’s Fulbright “wasn’t just luck,” he said. “I applied for the New Zealand Fulbright because I wanted to be with my wife and because I was intrigued by the possibility of doing a comparative study.”

Basso has researched life on the U.S. homefront during World War II. “People generally think of the Greatest Generation as those who fought,” Basso said. But three of every four men did not. War was an anxiety for them. They felt their status being challenged.”

In the course of conversations with his wife and her family and friends, Basso thought he might do similar archival research about the New Zealand homefront.

“I was interested as a historian and as a husband wanting to know about this country where my wife was from.”

One thing Basso already has discovered about New Zealand: “The fly-fishing is unbelievable.”

After 16 months in New Zealand, Basso and his wife will establish their home in the United States.

Two chiefs, one celebration — and a challenge

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court was keynote speaker at a symposium on campus this spring that dealt with the threats to judicial independence.

The symposium, which included distinguished lawyers, judges and legal scholars, was part of a day celebrating the career of Chief Justice Harry L. Carrico, who retired this year from the Virginia Supreme Court.

Rehnquist came to Richmond from Washington to honor Carrico, an old friend, for his “long and distinguished career on the bench.”

Carrico, who served on the court for 42 years, continues to have a long and valued relationship with the University of Richmond School of Law. Law Dean John R. Pagan unveiled a portrait of Carrico that will hang in the Moot Court Room at the law school.

University President William E. Cooper presented Rehnquist with the law school’s highest honor, the William Green Award for Professional Excellence. Cooper praised Rehnquist for “a career characterized by the pursuit of excellence.”

“No jurist save John Marshall has played a more important role in shaping the jurisprudence of his time,” Cooper said.

Rehnquist, Carrico, and other speakers at the symposium outlined serious challenges — past, present and future — to the independence of America’s judiciary.

Rehnquist described the concept of judicial independence as “entirely novel” when put forward by the nation’s founders.

“I believe the creation of an independent constitutional court, with the authority to declare unconstitutional laws passed by the state or federal legislatures, is probably the most significant single contribution the United States has made to the art of government,” he said.

The panel included H. Jefferson Powell, professor at the Duke University School of Law and an authority on judicial independence and constitutional law; Kenneth W. Starr, a partner with the firm Kirkland & Ellis, former independent counsel and former federal judge; and Penny J. White, professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law and a former Tennessee Supreme Court justice.

Particularly in states where judges must stand for election, “selection and retention of judges are being hijacked” by interest groups that raise huge sums of money that they offer those willing to state favorable opinions on issues likely to come before the court, White said. These judges are dangerously close to becoming “politicians in black robes.”

Starr warned of “legislative intrusions” or “power grabbing” that can erode the independence of the judiciary. This conflict between the legislative and judicial branches is most visible in confirmation hearings, he said. There, legislators often demand statements on specific, controversial issues from prospective judges. And the prospects often decline because they see each case as worthy of careful review by an open mind.

“Judges reach conclusions through a process of decision-making that is different from the other branches” of government, Powell said. They must be free from external pressures and from expression of their own predispositions and beliefs.

Said Carrico, “I hope that from this meeting will come the strong message that it is absolutely essential to preserve the independence of the judiciary of this great nation.”

Spiders attract national media attention

Ever given much thought to the mating habits of spiders? No — not the sexual proclivities of you and your fellow alumni or the dating trends of Richmond undergraduates. We’re talking about the eight-legged variety.

Biology professor Peter Smallwood has devoted a great deal of thought — and research — to the subject, and his findings have garnered national media attention. What Smallwood and his colleagues discovered turned spider sex research on its head. Male spiders are strongly attracted to fat females — the very mates most likely to devour them.

The finding is surprising because biologists did not think spiders were so discriminating in whom they chose as mates, said Smallwood, whose previous research efforts centered on long-jawed squirrels.

His spider research team studied the creatures both in the lab and in the wild. They found males consistently preferred females who were fat for their length, rather than just large overall. “This is the first evidence that an invertebrate species … chooses its mates based on body condition, i.e. weight divided by length — how fat you are for your size,” Smallwood said.

The male uses a special structure on his jaws to prop the female’s jaws open, so that he can mate without getting eaten. After he achieves success at mating and surviving, the male spider makes a mad dash to get away. “He’s got two or three feet on her head and he is pushing for all he’s worth … [while] she is trying to bite him,” Smallwood said. “Every now and then she manages to catch him and eat him.”

Smallwood’s spider sex research was featured on CNN.com, ABCNEWS.com, and in the Los Angeles Times and Canada’s National Post.

All things considered, Totenberg provoked and predicted

Government’s need to violate civil liberties in wartime will be judged anew by the Supreme Court, National Public Radio legal correspondent Nina Totenberg told a University of Richmond audience on April 15. Although freedoms have been restricted during wars several times in American history, no previous war has been like the current one against terrorism — no clear enemy and no definable end. In such a setting, she said, civil rights are in peril.

Totenberg’s talk — Leadership and Change in the Supreme Court Post-9/11 — was sponsored by the Richmond Quest, the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and the Richmond School of Law.

During previous wars and hostilities in which our country has been involved, the high court has had to strike a balance between two conflicting needs: national security and prevention of tyranny in the form of concentrated executive, legislative and judicial power. In the United States’ war against terrorism, power is concentrated to an unprecedented degree, Totenberg said.

Hundreds of immigrants have been deported for infractions that would have been considered minor just a few years ago. Also, Totenberg added, immigration judges are routinely overruled by the attorney general and cannot act independently. “The executive branch has closed deportation hearings to the public,” she said, noting examples of how President George W. Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft have claimed new powers for themselves. “What is to prevent any one of us from being picked up off the street and being held without access to a lawyer or our families?” she asked.

Totenberg opened her talk with an assessment of the Supreme Court’s future membership. She said she expects Chief Justice William Rehnquist to announce his retirement this year, while the Republican Party that appointed him controls the White House and Congress. And, she expects Bush to nominate White House counsel Alberto Gonzales as successor. Totenberg said Bush has low interest in judicial matters, but would use the opportunity to repay conservatives and the religious right, who have a huge interest in any court vacancies.

Totenberg, who was accompanied by her husband, described the Richmond campus as one of the most beautiful in the nation.

Career development director practices what he preaches

Andy Ferguson helps students find their calling. As Richmond’s director of career development, that has been his calling for 19 years.

But five years ago, Ferguson started hearing something he hadn’t heard very distinctly since his student days: a call toward the ministry. And he did what he tells students to do. He listened.

Now, after intense training, Ferguson has been ordained as a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church. That means he can preach sermons, baptize babies, perform weddings and conduct funerals.

Those activities are just a sideline, though, to his University job, which he intends to keep till he reaches a ripe retirement age. “I love my job,” Ferguson, 49, said. “It’s very fulfilling.”

He equates his ordination and the steps preceding it to “building an addition to your house.” There’s a lot of disruption, work and upheaval in the process, but the finished product provides so much enjoyment. He looks forward to fully enjoying his “addition” after he retires. Unlike many people, this specialist in career development has a profession to fall back on. Ferguson’s attitude is “you’ve got to keep growing.”

In a role that he describes as “a complement to the parish priest,” Ferguson said that he will perform both sacramental and service tasks. He may get involved in prison ministry or other social justice issues, as well as contribute to parish education programs.

His motto might also be: You’ve got to keep giving. The most fulfilling aspect of his job, Ferguson said, is to “help give order to the confusion” many students feel about their futures. Speaking from his own experience, he said he tells students that “it’s important to listen to that inner voice and that there’s not just one way to satisfy it.”

Ferguson’s philosophy is that “everybody’s called to do something.” Determining that calling, he said, “is a matter of being open.” Fortunately, in his case, he said, he deferred his religious rumblings and followed the inner voice that led him to being a counselor and a dad. Ferguson and his wife Jennifer, a physician, have a 12-year-old son, Drew.

Jepson School celebrates decade of developing leaders

The Jepson School of Leadership Studies’ April celebration of its 10th anniversary featured nationally known leaders in a variety of activities, ranging from scholarly discussions to an elegant dinner.

James MacGregor Burns, a renowned historian who is a senior fellow at the School of Leadership Studies, kicked off the festivities with a talk about his latest book, Transforming Leadership: A New Pursuit of Happiness.

Following his talk, a reception was held for about 400 friends, faculty members and alumni of Jepson, the country’s first stand-alone school for leadership studies. It is named for its principal benefactor, business executive Robert S. Jepson Jr., R ’64.

Jepson, who delivered the commencement address on campus the following weekend, was not present for the weekend-long anniversary celebration. However, he was very much on the minds of participants.

Joanne B. Ciulla, a founding faculty member who holds the Coston Family Chair in Leadership and Ethics, described Jepson as a “bigger-than-life character” who “let us do our work; let us make our mistakes.”

Throughout the weekend, visiting scholars from across the country joined Burns in discussions on developing an integrated theory of leadership.

On Sunday evening, activities shifted several miles east, from the University’s leafy campus to the ornate Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond for a commemorative, black-tie dinner featuring remarks by David Gergen, journalist and former White House adviser.

Gergen, director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, described leadership as the “X factor in human affairs.”

“Individuals matter; individual leaders matter,” Gergen told his audience of students, alumni and community leaders.

A counselor to four U.S. presidents — three Republicans and one Democrat — Gergen emphasized that leadership studies should be primarily directed at young people, many of whom are turned off by the hurly-burly of politics and public policy.

“We need to re-engage the younger generation; go deeper and build this field,” he said. That’s exactly what the Jepson School of Leadership Studies has been doing for a decade — and is continuing to do.

As Jonathan Zur, president of the Jepson Student Government Association, put it, the school is producing “socially engaged citizens.”

Changing images

Rising seniors Meredith Cox and Charissa Lopez-Linus wanted to look their best for Ring Dance. So, they traded privacy for vanity. They wrote in to The Learning Channel’s A Makeover Story and said they needed help. A camera crew came on campus to film the transformation of the two young women, who were treated to new dresses, hairstyles and beauty sessions. For the end results, catch the show, which is scheduled to air sometime this fall.

Excelling in all fields, Spiders capture Commissioner’s Cup

After claiming a school-record five Atlantic 10 championships this year, Richmond captured the conference’s Commissioner’s Cup by a commanding margin.

The prestigious Commissioner’s Cup is a compilation of points awarded in descending order of finish in each of the league’s 22 championship sports. In only its second year as an all-sports member of the league, Richmond, who also won the women’s race by seven points, won conference championships in baseball, field hockey, women’s soccer, swimming & diving, and women’s indoor track and field.

The Spiders captured their first Atlantic 10 baseball championship with a 7-4 win and a sweep of the best-of-three A-10 Championship Series against Massachusetts. The victory marks the fifth conference title earned by head coach Ron Atkins and the seventh tournament appearance.

Coach Ange Bradley’s field hockey team finished 6-0 in regular-season conference play and then won the tournament championship. The field hockey team advanced to the NCAA Tournament where they defeated Rider before falling to Old Dominion.

The success continued when Peter Albright’s women’s soccer team captured its first Atlantic 10 Tournament championship and then advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Richmond finished third in the regular-season standings.

Coach Jeff Gettler’s men’s soccer team also finished third in the regular-season standings, but earned an NCAA Tournament at-large berth by winning matches against several of the nation’s elite teams.

When the winter championships surfaced, Richmond again dominated conference standings. Matt Kredich and his swimming and diving team broke eight conference records and won 13 of 20 total events in a commanding championship performance.

Lori Taylor took her women’s track and field team to the most exciting championship to date, as the title came down to the last race. The Spiders outran host Rhode Island to claim Richmond’s first-ever indoor track conference title. Earlier in the year, Taylor and the women’s cross country team finished second.

The Spider basketball teams also added points to extend the Commissioner’s Cup lead. The men and women’s teams both finished third in the Atlantic 10 West Division. First-year men’s head coach Jerry Wainwright led the Spiders to their sixth-straight winning season (15-14, 10-6) and their third consecutive berth in the NIT. First-year coach Joanne Boyle and her Spiders advanced to the post-season for the first time in 12 years, reaching the WNIT quarterfinals, while compiling a 21-11 overall record, 9-7 in league play.

Ange Bradley, Matt Kredich and Lori Taylor earned Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors. Senior Ruth Chege (track), senior Jill Murphy, junior Lydia Decembrino and freshman Michelle Swartz (field hockey) and sophomore Mary Adams and freshman Brooke Boncher (swimming) were honored as being the most outstanding performers in their respective sports. Senior Jeff Myers was named the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year (see related story), while teammate Tony Dobbins earned A-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Senior Elizabeth Cook earned Atlantic 10 Swimming Student-Athlete of the Year.

In other sports, the men’s golf team, led by senior Kyle Hess’ fifth-place finish, tied for fourth at the A-10 championships. The men’s tennis team advanced to the championship match before falling, while the women’s team garnered third place at the conference tournament.

Myers scores on the court and in the classroom

Jeff Myers, ’03, had big shoes to fill.

When Scott Ungerer graduated and left the Spider basketball program following the 2001-02 season, many wondered who would be the next Richmond point guard. Ungerer, a versatile 6-7 player who could contribute at any of the five positions, was so valuable to his team that he set the program record for minutes played per game — 38.4 — his last season. Even more important, people wondered, would a replacement be able to command the same respect from his teammates and opponents that Ungerer had developed over his four-year career.

Myers proved capable on both counts — and was honored for doing so by being named the Atlantic 10’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year.

Anticipating the void left by Ungerer, first-year head coach Jerry Wainwright was eager to work with the dynamic backcourt duo of Myers and Reggie Brown. “One of the things that I was most excited about in taking this job,” Wainwright explained, “was the ability to coach an extremely talented backcourt … one of the best in the league.”

However, the duo was diminished when Brown suffered a back injury. The senior and leading returning scorer was sidelined for all but three games. That meant Myers had to carry the load — and the expectations — of a program quickly moving into the upper echelon of Division I basketball.

He did so admirably, starting all 29 games and leading the team with 36.1 minutes per game. Myers ended up with the eighth-best point guard performance in Spider history, providing 119 assists for the season and 315 for his Richmond career.

This 6-1, 180-pound guard from Rockford, Ill., started the final 52 games of his collegiate career. A sharpshooter, Myers ranked second on the team with 11.0 points per game last season and he ranks sixth all-time with 145 career three-pointers.

But what the statistics, as impressive as they may be, don’t show is Myers’ fire and determination. He is the player who pumped his fist following every key bucket, and he is the one who slapped teammates on the back to encourage excellence on every possession.

Many times during the 2002-03 season, the outlook appeared grim as the Spiders’ opponent seized momentum and pushed out to a formidable lead. But it was an under-sized Myers who would stop-and-pop a jumper from inside the lane, or — as he did twice during the season — drain a three-pointer from the top of the key to keep hopes alive.

He graduated with a degree in rhetoric and communications studies. With his 3.43 grade point average, combined with his on-court skill, Jeff Myers has proven to be the quintessential student-athlete.

Spiders host five home football games

The Spider football team entertains an exciting home slate for the 2003 season. Intrastate rivals VMI and William and Mary return to UR Stadium, as does Villanova, a I-AA playoff semifinalist from last fall. A large crowd is expected when Rhode Island kicks off the home season during Family Weekend.

Season tickets cost $75. Admission to single games is $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 1-877-SPIDER-1.

2003 Richmond Football Schedule

Date		Opponent	Time	Site
Sept. 13	at	Delaware	7 p.m.	Newark, Del.
Sept. 20	at	Furman	7 p.m.	Greenville, S.C.
Sept. 27		Rhode Island	1 p.m.	UR Stadium
Oct. 4	at	Maine	3 p.m.	Orono, Maine
Oct. 11	at	James Madison	3 p.m.	Harrisonburg, Va.
Oct. 18		New Hampshire	1 p.m.	UR Stadium
Oct. 25		VMI (Homecoming)	3 p.m.	UR Stadium
Nov. 1		Villanova	1 p.m.	UR Stadium
Nov. 8	at	Massachusetts	TBA	Amherst, Mass.
Nov. 15	at	Northeastern	TBA	Boston, Mass.
Nov. 22		William and Mary	1 p.m.	UR Stadium