After spending last weekend in Southern California, I travelled to Northern California this weekend and had an opportunity to fellowship with the Bay Area Jags on Sunday. I cannot thank Gaynell and Walter Johnson enough for opening up their lovely home to me and the other Jags who joined us for a delightful evening in Oakland. I met Mrs. Venice McKnight, who shared with me that 66 members of her family have attended Southern University. Wow! That has to be some sort of record. I ate dinner next to Mrs. Ruthie Alexander Smith. She is a 1954 business graduate, and her sister graduated with former SUS President Dr. Dolores Spikes. It was great to see Alaric Robinson, an architect who was at Southern while I was a student. I had the privilege of finally bragging on Patricia Deamer in her home town. In addition to serving as a Co-Director for the Western Region, she has been one of our most dedicated volunteer student recruiters in Northern California. Her tireless volunteer efforts are truly inspiring and the Federation is lucky to have her working so hard for Southern. Time flew by as I talked to alums like Ed Veleau, an SU graduate and former college president, who asked some of the best questions about the health and future of our University. That Ole Southern Spirit is alive and well in the Bay Area.
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| Bay Area Alumni Chapter Members Gathered at the Home of Gaynell and Walter Johnson in Oakland for a Welcome Reception for SUAF President Castille |
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We had such a great time in Oakland that Bay Area Chapter President Cornell Jones, Graig Brooks, and Debbie and Mark Hicks joined me again Tuesday night in San Francisco before I left California. We talked late into the night about our love for Southern and ideas about
making this great university greater. From Southern California to Northern California, the Jaguar Nation is indeed strong on the West Coast. In fact, I received a call yesterday from a Phoenix alumna inquiring about starting a chapter in Arizona. I look forward to letting you know about the progress of this new chapter. Keep those calls coming. The Federation is growing and with your help, we will have chapters in every state in the country before long. Again, please don't hesitate to call or text me at 225-317-3363, or email me at
Preston.Castille@TaylorPorter.com, if you want to start a new chapter. Our Regional Directors and our 2
nd VP, Pamela Burleigh, are eager to help you get started.
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| Ms. Venice McKnight (middle) has 66 family members who attended SU |
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| Godfrey White talks about why he joined the Bay Area Chapter |
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| Bay Area Alumna Gaynell Johnson and President Castille |
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Likewise, the Jaguar Nation is strong here in Louisiana. Saturday, Chapter President Dilcie Green and the Monroe Chapter awarded $5,000 in scholarships to several students that the chapter has recruited to attend Southern. Our new Executive Director, Derrick Warren, was able to make the trip to Monroe. He's already making his rounds to the chapters. Last week, he spoke at the Home Chapter meeting, and this week he met with the East Baton Rouge Chapter. Last night, he joined Al Harrell, the CEO of the SU System Foundation, on the Jaguar Journal radio show.
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| Monroe Chapter President Dilcie Green Addressing Monroe Alums. |
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| Director Derrick Warren, Celebrity Emcee Clara Hubbard and Chicago Chapter President DuWarn Porter |
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| Miss Southern University Corrine Vaughn and Talk Show Host Clara Hubbard |
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Three weeks out from the Alumni Conference in Chicago and I'm still feeling grateful for all of the support we received from local alums and celebrities from Chicago. Alumna Clara Hubbard, the host of
Senior Talk, a Chicago radio show, was absolutely fabulous as she dedicated an entire segment of her show to the Conference. She then emceed our Blue & Gold Gala and ended our conference with style and grace and just the celebrity touch we needed.
Football season is just around the corner and our new Freshman class arrives this weekend. Please join the Home Chapter for Freshmen Move-In Day activities Sunday. The students would love to see you there!! I can't wait to meet our newest future alumni - our students!
Go, Jags and Knights!
