March 15, 2005

April is Alumni Month

A series of events celebrating and honoring current and future alumni is set for April’s Alumni Month at California State University, Sacramento. Graduates, students, faculty and staff will be treated to on- and off-campus fun that also features benefits, like reduced prices for ticketed events, for members of the Sacramento State Alumni Association.

Alumni Month will build on the tradition of the prestigious Distinguished Service Awards, an annual Alumni Association event held in April. Set this year for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 14 at the Alumni Center, the awards single out former Sacramento State students who have “brought distinction to themselves and the University through their accomplishments.” Honorees this year include Michael L. Brown, California Highway Patrol commissioner; Todd Murch, president of Eskaton; and emeritus professor Ann Weldy, who will receive the Distinguished Faculty Award.

Android antics and a Monteverdi opera are among the events that will open Alumni Month. ASIMO, Honda’s smooth-moving humanoid robot that boasts the ability to walk, dance and climb stairs, will make one of two West Coast stops at Sacramento State. ASIMO’s has free public shows at 2:30 p.m., March 31 and April 1 and at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on April 2 in the University Union Ballroom. Plans call for the April 1 appearance to feature ASIMO being named an honorary Sacramento State Hornet by University President Alexander Gonzalez. Seating is limited and doors open 30 minutes before each demonstration.

The music department's fully-staged production of Claudio Monteverdi's 17th-century opera L'Incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea) is set to open at 8 p.m., April 1 in the University Theatre in Shasta Hall. Alumnus and professional lutenist Michael Leopold will return to campus from his home in Milan, Italy to perform in the production. The opera will be conducted by lecturer John Dornenburg, with stage direction by professor Lynn Stradley. Performances continue April 3, 7 and 9. Tickets are $15 general and $10 for students and seniors.

Campus colors are called for on “Green and Gold Day,” April 12, another highlight of Alumni Month. Students, alumni, faculty and staff are encouraged to dress in Sacramento State’s colors and activities are in the works. Also mid-month, Distinguished Service Award winner Ann Weldy will discuss her groundbreaking 1950s lesbian “pulp” fiction written under the pen-name Ann Bannon at 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 13 in the University Library Gallery.

Sacramento State’s Alumni Theatre Project will present Smart Love: A Musical Tribute to Bob Smart, honoring the late Sacramento State professor, starting at 8 p.m., April 22 in the University Theatre in Shasta Hall. The original musical revue will feature numbers from shows including A Chorus Line, Guys and Dolls, Les Miserables and Rent. Tickets are $20 general, $18 for seniors and Alumni Association members and $5 for students. Alumni Association members will also be able to see any performance of the University production Vinegar Tom for the discounted price of $8. Regular general admission is $15. The show opens at 8 p.m., April 29 and performances continue April 30 and May 1 and 5-8.

“Sacramento State Night with the River Cats” will close out the month with a baseball game dedicated to the University at 7:05 p.m., April 28 at Raley Field in West Sacramento. Seats in sections 122 to 125 and on Home Run Hill have been set aside for Sacramento State fans. Entertainment from University performers and spirit teams and appearances by Sacramento State personalities are scheduled as well. Tickets are $12, $9 and $6.

Many other activities are set for Alumni Month, and a complete schedule of April events is available at www.csus.edu/events. Tickets are available from the CSUS Ticket office at (916) 278-4323 or Tickets.com. For more information, contact the Sacramento State Alumni Association at (916) 278-6295. Media assistance is available from public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

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