ALUMNI CENTER ARCHITECT SHARES HIS VISION
Glimpse of the Future

200,000-square-foot building, like the student center Michael Dennis designed for Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, could easily have turned into a cold, mammoth structure with little appeal beyond its basic functionality. But Dennis, a Boston-based architect and professor at MIT, infused warmth and personal touches to create an environment where people gather because they want to, not because they have to.

“There are many ways—some fun and some more serious—to make a building unique and give it a personality,” says Dennis, who has been commissioned by the University of Miami to design its alumni center.

The unique centerpiece of the student center at Carnegie Mellon, which earned Dennis an American Institute of Architects Design Award and a 1997 Charles Bulfinch Award, is a rotunda festooned with a 12-foot-high, 200-foot-long panoramic mural drawn by one of the university’s own faculty members. The mural, which depicts the city of Pittsburgh and the university’s campus in three different time frames and from three different directions of view, has become a springboard for conversation and camaraderie. “It’s amazing to hear alumni standing around the mural and talking about their experiences there,” Dennis says. “There is incredible power in what you can do to make people connect with the past.”

A native Texan, Dennis knew from age 10 that he wanted to be an architect: “It just seemed that was what I was meant to do.” After graduating with a degree in architecture from the University of Oregon, Dennis spent five years in Europe, where he “came to see architecture in a different way, that buildings are part of a culture.”

Warmth in the style and character of his past works, warmth in his presentation to the University, and the fact that he has extensive university experience and alumni center experience are the reasons Donna Arbide, M.B.A. ’95, UM Alumni Association executive director and assistant vice president of alumni relations, lists for the University’s unanimous decision to hire Michael Dennis and Associates. “President Shalala’s vision is to create a museum of architectural work at the University,” Arbide says. “She said, ‘I want the alumni center to be a signature building, and I want it to have a world-class architect.’”

Dennis, who is a personal friend of Dean Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and Associate Professor Jose Gelabert-Navia in the School of Architecture, has dedicated much of his practice to campus planning and design, a niche with a weighty and perhaps underappreciated significance.

“Universities play an incredible role in our lives and in society,” Dennis asserts. “Some of your most intense memories and loyalties are related to your school.”

Renderings for the alumni center presently exist only in Dennis’s mind’s eye, but in his first of several meetings with the Alumni Association Board of Directors, he outlined basic elements of his vision. “This building should not be flown in from a corporate office park; it should be more like a house or a villa. In a climate like this, colonnades, promenades, and courtyards are part of the program.”

A ceremonial groundbreaking for the four-story alumni center is slated for early next year, with completion in another three to four years.

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Honoring the Birthday Bird

he year 1955 brought the world Kevin Costner, instant oatmeal, and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. But most importantly, it was the birth year of Sebastian the Ibis, a tried-and-true mascot and the world’s most beloved six-foot-tall bird. To celebrate this momentous occasion—when Norman A. “Chink” Whitten, M.Ed. ’57, painted the ibis’s image on the wall of the student union soda shop—the University of Miami Alumni Association is throwing a 50th birthday bash during Alumni Weekend 2005.

Over the years Sebastian has gone from his first incarnation of papier-mâché and bathroom mats crafted in 1957 by John Stormont, A.B. ’60, to a rowdy pipe smoker showcasing his battle scars, to an upstanding spirited fellow who can really rally a crowd. He is a lovable link between generations of Hurricanes, and his birthday is yet another reason to attend Alumni Weekend this year. Cake, ice cream, and maybe a handful of bird feed will launch the festivities during the UMAA pregame on Saturday, October 29, two and a half hours prior to the homecoming football game against the University of North Carolina.

Sebastian’s birthday party will be the icing on a longstanding tradition in University of Miami history. Those who haven’t been to Alumni Weekend and Homecoming recently will find new activities and special events in addition to the classic pep rally, boat burning, and fireworks. Last year alumni and students enjoyed a concert on the University Green on Friday evening, featuring hip-hop star and performer Fugees singer Wyclef Jean.

This year promises to be another exciting weekend with a new twist on an old tradition. The UMAA will host Alumni Alley on Friday, October 28, following the parade on the Coral Gables campus. Alumni Alley will feature carnival-style tent parties for each reunion class as well as special gatherings for groups such as fraternities, sororities, and other student organizations. You’ll stroll down memory lane, or shall we say memory “alley,” to reconnect with your classmates and friends.

Whether you graduated in 1955 or 2005, there is something exciting waiting for you on campus during Alumni Weekend. If you would like to receive an invitation to Alumni Weekend and Sebastian’s 50th Birthday Bash, please contact the Alumni Association toll free at 1-866-UMALUMS or e-mail alumni@miami.edu. For the latest information on Alumni Weekend events, visit www.miami.edu/ alumniweekend.

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Carving the Question

y Christmas Eve 2004, Monica Cabanillas, B.B.A. ’02, and Erik Sheppard, B.B.A. ’03, had been dating for two years. They were on their way to Monica’s parents’ house for dinner when Erik took an unexpected detour onto the Coral Gables campus.

“I held Erik’s hand as we drew closer to the Wellness Center,” Monica says, recounting the story. “His sweaty palms and my tight grip made me realize that this was to be a truly memorable Christmas.”

As the couple walked to the Love Bridge—the walkway outside the Wellness Center that honors Patti, B.B.A. ’57, and Allan Herbert, B.B.A. ’55, M.B.A. ’58, and all others who met and fell in love at the University—Monica knew “something serious was about to happen.” Beneath their feet was a brick inscribed with: “Monica, we met here. Will you make it forever?”

“The University of Miami means a lot to us,” Erik says. “I just knew that if I could keep it a secret, it would be a really original way of proposing to Monica.”

Erik, who is pursuing his M.B.A. degree at the University, first learned about the Love Bridge from his brother, Brett, who is a junior in the School of Business Administration. To help Erik keep the idea a secret from Monica, he enlisted his mom, Carolyn, who collaborated with Norm Parsons, director of wellness and recreation.

“From the first time my husband, Andy, and I met Monica, we thought she was a beautiful person inside and out,” says Carolyn Sheppard. “We sensed something special about her and felt strongly that she would make Erik happy for the rest of his life.”

Since graduating from the University, Monica has been working as a financial analyst at a hedge fund in Boca Raton. Erik is scheduled to graduate from the M.B.A. program this spring. They are considering a December 2005 wedding.

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Three-Ring Bling

reat things come in threes. The same is true of the University’s new Official Class Ring Program, which features a collection of three ring designs. All are available in white or yellow gold, and each ring is inscribed with a registration number in case it is lost.

Hurricane sports fans will love the Legend ring, which highlights a gold U logo encrusted upon an emerald-green stone, framed by the University of Miami name, the 1925 founding date, and the Hurricanes team name. Sebastian the Ibis is perched on the left shank of the ring, and on the right are the University of Miami Great Seal and the wearer’s class year.

The modern Men’s and Ladies’ Signet ring, which can be ordered with or without a stone, showcases the U logo, framed by the 1925 founding date. The inside of the ring can be engraved with the wearer’s degree and year.

Ladies who prefer an elegant design will select the Highlight ring, which can be set with either diamonds or cubic zirconium.

Alumni and undergraduate students who have earned at least 60 credits and graduate and doctoral students who have completed at least one year are eligible to purchase an official University of Miami class ring. President Donna E. Shalala presented the rings on April 20 at the inaugural University of Miami Ring Ceremony, a new chapter in University tradition.

If you would like to purchase or trade in a class ring, visit the alumni Web site, www.miami.edu/alumni.

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