CSULB goes to Hawaii

           The Alumni Association will head to Honolulu, Hawaii for a pre-game reception dinner before the California State University, Long Beach men’s basketball team takes on the University of Hawaii on Feb. 7, 2013.

CSULB fans cheer on the men's basketball team.

            The pre-game buffet dinner will begin at 5 p.m. at the Willows in Honolulu, Hawaii followed by the basketball game in the Stan Sherriff Center at the University of Hawaii where tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

            For all members of the Alumni Association the price is $45 and $50 for all non-members.  The price includes dinner, valet parking at the Willows and a game ticket.

            The CSULB men’s basketball team had a successful 2012 season and has continued to do well in 2013.  The 49ers defeated the University of Hawaii, 76-72, at home on Jan. 12. CSULB then went on to defeat the Highlanders from University of California, Riverside in overtime, 91-82, to continue their four-game win streak and maintain their 1st place standing.

Mike Caffey scores a game-high 18 points in the game on Feb. 7 against the University of Hawaii.

            All alumni, parents and friends are welcome to join the Alumni Association to cheer on Cal State Long Beach as the 49ers battle the warriors.  The alumni coordinator Leticia Lozoya said that this event is a great way for alumni of Cal State Long Beach to connect and network with other alumni while supporting the basketball team.   

To make a reservation for the event or for help with hotel accommodations contact Leticia Lozoya in the Alumni Association Office at 562-985-2539 or leticia.lozoya@csulb.edu.

Recent alumni mixer

California State University, Long Beach will be hosting a mixer for recent alumni on March 28, 2013, from 6-8 p.m. in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

            All recent alumni that have graduated within the last five years from Cal State Long Beach are welcomed to join other alumni for a night of mingling and fun.  This is an opportunity for alumni to network and connect with other alumni in all different fields of business. 

Students enjoying drinks at the recent alumni mixer in 2012

            The event will be $10 for all members of the Alumni Association and $15 for all non-members.  Graduates of Cal State Long Beach are encouraged to join to Alumni Association so that they can go to the events and stay connected to the school.

            The coordinator of student and recent alumni programs Sasha Leonardo said, “On average we get around 1000 new members of the Alumni Association each year, but in comparison to how many graduate, that number is not as high as it could be.”

            Students who join the Alumni Association receive many benefits and networking opportunities.  Leonardo said, “It is an easy and beneficial way to stay involved with Cal State Long Beach after graduation.”

            Along with mixers, the Alumni Association hosts multiple events each year that keep alumni involved with the university.  There is something for everyone with a variety of different events from social gatherings, to theater productions, to sporting events.

Sunset picture taken at Manhattan Beach, Calif.

            For more information on the mixer and other alumni events, visit http://www.csulb.edu/alumni/events/ or contact Sasha Leonardo at sasha.leonardo@csulb.edu

Senior kick-off party

           The California State University, Long Beach graduating class of 2013 will be celebrating their senior kick-off party from 7-10 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2013 at the Beach Club Sports Bar and Grill in Long Beach, Calif.

            The event will include drinks, games, raffles, music and mingling for all graduating in spring 2013.  This is a way for Cal State Long Beach students to finish their senior year in a fun and exciting way. 

Jessica Hanan celebrating graduation 2012

            Seniors can give back to their university by purchasing the beach pride and tradition package and if they purchase one before Feb. 21 they will receive a free appetizer at the event. The package costs $99 and includes a lifetime membership to the Alumni Association and a donation to the Senior Class Giving program, in the students’ name.  If the package is purchased by June 30 seniors will get a free CSULB alumni license plate frame, a Beach Pride graduation cord to wear during graduation, free admission to the recent alumni mixer on March 28 and the students name added to the my beach Honor Roll that displays the dedication and support of graduating seniors.

Beach Club Sports Bar and Grill

            The coordinator of student and recent alumni programs Sasha Leonardo said, “We want seniors to be excited about graduation, we want them to leave CSULB with great memories and we want them to stay involved with the university after they graduate.”

            The senior kick-off party gives the graduating class a chance to give back to their university while having a great time.

          

             For more information on the event, visit http://www.csulb.edu/alumni/mybeach/mybeach or contact Sasha Leonardo at sasha.leonardo@csulb.edu

CSU alumni gather in New York

          The California State University, Long Beach Alumni Association will be joining all other CSU alumni for the 3^rd annual CSU-wide networking reception on Thursday, March 7, 2013, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the University Club of New York.

            The CSU-wide networking reception allows for all CSU alumni and family that live in the New York/Tri-State area to get together where they will be joined by the new CSU chancellor, Timothy P. White, and many other CSU leaders.

CSU Alumni at the CSU-wide networking reception in 2011

This is a networking opportunity for all CSU alumni to connect with others in the Tri-State area, in different fields of business.  The networking reception first began in 2010 as an opportunity for alumni from Cal State Universities that lived in the New York and Tri-State areas to meet, get connected and help one another through business networking opportunities.

            The cost for the event is $25 for all members of the Alumni Association and will be held at the exclusive University Club of New York, where all are required to dress in business attire.   There are limited tickets available and guests are asked to RSVP by March 1, 2013.

            For more information on the event, visit http://www.calstate.edu/alumni/events/ or contact Jackie Wetteland at 562-985-2230 or jwettela@csulb.edu.

             

The future alumni of CSULB

         Students anxiously wait for the end of their last semester of college, as graduation grows nearer they get ready to celebrate, ready to conquer the world, ready to…join the Alumni Association?

     Sasha Leonardo, the coordinator of student and recent alumni events at California State University, Long Beach, has the difficult job of trying to recruit graduating seniors into the Alumni Association. Leonardo said, “It can be a challenging job, and trying to get seniors to even consider joining the Alumni Association can be the hardest part.” 

     Leonardo is a proud CSULB alumni, she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts and her Master of Arts from CSULB in 2004.  She knew right after she graduated that she wanted to be a part of the Alumni Association, and it is now her job to convince others to do the same.  She wants students to be excited and proud to be a graduate of Cal State Long Beach with the hopes that they will want to stay involved with the university.

Recent Alumni having drinks at an event.

        With a small $49 fee, students become lifetime members of the Alumni Association and receive a CSULB alumni license plate frame.  Leonardo said, “Sometimes we can get students to join for the free license plate frame alone.”  The cost of joining is not rough, but getting students to join can be.  As a graduating senior the last thing on any students mind is about how they are going to stay involved with their university after they have left. 

     Many students wonder what joining the Alumni Association will do for them.  Joining the association is a way to make great connections with other alumni, it allows members to stay involved with school and it gives all members access to any of the benefits that students get from having an ID card, like discounts, access to the library and research materials, sporting events, and much more.

       Leonardo said, “We try to pump up senior year to make it something to celebrate and show them a good time, so that they are sure to come back and stay involved in the school.”

Alumni enjoy dinner and a show

          The California State University, Long Beach Alumni Association will be hosting a dinner party and a viewing of the theater show Capitol Steps on Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.

            The Alumni Association will meet at 6 p.m. for a pre-show buffet dinner at the Daniel Recital Hall Foyer at Cal State Long Beach followed by the performance of Capitol Steps, which will begin at 8 p.m. at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. 

Promotional flyer from the Alumni Association events page

            Capitol Steps is a musical satire that has been performed for over 30 years by a group of Senate staffers.  The group first got together in 1981 while putting on a performance for a work Christmas party. The parody skits and songs were such a hit that they continued to perform them for years after and eventually made an entire show out of it, Capitol Steps.  The show displays the government life in the House and Senate, using over 60 years of staff experience to create the show.

            The performance is currently sold-out for everyone.  The price of a ticket for members of the Alumni Association was $60, which included the pre-dinner and the show, and $65 for non-members. 

            The Alumni Association has many events like this throughout the year that allow previous Cal State Long Beach students, of all ages, to get together, make connections, and enjoy live entertainment. 

The coordinator of student and recent alumni programs, Sasha Leonardo, said, “The Alumni Association allows people to be reconnected with CSULB, it creates networking opportunities for students that have just graduated, and provides fun social and volunteer events for members to stay involved.”

For more information on this event, and many others, visit www.csulb.edu/alumni/.