Blue&Gold

SPRING 2004

EXTRA! EXTRA!Read All About

The RattlerTriumphs

PRESIDENTCharles L. Cotrell, Ph.D.

(B.A. ’62, M.A. ’64)

UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENTVICE PRESIDENTThomas B. Galvin

CHIEF OF STAFFAND COMMUNICATIONS

Dianne Pipes

EXECUTIVE EDITORCandace J. Kuebker (B.A. ’78)

ASSOCIATE EDITORSAnastasia Cisneros-Lunsford

(B.A. ’92)Rob Leibold(M.A. ’03)

PUBLICATIONS DIRECTORSteve Weed

PHOTOGRAPHYMelanie Rush Davis

Tommy HultgrenScott Schrader (B.A. ’85, M.A. ’88)

CONTRIBUTORSKaren Persyn and

Will Elliott (B.A. ’93)Advancement Services

Tim BowmanWeb Director

Gold & Blue is produced for alumniand friends three times a year by theUniversity Communications staff.

Contents © 2004 by St. Mary’sUniversity. All rights reserved.

One Camino Santa MariaSan Antonio, Texas 78228-8575

www.stmarytx.edu

Personal Attention.Powerful Programs.

Engaging the FutureCivic Responsibility at St. Mary’s

by Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., President

News from Around the Grove

Cornyn Helps Inaugurate Center for Terrorism Lawby Rob Leibold

NSSE: Students Give High Marks to St. Mary’s Experienceby Mark Winston, Ph.D.

A Reason to CelebrateHomecoming 2004

Marianist Values Put Alumni Coaches in Winning Positionby Pat Abernathey

Bridge BuildersPedro and Alicia Viyao Leave Legacy with $7.8 Million Gift

by the Rev. John A. Leies, S.M., Th.D.

Topping the “A” ListSt. Mary’s Law Journal Fourth Most Cited by High Courts

by Rob Leibold

Class Notes

In Closing

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CONTENTS From the Editor

Another academic year is windingdown, and we continue to be amazed at howquickly the days and months fly by. It seemslike just yesterday we were preparing forUniversity Convocation, an annual event thatbrings faculty and staff together to launch thefall semester, and by the time you read this,the Class of 2004 will have walked across thestage to collect their diplomas.

During the 2003-2004 academic yearwe’ve witnessed new beginnings—theopening of the SBC Center for InformationTechnology, Java City on the Quad, and theCenter for Terrorism Law, to name a few.We’re experiencing change, too, as each daywe see progress on the Gateway to HistoricSt. Mary’s University, which willpermanently and dramatically change themain entrance and perimeter of the school.

Good things are happening at St. Mary’s.We continue to build partnerships with otherinstitutions that benefit our students; ourcalendar of events—from speakers andpanels to exhibits and special events—offerseveryone in our community the opportunityto expand their knowledge and horizons; and,the support of our alumni and friends allowsus to provide current and future generationsof students an excellent and uniqueeducational experience.

Thank you for being a part of St. Mary’slegacy of success.

—Candace Kuebker

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On the Covers

On the front cover, several members of The Rattler’s hard-working, award-winning—and high spirited—staff assemble in the newspaper offices to critiquerecent issues.

On the back cover, progress continues on the Gateway to HistoricSt. Mary’s project, as workers have put in place an archway at a new entry to thefront of campus.

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Demonstrating a commitment toservice is a significant part of the

Marianist charism. As a Catholicuniversity, we are all called to publicservice and civic engagement, both ofwhich are notable characteristics of thestudent climate at St. Mary’s.

A call to faithful citizenship, themantra for the new millennium fromthe U.S. Catholic BishopsAdministrative Board, speakseloquently to the fundamental purposeand future necessity of moral and civicengagement, stating that a new kind ofpolitics for the next thousand yearsrequires more focus on moralprinciples and the pursuit of thecommon good. The Marianist charismechoes this directive, and civicengagement is a responsibility weimpart to our students, many of whomare already engaging the future, gettinginvolved in their communities andcommitting to public service.

Our commitment to service recentlywas recognized by Campus Compact, acoalition of more than 900 collegesand universities that support the public

purposes of higher education.St. Mary’s, a charter member ofCampus Compact, was selected as afinalist among 100 showcase campusesfor “Colleges with a Conscience: AnEngaged Student’s Guide to College,”a publication designed to help highschool students incorporate service andactivism opportunities into theircollege selection process. It is an honor

and a privilege to be considered part ofthe national landscape of this nobleeffort.

Civic engagement is not a newventure at St. Mary’s. The Universityhas an extraordinary history withgraduates—men and women—inpublic leadership and service positions.St. Mary’s alumni are civic leaders,corporate leaders who are sociallyresponsible, legislators and we alsohave our first U.S. senator.

Our institution long has been astrong advocate of community serviceand social justice, encouraging faithfulcitizenship and social compassion.Student activities, such as promotionalcampaigns for voter registration andpolitical education, involvement incommunity service projects andtransformational leadershipdevelopment through the MarianistLeadership Program and the 21stCentury Leadership Center, are someoutstanding ways St. Mary’s inspiresstudents to get engaged in theircommunities and public affairs.Recently, students had the opportunityto spend the day with AssistantAttorney General Alex Acosta, whodiscussed civil rights cases and issuesin which he is directly involved.

Another important designation thatreinforces our commitment to get

students involved is the NationalSurvey of Student Engagement.According to the NSSE, or “nessie,”student satisfaction among freshmenand seniors at St. Mary’s and theirgrowth in civic engagement,community service and moral andethical development is soaring. In thesurvey, many responses, such as ratingtheir growth in the development of apersonal code of values and ethics,consistently surpassed the results ofother peer institutions. We are veryproud that students are living theMarianist charism daily at St. Mary’s.

We believe our gift of service alsostrengthens our ties with alumni, andPedro and Alicia Viyao of Mexicoused the Marianist mission of givingback to the community to build bridgesat St. Mary’s. The Viyaos’ recent $7.8million gift—the largest single gift inSt. Mary’s history—will help maintainour legacy of success and provideadditional scholarships to students. Wecan learn from their example ofselflessly helping the community.They knew a scholarship is the lifelineto access, and increasing scholarshipfunds is our No. 1 goal.

Finally, The Rattler newspapermust be commended for civicengagement of another kind. Thisgroup of student journalists, led bySt. Mary’s junior and editor-in-chiefFrancisco Vara-Orta, recently wonNewspaper of the Year honors fromthe Associated Collegiate Press. Thenewspaper also has brought homeseveral state awards and recognitionsfrom other journalism organizations.These students have set a new standardfor good journalism at St. Mary’swhere we will continue to encourageour students to engage the future. n

Engaging the Future

Civic Responsibility at St. Mary’sby Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., President

Our institution long has been a

strong advocate of community

service and social justice,

encouraging faithful citizenship

and social compassion.

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Short Subjects

Online Résumé BankOpens

The Career Services office of theSchool of Law has instituted a newassistance program to pair legalemployers with aspiring lawyers.

The new service – the onlineRésumé Bank – allows law students topost their résumés on the St. Mary’sUniversity School of Law Web site,where registered employers can perusethem to find qualified applicants tomeet their specific needs.

Chilean PartnershipFormed

In January, St. Mary’s signed anagreement with the Universidad deValparaíso for a new collaborativeprogram of faculty and studentacademic and cultural exchanges.

The new partnership extendsSt. Mary’s Southern Cone Studiesbusiness program to Valparaíso for thefirst time in 2004, in addition tooffering Valparaíso law students anopportunity to receive LL.M. degreesin American legal studies andinternational and comparative law.

St. Mary’s HostsDancers

Alumna Marjorie Jordan (M.A.’74) has helped to bring the officialworkshop of the Joffrey BalletSchool—American Ballet Center ofNew York to St. Mary’s.

The Joffrey Summer Workshop,scheduled for June 19 to July 10,attracts students from all over thecountry.

N E W SF R O M A R O U N D T H E G R O V E

The RattlerNamed Newspaperof the Year

St. Mary’s student publication, TheRattler, has garnered numerous awardsfor excellence this spring.

In March, St. Mary’s studentnewspaper won the Newspaper of theYear distinction from the AssociatedCollegiate Press during the 20th annualcollege newspaper convention in LasVegas. The Rattler won top honorsamong four-year colleges in thebimonthly publication category. TheFeb. 11, 2004, edition landed theNewspaper of the Year distinction forits editorial content and stronggraphics.

Multiple accolades for The Rattlerwere received at the Texas

Intercollegiate Press Association’s(TIPA) annual contest, including twofirst-place awards, two third-placefinishes and seven honorable mentions.Founded in 1909, the TIPA is theoldest collegiate press association inthe nation.

The American Scholastic PressAssociation, which serves more than2,000 schools annually, recognizedThe Rattler in April with its covetedFirst Place with Special Merit Awardin its annual newspaper competition,giving the newspaper 960 out of apossible 1,000 points for areas rangingfrom page design and editing tocontent and creativity.

And, at Columbia University’sScholastic Press Association 2004Gold Circle Awards competition, TheRattler earned second-place honors for

The prize-winning journalists who comprise The Rattler staff are: left to right(front row), Webmaster Tony Bryden, Sports Editor Stephanie T. Sosa,Entertainment Editor Chuck Kerr, Features Editor JoAnn DeLuna,Layout/Design Manager Denise M. Salinas, Editor-in-Chief Francisco Vara-Orta,Copy Editor Amanda R. Martinez, Managing Editor Laura E. Hall, Staff WriterValerie Chavez; (second row) Advertising Manager Pedro Nieto, Photo EditorMike Zuniga, Staff Photographer Justin Howard, News Editor Kavita Bhalla,Staff Photographer Danny Charbel, Commentary Editor Valarie Geckler, StaffWriter Katie Kimberlin, Staff Writer Diana Del Valle; (back row) Staff WriterDaniel Villanueva, Staff Writer Caroline Hallman, Staff Photographer TommyDeibel, Staff Writer Chad Peters, and Staff Writer Gabriel Sanchez.

sports cartoons, two third-placedesignations for feature page designand information graphics, and meritrecognition for single advertisements.

Francisco Vara-Orta, 19, a juniormajoring in English communicationarts, is the newspaper’s editor-in-chief.

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Buddy and Susan Treviño areworkshop co-directors with EleanorD’Antuono, former prima ballerinawith American Ballet Theatre, asartistic director, and former JoffreyBallet soloist Trinette Singleton, who isleading the faculty.

Debaters WinTop Honors

The St. Mary’s Forensics team wonthe Cameron University ChristmasClassic tournament in Oklahoma. Thecompetition attracted some 20collegiate teams, and St. Mary’ssophomores Dave Rogers and DavidPeña walked away with top honors.

Future TeachersPerfect

St. Mary’s achieved a perfect 100percent pass rate for undergraduatestudents taking the latest teachercertification state exam for elementaryand secondary teachers.

Among St. Mary’s teachereducation majors seeking initial teachercertification, all passed theExamination for Certification ofEducators in Texas of the TexasExaminations of Educator Standards,according to the results of the fallexam.

Prolific Writer,Historian Speaksat St. Mary’s

Philip Jenkins, Ph.D., author of 18books and Distinguished Professor ofHistory and Religious Studies at

PennsylvaniaStateUniversity,was thesecondlecturer ofthe 2003-2004 LinGreatSpeakersSeries. Thetheme for

this year’s series was “Exploring theChallenges of Globalization.”

Jenkins discussed his predictionsand the issue of global Christianityduring his lecture titled “The Comingof Global Christianity.”

Managing Conflict The Spring 2004 President’s Peace

Commission program explored “PeaceThrough Managing Conflict” during itsspring program.

Panel discussions and presentationsincluded a wide range of topics,including: “Getting Past ‘No’:Negotiating What You Really Want,”“Peers as Peacemakers,” and“Diversity Wars: Resolve to Keep thePeace.”

Other events to promote peaceincluded the 16th annual President’sPeace Concert, and the annual Art ofPeace Award presentation.

Try the St. Mary’sExperience

A new Web video, The St. Mary’sExperience, gives more than a glimpseof campus life at St. Mary’s; itintroduces students, faculty and staff,and provides viewers with all theyneed to know about the University.The Web video is a recruiting tool forprospective students and anopportunity to showcase the Universityand the Marianist mission of academicexcellence. Link to the video directlyat www.stmarytx.edu/experience.

Treating Patients Right Dr. Sandra Vasquez, medical director, recently

accepted the Aventis Pasteur National

Customer Service Award on behalf of the

St. Mary’s Student Health Center. St. Mary’s

was one of three schools recognized for

excellence in

immunization

awareness and access.

Aventis Pasteur is one

of the nation’s

premier

researcher,

developer,

manufacturer

and supplier

of vaccines.

Reaching OutLarry Hufford, Ph.D.,

International

Relations, and

Patricia Mejia, 21st

Century Leadership

Center, listen to women in the Dhunot Thana village in Bangladesh

describe how a micro savings and credit group has helped lift them

from poverty. They traveled to Bangladesh in January to visit and

study the rural sustainable development programs implemented by

the Institute of Integrated Rural Development.

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Newsmakers

McCoy Joins theExecutive Team

RebeckahMcCoy, acertified publicaccountant, hasbeen appointedvice president forAdministrationand Finance atSt. Mary’s.

McCoy returns to St. Mary’s fromSBC Communications Inc. where shewas the staff director of auditorservices since 1997. McCoy served asSt. Mary’s comptroller from 1994 to1996.

As the vice president forAdministration and Finance, McCoy’sresponsibilities extend to managing thephysical plant, human resources andemployee benefit programs, Universitypolice and security, campus bookstoreand cafeteria food services, as well asall financial areas such as accountspayable and business office operations.

In addition, she serves as treasurerof the University and as secretary ofboth the Finance and Investmentcommittees of the Board of Trustees.Her appointment to a three-yearrenewable term began Jan. 2, 2004.

EnrollmentManagement VPNamed

Suzanne M.Petrusch has beenappointed as vicepresident forEnrollmentManagement fora three-yearrenewable term,effective June 1,

2004. She is responsible for the areasof undergraduate admissions,enrollment marketing and financialassistance.

Petrusch most recently served as theassistant vice president of enrollmentmanagement at the University ofDayton where, during her tenure, theapplicant pool increased by 53 percentbetween 1996 and 2003 and netrevenue increased by 67 percent. Inaddition, Petrusch led Dayton’s

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promotion of the adult degreeadvancement program and academicenrichment studies.

Her strong qualifications andextensive experience in enrollmentmanagement are coupled with a strongcommitment to serve the Marianisttradition and enhance St. Mary’sheritage of academic excellence.

Galvin and PiattReappointed

Thomas B.Galvin, vicepresident forUniversityAdvancement,and Bill Piatt,dean of theSchool of Law,have been re-

appointed to three-year terms. Galvin is responsible for the overall

management of the UniversityAdvancement Division, including theoffices of Alumni Relations,Development and UniversityCommunications. He has been a majorforce in several endeavors, includingthe campaign to build the AlumniAthletics & Convocation Center andthe commemoration of the University’sSesquicentennial anniversary, as wellas bringing more focus to using theSt. Mary’s Web site as a marketing andcommunications tool for externalaudiences.

Galvin, who serves on theInvestments and UniversityAdvancement committees of the Boardof Trustees, currently is directing theGateway to Historic St. Mary’s fund-raising effort.

Over the past six years, Piatt’sadministrativeefforts haveincludedestablishing theAcademicExcellenceProgram, whichhelps studentsfulfill their

academic and professional goals.Moreover, the school has expanded itsinformation technology program.

Academic enhancements toimprove bar passage rates, combinedwith the fact that applications havenearly doubled, are indications hisefforts have been effective.

Pipes JoinsPresident’s Staff

Dianne Pipes has been appointed tothe newly created position of Chief ofStaff and Communications forSt. Mary’s President Charles L.Cotrell, Ph.D.

Pipes, who has worked atSt. Mary’s for more than 20 years, hasdirected the University’s publicrelations and communications effortssince 1987. In her new job, she willwork with Cotrell regarding theExecutive Council and the Board ofTrustees, coordinating and facilitatingcommunications functions for theOffice of the President.

Her appointment is the first step inthe reorganization of the president’soffice to reflect the expanded scope ofactivities.

Alumni Association HonorsDistinguished AlumniAlumni gathered to honor three of their own

during the 2004 Distinguished Alumni dinner in

April. Pictured, from left to right, are: the Rev.

Charles Miller, S.M. (B.A. ’55), a full-time professor

at St. Mary’s since 1979, who spent the past three

years in Jerusalem in the service of the Holy See;

Oran J. “Jim” Tsakopulos (B.B.A. ’67), a partner in

the CPA firm of Tsakopulos, Brown, Schott and

Anchors, and longtime Association volunteer; and

Florentino “Tino” Duran (B.A. ’63, M.S. ’77),

president and CEO of Duran Industries Inc.

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Cotrell Appointedto VIA Board

The Bexar County CommissionersCourt has appointed President CharlesL. Cotrell to serve on the VIAMetropolitan Transit Board ofTrustees. VIA, a publicly fundedtransit authority, manages the bussystem in San Antonio.

Cotrell, whose term on the publictransportation board lasts until Dec.31, 2005, has served on several boardsand councils, including United Way ofSan Antonio and Bexar County, theMexican-American Unity Council andthe Independent Colleges andUniversities of Texas GoverningBoard.

Marianists PenNew Book

Brothers Martin McMurtrey, S.M.,and Herbert Janson, S.M., have written100 stories, anecdotes and evenidiosyncrasies about variousMarianists in “Tell Me a MarianistStory.” Their endeavor could beconsidered a mosaic made up of bright,some dark, a few somber and evenodd-shaped, laughable pieces aboutbeloved Marianists.

Contact Janson directly at (210)436-3730 to place an order, or pick upa copy at the University Bookstore.

Dansby Cited asDistinguishedEducator

Jacqueline Dansby, Ph.D., directorof St. Mary’s Upward Bound pre-college program, won the highlycoveted Distinguished Educator Awardduring the 31st annual TexasAssociation of Black Personnel inHigher Education meeting.

Dansby, who has directed theUpward Bound program since 1977,holds a doctorate in educationaladministration from Texas A&MUniversity. In addition, she is anadjunct professor at St. Mary’s,teaching courses in correctionalcounseling and rehabilitativetreatment, victimology, marriage andthe family, and social psychology.

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Good Deeds

Giving ProgramStarts Strong

Through the new Heritage ClubGiving Program, more than 150 alumniwho graduated 50 and more years agocontributed $60,300 to the St. Mary’s

Fund. The unrestricted fund assistsmultiple programs includingscholarships, academic programmingand faculty development.

The Heritage Club Web site—withits nostalgic photos, interesting factsand more—can be viewed atwww.stmarytx.edu/heritageclub/.

St. Mary’s Honors Marianist HeritageAward WinnersPamela S. De Roche (left photo with President Cotrell), administrative

assistant to the vice president for Administration and Finance, and Ana

M. Novoa (right), law professor at the School of Law, received the 2004

Marianist Heritage Awards. Presented annually since 1981 by the

Marianist Forum and University Ministry, the award recognizes lay

persons who exemplify the ideals of Blessed William Joseph

Chaminade, founder of the Society of Mary.

Alumni Selects Faculty HonoreesThe St. Mary’s Alumni Association recognized faculty members for

excellence in teaching during the annual Faculty Appreciation and

Awards Dinner in January. Distinguished Faculty Award recipients for

2003-2004 were: Mike Shaub, Ph.D., Accounting, School of Business and

Administration (far left); Mary Lynne Hill, Ph.D., English, and Milo

Colton, Ph.D., Criminal Justice, School of Humanities and Social

Sciences (third and fourth from left); Richard Cardenas, Ph.D., Physics,

School of Science, Engineering and Technology (third from right); Ana

Novoa, School of Law; and H. Ray Wooten, Ph.D., Counseling, Graduate

School. During the ceremony, President Cotrell presented the

Community Service Award to the late David T. Simpson, former vice

president of Administration and Finance, and retired assistant to the

President and Board of Trustees Melba Fisher (fourth from right).

Simpson’s widow, Alicie (second from left), accepted the award on his

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FundContributionsReach All-timeHigh

Thanks to overwhelmingsupport from alumninationwide, the St. Mary’s Fundhad reached an all-time high ofmore than $404,400 at thebeginning of May, a 21 percentincrease over last year. Giftsreceived during the 2004 campaignprovide scholarship assistance tostudents, support faculty development,assist in the maintenance of campusfacilities and grounds, and enhancetechnological acquisitions at theUniversity.

The 2004 St. Mary’s FundCampaign ends May 31. Gifts may bemade by logging on to our secure Website at www.stmarytx.edu/annualfund.The personal support of alumnicontinues to make the powerfuldifference at St. Mary’s.

Alkek Gift toTransform LRC

A $200,000 grant from the Albertand Margaret Alkek Foundation willenhance learning and transform theLearning Resource Center into amodern digital media lab.

The new laboratory will support theUniversity’s increasing integration ofcomputing and technology inthe curriculum. The digitalmedia lab will provideequipment and software forstudents needing to use mediafor class work, includingadvanced imaging and videotechnology.

Gateway GiftsPropel Project

Thanks to trustee andalumnus James St. Ville, M.D.(B.A. ’79), who made a $10,000gift to the Gateway to HistoricSt. Mary’s University project.The St. Louis Alumni Chapter alsocontributed $2,500 to the project.

The Gateway project will provideaesthetic, safety and physicalimprovements for the University’smain entrance and campus perimeter,in addition to pedestrian walkways andarchitectural landscape.

Heritage Club members receiveinvitations to special events, includinga private Mass and reception attendedby the Marianists. Donors of $1,000 ormore are invited to the president’sannual donor recognition event, amongothers activities.

If you have questions about theHeritage Club Giving Program orwould like to make a gift in honor ofsomeone from the Class of 1954 orbefore, please call Adriana Villafranca,(210) 431-4244 or e-mail her atavillafranca@stmarytx.edu.

Major Gifts BuildScholarships

The estate of the late Rev. James A.Young, S.M., Ph.D. (B.A. ’36), theeighth president of St. Mary’s, hasestablished the Young CollegeScholarship Fund and recentlyawarded $140,000 to deserving andneedy students to attend St. Mary’s.

Tino (B.A. ’63, M.S. ’77) andAmelia Duran, of La PrensaFoundation, and Abel (B.B.A. ’71) andMary Garcia, have offered significantgifts to the St. Mary’s EndowedHispanic Scholarship Fund. Both TinoDuran and Abel Garcia are members ofthe National Advisory Board for thenewly created initiative, which willsupport scholarship opportunities forstudents who want to attend theUniversity.

St. Mary’s has received $25,000 peryear for two years from the John G.and Marie Stella Kenedy MemorialFoundation to fund 10 scholarships forstudents from Nueces, Jim Wells,Kleberg, San Patricio and Live Oakcounties. Retired Army Lt. Gen. MarcCisneros (B.B.A. ’61) is the CEO ofthe foundation.

St. Mary’s was the recipient of$471,500 in support of studentscholarships, following the dissolutionof The Harry and Deverra LermanEducational Trust. Since 2001, severalgifts in support of scholarships havebeen given to St. Mary’s, with theguidance of Herman Cundiff (B.B.A.’51), a former trustee for the LermanTrust.

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Sports Corner

Meyer Picks Up 500;Meyer, HoustonJerseys Retired

Rattler men’s basketball coachHerman “Buddy” Meyer won his500th career game at St. Mary’s as theRattlers beat Oklahoma PanhandleState 95-37 on Jan. 22. DuringMeyer’s tenure as head coach, theRattlers have won 16 conference titles(Big State, Heart of Texas, Heartland)and the 1989 NAIA National Title.

That same week, Meyer’s No. 44jersey was retired alongside AnthonyHouston’s No. 14 jersey. Both are

Buddy Meyer, men’s basketball coach since 1978,

responds to media questions after the Rattlers’

rout of Oklahoma Panhandle, which earned Meyer

his 500th victory.

Former point guards Buddy Meyer (left) and

Anthony Houston enjoy the festivities

surrounding the retirement of their Rattler

jerseys on Jan. 24, 2004.

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season with 876 rebounds and 1,601points for her career.

Heartland Conference coachesvoted Griffin to the first-team All-Conference list for the fourth year in arow. Eva Christian, a junior fromConverse, was named to the All-Conference second team, and CharlenaRodez, a freshman post from DrippingSprings, earned Newcomer of the Yearhonors. The Lady Rattlers posted a 17-11 season.

Men’s BasketballThe Rattler men made it to the

NCAA Division II Tournament for thethird time in four years. The Rattlersfinished the season 19-11 and finishedsecond in the Heartland Conference.

As voted on by HeartlandConference coaches, J.J. Edwards, ajunior from Burkburnett, garneredconference Newcomer of the Yearrecognition, while senior Pedro Britoearned first-team honors, and juniorBilly White pulled in second-teamrecognition.

Women’s and Men’s GolfThe men’s and women’s golf teams

each brought home the HeartlandConference title in April.

Freshman Marla Troester finishedfirst in the conference tournament asthe Lady Rattlers won by 20 strokes.

The men were led by GregMcAuley, who shot a 67 in the finalround. Luke Antonelli was namedHeartland Conference Golfer of theYear.

BaseballThe Rattlers were picked by league

coaches as the preseason conferencechampions for the 2004 season. As ofApril 3, the Rattlers had a 33-10 recordand boasted an unbeaten 12-0 record inconference play.

Through the first eight weeks of thebaseball season, five Rattlers had beengiven Player of the Week honors,including preseason NCAA Division IIPlayer of the Year Ryan Hill. StarterJeff Wigdahl also has been namedHeartland Conference Pitcher of theWeek three times.

SoftballThe women’s softball team won the

Heartland Conference crown for thefourth year in a row. There has neverbeen a Heartland Conference softballchampion other than St. Mary’s. TheRattlers beat up on Panhandle Stateand cross-town rival Incarnate Word toget to the championship game, wherethey met UIW again. In thechampionship game, the Rattlersblasted the Crusaders 8-0.

The squad entered regional playwith a 45-10 record, No. 1 ranking inthe South Central region, and wereranked No. 6 in the nation.

Coach Donna Fields picked upconference Coach of the Year honorsfor the third year in a row. Senior KymKling added conference MVP honorsto her résumé for the third year in arow, and several Rattlers made the All-Conference team. n

legendary point guards whoseexceptional talent and leadership havebeen a large part of the Rattlers’ legacyof success.

Meyer attended St. Mary’s from1961 to 1965 and became the firstplayer in the history of St. Mary’s toplace on the All-Conference team forfour consecutive years. Houston, wholed the 1989 team to the NAIAnational title and played under Meyerfrom 1986 to 1989, later joined Meyeras a four-time All-Conferencestandout. Currently, he is a videocoordinator for the NBA’s MilwaukeeBucks.

Women’s Basketball Senior Erin Griffin became the all-

time leading scorer and rebounder inSt. Mary’s women’s basketball history.Griffin broke the records previouslyheld by Kim Watson, at home on Feb.7 during the 71-51 win againstLincoln. Griffin had 18 rebounds and29 points in the game, and finished the

Athletics Hall of Fame Inducts New MembersSix Rattlers were inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in February. Congratulations to

(standing, left to right) Doug Wealty (B.B.A. ’68), associate; Pedro R. “Peter” Palacios Jr.

(B.A. ’94), golf; Darren Brunson (B.B.A. ’87), basketball; (seated, left to right) Pete Magre

(B.A. ’93), baseball; Susan Carter Hoelting (B.B.A. ’87), basketball; and Elliott Henderson

(B.A. ’93), basketball. The Hall of Fame is comprised of more than 100 athletes, coaches

and associates who, over the decades, have demonstrated outstanding performance and

service to St. Mary’s athletics program.

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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn(J.D. ’77) was on handHomecoming Weekend tohelp launch St. Mary’sUniversity School of Law’snew Center for TerrorismLaw, a research centerdedicated to the study oflegal issues associatedwith anti-terrorism andcounterterrorism.

Believed to be the first of its kind inthe nation, the center examines currentand potential legal issues related toterrorism in light of the challenge ofachieving and maintaining a properbalance between global security andcivil justice. To that end, the centeracts as a conduit for professionalexchanges such as symposiums,consultations, writing commentariesand informational materials.

“This is largely about preventingfuture acts of terrorism,” Cornyn saidfollowing the ribbon cutting ceremonyheld in the Sarita Kenedy East LawLibrary, which houses the center. “Ifwe only punish the terrorists after theyhave committed heinous acts againstour people, we will not have done ourjob.”

Cornyn commended theadministration for its understanding ofthe issues involved in the fight againstglobal terrorism and its foresight increating the center to study the legalissues surrounding it, adding that, withSt. Mary’s leading the way, otheruniversities throughout the countrywill likely create similar think tanks toaddress this serious subject.

The impetus for the center cameafter the terrorist attacks of 9-11, saidJeffrey Addicott, assistant professor oflaw and director of the center. “There’sa huge body of law that developedafter 9-11,” the 20-year JAG officerand senior legal adviser to the U.S.Army Special Forces said. “We sawthe need to channel resources in a

manner that would allowus to focus on all theseissues.”

Bob Summers,professor of law, is theassociate director, andthe staff includes second-and third-year lawstudents, including GraceM. Uzomba as assistantdirector, Amar BarkatAli, Nicole Lewis, AlisonMcCall, Ashlee Thamesand Timothy Ward.Addicott and Summershave extensivebackgrounds in foreignintelligence issues.

In addition to thecourses on GlobalSecurity Law andTerrorism Law offered through thecenter, Addicott and Summers teachaffiliated courses – national securitylaw, human rights, international lawand comparative law, publicinternational law, international humanrights, international law of the sea andadmiralty law – that can indirectlyassist students in understanding thelegal issues surrounding the war onterror.

The center received approval fromBill Piatt, dean of the law school, andthe University administration last year.To get started, the center received aninitial $190,000 grant through theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio’sCenter for Infrastructure Assessmentand Security, which conducts research,exercises and analysis of terrorism todevelop counterterrorism emergencyplan models for the municipalities.

“Terrorists don’t lack imaginationand we can’t lack imagination indealing with their criminal and heinousacts, either,” Piatt said.

Addicott and Summers have madesome 20 public presentations in SouthTexas, Washington, D.C., Hawaii,Maryland, California and Sweden todiscuss issues associated withterrorism, ranging from the Patriot Actto the use of anti-terrorism technology.

Additionally, the center hassponsored lectures on campus byexperts who shared their insights intocurrent issues on terrorism andcounterterrorism law with students. n

All of the center’s activity is chronicledon its Web site, which can be accessedthrough the law school’s Web page atlaw.stmarytx.edu/ctl.

Cornyn Helps InaugurateCenter for Terrorism Lawby Rob Leibold (M.A. ’03), Associate Editor

The Center for Terrorism Law is staffed by: (seated )Bob Summers, associate director; and JeffreyAddicott, director; (back row, left to right) TimothyWard; Nicole Lewis; Grace Uzomba, assistantdirector; Alison McCall; Amar Barkat Ali; and (notpictured) Ashlee Thames.

St. Mary’s President Charles L. Cotrell (far left), U.S. Sen. John Cornyn,law school dean Bill Piatt, and law faculty members and center staffBob Summers and Jeffrey Addicott, cut the ribbon to officially openthe Center for Terrorism Law.

10

vast majority of first-year

students and seniors rate

their overall experience at

St. Mary’s as good or

excellent – most of them

saying they’d do it all over

again – according to a

national survey designed to

measure the quality of

environments which foster

student learning.

The National Survey of StudentEngagement, conducted during thespring semester of 2003, builds onpreviously conducted research byassessing the extent that students areengaged – both in and out of theclassroom – in the types of educationalactivities and practices associated withhigh levels of learning anddevelopment. These practices includeactive learning, frequency of student-faculty interactions, prompt feedbackon student performance, time on task,establishing high expectations forlearning, cooperation among students,and establishing an environment thatrespects diverse talents and ways oflearning.

Student EngagementRaises Satisfaction Levels

The results offer an indirectmeasure of educational quality that canbe used to determine the overall levelof student engagement as well asprovide a comparison of the level andnature of that engagement as studentsprogress through their college careers.

More than 700 colleges anduniversities representing all sectors ofhigher education (large, research-intensive institutions to smallbaccalaureate colleges, public andprivate institutions, urban and rural,and all regions of the country) have

used the NSSE (commonly referred toas the “nessie”) since its inception in2000, giving a participating institutiona bellwether on how it compares tosimilar institutions as well as all thoseparticipating in the survey.

At St. Mary’s, 90 percent of first-year students and 95 percent of seniorsrated their overall college experienceas good or excellent. Additionally,when asked if they would again chooseSt. Mary’s, 84 percent of first-yearstudents and 87 percent of seniorsindicated they probably or definitelywould make the same choice.

St. Mary’s Rates at orAbove ComparisonGroups

For virtually every question on theNSSE, St. Mary’s students were at orabove the ratings for peer institutions(i.e., Masters’ institutions) and theoverall national group. In many cases,the ratings for St. Mary’s studentswere substantially higher than the twocomparison groups.

The NSSE measures studentengagement of those nearing the end oftheir first college year and seniorsapproaching graduation. The resultscan help gauge the overall level ofstudent engagement and provide acomparison of the level and nature ofengagement as students progressthrough their college careers. Thecomparison between the two points intime also can serve to measure theeducational growth and developmentthat students experience during theircollege careers.

Students rated on a 4-point scale(4=very much; 1=very little) the extentto which their educational experienceshad contributed to their knowledge,skills and personal development in avariety of areas. As shown in Figure 1,both first-year and senior students ratetheir involvement in the politicalprocess (i.e., voting in elections) muchhigher than students in the twocomparison groups.

St. Mary’s students also believetheir ability to contribute to the welfareof the community has been enhancedby their educational experiences atSt. Mary’s (Figure 2). Again, theresults for St. Mary’s students arehigher than both of the comparisongroups of students.

For both the voting and communityservice items, the disparity betweenSt. Mary’s students and thecomparison groups are statisticallysignificant, and more importantly, themagnitude of those differencessuggests they are meaningful in apractical sense.

Learning EnvironmentFosters Development

These findings are particularlysignificant given the importance of

civic engagement and communityservice as components of St. Mary’sinstitutional mission. The surveyshows students recognize their ownpersonal growth in these areas, whichdemonstrates how the learningenvironment at St. Mary’s fostersstudent development.

St. Mary’s students also reportedsubstantial growth in the development

NSSE: Students Give HighMarks To St. Mary’s Experienceby J. Mark Winston, Ph.D., Director, Academic Assessment

A

11

of a personal code of values and ethics.Figure 3 shows ratings for both first-year and senior students that aresubstantially higher than those of thetwo comparison groups. Perhaps mostimportantly, there is a continued

growth and development that occursbetween the first year and senior yearfor students at St. Mary’s. In thecomparison groups, the growthbetween the first year and the senioryear is relatively small. Given theimportance St. Mary’s places onstudents’ moral and ethicaldevelopment, these findings indicatethat St. Mary’s is successfullyaccomplishing its mission.

Examples of how activities and

experiences at St. Mary’scontribute to students’development include eventssuch as “Coffee andPolitics” at Java City on theQuad, which providesstudents the opportunity togather with facultymembers, such as PresidentCharles L. Cotrell, Ph.D.,and Steve Neiheisel, Ph.D.,of the Political Sciencedepartment, and campaignleaders, to discuss politicsin an out-of-classenvironment. Anotherexample of the attention tocivic engagement was thedesignation of “CivicEngagement Week,” whichincluded several eventsdesigned to involvestudents in politics andservice.

CommunityService AddsPurpose toExperience

In the area ofcommunity service,St. Mary’s studentsroutinely provide service toSan Antonio and moredistant communitiesthrough Habitat forHumanity projects andspring break immersiontrips to Mexico and otherlocales. St. Mary’s studentsprovide an estimated30,000 hours or more ofcommunity serviceannually to those in need.

Considerable researchhas demonstrated thatstudents will learn morewhen engaged actively ineducationally purposefulactivities. The more deeply

To what extent has your experience at thisinstitution contributed to your knowledge, skillsand personal development in:

Key:1 - Very Little 2 - Some3 - Quite a Bit 4 - Very Much

12

engaged students are in theireducation, the more likely they are todevelop the knowledge, skills andvalues necessary for a full, productiveand meaningful life. The habits andskills gained will permit graduates tocontinue to learn and develop asindividuals.

The results of the initialadministration of the NSSE provide atleast indirect evidence that St. Mary’shas created a learning environment thatfosters this type of continueddevelopment. Measurements of thequality of the learning environment arealso ultimately a better gauge ofinstitutional quality than the “collegerankings” that have become soprevalent over the years in variousnational publications.

The University is committed to theassessment of the student experience.This spring, St. Mary’s again willadminister the NSSE as part of itsparticipation in a national project,Building Engagement and Attainmentof Minority Students (BEAMS), co-sponsored by NSSE and the AmericanAssociation of Higher Education.Through the BEAMS project,St. Mary’s will have the opportunity towork with other minority servinginstitutions (i.e. Hispanic-serving,historically Black colleges anduniversities and tribal colleges) in aconsortial arrangement to studystudents and improve studentengagement.

Campus SpecificAction Plan WillEnhance Environment

Participating institutions will drawupon each other’s experience andexpertise to develop a campus-specificaction plan to increase studentengagement on their campuses andfurther enhance their learningenvironments.

St. Mary’s also will participate inthe Faculty Survey of StudentEngagement (FSSE), a new survey,this spring. The FSSE, acomplementary instrument to theNSSE, examines student engagement

St. Mary’sTargeted asCollege witha Conscience

Mark Winston’s NSSE feature and

graphs clearly show St. Mary’s students

are committed to civic engagement and

service to community, and to deepening

and strengthening their values system.

Their dedication to improving

themselves and the communities around

them is evidenced in many ways, from

building homes with Habitat for Humanity

to registering San Antonio residents and

fellow students to vote.

Further highlighting St. Mary’s

students’ passion for being engaged in

things that truly matter—and

confirmation of the NSSE findings—is the

University’s recent selection by Campus

Compact as one of 100 member

institutions to be considered for inclusion

in a new publication on socially

responsible colleges and universities.

Campus Compact, a coalition of more

than 900 college and university presidents

supporting the public purposes of higher

education, is teaming with The Princeton

Review and Random House to publish

“Colleges with a Conscience: An Engaged

Student’s Guide to College.”

The guide is designed to help high

school students incorporate service and

activism opportunities into their college

selection process. Prospective students

with such interests are exactly those best

suited to benefit from—and contribute

to—the St. Mary’s educational

experience.

from the perspective of facultymembers. The faculty perspective isessential for a complete study of thelearning environment and studentengagement. By comparing the resultsfrom the NSSE and the FSSE,St. Mary’s will be better able toidentify areas of current strength aswell as areas in which additionalimprovement may be warranted. n

J. Mark Winston, Ph.D., joinedSt. Mary’s University as Directorof Academic Assessment inAugust 2000, after serving asDirector of Assessment andInstitutional Research at SUNY-Potsdam, where he coordinatedand supervised all assessmentand institutional researchfunctions. He previously wasprofessor of pharmacology,director of the Division ofPharmacy Sciences and AssociateDean of the College of Pharmacyand Health Sciences at DrakeUniversity, where he also servedon a number of committeesfocusing on outcomesassessment, including the groupthat developed an institutionalassessment plan for theuniversity. He serves as anevaluator for the commission onHigher Education of the MiddleStates Association focusing onthe areas of assessment andeducation outcomes andinstitutional effectiveness.

13

A Reasonto Celebrate

Homecoming 2004

ook around college athleticsand you won’t always find

the positives.Revolving door coaching

situations, win-at-all-costsmentalities, recruiting scandalsand myriad other black eyestaint the system set up to givestudent athletes access toeducation.

But there are places wherehonor, loyalty, commitment anddedication ring true. And, thereare places where good peopledo good things, and where theyoften finish first.

L

14

Solid Work Ethic andCharacter Build Winners

From 1986 through 2002,St. Mary’s University brought fourcollegiate national titles to SanAntonio. Softball started it off with anNAIA title in 1986, followed by men’sbasketball in 1989. Baseball won thewhole shooting match in NCAADivision II in 2001, and softball gotanother in 2002 with the NCAADivision II title.

How does a small Catholicuniversity in San Antonio not onlyproduce winning teams year in andyear out, but bring four nationalchampionships to the Alamo City?

“It’s a testament to theadministration, faculty, staff, alumniand students of St. Mary’s that they putthe teams in the position to win anational championship,” said JimZeleznak, head coach of the 1986NAIA National Championship softballteam.

How does Zeleznak know so muchabout alums, faculty and students atSt. Mary’s? He is or has been all three.Zeleznak, a 1979 graduate, has been aRattler coach for 26 years.

It’s interesting enough to knowZeleznak is an alum who led thesoftball team to its first national title.There’s more to the story, however.

Marianist Values Put Alumni Coachesin Winning Positionby Pat Abernathey, Sports Information Director

Rattler alumni and head coaches when national championships have been woninclude, from left to right: Jim Zeleznak, 1986 NAIA Softball Championship;Donna Fields, 2002 NCAA Division II Softball Championship; Buddy Meyer, 1989NAIA Basketball Championship; and Charlie Migl, 2001 NCAA Division IIBaseball Championship.

15

The other three nationalchampionships won by St. Mary’sathletic teams were all coached byalumni.

Men’s basketball coach BuddyMeyer (B.A. ’65), softball coachDonna Fields (B.A. ’87, M.A. ’01),and baseball coach and InterimDirector of Athletics Charlie Migl(B.A. ’78), all are graduates who havebrought home the greatest of hardwarefor the Rattlers.

“It is an awesome feeling torepresent the University that took careof me,” said Fields, who playedvolleyball, basketball and softball. “Ittook special coaches to allow me toplay three sports.”

Perhaps a member of thepsychology faculty could provideinsight into the minds of thesesuccessful coaches—why they win,what makes them tick—but Meyersays it’s not all that technical.

“These people have a solid workethic and a lot of character,” he said. “Iknew Donna, Charlie and Jim asstudents, and I got to see them on a lotof days.

“They put themselves in a positionto win the national championship, andI knew they would because of theirresolve.”

Family Spirit InfluencesCoaches

Ask any one of the four, and theywill tell you the same thing—family isthe most important place to acquiretraits such as work ethic, loyalty andrespect. Ask them where those traitswere reinforced and strengthened, andthey will tell you the same thing—St. Mary’s.

“We all learned a lot from theMarianist values,” Meyer said. “Welearned a lot from the Marianists aboutcaring and responsibility. Of course,there were a lot more brothers andpriests when I first started out. Youreally gained a lot from the moral fiberthat they projected.”

Migl, who is in his 18th year ashead baseball coach, said his days as abaseball player at the University sethim on a path toward influencingyoung people.

“The University treated, and treats,me very well,” he said. “I knew while Iwas here that I wanted to get intocoaching and help pass on some of thelessons I learned.”

Meyer is the longest-tenured of thenational-champion coaches. Hisplaying career ended in 1965, andexcept for a three-year stint at a localhigh school, he has been a coach atSt. Mary’s ever since.

Zeleznak started his career atSt. Mary’s in a jack-of-all-tradeposition.

“I was the head softball coach,assistant men’s basketball coach—thenand now, director of intramurals, and Itaught in the Exercise and SportsScience Department,” he said. “Allthese jobs helped me see what was bestfor the whole student body, not just theathletes.

“I decided to stay here because ofthe relationships I had built, withCoach Meyer, and with the faculty andstaff, people I saw everyday. It wasfamily.”

Fields and Migl said they arealways aware of how they and theirprograms represent St. Mary’sreputation and ideals.

“I always do my best to dress inSt. Mary’s attire, and make sure thesoftball team is dressed in St. Mary’sattire,” Fields said. “I want everyone toknow where we go to school and whowe represent. There is a huge amountof pride in the school and the softballprogram.”

University’sCommitment BolstersSuccess

Meyer, Migl, Fields and Zeleznakbelieve they could not have had thetype of success they have enjoyedwithout the help of everyone in theUniversity community. One constantin all of their stories is the strength ofalumni backing and the support of theadministration for athletics.

“There are strong alumni thatsupport St. Mary’s,” Meyer said. “Weknow that with the support ofSt. Mary’s it gives us the opportunityto compete and be successful. I thinkthe four of us could win anywhere, butit makes it a little easier being herewhere we are comfortable.”

“The alums really take pride inseeing the program doing well,” saidFields, who was a member of the 1986softball team. “They know they had apart in building something that haslasted. The championships from 1986and 2002 take on special meaning each

time we look back and see all thepeople associated with those wins andthe wins in between.”

There is a certain expectation towin at St. Mary’s, added Fields andMeyer. It is not pressure, but anexpectation within the coaches to liveup to what has come before and whathappens around them.

“Coach Meyer and Coach Zeleznaktried to produce the right programs,and I saw that as a student,” Fieldssaid. “They developed a pride andexpectation to be in the nationaltournament. They taught me to expectto go all the way.”

Meyer added that student athletes atSt. Mary’s may not be the most giftedwhen it comes to physical ability, butthe University helps produce winners.

“The academic standards makethem work hard, the time constraintsmake them work hard,” he said. “It isno surprise at all that these kids arepositioned to win.” n

The St. Mary’s Athletics Department ischock-full of alumni coaches. At the helmleading successful programs are: PaigeClawson (B.A. ’93, M.A. ’01), women’sbasketball; Que Willis (B.A. ’01), men’ssoccer; Corwyn Ritch (B.A. ’94),women’s soccer; and Wes Skidmore(B.A. ’70), men’s golf. And, even thoughthey’ve yet to bring home a national title,all are hard on the heels of theircolleagues to add a championship bannerto the walls in Bill Greehey Arena. They,like the others, embody the spirit andhard work that St. Mary’s represents.

So, too, do alumni assistant coaches andgraduate assistants who put in long hourswith current teams. Chris Ermis (B.A.’97), now assistant baseball coach, was avolunteer with the 2001 champions, andJessica Peoples (B.A. ’94), is a graduateassistant who helped lead the 2002softball squad to their title. Other gradassistants helping continue the Rattlerlegacy of success are: Joe Contreras(’01), baseball; Karin Dunham (B.A. ’03),women’s soccer; Bubba Meyer (B.A. ’01,M.A. ’04), men’s basketball; GeoffreySimelaro (B.B.A. ’02), and Joella Zubia(B.A. ’02), volleyball.

P

Bridge Builders

16

Benevolent Priest KeepsViyao in School

Pedro never forgot his days onSt. Mary’s campus from 1928-1932and the influence of the Marianists inhis life. I became friends with him andhis wife, Alicia, in the 1980s, andPedro fondly reminisced about hisdays here when there were only threemajor buildings on campus–St. Louis,Reinbolt and Chaminade halls.

The old, archival photos on thecorridor walls in St. Louis Hall showwhat St. Mary’s looked like then–acampus set out in a wilderness, with aroad (“The Long Mile,” as it wascalled) leading to the only citytransportation available. Those werethe days when the campus fields werepopulated by rattlesnakes, whenstudent “bushwhackers” had to go outto chase them away before studentscould safely play softball or soccer.

Pedro remembered withappreciation the education he receivedfrom the Marianists. San AntonioArchbishop Patrick Flores recounted aconversation he once had with Pedro,who told Flores he spoke with FatherAlfred Rabe, then the head of theschool, after his third year atSt. Mary’s. Pedro told Rabe he did not

Pedro and Alicia Viyao werecultural bridge-builders, withmany of their efforts inMexico supporting theSociety of Mary andSt. Mary’s University.

In Mexico City they formed the“Fraternidad Ibero-Americano” topromote cultural and educationalexchanges between Mexico and Spainand Portugal; they set up an endowedscholarship fund to encourage Mexicanstudents to attend St. Mary’s; they

were instrumental inhelping the Society ofMary re-establishitself in Mexico. And,when St. Mary’sformed its firstAlumni Association ofMexico, Pedrobecame its firstdirector.

Their final effort tobuild bridges between

cultures and peoples is their legacyendowment to St. Mary’s University of$7.8 million for student scholarships.

Pedro and Alicia Viyao Leave Legacy with $7.8 Million Gift

by the Rev. John A. Leies, S.M., Th.D.

They were a warm and lovingcouple devoted to their faithand to the Catholic Church.

They believed in buildingcultural and religious bridges

between peoples.

e Builders

17

think his father could afford to sendhim back to San Antonio for his lastyear because of the worldwideeconomic depression and thedevaluation of the peso. But, FatherRabe told Pedro he needed to finish hisschooling, and if he could not pay forit, he should not worry: St. Mary’swould take care of it. Pedro, theArchbishop said, never forgot thatgesture of generosity.

Viyao Builds EnduringFriendships with S.M.s

He also was always grateful of thefriendships he formed while atSt. Mary’s. Louis Trawalter, who laterbecame a Marianist priest and pastor ofHoly Rosary Parish on St. Mary’sgrounds, and Pedro had a lifelongfriendship; they met from time to timewhen Pedro visited San Antonio orFather Louis went to Mexico City.They would invariably talk about “thegood old days.” And there were otherfriendships begun in Pedro’s highschool days that endured over theyears.

Pedro spent four years in residenceat St. Mary’s, but during his final highschool year he commuted to CentralCatholic High School for classesbecause the University closed itssecondary school department in 1931.

After graduating from high school,he returned to Mexico City where hestudied for a law degree and enteredthe insurance business that had beenestablished by his father. He marriedhis wonderful wife, Alicia, who

a Viyao Leave Legacy with $7.8 Million Gift

became his lifelong companion andconfidante.

Pedro eventually went into the hotelbusiness, purchasing the Bristol Hotelin Mexico City (which became thestopping off place for many Marianiststraveling through the Mexican capital).The esteem in which he was held in hisnative country is seen in the fact thathe became a member of the board ofdirectors of the Mexican Associationof Insurance Companies, and later, amember and president of the board ofdirectors of the Mexican HotelAssociation. These positions gave himnational recognition. He also was amember and vice president of theMexico City Chamber of Commerce.

Couple Devotedto St. Mary’s

In the 1980s Pedro was appointedto the St. Mary’s University Board ofTrustees, which meant several trips toSan Antonio each year. On these tripshe and Alicia were able to renew theirfriendships with their San Antoniofriends and the Marianists. They wouldoften invite Father James Young,Brother Paul Goelz, Brother RichardDix, Brother Bob Wood, myself, andother Marianists to dine with them atLa Scala, their favorite San Antoniorestaurant (although they had somefavorite Mexican restaurants, too). Atthese gatherings they would inquireabout the University and members ofthe Society of Mary whom they knew.We learned about Mexico and its

political, social and religious situationsat those gatherings.

Pedro died in 1993 of a heart attack.Alicia continued the contact withSt. Mary’s, visiting here once or twicea year (which included continuing thecustom of dining at La Scala) until herdeath in 2001.

They were a warm and lovingcouple devoted to their faith and to theCatholic Church. They believed inbuilding cultural and religious bridgesbetween peoples.

Their final gift to St. Mary’s meansthat their support for the Universitywill continue down through the years,long after their deaths, providingscholarships to innumerable studentsand helping the University achieve itsmission as a Catholic and Marianistinstitution of higher learning. We aredeeply grateful to them. n

Students unveil the Viyao gift, the largest byan individual in the University’s 152-history,during a Feb. 6 news conference at St. Mary’s.

18

The St. Mary’s Law

Journal, now in its 35th

year, tied for fourth in a list of

American legal periodicals

most frequently cited in state

and federal court cases over the

seven-year period 1996-2003,

according to a survey taken by

Washington and Lee University.

During that time, the journal wascited 136 times – the same number asthe Georgetown Law Journal – bycourts in 31 states, the District ofColumbia and two territories. Amongthose tribunals citing the work of thejournal were 30 state supreme courtsand three federal circuit courts. Thatnumber was surpassed only by theHarvard Law Review, Columbia LawReview and the University of ChicagoLaw Review.

“This is another indication of thequality of our school and thededication of our students who workon the law journal,” said Bill Piatt,dean of the School of Law. “Thisillustrates the importance of the workin which they are engaged. The qualityof their work is recognized by

attorneys and judges and will now helpshape the future of the law.”

The St. Mary’s Law Journal, issuedquarterly by students of St. Mary’s,publishes articles on a wide range oflegal topics, but has an especiallystrong reputation in the fields of trialand appellate procedure, legal ethics,tort liability, criminal law andevidence.

“I think the fact that courts arefrequently using articles from ourjournal demonstrates we areaccomplishing our goal of being awidely read and influential legalpublication,” said Jason Binford, thejournal’s editor-in-chief and a third-year law student.

This is the second year the lawjournal was ranked in the survey. Lastyear it was listed as the 10th most citedlegal periodical by state and federalcourts. Since 1995 the St. Mary’s LawJournal has been cited in more than300 Texas decisions, but its influenceis much broader, added VincentJohnson, associate dean for Academicand Student Affairs and chair of theLaw Journal Faculty Committee. Henoted that the highest court in NewYork cited six articles published in thelaw journal over the survey period ineight different cases.

“The law journal’s high rankingreflects the priority that St. Mary’splaces on preparing students to address

issues that are at the center ofcontemporary litigation,” Johnson said.

Johnson noted the St. Mary’s LawJournal has a long history ofpublishing articles of importance to thepracticing bar and courts. A 20-yearsurvey covering 1970 to 1989 in theTexas Bar Journal showed theSt. Mary’s Law Journal was morefrequently cited by courts than any lawreview published by a law school inTexas.

Among the authors who havepublished in the St. Mary’s LawJournal are: William H. Rehnquist,Chief Justice of the United States; theRev. Robert F. Drinan, S.J., a formermember of the House WatergateCommittee; Broadus A. Spivey,president of the State Bar of Texas;and numerous justices of the TexasSupreme Court and Court of Appeals.

The Law Journal, which has wonnumerous awards over the years,including the Texas Bar Foundation’sOutstanding Article Award on severaloccasions, was the highest rankingjournal in the state. Three other Texaslaw schools were ranked in thesurvey’s top 12: Houston Law Review(6); Texas Law Review (9) and BaylorLaw Review (12). n

Topping the “A” List

St. Mary’sLaw JournalFourth Most Citedby High Courts

by Rob Leibold (M.A. ’03), Associate Editor

In Closing

Assistant U.S. Attorney General

Alex Acosta meets with

students at Java City on the

Quad to discuss civil rights cases

and issues during Coffee and

Politics, a civic engagement

program at St. Mary’s.

20

St. Mary’s UniversityOne Camino Santa Maria

San Antonio, Texas 78228-8575

Address Service Requested

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSan Antonio, Texas

Permit No. 787

Blue&Gold

The new main entryway to the University will honor Benjamin (B.S. ’36)and Anne Biaggini, whose gererous gift made this possible. To learn moreabout the Gateway to Historic St. Mary’s project, go towww.stmarytx.edu/gateway.