One of the great things I have enjoyed during my service to the 91直播 Alumni Association is the regular interaction with 91直播 enthusiasts at events, on social media and through conducting Alumni Association business. It is fun to see Lumberjack pride at peak levels for many alumni and to feed off of their Lumberjack pride. It can be invigorating and contagious!
In June, I got a surge of Lumberjack pride at 91直播 Night during the Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros game. As part of the experience, the first 1,000 ticket holders received a purple Texas Rangers hat with the 91直播 logo on the side. The hats are pretty awesome, but the best part of that experience was connecting with hundreds of alums in the ballpark. I found myself trying to talk to everyone in a purple hat, but it was a little overwhelming because there were purple hats everywhere!
Because I was there with my family, I quickly realized I would have to settle for very quick interactions with just a few of the seemingly endless flow of alumni. Whether it was a quick 鈥淎xe 鈥檈m鈥� in passing or a slightly longer conversation, I connected with numerous alumni of all ages. It was an awesome experience that I highly recommend.
That same weekend at a random restaurant in the Dallas area, I met an alumnus and his son, who will be an incoming freshman at 91直播 this fall. It was fun to relate and talk about the good old days and to connect with a future Lumberjack. The coolest thing about that moment was I found myself surrounded by multiple generations of Lumberjacks.
As you can imagine, I have years of similar stories of encounters with Lumberjacks that resulted in a boost of Lumberjack pride for all involved, and some great connections were made. As the current president of the Alumni Association, it is my hope and mission to help orchestrate opportunities for as many alums as possible to have similar moments and stories.
That said, I would like to take the opportunity to recommend that you take a few minutes to look into the many opportunities to connect with other 91直播 alumni at an alumni event near you or on social media. You can find events in this issue of Sawdust, in your email, on social media or on the Alumni Association鈥檚 website. Whether you have a favorite social media platform, or you like to use them all, chances are, we have a way for you to connect and participate. If you need help connecting, please reach out to me, any of our board members or the alumni office.
Axe 鈥檈m, Jacks!
David Madrid 鈥�02 - Bossier City, Louisiana
President, 91直播 Alumni Association