In the digital age, keeping in touch with people has become as simple as turning on a computer, and this fact weighs heavily on alumni relations at Emporia State. However, some students aren’t planning on just using digital means to keep in touch.
Nikki Metz, alumni programs coordinator at the Sauder Alumni Center, detailed some of the university’s methods for keeping alumni up-to-date on events at ESU.
Metz said they use an e-newsletter called the Hornet Blast, which can be signed up for online. There are also alumni chapters for the university in several cities, including Kansas City, Wichita, Salina, Topeka and Lawrence, among others. The Emporia Connection chapter is the African American chapter, which is a national chapter that meets once a year.
“It’s a two way street. If our students have good experiences, fond experiences and a great life changing experience as an undergraduate or a graduate, they’re going to be prone to keep their contact information up,” said Roger Heineken, administrative officer for the Memorial Union and ESU alumnus.
Greek alumni also have a wide variety of ways they can keep in contact with their chapters. Luke Drury, junior political science major and president of the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity, said that the fraternity uses both a monthly and a quarterly newsletter to keep in touch with alums.
Also, he said that they try to make sure to invite alumni to as many events as possible to help keep them involved in the house. Events include rituals, formals and Founder’s Day. Social media also plays a large part in staying connected with alumni, Drury said.
Adrian Carmichael graduated from Emporia State in December 2010 with a degree in finance and is now working in the Admissions office as the coordinator of data management. Carmichael is also an alumnus of Sigma Phi Epsilon, which he says adds to the alumni experience.
“(Being a Greek alumni) definitely gives you a better connection when it comes to dealing with the house,” Carmichael said. “Not only that, but you get involved with homecoming, and an average alumni may not have that incentive to come back.”
Sororities use similar methods to maintain communication with graduates. Brooke Schmidt, junior Spanish major and president of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority and newly-elected president of Associated Student Government, described several different ways that the sorority keeps up with alums, including social media, newsletters, having an alumni advisory board and even sending out cards on certain holidays.
Luke Bohannon
Quite the spectacle; Eyewear gets the star treatment in Ralph Lauren’s new optical boutique.
WWD February 22, 2006 | Chabbott, Sophia Byline: Sophia Chabbott Shoppers wrapping up a visit to Ralph Lauren’s New York flagship store might be inclined to spend a little more time in its tony retail neighborhood these days. In November, the American design house set a precedent among its competitors like Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan by opening a jewel-sized boutique a few blocks away at 811 Madison Avenue dedicated solely to its assortment of sunglasses, ophthalmics and sport frames. site ralph lauren coupon
The 525-square-foot space showcases an equally divided selection of women’s and men’s styles from its RLX, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren and Purple Label eyewear lines, all produced by the Padua, Italy-based eyewear firm Safilo Group. It is the first accessories-driven retail concept on behalf of Ralph Lauren and could boost its overall accessories business, which now accounts for 10.8 percent of Polo Ralph Lauren’s wholesale net volume, amounting to $549 million, as stated in the company’s 2005 annual report.
“The right accessories convey a modern, glamorous attitude,” said Ralph Lauren, the company’s designer, chairman and chief executive officer. “Eyewear is no exception. I am thrilled with our new store dedicated solely to this important part of our accessories business.” The boutique, designed by the company’s in-house architecture team, updates its signature retail elements for a clean and elegant effect.
The walls of carved blond mahogany wood encase cream-colored leather shelves that flank both sides of the store. The shelves bear black-and-white framed photographs of, say, Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” or a botanical still life, and offer ample display for the nearly 100 styles of frames available in the store, from the “Angelina” sunglass shield, so nicknamed because Angelina Jolie was consistently photographed wearing it when her romance with Brad Pitt blossomed, to oversized Jackie O-inspired tortoiseshell shades and studious cat-eye silhouettes. Men’s styles include classic wayfarers and aviators, among other looks. Mirrors are subtly integrated in the wall space between the open shelves so browsers are free to pick up styles and try them on. go to web site ralph lauren coupon
For service, customers can make themselves comfortable in a Ralph Lauren Home collection chair made of carbon fiber and soft black leather, which is pulled up to one of two mahogany tables at the store’s center. Each table is topped off with a chrome vanity mirror and inset with chrome and glass vitrines holding additional eyewear. The store has a licensed optician on staff to fill lens prescriptions.
“Ralph Lauren is excited to take an already strong business and give it singular exposure – its own home and environment in a luxury way,” commented Charles Fagan, executive vice president of global retail brand development for Ralph Lauren. “With a very strong history in the ophthalmic business, consumers have gotten to know Ralph Lauren for ophthalmic as much as sunglasses, [which is a] unique position in the designer eyewear industry.” Other boutique features include a chrome and frosted glass Art Deco-style ceiling fixture and a flat-screen TV embedded seamlessly within the rear wall that displays the latest Ralph Lauren runway show.
There is also a chrome and glass case at the front of the store displaying items exclusive to the boutique, like luxe alligator cases that retail for $600 or, the pice de rsistance, a gold-plated frame inspired by Lauren’s own favorite eyeglasses that retails for $360. The boutique will also house other exclusives, including sunglass designs. On average, eyewear begins retailing for $130 for a sporty RLX style to $310 for Purple Label sunglasses, Ralph Lauren’s high-end line.
The company would not comment on sales projections at the boutique, but Roseanne Cumella, senior vice president of accessories and intimate apparel for The Doneger Group, a New York-based buying firm, said if it is successful, it could inspire other brands.
“[Sunglasses] are an affordable luxury, with a great entry price point. If Lauren’s excitement [about the store] is a barometer to his success, then this might be the beginning of a retail trend,” Cumella said, adding that brands like Gucci, Prada and Dior may follow suit in opening eyewear-only retail doors.
Ralph Lauren is among the largest brands at Safilo, which also produces frames for Gucci, Dior and Juicy Couture, among others.
Caption(s): Polo Ralph Lauren sunglasses. / Inside the Ralph Lauren eyewear store. / Ralph Lauren’s “Angelina” frame. / Sporty frames from Polo and RLX.
Chabbott, Sophia
