President Paxson appointed Boston Federal Reserve Director

Thanks to BCOC Young Alumni Chair, Sean Zhang, for spotting this recent press release about President Paxson.

http://www.golocalprov.com/business/new-brown-president-paxson-named-boston-federal-reserve-director

Brown Club OC kicks off 2016 on January 12th

Happy New Year to my fellow Orange County alumni and to Brown parents, students and friends of Brown Club OC.

As Brown Club OC embarks on its fifth year as a chartered alumni club of Brown University, I’d like to take a moment to review our accomplishments this past year.

In 2015, Brown Club OC hosted or participated in:

·         January – Brown Derbies concert at Sage Hill School and the Van Damme Academy

·       
  January – Engineering  Dean Larry Larson speaks at Sage Hill School on interdisciplinary aspects of the study of Engineering at Brown

·       
  February – Year of the Goat Lunar New Year celebration at J. Zhou Oriental Cuisine, Tustin

·      
  February – Reinventing Radio, an Evening with Ira Glass at the Barclay Theater, UCI, followed by a reception with Ira

·        

March – Breakfast with President Christina Paxson at Irell & Manella in Newport Beach

·         April – Accepted students reception in Newport

·       
  May – Back Bay Kayak Clean Up and Pancake Breakfast day of service with Newport-Irvine Rotary Club

·        

June – Cast Off For Catalina presented by Bill McNeely at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, Newport

·         June – Presentation on Social Diversity at Brown in the 21^st Century by Mary Grace Almandrez, Brown Director of Diversity, Sage Hill School.

·        

  August – Much Ado About Nothing at the UCI Summer Shakespeare Festival

·         October – US News Best Colleges mixer hosted by BCOC at the Bluewater Grill, Tustin

·         November – Lucy Jones Imagine America Without LA presentation at University Hills Community Center, Irvine

·        

  November – Dean Larry Larson Bringing Ideas to Market hosted by Geoffrey Garth ’75 at Aspen Medical, Irvine.

·         December – Holiday Mixer with Yale Club OC at Aqua Lounge, Island Hotel, Newport.

Brown Club OC had an unprecedented number of events in 2015 including record breaking attendance for Dr. Lucy Jones ‘74 speaking about the implications of a 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault.

To keep BCOC vibrant, growing, relevant and fun, we need YOU!  BCOC is your club, and we need your participation, ideas, enthusiasm and support to ensure our 5^th year is our best ever.

I recently joined the Brown Alumni Association Board of Governors and am honored to represent your interests. I welcome your ideas and invite you to let me know how that organization can better serve our needs and interests.

Likewise, I invite you to attend the annual BCOC kick-off meeting on Tuesday, January 12^th from 6:00-9:00 p.m.  The agenda will include board elections and preliminary calendar planning for 2016 – so this is your chance to be heard about the types of events you want to support this year.

Space is limited, so if you are interested, please contact me at 949-636-1975 or scott.ed@cox.net for more details.

I look forward to hearing from you soon and, on behalf of the entire Brown Club OC board, wish you a Happy, Healthy 2016!

-Scott Westerfield

President/BCOC

Al "Big Tuna" Snider '72 dies at 65

If you were at Brown anytime between 1969 and 1975, or were part of the Brown Debating Union ever, you might well have known Al Snider ’72 from West Covina, CA, better known as The Big Tuna. It is with the deepest sadness that I report the recent death of my sometime debate partner, longtime fraternity brother, and all-time friend at the tender age of 65, at his home in Burlington, VT. Here’s a link to the NY Times obit (not a hoax - someone obtained the paper NY Times and found it there, too): 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/education/alfred-c-snider-prominent-teacher-of-debating-is-dead-at-65.html?_r=0

The  Tuna’s exploits at Brown were the stuff of legend. He was a master bridge and hearts player, made the Providence Police Dept.’s “Top 10 Parking Violators” list (he had just shy of 400 open tickets at the time), and got married in Manning Chapel on Good Friday to his first wife, whose parents disowned her when she ran off to be with Al. Rev. Dick Danenfelser presided, and both Louis and Dominick of the Louis Restaurant attended in full stained-apron attire. More interesting parts of his story will cost you one (or more) drinks.

Al was also a national top-10-ranked debater, and had his greatest successes there partnered with (the late) Bruce Owens ’72, aka “Hotep X.” With me, he helped hire Dr. Barbara Tannenbaum as our debate coach when the Theater, Speech, and Performing Arts Dept. did not yet exist – without Barbara today, of course, Brown would not be Brown.  

When we graduated, I suspected Tuna would die in a drug deal gone south – or some equally ridiculous manner – before he turned 30. But through the influence of Bob Huber, debate coach at the Univ. of Kansas, Al got a Ph.D., and created a world-renowned program at the Univ. of Vermont. This was the crazier because Al hated snow more than I do, which is a lot of winter-hate.

The Tuna’s greatest legacy is his living proof that we truly can be whoever and whatever we want, and we get the life we choose. Our fate is not anyone else’s fault. (I hate to think what his could have been if it were up to some others …) 

If you doubt this about yourself and find life in general a doubtful struggle, please let me know and I will convince you of your great hope, possibilities, and self-worth as The Tuna would have. 

- Bill McNeely'72

Brown Club OC/OC Ivy Plus Holiday Mixer at the Aqua Lounge, Newport Beach

Brown Club of Orange County/OC Ivy Plus Holiday Mixer at AQUA LOUNGE The Island Hotel 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Wednesday, December 16th 5:00 PM _____________________________________________________ Join your fellow Brown alumni, family & friends for an after work holiday drink. Aqua Lounge offers entertainment, imaginative handcrafted cocktails and a delicious menu of gourmet shareable bites.  Happy Hour prices 5 – 7PM @ 50%.  No host bar. Complimentary valet. _____________________________________________________ RSVP to Scott Westerfield at swesterfield@ffcsi.com or at (949) 636-1975.

BCOC Attracts Record Turnout for Imagine America… Without LA

Dr. Lucile Jones ’76 – the “Earthquake Lady”  as she is affectionately known to millions of Southern California residents – spoke to a BCOC crowd of 100 people on Veteran’s Day evening at the beautiful University Hills Community Center in Irvine.

Lucy presented a detailed description of the geophysics of earthquakes as well as a down-to-earth examination of how Southern California residents will have to cope with the post-quake realities of broken water and sewer systems, non-functioning electrical grids, impassable roads and unsafe housing and workplaces.

Doctor Jones stressed that the ultimate outcome of such a natural disaster could be relatively rapid recovery or a prolonged catastrophe – depending on the collective and individual choices we make to protect ourselves, our homes and our society.

For more information about what you can do, please visit the links below. 

Video of Lucy Jones presentation Click here to view video

• ·         "Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country” http://www.earthquakecountry.org/roots/contents.html Information about southern California faults, earthquakes, information as well as preparedness.
• ·         Preparedness information is well laid out at http://www.earthquakecountry.org/ The top menu bar has "Prepare-Before”, “Survive-During,” and “Recover-After " tabs to lay out the Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety.
• ·         “The ShakeOut Scenario” – the 2008 US Geological Report in its 312 page entirety http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1150/of2008-1150.pdf
• ·         “Forecasting California’s Earthquakes—What Can We Expect in the Next 30 Years?” http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3027/
• ·         “The ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario—A Story That Southern Californians Are Writing” http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1324/ A very readable 16-page summary of the highpoints of the original report

Many thanks to our friends at UCI, Sage Hill School, Chapman University, CS Fullerton, Yale Club of OC and the American Red Cross for supporting BCOC's most successful event ever!

Rachel Dunham, Physics teacher at Sage Hill School introducing Lucy

Lucy explaining the many geophysical, infrastructural, social and political variables that went into building the ShakeOut Scenario.

Bill Blanning of the Orange County American Red Cross talking about the disaster recovery and preparedness services of the ARC.

Lucy Jones keynotes American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Academy

The Earthquake Lady - Lucy Jones - in the news this week as keynote speaker for the American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Academy at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Come meet Dr. Lucy Jone '76 in person as Brown Club Orange County hears what to expect from the next major seismic event in Southern California and what you should do to protect your family.

Seating is limited and pre-registration is strongly recommended.

For details and tickets, click HERE or call 949-636-1975

Location: University Hills Community Center, 1083 California Ave., Irvine 92617 

Admission:

• General Adult $15
• Brown Club Orange County Members $10
• Students $2
• Door: $20 (seating not guaranteed)

JPL says Big One is Coming Within 3 Years. Hear What Lucy Thinks!

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015:  "JPL experts announced Los Angeles has a 99.9% chance of experiencing a 5.0 magnitude quake in the next two and a half years, but say it very well could be stronger" according to CBS News.

Lucy Jones begs to disagree! 

Hear in person what Lucy has to say and decide for yourself.
For information and tickets Click Here