Jordan Babineaux brings the NFL to SAU

Southern Arkansas University Alumnus Jordan Babineaux returned to his university home on April 24 to visit with old friends and talk about his experience as a defensive back for the Seattle Seahawks.

The special event was sponsored by the SAU Foundation, with proceeds benefiting the foundation and the Kathleen Mallory Lectureship Endowment. A private reception with Babineaux was held in the Magnolia Room of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center. The reception allowed special ticket holders to meet Babineaux and have their picture made with him before the dinner that followed in the Grand Hall of the Reynolds Center.

At the dinner, Babineaux told the crowd about the influence SAU had on his life, including the grueling football practices that helped shape him into a player ready for the challenges of the National Football League. But the road certainly wasn’t always easy, according to Babineaux.

To further emphasize his point, Babineaux read the poem “Mother to Son,” by Langston Hughes, which contains the famous line, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.”

The mission of the Kathleen Mallory Lecture Series is to honor the contributions of Dr. Mallory, an English professor who has made extraordinary contributions to SAU and to issues of English curriculum improvement in Arkansas and the United States. Mallory is credited with brining scholars working in the fields of African Diasporic and African American Studies to Southern Arkansas University to share their scholarship with students, faculty, staff and members of the community.

Alumni Association seeks help with bridge

The Southern Arkansas Alumni Association is searching for donors whose generous gifts will make a bridge on campus a reality.

The bridge will connect the Welcome Center area with the football field.

The cost of the project is estimated at $50,000 and plans are for the bridge to be completed by the first football game of the fall 2009 said David Butler, a member of the SAU Alumni board and the coordinator for this project. Butler said it is anticipated that Unit Structure Company, a local manufacturing company, will be selected to work on the project.

Mike Waters, the chairman of the SAU Alumni Board that governs the SAU Alumni Association, said this bridge will be a valuable asset to the University. “With all the construction taking place on the campus, this is a natural direction for the Alumni Association to follow,” Waters said. “This is by far the largest project the association has taken on and the bridge is going to be the kind of project that alumni will be proud they have contributed to.”

Alumni Director Ceil Bridges said a ceremony to honor the bridge will be held in conjunction with SAU’s centennial celebration.