Look up alumnus in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

An alumnus (plural alumni) is "a graduate of a school, college, or university".^[1] An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student.^[2][3] In addition, an alumna (pl. alumnae) is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college, or university".^[4] If a group includes both genders, even if there is only one male, the plural form alumni is used.

Etymology[link]

The Latin noun alumnus means "foster son, pupil" and is derived from the verb alere "to nourish".^[5]

Usage[link]

An alumnus or alumna is a former student and most often a graduate of an educational institution (school, college, university).^[1][4] According to the United States Department of Education, the term alumnae is used in conjunction with either women's colleges^[6] or a female group of students. The term alumni is used in conjunction with either men's colleges, a male group of students, or a mixed group of students:

In accordance with the rules of grammar governing the inflexion of nouns in the Romance languages, the masculine plural alumni is correctly used for groups composed of both sexes: the alumni of Princeton University.^[7]

The term is sometimes shortened to "alum", which stands for "an alumna or alumnus".^[8]

"Alumni" (a plural form) is often incorrectly used as a singular form for both genders; for example, "I am an alumni of the university", as opposed to "I am an alumnus/alumna of the university." This usage is erroneous in formal or historic usage. The prevalence of this usage is probably due to an ignorance of Latin grammar and the fact that printed documents and university merchandise almost always use the plural form of the word.

Alumni reunions are popular events at many institutions. They are usually organized by alumni associations and are often social occasions for fundraising.

[edit] Related terms

At most UK independent schools, New Zealand schools, Sri Lankan schools, a few universities in the UK, and to a lesser extent in Australia and Canada, the phrases old boy and old girl are traditionally used for former school pupils, and old member or member (or "alumnus" in Australia and New Zealand) for former university students. Some Australian co-educational schools use the gender-neutral old scholar. At the Royal Military College of Canada, the phrases ex-cadet or former cadet and member of the old brigade are traditionally used, as are college numbers. Another example is the term old corps, in reference to alumni from the Virginia Military Institute. Owing to this general restriction of the phrase to schools for the social elite, the phrase is normally associated with the aristocracy of the UK.

The term "Old Boys" is also used as part of many sporting associations and clubs worldwide. Famous examples include Argentine football club Newell's Old Boys and New Zealand rugby union club High School Old Boys RFC.

Some schools use a specific term clearly linked to the school name, such as "Old Pauline", "Old Etonian", "Old Harrovian", "Old Carthusian", "Old Oswestrian", "Old Churcherian", "Old Knox Grammarian" or "Old Reptonian" (old boys of St Paul's School, Eton College, Harrow School, Charterhouse School, Oswestry School, Churcher's College, Knox Grammar School and Repton School), the school's location, such as "Old Chelmsfordian" (King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford) or "Old Mancunian" (Manchester Grammar School); or a more obscure one, such as "Old Citizen" and "Old Gregorian" for those of the City of London School and Downside School. Other UK examples include "Old Alleynian" (Dulwich College), "Old Blue" (Christ's Hospital), "Old Dunumian" (Down High School), "Old Novocastrian" (Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne), "Old Mid" (Trinity School of John Whitgift) and "Old Elizabethan" (Queen Elizabeth's Hospital).

In Scotland, the term former pupil (FP) is also used, especially when referring to sports teams of a school.

Some US schools, such as Texas A&M University, prefer Former Student.

The World Student Christian Federation uses the term "senior friends" for its alumni.

References[link]

Late Night Alumni is a US house group composed of Ryan Raddon (Kaskade), Finn Bjarnson, John Hancock, and vocalist Becky Jean Williams. They are primarily known for mixing dance music with strings and soft trance-like vocals from lead singer Becky Jean Williams.^[1]

Biography[link]

Finn Bjarnson stumbled upon Becky Jean Williams (sister to R. John Williams, the lead singer of Faded Paper Figures) in the summer of 2003. “I had just been given a local Christmas CD that I had produced a couple tracks for,” Finn recalls, “and as I was listening through the tracks, there she was! Her beautiful voice and style immediately struck me.” A couple of phone calls later and they were in the studio together for the first time. “I had worked up this song called ‘Empty Streets’ and wanted to try her voice out on it...” Finn continues, “and it took off from there!”

Finn had already been working in the studio with Ryan Raddon (aka Kaskade), and soon Finn, Ryan, and Becky formed Late Night Alumni. In 2004, Hed Kandi made an offer to license and release a full length Late Night Alumni album. “At that point,” Finn says, “I knew the band was not ready. We were missing an element.” That missing element turned out to be John Hancock; a talented local producer with whom Finn had been trying to “find an excuse” to work with for years. The band was complete and hard at work at the debut Late Night Alumni album; mixing electronic and organic elements for a unique brand of chill that is easily distinguishable in today’s down tempo house music scene.

Empty Streets was released in September, 2005. Around the same time, Hed Kandi was bought out by Ministry of Sound and the album got shelved. However, despite lack of support from the group's record label, it soon grew into an underground classic.

The single of the same name received massive support in both clubs and on radio, getting Top Ten Radio Play in the UK and U, and reaching #1 in Spain. “Empty Streets” has also been licensed to commercials including a spot for the Toyota IQ. In addition, more than a dozen dance compilations have licensed the track, and it remains the most popular and downloaded song on Tiesto’s “In Search Of Sunrise” compilation.

Also, two of Late Night Alumni's songs, "Uncharted" and "You Can Be the One" have been featured in a new Steve Carell movie Crazy, Stupid, Love. which released on 29th June, 2011.

Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Etc. (2009 Album)[link]

Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Etc., the follow-up album to Empty Streets, was released as a digital download on November 3, 2009, with the physical CD released on February 2, 2010 on Ultra Records. On September 1, 2009, the group released "You Can Be The One," their first single from the album, which was available on Beatport & iTunes.^[2] This single was followed up with a remix by Sultan & Ned Shepard, which was released on September 23, 2009.

A music video for a live rendition of "You Can Be The One" was recorded at Velour in Utah. It features four violinists along with the four members of Late Night Alumni. Fans are comparing the video to Kaskade's live version of "4AM," which also features Becky Jean Williams on lead vocals and Finn Bjarnson on guitar.^[3]

An acoustic version of a song titled, "Golden," on their upcoming album was posted on their YouTube channel. Another live version of a new track, "What's In A Name," was also posted onto their channel.^[4]

Haunted (2011 Album)[link]

Haunted was released as a digital download on February 8, 2011. During the recording process, the group hoped to create a different dynamic by physically working together through most of the process rather than being isolated and using electronic communication methods to collaborate.^[5] The name of the album was inspired by ideas of being haunted by nostalgia and memories from the past while dealing with change in the present, although the old character of the undisclosed location in Salt Lake City where they recorded may have also influenced the title.^[6]

Two singles have been released so far, It's Not Happening and Main Street.

The song In The Ashes was also well received, and is a fan favorite.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 2005 - Empty Streets
• 2009 - Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Etc.
• 2011 - Haunted

Singles/EPs[link]

Collaborations[link]

• 2012 - How Long with Kaskade

References[link]

http://www.youtube.com/user/LNAmusic

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Official Myspace
• Artist Page at Ultra Records
• Hed Kandi
• Kaskade
• Official Facebook Page

Louis Silvie Zamperini (born January 26, 1917) is a World War II prisoner of war survivor, inspirational speaker, and former American Olympic distance runner.

Early life[link]

Louis Zamperini was born in Olean, New York, to Anthony and Louise Zamperini. He had an older brother named Pete, and two younger sisters, Virginia and Sylvia. The Zamperini family moved to Torrance, California in the 1920s, where Louis attended Torrance High School. The son of Italian immigrants, Louis spoke no English when his family moved to California. This made him a target for bullies, so his father taught him how to box in self-defense. Soon he was "beating the tar out of every one of them... but I was so good at it that I started relishing the idea of getting even. I was sort of addicted to it."^[1]

"Before long he was picking fights just to see if anyone could keep up with him. From juvenile thug, he progressed to 'teenage hobo.' Hopping a train to Mexico, he courted danger for the thrill of it. 'I caught a wild cow in a ravine and tore my kneecap till it was just hanging off,' he recalled. 'I snapped my big toe jumping out of some giant bamboo; they just sewed it back on. I’ve got so many scars, they’re criss-crossing each other!'"
(USC News, "The Great Zamperini", 2003)

Louis had a knack for getting into trouble, so his older brother Pete got him involved in the school track team as a way to divert his energy to something productive. In 1934 Zamperini set a world interscholastic record for the mile, clocking in at 00:04:21.2 at the preliminary meet to the state championships.^[2][3][4][5] The following week he won the championships with a 04:27.8^[6] That record helped Zamperini win a scholarship to the University of Southern California and eventually a place on the 1936 U.S. Olympic team in the 5000 metres, the youngest U.S. qualifier in that event.^[7]

While attending USC, Zamperini was a member of The Kappa Sigma Fraternity and lived in the fraternity house along with his brother.

Olympic career[link]

Louis Zamperini

Personal information
Nationality	United States
Sport
Sport	Running
College team	University of Southern California
Medal record Men’s Track and Field 1936 Summer Olympics 5,000 m (8th)

In the Olympic trials at Randalls Island, Zamperini finished in a dead heat against world-record holder Don Lash and qualified for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, though neither he nor Lash had much chance at winning the 5000 meter race. Zamperini has related several amusing anecdotes from his Olympic experience, including gorging himself on the boat trip to Europe. "I was a Depression-era kid who had never even been to a drugstore for a sandwich," he said. "And all the food was free. I had not just one sweet roll, but about seven every morning, with bacon and eggs. My eyes were like saucers.” By the end of the trip, Zamperini, in common with most athletes on the ship, had gained much weight - in Zamperini's case, 12 pounds. While the weight gain was not advantageous for his running it was necessary for his health, as he had lost 15 pounds while training in the summer heat in New York for the Olympic Trials.

Zamperini finished eighth in the 5000 meter distance event at that Olympics, but his final lap of 56 seconds was fast enough to catch the attention of Adolf Hitler, who insisted on a personal meeting.^[8] As Zamperini tells the story, Hitler shook his hand, and said simply "Ah, you're the boy with the fast finish."^[9] According to a profile on Bill Stern's Sports Newsreel radio program, Zamperini climbed a flag pole during the 1936 Olympic games and stole the personal flag of Hitler.

Two years later, in 1938, Zamperini set a national collegiate mile record which held for fifteen years. He was nicknamed the "Torrance Tornado".

Military career and Prisoner of War[link]

Zamperini enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in September 1941,^[11] and earned a commission as a second lieutenant the following August. He was deployed to Hawaii as a bombardier. On May 27, 1943, he and his crew were assigned to a B-24 which they named Super Man. After this plane was shot up, they were assigned to conduct a search for a lost aircraft and its crew on The Green Hornet, a defective "lemon plane'. Mechanical difficulties caused the Green Hornet to crash into the ocean, killing eight of the eleven aboard.

The three survivors (Zamperini, along with pilot Russel Allen "Phil" Phillips and tail-gunner Francis McNamara), with little food and no water, subsisted on captured rainwater and small fish eaten raw. They caught an albatross and used some of the breast meat to catch fish, all while fending off constant shark attacks and nearly being swallowed by a storm.^[12] Once they were strafed multiple times by a Japanese bomber, puncturing their life raft; miraculously, no one was hit. McNamara died after thirty-three days at sea.

On the 47th day, Zamperini and Phillips finally reached land in the Marshall Islands^[13] and were subsequently captured by the Japanese Navy. Both Phillips and Zamperini were held in captivity and severely tortured until the end of the war: Zamperini was held in a Japanese Prisoner-of-war camp at Ōfuna for captives who were not registered as prisoners of war (POW). He was especially tormented by sadistic prison guard Mutsuhiro Watanabe (nicknamed "The Bird"), who was later included in General Douglas MacArthur's list of the 40 most wanted war criminals in Japan. Held at the same camp, was then-Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington, and in his book, Baa Baa Black Sheep, he discusses Zamperini and the Italian recipes he would write to keep the prisoners' minds off the food and conditions.

During his imprisonment, he had been declared killed in action a year and a day after his disappearance; when he eventually returned home he received a hero's welcome.

Post-war life[link]

In 1946 he married Cynthia Applewhite, whom he remained married to until her death in 2001. After the war and suffering from severe post traumatic stress disorder, Zamperini met Billy Graham, who helped him launch a new career as a Christian inspirational speaker. His wife Cynthia was instrumental in getting him to go to Billy Graham's meetings and not leaving before he was saved. Louis had been a terrible alcoholic and was instantly released of alcoholism. He could immediately read the Bible and understood it for the first time in his life; he instantly felt total forgiveness towards all who had hurt and tortured him in the prison camps. One of his favorite themes is "forgiveness," and he has visited many of the guards from his POW days to let them know that he has forgiven them. Many of the war criminals who committed the worst atrocities were held in the Sugamo prison in Tokyo. In October 1950, Zamperini went to Japan, gave his testimony and preached to them through an interpreter (a missionary named Fred Jarvis). The colonel in charge of the prison encouraged any of the prisoners who recognized Zamperini to come forward and meet him again. Zamperini threw his arms around each of them. Once again he explained the Christian Gospel of forgiveness to them. The prisoners were somewhat surprised by Zamperini's genuine affection for those who had once ill-treated him. Most of the prisoners accepted copies of the New Testament which had been given by the Gideons.

For his 81st birthday in January 1998, Zamperini ran a leg in the Olympic Torch relay for the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. While there, he attempted to meet with his chief and most brutal tormentor during the war, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, who had evaded prosecution as a war criminal, but the latter refused to see him. In March 2005 he returned to Germany to visit the Berlin Olympic Stadium for the first time since he competed there.^[14]

Torrance High School's home football, soccer, and track stadium is called Zamperini Stadium, and the entrance plaza at USC's track & field stadium was named Louis Zamperini Plaza in 2004. In his 90s, Zamperini continues to attend USC football games and befriended star freshman quarterback Matt Barkley in 2009.^[15]

In October 2008, Zamperini was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago, IL.

On April 24, 2011, Zamperini received an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from Azusa Pacific University. The following month, on May 20, 2011, Zamperini delivered Bryant University's 2011 baccalaureate address and received Bryant's inaugural Distinguished Character Award. The following day, May 21, Bryant presented Zamperini with an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters. The next day he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Red Sox-Cubs game at Fenway Park in Boston.

Zamperini currently resides in Hollywood, California. The Torrance airport was renamed Zamperini Field in the 1960s.

Books[link]

Zamperini wrote two memoirs about his experiences, both of them bearing the same title, Devil at My Heels. The first (written with Helen Itria) was published by Dutton in 1956. The second (with David Rensin) appeared in 2003 from Morrow.

Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend, has written a biography of Zamperini.^[16] The book, titled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, was published by Random House in 2010.^[17] It has gone to number one on the New York Times bestseller list. It was named the top book of 2010 by Time.^[18]

See also[link]

• Matsuhiro Watanabe

References[link]

Book: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

External links[link]

• Louis Zamperini Official Website
• Louis Zamperini at the Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame website
• A stop-by-stop timeline of his journey
• Interview
• Louis Zamperini with John Ortberg, 22 January 2012

For others with the same name, see Vernon Hill (disambiguation).

Vernon W. Hill II (born August 18, 1945) is the founder and former chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Commerce Bancorp and Commerce Bank of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is credited as a founder of a new style of retail banking that relies on service rather than interest rates to attract customer and deposits.

Private[link]

Hill also owns several Burger King franchises and is a partner in Interstate Commercial, formerly Site Development Inc. and several other holding and development enterprises. He earned a BS in economics with a concentration in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1967.

Hill's 46,000 ft² (4,270 m²) mansion Villa Collina — Italian for "Hill House" — the largest private residence in New Jersey, is located in Moorestown Township, New Jersey.^[1] He resides there with wife Shirley Hill, owner of the InterArch design firm and their dog.

Hill founded and helped design one of the top golf courses in the USA, Galloway National Golf Club in Galloway Township, New Jersey.

In 2005, Vernon and his wife, Shirley Hill, donated $10 million dollars for a new building at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Vernon's alma mater. The building is called the Vernon and Shirley Hill Pavilion.^[2]

In 2003, he was named to the PoliticsPA "Power 50" list of politically influential individuals, saying that he "heads one of Pennsylvania's fastest growing banks, and more importantly, gets the game when it comes to politics- earning a spot on the list. Hill plays to both Republicans and Democrats, and gets what he wants."^[3]

Commerce Bancorp[link]

Hill founded Commerce Bancorp in 1973, basing its business model on that of the Burger King restaurants that he had once owned. Commerce Bank became one of the fastest-growing banks in the country.

Hill earned $54.2-million (U.S.) in salary, bonus, and profit from stock options from 2002 to 2006, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

On June 29, 2007, Hill was forced to resign as Chairman and CEO of Commerce Bancorp after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the board of directors of Commerce Bancorp established governance to stop doing business with firms under the control of his family. Notable business dealings with insiders included property leases with entities in which Hill was a partner, and the purchase of services from an architectural design business run by his wife, Shirley.[1]

The company appointed three executives to replace Hill, naming Dennis DiFlorio chairman, Robert Falese president and CEO, and Douglas Pauls Chief Financial Officer.

On October 2, 2007, Commerce Bancorp announced that it would be merging with TD Bank Financial Group. The Canadian-based Toronto-Dominion Bank would acquire Commerce for $8.5 billion (U.S. dollars) in cash and stock, at $35 per share of CBH stock. Some people suggested that Hill's departure, as well as a strong Canadian dollar, had made a takeover inevitable. [2]

Hill-Townsend Capital[link]

On November 27, 2007 Vernon Hill announced that he is teaming up with veteran analyst Gary B. Townsend on the venture, to be called Hill-Townsend Capital. The firm, which will be based in Chevy Chase, Md., will invest in the financial services sector, particularly in mid-cap bank stocks with assets of about $1 billion to $10 billion. Hill-Townsend will "concentrate on long-horizon investment in companies with superior, easily understood business models, run by passionate, dedicated management teams," a news release said.

Metro Bank[link]

On July 29, 2010, the first branch of Metro Bank, the first high-street bank to open in the United Kingdom for more than 100 years, opened in Holborn, London. Vernon Hill is a co-founder, alongside chairman Anthony Thomson.^[4]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Platt, Larry (August 2001). [3]
• Shiffman, John (June 2007). [4]

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (February 2010)

Sterling Clinton Hundley (born 1976) is an American illustrator and painter. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.^[1] He is also one of five core art instructors at the Illustration Academy, held every summer at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.^[2]

Sterling Hundley graduated from VCU in 1998. While still a student, his work appeared in the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Competition, CMYK, Step by Step Magazine and the Society of Illustrators Annual Competition. During the summers of '98 and '99, Sterling attended the Illustration Academy in Kansas City, Missouri.

Hundley's work appears regularly in the pages of Communication Arts magazine, American Illustration, Print Magazine, the Los Angeles Society of Illustrators, 3 x 3, Graphis, Step by Step Graphics, the Society of Publication Designers, and the New York Society of Illustrators. Sterling is the recipient of three Gold and two Silver medals from the Society of Illustrators New York, as well as Gold and Silver medals from the Illustrators Club in Washington, D.C.

Hundley has created work for a wide range of clients, including: Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Arena Stage, Marvel, Atlantic Monthly, the Grammys, GQ, the New Yorker, the Progressive, Vibe, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Red Bull, Harper Collins, Penguin/Putnam, Random House, Scholastic, Knopf, Sterling Publishing, Major League Baseball, and Virginia Living Magazine.

Hundley has served as a juror for the Society of Illustrators, 3 x 3 Magazine, the Society of Illustrators Scholarship Competition, and CMYK magazine. He has lectured extensively at Syracuse University, CCAD, Maryland Institute College of Art, the Eisner Museum, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Academy of Art University San Francisco, Ringling College of Art and Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Illustrator's Club of Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and as a co-curator for the "Tables to Walls" exhibit at the Quirk gallery in Richmond, Virginia.

Hundley's debut solo art show, entitled "Emergent," was held at the Ghostprint Gallery in Richmond, Virginia from September 4–26, 2009, and featured 104 new works of art.^[3]

Hundley is represented by Richard Solomon in New York City.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sterling Hundley's Website
• Interview with Sterling Hundley