November 7 IssueJim Seri .........................................................................................................4DePaul in 60 Seconds ................................................................................... 8Pet of the Week ............................................................................................. 8Women’s Soccer Big East Champs ............................................................... 9Endowed Scholarships ................................................................................ 12D-Club Bulletin Board .................................................................................. 13Women’s Volleyball Alumnae Day ............................................................... 15

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DEPAUL LOSES LEGENDHALL OF FAMER JIM SERI LEAVES LEGACY

In honor of the passing of DePaul Hall of Fame Tennis Coach Jim Seri, we have reprised an article written by Bob Sakamoto in celebra-tion of Scholarship Week 2014 on May 7, 2014.

Seri Endowed Tennis Scholarship a Tribute to Inspirational CoachMay 7, 2014

Jim Seri has a very special place in the storied tradition of DePaul athletics. After serving with distinction as the Blue Demon men’s tennis coach and a member of the university faculty and guiding the 1967 tennis team to a 22-3 record and fifth-place finish at the NCAA College Division Championship,

Seri is being honored with an endowed scholarship in his name for men’s tennis.

James J. Seri, age 91WWII Navy veteran; beloved husband of the late Norma, nee Degen; loving father of Laura Dunne; devoted grandfather of Therese, Maggie, and Joe Dunne; also survived by many nieces and nephews and his soul mate of 25 years, Florence “Flip” Bresnahan; also Jon Pineda was his devoted care-giver for 3½ years. Memo-rial visitation Saturday, Nov. 8, from 12 noon until mass at 1 PM, at St. Alphonsus Church, 411 N. Wheeling Rd., Prospect Heights, IL. Memorials may be sent to the DePaul University James Seri Tennis Scholarship Fund, 2323 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago, IL 60614. Matz Funeral Home in charge of arrangements, 847-394-2336.

Published in Chicago Suburban Daily Herald from Nov. 3 to Nov. 4, 2014

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“I feel very humbled and very thankful,” said the 90-year-old Seri who lives in Prospect Heights. “I’m just overwhelmed, and I don’t know what to say. I want to thank everyone involved in offering up a scholarship in my name.

“I’m very proud of all those tennis players who were successful on the tennis court and suc-cessful in life. They’ve gone on to do so well in business, and I’m so happy for them. I’m thankful for the years I had with them and that I was the kind of person who could have an impact on them.

“When we all got together at the DePaul Ath-letic Hall of Fame induction in 2010, I was so happy to see all of those guys from the 1967 team. I remembered them from when they were in their 20s and now they were in their 60s. I remember guys reminiscing and telling the old stories that had brought us together.”

That Hall of Fame team consisting of Ray Bachmann, Ray Cahnman, Terry Garvey, George Hahn, Allen Kiel, Nathaniel King, Mel Searles and Steve Williams went 22-3 that season and finished fifth at the NCAA College Division Championship. The Blue Demons overcame the odds at the NCAA College Championship with a number of upsets in a field filled with renowned players from across the globe, including Davis Cup players and world-class competitors.

That was all put in motion a year earlier when Seri and his players piled into the Ford lim-ousine provided to them by the coach’s good friend and billionaire auto magnate Jim Moran and headed South on a 10-day, spring break road trip playing matches in Kentucky, Tennes-see, Mississippi and Florida.

Mississippi in 1966 was a battleground for Civil Rights and desegregation---not exactly the ideal destination for Searles, an African-American on DePaul’s team.

“We were down South at a time when the Civil Rights movement was going on and de-segre-gation was a huge issue,” Seri said. “During warm-ups before our match at Mississippi, their coach comes up to me and says: ‘Who’s that black kid on the court?

Video of Jim Seri’s Recollection of his 1967 Team - Click HERE

SERI HONORED AS HERO BY TENNIS MAGAZINE

Jim Seri and DePaul Men’s

Tennis are about to be

featured in a four-page

spread in Tennis maga-

zine’s upcoming Heroes

Issue.

The spread highlights Jim Seri and his work as a coach during

the turbulent times of the 1960s. The December/January issue is

set to hit newstands in the coming days. The article will ulti-

mately be seen on tennis.com.

“‘Our guys won’t play against a colored boy,’ he said. I told him Mel was our chauf-feur. You can imagine how Mel’s teammates got fired up over the incident. We played the match and whipped them real good. They had a barbecue for us after the game. I no-ticed they dropped Mel’s hamburger on the charcoals before sticking it on a bun. I told Mel not to eat that one and gave him mine.

“Later that night, Mel came to me and asked if he could stay in my dorm room. Some-one had burned a flag outside his room and thrown a rock through his window. It was a frightful experience.

“I woke everyone up at 4 a.m. and we got out of there. We didn’t have time to eat. Later on we stopped and I bought everyone hamburgers out of my own pocket.”

This was a rag-tag, motley crew coached by the resourceful Seri, a distinctive figure with a patch over his right eye. They talked about girls, tennis matches and played hearts while counting their blessings as most of them came from families that couldn’t afford to pay for college. Some were first-generation college students.

“That’s DePaul’s mission, and we were the living, breathing testaments to that ideal,” Cahnman said. “Something con-nected at DePaul that allowed our team members to persevere through adversity and become highly successful.”

Cahnman himself made the biggest turnaround, with Seri’s help.

“Ray Cahnman had been dismissed from the University of Illinois,” Seri said. “He was overwhelmed when I offered him a second chance with a tennis scholarship and an opportunity to earn a college degree. He completely turned his life around and is now a multi-millionaire.

“As good as these guys were as tennis players, they were even better as hu-man beings. Back then, if anyone had a problem, they could always come to me and I would try to resolve it.”

They overcame all kinds of obstacles including practicing in an old, aban-doned theatre and taping down lines on the creaky, wooden floor. In the offseason, they trained at a handball court.

Kiel nicknamed this team “The Lost Boys” since most of the players were local kids from poor families searching for their lot in life. The scholar-ships Seri divided up among the team members were their saving grace.

“I was one of those kids saved by the scholarship,” said Kiel, a successful commercial banker.

“My parents were poor,” said Searles who grew up in the Douglas Park area and went on to flourish in the field of institutional sales. “I had no chance to get to college without a scholarship.”

Ray Cahnman and Jim Seri at Seri’s 90th birthday party in 2013.

“We were all city kids who didn’t come from much money,” Cahnman said. “I was scraping the bottom, and when coach Seri gave me that scholarship, it turned my life around. What I learned from playing tennis and going to school at DePaul allowed me to make it in life.”

DePaul Athletics Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto has a special connection to Seri.

“I took some of his classes, and he is one of my all-time favorite teachers at DePaul,” Ponsetto said with a smile. “He is among the three people I learned the most from. I remember getting an A in his Coaching & Teaching Methods class.

“Jim is one of those iconic people at DePaul and doesn’t always get a lot of credit for the great job he did coaching men’s tennis and golf. Long before it became fashion-able, Jim had an open-door policy and always took advantage of a teachable moment. He was so intent on making you understand the importance of being able to impact a

young person’s life.

“It’s great at this time in his life that he gets to see how much people appreciated him. The men’s tennis alumni want to pay it forward in his honor. You hear the stories of Jim taking his tennis team on trips through the Deep South during the Civil Rights era, and the importance of standing up for what is the right thing to do.

“It shines a bright light on what a good human being, teacher and coach he was.”

Blue Demon tennis coach Matt Brothers just completed a successful season that saw his team finish second at the BIG EAST Championship.

“This scholarship will help out tremendously,” Brothers said. “It’s huge for the program and will allow us to compete with a lot of the fully funded programs. It helps to level the playing field.

“The history of this tennis program is amazing, and you can see the support and interest is still there. Coach Seri played a huge part in that cultivating and developing the program through relationships. That’s what it is all about.

“I’m big on tradition and history, and I love hearing the stories coach Seri has told over the years. Watching how Seri and his former players reminisce about their experiences at DePaul---it’s very entertaining and sincere.

“The wins and losses will come and go. What will always be there are the relationships with your student-athletes. He made such a lasting impression with a lot of his tennis players. You can see the impact he had on their lives by the way they want to give back and provide the same opportunity for others.”

Seri’s latest contribution to the Blue Demon tennis program was accompanied by a rush of flashbacks and memories.

“You spend a lot of time together when you’re traveling 300 miles and more on road trips,” Seri said. “We spent many hours in that limo, and I enjoyed every minute I was with those guys.”

Photos: Top - Allen Kiel Bottom - Melvin Searles

CHECK OUT DEPAUL IN 60 SECONDS - Click HERE

Want your pet to be a Blue Demon Star?

Send a picture in for a chance to be featured as Blue Demon Weekly’s Pet of the Week. To submit your pet of the week picture email Alexa Gallagher at dpuathdev@depaul.edu.

Want your pet to be a Blue Demon Star?

Send a picture in for a chance to be featured as Blue Demon Weekly’s Pet of the Week. To submit your pet of the week picture email Alexa Gallagher at dpuathdev@depaul.edu.

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Pat Savage Scholarship for Track & Field

Current Commitments$200,620

Securing the Future of Blue Demon AthleticsFULLY ENDOWED NAMED SCHOLARSHIP - $1 MILLIONA fully endowed scholarship will completely cover the annual costs associated with a full-ride athletics scholarship at DePaul University. This gift will allow Blue Demon Athletics to add additional scholarships to the program to reinvest the resources previously dedicated to scholarship.

NAMED ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP - BEGINNING AT $50,000A named endowed scholarship allow Blue Demon Athletics to reduce its annual expense of more than $5 million on student-athlete scholarships, add additional scholarships to the program or reinvest the resources previously dedicated to scholarship.

Benefits of Scholarship GivingNamed Scholarships create a permanent legacy for the donor

Donors can name the scholarship in honor of themselves or in honor of someone important to them. All named scholarships must be approved by DePaul University Advancement. Because of the nature of endowed gifts, the named scholarship will become a permanent part of DePaul and Blue Demon Athletics.

Endowed Scholarships touch the lives of student-athletes now and for years to come.Endowed scholarships are awarded once the scholarship fund reaches $50,000. After that, DePaul Athletics will receive annual distributions from the endowment. Strict University guidelines protect the principal and a conserva-tive distribution policy will preserve the endowment for DePaul’s future.

Endowed scholarship donors are annually recognized by DePaul.Each endowed scholarship donor receives yearly reports about the recipi-ent of his/her scholarship, as well as a financial report on the endowment. Additionally, DePaul University Advancement hosts an annual scholarship luncheon to recognize the donors responsible for creating the endowment. Efforts are made to pair the donor with his/her scholarship recipient at this special event.

Ways to GiveOUTRIGHT GIFTOutright gifts can be made through cash gifts, stock transfers and other giving methods. Gifts can be made through a five-year pledge with a signed pledge document available from DePaul Advancement.

PLANNED GIFTPlanned gifts can be made through the Office of Planned Giving within DePaul Advancement. Professionals in that area can share a wide range of giving op-tions and illustrations based on their estate planning expertise.

For More Information:CONTACT THAD DOHRN 773-325-1456TDOHRN@DEPAUL.EDU

Athletics Endowed Scholarships

• Athletics Scholarship• Kathy Booker Scholarship for Women’s Basketball

• Booster Club Scholarship • Clyde Bradshaw Scholarship

• Dean-Tracy Basketball Scholarship• Doug Bruno Women’s Basketball Scholarship• deAnda Family Men’s Basketball Scholarship

• Maggie Dixon Women’s Basketball Scholarship• Edward J. Fellin, CPA Scholarship

• Bob Hamilton Memorial Scholarship• Hein Family Scholarship

• Michael Flynn Hie Memorial Scholarship• Jarrod Jahnke Memorial Scholarship• Gary and Linda Koche Scholarship• Joyce Kohler and Barbara Hanks

Basketball Scholarship• Athene Kopoulos Memorial Scholarship

• Ann LaVigne Scholarship• Frank McGrath Basketball Scholarship

• Men’s Soccer Scholarship• Margaret Meyer Memorial Scholarship

• Ray Meyer Scholarship• Austin Minogue Golf Endowment

• Fr. Thomas Munster Scholarship for Women in Athletics

• Bob Neu Memorial Scholarship• Barb Atsaves Pabst

Women’s Basketball Scholarship• Fr. Riley Scholarship

• William D. Smithburg Scholarship• Spirit of DePaul Athletics Scholarship

• Frank Stevens Scholarship• Pat Savage Track and Field Scholarship

• Wilke Family Scholarship in Athletics• Ernie and Mimi Wish Scholarships for Men’s and

Women’s Soccer • Eugene Lenti Scholarship for Softball

• Ernie Wish Golf Scholarship• Mimi Wish Scholarship for Women’s Tennis• Dr. Gary “Coach” Kohler and Anne Drennen

Scholarship for Basketball

Jim SeriScholarship for Men’s Tennis

Current Commitments$36,241

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Blue Madness and Open Practice Mark Start of Basketball SeasonDePaul athletics is set to host two events on Friday, Oct. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 18 to give the campus community and fans a first look at the 2014-15 Blue Demons. The festivities start Friday night with a block party and performance by Chicago hip hop legend Twista followed by an open practice on Saturday.

The block party starts at 6:30 p.m. under the “L” tracks behind McGrath-Phillips Arena with a variety of food trucks and a tailgating atmosphere. Food trucks expected to be available include The Cheesie’s Truck, Haute n’ Ready, The Slide Ride and others to be named later.

The doors to McGrath-Phillips Arena open at 7 p.m. prior to a 7:30 start to introduce the 2014-15 men’s and women’s basketball teams. After introductions, Twista hits the stage for a performance in his hometown of Chicago. Known as one of the fastest rappers in the world, the Chicago hip hop legend has sold over five millions records in his career.

Admission to Blue Madness on Friday night is free for DePaul students, faculty/staff and season ticket holders. General admission is $10 that includes the block party and the performance. There will be no basketball activities at Blue Mad-ness.

The basketballs hit the floor on Saturday for an open practice starting at 11 a.m. with the men’s team. At noon, the wom-en’s team takes over for an open session that is free admission for everyone. In addition to the practice sessions, a rum-mage sale featuring DePaul Nike gear is open from 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Friday, Oct. 17 – Blue Madness6:30 p.m. Block party under the “L”7 p.m. Doors open at McGrath-Phillips Arena7:30 Team introductions and performance by TwistaAdmission is free for DePaul students, faculty/staff and season ticket holders

$10 for general public

Saturday, Oct. 18 – Open Practice9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Rummage Sale11 a.m. Men’s basketball open practiceNoon Women’s basketball open practiceFree admission for everyone

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2014-15 HOME SCHEDULE

Jan. 11 Xavier 2:00pmJan. 23 Creighton 8:00pmJan. 25 Providence 2:00pmJan. 30 Georgetown 7:00pmFeb. 1 Villanova 2:00pmFeb. 13 Seton Hall 7:00pmFeb. Feb. 15 St. John's 12:30pmMar. 1 Marquette 3:00pm

Nov. 14 Texas A&M 6:30pmNov. 15 Texas Pan American 6:30pmNov. 16 New Mexico 4:30pmNov. 18 Bradley (Allstate Arena) 5:30pmNov. 22 South Dakota State 7:00pmNov. 29 Northwestern 7:00pmDec. 3Dec. 3 Butler NOONDec. 10 Notre Dame 8:00pmDec. 22 Hampton 7:00pm

McGrath-Phillips Arena Seating Diagram

Call the DePaul Athletics Ticket Office at (773) 325-SLAM (7526) to book your group

experience today with a Ticket Representative.

*Group experiences based on availability. Call for details. Excludes Texas A&M and Notre Dame games.

DePaulBlueDemons.com (773) 325-SLAM (7526)

@DePaulAthletics@DePaulWbbHoops

@DePaulAthletics@DePaulWomensHoops@CoachDougBruno

/DePaulBlueDemons/DePaulWomensHoops

Includes:- Halftime scrimmage or performance - In game experience (Time out or Ball Crew)- Coach Bruno Autographed Ball* Plus Scarlet Package

100 Tickets $6 Group RateBLUE DEMON PACKAGE

Includes:- High five tunnel (10 kids)- On court for team introductions (10 kids)* Plus Scarlet Package

50 Tickets $6 Group RateROYAL BLUE PACKAGE

- Public address announcement- Scoreboard welcome message- Visit from the Blue Demon mascot, DIBS - Poster give-a-way

20 Tickets $6 Group Rate SCARLET PACKAGE

2014-15 Group ExperiencesWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

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DePaul University Athletics 2014-15

Enclosed is my gift of $ ___________________

Gift Levelsr $10,000 MVP Circler $5,000 Victory Circler $2,500 Tip-off Circler $1,000 Scarlet & Blue Circler $500 Director’s Circler $250 Coach’s Circler $100 Century Circle

Please charge my/our gift to: r VISA r MasterCard r Discover rAMEX

Account Number ______________________________________________Exp. Date ____________ Signature _______________________________Checks should be made payable to DePaul University. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Employer matching gift informationr This gift will be matched by ________________________________ r Form is enclosed r Form will be sent later.

Name _______________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________City, State, ZIP ________________________________________________Phone (home) _________________Phone (work) ____________________E-mail Address _______________________________________________

Clip and Return - Address on back

DePaul Athletic DevelopmentSullivan Athletic Center2323 N. Sheffield Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 773-325-7240 - tdohrn@depaul.edu