You wouldn’t normally associate the word“roots” with the William F. HarrahCollege of Hotel Administration—unless you suspected the food and beveragedepartment of experimenting with some newrecipes. Thanks to Jim Germain, though,roots mean more than youmay think.

Germain, ’75BS HOA, isthe first chair-man of theHarrah HotelCollege AlumniAssociation. “I see my role asdirecting this newly-formed association towardbecoming one of the key components of thetourism industry,” Germain said. “We all wentto school with the idea of learning about thehotel and tourism industry. This is a chance forus to get back to our educational roots.”

Germain has deep roots in the tourism busi-ness. He started out about as far removed fromthat area as possible: after growing up in LasVegas, he attended the University of Nevada,Reno, majoring in anthropology. He spent timein the Army, and then worked for an airline.

“I decided that Ineeded to look

at school withan eyetoward a

career,”Germain said.

“I was very fortunatethat the university in my

hometown, in my backyard, had developed ahotel administration program.”

Not only did Germain learn about the industry,but “I made long-lasting personal friendships.”He has warm memories of such professors asDean Emeritus Jerry Vallen, Richard Basile,

FrankBorsenik,John Rudd,Jim Abbey,and KurtShirer. “Itwas a verysmall, close-knit groupof people. Alot of theprofessorsand the stu-dents playedon the samevolleyballteam.”

After graduating, Germain went to work at theFlamingo Hilton as sales manager with a fellowUNLV graduate: Edward Crispell, then directorof sales and the longtime general manager ofthe Imperial Palace. Germain moved to theHilton as sales manager and the Sahara as salesdirector.

Then Germain joined USA Hosts, a nation-wide destination management company, as thesales director of its Las Vegas office. He movedup to national sales director, vice-president ofsales and marketing, and, a decade ago, presi-dent. He also has been part of major changes inhis industry.

“Destination management companies wereexpected to do transportation, spouses parties . . .We’ve evolved and the whole industry hasevolved to do all aspects of the social program-ming of a convention,” he said.

Germain discusses that evolution in two classeshe teaches at UNLV: Destination Management

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First Chairman of the Harrah HotelCollege Alumni Association Board ofDirectors, Jim Germain.

See “Germain” on page 4

Homecoming Weekend 2002 was a specialtime to welcome our alumni back tocampus and celebrate our appreciation of their

support to the University. This year’s AnnualHomecoming Dinner was held in the TamAlumni Center to honor a number of alumni fortheir many contributions to the University. Withover 250 alumni and friends in attendance, theCollege Deans and the UNLV Alumni Associationrecognized nine alumni, each selected by their col-lege as Outstanding College Alumni. The HarrahHotel College selected Mr. William Hornbuckle,’84, as the recipient of this year’s prestigiousaward.

Hornbuckle Receives OutstandingCollege Alumnus Award

Bill Hornbuckle, ’84, meets student SusannaMiramontes,the first recipient of the HornbuckleFamily Scholarship.

Jim Germain Accepts Post As Chairmanof the newly formed Harrah Hotel CollegeAlumni Association Board of Directors

2002, Issue IV

See “Hornbuckle” on page 3

The Harrah Hotel College at UNLV is inan enviable position of hosting manyrecruiters from prominent nationalcompanies that come to campus each fall andspring semesters to interview our graduatingseniors. Our records show that around 50 com-panies interview in the fall and 80 companiesinterview in the spring. Our graduates are indemand and we work diligently helping to getour students in front of the interviewing teams.

At times, the companies are frustrated by theirinabilities to attract enough students into theinterview rooms. Why is this happening, andwhat can we do to help the situation?

For the purpose of making the explanation sim-ple, I am going to use 400 as the number ofstudents annually that graduate. We have morethan that but this will illustrate the point.

Statistics from our Career Services Center indi-cate that 40% of our students stay in Las Vegasand work here following graduation. Most ofthose students already have their jobs prior tograduation. This occurs because all of our stu-dents have required work experience andinternships. As these students perform well onthe job, it is likely that the property will wantthem to continue following graduation. Theseproperties preempt the on-campus exposure ofthe students to other companies by makingoffers for permanent employment upon gradua-tion. That essentially takes 160 students out ofthe interviewing process.

About 25% of our graduating students are fromcountries other than the United States. Thesestudents are permitted to work for one year inthe U.S. following graduation, but they arethen required by federal law to return to theirhomes. This effectively eliminates another 100students from engaging in the interview processfor permanent positions. What remains are 140students for the two semesters when companyrecruiters come to campus.

This means that there are about 130 interviewschedules to fill for the year. With 140 gradu-ates to fill 130 interview schedules, one can

understand why the schedules are difficult to filland why the companies are coming to us forhelp.

For many years I have been telling the recruitersthat it is critical to maintain a presence on cam-pus in front of the students to be successful inhiring the best. Students need to recognize theopportunities that are available to them and ithappens primarily through company contacts.By maintaining a presence, the company canacquire a favored position among studentsbecause the students know them and becomemore familiar with them. There are a numberof ways in which companies can increase theirpresence. We can do some things as a college,and the companies themselves must accomplishothers.

We have created the “Career Marketplace,” acareer fair to improve visibility for companies.This event occurs in the fall semester when theall-university job fair does not take place. Thisevent takes place in our building’s atrium and isintended for students of our college and theCollege of Business. This doubles the on-campus presence for those companies comingto the fall job fair.

I have appointed Professor Al Izzolo as facultyliaison with the recruiters and our UNLVOffice of Career Services. His role is to workwith companies and students and to encouragethe students to sign up for interviews.

We have an open invitation for company execu-tives to work with our faculty in assisting withclassroom presentations. This helps to makethose classes current and relevant to what hap-pens in the world outside of UNLV.

I work with companies to encourage them toinvite faculty to visit properties and to engagein short internships with them. When the facul-ty members are engaged with the companies,they are better able to bring relevant informa-tion to the students and in most cases increasethe students’ interest in that company.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E V A D A , L A S V E G A SWILLIAM F. HARRAH COLLEGE OF HOTEL ADMINISTRATION

See “Dean’s Message” on page 52

DEAN’SMESSAGE

Stuart H. Mann, Dean,William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration

HARRAH HOTEL COLLEGENATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

William Allen, IIIFleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

George E. Baggott, CFSPCresCor (Retired)

Debi BenedettiKitchenSync

Elizabeth BlauElizabeth Blau & Assoc.

Stan BromleyFour Seasons HotelAndrew J. C. Cherng

Panda Restaurant GroupJohn R. Donovan, Jr.

Aramark Campus ServicesDeidre T. Flynn

North American Association of FoodEquipment Manufacturers

Douglas K. FryettFryett Consulting Group

Richard J. GoegleinEvening Star Hospitality, LLC

Robert N. GrimesAccuvia

William J. Hornbuckle, ’84MGM Mirage

Van V. HeffnerNevada Hotel & Lodging Association

Nevada Restaurant AssociationMichael J. Hislop

II Fornaio America CorporationE. Dean McClain

The Gillman GroupStephen G. Michaelides

Words, InkRichard Mirman

Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.Jim Moore

Moore Ideas, Inc.Paul B. Mullen

MICE North AmericaLinda Novey-White

Linda Novey Enterprises, Inc.Douglas Parker

Leonard Parker Co.Royce RingRRR GroupLarry Ruvo

Southern Wine & SpiritsRon Shiflett

Marriott International Western RegionJames B. Singerling, CCM, CEC

Club Manager’s Association of AmericaArch Stokes, EsquireStokes & Murphy, P.C.Susie Southgate-Fox

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.John F. Sweeney, RRP, ISHC

RCI Consulting, Inc.

The officialnewsletter of the

William F. HarrahCollege of Hotel

Administration

“Our graduates arein demand and we work

diligently helping to get ourstudents in front of theinterviewing teams.”

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Program UpdateDistance education is reinventing the way edu-cators provide some classes to students. This isespecially true of executive master degrees.Executives, seeking a postgraduate degree, oftenfind their busy schedules do not allow time forthe traditional on-campus, class-attendancemodel. Many people are now opting for the vir-tual classroom experience and securing theirmaster’s degree totally online. The ExecutiveMaster of Hospitality Administration (MHA)Degree, offered by the William F. HarrahCollege of Hotel Administration, has beendesigned in response to this need.

The MHA consists of ten courses, deliveredcompletely via the Internet. The curriculumallows students to take two courses during boththe spring and fall semesters, thereby enablingcompletion of the program within a 2 and one-half year period. Included in the curriculum are

five core courses and five courses geared to thestudents’ areas of interest or career fields. Theprogram’s tracks allow students to focus in thefollowing areas: Hospitality Management;Hospitality Marketing; Hospitality FinancialManagement; Hospitality Human Resources;Hospitality Meetings, Special Events andConvention Planning; and Gaming/CasinoOperations.

In a well-designed executive educational degreeprogram, students learn not only from theinstructor but also enhance their knowledgethrough interaction with others in the class.Our Executive Master of HospitalityAdministration Degree incorporates chat roomdiscussions, e-mails, and sessions facilitated bythe instructor to achieve the interaction experi-ence found in a traditional classroom setting.Another integral component of our MHA pro-gram is our “action-learning” concept. In con-junction with the professional paper curriculum

requirement, students identify a specific issue orchallenge currently being faced within theircompany. Students then research these issuesand the findings are presented in their profes-sional papers.

The College is presently expanding its approachto the MHA program. We are now enrollingcohort groups from the same organization. Thisallows participants to obtain a more globalunderstanding and perspective of the company.Simultaneously, an educational strategic plancan be developed with the companies partici-pating in the program. If you would like toknow more about our Executive Master ofHospitality Administration Degree program,please contact our graduate office atpatmerl@ccmail.nevada.edu.

- Vincent H. Eade, Director,Executive Master of Hospitality Administration

Degree Program

Executive Master of Hospitality Administration Degree

Bill Hornbuckle, President and COO of MGMMirage Online, was selected for his outstandingsupport of the college. He has demonstrated serv-ice to the Harrah Hotel College through hisinvolvement in the Harrah Hotel College NationalAdvisory Board as a current member and PastChairperson. Hornbuckle also supports theadvancement of student education through theHornbuckle Family Scholarship. This scholarshipwas awarded to two first-year students and willhelp offset the cost of education to Nevada highschool graduates interested in pursuing a degree inHotel Administration.Although Hornbuckle was unable to attend thedinner, he was surprised and appreciative of therecognition. When informed of this alumni award,Hornbuckle stated, “The College has always beenthere for me, from the initial preparatory stagethrough assisting with career development, andultimately in helping in various industry initia-tives. Now as an active alumnus, I can continue togive back to the University and the College.”The nine Outstanding College Alumnus Awardsare selected each year by the colleges. Additionally,the UNLV Alumni Association Board of Directorsselected Thomas L. Brooker, ’69 BS Accounting,as Alumnus of the Year 2002. The GreenspunFamily received the Silver State Award 2002,which is the highest honor bestowed by theAlumni Association to a non-graduate.

from “Hornbuckle” page 1 SAVE THE DATE2ND ANNUAL

UNLVINO ALUMNIBRUNCH AND

INDUSTRYACHIEVEMENT

AWARDSPRESENTATION

BALLY’S LAS VEGAS,APRIL 26, 2003Special alumni association

member pricing for UNLVinotickets & brunch packages will beavailable. More information will

be mailed in 2003. The 30th Annual UNLVino will

take place in theParis Hotel Ballroom.

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Early in my career, and years before I cameinto gaming, I learned some importantthings about business as well as myself. Likemost discriminating consumers, I learned thatregardless of whether I was purchasing aproduct or a service, excellent customer serv-ice always made the difference in how muchor how well I enjoyed my investment in bothtime and money.

Since that revelation, I have always beenattracted to businesses where excellent cus-

tomer service made the difference betweensuccess or failure and profit or loss.

No industry exemplifies this business conceptmore than the hospitality industry.Hospitality is a pure service business. Itdoesn’t matter whether you are selling slotmachines, rooms, cuisine or a live show; everyaspect and detail of our business is gearedtoward the customer experience.

Customer service, this bedrock of hospitality,can be written down, taught and reduced tomeasurable systems. But to truly work on asustainable basis, it must be embraced as aphilosophy and even as a set of core values.

Nowhere in the world can we find as muchcompetition for the hearts and pocketbooksof consumers seeking the ultimate in serviceas here in Nevada – particularly Las Vegas,the entertainment capital of the universe. TheNevada hospitality industry must meet thetastes and expectations of perhaps the widestarray of consumer types found anywhere. Notjust gourmets, working-Joes or whales—every single customer. Period. On the whole,I think we do this well, but I also hope ourindustry never takes customer service forgranted.

Excellence in customer service brought me toNevada more than fifteen years ago. I enjoygiving my customers excellent service; I knowjust as well when I am getting it. As long asour industry continues to pursue and valueexcellence in this most valuable asset, I, alongwith millions of other happy customers, willsurely continue to be here for decades to come.

and Incentive Travel. “I like working with thestudents. They challenge me. I enjoy beingaround them.”

His wife and two children reflect the variedaspects of Germain’s life. His wife Mary isactive in numerous community organizations.His daughter Nicole is a schoolteacher. Hisson Ray is a slot floorman at the GoldenNugget and has a gaming management degreefrom his father’s other alma mater, UNR.

For the Germains to be involved in educationand the community, and to have links to bothof Nevada’s universities, reflects those rootsthat Germain considers so important to theHarrah Hotel College. He is a fourth-genera-tion Nevadan.

His father’s family came to Las Vegas just afterWorld War I. His grandfather moved fromeastern Nevada to the Colorado River miningtown of Nelson before coming to a dusty rail-road town with a population of about 2,000.His father Ray graduated from Clark CountyHigh School in 1925—before the original LasVegas High School even had been built.

Ray Germain married Virginia Garside, Jim’smother. Her father was Frank Garside, whocame to Nevada to run a newspaper in themining camp of Manhattan, which hedescribes as “almost a ghost town” nearTonopah, where Garside later owned the localdaily. Garside published several Nevada news-papers and, in 1926, Tonopah was the big cityand Las Vegas was the little city. He saw the

Why I Chose to Workin this Industry

by Dean McClain

The Gillman GroupHarrah Hotel College

Chairman, National Advisory Board

from “Germain” page 1

see “Germain” page 5

The official newsletter ofthe William F. HarrahCollege of HotelAdministration

Office of the Dean4505 Maryland Parkway Box 456013Las Vegas NV 89154-6013(702) 895-3308

Stuart H. Mann, Dean

James Busser, Associate Dean

John Bowen, DirectorGraduate Studies and Research

Audrey McCool, Assistant Dean for Research

Shannon Bybee,Director, UNLV International Gaming Institute

John Stefanelli,Chairperson, Food and Beverage Management

Pearl Brewer, Chairperson, Hotel Management

Patti Shock,Chairperson, Tourism & ConventionAdministration

Deborah Young, Director of Development

Judy Nagai-Allison, Alumni Affairs Coordinator

UNLV is an AA/EEO InstitutionProduced by UNLV Publication/Reprographics

REBELNUMBERS

Year Bugsy Siegel opens the Flamingo Hotel1946

LV Room inventory in 197025,430

LV Room inventory in 2001126,610

Average gambling budget per trip$607

Average age of a visitor to LV48.2

Number of visitors to LV in 200135,017,317

When I graduated from high school, Iwanted to become a chef—I wasdrawn to the creativity, the control, theenvironment, and the outcome of the work.I enjoy meeting people, establishing rap-port, and intervening in their lives for amoment. By getting to know them for a

brief time, I try to ensure that whatever elseis going on in their lives or in the world,our encounter is pleasant. Through mywork, I hope to create joy, satisfaction,refinement, relaxation, or whatever emotionthe situation calls for. As a chef, I relish theteamwork, the melding of utility and art,the surprise and, of course, the momentwhen you know you got it just right. As anice carver, I love the vision it requires totake a large slab of ice and create a beautifulor whimsical piece of temporary art. There’spressure, but when that vision is a glisteningreality in front of you, there is great satisfac-tion.

As a former club manager and the currentCEO of the Club Managers Association ofAmerica, I get to work for 6,000 individualswho are doing a job that I believe isadmirable, challenging, and unique. Clubmanagers provide a safe and pleasing envi-ronment as well as consistently superlativeservice to a body of members, each one ofwhom is his/her boss. Combine this withbusiness acumen and an unrivaleddemeanor of diplomacy and assuredness —this is an inimitable dichotomy. I hope thatI’ve grown to possess some of that as I con-tinue to be enticed by this industry. I amproud that this is the path I have chosen.

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Why I Chose to Workin this Industry

by Jim Singerling, CCM, CEC

Chief Executive Officer,Club Managers Association

of AmericaHarrah Hotel College

National Advisory Board Member

opportunity and moved down here to publishthe Las Vegas Review.

Virginia and Ray Germain ran the Tonopahpaper for several years before returning to LasVegas. He was an editor at his father-in-law’sReview-Journal. After Garside sold his interestin the R-J, Germain moved to the new LasVegas Sun. In addition to his editing duties,“my dad used to write a weekly article, ‘Aroundthe State,’” a roundup of news from the week-lies that dotted the Nevada landscape. Germainsaid his father “kept people informed in LasVegas that there WAS a rest of the state and hefelt that a lot of people would benefit fromthat.”

Ray Germain was a busy man. With his broth-er-in-law, Frank Garside’s son Scoop (a finenickname for a newspaperman), he ownedBonanza Printers. He served a term as a regentwhen UNLV was just starting out as the south-ern regional division of the University ofNevada.

His son is busy, too. Germain is happy to beleading a group of fellow alumni who will pro-mote the college, assist in fund-raising, recruitother alumni, take on special projects, helprecruit students, and hold, attend, and planevents. “I’d like to see our alumni get involved.This association is an opportunity for people inthis industry, locally, nationally, and interna-tionally, to participate in a group dedicated tothe profession.”

- Michael S. Green, ’86 BA, ’88 MA

from “Germain” page 4

High School Students Learn About the Hospitality Industry During Be A Rebel Day

Alumnus Marcus Threats, ’87 BS, ’99 MBA, (third from the right) was keynote speaker during Be ARebel Day in September. Students from Valley High School’s Academy of Travel and Tourism cameto campus to learn about the Harrah Hotel College and how they can become students at UNLV.Be A Rebel Day is part of the Harrah Hotel College’s minority student recruitment program.

An important means for a company to gainpresence at a university is through gifts forscholarships, student and faculty professionaldevelopment, and operating funds. When com-pany names are attached to scholarships or pro-fessional development support, both studentsand faculty members become more aware andmore attached to those companies.

We encourage more companies to come andrecruit our students. We continually encouragestudents to find out more about the availabilityof jobs outside of the Las Vegas area. And we areready to assist all companies that want tobecome closer partners with us in trying toachieve our mutual goals of placing the best stu-dents in the best jobs with the best companies.

from “Dean’s Message” page 2

The Harrah Hotel College is greatlyappreciative of the many major giftswe have received over the years, yetyou don’t have to be wealthy to make a giftto the College. Gifts of any amount are great-ly appreciated, and help us to provide manyimportant programs not covered by our state-supported budget. From scholarships and fel-lowships to faculty research and alumniprogramming, your gift is an investment inthe future of the Harrah Hotel College.

Pat Moreo, ’69 BS HOA, ’83 Ed.D.,director of the hospitality program atOklahoma State University, has providedannual support for the college for a numberof years. “I believe in giving to honor the fac-ulty and staff who helped me when I wasyounger,” Moreo said. “There was such anopen-door policy among the faculty. I hadsuch a feeling of connectedness to theCollege. Giving back to the Harrah HotelCollege is not only an investment for currentstudents, but it also recognizes the value ofwhat I have achieved and what I have now,”said Moreo.

If you would like to support the HarrahHotel College with a year-end gift, please

contact Deborah Young at 702-895-3148 orby email at dyoung@ccmail.nevada.edu

Maximize your tax situation withan immediate deduction whilebenefiting charity by consideringthe following tips:

Carefully select the best asset to give:

Cash is convenient and provides you anincome tax deduction when itemized onyour income tax return.

Donate Appreciated Stock. If you werefortunate enough this year to have yourstock holdings appreciate, donate stock youhave held for more than one year and derivean additional tax benefit: avoidance of capi-tal gain.

Sell stock that has lost value anddonate the proceeds. You can deductthe loss in value (cost basis less currentvalue) and derive an income tax charitablededuction for the current market value.

Donate disposable income generatedfrom an IRA account and offset incometaxes with a charitable deduction.

Donate an insurance policy that youno longer find useful, and receive acharitable deduction for the cash value ofthe policy.

Use your credit card to make the gift.Get the deduction now, and pay the bill noearlier than a month from the date of thegift, or at your convenience according to theprovisions of your credit card company. Ifyour card provides frequent-flyer miles, youget all of the tax advantages, plus addingbenefit to your travel plans! (Watch out forfinance charges on the amount donated.).

Match your gift with your employ-er’s contribution. Many companies havematching-gift programs for charitable dona-tions by simply enclosing the company formalong with your donation, and the UNLVFoundation will take care of the rest.

Establish a Life-Income Gift. A life-income planned gift of cash, real estate, orlow-yielding securities can offer a sizableincome tax charitable deduction, while con-verting the asset into annual payments toyou or someone you care about.

For more details, contact your tax or profes-sional advisor or Deborah Young, Directorof Development for the Harrah HotelCollege at 702-895-3148 or by email atdyoung@ccmail.nevada.edu

Harrah Hotel College friends gathered atStuart and Doreen Mann’s home during areception recognizing donors and introducingguests to the The Dean’s Associates programfor unrestricted giving to the college. Dean’sAssociate members contribute $1,000 or moreto the College to support student and faculty

professional development as well as otherimportant College projects. Pictured left toright are National Advisory Board membersJohn Sweeney, Richard Goeglein, ElizabethBlau, Dean McClain, William Hornbuckle.Guests enjoyed an hors d’ouevres buffet com-pliments of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse &

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YEAR-END TIPS FOR CHARITABLE GIVING

GIVING BACK TO THE HARRAH HOTEL COLLEGE

As touristsdrive fromLos Angelesto Las Vegas, theysee numerous bill-boards informingthem that hotelshave all sorts ofrooms available, andlots of them at that.“Just too manyrooms,” said UNLVresearcher Zheng Gu,Ph.D. The College of Hotel Administrationprofessor recently completed a six-month studyof the relationship between the number ofrooms available and the LasVegas Strip profit picture. “Iused a model similar to oneyou could use to determine ifinventories in a factory are toohigh or too low,” Guexplained. He said that the fig-ures he used are readily avail-able to the public and he didn’tneed any “inside” or confiden-tial figures for his study.

Gu went on to say that thehotel and casino industryenjoyed booming business in1996 and 1997, when invest-ment capital was readily avail-able. “Believing the boom would continue, theindustry took advantage of the healthy invest-ment market and borrowed money to buildnew properties and expand existing resorts,”said Gu. As more rooms were added, more peo-ple came to Las Vegas. Gu points out that somehotels did better than others as a result of suc-cessful sales and marketing strategies. “However,for the Strip as a whole, profits were down,” hesaid. He mentioned that between 1998 and2000, 15,000 rooms were added with the open-ings of Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, the Venetian,Paris, and the Aladdin.

Gu’s research showed that income before taxesfor the Strip resorts declined to $185 million in2000 as compared to $538 million in 1999. To

show just how much of a decline that was, the1996 income before taxes was $974 million andsince that time, has continued to drop. Gubelieves that a great deal of that reduction wascaused by overbuilding. Room capacity nearlydoubled between 1990 and 2000 and total rev-enue also doubled. But income went the otherdirection and was reduced by half during thedecade.

During the Strip’s building boom, words ofcaution were expressed but construction contin-ued nevertheless. Today, a number of expansionprojects have been postponed. Gu believes thisis because hotel and casino executives are feelingthe effects of overbuilding and the profit picturedoesn’t support taking on construction debt.

Gu pointed out that having unfilled rooms iscostly to Strip hotels yet so is having an insuffi-cient supply of rooms. “An unfilled room has afixed cost that is incurred by the hotel.Conversely, revenue is lost when someone isturned away because there are no rooms.” Tosolve this problem, Gu thinks hotel operatorsshould try to balance room numbers withdemand so that the expected cost of having avacant room is equal to the expected cost of los-ing a customer because there is no room avail-able.

He believes that hotels need to do a better jobof maintaining an optimal inventory of roomsthrough market analysis and cost calculation.

While he does believe the situation is improv-ing, Gu thinks that unless there is anotherbuilding boom, room capacity should be in-linewith demand within two years. “2001 was theworst year for having too many rooms with afull 15 percent more than needed,” said Gu.However, since no new rooms are expected tobe added this year or next, and with demandsteadily increasing, the two should be in goodbalance by 2004.

Should demand for rooms continue at the rateanticipated, room supply could be slightlybelow the optimal level calculated by Gu’sinventory model in 2004, even though theVenetian’s 1,000 new rooms and MandalayBay’s 1,125-room all-suite tower will be added

to the Strip.

However, with the completionof the Bellagio’s additional 925rooms in December 2004 andthe Le Reve’s 2445 rooms insummer 2005, room shortagecould be eased in 2005. Gusuggested that hotel and casinooperators look ahead to deter-mine what their room capaci-ties will be in 2004 and theyears ahead. If necessary, hesaid, the hotel and casino oper-ators should plan additions iftheir inventory will not be suf-ficient for the anticipated

demand. He believes now is a good time tostart building because low interest rates andrecovery of the nation’s economy will increasetravel to Las Vegas.

Gu said he understands why many resorts arecurtailing their plans for new hotels or addi-tions now but it takes time to build new facili-ties. Since there is a strong possibility of ashortage of rooms in 2004, they should beplanning for the future and not waiting untilthe resorts find themselves without enoughrooms to serve their customers.Reprinted from UNLV FYI, June 2002 newsletter from

the Office of Research and edited with permission.

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Too Many Hotel Rooms in Las Vegas?Hotel Adminstration Professor, Zheng Gu, Ph.D., Tries to Solve the Mystery

Professor Zheng Gu, Ph.D.

Rebels Against HungerMAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY

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While the southern Nevada popula-tion continues to grow, not all whocome here find the fortune thatthey seek. All too often, they end up on thestreet and without enough money to eat. Toraise the community’s awareness of this impor-tant problem, Rebels Against Hunger (RAH), anot-for-profit organization, was founded by stu-dents in the William F. Harrah College of HotelAdministration in 2001. The organization’s goalis to help the homeless and others who do notmake enough money to feed their families. In itssecond year, RAH is being carried on by over100 students in 3 sections of HMD407Organizational Behavior for the ServiceIndustries. While learning about the issues ofleadership, team development, motivation, andcommunication, the students also provide serv-ice to the community. RAH coordinates effortsto find donors of food and other necessary itemsand transports these goods to Las Vegas sheltersand food banks. To make the process as efficientas possible, RAH has set up a system of collect-ing the donated food items from participatinglocal restaurants and hotel/casinos and distribut-ing these items directly to those in need.

Recently, The Palms Casino Resort worked withRAH to set up four hot food runs to local chari-ties, including Safe Nest’s homeless center andthe Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.

The delivery totaled over 150 pounds of hotfood. Additional businesses that have participat-ed include The Flamingo Hilton, Tenaya CreekRestaurant & Brewery, and Gandhi India’s

Cuisine. RAH hopes to spread its message andencourage restaurants, hotels/resorts, and casinosthroughout this city to donate leftover food tocharitable organizations via RAH. Those inter-ested in participating should contact studentleader Daryll Franco at 456-0999 or professorCheri Young at 895-4124 orcyoung@ccmail.nevada.edu.

- Randee Dickman, Juniorand Loron Rustom, Senior

Photo by Erez Weinstein, Senior

Iwas excited to be a participant in this year’sSummer Studies in Switzerland program,which recently completed its 21st year of edu-cating students and friends of the University.This truly unique learning experience providedme with both academic and cultural compo-nents as I spent five weeks living and learningin an international environment. As part of a group of thirty-four students, I wasable to visit eight countries while taking classeson such topics as European Travel and Tourism,Foods and Wines of Europe, and InternationalTourism Security Operations and Management.Harrah Hotel College faculty taught theseinformative courses.While the academic classrooms were located inFrance, Italy, and Switzerland, the majority ofthe hands-on learning took place through aseries of field trips to various European locales.With the assistance of vintners, we toured

famous wineries in Tuscany and Burgundy andlearned how these “family companies” havebeen successful for generations. We also benefit-ed from hearing guest speakers, includingfamous chefs and wine experts. All of theseadditional curriculum components comple-mented our classroom learning.I was quite impressed by the program’s offer-ings. I now know that to obtain a true learningexperience, one must see how businesses inother countries actually operate. I was able toget a firsthand look at the global market, obtaina true feel for a diverse culture, and evaluateEuropean business operations. As changes inour economy and society continue to “open up”the world, it becomes even more important forus to understand these new and ever-changingmarkets. This portion of my education has beenmost valuable and I know it will help me in thefuture.

-Gaye Coté, Senior

Switzerland ProgramOffers World ofExperiencesIfeel that the title, “Summer Studies in Switzerland” does not convey everything thisfive-week program really is. While we did haveclass time in both Montreux and Lausanne over-looking Lake Geneva, the program title fails tomention that we also attended formal classroomsettings along the eastern coast beaches ofRimini, Italy, and in Dijon, France, the north-ern end of one of the world’s most well-knownand respected wine regions. Complimentingthese nine credits of coursework were guidedwine tastings, professional culinary demonstra-tions, vineyard and winery visits, and tours offive-star European hotels.

Although the formal instruction left us enrichedwith new knowledge and ideas, the real adven-tures took place in between our days of class.During these days, students parted ways andboarded trains to head to destinations whichmost suited their interests. For example, whilesome students traveled to southeastern France tobronze on the rocky beaches of Nice, othersjourneyed north to Champagne, France wherethey visited bubbly-making facilities such asMoët et Chandon and Perrier Jouët. On thelongest period of free time, many studentsenjoyed expanding their cultural awareness bycrossing into some of the more northern coun-tries such as the Netherlands, Belgium,Germany, and the Czech Republic. Whateverthe students’ objectives were during their fiveweeks in Europe, the outcome appeared unani-mous: the Summer Studies in Switzerland pro-gram was an unforgettable and valuableexperience for us all.

– Greg Miller, Senior

A Summer Sojourn in Switzerland

Palms employees and RAH members load up for a fooddelivery.

Park Place Foundation to Help Minority Students

Ellen Poth, Director of WeddingServices; Erica Monconduit, studentscholarship recipient; George M.Markantonis, Senior Vice President,Hotel Operations, Caesars Palace

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Inaugural Event Draws a Crowd

Walking through the 4th floor of BeamHall, it is not uncommon to noticethe scent of hops and barley in the air.But anyone who knows Professor Andy Feinsteinknows that in his office you will find the source ofthis aroma, a mini-brewery. Besides teachingbrewing techniques in the college, Feinstein alsocompetes nationally with his beers. So it was nosurprise that the first annual BRUNLV eventwould be coordinated by Professor Feinstein andhis fellow colleague, Professor Al Izzolo, whoseoffice is located just steps away from Feinstein’soffice-brewery.

BRUNLV was the brainchild of Feinstein andIzzolo, created to be an educational event focusingon the art of brewing. In its first year, BRUNLVhosted over 200 attendees, all of whom had theopportunity to sample their share of 40 types ofbeer brewed by seven major Las Vegas microbrew-eries. Many of these microbrews were also enteredinto the Great American Beer Festival (GABF),the annual National Microbrew Competition tak-ing place the following weekend.

A full range of beer styles were available. MichaelFerguson (Brewmaster for Barley’s BrewingCompany) served Koelsch, Pilsner, Blonde Bock,and Hefe-Weizen. Richard Lovelady

(Brewmaster for Gordon Biersch) servedOktoberfest, Golden Export, and Dunkel. MarkWilk (Brewmaster for Monte Carlo Brewpub) pro-vided Oktoberfest and red ale. Tim Etter(Brewmaster for Tenaya Creek) providedOktoberfest and Pale Bock. John Gassaway(Brewmaster for Triple 7 Brewpub in the MainStreet Station) brought Black Cherry Stout as wellas High Roller Gold and Marker Pale Ale. KyleCormier (Brewmaster for Chicago BrewingCompany) served a six-month-old Weizenbock,among others. Holy Cow’s Brewmaster Dave Ottoserved several beers including his Bovine BarleyWine. Rocco Silingo, Nevada State Representativefor Scottish & Newcastle Importers Co., servedMcEwan’s IPA, Beamish Stout, and Newcastle.SNAFU, the local homebrew club, served Maibock,North German pilsner, Imperial Stout, Sweet Stout,Bavarian Hefe-Weizen and Raspberry Wheat.

The Brewmasters from each brewery poured thebeer, providing patrons the ability to ask questionsand learn about the methods of brewing from theBrewmasters themselves. Open to the public, thisfestival of beer, food, and music provided anopportunity for individuals to interact withBrewmasters and the homebrewing community.

The day also featured the Fifth Annual SheldonJackson Memorial Homebrew Competition,

featuring 120 beer entries. The competition wassanctioned by the American HomebrewersAssociation (AHA) and the National Beer JudgeCertification Program (BJCP).

The execution of this event was successful due tothe Brewmasters, The Harrah Hotel College’sBeverage Management Club, and 30 HarrahHotel College student volunteers. Club membersassisted in the planning and staffing of the eventand managed the student volunteers. Additionally,the UNLV Food and Beverage ManagementDepartment provided an incredible Oktoberfestbuffet. More than $1,000 was generated from theevent to award scholarships to students in theBeverage Management degree program and tosupport the Beverage Management Club.

Because of the event’s success, the Second AnnualBRUNLV is being planned for September 2003.We hope that you can attend.

- Andrew H. Feinstein, ’91 BS, ’95 MSAssistant Professor

Brews Abound at BRUNLV

One of the goals of theWilliam F. HarrahCollege of HotelAdministration is to be theleading, world-class hospi-tality program graduatingthe most diverse students inthe hospitality and gamingindustries. Sharing thisbelief is the Park PlaceFoundation, the charitablegiving entity established byPark Place Entertainment,the world’s largest gamingcompany. To help theHarrah Hotel Collegeattract talented AfricanAmerican and Hispanic stu-dents, the Park PlaceFoundation has awarded a

$40,000 grant to provide schol-arships to deserving students.Erica Monconduit, a juniormajoring in HotelAdministration, is the first recip-ient of the Park PlaceEntertainment Scholarship. Ericahopes to pursue a career in meet-ing planning and she is currentlycompleting an internship atCaesars Palace.

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Dr. David J. Christianson, Dean Emeritus, was recently induct-ed into the UNLV 25-Year Club. This induction recognized his 25years of service to UNLV.

Professor Lesley Johnson, ’99 Ph.D., received theOutstanding Dietitian for the State of Nevada award, sanctioned bythe American Dietetic Association. This annual award is given byeach state to the most outstanding dietitian for that state. Thisaward recognizes dieticians who have shown leadership and commu-nity service within the profession of dietetics. In Dr. Johnson’s twen-ty-five years as a dietitian in Nevada, she has been state presidenttwice and area (Southern Nevada) president twice. She has alsogiven numerous seminars to various community organizations. Dr.Johnson started the first web site for the organization and she servedon the committee to start the first dietetic internships in the state.

Patti Shock, chair of the Tourism and Convention AdministrationDepartment, was named one of the 16 most influential business-women in Southern Nevada in September 2002 by Inside BusinessLas Vegas, a Greenspun publication. This honor follows on the heelsof the recognition she received in August 2002 when she was namedone of the 25 most influential people in the convention industry byMeeting News, a national trade publication. In May 2000,Successful Meetings named her one of the 10 most powerful womenin the meetings industry.

The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration recentlypresented awards to representatives of the Las Vegas Fire

Department and the Metropolitan Police Department for theirongoing participation in a disaster preparedness seminar for hoteladministration majors. Tim Szymanski of Las Vegas Fire and Rescueand Erik Lloyd of Metro’s narcotics section generously donate theirtime each semester to share their expertise with students. The pre-sentations were made by Associate Professor Thomas Jones, ’82BS, ’91 MS , and Assistant Professor Ken Teeters, ’73 MBA.

Erik Lloyd (left) of LV Metro Police department accepts an award from ThomasJones, ’82 BS, ’91 MS.

Professor Curtis Love (left) and Class of 2000 graduates GregMadden and Whitney Turner enjoy themselves at the Alumni HappyHour held at the Beach Nightclub (owned by alumnusRic Tuttle, ’75).

Dean Stuart H. Mann and the first Dean of the College, JeromeVallen, catch up at the Alumni Happy Hour. The event was heldduring Global Gaming Expo in September.

CONGRATUL ATIONS

Catching up with Alums

Send us your personal and career updates to share withfellow alumni. Complete the online address update formand Alumni Updates submission on our webpage.

Visit this webpage for information on listing yourself in theonline alumni directory and to learn how you can help us

find your missing classmates.

http://www.unlv.edu/Tourism/alumni.htm or email judy.nagai-allison@ccmail.nevada.edu.

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ALUMNI UPDATES

The 1970’sScott (Paul) Bellamy, ’75 Scott and hiswife, Joyce, own a lunch-only restaurant inCordova, TN called Bellamy’s. They live inBartlett, TN.

Cynthia Vannuca, ’79 Cynthia received herMBA at the University of Texas and a doctorateat Penn State. As the director of meetings andconventions at Metropolitan State College ofDenver, she recently authored a book on e-commerce design.

The1980’sDeron Shields, ’84 Deron is director of salesfor BarBanker LLC, a provider of wireless bev-erage monitoring software for the hospitalityindustry. He lives in Foster City, California withhis wife and five children.

Sheila Scott, ’86 Sheila has worked in thehospitality industry for 15 years and now plansto teach at the university level. She feels theknowledge she gained from her professors atUNLV was phenomenal and she wishes toemulate them.

Glenn Gavin, ’89 Glenn was recently namedto the 2002-2003 board for the JuvenileDiabetes Research Foundation.

The 1990’sStacy Bloom, ’90 Stacy was named majoraccount manager by Kinko’s Inc. for the south-west market. She will be responsible for theconvention market in Las Vegas, Arizona, NewMexico, and El Paso.

Matthew B. Ross, ’91 Matthew is owner ofPop To Go, a beverage and candy vending com-pany in Arvada, Colorado. He has a son in sev-enth grade.

Paige A. M. D’Alessio, ’92 Paige is the mar-keting services director for the NorthernCalifornia region of Trammell Crow. She andher husband live in Pacifica.

T.D. Connell, ’92 T.D. was recently promot-ed to the newly created post of ConceptPresident for the Lonestar Steakhouse & SaloonInc. He will be responsible for all aspects ofdaily operations for the Lonestar brand.

Marci Hodges Riedy, ’94 Marci is vice pres-ident of finance for the Las Vegas Hilton. Alicensed CPA, she joined the Hilton as a frontdesk clerk while in college and has since heldpositions as operations analyst, assistant con-troller, director of financial planning, and con-troller. She is married to Terry Riedy, ’86Chemistry.

Peter Weingartner, ’94 Peter and his wifeMichelle, ’91 Communication Studies,own and operate an invitation, accessory, andnewlywed financial planning business calledMichelle’s Bridal (www.michellesbridal.com) inLas Vegas. They offer an assortment of weddingproducts and services for the future bride andgroom. They have been married for seven yearsand have three children, Tyler, Patty, andBrandon, and a 95-pound black lab.

Melissa (Harness) Sangis, ’95 Melissaworks at the Four Points Sheraton (Starwood-owned) as a Sales System Analyst and GroupRoom Coordinator. Her husband of four years,Lawrence Sangis, also a UNLV alumnus, isthe General Manager of the South Mesa StaffNCO Club on the Marine Corp. Base CampPendleton.

Tony Letendre, ’98 Tony is a senior assistantgolf professional at The Reserve in La Quinta,Calif. He is working to become a full memberof the Professional Golfers’ Association.

Benita Crook, ’99 Benita was named branchmanager of the West Sahara location of Adeccoin Las Vegas.

Sylvia Lyly Wang, ’99 Sylvia is the humanresources coordinator at the Fairmont Hotel inSan Francisco and was recently married.

The 2000’sDaniel Costello, ’00 Daniel was part of theopening management team of Del Webb’sAnthem Country Club in Las Vegas. In 2001,he joined Remington Hotel Corporation as aCorporate Sales Manager in St. PetersburgFlorida and was also an active volunteer withthe United Way. Currently, Daniel is headingup the Valley of The Sun United Way’s newbusiness initiative. He is also the co-founder ofArizona Arrive Alive and will participate inScottsdale’s Leadership program.

Justin R. Doucette, ’92 BS Business,’00 MS HOA Justin recently joined SunbeltBusiness Brokers as a certified public accountant.

Donita Dziurzynski, ’00 Donita lives in LasVegas and works as the Food & BeverageTraining Manager at the Rio.

Christian Gonzalez, ’00 Christian graduat-ed from UNLV in the Summer of 2000. Hejoined the Madison Renaissance Hotel inSeattle as an Assistant Front Office Managerand is currently the Group Sales Manger(Mexican market and the Southeastern USA)for the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita.

Yi-Ching Yeh, ’00 Yi-Ching lives in Taiwanand works for Salquisa S.A., a ceramic tilemaker and raw material supplier, as a SalesCoordinator. She is interested to know if anyother alumni work in the United States ceramictile industry. Alumni can contact Yi-Ching atterry826@yahoo.com.

Charles L. Butler III, ’01 Charles is pursuinga dual law degree and MBA at WillametteUniversity in Salem, Oregon.

Keep In Touch!

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William F. Harrah College of Hotel AdministrationOffice of the Dean4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 456013Las Vegas, NV 89154-6013

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NON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT 200

LAS VEGAS NVInside

Giving to the Harrah Hotel College...At UNLV, state support covers only about 30% of our expenses. The remainder of our funding comesfrom fees, grants and individual, corporate and foundation gifts. Private support has helped to make the HarrahHotel College one of the most respected hospitality and leisure services education programs in the world. Yourgift of any size to the Harrah Hotel College will help provide scholarships and professional development experi-ences to deserving students, research awards to faculty and fellowships for graduate students.

For further information on how to make a gift, please contact Deborah Young at 702-895-3148 or by email atdyoung@ccmail.nevada.edu. You may make a gift online at

www.unlv.edu/Foundation

or mail your gift to: UNLV Foundation4505 Maryland Pkwy., Box 451006Las Vegas, NV 89154-1006.

Please be sure to designate the Harrah Hotel College as the beneficiary of your gift.

Alumni please note: the UNLV Foundation raises funds for many deserving programs at UNLV. Should you receivea call during the fall phonathon and would like to make a gift to support the College, please make sure you letthe caller know you would like to designate your gift for the Harrah Hotel College.

Thank you for your consideration!

Germain Accepts Post 1

Outstanding Alumnus Award 1

Dean’s Message 2

Executive Master’s Degree 3

D. McClain/Why I Chose . . . 4

J. Singerling/Why I Chose . . . 5

Giving Back to the College 6

Hotel Research 7

Student Programs 8

BRUNLV 9

Congratulations 10

Alumni Updates 11