Depending on the angle and the sun, the gleaming glass panels of the Luhrs Center for the Performing Arts can appear like the tall prow of a stately ship or flame like a beacon. Even on a gray day, the building emits a certain aura. At night, especially when there is a performance, the building glows.

The striking architecture only adds to the stature of the building, making it one of the flagship buildings on campus.

It is definitely the flagship of the Navigating the Future comprehensive campaign. It is visible evidence of the overwhelm- ing belief people have in our university and its future.

On a balmy September evening, the successful four-year long campaign came to a close in a grand manner. A colorful array of fireworks spanned the night sky over the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center following the celebration dinner where the overall results were announced.

Fifty million dollars!

The original goal of $40 million, the largest in Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education history, was surpassed in style!'

John “Mac” Aichlele ’43, president of the SU Foundation, could barely contain his glee while making the announcement. And he acknowledged what national chair H. Ric Luhrs knew all along: $50 million was possible.

Unfortunately Ric did not live long enough to see the final tallies for the campaign’s four-prong approach. But his leadership set the tone for the campaign and its success. “This campaign is a stepping stone,” he said. “We want to build Shippensburg University into an extraordinary university and take it beyond where it is today.”

Evidence of this was in the rest of Mac’s announcement. Each of the four components of Navigating the Future exceeded campaign goals.

The four components, identified at the start of the campaign, were: high-priority facilities; endowment support for students, faculty, and programs; technology and equipment funds; and support for the Annual Fund.

The Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School and the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center have added value to campus. The Luhrs School continues the proud tradition established by the Rowland School for Young Children. It successfully marries the needs of training teachers with the needs of educating elementary-age students in a beneficial blend for all concerned. It houses the nationally accredited SU Child and Family Center, daycare/early childhood education classrooms, science facilities, a library, computer lab, classrooms, and a playground.

Education majors find their early field experiences occur just a few steps away from their own classrooms in Shippen Hall, facilitating putting theory into practice.

The Luhrs Performing Arts Center, now known as PAC in campus shorthand, not only brings entertainment to the Cumberland Valley, it also houses the music and theater arts department. Education facilities include smart classrooms, keyboard lab, piano studios, practice facilities, and a music library.

The impact of the Luhrs Center in its short history is truly outstanding. It is amazing what changes a premier performing arts facility on campus brings. In its first abbreviated season, the center brought in more than 13,000 patrons with many of its performances sold out. The first full season kicked off on the night the campus celebrated the campaign’s success with a performance by Dionne Warwick. Performers have been generous in their praise of the facility. The shows continue to bring people from throughout the region and beyond to our campus. And area businesses reap economic benefits from those who attend performances on campus.

Despite the immediate impact of the PAC and its projected impact, the most far-reaching, and lasting effect of the Navigating the Future campaign came in the second component—endowment support.

The initial goal was $12 million in endowment funds that support scholarships, endowed chairs and professorships, joint faculty/student research, and several other programs. Supporters of Ship realized the importance and responded with a resounding $25 million plus in gifts and commitments. The result means the endowment grew by more than 42 percent. Ninety endowed funds were created including 79 scholarship funds.

Currently 94 more students will receive financial assistance each year and as additional commitments are fulfilled and gifts received, the number of endowed scholarships will increase even more significantly.

A component marked by early success was the first science endowment made possible by a matching grant from the Kresge Foundation. With this fund, SU’s science departments will be able to keep up with maintenance and new equipment. The university has already benefited with the purchase of a scanning electron microscope, an experimental vacuum chamber, a DNA sequencer, and other scientific equipment.
Last is the fourth component of the campaign—growth of the Annual Fund. For each year of Navigating the Future, the Annual Fund exceeded its goal with contributions totaling more than $10 million.

Annual fund chairs, J.R. ’95 and Colette ’95 Raebiger noted the average gift reached an all-time high of $116, with the alumni and parent funds increasing more than nine percent. There were 289 new members added to gift clubs this year.

Inherent in the celebration was the realization the needs of the university will continue to grow. Building maintenance and renovation is an on-going need. The ability to offer top students and faculty endowment funds to come to Shippensburg will grow as competition increases. Maintaining scientific equipment and updating or replacing technology will require funds as recent years have shown how quickly technology becomes dated. But for now, we can bask in the glow of what was accomplished with the Navigating the Future campaign.

With the promise of fireworks that would have made Ric very happy, Mac concluded, “It was an amazing journey we all embarked on. We set our target high, knowing that we would come close to our projected goal. But we brought our “Ship” back to port with more bounty than we ever imagined.”