IN THIS ISSUE - LaGrange College€¦ · IN THIS ISSUE 11 Social Council ... Alumni and College Relations Editors Martha Pirkle, Andy Brubaker, Susan Hancock ... lake levels across

summer 2008 a magazine for alumni and friends

Four LaGrange students live the sustainable life

IN THIS ISSUE11 Social Council sets precedents14 Class of 2008 breaks record17 Donor-recognition plans take shape

COLUMNSL A G R A N G E C O L L E G E

A Magazine for Alumni and FriendsVol. 12, No. 3

President F. Stuart Gulley, Ph.D.

Editor Dean Hartman

Assistant Editor Ron Hamilton

Development Writer Karen Clark

Alumni and College Relations Editors Martha Pirkle, Andy Brubaker, Susan Hancock

Editorial Consultant B. David Rowe, Ph.D.

Webmaster David Beard ’01

Designer Stacy Gorman Jackson ’00

LaGrange College (USPS 299-300), including Columns, its official publication for alumni and friends, and the Progress Report and Annual Donor Roll, is published quarterly by LaGrange College, 601 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240-2999. Periodical class postage paid at LaGrange, GA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LaGrange College, 601 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240-2999.

Correspondence should be directed to the Communications and Marketing Office at the above address, e-mailed to [email protected], or faxed to (706) 880-8763.

Classnotes should be sent to the Alumni and Family Relations Office at the same address, e-mailed to [email protected], or faxed to (706) 880-8757.

Indicates additional material on the

College’s Web site found at www.lagrange.edu

A four-year liberal arts and sciences col-lege affiliated with the United Methodist Church, LaGrange College is ranked in the top five and as a “best value” among 93 Southern baccalaureate colleges by U.S. News & World Report. The College is the oldest private institution of higher learning in Georgia and has an enrollment of about 1,100 students.

from the president

Caring for our planet and its people

The charters of the oldest universi-ties on this continent share a common theme: They proclaim that the purpose of each institution is to prepare people for citizenship. At LaGrange College, we embrace the notion of citizenship by preparing what I call moral leaders.

A true liberal arts education should cause a measure of examination about self, world and God. As a church-affiliat-ed institution, we also would argue that such reflection should create a desire for graduates to exert moral leadership that will make the world they enter a better place.

I have become convinced that one of the great moral issues facing our world today is sustainability, the critical need to care for the environment and each other, living as true global citi-zens. As you may be aware, the College has made sustainability an area of increasing focus, evidenced by our active Sustain-ability Council, soon-to-be LEED-certified library and student-led initiatives, such as the “green” house you can read about inside this magazine on page 7.

Earlier this year I appointed three Blue Ribbon Task Forces to look at key issues facing our institution. One of those task forces is examining sustainability, studying both curricular and co-curricular issues. I anticipate its report and how it will guide us as we continue our work of challenging minds and inspiring souls—preparing true moral leaders, those who recognize our obligations to this earth and its inhabitants.

F. Stuart Gulley, Ph.D. President

Don’t expect a Perry Mason-type attorney or the surprise ending of a pulp potboiler at a Social Council session. Nevertheless, the group does pass judgment on problem student behavior.by Dean Hartman

in this issue

Full HouseA record number of graduates drew a record crowd to the Residential Quadrangle for this year’s commencement ceremony on May 17. Page 14by Ron Hamilton

Don’t expect a Perry Mason-type attorney or the surprise ending of a pulp

11PAGE

2 Notebook New York Times clue leads to LaGrange; Sister Hazel caps Family Weekend; Exchange program sends professor to Japan; more

4 Around Campus Rangers train in Panther pool; Atlanta tornado disrupts College event; Sympo-sium urges look ahead to 2025; more.

17 Defi ning Moment Donor-rec-ognition plans under way; Dick-son Assembly Room dedicated; Friends hear best-selling author.

20 Alumni and Friends Smith receives College’s highest award; Student occupies grandmother’s room; Hawkins honored for dis-tinguished service; more.

23 Classnotes Regional alumni events hosted; Alumni share their moves and mile-stones; more.

CoverWhat began as a brainstorming session resulted in a year of hard work and accomplishment for four students dubbed “Gang Green.” The women attempted to live sustainably in one of the College’s theme houses. They are, from left, Jane Holik ’08, Lisa Burgee ’09, Erica Robinson ’08 and LeeAnn Brooks ’08. Page 7.

Don’t expect a Perry Mason-type attorney or the surprise ending of a pulp potboiler at a Social Council session. Nevertheless, the group does pass judgment on problem student behavior.

Don’t expect a Perry Mason-type attorney or the surprise ending of a pulp

11PAGE11PAGE11

20 Alumni and 20 Alumni and FriendsFriends Smith receives College’s highest award; Student occupies grandmother’s room; Hawkins honored for dis-tinguished service; more.

23 Classnotes23 ClassnotesRegional alumni events hosted; Alumni share their moves and mile-stones; more.

The LaGrange College Singers completed a tour of Italy—includ-ing a performance in the Vatican—during spring break. Page 5.

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Let the games beginGrant Kendall ’08 reaches to ignite an Olympic-like cauldron on the Residential Quad. A torch relay by representatives of the College’s fraternities and sororities led to the lighting, kicking off the events of Greek Week in April. The week joins the College’s Greek organizations together for light-hearted competition—including an obstacle course and ice cream eating contest—and for service. To help provide support for Greek students, alumni and friends can join the Greek Alumni Society. Contact the Development Office at (706) 880-8039 or [email protected] or visit www.lagrange.edu/give.

Student research aids lake impact study

LaGrange students assisted the West Point Lake Coalition and the city of LaGrange in a comprehensive study of water levels at the local lake.

Members of Assistant Professor of Sociology Todd Matthews’ Research Methods classes performed a sur-vey that examined the impact of low lake levels across economic and racial boundaries. The students gathered the data over a three-week period and then helped in its analysis, releasing the final report earlier this year.

Matthews said the results indicated that, regardless of their classification, residents were equally impacted by shifting lake levels.

Boulders dedicated to Bradfields’ memory

College officials dedicated four boulders on the Residential Quadrangle in memory of Arthur “Boonie” Brad-field Jr. and Cleamae “Click” Bradfield on May 3 during Family Weekend. Well known in the LaGrange commu-nity, the Bradfields had a long associa-tion with the College. Boonie served as a member of the Board of Trustees, and Click was a member of the Class of 1951 and served as Alumni President.

The couple’s son, Jamie Bradfield of Heritage Construction, was building a parking lot for the College last sum-mer when he uncovered a monstrous 200,000 pound rock. He had his crews break the stone up and move four large pieces—two weighing more than 30,000 pounds—to the Residential Quad.

Since then, a campus tradition has developed of students paint-ing messages on the boulders. In the photo, Jamie Bradfield and his son, Sam, pause by the marker unveiled during the dedication.

Exchange program sends professor to Japan

Associate Professor of English and Di-rector of the Writing and Tutoring Cen-ters Dr. Laine Scott will become the first LaGrange faculty member to participate in an exchange program with Seigakuin University in Japan this fall. The College announced a partnership with Seigakuin in 2005 and has had several student ex-changes, but none featuring faculty.

Dr. Scott has been actively preparing for two years for her role at the institu-tion, just outside of Tokyo. “My teach-ing responsibilities have not yet been finalized, but they will probably involve working with Japanese graduate students who are interested in American stud-ies, especially the literature, history and culture of the Deep South,” she said.

“I hope that my experience will enhance LaGrange College’s relationship with our sister institution in Japan, and that my example will inspire other LC faculty to take advantage of this opportu-nity to reach out, connect and grow.”

Faculty earn teaching honorsThree faculty members were recog-

nized for teaching excellence at Honors Convocation on May 2. Associate Profes-sor of History Kevin Shirley, second from left, was awarded the Vulcan Materials Teaching Excellence Award for “challeng-ing the minds” of his students. Assistant Professor of Music Debbie Ogle was presented the United Methodist Church Teaching Award for successfully “inspir-ing the souls” of her students. Psychology Chair and Director of Undergraduate Research Charles Kraemer, second from right, was given the John R. Hines Jr.

Undergraduate Research Award for pro-moting undergraduate research. Pausing with the winners after the ceremony are President Stuart Gulley, far left, and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean Jay Simmons, far right.

New York Times clue leads to LaGrange

An April inclusion of the word “LaGrange” in the daily New York Times crossword puzzle brought new recogni-tion to the institution and its hometown. One of the most-worked puzzles in the country, the Times crossword provided this clue for 39-down in its April 29 incarnation: Georgia city or college.

“It is unexpected but welcome news that the world’s most recognized news-paper included LaGrange and LaGrange College in its famed brainteaser for word lovers,” President Stuart Gulley said. “We’re grateful that the Times not only boosted readers’ vocabulary but also the visibility of LaGrange.”

Sister Hazel caps Family WeekendRock band Sister Hazel drew a crowd

to the Residential Quad for a Saturday night Family Weekend concert in early May. The band, best known for its chart-topping single “All for You,” drew an estimated 1,500 people.

“It was an amazing night for all that attended with great weather and great mu-sic,” said Stuart Miller, Interim Director of Student Activities and Service. “What a wonderful way to end the year!” The College’s seventh annual Family Weekend featured a range of activities for families to sample the LaGrange experi-ence, including the longstanding tradition of Step-singing. Techno-proposal gains attention for alums

Sarah Holden ’08 gave Ben Podbiel-ski ’07 just the inspiration he was looking for when she hinted that she’d like a Zune (Microsoft’s version of the über-popular iPod). And when he discovered that one of the options was having it engraved, the former computer science major knew he’d come up with the way he wanted to propose.

He ordered the gadget (in pink) and loaded it with a romantic video presen-tation that finished with, “So … turn the Zune over.” She found an engraved proposal on the back … and said “yes.”

The couple’s story found its way into the newspaper, onto the Internet—and prompted a call from Microsoft PR.

Sunday outreach features CollegeMembers of the 104 United Meth-

odist congregations in the LaGrange District had a chance to learn more about the College during LaGrange College Sunday on Feb. 24. Representatives of the institution read Scripture, delivered sermons and led music during worship services that day.

In the photo below, Rachel Burch provides the children’s sermon at Pine Mountain First United Methodist Church.

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COLUMNS, Summer 2008 3

around campus

4 COLUMNS, Summer 2008

Th ough far diff erent from a combat zone, the LaGrange College natatorium was the training ground in February for 22 seasoned Army Rangers based at Ft. Benning.

Th e group of squad and team leaders took part in six hours of pool instruction and one hour of classroom training as part of the Ranger Athlete Warrior program.

“It was fl attering and exciting that they called LaGrange College,” said Swimming Coach Susie Brown, who, along with Graduate Assistant Matt Montgomery, worked with the soldiers.

“Th ey welcomed a challenge,” she said. “Th ey wanted to learn something

new and be able to use it in their lives.”According to Ranger leaders, the visit

was all about physical fi tness. “We look at ourselves now as more

of an athlete,” said Capt. Mark Ivezaj, Alpha Company Commander in the 3rd Ranger Battalion, in describing the physical demands placed upon his men. “We need to sustain ourselves for both long periods and short bursts.”

With an emphasis on building physical strength and injury prevention, the program provides special training for Ranger leaders who take the instruc-tion back to share with those under their command.

All of the men in the pool had

recently returned from either Afghani-stan or Iraq. Among them was Staff Sgt. Chastin Tedesco from Altaloma, Calif.

“Th is is really going to help us with our cardio,” he said. “Th e other day we did a 15-minute (continuous) swim. It’s a total-body workout.

“I learned a lot of lessons here and hope to start incorporating them into our PT (Physical Training) program we do each morning.”

Because of their positive feedback, Brown expects to see more Rangers in the Panther pool sometime soon.

Th e College provided the facility at no charge.

Army Rangers train in Panther pool

Chaplain, students pen devotional LaGrange students and Elizabeth Walker Lanier Campus Minister the Rev. Dr. Quincy Brown were the featured authors in this year’s Lenten Meditation Guide for Students entitled “Creating Space for Grace: Meditations for Lent 2008.” Th e devotional is published annually by Higher Education Ministries Arena, a body that involves seven Christian denominations. Th e opportu-nity to write for this publication is bestowed upon only two of several thousand campus minis-tries each year. Th e edition proved popular as requests for hardcopies quickly exceeded supplies. Dr. Brown said, “Lent is traditionally a time where we engage in spiritual disciplines to help us to create space for God’s grace. Th e thought of having students engage in the spiritual disci-pline of focusing on a scripture and giving their personal refl ection on what it means for them in their faith walk was a new way of thinking about Lent.”

no charge.

LaGrange College Swimming Coach Susie Brown exhorts a different kind of swim team—22 Army Rangers who trained on campus earlier this year.

Graduate Assistant and former Panther swimmer Matt Montgomery, center, works with a group of the soldiers on backstroke technique.

Five minutes before the LaGrange College Singers were scheduled to give the performance of their lives for a Mass in the Vatican’s Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, they were told that, in addition to their prepared material, they also would be expect-ed to sing responses to the cantor—in Latin.

“I was really scared,” Choir Director Deb-bie Ogle said. “It could have been extremely intimidat-ing.” Fortunately, the students had sung the Latin words in other works and were able to pull it off .

“Th ey sang with grace and conviction, and it was just beautiful,” Ogle said.

Th e Vatican perfor-mance was the moving fi nale to a whirl-wind tour of Italy by the 23 Singers, who were accompanied by a couple of dozen family, friends and alumni.

Olge said she knew their perfor-mance had made a poignant impact soon after the Mass had ended.

“When it was over, every person I saw who had traveled with us was in tears,” she said.

One of those in the audience was President Stuart Gulley, who said later, “Under any circumstance, St. Peter’s Basilica is an awesome experience.

“To add to the experience the voices of students you’ve come to know and love is a moment to cherish and never forget. Th e entire experience left me speechless and moved to tears.”

In addition to the LaGrange contin-gent, others were moved as well. After the Mass, a man from Chicago hung around to say, “Way to go Georgia. You make America look good.”

Th e St. Peter’s performance was one of three concerts the Singers gave during a memo-rable spring break. One of the earlier performance venues, the historic Doumo Baptistry in Pisa, gave the Singers an example of acoustics they’ll

long remember. Ogle said, “Th ere was a moment

where you hold the chord and cut it, and I literally had to wait about three seconds before bringing us back because the en-tire chord was just fl oating in the air.

“And I remember I was so dumb-founded by that I mouthed to the kids, ‘Listen to that chord.’ It was just a cool moment to realize how acoustically unbe-lievable that place is.”

In addition to performing, the stu-dents also had time scheduled to soak in some of the sites and culture of Italy.

“Art is everywhere in Italy,” Ogle said, “and for the students to get a chance to see all these things they’ve read about or seen photographs of—they were just blown away.

“I think by the time we left, they realized just how fortunate they were to have had such an experience. And how lucky they were to have been students at a place like LaGrange College—minds were challenged and our souls inspired.”

around campus


Ogle directs the Singers during a performance in San Giovanni-Paolo, one of Venice’s oldest and largest churches.

Singers make Vatican appearance

Choir Director Deb-

ing.” Fortunately, the students had sung the

works and were able to

grace and conviction, and it was just beautiful,”

Th e Vatican perfor-

was one of three concerts the Singers gave during a memo-rable spring break. One of the

long remember.

Ogle directs the Singers during a Ogle directs the Singers during a performance in San Giovanni-Paolo, one of performance in San Giovanni-Paolo, one of Venice’s oldest and largest churches. Venice’s oldest and largest churches.

Th e tornado that crashed through downtown Atlanta on March 14 also crashed a College event. Alumni, friends and staff members were gathered on the 10th fl oor of the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel for a formal donor-recognition event when the storm struck.

“We thought we heard hail, so we went to look out the windows,” said Dean Hartman, Director of Communi-cations and Marketing. “As soon as we got there, one of the 12-foot panes blew out.”

Th e time was 9:40 p.m., and un-awares to the group, winds approaching 135 mph had descended upon down-town. Before guests could move to a safer location, three of the large windows had shattered.

Westin employees shuffl ed the Col-lege group through a series of holding areas until it merged with many other evacuees in one of the hotel’s large inte-rior ballrooms. People wearing tuxedos and designer dresses mingled with those in bathrobes and boxers until they fi nally were released about midnight.

Even at that late hour, the devasta-tion was evident around the building, the world’s tallest hotel when it opened in 1976. In all, the landmark lost nearly 500 windows.

“We hope every event that the Col-lege hosts is memorable,” said Director of Stewardship and Leadership Develop-ment Tammy Rogers. “Th is one cer-tainly met that expectation—but not for reasons we had planned.”

For details on the event, see page 21.

Tornado takes event by storm

Italy photos by Lindsey Binion

around campus


Experts in the fields of international affairs, global health and economic devel-opment helped LaGrange College leaders and their guests ascend for “a view from 30,000 feet” of the institution and its fu-ture during a March symposium labeled What the World Needs Now.

Hosted by the Leadership Council at Atlanta’s Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel on March 13, the event was designed to encourage participants to visualize what the world may look like in the year 2025 and to contemplate how LaGrange should prepare her students for leadership in that world.

“It is prudent for all of the College’s constituencies to pay close attention to the way our world is rapidly changing,” said Vice President for Advancement Dr. David Rowe, who helped plan the event and who launched the symposium by de-scribing the Center for Strategic and In-ternational Studies’ “Seven Revolutions,” key forces shaping the planet’s future.

He urged the group to look with a long-term and liberal-arts lens in envi-sioning “revolutionary responses” to the challenges ahead.

Dr. Rowe’s remarks were followed by breakout sessions and capped by a panel discussion featuring Dr. John

Stremlau, Vice President of Peace Programs at The Carter Center; Robin Davis, Executive Director of Global Health Action; Craig Lesser, Managing Director of McKenna, Long & Aldridge and former commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development; and Leland Russell, President of GEO Group Strategies Services Inc. and East-West Institute Consultant.

“One of the conclusions from the conference is that as much as we try to extrapolate and predict, we can’t know exactly what the future holds,” Dr. Rowe said. “But we do know that the core values of LaGrange College have endured and are likely to be the compass for what lies ahead.

“When we ask the question ‘What does the world need now?’ in 2025 … we want to answer with confidence and without reservation that what the world needs now are LaGrange College and her graduates.”

After 11 years as the chief academic officer on the Hill, Dr. Jay K. Simmons has been tapped to become the 28th presi-dent of Iowa Wesleyan College.

The LaGrange College Vice Presi-dent of Academic Affairs and Dean was unanimously elected to the post by the Wesleyan board of trustees on April 19 after a national search. He will assume leadership of the institution, the oldest private coeducational liberal arts college west of the Mississippi, on June 16.

“It is a measure of Jay’s standing within the higher education community, as well as a measure of the standing of LaGrange College, that he was aggressive-ly pursued for this post for which he did not apply,” President Stuart Gulley said.

Dr. Gulley pointed to a number of Dr. Simmons’ accomplishments during his tenure at LaGrange: a new academic calendar and core curriculum; consolida-tion of academic programs and divisions; creation of new master’s degrees and an extension program in Albany; reduction

in faculty teaching loads; and successful accreditation reviews for nursing, educa-tion and business, including a collegewide reaffirmation of accreditation from SACS.

At a May 13 reception for Dr. Sim-mons and his wife, Jenné, Dr. Gulley announced that Callaway Academic Building’s Room 222 would be named the Simmons Classroom. Dr. Simmons told those gathered, “These 11 years in LaGrange at this College and in this com-munity have been, I think, the most im-portant for Jenné and me in all our lives.

“This is a very, very special place … you all have made it so hard to leave, I can’t begin to tell you.”

Dr. Simmons was surprised with another homage during Commencement when he was awarded an honorary Doc-tor of Humane Letters Degree, given in appreciation of his service to the College.

An administrator with more than 20 years of experience in leadership positions in higher education, Dr. Simmons served as Liberal Arts Dean at Cuyahoga Com-

munity College in Cleveland, Ohio, and Assistant Dean at Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama before coming to LaGrange.

Shortly after the announcement of Dr. Simmons’ appointment, Dr. Gulley named Chair of Mathematics Dr. Greg McClanahan to serve as interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean. A national search will be conducted dur-ing the next academic year for a new dean.

Simmons elected president of Iowa Wesleyan

Symposium urges look ahead to year 2025

Dr. Simmons addresses a crowd of faculty, staff, students and friends during a reception held in his honor on May 13.

Leland Russell+ takes part in the What the World Needs Now panel discussion.


by Ron Hamilton

With a name like Gang Green, they have to be good—and they are. Four young women bring an ecologically friendly way of life to the Hill.


Cruis-ing east, past a

great stand of mag-nolias, past the president’s

home, you probably wouldn’t notice the long, narrow bungalow

on the right that squats inconspicuously a stone’s throw from the road. But the little wooden house has a character all her own, and for the past year a green-minded set of students has brought her a wellspring of attention.

Conjuring a theme It began as a brainstorming session.

Four young women—LeeAnn Brooks ’08, Lisa Burgee ’09, Jane Holik ’08 and Erica Robinson ’08—gathered together on a spring day in 2007 to strategize their way into one of the College’s theme houses. Th e school had announced a new initiative that would allow four students to band together to live in one of four College rental homes during the upcom-ing year, but each house needed to have a central motif.

Th e quartet batted around several ideas, none completely satisfactory, until Jane mentioned that she had recently heard President Gulley give a talk on the school’s emphasis on sustainability. Th at chipped off a spark. Th ey all chimed in—it seemed each of them had a personal interest in the topic. Th e women quickly

crafted a mission

statement: Focusing to bring a

sustainable way of life to our campus and community through

ecological means. Now all they needed was a name.

Captain Planet, the fi rst moniker the new group came up with, was like the early 90s cartoon that inspired it—kind of cheesy, a little juvenile. But three of the four young women huddled together that day preferred it to Erica’s sugges-tion—Gang Green—which they thought was kind of gross, a little disgusting.

“When I threw out the words ‘Gang Green,’ that was shot down almost im-mediately, and I was like, darn,” Erica remembers.

When the group presented the sus-tainability theme to Dean of Students Dr. Jack Slay, he liked the idea very much, but to the chagrin of most of the group, he also liked the gross but catchy appellation Erica had come up with. In short order, their theme was approved, and they were given the brand Gang Green.

Making plansOver the summer, as part of their

preparations to move into the house in the fall, the women spent a chunk of their time sending out letters to local companies and businesses asking for donations of money or energy-effi cient appliances. Despite the eff ort, when the time came to tally their donations, the only item on the ledger was a $100 gift from the headquarters of National, the company that runs the College’s Cam-pus Services.

“It was kind of disappointing,” Lee-

Ann says. “We thought

we would get more of a response.”

But just as things began to look bleak on the contribution front,

Campus Services Director Bob Vitale pulled out a skein of contacts and began pulling strings.

From Linc Mechanical, he secured a tankless water heater and then con-vinced Bob Maddox of Maddox Service Company to donate his time to install it. From Interstate Electric, Vitale procured a donation of light fi xtures and compact fl orescent bulbs. He salvaged a low fl ow toilet from a razed home and had his crew install new water-saving aerators on the bungalow’s faucets.

When Jane’s parents donated fi ve ceiling fans to the project, it was Vitale and National who installed them.

“Bob worked wonders,” Erica says. “He got a lot of stuff donated for us.”

Jane agrees. “National has been very helpful, and if we ever needed anything, they’ve been right there.”

The sustainable lifeFall semester arrived and the Gang

Green girls (as they were now called) began to live their theme.

“Our plan was to do a lot of little things that we hoped would add up,” LeeAnn says.

To conserve energy, they turned off the air conditioning, raised the windows and turned on the fans during the dog days of September. When the leaves began to turn and wintertide rolled in, they kept the heat at 64 degrees during the day.

Th ey took short showers, used bath water to douse thirsty plants and turned off the faucet while cleaning their teeth. Th ey unplugged appliances not in use, occasionally used the clothesline out back to dry their apparel (weather permitting) and turned out lights when leaving a room—a practice Erica found particu-larly prepossessing.

“I’ve been labeled the light Nazi,” she

The busy section of Vernon Street that spools out be-tween the hospital and the College tours through

a beautiful medley of architecture and tended greenery. Mirrored in the windows of pass-ing cars, styled structures of Tudor, Colonial and Greek Revival slide by, their sentries of oak, cedar, pine and maple wave unevenly in the breeze.


College promotes sustainability

Th e Gang Green team’s theme house drew attention to issues related to sustainability, a topic that has grown in importance at LaGrange College. Over the past few years, the College has initi-ated a number of eco-friendly practices. Below are a few recent examples of the College’s emphasis on sustainability:

• In January 2007, President Stuart Gulley became one of the fi rst 53 sig-natories to the American College and University Presidents Climate Com-mitment, an eff ort aimed at neutral-izing greenhouse gas emissions at colleges and universities nationwide.

• In the spring of 2007, the College completed a major upgrade of heat-ing/air conditioning and lighting systems that has reduced energy con-sumption and will save the College $4 million over a 15-year period.

• A rainwater harvesting program was started on the Hill in October 2007. A National crew cut the downspouts of the maintenance building and rigged up water-collection barrels.

• On Jan. 31, President Gulley signed a declaration of partnership in sup-port of sustainability with offi cials from Troup County and the city of LaGrange.

• Th is spring semester the College unveiled Oikos, a new interdisciplin-ary minor that explores how people might live lives of ecologi-cal and social responsi-bility.

• Th e new Frank and Laura Lewis Library, expected to be completed by the end of the year, is intended to be one of the fi rst Lead-ership in Energy and Environmental Design certifi ed buildings in the county.

says. “If there’s a light on in the room, I’ll cut it off if nobody’s in there, but it doesn’t happen often.”

Th e young women also started a compost pile in their backyard, and they were steadfast in their eff orts to recycle everything they possibly could.

“Shopping at the Farmer’s Market is another thing we tried to do,” Lee-Ann says. “It might not be 100 percent organic, but it’s local food so the cost of transporting is less.”

To help them manage the sustainable lifestyle, they broke household chores down into four categories, which they switched out every couple of weeks. Th ey also convened monthly meetings to re-view how things were going and to make improvements.

Once they got all the kinks ham-mered out, life inside the house was good … but outside 1009 Vernon Street, the Gang Green girls were being stretched thin as a soap bubble.

Answering the callLooking back over their experience,

all the Gang Green members say that the most demanding part of their year in the house was fi nding the time to sat-isfy all the external requests that buzzed

their way. “Time management was the hardest

thing for me,” says Jane, who also served as president of the SGA this past year. “I never expected to spend so much time do-ing everything we’ve been asked to do.”

Says LeeAnn, “We got a lot more at-tention than I ever thought we would get. Th ere was a month there that we were constantly going to diff erent places or speaking to diff erent groups.”

Over the course of the year, Gang Green spoke to the Rotary Club, the Board of Trustees’ spouses and Kappa Delta sorority. Th ey also served on the Sustainability Council and worked with FRISBEE (Friendly Recycling Initiative by Students Becoming Environmentally Empowered).

In the fall and spring they hosted well-attended open houses. However, pre-paring for the fi rst one was like a round of Beat the Clock.

“We pulled an all-nighter on the fi rst open house,” Jane says. “We were all up until 5 a.m. trying to get the house ready, and it wasn’t just cleaning. We wrote up sustainability facts and put them every-where—on appliances, on the windows, so people would walk through and be taught about what they could do in very easy,

Dr. Laine Scott, Associate Professor of English, shares a moment with Erica during a Gang Green open house. The gang hosted two well-attended open houses, one in the fall and one in the spring.


simple ways.”

Erica agrees that all the external requests were at times a bit of an imposition, but, she be-lieves, there was a reward for the eff ort.

“We didn’t sign up for all the extra stuff ,” she says. “We were just going to have a theme house and live in it.

“I haven’t always wanted to do ev-erything that we’ve been asked to do, but we’ve done it, and in the end I’ve been thankful we’ve done it because we’ve learned more from it and gotten stronger and grown. So I’m thankful for all the extra things we ended up doing.”

Did it work?As the year ticked down, the Gang

Green team members refl ected on their time in the College’s fi rst sustainability-themed home and judged the merits of their eff orts.

“I think we’ve defi nitely made an im-pact,” Erica says. “We’re known on cam-pus as the Gang Green girls, and people know what we stand for. And I think it’s good that we initiated the green theme.”

LeeAnn says that she measured the year’s success on more of an individual level.

“Personally, I’ve learned a lot—we’ve had to do research and get outside information,” she says. “It’s been a positive thing for me because it’s been challenging, and with challenges, not only do you learn

more about your own character, but you grow as an individual.

And it’s been fun to do this with three other girls.”

Jane is most certain that the yearlong experiment has

yielded positive results.“I think it’s been a great suc-

cess,” she says. “We know it’s been a success from the way people stop us and ask how it’s going and from the way we’ve been

asked to participate in so many things. Students ask

us about it, faculty ask us about it. I think it was

a good starter for the theme house project to

get the ball rolling.”So from a PR standpoint,

there seems to be agreement regard-ing Gang Green’s accomplishments. But what about an empirical assessment? Did the team’s conservation eff orts actually yield any measureable results? For the answer to this question, we checked with Bob Vitale.

According to Vitale, the 1,825 square-foot bungalow was built in 1920 during

an era when insulation was not a priority. “It was built back in the old days

when they had plaster lath walls with not much behind them,” he says. He also pointed out that the appliances and air conditioning are of an older, more energy-consuming variety.

Even so, it appears the women did well. Th e year before Gang Green moved in, there were only two people living in the house and the Energy Star rating was 4.2, which means 42 percent of U.S. homes used more energy than the Vernon Street house. During the green team’s year, the rating went up to 4.8, mean-ing 48 percent of U.S. homes used more energy. Not bad—there were twice the number of people living in the home, yet they consumed measurably less energy.

“So when you consider all the vari-ables, it looks like they did a pretty good job,” Vitale says.

And the sustainability theme will roll on into 2009 as well, according to Dean Slay.

“We’ve already selected next year’s group, and it’s another group of four young women who have proposed an-other sustainability theme.” n

requests were at times a bit of an imposition, but, she be-lieves, there was a reward for the eff ort.

“We didn’t sign up for all the extra stuff ,” she says. “We were just going to have a theme house and live in it.

“I haven’t always wanted to do ev-










there seems to be agreement regard-ing Gang Green’s accomplishments. But what about an empirical assessment? Did the team’s conservation eff orts actually yield any measureable results? For the answer to this question, we checked with Bob Vitale.

simple ways.”

Erica agrees that all the external requests were at times a bit of an imposition, but, she be-lieves, there was a reward for the eff ort.

“We didn’t sign up for all the extra










there seems to be agreement regard-

A shirt on the Gang Green clothesline displays the advantages of hang drying.

From left to right, Jane, Lisa, LeeAnn and Erica enjoy a moment on the front porch of the Gang Green bungalow. An assessment revealed the women saved energy over the course of the year.


Students serve in judicial roles on new campus Social Council

by Dean Hartman


In truth, they are actual cases, but don’t look for a Perry Mason-type at-torney or the surprise ending of a pulp potboiler. Each title represents a case reviewed by the LaGrange College Social Council. Having just completed its inaugural year, the council set prec-edents as it worked to pass judgment on problem student behavior.

A student-elect-ed and student-led group, the Social Council brings a new dimension to student disci-pline, the primary domain of Dean of Students Dr. Jack Slay, who forwards the cases to the council (and who assigns the pseudo-serious names as a light touch).

Dr. Slay helped guide a new social code through faculty and board approval during the 2006-2007 academic year. That new code created the Social Council and its role of reviewing—and sanction-ing—inappropriate behavior.

“The code states that students always have the option to have their case heard by either the Dean of Students or the Social Council,” Dr. Slay says. “Most first offenses are rather minor, and students choose to have it handled in my office.

“The code then states that any sub-sequent violations could be turned over to the Social Council.” And that is the course he often chooses—for good reason.

“The Social Council tends to be a little stricter and little more creative with its sanctions,” Dr. Slay says. “And I think that has gotten around campus and to some degree has made a difference. It’s made a statement.”

He’s found that students are often harder on their own, and that’s just one of the many surprises you’ll un-cover when exploring the Case of the LaGrange College Social Council.

Passing judgmentWhy would a student want to sit in

judgment of another’s behavior? For sev-eral reasons, says Danielle MacMinn ’08, a nursing major and Social Council officer.

“When this idea was brought up, I was really passionate about it,” she says.

“We’re affiliated with the United Method-ist Church and we should act that way.

“I love my school; I don’t want people here who will represent my col-lege poorly.”

She also believes that her role on the council has made her even more sensitive to her own behavior.

“It makes me try and be better,” she says. “If I’m punishing people for some-thing that I could easily do, like playing music too loud, then I need to keep my music down.

“If we’re applying drastic sanctions to these people, then I need to shape up.”

As secretary and appeals representa-tive, Danielle is charged with preparing

and maintaining all the confidential records of the group—a time-consuming assignment for a nursing student who’s active in several other campus groups. Still, she sees her investment in getting

the council up and running as worthwhile.

“It was very much a learning year,” she says. “I would also say a creative year because we had to create a lot of things. We had to create sanctions that are applicable and useful. We want people to learn from their mistakes and move on.”

To get its feet wet, the eight-member group met with the College’s Honor Council early in the year to see what might be transferable. They found that some things were, but many were not.

Instituted in 1999, the campus Honor Code deals with issues of aca-demic integrity.

“We’re very different from the Honor Council,” says Social Council Adviser Sandy Blair, Assistant Professor of Nurs-ing and chair of the committee that drafted the new Social Code. “Many of their cases deal with plagiarism and cheating, but ours can be anything and everything considered a social issue.

“It’s not like we can have a standard procedure set up; every issue has to be looked at differently.”

This past year the group has heard about eight cases, according to Blair.

“We’ve had everything from more than one alcohol violation to property destruction, boys in girls’ rooms at im-proper times to loud music after hours.”

They sound like The TiTles of a classic courTroom drama, buT wiTh a TwisT: The case of The room

ThaT rocked Too hard; The case of The shirT off his back; The case of “is ThaT a beer in your PockeT?”

Social Council members discuss a case during one of their regular meetings. Joining in the debate are, from left, Glenn Gantner ’11, Morgan Shields ’09, Joel Coady ’10, Danielle MacMinn ’08, Sara Foshee ’08, LeeAnn Brooks ’08 and Megan McGinty ’09. Not shown is Andrew Ashlock ’10.


Though well aware that the council is still learning, she is proud of the hard work members have put into reviewing cases and the maturity and objectivity they’ve displayed. And she believes it is making a difference.

“I know it’s made an impact on the ones who’ve come before the council,” she says. “Just the seriousness of what they’ve done—they may understand that a little bit more.

“Students sometimes will take things too lightly. I don’t think they always real-ize how their behavior can affect others in a negative way.”

During this inaugural year, the Social Council has even gone so far as to suspend one student. Yes, Blair confirms,

“Students are tough on students.”

Selecting a sanctionA typical appearance before the So-

cial Council doesn’t exactly play out like a courtroom drama. More often than not, the evidence is so strong that students will admit their guilt and will simply plead their case.

“Some come before us feeling that they really haven’t done anything wrong,” says Joel Coady ’10, who helped draft the social code and who was elected Social Council President. “Some of them dis-agree with the rules. We’ve even had a couple of cases where they disagree with the existence of the council altogether.

“They might not like us, but they don’t underestimate our power.”

Since that power includes the right to suspend and expel, the coun-cil usually deliberates at length over what type of sanction to impose.

“It’s been very interesting to see the creativity that our group has come up with regarding sanctions,” Joel says. “We didn’t want it to be you break the rule and you get fined. We want to better the College and to help the people involved learn some-thing from this event.”

During the year, the group imposed a wide range of sanc-tions. Students have had to talk

with faculty members or the person they’ve offended, write letters or journals, visit with the Chaplain or Counseling Center and perform some sort of relevant or compensatory service.

“Going up against students, you’re not going to get away with what you thought you were going to get away with,” Joel says.

The decisions do have to be unani-mous, so a middle ground has to be found between the law and grace. A united front also helps the council face its peers.

“It can be awkward,” Joel

says. “But it’s justified because we’re elected by our peers to serve our peers.

“The council is here to serve the stu-dents, and that can be a hard thing to do.”

He’s convinced the council is playing an important role and is making a differ-ence, explaining that the group has had to deal with only one repeat offender.

Because council matters are held in strict confidence, members don’t hear much about their impact around cam-pus. That low profile hinders student awareness, so next year, the group plans a stronger presentation to freshmen about the social code and the council.

For his part, Dean Slay believes that the council has wielded its new responsi-bility well, and he expects to turn over a greater number of cases—including more difficult ones—to the council in the coming academic year.

“I’ve been very appreciative of the way that they have sanctioned students,” he says. “After seeing them handle some very difficult cases and seeing them make some very difficult, mature decisions about their fellow students, I’m reassured. They’ve definitely proven themselves.” n

Social council Adviser Sandy Blair, center, talks with the 2007 - 08 council Secretary, Danielle MacMinn, and president, Joel Coady, outside Callaway Academic Building, the group’s normal meeting space.

“Going up against students, you’re not

going to get away with what you thought you

were going to get away with.”

—Joel Coady

Social Council President


Th e glossed eddy of mortarboards that swirls in the corner of the Residen-tial Quad each spring wheeled a little longer on May 17 as a record number of newly confi rmed graduates made the circuit from their seats to the stage and back again.

Th e 292 students who turned their tassels during the College’s 177th Com-mencement easily bested last year’s record of 256 graduates.

But size isn’t all that set the Class of 2008 apart. For the fi rst time in mem-ory, a LaGrange student spoke to those gathered.

LeeAnn Brooks, recipient of this year’s Waights G. Hen-

ry, Jr., Leadership Award, told

her fellow gradu-

ates to

have confi -dence in the education they’ve re-

ceived

on the Hill. “Don’t hesitate to trust what you’ve

learned,” she said. “ … Th e lessons we have learned here have prepared us for the real world that waits. As LC gradu-ates, I have faith that we’ll do just fi ne, just as we’ve done the past four years.”

Also on hand to address the assem-blage was Sally Bethea, founding director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. She told the graduates that it is important that they learn to be successful on their own terms.

“If it looks good to others, but does not feel right in your heart, it’s not suc-cess,” she said, explaining that she had several starts and stops before discover-ing in her early 40s what she wanted in a career.

“Some of you may already know exactly what career you want to pursue,” she said. “I admire you and envy you. But, if you don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life, that’s fi ne too.

“It’s OK to be unsure and uncertain, to keep exploring—yourself, your state, your country and even the world if you can.”

Bethea also urged members of the Class of 2008 to take stock in their be-liefs and to defend them.

“Along the way, keep the things that you value most close to you,” she said.

“Cherish them. Stand up for them. And, if necessary, fi ght to protect them, especially the voiceless, the children, the poor and the disadvan-taged—and the air, water and land that sustain us and give us joy.”

Th e group of graduates Bethea

addressed was diverse as well as large. Members of the class hailed from 11 states and four nations, and they were Asian, black, white, Hispanic and Ameri-can Indian.

Four individuals were singled out to receive honorary degrees. Commence-ment speaker Bethea was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree. Dr. M. Th omas Th angaraj, this year’s Baccalaureate speaker, received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree.

Also receiving an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree was the former president of Th e Fund for Th eological Education Dr. James L. Waits. Departing Vice President for Academic Aff airs and Dean Dr. Jay Simmons was surprised with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree after a poignant tribute from President Stuart Gulley (more on page 6).

Th e Distinguished Service Alumni Award winner, Scott Hawkins, was rec-ognized during Commencement as well (more on page 22). n


ory, a LaGrange student spoke to those gathered.

LeeAnn Brooks, recipient of this year’s Waights G. Hen-

ry, Jr., Leadership Award, told

her fellow gradu-

ates to

have confi -dence in the education they’ve re-

ceived

not feel right in your heart, it’s not suc-cess,” she said, explaining that she had several starts and stops before discover-ing in her early 40s what she wanted in a career.

exactly what career you want to pursue,” she said. “I admire you and envy you. But, if you don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life, that’s fi ne too.

to keep exploring—yourself, your state, your country and even the world if you can.”

Class of 2008 to take stock in their be-liefs and to defend them.

you value most close to you,” she said.

Rachel Pike, left, and Mary Pinson share a moment of excitement just before the start of the 177th Commencement.

Amy Benton, a member of the College’s largest class, displays a message on her mortarboard.

by Ron Hamilton

COLUMNS, Summer 2008 15COLUMNS, Summer 2008 15

STANDOUT Name: Rita Kitts

Noteworthy: It is be-lieved Rita became the College’s oldest graduate when she received her B.A. at 75. Th is spring at age 91, she earned her second major. Th oughts on her expe-rience on the Hill: “My time here has broadened my perspective immea-surably. I can’t tell you how valuable it’s been to me because my outlook on life at one time was very narrow. But here, I’ve just learned so much from so many people. It’s just unbelievable really—and everyone has just been so kind and responsive.”

Roger McDowell is a happy man after receiving his sheepskin on the cool, bright morning. The Class of 2008 hailed from 11 states and four nations.

Above, while Chair of Biology Sarah Beth Mallory prepares to hood Sally Bethea, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Bill Hodges congratulates the Commencement speaker. Bethea, founding director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree. Below, President Gulley, left, and the Distinguished Service Alumni Award winner, Scott Hawkins, applaud Hawkins’ mother, Annie. In a September ceremony, Hawkins Hall was dedicated in honor of Hawkins’ mother and in memory of his father, Allen W. Hawkins Sr.


STANDOUT Name: LeeAnn Brooks

Noteworthy: Th is year’s Waights G. Henry, Jr., Leadership Award winner became the fi rst student in memory to speak at Commencement.Th oughts on her experience on the Hill: “My college experience can be summed up as a discovery. It’s as if LaGrange College awak-ened me to my potential in this world. Th e past four years have given me ample opportunities to grow as an individual. My involve-ment on campus and in the sur-rounding community has left a mark on my life that no other place could or will. Th rough LaGrange College’s well-rounded curriculum, I have obtained a more open-mind-ed opinion of this world which has further developed my social consciousness. LaGrange College, I believe, will remain a part of who I am throughout my lifetime.”

Above, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Bill Hodges passes a diploma to Delmas “Trey” Jenkins. Below stands Dr. M. Thomas Thangaraj, this year’s Baccalaureate speaker. Dr. Thangaraj, the D.W. and Ruth Brooks Associate Professor of World Christianity in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree during Commencement.

Above, departing Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean Dr. Jay Simmons, left, shares a moment with President Gulley after being surprised with an honorary doctorate. Above left, Elisha Batson gets some tassel placement assistance from Cierra Thompson. At left, twins Sherika, left, and Terika Smith get set for the May 16 Baccalaureate, which was held at First United Methodist Church. Below, Catherine Hancock shares a moment with her parents, Ray and Alumni and Family Relations Secretary Susan Hancock.


of Theology at Emory University, was of Theology at Emory University, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree during Commencement.Degree during Commencement.

section


The porch of Pitts Dining Hall provides an excellent vantage point to view the Lewis Library’s newly completed three-story external structure. On Monday, May 19, Batson-Cook Construction hosted College and Partners Development guests to celebrate the library’s Topping Out—a tradition marking the construction phase when a building’s highest beam is set in place. The library is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.

Those who contribute a gift to Defining Moment: The LaGrange College Campaign for Distinction soon will be able to create a lasting legacy of their commitment to the College. Campaign leaders are working to create a permanent monument on campus to recognize the generosity of Defining Moment donors who contribute to the project above a specific giving level.

To acknowledge the year that LaGrange College was founded, 1831, donors committing $1,831 or more to De-fining Moment will be recognized in a lasting way for their contribution by having their name permanently displayed on the LaGrange College campus. (Donors can make a $1,831 pledge to be payable over three years, if desired.)

Campaign Chair Scott Hawkins ’74 said of the opportu-nity for donors to have their names etched into the College’s history, “We thought that all of the people who attended LaGrange, and those who love this institution’s mission, would want to be remembered for their part in creating this magnificent library. The 1831, of course, is the symbolic con-nection to the year of our founding but also gives everyone a reachable contribution goal for this special recognition. It enables people, whether or not graduates, to be part of her legacy and to invest in her future.”

An architectural design team is currently developing the donor-recognition marker, which will be located in the heart of the LaGrange campus. Its header will commemorate the Defining Moment campaign, with individual donors’ names listed below according to gift level. The final design and loca-tion for the marker will be publicized later this year.

To date, the campaign’s two major objectives—1) fund-ing the Lewis Library and related construction and 2) sup-porting the College’s enhanced programs and operations—have drawn remarkable support.

The campaign staff is available to answer donors’ questions about Defining Moment and provide additional details about the various naming opportunities available at LaGrange College. Contact the Development Office at (706) 880-8039 or [email protected] or visit www.lagrange.edu/definingmoment.


Donor-recognition plans under wayDonor-recognition plans under way

w w w. l a g r a n g e . e d u / d e f i n i n g m o m e n t

section


A new plaque hangs on the wall of what was previously known as the campus Assembly Room. It reads: “Dickson As-sembly Room, Named in Honor of Julie Daffin Dickson.”

In an act of profound gratitude, Dr. James H. “Jimmy” Blanchard H’98 and his wife, Sis, made a generous contribution to the Col-lege and asked that their gift honor his longtime executive assistant, Julie Dickson. She has sup-ported Blanchard, retired Chairman and CEO of Synovus Financial Corp., for 17 years.

Located inside the Mabry Gipson Student Center, the Dickson Assembly Room was offi-cially dedicated during a luncheon ceremony held April 21—appropriately the beginning of Na-tional Administrative Professionals Week. Many of the College’s administrative professionals were present for the event honoring Dickson, who attended with her husband, Donnie, and their daughter, Rebecca ’07.

Bobby Carmichael, President of Commercial Bank & Trust (a Synovus bank) and a College Trustee for 15 years, introduced keynote speaker Elizabeth R. “Lee Lee” James, Vice Chairman and Chief People Officer at Synovus.

“This is an awesome day because we are celebrating a generous gift that honors a wonderful person,” James declared. In her tribute, she described how Dickson committed herself to helping Blanchard become successful.

“Ultimately, the kind of relationship that Jimmy has with Julie was born out of doing work for the greater good,” she said.

She encouraged those gathered to consider their own professional relation-ships. “There is energy and excitement for us, whatever our role. What are we putting our hearts into?” she asked. “Through that thought process, we will

create a better workplace and, in turn, the 1,100 young men and women who attend LaGrange College will be changed.”

Following James’ remarks, President Stuart Gulley addressed the group, shar-ing his gratitude for those in support-ing roles at the College. “When I think

about Julie and about Administra-tive Professionals Week, something that Mother Teresa said comes to my mind. She is quoted as saying, ‘We may not be called to do extraordinary

things in this life, but we are called to do ordinary things with extraordinary love.’”

That statement speaks to Dickson’s continuing work with Blanchard. She explains, “Even though he has retired as Chairman and CEO of Synovus, he still contributes to the company through his numerous board and community activi-ties. The company saw the value in having

me continue to work with him, and I’m blessed that they did.”

When asked what she admires most about Blanchard, Dickson answered, “His ability to walk his talk. Jimmy and Sis Blanchard’s lives are led by the Word.

They raised their fam-ily by it. Jimmy led Synovus by it, and our family of companies continues to thrive because of it.”

Synovus is a diver-sified financial services holding company with $32 billion in assets and more than 13,000 team members.

The luncheon celebration ended with Dickson’s closing re-marks. She said of the Blanchards, “I love Sis and Jimmy Blanchard. They are blessed people, and they share

their blessings with other people.”The spacious Dickson Assembly

Room is used regularly for presentations, banquets, faculty meetings, Greek Week activities, community service projects—and even yoga classes.

d e f i n i n g m o m e n t - t h e l a g r a n g e c o l l e g e c a m p a i g n f o r d i s t i n c t i o n

Following the ceremony, Howard Park, retired president of CB&T and his wife, Jean, share their good wishes with Julie Dickson.

The ceremony keynote speaker, Elizabeth R. “Lee Lee” James, encourages luncheon attendees to engage passionately in their work.

Retired Synovus head honors assistant with giftRetired Synovus head honors assistant with gift

“There is energy and excitement for us,

whatever our role.”

—Elizabeth R. “Lee Lee” JamesVice Chairman and

Chief People Officer at Synovus

section


“Smell the books!” Debbie Bur-dette urged those attending a Gather-ing of Friends, the annual Friends of the LaGrange College Library event. Continuing the mantra, she took another deep breath and fanned the freshly printed, suspense-laced pages of best-selling author David Baldacci’s newest novel, “The Whole Truth.”

Burdette is president of the Friends organization, which invited Baldacci to speak at the May 5 din-ner. Later, sharing the secrets for his ongoing success, the internationally acclaimed author of narratives that read more like fact than fantasy told the audience, “I write about things that I want to know about. There’s lots of fiction in facts, lots of facts in fiction,” he said. “I like for you to learn something you didn’t know before.”

Baldacci is best known for his 1996 New York Times best-selling novel, “Absolute Power,” which chronicles the deleterious deeds of a fictional U.S. presi-dent and the Secret Service following the accidental death of his mistress. While working as a Washington, D.C., trial at-torney, Baldacci spent years perfecting the manuscript. His life became a Cinderella story when Warner Books/Grand Central Publishing paid Baldacci the largest sum for a first novel in history. Soon after, “Absolute Power” became a major motion picture starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman.

Since then, he has written 15 best-selling books, which have been translated into 42 languages and sold in 80 coun-tries. Titles like “The Simple Truth,” “Split Second,” “The Camel Club,” and “Stone Cold” have drawn loyal Baldacci fans to book signings and lectures in cit-ies around the globe. Though he is best known for creating electrifying tales of suspense, he also wrote “Freddie and the French Fries,” a series for young adult readers, and “The Christmas Train,” a novel about hope and second chances.

The Virginia-born author dedicates much of his time to several philanthropic efforts. Five years ago, he and his wife,

Michelle, established the Wish You Well Foundation, an organization that supports family literacy by fostering and promoting educational programs.

Wish You Well also formed a partner-ship with the Second Harvest Food Bank because Baldacci believes there is a close connection between literacy and food. “We partner with Second Harvest to pro-vide used books to those who are hungry in mind and body.”

Before the Friends evening ended, Bal-dacci signed copies of his books, including “The Whole Truth,” which ranks No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sell-ers list and No. 38 in sales at www.amazon.com.

“The story takes place overseas,” he explained. “During my research, I experienced every country in the book. I got there the way the main character gets there, and I stayed where he stays.

“I wrote this book based on a concept known as ‘perception management’—a

technique that shades the truth when the truth is inconvenient or unpredictable.”

Just hours prior to the Gathering of Friends event, Baldacci toured the LaGrange College campus to see the new Frank and Laura Lewis Library, now under construction. “You are very fortunate to have the support of a strong Friends of the Library organization,” he told the audience later. “It makes a tremendous impact in your community.”

Friends of the LaGrange College Library seeks to enrich the intel-lectual and cultural environment of the College and the community by

promoting excellence in library collections and services. It was established in 1984 by former Library Director Frank Lewis. Ann H. Beason is incoming President of Friends of the Library, and Jason A. Lewis ’99, son of Frank and Laura Lewis, is President-elect.

To become a Friend, contact the Development Office at (706) 880-8039 or [email protected] or visit www.lagrange.edu/give.

d e f i n i n g m o m e n t - t h e l a g r a n g e c o l l e g e c a m p a i g n f o r d i s t i n c t i o n

With the assistance of wife Michelle, Baldacci signs books for Dr. William Fackler, far right, and Barry Bennett ’64. The author’s latest novel, “The Whole Truth,” is currently riding atop best-sellers lists.

The Director of Field Placement in the College’s Education Department, Vicki Pheil, gets Baldacci’s signature at the start of the Friends event.

Friends of the Library welcomes ‘Absolute Power’ authorFriends of the Library welcomes ‘Absolute Power’ author

section header


Eight new members of the LaGrange College Board of Trustees were installed during an April Leadership Banquet. Join-ing the board are Amos “Ted” Beason; Edward C. Callaway; Jared T. “Boopie” Jones ’82; Joe Frank Ragland Jr. ’85; Ed-ward D. Smith; Nancy Kight Stevens ’71, M’74; George F. Wheelock III ’75; and Deedee Godwin Williams ’74.

Amos “Ted” Beason received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and is a presently a financial consultant with Smith Barney. He has served as a member of the College’s Lead-ership Council from 2001 to 2007 and a board member of Friends of the LaGrange College Library.

A former U.S. Congress staff member, Beason is the founder of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Troup County and a founding member of DASH Inc.

Edward C. Callaway has served since 2003 as chairman and CEO of Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, the nonprof-it organization that maintains Callaway Gardens Resort and directs its mission of conservation, education and land steward-ship. Under his leadership, the founda-tion has made a commitment to building sustainably.

Grandson of Callaway Gardens’ founders, he served from 1987 to 2003 as president and CEO of Crested Butte Mountain Resort, and he is a former Leadership Council member.

Jared “Boopie” Jones ’82 is a native of LaGrange and graduated from the

College with a bachelor’s degree in business. He formed his own forestry company in 1989 and opened J. T. Jones Realty Inc. in 2001. Recently, he launched LaGrange Banking Company, the area’s first locally owned bank to open in more than 20 years.

He was a Leadership Council mem-ber from 2003 to 2008 and chaired its Solicitation Committee for Defining Mo-ment: The LaGrange College Campaign for Distinction.

Joe F. Ragland Jr. ’85 earned his bachelor’s degree in business from the College and his MBA from Columbus State University. A 16-year banking in-dustry veteran, he now serves as president of the Troup County Division of Sun-Trust Bank, West Georgia.

A Leadership Council member from 2001 to 2008, Ragland is the current President of the College’s Alumni Associa-tion and chair of the LaGrange Down-town Development Authority.

Edward D. Smith graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University and is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Georgia. He is co-owner of Hutchinson Traylor Insurance in LaGrange, where he has served as president of the Boys and Girls Club and United Way campaign co-chairman.

Current president of the Leadership Council, he serves as an ex-officio member of the board.

Nancy Kight Stevens ’71, M’74 re-ceived her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from the College and advanced degrees from Auburn

University, West Georgia State College and University, and Columbus University. Former principal of LaGrange’s Westside Magnet School, she was instrumental in its selection as one of 36 National Arts Partners Schools by the Getty Trust and Annenberg Foundation.

Stevens was named to the Wall of Outstanding Alumni in 1998 and is a past President of the Leadership Council.

George F. Wheelock III ’75 is president of the George F. Wheelock Company, a wholesale supplier of heating and cooling equipment in Birmingham, Ala. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from the College.

Now concluding his second term on the Leadership Council, Wheelock has served as President of the Alumni Associa-tion and as Alumni Trustee for two terms. In 1998 he received the Distinguished Service Alumni Award.

Deedee Godwin Williams ’74 earned her undergraduate degree from the College with majors in math and business administration. Currently associate direc-tor of employee relations at Total System Services Inc. in Columbus, Ga., Williams was named by the governor in 2004 to a consumer seat on the Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians.

She served as a member of the Leader-ship Council from 2001 to 2007.

alumni & friends

Joining the Board of Trustees this spring also were Edward C. Callaway, left, and Jared T. “Boopie” Jones ’82.

Eight new members join Board of Trustees

Several new members of the Board of Trustees pause for a photo following their April induction ceremony. They are, front row, from left, Edward D. Smith; Deedee Godwin Williams ’74; Nancy Kight Stevens ’71,M’74; back row, Amos “Ted” Beason; Joe Frank Ragland Jr. ’85; and George F. Wheelock III ’75.

March 14 will be remembered for more than the twister that hop-scotched through Atlanta’s downtown. That night, alumni and friends gathered at the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel for a formal dinner honoring LaGrange College’s 2008 Fellows and Quadrangle Society members.

In a ceremony following the dinner, Trustee Wayne Hunter recognized new Fellows inductees—donors whose cumula-tive contributions total $50,000 or more.

To date, 188 individuals and organi-zations have received the distinction, and 31 new Fellows were inducted at the cer-emony. Each was presented with a crystal book engraved with the College seal.

Quadrangle Society members are those who make provisions for deferred gifts to the institution through their es-tate plans. Fifteen individuals were added to the nearly 300 members of the society.

New members received a bronze medallion featuring a relief sculpture of Smith Hall, the College’s most historic structure. Fellows of LaGrange Col-lege and Quadrangle Society members’ names are featured on permanent dis-plays in the building.

Donors who make arrangements to include the College within their estates can designate their gifts to help maintain the new Lewis Library. An endowment has been established to support its col-lection and infrastructure through the building’s lifetime of service.

For more information about including the College in your giving or estate plans, contact the Development Office at (706) 880-8039 or [email protected].

LaGrange businessman and commu-nity leader Charles Smith was named the 2008 recipient of the Fuller E. Callaway, Jr., Award for Lifetime Service to LaGrange College on April 17 during a leadership recognition event at Callaway Gardens.

In presenting the honor, President Stu-art Gulley labeled Smith a close friend of the institution and a person who has had “a tremendous impact and influence” on his life, citing his modeling of the importance of integrity, family, faith and adventure.

“He has also taught me what it means to be a volunteer par excellence—not just what he contributes financially to the Col-lege, but with his time,” Dr. Gulley said.

“In my time at LaGrange College, we have invested about $65 million dol-lars on the physical plant of our institu-tion …. With the exception of one or two projects early on in my administra-tion, (Charles) chaired the Buildings and Grounds Committee and gave of his time tirelessly in project meetings, talk-ing with architects, talking with contrac-tors and running interference.”

In addition to his long tenure on Buildings and Grounds, Smith has served as a Trustee since 1989 and has played an active role in College fundraising efforts, including the current Defining Moment campaign.

He is the former president of Hutchinson Traylor Insurance, which is currently run by his two sons, Wesley

and Edward.Not forewarned about the honor,

Smith was clearly surprised by the recog-nition, and the thunderous applause and cheers that erupted upon his naming.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving on the LaGrange College board,” he said. “I have made so many friends, friends who are dear to me.

“I love LaGrange College.”The Fuller E. Callaway, Jr., Award was

created in 2006 to honor volunteers who offer unusually effective and dedicated ser-vice to the work of the College. The most prestigious award given by the institution, it honors its namesake who was a com-munity leader and benefactor of LaGrange, Troup County and LaGrange College.

Past recipients of the award are Inter-face founder and Chairman Ray Ander-son (2007) and former Board of Trustees Chairman Malone Dodson (2006).

alumni & friends


Charles Smith addresses the audience after being named the 2008 recipient of the College’s most prestigious award.

The award, a custom Fräbel Glass Art Studio globe and pedestal, rests on a table while Smith greets well-wishers in the background.Jared “Boopie” Jones, left, and his wife, Alynda, are

recognized by President Gulley as new Fellows.

Smith receives Lifetime Service award

Event honors new inductees

alumni & friends


During the May 17 Commencement ceremony, alumnus Scott D. Hawkins ’74 (above left) was presented one of the College’s highest honors, the Distin-guished Service Alumni Award.

The award is given each year at Commencement to a LaGrange gradu-ate who has provided continuous and devoted service to the College.

Hawkins grew up in Valley, Ala., and enrolled at LaGrange College in 1971, earning his B.A. in 1974. Later, he received a law degree from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Today, Hawkins serves as CEO and founder of The Hawkins Companies, which purchase, develop and manage real estate in the eastern half of the United States.

A longtime friend and supporter of LaGrange College, Hawkins serves on the Board of Trustees and as chair of the $65 million Defining Moment campaign. He and his wife, Susan, do-nated a gift of $1.5 million toward the campaign, which is the largest contribu-tion LaGrange has ever received from a living alumnus.

As an expression of appreciation for the gift, the College renamed Ver-non Street Residence Hall in honor of Hawkins’ mother, Annie Hawkins, and in memory of his father, Allen Hawkins.

In addition to offering his talents and resources to LaGrange, Hawkins serves in leadership positions for several educational, philanthropic, civic and religious organizations.

Hawkins honored at Commencement

Exploring the happenstance of room 429Dressed up with all the adornments,

baubles and bric-a-brac one might expect in a teenager’s roost, the apartment on the fourth floor of the southeast corner of Hawkes Hall looks like a typical fresh-man dorm room … but there’s a story hidden in room 429.

This past fall when first-year stu-dent Kelly Lane got the chance to pick which apartment she would make her home for the coming year, she ended up unwittingly selecting the very space her grandmother had occupied some 65 years before. Who knows if her choice was psychically inspired or fate? At the very least, it involved big coincidence.

“My mom was on the phone with my grandmother describing my room when she realized that was my grand-mother’s old room,” Kelly said, explain-ing how she learned of the fluke.

Kelly’s grandmother, Janette Hood Edwards, said, “I was surprised to learn

that it was the same room I had when I was a freshman. When I visited Kelly (later that fall), it was hard to believe it was the same dormitory.

“We did not have elevators … the basement was for physical education; the first floor was the library and some class-rooms. Looking out the window, we saw a wooded area. Also, there was a big field behind Hawkes for athletics.”

The dormitory and surrounding campus were not the only things that were drastically different about the Col-lege when Edwards arrived in 1942.

“We had chapel in the auditorium once a week and were required to at-tend,” she said. “We were allowed to go to town once a week—had to sign out when we left campus and sign in when we returned.

“Of course, we did not have cars and were told if we needed a car, we could go to another college.”

An ever-looming presence in the back of everyone’s mind dur-ing Edwards’ time on the Hill was the war that raged in the Euro-pean and Pacific theaters. All were expected to do their part.

“To support the war effort, Mrs. Quillian, the president’s wife, recruited the girls to knit socks for the servicemen,” Ed-wards said. “I did knit a pair of socks.”

Edwards, who spent two years at LaGrange before transferring to finish up her degree at Georgia, said that she’s happy her grand-daughter chose to come to the Hill.

“I’m so pleased that Kelly is at LaGrange College, and she seems to be enjoying it very much.”

For her part, Kelly is excited about having lived in her grand-mother’s old room.

“I thought it was really neat that she had stayed there and slept there in the same room so many years ago,” she said.

Kelly Lane ’11 was surprised to learn that her Hawkes dorm room was the same space her grandmother occupied 65 years before.

classnotes


1929

Mary Lou Linn Howell celebrated her 102nd birthday on January 8, 2008.

1932

Carolyn Channelle Webb of Plains was named to the state Teacher’s Hall of Fame located in the capitol building in Atlanta. She taught for 37 years and has won numerous teaching awards.

1948

Lillian Hill Knight of Newnan celebrated her 80th birthday on October 3, 2007. She renewed her real estate license in 2007.

1953

Dr. Leonard Jackson of Gainesville, Fla., retired for the second time on January 16, 2008, as Alchua County’s school psychologist.

1954

Peggy Grose-Kilpatrick of Austin, Texas, has published a book, “Love and Lemon Pie: Recipes for the Body and Soul.” Published in 2004, it is now in its fourth printing. She is a licensed therapist, owns her own consulting business, Face to Face Communication, and is employed by a drug rehabilitation program.

1955

Jeannine White Honicker of LaGrange organized and is chairwoman of the LaGrange Sierra Club.

1960

Nancy Mitchell Morris of Griffin has been named to LaGrange College’s Leadership Council.

1961

Marie Williams Beiser of Lawrenceville is the president of the Lawrenceville Development Authority and vice chairman of the Downtown Development Authority.

1962

Sandra McClellan Carter of Newnan started the Sandra M. Carter School of Arts at First Baptist Church in Newnan. After she retired, the program closed, but it has been reinstated because of its popularity.

Elizabeth Kitchens Richardson of Roanoke, Ala., retired from the Alabama State Department of Public Health in Randolph County, Roanoke.

1963

Mike Searcy of LaGrange retired after teaching at LaGrange College for 41 years.

1965

Pierre Herault of North Wales, Penn., has retired as a laboratory manager for Certain Teed Corporation.

Christine Meadows Taylor will celebrate her 91st birthday on June 5, 2008.

1966

Dr. Maxine Pinson Easom of Athens, an educator for more than 30 years, has retired as principal at Clarke Central High School, where she worked since 1999. She received the 2008 Athens Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia Council. She plans to spend more time with her family and grandchildren, travel and read.

1968

Jacque Beasley Hornsby of LaGrange retired this year. She was the media specialist at West Side Magnet School.

1969

Elvin Hollis of Americus has retired and now operates a pecan farm.

1970

Stuart Clay of Tybee Island was inducted into the LaGrange College Sports Hall of Fame at Homecoming 2007.

Dr. Beth Dupree Farokhi of Marietta was a member of a steering committee that brought a unique event to the Carter Center on April 18. For the first time outside of New York, the Committee on Teaching about the U.N. (CTAUN) presented a daylong workshop for educators and concerned citizens. The program featured a panel on climate change, a panel on cultural understanding, a former assistant secretary-general of the U.N. as keynote speaker and a specialist on the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

Donna Johns McDaniel of Peachtree City is a teacher for special needs, fourth through 10th grades, all subjects.

Marion McEachern of Jonesboro has been named to the Leadership Council of LaGrange College.

Sarah Haynes Standard of Oxford and 12 of her fellow alumnae, the Sensational Sisters of Smith, celebrated their 60th birthdays with a party in February.

This issue’s Classnotes are from information received through May 12, 2008. (Unless otherwise noted, geographic locations refer to Georgia.)

Carolyn Monfort Becker ’59 pauses with her new husband, James. President Stuart Gulley officiated at the ceremony in the College Chapel. (photo by Spence Downs, Wingate Downs Photography)

In April, a few alumni gathered for lunch at the home of Dr. Sally Curtis AsKew ’62 in Athens. Seen here are, from left, Susan Boleyn ’73, Dr. Judy Greer ’57 H’07, AsKew, Carolyn Bernard Becker ’59 and Laura Brown ’90.

classnotes


1971

Ken Justice of Benton, Ark., a semi-retired naval officer and Vietnam veteran, was the guest speaker at the Fiction Writers of Central Arkansas meeting in March, covering novelette, novella and short story development. His prose-poetry work, “The Portrait,” was featured last summer at Bewilderwingstories.com and was selected as an Editors Choice for that publication. He is under contract for his romance story writing, and his novelette, “All the Time in the World,” was released in April at TheWildRosePress.com. His second novelette, “No Greater Love,” will be released later this year.

The Rev. Thomas Pilgrim of Marietta served as a pastor in Mountville and West Point. He has published a novel, “The Taste of Paradise,” which tracks the emotional, spiritual and social dynamics of a family’s sojourn in the rural South during the 1950s.

1972

Karen Samble of Jacksonville, Fla., was named Teacher of the Year at Ruth Upson Elementary and also was a finalist for Teacher of the Year for Duval County.

1973

Gordon Williams of Houston, Texas, continues his chemo treatments and his condition is stable. He has entered at least four writing contests this year: Inspirational Writers Alive! (Drama, Poetry, & Devotional), Christians in Theatre Arts (Drama, both full-length and sketch), Writers Digest (drama) and Scriptwriters/Houston’s Ten by Ten. He will be doing a DVD of his monodrama “Acts of Pilate,” and he expects to shoot it at the A.D. Players Saint Street Annex. He is also on YouTube. His essay “The Play is Still the Thing” will be included in the Call for Papers at this year’s Christians in Theatre Arts Conference in June in California.

1974

Dr. George Baker of LaGrange celebrated his 30th year as a dentist in the community on February 6, 2008. He is a member of

West Georgia Health System’s active and emergency medical staffs.

John Poythress of LaGrange retired from Georgia Power Company five years ago.

1976

Bobby Buchanan of Hogansville retired in January 2008.

Jeffery Head of Kennesaw has retired from the Georgia Department of Labor.

Jan Clegg Rushin of Fort Myers, Fla., opened her own real estate company called Rushin Reality.

Mary Helen Williams Terrell of LaGrange was a finalist for Troup County’s Teacher of the Year award. She teaches biology at Callaway High School.

1978

Nancy Carson Gray of Tampa, Fla., received a degree in ultrasound technology from Hillsborough Community College.

Don Neuberg of LaGrange is a flight instructor at Falcon Academy in Peachtree City.

Gail McLachlan Sherman of LaGrange is Troup County School System’s math academic coach. She works with math teachers in all middle schools and high schools.

1980

Wanda Howington Lowe of LaGrange has been named the cancer care navigator for West Georgia Health System and is the immediate contact when someone is diagnosed with cancer. She is certified in oncology nursing, has been a patient educator and is a breast cancer survivor. She will help patients and their families learn more about the disease and treatment options, whether they will be treated locally or outside the Troup County area.

Lane Parton of Rutherfordton, N.C., is the branch manager of Wood Forest National Bank out of Houston, Texas.

1981

Majoy Askew Beetles of LaGrange has retired after teaching in Hogansville for 25 years.

1982

Jared “Boopie” Jones of LaGrange is the chairman of the board at LaGrange Banking Company, the first locally owned bank opened

in Troup County in more than 20 years.

The Rev. Jeffery Pullium of Augusta is pursuing a second master’s degree in instructional technology at Georgia Southern.

1983

Derrick and Melinda Stokes Dukes live in LaGrange. He is a self-employed graphic artist at Dukes Designs. She has been named Teacher of the Year at Hogansville Elementary School.

Wayne Johnson of St. Simons Island has been named to LaGrange College’s Leadership Council.

Laura Miller Reed of Loganville is in her third year teaching fifth grade at Norton Elementary School.

Lee Washam of LaGrange is president of CharterBank. He and his wife, Melissa, have two daughters.

1985

Cynthia Halstead Bowen of LaGrange is working on a specialist degree in leadership at Columbus State University.

1986

Dr. John Cary of Changwon, South Korea, is in his third year of teaching English in South Korea. One of his books, “Dixie World,” is an e-book on Amazon.com.

1987

Allyson Langley Matthews and her husband, Richard, live in West Point. A high school teacher, she has become a stay-at-home mom since the birth of Emily Jo. They have two other daughters.

Gordon Williams ’73

During Family Weekend, the Harris brothers came to campus to help their brother, David, present his senior show. Seen here are Antipas ’98, Alex ’02, Alonzo ’04, David and Antonio ’91.

classnotes


1987

Catherine Conway Thompson of LaGrange has been teaching English as a Second Language (ESOL) for the Troup County School System for five years. She has two daughters.

Mike Trimeloni has been named city president for the LaGrange Region of CharterBank. His background includes branch management, consumer lending, commercial lending, loan operations and credit analysis. He is a graduate of the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking. He is involved with the community and serves on the Lafayette Christian School Board of Directors. He attends New Community Church with his wife, the former Missy Estes ’91, and their two daughters.

1988

Jane Anderson of LaGrange retired in May after teaching in the Troup County School System for 22 years.

Dr. Beth Bauer of Macon will be teaching fifth grade at LaGrange Academy starting next school year. She taught fourth and fifth grade at St. Peter Claver School in Macon, worked for several years in podiatric medicine and also taught at St. Mary School in Westville, Illinois. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from LaGrange, an additional bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from William Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Degree, also from William Scholl College.

Deborah Pettyjohn Dobbins of Rome is attending Georgia Highlands College in Rome, studying pre-nursing. She was inducted into the school’s Alpha Psi Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.

Shawn Zwilling of LaGrange has been named to the Leadership Council of LaGrange College.

1989

Holly Britt of LaGrange has been promoted to vice president at Commercial Bank & Trust. She started working for CB&T in 1986 as a teller and is currently the commercial risk manager. She serves as a board member of the American Heart Association, treasurer of the LaGrange High School PTO and a youth leader at First United Methodist Church. She and her husband, Tommy ’87, have two children.

Kimberly Forrester Broxton of Murrayville earned a bachelor’s degree in Christian ministries in 2007. She has three children.

Tommy Griffin of Hogansville teaches electronics part-time at West Georgia Technical College in LaGrange.

1990

The Rev. Dr. Jim and Beth Parrish Ellison ’89 live in Fayetteville. Jim, pastor of Atlanta First United Methodist Church, was the featured preacher in June on Day 1 (formerly known as The Protestant Hour), a nationally broadcast radio program. The program included his sermon, “Soul Restoration,” along with interviews conducted by the program’s host and executive producer, Peter Wallace.

1991

Tami Elsworth Anderson and her husband, Chris, live in Alpharetta with their two children. She has been employed as a registered nurse at Saint Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta for 10 years.

John Dreisbach of Hampton is a fourth grade teacher at Callaway Elementary School.

Dawn Kennedy Ware is mortgage originator at LaGrange Banking Company, the first locally owned bank opened in Troup County in more than 20 years. She serves on the LaGrange Academy Board of Trustees and the corporate gifts committee for West Georgia Health System and is a member of First Baptist Church on the Square. She is also a member of the Benjamin Harvey Hill Society of the United Way of West Georgia.

1992

Von Blocker of Kissimmee, Fla., is working as an IT Technician for the Millennium Technology Group, which services several convention resorts in the central Florida area. He and his wife, Ginger, have two daughters.

Leon and Lisa Willimon Moody ’91 live in LaGrange. He has opened his new business, Addentify Strategic Consulting, which works

with contractors in sales and marketing.

1993

Charles Allen of LaGrange has been named to LaGrange College’s Leadership Council.

1995

Shannon Mallory Lester of LaGrange and her husband, Howard, are opening a new store in Columbus named Flooring America. This will be their third store.

1996

Noel Hunter and Dr. Sharlene Donaldson Toney ’99 have been appointed to serve on a collaborative taskforce working to identify opportunities—and barriers—to more closely align nursing education, service and research with Emory School of Nursing and Emory Healthcare. Sharlene, director of nursing research for EHC, and Noel, nursing administrative supervisor at Emory University Hospital, believe the major issue in health care today at Emory and nationwide is improving the quality and the safety of patient care.

Von Blocker ’92 sits in the front row of a Disney ride with daughter Wendy, while his wife, Ginger, and second daughter, Lorelei, sit in back.

Griffin ’61 retires after 49 years of serviceThe Rev. Bill Griffin, Executive Director of the Georgia United Methodist Commission on Higher Education and Campus Ministry and a 1961 graduate of the College, retired in June after 49 years of service to the church. He has held his most recent post since 1995, serving both the North and South Georgia Conferences. He also worked in other roles within the North Georgia Con-ference and as a church pastor. Griffin is a member of the Georgia Poetry Society and the author of a number of articles for United Methodist publications. In the photo, he shares a lighthearted moment at his retire-ment dinner with his sister, Marie Wooten.

classnotes


Dr. Brandon Mednick of Fayetteville was named department chair of Emergency Medicine at Piedmont Fayette Hospital on January 1, 2008.

1997

Will Ellis of LaGrange has built and opened new offices in LaGrange, Pine Mountain and Columbus for Ellis and Ellis Advancement Financial. He was named to the prestigious LPL Financial Executive Council, a status reserved for less than 1 percent of all advisors and based on a production ranking of all registered advisors at yearend 2007 for LPL Financial, the largest independent broker/dealer in the country.

1998

Dr. Antipas Harris successfully passed his doctoral dissertation defense for the doctoral program in Practical Theology at Boston University. On May 18, 2008, he received his diploma.

Carolyn Wakefield of Rome earned her Ed.S. degree from Berry College.

1999

Jabe and Barbara Bradley Hilson ’01 live in Lakemont. He became the winery manager of Tiger Mountain Vineyards, Tiger Mountain, in January 2008.

2001

Sherry Thrasher of Powder Springs is finishing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Argosy in Atlanta this May. She is doing her internship at the VA Hospital in Decatur and has accepted a two-year postdoctoral appointment at Yale Medical School in neuropsychology.

2002

Katie Miller Thompson is assistant principal at Ethel Kight Magnet School. She has written a Christian children’s book, “Two By Two,” that was released in May and has signed a contract for her second book, “Johnny B. Stay Away From Me.” She and her husband, Brad ’01, live in LaGrange.

2003

Tabitha Bales Hunsucker and Andy ’04 live in Griffin, where she is enjoying being a stay-at-home mom. He is managing the Sherwin Williams store.

Valerie Longshore of LaGrange teaches theater at Harris County High School.

Jeffrey Pourchier of Buford is head men’s basketball coach at Reinhardt College.

Ann Rhodes of Hogansville received the David Lewis Leadership Award from Communities in Schools in 2007.

Carrie Cato Romine of West Point was elected a finalist for Troup County’s Teacher of the Year award. Carrie is an 11th grade language arts teacher at Callaway High School.

2004

Sarah McAliley Andrews of West Point is employed at Lafayette Christian School in LaGrange in its fifth grade.

Sara Gilreath is the assistant human resources director at Flowers Bakery in Tucker. She finished the requirements for a Master of Science in Management with a concentration in Human Resources on March 4, 2008, at Troy State University.

Kathryn Elizabeth Henry of Douglasville received her master’s in media technology on December 15, 2007.

Dale Lomax of LaGrange is the assistant men’s basketball coach for the LaGrange College Panthers.

Ariel Pena of Savannah is the database manager at the Savannah School of Art and Design.

Andy and Katie Harwell Porter live in LaGrange and have become more aware of what it means to be sustainable. They are avid gardeners and have been very conscious of the products they purchase. He is a custom development designer for InterfaceFLOR.

2005

Mandy Aldrich of Atlanta graduated from the University of Georgia Law School in May 2008.

Tammy Whitten Ledbetter of LaGrange graduated from University of Phoenix in December 2007 with a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. She is teaching second grade at Cannon Street Elementary School in LaGrange.

Jason Thomas Marsh of Clenton, Miss., graduated from Mississippi College of Law in May 2008.

Kanada Moore McGill of LaGrange was named as one of the top three finalists for Troup County’s Teacher of the Year. She teaches fourth grade at Long Cane Elementary School.

Arshaad Norwood of Jonesboro is an artist. Check out his new Web site at www.anorwoodproductions.com.

Marcy Williams of Atlanta is studying art and design and working on her BSA in fashion at Savannah College of Art and Design.

2006

Matthew Awalt of Bremen is attending college in South Korea. One of his writings has been published. He plans to come home in June to attend his sister’s wedding.

Jane-Marie Fatkin of LaGrange is the first LaGrange College graduate to become a

John ’03 and Kim Velmosky Bernard ’06 with their daughter, Cara Riley

Will Ellis ’97 with Tony Snow, former White House Press Secretary, at the LPL Financial conference

Tabitha Bales Hunsucker ’03, Andy ’04 and Lila

classnotes


Rotary International Scholar winner. She currently lives in Guildford, England, and is working in the social psychology master’s program at Surrey University. She plans to continue her education and get her doctorate in psychology.

Tanner Garrard, former Admission Counselor for LaGrange College, has joined National Management Resources Corp.’s Campus Services team as the Manager of Event Services at LaGrange College.

Chuck Peek of LaGrange is the Head Cross Country Coach and Tennis Coach at LaGrange College.

Erica Massmann Pendergrass of Fayetteville is a nurse in the operating room at Fayette County Hospital.

Julie Sikes of Cusseta, Ala., is attending Savannah College of Art and Design for another master’s degree.

Blair Tolbert of Nashville was named a ministry intern at West End Methodist Church. She is part of Vanderbilt Divinity School’s Turner Leadership Scholars program, which grants fellowships to the top United Methodist candidates nationwide seeking the Master of Divinity Degree who demonstrate a clear intent to pursue ordained congregational ministry. She will be working in areas of church leadership and helping with young adult ministries at West End.

2007

Lorraine Bgoya of Atlanta is Financial Services Representative for IronStone Bank, Sandy Springs.

Antoine Maddox of LaGrange is a member of the Washington Generals basketball team, the squad that travels around the world with the Globetrotters. In March, they played a game at Phillips Arena in Atlanta.

Holly McKay of Hogansville is in consumer sales for American Home Shield.

Angela Mercer of Cordele is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Georgia Southwestern in Americus.

Monica Parker of Moreland is a financial aid counselor for LaGrange College.

Kate McClanahan Smith of LaGrange is employed as a client services specialist at LaGrange Banking Company. She is a member of First United Methodist Church.

Beth Stein of LaGrange is working on her master’s at LaGrange College in the MAT program. She teaches fourth grade at Unity Elementary School.

Births

To Allyson Langley Matthews ’87 and her husband, Richard, a daughter, Emily Jo, on September 1, 2006

To Rusty ’89 and Annette Robertson Farrell ’89, a daughter, Cayden, on April 17, 2007

To Tami Elsworth Anderson ’91 and her husband, Chris, a daughter, Brooke Lynne, on July 27, 2007

To Sandy Henderson ’92, a son, Hughes, on September 19, 2006

To Tiffany Breed Hanes ’93, a daughter, Eleanor, on December 7, 2006

To Roswell Morgan ’93, a daughter, Aubrey Brooks, on January 22, 2007

To Amy Faulds Sandefur ’93 and her husband, Mark, a daughter, Rhianna, on July 6, 2007

To Jennifer Crockett Coursey ’96, a daughter, Lauren Mackenzie, on October 19, 2006.

To Lisa Sexton Foster ’97, twin sons, William John and Samuel George, in November 2007

To Tim ’97 and Tiffany Roper Wright ’04, a daughter, Emma Louise, on April 3, 2007

To Jim ’98 and Jennifer DeMooney Claybrook ’99, a son, James Grady, on October 20, 2007

To Warren Haynes ’98 and his wife, Brook, a son, Harper Warren, on March 8, 2008

To Brad ’98 and Jessica Goorskey Morman ’98, a son, Bradley, on June 22, 2007

To James Welden ’98 and his wife, Kelley, a son, Sanders Tinsley, on December 18, 2007

To Susan Blosser Gardner ’99 and her husband, Thomas, a son, Seth, on August 24, 2007

To Jessica Washington Folds ’00, a son, Morgan Wyatt, on July 18, 2007

To Thomas Moat ’00, a son, Jeaton Matthew, on December 5, 2007

To Nicole Darr Dykes ’01 and her husband, Derek, a daughter, Natalie Maven, on October 10, 2007

To Lauren Beauchamp Lee ’01, a daughter, Rebecca Kate, on September 19, 2007

To Tasha Aides Smith ’01, a son, Gavin, on June 13, 2007

To the Rev. Alex ’02 and Erin Sexstone Stroud ’02, a daughter, Faith Carolyn, on February 7, 2008

To John ’03 and Kim Velmosky Bernard ’06, a daughter, Cara Riley, on February 23, 2008

To Tabitha Bales Hunsucker ’03 and Andy ’04, a daughter, Lila Evelyn, on September 26, 2007

To Lori Boyd Rhoney ’03, a daughter, Emma Savannah, on February 13, 2006

To Janice Longino Eskew ’05 and her husband, Matthew, a son, Matthew, on December 31, 2007

Weddings and Engagements

Chad Wesley Parker ’94 to Jennifer Lynn Lawley on November 17, 2007

Jamie Diane Epperly ’02 to David Guy Mitchell, III, ’04 on February 23, 2008

Grey Kennerly Bell ’04 to Lindsay Ann Thrush ’04 on May 23, 2008

Alvita Latimer McNeal ’04 to Reginald Swain in October 2007

Jennifer Amanda Aldrich ’05 to Jonathan

Brett ’05 and Allison Camp Huckle ’06 at their wedding on March 15, 2008

Allison Camp Huckle ’06 pauses with her bridesmaids: Mandy Allison ’08, Alison Hendley, Mandy Huckle, Tyanna Hornbuckle and Susan Lanier.

classnotes


calendar

Daniel Barrett ’05 on December 27, 2008

Devon Alaine Burns ’05 to Brandon Lassetter in the summer of 2009

Brett Richard Huckle ’05 to Allison Nicole Camp ’06 on March 15, 2008

Charles Terry Peek, Jr., ’06 to Aimee Noelle Stephens ’06 on December 16, 2006

Justin Keith McCullouch ’07 to Margaret Holley Tilson ’07 on October 11, 2008

Deaths

Mrs. Frances Kimbrough Beaty ’32Mrs. Vonice Ritch Sullivan ’34Mrs. Virginia Boyles Coker ’38

Mrs. Joan Barnhill Richardson ’40Mrs. Sara Twiggs French ’41Mrs. Dorothy Pope Richter ’41Mrs. Ruth Presley Watts ’47Mr. Wayne Grover ’52Mrs. Evelyn Ream Carter ’55Ms. Sonya Anne Smith ’59Mr. Grady Clark Bonner ’67Mr. John Phillip Griffin, Jr. ’74Mr. Clarence Cecil Hodges ’76Mrs. Janet Karr McMillian ’76Mr. Neil Allen Culver ’77Mrs. Grace Hall Daniel ’79Mr. James Mark Cooley ’81 Mr. John Perry Sinkhorn ’02

A spring Atlanta event kicked off a series of regional gatherings themed around the College’s Defining Moment campaign. Hosted at Canoe on April 21, the reception brought alumni and friends together for an update on the new library and other campaign plans. In the left photo above, Campaign Chair Scott Hawkins ’74, standing, greets Cal and Carolyn Luker. Above right, Nancy Mitchell Morris ’60, left, and Judy Greer ’57, H’07 enjoy the music provided by a College jazz ensemble. At right, Emily Fisher Crum ’35, H’02, center, visits with Lena Jenkins, left, and Gay Henry.

June 9 A Celebration of Servant Leadership This South Georgia Annual Conference event features Bishop Michael B. Watson. Make reservations online at www.lagrange.edu/sgdinner or by calling (706) 880-8340. 5:30 p.m.

June 17 A Celebration of Servant Leadership This North Georgia Annual Conference event features Bishop G. Lindsey Davis. Make res-ervations online at www.lagrange.edu/ngdin-ner or by calling (706) 880-8340. 5:30 p.m.

July 25 Alumni Council Summer Cookout Sunny Gables Alumni House 7 p.m.

July 26 Alumni Council Meeting Dickson Assembly Room 8:30 a.m.

September 13 United Methodist Youth Day The Admission Office invites United Method-ist Youth to take a look at LaGrange College.

September 13 Fall Family Council MeetingSunny Gables Alumni House

October 17 – 19HomecomingFriday:Tom Duckett Golf TournamentClass of 1958 50th Class Reunion

Saturday: 5K Run and 1 mile walk, 8 a.m. Homecoming Parade, 9 a.m.2008 Alumni Celebration, 11 a.m.Lunch on the Lawn, noonLC vs. Westminster College, 1 p.m.

Sunday: Alumni and LaGrange College Community Memorial Service, 11 a.m.

October 18 Fall Visitation Day 1 Prospective students and their families are invited to visit the campus.

November 8 Fall Visitation Day 2

January 9 – 11Winter Alumni Executive Committee Retreat

For details and more events visit www.lagrange.edu/calendar

Atlanta alumni event celebrates Defining Moment

calendar

Soffee Dri Poly Sleeveless Jersey $19.95

Soffee Red/Black Dri Jersey$19.95

J. America T-shirt w/Titan Cap $27.95

Under Armour Red/White Striped Shorts $39.95

Under Armour Black Shorts $34.95

Gear Mom T-shirt $13.95

J. America T-shirt $16.95

Gear Panthers T-shirt $16.95

J. America Purple/White T-shirt Combo Pack $19.95

Carolina Sewn Fashion Tote $12.95

Tchotchke’s Round Brass Key Chain $9.95

Old World Tumbled Stone Coasters $16.95

Laser Magic Panther Girl Car Tag$19.95

Mug World Coffee Cup & Coaster Set $12.95

See more College merchandise on the Web.Order online and use promotional code Columns to receive your free gift at www.lagrange.edu/bookstore.

To place an order otherwise call 1-888-353-4499 (Mon. - Thurs., 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.), or fax to 706-880-8347.

softball, golf earn ncaa postseason play

For the second consecutive year, the LaGrange College softball and golf teams battled their way to NCAA postseason play. The softball team traveled to Fayette-ville, N.C., to compete in the NCAA Di-vision III Atlantic Regional, while the golf team headed to the Chateau Elan Resort in Braselton, Ga., for the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship.

It was déjà vu for the softball team as it once again won the GSAC tournament

to secure a spot in the national tourna-ment. In Fayetteville, the squad made his-tory by becoming the first LaGrange team to win an NCAA event when it defeated Emory 2-1 in the regional’s first game. The women fought hard but lost the next two games to finish the season 25-20.

The golf team experienced a little déjà vu of its own when, like last year, it made the second-round cut at its tournament. At one point, the Panthers played their way

into eighth place before finishing 22nd in the 35-team field.

Ryan Howard ’08 provided the biggest tournament highlight for the Panthers when he scored a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth hole during the tournament’s sec-ond round.

Ryan Willis ’09 was named to the Division III PING South All-region team after earlier being named the Georgia Cup Division III Player of the Year.

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Vol. 12, No. 3Published by LaGrange College(USPS 299-300)

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Documents

IN THIS ISSUE - LaGrange College€¦ · IN THIS ISSUE 11 Social Council ... Alumni and College Relations Editors Martha Pirkle, Andy Brubaker, Susan Hancock ... lake levels across