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Winter 2015 South Carolina School of the Arts Edition AU welcomes largest freshman class ever........4 AU celebrates new facilities opening week.......6 Anderson University earns 4 recognitions from U.S. News & World Report................8 Anderson alumnus chosen to battle Ebola virus in Liberia...............................9 AU professor Howard Murphy helps oversee the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.... 10 Tim Smith of Union University to assume new role at Anderson University................. 12 Beyond economics—new course broadens view for all majors..................... 16 Anderson University students win 19 local ADDY® awards................................ 17 Musical theatre graduate landed leading role in Disney’s Frozen stage production....... 20 Connections through AU helped position graphic designer in New York City............... 24 Art professor finds new following after prominent web feature............................ 26 Music grad grooves on Rio 2 soundtrack and with pop stars................................. 28 The South Carolina School of the Arts 2015 calendar of events........................... 36 Athletics............................................... 40 Alumni news.......................................... 46 Contributing Writers: Evelyn Beck, Jill Carraway, Benjamin Culbreth, Brianne N. Holmes, Barry Ray, Jonthan Todd & Donald White Anderson University Magazine is a publication of the Marketing and Communications Department of Anderson University for alumni and friends. President: Dr. Evans P. Whitaker Editor In Chief: Barry Ray Editorial Director: Jonathan Todd Print and Design Coordinator: Shelli H. Rutland Creative Direction & Design: 229 Design: Eric & Carrie Whitlock Contributing Photographer: Jason Jones Photography
university happenings ...
Campus News Record Freshman class greeted with new facilities & new programs
greetings from Anderson University When the Anderson faculty began working with
Those of you who have been on this journey with
a new president in 2003 on a strategic plan for
us for a long time are encouraged to remember
the ten years that were to come, the challenge was
those days as you read of the accomplishments
to dream big. The plan when it was presented was
and developments in the pages that follow. Be
indeed a big one, full of new programs, facilities,
thankful, as we are, that God’s hand has been on
and a significantly increased number of students.
this institution as our president so often reminds us. Those who are new friends of the institution
Those ambitious enrollment goals
should know that we take nothing for granted. We
were met two years early, and this year,
feel blessed to be where we are and we’re challenged
as Vision 2014 gives way to a new set
to go much further. It will take all of us to accomplish
of goals, the scenario at AU couldn’t be
the new goals we set and to reach the new heights
more different.
on the horizon.
Then, serious struggles for the institution were
We hope you enjoy this edition of the Anderson
a very recent memory. Today, Anderson is on a
University Magazine.
footing only a few bright-eyed optimists could have predicted. As ambitious as those enrollment
- Anderson University Magazine
goals were, the University has effectively doubled in size, well surpassing those targets. This fall, Anderson serves more than 3,200 students. Facilities and programs that seemed impossible then are either here or close to reality. The University has a reputation as one of the fastest rising stars in private higher education in The South.
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AU welcomes largest freshman class ever By far, the largest freshman class in Anderson University history moved into the residence halls on campus Saturday, August 16th. 657 freshmen, an increase of 150 or 30% over last year’s class and 125 more than the previous record class in 2012, officially became AU Trojans. Remarkably, the freshman class of 2014 is nearly double the class that entered in 2003 (338). Anderson has set enrollment records each of the past 10 years. Add a record 145 transfer students to the mix, and Anderson welcomed a staggering 802 new students to campus this fall. Total enrollment 4 | CAMPUS NEWS
for 2014-2015 exceeds 3,200 – another all-time record for the fastest growing private university in South Carolina. The new class at AU is also one of the most academically qualified in school history. Anderson now leads private universities in South Carolina in the number of enrolled students who received merit based state scholarships (Palmetto Fellows and Life scholarships). Moving in at Anderson University is one of the most unique experiences among colleges in South Carolina as scores of volunteers, from current students’ parents, to faculty and staff, cheerfully descend on each new car as it arrives and quickly move the contents to the respective room of the new student.
Two major events were added to this year’s move-in weekend as Anderson celebrated the completion of campus construction projects and embarked on an ambitious new project at the university’s Athletic Campus. At 4:30pm on Saturday, a new, state-of-the-art Biochemistry lab was officially opened. Anderson launched a new degree program in Biochemistry this fall. The lab, along with significant upgrades to an adjacent Biology lab, gives AU some of the finest science laboratory facilities in the region.
A new $1.5 million biochemistry lab was officially opened as President Whitaker and members of the science faculty cut the ribbon on one of the more impressive lab facilities in the region.
The lab will support the new biochemistry degree at Anderson as well as specialized work for the Center for Cancer Research at AU. Additionally, students moved into the newest residence hall on the Boulevard across from campus. The as yet unnamed hall is the 5th new hall constructed in the past six years and houses 102 female students. On Sunday, the new students and their families joined the faculty and staff of AU for a special Matriculation Service with guest speaker Clayton King, followed by the traditional archway walk. Students passed through the storied arch at the front of the Anderson Campus and were greeted by President Evans Whitaker and his wife Dianne before passing through a column of support composed of all the parents, signifying their passage into a new phase of their lives. CAMPUS NEWS
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AU celebrates new facilities opening week As Anderson celebrated move-in day for the record freshman class, it also celebrated some Athletic construction milestones last August. In addition to the new $1.5 million biochemistry lab, Anderson officials broke ground on the first phase of a host of new athletic facilities to be constructed at the Athletic Campus.
Phase one of the new construction features a new softball stadium, a tennis center, and a recreational swimming pool for Anderson students and the various summer camps taking place on the campus. Following the ribbon cutting ceremony for the biochemistry lab at 4:30, the crowd moved to the Athletic Campus at 5:30, where the groundbreaking was held for some major athletic facilities now under construction and slated for completion in the spring. A new tennis center with a tower flanked by 12 courts (8 to be constructed in the initial phase) will give the tennis program a boost and replace
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the current courts that will be displaced by the construction of the new student center. Anderson will have its first recreational swimming pool, much to the delight of students and the various summer camps that call AU home. The pool will hold 300 or more swimmers at a time, with ample space for others on a spacious deck surrounding it. Finally, a new softball stadium is under construction. The stadium will feature the only artificial surface of any softball stadium in the South Atlantic Conference and prove a cozy home for AU’s nationally-ranked softball program.
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BEST
COLLEGES REGIONAL COLLEGES UP-AND-COMING
2015
Anderson University earns 4 recognitions from U.S. News & World Report The new “Best Colleges” rankings for colleges and universities have a lot to say about the growth and quality at Anderson University. Not only did the University remain in the “Top Tier (#21) of regional colleges” in the South, but AU was named the #1 “Up and Coming” regional college in the South for its rapid growth in quality and innovation. AU has been on the “Up and Coming” list for all seven years of the category’s existence. It was the only S.C. regional college named to the list. For the second time in three years, Anderson was also selected as one of the top Regional Colleges with a “Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching - earning the #1 ranking in the South. Again, AU was the only regional college in
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SC designated as such. Only four regional colleges nationally received the recognition this year: Anderson in South Carolina, Asbury in Kentucky, High Point in North Carolina, and College of the Ozarks in Missouri. In the spring of 2014, AU was named as the South’s most “efficient” regional college, a new designation from U.S. News & World Report to recognize those institutions that most effectively increase quality and innovation while holding down the cost of education. “As President Whitaker says often, we don’t pursue the rankings and they are not central to what we do,” said AU Director of Marketing and Communication Barry Ray. “It is nice, however, to see the effort our entire campus puts in daily to enhance the educational experience for our students recognized in this way.” Anderson welcomed what is far and away its largest freshman class three weeks ago (657) and has topped 3,100 in enrollment in the fall of 2014, capping a period of ten years in which the university has nearly doubled in enrollment.
Anderson alumnus chosen to battle Ebola virus in Liberia When news outlets such as Fox News reported earlier this year about the South Carolina physician that was traveling to Liberia to battle the Ebola virus, his name sounded very familiar to many AU alumni. Dr. Jeffrey Deal, a physician and inventor who has helped battle disease in impoverished nations around the world, was the logical choice for the Liberian government. Deal invented a robotic disinfection machine, called the TRU-D (Total-Room Ultraviolet Disinfector), which is manufactured by the Lumalier Corporation of Memphis, TN. The device uses ultraviolet light to kill harmful bacteria in the hospital room setting. It is unique in that it kills (including the most resistant viruses) under objects, behind machinery and anywhere they might be within the room. After an injury derailed his opportunity to play basketball at the University of Georgia in 1972, Deal enrolled at what was then known as Anderson College, which wasn’t too far from his home in Toccoa, Georgia, and which offered him a basketball scholarship. Deal told Anderson University Magazine year before last that, “Anderson was what I needed and I didn’t even know it. It would have been a disaster to go anywhere else.” He went on to earn degrees from Furman University and the Medical University of South Carolina. His son is a recent graduate of Anderson University as well. Deal worked for 17 years as a board-certified otolaryngologist in private practice in Charleston. When the loss of much of the vision in one eye due to retinal disease kept him from performing microsurgery, he shifted his focus to other areas of interest, including mission work and the study of anthropology. “It worked out for the best,” he says. Today, he serves as the director of health research for Water Missions International;
Dr. Jeffrey Deal with President of Lyberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Tru-D Robot
a nonprofit, Christian engineering organization that serves the water and sanitation needs of people in developing countries and disaster areas. He and his wife, Hart live in Charleston and have four children. His invention, the TRU-D robot, is used in patient isolation areas such as the operating room and intensive care unit. Using Sensor360™ technology, which calculates the time needed to react to room variables – including size, geometry, surface reflectivity and the amount and location of equipment in the room – TRU-D delivers a lethal dose of UV-C light during a single cycle from a central location. Before the device is enabled, all drawers in the room are opened, all doors are closed and safety signs are put outside the room to ensure no one enters. The robot is then activated remotely. Deal is working with Liberian officials and the National Task Force on Ebola.
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AU professor Howard Murphy helps oversee the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons By Evelyn Beck Howard Murphy, an assistant professor of Criminal Justice and Emergency Management Services at Anderson University, and a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, has played a key role in dismantling the Syrian chemical weapons program. As the Operations and Planning Officer and U.S. Strategic Command’s Senior Liaison Officer, he helped to demilitarize Syria’s declared chemical warfare agents. Beginning in December 2013, Murphy assisted in preparing the Motor Vessel (M/V) Cape Ray, a roll-on/roll-off Maritime Administration cargo ship, to become the world’s first floating chemical weapons demilitarization facility. He then led a team of planners from nine U.S. Government agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Maritime Administration, and the Coast Guard, in developing the ship’s demobilization plan, which served as the U.S. Government’s playbook for the safe and successful return of the M/V Cape Ray to its home port. After the Syrian government used the nerve agent sarin in an August 21, 2013, attack that killed approximately 1500 Syrians, the country ultimately bowed to international pressure to declare and allow the destruction of its stockpile of declared chemical materials. The OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons)—the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2013—oversaw the efforts. Murphy was enlisted to prepare the vessel and oversee the command and control of the mission due to his military and civilian backgrounds in weapons of 10 | CAMPUS NEWS
mass destruction counter-proliferation, nonproliferation, and emergency management. Murphy’s team fitted the ship with 20-foot berthing units for the additional 100 crew members needed, along with a medical unit and helicopter landing pad. He oversaw the installation of necessary equipment, including two mobile hydrolysis systems, for the processing of two OPCW Priority 1 chemicals: methylphosphonyl difluoride (DF), the primary precursor for sarin, and sulfur mustard, a blister agent. Hydrolysis was used to process both. Hot water and caustic soda were applied to the DF, hot water and hydrochlorite to the sulfur mustard. In all, the crew of the M/V Cape Ray neutralized 581,559 kilograms of DF and 19,873 kilograms of sulfur mustard.
“We faced significant challenges, not the least of which was Syria’s delays in providing the OPCW with the chemical warfare materials,” said Murphy. “We were supposed to receive the materials in January. We actually received the last of the declared materials in June. So there was a great deal of waiting and negotiating and planning taking place in that six-month period.” Once the materials were received, the Cape Ray team destroyed them in less than 60 days. The remaining DF effluent was delivered to Finland for further processing. The mustard effluent, which contained less than 0.1 percent of the original chemical weapons materials, was delivered to Germany. In September, the Cape Ray pulled into port in Portsmith, Virginia, where it underwent verification of decontamination and
was retrofitted for return to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s MARAD reserve fleet. “It was a huge honor to be asked to participate in this mission,” said Murphy. “We had some of the world’s best talent and people involved.” Murphy gained experience in this field back in 1995, when he accepted a position managing medical operations for the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Demilitarization System—the world’s first chemical weapons demilitarization facility—on Johnston Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Then he was selected to oversee all medical support operations for all of the Army’s chemical weapons stockpile, non-stockpile, and destruction programs. In 1997, Murphy was one of two U.S. chemical weapons program experts selected by the OPCW to assist in training OPCW inspectors at The Hague.
Murphy’s experience is a great asset to AU’s students, who receive both U.S. and international perspectives on complex emergency management and security operations, as well as terrorism counteraction and weapons of mass destruction counter-proliferation and consequence management operations from someone who has dealt with those challenging situations first hand. Murphy has also been instrumental in partnering with the International Association of Emergency Managers, a credentialing body, so that graduates of the Emergency Management Services program are prepared for their Certified Emergency Management (CEM) credentialing process. “The CEM is to the Emergency Management profession what the CPA credential is to the accounting profession,” said Murphy.
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Tim Smith of Union University to assume new role at Anderson University
programs to meet the needs of the local region and society in general to support the University’s continuing focus on providing accomplished and principled leaders for society. He will work closely with AU President Dr. Evans Whitaker to provide support in the broad accomplishment of a new strategic plan currently under development.
Dr. Tim Smith, who has guided the highly regarded and rapidly growing nursing programs at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, has accepted the newly created position of Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Special Associate to the Provost at Anderson University.
“Tim Smith has already proven himself a valuable professional and great fit for Anderson as he worked with us to create our successful programs in nursing,” said President Whitaker. “We are thrilled that he will bring his considerable experience and creative thinking to bear at Anderson University as we seek new strategic ways to serve our current students, future students and the greater cause of Christian higher education. Dr. Smith will play a crucial role with us as we continue on our upward trajectory to becoming one of the nation’s premier comprehensive universities.”
Smith resigned his position at Union this summer. He has been the dean of the School of Nursing there since 2005 and presided over a 75 percent expansion in enrollment since then. Recognized nationally as a leader in the field of healthcare education. He founded the Center for Excellence in Healthcare Practice, which provides services to healthcare organizations including a nurse residency program for five hospitals of the TriStar Health System in Middle Tennessee. “Tim Smith is recognized as one of the premier leaders in healthcare education in this region,” Union President David S. Dockery said this summer in a press release. “His visionary and entrepreneurial skills have energized and advanced the outstanding nursing program at Union University over the past decade. We salute Tim Smith and offer our thanksgiving to God for his significant contribution to the life of Union University, even as we offer our prayers for his new and expanded opportunities at Anderson University in the days ahead.” His new role will have several distinct facets. Initially, Smith will be responsible for leading the expansion of Anderson University’s offerings to establish the university as an Upstate leader in the health sciences. His larger focus will be to work with the administration and faculty to identify and seize opportunities to expand other educational
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Smith holds the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in nursing from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, and a diploma in nurse anesthesia from the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. He also completed the B.S. in nursing from the University of Memphis. He is presently working to complete a Ph.D. in leadership and an M.A. in theological studies. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles as well as book reviews and research abstracts. Smith is married to Penney Smith, a healthcare administrator and educator, and the couple has two children. Dr. Smith began his new duties at Anderson on July 7.
CCAAM MPPU USS N NEEW WSS
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McAdams selected for Riley Institute at Furman Diversity Leaders Initiative’s 18th class
knowledge of how to effectively manage and lead increasingly diverse workers, clients and constituents,” said Johnson. As part of the program, leaders also work in cross-sector groups to respond to real issues and opportunities in their communities through capstone service projects.
Dr. Beverly Rice McAdams, VP for Presidential Affairs at Anderson University, is one of 44 leaders from across the Upstate and surrounding areas selected to participate in the 18th Upstate class of the Riley Institute at Furman’s Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI). “In its tenth year, DLI and the Riley Fellows have matured into a potent force to help move the state forward,” said Don Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute. “The members of this class, with their extremely varied professional and community interests, will be a strong addition to the body of Fellows.” Poised to join more than 1300 Riley Fellows from
Participants ref lecting South Carolina’s
across the state, class members meet over the
demographics and representing the corporate,
course of five months in a format driven by timely,
nonprofit, education, faith-based and government
relevant case studies and other experiential
sectors are chosen by nomination and application.
learning tools designed to maximize interactions
“The frames of reference and skills that DLI
and productive relationships among program
graduates share provide a remarkable platform for
participants. DLI is expertly facilitated by Juan
working together to help South Carolina compete
Johnson, an independent consultant and former
in the 21st century,” Gordon said.
Coca-Cola Vice President. “DLI is unique among South Carolina’s leadership programs. In
Anderson University Vice President for Institutional
addition to the opportunity to develop new
Advancement Dean Woods was also named to
relationships and take part in positive action
the panel.
in their communities, participants gain deep
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school of nursing receives final approval Traditional and Accelerated B.S.N. Programs
Anderson University School of Nursing received its final licensure in the more than two-year approval process from The South Carolina Board of Nursing and now has state, regional and national accreditation. The South Carolina Board of Nursing grants an original approval to a qualified nursing program to allow it to begin, but that program must also prove itself over a period of time before earning the approval Anderson’s program received, which now completes the successful startup of AU’s two degree tracks in nursing. The AU School of Nursing is led by Dean Dr. Pamela Binns-Turner, the department co-chairs Dr. Beth Schultz and Dr. Charlotte Stephens, the nursing faculty and staff, and nursing students of the School of Nursing.
In addition to approval by the SCBON, the School of Nursing has also received regional accreditation from The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and a specialized national accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. “To bring our new School of Nursing successfully through a rigorous approval and accreditation process is no small feat,” said Anderson President Dr. Evans Whitaker. “Dr. Binns-Turner and her department co-chairs Dr. Stephens and Dr. Schultz worked tirelessly and effectively in achieving this approval. We are extremely proud of our Nursing School and its leadership and are looking forward to even greater days ahead.” Anderson provides two tracks toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a traditional undergraduate program and an accelerated B.S.N. for careerchanging adults that can be completed in 15 months.
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beyond economics— new course broadens view for all majors By Leigh Savage There aren’t many business courses where economics majors sit alongside Christian studies majors, or fi nance students team up with philosophy students.
University. In spring 2014, more than 30 students took the class - approximately half business majors and half students from other departments. “That was exactly what I wanted,” he said. “We didn’t advertise it, so we hope for more this spring. It is on the schedule for spring 2015.” In May, the Acton Institute announced winners of its mini-grants for faculty members at Christian universities who are promoting the teaching of market economics, and Ivankovic received a $600 grant to support the course.
But those are common occurrences is Dr. Miren Ivankovic’s History of Economic Thought class, which debuted last spring. An Acton University mini-grant is helping him expand on the concept for spring 2015. “Very few colleges offer History of Economic Thought, because it’s a dying breed,” Ivankovic said. “Economics has moved toward quantitative analysis and almost a physics approach becoming dominant. Schools are preparing students for that instead of looking at how historic events shaped the science of economics.” Ivankovic, who has taught at Anderson for eight years, wants to help make sure the history and philosophy behind the field are not lost. “The theory is just as important as the mathematical model, and that’s what I’m trying to accomplish to bridge across the campus away from the business school, so that all of these majors can come in and enjoy a conversation.” Ivankovic, who teaches courses such as corporate fi nance, investments and econometrics, is a regular attendee at Acton University in Grand Rapids, Mich., a four-day event hosted each summer by the Acton Institute. The Institute is a non-profit research organization founded to promote the study of free-market economics informed by religious faith. At Acton University, Ivankovic attended a course on the history of economic thought and in 2013 created a proposal to bring the topic to Anderson
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He used the funds for transportation to a field trip in Clemson, to purchase books in addition to the required textbook, and to attend a conference in Charlotte focused on 19th-century political economist Frederic Bastiat. Ivankovic used a Socratic approach for the course, doing little lecturing and instead having the students read and then come to class for discussions. Student feedback was very positive, he said. “This was just a pilot study, but I would like the course to be in the permanent catalog,” he said. “We encourage liberal arts, and want overall well-educated students here, so I think courses like this are very useful. We don’t want people thinking of models and not understanding the history. There is room for another approach.”
Anderson University students win 19 local ADDY awards As a further testament to Anderson University’s outstanding graphic design program, AU design students won 19 of the 26 student awards presented at this year’s A AF (American Advertising Federation)-Greenville Annual American Advertising Awards competition. The ceremony was held on Saturday, February 22. AU graphic design students won 8 gold ADDY’s, 9 Silver, and 2 special judges awards – one for digital design and another for collateral publications. According to the A AF website, the student American Advertising Awards is sponsored by the A AF and National Ad 2 and occurs in conjunction with the prestigious ADDY awards. Student ADDYs recognize and reward creative excellence by students, and like the professional ADDYS, the student ADDY awards is also a three-tier national competition. All across the country, local entrants vie for recognition as the very best in their markets. At the second tier, local
winners compete against other winners in one of 14 district competitions. District winners are then forwarded to the third tier, the national ADDY Awards competition.
“In recent years, we’ve come to expect our students to show extremely well at the local level, and this year was no exception, says Anderson graphic design professor Tim Speaker. “We’re delighted to take 19 of the 26 awards given. It’s a tribute to the hard work of our very talented students. We’re very blessed.” — Tim Speaker Since the introduction of Student Addy’s six years ago, Anderson University has dominated the local competition including an entire sweep of the awards on one occasion. Additionally, AU designers have won national awards on four occasions and multiple awards twice. Pictured below: Timothy P. Speaker, Associate Professor of Art
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Leading the way: Arts with spirit. Arts as professions. The South Carolina School of the Arts is quickly becoming one of the region’s cultural hubs
musical theatre graduate Elyse South landed leading role in Disney production of Frozen stage production by Evelyn Beck After AU alumni Elyse South and her husband moved to Orlando, Florida, for her internship at Disney World, they became involved in a nondenominational church called Mosaic that unofficially ministers to Disney cast members. The couple also befriended and brought into the faith a young woman they met there. From these experiences, South has become clearer on the future. “I will always be in the theater,” she said. “But I’ve also learned that it will be essential to me to have a ministry within the theater. I have a friend who says you can run out of pixie dust, but if you run off of the Holy Spirit, he is the sustainer that will not run out.” South arrived at Disney in 2012 after completing her degree in musical theater at Anderson University. Then she moved into a role as a cast member, all the while seeking her big break through audition after audition. The role she finally landed was in a stage production of the hit Disney film Frozen. When South got the phone call that she had landed her first Equity role as an actor, she tried to remain calm. “I wanted to act professional, so I had a normal voice,” she said. “But after hanging up, I freaked out and squealed for five minutes. My cat thought I was crazy.”
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Being employed under an Equity contract means that a performer can join the Actors’ Equity Association, ensuring good pay for an extended amount of time. The show, which ran from July 5 to Sept. 1 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios park, began with a parade down Hollywood Boulevard. Anna and Elsa, the sisters of Frozen, rode in a horse-drawn sleigh and pulled up to the stage, where they were welcomed to the land of Hollywood. They greeted everyone and then performed seven sing-a-long shows a day to packed houses in a theater that sat 1,000. Immediately after landing the role, South began rehearsals, and the show opened just one week later. “It was the fastest rehearsal process ever,” she said. “The movie has been so popular that I guess Disney decided to capitalize on it. I loved the movie. The song ‘Let It Go’ I think everyone identifies with because we all have something we can be free in and can celebrate about ourselves.” Over the past two years at Disney, South has worked as a cast member mostly in the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The work involves quickly learning dance moves and songs and how to play to a large audience as well as how to interact individually with patrons to make them feel special. “Walt Disney always said he wanted a fully immersive experience,” she said. “He wanted them to get lost in the magic.” The lessons learned at AU have proven invaluable as South works her way up the ladder in the entertainment world. Perhaps most important was the focus on auditioning, not only on stage but also off. “I treat every day at Disney like an audition,” she said. “I try to treat everyone with the same level of respect, no matter what they look like or how they are dressed. You never know who you could be standing by backstage, so I’ve learned to always be professional.” She also absorbed the techniques for getting to know a character. “My acting classes at Anderson really equipped me to go above and beyond with
my job at Disney,” she said. When she’s given a role, she digs deep to learn everything she can about the character, from her favorite color to whether she prefers cloudy or sunshiny days to whether she likes her hair curled or straight. South can remember being given a list of 150 such questions her senior year when she played Ariel in Footloose. “Your audience may never find out what your character prefers, but it will show through that you believe you are who you say you are,” she said. Dr. David Larson, dean of The South Carolina School of the Arts at AU, remembers her vividly. “Elyse was one of those actresses who was full of energy all the time. Even coming into the program, she was intense and pushing into the material. She is a very gifted performer, the full package.”
The stage has always beckoned for South. A family video shows her at age three, bedecked in ribbons, crooning along with country songs from the jukebox at the Village Deli in Augusta, Georgia. “The stage has always been home to me,” she said. A native of Greenwood, South met her future husband Mac when he brought her best friend to the senior prom; it wasn’t until they attended college together that they fell in love. Upon arriving in Orlando, the Souths moved in with the family of another AU theater major and have met six fellow Trojans who work at Disney. Mac South, a math education major, works for a nonprofit called Generous Giving.
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The South Carolina School of the Arts selected as the first university in South Carolina to produce Disney’s & Mackintosh’s “Mary Poppins” The musical theatre program within The South Carolina School of the Arts is no stranger to ambitious productions. Whether it was the rousing numbers and intricate sets of Fiddler on the Roof or recreating the thrills of the circus in Barnum, as the program has grown under the leadership of Dr. Deborah McEniry, lavish productions and challenging material are expected every fall. It was no surprise then, when plans were announced to stage the Broadway production of Mary Poppins. What was a surprise, however, was the fact that Anderson University was selected as the first theatre company deemed worthy of staging the newly released Broadway musical in South Carolina. If audience response was any indication, the singers, dancers and actors of AU hit their mark and then some. The South Carolina School of the Arts presented the wildly successful Disney and Cameron Mackintosh
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Broadway production of Mary Poppins October 22-25 in the Henderson Auditorium of the Rainey Fine Arts Center. After a record-breaking run on Broadway, the production was made available earlier this year to qualified theatre companies. The timeless classic with original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman and based on the book by Julian Fellowes, the new production featured additional songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Capacity crowds greeted all four performances of Mary Poppins with standing ovations as the performances earned their rightful place among the finest and most popular AU has ever done. To see more stunning photos of Mary Poppins, visit our website at andersonuniversity.edu
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education and connections through AU helped position graphic designer Emily Weiland in New York City design circles By Brianne Holmes
Less than a year after her graduation, Weiland moved to New York City to work at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) for Debbie Millman, Chair of the Masters in Branding program at SVA and president of the design division of Sterling Brands, the firm behind Kraft, Pepsi, Nestle, and other prominent brands. In her position, Weiland assists in marketing SVA’s branding program. She also works behind the scenes for Millman’s graphic design podcast, Design Matters, which enables her to meet the artists featured on the program. After working for a year, Weiland is eligible to earn a master’s degree at the prestigious SVA free of charge. Weiland credits Anderson University and its instructors with solidifying her love for graphic design. “The professors are so passionate about it, and the program is so good,” Weiland said. “They made it very obvious to me that that is something that I wanted to do.” In fact, Weiland said she never would have met Millman or found the job in New York if not for AU. It began in summer 2013 when Anderson art professors led a group of students on a trip to New York City. Through their visit, Dr. Jo Carol Mitchell-Rogers, who chairs The South Carolina School of the Arts Department of Art and Design, established a relationship with Millman and invited her to Anderson to teach a workshop and exhibit her art in AU’s Vandiver Gallery.
When Emily Weiland studied graphic design at Anderson University, she thrived on branding and product design. For class projects she designed magazines, created a brand identity based on the Under Armour sports apparel company, and designed reusable packaging for gift wrapping paper that prevents the paper from tearing and wrinkling between uses. During her time at AU, Weiland won three awards through the American Advertising Federation.
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Weiland attended Millman’s lecture and decided to introduce herself to the designer. Their conversation quickly left triviality behind as they discussed Weiland’s career aspirations and job search. Dr. Mitchell-Rogers said that Millman was impressed by Weiland’s earnest, genuine nature. “I was thinking about her all last night,” Millman
told Mitchell-Rogers the morning after her conversation with Weiland. That same morning, Millman offered Weiland the job at SVA. Dr. Mitchell-Rogers says it was easy for her and other professors to recommend Weiland. “As a student she was committed and self-directed and very talented,” Dr. Mitchell-Rogers said. “I think Debbie Millman is lucky to get her.” Anderson afforded Weiland many occasions to prove her mettle. In 2013, she won a gold student ADDY award through the American Advertising Federation, Greenville, for her work in magazine design for a team project. In addition, she won two silver A AF, Greenville, student ADDY awards, one in 2012 and one in 2013. Several other Anderson students also triumphed in the A AF competitions, winning 25 of the 35 A AF, Greenville, student ADDY awards in 2013.
The quality of AU’s students won Millman’s attention. Dr. Mitchell-Rogers said the students in Millman’s workshop impressed her with the range, sophistication, and depth of their responses. Junior graphic design major Annie Churdar, winner of a 2013 national gold ADDY, particularly caught Millman’s eye. Millman invited Churdar to intern with Sterling Brands in New York. Though Weiland expressed surprise at her own sudden change in fortune inaugurated by Millman’s job offer, those who know Weiland know that her success is merited. Dr. MitchellRogers praised Weiland’s talent, work product, and genuine spirit. “We knew that any opportunity she had, that she would be an asset,” Dr. Mitchell-Rogers said. Weiland displays her work on her website: cargocollective.com/emilyweiland.
Heavy-Weight Gift Wrap Designer: Emily Weiland
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sudden exposure— art professor finds new following after prominent web feature After founding several award-winning design firms and working for well-known companies such as Coca-Cola, graphic design professor Jane Dorn is justifiably confident about presenting her design work to large audiences. But when it comes to her other passion, photography, she has been more hesitant - until a chance encounter led to a rave review on brainpickings.org, a prominent blog that receives more than 1.2 million visitors per month. Brain Pickings, which covers topics such as history, current events and art, was founded by Maria Popova, who has been lauded as one of the most creative people in business (by Fast Company magazine) and one of the most influential people in media (by Forbes Magazine). The glare of Popova’s spotlight meant Dorn’s personal photos found a huge new audience overnight. “I didn’t realize the scope of this,” said Dorn. “One morning I checked my e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, and people from all over the world were following me or retweeting the piece. It has really changed things in terms of exposure. It’s been amazing.” An exhibit of the work, along with photos by Jo Carol Mitchell-Rogers, was on display in the Vandiver Gallery of the Thrift Library from Oct. 19-Dec. 13. The adventure began when Popova visited the area to attend a workshop. Mitchell-Rogers, the chair of the AU art department, showed Popova some of Dorn’s photographic work. “I hesitate to show my
work, because photography is so personal,” Dorn said. “So (Mitchell-Rogers) took the initiative for me.” Popova, who is inundated with submissions each week, was impressed and featured the photos on April 3 in a piece titled “The Presence of Absence,” calling Dorn’s work “poignant,” “haunting,” and “striking.” The photos were taken during one of Dorn’s many off-road meanderings around South Carolina. “I started five years ago, traveling the back roads with no destination,” she said. “I just roam for days.” Photos capturing abandoned homes, schools and churches, including a crumpled Bible, a cavernous school room and a jumbled drawer of cutlery, speak to impermanence and the ability to see beauty in imperfection. As Dorn writes on the Brain Pickings site, “I see not what is present, but what is missing. I see evidence of absence through the presence of what remains.” This summer, Dorn self-published “Empirical Evidence,” a book showcasing the project. She has received numerous inquiries since the Brain Pickings coverage, generating thousands of likes on Facebook and retweets on Twitter along with scores of emails from around the world, many in unfamiliar languages. Dorn is equally passionate about teaching - “a wonderful second career” after working in graphic design for 30 years. She finished her master’s degree in graphic design at Savannah College of Art and Design last November, the fulfillment of a lifelong goal that also helped her remember what it’s like to be “on the other side of the grade book.” “I just fell in love with teaching,” she said. “The students are amazing. They are so curious and full of ideas. I’m blown away every day by what they teach me.” To learn more about Jane visit: www.janedorn.com twitter.com/JaneDorn
www.behance.net/janedorn
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music grad grooves on Rio 2 soundtrack and with pop stars Janelle Monáe and P. Diddy by Evelyn Beck Having started his music career at the age of eight, bassist Brandon Gilliard knew a lot about music before attending Anderson University. In fact, Leonard Johnson, the director of the AU Ensemble gospel choir, recruited Gilliard after hearing him play. “It was magical,” says Johnson. “I was impressed with his ear, the fact that he was able to pick up on anything.” Dr. Richard Williamson, a South
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Carolina School of the Arts music prof agrees: “He had a lot to offer from the very beginning.” One-on-one time with professors Gilliard considered attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music, which has an international reputation for training commercial musicians, but he chose Anderson instead. “AU ended up being the best choice,” he says. “The whole Christian atmosphere and the fact that it was a smaller college made me feel more at home. I probably got a better education there than I could have gotten anywhere else because of the one-on-one time I received from professors.” AU helped turn this talented artist into a complete musician by the time he graduated in 2005 with a BA in music with a concentration in double bass. It solidified the fundamentals, guiding him to read music with a greater depth of understanding and to develop his great ear even further. Gilliard
cites in particular the influence of three instructors: From Dr. James Clark, he learned to always be a professional. From Johnson, he learned how to play a supporting role. “He was always telling us that even though we had the chops, not to show off for the sake of showing off,” says Gilliard. From Dr. Williamson he learned that “Nobody’s going to be responsible for me as an adult except for me. We thought he was tough at times, but I realized that the fact that he wasn’t easy on us made us better, more functional adults.”
“The whole Christian atmosphere and the fact that it was a smaller college made me feel more at home. I probably got a better education there than I could have gotten anywhere else because of the one-on-one time I received from professors.” — Brandon Gilliard
Anderson University Alumni
Relationship with God And one of the most lasting impacts of the years at AU has been what he has gained spiritually. “AU’s spiritual dimension has helped me to stay sane,” he says. “The music field can be stressful at times. The fact that I have a relationship with God gives me something to lean on and keep going.” Gilliard has enjoyed great success from his home base in Atlanta. He has toured since early 2012 with Janelle Monáe, a pop artist signed to Atlantic Records who has been nominated for six Grammys. Gilliard also recorded on her most recent album, The Electric Lady. He has also worked with Kimbra, David Crowder, Erykah Badu, P. Diddy, and many others.
Gilliard has performed around the world—from the White House and the Super Bowl to the Sydney Opera House—and appeared on TV shows, including The Late Show with David Letterman, The Arsenio Hall Show, Saturday Night Live and The Today Show. He has also appeared in music videos and recorded movie soundtracks, such as the 20th Century Fox animated film Rio 2. He has worked with The Jim Henson Company, Fox, Blue Sky Studios and John Powell, who is famous for his many film scores. Gilliard’s website— www.btgill.com—contains a comprehensive list of his performances and up-to-date touring schedule. Giving back to the community Gilliard enjoys giving back to the community by giving lectures and doing master classes at schools around the country. He most recently made an appearance at a Boston school of the arts that’s a feeder for Berklee, before performing at the House of Blues Boston. Gilliard attributes his success to talent, professionalism, and persistence. “I started playing gigs with anybody and everybody I could,” he says. “It’s word of mouth. If you play with one person and do a good job, then the next person calls.” Among his influences, he counts bassists James Jamerson (Motown records), Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power), Pino Palladino ( John Mayer Trio and D’Angelo), and Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire). He calls his own style “New Old-School” for its blend of nostalgia for the Motown era and originality. As for his approach, it’s to “play every note as if it’s your only chance and make it groove.” It seems like there’s little he can’t do with a bass. He plays in a wide variety of genres, including country, hip-hop, rock, jazz, bluegrass, R&B, gospel, classical, funk and pop. “I’ve always known that I wanted to be a versatile musician, not stuck in one genre,” he says. “I’m always open to play with any artist that calls.”
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Doug Norwine by Alex Ramirez Doug Norwine’s students probably grew up on his music without realizing it. The saxophonist spent 28 years in Los Angeles’s commercial music industry, where he worked on soundtracks to kids classics like Rugrats and Saved by the Bell, as well as more mature hit shows like Law & Order and Frasier. His most famous role was probably on The Simpsons, providing the saxophone for Lisa Simpson and her mentor, Bleeding Gums Murphy. His time in commercial music also saw him performing with musicians like Ray Charles, Chaka Khan, and Frank Sinatra.
Norwine has a Bachelor’s in Music Education and a Master’s Equivalent in Performance. He initially taught for a couple years in Boston, but one day realized teaching music seemed silly without any life experience. His time in Los Angeles provided him with plenty, and now he’s ready to give back. “Everything I teach is based on my experience,” he says. “I always try to make my students realize the practical applications of every theoretical concept they learn in their studies. That makes it more relevant, and it shows how this is going to be something you put in your toolbox and use in your professional career—whether they’re a professional musician, teacher, whatever job affiliated with music.” For example, his students can realize the practical value in writing melodies and four part harmonies and in knowing chord notation.
“I enjoyed doing that, but it wasn’t as much fun as music,” says Norwine. “And God put me here to be a musician.” Norwine is glad he found his way to Anderson, and the University is just as happy to have him. He assures his students that there’s always hope to learn even the most difficult of theories. “One thing about music: there can be a concept you know you’ll never understand. If you keep putting in the time and develop your ear, you’re guaranteed to get better at music. I always say be too persistent to quit.” Norwine is now a full-time faculty member at The South Carolina School of the Arts, where he teaches classes on music theory, the history of popular music in America, and orchestration. He also leads the jazz band and directs the praise group, Mosaic alongside his wife Kelley (who works in graduate admissions at AU).
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Norwine also appreciates Anderson’s faith-based community. “College is still challenging, but a faith based college makes things a lot more safe and sane, a lot less distractions,” he said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie here based in the Christian faith. People from other schools can’t believe how friendly the students are here.”
In addition to his time in LA, Norwine also spent four years in Dallas as the Director of Music and Entertainment Memorabilia at the Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas. He oversaw the auctions of the estates of artists like James Deen, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Frank Sinatra. Norwine himself has been a memorabilia collector since he was 10, and is the proud owner of parts of Frankesntein’s lab and thousands of autographs. That enthusiasm is the key to Norwine’s successful teaching. “I never lost my childhood sense of wonderment about playing music,” he says, “and I try to bring that to the class.”
“Doug Norwine is a great addition to the music faculty of the South Carolina School of the Arts,” says Dr. David Larson, Dean of the South Carolina School of the Arts. “He brings a wealth of professional experience and is a great mission fit for Anderson University. He role-models high standards and an infectious enthusiasm for Jazz, and you can feel his students stretching to meet this expectation.”
prominent jazz musician/ educator Jamey Aebersold visits AU Jamey Aebersold, an internationally known saxophonist and authority on jazz education and improvisation, gave a two-hour master class on Oct. 16 at The South Carolina School of the Arts.
Aebersold, a 2014 recipient of the National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters Award (the nation’s highest honor) for his lifetime achievement and exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz, performed in the Daniel Recital Hall with Anderson-area musicians following the class. Aebersold developed a series of Play-A-Longs (book and CD sets now numbering almost 130 volumes) as well as other supplemental aids for the development of improvisational skills. The Aebersold book and recording sets allow a musician the opportunity to practice and improvise with well-known jazz personalities at home as well as in the classroom.
From left to right, Dr. David Perry, Doug Norwine, Jeff Purtle & Jamey Aebersold
“Two hundred or so students and adults were exposed to Jamey’s expertise during the day and evening,” — Doug Norwine Assistant Professor of Music Dour Norwine is The South Carolina School of the Art’s veteran Hollywood recording artist and saxophonist who directs the Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music. The Play-A-Longs recordings employ some of the best jazz musicians in the world. This concept has been responsible for changing the practice habits of thousands of musicians around the globe.
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®
presents
ARTURO SANDOVAL March 20, 2015 Merritt Theatre 5:00 PM
For tickets contact the AU Box Office at 864-231-2080 CEP & 090 Credit available
sponsored by:
Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval to perform March 20, 2015 at The South Carolina School of the Arts Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval will conduct a workshop at Anderson University’s Merritt Theater at 5 p.m. on March 20. Sandoval, a native of Cuba who defected to the U.S. in 1990 and became a naturalized citizen in 1999, was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2013. Sandoval, who has written more than 200 compositions, has won 10 Grammy Awards and been nominated for more than a dozen. The late bebop jazz legend trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie served as Sandoval’s mentor after meeting him in the late 1970s. Sandoval went on to play with Gillespie in concerts in Europe and Cuba.
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Sandoval’s life is the subject of the 2000 HBO movie For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story. South Carolina School of the Arts trumpet teacher Jeff Purtle arranged Sandoval’s visit, said Assistant Professor of Music Doug Norwine, the veteran Hollywood recording artist and saxophonist who directs the Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music at The South Carolina School of the Arts. In addition to being a highly regarded jazz and classical musician, Sandoval has performed with pop stars Celine Dion, Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys on awards shows, including the Oscars and the Billboard Awards. The public is invited to attend the March 20 workshop at Anderson University, said South Carolina School of the Arts Dean Dr. David Larson. Tickets cost $5 and can be reserved by calling (864) 231-2080.
Photography by Manny Iriate
Tickets $5
AU Fulbright Scholar shares music in Peru Anderson University’s most recent Fulbright Scholar has returned from four months in Peru with a handful of Peruvian compositions to share with the American music community and a host of fond memories of his time there. Dr. Richard Williamson, professor of music in The South Carolina School of the Arts, says his project was focused on curriculum development and collecting compositions, but the most meaningful part of his Fulbright experience was spending time and making music with people. “I was privileged to conduct several choirs both in and outside the Conservatory. I also mentored conducting majors and choral arranging students. A particular honor was to compose for two of the choirs and conduct the premier performances.
One of my great joys these days is keeping in contact with my Peruvian friends, colleagues, and students.” Williamson also spent time with Peruvian composers helping them learn ways to bring their work to broader audiences, including those in the U.S. His visit was so successful; his Peruvian hosts have invited him to return.
“I am humbled and grateful that several institutions have invited me to return to Lima,” said Williamson. “With the assistance of the U.S. Embassy, I will return next June to lead the Conservatory’s ‘Second Workshop in Choral Conducting.’ This will enable me to acquaint Peruvian students and colleagues with the works of some of America’s most important choral composers. I look forward to making more great music with my good friends and colleagues.”
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The South Carolina School of the Arts names commercial music center after the late, Grammywinning composer Johnny Mann Anderson University president Dr. Evans Whitaker announced the creation of the Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music at Anderson University in memory of the two-time Grammy Award-winning composer, arranger, and entertainer who made Anderson his retirement home until passing away recently. At the Mann family’s request, Dr. Whitaker made the announcement during a memorial service for the legendary musician attended by music industry luminaries from around the nation Saturday, June 28.
“Johnny Mann represented so much of what we hope to inspire in our students as they pursue a professional music career,” said Dr. Whitaker. “He did everything with excellence, professionalism and integrity. In the years AU enjoyed a close relationship with him, he made a large impact on The South Carolina School of the Arts, which he helped conceive and launch in 2013 as we rebranded our College of Visual and Performing Arts as one of the nation’s premier schools of professional music, theatre, dance, art, and design. It is fitting that we recognize him and also thank his wife Betty in this way.”
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Anderson’s bachelor’s degree in commercial music is being developed in keeping with the National Association of Schools of Music’s (NASM) standards and is pending final approval from NASM. The new major is performance-based and focuses on more contemporary styles of music such as jazz, pop, bluegrass, rock, rhythm and blues, and more. Doug Norwine, a musician who has spent most of his career in the music industry, has been named director of the Mann Center. A busy studio musician in Los Angeles for the past 28 years, Professor Norwine has been featured on such television shows as Roseanne, Full House, Seinfeld, and The Tonight Show among others. Norwine has received 12 gold and platinum records from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIA A) for his work. Mann, the leader of the 1960s- and 1970s-era Johnny Mann Singers, recorded more than 30 albums of college songs, Christmas songs, patriotic songs, Beatles songs and familiar tunes spanning several musical eras, from “Ol’ Man River” to “Chattanooga Choo Choo” to “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and “Mrs. Robinson.” The Johnny Mann Singers’ first Grammy Award was for the 1961 album Great Band with Great Voices and his second, received in 1967, was for “Up, Up and Away,” which rose to No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart in Great Britain. From 1971 to 1974, Mann was the host of Stand Up and Cheer, a syndicated television variety show with a patriotic slant. From 1967 to 1969 Mann was the music director for The Joey Bishop Show, a late-night talk show on ABC that was meant to compete against The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Before that, he was musical director for The Alvin Show (1961), the original animated series about three singing chipmunks (it was created following the success of a 1958 novelty record) who have since been revived in a number of television shows and movies. In later appearances by the chipmunks,
Mann was proud to be the voice of the chipmunk Theodore for many years. Mann was selected to compose the Anderson University centennial anthem “The Sounds of Anderson” for the university in 2011. The University presented Mann an honorary doctor of humanities degree in 2013. He was a frequent
visitor to Anderson performing arts functions and participated in The President’s Gala this past April, conducting the Anderson University Choir in a rousing performance of his award-winning hit “Up, Up and Away,” which drew a standing ovation from a grateful audience. It was the last public performance for Mann who passed away in June at the age of 85.
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2015 CALENDAR of EVENTS
January 5th-Feb. 20th
A Dealer’s Eye
16th
The Dance Ensemble Concert | Presented by The AU Playhouse
30th
Two Pianos, Three Virtuosos
selected artworks from the Hampton III Gallery Vandiver Gallery of the Thrift Library Gallery talk by Sandy Rupp: February 5th at 6:00 p.m. reception to follow 7:30 p.m. | Henderson Auditorium a free ticketed event
7:30 p.m. | Henderson Auditorium featuring piano faculty members Howard Kim & Lisa Lee presented by the GAMAC Orchestra—call 864.231.6147 for tickets
February 13th
The Festival of Keys
featuring keyboard artists of Anderson University & ensemble, Noteworthy 7:30 p.m. | Henderson Auditorium a ticketed event—call 864.231.2080
23rd - Mar. 31st
BFF Paintings and Re-Presentation
Vandiver Gallery of the Thrift Library Gallery talk: March 5th at 6:00 p.m. reception to follow
25th - 28th Next to Normal | Presented by The AU Playhouse
music by Tom Kitt, book & lyrics by Brian Yorkey 7:30 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. matinee on the 28th | Belk Theatre Next to Normal won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Pulitzer Board called the show “a powerful rock musical that grapples with mental illness in a suburban family and expands the scope of subject matter for musicals.” * not suitable for children
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March 1st
3rd
Red, White & Blues
presented by The Anderson Symphony Orchestra with AU music students & featuring The West End String Band 3:00 p.m. | Henderson Auditorium a ticketed GAMAC event
Choral Masterworks Concert
featuring the Choral ensembles of Anderson University 7:30 p.m. | Location to be announced call 864.231-2025 for details
10th
AU Wind Symphony Concert
19th - 22nd
It’s All Relative | Presented by The Anderson Senior Follies
27th
31st
7:30 p.m. | Daniel Recital Hall a ticketed event—call 864.231.2080 call for details after November 1st a ticketed event
The Freshman Showcase | Presented by The AU Playhouse
7:30 p.m. | Merritt Theatre
String Ensemble Concert
7:30 p.m. | Daniel Recital Hall
April 6th - 17th
Senior Art + Design Exhibition
7th
Music Honors Recital
8th - 11th
Saint Joan | The AU Playhouse
11th
GospelFest | AU Ensemble
17th
Vandiver Gallery of the Thrift Library & Carnegie Building, The Anderson County Arts Center Reception; April 11th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. | Henderson Auditorium by George Bernard Shaw 7:30 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. matinee on the 11th | Belk Theatre a night of praise & celebration in the gospel tradition 7:30 p.m. | Henderson Auditorium donations accepted
The President’s Gala
featuring the performing ensembles of The South Carolina School of the Arts 8:00 p.m. | Henderson Auditorium
22nd
AU Jazz Ensemble
4:00 p.m. | Daniel Recital Hall
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Department of Theatre .......................................... 65 Department of Music .............................................75 Department of Art and Design ............................... 155 Approximate total of School of the Arts majors ........... 295
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So if the production is a three hour show, there are approximately 180 hours of rehearsal.This does not include research, character development, costume fittings, dance or music rehearsal or memorization of lines or music.
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10 | CAMPUS NEWS
athletic news ...
The unstoppable Trojans! AU athletes won regional and even national honors this fall while the Volleyball team made the NCAA tourney
athletic update men’s soccer The Anderson University men’s soccer team opened up its 2014 schedule on the road in Florida as it squared off with historical powers, Rollins and Flagler. Despite closing the Sunshine State road trip with back-to-back setbacks, the Trojans opened South Atlantic Conference play a week later at Catawba. With goals from forward Andre Carle and newcomer Magnus Larsen, Anderson tallied its first win of the season, knocking off the Indians, 2-0.
Anderson continued its schedule throughout October with the SAC Tournament in early November. The Trojans were searching of their fifth straight appearance in the conference tournament championship match as Anderson has won three of the last four conference tournaments. The men’s soccer team is under the direction of first year head coach Michael Zion, who served as an assistant with the program for the last four seasons. Zion, who graduated from AU in 2010, served under former head coaches Rob Miller and John Murphy before being promoted in April. Murphy, who coached the Trojans in 2012 and 2013, took the Associate Head Coach position at Division I’s Boston College. Zion brings a wealth of knowledge to the program as he was an assistant with teams that advanced to the NCA A Tournament in three of the last four seasons highlighted by a Sweet 16 appearance in 2010. As an assistant with the Trojans, Zion has helped lead the team to 50 wins and has coached a two-time All-American and an all-region player of the year.
women’s soccer After setting the South Atlantic Conference record for the most ties in SAC contests in 2013, the theme for the Anderson University women’s soccer team was to “finish” matches as the Trojans looked for wins during the 2014 season. Prior to the start of the season, junior Faith Johannes was the only Trojan named to the Preseason All-SAC teams, as she landed a spot on the Second Team. With Johannes’ honor, AU was projected to finish ninth in the annual SAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Andre Carle
Four days later, the Trojans welcomed archrival Erskine to Trojan Stadium for AU’s home opener. With one of its largest crowds in Trojan Stadium history looking on, Anderson earned a gamewinning 86th minute goal from Larsen to propel the Trojans to a 1-0 win and seal the first point in the Beville Cup standings.
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With the theme in mind, the Trojans opened the season with back-to-back victories over in-state rivals, Southern Wesleyan and North Greenville. All three of Anderson’s goal scorers from the opening week were newcomers to the team as freshman Rachael Whaling scored twice in the home opener against SWU, while freshman Maddie Volz and junior Mariana Poveda netted goals in a 2-0 win over NGU.
As the season has progressed, the Trojans found success through another freshman as Lyssa Engle scored six straight times in a span of three matches, highlighted by a four-goal match in a 4-1 win over conference rival, Mars Hill. For her efforts during the week on Sept. 22-27, Engle was named to co-SAC Player of the Week after scoring five goals in two matches. Engle becomes the first Trojan since the 2011 season to earn the honor.
The Trojans posted shutouts in nine of their first 14 matches of the season are expect to make their presence felt in the South Atlantic Conference and contend for their second consecutive NCA A Southeast Regional Tournament appearance. The team is balanced, both offensively and defensively, and features players ranked highly in both the conference and national statistical categories. Senior middle blocker Hailey Pittman was named South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week in September and went on to record a school-record .750 hitting percentage in AU’s September sweep of GRU Augusta.
golf The men’s and women’s golf teams hosted the AU Invitational in early September, with junior Braiden Furtick and senior Sarah Timms each posting second-round 8-over-par 80s to lead the women’s team to fifth place. Furtick captured a spot on the all-tournament team with a fifthplace finish. On the men’s side, freshman Forrest Fowler finished with a two-day total 3-over-par 147 and led the men’s squad to seventh place. The Spartanburg, S.C., native slashed nine strokes from the opening round and vaulted from 22nd into a tie for fourth, earning all-tournament honors in the process.
Lyssa Engle
AU continues its 2014 campaign under new leadership as head coach Ciaran Traquair was hired in early March, replacing Samar Azem, who was hired at her alma mater Campbell. Traquair comes to the Upstate from Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga., after coaching the women’s soccer program for two seasons. Prior to his stint at Wesleyan, Traquair spent time at Young Harris and his alma mater Shorter.
volleyball Blending veterans with new faces, the volleyball team got off to a great start on the road and continued their success at home, playing in front of large crowds at the Abney Athletic Center.
Braiden Furtick
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men’s basketball Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Ryan Hilburn was named Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach for the Trojans in late September, while former Lenoir-Rhyne standout RJ McClure was named Assistant Coach and graduate student Jerome Coney was also named to the staff. Hilburn is entering his fifth season with the Trojans after joining the staff for the 2010-11 season. Over the last four seasons he has been a part of the Trojans’ Elite Eight run and the Trojans’ 2011-12 South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Championship, which also saw the team reach the NCA A Sweet Sixteen. As an integral part of the coaching staff, Hilburn has helped guide Anderson to an 88-37 overall record since his arrival, with the Trojans making appearances in the NCA A Southeast Regional in three of the last four seasons. The native of Charleston, S.C., directs the Trojans’ recruiting efforts, as well as assisting with practice and game plans. He is in charge of the development of the post players, scouting opponents, and compiling scouting reports on opponents.
Jerome Fedrick Coney
McClure, a former standout guard at LenoirRhyne, led the Bears in scoring (17.7 ppg) and 3-point field goals (77) last season, while being selected to the 2013-14 All-South Atlantic Conference Second Team. The native of Canton, N.C., also set the single-game SAC record for points (52) and the single-game school record for three-pointers made (12) last January at Newberry. Jerome Fredrick Coney III has been a fixture with the program since arriving as a freshman after graduating from T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson in 2009. Coney was an honor student in both English and History in high school and majored in business at AU, graduating cum laude in 2014.
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women’s cross country Looking for their third South Atlantic Conference Championship in the last five seasons, the Anderson women’s cross country team was a preseason selection to finish fourth in the 2014 preseason coaches’ poll. The young but talented Trojan squad, which includes five sophomores and just two upperclassmen, has made its presence felt in the region, claiming a pair of top-10 finishes early in the season. Freshman Alex Dixon, a native of Piedmont, S.C., earned a pair of top-20 finishes early in the season to pace the Trojans.
men’s cross country With just two upperclassmen and five sophomores on the roster, the men’s cross country team was predicted to finish third in the 2014 preseason coaches’ poll, mirroring their finish in last season’s South Atlantic Conference Championships. Newcomer Mason Hazel paced the team early in the season, as AU finished in the top 10 in two of their early-season meets.
Alex Dixon
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a thriving legacy for generations...
Alumni News A beloved AU professor is honored with a new scholarship in her honor, and find out what your classmates have been up to
interior design graduate Kerry Howard redesigned lounge at destination popular among designers by Evelyn Beck Though he didn’t even enter the competition to redo a lounge for designers at AmericasMart, Kerry Howard won anyway. Howard, a 1999 graduate of AU’s interior design program, had worked with AmericasMart previously, and they approached him about tackling the lounge when they didn’t find what they were looking for among the entrants. “They said I was more suited to the project, so in the end it was not a competition,” said Howard, who doesn’t know how many individuals entered besides the four friends who mentioned it to him. He accepted the project in January 2014 and worked on it for three months in the spring, completing it in May. AmericasMart, located in four buildings in Atlanta, is one of the world’s largest wholesale trade centers, a mecca for designers. Open since 1957, it was designed by renowned architect John Portman, who also created the sleek white-onwhite lounge that Howard was shown as a model. “I admire Portman’s work—it’s gorgeous,” said Howard. “But it’s just not me.” Howard did model the setup for the food bar and seating on Portman’s design. But for his own project, Howard changed the whole look and feel. He transformed what resembled a 1980s Holiday Inn lobby with mismatched furniture into a place where designers can relax between shows, eat lunch, check their email, and charge their phones. “I made it a Kerry Howard room,” he said. “I went with a warm gray palette and injected a pretty soft green and violet color. That’s my design aesthetic.”
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Howard himself had used the lounge plenty of times during his career, and he also remembers tagging along to AmericasMart as a kid with his aunt, who owned a furniture store, and being wowed by the showrooms. “For them to ask me was special for me,” he said. “It’s not my typical residential project, but I was able to apply my residential thinking and experience to a commercial space. It was a lot of fun.” The completed space occupies 2,734 feet and cost $171,000. It was completed quickly—in just three months. And Howard managed to fit it in among the 24 other projects he had going on at the same time. Luckily, AU prepared him well. “Everything I learned at Anderson influenced my approach to this project,” he said. “One of the biggest things was public speaking and learning how to work one on one with people.” With the AmericasMart project, Howard presented the storyboards to the construction management and marketing teams, who relayed them to upper management for approval. In contrast to previous project proposals Howard had done for AmericasMart, this one was deemed perfect from the start. “We’d never before had them approve everything,” he said. “But they didn’t change one thing about the entire proposal.” Howard’s success doesn’t surprise Anne Martin, dean of the School of Interior Design at AU. “Kerry was a very intentional student who took advantage of every opportunity that came along,” she said. “The interior design students that come to Anderson University are very serious. They try to honor God with all their talents and try to excel at whatever they do.”
Pictured left to right, Dean Woods, Pat Mulligan, Nancy Hanley, and Bob Hanley
helping others in honor of Pat Mulligan Anderson grads the Rev. Dale Lynch and his wife, along with the First Baptist Church in Belton, declared Sunday, November 16, Pat Mulligan Day. The recent announcement drew an audience of relatives, friends, and co-workers from the church and Anderson University, where Mulligan worked as a professor for 28 years. Mulligan (center) served the church in Turkey and Russia. Tim Bentley, a colleague who served in both countries alongside Mulligan, delivered the message at the recent service. Mulligan, a longtime member of the church, taught at AU and—after retirement—worked overseas for 15 years.
Dean Woods, vice president for Institutional Advancement, publicly recognized Mulligan for her service at home and abroad. AU Vice Provost for Academic Advising Dr. Bob Hanley and his wife Nancy, who heads the Lifelong Learning program at AU, also appear in this photo.
The church, friends, and family established an endowed scholarship at AU in honor of Mulligan and her service to the university and overseas missions. The scholarship is designed to assist international students and the children of missionaries attend AU. Contributions can be added to the scholarship by sending gifts to AU for the Pat Mulligan Scholarship fund.
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