Centenary Magazine Fall 2017

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Top of the Class: Centenary StudentAthletes Excel

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The Centenary Class of 2021 – the largest incoming class since 2011 – at the Palace of Versailles during Centenary in Paris 2017.

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Dear Centenary Community,

Centenary Magazine is published by Centenary College of Louisiana for alumni and friends of the College. © 2017 CENTENARY COLLEGE

FALL 2017

CONTRIBUTORS: Tim Kershner, Associate Vice President for Marketing & Communication Chris Brown, Archivist of the College and Louisiana UMC Sherry Heflin, Visual Identity & Publications Manager Jeremy Johnson, Director of Digital Media Matthew Lofton, Athletics Writer & Sports Information ­Coordinator Candace Metoyer, Digital Media Specialist Kate Pedrotty, Director of Strategic ­Communication Patty Roberts ’82, Coordinator of Grants & Faculty ­Endowments Saige Wilhite Solomon ’05, Director of Alumni & Family Relations STUDENT PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: Rebecca Dunn ’19 Ashley Brown ’17

CENTENARY MAGAZINE Office of Marketing & Communication 2911 Centenary Blvd.

Shreveport, LA 71104

As I reflect on my first year as Centenary’s 31st president, I want to thank you all for the warm welcome you have extended to ­Connie and me.

One of the things that has been most gratifying to discover is the deep well of support that Centenary enjoys in the Shreveport-Bossier City community and everywhere our devoted alumni live. We are looking forward to seeing many of you again at holiday parties around the ArkLaTex. We’ve also just launched a new alumni survey at centenary.edu/alumnisurvey, so I hope that many of you will take a moment to provide feedback that we can use to continue to improve alumni benefits and events.

Exciting things are happening at Centenary! We welcomed our l­argest freshman class in six years in August, and of course, they were soon on their way abroad in the Centenary in Paris program. All of our students returned to find much-needed facelifts in several important student areas, including the SUB, the library, and the lobby of James Hall. As I am writing this, I hear sawing and hammering as a new deck is being installed outside the Caf. The Meadows Museum has been ­extensively renovated and has a new director leading us in an ­innovative direction in the arts.

You’ll read in this magazine about the success of our student-­ athletes, both in their sports and in the classroom. As you’ll learn from our profile of former Centenary tennis stars and new ­Athletic Hall of Fame members Denis and Davor Poljak, our ­current ­student-athletes are part of a long tradition of academic and athletic excellence at the ­College. If you don’t already know the Poljaks and their incredible ­story, I believe you will come away with a fresh perspective on ­Centenary and Shreveport after seeing both through their eyes.

Next year marks Centenary’s 110th anniversary in Shreveport, and we are already excited about celebrating our bicentennial in 2025— it’s hard to believe that’s really just around the corner!

PHONE

318.869.5073

The successes in our past, present, and future are the result of hard work and support from our faculty, staff, alumni, and friends. Thank you for all you have done and will do.

WEB SITE centenary.edu/magazine EMAIL news@centenary.edu

Forward, Centenary!

COVER PHOTOGRAPH 2017 graduate Michael Schimpf at bat during a chamionship season for the Gents 4 baseball [team.

C E N T E N A R Y M A

Dr. Christopher L. Holoman President

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FEATURES

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Searching for History at the Centenary State Historic Site

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Crowdfunding? New tools connect Centenary supporters

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Harvard University scholar visits Jack London Museum

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Alumni Profile: Denis ’94 and Davor ’95 Poljak

COLLEGE NEWS (pages 6-11)

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Centenary inaugurates 31st president

Centenary

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22-23

24-26

Commencement, Snapchat, and Student Activities – Oh My!

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May Intercultural Programs

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Meadows Museum welcomes new director

Top of the Class: Centenary Student-Athletes Excel

History Made! Gents baseball turns in remarkable season

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Sports Recap

MORE ALUMNI NEWS

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Class Notes

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In Memoriam

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Inauguration of the 31st President

Centenary College of Louisiana inaugurated its 31st president, Dr. Christopher L. Holoman, on Friday, March 17. A week-long celebration of the College’s nearly 200-year-old academic traditions culminated in a day marked by a United Methodist worship service, a formal inauguration ceremony in the Centenary Gold Dome, and an afternoon reception that took full advantage of the early spring scenery on Centenary’s beautiful campus. Holoman topped off the evening by delivering the first pitch of the #11 Centenary Gents’ 10-6 victory over Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Schreiner in the conference home opener at Shehee Stadium.

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At the late morning worship service in Centenary’s Brown Chapel, faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends of the College, and many members of Holoman’s family gathered to hear scripture readings from students and an inspiring message from Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey of the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. Harvey praised Centenary for its tradition of educating and preparing principled leaders who are not afraid to “reach into the margins” and take action to help “the least and the lost.” The Reverend Dr. Wybra Price, Shreveport District Superintendent of the UMC, presided over a blessing of Holoman during the service, and retired Bishop William Hutchinson offered the benediction.

Centenary alumni, friends, and an enthusiastic cohort of current students greeted Holoman in the Gold Dome for the formal inauguration ceremony. Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler offered greetings from the local community, while former Centenary provost Dr. Darrell D. Colson, now the president of Wartburg College in Iowa, spoke for the national higher education community. Messages of support and welcome were also offered

by MaryAnn Coleman, president of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, and individuals representing the Centenary Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and students, respectively.

Holoman’s daughters, Allie Fritz and Fran Holoman, spoke on behalf of the president’s family and thanked the Centenary and ShreveportBossier community for welcoming and embracing their parents.

Holoman’s installation as Centenary’s leader was formalized during the inauguration ceremony when he publicly received three important symbols of the College: a reproduction of the College charter, the College mace, and a medallion bearing the College seal. Former Centenary presidents Dr. Donald A. Webb, Dr. Kenneth Schwab, and Dr. B. David Rowe were in attendance to present Holoman with the charter, while faculty members Dr. Harold Christensen and Dr. David Thomas presented the mace. George D. Nelson, Jr. and David Barlow presented the medallion on behalf of the Board of Trustees.

“Centenary College must continue to do what we have done for almost 200 years: prepare our students with tools so that they are both fulfilled as individuals and valued in the marketplace,” said Holoman during his inaugural address. “We must continue to articulate passionately our belief in the value of a liberal arts education and reject the narrative that this education is somehow disconnected from the needs of our society and community.”

Holoman also highlighted Centenary’s past contributions to the economic, cultural, and religious life of Shreveport-Bossier and pledged to be a partner in the continued progress of the Highland neighborhood and the community as a whole. He ended by quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous call to action as his inspiration for leading Centenary toward its third century: “We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.” n

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Commencement Commencement exercises culminating Centenary’s 192nd year took place the morning of April 29, 2017. Ninety-six Centenary undergraduates received 105 degrees, and 18 candidates received graduate degrees in education or business.

Three members of the ShreveportBossier community who were awarded honorary degrees also joined the class of 2017: Dr. Anil Nanda, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, honorary Doctor of Humane Letters; Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler, honorary Doctor of Laws; and Amy Fultz, director of behavior, education and research and co-founder, Chimp Haven, honorary Doctor of Science.

Snapchat Takeovers Dr. Nanda chose an Ancient Greek phrase from the Iliad,

This spring Centenary’s Marketing

αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν, “ever to excel,”

Snapchat – the most used social

as the theme of his commencement address. In answer to the question, “How does one excel?” he acknowledged the relevance of the College’s motto, labor omnia vincit, observing that one cannot excel without hard work.

He also advised graduates to get used to rejection; never forget the importance of faith, humility, and civility; and also remember the equally important Latin phrase omnia vincit amor. Dr. Nanda’s recasting of a line from King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail expressed a sentiment familiar to Centenary alumni of all ages: A friendship anywhere is a friendship everywhere. n

& Communication team added media platform among 12 to 24 year olds – to its social media arsenal.

Snapchat has helped the College reach more prospective students and better communicate and engage with current students.

One of the most successful new uses for Snapchat has been student Snapchat “takeovers.” Every few weeks, we feature a student’s “Day in the Life.” Students take us behind the scenes into the Caf, their study sessions, to their practices and meetings and sometimes even in the classroom – professor approved, of course! Current students enjoy following their peers’ daily activities, and it is exciting for them to see their friends featured on the College’s social media accounts. This studentproduced content also provides prospective students with an inside look at life at Centenary.

We even got President Christopher Holoman on our Snapchat team!

Leading up to his inauguration on March 17, President Holoman took over the Centenary Snapchat to provide our viewers with an inside look at a president’s day. Dr. Holoman showed us some neat Star Wars memorabilia in his office, took us inside a cabinet meeting, and ended with dinner at his home with First Lady Connie Holoman and a few of our senior ambassadors.

To follow Centenary on Snapchat,

Dr. Anil Nanda addresses the Class of 2017.

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Student Research Forum This spring Centenary held its 26th Annual Student Research Forum.

The research forum allows students to present original research in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences to a panel of judges.

The opportunity provides students the ability to hone a variety of skills such as public speaking, utilizing proper research methods for their field of study, and creating professional quality research visual aids. Both oral and poster presentations are presented at the forum.

This year presentation topics ranged from Ben Green’s analysis of Clementine Hunter’s folk art that utilizes queer theory and critical race theory to interrogate the current narratives and discourses that surround Hunter and her art to Melissa Traver’s work with protein interactions in the control of photoperiodic flowering in Sorghum bicolor.

Winners are selected for each division and both the oral and poster presentation categories.

Laura Perilloux was the 2017 poster session winner. Laura worked with her research advisors, Drs. Chaowei Shang, Mansoureh Barzegar, and Shile Huang at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Her research explored the toxic effects of cadmium on neuronal cells.

Oral presentation division winners include Jeff Scott and Halen Sumner from Biology for the Natural Science Division, Liz Guerrant from Sociology for the Social Science Division, and Ben Green from Art History from the Humanities division. Visit centenary. edu/research to learn more about the annual research forum and check back for the 2018 dates. n

25th Annual ­Putnam County Spelling Bee

In March, the Hurley School of Music and Marjorie Lyons Playhouse joined forces to bring The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee to campus.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with a score by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin, follows six young spellers who make it to the fictional Putnam County district spelling bee. The musical follows the comic trials and tribulations of these quirky youngsters as they compete for the coveted spot in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Freshmen Sierra Worman played the role of Olive, a young spelling

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bee first timer who calls the dictionary her best friend. Olive’s parents are often not around and she turns to spelling as a comfort.

“Working on Spelling Bee was an incredibly fulfilling experience,” says Worman. “My favorite part was definitely getting to work with my mentor Twyla Robinson (former Centenary Artist-in-Residence) and her close colleague Jerome Tan. They brought such a deep level of understanding and artistry to the show that I think the cast really grabbed a hold of.”

Spelling Bee incorporates a unique feature where audience members are selected to participate in part of the production. Several famous Centenary faces participated, including President Dr. Christopher Holoman. This element adds a different type of challenge to the production for the students.

“One of the things we try to teach our young performing students is to expect the unexpected. Nothing can be more unexpected than having a total stranger on stage with you who is not actually in the show, and it’s even more surprising when it turns out to be the President of your college! Once you’ve been in a production like that, there is little that will rattle you. It’s an invaluable experience!” said director Robinson. n Visit centenary.edu/MLP for 20172018 productions at Marjorie Lyons Playhouse!

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May Intercultural Programs Centenary’s May Intercultural Programs (“May Modules”) blend cultural immersion and intellectual creativity to create an unparalleled learning experience for students. In May 2017, 82 Centenary students studied in Australia, Denmark, France, and Haiti as well as in the Mississippi Delta and at Shreveport’s very own Chimp Haven sanctuary.

Religious Studies professor Spencer Dew structures his “Lived Religion in Copenhagen” course as a collaborative research trip, where students are helping him refine research questions and gathering data for future projects. Dew is on sabbatical during Fall 2017, working to turn data collected in previous courses into a conference paper and proposal for a book-length manuscript.

“As a class, we visit various minority religious com­ munities in Denmark, from the Ahmadiyya Muslims to the Diamond Way Buddhists, the Latter Day Saints community to the Pentecostal and politically involved Church and Cultural Center in the immigrant neighborhood of Norrebro,” explains Dew. “We’re doing interviews together as a class, collecting information and quotes from community representatives.”

belief and identity with many different people in Copenhagen and was impressed by the way that all of the communities welcomed the Centenary group with open arms as they shared their diverse histories and beliefs. But she was ultimately most struck by another commonality that she and other students observed during their visits. “Danish identity seems to be the biggest thing, and we discussed this with Dr. Dew,” says Sander. “At some point in every meeting, someone reinforced that they were Danish first.”

Sander’s experience in Denmark has inspired her to think creatively about her future, looking for ways to combine her passion for travel and intercultural experiences with her desire to become a women’s health nurse “Centenary’s primary strength is the teacher/student practitioner. As an educator, Dew connection – that here you, as a student, have a knows that engaging his students chance to work directly with your professor.” as active participants in both unique and traditional academic Junior Elizabeth Sander, a biology major with a love settings is the key to activating these sorts of for travel, has taken several previous religious studies discoveries. courses from Dew and jumped at the chance to join the “Lived Religion” program in May. Both the topic “Centenary’s primary strength is the teacher/student and the location were intriguing – Sander says that connection – that here you, as a student, have a Copenhagen is a place she “would never have thought chance to work directly with your professor,” says to go on my own,” but by the end of the 16-day trip, Dew. “I think the ‘Copenhagen’ students are excited she was “ready to move to Denmark!” by the fact that they’re on the ground asking the Lutheranism is Denmark’s official state religion, but the government also recognizes and protects a large number of minority religious communities.

Sander enjoyed the chance to discuss issues of

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same questions I am, and I think they benefit from the fact that – rather than just rehearsing stuff that I claim to know – this (and my other classes) are designed around real, open, and urgent questions. Part of the work of the classroom is working together.” n

New Director for Meadows: Sean FitzGibbons Sean FitzGibbons is settling in at the Meadows Museum of Art. Within a month of arriving at Centenary, new Meadows director FitzGibbons had opened three exhibits and welcomed hundreds of visitors to enjoy a museum looking fresh and updated thanks to $100,000 worth of improvements made over the summer. A generous grant from an anonymous donor funded the installation of new hard surface flooring throughout the museum as well as improvements to HVAC and security systems, all of which were appreciated by the students, families, faculty, staff, and community members who turned out to view the annual exhibition of student work from Centenary in Paris on August 26. Centenary in Paris visitors also had the chance to view Jim Arendt’s Unraveled (in the museum through October 22). Also on the Fall 2017 calendar are Nathan Madrid’s Portraits of ‘The Others’ (September 5 through November 22) and William Scarlato: A Retrospective (October 28 through January 14, 2018).

FitzGibbons takes the reins from Lisa Nicoletti and Bruce Allen, who are returning to the Centenary faculty after serving as Meadows co-directors for almost four years.

Nicoletti and Allen provided leadership during a successful reaccreditation with the American Alliance of Museums and were responsible for a renewed focus on the relationship of the museum to the College’s liberal arts curriculum as well as its place in the

Shreveport-Bossier cultural landscape. FitzGibbons is enthusiastically building on this momentum with plans for new partnerships, programming, and outreach.

This fall, various locations on Centenary’s campus will host the first installations in the new Meadows Outdoors sculpture series, featuring large-scale steel sculptures by Dallas-based sculptor George Tobolowsky. Visitors to the Meadows will also be able to shop in a new “Pop-Up” inspired gift shop that supports Shreveport’s creative economy by featuring local artists, designers, and makers.

These projects will make an immediate impact on the visitor experience, but FitzGibbons is also working to implement a larger vision for the museum. Long-term goals for the Meadows include incorporating the 1,600 artworks owned by the museum into the

“Exhibiting Austin artists with artists from Nashville, programming talks with a lecturer from Oklahoma and a historian from New Orleans, or inviting a curator from St. Louis to do a show based on artists from Shreveport/Bossier are examples of forging our Meadows Museum as a hub of contemporary art,” explains FitzGibbons.

FitzGibbons has been inspired by his new community to make the Meadows a hub for families as well. “One thing I have noticed about Shreveport is that there is so much for families to do,” says FitzGibbons. “The Norton Art

FitzGibbons sees the Meadows as an institution sitting at the geographic crossroads of many thriving and emerging contemporary art communities. rotating contemporary art exhibits.

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Gallery invites families to come play in their sprinklers, there are parks and playgrounds in almost every neighborhood, and in August we stumbled on an event at Betty Virginia Park with all types of large vehicles. These experiences have encouraged me to focus some of our upcoming programming on family-friendly events.” n

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Searching for History at the Centenary State Historic Site

“I found new photos!” said the voice on the phone.

Centenary College of Louisiana faculty and students on the grounds of the campus in Jackson, LA. Circa 1900.

By “new,” we’re talking images first published ninety-seven years ago in a Louisiana state report, but previously unknown to us. “Can you scan the Centre Building photos in the Archives? We want to build a model.”

Creating a model of the largest building at Centenary’s former location in Jackson, Louisiana, is a new project underway at the Centenary State Historic Site. Site manager Daniel Goyer explains, “The model will be used as another tool in interpreting the history of the site to the public. Being able to show someone a three-dimensional object instead of only photographs will help them get a better idea of the size and scale of the building and its various functions.”

The Centre Building housed most of the College’s functions. Two years after its construction, Centenary published the following description in its 1858 edition of the course catalog:

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The Board of Trustees, in carrying out the original design of the State, have completed a large centre building between the present Dormitory Buildings – thus making in perspective, one continuous front of about seven hundred feet. This building has been erected at an expense of over sixty thousand dollars.

It contains a Chapel for public exhibitions, large enough to seat over two thousand persons; two large Literary Halls, a Chapel for prayers, eight commodious Recitation rooms, one Library room, Cabinet room, separate rooms for Chemical and Philosophical Apparatus, an office and other rooms for other purposes. In magnitude and architectural beauty, it is a monument to Southern liberality and Southern taste.

Centenary Archivist Chris Brown and student Olivia Brignac pull photos to be scanned for the Centre Building model project.

At the time of the Centre Building’s dedication in 1856, Centenary’s student body totaled 230 – 19 seniors, 20 juniors, 37 sophomores, 41 freshmen, and 113 preparatory students.

The Centre Building served Centenary students, faculty, and the public that attended events held within its walls until 1906, when the College relocated two hundred miles north to Shreveport. After falling into disrepair, the building was demolished in the 1930s. Its bricks were used to construct new buildings in the Jackson community.

Today, two original buildings remain at the Centenary State Historic Site.

Photographs are a valuable resource for learning about these buildings as well as the demolished structures. Most images, though, only depict the buildings’ exteriors. Goyer notes, “Pictures showing other parts of the old campus and the interiors of the buildings would be extremely helpful to us. Photographs and documents like student letters and newspaper clippings give us a better idea of what it was like here back then.”

The project to construct a Centre Building model has triggered a search for all known photographs of the structure. The Centenary Archives contains three collections with such images. Photos appear in the Albert Lutz papers, which document his enrollment at the college (1895 to 1899).

Three of these images show students posing by the Centre Building; among the group are the first women enrolled at Centenary. The course catalog collection includes photographs of the building, too. The 1903 edition includes valuable interior photographs depicting the auditorium, laboratory, Union Literary Society Hall, and Franklin Institute Hall. The Archives’ general photograph collection also contains images of the Jackson campus. This includes photographic negatives made circa 1930 showing the Centre Building’s deterioration.

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Once completed, the Centre Building model will be on display at the Centenary State Historic Site operated by the Louisiana Office of State Parks. The site is open for tours and living history events Thursday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and free for children three and under, seniors 62 and above, and school groups. Since acquired by the State in 1977, the site has regularly collaborated with the Centenary Archives. In 2011, the Friends of Old Centenary group, the Office of State Parks, and the Centenary Archives created a video highlighting the site’s history, which serves as an interpretive tool for visitors.

We’ve checked our collections for photographs. Now it’s time for you to check yours! Might you or your family have photographs of Centenary at its Jackson campus? If so, please contact us. Chris Brown at 318.869.5462 or archives@centenary. edu or Daniel Goyer at 225.634.7925 or centenary_mgr@crt.la.gov. n

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Harvard Scholar visits Jack London Museum Centenary’s Jack London Museum and Research Center continues to draw guests from around the world. Most recently, Thomas Harakal, a researcher from Harvard University’s Houghton Library, visited to review the Jack London volumes in Emeritus Professor Earle Labor’s personal library. He toured the museum in the Samuel Peters Building and checked the collection of London archival materials with College Archivist Chris Brown in Magale Library.

Credit for the museum and archives is due to four principals: Emeritus President Donald Webb, who envisioned Centenary as a major Jack London center; Alumnus Sam Peters, who provided the initial funding for the building; London’s great-nephew Milo Shepard, who donated the memorabilia; and recognized London scholar Dr. Labor. The museum houses numerous unique artifacts, including souvenirs from London’s famous 1908-09 voyage of his boat the Snark through the islands of the South Pacific Ocean; beautifully decorated silk kimonos worn by Jack and his wife Charmian; original portraits of them as well as the only known studio portrait of his sister Eliza; and his personal Kodak camera with a 1906 photo of him and Charmian alongside a 1996 photo of the participants in Dr. Labor’s National Endowment of the Humanities Summer Seminar for

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Among the books on display is a complete set of London’s first editions plus various foreign editions, many of Thomas Harakal, a researcher from Harvard, visited which are inscribed Centenary to review Jack London materials. to Centenary and Dr. Labor from prominent Best-known for works like The international scholars. Archival Call of the Wild, White Fang, and materials housed in Magale The Sea-Wolf, and dismissed include London’s personal letters, by many American critics as manuscripts, and notes along with a writer of children’s stories, secondary materials from Labor’s London produced more than voluminous personal files. fifty books on an astonishing Earle Labor has received such range of subjects. For example, accolades as “the true-blue dean his play Theft is an expose of of London studies” by eminent the corruption and collusion historian Douglas Brinkley and between big business and “the internationally acknowledged Washington politicians. His maestro of Jack London studies” dystopian novel The Iron Heel

by Danish Professor Per Serritslev has been praised by such famous Petersen. During a fifty-year career dignitaries as Anatole France and he has published ten books and George Orwell, who borrowed more than one hundred articles his title 1984 from London’s on London. His Jack London: book. Although London died An American Life (Farrar, Straus in 1916 at the age of 40, all but & Giroux) won the Western a handful of his titles remain Writers of America 2014 Golden in print throughout the world.

Spur Award for Best Western Thanks not only to Dr. Labor but Biography. Last year “Le Gospel also to many younger scholars, de Jack London” was featured in including Centenary alumna the handsome new French journal Jeanne Campbell Reesman, who Reliefs, dedicated to world-famous founded the Jack London Society adventurers and explorers. His in 1990, this neglected world“Why Do People Love to Hate famous celebrity is at last being Jack London” appeared in the July recognized as one of America’s 2017 issue of The Jack London most important writers. n Foundation Quarterly Newsletter.

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Centenary Development Office embraces social media, internet events to connect with supporters

Vice President for Development Fred Landry remembers the typewriter. It was 1989 and the former social studies and English teacher was asked to direct fund raising at Archbishop Blenk High School in Gretna, LA. As a teacher, he had served on several enrollment and fund raising committees, but now was tasked not only with raising private contributions but also with supporting alumni affairs, public relations, and enrollment. The tools were “primitive,” he remembers, but so was the idea of organized fund raising. “I was actually the first designated development director in the job,” he remembers.

“Previously, the school nurse performed those duties.”

Years later, successful fund raising is still built on relationships, but Landry’s tool box is filled with new tools, reflecting the incredible growth of technology since 1989 and the more recent adoption of social media. Increasingly, he and his staff find donors using social media, email, and other less traditional means as primary methods of communication with each other and with their alma mater.

“Culturally, people, especially younger people, are using postal mail less,” adds David Williams,

The Ladies softball team poses with its new scoreboard, supported by an online “crowdfunding” campaign.

Centenary College director of development services. “Email has largely replaced postal mail, but not entirely.” Technology, he says, has “changed the nature of relationships” between individuals and between individuals and the organizations they support.

This past spring, the Centenary College Athletic and Recreation Department partnered with the College’s Development Office to use crowdfunding, a form of social media, to raise funds for the new men’s and women’s soccer scoreboards. Crowdfunding uses both new technology and old friendships to engage alumni, parents, and other supporters to fund these projects. The Development Office provided the tools and the Athletics Office, coaches, and athletes reached out to former players, family members, and fans to promote the project.

Using crowdfunding for these projects helped expand the number of donors to the College. Just as important, Landry believes, crowdfunding introduced students to the importance of philanthropy. “Only a quarter of Centenary’s revenue comes from tuition and fees,” he says. “The remainder is private and foundation support. It is important for students to know how much of what happens at Centenary is thanks to the

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“In our short time using these tools, we’ve found them to be an excellent way to energize younger alums in support for the College and engage many donors in ways that direct mail and phone solicitations cannot.”

Centenary President Dr. Christopher Holoman presents the first check of Giving Tuesday 2016 to Vice President for ­Development Fred Landry.

generosity of alums, parents, neighbors, and friends who have believed for many years in the value of the Centenary experience.”

Crowdfunding websites, such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe, allow people and organizations to solicit financial support from internet users. The Development Office and the Department of Athletics and Recreation used the crowdfunding platform USEED to fund the softball and soccer scoreboards. The USEED platform illustrated the key strength of crowdfunding: peer-to-peer communication as softball and soccer players helped in promoting the appeals. Each scoreboard project page on the USEED website featured player profiles, photos, and a project video. Team members used the USSED web pages and their own social media accounts to reach out to their families and friends, making others aware of the campaigns and soliciting support. Both projects were fully funded within a few weeks.

Along with crowdfunding, Landry says the College has also turned to internet-based “giving events” as ways to better connect Centenary donors with special projects and other College needs. Using social media and the internet, he adds, lets the development staff “meet people where they do their social engagement.”

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Viki Fentress, general appeals and special events coordinator, says younger donors also responded favorably to the College’s two giving days.

These were Giving Tuesday, part of a national day of philanthropy held the Tuesday following Thanksgiving; and Give for Good, a local effort promoted by the Community Foundation of Northwest Louisiana held in early May. Both efforts combined web-based organization and social media outreach with campus events to raise money for Centenary scholarships. In both events, Centenary joined many other organizations raising awareness of community needs and soliciting support for individual organizations.

“Events like these provide focus,” Fentress explains.

“Gifts to Centenary for Giving Tuesday and Give for Good primarily supported the annual fund for student scholarships.”

“People change; tools change. We must change as well.”

“These events go beyond the College’s asking for support. They help show individuals what can happen when many people come together for a common purpose.”

With new technology, Williams notes that his office is able to better segment messages. He cites recent appeals to athletes, alumni in certain graduation years, and graduates of particular majors as activities that, while always possible, are now much easier and more efficient. Rather than a one-size fits all message, his office can now deliver more personalized and meaningful Centenary messages.

Landry compares the new use of social media with some of the early uses of computers and the internet. “No one is specially trained in social media,” he says, “but as we saw our audience in these places, we knew we had to be there as well.” He says of the recent scoreboard campaigns that “a lot of people responded who had never given or had not given in a long time.”

Williams is not surprised by the increasing use of social media in raising financial support.

“Even our alumni who are just now reaching retirement age have spent the last fifteen years with social media. It is not just millennials; we have multiple generations connected to the

College and their classmates through Facebook and Twitter.”

Regardless of new tools, new technologies, or new techniques, Landry points to one course that has remained constant and will continue as the key to his success – relationships. “Students build relationships with faculty members, with coaches, and with other students,” he says.

“We build on those relationships to support the College.”

Though he expects the trend toward crowdfunding and other ways of engagement to continue, Landry emphasizes that traditional appeals by mail, email, and phone will continue. But acknowledges, “people change; tools change. We must change as well.” n

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Provost Dr. Jenifer K. Ward contributes during a special Giving Tuesday lunch event.

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Choosing Home: Successful brothers find community at Centenary

It’s a short walk from Denis (right) and Davor (left) Poljak’s Texas Street office to one of their favorite downtown lunch spots, but not a quick one.

From the lobby of the Regions Bank tower to the dining room at the Shreveport Club, the outgoing brothers and business partners stop to greet friends and clients, inquiring about their family members, recent vacations, and weekend plans. The Poljaks navigate this environment with the ease and confidence of people deeply knowledgeable about and invested in a community. As Davor puts it, “We really are Shreveporters.”

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According to a textbook definition, though, the Poljaks aren’t “from here.” Denis and Davor were born, two years apart, in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a country made up of six distinct republics which are today independent states: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. The Poljaks grew up in the industrial center of Zenica about 40 miles north of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina and site of the 1984 Winter Olympic Games. Their father, Tommy, worked hard to become vice-chairman of a large state mining and metallurgical company called RMK Zenica, a position that ensured a comfortable life for the Poljak family.

Their mother, Ula, was a pediatric nurse and social worker. Tommy was also a champion tennis player – as president of the Yugoslav Tennis Association, he led two outstanding Yugoslav Davis Cup teams in the early 1980s. He passed on a love of the game to his sons, and the brothers fondly remember traveling all over Yugoslavia and other parts of Europe to compete in tennis tournaments. “We loved it,” recalls Denis. “It was an amazing life.”

Tennis ultimately brought the Poljaks to the United States and to Centenary. Former Centenary coach ­Jimmy Harrison first spotted Denis playing in tournaments in Texas in 1990, and in the fall of 1991 the elder Poljak enrolled at the College and joined the Gents tennis team. Davor followed in the spring of 1992. They were attracted by the opportunity to play the game they loved but even more by the chance to study ­business and economics at an American school with a stellar academic reputation. Inspired by their father’s ­successful career back in Bosnia, the brothers had a plan. “We were just going to come here and learn E ­ nglish, study economics, graduate from Centenary College, and go back and jump into that,” explains Davor.

The Poljaks eagerly tackled these challenges, persevering through rigorous courses in a foreign language and balancing the responsibilities of college athletics against the lure of college social life. Both brothers had completed mandatory military service after high school, and this experience left them disciplined and focused.

They proceeded, however, in the shadow of the violent collapse of their country, one of the most tragic and shocking events of the late 20th century. By the time the Poljaks graduated from Centenary, the “amazing” life they had enjoyed as Yugoslavs had been besieged – literally and figuratively – by fear and ethnic hatred stoked by cynical, power-hungry authoritarian leaders.

The country and the way of life they knew and loved was destroyed. There was nothing to go back and jump

Twelve-year-old Denis (left) and ten-year-old Davor (right) in 1982 at Lake Bled in Slovenia, at one of their earliest tennis tournaments.

into. Even more devastating was the uncertainty and anxiety that plagued Denis and Davor as they waited – sometimes for months on end – for some word from their parents back in Bosnia. In April of 1992, just a few months after Davor joined Denis as a student at ­Centenary, a Serbian-dominated army began a nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo and several surrounding ­areas, including Zenica – the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Nearly 14,000 people were killed during the siege, and many more – like the Poljaks’ parents – were trapped with little food, fuel, or communication, surrounded by heavy artillery, tanks, and snipers. By the time the conflict ended in 1995, more than 100,000 people had been killed across Bosnia.

Forced to watch this grim spectacle from afar, the brothers largely kept their fears about their parents and their emotions to themselves. Davor remembers that when he and Denis were alone, grappling with the enormity of what was happening to their family and the realization that they might never see their parents again, they tried to fix their eyes on a larger purpose.

“We said, ‘Our parents would love for us to be good human beings, to finish our education, to do as much as we can with tennis, and to push forward and one day to give it back. That’s what we were doing – it was for them, and for us. We chose to move forward.”

A welcome bright spot for the brothers came in July 1993, when the Poljaks were chosen to represent a now independent Bosnia-Herzegovina at the “Universiade,” or World University Games, in Buffalo, New York. They recall it as a thrilling but also an incredibly poignant moment, because even as they basked in the cheers of the large crowd when they carried the Bosnian flag at the opening ceremonies, a terrible war still paralyzed their homeland and they had no idea whether their parents were alive. [ C E N T E N A R Y

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Though they remained, as Denis puts it, “proud and private” about their situation, their friends, professors, and other Centenary community members were certainly aware of and concerned about the turmoil in the Poljaks’ home country and the inevitable toll that it must be taking on them. From the moment they arrived in Shreveport, Denis and Davor were welcomed into countless homes and families, invited to share Sunday lunches, tennis matches, and school breaks. “You hear often about Southern hospitality,” says Denis. “We lived it.” Asking the Poljaks about the people who figured prominently in their early days in Shreveport and at Centenary

Davor (left) and Denis (right) pose on the Centenary tennis court before traveling to Buffalo, NY, to represent Bosnia at the World University Games in 1993.

unleashes a memory-lane version of the walk from the ­Regions Tower to the Shreveport Club. Soon they are leaning forward in their chairs and relating an animated litany honoring the Centenary ­faculty and staff who embraced them when they needed it the most: “At the beginning there were families who were so important: the Nikolić ­family, the Nossers, the Adams f­ amily,

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the Paines, and the Castens. Then Coach Jimmy Harrison and his wife Jeannine – Miles Hitchcock – Barrie Richardson – Cecil Ramey – Barbara Davis – Helen Sikes – Harold Christensen – David Hoaas – Don Wilcox – Rosemary Seidler – Kathy Fell (her son now works with us!). Of course, Jeff Hendricks was there! And Gary and Golda Young in the Registrar’s Office – we would make a special trip and give them hugs! The athletic director Walt Stephenson – and ­David Bedard and Vicki LeFevers, they were always there. So many wonderful people, who just took extra time with us.”

Many Centenary graduates cherish the contributions of their own set of mentors, advisers, cheerleaders, and compatriots during their formative college years, but the Poljaks’ extraordinary circumstances and experiences have given them an unusually clear understanding of the true value of relationships and connections, of friends and family. They felt these concepts most acutely on April 12, 1994, when Denis heard three almost unbelievable words in a 3:00 a.m. phone call from his father: “We are alive.”

Afraid that he was dreaming, he didn’t even tell Davor. But the next day his father called again, and both brothers were able to hear the news that their parents had been able to leave Zenica and had arrived safely in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

By September of 1995, with crucial assistance from the late Virginia ­Shehee, the elder Poljaks were in Shreveport. They saw Davor walk across the ­Centenary graduation stage in May of 1996, the two most important members of a now substantial cheering section in the family’s new home.

From that point on, the Poljak family sunk new roots in Shreveport. Denis

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“We’re truly life-long learners – it’s all Centenary’s fault!” had graduated from Centenary in May 1994 and started working in public accounting, which led into a career in wealth management. Davor joined him several years later, and in 2009 the pair moved to Morgan Stanley and teamed up with John W. King to form the King Poljak Group, a financial services firm specializing in wealth management for families.

Their father Tommy shared his tennis knowledge as an instructor and coach at several tennis clubs in the area, including a stint as head tennis coach at Louisiana Tech University.

Today, Tommy works with his sons as a senior client service associate at the King Poljak Group. Their mother has enjoyed being able to focus on family, especially once the grandchildren came along.

The Poljaks like to tell people that they are “a walking billboard for Centenary,” and one hallmark of the extent to which they have embraced the skills and habits of a liberal arts education is their continual pursuit of professional certifications and higher degrees, making their group one of the most qualified and experienced in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

“We’re truly life-long learners – it’s all Centenary’s fault!” they exclaim.

Last year both brothers worked for ten months to receive a special certificate in portfolio management from Columbia University, and it was especially significant for Denis to complete his Ph.D. in economics at the University of Sarajevo in 2011. He had briefly attended the university, one of the most respected in central

Europe, before coming to the United States and to Centenary. “My goal was always to go the extra step, but then I got the idea of completing my educational cycle where I started,” says Denis.

In addition to their drive for professional excellence, the Poljaks believe that their success in the financial services industry flows directly from their personal – and sometimes painful – knowledge about family, relationships, and the uncertainty of the future. As Denis explains, “Yugoslavia was one of those idealistic societies – a beautiful country loved by everyone who lived there. What we experienced was a good standard of living, but as it turns out it was a temporary utopia.

We witnessed the whole country collapse, including the financial system. All of a sudden, it didn’t matter who you were – everything was just gone. Today, we help families prudently manage and diversify their wealth so that they and their generations are protected.”

The brothers realize that, from the outside, their work in wealth management and financial planning can appear to be “all about the money.” Davor reiterates that things are different for them: “It’s about people, it’s about relationships, it’s about trust. It’s about giving everything to make sure that everyone’s taken care of, and it means a lot to us. It really does have a lot to do with everything we experienced.”

The Poljak formula works well – so well, in fact, that the brothers have received several offers to move their business to larger and more lucrative markets such as Dallas, Houston, and – about ten years ago – New York City. “In 2007, we all sat down and talked about it as a family,” recalls Denis. “You can’t just plug it into an economic formula. How do you measure what’s important in your life? Being together, being here, being close to one another. Because we lost that once – that was an intangible value that you couldn’t put a price on.” They turned down the New York offer and decided not to entertain any others – they were here to stay.

The Poljaks have invested in their adopted home not only by basing their business in Shreveport but also by actively supporting institutions and organizations that enrich the community as a whole, including their alma mater. “The idea that you have a school of the caliber of Centenary here is so important to this region,” says Denis. “So is the medical school. And then the arts scene – the symphony, opera, public radio, the arts council, the local paper. These are the things that make this community what it is.” What the Poljaks hope to cultivate and contribute to is a place where, as Denis puts it, “a high tide lifts all boats” – a city with good jobs

Denis Poljak (second from left) celebrates with his father, Tommy, mother, Ula, and brother, Davor, upon their becoming United States citizens in 2003. Denis became a citizen in 2000.

and opportunities for everyone, a community where young people – including Centenary graduates like themselves – want to stay and build a future.

The Poljaks conduct their business and their lives with profound gratitude for the chance to reconstitute a ­future after the one they had envisioned was ripped away. They viscerally understand the value of gifts that others take for granted, like watching their children grow up with their grandparents. Or being an American, another favorite topic for the brothers. “People who know us will tell us, ‘You are more patriotic than we are!,’” says Denis. “It goes to back to being grateful, and we have a whole different level of appreciation for what is here. It’s the rule of law, the freedom of speech – you know, we didn’t grow up with full freedom of speech. It just wasn’t there. But those things are important.” Davor continues, “We often have this conversation, ‘What makes America great?’ What makes America great is that people who come here from other parts of the world are here because they want to be here. No ­matter where they come from, they are here because they want to be a part of this American dream.”

The Poljaks proudly count themselves among these “Americans by choice” – Denis, Davor, and their parents have all become citizens. Before they chose America, though, they chose Centenary. “We could have gone to different schools, bigger schools – but we chose this place,” says Denis. Now, 27 years after he first arrived to study economics and play NCAA Division I tennis at a small liberal arts college in Shreveport, Louisiana, Denis speaks for all the Poljaks as he explains, “We think a lot of things happen for a reason. We’re grateful to this community and now we feel like we’re from here, ­because it embraced us during a challenging time.” n

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TOP OF THE CLASS: Centenary Student-Athletes Excel While Centenary certainly had a successful year on the playing fields and on the court, the Ladies and Gents also made sure they emphasized the student part of student-athlete.

In addition to being one of the most feared hitters in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball, Michael Schimpf achieved many academic recognitions for himself and the College. In May, the recent Centenary graduate became the first College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic First Team All-American in school history.

He further made history when, in July, he received the prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship.

Schimpf is believed to be the first recipient of this award in school history.

The NCAA evaluates “athletics and academic achievements, campus involvement, community

service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership” when considering applicants for the scholarship. The award will be $7,500 a year for the duration of Schimpf’s tenure in graduate school.

He was one of only 29 spring male athletes in the country (and one of nine from an NCAA Division III institution) to receive this honor and one of only three Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference athletes to receive this distinction in 2016-2017.

Along with Schimpf, gymnast Ashley White was named All-District by CoSIDA in the spring of 2017. Both Schimpf (Second Team, D3Baseball. com) and White (USA Gymnastics, First Team on Beam) also received athletic All-American distinction.

Twelve members of the Centenary Ladies Gymnastics team were named Scholastic All-Americans by the National Association of Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC).

The 3.636 team GPA also ranked 11th of 82 gymnastics teams in the country, while the 80% of the team who received Scholastic All-American accolades is the eighth best percentage in collegiate gymnastics.

To receive Scholastic All-American honors, a gymnastic student-athlete either had to have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or complete the 201617 school year with a GPA of 3.50 – one of the toughest standards for academic awards for student-athletes in the country.

The academic accomplishments of the Ladies and Gents athletes do not end there. In lists released by both the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and Midwest Independent Conference, 95 Centenary

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Eleven Centenary student-athletes from the winter and spring seasons also received athletic AllConference distinction. Softball led the way with four of six SCAC Academic Honor Roll Members also being named All-Conference: Kelsey Ancelot (First Team), Payton LeBlanc (Second Team), and Anna Dunn and Wendy Gillet (Honorable Mention).

Schimpf (First Team), Cody Crowder (Second Team), and Ian Graham (Honorable Mention) represented baseball on both lists.

Among winter athletes, Juan Tapia finished AllConference in five events while Anthony McDonald finished All-Conference in four events for Gents Swimming. Jessi Jordan finished All-Conference in the 200 breaststroke for Ladies Swimming, while Savanah Doty was named Honorable Mention AllConference for Ladies Basketball.

Student-Athletes in 2016-17 were named to the Conference Academic Honor Roll.

For a student-athlete to be named to the SCAC Academic Honor Roll for the winter or spring, they have to finish the spring 2017 term with a 3.25 GPA or higher (the fall semester for soccer and volleyball players). For gymnasts to be recognized by the Midwest Independent Conference, they needed to complete the fall 2016 term with a 3.5 GPA or higher.

Shane Edmondson (Gents soccer and tennis) received distinction from the SCAC in both semesters.

“This recognition by the Southern Collegiate Athletic and Midwest Independent Conferences of nearly half of our student-athletes is a testament to their dedication to their academic programs and the support of the coaching staff and faculty of the College,” said Centenary Director of Athletics and Recreation Dr. Robert Bunnell. “We are very proud of the culture of academic excellence that is a part of our athletic program.”

For the spring 2017 semester, 28 Gents and Ladies student-athletes completed the term with a perfect 4.0 (14.2 percent of the athletic student body).

Rounding out the winter athletes is Ashley White, who finished All-Conference in the MIC both athletically (Second Team on vault) and academically.

“We are very proud of the culture of academic excellence that is a part of our athletic program.”

DR. ROBERT BUNNELL For the fall 2016 semester, Erica Coker and Marissa Hughes represented Ladies soccer and Rylan Whan and Nick Hammond represented Gents soccer both athletically as All-Conference and academically on the SCAC Scholar List.

It was a great year athletically for Centenary, but it is evident our Ladies and Gents emphasize the student part in student-athlete. Continue to check GoCentenary.com for our continued athletic and academic successes! n

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History Made!

2017 Gents Baseball Turns in Remarkable Season

It was quite the season for the Diamond Gents in 2017, and it all started with Centenary picked to barely make the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. In a preseason vote of head coaches in the SCAC, the Gents were picked for the fourth

Centenary finished 35-10 overall and 15-3 in the SCAC, winning the Conference Regular Season title for the third time in the past five seasons.

The Gents stifled opposing pitching all season, recording a .347 batting average – the highest in program history by 26 points. They ranked fourth in the country in the categories of batting average, on-base percentage (.429), and runs scored (401, or 8.9 runs per ballgame). The Maroon and White ranked second with 31 triples

and final spot of the conference tournament.

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However, the web site Perfect Game was not fooled, and ranked the Gents 24th in its preseason poll. The Gents went on to turn in a truly remarkable campaign, going 12-1 in March, and rising to as high as sixth in the nation according to the American Baseball Coaches Association.

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and third with a .517 slugging percentage.

successful season in terms of wins in program history.

Offensively, the Gents tallied 80 runs in a four-game series against Rust February 23-24 to open up play at Shehee Stadium. On March 5 against Northland, the Gents set a school record with 17 runs in the third inning of the first game of a doubleheader.

After Trinity forced a winner take-all if necessary game on championship day of the SCAC Tournament, April 30, Centenary left nothing to doubt when Chris Zapata’s grand slam put the Gents up 4-0 before an out was recorded. The Gents led 11-0 before the Tigers even scored and won 13-3 in a run-ruled, seven-inning game to claim the first conference tournament title in program history. Kaleb Kirk, who picked up the win in Friday’s tournament opener, threw 5.2 innings on only a day’s rest in the title game.

In addition to all the team accomplishments, there were plenty of individual successes.

Chris Zapata was named First Team All-American as a catcher (essentially being named the best catcher in the country) by both the ABCA and D3baseball. com. The SCAC Player of the Year led the nation with 71 RBIs in 45 games, also leading the SCAC in hits (70), doubles (17), home runs (12), and slugging percentage (.622). What might be most impressive, however, is that Zapata was behind the dish as a catcher for all but 18 of the 365.2 innings of defense Centenary played.

With the win against Trinity, the Gents did not need to sweat out selection Sunday as they knew they would be in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

Centenary brought its hitting shoes to the tournament, scoring five runs in the second inning and the final seven runs of the contest to win its first ever NCAA game against Linfield May 18. Centenary lost the final two games, but still posted the second-most

However, Zapata only ranked second on the team with a .395 average because of teammate Michael Schimpf. Schimpf

became only the second player in SCAC history to lead the conference in batting average in consecutive seasons. In addition to being named All-American by D3Baseball.com, Schimpf excelled in the classroom. In May 2017, he became the first Centenary player to be named First Team Academic All-American by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

With his academic and athletic feats, coupled with his community service, Schimpf became the first NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award recipient in Centenary history.

Focusing only on those two players would be a disservice to a starting line-up in which every player hit above .300.

Nine position players received All-Conference recognition.

In addition to Schimpf in the outfield and Zapata at catcher,

Chris Zapata was named First Team All-American as a catcher by both the APCA and D3baseball.com

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2016-17 Centenary Baseball Team

Andrew Russell at second base and Aaron Quintanilla at shortstop were also named First Team All-Conference. Quintanilla finished his Gents baseball career All-Conference all four seasons and at three different positions.

Cole Lavergne received Second Team All-Conference accolades as both a first baseman and a relief pitcher, finishing the season with the second-most saves in program history (eight).

Joining Lavergne on the Second Team was Cody Crowder, while Ian Graham (third base) and Cameron Guin and Zane Wilkinson (outfield) received Honorable Mention.

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Matthew Devillier, who won 11-straight after receiving a nodecision in his first start of the year (in which he was one out away from being eligible for a victory), was named the Gents second SCAC Pitcher of the Year in the last three seasons.

He and Kaleb Kirk both recorded 11 wins to be named First Team All-Conference starting pitcher.

Jackie Allen received Honorable Mention status.

Kirk and Devillier combined for 22 of the team’s 35 wins, backed up by stellar defensive play from the Gents’ position players.

The 2017 squad’s .973 fielding

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percentage was the best singleseason mark in both Centenary and SCAC history, and the 43 errors were the fewest in program history.

Head coach Mike Diaz, who led Centenary to its third SCAC title in five years in the conference, was named SCAC and West Region Coach of the Year.

Be sure to keep an eye on Gents baseball in 2018. Of the 12 players named AllConference, Centenary only loses three and returns both of its 11-game winners from 2017. n

sportsRECAP GENTS BASKETBALL

Kirkendoll poured in 18 points

Deunya Small burst

per game and received Second

onto the scene with

The 2016-17 Gents basketball team

Team All-Conference recognition.

20 rebounds, the

finished the season 12-14 overall and

Treylan Matthews also finished All-

most for a freshman

6-8 in Southern Collegiate Athletic

Conference.

in program history

Conference play. Making the SCAC

and the most for a

Tournament for the fifth consecutive

Following the season, the Gents

season-opening

season, the Maroon and White lost

basketball team went through a

game.

a tough battle in the quarterfinals

period of transition unfamiliar to the

to eventual tournament champion

team. After seven seasons as head

While the short-handed Maroon and

Texas Lutheran, 88-85.

coach and ten years with Centenary

White squad only finished 6-25 and

Deunya Small

basketball, Adam Walsh stepped

2-12 in Southern Collegiate Athletic

There were many

down as head coach. He compiled

Conference play, the Ladies came

bright spots

an 84-100 record (83-71 after his first

very close to shaking things up in

along the way

season) during his tenure and led the

the SCAC. On January 22, Texas

for the Gents.

Gents to the SCAC Regular Season

Lutheran visited to Gold Dome atop

Senior James

Championship in 2014-15, their first

the conference standings. The Ladies

Sapp received All-

regular season title since the 1989-

gave the Bulldogs all they could

American honors

1990 season.

handle, but Centenary came up short

from both the

in overtime, 76-68. On February 11

James Sapp

National Association of Basketball

In July, Centenary Director of

against SCAC-leader and nationally

Coaches (NABC) and DIII News.

Athletics and Recreation Robert

ranked Trinity in Shreveport, the

Leading the conference in both

Bunnell announced Chris Dorsey as

Ladies could not hold a three-point

points (21.5) and rebounds (10.1)

the 22nd Gents basketball coach.

lead after three quarters, falling to

per game, he became only the third

Dorsey comes to Centenary from

the Tigers 67-59.

player to be named SCAC Player

his alma mater, Lyndon State in

of the Year twice. Other accolades

Vermont, where he served as head

During the season, Jasmine Morris

for Sapp include being named First

coach for the past three seasons.

became the fastest player to score

Team All-Louisiana.

500 career points.

LADIES BASKETBALL

She was named Third

Breaking the SCAC career record

Team All-Conference

for rebounds (953), Sapp became

The 2016-17 Ladies Basketball Team

after leading the

only the fifth

went through its own period of

SCAC with 16.9

Centenary player

transition with first-year head coach

points per game.

to finish with more

David Foley. Foley wasted no time

Sophomore Savanah

than 1,500 points

picking up the first victory of his

Doty received

and 900 rebounds

Centenary coaching career, winning

Honorable Mention recognition

in his career.

on the road at East Texas Baptist in

for the second straight season,

the first contest of the season. In her

finishing second on the team with

first collegiate game,

10.3 points.

Teammate Travion

Travion Kirkendoll

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GYMNASTICS The Ladies gymnastics team continued to build upon its successes under sixth-year head coach Jackie Fain.

In the Ladies 2017 home opener, Centenary squared off with WisconsinOshkosh in a meet that came

Navia Jordan

down to the last performance. Navia Jordan, in her

Navia Jordan

only routine of the competition, needed a 9.700 or better on

For the season, White recorded

of the relay team. He finished

floor for a Centenary win. What

the highest regional qualifying

second in the 200 breaststroke

occurred was her best routine

score (RQS) in both the all-around

with a time of 2:09.20, breaking

ever in the Gold Dome, earning a

(38.695) and on bars (9.730)

the ten-year-old school record.

9.875 in helping the Ladies defeat

among athletes at NCAA Division

He also finished All-Conference

Wisconsin-Oshkosh 191.450-191.250,

III institutions. Jordan blew away

in the 400 IM for the third time in

the highest team score in nearly

the competition on floor, leading

his Centenary career. He teamed

two years. Allison Scates also

Division III by four-tenths with an

up with Zach Harrison, Anthony

turned in a career best 9.875 on

RQS of 9.820.

McDonald, and Eddie Dyess to

bars.

For the second consecutive season,

finish the 800 free relay with a time

SWIMMING

of 6:57.93, the fourth-fastest time in school history.

Ashley White competed in the

Both the Gents and Ladies

all-around in NCAA competition,

finished fourth of seven teams at

The 200 and 400

the second Centenary gymnast to

the Southern Collegiate Athletic

medley relay teams

accomplish this feat. However, this

Conference Championships, but

of Tapia, Harrison,

accomplishment held even greater

there was plenty of individual

McDonald, and

significance this year as White

hardware and accolades to go

Roberto Roig-

was the only NCAA Division III

around.

Perez also won

gymnast to see NCAA postseason competition in 2017.

All-Conference Juan Tapia finished

recognition.

his Centenary

Individually, Harrison

White would go on to be a USA

career with a

finished All-Conference in the

Gymnastics All-American in the

bang, grabbing

100 freestyle, while McDonald

all-around and beam for the third

two individual

finished in the top three at the

consecutive year, finishing second

All-Conference

SCAC Championships in the 100

in the nation on beam with a career

accolades and

breaststroke.

best 9.900 routine.

three as a member

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Juan Tapia

Roberto Roig-Perez

On the Ladies side, Jessi

SCAC Player of the Year honors,

SCAC Coach of the Year honors as

Jordan finished third in the 200

as well as First Team All-American

well as West Region Coach of the

breaststroke (2:32.40) to win

accolades from both the American

Year recognition by D3Baseball.com.

All-Conference recognition while

Baseball Coaches Association

also swimming the fifth-fastest

(ABCA) and D3Baseball.com.

The Gents ranked as high as sixth in

time in school history in the 100

Michael Schimpf, who became the

the nation.

(1:10.29) and 200 breaststrokes. Tori

first Collegiate Sports Information

Boyle turned in the ninth-fastest

Directors of America (CoSIDA)

time in school history in the 100

First Team Academic All-American

breaststroke with a time of 1:12.32.

in Centenary athletic history, also

Coming off the most successful

earned Second Team All-America

season in nearly a decade for the

from D3Baseball.com after leading

Ladies, the Centenary softball team’s

BASEBALL

SOFTBALL

the conference in batting average.

record may have not included

The Diamond Gents turned in one

He led the conference with a .405

as many overall wins, but the

of the most successful seasons in

batting average to become just

Maroon and White served notice

history, finishing 35-10 overall and

the second SCAC player to win the

to the Southern Collegiate Athletic

15-3 in Southern Collegiate Athletic

batting crown in multiple seasons.

Conference.

regular season SCAC title for the

Junior Kaleb Kirk

After a 3-11 start before conference

third time in five years, they went

broke the school

play (but a win over Pelican State-

3-1 in the SCAC Tournament to

record for wins

rival Louisiana College, who would

claim their first tournament title and

with 12 and was

later be ranked), the Ladies went 12-

advance to the NCAA Tournament

named All-District,

12 in SCAC play to capture the third

for the first time in program history.

while Matthew

seed in the Conference Tournament.

The .347 team batting average in

Devillier was

That included a four-game sweep at

2017 was easily the best in program

named All-District

history, surpassing the .321 mark of

after becoming

the 1992 Gents.

the second Gent in three seasons to

Conference play. Winning the

For the season, Centenary ranked

Trinity, the first wins in San Antonio

Kaleb Kirk

in program history.

be named SCAC Pitcher of the Year.

The 12 wins were the most

Head coach Mike Diaz grabbed

conference victories in nine seasons.

in the top ten in the nation in numerous statistical categories, including triples (second), slugging percentage (third), batting average, on-base percentage, runs (fourth), scoring (fifth), and doubles (sixth).

The Gents also scored the secondmost runs in a game in school history (28 against Rust February 23) and the most runs in an inning (17 in the third inning against Northland March 5).

Individually, Chris Zapata led the nation with 71 RBIs, eight more than his nearest competitor. He grabbed

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Six different Ladies were named All-

women’s golf with a scoring average

three doubles

Conference. After leading the team

of 78.38, ranking 29th with 31 birdies,

points in the 8-1 win.

in both batting average (.429) and

and 24th in par-5 scoring (5.10) in

Scott Nguyen won

on-base percentage

2017. In addition to the Conference

6-0, 6-2 at second

(.463), Kelsey

Championships, she won medalist

singles while Simon

Ancelot grabbed

honors at the Al Jones Memorial.

McKendry took a 6-4, 6-2 win at

First Team honors.

Payton LeBlanc and

The individual medalist honor Varner

third singles. Max

Nichole Aldridge

won at the SCAC Championships is

Wamsley claimed

appeared on the

the first for a Centenary golfer since

a 6-0, 6-1 win at fourth singles, while

PGA Hall of Famer Hal Sutton won

Jonathan Harrel and Jonathan Morris

the individual Trans-Atlantic Athletic

won at fifth and sixth singles by

Dunn, and Wendy Gillet claimed

Conference Tournament in both 1979

identical 6-0, 6-0 scores.

Honorable Mention honors. LeBlanc

and 1980.

Second Team, while Lizzie Moran, Anna

Kelsey Ancelot

led the SCAC with 38 stolen bases, while Aldridge led the SCAC in saves

TENNIS

Scott Nguyen

In doubles action, Nguyen and Kaleb Behm won in the first slot, 8-3.

McKendry and Wamsley teamed up

(four) and finished fourth in ERA (3.10) and strikeouts (87). Gillet led

In a rebuilding year for the Centenary

at second doubles for the 9-7 victory,

the nation in sacrifice flies (eight).

tennis teams, the Ladies finished 0-17

while Morris and Harrel won 8-6 at

while the Gents went 1-14, knocking

third doubles.

GOLF

off Pelican State-rival Louisiana Ladies golfer

College at the Centenary tennis

McKendry led the Gents with two

courts March 14.

wins for the year in singles action, while Luisa Delgadillo and Grace

Jessica Varner made history in

The Gents won at second through

Doucet led the Ladies with a pair of

multiple ways for

sixth singles while sweeping the

wins at singles. n

the Centenary Ladies golf team.

Varner used a Jessica Varner

strong finish on the back nine on the

final day to win the 2017 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championship by four strokes. Varner later received SCAC Woman’s Golfer of the Year accolades.

As a team, the Ladies finished fifth at the SCAC Championships with a 741 (+165). Meanwhile, the Gents finished with a total of 1,033 (+169) and came in sixth.

Varner was named All-Louisiana after she finished 30th in NCAA Division III

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Gents golfer Edvard Granrud at Stonebridge Country Club for the 2016 Hal Sutton ­Intercollegiate.

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Beast Feast is a unique, ­festival style culinary event featuring wild game, seafood, and other “off the menu” items prepared by local backyard chefs and popular restaurateurs.

SAVE THE DATE FOR 2018!

SATURDAY, MAY 19 4:00-7:00PM centenary.edu/beastfeast

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Centenary College Parents & Family Fund Makes a Difference!

Parents and family members of Centenary students are invited to contribute their philanthropic support to the Centenary College Parents & Family Fund. This fund directly impacts our students by providing much need financial support for the following areas:

Student Life & Leadership

Student Support

Campus Safety

Helps provide support to

Helps provide essential needs

Helps provide support for

further enhance the lives of

for students under special

Centenary’s Department

every student on campus.

circumstances including

of Public Safety by funding

Funding supports programs

but not limited to financial

increased on-campus camera

such as finals week study

hardship, semester/holiday

monitoring as well as a

sessions, academic travel

breaks, and mental health.

number of the programs DPS

opportunities, academic

Funding supports counseling

puts on each year to promote

resource center and

services as well as housing

safety among our students

programming, bi-annual Late

and food service (upon

on and off campus. These

Night Breakfast program

application to the Director of

programs include but are not

during finals week, extended

Residence Life) needed during

limited to Check Your Ride,

library hours, and career

regular scheduled holiday and

RAD classes, VIN Etching,

services.

semester breaks.

AED Training, Greek Training, and RA Training.

Centenary is Ready to Rock Your Socks!

With a gift of $50 while they last!

Give online at centenary.edu/socks 32

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Class Notes The following class notes were submitted by alumni between January 20, 2017 and October 2, 2017.

Class notes are subject to content editing by the Offices of Alumni and Family Relations and Marketing & Communication.

The Centenary Alumni Association seeks news of Centenary alumni.

Please send news and information to alumni@centenary.edu Office of Alumni and Family Relations Centenary College of Louisiana 2911 Centenary Blvd.•Shreveport, LA 71104 318.869.5115 • alumni@centenary.edu

1949 Beverly Newman, Oklahoma City, OK, and husband Bill Newman ’50 celebrated their 69th wedding ­ ­anniversary on September 4, 2017.

1999

1966 Martha Goza, Shreveport, LA, has served as the student council advisor at Captain Shreve High School for over 30 years. She was named the 2016 Warren E Shull National High School Advisor of the Year.

1968 Karen Everitt Brown, Madison, MS, wrote her memoir, Sandpiper: My Journey with Sight and Blindness, which was published by Nautilus Publishing in 2016 and is available on Amazon. It was a great honor for her to have Centenary Professor Emeritus Dr. Lee Morgan serve as an advance reader as he was the chairman of the English Department when she was a student majoring in English at Centenary.

Friend and classmate Carol Borne Spencer ‘69 has recorded the book for the Mississippi Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Services so that it will be available in accessible format for persons who are blind or visually impaired.

Bud Hammond, Windsor Heights, IA, recently published a new book entitled The Sinking of Estonia: The CIA Knew. It is a fictionalized account of the 1994 sinking of the car ferry “Estonia” by the Russian mafia.

Beverly ’49 and Bill ’50 Newman

1957 Clyde Bowers, Wake Village, TX, was appointed to the position of Associate Municipal Judge by the Mayor and City Council of the City of Wake Village, Texas, on Monday, June 12, 2017.

Frances Victory Schenkkan, Austin, TX, recently published her first book of poems ­entitled Mr. Stevens’ Secretary with ­University of Arkansas Press. centenary.edu/schenkkan

1977 Terry Swan, Campbellsville, KY, recently published his 27th book entitled An Upright Life: Who Am I Becoming? a sequel to one of his two best-selling books What in the World Am I Doing Here?

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Katie Barkley Loomis, Shreveport, LA, started her Ph.D. in Curriculum Instruction – Language and L ­ iteracy as well as teaching undergraduate courses at the University of North Texas this fall.

2000 Chris Susilovich, Houston, TX, joined Vintage Realty (Shreveport) as a licensed commercial real estate agent.

2001 David Hamm, Shreveport, LA, has joined Keen Miller Attorneys at Law, LLC as special counsel in the Shreveport office. He will practice with the real estate, business and corporate, and estate planning teams.

2003 Allison Ferrell, Columbia, MD, recently moved back to Shreveport, and took the position of executive director at Girls on the Run ­Shreveport. Girls on the Run provides a transformational physical activity-based, positive characterdevelopment program for girls in 3rd-8th grade.

2005 Saige Wilhite Solomon, Shreveport, LA, celebrated 10 years of employment at Centenary College in July.

On August 24, 2017, she was awarded the David Womack Leadership Award during Centenary’s Opening Session for faculty and staff. The David Womack Leadership Award was established in memory of David Womack who suddenly died while serving Centenary College as the Dean of Students in the 2008-2009 academic year. A dynamic leader and catalyst for change, David made a great impact on the entirety of the campus community though he served such a short tenure. The recipient of the David Womack

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Leadership Award is chosen each year by the Cabinet of the College if a worthy candidate is identified.

The Cabinet will consider nominations for the award at a regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting during August each year. The recipient may be a member of the staff or faculty. The following attributes are given consideration in making a selection: • Leadership skills • Ability to work across divisional and departmental lines • Proficiency at building bridges • Capacity to be inclusive of all members of the campus ­community.

Saige Wilhite Solomon ’05 receives the Womack Award from Centenary president Dr. Christopher Holoman.

2007 Charles Matter, Dallas, TX, is an oil and gas entrepreneur who has founded and successfully operated multiple mineral and royalty partnerships. Currently he is the Managing Partner for Case Energy Partners, LLC and its affiliates. He has extensive familiarity with the land and acquisition aspects of the oil and gas business with an emphasis on mineral and royalty interests. At Case he is directly involved with the evaluation, acquisition, and management of oil and gas properties and reports to an advisory team with extensive experience. He is a Registered

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Professional Landman (RPL) and Certified Mineral Manager (CMM).

He received a Bachelor of Arts from Centenary College and a Master of Arts from John Brown University. He is an ­active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), American Association of ­Petroleum Landmen (AAPL), Young Professionals in Energy (YPE, Dallas Chapter), and National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO). Case Energy Partners, LLC (Case/CEP) is a privately funded energy investment company that acquires and manages oil and gas interests of all sizes throughout the United States.

Their management team has over 65 years of combined experience in oil and gas property evaluation and reserve determination as well as geological review of non-producing properties and prospect development. In early March 2017, Case announced the launch of a new mineral and royalty venture, CEP Minerals, LLC. The new venture will deploy $30 million in the next 24 months to pursue the acquisition of oil and gas mineral and royalty interests in the Permian Basin region. Capital for CEP Minerals will be provided by a multifamily office and a private investment firm.

Nic Clark, New Orleans, LA, is the sole owner/operator of Civil War Tours of New Orleans. On ­Saturday, Oct. 21, he will lead a bus tour out of New Orleans that will spend the day visiting the battlefields and some plantations up and down Bayou Lafourche.

For more information visit: centenary.edu/civilwar and read about the tour in a recent national blog post by Kris Williams: centenary.edu/williams

2008 Robert Hendricks, Plano, TX, ­obtained his Ph.D. in Earth ­Science from McMaster University in H ­ amilton Ontario, Canada, in 2016.

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Margaret Mahoney, Houston, TX, serves as the Learning Abroad ­Advisor at the University of ­Houston advising university students on study, intern, research, volunteer, and education programs abroad.

MARRIAGES Shawna Williamson Ferrell Trnavsky ’97, Longview, TX, ­married Brad Trnavsky on ­ February 20, 2017, in Longview, TX. Christina Poole Dominique ’09, Bossier City, LA, married Bruce A. Dominique, Jr. on May 6, 2017, in Shreveport, LA. Kendall Payne ’10, Shreveport, LA, married Nicholas Payne at ­Centenary College on September 27, 2014.

Loren Lepore ’16, Shreveport, LA, married Martha Claire Booth on July 1, 2017, at Brown Chapel.

Chad Nelson ’13, Buffalo, TX, was married to Candace Nelson on March 5, 2017.

BIRTHS Sarah Vogt Frasher ’08, Jonesboro, AR, and husband, John Frasher, welcomed their daughter, Riley Marie Frasher, on September 21, 2017. Riley weighed 5 lbs, 5 oz. and was 18 inches long.

Kendall Payne ’10, Shreveport, LA, gave birth to daughter Audreyanna Elise Payne on May 15, 2015.

Kim Wilson ’00, Shreveport, LA, and husband, Keni ­Bullock, ­welcomed their son, Kyden ­Matthew, on October 28, 2016.

Justin Kirkes ’10 and Anna Maris Kirkes ’09 of Little Rock, AR, welcomed their son, Daniel Wilder Kirkes, on January 6, 2017.

Jesi Wilcox ’13, Mobile, AL, and husband, C.J. Wilcox, welcomed their son, Jep, on April 12, 2017.

In Memoriam

RECEIVED BETWEEN JANUARY 20, 2017 – OCTOBER 3, 2017

Frank Ford ’39 1/21/2017

Angie Bruno Manno ’51 2/19/2017

Ruby Bloxom Dart ’58 3/25/2017

Larry Ward ’69 2/21/2017

Vyvian Smylie Blanchard ’41 3/22/2017

Robert Regan ’51 6/5/2016

Pierce Graham ’58 4/7/2017

John Blankenship ’70 3/30/2015

Lee Alice Clay Finnell ’41 8/24/2017

Brannon Riddle ’51 8/8/2017

Larry Jamison ’58 2/21/2017

David L. Hoskins ’70 9/28/17

John Hearne ’43 8/14/2017

Elsie Vincent Wyman ’51 5/11/2013

Mimori Urakami Robertson ’58 2/2/2017

Charles Pasquier ’71 3/1/2015

Katherine Chatwin Oliphint ’43 11/9/2013

Lailiah Sutton Cole ’52 1/12/2017

Joseph Segers ’58 3/1/2017

Richard Skarsten ’71 7/3/2017

Jack Durr ’44 3/28/2017

Geraldine Hunt ’52 5/20/2017

Harold Semon ’58 1/21/2017

James Hanvey ’74 6/4/2017

Delena Yancey Elgin ’44 6/1/2017

Johnnie Morris Boatright ’53 2/10/2017

David Herndon ’59 4/23/2017

Annie-Laurie Caldwell Cooper ’75 11/8/2016

Margie Ray ’45 1/19/2015

Bobby Potter ’53 9/4/2017

David Mills ’59 11/18/2016

Don Easterwood ’75 1/15/2017

Marjorie Jones Alvord ’46 7/8/2017

Willam Semple ’53 7/12/2011

James Love ’60 9/2/2017

Bob Owens ’75 8/3/2017

Miriam Colvard Burton ’46 3/17/2017

Bobby Skaggs ’53 3/16/2017

Robert Griffith ’61 8/31/2017

Bo Johnson ’81 6/1/2017

John Hardin ’46 5/11/2017

Jackie Bomar Barr ’54 3/18/2017

Phoebe Volentine Thompson ’61 5/21/2017

Mary Pinkney Williams ’85 8/11/2017

Ann Redden Adair ’47 1/30/2017

Bobby Snead ’54 6/1/2017

John Morneau ’62 10/10/2010

Allan Barlow ’87 1/23/2017

Minnette Harkrider Carter ’48 5/14/2017

Betty Lee Wolfe ’54 6/2/2017

Rosalind Verduzco Shirley ’62 3/11/2017

Dudley Higgins ’88 3/1/2017

Glen Graves ’48 3/1/2017

Harvey Allen ’55 9/3/2017

Mike Ramming ’63 2/4/2017

Eric Folmer ’89 3/8/2017

Martha Ellis Lazarus ’49 8/3/2017

Jim Fritze ’55 5/22/2016

Aaron Adelstein ’64 9/4/2014

David Quinn ’92 4/25/2017

Joyce Bennett Ullom ’49 4/18/2017

Mary Beth Person McCain ’55 6/3/2017

Wilda Rodriguez Andrews ’65 4/6/2017

Thomas Bickham ’93 8/4/2017

L. T. Baker ’50 7/5/2017

Jim Dobie ’56 6/29/2017

LaJuana Butler Goldsby ’65 9/20/2017

Connie DeHoog Beasley ’94 4/9/2017

Bill Dowden ’50 6/1/2017

Bill Wakeman ’56 3/21/2017

Carolyn Moore Rogers ’65 8/22/2017

Sylvia Newsom McKinney ’96 8/3/2017

Jane Ann Ryan Liles ’50 6/22/2017

Grover Britt ’57 8/31/2017

Martha Martin Talbot ’65 9/14/2017

Perry Smith ’50 8/14/2017

Nedra Black Sims ’57 8/13/2013

Linda West Johnston ’66 7/15/2017

Don Thomas ’50 2/23/2017

Barney Wheeler ’57 4/2/2017

James Nance ’66 8/24/2016

Donna Lofton Gipson ’51 9/20/2017

Howard Collins ’58 4/25/2017

Nelda Young ’66 6/17/2017

We celebrate the lives and legacies of these members

of the Centenary family.

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Calling all Centenary alumni!

The Office of Alumni & Family Relations has launched a new online alumni survey, and we want to hear from you.

VISIT

centenary.edu/alumnisurvey Provide your feedback and help us improve future programming!

Office of Marketing and Communication 2911 Centenary Boulevard Shreveport, LA 71104

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID SHREVEPORT, LA PERMIT NO. 696