THE
IRON BLADE Vol. 60, No. 2
SINCE 1955
60 Years of Ferrum College News
November , 2015
50 Years at Ferrum: The Celebration of Dr. Anthony Giesen
By Allison Martin Ralph Arthur was the seventh Giesen spoke about his and say he helped them get over On Friday, Oct. 3, 2015, Ferrum president of Ferrum when Giesen memories of bonfires, pep rallies their fear of math and that they College held a celebration understand math a lot better for Dr. Anthony Giesen in thanks to him. the Blue Ridge Mountain According to the Room, marking his 50 years calculations of Gail Summer, at Ferrum College. Many vice president for academic of Giesen's colleagues and affairs, Giesen has taught former students attended the somewhere around 7,000 to celebration and shared stories 8,000 students in his time here about his time teaching at and it seems like he’s done Ferrum. great things with each and Giesen has been a math every one of his students. professor here at Ferrum In Franklin Hall there since 1965, but he began are 100 glass figurines. his Ferrum career as an When Giesen isn’t teaching equestrian teacher. That stint his students or dabbling at was brief, then he became a the piano, every once in a math professor. while, he collects these glass When Giesen started figurines. He started when he here, Ferrum was a junior was 15 years old. college. He has watched Asked when he thinks his Photo by Ferrum Ferrum build academically work here will be done, Giesen President Jennifer Braaten was among those who came to celebrate. as well as physically. When he said, “I’m 75 and not in a hurry started teaching. and football games. started here the only dorms were Giesen has seen changes – When asked why he's stayed to leave, but I want to travel to New Basset Hall and Chapman Hall. from the way that students dress, here as a professor for so long, Zealand and see new things. I want Stanley Library was in a basement to the amount of diversity here at Giesen said he feels he is making to be able to see the world and do where he would sometimes practice the college. He says has seen the a difference here at Ferrum and he things I haven’t done yet. But I do piano when no students were students get more serious about feels he is doing something great want to be able to come back and around. their studies over the years. when his students come to him help with math if I’m needed.”
Ferrum's New Football Turf Field
or architects would have thought.” game to be played on the new turf was finished in the middle of By Joey Pride Naff explained that the main has been pushed back multiple August” stated Naff. After coming One of the hotter athletic topics on campus this fall semester reason this permitting process took so times due to this unfortunate delay. to the realization that the field would not be ready in is not only the addition time, the contractors of a turf field in Adams planned to have the Stadium, but also the field finished by the delay surrounding it. For big homecoming the first couple weeks of game . Once again, the semester, it seemed the completion date as though no progress was pushed back to was being made on the October 10, which field and everyone had also proved to be a strong opinion about unsuccessful. The next the lack of work the estimated completion contractors were doing. date was Oct. 24. A lot of rumors have Naff was extremely been floating around hopeful tthe weather campus about the would cooperate delay in the progress. with the construction The big question is, because a new turf what is the hold up? field would be a Anyone who nice substitute to truly wanted to know the construction site that reasoning for the delay is currently planted could ask Abe Naff, the at Adams Stadium. director of athletics. Completion of the Naff says, “the Turf Field Project delay was based on the The new turf field has missed three scheduled completion dates. Photo by Ferrum College Athletics would also give student permitting process for the long was due to the “new regulations “Originally, the first game of the athletes, especially seniors, a chance storm water drainage through the dealing with storm water drainage.” season was scheduled to have been to play not only in Ferrum again, but county offices, and that took much The date of the first football played when the turf field project also on brand new, bright green turf. longer than any of our engineers