Montevallo Today, Spring 2014

President’s Message Dear Montevallo family: As I wrote recently in a newspaper column, students, parents and policy makers around our nation are rightly concerned with the question: is a college degree worth it?

I am proud to report to you that the true value of a Montevallo education is as timeless and precious as ever. You, our alumni, are living proof of your alma mater’s enduring worth and efficacy. At Montevallo, we continue to provide a liberal arts education that prepares students for life and career by equipping them with the ability to write and communicate well — and to think creatively and critically.

Someone asked me recently to render a defense of the liberal arts in an age when there is hyper focus on highly specific training for technical jobs. I started by reminding him that some of those jobs may not exist in five years, that building a successful career is more about keeping jobs and performing them well and creatively than getting the first one. I told him of my understanding that about a third of the Fortune 500 CEOs are liberal arts college graduates. Then I waxed more philosophical. Montevallo students, I told him, have wonderfully devoted faculty with sterling credentials for the entirety of their college careers. They are not 300 young adults in a cavernous lecture hall for half of their education here, but an intimate family of learners who gain valuable pre-professional skills and who secure something timeless and real — something that will serve them well in their vocations and in life — for the long haul.

On May 3, another graduating class marched boldly from our gates into a rapidly changing world — a world with a global economy. Many of those newest alumni will become accomplished business professionals. Others will head for Broadway’s bright lights, or the fluorescent lights of research labs. Our tradition of strong medical school and law school placement will continue. Many will continue a legacy of service, teaching and counseling our children, remediating speech disabilities, caring for our underserved, leading churches, holding office and volunteering. They will earn good livings, but as Montevallo alums, they will not obsess on it. They will engage society more interested in outcomes than incomes. Those who become wealthy are likely to be philanthropists. Those who become physicians and healthcare providers will have a deeper understanding of human suffering. All who leave our gates will be smart, balanced and prepared. Like the great books, the classics, the scientific theories and theorems they study, Montevallo graduates have depth and substance — and genuine value. I’ll take that every time. Thank you for your part in this noble tradition.

MONTEVALLO TODAY Vol. CIII, No. 2 Spring 2014 Montevallo Today (ISSN 1052-3634) is published three times a year by the University of Montevallo, Alumni Affairs/University Relations, Reynolds Hall, Highland St., Montevallo, AL 35115. Periodicals postage paid at Montevallo, AL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, send address changes to Montevallo Today, Station 6215, P.O. Box 6000, Montevallo, AL 35115. To contact the Alumni Affairs office, please call 205-665-6215. Text, photographs and graphic images included in this publication may not be reproduced without written permission from the editor. The University of Montevallo does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or in the provision of services.

Montevallo Today

University of Montevallo alumni magazine EDITOR

Tiffany Roskamp-Bunt ’00, MBA ’13 bunttr@montevallo.edu

Associate Editor & CLASS NOTES EDITOR

Marsha Littleton littletonm@montevallo.edu

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Heather Buckner ’14 hbuckner@forum.montevallo.edu

COPY Editor

Diane Kennedy-Jackson kennedyd@montevallo.edu

Alumni Editor

Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98 paynet@montevallo.edu

Photographers

Matt Orton, Brittany Headley ’14, Kiera Hood ’15, Wendy Johnson ’17, Tracy PayneRockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98, Ashlynn Postell ’14

DESIGNERs

Tiffany Roskamp-Bunt ’00, MBA ’13, Hannah Stein ’14

Editorial Assistant

Brenda Aldridge

Contributors

Courtney Bennett ’11, Tabby Stott Burt ’11, Hollie Cost, Wesley Hallman, Gary Johnson, Mike Malone ’69, Cathlena Martin, Stephanie Shaw ’93

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UMNAA President — Michael Malone ’69 President-Elect — Laurl Self ’94 Past President/Parliamentarian Jim Methvin ’73 Alumni Council Representative Mary Lou Williams ’69 Admissions Representative Greg Embry ’96 Faculty Representative Carolyn Miller-Kirby SGA President Rachael Swokowski ’15 UMNAA Vice Presidents Matt Arnold ’93, Barbara Bonfield ’58, Wadia B. Josof ’79, Toni Leo ’80, Jalete Nelms ’90, Keith Shoemaker ’98, Warwick M. Woodall ’82 Members at Large Barbara Bradford ’56, Lewis Brooks ’88, Mary Louise Dabbs ’56, Tiffani Humphries ’98, Patrick McDonald ’01, Terra Miller ’06, Megan Randolph ’06, Diane Ray ’68, Stephanie Shaw ’93, David Thomas ’97, Susan Vaughn ’71, Cornelia Watts ’77, Chris Willis ’07, Virginia Young ’84 Ex-Officio John W. Stewart III, Julie Harbin ’00, Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98

In this Issue 6

page 6

Homecoming 2014

Keith Shoemaker ’98, UMNAA vice president of clubs, and Julie Harbin ’00, president of the Alumni Junior Board, enjoy a dinner honoring the recipients of the 2014 UMNAA awards.

Alumni celebrated this year’s homecoming theme, “One University, One Community and One Family.”

16 Alumni Profile

Dolly Brumfield White ’54 presents UM President John W. Stewart III a uniform from her collection of baseball memorabilia, donated to UM at Homecoming 2014. White played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League beginning at the age of 14.

28 UMNAA President page 16 page 28

Mike Malone ’69 assumes the mantle of president of the University of Montevallo National Alumni Association at the Homecoming Awards and Recognition Luncheon. Malone said he is honored to serve his alma mater and looks forward to what this year will bring.

Departments 4 Campus News

16 Montevallo Profile

13 Guest Essay

18 Class Notes

14 Sports

22 Alumni Activities

On the cover Sergio Gonzalez “snowboards” down a slope on the Montevallo campus. Students, as well as some members of UM’s faculty and staff, took advantage of the snowstorm in late January to enjoy sledding using improvised equipment, such as trash can lids and plastic tub tops.

LEFT: Evan Dixon and Hallea Ward brave the cold to explore the Montevallo campus that was covered with a rare blanket of snow in January.

PHOTOS: MATT ORTON

|Campus News|

|Young speaks at fall commencement| Andrew Young, politician, human rights activist and businessman, was the speaker at UM’s fall commencement. He encouraged graduates to seek diverse methods to address issues they will face in their professional lives.

Young was a trusted aide to Martin Luther King Jr. and rose to the executive directorship of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, organizing voter registration and desegregation campaigns. He was with King when the civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., in 1968.

Young won Georgia’s Fifth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972 and became the first African American since Reconstruction to be elected to Congress from Georgia. He supported the 1976 presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter, and in 1977 Carter named Young ambassador to the United Nations. He was forced to resign the position in 1979 for having met with a representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, at that time considered a terrorist organization. U.S. officials were forbidden to meet with its members.

In 1981, Young was elected mayor of Atlanta. He was defeated in a 1990 primary bid to become the Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia.

Young is currently a professor at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. He has remained active in Georgia’s civic affairs, serving as co-chair of the Atlanta Committee for the 1996 Olympic Games and continuing to foster economic growth in the developing world as a business consultant and as chairman of the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund.

Andrew Young delivers the commencement address at UM’s fall 2013 graduation ceremony.

|King writes book based on UM commencement speech|

Cassandra King has expanded her address, delivered at UM’s spring 2013 graduation exercises, into a new book, The Same Sweet Girls Guide to Life: Advice from a Failed Southern Belle.

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When Cassandra King ’66, the author of five bestselling novels, gave the commencement address at the University of Montevallo in May 2013, she described her experiences on the UM campus and the friendships she formed that continue today. She inspired graduates with practical advice on dealing with life’s ups and downs and expressed her love for her alma mater and those with whom she experienced it.

A number of alumni had requested a copy of King’s commencement address, and now readers everywhere can enjoy those words, as she has incorporated them into her sixth book, The Same Sweet Girls Guide to Life: Advice from a Failed Southern Belle.

The Same Sweet Girls, King’s third novel, was inspired by a real-life group of women of the same name who attended

Alabama College (now UM) together in the ’60s. On release, it was a Booksense Number-One Selection nationwide, appeared on The New York Times and USA Today bestseller list and was included in the New York Post’s Must-Read section.

King said, “Unknowingly, I had been surrounded in college by irreverent soulmates disguised as belles-in-training.

They were as unfit for the role as I was and every bit as eager to burst free. We aren’t really sweet and never have been, but we made a pact while in college that we would always stay connected. We have been doing so for four decades now.”

In 2006, this group of alumnae established a scholarship to help make it possible for others to have the UM experience. A portion of the proceeds of this latest book will go to that scholarship.

|Cultivating future community leadership| Students from the University of Montevallo, Montevallo Middle School and Montevallo High School have come together to form the Students’ Institute, a group of future community leaders who are learning to become active citizens and to positively influence others.

The program is sponsored by the David Mathews Center for Civic Life and the UM Office of Service Learning and Community Engagement (OSLACE).

Intern Lauren Davis, a sophomore history and political science major, oversees the Students’ Institute alongside David Mathews Center’s executive director, Chris McCauley, and program coordinator, Cristin Foster, as well as OSLACE director and Montevallo mayor Hollie Cost.

Kymberlee Lewis, an art teacher at Montevallo Elementary School, said her favorite part of the Students’ Institute was having the high school students collaborate with her elementary students. “It makes the elementary students feel more important when older kids pay attention to them and take them seriously,” she said.

Members of the Students’ Institute identify community assets and utilize

Members of the Students’ Institute learn about public services and bettering the environment at the Montevallo water treatment plant.

“naming and framing,” public deliberation and small group discussions to devise ways to better integrate the schools with the community.

They participated in four field trips, each of which had a specific theme that was represented in the resources the students visited: “Citizenship,” “Bettering the Environment,” “Public Services and Public Spaces” and “Caring for Our Citizens.” Sites included the recycling center,

community gardens, water treatment plant, Carmichael Library, McChesney Student Activity Center, City Hall, Montevallo’s police and fire departments, Senior Center and Boy Scout Lodge.

The students put their newfound public deliberation skills to the test by leading two public forums on March 20 and April 2 to “name and frame” issues that affect all Montevallo citizens.

|Honors Program partners with Service Learning| In late January, more than 30 students from Montevallo Elementary School’s Gifted Resource Class spent an evening on the UM campus experiencing a variety of interactive educational activities ranging from chemistry and math to theater and beyond, all led by University of Montevallo Honors students. The Montevallo Honors Organization (the SGA-affiliated arm of the Honors Program) and UM’s Office of Service Learning hosted the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade gifted students for an evening of educational entertainment and mentoring.

Service learning coordinator Hollie Cost introduced the MHO volunteers to the GRC students by explaining that Honors Program students leading

the sessions are essentially the GRC students of college.

The students attended three 30-minute mini-sessions, selecting from broadcasting, art, puzzles, chemistry and chess. Art major Adrienne Dauma helped the youngsters get their hands messy in clay for her “dirty art” session, while art major Sara Cucksee offered a cleaner project of designing puzzles.

During the broadcasting sessions led by mass communication student Jacob Bobst and communications studies major Stuart Cekolin, GRC students worked together to invent news stories, which they reported, recorded and watched afterwards. Bobst said, “It was a lot of fun for all of us. We came into the year knowing that this is the event

we most wanted to do, and we’re all excited to be able to do it. We’d love to do it again!”

Game studies and design student Ben Carter provided insight on becoming a more competitive chess player while MHO student president Susan Sabia joined fellow MHO member Morgan Gothard to illustrate chemical reactions, ending with a crowd-pleasing controlled explosion.

“Participating in the GRC Fun Night completes a circle of events that started in elementary school,” said Sabia. “My school district held similar events when I was a kid, and I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with my older peers. GRC gave me the opportunity to ‘pay forward’ the favor.”

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|UMNAA honors alumni achievements| comptroller of the treasury in the state of Tennessee and later as a personnel officer on the personnel board of Jefferson County, Alabama. He returned to graduate school in 1986 at the University of Georgia, receiving the Ph.D. in public administration in 1990.

Condrey worked in the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia from 1986 until his retirement Stephen Condrey, 2014 Distinguished Alumnus, addresses in 2010. He served as the UMNAA and guests at the Homecoming Awards and the program director Recognition Luncheon. In the background hangs a quilt created by Courtney Bennett ’11 from T-shirts from various for human resource management technical UM organizations and events. assistance and as an When University of Montevallo alumni adjunct professor and returned to campus for homecoming was appointed to the graduate faculty of festivities, they enjoyed reunions and reUGA in 2002. ceptions, athletic events, an art auction, In addition, he founded a consulting College Night productions and meetings firm in human resource management, galore. The 2014 homecoming theme, Condrey and Associates Inc., in 1998.

“One University, One Community, One This internationally recognized firm has Family,” recognized the support of the consulted nationally with many organientire Montevallo community. zations on personnel-related issues.

At the Homecoming Awards and As an independent academic consulRecognition Luncheon, held in Anna tant, Condrey has been invited to lecture Irvin Dining Hall, three alumni were and present seminars to government honored by the UM National Alumni agencies and academic organizations in Association for outstanding service to numerous foreign countries. As a result their communities and the University. of his work in Eastern Europe, he edited The recipient of the 2014 Distina book, Public Administration in Postguished Alumnus Award was Stephen Communist Countries: Former Soviet E. Condrey. A resident of Montevallo, Union, Central and Eastern Europe, and he graduated with highest honors from Mongolia. One nominator said, “This UM in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree is the most comprehensive treatment of in political science and a minor in public administration in the region since business. He went on to earn a Master the dissolution of the Soviet Union.” of Public Administration degree with He is the principal author and edia concentration in higher education tor of the Handbook of Human Resource administration from the University of Management in Government, first Tennessee in 1979. published in 1989 and republished twice After receiving the MPA, Condrey more in 2005 and 2010. In 2011, this took his degrees into the workplace as text was recognized as the “Best Public a program evaluator in the office of the Human Resource Book” by the Ameri-

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can Society for Public Administration.

In 2010, Condrey was appointed

by President Obama to the position of chairman of the Federal Salary Council.

He also serves as president of the American Society for Public Administration, as editor-in-chief of the Review of Public Personnel Administration, and was elected a fellow of the prestigious National Academy of Public Administration.

Condrey’s service to the University has extended to include significant support of the James Wylie Shepherd Observatory and the recruitment of Russian scholar Dmitry Goncharov for the Vacca Professorship in 2005.

One nominator wrote, “I cannot think of another person who so well fulfills the UM mission statement in the way he has used his Montevallo education to achieve ‘intellectual and personal growth in the pursuit of meaningful employment and responsible, informed citizenship.’”

The recipient of the 2014 Nathalie Molton Gibbons Alumni Achievement Award was Robert Gene Ramsay. A resident of Gardendale, Ramsay graduated from UM in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in music education.

While still attending college, Ramsay opened Gene Ramsay’s Trumpet Studio, teaching music, specifically trumpet, in private and group settings.

He continues to maintain his studio and also performs with various music groups in the Birmingham area.

After graduation, Ramsay taught music in the Jefferson County schools for five years before turning his attention to the insurance field. He currently serves First Protective as a broker. He has held a number of positions in professional organizations and has received numerous awards. He is currently president of the Birmingham Association of Health Underwriters and vice president of technology with the Alabama Association of Health Underwriters. In 2013, he was named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s list of 40 Executives to Follow and received the Soaring Eagle Award from the Leading Producers Round

Winners of awards presented by the UM National Alumni Association at Homecoming 2014 were, from left: Robert Gene Ramsay ’92, Stephen Condrey ’78 and Frederick Miller ’04.

Table of the National Association of Health Underwriters.

In addition to his professional duties, Ramsay is the director of the Alabama chapter of Bugles Across America, a volunteer organization providing live buglers to play Taps at military funerals and other military events. In the words of one nominator, “Due to military budget cuts, the active military will send an honor guard, but most of the time they provide a recording of Taps to be played at a military funeral. For Gene Ramsay and the remainder (sic) 5,000 buglers, a tape recording of Taps played at the funeral of an American hero is just not ‘good enough.’’’

Frederick D. Miller was the recipient of the 2014 Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achiever’s Award. Miller graduated from UM in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history.

Soon after graduation, Miller relocated to Washington, D.C., where he was employed as a legislative assistant with Van Scoyoc Associates, a government relations firm. A nominator from that firm praised his strong work ethic, saying, “Every morning he was the first person in

the office, and every evening he was the last person to leave. He performed every task, no matter how small or how large, as if it was the most important thing he had ever done up to that point in his life.

Additionally, he spent many hours, some on his own time, studying the craft of government relations.”

Miller’s eye for detail and professional demeanor drew the attention of the CEO of the Weyerhaeuser Company, and in 2006, he accepted the position of legislative assistant in the company’s Washington, D.C., office. In 2008, he became the political affairs manager.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Miller has received one of the highest honors bestowed by the company, the Weyerhaeuser President’s Award, not once, but twice. A Weyerhaeuser executive said, “Fred’s success is a reflection of his outstanding leadership, understanding of the importance of relationships across a broad array of stakeholders and bipartisan interests, out-of-the-box thinking and passion.”

An award winning speaker, Miller was a semi-finalist in the Toastmasters International World Championship of

Public Speaking Contest in 2009 and serves as president of the Capital Two Toastmasters Club in Washington, D.C. He is a sponsor of the Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program, designed to give young adults experience in public speaking. He also volunteers as a board member, mentor, tutor and chaperone with the Capital Area REACH Program of Greater Washington, D.C., an organization helping underprivileged youth become successful.

As a loyal UM alumnus, Miller has not only “paid it forward” by giving other alums assistance in moving to Washington, but has even offered his apartment as a place for Montevallo students and recent graduates to live as they worked in summer internships or first jobs.

One nominator wrote, “Since his arrival in D.C. in 2005, Fred has fueled his rise in politics with natural talent, hard work and grit. In a town not known for its ethics, Fred has made character and integrity the foundation of his career.”

Coincidentally, Miller recently married Terra D. Moody ’06, the recipient of the 2013 Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achiever’s Award.

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|College Night results in PV| College Night this year culminated with Purple Side, led by Korey Wilson and Mary Kate McLaurine, claiming their first victory in three years.

“Greek,” a tale of the gods discovering what it means to be human, brought the Olympians back for a win. Largely told by the narrating fates, the story begins with the gods being awakened from a deep sleep by a boy who finds faith in the beauty of a girl he meets. While his faith awakens them, Hera believes the gods must bring Ben and Holly together so Ben will keep his faith in love. Dionysus is sent to play matchmaker. Hades, who has stayed on earth to enjoy his mayhem, must foil the gods and keep Zeus asleep.

In the end, however, he and the naïve Persephone are outwitted, and Dionysus celebrates his victory in helping Ben win the girl and rescuing the gods from their powerless slumber.

The Gold Side, led by Michael Tallon and Jana Taunton, produced “Room Service,” which opened with famous actress Tina Lamont arriving at a hotel to film a dance number for her new movie.

Sugar, who dreams of going to Hol-

lywood, is put in charge of Tina’s dress, but when Tina’s co-star bails, Sugar sees her chance for more. Sisters Eunice and Libby McGillicuddy, maids at the hotel, do, too. When they try out for the role and are rejected, they hatch a plan to drug and kidnap Tina — Sugar witnesses their actions. While Eunice dances around in Tina’s dress, Sugar alerts the other hotel workers. Her heroism is met with an invitation to be in Tina’s movie.

College Night 2014 was dedicated to Physical Plant Director Billy Hughes.

Hughes has served at UM since 1992, as assistant director, interim director and now, director.

“Many faculty and staff members at UM work tirelessly, meeting the call of duty, then going beyond — they often go unappreciated,” said Purple leader Wilson. “We leaders wanted to shine some light on the work of Billy Hughes for his contributions to UM’s mission.”

Because Thursday night’s show was cancelled with threat of severe weather, the University offered a Saturday night livestream available on YouTube, with viewing areas on campus.

College Night 2014 Video Order Form

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Please mail order form to: College Night DVD • University of Montevallo • Station 6292 • Montevallo, AL 35115

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Montevallo Today

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Photo by Ashlynn Postell ’14

2 1. Tracy Payne-Rockco (center) with homecoming student assistants Crystal Roskam, Emily Schaefer, Abby Alger, Trenton Jones and Liza Schweiterman. 2. A gathering of Distinguished Alumni, from left: Patrick Evans, Stephen Condrey, Robert Chapman, Samantha Webb (wife of Stephen Condrey), JDanny Cooper, Bobbye Lightfoot, Delores “Dolly” White and Tom Walker. 3. Dionysis in the Purple production, “Greek.” 4. Global and Community Outreach reunion, from left: Quincy Hall, Hollie Cost, Courtney Bennett, Lauren Davis, Dee Woodham and Barry Woodham.

5. Dolly Brumfield White and Patricia Hughes at the dedication of White’s donation of memorabilia. 6. Gold Side players perform in “Room Service.” 7. Billy Hughes, director of UM’s physical plant, receives the College Night dedication from Rachael Swokowski, SGA president. 8. Susan Finch and Justin Barron look at recent issues of The Alabamian at the student publications reunion. 9. Purple Side celebrates the win!

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Photo by Brit Headley ’14

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Photo by Wendy Johnson ’17

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|Campus News|

|Wintery mix creates fun and challenges|

By Heather Buckner ’14

Jessica St. John laughs, enjoying the snow.

Since UM’s cafeteria no longer has trays, used as sleds by students in years gone by, Calliope Renee Pettis slides on the lid of a plastic tub.

The morning of January 28, amidst the cold wind and scattered snowflakes, faculty and staff commuted to campus, and students hurried to class as meteorologists prepared Alabama for a “light dusting of snow.”

What followed, however, was “anything but” as the “snowpocalypse” incapacitated the Birmingham area.

Thousands of children were stranded at school overnight, and highways turned to iced parking lots.

By the time the University was officially closed around 9:30 a.m., it was too late for most to journey home.

“After driving two hours and only making it three-quarters of a mile from campus, I decided that the odds of making it back home were quite slim,” said Tiffany Wang, assistant professor of communication studies.

After her attempts to take an alternate route home were quelled by the ice, she decided to drive back to campus while she still could.

Wang, who was offered a spare bed by one of her students, said she enjoyed reliving her undergraduate days. “I spent time chatting with my roommate for the night and some of my past and current COMS 102 students, conducting a thorough dorm scavenger hunt for toiletry items, eating Salisbury steak

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Montevallo Today

and half a waffle with a spoon at the caf and watching a late night hallway game of Monopoly© with the welcome sustenance of cheese puffs and leftover Christmas candy provided by some very generous residents.”

Because of the abnormal number of calls that came with the snow and ice, the UM police department was extremely busy during the storm. Police Chief Chadd Adams said the most challenging part of the event was the anticipation of a potential emergency.

“We realize in the event of an emergency that it will be difficult to get additional help to campus or get someone to the hospital. Road conditions can cause a great deal of problems,” he explained.

But Montevallo was fortunate during the storm, according to Adams, thanks to prior planning, awesome people and campus-wide relationships.

Most students enjoyed the unexpected break from classes and celebrated with sledding, snowball fights and hot chocolate. Juxtaposed with the chaos around the state, campus life carried on as normal.

One aspect of it, however, did not — for the first time since 1972, a College Night performance was cancelled.

“Since the weather had been so unpredictable the week prior, everyone

was nervous that our students and guests would potentially be in an unsafe weather situation,” said Marion Brown, director of College Night. “Although we did not receive the winter weather, we made the decision based on the safety of our UM community, families and friends.”

“I was a little teary as I typed, ‘Tonight’s College Night performance is cancelled,’ for a sign to be placed on the doors of Palmer Auditorium,” said Kelly Wacker, chair of the committee.

The sides lost five days of rehearsal time due to weather cancellations, but Brown said she believes it redoubled each side’s efforts and determination.

“Through the years, Purples and Golds have overcome more than a weather event on their way to the goal,” said Brown. “These students are extremely adaptable, just as their liberal arts training teaches.”

Other than a College Night disturbance, Montevallo weathered the storms unscathed.

“I always see unusual, funny stuff on campus,” said Adams. “But nothing too crazy related to the wintery mix. I think everyone made the best of the situation and had a great time.”

“I will say that everyone was well behaved,” he said. “Even the faculty and staff that were stranded in Ramsay.”

|Family Day| The University celebrated its annual Family Day February 8, 2014.

Tammi Dahle, dean of students, has overseen Family Day for two years and said more people attended this year than the past 14.

“About 265 people attended, which is the largest crowd we have experienced in the years I have been involved in any capacity with Family Day,” said Dahle.

In the past, Family Day has been held in the fall, but recently it has been moved to coincide with events on campus. Last year, for example, it was held on the same day as the televised basketball game in February.

This year, Family Day was held at homecoming, so all homecoming events except College Night were open to visitors. Dahle said that in addition to those events, UM also offered a continental breakfast and a barbecue lunch.

A combined project for the Dean of Students Office, University Advancement, Alumni Affairs and Athletics, the event might be tweaked next year, Dahle said, but for the most part they plan to keep it similar to this year.

“Families really enjoyed having the day on homecoming,” she said.

Dahle said she supports Family Day because the engagement of parents and families in campus life is a key to student success. Families often serve as support for students, and keeping them engaged can help their students persist.

Dahle said organizers are striving to include families in planned activities on campus; they hope to get them involved in the Falcon Families program. Parents and families who wish to be involved and stay informed about campus events are welcome to join; members receive a subscription to the Falcon Family Update, their e-newsletter.

TOP: Sarah Allen slides down a hill on campus using a cardboard box as a makeshift sled.

LOWER LEFT: Layla Khan hits Laura Quattrochi with a snowball. Students enjoyed the cancellation of classes and playing in the snow.

LOWER RIGHT: John Evans enjoys sledding on the lid of a plastic tub.

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|$1 million gift from alumna to support music students|

The University of Montevallo has a rich and diverse legacy of music.

Faculty and students bring together their musical talents and experiences to make the Department of Music acclaimed statewide and throughout the nation. Music is one of those great common denominators. It is a window to the soul.

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent,” said Victor Hugo.

Sadly, it is no longer as widely supported in primary and secondary schools as it once was. Additionally, many aspiring college students are unable to pursue their dreams of becoming professional musicians due to difficulty in finding scholarships and other funding that will allow them the formal training they seek.

In February, the University received one of the largest gifts in the school’s history. This landmark gift will provide music students the opportunity to make their dreams a reality.

A $1 million cash endowment was given to support music scholarships for years to come. The Alice Aldora

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“Slim” Hyatt Endowed Scholarship has been made possible by the estate of Alice Hyatt and the generosity of her best friend, who wishes to remain anonymous. UM President John W. Stewart III believes this scholarship gift marks a new milestone in the University’s culture of philanthropy.

“This transformational gift reflects the love of our alumni and friends for this special place,” stated Stewart. “A gift this significant infuses our campus with enthusiasm and pride about new and expanded opportunities we can bring to our students and faculty.”

The $1 million gift memorializes alumna Alice Aldora “Slim” Hyatt ’49, a music major with a concentration in piano and a minor in physical education. She was active in extracurricular activities, having participated in College Night and golf all four years as a student. Hyatt served as a Purple cheerleader for College Night, and her involvement with golf earned her the nickname “Slim.” She also participated in the Calkins Music Club, the Physical Education Club, the Glee Club, the Alabama Players, orchestra,

and during her senior year, the Student Government Association. Following graduation, she pursued a career in physical education, though her passion remained with piano performance.

The endowed scholarship, specifically for piano majors, will make possible awards for full tuition, room and board, fees and books.

“This gift from the heart of Ms. Hyatt and her best friend truly emphasizes the philanthropic commitment of our community and the passion of the Montevallo alumni, family and friends who are invested in the success of our students,” stated Alan Goldspiel, chair of the Department of Music, when asked about the impact of this gift. “We are grateful for this legacy gift that will change the lives of young musicians for years to come.”

Awards will be offered immediately for study beginning with the fall 2014 semester and are renewable for all four undergraduate years. The UM Department of Music, an All-Steinway school since 2007, boasts first-rate faculty, award-winning students and alumni who have gone on to attend top graduate schools and work in programs of distinction across the country. The department has been continuously accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music since 1931, having earned accreditation for the first time only four years after the formation of the association in 1927. UM offers Bachelor of Music degrees in performance and music education, along with the Bachelor of Arts degree in music.

Individuals interested in this scholarship should contact the Department of Music at music@montevallo.edu or at 205-665-6670. Those interested in establishing a Montevallo legacy with a planned gift to help students and faculty for generations to come may contact Scott Dillard, director of development, at sdillard@ montevallo.edu or at 205-665-6221 for more information.

|Guest Essay|

|Coming Home – the Montevallo experience|

By STEPHANIE SHAW ’93

As my husband Alan ’93 and I pulled on to the brick streets of the University of Montevallo, I was reminded again of why I love this place.

It was 2013, and we were on campus for Homecoming and the class of 1993’s 20th reunion. It had been more than 10 years since we had been on campus for any official function, but as soon as I stepped foot on the red brick streets, I felt like I was home again.

The campus was just as I remembered. The majestic trees and wrought iron arches welcomed me inside.

Students laughed and called to one another across Main Quad. The trees were tied in purple and gold ribbons in celebration of College Night. Red bricks, white columns, brick streets — it felt like home to me.

As Alan and I walked down the same paths we once took daily to class, the memories of our college years rushed back. We reminisced about classes and favorite professors. We visited both of our former “homes” in Main and Napier Halls.

We talked about old friends and how much we wished they were with us.

We remembered when and where we met and fell in love. We laughed at stories that only those with ties to the University of Montevallo would understand. I felt something akin to homesickness when it was time to leave. I could not wait to come back.

And I did come back. During Homecoming 2014, I made new friends and met alumni from other classes. One of my favorite moments was spent in the lobby of Ramsay Hall with a fabulous group of ladies who come to Homecoming every year. They allowed me to listen to the stories of their college days as young girls living in Ramsay Hall, planning parties, pulling pranks and meeting young men.

They told stories that took place on the same red brick streets that I once walked, in the same buildings where I once lived and attended classes. Their stories sounded very much like the stories I would tell with my own friends.

I think part of the magic of Montevallo is its timelessness. For as much as things have changed, they have stayed the same. Those who have led the University throughout the years have served her well. Change is constant, and the changes that have occurred on campus have enhanced it.

Additions of the Robert M. McChesney Student Activity Center and Trustmark Arena have expanded the student experience.

The new University of Montevallo on Main and Promenade not only give students access to state-of-theart classroom space but also connect the campus to town in a beautiful way.

While change is important, so is protecting the legacy and history of the University. Our history is bound with those red bricks and white columns, and preserving these landmarks is vital.

As alumni of the University of Montevallo, it is important to be good stewards of our University. We are the keepers of her traditions. It’s up to us to keep the magic alive. It’s important to celebrate the events that made our time at the University special to us. It’s essential for us to tell our stories.

It’s also important to give back to our University to ensure that she is able to modernize and change to serve the current students. Like many of us, our University is on a tight budget. It takes the gifts that we give, however small, to keep our campus as beautiful as it is today. The reward for making

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even a modest donation is being able to walk on those brick streets and get that same magical feeling as the first time you stepped on campus.

My homecoming experience of 2014 ended with two of my best friends coming to join me for College Night. Imagine three giggly girls, a lot of snacks, a bottle of wine and a late night spent camped out in Ramsay Hall. We told stories of past College Nights and sorority dances.

We remembered old boyfriends and breakups. We told tales of riding cafeteria trays in the big snowstorm, sunbathing at the campus lake and sliding down the fire escape in Main Hall. We were no longer the college coeds of 20 years ago, worried about college degrees and our futures, but wives, mothers and career women, joined for one night in this magical place we call home. And I can’t wait to do it all again next year. www.montevallo.edu/alumni

|Sports Update|

|Falcons advance to Sweet 16 for seventh time| The men’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the seventh time in the history of the program during the 2013-14 season.

The Falcons (26-6 overall, 15-4 in Peach Belt Conference) came up just shy of their fourth trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight following an 84-73 loss to host University of South Carolina–Aiken in the Southeast Region championship game March 18.

The Falcons earned their fifth consecutive berth to the NCAA Division II tournament and their ninth bid in the past 11 years after earning an at-large bid as the No. 3 seed in the Southeast Region.

The Falcons advanced to the Peach Belt Conference tournament championship game for the fifth consecutive year. Montevallo, the No. 1 seed in the West Division after claiming its third

14

Montevallo Today

consecutive division championship, fell to East No. 1 seed USC Aiken 61-59 in the championship game.

Montevallo, which opened the season with an exhibition game against preseason No. 1 Kentucky at historic Rupp Arena, started the regular season with an eight-game winning streak and finished unbeaten in non-conference play.

The Falcons were nationally ranked in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II poll throughout the entire season, marking just the second time in school history that Montevallo has been ranked from beginning-to-end after also accomplishing the feat during the 2005-06 season. The Falcons spent four weeks in the top 10 this season.

The Falcons now own a 20-9 alltime record in the NCAA Division II

tournament. Montevallo owns three region tournament championships after capturing back-to-back South Region championships during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons and the Southeast Region title during the 2011-2012 season.

All nine of the Falcons’ appearances in the NCAA Division II men’s basketball tournament have come in the past decade under head coach Danny Young, who captured his 300th career win March 7 after guiding Montevallo to an 85-80 win over Francis Marion University in the Peach Belt Conference tournament quarterfinals. Young picked up his 250th win at Montevallo in the Falcons’ 96-87 double-overtime win over Georgia Regents University–Augusta in the semifinals March 8.

|Beverly recognized by Women’s Basketball Coaches Association|

Taylor Beverly goes up for a shot in UM’s Trustmark Arena leading up to the school scoring record for a single season (568).

Montevallo junior Taylor Beverly was recently named an honorable mention All-American selection by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, making her the first member of the UM women’s basketball program to earn that distinction in its NCAA Division II era.

Beverly, a 5’10” forward from Brandon, Miss., also was recently named second team Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region following her junior season, marking the second consecutive year she has received the distinction. Additional NCAA Division II accomplishments include being one of only four players to register a tripledouble nationally in NCAA Division II and setting a new single-season scoring record with 568 total points, while also eclipsing UM’s career scoring mark with 1,353 career points. In rebounding, she

was ranked ninth nationally with an average of 11.7 boards per game.

Peach Belt Conference honors include being selected a first team All– PBC player for the past two seasons, another first for UM’s women’s basketball program. Beverly led the PBC with 17 double-doubles and posted the lone triple-double in the conference during her junior season. She shot 45.6 percent (223 of 489) from the floor, which ranked her seventh in the conference.

Beverly scored a career-high 38 points against Southwest Baptist and registered a career-high 18 rebounds and 10 blocked shots against the University of Alabama at Huntsville.

Beverly, a two-time Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week this season, was named to the preseason All-Peach Belt Conference team.

|Brown named NCAA Division II All-Amercian| UM junior Troran Brown has been selected a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II All-American following his junior season.

Brown, a 6’2” guard from Phoenix, Ariz., is the fifth NABC NCAA Division II All-American in school history.

Earlier UM All-Americans included James Hall, Marcus Kennedy, Greg Brown and D.J. Rivera.

Brown was named a first team NABC and Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region selection and was also named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year and a first team All-Peach Belt Conference selection.

Brown, who was named PBC Player of the Week, finished third in the conference in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game during the regular season. He registered 583 total points during the season, leading the PBC at the conclusion of the NCAA Division II Southeast Region tournament. He recorded the lone triple-double in the

conference and was one of only two players nationally in NCAA Division II to accomplish the feat.

Brown shot 44.1 percent from the floor, with his 205 made field goals leading the conference. He also shot 81.8 percent from the charity stripe.

He averaged 1.4 steals per game and recorded 43 total steals, ranking him fourth in the conference.

Brown also paced the conference with an average of 6.7 assists per game, which ranked him seventh nationally in NCAA Division II. He handed out 209 total assists, which led the conference and ranked him sixth nationally in NCAA Division II. Brown played a key role in helping the Falcons (26-6) reach the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 before Montevallo fell to USC-Aiken on the Pacers’ home court in the Southeast Region championship game. The Falcons were ranked nationally in the NABC Division II poll throughout the entire season, including four weeks in the top 10.

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Troran Brown, NCAA Division II AllAmerican and Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, prepares to shoot. www.montevallo.edu/alumni

|Montevallo Profile|

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Montevallo Today

who have been influential, who allowed me to do some things that were not something that girls got to do back in those days — such as Chet Grant, who was my first baseball coach.

He was also a football coach at Notre Dame. There are lot of influences from different people over the years.

Your home: Arkadelphia, Arkansas Your hometown: Pritchard, Alabama Tell us about your family: I have a brother and a sister; my husband Joe has been gone now 20 years — we didn’t have that many years together.

What is/was your profession? My first profession was a baseball player, and after that I was a school teacher in Shaw, Miss. The reason I left Alabama was because they didn’t have sports for girls. My grandmother went with me to interview because she had a car.

After college, that was the first time I had summers off because I always played baseball. There were a little over 600 women that played in that baseball league — primarily during World War II when the men were off fighting. It didn’t last but about 15 years, but it influenced a lot of people. For young people like myself, it gave the opportunity to get an education.

What awards/honors have you received? Is there a most significant honor? If so, please tell us about it. Being recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame in New York. It was important to us that we were recognized. I was honored at the University of Montevallo as a Distinguished Alumna recipient in 2004. I have had various teaching honors and recognitions from professional organizations. I have several appreciation plaques from students and sports teams I taught and coached — those are the things that really mean something. There are a lot of memories.

What is your secret for success? Interest in others. You have to be interested in helping others, or interested in what they are wanting and not just what you are wanting.

What is the best advice you have received? To put my name on one thing is a little tough. What comes to mind is to always give your best. I have had a lot of people along the way

What’s new? Always something going on with baseball. I served on the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Board for a number of years, and I served as president for a while. I am still involved, and we are getting ready for our reunion in July. My classmate from Montevallo, Merrie Fiddler, is in the process of researching and writing a book about me.

How did Montevallo affect your career path? It was “Rock Bottom Solid!” Today it is coed, but at the time, it was an all-women’s college, but that was the time in which we were living. The opportunity for women to have the chance to go to college was so unusual back then. To be with other girls and to have opportunities we got because we were all girls; we didn’t have to be in competition with the boys. Montevallo was very important to allow the development of each girl. The influence of professors there was outstanding, and we got to do things we wouldn’t have gotten to do if it had been a coed school. I used to love to go out to the camp house because when we were at college, we were there until they closed the doors for something like Thanksgiving or Christmas. The camp house used to be so much fun because it was an opportunity to get off campus. We used to go out there and have a weiner roast or things like that. It was a fun place to be. It was such a unique time, particularly in the family of friends for women. It was a very special time and quite different because it gave us opportunities we never had before. I was very lucky.

What is your favorite Montevallo memory? That is hard to pin down to just one thing. My favorite time was always “going back” to Montevallo to meet everybody and to get back to be with your friends. You know, school is out because it is summertime, and everyone left to go their own way. But for me, it was about getting back to see everybody, to hear what they’ve been doing, to share those memories together. Montevallo was just a great place to call home. As it was, I wasn’t at home year-round like most girls because I was on the road playing baseball. So it was a feeling of home, it was a comfortable place to be. My first roommate at Montevallo, Myrt Salter, was with me in those early days, and she was the first to come see me play baseball. And Della Dobbins Scott was my senior roommate at Montevallo. You had friends there, and you could do things you enjoyed doing. When you are in school, it is good to be in a place to call home.

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www.montevallo.edu/alumni

|Class Notes| 1967 Bobby Joe Seales was recently named president of the Alabama Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). He has been a member since 1999 and is a charter member and founding president of the CahabaCoosa chapter of SAR and a member of the Birmingham chapter.

He also serves as president of the Shelby County Historical Society and executive director of the Shelby County Museum and Archives.

1968 Suzanne Durham, who retired as CEO of YWCA Central Alabama in late 2013 after 34 years of service, received the “Woman of Vision” award at the recent 2014 Momentum Conference. Momentum is an organization that addresses the unique challenges facing women in leadership positions in Alabama.

1977 Kathy Sinclair Geesey of Mount Juliet, Tenn., has retired from the Internal Revenue Service after 36 years of service. She held several positions with the IRS over the course of

her career. She also has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America and numerous other civic and church organizations.

Corey B. Moore was recently appointed Shelby County Circuit Judge by Gov. Robert Bentley.

He is a shareholder and partner with the law firm of Weathington, Moore & Weiskopf.

1982 Tommy Walker was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January. He coached for 24 years as a high school and Division I head baseball coach.

His teams at Spanish Fort High School near Mobile, where he started the program, won three straight Alabama state championships, and he is in his second season at Vestavia Hills High School near Birmingham. A delegation of his ATO brothers from his days at UM were present at the award ceremony.

1989 Richard S. Davis Jr. M.Ed. ’94 was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Assocciation Hall of Fame at a banquet held in Birmingham in January. Rick has been the head baseball coach at Hoover High School since 1994, amassing a win/ loss record of 532-236 in his 20 years as the Bucs’ head coach. His teams have averaged 29.5 wins per season and have reached the state playoffs 14 times, winning one state title.

Rick’s father, Richard S. Davis Sr., received the ABCA Distinguished Service Award in 2005, making them the first father and son inductees into the Hall of Fame.

1991 Danielle Miller Peterson, a math teacher at Greystone Elementary School near Birmingham, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The award is given annually to outstanding K-12 science and math teachers from across the nation. President Obama said, “These teachers are inspiring today’s young students to become the next generation of American scientists, mathematicians and innovators.”

Laurl Self was featured in a recent issue of Birmingham Home & Garden magazine. An interior designer, Laurl had updated the look of a condo in downtown Birmingham.

She also deals in antiques.

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Montevallo Today

Armentress Robinson M.Ed. ’02, M.Ed. ’08, a middle school curriculum coach for the Birmingham city schools, recently earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Craig Thompson M.Ed., who teaches social studies at Spain Park High School near Birmingham, was named Secondary Teacher of the Year in the Hoover city school system for the 20132014 academic year. A 13-year veteran of the classroom, Craig teaches advanced placement U.S. history and law.

1994

Tommy Walker ’82, center, (holding frame) was joined by a childhood friend and a group of his ATO brothers from his days at UM when he was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame recently. Pictured are, from left: (kneeling) Stewart Thrasher and Weyman Prater; (back row) Bert Stephens, Bill Griswold, Kenny Spearman, Tommy Walker, Jimmy Bush, Mike Tamucci, Jerry Prater and Bill Wood.

1999

2000

1985 Michael Hawkins produced the photography, graphics and layout for the book titled Witnesses to the Light: An Adventure into God’s Workmanship Past, Present and Future, written by the Rev. John Harper. The coffee table book features the architecture, stainedglass windows and a timeline on the history of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham.

January. Forest Oaks serves kindergarten through 5th grade.

1997 Resia Thornton Brooks M.Ed.’01, principal at Forest Oaks Elementary School in Chelsea, and her faculty, staff and students enjoyed moving into a new school building in early

2002 Brent Byars M.Ed. ’07, Ed.S. ’12, principal at Creek View Elementary School in Alabaster, recently received the Instructional Leadership Award from UM’s College of Education.

Brent was recognized at a dinner held in conjunction with homecoming in February.

2003 David Clemons, publisher and editor of The Fort Payne Times-Journal, was recently elected to a second twoyear term on the board of directors of the Alabama Press Association’s Journalism Foundation.

2004 Kathy Matthews M.Ed., a kindergarten teacher at Meadow View Elementary School in Alabaster for nine years, was named Elementary Teacher of the Year for the Alabaster school system.

Emily Dillner Moseley of Bartlett, Tenn., accepted the position of lead art teacher at Shelby Oaks Elemen-

Williams establishes scholarship

In 1985, Mary Lou Williams, the newly hired director of development and alumni relations, experienced the University of Montevallo in a way she never forgot. tary School in 2013. The school had not had an art program in 13 years, and two of Emily’s students have already won regional art competitions for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Kay Butts Pruett recently accepted the position of special events manager for Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta. She is responsible for planning all special events related to fundraising.

2005 Zackery L. Burr has opened a private law practice in Montgomery specializing in family law.

2006 Justin Averette, publisher of the Demopolis Times, has been elected president of the Alabama Press Association’s Journalism Foundation for 2014. This foundation supports journalism education in Alabama.

She remembers the sense of security she felt each morning walking under the campus gates.

That feeling never left her as a student or staff member. Mary Lou retired from the University in 2008 after a long career leading alumni and fundraising efforts. That year she was featured in an issue of Montevallo Today, where she reflected in a guest essay on the impact of those efforts on her Montevallo experience.

The article titled, “The First Time I Saw Montevallo,” asked readers to remember the season, the people and the place. Readers were asked to imagine their walk around campus, the friend who always had time to listen and the teacher who cared. The guest writer reminded readers that those same memories are still being made every day and encouraged

Center for Psychiatric Medicine. An active member of the LGBT community in Birmingham, Stephanie received a scholarship from the Alliance for LGBT Equality at UAB to help her pursue the master’s degree in counselor education.

Maegan Vick M.Ed. ’10 recently was recognized by the Alabama School Counselor Association as the Elementary Counselor of the Year. She is employed at Helena Elementary in Shelby County.

Branden Vincent M.Ed. was recently appointed assistant principal at Vincent Middle and High schools in Shelby County. He had previously served as a teacher and administrative assistant at Pelham High School, also in Shelby County.

2009

Stephanie G. Perry has accepted the position of administrative manager in the Department of Psychiatry at UAB, taking on responsibility for the day-to-day management of the outpatient clinics at Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital and the

principal at Valley Intermediate and has been an educator for 15 years.

Lee Pastor M.Ed. was recently named Shelby County’s High School Teacher of the Year. She teaches history, psychology and sociology at Montevallo High School.

Although she has only taught for one year, she is active in other areas of education including serving as sponsor for MHS’s Student Government Association and as assistant volleyball coach.

2013 Kara Burleson M.Ed. was appointed assistant principal at Helena Elementary School recently. She has more than nine years of experience in education and had previously taught at Valley Intermediate School in Pelham.

Weddings 2005

Jodie Ferguson M.Ed. ’07, a seventh grade math teacher at Oak Mountain Middle School for five years, recently was named Middle School Teacher of the Year for the Shelby County school system. In addition to her teaching duties, she also serves as the school’s head volleyball coach.

2008

readers to tell their own Montevallo stories.

Readers were asked to contribute to scholarships and programs; she talked about how gifts to campus created those memories for a new generation. The essay concludes with “your gifts make it happen. You can always be a part of Montevallo.”

Mary Lou Williams ’69, MAT ’72, still feels that strong connection — she is currently serving on the UM National Alumni Board of Directors and is very active in the Montevallo community.

She recently made her commitment even stronger by establishing the Mary Lou Elder Williams Endowed Scholarship in Arts and Sciences to benefit rising students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The couple resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where Kristin is an academic director for a school designed for special needs children, and Fabio operates his own brick paver business.

The Martins have planned a honeymoon trip to Brazil later in the year.

2009 Lena Danforah and Jamil Farhat were married Nov. 9 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Jacksonville, Fla. After a honeymoon trip to Costa Rica, the couple resides in Jacksonville.

2011 Kimberly Powell and Jonathan Shelby were married June 1, 2013, at the Jemison Municipal Complex.

The Powells reside in Alabaster where Kimberly teaches first grade in the Alabaster city school district. Jonathan is an administrator for Jefferson County schools.

Births 1999 Leah Haney Dueffer and husband Heinz Dueffer celebrated the birth of their second son, Owen Keith, Nov. 4.

Owen was welcomed to the Dueffer

Kyle Beason, a CPA with the firm of Wilkins Miller Hieronymus LLC, has been promoted to the position of senior accountant.

Robin Hollinsgsworth has been appointed principal of Valley Intermediate School in Pelham. She had previously served as assistant

Kristin A. Smith M.Ed. ’08 and Fabio Martins were married Nov. 17 on the beach at Boca Raton, Fla.

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www.montevallo.edu/alumni

|Class Notes| home in Vestavia by big brother Alex, 3. Leah is enjoying being a stay-athome mom. Heinz is the emergency department medical director for the Baptist Health System.

Lovell & Co. Inc., a seafood supply business.

2007

1937 Clara Dale Hutcheson, 98, of Selma, died Oct. 19. She was a homemaker.

2006

Mabel Johnson Voltz, 96, of Tuscaloosa, died Jan. 21. She was a homemaker.

Mindy Hermecz ’07 and her husband, Ryan Hermecz, welcomed daughter Rylan Katherine Hermecz on April 11, 2013.

Alana Hataway Barranco M.Ed. ’10 and her husband, Ben, welcomed the birth of their first child, Richard Thomas Barranco, Aug. 5. The family resides in Montgomery where Alana works with Auburn Montgomery Outreach as a consultant.

1938 Mildred Howell Beck, 97, of Fairhope, died Jan. 5. She taught home economics at Fairhope High School for more than 45 years.

1941

Deaths 1934 Anne Watson Lovell, 99, of Middleboro, Mass., died Jan. 3 in Lakeville, Mass. She and her husband, Samuel, managed S.W.

Ada Eleen Thompson “Tommy” Ingram, 93, of Montevallo, died March 28. She worked as a lab technician at U.S. Steel for 20 years, then taught elementary school in the Birmingham school system until her retirement.

Montevallo Charms

1942 Frances LaGrone Bolen, 93, of Selma, died Jan. 1. She was employed with Alabama Power Co. for more than 33 years.

Ruth Frances Wright Cole, 92, of Dawson, died Dec. 27.

1943 Sue Holman Weeks, 93, of Mobile, formerly of Hartford, died Jan. 30.

She was a homemaker.

1944 Claire Hodo Tettemer, 88, of Orlando, Fla., died Dec. 23, 2011. She was a retired teacher with 35 years of service.

Melba Thornton Yates, 92, of Decatur, died Feb. 2. She taught home economics for seven years before becoming a full-time homemaker.

Purple Side cow charm _______ @ $5.00 each

Gold Side lion charm _______ @ $5.00 each

Charm bracelet with Falcon M charm _______ @ $20.00 each

50-year reunion charm _______ @ $5.00 each

Class of 1964 receives one free!

Name Address City

State

Email

ZIP

Class Year

1896 Society charm _______ @ $5.00 each

Please make check or money order payable to: UM Foundation MasterCard ® VISA® Card No.

Expiration date Security Code

Signature Mail to: University of Montevallo Alumni Affairs • Station 6215 • Montevallo, AL 35115

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Montevallo Today

Alabama College charm _______ @ $5.00 each TOTAL _____________

Roma Creel Johnston ’59

sacola, Fla., died Oct. 27.

She was a homemaker.

1956 Annie W. Harris, 79, of Jackson, died Feb. 14. She was a retired teacher with Pell City High School.

1959 Marguerite Coates Busby, 92, of Pelham, died Dec. 16. She was retired from Alabama Power Co. with 25 years of service.

1946

Roma Creel Johnston, of Birmingham, died Feb. 18. Survivors include her daughter, Julie Johnston Speers ’89, and Julie’s husband, Dean Speers ’88.

LaVerne Sims Allen Kennedy, 89, of Talladega, died March 13.

1960

1950

Robert Hill Couch M.A. ’62, 76, of Auburn, died Dec. 2. After teaching briefly at Montevallo High School, he spent 27 years at Auburn University developing rehabilitation training and degree programs. He authored six books and was a popular speaker on the subject of vocational rehabilitation.

Amy McDill Rutledge, 87, of Gadsden, died Jan. 5.

1962

1948 Drexel R. Beason, 88, of Birmingham, died Feb. 20. She was a retired teacher with more than 30 years of service.

1951 Dorothy Wells Angel, of Atlanta, died Nov. 10.

1953 Bobbie Gene Wilson Hamrick M.Ed. ’58, 81, of Fort Worth, Texas, died Feb. 12. She was a retired teacher and office administrator.

1954 Mary Palmer Fleming, 81, of Pen-

Martha Helen Brasfield, 73, of Socorro, N.M., died Dec. 25. She worked with the State of New Mexico as an environmentalist.

Dorothy “Dot” Roberts Roper M.A., 93, of Clanton, died March 2.

She was a retired teacher and guidance counselor.

1963 Tamson Duffill, 73, of Acworth, Ga., a retired history teacher, died Jan 2. He was also a singer,

composer and guitarist, playing in a number of bands over the years.

He was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

McCormick Inc., an investment firm, in 2008.

1964

Michael Brown, 61, of Prattville, died Dec. 16. He was retired from the U.S. Army with 22 years of service.

Barbara Ellen McEwen Perry, 71, of Columbia, Tenn., died Jan. 20.

John E. Tyson, 72, of Ridgeland, Miss., formerly of Huntsville, died Dec. 27. He was a business analyst.

1965 Mary Enola Evans Bozeman, 70, of Union Springs, died Feb. 19.

She was retired from the Bullock County revenue commissioner’s office with 26 years of service.

1967 Evie Judith Cantey, 68, of Gardendale, died Jan. 3. She was a retired professor of mathematics at Jefferson State Community College.

1969 Robert Hill Jr., 69, of Lincoln, died Jan. 22. He was a salesman of wholesale food and tobacco products.

1971 Donnell Banks Anderson M.Ed., of Birmingham, died Dec. 27. She was a retired teacher and counselor in the Jefferson County school system.

1974 Bettye Wade Meigs M.Ed., 81, of Brent, died Oct. 11. She was retired from the Bibb Co. Board of Education with 31 years of service.

1975 Stephen L. Pryor, of Birmingham, died Jan. 17. After a successful investment career, he founded Pryor

1981

2010 Erin Michelle Heffner Ventress M.Ed., 30, of Birmingham, died Feb. 8. She taught physical education and coached volleyball and basketball at Berry Middle School.

Condolences To Evan Major Jr. M.Ed. ’70 and his wife, Linda Dark Major ’67, M.Ed. ’73, Ed.S. ’93; and Clarence Lee Major II ’69, M.A. ’71 and his wife, Sharon Harmon Major ’68, M.Ed. ’71, on the death of Evan’s and Lee’s mother, Lois Parker Major, Dec. 12. She was a resident of Columbiana.

To Suzanne Ozment, provost and vice president for academic affairs at UM, on the death of her mother, Alma Strader Ozment, of Greensboro, N.C. Alma, a registered nurse, died Nov. 21.

To the family of Rennie Bell Harris, 92, of Montevallo, who died April 5. She was a housekeeper at Flowerhill, the president’s home, from 1952-1986 and continued to work on a temporary, as-needed basis until 1989. She worked at Flowerhill for UM presidents Franz Edward Lund, Howard Mitchell Phillips, Delos Poe Culp, Kermit Alonzo Johnson, James F. Vickery and John W. Stewart. She was a consultant to these presidents and their families, transmitting a wealth of tradition and experience from administration to administration.

Do you know someone who is not receiving their copy of Montevallo Today? Please let us know!

Or have them call us and update their information. If your email address or phone number has changed recently, update below.

Name Updates: Address

Mail to: University of Montevallo Alumni Affairs

Station 6215, Montevallo, AL 35115 Phone Class year Call: 205-665-6215 Email Visit: www.montevallo.edu/alumni/alumni-affairs 21

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|Alumni Activities|

HOUSE DIVIDED

By Tabby Stott Burt ’11

There has always been this rumor that you can’t have a lasting romantic relationship with someone from “the other side” during and after College Night. We are living proof that that rumor is completely untrue! Though on opposite sides of the game, College Night is how we first caught each other’s eyes. I was on stage for the Purple Side, and JR Burt ’12 was playing in the orchestra for Gold Side.

We kept running into each other working the ticket booth in the SAC and during show changeovers. A few weeks later, JR asked me on a date, and the rest is history! The following two College Nights had their ups and downs for us personally. When you play for opposite sides, there are a lot of restrictions on time spent together and what you can and cannot do and talk about when you are together.

Honestly, it was nice to be forced to talk about something other than College Night! It was fun competing against and teasing one another, but we always promised to keep things friendly and be an example to those around us. We wanted to show other players that Col-

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lege Night is about promoting friendships and school pride, not bashing others and fostering dissent.

We have always celebrated each other during victories, though our own side may have lost. We understood that the other person’s happiness was more important than being upset about a loss or feeling bitter. JR celebrated me through being crowned Ms. Montevallo 2011 and directing and writing lyrics, and I cheered him on when he was elected Gold Leader in 2012. We could not be more proud of each other! Throughout all of the crazy, though, we stuck by one another and our sides equally. It was not easy, but it was so worth it!

We always want to encourage love for your side and love for others. Never allow your competitive nature to keep you from having friendships or romantic relationships! We are so thankful for everything Montevallo and College Night gave to us personally and as a couple.

In January 2013, we were married. My bridesmaids had purple dresses and the groomsmen had gold suspenders. No matter how you try, it’s hard to escape

how deeply College Night affects you!

We both had Purples and Golds and Greens in our wedding party. If you allow it, College Night will give you the deepest and most meaningful relationships you can foster. Play well; play hard.

Love to play, and play to love.

Denise Martin and Paul Barnes

My hubby (boyfriend then), Paul G. Barnes ’87, is a Purple — I am Gold. During College Night performance week, before the side songs at the beginning of the evening, we would meet in the middle at Palmer in front of the orch pit — kiss — and then go to our respective sides for our side songs and shows.

Now, if possible, we get seats in the middle, and each goes to our side to sing. We still kiss before the shows start, but at our seats instead of by the pit. Our children, now ages 15, 13 and 8, love College Night. Our two older children have decided they are Purple, but our youngest has decided to be Gold with me. Our middle child, Katy, is already trying to decide how to become a Purple Leader when she becomes a student at Montevallo in 2019.

— Denise Martin Barnes ’87

Anjanette, Maddie and Matt Arnold: The Arnold house is definitely a house divided! Matt ’93 is a die-hard Gold, and Anjanette ’95, M.Ed. ’00 is a dedicated Purple.

Their daughter, Maddie, plans to attend Montevallo beginning in the fall of 2015. She has watched them bicker over Gold/Purple politics her entire life. She has sat on both sides at College Night and already has friends on both sides. What’s it gonna be?

Ford Family

I was a Gold, and my wife (Christy Ford ’72) was Purple. It never caused any trouble. It was mostly just fun, humorous kind of stuff. Neither of us was hardcore about it, so it wasn’t as intense. It was about school spirit for us. When we were students, we sat on opposite sides.

When we came back after college, we sat in the middle. If it was harder for us to get tickets, we sat wherever they had seats — usually that was in the balcony, but she still yelled for Purple and I still yelled for Gold! Three of our four kids attended Montevallo, and I’m sure we had a little of both. (Jennifer “Jennie” Ford Glenn ’00 and Stephanie Ford Foster ’03 were Gold; John Brian Ford ’04 was Green. Grandaughter Tyler Ford, who is currently in high school, has already decided she is Purple.) — Freddie Ford ’72

Sam Oldham and Erika Ramsland

Sam Oldham ’11 is a Gold, and Erika Ramsland ’10 is a Purple. Sam played the trombone in the Gold orchestra, and Erika played the trumpet in the Purple orchestra.

They started dating after college and will be getting married in September!

At the productions, they now try to sit in the Green section. They don’t get too competitive, but there are plenty of thumbs up and Purple Victory signs flashed back and forth. Natives of Mobile, the couple attends many Mardi Gras parades. Erika won’t catch Gold beads, and Sam won’t catch Purple beads.

Mother-daughter rivalry? Susan and Coutrney Bennett I started at UM in the fall of 1976. When I found out about College Night, I knew I was destined to be a Gold. You just know. When I graduated in the spring of 1980, I had been a Gold for four wonderful years: attended the plays, cheered the events, lived the drama! Then I had Courtney, and in the fall of 2007, she came to UM and fell in love with it like I had 31 years before. The only difference is that when she found out about the difference between Purples and Golds, she knew she was destined to be a Purple. Egads! I swallowed my (roar) pride and embraced her MOOness. She cheered for Purple, and I cheered for Gold.

Her dad just cheered! And we all had a blast. She graduated in 2011, and we still come to College Night together and cheer. Not really a house divided. We are united in our love for UM! GO UM, and may College Night last FOREVER! — Susan Bennett ’80

|Homecoming 2014 reunion photographs| ALABAMA COLLEGE SOCIETY

From left: (front row) Ann Mathison Davis, Miriam Finch, Barbara Jones, Anne Martin, Della Dobbins Scott; (back row) Joyce H. Blake, Bettie McDonald Martin, Ray Jones, Bobbye Lightfoot, Margaret Utley, Billie Rae Kohen.

Photo by Ashlynn Postell ’14

CLASS OF 1954

From left: Dorothy M. Causey, June Turnell, Ima Gean Peppers Cantrell, Dolly Brumfield White, Pauline Means Neely.

CLASS OF 1964

From left: (front row) Waldo Hornsby Jouin, Martha M. Hester, Jean DeGroat Creel; (second row) Evelyn Holifield Blake, Jacquita Knight Hauserman, Anne Caley Hamilton, Billie Dodson, Jane Gillis Segrest; (back row) Virginia Hendrix Bunn, David Bunn, Douglas Rodgers, Barbara Hoffman Arnold, Beverly Cowan, Jonathan Bullock.

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CLASS OF 1974

From left: (front row) Alethea Cassady Gilmore, Cathy Tyler Price, Phyllis Spruiell, Marilyn Burgess King; (back row) George Walker, Karen Snowden, Donna Ware, Thomas Sonny Neill.

Photo by Wendy Johnson ’17

CLASS OF 1984

From left: (front row) Kim Vandergrift, Becky Bowman Webster, Cecilia Vines Mitchell, Shearie Archer, Lee Griner; (back row) Virginia Young, Suzie Voce Stephens, Sandra Gwin Burleson, Laura Jones Bice, Olen Goble.

Photo by Keira Hood ’15 Photo by Wendy Johnson ’17

CLASS OF 1994

From left: (front row) Dana Cockrell, Tracy Trigg Estes, Betsy Weese Hoffman, Tracy Payne-Rockco; (back row) Amanda Abbett, James “Jimmy” Jones, Kevin Green, Brent Morris, Cindy Vines Morris, Jamie Bradley Hill.

|Alumni Activities| Photo by Keira Hood ’15

CLASS OF 2004

From left: (front row) Rowena West, Kim Jones Samson, Elizabeth Gassel Perkins, Eddie Baker, Alice Thompson Moore, Jessica Ballentine Prince; (second row) Jason Booi, KaTasha L. Folmer Connally, Kim Riker, Heather Johnson, Fred Miller, Kay Butts Pruett, Carlton Hall; (back row) Bassam Karim.

MINORITY STUDENT REUNION

From left: (front row) Dana Cockrell, Cedric Burden, Terra Moody Miller, Cynthia Todd, Shearie Archer, Melcie Guyton, Meshae Robinson, Mya McGee; (back row) Rowena West, Sharon Gilbert, Marvin J. Price, Davonta Chamblin, Shamequa Densmore, Chris Sanders, Ricky Turner, Walter Turner, Cedric Norman.

Alumni Board of Directors

From left: (front row) Matt Arnold ’93, Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94, Julie Harbin ’00, Stephanie Shaw ’93, Tiffani Humphries ’98, Kit Waters ’78, Claudia Harrell ’73, Megan Randolph ’06, Wadia Josof ’79, Laurl Self ’94, Diane Ray ’68, Mary Louise Dabbs ’56, Rachael Swokowski ’15, Cornelia Watts ’77, Mike Malone ’69; (back row) Terra Moody Miller ’06, Lewis Brooks ’88, Chris Willis ’07, Patrick McDonald ’01, Keith Shoemaker ’98, Andy Meginniss ’68, David Thomas ’97, Warwick Woodall ’82, Mary Lou Williams ’69, Toni Leo ’80, Vera Cox ’56, Barbara Bonfield ’58, Sandi Falkenhagen ’68, Jim Methvin ’73, Carolyn Miller-Kirby.

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Junior alumni Board of Directors

From left: (front row) Kacie Slaughter ’09, Patrick McDonald ’01, David Clemons ’03, Rick Casey ’00, Jeffrey Purvis ’02, Lindsey Sherrill ’07, Jason Booi ’04, Chris Willis ’07; (back row) Cedric Norman ’09, Terra Miller ’06, Dan McBrayer ’08, Kristen Dechert ’03, Kelly Curry ’08, Angela Thomas ’05, Julie Harbin ’00, Tiffany Bunt ’00, MBA ’13; Sky Johnson ’10, M.Ed. ’11; Candace Hughston ’10, Andrea Echols ’12, Zach Banks ’08, Eddie Baker III ’04; (not shown) Jordan Hutchison ’10, Brandt Montgomery ’07, Lauren Smith ’06.

GOLD SIDE

Photo by Brit Headley ’14

YOUNG ALUMNI

Young alumni (those who graduated 15 or fewer years ago) show their school spirit at the College Night mixer.

Photo by Brit Headley ’14

PURPLE SIDE 27

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

|Alumni Activities|

|Meet the UMNAA President: Mike Malone| Mike Malone, president of the UMNAA, graduated from Montevallo in 1969. Though now retired from higher education, he said learning has always been his passion.

He realized that on his first Montevallo Founders’ Day. Malone said he remembers sitting in Palmer Auditorium, mesmerized by the organist belting out “Toccata” for the faculty procession. Malone said that, as the professors strolled down the aisles, he was smitten.

A first-generation college student, he initially chose Montevallo because Janice, the love of his life and current wife, was here. They took physics together.

“She would bug me because I never took notes,” he mimicked her and laughed. “But I remember thinking I was so lucky to be in that classroom and just wanting to listen, to soak it all in.”

Malone said he didn’t think he was college material; “and I definitely didn’t think I could afford it,” he continued.

Once he started comparing tuition around the state, however, he realized Montevallo was half the cost of the larger schools. This was a deciding factor for him because, having a single, working mother, he had to pay for whatever scholarships did not.

“The dean of men, James Wilkinson, means a lot to me; he worked with

me on financial aid and scholarships and summer jobs,” said Malone. This is one reason Montevallo also came to mean a lot to him. “I’ve been in bigger institutions, and I really like the small ones — with teachers who know and care about their students.”

It was in that “small school” environment that he became infatuated with the academic process and fell in love with learning. He was the University’s first philosophy and religion minor, a program for which he petitioned.

Malone said his presidency is just a small way to continue his loyalty.

He said he is humbled by those who have served before him and joked that his goal was to simply “not mess things up.” But he takes his new position seriously. “(President) Stewart has set high expectations for his comprehensive campaign, and it’s my responsibility to decide how we support that.”

Quantitatively, Malone would like to push the number of active alumni past 30,000, but his goals are more complex than quotas. He said his hope is to encourage young alumni to give of their “time, talents and treasure.”

“If we promote this with them, it will become a lifelong habit, an emphasis in their lives, not just with Montevallo,” he said.

Mike Malone is sworn in as the new president of the University of Montevallo National Alumni Association by outgoing president Jim Methvin.

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On a smaller scale, he plans to move Olympics Day to Founders’ Day in the hope that it will bring more alumni to campus.

Even in retirement, as a master gardener with a state license in landscape design, Malone said he still uses the education he received from Montevallo every day.

A beekeeper and perhaps the only pro bono garden coach to use the Socratic method with his clientele, Malone said he is honored to serve his alma mater and looks forward to what this year will bring.

“Every time I come back here, it’s like coming home — I can feel my blood pressure go down,” he laughed.

“Life is good.”

As his first act as president, Malone presents Methvin with the UMNAA gavel plaque in recognition of his service as president.

MOBILE ALUMNI

In February, alumni from the Gulf Coast region enjoyed a Mardi Gras parade from the balcony of Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa. From left: Chris Willis ’07, Jill Willis, Joel Gray ’07 Jennifer Adams Gray ’04 and Casey Willis ’10 , MBA ’11

HUNTSVILLE ALUMNI

Alumni from the Huntsville area gathered at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment during an exhibit by artist and alumna Corinna Nicole ’08. From left: Jeffrey Purvis ’02, Eddie Baker ’04 and Jordan Hutchison ’10.

MOBILE ALUMNI

Jasyn Fowler ’95 and Stephanie Shaw ’93 take a break from catching beads to support their respective College Night side.

HITTING THE BRICKS - SAFEHOUSE of SHELBY CO. Alumni Director Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94 and Executive Director of University Advancement Brenda Knight have been “Hitting the Bricks” with a new program in which they visit alumni at their places of business.

HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

Alumni and advancement leaders gathered at the Higher Education Partnership Alumni Leaders’ Advocacy Dinner in Montgomery on Feb. 26. From left: (front row) Gary Johnson, Tiffany Bunt ’00, Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94, Brenda Knight, Julie Harbin ’00, Laurl Self ’94; (back row) David Wheeler ’72, Scott Dillard, Dan McBrayer ’08, Jeff Purvis ’02, Dr. John W. Stewart III, Paul Doran ’68, Mike Malone ’69.

LOS ANGELES ALUMNI

In March, alumni from the Los Angeles area had multiple opportunities over the course of several days to meet with current faculty and students who were attending the National Broadcasting Society national conference at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel.

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www.montevallo.edu/alumni

Carl H.R. “Bud” Paepcke ’65

Captain, United States Marine Corps Served as Legal Officer and Combat Engineer Officer

What aspects of your education at Montevallo prepared you for your service in the military?

Montevallo’s history, political science and speech courses (I had a major and two minors in these areas) began teaching me to both write well and speak well, and my writing and speaking abilities (both of which improved over the years) helped to make me both a successful Marine and a successful G-Man.

Dwayne a. newsome ’99 Captain, United States Air Force

What aspects of your education at Montevallo prepared you for your service in the military? The quality of education and academic interaction, enabled by the small class sizes and professors that are actually engaged with and vested in students.

What was your favorite aspect of Montevallo? The close-knit campus community. Having been a student at other, larger universities before and since, there is something perfect about the size of Montevallo’s student population, campus and the surrounding population.

Dana lake rozelle, lbsw ’89

All branches of military assigned to Robins Air Force Base Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate (DAVA) in the Family Advocacy Program at Robins AFB, Ga.

How did Montevallo affect your choice to work with the military? UM affected my choice to work in the military because of the role it played in introducing me to my husband, (MSgt) Robert “Skip” Rozelle Jr (retired). My husband and I met in our freshman year at Montevallo. He left Montevallo after that and joined the Air Force. Because of that choice, I spent the next 21 years following him around while he was on active duty. While on this adventure, I became a contract employee of the military community and went to work in the field of family violence as an advocate for adult victims.

Rufus eugene godwin ’74

Senior Industrial Hygiene Program Manager, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps Safety Division.

Previously deputy director of public health, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Washington, D.C. Retired in 2006 at the rank of Captain, Medical Service Corps, United States Navy after 28 years of service

How did Montevallo affect your military career choice? UM prepares you for choices; a degree is valuable, but it is the sum of one’s college experiences that makes you a whole person.

The military was not a typical career choice for college graduates in May 1974. My UM degree earned me a teaching assistantship at Samford University, MS Biology, ’77 and toxicology experience as associate biologist (’74-’77) at Southern Research Institute.

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|Professional Spotlight: Military| Alumni in the armed services share a few words Harry L. McAfee ’72

313th Army Band. 26 years of meritorious service.

Retired after teaching for 37 years.

Last position was Band Director at Hoover High School.

Words of wisdom you would offer current students: Avail yourself of the wonderful education that is offered at Montevallo. Work and study hard; it will make a difference now and later. Don’t neglect to take a look at what opportunities the military might offer after graduation. The retirement benefits are worth considering.

Major david faggard ’00 Director of Public Affairs, U.S. Air Forces Central Command and Ninth Air Force

Recent accolades: Chosen by the Air Force to Command the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, a squadron of 150 warphotographers deployed to frontlines around the world.

Favorite aspect of UM: Creative freedom — whether in the classroom, as an SGA Senator, through intramural sports or with fraternity life. Montevallo’s holistic approach to life and academics allowed me to build a solid approach to thinking outside the box, a major factor present in military operations. Furthermore, Montevallo provided a heuristic gateway to continue on education at multiple levels throughout my life.

Shaniese Cooper ’11 Knowledge Operations Manager, United States Air Force

What was your favorite aspect of Montevallo? My favorite aspect of the university was the diversity. Even though it is fairly small compared to other institutions, I met various types of people — some of whom are still very close to me.

It’s a really unique school; it’s one of those places that you would not necessarily want to be, but rather NEED to be.

Ivan F. Smith M.Ed. ’60, MAT ’78

Alabama State Director – Selective Service System Retired Military/Educator Adjunct Mathematics Instructor, University of Montevallo

Words of wisdom you would offer current students: UM gave me an excellent grounding in several fields of leadership, education and mathematics, but in the real world there is little substitute for attitude, hard work, education and integrity.

If you would like to nominate someone for the Alumni Profile (located on page 16) or for the Professional Spotlight, please email us at today@montevallo.edu The next profession to be featured will be authors.

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www.montevallo.edu/alumni

|UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS| Young Alumni Happy Hour Jefferson County Alumni and Young Alumni at the Barons

June 5

5-7 p.m.

June 26

6:30 p.m.

Black Market Bar & Grill Birmingham Regions Field, Birmingham

UMNAA and Junior Board Summer Board Retreat

July 12

Young Alumni Happy Hour

Aug. 8

5-7 p.m.

TBD

Montevallo Artwalk

Aug. 22

5-8 p.m.

Downtown Montevallo

SAVE THE DATE: Olympics Weekend

Oct. 10-12

(back to school artwalk)

University of Montevallo

(more details to come)

|UMNAA AWARD DEADLINES| Legacy scholarship

July 1

Entering or current students whose parents or grandparents are active alumni

Founders’ Day Awards

July 1

Outstanding Staff Service, Outstanding Commitment to Teaching and Alumnus Loyalty awards

(apply online)

(submit nomination online)

|OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST| Like us on Facebook: University of Montevallo National Alumni Association

University of Montevallo Young Alumni Follow us on Twitter: UoM_Alumni Request to join us on LinkedIn: University of Montevallo Alumni Group With an understanding that not all of our alumni can make it back to campus or local venues for our events, we are making an effort to meet our alumni where they are, so we are Hitting the Bricks! If you work at a setting with several other UM alumni and would be interested in coordinating a brown bag lunch or similar gathering, please contact Tracy Payne–Rockco at paynet@montevallo.edu or call the alumni office at 205.665.6215.