Carillon magazine Vol. 10 No. 2, Fall 2013

VOL. 10 | OUR NO. 2 |HISTORY FALL 2013

OUR TIME

Oglethorpe’s Hour

‘OUR TIME’ CAMPAIGN | 5

STUDENT LEARNING | 7

CAMPUS FACILITIES | 20

ALUMNI UPDATES | 34 SPRING 2011 | CARILLON 1

360° of Oglethorpe University

EDITOR RENEE VARY KEELE CONTRIBUTORS DEBBIE AIKEN ’12 J. TODD BENNETT BARBARA BESSMER HENRY ’85 BROOKE BOURDELAT-PARKS ’95 KATIE FARRELL ’95 MARISA MANUEL ’13 LAURA MILLER ’10 CHRISTIE PEARCE ’15 SUSAN SOPER ’69 ALLYSON TERRY ’14 KELLY HOLLAND VRTIS ’97

PHOTOGRAPHERS 100 DIGITAL CREATIVITY DEBBIE AIKEN ’12 BECKY STEIN PHOTOGRAPHY OLIVER MCGUIRE ’15 OMM PHOTOGRAPHY DESIGN EM2 Brand Marketing That Moves You

Carillon is published twice a year for alumni, friends, and family of Oglethorpe University.

Oglethorpe, founded in 1835, is a private, liberal arts college.

Photo Above Oglethorpe University partnered with several companies this past year (including Google!) to share the beauty of our campus with the world. Scan the QR code below, or search “virtual tours” on the Oglethorpe website to take a virtual walk on the quad, step into the museum, check out the residence halls and more.

PRINTING STANDARD PRESS

Speak Out We’d love your feedback on this issue as well as what you might like to see in upcoming Carillons.

E-mail: rvary@oglethorpe.edu or call 404-364-8868.

CONTENTS

5

12

20

25

29

42

5 “OUR TIME” CAMPAIGN | 12 STUDENT LEARNING | 20 CAMPUS FACILITIES 25 FACULTY INITIATIVES | 29 ANNUAL FUND | 34 OUR ALUMNI | 36 CLASS NOTES 42 OUR COMMUNITY

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 3

President Schall pictured in “the living room of campus”—Oglethorpe’s new Turner Lynch Campus Center.

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

By Lawrence M. Schall

Selecting a theme for a comprehensive campaign is always tricky business. We looked at examples from hundreds of colleges and universities and the choices they have made over the past decade.

Many seemed too cute or overly clever to consider. Others resorted to alliteration, as in Onward Oglethorpe. Frankly, that just felt stupid.

In the end, we selected a theme that attempts to capture what is truly happening here without a lot of fluff or fanfare: “Our Time.”

Institutions like ours never remain constant. One absolute truth these days about the enterprise we are in is that we compete. The students who applied to Oglethorpe this year applied to more than 750 other colleges and universities. Students and their families have an almost unlimited choice about where to attend college and our task is to convince the best, brightest and most motivated of those students to select Oglethorpe out of all those other places.

And that process happens 365 days a year, year after year. If we do not successfully promote Oglethorpe to the right students at the right price each year, then our health and status will decline. If we do this successfully, those measures will improve. That’s why I say schools like ours never remain constant. We are either trending up or trending down.

In the fall of 2010, the Board set an overall campaign goal of $40 million dollars—the largest and most ambitious campaign in our 177-year history.

This fall, having almost reached that goal three years early, the Board has raised our target to $50 million. That’s the definition of success.

The world has changed dramatically in the last decade and the world of higher education has changed as well. The majority of small private colleges which operate without the support of large endowments are worse off than they were in 2007. Because of cost and a perception of value added, more and more families have turned away from private higher education. I am proud to say Oglethorpe is bucking all those trends.

4 CARILLON | FALL 2013

In 2013, we welcomed 282 first-time, first-year students. In the fall of 2006, that number was 178. I can tell you there are very few schools like ours that ever experience that kind of growth. The opening of the Turner Lynch Campus Center is another very visible and concrete sign of change. When I arrived at Oglethorpe in 2005, we had already made two unsuccessful attempts to raise a few million dollars to do something to improve the campus center. In the spring of 2010, our Board of Trustees decided to make a new campus center the number one priority of a comprehensive campaign and then, more importantly, funded more than half of the $16 million dollar complex themselves. You’ll see a lot of pictures of this glorious new facility inside this magazine, but I promise you it is even more amazing in person. You have to come visit and share a cup of Starbucks coffee in our lounge while you are here.

In the fall of 2010, the Board set an overall campaign goal of $40 million dollars—the largest and most ambitious campaign in our 177-year history. This fall, having almost reached that goal three years early, the Board has raised our target to $50 million. That’s the definition of success. And our success and our momentum is what this campaign is all about, and why this is “our time.” As I said, institutions are either moving up or moving down and Oglethorpe— your Oglethorpe—is definitely on the move up. Our collective goal needs to be continuing to build upon all that we have accomplished and that’s why we need your help in supporting our faculty and our students into the future. Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do.

Oglethorpe’s

HOUR

NOW IN GROWTH MODE, THE UNIVERSITY MAKES A COMPELLING CASE FOR BROADER, DEEPER ALUMNI SUPPORT Ronald Reagan is sworn in as president; Mikhail Gorbachev is named the new Soviet premier. “We Are the World” debuts with fanfare, but it’s Madonna who dominates the pop charts.

This is what life looked like in 1985, the last time Oglethorpe University embarked on a major fundraising campaign.

Now fast-forward more than a quarter century, to another moment in time: fall 2013.

First-year enrollment at Oglethorpe is more robust than ever, a clear sign that more young people are hearing about this liberal arts and sciences jewel in an international city. A glorious new campus center is open and bustling. The number of students living on campus is at record levels. A new paradigm for experiential learning, the A_LAB, is launched to enrich the Oglethorpe education.

Something else is happening at this moment.

A sense that Oglethorpe has turned the proverbial corner pervades. Plans to guide the university to the year 2020 render a picture that is equally expansive and sharp. “Oglethorpe’s direction is clear,” says President Lawrence Schall. “Our work is now centered on growing, rather than sustaining. Simply put, this is our time.”

It’s in this context that Oglethorpe announces a comprehensive effort to build broader, deeper support for its future—a fundraising campaign themed “Our Time.”

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 5

OUR TIME

THE 4 INITIATIVES: STUDENT LEARNING FACULTY INITIATIVES CAMPUS FACILITIES THE ANNUAL FUND outset was crucial,” Smyrl says. “It signals a strong vote of confidence in the university and its direction. Now, as we begin to make our case to the broader alumni base, Oglethorpe graduates can see how some very influential people believe in Oglethorpe’s brand of higher education.”

The Our Time campaign’s concept is simple: Leverage Oglethorpe’s momentum to invent its future.

The past few years have brought a string of milestones and accomplishments, as well as a new vision and action agenda to create the Oglethorpe of tomorrow.

Crafted to preserve the university’s inherent strengths while expanding its impact, the strategic plan of 2010 laid out the steps Oglethorpe would take to better define itself and raise its profile in higher education.

It also gave shape to four areas of need— student learning, faculty initiatives, campus facilities and the annual fund—that represent the focus of the new comprehensive campaign.

“These four areas are interconnected,” emphasizes Belle Turner Lynch ’61, the Oglethorpe trustee who co-chairs the campaign. “Collectively, they will help us forge a stronger identity for Oglethorpe as a premier liberal arts and sciences university uniquely located in the heart of an 6 CARILLON | FALL 2013

international city. There’s no other university quite like it. Our aim now is to become even better at what we do—and better known for it.”

The dawn of 2011 brought the comprehensive campaign’s “silent phase,” a period in which the university quietly approached individuals and organizations that had an abiding interest in building a stronger Oglethorpe. To say that the response was positive is an understatement. “We could not have imagined a more successful start to the campaign,” says Kevin Smyrl, vice president for alumni relations and development.

He recites some of the evidence: 100 percent participation from trustees, who contributed a total of $10 million to help build the new campus center. Another $5 million award from a major foundation for the center, the largest single gift in the university’s history.

A $1 million grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation to fund student scholarships. A record $2 million gift from Donald ’56 and Shelley Rubin to support the arts.

These initial gifts and others have propelled Oglethorpe more than three-quarters of the way to its campaign goal of $50 million.

“Building that solid base of support at the

While the goal of Oglethorpe’s first campaign in nearly three decades is to raise funds, the university views the occasion as something larger. “It’s really an opportunity for Oglethorpe to re-connect and re-engage those who lived in our halls, studied in our library, and developed lifelong friendships on our campus quad,” President Schall says.

“Oglethorpe is a special place because people have made it so. We know we need to involve our alumni in their alma mater beyond making a gift, but a gift of some size each and every year is critical for our future.”

Following the campaign’s official kick-off on October 24, there will be a series of special events in cities across the country to update graduates about the university’s momentum and future. New communications and other events are also in the works to ensure that “Our Time” is itself a time to celebrate the university and the mark it has left on generations of students.

“There is no question that the time I spent at Oglethorpe helped to define who I am today,” says Joselyn Baker ’91. “I arrived not really knowing anyone and left with not only the incredible knowledge and skills imparted by the faculty, but with personal relationships that I will always hold dear. That experience is something for which I will always be grateful.”

Scan this QR code with your Smartphone to visit the campaign website ourtime.oglethorpe.edu.

R TIME: STUDENT LEARNING

THE CAMPAIGN EPICENTER That case for campaign support begins with students.

Oglethorpe continues to attract excellent and engaged students— the mean SAT score for incoming freshmen has climbed 50 points from just a few years ago, and arriving students, on average, bring a 3.55 GPA to campus—but meeting student’s financial needs continues to be a primary concern. Today, while nine out of 10 Oglethorpe students rely on scholarships, grants and loans, according to the university’s financial aid office, only a small percent of those undergrads are able to receive all of the support they require.

“This is a serious issue, especially given Oglethorpe’s legacy of attracting first-generation students,” says Chris Summers ’03, director of financial aid. “One out of four Oglethorpe students is the first in their families to go to college. These students should not have to postpone or forfeit their dream of finishing college because, despite our best efforts to help, they don’t have the sufficient resources.”

Providing additional student scholarships to meet the needs of our students is essential to maintain our progress, Summers notes. The annual tradition of Scholarship Weekend would not only continue— but grow. “Six or seven years ago, about 20 percent of the excellent students who visited us for Scholarship Weekend ended up choosing Oglethorpe after learning of their award,” says Lucy Leusch, vice president for enrollment and financial aid. “Now, that number is 35 percent. We’re headed in the right direction, and more resources for scholarships will help us drive that percentage even higher.”

Adding real-world experiences to Oglethorpe’s storied Core Curriculum is another student-focused aim of the campaign. Such experiences are hardly new to the Oglethorpe education; what is different is the way they’re being offered. Earlier this year, the university unveiled its Atlanta Laboratory for Learning concept, or A_LAB. Study abroad, community service, student internships, career development and undergraduate research have come together in a single experiential learning concept.

“Oglethorpe’s location in Atlanta gives us a distinct competitive advantage over other liberal arts universities,” says Todd Bennett, executive director for university communications. “Our students are able to test what they learn in so many ways, not just here in Atlanta, but in other parts of the world that are easily accessible from here.”

Bennett adds that the structured way in which Oglethorpe blends theory and practice—the ideas that emerge in the classroom and the opportunities to test those ideas in the world—has made the A_LAB strategically significant. “That’s why we chose to house the A_LAB in the new Turner Lynch Campus Center,” Bennett says. “We wanted to be sure that prospective students who visit our campus are able to see how much we’re emphasizing the relevance of our liberal arts education.” (For more on the A_LAB, see pg. 18.)

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 7

STUDENT LEARNING

DRIVEN FROM THE TEST TRACK TO THE AUTOBAHN

BY DEBBIE AIKEN ’12

Scott DeVault ’09 paints a vivid picture: it was only a few months into his internship at Atlanta-based Porsche Cars North America, and he had all eyes of senior management staring at him expectantly.

interns. That’s no coincidence. Porsche’s corporate culture and Oglethorpe’s

education seem to complement one another perfectly—and the word is out.

Perhaps one reason that Oglethorpe students fit in well at Porsche is because the two share a similar philosophy. “Internally at Porsche, we use the term ‘entrepreneurial spirit’,” Scott says, “and to me that sounds a lot like what Oglethorpe wants their students to possess upon graduation.” At Porsche, everyone’s opinion is considered and every student and employee

An intern with the marketing department of the iconic brand, Scott was

is expected to share their unique thoughts. “At Oglethorpe,” Scott says, “it’s

participating in a strategy session for future marketing tactics. He had just

not just the curriculum that’s different, but how you are asked to learn it.

been asked his opinion for which strategy he thought would best reach the

It’s not about taking notes and regurgitating it on a test—you are asked

company’s target market. He had an opinion, but certainly didn’t expect

questions and are expected to provide intelligent answers.”

the experts at the famous automaker to ask for it. However, this was a familiar scenario; Scott had experienced it many times during his classes

“(At Porsche) everyone is very interested in what interns bring to the table,”

at Oglethorpe. That gave him the confidence to speak up and deliver an

agrees Alexandra (Lexi) Vassell, a 2013 graduate and new permanent hire

intelligent, thoughtful response that he was proud to contribute.

at Porsche Financial Services. “From day one you are at meetings, they are asking you questions and they want your input. I was never once referred

Scott is not alone in that internship scenario, or at Porsche. Ryanne Arola

to as an intern; I was always referred to as someone’s colleague.

’10, who in 2010 was the first Oglethorpe student to secure an internship with Porsche Cars North America, had helped Scott get his foot in the

For Lexi, being a former OU soccer player was the key to helping her land

door by suggesting that he apply for an open internship. He impressed

her internship with Porsche just before she graduated. “I received an email

his supervisors and was hired as a marketing analyst, and is now one

notification about an open position in the COO’s office from the career

of 10 Oglethorpe alumni working at Porsche, six of whom started out as

services department at Oglethorpe,” Lexi says, “and I recognized the name

8 CARILLON | FALL 2013

STUDENT LEARNING Petrels at Porsche (l–r): Jakub Madej ’13, Cynthia Hiebert ’13, Madison Knowles ’12, Jordan Weaver ’13, Alexandria Vassell ’13, Jamie Dillon ’08, Scott Devault ’09, Savannah Lorenz ’12, Ryanne Arola ’10.

of the person who posted the listing as a former teammate from OU.” Lexi

not have to feel embarrassed asking ‘dumb’ questions. They will often

reached out (via text message!) to Jamie Dillon ’08, an event marketing

understand because they had the same questions when they were interns”

specialist at Porsche Cars North America, and soon landed the position.

Scott says. He laughs that new hires from Oglethorpe sometimes get good-

In fact, seven of the ten OU alumni working at Porsche were Stormy Petrel

natured razzing from other employees: “They say, ‘who the hell are you,

soccer players.

and how do you know everyone already?’”

Lexi, now a remarketing advisor for Porsche Financial Services, says that

“My boss teases me and has asked if I’m trying to start a ‘cult,’” Lexi says

she is confident in recommending Oglethorpe students for open internship

with a smile. “He says that I should work in HR, because anytime there is

positions with her employers, sometimes even when she doesn’t know

an open position, I bring him a stack of resumes. Then when someone gets

them all that well. “A student I was familiar with through playing soccer

hired and the email announcement goes out, everyone replies with ‘another

at OU contacted me about an internship position, and the first thing I did

one from Oglethorpe? How many of you are there?’”

was contact Dr. (Lynn) Guhde at Oglethorpe.” After receiving a good reference for the student from her former business professor, Lexi felt

Scott is no longer surprised when asked for his opinion in

comfortable suggesting him for the position. “I’m putting myself out on

meetings. Porsche is a good fit for him, and it seems

a limb, recommending someone I don’t really know,” she admits, “but I

as though his superiors agree. When a position

can trust that since he attended Oglethorpe he clearly has the work ethic

recently opened up in his department, Scott’s

that we are looking for.” Lexi has been responsible for the hiring of four

supervisor asked him to bring in five

Oglethorpe students, whether as interns, contractors or full-time employees.

OU

résumés. When Scott asked why, the answer was simple: ‘because I

For Scott, one of the most important aspects of an Oglethorpe education is the close relationships that students form with their professors. “They know the name of everyone in the class and about their career goals and

want more people like you.’

STUDENTS AHEAD

can present opportunities when they arise.”

Scott and Lexi have seen the value of the liberal arts and sciences and Oglethorpe’s Core curriculum in action. Scott transferred to Oglethorpe from a large university, and says, “all I had been studying for three years was business and marketing, and all of the sudden I’m thrown into the Core classes, reading things I never thought I would read and having discussions I never thought I would have.” Those discussions proved to be valuable in his workplace experiences, both as an intern and as an employee at Porsche. “After completing the Core curriculum you likely have a base knowledge about whatever topic is being discussed, and if you don’t, you feel confident that you can learn it because you’ve been in that position before. Knowing a little bit about art, music, business and economics has helped me relate to a wide array of people that I have met while representing Porsche at trade shows.”

“When I was a freshman,” adds Lexi, “some of my friends were at big colleges just sitting in the back of the classroom and felt like they were just a number. Meanwhile, I was presenting to my class a 20-page paper that I wrote about a philosopher or space travel, and my major was in behavioral science and HR! Because of that experience, I was able to walk into my internship with the mindset that whatever they throw at me I’ll be able to conquer.”

“AT OGLETHORPE, IT’S NOT JUST THE CURRICULUM THAT’S DIFFERENT, BUT HOW YOU ARE ASKED TO LEARN IT. IT’S NOT ABOUT TAKING NOTES AND REGURGITATING IT ON A TEST—YOU ARE ASKED QUESTIONS AND ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE INTELLIGENT ANSWERS.”

At the same time, having a group of fellow Petrels in the workplace has also been helpful for new interns and employees at Porsche. “It’s nice to have several people who know your background that you can go to and

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 9

STUDENT LEARNING

INVESTING IN SCHOLARS

By Christie Pearce ’15

Earning a degree leaves the average college graduate with $24,000 of debt, which, statistically, could follow them for years after graduation. This makes scholarships and aid all the more important.

More than 80% of Oglethorpe applicants are offered some form of scholarship and financial aid. Oglethorpe invests in its students by offering a range of scholarships, including four-year full-tuition awards in three different categories. These three scholarships represent areas that are directly tied to the university’s mission and identity: academic excellence, leadership through service, and a top theatre program. Scholarships are allocated to incoming freshmen based on their past records as well as their performance at Oglethorpe’s annual Scholarship Weekend competition.

THE JAMES EDWARD OGLETHORPE SCHOLARSHIP is a four-year full tuition award, plus a $3,000 research stipend to support a senior honors thesis, given to as many as five students who show exceptional academic achievement and potential to contribute to the university. During the annual Scholarship Weekend in January, prospective JEO Scholars participate in Socratic seminars with Oglethorpe professors. The topics, which range from “Technology and the Future of Mankind” to “Art, Context and Critical Thinking,” are selected by the professors who also choose reading selections for students to study prior to the scholarship competition. In addition to the seminar, students write a reflective essay and interview with Oglethorpe alumni who score the students based on their performances.

Students who are invited to compete for the two GEORGIA SHAKESPEARE SCHOLARSHIPS have their own unique set of seminars, workshops and theatrical auditions. In addition to a Socratic discussion and essay similar to the JEO Scholarship competition, prospective theatre scholars are expected

10 CARILLON | SPRING FALL 2013 2013

to prepare two monologues from the works of Shakespeare to perform for representatives of Georgia Shakespeare, the professional theatre-in-residence on Oglethorpe’s campus. Students are selected for the scholarship based on their past theatre accomplishments together with their technical skills demonstrated during their audition. In addition to their tuition award, Georgia Shakespeare scholars are eligible for a $3,000 research stipend for a senior honors thesis and a study abroad stipend for the summer course on theatre in Great Britain.

THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIP is awarded to as many as three students who have shown a devoted interest in service in their communities and exhibit promise to be influential in the Oglethorpe and Atlanta communities. The award requires a 60 hours per semester volunteer placement, facilitated by Oglethorpe’s Center for Civic Engagement and a $3,000 stipend for an internship at a nonprofit organization of the student’s choice. Scholars are also invited to enroll in an exploratory honors seminar during their first semester and are eligible for a $3,000 research stipend for a senior honors thesis. Potential CE Scholars participate in seminars focused on civic engagement and service, compose essays based on their discussion, and interview with Oglethorpe faculty, staff and Center for Civic Engagement advisors.

Runners-up for the full-tuition awards can be offered one of several other scholarships, ranging from $6,000 to $18,000 per year, including the Lanier, University, Oxford, Presidential and Presidential with Recognition Scholarships.

Christie Pearce ’15 is a politics and communication double major who has a passion for the written word. Following her experiences studying abroad at Oxford University, she has become a major proponent of study abroad as an avenue of self discovery. She plans to pursue a career in political marketing.

STUDENT LEARNING

OGLETHORPE SCHOLARSHIPS NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE FINANCES OF A STUDENT, BUT ALSO ATTRACT DYNAMIC STUDENTS WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO POSITIVELY IMPACT OUR CAMPUS, COMMUNITY AND OUR WORLD. HERE, RECENT GRADUATES AND STUDENTS FROM THIS YEAR’S FRESHMAN CLASS SHARE WHAT THE SCHOLARSHIPS HAVE MEANT TO THEM.

JAMES EDWARD OGLETHORPE SCHOLARS

SHAKESPEARE SCHOLARS

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT SCHOLARS

Katy Beth Barber ’17

Emma Arthur ’17

Yasmeen Alim ’17

“This scholarship means

“I actually started crying on the

everything to me. I toured 23

phone because I was so happy.

different colleges, but narrowed

I don’t think I took in anything

“It’s a life-changing honor...

Now I know I’m boundless in my education and can do whatever

it down to only applying to six...once I received

after being told I had gotten it, so I had to call

I need to do for my future and make a

the JEO Scholarship, I knew that Oglethorpe is

back and get the information a second time. It

difference by volunteering on a grand scale.”

where God was leading me to attend.”

was very surreal.”

Stephanie Bowar ’17 “Oglethorpe was my dream school

Karl Dickey ’17 “Oglethorpe has honored me

from the moment I learned what

beyond the point of speech with

they were all about, and this

their generosity (which says

Carlos Galeano Vejarano ’17 “The Civic Engagement Scholarship means the world to me…I am really passionate about service

scholarship was the only way I could ever have

something because I talk a great deal). I can’t

and I think this is a reward for all of my hard

afforded to attend…More than that, however,

even begin to describe in words how thankful

work. The opportunity to coordinate service

the personal honor I feel from receiving a

I am…for such an amazing opportunity.”

days and volunteering at such a prestigious

scholarship from a school like Oglethorpe is,

university is an absolute honor and maybe it

Elizabeth Beesley ’13

again, more than I can say.”

Katherine Carey ’17

“I am going to South Korea to teach English to kids. My work with Georgia Shakespeare’s

“It was sort of reaffirming for me and allowed me to be proud

children’s shows and education programs

of the work I had done …I’d

really inspired me to use my acting training to

like to think I would have gotten myself to

work with kids.”

Oglethorpe’s doorstep on August 15th, one way

Kyle Brumley ’12 “Georgia Shakespeare laid the

“Being a CE scholar gave me a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise had, such as volunteering at the Elaine Clark Center and opportunities have paved the way for the rest of my professional development.”

foundation for my career as a

Alexandria Hadd ’13 “I felt like I owed Oglethorpe

Cassandra Hendrix ’12

interning at the Marcus Autism Center. These

or another, because I truly love the school and feel like it is the right place for me.”

is my calling and vocation for college.”

professional theatre artist...

If my OU education has taught me anything,

for the investment it made in

it is that there is no substitute for the overlap

me. I got involved in leadership

of professional experience and classroom

positions in organizations all over campus...

learning that a theatre education at OU

I was so happy with my experiences with

can provide.”

admissions that I volunteered with them from my freshman through senior year. I got to interact with amazing alumni and help incoming students who had been in my shoes.”

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 11

STUDENT LEARNING

THE CHANCE TO SHAPE YOUR FUTURE INDIVIDUALLY PLANNED MAJORS

By Marisa Manuel ’13

“Make a life, make a living, make a difference.”

Every student hears Oglethorpe’s motto upon enrollment and carries it into the world after graduation. Those nine words encourage students to find their own individuals paths in their careers and to discover and create the person they want to be. But how does a student make all those things happen?

How can a student start accomplishing their goals?

For some students, the answer is simple: it begins by having the chance to plan their own major.

An individually planned major, or IPM, in many ways is an extension of Oglethorpe’s mission. The IPM allows students to formulate and stylize their education based on their interests, desired career path and where they want to go in life. Each student’s individualism and creativity is allowed to flourish in this personalized, one-of-a-kind education.

CHRISTIAN HARTNETT ’14 COMMUNICATION AND DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION

To start the process of creating an IPM, a student must meet with his or her advisor. Together they plan which courses are essential to that major and when these classes should be taken. Next, they submit the application to the Provost’s Office for consideration.

Associate Provost Dr. Keith Aufderheide will either approve the IPM or offer feedback, in which case the IPM may often be revised for approval.

“I ended up revising my IPM multiple times,” said April Baldwin ’13, a cultural anthropology major. “This actually helped me tweak it a little more to what I liked, as I found out I loved art classes. I feel like having an IPM made my experience at OU very

12 CARILLON | FALL 2013

Christian Hartnett ’14, who planned his own communication and digital media major, is pictured at the red carpet awards for OU students’ submissions for Campus Movie Fest, a national moviemaking competition for college students. As director, Hartnett accepted the “Best Comedy” award for The Screenplay.

NICOLE GALLAGHER ‘15 RHETORIC AND HERMENEUTICS

“I feel like having an IPM made my experience at OU very personal, as I had to work with my advisor constantly. My IPM showed me what I enjoyed, and the best thing about it is I can apply it to so many different careers.”

—April Baldwin ’13

personal, as I had to work with my advisor constantly.

It made me feel very empowered to have created my own major, and I’m very proud of that. Currently I am looking for employment in a marketing company. My IPM showed me what I enjoyed, and the best thing about it is I can apply it to so many different careers.”

Oglethorpe has seen a variety of IPMs, including several that are not offered in any course catalog— maybe anywhere. For example, current IPM student Nicole Gallagher ’15 is working toward a degree that couples rhetoric (the means by which people make meaning of and affect the world in which they live) with hermeneutics (the study of understanding in its experiential form). “By combining the fields of Rhetoric and Hermeneutics to form a single discipline, I intend to stress the importance of observing how understanding is reached through interpretation,” says Nicole. “A major in rhetoric and hermeneutics prepares me for a wide variety of opportunities where my knowledge can be effectively applied. It is my hope that I apply it in making progress towards overcoming obstacles on both a personal and global scale.”

Other IPMs, such as senior Christian Hartnett’s course of study that combines communication with digital media production, expand upon an existing major.

“Communication already encompasses media, as it’s through media that we communicate,” said Christian. “(But) a communication and digital media production major provides me with the courses I need to secure a job in media production.” But Christian also cautions that “those who opt for an IPM should keep in mind that, while the results are rewarding, the process can be challenging.”

In order to avoid some of these challenges, Dr. Aufderheide advises students to plan early, but not too early. He explained that “you probably don’t know enough about your career aspirations or the curriculum to make that decision (freshman year)...but if you submit your application when you have enough hours to be considered a senior, your proposal will be

rejected.” Furthermore, Dr. Aufderheide encourages students to consider the ARCHE program, but not to rely exclusively on it. The ARCHE program, or Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education Program, allows students to take courses at other schools, such as Emory and Georgia State, as part of their Oglethorpe tuition. These courses, along with independent studies, enable students to tailor-make their majors to align with their ambitions.

IPMs have also helped students in unexpected ways.

“When I came to Oglethorpe, I knew that I wanted to be a screenwriter,” said Joscelyn Stein ’13. “I put together an IPM in media studies so that when I went into screenwriting, I had a solid understanding of the ways in which media is produced and the ways it affects individuals and shapes the society we live in.

After having finished my studies, I am still interested in screenwriting, but I am also interested in going into media research, media consulting and teaching.”

College is about making a career, making connections, and making your future. An IPM can be integral to making that happen. As Mareva Bone ’13, a business and media major, says, “Do (your) research, use all the resources available to (you), explore the ARCHE program and schools, and realize that the major of (your) dreams is at (your) fingertips.”

Marisa Manuel ‘13 is a recent Honors graduate of Oglethorpe University, where she majored in English.

She participated in a variety of extracurriculars, including ODK, APO, The Tower, and an internship with Pegasus Creative. Currently, she is working as a freelance writer while applying to MFA programs in writing; it is her hope to one day make a living as a professional novelist.

Additionally, IPMs have been integral to students’ career success. Mariella Handschin ’13, an environmental chemistry major who is graduating in December, enthused, “I expect to use (the IPM) to help me find a job or go to graduate school. I have an internship starting soon with the Fulton County water department and I am sure my acquired chemistry skills and knowledge of environmental concerns will be useful. Perhaps this will lead me straight to my career.”

Relatedly, Sarah Duff ’12, a medical and scientific illustration major who works for Nucleus Medical Media, was recently promoted to a management position. “I now work for Nucleus as the product production coordinator,” she stated, “and the ultimate plan for me within the next six months is to train me to become a Project Manager... Oglethorpe prepared me in…organization and taking on a different field through diversity. It’s pretty awesome knowing I’m in a career at this point in my life, and I definitely think Oglethorpe impacted that.”

SARAH DUFF ‘12 MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 13

STUDENT LEARNING

Bridging Nonprofit THE NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT MINOR Senior Tirzah Brown is passionate about raising awareness of sexual trafficking and has worked with nonprofits for several years that combat this issue, traveling as far away as the country of Moldova to volunteer.

Scott Kenney, also a senior, has volunteered in soup kitchens since he was old enough to hold a spoon.

Delaney Bush ’15, the daughter of school administrators, grew up in the culture of independent school systems and dreams of someday opening her own private school.

But these students want to do more to support their respective causes. Now, thanks to Oglethorpe’s new nonprofit management minor, they are learning the business of the nonprofit sector and gaining valuable volunteer experience, all while getting an education that will help them become the agents of change they envision themselves to be.

EXPANDING OUR REACH The nonprofit management minor joined Oglethorpe’s curriculum in fall 2011 as part of an effort to combine the academic and community service components of Oglethorpe’s education and to provide a stepping stone for students interested in pursuing a career in this field. Professors Ron Bobroff, Lynn Guhde, Peter Kower and Alan Loehle helped to launch the program.

The first step was to reach out to the local nonprofit community. “I met with a collection of leaders in the nonprofit industry and asked them which skills they think future nonprofit leaders need to have,” said Dr. Guhde, associate professor of business administration and chair of the Division of Economics and Business Administration.

“We took their input and used it to help create the program’s curriculum.”

14 CARILLON | FALL 2013

The minor includes a series of five courses that provides a basic foundation about nonprofits with focused instruction in finance and communications, an elective relating to the student’s major, a “capstone” course, and required volunteer hours.

“We take people who have the interest and the energy and the passion to work in the nonprofit field,” Dr. Guhde says, “and we give them the business skills they need in order to make that happen. It’s the perfect role for us to play at Oglethorpe, a liberal arts institution.”

ACADEMICS IN ACTION During their enrollment in the program, students must complete 100 volunteer hours with a nonprofit of their choice. They are encouraged to choose an organization in a field that relates to their major to more easily apply their entire Oglethorpe education on the job. Students in the minor come from a wide range of majors, including accounting, history, theatre and biology. As a result, their volunteer locations are eclectic as well. More than 20 nonprofits in metro Atlanta have already benefitted, including Piedmont Park Conservancy, Operation HOPE, American Lung Association, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center and the office of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

Delaney, who is pursuing an independently planned major in business and education, says that her decision to attend Oglethorpe hinged on the nonprofit management minor.

“It fuses my interests in business and education, since private schools are nonprofit organizations.” She has completed most of her volunteering in three private schools and plans to work at others to broaden her exposure to the business of running a school.

Tirzah, a sociology major, completed much of her required volunteering working with Wellspring Living, a nonprofit that battles childhood sexual abuse and exploitation through awareness, training and treatment programs for women and girls. Tirzah served as an academic mentor to girls who are survivors of sexual slavery. After earning the trust of the nonprofit’s staff, she was given permission to travel to a secret location in Atlanta to help these girls focus on returning to school or earning their GED. “I was first introduced to the horrors of sexual slavery when I was a teenager and all I could do at that point was help to raise awareness,” said Tirzah. “I’m happy that I am now able to do more to really help these girls transition to a more normal life.”

An accounting major, Scott also demonstrated to his supervisors that he could be trusted.

Scott assisted with financial accounting at the Church of St. Vincent DePaul and was able to see how nonprofits must hold themselves accountable. “They record everything down to the minute, like how much time they spend with a person, or the amount of supplies and resources they give to each person. They have to take their records down to the penny to be effective in getting people help.”

A NONPROFIT INCUBATOR The minor’s “capstone” project, originally conceived as an opportunity for students to consult pro bono for local nonprofit organizations, was “re-imagined” in spring 2013 due to unexpected, but welcome, circumstances. Inspired by students’ enthusiasm, adjunct accounting professor Henry Zigtema decided to make a donation to benefit the program. A former partner with Ernst & Young and experienced in the nonprofit sector, Zigtema felt that students would best learn about running a nonprofit by

STUDENT LEARNING

Business

By Debbie Aiken ’12

doing just that. “I wanted to allow students to get experience actually operating a fund with real money.”

Now with funding, a team of five students and three faculty members (Dr. Guhde, Dr. Seema Shrikhande and Tory Vornholt) began the process of creating a student-run nonprofit on campus: LAB Bridge, derived from the students’ goal to bridge the gap between the liberal arts and business worlds, according to newly-elected CEO Shani Henry ’13. “We saw that students were becoming more interested in the nonprofit industry, but weren’t aware of the resources available to them, and we want LAB Bridge to support them in their endeavors.”

Alumnus and attorney Cleve Hill ’01 provided pro bono legal consulting to the team. He worked with Dr. Guhde to finalize LAB Bridge’s articles of incorporation and other organizational documents. “I think it speaks to the character and the goals of the university, not just for us to offer the program, but to have students who are interested in getting their hands dirty and learning how the process works,” said Hill.

This fall, the LAB Bridge team hopes to receive their 501(c) designation and to finalize the nonprofit’s programming. “So many people have altruistic intentions and great energy, but get tripped up by the details,” said Zigtema.

“Hopefully LAB Bridge will allow students to make mistakes and learn from them in a controlled environment. That way when they actually get out in the real world and start realizing their dream of operating a nonprofit, (CONT’D) they will be able to do it well.”

“WE TAKE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE INTEREST AND THE ENERGY AND THE PASSION TO WORK IN THE NONPROFIT FIELD, AND WE GIVE THEM THE BUSINESS SKILLS THEY NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT

Dr. Lynn Guhde, Khoyisha Stoutt ’15, Aaron Del Rosario ’14 and Dr. Seema Shrikhande are among the students and faculty active in LAB Bridge, a fledgling nonprofit inspired by the nonprofit management minor.

HAPPEN. IT’S THE PERFECT ROLE FOR US TO PLAY AT OGLETHORPE, A LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTION.” FALL 2013 | CARILLON 15

STUDENT LEARNING

As part of her nonprofit management minor, Tirzah Brown ’14 volunteers with organizations that combat human trafficking. Oglethorpe was her first choice because it allowed her to mold her education to fit her career interest: fighting human trafficking—while located in Atlanta, a city known as a U.S. hub for the crime. She serves on a committee bringing The NO Project’s Judy Boyle, a national leader on the subject, to campus on October 29.

(CONT’D)

FUTURE LEADERS This past summer, Delaney landed a paid internship position in the Human Resources Department at The Coca-Cola Company. “I don’t believe I would have gotten this opportunity to work with Coca-Cola if it wasn’t for the nonprofit minor,” said Delaney. “Because of what I learned in the program, I was able to articulate how my education background could fit in at the The Coca-Cola Company.”

Set to graduate this fall, Scott has also gained an important lesson. “The work these organizations are doing is all about the people,” he said. “No one is involved for the money, but everyone is involved to do something positive.”

And for Dr. Guhde, that extends to her students. “It is really inspiring to see that spark in a student and know that they will really make a difference some day.”

Debbie Aiken graduated from Oglethorpe’s Evening Degree Program in 2012 with a major in communication & rhetoric studies and a minor in English. During her last semester she was an intern in the University Communications department at OU, where she now works as Assistant Director.

16 CARILLON | FALL 2013

I

n 2012, Oglethorpe launched a partnership with Global LEAD, an immersive nonprofit study abroad program that combines the principles of leadership, education, adventure and diplomacy into five-week experiences in Ecuador, Greece and South Africa. Founded by dynamic entrepreneurs, Global LEAD aims to “transform the trajectory of individuals’ lives through leadership, service and personal development”—a mission that aligns with Oglethorpe goal for its students.

The program offers two weeks of classroom learning, two weeks of service learning, and one week of adventure. As academic coordinator, Oglethorpe approves the program’s faculty, syllabi, course pedagogy and materials for the program’s courses: Leadership in Action and Global Citizenship & Service Learning. Students from universities around the country earn six Oglethorpe credit hours that transfer to students’ home universities.

Oglethorpe students Emmanuel Brantley ‘15 and Briana Mongerson ‘13 were the first Petrels to participate. They journeyed to Ecuador in July, alongside 22 students from other universities. Their two weeks of academic instruction was led by Oglethorpe’s Dr. Mario Chandler, associate professor of Spanish.

Leadership in Action Dr. Chandler’s first course focused on teaching core principles of leadership by using the historical context and perspectives of South American peoples. Students settled into their temporary home by learning how to converse and connect with local people and experiencing the daily lives of Ecuadorians and their history. From studying the sobering history of the enslaved indigenous peoples at local museums, to learning how to hail a cab and which foods to order (or not) in restaurants, Global LEAD students were immersed in the culture in ways that exceeded the limits of textbooks.

“Dr. Chandler gave insight on how to be ‘the mindful traveler’ and impact Ecuador’s culture in a positive direction,” shared Louise Powers, a junior at the University of Tennessee. “We even had a Survival Spanish class and put this to the test walking to the top of Basilica Del Voto Nacional and at the welcome dinner.”

The leadership training also taught students to push themselves out of their comfort zones in other ways. “The physical activities, like mountain biking and hiking, allow students to experience what we are talking about in class,” Emmanuel

STUDENT LEARNING ALUMNI

NEW PERSPECTIVES Global LEAD Ecuador

TO REALIZE THEIR POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD, STUDENTS

MUST VENTURE OUTSIDE THE CAMPUS GATES AND EXPERIENCE THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY.

discovered. “It’s not just talking about who you are as a leader, but you are able to bring what you are learning in class to life. You are leading yourself to be more fearless and to tackle these physical challenges.” Understanding historical and cultural perspectives and pushing themselves to be ‘fearless’ also prepared students for their coming weeks of service.

Global Citizenship & Service Learning The second course, “Global Citizenship and Service Learning,” challenged students to create framework for service projects in Ecuador as well as for their home communities in the U.S., helping them to segue into their two weeks of service learning.

“Our professor, Dr. Chandler, kicked off the morning with one of his most powerful lessons yet,” wrote Matt Edwards from University of Tennessee in a blog documenting his experience. “After discussing poverty and service in our local [Ecuadorian] communities, we shared problems we see in our own neighborhoods and brainstormed ways we can take action. …The lessons and tools we have been given to spark change and better our world are really becoming evident. It’s truly invigorating to be part of this group of brilliant young minds that is realizing its potential to impact the world.”

Students applied what they learned in the classroom to teaching ESL (English as a second language) to Ecuadorian children. Students volunteered at the institute Honrar la Vida (honor life), founded to educate, integrate and validate the cultural contributions of black Ecuadorian youth, called afroecuatorianos, who historically have been victims of discrimination and marginalized in Ecuadorian society. Students taught the children the English alphabet, days of the week, and songs to help them remember animal names. But, it was the Honrar La Vida children who made the biggest impression.

“Teaching ESL was one of the best learning experiences I have had in a long time,” said Oglethorpe’s Briana Mongerson, who hopes to continue teaching ESL. “Although these kids didn’t have much, they are filled with joy, smiles and hugs. I love the impact that they have made on me and never will forget those beautiful faces from Honrar La Vida.”

“Most Global LEAD students come into the service learning thinking that they’re going to give knowledge and time to the local students, but what we end up taking away is the love and gratitude of being able to share in their experience,”

A global experience: Oglethorpe’s Emmanuel Brantley, Dr. Mario Chandler and Briana Mongerson stand on the equator in Ecuador.

explained Carolyn Prebil, Global LEAD’s director of marketing and program director for the trip. “It is incredible to see the bonds that form throughout the week despite any cultural or language barriers.”

Emmanuel, who is now serving as a Global LEAD ambassador to encourage other students to participate in the program, agrees. “You hear that other study abroad trips make a big impact, but on this trip we were directly involved and in touch with the people, history and nature of the country— and it really had a life-changing impact.”

Find out more about Global LEAD at globalleadprogram.org.

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 17

STUDENT LEARNING

INNOVATION BY DESIGN When President Philip Weltner established the Oglethorpe Core in 1944, it was revolutionary. It has evolved in the decades since its introduction, but continues to be a modern approach to liberal arts education. The Core is a transformative experience that not only builds the critical thinking skills that all liberal education aspires to instill, but one that ensures that Oglethorpe graduates are uniquely equipped to approach problems with a diversity of thought and

By J. Todd Bennett

variety of perspectives, regardless of their academic discipline.

These are the very skills employers look for in future leaders. But students often struggle with knowing how to transfer these skills from the classroom to the work environment.

Bridging the divide Oglethorpe has been providing students with real-world, global experiences for many years.

Our students actively participate in service projects, research activities, internships and study abroad experiences. But oftentimes, those experiences are disconnected—from one another and from the learning taking place in the classroom. We needed a cohesive way to bring these experiences together, to help our students map their journey, and learn to tell their own life stories. The Atlanta Laboratory for Learning (or A_LAB), introduced in the last issue of the Carillon, was designed to intentionally fill that need and bridge the divide between theory and practice.

The first step in bringing the experiences together was to break down the organizational silos that separated them. The construction of the Turner Lynch Campus Center provided the opportunity to bring all of our experiential learning opportunities together under one roof.

But moving a collection of centers and offices to a common office space would only result in the same activities happening separately in the same place. To build a new model for experiential learning in the 21st century required a new way of thinking.

Enter “design thinking” The Stanford University Institute of Design (d.school) describes design thinking as “a methodology for creative and human-centered problem solving that empowers them to collaborate across disciplines and tackle the world’s biggest challenges.” But more than simply solving problems, this methodology helps participants redefine problems and examine them through different lenses.

Design thinking starts with discovery and immersion, leading to the development of empathy. It encourages experimentation and learning from feedback. From there, solutions are developed, tested and refined.

Through this process, the skills to synthesize, create and invent are developed. Classroom learning becomes more relevant and learning is improved across disciplines.

Design thinking in action: the A_LAB promise emerged from collaborative brainstorming exercises and idea generation workshops.

By immersing students in a variety of experiences, from an internship to study abroad or a service project, the A_LAB experience has the potential to serve as an extension of the Core, taking learning from the classroom to Atlanta and beyond, and then back to the classroom. And like the Core, it’s a process that begins in the freshman year and extends through all four years of students’ education, rather than a single capstone experience during the last semester.

Putting theory to practice The A_LAB is—and will continue to be— a work in progress. The first phase of this work is to think about the services, spaces and experiences that bring the A_LAB to life.

To do this, we put our own model to practice, applying design thinking to the exploration of what’s possible in our laboratory.

Through structured brainstorming exercises led by the Atlanta-based creative agency EM2 and the team from University Communications, staff and faculty from global studies, civic engagement and professional development collaborated to express the

A_LAB experience and personality. After further refinement, a set of value-based attributes were established. A brand promise was authored to describe the experience one could expect when engaging with the A_LAB, laying the foundation for all initiatives, communications, and interactions connected to the laboratory.

The path to innovation With the realization of our new campus center, we are witnessing the A_LAB come to life.

But, we have only cracked the surface of what’s possible. As we aim to help students tell their stories, we are creating the A_LAB story at the same time. Staff are shifting their thinking and widening their perspectives. Faculty are exploring ways to integrate research and scholarship into the A_LAB experience.

Processes continue to be refined. A new visual identity is being rolled out in publications, websites and in the physical environment of the Laboratory.

Oglethorpe is innovating once again.

The A_LAB is paving the way.

THE A_LAB PROMISE An intentional structure of experiential experimentation, the A-Lab provides the knowledge, resources, network, and support to begin mapping an adventure that lasts a lifetime.

Our multi-disciplinary collaborations yield innovative program possibilities and create opportunities for transformative, cross-cultural moments. Relevant and real world, the combinations are as unlimited as your imagination.

Through meaningful collisions and unexpected engagements, your life’s journey from unfamiliar to unforgettable begins here.

FALL FALL 2013 2013 | CARILLON 19

R TIME: CAMPUS FACILITIES

The case for investment in our historic campus is certainly an easy one to make. Our century-old Gothic buildings are both a tremendous asset and challenge. They create an extraordinarily memorable sense of place, but are always in need of repair and renovation.

Such projects as re-painting and sealing the granite walls of Hearst, Lupton, Robinson and Lowry Halls, will cost in excess of $400,000, reports Mike Horan, vice president for business and finance. Restoring the roofs of those structures are slated (pun intended) to run another $500,000.

Horan’s list doesn’t end there.

NCAA basketball and volleyball competitions are held in a fieldhouse that lacks air conditioning. Lab equipment in Goslin Hall has to be replaced. Twenty-eight additional classrooms must be outfitted to accommodate the technology of modernday instruction.

Despite the lengthy punch list, Horan is quick to point out that recent years have brought several major campus improvements.

The $16 million Turner Lynch Campus Center—named for trustee and campaign co-chair Belle Turner Lynch ’61—is the biggest example, of course, but other projects are also noteworthy.

A grass field was replaced with state-of-the-art artificial turf, lighted for night play, giving the lacrosse and soccer teams an impressive new venue. The same goes for the track. Our new six-lane surface means the university no longer must pay rent to a local high school to host meets against college teams. Theatre students have a new addition to their program with a new scene shop attached to the Conant Performing Arts Center. Their collaboration with our professional theatre-company-in-residence, Georgia Shakespeare, has never been as strong, thanks in large part to the new scene shop.

A GREATER SENSE OF PLACE

All these improvements were made possible through private donations, and Horan says it’s crucial that Oglethorpe continue to upgrade its historic campus. “This generation of college students is coming from high schools that have facilities more modern that many of ours,” he points out. Oglethorpe, he says, is blessed with the beauty of its architecture and quad. “But we absolutely have to address these other areas to make sure our buildings continue to serve our faculty and students.”

LOWRY HALL (CA. 1927)

CAMPUS FACILITIES LUPTON HALL (CA. 1920)

The Silent Faculty In 1914, [Oglethorpe University President] Thornwell Jacobs wrote a brief four-point report to the executive committee requesting that the architecture and landscaping of the university remain in the tradition of the great English institutions. This included incorporating the Gothic style with the use of stone, which was readily available in Georgia.

Throughout the campus the “silent faculty,” as he referred to the buildings, would teach and inspire students through the visual harmony between buildings and landscape. Utilizing the theme of the “silent faculty,” Jacobs had his own words of inspiration carved over the doorways of several buildings, including Lupton, Lowry, and Hearst Halls. Even the athletics stadium was thoroughly detailed with appropriate medallions to carry forth the same look and feel of the dignified and beautiful ‘silent faculty.’”

—Oglethorpe University (The Campus History Series),

by Anne A. Salter and Laura Masce

HERMANCE STADIUM (CA. 1920)

“The architecture of an institution of learning should be a constant source of delight and inspiration to its students, teaching quietly, but surely the highest ideals of life. Indeed all those qualities of soul we know as honesty, solidity, dignity, durability, reverence and beauty may be expressed in the face of a building as surely as in that of a man, are so expressed on the Oglethorpe campus...This is the special work of the silent faculty at Oglethorpe.”

—Oglethorpe University Bulletin, June 1921

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 21

CAMPUS FACILITIES

22 CARILLON | FALL 2013

CAMPUS FACILITIES

CAMPUS RE-ENERGIZED THE TURNER LYNCH CAMPUS CENTER The newest addition to campus was recently characterized by a student as Oglethorpe’s “Grand Central Station.”

The Turner Lynch Campus Center is indeed a hub of activity throughout the days and evenings, generating an inspiring environment and amplifying the sense of community.

1

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CAMPUS CENTER HIGHLIGHTS 1 The Turner Lynch Campus Center set an impressive scene for incoming Class of 2017’s orientation events, including the New Petrels Party on the terraces facing the academic quad. 2 A full-service Starbucks, located within the ground-level game room and lounge, lives up to its name as one of the building’s star attractions. 3 Light-filled spaces abound throughout the building, creating a stimulating setting to meet and collaborate. 4 The Student Commons lounge provides a wooded view and respite to sit back and relax, log on to your laptop, or have a quiet conversation. 5 The ceilings soar above the campus center’s bright and energy-filled dining hall. 6 Now in its new central location, the OU bookstore offers a wide range of amenities students need during the day.

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 23

CAMPUS FACILITIES

A Foundation of Legacy

1 The new campus center is named the TURNER LYNCH CAMPUS CENTER in honor of MRS. BELLE TURNER LYNCH ’61 [1]. Mrs. Lynch has remained a valued and active member of the OU community, serving the university in numerous capacities. She has served on the Board of Trustees since 1983, and as chair from 2005 to 2008. In addition to her trustee duties, she was on the Board of Visitors (1979-1983), chaired the 2005 Presidential Search Committee, co-chaired the Campaign Steering Committee (2010-present), and chaired the Campaign Cabinet Committee (2012-present). As a student, she was the recipient of the Sally Hull Weltner Scholarship Award, and later received the Talmage Award in 1992. In 2010, she was presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

In recognition of her lifetime giving to the university, she was inducted into Oglethorpe’s Gray Stone Society. Mrs. Lynch is also Chair of the Board of Directors of The Milner Award, a nonprofit begun by her aunt in 1983 to encourage reading in Atlanta and Fulton County elementary schools by taking favorite authors to visit them. Mrs. Lynch has two daughters, Catherine and Virginia, and is a native of Atlanta. She currently resides in the Buckhead area with her husband, Barry, and enjoys membership at Northside United Methodist Church, Daughters of the American Revolution, Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century, and the Atlanta Preservation Center, where she currently serves as vice-chair of the board of directors. An avid gardener, Mrs. Lynch’s gardens are listed at the Smithsonian Archives of American Gardens.

24 CARILLON | FALL 2013

2 The south wing of the Phase II residence hall, which opened in 2007, is named JOBE HALL in honor of Warren and Sally Jobe. The north wing of the Phase II residence hall is named HANSEN HALL in honor of Harald R. Hansen and his late wife Betsy.

Both Mr. Jobe and Mr. Hansen currently serve on the university’s Board of Trustees.

WARREN JOBE [2] is the retired executive vice president and chief financial officer of Georgia Power Company. He is a 1963 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has served on the Oglethorpe University Board of Trustees since 1987, serving as chair from 1999-2005. He has also co-chaired the Campaign Steering Committee with Belle Turner Lynch. Mr. Jobe serves on the corporate boards of WellPoint (Indianapolis) and RidgeWorth Funds (Atlanta), as well as the board of trustees for the Tull Charitable Foundation.

He is the former chairman of the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta, president of the Rotary Club of Atlanta and co-chair of a major capital campaign for Hospice Atlanta. In 2009, Mr. Jobe received the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters from Oglethorpe. In 2012, after nearly 30 years of giving, he and his wife, Sally, were inducted to Oglethorpe’s Gray Stone Society. They currently reside in the Brookhaven area of Atlanta, and have two sons, Warren Jr. of Charlottesville, Va., and Cooper of Atlanta.

3 HARALD R. HANSEN [3] is the retired chairman, president and CEO of First Union Corporation of Georgia, and a Duke University graduate. Mr. Hansen served in the U.S. Marine Corps on active duty and in the reserves for nearly 30 years, retiring with the rank of Colonel. He also attended the Naval War College and did post graduate work at the Wharton Business School. Mr. Hansen, with his wife Betsy, founded the Oglethorpe Women’s Network. He has been a member of the Oglethorpe University Board of Trustees since 1995, previously serving as vice chair and treasurer. Mr. Hansen has also served on the board of other organizations, including the Tull Charitable Foundation, YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta, Shepherd Center, Asheville School, Midtown Alliance, Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the American Red Cross, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Central Atlanta Progress, SciTrek, Georgia Commerce Bank, the Business Council of Georgia, Duke University Board of Advisors and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He is the former chairman of the United Way Campaign, the Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee and the Midtown Business Association. He has been named to Georgia Trend magazine’s “100 Most Powerful People in Georgia” list and was included in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Who’s Who in Atlanta Business.” As one of the university’s top individual donors for almost 20 years, and a valued community member, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Oglethorpe in 2008.

CAMPUS FACILITIES

A SYMBOL OF OUR UNIVERSITY’S PROGRESS AND MOMENTUM, THE NEW CAMPUS CENTER WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS OF MANY. TO HONOR OUR MOST GENEROUS SUPPORTERS, BOTH DURING THE CAMPAIGN AND FOR A LIFETIME OF SUPPORT, FOUR CAMPUS BUILDINGS NOW BEAR THEIR NAMES.

4 BETSY HANSEN [3], a graduate of Duke University in 1956, founded the Oglethorpe Women’s Network after serving on the Council on Women’s Studies at Duke University.

Oglethorpe later created a scholarship in honor of her efforts. She was an avid writer who turned her family’s history into a published novel, Portals. Mrs. Hansen served on the National Board of UNICEF, was the president and board member of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS), and the former secretary of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. She passed away in February 2009. The Hansens have two children, Edward and Brandon.

North residence hall, which opened in 2005, is now BOWDEN HALL in honor of Mr. Robert E. Bowden ’66, joining MAGBEE HALL, named in 2008 for Ms. Clare Findley “Tia” Magbee ’56.

ROBERT E. BOWDEN [4] graduated in 1966 from Oglethorpe with a B.A. in psychology, followed by a M.A. in management psychology from the University of Georgia in 1968. In 1983, Mr. Bowden founded Robert Bowden, Inc., which manufactures and distributes wholesale building supplies and was named an Atlanta “Top 100 Private Company” in 2011 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Through the years the company has received numerous local, regional, and national awards. In 2002 he transferred ownership of the company to its employees through an ESOP. Mr. Bowden has been highly engaged in community affairs and has been an involved and generous alumnus,

5 evidenced by his induction into Oglethorpe’s Gray Stone Society, which recognizes donors whose lifetime giving has reached historic levels. He served on the Oglethorpe University Board of Trustees from 2004– 2012 and now serves as an Emeritus member.

Mr. Bowden, who has two daughters and two sons, splits his time between Marietta and Sanibel, Fla. with wife Dixie, a beloved teacher who taught for many years at The Walker School in Marietta, Ga., where the library has been named in her honor.

CLARE FINDLEY “TIA” MAGBEE [5] graduated from Oglethorpe in 1956 and was the daughter of Clare Strickland Findley, Oglethorpe class of 1952, and Guy Washington Findley, class of 1928. Ms. Magbee served the university as both a member of the Oglethorpe National Alumni Association and the Board of Trustees from 1991 until her death in 2005. She was very active in the Atlanta community, serving as president of the Georgia Genealogical Society and treasurer of the Friends of the National Archives. She was also a member of the Colonial Dames of America, Daughters of the American Revolution and Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. Ms. Magbee was a devoted wife for 51 years to James Russell Magbee; mother to Clare, Russell, Beth and Ellen; and grandmother to Heather, Colleen, Philip and Eleanor.

TURNER LYNCH CAMPUS CENTER

JOBE AND HANSEN HALLS

BOWDEN AND MAGBEE HALLS

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 25

R TIME: FACULTY INITIATIVES

OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE

One of the university’s greatest strengths is the personal interaction between students and faculty. Though many colleges and universities lay similar claim to such closeness, it’s well understood that at Oglethorpe, such relationships are fact, not fiction. “I used to read on college websites how the professors on this campus or that campus know your name,” says Joscelyn Stein ’13, a recent graduate. “Here, they don’t just know your name—they know you as a person.”

(top) Dr. Roarke Donnelly, associate professor of biology and director of the urban ecology program, shares a laugh with students. (above) Dr. Viviana Plotnik, professor of Spanish, chats with a student on the stairs of Hearst.

26 CARILLON | FALL 2013

Enhancing those relationships is a defining theme of a new faculty-engineered Academic Plan.

Completed late summer, the plan lists a number of priorities that would benefit students as much as those who teach them. Engaging more undergraduates in research is emphasized; providing additional depth within disciplines and breadth across them is a must for a school with our ambitions.

But such an investment is well worth it, says President Schall. “The fact that a faculty-driven plan focuses so heavily on students perfectly illustrates why Oglethorpe is such a special place,” he says. “We must continue to invest in the ideas and ingenuity of our faculty. The campaign allows us to do that.”

FACULTY INITIATIVES

N

o student wants to be just another paper to grade or another name on the roll. At Oglethorpe, the professors are quick to take an interest in their students and their academic success. Dr. Leah Zinner, associate professor of psychology, and alumna Brittany Weiner ’12 epitomize the great things that can happen when faculty and students collaborate on academic endeavors.

Their psychology research will be featured in the October 2013 issue of the Journal of Homosexuality.

It all started as the primary assignment for the “Advanced Experimental Psychology” course.

This class offers students the chance to create a study based solely on a student’s individual interests. Brittany used this opportunity to study transphobia, an emotional aversion to anyone that deviates from societal gender roles, and the predicted readiness of transsexual parents. Brittany invested countless hours into the semester-long research project, lovingly referring to it as her “baby” that she “nurtured from a little seed.”

After submitting her research for consideration, Brittany was invited to present her findings at the 2011 Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. There, she won first place for undergraduate research on minority issues for her paper titled “Attitudes Toward Transsexual Parenting.” This success prompted her to explore sharing her study on a higher level.

Meanwhile, Dr. Zinner urged Brittany to push her research even further academically.

Throughout her senior year and then after graduation, Brittany continued to work together with Dr. Zinner on the research to make it worthy of being published.

“The ability to collaborate during two years of drafting and publishing and to be “first author” on two papers when I’m one year out of college is amazing.”

“The ability to collaborate during two years of drafting and publishing and to be “first author” on two papers when I’m one year out of college is amazing,” said Brittany. “Professors are behind you no matter what in order to make you succeed.”

chance to be independent. “There’s so much growth that happens with a student, from the beginning of the year when they pretty much know nothing, to the end of the year when they’ve done a whole study almost independently,” said Dr. Zinner. “When you work with faculty, you don’t get to witness that kind of growth. That’s why I love working with students.”

Both Dr. Zinner and Brittany attribute a great deal of their success to the special culture at Oglethorpe. Known for its small class sizes, Oglethorpe encourages faculty and students to work together in an environment that is personal and progressive. Within a class of only 10 students, Dr. Zinner was able to devote a generous amount of time to collaborating with Brittany, which directly contributed to their continued research even after the class had ended. Without this, the opportunity to collaborate would have been unlikely. (CONT’D)

Dr. Zinner believes that part of the equation for success in students’ development is giving them the

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH YIELDS POSITIVE RESULTS

Brittany Weiner ’12 (left) is pictured with her honors advisor and research partner, Dr. Leah Zinner, at the 2012 commencement.

Brittany received the Sally Hull Weltner Award for Scholarship, presented annually to the student in the graduating class with the highest grade-point average among those students graduating with academic honors.

By Allyson Terry ’14

FACULTY INITIATIVES

(CONT’D) “I really get to know my students and that makes collaboration that much more fun.” said Dr. Zinner. “I get to know each of them as a person, not just academically.”

Larger research institutions typically don’t offer students the opportunity to conduct research alongside faculty. As an alumna of Emory University, a premier Atlanta research institute, Dr. Zinner finds that Oglethorpe offers immense value in faculty/student collaboration.

“Classes at Emory were taught by graduate students. It was small but the projects we were assigned didn’t have a minimal level of complexity or a novel contribution to the scientific community,” said Dr. Zinner. “The fact (that) you’re getting a faculty member and not a graduate student (at Oglethorpe) means that I’m going to be here to continue to help that student develop their project after their class is over.”

epitomize the potential when faculty and students come together to collaborate.

“I never thought that my little advanced experimental project would be published or would win an award at a conference,” said Brittany. “The rigor they teach you to have in order to produce a paper that is worthy of recognition in the scientific community is amazing. You can only get that type of support and belief in your work at Oglethorpe.”

The article is scheduled to be published in October 2013. If you would like a copy of the research, please contact Brittany Weiner at bweiner@oglethorpe.edu.

Allyson Terry ’14, a psychology major/ communication and rhetoric studies minor, is involved in Alpha Phi Omega, Thaakat Atlanta, Pegasus Creative and the Center for Civic Engagement. After graduation, she plans to attend law school to protect human rights and civil liberties, here and abroad.

Becoming published scientific authors is no easy feat, but Brittany and Dr. Zinner

OGLETHORPE JOURNAL OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SHOWCASES STUDENTS’ WORK

By Marisa Manuel ’13 Like most college seniors—whether they are budding writers, scientists, researchers, economists, artists, etc.—I wanted people to read my work, to ask questions and to challenge it. In other words, I want to be published.

Thanks to Oglethorpe, I have reached that goal, and so can other students.

The Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research is a scholarly, peerreviewed publication that promotes undergraduate research by preserving and making available the academic and creative inventions from our campus. The journal serves as both a digital repository of scholarly output and a platform for publishing inventive and original works. Aside from research papers, the journal also accepts creative visual works, including artistic and audiovisual materials that are in a format suitable for online display.

The journal was founded in 2012, thanks to the efforts of Anne Salter, university librarian and director of Philip Weltner Library, and Laura Masce Sinclair, reference librarian. While attending a conference, they learned 28 CARILLON | FALL 2013

What did their research reveal?

Previous research had concluded that, when under consideration for adopting a child, straight parents are more highly favored over gay-male couples or same-sex couples. While valuable information, research on the attitudes towards transsexual couples adopting was lacking.

Brittany hypothesized that non-traditional couples would experience more prejudice in comparison to straight couples, and transsexual couples would experience more than gay couples. It was also predicted that transphobia (an emotional aversion to anyone that deviates for societal gender roles) could moderate attitudes toward gay parents. After conducting the study, Brittany and Dr. Zinner found that transphobia is a significant predictor on how participants viewed the emotional stability of the non-traditional couples and on the likelihood of recommending custody of a child to those couples. Overall, participants believed that the transsexual couple was the least emotionally stable. In order to reduce the amounts of prejudice and implicit bias seen in the study, the researchers suggested that interventions be put in place and have educational programs that reflect the research that shows the positives of non-traditional parenting.

about the opportunity to partner with Kennesaw State University to start an Oglethorpe research journal. “We began getting the faculty on board…and there was a lot of interest,” said Salter. “We were determined to do this.”

“It is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things I’ve done since starting at Oglethorpe,” said Ashley N. Dawson ’16, among the first students to be published. “It truly is an amazing feeling to see your thoughts on the screen, and to know that people are reading them and sharing them with others.”

Being published is also helpful for graduate school applications and for a resume, and the process for students to publish is simple: write your thesis, talk to your advisor, and then submit. An editorial board reviews and approves the work before it is published. The board includes Kennesaw’s David Evans, dean and assistant vice-president of library services, and Jon Hansen, associate professor of library science, as well as Oglethorpe’s Dr. Charles Baube, professor of biology, Dr. Michael Rulison, professor of physics, and Dr. Linda Taylor, professor of English.

The journal, now in its third edition, makes for an interesting and diverse read, with topics ranging from “The Wisdom of Athena” and “Horror-Comedy: The Chaotic Spectrum and Cinematic Synthesis” to “Lifting the Veil of Violence: The October Crisis, 1970” and “Examining Universal Primary Healthcare Through Community-Based Initiatives.”

“If you are seriously considering graduate school and doing original research,” advises Salter, “coming to [Oglethorpe] is a great place to begin that research.”

The Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research is located online at digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/ojur.

R TIME: ANNUAL FUND

The Annual Fund. Deemed so crucial to the university’s future, the funding mechanism became a fourth pillar of priority in the “Our Time” campaign. By definition, annual funds give colleges and universities the financial means to manage unforeseen developments and execute plans for growth.

They cover shortfalls and provide working capital.

YOUR SUPPORT EACH AND EVERY YEAR

So it is with Oglethorpe’s annual fund. While we are so grateful to all of you who have supported Oglethorpe every year, it’s important for us to realize that annual giving from our alumni, compared to the giving rates of our peers, is quite low.

“Each year, only one or two out of every 10 Oglethorpe graduates give to the annual fund,” says Smyrl. “We’ve resolved to grow that participation rate substantially to a level that’s more on par with our peer institutions. More important, it would allow us to do so much more as a university.”

Smyrl believes the low giving levels don’t reflect apathy on the part of Oglethorpe alumni. “It’s clear how much our graduates love their alma mater, and how much their experience here left a lasting impression on them,” he says. “I think the real reason our graduates don’t participate more is that they’re not fully aware of our momentum as a university, our plans to grow, and our many needs.”

The comprehensive campaign is an opportunity to change that, Smyrl says. By building greater participation in the Annual Fund, Oglethorpe bolsters its case with companies and foundations. The university can point to a broad base of alumni support as a leverage point for generating larger grants and gifts.

YOUR SUPPORT EACH AND EVERY YEAR

FIG 1: ALUMNI GIVING

14% OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY

PEER INSTITUTIONS

FIG 2: HOW OGLETHORPE COMPARES TO COLLEGES OF COMPARABLE SIZE AND MISSION

BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.

$4.5M

MILLSAPS COLLEGE JACKSON, MISS.

$2.6M

AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE DECATUR, GA. OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY ATLANTA, GA.

The Oglethorpe Women’s Soccer team wraps up an early morning practice on the newly renovated track and field.

30%

$2.7M $1.3M 1M

2M

3M

4M

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 29

ANNUAL FUND

DONALD RUBIN: Dorm Dweller to Major Donor

By Susan Soper ’69

30 CARILLON | FALL 2013

ANNUAL FUND

A plaque commemorating the largest single individual gift to Oglethorpe University could read: Donald J. Rubin ’56 Slept Here.

Rubin’s recent gift, donated with his wife Shelley, supports the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, which ironically is located in the dormitory space where Rubin lived during his freshman year—the third f loor of Lowry Hall.

Even though it’s been more than half a century since the young New Yorker shared what he remembers as cramped space—“a small, uncomfortable cubicle”—he has nurtured the OU roots he put down with many generous gestures, both financial and cultural, that make him one of the school’s top 10 donors.

Over the years, the Rubins have donated many works of art to the museum’s permanent collection. Most recently, they donated three life-size sculptures by Cuban-American artist Alejandro Aguilera, now on display in the Weltner Library.

Since 2008, they have loaned artwork from their extensive personal collection for five OUMA exhibitions, including: Goddess, Lion, Peasant, Priest: Modern Indian Art; What is Cuban Art?; Tibetan Contemporary Art; A Shower of Jewels: Wealth Deities from the Rubin Museum of Art; and Lord of Compassion: Images of Avalokiteshvara.

In May 2013, the museum was the recipient of the largest gift from an individual in the university’s history and The South Gallery was renamed “The Shelley & Donald Rubin Gallery” in their honor. At the same time, Rubin was the recipient of an honorary degree and spoke at commencement.

The Rubins’ most recent—and most significant—gift will sponsor an annual exhibition series, called “The Shelley & Donald Rubin Exhibition Series,” paired with an arts-related curricular program of classes, lectures and online features.

“The extraordinary gift…will enable students and the wider community of OU to share this passion for the visual arts,” says Elizabeth Peterson, director of the OUMA. “A gift of this magnitude is pivotal…we are extremely grateful and ready to put it to good use.”

Donald Rubin pictured during his senior year (Yamacraw, 1956).

As a student, Rubin was already an enterprising entrepreneur. He earned pocket money doing weekend landscaping chores on campus and worked one summer as an usher for the musical productions at Theater Under the Stars (now Chastain Park Amphitheatre). During the school year, he was up at the crack of dawn delivering The Atlanta Constitution in an old 1938 Dodge sedan, a gift from his mother, that he recalls he once drove using a hand-held flashlight when the (CONT’D) headlights went out. Two notable

LUCY SMITH ’59 HAS LIVED A LIFE DEVOTED TO EDUCATION AND FILLED WITH ADVENTURE— AND SHE’S PASSIONATE ABOUT GIVING SCHOLARSHIPS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS SO THEY MAY ALSO HAVE THAT CHANCE. It was the time of the first Russian space launch and the U.S. was focused on science education.

Lucy graduated from Oglethorpe with a Bachelor of Science, became a devoted science and math teacher for the Atlanta Public Schools and involved in the National Science Teachers Association.

She was invited to teach science on television and to design experiments for the classroom. Her vocation led to a number of unique adventures: traveling to Colorado for a stratotanker refueling training mission; an invitation to the Cheyenne Mountain NORAD complex; going down in a nuclear submarine; meeting hurricane hunters; and sitting alongside the press and astronauts to watch the launch of the first NASA shuttle.

In October 1982, Lucy moved on to a new career. Together with 33 other women, Lucy helped to found the Assistance League of Atlanta, a non-profit, non-political, organization with a mission to serve men, women, and children in need. Lucy has served as president, chairman and fundraiser. After more then 25 years, more than 200 members annually volunteer 45,000 hours in six philanthropic programs, one of which provides academic scholarships. In 2013, more than $500,000 was donated back to the Atlanta community, including $60,000 in scholarships to Georgia college students. And Oglethorpe students were among them. For years, Lucy has been passionate about providing deserving Oglethorpe students with scholarships.

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 31

ANNUAL FUND

President Schall and First Lady Betty Londergan with alumnus Robert Stanley’s painting, a pivotal piece in the life of Donald Rubin ’56.

In 2013, the Rubins donated three life-size sculptures by Cuban-American artist Alejandro Aguilera to OUMA’s permanent collection. The installation represents artists’ sacrifices and suffering to practice and express their own ideas.

(CONT’D) deliveries he made those early mornings were to the Governor’s Mansion, then on the Prado in Ansley Park, and the home of Georgia Tech football coach Bobby Dodd. That last stop paid off in other ways, too: Rubin earned free admission and $2 as an usher during Tech’s home games and became a fan of the southern team.

The painting was gifted earlier this year to Oglethorpe and is now hanging in the dining room of the Lanier House, the President’s house in Brookhaven. “I thought it would be nice to exhibit this at Oglethorpe,” Rubin says. “It’s not a masterpiece but it is history…

That was the beginning for me.”

As the years went on, he became even more entrepreneurial and exceptionally successful, founding MultiPlan, Inc., a major general service PPO health provider. Retired now, Rubin and his wife are enthusiastic advocates for the arts and generous philanthropists. The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, based in Manhattan, focuses on giving to the arts and culture, health and human services and civil liberty and social justice. He is also working with a writer on his biography—the story of his life with Shelley and three daughters, summers

at the beach he loves, and even several vignettes about his years at OU.

“Oglethorpe was very instrumental in my intellectual growth and introduction to ethics...things that are ethically and morally right— that make a difference.”

Rubin says that the only creative thing he did while a student was to write a poem that was published in the school paper. But he also appreciated creativity in a way that led to his first purchase as an art collector: an abstract painting by fellow student Robert Stanley ’53, another New Yorker who studied at the High Museum while attending OU and went on to become a successful artist and art teacher until his death in 1997.

That beginning started to explode in the 1970s when the Rubins started collecting art together. “Shelley and I were walking on Madison Avenue and we had a cash reserve of $3,000 and looked into a window of a gallery on 73rd Street and saw two pieces of Tibetan art for $1,500 (each),” Rubin says. “We bought one and six months later we bought the other.” Those two pieces are now among those donated to OUMA’s permanent collection.

In the mid-1950s, Albert Sheppard arrived at Oglethorpe University from the small farming community of Griffin, Ga., with a full scholarship and a desire to expand his knowledge.

Dr. Albert Sheppard 32 CARILLON | FALL 2013

’58

After three years, he graduated summa cum laude with concentrations in physics and mathematics. He was named a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Emory University finishing a master’s degree in one year.

ANNUAL FUND

The couple eventually collected so much art they opened the Rubin Museum of Art, which showcases premier Himalayan works, in 2004 in New York. The museum’s 70,000 square feet (formerly part of Barney’s department store) houses more than 3,200 paintings, sculptures, textiles, ritual objects and prints from the second to the 20th centuries. This permanent collection includes Rubins’ donated works from their collection, as well as additional purchased art objects and gifts from others.

“I don’t have any artistic talent for music or painting,” Rubin says, “but I do have a great appreciation for art…Chagall is my favorite European painter.” The Rubins’ Manhattan apartment exhibits three Chagall paintings.

“I don’t like pure abstraction. If we all liked the same thing we would all marry the same person!”

The appreciation for art is just one of the things Oglethorpe President Larry Schall shares with the Rubins. “Whenever we are together, Donald and I share many things in common, none more compelling than our

love for Oglethorpe. Donald and Shelley’s gift, the largest gift from an individual in the university’s history, means so much to all of us, both current and future generations of Oglethorpe faculty and students. It will ensure that the quality and breadth of exhibitions and programming at the museum will remain extraordinary forever.”

Rubin says, “Oglethorpe was very instrumental in my intellectual growth and introduction to ethics,” providing a basis for his dedication to doing “things that are ethically and morally right—that make a difference.”

Susan Soper ’69 is a former Oglethorpe trustee and became an OU staff member after 20 years as an editor with The Atlanta JournalConstitution. Now a contract editor and writer, she is the founder and author of ObitKit: A Guide to Celebrating Your Life, available at www.obitkit.com. She was profiled in the winter 2012 issue of the Carillon.

Scan the QR code with your Smartphone to visit the new OUMA website.

PICASSO, BRAQUE & LÉGER: 20TH CENTURY MODERN MASTERS The Rubins’ generous gift to Oglethorpe University has helped to establish The Shelley & Donald Rubin Exhibitions Series to support exhibitions in the OU Museum of Art. The current exhibition, “Picasso, Braque & Léger: 20th Century Modern Masters,” is the first exhibition presented as part of the series. An arts-related curricular program accompanies each exhibition of the series. This program may include new courses, lectures, online learning, and

JONATHAN DICKSON ’00 AND LE JL A ISL AMOVIC DICKSON ’02 began their lives together at Oglethorpe.

Lejla, originally from Yugoslavia, was raised primarily in Germany and France before moving to the U.S. She met Jonathan, an OU baseball player, while they were students.

At an Oglethorpe reception, Jonathan was introduced to OU trustee Steve Malone ’73, who invited him to learn more about the investment business and offered him an internship with Merrill Lynch. The internship turned into a full-time opportunity, which led to a 10-year career with UBS and then to his current position at Morgan Stanley. Lejla has spent the majority of her career with Reznick Group (now CohnReznick) and currently is their director of marketing.

Lejla and Jonathan, who serves on the President’s Advisory Council, are members of the James Edward Oglethorpe Circle of university donors. They recognize their alma mater is a special place and choose to contribute to the success of future students by giving to the annual fund and providing scholarship assistance.

other innovative approaches.

He spent several years working at Lockheed Martin (formerly Martin Marietta)

Dr. Albert Sheppard ’58 has experienced tremendous success in his lifetime.

and as a civilian employee of the U.S. Army, where he discovered his passion for

Since retirement, he has become an avid golfer, nature photographer

engineering and obtained a PhD in electrical engineering from Duke University.

and amateur radio enthusiast. Dr. Sheppard and his wife, Marge, have

A self-proclaimed maverick, Dr. Sheppard accepted a faculty position at

generous scholarship he received from Oglethorpe and is pleased to “pay

Georgia Institute of Technology, allowing him the freedom to pursue his passion

it forward” by supporting the university’s annual fund. He also understands

for research, while also completing consulting projects. He went on to become

the importance of faculty members who truly take an interest in a student’s

a distinguished engineering, mathematics and computer science professor, as

success, as well as an environment that fosters the desire to never stop learning.

visited more than 100 countries around the world. He forever values the

well as Vice President of Interdisciplinary Programs at Georgia Tech, Jenkins Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, and Director of Academic Computing at Florida Southern College. Dr. Sheppard continued to serve as an industry consultant for leading companies and government agencies such as IBM, Whirlpool, NASA and the Department of Defense.

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 33

ALUMNI

Dear Friends, When I first joined the Oglethorpe University Alumni Board of Directors four years ago, I was motivated in large part by my great memories of what Oglethorpe was like when I was a student, back in the “good old days.” At my first meeting, however, I was told that for Oglethorpe, *these* are the “good old days.” In my time with the Alumni Board, I am pleased to confirm that I have found this to be the case. In every way, our university—right now, today—is doing better than it ever has before.

When it comes to finances, we have excellent news to report. Even in a down economy, the number of alumni donors and the amount of alumni gifts continue to trend higher than ever. Tuition revenue continues to grow.

And now we’re rolling out the exciting public phase of a very significant comprehensive campaign.

The news on campus is also excellent. For the last several years, Oglethorpe has successively enrolled the largest freshman classes in its history. Our student body is diverse and accomplished. The gorgeous new Turner Lynch Campus Center is a new crown jewel in what was already the prettiest campus in the city.

These connections between the alumni and the students will continue to grow, as the Alumni Board is hard at work on developing a more robust alumni-student mentorship program.

This past year has seen the Alumni Board working hard to spread the good word about our university. In addition to the regular slate of out-of-town alumni receptions, the Alumni Board hosted Oglethorpe Day celebrations around the globe—eight parties in five different time zones—during which alumni reconnected with one another despite their distance from campus.

Furthermore, I hope you have received The Flying Petrel alumni newsletter in your mailbox in early September, this publication is meant to serve as another link of communication between the university and its alumni.

I have absolutely loved serving on the Alumni Board, and I am very excited to serve as your president for the coming year. It is an exciting time to be a part of the Oglethorpe University family. As you read this issue of the Carillon, I hope that you can sense this as well.

With all my best,

Austin Gillis ’01 President, Oglethorpe University Alumni Association

Our alumni have forged an admirable bond with the university’s students.

Record numbers of alumni volunteers have interviewed prospective students and interacted with their nervous parents at the annual JEO Scholarship Weekend competition. Additionally, our alumni have assisted current students by conducting mock interviews, hosting students for dinner in “Career Takeout” events, and speaking to students during career panels.

1

OGLETHORPE DAY GOES GLOBAL

2

Alumni volunteers in eight cities and five time zones around the world gathered in February 2013 to celebrate Oglethorpe Day with fellow Petrels.

From Los Angeles to London, small groups of enthusiastic alumni attended gatherings in restaurants, clubs and private homes to commemorate and honor James Edward Oglethorpe and the rich history and traditions of the university. Partygoers showed their school spirit with black and gold OU beads, hats, sunglasses and other festive accessories. Plans are underway for Oglethorpe Day 2014 with parties planned as far away as Melbourne, Australia. Find a party in your area! Check out The Flying Petrel later this fall or visit alumni.oglethorpe.edu.

3

34 CARILLON | FALL 2013

1 Kipp Chambers ’99, Alison Burt ’10 and Marnie Gloor ’02 enjoy the Oglethorpe Day gathering of Petrels in the Denver area. 2 Boston area alumni show their Petrel pride. Pictured (front to back): Shaniece Broadus Criss ’03, Jodie Sexton Goff ’01, Noel Curry ’10, Development Officer Katherine Anthony, Christine Merman Woolf ’89 and Alan Zwicker ’05.

3 Alumni Board member Kelly Holland Vrtis ’97, Marohn Collins ’85 and Mary Poteet Fernandez ’96 lead fellow alumni and guests in an OU cheer at The Londoner Pub in Dallas.

ALUMNI

IS THE YOUNG ALUMNI CLUB FOR YOU?

By James Battle ’11 I first learned about the Young Alumni Club from Barbara Henry, our alumni relations director, who assisted me in networking with alumni in the technology consulting world. I contacted some graduates involved in the YAC and was immediately impressed with how smart and resourceful they were in assisting in my job search. After securing a consulting position with Cap Gemini, I wanted to know how I could get involved with the Young Alumni Club, which is comprised of Oglethorpe alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years.

I soon attended my first event, and now serve as Chair of the Young Alumni Club Planning Committee.

The planning committee meets twice each year to plan three to four events annually. Members volunteer their time to plan social, educational and networking events for the group, such as the Evening of Holiday Enchantment, sports outings, book clubs and wine tastings. They also serve as career classroom speakers, as panelists for admission events and open houses, as interviewers during Scholarship Weekend and as Class Agents to help support alumni communication and annual fund giving.

No matter the activity, I’ve always enjoyed interacting with other young Petrels and giving back to Oglethorpe.

It’s easy to get involved. If you are interested in learning more about the Young Alumni Club, please contact Oglethorpe’s Alumni Office at alumni@oglethorpe.edu or 404-364-8443.

Petrels of Fire

By Katie Farrell ’95

Running has always tied me to Oglethorpe University and this past April I found I am not alone.

Ten OU cross-country alumni who ran together in the 1990s met in Columbia, S.C. in April to run The Palmetto200, a 198.8-mile race ending in Charleston. We began early on a Friday morning and planned to finish around mid-afternoon on Saturday. The team was a notable group to say the least: a member of the OU Athletic Hall of Fame, an NCAA All-Region finalist, three All-Conference honorees and owner of the fourth fastest 8K time in Oglethorpe history. Between the members of our group, we had compiled over 124 race wins, while losing only 15. Now in our 40s, we were looking for a challenge and wanted to tackle it with old friends.

Led by none other than recently retired OU Coach Bob Unger or “Coach,” the man who inspired us throughout our cross-country years, and anchored by a young 36-year-old Brett Cave ’98, who seemingly had not lost any speed, we were headed for greatness.

After dining together and catching up, we tried to catch some ZZZs since there would be little chance to in the next 48 hours. The stormy weather, which had sadly flattened homes in Alabama earlier in the week, had moved into the Carolinas and threatened to do the same.

Nothing could dampen our excitement and the 7 a.m. start time went off without a hitch.

The weather mostly cooperated with only one of our team members forced to run in a downpour. Team Petrels of Fire continued to run throughout the night, finishing nearly two hours earlier than expected. Delighted, tired and pleasantly surprised at our undertaking, we decided that the Petrels of Fire would rise again in the not too distant future.

Team Petrels of Fire placed 28th out of 73 teams. Team members included Coach Unger, Jon Perry ’91, Rodney Drinkard ’92, Rob Canavan ’92, Kate Baker Houston ’93, Beau Lyons ’94, Katie Farrell ’95, Linda Davis Blakely ’96, Stephanie Chaby Lyons ’96, Brett Cave ’98 and Dawn Sparks Godwin. Today, we are engineers, actuaries, teachers, coaches, parents, and more importantly, great friends.

(top) “Reignited” Petrels of Fire show their school spirit following their 198.8 mile race.

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 35

CLASS NOTES

Class Notes 1950s

Col. Sheldon Godkin ’52 and Aloma celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on June 22, 2012. They also welcomed their first great granddaughter into the family.

1960s Barbara ’63 and Cabot Gupton ’63 live in Knightdale, N.C. Mrs. Gupton received her Advance Teacher Certificate in 1973, and retired from the National Council-Boy Scouts of America in 1996. Mr. Gupton received his master’s in education from Boston University in 1984. The Guptons have been married since 1962 and had two children, the late Russell Gupton who was a physical therapist and Holly Gupton, a teacher and administrator with Volkswagen.

Herbert “Steve” McMullen ’63 received his M.B.A. at Georgia State in 1965 and served in the

U.S. Navy from 1964–1968. He married Martha McMullen in 1970 and they have two children: Emily Ford, an equity stage manager and Robert Stevens, a civil engineer. His favorite memories from Oglethorpe are singing to the guppies, Stormy Petrel Basketball and making out in the back halls of Lowry.

Marcia Cunningham ’63 is a retired special education teacher from the DeKalb County School System. Upon her graduation from Oglethorpe she received her M.S. from Peabody at Vanderbilt in 1980. She has three children: Pamela Prescott, Laura Prescott Stanford ’91 and Daniel Prescott.

Thomas Warters ’63 received his Master of Divinity from Colombia Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Ill. He is a former employee of The Presbyterian Church, USA. He married his wife, Martha, in 1970. Together they have three children: Laura Austin,

Dr. Tabatha Warters and Thomas Warters, plus four grandchildren.

Thomas and Martha enjoy traveling to Europe, the Holy Land and Scotland. He has been privileged to serve with community leaders in the American Cancer Society, the local FEMA board as part-time chaplain at the veterans hospital in Georgia. Thomas regrets not being an on campus student, but has many rich memories of friends and fine professors. He cannot keep from saying great things about Petrel basketball!

William Borden ’63 received his Master of Divinity at Columbia Theological Seminary in 1966.

He and his wife, Sylvia, wed in 1966 and they had two children: William Borden, an ichthyology professor, and Christian Borden, a chef. Upon graduation from seminary in 1966, he served Presbyterian churches in South Carolina, Florida and Georgia.

In 1983, his family took a one-year sabbatical to Toronto, Ont., where he completed his graduate studies. They stayed in

Toronto for 17 years and moved to Calgary in December 2000.

Susan Goodchild Jordan ’66 retired from teaching in 2000 and has been actively employed in Gwinnett County School System from 2000–2012 teaching EIP, Title I, and currently ESOL at B.B. Harris in Duluth, Ga. Dr. Cheryl Baker Dammann ’67 had her first grandchild in November 2012.

1970s Albert B. Chonto ’73 retired after 28 years as a senior corrections officer at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, N.J. Louis A. Johnson ’76 retired from Comair Airlines in September 2012 and is now assistant chief flight instructor/ assistant professor of aviation at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky.

LEGENDARY OU BASKETBALL TEAM HONORED Members of the 1982–83 Men’s Basketball team returned to Pinholster Court in Dorough Field House on February 2, 2013 to be honored by the university on their 30th anniversary. The team was recognized for their athletic accomplishments and for their academic achievements in the classroom. The 1982–83 squad finished the season 16–10 and made the NAIA playoffs. Individually, the team racked up several other important honors. Forward Steve Oliphant ’84 was named to the NAIA District 25 First Team. Guard Jay Vanderhorst ’84 was a second-team selection on the All-South Region Team. John Marshall ’83 joined Oliphant and Vanderhorst on the NAIA Academic All-America Team. In addition, no other team in the country at any division level had three Academic AllAmericas on one team at that time. The team was loaded with another 10 extraordinary student-athletes. The grade point average for this entire team was above 3.4, a record not seen to that point nor matched in the last 30 years at Oglethorpe University.

36 CARILLON | FALL 2013

CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF ’63 CELEBRATES 50TH REUNION

By Eric Scharff ’63 The Class of 1963 celebrated their 50th Reunion May 17-19, 2013. Reunion weekend began Friday evening with cocktails and dinner hosted by Oglethorpe President Larry Schall and Board of Trustees Chair Norm Findley and his wife, Adrienne, at the Capital City Club in Brookhaven. Everyone enjoyed the evening, which included reciting the Petrel fight song, the Rat Creed, and singing the ’60s version of the alma mater.

Steve McMullen served as master of ceremonies and was ably assisted by Lynn White who offered his hilarious philosophical retrospective, Lee Daniel with his “do you remember,” Ken Borden who performed a solo intro to the alma mater—and others who kept the party going with sharing memories and tall tales. Coach Garland Pinholster reflected on this golden era of Oglethorpe Basketball, remembering how many students, in addition to the players, made the athletic program a success.

Members of the Class of ’63 were active as players, cheerleaders, pep band players and statisticians.

On Saturday, during Commencement ceremonies held in the Dorough Field House, the Class of 1963 was inducted into the Golden Petrel Society, which recognizes the graduates of 50 or more years ago. This location held a special meaning to our class since field house construction began in the fall of our freshman year. In another meaningful connection that day, the address given at our 1963 Commencement by then Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and former Georgia Congressman Charles Weltner ’48 was quoted, and he was remembered for a lifetime achievements and principles.

The Golden Petrel luncheon followed the ceremony and was held in the Oglethorpe Museum of Art, which had been Dr. Harry Dobson’s old apartment in Lowry Hall. We wore our newly acquired Golden Petrel Medallions. My heartfelt thanks go to Kay Crawford and Steve McMullen for helping me to plan another fantastic weekend.

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4 1 Pictured (front): Leanne Strom, Carole George Sellers, Kay Kilpatrick Crawford, Mary Lou Anderson Smith, Marcia Hartrick Cunningham, Bert Levy, Yvonne Pennington; (middle): Al Baer, Steve McMullen, Tom Winn, Lee Daniel, Ken Borden, Peter Butchart; (back): Mickey Metcalf, Tom Phillips, Eric Scharff, Bob Nance, Lynn White 2 Mary Lou Anderson Smith and Carole George Sellers toast the class of 1963.

3 By unanimous vote, all five of the senior class officers were elected to serve until 2038, another 25-year term. Pictured (l–r): Steve McMullen, Peter Buchart, Carole George Sellers, Tom Phillips (not pictured: Ed Moore) 4 Pictured (l–r): Steve McMullen, Ken Borden, Coach Garland Pinholster, Tom Winn and Eric Scharff

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CLASS NOTES

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2 1980s 1 Mark ’82 and Sharon Rudy Moskowitz ’ 82 recently moved to New York City where Mark is serving as President of ELNET, an international advocacy organization. ELNET’s mission is to establish and support a professional network in key European countries to facilitate dialogue, knowledge sharing and strategic cooperation among leading European and Israeli policymakers.

This is accomplished by engaging senior figures in high-level networking opportunities, informal strategic dialogues and educational programs that deepen their insight into critical policy issues affecting Israel-Europe relations. Due to the relocation, Sharon has left her position as director of special events at Oglethorpe, but is excited to be working on a contract basis at Oglethorpe to support some large-scale campaign events planned in 2013–14. She also plans to continue her career in special events and arts-related promotion and marketing for emerging and mid-career artists in New York. Their three daughters have all graduated from the University of Georgia, and two are working in N.Y.C. and one 38 CARILLON | FALL 2013

is in Israel working with Career Israel on a short-term assignment.

2 Dianne McClinton Glennie ’83 hosted a dinner in March in her Boca Raton, Fla. home for 15 Oglethorpe alumni and friends.

Phillip Law ’84 now has another Petrel alum in the family. His daughter, Katherine, graduated from Oglethorpe in May with a degree in Studio Art. Earl L. Babbitt, III, the husband of Stephanie Staples Babbitt ’84, passed away on February 13, 2013 after a 14-month battle with cancer.

Married for 26 years, Stephanie and Earl met in 1982 at an Alpha Phi Omega sectional conference held at Oglethorpe.

1990s Beth Eckard Concepcion, Ph.D. ’90 has been promoted to dean of the School of Liberal Arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design. In this role, she oversees the art history, arts administration, cinema studies, liberal arts and writing departments. Concepcion will remain chair of the writing department.

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Patrick Gray ’92 received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Research at Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tenn. The Day Award is the highest honor given annually to faculty at Rhodes, where Gray has taught religious studies and philosophy since 2002.

Craige Wrenn ’92 was named Mentor of the Year by the students in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Drake University.

Craige has been a professor at Drake since 2004.

Thom McCague ’93 published his first historical novel in October 2012. The novel was the result of an independent history research paper he did for the late Dr. David Thomas. Adventures on the Great River Road: 1814 is available through smashwords.com, kobo. com and other online e-book outlets. There are plans to write a second book in the future.

3 Jamie Walker Ball ’95 and husband Ryan welcomed their second child, Sullivan Radford Ball, on January 31, 2013.

Jennifer Nanek ’98 earned her master’s degree in public administration from Florida Gulf Coast University.

4 Patrick Floyd ’98 and Shannon Southerland welcomed Penelope Sants Floyd on March 28, 2013.

On her mother’s side, Penny is a sixth generation Texan. Her father dreams of her enrolling as a second generation Petrel.

Jeremy Greenup ’99 began a new role as a senior consultant in the mergers and acquisitions practice at Deloitte Consulting in January 2013. Jeremy and his partner, David Spake, were married on October 7, 2011 in Decatur, Ga. Many fellow Petrels attended, including Jena Jolissaint ’98, Renee Jolissaint ’01 and Dave Pass ’98, all of whom were members of the wedding party. Jeremy and David currently live in East Atlanta.

2000 5 Molly Lewis Sasso ’00 and husband Len welcomed the arrival of their fraternal twin boys, Giovanni and Marco, born February 22, 2013.

6 Beer experts Brandon King ’00 and Jesse Peters ’99, who are partners in The Stout Brothers, metro Atlanta’s top new growler store in Vinings, hosted OU alumni on March 13 for a beer tasting.

CLASS NOTES

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Attendees were introduced to a wide variety of craft beers and learned how different beers are made and which beers pair with a variety of food.

2001 7 Julie Greenwell ’01 and her husband, Jonathan Spencer, welcomed twin boys, Gavin and Drake, on June 11, 2013. The boys’ godmother is Rebekah Ager-Giaraffa ’02.

2002 8 Kate Shropshire Swett ’02 gave birth to Mila Lane Swett, the first granddaughter of retired Economics Professor Bill Shropshire. She is a cutie!

9 Rhiannon Fink ’02 and Robert N. Fink III ’03 welcomed a baby boy to their family. William Andrew Fink was born on December 27, 2012 and weighed 9 lbs., 3 oz. and was 21.5 in.

Big brother Noble turned two in March 2013 and loves to make William laugh. Robert was promoted to manager at CohnReznick and Rhiannon transitioned to staying home with the boys fulltime.

2004 10 Sara Bowers ’04 and Sean Bowers welcomed Madelyn McRae on July 28, 2012 at Piedmont Hospital. She weighed 7 lbs., 11 oz.

11 Stephanie Peccia ’04 received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Georgia in May 2013. She is working for Rite Aid Pharmacy in metro Atlanta.

2005 12 Joy Simmons ’05 married Buster Bradley on January 12, 2013 in Springfield, Ill. Virginia Brown ’05 officiated and served as matron of honor, and Lauren Harris ’06 was a member of the wedding party. Joy and Buster live in Springfield, Ill., where he is a school psychologist.

Joy is working on a doctoral dissertation in philosophy and is teaching at Heartland Community College in Normal, Ill.

2006 Eli Arnold ’06 is currently the information commons librarian and assistant professor of library science at the Horace W. Sturgis Library at Kennesaw State University. He offers research assistance in a variety of formats and teaches instructional classes at the request of the faculty to increase information literary and research skills of KSU’s undergraduate students. While he misses working at Oglethorpe’s Office of Admission, he’s excited to begin his career as an academic librarian.

13 Sarah Opp Carter ’06 and husband Josh are happy to announce their fi rst child, Charles Jeffrey Carter, was born on May 2, 2013. He weighed 7 lbs., 15 oz., and was 21 in. Mom, dad and baby are all doing wonderfully!

Jessica Griffin ’06 got married to Dev Chakraborty in India in October 2011. They had a second ceremony in November 2011 in Savannah, Ga.

2007 Stacey Chavis ’07 received the Rising Star Award on May 18, 2013 from the Association of Junior Leagues International for her advocacy work in the Junior League of Atlanta on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

14 Kathleen Pedro ’07 married Billy Mulrine in Kathleen’s hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. on July 13, 2013. They currently live in Raleigh, N.C. Kathleen teaches seventh grade and Billy works for the RDU Airport.

2010 Jennifer DeGive ’10 was married in May 2012, moved to Colorado, and has been working at the Colorado Springs Philharmonic as a Development Coordinator since January 2013. It’s been a whirlwind!

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 39

CLASS NOTES

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RETIRED FACULTY/STAFF 1,2 Dr. Vicky Weiss and Dr. Phil Neujahr are enjoying retirement in Ashland, Ore. and are thrilled to see OU visitors in their beautiful part of the world.

This year they were visited by Randy Roberson ’97, retired faculty member Dr. Phil Zinsmeister and his wife, Dorothy, and Mike ’88 and Stephanie Irwin Szalkowski ’89.

3 Former OU professor Dr. Jason Wirth is professor of philosophy at Seattle University. He has just finished work on two books, the first a study of the works of the Franco-Czech writer Milan Kundera (Commiserating with the Devastated Things: Milan Kundera and the Entitlements of Thinking) and the second a study of the 19th century German philosopher FWJ Schelling (Practice of the Wild). He is ordained in the Soto Zen tradition and likes to work in his garden.

40 CARILLON | FALL 2013

Former accounting professor Dr. Jim Turner is doing well and enjoying life. Jim teaches accounting to 250 students each semester at Georgia Tech on a yearly contract which he reports is very different than teaching about 30 students each semester during his days at OU. Jim misses the camaraderie that he shared with the OU faculty and students, but is happy in his present role. He has many great students who make working in education a pleasure.

He still believes that accounting is a great starting point for any business career.

Dr. Phil Zinsmeister has had the good fortune of continuing his active lifestyle since his retirement as a biology professor at Oglethorpe.

He volunteers with several organizations including the local Sierra Club. Some of the projects he has worked on include a push to regulate the protection of Georgia’s fresh-water and terrestrial turtles, and efforts to increase

the acreage of Georgia wilderness areas. His interests also provide ample opportunity for outdooring activities like hiking and trail maintenance. Dr. Z also enjoys his work with the local public broadcasting station, assisting with pledge drives, events and other activities. After nearly 40 years, he has continued to work at the scorer’s table at almost every home Oglethorpe basketball game.

Although his wife continues working as associate vice-chancellor with the University System of Georgia, they have traveled extensively the last few years in many parts of Europe, Canada, Central America, Africa and the U.S. During a typical week, he also manages to play singles tennis and walk 18 holes of golf several times each week.

Longtime music professor Jim Bohart took early retirement in 2008 and moved with his wife, Sharon, to their “dream house” in Kennesaw, which has

allowed them to see their family on a regular basis. The Boharts became members at the Marietta 1st United Methodist Church, and are active members of the adult choir and chamber choir and very involved in Sunday school classes.

When the Cobb Symphony started their first symphony chorus, Jim and Sharon jumped in and are now assisting with the chamber choir as well. Jim served on the board, assisting in changing the name and expanding the educational focus for what is now known as the Georgia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The Boharts also enjoy travel and have taken long trips to London, Venice, Florence and Rome.

They leave in October 2013 on an extensive European cruise to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. In Jim’s spare time, he has designed and is completing an O gauge model railroad to honor his father and grandfather.

The Boharts are very grateful for a beautiful family and good health.

CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM Thelma Doyal Greene ’26 February 20, 2013

Margaret C. Steinpfad ’49 November 27, 2012

Dana Lou Howe Mote ’61 June 25, 2012

Marc E. Rogers ’82 March 14, 2013

Evelyn Katzman ’29 January 30, 2013

Thomas William Aiola ’50 March 30, 2013

Ethel Law Webb ’62 May 10, 2012

Emmanuel Platanis ’87 February 3, 2013

Frances Norman Block ’38 June 15, 2012

Benjamin M. Carrie ’50 May 31, 2012

Partricia Ann Crippen Arnold ’64 January 19, 2013

Christopher D. Petty ’90 May 19, 2012

Robert A. Thomas, Sr. ’39 November 11, 2012

Elizabeth Battle Collins ’50 April 8, 2013

Vivian Chandler Lee ’64 June 1, 2012

Larisa Slaughter ’93 March 1, 2013

Lillian Cable Williams ’41, MA ’45 March 1, 2012

Marion D. Lockleer ’50 November 29, 2012

Carol King Balluh ’65 April 29, 2013

Catherine Ridge LeCron ’94 March 29, 2013

Gerald V. Cook ’42 November 10, 2012

Alvin J. Curkin ’51 April 18, 2012

Bobbye H. Anthony ’66 March 1, 2012

Former trustees and faculty

Audrey Thurston Johnson ’42 September 25, 2012

John W. Hall ’51 January 14, 2013

Bonnie Hargrove Morrison ’69 March 3, 2013

Nicholas J. Pope ’42 November 19, 2012

Mary Frances Snelling Bowlan ’54 February 16, 2013

Douglas E. Roberts ’70 May 25, 2012

Jeanne Fuller Schmidt ’42 March 7, 2013

Clara Riggins Morris ’57 December 6, 2012

Edward Rathbun ’71 February 24, 2013

John T. Goldthwait ’43 June 7, 2013

William Charles Smith ’57 April 25, 2013

G. C. Sheppard, III ’73 June 20, 2013

Audrey Moore Smith ’43 December 30, 2012

Charles Frederick Stalnaker ’58 August 2, 2012

Martha Ann Jenks ’74 March 28, 2013

Barbara Boze Bursey ’44 November 29, 2012

Addison W. Carter, Jr. ’59 December 2, 2011

W. Alfred Witt, Jr. ’74 January 1, 2012

Elizabeth P. McDonald ’47 December 29, 2011

Andrew J. Olsen ’59 April 25, 2013

Julia Skrynecki ’82 January 25, 2013

Stanley M. Daugert September 6, 2012 Earl Dolive February 26, 2013 David C. Garrett, Jr. June 2, 2012 Charles E. B. Hansell July 13, 2012 David N. Thomas August 31, 2012

SUBMIT YOUR CLASS NOTE VIA EPETREL: WWW.ALUMNI.OGLETHORPE.EDU FALL 2013 | CARILLON 41

OUR COMMUNITY

A Moment in Time WHAT’S YOUR OGLETHORPE STORY? MAYBE IT WAS A FAVORITE MEMORY. MAYBE IT MADE YOU LAUGH. MAYBE IT MADE YOU THINK A LITTLE HARDER. MAYBE IT WAS A CORE MOMENT. MAYBE IT CHANGED YOUR LIFE.

1992

“I spent my first two years at OU doing theatre because it was fun and I enjoyed it. I loved it, but I thought of it as an extracurricular activity. In my junior year—after I realized that I wasn’t going to be major in Biology, to the relief of every professor in Goslin—I started to recognize that my love for theatre didn’t have to be an extracurricular love, that “art making” was a way to know the world, a kind of inquiry and an intervention. I just wasn’t sure what that could mean for me professionally. I was in Hearst one afternoon and I happened to pass by Dr. Vicki Weiss and I mentioned the struggle. Very offhandedly, she said something like ‘well, do what students in other disciplines do when they’re investigating career paths: find out what internships are out there.’

Of course, it seems so simple now. But at the time it was a bit of a revelation for me.

The idea that there was apprenticeship in art making—practical experiences that students could have so their affinities could transform into opportunities—THAT was new. So I did some research and found my internship at the Spoleto Festival, which ended up being a transformative experience for me.”

—Troy Dwyer ’94, associate professor, Department of Theatre & Dance, Muhlenberg College

2011 “Never have I felt more uninhibited and at home at Oglethorpe than one summer evening when my best friend and I played in the sprinklers at the baseball stadium.

To this day, it is my favorite college memory.”

Photo: Katelyn Roof

42 CARILLON | FALL 2013

—Janet Wood ’13, coordinator of academic programs, Academic Success Center, Oglethorpe University

OUR COMMUNITY

1981

1998

Originally from Brazil, Ricardo Carvalho ’85 came to Oglethorpe in 1981 to study business.

His visa wouldn’t allow him to work off-campus, so he accepted a job as a dishwasher at the cafeteria to pay his tuition. Lisa Mitchell was a student at an Atlanta art school and came to campus on occasion to visit friends. Later, when the two were formally introduced, Lisa confessed she had noticed Ricardo from behind the dish window where she returned her plate and silverware. They have now been married for 26 years.

“You see hundreds of advertisements a day, but how many do you really absorb?

It was the spring semester of my senior year in high school and a poster caught my eye. Not because of the beautiful gothic architecture pictured on it, nor because of the quote from Aristotle, or even that for once there was a poster that wasn’t featuring a gator, knight, or Seminole. It was because the tear-off postcard said reply by November 1997 and it was 1998. I asked if it could be recycled and the counselor laughed and told me I might like a small liberal arts school in Atlanta. I had a roommate and a full tuition scholarship to a state school, but I completed the application to Oglethorpe anyway. My mom drove me to an info session two hours from my house and drilled the VP of Admission. I spoke to a current student for hours on the phone. I received a phone call from alumna Barb

2002

Heather Clark ’03 first discovered the Hearst beech tree in fall 2002.

A senior, she and Brian Clark ’03, also a senior, had been dating for four years after knowing each other since middle school. As an early childhood education major, Heather was required to choose a campus tree and study it all semester. One October afternoon, Heather and Brian met at “her tree” to take an autumnal photo for Heather’s class. Much to Heather’s surprise, Brian proposed then and there, comparing their love to the mighty tree growing from a tiny seed. Brian and Heather married a few weeks after graduation in May 2003, and life has taken them on many adventures since then.

Henry ’85 inviting me to the infamous Spring Fest during which I stayed with three of the smartest and most involved women I have ever met. Enter the personal OU touch. My admissions counselor came to Tampa, drove five of us Florida girls eight hours to visit the campus, and four years later three of those girls cheered me on as I gave the graduation speech to my fellow Class of 2002 Petrels.

I never thought an expired poster would bring me to study communications and business, to meet my best friends, to work in foster care or hospice, or to lead students to serve everywhere from New Orleans to San Juan, Guatemala. Now, I leave expired posters up one more day hoping that someone reads it and changes their path for the better.”

—Heather Staniszewski ‘02, associate director, Center for Civic Engagement, Oglethorpe University

Share your Oglethorpe story at ourtime.oglethorpe.edu.

FALL 2013 | CARILLON 43

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Blast from the Past

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The annual Masquerade Ball of 1950 was held in October, and students who attended were to dress in costume. The fall of 1950 saw several other student celebrations, one of which was the Boar’s Head Fat-Man Thin-Man basketball game on November 16. All participants and attendees were charged a twenty-five cent admission fee and were encouraged to dress in burlesque fashion, as it was the theme for the game. See more of Oglethorpe from the 1950s on page 24.

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