University of Mobile Magazine Fall 2011

FALL 2011

Volume 1, Issue 2

umobile.edu 1

President | Dr. Mark Foley Vice President for Institutional Advancement | Mr. Brian Boyle Editor | Lesa Moore Copy Editor | Kathy Dean Graphic Designer | Jay Adcock, JWACreative.com Staff Designer | Susie Simmons Staff Writers | Bill Hart, Emily Kaye, Amy Wright Class Notes | Allison Nelson Photographers | Dan Anderson, G.M. Andrews, Steve Carey, Debby Faught, Ben Finch, Kate Reali Mercer, Doug Mitchell, Lyle Ratliff, Michelle Rolls-Thomas Editorial Office University of Mobile Magazine 5735 College Parkway Mobile, Alabama 36613 Phone: 251.442.2210 Fax: 251.442.2512 www.umobile.edu Email: umobilemagazine@umobile.edu University of Mobile Magazine is published by the University of Mobile’s Office of Institutional Advancement, and is distributed free of charge to alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university.

Issues may be viewed online at www.umobile.edu.

Postmaster: send address changes to Office of Institutional Advancement, University of Mobile, 5735 College Parkway, Mobile, AL 36613.

FEATURES

32

Alumni Memories of Place and People

Project Serve Touches Lives

50 Hands and Feet 58

Hope is the Reason I Do What I Do

64

RamKids

70

76 80

82

86

2 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Rekindle Your Heart

FALL 2011

COVER STORY

Dr. Fred Lackey

Passion and Purpose

Ben Hedrick

A Life Unlimited

Youth Hostel Missions Change-Agent Leadership

Dr. James West III, M.D.

Called to Service

Athletic Training Students Go Beyond the Basics

Family Shares Christ Through Racing

32

50

76

64 70

DEPARTMENTS

ALUMNI

4

President’s Message

88

Alumni Spotlights

8

University News

21

Spring Sports Schedule

22

Giving

99

Vice President’s Message

88 90 88 Savage 90 McNickle 92 Taylor 92 Payne 93 Owen

94

Alumni Family Day

95

Class Notes

93

umobile.edu 3

A Word from the President

Foundations, Faith & Future

By Dr. Mark Foley President, University of Mobile

T

here is a special leather-bound book in my office that reminds me of the individual commitment and sacrifices it took to create the University of Mobile.

It is the Book of Remembrance, a handwritten listing of the individuals, churches, community organizations and businesses that pledged their personal and collective funds to establish this college. It contains the names of men and women who were at the forefront of the movement, such as Dr. William K. Weaver Jr., a pastor from Sylacauga, AL, who became the first president. There is J.L. Bedsole, the first chairman of the Board of Trustees; friends such as businessman Jay P. Altmeyer who donated the first 200 acres for the college, and businesses such as Loper Lumber Co. and Scott Paper Co. that added more land to start what is now an 880-acre campus.

The book includes Alabama Baptist churches large and small, from Ann Street and Axis to Wilmer and Zion. It lists pastors and deacons and individual contributors, many of whom are long gone from this earth. But what they dreamed, what they built, continues.

The words of railroad executive T.T. Martin, chairman of the Mobile College Campaign that raised funds to start the school, are written in the front of this historic book.

As you help to found this college you join in lighting a torch that will grow brighter through the years, casting its light of learning into minds which would never have been so illumined, warming spirits which in turn may enrich and bless the world.

No investment can equal in satisfaction and in real return this, which will foster the inquiring mind in its search for new frontiers of knowledge and aid the seeking spirit in its reach toward higher things.

If ever an investment were assured of great and increasing returns, it is this investment in our youth of today and all the tomorrows.

To found a college is a rare opportunity, not afforded to every community or to every generation.

- T.T. Martin These founders placed their funds – and their faith – in the building of the University of Mobile.

They believed in the importance of this place, where academic knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ would build a strong foundation in the lives of the youth of today and all the tomorrows. It is a sacred trust that we continue to honor as we look to a future that expands upon their vision – far beyond what even those early founders could imagine.

With the university’s strategic plan, 2020 Vision, as a guide, the University of Mobile has set its sights on becoming a national leader in the revitalization of Christian faith and character in America. We are doing this through a unique educational culture based upon integration of learning and faith, driven by commitment to an ideal that it is truly possible for a small college to change the world around it through graduates who demonstrate high competency in work, a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, and the courage to lead in their various areas of responsibility.

You see this in our faculty and staff who invest their lives in students not only as teachers and mentors in academic or service areas, but also by their example and faith that they share daily in word and deed. You see it in action through campus-wide community service events such as University of Mobile Project Serve, and as our Center for Leadership and twelve23 Movement urge individuals to lead, commit, and transform America. You see it in our students who take their passion for Jesus Christ and His service to mission fields both near and far.

You see it in the lives of men and women today who give of their time, talents and resources to continue to build a university that those listed in the Book of Remembrance would recognize with pride.

Hold on tight,

4 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Learning | Faith | Leadership

How will you know what college is like?

VISIT CAMPUS!

Earn a $2000* scholarship by attending one of these University of Mobile Visit Days!

• February 10, 2012 • March 16, 2012 Schedule your Visit Day today at www.umobile.edu/visit 800.WIN.RAMS | 251.442.2222

umobile.edu

facebook.com/umadmissions twitter.com/umenrollment youtube.com/universityofmobile *A $2000 scholarship is available to new traditional undergraduate students who attend a UMobile Visit Day, apply for admissions, and enroll at UMobile. This scholarship awards $250 per semester for up to 8 consecutive semesters, excluding the summer semester. Only one UMobile Visit Day Scholarship is available per person. umobile.edu 5

6 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

February 17

University of Mobile Opera University of Mobile Campus February 23 - 26

Upper Room Theatre presents “Mousetrap” URT, University of Mobile Campus March 1

Jazz Band Spring Concert

Ram Hall, University of Mobile Campus

Upper Room Theatre presents “Beauty and the Beast”

February 16

April 29

University of Mobile Campus

First Baptist Church North Mobile

University of Mobile Campus For more information on these and other Center for Performing Arts events, contact 251.442.2320 or visit umobile.edu.

April 19-21

University of Mobile Honor Band

February 2-4

University of Mobile Opera

Saraland High School Auditorium

Spring Finale

umobile.edu 7

University News

UMobile Baseball Field Named for Coach Mike Jacobs UMobile Baseball Coach Honored for 700th Win The University of Mobile has named its baseball field “Jacobs Field” in honor of head baseball coach Mike Jacobs who founded the school’s baseball program in 1990 and celebrated his 700th career win in March.

The 700th win occurred March 24, 2011, when the Rams defeated crosstown rival Spring Hill College 7 to 3.

University of Mobile President Dr. Mark Foley congratulated Jacobs and his wife, Joy, “on a career at the University of Mobile which is unparalleled.”

Jacobs was surprised by the honor, which was unanimously approved by the Christian university’s Board of Trustees in April.

“When I came here 22 years ago, I believed we were following God’s will to do what He wanted us to do,” Jacobs said. “It’s truly been ‘us’ – I could not have done this without my wife, without her strength and her support and what she’s done for my two sons and me.”

Jacobs said the university has allowed him the freedom to build the right kind of program.

“We’ve had great seasons, and some were not good seasons. But our belief was always that we would do it the right way. I think that’s one of the things we bring to the table, is that we do things the right way. We try and recruit kids who are going to come in here and do what they need to do in the classroom and do what they need to do on the field,” Jacobs said.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to do what God has led us to do,” he added.

The newly named Jacobs Field 8 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Pictured from left are Gabi Constantine, UMobile Board of Trustees chairman; Dr. Mark Foley, president; Mike and Joy Jacobs; Joe Niland, athletic director; Brian Boyle, vice president for institutional advancement.

includes a field house, locker rooms, a player study area, and stadium seating.

The university is accepting donations to raise funds to add lighting to Jacobs Field to permit night games. For information about the field lighting project, contact the University of Mobile Office of Development at 251.442.2226.

During the March 25 presentation of a plaque in the shape of a home plate in recognition of his 700th career win, Jacobs was honored for his reputation as a “coach for life.”

Throughout Jacobs’ career, “he has not only produced a winning team – he has trained young men to be winners in life. His unwavering faith in God,

commitment to excellence, and love for his players as individuals mark Coach Jacobs as a winner who inspires us all to believe in the best and have the confidence to achieve it,” said the announcer during the presentation.

Jacobs began his career at the University of Mobile after coaching baseball at UMS-Wright Preparatory School, where he spent two years as an assistant coach and the last four as the head coach. As a college player, Jacobs had an outstanding career at the University of South Alabama under Eddie Stankey. He was a four-year letterman at USA and was the Jaguars’ leading hitter in 1976. m

University News

Front L-R Nikeland Nichols, Candace Early, Amy Wright, Pamela Savage, Joe Savage Middle L-R Joshua Hembree, Annaclaire Wilbanks, Ashley Shelton, Sara Dye, Seth Lamb Back L-R Daniel Wattier, Katie Allred, Jessica Catlin, Kala Holt, Jeremy Crews

Bunker Hill Society Prepares Next Generation to Lead Nation Twelve college students have been selected as the first members of the new Bunker Hill Society, an elite program of the University of Mobile to prepare the next generation to be influential leaders in America.

The Bunker Hill Society is an outgrowth of UMobile Center for Leadership’s Twelve23 Movement, which aims to equip leaders of all generations to become a transforming influence in the revitalization of Christian faith and character in America.

“Our goal through the Bunker Hill Society is to assist college students to become America’s best leaders,” said Dr. Joe Savage, director of the UMobile Center for Leadership and the Twelve23 Movement. “We chose the name ‘Bunker Hill’ because the early colonists who fought for liberty in the famous battle showed incredible fortitude, toughness, and determination against a much larger enemy.”

In addition to receiving personal

mentorship and development, society members will interact directly with successful leaders in a variety of professions who exemplify quality leadership and Christian influence.

In addition to Savage, the Bunker Hill Society is led by licensed certified social worker Pamela Savage, his wife, and Nikeland Nichols, director of RamKids.

Pamela Savage is the Mobile, Ala., service location director for Bethany Christian Services and has 15 years of experience in the field of child welfare and two years of experience in the field of adult and adolescent mental health. Nichols directs UMobile’s RamKids program for at-risk youth and is an accomplished musician whose credentials include having written and arranged for Grammy award winners and nominees.

For more information about the University of Mobile Center for Leadership, visit www.twelve23.org or call 251.675.7551. m

Students Show Compassion Through ‘Cardboard City’

University of Mobile students bundled up and spent a night on the university’s intramural field in temporary homes built of cardboard to raise awareness for homelessness in the community through “Cardboard City” Feb. 11.

Participants brought their cardboard boxes and braved the cold weather to experience what homeless people face every day. Students spent the next morning serving breakfast to the homeless through local shelters.

“Cardboard City” was organized in conjunction with an ongoing emphasis about responding to issues of poverty, hunger and social justice from a Christian worldview. m umobile.edu 9

University News

Cierra Giles Crowned Miss University of Mobile 2011 Cierra Giles, a junior from Gilbertown, AL, majoring in early childhood and elementary education, was crowned Miss University of Mobile Saturday, Feb. 5.

Giles went on to compete in the Miss Alabama pageant on June 8-11 in Birmingham, AL. Her main goal as Miss UM is to promote her platform, “Volunteerism in America.” Giles plans to work with two organizations that improve the lives of children. The first is a mentoring program with Wilmer Hall in Mobile, AL, which provides a home for children who have no home or who cannot live with their natural parents. She also plans to work with Camp Grace in Mobile, AL, which hosts different camps for children with disabilities.

Giles, who was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was 9 years old, said “Since I have a disability myself, Camp Grace is very close to my heart. I want to let these children know that they can still have dreams. I want to be a support and encouragement to them.”

Giles said her epilepsy “has made me stronger as a person. It humbled me, and challenged me.”

The first runner-up for Miss UM was junior Rebekah Clements from Lacey’s Spring, AL. Clements also won the talent portion of the competition. The second runner up was sophomore Joanna Canning from Irvington, AL. Canning also won the swimsuit portion of the competition as well as Miss Congeniality.

The recipient of the Peoples Choice Award was freshman Alexandra McKinley from Stone Temple, GA. m 10 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Shofar Award for Faithful Service Presented

The University of Mobile presented the Shofar Award for faithful service by an Alabama Baptist minister to Dr. William Terry “Pete” Dunn during the university’s 45th graduation ceremony on May 14.

Dunn, who was a missionary to Arabspeaking lands for more than 30 years, has served as pastor of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Uriah, AL, since 2003.

The award is a shofar, or ram’s horn, which was also sounded to signal the start of the university’s graduation

umobile.edu 11

University News

ceremony at the Mobile Civic Center.

Dunn began his career as an electrical engineer and in the 1960s worked as an engineer for the manned lunar landing program at Cape Canaveral, FL, and on the Saturn V Project for NASA. During this period, he also served as minister of music at Fulton Road Baptist Church in Mobile, where he was ordained, then as associate pastor at Littlewoods Baptist Church in New Orleans, LA. In 1968, Dunn began what would be a career lasting more than 30 years as a missionary in Arab-speaking lands for the International Missions Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. With wife Patricia at his side, he served as executive director of the Board of Trustees for the Baptist Center for Mass Communication in Beirut, Lebanon, from 1968 to 1987, writing and producing radio and TV scripts and integrating media tools into evangelism, education and health ministries in the Middle East and North Africa.

He also served as pastor of Baptist churches in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Morocco. In addition, he also served as coordinator of War Relief for Lebanon, president of the Arabic Broadcasting Convention in 1990, co-founder of the North Africa Partnership, and principal of Beirut Baptist School for a year.

He retired from the IMB in 2001 and has served as pastor of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Uriah, AL, since 2003, in addition to teaching a course as an adjunct instructor in the School of Christian Studies at the University of Mobile.

Dunn holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Auburn University, a master of arts in theology and Christian communication from Wheaton College, and a Doctor of Ministry in theology, evangelism and counseling from Luther Rice Seminary.m

12 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Gary Palmer Awarded Doctor of Humane Letters

Gary Palmer, president and co-founder of the Alabama Policy Institute, was awarded the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Mobile during graduation ceremonies May 14.

“I don’t know of a man who has had more impact on the state of Alabama and the health of our state than Gary Palmer. Thank you for what you do for our state and our nation,” said University of Mobile President Dr. Mark Foley during the event at the Mobile Civic Center.

Foley praised Palmer as “a dedicated follower of Christ” who has “proven himself a friend to the University of Mobile.”

Palmer, who celebrated his birthday on the same day he received the honor, was joined on stage by his wife, Ann. The Alabama Policy Institute is a research and education organization whose purpose is to identify, develop and promote sound public policies that emphasize a limited government, free markets and competition, the rule of law and the preservation of healthy families.

In the 21 years since co-founding the Institute, Palmer has become widely recognized for his ability to address

issues strategically and with clarity.

He has authored and contributed to numerous papers and articles on state and national policy and was recently appointed to Gov. Robert Bentley’s Alabama Commission on Improving State Government.

He served on former Gov. Bob Riley’s Task Force to Strengthen Alabama Families; as an advisor to the Alabama Aerospace, Science and Industry Task Force; and on the Governor’s Welfare Reform Commission during the James Administration. He was a founding director of the State Policy Network, the professional service organization for America’s state-based, free market think tanks, and he served on the SPN board of directors for six years, the final two as president.

Palmer has been recognized by Focus on the Family twice for his leadership in support of Alabama’s families. Palmer was named an “Outstanding Young Man in America” and recognized as one of “America’s Emerging Leaders.” In 2008, he was listed as one of the “Top 40 Most Influential Non-elected Alabamians.”

Palmer is recipient of the Roe Award. Named in honor of the late Tom Roe who was instrumental in the founding of state-based think tanks, the Roe Award recognizes effective think tank leadership, innovation, and accomplishment and pays tribute to those in the state public policy movement whose achievements have greatly advanced freedom.

Before founding the Institute, Palmer worked in cost engineering and project control in the engineering field for Combustion Engineering in their environmental systems division and for Rust International in cost analysis. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor of science in operations management. m

umobile.edu 13

University News

UMobile Business Students Earn Awards for Community Service Projects

Eight University of Mobile students were recognized for community service efforts at the Students in Free Enterprise USA Regional Competition. Led by Nick Cillo, assistant professor of management and finance, the UMobile Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter received 1st Runner-Up and Rookie of the Year in their category at the competition in April.

SIFE is a national non-profit organization that aims to build a network of business professionals and industry leaders to create positive change in communities through business principles.

The mission of the UMobile SIFE chapter is, “to add faith, value, opportunities, and hope to the world around us through the implementation of general business principles.” Students involved in the chapter organized four community service projects throughout the academic year.

Projects included: The Dumas Wesley Center Street Fests, to expand on the local entrepreneurial talent of the residents of Crichton, AL; 15 Place, a downtown Mobile homeless shelter, by donating a computer for educational use, holding a resume and online job application workshop, and teaching budgeting principles; a clothing drive that collected more than $3,000 worth of clothing in exchange for Goodwill vouchers for 15 Place residents to redeem for professional attire; and the 14 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Mobile Rock and Gem Society Donates to UMobile Science Department University of Mobile Associate Professor of Biology Steve Carey, center, accepts a $500 donation on behalf of the UMobile Department of Natural Sciences from Jim Darnell, president of the Mobile Rock and Gem Society. Phil Kaiser, left, past president of the Mobile Rock and Gem Society and a current director of the Society’s Executive Board, looks on.

This is the fifth straight year that the Mobile Rock and Gem Society has made a donation to the university. In recent

years, members of the Mobile Rock and Gem Society have assisted in the ongoing renovation of the Albert S. Dix Outdoor Rock and Mineral Museum and other related activities. This year, some of the money received from the Mobile Rock and Gem Society helped support students participating in a week-long field trip to study severe weather on the Great Plains and investigate the geology of the region. Carey teaches the honors course “Super Storms of the Midwest.” m

Award-winning SIFE members, from left, are Davis Pilot, Alizabeth Hill, Epsie Long, Morgan Carnley, Ruth Smith, Jami Carter, Russell Grant, Jason Williams.

chapter wrote and submitted a grant proposal to build a low ropes course for Camp Grace, a local camp built to accommodate handicapped campers.

UMobile SIFE won the $1,200 Lowe’s

Community Improvement Challenge Grant and used the funds to personally construct the climbing wall course, which is now in use by Camp Grace. m

University News

Prestigious Megginson Awards Presented to Outstanding UMobile Faculty and Staff

The 2011 Megginson Awards were presented to two University of Mobile faculty members and one staff member for excellence in categories of teaching, research and service. The awards were presented by UMobile President Dr. Mark Foley at the university’s annual spring faculty and staff luncheon in May. The William A. Megginson Teaching Award was presented to Associate Professor of English Dr. Douglas Mitchell.

In addition to demonstrating excellence in the classroom, he serves as director of the Honors Program and hosts “The Thursday Club,” a poetry gathering for students and faculty members. Mitchell is an active contributor in scholarly publications, lectures and conferences and has served the university for 10 years.

The Mitford Ray Megginson Research Award was presented to Dr. Stephen Schuler, assistant professor of English.

Schuler’s research includes a paper on John Milton’s philosophy of education according to the essay “Of Education” and the epic poem “Paradise Lost.”

Schuler’s work was recently expanded and published in the “Journal of Faith and the Academy” after it was presented at a conference.

The Emma Frances Megginson Service Award was presented to Barbara Greene, assistant to the president. Throughout her 19 years in her role at the university, Greene has exhibited outstanding professionalism while serving as a personal resource to students for encouragement and support. In addition, she undertook the renovation of the university’s missionary home, giving countless hours to painting, cleaning, organizing and soliciting

contributions to make it a welcoming place. Greene exemplifies “above and beyond” service to students, faculty and the university as a whole The individuals who received the Megginson awards were nominated by letters from other faculty and staff members describing their character, ethics, accomplishments and contributions to the university.m

UMobile Names Legendary Soccer Coach Roy Patton to Lead Elite Men’s Soccer Program

The University of Mobile has named legendary soccer coach Dr. Roy Patton to lead the school’s elite NAIA men’s soccer program.

For Patton, the announcement marks a return to the city that honored him in 1996 by naming May 30 “Roy Patton Day” in recognition of his contributions to area youth soccer.

Patton is a former professional soccer player in both Ireland and the U.S. (Glentoran FC and Bangor FC, both Irish Professional Teams, and in the USISL with the Mobile Revelers and Vermont Wanderers). He was head men’s soccer coach at the University of South Alabama from 1980-1996, earning honors as Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year 12 times.

At the University of Vermont, where he served as head men’s soccer coach from 1996-2003, the team won the America East in 2000 and made an NCAA appearance, was finalist in America East

in 2002, and produced the first Vermont athlete to be named America East Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for all sports.

Patton was named America East Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2000.

When he left the collegiate coaching ranks for the athletic directorship at Plattsburgh State, Patton was ranked nationally in the top 20 among active Division I coaches in career wins and career winning percentage.

Also, Patton has served as coaching director of Nordic Spirit Soccer Club in Burlington, Vermont (1999-2004); as director of athletics at Plattsburgh State University in New York (2004-2005); and as general manager and technical director of Middleton Yahara Soccer Club in Wisconsin (2006 to present).

Previously, he was a chemistry and biology teacher with the Mobile County Public School System at Citronelle and Satsuma high schools (1982-1987) and was a science and physical education teacher in Belfast, Northern Ireland (1978-1980).

He is a U.S. Soccer Federation “A” licensed coach and holds certifications with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, advanced national diploma, and Irish Football Association Grade 1.

He was a founder and board member for the Mobile Revelers professional soccer franchise, and founder and board member for Vermont Wanderers, now known as the Vermont Voltage and rated as one of the best Professional Player Development Soccer League franchises in the U.S. He has served as a regional Olympic development coach from 19881992, and as state director of coaching in Alabama from 1988-1992. He served as chairman for soccer in the Sun Belt Conference from 1990-1994 and served on the NCAA Tournament Regional Selection Committee from 1990-1993. m

umobile.edu 15

University News

Courtesy of Mobile Press-Register 2011.

All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission.

(Published April 26, 2011)

Perkins Says Farewell to University of Mobile

By Renee Busby University of Mobile professor Gene Perkins has walked up three flights of stairs on his hands to get to class. Before a crowd of his students he balanced upside down on one finger jammed into a Coca-Cola bottle. The day before his 80th birthday he challenged students to a physical stamina test - and won.

While former students recently spoke about Perkins’ 48-year run at UM, his acrobatic feats aren’t the things they will remember most about the physical education professor, who is retiring next month.

“He encouraged me to stay in school and helped me get a degree,” said Butch Huff, who was among the charter students to step onto campus in 1963 when the school first opened.

Next month Perkins will end his 57-year career as a college professor, retiring from the university where he taught for almost five decades.

The 83-year-old Perkins is the last charter faculty member to retire.

When he began teaching at the school there were 12 full-time faculty members and 181 students. Today, there are 84 full-time faculty and 1,734 students.

Tuition was $450 annually for students that first year, compared to today’s cost of $15,590 a year.

Weaver Hall, the main building, was the only building on campus.

Perkins remembers the time when the gymnasium was on the third floor of the lone building on campus. He helped plant the oak trees that line the main street leading into campus.

He also remembers using 16-millimeter projectors during lessons.

While he still has the 16-millimeter film, 16 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

the school library no longer keeps the projectors in stock.

The day after he graduated from Murphy High School in Mobile in 1945, Perkins enlisted in the Navy.

A physical training instructor, Perkins performed acrobatic stunts at USO shows while serving in the Navy.

Perkins came to the University of Mobile from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he was the gymnastics coach.

While he’s spent more than half his life teaching physical education, Perkins actually skipped physical education class his senior year in high school because he thought it was a waste of time, he said.

If you couldn’t meet a deadline for a paper due in his class he would give you more time if you went to him and talked to him first, said former student Mike Watkins, an assistant baseball coach for the Rams.

“You knew he cared,” said Watkins.

“He was a student’s teacher,” said Huff.

And he was a teacher you could count on after graduation, he said.

“He recommended me for my first

coaching job,” said Huff, a former high school football coach.

Watkins also stayed in touch with his former professor. Perkins gave him favorable recommendations for every job he’s held, according to the baseball coach.

Huff’s wife, Nancy Huff, recalled that Perkins’ class was “hard” but in the long run it ended up helping her.

“When I went to graduate school the courses I took were a breeze after learning from him,” said Nancy Huff, who is now chair and a professor in the school’s Department of Human Performance and Exercise Science.

She said he taught some of the toughest classes on campus physiology, kinesiology and statistics.

Dressed in a suit and tie, Perkins sat quietly listening to stories from his former students.

When they finished he had one response.

“I don’t feel like I’ve ever done anything special or unusual,” said the retiring professor. m

University News

Weaver Award Recipients Reflect Excellence, Exemplify Mission of UMobile

The University of Mobile presented its most prestigious student awards to Elizabeth Morgan Carnley of Enterprise, AL, and Andrew Frederick Schmitt of Tallassee, AL, during graduation ceremonies May 14.

The awards are presented to the most outstanding graduating female and male seniors for excellence in exemplifying the mission of the University of Mobile.

Selection is made by a secret vote of the faculty based on scholarship, Christian character, leadership and service.

University of Mobile Board of Trustees Chairman Gabi Constantine announced the awards at the Mobile Civic Center as more than 340 students prepared to graduate from the Christian university.

The Annie Boyd Parker Weaver Excellence Award was presented to Morgan Carnley, who while majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance and management, served as Student Government Association president.

“She has demonstrated leadership effectiveness as a member of the Students in Free Enterprise team which earned two trophies at the regional competition in Atlanta this spring, and through numerous other volunteer activities,” Constantine said.

“She has been a dedicated volunteer at the Light of the Village, a local faithbased Christian ministry. Her faculty members describe her as an innovative

Voices of Mobile Performed 10-State Summer Tour Voices of Mobile, a vocal ensemble of the University of Mobile Center for Performing Arts, performed across the United States on a 10-state concert tour this summer.

The tour included concerts in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

In addition to concerts in two of the largest churches in America, Voices was featured during Worship Week at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center near Asheville, NC on June 30.

Voices of Mobile is a highly versatile, auditioned vocal ensemble of 16 singers.

problem-solver and an outstanding communicator. Upon graduation, she will be joining the Light of the Village in full-time employment and will begin studying for the master of business administration.”

In addition, Carnley graduated summa cum laude, received the School of Business Achievement Award, and was an Honors Program graduate The William K. Weaver Jr. Excellence Award was presented to Andrew Schmitt, “an outstanding student who holds a perfect 4.0 GPA, despite undergoing emergency open heart surgery last year,” Constantine said.

While Voices focuses on a cappella music, it also presents music of traditional and contemporary genres. Voices maintains a highly visible and consistent performing schedule, having performed in the White House and toured extensively throughout the southeastern United States and abroad. m

Schmitt, who has a double major in history and theology, has served as president of the university’s Ministerial Association and won the 2010 R. G. Lee Preaching Competition.

“He is described by faculty as a compassionate servant of Christ who desires to learn in order to help others learn,” Constantine said.

While a student, Schmitt has served as youth pastor at two area churches.

His future plans include pursuing the master of divinity degree and the doctor of philosophy degree in church history at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Schmitt, whose wife Katie was among the university’s graduates, graduated summa cum laude and also received the President’s Scholastic Award. m

umobile.edu 17

University News

National Award-Winning Columnist Quin Hillyer Joins University of Mobile as Writer-in-Residence National award-winning columnist Quin Hillyer, whose sharp insights into American politics have made him a “must-read” for politicians, policy makers and political observers, has been named Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mobile.

Hillyer joins the university’s Center for Leadership and the Twelve23 Movement, a grassroots project to transform the nation through revitalizing Christian faith and character in America. The movement is bringing national attention to the goal of helping leaders in a variety of professions fulfill their responsibility

UMobile School of Education Students Receive Hands-on Experience in Uganda

University of Mobile School of Education students gained hands-on experiences through an international service project in Uganda June 24-July 5. UMobile students who participated in the project taught students from other cultures and shared their educational ideas with teachers in hosting schools.

According to Dr. Nancy Huff, professor 18 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

of human performance and exercise science, and leader of the project, students had the opportunity to study the history, geography and culture of Uganda as well as tutor students and teach lessons in a Christian school setting. Part of the project team also taught sewing skills to women and students in the area. m

to God as American citizens.

Hillyer writes a weekly column, “Current Events with Quin Hillyer,” which will address important issues facing the nation. To receive the free email column, go to www.twelve23.org and click on “sign up.”

In addition, Hillyer will serve as a guest lecturer at the University of Mobile.

University of Mobile President Dr. Mark Foley said Hillyer’s nationally recognized ability to analyze and comment upon important issues from the viewpoint of a compassionate conservative will help the university achieve its goal of empowering individuals to take a stand for what is right.

Quin Hillyer is a Senior Fellow for The Center for Individual Freedom, and a Senior Editor for the American Spectator magazine. He has won mainstream awards for journalistic excellence at the local, state, regional and national levels.

He has been published professionally in well over 50 publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Houston Chronicle, the San Francisco Chronicle, Investors Business Daily, National Review, the Weekly Standard, Human Events, and The New Republic Online.

He is a former editorial writer and columnist for the Washington Times, the Washington Examiner, the Mobile Register, and the Arkansas DemocratGazette, and a former managing editor of Gambit Weekly in New Orleans. He has appeared dozens of times as a television analyst in Washington, D.C., Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana, and as a guest many hundreds of times on national and local radio shows.

Hillyer also has worked in professional or volunteer capacities in dozens of political campaigns, and served for five years as press secretary for U.S. House

University News

Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston of New Orleans. He was an original executive board member of the internationally acclaimed Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism, formed to halt the then-meteoric political rise of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

Hillyer also has volunteered in leadership roles for numerous church, civic and educational organizations. He is a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University, and is a Fellow of the Loyola University (New Orleans) Institute of Politics and of Leadership Coastal Alabama. He is married to the former Therese Robinson of Mobile. m

UMobile Honors Students Explore Great Britain University of Mobile honors students explored southern England on a tour that was the culmination of a course on John Henry Newman and the Oxford movement.

Dr. Ted Mashburn, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, led the tour of 10 honors students. In addition to attending lectures at Oxford University, students rode through the Cotswolds to a Shakespeare play in Stratford, visited Cambridge for a punt on the River Cam, explored the city of London and journeyed to Canterbury Cathedral and the White Cliffs of Dover.

According to Dr. Douglas Mitchell, director of the honors program, the purpose of the honors program is to create a community in which teachers and students can creatively explore the intellectual and spiritual inheritance of the western world. In innovative, enriched liberal arts courses, students reflect on the powerful books, art, and

New Graphic Design Concentration The first course for the University of Mobile’s new concentration in graphic design began in the fall 2011 semester.

This introductory course is taught by award-winning graphic designer Jason Thomas of Fairhope, AL. Additional courses will be offered each semester, with plans ultimately to expand the program into a graphic design major.

Students are using new Apple iMac computers, Wacom tablets and Xante graphics printers in courses which provide hands-on experience.

For more information about the graphic design concentration, contact Phillip Counselman, assistant professor of art and chair of the UMobile Department of Art, at pcounsel@umobile.edu. m

ideas that have shaped our culture.

The program provides the challenge necessary for talented students to reach

their full potential and prepares them to thoughtfully engage and influence the culture in their adult lives. m umobile.edu 19

University News

University of Mobile Sponsors Winter Jam 2011 & 2012 Tour Spectacular

The University of Mobile is the exclusive college sponsor of Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular, a multi-artist extravaganza featuring some of the top names in Christian music.

For the first time in its 16-year history, the record-breaking Winter Jam Tour Spectacular - the No. 1 tour in the world for the first quarter - will return to the

road this fall, to perform in 11 cities in the western United States. Kicking off Nov. 3 in Denver, the multi-artist extravaganza is slated to hit Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, Albuquerque and Sacramento, among other cities.

The University of Mobile will also be an exclusive sponsor of the 2012 Winter Jam Tour, which will continue to multiple cities in the South and East Coast as the new year begins.

Created and hosted by Grammynominated Christian music mainstay NewSong, the Winter Jam 2011 Tour Spectacular is produced by NewSong Ministries, promoted by Premier Productions and presented by Holt International. In addition to NewSong, the fall line-up will feature Newsboys, Kutless, Matthew West, RED, Fireflight, KJ-52 and guest speaker Tony Nolan, as well as a Pre-Jam party with For King & Country, Dara Maclean and Patrick Ryan Clark. m

20 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

New Class Includes Trip to Paris A new course at the University of Mobile, “Walking through Paris: Aspects of France’s Cultural History,” includes the option of a trip to Paris with UMobile French instructor Barbara Brousseau.

The course emphasizes French language and communication skills.

No prior study of French is required for the 3-credit-hour course, which is offered Spring Semester 2012.

Students enrolled in the course have first priority for the trip, which is also open to UMobile students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Brousseau will lead the Paris trip May 14 – 22, 2012. Cost for the trip is $2,200, not including tuition for the 3-credithour course, and covers the flight, lodging, breakfasts, airport transfers and

all transportation and group activities/ entrance fees to landmarks and museums.

For more information, contact Brousseau at bbrousseau@umobile.edu or call 251.442.2786. m

Sports Schedules

2011-12

UM Women’s Basketball Schedule Date 11/2 11/5 11/12 11/15 11/18 11/19 11/26

11/29

12/2 12/3 12/9 12/28 12/29 1/6 1/7 1/10 1/12 1/14 1/19

1/26 1/28 2/2 2/4 2/9 2/11

2/13 2/18 2/20 2/23 2/25 2/1, 2/3

Opponent Knoxville College Selma University Freed-Hardeman University University of West Florida Southern Poly University* Brewton Parker * Southeastern Louisiana Univ. (Exhibition) Alabama State University (Exhibition) Lee University* Brenau University* Concordia College-Selma Univ. of Science & Arts OK Southern Nazarene Univ.

Southern Wesleyan* Emmanuel* University of New Orleans William Carey* Belhaven College* Auburn UniversityMontgomery* Spring Hill College* Faulkner University* Loyola University* William Carey University* Belhaven College* Auburn UniversityMontgomery* University of New Orleans Spring Hill College* Xavier University Faulkner University* Loyola University* SSAC Conference Tournament

Location Time HOME 5:30PM HOME 5PM Away 1PM Away 5PM Away 6PM Away TBA Away

TBA

Away HOME HOME HOME Away Away Away Away HOME Away HOME

TBA TBA 4PM 5PM TBA TBA 5PM TBA 5:30PM 5:30PM 5PM

HOME Away Away HOME HOME Away

5:30PM 5:30PM 2PM 5:30PM 2PM 5:30PM

HOME Away HOME Away HOME Away Away

2PM 5:30PM 5PM 6PM 5:30PM 5PM TBA

2011-12

UM Men’s Basketball Schedule Date Opponent 11/2 Knoxville College 11/3 Nicholls State

Univ (Exhibition) 11/5 Selma University 11/8 Texas College 11/14 Xavier University-Louisiana 11/18 Southern Poly 11/19 Brewton-Parker 12/2 Lee University 12/3 Shorter University 12/6 Xavier University-Louisiana 12/9 Concordia-Selma 12/10 Carver 12/17 Life College 1/6 Southern Wesleyan 1/7 Emmanual 1/9 Life College 1/12 William Carey 1/14 Belhaven 1/16 Tougaloo College 1/19 Auburn-Montgomery 1/26 Spring Hill College 1/28 Faulkner University 2/2 Loyola University 2/4 William Carey University 2/6 Trinity Baptist College 2/9 Belhaven University 2/11 Auburn-Montgomery 2/1 Tougaloo College 2/18 Spring Hill College 2/23 Faulkner University 2/25 Loyola University 2/27-3/3 SSAC

Location Time HOME 7:30 Away HOME UM UM HOME Away HOME HOME Away HOME UM UM Away Away Away Away Home HOME Away Away Away HOME HOME HOME Away UM UM UM UM Away Away

TBA 7PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7PM TBA 7:30PM 6PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7PM TBA TBA TBA 6PM 7PM 7PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 4PM 7:30PM 4PM 7:30PM 7:30 PM 4PM 7:30PM 7PM 7:30 TBD TBD

*Denotes Southern States Athletic Conference Game Home Games Played in Pharr Gymnasium

umobile.edu 21

Giving

Making an Impact:

University Missions Changes Lives

By Amy Wright

“If you like your life the way it is, don’t go on a mission trip. It will change your life,” said Dr. Cecil Taylor, dean of the School of Christian Studies.

L

ife-change has always been part of the core identity of the University of Mobile. Students, alumni, faculty and friends of the university can attest that “changing lives to change the world” is more than a slogan – it’s a mission.

University Missions When Taylor came to the University of Mobile, he knew that his mission would reach beyond teaching in the classroom.

“Ministry is more than just knowing things. It’s putting wheels on what we know and putting our knowledge to use,” said Taylor.

That’s why Taylor founded the University Missions program. Since it began almost 20 years ago, the program has sent 1,573 people into 45 different nations. University Missions has also raised about $4.26 million toward team personnel expenses, ministry materials and gifts-in-kind.

Each year, UMobile faculty members lead students, church groups and individuals overseas to share the Gospel through a variety of activities. In addition to gaining real-world experience, students may also earn college credit for University Missions trips. Though priority placement on teams is given to UMobile students, church groups and individuals are also welcome to participate.

Because each student is responsible

22 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

for raising the $2,800 cost of participating in an international mission trip, many students who want to serve God in foreign lands struggle to earn the money necessary to go.

A new program at the university helps by providing a way for individuals or groups to help financially, so that more students may participate. (See University Missions Sponsorships for information.)

In 2010-2011, University Missions sent seven teams of 80 participants to Australia, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, the Far East, Portugal and Uganda.

Students participated in missional activities including chapel construction, literature distribution, medical clinics, prayerwalking, teaching English, Vacation Bible Schools and youth retreats.

Though the impact of the University Missions program is widespread, the focus of those involved is to share the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

Their efforts are not returning void.

More than 12,000 first-time decisions to follow Christ have been counted as a result of the program.

Photo courtesy of Mobile Press-Register

Expecting the Unexpected Though each project begins with specific plans and methods to share the Gospel in each destination, every trip is full of surprises. Sometimes, it’s the unexpected opportunities that expand the life-changing influence of University Missions teams the most.

An unexpected turn of events became a unique opportunity for the 2011 Brazil team. After a couple of schools invited team members to speak to students, “word spread like wildfire and we received more invitations than we could accept,” said Taylor.

Though team members changed their plans to spend as much time as possible in the schools, there simply wasn’t enough time to finish the task. However, the team received a standing invitation to return and visit all 57 schools in the region.

Next summer, University Missions

will send another team to Brazil to share Christ’s love in as many classrooms as possible.

“We didn’t expect that opportunity, but God did,” said Taylor.

Major Involvement University Missions projects also give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills and abilities learned in their area of study on the international field.

Dr. Richard McElhaney, dean of the School of Nursing, leads teams of nursing students to Brazil to participate in medical clinics.

Assistant Professor of Biology Brad Swiger is preparing to lead an upcoming trip to India, where team members will work to establish clean water sources in rural communities.

“I am very excited to couple both

spiritual and humanitarian efforts into one trip,” said Swiger, whose passion for missions was ignited during a previous summer missions trip. “After receiving scientific training, I became interested in applying this knowledge and technology to improve the health of people without access to basic necessities.”

Dr. Nancy Huff, professor of human performance and exercise science, leads education students to Uganda to teach in local schools. Students also consult with teachers to help them improve educational methods.

Though University Missions trips are short-term, mission involvement often continues after teams come home.

“We came home with a passion to support these missionaries long-term,” said Huff.

In addition to raising awareness for the needs of the missionaries and recipients

of their ministry, Huff said the UMobile School of Education will be working to adapt the Christian curriculum to communicate most effectively in the cultural context of African schools. She will continue to lead teams of educators and education majors into Uganda to teach the Christian curriculum, train teachers and assist the missionaries in expanding their influence.

Whatever the task may be, UMobile students are learning to use their vocations as platforms for mission work at home and abroad.

A Lifelong Souvenir Life-changing decisions as a result of the University Missions program are not only happening among the nations, but among students and alumni as well.

Though every participant comes away from a missions trip with a broadened

umobile.edu 23

Giving

perspective and a heart more compelled to reach the nations with the Gospel, some participants return with an even more life-changing souvenir: a clear calling to missions.

“You will never see the world in the same way once you return. Missions is also addictive – you will want to do it again!” said Taylor. “My prayer is that God will call some of our participants to career missions, whether in the U.S. or overseas.”

Taylor’s prayer has been answered countless times.

Tara Greene Jones, ’92, joined Taylor on a University Missions trip to Japan as a student.

“I felt the Lord leading me the whole time I was there,” said Jones. “My heart was really broken for the people without hope, and I knew that God was calling me back there.”

Following her graduation with a degree in art from UMobile, Jones returned to Japan for a two-year term, where she served as a graphic designer and missionary. Today, Jones and husband Jared, and their two daughters, are in Japan as career missionaries with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

“If I had not gone on a University Missions trip, I would have never understood my calling (to be here). That trip opened up the opportunity for me to hear His leading,” said Jones.

Not only did Jones discover her calling through the University of Mobile, but the education and discipleship she received prepared her spiritually for full-time mission work.

“The discipleship I received at UMobile grew me spiritually, and that’s what I’m striving to teach new believers now. I want them to learn to walk every day with Jesus,” Jones said.

Scott Hildreth, ’91, also remembers coming to an understanding his calling through University Missions trips

George W. Bush: ‘God is Good – All the Time’

24 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Dr. Cecil Taylor and University Missions team members minister in Brazil.

to Brazil and Israel.

On these trips, Hildreth saw the great need for international missionaries around the world. As a result, Hildreth and his wife, Lesley Smith Hildreth, ’93, contacted the International Missions Board and began pursuing appointment to career missions.

Since then, the Hildreths have served multiple terms doing evangelism and church planting in Europe and Asia.

“Our work has involved contact with people from dozens of countries and almost every world religion – Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and even cultural Christians,” said Hildreth.

Now, he trains students and foreign national believers to be missionaries and church planters as the director of the Center for Great Commission Studies at Southeastern Baptist

Theological Seminary.

“It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the University of Mobile in my life and current ministry,” said Hildreth. “At UMobile, I developed a deep love for the Word of God and learned to both present and defend the faith. My time at UMobile also nurtured a deeply passionate love for the Lord and a desire to walk closely with Him. The friends I made at UMobile have been lifelong ministry partners and continue to be sources of spiritual and professional encouragement.”

Hildreth and Jones are just a few examples of the countless people whose callings to reach the nations have been confirmed through the University of Mobile. Alumni are currently serving as full-time missionaries on every continent and throughout the U.S.

“My heart was really broken for the people without hope, and I knew that God was calling me back there.”

Tara Greene Jones

Intercultural Studies A new degree program at the University of Mobile prepares students specifically for international and crosscultural service.

“With ever-increasing language groups in the region, the world is coming here to our neighborhoods, schools and work,” said Dr. Douglas Wilson, professor of Christian Studies.

Wilson serves as advisor for the university’s new Intercultural Studies program, which was founded to instruct, equip and enable students to impact the world on campus, in the community, and among the nations.

2012 University Missions Opportunities INDIA, MARCH 2-11: Assistant Professor of Biology Brad Swiger will lead a team of 12 to Bihar, the poorest state in the nation. The team will travel from village to village to identify areas with need for water pumps and record the locations in need of future water well crews.

CZECH REPUBLIC, MARCH 2-11: Professor of Christian Studies Doug Wilson will lead a team of 10 to Prague to participate in English clubs, interact with teachers and pupils in local primary schools, and build relationships with people in the post-Christian culture.

GREECE, MAY 14-25: Assistant Professor of Christian Studies Jay Robertson will lead a team of 12 to Thessaloniki, where they will prayer walk, assist with refugee ministry, engage in street evangelism, build relationships with university students, minister to children and encourage Greek believers.

AUSTRALIA, MAY 21- JUNE 1: Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Counseling Jeffrey Quiett will lead a team of 12 to Hobart, Tasmania. The team will prayer walk, encourage local believers and engage people with personal testimonies and evangelism.

BRAZIL, JUNE 8-18: Dean of School of Christian Studies Cecil Taylor will lead a team of 12 to Mambucaba to build a chapel for a Baptist mission congregation, lead Vacation Bible Schools, engage in door-to-door evangelism, and share the Gospel in local schools. Dean of School of Nursing Richard McElhaney will lead 6 nursing students on the project to operate a health assessment clinic and fit people with reading glasses.

IRELAND, JUNE 14-23: Professor of Christian Studies Doug Wilson will lead a team of 5 to Irish-speaking regions in order to provide crucial support through prayer walks and engage locals in community events for the purpose of evangelism through building relationships.

CHILE, JUNE 18-28: Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Counseling Jeffrey Quiett will lead a team of 12 to Vallenar, where they will lead Vacation Bible Schools, visit schools to show Christ’s love to teachers and pupils and encourage local believers.

UGANDA, JUNE 21- JULY 2: Professor of Human Performance and Exercise Science Nancy Huff will lead a team of 12 education students to Gulu and Kitgum to teach students in local elementary schools, consult with teachers to improve educational methods and share Christ through relationships nurtured on the project.

FINLAND, JUNE 29- JULY 9: Dean of School of Christian Studies Cecil Taylor will lead a team of 8 to Helsinki and Espoo to assist local church planters in conducting worldview surveys among university students in order to open opportunities to engage them with the Gospel.

PORTUGAL, JULY 13-23: Dean of School of Christian Studies Cecil Taylor will lead a team of 12 to Cascais to assist with Vacation Bible Schools and to disciple young adults.

Members of the Portugal team may extend their participation to the Angola project listed below for the additional cost of the airfare from Lisbon to Luanda (approximately $800-1000).

WALES, JULY 19-30: Assistant Professor of Christian Studies Bob Olsen will lead a team of 8 to Garw Valley to assist a local congregation with Vacation Bible School in a largely unchurched area.

ANGOLA, JULY 22-31: Professor of Christian Studies Doug Wilson will lead a team of 20 to assist Portuguese church members in a mission to Benguela. The team will visit schools to discuss their faith, provide Vacation Bible Schools for up to 500 children, disciple young adults and work in an orphanage.

umobile.edu 25

Giving

“Through classroom instruction, foreign language learning, interaction with internationals, participation in international service projects and intercultural internships, our students are being prepared to serve locally, nationally and globally,” said Wilson.

Though the Intercultural Studies program is only a year old, it has grown to more than 20 student participants.

In addition to taking classes in culture, theology, foreign language, and multicultural communication, students in the program are actively involved in international ministries locally and abroad.

“The purpose of the Intercultural Studies program is not only to train missionaries, but to train leaders -leaders who have the heart of God,” said a senior majoring in intercultural studies.

(Because many intercultural studies program participants are preparing to minister in nations that are closed to incoming missionaries, names of students will not be printed for security purposes.)

“One thing I brought home from my University Missions trips is that I have never before prayed with such conviction or read the Word with such hunger,” said the student, who has participated in five University Missions trips in South America and the Far East.

Everyday Missions Learning to live as a missionary wherever you are is a key purpose of the faith-based education offered by the University of Mobile.

Taylor said, “In Acts 1:8, God calls us to go to ‘Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.’ But we can’t wait to go elsewhere because our Jerusalem – Mobile – is yet un-won. We have to reach them all simultaneously.”

The University of Mobile’s campus ministries program designs outreach opportunities with the city, state, nation 26 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

and world in mind. Through University Missions and campus ministries, students have missions opportunities locally, nationally and globally.

“The point of doing missions at home and abroad is availability – to make myself available for God to do something through me, here and there,” said Taylor.

Wherever UMobile students go, their purpose remains the same: to live a lifestyle of giving, service and sacrifice that inevitably changes lives.

For Taylor, participation in missions is “out of a sense of calling, a specific calling beyond that of the Great Commission, which calls us all.”

Regardless which corner of the earth that UMobile alumni, students, faculty and friends are sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in, one thing is universal: Life-change.

“I really want to make an impact on the world,” said Taylor. “Missions enables me to do so.” m

University Missions Sponsorships

You can help change the world through financial sponsorship of the University Missions program.

Each team member is responsible for generating $2800 toward the cost of the project. Sponsors may make a tax-deductible contribution toward these expenses in any amount by making checks payable to the University of Mobile and specified for University Missions.* Contributions should be mailed to: Office of Institutional Advancement, 5735 College Parkway, Mobile, AL 36613-2842. *Contributions solicited by specific participants should include an attached memo including the name of the participant for tracking purposes. University Missions reserves the right to apply the funds within the parameters of appropriate project expenses.

WE NOW CARRY JACUZZI BRAND SPAS!

LARGEST SELECTION, WAREHOUSE PRICING.

CLOSEOUT SPECIALS ON ALL ABOVE-GROUND POOLS! LARGE 2 1/2 GALLON CONTAINER ONLY $5.80

LOCALLY OWNED FOR OVER “I was35inYEARS the Bible

INC.

every morning my entire presidency, and I read 251.544.2737 inOPEN theMONDAY-SATURDAY evenings” Check us out on Facebook for tips and exclusive specials!

8050 Cottage Hill Road | www.pioneerpools.net umobile.edu 27

Giving

UMobile Depends On You

By Bill Hart

S

ince its inception in 1961, the University of Mobile has relied on the generosity of donors who believe in the mission of the university. Our ability to continue and enhance education that integrates spirituality and character with knowledge is directly dependent on your financial support.

Your gift not only helps to provide scholarships and financial aid to deserving students, but also impacts external programs such as internships, summer missions, and international studies. Beyond that, we would be unable to maintain and expand our physical facilities without your help. One of the most effective ways of providing for the future of the University of Mobile while also assuring that your personal goals are met is through charitable estate planning.

Why charitable estate planning?

In addition to helping us achieve our goal of changing lives to change the

28 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

world, a good charitable estate plan can also enable you to insure meeting your personal goals such as providing for your family, guaranteeing a life income, and protecting your property and assets.

Our staff is prepared to work with you and your estate-planning professionals, confidentially and without obligation, to help you determine the giving method that is best for you, depending on your circumstances.

Types of planned gifts

Planned gifts include, among other things: • Assets such as stocks and bonds that provide a benefit to the University of Mobile and may result in a significant tax savings for you, particularly if the value has appreciated since your purchase.

• Gifts such as Charitable Lead Trusts that allow you to support the University of Mobile now, and your heirs later. If irrevocable, this trust can provide a significant tax deduction.

• Gifts such as a Charitable Remainder Trust that provide an income for you and/or a spouse or family member, and benefit the University of Mobile later. If irrevocable, this also can result in a considerable tax deduction.

• A Life Estate that can enable you to benefit the University of Mobile, receive a substantial tax deduction, and retain rights to your real property for the remainder of your life.

• A bequest (gift by Will) can benefit the University of Mobile later and provide an estate-tax deduction for the value of your gift.

Where do you begin?

Charitable Estate Planning can help you determine the planned gift that allows you to address your personal financial concerns for your family while also allowing you to create a long-term legacy for your church, the University of Mobile, or other charitable institutions to which you are committed.

Our Office of Charitable Estate Planning is available to work with you and your attorney in planning an estate gift to the University of Mobile so that your intentions are fully understood and carried out. We would be happy to assist you and your advisors in developing an appropriate estate plan. Feel free to contact our office at 251.442.2906 or email to plannedgift@umobile.edu to schedule an appointment or to request more information about including the University of Mobile in your estate plan. m

University of Mobile Sporting Clay Shoot The University of Mobile and Callis Communications hosted a Sporting Clay Shoot on Friday, September 23 at Taylor Creek Shooting Preserve in Theodore, AL. Twelve 4-person teams participated in the clay shoot, which included a barbeque lunch prepared on site, an awards program, door prizes and a prize drawing for a Hoyt Rampage XT bow valued at $899.99 donated by Bow Hunter Pro Shop. All proceeds for this event benefited the University of Mobile men’s baseball program.

For more information on this event and how you can participate in the future, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 251.442.2226. m

14th Annual University of Mobile Classic The University of Mobile and Catfish Junction presented the 14th annual University of Mobile Classic on April 29, 2011. Golfers enjoyed a great day of fellowship on the greens of the TimberCreek Golf Club in Daphne, AL. The tournament began with a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. and followed with dinner, awards and prizes at 5 p.m. For more information on how you can participate in the Spring 2012 University of Mobile Classic, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 251.442.2226. m

umobile.edu 29

Giving

Dr. Barry Booth

Dentist, Spanish Fort, AL Director of Guardian Program for Honor Flight South Alabama

D

By Kathy Dean

r. Barry Booth considers it an honor to attend the University of Mobile Leadership Banquet and hear from national leaders such as former President George W. Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. But the greatest honor, he says, is to experience the patriotic event while seated at a table with World War II veterans.

“It’s always an honor to be in the presence of a World War II veteran. Their stories are amazing. Each has their own interesting vignette to pass along to all of us,” he said.

Booth knows first-hand the stories of hundreds of WWII veterans in South Alabama. A dentist with a practice in Baldwin County for 43 years, Booth is also an advocate for veterans. From 1966-1967 he served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam, on active duty attached to the Marine Corps.

His passion is Honor Flight South Alabama, which has flown 556 WWII veterans on a one-day round trip from south Alabama to Washington, D.C. to visit the WWII memorial and tour memorials for soldiers who fought in other wars to keep our nation safe.

Booth’s first experience with the national Honor Flight program was in May 2008 when he flew as a “guardian,” or volunteer assigned to assist a veteran, on a trip originating in Prattville, AL. He had been recruited by his good friend and dental school classmate, Dr. Ed Mullins.

“I came back and spoke of the experience to a number of veterans advocates and friends,” he said.

30 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Dr. Barry Booth, right, with WWII Veteran Ed Clark

Honor Flight South Alabama, a hub affiliated with the national Honor Flight network, was founded by a cadre of dedicated volunteers together with Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and Rep. Jo Bonner who serve as co-chairs of the HFSA Board of Trustees. Honor Flight South Alabama has the distinction of being among the most successful hubs in the nation, and has flown

more flights than any hub in Alabama.

Founding sponsor and “Medal of Honor” level donor Springhill Medical Center enthusiastically joined the effort, providing a myriad of resources to bring Honor Flight South Alabama into existence. In 2009 the first Honor Flight South Alabama took off, and Booth has flown on all six flights.

Many veterans are unable to travel to

see the WWII memorial for reasons that range from medical to financial. Honor Flight South Alabama eliminates those obstacles. The trips are free to WWII veterans; medical personnel are aboard to assist as needed; and each veteran is accompanied by a “guardian” volunteer helper.

As the group tours memorials in D.C., they are recognized and honored by well-wishers at the memorials and throughout the nation’s capital. When they return to Mobile, AL, they are greeted at the airport with a hometown crowd waving American flags and applauding their service.

“Their ‘victory lap,’ their ticker tape parade when they arrive back at the Mobile airport, is far overdue,” Booth said.

This is the second year the WWII veterans and Honor Flight South A;labama has attended the Leadership Banquet. Booth said sitting with veterans last year to hear Bush was a wonderful experience.

“I think they are more sensitive to the importance than so many young people, to be able to see and hear first-hand an accounting from a leader that they admire,” Booth said.

Booth said he expects to schedule two more Honor Flights in 2012, then he expects the program to end. The veterans, he said, “are getting so old. We will have taken 700 or 800 from here, and that’s about all who are left that either want to go or can physically travel to go,” he said.

He said World War II veterans are being “promoted” to heaven at a rate of 1,200 to 1,500 a day nationally. His involvement with the Honor Flight program is a way to say “thank you” before it’s too late.

“As I look back on all my good fortune, it certainly is due in large part to the American soldier who prevailed in World War II. If our situation as a nation was any different, my situation would be different. I wouldn’t have lived my dream,” Booth said.

For information on Honor Flight South Alabama, visit www.honorflightsa.com or call 251.626.3211. m

2011SpeaksAD_Layout 3 copy 2/1/11 1:19 PM Page 1

umobile.edu 31

By Kathy Dean

Student Tommy Holmes and Dr. Ralph Kirkman, first dean of Mobile College, pose in front of construction of the first building, now Weaver Hall.

32 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

“During the fall of 1963, Mobile College began its first academic year. This was a giant step into the realm of higher education and it made a new way of life available for many students. This first year at Mobile College shall always be hallmarked as the light that opened the world to these people, as well as to the ones who shall follow in the years to come. …We hope that some of the spirit that filled Mobile College that first year may be rekindled in your heart.”

D

Preface to 1964 Rampage yearbook

usty – a bit musty – the University of Mobile’s special collection in the Alabama Room of J.L. Bedsole Library awaits the explorer willing to forgo the quick gratification of an Internet search in favor of the sensation of turning a page or opening a file drawer.

There are treasures to be found hidden among shelves of literary genius, lithographs, and the region’s history.

The history of the University of Mobile is here as well: a stack of yearbooks, scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, binders filled with minutes of faculty meetings. College catalogs, music department programs and file folders of financial reports fill a good portion of the room.

Like any history, there are important dates: • November 14, 1961: the Alabama Baptist State Convention approves the establishment of Mobile College • December 12, 1961: Alabama Governor John Patterson signs the charter giving official state recognition to the school’s founding • September 9, 1963: 181 students were admitted as members of the charter class of Mobile College, taught by 12 full-time faculty with six administrative officers.

umobile.edu 33

“One need merely to look at the glorious history of Mobile College to see the hand of God at work.”

Dr. William K. Weaver Jr.

But the dates only tell the framework of the story, giving it time and place. To know the University of Mobile, to truly understand this great college, requires looking beyond lists of dates or buildings constructed or academic programs offered.

Look, instead, to the people. Each student who set foot on this campus is linked through the years, one to another, by a shared history of place. Their stories are individual brushstrokes that paint a larger portrait of a great university where lives are changed and spirits rekindled.

Here are just a few of their stories:

In The Beginning –

1960s

It had the potential to be ironic. When Dr. William K. Weaver Jr. became the president of a college that he would later describe as having “no campus, no faculty, no students, and no problems,” it was on April Fool’s day – April 1, 1961.

As he retired from a thriving college 23 years later, Weaver told the Board of Trustees that “one need merely to look at the glorious history of Mobile Founding president Dr. William K. Weaver Jr.

First assembly of MC students - 1963 Chi Sigma - 1966 From left: Charles Covington, Linda Boykin, sponsor Ellis Hollon, Faye Ellis, Tommy Strong.

Powderpuff football game - 1969 34 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

College to see the hand of God at work. It has been true every day of the life of this institution. He has taken our weaknesses and given His strength. He has taken our efforts and enabled us to build a great school.”

Much of the credit for setting the college on the right track went to the first student body. “Fortunate indeed were we to have such an alert and energetic student body to begin the traditions and set the spirit of our college,” Weaver told faculty as the second school year was beginning.

A look at the 1964 Rampage, the first yearbook, shows M-Day King and Queen Charles Covington, ’67, and Glenda Kemp Roberts, ’67, holding large trophies.

“I have to move a little bit of stuff to get it, but here it is,” said Roberts, reaching for the trophy on a closet shelf at her home in Pensacola, FL. “It’s a little tarnished, but I still have it.”

Being voted May Day Queen by a student body that really cared about each other like a family was an honor.

“I felt a lot of love and caring,” she said.

Roberts rented a room in a woman’s house in downtown Mobile. The school was “way out in the country back then. You would go down Moffett Road, then it seemed like we rambled in the woods for an eternity.

It was out there literally all by itself.”

Like many MC/UMobile students throughout the years, she met her sweetheart in college. Glenda and Lon Roberts III, also a member of the charter class of 1967, are now retired educators.

M-Day King Charles Covington no longer has his trophy – but he does have the plaque from its base. And, he has a story.

“My future mother-in-law, Mabel Rush, was also in the charter class.

She had an older daughter she would have liked me to see, but I wanted to see the younger one. We had biology lab together, and she didn’t want to dissect the frog. I said, ‘I will do you a favor. I will dissect the frog if you will let me see Sandra,’” Covington said.

He and Sandra, ’74, married. After a 30-year career with International Paper Co., he became director of purchasing for the state of Florida and she parlayed a teaching career into a tutoring business, then an antique and collectables enterprise. Now living in Tallahassee, they are preparing for a move to Orlando to be closer to grandchildren.

Covington said what stayed with him most from his MC days was foundational theological teachings – despite his penchant for skipping

chapel and going to shoot pool in nearby Eight Mile or sitting by Chickasabogue Creek.

A mini-reunion several years ago of members of the charter class brought a realization of an ideal that continues to this day at the school. The vast majority of the class had gone into service careers such as education, nursing, government and ministry.

“I think that was based on what was taught at the college, that service to other people should be a part of everybody’s career, whether you are a chemist or a teacher or a doctor,” Covington said.

Not all students who started that first year stayed at Mobile College – but that didn’t mean the separation was permanent.

Dwight Steedley’s student photo in the 1964 Rampage shows a serious young man with short hair and a skinny tie. Enrolling at a brand new college “was more of an adventure than a risk – kind of like Christmas when you are opening something new,” he said. When he left at the start of his junior year for a larger school with a more established physics program, “the change was dramatic.

umobile.edu 35

“I learned how to appreciate people…”

1964 M-Day King and Queen Charles Covington and Glenda Kemp Roberts

Samuel Boykin ‘69

Academically it never really phased me, but social life was not anywhere near as nice.”

After earning several degrees and teaching at large state schools, Dr. Steedley was preparing to step into a role as a mathematics researcher for Bell Labs when his father became ill. Mobile College had an opening for a mathematics professor, and Steedley returned home to be near family for just a year or two.

Now, 37 years later, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences said the only thing better than being a student here is being a teacher here. He and wife Charlene Brady, ’77, a teacher in Bay Minette, AL, believe teaching doesn’t end when class is over.

“It’s the interaction and relationship with students that you just don’t have anywhere else” that makes UMobile special, said Steedley. “It was here when I was a student. If anything, it’s more so now.”

He has taught the children of his former classmates, and the children of former students. Alumni return to visit, including some who come with thanks for the financial help that he and other faculty and staff members personally gave to help students in need.

J.C. and the Boys - 1964 “Here you do more than just teach your

First applicants for new Mobile College - Oct. 18, 1962 36 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Samuel Boykin, ’69

subject to students – that in itself is nice, but it’s only half. The other half is interacting with students. You are teaching somebody you know and care about,” he said.

Class president Dr. Tom Strong, ’67, said those first years were “an unbelievable experience. The bond we had is probably the biggest thing -- the quality education and the friendships that came not only with the students, but with the faculty and administrators.”

When the first class of 66 students graduated in 1967, it included future chemical researchers; pastors and music ministers; educators; leaders in organizations working on cures for epilepsy or mental illness or assisting retarded citizens; FBI special agents; homemakers who raised families; business owners; and even the next president of Mobile College itself, Mike Magnoli.

Mobile College in the 1960s was a place where Iris Anderson Lundy,’67, had the honor of playing the first record on the juke box in the snack shop. It was a time when style meant white socks with loafers or hornedrim glasses. Some events, like the Miss Mobile College Pageant, continue to this day. Others, such as the

intercollegiate talent show between area colleges or chasing a greased pig at May Day, are just memories.

Dormitories, a dining hall and gym expanded the campus, everyone came to the annual luau, and Rat Week freshman initiation involved beanies and shaving cream battles.

While most students in the 1960s were from communities close to the college, after graduation many took their Mobile College experience to distant places. And they took a piece of Mobile College with them.

Jo Peters Daya, ’69, grew up in Ozark, AL surrounded by cousins for playmates with no need to look beyond family for friendships. Going to Mobile College pushed her out of her comfort zone.

“It taught me how to establish friendships,” she said. That ability to build and maintain lasting friendships continues to impact her life, after her husband passed away several years ago and her two children are grown and in successful careers.

“One of the main reasons today I remain in Michigan, even though we have horrible winters, is that my

friends are here,” she said.

Daya said it was her years at Mobile College that gave her the confidence to travel beyond the farmland of Ozark to experience a fulfilling life as a psychiatric social worker at one of Detroit’s largest medical complexes.

Samuel Boykin, ’69, said he takes pride in graduating from Mobile College – and in being the first African-American to do so. He credits history professor Dr. Virgil Davis with encouraging him at the school and urging him to continue his education. Boykin moved to California, graduated with a master’s in business administration from Golden Gate University in San

Beta Sigma - 1966

umobile.edu 37

“I think that was based on what was taught at the college, that service to other people should be a part of everybody’s career...” Charles Covington, ‘67

Crawfish Boil - 1967

Barbara Nichols Smith ‘68

Francisco, and worked in accounting and administration.

He said he learned appreciation at the school – appreciation for hard work, for earning what you receive, for professors who took an interest in him.

“I learned how to appreciate people,” Boykin said. That appreciation extends to his college. “I still make contributions to the school.

They’ve been good to me, and I try to repay my gratitude to them.”

Michael Bradshaw, ’69, had attended several universities before he transferred to Mobile College the middle of his junior year. After graduation he flew helicopters in the Army during the Vietnam War, became a U.S. Capitol police officer where he was injured, then graduated from law school. Now a general practice attorney in Maryland, co-author of a book for Maryland attorneys, and an adjunct professor, Bradshaw said the religion course taught by Dr. W.C. Dobbs made a lasting impression.

“It gave me a stronger sense of right and wrong and what was fair.

That is what I will carry to my grave, his theology course and the impact it made on me in terms of human values and putting that philosophy to work,” Bradshaw said.

Dwight Steedley

The library in administration building - 1965

Mobile College Choir

38 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Barbara Nichols Smith, ’68, extended her four years as a student into an entire career in administration at the school. She started working in the dean’s office during her sophomore year and has served as records officer, registrar, and now is in the School of Education.

She remembers the early years when faculty Christmas parties were held at Dr. Weaver’s home.

“Dr. Weaver would come around with the recipes. Mrs. Weaver planned the menu and sent the recipes by him.

Everybody cooked something from those recipes and brought it,” she said.

Smith remembers one year when Mrs. Weaver was concerned there wouldn’t be enough dessert.

“I remember James and I made three red velvet cakes that year,” she said, laughing.

The Early Years –

1970s

In 1970, just over 500 students enrolled at Mobile College. Mrs. Forrest Wilson, president of the Mobile College Auxiliary, welcomed nearly 500 members to the school’s support group, while the Association

of Honorary Fellows also aided in the development of the college with a membership that included some of the city’s most influential leaders. The college’s first chairman of the Board of Trustees, J.L. Bedsole, turned the first shovel of soil at a groundbreaking ceremony for the library that would bear his name. One of the few plays in the Mobile area to receive a good review from the Mobile Press-Register theatre critic was “Waiting for Godot,” a production of the Mobile College Theatre. Dr. Kenneth Bergdolt was named head of the music department and a year later would start the annual Boar’s Head Festival.

The college newsletter was often filled with photographs of events centered around food and fellowship.

The Mobile College Bulletin newsletter of December 1970 describes one sumptuous Thanksgiving feast and congratulates SGA Thanksgiving chairman Nancy Kruschwitz for an outstanding job.

“Dining tables stretched the length of the main hall in the Administration Building, each with a decorative center piece in the Thanksgiving motif. Tables in the Snack Shop were heavily laden with all of the traditional foodstuffs of a holiday repast. These tables held turkey,

ham, and almost as many salads, vegetables, and desserts as one could imagine,” the Bulletin stated.

What Kruschwitz, ’71, remembers most about that Thanksgiving is that “I was panicked because I was afraid we might run out of food. People kept coming in.”

The daughter of Dr. Walter Kruschwitz, a member of the original faculty who taught physics and math, said she also remembers one special shopping trip as her senior year began.

“My senior year, there were so many girls in the dorm that there wasn’t enough room. Dr. Weaver asked if anybody would be interested in living in a trailer they would put behind the cafeteria,” recalled the Murphy High School teacher. She said Weaver told them since they would be the ones living in the trailer, they should get to pick it out.

“Dr. Weaver took the six of us who volunteered to live out there trailer shopping. He drove us in his

umobile.edu 39

car to find us a trailer to live in,” Kruschwitz said.

Living in a trailer was an experience Joanie Munger Glisson, ’73, remembered as well. Glisson, who would be crowned Miss Mobile College in 1972 then go on to have a career as an educator, served as dorm council president one year.

“I lived in one of the trailers and back then they had a curfew, so we were on the honor system. We thought we were something then, living outside that locked dorm,” she recalled.

The same year Kruschwitz chaired the Thanksgiving feast, Glisson chaired “Christmas at Mobile College” which featured 800 flickering candles lighting the campus drive, a live nativity scene in front of the administration building, refreshments in the cafeteria and Santa Claus.

“I’ve always had a special place

Miss Mobile College Pageant

Trust Company - 1977

Thanksgiving feast - 1970

40 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

“I’m so proud that I’m able to say I’m a University of Mobile graduate because of what it stands for.” Dr. Wayne Dorsett Jr., ’76 in my heart for the University of Mobile,” she said. It’s a place that is also special to members of her family: her daughter, Leslie Howard Glisson, is a 1998 UMobile graduate, and a niece, two brothers and a sister also graduated from the school.

The ’70s at Mobile College meant dorm mothers; the addition of the J.L. Bedsole library, cottages, activities building and swimming pool; launching the bachelor of science in nursing program; flag football; performances by Mobile College Choir, Chamber Singers and Sound Spirit, and the choir’s first international tour to England.

Albert Lipscomb, ’77, a former Alabama state senator and Baldwin County commissioner, remembers “very meaningful years as far as the friendships that were developed. It was a time of spiritual growth and opportunity for Christian service.”

Pranks were a part of college life that Dr. Bruce Chesser, ’78, remembers well –although he is still careful not to name names even after all these years. The statute of limitations may not have run out on all of them, he said.

“We used to (wait for) people to be out of their cottages and we would literally take everything out of their apartment and put it on the roof, and assemble it just like it was in the room,” said the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN. Another time, somebody bought 1,000 crickets from a bait shop and put them in a dorm room. The prank grew in popularity, with pranksters competing to see how many crickets they could put in a room.

One Sunday morning, Chesser was sitting on the platform at Spring Hill Baptist Church where he was doing student ministry.

“I realized there was something

in my suit jacket pocket, and I put my hand in and found a handful of crickets that had gotten into my pocket the last time I had been cricketed,” he recalled.

Dr. Wayne Dorsett Jr., ’76, pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Warner Robbins, GA, said he can’t imagine his life without the University of Mobile.

“It has been one of the defining issues of my life, without question,” Dorsett said. He recalled sitting in the snack bar and just talking with friends and professors. “Us preacher boys would solve all the world’s problems and work out the theological conundrums that have come down the pike through the years. Those were the times that I really sharpened and honed my theological skills and walk with God.” He said professors like Dr. W.C. Dobbs in religion and Dr. Gary Minton in psychology challenged him in ways that ultimately strengthened his walk with God. “They made me dig things out for myself and not just parrot things I had heard from a pastor. That was so good for me -- I was trained and taught to dig things out and think for myself.

Because of that, I’ve been able to stand on my convictions and in my beliefs through some difficult times in my life,” he said.

His ties to the school go beyond graduating – his mother, Pat Dorsett,’81, and brother Martin Dorsett are members of the Board of Trustees; his daughter Erin Dorsett Vaughn, ’00, is a graduate; and he served on the school’s first Board of Regents. Currently three students from his church are enrolled at UMobile.

“I’m so proud that I’m able to say I’m a University of Mobile graduate because of what it stands for,” Dorsett said.

Changing Times -

1980s

The 1980 Rampage yearbook is filled with snapshots of student life – and some unexpected photos like that of Billy Gator, an alligator residing in “Weaver Lake,” the sewage pond.

“Up, up and away was the direction taken by gasoline prices until they surpassed a dollar a gallon,” the yearbook stated. Fashions included the new disco look or straight-legged jeans with the bottoms turned up to the desired length. By 1985, the last time the yearbook was produced, the school had a new president, Dr. Michael Magnoli, and the beginnings of an intercollegiate athletic program.

It was the decade that St. Stephens Baptist Church moved from its home since the 1880s in Washington County to Mobile College, where it was restored and renamed Lyon Chapel.

The Gerald L. Wallace Sr. Tennis Complex was built across from the new Oakdale Children’s Center, which today houses the School of Education.

Master’s degree programs in nursing, religion, business administration and education were launched.

The 1982 Rampage yearbook features a full-page photo of Mr. Rampage, Robbie Owen. Now principal of Rockwell Elementary in Spanish Fort, AL, the 1982 graduate and SGA president was recently recognized by the White House for infusing the school’s curriculum with the arts.

Owen credits his years at MC for giving him the leadership experiences that prepared him to be an awardwinning school administrator. His experiences in the choir, on tour, and in theatre productions also provided him the background to serve as umobile.edu 41

“I know going to University of Mobile helped me develop things I would not have otherwise” Robbie Owen, ’82 minister of music for several churches in addition to pursuing his teaching career.

“I know going to University of Mobile helped me develop things I would not have otherwise,” Owen said.

Today, he has the opportunity to supervise student teachers from his alma mater.

“You can just tell the difference in character – how they dress, how they act, how they present themselves. The character of the person comes shining through – and they are prepared well,” he said.

Vincent Robinson, ’86, found his MC education prepared him to succeed far from home in the German state of Bavaria as an information technology manager working for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools - Europe.

“Many individuals attend college hoping to learn skills to earn a living, as did I. However, what I received was an education – not simply learning skills and developing abilities. More than learning things, the true impact of attending Mobile College was in helping me learn what was truly important to me and how to live a meaningful life,” said Robinson.

Several years ago, he was in town

to attend his father’s funeral and visit family.

“My older son, Daniel, was about to start his sophomore year of high school, and I wanted to show both (of my sons) the college I had attended.

As we drove up the driveway leading to the main building, Daniel said, ‘oh, I would really like to go here.’

That instantly reminded me of my first visit to the campus and the day I went to apply for admission,” said Robinson, whose first impression of the college was as a high school student driving up the long drive with beautiful trees on each side.

Daniel will graduate from the five year integrated MBA program in 2013.

Dr. Ken Phillips, ’87, said music professors Robert Sawyer, Kenneth Bergdolt, Becky Fox and Melba Brown did more than teach him music. They were godly examples of music professors who cared not only how well their students develop as musicians, but also how they succeeded in the challenges of life.

He recalled a piano lesson with Fox when the subject of choosing the right people to date arose. Fox encouraged him by sharing how her faithfulness to Christ led to her meeting and marrying her husband.

Phillips said his music theory preparation under Sawyer contributed to his success in graduate school.

“Twenty people took the theory entrance exam. I was one of the two that passed. Thanks, Mr. Sawyer!” he said, adding that he considers Bergdolt and Brown his personal “miracle workers.”

Today, as chair of the music department at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Phillips shares some of his MC stories and life lessons with his students, and encourages the faculty to exhibit the same individual attention and caring that he experienced.

Music has always played a major part in UMobile college life for students in all majors.

The March 1986 issue of the Mobile College Torchlight newsletter featured a story on “COMPANY!”, a special ministries team that blended humor and scriptural truths through music and drama. The “goodwill ambassadors” for the school traveled more than 15,000 miles annually, performing in churches and high schools throughout the Southeast.

Mary Reeves Shirey, ’89, remembers the church billboards proclaiming “Company’s Coming!” as

John Harville, Amy Saxon Kendall, Amy Folkes Stowell, Derrick Shirley, Tommy Hodge, Melissa Maddox Harmon, Amy Wells Dean and Mary Reeves Shirey cheering in front of Weaver Hall.

42 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

the group pulled into the parking lot.

“It was really an amazing group,” she said. “We were brothers and sisters. We laughed together and fought together and worked very hard. I think it was probably the highlight of my college life.”

Shirey performed in COMPANY all four years of college, including the year she was Miss Mobile College in 1987. She learned a lot more than drama and how to sing in front of an audience.

“It taught me a lot about my own spiritual walk. I always had a picture of God being very serious. I think COMPANY taught me He laughs with us just as He cries with us. Humor is one of His creations, and we have the ability to have a closer walk with Him through humor,” she said.

Receiving the top award at the 1989 graduation ceremony was Katherine Abernathy, now associate professor of English at her alma mater. The founder and editor of The Rambler newspaper had a high grade point average and service involvement, so she thought she might receive an

Miss Mobile College Pageant - 1980

Mobile College students walk across campus.

Sharing fun times

umobile.edu 43

“I liked being able to say ‘university.’

It had a nice ring to me” Jay Jerrell, ’98 award at graduation.

She watched others walk up to receive awards until she thought all the honors had been announced.

“I had done the newspaper and had written a few things that were a little controversial. I thought, ‘I must have made them mad.’ I thought I was really out of it because of an editorial I wrote,” she said. “When they called my name, I was shocked.”

Today, Dr. Abernathy said she teaches at the University of Mobile because she loves the vision for English majors here – studying literature as a way of getting to know the human condition and the human soul.

“That’s what I want to convey in what I do,” Abernathy said. “It’s not just reading stories that are fun to read. It’s something bigger, to challenge us in the way we live. I care about that more at the University of Mobile than I would somewhere else, because it’s my home.”

The University of Mobile –

1990s

When the decade of the 1990s began, Ingram Hall dormitory was being built, additions to the library and dining hall were underway, and soccer fields were being developed.

A rainy day brought out students with cafeteria trays sliding down the muddy hill beside the tennis courts.

A branch campus in Nicaragua was opened amid much fanfare, but soon became highly controversial and a challenge to the original mission of the university. By the time the decade drew to a close, the branch campus was closed and the school welcomed a new president, Dr. Mark Foley.

Amidst all the changes, one date stood out.

July 1, 1993.

Sometime in the early morning hours, state highway department workers had removed signs along I-65 directing traffic to Mobile College.

When the new day dawned, the signs pointed travelers to Exit 13 and the University of Mobile.

Inauguration of third president, Dr. Mark Foley - April 1999

44 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Jay Jerrell, ’98, said he liked the change.

“I thought that it could only be a good thing that they are changing the name to reflect there is more to them.

I liked being able to say ‘university.’

It had a nice ring to me,” said the worship pastor at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort, AL and president of the University of Mobile Alumni Association.

Jerrell said serving on the alumni board not only gives him an opportunity to encourage alumni involvement, but also to see current students experience the same opportunities he had to develop lasting relationships with friends and deepen their faith.

“The experience I had there was second to none,” Jerrell said. He met his wife at UMobile, Jill Nahrgang Jerrell, ’01. And, it was during their

time as UMobile students that each made decisions for Jesus Christ.

“Anything we can do to ensure that experience is available for other people, and to encourage students there, is something we want to do,” Jerrell said.

Dr. Wylie Newton,’94, and his wife, Monica, are family physicians in practice together in Gainesville, GA, and they have a 4-year-old son.

The personal relationships with professors and lifelong friends that were important to Mobile College graduates also were important to those whose degrees said “University of Mobile.”

“The professors knew me and they were interested in me being successful. They put their heart into trying to see that I succeeded as much as I did. Everybody knew you, from the president to the janitor,” Newton recalled. “I got a good, solid education there and did fine in medical school and have a successful career. I still have a very strong faith, and it was important for me while I was in college that it was a Christian university and it nurtured that.”

Chaplain Jim Fisher, Ph.D., ’94, is serving as an active duty U.S. Army chaplain in Afghanistan. As

a married, full-time student with children, Fisher primarily attended class and returned home to babysit and study. His wife, Tracy, worked for the Mobile County Public School System, allowing him to be a “stay-at-home dad.” Weekends were comprised of a youth ministry role and Air National Guard drill attendance.

Fisher’s experience in the UMobile classroom was essential to his preparation, personally and professionally.

“I am grateful for the mentoring I received from professors, both fulltime and adjunct. As an older student who was not raised in a Christian home, I needed the encouragement and affirmation toward vocational ministry. Each professor helped in his or her own way, even those who were not involved in the religious studies curriculum. UMobile was critical in fostering my spiritual formation, vocational preparation, and ministerial identification,” said Fisher, who holds an M.Div. from Midwestern and a Ph.D.

from Southern Baptist Theological Seminaries.

Fisher worked hard – he received the School of Religion Area Award upon graduation for the highest grade point average among ministerial students. His oldest son, Jimmy, followed in his dad’s footsteps and graduated from UMobile in 2011 – and was the Athletic Training Area Award recipient.

Adam and Alison Fanning Creel, both 1997 grads living in Murfreesboro, TN, brought their three daughters to visit campus this summer.

“It was very nostalgic to be back, and exciting to see all the improvements and new things added,” said Alison, who teaches piano and is a freelance book designer and writer.

“But there were still so many of the things that were there when we were students, like the fountain, the chapel, Weaver Hall. To come back and see those things surrounded by all the new, it was a real proud moment.”

umobile.edu 45

“We can walk back on that campus even after being gone more than a decade and feel like this is where we’re supposed to be.” Adam Creel, ‘97 Adam, a financial analyst at Lifeway Christian Resources, said UMobile “literally is home for us. We can walk back on that campus even after being gone more than a decade and feel like this is where we’re supposed to be. We can immediately connect. There’s a sense of familiarity,

of ‘this is right.’”

Alison said their daughters thought it was “really cool to see where we met and went to school. When we pulled out of the drive, one of the girls said, “I like it here. I think I’d like to come to the University of Mobile.’”

Helping move her niece, freshman Maegan Bell, into her dorm room at Karlene Farmer Faulkner Hall brought back memories of fun times for Lauren Wilkins Street, ’96 and ’00.

“Rolling the campus at homecoming was always fun, $3 pizzas after midnight at Domino’s, going to basketball games, hanging out in the dorms watching Melrose Place, going to Krispy Kreme in Mobile in our pajamas late at night, studying at Waffle Haus at night” were favorite

memories, Street said.

As the school has grown, so have family connections among students, alumni, donors, faculty and staff.

Street’s grandfather, Fred Bell, was a member of the Board of Trustees; her parents, Betty Bell Wilkins, ’83, and Robert Wilkins, ’69, first met at Mobile College while on a BSU trip; and Lauren met her husband, Ken Street, ’96, on campus. Niece Maegan is the daughter of the late Wes Bell, ’90 and Laureen Street Bell Davis,’ 90.

Street said her hopes for Maegan are “that she has the most wonderful years out here like I did. I hope she enjoys it to the fullest like I did. It’s a special time in your life that you don’t forget.”

Hold on Tight –

2000s

In the summer of 2000, a transformation occurred that significantly changed the look of the school’s signature

Homecoming celebration Go Rams!

Homecoming 2000

46 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

building. The original flat roof of Weaver Hall that had sheltered the first building on campus since 1963 was replaced with a striking pitched roof. UMobile’s new president, Dr. Mark Foley, and founding president, Dr. William K. Weaver Jr., stood together and signed the white cupola before it was raised to the roof.

Foley’s signature phrase, “hold on tight,” previewed a decade of expanding programs and growth in facilities. Two new residence halls, Ram Hall auditorium, a stately new entrance, and renovated buildings were just some of the accomplishments.

In the first Ram Report campus newsletter of 2000, the president encouraged students to prayerfully focus on the year ahead.

“The challenges you face as a college student will stretch you intellectually, spiritually, socially, physically, emotionally and financially. Turning these challenges into opportunities is how you change the world,” Foley wrote.

Alicia Morris Atcheson, ’02,

remembers those challenges well.

“I was stretched financially, but more so spiritually in my faith, that God would provide for my needs.

I remember vividly sitting in Room 314 in Ingram Hall and praying and praying that I would be able to stay there,” Atcheson said.

She recalled how God met her needs then, just as He continues to meet her needs today.

“That happened in a lot of ways, through scholarships UMobile provided that alumni giving made possible,” she said. “I was able to be in Vision (vocal and instrumental ensemble) and that provided a scholarship, and I worked part-time in the Public Relations Office. One semester I was taking almost 30 hours, working 25 hours a week, and traveling with ‘Witness’ drama and vocal ensemble.”

Now executive director of the Educational Center for Independence in Washington County, Atcheson said she carries the University of Mobile with her every day.

“It is a life-changing place.

It is challenging. Whether it is academically or on the spiritual side, there were so many opportunities for the stretching to happen,” she said.

Jordan van Matre, ’07, said Drs. Ted Mashburn and Robert Schaefer taught him to think for himself and understand why he believes what he believes.

“My time at UMobile served

as a crucible and stepping stone for becoming who I am today,” said van Matre, a lawyer in Atlanta working with a consumer bankruptcy firm helping people consolidate their debt.

It also was a time of fun memories, he said: launching water balloons at the girls’ dorm from the cottages, Ultimate Frisbee, home run derby, beach volleyball and CAB events.

Tramaine Perry, ’05, recalls the time when the basketball team “got in trouble an awful lot with paintball guns. They banned paintball guns from school because of us.”

Perry was on crutches with a broken foot when the paintball wars started between the white team (starters) and the maroon team (bench players).

“One day I was leaving Mr. (Nick) Cillo’s class. We were in front of Weaver and I was on crutches. It just so happened the maroon team called me out and surrounded me. Mr. Cillo called out the window and said he was about to report them and call security. That was the only thing that saved my life. He was my knight in shining armor at that moment,” said Perry, laughing.

Now a branch manager at Compass Bank in Mobile, Perry said he learned important lessons from UMobile President Mark Foley and Campus Affairs Vice President Mike Blaylock, now deceased.

“Mr. Blaylock and I would sit and talk for hours just about life, and

umobile.edu 47

2011 University of Mobile Faculty

Original Mobile College Faculty and staff

what challenges and opportunities were out there when you graduated from school. Dr. Foley always said, ‘changing lives to change the world,’ and he really believed in it. Along with my father and Coach Niland, they groomed me to be a leader when I graduated from college,” Perry said.

A major in computer information systems, Perry had professors who challenged him.

“I respect anybody that presents a challenge to me, and I remember them because they were good professors and they gave me a challenge,” he said. “Mr. Cillo in global business was tough. He told me we would earn

48 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

our grades. When I got a ‘B’ in the class, I felt proud because I knew I had earned that grade. Dr. Jane Byrd didn’t show any favoritism, although she was a huge sports fan. She would congratulate me when I did well in sports and say, ‘where’s your paper?’”

James Berrian, ’09, also liked a challenge, and he found his in the Center for Performing Arts. He was a member of VOICES of Mobile all four years, Shophar ensemble, Opera Workshop, student conductor of the University Singers, and RamTonz barbershop quartet which placed 13th in the world in an international competition.

His biggest role, however, was as God in the modern oratorio “Saviour.”

“It was very surreal,” he said.

“Being from the small town of Phil Campbell, AL, and I was so blessed to get to be in such a big role.”

Now worship pastor at First

Baptist Church of Satsuma, Berrian said his UMobile experience taught him “anything you want to do in excellence takes hard work. I also learned the value of prayer. Prayer was a huge part of being able to make it through a tough schedule and how demanding it was to be in all these groups. The spiritual foundation I got during those years at UMobile has had the biggest impact on me and taught me how to be a better minister to the people God has called me to serve.”

Freshman orientation was memorable for Margie Younce Williams, ’04, now an attorney with Cunningham Bounds LLC in Mobile. That’s when she met fellow student Matt Williams – today they are married and have a 3-year-old daughter.

“Though at the time I may have thought I wanted to attend a larger state school, I’m glad I was led to UMobile because it helped me keep focused on Christ while leading me down a successful career path,” she said. “My professors became my mentors, answering questions I had about life as well as class, and – really—always had their office doors open.”

She enjoyed cheering on the Rams soccer team, performing in the chorus of the Upper Room Theatre’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and participating in the Miss UM

“…I’m glad I was led to UMobile because it helped me keep focused on Christ…”

Margie Younce Williams, ’04

pageant. She also traveled to Ireland with University Missions and her parents, UMobile professors Drs. Dale and Alice Younce.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to support the local missionaries alongside my Mom and Dad and see God’s handiwork in His creation abroad,” said Williams.

The Years Ahead To know what the future holds for the University of Mobile, simply look to her graduates.

Look, for example, to Alicia Conn, ’11, and Miles McCauley, ’10.

“Since I was 11 years old and heard about China’s one-child law, I have studied the Mandarin Chinese language in hopes of being with the countless orphans there,” Conn said.

She studied abroad in Taiwan for a semester, and the university worked with the humanities major to make the experience count toward her foreign language requirements.

Professors and staff encouraged her, and those mentoring relationships helped her leave the United States feeling equipped to fulfill her dream.

“Now I am walking through the doors I spent half of my life praying about. I am living in Taipei, Taiwan as an English teacher, missionary at Taipei Truth Church, and volunteer in three orphanages,” said Conn.

Named the outstanding male

graduate in 2010, McCauley could go anywhere. He went to Greenwood, MS, to teach music to elementary students in an impoverished community.

He was accepted into the prestigious Teach for America program, a non-profit organization that enlists the nation’s most promising future leaders to teach for two or more years in low-income communities throughout the U.S. “It’s been a very tough year,” McCauley said. “I am living in a very small, very impoverished community. Living in an area like this, I see the results of when people have quit on this area. When kids are struggling with reading in the 9th grade, a lot of kids don’t have father figures at home, and there are whole communities and neighborhoods where people are believing they can’t do better than this – if people who can help give up, it perpetuates the problem.

“I’ve learned that when it comes to something important, quitting is not an option,” he said. “With the potential impact I can have as a teacher and Christian on my students’ lives, quitting is not an option for me.”

After his commitment to Teach for America is over, “the road’s wide open. I want to be involved in education reform and helping reform America’s public schools to help them reach their best potential, and to do it

in the name of Christ,” McCauley said.

“I think one day I’ll be a principal in an elementary school or part of a non-profit helping kids reach their potential. My Christian mission may not always be in my job description, but it will always be a personal mission for me.”

Once Upon a Time…

The story of the first 50 years of the University of Mobile could be told simply, by listing the dates that buildings were constructed, by totaling the number of degrees conferred.

But that would only be part of the story.

The real story is told through the lives of thousands of men and women who spent a few short years in a special place – and a lifetime reflecting the spirit of the University of Mobile. “’Once upon a time in a land far, far away…’ this is the way that so many stories have begun through the ages. But, they all had one thing in common, they were fairy tales; untrue stories about make-believe places…

This is a true story about a real place with very real people. This is my story as well as yours, the story of Mobile College.”

Preface to 1981-‘82 Rampage m

umobile.edu 49

50 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Hands and Feet Project Serve Touches Lives

by Lesa Moore

Having just missed her ride, an elderly woman carrying bags of groceries in her arms chased the city bus that had just driven away. Bystanders witnessed her dismay and continued about their day… except for a group of University of Mobile students.

R

ecognizing the impromptu opportunity to help someone in need, these students offered her a ride home.

This “accidental” opportunity to serve is not an accident at all, given the University of Mobile’s intentional culture of service that has developed over the last 50 years.

The culture of servanthood was magnified throughout campus and the community on Friday, September 16, 2011.

Project Serve These Secondary Education Mathematics majors had already collected and delivered school supplies to children at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital. They were en route to Saraland High School to assist with organization and clerical duties as well as a variety of clean-up projects.

This was all part of University of Mobile Project Serve.

In celebration of the University of Mobile’s 50th anniversary, classes were cancelled all day to engage in Project Serve. More than 1,100 UMobile faculty, staff, alumni and students participated in this effort, serving at more than 50 locations throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties.

“University of Mobile Project Serve has the potential to change lives in our community as well as on our campus as we strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to those around us,” said UMobile President Dr. Mark Foley.

The day began at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and a rally on the front lawn of Weaver Hall. Participants were welcomed by Director of Residential Life Kris Nelson, followed by Assistant Professor of Accounting and President of the Faculty Council, Mrs. Kathy Dunning.

“This is a win/win day,” said Dunning, as she addressed the faculty and staff. “We get to go out and change the world - to put actions to our words. And we get to do this side-by-side with our students.”

Foley encouraged participants to go with a “servant attitude” as told in the story of the Good Samaritan.

After a closing prayer, teams departed to their specified locations.

Each academic area and department chose a service project that was meaningful to them, directly impacted lives, and allowed students, faculty and staff to serve with their specific expertise and talents.

(left) UMobile baseball players help build a Habitat for Humanity home during UMobile Project Serve. umobile.edu 51

UMobile President Mark Foley shares a special moment with a nursing home resident in Mobile.

Photo by Dan Anderson.

School of Education student, Cierra Giles tutors children at Holloway Elementary.

“I really enjoyed serving our community and spreading God’s love in ways that can make an impact in children’s lives” Andrea Bailey

52 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Talents Touching Lives Mrs. Becky Fox, associate professor of music, knows first-hand the importance of ministering to elderly residents in assisted living homes.

She took her team of students from the Center for Performing Arts to the assisted living home where her own mother spent nine months prior to her death, which occurred less than a month beforehand.

“It meant so much to me to have our fabulous music students minister to some of my mother’s friends,” said Fox. Center for Performing Arts students and faculty visited 24 different nursing homes, veterans’ homes, and assisted living and rehabilitation centers in Bay Minette, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Citronelle, Grand Bay and Mobile. These teams sang hymns in the form of an “old-fashioned choir practice” and interacted with the individual residents.

“It was such a blessing to experience a worship time like this where multiple generations were united in expressing God’s love for His children, young and old,” said Chris Capasse, a senior majoring in music education.

“It was evident that both residents and our teams of students and faculty were blessed,” explained Lisa Davis, assistant to the dean in the Center for Performing Arts. “Music was the common thread shared by different generations.”

Visual Arts students spent four days at North Mobile Nursing Home bringing a “garden” to their recreation room. These talented students painted a mural of a garden in a courtyard for the residents to enjoy.

“The intense warm colors in the mural appealed to everyone,” said Phillip Counselman, assistant professor of art. “Students painted the scene to look like a three-dimensional space using one-point perspective.

People were really shocked to see

how it transformed the room.”

From Classrooms to the Community Blood pressure checks, pulse and blood glucose readings and discussions on noted risk factors are routine for nursing students and faculty during clinical training.

UMobile’s School of Nursing took this knowledge and expertise to an area Walmart and a church during Project Serve, offering free health screenings to the public.

“Blood pressure readings were recorded on cards and given to the patients,” said Dr. Richard McElhaney, dean of the School of Nursing. “If the blood pressure was outside of normal limits, a brief counseling was done to advise the patient to follow up with their physician.”

In addition to health screenings, nursing students and faculty also visited six different elementary schools, teaching the children about germs, flu hygiene and proper hand washing techniques.

“Some students even taught the children a song they made up about hand-washing to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” McElhaney said.

Elementary and Early Childhood Education students also visited an area elementary school.

“My intent in choosing Holloway Elementary School for our Project Serve experience was to provide a day of ‘hands on’ help for the teachers and students at an inner-city school in Mobile,” said Dr. Peter Kingsford, dean of the School of Education.

One reason he chose Holloway Elementary was that eleven of UMobile’s education graduate students are employed there. When Kingsford mentioned the possibility to some of them, they immediately said “yes” and one student called her principal on the phone right there in his office.

“The principal and faculty were

excited because their school did not experience many outside volunteers to assist teachers or read to students.

What was surprising at the end of the day were the benefits received by our own Project Serve student volunteers!

There was so much excitement and laughter and ‘sad goodbyes’ as our students left the school. Both the Holloway community and UMobile volunteers were enriched and blessed by this one day of sharing,” Kingsford said.

“I really enjoyed serving our community and spreading God’s love in ways that can make an impact in children’s lives,” said Andrea Bailey, a sophomore majoring in Early Childhood/Elementary Education.

“I was able to help children practice their reading and it confirmed that education is my calling. The whole day was so much fun and a blessing.”

Graduate student Wynona

Nicholson said, “I felt very touched by the experience because my children attended Holloway Elementary. It meant so much to me to give back to the school that has given my family so much.”

Building Relationships The Dumas Wesley Community Center provides activities for men, women, youth and children with the goal of strengthening family life, meeting needs, and developing leadership and responsibility in the Crichton community. In doing so, this center offers people the opportunity to understand God’s love through community outreach, food pantry, seniors programs, transitional housing for homeless women and children, and their Youth At-Risk program.

UMobile’s School of Business has worked with the Dumas Wesley Center in the past through the

Center for Performing Arts Student Johnny Marks sang a hymn with an assisted living resident in Daphne.

Photo by Michelle Rolls-Thomas umobile.edu 53

School of Business students volunteered at Dumas Wesley Center in Crichton. Photo by Dan Anderson.

Students in Free Enterprise (S.I.F.E.) organization. Through Project Serve, over 100 UMobile business students and faculty continued the longstanding relationship. Participants handled projects such as landscaping five acres of property, hosting a basketball clinic, entertaining senior citizens, auto detailing, inflating bike tires and basketballs, removing debris, office organization and filing, and cleaning apartments, doors, windows, classrooms, art room, and auditorium seats.

“I think this event was the epitome of the Christian character that is expected and upheld by the University of Mobile,” commented Ashley Shelton, a senior majoring in business. “I did not hear one person complain about the work. This was an optional project and the students and faculty who served did so willingly and selflessly.”

“Project Serve was really an eye opener as to what ‘serving the community’ really means,” said senior Michael Gentry. “I love kids and I had prepared myself to do a lot of talking.

God showed me that what was needed most was for me to listen. I 54 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

had planned so much, yet God altered my plan so I could see that it was never about me. It was only about being a servant.”

Kate Johnson, executive director of the Dumas Wesley Community Center wrote, “The University of Mobile students did a bang-up job during Project Serve ... we are so grateful for your consistent and faithful support of our ministries; we are truly blessed to have you as our partner in service.”

“Being able to spend the entire day at Dumas Wesley and see the transformation happening before your eyes was great,” said Graduate Assistant Davis Pilot, who helped organize the project for the School of Business. “It was a wonderful experience to see what the power of volunteering can do, even in such a short time period.”

For the College of Arts and Sciences, their choice of where to serve was evident. Dr. Troy Henderson, assistant professor of mathematics, and his wife recently had twin boys who spent time in USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital when they were born prematurely.

UMobile Business Affairs office staff work at a community garden. Photo by Kate Reali Mercer.

This, along with several of UMobile’s Pre-Med students who volunteer at the hospital, made it a good fit.

Dr. Dwight Steedley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, discovered that the hospital, which holds classes for the children that are too sick to attend their regular school, was in need of school supplies.

Students, faculty and staff donated money and teams of students were sent to purchase the needed items.

These students took this task seriously, seeking bargains to get the maximum amount of supplies possible.

“To the credit of our students, they more than doubled the amount of supplies that could normally be purchased with the given funds,” explained Steedley.

On the day of Project Serve, they delivered the items to the hospital and spent time with the people there.

“My hope is that we will have many others – especially our pre-med students – volunteer at the hospital in the future,” he continued.

“The kids had a great time working in the garden, and the pool party and volleyball were particularly a treat for them. “Morgan Carnley, ’11 Reaching Out Many more outreach opportunities presented themselves during Project Serve with additional teams from academic areas, athletics, staff departments, and Campus Life.

According to Dr. Doug Wilson, associate professor of Christian Studies, “Intercultural Studies majors helped with International Language School flyer distribution, cleaning at the International Ministries Center, and personal evangelism with seafarers from around the world. Theology students served senior adults in Chickasaw with yard work, while others partnered with the School of Nursing, engaging in personal evangelism at a medical clinic. Each project was an opportunity to show the love of Christ in practical ways.”

Faculty and students from the Center for Adult Programs assisted with cleaning and organization at the Alabama Baptist Children’s Home.

UMobile’s Athletic Training Education students organized the training room at a local high school. Social and Behavioral Sciences students and faculty served at an assisted living facility and a child and adolescence center.

Men’s and women’s athletic teams and coaches served at an elementary school in Prichard and worked with Habitat for Humanity in the construction of two homes.

Administrative departments served at organizations such as the Home of Grace, Claire’s Hope, the Ronald McDonald House, and a local childcare facility.

Students and staff with Campus Life served in one of three locations: L’Arche Mobile, Bay Area Food Bank, and an area nursing home.

Megan Hunter, Campus Life coordinator, said her favorite part

was when “we pulled up to L’Arche Mobile and two of the guys ran out, gave us hugs, and welcomed us.

“Some students were nervous about being around the mentally handicapped, but by the end of the day they were saying things like ‘this was the best day of my life.’ It was so encouraging and rewarding to see students have such joy after serving.”

Planting God’s Seeds While the UMobile Business Affairs Office staff were physically preparing soil and planting seeds at the Community Garden during Project Serve, they were also planting seeds of God’s love in the hearts of young people.

The Business Affairs team partnered with students from Light of the Village to work in this garden, which plants and harvests year-round crops and donates them to organizations such as the Salvation Army and Waterfront Rescue Mission.

Light of the Village is a faith-based, hands-on Christian ministry designed to share the love of Christ to individuals impacted by crime and poverty.

Serving residents in the Alabama Village community, Light of the Village established a Christian academy for the youth in this area.

These youth worked hard alongside UMobile staff, and also learned the meaning behind the work.

“Mr. Spencer, the Community Garden caretaker, shared with them techniques, reasoning and the purpose of their work that day. After our work in the garden, we invited the students of Light of the Village back to the

UMobile campus for a pizza party and swimming,” noted Angela Caples, Center for Adult Programs account manager who was a team leader for this project. “We also collected school supplies and personal hygiene products to send back with them.”

UMobile graduate and Light of the Village Workforce Development Director Morgan Carnley, ’11, said, “The kids had a great time working in the garden, and the pool party and volleyball were particularly a treat

UMobile Center for Performing Arts and College of Arts and Sciences students found joy in serving assisted living residents in Mobile. Photo by Doug Mitchell umobile.edu 55

The College of Arts and Sciences donated school supplies for children at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

Photo by Dan Anderson

School of Nursing students performed health screenings at First Baptist Church of Chickasaw.

Photo by Lyle Ratliff

UMobile RamKids, staff and students prepared backpacks full of school supplies for children in Prichard, AL. Photo by Dan Anderson

for them. Opportunities like that are a rarity for most of our students, and the UMobile staff did a great job making it a memorable time for them.”

Caples added, “This day was a reminder to us that we can make a difference that we may not directly see. What an awesome opportunity 56 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

we were given this day to plant God’s seeds of kindness, love and sharing with everyone.”

Pack the Pack Food, clowns, live entertainment, sports centers, and mega inflatables were just the beginning of the “Pack the Pack” Project Serve project organized by UMobile’s Center for

Leadership and RamKids Program.

As a partnership with the City of Prichard, this festival benefited children and families from the six elementary schools in the city.

But this effort was not just about entertainment. It was about sharing the love and compassion of God with the community.

“As part of our ongoing effort to invest in the lives of children in Prichard, the Center for Leadership had the privilege of donating and distributing 1,200 backpacks of school supplies to Prichard students,” said Dr. Joe Savage, director of UMobile’s Center for Leadership.

Amy Wright, a senior majoring in Global Business, commented on her experience. “Through participating in this project, I learned more about how to practically transform a community by meeting the spiritual and physical needs of people. That is the Gospel at work, and it is the most meaningful contribution we can offer to our community.”

“What stood out to me was the joy that families experienced and God’s love that we shared by serving His people,” said Nikeland Nichols, director of RamKids.

Savage added, “Project Serve was truly a pinnacle day for our mission of transforming our nation through the lives of our future leaders by contributing to their education.”

“I’m grateful for the university’s hands-on approach to cultivating life-change in our circles of influence,” Wright concluded.

Exclamation Point As for the woman in need of a ride home that day, she accepted the students’ offer and in turn served them fudge and an invitation to a meatloaf dinner. It is evident how this attitude of service can lead to

spontaneous acts of kindness in daily lives.

Foley said the university’s culture of learning, faith and leadership and the example of Jesus Christ inspired the decision to celebrate the school’s golden anniversary with this day of service.

“We wanted to saturate this city with a very real example of how you transform a nation. You do it by investing in someone’s life, and having that experience touch your own life. Our university has always had an emphasis on service. We hope this day and days like it in the future put an exclamation point on that,” Foley said. m

Art students and faculty painted a mural for a local nursing home.

Photo by Dan Anderson umobile.edu 57

58 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Hope is the Reason I Do What I Do

W

By Amy Wright

hen tornado warnings sounded throughout Alabama in April 2011, Dr. Fred Lackey knew he had to act as quickly as possible.

“The day after a disaster strikes is a day too late. People need you now, so you can’t wait,” said Lackey, assistant to UMobile President Mark Foley and pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Jasper, AL. The necessity of immediate response was critical following the massive 2011 tornado outbreak, which was the largest since 1974. More than 200 people lost their lives in Alabama on April 27, as 57 tornadoes raked across the state. Images of homes swept off their foundations and videos of a violent tornado inflicting mass destruction in Tuscaloosa pervaded the Internet as the nation focused on a devastated region.

Many of those tornadoes hit Walker County, where Lackey’s congregation resides.

Lackey was no stranger to the devastation left by tornadoes. He had survived the 1974 tornado outbreak by lying in a ditch with arms linked to members of his First Baptist Church

of Athens congregation as a tornado roared overhead. After participating in rescue, recovery and relief efforts then, he knew from experience that God’s people were called to action now as soon as the storm passed.

“My call is to minister to people in need,” said Lackey. “The church takes the resources God has given to us and uses them to minister to all people, both within and outside of the church.”

He put a benevolence fund and labor force on standby so his church could immediately respond to the needs of his community after the disaster occurred.

Once the tornadoes blew through, the Westside congregation sprang into action. They immediately mobilized into service, spending two and a half weeks clearing debris, repairing property damage, serving meals, providing clothes and opening their Family Life Center to house community members rendered homeless by the disaster.

Though Lackey and his church members were actively serving others in the weeks following the catastrophe, they weren’t untouched by the tornadoes. The church sustained considerable wind damage, destroying

Photo by Debby Faught. Top photo by Steve Carey. umobile.edu 59

Reprinted with permission from The Alabama Baptist

Fred Lackey: Dedicated & Committed Fred Lackey wasn’t going to let a broken jaw stop him from missing a Sunday church service for the first time in nearly 10 years but it was doctor’s orders.

The next Sunday, Lackey returned to church and 50 years later, he reached the 50-year mark of perfect attendance. He reached the milestone July 3, 2011 at Westside Baptist Church, Jasper, where he serves as pastor.

Lackey said he’s always been “a church man” and hasn’t missed church because the congregations he has been a part of have been such a blessing, “I’ve heard churches talk about bad deacons and bad congregations, but I’ve never seen that in my years as a pastor,” Lackey said.

He served as bivocational pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Prattville, from 1956 until 1964; Westside Baptist from 1964 until 1972; and First Baptist Church, Athens, from 1972 until 1996 before he began working at the University of Mobile as assistant to the president. Lackey continues to work at UMobile and returned to Dr. Fred Lackey Westside as pastor in 1998.

UMobile President Mark Foley said, “While it is certainly a remarkable achievement to have a perfect church attendance record for 50 years, it is no surprise to me that Fred Lackey would be the one to have attained that honor. His dedication to God and commitment to serving God’s people are perfect examples to me and to the remarkable span of generations he continues to influence.”

Lackey added, “I hope I’m going to be well enough and healthy enough to attend [church] for several more years.” the roof and damaging the pastorium.

Another home owned by the church was also destroyed.

Even so, Lackey said that the community comes first.

“I try to use the disaster to extend an invitation to them to be a part of God’s family and community,” said Lackey.

Whether providing material substance or spiritual counsel, Lackey’s ministry seeks to cultivate hope.

“Hope is the reason I do what I do,” he said.

Life-Changing Leadership It’s Fred Lackey’s quiet leadership that changes lives – and not only 60 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

in a crisis situation. A two-time president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, Lackey has served as a pastor to Alabama congregations for more than 50 years (see sidebar).

As long-time assistant to UMobile President Dr. Mark Foley, Lackey crisscrosses the state, developing and maintaining relationships with churches and recruiting countless students to the university, including his four granddaughters.

Mike Green ‘96, now pastor of Round Island Baptist Church in Athens, AL, remembers when Lackey’s influence led him to the University of Mobile.

Green was among nine students that Lackey brought to the school in 1993, many of whom were planning to enter the ministry.

“He brought several of us down to the University of Mobile to look at the school. If you were preparing for ministry, in his mind, you go to the University of Mobile,” recalled Green.

Green had given his life to Jesus Christ just a year before and grew up in a family that didn’t attend church.

“All of my theological base and foundation came from the University of Mobile. Everything Dr. Jim Bryant or Dr. Cecil Taylor or Dr. Dale Younce said, I absorbed. My first mission trip happened at UMobile,” he said. And, he met fellow student Jenny Ellison there, who would become his wife.

Lackey’s influence in his college choice – and in his life – was significant, according to Green.

“Him taking the time, pouring his life into young guys like me, was a big deal,” Green said.

Lackey said he believes in the University of Mobile because of the Christian principles at the heart of the school.

“The teachers, administration and faculty individually and collectively represent the kind of Christian faith necessary to kingdom lives doing kingdom work -- the kind of work that I believe God intends for us to do while we’re on this earth. I find that kingdom mindset present at the University of Mobile from the president all the way down to the students,” Lackey said.

“I also believe in the university because of their educational excellence demonstrated over the years. They teach students not only how to succeed academically but how to succeed in life as Christian men and women, as world-changers. I want to be a part of that. I want my life to

impact those around me, but I also want to be a part of changing the world in which we live. I just thank God to be a part of a university that changes lives,” Lackey added.

Hands and Feet The UMobile culture of “Changing Lives to Change the World” was evident as students quickly answered the call to cultivate hope among tornado-ravaged communities. Only a week after the outbreak occurred, students donated blood, supplies and gift cards to devastated areas.

The UMobile Student Government Association voted to donate $5,000 to Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief, a group of highly trained volunteers who are currently working to help impacted communities throughout the state.

In addition, the university sent 45 students and other volunteers from the Mobile community to help with disaster relief in Athens, Concord, Cullman, Guntersville and Tuscaloosa for a weekend.

Kristen Griffith, a senior psychology major from the Tuscaloosa area, led a UMobile relief team to her devastated hometown.

The students worked with Samaritan’s Purse to clean up the remains of a mobile home. They sorted through the overwhelming amount of wood, metal, sheet rock, insulation, and personal items of the home’s former inhabitants.

But the relief team extended more than a helping hand. They also offered a listening ear through spending an afternoon hearing the stories of Tuscaloosa residents and encouraging them to persevere.

Though the town was hardly recognizable through the rubble and uprooted trees, “Tuscaloosa is still the same,” according to Griffith.

Associate Professor of Biology Steve Carey is a veteran storm chaser.

“Even though the buildings are gone and city looks different, the people are still the same. They have all come together and have begun to rebuild the city,” she said.

For Griffith, the hope to rebuild was energized by the people of the University of Mobile.

“UMobile did a great job caring for my family, friends and city. They immediately wanted to help. They were my closest family to me since mine were in Tuscaloosa,” said Griffith.

The Concord team, which included 12 UMobile students and three members of First Baptist Church Satsuma, worked to help salvage whatever they could from the debris of families’ homes.

Debby Faught, a junior majoring in communication, said, “I knew that if I had lost everything in something like this, I would want as many memories as I could find. Finding photographs and a baby’s first Christmas ornament broke my heart.”

However, the impact of the relief team reached beyond the salvage and cleanup efforts. The students agreed that their purpose was simply to “be the hands and feet of Christ to those in need,” according to Megan Hunter, a campus ministries coordinator.

“I came this weekend just to see where God can use me,” freshman music major Magan Wade said, and Chance Hill, sophomore business major, added, “I just came to help.”

But the students weren’t the only ones who came to serve. When the team stopped by a Lowe’s to purchase supplies, a man ahead of them in the checkout line heard they had come from Mobile to help and insisted on paying the $90.60 bill.

Even among the roofless homes, uprooted oak trees and unidentifiable debris strewn throughout the visible landscape, glimmers of hope emerged.

Scraps of plywood, laid haphazardly among the debris, displayed spraypainted phrases reading, “keep the faith!” and “stay strong.” umobile.edu 61

“But then they would look across the field and see houses of our friends that were completely destroyed. That put things in perspective.” Katherine Looney Despite the devastating power of the storm, a light bulb, fully intact, was found during the cleanup effort.

The delicate yet resilient bulb was carefully handled by a gloved hand; demonstrating the fragility and divine protection of life in the midst of such a destructive calamity.

“In spite of all the destruction and devastation, God is still God and He is still good. I hope that our efforts today helped the people of Concord know that,” said Chelsea McDill, a junior studying elementary and early childhood education.

Hope for the Hurting Though the tornadoes didn’t touch Mobile, students on campus felt the harsh impact of the storms in a personal way.

An EF4 (a tornado with wind speeds up to 200 miles per hour), hit too close to home to Heather Flowers, a junior communication major from Hueytown, AL. “My house is about two miles from where the mile-wide tornado actually went through. My grandparents live about two miles from my aunt and uncle and the tornado went right in between the two. It’s a miracle my family wasn’t more affected by the storm,” said Flowers.

But some of her friends and neighbors lost much more. One family close to Flowers lost everything – all that was left of their house was the frame of the room in which they were taking shelter.

Senior Katherine Looney, a social science education major from Athens, AL, remembers talking to her family in east Limestone County before the tornado blew through.

“Every time I would talk to someone there, they would say the same thing: ‘Katherine, it’s bad.’ But I would not be 62 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

able to remotely understand how bad it was until I went home,” said Looney.

Though her family’s home remained intact, they lost a storage building full of items representing years of family memories.

“That really saddened our family,” said Looney. “But then they would look across the field and see houses of our friends that were completely destroyed. That put things in perspective.”

When Looney’s family went to salvage anything they could from the storage unit, they were surprised by an unlikely survivor: a pair of porcelain ballerina slippers, which was a lifelong favorite Christmas ornament of Looney’s.

“Among all of the devastation and everything that was ripped to shreds, were those porcelain ballerina slippers, completely unharmed on the pavement,” said Looney.

Just as the preservation of the porcelain ornament displays a picture of hope among the disarray, Flowers and Looney agree that the support of their friends, neighbors, and university has offered them a glimpse of hope throughout the ordeal.

“I love knowing that no matter what happens, our friends and neighbors are there for us and will be there to help us out,” said Looney.

Flowers said, “That’s what is so special to me about the University of Mobile. As soon as everyone heard how bad it was, UMobile was putting teams together to go help wherever they could. They didn’t waste any time.”

“You could see the love of Christ through all of this. The selflessness that the students, faculty and staff have was truly Christ-like. I was very proud to say I was a student at the University of Mobile,” said Flowers.

Lessons Learned Experiencing God’s presence through severe weather was the objective of another group of UMobile students this spring. Students in the “Super Storms of the Midwest” class were studying the formation and structure of weather patterns and forecasting and analysis methods when the tornado outbreak occurred.

They were preparing for a week-long stormchasing tour of the Great Plains they would take at the end of the semester.

Steve Carey, associate professor of biology and veteran storm chaser, taught the class. Carey said the tragic events in Mississippi and Alabama underscore the need for greater understanding of how tornadoes form, how strong they might become, and ways of improving warning times and delivery.

“I still have memories as a young child of being taken to the basement of our home while tornado warnings flashed on the television,” said Carey.

“We were lucky. Our house was spared but our neighbor’s homes across the street were damaged. I think my fascination with severe weather began at that point.”

Joshua Hembree, a senior political science major from Mobile, AL, shared Carey’s motivation to learn about severe weather. “It’s the mystery of it all in our modern day,” he said. “We know very little about (tornadoes) and we can’t stop them.”

Junior English major Alisha Britnell has family near Phil Campbell, AL. When she learned of the possible severity of the impending storms on April 27, she told her relatives how to seek shelter according to information she had learned in class.

Though her family members emerged virtually unscathed, some of

her friends and neighbors weren’t as fortunate.

Lane Keeton, junior theology major from Cordova, AL, enrolled in the class because he knows first hand the importance of understanding severe weather.

Keeton tried to contact his family in Jasper soon after the storms passed on April 27. Unfortunately, cell phone service was out, and he wouldn’t hear news of his family’s safety for two more days.

“It was terrifying,” said Keeton, a member of Lackey’s congregation.

Lackey was featured as a character in the book, “F5” by Mark Levine, which described the 1974 super tornado outbreak. Earlier this spring – before the outbreak of April 27 – Lackey spoke of his experiences to the class, who was studying the book in preparation of a 7-day storm-chasing field experience.

He recalled lying in a ditch with members of his congregation, seeing a white car thrown into the air, crossing nearly 80 feet overhead. Two houses exploded before their eyes, sending debris cascading across the sky.

He said he told those gathered in the ditch, “This is it, folks. If any of you aren’t right with God, get right now.”

Lackey advised the storm-chasing students to “live each day as if it’s your last. With that kind of attitude, you can face anything.”

Facing the Future Remembering how God used the 1974 disaster to reach the community prepared Lackey to face the impact of the impending tornadoes as he heard the warnings on April 27.

Sharing his reflections with the class, Lackey said, “The impact of the tornado, as devastating as it was,

brought the community together. The resulting cohesion of the community surpassed racial, economic, political and social barriers. That cohesion was beyond the devastation of an F5 (tornado).”

Lackey said, “God has used (the tornadoes) to reach out to people and provide them with a testimony about how goodness is revealed and received through His church.

People have grown closer to God and become more conscious of His presence.”

Having now UMobile’s 2011 stormchasing students. survived two major tornado outbreaks, Lackey says that the primary lesson he has learned through the experiences is that God is in control.

“We are totally dependent on Him for the outcome in every situation or circumstance, whether good, bad, or indifferent. He allows it all to happen for our good and His glory. It’s up to us to respond in a way to make (His kingdom) a reality” in the midst of the disaster, said Lackey.

No matter what calamity comes his way, Lackey’s message – much like his pulpit – still stands as a carrier of hope.

“Having a part in seeing hope rekindled in the hearts of hopeless people – that’s what I get excited about,” he said. m

He said he told those gathered in the ditch, “This is it, folks. If any of you aren’t right with God, get right now.” Fred Lackey

umobile.edu 63

RamKids Passion & Purpose

By Lesa Moore

A

midst the damage and destruction from the devastating tornado that caused over $500,000 in damage to Antioch Baptist Church in Pratt City, AL comes a glorious sound. It is the sound of voices - voices of teenagers spontaneously singing praises to God. This is not the sound you would expect from a group of high school students working in the extreme heat to help clean up piles of rubble and debris. Instead of dissension - there was teamwork. Instead of complaints - there was praise.

This was one of the biggest highlights of the RamKids summer session according to Nikeland Nichols, program director of RamKids, where approximately 68 students in grades 9-12 participated. “Volunteering with the tornado cleanup really made them appreciate

64 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Nikeland Nichols, director of RamKids, during UMobile Project Serve.

umobile.edu 65

“We encourage them to get out of that box. We focus on scholastic achievement along with a purpose to serve.”

Nikeland Nichols

what they had when they got home,” said Nichols.

RamKids is a federally funded program at the University of Mobile aimed at preparing at-risk high school students to succeed in college.

The program provides mentoring, leadership training and educational support to low-income minority students, many from single-parent homes, in Mobile County. More than 80 high school students and 12 University of Mobile college student mentors are involved in the program this fall.

The program’s theme is “Passion and Purpose.”

“Many of these students have a desire and a passion to do more with their lives,” explained Nichols.

“But sometimes there is a real lack of purpose behind that desire. A lack of identity, not knowing who they are in relation to the design God has for their lives.

“So many of them excel in academics, hiding behind books,” he continued. “We encourage them to get out of that box. We focus on scholastic achievement along with a purpose to serve. There is also a heavy focus on leadership skills and standards, knowing what those standards are, and setting goals according to those standards.”

The Leadership The RamKids program has been in place for the past four years. The University of Mobile named Nichols as the program director in June of this year.

“Nikeland Nichols is one of the best in the nation when it comes to working with at-risk kids,” said Dr. Joe Savage, director of the UMobile Center for Leadership.

Having worked with Nichols on several projects, including the Festival 66 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

of Hope, Festival of Champions and Worship at the Wharf, Savage has seen first-hand how his experience in counseling, music, and working with youth has made an impact in the lives of others.

Nichols holds a bachelor of science in accounting with a minor in music from Alabama A&M University. He served as lead facilitator and trainer with Young Leaders of America since 2008, providing service and mentoring to more than 1,500 students in the Mobile County Public School System and Strickland Youth Center. He has been a student pastor at Destiny Vision Christian Center in Mobile since 2000, and was a case manager for Minority Behavioral Health Group in Akron, Ohio, where he provided school-based therapy to serve at-risk students.

Nichols has written and arranged for names such as Grammynominated artist Kyle Bynoe and Praise, Grammy award-winning producer Kevin Dean, the University of Akron’s Gospel Choir, Will Smith presents True Worship, and Louise Greenup. He has performed at the Cleveland House of Blues, One Church Tour, the Bobby Jones Show, the Urban Impact Summit, Trinity Broadcasting Network and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gospel Extravaganza. He has blended his musical talents with his skills as a community leader to serve as site entertainment coordinator for the Festival of Hope in Mobile which provided compassionate services to more than 10,000 people and the Restoring Hope Project, which assisted families affected by the 2010 Gulf Coast Oil Crisis.

“My favorite thing about being involved in RamKids is developing relationships with the students,” said Nichols. “They are all works in

progress. I want to be able to meet them where they are and help them build upon their strengths.”

Also assisting in the leadership of the program are 12 University of Mobile student mentors. These mentors work to provide after-school tutoring and assistance with field trips and other projects. Fondly referred to as “Papa Bear” by the student mentors, Nichols says he thinks they love the opportunity to be “servant leaders that are able to pour into the lives of the kids.”

“A mentor for RamKids teaches the students valuable leadership skills that they can use in their community,” said Ashley Shelton, a RamKids mentor and senior in the UMobile 5-year Business Administration/MBA program. “Mentors are there to listen to the students and give advice when necessary. It means being a teacher and a friend at the same time.”

When asked about her experience this past summer, Shelton said “It was such a blessing to be around these students because we formed strong relationships with them. By the end of the fourth week, no one wanted to leave. RamKids is an incredible program for both students and mentors.”

The Preparation In order to help students find their purpose behind the passion, the RamKids program engages both the student and the parent in the process.

“I believe in the holistic approach to success,” explained Nichols. “Getting the parents or guardians involved is an important step. If we can get a blaze going in the house, then it is easier to get a spark in the child.

Children are imitators, and we should lead by example.”

The RamKids Annual Parenting Summit will be one way he plans

to accomplish this. This one-day event will stress conflict resolution, positive reinforcement and strategies for understanding the iY Generation of youth. In addition to parent involvement, Nichols focuses on keeping the students themselves engaged and goal-oriented. Some of the skills that are taught include time management, organization, test-taking, ACT/SAT preparation, and specific programs to develop and improve fundamental reading skills.

But that is not all.

“We also teach skills such as respect, self-control and integrity, and how to put those into action,” Nichols said.

“We want them to learn that it is not just about ‘I’ - but that we are put on this earth to impact someone else. It is important to understand what it means to have a healthy relationship with others and to live life to please God. “We also discuss topics such as compassion,” he continued.

“Compassion meaning beyond being sorry or sympathy, but seeing a need and actually helping meet that need.”

The Experience Nichols says it is the “new experiences that the RamKids students like most - experiences they would not have gotten otherwise.”

They had the opportunity to experience many things while traveling this summer. In addition to the volunteer work in Pratt City, AL, RamKids members also assisted as guest camp leaders at the Light of the Village camp in Prichard, AL, visited the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, and visited The King Center in Atlanta. While in Atlanta, RamKids were special guests at the historic Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

RamKids mentors and students provided a family fun event and school supply donations during UMobile Project Serve.

Photo by Dan Anderson

umobile.edu 67

RamKids students and mentors assist with cleanup efforts at Antioch Baptist Church in Pratt City, AL.

RamKids tour the U.S.S. Alabama during the summer program.

68 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Just a few weeks prior to his death, SCLC National President Howard W. Creecy Jr., a Mobile native from the Roger Williams housing complex, gave them a private tour of personal memorabilia from Dr. King.

Some of the projects planned during this school year include service projects to donate school supplies to needy families, working in homeless shelters, sponsoring needy families during the holidays, targeted leadership summits, shadowing government leaders in the community, and hearing from former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice at the annual UMobile Leadership Banquet.

The Result “Investing in the lives of these students is just one way the University of Mobile and the Center for Leadership is seeking to transform our nation,” Savage said.

“All of us have a responsibility to help kids at risk. I am so thrilled that the University of Mobile is taking intentional steps toward positively affecting our culture and the lives of children and families,” he said.

Nichols said, “Our ultimate goal is for these young men and women to know they don’t have to be products of their environment, that success lies within them. We are developing young people to be change agents in their environment by helping them in areas of leadership, culture, passion and purpose.

“Changing the life of a child will lead to change within their school and family which leads to change in their environment,” he added.

“Community involvement is critical and we must get fired up to bring this change and empower these students.”

RamKids will continue to do just that. And just as beautiful as the sound of those teenagers’ voices lifting in praise over destruction and despair, will be the echos of their contributions in the future as they find their passion and purpose to change the world around them. m

K O

ley O o B F

Wr. M E N yD

k

ar

b

“It’s Time” is about the need for a spiritually transformed nation, and how individuals can start that transformation. The author, Dr. Mark Foley, is president of the University of Mobile. The Twelve23 Movement calls for American citizens “To Lead, To Commit, To Transform America.”

This book is now available at Amazon.com

umobile.edu 69

70 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Ben Hedrick A Life Unlimited

By Kathy Dean

Moving from home to college is an adjustment for any student. For Ben Hedrick, sometimes the obstacles were overwhelming.

T

here was the morning the home health agency worker didn’t show up at his dorm room in Samford Hall to help him get ready for class. Born with cerebral palsy that severely limits his physical abilities, Ben could do little but what any other college student would do when confronted with an insurmountable situation – he called his mom.

“I used to dread hearing the phone ring” the first few years Ben was at college, recalled Sarah Anne Hedrick.

“There was never just ‘Hi, Mom.’ There was always a terrified voice on the other end.”

That particular day, “I pretty much lost it,” Sarah Anne said. Her youngest of three sons was lying in a bed, physically unable to take care of his needs, and she and husband Jim were hundreds of miles away in Birmingham, AL. But being a parent means equipping your child to face life’s challenges – including challenges so daunting that many others wouldn’t even attempt

them. Together, she and Ben discussed his options. He called one of the several University of Mobile students on his care team – students who daily assist Ben with his personal care. With that help, soon Ben was dressed, in his motorized chair and on his way to class with service dog Kirra trotting alongside.

“One of the major challenges of college is adjusting from Mom and Dad either doing things for me or providing the resources for me my entire life. Now you get to college and it’s ‘Ben’s got to figure it out.’ Some of the challenges of college for me are having to learn to be assertive in my own right, to stand up and handle situations on my own,” Ben said.

It’s the same adjustments all college students have – but magnified. It’s all the normal challenges – plus.

“It was overwhelming. You have every fear and anxiety that every freshman starts out with, and you have the fear of the disability – what if something happens when you are so far from home?” Ben recalled.

The Hedricks knew Ben’s college life would have challenges, and they also believed in Ben’s ability to face them and succeed. But it wasn’t all about the challenges, or proving that a disabled person could overcome them.

“This was not a social experiment,” Sarah Anne said. “This was Ben’s college experience.”

A Determined Young Man Brian Boyle, ’94, remembers the first day he met Ben. It was during a Visit Day, the temperature was over 100 degrees, and Ben, his mother and a family friend were looking at the flat tire on their van. Brian, then director of admissions, came to help.

“I remember Brian with a tire iron, in his black pin-striped suit,” said Ben, laughing. While campus security rescued the day with a can of Fix-aFlat, Brian and Ben talked. It was the start of a friendship.

“We talked about life,” Ben recalled.

The life Ben wanted was one his parents had prepared him for. “We wanted Ben to be as independent as

umobile.edu 71

“Once I decide I’m going to do something, I do it.

It’s ‘help me, or get out of my way.’” Ben Hedrick possible, to do all he was capable of doing. And we held him accountable,” his mother said.

When it came time for Ben to choose a college, he expected to follow in his brothers’ footsteps and go away to school. He came home from a college fair at his high school, talking about this “neat place in Mobile.”

The obstacles were more than distance: Ben would be leaving a wellestablished support network of family, friends, caregivers and physicians. It would be easier to go to college closer to home. But Ben doesn’t do “easy.”

“Once I decide I’m going to do something, I do it,” Ben said. “It’s ‘help me, or get out of my way.’”

Ben and Sarah Anne met with then-Director of Residential Life Vanessa Neely Wallace, ’02, -- and they remember vividly what she said: “We’ve never had a student quite like Ben living on campus, but if this is where God is leading you to be, it is as much our job to make it happen as it is yours. If Ben holds up his part of the bargain, we’ll hold up ours. Tell us what we need to do.”

That was in sharp contrast to the attitude Ben encountered at some other schools he visited, where the attitude was basically “good luck,” he said.

“We both felt a real peace about the campus,” Sarah Anne said.

to New Orleans and Atlanta, being involved in campus events – this is all just part of the picture of Ben’s college life.

Also there are the long hours spent in class and in the Chora Godwin Learning Center in J.L. Bedsole Library, where peer tutors help him accomplish the physical tasks needed to complete his coursework. It’s all about speed – student tutors type Helping students reach higher Ben’sdisabled essays as he dictates them;education they pull books from the library

papers, getting a book in the library,” Ben said. “God wants me to be here, so He’s going to provide the people to get it done.”

Some of those people are students who feed and brush his service dog, who take notes in class, and who help him with personal care in the afternoons and evenings. Sarah Anne stays in Mobile the first few weeks of each semester, helping to assure that the support network is in place and serving as “the ultimate backup.”

Ben is in charge, coordinating his personal care, calling on his vast array of friends when he could use a hand with a task.

Ben makes it look easy.

But it’s not.

“Ben never made it all about his disability. He never tried to hide the fact that it was difficult, but it wasn’t an excuse,” said Brian, now vice president for institutional advancement.

The first year and a half was a real struggle. It was difficult being the only student at that time living on campus with a visible disability. There were medical issues and surgeries that interrupted his academic studies.

While the university responded quickly to needs such as installing more ramps, more automatic door openers, and other things to make the campus even more accessible, many times it was Ben who first found the obstacle and pointed out the necessary changes.

Being a pioneer has its downsides.

“I remember one meeting in the lobby, when Ben was really down, almost at the end of his rope emotionally. It was less about his ability and more about the entire college thing,” Brian remembered.

Ben even thought about quitting.

But that just didn’t set right. Ben doesn’t quit.

The Hedrick Foundation

The Hedrick Foundation

Living the College Life The photos on Facebook tell the story of a young man having the time of his life at college. There’s Ben at several Monsters’ Balls dressed as a tank, a bulldozer and a battle bot.

Here he’s belting out “Danger Zone” at Covers. A group picture of Ben and friends in gnome hats, a shot of Ben rolling along the skating rink with friends, illustrate a busy social life.

Going on Urban Plunge mission trips 72 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

To learn more about The Hedrick Foundation, Helping disabled students reach higher education email info@hedrickfoundation.org.

Donations to

The Hedrick Foundation* may be sent to 1110 Dearing Downs Drive, Helena, AL 35080. *501(C)3 application is pending.

shelves that he wants to help with his research, they get things out of his backpack. Getting what is in his brain transferred to paper in a timely manner is something he can’t accomplish alone.

Ben is an ideal student, “dedicated and stubborn,” said Kim Fobes, director of the Learning Center. “He is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen.”

“I don’t necessarily need tutoring time for concepts; I need help manipulating a book, organizing

Sarah Anne and Ben Hedrick

What he needed was a reason to push on. In conversations with Brian and his mother, Ben realized that the path he was paving wasn’t just for him alone. There were so many other students with disabilities who dreamed of going away to college.

Ben could use his experiences, his knowledge, his network and his tenacity to help their dream become reality.

He could make this happen through a donor-supported public charity: The Hedrick Foundation.

The Hedrick Foundation It took Ben and Brian nearly three years of planning, envisioning and pulling together pro-bono services of attorneys and accountants to bring The Hedrick Foundation from an idea to a reality.

Ben sees The Hedrick Foundation as the catalyst to help others, and a way to use his college experiences to assist students with disabilities. That belief is encompassed in the mission statement: The Hedrick Foundation is committed to the belief that physical disabilities should not limit an individual’s aspirations, particularly a person’s access to higher education, which is a foundation

Photo by Dan Anderson

“Ben has incredible initiative.

He has pretty much been the catalyst for his own advancement.”

Brian Boyle

umobile.edu 73

“This is not what we have done, but what God has done through us.” Sarah Anne Hedrick for success.

The Hedrick Foundation exists to assist physically disabled college-bound students in the United States and abroad with overcoming financial and logistical barriers associated with attending college.

On Aug. 1, 2011, the Board of Directors held the first meeting of The Hedrick Foundation. Brian, who serves on the Board, said establishing The Hedrick Foundation is just the starting point for Ben, and he has no doubt that Ben will succeed.

“The first time I met Ben, I got the impression that he was a trailblazer. He doesn’t know his own limitations,” Brian said. “Ben has incredible initiative. He has pretty much been the catalyst for his own advancement.”

Once he asked Ben what drove him.

“He said, ‘We all face mountains in life. We all have obstacles,” Brian said.

An inspiring public speaker with a sense of humor and a comfortable, likeable personality, Ben intends to use his skills to raise financial support for The Hedrick Foundation.

His business administration degree, which he completes in December, will prepare him to direct the foundation.

His understanding of the needs of individuals with physical disabilities, and the challenges of college life, will help him determine the most effective uses of funds to assist individuals.

Some of the things he envisions providing are tools to help college students manipulate books or their surroundings. For example, there is a device that enables electrical appliances such as toasters and coffee pots to be voice-activated.

The foundation may fund some simple fixes that make dorm life possible, such as purchasing a table that is the correct height for a person in a wheelchair, or risers to put bookshelves and refrigerators at an 74 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

accessible height.

There are other needs as well: transportation, lodging for family members near campus, tutors, attendant care, counseling services.

Living with a disability is expensive, and there are gaps that other funding sources or family finances can’t supply.

“There are state agencies, but their resources and mission are so broad that they can’t target college students,” Ben said. “If the gaps are something crucial to success, like paying for tutors to manipulate books or type papers, that would be huge.”

Ben added, “My goal is that 18 months from Aug. 1, 2011, to help at least one kid.” He intends to work hard, to dream big, and to see the foundation helping many more young people make a successful transition to college.

Ben is looking forward to sitting across the table from CEOs, sharing his vision and enlisting support. The message will be more meaningful if he is the one delivering it, he believes.

After all, “they will be looking at me to see if this can be successful.”

The UMobile Team Spirit When Ben receives his degree during graduation ceremonies in May, he will do so with the sure knowledge that his success isn’t his alone. He has a team that starts with a supportive family that expects great things for him, and from him.

“The staff and students of the University of Mobile have surrounded me with support,” he said, including everyone from the maintenance department to the president.

“I wish there was some way people on campus could really embrace what a team effort this has been,” his mother added. “This is not what we have done, but what God has done

through us. It’s about everybody doing what God was leading them to, being faithful to fulfill their mission.”

“It’s a team giving somebody with a disability the ability to do it,” Ben said.

During the process, Ben said he has grown.

“When I first came here, I was pretty close to being paralyzed by the unknown. I was like a deer in the headlights. The growth in myself as an individual and the growth in my faith that God is going to take care of it” was major, he said.

The tough times taught him who he is.

“There was a point in time when I thought, ‘do I really believe what I say I do, both as a Christian and as an individual,’” Ben said.

When she sees Ben accept his diploma, Sarah Anne anticipates a wave of emotions.

“Gratitude, that as a family we made it through this, we have done this as a team. Pride, that Jim and I have three awesome sons. Relief, that it’s over and he has packed his toolbag. He has what he needs to be an independent adult.”

Sarah Anne said college is often a time of transition for any student, and it is an appropriate time for someone with a disability to learn this as well.

“Ben needed to finish his growth as a young person,” she said. “There were challenges he needed to meet – and he has.”

For Ben, the challenges are not over.

As he looks to his future and the goal of helping others with disabilities make their college dreams come true, he understands there are some things you just can’t put limits on.

“You don’t know what’s going to come out of giving somebody an opportunity,” he said. m

The course of study is music the four-year journey is the real education!

University of Mobile Center for Performing Arts umobile.edu |251.442.2320

To schedule an audition appointment www.umobile.edu/audition or call 251.442.2320

umobile.edu 75

UMobile student Jayme Snellgrove at the Shelter City Hostel in Amsterdam.

76 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

by Amy Wright

Classical art depicting the familiar stories of Abraham and Isaac, David and Goliath and the Last Supper hung on the walls of an Italian hostel. Though the meanings of the images

were familiar to University of Mobile campus minister Neal Ledbetter, a fellow traveler named Jason didn’t recognize the stories portrayed.

It was the perfect opportunity for Ledbetter to share the gospel of Christ through explaining the meanings of the art on the walls. His story is just one example of how University of Mobile students encounter God in unusual places through the university’s Youth Hostel Missions program.

Traveling as traditional tourists, three teams of students spend one month either backpacking through major European cities, island-hopping

umobile.edu 77

UMobile student Jacob Fowler in the Phillipines. Photo Courtesy of International Mission Board

in the Philippines or following the footsteps of the apostle Paul in Greece and Turkey. The teams lodge in youth hostels or remote villages, where the community atmosphere provides opportunities to build relationships.

Team members blog about their experiences throughout the journey.

Ryan Pippin, a member of one of the Europe teams, wrote, “Walking out on the porch and looking over the Swiss Alps, I realize the kind of God I serve.

It was so amazing to see His creation like this because we don’t really get to experience this in the states. The people here have been amazing, very open to talk and really nice.”

Begun in 2005 by UMobile Director of Campus Ministries Neal Ledbetter, Youth Hostel Missions is a different type of mission trip. Ledbetter said, “While each trip is distinct, all use the platform of travel and continue to be highly experiential, highly missional, and highly educational.”

In preparation for the month-

Josh Bugg, Natalie Mulhall, Debby Faught, Greg Johnson, and Josh Dailey at the Coliseum in Rome, Italy.

78 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

long journey, students complete an intensive discipleship and teambuilding program. Throughout the six years of its existence, Youth Hostel Missions has expanded from four students per year to almost 20.

Students participate in a progressive method of mission involvement through Campus Ministries during their time at the University of Mobile. Many begin their service through Project Serve, in which students volunteer with local charities and church ministries. Some continue to Urban Plunge, an annual 48-hour mission trip to major cities in the southeastern United States.

Others spend spring break on The Bridge, a week-long effort in which students assist church planters in cities including Seattle, San Francisco, and Toronto.

Each layer of mission involvement enlightens students’ understanding by exposing them to different cultures and worldviews and training them in various methods of evangelism.

“Riding on a metro, gazing at the people makes you wonder how many know or have even heard of Jesus.” Debby Faught The strategy of Youth Hostel Missions participants is to build relationships and initiate spiritual dialogue as they travel. Debby Faught, a senior communication major on a Europe team, wrote, “The population of the city center of Paris is 2,170,000. Wow. Being in such a big city makes you realize how many people there are in this world; it’s not just the small UMobile campus anymore. Riding on a metro, gazing at the people makes you wonder how many know or have even heard of Jesus.”

Though the European teams travel among youth hostels, the Philippines team travels from village to village in boats on the Oras River. An International Mission Board article about the team wrote, “They visit people who live so deep in the jungle that no roads reach their homes. This method of witnessing allows villagers to open their homes with true Filipino generosity.”

Megan Hunter, who led the Philippines team, wrote in her blog, “The Lord is leading us and helping us to live missionally with these people as we cook over an open fire, eat rice every day, bathe out of buckets, do laundry in basins, and sleep on the floor or in hammocks!”

Along the journey, friendships are built with fellow travelers and conversations typically lead to topics of life, purpose and faith.

“The highlight of the trip so far for me has been the people that we have met and the conversations that we have had. It is very easy to find things in common with each other and we are all in the same place. We see the same sights and we have some of the same questions. It is helpful to meet people who have already been where we are traveling. They are able to answer our questions and, at times,

we have been able to answer some of theirs,” wrote Kris McAuley, a senior communication major and member of the Greece and Turkey team.

Students often encounter people with little to no religious background, which opens an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with travelers and villagers who are searching for meaning in their lives.

Ryan Whitfield, a member of the Greece and Turkey team, wrote, “Most of the people we have met have felt the freedom to pour out their life stories on us strictly because we are human beings willing to listen.

These are the type of people we are looking for! Desperate. Needy.

Wanting to experience God’s beautiful creation with someone else. We’ve run into dozens of travelers searching for something bigger than themselves.”

The teams have engaged people in spiritual dialogue from within hostel lobbies, museums, restaurants and rural villages alike. Though each conversation is different – as are the people with whom the students are conversing – every dialogue carries a common theme: the demonstration of Christ’s love for people.

“We did a Bible study with our family in the first village and a 60-year-old woman told us that it was the first time that she had ever heard the Gospel. It was almost bonechilling to think that God gave us the opportunity to share the great news about Jesus with this woman for the first time in her entire life!” wrote Jacob Fowler, a senior theology major on the Philippines team.

“We’ve been sent by God to all people, everywhere. The Gospel is for people and it spreads through people.

As people receive Christ and their inward life is changed, their outward life follows. As a result of this life change, relationships, communities,

Debby Faught in Pisa, Italy.

societies, and cultures are changed.

The world is changed,” said Ledbetter.

But those encountered by Youth Hostel Missions teams aren’t the only ones to receive life-change.

Natalie Mulhall, a senior church music major from Quakertown, PA; returned from Europe ready to continue building relationships that open doors to spiritual dialogue.

“Youth Hostel Missions changed my heart and has transformed my perspective on life. I know that my priorities are changed. I am no longer searching for success but instead for the opportunity to be the Gospel to whomever or wherever God takes me,” she wrote.

“That’s our mission - to see the Gospel permanently change lives,” said Ledbetter.

For more information and additional resources about Youth Hostel Missions, visit www. youthhostelmissions.com. or call 251.442.2429. m umobile.edu 79

Photo courtesy of Mobile Press-Register

80 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Change-Agent Leadership Dr. James West, III, M.D.

By Emily Kaye

M

obile surgeon and University of Mobile Trustee Dr. James West uses his gifts and training to change the world, one patient at a time.

As a respected orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. West donates his time each year to operate on patients from other countries who are afflicted with scoliosis, a medical condition in which a person’s spine is curved abnormally.

In this way, he carries UMobile’s mission of “Changing Lives to Change the World” to its most literal conclusion.

One of his most dramatic cases occurred in March 2010, when he operated on a young girl from Ubud, Bali. Eling Sriwedari’s back was so curved, she couldn’t stand fully erect.

Beyond the physical pain and medical implications of her condition, Dr. West said Eling was facing cultural stigma.

“Since she had this severe curve, she was of the devil,” Dr. West said of the way people in Eling’s community viewed her condition. “They thought she was cursed.”

Eling’s status as an outcast became so unbearable, she had withdrawn from school, Dr. West said.

Enter Kris Anderson, an Orange Beach shop owner who travels to Bali

frequently for business. Kris met and became friends with Eling’s mother, Ketut, through this travel. After hearing of the young girl’s plight, Kris decided to get involved. She knew one of Dr. West’s fellow surgeons at The Orthopaedic Group, P.C., and longtime UMobile Trustee Dr. Robert McGinley.

Through this connection, Dr. West found out about Eling’s condition and agreed to do the surgery at no cost.

From there, his operating room nurse, Lisa Fondren, arranged for donations from Mobile Infirmary Medical Center, nurses, and instrumentation companies.

Still, with all the preparations, Dr. West was in for a surprise the day he met Eling and her mother.

“I had been told it was a 40- to 50-degree curve,” Dr. West said of Eling’s scoliosis. “When we x-rayed her, that really threw us. When she got here the curve was so great that it was obvious what we had to do.”

Contrary to previous thoughts, Eling suffered a curve of 104 degrees.

In most cases, surgeons begin considering corrective surgery when a curve reaches 50 degrees. Instead of a simpler surgery, Eling’s condition required two surgeries. The first required Dr. West to remove a rib and several disks in Eling’s spine in order

to make her curve less stiff. Six days later, Dr. West performed the second surgery where he inserted two metal rods along her spine, affixed with more than 20 screws.

Now, almost two years later, Eling is back in school and doing things other normal teenagers do, like riding a bike for the first time.

“From her e-mails, I think she’s very happy and doing great,” Dr. West said, who still communicates with her.

Even with his busy schedule of work and commitments to church and other boards, Dr. West said he didn’t hesitate when approached to be on the Board of Trustees at UMobile.

“I have been a direct witness to the faith-based programs and the way the University of Mobile integrates Christianity into their curriculum,” Dr. West said. “With Dr. Foley at the helm, I believe this is the best Christian education available.”

Dr. West’s daughter, Sarah, is a senior in UMobile’s School of Nursing.

Through Sarah’s experience as a student, Dr. West said he was able to see the mission of the university in action.

“I’ve seen it from all sides,” Dr. West said. “I’ve seen it from the Mobilian side, the trustee side, the parent side and, from Sarah, I’ve seen it through the student side.” m umobile.edu 81

Dr. William Carroll, Director Athletic Training Education Professor, HPES Photo by G.M. Andrews

82 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Called to Service... and the Sidelines Athletic Training Students Go Beyond the Basics

W

By Lesa Moore

ho says the future does not belong to those standing on the sidelines? For the University of Mobile’s athletic training education students, that phrase takes on a whole new meaning. On the sideline is where their talents shine.

From professional sports teams to Division 1 football programs to high school athletics, UMobile students are getting real-world experience.

With their training room as a table on the edge of the sports field, working out of a bag, these students are understanding first-hand what it means to work in the athletic training profession.

But it’s not all just sports and games.

This program requires intense study, hard work, and a calling to care for others. According to Dr. William Carroll, director of UMobile’s athletic training education (ATE) program and professor of human performance and exercise science, students will have around 250 hours of observations completed by the end of their freshman year and a total of 1,2001,400 hours by the time they graduate.

Another six semesters of clinicals are required with hands-on training at various locations.

In addition to field observations and training, students take classes in subjects such as modalities, rehabilitation, evaluation of

injuries, screening process, general medical conditions, anatomy and organizational administration of athletic training. Classroom instruction teaches students how to become onsite medical specialists for athletic teams – performing triage, evaluation, treatment, and giving referrals to physicians if required.

But it’s the hands-on experience they like the most.

“Students like applying the knowledge they receive. During clinicals we have placed students in professional organizations such as the Cleveland Browns, U.S. Marines basic training and the Andrews Institute as well as in area high schools and college football settings,” said Carroll.

“They also like working in the labs where they can make mistakes on each other before they get in the field.

“With four years of practical experience, you can hit the ground running when you graduate,” he continued. “You’re taking theory and putting it into practice under direct supervision. The abstract becomes concrete.”

Carroll came to the University of Mobile in 2001, when he built the ATE program from scratch. He says his favorite thing about UMobile is seeing his students graduate and become successful certified athletic trainers and physical therapists. Now, with an established program of 11 years, he is pleased to report on its great success.

“Every student in our program that has taken the Board of Certification Exam has passed. They work really hard for four years to take this one test,” Carroll said with pride. “All of those who have graduated are either employed in athletic training or another medical specialty, or have gone on to further their education in graduate programs for athletic training, physical therapy or occupational therapy.”

Dr. Nancy Huff, chair of the department of human performance and exercise science, agreed that the ATE program has been a huge success.

“This program has an excellent reputation and will continue to grow as our graduates move into nationally sought-after positions,” said Huff. “I would not hesitate to compare UMobile’s program to any other, regardless of size. We are well represented in the field and have earned this reputation of excellence.”

UMobile graduates have a distinct advantage with this background of intense training, hundreds of hours of observation, years of hands-on experience, and mentoring from one of the most experienced and soughtafter professionals in the field.

Carroll’s own expertise in the field of athletics packs a real punch. He has earned personal accomplishments in the boxing arena as the 1962 Golden Gloves Super umobile.edu 83

Photo by Ben Finch

Bantamweight Champion and 1963 Super Featherweight Champion and as a member of the Chicago Golden Gloves Hall of Fame. He also brings with him athletic training experience of olympic proportions.

At the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Carroll developed protocols for testing athletes for drugs, organized an international committee to help him, and oversaw the entire process in China. He recently spent 10 days in London teaching the individual who will handle the 2012 Olympics Banned Substances Program.

“You bring back something from every experience and that involves the students. I tell the students here is a problem that popped up over there, based on your knowledge in athletic training, how would you handle the challenge,” explained Carroll.

In addition to his leadership in the Olympic games, Carroll has years of various international experiences in the field. He regularly teaches a course at the World Anti-Doping Agency in Montreal, Canada; helped write the drug testing policy and protocols for NCAA Division 1 schools; has served as a consultant and athletic trainer for the French Olympic Development 84 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Team; and was head athletic trainer for the World Hockey Association and the European Hockey League.

He does not just instill knowledge of athletic training in his students – he wants them to learn more.

“Beyond strict competencies in athletic training, one of the most important things I want students to learn is that it is not about them.

It’s about the care they give to the athlete,” he said.

Carroll wants his students to learn to have a solid work ethic, loyalty, caring for other people, and to be dedicated to the profession. He teaches this in the classroom and through his own life example.

In 2010, Carroll accepted the position of athletic trainer for India’s boxing team in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Although the country was in utter turmoil when he arrived, he was able to make a real difference in the lives of those around him. While other trainers chose to leave the country, Carroll remained to help not only the boxing team during the day, but also the track and field athletes in the evenings.

“I had a job to do and I was there to do it. Injured athletes needed my help

when there was an insurrection going on as much as when there wasn’t an insurrection,” he said.

Carroll spent a week in Cancun, Mexico this summer at the World Tennis High Performance Academy where 2010 UMobile graduate Alejandro Vial serves as tennis director. Carroll made presentations and shared his knowledge on sports injury prevention to international coaches in the Sports Science Association. He continues to teach in foreign countries, including Thailand, where audiences have been known to line up to ask questions for lengthy time periods after class. He says this is “very rewarding” to work with people who are so eager to learn.

This eagerness does not just occur in the international arena, however.

One of Carroll’s fondest memories is of working with students at a Mobile Wizards game, when the city of Mobile had an indoor football team.

“A young man came up to say, ‘I want to be an athletic trainer and I was told you could teach me.’ We spoke and I wasn’t sure I would hear from him again,” said Carroll. “Then he called me a week later. He enrolled here, applied himself, worked full time to go to school, had a great work ethic, and continued on to physical therapy school after graduation. He is now working in the field and still gets offers from the NFL.” This student was Jamal Randall ’06, DPT, ATC/L (Doctor of Physical Therapy, Athletic Trainer Certified/ Licensed).

“Attending the University of Mobile Athletic Training Education Program has to be one of the most rewarding things I have done educationally,” said Randall. “The education, along with experiences that I was provided inside and outside the classroom, was great. Inside the classroom, Dr.

“You’re taking theory and putting it into practice under direct supervision. The abstract becomes concrete.” Dr. William Carroll

of athletes in contact sports, such as Carroll and the ATEP staff provided football, more and more trainers are the educational tools that properly needed. There are also opportunities prepared me to become a certified with youth sports clinics and teacher athletic trainer. Outside the classroom, certifications for middle school and I was able to work with high school, high school settings. States such as college, and professional athletes.

Texas and some areas of Florida, Having the opportunity to work with Indiana and Hawaii require athletic the Cleveland Browns during summer trainers to be on staff for 5A and 6A camps along with a few regular season high school sports, creating even games was an experience that words more demand for the profession. cannot explain.

Students enrolling at the University “I would like to thank Dr. Carroll, of Mobile may declare their major the ATEP staff, and the University of in athletic training upon admission, Mobile for providing me with a great but acceptance into the program is education and opening many doors determined after their freshman year. for my career,” he added.

After their second semester, they may The job market, according to Carroll, submit an application to be accepted. has been very good in this field for Qualifications are then determined the past 15 years and is expected to get better. Due to the sheer3number 2011PkwyMchn&MtlAD_Layout 1/20/11 11:16 AM based Page 1on grade point average and

interviews. Carroll usually knows, however, who will continue in the program.

“Either they love it or they hate it,” declared Carroll. “There is usually nothing in between.”

His advice to students considering the ATE profession is to spend time with an athletic trainer to get an understanding for what he or she does and then “you will know it in your heart.”

And if he has his way, they will graduate to become innovative, highly-trained professionals who are fulfilling their calling to serve and care for others. They may be physically on the sidelines, but definitely on the front lines in the game of life. m

Parkway Machine and Metal Works have been serving customers with quality service and on-time delivery for industries such as aircraft, chemical, oil/gas, utilities, ship yards and steel mills since 1974.

Our 18,000 sq. ft. machine shop is equipped with Manual and CNC machines, lathes, and an O-Max water jet capable of manufacturing specialized, precision machined parts.

We have extensive experience in machining a wide range of material from plastics and aluminum to stainless steel. All parts are inspected and monitored throughout the complete manufactured process complying with ISO 9001 standards to insure a quality product.

Parkway Machine & Metal Works 866.344.5044 Keith Humphrey, Sales - 251.463.3734 Sue Phillips, Sales - 251.680.1323 1426 Industrial Pkwy • Saraland, AL 36571 www.parkwaymachinemetalworks.com umobile.edu 85

The Kingdom Power Sports Crew poses with Dr. Joe Savage and the Twelve23 logo on the race car on the campus of the University of Mobile.

Pictured standing fron left are Theresa Joiner, John Joiner, Darien Powell, Joe Savage and Joseph Joiner.

Kneeling: Jesse Enterkin.

86 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Family Shares Christ

Through Racing

C

By Amy Wright

An M-Fuge student signs the race car during a visit by Kingdom Power Sports to the UMobile campus.

hristians across the nation, including a Florida Baptist family, are joining the mission of the Twelve23 Movement at the University of Mobile by individually and collectively transforming America from their homes, churches, workplaces, and even racetracks.

The Joiner family of Kingdom Power Sports and the Joiner Racing Team wanted to share the Gospel in the racing community.

Seventeen-year-old Joseph Joiner, 2009 and 2010 Northwest Florida Speedway Late Model Champion, drives a race car labeled with Bible verses and “Jesus Lives” printed across the back spoiler.

But when the Hickory Hammock Baptist Church of Milton, FL members heard University of Mobile President Mark Foley speak about every Christian’s role in the cultural and spiritual transformation of America, the Joiner family’s passion for sharing Biblical truth through their sport was compelled even further.

Today, Joiner’s race car also displays the Twelve23 Movement and “It’s Time” logos.

“God’s Word is not heard much around the racetrack and I feel that it is our job to try to make it available to anyone who wants to come to know Christ. That is what the sport truly needs and I want to help make it

happen,” Joiner said.

Parents John and Theresa Joiner also share their faith around the racetrack in their own ways. John discusses the Gospel and Biblical truth with athletes and spectators while Theresa often hands out tracts and other keepsakes.

“We wanted to bring racing and our faith together,” said Theresa Joiner.

“We’re just trying to spread God’s word.”

Joe Savage, director of the UMobile Center for Leadership and Twelve23 Movement, said, “Joiner Racing Team is a great example of how one can use their passion, skill and influence to glorify Christ. We are excited they have chosen to promote the Twelve23 Movement prominently on the side of their race car, and more importantly, to display the message of salvation found in Christ.”

Theresa Joiner said, “The more people who stand up for their faith, the more our society will be changed.”

The Twelve23 Movement is an outgrowth of the UMobile Center for Leadership, which aims to equip leaders of all generations and vocations to become a transforming influence in the revitalization of Christian faith and character in America.

For more information about the Twelve23 Movement and the University of Mobile Center for Leadership, visit www.twelve23.org or call 251.675.7551.m

umobile.edu 87

Alumni

Glorious Mess

Dorothy Thompson Savage

By Emily Kaye

It’s hard to imagine by looking at this successful and highly-energetic Christian musician, actor and writer, that she has ever faced the difficulties in her life which she describes. There was a brief moment, however, when Dorothy Savage ’98 was ready to give up. As a music major at UMobile and primary caregiver for her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer, Dorothy’s exhaustion had come to a head.

Dorothy recalls this time in her life vividly. It was the end of the first semester, and Dorothy was parking her car near Martin Hall on the university campus. She was due to perform for a vocal jury.

“I remember having a panic attack in the car, sitting in front of Martin,” Dorothy said. “I remember saying, ‘I’m going to quit’, and I just heard God say, ‘No.’” Dorothy then went inside and proceeded to pass her jury, and from then on, “I knew I could take it,” she said.

She went on to become the first person in her family to graduate from college.

Though Dorothy’s unshakeable determination has defined her thriving career as a contemporary Christian musician, a New York theatre actress and a writer, her success still bears the scars of a difficult past.

Beginnings Dorothy was born in New England and lived in Florida before moving to Mobile, AL. Growing up the youngest of four children, Dorothy saw her family go through not only tough financial times, but also struggles with illness.

At the age of 13, Dorothy’s mother, Linda Thompson, was diagnosed with cancer. For the next nine years, Linda 88 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

fought the disease while Dorothy served as her caregiver.

Her mother’s illness had a profound effect on Dorothy, who developed an eating disorder as “one way to take control” of the uncertainty and stress in her life.

Dorothy began her education at another university before transferring to the University of Mobile, where she majored in music on a vocal scholarship while caring for her mother. Thinking back on that time, Dorothy said she isn’t quite sure when she had time to sleep.

Sadly, Linda passed away when Dorothy was 19.

Dorothy said the professors and staff at UMobile provided a much-needed support system at a time in her life when she was spreading herself thin between work as a student and caregiver. Several of her professors provided the spiritual encouragement and relationships that helped keep her motivated during the times of stress.

“It was a wonderful experience,” Dorothy said about her time at UMobile.

“They were like my family.”

Success Following her graduation, Dorothy sold everything she had and used the money to buy an “Amtrack train ticket and left for New York at 2 a.m. with $7 and a packed lunch,” she said.

That first experience in New York did not live up to Dorothy’s dream. She worked odd jobs and tried to make it as

an actress, but eventually she returned to Mobile, where she worked as an admissions counselor for UMobile.

Months later, she met her husband, Phillip Savage Jr., at a Christmas parade in Fairhope, AL. After their marriage, she returned to New York to give success another try.

And succeed she did. Through her appearances on off-Broadway and in regional theatres around the country and a national tour, a door opened for Dorothy to record her music. Last year, Glorious Mess was released. The

“I wanted to show people how broken we can be, but that God takes those flaws and makes them beautiful” Dorothy Savage

contemporary Christian album touches on a truth that speaks to everyone, according to Dorothy.

“I wanted to show people how broken we can be, but that God takes those flaws and makes them beautiful,” she said. “God can take our mess and make it beautiful.”

This message has also inspired Dorothy to expand her album into a one-woman show. She is currently working on “The Glorious Mess,” which includes songs from her album, new material and her personal stories of the loss of her mother and the more recent loss of her older sister to cancer, as well as her struggle and eventual overcoming of bulimia.

“It made me want to be that much more real and that much more open to show people Christians aren’t perfect,” she said. “I had just gotten to a point in my life with the Lord, and I wanted to stand up on stage and proclaim that.”

Dorothy has also started work on a book under the same title. She said she is unsure if it will turn into anything, but, she’s learned to “be bendable” when it comes to God’s plan in her life.

Her personal and professional successes are the result of years of hard work and even harder trials, yet Dorothy said all of the difficulties and setbacks in her life were part of God’s plans for her.

“If I didn’t know the Lord, I would probably ignorantly attribute it to

tenacity and my Type-A personality,” Dorothy said of her success. “To a lot of luck and a lot of being in the right place at the right time. Because I know the Lord, I have seen that my steps are ordered. I positioned myself and did everything I could with the attributes God gave me.

“Sometimes God lays plans on your heart so that He can lead you to another fork in the road,” she said. The book and show are “something that God has placed on me. People respond to it … so I’m just going to go with it.”

Whatever comes next for her, Dorothy said she’ll be open to it.

Welcoming Change While she is busy with her new projects, her newest exciting adventure is motherhood. On August 21, Dorothy and Phil celebrated the birth of their daughter, Honor Blue Savage.

With her daughter’s arrival, Dorothy says she’ll be taking some time off from her hectic schedule until January to get to know her daughter and enjoy this stage in her life. Sitting still, though, will no doubt be an interesting endeavor for this energetic professional.

“It’s a new adventure for me,” said

Dorothy in a telephone interview days before her daughter’s birth.

“As Christians, we can’t be afraid of change, whether it be a change in our family, in our jobs, in our relationships or even our church. We can’t be afraid of things that challenge us and stretch us. We must welcome those things with open arms and receive the new things that God has to bless us with and grow upon,” said Savage in a recent blog entry.

The adventure is sure to be an exciting one. The family will split their time between their home in Fairhope, AL, and on the road where Phil works for the Philadelphia Eagles football team as a player personnel executive. In fact, the timing of Honor’s birth was an adventure in itself, since Phil was due the next day at training camp for the Eagles.

Regardless of the trials, difficulties, uncertainties and adventures Dorothy encounters personally and professionally, her message is unchanging.

“Whether you are in the secular world or in (the Christian world), people are people, and they are broken … and they need Jesus just the same.”

For more information on Dorothy Savage and her new cds, visit www.dorothysavage.com. m umobile.edu 89

Alumni

Faith and Possibilities Buff and Cissy McNickle

By Emily Kaye For Buff and Cissy McNickle, the path to parenthood has been nothing short of a lesson in walking with God. The proud parents of 16-month-old adopted twins Jedidiah Crimson and Judah Bryant McNickle, named in part for their parents’ love of Crimson Tide football, say theirs was a journey of faith and a lesson in obedience.

“It was a good time of walking step by step with God,” Cissy said. “The most profound part of it was how we learned He would provide for the next step because He provided us with the last one.”

For the McNickles, the decision to adopt came in late October 2009 after much prayer and discussion. Doctors had told the couple they would have difficulty conceiving, Buff said, and adoption had always been an option for them.

Though an option, the high cost of adoption brought about another hurdle for the couple, who had committed to living debt free.

“We just decided we won’t do anything unless God gives us the money,” said Buff, a 1993 graduate who is a singles pastor at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, FL. Thus began an exciting journey of faith, where at “every critical juncture” God provided the financial means for the adoption, Buff said. Church members came forth with money which God had laid on their hearts to give. A friend gave the couple gas money because of all the driving involved with the adoption process and said to use the remainder on any other costs. The extra money?

Exactly the amount needed for required 90 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

background checks.

Then, the process hit a bump in the road.

“We backed off for a bit because we felt like God said to wait,” Buff said.

Shortly thereafter, they were hit with an IRS tax bill. They worked to pay the bill off, “and that’s when Kevin Ezell called.”

Ezell, the North American Mission Board president who at the time was the 2010 Southern Baptist Commission’s Pastor’s Conference president, was working on an adoption fund to present

“We believe that God can do the impossible, but where we struggle in our faith is that we don’t believe He can do that for us” Buff McNickle

during that year’s pastor’s conference. He wanted to talk to Buff and Cissy about their journey toward adoption. The McNickles began writing letters to help with Ezell’s work on the adoption fund.

In April, the couple was contacted by their adoption agency. Twin boys had been born prematurely at 28 weeks, and the initial adoptive family declined to adopt the babies.

“We just felt like the Lord said, ‘This is it,’” Buff said. “And so we said, ‘OK.’” From notification to adoption, the

McNickles became parents in a weekend.

All of a sudden, they had their two sons, Jedidiah, who weighed 2 pounds, 2 ounces, and Judah, weighing in at 1 pound, 12 ounces. The next weeks were a blur of visits to the boys’ Neonatal ICU beds. After eight weeks, Jedidiah came home. Two weeks later, Judah joined the family.

During this time, Kevin Ezell called and asked the family to come to the 2010 Pastor’s Conference for the introduction of the new matching grant fund established for pastors. With one boy still in the hospital, Buff and Cissy made the trip. The fund will match up to $2,500 toward domestic or international adoptions by Southern Baptist pastors.

Ezell called the McNickles up on stage during the presentation and handed them a check, as the first couple to receive funding for the program. Instead of $2,500, though, the check was for more than $10,000 – the total amount needed to pay for Jedidiah and Judah’s adoption.

“God didn’t want our fingerprints on this at all,” Buff says about the process.

The greatest lesson he has learned, though, is not to underestimate God’s power. Buff mentions Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

“We believe that God can do the impossible, but where we struggle in our faith is that we don’t believe He can do that for us,” Buff said. “I asked God to do the impossible.”

Buff said he’s excited to bring his boys back on a visit to UMobile. He wants

to take them out to the baseball field, where he spent much of his time as a manager while a student during the early 1990s.

“I can tell you those years were the very foundation of my ministry,” Buff said. “Those relationships, those opportunities to reach out and minister to people, those were the basis for my ministry. That baseball field…

I spent many a night on that field praying out there.”

Buff had only been a Christian for a year when he came to UMobile. The friendships he made and the mentoring he received from baseball coach Mike Jacobs helped give him a solid foundation.

“The thing I always took away was that UM didn’t treat me as a number,” Buff said. “They treated me like a person.

Every person is important.” m

umobile.edu 91

Alumni

Steven V. Taylor

Class of 1977 Major: Music Education Owner of Taylor Productions/A6 Studios, Dove award winner, Grammy nominee

From albums like “VeggieTales Worship” to award-winning musicals, University of Mobile alumnus Steven V. Taylor has worked on one tremendously successful project after another during his years in the contemporary Christian music industry.

The Grammy-nominated producer, arranger and songwriter has won 6 Dove Awards for efforts such as the “Friends Forever” musical and the choral collection of “God of Wonders.” He was also nominated for a Dove Award in 2004 for Producer of the Year in Christian Music. Yet Taylor, who always has another project on the horizon, still finds time to give back to his alma mater. He presents workshops at UMobile for groups like Voices of Mobile, helping them develop a quality, professional vocal style.

Taylor said it was during his own years at UMobile that he decided to pursue contemporary Christian music as a profession, and he encourages current students to look at all the possibilities that are out there including church work, songwriting, artistry, and music business. m

92 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Dr. Rick Payne Class of 1979 Major: Biology Pediatrician

Children in the metro Atlanta area - and the world - have a friend in Dr. Rick Payne. Building a pediatric medical practice requires long hours, but for this University of Mobile graduate, the benefits outweighed every difficulty. Now, as co-owner of Cartersville Pediatric Associates in the metro Atlanta area, Payne has emerged as a leader in the healthcare community.

A current board member and former chairman of the Board of the Children’s Health Network in Atlanta, he is also chairman of the pediatric section of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, an organization with 17,000 members internationally. Whether treating a sick child or helping guide a healthcare organization, Payne works to improve children’s lives every day through his professional excellence and tremendous work ethic.

As a committed Christian, his compassion extends far beyond his immediate community. Each year Payne leads a medical mission trip to Ghana, West Africa, to provide desperately needed medical care to some of the world’s poorest people. He says God has given him more than he can ever fathom - and giving back his talents in service to others is one way that he can show God’s love. m

Courtesy of the Mobile Press-Register 2011.

All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Published July 28, 2011

Principal on White House website; Rockwell’s Robbie Owen honored

By Rena Havner Phillips

Rockwell Elementary Principal Robbie Owen ‘82 has long been a champion for arts education, encouraging the use of music and art in every classroom.

Now, Owen is being recognized by the White House for his efforts.

Owen, who has been principal at the Spanish Fort school since it opened 14 years ago, is one of 14 educators and celebrities featured this week on the White House’s website as being a “Champion of Change.”

The 52-year-old Daphne resident went to Washington, D.C., last week to meet with the others - including actors Patricia Arquette, Minnie Driver and Tim Daly - to talk about the importance of art in the classroom.

He got a special tour of the White House, visiting rooms that the general public isn’t allowed to see.

And he participated in a roundtable discussion with Peter Cunningham, the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, and Mary Schmidt Campbell, vice chairwoman for the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

“It was a give-and-receive kind of thing,” Owen said. “We were honored, and at the same time, they really wanted our input.”

Owen, who was named Alabama’s National Distinguished Principal, said he’s not certain who nominated him for the honor. He said White House officials - who gave him only a week’s notice to get to the nation’s capital - said it was a Washington, D.C.-based organization that had heard about Rockwell’s emphasis on the arts.

Though much focus these days is on standardized reading and mathematics test scores, Owen said it’s important to expose children to the arts.

Doing so for at least two years can actually increase their test scores, he said.

Rockwell has some of the highest test scores in Baldwin County.

“Some people say, ‘Why would you teach the arts?’” Owen said.

“We’d say, ‘How could you not?’ They’re too much an important part of our society, our culture, our past.”

Rockwell students get to play symphonic instruments, such as the violin, in Preludes, a program sponsored by the Mobile Symphony Orchestra.

Teachers participate in two major schoolwide arts lessons every year, where they center every core class, even math and science, around the arts. This fall, for example, the students will be immersed for three weeks in studying the music, art, culture and history of the 1960s.

And every teacher is encouraged to sing and dance, to paint and discuss works of art with their students.

“You don’t have to be an artist” to teach it, said Owen, who minored in music at the University of Mobile and has played the piano since he was 6.

“Any teacher can do it, no matter how un-artistic they are, or uncoordinated.

Photo courtesy of Mobile Press-Register

You don’t have to sing to study Mozart.

You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate the art.”

Every week, the White House is featuring “champions” on its website representing different groups, ranging from veterans to science innovators to fathers.

For this, the 15th week of the program, the site states that President Barack Obama believes that every child’s education should include the arts, which foster creativity and can help motivate them to stay in school.

“This is an extraordinary group ... who are creating innovative programs across the country that are benefiting their local communities,” the site says of Owen and the others.

To see the photo and video of Rockwell Elementary Principal Robbie Owen on the White House’s website, go to: www.whitehouse. gov/champions. m umobile.edu 93

Alumni

Alumni Family Day September 24, 2011

The University of Mobile hosted an Alumni Family Day on Saturday, September 24 for all alumni and their families. Guests enjoyed Rams soccer games, an alumni hospitality tent, a variety of family-friendly activities, free food, giveaways, and more. For information on future alumni events, contact the Office of Alumni at 251.442.2226, visit www.umobile.edu/alumni, or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/umobilealumni. m

94 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Class Notes

Class Notes ‘60s

Charlie Ward ’69 - He and his wife have been living in Orange Beach, AL for 28 years. They both retired in 2003.

Charlie still surfs, snorkels, sails, and plays serious table tennis.

‘70s

John Bush ’75 - Works with Across Festivals traveling to small towns as the lead person in setting up area-wide evangelistic events with area churches.

John Graham ’79 - Has been an ordained minister with the Assembly of God for 41 years. John has pastored churches in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas, evangelized across the southern and southeastern U.S. and Washington State, authored six books, and has held several leadership positions in the sectional and district levels of his fellowship.

Linda Angelina Stevens ’79 - Author of the children’s book “No More!” and the co-author of “The Gold Princess.” She was the Abstract Emotionalist Artist Awardwinning Poet 1st Abstract Art Show in the Spring of 2010.

‘80s

Mark Wakefield ’81- Currently working on his Doctor of Ministry at New Orleans Seminary. He serves as a volunteer chaplain for Alabama State Troopers and Lawrence Medical Center.

Michael Adair Wyndham, Ph. D. ’89Completed a Master of Divinity in 1992 and a Ph.D. in 1996 at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Since 1992, he has taught in the seminary’s Department of Theology. He has also served as pastor of Summit Hills Baptist Church in Louisville, KY for more than 21 years. He has been published as the author of two lectionary sermon series included in the 2001 and 2005 editions of “The Minister’s Manual,” edited by James Cox.

‘90s

Tim Rice ’93- Serves as a full-time online professor for five universities and travels the country in an RV. He spends winters in Austin, Texas where he coaches at the Regents School of Austin, the largest classical Christian school in the country.

Wylie Newton, MD ’94- Practices family medicine at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group in Gainesville, GA. His wife, Monica, also practices family medicine with him. They have a 4-year-old son.

John McLendon ’99 - Graduated from medical school at University of South Alabama in May 2007. He completed a 3-year residency in pediatrics at UAB. After graduating from residency in June 2010, he spent a year as Chief Resident of Pediatrics at UAB. In August 2011, Dothan Pediatric Clinic hired him to be one of the very first pediatric hospitalists in the state. John and his wife Leigha Manalakos ’00, and their two boys, Caleb (8) and Luke (7) reside in Dothan, AL.

2000s

Brandon Nichlos ’00 - Received a MD with Research Honors from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in 2007. Since that time, he has been in a 5-year residency program at the University of South Alabama in Diagnostic Radiology. Currently, he and his wife Maurita Marfil ‘01, and their two children, Owen (5) and Lane (3) reside in the Mobile area.

Brooke Lovett Lenz ’01- Graduated from medical school at USA in 2007.

She completed her internship and residency at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2011. Now, Brooke has recently joined Bay Area Physicians for Women, PC at Springhill Memorial Hospital. Currently, Brooke and her husband Michael Lenz

’99, and their two boys, Sam (7) and Ryland (1) reside in the Mobile area.

Mark James ‘07 Graduated from Reformed Theological SeminaryCharlotte in May 2011.

Births and Adoptions April Brock Scott ‘02 and Dustin Lee Scott were blessed with the adoption of their little boy, Marek Gebre-Joel. He was born on December 28, 2009. Marek was welcomed home by his big brother, Hollis Reid (4).

Brynn Gilbreath Albretsen ’04 and Mike Albretsen announce the birth of their first child, Rane Malise, born June 25, 2010. She was 7 lbs 4.5 oz and 21.5 inches.

Brian Person ’02 and Kasie Balderas Person ’01 welcome their second child, Arlie Jane, born on September 28, 2010 at 10:55 a.m. She was 7 lbs 7 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Arlie also has a big brother, Jaden.

Andrew Desko ’08 and Megan Dean Desko ‘08 were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Sarah Grace, on January 28, 2011. She umobile.edu 95

Class Notes

was 8 lbs 9 oz and 20 1/4 inches. Andrew is pursuing his M.Div. at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. and is a shift supervisor at Starbucks. Megan is a special education teacher’s assistant at River Bend Elementary in Raleigh, NC. They live in Wake Forest, NC. Kevin Jackson ’01 and Lena Slaughter Jackson’00 announce the birth of their son, Eli Kevin, on May 2, 2011. He was 8 lbs 9 oz and 22 inches. He joins big sisters Ava Lena and Nora Ashley.

Cassidy Lofton Grimes ’04 and husband Stephean Grimes are proud parents of Kellan Hayes born on July 5, 2011. He weighed 8 lbs 15 oz and 22 inches long. Kellan was also welcomed by his big sister, Brooklee. They both have the same birthday!

Steven Kelley ‘07 and Morgan Custred Kelley ’05 welcome their first child, Kypton Alan, on July 12, 2011.

He was 9 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches.

Wesley Braswell ’03 and Nicole Dutruch Braswell ’06 announce the birth of their daughter Olivia Merryann, born August 1, 2011. She was 7 lbs 11 oz and 20 inches long. Olivia also has a big brother, Jacob.

Ben Finch ’03 and Joy Baldwin Finch ’05 welcomed their 3rd child and first daughter, Molly Claire, on August 4, 2011, at 6:15 p.m. She was 7.1 lbs and 19.5 inches long. She joins big brothers Brennan (3) and Knox (2).

96 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

Marriages

Jordan Aliff Phipps ’08 was married to Darren Phipps on October 23, 2010. They currently live in Ponchatoula, LA. Chandler McCulloch ’10 and Adrienne Sanders McCulloch ’10 married on March 27, 2010. They currently live on campus.

Adrienne is Campus Life Coordinator for Residential Life and Ingram Hall.

Aaron Turner ’03 and Laura Waters Turner ’05 married on June 18, 2011.

They currently live in Bay Minette, AL. Adam Gully ’07 and Amanda Rushing ’11 married on June 25, 2011. They currently reside in Houston, TX.

We want to hear from our Alumni!

Would you like to be included in a future edition of Class Notes? Just send us the latest information on you and your career accomplishments, weddings, births, and/or adoptions.

High resolution (300 dpi) photos may be emailed to umobilemagazine@umobile. edu, just please include your contact information in the email. Class Notes are printed on a space-available basis.

Mr. Mrs. Ms. Miss Dr. Name____________________________ Maiden Name_____________________ Spouse Name_____________________ UMobile Graduation Year____________ Major____________________________ Degree Earned_ ___________________ Home Address ________________________________ City_ ____________________________ State_ _______ Zip_________________ Country__________________________ Home Phone______________________ Cell Phone________________________ Email Address ________________________________ Employment Information: Company_ _______________________ Title_____________________________ Address__________________________ ________________________________ Work Phone_ _____________________ Other Information: _________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ Please list any news you would like to share with us.

Copy and fax this form to 251.442.2512 or mail to:

To receive a free subscription to the University of Mobile Magazine, visit www.umobile.edu/subscribe.

University of Mobile Alumni Office 5735 College Parkway Mobile, AL 36613 Or submit the online form at www.umobile.edu/ClassNotes

Just for Alumni

Just for Alumni!

Alumni Car Tags

Class Rings

Show our Rams spirit and help fund scholarships!

Be a part of the tradition at UMobile and order your official UMobile ring today. In 2004, the University of Mobile adopted an official ring exclusively for alumni and students who have reached their junior year with at least 75 credit hours in good standing. Each ring symbolically captures the uniqueness of the University of Mobile. This ring will be a lasting reminder of the traditions, values, and knowledge gained while at the University of Mobile. Alumni can wear the ring proudly and carry a symbol of commitment for our alma mater!

For more information, contact Allison Nelson at umalumni@umobile.edu

Health Insurance

Liberty Mutual

Alabama residents can show their Rams spirit and help students by choosing the University of Mobile affinity license plate. These specially designed UMobile license plates can be purchased for $50 above the regular vehicle registration fee. For every tag that is purchased, $48.75 is returned to the University of Mobile to benefit student scholarships through the Annual Fund. The process is quick and easy! Simply request your license plate at your local county tag office on your next visit! Go Rams!

For more information on UMobile car tags, email Allison Nelson at umalumni@umobile.edu

If you are currently in need of health insurance, this plan has been approved and recommended by the University of Mobile. Plans start at $99/month and give you the best coverage at the best price online. It is guaranteed. You won’t be turned down. Access Health Partners has designed an affordable health insurance plan to give you and your family access to the healthcare you deserve. Visit www.alumnihealthcoverage.com for details.

Liberty Mutual offers group discounts to all University of Mobile alumni. This can be a savings of up to 10%! Visit www.libertymutual.com/lm/mobileu today to receive your free, no obligation rate quote.

umobile.edu 97

To purchase an advertisement in this magazine, please contact Brian Boyle, vice president for institutional advancement at 251.442.2287

98 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011

A Word from the Vice President Brian P. Boyle Vice President for Institutional Advancement Class of ‘94 Dear Fellow Alumni, There are moments that you know will be ones you remember forever. September 16, 2011 was such a day for me.

I was among the nearly 1,200 students, alumni, faculty and staff gathered for prayer on the lawn in front of Weaver Hall before we broke into groups to spend the day serving our community through the University of Mobile’s “Project Serve” day. It was a day set aside to celebrate our golden anniversary year, and it represented so clearly the things our Alma Mater has stood for through all of her 50 years.

It was a day of no classes, no tests – except the most important tests of character and faith. As I stood where so many thousands of you have walked during the past half century, I thought about the lessons of character and faith that we all experienced during our college years, and how those shaped the people we are today.

University of Mobile Project Serve was one moment – among 50 years of moments – that changes lives to change the world.

Brian Boyle P.S. Send us your story ideas for future issues of your alumni magazine at umobilemagazine@umobile.edu. You can also view this and past issues online at www.umobile.edu/magazine.

umobile.edu 99

5735 College Parkway Mobile, Alabama 36613

100 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2011