UMobile Magazine Fall 2014 Issue

FALL 2014

Volume 4, Issue 2

UMobile Students Win Big On

The American Bible Challenge

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FALL 2014 Volume 4 Issue 2

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 Writers | D.J. Giaritelli, Shannon Mason,

Terri McNellage, Trey Taulbee,

Stephen Tindal Staff Designer | Amanda Pritchard Class Notes | David Cagle & Allison Nelson Photographers | Dan Anderson, G.M. Andrews,

Joey Beth Bugg, Kathy Dean,

D.J. Giaritelli, Jessica Henderson,

Neal Ledbetter, Doug Mitchell,

Cory Poff, Lyle Ratliff,

Renaissance Photography,

Kristen Rupert, Sharon Steinmann,

Michelle Taulbee, Trey Taulbee,

Time Capsule Images,

Stephen Tindal Cover Photo | The American Bible Challenge 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 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 umobilemagazine.com Postmaster: send address changes to Office of Institutional Advancement, University of Mobile, 5735 College Parkway, Mobile, AL 36613.

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COVER STORY

40 Making Rhymz with Grace FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

48 Belting It Out at Covers

4 President’s Message

54 Belief In Making An Impact Project Serve 2014

68 Question Me An Answer

6 University News 26 Giving 86 Vice President’s Message

The Philosophy of Dr. Ted Mashburn

76 Learn OnLine

Marketplace Ministry Degree is First of Many Online Degrees for Adults

80 I Lived A Dream

UMobile Makes National Tour with WinterJam

ALUMNI 84 Campus Closeup 85 Throwback 88 Alumni Stories

RamRun 2014 Alumni Woman’s Soccer Melissia Smith Turner Veritas Nathan Woodward Stephanie Archer

100 Class Notes

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president’smessage

By Dr. Mark Foley President, University of Mobile

I

t’s always exciting to be on campus each August when fall semester begins.

I look forward to meeting freshmen moving away from home and into residence halls for the first time, and greeting returning students who are busy making plans with friends they haven’t seen all summer. Our faculty is refreshed from their summer break and eager to meet and teach a new class of students, and our staff that worked the past few months on a quiet campus are seeing it come alive with the energy our students bring to everything they do.

That’s the traditional way we start each academic year on the University of Mobile campus, and how most of us remember our own experiences as college students.

Some future UMobile graduates will remember their first week of school a bit differently. They are adult students who will start class in January, earning their UMobile bachelor’s degree online, having class while sitting at their kitchen table, on vacation with their family, or even by cell phone at a coffee shop.

We have worked toward expanding our academic program to offer fully online degrees, extending our faith-based higher education to adults who are seeking a college degree with the flexibility that online programs offer. In just a few short weeks, classes start in January for our first fully online degree programs, the Bachelor of Science in Marketplace Ministry and the two-year Associate of Science in General Studies. I invite you to read more in this issue about these programs and our move into online adult education.

Whether they start out as freshmen going through Ram Rush, or adult students living far from campus, our UMobile graduates will share the experience of growing academically and spiritually as they study and learn under the influence of a university founded on belief. We welcome these new adult students to our UMobile family and look forward to seeing how they will change the world.

Hold on tight,

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Belief is the foundation of our University. A belief that a higher education that focuses on academics and spiritual growth prepares you to make a real difference in this world. We instruct and nurture your mind, body and spirit, so you can achieve something you know and feel is meaningful and impactful with your education.

#beliefinu

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Spring Spectacular

Showcases Performing Arts Students

The University of Mobile Center for Performing Arts showcased the talents of its performing arts students at the Spring Spectacular, April 27 at the Saraland Performing Arts Center. The concert was the final performance for the 2013-2014 season and featured students from the university’s 22 performing ensembles.

Dr. Al Miller, dean of the UMobile Center for Performing Arts/School of Music and School of Worship Leadership, said the Spring Spectacular started several years ago so students who traveled and performed in the school’s many ensembles would have the opportunity to see other ensembles perform.

The event attracts an audience who experiences the full range of performance styles taught at the university, from classical to contemporary, from dance to theatre. m Photos by Dan Anderson

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Photos by Renaissance Photography

University of Mobile Grads Urged to Use Influence ‘Boldly with Compassion’ Encouraging the University of Mobile Class of 2014 to live intentional lives of influence, UMobile First Lady Marilyn Foley said receiving a diploma was a starting point, not a finish line.

“The rest of your life begins now – not Monday, not when you start that job, not when you get accepted to the next program, not when you get that next certification, not when you walk down the aisle. No, the present moment is life.

The future motivates; but life is always now. Don’t miss it,” Foley said.

The Mobile Civic Center was filled with families and friends of graduates as the shofar, a ram’s horn, was blown to signal the start of the school’s 48th commencement ceremony May 10.

The university awarded the honorary Doctor of Divinity to UMobile alumnus

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the Rev. Joseph F. Johnson ‘99, senior pastor of Mount Hebron Church Ministries in Mobile. The Shofar Award was presented to Dr. Dale Younce, retiring professor of Christian ministries, for “steadfastness in ministry.”

Foley said that as a mentor, parent and the wife of UMobile President Dr. Mark Foley, she has always felt that graduation was a bittersweet moment, as students she has known personally or admired from afar prepare to leave campus and spread across the globe.

“I’ve always wanted to stand in the lobby like a mom shouting final reminders and instructions to her children running out the door,” she said.

“As a parent, as an educator, as a member of your team, your fan club, your cheerleading squad, I want you to leave UM with these final thoughts running through your head as you head out the door.”

Those reminders were: Know what you believe; use your life to influence for what you believe; and influence boldly with compassion.

“I think many people have misconstrued ‘influence’ as he who can be heard the loudest, make the biggest waves, land the biggest punch. Jesus was none of that. Think about His life. It was marked by Truth delivered in love and serving others,” she said.

Johnson gave a rousing address after receiving the honorary Doctor of Divinity. He described his childhood as one of deep poverty, one in which the world said he would never

amount to anything and eventually be institutionalized and, like his father, die in prison.

“Now, that was the plan the world had for me. But, by the grace of God, there was another plan,” Johnson said.

“And God said, ‘this is the plan that I have for you – one of good and not evil.’ It sounded nothing like the plan of the world.”

“I would say to the world: How do you like me now?” said Johnson, whose ministry has grown from 200 members in 1996 to more than 5,000 with over 50 new ministries that impact the community through outreach programs and community-empowering projects.

Johnson praised his former professor, Dr. Dale Younce, who stood at his right on the stage and assisted President Foley in placing the academic hood signifying the honorary Doctor of Divinity over Johnson’s head.

“The man to the right became my dad.

He taught me, “son, walk with integrity.

Love God, and if you’ll love God, you’ll love His people,” Johnson said.

Younce, who received the Shofar Award, has been serving in ministry since 1954, beginning when he taught Sunday School and led worship at the age of 16.

At 17, he was preaching once a week on “Youth Speaks,” a radio program. He has served in numerous church ministry positions, and first taught as an adjunct professor for UMobile in 1974. He joined the full-time faculty in 1994, and has been loved and admired through the years. m

University of Mobile Professor Elected President of Alabama Historical Association Dr. Lonnie A. Burnett ‘79, assistant vice president for planning and evaluation and professor of history at the University of Mobile, has been elected to serve as president of the Alabama Historical Association for 2014-2015.

The announcement was made at the organization’s annual meeting held this year in Scottsboro, AL. Founded in 1947, the Alabama Historical Association is the oldest statewide historical society in Alabama.

The independent, nonprofit organization promotes the exploration and study of all aspects of Alabama’s history. The group’s nearly 1,000 members come from the ranks of professional historians as well as non-academicians with an interest in the state’s history.

Among its many activities, the AHA hosts an annual spring meeting and fall pilgrimage and sponsors the state’s historical marker program.

Photo by Kathy Dean

Burnett received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi. A seven-time Teacher of the Year, he has taught U.S. History for 35 years. He is the author of “The Pen Makes a Good Sword: John Forsyth of the Mobile Register” (University of Alabama Press, 2006), “Henry Hotze, Confederate Propangandist” (University of Alabama Press, 2008) and contributed a chapter to “The Yellowhammer War: The Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama” (University of Alabama Press, 2014).

Burnett has been a member of the AHA for 20 years and has served on its board of directors and executive committee, as well as vice president.

Burnett was interviewed at the History Museum of Mobile on April 21 for C-SPAN’s “Mobile Weekend,” a special highlighting the city of Mobile.

To watch his interview, visit c-span.org and search for “Lonnie Burnett.” m umobile.edu 9

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Academic Awards Presented to Class of 2014 Photos by Renaissance Photography

The University of Mobile presented academic awards to outstanding graduates of the Class of 2014 during Honors Convocation May 9 in Ram Hall on campus.

The university’s two top student awards, the William K. Weaver Jr. Excellence Award and the Annie Boyd Parker Weaver Excellence Award, were announced during graduation ceremonies May 10 at the Mobile Civic Center. The university presented its top two awards to the outstanding male and female graduates selected by vote of the faculty. Both awards are presented to graduates who exemplify the mission of the university and selection is based

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on scholarship, Christian character, leadership and service. The Annie Boyd Parker Weaver Excellence Award was presented to Mallory Searcy of Fairhope, AL, who graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in humanities, honors with thesis.

The William K. Weaver Jr. Excellence Award was given to Seth Brasher of Pell City, AL, who graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in worship leadership.

Approximately 330 students received master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s

degrees during the Christian university’s 48th commencement ceremony.

The Honors Convocation concluded with a brunch for all graduating students. Awards presented included the President’s Scholastic Award for undergraduates earning perfect 4.0 grade point averages, and academic achievement awards as the outstanding graduate in each college and school.

Mallory Searcy receives the Annie Boyd Parker Weaver Excellence Award.

Seth Brasher receives William K. Weaver Jr. Excellence Award.

Honorees, their awards and degrees are: Mallory Searcy of Fairhope, AL – Annie Boyd Parker Weaver Excellence Award, Bachelor of Arts in humanities with honors thesis, magna cum laude

Sarah Dawn Liska of Mobile, AL – President’s Scholastic Award, Center for Adult Programs Academic Achievement Award, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Seth Brasher of Pell City, AL – William K. Weaver Jr. Excellence Award, Bachelor of Science in worship leadership, cum laude

Nicolette M. Smith of Mobile, AL – President’s Scholastic Award, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, area award in career nursing, cum laude

Holly Lanee Dunnam of Mobile, AL – President’s Scholastic Award, School of Education Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award, Bachelor of Science in elementary education, Bachelor of Science in early childhood education, summa cum laude

David Brent Walker of Edmond, OK – President’s Scholastic Award, Bachelor of Business Administration, cum laude

Marc Pierre Dupont of Lucedale, MS – President’s Scholastic Award, Bachelor of Science in business administration, area award in managerial entrepreneurship, summa cum laude Jessica Lynn Gunn of Gulf Shores, AL – President’s Scholastic Award, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Lauren Suzanne Kirkland of Brewton, AL – President’s Scholastic Award, School of Music Academic Achievement Award, Bachelor of Science in music, summa cum laude

Anastasia Victoria Rhodes of Mobile, AL – College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award, Bachelor of Arts in English, Bachelor of Arts in humanities, summa cum laude, honors with thesis Julia Loretta Craig-Lucy of Eight Mile, AL – College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Academic Achievement Award, Master of Arts in marriage and family counseling Justin A. Myers of Daphne, AL – School of Business Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award, Bachelor of Science in business administration, area award in management, cum laude

Kalia Jade Jones of Melbourne, FL – School of Business Graduate Academic Achievement Award, Master of Business Administration John Tarleton Soutulla of Pace, FL – School of Christian Ministries Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award, Bachelor of Arts in theology, magna cum laude Landon Wynnford Williams of North Augusta, SC – School of Christian Ministries Graduate Academic Achievement Award, Master of Arts in religious studies, honors Carol Janice Washington-Clark of Eight Mile, AL – School of Education Graduate Academic Achievement Award, Master of Arts in elementary education, area award in alternative elementary education Caitlin Danielle Perkins of Pensacola, FL – School of Nursing Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, magna cum laude Meredith McMullan Meadows of Mobile, AL – School of Nursing Graduate Academic Achievement Award, Master of Science in Nursing, honors Brooke Alice Bowman of Moody, AL – School of Worship Leadership Academic Achievement Award, Bachelor of Science in worship leadership, magna cum laude m

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Emily Williams and Phillip Counselman.

University of Mobile Art Students Win Honors

Dr. Randall Dupont receives the research award.

Photo by Kathy Dean

University of Mobile Honors Faculty, Staff at Annual Spring Luncheon The University of Mobile presented awards to faculty and staff during the annual Faculty/Staff Spring Luncheon on May 7.

UMobile presented the Emma Frances Megginson Service Award to Dr. Lonnie Burnett ‘79 for his dedication to the university and service to the community.

Burnett is assistant vice president for planning and evaluation as well as professor of history.

The William Megginson Teaching Award was presented to Becky Fox for excellence in teaching, both inside and outside the classroom. Fox is associate professor of music in the Center for Performing Arts/School of Music.

The Mitford Ray Megginson Research Award was presented to Dr. Randall Dupont for research that enhances his professional field. Dupont is associate professor of business in the School of Business.

The university promoted Dr. Doug

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Mitchell to professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences. Assistant Professor of Finance Amy Taylor of the School of Business was recognized for completing her Ph.D. in instructional design and development from the University of South Alabama.

The university recognized faculty and staff who were retiring as the 2013-2014 academic year ended. Retiring were: Dr. Cynthia Biegler, professor of education in the School of Education; Dr. Dale Younce, professor of Christian ministries in the School of Christian Ministries; Kay Pugh, assistant director in the Center for Adult Programs; Duane Plash, assistant professor in the Center for Performing Arts/School of Music; Dale Johnson, assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences; Lila Finney, associate professor in the School of Education; and Adele Hermann ‘97, instructor in College of Arts and Sciences. m

Two University of Mobile art students won honors at “5,” the 2014 art exhibition sponsored by the Mobile Arts Council that is open to area colleges and universities.

Emily Williams won third place for her ceramic piece titled “Oct-o-pot #2.”

Dakota Cantrell received honorable mention for her ceramic piece titled “Wandering Warrior.”

The awards were announced April11, according to UMobile Associate Professor of Art Phillip Counselman ‘01.

This year, 40 students submitted 111 works for consideration by juror and judge Elliot Knight, visual arts program manager at the Alabama State Council on the Arts. According to MAC, he selected 59 works in a variety of media by 38 artists. He announced awards for first, second, third place, along with three honorable mentions. m

Dakota Cantrell and Phillip Counselman.

Photos by Kristen Rupert

Youth Hostel Missions Builds Friendships, Opens Doors to Share the Gospel A surge of water rushed across the tile floor. A sudden burst of screams and laughter erupted from the laundry room as bare feet and slippers were drenched from the unexpected deluge.

A startled and quite apologetic Savannah Thigpen ‘14 was the unsuspecting instigator of this flash flood. Her friend and teammate, fellow University of Mobile student Dakota Cantrell ‘14, could only look on and laugh as the broken washer let out its final drops of dirty water onto the floor. They had grown accustomed to humorous mishaps along their threeweek journey through Europe with the Christian university’s Youth Hostel Missions program.

Thigpen quickly turned to ask forgiveness from another victim of the laundry room flash flood.

“Horrified, I looked at the girl and started apologizing repeatedly, hoping that she spoke English,” said Thigpen.

“She did, and assured me it was fine.”

After they told an attendant about the washing machine, the three girls left the flooded laundry room and moved to the common area, where they spent the next few hours talking. Before the night drew to a close, the two recent graduates and their new acquaintance, Anna, had cultivated a beautiful new friendship.

“The many conversations we were able to have were meaningful and personal,” said Thigpen. “At the end of our time with Anna we were even able to give her a Bible. It just goes to show you that God can be glorified in any situation, even by accidentally soaking someone’s slippers.”

This was just one of the memorable

encounters that UMobile students have experienced through the school’s Youth Hostel Missions program. Over the past 10 years, UMobile has sent students across the globe each summer to share the Gospel in the world’s post-Christian culture. It is part of an overall focus throughout the school on international service experiences that has brought UMobile teams to 52 nations since 1992. m umobile.edu 13

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Platinum Record Songwriter Jamie Harvill Returns to Teach at Alma Mater

Nationally Influential Accounting Exec Bill Balhoff Speaks at UMobile

University of Mobile alumnus Jamie Harvill has returned to his alma mater as Artist in Residence in the School of Worship Leadership.

After graduating cum laude from the University of Mobile in 1989, Harvill began writing songs for Integrity Music, which has resources and materials distributed to over 160 countries.

Harvill’s partnership with Integrity Music resulted in some of his most wellknown worship classics such as “Ancient of Days,” “Because We Believe,” “Firm Foundation,” and “Garments of Praise.”

His song “Ancient of Days” recently attained platinum record status, selling over a million copies worldwide.

Harvill’s later projects included recording songs in his personal studio, working as a session musician in Nashville, and serving as a music director in a Nashville-area church. He is currently writing a book entitled “Worship Foundry” that is intended to train the next generation of worship leaders.

Now, Harvill takes his experience and passion for mentoring young people to the University of Mobile as Artist in Residence in the School of Worship Leadership, teaching a variety of subjects targeted toward developing worship leaders.

“The University of Mobile helped prepare me to be successful in my career. Like UMobile, I am passionate about equipping the next generation of leaders,” said Harvill. “I enjoy being a mentor, helping prepare students to reach an ever-changing culture with new technologies, while remaining wholehearted Christ-followers.”

Harvill instructs mostly upper level classes, including senior internships, applied lessons for guitar, and biblical foundations of worship. In addition, he

Bill Balhoff, a national leader in the accounting profession and chairman of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Board of Directors, discussed the future of accounting at a free lecture at the University of Mobile on Sept. 11.

The managing director and CEO for Postlethwaite & Netterville, one of the leading accounting firms in the United States and the largest in Louisiana, also discussed the accounting profession’s overall impact in the business world.

Balhoff was recently named among the Top 100 Most Influential People in the accounting profession by both “Accounting Today” and “CPA Magazine.”

He served as a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council and has testified before the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on behalf of small accounting firms.

Balhoff has over 35 years of experience in accounting that translated into an informative and insightful discussion for students and visitors, according to Kathy Dunning, chair of the Accounting Department and assistant professor of accounting. The lecture was sponsored

by UMobile’s School of Business. m

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Jamie Harvill

Photo by Trey Taulbee

directs and oversees some of the student ensembles in the School of Worship.

Harvill draws on his experience as a session musician in Nashville to train students to step into careers in professional settings. He works closely with the university’s 8Eighty Records professional recording studio and music publishing business.

“I think there is a great opportunity for the church to be a place of learning and a launching pad for artists and musicians, with excellence, into the world,” said Harvill. “I want to be a part of that.”

Dr. Roger Breland, vice president for project development, said, “We are excited to welcome Jamie Harvill to our stellar list of experienced and passionate faculty members. Jamie’s addition to the Center for Performing Arts is another shining example of the commitment that the University of Mobile has to providing their students with professional, successful instructors with real-world experience.” m

University of Mobile Earns National Marketing Awards The University of Mobile was recognized nationally in two marketing and public relations competitions that spotlighted excellence in design, publication, writing, website, events and advertising.

The university’s Marketing & Public Relations Office was recognized in the

29th annual Educational Advertising Awards sponsored by Higher Education Marketing Report and the 50th annual Wilmer C. Fields competition sponsored by the Baptist Communicators Association. Winners in both competitions were announced during Spring 2014.

The Educational Advertising Awards is the largest education advertising awards competition in the nation, according to Higher Education Marketing Report.

The Wilmer C. Fields competition encompasses communication professionals in Baptist organizations worldwide.

Educational Advertising Awards presented to the University of Mobile were: • Silver Award - Total Public Relations Program: 2013 Christmas Spectacular • Silver Award - Newsletter: Charitable Estate Planning • Bronze Award - TV Advertising, Single: Learning, Faith, Leadership • Bronze Award - Website: University of Mobile Magazine Online • Merit Award - Total Public Relations Program: 2013 Project Serve • Merit Award - Direct Mail: Leadership Banquet Christmas Postcard • Merit Award - Outdoor Advertising: Ram Country Billboard Baptist Communicators Association awards presented to the University of Mobile were: • First Place, Feature Writing - In the Center of Worship • Second Place, Logo Design Connections • Second Place, Billboard Design Ram Country Billboard • Second Place, Special Events 2013 Leadership Banquet • Third Place, Website - University of

Mobile Magazine online • Third Place, Feature Writing Sweet Dreams • Third Place, Newsletter Design Charitable Estate Planning • Third Place, Magazine Design University of Mobile Magazine The award-winning materials were produced by the UMobile Marketing and Public Relations Office, a department of

the Office of Institutional Advancement under the direction of Brian Boyle ‘94, vice president. Lesa Moore ‘07 is the executive director of Marketing & Public Relations. Team members included Jay Adcock of JWA Creative, Kathy Dean, Will Drake ‘14, Hali Givens ‘04, Shannon Mason, Terri McNellage, Amanda Pritchard, Nancy Snodgrass ‘91 and Trey Taulbee ‘08.m

Teaching Excellence: Accreditation of UMobile Business Programs Reaffirmed by ACBSP The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners has reaffirmed accreditation of School of Business programs at the University of Mobile.

“We are very pleased that ACBSP has reaffirmed accreditation for another 10 years for our Bachelor of Science in business administration with concentrations in management, marketing, and finance; Bachelor of Science in accounting; Bachelor of Science in computer information systems, and our Master of Business Administration. The new accreditation of our Bachelor of Business Administration for adult learners is particularly noteworthy,” said Dr. Jane Finley, dean of the UMobile School of Business.

Finley said the reaffirmation “confirms our focus on quality teaching and learning with a systems perspective for continuous improvement. ACBSP accreditation standards are modeled on the Baldrige National Quality Award Program. This gives students assurance that our business degrees will give them the skills they need and employers want. What’s more, our faculty members do this within the student-focused,

nurturing culture of our university.”

University of Mobile was first accredited by ACBSP in 2002. The university is required to go through the reaffirmation process every 10 years to maintain ACBSP accreditation.

“University of Mobile has shown their commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Director of Accreditation Steve Parscale, who presented the Certificate of Reaffirmation of Accreditation at the ACBSP Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois June 29.

“The reaffirmation of accreditation is evidence that University of Mobile is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students for the next 10 years, just as they have done since 2002,” said Parscale.

Established in 1988, ACBSP is the only organization offering specialized business accreditation for all degree levels, from associate to baccalaureate to doctoral degree programs. ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the School of Business at the University of Mobile meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP. m umobile.edu 15

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RAMRUSH Photos by Dan Anderson

John Baker stopped outside Samford Hall, carrying a large plastic shelf destined for his new dorm room. He was exactly where he wanted to be – at the University of Mobile on move-in day for the start of fall semester 2014.

“It’s such a spirit-filled place, and I truly love being where the spirit of the Lord is,” said the junior transfer student from Addison, AL. John was among 717 students moving into residence halls on Aug. 15. It’s the largest residential population ever on the UMobile campus; the school added 24 beds over the summer to accommodate the demand for campus housing.

As classes began Monday, Aug. 18, approximately 1,600 students were enrolled.

Of those, 275 are freshmen, making this the largest freshman class in the school’s history.

Move-in day kicks off Ram Rush, the university’s slate of events aimed at welcoming students and orienting new students to campus life.

Like most students, John had help moving onto campus. Also carrying boxes to his dorm

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room was his mother, Sharon Baker.

“He fell in love with the school and said this is where he was going. I know he’ll do good. He’s going to enjoy every bit of it,” she said.

Senior Nick Ousley was among current UMobile students and staff that also helped campus residents unload cars and carry televisions, refrigerators, pillows and lamps into dorm rooms. A resident assistant at Samford Hall, Ousley said what he remembers most about his own move-in day was the welcome he received as he unpacked.

Now he’s helping coordinate the same process so students don’t feel so overwhelmed on their first day.

“The most exciting thing for me is I get to meet my classmates for the upcoming year, and I get to meet the dorm-mates I’m going to spend my life with,” Ousley said.

Freshman Derrick Jackson of Childersburg, AL, had help from uncle Robert Walker. They left home about 2:30 a.m. to make the drive to Mobile, AL. Derrick said he had mixed emotions, shifting between being nervous and excited.

“I’m looking forward to the experience of meeting new people,” he said.

The Shell family of Arab, AL got a workout, as parents Sam and Doris walked back and forth between Samford

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John and Sharon Baker at Samford Hall Photo by Stephen Tindal

Hall men’s dorm and Karlene Farmer Faulkner women’s residence. That’s because freshman son David was moving in one dorm, while sophomore transfer student Samantha was moving into another.

Sam, recently retired from the Marine Corps, said he was impressed with the coordinated effort that had students moved into residence halls in a few

hours. He said he’s also excited about the new stage in life for his son and daughter.

Initially, David chose the University of Mobile when he came on a campus visit.

Sister Samantha was along for the visit, and what she saw made her decide to enroll as well. While he is undecided on a major, David said he knows he wants to be involved in ministry. Samantha is studying nursing. m

RAMRUSH

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School of Christian Ministries Moldova team.

School of Christian Ministries Reaches 50th, 51st & 52nd Countries Students from the University of Mobile have a legacy of Christian service to both local and foreign communities. The School of Christian Ministries continued this tradition during Spring semester 2014, sending 15 of its own members to reach the people of Moldova and Haiti.

The students, divided into two separate teams, sacrificed their own time and money to reach the University of Mobile’s 50th and 51st countries ministered to through University Missions.

“Throughout the years, our mission teams have seen God work in huge ways,” said Dr. Joe Savage, executive dean of the School of Christian Ministries. “In all, thousands of persons have made decisions to follow Christ, dozens of churches have been built, and hundreds of UMobile students have participated in mission work.”

Savage led seven students on the trip to Moldova. His team partnered with Pastor Jeff Copeland of First Baptist

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Church Robertsdale and a member of the UMobile Board of Regents. Dr. Bo Rice, an adjunct professor at the University of Mobile, led the Haiti team. Rice and his team partnered with Pastor Monoit Mercilus, who oversees 10 churches across Haiti.

The Haiti and Moldova teams focus on orphan care, outreach at schools and universities, and develop long-term plans to help curtail human trafficking and poverty.

In Moldova, Savage’s team joined with First Baptist Robertsdale to assist the country’s largest orphanage. They purchased 180 pairs of shoes and outfits, one for each child. The students themselves organized the program, entitled Project 180. They have also partnered with a shelter against human trafficking. The shelter, located in Chisneau, Moldova, provides a home for impoverished and orphaned teenage girls who have no way to provide for

themselves.

In Haiti, Dr. Rice and his team built and repaired several homes for the local community. One of their projects provided a new home for a member of Minoit’s church, a recently widowed mother of two small children. During their trip, the team stayed at The House of Blessings Orphanage in Calebasse where they assisted in repairing the facility and spent time ministering to the children in the home.

The School of Christian Ministries sent a team of students and faculty to Austria this summer, marking the 52nd nation where UMobile had conducted international service projects. Dr. Doug Wilson, dean of the School of Christian Ministries, and adjunct instructor Kimberly Wilson led the team of six students and one alumna as they assisted in services and special events at the Evangelical Free Church of Kufstein, Austria. The students had completed a semester-long spiritual, cultural and service training before leaving June 16 for Austria.

“We are fulfilling mission work right here in Mobile,” said Savage. “We have 94 students from the School of Christian Ministries who are serving others each week throughout the greater Mobile region. These students are working with refugees, at-risk kids, homeless individuals, mentoring children, hosting sports clinics, feeding the hungry, and volunteering more than 400 total hours per week across Mobile.” m

University of Mobile Rankings Continue to Rise in U.S. News & World Report Annual Survey The University of Mobile’s rankings have risen for the fourth consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges survey.

The Christian university was ranked No. 25 in Best Regional Colleges in the South and No. 9 in Best Regional Colleges in the South for Veterans. The 2015 rankings were released Sept. 9 by U.S. News & World Report.

UMobile’s ranking has risen every year since 2012, when the school was listed at No. 30 in its category. This is the second year that U.S. News has produced the Best Colleges for Veterans ranking.

UMobile President Dr. Mark Foley attributed the positive trend to a university-wide focus on assessing and improving the total educational experience, from academics to campus life.

“We are seeing the results of staying focused on our 10-year strategic plan,” Foley said. The strategic plan, titled 2020 Vision, is aimed at propelling the University of Mobile to “be a nationally recognized leader of revitalization of Christian faith and character in America” by the year 2020.

Foley said the university’s blend of learning, faith and leadership prepares graduates to be effective leaders in their fields of study, as well as in their communities.

The rankings are among several national recognitions that UMobile has received from organizations that use varying criteria to assess quality higher education. Among these, UMobile is in “America’s Best Christian Colleges” and “America’s 100 Best College Buys.” In July the school was named in “The 50 Best Christian Colleges in the U.S.” by Christian Universities Online.

The University of Mobile has been designated a “Military Friendly School” and participates in the Yellow Ribbon

Program. UMobile is certified for the G.I. Bill and is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium. m

umobile.edu 21

Baseball Schedule

Softball Schedule Date Feb. 20-2 Mar. 5-8 Mar. 10 Mar. 13-14 Mar. 17 Mar. 20 Mar. 21 Mar. 24 Mar. 25 Mar. 27 Mar. 28 Mar. 31 Apr. 3 Apr. 4 Apr. 7 Apr. 11 Apr. 15 Apr. 17 Apr. 18 Apr. 21 Apr. 25 Apr. 29May 2 5/11-5/13 5/22-5/28

Opponent Location AUM/Faulkner Tournament Away Gulf Coast Invitational Away Central Methodist Home (DH) William Carey Tournament Away William Carey University Away (DH) Martin Methodist College Home (DH) Bethel University Home (DH) Belhaven University Away (DH) Mt Mercy Home (DH) Brenau University Away (DH) Middle Georgia State College Away (DH) Spring Hill College Away (DH) Faulkner University Home (DH) College of Coastal Georgia Home (DH) William Carey University Home (DH) Blue Mountain College Away (DH) Spring Hill College Home (DH) Bethel University Away (DH) Martin Methodist College Away (DH) Belhaven University Home (DH) Blue Mountain College Home (DH) SSAC Conference Tourney NAIA Opening Round NAIA Tournament

22 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Time TBA TBA 4:00 TBA 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 2:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00 4:00

Away TBA Campus Sites TBA TBD TBA

Date Jan. 30 Jan. 31 Feb. 3 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb. 10 Feb. 13 Feb. 14 Feb. 17 Feb. 20 Feb. 21 Feb. 24 Feb. 27 Feb. 28 Mar. 6 Mar. 7 Mar. 11 Mar. 13 Mar. 14 Mar. 17 Mar. 20 Mar. 21 Mar. 24 Mar. 27 Mar. 28 Apr. 3 Apr. 4 Apr. 7 Apr. 10 Apr. 11 Apr. 14 Apr. 17 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 24

Opponent Talladega College Talladega College Spring Hill College St. Catherine St. Catherine Concordia-Selma Faulkner University Faulkner University Claflin University Belhaven University Belhaven University Spring Hill College William Carey University William Carey University Blue Mountain College Blue Mountain College University West Florida Middle Georgia University Middle Georgia University Selma University Tougaloo College Tougaloo College Concordia-Selma Loyola University Loyola University Brewton-Parker College Brewton-Parker College Selma University Auburn-Montgomery Auburn-Montgomery Talladega College Martin Methodist College Martin Methodist College Bethel College Bethel College

Location Home Home (DH) Away Home (DH) Home (DH) Home (DH) Home Home (DH) Home (DH) Away Away (DH) Home Home Home (DH) Away Away (DH) Away Home Home (DH) Away (DH) Home Home (DH) Away (DH) Away Away (DH) Away Away (DH) Home (DH) Home Home (DH) Away (DH) Away Away (DH) Home Home (DH)

Time 3:00 1:00 3:00 1:00 1:00 1:00 4:00 1:00 1:00 TBA TBA 3:00 4:00 1:00 2:00 1:00 6:00 4:00 1:00 1:00 3:00 1:00 TBA 6:00 1:00 3:00 1:00 3:00 6:00 1:00 1:00 6:00 1:00 6:00 1:00

Women’s basketball Schedule

Men’s basketball Schedule Date Opponent Location Time Dec. 6 Johnson University Home 3:00 Dec. 13 Xavier University Home 3:00 Dec. 16 Southern University

-New Orleans Away 7:30 Jan. 2 Dalton State College * Away 7:30 Jan. 3 Middle Georgia

State College * Away 5:00 Jan. 6 Tougaloo College Away 7:30 Jan 9 Brewton Parker College * Home 7:30 Jan. 10 Martin Methodist College * Home 5:00 Jan. 14 Tougaloo College Home 7:30 Jan. 17 College of Coastal Georgia * Away 4:00 Jan. 22 William Carey University * Home 7:30 Jan. 24 Belhaven University * Away 4:00 Jan. 29 Faulkner University * Home 7:30 Jan. 31 Loyola University * Away 4:00 Feb. 5 Auburn University

Montgomery * Away 7:30 Feb. 12 William Carey University * Away 7:30 Feb. 14 College of Coastal Georgia * Home 4:00 Feb. 19 Loyola University * Home 7:30 Feb. 2 Belhaven University * Home 4:00 Feb. 26 Faulkner University * Away 7:30 Feb. 28 Auburn University

Montgomery * Home 4:00 Mar. 3-7 SSAC Tournament Montgomery, AL TBA Mar. 18-24 NAIA National Tournament Kansas City, Mo. TBA * SSAC

Date Opponent Dec. 1 Xavier University Dec. 4 Tuskegee University Dec. 15 Midway College Dec. 19 Alabama State

University (Exh) Dec. 30 Dakota Wesleyan University Jan. 2 Brenau University * Jan. 3 Middle Georgia * Jan. 6 Tougaloo College Jan. 9 Brewton-Parker College * Jan. 10 Martin Methodist College * Jan. 14 Tougaloo College Jan. 17 College of Coastal Georgia * Jan. 22 William Carey University * Jan. 24 Belhaven University * Jan. 29 Faulkner University * Jan. 31 Loyola University * Feb. 5 Auburn-Montgomery * Feb. 12 William Carey University * Feb. 14 College of Coastal Georgia * Feb. 19 Loyola University * Feb. 21 Belhaven University * Feb. 26 Faulkner University * Feb. 28 Auburn-Montgomery * March 3-7 SSAC Tournament March 18-24 NAIA National Tournament

Location Home Home Home

Time 6:00 6:00 TBA

Away Home Away Away Away Home Home Home Away Home Away Home Away Away Away Home Home Home Away Home Away Away

6:00 6:00 TBA 3:00 3:00 5:30 3:00 5:30 2:00 5:00 2:00 5:30 2:00 5:30 5:30 2:00 5:30 2:00 5:30 2:00 TBA TBA

Men’s & Women’s Tennis

Jan. 31 Feb. 20-21 Feb. 21 Mar. 10 Mar. 13-14 Mar. 27-28 Mar. 31 Apr. 11

v. Stillman at 12 SSAC Roundup All day at Mobile Tennis Center v. Tougaloo at 2 v. Spring Hill at 3 at Mobile Tennis Center SSAC Roundup All day at Mobile Tennis Center SSAC Roundup All day at Mobile Tennis Center v. Spring Hill at 6 v. Belhaven at 10

umobile.edu 23

24 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Ring The Bells

2014 Christmas Spectacular

Order online: 8eightyrecords.com Telephone orders: 251.442.2553

Order online: umobile.edu/ChristmasSpectacular Telephone orders: 251.442.2383

Featuring seven different ensemble groups from the University of Mobile, this collection of Christmas songs from the university’s own 8Eighty Records will energize your holiday season. Recorded in the Fisher-Brewer Recording Studio, the project features traditional favorites such as “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and contemporary songs such as “Ring The Bells” and “Offering.”

Over 300 students and faculty are featured in this 12th annual musical extravaganza that signals the start of the Christmas season and attracts an audience of more than 8,000, making it the largest Christmas concert in our Gulf Coast region. This hour-long DVD includes highlights of the 2014 Christmas Spectacular, performed Nov. 20-23 at Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, AL.

$10 CD

S

$25 DVD

S

umobile.edu 25

faithfulgiving

26 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Let’s Build a Relationship

Why Investing in UMobile Makes Good Sense for Your Business

D

ecision makers from local businesses to national and international corporations are looking for beneficial partnerships that will add value to their product or service.

In much the same way, the University of Mobile seeks partnerships with organizations whose values mesh with that of Christian higher education in general, and UMobile in particular.

The job of matchmaking – developing mutually beneficial partnerships between the university and organizations – is a focus of the UMobile Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations.

“Every organization has goals, and the University of Mobile can be a great resource to helping corporations achieve theirs. In the same way, corporate partnerships help the university by providing scholarships for students, supporting arts and educational programs that extend beyond the campus into the community, and encourage the volunteerism and service that our school is known for,” said Claude Bumpers, development officer for corporate and foundation relations.

UMobile brings to the table its expanding national reputation for quality that has earned listings in “America’s Best Christian Colleges,” “America’s 100 Best College Buys,” a recognition as a “Military Friendly” college with excellent Smart Ratings.

Bumpers is on the lookout for businesses large and small that are interested in developing partnerships with UMobile. Depending upon the

desires of the business and the needs of the university, those partnerships can be uniquely designed.

Among the benefits are opportunities to increase a corporation’s name recognition and raise its profile among the university’s constituents. These include: • Naming opportunities for endowed scholarships or endowed faculty chairs in various academic areas • Event sponsorships for established events such as the Leadership Banquet, UMobile Classic Golf Tournament, Ram Run 5k in Mobile and Birmingham • Performing Arts sponsorships for events such as Christmas Spectacular, jazz concerts, musical theatre and more • Student Success sponsorships that support professional development workshops for students and give a business first access to recruit graduates • Advertisement in the award-winning University of Mobile Magazine, delivered to more than 10,000 alumni and friends • Sponsorships of championship-level athletic programs Another facet to corporate partnerships is access to many of the university’s resources. These include: • Use of meeting facilities on campus • Musical entertainment for corporate functions • Speaker’s Bureau with experts in a variety of topics The university’s academic programs enable businesses to develop their current workforce, offer internships, and recruit graduates. Among those

By Kathy Dean Photos by Trey Taulbee

Claude Bumpers

programs are: • Adult and Professional Studies • Student Success Center and Career Development • Graduate programs offering Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Christian Ministries, Master of Arts in Education, Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling, and Master of Science in Nursing To discuss specific ways your organization can benefit from a partnership with the University of Mobile, contact Claude Bumpers, development officer for corporate and foundation relations, at 251.442.2587 or email cbumpers@umobile.edu.

For more information, visit giving.umobile.edu. m umobile.edu 27

faithfulgiving

28 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

CampusGrows with Purchase of College Park Building

By Kathy Dean

The University of Mobile campus is expanding through an agreement to purchase the College Park Baptist Church facility, as that congregation builds at another site.

T

he purchase will add 14 acres to the university’s 880-acre campus and expand facilities by more than 32,000 square feet. The property is located adjacent to UMobile on the east side of College Parkway, across from a brick wall that marks one corner of the school’s current property.

“We are proud of our heritage as an Alabama Baptist entity,” said Bill Hart ‘79, associate vice president for development. “We are delighted that this property will remain in the Alabama Baptist family.”

The university has already renovated a portion of the building’s educational

space to provide a state-of-the-art skills and simulation lab for the School of Nursing. Educational space in the College Park building will be renovated

to provide offices and classrooms for the School of Nursing. Other areas of the facility, including the auditorium, will be used as a conference center for university programs.

Dr. Jan Wood, dean of the School of Nursing, said the nursing lab includes two high-fidelity simulation rooms, with an observation room situated between them.

“The observation room enables faculty to view students functioning in a simulated reallife scenario,” she said.

What at first glance appear to be manikins in hospital beds are actually

Photos by Trey Taulbee

umobile.edu 29

faithfulgiving

“The observation room enables faculty to view students functioning in a simulated real-life scenario.�

Dr. Jan Wood

30 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

high fidelity patient simulators. SimMan adult patient simulator, Noelle birthing manikin, and Pedi Blue pediatric manikin are used in computer-generated patient scenarios in which the manikin responds to the nursing student’s intervention.

The high-tech training in the nursing lab allows students to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom and be prepared for situations they will encounter with patients during their clinicals in area hospitals.

Wood said everyone in the School of Nursing is excited about the expansion.

“Faculty members are overjoyed and students are thrilled,” she said.

To support the expansion of the School of Nursing and contribute to the purchase and renovation, please donate online at giving.umobile.edu and designate your gift “College Park Building.”

Visit umobilemagazine.com for a new video about the School of Nursing. m

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faithfulgiving

32 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

By Shannon Mason

M

Photos by Dan Anderson

ore than 100 golfers enjoyed a great day of golf at the 17th annual University of Mobile Golf Classic. This event took place on the breathtakingly beautiful course of Lakewood Golf Club in Point Clear, AL on Sept. 19 with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.

“The day always provides a perfect opportunity for meaningful fellowship, all while raising money for student scholarships,” said Tonya Gollotte, director of Scholars Initiative. “The UMobile Golf Classic began years ago with the hope that alumni and community partners would come together to make a difference in the lives of students. Now, 17 years later, we are still happily swinging clubs for students.”

Lunch was served following the tournament. Winners and door prizes were awarded before the day concluded.

The UMobile Development office would like to thank Helmsing Leach Attorneys at Law, The Orthopaedic Group, GA West & Company, and all of our sponsors and teams for your participation.

Plan now to join us in 2015 for the 18th annual UMobile Golf Classic. Proceeds from the tournament go toward the UMobile Fund, which helps support student scholarships. For more information, call the Development Office at 251.442.2906 or visit umobile.edu/MobileClassic. m

umobile.edu 33

faithfulgiving

34 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

2014

Honorary R Fellows Spring Luncheon

By Terri McNellage Photo by Trey Taulbee

etired Col. Wayne Sirmon was inducted into the University of Mobile Honorary Fellows at the annual luncheon held May 14 at Heron Lakes Country Club. Along with being presented a UMobile lapel pin and coin, he was given a framed Honorary Fellows certificate presented

by Bill Hart, associate vice president for development.

Dr. William K. Weaver Jr., founding president of Mobile College, established what was then the Association of Honorary Fellows to encourage and support the development of the university. Sirmon now joins 10 other active Honorary Fellows members.

Sirmon has been a lecturer at UMobile since 2010 and has taught western civilization, U.S. history and world regional geography. He is involved in events such as the University of Mobile Leadership Banquet, Charitable Estate Planning programs, Ram Run and numerous performing arts events. He is also involved with his church and the Boy Scouts of America.

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, he attended W.P. Davidson High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in science education from the University of South Alabama and a Master of Arts in physics education from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He was an Army ROTC Cadet, was inducted into the Scabbard & Blade Honor Society and received the Distinguished Military Graduate Award. He retired as a colonel with a record of excellence in the United States Army, United States Army Reserve and the National Guard.

He is married to Maryella Desak Sirmon. They have two sons, William Desak Sirmon and John Nathan Sirmon. m

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faithfulgiving

Ted Talley, second from left, and the Keytones

The Oxford High School men’s chorus with Ted Talley, third from left.

36 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Honor What He Cherished Creating the Thomas ‘Ted’ Talley Voice Performance Scholarship

By Kathy Dean On the afternoon of the day her father died, Paige Ellison sat at her computer and sent an email to the University of Mobile. She addressed it to two men she had never met at a university whose campus she had never visited.

This is what she wrote on Dec. 22, 2013 to Bill Hart, associate vice president for development, and Dr. Roger Breland, vice president for project development: Dr. Breland and Mr. Hart, My father passed away very early this morning. My family and I would like to establish a Thomas ‘Ted’ Talley voice performance endowed scholarship, based on need, at the University of Mobile. Would this be possible in time for memorial gifts to be directed to the scholarship in lieu of flowers?

My father sang gospel music with various quartets and other groups throughout his life in Alabama until he became too sick the past two years. The University of Mobile Center for Performing Arts’ performances were great gifts of enjoyment to him when he relocated to this area.

This is the finest way that we feel we can honor what he most cherished doing while he was with us here.

Sincerely, Paige A few months later, on her father’s birthday of March 27, she joined UMobile President Mark Foley on stage at the 9th annual Leadership Banquet. The event raises funds that allow the university to provide scholarships. Hart had invited Talley’s family and friends to attend the banquet that featured musical performances by the Voices of Mobile and an address by retired Col. Oliver North.

umobile.edu 37

“I was so struck by how many people his life had touched. He made people feel good, I think because he was so positive. He was very loved.” Paige Ellison

As the audience looked on, she and Foley signed the agreement to officially establish the Thomas “Ted” Talley Voice Performance Scholarship. With gifts from family, friends and those whose lives have been touched in some way by a shared love of music, the endowed fund will provide scholarships in perpetuity for full-time students with financial need who are studying voice performance.

“Oliver North caught me as I came off the stage and said, ‘What a wonderful tribute to your daddy’s life,’” Paige recalled. “Daddy would have loved that.”

Paige said she and her siblings, Amy Williams and Keith Talley, grew up in a north Alabama home filled with love and music. Ted Talley was one of 11 children, and Paige recalls family gatherings at a house on the river, surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins – and music.

“Music was so central to those times.

Everybody loved gospel music. They would get together and play music and sing. It was at the core, the center, of his life – all his life,” Paige said.

He sang in the chorus at Oxford High School and was among chorus veterans who formed the Keytone Quartet. Later, he sang with the Kingston Quartet, the Gospelairs and the Travellers. They cut albums and sang at churches and gospel singing events across the state.

Singing wasn’t his livelihood – it was his love. He worked in the grocery business for over 40 years before transitioning to chemical sales. In his spare time he enjoyed golf, reading, and watching and attending sports events.

When he became ill, Talley moved to Spanish Fort, AL to be closer to Paige and Amy. Amy often took him to Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile where many of the university’s major musical performances are held, such as Christmas Spectacular and the Mobile Passion Play.

38 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

“He was over the top amazed by the young people, not just that they had that amount of talent, but that they had that avenue to work on their talent. He was just blown away by the caliber of what was done at the University of Mobile,” Paige said.

When their father died at the age of 76, Paige said she and her siblings were overwhelmed by the stories they heard of how he stepped in to be there for somebody when times were tough.

“There are so many sides of our parents that we know nothing about,” Paige said. “I was so struck by how many people his life had touched. He made people feel good, I think because he was so positive. He was very loved.”

Establishing the endowed voice performance scholarship provided an opportunity for family and friends to contribute to something permanent that would acknowledge Talley’s lifetime of loving music.

Paige said she came to know more about the University of Mobile through her father’s insistence that she accompany him to a music performance.

That connection grew stronger as a result of the Leadership Banquet, when she met Charlie Brown ’79 and ’14 who had just completed a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling after a career change. Brown encouraged her to take some classes at the University of Mobile and work toward licensing to go along with a master’s degree she had previously earned in counseling.

So this summer she took a couple of courses with Dr. Tom Bevill, professor of marriage and family counseling and Christian studies, and Dr. Buddy Landry, assistant professor of marriage and family counseling. As she is enrolled in a third class this fall, the professors are helping guide her through the state licensing process.

Paige said her only regret is in not having the opportunity to tell her father about the scholarship.

“I hope in some divine way he’s fully aware. I hope he knows he’s getting to support, at least in a small way, the young people getting to study music,” she said. m

Endowed Scholarships

Celebrate a Life

Paige Ellison said creating an endowed scholarship in her father’s name is a way for family and friends to celebrate his life.

“It gives lasting meaning to that passion he had for music,” Paige said.

“It’s a gift that comes back tenfold to the family, to think that there is a student at the university who is getting that benefit from my dad’s life and his love of music.”

Anyone may create an endowed scholarship in memory or honor of someone. For information on how to start or add to an existing endowed scholarship, call the Development Office at 251.442.2223 or email bhart@umobile.edu.

umobile.edu 39

By Kathy Dean Photo courtesy of The American Bible Challenge

What are the three constellations named in Job 9:9?

It’s hard enough to answer that question without looking up the verse. Try answering it on national television with cameras zoomed in for a close-up, two teams of Bible scholars standing beside you hoping – even praying – that you don’t know, and world-famous comedian Jeff Foxworthy waiting on your answer.

“I can’t phone a friend, can I?” asked Seth Brasher, flanked by fellow University of Mobile students Harrison Hughes and Kory Van Matre.

“Nope,” Foxworthy said. “That’s a totally different show.”

This is The American Bible Challenge, a fun, spirited game show that celebrates the Bible, its teachings, relevance and place in American culture.

Teams of Bible enthusiasts from across the country compete in a variety of challenges, putting their knowledge of the Bible to the test in humorous, inspiring and educational ways, according to the Game Show Network.

The American Bible Challenge has been described as the most popular show on GSN since its debut in 2012. The fast-paced show is hosted

by Foxworthy, the largest-selling comedy recording artist in history, a multiple Grammy Award nominee and best-selling author of 11 books.

Musical co-host is Kirk Franklin, a Grammy Award winner and multiplatinum-selling musician and producer.

40 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

umobile.edu 41

“From the beginning, I wanted this show to be a place where others could see faith in action, and the fact that these guys are so young and yet living out what they believe was really encouraging.” Jeff Foxworthy

The UMobile team, dubbed “Rhymz with Grace,” was in the final round and just a few more questions away from a possible $100,000 for the charity of their choice.

When the confetti rained down on the winning team, it didn’t fall on Rhymz with Grace. But second place in a Bible competition on national TV, along with a hefty $45,000 for their chosen charity, put these young men in a winner’s circle all their own.

“Rhymz with Grace is one of my favorite teams we’ve ever had on the show,” said Foxworthy. “From the beginning, I wanted this show to be a place where others could see faith in action, and the fact that these guys are so young and yet living out what they believe was really encouraging.”

Casting Call It started with a music video poking gentle fun at self-righteous Christians.

Worship Leadership majors Brasher, Hughes and Van Matre made a video in February 2013. Titled “Thrift Shop – Christian Remix,” the YouTube video is a redone version of the popular rap song “Thrift Shop” by the artists Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Instead of the original raunchy lyrics, the UMobile trio used the catchy beat to make a point that struck a chord with Christian youth groups across the country.

“We’re making fun of Christians who boast about their good deeds instead of living out a life of faith,” explained Hughes, whose academic 42 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

concentration in film was key to producing the video. With the tag line, “I’m an awesome Christian,” the video takes a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the more pretentiously pious ways people spotlight their good deeds.

Fast-forward a year later and the video had over 858,000 views, including one by a casting agent for The American Bible Challenge. The Los Angeles-based agent tracked Brasher down through Facebook and called his cell phone.

“I was a little skeptical,” Brasher said. When he received an email with the show’s logo and detailed information, he told Hughes and Van Matre, “Oh wow, this is legit!”

The students were asked to audition in Atlanta for season three of the show, but their classwork and busy touring schedules as members of several of the school’s Center for Performing Arts music and worship ensembles made a personal appearance impossible.

Instead, the casting agent arranged a three-hour Skype interview, complete with Bible trivia questions.

The best friends were asked to joke around, show their personalities, and share their testimonies of faith.

Hughes taped the interview, which was sent to the TV show’s producers and edited into a highlights tape used to promote the show.

The show’s producers had an image in mind for the students – part Jonas Brothers, part cool college kids. It was a way to clearly define for the

audience who they were, what they did, and why the audience should like them, Brasher explained.

The producers took a pass on Brasher’s idea for a group name – Boaz and the Kinsman Redeemers – and chose instead Rhymz with Grace.

The name played off the group’s rap video, Harrison said, meaning that the students were able to make compelling rhymes by God’s grace.

The Competition Rhymz with Grace was among 18 teams that would be playing to win money for a charity. They chose Home of Grace for Women, a Christ-centered alcohol and drug recovery program in nearby Eight Mile, AL. Harrison and Van Matre were members of the brass and percussion ensemble RamCorps that volunteered for several years at Home of Grace, working on landscaping and cleaning as part of Project Serve, the university’s annual day of service.

A video crew arrived on campus in November 2013, taping the team during a RamCorps outdoor concert, plus taping in-depth personal interviews. During the next few weeks the team added to their already significant biblical knowledge, studying with Dr. Doug Wilson, dean of the School of Christian Ministries.

Soon, they were in Los Angeles for a week-long experience that pitted them against other teams, most of which included pastors or other older, learned members.

From left: Seth Brasher, Harrison Hughes, Kory Van Matre.

Photo by Kathy Dean

“We were the epitome of the underdogs.

We were the youngest team – the oldest of us was 21.

Everybody else had a pastor on their team,” said Brasher. As a three-time Bible drill champion in his youth, Brasher was the “Bible guru” of the team. Other teams included former beauty queens, motorcycle-riding priests, police officers and Mormon moms.

Challenges put the contestant’s spiritual and physical talents to the

test with categories that include “Christ or Klingon” in which contestants must guess whether words are from the Bible or Star Trek’s Klingon language; “Curse You Autocorrect” where contestants must decipher a typed Bible passage that has been “autocorrected;” and “Nazareth Enquirer” with sensational Biblical headlines that could have appeared in a tabloid.

More than a Game Their biggest concern was in knowing that “we were representing the school, and we were going to do our best not to look like idiots,” Brasher said.

Their most stressful moment came the first day when they were to perform an original rap song – they hoped it wouldn’t bomb. That moment turned from nerve-wracking to magical when Kirk Franklin was their beat boxer. umobile.edu 43

“For me, it’s God showing us through the smallest things that He can make the biggest thing come out of it,” Harrison Hughes

Kory Van Matre watches the semi-finals show of The American Bible Challenge with women from Home of Grace. Photo courtesy of AL.com/Sharon Steinmann

The team said the unusual opportunity gives them a broader platform to share not only their musical talents, but something much more important.

“For me, it’s God showing us through the smallest things that He can make the biggest thing come out of it,” Hughes said.

The impact goes beyond appearing as contestants on a game show, they said.

“We don’t see this as a game. It’s an opportunity, first and foremost, to share the Gospel, and secondly to provide for those ladies at the Home of Grace in a way we never could if not for the show,” Brasher said. “We 44 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

have a mission, and it’s nothing to do with the game show and everything to do with Jesus Christ.”

Mighty Ministry Doris Wood-Littleton, founder and executive director of Home of Grace, said she is “overwhelmed by their goodness.”

The $45,000 in winnings will replace the 32-year-old floor in the building that serves as the cafeteria and chapel for the Christian center dedicated to helping women suffering from alcohol or drug abuse.

“They could go overseas and do mission work, but there is also a mission right here that puts women

Photo by Dan Anderson

back with families, mothers back with their children, mothers with tears streaming down their face saying ‘thank you for giving my daughter back to me,’” Wood-Littleton said.

“I just love them because of their dedication to God and His work.

I know God is going to use them mightily in their ministry,” she said.

Rhymz With Grace presents a check to Doris Wood-Littleton representing their winnings that will replace deteriorated flooring at Home of Grace.

The Biggest Blessings When the whirlwind ride was over, the trio of friends had some time to reflect on their “15 minutes of fame” – what it taught them, how it affected them, and where they will go from here. They are keeping it all in perspective.

“If that’s all we’re ever known for,

Doris Wood-Littleton hugs Van Matre after the team advanced to the final competition.

Photo courtesy of AL.com/Sharon Steinmann

umobile.edu 45

Video crew from The American Bible Challenge came to the University of Mobile in November 2013 to shoot a promotional video for Rhymz With Grace’s upcoming appearance.

Photos by Kathy Dean

“But the things that stood out most was when we were learning ‘why’ rather than ‘what.’ That was the biggest blessing.

He was teaching us and reminding us to fall in love with the Bible all over again.”

Seth Brasher

we’ll have lived a shameful life,” Brasher said.

Each intends to use his moment in the spotlight as a tool for sharing Christ.

Van Matre said one thing his experience shows is that God can use anyone in any way – even through something as unexpected as a music video and a television game show.

“Don’t anybody ever doubt who God can use,” Van Matre said.

Brasher said the time they spent studying the Bible with Dr. Wilson taught them much more than Bible trivia.

46 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

“We were studying hard, we took practice tests,” Brasher said. “But the things that stood out most was when we were learning ‘why’ rather than ‘what.’ That was the biggest blessing.

He was teaching us and reminding us to fall in love with the Bible all over again.”

Their shared experience taught them not only to continue to place their trust in God, but also to have more faith in their own ability to accomplish great things with His help.

“If I did anything differently, I would bring more than two pairs of underwear and socks. That sums up

the kind of faith we had in our team,” Brasher joked, adding that he brought just enough clothes for the flight to Los Angeles and a flight back the next day to Mobile. “I’d have more faith in our team, in all of us as a whole.”

Hughes said what meant the most to him was seeing the faces of the ladies they were able to help, to see the broken tiles on the floor and know their experience provided the money to fix it.

The Next Season Season three of The American Bible Challenge is over, but the contestants

are just getting started in a new season in their lives.

Seth Brasher graduated in May 2014, just before the first show aired.

This fall he is on the road for the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the largest annual Christian music tour in the United States. The University of Mobile is again the college sponsor for the tour, and Brasher will be on stage introducing UMobile to prospective college students between sets by some of the nation’s top Christian bands.

Hughes and Van Matre are seniors, with graduation a few months away in May 2015. Hughes is expanding his successful photography/videography business and hopes to share the Gospel through video journalism.

He’s looking into possibilities with LifeWay and the International Mission Board.

Van Matre is in talks with a management group in Nashville, working toward taking his music on the road with a three-person touring group.

One More Thing As for the constellations named in Job 9:9?

The choices were on the board, and it was up to Brasher to pick the three correct ones that would take Rhymz with Grace into the championship round. With tension mounting, he chose: Orion, because his mother always said the three stars in Orion’s belt reminded her of her three children; The Bear, because everyone in Alabama knows about Bear Bryant; And the Pleiades, because that was the longest word.

That may not be how the Bible scholars do it. But it worked. m

More Online Watch the video that started it all. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30vyrdhiwwQ or search “Thrift Shop – Christian Remix” on YouTube View the promotional video for Rhymz with Grace at http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2014/05/rewind_the_promo_ on_rhymz_with.html Check out Harrison’s photography at harrisonslens.com Listen to Kory’s music at youtube.com/koryvanmatre Catch Seth onstage at Winter Jam. Visit jamtour.com for dates and locations.

Rhymz With Grace was featured on WALA FOX 10 TV’s Studio 10 show. Photo by Kathy Dean

umobile.edu 47

“We understand the importance of taking good care of that which we have inherited from those who have gone before us. “ Dr. Mark Foley, president

48 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Belting it Out

at COVERS

By Trey Taulbee

Lights.

Haze.

Adrenaline.

The roar of the crowd – over 450 students are waiting for the next University of Mobile musical legend to grace the stage and lay his or her claim to the coveted belt.

This scene happens once a semester at the most anticipated event at UMobile – COVERS. Like American Idol or The Voice, COVERS showcases a variety of musical talent on the UMobile campus by giving students the opportunity to audition and perform their favorite song in front of their peers.

Joe Langley ’01, former student activities coordinator, created COVERS in 2002 as a performance outlet for students.

“We had a number of incredibly talented students,” Langley said. “I thought it would be cool to hear them sing their favorite cover song.”

Langley created a sign-up list in the campus activities office and waited for performers.

Photo by Trey Taulbee

umobile.edu 49

“The amount of talent is mind-blowing, it’s so much fun jamming with everyone as you watch your peers go crazy on stage!”Allie Normand

Photo by Jessica Henderson

50 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Covers 2003 was held in the Ben May Building.

“There were no auditions at the time, and I had to beg some folks to sign up and play,” Langley said.

The first COVERS event was held in the old Ben May Commons lobby behind Lyon Chapel (now the Ben May Arts & Sciences Building). It featured student musicians and performers “covering” their favorite song, with the only rules being “no original material” and “no suggestive lyrics.” Several performances and one packed house later, COVERS became the newest tradition on UMobile’s campus.

David Cagle ’05, alumni coordinator, hasn’t forgotten those first few performances.

“We had a lot of fun getting COVERS started,” Cagle said. “When it all started, it had a coffee shop vibe to it – mostly acoustic covers and maybe a djembe player with a shaker. It was a fun, laid-back atmosphere and the students watching and participating really seemed to enjoy it.”

one of UMobile’s most famous campus fixtures: a plastic, toy wrestling belt with a spinning buckle, known as the COVERS belt.

The COVERS belt, started by Langley, displays the names of legendary COVERS winners in whiteout and bears witness to a history of outstanding performances. There are currently two belts full of names, with a third belt ready to carry on the tradition. While meant to keep the spirit of competition light, the belt gives bragging rights to the most recent winner on the list.

“I thought it would be a fun, goofy trophy,” Langley said.

The Belt Each COVERS winner (based on student vote) is forever enshrined on

Growing Popularity Since its debut, COVERS has continually grown in popularity and

Covers fans in September 2003.

size. After spending a few semesters in the old Commons lobby, the event moved to Moorer Auditorium that seats over 100. Then, COVERS spent several years in Weaver Auditorium before making Ram Hall its home in 2009. Currently, over 450 students cram into auditorium chairs and aisles to see the top student acts compete for the COVERS belt.

Over the years, interest became so overwhelming that auditions were enacted in 2010 to limit the number of performances to 10-15. Student and staff judges select the auditions that umobile.edu 51

Covers 2007. Photo by Neal Ledbetter

provide the most compelling variety for the show.

Production value has also improved drastically from the early days of the barstool and portable PA. While the first few semesters of competition featured solo and duo acts, student involvement has pushed acts to include full band setups and special guest appearances during the event.

Instrumentation expanded to banjos and auto-tune processors. Some acts even dressed in era costumes and outlandish characters.

Currently, COVERS performers

By Trey Taulbee participate in a photo shoot and Photo

by Dan Anderson intro video to be played prior to each performance. Trusses with programmed moving lights are built around the auditorium. Screens cover the stage’s back wall with themed 52 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

video and visual effects specific to each performer.

The Campus Life department trains student leaders to manage the entire setup – from production and backstage management to the emcees onstage.

This provides students with a sense of ownership and pride in the quality of their production.

Ashley Holmes ’13 served in Campus Life leadership for four years. Looking back on her time, she remembers the excitement that COVERS brought to her and the rest of the student team. But most of all, she loved surprising her peers.

Whether cannons and confetti at the

2014 Campus Life staff. Photo by Trey Taulbee

end of the show or a surprise concert from recording artist Dave Barnes, there’s always a shock factor in the performances.

“I loved seeing all of the great acts, but my absolute favorite was always our element of surprise,” she said.

“I’ll definitely never forget the reaction of the students when Dave Barnes hit the stage!”

Winning Talent Many students performing in COVERS are already part of

“But I think that COVERS will always be a student favorite because the student is the show,” Joe Langley

Covers 2006.

UMobile’s Center for Performing Arts.

Because of the immense amount of experience and talent, the audition selection process is often difficult. But other times, an unsuspecting freshman shows up and wows the audience.

“I loved the COVERS moments when a wallflower would step out and blow away the crowd,” Langley said.

Allie Normand, a senior from Mobile, AL has enjoyed COVERS every semester in her time at UMobile.

“The amount of talent is mindblowing,” she said. “It’s so much fun jamming with everyone as you watch your peers go crazy on stage!’

There is no way to predict the winning act – sometimes students vote for the funny, outlandish act; other times the most impressive musical talent wins.

Four-time winner Peter Lake ’10 won with humor and musical prowess.

In spring 2007, Lake won with a hilarious and impressive rendition of comedy duo Tenacious D’s “Tribute (The Best Song in the World).” Later that fall, he was part of the winning group that performed Coldplay’s

Covers 2013.

“Fix You.” In fall 2009, he won by performing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Then in spring 2010, he won with a choreographed display of musical excellence – performing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” with a full ensemble of dressed vocalists and instrumentalists.

For Lake, COVERS represented a break from all of the recitals and hours of practice as a music and theatre student.

“It was the highlight of my year,” Lake said. “It was a pure outlet for all

my tension I built up over the year.”

Though COVERS is currently a far cry from its early, minimalistic days, Langley is happy with its new and improved approach.

“I love the way the event has morphed over the years,” Langley said. “I love that they still battle for a name on ‘the belt’. I love the artist stories and introduction packages they film.

“But I think that COVERS will always be a student favorite because the student is the show,” he said. m umobile.edu 53

54 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Friday, September 26, 2014 1,200 Students, Faculty & Staff Serving at 65 Locations across Mobile & Baldwin Counties

IN MAKING AN

Photo by Dan Anderson

umobile.edu 55

56 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

“RamCorps was truly blessed to be invited to the Strickland Youth Center. Our college students have an instant rapport with these youth ages 12-18, and the music we perform engages youth because it is dynamic and exciting with visual movement.

Through testimonies by UMobile students and one-on-one prayer time, we saw many life-changing commitments with the Strickland Youth. We can boldly share our faith with these students and they have responded. We can’t think of a better way to serve our community than bringing hope and encouragement to these troubled youth, introducing them to Jesus.”

Kenn Hughes Assistant Professor of Music Director of Instrumental Studies, Jazz Band & RamCorps “Going to Strickland Youth Center with RamCorps is always such an incredible opportunity, and I consider it a great privilege to do ministry with RamCorps. I was very excited to go back to the center to perform for the kids, because I knew that we

would have the opportunity to talk and connect with them. After we played a few songs and the Gospel was presented, we had the chance to talk to them. I was so excited for the student that I talked to because I knew that God had done a work in his heart.

It’s these moments and opportunities that make me so thankful to be a part of a school and a group of people dedicated to seeing Jesus’ name made known in our city and around the world.”

Josh Holley Junior, Intercultural Studies

Photos by Lyle Ratliff

“For Project Serve, the entire School of Nursing went to Little Sisters of the Poor. We had teams doing maintenance, housekeeping, vital signs, sanitation, hair, nails, and simply visiting and getting to know the residents. I spent my day washing, drying and styling the residents’ hair to assist them in feeling beautiful.

Serving people with your time is one of the best acts of love. It shows someone that you care about them. umobile.edu 57

Photos by Dan Anderson

You are not on an agenda other than to be there for them and show them love.

We all had an amazing time getting to know the residents and assisting the Sisters any way we could. They rely on volunteers to keep their home affordable for their residents. No act of service goes unnoticed – every bit counts!�

Kei Martin Senior, Nursing “When I think about Project Serve, I think about community. I have always enjoyed the fact that being a student at the University of Mobile means that you are given the opportunity to adopt a second family. As a young adult transitioning from living with your parents to living on your own, community is a key element to this transition into adulthood. Project Serve is a day set aside for myself, my fellow 58 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

classmates, and the tremendous professors and staff at the University of Mobile to go into our community as a united community of students, believers and friends. My Project Serve experience this year was one of great joy and sadness, because this is my last year to participate in my favorite school event, due to my upcoming graduation. This particular Project Serve, I had the pleasure to sing classic hymns at nursing homes in the Mobile area with my fellow Center for Performing Arts peers. As my small group of 15 students met together before we embarked on our mission, we had the opportunity to pray together for the day ahead and for the other teams that would be leaving as well.

This special time together united my group. We arrived at our first nursing home, not knowing what

umobile.edu 59

60 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Photo by Lyle Ratliff

to expect. What we discovered were many precious people desiring to be loved and appreciated. I was given the opportunity that day to help those who are in need of a caring friend, to love on them and to make them smile. The joy I received from serving these precious men and women is far greater than anything I could ever offer to them that day. We were able to sing with them, offer them hugs and handshakes, encourage them with our kind and uplifting words, pray with them for their health and well-being, and to offer them the hope that is found only in Jesus, for which our incredible school finds its foundation.

I learned so much about community through Project Serve.�

Anna Phillips Senior, Music

Photo by Dan Anderson

“For Project Serve this year, I went on a team from the Center for Performing Arts to two different nursing homes to sing hymns with the residents. This year at one of the homes, Mildred (one of the residents) was celebrating her birthday. Mildred was confined to a wheelchair, and while she sang a few words with us, umobile.edu 61

she mainly just watched my friend, Hannah, and me sing. The smile on her face was not something I will easily forget. She told us how much we had blessed her, and how she loved Jesus and the songs that we sang with her. Project Serve is a beautiful opportunity where we as students are given the ability to love on a community that desperately needs it.

It is an opportunity to have our eyes Photo by Dan Anderson

Photo by Michelle Taulbee

opened to the needs that are around us that we so often overlook. It is an opportunity to bring the love of Jesus to those who need the reminder, simply by following in His footsteps and serving our neighbors.”

Anna Sailors Senior, Music “This was the first time I have gotten to experience an event such as Project Serve. Being out of class was pretty exciting, but giving back to an amazing cause felt even better 62 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

than that. I am part of the School of Business, and our group went to the Dumas Wesley Community Center. It’s things like that which make me love my school. I have been to two different universities before transferring to UMobile. I must admit I have been able to make so much difference in the world through this school, just in part of my first semester here, than I did for two years at any of the other schools I attended.”

Anna Ustupkina Sophomore, Business Administration

“For Project Serve, I went with the rest of the UMobile women’s soccer team to Council Traditional School. We worked with the physical education teachers, as well as assisting in teaching basics of French and Spanish in the school’s foreign language classes. This was an incredible opportunity to get out in the community and be a small part of shaping future generations.”

Madison Kindzierski Sophomore, Communication “I participated with the women’s basketball team for Project Serve.

We volunteered at Ella Grant, an elementary school in Prichard, where we helped third grade students with reading and math. I really enjoyed spending time with the children.

Programs like Project Serve are the type of experiences that make me glad I chose to transfer to the University of Mobile.”

Kerrie York Senior, Accounting

Photo by Dan Anderson

umobile.edu 63

Photo by G.M. Andrews

“This year, I served alongside numerous other theology majors at the International Mission Center. I joined a team of volunteers outside doing lawn and maintenance care. We were doing something I love, which is ‘making it easier for her’ – ‘her’ being the church. As a volunteer force, we were able to do countless tasks and also help reach others in the name of Jesus.”

Kaiser Karpanty Junior, Theology

Photo by Dan Anderson

64 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

“As a freshman this fall, it was a great honor to be part of Project Serve. The opportunity to provide school supplies to the underprivileged children at USA Children’s and Women’s hospital and serve my community as a member of the UMobile student body made me proud and thankful to be a part of such an amazing university. I have volunteered at USA Children’s and Women’s hospital since the beginning of this year, spending all summer as a clinical observation student in the NICU unit. I know any donations that are given are a gift from God and much appreciated. We were able to experience the excitement from the staff at the hospital as they were extremely grateful for our gift. Project

Serve is a wonderful tradition at the University of Mobile, and I look forward to several more years of participation.”

Victoria Woodruff Freshman, Nursing “The Southwest Regional School is located in Mobile, Alabama and houses students from grades K-5th. Its mission is to create a positive, supportive and educational environment that provides opportunities for sensory impaired students. I can truly say that I was honored to be a part of Project Serve this year. I was privileged to spend the day assisting students on the playground as well as in the classroom. My classroom was composed of five hearing-impaired boys that ranged from severely deaf to mild hearing loss. I am forever grateful for this learning experience! I will remember the students, and their strong ability to persevere past their physical abilities with excellence, and the gratefulness that beamed from their hearts to ours!”

Jessica Sanders Senior, Elementary Education “I enjoyed the opportunity to work side-by-side with ministerial students who were also happy to serve the community as we spruced up Langan Park. Painting signs and playground equipment and marking trails throughout the park made a visible difference and was an important way to give back to the City of Mobile.

Project Serve is a great way to bring us all together.”

Nancy Snodgrass ‘91 Development Office

Photo by Michelle Taulbee

umobile.edu 65

Locations Served: Ransome Café Fairhope United Methodist Church Ella Grant School Habitat for Humanity ReStore Heron Lakes Country Club Dodge Elementary School Mars Hill Church North Mobile Baptist School Sea Breeze Nursing Home Salvation Army L’Arche Mobile Sea Breeze Nursing Home Daphne Elementary School USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital Mobile History Museum The Gulf Coast Exploreum Mitchell Cancer Center Cogburn Health & Rehab West Baldwin House Assisted Living William F. Green State Veterans Home Twin Oaks Nursing Home Crowne Health Care of Springhill Westminister Village Specialty Healthcare & Rehab Eight Mile Nursing & Rehab Sea Breeze Health Care Center Gordon Oaks Healthcare Lynnwood Nursing Home Mercy Medical Montrose Bay Health & Rehab

Photos by Dan Anderson

66 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Crowne Health Care of Mobile Mobile Nursing & Rehab Center Oakwood-N. Baldwin Center for Living Allen Memorial Home Cogburn Nursing Center Midtown Springhill Manor Nursing Home Grand Bay Convalescent Springhill Senior Residence Somerby of Mobile Fairhope Health & Rehab Cogburn Health & Rehab First Baptist Tillman’s Corner Food Pantry Home of Grace Strickland Youth Center Langan Park/Municipal Park Bay Area Food Bank Ronald McDonald House Wilmer Hall Dumas Wesley Community Center International Seaman’s Center Chickasaw School SW Alabama School for Deaf and Blind Kate Shepherd Elementary Saraland High School Widow’s Mite Ministry Little Sisters of the Poor Health Care Facility Law Enforcement Training Facility Various Homes of the Elderly

umobile.edu 67

68 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

By Kathy Dean Photo by Trey Taulbee

T

o think critically, comprehensively and compassionately; to ask the big questions and attempt the journey toward answers; to be bold, honest and, most of all, authentic – that’s what Dr. Ted Mashburn expects of his students. It’s also what he expects of himself.

“It’s not about the answers – it’s about knowing the right questions. It’s the process, not the destination,” explained Mashburn. “The best class is when one person answers this way, and another answers another way. Then you can have a riveting class.”

umobile.edu 69

I am a philosopher. What do philosophers do?

We ask questions – fundamental questions, essential questions, really big questions. Dr. Ted Mashburn

It’s this dynamic exchange – and Mashburn’s dedication to the Socratic method of asking and answering questions in order to stimulate critical thinking and explore ideas – that challenges students. It’s a challenge that changes them from high school graduates who simply want to know the answers to put on the quiz, to college students and graduates capable of wrestling with the hard questions in life.

“Life can be wonderful, and it can be terribly unfair, and it can crush you.

I want our students to be prepared to deal with life openly, honestly, lovingly and justly, because that’s how you’re supposed to live – openly, honestly, lovingly and justly,” said the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Philosophy Department.

This Oxford-educated philosopher and ordained Southern Baptist pastor said he teaches with one foot in the pulpit and the other in the lecture room.

“I find they’re not so dissimilar,” Mashburn said.

Blue Collar Philosopher Mashburn didn’t go to college to become a professor. He just wanted to play football. He played linebacker

70 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

for Livingston University, now University of West Alabama, and was undecided on a major.

It was in Dr. Ralph Lyon’s class that Mashburn first experienced a real excitement for learning.

“It was the first time I had a class where I didn’t just memorize material. He was the first one who said, ‘Look, that’s not what learning is about. I want you to think,’” Mashburn recalled.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and the vague notion of going to law school to follow in the footsteps of his father, Baldwin County’s first circuit judge, former state Rep. Telfair Mashburn. A summer spent as a missionary in Liberia gave him another idea. He signed up for Journeyman program with the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. For two years, he lived in Israel and worked with Palestinian Arabs.

Stepping out of familiar surroundings and living in another culture was eye-opening.

“You come to grips with who you are,” he said. “That experience took me on an academic journey. I knew I wanted to study theology.”

He was a college student for the next decade, marrying Rene’ Reed from Alabama’s Choctaw County while in his first year at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received a Master of Divinity in 1978 from Southwestern, then a Master of Theology from the University of Edinburgh, New College, Edinburgh, Scotland. The Doctorate of Philosophy was conferred in April 1985 from Oxford University, Regents Park College, England.

Mashburn thought he might pursue an

academic position in the northeastern United States when he learned about an opening in the religion department at then-Mobile College, just across the bay from his Baldwin County roots.

The Mashburns settled in Baldwin County, raised two daughters there, and now make Fairhope their home, where Rene’ owns Green Gates designer home décor market.

“I call myself a blue collar theologian,” Mashburn said. “Football gave me the work ethic and taught me if you want something badly enough, you can get it, if you have discipline and work hard.”

The Oxford Model UMobile Associate Professor of English Dr. Katherine Abernathy ’89 said she was in the first class Mashburn ever taught at Mobile College, a 9 a.m. class on the history of Christian thought.

“It’s the first time I ever had to study for a class,” she recalled. “His

Photo by Trey Taulbee

umobile.edu 71

“He’s a profoundly good mentor, not just to students, but also a mentor to the younger faculty.”

Dr. Doug Mitchell

passion was to get us to understand. It wasn’t to understand bullet points. He wanted us to deal with the material and own it. It’s still that way.”

Now as a colleague teaching in the Honors Program, Abernathy said Mashburn is “an incredibly hard worker.”

“He will pick things to teach that he hasn’t read yet,” she said. “He doesn’t just read something to get published; he reads it to change his life. And he wants it to change his students’ lives.”

In 1995 Mashburn moved from the religion department to the arts and sciences division where he started the school’s philosophy department and took additional classes in literature to broaden his knowledge.

He decided early in his teaching career that he would not be standing at the front of the class giving a lecture.

“Writing a lecture is a wonderful experience,” Mashburn explained.

“You don’t know something until you teach it or write about it and you make it your own.”

But after seriously reading more Plato, he embraced the idea that it was the process of arriving at the answers that was important, and that required students to be involved in analyzing, learning to think, questioning, testing answers and being willing to discard 72 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

those found wanting and begin the process again.

Abernathy said the energy he had 29 years ago as a first-year professor remains evident in his teaching today. He engages everyone in the class, “throwing grenades” in the guise of challenging questions that students don’t know how to answer immediately.

“They have to go away and think,” Abernathy said. “He makes them struggle. He wants the students to recognize when they don’t have an answer, and then try to find one. Students will go talk to their preachers, to their parents, in their search. He poses questions in class that flow over into late night philosophical debates in the dorms.”

Registrar Dr. Don Berry, who served on the religion faculty with Mashburn, said, “I think his No. 1 contribution

to the university is academic depth.

He does as good a job at provoking undergraduate students to do critical thinking as anybody I know. To me, he’s a master teacher.”

Dr. Doug Mitchell, professor of English, has taught several Honors courses with Mashburn. He said Mashburn expects students to take the texts they read as seriously as he does, and he teaches them how to do it.

They read numerous works, then meet in class to wrestle with the texts and write about the ideas they discover.

It’s a European model of education, a model similar to that found at Oxford where Mashburn earned his doctorate.

“He’s a little bit of Oxford on our campus,” Mitchell said.

‘He Believed in Me’ Dr. Barry Padgett ’89 said Mashburn was among the first people

Photo by Trey Taulbee

he called when he was offered the James M. Medlin Chair of Business Ethics and professor of management at Belmont University.

“One of the things he inspired in me was the desire to do what he’s done, and that is to get into academia and to give yourself to the next generation of students coming along, to commit yourself to their well-being,” Padgett said.

Padgett remembered Mashburn as a professor and mentor who expected much from his students and himself.

“He was going to push you.

He was going to be sure that you expanded your horizons. Where some students saw that as intimidating, I absorbed it like a sponge. I soaked up everything he could send my way,” Padgett said. “He was very passionate about whatever we were reading.

That passion for learning and for

Photo by Doug Mitchell

understanding what the meaning of this is in your own life is something that is contagious.”

He recalled one class with a couple of class clowns. One day Mashburn called one of the jokesters out with a comment that stuck with Padgett.

“Personality will get you a long way in life, but it won’t get you all the way.”

Sara Dye ’13 said she keeps in touch with Mashburn while pursuing a Ph.D. in English at Baylor. That she

even applied to the doctoral program was due to her professor.

She had enrolled at UMobile as a nursing major, mainly because she had always been good at math and science. She was also in the Honors Program, and soon discovered she loved English and philosophy.

“My sophomore year I had this kind of crisis. I had this big tension of not knowing what I was supposed to do, or even wanted to do,” she said. That summer she and nine other students umobile.edu 73

traveled to England with Mashburn for an academic and cultural trip.

Mashburn asked Dye if she had any more thoughts about her future. It was something Dye had talked extensively about.

“I told him I was still conflicted.

Then he asked me a question: When you wake up every morning, do you want to be a nurse or a college teacher, in the full knowledge that you are capable of being either one?

In that moment, I realized how I had complicated everything,” she said.

Dye said Mashburn spent “a huge amount of time and energy listening to a 19-year-old girl talk over and over about the same thing. He never minimizes something a student is going through.”

She said Mashburn pushed her to apply to schools she thought she couldn’t get accepted into.

“He said, ‘but you can. I want you to try.’ He believed in me more than I did. If anybody outside of my parents and closest friends believed in me when I didn’t believe in me, it was Ted Mashburn,” Dye said.

His encouragement extends to colleagues.

“He’s a profoundly good mentor, not just to students, but also a mentor to the younger faculty,” Mitchell said.

“He knows what you can do better than you do. Mashburn is always there to remind you, ‘this is what you bring to the table, this is what you can do.’ He expects the best of you, but in a really encouraging way.”

Where There is Truth The questions that Mashburn throws out to the class, and the questions that arise from those questions, are not always easy ones with simple answers.

74 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

UMobile Honors students with Mashburn. Photo by Doug Mitchell

“We are the only sentient beings who can reflect on our own mortality,” Mashburn said. “My very presence creates an existential question. Why am I here? Am I really doing what I should be doing? Your life’s a question, and the way you live it is the answer.”

In seeking answers to those questions, “you come to find out who you are in relation to God, others and the world. You come to know yourself better when you think about great things,” Mashburn said.

His popular course “God, Evil and Suffering” delves into the book of Job and the questions Job asks of God. Kala Holt ’12, now pursuing a master’s in English at Baylor, said what struck her was that Job never said God wasn’t true; he just wanted to understand God better.

“Dr. Mashburn has this faith that is very strong, and he leads us to find our own way to seek God,” she said.

The questions are a tool to seek Truth, and in seeking Truth, one finds God, Mashburn teaches.

“Truth is God and God is everywhere. If it’s Truth, it’s of God,” he said.

He encourages students to always seek Truth, and “above all, never, ever drink the ‘Kool Aid,’” or blindly accept what someone says about God and faith.

“When Paul says always be ready to give an answer for the faith that is in you, it’s the principle of ‘know why you believe what you believe,’” Holt said. “There is a danger of going along with something because you believe in the person who said it and not the message itself. It’s dangerous to put your faith in a person and not in the truth – don’t just take what they say as Gospel, but read the Gospel yourself.

“It’s a spiritual principle of don’t doubt, but seek. Confirm that what you have been proclaiming is what you believe because it’s true, not because you’re just repeating it from someone else,” she said.

Aaron McLeod ’04, a trial and appellate attorney in Birmingham,

AL, said he entered college like many freshmen, confident that he already had all the answers.

“Then I met Dr. Mashburn. In my first semester he taught an introduction course to philosophy, and nothing has been the same since,” McLeod said. “I had to re-examine assumptions about life, knowledge, meaning and God. I had to think. I still ask myself those questions that take us out of the mundane and make us examine what we take for granted.”

Being an active thinker about one’s faith is a challenge Mashburn also extends to the congregation he has pastored for 14 years, Josephine Baptist Church in Elberta, AL. “He’s a wonderful advocate for Christ,” said Barbara Beson, who with husband Gary has been a member of Josephine Baptist for 18 years. “He’s well loved by the community, and not just by the people who are members of this church.”

“He’s always thinking and challenging us, which I think is his biggest asset,” Gary Beson added.

Know Thyself There is a reason Ted Mashburn challenges his students.

“I want them to find themselves. I want them to be able to do what they want to do. Very few of my students will take the route I did. But they will take a route. I just want them to be equipped to experience life at its fullest,” he said.

There is also a reason Ted Mashburn believes his students are more capable than they believe themselves to be.

That reason is Dr. Yandall Woodfin, emeritus professor of philosophy of religion at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, who died in May. “He did it for me,” Mashburn said.

“I remember my second year at seminary. It was extremely competitive; the mountain looked real tall. He believed in me to the point he got me to be his grader. That was a profound vote of confidence, saying, in effect, ‘Ted, you can do this thing.’

“That’s why I went to Edinburgh. He encouraged me to apply. I didn’t think I had a shot. But he believed in me.” m

Photo by Trey Taulbee

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Learn Online.

UMobile.edu Marketplace Ministry Degree is First of Many Online Degrees for Adults

T

he University of Mobile’s first fully online bachelor’s degree – the Bachelor of Science in Marketplace Ministry – starts January 2015 with online courses in the areas of theology, biblical counseling and leadership.

It signals the university’s move into online higher education and is the first of many online degrees for adults age 23 and older who want higher education that complements – not competes with – adult responsibilities of family and career.

By Kathy Dean Photo by Trey Taulbee

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“We have 22 years of experience in adult education, and that will be a great benefit as we expand our program to offer more online degrees that are flexible, affordable and faith-based.” Danny Chancey

“We have 22 years of experience in adult education, and that will be a great benefit as we expand our program to offer more online degrees that are flexible, affordable and faith-based,” said Danny Chancey ‘79, director of Adult and Professional Studies, formerly the Center for Adult Programs.

UMobile President Dr. Mark Foley announced the push to add an online degree component a year ago. A team led by Dr. Audrey Eubanks, vice president for academic affairs, opted to start with the Marketplace Ministry bachelor’s degree. Dr. Doug Wilson, dean of the School of Christian Ministries, guided the course selection and development.

The expansion into online degrees allows the university to enter a new market of prospective students who are looking for a different type of educational experience than the traditional on-campus model. Students who will be attracted to earning a college degree online are adult non-traditional students who want college courses delivered directly to them.

The aim is to enroll more students and grow the university, without the expense of major capital investments such as new residence halls, classrooms and offices.

At the same time the Marketplace Ministry degree program goes online, the university is offering the online Associate of Science in General Studies. Adult students may opt to take individual courses from the core curriculum to fulfill prerequisites for

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bachelor’s degrees, or work toward their associate’s degree. The programs are marketed online at learnonline. umobile.edu.

About Marketplace Ministry Chancey is excited about the Bachelor of Science in Marketplace Ministry, the first fully online degree offered through the School of Christian Ministries.

The degree has three components: theology, biblical counseling and leadership. It is designed to be an effective tool for those who are called to ministry in any setting, particularly in non-traditional settings.

Chancey said Marketplace Ministry prepares graduates to answer their personal call to serve God in areas ranging from traditional church ministry to para-church ministries that target a particular area of need. The degree prepares people to: • Be leaders in para-church ministries like Samaritan’s Purse and Promise Keepers • Develop their own ministries to reach people involved in human trafficking • Build programs that help the homeless • Become more effective on the mission field • Work in faith-based and non-profit organizations • Focus on urban ministry • Increase their knowledge for bi-vocational ministry, and more.

“Ministry is not only done in church,” Chancey said. “Wherever you are, wherever your own

marketplace is, you should be fulfilling the Great Commission.”

He said the program seeks students new to the world of higher education or who have completed some college courses or earned a degree in another field. The online program is for students who will: • Embrace learning and willingly engage in an ever-changing environment • Develop as confident Christian men and women who make practical application of their faith in the world • Become leaders with the integrity to live and work in a manner consistent with what they believe.

“This is a way for people to prepare for God to use them wherever they are,” Chancey said. “You can now come to school to prepare for ministry while you’re sitting at your kitchen table, or on your cell phone.”

‘Connect the Dots’ One of the first students enrolling in Marketplace Ministry will be Heath Mason, a 40-year-old self-employed businessman. Recently, on a mission trip to Honduras with his son, Mason said he felt like he didn’t have the answers to help people.

Although he grew up going to church, “they never seemed to connect all the dots for me,” he said.

Then he learned about UMobile’s Marketplace Ministry degree.

“I’m hoping that I can help some other people connect the dots, starting in my own house and at work. I was looking for something that would

give me a background to be a better witness locally, and give me better knowledge and a biblical background deeper than what I was getting when I was trying to read on my own,” Mason said.

He also has a desire to start a faith-based non-profit organization.

Because he lives in Mobile and could attend on-campus classes, he enrolled this fall in pre-requisite courses through the university’s Adult and Professional Studies. The university already offers individual courses completely online, on campus and in a blended combination of online and on campus. Mason took several on-campus courses and one online class that gave him enough flexibility to go on a two-week cruise, completing assignments and taking a test online while on vacation.

Mason said he never thought he would be back in college. He never cared much for school and didn’t expect to add to the courses he had already taken in junior college.

“I felt like God was pressing me,” he said. “This is strictly for me and what I feel like God is leading me to do.”

Mason said he also wanted to be an example for his children.

“I was trying to teach my boys that life isn’t just about how many zeroes you can get in your bank account.

That there are some things that are more important than money, there are things you can do out there that pay a better interest rate than money,” he said.

Mason said he likes the idea of

“marketplace ministry.”

“It starts with me in the marketplace, wherever that marketplace is, wherever you are,” he said.

Moving Forward The new online component is part of a broader program of adult education that gives adult students choices in online and on-campus learning.

The university will continue to offer on-campus programs leading to bachelor of science degrees in elementary or early childhood education, leadership and cultural studies, a bachelor of business administration and the RN to

BSN degree.

Both the online and on-campus programs are designed to address the unique needs of adults who are starting or returning to college.

Later in 2015, the online program will expand when the School of Business launches the Bachelor of Business Administration.

Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Marketplace Ministry, the Associate of Science in General Studies, and other degree programs for adult students at learnonline.umobile.edu.

For information about adult degree completion programs, contact Adult and Professional Studies at 855.446.9571 or learnonline@umobile.edu. m

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D.J.Giaritelli, third from left, backstage at Winter Jam.

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I Lived A

Dream UMobile Makes National Tour with Winter Jam

By D.J. Giaritelli

A

ttending the University of Mobile was one of the best decisions I ever made. Through the opportunities and experiences I gained as a student, I grew as a person and a leader. I developed skills that have prepared me for my future. The greatest of these, I believe, was the opportunity to travel for two years with the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular.

Over 18 years ago, the Grammy-nominated band Newsong had an idea that would revolutionize the Christian music industry forever. They wanted a place to combine multiple bands with a large number of people for one big event in Greenville, SC. Not knowing what to expect, and having never come close to a sell-out for a Christian event in Greenville, they decided to give it a shot.

Photo by D.J. Giaritelli

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“The night of the concert, when they finally closed the doors, they had to turn 2,000 people away, the place was jam-packed – it was an unbelievable night. “ Eddie Carswell

“The night of the concert, when they finally closed the doors, they had to turn 2,000 people away,” recalls band member Eddie Carswell. “The place was jam-packed – it was an unbelievable night.”

Needless to say, the concert was an absolute success, birthing the start of what we know today as the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular.

Almost two decades later, the concept is still the same. In fact, the concert not only sells out arenas and turns away thousands each year, but does so with record attendances.

What once started as a vision one night in Greenville, SC has now become the No. 1 concert tour in the world for three consecutive years, outperforming names such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi, Brad Paisley and Maroon 5 in first quarter ticket sales charts.

As part of UMobile’s goal to become a nationally recognized institution, the university is not only an exclusive tour sponsor but also the official college sponsor of this 58-city tour. UMobile has a presence both on stage and off stage at every arena throughout the tour – and students are now recognizing the name of the University of Mobile and what it stands for all across the country.

For the past two years, I had the privilege to be one of the two representatives on the road to help recruit students to the university.

What an incredible experience!

For three to four months we were assigned a spot on one of the 10 tour buses that carry 140-plus personnel 82 University of Mobile Magazine | FALL 2014

Photo by Joey Beth Bugg

Photo by Winter Jam Tour

from city to city.

While it was a lot of hard work, we did manage to have some fun along the way. We handled all of the setup of the UMobile booth; meeting and recruiting students before, during and after the concerts; presentations on stage; and contact with youth pastors across the country. When time allowed, we even had the opportunity to see some of the major city attractions and, in one instance, play a little basketball with Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley.

As I look back on my experience of these last two years, I am blown away at the opportunity I was given.

Not only did I get to represent my university on stage in front of 1.1 million people and share why this place is so special, but I was able to do it in a way unlike any other. Getting

to be on the road with artists that I have grown up listening to such as Lecrae, TobyMac, Matthew West, Sidewalk Prophets, Newsboys, Tenth Avenue North, Jason Castro, Colton Dixon, Passion, Crowder, Newsong, and many others has been a once-in-alifetime experience. The connections and relationships I formed have lasted way beyond the time we spent on the road together.

As I look back on the last two years, I often tell people I lived a dream.

Without a doubt, it all goes back to the opportunities and investment that people made in me here at the University of Mobile, and I am proud to now be working full-time in Campus Life to help other students’ dreams come true.

Every student at the University of Mobile has opportunities for

Photo by D.J. Giaritelli

experiences in leadership, service, travel, missions, internships and much more. Encourage your friends and family to visit UMobile – and attend a Winter Jam concert near them to see what the University of Mobile has to offer.

The University of Mobile is the official Winter Jam college sponsor for the 2014 West Coast and the 2015 East Coast Tours.

For concert dates and locations, visit jamtour.com. To schedule a campus visit at the University of Mobile, go to umobile.edu/visit.

D.J. Giaritelli, originally from Portland, OR, is a recent graduate from the University of Mobile who majored in communication.

He is currently a campus life coordinator in the Campus Life office.m

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Photo by Trey Taulbee

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campuscorner

Ram Hall

By Shannon Mason Ram Hall is the place to be for a variety of events on campus. This facility hosts future students and families for visit days; speakers such as Condoleezza Rice and Jon Acuff; TrueSpin weekly worship and Bible study; special events such as Ram Rush; and concerts for groups such as All Sons & Daughters and Kari Jobe.

This 7,690 square-foot addition to Ingram Dining Hall opened in the summer of 2009 and includes state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment with seating for up to 600 people. It also expands the cafeteria seating to more than 200. m

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throwback

Snowman Building Contest. From left are Kim Leousis ’86, Liz Blacksher, Janeice DeLange ’89, Marie Batson ’92, Mandy Fath ‘97 and Lenora George.

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institutionaladvancement

Brian P. Boyle Vice President for Institutional Advancement Class of ’94 Dear Fellow Alumni, Several years ago we took a hard look at how we connected with alumni. We discovered that we weren’t doing a great job at some of the things it takes to keep a relationship strong – things like communication and spending time together. We heard many of you say that your main contact with your alma mater was the envelope in the mail asking for your financial contribution.

Ouch. The truth hurts.

So we made some changes, and refocused our attention on making those important “connections.” We started with keeping you better informed through the University of Mobile Magazine. Since that first issue in 2011, we’ve been telling your stories – about the pranks you pulled, the traditions you started, the concerts you performed in, the games you won. You know more about what’s happening on campus, why your favorite professor loves teaching here, and what your fellow alumni are up to.

UMobile has always had fantastic leadership in our alumni office, so when Allison Nelson ’04 and ’06 joined our team as alumni director, she was no exception. She and the Alumni Association Board of Directors looked for better ways to connect alumni with their university. Since then, we’ve had Ram Run 5k events on campus and in the Birmingham area, started the Alumni Baseball Game and Alumni Women’s Soccer Game, and launched the Alumni Relations Connections communication effort. When she left this fall for an incredible opportunity to return to teaching, she had steered our alumni relations in a new direction. Awesome job, Allison!

Now, once again, our alumni office is blessed to have another excellent leader. Our new Alumni Coordinator David Cagle ’05 and the Board of Directors (which, by the way, now includes Allison Nelson) are planning events like the first Alumni Basketball Game held in November. Their aim is to “think small to think big” and bring alumni with shared interests together – like student-athletes from throughout the years who have the common experience of playing basketball for the school.

David has a love for the university and a heart for building relationships. After graduating from UMobile, he attended seminary for a year and was a student pastor in Birmingham. He returned to Mobile after his father, Rick Cagle ’75, passed away suddenly on June 6, 2013. David now pastors the church his father founded, Crosspoint Church in Mobile. He is married to Allison Jones Cagle and they have two children: Sam, 3, and Hallie, 1.

Even with these changes, we’re still listening. We’re still interested in what you have to say. If you have ideas, opinions, or want to help plan alumni events, contact David at dcagle@umobile.edu. Let us know how we can improve on making our relationship stronger, our communication better, and finding great ways to spend some time together.

P.S. Keep up with alumni events, photos and news at facebook.com/umobilealumni or visit umobile.edu/alumni.

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Some Things Change, Some Stay the Same

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hen I drove on campus for the first time in almost 10 years, I was amazed at all of the updates to campus. The guard house at the front of the school, the front drive with new sidewalks, new dorms, a coffee shop and workout facility, a recording studio, and the list could go on... The campus and the amenities have come a long way from when I was a student here. I was excited that students today were able to walk the same places I once did and yet enjoy something new.

While I reminisced of my “college days,” I walked around campus and talked with staff and faculty. I was reminded that, while some things change, there are others that stay the same. The University of Mobile is still a place where the professors know you by name. There is still something fun going on all the time. There are still groups of students who gather for Bible study and worship. Students are still receiving a great education. Most importantly, this school is still raising up leaders to go out and change the world in the name of Jesus. What a blessing!

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the importance of relationships, both old and new.

That being the case, I invite you to come and be an active member of our Alumni Association. If you would like to receive information regarding upcoming Alumni events, you can go to our website and quickly update your info at www.umobile.edu/classnotes. While you’re at our website you can check to see if there’s a local Alumni Chapter in your area where you can link up with old friends and even make some new ones. If there isn’t one presently in your area, we would love to talk with you about the possibility of starting one.

If you would be interested in helping out with our Alumni Association, we would love to talk with you regarding the possibility of becoming one of our Alumni Board of Directors.

We always welcome our alumni to come and tour the campus. If you would like to set up an official tour of campus, feel free to contact our Alumni Office and we’ll get it set up for you.

Go Rams!

David Cagle ‘05 Alumni Coordinator 251.447.4407 dcagle@umobile.edu umobile.edu 87

alumni

Ram Run

2014

By Shannon Mason

Looking for a fun way to spend a Saturday morning? Sign up for a Ram Run! Whether you’re running on the UMobile campus or at Oak Mountain State Park near Birmingham, you will experience a family-friendly event with your UMobile family.

The Mobile run was held on a foggy morning Saturday, April 12, at the University of Mobile. Beginning at the flagpoles, the route took runners along the beautiful front drive, new dorms and all throughout campus. Along the route, runners enjoyed live music by various Center for Performing Arts groups. After the run, everyone gathered at the patio in front of Bedsole Commons where live music was performed by the CPA group “Sweet Marie.” Refreshments were served and awards were handed out.

Winners for the Ram Run on the UMobile campus: • Female Overall Svenja Adriance 21:19 6:52 • Male Overall Blake Verdin 19:00 6:07 • Female Masters Overall Sally Shouppe 28:30 9:11 • Male Masters Overall Rodney Brown 19:43 6:21 • Female Grand Masters Overall Renee Wallace 29:09 9:23 • Male Grand Masters Overall Paul Carter 23:44 7:39 The Pelham Ram Run was held on Saturday, June 21. Runners enjoyed the beautiful scenery and lakes along the route. After the race, everyone gathered near the finish line to enjoy cold drinks and light refreshments.

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Photo by Cory Poff

Photo by Time Capsule Images

Photo by Cory Poff

Photo by Cory Poff

Photo by Time Capsule Images

Winners from the race: • Female Overall Jada Beverly 35:06 11:18 • Male Overall Wallace Dupuis ‘08 27:12 8:46 • Female Masters Overall Stacy Chintakis 37:44 12:09 • Male Masters Overall Sean Weldon 30:52 9:56 • Female Grand Master Leeanne Lovelady 40:21 13:00 • Male Masters Overall Mike Lovelady 33:55 10:55 A big “Thank You” to the UMobile women’s soccer team, men’s soccer team, volleyball team, and all faculty & staff who volunteered their time to help the UMobile Ram Run be a huge success.

Photo by Cory Poff

Photo by Time Capsule Images

Also, thanks to all alumni, faculty, staff & friends who participated this year!

We look forward to seeing you in 2015 at the next Ram Runs! For more information, visit umobile.edu/RamRun. m Photo by Cory Poff umobile.edu 89

alumni

First Women’s Soccer Alumni Game Scores Big

By Shannon Mason Photos by Cory Poff

The first women’s soccer alumni game was a winner, with 30 players and one assistant coach returning to campus for a soccer game with new players.

The event kicked off April 26, 2014 with a welcome and campus tour, followed by the alumni soccer game and a barbecue lunch. Some returning student-athletes and coaches got an early start on the celebration with a pre-game gathering at Java City on campus the night before the match, and enjoyed reminiscing and catching up.

“The weekend was a great success, not just because we all got to play a great game and eat some food, but it allowed the program to have current players connect with the alumni,” said Coach Brian Person.

“Our program has always been about the relationships and sharing the love of Christ with one another. I hope to make this an annual event!”

Be on the lookout for next year’s date at umobile.edu/WomensSoccerAlumniEvent. We hope to see you there! m

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alumnistories

Tell Me a Story Melissa Smith Turner ’03 Children’s Book Author, Editor in Chief, Sunshine Magazine

By Stephen Tindal

Melissa Turner’s success as a children’s author stemmed from her love of storytelling and illustration.

“Since I was young, I would draw little doodles and notes for people,” says Turner. “I have stacks of journals with little drawings and stories of funny things that happened during the day.”

This 2003 graduate of the University of Mobile recently released her second children’s book titled “Alma Louise Plans A Picnic.”

Her first children’s book, titled “Alma Louise,” was released in November of 2013. In addition to her work as a children’s author, Turner is both founder and editor in chief of Sunshine Magazine.

Although her creativity and passion for storytelling started at an early age, Turner credits her alma mater as a steppingstone to her success.

“Being a student at the University of Mobile opened up so many creative doors for me,” Turner says. “I took lots of art and music classes simply because I loved learning from the incredibly talented teachers and students in those classrooms. I always felt free to be my quirky, artistic self. ” Turner also gives much of the credit to her family.

“After I had kids, my doodling really got more exciting. I started telling them stories about my grandmother, Alma Louise, and decided to illustrate the

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stories for them so they could really get a better idea of her whimsical personality,” she says.

Turner’s grandparents were the inspiration for both her stories so far, with her grandfather Hursel (or, as Alma Lousie calls him, “Herk”) being introduced in the second book.

Turner’s stories and doodles were a huge hit with her children, and soon her husband, 2003 UMobile alumnus Charlie Turner, and parents encouraged her to publish one of the stories. She submitted the first book to multiple publishers in 2012. After a year, the book was published in November 2013 through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

“I was almost embarrassed at first because there is nothing spectacular about my drawings or my writing,” says Turner. “But then I realized that my doodles tell a story. There are moms out there who can’t make up silly stories and draw for their kids, and my book can do that for them.”

Turner’s own Sunshine Magazine, which recently released its sixth online publication, has gathered a large following over the years.

“Our last offer had over 30,000 readers, which is so amazing to me,” says Turner.

“We publish a new online issue every two or three months, and we currently have a print issue in the works.”

From its first edition in September of

2013, Sunshine Magazine has focused on creative small businesses, artists, and musicians.

“Sunshine Magazine combines all my favorite things: people, places, pictures, and projects,” says Turner. “One of our goals is to celebrate ‘real people’ and ‘real places’ who make art, sing songs, and own businesses. Everyone talks about the same people, businesses, and places.

I want to offer something different.

Our little corner of the internet offers a breath of fresh air.“ As their motto says, Sunshine Magazine is all about sharing “Real places and faces from a bright perspective.”

Like her children’s books, Turner attributes her inspiration for founding Sunshine Magazine to her family’s support and encouragement.

“My husband encouraged me to start a project that would allow me to be creative without making a huge mess,” says Turner. “I’ve always had an

obsession with magazines, so I did some research and contacted a few creative friends, including fellow UMobile alumna, Michelle Drashman.”

Drashman ‘02 is now a key contributor for the online magazine.

The Turners have four children: Dean

(age 9), Millie (age 8), Stella Belle (age 6), and Hal (age 2). Melissa’s husband, Charlie Turner, currently serves as senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Brunswick, GA. “God has given Melissa unique talents and abilities,” he says. “Her work as a magazine editor and author gives her

avenues to share those gifts with others.”

To find out more about Sunshine Magazine or read an issue of their bimonthly publications, visit their website at www.thesunshinemag. com. Both of Turner’s children’s books, “Alma Lousie” and “Alma Louise Plans,” are available for purchase online for $13 each at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. m

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Singing Truth

CCM Magazine Calls Veritas ‘Truly Remarkable’ Andrew Goodwin ‘10 Scott Lawrence ‘10 James Berrian ‘10 Jordan Johnson ‘11

By Stephen Tindal The University of Mobile has earned a reputation for musical excellence in the 53 years since it was founded, creating dozens of incredible ensembles and bringing talented students together to make unique blends of music that are heard around the world. UMobile musical groups have made appearances in international concerts, at the White House and the Pentagon, and even at the 2014 Olympic games in Russia.

Recently, one of these groups has extended its existence beyond its time at UMobile and is quickly climbing the ladder of success in the Christian music industry.

Veritas is a contemporary classical group that combines the sounds of operatic, jazz and pop music into performances that leave audiences encouraged and inspired. This five-man ensemble traveled across the United States on a two-week tour in October following the national release of its selftitled first album.

However, the story of Veritas began several years ago while four members of the group performed together as a new UMobile ensemble under the name “Shofar.”

From Shofar to Veritas Andrew Goodwin ’10, Scott Lawrence ’10, James Berrian ’10, and Jordan Johnson ’11, all came to the University of Mobile to study and perform in various ensembles in the Center for Performing Arts. During their

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years at the university, the four secured different positions in many of the groups, including the award-winning barbershop quartet Ramtonz, the University Singers, Opera Workshop, Upper Room Theater, and Voices of Mobile.

Dr. Roger Breland, vice president for project development, was inspired to create a contemporary classical group that reflected the same style as Il Divo, a world-famous quartet with an operaticpop sound. Breland makes time to cultivate personal relationships with students involved in the CPA, so when it came to selecting members for this groundbreaking new group, he knew exactly whom to pick. Breland noticed the talent and potential in these singers, and was fully committed to developing their sound into a professional-caliber group.

The new quartet “Shofar” was soon performing at special events throughout the year, and promised to be another entertaining and successful ensemble for the university.

Since its inception, there was one distinct difference between Shofar and the other ensembles in the CPA: this group was made with the intent of continued performance after the students graduated.

“It was Dr. Breland’s ultimate vision to have the group continue on full-time after graduation,” said Andrew Goodwin, Veritas tenor. “We carried that same classical music concept with us as we graduated from UM.”

Shofar’s transition to Veritas began when Breland asked Goodwin, Lawrence, and Johnson to participate in the Truth 40th Anniversary Tour of 2011: a tribute to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame group Breland formed in 1971. On the tour, they met Jeff Anderson, a former member of the vocal group “Wings of Morning,” who was also singing with Truth. Anderson would soon become the next member of Veritas, and the only one who had not graduated from the University of Mobile.

“We went into the tour knowing that the ultimate goal was to launch a male vocal group once it was finished,” said Scott Lawrence, Veritas bass. “Once the tour ended, we decided to change the name to Veritas, which is Latin for ‘truth’ so UM could continue to use the name Shofar. That’s when we asked Jeff and James to go on the road with us and sing for Veritas.”

The Journey to Success In 2012, the new group was preparing to put on its first concert under the name of Veritas. The five singers made their way to Albany, GA, to perform for over 2,000 people.

“I still get goose-bumps when I think of our very first concert at Sherwood Baptist Church in 2012,” said Lawrence. ”Regardless of the endless hours of preparation that went into that concert, we were still scared to death.

Not because we were ill-prepared, but because we didn’t know what to expect or how people would receive our music.”

Veritas members were excited and anxious to see how people would respond to their unique style; little did they know that their style would soon draw in fans from all across the country.

“The cool thing about our style is getting to take familiar songs that everyone knows and putting our contemporary-classical spin on them,” says James Berrian, Veritas baritone.

Their first concert was a huge hit and set the stage for the rest of the tour.

“That was one of the most receptive audiences you could ask for,” said Lawrence. “They truly encouraged us that night.”

Since then, the men of Veritas have travelled all across the United States sharing their unique and encouraging music with thousands. The ensemble has even performed at a University of Mobile Leadership Banquet for former President of the United States George W. Bush. Over the past year, Veritas has hosted more than 100 concerts over dozens of states. With each concert,

the group gains a larger fan base and, more importantly, touches the hearts of hundreds.

This June, Veritas was officially signed on the Fair Trade Services roster. Signing with a record label is a major steppingstone on Veritas’ way to success.

“Being able to have the opportunity to sign with a label and get recognition for all our hard work has been really neat,” said Jordan Johnson, Veritas tenor. The independent Christian record company has recruited several popular artists including MercyMe, Phil Wickham, Hawk Nelson and Audio Adrenaline.

In September of this year, Veritas released their first full-length album, selftitled “Veritas.”

“The CD has timeless classics like ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone,’ but it also has some newer songs like ‘The Hand That Holds the Storm’,” said Goodwin. “One of the most exciting things that we’ve done is taken the hit Switchfoot song, ‘Dare You to Move,’ and put our own classical twist on it.”

The album contains 10 unique arrangements that perfectly showcase the appealing, diverse style that sets Veritas apart. Fans of the ensemble were

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not alone in their excitement for the CD; the men of Veritas were also ecstatic.

“The biggest accomplishment we’ve had as Veritas is the nationwide release of our first full-length album,” said Berrian. “Walking into Barnes & Noble or Lifeway and seeing our CD on the shelf is really kind of surreal.”

Just days after the album was released, Veritas was mentioned in CCM magazine, a monthly publication that serves as the No. 1 source for the latest news on contemporary Christian music. The small, five-man ensemble that started in lower Alabama was now being recognized on the national scale.

CCM magazine had this to say about the group’s latest album: “Possibly one of the most unique and intriguing projects this year, the self-titled album from vocal group Veritas stands out with its fusion of classical roots and contemporary favorites. Truly remarkable work from this ensemble.”

A Lasting Impact One of the most noticeable things about each Veritas performance is the genuine desire to create an atmosphere of worship. From the selection of songs to their unique arrangements, every aspect of a Veritas concert is grounded in the effort to bring others closer to God through music.

“Veritas is the Latin word for truth,” said Goodwin. “Our desire is to share the truth with people: the truth that

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everyone is loved. At the end of the day that is why we do what we do.”

Throughout their last two years of touring, Veritas has experienced the positive effects of their music for the Kingdom of God countless times.

“We get to travel the country every week and meet people from all different walks of life. In all of that traveling, we’ve never met a single person who wasn’t searching for truth,” said Berrian.

“In our concerts, not only do we get to share the music God has put in our hearts to sing, but we also get to share the message of Jesus who has changed each one of our lives.”

Each week, Veritas has the chance to share an experience of worship with hundreds of people. What makes Veritas unique from other groups is that they also take the time to share experiences with individuals in need.

Berrian shared one interaction in particular that reminds him of the impact that Veritas truly has: “We have people come to us every night after the concert who are always very encouraging and grateful for the evening. I remember we were doing

a concert in Denver for the Volunteers of America, and a woman who had obviously been crying came up to us after the concert. We talked with her for a few minutes and discovered that she wasn’t a believer, but she kept saying ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t stop crying when I hear you guys sing.’

After a few minutes, we were able to share the Gospel with her. Those are the moments that make the countless hours of driving, travelling, and practicing all worth it.”

Veritas is quickly becoming known throughout the world of Christian music, and they are just getting started. Their recent tour ended in October, but they will be back on the road soon with the same passion and zeal that they had in their beginnings at the University of Mobile.

The newly released, self-titled album, is available for purchase nationwide, and can be found on iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and on the Veritas website. For more information about future tour dates, merchandise, or music, visit the group’s official website at veritasfive.com. m

Saxophonist Nathan Woodward Releases Jazz Album with 8Eighty Records

By Stephen Tindal

Saxophonist Nathan Woodward ’09 released a self-titled smooth jazz album through 8Eighty Records, the University of Mobile’s record label.

The new album can be purchased online as a digital download for $10 at 8eightyrecords.com. The Pascagoula, MS native has emerged into the jazz, gospel and R&B industry as an outstanding saxophonist and composer.

He began playing saxophone at the age of 12, and since then has played for thousands of people across the globe. Woodward’s journey toward a successful musical career began in 2005, when he enrolled in the University of Mobile. During his college career, Woodward performed solos and toured with UMobile vocal and instrumental ensembles, gaining real-world experience and making connections that would help catapult his career to the next level.

By June 2011, Woodward played across the country with the TRUTH 40th anniversary tour. In addition to playing saxophone for the tour, Woodward directed the horn line and arranged music for many of the instrumentalists.

Since then, Woodward has released several instrumental albums including Ivory Wind and Prayer Language.

Chris Springer, producer of the new album titled Nathan Woodward, said the

musician is “one of the most talented instrumentalists I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I’ve dreamed for years about writing and producing this kind of project and I’m so glad that dream was realized with Nathan.”

Woodward’s unique style blends together components of jazz, gospel, and R&B to create a soulful performance with each song. Whether he is playing in a concert hall or a church auditorium, Woodward’s improvisational jazz/gospel sound aims to encourage and move any audience.

“These are the melodies that have been running through my head for the last two years,” said Woodward, “and they’ve finally been recorded. Because of that I view this as my debut album and

I feel like I’ve finally found my musical niche.”

8Eighty Records is part of the University of Mobile Center for Performing Arts/ School of Music and School of Worship Leadership. Along with its music publishing arm, 8Eighty Records includes the state-of-the-art Fisher-Brewer recording studio that provides a hands-on learning laboratory for university students to record and produce CDs in the same type of professional environment they will encounter in their music careers.

Both Woodward’s individual success and his new project with 8eighty Records are examples of what the UMobile Center for Performing Arts aims to do with each student, according to Dr. Roger Breland, vice president for project development. For more than 50 years, University of Mobile musicians have impacted the world through their musical skill and committed lives as recording and concert artists, music educators, church musicians, and missionaries.

For more information about the Fisher-Brewer Recording Studio and academic programs in the Center for Performing Arts/School of Music and School of Worship Leadership, visit www.umobile.edu or call 251.442.2222 or 800.WIN.RAMS. For more about Woodard, visit his website: nathanwoodward.com. m umobile.edu 97

alumnistories

On a World Race Stephanie Archer ‘10

By Trey Taulbee

An intense passion for travel led Stephanie Archer ‘10 to seize every trip opportunity as a UMobile student.

Whether Urban Plunge, The Bridge, or University Missions – each trip gave her an opportunity to experience the world and share the Gospel.

“The University of Mobile shaped my perspective of the necessity of world missions,” Archer said. “I was a part of a community that – as a whole – wanted to spread the Gospel.”

Recently, Archer embarked on her most intensive and rewarding excursion she’s ever taken – the World Race.

Seth Barnes, executive director of Adventure in Missions, founded the World Race in 2005 as a mission effort to see the world “transformed through tangible expressions of God’s love.”

Racers must raise over $15,000 to join a team that will backpack through 11 countries in 11 months. While teams engage in friendly competition, the World Race focuses on ministry and service to “the least of these” and encounters the harsh realities of life outside the American dream.

Sometimes, those harsh realities include getting lice, eating rat sausage for dinner, and digging a personal latrine.

“The World Race is not about comfort,” said Archer, who majored in music.

“It’s about focusing on what’s truly important.”

Archer and her all-girl team of seven, called the Joyful Divas, traveled through China, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Swaziland, and South Africa. Sharing everything from food and money to sleeping space, Archer experienced the beauty and burden of

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living in community.

“You learn a lot about other people and how to live and communicate with them,” she said.

Furthermore, American cultural values like personal space and self-reliance were challenged on a daily basis.

Throughout the trip, living space was minimal.

Team members shared rooms, often slept without a bed, and rarely saw a clothes drier. There were days without showers and Internet access. The quintessential luxuries of the American life had been stripped away.

And being away from home is no fun when you’re hurt.

While traveling from Bulgaria to Romania, Archer slipped and broke her ankle.

For an entire month, normal activity became a liability. She couldn’t use the stairs. She couldn’t make her own coffee.

It was even difficult gathering clothes to wear. Being bound to crutches left her helpless and dependent.

But her team responded graciously.

“As a team we had our differences and didn’t always agree, but through that experience I got closer to the girls because I had to depend on them for everything,” she said. “I learned a lot about trusting the Lord and allowing myself to be served.”

After an exhausting but exhilarating 11-month trip, Archer returned home to the United States – seeing family, sleeping in her own bed, and eating Cajun food.

But adjusting to life back home was more difficult than she had anticipated.

“I lived out of a backpack for a year and went to places where people had less than I had on me,” Archer said. “I’m learning to appreciate what is a ‘need’ and what isn’t.”

One highlight of her World Race experience was working with a children’s home in Thailand. When the house mother found out that Archer taught piano, she connected her with a 15-yearold girl in the home who had no access to piano lessons. When Archer took the time to teach the girl some skills, it was a defining moment.

“I saw how much she cherished that moment and how much it meant to her,” she said. “She was one of my favorite people that I met.”

Currently, she teaches piano at Samford University’s Academy of the Arts while also working as an administrative assistant in the department. She continues to look for opportunities for travel and teaching the arts abroad. But until that day comes, she’s content using her gifts and love for children in the states.

“I’m learning to trust the Lord, no matter what I’m doing at the moment,” she said. m

umobile.edu 99

classnotes ‘70s

Danny Ellis ’75 - Serves as senior pastor of Elam Baptist Church. He lives in Thomasville, AL with his wife, Rita.

‘80s

Phillip Snodgrass ’83 - Retired from the City of Mobile Police Department in January ’14. He graduated from Louisiana College’s Caskey School of Divinity with a Master of Arts in pastoral ministry. He is married to Nancy Snodgrass ’91 and is pastor of Midway Baptist Church, Lucedale, MS.

‘90s

Bobby Morton ’94 - Is senior pastor for Shalom Baptist Church. He and his wife, Mary, live in Citronelle, AL. Mark Cagle ’98 - Lives in Mobile, AL with his wife, Brandy, and their three children. He specializes in group benefits and individual risk managements, and operates the private insurance exchange, shophealthinsurance.net, which provides information and enrollment support for the new health plans.

2000s

Steven Jenks ’02 – Is youth/associate pastor at Tompkins Baptist Church in Grove Hill, AL. He also hosts The Rooster Crow morning radio show on 106.1 FM. His wife, Rebekah Richie Jenks ’03, works at Grove Hill Memorial Hospital.

K.J. Pugh ’04 and Lynn Pugh ’04 – Are serving Grace Church in North Yorkshire, England, with the hope of making it a launchpad for starting new works throughout Yorkshire and beyond.

David Cagle ’05 – Recently moved from Birmingham to Mobile with his wife, Allison, and two children. He is serving as pastor at Crosspoint Church in Mobile, founded by his late father, Richard M.

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Cagle ’75. David is also the Alumni Coordinator for the University of Mobile.

Alison Wilks ’09 – Is working on her Master of Arts in strategic communications from Liberty University and lives in Gardendale, AL.

2010s

Phillip Mitchell ’10 - Is an adult protective services case worker with Walker County DHR. He was recently awarded the Alabama Spirit of Adult Protective Services Award. The award is presented annually to a frontline worker who, through his or her own initiative and ideas, makes significant contribution to the growth and development of the Adult Protective Services (APS) program.

Phillip is married to Lisa Mitchell ’08.

Births

Matthew Blair ’03 and Bethany Ballard Blair ’04 are proud to announce the birth of their second child, Evelyn Jane Blair, May 23, 2014. She was 8lbs 2oz. and 19 inches. She also has a very proud big sister, Annabel, 3.

Daniel Givens ’07 and Hali Williams Givens ’04 proudly announce the birth of their second child, Andrew Kilby, June 24, 2014 at 1:14 p.m. He was 9lbs. and 22 inches. Andrew was also welcomed by his big sister, Annalee, 4.

Jessica McNellage Cheramie ’11 and Brandon Cheramie welcomed the birth of their first child, Emma Grace, July 29, 2014 at 1:52 a.m. She was 6 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 inches.

Taylor McCall ’05 and Lindsey McDaniel McCall ’08 welcomed their third child, Karis Taylor McCall, Aug. 25, 2014. She was 7lbs 2 oz. and 21 inches. She was also welcomed by her two brothers, Jude, 4, and Levi, 3.

Chris Beck ’05 and Amy Beck are excited about the birth of their firstborn, Price Christopher, Sept. 8, 2014. He was 6lbs 10oz. and 19.5 inches.

Bubba Crowder ’05 and Whitney Crowder celebrate the birth of Callie, Sept. 10, 2014. She was 8 lbs.

2 oz. Callie was also welcomed by her two sisters, Harper, 4, and Lucy, 1.

Megan Dean Desko ’08 and Andrew Desko ’08 are proud to announce the arrival of their second child, Luke Andrew. He was 7 lbs.

14 oz. and was born Oct. 1, 2014. Luke was welcomed by his big sister Sara Grace, 3.

Marriages Jessica McNellage Cheramie ’11 and Brandon Cheramie married on June 1, 2013. They live in Mobile, AL. Jason Boyington ’02 and his wife Ashley were married on March 22, 2014. They live in Mobile, AL.

We want to hear from our Alumni!

Jennifer McNellage Chilson ’11 and Casey Chilson married on April 12, 2014. They live in Dallas, TX.

Jarred Carter ’11 and Lauren Tidwell Carter ‘12 married on June 21, 2014.

They live in Arab, AL. Steven Jenks ’02 and Rebekah Richie Jenks ’03 were married on July 5, 2014. They live in Grove Hill, AL.

Deaths

Richard M. Cagle ’75 went home to be with the Lord on June 6, 2013. He received a Bachelor of Arts in religion.

Richard was a family man known for his witty sense of humor and his love for people. He was a faithful minister of the Gospel and is missed by many.

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