fall 08 southern_FINAL draft:southern magazine_text pages_draft 1 10/13/2008 11:25 AM Page 1 ’Southern A Publication for Alumni and Friends Fall 2008 Volume 34, Number 2 BSC’s newest Truman Scholar Dedicated to a life of public service BSC Birmingham-Southern College fall 08 southern_FINAL draft:southern magazine_text pages_draft 1 10/13/2008 11:25 AM Page 2 Editor’s Note USPS 087-600 ’Southern Cares Dr. G. David Pollick, President by bill wagnon C. Dowd Ritter, Chair, Board of Trustees ’Southern magazine is published three times a I am quite certain that if I asked 100 people I would get two dozen different opinions on what year in spring, summer, and fall by the Office of sets Birmingham-Southern apart from other colleges and universities. To some it would be the Alumni Affairs and the Office of Communications distinguished faculty. To others, the Hilltop campus. Still to others it would be the history of at Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, service or the academic excellence. There is no right or wrong answer. Birmingham-Southern does Alabama 35254. Non-profit postage paid at so many things so very well. What truly sets us apart from all the others? It’s a question that several Birmingham, AL Permit No. 2575. Postmaster: at the college have pondered of late. Below is a brief excerpt from President David Pollick’s annual Send address changes to: Alumni Affairs, State of the College address to faculty and staff on Aug. 22. Birmingham-Southern College, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254; “Several months ago, I raised the topic of institutional distinctiveness with the college’s General telephone 205/226-4909; or access at Officers [vice president team]. I said I had finally firmly come to the conclusion, after so many www.bsc.edu/alumni. conversations with alumni, students, and friends, that the care that the faculty, staff, and alumni of this college have shown for its students over many generations is extraordinary and powerful. It Editorial Offices: does set this community apart from 99 percent of college campuses in America, in my opinion. … 15 Stockham Building We live in an era when personal care is at a premium because it is increasingly so absent. Getting 900 Arkadelphia Road problems solved by persons who genuinely care has become rarer and rarer. In our world, it means Box 549004 safe and secure environments with people you can truly trust to turn to. It means talking with a Birmingham, AL 35254 person versus talking with an answering machine. It means living in a neighborhood with real Phone: 205/226-4921 Fax: 205/226-4931 neighbors who care about your problems and want to help you solve them. We use all kinds of E-mail: [email protected] words to describe this, for example, ‘home,’ and ‘family,’ but whatever the words, they mean something powerful and fill deep human needs and desires. You, and those who came before you, Editor: Bill Wagnon, Vice President have provided a place where such words have real meaning and value. You care for students in for Communications both the great and the small. And you are loved and revered for it. This is Birmingham-Southern— yesterday and today. … There is a thing here called ’Southern Care, and I want every student who Managing Editor: Pat Cole, considers coming here to know about it, and I want every student who does come here to Communications Specialist experience it.” Prior to Pollick’s address, the college did something it had never done before. It put down on Art Director: Tracy Thomas ’92, Associate Director for paper, all in one place, those things that Birmingham-Southern offers to its students as a service. Communications—Publications Not for a cost, but simply because it has been our nature to do so. A ’Southern Care guide for students. Pollick continued. Contributing Writers: “ … as students are returning this year—all students—they will find a personal gift in their rooms Pat Cole, Communications Specialist … welcoming them ‘home.’ There will be a booklet listing the many college services that are Sarah Erreca, Director of Sports Information available to each of them, much as when you check into a hotel room. We are working on setting Brandon Gresham, Communications Specialist up a morning Kiosk in the Bell Tower that provides free coffee and juice before the first class Carol Cook Hagood ’70, Communications periods on Monday and Friday mornings. The expense is minimal; the gesture is large. We are Specialist looking at placing a person in Norton who can answer almost anything, or help a student get to the Linda Hallmark, Communications Specialist Lisa Harrison, ’85 MPPM, Director of right people, whether it’s where to go to solve a problem on campus or where to take that special Alumni Affairs friend for that special dinner when you only have three dollars in your pocket. Over the years, the Lucy Ke kind of warm care that has been shown students through the hands of Miss Martha [maker of the Bill Wagnon, Vice President for cafeteria’s famous yeast rolls], perhaps symbolically captures the essence of our message. There are Communications times when we would all love to be able to turn to a ‘Miss Martha’ for some personal care as comforting as a warm roll—both symbolically and actually.” Photography: As we move forward, Birmingham-Southern will continue to seek out and recognize the strengths Pat Cole Mallie Searcy of the ’Southern culture of care and to intentionally tell that story far and wide. John Consoli Britt Whitesell Pollick concluded: “This is all about putting a spotlight on the kind of care that is so deeply Brandon Gresham College Archives Tracy Knauss Students of BSC Art Dept. rooted in this community. The investment is small, the care is authentic, and the retention of each Matthew Mielke Submitted Photos of our good students is valuable to the entire community.” Brandon Robbins As you peruse this issue of ’Southern magazine, you will find many examples of ’Southern people who care—those devoting their lives in public service to their country, those making life-changing www.bsc.edu gifts because they want to give back to their alma mater, those making the traditional Move-In Day for new students an unforgettable experience. Send news of alumni weddings, births, You will hear more about the ’Southern Care program in issues to come, but for now enjoy reading deaths, and other ClassNotes material to about the care of ‘Southern people on the pages that follow. Carol Cook Hagood at [email protected] or 205/226-4913. Bill Wagnon Vice President for Communications fall 08 southern_FINAL draft:southern magazine_text pages_draft 1 10/13/2008 11:25 AM Page 1 Inside’Southern ’Southern magazine / Fall 2008 / Volume 34, Number 2 A Publication for Alumni and Friends BSC Features 34 Democracy in Action How BSC inspires its students and alumni to become engaged in activity for the public good Departments 2 Destiny: Delivered 14 Community News 22 Faculty News 26 Student News 54 Alumni Affairs 64 Philanthropy 68 Athletics 75 ClassNotes 97 ’Southern Voices On the Cover—Senior political science major Art Richey, the newest Truman Scholar at Birmingham-Southern—and the only one from Alabama this Mallie Searcy Britt Whitesell year—just may have a prescription for what ails rural America. In his written College Archives proposal that helped earn him the prestigious scholarship, he came up with the Students of BSC Art Dept. idea to accelerate research in the development of cellulosic ethanol, an energy Submitted Photos alternative, which he believes will bring jobs back to rural Alabama and reduce foreign oil dependence. The Russellville, Ala., native has racked up scores of opportunities and experiences toward his goal of becoming a future policy maker. BSC has a long and honorable history of students and alumni, particularly, engaged in public service and politics. Read about some of the current ones we highlighted in our features section, beginning on page 34. photo by brandon gresham fall 2008 destiny deliverred A word about the economy The Campaign for Birmingham-Southern DEAR BSC ALUMNI AND FRIENDS: “Wow—BSC picked one heck-of-a time to launch a campaign!” We have heard this comment in recent weeks as the media and political campaigns highlight concerns about the economy. All four of us work in the investment world, but we are also former presidents of the Birmingham-Southern College Alumni Association, as well as volunteer leaders in the new BSC campaign. We have wrestled with good responses to the economy/campaign comment, and decided to offer some observations and suggestions in hopes that you might fi nd them helpful in talking with fellow alumni and friends of the college about the campaign. With the understanding that fear and ignorance can do more damage than any economic downturn, and that the great work of our college will long outlast our current economic concerns, we offer these thoughts from our perspective: I. WHEN THE ECONOMY IS TOUGH, it is more important than ever for donors to see real impact through their giving—institutions delivering what they promise, and achieving what donors intend. The institutions who are the best stewards, and prove it, will win. BSC is a good steward of our gifts. Here’s proof for BSC: a. In the campaign Case Statement (printed in its entirety in the last issue of ’Southern magazine), the promise is made that increased scholarship support will immediately help the college’s enrollment growth initiative. Thus far, scholarship support provided in this campaign alone has resulted in the college enrolling more than 100 students who otherwise could not have attended.