ECHOESTHE MAGAZINE OF YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE | SUMMER 2016 8 LEGACIES OF FAITH IMPACTING 22 THEREFORE, GO Humanity 36 DISCUSSING OUR DIFFERENCES Connecting the head, heart and hand for 40 A TIMELESS TRADITION grace filled lives 8 PRESIDENT 11 Cathy Cox, J.D. DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Randy Dunn VICE PRESIDENT FOR CONTENTS CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY Ken Faneuff 8 22 36 VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS LEGACIES OF FATIH THEREFORE, GO DISCUSSING OUR Clinton Hobbs, ’88 YHC Trustees Rev. Dr. Don YHC senior Lathem Postell DIFFERENCES Harp, ’61, and Rev. David served as a lay delegate at The VICE PRESIDENT FOR Six Young Harris College ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Haygood, ’60, have each United Methodist Church’s AND DEAN OF THE FACULTY students gathered for a served The United Methodist General Conference—the Dr. Gary Myers roundtable discussion to Church for more than 40 years, youngest from the North answer thought-provoking VICE PRESIDENT making indelible marks through Georgia Conference. FOR ADVANCEMENT questions posed by faculty. their faithful service. Jimmy Owen VICE PRESIDENT FOR 24 PLANNING AND RESEARCH 14 40 AND CHIEF OF STAFF BEYOND COMFORT ZONES Rosemary Royston, ’89 A TIMELESS TRADITION IMPACTING HUMANITY Megan Watson, a senior at For more than 45 years, YHC VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE The foundation laid by YHC YHC, ventured out of her AND OPERATIONS students, faculty and staff have AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER has paved the way for these comfort zone for a life- come together for the Spiritual Dr. C. Brooks Seay five alumni to truly impact the changing trip to Africa. Life Retreat—an annual source world. VICE PRESIDENT FOR of spiritual growth. STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Angi Smith, J.D. 28 CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES THE WORLD BEYOND AND 44 Brantley Barrow, ‘74 THE WORLD WITHIN THE SEARCH FOR YHC senior Seth Black shares ANSWERS Echoes is published by the Office of his gifts with the congregation Communications and Marketing at Young Harris Students in YHC’s Department College. The views and opinions presented in of Hayesville First United this publication are not necessarily those of the of Religion and Philosophy are editors or the official policies of the College. Methodist Church as a Jones sparking new conversations Ministry Scholar. © 2016 Young Harris College through meaningful research. 28 40 14 ECHOES VOLUME 18, ISSUE 1 SUMMER 2016 EDITOR 22 LeAnn Waldroup ART DIRECTOR Melissa Mitchell STAFF WRITERS Kelly L. Crawford Maddy Elledge, ‘16 46 DEPARTMENTS CONTRIBUTORS UNDERGROUND CONNECTIONS Krystin Dean 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT Dr. Eric Dickman As one of the largest organizations Jordan Harris at YHC, Underground serves as a 5 IN THE KNOW Kyle Huneycutt, ’13 biweekly Bible study led by students Judy Lunsford for students. Michael MacEachern 30 FACULTY VIEWPOINT Beth Savoy 50 32 INQUIRING MINDS Rev. Blair Tolbert ARTWORK & PHOTOGRAPHY ENRICHING FUTURE MINISTRIES Scott Dean Rev. T. Jack McCollough, ’47, 35 MOUNTAIN LION LUMINARY Sammy Ensley, ’96 established a special scholarship fund Khalid Johnson, ’19 to provide YHC students with a study 50 GIVING Brittany McConnell abroad experience focusing on the Melissa Mitchell origins of Methodism. Samuel Pham, ‘19 52 ATHLETICS Jared Roach, ‘17 Charlie Routh 58 ALUMNI Philip Sampson, ‘84 Elisabeth Shabi LeAnn Waldroup 67 THE LAST WORD Lee Werling United Methodist News Service CONTACT US Email [email protected] ON THE COVER Web yhc.edu/echoes PHOTO BY MELISSA MITCHELL Mail Office of Advancement The oldest structure on the Young Harris College campus, the Susan B. Harris Chapel was built in P.O. Box 275 1892 as a memorial to the wife of Young L. G. Harris and is closely associated with traditions of the Young Harris, GA 30582 College. Students ring the Chapel’s bell, which came from England, to welcome the start of the Phone (706) 379-5173 academic year and during Alumni Weekend as a memorial to deceased alumni. Fax (706) 379-4572 54 62 facebook.com/YoungHarrisCollege twitter.com/YH_College instagram.com/youngharriscollege youtube.com/youngharriscollege pinterest.com/youngharris flickr.com/youngharriscollege artemas_snaps FROM THE PRESIDENT Diversity that Unites Young Harris College has a rich history grounded in The United Methodist Church, dating back to its founding by Methodist circuit-riding minister Artemas Lester. Members of YHC’s Inter-Religious Council recently posed questions to President Cathy Cox to learn more about that history and how her own experiences have impacted her views on religious diversity today. Q: Why is religious diversity Q: When was your first A: I hope we will always be a “bench,” important for a liberal arts encounter with diversity outside or positive training ground, for future education? your personal religious tradition? ministers—of The United Methodist Church and of other denominations. It’s a A: The United Methodist Church has Did this experience create doubts definite part of our heritage, and I see it as a long-standing commitment to higher and/or reassurances? an important role we can and should play education and the broad, holistic form of A: I grew up in very conventional Baptist in our affiliation with the Church. Having a liberal arts education—dating back to and United Methodist traditions, but those “future ministers” among our student our Wesleyan founding and traditions, because my mom was the organist for the body provides a very special and influential in which one’s spirituality was believed local Jewish temple, I also had frequent kind of Christian leadership among to be enhanced or strengthened by the opportunities to worship and celebrate our students, and naturally when those gaining of further understanding of holidays with our local Jewish community. students go out into active ministry, they religious texts and other disciplines. We When I became a statewide elected will be great representatives of YHC, great also believe a liberal arts education better official, I had numerous opportunities to leaders in the faith, and, hopefully, send prepares students today for success in visit and worship in all kinds of different more students back to us. an increasingly changing, global world. faith and racial communities—from Having a campus in which students get Protestant Evangelical to Lutheran, Q: How does YHC’s affiliation to know and befriend fellow students Catholic, Hindu, Ismaili Muslim, non- who practice various religious beliefs is a with The United Methodist denominational mega-church, and more. strong component of a broad liberal arts Church benefit students? All these experiences profoundly affected education, and provides one of the greatest my views, as I witnessed first-hand the A: First and foremost, students who are learning experiences we can offer. sincerity of beliefs, the impact of music members of a United Methodist church in worship, and the expressions of love can qualify for tremendous matching Q: What was your experience and humanity, woven throughout each scholarships in the UMC’s “Dollars for with religious life in college? of these faith communities. I gained a Scholars” program. YHC has been one of the top three colleges in the country in A: I was very involved in the Wesley glimpse at just how large our God really is, recent years for students who have tapped Foundation as a student at the University how widespread His love is, and how—at into this generous source of scholarship of Georgia. It not only provided me the end of the day—we are all, each and funding. The Church appoints our campus with a great group of friends on a large, every one of us, children of a loving, all- chaplain, who provides the primary impersonal campus—but the continuing powerful God. religious life leadership for students and connection to The United Methodist our campus at large. We also get a limited Church was an important guidepost and Q: YHC is known for amount of financial support from the means of keeping me grounded during matriculating many, many Church, which enables us to provide those early-adult years when I was trying students who have gone on to additional religious life programming and to make weighty decisions about my life. be ministers. How does this other means of student support. reputation impact our campus community? ARTWORK BY KHALID JOHNSON, ’19 4 THE TOP STORIES IN THE KNOW: FROM AROUND CAMPUS ROLLINS CAMPUS CENTER Hank Aaron Delivers Earns LEED Gold Certification 2016 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS TO GRADUATES In May, baseball legend Henry “Hank” Aaron delivered the Commencement address to YHC graduates, sharing with them an important message of inspiration, determination and values. “Ultimately, every individual has one set of values, and we need to live our values consistently in every part of our life,” said Aaron, who served on the College’s Board of Trustees from 2000-2008. “None of us can know the challenges we will be faced with or the battles we will be called upon to fight, but I promise you this: at some point you will come face to face with a situation that feels bigger than anything else in your life.” Aaron has a longstanding friendship with YHC alumnus former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor Zell Miller, ’51. When the College decided to construct a baseball stadium to be named in honor of Gov. Miller, who both played and coached baseball at YHC before entering public service, Aaron not only gave generously to the project, but also assisted with raising the funds. In 2014, Aaron received YHC’s Nancy Louise Haynes Stephens Sanderson Robertson Outstanding Friend Award for his generous contributions and friendship to the College. This spring, YHC’s Rollins “You will face your own time of choice, a time that makes you leave Campus Center was awarded your comfort zone—this is what growth is all about,” Aaron continued.