The Magazine of Spartanburg Methodist College Fall/Winter 2014 | Smcsc.Edu/Frontiers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE MAGAZINE OF SPARTANBURG METHODIST COLLEGE FALL/WINTER 2014 | SMCSC.EDU/FRONTIERS Foundation to Success Theme The SMC GIVING TREE A campus and a tree. A tree silently communicating to students as they pass beneath her boughs. Students enjoy playing with the tree, climbing her trunk, swinging from her branches. The tree provides nurturing and inspiration. The tree invites YOU back to campus…come…enjoy. And the tree was happy... Inside this edition of Frontiers we honor those who nourish and strengthen us. Enjoy these conversations that celebrate the power of the human bond. Table of Contents A PUBLICATION OF SPARTANBURG METHODIST COLLEGE FALL/WINTER 2014 02 Welcome from President Keith 2014-2015 03 Hello from the Alumni Office Board of Trustees 04-05 NY Times Best Selling Author Mary Alice Monroe DR. PHINNIZE FISHER, CHAIRPERSON .........DUNCAN 06-07 Dr. Ed Ellis: Portrait Unveiling Hello from the Alumni Office. MS. CAROL BURDETTE ...........................................ANDERSON 08 Turning Point – Kathy Cann & George Fields As I reflect on the special times MR. DARRELL CAMPBELL .....................................COLUMBIA in my life, my years at SMC as MRS. PHYLLIS DELAPP............................................ SPARTANBURG 09 SMC Wins Visionary Award a student are certainly among DR. CHARLOTTE LINDLER ELLIS ...................... COLUMBIA some of the fondest memories 10 www.go2smc.info Microsite MR. JOHN GRAMLING ..............................................GRAMLING I have. Not only did I love this 11 On Campus place, I also felt like this was my MRS. MARIANNA HABISREUTINGER ..............SPARTANBURG home away from home. I met MR. STEVE HAHN........................................................SPARTANBURG 12 -13 Small Farm. Big Promise. some of the most important It’s been a great start to the 2014-15 academic year here at Spartanburg THE HONORABLE MARK HAMMOND............SPARTANBURG people in my life because of Methodist College! We have expanded our Learning Communities 14 SMC Product Coaches Chicago Team to LLWS program, welcomed a New York Times best-selling author as our MR. PATRICK HENRY ................................................CONWAY SMC. I am truly blessed to have Convocation speaker and are putting the finishing touches on our latest 15 The Voice been a student here from 1996- THE REVEREND MITCH HOUSTON ..................IRMO strategic plan. It’s an exciting time to be here! 98 and later become an employee. I know that many of you 16-17 SMC CJ Program – Educates & Protects MR. RAY LATTIMORE ................................................GREENVILLE share the same amount of pride for our alma mater that I do. Our strategic plan features four themes: Expanding Impact; Engaging Students; Transforming Spaces; and Developing People. The work DR. FRANK LEE ............................................................CHARLESTON 18 Shelves of Hope On-Campus That pride and feeling of “home” involved with implementing those themes includes some exciting THE REVEREND WILLIAM MALAMBRI ..........SPARTANBURG is what I want to share with my initiatives, such as: continuing to renovate some of our physical spaces; 19 Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz @ Judaism Seminar MS. KATHY MCKINNEY ............................................GREENVILLE investing in professional development for faculty and staff that will, in daughter. I hope that she will see the turn, enhance the learning experience for our students; expanding the THE REVEREND EVELYN MIDDLETON .........CHAPIN 20 Alumni Focus beauty and opportunity that awaits experiential learning opportunities for students; and packaging the her at SMC. I want to share with her MR. JOHN P. MOORE .................................................INMAN 21 Trustee Spotlight “Signature SMC Experience” that will concisely and clearly explain what the most meaningful experiences, the value proposition is for prospective SMC Pioneers. Our plan is built MR. WILLIAM PAINTER ............................................ SPARTANBURG places and people in my life; many on the time-tested SMC mission in which “…lives are transformed in a 22 Freshman Day of Service MRS. ELIZABETH PATTERSON ...........................SPARTANBURG of which are tied to my time at values-oriented, student-centered atmosphere in the Christian tradition 23 Making an Impact Off the Court that encourages academic excellence, intellectual exploration, social MR. JOHN RAMSEY ...................................................DARLINGTON Spartanburg Methodist College. awareness, and character development within the liberal arts tradition.” MRS. PATSY SIMMONS .............................................SPARTANBURG 24 SMC PSI Beta Chapter Earns Excellence Award That mission is the tie that binds our future to our past. I invite you to return “home” for Alumni Weekend/ MR. GUY SPRIGGS ......................................................CAMPOBELLO Homecoming 2014. Please bring your family with you and And speaking of ties that bind, Homecoming is right around the 25 Dreaming with the Angels – 31,000 Photos Later MS. MARY TEASLEY ..................................................GREENVILLE show them firsthand why you love SMC. corner here at SMC! We welcome you all to campus November 14-15 26 Alumni Updates to celebrate “Pioneer Pride: The Tie That Binds.” Think about what the MR. JAMES FLETCHER THOMPSON ................SPARTANBURG Always with Pioneer Pride, “tie that binds” is for you when it comes to SMC or SJC or TII. Is it the 27 Memoriam enduring friendships with other students you made when you were here? Leah Longshore Pruitt The connection you have to that special faculty or staff member? The STUDENT ADVISORY TRUSTEE: LAURA MORALES 28 Oh How Pioneering! Class of ’98 awesome season that your favorite Pioneer athletic team had? Sledding down the hill to the soccer field on one of those rare snowy days? Dare 29 Alumni Weekend/Homecoming Registration I throw in there your favorite SMC president perhaps? Whatever it is FRONTIERS MAGAZINE IS A PUBLICATION OF SPARTANBURG METHODIST that ties you to SMC-SJC-TII, I hope that it moves you to come back and 30 SMC is Deeply Rooted Within the Lee Family spend some time with us in November. We’d love to see you! COLLEGE, PRINTED FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS, BY THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION, YVONNE HARPER, EDITOR. 31 Alumni Phonathon/Spring Golf Tournament As always, thank you for your ongoing support of SMC. Whether that support comes in prayer, referral of a prospective student, time or treasure, we appreciate it more than words can convey. Blessings and peace to you, Colleen Perry Keith, Ph.D. President 02 03 Monroe uses the plight of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin Leah Pruitt, Director of Alumni Relations, who secured as the undercurrent in her Lowcountry Summer Trilogy, Monroe for SMC’s convocation, shared “Mary Alice is a with the perilous life of one wild dolphin as the trilogy’s familiar voice to many in SC, and after September 10 she keystone. While Monroe’s novels are set against issues will be a familiar face to Spartanburg. Mary Alice found NY TIMES facing our physical landscape, her stories explore the her true calling in environmental fiction when she moved emotional landscape of contemporary human and moral to coastal South Carolina and was captivated by the issues through her characters. “I’m a story teller. I don’t tell beauty and fragility of her new home. Her experiences BEST SELLING or teach as much as create a story world that establishes living in the midst of a habitat that is quickly changing a meaningful relationship with nature to make readers give her a strong and important focus for her books. Our aware through the power of story.” hope is that she inspired our 800+ student body to find their true calling and strive to leave the world a better “My greatest hope is that readers become involved with place no matter where they roam.” my characters and enjoy a great story. Then, when they AUTHOR close the book, realize that they’ve learned a lot about this Prior to Convocation, SMC hosted a book signing with important sentinel species.” Mary Alice Monroe from 9-10:30 a.m. in the Buchheit Board Room at SMC. MARY ALICE FROM MONROE’S BLOG This past week I had the honor and joy of speaking to includes reading. Many of us read to our children when they thousands of high school and college students, many of sat in our laps as toddlers or very young readers. Too often, whom had read either SKYWARD or THE BUTTERFLY’S however, as our children get older we relinquish our role as DAUGHTER for their summer reads program. Bravo to reading mentor to the teachers. MONROE Principal Rodney Graves at Crest High School in Shelby, I challenge parents, grandparents, and concerned relatives NC; Principal Jeff Stevens at Spartanburg High School; to read a book that is being read by your child. Then discuss Dr. Terry Pruitt of Spartanburg School District 7, SC; and HEADLINED SMC’S 2014 CONVOCATION it! Bring the book discussion to the dinner table. Unplug the Dr. Colleen Keith at Spartanburg Methodist College and electronics and turn off the TV. Talk about it in the car. How their staff and the entire communities for encouraging often do you ask your child, “How was school?” And then get Spartanburg Methodist College marked the official start of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in peril. It’s strong reading programs! Especially the summer reads the dismissive answer, “Good.” Try asking your child who his/ the 2014-2015 academic year with its annual convocation not unusual for an animal to