THETHE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE OF OF LEE LEE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY TORCHSPRING 2014 LEE UNIVERSITY Opening CONTENTS Thoughts Lee University TORCH Uncovering History from Spring 2014 | Vol. 56, No. 1 Archaeology is not new at Lee, but has expe- rienced a resurgence of interest kindled by President Torch magazine is the official publication of Lee excursions to archaeological digs. Students University, Cleveland, Tennessee. It is intended to inform, educate, and give insight to alumni, parents, get down and dirty as they discover fragments Paul Conn and friends of the university. It is published quarterly 4 and fixtures. Read a personal account from a and mailed free to all alumni of the university. Other recent dig out West. subscriptions are available by calling the alumni office by Murl Dirksen twitter.com/paulconn at 423-614-8316. Torch Magazine A Firsthand Global Perspective Lee University is often described as having Mailing Address In this first of a series, read a personal account a “big-tent” philosophy. 1120 N. Ocoee St., Cleveland, TN 37311 of a global perspectives trip taken over the What do people mean by that? I recall the Web site www.leeuniversity.edu conversation—over twenty years ago—when I E-mail [email protected] Christmas break. Students in the Business De- heard Lee described that way for the first time. Phone 1-800-LEE-9930 or partment traveled to Italy where they got an 423-614-8316 I interrupted to ask: “What do you mean by ‘big 6 up close view of Pope Francis and impressed a tent,’ exactly?” The person in the conversation, President Paul Conn veteran ABC newscaster. who was a fellow college president, said: “Well, Editor Cameron Fisher by Bill Jaber I mean that Lee seems to have room for lots of Sports Editor George Starr different kinds of people.” Graphic Designer Grant Fisher If that’s what they mean by Lee as a “big Copy Editor Nellie Keasling tent,” I couldn’t agree more. Lee does have room under our “tent” for lots of different kinds of Contributing Writers Alumni Honored in Each Department At Homecoming 2013, each of the academic people, and I believe this characteristic is a key Bailey Brents Jerome Hammond departments honored alumni for accomplish- aspect of our richly stimulating campus environ- Brian Conn Bill Jaber ments in their field beyond graduation. The ment, as well as the powerful impact Lee seems Paul Conn Britain Miethe honorees were of many ages and disciplines to have on students. We have a serious commit- Murl Dirksen Debbie Murray ment to being a distinctively Christ-centered Jillian Ellis George Starr 10 and represented a cross-section of Lee alumni. place, but still, under our Christian and Pente- Cameron Fisher Madeline Watson Kendra Gray Mark Wickam costal tent, we want to be a place which not only welcomes many types of people, but also which Photography Credits learns from them and genuinely makes them Murl Dirksen George Starr Two Academic Milestones part of our family. Cameron Fisher Mike Wesson University campuses, in my opinion, are at Matthew Krepps Kinsley Willman A pair of game-changing academic announce- ments were made as Lee received word that the their best when everyone who lives here doesn’t state of Tennessee has approved its nursing pro- look, sound, think, worship, or behave in exactly Torch welcomes and encourages Letters to the Editor, the same way. gram to move full speed ahead. In curriculum, Who’s Where entries and other inquiries for consider- I was at a Lee Flames softball game today, ation of publication. Submissions should be accompanied 15 Lee officials announced a newly constructed and noticed that the roster of the opposing team by the name, address, phone number, and email address credit-hour requirement designed to make the of the sender. Contents of the Lee University Torch may showed every student athlete was a resident of not be reproduced or redistributed in any manner, either path to graduation a bit easier. Georgia. I thought: how boring! I’m sure they’re whole or in part, without prior permission from Lee all fine girls, and it has nothing to do with the University. Send comments and Who’s Where updates to state of Georgia—I love Georgia—but I would feel [email protected] or the address below. Making our Way in the NCAA the same about being from Tennessee. Our Lee As the Lee Flames and Lady Flames continue roster includes girls from six states and a couple Copyright 2014 * USPS# 016272 * Periodicals postage of other countries. Geographically, we have a paid at Cleveland, Tenn. Postmaster: Please send ad- play through a provisional year in the NCAA bigger tent. dress corrections to: Lee University Alumni Office, P.O. Division II, a contingent travels to the nation- Box 3450, 1120 North Ocoee Street, al conference to learn more, while the teams Lee has a big tent religiously, too. We embrace our evangelical Christian identity, growing from Cleveland, Tenn. 37320-3450. back home are already proving they can more 21 our Pentecostal tradition and roots. So while we On the cover: Science faculty member Matthew Krepps than compete at this new level. take our religious affiliations quite seriously, we captures The Chapel under a deep, peaceful snowfall on believe God is pleased when many different fol- February 13. lowers of Jesus Christ feel “at home” here. Departments A tapestry gains its richest and most satis- Connect with Lee through social media! fying colors when various individual strands are 15 Campus News woven together in an intelligent design. I like to twitter.com/leeu think of Lee University that way. There is always 21 Sports room in God’s masterpiece for lots of separate, CONTENTS even contrasting, threads. I hope Lee can continue fb.me/LeeUniversity 36 Who’s Where and Torch Travels to become, in more and more ways, such a place! Dudley Gardner, a Lee alumnus and chaic Period), to the development of A sandal fragment unearthed during a recent expedition. ost of Lee University’s visible professor of archaeology and history agriculture (Formative Period). This growth over the last 20 years at Western Wyoming Community undertaking [at Eagle Rock Shel- Mhas been in new buildings and increased College. Jones joined the fieldwork in ter]…will help us better understand Lee Archaeology enrollment. Other kinds of growth have Colorado the following year. the Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Forma- been less noticeable, such as the addition Lee students have worked along tive, and Fremont/Ute periods in of an anthropology major and establish- with Dirksen and Jones surveying western Colorado, specifically from ment of an archaeology program within and excavating in Paradox Valley, a standpoint of the use of cultigens Program Gains the major. Colorado, but their most significant and wild plant resources.” Archaeology at Lee has developed field experience has been assisting Over the past four years, stu- over the past decade primarily due to the with the excavation of the Eagle dents, acting as research assistants, interests and research activities of Lee Rock Shelter along the Gunnison have been allowed to work under anthropologists, Dr. Richard Jones and River near the town of Delta, Colo- the direction of professional ar- Momentum Dr. Murl Dirksen. Jones and Dirksen have rado. Eagle Rock is located near the chaeologists in supportive roles, both done field research in Jordan as part mouth of the Black Canyon of the such as, data recovery, screening for of the Karak Resources Project (KRP), a col- Gunnison on the west side of the artifacts, mapping features, photo- laborative research project, headquartered Southern Rockies. It contains mul- graphing the site, sketching of the at Johnson University in Knoxville, Ten- tiple occupational levels and offers rock art on the shelter walls, draw- in such a world-renowned exca- nessee, which has been excavating a large great potential for a better under- ing lithic (stone) artifacts, catalog- vation. Having had archaeology Moabite site on the Karak plateau since standing of cultural changes from ing, and storing recovered floral courses and summer archaeology 1995 (for more information visit www. the Paleo-Indian period (10,500 B.C. and faunal material, writing daily field school with Dr. Jones, they vkrp.org). Researchers have conducted to 9,500 B.C.), through the Archaic activity reports, and helping trans- are well prepared to assist on this historical, geological, soil, and cultural Period (9,500 B.C. to 1,000 B.C.), to port all the equipment into and out historic excavation.” studies in order to better understand and the Formative Cultures (1,000 B.C. of the dig site. This is an incredible “We do archaeology at Lee for interpret the site within a larger region- to 500 A.D.) in both the Southwest opportunity for undergraduate two reasons,” Jones said. “First, it al context. As part of this international and throughout North America. students from Lee to observe how gives students who want to do this team, Dirksen and Jones have conduct- Dr. Gardner remarked, “At this professional archaeologists conduct as a career valuable experience; ed ethnographic studies on village and site, every period is represented in excavations, and to get experience second, it is good community ser- Bedouin life on the Karak plateau. They the transition from big game hunt- in all of the support work that is vice that helps preserve and pub- have also participated in excavations at ing (Paleo-Indian Period), to mixed essential to this kind of research. licize our prehistoric and historic the site, and in archaeological surveys of hunting and foraging cultures (Ar- Liesl Reeve, a student from heritage.” Work on these farms surrounding areas in the region.