VOLUME 47 | ISSUE 1 | FALL 2014 WOFFORD TODAY MESSAGE from the PRESIDENT Fall 2014 Volume 47 | Issue 1 The energy on the wofford.edu/woffordtoday Wofford College campus is infectious. EDITOR We welcomed 487 new Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89 Terriers to campus this DESIGNER fall, the largest class in the college’s 160-year history. Michelle Griggs The Class of 2018 hails CONTRIBUTING WRITERS from 28 states and seven Doyle Boggs ’70 countries, as far away as Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89 Chengdu, China, and as Laura Hendrix Corbin close as a few blocks from campus. The average high Phillip Stone ’94 school grade point average PHOTOGRAPHER of our entering class was over 4.0, 45 percent ranked in the Mark Olencki ’75 top 10 percent of their class, and one of every 20 of these students was valedictorian or salutatorian. I am humbled that COORDINATOR OF WEB CONTENT these amazing students, as well as our returning students Craig Sudduth ’09 and transfers, have chosen Wofford as the place to prepare them for meaningful lives as citizens, leaders and scholars. We are excited to welcome them to Wofford! Printed by Martin Printing, Easley, S.C. Proving dogs and cats truly are friends, the campus was covered with Panthers this summer when the college enjoyed its 20th year as the Summer Training Camp home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. A record number of visitors – nearly 50,000 people – visited the Upstate and Wofford to watch the Panthers up-close. We appreciated the opportunity to welcome so many fans to see our campus and learn more about this special place. Since last spring, hundreds of members of the college Wofford Today (USPS 691-140) is published four times each year community have participated in the college’s strategic by the Office of Marketing and Communications, Wofford College, visioning process. The vision represents thoughtful 429 N. Church St., Spartanburg, S.C. 29303-3663, for alumni and recommendations that will allow Wofford to be a premier, friends of the college. Issued quarterly: fall, winter, spring and summer. innovative and distinctive national liberal arts college. Periodicals postage is paid at Spartanburg Main Post Office, The following pages reflect a small sampling of the superior Spartanburg, S.C., with an additional mailing entry at Greenville, S.C. people doing the incredible things that make Wofford College such an extraordinary place. This is an exciting SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: time on our campus and in our history. I appreciate your Alumni Office, Wofford College continued support. 429 N. Church St. Spartanburg, S.C. 29303-3663 [email protected] | 864.597.4200 | fax 864.597.4219 Go, Terriers! Wofford College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or any legally protected status. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination Nayef policies: Director of Human Resources, 864.597.4230, or Assistant Dean of Students for Student Involvement, 864.597.4048. » Orientation Summit Adventure at Camp Greystone UNLEASHED THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM RAN INTO QUARTERBACK CAM NEWTON ON THE LAST DAY OF THE CAROLINA PANTHERS TRAINING CAMP. 2 3 AROUND CAMPUS & BEYOND TABLE of CONTENTS JAMES FUND RETURNS TO HAITI TO CHECK ON INVESTMENTS WILES REPRESENT WOFFORD ON IRWINS MAKE GIFT IN HONOR OF Microloans work. After a trip to Haiti this 24 KILIMANJARO ASCENT CHARLIE GRAY ’72 past May, that was the conclusion reached by Ed ’73 and Vickey Wile climbed Mount Kili- Pinckney ’68 and Susan Hodge Irwin of Dr. Philip Swicegood and a team of Wofford manjaro this summer (all 19,341 feet)! They Spartanburg enjoyed sharing stories about students in the James Fund. They reviewed wore their SAM hats to show their support of local history and culture during a recent outcomes from about 100 “seed money” loans Wofford and the college’s 11th president. luncheon with President Nayef Samhat, of $300 each and met the people benefiting Phillip Stone ’92, Charlie Gray ’72 and from the program. Read the full story at Doyle Boggs ’70. The Irwins made a gift wofford.edu/woffordtoday » of family memorabilia and historical books to the Sandor Teszler Library in honor of Gray. Read the full story at wofford. SHARED WORLDS BRINGS CREATIVE edu/woffordtoday » YOUTH TO CAMPUS FOR WRITING, 30 6 ART AND GAME DESIGN Jeff VanderMeer. Will Hindmarch. Carrie Vaughn. Kelly Barnhill. James Owen. Steven BACK TO SCHOOL Barnes. Will Alexander. Nathan Ballingrud. 6 The Class of 2018 is Wofford’s largest and most diverse class. Mur Lafferty. That’s a Who’s Who list of Learn more about them and their orientation to college. many of the leading writers who came to GARCIA MENTORS YOUNG AFRICAN- Wofford this summer for the Shared Worlds AMERICAN MEN creative writing experience. From July DASILVA INTERNS WITH WELLS FARGO 14 WHY DO STUDENT-ATHLETES MAKE THE Wofford Bonner Scholar Jacolvy Garcia ’15 13-26, they visited Wofford and interacted CORPORATE BANKING DIVISION BEST EMPLOYEES? (seated) volunteered this summer with the with 57 rising 8th through 12th graders in As a summer financial analyst, Victoria Classroom and on-field experiences give student-athletes an Urban League of the Upstate. He worked with the seventh annual residential camp. The DaSilva ’15, a member of the James Fund advantage in the workplace and in post-graduate studies. Spartanburg barber/stylist and entrepreneur students, representing 13 states and the who went to Haiti this summer, learned about Rufus Watson to hold a workshop for a group relationship management, financial statement United Kingdom, designed fantasy worlds THE VALUE OF INTERNSHIPS of young African-American men that featured and shared those worlds through fiction, art analysis, industry and borrower risk analysis, 20 tips on grooming and important life lessons. and game design. loan structuring and financial projecting. As Dean of The Space Scott Cochran ’88 weighs in on the Read the full story at wofford.edu/ part of the experience, she attended a training importance of internship experience. woffordtoday » conference in San Francisco and participated in corporate community service initiatives. TWO STATES. ONE TEAM. 24 Wofford celebrates 20 years of the Carolina Panthers on campus. THE POWER OF THE GIFT 30 The Shiflets magnify the impact of gifts to the college. WHY WOFFORD? BENTLEY PARTICIPATES IN PIT VIPER 33 CONFERENCE Dr. Laura Barbas Rhoden shares the intangibles that make a Wofford education so important. Since he was 5 years old, Alex Bentley STARTALK ENJOYS SECOND ’17 has been considering a career in SUCCESSFUL SUMMER WOFFORD FOOTBALL TAKES herpetology. This summer, Wofford Completing a second successful summer RANKINGS ADVANTAGE OF HUB CYCLE sponsored him as a participant in on the campus in 2014, STARTALK@ WOFFORD PI KAPPA PHI REPRESENTED 34 PROGRAM the second Biology of the Pit Vipers Wofford is a tuition-free program ON “JOURNEY OF HOPE” STRATEGIC VISION UPDATE Wofford football players rented bikes from Conference (BOPV2) in Tulsa, Okla., dedicated to increasing the number of Matthew Menard ’13 participated with Pi 36 the Partners for Active Living (PAL) Hub where he met Harry Greene (pictured young Americans learning and speaking Kappa Phi fraternity’s “Journey of Hope” Cycle Program this summer. According above with Bentley), a famous Chinese. From June 7-20, 33 middle and bicycle trek this summer, raising funds 37 NEW TRUSTEES to Rebecca Raulerson Parrish ’99, PAL’s herpetologist and professor at Cornell high school students from Upstate South for the PUSH America philanthrophy. He healthy kids coordinator, it’s become a yearly University. Dr. Chuck Smith, assistant Carolina joined in an intensive residential cycled with a team that departed from San INTRIGUE, PURPOSE, CHALLENGE tradition. PAL also has received used bike professor of biology at Wofford, made this language and culture studies experience Francisco, Calif., on May 27, and arrived in 38 Independent Colleges Student of the Year Chad Sauvola ’15 donations from Wofford faculty and staff, exciting academic opportunity possible. and went on to master eight online the Washington, D.C., area at the end of July. finds himself in the lab. including a recent donation from offensive Read the full story at wofford.edu/ modules. The director of the program Menard began study for a master’s degree in line coach Eric Nash ’02. woffordtoday » again this year was Dr. Yongfang Zhang. physics at Clemson University this fall. CLASS NOTES 40 Alumni updates, Terriers in the News, Treasures from the Archives, In Memoriam. 4 5 The Class of 2018 is Along with 487 new We’re also celebrating Wofford’s biggest and and accomplished the 13th year of The most diverse class to first-year students, Novel Experience with date — but they are Wofford also Night Talk, written not the only new faces welcomes a new by Wofford’s own on campus. dean of the library. Elizabeth Cox. 6 7 First-year students rank highly; have varied interests, accomplishments by Laura Hendrix Corbin What do a goat farmer, a pig farmer, members of the class were student a sea turtle enthusiast and a female body presidents in high school, and boxer have in common? They’re one in 20 was valedictorian or sa- members of the Wofford College lutatorian. Twenty-five earned the Class of 2018. rank of Gold Award or Eagle Scout, 23 were editors of their high school The college welcomed 487 first-year yearbooks or newspapers, and 176 students and nine transfer students were captains of high school athletics as classes began Sept. 1. teams. “We also have 74 first-gener- “We’re very excited to welcome an- ation college students in this class,” other outstanding class of students he adds.