LynchburgCollege Magazine Fall 2009 Highlight on Faculty feel an obligation to prove that the tenure rather casually awarded to me almost 30 years ago was not a mistake. That obligation is to stay intel - lectually engaged and excited about learning and doing new things — not just blowing the dust off ancient lecture notes. director of the I can’t imagine any job I could belk observatory B.S., Ouachita Baptist University enjoy more: learning new Ph.D., University of Arkansas things, explaining them to other people, running a state- of-the-art observatory, figuring out how to do all of that bet - ter. And they pay me to do it! What more could I ask for?” Honors and Awards n Elsie Ervin Bock Award for Excellence in Citizenship, 2008 n Shirley E. Rosser Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2001 Recent publications n “Building a Public Outreach Program from the Ground Up,” Astronomical Society of the Pacific Annual Meeting, 2009 n “Expanding Universes and Shrinking Humans,” Association for Core Texts and Courses, 2007 n “Settling the Solar System — An Innovative Course for Teaching Students about the Solar System” and “A Laboratory Exercise for Demonstrating Relative Stellar Distances,” Cosmos in the Classroom (Astronomical Society of the Pacific), 2007 Campus and Community Service n Faculty Human Rights Advisor: 1995-2003, 2004-present n Faculty Personnel Committee: Chair in 2009-10 n Lynchburg College Belk Observatory Director: 2007-present n Interfaith Outreach Association Board Member, 2009-present n U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Team Mentor: 2001-2003 Ly Cnchburgollege Magazine Fall 2009 , Vol. 17 , No. 1 IN THIS ISSUE 18 Olympic aspirations Four Hornets are training for the 201 2 games . 21 It’s all Greek to me The Animal House reputation doesn’t always apply . 22 Remembering Boyd Claytor The Claytor Nature Study Center arose from his vision . ON THE COVER Star trails trace paths around the North Star in 24 Dancing with the stars the skies above Belk The Belk Astronomical Observatory opens to the public . Observatory at the Claytor Nature Study Center. 27 Creating new horizons Outdoor adventure builds character and creates leaders . 30 Faculty Forum: The world is watching us Dr. Marek Payerhin explores our not so brave world . DEPARTMENTS 2 President’s Message 3 Around the Dell 16 Sports Update 32 Class Notes 37 Westover Alumni Society Weekend 42 Commencement Ly Cnchburgollege Magazine President’s Message Editor Shannon Brennan Production Manager Anne Stoutenburgh Nash ’65 Contributing Writers Mike Carpenter, Carolyn A. Eubank ’67, Betty Cooper McKinney Students achieve and persist with scholarships Class Notes Betty Howell, Shana Johnson ’11 Photography Steve Arnold, Allen Austin, Tom Cassidy ’73, Liz Cook, Sara Hardin ’10, The lc community Kathleen Husted, JupiterImages Corporation, Christopher Peterson, Katharine Stevens, has determined that Andrew Wilds, Warren Wright the College’s most a number of options. At the end of her first Graphic Designers Katharine important mission is semester, she earned close to a 3.0 . During the Stevens to provide access for Christmas holidays, Kaitlin received a letter from Christopher Peterson worthy and needy stu - Dean Julius Sigler ’62 stating that if her academic Digital Photography Coordinator Liz Cook dents . That means our performance continued to be as strong, she Director of Publications Anne S. Nash greatest need is for would qualify for one of the new Achievement ’65 additional student and Persistence Awards. At the end of her fresh - Assistant Vice President for Public Relations Carolyn A. Eubank ’67 scholarships. We have man year, Kaitlin earned a 3.23 qpa and qualified chosen not to launch a for an additional $2,000 a&p scholarship. When ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE formal capital campaign at this time, not because asked what difference this made, she said, “I had we haven’t identified institutional priorities, but planned on transferring to (a state school) but President Kathryn Mitchell Pumphrey ’75, ’88 M.Ed. because of the status of the worldwide economy. the scholarship helped keep me here. … Any bit Alumni Outreach Committee Chair John P. Reilly ’86 Scholarships, however, are just too important to of funding toward my education helps my par - wait on . ents , who are sacrificing to put me through Development Committee Chair Brian M. Parker ’00 We continue to work at optimizing our Lynchburg College and my younger sisters Student Life Committee Chair resources to keep the price tag for an education through private high school and middle school.” Andrew “Drew” Miller ’00 as low as possible. For the last two years , we have Kaitlin is now a health promotion major and Technology Committee Chair held tuition increases to 3 percent — among the continues to thrive academically. Hannah Howe Besanceney ’96 lowest of private colleges and universities in the Fifty-one students would have satisfied the cri - Traditional Programs Committee Chair commonwealth. Despite this belt-tightening, we teria for an a&p award at the end of the 2007 Wendy E. Bradley ’91 are still enrolling record numbers of students. spring term if the awards had existed at that Connecticut Alumni Club Co-President Why? Because lc is a great place to be. As a new time. Their retention rate was 69 percent. At the Westover Alumni Society President Carolyn Hodges Crosby ’64 student responded during her flight back to Cali - end of the 2007 fall semester, potentially quali - fornia when her father asked why she looked so fied students were notified about the new a&p ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS sad, “I know I’m going back home, but I feel like awards. At the end of the 2008 spring term, fifty President Kenneth R. Garren I just left my home.” of them qualified for the awards; their retention Lynchburg College has a tradition of making rate was 90 percent. The 2008-09 a&p recipients Vice President and Dean, Academic Affairs Julius Sigler ’62 a difference in students’ lives. Former New York were a diverse group: 29 percent were first gener - Vice President, Business and Finance Times education editor Loren Pope documented ation college students; 24 percent were minori - Stephen Bright this distinctive outcome in his book Colleges That ties; and 54 percent were males compared to 45 Vice President for Enrollment Management Change Lives. In its continuing search to find new percent of the entire class . Rita Detwiler ways to make a difference, the College has created Some of the College’s strongest supporters Vice President for Development and External Affairs Achievement and Persistence (a&p) Awards. These have been alumni who found something special Denise A. McDonald awards are offered through a combination of spe - here. I invite everyone to join in making a differ - Vice President and Dean for Student Development cial donor funds : the Potter-Sigler Fund, the Rosel ence in students’ lives by adding your financial John Eccles and Elliot Schewel Scholarship, the Tanner-Logan- support to students who will achieve academically Corvin-Kegley-Ramsey Fund, a three-year grant and persist in their education. Prospective stu - Lynchburg College Magazine is published semi-annually from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund , and recent gifts dents and parents are still coming to this beauti - for alumni, parents, and friends by the Office of Public Relations, 434/544-8325 or 800/621-1669. from former trustees Leighton Dodd ’56, ’07 ful campus saying, “I always dreamed that my Send change of address to: l.h.d. and William “Bill” Wigton ’70 . These college would look like this.” Please help us help Lynchburg College Magazine special awards are designed to accomplish what students come to the campus of their dreams. Lynchburg College 1501 Lakeside Drive the name implies: reward academic achievement Lynchburg, VA 24501-3113 and encourage students to remain at lc . How Best wishes, E-mail: [email protected] does it work? Let us consider an example of the www.lynchburg.edu award in action. Letters to the editor may be sent to [email protected] Kaitlin, who came to lc from Virginia Beach , Kenneth R. Garren, ph.d. Lynchburg College does not discriminate on the basis wasn’t sure about her major at first and explored president of race, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin and complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 2 LC MAGAZINE Fall 2009 Aro un d the Dell Another busy spring and summer have come and gone, and LC continues to shine in academic excellence, community service, the arts, and athletics. Small college helps a small nation Summer means in curriculum and instruction, conducted a two-week renovate leadership training program with all 120 principals on the island to improve teacher supervision. In July, Hopwood Hall, which turns 100 Dr. Jeri Watts , assistant professor of human devel - this year, was outfitted with a opment and learning, along with colleagues from shiny new copper dome, thanks other institutions, offered a workshop for up to 900 largely to falling copper prices. teachers on teaching reading. Both Hopwood and Carnegie Also this summer, Dr. Gena Barnhill , assistant were built in 1909 and are the professor of special education, provided autism oldest buildings on campus. training to 140 teachers and parents, Dr. James Pat - Shellenberger Field’s makeover ton , adjunct professor in education, continued train - got a makeover. Drainage and turf ing in the area of assessment, and Dr. Steve Nielsen , problems in the two-year-old field associate professor in counselor education, taught a required a complete overhaul, at course in addiction counseling. contractors’ expense, of the play - Service learning remains an important component ing field and parts of the track. of the partnership. For the second summer, two dozen lc students were in St.