The Magazine of Rhodes College • Summer 2006 Refocusing the Lens— Studying the art and times of Edward Curtis Commencement By President William E. Troutt J US s you know, Commencement TIN F O X is always a joyous occasion at B UR K ARhodes, as another class of S outstanding young people “fare forward” to make a difference in the world. I don’t believe there has been a more beautiful graduation day in our 158-year history than the one we were blessed with on May 13. Can anyone recall another time that, as the Halliburton Tower bell began to toll, the temperature was 63 degrees and the humidity was hardly noticeable? Each year I grow more fond of this wonderful occasion. I love the splendor of the faculty in their regalia, the excitement of the seniors as they officially walk across the seal in the cloister for the first time, the sound of herald trumpets calling back and President Troutt congratulates a new graduate. forth and the pealing of the bell. Fisher Garden, lovely as it is, provides the perfect A great example was Turner South cable network’s backdrop for the celebration of academic achievement. featuring Rhodes as one of the four most beautiful The Class of 2006 was ably represented by the students campuses in the South. That was a wonderful who were singled out for special recognition—Benjamin compliment, of course, but the network did not limit Carroll and Rebecca Saleska, who received the Algernon its coverage to the distinctiveness of our architecture. Sydney Sullivan Award, and Sandra Keller, who was Instead, it followed one student to his internship at the awarded the Phi Beta Kappa prize. These students Memphis Zoo and another group to the community distinguished themselves in many ways. center operated by the Rhodes Hollywood Springdale Ben will be remembered for four years of fine work Partnership. It discussed the Honor Code and the culture on the Honor Council and for untold hours at Souper of integrity and respect it encompasses. It highlighted the Contact, the student-run weekly soup kitchen, where he academic rigor, our meaningful Memphis partnerships, mentored both fellow students and clients. Becky made our students serving others. It was a thrilling snapshot her mark as president of Rhodes Student Government and of this college, its traditions, its values and the progress by designing and implementing not one but two literacy we are making every day toward completely realizing programs in our Hollywood Springdale Partnership. the Rhodes Vision. If you missed this program, you Sandra, an outstanding scholar, tutored at Snowden can see it at rhodes.edu/NewsCenter/NewsArchive/ Elementary School and presented her psychology research TurnerSouthBlueRibbonShow.cfm. at an international academic conference. I’m guessing that this broadcast will make you even As stories of these and other outstanding students are told more eager to return to Rhodes, and we hope you will start in local, regional and national media, the rest of the world is planning now to attend Homecoming/Reunion weekend increasingly recognizing what makes Rhodes so exceptional. Oct. 20-22. But you don’t have to wait until then. As I told It is immensely gratifying that as we strive for an even better the Class of 2006, stay in touch, remain involved, keep Rhodes, we are becoming a better known Rhodes. connected. rhodes.edu SUMMER 2 0 0 6 • RHODES 1 CAMPUS NEWS Commencement 2006 JUST K K E E VI VI N N I N FOX BURKS B B Delta Kappa, she was also elected Ms. ARR ARR É É Rhodes and is in the college Hall of Fame. Also a member of the college Hall of Fame, Mortar Board and ODK, Carroll served on the Honor Council four years and was elected Mr. Rhodes. He was a tireless volunteer at the student-run soup kitchen and involved in several campus programs. Jim Lanier, who retired this year Becky Saleska Ben Carroll Jim Lanier after almost 40 years on the Rhodes faculty, will continue to serve the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards college in its new Crossroads to Freedom project, a digital archive The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award is bestowed annually on two that will house historical documents graduating seniors and a nonstudent who have selflessly given to others and the and oral histories of the civil rights college. Graduates Becky Saleska and Ben Carroll and professor emeritus of movement in Memphis and the Delta. history James Lanier were this year’s recipients. He played a key role in establishing the President of Rhodes Student Government and a student representative to American Studies minor at Rhodes. the Rhodes Board of Trustees, Saleska implemented two literacy programs as a Rhodes Service Fellow and brought two neighborhood schools into the college’s outreach network. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board and Omicron Distinguished Service Medal JUST JUST I I N FOX BURKS N FOX BURKS The Distinguished Service Medal is presented to those who exemplify able and selfless service to the college. Dean Robert Llewellyn was this year’s recipient. Llewellyn retired this year after 37 years at Rhodes as assistant professor of philosophy and later, dean of the college. K E VI N B ARR É John Churchill Sid Strickland Churchill, Strickland Receive Honorary Degrees John Churchill ’71, secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and Sid Strickland ’68, dean of graduate students and vice president for education at Rockefeller University, received honorary doctor of humanities degrees. Bob Llewellyn 2 S U M M E R 2 005 • RHODES r h o d e s . e d u Phi Beta Kappa Award Passing the Baton JUST I The Phi Beta Kappa Award is given to the graduating N FOX BURKS senior who exemplifies the highest qualities of scholarship, K E VI achievement, creativity and N B ARR commitment to the liberal É arts and sciences. This year’s recipient, Sandy Keller, earned a double major in psychology and French. A Burch Service Scholar, she received several academic awards, and her research in psychology was presented at an international Susan Kus, left, associate professor of anthropology/sociology, receives the faculty marshal baton from associate professor of music Diane Clark ’62, who academic conference. retired this year. Joining them were the other marshals, Anita Davis, associate Sandy Keller professor of psychology; David Jeter, professor of chemistry, left; and Mark Muesse, associate professor of religious studies. Day Awards Go to Barr, Gu Dr. Tina Barr and Dr. Ming Dong Gu are the 2006 Commission, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Virginia recipients of Rhodes’ highest faculty honors for outstanding Center for the Creative Arts and the MacDowell Colony. teaching and research, presented April 28 at the college’s Barr, who holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, annual Awards Convocation. Barr, an associate professor M.F.A. from Columbia University and M.A. and Ph.D. of English and director of the Rhodes Creative Writing from Temple University, joined the Rhodes faculty in 1997. Program, received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding The Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research and Teaching, which includes Creative Activity is presented to JUST JUST I I a $10,000 honorarium. Gu, N FOX BURKS N FOX BURKS a member of the faculty who has associate professor of modern demonstrated that research and/or languages, received the Dean’s creative activity is an integral part Award for Outstanding Research of his or her vocation and who has and/or Creative Activity, which published or performed outstanding includes a $6,000 honorarium. works over the previous three years Both awards, first given in 1981, that have gained significant scholarly were established by Memphis recognition or creative acclaim. businessman Clarence Day ’52 Gu’s research interests include and are provided by the Day Chinese language, literature and Foundation. culture. Since the early 1980s, he has The Clarence Day Award Tina Barr Ming Dong Gu published articles on various topics for Outstanding Teaching is including linguistic theory, semiotics, given to a member of the faculty who has demonstrated comparative studies of Western and Chinese literary excellence in teaching over the previous three years as theory, in-depth studies of authors and analyses of specific determined by the assessments of students and colleagues, works of literature and philosophy. He has published two the effective use of imaginative and creative pedagogy and monographs and his work has appeared in several journals. motivating students to embrace a life of continuing study. Gu has been a cultural adviser to the China exhibit at Barr has published in numerous journals including the the Memphis Zoo and works with an after-school Chinese American Poetry Review, Harvard Review, Antioch Review education program at White Station High School in Memphis. and Paris Review. Her book of poems The Gathering Eye Gu, who holds M.A. degrees from the University of won Tupelo Press Editors’ Prize for Best First Book of Kent, England and the University of Wisconsin, Madison Poetry. In addition, she has received fellowship grants from as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, joined the National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts the Rhodes faculty in 1999. r h o d e s . e d u S U M M E R 2 005 • RHODES 3 CAMPUS NEWS Charlotte Borst To Become Rhodes Provost Charlotte G. Borst, dean of Arts staffing; and faculty research. In addition, she was charged with the oversight and Sciences and professor of history of three major building projects for science and engineering, music, and visual at Union College in Schenectady, NY, arts.