Organic progression – alumna serves after graduation

Finishing college and heading into the world of work is a different experience for each of Tusculum’s alumni, but for many, such as Kristen Lane ’14, the transition was organic in its development and in her continued work with Tusculum College’s environmental science program.

Lane, currently serves as an AmeriCorps intern for the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance, and continues to work with Tusculum College science departments, as well as Tusculum students in other programs volunteering in environmental programs in the community. Additionally, she credits Tusculum faculty with helping her make the connections to put her in the right place at the right time for the intern opportunity.

“Dr. Keller was very involved with the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance and helped me to get my foot in the door,” said Lane, adding that as a field guide naturalist major, she had a lot of interaction with the faculty during her time at Tusculum that led to long-term relationships.

Kristen Lane gets to return to campus often, working with students from the College and those from local schools at the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland or sharing information with Tusculum students about the volunteer opportunities available with the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance.

Dr. Melissa Keller, assistant professor of biology and former professor Dan Barnett was instrumental in helping Lane land that first position and in serving as resources for her in her first few months after graduation.

As part of her service, Lane is responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating service learning projects with target outcomes to a wide range of participants, maintaining and expanding community partnerships and capacity building for the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance. She also handles volunteer coordination and management, which is another path that keeps her in contact with the Tusculum community.

“Many of the skills I developed at Tusculum,” said Lane. “In addition to the academic base, I developed a lot of skills through my participation in student organizations on campus, things like being self-directed, detail oriented and thinking creatively.”

During her years at Tusculum, Lane led the Pioneer Green Team, an environmental student organization, as its president and found herself planning events, recruiting volunteers and setting up strategies for educating the public, all of which is in her job description at the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance.

“Being involved with several on campus organizations and being a national service member has given me experience in public speaking, reaching, networking, organizing volunteers, developing community partnerships, maintaining public relations and leading and cooperating in team environments,” she said. In addition to the Green Team, she was a representative for Voices Against Violence and served as both representative and senator for the Student Government Association.

In her AmeriCorps position, she puts her skills toward grant writing and projects involving restoration work, but there is also a strong educational component, working with elementary school students at the wetlands and giving community presentations. She also calls on her relationships often that she built while attending Tusculum.

“We have a strong partnership with Tusculum College, particularly the science areas and the biology and environmental science classes,” she said.  She also calls on Tusculum often for volunteer work because of the community engagement focus, particularly with service learning courses.

“The Earth Day program that I coordinated as president of the Pioneer Green Team is very similar to projects I do now, like the Energy Fair. My experience in planning a project was very helpful.  I learned how to do things on my own time and it was a great experience that is similar to the way I work now.”

While at Tusculum, Lane was the recipient of the Doug Ratledge Environmental Science Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding student majoring in environmental science or the field guide naturalist program. Serving with the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance, she also gets to share her love for environmental science with others.

Her advice to current students is to build relationships with faculty. “If you haven’t built these relationships after four years you may have missed the boat,” said Lane. “The faculty are great resources for networking in your field.”

She also encourages building leadership skills through clubs and organizations, which she says is a great way to learn how organizations work, as well as a safe way to learn and try things and see what works.

“For those that have never heard of the AmeriCorps program, it is very similar to the Peace Corps but on the domestic front,” said Lane. “AmeriCorps offers a living stipend and educational stipend upon successful completion of service, which can be full or part-time. It’s an honor to be a part of this program, and I would recommend it to undergraduates looking for professional experience and meaningful service to the community.”

A note from the president to Tusculum parents

 

 

 

First and foremost, I want to thank each of you for all you do to move Tusculum College forward. I also want to share exciting news about our new Vice President for Academic Affairs, who will join us spring semester after the retiring of Dr. Ron May.

Dr. Jason Pierce

Dr. Pierce comes to Tusculum from Mars Hill University, where he has served most recently as interim vice president for academic affairs and enrollment management. In his career, Dr. Pierce has served in both academic and administrative roles at Mars Hill University, serving as assistant and associate vice president for academic affairs, chief information officer, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation liaison and as director of institutional effectiveness.  He has served as chair of the division of humanities, as chair of the department of English and as webmaster. He also taught English as an assistant and an associate professor. Dr. Pierce earned his doctorate in English from the University of South Carolina. He also holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Maine and a Master of Letters in Scottish literature from the University of Saint Andrews, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maine. We also welcome his wife, Dr. Joanna Tapp Pierce, a faculty member at Mars Hill for seventeen years.

We are on track to move into the Meen Center for Science and Math over the Christmas break. We are very excited about offering classes in the building in Spring Semester. The Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math will replace Tredway Hall, long known as Science Hall, on the Tusculum College campus as the home of science and math. Tredway was constructed in 1928 for a much smaller student population, at a time when scientific research and instrumentation was significantly different. The new facility will also bring changes to the teaching of math and the sciences at Tusculum College. More spacious classrooms will accommodate students comfortably, with ready access to technology. Labs will incorporate the latest instrumentation and safety features. With additional labs, all students will have the opportunity for hands-on experiences in scientific research.

Construction of the Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math has reached the final stages.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I am reminded that this is truly a time to give thanks for all of the bounties that we have. I give thanks for many things but particularly for the wonderful students of all ages who have chosen Tusculum College.

 

Best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving,

Nancy B. Moody, PhD

President

Kim Kidwell named director of the Tusculum Fund at Tusculum College

Kim Kidwell has been named director of the Tusculum Fund at Tusculum College. She will assume her new duties on Dec. 1.

Kidwell joined Tusculum College in 2007. Her office is located in McCormick Hall on the Greeneville campus. As director of the Tusculum Fund, Kidwell will be responsible for planning, execution and oversight of the college’s annual fund. She will be responsible for identifying, cultivating and soliciting prospective donors for various campaigns that provide funding support for the institution.

“We are excited to announce that Kim Kidwell is returning to our Advancement staff as director of the Tusculum Fund,” said Heather Patchett, vice president of Institutional Advancement. “Kim has amazing relationship skills and was much missed by many of our alumni when she took her position in the Business Office. Her organizational abilities and her dedication to Tusculum College and its students are just of the few things that will help us move our programs forward.”

Kim Kidwell

According to Patchett, Kidwell has demonstrated excellent skills for developing and nurturing relationships with alumni and other donors.  In her role, she will be focusing on acquiring new donors, increasing the giving of current donors and working with current students and young alumni to build an awareness of the importance of giving.

She is also a highly analytical and a detail-oriented problem solver with a strong background of accounting, finance and development. She has extensive experience in implementing and managing not-for-profit programs; successfully managing and expanding existing programs; promoting, funding and organizing programs and events; conducting research; managing databases; managing staff, volunteers and volunteer teams; and preparing reports and presentations.

A 1999 graduate of Tusculum, this will be Kidwell’s return to fundraising at Tusculum College.  For the past four years she has served as payroll specialist in the Business Office.  Prior to that, she held positions in fundraising including director of the Tusculum Fund, associate director of development and development director.

“My time at Tusculum College has given me valuable experience, particularly in development,” said Kidwell. “I am passionate in working with the Tusculum College donors, as well as the faculty and staff to achieve the fundraising goals of the college.”

Kidwell resides in Afton with her two children, Macy and Talon. They are members of First Baptist Church.

 

Tusculum students secure $3,000 grant for elementary school library

Students at Camp Creek Elementary will soon have some new reading material at their disposal, as a grant written by students in a Tusculum College grant writing course has made possible the purchase of new books for the school’s library program.

“We are so excited about the grant, and so appreciative of the students at Tusculum College for doing this for us,” said Jennifer Reeves, the Camp Creek Elementary School librarian. “The vast majority of the money will go toward the purchase of new book titles for students in the school to read and check out.”

Reeves said that with limited funds each year, it is hard for them to keep current titles in the library, and it is disappointing to not have an exciting new series when a student comes in and asks for it.

The grant is from the Dollar General and also allows some of the funds to be used for library programming.

Dr. Michael Bodary, associate professor of English who taught the grant writing course offered at Tusculum College, explained why he enjoys teaching it. “Tusculum has an ongoing commitment to civic engagement, so I am constantly looking for opportunities where students can apply what they learn in the classroom to help better the lives of those around them. With one success under their belts, I hope these students are encouraged to write more grants after they graduate—or even explore grant writing as a career.”

Tusculum students who worked on the grant were journalism and professional writing majors Madilyn Elliott Whitley from Hampton, who graduated in May, Meg Franklin of Newport, and Jonathon Dennis of Rome, Georgia.

“What made our grant different was how out-of-the-box it was, I think,” said Whitley. “Reading doesn’t just mean novels and stories, so we played on that. This program gets kids reading nontraditional material, like video game guides and magazines, and has people in ‘dream jobs’ telling them how reading is important in every career field. We wanted to break the mold of reading programs, and I think that contributed to it getting funded.”

She added, “I chose to work on this grant because reading is and always has been a priority to me. I come from a school like Camp Creek, where the library had little money to spend on new books. Sometimes libraries are the only access kids have to reading, and it is vital that we give kids every opportunity to read, expand their horizons, and figure out who they want to be. Dollar General is doing a great service in funding literacy programs, and I’m just grateful that I was able to help connect them to a local school.”

 

Tusculum versus Carson-Newman Blood Bowl match up this November

Fans of the Tusculum Pioneers and Carson-Newman Eagles can support their team while aiding the East Tennessee Medic Regional Blood Center by participating in the 14th annual Blood Drive Bowl next week.

The event is part of the festivities leading up to the Nov. 12th football game between the Pioneers and Eagles, which kicks off at 1:30 p.m. from the Niswonger Sports Complex and Pioneer Field in Greeneville.  There will be several opportunities to donate blood.

Tusculum has been the top donor in eight of the previous 13 drives, including six of the last eight.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8th, Tusculum students, faculty, staff and fans may donate on the Knoxville campus from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; at the Greeneville campus at Niswonger Student Commons from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and at the Morristown site (420 West Morris Blvd.) from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Blood donations may also be given during the week at the MEDIC Regional Blood Center in Knoxville (1601 Ailor Ave.) during the following hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Please let the screener know your donation should count towards Tusculum College.

All donors will receive a t-shirt and coupons for a free appetizer from Texas Roadhouse.

Donors should bring a valid driver’s license or other official photo ID in order to give blood. Medical prescreening and a free cholesterol test (no fasting necessary) will be provided at the sites. One donation a year exempts donors and their IRS dependents from paying blood supplier processing fees at any U.S. hospital.

The winning school will be announced at halftime of the Tusculum/Carson-Newman football game at Pioneer Field. Tusculum leads the series 8-5.  The Pioneers won the inaugural title in 2003 and again in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. Carson-Newman has captured bragging rights five times (2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2015).

For more information, contact the MEDIC Regional Blood Center at (865) 524-3074 or at www.medicblood.org.

 

Tusculum helps Liggett find new life pathway

In stories of success after Tusculum, “graduate” and “alumni” are often used interchangeably; however, the two terms are not always synonymous. Sometimes a degree is just a piece of paper through which success is not defined, and students do not need graduation to find the traits of success. Such was the case with Jason Liggett.

In 1996, freshman Jason Liggett stood tall on the pitching mound at Tusculum College. However, he soon realized playing baseball was what he did, but it wasn’t who he was.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to study,” said Liggett. “I had played baseball since I was seven years old, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”

Jason Liggett

Enrolling in a creative writing class was enough to nudge Liggett in the right direction. Taking the class opened up a whole new world of storytelling that both excited and frustrated him. “I hated reading, and we were required to read several stories that really touched me. They weren’t what I was used to but it expanded my thinking,” said Liggett.

With encouragement from his roommate, Matthew Bartholomew ’99, Liggett unearthed an interest in film and cinematic storytelling. “My roommate is the one who opened my eyes to film,” he said. After leaving Tusculum (when?), Liggett enrolled briefly at Pellissippi State Technical Community College and took acting classes. He dropped out after completing his freshman year to begin his journey as an actor. Later he would learn the art of feature writing and screenwriting, and then he wrote content for several online webisodes and A-list music video directors.

It was a long and strenuous process that eventually led Liggett to the director’s chair. “You’ve got to love the process as much as the result,” said Ligget. “I’ve been in this process for seventeen years and I’ve loved every part of it.”

Liggett has worked with big names like Matthew Libatique, Michael Bay, Jeffery Kimbel, James Earl Jones, and Jacob Dylan. “When you’re a beginner, you’ve got to surround yourself with pros,” he said. “I didn’t have the heart to play pro baseball; I had the heart to be pro in the film industry. My heart lies in directing and film writing.”

The things Liggett learned at Tusculum go beyond just what he learned in the classroom, “A lesson I learned from Coach (Doug) Jones was what he liked to call ‘Intestinal Fortitude.’ He believed that we were all great, but to get to that greatness he had to break us down to the point we thought we couldn’t go any further, then he would push us beyond that point.”

Liggett’s experience as a director has improved greatly since he first started the craft, and he still sees where the sport he loved can come into play with his directing. “This is where my experience as a baseball pitcher became relevant to the choice I was making to be a director.” Liggett said, “As a pitcher I had to lead my team, I had to be aware of what went on around me, I had to practice over and over to master the skill, and I had to realize that I couldn’t do anything without my team.” The same goes with directing: Liggett is the leader of the film, he has to be aware of every single detail about the film, he has to practice and help his cast and crew to get everything right according to his image, and he has to know that without the team surrounding him, he would be without a job.

Despite leaving Appalachia to pursue his dreams in the bright lights of Hollywood, Liggett is still inspired by his home region and its literary heritage. In fact, he has several films in the works featuring Appalachian people and themes.

His most recent film, currently in production, is “The Mastiff Revolver”. It is about two brothers who slowly become wanted outlaws as they try to prove their father was framed for murder.

“I’m very proud and attached to this film. It’s a strong bond between two brothers, and I was an only child who never got to experience that chemistry between two people,” Liggett said. “On the news and in our lives, we see a lot of families torn apart.  My film is about a family struggling to stay together. These characters are strong and good, but they believe in tough love. This feature is me showing the real side of the Appalachian people, and the deep storytelling element found in the region I grew up in.”

There is something to be said about Liggett’s own toughness in his ambition to dive headlong into film. Although college was not the right choice for him, Liggett recognizes the importance of higher education for students.

“Tusculum is a great place; it was like my home in Bristol. I liked Tusculum a lot, and it pointed me in a new direction,” he said. “If there had been a film program, I might have stayed.”

Even though it was not his path, he would like to ease the difficulty of breaching the modern film industry for students by encouraging them to stay in higher education. He wants to be able to give every college in the region a film production program if they want it. “My dream for my company is to come back to that region and give back in the area of film,” he said. “If any school wanted a film production program, we would want to do that.”

When it comes to reading and writing, Liggett has changed a lot since his days spent in a college dorm room: he reads multiple books to help him with his craft, is always trying to learn new things, and truly enjoys writing every day in order to get more ideas to put on the big screen. “The stories I create flush out the pains and insecurities I have ever had in myself and are being expressed and released from me,” he said. “It’s like everything that’s been locked inside of you is able to be released. The stories I have written have shaped me into the loving, compassionate, aware, spiritually connected man I am today. They become a part of you as a writer.”

Jason Liggett spent a couple of chapters of the bigger narrative of his life at Tusculum College. There, he was able to find his identity. An identity he already had was replaced because of his time spent on Tusculum’s campus. In the end, it doesn’t matter what path you take to get you on the course of a successful career; as long as you work hard, have the courage to dream, and do what you know you need to do, then you will find the success you seek.

 

By Jonathon Dennis, junior journalism and professional writing major from Rome, Ga.

 

Student-led program at Tusculum College aims to educate, reduce sexual assault

Two students at Tusculum College have developed a Sexual Assault Prevention program they hope will be replicated and utilized at campuses nationwide.

The program was developed by seniors Jennie Frost, a creative writing major from Friendsville, and Kelsey Freeman, a psychology major from Johnson City, as their Honors Program thesis project.

“As students of Tusculum College, we have experienced many of the attempts to combat sexual assault. Oftentimes it seems as though programs are focused on how to cope with something that has already occurred, which does little to keep violence from happening in the first place,” the two stated in their project proposal.

According to Freeman, their research showed that statistically, the percentages of sexual assault, re-victimization and rape are significantly reduced when students are exposed to a Sexual Assault Prevention program. “A finding like this is an example of how important it is to aim programs at preventing students from being victimized first and foremost. Students should be provided the tools to become proactive in their own safety and feel as though they can help not only themselves, but also others.”

Frost added, “This is my passion. What we are doing can change things if we can keep it going. In four years, everyone on campus would have had this exposure.”

Through the program, which began prior to the start of school this fall, the two are working “top to bottom and bottom to top.” Frost said they started with a presentation to all faculty and staff at the college prior to the start of school.  This has been followed up with presentations to all orientation classes which include all first year students, both freshmen and transfer students.

This year alone the program will reach more than 300 students. The 30-minute, interactive presentation focuses on consent and what it means, as well as encouraging “bystander intervention.” The program addresses terms and definitions, as well as what the legal definitions are regarding terms like “rape,” “consent” and “incapacitated sex.” Students are engaged in the program through interactive discussions focused on scenarios from the students’ research.

“What we’re talking about is very difficult for some people. It makes them uncomfortable,” said Freeman. “We are talking about sex and some of these students just don’t want to talk about it.”

Both students have been recognized at Tusculum for their academic, creative and service successes and have become examples already on their home campus. “Jennie and Kelsey have become a glowing example of what our Honors students can accomplish when we allow them to follow their passions,” said Meagan Stark, coordinator of academic support and tutoring and director of the Honors Program.

“For them, this project started as a senior thesis for Honors credit, and rapidly developed into an opportunity to gain professional skills related to teaching, research and public service. For Tusculum, they’ve developed a legacy project that can continue empowering students for years to come. I’m incredibly proud of what they’ve managed to accomplish thus far, and I look forward to watching the program grow in the future.”

With both Freeman and Frost graduating in December, they are working now to find ways to train others in a way that makes the program sustainable after their departure from campus. “We have a small group of students that are considering forming a student organization for this purpose, but we need funding and the opportunity for training,” said Frost, who added that they are looking at the possibility of writing a grant for this purpose. Ultimately, she added, they would love to see the program expand past Tusculum Colleges and be implemented at other colleges and universities.

“Tusculum College strives to prevent any instance of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment and stalking in order to maintain a living and learning environment where every student can focus on utilizing her or his full potential and achieve their objectives,” said Dean of Students David McMahan.

“Over the past few years, the college has broadened prevention efforts from merely promoting risk management and protection on the part of potential victims to reducing dangerous cultural perspectives among potential perpetrators which lend to harmful behavior and empowering bystanders to intervene to diffuse potentially harmful situations. The collaboration with Jennie and Kelsey to develop, communicate and implement proactive programming from a peer to peer perspective has greatly enhanced our ability to attain these goals.”

In addition to hopefully creating a program that will have a statistical impact on sexual violence, both students believe their work on this project has been preparation for their days in graduate school in the not-too-distant future.

“We are both hoping to have the opportunity for teaching assistantships in grad school,” said Frost. “I can’t think of anything we could have done that would have prepared us more.”

On top of that, Freeman added that the whole project has been, “the best experience of my life.”

 

More than 250 alumni return to campus for Homecoming 2016

More than 250 alumni could be found rediscovering campus and renewing friendships during Homecoming 2016, October 21-22.

The campus had a warm welcome for alumni who have the opportunity to visit often and those who had not been back to Tusculum in decades. There were campus tours Friday to reacquaint alumni with the campus and share with them the changes since they graduated. The Museums of Tusculum again hosted their popular “Memory Lane” display of yearbooks and memorabilia, helping alumni remember times and places of yesteryear.

Tusculum President Nancy B. Moody, right, congratulates members of the team that won the "net division" of the golf tournament. From left are Greg Pielich '69, Bob Sobas '74 and Tom Heffernan '76. Not pictured is Mike Currens '77.

Alumni had a chance to interact with some of the student leaders on campus at the “Lunch with Students.” Although rain was in the forecast, the precipitation held off to allow for an afternoon of friendly competition on the links for the annual golf tournament.

An ice cream treat was enjoyed by several as they learned about the new alumni travel program. Lynn Battle ’62 shared some of his experiences on a Viking Cruise and gave some tips for those interested in taking the Rhine River Cruise scheduled for April 2017. Kristin Small of Cruise Planners, who is working with Tusculum in the new travel program, also announced future trips that are being explored including a trip to the Antarctic region in 2018 and Italy in 2019. The Museums of Tusculum hosted a reception for its new exhibit about the political life of Andrew Johnson prior to the presidency. The professional-quality exhibit has been created by students in the Museum Studies major.

Tusculum President Nancy B. Moody presents a trophy to Matt McKeever '12 '13, whose team won the "Gross Divsion" of the golf tournament. His team members included Bob Leonard, David Konieczny '95 and Doug Fezzell.

The evening activities included dinner at Link Hills Country Club. Alumni were also invited to join students for a pep rally and telling of ghost stories in the old gym.

 

Saturday morning’s activities began with a Memorial Service honoring the memory of alumni and friends of the College who have passed away over the past year. This service was followed by an alumni breakfast.

 

Recognition of alumni for their accomplishments followed as part of the Sports Hall of Fame Induction and the annual Alumni Association meeting. Chase Carroll ’09 and Ashley Moreira ’07 were inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame and Athletic Trainer Chris Lenker was recognized with the Sports Benefactor Award.

Chase Carroll and Ashley Moreira were inducted Saturday into the Tusculum College Sports Hall of Fame.

Carroll accounted for one of the best golf careers in program history.  From 2005-2009, he posted a 74.29 career scoring average, which was a school record upon his graduation in 2009 and is currently the second lowest stroke average ever by a Pioneer.   For his career, he finished in the top-20 in 28 tournaments, including 21 top-10 finishes and 13 times in the top-five including a school-record six medalist wins.  Two of those victories including the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Tournament titles in 2007 and again in 2009. The Knoxville, Tennessee native earned All-South Atlantic Conference honors on three occasions, including All-SAC second team accolades as a sophomore and All-SAC first team plaudits in his junior and senior campaigns. Carroll also shined in the classroom and in the community as he was named to the 2009 Academic All-America® First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  Carroll is a professional golfer and has played on several professional golf circuits including: Web.com Tour, PGA Latin-America Tour and the Swing Thought Golf Tour. He is married to the former Whitney Hensen of Knoxville and the couple resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Athletic Director Doug Jones presents the Sports Benefactor Award to Chris Lenker, head athletic trainer at the College.

Moreira was the defensive leader during one of the most successful four-year periods of the Tusculum women’s soccer program.  A product of London, Ontario, Canada, she led the Pioneers to a combined 55-18-7 record during her four years with the program, which included one SAC Championship, two SAC Tournament titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances including 2006 as Tusculum captured the Southeast Region championship and advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time in school history.  She amassed 31 career assists which are tied for the most in program history while her 79 career starts are tied for 10th in the Tusculum record book.  She also contributed five career goals including a pair of match-winners. Moreira also excelled in the classroom where she majored in English with a literature concentration and was named to the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District third team.  In her senior year, she was the 2007 recipient of the Tusculum President’s Award. Moreira  is currently teaching world literature at the Greenville Tech Charter High School in Greenville, South Carolina.

Lenker was recognized for going above and beyond his duties as head athletic trainer for Tusculum student-athletes. He has served for head athletic trainer for 13 years and has been at the College for 17 years. An avid and talented photographer, Lenker has taken hundreds of photos of student-athletes at the request of the students or family members and provided those to the students at no cost.

Four awards were given during the Alumni Association meeting.

Dr. Ken Bowan '70, chair of the Tusculum Board of Trustees, presents the Pioneer Award to Dr. Larry Brotherton '70.

Dr. Larry Brotherton ’70 was presented the Pioneer Award, which is presented each year to an outstanding alumnus or alumna, in recognition of outstanding or meritorious achievement in his or her chosen field; for distinguished service to church, community, country and humanity; and for continuing and loyal service to Tusculum College. “His excellence in science and industry enhances the educational reputation of Tusculum College and his character and generosity exemplify the Civic Arts,” said his long-time friend Dr. Ken Bowman ’70, in presentation of the award.  Dr. Brotherton earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Tusculum and went on to the University of Tennessee, where he received a doctorate in chemistry in 1974. He has had a successful career as an industrial entrepreneur, research chemist and businessman. He founded and leads Ortec, Inc., a custom chemical manufacturing company he created in 1980 and also Ortec Racing, LLC, which serves the NASCAR market. Dr. Brotherton has given generously of his time to professional and civic boards and to the Tusculum Board of Trustees. During his tenure on the Board of Trustees, he has severed on the Audit Committee, the Finance and Investment Committee, the Buildings and Grounds Committee and the Executive Committee.

Dr. Ron May '68, left, is presented the National Alumni Living Faculty Award by Angelo Botta '75, president of the Alumni Association.

Dr. Ron May ’68 was the recipient of the National Living Faculty Award, which is presented each year to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the College’s academic programs. Dr. May is currently serving as vice president of academic affairs at Tusculum . His distinguished career in higher education includes serving as president of Ancilla College in Indiana and Louisburg College in North Carolina. In his career he has taught public school, as well as served as a college professor, department head, dean, vice president in addition to college president. In his career, Dr. May has been recognized by numerous organizations, including by the Leadership Marshall County program with their Leader of the Year Award in 2011. He served his Alma Mater as dean of faculty from 1985 to 1988. He also served for a time as the president of the Tusculum College Alumni Association. Although he had retired from the presidency at Ancilla, he returned to higher education to serve as interim vice president of academic affairs in June 2014 and guide Tusculum through a challenging time in its history.

Justin Jeffers '04 receives the Frontier Award from Ryan Barker '16, a member of the Alumni Executive Board.

Justin Jeffers ’04 was presented the Frontier Award, is honoring an outstanding alumnus or alumna who have graduated at least five years but no more than 15 years from the College, in recognition of outstanding or meritorious advancement in his or her career. Jeffers earned his degree in Business Administration and was an All South Atlantic Conference performer on Tusculum’s golf team. He received his funeral directing and embalming license in 2007 after graduating from John A. Gupton College. Mr. Jeffers is the director from the east for the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association, is on the Executive Board for The Independent Funeral Group, the Board of Directors for the Laughlin Foundation, and a longtime committee member and committee captain the past two years of the annual Pioneer Club Campaign. He has also served as the play-by-play commentator for the Tusculum Women’s Basketball games for the local radio station. Justin is a Mason and member of The Greeneville Kiwanis Club.

Athletic Director Doug Jones, who is also head baseball coach, receives the National Alumni Recognition Award from Jackie Rose '75 of the Alumni Executive Board.

Tusculum Athletic Director Doug Jones received the National Alumni Recognition Award, which recognizes an individual for his or her contributions to the Tusculum community. Jones has  served as Tusculum’s athletic director since 2015 and continues in the dual role as Tusculum’s head baseball coach, a position he has held since 1998. Jones is in his 20th season guiding the Tusculum baseball program and is the winningest coach in school history. He has guided Tusculum to 15 consecutive winning seasons, while posting 622 victories in his 19 campaigns in Greeneville, including last year’s 10-4 club. Coach Jones has proven over the years to recruit student-athletes who perform well both in the classroom and on the field. He has high expectations for himself and for those around him including other members of the athletic staff, students and other people who he works with.

The award winners were among the participants in the Homecoming Parade. The Golden Pioneers served as marshals for the parade, which featured the student Homecoming Court, student organizations and the Tusculum Marching Band.

Scrumptious barbecue and all the fixings were enjoyed during the Pioneer Tailgate prior to the exciting football game. Recognized prior to the game were the 2006 Women’s Soccer Team and returning baseball alumni. Three alumni games were played over the weekend – softball, baseball and men’s lacrosse, bring many former student-athletes back to campus.

Homecoming activities wound down with dinner, music and fellowship Saturday evening at the General Morgan Inn.

Make plans now to join in the fun next year – Homecoming 2017 will be October 20-22.

For more photos from Homecoming, visit the album on  Tusculum’s facebook page.

 

 

Updates on capitol campaign, science building given to Trustees

Brick now covers all the exterior of the new Meen Center for Science and Math. The building is on schedule to be opened for classes in January.

The Tusculum First Capital Campaign at Tusculum College is at the $23.1 million mark with eight months left in the campaign, and officials expect to move into the Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math in December.

These were among the topics covered when the Tusculum College Board of Trustees held its fall meeting on October 20-21 on the Greeneville campus.

Additionally, the Board gave full approval to Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science, environmental science, information technology and business administration. The Board approved a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies and a Master of Accountancy degree program. The Board also approved changing the name of the health care administration degree program to health care management, pending approval of the faculty.

The new programs will be initiated for fall semester 2017.

According to Heather Patchett, vice president of Institutional Advancement, the Tusculum First campaign is on track for a successful finish.

“Tusculum is $4.35 million over the established goal for endowed scholarship and more than $17 million of the funds raised has been received for will be received in the next five years,” she reported.

“The amount of funds raised in the campaign for endowed scholarships truly shows our commitment to help students who most need financial assistance,” said Dr. Kenneth A. Bowman, chair of the Board and 1970 alumnus of the college. “With reductions across the board in federal aid and other federal aid programs, Tusculum is committed to continue to serve the students of our region.”

The Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math is near completion and plans are to move into the building during the Christmas break and hold classes in the facility beginning with the spring semester.

Residential enrollment numbers are up for the  2016-2017 academic year and the Board heard that this year’s entering residential class totals 368 incoming freshman and transfer students, an increase of 15 percent over 2015-2016. This number includes 296 entering freshmen, 52 transfer students and 20 new international students.

“Tusculum College’s residential program continues to grow for a number of reasons,” said Tusculum President Nancy B. Moody. “Our unique Civic Arts focus takes the liberal arts a step further in a nationally recognized approach to educating individuals of integrity and ideals. Additionally a wide range of majors – from museum studies to nursing – are combined with service learning and travel opportunities to create a completely unique experience.

“We are pleased to see the fruits of its expanded enrollment and retention efforts, furthering the goal of serving the region with accessible, affordable higher education opportunities.”

She added that enrollment numbers also reflect an increased focus on keeping enrolled students on campus until graduation. Tusculum’s support services for students provide everything from tutoring to book loan programs to help students achieve their dream of a college education. To this end, Tusculum College retained 68.2 percent of the first-time, full-time undergraduate students who enrolled during fall 2015, the highest retention rate in 10 years for the college’s residential program. This year’s retention rate was recorded at 68 percent, 9.1 percent over the previous year, and beating the previous high of 62 percent in 2014.

In other action, the Board approved revisions to the bylaws that came after previous revisions in the faculty handbook, by-laws and constitution were approved by the faculty.

Officers elected included: Chair, Dr. Bowman; Vice Chair, the Rev. Dr. Dan Donaldson; Treasurer, Dwight Ferguson, and Secretary, Mark R. Williams.

Bowman, who currently resides in Apollo, Pa., has been a member of the board since 1998 and chair since 2006. Rev. Donaldson is the pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Greeneville. He also serves as director of the Calvin Center, the Camp and Conference Center for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.

Ferguson joined the board in 2009. He is retired from Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., located in Erwin, where he served as president and chief executive officer from March 1992 until January 2009. Williams, of Greeneville, joined the board in 2001. He is a broker with Century 21 Legacy.
Re-elected for an additional term as board members were Dr. Bowman; Williams; Rev. Donaldson; Dr. Larry Brotherton, a 1970 graduate of the college; and Lester Lattany, a 1987 and 1991 graduate of the college.

Three retiring Board members were recognized and presented with a resolution from the Board, recognizing the value of their service. Retiring Board members include Frank Horsman, a 1968 graduate of the college; Charlotte Gray, and Anna Gamble.

The next meeting of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees will be February 2017.

Alumni continue friendship across two continents

Alumni continue friendship across two continents


It looks like a typical tourist photo – four smiling faces in front of the Emperor’s Palace in Tokyo. But, there is much more tell about these fathers and sons – a story of a friendship across two cultures born at a small private college in East Tennessee.

Nobuyuki “Nobi” Makabe ’93 and Ben Kalny ’90 met as students at Tusculum College and became friends. After leaving Tusculum, the two stayed in touch and remained close friends although living on different continents. Ben and Nobi were even in each other’s weddings – Ben’s in Kansas City and Nobi’s in Yokohama.

Eli Kalny, left, and Keita Makabe enjoy time together at the Emperor's Palace.

Over the years, both Ben and Nobi have been able to visit each other. Ben recently visited Japan for the fourth time, and Nobi has been back to the United States multiple times over the years.

In a trip last summer, Nobi visited Ben with his son Keita, who is close in age to one of Ben’s sons, Eli. Keita and Eli became friends during the visit.

“Nobi and I recognize the value of experiencing other cultures through our friendships and we want the same for our children,” Ben says. “We see tremendous value in having our sons grow their friendship.”

 

Eli was able to travel with Ben recently to stay a week in Japan to visit Keita and experience Japanese culture and daily life. Ben says that Eli enjoyed very much his visit and their focus was more on life in everyday Japan and less on tourist-type outings. Some of the highlights for them were visiting Keita’s school and going to “real ramen” shops in Yokohama, which feature something much different than the instant version of ramen popular in the U.S.

While Ben’s and Nobi’s friendship has remained strong over the years and distance, they also want to help their children form similar friendships and already planning their next visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

’30s

Ralph Johnston ’39 of Greeneville, TN, celebrated his 100th birthday on October 11. A feature about Johnston appeared recently in The Greeneville Sun. It highlighted his long career in the hyrdroelectric energy. After earning a degree in mathematics from Tusculum, Johnston went to work as a generator operator at the Nolichucky Hydroelectric Plant in Greene County for the East Tennessee Light & Power Company. From the Nolichucky plant, Johnston went to Johnson City to work at the Watauga steam plant. From there, he worked at the Kentucky Dam for two years and then returned to East Tennessee to work at the Watauga Hyrdroelectric Plant. He eventually was promoted to serve as superintendent over six hydroelectric plants for the Tennessee Valley Authority.  It also told about his love of travel and his visiting 36 foreign countries.

 

’10s

J.C. Drewery ’15 is now a field engineer at Utilis Engineering, P.A. in Charlotte, N.C.

Samantha Eldridge ’16 has taken the position of Visitor Services Coordinator at the Morton Museum of Collierville History.

 

 

 

 

 

Judith “Jena”  G. Breckendridge ’08 and Timothy J Smith were married on September 3, 2016, in Greeneville, TN. Members of the Tusculum College Jazz Band played favorites of the bride and groom for an hour prior to the ceremony. Following a honeymoon to the Bahamas, the couple is living in Montgomery, AL. Jena is a self-employed, registered diagnostic medical sonographer.

Brad E. Cox ’11 and Hannah Hsu were married July 31, 2016, in Zhong Li City, Taiwan. Best man was his brother James Cox ’13. Brad is a kindergarten teacher at Frontier International Preschool in Zhong Li City.

 

 

 

 

Ann Harold Jones ’51 of Morristown, TN, passed away July 12, 2016. Mrs. Jones taught in the Morristown School System and finished her career as a typing and accounting instructor at Morristown Vocational Technical School. She also served as bookkeeper for the school. Mrs. Jones was a member of First United Methodist Church of Morristown.  She was an avid bridge player and was an active member of the Ladies Reading Circle.

 

Kyle Dwight Morrell ’56 of Greeneville, TN, passed away October 5, 2016, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.  Mr. Morrell was a career educator who also positively impacted many young lives through coaching various athletic teams over the years. He began his teaching and coaching career at Mosheim High School in 1956 before moving to the newly opened West Greene High School in 1966. At West Greene, Mr. Morrell coached girls’ basketball, girls’ and boys’ cross-country, and started the track program in which the 1972 and 1973 girls’ track team won the state championship. In 1975, he made a move to Morristown West High School, where he continued coaching track and cross country, as well as girls’ basketball after 1985. Over the course of his career, his basketball teams amassed more than 550 victories. After his retirement in 1992, Mr. Morrell was a volunteer assistant for the Glenwood Elementary varsity basketball teams, the Greeneville High cross-country team and the West Greene girls’ basketball and track teams. He led numerous  track and cross-country teams to conference and regional championships, and many of his track and cross-country athletes were also individual state champions Mr. Morrell was named TSAA Regional Track Coach of the Year on several occasions; the track at West Greene was named in his honor; and he was inducted into the Morristown West Hall of Fame. He was a faithful member of Timber Ridge Presbyterian Church for more than 60 years, where he enjoyed singing in the choir and serving as an ordained elder and Sunday school leader. Mr. Morrell was also a longtime member of the Glenwood Ruritan Club and was the recipient of the club’s Community Jewel Award. For most of his life, he was an avid quail hunter. Mr. Morrell also enjoyed spending time with his family at their cabin at Paint Creek and raising beef cattle on his farm. His survivors include sons and Tusculum alumni John Morrell ’93 and Bart Morrell ’94.

 

Rev. Gary H. Meier ’62 of Lancaster, PA, passed away on October 13, 2016. He and his wife Muriel (Hunter) ’65 had celebrated their 50th anniversary in July. Rev. Meier served in the U.S. Army Reserves for eight years. After graduating from Tusculum, he earned a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Rev. Meier ministered at Otisco Presbyterian Church in Otisco, NY, for six years and then served Leacock Presbyterian Church of Paradise, PA, for 34 years, retiring in 2005. He was a member of Donegal Presbytery, having served as Chair of the Mission and Camp and Conference Committees and Presbytery Council. Rev. Meier served as Vice Moderator and Moderator of Donegal Presbytery and was attending the First Presbyterian Church of Lancaster.  He loved all of God’s creation, gardening and summer vacations in Ocean City, NJ. Most of all he loved his God, his church, and his family.

 

 

Barbara Marcella Fox ’66 of Greeneville, TN, passed away September 23, 2016. Mrs. Fox was retired from Weavexx and sold Mary Kay products for 28 years. Her passion was gardening, caring for her flowers and nature. Mrs. Fox attended Burnett’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school and served as secretary for several years.  She had been among the members of the Class of 1966 who celebrated their 50th reunion in May on campus, participating in a variety of Golden Pioneer activities.

 

Martha Ann Harrison Snelson ’73 of Bulls Gap, TN, passed away on October 18, 2016, after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.  Mrs. Snelson was a career educator, having taught at Bulls Gap School for 34 years. Her passions in life were her family and teaching. It was of the utmost importance to her to help each of her students succeed.  Mrs. Snelson served for a number of years as president of the Tennessee Education Association, working to ensure teachers’ rights and for better salaries for educators. Politics were also a big part of her life. She  was a long-time strong southern Democrat. Mrs. Snelson served several terms on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen of Bulls Gap to help make her town a better place. Another passion in her life was following and cheering on the University of Tennessee athletic teams, along with the Boston Celtics, Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Braves. She was a member of Bulls Gap First United Methodist Church and the Rebekah and Ruth Women’s Circles. Mrs. Snelson was also a member of the Bulls Gap Lions Club, the Women’s Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Bulls Gap Railroad Museum.

 

‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ opens Friday, Nov. 4

Steve Schultz as Pseudolus (left) attempts to prevent Hero, portrayed by Maxwell Reed, from spilling the beans about their grand plans of deception during rehearsal of this scene from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Theatre-at-Tusculum’s production of the Stephen Sondheim musical comedy opens Friday, Nov. 4. (Rehearsal photos courtesy of Carrie Tucker)

Theatre-at-Tusculum will bring something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone to the stage in November with its production of the comedy “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”

Opening Friday, Nov. 4, Director Marilyn duBrisk and a talented cast and crew will present the Stephen Sondheim musical comedy for two weekends only in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum College campus.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” will be performed at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4-5 and Nov. 10-12. Two Sunday matinee performances are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Nov. 6 and 13.

This is not the first time duBrisk has brought the Tony Award winning musical to the Greeneville stage. The first time was in 1999 at the Haberstick Auditorium in the Roby Fitzgerald Adult Center through a partnership with the former Little Theatre of Greeneville. In fact the show will take place almost 17 years to the day of the last production.

“You can do a show multiple times and it will always be different,” said duBrisk. “I loved my original cast and I love the cast I have now. It is the actors that bring the material to life, that is the exciting thing about live theater.”

When deciding what the line up would be for this fall, duBrisk knew she wanted to do an all children’s show in the spring and wanted something ‘fast, fun, and witty’ for adults in the fall. (While there is no adult language in the production, audience members should note that the the show is chock-full of hilarious situations and innuendo.)

The Proteans react to something "repulsive" during rehearsal of the opening number. From left are River Donnelly. Carter DelSorbo, Grayson Reed, Reagan Bunch, Mike Willis, Micheal Emory, Courtney Rieke and Victoria Harmon.

“It’s such witty, well-written material and you can’t beat a Sondheim musical,” said duBrisk. “The music is incredible and it challenges the actors to put their own spin on it.”

The music and lyrics were written by Sondheim, and the narrative by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gilbart takes audiences to three houses on a street in ancient Rome. One is the home of Senex a philandering, wimpy husband and his shrewd, overbearing wife Domina, portrayed by Greeneville theatre veterans Tom Sizemore and Laura Dupler. Their aloof, young son Hero (Tusculum College student Maxwell Reed) falls in love with Philia, a courtesan portrayed by the Sara Claiborne.

Philia belongs to the house of Marcus Lycus (Josh Beddingfield), who is a ‘peddler of the flesh.’ His house is next door to Senex’s home and is filled with dancing courtesans portrayed by Kelsie Cox, Whitney Marshall, Jordan Reed, Angel Smith, Kendra Tarlton and Laurie Grace Weems.

The third house is that of Erronious, an old man who has been away searching for his long lost children. Erronious is being brought to life by another local theatre favorite, Wess duBrisk.

Hysterium (Parker Bunch), Psuedolus (Steve Schultz) and Senex (Tom Sizemore) discuss the importance and benefits of having a maid as they rehearse 'Everybody Ought to Have a Maid'.

To Hero’s disappointment, Philia has been sold to the great Roman army captain, Miles Gloriosus (Tusculum senior and Theatre-at-Tusculum veteran Zach Gass), who is on his way to claim his bride with his group of bumbling soldiers portrayed by Daniel Brown, Carter DelSorbo, River Donnelly, Micheal Emery, Jeff Klepper and David Presley.

This unlikely group is brought together in situations of mistaken identity, classic farce and slapstick chaos by Pseudolos (Steve Schultz) and Hysterium (Parker Bunch). Pseudolus is slave to Hero, who offers him an opportunity to be a freed in exchange for his help in the arrangement of an elopement between Hero and Philia. Hysterium, the proud slave-in-chief to the house of Senex, becomes Pseudolos’ unwilling co-conspirator.

Rounding out the cast are the Proteans, an ensemble of actors portraying various characters from slaves to citizens including Reagan Bunch, Victoria Harmon, Grayson Reed, Courtney Rieke and Mike Willis.

Along with duBrisk, the production team bringing the musical to the stage includes assistant director Brian Ricker and long-time Theatre-at-Tusculum musical director Angie Clendenon. Clendenon leads the pit orchestra consisting of accompanist Kasie Shelnutt and percussionist David Price, as well as bassist Jeff Elkins and woodwind instrumentalist Keri Savell.

Tusculum College Arts Outreach Costume Director Barbara Holt has assembled a collection of classic Romanesque costumes that pop with color and texture. Audiences will be transported to the ancient city by the set, designed by Arts Outreach Technical Director Frank Mengel. Its columns, balconies and archways serve as perfect backdrop for the wild, physical comedy in the musical. Stage managers for the production are Tusculum College Arts Outreach volunteers Suzanne Greene and Jim Holt. The show is being presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International and is supported in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Pseudolus (center) is wooed by The Geminae, courtesans from the House of Lycus; Whitney Marshall (left) and Kendra Tarlton (right).

Tickets may be reserved by calling Tusculum College Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620 or by emailing Arts Outreach Coordinator and Box Office Manager Jennifer Hollowell at jhollowell@tusculum.edu. Tickets will also be available at the box office on the night of the performances, payable by cash or check only. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors (60 and over), and $5 for children (12 and under).

For more information regarding this production or other Arts Outreach programming, please call 423-798-1620, visit arts.tusculum.edu or the Arts Outreach page on facebook.