Dr. Nancy Dishner named to Tusculum College Board of Trustees

Dr. Nancy Dishner has been elected to the Tusculum College Board of Trustees. Dr. Dishner serves as executive vice president of the Niswonger Foundation in Greeneville.

After 30 years of service in education, she retired as vice provost for enrollment services and director of the Roan Scholars Leadership Program at East Tennessee State University. Prior to this position she was a tenured professor in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. She served five years as a full-time faculty member. She has also served as a public school teacher in Unicoi County.

“We were very pleased Dr. Dishner accepted our invitation to join our Board of Trustees,” said Kenneth A. Bowman, a 1970 graduate of the college and chair of the Board of Trustees. “She has extensive experience in education and leadership, and we look forward to her insight and influence as the college grows.”

Dr. Dishner is an alumna of East Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s degree in supervision and administration, and a doctorate in administration. She holds elementary teaching and principalship certifications in Tennessee.

Dr. Nancy Dishner

She is the recipient of the ETSU Outstanding Staff Award and was honored with recognition in the ETSU Clemmer College of Education Hall of Fame.

Dr. Dishner was named the ETSU Outstanding Alumna for 2013, and has a street named in her honor on the campus. She has also been recognized with the Outstanding Freshman Advocate Award from the Freshman Year Experience Program at the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Dishner served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Johnson City/ Jonesborough/ Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and established and chaired the Partners in Education program for Johnson City and Washington County. She served on the Johnson City Public Building Authority, as both secretary and chair of the public relations committee. She served as President of the ETSU Staff Senate and two terms as President of Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

She is a member of the ETSU Foundation and serves on the Executive Council for the Niswonger Children’s Hospital. She is vice chair of the Board of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association; a steering committee member on the State Collaborative for Reforming Education, and on the Board of the Tennessee College Access and Success Network.  She is chair of the ETSU Roan Scholars Steering Committee.  She is also an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church.

Lecture explores influence of Aristotelian thought on Christianity

Dr. Jim Miller is the featured speaker of this year’s Theologian-in-Residence lecture series at Tusculum College.

The influence of Greek philosophy and ideas, particularly those of Aristotle, on Christianity were explored Tuesday during the first session of the annual Theologian-in-Residence lecture series at Tusculum College.

In the “Baptism of Aristotle,” Dr. Jim Miller discussed how Christians in the classical world used the intellectual framework of Aristotle to express theology. Dr. Miller, president of the Presbyterian Association on Science, Technology and the Christian Faith, is leading the lecture series, which is sponsored by Tusculum College and partially funded by Ron Smith.

“Christianity includes a combination of strands of Jewish and Greek philosophy,” he said.

Dr. Miller defined the “classical world” as starting with creation, peaking at the time of medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas and concluding around the time of René Descartes.

For the classical world, knowledge came through ordinary sensory experience, logic and intuition, explained Dr. Miller, an ordained Presbyterian minister who is currently the co-chair of the Broader Social Impact Committee of the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Additionally, truth in the classical world was determined by Biblical tradition and Aristotelian tradition, Miller said. He added that he had named the lecture, “Baptism of Aristotle” because of how the Aristotelian intellectual framework was used during the classical period to express theological ideas.

The classical worldview also involved a vertical cosmic dualism, celestial versus terrestrial, which was developed through Greek scientific and mathematical studies, he continued. In the classical world, the celestial was considered perfect as the motion seen in the heavens had regularity and geometric perfection, whereas motion on earth was irregular.

Greek mathematician and astronomer Ptolemy devised a geometric system of the heavens with earth in the center, which lasted more than a century as the prominent theory about the universe. Ptolemy was committed to the idea that the heavens were perfect and developed geometry to explain what appeared to be non-circular orbits and irregular motion, Dr. Miller said.

This is one of the Greek concepts whose influence can be found in Christianity.  During a Sunday service, worshippers may recite the Apostles Creed, which speaks of Jesus descending into hell and then ascending into heaven, Dr. Miller noted, reflecting the classical idea of celestial perfection and terrestrial imperfection.

While Christian ideas about the soul are rooted in Judaism, he said, Aristotle’s concept of the soul as a form of the body was also adopted by Thomas Aquinas, who is considered the preeminent medieval theologian.

Another example can be found in the first chapter of the gospel of John when the term “logos” is used to describe Jesus. The Greek concept of logos is a divine orderliness, that which brought out order in the world, he explained.

The Greek and Jewish traditions came together in the ancient world in places like Antioch, Dr. Miller said. That city was a cultural crossroads where a significant Jewish community settled after the Hebrew nation was dispersed during the Babylonian conquest. Many chose to stay in that area after Israel was resettled by Jews in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah and were there during the conquest of Alexander the Great, when Greek thought permeated through the region. It was to these Jews that Paul first spoke when he went to Antioch during his missionary journeys, he further noted, and the New Testament says that believers in Jesus were first called “Christians” in Antioch.

The next session of the lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 10, will be “How the World Was Divided.” In this lecture, Dr. Miller will explore how the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries challenged the Aristotelian culture of the classical world and its practical theological legacy. The series will continue on Feb. 17 with a focus on modern scientific developments and their theological significance and conclude on Feb. 24 with a look at the theological implications of the history reviewed in the previous lectures for practical Christian living in the 21st century.

The sessions begin at 10 a.m. in the Chalmers Conference Center in the Niswonger Commons on the Tusculum College campus. There is no charge to attend the lecture series, but reservations are required as lunch is provided in the college’s cafeteria. To register or for more information, please call 423-636-7304 or email eestes@tusculum.edu.

Doak House Museum to host ‘Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’ on Valentine’s Day

Experience a Victorian Valentine’s Day at the Doak House Museum as it hosts a “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” on Saturday, Feb. 14.

The museum on the Tusculum College campus will be decorated for a Victorian Valentine’s Day and will be opening its doors for a “mad hat” tea party from 10 a.m. to noon.

Participants will enjoy delicious tea and cookies on decorative china and get to try on some of beautiful and whimsically fun hats. Participants can also bring their own fun hats to the tea party. Photos are encouraged to document all the fun with the hats, special treats and crafts in the museum.

The history of exchanging Valentines will be shared and participants will be able to make a special valentine to take home.

Admission is $5 per family. Please RSVP by calling 423-636-8554 or emailing lwalker@tusculum.edu.

The Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library are operated by the Department of Museum Program and Studies of Tusculum College. In addition to the museums, the department is responsible for the College Archives and offers one of the few undergraduate Museum Studies degree programs in the country. The two museums are also part of the National Historic District on the Tusculum College campus. Follow the museums on Facebook and Twitter to learn the latest news and upcoming events or visit its Web site at www.tusculum.edu/museums to learn more about the variety of programs offered at the museums.

Student organizations to host pancake breakfast benefit Feb. 21 to assist Greene County students

Two student-run organizations from Tusculum College have partnered together to host a pancake breakfast fundraiser to send Greene County school students to the National History Day competition at East Tennessee State University.

The fundraiser will be at Fatz Café on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 7:30-10:30 a.m. Tickets are $6 a person. Each person will be served two sausage links, three pancakes, and one beverage. For those who want to volunteer to help at the breakfast, the cost will be $3 to eat.

Sponsored by the Students of Museums and Students of History organization and the Student Government Association of Tusculum College, the fundraiser will help send Greene County students who have already won their local school competitions to the district competition at ETSU. The winners of the district competition will have the opportunity to participate in the state competition in Nashville.

“Tusculum always wants to help the future leaders of the U.S. in any way possible,” said Ryan Barker, president of the Students of Museums and Students of History and a senator in the Student Government Association. “We are happy to have the opportunity to help send the local winners to the district competition. It’s important to encourage interest in history.”

The National History Day competition is statewide and open to all public school students in Tennessee. Students will create exhibits, documentaries and web sites; write papers, and perform plays related to an historical theme as part of the event.

For more information about the fundraiser, please contact Dr. Peter Noll, assistant professor of public history and museum studies, at pnoll@tusculum.edu.

Tusculum professors recently published in psychology journal

Dr. Brian Pope, professor of psychology, and Dr. Tom Harlow, associate professor of psychology, were recently published in Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research.

The article, titled “Predicting Empathy and Prosocial Behavior: Who Cares and When?” was published in the Winter 2014 edition of the journal. The two co-authored the article with Tusculum students Kate Barford and Emily Hudson.

Discussed in the article are two experiments focusing on empathy and prosocial behavior, which are behaviors designed to help others. One of the experiments tested the differences associated with empathy in various situations in 90 undergraduate women. It was concluded that while empathic women are less driven to seek rewards, they are more reward-responsive and may associate prosocialness with reward.

The second experiment investigated how individual empathy differs from person to person. Men and women were randomly isolated in order to potentially stimulate social desires and were asked to respond to a story of a crying woman after a period of time. Regardless of the woman’s crying, all participants responded with more anger after their isolation, and some reacted with only withdrawal and anger. The participants with significant empathy and responsiveness to reward were found to have a desire to help to a greater degree with a befriending behavior that was possibly a response to the stress of isolation.

 

By Stephanie Turner, junior journalism and professional writing major from Shelbyville, Tenn.

Career Services to strengthen programs of Center for Civic Advancement

Beginning in February, Tusculum College’s Office of Career Services will become part of the college’s Center for Civic Advancement.

“I am delighted that we can join two vital departments who serve our students at Tusculum College,” said Dr. Lisa Johnson, associate vice president for student success at Tusculum College. “The Office of Career Studies is a vital element of supporting our mission through providing career preparation opportunities for our students. This merge will elevate the opportunities for student engagement through the development of new and exciting events and through community outreach.”

The mission of the Center for Civic Advancement is to engage the heart, mind and soul of Tusculum through cultivating awareness of self and of others. They aspire to do this through the establishment of meaningful relationships with our local, national and global communities.

Projects include global and mission studies, service learning, community service, internships in non-profit agencies, forums and research opportunities. Additionally, the Center for Civic Advancement supports the Center for Economic Development and its “Help Me, Help You” program and the Institute for Community Empowerment as a joint project with the college’s School of Business.

“Career Services is a natural extension of the Center for Civic Advancement,” said Ronda Gentry, director of the Center for Civic Advancement. “The Center’s goal is to engage the Tusculum community so that all become aware of and respond to the needs of others. The Career Services office meets this goal in that it strives to assist students in employment opportunities which match students’ specific passions for service with employment needs. I am excited about the ways in which the CCA and Career Services will enhance and strengthen each other.”

The mission of the Tusculum College Office of Career Services is to equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities required beyond the classroom to successfully transition from college to either graduate school or the world of work. The Office of Career Services offers assistance with career planning and employment resources for Tusculum College students and alumni. Career Services is also an important resource for employers to connect with Tusculum College students.

“Career Services is designed to support all of our students, but we also work with alumni in a variety of ways,” said Robin E. Lay, director of career services. “In addition to helping students prepare to enter the workforce, we also offer alumni similar services and provide alumni a direct link to the hiring of our students.”

Lay has worked to establish good working relationships with students, alumni, faculty, staff and employers, in order to facilitate networking connections for employment and internship opportunities.

Graduates of Tusculum College are encouraged to utilize the same career services that are available to current Tusculum students. Some of these resources include advice on updating resumes, job search strategies, networking tips, building a Linkedin profile and providing job search guides.

“It is my passion to assist others in finding their unique vocational fit and developing a career path that will lead to satisfying employment. It will be exciting to see how Career Services contributes to the overall mission of the Center for Civic Advancement,” said Lay.

Career Services offers a wide array of career support and counseling services to help students decide what careers may be right for them. A variety of available career assessment instruments may help students realize their strengths and direct them towards potential careers. The Office of Career Services discusses these assessments with students to help them interpret their results.

The career assessments measure several critical areas that are important to choosing and succeeding in a career, including personality, interest, work values and vocational skills. The Office of Career Services assists students in understanding the career assessments and deciding on career paths beyond their education at Tusculum College.

“These career assessments are only the beginning of the services offered to students,” said Lay. “The Office of Career Services also assists students in locating job and internship opportunities, career advice, resume and interview tips, graduate school resources, career search resources, an on-campus recruitment program and career workshops and fairs.”

Services are provided to all students, including those in both the Residential and Graduate and Professional Studies programs.

‘Student of the Block’ recipients honored

Recipients of the “Student of the Block” award for the fall 2014 semester were recognized Wednesday during the halftime of the women’s basketball game.

The honorees included David Cooper for Block One, Monica Smith for Block Two, Ryan Barker for Block Three and Joseph Elphingstone for Block Four.

The “Student of the Block Award” is presented by the Tusculum Office of Student Affairs and was established to recognize individuals who excel in their academic endeavors, campus involvement and/or athletic performance. The award is selected from nominations made by faculty and staff members. Plaques telling about the honorees are displayed in the Niswonger Commons and other campus buildings.

David Cooper

David Cooper, left, accepts his "Student of the Block" plaque from Daniel Green, senior student life coordinator in the Office of Student Affairs.

A senior majoring in biology, Cooper has a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average. His academic excellence has earned him a number of accolades. He was named the 2014 South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Men’s Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year. He is a member of the Tusculum chapter of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society, for which only the top 10 percent of juniors and seniors are eligible. Cooper is a two-time selection to the Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field Team selection. He has also been named each year to the Tusculum President’s List, the college’s Dean’s List and the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

On campus, Cooper, who is from Greeneville, is a resident assistant and has served in the President’s Society, a select group of students who act as ambassadors for the College. He has also served on the Tusculum Athletic Judicial Board and volunteered at the Greene County YMCA and the Greene County Human Society.

Cooper has served as a four-year team captain of the men’s cross country team and has completed one of the finest running careers in Tusculum history. He owns 10 of the top 25 running times in program history, including two of the top 10. He is a three-time All-SAC selection, earning first team honors in 2012. In 2011, he was named to the SAC All-Freshman Team.

Monica Smith

Monica Smith, right, is presented the Student of the Block award from Green. Smith is the first Graduate and Profesional Studies program student to receive the honor.

A December 2014 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management, Smith will begin work on her master of business administration degree next month.

At Tusculum, she served her fellow student as a mentor in Tusculum’s ARCHES (Adults Reaching Career Heights and Educational Success) program. ARCHES assists first-generation college students, those with learning disabilities or individuals from low income backgrounds who are being served in Tusculum’s Graduate and Professional Studies degree programs. The federally funded TRIO program provides assistance in a variety of areas, including academic support/tutoring, academic advising, career services and personal counseling.

In addition, Smith, who is from Knoxville, has worked with Special Olympics and been a peer tutor and youth mentor. She has also been involved in her community as a gymnast, basketball player and track runner.

Among her favorite memories of Tusculum were participating in ARCHES trips, listening to lectures and visiting Malta through Tusculum’s Global Studies program in 2013.

After obtaining her MBA, she plans to pursue a law degree and become a practicing attorney.

Ryan Barker

Ryan Barker, right, was honored as the Block Three recipient of the award by Green.

Barker, a senior from Laurens, S.C., is a double major in history and English with a concentration in creative writing. During Barker’s time at Tusculum, he has made his mark on the college through campus leadership and his contributions in the classroom.

Currently, he is the president of the Students of Museums and the Students of History Organization and served as the 2013-14 president of the Student Government Association. He has served on the student Judicial Review Board and on the Old Oak Festival planning committee.
Barker has served as a student editor of The Tusculum Review, the college’s literary magazine and is a published author.

Academically, Barker has excelled in his studies, and has presented papers at the Blue Ridge Undergraduate Research Conference. He is a member of Tusculum’s chapter of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society, for which only the top 10 percent of the junior and senior class are eligible. He is also a member of the Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society for history majors and the Sigma Tau Delta National Honor Society for English majors. He has been recognized on the Tusculum College Dean’s List and Charles Oliver Gray List.

The son of Jeffrey and Debbie Craine, Barker has made the most of his opportunities at Tusculum. He has successfully completed three internships, one in the college’s Office of Communications, another for the Museums of Tusculum College and the third for the Niswonger Foundation. He visited Norway as part of Tusculum’s Global Studies program.

Joseph Elphingstone

Joseph Elphingstone was recognized with the "Student of the Block" award for the Fourth Block by Green.

Joseph Elphingstone is a senior majoring in biology and pre-medicine. The native of Calhoun, Ga., has a 3.91 cumulative grade point average and has been able to successfully balance his academic and athletic responsibilities. A member of the men’s tennis team, he has accounted for a 9-4 singles record and an 11-3 worksheet in doubles.

His academic accomplishments have earned him recognition on the Tusculum President’s List, the Dean’s List and Charles Oliver Gray Honor List. He has also been named to the Tusculum Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll. He is also a member of Tusculum’s chapter of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society, to which only the top 10 percent of the junior and senior class are invited to join and has served as an officer of the organization.

After graduation, Elphingstone plans to attend medical school and become an orthopedic surgeon.

Greeneville High School ‘FAFSA Frenzy’ event rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5

The “FAFSA Frenzy” program for Greeneville High School has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5.

The “FAFSA Frenzy” program at Greeneville High is one of the several sessions that have been offered by Tusculum College at local high schools as well as its campus sites in Kingsport, Knoxville and Morristown to help families find answers to their questions about the financial aid process and fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) forms that are required as a first step in the process to receive financial aid, including the Tennessee Promise program.

The session at Greeneville High will be from 5 to 7 p.m., and will have a “drop in” format. Students and their families are welcome to come by anytime during the scheduled period to receive assistance.

Professionals from Tusculum College’s Financial Aid staff will provide their expert assistance at the “FAFSA Frenzy” events as a community service. The events are open to all high school students, not only those who may be interested in attending Tusculum.

Students and parents are asked to bring their 2014 tax returns if available to the event.  If the 2014 tax return is not available, students and parents should bring their year-end paystubs, w-2 forms, and their 2013 federal income tax return.

FAFSA forms are used to determine eligibility for federal and state funds such as Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans, work-study programs and the Tennessee Promise program, and must be completed each academic year for which a student wishes to seek aid.

For more information about FAFSA Frenzy, please contact Ripley at 636-7374 or mripley@tusculum.edu or contact one of the Financial Aid counselors at 636-7377 or financialaid@tusculum.edu.

Tusculum alumni receive education honors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tusculum alumni sweep Teacher of the Year honors in Greeneville School System

Three Tusculum alumni have been chosen to be the system-level Teacher of the Year honorees for Greeneville City Schools for 2015. Finette Craft ’10 has been named the honoree for the pre-kindergarten-4 level; Aundrea Gunter ’08 for the grades 5-8 level, and John Morrell ’93 for the grades 9-12 level.

Craft is a third grade language arts teacher at Hal Henard Elementary School. She has been a member of the school’s faculty for eight years and participates on the differentiated instruction leadership team. She serves on the Hal Henard Leadership Team and is also the third-grade team leader.

Gunter is an eighth-grade science teacher at Greeneville Middle School. She has been a member of the GMS faculty for five years and has worked in public education for seven years. She is the GMS Science Team leader, the GMS Leadership Team and the district STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) team.

Morrell teaches Advanced Placement American, European and World History for grades 9-12 at Greeneville High School. He has 30 years of teaching experience with 25 of them being at GHS. He recently served as the Social Studies Department Chairman and was a member of the GHS Leadership Team.

Each school in the district selects a building-level Teacher of the Year, and a committee then selects the system-level representatives from those honorees. The system-level honorees advance the next level of competition for a chance to be named Tennessee Teacher of the Year in their respective divisions. The Tennessee Teacher of the Year Program is designed to promote recognition, respect and appreciation for teachers; stimulate interest in teaching as a career; and encourage public involvement in education. The program is sponsored annually by the Tennessee Department of Education and the Niswonger Foundation.

 

’50s

The Rev. Don Wright ’53 and Dorothy Jaynes Wright ’54 have moved into a new home in Canton, MI. Don has served 10 churches as an interim pastor. He is ending service to Erin Presbyterian Church in Roseville, MI, and is returning to service at First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn, MI. Don is pastor emeritus at the Dearborn church and will be serving it while the current pastor is on sabbatical leave and the church searches for a new pastor.

 

’00s

Craig Pritchett ’03 has been named the next head football at Brevard High School in Brevard, NC. Craig is currently a graphic arts teacher and the defensive coordinator for the football team at Ridgeland High School in Rossville, GA. He has served as an assistant coach at Ridgeland for the past 10 years and served as defensive coordinator for the past five years. In 2012, the high school played in the state championship and has won four regional championships since 2008. During his time at Tusculum, Craig was a four-year starter and team captain for the Pioneer football team. He was presented the 2003 President’s Award and was was named to the national American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. He was inducted into the Tusculum Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming 2014.

 

Rodney Ellison ’07 has been named Powell High School’s next head football coach. Rodney will join the Knox County, TN, school next August as the 2015-16 school year begins. Rodney began coaching football at Jacksboro Middle School from 1997 to 2002. He began coaching on the high school level in 2006 as an assistant coach at Bearden High School. Rodney was head coach and offensive coordinator at Wartburg Central in 2001 and has served as offensive coordinator for the past two seasons at Clinton High School in Anderson County. He is currently a physical education teacher at Norwood Middle School in Anderson County and will also teach physical education at Powell. He earned a master’s degree in recreation and sports science with an emphasis in coaching education from Ohio University in 2013. He and his Jocelyn, and their three children live in Oak Ridge, TN.

 

 

 

 

Brian L. Pike ’95 and his wife, Alexandra Mora, are celebrating the birth of their first child, Gabriel Alexander Pike. He was born at Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore on Jan. 6, 2015. Brian is stationed at the Naval Medical Research Center in Singapore.

 

 

 

 

’40s

Muriel Ann Olson Mason ’43 of Mandeville, LA, on Monday, Dec. 1, 2014. She had met her husband, John Mason, while she was volunteering for the USO during World War II. Upon his return following the war, they married and lived in New Orleans, New York and Annapolis, MD, until his death in 1991. She then spent a few years with a her sister in Tuscon, AZ, before joining her son, Dr. John D. Mason, and his family, in Mandeville, after he retired from the U.S. Navy. Mrs. Mason was a devoted housewife and mother as well as a Sunday school teacher, volunteer and antique shop proprietor. She loved politics and American history, especially about Native Americans and presidential first ladies.

 

Helen Bicknel Kinser Sparling ’47 of Sweetwater, TN, passed away on December 5, 2013. Mrs. Sparling was a retired engineering statistician who worked at E. I. DuPont. She was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church of Sweetwater. She was a kind and loving neighbor and loved and cared for animals. She was a member of the Daughter of the American Revolution.

 

’60s

Louis William “Bill” Pilloni ’60 passed away on Jan. 12, 2015. Mr. Pilloni had served his Alma Mater a trustee from 1998 to 2005. He and his wife, Jane Shanks Pilloni ’59, have been true friends to Tusculum, supportive and engaged in the life of the College for many years, including serving in leadership roles in the Tusculum 2000 Campaign and Bicentennial Campaign. Mrs. Pilloni is currently serving as a Life Trustee of the College. Mr. Pilloni worked for Packing Industries and retired as a business manager with Prudential Insurance Company of Northern New Jersey. He was active in Bloomfield Presbyterian Church, the Newark Jaycees, the New York Society of Model Railroaders, the Sierra Club and the Glen Ridge Music Parents. Mr. Pilloni had coached a middle school boys basketball. He enjoyed sailing in Barnegat Bay, NJ, motor boating and water skiing. Healso had served as a life guard at Normandy Beach, NJ. After retirement, the Pillonis moved to Greeneville, attending many Tusculum events and Pioneer athletic games. Mr. Pilloni was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, where he had married Jane in 1959. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pilloni Endowed Scholarship at Tusculum, which was established by the Pillonis in 1998 to assist deserving students with financial need.

 

’00s

Gregory Rex Hopson ’02 of Greeneville passed away on Jan. 22, 2015. Mr. Hopson was employed at Wal-Mart Regional Distribution Center.

 

 

Women’s lacrosse to play inaugural home game Friday, Feb. 13

The women’s lacrosse team will play their inaugural home game on Friday, Feb. 13.

The Pioneer Club is hosting a hospitality event to celebrate the beginning of this program at Tusculum from 5 – 7 p.m. prior to the game. The Pioneer Club event will be in the President’s Box at Pioneer Field.

Cost is $10 per person. No admission fee will be charged for Mountaineer level and above Pioneer Club members. Please RSVP by Monday, Feb. 9, by calling 423-636-7303 or emailing bsell@tusculum.edu. The President’s Box will be open during the entire game for Pioneer Club members and their guests.

The women’s lacrosse team will face off against St. Andrews University at 7 p.m. on Pioneer Field.

Women’s lacrosse is the 16th and newest sport sponsored by Tusculum. Head coach Jenna Handshoe has recruited 20 players to make up the 2015 roster, including 11 freshman and four upperclassmen with previous collegiate playing experience.

 

The Pioneers will play a 14-game regular-season slate this spring, including eight conference matches. The Pioneers will host seven home games overall throughout the season.

 

Tusculum will take the field for the first time on Feb. 7 when the Pioneers travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina to take on Converse College.

Lessons added option to Feb. 14 benefit for the Band Program

The Tusculum College Pioneer Jazz Band will be hosting a Valentine’s Day Dinner/Swing Dance benefit on Saturday, Feb. 14, at the General Morgan Inn. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. The event will include dinner and a performance of the Pioneer Jazz Band, along with special guests.

The event is a fundraiser to help raise money for much-needed equipment for the entire Tusculum band program, according to David A. Price, director of music at Tusculum College.

As an added bonus, swing dance lessons will be offered free of charge beginning at 5-6 p.m. Lessons will be provided by professional dancers Darian and Tiffany Chancellor. The Chancellors have been professional ballroom dance instructors and competitors for more than 12 years, and for the last 3 years have taught based out of Johnson City. They began with Fred Astaire Dance Studios and opened Johnson City Ballroom in 2012. They are finalists in the National Open Smooth division and are the recipients of a 2014 Kosbe Award for New Business this fall.

“We are thrilled to have Darian and Tiffany back as part of our program. With years of professional experience, it is a great time for beginners to learn or for more experienced dancers to pick up a few new moves,” said Price. “They were a big hit last year and we are excited to have them once again for our event.”

Ticket prices for the event are $50 per person and include dance tickets, free dance lessons, an opening reception, dinner and a special dessert. Please call in advance to request a vegetarian substitution. A cash bar will be available.

Darian and Tiffany Chancellor

Tickets are available for purchase at the General Morgan Inn or by contacting Price at

423-636-7303 or emailing daprice@tusculum.edu. A hotel package special is also available by contacting the General Morgan Inn at 423-787-1000.

Special table reservations are available for larger group seating by contacting Price.

The Pioneer Band Program at Tusculum College began in 2010, with the creation of the Pioneer Pep Band. The Pep Band became a much-enjoyed feature of the 2010 Pioneer football and basketball seasons, as the band performed at the Pioneer Club tailgate parties before each home football game and during pregame and half-time festivities.

Since that time a concert band, jazz band, marching band, handbell choir and several small ensembles have been added to the program.  The groups play several events on campus each year, as well as events in the community.

 

 

Alumni Office, Pioneer Club hosting ‘Meet and Greet’ with ‘Summer Snowman’

Children are invited to come meet the “Summer Snowman” on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Tusculum College.

The Pioneer Club and the Tusculum College Office of Alumni Relations are sponsoring a meet and greet with the “Summer Snowman,” which will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the atrium outside of Pioneer Arena in the Niswonger Commons.

Children will be able to have free photos made with the Summer Snowman from 5:3o to 6:30 p.m.  “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” kits will also be given free to children.

Families are invited to stay and cheer on the Tusculum College basketball teams as they take on Lincoln Memorial University in the Pioneer Arena. The women’s game begins at 6 p.m., and the men’s game has an 8 p.m. tip-off.