Download - The Magazine of Elon, Summer 2009
10 yearsand counting for President Lambert
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F
S U M M E R 2 0 0 9
President emeritus Earl Danieley ’46, at
left, looked on in June as Holland House,
once the offi cial residence of Elon’s
president, was moved nearly half a mile
from main campus and over the railroad
tracks to its new home on South Campus.
The move took two weeks of
preparation and two days to complete.
Holland House was moved from Haggard
Avenue to make room for a plaza at
the front of the Academic Village.
Crews contended with utility
poles, tree branches and, in true Elon
fashion, an eastbound Amtrak train
before setting the house down next
to Holt Chapel. Danieley, the home’s
original tenant, was among those who
gathered to watch the big move.
“I’m so happy that the university
is keeping the building,” he said.
“It will be located in a nice place. It
will be used for another generation.
To me, that’s wonderful.”
Holland House will become
the home of the new Catholic
Newman Center at the university.
Features
Departments
Hiding in Plain SightBY JALEH HAGIGH
One of Elon’s oldest artifacts — the bell that hung in the Old Main
administration building — makes a comeback.
Preserving Jewish HistoryBY ERIC TOWNSEND
Students rescue dozens of abandoned Yiddish books, including
several rare texts, during a service trip to Uruguay.
Faculty Profi le
Great ExpectationsBY KRISTIN SIMONETTI ’05
In the classroom and in her research, Laura Roselle leads by example.
Cover Story
Still Soaring
President Leo M. Lambert refl ects on his 10 years at Elon and the
ambitious plans for the university’s future.
Alumni Profi le
Strike Up the BandBY DAVE HART
Alumni band members dust off their instruments and reminisce as
the campus prepares to celebrate 100 years of Elon’s marching band.
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T H E M A G A Z I N E O F The Magazine of ElonSummer 2009, Vol. 71, No. 3
Editor
Jaleh Hagigh
Designer
Christopher Eyl
News Editor
Eric Townsend
Photographer
Grant Halverson
Copy Editor
Kristin Simonetti ’05
Class Notes
Holley Berry
Student Writers
Sarah Costello ’11
Bethany Swanson ’09
Director of University Relations
Daniel J. Anderson
The Magazine of Elon is published
quarterly for alumni, parents and friends
by the Offi ce of University Relations.
336-278-7415
Editorial offi ces
The Magazine of Elon
2030 Campus Box
Elon, NC 27244-2020
Class Notes
Elon Offi ce of University Relations
2030 Campus Box
Elon, NC 27244
E-mail: [email protected]
Elon Web site
www.elon.edu
Magazine Web site
www.elon.edu/magazine
Board of Trustees, Chair
Allen E. Gant Jr., Burlington, N.C.
Elon Alumni Board, President
Bill Coff man ’86, G’88, Greenville, N.C.
Young Alumni Council, President
Caroline Sage ’02, Atlanta, Ga.
Parents Council, Co-Presidents
Dave & Ellen Kay P’10, P’12, Oakton, Va.
Board of Visitors, Chair
Alva S. McGovern ’72, Atlanta, Ga.
School of Law
Advisory Board, Chair
David Gergen, Cambridge, Mass.
Love School of Business
Advisory Board, Chair
Peter Tourtellot, Greensboro, N.C.
School of Communications
Advisory Board, Chair
Don Bolden, Burlington, N.C.
Phoenix Club Advisory Board, Chair
Amy Thomas Hendrickson ’69, Raleigh, N.C.
Director of Alumni Relations
Sallie Hutton ’92
Director of Parent Programs
Maggie Byerly
2 ELON News
9 PHOENIX Sports
26 ALUMNI Action
30 CLASS Notes
40 MAKING A Diff erence
niversity presidencies are often chronicled by the opening of new
buildings, new programs and accolades that come to an institution.
And while signifi cant, these accomplishments often do not capture
many important aspects of an institution’s progress. Elon’s success is due in large
measure because so many talented people share in its leadership.
Refl ectionson 10 years
board’s steadfast commitment to excellence
has been a constant source of inspiration and
learning for me.
Another thrill I have experienced over the
past 10 years has been the tremendous expan-
sion of the faculty and staff , now numbering
more than 1,100. Th ese are the people who
work closest with the students and who create
one of the most special environments in the
nation for learning. Th eir creativity, passion,
commitment to excellence in teaching and
scholarship, and genuine concern for students
and their learning have led Elon to the fore-
front of the most innovative institutions in
the nation in undergraduate education. Th ey
are my respected and valued colleagues and
have taught me a great deal about Elon’s en-
during values.
I have also been profoundly touched by
the actions of Elon’s many generous support-
ers — too numerous to mention by name —
whose acts of philanthropy shape the campus
each day. I think of their leadership and gen-
erosity each time I enter a building or a room
bearing their names, or meet a student hold-
ing a scholarship that provides an opportunity
for a life-changing education. I know most
of these supporters personally, many have
become dear friends, and I have been awed
by their unselfi sh commitment to our values
as a community.
In refl ecting on the past 10 years at Elon, I
have two overwhelming impressions. Th e fi rst
is about the incredible speed of life. Laurie
and I arrived at Elon with Callie in eighth
grade and Mollie in fi fth; our older daughter
is now married and in her third year of medi-
cal school and the younger is about to begin
her last year of college. Th ere is nothing like
watching your children blossom into adults to
remind you that time passes quickly.
Personal loss has also punctuated our
happy time at Elon. Both Laurie and I have
lost our fathers while here, my sister Louise
passed away following her heroic battle with
epilepsy and cancer, and my mother is now
on the diffi cult journey of Alzheimer’s disease
after a lifetime of taking care of others. All
these life changes — seeing a daughter mar-
ried, saying goodbye to a parent — have only
reminded us how unbelievably lucky we are to
have wonderful, loving, supportive families to
share in celebrating the joys and mourning the
losses that every family faces. We have been
doubly blessed to feel the love and support
from the Elon family at every step.
My second impression is that the oppor-
tunity to serve Elon over the past 10 years has
been the privilege of a lifetime for Laurie and
me. Next to our family, the work that we do
at Elon has been the most special and rarest
of privileges — one that we truly cherish. We
look forward to the chapters ahead.
Leo M. Lambert
President
Presidential transitions sometimes can be
perilous for universities. One of the most im-
portant — but perhaps unsung — successes
of the past decade was the smooth transition
in the Elon presidency following the long and
successful tenures of Fred Young and Earl
Danieley. I am in both Earl’s and Fred’s debt
for their unrelenting support of the university
and its continued development, and of me
personally.
For much of this decade, I have had the
privilege of working with the best executive
leadership team in the country that Fred as-
sembled — Gerry Francis, Nan Perkins, Alan
White, Gerald Whittington, Smith Jackson,
Susan Klopman, Dan Anderson, Sara Peterson
— and each has made profound contributions
to our progress as a university. New faces have
joined the group — Steven House, Dave
Blank, Jim Piatt, Lisa Keegan — and have
brought new energy and fresh insights. And,
of course, the staff of the president’s offi ce
— Jo Williams, Sandra Fields, Carolyn Ent
and Robin Plummer, and formerly Helen
Ellington — prove the point that it “takes a
village to raise a president.”
Th e board of trustees, and particularly
those individuals who have chaired the board
during my time at Elon — Bob LaRose, Gail
Drew, Zac Walker, Jim Powell, Noel Allen
and Allen Gant — have made astoundingly
important leadership contributions. Being
a trustee at Elon is a labor of love, and the
ELON News
2 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
Leo M. Lambert
Faculty and staff honored for excellenceFour Elon faculty and staff members were recognized May 13 for outstanding
teaching, scholarship, mentoring and service at the annual faculty-staff awards
luncheon.
Glenda Crawford, professor of education, received the Daniels-Danieley
Award for Excellence in Teaching. Colleagues and students praised Crawford for
leading lively discussions and inspiring creativity in the classroom.
“Due to her deep knowledge of the subject matter she teaches, as well as her
awareness of how to bring such content ‘to life,’ Glenda is easily able to teach
content in a meaningful and engaging way,” wrote a colleague who nominated
Crawford for the award.
Crawford has written fi ve books addressing the unique relationship between
adolescents and learning. She regularly shares her expertise by participating in
professional conferences and meetings. In addition, she launched the Amigos
Project, which fosters interaction between Hispanic middle school students for
whom English is a second language and Elon senior education majors.
Laura Roselle, professor of political science, was named Elon’s Distinguished
Scholar. Roselle has written two books, co-authored a third and edited two
additional books, and has written numerous published articles. Her scholarship
focuses on political communication and the relationship between communication
and international relations theory (see story on page 16).
Connie Book, associate dean of the School of Communications, received the
Ward Family Excellence in Mentoring Award. Book has mentored more than 100
students in their research projects over the past decade and supervises an
internship program in the School of Communications.
“She is a role model in every sense,” said a student who nominated Book. “I
look up to her intellect and work ethic but also to her kindness and gentle nature.
She has encouraged me to think far beyond my self-imposed limitations and has
inspired me to stretch all of life’s possibilities.”
Keith Dimont, supervisor of automotive services, received the Periclean
Award for Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility. Dimont has worked
extensively with Amber’s House of Dance in Burlington, N.C., building props and
working backstage during performances. He also built basketball hoops free of
charge for Western Alamance High School’s summer basketball camp, volunteered
at community festivals and collected food for those in need.
“So many call on him for one thing or another because they know that he is
there for them,” wrote a colleague. “Just ask, and it is done.”
FIRST CLASS ENROLLS IN INTERACTIVE
MEDIA PROGRAM
Th irty-eight students have enrolled in the
charter class of Elon’s newest graduate pro-
gram, a master of arts in interactive media,
which will prepare graduates to think strategi-
cally across media platforms using text, audio,
video and graphics.
Students gathered Aug. 3 for orientation.
Th e one-year, full-time program will prepare
graduates to plan and create innovative inter-
active media content. Th ey also will learn to
manage information for interactive news, en-
tertainment and persuasive communications.
Applications are currently being accepted
for the class of 2010. For more information
on the interactive media program, contact the
Offi ce of Graduate Admissions at 336.278.7641
GYLLENHAAL WINS TOP PRIZE IN
COLLEGIATE TV CONTEST
Senior Randy Gyllenhaal took first place
in the William Randolph Hearst Founda-
tion’s National Television Broadcast News
Championship in June following a two-day
competition in San Francisco.
Gyllenhaal was one of fi ve fi nalists in the
Hearst Journalism Awards Program. Th e fi -
nalists were selected
following a yearlong
competition involv-
ing students at 110
member colleges and
universities of the As-
sociation of Schools
of Journalism and
Mass Communica-
tion with accredited
undergraduate jour-
nalism programs.
Finalists were given two days to con-
ceive, shoot and edit a tv news story on an
economic topic of their choice in the San
Francisco area. Gyllenhaal’s award-winning
story focused on the fi shing industry in the
Bay Area. He received a $5,000 prize for fi rst
place.
To see Gyllenhaal’s story, go to www.elon.
edu/magazine.
l-r Glenda Crawford, Laura Roselle, Connie Book and Keith Dimont
Randy Gyllenhaal
ELON News
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 3
to Elon, he served in
Blowing Rock, N.C.,
as executive director
of the Blowing Rock
Community Arts
Center Foundation.
He has served as
originating produc-
tion manager for fi ve
Broadway shows and
is a founding member of the Production Man-
ager’s Forum, an international organization
that assists production managers.
CLARK LEADS CULTURAL AND
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Jeff rey D. Clark has been named executive
director of cultural and special programs. He
succeeds George Troxler, professor of history,
who stepped down in May as dean of cultural
and special programs.
Clark’s responsibilities include coordinat-
ing convocations, commencements and other
major campus events, as well as bringing per-
formers and guest speakers to the university.
He has more than 13 years of experience or-
ganizing cultural programs. Before coming
ALUMNA AWARDED
NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP
Kelly Erin McCarty ’09 has received a dacor
Bacon House Foundation fellowship for
graduate study in international aff airs. Th e
fellowship award of
up to $10,000 will
assist McCarty as
she pursues a gradu-
ate degree in the fi eld
of human rights and
social justice.
McCarty is one
of 10 students to
receive the selective
award from the Dip-
lomatic and Consular
Officers, Retired (dacor), which solicits
nominees from up to 10 institutions each year.
An international studies and Spanish ma-
jor from Raleigh, N.C., McCarty will attend
Arizona State University this fall. She plans
to start a nonprofi t organization that will
support artists and art projects in countries
that have experienced political violence or
genocide.
Th e former Honors Fellow presented her
thesis, which examined Argentina’s reaction
to recent political violence, at conferences in
the United States, the United Kingdom and
Mexico. At Elon, McCarty was a Presidential
Scholar, member of Phi Kappa Phi and named
to the President’s List or Dean’s List every se-
mester during her academic career.
ELON RECEIVES SERVICE AWARD
Th e university has been named one of fi ve re-
cipients of Th e Washington Center’s inaugural
Higher Education Civic Engagement Award,
which recognizes programs that allow students
to learn while serving the community.
Th e award recognizes the following uni-
versity programs: academic service learning,
the Social Entrepreneurship Scholars, Elon
Academy, Elon University Poll and Project
Pericles, as well as the university’s Kernodle
Center for Service Learning.
Based in the nation’s capital, Th e Wash-
ington Center for Internships and Academic
Seminars provides select college students and
recent graduates with challenging opportuni-
ties to work and learn in Washington.
Outstanding students awarded Lumen PrizeThirteen Elon juniors have received the 2009 Lumen Prize, the university’s top
undergraduate academic award that includes a 15,000 scholarship to support
students’ scholarly achievements and research proposals.
Lumen Scholars will work closely with their faculty mentors during the next
two years to complete their research projects. The Lumen Prize supports course
work, study abroad, program development, creative productions and
performances, and research and internships domestically and abroad.
The 2009 winners are: Andrew Black, of Ashburn, Va.; Amanda Clark, of
Auburn, N.Y.; Kaitlyn Fay, of New Milford, Conn.; Taylor Foshee, of Arlington, Va.;
Christopher Jarrett, of Richmond, Va.; Elizabeth Leman, of Ashburn, Va.; Maggie
Pahos, of Hinsdale, Ill.; Caroline Peckels, of Pinehurst, N.C.; Anthony Rizzuto of
Wilmington, N.C.; Molly Strayer, of Lusby, Md.; Amber Woods, of Knoxville, Tenn.;
McKenzie Young, of Huntington, W.Va.; and Renee Zale, of Hopkinton, Mass.
Psychology professor Paul Fromson, who leads the Lumen Prize selection
committee, says the quality of undergraduate research continues to improve
at Elon.
“I feel confi dent that our 2009 Lumen Scholars will prove that our faith in
them was well placed, and that they will make noteworthy contributions to
their disciplines, to the campus community and to the world around them,”
Fromson says.
For more information on the Lumen Prize and the students’ research
projects, go to www.elon.edu/lumenprize.
Jeff Clark
Kelly Erin McCarty ’09
President Leo M. Lambert, at right, with the 2009 Lumen Scholars and professor Paul Fromson, second from the left.
ELON News
4 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
CHAGANI RECEIVES LIN TV
SCHOLARSHIP
Junior Josh Chagani has been selected to par-
ticipate in the lin Television Corporation
Minority Scholarship and Training Pro-
gram for 2009. Th e scholarship will pay up
to $20,000 annually for tuition, fees, books,
and room and board during Chagani’s junior
and senior years.
In addition to the scholarship, Chagani,
of Hobe Sound, Fla., participated in lin’s
training program at
a lin-owned tv sta-
tion this summer and
will have a similar
opportunity during
summer 2010. Based
on his performance,
he will be offered
a minimum of two
years employment at
one of the 27 stations
owned by lin, the
parent company of Th e cw network.
Chagani, a communications and comput-
ing science double major, is active in several
organizations at Elon, including the Periclean
Scholars Class of 2011 and Cinelon, the uni-
versity’s student fi lm society. He serves as an
Elon Ambassador, performs on the varsity
cheerleading team, works for Elon Student
Television, and volunteers with Habitat for
Humanity and Loaves and Fishes, which pro-
vides meals to people in need.
“All of you now have shown us your wisdom, your courage, your service to others and your dedication to leadership. You have those qualities deep within you. What we ask of you now is to remember who you are and remember to give back, and we will all remain proud of you for the rest of our lives.”
Former presidential adviser David Gergen gave the keynote address May 24 at the
Elon University School of Law’s inaugural Commencement. Gergen, chair of the
law school advisory board, highlighted Elon Law’s founding principles of engaged
learning, service and leadership.
Richmond ’ receives Elon MedallionL’Tanya Burch Richmond ’87, former director of Elon’s Multicultural Center,
received the Elon Medallion in April for her extraordinary service to the
university.
The Elon Medallion is the univer-
sity’s highest honor and is awarded at
the discretion of the president.
Richmond received the medallion at
the university’s annual Phillips-Perry
Black Excellence Awards ceremony.
“I am honored and I am humbled,”
she said. “When I came to Elon to work,
I came because I wanted to make a
diff erence in the student community. I
have so many students, parents, faculty,
staff , and friends and family to thank
for giving me the opportunity to do
not just work that I was passionate
about but work that in many ways has
been my ministry.”
Richmond serves as director of
multicultural aff airs at Smith College in Massachusetts. She began her career at
Elon as an admissions counselor and placement offi cer in 1988. She later served
as assistant and associate director of admissions before being promoted to
director of minority aff airs and director of the Multicultural Center.
Richmond directed the Leon and Lorraine Watson North Carolina
Scholarship Program, which makes an Elon education possible for North
Carolina students with high fi nancial need, including some fi rst-generation
college students. She also directed The Honorable Thad Eure North Carolina
Achievement Scholarship Program.
Her research into the history of Elon’s African-American students led to the
creation of the Wall of Fame in the Multicultural Center. While pursuing her
master’s degree at Duke University, Richmond used her research as the subject
for her thesis, “Elon’s Black History, A Story to be Told.” To hear from Richmond,
go to www.elon.edu/magazine.
Josh Chagani
L’Tanya Burch Richmond ’87
ELON News
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 5
New center connects law and humanities
Lindner Hall anchors Academic Village
The law touches virtually every fi eld of study, from art and
biology to political science and psychology.
That interaction is the focus of Elon’s Center for Law and
Humanities, a new academic initiative that teaches students to
use lessons learned in the arts and sciences to examine the way
legal questions aff ect society.
The center bridges programs on Elon’s main campus with
those at the Elon University School of Law in Greensboro. The
joint eff ort between the law school and Elon College, the
College of Arts and Sciences, invites scholars, legal practitioners
and policymakers to speak with students about these
connections. Undergraduate and law school courses in law and
humanities underpin the programming.
“Almost any discipline that students are going to study has
interaction with the law,” says Eric Ashley Hairston, professor of
English and of law and humanities, and director of the center.
“Ultimately, these diverse populations must understand their
relationship to the law, and the law
should contemplate itself in this
larger social and intellectual
community.”
For example, in literature,
there are libel and copyright
statutes, while medicine has patient
confi dentiality rules, Hairston says.
Hairston conceived the idea for
the center after studying African-
American authors who commented
on social issues. He noted that many of the authors had a legal
background, which gave them unique insights into the human
condition and how it is formed by legal developments.
The center, based in Greensboro near the law school, is the
most recent example of Elon’s emphasis on connecting its
professional programs with its arts and sciences programs.
Eric Ashley Hairston
Lindner Hall opened in June as the cen-
terpiece to the Academic Village and the
“greenest” academic building to date at Elon.
Th e 30,000-square-foot building is the new
administrative home of Elon College, the Col-
lege of Arts and Sciences. It also houses the
history and geography, and sociology and an-
thropology departments.
Lindner Hall features a spacious first-
fl oor reading room, high-tech classrooms, a
computer lab, faculty offi ces and space for
student-faculty mentoring. A 39-foot steeple
tops the building, accented by a copper dome
and spire, eight windows and clock faces on
the north and south sides.
Environmental sustainability was a driv-
ing force in the design and construction of
Lindner Hall. Close to 90 percent of construc-
tion waste was recycled. Materials containing
recycled content were used whenever possible,
including much of the steel and drywall. Pho-
tovoltaic solar power cells and the heating
system on the roof will help generate on-site
power, representing the fi rst building to use
renewable energy on campus, reducing the
need for fossil fuel-based energy.
A display screen in the lobby shows real-
time energy and water consumption in the
building, as well as information about the fa-
cility’s other green features. Th e landscaping
was designed to minimize irrigation, and most
plumbing fi xtures are low-fl ow.
Th e building is named for Carl and Martha
Lindner of Cincinnati, Ohio, who made a $2.5
million gift to the Ever Elon Campaign.
Construction crews began work in July on
a new plaza that will grace the entrance to
the Academic Village. Th e plaza, which runs
along Haggard Avenue, is 210 feet long and
80 feet wide, and will accommodate crowds of
1,700. It will be fi nished with Elon bricks and
include a seating wall and electrical power to
support sound and lighting services.
Th e plaza is scheduled for completion in
mid-August and will be the new location for
the university’s weekly College Coff ee gather-
ings. Th e plaza will cover part of the space
previously occupied by Holland House, which
was moved in June to South Campus.
ELON News
6 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
Elon nears fundraising goal for new fi eld houseTh anks to Elon’s generous benefactors, the
university is close to reaching its fundrais-
ing goal to build a new athletics fi eld house,
which will serve student-athletes who compete
in 16 men’s and women’s sports.
Th e fi eld house will be located at the north
end of Rhodes Stadium. Construction
on the facility will begin once the uni-
versity raises the fi nal $500,000 for the
project.
“We are at a critical stage in this
eff ort to build an outstanding facility
for our talented student-athletes,” says
Dave Blank, Elon’s director of athletics.
“For Elon to be truly competitive in Di-
vision I athletics, we need to provide fi rst-rate
facilities for our athletes. We are looking for
additional supporters to join us in this drive
to excellence.”
During the summer, crews began initial
work on the project, including construc-
tion of a road and parking lot leading to the
planned 30,000-square-foot facility, which
will be designed for student-athletes to study
and interact with their teammates.
Th e facility will include a large team meet-
ing room and locker room for football; a
conference room; an advanced athletic train-
ing room, including a hydrotherapy area;
space for student-athletes to study; and a large
strength and conditioning room. It also will
provide offi ce space for the athletics director
and coaches in the football, baseball, soccer,
cross country, and track and fi eld programs,
as well as other athletics staff .
In addition, a large second-fl oor room
overlooking the stadium will provide an in-
viting venue for special university events and
meetings, as well as pre-game receptions.
-
y
.
-
Faculty author new booksFaculty mmembers haave written bbooks that
examine CChristian aanarchists in tthe 20th
century, mmedia coveerage of NASAA’s early years
and eff ective law scchool teaching.
Elon Law profeessor Howard Katz has co-
authored Strategies and Techniquues of Law
School Teaaching, whhich provides
compreheensive advvice on how too plan, design
and teachh law coursses eff ectivelyy. Katz says the
strategic ddesign of aa course is as important as
teaching techniquees. He off ers advice on
choosing textbookss, designing aa syllabus,
orchestrating the classroom expperience and
creating tthe fi nal exxam.
In Meedia, NASAA, and Americaa’s Quest for the
Moon, Harlen Makemson, associaate professor
of commuunications, examines NASA’s struggles
to providee Americanns with consistent and
completee information about thee lunar
program. He also foocuses on thee relationship
between the agenccy and the meedia, and the
public’s reeaction to television and newspaper
accounts of space mmissions.
Trippp York, instructor of religgious studies,
explores tthe lives off Christian annarchists who
attempted to addreess materialismm, racism and
militarismm in Living oon Hope Whille Living in
Babylon: TThe Christiaan Anarchists of the 20th Century. York exammines the anarchists’
eff orts to confront wwhat Martin LLuther King Jr. called the “triplee axis of evil.”
Howard E. Katz
Harlen Makemson
Tripp York
“My hope for this class is that you will not think of your college years, as some do, as the best years of your life, though I pray they have been very good years. Rather, think that your time at Elon is launching you into a future where ‘the best is yet to be.’”
Th e Rev. Richard McBride delivered the
address at Elon’s 119th Commencement on
May 23. McBride retired at the end of May
after serving as Elon’s chaplain for a quarter
century.
ELON News
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 7
Update
Alumni, parents and friends continue to
generously support the Ever Elon Campaign,
demonstrating their belief in its goals to build
the endowment, increase annual and planned
gifts, and preserve and build the campus.
As of late July, donors had contributed more than $66 million
in cash and pledges toward the $100 million comprehensive cam-
paign goal.
Recent major gifts from Elon parents have supported construc-
tion of Lindner Hall, the centerpiece to the Academic Village and
the new administrative home of Elon College, the College of Arts
and Sciences (see story page 6).
In addition, donors have made generous planned gifts to the
campaign, enabling them to meet their long-term estate-planning
goals and leave a legacy at Elon. About 20 percent of the $66 mil-
lion raised to date by the Ever Elon Campaign has been committed
through planned gifts, which are critical to securing Elon’s future.
Donors support priorities of Ever Elon Campaign
inmans support outstanding facilities Elon trustee William J. “Bill” Inman and his wife, Patricia, of McLean,
Va., have made a $500,000 gift to support construction of Lindner
Hall, which opened earlier this summer. In recognition of their gen-
erosity, the spacious fi rst-fl oor reading room has been named in their
honor. Th e Inman Reading Room, accented with dark wood and an-
tique brass fi xtures, off ers students an attractive setting for quiet study
and refl ection.
Th e Inmans were inspired to make their gift because of the expe-
rience of their daughter, Jackie, a 2000 Elon graduate, who benefi t-
ted from Elon’s study abroad program and excellent faculty mentors.
“Th e educational system that Elon has undertaken in the past 20
years or so is second to none,” Bill Inman says. “What the students
get out of their education is just spectacular.”
Th e couple say they believe strongly in the campaign goals, includ-
ing increasing the number of need-based scholarships through endow-
ment building.
“Elon can’t give the fi nancial assistance it wants to give to students
because of its low endowment,” Inman says.
He says Elon must develop a stronger culture of giving, particularly
among alumni who represent the future of the university.
Th e Inmans have generously supported Elon through the years,
including making gifts to Rhodes
Stadium and the Ernest A. Koury Sr.
Business Center. Th ey are members of
the Phoenix Club, Aesculus Society and
Th e Elon Society President’s Circle.
reiflers help preserve ‘a very special place’Parents Council members Brad and Ash
Reifl er, of Millbrook, N.Y., also have
supported Lindner Hall with a major
gift.
The Reiflers say their daughter,
Kelsey, an Elon sophomore, has fl our-
ished at the university and they want to
make the same opportunities available
to more students.
8 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
“Ash and I feel that under President
Lambert’s leadership and vision, Elon has
created a very special place for those who
are curious in a variety of academic areas,”
Brad Reifl er says. “Kelsey has had an incred-
ible experience of growth, self-awareness and
independence, yet she has never felt lost or
overlooked and feels a wonderful sense of
community at Elon. We are grateful such a
place exists and are proud of our association
with Elon.”
Reifl er is a former founding partner, chair-
man and CEO of Pali Capital Inc., a global
fi nancial services fi rm. He currently serves as
CEO of Forefront Advisory. Th e Reifl ers are
members of Th e Elon Society Founder’s Circle.
donors make generous planned giftsOrder of the Oak, Elon’s planned giving rec-
ognition society, welcomes new members John
R. Hill ’76 and his wife, Lesley, of Severna
Park, Md., who have made a major planned
gift commitment to the campaign.
Additional planned gift commitments
have been made by Order of the Oak mem-
bers Dr. William N.P. “Bill” Herbert ’68,
an Elon trustee, and his wife, Marsha, of
Charlottesville, Va.; trustee emeritus Dr. R.
Leroy Howell ’51, of Suff olk, Va.; and Dr.
Wayne T. Moore ’49, of Burlington, N.C.
Th e university is grateful to these friends for
their additional support for the Ever Elon
Campaign.
Brad and Ash Reifl er
Veteran football squad to keep its ‘foot on the gas pedal’
Head football coach Pete Lembo looks to a veteran squad, including eight
returning starters on off ense and nine on defense, to build on last year’s
success.
Th e Phoenix fi nished the 2008 season 8–4 and ranked 17th nationally in the fi nal
poll of Th e Sports Network and 19th in the Football Championship Subdivision
(fcs) Coaches poll. In addition, several players set conference and program records.
Under Lembo, the team boasted back-to-back winning seasons for the fi rst time
since 1999–2000. Th e team was ranked in the top-40 nationally in passing off ense,
total off ense, scoring defense and total defense, and for the fi rst time defeated three
fcs top-25 teams in the same season (Georgia Southern, Furman and Th e Citadel).
Quarterback Scott Riddle was a Second Team All-Southern Conference per-
former in 2008 and became Elon’s all-time career leader in completions, passing
attempts, passing yards, touchdown passes, touchdowns responsible for and total
off ensive yards. Th e junior All-America candidate also set a new league standard
BY CHRIS RASH
Sean Jeff coat
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 9
Damon Gooch, an All-Southern Conference
men’s tennis standout, and Danielle Mills,
an All-SoCon women’s golfer, received Elon’s
Stein H. Basnight Outstanding Athlete Award
for 2008–2009.
Gooch was a four-year All-SoCon per-
former in singles and doubles competition.
He earned Elon’s fi rst individual berth to the
ncaa Division i Tournament in singles and
was part of the fi rst doubles team in school
history to earn a spot in the same tournament.
Individually, Gooch achieved a national rank-
ing as high as 56th in singles.
Gooch capped his Elon career this year
by teaming up with Philip Nemec, and the
duo climbed as high as 20th in the national
doubles rankings. Gooch was a three-time
For game schedules and the
latest Phoenix news, go to
www.elonphoenix.com
by throwing for at least one touchdown in 22
consecutive games.
Wide receiver Terrell Hudgins became the
all-time career leader for Elon and the SoCon
in receptions, touchdown catches and receiv-
ing yards, and earned First Team All-SoCon
honors from the league’s coaches and media.
“A lot of people have worked very hard for
three years to get us to this point,” says Lembo,
who will begin his fourth season leading the
Phoenix. “Now we have to keep our foot on
the gas pedal and continue to fi nd creative
ways to get better in this ultra-competitive
conference.”
Joining Riddle at quarterback this season
are junior Donny Kirby, redshirt freshmen
Th omas Wilson and Shay Newcomer, and
sophomore Chris Shafto.
Elon’s pool of running backs may be one
of the deepest in the conference. Th e squad
returns its top four leading running backs,
junior Brandon Newsome and sophomores
Dontay Taylor, A.J. Harris and Jamal Shuman.
Junior Jake Goldsberry, redshirt freshman
Th onda Taylor and freshman Matt Eastman
will compete for the fullback slot.
At wide receiver, Hudgins, a senior, will
get help from juniors Sean Jeff coat and Lance
team mvp and was named the 2006 Southern
Conference Freshman of the Year.
Mills earned All-SoCon accolades this year
for the third consecutive season after posting
her second straight runner-up fi nish at the
SoCon Tournament.
During the 2008–2009 season, Mills
posted six top-fi ve fi nishes. Th e three-time
team mvp also claimed individual titles at
the Lady Seahawk Classic at the University
of North Carolina at Wilmington and the
Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate, as well as two
SoCon Golfer of the Week titles.
Gooch, of Gauteng, South Africa, and
Mills, of Pointe-Claire, Canada, graduated
in May.
Camp, sophomore Darrius McQueen, red-
shirt freshmen Aaron Mellette, Chris Harris,
Zach Blank and Vincent Pompliano, as well as
freshmen Rasaun Rorie and Jeremy Peterson.
Th e Phoenix returns its entire starting of-
fensive line, including seniors David Harrison,
Chris Werden and Jeff Allen, and juniors
Corey O’Shea and John Rubertone. Harri-
son and Werden received All-SoCon honors
in 2008. Senior Dave McClain, junior Mark
Hoff er and sophomores Rodney Austin, Lo-
gan Hardin and Ned Cuthbertson also will
see action this fall.
Th e Phoenix also boasts an experienced de-
fensive front led by All-Southern Conference
selection Eric Ludwig, a senior, who will be
joined by classmates Brandon Ward, David
Hunt and Jordan Gibson. Also in the rotation
will be seniors Andre Campbell and Jordan
Daniel, and sophomores Khiry Mullins and
Khirey Walker.
Th is year’s 11-game schedule includes fi ve
home contests and a meeting with a Football
Bowl Subdivision opponent when Elon takes
on Wake Forest Sept. 19. Th e Phoenix opens
the season Sept. 5 by hosting Davidson.
Football season tickets can be purchased at
www.elonphoenix.com or by calling the Elon
Athletics Ticket Offi ce at 336-278-6750.
GOOCH, MILLS NAMED BASNIGHT OUTSTANDING ATHLETES
PHOENIX Sports
10 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON10 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
Damon Gooch ’09
Danielle Mills ’09
Pete Lembo
Baseball caps season with top- rankingBY CHRIS RASH
The Phoenix baseball team fi nished the 2009 season with the
Southern Conference regular season title and a berth in the NCAA
Tournament. The team accomplished both feats for the second
consecutive year.
The team also boasted a program-record seven players drafted
by major league teams, surpassing last year’s record of three players
drafted in the same season.
The Phoenix, which posted a 41–18 record, ended the season
ranked 24th in the nation in the Baseball America Top-25 Poll — the
fi rst fi nal top-25 national ranking for Elon’s baseball program at the
NCAA Division I level.
The Phoenix captured its second straight SoCon regular season
title with a 27–6 victory over Western Carolina on May 9. The team
then battled through the 2009 SoCon Tournament with wins over
Furman, Western Carolina and The Citadel before losing 7–3 to
Georgia Southern in the winner-take-all tournament fi nal.
The season continued when the Phoenix earned its fourth berth
to the NCAA Tournament. Seeded No. 2 in the Atlanta Regional, Elon dropped its fi rst game against Southern Mississippi, then
defeated Georgia State before being eliminated by 13th-ranked Georgia Tech. Senior infi elder Bennett Davis and sophomore
pitcher Jimmy Reyes earned spots on the Atlanta Regional All-Tournament squad.
Earlier in the season, head coach Mike Kennedy ’91 earned his 400th career victory when the Phoenix defeated The
Citadel 17–5 in Charleston, S.C. SoCon coaches voted Kennedy the 2009 SoCon Coach of the Year, and junior infi elder Chase
Austin was named the league’s Co-Player of the Year.
Sophomore closer Thomas Girdwood and senior outfi elders Pat
Irvine and Cory Harrilchak collected First Team All-SoCon accolades
from the coaches, while Austin and Reyes claimed second team
distinction. Honors also went to infi elder Zeth Stone and relief pitcher
Jordan Darnell, who were named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.
The SoCon Media Association handed out all-league honors to
Irvine, Reyes, Girdwood and Harrilchak, and also recognized Kennedy
as the league’s Coach of the Year.
Elon shattered numerous program records during the regular
season and fi nished the year at or near the top of the NCAA Division I
ranks in several statistical categories. The Phoenix set new records for
runs (604), hits (711), doubles (137) and RBI (558). The team led the
nation with 138 home runs and ranked second in scoring (10.2 runs
per game), total runs (604) and slugging percentage (.596) among
Division I teams.
Several players also set program records. Austin set a new school
record with 23 homers and became the second Elon player to hit 20 or
more home runs in a season. He also drove in 82 runs, matching the
program record set by teammate Davis in 2008, and set program
marks with 178 total bases and 92 hits in 2009.
Harrilchak’s 86 hits this year were the third-highest total ever for an Elon player. Irvine set a single-season school record
with a .789 hitting percentage and fi nished his career ranked among the program’s career top-10 in games played (202), runs
(161), homers (31) and RBI (147).
The following players were selected in this year’s major league draft: Austin (Florida Marlins), Harrilchak (Atlanta Braves),
senior catcher/fi rst baseman Dallas Tarleton (Colorado Rockies), Irvine (Pittsburgh Pirates), senior pitcher Tom Porter (San
Diego Padres), junior outfi elder Justin Hilt (Oakland Athletics) and Davis (Tampa Bay Rays).
PHOENIX Sports
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 11
Neal Pritchard
Bennett Davis
historic bell reclaims its place in elon history
BY JALEH HAGIGH
Sometimes, even the most treasured relics from the past can remain invisible.
Take the bell that once hung in the tower
of Elon’s Old Main Building. After crash-
ing into the hot rubble of the 1923 fi re that
devoured the administration building, the
bell was stored in various locations on and
off campus. For nearly 90 years, the bronze
relic, cracked and disfi gured by fl ames, has
been a silent witness to Elon’s progress. Few
knew its signifi cance.
Now, a new generation will have the
chance to appreciate what the bell means
to Elon’s history. Th is fall, the bell will be
installed on campus, possibly in the rotunda
of Alamance building, for all members of the
Elon community to see — and touch.
Much of the credit for revealing the bell’s
lineage goes to Raymond Beck ’75, of Cary,
N.C., who served as North Carolina’s state
capitol historian from 1977 to 2008.
Last year, while researching the history of
Elon’s marching band, Beck found references
to the fi re and the bell in the March 12, 1959,
edition of the student newspaper Maroon and Gold. Th e story noted that the bell had been
stored in the college’s church history room
on the second fl oor of Carlton building, then
Elon’s library. Later, the church history room
moved to the new McEwen Library, and the
bell moved to the third fl oor of Carlton.
Beck was intrigued. He remembered see-
ing an old cracked bell stored with some tim-
ber in the third-fl oor room of Carlton where
his service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, held
weekly meetings. Beck called his former his-
tory professor, George Troxler, who served as
the group’s advisor at that time and recalled
the bell.
“We remembered that in our old fraternity
room there was a rather ragged looking old
bell that was sort of in the way,” Beck says.
Working with Troxler, Beck brought in
Leon T. Jordan, a metallurgist and former
professor of material science and engineer-
ing at North Carolina State University, who
examined the bell in January. According to
his report, Jordan said it was obvious that the
bell had been subjected to intense heating fol-
lowed by immediate cooling. Portions of its
surface had melted and then quickly cooled,
causing it to sag.
Th e “deformation and cracking” of the
bell, he added, were the result of it falling
from great heights. “In my opinion, the bell
is defi nitely the one from the 1923 fi re of the
Old Main (Administration) Building.”
Th e yolk, wheel and clapper didn’t survive
because they were made of iron that melted
at lower temperatures or became brittle from
the heat of the fi re, Beck says.
“We’ve put enough research together that
we can dispense with the speculation that has
been swirling around this thing for decades
and say once and for all, ‘Th is is the Old Main
bell,’” Beck says.
Th e fact that the bell survived the fi re was
never in dispute. According to the March 30,
1923, edition of Maroon and Gold, “Th e old
bell … was dug from the ruins of the tower
last Th ursday … and it is hoped that the bell
will be preserved. It has been suggested that
it may be possible to use it again, but this is
somewhat improbable.”
When Old Main burned, the tower where
the bell hung became a blast furnace.
“Air was rushing up into the tower and
superheating this bell,” Beck says. “When the
bell fell from the tower, it was in a near-molten
state. It hit whatever debris was on the ground,
which put a huge crack in the crown. Th e fact
that the fi remen got water to it immediately
saved it.”
Th e spotlight faded on the bell following
the fi re. Records show it was stored in Carlton
as early as 1936. In 1972, it moved to the base-
ment of Duke building when the third-fl oor
room in Carlton was converted to a classroom.
Stanley Greeson, former assistant director of
the physical plant, remembers seeing the bell
whenever he had to check the basement of
Duke for fl ooding.
“We thought it was just an old bell,” says
Greeson, who retired in May after 28 years
at Elon.
Th e artifact remained in Duke until the
building was renovated following the opening
of McMichael Science Center in
1999. Eventually, it wound up at
the physical plant offi ce, where it
sat on a skid on the loading dock
for about a year.
“It was always in the way,”
chuckles Jimmy Crawford, a car-
penter in the physical plant. “Ev-
eryone complained about having
to move the skid to bring some-
thing in.”
At one point, Crawford was
allowed to take the bell to his
Burlington home. He covered it
and placed it outside his work-
shop where he refi nishes furniture. He brought
it back to campus several years later at the
university’s request.
“I know some people melt stuff like that,
but I don’t,” Crawford says. “I fi gured one
day we’d use it again. It’s a miracle that the
bell survived for the last 30 to 40 years. It’s a
wonder it didn’t go out in surplus property.”
Today, the bell sits in the physical plant
annex, waiting to make its big comeback this
fall. Troxler, professor emeritus of history, says
the bell deserves celebrity status.
“Th e bell was the center of campus life
before the 1923 fi re,” he says. “It called stu-
dents to classes and to chapel, and I’m pleased
that we are preserving one of the few artifacts
from our pre-1923 heritage. It is a visible link
to our past and a reminder of the rebirth of
Elon after the fi re.”
For Beck, a former history major,
researching the bell was a labor of love.
“Here is one of the most historic artifacts
in Elon’s history hiding in plain sight. It will
become a touchstone for alumni and students.
Like the phoenix, the bell came up out of the
fi re to achieve its place in Elon’s history.”
Raymond Beck ’75, at left, put
his Elon education to use
researching the bell that hung
in the tower of Elon’s Old Main
Building, which was destroyed
by fi re in 1923. Says Beck, “This
is what Elon trained me to do.”
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 13
Preserving Jewish History
In the basement of the kehila jewish community center in Montevideo,
Uruguay, is a small room stacked high with books, including a few that traveled half the
globe when their owners fl ed the Nazis and settled in the South American nation.
For years, as older Jewish immigrants died, their children donated their book collec-
tions to the community center. With no available space — and following the Jewish practice
of never destroying a book containing the word “God” — community center leaders piled
the novels, biographies, sacred texts and children’s books in the cramped, damp room. Largely
unnoticed, or perhaps unappreciated, was that many of the books were written in the disap-
pearing Yiddish language.
Enter a group of Elon students, who spent spring break in Montevideo to serve the local
Jewish community. Th e last thing they expected was to return home lugging boxes of these
texts. Th e National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Mass., is glad they did.
Nancy Luberoff , who directs Elon’s Hillel organization and accompanied the students
to Uruguay in March, hopes this eff ort will
become a model for colleges and universities
to replicate.
“Th ere’s a strong sense that these books
need a resting place,” Luberoff says. “Th e
people who got these books to Uruguay suf-
fered so much just to get there.”
Uruguay, along with Argentina, served
as a beacon for Jews fl eeing Europe during
Hitler’s invasion. Today, the Jewish population
of Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital, is less than
20,000 in a city of more than a million people.
Th e city’s history made it the perfect lo-
cation for a service trip for Hillel. Members
of the Jewish student cultural group helped
local students learn English, worked with de-
velopmentally disabled adults and pitched in
to rebuild a greenhouse in a poor section of
the city.
Two days before the Elon group returned
home, the students visited the community
center. A staff member told Luberoff that she
didn’t know what she was going to do with
“all those books” in the basement. Luberoff
wanted a peek. Two hours later, she and
BY ERIC TOWNSEND
her students were sifting through the musty
volumes.
Many Jews consider Yiddish to be a dis-
appearing language, making the recovery of
the books even more important, Luberoff says.
Outside ultraorthodox sects and some parts
of Israel, few people speak or read the lan-
guage, including the students who thumbed
through the books’ yellowed pages before
packing them up.
“I can read Hebrew, so anything I couldn’t
read I fi gured was Yiddish,” says Ron Yardenay,
a sophomore majoring in business and history.
“I coughed my lungs out from all the dust fl y-
ing in my face as I opened them up.”
Dahlia Gutterman, a leisure and sport
management major from Greensboro, N.C.,
says she felt honored to rescue the books.
“It was my duty to help bring them back,”
she says. “We were their only hope.”
Not all the books the students rescued
were from pre-Nazi Europe. Many were pub-
lished between the 1940s and 1960s. Th ere
were a few gems, though. One of the four
boxes delivered to the National Yiddish Book
Center this spring contained
books the center had never seen.
One is a 1928 Yiddish translation
of a Socialist political writer from
Spain. Th e other text, published
in 1930 in the Soviet Union, is an
account of Nicola Sacco and Bar-
tolomeo Vanzetti, two anarchists
executed in 1927 by the United
States for robbery and murder.
Cathryn Madsen, bibliogra-
pher at the Yiddish Book Center,
says the students helped the cen-
ter fulfi ll its mission of rescuing
and preserving books.
“It was so exciting that the
students wanted to do this,” Mad-
sen says. “It’s always exciting to discover some-
thing we haven’t seen before. We collect any
and all Yiddish books that would otherwise
be discarded.”
Students from the University of Illinois
also were in Uruguay in March and returned
home with additional books for the center.
Luberoff hopes to recruit other schools to join
the eff ort because plenty of books remain in
the Jewish Community Center basement.
Students say this eff ort gave new meaning
to their service trip.
“Th e books were important, with some
of them published during the Holocaust,”
Gutterman says. “I was touching a piece of
history.”
Students sent four boxes of books to the National
Yiddish Book Center in Massachusetts following
their trip to Uruguay. The students rescued the
abandoned books. Sorting the books, above, are
Amanda Gross ‘09, Dahlia Gutterman, Olivia
Feldman and Ron Yardenay.
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 15
expectations
Laura Roselleleads by example
BY KRISTIN SIMONETTI ’05
Mike donofrio ’08 vividly remembers his first
class with Laura Roselle. Her demanding teaching
style and rigorous political science courses were legendary
on campus. Donofrio quickly learned the stories were true.
“Whenever she would start class, she would say your
name, look you directly in the eye and ask if you had read
the assignment,” he says. “If you read, of course, you were
fi ne. But if you didn’t, you were in serious trouble.”
Donofrio took several classes with Roselle, earning her
respect and, eventually, her friendship through hard work
and diligence. Like many students, he considers the political
science professor one of the biggest infl uences in his academic
career.
“For those of us who really wanted to get the most out
of her classes, she would go to the ends of the earth for you,”
says Donofrio, a foreign aff airs specialist at the Defense
Department.
Her reputation for pushing students to achieve is just one
side to Roselle. She is an internationally recognized scholar
on the connections among politics, communication and in-
ternational relations, and she regularly is invited to share her
expertise at conferences.
In May, Roselle received Elon’s Distinguished Scholar
Award, which recognizes her body of scholarship, including
two authored books, two edited volumes and a co-authored
textbook supplement, and scores of journal articles and book
chapters. She also participates and has held leadership posi-
tions in national and international associations in her fi eld.
Roselle makes no apologies for demanding a lot from
her students. Ultimately, she says, she tries to empower them.
“Sometimes the best thing I can do is not answer an e-mail
and give the student some time to struggle on their own before
they realize they can do it without my help,” she says.
It is that unrelenting dedication to teaching that makes
GREAT
16 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
Roselle so popular among students, says
Sharon Spray, associate professor of political
science, who has co-authored a book with
Roselle.
“Th at’s why our honors students seek her
out as a mentor and why our best students
want her as part of their repertoire of profes-
sors,” Spray says. “She moves us forward in
ways that are very positive.”
A SCHOLAR IN THE MAKING
Roselle’s philosophy on teaching and research
was shaped beginning with her undergraduate
studies at Emory University in 1982 and later
as a graduate student in political science at
Stanford. She credits excellent mentors and
outstanding research opportunities with her
early success.
At Emory, Roselle majored in Russian,
mathematics and computer science. A Rus-
sian professor recommended her as a research
assistant to his wife, Ellen Mickiewicz, then
dean of Emory’s graduate school. Mickiewicz
was analyzing Soviet television programs and
needed someone with Roselle’s expertise.
“When I saw how eff ortlessly she applied
her deep knowledge of computer science, a
skill I didn’t have, to our research, I realized
this was a rare individual,” recalls Mickiewicz,
the James R. Shepley Professor of Public Pol-
icy Studies at Duke University.
Roselle continued working with Mick-
iewicz, who also was a fellow at Th e Carter
Center at Emory. In April 1985, Roselle served
as assistant director for the center’s Confer-
ence on International Security and Arms
Control. Th e experience was transformational
for the young scholar.
“I got to meet Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew
Brzezinski and Anatoly Dobrynin, and (Presi-
dents) Carter and Ford,” Roselle says. “I was
interested in the issues people were thinking
hard about, and how you could negotiate in-
ternationally and communicate.”
Roselle’s work with Mickiewicz made her
a top prospect for the nation’s premier gradu-
ate programs in political science.
At Stanford, she met the late Gabriel
Almond, a giant in the fi eld of comparative
politics, and began assisting him with his re-
search of Soviet politics. By the end of her
fi rst year, they had co-authored an article. She
also served as a teaching assistant to former
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, then
a professor of political science. Rice recalls
Roselle’s intelligence and drive.
“I enjoyed advising her and watching her
develop into the subject matter expert she is
today,” Rice says. “She has the ability to ask
intellectually engaging questions and a curios-
ity to explore and research the unknown, traits
that certainly enhance the classroom experi-
ence for her students.”
‘I’M HAPPY HERE’
By the early 1990s, Roselle was a rising star
among scholars in her fi eld, yet she longed
to teach. In 1993, after completing a visiting
professorship at the University of Nebraska,
Roselle joined the political science department
at Elon, impressed with its balanced emphasis
on teaching and research.
Maurice Donyell “Don” Owens ’95,
press secretary to U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge
(D-N.C.), was one of Roselle’s fi rst students
and recalls she was no pushover.
“A lot of other professors, being new, may
not have tried to challenge us, but she let it
be known that ‘I might be new, but I’ve been
doing this for a while,’” he says. “We found
out quickly that she was very good at what
she did.”
Roselle pursued her research with equal
vigor. Toward the end of her fi rst semester at
Elon, she traveled to Moscow at the invita-
tion of Harvard’s Russian Research Center to
study Russian television coverage of the coun-
try’s December 1993 parliamentary elections.
After securing tenure in 2000, she returned
to her dissertation research, analyzing Soviet
and American communications strategies be-
fore, during and after major wars. Her work
formed the basis of her critically acclaimed
book, Media and the Politics of Failure: Great Powers, Communication Strategies, and Military Defeats, published in 2006.
She also has taken advantage of Elon’s
support for interdisciplinary research and the
university’s diverse faculty. She has studied pa-
triotic images in American media with Brooke
Barnett, associate professor of communica-
tions, and co-authored Research and Writing in International Relations with Spray. Elon’s
strong support for faculty scholarship, along
with its rapid growth, has kept Roselle from
moving to a larger university.
“Th e freedom to pursue a whole range of
projects has kept me here,” she says. “I don’t
think you necessarily can do that everywhere.
It used to be that you’d want to be at a big
university because you’d want people to talk
to, but with changes in technology and the
ability to collaborate, there’s less of a need to
be at a bigger place. I’m happy here.”
SHARING HER EXPERTISE
Th ough Roselle calls Elon home, her infl uence
in the fi elds of political science and interna-
tional studies extends far beyond the campus.
She participates in national and inter-
national associations, such as the American
Political Science Association and the Inter-
national Studies Association (isa), and she
recently served as president of isa’s Inter-
national Communication (icomm) section.
Her successor, Derrick Cogburn, says rising
to such a high-profi le position isn’t easy.
“In order to come into leadership in our
sections, you have to impress a key group of
scholars who serve in the leadership group and
who make sure we safeguard our association,”
says Cogburn, professor of international com-
munication at American University. “She’s
very well-regarded for her scholarship, as well
as for her leadership abilities.”
Ken Rogerson, director of the Policy
Journalism and Media Studies certifi cate pro-
gram at Duke’s DeWitt Wallace Center for
Policy Studies, is another colleague of Roselle’s
through icomm. When he sought a profes-
sor to teach the growing program’s capstone
course, he turned to Roselle, who accepted
the off er and has served as a visiting professor
at Duke since 2006.
“I have heard her students say, ‘Th at was
a hard class, but I learned so much in it,’”
Rogerson says. “She can teach very diffi cult
concepts, and the students love her for it.”
Owens says he continues to use many
concepts he learned from Roselle in his work
as a congressional press secretary.
“It shows that Dr. Roselle taught me
something that was useful,” he says. “I think
every college student wants to know that
they’re learning stuff that they will use for the
rest of their lives.”
For Roselle, interacting with students
enriches her scholarship and her life.
“Th ere are so many students who have
infl uenced me in one way or another, and stu-
dents who are now friends that I stay in touch
with. It’s always exciting to see what they do.
I think that’s so fun.”
Roselle discusses her scholarship and more at
www.elon.edu/magazine.
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 17
This year, the Elon community celebrates 10 years
of President Leo M. Lambert’s leadership.
Since becoming Elon’s eighth president in
1999, Lambert has advanced an ambitious agenda
to establish Elon as a top-ranked liberal arts university and a
national model of engaged teaching and learning. Th rough his
leadership, the academic climate has been strengthened by major
investments in faculty development, library resources, honors and
fellows programs for outstanding students, and Elon’s top-ranked
programs in study abroad, undergraduate research, volunteer
service and leadership education.
Lambert and his wife, Laurie, are the parents of two daughters,
Callie, a student at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine,
and Mollie, a student at Furman University.
To mark his 10 years at Elon, Lambert sat down with Magazine
of Elon editor Jaleh Hagigh to discuss the university’s progress and
future challenges.
that is a very precious asset of this univer-
sity. We think a lot about how to protect that
and how to make sure that as the institution
continues to evolve and more people come
on board, that they have an opportunity to
embrace that and pass it on to new people.
jh · How do you think you’ve changed in the last 10 years?
lml · I think I am slightly more relaxed,
more confi dent about the role. Stepping into
a university presidency is a pretty big deal,
especially following a long-serving, successful
president like Fred Young.
In the early years, we were very focused
on the transition and fi nishing his agenda,
and fi nishing the Elon Vision Campaign and
the Elon Vision strategic plan. And then we
were thinking about the next strategic plan for
President Lambert refl ects on a decade at Elon
the institution and leading a community of
people in defi ning a direction for Elon. After
10 years, I think I have a much deeper sense of
the place, its pulse, its rhythms and its natural
directions for growth and evolution.
jh · You keep a grueling schedule as president. What keeps you so energized and motivated?
lml · Laurie and I enjoy almost every event
that we do. I have to tell you, candidly, that
there are times when we are getting ready for
a dinner and we are really tired. But inevitably,
we enjoy ourselves and become energized by
the event itself. Usually when we’re involved
in evening events, they are about celebration
with students or faculty, or being with trustees
and donors, and it’s exhilarating to talk with
them about how they can help the university
grow and prosper.
I’m also one who can recharge pretty
quickly. I’ve never taken, maybe to my detri-
ment, a two-week vacation. We take a week
off here and there, but I can recharge over
the weekend pretty well if we have the op-
portunity to have a couple of days away from
campus.
jh · What are you most proud of during your tenure as president?
lml · I’m most proud of the fact that Elon
has stayed true to its values and its mission.
We have not tried to become something we are
not. Th is university, through the tremendous
evolution that it has experienced, has consis-
tently remained true to its commitment to
teaching and mentoring students, and keeping
students at the very center of the place.
Beyond that, the Elon Academy for Ala-
mance County high school students is a
venture I’m really proud of. It represents the
spirit of this university. We put this out with
no idea where the money was going to come
from, and now the program is in full force.
It’s a tremendous commitment on the part of
the university to reach out to our community
jh · You have been a very popular president, especially with students. Why do you think you’ve connected so deeply with the Elon community?
lml · Laurie and I try to be who we are
and to be visible in the life of the community
and around students especially, as much as
we can. We’ve really felt the embrace of this
community for a decade, and not only the
university community but the broader com-
munity of alumni, trustees and friends. It has
been wonderful.
jh · What is it about the Elon community that you have loved so much?
lml · Elon is an incredibly special place,
a very kind place, a very civil place, a place
where people genuinely care about one an-
other very deeply. I think those of us who are
entrusted with leading this institution believe
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 19
and give a helping
hand to those who
would not normally
have access to higher
education.
The creation of
the law school has
been a great achievement in the last decade,
and the credit for that needs to be widely
shared with so many people who have worked
very hard, including former Provost Gerry
Francis, founding Dean Leary Davis, current
Dean George Johnson, the faculty, charter
class, the advisory board and our benefactors.
I’d also point to the building of the faculty
and what I would call the restoration of Elon’s
identity as a liberal arts university. When I
came to Elon, the professional schools were
gaining ground very quickly. We had a new
School of Communications coming onto the
scene, which has become a phenomenal suc-
cess. But I think Elon is fi rst and foremost an
undergraduate liberal arts university, and our
eff orts to make the arts and sciences central
at Elon have been critical in the last decade.
I think of our reinvestment in the honors
program; creation of the Elon College Fel-
lows program; reinstituting a foreign language
requirement and building a vibrant depart-
ment of foreign languages; the work of the
presidential task force on scholarship; and key
investments that have been made in the fac-
ulty. Th at has been a set of anchoring activities
for the institution that have helped fi rm up its
identify as an institution with the liberal arts
and sciences at the very core.
At the same time, it has been a conscious
eff ort on our part to have vibrant, wonderful
professional programs rooted in the arts and
sciences. Particularly in business and com-
munications, we’ve seen tremendous growth
in quality and national recognition of those
programs. We’ve been able to create a univer-
sity that is the best of both worlds.
jh · What have been your greatest challenges?lml · I think the greatest challenge at Elon
is our endowment position. We are so tuition
driven as a university. Th e challenge has been
how to think about moving to a place where
we are less enrollment dependent and can de-
pend more on other revenue streams.
I like to describe Elon fi nancially as a one-
legged milking stool and that leg is tuition.
Building an endowment at a time when well
over 50 percent of our alumni are in their 20s
and 30s is a very signifi cant challenge. Con-
sequently, and to our great benefi t, we’ve had
to be very creative about the use of every
dollar that we spend at the institution, and
I think that has been one of the reasons for
our success.
I’m very proud to say that for the last few
President Lambert at
Commencement 2008;
behind Lambert are
former Provost Gerry
Francis, at right, and
Doug Finberg ’94
January 1999
Leo M. Lambert is named Elon’s
eighth president
November 1999
The Leon and Lorraine Watson
North Carolina Achievement
Scholarship Program is
endowed with a 3 million gift
from Leon Watson ’25 and his
wife, Lorraine; scholarships
assist N.C. students with high
fi nancial need
January 2000
Carol Grotnes Belk Library
opens, featuring more than
200,000 volumes, more than
200 computers, multimedia and
audiovisual facilities, and spaces
for individual and group study
February 2000
Elon College, the College of Arts
and Sciences, and the schools of
communications and education
are established as part of an
academic reorganization
May 2000
Elon announces The Phoenix as
the university’s new athletics
identity
August 2000
The School of Communications
opens in the renovated McEwen
building
The fi rst National Survey of
Student Engagement ranks
Elon among the nation’s top
four institutions in engaged
learning
20 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
years, endowment resources have been the
largest sector of giving at Elon, and that has
been very important to us. We’ve been very
thoughtful about what that endowment is
going to be used for — student scholarships,
keeping the gates of this university open to
people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to
aff ord to come, faculty support and other
critical priorities.
jh · We are in the fi nal stages of NewCen-tury@Elon, the strategic plan you helped launch shortly after your arrival. Th e goal was to estab-lish Elon as a national model of engaged learning. Have we achieved that goal?
lml · I think we have. I think the National
Survey of Student Engagement results bear
that out. Our students, by their own evalua-
tion of their activities, rate themselves among
the most highly engaged students in the coun-
try. When Newsweek magazine lists Elon as
the top school in the country for student en-
gagement, that’s another external validation of
what we’re doing. I think most defi nitely we
can claim victory on being a national model
of engaged learning.
jh · Elon launched Ever Elon: Th e Cam-paign for the Future of Our University last fall. Can you explain why the campaign is so critical to the university’s future?
lml · Elon needs to build an endowment
to secure its future. As a maturing university,
we need to plan for sustaining this great in-
stitution that we have created. A university
cannot be sustained on tuition revenue alone.
Th e Ever Elon Campaign is the fi rst major
campaign in the university’s history devoted
principally to endowment building and to
selected priorities that we want to advance
through endowment. Historically, we have
been in a chase for bricks and mortar dol-
lars to build this tremendous campus that we
enjoy every day.
In the next strategic plan there will be, I
would predict, another building boom going
on at the university. But we’ve got to make
sure that the message of Ever Elon carries
forth, which is that endowment building has
to be the primary emphasis of every future
campaign at the university.
jh · How is the campaign going, and what messages do you have for alumni, parents and friends about their roles in its success?
lml · I think the campaign is going well.
We launched it at probably the most inop-
portune time that one could choose to launch
a campaign, on the brink of a near economic
collapse in our country. We had a great cam-
paign launch last October, but we did so
cautiously wondering about, quite frankly,
whether it was the time to have a public
launch. But I’m glad we went ahead.
We are approaching the two-thirds goal of
a $100 million campaign. We have a lot of
work to do to bring the campaign to fruition,
but I’m confident that we’re going to be
successful.
My message to everyone is to please partici-
pate. One of our goals at Elon is to pay very
close attention to our young alumni because
there are so many young alums at the institu-
tion. Oftentimes I think young alums believe
LAMBERT’S LISTPresident Lambert off ers the following top
accomplishments of the campus community
during his presidency:
Transition from college to university
Growth of talented faculty and staff
Launch of need- and talent-based fi nancial aid
programs such as Watson Scholars, Thad Eure
Scholars, Susan Scholars and Lumen Scholars
Aspiring to achieve excellence in the arts and sciences
Opening of Elon University School of Law
New facilities: Carol Grotnes Belk Library, Rhodes
Stadium, Belk Track and White Field, Academic Village,
Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business Center, R.N. Ellington
Health and Counseling Center, The Oaks residence
hall complex, Colonnades dining and residence
halls and expansion to the 75-acre South Campus
Elon Academy college access program
for Alamance County students
Launch of Ever Elon: The Campaign for
the Future of Our University
Accreditation of the Martha and Spencer Love
School of Business and School of Communications
Joining the Southern Conference for athletics
September 2000
Elon establishes the Institute
for Politics and Public Aff airs
and the Elon University
Polling Center, which houses
the Elon Poll
October 2000
Trustees vote to change the
name of Elon College to Elon
University eff ective June 1, 2001,
recognizing Elon’s growth and
status as a comprehensive
university; trustees also ap-
prove the NewCentury@Elon
strategic plan to advance Elon
as a national model of engaged
learning
January 2001
Elon accepts an invitation from
the Eugene Lang Foundation to
join Project Pericles, a national
program to encourage civic and
social responsibility among
undergraduates
September 2001
Elon hosts its fi rst home
football game at Rhodes
Stadium, marking the fi rst time
since 1949 that Elon has played
a football game on campus;
the stadium is named for Elon
trustee Dusty Rhodes and his
wife, Peggy
May 2002
Elon accepts an invitation to
join the Southern Conference,
one of the nation’s oldest NCAA
Division I athletics conferences,
beginning July 1, 2003
August 2002
The fi rst two buildings open
in the Academic Village, the
Cannon and Kenan pavilions,
followed by Gray Pavilion in
2004, and Belk and Spence
Pavilions in 2007; Lindner Hall,
the new home of Elon College,
the College of Arts & Sciences,
opens in August 2009, complet-
ing the Academic Village
continued on page 22
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 21
September 2002
Benazir Bhutto, former prime
minister of Pakistan, dedicates
the Isabella Cannon Centre for
International Studies, named
for one of Elon’s most beloved
graduates
April 2003
Elon completes purchase of
75 acres of property from Elon
Homes for Children, opening
South Campus, which includes
Alumni Center in Johnston Hall
and the Phoenix Club Sports
Fields
April 2004
The Martha and Spencer Love
School of Business receives
accreditation by AACSB
International, with the School
of Communications receiving
ACEJMC accreditation in 2006
August 2005
Newsweek/Kaplan names Elon
one of the nation’s 25 “hottest
colleges” and the top school for
student engagement
August 2006
Elon University School of Law
opens in Greensboro, N.C., with
inaugural class of 115; retired
U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor formally
dedicates the school Sept. 19
The fi rst building of The Oaks
student housing complex opens
replacing Jordan Center; the
complex includes six residence
hall buildings and the McCoy
Commons building
Ernest A. Koury Sr. Business
Center opens as the new home
of the Love School of Business;
Burlington business leader
Maurice Koury made a gift to
name the building in honor of
his brother
October 2006
Elon is named one of the na-
tion’s top three universities for
community service, earning a
Presidential Award in the fi rst
President’s Higher Education
Community Service Honor Roll
Elon launches The Honorable
Thad Eure Achievement
Scholarship to assist students
with fi nancial need from North
Carolina’s Piedmont region; the
program is named for a former
Elon trustee and N.C. secretary
of state
that a small gift is not going to make a dif-
ference. But small gifts do make a diff erence,
participation makes a diff erence. We want
everybody to join in this campaign and give
either in a small way or, for many others, in a
large way. Th at’s going to be very important
for the success of Ever Elon.
jh · Elon is in the process of creating its next strategic plan, which will be considered by trust-ees this fall. Can you share some of the guiding principles of the plan?
lml · In the next strategic plan, we’re try-
ing to envision where Elon is going to be in
2020. We are charting some very bold moves
for the future of this institution.
We’re obviously looking very hard at what’s
happening in the world. We’re going to have
a very challenging environment for private
higher education. Costs are increasingly on
people’s minds. One of the things we’re think-
ing about is whether Elon should become even
more of a distinctly residential campus, and
my guess is that it will be. About 60 percent
of our students live on campus now. Th ere’s
some serious conversation about construct-
ing a very signifi cant number of new student
residences over the next decade to house all
juniors and seniors who wish to live on cam-
pus. We are a highly traditional liberal arts
residential university, and one of the goals of
this next plan is to shore up the residential
part of that mission.
We will undoubtedly be looking at the
role of perhaps a few new graduate programs,
but more important in this next plan, we’ll
be looking at new degree models. Will there
be more interest in students doing 4 + 1 pro-
grams, where they might come to school for
fi ve years and earn both a bachelor’s degree
and a master’s degree, or other patterns, like
3 + 2? Some students may want to take a year
off between high school and university and
perhaps participate in something like an Elon
Service Academy, where people could be en-
gaged in a year of public service.
Th ere will be proposed expansions of sci-
ence facilities and programs, and an expansion
for our School of Communications, which is
badly needed. Th ere’s going to be a great em-
phasis on talent development for faculty and
staff . In this next strategic plan, we can’t lose
sight of the fact that the greatest resources we
provide for our students are our faculty and
staff . We want to make sure we are invest-
ing in faculty and staff in ways that enable
them to continue to grow intellectually, pro-
fessionally, in service of students and of the
institution.
If we want to be a national institution, ath-
letics needs to be playing at a national level,
and we’re seeing some of that success in the
Southern Conference, most recently with
baseball. We want to see ncaa tournament
appearances in men’s and women’s basketball.
And we are so close to postseason play in foot-
ball that we can taste it. We also want to build
a multipurpose convocation center. Th ese are
all really exciting challenges for the university
but ones that I’m confi dent we can meet.
“I still feel as enthusiastic,
energetic and passionate
about this job, even more so,
than when we came 10 years
ago. Next to my family, I
think being the president of
this university has been the
great privilege of my life.”
– Leo M. Lambert
22 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
March 2007
Elon is named one of four
institutions to receive the 2007
Senator Paul Simon Award for
Campus Internationalization
from NAFSA: Association of
International Educators
May 2007
Furman C. Moseley Jr. ’56
makes a 5 million gift — the
largest scholarship gift in Elon
history — to endow the Susan
Scholarships to assist deserv-
ing young women; the gift
honors Moseley’s wife, Susan
June 2007
The Elon Academy, a univer-
sity-run academic enrichment
program for Alamance County
high school students, wel-
comes its inaugural class
September 2007
U.S.News & World Report ranks
Elon 2 among 119 Southern
master’s-level universities in its
“America’s Best Colleges” guide,
marking Elon’s highest ranking
in the nation’s most widely read
college guide
December 2007
President Lambert establishes
the Lumen Prize as the univer-
sity’s premier academic award;
Lumen Scholars receive 15,000
scholarships to support their
research
July 2008
Elon University School of Law
receives provisional ac-
creditation from the American
Bar Association; the school
graduates its charter class in
May 2009
October 2008
The university launches Ever
Elon: The Campaign for the
Future of Our University during
a historic community meeting
on campus; the 100 million
campaign seeks to build the
endowment and secure the
university’s future
August 2009
The charter class enrolls
in Elon’s newest graduate
program, a master of arts in
interactive media
jh · Are there particular programs that you’d like to see become nationally recognized?
lml · I think the School of Communica-
tions is going to be a nationally recognized
program. I think our program in law and lead-
ership in the law school is going to emerge
as a national model of innovative legal edu-
cation. Our program of general education
is in a position of national leadership at the
undergraduate level. Our programs related
to experiential learning are second to none,
particularly in the areas of international edu-
cation, civic engagement and undergraduate
research. Th e next strategic plan is in great
part about demonstrating national leadership
in those areas of experiential learning.
jh · What is next on the horizon in higher education in terms of fi nancing and access for students?
lml · Th ose of us in private higher educa-
tion have to pay very close attention to sticker
price. If we don’t, we will only be accessible
to the very elite. As we are planning for the
future, we need to plan for fi nancial stability
of the organization and that means making
very careful, strategic choices about what we’re
going to spend our money on. Th at’s why the
fi nancial model upon which the university is
based is being given very careful study in our
next strategic plan.
Price is directly related to access, and one
of the things I want to see happen is a major
reinvestment in need-based fi nancial aid for
students. We want Elon to look more like the
world looks. We run a danger of becoming
irrelevant if we don’t. We have to be more
intellectually diverse, more internationally
diverse, more geographically and socio-eco-
nomically diverse. We’ll get a portion of this
accomplished with the Ever Elon Campaign,
but the next campaign will also have need-
based aid as its major goal.
jh · What are your goals for Elon in the next 10 years?
lml · My goals will be to see this next stra-
tegic plan launched and to make progress on
reaching every one of those goals. Th e goals of
the next strategic plan are going to take your
breath away. Th ey will really surprise you in
terms of the level of ambition. My goal in
the next 10 years is to make sure that Elon
has realized its destiny as a distinctive leading
university, that the Ever Elon Campaign is
successful and that the campaign after that
is successful.
jh · What role should the university play in American higher education?
lml · Elon has a leadership role to play in
American higher education. I think it will play
an increasingly important role as a model of
innovative, quality higher education.
I think Elon is already looked to as a model
of a well-run institution, an institution with a
creative general studies curriculum, with pro-
fessional schools that have growing national
reputations. U.S.News & World Report last year
listed us as the 1 up-and-coming college or
university in the United States.
We’re on everyone’s radar screen. People
are emulating our success, and we’ve got to
work doubly hard to stay in front of that pack.
I think innovation is the key word. We’re
always looking at ways we can do things
diff erently. We don’t have a follow-the-pack
mentality around here, and I think that’s re-
ally wonderful.
jh · Is there anything else you’d like to say?lml · It has been a great personal joy and
privilege to be president of Elon. I still feel as
enthusiastic, energetic and passionate about
this job, even more so, than when we came 10
years ago. I’ve said this before, that next to my
family, I think being the president of this uni-
versity has been the great privilege of my life.
To view video clips from this interview, including President Lambert’s
reflections on effective leadership and his favorite spot on campus, go
to www.elon.edu/magazine.
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 23
24 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
The Elon marching band was fanning
out across the football fi eld, moving in
precise formation, when a disheveled
man, apparently intoxicated, barreled into
their midst from the sidelines.
Before anyone could react, he had
grabbed the startled head majorette, clamped
her in an embrace and planted a big kiss
on her cheek. Th e drum major rushed to
her rescue as the man fl ed. Moments later,
he reappeared and once again made a stag-
gering beeline for the majorette.
“Th is time the whole band jumped on
him,” recalls Jack O. White, Elon’s band
director at the time. “He vanished under
the pile, and there was this great big meleé.
Out comes fl ying his hat, then his shirt,
and then pants and fi nally his red under-
wear. When the band fi nally separated, he
was gone. He had disappeared altogether.”
The whole thing, of course, was a
stunt. Th e “intruder” was a member of the
band — the piccolo player, who had his
uniform on underneath his civilian cloth-
ing. It was a classic “Jack O” gag, the kind
of elaborate vaudevillian act that, along with
superb musicianship, made the Showband
of the Carolinas a crowd favorite in the ’60s
and ’70s.
Those and other stories of the band
will take center stage as the university cel-
ebrates 100 years of Elon’s marching band
at Homecoming Oct. 23–25. Alumni band
members are invited to return to campus and
perform with Elon’s current marching band,
the Fire of the Carolinas, during Saturday’s
football game.
Elon’s fi rst band formed in 1909, accord-
ing to Raymond Beck ’75, former Showband
drum major and a retired North Carolina state
capitol historian. To prepare for the centennial
celebration, Beck researched the band’s history
with Tony Sawyer, Elon’s band director.
Not surprising, the band program began
at about the same time as Elon’s basketball,
baseball and football programs, all of which
got their starts in the fi rst decade or so of the
20th century.
Th e fi rst band di-
rector was a student,
Russell Campbell, a
coronet player who
graduated in 1911.
He also played foot-
ball and was able to
direct the band after
the team got into
some trouble and was briefl y disbanded, ac-
cording to Beck.
During the early years, the band played
mostly at dances and athletics events. When
the Great Depression struck in 1929, the group
dissolved under the pressure of hard times.
Elon President Leon E. Smith resurrected the
band in the 1930s, recruiting Landon Walker,
a horn player from Charlotte, N.C., to lead
the group.
“Dr. Smith called my high school band
director and said, ‘Do you have somebody
who can come in and develop a band?’” recalls
Walker, who lives in Hickory, N.C. “My band
director said, ‘Yes, I think I do.’”
Elon off ered Walker free tu-
ition in exchange for reviving the
band program. Walker jumped at
the chance to earn a college de-
gree. When he arrived, the band
consisted of two coronet players,
and he wasted no time recruiting
fellow students.
“I had quite a time getting
them,” Walker recalls. “Nobody
played (an instrument).”
By the time Walker gradu-
ated in 1939, the band had about
40 members. The band would
have its ups and
downs and take dif-
ferent forms in the
years to come, but
never again would it
cease to exist.
The band be-
gan to take its mod-
ern form during the
1950s, when Elon
hired the first fac-
ulty director, Eugene
Jacobowski, and the program split into sepa-
rate groups, a pep band and a concert band.
Jack White came to Elon as band director
in 1962 and infused the program with energy,
creating the Showband of the Carolinas and
the school’s fi rst jazz ensemble, Emanon (“No
Name” spelled backward). Under his leader-
ship, the jazz ensemble regularly toured the
Celebrating
100 years of the
marching band
BY DAVE HART
Strikkee Up1910
1935
1952
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 25
East Coast and performed in Puerto Rico
and Europe, while the Showband earned a
far-reaching reputation for its wildly inven-
tive shows.
Former majorette Hope Amick Gregory
’77, of Burlington, N.C., recalls the band’s
professionalism and talent.
“I never thought of it as two groups, the
band and the majorettes,” Gregory says. “We
were one unit.”
Angie Ingram Hodnett ’75, of Rustburg,
Va., was a majorette and occasionally played
the bassoon.
“Even though we weren’t a big Division I
school, when I see routines that those schools
do now, with syncopated rhythms and things,
they’re reminiscent of what we did,” Hodnett
says.
“We all had one goal — to put on a great
show every week,” Hodnett adds. “I remember
when we would run off the fi eld, the team
doctor was always standing there with this big
roll of bubble gum. As we ran by, he would
pop a piece into everybody’s mouth. We had
been working so hard we were dehydrated.”
White directed the band for 25 years,
longer than anyone else, and his skill, lon-
gevity and showmanship are credited with
transforming the band into a professional
performing ensemble.
“He was a creative genius,” says Beck,
who played under White in the Showband
and the jazz ensemble during the early ’70s.
“Most bands do a single show all season. We
did an entirely diff erent show every week, and
we astounded the crowd with our maneuvers,
music and hijinks.”
The band struggled once again after
White stepped down in 1986. What remained
was a small wind ensemble that was bolstered
for concert performances by musicians from
the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro.
Tom Erdmann breathed
new life into the band
when he joined Elon’s mu-
sic faculty in 1989.
“I remember the fi rst
concert we had, one young
woman said, ‘So when are
the unc-g kids coming?’
I said, ‘They’re not. It’s
just you,’” Erdmann said.
“Th e fear on her face was
palpable. That first con-
cert was terrible, but that
was ok. Th ey learned that
nobody was going to come
save them.”
Under Erdmann’s direction, the band
made recordings, performed at concerts and
as a pep band at special events. When it came
to the music, Erdmann liked to push the
boundaries.
“We did a lot of classics, but we also did
some stuff out of left fi eld, such as polytonal
pieces, in two keys at the same time, and
atonal pieces, in no key at all,” he says.
By 2000, Elon had moved to ncaa
Division i competition and was building a
new football stadium. Th e only thing miss-
ing was a marching band. Erdmann contin-
ued to direct the orchestral band, while Bill
DeJournett was hired to rebuild the marching
band. A year later, the Fire of the Carolinas
made its debut.
Sawyer took over leadership of the band
in 2003 following DeJournett. In the spirit of
Jack White, Sawyer has energized the program
with creative and sometimes off beat produc-
tions. He introduced instruments not typically
found in a marching band, such as electric
guitars and keyboards, and he pushed high-
energy shows featuring rock, pop and heavy
metal music. He’s even done a dance show and
one based on the Guitar Hero video game.
“Tony Sawyer has done an unbelievable
job of maturing the program, and I think the
fans really notice,” says Virginia Zint ’08, a
second-generation Elon band member. Her
father, James Zint ’81, played under White.
“Instead of having us always go in straight pre-
cision marching band lines, he was thinking,
‘What will make the crowd go wild?’ So we
danced a lot and sang at one point. He made
sure that we were having fun, because if we
were having fun, the crowd was having fun.”
Whether the routines are vaudevillian or
modern, the marching band is as integral to
school spirit today as it was in the ’70s when
Hodnett played.
“I missed it when it was over,” she says.
“I’d go back and do it all over again right
now.”
19161970s
2008
See you at
Homecoming and
chapter eventsThis section of the magazine is a remarkable
testament to the importance of our alumni
chapters in keeping all Elon graduates
connected to each other and the university.
The story on chapter activities on page 28
demonstrates how busy our alums have been
this summer, while the coming events list off ers graduates plenty of op-
portunities this fall to socialize, network and serve their communities. I
am impressed by the commitment of our chapter presidents and commit-
tee members to ensure that alumni have a variety of opportunities to
reconnect with Elon in meaningful ways.
As you plan your schedule for the coming months, be sure to attend
one of the chapter events in your area. There are plenty of activities to
choose from, and chances are you’ll make new Elon friends.
Enhancing regional alumni activities is one component of the
Alumni Association’s strategic plan. We’re also very focused on bringing
alumni back to campus. Our premier event to do just that is Homecoming
Weekend, Oct. 23–25. The Homecoming schedule is full of events that al-
low you to reconnect with former classmates, faculty and staff , and meet
students from various academic programs and campus organizations.
There’s a sneak peek of our exciting schedule on the next page.
Watch the alumni Web site for registration information in early Septem-
ber. No matter when you graduated or which organizations you
participated in, this is the weekend for you to return to your beloved Elon.
The Alumni Relations staff and I look forward to seeing you at an
event this fall.
Sallie
Sallie Hutton ’92
YOUNG ALUMS DONATE $, THROUGH
IGNITE
Graduates of the past decade donated $233,618 to Elon dur-
ing 2008–2009, the fi rst year of ignite, the university’s
annual giving program for young alumni.
A total of 1,009 young alums made gifts, including
49 who joined Th e Elon Society, the university’s premier
annual giving recognition society. Th e average gift from
young alumni was $137.
Many alums made gifts at one of 12 ignite nite din-
ners held during the past year. Th e dinners, hosted by
young alums, brought in $30,398 to the university.
Th e following ignite nites have been scheduled for
the fall:
atlanta Sept. 14 at the home of Josh ’00 and
Kristen Kart Felix ’00
piedmont triad Oct. 1 at the home of Jude
Dooley ’00
boston Oct. 7 at Les Zygomates, hosted
by Kathleen Niple ’05, Mark Richter ’99
and Stephanie Badavas ’09
Check www.elon.edu/ignite for the full schedule.
HELP US GO GREEN!
As part of Elon’s commitment to environmental sustain-
ability and stewardship of university resources, the Alumni
Relations Offi ce plans to reduce the number of printed
invitations that are mailed to graduates for alumni chap-
ter events.
If you live in one of the 14 chapter regions and would
like to receive your invitations via e-mail, please contact
Alumni Relations at 877.784.3566 or alumnirelations@elon.
edu and give us your e-mail address. Th ank you!
GET TAGGED!
Show your Elon pride dur-
ing your travels. get tagged
with a complimentary Elon
luggage tag from the Alumni
Association.
Mail your business card to
the Alumni Association and
receive a laminated maroon
and gold luggage tag with the Elon logo on the front and
your business card on the back. Th is tag will make your
luggage stand out in a crowd!
Send your business card to: Offi ce of Alumni Relations,
2600 Campus Box, Elon, NC 27244.
You also can get a luggage tag at Homecoming
Oct. 23–25. Drop off your business card at check-in in
Moseley Center.
SHARE YOUR INFORMATION FOR NEW ALUMNI DIRECTORY
Th e Elon Alumni Association is working with Harris Connect to produce the
2010 alumni directory.
Th e directory, Elon University Alumni: Today, will include biographical
information on graduates, including their class years, home and e-mail ad-
dresses, and professional information. It will be a valuable tool for social and
professional networking.
Th is fall, all alumni will receive a postcard from Harris requesting their
updated information. Please help the Alumni Association keep you informed
of important alumni news and events by promptly responding to the mailing.
For the fi rst time, alumni will be invited to submit photos of themselves
along with brief personal updates, which will be included in the front of the
directory. Alumni may purchase the printed directory when it is published
next year.
For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at
877.784.3566 or [email protected].
ALUMNI Action
26 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON The Alumni Relations Offi ce is located in Johnston Hall at 123 S. Antioch Ave. and can be reached toll-free at 877.784.3566 or by writing to Campus Box 2600, Elon, NC 27244.
Wear your maroon at Homecoming Oct. –!Homecoming off ers something for everyone this
fall. Plan now to return to campus Oct. 23–25 and
see how your alma mater has grown.
Homecoming kicks off Friday morning with
registration in Moseley Center, where you can pick up a schedule of events and campus
map to plan your weekend. Highlights of the weekend include the following:
Get your travel on!Italy or Greece
The Alumni Association off ers the
following trips in 2010:
Cathedrals of Italy March 19-27
Nine days in Rome, Assisi, Florence, Pisa
and Lucca
Sites include Vatican Museum, Sistine
Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Pantheon,
Coliseum, Santa Maria Maggoire Basilica,
Scala Santa, Basilica of San Giovanni in
Laterano and the Holy Steps, St. Francis’
Basilica, Santa Chiara Church, the Duomo,
Baptistery and the Cemetery, 11th century
Duomo, church of San Michele in Foro, Torre
dei Guinigi, the Duomo in Florence, Church
of San Lorenzo and Santa Maria Novella
Cost: 3,299 per person (double occupancy)
plus taxes; additional 750 for single
accommodations
Best of the Mediterranean & Greek Isles Cruise Oct. 11-24
Twelve nights aboard Oceania Cruises’
Regatta to Venice, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia;
Corfu, Delphi (Itea), Zakynthos, Monemvasia,
Crete, Santorini, Delos, Mykonos and Athens,
Greece; and Kasadasi, Turkey
Cost: 3,299 to 6,099 per person for
staterooms (double occupancy); taxes, fees
and airport/ship transfers are not included;
save 1,000 per person by booking a
reservation for two
Book your trip before January and receive
free airfare from select gateway cities,
including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte,
Chicago, Washington-Dulles, Newark, New
York-Kennedy, Philadelphia and
Raleigh-Durham
For more information, contact the Alumni
Association at 877.784.3566 or
A full schh ded lule e ofof Homeco imingng e eveventntss wiwillll
be postet dd iinin SS Seppeptetetembmbmbererer a a att www.elelonon e.edudu/a/alulumnmni.i.
Friday
Receptions for School of Communications,
Martha and Spencer Love School of Busi-
ness and Leisure and Sport Management
alumni
Campus bus tours led by President Emeri-
tus Earl Danieley ’46 and Barry Bradberry
’75, associate dean of admissions and fi nan-
cial planning
Career counseling sessions with Elon’s Ca-
reer Services staff; call 336.278.6538 to
make an appointment
Young Alumni party at The Lighthouse
featuring the Montgomery Burns Band for
graduates of the last decade
Phoenix Phest party in McKinnon Hall fea-
turing the North Tower Band
African-American Alumni/National Pan-
Hellenic Council reception; Eugene Perry
’69, Elon’s fi rst African-American graduate,
will be recognized; NPHC Step Show fol-
lows in Alumni Gym
Saturday
Alumni Association Awards brunch in McK-
innon Hall
Meal packing service event in Koury Ath-
letics Center concourse
Education alumni gather in Mooney build-
ing to meet David Cooper, the new dean
of the School of Education; chemistry
alumni reception on McIver Terrace at Mc-
Michael Science Center
Tailgating in Reunion Village (open to all
alumni), Harper Center lot and beside Lake
Mary Nell; Zack’s hot dogs and hamburg-
ers, and barbeque lunches available for
purchase in Reunion Village
Elon vs. UT-Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m. in
Rhodes Stadium
Second-annual Old School Party in McKin-
non Hall; African-American Alumni Group
will raise money for the African-American
Alumni Scholarship
Reunions: Classes of 1959, 1969, 1974, 1979,
1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004; Band Cen-
tennial, Lambda Chi Alpha Centennial
Founding Celebration, Phi Beta Sigma
(10th anniversary), Pi Kappa Phi (30th an-
niversary), Tri-Delta (5th anniversary), Tau
Kappa Epsilon/Alpha Pi Delta and Watson
Scholars. Also planning get-togethers are
Kappa Sigma, the Student Government
Association, Periclean Scholars and Isabella
Cannon Leadership Fellows
New this year: Camp Phoenix child care
Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. For
children ages 6 months to 11 years old
Child-care services provided by students
and Elon Campus Ministries staff ; certifi ed
CPR and fi rst-aid attendant on hand
Cost: 30 per child per night and 75 per
family per night maximum; proceeds will
fund scholarships for spring break service
trips
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 27 Alumni Relations Offi ce staff : Director, Sallie Hutton ’92, [email protected] • Assistant Director, Lisa Ratliff Roper ’93
Assistant Director for Young Alumni, Lindsay Gross Hege ’04 • Coordinator of Alumni Chapters, Lauren Kelly ’08 • Program Assistant, Kelly Elliston
ALUMNI SERVE UP SUMMER FUN Alumni chapter members have spent the summer
serving their communities, going to baseball games
and meeting with students in New York and Los
Angeles. Here are the highlights:
atlanta Chapter members Josh Felix ’00
and his wife, Kristen Kart Felix ’00, helped
Atlanta alumni get to know each other by
hosting “Dinner with 6 Elon Strangers” in
July. Th e small gathering was a great way for
alums of all ages to network, particularly grad-
uates who are new to the city. Th e following
day, the couple hosted a cookout for 25 alums
from the 1990s to the Class of 2009.
baltimore Alumni welcomed the warm
weather by heading to Oregon Ridge Park in
May for College Coff ee and Playtime in the
Park. In June, they gathered at Howl at the
Moon bar for live entertainment, including
dueling piano players.
charleston Minor league baseball was
on the minds of Charleston alumni who
cheered on their Riverdogs against the Ashe-
ville Tourists, the Augusta Greenjackets and
the Greenville Drive.
charlotte About 30 alumni gathered this
summer for Charlotte’s monthly networking
socials at Th e Tavern on Park, a new event
for the chapter. Th e Tavern staff has grown so
fond of the alums that they posted an Elon
University pennant on the restaurant wall.
chicago Members of Elon’s newest chapter
had a packed spring schedule, including a trip
to North Avenue beach and watching a Cubs
game at Th e Cubby Bear bar in Wrigleyville.
los angeles Alumni put on their work
gloves to participate in the annual Nothin’ But
Sand Beach Cleanup at toes Beach in Playa
Del Rey, Calif. In July, they met with Elon
Provost Steven House and students participat-
ing in the Elon in L.A. program, which off ers
students internships and a course on the busi-
ness of Hollywood. More than 70 students
and alumni representing companies such as
Paramount, Universal Studios, cbs, nbc and
Fremantle Media attended a reception at the
Silent Movie Th eater.
new york In June, alums attended a re-
ception with Elon students enrolled in the
university’s inaugural Elon in New York
program. Twenty students lived in the city
and met professionals in the fi elds of fi nance,
marketing, communications and entrepre-
neurship. In July, alums met tennis star Serena
Williams at an event with the ny Sportimes
tennis team on Randall’s Island in New York.
Senior Lauren Warr, a Sportimes intern,
helped arrange the event.
philadelphia Chapter members gathered in
May for a volunteer interest meeting during
which they brainstormed ideas for events and
established their leadership committee. Th e
newly reorganized chapter welcomed Megan
Seibert ’05, Michael Bumbry ’07 and Jenn
Budd ’07 to the chapter board.
piedmont triad June rain showers didn’t
keep members of the Piedmont Triad Chap-
ter from attending Martini Night at Dick &
Jane’s Tapas and Martinis in Mebane, N.C.
More than 50 alums from all eras showed up
and enjoyed a special Phoenix cocktail cre-
ated by owner Philip Hochreiter ’93. Jim
Drummond ’50 and his wife, Joan ’52, had a
great time meeting members of the Class of
2009 and sharing Elon stories.
richmond Betty Yarbrough ’52 and her hus-
band, Fred ’50, regaled chapter members with
their Elon stories during a cookout hosted
by Scott Hill ’71. Th e Yarbroughs also shared
news of their 58th wedding anniversary.
triangle In April, alums participated in the
Angels Among Us Race and raised more than
$1,700 to fund research and clinical trials of
brain and spinal tumors at Duke University
Medical Center in Durham. In May, fl oppy
hats were all the rage at the chapter’s 5th-
Annual Kentucky Derby Party at Angus Barn
in Raleigh. Kappy Black, the wife of Perry
Black ’80, won fi rst place for best hat, while
Candyce Marsh ’03 correctly picked Mine
Th at Bird to win the Derby.
In June, alums participated in the Komen
Race for the Cure in Raleigh and watched the
movie “Slumdog Millionaire” on the lawn of
the North Carolina Museum of Art.
washington, d.c. In May, alums toured
the National Portrait Gallery with School of
Communications Dean Paul Parsons, Associ-
ate Dean Connie Book and faculty member
Janna Anderson. Chapter members also at-
tended the “Paint the Town Pink” fundraiser
to benefit the Susan G. Komen Founda-
tion. Katie Sullivan ’02 and Maggie Sullivan
Massaro ’03 hosted the event, which raised
more than $2,000 for cancer research.
In June, alums raised an additional $1,000
for the Komen Foundation by participating
in the Race for the Cure on the National Mall.
Richmond
Triangle
Triangle
Washington, D.C.
ALUMNI Action
28 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
For the latest alumni news, go to www.elon.edu/alumni
Coming Events
AUG. Richmond Chapter shag
lessons, 2 p.m. Visions Lounge
AUG. Los Angeles Welcome to the
City, 7 p.m. Life on Wilshire
AUG. New York Welcome to the City,
7 p.m. Mad46 (rooftop of The Roosevelt
Hotel)
AUG. D.C. Chapter fi lm premiere,
“Captain Abu Raed,” produced by Laith
Majali ’05, E Street Theater
AUG. Boston Welcome to the City,
6 p.m. McFadden’s
AUG. Baltimore Chapter Orioles
game, 7:05 p.m. Pre-game social, 5 p.m.
The Diamond Tavern
Chicago Welcome to the City, 11 a.m.
Lincoln Park, Grove 15
SEPT. Atlanta Welcome to the City,
7 p.m. Wildfi re Restaurant
SEPT. Piedmont Triad Welcome to
the City, 6:30 p.m. Natty Greene’s
SEPT. New York Business Fellows
reception, 6 p.m. (Location TBA)
Philadelphia Welcome to the City,
7 p.m. Manayunk Brewery
Richmond Welcome to the City, 7 p.m.
Capital Ale House in Innsbrook
Schmoozapalooza alumni/student
networking, 6 p.m. Elon
SEPT. Elon Alumni Board
meeting, Elon
SEPT. Charleston Chapter football
trip, Elon vs. Presbyterian, Clinton, S.C.
Richmond and D.C. chapters trip to
Philip Carter Winery, 2 p.m.
SEPT. Boston Chapter volunteer
interest meeting, 7 p.m. Baystate
Financial Offi ce
SEPT. Los Angeles Chapter All-
North Carolina alumni networking
social, 7 p.m. SOUTH in Santa Monica
Charlotte Chapter networking event,
6:30 p.m. The Tavern on Park. Special
guest: Phoenix basketball coach Matt
Matheny
Triangle Welcome to the City, 7 p.m.
Tatton Hall, Raleigh
SEPT. Chicago Chapter social,
5:30 p.m. Pegasus Restaurant & Tavern
SEPT. Atlanta Chapter social, 6 p.m.
Shout in Midtown
SEPT. Charleston Welcome to the
City, 5:30 p.m. Tommy Condon’s Pub
SEPT. Piedmont Triad and Charlotte
chapters football trip, 6:30 p.m. Elon vs.
Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, N.C.
SEPT. Young Alumni Council
meeting, Elon
SEPT. Chicago Chapter Bears
vs. Steelers viewing party, 3 p.m.
Wrightwood Tap
SEPT. Charlotte Chapter wine/
culinary event, (Time TBA) Johnson &
Wales University
SEPT. Philadelphia Chapter Art
After 5, 5:30 p.m. Philadelphia Museum
of Art
SEPT. Washington, D.C., Welcome
to the City, 7 p.m. The Clarendon Grill,
Arlington, Va.
OCT. Los Angeles Chapter First
Thursday social, 7 p.m. Big Wangs
OCT. Charlotte Chapter Komen
Race for the Cure 5K, 8 a.m. Uptown
Charlotte
OCT. Triangle Chapter networking
social/canned food drive, 7 p.m.
Carolina Ale House, Raleigh
OCT. Physical therapy alumni
reunion, Elon
OCT. Triangle Chapter service event,
2 p.m. Food Bank of Central/Eastern
N.C., Raleigh
Charleston Chapter golf tournament,
1:30 p.m. Shadowmoss Golf Club
Richmond Chapter River District
cruise, (Time TBA) departs from
Turning Basin
OCT. Piedmont Triad Chapter
attends Fall Convocation, 4 p.m.
Alumni Gym
OCT. Chicago Chapter social/
coat drive, 5:30 p.m. McCormick and
Schmick’s, Michigan Avenue
OCT. Atlanta Chapter social, 6 p.m.
Highland Tap in Virginia Highlands
Washington, D.C., Chapter social,
6:30 p.m. RFD, Chinatown
Philadelphia Chapter social,
6 p.m. Winberie’s Restaurant and Bar,
Princeton, N.J.
OCT. Atlanta Chapter service event,
9 a.m. Safehouse Outreach
New York Chapter service event,
8 a.m. New York Cares Day
Baltimore Chapter food packing
service event, noon. Moveable Feast
OCT. Boston Chapter Autism Walk,
9 a.m. Suff olk Downs, East Boston
OCT. Charlotte Chapter networking
social, 6 p.m. (Location TBA)
OCT. Homecoming Weekend,
Elon
OCT. Baltimore Chapter Halloween
social, 6 p.m. Looney’s Pub, Canton
NOV. Los Angeles Chapter First
Thursdays social, 7 p.m. Hennessey’s,
Manhattan Beach
NOV. Piedmont Triad Chapter
attends “Kiss Me, Kate,” 7:30 p.m.
McCrary Theatre, Elon
NOV. Richmond Chapter football
trip, 3 p.m. Elon vs. Appalachian State,
Elon
NOV. Chicago Chapter social,
5:30 p.m. Dunlay’s on Clark, Lincoln Park
NOV. Washington, D.C., Chapter
social, 6:30 p.m. (Location TBA)
alumni identify and meet their professional goals. Alumni can get
tips on constructing eff ective resumes and cover letters, preparing for
interviews, developing a professional network and launching a strategic
career search. Career Beam also allows alumni to search for organiza-
tions and industries nationally and internationally. Alumni can create
an account at www.careerbeam.com/ElonAlumReg.asp.
Elon’s LinkedIn Group is open to all alumni. LinkedIn is an on-
line professional networking resource that allows alums to connect
with classmates, friends and former colleagues. To join and create
a profi le, go to www.linkedin.com/home. Elon’s group is located at
www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=961537.
Career consultations will be available during Homecoming Week-
end. Career Services staff will be available on Friday, Oct. 23, to assist
alumni with their job searches, including writing resumes and cover
letters, and networking opportunities. Interested alumni should call
Career Services at 336.278.6538 to make an appointment.
Elon’s Career Services offi ce has a new
online resource to help alumni prepare
for job interviews.
Perfect Interview is an interactive,
Web-based program that allows users
to practice their interviewing skills and receive feedback. Alumni can
customize their interview sessions for entry-level to executive positions.
Alums can videotape and archive their sessions and e-mail them to
friends and colleagues for feedback. Tips on answering each question
and suggested responses are embedded in each session. Also included in
the program is Perfect Resume to help alumni create eff ective resumes.
To fi nd out more about Perfect Interview, go to the alumni Web site
(www.elon.edu/alumni) and click on the Career Services link.
Other resources for alumni include Career Beam and the Elon
Alumni Association LinkedIn Group.
Career Beam is a comprehensive, user-friendly program that helps
Career resources
available for
alumni
ALUMNI Action
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 29
Class Notes
’sVirginia Lee May Corbett ’43 cred-its Elon with helping her become a successful secretary. She earned her secretarial practice certifi cate in 1943 and later served as a secretary at Associated Transport, Fortress Underwriters and Traveler’s Insurance Co. Eventually, she passed the certi-fi ed professional secretary exam.
Barbara A. Haynes Francis ’49 is grateful to Elon for helping her be-come a teacher. Barbara still keeps in touch with the friends she met on campus.
’sREUNION ’
Nancy K. Keck ’50 fondly recalls chemistry classes with professor Earl Danieley ’46. She is thankful to Elon for preparing her to transfer to a school that off ered the major she needed.
Frank L. Ward ’52 never dreamed that an Elon education would be pos-sible after serving in the U.S. Navy for more than three years. With help from Earl Danieley ’46, Frank was able to graduate in three years and says that he still looks forward to see-ing Dr. Danieley when he visits Elon.
Luther Conger ’55 is looking for alumni from the 1950s and 1960s to join other alumni in the 14th-annual Elon Golf Outing in the Pinehurst/Southern Pines area Oct. 12–Oct. 14. Special rates are available for non-golfers. For more information, call Luther at 336.993.4768.
John T. Jones ’55 and Carolyn Abernathy Jones ’56 celebrated 52
years of marriage this summer. John and Carolyn are retired educators and reside in Shallotte, N.C.
Ikey Tarleton Little ’59 retired after 25 years with ibm. To show her appre-ciation for Elon, she off ered a match-ing gift of up to $25,000 to fund a scholarship in honor of the Class of 1959. She encourages classmates who are interested in making a gift to con-tact Elon’s University Advancement Offi ce at 877.784.3566. Ikey lives in Moss Landing, Calif.
’sDexter R. Barbee ’62 founded Apollo Chemical Corp. in 1968 and sold it in 2009. He lives with his wife, Joan, in Burlington, N.C.
Cliff Hardy ’62 was appointed by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to serve on the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Board for a three-year term. Cliff is a retired mortgage banker and lives with his wife, Judy Morris-Hardy, in Tampa, Fla.
Fred Stephenson ’65 retired after 24 years as conference director of the University of Georgia’s Trucking Profi tability Strategies Conference. Fred and his wife, Sharon Smith Stephenson ’66, celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary in June. Th e couple reside in Athens, Ga.
Mary Shaw Covington ’66 has been a tour guide for 31 years and conducts tours throughout the United States and North America, as well as Europe and Australia. Mary lives in Mebane, N.C.
Tom Page ’66 is a novelist and techni-cal writer, and he has authored eight books. He lives in Santa Monica, Calif.
Mary Coolidge Ruth ’66 and her husband, Bill Ruth ’66, serve as vol-unteers with Partners in Service with the United Church of Christ. Last
year, Mary and Bill volunteered at the ucc headquarters in Cleveland, serv-ing with Wider Church Ministries. Th is year, the couple are volunteering at Silver Lake Conference Center in Sharon, Conn., where Mary served as an intern in 1965. Th ey live in Stoney Creek, N.C.
William Williams ’66 moved from Clifton, Va., to Jeffersonton, Va., in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Ken R. Hollingsworth ’68 and his wife, Judy, edited the Mofu-Gudur Trilingual Dictionary, published by Rudiger Koppe Verlag. The couple also helped translate the New Testament in the Mofu-Gudur language. They reside in Maroua, Cameroon.
’sJoe Foley ’71 conducted the 16th-annual delegates assembly of the National Federation of Croatian Americans in Washington, D.C., in June. Joe works in government
Charitable gift annuities can provide income for life
A charitable gift annuity of 10,000 or more to Elon will guaran-
tee you a fi xed income for the rest of your life. With market interest
rates near historic lows, a gift annuity is an attractive way for you to
increase your income and make a gift to Elon at the same time. You
will receive immediate tax benefi ts and can defer capital gains. The
payment rate of a charitable gift annuity depends on your age at the
time of the gift — the older you are, the higher the rate.
Sample Rates eff ective February 1, 2009:
ONE BENEFICIARY
AGE ANNUIT Y RATE
60 5.0%
65 5.3%
70 5.7%
T WO BENEFICIARIES
AGES ANNUIT Y RATE
60/65 4.8%
67/67 5.0%
71/73 5.3%
Annuity rates are subject to change. The annuity rate remains fi xed once your gift is made.
To calculate a gift annuity for you or your spouse or a family member,
go to www.elon.edu/giftplanning.
For more information on how you may benefi t from a
life income gift to Elon and other gift planning opportunities,
please contact:
Jamie Killorin, CPA/PFS, CFP®, Director of Gift Planning
Toll free 877.784.3566
[email protected] • www.elon.edu/giftplanning
l-r Bill Ruth ’66, Mary Coolidge Ruth ’66, Dave Potter ’66, Betty Potter, Bonnie Moore Brooks ’66, Larry Brooks ’66, Patsy Bulla Barker ’67, Bill Barker ’67 and Judy Hardie Saunders ’68
Luther Conger ’55, second from right, and friends
CLASS Notes
30 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
relations and public aff airs for Foley Government & Public Aff airs, Inc. He lives in Potomac, Md.
Marvin L. Morgan ’71 is pastor and minister of pastoral care at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Atlanta. He serves as na-tional moderator of the General Synod of the ucc and presided at the denomination’s biennial meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich., in June. His children, Megan and Marvin Jr., are Elon students. He lives with his wife, Mae, in Atlanta.
Dale G. Esber ’73 and Nancy Darden Esber ’74 retired last year from the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, which recognized the couple for their combined 64 years of teaching. Dale and Nancy reside in Virginia Beach, Va.
Larry F. Hodges ’74 joined Clemson University as the fl agship director of the School of Computing. Larry lives with his wife, Elizabeth Williford Hodges ’74, in Clemson, S.C.
J.A. Savage ’75 is retired and lives with his wife, Jane, in Tampa, Fla.
Eric Hall ’76 is a partner at True Reality Inc. and lives in Burbank, Calif.
Steven F. Yuskevich ’76 was ap-pointed senior warden of St. Th omas Episcopal Church. He had hip re-placement surgery in May and is looking forward to his son’s wedding in October. Steven lives with his wife, Barbara, in Sanford, N.C.
’sREUNION ’
Bryant M. Colson ’80 was elected vice chair of the Orange County (N.C.) Human Relations Commission. Bryant is a current member and past chair of the Orange County Economic Development Commission. He lives with his wife, Karen, and his children, Kyra, Krysten and Kabrya, in Hillsborough, N.C.
Christopher M.T. Jones ’80 orga-nized the group, Save the Yankees Gate 2 Committee, which is dedi-cated to preserving Gate 2 from the original Yankee Stadium, built in 1923. He is a retired teacher and lives with his wife, Cindy, and his children, Katherine and Tom, in Midlothian, Va.
Karen Miller Simmons ’80 retired after teaching for 30 years in North Carolina. She lives with her husband, Billy, in Gastonia, N.C.
Marie Barrett Case ’81 teaches spe-cial-needs children in Buncombe County Schools. Marie lives in Chandler, N.C., with her husband, Ed, and her two children, Matthew and Courtney.
Patricia Spencer Melesh ’81 has been a teacher for 23 years with Anne Arundel County Public Schools. She and her husband, Charles, celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in June. Th eir daughter, Elizabeth, is a sophomore at Pfeiff er University, and their son, Charlie, is a senior at Annapolis High School. Th ey live in Annapolis, Md.
Frank D. Gorham ’82 plays on the Washington Alumni Chapter soft-ball team and has enjoyed getting to know alums from all eras. He resides in Springfield, Va., with his wife, Melissa.
Rick Handchen ’82 is director of ath-letics at Brick Township High School. He lives in Brick, N.J.
Ron C. Jones ’82 is director of golf instruction at Golf Academy of America in Orlando, Fla. Ron lives with his wife, Cindy Matherly Jones, in Lake Mary, Fla.
Aubrey M. Wilkerson ’82 was pro-moted to regional business bank-ing director for the western region of Wachovia/Wells Fargo Bank in Virginia. Aubrey lives with his wife, Denise, in Winchester, Va.
Joel W. Huffstetler ’85 earned a master’s degree in sacred theology from Th e School of Th eology at Th e University of the South-Sewanee. His thesis topic was “A Critical Analysis of the Writings of Michael Mayne.” Joel is rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland, Tenn., where he lives with his wife, Debbie.
Penny F. Rosser ’85 received a doc-torate in environmental engineering from Warren National University in May 2009. Penny works as a chem-ist for the Town of Cary, N.C. She oversees the chemistry and microbi-ology laboratories at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility. Penny lives in Cary.
Timothy D. Farmer ’87 is the stem cell and cloning project manager with bsci and lives in Potomac Falls, Va.
Jim Leary ’87 started his own busi-ness, mcd International, Inc., a general contracting and manage-ment company. He lives with his wife, Missy Swaim Leary ’88, in Greensboro, N.C.
William R. Abele ’88 was promoted to sergeant with the Norfolk Police Department and has been assigned to the Homeland Security Division Bomb Squad Unit. He lives in Suff olk, Va.
Robert F. Criste ’89 is founder and president of Stevens Performance Turf, Inc., which provides water-use effi ciency sensors to golf courses and sports turf facilities worldwide. Robert lives in Lawrenceville, Ga.
Suzette Hatcher Hunley ’89 is prac-tice manager at Roxboro MedAccess Urgent Care Facility. She resides in Roxboro, N.C.
James C. Rich ’89 was promoted to major with the Alamance County Sheriff ’s Offi ce. James lives with his wife, Lisa, in Graham, N.C.
’sREUNION ’
G. Doug Lewis ’90 is a real estate investor and general contractor with Fairchild Renovations. He lives with his wife, Faith, and their children, Julianna and Sophia, in Chesapeake Beach, Md. He and his former Elon roommate, Casey Beathard ’90, plan to attend Homecoming this fall and their 20th class reunion. He hopes to see many classmates there.
Maria Lynn Kealey ’90 has com-pleted her master’s degree in adult education and training, and begins law school this fall. Maria lives in Centreville, Md.
Rick Snyder ’91 was named vice pres-ident of creative services at speed, a cable television network dedicated to motor sports. Rick lives in Charlotte, N.C.
Marti Blythe Clark ’92 is the mar-keting assistant for Southampton Memorial Hospital. Marti also assists her husband, Michael, with running the family business, wlqm 101.7 fm and 1250 am radio stations. Th e cou-ple and their daughter, Molly, live in Franklin, Va.
Th omas S. Nielson ’92 has moved to Los Angeles to pursue a fi lm career.
He lives with his wife, Tracey, in Redondo Beach, Calif.
Jeff rey D. Queen ’92 was promoted to chief fi nancial offi cer at Vecoplan llc. He lives in Greensboro, N.C.
Laura Foster ’93 is a teacher and head coach of the varsity girl’s bas-ketball team at Ashe County High School. Th e team was named High Point Holiday Classic champion, Mountain-Valley 2a season champion and conference tournament cham-pion. Laura was named conference coach of the year and district coach of the year. She lives in Wilkesboro, N.C.
Kelly Holder ’93 is the head football coach of Mt. Airy High School. His team was undefeated and captured the North Carolina 1-A state cham-pionship. Kelly lives in Mt. Airy, N.C.
Thomas “Tripp” Bass iii ’94 and his wife, Crystal Crawford Bass ’96, live in Elon, N.C. Tripp is the sec-ond generation of his family to attend Elon. He says he hopes their children, 8-year-old Th omas iv and 2-year-old Maggie, will be the third generation of proud Elon alums. Tripp is a net-work administrator at Harris, Crouch, Long, Scott, & Miller, and Crystal is a registered nurse case manager for Hospice of Alamance-Caswell.
Chris Crabtree ’94 was promoted to executive vice president of MedSolutions and lives in Brentwood, Tenn.
Leigh Tavolacci ’94 received her professional human resources cer-tifi cation and is a human resources business partner at adp. She lives in Atlanta.
Tonya Taylor ’94 was appointed executive director of the Rochester General Health System nwch Foundation, where she directs public relations and marketing. Tonya lives in Rochester, N.Y.
Tripp Bass ’94 and Crystal Crawford Bass ’96 and children, Thomas and Maggie
CLASS Notes
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 31
Erick P. Gill ’95 was named govern-ment communicator of the year by the Treasure Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. Erick is the public information of-fi cer for St. Lucie County, Fla. He and his staff received six National Association of County Information Offi cers Excellence Awards for video production and public relations proj-ects for the third consecutive year. He resides in Fort Pierce, Fla., with his wife, Colleen Batt Gill ’95, and their children, Chelsea and Trevor.
Daniel Colangelo ’96 is a tennis professional at North Hills Club in Raleigh, N.C., where he lives.
Satara P. Ferguson ’96 is a teacher at Flat Shoals Elementary School. She became a licensed minister in 2008 and had her fi rst book, Handmade by God, published in May. She is working on two additional books and lives with her son, HyKeem, in Lithonia, Ga.
Melanie Y. Crenshaw ’98 graduated in the charter class of Elon University School of Law. Melanie lives in Greensboro, N.C.
Stephanie O’Brien ’98 manages re-cruitment for Walt Disney’s newest venture, Disney English. She works with educators teaching English in China. She lives in Stamford, Conn.
Bobby G. Cox Jr. ’99 is an assistant varsity football coach at West Craven High School. He lives in Vanceboro, N.C., with his wife, Erica, and their son, Kaden.
Shannon K. Landefeld ’99 received the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award at the National Education Conference in April. Shannon is a fourth-grade teacher at Tulip Grove Elementary School in Bowie, Md. She lives in Crofton, Md.
Erica L. Preusse ’99 traveled to Africa and worked with children aff ected by hiv in Tanzania. She also went on a safari and spent Easter on Zanzibar Island. Erica lives in Holly Springs, N.C.
Melissa Quinn ’99 is a producer with the tele-vision show “Th e Shift,” which chronicles the cases of homicide de-tectives in Indianapolis. She won an Emmy Award in June from the National Academy of
Television Arts and Sciences National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter. Th e award was in the promotion/pro-gram/campaign category. She lives in Silver Spring, Md.
Joe D. Trickey ’99 is pursuing an MBA at Liberty University. He lives in South Boston, Va.
’sREUNION ’
Marshall Glass ’00 is a fi eld sales rep-resentative for Allstate Insurance and lives in Astoria, N.Y.
Shaun P. Landers ’00 has received an MBA with a concentration in human resources management from Johns Hopkins University. Shaun is a recruiting director with Resources Global Professionals. He lives in Maplewood, N.J., with his wife, Lisa.
Jeff Goodman ’01 com-pleted his fi rst year of teaching health and physical education at Colonel Richardson High School. Jeff coaches the boy’s soccer and baseball teams. He lives with his wife, Tammy, and his daugh-ter, Hailey, in Chestertown, Md.
Steven A. Wilson ’01 has earned a master’s degree and license in coun-seling and is pursuing a license as a clinical addictions specialist. Steven works for Triad Psychiatric and Counseling Center. He lives in Whitsett, N.C.
Allyson M. Brunetti ’02 was pro-moted to operations manager at mkm Partners in Greenwich, Conn. She serves as the young alumni chair of the New York Alumni Chapter. She lives in Old Greenwich, Conn.
Holly Edwards Ferris ’02 received a master’s degree in higher and post-secondary education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Holly is a program manager at the Jerome
A. Chazem Institute of International Business at Columbia Business School. She lives in New York.
Ashley R. Igdalsky ’02 is executive director of the new Village at Pocono Raceway, which opened in August. She
also serves as the assistant secretary of Pocono Raceway and assistant di-rector for fox Sports Speed Channel. Ashley lives in Long Pond, Pa.
Lundon B. Sims ’02 received the Southern Conference of Foreign Language Teachers Award and will study abroad in Cuenca, Ecuador, this summer. She also received the Blanche Raper Zimmerman Scholarship for social studies teachers from the Winston-Salem Foundation. Lundon lives in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Erica Stanley ’02 is deputy commu-nications director for Adrian Fenty, mayor of Washington, D.C. Erica lives in Washington, D.C.
Tim Steadman ’02 was contracted as a contributing photographer with
Icon smi, a photography wire service. One of Tim’s photos from the ncaa Baseball Super Regionals was fea-tured on the front page of the espnu Web site. Tim lives in Charlotte, N.C., with his wife, Karen Dickens Steadman ’03.
Brian D. Ford ’03 helped establish Capstone Realty Advisors, a commer-cial real estate brokerage fi rm. Brian lives in Charlotte, N.C.
Danielle S. Matthews ’03 received an MBA with a concentration in project management from Walden University. Danielle lives in Middle River, Md.
Jeanette Olli ’03 earned a doctorate in mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May. Th is fall, she will serve as an assistant professor of mathematics at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill.
Wade H. Barnes ’04 received the Governor’s Service Award for his volunteer efforts with inner-city high schools. Wade is assistant vice president of 1st Mariner Bank in Baltimore. He lives in Parkville, Md.
Sharon Anderson Davies ’04 re-ceived her master’s degree in educa-tion with a concentration in student
aff airs practice in higher education from the University of Virginia. She is executive director of the Virginia ymca and coordinates statewide youth leadership programs. She lives with her husband, Corey, in Lynchburg, Va.
Alyssa Martin ’04 is working with Oscar-nominated director Mark Kitchell on his new fi lm about the history of the environmental move-ment. Alyssa leads the project’s archi-val research eff orts in San Francisco, where she lives.
A. Justin McCarthy iii ’04 was named a Leader’s Level Producer at Baystate Financial Services, where he works as a fi nancial planner. He lives with his wife, Alison Edwards McCarthy ’04, in Westford, Mass.
Bryan McFarland ’04 launched Vintage V by David Mac, a designer T-shirt company based in West Chester, Pa. He works with Jennifer Gu t h r i e ’ 0 4 a n d Christopher Glen ’05 at the company, which specializes in men’s and women’s graphic V-neck
shirts. Alums can fi nd the shirts at www.vintagevneck.com.
Vycki McKitrick ’04 graduated from the University of Maryland School of Nursing and is a geriatric nurse practitioner at Bravohealth. She lives in Baltimore.
William K. Pou iii ’04 was promoted to replenishment buyer at Badcock Home Furniture and More. William lives with his wife, Tessa Sweetman-Pou ’04, in Mulberry, Fla.
Katie Sherman ’04 was promoted to associate managing editor at Th eLadders.com, an executive job search Web site. Katie resides in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jessica Patchett-Anderson ’05 is the child and family outreach coordi-nator at First Presbyterian Church and serves as pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Concord, N.C. In July, she was ordained as a minister of word and sacra-ment. Jessica lives with her husband, Tommy, in Charlotte, N.C.
Agnes P. Bannigan ’05 received her master’s degree from the University of Maryland department of cre-ative writing. Agnes plans to con-tinue teaching at the University of Melissa Quinn ’99
Bryan McFarland ’04, Chris Glen ’05 and Jennifer Guthrie ’04
CLASS Notes
32 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
’00, Matt Crews ’05, David Ratz ’01, Tracy Trave ’06, Jen Quast ’05, Cassie Cosentino ’07 and professor Linda Poulson for attending their wedding.
Aubria T. Williams ’05 is pursing a bachelor’s degree in graphic design at the Art Institute in Northern Virginia. Before that, she worked for four years as a social worker in Louisville, Ky. Aubria resides in Herndon, Va.
Tommy Bedard ’06 graduated from Syracuse University’s School of Education in May with a master’s degree in secondary social studies education. Tommy is pursuing a middle/high school teaching posi-
Jessica Swearengin ’05 was named to the 2009 class of Apple Distinguished Educators. She was a N.C. Teaching Fellow at Elon and now teaches world history at Mooresville High School in Mooresville, N.C.
Alison Gray Wille ’05 and Michael G. Wille ’05 celebrated their fi rst wedding anniversary in June. Mike is a fi nan-cial specialist with Wachovia Bank, and Alison works as a senior associate auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Th ey reside in Baltimore. Th eir fi rst year of marriage has been wonder-ful and they want to thank Elon alumni Emily Sprouse Walker ’04, Matt Wille ’07, Alden De Lamarter ’07, Ashley Kehrer ’02, Bowie Gray
Jennifer Holmes ’05 in June earned a master’s degree in human-computer interaction from DePaul University in Chicago. Jennifer is a Web devel-oper with Salem Web Network. She lives in Midlothian, Va.
Samantha “Sam” C. McDaniel ’05is pursuing a master’s degree in reli-gion at Liberty University. She was appointed president of the national board of trustees for the Sigma Alpha Omega Christian sorority and is the worship leader for conVerge Church in Lynchburg, Va.
Patrick J. Rees ’05 is public relations coordinator for the New Jersey Nets. Patrick lives in Weehawken, N.J.
Maryland this fall. She resides in Greenbelt, Md.
Michael Bean ’05 was named teacher of the year at Southern Vance High School for 2008–2009. Michael lives in Henderson, N.C.
Valentine Woods Breitbarth ’05graduated with a master’s degree in public health and health policy from George Washington University in May. Valentine works for the District of Columbia in the Department of Health Care Finance’s Policy and Planning Administration. She lives in Washington, D.C.
A treasured keepsake BY SARAH COSTELLO ’ AND JALEH HAGIGH
Thanks to Mary Jones Stephenson ’31, Elon
trustee Zachary T. Walker III ’60 has a special
memento of his father, former Elon quarterback
Zachary Walker Jr. ’30.
This story begins at Homecoming in fall 1929. Zac
Walker Jr. scored the fi rst touchdown of the game
and by tradition was awarded a maroon wool
sweater with a gold “E” sewn on the front. Instead of
taking it for himself, he asked that it be made in a
smaller size for Stephenson, his girlfriend at the time.
She wore it several times that season before carefully
tucking it away in a cedar chest for safekeeping.
Nearly eight decades later, the 100-year-old
alumna from Suff olk, Va., decided to give the sweater
to Walker’s son as a keepsake. Coincidentally,
Stephenson’s dentist in Suff olk, Dr. Leroy Howell, is a
trustee emeritus at Elon, and he agreed to make sure
the sweater reached Walker. He called Walker at his
Raleigh, N.C., home in February to tell him the good
news. Walker was fl oored.
“I never knew Mary existed until I got the call,”
Walker says. “Dad never talked a lot about his time at
Elon. He enjoyed it, and he was an all-conference
player, but it never went to his head.”
Walker couldn’t believe his eyes when he fi nally
received the sweater, not knowing it had been made
for Stephenson.
“My fi rst reaction when I saw it was, ‘I knew my
daddy was a small man, but I never knew he was that
small,’” Walker says, laughing. “I expected it to have
some wear and tear, but it looked like it had just
come off the factory line. I was overwhelmed.”
Walker called Stephenson to thank her for the
sweater. In an interview, Stephenson says she dated
the elder Walker for two years and that she couldn’t
recall any other player making that kind of sacrifi ce
for his girlfriend.
“I thought it was great for him to make (the
sweater) for me,” she says. “He wanted me to have it
to remember him by. I guess he thought enough of
me to do that for me.”
Staying in touch following graduation was
diffi cult, Stephenson says. She returned to her
Virginia home, married, raised two children and
taught school for more than 30 years.
“I went to some Elon Commencements, and he
was there, of course,” Stephenson says. “I spoke to
him there as a friend.”
Like Stephenson did before him, Walker has
stored the sweater in a cedar chest in his home,
which he shares with his wife, Dot.
“Dot and I haven’t decided what we’re going to
do with it yet,” he says. “I’m going to see if it’ll fi t her
and if she’ll wear it to an Elon football game.”
Zac and Dot Walker have been generous Elon
benefactors for more than 25 years, making major
gifts to support academic and athletics scholarships,
as well as construction of the new fi eld house in the
north athletics complex.
“I’ll be forever grateful to Mary for caring enough
to get that sweater to me,” Walker says. “It’s part of
my dad’s life that I never knew existed. It is
something I’ll always treasure.”
Zac Walker III ’60
CLASS Notes
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 33
awareness about people with disabili-ties in the community. Before join-ing the Peace Corps, Sara worked for two years as a teacher assistant at the Burlington County Special Services School in New Jersey. She lives in Burlington, N.J.
Emily Sargent ’07 completed a week-long service trip to Honduras. Emily has traveled to Honduras several times since her fi rst trip as a member of the Periclean Scholars Class of 2007. Emily resides in Washington, D.C.
Tonya J. Albert ’08 was promoted to full-time museum specialist with Jekyll Island Authority. She is in charge of collections, archives and historic building maintenance. She lives in Brunswick, Ga.
Brad Hartland ’08 was promoted to chief Macintosh computer techni-cian at the Advisory Board Company, based in Washington, D.C. He lives in Cary, N.C.
Samantha Widmer ’08 competed in the NatWest Island Games golf tour-nament in Aland, Finland. She plans to compete in the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in Provo, Turks and Caicos, in August. Samantha re-sides in Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, where she works as an ac-countant for Ernst & Young.
Dorian A. Wanzer ’09 was awarded the James E. Webb Students in Public Administration Fellowship with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. She lives in Greensboro, N.C.
Weddings
’sJohn H. Pinson ’85 and Kathy Gilliam Ruffi n ’81, 6/20/09. Kathy works for Communications Technologies on as-signment at Virginia Military Institute. John is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and works as a sales and project manager
for Th yssenKrupp Safway, Inc. Th ey live in Lexington, Va.
Steve Chatham ’86 and Ella McBride, 6/22/08. Steve is a systems analyst at Remington Arms. Th e couple reside in Axton, Va.
’sChris T. Creasy ’91 and Stacie Lefl er, 8/8/08. Chris and Stacie are bartend-ers and co-owners of 6th Bistro and Loft. Chris is the president of Epic Restaurants. The couple reside in Hood River, Ore.
Loren Kendra Burlando ’93 and Russell K. Adams, 9/20/08. Loren is an associate producer of “Dateline nbc,” a news magazine show. Th e couple live in New York.
Angela G. Riley ’96 and Kevin D. Wrenn, 4/18/09. Angela is senior editor for wghp Fox 8. Th e couple reside in Th omasville, N.C.
Melissa Crowe ’97 and Matt McNamara, 3/14/09. Melissa is a surgi-cal sales representative for Medtronic. Th e couple live in Arlington, Va.
Deena R. Erickson ’98 and Scott S. McNichol, 3/22/08. Elon alumni in attendance were: Megan Slusher Snell ’98, Jim Snell ’98 and Maria Nicole McArthur ’99. Deena is a clinical social worker at the National Center for Children and Families. Th ey reside in Frederick, Md.
Stacey M. Lee ’99 and Valerie L. Delby, 8/2/08. Elon alumni in atten-dance were: Erin Benson Hontz ’99, Tara Linman Riemer ’99, Cortney Berben ’99 and David Meeler ’90. Stacey is a physician assistant. Th e couple reside in Charlotte, N.C.
Scott Loney ’99 and Carri Espeland, 11/1/08. Scott is a fi nancial consultant at Charles Schwab. Th e couple live in Chevy Chase, Md.
Jennifer L. Papillo ’06 graduated cum laude from Stetson University College of Law in May and plans to attend Georgetown University Law Center to obtain an LL.M. in taxation with an emphasis on exempt organizations. Jennifer resides in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Amanda R. Taylor ’06 worked on the Tony Award-winning Broadway pro-duction of “Th e Norman Conquests” with acclaimed producer Jennifer Isaacson. Th is fall, she will work with Isaacson as a co-producer in the new production company Rebel/Rebel Productions. Currently, they are working on a show titled “In Th erapy with Celine,” which features singer Celine Dion in a comedy/cabaret show. Amanda resides in New York.
Dave Warfel ’06 started a Web design and creative marketing company in Richmond, Va. Dave has also been competing in sprint triathlons and is training for a 100-mile trail run through the mountains of Virginia in June 2010. He resides in Henrico, Va.
Andrew A. Iszard ’07 is a sales and services associate at the Halstead of Arlington, a luxury apartment com-plex. Andrew lives in Alexandria, Va.
Cara H. Leidy ’07 and her fellow Sigma Sigma Sigma sisters celebrated the engagement of Corey Backes ’07 and Bobby Miller ’07. Ashley Moniger ’07, Sarah Edyt ’07, Devin Cirillo ’07, Lydia Pohlman ’07 and Lauren Sims ’07 also attended. Cara lives in Washington, D.C.
Samuel B. McGuire ’07 received a master’s degree in history from the University of Kentucky in May. He plans to pursue a doctorate in history at the University of Georgia. He lives in Athens, Ga.
Sara Rhymer ’07 has joined the Peace Corps and will serve in Peru as a youth development volunteer/spe-cial education trainer. She will help students and teachers in Peru develop special education curricula and raise
tion in central New York. He lives in Syracuse, N.Y.
Geoff Childs ’06 recently completed a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army. Geoff was pro-moted to captain and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service as a scout platoon leader and squadron adjutant during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Geoff and his wife, Laura Bartholomay Childs ’05, reside in Killeen, Texas.
Matthew Cohen ’06 moved to the Washington, D.C., area to work in the company statistics division of the U.S. Census Bureau. He resides in Arlington, Va.
Michael G. Demos ’06 was named the play-by-play announcer for the Tri-City ValleyCats, the minor league Class A baseball affiliate for the Houston Astros. He works for the Siena College athletics department and lives in Clifton Park, N.Y.
Brandon Gauthier ’06 has been accepted as a Ph.D. candidate in U.S. diplomatic history at Fordham University. He will complete his mas-ter’s degree this summer and begin his doctoral studies this fall. Brandon lives in New York.
Brian C. Lynch ’06 sells sponsor-ships and advertisements for the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics radio network. He works at weei 850 am Sports Radio. Brian lives in Watertown, Mass.
George Memory ’06 received his Series 7, Series 31 and Series 65 life and health insurance, and long-term care and Medicare supplement li-censes and certifications. George works as a portfolio manager and fi -nancial planning specialist with the Sullivan Memory McCulloch Group at MorganStanley SmithBarney. George lives in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Scott T. Owen ’06 was promoted to regional manager of Cranked Cuts nyc. Scott lives in New York.
l-r Jim Snell ’98, Megan Slusher Snell ’98, Deena Erickson McNichol ’98, Scott McNichol and Maria N. McArthur ’99
Sarah Porter Chambers ’99 and Andrew Chambers and friends
Sean M. Loren ’99 and Dawn Loren and friendsLoren K. Burlando ’93 and Russell Adams
Stacey Lee ’99 and Valerie Delby
CLASS Notes
34 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
Sean M. Loren ’99 and Dawn M. Batchelder, 4/25/09. Elon alumni in attendance were: Jimmy Golinsky ’99, Shelley Rubin Golinsky ’00, Chris Tonnesen ’99, Teresa Hauss Pollock ’03, Mike Bruno ’98, Jason Clark ’94, Rachel Malone Clark ’98, Ryan Bradley ’97, Ed Bonanno ’98, Chris Chandler ’01, Michelle James ’98, Evan Henry ’00, Ron Pukacz ’00, Kerry Neale ’04 and Kendall Mackintosh Thompson ’00. Sean works in investments for 3D Advisors llc. Th e couple reside in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Jeff rey R. Myers ’99 and Jennifer Dew ’03, 12/20/08. Elon alumni in at-tendance were: Francis Williams ’96, Brent Walker ’99, Regan Beaudry Burney ’03, Mark McGinnis ’98, Heang Uy ’00, Leslie Crowe Rafter ’03 and Dalerie Hudson McGinnis ’99. Jeff rey is a youth director, and
Jennifer is a school counselor. Th ey live in Chesapeake, Va.
Sarah Porter ’99 and Andrew Chambers, 3/14/09. Elon alumni in attendance were: Leslie Gill ’95, Kelly Hayman ’99, Jill Barrett ’99, Christine Zellers Heckert ’97, Kristina Kromulis McClain ’97, Kristen McGuire ’98, Mark Richter ’99 and Michelle Maddox Ward ’98. Th e couple reside in Albany, Ohio.
Mary Ann Rogers-Witte ’99 and Paul C. Ciciarelli, 8/31/08. Th e couple re-side in Charlotte, N.C.
’sJennifer Ledger ’00 and Raj Thamoderam, 8/8/08. The couple reside in Enfi eld, England.
Matt Shifano ’00 and Sarah Ford, 5/2/09. Matt works in real estate in Bethany Beach, Del. Th e couple re-side in Frankford, Del.
Brian M. Canto ’01 and Kristin E. Norman, 9/14/08. Elon alumni in attendance were: Matthew Paolino ’02, Garth Lanning ’01, Andrew Linn ’02, Billy Duff y ’01, Suzanne George Duff y ’02, Stacey Munoz ’01, David Fortier ’01, Daniel Carmody ’01, Joseph Chichetti ’01, Cynthia Maynard Ward ’01 and Pamela Braccini Pizzanie ’01. Th e couple reside in Webster, Md.
Clark Carter ’01 and Jennifer Mirone, 1/10/09. Clark is program coordinator at Th e Root Cellar. Th e couple reside in Portland, Maine.
Th omas W. Dozier ’01 and Asheley L. Wheeley ’03, 4/18/09. Elon alums
Dan Tursi ’02, Patrick Benko ’04 and Bill Woods ’02 were in atten-dance. Thomas is a meeting plan-ner at AIM Meetings, and Asheley is a marketing director for The Washington Post. Th e couple reside in Rockville, Md.
Michael “Derek” Luther ’01 and Brittany S. Brackett ’05, 6/28/08. Elon alumni in attendance were: Kate Gaskin ’05, Kristin White ’04, Melissa von der Heide ’04, Kristen New ’04, Adam Sherland ’05, Dan Hanson ’05, Samantha White ’05, Julie Bourbeau ’06, Trent Gilbert ’02, Angel Jacobs ’04, Tucker Campbell ’03, Don Campbell ’01 and Edward New ’01. Derek is assistant director of admissions at Immaculata University, and Brittany is a child life specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Th e couple live in Ardmore, Pa.
A worthy mission BY SARAH COSTELLO ’
Britten Ginsburg ’06 has devoted much of her
life to serving some of society’s most vulnerable
people.
The drive to help others began in high school
and continued at Elon, where she majored in human
services and conducted research on HIV/AIDS as part
of the university’s undergraduate research program.
Today, Ginsburg is a senior associate of care and
treatment at the National Alliance of State &
Territorial AIDS Directors. The nonprofi t association
represents the nation’s leading offi cials who are
responsible for administering HIV/AIDS healthcare,
prevention, education and support programs in all
50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories.
Their goal, Ginsburg explains, is to reduce the
number of HIV/AIDS cases, as well as provide quality
care to people living with the disease and advocate
for responsible public policy. Ginsburg and her
colleagues assist state offi cials in a variety of ways,
from helping them fi nd answers to medical
questions to gathering information to promoting
communication between state and local health
departments and care and treatment programs. She
also drafts surveys on AIDS-related issues and
contributes to alliance publications.
She never imagined that working at a desk
would be so empowering.
“I think (the alliance) is an amazing place and
provides great opportunities,” Ginsburg says. “Sitting
in an offi ce really is making a diff erence.”
Their ultimate goal is as simple as it is ambitious.
“Our vision is a world free of HIV and AIDS,” she says.
Ginsburg knows they have a long way to go to
reach their dream.
Ginsburg began working on behalf of people
with AIDS as part of a research project at Elon. She
chose the university because of its human services
program and commitment to service.
“Elon had everything I was looking for,” Ginsburg
says. “It was small enough that I could be the big fi sh
in the little pond. I have always been interested in
helping people and found myself at home with the
broader idea of human services.”
Many doors opened for Ginsburg at Elon,
including the chance to conduct research with her
adviser, Cynthia Fair, associate professor of human
services, who was examining discrimination faced
by adults with HIV/AIDS.
As part of her research, Ginsburg spent time
at Higher Ground Day Center in Greensboro, N.C.,
which serves individuals with AIDS or HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS. She surveyed and observed
the clients at Higher Ground and later began
volunteering there. During her senior year, she
participated in an internship at the center.
“I still remember the overwhelming sense of
walking through the front door of Higher Ground
and thinking ‘I fi nally belong somewhere,’” she says.
Volunteering at the center was not easy.
Ginsburg regularly witnessed hardship and suff ering.
“I remember the fi rst person I knew really
well who died,” she recalls. “It still makes me take a
deep breath and remember a time when he was
around. What a disease can do to somebody is
heartbreaking.”
Ginsburg presented the results of her research at
Elon’s Student Undergraduate Research Forum and
later at the National Conference on Undergraduate
Research.
After graduation, Ginsburg completed an
internship at the National Alliance, which turned into
a full-time job a few months later. The alliance has
made signifi cant progress fi ghting AIDS since the
group’s founding in 1991, Ginsburg says. Yet she
knows it has a long way to go to achieve its goal of
an AIDS-free world.
“We continue to work for a day when we can say
we’re really glad we don’t have jobs anymore
because we came to do what we needed to do.”
Britten Ginsburg ’06, at right, with Elon professor Cynthia Fair
CLASS Notes
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 35
Carl W. Sgritta ’02 and Ellie A. Mayer ’02, 10/6/07. Carl is trade operations manager at Citigroup gts, and Ellie is a property manager for RFR Realty. Th e couple reside in Norwalk, Conn.
Ryan Molloy ’03 and Misty Pearson ’06, 4/18/09. Ryan is a senior fi-nancial analyst at Bank of America, and Misty is a volunteer coordina-tor at Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region. Th e couple reside in Huntersville, N.C.
Kyleen Moore ’03 and Jeff Beshore, 9/20/08. Kyleen is a dolphin trainer at Th e Dolphin Connection. Th e couple live in Marathon, Fla.
Carrie Roberts ’03 and Henry Tyson, 5/10/08. Th e couple live in Raleigh, N.C.
Soledad Davila ’04 and Lee Whittington, 4/2/09. Th e couple re-side in Edwards, Colo.
Kate Polchlopek ’04 and Brian Costello, 5/25/08. Kate is a golf pro-fessional at the Forest Lake Country Club. Th e couple live in Rochester Hills, Mich.
Megan Booth ’05 and Peter Malanos ’04, 6/21/08. Megan is the human resources administrator at South Carolina Research Authority. Peter is a general contractor at M Design and Development. Th e couple reside in Charleston, S.C.
Kristina Velys ’05 and Jim Adams, 10/4/08. Elon alums Julie Irving ’05 and Dan Kulick ’05 were in atten-dance. Th e couple reside in Herndon, Va.
Laura E. Wulf ’05 and Brian L. Conley ’04, 10/25/08. Elon alumni in attendance were: Zoe Maas ’05, Kimberly Atwater ’06, Andrew Rollins ’04, Erin Mahoney ’05, Christina Ryan ’05 and Travis Lock ’05. Th e couple reside in Santa Monica, Calif.
Kelly Fleck ’06 and Elzie Burgher, 9/13/08. The couple reside in Statesville, N.C.
Rache l Hetu ’06 and Bradley Sumrow, 7/19/08. Rachel is a registered nurse at unc Children’s Hospital. Th e couple live in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Kevin W. Kindle ’06 and Katie C. Donovan ’06, 5/2/09. Elon alumni in attendance were: Liza Schirmer ’06, Derek Powers ’06, Aaramina Maynard ’06 and Ian MacLaughlin ’06. Kevin works on a fi lm crew, and Katie is the project coordinator for Sesame Street. Th e couple reside in Astoria, N.Y.
Cecilia E. McCollum ’06 and Tobias B. Eisenträger, 7/5/08. Bridget Burckell ’06 and Elizabeth White ’06 served as bridesmaids. Elon alumni in attendance were: Bess York ’04, Lisa Rockwell ’05 and Loren Battaglia-Beley ’06. The couple reside in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Chad Ritter ’06 and Ashlyn Dixon ’07, 5/30/09. Chad is a regional sales representative at Rainin Instruments, and Ashlyn is a student at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Meredith Rountree ’06 and James Worsham, 4/18/09. Th e couple reside in New York.
Richard E. Schlieper ’06 and Ashley M. Krueger ’07, 2/14/09. Richard
is a client relationship associate at Vanguard, and Ashley is pursuing a master’s degree in social work. Th e couple reside in Charlotte, N.C.
Katey J. Dowd ’07 and René I. González, 10/11/08. The couple met while Katey was working for Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico. Th ey work for Back2Back
Ministries serving orphaned children in Monterrey, where they live.
Rachel Hiskey ’07 and Brandon Cloud, 6/21/08. Elon alumni in at-tendance were: Elizabeth Evans ’08, Megan Hall ’08, Kerry Sunderland ’08, Allison Ellmers ’08, Kate McCulley ’08, Jessica Young ’08, Stephen Michael ’08, Garrett Kachellek ’08 and Alli Dean ’09. Th e couple reside in Annapolis, Md.
Derek Luther ’01 and Brittany Brackett Luther ’05 and friends
Laura Wulf Conley ’05 and Brian Conley ’04 and friends
Alison Gray Wille ’05 and Michael G. Wille ’05 and friends
Meredith Rountree Worsham ’06 and James Worsham and friends
Kristina Velys Adams ’05 and Jim Adams
Richard Schlieper ’06 and Ashley Krueger Schlieper ’07
Jeff rey Myers ‘99 and Jennifer Dew Myers ’03 and friends
Brian M. Canto ’01 and Kristin Norman Canto and friends
l-r Dan Tursi ’02, Tom Dozier ’01, Asheley Wheeley Dozier ’03, Patrick Benko ’04, Bill Woods ’02
Misty Pearson Molloy ’06 and Ryan Molloy ’03 and friends
Carrie Roberts Tyson ’03 and Henry Tyson
Rachel Hiskey Cloud ’07 and Brandon Cloud
Lauren N. Horney ’09 and Michael W. Lawson ’09
Meghan Partelow Fisher ’07 and James Fisher and friends
Kelly Fleck Burgher ’06 and Elzie Burgher and friends
Katey Dowd González ’07 and René González
CLASS Notes
36 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
Meghan Partelow ’07 and James F. Fisher, 4/25/09. Jane Williams Steele ’06 served as a bridesmaid. Th e cou-ple reside in Greensboro, N.C.
Anna M. Schimmelfing ’07 and Doug von Allmen, 7/12/08. Anna teaches third grade at Glenwood Elementary School. They live in Carrboro, N.C.
Jason A. Spinos ’07 and Becca S. Johnson ’04, 7/19/08. Jason is a video editor at News Channel 25, and Becca is pursuing a master’s degree in direct-ing for theater at Baylor University. Th e couple reside in Waco, Texas.
Lauren N. Horney ’09 and Michael W. Lawson ’09, 6/6/09. Lauren is a clinical secretary and patient care specialist for the Carilion Clinic. Th e couple live in Roanoke, Va.
Births
’sBill Sandford ’90 and Cheryl Fowler Sandford ’93, Whitsett, N.C. Son: Luke Joshua. 1/21/09. He joins older brothers Christopher and William. Bill is self-employed at Advantage
Homebuyers, and Cheryl is a homemaker.
Laurie Wommack Johnston ’92 and Miguel Johnston ’94, Morganton, N.C. Son: Gregory Vaughn. 5/8/09. He joins older brothers Seth, Rico, Ben and Erik. Laurie is a homemaker, and Miguel is an eighth-grade algebra teacher at Liberty Middle School.
Sam Walker ’92 and Michelle Walker, Duncan, S.C. Daughter: Ella Grace. 8/22/08. Sam is director of dining services at Woff ord College.
Liese Bouknight Faircloth ’93and Dean Faircloth, Raleigh, N.C. Daughter: Emma Grace. 7/22/08. Liese is a senior auditor at Ernst and Young.
Letitia “Tish” H. Hamilton ’94 and David E. Hamilton, Raleigh, N.C. Daughter: Emory Holt. She joins older sisters, Sarah Clark, Anna Hudson and Mary Reade. Letitia is a homemaker.
Stephanie J . Houston ’94 , Burlington, N.C. Son: Joseph Graham. 10/5/07. He joins older brother, Gabriel. Stephanie is the
Finders Keepers brings smiles BY BETHANY SWANSON ’
Jeweler Trey Bailey ’02 hatched one of his most
successful business ideas while sitting in a park
with his wife, Marci, one lazy Sunday afternoon.
“I asked her, ‘How cool would it be if someone
found a Bailey’s box that was just sitting there, and
they could just keep it (like) fi nders keepers?’” he
recalls. Before long, Bailey’s Fine Jewelry store’s
Finders Keepers project was born. For the past year,
Bailey and his colleagues have left 1,000 boxes of free
jewelry across Eastern North Carolina as well as in
Raleigh, Rocky Mount and Greenville, where the
family owns stores.
Why? To make someone’s day brighter and
promote the family-owned business, which is known
for its signature black and white striped gift boxes
topped with a red bow.
A woman in Raleigh found the fi rst box on
Sept. 11, 2008. It came with an unsealed envelope
with “Finders Keepers” written on the front. Inside,
the note read, “Congratulations. This gift is for you.
Yes, you. You deserve it, you really do. Give it, share
it, wear it. This Bailey Box is yours. We just hope
you come through our doors.” The note also
included Bailey’s e-mail address, and the woman
contacted him.
“She said it made her day,” Bailey recalls. “But
what I wasn’t expecting was that there was an
emotional connection — she’d been going through
a rough time, and it meant a lot to her.”
From that fi rst box, the project has fl ourished.
The store distributes Finders Keepers boxes each
month and during holidays, including Mother’s Day.
The boxes typically contain necklaces, bracelets or
earrings valued from 20 to 100, or the occasional
gift card.
“It’s fun, you get a little rush when you leave it,”
Bailey says. “Once or twice, I’ve stayed to watch.
Sometimes the fi rst person will be the one to pick it
up, and sometimes a couple of people will walk by
before they realize what it is.”
The project has attracted media attention
across the state and prompted thousands to e-mail
the store.
“I didn’t expect it to have this kind of impact,”
Bailey says. “It’s a new way for us to interact with our
customers and gain new customers through word of
mouth.”
The store’s motto, “Every Woman Wants A Bailey
Box,” gained new meaning for Bailey when he heard
from a single mother who had found a box.
“She wrote this e-mail (and) sounded so down. It
said, ‘I’m a single mom, and I’ve never been able to
aff ord a Bailey’s box. I had come to terms with the
fact that I would never get one, and then I found
one,’” Bailey recalls. “She said, ‘I’m going to keep this
box forever so that I can remember how great that
day was.’ I started to get chills. It really touches your
heart to see that something so small can bring so
much joy.”
Bailey says the struggling
economy provides the perfect
incentive to continue Finders
Keepers. The buzz the project has
created is worth the cost of the
jewelry.
“Financially, it’s a little expensive,
especially because of the volume that we’re doing,”
he says. “But it’s the best time to do it because it
creates great word of mouth (for the store) and it
really touches the customers in a personal way.”
Bailey earned his Elon degree in business
administration with a concentration in management.
After graduation, he attended the Gemological
Institute of America in Carlsbad, Calif., where he
earned his certifi cation as a graduate gemologist. He
worked at Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers in San Diego and
completed an internship with Smyth Jewelers in
Timonium, Md. He then spent time in New Orleans
before moving back to North Carolina to work with
the family business, which was started by Bailey’s
grandparents in 1948 and is currently owned by his
father, Clyde Bailey.
Bailey credits Elon’s faculty and staff with
preparing him to succeed.
“Elon people love Elon,” Bailey says. “If I had to do
it all over again, I would go back to Elon. The school
has great teachers, and I was always impressed by
how open they were. You could call them at home,
on the weekends. That was always something I
valued. The staff was great, too.”
Bailey says he has high hopes for the Finders
Keepers project and hopes to expand it to other
parts of the state.
“It’s more than I could ever ask for. It’s going to
become part of our history, and we just don’t want
to stop.”
ct
t has
he
pensive,
It s more than I could ever ask for. It s going to
become part of our history, and we just don’t want
to stop.”
Trey Bailey ’02 and his wife, Marci
CLASS Notes
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 37
academically gifted resource teacher at Elon Elementary School.
Bethany Morde Chavis ’95 and Chris Chavis, Greensboro, N.C. Twins: Jason Michael and Samantha Ashley. 9/29/08. Th ey join older sib-lings, Tyler and Kendall. Bethany is a homemaker and real estate broker.
David B. Clubb ’95 and Shannon M. Clubb ’95, Allison Park, Pa. Daughter: Mallory Joy. 2/26/09. She joins older siblings Ainsley and Griffi n. David is director of interna-tional services at the University of Pittsburgh.
Erica Cutler Flaherty ’95 and Ed Flaherty, Doylestown, Pa. Son: Ryan Michael. 4/2/08. He joins older brothers, Jack and Kyle.
William T. Morley ’95 and Windley Baker Morley ’94, Richmond, Va. Daughter: Isabelle Edward. 5/26/09.
Andrea Lauri Urvina ’95 and Miguel Urvina, Danbury, Conn. Daughter: Nicole Grace. 1/8/09. She joins older brother, Jacob.
Elizabeth Wiegand Wentz ’95 and Christopher M. Wentz, Sewickley, Pa. Son: Finn Miller. 8/7/07. He joins older brothers, Jack and Cooper. Elizabeth is an interior designer at Kay Wiegand and Associates.
Alli Sharp Coords ’96 and Hunter H. Coords, Atlanta. Daughter: Eva Marie. 12/12/08. She joins older brothers, Maclain and Nolan.
Chris Hobbs ’96 and Stephanie Hobbs, Midlothian, Va. Son: Cooper William. 2/12/09. He joins older brothers, Bailey and Jackson.
Andrew A. Kraft ’96 and Janice Hackl Kraft ’97, Winston-Salem, N.C. Daughter: Callie Grace. 11/14/08. Andrew is the administrator for Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and Janice is a homemaker.
Liz Sonnanstine ’96 and Todd Sonnanstine, Tipp City, Ohio. Daughter: Natalie Jane. 1/1/09. She joins older brother, Benjamin.
John Stepp ’96 and Toi Svane Stepp, Royal Palm Beach, Fla. Son: Rigby Paul. 7/18/08. John is director of wor-ship arts at Palm Beach Community Church.
Sarah Croker Kober ’97 and David Kober, Bethlehem, N.H. Son: Samuel
“Mason.” 12/26/08. He joins older sis-ter, Ella. Sarah is the project manager at dci Furniture.
Cara Lloyd McCarter ’97 and Shawn McCarter, Waxhaw, N.C. Daughter: Macie. 11/29/07. She joins older brother, Gavin. Cara is a homemaker.
Spencer T. Moore ’97 and Elizabeth Hines Moore ’98, Westminster, Colo. Son: Henry Stockton. 12/17/08. He joins older brother, Th omas. Spencer is an attorney with Bayer & Carey, pc, and Elizabeth is a teacher with Aurora Public Schools.
Christian K. Marge ’01 and Jessica E. Marge, Mooresville, N.C. Daughter: Gabriella Jean. 3/26/09.
Julianne Sparks Martin ’01 and Todd Martin, Atlanta. Son: Benjamin Patrick. 3/12/09.
Natacha Mazeas Moore ’01 and David Moore, Vienna, Va. Son: JP. 9/22/08. He joins older siblings, Conner and Jacqueline. Natacha is a teacher with Fairfax County Public Schools.
Edward S. New ’01 and Judi New, Raleigh, N.C. Son: Riley William. 11/21/08.
Holly Burleson Dengler ’02 and Jason T. Dengler, Nottingham, Md. Son: Zachary Daniel. 12/4/09.
Janel Boyd Jernigan ’02 and Bryan S. Jernigan ’02, Kernersville, N.C. Son: Oliver. 2/4/09.
Ryan Notch ’03 and Sarah Emerson Notch ’02, Walnut Creek, Calif. Son: Ethan. 7/26/08. Ryan is a photogra-pher at Ryan Notch Photography, and Sarah is an autism content spe-cialist for the San Francisco Unifi ed School District.
Ryan Sadler ’03 and Rachel Sadler, Jacksonville, Fla. Daughter: Reagan Amelia. 4/14/09.
Mary Brozina Wierick ’03 and Kyle Wierick, Silver Spring, Md. Daughter: Ella Betty. Mary is a music director.
Casey Phillips Emmendorfer ’05 and Rich Emmendorfer, Vilseck, Germany. Son: Bryce Richard. 10/8/08. Casey is a family readiness support technician with the U.S. Army.
Joshua L. Hurley ’08 and Jennifer L. Hurley, Summerfield, N.C., Daughter: Rebekah Grace. 9/2/08.
Deaths
’sTh yra Wright Vestal ’28, Morehead City, N.C. 4/8/09.
’sMartha Sutton Craven York ’37, Ramseur, N.C. 6/4/09.
Andrew Kraft ’96 and Janice Hackl Kraft ’97 and their children
Christian Marge ’01 with wife, Jessica and daughter, Gabriella
Sarah Croker Kober ’97, husband, David, and children, Ella and Samuel
David Clubb ’95 and Michelle Clubb ’95 and children, Ainsley, Griffi n and Mallory
Jennifer James Terry ’98, husband, Kenneth, and son, Patrick
Kristin Hartley Gardner ’00 and Todd Gardner ’00 and son, Reece
Casey Phillips Emmendorfer ’05, husband, Rich, and son, Bryce
Kara McLaughlin Ragan ’97 and W. Peter Ragan Jr., Manasquan, N.J. Daughter: Maeve Elizabeth. 5/28/08. She joins older siblings, Ryan, Colleen and Elanor. Kara is a homemaker.
Steven W. Leypoldt ’98 and Meghan Leypoldt, Durham, N.C. Daughter: Piper Marie. 9/14/08. Steven is a prac-tice executive for Campbell Alliance.
Jennifer James Terry ’98 and Kenneth P. Terry, Baltimore. Son: Patrick Th omas. 3/7/09. Jennifer is the clinical administrator for ob/gyn and urology at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
’sChris Capistrant ’00 and Sara Lenser Capistrant, Ashburn, Va. Son: Lucas Owen. 6/10/08. He joins older brother, Colin. Chris is the meet-ings manager at American Institute of Architects.
Kristin Hartley Gardner ’00 and Todd Gardner ’00, Harrisonburg, Va. Son: Reece Todd. 11/20/08. Kristin works in student wellness and out-reach at James Madison University, and Todd is vice president of Glass and Metals.
Marlena Mudryk Lynch ’00 and Kevin Lynch, Glen Allen, Va. Daughter: Allison. 4/17/08.
Jennifer Ledger Th amoderam ’00 and Raj Thamoderam, Enfield, England. Daughter: Madeira Devi. 10/17/08.
Kendall Mackintosh Thompson ’00 and A.J. Th ompson, Jeff erson, Md. Son: Colten Riley. 1/15/09. He joins older sister, Skyler. Kendall is a homemaker.
Courtney Daubert Verdelli ’00 and Gregory D. Verdelli ’01, Hummelstown, Pa. Son: Talan Gregory. 1/9/09.
CLASS Notes
38 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
Summer 2009
Th omas N. Boone Jr. ’39, Greensboro, N.C. 6/6/09.
’sJulian H. Forlines ’43, Clarkton, N.C. 3/28/08.
’sGus N. Galanes ’50, Burlington, N.C. 5/24/09.
John F. Sherard Jr. ’50, Burlington, N.C. 4/29/09.
William E. Davis ’51, Washington, D.C. 6/20/08.
Robert “Bob” J. Harned ’53, Morehead City, N.C. 5/17/09.
Jean Nunnamaker James ’54, Winston-Salem, N.C. 6/11/09.
Robert W. Bodenheimer Sr. ’57, Burlington, N.C. 5/15/09.
Marvin L. King ’59, Elon, N.C. 4/21/09.
’sBobby M. Brantley ’60, Haw River, N.C. 4/11/09.
Jimmy L. Byrd ’67, Burlington, N.C. 5/20/09.
Homer Lee Ruff ’67, Varina, Va. 6/17/09.
’sRobert Ray Nash Jr. ’70, Lake Lure, N.C. 6/18/09.
Curtis M. Saunders ’76, Elon, N.C. 4/18/09.
Richard K. Marchman ’77 , Warwoman, Ga. 1/28/07.
Patricia Ann Riley Temple ’79, Hillsborough, N.C. 6/9/09.
’sAllen A. Tate ’84, Mebane, N.C. 4/17/09.
Henry Maddrey Booke Jr. ’87, Myrtle Beach, S.C. 6/9/09.
’sDennis Burlew ’00, Port Monmouth, N.J. 6/7/09.
Chelsea Detrick ’07, Webster Groves, Mo. 4/9/09.
Christopher “Chris” Randall Floyd ’10, Peachtree City, Ga. 6/21/09.
FriendJonathan M. Sweat, Madison, Miss. 4/14/09. He served as associate profes-sor of music from 1952 to 1958.
Class Notes Policy Class notes must come fi rsthand from the graduates who have news, a birth or marriage to
report. Please send in your news as soon as you have something to share. We welcome news that is no more than
a year old.
Photo acceptance policy Photos will be accepted in these formats: slide, print or digital. You may e-mail
your Class Notes photos to [email protected] or mail them to the address at the bottom of this form.
We reserve the right to determine the quality of your images. Poor quality images will NOT be used.
TURN Youself in online at www.elon.edu/classnotes
CLASS NOTE: Please fi ll out completely. Birth Marriage News/Promotion Address change
Name Class of fi rst middle last maiden
Spouse’s name Alumnus? No Yes: Class of fi rst middle last maiden
Address street city state ZIP
E-mail address Telephone: Home ( ) Offi ce ( )
Birth: son daughter Child’s name Birth date
Marriage: date of marriage (do not send prior to marriage)
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Help us keep you in touch with your classmates and Elon. If you have moved, send us your current address and telephone number.Return this form with your news or story idea to the following address: Elon Offi ce of University Relations 2030 Campus Box Elon, North Carolina 27244-2020 Fax: 336-524-0100 Phone: 336-278-7415 E-mail: [email protected]
CLASS Notes
THE MAGAZINE OF ELON 39
Luther Conger ’55
Luther Conger ’55 didn’t have much money when he arrived at
Elon in 1951 to play baseball and earn a college degree. He worked in
the dining hall to help pay for his education and was grateful for the
athletics scholarship he received during his senior year.
Recently, Conger found a way to help future student athletes and
secure his family’s fi nancial future. He and his wife, Louise, made a
gift to Elon with a charitable gift annuity, which will give the couple
lifetime income, as well as income tax benefi ts and a higher rate of
return than many fi xed-income investments currently available.
Th e annuity’s lifetime income and income tax benefi ts were par-
ticularly attractive to the former Elon pitcher and Sports Hall of Fame
member.
“My wife and I live on a fi xed income, so this kind of gift fi ts
our situation best,” Conger says. “We had the opportunity to remove
funds from a very low interest-bearing account to purchase the annuity,
which gives us a higher annual return during our lifetime.
“Th is gift also provides us with immediate income tax savings. A
signifi cant amount of the income we receive is tax-free, and if I pass
on before my wife, the annuity payments will continue going to her
in the same amount without interruption.”
Equally important, Conger adds, was the ability to give back to his
alma mater. Ultimately, the annuity will support the Graham “Doc”
Mathis Athletic Scholarship, which provides annual assistance to Elon
baseball, football or basketball players. Conger and his former team-
mates started the scholarship in 1979 to honor Mathis, one of Elon’s
all-time great coaches who led the baseball and basketball programs.
“I wanted to show my appreciation for four wonderful years and
the experience of a lifetime,” he says. “It gives me a lot of satisfaction
to know that eventually Elon will benefi t from our gift.”
Following their planned gift to the Ever Elon Campaign, the
Congers became members of Order of the Oak, Elon’s planned giving
recognition society.
Conger, a retired insurance executive, regularly drives from his
home in Kernersville, N.C., to watch Elon baseball, football and
basketball.
“You get a sense of pride when you drive across the railroad tracks
and see what’s going on here,” he says. “It’s terrifi c. I encourage my
former classmates and teammates to consider making this kind of gift.
It’s a win-win situation for you and Elon.”
Gift annuities provide income and fl exibility to donors
making a difference
To learn more about how you can support the Ever Elon Campaign and make a
diff erence at Elon with a charitable gift annuity or other planned gift, contact:
Jamie Killorin cpa/pfs, cfp®, Director of Gift Planning
Toll free 877.784.3566 [email protected] www.elon.edu/giftplanning
40 THE MAGAZINE OF ELON
‘The best is yet to be’With those words, the Rev. Richard McBride closed his May 23 address to the Class of 2009 during Elon’s 119th Commencement.
A total of 1,121 undergraduates received their degrees Under the Oaks in front of West Hall. Among those watching was McBride’s son, Scott, a 1991 Elon alumnus and Army Apache helicopter pilot, who was on leave from service in Iraq to attend his father’s fi nal speech at Elon (see page 7 for more). McBride retired in May after serving as Elon’s chaplain for 25 years. Forty-four MBA graduates received their degrees on May 22.
On May 24, the university celebrated the inaugural Commencement of the Elon University School of Law in Greensboro. A total of 107 members of the charter class received their degrees at The Carolina Theatre in downtown Greensboro and heard an address from David Gergen, chair of the law school advisory board (see page 5).
President Leo M. Lambert thanked members of the charter class for their historic contribution to the founding of the law school.
“Today, you are charged to use your knowledge for justice, your intelligence in the pursuit of goodness, your keen minds for
seeking truth, your understanding of the complex in the cause of building a better society, your discernment for making fair decisions, your leadership in the cause of peace making. This is what your alma mater expects of you.”
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