fall 2009 alumni voice

Valdosta State University Alumni

Alumna Alumna Debra Fordham Debra Fordham

takes on Hollywoodtakes on Hollywood

Angela’s House:Channeling Grief into Action

Baseball Greats: Where are they Now?

City’s LegendsRemain Alive

Beautiful Symmetry: The Lives of Kaleidoscope Shop Owners

The VSU Bookstore and Tech Shop will

be relocating, under one roof, January

2010. The stores will have extended

hours and will be located on the fi rst and

second fl oors of the Student Union.

In the meantime, do not forget to visit the

VSU Bookstore at its current location,

1306 North Patterson Street, across from

the University Center. The VSU Tech

Shop is located in Langdale Hall.

Valdosta State University Valdosta State University BookstoreBookstore

Phone: 229-333-5666Phone: 229-333-5666Fax: 229-245-2232Fax: 229-245-2232

vsu.collegestoreonline.comvsu.collegestoreonline.com

441861_Valdosta.indd 1 9/22/09 9:39:58 AM

ContentsFall 2009

www.valdosta.edu

Valdosta State University Alumni Voice

Features17 Baseball Greats: Where are they Now?

Three VSU baseball alumni share tales from the field and university memories as they reflect on their days beneath the stately pines.

22 Prime Time Scribe Devoted to her Roots

Distinguished Alumna Debra Fordham is enjoying big-time success in the City of Angels, but this gifted writer for the stage and screen has continued to give back to her alma mater and serve as an inspiration to fellow Blazers.

25 City’s Legends Remain Alive

Sociology professor Dr. Kathleen Lowney explores the sometimes creepy, often bizarre — always interesting—urban legends in Valdosta.

28 Beautiful Symmetry

Bobby (Snow) Boal, ’46, never imagined the colorful reflections of a childhood toy would someday mirror and shape the lives of her and her husband, but life has a way of turning out to be every bit as enchanting as the view through a kaleidoscope.

30 Angela’s House

A brush with personal tragedy leads to a VSU alumnus’s personal mission to provide for medically frail children.

Valdosta State University Alumni

Published forValdosta State University Alumni1500 N. Patterson StreetValdosta, GA [email protected]

Published by

Naylor, LLC5950 NW 1st PlaceGainesville, FL 32607Phone: (800) 369-6220(352) 332-1252Fax: (352) 331-3525www.naylor.com

For information about advertising, contact Kathryn Hillgardner, publication director:T: 800-369-6220, ext. 3384E: [email protected]

© 2009 Naylor, LLC and Valdosta State University reserve the right to reproduce content contained in this publication with the consent of the publisher.

PublisherChris Hodges

EditorJon Pasierb

Project ManagerKatie Usher

MarketingHeather Zimmerman

Advertising Sales: Michelle Adelman, Norman McGill, Nicki NeSmith

Layout and DesignBrenda Nowosad

Advertising ArtGregg Paris

PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2009/VSUT0309/9440

Valdosta State University Bookstore

Phone: 229-333-5666Fax: 229-245-2232

vsu.collegestoreonline.com

441861_Valdosta.indd 1 9/22/09 9:39:58 AM

Fall 2009 • 3

Valdosta State University is a Regional University of the University System of Georgia. It is an equal opportunity educational institution which does not discriminate against any applicant for admission or any student or employee based on the sex, race, religion, color, national origin or disability of the individual.Visit VSU on the Web: www.valdosta.edu

EditorKate H. Elliott

WritersThressea H. BoydJennifer L. Tanner, ‘04 & ‘08

Student writersAmanda Blank, ‘09Thomas DaleCarolanne HinesNatalie QuinnFracesca Zagami

PhotographerBobby Lacey

VSU Alumni Association Offi cersPresidentGreg Voyles, ‘91

Vice PresidentJeff Hooks, ‘87

SecretaryLeigh Broomberg, ‘96

TreasurerJerry Johnson, ‘72

Valdosta State UniversityPresidentDr. Patrick J. Schloss

Director of Alumni RelationsJohn Trombetta, ‘01

ABOUT THE PUBLICATIONThe Valdosta State University Alumni Voice is the offi cial alumni magazine of the Valdosta State University Alumni Association. The full-color publication is distributed three times each year to more than 45,000 VSU alumni and constituents to inform them of Valdosta State news and excite them about the achievements of those who once walked through its halls.Check out the Voice online at www.valdosta.edu/voice!

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCESend all editorial correspondence to:Kate H. ElliottCommunications UnitValdosta State University1500 N. Patterson St.Valdosta, GA 31698E-mail: [email protected]: www.valdosta.edu/voice

CLASS NOTESSend all class notes to:Alumni Database ManagementValdosta State University1500 N. Patterson St.Valdosta, GA 31698E-mail: [email protected]: www.valdostastate.org

Departments 5 Presidential Connections

6 Alumni Association News

9 Your Letters

10 Blazer Briefs

15 The Dish

17 Blazer Athletics

31 From Where I Stand

32 Bookends

34 Class Notes

About the CoverDistinguished alumna Debra Ford-

ham's friend and photographer

Carter Dyal shot this photo of Deb

on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on

California's Hollywood Boulevard.

The DishBlazer Dining's Executive Chef Karl Elliott (left) and baseball coach Greg Guilliams won the Copper Chef culinary competition, based on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.”

Kate H. Elliott

2009-2010 VSU Season Tickets2009-2010 VSU Season Tickets

Call or click to get yours today!Call or click to get yours today!

229-333-SEAT229-333-SEATwww.vstateblazers.comwww.vstateblazers.com

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4 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association

Fall 2009 • 5

From

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Wayne Rambo

My term as VSU Alumni Association President has come to a close. A lot has happened at VSU during the

last two years since my tenure began. Although I will remain active in the alumni association, I am proud

to pass the gavel to Greg Voyles, ’91, who will serve as the new alumni association president.

Much has happened in the last two years, but there is more still to come. VSU continues to be poised

for greatness, which is evident by the growing number of fans we see at sporting events, the increased

enrollment, and the amount of VSU T-shirts, hats, bumper stickers and other paraphernalia we see around

town and across the nation.

We as alumni need to continue to do our part as the university grows. Dedication to VSU‘s future can

take on many forms—a fi nancial contribution, participation in alumni events, or maybe returning to cam-

pus to watch a game or a performance. The time to show your support is now!

A good example of a supportive alumna is Debra Fordham, ’91, VSU’s 2009 Distinguished Alumnus of

the Year. Debra has managed to make quite a name for herself as a writer and producer on some very suc-

cessful television shows, including “Scrubs” and Lifetime’s “Army Wives.” She has given countless hours of

her time to help with workshops, set up auditions and work one-on-one with students, particularly those

students studying theatre. Debra has also funded numerous scholarships and helped eager VSU graduates

network within the entertainment industry. Read more about Debra and her tremendous contributions

to VSU in the following pages of this issue.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as VSU Alumni Association President during the last two years.

Although I may no longer be in offi ce, I will continue to show my support for VSU, and I encourage you

to do the same.

Best Wishes and GO BLAZERS!

Wayne Rambo, ’86

It is always wonderful to greet members of the Valdosta State University fam-

ily. Whether joining alumni on our 12-city Connections Tour, visiting students at

Palms Dining Hall, or debating lofty issues with the Faculty Senate, there is an

abiding respect for our institution and our mission.

Valdosta State University benefi ts from proud traditions. Its symbols—the

dome over West Hall, the campus green and the Valdosta State logo all mean a

great many things to a great many people. Mostly, they mean excellence. Faculty

members are quick to recognize that our student body includes the brightest and

best of our region. In fact, more than 20 of our incoming freshmen were valedic-

torians or salutatorians. Faculty members also recognize that for many students,

success is measured by the value added through the Valdosta State experience.

To our alumni, the symbols suggest a connection to one of the most impor-

tant times in their lives. I love to hear the stories of “fi rst romance” on the front

lawn, “impossible to satisfy” professors, or pranks gone awry. I love to see the

incredible role that Valdosta State has played in people’s lives.

We boast more than 40,000 alumni, each with a unique story. The number

grows annually, as students assume leadership roles in business, the arts, edu-

cation and medicine. Our alumni make a diff erence, and we are proud to have

played a small part in their achievement.

I hope to continue meeting as many alumni and friends as possible. Please stay

connected and join us in making the future bright for all things Valdosta!

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Schloss

GreetingsVSU Alumni and Friends,

Dear Fellow Alumni,

Valdosta State University President Patrick J. Schloss

and his wife, Dr. Maureen Schloss, are joined by

Susan and Chuck Steel at the 2009 A Blazin Hot

Night Gala, which raised nearly $60,000 to benefi t

the VSU Foundation, Inc. Look for details about the

2010 black-tie fundraiser event this spring at www.

valdosta.edu/gala.


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Educational Icon Turns 103By Kate H. Elliott

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From left, Genie Certain and her aunt, Louise Milam, ’26, look through the scrapbook Certain made for her aunt’s 90th birthday. Milam, who graduated with a two-year degree from Georgia State Woman’s College, was an educator for 43 years. The Cartersville, Ga., resident celebrated her 103rd birthday in September.

Milam, ’26, turned 103 in September, and the two are still piecing

together scrapbooks of attic memories; but they have left some pages

blank, as Milam continues to be recognized for her impact on the lives

of others.

In June, the Georgia Federation of Business and Professional Women’s

Clubs, Inc. named Milam the 2009 Woman in History. The educator of 43

years stood out among hundreds of candidates because of her decades

of leadership in education and women’s workplace rights. Her volunteer

work through the Presbyterian Church and Cartersville Hospital Pink

Ladies has endeared her to many of the town’s residents.

Milam grew up in Bartow County with her fi ve brothers and older

sister, Eugenia (Milam) Jolly, ’27. The sisters, separated by two years,

attended class in a one-room schoolhouse before packing their trunks

on the train to Valdosta. The ladies attended Georgia State Woman’s

College for two years to attain teaching degrees.

“My grandfather served as the superintendent of schools, and my

grandmother graduated in 1900 from Wesleyan College in Macon, so

they were familiar with the area,” said Certain. “Louise said that their

father had friends in Valdosta, which made the family more comfortable

about sending the girls to the ‘big city.’”

Each fall, the Milam girls would pack their bags for Valdosta and

not return home until that summer. They received a well-rounded

education with hands-on teaching experience gained during rota-

tions at a laboratory school on campus. Milam remembered Mrs. Beck

as the head of campus dining and said she would never forget the

legendary strict direction of Miss Annie Powe Hopper, dean of women.

Shenanigans never enticed Louise and Eugenia, partially due to the

friendship between their father and Dr. Richard Powell, the college’s

fi rst president, who served the institution for 22 years.

“We enjoyed our years at Valdosta, and it opened our eyes as coun-

try girls,” said Milam. “We had never heard of ‘gym’ before. We wore

uniforms, walked to church, and we helped pay for our education by

working in the dining hall.”

Milam is still quite sharp, although her health is failing. She still makes

a phone call to her brother once a day and remains the matriarch of the

family and an icon of service and education in the community. ■

BN Georgia State Woman’s College students Louise Milam (back row, kneeling) and her older sister, Eugenia (Milam) Jolly (standing, her arm around Louise) after graduating with their two-year degrees to become school teachers

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GENIE CERTAIN BEGAN RUMMAGING through her aunt’s attic memories shortly before

Louise Milam’s 90th birthday. She was determined to chronicle decades of family photo-

graphs stuff ed into shoeboxes and unearth cherished trinkets stowed in packing boxes.

Certain spent hundreds of hours among the cobwebs and stale attic air, and even more

time sitting beside her aunt as Milam shared stories from the past.

Fall 2009 • 7

Fun

MORE THAN 130 VSU alumni and friends

turned out July 30 for the Jacksonville Suns

baseball game, during which VSU Alumni

Association President Wayne Rambo, ’86,

threw out the fi rst pitch. The association

plans to hold this and similar family-friendly

events each year.

From left, Samantha and Eric Steifel, ’03, stand with Tommy Thomas, ’62, who taught physical education at VSU for 40 years and led the VSU Baseball team to its first national championship victory.

VSU Alumni Association president Wayne Rambo, ’86, stands with Jacksonville Suns mascot, Southpaw, prior to the game against the Birmingham Barons of Alabama.

VSU at a ComputerScreen Near YouTHE VSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION is now just a few mouse clicks away.

During the past year, the association has expanded its online presence to include a VSU Alumni

Voice Web site, a Facebook page and a Twitter account. If these terms sound like gibberish, read

the information below to fi nd out how you can connect with the university and its alumni via the

World Wide Web.

VSU Alumni Voice Web site www.valdosta.edu/voice

What it offers?Visitors will be able to read all of the content published in the printed version of the alumni

magazine as well as any additional pictures and/or multimedia elements that accompany the

printed edition. Visitors will also be able to search for past articles, participate in online polls and

post comments about specifi c stories. The Alumni Voice Web site links directly to various VSU

sites, including the campus news page and the VSU Flickr account, which is a gallery of VSU-

related photos found at http://www.fl ickr.com/groups/valdostastate/.

Valdosta State Alumni Relations Facebook Groupwww.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22370785647

What it offers?Millions of people across the world use Facebook to keep in touch with personal and profes-

sional contacts. Friends of the Valdosta State University Alumni Relations Facebook group may

view the latest association events and information posts. Members post comments and peruse

the online social networking site for college friends and former professors.

To become a friend of the Alumni Relations Facebook group, go to www.facebook.com and

type “Alumni Relations Facebook Group” in the search fi eld. Click “Join this Group” located below

the giant V-State graphic. Click “Join,” and the group will be added to your network.

“Facebook is much more fl exible and effi cient than e-mail, which makes communicating with

our alumni much easier,” said John Trombetta, ’01, director of alumni relations. “It’s especially

great for last minute communication; we’ve tried postcards, newspapers and e-mail, but Facebook

always works.”

The VSU Alumni Relations group has gathered about 800 members since it was created a

year ago.

Alumni TweetsVSU Alumni Relations Twitter page: twitter.com/VSTATEALUMNI

VSU’s offi cial Twitter page: www.twitter.com/valdostastate

What they offer?VSU has also plunged into the Twitter phenomenon, which boasts about 14 million users in

the United States alone.

The free microblogging service allows users to broadcast updates and receive small, 140-char-

acter messages, called “tweets,” from other users. Because the site may be accessed from any

Internet device or SMS capable cell phone, its broadcast-style text messages are perfect for busy

adults looking to keep up with friends and world events.

Alumni tweets are mostly reminders about upcoming alumni events and major VSU

sporting competitions. The VSU’s main Twitter site enables the alumni association to instantly

remind people about upcoming campus events and warn the VSU community about health

and weather threats. ■

with the SUNS


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From left to right, Jerry Boatright (father of current football player, Bubba Boatright), Earl Chambers (VSU Defensive Line Coach) and David Elsenrath (VSU Offensive Line Coach) catch up with other.

From left, former VSU Football players Jeff Hooks, ’87, Jessie Tuggle, ’92, and Scott Mowry, ’88, pause for a photo at the VSU Football Alumni Event on July 14 in Atlanta.

A Gridiron Celebration

SEND US A FAVORITE picture of

your kid(s) dressed in VSU gear. The

most spirited photos will be pub-

lished in a future VSU Alumni Voice

magazine.

Pint-sizedPhoto Contest

Write us about your favorite place to hang out in

Valdosta during those good ol’ college years. Don’t forget

to mention why the establishment stands out in your mind!

We want to hear about your best – printable – college

memories.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE building on campus

and why?

Sydney Hammond, the daughter of Richard and Leighia Hammond, gives Blaze a big hug at the VSU Wellness Fair.

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E-mail photos in JPEG format to Editor

Kate H. Elliott at [email protected].

Write to Us

FORMER VSU FOOTBALL PLAYERS and coaches met

for food and fellowship at the

VSU Football Alumni Event on

July 14 in Atlanta.

Fall 2009 • 9

Editor’s Note: Response to ErrorThank you to the VSU alumni and friends who alerted us to errors in “Stepping Into

Fellowship,” an article published on page 34 of the spring 2009 edition. The editorial team

apologizes for the errors and trusts that running the corrected article in this issue highlights the

wonderful accomplishments and hard work members of the Zeta Phi Beta step team put into

their 2008 step show victory. ■

Your Letters

The VSU Alumni VOICE recently carried

a photograph and brief account of Dr.

Lewis Holders’, ’47, memories of the

dedication of the new library in 1941 (spring

2009, pg. 8). First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was the

keynote speaker. I had the unexpected pleasure

of interviewing Mrs. Roosevelt and attending

the luncheon with this gracious lady. The edi-

tor of the Campus Canopy (student newspaper)

became seriously ill, and I was assigned the

exciting experience of interviewing the presi-

dents’ wife. I had only 15 minutes before meet-

ing her in the library … I was unprepared and

breathless of course.

Excerpts from “First Lady is Really Up to Her

Title in Interview,” published Saturday, March

29, 1941:

“Goodness an interview with the ‘fi rst lady!’

This is the most exciting thing that’s happened

in years … centuries, in fact. To get down to

business, now … bright and early you fi nd ye

olde Campus Canopy Reporter sitting on the

steps of the new library … waiting.

“What do you think of our campus, Mrs.

Roosevelt? ‘Well,’ she graciously answered, ‘I

haven’t seen enough of the campus, yet, but

I find the girls themselves a very delightful

group.’”

“Mrs. Roosevelt, dressed in blue with a cor-

sage of Talisman roses, gave a stirring address.

She delivered a challenge to the youth of

America to take advantage of every opportunity

and to learn everything in their reach. Charming

and gracious, the First Lady was interesting and

well-liked by everyone.” ■

— Ann May (Pryor) Cobb, ’43, of Athens, Ga.

The VSU Alumni Voice welcomes your letters, e-mails and phone calls with story sug-

gestions and other comments. Letters to the editor may be edited for length, clarity and

style. Send letters and photos to the address below or e-mail them to [email protected].

Please include your daytime telephone number, address, degree and graduation year.

Communications Unit

c/o Voice Editor Kate H. Elliott

Valdosta State University

1500 N. Patterson St.

Valdosta, GA 31698

Interview with First Lady

Cobb

Still Playing After All These Years

The article (“Still Playing After All

These Years,” spring 2009, pg. 40-41)

was just great. I had a number of

people come to me and tell me it was a

good article and that they did not know

that I played in a band while in college.

Every single comment was positive. Each

conversation provided the opportunity to

relive those great college years of the 60s.

Thanks so much for doing the article.

— Andy Patterson, ’75, of Valdosta, Ga.

The article, “Still Playing After All These Years,” that includes Andy Patterson as a member

of “The House of Commons” band gave me a better insight of one of Park University’s adjunct

faculty (He teaches at least one sociology or psychology course per term). We knew he rode

a motorcycle, but who knew he also played guitar and was a member of a band in college?

I think it’s great that he could get back together so easily with the band members and pick

up where they left off so many years ago. There is no better way to have a reunion than to

relive some of the best times in college. ■

— Juanita Walker

Campus Center Director, Park University, at Moody Air Force Base


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MORE THAN 50,000 FOOTBALL fans swayed to

“Don’t Stop Believing” as VSU’s 145-member marching

band performed the Journey-themed halftime show

during a Jacksonville Jaguars home game Aug. 22.

The Jaguars’ crushed the Buccaneers during this pre-

season brawl, but many VSU fans were more interested

in the mid-game entertainment. VSU Blazin’ Brigade

Marching Band Director Eric Bradshaw said the 7-minute

show was a hit. Fans seemed to enjoy VSU’s renditions of

the American Rock band’s songs, including “Stone in Love,”

“Lights,” and “Any Way You Want It.”

“This was by far the largest crowd we have ever played

since I have been at VSU, and I am pretty sure in the history

of our band,” said Eric Bradshaw, who has directed the

band for the past seven years. “It is wonderful for our stu-

dents to experience the energy of playing in front of such

a large live audience, and it is great exposure for VSU.”

Those who missed the Aug. 22 game need not despair.

The marching band will play the Journey show at halftimes

during the fi rst half of the VSU Football season. Bradshaw

said the Blazin’ Brigade will feature a Broadway musicals

show the second half of VSU games.

“It is wonderful

for our students

to experience the

energy of playing

in front of such

a large live

audience, and it

is great exposure

for VSU,” said

Eric Bradshaw,

who has directed

the band for the

past seven years.

Marching Band Takes the Jaguars’ Field

Fall 2009 • 11

Valdosta State University President Patrick

J. Schloss signed the American College

and University Presidents Climate

Commitment in late April, joining more than

600 of the nation’s higher education institu-

tions determined to become more climate neu-

tral. The document formally commits VSU to

develop a plan that eliminates greenhouse gas

emission over time and integrates sustainability

into the academic curriculum.

“This is a signifi cant step in Valdosta State’s

efforts towards sustainability,” Schloss said.

“Sustainability is an issue of great importance

to our students, faculty, staff and community.

In the past several months we have made

important advancements and look forward to

accomplishing the objectives outlined in the

commitment.”

Go to www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/

for more information about the Presidents Climate

Commitment.

Atraveling exhibition of photographs

depicting the Great Depression made a

stop at Valdosta State University in late

August.

The iconic collection of prints, housed in

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Presidential Library and

Museum, were taken between 1935 and 1942

by the legendary photography unit of the Farm

Security Administration, a New Deal Agency

President Roosevelt created to aid struggling farm

workers during the Depression. Photographers,

such as Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks and Ben

Shahn, battled natural disasters and economic

hardship to capture images of America’s endur-

ance, hope and misfortune.

The photographic collection is titled “This Great Nation Will Endure” from FDR’s famous speech at the lowest point of the Great Depression when he proclaimed, “This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper ... the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

This Great Nation Will Endure”

Fine Arts Gallery Showcases Depression Prints

President Signs Climate Commitment

“

The Fine Arts Gallery, located

on the first floor of the VSU

Fine Arts Building, is an edu-

cationally enriching venue

that showcases faculty and

student artwork as well

as the work of artists out-

side the region. Learn more

about upcoming exhibits

at www.valdosta.edu/art/

VSU_FineArtsGallery.shtml

The Valdosta State Chamber Singers, an elite choral

ensemble of 28 singers, will perform a sampling of holiday

favorites by candlelight this December in the grand acousti-

cal stage of West Hall’s rotunda.

Read more about this and other Department of Music

student and faculty concerts at www.valdosta.edu/music/.

Elite Choir to Perform in Rotunda


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Biology Department Secures Natural History Collection

A 2,000-pound stuff ed buff alo is one of the nearly 300 specimens the Valdosta

State University Biology Department acquired when the state of Georgia began

distributing items once displayed in the Georgia Capital Museum. Dr. Leslie S.

Jones, associate professor of science education and equine reproductive physiology,

said the extensive collections of fi sh, birds, reptiles and mushrooms will bring cur-

riculum to life for students enrolled in science courses at VSU. When not being used

in class, the specimens will be displayed in educational dioramas within the Hugh C.

Bailey Science Center.

See more photos of the natural history collection at VSU’s Flickr account

www.fl ickr.com/photos/valdostastate/3607238157/

Georgia and Reade Halls Restored

When honors students claimed their beds in Reade

Hall this fall, they experienced the historic class

and style of when the building was fi rst built in

1936. Former Georgia Hall residents might not recognize

the rebuilt building, which doubled in size and is outfi tted

with the latest technologies, including SMART rooms and

wireless Internet. The two, yearlong renovation projects

greeted students at move-in day with a nod to VSU’s past

and a symbol of progress.

Go to www.valdosta.edu/news/releases/halls.081109 to read

more about the renovation projects.

Reade Hall, located between Bailey Science Center and Powell Hall, was named in 1957 in honor of VSU’s third president, Frank R. Reade. The residence hall, built in 1936, had previously been named Senior Hall.

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Georgia Hall, which previously housed 200 students, now boasts 494 beds in a mix of two- and four-person style suites.

Fall 2009 • 13

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432927_Liberty.indd 1 9/21/09 11:26:17 PM

Move-in Day More than 1,900 fi rst-year students moved into VSU residence halls August

13. Upperclass students moved in the rest of the week to fi ll up VSU’s 3,000 beds

on campus.

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See a name you recognize? Contact specifi c departments to pass along your well wishes or to

be put in touch with former faculty and staff members.

VSU Hosts Inaugural Graduate Research Symposium

Valdosta State University hosted its inaugural

Graduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

May 1. The poster session format allowed graduate

students to showcase their research and scholar-

ship eff orts overseen by faculty mentors.

Projects refl ected all areas of graduate study

and focused on topics such as music as an alter-

native to traditional medical and psychodynamic

therapy; the eff ects of smoking cessation on the

voice; barriers to rural health care access; loss and

bereavement issues in the cycle of addiction; the

night lives of nine-banded armadillos, and many

other intriguing concepts.

“Graduate programs at VSU provide a solid

foundation for continuous learning as our students

grow as scholars and professionals,” Dr. Karla Hull,

interim dean of the Graduate School, said.

“This is an honor for the selected students and

it provides them with an opportunity to showcase

their ability to use their research and scholarship

knowledge and skills to address the needs of their

communities and their professional disciplines.”

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Biology professor Dr. Jim Loughry and graduate student Kier Ancona collaborated for two years to study how nine-banded armadillos spend their time. Studies at Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge in Hollandale, Miss., revealed that armadillos spend most of their waking hours feeding, which is more than virtually every other documented species. The graduate research, presented at the symposium, is the first detailed description of how armadillos budget time. This photo shows a marked armadillo interrupting a foraging about to survey its surroundings.

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VSU’s 2009 retirees mingle at the ninth annual retiree luncheon at the University Center. During the program, retirees were introduced to the Valdosta State Retiree Association, which promotes fellowship and campus service opportunities for hundreds of retirees eager to continue supporting the values and mission of VSU.

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Hats off to VSU’s 2009 RetireesValdosta State University’s Council on Staff Affairs and the Valdosta State Retiree

Association honored more than 20 VSU retirees at the Retired Faculty & Staff Luncheon

in mid-June.

VSU 2009 Retirees

Martha Berrian (Palms Dining):

1996-2008

James Black (Finance and

Administration): 2005-2008, 1969-1999

Ronald Blease (Building Maintenance):

1984-2009

Maxine Brown (Auxiliary Facilities):

1989-2009

Henry Calhoun (Land & Ground

Maintenance): 1996-2009

Rita Collins (Student Health Services):

1976-2008

Elaine Dawkins (Odum Library):

1983-2008

Sandra Denson (Odum Library):

1983-2008

Charles Hudson (Registrar): 1998-2008

Betty Jackson (Parking and

Transportation): 1997-2008

Phyllis Jackson (Custodial Services):

1998-2009

James Plondke (Music Department):

1993-2008

George Rudd (Building Maintenance):

1983-2009

Rebecca Tippett (Aerospace Studies):

1988-2009

Carolyn Cox (Adult & Career Education):

1983-2009

William Fredenberger (Management):

1988-2009

William Huitt (Psychology & Counseling):

1985-2009

Sandra Walker (Modern and Classical

Languages): 1985-2009

Hilary Harper (Sociology Department):

1995-2009

W. Kent Moore (College of Business

Administration): 1979-2009

Brenda Faulkner (Housing and Residence

Life): 1993-2009

Become a member of the Valdosta State

Retiree Association at:

http://tinyurl.com/VSURetirees

See pictures from the 2009 VSU Retiree

Luncheon at VSU’s Flickr account:

http://www.fl ickr.com/

photos/valdostastate/

sets/72157620451434998/

Fall 2009 • 15

TWO BLAZER COACHES CORED, diced and peeled their way through Blazer Dining’s

2009 Copper Chef Cook-off , which featured apples as the secret ingredient. Head baseball

coach Greg Guilliams and Blazer Dining’s Executive Chef Karl Elliott won the hourlong

culinary competition, based on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” Their menu included

shrimp cakes with apple slaw and mustard sauce, and bacon wrapped pork loin with

Parmesan polenta and caramelized apples. The duo fi nished the menu with apple strudel

and vanilla ice cream.

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Copper Chef 2009

By Kate H. Elliott

“Apples are very versatile in cooking. There

are many varieties with different qualities

apples can be served hot or cold, sweet or

savory, which made it an easy ingredient to

work with,” said Elliott, who began working at

VSU in the spring. “We did not prepare ahead

of time. I think having to improvise and think

on your feet is what makes these types of

competitions fun and challenging.”

The crowd favorite may have been the

shrimp cakes with apple slaw, but football

defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen, and cater-

ing chef Earnest “Ernie” Duncan didn’t let the

baseball team win without a fi ght. Cauthen

and Duncan made stuff ed pork loin, apple

stir-fry and apple dumplings as their three

original recipes for an appetizer, dinner and

Blazer Dining’s Executive Chef Karl Elliott (left) and baseball coach Greg Guilliams won the hourlong culinary competition, based on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.”

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dessert. However, much like the uncertainty

of athletic competitions, anything can hap-

pen in “kitchen stadium” as it is called on the

Food Network.

“The experience was great. I did not really

know what to expect. I just followed the

instructions from my chef. It is somewhat

competitive,” said Cauthen, who aimed to

defend football’s two-time Copper Chef

reign. “However, you really don’t know what

your opponent is doing. It is very busy.”

The teams crafted their recipes before a

crowd of fans and eight judges representing

a cross section of campus. Charlotte Foster, a

medical records clerk at the Student Health

Center, had never served as a food compe-

tition judge before Copper Chef. She said

Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped

8 sage leaves, fresh

2 cups thick-cut white bread cubes,

crusts removed

1 egg, beaten

2 Tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth,

plus more if needed

1 (3 pound) pork loin roast, butterfl ied

Directions: Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-

high heat. Add onion, apples and sage to the

skillet. Sauté until softened. Remove skillet from

the heat and gently stir in the bread, egg, but-

ter, salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth

gradually until everything is moistened. Let

the stuffing mixture cool completely before

putting it into the pork loin. Spoon the stuff -

ing in a horizontal line down the center of the

pork. Roll the pork over the stuffi ng, jelly roll

style, ending with the seam down and fat side

up. Lightly score the fat, in a diamond pattern,

with a sharp knife. Tightly tie the pork roast up

with butcher’s twine, season the meat with

additional salt and pepper, and transfer to

a roasting pan. Roast the pork for about 90

minutes or until an instant-read thermometer

registers 160-degrees F. Remove loin from the

oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Garnish with apples and fresh herbs.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Earnest Duncan

Coaches Face Off in Blazer Stadium


she remembers watching in amazement

at how quickly the chefs began preparing

dishes moments after the ingredient was

called and the timer began. Another of the

eight judges, Lauren Davis, president of the

Student Government Association, said her

favorite dish was the baseball team’s apple

strudel.

“All of the contestants were wonder-

ful, but the winning team stood out with

their creativity and fun interactions with the

crowd,” Davis said. “The two kept making

jokes with the judges about why they were

the best team. Everyone just had a great

time.”

Cauthen, who has worked at VSU since

2007, loves to cook. He is particularly tal-

ented at making armadillo eggs, which are

breaded peppers stuffed with pork and

cheese. He was a prep cook at a restaurant

chain growing up, so the competition was

not his fi rst rodeo. Cauthen said the Copper

Chef’s second place trophy is on display

in his house, and his kids give him a diffi -

cult time for not winning. The graduate of

Stephen F. Austin University said he hopes to

participate in next year’s competition. Chef

Duncan agrees.

“I enjoy participating in this event every

year. Cooking is my passion,” Duncan said.

“It is intense having both the judges and the

audience watch my every move, but it isn’t

just about preparing food. The best part is

sharing it because the food brings everyone

together.”

The apple standoff was Guilliams second

Copper Chef. Guilliams, who is not a huge

apple fan, said his strategy for success was

to take orders from Chef Karl, who has been

cooking since he could reach the stovetop.

Guilliams compared the event to an athletic

contest.

“I certainly appreciate the skill and

expertise that Karl demonstrated. It was

intense just like an athletic competition,”

said Guilliams, who began working at VSU

in 2007. “The diff erence was I did not have

to make any personnel changes during the

event. Karl and I were it.”

The football and baseball teams have

been battling it out in Blazer kitchens for

the past three years. So far, the football

team has dominated the countertops with

two victories. Next year, though, it’s any-

one’s game. ■

VSU Football Defensive Coordinator Joe Cauthen, and catering chef Earnest “Ernie” Duncan didn’t let the baseball team win without a fight. Cauthen and Duncan made stuffed pork loin, apple stir-fry and apple dumplings.

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Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil

½ pound cooked shrimp (71/90 ct)

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 egg

1/8 cup minced celery, minced

1/8 cup red bell pepper, fi nely diced

1/8 cup green onions, sliced

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

4 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 dash hot sauce

1 Tablespoon lemon juice, fresh

1 ½ Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

(or to taste)

¼ cup vegetable oil for frying

Extra panko breadcrumbs for breading

Directions: Cook and peel shrimp. Place

shrimp in food processor and pulse until

coarsely ground (not to a paste). In a large

bowl, mix ground shrimp with egg, celery, bell

pepper, green onion, mustard, mayo, parsley,

hot sauce, lemon juice breadcrumbs, and Old

Bay seasoning. Mix well. Mixture should hold

shape and be somewhat moist. If too moist,

add breadcrumbs. Form 12, 2 ½-ounce cakes.

Lightly coat each cake with breadcrumbs.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy skillet. When

the oil reaches about 325-degrees, place cakes

in oil and fry on each side until golden brown.

Drain cakes on a paper towel.

For slaw:

4 tart apples, cut into small matchsticks

2 carrots, cut into matchsticks

½ cup red cabbage, shredded

½ cup fennel bulb, fi nely sliced

¼ cup of mixed herbs, such as chives, fl at leaf

parsley, tarragon and/or celery leaves

For mustard sauce:

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons sugar

2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

½ Tablespoon tarragon, chopped

1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

Directions: Place all prepared fruits, veg-

etables and herbs in a large bowl. In a sepa-

rate bowl, whisk together the mustard sauce

ingredients. Pour enough dressing over the

slaw to moisten the vegetables and fruit. Be

careful not to over saturate. Let mixture chill in

the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Reserve

extra sauce to drizzle over the shrimp cakes.

Makes 12 servings.

Georgia Shrimp Cakes with Apple Slaw and Mustard Dressing

Recipe courtesy of Chef Karl Elliott

Fall 2009 • 17

THREE VSU BASEBALL ALUMNI share

tales from the fi eld and university memories

as they refl ect on how their days beneath

the stately pines infl uenced their lives.

By Amanda Blank, student writer

THE LINEUP: Tom Johnson, ’66, Kip McLeod

’83 and Jason Bulger, ’03

At Bat: Tom Johnson, ’66 & ’73, Shortstop

The athletic scholarships Tom Johnson

earned to play baseball and basketball for

Valdosta State from 1962-67 enabled him to

pay for an education he so desperately desired.

The 6’1” guard on the basketball court earned

a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a master’s

degree in school administration and chartered

the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership organiza-

tion. The experience he gained in the class-

room and on the fi eld at VSU has infl uenced

his nurturing leadership style as headmaster of

Bayside Academy in Daphne, Ala., a position he

has held for the past 12 years.

Johnson may have left the univer-

sity decades ago, but his college ties have

remained strong. Johnson, and his wife of 43

years, Lee “Peachy” (Daniel), ’66, gather each

June with former Valdosta State athletes for

an annual fi shing trip along the St. Johns River

in Florida. The reunions provide the friends

with a venue to relive memories from their

days as Rebels, which was the campus mas-

cot from 1950 to 1972. Johnson said this past

year, former basketball coach Gary Colson

fl ew in from California to attend the reunion.

Although Johnson has now switched

from playing baseball to teeing off on the

green, the 64-year-old said he is a dedicated

spectator at all the high school baseball

games in Daphne.

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Tom Johnson, ’66 & ’78, was a dominating student-athlete. Johnson, who works as a school headmaster, played shortstop for the baseball team and guard on the basketball court.

Blazer Ath

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How did your time as a Rebel help you in your current career?

“It helped during those times when the

pressure is on. You go through ball games

when you need a base hit or make a free

throw that puts you ahead; those pressure

situations that you go through in athletics

help mold you to how you’ll respond to

pressure situations in life.”

What do you hope VSU sports fans remember about you?

“I hope they remember that I was a

competitor, and that I always played the

game every fan appreciates. Also, that I had

the desire to win.”

What do you miss about VSU?“I miss all the activities of living in a col-

lege town. I, along with others, probably

spent most of our college days in the gym

or on the baseball fi eld. We spent a great

deal of time in the student center, the old

S&K Drive In, Hitching Post and The Tavern.

One cannot forget the hot, sultry nights

and mosquito filled cars at the drive-in

movie near where the Park Avenue Bank is

located today.”

Kip McLeod has remained an avid VSU baseball fan. The Hahira Middle School pr incipa l sa id he gathered much of his patient administrative style from the leadership styles of the coaches he played for at Valdosta State.

At Bat: Kip McLeod, ’80, ’83 & ’98 Pitcher

Not only was Kip McLeod a pitcher for

the 1979 VSU national championship

baseball team, he was also a

graduate assistant until 1983, when he

became the first full-time assistant coach

from 1986 until 1991. While he worked

at VSU, McLeod earned a bachelor’s and

master’s degree in physical education. He

later returned to VSU to earn a master’s

degree in educational leadership.

McLeod left VSU in 1991 to take a job as

the Lowndes High School baseball coach,

a position he held for 10 years. For the last

five years, McLeod — who has put in 30

years of coaching various levels of baseball

— coach-assists part-time at Lowndes

County High School. McLeod is in his fifth

year as principal of Hahira Middle School.

Throughout various career transitions,

McLeod has remained an avid baseball fan,

and since 1982, he has organized the down

marker chain gang at football games. The

chain gang, for those who are not familiar

with football lingo, is the group of people who

drag chains along the field to mark various

downs.

Do you have a favorite memory from playing baseball at VSU?

“My absolute favorite memory is winning

the national championship of 1979.”

Any embarrassing moments on the field?

“Giving up runs during the Florida State

game. It was my only loss as a senior in 1980,

and it had been a game I was really looking

forward to since Florida State is my favorite

team aside from VSU. A random aside is that

game was the fi rst time we had lights on the

fi eld.”

When did you start playing baseball?“As a kid I wasn’t very fast, but I had a strong

arm which led me to playing baseball.

I played at Lowndes High School from 1974-

1976. We were the state runner-up in 1975.”

How did your time as a Blazer help you in your current career?

“It taught me work ethic and how to work

with people. Under Tommy Thomas (who

coached VSU Baseball for 40 years), I learned

how to deal with people — how you should

take the time to listen to people and how to

share and answer questions they have. I try to

apply this to my job as a principal, to listen to

people. I also learned a lot about doing the

right thing, no matter who it made happy.”

Baseball Greats: Where Are They Now?

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At Bat: Jason Bulger, ’03, Third Basemen and Pitcher

Jason Bulger was tossing baseballs before he

could walk, which might explain his career

as a Major League Baseball pitcher/relief

pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

While pursuing an undergraduate degree in busi-

ness management, the native of Lawrenceville,

Ga., played third base for the Blazers until his

senior year, when he developed an affi nity for

the pitcher’s mound. Bulger and his brothers,

Kevin and Brian, were each selected in the 2001

free agent draft — the fi rst time three brothers

have been selected in the same draft.

A fi rst-round pick in 2001, Bulger signed on

with the Arizona Diamondbacks and made his

debut as an major league player in 2005. He

was traded to the Angels in 2006, where the 6’4”

right-hander is currently the relief pitcher. On

July 28, Bulger pitched a perfect ninth inning

against the Cleveland Indians to get his fi rst

career save in the majors.

What is your favorite memory from playing baseball at VSU?

“The friends I made and the people I met.

I’m very blessed to play this game at the major

league level, but it was more fun at VSU. The

close friends, teammates and faculty are what I

remember best about my time at VSU.”

What do you hope VSU sports fans remember about you?

“I’d like them to remember less about

my accomplishments on the fi eld and more

about my work ethic and my character off

of the fi eld.”

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Watch Jason Bulger pitch a perfect ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians to earn his first MLB save at http://www.mlb. com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5800383&c_id=ana.

TREA BRINSON IS GLAD to be in Valdosta. After spending years in Charlotte’s urban anonymity,

the friendly city is a welcome change of scenery. But Brinson is not here for the Southern hospital-

ity; as a Warner Robins native, he is familiar with “yes ma’ am” and homemade pecan pie. Brinson

has relocated to Georgia to spread the word of God to Christian student-athletes at VSU.

Standing on the Sidelines, Looking UBy Thomas Dale, student writer

He began his calling this summer as

the first full-time chaplain of VSU’s

Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a non-

profi t, interdenominational ministry that reaches

out to young athletes throughout the world.

Up until this year, volunteers have organized

VSU’s FCA activities — a management method

that has lacked consistency and dedication.

Community interest remained strong, however,

and donations from area residents created a

strong fi nancial base to support a formal FCA

chapter.

The search for the new chaplain lasted

two years and considered more than 30 appli-

cants before the local organization decided on

Brinson, who has a bachelor’s degree in Biblical

studies and is working toward a master’s degree

in divinity. Community members, including

Barbara Griffi n, ’66, said they are ecstatic VSU

student-athletes may now look to a consistent,

passionate leader for guidance.

“I am really excited to see the addition of

Trea Brinson,” said Griffi n, who is a mother of

two VSU graduates. “All students are faced with

many choices and some are especially hard

in light of today’s culture. Wrong choices can

yield devastating consequences with lives get-

ting completely off track. VSU is indeed blessed

with Trea on board for the coaches and the

students.”

The newly organized FCA has leased a house

on Baytree to serve as home for the chaplain

and headquarters for the organization. An anon-

ymous member of the community off ered FCA

the house, across from the College of Education

Center, for a reduced cost. Ambling Companies,

Inc., of Valdosta furnished the home at no cost.

“The community has really stepped up for

us,” Brinson said. “Quality Construction Company

has built a volleyball court for us and even land-

scaped the yard. It’s almost like the city was

waiting, and when FCA fi nally came, everyone

was really excited to do what it takes.”

During the past few months, FCA has been

gathering support and securing its footing

at VSU. Brinson has held meetings with local

Read more about Bulger and the LA Angels season at http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=ana.

pastors to familiarize himself with the Christian

population in Valdosta and has hosted dinners

with VSU coaches to help build relationships with

the teams.

“The coaches are all on board with us — every

one of them,” Brinson said. “Some of them even

sat in during my job interviews, so they are defi -

nitely committed to what FCA stands for.”

Although the community support Brinson

has built is key, athlete relationships are equally

essential. Brinson has attended every possible

practice and event. During the fall semester, the

organization will provide chaplain services and

free counseling for all 13 sports teams at the uni-

versity. Brinson plans to lead weekly team Bible

studies and frequent fellowship events to build

strong, lasting relationships with VSU’s student-

athletes.

“College is this time in life when you make all of

your major decisions,” Brinson said. “This is the time

you decide what you’re going to be occupation-

ally, who you’re going to marry, what you’re going

to be. We believe that Christ should be the core of

those decisions, and we try to build character and

integrity now, when it’s most important.”

Brinson invites every student, parent and

community member who has an interest

in being involved with the FCA to call him at

(478) 542-0002. ■

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Fall 2009 • 19

VSU’s Quarterback MechanicBy Kate H. Elliott

Trea Brinson began his calling this summer as t he f i rs t f u l l - t i me chapla i n of V SU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a non-profit, interdenominational ministry that reaches out to the young athletes throughout the world.

g Up

ROBBY BROWN THREW HIS fi rst football as quarterback at age 9

and his most memorable pass at the Georgia Institute of Technology,

where he graduated in 2004. Before he ever stepped onto the fi eld, he

sat alongside it — watching his father referee and coach beneath the

Friday night lights. After years of play, Brown joined the VSU Blazers in

July to guide and strengthen the Blazer’s passing game.

“I love to teach,” Brown said of his coach-

ing philosophy. “I love the look on players’

faces when you have communicated the

correct way to do something and they fi g-

ure it out. I came to Valdosta because the

whole community expects to be the best.

The football here is second to none, and as

a coach, you want to be at the highest level

possible.”

The native of Blairsville, Ga., began his

coaching career as a graduate assistant at

Troy University in Alabama for two years

before he served as the off ensive coordina-

tor at Division II Southwest Baptist in Bolivar,

Mo. He came to VSU from Henderson State

University in Arkadelphia, Ark., where he ran

off ensives for the Reddies since 2008.

The coaching position at VSU opened

up in the spring when former VSU Off ensive

Coordinator Buster Faulkner took a position at

the University of Central Arkansas. Brown said

he is excited to work with the VSU coaching

staff , which is known for its successful col-

laboration and talented athlete pool. VSU

Football Head Coach David Dean, returned

the sentiment.

“Coach Brown is an excellent teacher of

quarterback mechanics. He is a good per-

son and also a good teacher, both qualities

I look for in hiring a coach,” said Dean, who

in his fi rst year of coaching led the Blazers

to the 2007 NCAA Division II national cham-

pionship. “He brings a wealth of off ensive

knowledge and a lot of new ideas that we

can use to expand what we can do with our

off ense.”

Brown said he is eager to guide VSU quar-

terbacks. Having worked for teams that play

VSU, Brown is familiar with the team’s off en-

sive strengths.

“I’m an even-keeled guy,” the NASCAR

enthusiast said about his style of coaching.

“I didn’t have this unbelievable talent when I

played, I was more of a student of the game.

I don’t get real high or real low, but I have a

lot of energy.”

Brown enjoys the outdoors and watching

Atlanta Braves baseball games with his wife

of fi ve years, Rachel, who is an art teacher.

Brown is an avid animal lover with a particu-

lar fondness for horses. It’s fi tting Brown is

now a member of the VSU community since

he named his childhood horse “Blaze.” The

third-grade Christmas present still grazes in

the pasture where Brown grew up. ■

How did your time as a Blazer help you in your current career?

“My work ethic started at VSU. Being a Major League

Baseball player aff ects you both physically and men-

tally, and I learned how to handle that through play-

ing at VSU. The seniors took me under their wing and

showed me how it was done; because of that and

my teammates and coaches, I was able to gain a solid

work ethic.”

Do you still keep up with VSU sports?“Yeah, I get on the Internet and see how the base-

ball and football teams are doing; actually I watch

every sport and keep up with all sports. I am proud

to be a Blazer.”

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FO R M E R L ADY B L A Z E R K ATH LE E N

“Katie” Steff en, ’07, was awarded a Fulbright-

Garcia Robles Scholarship for the Bi-National

Business Program. The U.S. Department of

State grant provides American students the

opportunity to acquire professional experi-

ence and cultural understanding working

for a company or non-profi t organization in

Mexico.

In September, the summa cum laude gradu-

ate began the prestigious full-time internship

program with the New Business and Finance

Department of Nestle Mexico, Mexico City. She will work for 10 months on a project that

introduces a new Nestle product into the Mexican market. Steff en said the comprehensive

education she received earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management at

VSU has prepared her to tackle the project from market research to fi nal introduction of

the product.

“I hope to gain awesome international work experience, while using this opportunity to

improve my business Spanish,” said Steff en, who is taking night business classes at el Instituto

Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) as she works toward an MBA and ultimately a Ph.D.

“Like most people my age, I hope this great experience can give me more clues as to what

I want to do long-term.”

Steff en played basketball at Valdosta State for two years, and many remember the 5’7”

shooting guard for her part in the Lady Blazers trip to the 2004-05 NCAA tournament. In

the fi rst round of play, Steff en was instrumental in the win against Florida Technical College.

Steff en was an ideal student-athlete involved in almost every aspect of campus life. She

served as a resident assistant, volunteered for the Migrant Education Agency and participated

in the Society for International Students, the Langdale College of Business Administration

Student Advisory Board and the ultimate frisbee club team.

“These are the kinds of stories collegiate athletics are all about,” said Jennifer Head,

women’s basketball assistant coach and senior woman administrator. “Let’s celebrate her

determination and success.”

As a junior, Steff en had her fi rst taste of international business — she spent the year

studying abroad in Murica, Spain. Following graduation, she spent a year in Germany on a

scholarship from the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program. She spent the fi rst six

months studying German to prepare for a six-month internship with the Georgia Department

of Economic Development’s European Offi ce in Munich.

To qualify for the Fulbright scholarship, Steff en was required to present essays and

recommendation letters, interview with a 12-person panel via Skype and interview with

each of the participating companies to determine the best match for her term. The almost

10-month application process resulted in her scholarship award and placement with Nestle

Mexico – her top choice. ■

Former Lady Blazer Receives International Scholarship

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Katie Steffen, right, next to Traci (Newton) Gast, ’06 & ’08, af ter a Lady Blazers basketbal l game. Steffen attained many honors during her undergraduate career, including the President ’s Award a nd the Outstanding Management Student Award, both earned as a senior.

QUICK HITS: FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD14-1 Wins/losses for the 2002

season — best record

since football’s inception

at VSU in 1982

340 Total points the Blazers

scored during the 2008

season

22 Number of games Coach

David Dean has won since

he took over as head

coach in 2007

5,832 Average game

attendance during the

2008 Blazer football

season

24 Number of Blazer players

who have joined the

professional ranks

155 Number of tackles scored

by record-holder Cliff

Fouty during the 1982

season

6’7” Height of 285 lb freshman

Mesh Wokomaty — the

tallest Blazer on the 2009

roster

3 Number of interceptions

in a single game at

Bazemore-Hyder Stadium

by record-holder Wesley

Brown

21 Record number of

touchdowns scored in

a single season, held by

Robert Williams (1994),

Stanley Flanders (1994)

and Aaron Jenkins (2001)

Fall 2009 • 21

Valdosta State Tallies Seven All-Americans:Four Blazers, Three Lady Blazers Named All-American

Seven Valdosta State tennis players

were named to the 2009 Intercollegiate

Tennis Association’s (ITA) All-American

team. Four Blazers and three Lady Blazers

made the team.

A singles player must fi nish in the top

20 of the fi nal ITA rankings while a doubles

player must be in the top 10 for All-American

status. Daniel Dueren, Florian Halb and

Joerg Ekkenga all made the singles group

with fi nal rankings of fourth, 12th and 17th

respectively. Ekkenga joined Leos Jelinek as

all-Americans in doubles competition.

Dominique Rothlaender and Natali

Gumbrecht also claimed all-american

status in singles with rankings of 16th

and 17th. Rothlaender teamed with Tina

Trautmann to also make all-american in

doubles play.

The Blazers finished the season 16-4

and undefeated in Gulf South Conference

play. The Lady Blazers team was one of

the final four left in the nation before fall-

ing to Armstrong Atlantic State, the 2009

National Champions. ■

Volleyball Set to Serve a Winning Season

The VSU Volleyball team welcomes Katie

Onushko out of South Forsyth High School

in Cumming, Ga. Head coach Sia Poyer said

the 5’10” outside hitter’s ability to dominate

both the left and right side of the court brings

versatility to the team’s off ense.

Onushko has had a strong start at VSU,

leading the team in kills with 20 during the

season opener against the University of

South Carolina-Aiken. The freshman said

she chose Valdosta State because of the

successful volleyball program and her love

for the campus.

Onushko rounds out an impressive vol-

leyball team this season. Poyer said the team

has really “stepped up” and shown its men-

tal toughness. Outside hitters Irene Hannan

and team captain Ruthie King, setter Emelia

Saulter and middle blocker Arielle Parnell

have pushed the team in its consistency and

positive attitude. ■

All-Sports ChampionsValdosta State repeated as the Gulf South

Conference All-Sports Champions. West

Florida took the women’s award while the

Blazers claimed the men’s spot. Both teams

were the first to repeat since Jacksonville

State in 1992-93.

Valdosta State is the fi rst men’s team to

repeat since North Alabama in 1994-96. The

Blazers are only the sixth men’s team to repeat

since the inception of the award.

Men’s tennis won the Gulf South

Conference Championship to help the Blazers

earn the award while basketball and baseball

both fi nished second in the GSC. Football was

third while golf fi nished fourth.

The Lady Blazers fi nished fi fth in the run-

ning for the All-Sports award. ■

Sports BriefsMeet the Blazers

Hundreds of area girls and boys par-

ticipated in “Meet the Blazers” day

at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in late

August. The football, dance and cheer-

leading teams held free clinics for children

ages 5-13, who also enjoyed lunch and an

autograph session with their favorite VSU

athletes.

Blazer football players and coaches

engaged their youngest fans in football drills

and discussed the importance of staying

focused both on and off the fi eld. Dance and

cheerleading squads conveyed the impor-

tance of safety as they taught the young

athletes a few of VSU’s favorite chants, dance

moves and stunts.

Following the morning clinics, the crowd

enjoyed hot dogs as they patiently waited

for VSU players to sign a team photograph

for each child. BO

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Valdosta State has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the Gulf South Conference championship, according to a vote by league coaches, as announced by the GSC Office on Thursday. The Sporting News has ranked VSU No. 4 in the country in its preseason poll.


Prime Time Scribe Devoted t

SHE PENNED COLORFUL THEMATIC

narrations for ABC’s quirky comedy-drama

“Scrubs.” Her full-length play illustrates the

collision between rooted swamp life and

industrial encroachment. These days, she

chronicles loneliness and pride on Lifetime’s

original series, “Army Wives.”

The characters, scenes and plots of Debra

Fordham’s writing career have changed with

the seasons; but without pajamas, white noise

and peanut M&Ms, the 33-year-old might

have joined the Coast Guard.

“Writing for me is an ever-changing ebb

and fl ow of creativity. Sometimes I’m better in

the morning. Sometimes I get on a roll late in

the day and write into the wee hours. There’s

really no rhyme or reason,” said Fordham,

who debated entering the U.S. Coast Guard

or studying to be a history professor before

she found her niche in television prose. “But

there are three absolutes for me to be produc-

tive — I wear pajamas, the television is on for

white noise, and I crave a constant stream of

Goldfi sh crackers and peanut M&Ms.”

The clever, private Tallahassee native,

who moved to Los Angeles 16 years ago

to try her hand at show business, has since

earned three Emmy nominations and a

Peabody Award. Her friends at Valdosta

State University are proud of her resume

— but the alumni association named her

the 2009 Alumna of the Year because of her

intense dedication to the university and its

students. Director of Alumni Relations John

Trombetta, ’01, said Fordham’s contribu-

tions — from scholarship funds to seasoned

guidance — are priceless.

“She has had tremendous professional

success in a tremendously competitive

arena, yet she is still so grounded, and so

giving of her time, talent and resources,”

Trombetta said. “Her generosity to VSU has

provided VSU students with insight into the

By Kate H. Elliott

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Fall 2009 • 23

d to her Roots What is something few people know or would be

surprised to know about you?

I dream of restoring an old car or truck.

Did you ever perform on stage while at VSU? If so,

what was your most embarrassing/favorite role?

Yep. My favorite role was my very fi rst role, Belinda

in “Noises Off.” As for “embarrassing,” well, that

could mean several things. I was absolutely terrible

in “Little Foxes” — so that was embarrassing. But

the most embarrassing moment onstage was when

my skirt fell off during a performance of “Dracula.”

Do you have a favorite theatre production?

Currently on Broadway is “Next to Normal.” That I

performed in, “Gypsy” or “Noises Off.” In general,

probably “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

Do you watch a lot of TV?

Working in television has ruined TV for me. I’m too

aware of the writing, the directing, the acting.

I still love reruns of the shows I grew up with, but

I don’t watch much current programming. “Friday

Night Lights” and “Chuck” are my only two “must

see” programs right now.

If you have an iPod, what are the most listened

to songs?

My iPod is packed with show tunes. Right now,

the most played song is “Superboy & the Invisible

Girl” from the Tony-nominated “Next to Normal.”

I’m completely obsessed with that show! (You can

take the girl out of the theatre but you can’t take the

theatre out of the girl.)

Three scoops of ice cream, what would they be?

I only need two scoops – Ben & Jerry’s New York

Super Fudge Chunk and Chocolate Chip Cookie

Dough. Heaven!

Do you have any TV show writing pet peeves?

Oh sure. Bad writing in general really irks me, but

I’m particularly sensitive to bad storytelling. Tell the

story well, plug the holes, earn the big moments. I

also hate “clams.” That’s sitcom lingo for dialogue

or stories that have been overused. For example,

having two dates on the same night. Or getting

stuck in a bank vault/freezer/elevator/etc. Examples

of clammy jokes would be “He’s right behind me,

isn’t he?” “Did I say that out loud?” “Houston, we

have a problem.”

What is your role in the writing process?

Television writing is very collaborative. There are

usually 8 to 10 writers on a staff and you spend A

LOT of time together, sitting around a big table. We

come up with story ideas for the season as a group,

outline the individual episodes as a group, then we

take turns writing the actual scripts. This season, I

wrote three “Army Wives.”

Deb’s Trivia

entertainment industry that only someone

of her stature can provide.”

A Helping HandMost every year Fordham returns to her

old stomping grounds — the VSU Fine Arts

Building — to conduct free workshops for

theatre students and handpick scholarship

recipients. Fordham has fl own from L.A. to

New York for student-alumni networking

events and has even been known to give

feedback to playwright hopefuls and pass

along graduates’ headshots to the entertain-

ment industry.

“My professors invested a lot of time and

energy in me, so if I can help them out in

some way, I will. It is simply my way of saying

thanks,” said Fordham, who graduated from

VSU in 1991. “But beyond that, I really do feel

a kinship with the students in Valdosta. I was

a small-town girl with no money and no con-

nections. VSU gave me the courage to dream

big and the skills to make it happen. That’s an

amazing gift that I’m eager to give to the next

generation.”

Bailee DesRocher, ’04, received the

fi rst VSU Alumni Theatre Scholarship, which

Fordham funded. When DesRocher asked

Fordham how she could ever return the gen-

erous advance, Fordham replied simply, “pay it

forward.” DesRocher, who specializes in sketch

comedy and musicals, credits Fordham’s

advice with giving her the gumption to get

on a plane bound for Hollywood. Fordham’s

story gave DesRocher the assurance that she

wouldn’t have to compromise her values to

be successful in the City of Angels.

“I hadn’t considered an acting career in

Hollywood when I was in college, but Deb’s

visit and then our class trip to L.A. made me

rethink it,” said DesRocher, who returned

to VSU in 2006 for the Peach State Summer

Theatre season. “It seemed like a daunting

task to pack up your life in the Southeast and

head all the way to California, but she did it

and I thought I could too. So I did.”

Fordham transferred to Valdosta State

from a Tallahassee community college her

junior year, but the eager performance major

soon made her mark as a talented performer

and dedicated student. The avid athlete

mastered tap dancing, managed the box

offi ce, and acted in a number of children’s

tours and full-length plays. Her talent for the

written word revealed itself in a playwriting

class taught by theatre professor Jacque

Wheeler, who has since become Fordham’s

lifelong friend and mentor. Upon gradua-

tion, Fordham was awarded VSU’s highest

honor — the Annie Powe Hopper Award —

bestowed upon an exemplary student who

possesses the character and dignity associ-

ated with the fi rst dean of women.

“Deb was talented in all aspects of theatre

— from stage management to acting — but

when she took the playwright class, I realized

she had a real gift,” said Wheeler, who has

worked at VSU since 1986. “She is a true sto-

ryteller with no one limiting style. She has a


great sense of humor and is particularly good

at capturing how people speak.”

After graduation, Fordham took to the

stage as a resident company member at the

Burt Reynolds Institute Theatre in Jupiter,

Florida. A year later, she moved to Los Angeles

and sold sandwiches out of a cooler to pay

rent. Three months after her arrival, Fordham

traded in her food cart for a job as a pro-

duction assistant — shuttling cappuccinos

and script revisions to actors — eventually

landing on the set of “Murphy Brown.” Her

storyline behind the scenes of comedy and

drama began.

“No one gets anywhere in life without a

helping hand,” Fordham said. “My VSU profes-

sors gave me an important recommendation.

An alumna in Los Angeles (Karen Heck, ’85)

got me my fi rst production assistant job. A

writer at “Murphy Brown” handed my scripts

to his agent, who then signed me. The list

goes on and on. I cannot stress enough how

well VSC prepared me for my career.”

Taking the StageIn 2003, Fordham began writing and pro-

ducing fast-paced, slapstick dialogue for com-

edy-drama “Scrubs.” Over the course of eight

a writer for Lifetime Television’s series “Army

Wives.” With nearly 4 million viewers, the

series has pushed Fordham to expand her

writing and research skills to accommodate

the hourlong format. When she is not writing,

casting or editing fi lm, she is likely conduc-

ing research for scripts or fi lming on set in

Charleston, S.C.

“Research is a very important part of any

writing. For ‘Army Wives,’ I didn’t have to look

that far — my sister was an army wife for

over 20 years. But I still read lots of books,

talked to Army wives and Googled every-

thing I could fi nd,” said Fordham, who said

she dreams of writing for Meryl Streep one

day. “The Department of Defense was kind

enough to arrange a research trip to Ft. Irwin.

The entire writing staff was fl own there by

Blackhawk helicopter.”

Home Sweet HomeFordham may map out characters’ lives,

but her own is an open book. The “work-in-

progress,” as she describes herself, is open

to whatever challenges and opportunities

prime time directs her way. One certainty is

that VSU will never be written out of her life;

the campus, the people and the program are

all too much a part of who she was and who

she has become.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without

VSU, so I feel an obligation to give back as

much as I can. I’ve funded some scholarships,

brought in some guest professionals — but

the thing I enjoy most is coming back myself

for workshops,” Fordham said. “My goal is sim-

ply to demystify Los Angeles and the enter-

tainment industry in general. I think it’s easy

to get intimidated by it all — especially being

from a small town in the South. My message

is, ‘Hey, if you’ve got big dreams, give it a try.

If you don’t like it, you can always move back;

but at least you won’t have any regrets.’” ■

seasons, Fordham wrote sixteen episodes,

two of which, “My Life in Four Cameras” and

“My Musical,” are considered to be among

the show’s best episodes. Fordham made her

television acting debut at the end of episode

“My Full Moon.”

Between routine 12-hour days writing and

taping episodes, Fordham managed to write

a screenplay for Michael Douglas’ Further

Films and “Holler Me Home,” a full-length

play about balancing tradition and progress.

Fordham chose Valdosta State University to

premiere the play on February 14, 2008, in

Sawyer Theatre. At Fordham’s request, long-

time theatre professor Dr. Randy Wheeler

came out of retirement to direct the play.

“It was very exciting to direct the fi rst full

scale production of a former student whom

I admire so much,” said Wheeler, who worked

at VSU for 26 years before retiring in 2006. “I

know the play has the potential to appeal to

a very wide audience. I hope she will continue

to work on the piece and look for other ven-

ues. It is a play of much merit.”

Cricket chirps and swamper hollers set

the mood of the Okefenokee Swamp in

1930, when the federal government began

to explore the untamed marshland. Fordham,

whose grandmother lived in the swamp,

shares the lives of a hardworking, principled

people and their struggles when confronted

with change. Writing a play about home was

cathartic for Fordham.

“Seeing ‘Holler Me Home’ on stage was a

revelation. It was funnier. It was more touch-

ing. The themes really came through,” said

Fordham, who said she misses everything

(even thunderstorms) about the South except

the bugs and humidity. “I was blown away by

how committed the cast and crew were. They

put so much thought behind the production

and were so invested in making it work. Just

amazing.”

“Holler Me Home” was accepted into

WaterTower Theatre’s 2008 Out of the Loop

Festival in Addison, Texas. Ever the perfec-

tionist, Fordham is currenly rewriting the play

using what she learned from the Valdosta

staging. Her hope is to have her agent shop

“Holler Me Home” around New York within

the next year, giving the piece a life outside

of Georgia.

In December 2008, Fordham transitioned

from the comical vignettes of fi ctional Sacred

Heart Hospital to the drama of military life as

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Fall 2009 • 25

been its worst offender. Vines have taken

over nearly every part of the concrete, and

patches of grass have somehow managed to

sprout up between cracks along the bridge’s

surface. When any fl ooding occurs, Spook

Bridge always fi nds itself under water. More

than half a century ago, a fl ood completely

washed out and destroyed most of the roads

surrounding the bridge.

Spook Bridge — now closed to the pub-

lic — stands as one of the region’s greatest

legends, a place that has inspired three gen-

erations of high school dares and mischief.

However, crime and structural hazards have

put the bridge’s future in question. For years,

Brooks County police have been trying to

crack down on tourists and miscreants,

making several arrests for trespassing. And

although many in Valdosta see the bridge as

a fi xed part of local lore, some less romantic

citizens want the bridge torn down — that is

unless the ghosts put up a fi ght.

The Bell HouseVito’s Pizzeria and Lounge, which recently

moved downtown, has become a staple of

the VSU student experience, off ering up late-

“Think you haven’t heard one? Guess

again,” said Lowney. “Many times the sto-

ries we tell each other as true are actually

more like tall tales. People share these stories

with others, but the stories rarely happen to

them; instead, they happen to ‘my friend’ or

‘my cousin.’ Social scientists have abbrevi-

ated this “friend of a friend” phenomenon as

FOAF-tales.”

Lowney said teenagers in particular are

drawn to myth, not just for their spookiness,

but because urban legends allow adolescents

to flirt with the boundary between child-

hood and adulthood. Valdosta youth have

fueled a tall tale or two; the city’s haunted

traditions stretch back farther than most of

the living can recall. Though their origins

remain shrouded in mystery, the city’s three

most notorious legends remain alive. Ghost

hunters return to Spook Bridge year after year

in hopes of spotting a shadow wandering

through the ruins. Waiters at Vito’s Pizzeria

and Lounge, housed in the Bell House, swear

to have seen an apparition. Teenagers con-

tinue to pour baby powder on their wind-

shields at “The Dip” to capture the handprints

of ghosts pushing their car down the hill.

Spook BridgeSpook Bridge is arguably the

county’s most famous relic — a

dangerous, decaying landmark

that has been the crux of high

school dares and general small

town curiosity for decades. The

bridge was a well-traveled over-

pass above the Withlacoochee

River from 1920 to about 1950.

Lowney said that many sto-

ries have come to be associated

with the bridge, and some hold

more truth than others.

The most common ghost

stories associated with the

bridge stem from the dilapidated

house that stands nearby. As one version of

the legend claims, the man who lived in the

house killed his wife before ending his own.

Ghost hunters have reportedly seen both

ghosts patrolling the bridge near the couple’s

former residence.

Other tales focus on the wrecks that

have occurred on the bridge, including one

about a high school couple whose car ran

through the railings and swept them into the

river. Believers swear that people who drive

across the bridge can hear the young couple

screaming and feel the reverberation of them

banging on the hood.

Fortunately for the faint of heart, the road

to the bridge has long been blocked. The

road has been literally torn apart, the asphalt

ripped back off of the earth. Still, visitors have

found their way through the debris. The rail-

ings and cracked concrete roadway boast an

impressive graffi ti word count. The center of

the bridge has been completely scorched by

many fi res, and layers of broken glass make

the entire bridge a danger to foot traffi c.

As damaging as ghosts and gawkers have

been to the bridge, nature has probably

By Kate H. Elliott and Thomas Dale, student writer

SPOOK BRIDGE

BELL HOUSE

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T HERE IS SOMETHING FASCINATING about a good urban legend. Human

nature seems to gravitate toward the unbelievable, daring us to consider absurd

tales of mad meat-hook murders or libraries that talk back after hours. But

sociology professor Dr. Kathleen Lowney said lore is more pervasive than one

might think. Legend and myth are not confi ned to fl ashlight-lit sleepovers and

stories ’round the campfi re.


said people have heard strange barking from

in the house, and he claims to have felt the

dog brush up against his leg.

One weekend in 2007, the Tif ton’s

Southern Ghost Hunters Paranormal

Investigations of Georgia explored the house.

The team spent several hours on the second

fl oor of the house, where they said to have

captured spirit voices with their recording

equipment. The electronic voice phenomena

revealed a female humming, a female singing

and a male saying what sounds like, “Why did

you shove me?”

The Bell House is defi nitely worth the visit.

For the ghost hunter hobbyist, it’s positively

essential; few Georgia haunted houses are as

well documented and infamous as this house

on North Ashley Street, and even fewer have

served pizza.

The DipValdosta’s little haunted hill is surprisingly

elusive. Most everyone has heard of The Dip,

but few people agree on its location. The

actual hill, sometimes referred to as “Spook

Hill,” seems to uproot and move with each

generation.

The details of this particular legend are

just as vague as its location. Supposedly, cars

either stalled or left in neutral roll up the hill

without being pushed. Some stories place

The Dip at a railroad crossing, where, if the

car is left stalled on the tracks, some ghostly

do-gooder gives it a gentle push out of harms

way. Dust the back of the car with baby pow-

der, and you can see handprints left over by

the ghost’s shove.

The legend of The Dip is likely a transplant

legend. Similar stories about railroad tracks

and freeway exit ramps exist throughout the

country.

Lowney said there is no harm in exploring

the creepier side of history. Telling tall tales

is one of society’s oldest traditions. So next

time you hear a creepy story, gladly indulge

yourself in the space where fantasy meets

reality.

If you want to read some of the “oldie but

goody” urban legends, Lowney recommends

books by folklorist Dr. Jan Harold Brunvand.

He publishes collections of urban legends,

including “The Choking Doberman and Other

‘New’ Urban Legends.”

night pizza and live music relatively close

to campus. Its former location at 500 North

Ashley St. had been the residence of James

“Doc” Bell, who in classic haunted house

tradition ended his own life in 1964 with a

noose in the attic. Others add that before he

took his own life, he killed his daughter, but

even those people can’t unanimously decide

whether she was pushed out the top fl oor

window or hanged from the rafters. What

they can agree on is that at least one of the

two, if not both, never left home.

The peeling paint and creaky porch boards

add to the house’s mystery. Andy Drazdowski,

a former VSU student, has gathered quite

a handful of ghost stories from working at

Vito’s since it opened. Drazdowski said the

restaurant is located solely on the fi rst fl oor

because too many workers and visitors had

creepy encounters upstairs.

“Once, I took a customer’s order, and when

I came back she looked really scared. She told

me she saw a man walk through the room,

staring right at her, and walk up the stairs to

the second fl oor,” Drazdowski said. “I went

and got a picture of him. Sure enough, he

was the man she had seen.”

Throughout the years, employees have

witnessed items fl ying off shelves and felt

water dripping on their heads when there

were no leaks above them. Employees say

that if the house is left a little bit messy, they

can always expect to find the place even

messier in the morning — overturned chairs

and scattered plates and utensils. The family

dog may have stuck around, too. Drazdowski

Pound HallDr. Fred Ware doesn’t believe in ghost

stories, but Pound Hall has certainly tried to

make him a believer.

The VSU business professor of 38 years has

worked out of an offi ce in the 1922 Georgian

building since the 1970s. Ever since his fi rst

day behind the desk, tales of a ghost have

wafted down from the attic rafters, where

the alleged apparition is said to have hanged

himself decades ago.

“Every time something gets misplaced, we

(the faculty) always blame it on the ghost,”

Ware said. “We did have one year when every

day we would come in and sugar was strewn

about the break room. Some people were

certain it was the ghost, but we later heard

it was a prankster having a laugh with the

coff ee supplies.”

Again, Ware is a ghost skeptic, but that

doesn’t mean the old building hasn’t sent

shivers up his spine now and again, particularly

at night. About 2 a.m. one morning, Ware

returned from a school trip to collect some

papers and books from his Pound Hall offi ce.

He recalls the light switches didn’t work, so he

crept through the dark halls navigating with

his hands along the narrow walls. The blue

hue from his computer screen illuminated

his offi ce, and he walked toward the light.

Ware found the light switch and fl ipped it on.

He yelled. A man sitting at his desk whirled

around and screamed in unison.

“It’s not what you think. A custodial worker

decided to take a quick nap after his shift, but

he ended up falling asleep at my desk,” said

Ware. “It wasn’t a ghost, but it sure gave me

the fright of my life.” ■

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Zeta Phi Beta stepper Whitley Witherspoon played basketball and volleyball in high school. The junior sports medicine major said the dedication and physicality of stepping rivals any sports’ team practice.“Stepping is intense, and I definitely sweat the same, if not more than when I played sports,” Witherspoon said. “But you are so into the movements as a group, you forget you are working hard. The long hours are worth it for the bond I have formed with my sisters.”

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Stepping Into Fellowship

What to do in Columbus

BRANDIE ALLEN EASILY FELL in line with

her father’s footsteps. The 21-year-old junior

grew up watching her father perform intricate

rhythms of steps and claps in unison with

other members of the Phi Beta Sigma step

team at Valdosta State University. Allen knew

from the moment she saw her fi rst step per-

formance that it would be an activity instilled

in her forever.

“My dad always reminisces about his times

on the step team, talking about his perfor-

mances in the old gym,” said Allen, who is

majoring in communication sciences and dis-

orders. “I remember when I’d go home and

practice stepping he would stop me to show

me a few of his steps.”

These days, Allen is the one with the

impressive moves as step team coordinator

for Zeta Phi Beta. Her sorority celebrated a

victorious triumph at the 2008 Homecoming

Step Show on Oct. 13 in the P.E. Complex.

“When you fi nish with the routine you feel

a sense of accomplishment and a bond with

everyone else stepping that you can’t feel

with other people,” she said. “You relate to the

Columbus, Georgia is a city unafraid of change … yet careful to uphold its heritage.

Come experience this one of a kind city and her true Southern hospitality. Come see

“What Progress Has Preserved.”

Experience the energy of this vibrant city! Explore the 15-mile Chattahoochee

RiverWalk, step aboard the USS Water Witch, a life-size replica of the Civil War ironclad

gunboat at the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus, blast millions of

light years into space at the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, take in a performance

at the Springer Opera House, the State Theatre of Georgia, and trace the footsteps

of the infantrymen from the French and Indian War to Vietnam to the sands of the

Persian Gulf at the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park. Music,

Broadway shows, art, history, great food and true Southern hospitality … discover it

all in Columbus, GA!

www.visitcolumbusga.com

(800) 999.1613

Fall 2009 • 27

By Natalie Quinn, student writer

other girls on the team

and remember everything

you’ve been through with

each other.”

The win brought a

sense of pride to the

sorority, but preparation

for the show is what truly

brought the team together. The women

practiced everyday — Sunday through

Thursday — starting at 9:30 p.m. and some-

times practicing as late as 1 a.m. Allen said

practices encourage and require a strong

bond of support and positive attitudes

among the girls.

Sorority members collaborated for nearly

a year to develop a theme and routine

of steps to convey the message of their

8-minute show.

“When you are in the middle of stepping,

you feel an outer body experience, where

you have to keep on stepping, but yet you

are also in the moment, the adrenaline is

really high,” Allen said.

Allen continues to step with her team,

making her father proud and feeling a sense

of closeness to the black community. ■


BOBBY SNOW BOAL, ’46, never imagined the colorful refl ections of a childhood toy

would someday mirror and shape her life and that of husband, Dr. Jan Boal, a retired math-

ematics professor.

The Boals are the proud owners of Atlanta’s The Kaleidoscope Shop, a colorfully eclectic

shop that features the work of 140 kaleidoscope artists — more than any store in the

world. Several magazines, including Southern Living, have dedicated pages to the magical

shop and its equally enchanting owners.

“In a typical kaleidoscope, many diff erent items — a colorful bead, a gear from an old pocket

watch, a paper clip, a gem from a broken earring — are placed in the turning end piece, where

they fall together randomly,” Bobby said. “Many varied and apparently random events in our

lives have fallen together over the years to bring us to this point, where, transformed — it would

seem by God’s design — everything has fallen into place.”

(Snow) Harrell, ’45, of Newnan, Ga., at First

Baptist Church of Valdosta in 1953. Since

their union, Bobby and Jan have enjoyed

many years of informing people that “No,”

they did not switch their nametags.

“Yes, I have a name associated with

boys, and Jan has a girl’s name,” Bobby said

with a smile. “When we were moving into

our fi rst apartment, I noticed a little cedar

chest, the kind often given away to female

high school graduates. I was the only girl in

my class who didn’t get one. ‘I was the only

boy who did get one,’ Jan said. Our names

have kept life interesting.”

The two settled into married life at their

cozy apartment on Evelyn Place in Atlanta.

Bobby was teaching art at West Fulton High

School, and Jan was fi nishing up master’s

coursework at Georgia Tech, where he

received a bachelor’s degree in mathemati-

cal engineering and a master’s degree in

mathematics. The guiding light of their

path shifted when Jan received a scholar-

ship to earn his doctorate at Massachusetts

Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and a Rotary

Club grant to travel in Europe. Bobby quit

her job to travel with Jan through seven

countries in Europe before settling at M.I.T.

in Cambridge, Mass.

“Two of our children were born while we

were there,” Bobby said. “I was a busy mom

with toddlers that had to be zipped into

snowsuits and boots every time we ven-

tured out. It snowed a lot. When we hung

the diapers out to dry, they froze stiff .”

Bobby, who had adjusted to life as a

homemaker, wrote and illustrated a children’s

book, A Tree for Phyllis & Me, in 1957 while

she was expecting their second child, Emily

Wert. The book chronicles her Valdosta child-

hood adventures, namely climbing trees with

neighbor Phyllis (Wade) Iserman, ’49, of

Hazelwood, N.C.

“As a little girl, I used to write tiny books for

my dolls,” Bobby said. “But the idea of writing

a book for publication grew out of the desire

to help put Jan through school.”

Their enchanting tale bounced from

South Carolina — where Jan worked as a

math professor for nine years — back to their

rosy memories of Atlanta, where Jan took over

as chair of the math department at Georgia

State University in 1969.

Inn FocusBy 1985, Jan was nearing retirement, and

their three children were all grown up with

families. Jan and Bobby were again ready to

refocus their lives on two of their greatest

passions — meeting people and cooking.

Beautiful SymmetryThe Lives of Kaleidoscope Shop Owners

Reflecting BackBobby’s taste for the prismatic life dates

back to her days at Georgia State Woman’s

College (GSWC), where she attended after

graduating as Valdosta High School’s vale-

dictorian in 1944. She spent two years major-

ing in chemistry, but one art class later, and

Bobby was painting her future in brush-

strokes. By her junior year, Bobby — who

had never spent more than one night away

from her family home on Brookwood Drive

— was eager to “push herself from the nest.”

She transferred to the University of Georgia,

where in 1948 she graduated with a bach-

elor’s degree in art.

Bobby found her niche in the corporate

world as an assistant advertising manager at

the Muse’s Department Store in Atlanta. While

she was sketching the men’s shoe depart-

ment one afternoon, she ran into a hand-

some Georgia Tech student. The following

Sunday, Jan asked her to walk home from

church, and the two have been walking side

by side ever since.

“He bussed tables at the faculty club at

midday for $1 plus lunch and sold slide rules

to buy my engagement ring,” Bobby said.

“The night he proposed to me on the porch

of my boarding house, I rushed upstairs

breathlessly to show off my ring. ‘I was just

bowled over,’ I told the other girls. ‘You made

a pun,’ they said. I ran downstairs and told Jan

what I had said, and he replied, ‘Well, I was

snowed under.’ (My maiden name is Snow).”

The two were married in a double wed-

ding ceremony with Bobby’s sister, Virginia

By Kate H. Elliott and Amanda Blank, student writer

The Boals credit much of their kaleidoscope expertise to a friendship with Cozy Baker, the world’s leading expert on the fanciful trinkets. Cozy founded an international kaleidoscope organization, The Brewster Society, and boasts the largest private col lect ion of scopes according to The Guinness Book of World Records.

The two purchased The Veranda Inn, in

Senoia, Ga., a bed and breakfast listed on

the National Register of Historic Places. The

1906 Greek revival mansion with its ornate

tin ceilings, eleven fi replaces and heart pine

fl oors was the perfect setting for the Boal’s

next endeavor.

“We plunged into remodeling the old

Hollberg Hotel, and within months we were

hosting weddings, teas and caring for over-

night guests,” Boal said of the inn, which

Atlanta magazine named one of the state’s

four, four-star inns. “Soon we were so busy

arranging fl owers, cooking and serving our

homemade fi ve-course meals, that we had

to limit our dinner guests to those people

staying at the inn.”

Guests from all over the world stayed with

the Boals — challenging Jan to one of his old

fashioned board games or sampling Bobby’s

tangerine asparagus salad. Oscar winners and

actors such as Elijah Wood, Kathy Bates and

Jessica Tandy are among the famous people

who have enjoyed the Veranda’s antique

elegance.

“A highlight for us was the night President

George W. Bush called us to speak to Newt

Gingrich, who was staying at our inn,” Bobby

said. “By and large, they were all friendly, easy-

going, fun-loving people who enjoyed inns,

the other guests, the food, and whatever was

going on. Rich or poor, famous or infamous,

huggable or prickly, they were a delight to

get to know.”

One guest to the Veranda would illumi-

nate the Boal’s next, most colorful venture.

Cozy Baker — known by many as the “First

Lady” of kaleidoscopes — became a regular

at the inn, where — by the way — William

Jennings Bryan stayed while running for pres-

ident in 1908. Her praises drew other kaleido-

scope enthusiasts, who brought with them

intriguing variations of the fanciful art form.

“We had started a small gift shop, but

before we sold The Veranda, our shop cov-

ered three rooms and extended to all the

guest rooms and hallways,” Bobby said.

Looking ForwardThe pair sold The Veranda in 2005 and

found a home for their overwhelming col-

lection of kaleidoscopes in Atlanta, where

the families of their three children— Bob,

Emily and Ginger — reside. The Kaleidoscope

Guests from all over the world stayed with the Boals ... Oscar win-

ners such as Elijah Wood, and actors Chris O’Donnell, Kathy Bates

and Jessica Tandy are among the famous people who have enjoyed

the Veranda’s antique elegance.

World-class restaurants, festive nightlife, seven professional sports teams and an abundance of excit-

ing attractions and events help make Atlanta the center for entertainment in the South. Experience

a diverse and thriving cultural scene at the city’s many theatres, museums, galleries, concert halls

and family attractions. Explore the city’s role in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement at museums

like the Atlanta History Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.

Enjoy the world’s largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, taste the World of Coca-Cola or go

behind-the-scenes at the Inside CNN Studio Tour. Immerse your inner-gourmand at critically-

acclaimed restaurants featuring new Southern cuisine or take in the city’s eclectic nightlife, off ering

a vibe for every taste. Indulge at one of the cities more than 12,000 hotel rooms or explore the city’s

boutique shopping with original designers, antique shops or funky thrift stores. For more informa-

tion, visit www.atlanta.net.

What to do in At lanta

Shop, 2186 Henderson Mill Road in Briarcliff

Village, opened in 2006. Bobby said the pair

is blessed to have a life fi lled with childhood

wonderment.

“Like most people, my husband and I fell

in love with kaleidoscopes as children. There

was unbelievable mystery captured inside

each little inexpensive kaleidoscope at the

Five &Ten,” Bobby said, recalling her fi rst expe-

riences with the childhood toy. “We looked

inside the cardboard tube to see a wonder-

ful color burst design, turned the end piece

and — presto — a new design fell into place

with a ‘click’…and the magic went on…turn,

click, oooh…turn, click, ooh!”

The entire Boal family — now 20 strong

and three generations, mostly in Atlanta — is

committed to bringing joy to people through

the simple pleasures at The Kaleidoscope

Shop. From inexpensive looking glass neck-

laces and cardboard versions to kaleido-

scopes of exotic woods, brass, stained glass

and leather, the shop has something for every

customer in search of a visual adventure. ■

Fall 2009 • 29


I t was Aug. 30, 1989, and Bob

Policastro, ’82, was eagerly waiting to

cradle his firstborn. A doctor emerged

from the intensive care unit to inform

Bob and his wife, Angie, that their daugh-

ter suffered severe brain damage dur-

ing birth. Angela would require 24-hour

nursing care and remain dependent on

machines to survive.

“It was an overbearing shock,” said Bob,

who at the time was working in sales for

Northwest Airlines. “It was like an out of

body experience. All my senses shut down.

I wondered how this could happen to my

baby, such an innocent baby?”

The Policastros received exceptional

support from hospital staff , but the pair felt

lost and alone once they emerged from the

automatic doors into a world without 24-hour

care and panic buttons. Few home-based

services were available to assist them with

Angela’s care, and the services they did seek

out were poorly coordinated and stretched

thin. No specialized hospitals in the area could

meet her needs; so, the couple traveled two

hours each day to visit their daughter at a

long-term care facility in Connecticut.

“As a parent, you’re left wondering, ‘What

now? Where do I go?’ Angela spent the fi rst

six months in North Shore University Hospital

(in New York) and her next seven months in a

hospital for specialized care (in Connecticut),”

Bob said. “The facility was especially beautiful,

and it off ered the potential long-term care

she required as well as therapy and round

the clock nursing.”

The daily commutes were well worth spend-

ing time with their fi rstborn, Bob said, because

Angela didn’t survive to see her second birthday.

They felt blessed, he said, to spend so much time

with their daughter before she died.

The Policastros’ channeled their grief into

action. The two committed themselves to

improving the lives of disabled and medi-

cally frail children and their families. In 1992,

they created a 501(c)(3) non-profit organiza-

tion called Angela’s House, which provides an

array of services for medically fragile children

and their families. Angie, who had also worked

for Northwest Airlines, went back to school to

become a nurse.

“The children who live here are cared for in a

warm, loving environment suited to accommo-

date their complex physical and medical needs,”

Bob said. “We’re here to put our arms around

these families, and give them as much support

in every way we can.”

In 2000, the Policastros opened their first

24-hour care home in East Moriches, N.Y., and

four years later opened a second home in

Smithtown, N.Y.

These full-time care

facilities designed

for children who

cannot live at home

are among the fi rst

of their kind in New

York State. With

spacious, comfort-

able rooms deco-

rated with custom

wall murals, the

homes look more

l i ke gr an dma’s

house than the

sterilized quarters

of traditional long-

term care facilities. The outdoor area with a play-

ground and patio provide much needed laughs

and outdoor exploration.

“Seeing and feeling the pain of having a

medically frail child opened my eyes to a world I

could have never imagined existed,” Bob said. “I

saw fi rsthand the supports needed, the diffi culty

of taking a frail child home and the need for an

out-of-home placement when a child can no

longer be cared for at home. This diffi cult situa-

tion put me in a position to help change things

and we are proud to say we did.”

Bob Policastro with his family, Bobby, Vinny, Alyssa, Joey and his wife, Angie. The entire family is extremely involved in Angela’s House projects.

By Kate H. Elliot and Carolanne Hines, student writer

Angela’s HouseChanneling Grief into Action

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Splashes of Hope is a non-prof it organization of artists who change the environment of health care facilities by creating therapeutic murals. Artists in the organization painted murals in each bedroom at Angela’s House II in Smithtown, N.Y.

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Fall 2009 • 31

The full-time staff members engage chil-

dren in playful, educational activities in addi-

tion to administering medication, feeding and

bathing residents. The home also provides

outpatient services. Nurses make daily visits

to the homes of children with disabilities to

ensure the homes are accessible, provide the

children with medical therapies and assess

any changes in developmental needs.

“We have worked with many organizations

and hospitals to create all the programs we

have today,” Bob said. “We worked in collabora-

tion with Independent Group Home Living to

design these facilities like regular homes — a

standard living room and den, along with nurs-

ing stations and other medical necessities.”

Angela’s House has helped parents wade

through the emotional and fi nancial obliga-

tions and resources available to them through

the organization’s Case Management Care at

Home program. Specialty nurses work in tan-

dem with parents to seek out medical supplies,

therapeutic equipment and various reimburse-

ment programs and grants to mediate the

costs associated with caring for medically frail

children.

“We have learned that many parents of chil-

dren with special health care needs cannot

address problems at hand because they are too

busy dealing with the day-to-day care of their

child,” Bob said. “Many of these pressing issues

can crush a family or cause great stress if they

are not addressed or resolved.”

Angela’s House also addresses the emo-

tional hills and valleys families travel when

dealing with overwhelming care demands

and financial constraints. Parents involved

with Angela’s House are off ered resources for

counseling, training and advocacy. ■

A photo of Angela Policastro in her first year of life. In 1990, the Policastros lost their firstborn to complications from brain damage suffered during birth.

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Investing with a ConscienceInterest in Socially Responsible Investing Increases

MANY INVESTORS HAVE STRONG opinions that don’t involve their views on inter-

est rates and stock prices. Such views might include well-known causes like support

for a clean environment or concern for the poor and the disadvantaged.

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) seeks to reconcile these two objectives by

helping investors create diversifi ed portfolios that meet investors’ ethical standards

and deliver performance companies. SRI investing recognizes that corporate respon-

sibility and societal concerns are an important part of many investment decisions

particularly with the world’s increased focus on sustainability and climate change,

among others.

Increasing InterestDuring the last several decades, many investors have shown an increased appetite

for social investors. The Social Investment Forum, a nonprofi t group that promotes

socially responsible investing, estimates that $1 out of every $9 invested in the U.S.

today is involved in socially responsible investing.

Socially responsible investing gained in popularity because more and more inves-

tors — seeking to fuse morals into their fi nancial decision — began realizing they

could do so and continue to make sound returns on investments.

Leading By ExampleSome of the nation’s most prominent institutional investors have added a social

focus to their investment decisions. These institutions — many with signifi cant assets

and often with great public, political and media clout — have become well-known

advocates for social issues, often refl ected in their socially responsible projects. The

California Public Employees’ Retirement System, for example, one of the world’s

largest public pensions announced support for the United Nation’s Principles for

Responsible Investment, which is a menu of possible global actions on environmental,

social and corporate issues.

Professional GuidanceIt is now much easier to access professionally managed, socially responsible vehi-

cles. Many investment fi rms have created specifi c investment processes that exclude

companies that, in the investor’s view, focus on non-socially responsible or acceptable

activities. Once these decisions have been made, the manager constructs a diversifi ed

portfolio within the desired constraints. The goal is to deliver performance consistent

with the investor’s return objectives and tolerance for risk.

Structuring investments consistent with social, environmental or ethical objectives

off er investors a way to align their portfolios to their own objectives. ■

Bob Goddard is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney located in Valdosta,

Ga., and may be reached at (229) 244-0310 or [email protected].

By Bob Goddard, ’91

From W

here I Stand


STEVE EKSTROM, ’01, is not just your average comic book collector. The lifelong fan owns more than 12,000 editions of the graphic

narrations. His love for comics turned into a profession when he published his fi rst comic book, “Breakfast,” in 2008. Desperado Publishing

included the story in July 2008 as part of the award-winning anthology, “Negative Burn #20.”

Book

end

s

Comic Fan Writes his own Storyline

“I was in San Diego for

Comic-Con International

and I ventured into a local

shop and bought a copy

of Negative Burn #20,” said

Ekstrom, who still uses his

Incredible Hulk trashcan

from kindergarten. “My sis-

ter pointed out to the shop

clerk that I was one of the

writers featured in the book,

so he asked me to sign the

remaining copies in the

store. It was a pretty awe-

some feeling.”

Ekstrom said his comic

books pay homage to the

comics he grew up reading

as a child, but his style devi-

ates from the traditional to

incorporate darker sides of

humanity. “Breakfast,” for

instance, is the tale of two

law enforcement agents’

shocking investigation into

cases of missing women.

“It’s an amazing form of

expression for me — and it

has to be one of the coolest

jobs on the planet. In a way, I get to be a perpetual twelve-year-old,”

the 33-year-old said.

“Haunted” is Ekstrom’s second comic, which has been selected for

publication in Image Comics’ Popgun Volume 4. He also has a project

being reviewed by Zuda Comics called “The Ares Imperative,” which

recently fi nished third in an online Webcomic competition held by

a branch of DC Comics.

Ekstrom is also currently at work on his fi rst creator-owned series,

“The Mantle,” teaming up with artist Mikael Bergkvist and color-

ist Jesse Turnbull. Ekstrom, who works as a freelance journalist for

Newsarama.com, is also writing his fi rst graphic novel and a graphic

novel script.

“I like doing anything that enriches my senses and helps me tell a

better story,” Ekstrom said. “I also read quite a bit. I like to cook. I love

fi lm and music, and I love to socialize.” ■

Comic book author Steve Ekstrom published his third comic book in July 2009. “The Ares Imperative” won third place in an online Webcomic competition held by a branch of DC Comics.

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By Francesca Zagami, student writer

Comic book author Steve Ekstrom also works as a freelance journalist for Newsarama.com, one of the top news Web sites in the comic book entertainment news industry.

Fall 2009 • 33

Zola Myers, ’96 DRUG ADDICTION IS OFTEN conveyed

in news reports and professional journals

through statistical research. Data are an ideal

means to illustrate trends and calculate the

eff ectiveness of programs; but as executive

director for Cook County Family Connection,

Zola Myers witnesses the personal struggles

of addiction every day. In 2007, Myers pub-

lished a book fi lled with anonymous accounts

of teenagers and young adults in Lowdnes

and Cook counties as they journey through

addiction and sometimes recovery. The book

also delves into the broad spectrum of emo-

tions experienced by users’ family and friends.

“‘Dancing with The Dragon’ was created

simply as a looking glass — a window through

which we can see, learn and perhaps understand

the various issues surrounding addiction,” said Myers, who earned bachelor’s degrees

in sociology and anthropology from VSU. “Compiling the individual stories was a

heartbreaking and laborious journey. However, if we touch but one life through this

endeavor, if we save one soul from the battle of addiction, if we spare one parent

the sadness of losing a child to this dragon … then it has been well worth all of the

time and eff ort.”

The book’s title is a reference to the many associations among drug abuse and

the word and image of a dragon. Myers explains in the book that “chasing the

dragon” is slang for someone in the act of smoking heroin, and that the powder form

of cocaine is often referred to as “the white dragon.” Consequently, Myers writes that

someone in recovery or rehabilitation is said to be “slaying or beating the dragon.”

The Valdosta native, who lives in Sparks, Ga., said she couldn’t have completed

the book without the help of her son, Nolan Myers, who designed the book’s cover

and content artwork.

“When the idea for this book was conceived, the intent was to give a face to the

problem of addiction,” said the former social worker, who also serves as a resource

specialist for the Department of Family and Children Services. “The sole purpose was

to allow those who had struggled with addiction to share their stories in their own

voices, straight from their own hearts.”

In 2007, Myers received the Georgia Family Connection 2007 Achievement

Award for her community collaboration and dedication to secure $1.5 million to

support local youth programs. The Cook County Family Connection is one of three

organizations in Georgia that recently received a $625,000 fi ve-year grant award

by the Federal Drug Free Communities support program to expand the region’s

alcohol and drug prevention eff orts. ■

To learn more about the book or to speak with Myers about substance abuse prevention

in the area, e-mail her at [email protected] or call (229) 549-7976.

JAMES LAWRENCE, ‘62, published his fi rst novel, “Cannon

on the Loose” in 2008. The classic whodunit tale, set in

Savannah, follows private eye, Russell “Rusty” Cannon as he

solves a murder that occurs in the home of one of the town’s

elite businessmen. The main suspect changes as the mystery

unfolds, and the plot thickens as Rusty falls in love with the

dead man’s secretary.

Lawrence wrote the novel after retiring from 43 years in

the banking and fi nance industry; the 68-year-old, Adel native

dedicated “Cannon on the Loose” to the Cook County High

School Class of 1958, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in

2008. Lawrence credits his high school class — and the instruc-

tion of demanding English teacher, the late Kate Wilkes — with

giving him confi dence and inspiration for the book.

“If somebody likes a good mystery novel, then this is the

book for them,” said Lawrence, who graduated with a Bachelor

of Business Administration from Valdosta State. “I think a lot of

people like to read about places they recognize. Although I

don’t write about actual places in Savannah, the book is set in a

town many of us know well, and it has a Southern familiarity.”

Lawrence has written two books since he fi nished “Cannon

on the Loose” three years ago. Late in 2007, Lawrence wrote

“Haunting of Sandy Bluff ,” a murder mystery/ghost story based

on the legend of Sandy Bluff Road near a railroad track that runs

between Adel and Nashville.

His third book, “Ambush at Santa Cruz,” is what Lawrence

calls “a good old fashioned Western” with fast gunfi ghts and

images of the Old West. He is planning to write a sequel titled

“Return to Santa Cruz.”

Lawrence lives in a 110-year-old house on Adel’s Hutchinson

Avenue. The grandfather of fi ve purchased the home 12 years

ago, and has since restored the home that was built by an early

mayor of Adel. ■

Myers, ’96, speaks and conducts workshops about substance abuse and leadership issues. She plans to graduate from VSU with a master’s degree in sociology in Dec. 2010.

Dancing With The Dragon’ – An Honest Look at Drug Addiction

Besides restoring homes, Lawrence is an active member of the Adel United Methodist Church and a 13-year member of the Cook County Exchange Club.

A Classic Whodunit Tale ‘By Kate H. Elliott

By Kate H. Elliott

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THE BOSTON TEA PARTY, the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and the XYZ Aff air — from

A to Z, students in Gwen Desselle’s U.S. history class moved through the alphabet naming

events that spanned 230 plus years. In game show fashion, the 2010 Georgia Teacher of the

Year kept the students engaged as they reviewed for their fi nal test in U.S. history.

Cla

ss N

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Georgia Teacher of the Year

Her energetic teaching style and inter-

action with students is a clear indication

as to why she received the highest award

given to a Georgia public school teacher.

Desselle, a 32-year veteran educa-

tor from Moultrie, Ga., earned her bach-

elor’s, master’s and educational specialist

degrees from Valdosta State University.

Her teaching career began at Valdosta

High School in 1977 and then a few short

years later she returned home to Colquitt

County, where she has been ever since.

Desselle and her husband, James, a

middle school social studies teacher, are

avid travelers, who have visited every

state in the nation and many European

countries. Their quest to see the world

has impacted their son, Jay, who is study-

ing international aff airs at the University

of Georgia.

“Our travels help us relate to the stu-

dents — we have stories and pictures

about the places we study and tell our

students what it was like in the past and

how it has changed today,” Desselle said.

Colquit t County Superintendent

Leonard McCoy credits Desselle’s success

in her ability to bring history alive.

“Not only does she know it, she in a

sense lives it through her travels and the

manner in which she presents it,” McCoy

said. “Humor plays a major role in her

classes as she makes learning fun.”

A voracious reader, Desselle conveys

to her students the importance of reading

and how the knowledge it brings helps

link subjects past and present.

“I use a lot of anecdotes to share about

fi gures from history,” Desselle said. “I also

bring a sense of humor — I can laugh at

myself and get kids to laugh, too. I enjoy

what I do and kids realize it.”

She describes her teaching style as fl ex-

ible and student oriented. Her classroom les-

sons are interactive and incorporate a variety

of activities to help maintain the students’

interest and involvement.

“I am always seeking a new and better

way to help students learn,” Desselle said. “I

keep the lessons relevant – no busy work and

every assignment has a purpose and is linked

to the state standards.”

Always looking for ways to engage the

imagination of her students, Desselle enjoys

her job and realizes what she does is impor-

tant and works to gain trust and respect from

each student.

“I am fair — kids know I have their interest

at heart and they trust me to do what is best

for them.”

As Georgia Teacher of the Year, Desselle

will spend the 2009-10 school year traveling

around the state as an advocate for the teach-

ing profession and conducting workshops

and programs for current and future educa-

tors. She will compete for the 2010 National

Teacher of the Year and serve as an adviser to

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox

and the Georgia Department of Education.

1940sRuth T. Morrison, ‘43, of Duluth, Ga., died

Nov. 11, 2008, in Lawrenceville, Ga.

1950sPatricia (Sutherland) Kelly, ’50, of Falls

Church, Va., died June 12.

1970sEllen Cowne, ’72 & ’76,

of Colbert, Ga., has worked in

education for nearly 40 years,

but her jewelry business is now

making the grade. A number

of shows and galleries, includ-

ing the Art of Oconee Gallery,

have showcased her work. Go

to www.ellencowne.com to view the former

school superintendant’s work.

Dr. William C. “Bill” Waters IV, ’76 &

’78, of Carrollton, Ga., was appointed by

Governor Sonny Perdue to the Georgia Board

for Physician Workforce. The 56-year-old is the

chief medical offi cer at Tanner Medical Center,

Inc., and previously served as director of critical

care services at Tanner Medical Center.

Becki Hynson, ’76, ’89 & ’90, of Lake

Wales, Fla., was an educator for 17 years, but

since 2005 has had the wheels turning on a

second career. Hynson, the former dean of

students at Boone Middle School in Haines

City, now owns and operates Motorcycle Safety

Training. Go to www.learn2ridenow.com for

more information about Hynson and her

motorcycle outfi t.

Claire (Deckbar) Taylor, ‘76, is the new

principal at Rosa Parks-Edison Elementary

School in Indianapolis, Ind.

Mildred (Morse) Hunter, ’77, of Valdosta,

Ga., died June 25. The 86-year-old was well

known in Valdosta for her involvement in the

organization of the city’s annual Rev. Martin

Luther King Jr. celebrations. She taught in

the area for 38 years and was a member of

Macedonia First Baptist Church for about 70

years. In 2004, the mother of three was hon-

ored with the Unsung Heroes Award presented

by the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses.

By Thressea Boyd

Educator Honored for Energetic Passion and Student Interaction

Cowne

Gwen Desselle

Fall 2009 • 35

DeWitt Smith, ’77, of Athens, Ga., is

one of the 50 potters whose work was

displayed in Watkinsville at the Seventh

Annual Perspectives 2009: Georgia Pottery

Invitational.

Skip Fite,’78, is the new head base-

ball coach of the Division II program at the

University of West Georgia in LaGrange,

Ga. Fite had served as the Augusta State

baseball coach since 1985. He is returning

to West Georgia, where he had served as

the assistant coach from 1978-81 before

leading Brewton-Parker for four years.

Tommy T. Thomas, ’78, assumed

duties as the deputy under secretary of

defense for military

community and family

policy in May. Thomas

is also in charge of

all militar y honors

and mortuary affairs.

Thomas is the recipi-

ent of several medals,

including the Legion of

Merit with one bronze

oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit

Award with Valor and three bronze oak

leaf clusters, and Air Force Organizational

Excellence Award with two bronze oak leaf

clusters.

1980sRooney Bowen III, ’81, was elected

as the probate judge for Dooly County, Ga.

Since assuming his position, Bowen said

he has also begun working on his biggest

platform — educating youth about the

laws.

Tim Hurd, ’81, has joined Sterling

Precision Machining in Summerville, S.C.,

as general manager. He has more than 20

years experience in sales and operations

management in a variety of manufactur-

ing industries.

Karen Spillers Freyermuth, ’84 & ’85,

of Macon, Ga., was promoted in January to

CEO of Aging Aircraft Consulting, in Warner

Robins, Ga. The company provides aero-

space technical and logistics services to

the U.S. Department of Defense, foreign

countries and commercial industry.

Keith Parks, ‘84, of Americus, Ga.,

celebrated 20 years of service as the min-

ister of music at First Baptist Church of

Americus. He has since taken over as the head

pastor for First Baptist.

Lt. Col. Jamie Scott Brady, ’88, has been

promoted to the rank of colonel in the U.S.

Air Force. He is assis-

tant director of the

Department of Defense

A s s i g n m e n t a n d

Separation Policy at the

Pentagon in Washington,

D.C. Brady deployed to

Iraq for six months in

2006 to support the mis-

sion of Operation Iraqi

Freedom. He is married to Karen (Smolchek)

Brady, ’88.

Dr. Jenny L. Jones, ’88 & ’02, is an assis-

tant professor at Virginia Commonwealth

University’s School of Social Work in Richmond,

Va. The author of several books is an expert in

child welfare issues related to work force devel-

opment, and is researching the impact of HIV/

AIDS on families and children.

Sgt. Steven Jones, ’88, of Thomasville, Ga.

was the 2009 recipient of the Thomas County

Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award. He and his

wife, Krista, have two children.

Dr. Jewrell Rivers, ’88 & ’89, of Tifton, Ga.,

has been approved for tenure by the Board of

Regents of the University

System of Georgia. Rivers,

an associate professor

of sociology and crimi-

nal justice, has been a

member of the Abraham

Baldwin Agricultural

College faculty since

2001. In the 1990s, Rivers

worked in VSU’s Offi ce of Equal Opportunity

Programs and Multicultural Aff airs and taught

classes for the sociology department.

Jimmy Brookins Jr., ’89, of Charlotte, N.C.,

was named defensive assistant for the Southern

Tech Wildcats football program. While playing

football at Valdosta State, Brookins was twice

named to the All Gulf South Conference team

and received the Hugh C. Bailey Player of the

Year Award.

Col. Carl Buhler, ’89, took over Robins Air

Force Base command of the 78th Air Base Wing,

which is responsible for all support operations

at the almost 9,000-acre installation.

Larry Stubbs, ’89, of Americus, Ga.,

has stepped into the role of superintendent

of Schley County Schools. Stubbs, the for-

mer principal of Schley County Middle/

High School, previously served as a teacher

and administrator in the Tri-County School

System.

Angela Westra, ’89, was named presi-

dent of the Americus-Sumter Chamber of

Commerce.

1990sLeslie Shultz, ’90, of Warner Robins,

Ga., was appointed principal of David Perdue

Primary School for the 2009-10 school year.

Shultz has been with the Houston County

school system for 18 years and most recently

served as the assistant principal for instruction

at David Perdue Primary School.

Keren (Bass) Wynn, ’91, was named vice

president of administrative services for the

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. The cer-

tifi ed public accountant is responsible for the

institution’s overall fi scal management.

Lt. Col. Mike Buck, ’92, of Great Falls,

Mont., assumed command of the 186th

Fighter Squadron in June 2008 after returning

from his third combat deployment to Iraq. He

recently completed training to fl y the F-15C

and is supervising the squadron’s conversion

to operations with that aircraft.

Rev. William Todd Cason, ’92, of Brooks

County, Ga., is the principle of C.A. Gray Middle

School. Cason serves on the YMCA Board

of Directors, is a member of the T.E.A.C.H

Outreach Ministries and the Professional

Association of Georgia Educators. Cason and

his wife, Lana (Duncan) Cason have three chil-

dren, Amber, Chelsea and William.

Lori (Mobley) Groover, ‘92, of Hinesville,

Ga., died Aug. 8. Groover was in transition

to become the Director of Athletic Training

Services at the Medical College of Georgia

when she was diagnosed with cancer in June.

Groover, who served as an athletic trainer for

the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, had previ-

ously served as an assistant professor in the

School of Allied Health Sciences and coor-

dinator of health sciences at Nicholls State

University in Thibodauz, La.

Charles Akridge, ’93 & ’96 , of

Cedartown, Ga., was named the city manager

of Cedartown in April. He has worked in city

planning and management roles in Acworth,

Moultrie and Fairburn as well as for Worth,

Camden and Turner counties.

Brady

Thomas

Rivers


Alvin Payton, ’95, was announced as the

vice president of adult education for Wiregrass

Georgia Technical College. He is currently a

student in the doctor of public administration

program at Valdosta State University. Payton,

is a member of Sons of Amvets and serves on

the Valdosta City Council and the local YMCA

Board of Directors.

Chris Cason, ’96, is the director for the

Columbus Habitat for Humanity. He is in charge

of this year’s project, “Building on Faith,” which

works to develop a coalition of churches to

serve others. Cason and his wife, Melissa, have

two children, Ansley and Collin.

Kimberly C. Homer, ‘96, of Thomasville,

Ga., was named the 2008 Correctional

Offi cer of the Year at federal prison FCI/FDC

Tallahassee. The facility’s case manager has

been employed by the Federal Bureau of

Prisons since 1998.

Jason Kendrick, ’97, of Naples, Fla., is con-

sidered among the best 10 softball players of

all time and is an outfi elder on the 2009 USA

Softball Men’s Slow-Pitch National Team. He

plays left fi eld for the top softball team in the

world — Dan Smith’s Team Combat, based

in San Jose, Calif. Kendrick has received more

than two decades’ worth of accolades for his

play, including induction into the United States

Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Hall of

Fame. He is one of only fi ve players to accumu-

late 200 hits and score 200 runs in the USSSA

Men’s Major World Series.

Stephanie (Barber) Landeen, ’97 & ’07,

of Bainbridge, Ga., has been named Teacher

of the Year at West Bainbridge Elementary

School. She has taught third-grade for the past

three years and previously taught fi fth grade

for nine years.

Ben Maddox, ’97, of Clinton, Miss.,

became the director

of Mississippi College’s

Baptist Student Union

in July. The 34-year-

old previously served

as the campus minister

for the Arkansas Baptist

State Convention and

the campus minister at Southern Arkansas

University in Magnolia, Ark. Maddox and his

wife, Karen, are proud parents of their six-year-

old son, Brock.

Blake Brantley, ’98, of Albany, Ga.,

announced the formation of his fi rm, Blake N.

Brantley, LLC., in Albany, Ga. The fi rm focuses

on workers’ compensation, automobile

accidents and DUI cases. Brantley also serves

as solicitor for the municipal courts of Camilla

and Warwick.

Connie Coff ey, ’98, was named vice pres-

ident of student aff airs for Wiregrass Georgia

Technical College. She will continue in her

current position as vice president of student

aff airs at East Central Tech until July 2010.

Diane (Waldron) Welch, ’99, has been

named the 2009 Teacher of the Year at Jones-

Wheat Elementary in Bainbridge, Ga. Welch

and her husband, Bruce, have three children,

Gayla, Cole and Gerren.

2000sJason Johns, ‘00, of Houston, Texas,

was named a “Rising Star” by Texas Monthly

magazine. The award is based on a three-part

system that determines the top 2.5 percent of

the state’s up-and-coming lawyers.

Ryan Sulkowski, ’01, is the new football

coach at Rifl e High School in Rifl e, Colo. His

wife, Heather, also works at Rifl e High School

as the new volleyball coach.

Cedric Dickerson, ’02 & ’04, of Atlanta,

Ga., hosted his fourth annual youth football

camp in July. Dickerson is a former Liberty

County Panther football player and Canadian

Football League professional. Dickerson, who

coaches high school football at Lassiter High

School in Marietta, Ga., recently married.

Kristen (Hawkins)

Fryzel, ‘02, was hon-

o r e d i n K e n t u c k y

this June as the 2009

Kentucky High School

Athletic Trainer of the

Year. Fryzel is a certi-

fied athletic trainer for

Sacred Heart Academy

in Louisville, Ky.

Dr. Tobias Huning,

’03, was inducted into

the Lander Athletics Hall

of Fame. Huning taught

at Memphis University,

and is now a profes-

sor in Columbus State

University’s management

and marketing department.

Matt King, ’03,

has been named

Teacher of the Year

at Warner Robins

Midd le Scho ol .

King lives with his

wife, Mandy, and two Boston Terriers, Lilly

and Sunny.

Andrew Perry, ‘04, of Atlanta, Ga.,

graduated in August from the University of

Louisiana at Monroe with a Master of Science

in Biology.

Brian Hurtak, ’05, was one of 31 college

graduates selected to participate in the PGA

Tour’s Diversity Internship Program during

the summer 2009. A graduate student at

the Georgia Institute of Technology, Hurtak

served as a pgatour.com editorial assistant.

Hurtak, who was named as an Academic All-

American Golfer by the NCAA, has worked

as a loan advisor for Amerisave Mortgage

Corporation, where he was awarded the

Kudos Award for exemplary customer

service.

Anna “Marcie” Kinsey, ‘05, of Valdosta,

Ga., graduated in March 2009 with a Doctor

of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College

of Chiropractic Florida. She has returned to

Valdosta as a chiropractor for Hutchinson

Chiropractic Center.

Jessica Brooke Martin, ’06, of Valdosta,

Ga., was awarded the Scott Sanders Waddell

Memorial Scholarship from the Medical

College of Georgia in April. Each year,

Physician Assistant Department faculty

select a student that possesses the qualities

of dedication and fellowship demonstrated

by Waddell, a former student who died of

complications from cystic fi brosis.

Lt. Michael Pope, ’08, has graduated from

basic military training and Offi cer Candidate

School at Fort Benning, Ga. He will be attend-

ing fl ight school at Fort Rucker, Ala.

Robert “Tucker” Pruitt, ’08, joined

Georgia Southern University’s staff as off en-

sive assistant/quarterback coach. Pruitt

is working toward a master’s degree in

Educational Leadership at VSU.

Ellen Singletary, ’08, of Valdosta, Ga., is

one of 215 members of AmeriCorps’ National

Civilian Community Corps who completed 10

months of full-time service to communities in

need. She and her team members completed

a series of six- to eight-week long projects in

diff erent communities across the country.

Shena Faith, ’09, was named the new

coordinator of fitness programs at the

University of Vermont. Faith is trained in

lyengar yoga, a heart rate training instruc-

tional course, and Forza, a class based on

martial arts. She is one of the state’s only

instructors trained in both disciplines. ■

444267_valdosta_CVB.indd 1 10/1/09 5:57:16 PM

Fryzel

Maddox

Huning

King

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