THE TALON

A grip on news in the Huntingdon College Community

April 27, 2021

What’s New

May Day Give Day!

Members of the Huntingdon family are invited to participate in a special drive to support Huntingdon students and programs in the days leading up to and including May 1. May first is special in Huntingdon’s history, as May Day was the annual reunion celebration for all who love Huntingdon to visit the Home We Love So Well. This year there are six different funds to which givers may designate their gifts:

• The Huntingdon Fund: The most critical need, this fund supports College-based scholarships and grants for students.
• The Huntingdon Arts Fund: This fund supports the College’s fine arts programs, including Huntingdon Bands.
• Hawks Unlimited: This fund supports Huntingdon’s 20 NCAA-Division III athletic teams.
• The Race and Justice Initiative: Gifts to this fund provide support for expanding course offerings, accessing race and justice resources for students, and advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus.
• The Patricia Guy Legacy Fund: Honoring Patricia Guy ’69, Huntingdon’s first Black student and graduate, this fund, established by the Alumni Engagement Team of the Huntingdon College Race and Justice Initiative, provides financial support for Black students.
• The Student Alumni Association: Founded in 2013, the SAA collects $10 membership gifts from members of the student body to support the Huntingdon Fund. Seniors who make gifts to the Student Alumni Association in their senior year receive the SAA honor cord.

Among alumni, athletic teams, sororities, and fraternities are in competition for the most donors and the most money raised during this special giving drive. Learn more and give online today at the May Day Give Day webpage.

Commencement Set for May 29

Plans have been announced for 2021 Commencement Exercises, which will take place Saturday, May 29, at 6:00 p.m. on the Green, weather permitting. Each graduate will be permitted four guests if the ceremony is held outside, with masks encouraged but not required. If weather forces the ceremony indoors, only the graduates will participate. About 250 graduates are eligible to participate in this ceremony, including the Class of 2021 day and evening students and members of the Class of 2020 who did not participate in the November graduation ceremony. Graduates should arrive for practice by 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 29. More information about this year’s celebrations can be found on the Registrar’s Office page.

Put a Little Class in Your Summer

Need to improve your grade point average? Or get a few more classes ahead? Or complete some general education courses? Or explore a topic that interests you outside your major? Or take an especially difficult class that will demand your full concentration? Or fulfill prerequisites for graduate or professional school that aren’t part of your planned curriculum? Summer classes are the answer! Almost all classes are virtual, so you can accomplish them wherever you are. Session I will run from May 31 to June 30; Session II from July 1 to August 2. Registration is open! Sign up by the May 14 priority deadline online through Self Service.

President West Recuperating

President West is recovering following surgery for orthopedic injuries to both knees last week. He is resting as comfortably as possible and hoping to resume his normal activities soon. We are thankful to his medical team and celebrate that out of 30,000 orthopedic surgeons in the United States, President West was under the care of Huntingdon College alumnus and an inaugural member of the Huntingdon football team, Dr. Jacob Seales ’07.  As President West would say, “Can I get a Hawk ’em?”

Coming Events

• “Representation,” a Houghton Library Mini-Conference, is ongoing and view-as-you-can with links on the library’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HuntingdonCollegeLibrary.
• The Prelude Book Launch, Tuesday, April 27, 6:00 p.m., presented by the Department of Language and Literature via Zoom. Check your email for the link.
• CCV In-State Virtual Graduate School Fair, Friday, April 30, 12:00–1:00 p.m. via Zoom; RSVP required
• Sigma Nu Celebrity Softball Tournament, Saturday, May 1, 11:30 a.m., on the Green
• Chi Omega Swishes for Wishes, Saturday, May 1, 1:00–4:00 p.m., Massey Court, proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation
• The Miss Huntingdon Pageant, Saturday, May 1, 7:00 p.m., on the Hut Porch, weather permitting
• Huntingdon Winds Outdoor Concert, Sunday, May 2, 3–4:30 p.m., on the Green, weather permitting
• SGA Spring Break Water Balloon Challenge, Monday, May 3, 6:00 p.m., on the Green
• FLI Hawk Games on the Green, for all current freshmen, Tuesday, May 4, 4:40–6:30 p.m., on the Green
• SGA Spring Break Karaoke Night presented by Captain Chaplain and the Rowdy Bois Band (third try), Tuesday, May 4, 9:00 p.m. (following TNW), on the Green
• CCV Professional Head Shots, Wednesday, May 5, 12:00–1:00 p.m., on the Green
• Huntingdon Jazz Spring Concert, Wednesday, May 5, 5:00 p.m., on the Green
• SGA Spring Break Basketball Tournament, Wednesday, May 5, 6:00 p.m., Massey Court
• SGA Spring Break Chick-fil-A Breakfast, Thursday, May 6, 8:00 a.m., Hut Porch
• Big Screen on the Green, presented by the SGA and Presidential Fellows, “Big Fish,” Thursday, May 6, time TBA
• Ability Sport Network Student 3v3 Basketball Under the Lights, Thursday, May 6, 8:00 p.m., Massey Court
• SGA Spring Break Breakfast, Thursday, May 6, 8:00–11:00 p.m., the Hut
• Before You Turn Your Tassel, Friday, May 7, 12:00 p.m., place TBA
• SGA Spring Break @ HC Trivia Night, Friday, May 7, 6:00–7:00 p.m., the Green
• The Oracle, Friday, May 7, 11:45 p.m. through Saturday, May 8, various locations (must be a junior or senior to participate)
• Sigma Nu Field Day on the Green, Saturday, May 8, 11:30 a.m.
• Book-signing Event with Dr. Blake Ball, assistant professor of history, on the occasion of the publishing of his book, “Charlie Brown’s America: The Popular Politics of Peanuts,” Thursday, May 13, 4:00 p.m., at the Scarlet & Grey Shop (sponsored by Houghton Library). This event is open to on-campus students, faculty, and staff only.
• Last day of classes, spring term, Friday, May 14
• Awards Convocation, Friday, May 14, 6:30 p.m., in Ligon Chapel; attendance limited to award recipients and faculty who are presenting awards; this event will be broadcast live.
• Finals, May 17–21
• Master of Athletic Training Program Orientation, May 26–28, Weil Center
• Faculty Picnic, Thursday, May 27, 5:00 p.m., on the Green
• Commencement Exercises, May 29, 6:00 p.m. on The Green (day and evening graduates combined)
• Monday, May 31, Summer Session I begins; Memorial Day, Offices Closed
• Tuesday, June 1, Master of Athletic Training Program Cohort I begins classes

Announcements

• Free online 24/7 tutoring is available by logging-in to tutor.com. See your email for instructions on how to log-in (from Vaughan Dickson, 2/10/21). In addition, you may sign up for one-on-one or group tutoring sessions with an HC peer mentor through the Staton Center for Learning Enrichment. View the Academic Mentoring Team’s offerings in the Staton Center’s Canvas course at https://huntingdon.instructure.com/courses/1392 (log-in from a laptop, not your phone). Questions? Contact Ms. Dickson at statoncenter@hawks.huntingdon.edu.
• Houghton Library is collecting memories of the COVID-19 pandemic for the College Archives from students, faculty, staff, and administration. They invite you to reflect on the experience in video or written format. Send your submissions to frankthelibraryghost@hawks.huntingdon.edu.
• “Vaccination removes the need for quarantine,” that’s the word from Nyree Conville, director of institutional health. Vaccination also helps to curtail the spread of COVID-19, to thwart the proliferation of variants, and to advance our college community toward a greater degree of normalcy. Advice from Huntingdon Professors: Don’t Give Away Your Shot. Some graduate and professional schools and places of employment are requiring vaccines as a condition of enrollment or employment. As of April 19 vaccines are available to anyone age 16 and older at CVS, Sam’s Club, and Walmart pharmacies. You can also book your vaccine at alcovidvaccine.gov or call the ADPH vaccine hotline at 1-855-566-5333. You may also register online through Baptist Healthcare at baptistfirst.org under the patients and visitors section.
• Erin Chandler, assistant professor of English, is seeking an English or communication studies major to intern in fall 2021 to assist peers with ENGL 105-106; earning an hour of internship credit. Hours are flexible. Contact Dr. Chandler at etchandler@hawks.huntingdon.edu.
• IMPORTANT: Returning students who plan to commute next year: the deadline to complete your Commuter Application and the interview process is June 1 to avoid a $500 late fee.
• IMPORTANT: Returning students who plan to live on campus: the deadline to apply for campus housing for 2021–2022 is May 7, 2021, at 4:00 p.m.
• Huntingdon Campus Activities arranged for students to participate in District Attorney Daryl Bailey’s “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” project, writing letters of encouragement to be included in care packages that raise awareness of and support for victims of domestic abuse and elder abuse.
• Read about the new SGA leadership.
• “Don’t Give Away Your Shot,” advice from Huntingdon faculty on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Sports Talk

Composite Sports Schedule

• Baseball: The Hawks are at 12-16, 4-7 in the USA South, with games scheduled for Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday this week. The team split a doubleheader with Maryville yesterday, earning Coach J. Conville ’98 his 401^st coaching win. This is his 17^th season. Coach Conville’s 400^th win came Friday, April 23, also versus Maryville. Colton Clark ’22 has 43 hits and 28 runs on the season, including 1 homerun, and has earned a batting average of .384. Just behind him, Wes Powell ’21 and Andrew Knight ’22 have had 34 hits each.
• Football: Hawks Football won their fifth USA South Conference Championship in six years after defeating Methodist 31-20, April 3. Just prior to that contest, nine Hawks were named to the USA South All-West Division: quarterback Landon Cotney ’23, H-Back Zack Self ’22, offensive linemen Darrell Hixon ’22 and Colin Langford ’22, defensive linemen Braxton Dyer ’23 and Gavin Walker ’22, linebacker Karl Dorn ’22, defensive back Fred Flavors ’22, and punter Zach Johnson ’23. Kelvin Bowser ’21, a receiver, was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. Since joining the USA South 82 Hawks have been named All-Conference football selections. The National Football Foundation named Kelvin Bowser, Jake Lackey ’21, Dylan Powell ’21, and Marc Struck ’21 to the NFF & College Hall of Fame’s Hampshire Honor Society. The four were among 897 players from 256 schools to receive the honor, which requires that the players must have started or significantly contributed during their last year of eligibility, maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better, and met all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements for graduation.
• Golf: The men’s team finished 2nd in the USA South Conference Tournament over the weekend, with three Hawks, Owen Burt ’22 (3^rd), Peter Meliunas ’24 (4^th), and Grant Gronka ’23 (5^th) earning All-Tournament honors. Prior to the tournament, four players earned All-Conference honors: Owen Burt was named to the first team; Walker Hinds ’22 and Peter Meilunas were named to the second team; and Carson Whitton ’22 was honored on the All-Sportsmanship T-eam. The Hawks finished second in the Golfweek Invitational earlier in the month, with John Gaal ’24 shooting a hole-in-one; and fielded three teams in the Wynlakes Intercollegiate Tournament. Hawk women finished 2nd in their inaugural USA South Tournament last week. All five women golfers placed in the top 15: Abigail Cody ’22, 6^th ; Debra Ann Burdeshaw ’21, 7^th; Jasmine Paynter ’23, 9th; Anna Beth Harris ’21, 13^th; and Lindsey Oxley ’22, 15^th. Debra Ann was named to the USA South’s inaugural All-Conference first team, while Anna Beth, Abigail, and Jasmine were named All-Conference Honorable Mentions at the close of the season.
• Lacrosse: The women’s lacrosse team, 2-6, 1-4 in Conference play, celebrated Senior Day with a 20-goal performance in their defeat of Brevard April 17. The leading scorer on the season was Shelby Martin ’21, who was named to the USA South’s first team West Division at the close of the season. Savannah Ryan ’21 was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. The men’s team stands at 5-5, 3-2 USA South, after a victory over LaGrange April 25. Goalie Stephen Dan ’21 was named USA South Defensive Player of the Week April 26 after stopping 14 shots in the LaGrange game. Mike Jones ’21 was named USA South Defensive Player of the Week in April. A powerhouse player, he leads the team in ground balls (41) and caused turnovers (26) this season. Ian Bruggeman ’23 is the leading scorer on the season with 25 points. All-Conference recognition is expected to be released later this week. The team faces Piedmont for the West Division championship Friday night at 7:00 p.m. EDT (6:00 p.m. CDT). Hawk ’em!
• Soccer: The senior class helped the women’s team close with 29 wins over four seasons, the best four-year win total for the program in the NCAA era. Kirsten Hayes ’21 was the 2021 leading scorer, with 21 points. Alexis Louk ’21 earned first-team West Division honors as a midfielder and Alex Calhoun ’21, Kirstin Hayes, and Kylie Kersh ’21 were named to the second-team West Division. Faith Korponay ’23 was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. For the men, Hunter Hall ’21 was named first-team West Division as a midfielder, and Kelan LeBlanc ’22 (midfielder) and Caden McLean ’24 (defense) were named second-team West Division. This was the third straight season Kelan has been recognized by the conference. Cristo Rocha ’23 was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team.
• Softball: The softball team (16-16; 11-3 USA South) closed the regular season with a double-header sweep over Brevard yesterday and a doubleheader sweep over LaGrange on Friday, April 23—in total, winning their last 8 contests. Emily Nieuwstraten ’22 was named USA South Softball Player of the Week April 26 for her performance during the Hawks’ 4 wins last week, batting a combined 8-for-13 (.615) with a .667 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage, along with 5 runs scored, 6 RBIs, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 2 walks, and 3 stolen bases. On the season, Brooke Stefankiewicz ’24 led the team with 36 hits, 32 runs, and a .414 average, but all of these Hawks love their bats—9 members of the team earned double-digit hits. In pitching, Lauren Melton ’21 pitched 87 innings on the season with 7 wins and an ERA of 2.66. They face Piedmont on Saturday, May 1, as part of the conference tournament.
• Tennis: Huntingdon women (11-4, 6-1 USA South) finished the regular season as the number 2 seed in the USA South Tournament but lost to Piedmont in the championship game. Madeline Creel ’23 and Allison Stegall ’23 were named first-team West Division and Lucy Burch ’21, Kennedy Harp ’23 and Meredith Head ’24 were each named second-team West Division. Lucy was named to the All-Sportsmanship team for the women and Cameron Reed ’24 was named to the All-Sportsmanship team for the men. The men’s team ended their season 5-8. With no seniors on the team, they look to come back stronger next year.
• Track and Field: The track and field team competed in the Berry Field Day Invitational in April. For the men, Jalyn Lewis ’24 turned in the first-year program’s best times yet in the 200 and 400 meters and Mac Brooks ’24 turned in the young Hawks’ best time yet in the 5000 meters. Tyler Shirley ’24 and Harrison Jackson ’24 set their personal best times in the 200 meters. Alex Cole ’22 turned in his personal best times in the 400 meters, 800 meters and 1500 meters. Ryan Cole ’24 and Taylor Chestnutt ’22 each had their personal best times in the 800 meters and 1500 meters and Michael Storie ’24 recorded his personal best time in the 5000 meters. On the women’s side, Mary Stanley ’21 turned in the women’s team’s best time yet in the 800 meters and her personal best time in the 1500 meters. Gracie Davis ’23 set her personal best time in the 800 meters.
• Volleyball: The volleyball team ended their season 10-5 with a loss at the USA South West Division Tournament following 7 straight wins. Amy Tyma ’21 was named USA South Volleyball Player of the Week April 12. Amy was the 2019 USA South Player of the Year in volleyball and was named to the first-team West Division this year, along with Morgan Ilsley ’23 and Jordan Hollis ’22. Addie Jacobs ’24 was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. The beach team had a weekend loss to D-II Lincoln Memorial University on Friday, with the No. 4 team of Josie Hester ’23 and Jordan Hollis winning for Huntingdon in the second match. The team will end this week in a tournament at LaGrange College.

Huntingdon Hawk-Stars

• Christina Arnette ’20 married Bishop Whatley, April 17, 2021.
• Luke Bailey ’17 is working as a regional agency director for Globe Life Liberty National Division and lives in Baileyton, Ala.
• David Ballard ’15 married Sasha Hester, April 10, 2021.
• Chad (’13) and Lyndsey Weber Baxley ’11 welcomed their second child, Ansley Weber, April 23, 2021.
• Brent Blackwell ’09, a physician assistant with TrustCare Health, and his wife, Ashley Neely Blackwell ’09, live in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
• Alaina Brannon ’18 has begun a new job as an exercise physiology research associate at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
• Michael Brown ’14 recently joined UAB hospital as administrative manager of sports medicine after working as business manager at Fagan Sports Medicine for five years. He joined Fagan Sports after completing his degree at Huntingdon in business management with emphasis in healthcare management through the Evening Studies program.
• Chaplain Rhett (’13) and Heather Jones Butler ’13 welcomed daughter Anne Katherine (Annie), April 14, 2021.
• Colleen Collins ’20 is attending Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. She is the graduate assistant for the Women and LGBT Center at SMU.
• Will Collins’93 is an account executive with LBMC Technology Solutions and lives in Franklin, Tenn.
• Will Cosby ’19 is a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
• Connie Powell Deal ’87, last year’s Alabama Art Educator of the Year, will move to a new role of director of auxiliary programs, civic engagement, and the arts at the Montgomery Academy. She continues to teach, as well.
• Brenda Robertson Dennis ’90 has assumed a new post as executive director of the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.
• Shuandra Nicole Duff ’08 married Jarvis E. Kimbrough, March 21, 2021.
• Kaison Darden Dunkel ’15 works as an expert data analyst at CGI.
• Haley Norris East ’13 and her husband, Patrick, welcomed future Hawk James Robert East, April 19, 2021.
• J. Easterly ’08 and his wife, Maggie Daniell Easterly ’09, live in Thomasville, Ga., where he teaches for Thomasville High School.
• David Ellison ’16 married Madison Pody, April 10, 2021.
• Jordan Fleming ’20 has been admitted to the Bluefield College/VCOM Master of Arts in Biomedical/Medical School program, which, after 9 months, provides a pathway to admission to the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medical School programs.
• Aina Grods ’18 has joined the admission staff at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
• Dale Grogan ’85 is a managing partner for Grand Angels and Michigan Capital Network and lives in Grand Rapids.
• Audrianna Hargitt ’18 married Evan Coman, April 10, 2021.
• John Harrelson ’17, a high school social studies teacher and assistant football coach, earned his USAW Level 1 Weightlifting Certification in 2020. He and his wife, Laural Anthony Harrelson ’17, who is also a teacher, live in Columbus, Ga.
• Kitty Harris ’74 is an advanced clinical nurse with Baptist Health of Central Alabama, where she oversees students who use Baptist Health as a clinical site, including everything from shadowing to nursing, pre-med, dieticians, PT, OT, ST, and social work, among other categories.
• Ricky Haynes ’92 and Lacey Garrison Haynes ’94 became first-time grandparents on February 11, 2021, with the birth of Cyrus Dekle DeLoach, son of oldest daughter Channing and her husband, James. Ricky and Lacey also recently moved to her hometown of Huntsville, Ala.
• Michael Helton ’91 is a senior production manager in product management and development at AT&T.
• Dakota Hooper’14 completed his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and has moved to Hoover, Ala., for a clinical director position with Drayer Physical Therapy. He completed his sports physical therapy residency with Drayer. He is also an athletic trainer.
• Snaevar Hreinsson ’94 is serving as senior director of contracts for Federated Wireless in Arlington, Va.
• Singer-songwriter Josh Johnson ’14, now living in Nashville, released two singles, “Soon” and “Hurt You,” under the performing name JB Somers earlier this year. Read more in this Young Entertainment Magazine article.
• Kirk Johnson ’12 was honored by the Office of College and Alumni Relations with Heart of a Hawk Recognition in April. Kirk is, on paper, the recently promoted head football coach at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. In reality, he is a coach, cheerleader, parent, teacher, mentor, and friend to the students. He is committed to making certain his students are prepared for a life and a world beyond high school. A feature in the Montgomery Advertiser shared Kirk’s story and told the world about this amazing Hawk! We thank Kirk for sharing his Heart of a Hawk and for the love and support he gives to students! #HeartOfAHawk #HawkEm
• Marquell Johnson ’01, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was elected to serve on the Eau Claire Area School District School Board.
• B. Kendrick ’92, who serves on the National Alumni Board and on the HC board of trustees has been appointed to serve as president of Kapsch TrafficCom AG’s North America business unit. She joined Kapsch as a senior vice president in 2017.
• Kurt Kraft ’23 won the title of Mr. Huntingdon at the annual pageant held earlier this month.
• Shirin Torabinejad Long ’15 has begun a new job as an assistant controller for Pond & Company and lives with her husband, Taylor Long ’15, in Atlanta.
• Carrie McDonough ’01 was honored by the Office of College and Alumni Relations with Heart of a Hawk recognition in April. Her service to the College and her community is an example of the College’s motto. For Huntingdon, Carrie has served the school faithfully as a volunteer supporting the annual fund for more than 14 years. Her volunteer service to HC also includes six years on the alumni board and continuing as a faithful sorority alumna to Alpha Omicron Pi since graduating. In her Mobile, Ala., community, Carrie is a beacon of social service, leading a women’s small group bible study for 5 years at St. Lawrence Parish, supporting the Little Sisters of the Poor organization, tutoring students from McGill-Toolen, and serving as chair for Brett Robinson’s Christmas Charity since 2008. In her free time, Carrie has also been a member of the Share-The-Beach program for more than 12 years. The organization works to protect the local sea turtle population by creating safe nesting spaces. We thank Carrie for having the Heart of a Hawk and sharing faith, wisdom, and service.
• Frank Mitchell III ’11 works as a logistics scheduler for Hunt Refining Company.
• Jesica Dunaway Nishibun ’09 works as an executive assistant in clinical and translational services at the University of Minnesota. She and her husband, Alex Nishibun ’09, moved to Minneapolis last year when he joined the music group Cantus.
• Michele Scharff Olson ’86, senior clinical professor in the Department of Sport Science, is quoted as an expert in the article, “Build More Movement into Your Day,” in the Gillette News Record, April 17, 2021.
• Jordan Osborne ’12 and Christine Whiten ’11 were married April 10, 2021.
• Mary Palm ’18 married Adam Jackson, April 10, 2021.
• Hodge Patterson ’07 and his wife, Kelly, welcomed a second son, Mack, in April 2021.
• Cody Pearcy ’12 and his wife, Courtney, welcomed a daughter, Collins, March 24, 2021.
• The Rev. Jeffery Postell ’17 has been appointed by Bishop David Graves and the Appointive Cabinet of the Alabama- West Florida Conference to serve as the pastor of Locust-Bluff United Methodist Church in Prattville, Ala., while also envisioning and establishing a new community of faith in Montgomery.
• Riley Prescott ’10 married Kyle Gilbert, April 17, 2021.
• Mary Cam Raybon ’14 and John Phillips ’14 were married April 24, 2021.
• Josh Robertson ’10 has assumed his new post as principal of Wicksburg High School in Alabama.
• Juddson Seebrat ’10 and Sarah Anne Thebo Seebrat ’12 live in Daphne, Ala., where he is a pharmacy manager for Publix in Saraland, Ala., and she is a branch office administrator for Edward Jones in Mobile.
• Former Huntingdon chaplain the Rev. Brian Smith’94 is the new pastor at First Baptist Church, Opp, Ala.
• Cole (’11) and Jessica Tidwell Smith’13 welcomed their fourth child, Lilly, March 16, 2021. Jessica is a real estate agent and Cole is a pharmacist.
• Holle Hartzog Smith ’03 has been appointed president of the Dale County Economic Development Association in Alabama. She is the owner of Elevations School of Dance in Ozark.
• Rosario Thomas ’16 serves as the veterans’ specialist/school certifying official for Southern State Community College and lives in Auburn, Ala.
• Katina Torrey-Bonner ’04 serves as an office manager for the Montgomery Area Council on Aging.
• Koby Townsend ’21 has been admitted to the Master of Science program in finance and economics at West Texas A&M University.
• Halee Harrelson Vaughan ’16 has been teaching art in Prattville for the past 6 years and is now manager of Pzazz Art Studio. Halee and her husband, Charles, an Alabama state trooper and former Huntingdon student, recently purchased their first home in Prattville.
• Christina Vranich ’04 is a member of the consulting clinical faculty for the Southern College of Optometry. She has announced her engagement to Winston Miller.
• Quen Whitlow ’19 and Jhona Wood welcomed a daughter, Kinsley Chanel, April 9, 2021.
• Ryan (’16) and Kati Perdue Williams ’16 are living in Spanish Fort, Ala. Currently at Saraland HS, Ryan will move to a teaching and coaching position at UMS Wright Preparatory School in summer 2021.
• Derik Wolfe ’13 and his wife, Kayla ’12, have moved to Foley, where he serves as director of online student services and student accounts for Waldorf University. He is completing an M.A. in organizational leadership through Waldorf.

Sympathy and Prayers

• We extend sympathy to John David Bailey ’23 and Olivia Bailey, incoming class of 2025, and their family on the death of John David and Olivia’s great grandfather, Cpl. Willie Hickman, in Florence, Ala.
• Margaret Carolyn Parks Carlson ’71 died March 29, 2021, in Wetumpka, Ala.
• Huntingdon College extends sympathy to Mary Ellen Harp ’64 and her family upon the death of her husband, the Rev. Don Harp ’63, April 20, 2021, in Atlanta.  Rev. Harp was senior minister emeritus at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Georgia.  He was a 2000 recipient of the Huntingdon College Alumni Achievement Award and a member of the Huntingdon College Athletic Hall of Fame.  He was a faithful member of the Huntingdon Society and a champion for annual giving to the College and to the Hawks baseball program.
• Former Huntingdon trustee Mike Jenkins IV died March 27, 2021. He was the longtime owner and CEO of Jenkins Brick Company, a family business. He worked to make Montgomery and Alabama better by co-founding Leadership Montgomery and Leadership Alabama. For his effort, Coretta Scott King presented him with the Martin Luther King Award. He chaired the United Way campaign and the board of the Montgomery Academy, among many community commitments. Trustee David Cobb wrote, “Mike served on MMI Outdoor’s Board of Directors for about 6 years (2012-2018). He was a huge inspiration to me, both personally and professionally, and it was my company’s great honor to have his service as a member of our Board. Mike was a giant in this city, an outstanding civic leader and an outstanding businessman in every respect. Mike possessed the highest character and lived a life that modeled the best in mankind. He helped lead this city through the infamous ‘Todd Road Incident’ in 1983 and helped Montgomery heal when it could have easily gone in the other direction.  Mike loved Montgomery and he truly loved his fellow man. His legacy is still felt today through his co-founding of Leadership Montgomery. I will miss him, and this city will miss him greatly.”
• Our sympathy is extended to Jeremy Lewis, professor of political science, on the death of his mother, Jean, March 30, 2021. She lived in the United Kingdom. She was an art teacher with great interest in extended family and former students around the world. She loved classical music and made a point to visit Dr. Lewis and his family when the HC spring recitals were scheduled so that she could attend.
• Huntingdon honors the life of Susanne Crockett Martin ’68, who passed away April 6, 2021, after a year-long battle with cancer and two months of hospice.  Susanne and her husband, Larry W. Martin ’67, lived in Kingsland, Ga.  They were both members of the Huntingdon College Alumni Board. In 2018, they established the Susanne and Larry Martin Endowed Scholarship at Huntingdon.  We extend our condolences to Larry and to his family.
• With deep sadness we report the death of Mary Ann Pickard, a long-time member of the Houghton Library and United Methodist Archives staffs. Mary Ann died April 20 in Montgomery. She was predeceased by her husband, William M. Pickard, who served as a professor and chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy from 1971 until his retirement, when he was named a professor emeritus. He died in 2002. Mary Ann joined the library staff in 1976, retiring from her full-time position in 2008 and fully retiring in 2017.  She was a lovely, warm, and dear person and whip-crack ready with an answer when asked any question about the history of the Alabama-West Florida Conference or about Huntingdon College. In fact, it was she and former professor Dr. Glenn Massengale who began the UMC Archives and led the resurrection and restoration of priceless Huntingdon records. We extend our condolences to the Pickard family, including alumni William Marshall Pickard III ’92 and Amanda Leigh Pickard Kraft ’04; extended family, including Monga Ilunga ’83; and the countless alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends, clergy, and members of the United Methodist church whose lives she touched. We are better for having known her, and Huntingdon was made better by her service.

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