THE TALON

A grip on news in the Huntingdon College Community

March 21, 2019

What’s New?

TIME FLIES, and THEN YOU GRADUATE

Seriously. Where does the time go? We’re already in late March; graduation and baccalaureate plans are underway; folks are registering for fall 2019. Here are a few academic things you need to know.

• SUMMER SCHOOL is a great time to grab a class that might lighten your load next year; improve a grade; explore a subject that requires dedicated concentration; and make progress toward your goals! Now is the time to add summer classes—many of which can be completed online from wherever you are—to your schedule. Just register online through SelfService. Some highlights:
  • ENGL 105 and 106 will be offered online for those who need to repeat or for those who need the course for graduate school.
  • PACT 301 will be offered online for those who are trying to squeeze more degree requirements into their schedules for next fall.
  • CAFFEE303, a 1-hour current affairs course, will be offered online for those who need one additional credit hour to advance to the next level of enrollment or graduation.
• FALL REGISTRATION is underway, with most upperclassmen already registered. Know this: your progress toward graduation is our chief concern. The College is monitoring each student’s schedule with regard to classes needed. If there’s a problem with your schedule, we’ll work it out. Thank you for your patience.
• GRADUATION WEEKEND begins with traditional day graduation practice, Friday, May 10, followed by graduation brunch (these two events for graduates only). BACCALAUREATE, a worship service for traditional day students, will be held at 5:00 p.m. May 10 in Ligon Chapel. The service is usually one hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes long. Seating is very limited, but the program is simulcast. TRADITIONAL DAY PROGRAM COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES will be held at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 11, on the Green (weather permitting). The ceremony usually ends by 11:00 a.m. EVENING STUDIES COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES will be held at 6:00 p.m., Saturday, May 11, on the Green. There are no limits to the numbers of guests you may invite to the Green; both ceremonies will be simulcast; and there will be alternative indoor viewing rooms available in case the weather is too hot or the terrain is too difficult to traverse. If you have special needs regarding accessibility and transport , please contact Campus Security at (334) 324-6565. In case of rain, the graduation ceremonies will move to Roland Arena.

OTHER ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS

• The Office of the Provost and nearly all academic departments participated in a college-wide, day-and-evening-long Academic Showcase March 14. The event was a resounding success —see photos on the Facebook page.
• The Concert Choir completed their spring tour of eight locations in lower Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, March 14–17.
• Huntingdon Allies presented the annual Diversity Colloquium Friday-Saturday, March 15–16.
• Huntingdon Plan Travel-Study will send Hawks winging to Hawaii and Ireland for spring break. The Ireland group will be led by Chief Ward and his wife, Phyllis, Dr. Sarah Sours, and Ms. Paige Crumbley (library). The Hawaii group will be led by Mr. Frank Grier (technology services), Huntingdon first lady Ms. Elizabeth West, Dr. Lisa Dorman, Dr. Sara Shoffner, and Mr. John Shoffner. Safe travels to all!
• The Office of the Provost is seeking a kind, helpful, qualified person to serve as executive assistant to the provost. If you feel led to such a role, read more on the Huntingdon Employment page.
• Congratulations to the students who earned Dean’s List recognition in fall 2018: Day; Evening.
• La Mesa Espanola continues for one more meeting Wednesday, April 3. Join Sra. Murphy, Prof. Hilgartner, and other Spanish speakers for lunch, and earn extra credit for casual conversation; 11a in the DH.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME, RIGHT CONNECTIONS

So much about career definition takes place in the connections you make as a student and, later, as a working professional. That’s why the Center for Career and Vocation spends so much time planning and presenting opportunities to network with professionals and their organizations. Just this month, the CCV presented two such programs, beginning with the Career Networking Fair, March 5, at which the Alabama Dept. of Archives and History, the Alabama Dept. of Human Resources, the Alabama Dept. of Public Health, the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, Baptist Health, Jefferson County Personnel Board, Liberty National Life Insurance Agency, Montgomery City County Personnel, NewSouth Books, Penske, PhysAssist Scribes, and the YMCA were in attendance. Then, March 12, the CCV joined with the Black Student Union and Alpha Kappa Alpha to present a Professional Networking Symposium, featuring WSFA anchor Tonya Terry as keynote speaker and a panel of experts providing career and networking advice.

PASSING THE GAVEL

When classes resume after spring break, the Student Government Association will be under new leadership. Congratulations to new president Virginia Gaston ’20, vice president Trevor Sikorski ’20, treasurer Candy Martinez ’20, and secretary Lucy Burch ’21. We’ll introduce these exceptional folks as time moves forward, and we thank the 2018 student government leaders for their foresight, action, and good work.

PASSING THE CROWN

A new Miss Huntingdon was crowned last week, as Linsey Smithart ’20 won the 17-contestant scholarship pageant. It was a great pageant, filled with talented, dedicated, and wise women. Read more about it here.

FALL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE RELEASED

Here’s how the Hawks’ fall football schedule looks:

• Sept. 7 vs. Guilford College
• Sept. 14 at Birmingham-Southern
• Sept. 21 at Wisconsin-Oshkosh
• Oct. 5 vs. Methodist University*
• Oct. 12 vs. Maryville College*
• Oct. 19 vs. Averett University*
• Nov. 2 at Greensboro College*
• Nov. 9 vs. N.C. Wesleyan
• Nov. 16 at LaGrange College

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Summer housing (May 22–August 8) is available at a cost of $2400 (split among occupants of the house), with priority going to those who are taking summer classes and/or working on campus. Summer residents must be registered for fall 2019 classes. Learn more and/or apply.
• The Rise Against Hunger project on MLK Day of Service helped to create a shipping container holding 142,560 meals that were sent to Niger recently. Rise Against Hunger’s mission is to end world hunger by 2030. Thank you to all who organized and participated, sending Huntingdon’s helping hands around the world!
• An article in the March 17 Montgomery Advertiser explains the development adjacent to the Cloverdale Campus in more detail. Read more here: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2019/03/14/2-59-m-development-coming-cloverdale/3163436002/.
• The Montgomery County Commission invites applications for the 2019 Montgomery County Student Apprenticeship Program, June 3–July 26, 2019. Read more at www.mc-ala.org. Applications are due by April 19, 2019.

COMING EVENTS

• RESIDENCE HALLS CLOSE for Spring Break, Saturday, March 23, at noon, and reopen Sunday, March 31, at noon.
• We’ll catch you up on coming events after spring break, because we know where your heads are right now.

HUNTINGDON HEADLINERS

• Vinson Bradley ’10, director of enrollment for the Evening Studies program, was honored by The Chosen Youth Outreach Ministry and recognized for his leadership in his professional role and as a member of the North Baldwin Infirmary Foundation Board, United Way of Baldwin County Executive Board member, and father.
• Adam (’09) and Brittany Gaydosh Cotant ’08 welcomed daughter Blakely Daniel Cotant, March 7, 2019.
• Grant Brown ’13 married Kaleigh Harvey, March 2, 2019.
• Brantley Carr ’16 and his wife, Brittany, welcomed their first child, daughter Blakely Rae, in March.
• Yolanda Collins-Taylor ’15 reports that she is working for the RWC Group in Birmingham, Alabama.
• John Crawford ’20 was named USA South Pitcher of the Week March 4 for his performance in three games during the week prior, when he earned two saves, struck out 9 of 13, allowed 2 hits, and walked 1.
• T.I. Duncan ’19 was recognized by D3hoops.com as a third-team All-Region player March 11. She was a first-team All-Conference selection this year, leading the team to one of the best seasons in team history. T.I. was also named to the USA South All-Sportsmanship Team.
• Brooks Freeman ’20 was named USA South Pitcher of the Week February 18 for his second start of the season, in which he faced #2 Wisconsin-Whitewater and led the Hawks to a 3-1 victory in 8 scoreless innings, striking out 8, walking 2, and scattering 6 hits.
• Heath Haskins ’20 went 5-for-11 for a .455 batting average, 8 RBIs, 4 doubles, and a run in three games prior to Feb. 19, when he was named to the D3Baseball.com Team of the Week.
• Wallace Henry ’20 pitched nine scoreless innings in the Hawks’ 7-0 victory over Brevard last week, earning recognition as the USA South Pitcher of the Week March 18.
• Sam Hitt ‘19 was named USA South Defensive Player of the Week February 25 for his performance in the Hawks’ 11-6 win over Hendrix College, in which he went 17-for-20 on faceoffs, picked up 14 ground balls, and scored two goals. This was his second recognition of the season. The first DPW recognition came the week prior for his performance in a team loss to Southwestern and win over the University of Dallas. Sam was the USA South Player of the Year last season and continues to awe the field this season.
• Mock Rock ended with extra excitement this week, when John Hunnicutt ’19 proposed to Katelyn Gilmore ’19. No surprise: she said yes! Congratulations to you both!
• Madison Hunt ’20 was recognized as USA South Softball Pitcher of the Week February 25 for complete-game wins over the University of Dallas (struck out 6, scattered 5 hits, and no walks in 7 innings) and Mt. St. Joseph (allowed 8 hits, struck out 3, walked 2, and allowed 1 unearned run). She earned the same recognition February 18 after her performance in four games during the week prior.
• Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Hutcheon, associate professor of English, for her recently published piece, “Literature and Cultural Capital in Early Modern and Contemporary Pedagogy,” in Shakespeare and the 99%: Literary Studies, the Profession, and the Production of Inequity, ed. Sharon O’Dair and Timothy Fransisco, Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. 101-119.
• Cliff Jordan, who served as assistant women’s soccer coach last season, has been named head women’s soccer coach as the team, which reached the quarterfinals of the USA South Conference tournament in the fall, moves forward. Coach Jordan replaces Matt Gill, who has taken an assistant coaching position at Division I University of Illinois at Chicago.
• The Alabama World Affairs Council concluded its weekly series of eight seminars on Great Decisions in foreign policy this week with one co-led by Dr. Jeremy Lewis, professor of political science, on the state of the State department.
• Brittney Gilliland Liebbe ’11 serves as the director of youth ministries at Spanish Fort UMC and lives in Daphne, Alabama. She completed a Master of Arts in Leadership from Asbury Theological Seminary in August 2018.
• Carden Mellown ’20 was selected to the D3baseball.com Team of the Week February 12 for his performance on the mound in the Hawks’ season-opening victory over Berea, in which he pitched 7 scoreless innings and faced 23 batters.
• Assistant director of bands Adam Murphy and his wife welcomed their second child, daughter Hallie Blair Murphy, March 9, 2019.
• Matt Murphy ’19 was named USA South Defensive Player of the Week for men’s lacrosse March 18. A goalkeeper, he recorded 11 saves and 6 ground balls in the Hawks’ win over Piedmont—their 7th straight.
• Huntingdon welcomes Katie Myers as assistant athletic trainer for softball and tennis, and Ashleigh Fagan as assistant athletic trainer for lacrosse.
• Shortstop Wes Powell ’20 was recognized as a D3baseball.com Player of the Week February 26 for his performance in the Hawks’ 3-game sweep of Averett College, in which he sported a .600 batting average, .900 slugging percentage, and a .643 on-base percentage. He was 6-for-10 with three doubles, three RBIs and two runs. He repeated the recognition March 4, after batting .545 with 8 RBIs, 5 runs, 6 doubles, and 2 stolen bases in a 6-game stretch prior.
• Dr. Jared Rehm, assistant professor, SSPE, co-authored an article published in Sports: “Kinetic Analysis of Swimming Flip-Turn Push-Off Techniques,” with W. Weimer, A. Sumner, B. Romer, J. Fox, B. Decoux, and J. Patel.
• After shooting a 6-under-par 66 in the final round and overall 12-under 204, Stephen Shephard ’19 earned his third career win when the Hawks golf team competed in the Jekyll Island Invitational last weekend. The Hawks came in second in the tournament, as did Drew Mathers ’20. In seven tournaments since the beginning of the fall season, the Hawks have won twice and placed second three times. The Hawks are ranked second nationally in Division III and were among 14 nationally-ranked teams in the 30-team tournament. On the women’s side of the tournament, the Lady Hawks finished 8th in a 21-team field.
• Shaonica Thomas ’20 was named to the second-team West Division in the USA South Athletic Conference at the close of the women’s basketball season. She was the Hawks’ second leading scorer and rebounder this season and led the USA South with a 58.8 field-goal percentage.
• B.J. Cavanna Van Hest ’74 teaches as an adjunct professor for Indian River State College and lives in Vero Beach, Florida.
• Josie Waddell ’19 was named the first USA South Women’s Tennis Player of the Week this season after opening with 6-3 and 6-1 wins at No. 3 singles in the team’s 8-1 victory over Belhaven; two wins at No. 1 singles vs. Louisiana College, and 2 wins at No. 3 singles vs. Millsaps.
• Anthony White ’17 married Jalisa Fletcher, March 8.

PRAYERS AND CONCERNS

• The campus has rallied around our sister Bennetta Carter, a member of the College’s ARAMARK Dining Services staff, who lost her husband and her home in a fire in February. Thank you to all who have donated to help Bennetta rebuild her and her children’s lives.
• Ann Dowling Kolb Garner ’54 of Dothan passed away February 11, 2019. She was preceded in death by her mother, Dorothy Dowling Kolb ’32. We honor Ann’s life of love and loyalty to Huntingdon and remember her daughters, Susann Garner ’80 and Dorothy Garner ’81, in this time of sadness.
• Huntingdon will remember in perpetuity the gifts of Dr. William Snyder, husband of Phyllis Gunter Snyder ’53, who established the Phyllis Gunter Snyder Center for Campus Ministries and funded a renovation of Jackson Home, among other gifts. Dr. Snyder passed away January 18. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and his family.
• Thank you to all who have expressed concern, offered prayer, and given support during my recent illness. I will be back on campus soon, thanks to your love and prayers–Su

Send your news to news@hawks.huntingdon.edu.
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Suellen (Su) Ofe
Vice President
for Marketing and Communications
Huntingdon College
1500 E. Fairview Ave., Montgomery, AL 36106
(334) 833-4515; Cell (334) 324-6591