CCGA Magazine - Spring 2013

college of

2013 Southern States Athletic Conference Golfer of the Year Dylan Freeman

Jack Dinos Scholarship recipient

Coastal GeorGiathe magazine

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1

Photo from Baseball game, Game Room or Bishop Gate

Freshman Rotary International Scholarship recipient Maria Trabanino looks on as Tyler Barber lines up his shot during a game of pool in the student activity center recreation room. The room opened in April of 2013 and includes billiards, air hockey, foosball, card table, ping pong tables, bike rentals and three large flat-screen televisions for gaming, offering the students a place to relax and enjoy some friendly competition between classes.

Game Time!

Welcome to the latest issue of College of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine.

In these pages, we highlight our newest degree, a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies. Just as American Studies encompass an interdisciplinary, community-centered approach to understanding the critical issues facing the United States – history, ecology, culture, communications, government, economic development and resource sustainability – these pages explore similar facets of the Coastal Georgia experience.

You’ll read about new partnerships with the School of Business and Public Affairs that will offer exciting opportunities for students to enhance their career options. We also showcase the capstone course for the BBA degree which applies 21st century knowledge and skills to enable classroom entrepreneurs to compete successfully in a global arena.

Service-learning continues to take center stage as our signature academic initiative. Coastal Georgia is winning national recognition and, locally, Burt Brown with Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County describes the difference our students make at the local level. You’ll also read about five students who traveled to the Gulf Coast to see firsthand - and extend helping hands to - post-Katrina restoration.

We are excited to introduce you to successful alumni, new graduates in the Class of 2013 and students engaged in artistic, literary and cultural experiences on campus.

Reviewing these milestones causes me to reflect on how quickly five years have passed during my service as president of Coastal Georgia. The College and I have benefited because of tremendous support provided by the Board of Regents and the University System of Georgia, the Foundation trustees, our state elected officials, the local community, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College – people who saw the vision, wrote the mission and put this dream into action.

Collectively, we share an amazing list of accomplishments: collaboration in crafting and successfully implementing a comprehensive strategic master plan, accreditation of ten new baccalaureate degree programs, creation of new academic schools within the College, construction of new academic buildings and our first on-campus student residences, reorganization of the College Foundation, renovation of outdated structures, addition of new athletic programs and facilities, adoption of service-learning as our educational enhancement plan, and cultivation of new cultural and arts programming. The magazine itself is one of the added innovations.

These accomplishments have already netted key results. Enrollment has increased. Talented students are now remaining in the community - becoming teachers, nurses, leaders and entrepreneurs. Alumni are proud of their award-winning college and beautiful campus. We’ve become a catalyst for economic development across the region. And, the Golden Isles is an even better place to live because of campus-community engagement.

This summer I will return to my professional field of interest, health and public policy. The next issue of the magazine will introduce the fifth president of the College of Coastal Georgia. Without question, I’m handing off a successful institution for which the sky is the limit. I look forward to continuing to support the progress of Coastal Georgia in the coming years.

A campus in color .......................................................2

First Class...................................................................4

Rebekah Lindborg .................................................4

Tiffany Curry .........................................................5

Elizabeth Rackley-DeSalvo .....................................6

Larry Carter...........................................................7

Rolling up her sleeves ................................................8

Hottest ticket in town ................................................ 10

Building a better community .................................... 12

Duo making waves nationally .................................. 13

American Studies ...................................................... 14

Power Couple ........................................................... 17

Alternative Spring Break ........................................... 18

The Writing Center ....................................................20

Athletics Updates ......................................................22

Put me in coach... .................................................. 24

No student left inside ...............................................26

Credit where credit is due .........................................28

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 • May 2013

College of Coastal Georgia - the Magazine is produced by the Advancement Office of the College of Coastal Georgia, with the support of

the College of Coastal Georgia Foundation.

Advancement OfficeElizabeth Weatherly, Chief Advancement Officer

John Cornell, Director of Marketing and PRJessica Dickson, Coordinator of Alumni Services and Events

Paul Hearn, WebmasterRobin Flores, Department Coordinator

Peggy Golden, Staff Writer/Special Projects

Managing Editor/Layout and DesignJohn Cornell

Editor/Senior WriterPeggy Golden

Editorial AssistanceRebecca Buchanan ‘14, Kevin Price, Diana Leal

PhotographyAll photographs by John Cornell unless noted.

A Message from the President Dr. Valerie A. Hepburn

College of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine 1

Freshman Cameron Griffith, drenched in color, joined millions of Holi Festival

celebrants around the world rejoicing in spring on March 29.

2 College of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine

Art as creative play. Art as different ways for people to express themselves. Art as a break from the academic routine. Art as a

way to become involved on campus. Art as community service.This is the art of life, as articulated by members of the campus

Art Club, and they want everyone to know that being an art student is not a requirement for membership. For instance, Chris Smith ’15 is a psychology major and Donny Simmons ’16 is focused on communications. Charles Poston ’15 has an associate degree in art but is an education major with a concentration in history. Freshman Cameron Griffith is actually an art student, planning to transfer to Savannah College of Art and Design after his sophomore year.

Poston is currently president of the club – or master of ceremonies, depending on the activity – noted for his top hat and magic coat of many colors. The club meets weekly.

“Our meetings aren’t just art talk,” Smith stressed. “It’s very social – a chance for everyone to meet and interact.”

Simmons agreed. “We discuss ideas for big projects, including the business aspects. Sometimes we use the meeting to create mini-projects. And we’re open to ideas from anyone, not just Art Club members. Artistic endeavors don’t have to be fine art or cultural to be a fun group activity.”

To expand their perspective, the club organizes field trips to museums such as the Jepsen and the Telfair in Savannah or the High Museum and Emory University’s Michael Carlos Museum in Atlanta. Their current objective is a field trip to New York City during spring break 2014.

Poston considers the field trips to be invaluable. “Seeing the real pieces, we can examine the technique and experience the art first hand. It’s a different perspective from photos in a textbook.”

“There’s a raw energy that just can’t be captured in a photograph,” Smith said.

“Like the difference between watching a concert on TV versus live,” Simmons added.

Light-hearted energy is what inspires many of their endeavors, such as the Holi Festival, a Hindu celebration of springtime and color held annually for hundreds of years. Participants toss special powdered dyes to color themselves and each other. The dyes are made from flower petals and chalk – non-toxic, biodegradable and organic. “The Holi Festival celebrates the triumph of a greater good over evil,” Griffith explained, “dramatizing happiness and freedom of expression.”

This year’s inaugural Holi Festival was a collaborative adventure by the Art Club and International Club. Members of the local Hindu community also participated.

Community service projects have ranged from painting a mural for Goodwill Industries to renovating and painting the Hostel-in-the-Forest (a youth hostel south of Brunswick that utilizes tree houses and geodesic domes) and designing costumes and applying makeup for a haunted house benefitting the Marty Lyons Foundation .

Art Club members are looking at new activities and collaborations for the coming year: an exhibit of 3-D design models; a tent built from up-cycled, laminated plastic bags, dubbed “the pixilated scientist”; a film showing of cult-favorites “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”; and concepts for a memorial garden - earthworks that could become a living memorial, including an herb garden.

“To bury grief, you plant a seed,” Poston said softly. “That could be far-reaching in the community.” He would like to collaborate with the Biology Club, CHEF and the Psychology Club to bring the idea to fruition.

Jeff LeMieux, Associate Professor of Fine Art, serves as the club’s faculty adviser. During the academic year, members meet informally every Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in the 2-D art studio on the first floor of the Coffin Building. u

A campus in colorArt Club inspires creative campus activity

Taking a break during an Art Club field trip to Atlanta, pictured l-r, Professor Jeff LeMieux and students Shanelle Richardson, Zach Lingerfelt, Charles Poston and Cameron Griffith.

Cour

tesy

of t

he a

rt clu

b, O

ppos

ite: B

obby

Hav

en


Rebekah Lindborg is passionate about vertebrate zoology – including sharks and other marine creatures. Coastal ecology

was her logical track choice for the BS in biology. She is looking at graduate schools in the states of Georgia, Florida and Washington as well as the country of Australia – schools with programs in animal behavior and conservation biology and with locations near the coast.

Her choices seem to contrast with living on 50 acres of farmland in Thalman, Georgia, and being home schooled. But when you are regularly moving all over the world with your family, traveling to places such as Hawaii, Fiji and Australia and living in Europe, home schooling becomes a necessity.

“We lived in Brussels long enough for me to complete 8th grade in the international school and to learn some French,” she said. “But the home schooling was structured and challenging, with frequent field trips to actually experience the art and culture of the country we were in at the time. We frequented the libraries, researching topics. The world was our classroom, but certification required frequent testing and developing good study habits.”

The family moved to Brunswick for the first time in 2000 – and kept returning.

“I wanted to go to school in Georgia,” Lindborg said. “I gravitated to Coastal Georgia because it is comfortable, a small school with more faculty interaction, in a location I love.” Unlike her older sister, Ester, who started at Coastal Georgia in 2003 when the school was a two-year community college and then transferred to Armstrong Atlantic, she stayed: “Primarily because of the one-to-one interaction. I didn’t need to transfer, starting over at a huge campus, when I could get my undergraduate degree in biology where I really want to be,” she smiled. “The flexibility of the program worked for me. I selected my electives based on my own curiosity and interests.”

Her extracurricular activities parallel her interests: Biology Club, Adopt-a-Wetland, Adopt-a-Highway, and interning at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

After leaving for graduate school, she’ll still return to campus from time to time: her younger brother, Jedidiah, is a Coastal Georgia sophomore studying criminal justice. Coastal Georgia has become a Lindborg tradition. u

Rebekah Lindborg

First ClassCollege celebrates class of 2013, the first class of students who entered College of Coastal Georgia as freshman in 2009

Chris Johnson


Tiffany Curry transferred from Georgia Southern to Coastal Georgia mid-

freshman year to be closer to home (Jesup) due to family concerns. She planned a temporary move, but found herself so in love with the school and her business classes, she never looked back. By the end of her sophomore year, she expected to be an accountant. As a graduating senior, she’s still excited about her BBA with a leadership concentration, but her career is shifting to higher education – the business side.

“After working as one of the first resident assistants in campus housing, I became head resident assistant. Over 350 students live in Lakeside Village and I bet I’m in contact with over half of them every day. My job is to make a difference in their lives – a positive difference in their campus experience,” she explained. “With my leadership concentration, I learned the theories and then put them into practice every day as a life coach, supervisor, disciplinarian, mentor, friend and role model.”

Curry cites the influence of Dr. Michael Butcher and Amber Sutor in re-directing her interest. “They are why I’m going to graduate school. I started working with Dr. Butcher in May 2011 to build our program. After such an incredible experience, I’m pursuing a MEd in higher education while working as a resident hall director. I have my eye on the two-year programs because I want to come back to Coastal for the new residence hall when it is built,” she said.

She has been accepted to Arkansas Tech, which she described as “what we’ll look like in 10-15 years.” The graduate school offers a work-study programs that will enable her to pursue her degree full time while living and working in one of the 14 residence halls.

“My goal is to have my PhD in higher education by the age of 30,” she concluded, “and you know what? Someday I intend to return as president of the College of Coastal Georgia. Right now I’m all about student housing, but I have this growing interest in public policy.” u

Tiffany CurryFirst Class

Cour

tesy

of T

iffany

Cur

ry


Elizabeth Rackley-DeSalvo used to think of herself as a high school dropout. “I was bored, so I dropped out the

middle of my senior year with only two credits to go,” the Chandler, Arizona native confessed. “I took a correspondence course to complete my high school degree, but I had no plans or money for college.”

After moving to the east coast and enrolling at the College of Coastal Georgia, Rackley-DeSalvo’s view of formal education altered dramatically. “By my sophomore year, I had changed my mind about majoring in middle grades education and was thinking about graduate school at Columbia University for journalism and law. I’m passionate about social justice.” But after an enthusiastic discussion with Dr. Carla Bluhm and learning about the BS in psychology, she began to ponder research in that discipline.

By the time she walks in commencement on May 11, the cum laude graduate will already know her next step. She applied to four prestigious graduate schools with programs in her area of interest – the intersection of neuroscience and psychology. By April 1 she had already been accepted to two of those schools, both in New York City: the Graduate School of Arts and Science at New York University and the New School of Social Research (with a Dean’s Merit Scholarship).

“Increased funding is now available for mapping brain activity. I want to be part of that,” she explained. She is fascinated with understanding where complex, emotional belief systems impacting social phenomenon form and develop in the brain.

Her preparation, she contended, had more to do with the structure of the psychology degree program at Coastal Georgia than just the course work. “I could compete for these grad schools because of the collaborative nature of the program here – research, presenting at conferences, mentoring by professors and service learning. I could immerse myself in the discipline and really focus.”

“I had multiple mentors, which I consider an important factor, and my service-learning

experiences helped refine my objectives. I’ve progressed from educating to advocating and then made the leap to impacting through research,” she concluded. She’ll continue using an electroencephalogram to measure brain activity and perceptions of infertility, religion, politics and pornography in collaboration with Dr. Kimberly Kinsey Mannahan, Assistant Professor of Psychology. They plan to submit at least one of these studies for presentation at the Southeast Psychological Association annual conference later this year. u

Elizabeth Rackley-DeSalvoFirst Class


Larry Carter of Folkston worked 27 years for UPS – starting in high school – before a knee injury

sent him back to school to craft a new career. Since he had remained involved in sports, coaching and youth programs at Charlton County High School, teaching seemed like a natural choice for him. He graduates cum laude this May with a BS in middle grades education.

“I had to rethink my life. I assumed I’d be retiring from UPS some day, but it didn’t happen that way. The past four years have been busy. Man, is that an understatement,” he sighed! “But I’ve been dedicated to my education and the effort is paying off.”

Carter compared notes with his 29-year-old son who is a teacher and coach at Montgomery County High School.

“My son attended a different college and said his training wasn’t as rigorous. He didn’t feel ready for the classroom when he graduated. I am. I benefitted from all the classroom exposure,” he said. He also praised the cohort system. “The members of my cohort have become my extended family – a real support network.”

Carter opted for middle grades because he likes the enthusiasm and teach-ability of that age. He would also like to coach wrestling, football and track. “I really like sports,” he laughed. “I video and scout other schools’ games for pre-game review and even drive the team bus if I’m needed. I’ve observed that kids who become involved in sports are more likely to stay in school and graduate. And they want their teachers to be involved in extracurricular activities and show an interest in what they do beyond the classroom. They are very vocal about that. In places like Folkston, sports and education are one of the few ways to discover opportunities - do more than just hang around the street corner waiting for something to happen.”

He stressed the importance of his students learning to use technology and to develop critical thinking skills. “You can’t get a good job without knowing how to use technology and you have to be able to reason – to think through problems and put together solutions. If you can’t figure things out yourself, you’ll be back on that street corner, waiting for someone to give you an answer. I can help them do a lot more than that,” he concluded. u

Larry CarterFirst Class

Cour

tesy

of L

arry

Carte

r


Mark and Lillian Talbert still take to the highway on two wheels.

Courtesy of Lillian Prosser Talbert


Alumna Lillian Prosser Talbert ’68 is willing to roll up her sleeves and get the job done. That quality is one of the reasons she was

named Coastal Georgia Alumna of the Year during the Honors Day celebration on April 26.

Elizabeth Weatherly, Chief Advancement Officer for the College, recalls her first lunch with Talbert. “She arrived with an armful of papers, archival material about the College during the years she attended as well as information about her classmates. Having returned to the area, she was enthusiastic about becoming involved again with the campus and volunteered to identify, locate and contact other alumni – one of the most time-consuming tasks we faced in establishing an alumni association. With Lillian’s help, we could finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and actually launch the association.”

As a Brunswick Junior College student during the early days of the school’s founding, Lillian was actively involved on campus – secretary of the bowling league, The Lion’s Tale (college newspaper) staff member, captain of the inaugural girls’ intramural basketball team (she had played at Glynn Academy), sophomore class senator for the student government association, and Outstanding Sophomore Class Leader (1967). When she finished her 4th term in December 1967, she was only the second woman to have completed an associate’s degree in business. She went on to complete her studies at Georgia Southern University, graduating in 1969 as a business major.

“So many of us would never have been able to go to college if we hadn’t started here at home,” Talbert says. “We proved we could make it, encouraging our families to take the next step and allow us to go away to school to finish our degrees.”

While living in Statesboro, she played guitar and sang with a folk group that entertained the military at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. She met Army Captain Bill Talbert from North Carolina, a pilot stationed at Fort Stewart, and they married in 1970.

“That began my travels,” she reminisces, “as we moved from Georgia to bases in Arizona and North Carolina. After the military, Bill completed his B.S. in aeronautical studies and his careers took us to Tennessee, California, and finally overseas. We lived in Munich, Germany for five years and explored Europe before returning to the states with Bill’s transfer to corporate headquarters in Indianapolis. As president of Jackson-Lea, Bill became a real globe trotter, but my traveling had slowed with the birth of our first son in Munich and stopped with the birth of our second.”

In addition to flying, her husband has a passion for motorcycles. “I have been his passenger on many motorcycle rides throughout the United States and Europe. If I were on my own bike, we wouldn’t be going as fast,” she laughs.

Because of her multicultural experiences in Europe and the impact of globalization she witnessed throughout her husband’s career, Talbert is a strong proponent of international student

exchange programs and expanded international connections for the College. “I am pleased that it is part of Coastal Georgia’s mission statement,” she says. “In today’s world, it’s important.”

The family settled in the Conover-Hickory area of North Carolina. With three sons, Talbert became a soccer mom – and coached soccer, basketball and baseball for the Recreation Department. “My love for competitive sports has followed me throughout my life,” she notes. “I played competitive club tennis for 22 years and our family competed at the national level in waterskiing for about 12 years. I drove the boat! We were part owners of a water ski lake, hosting tournaments throughout the spring and summer, in Harmony, North Carolina.”

Initially they retired to North Padre Island, Texas, but decided to move closer to family and grandchildren. “We were looking for available UPS stores on the East Coast and found one in Brunswick. So after 43 years of living away, I returned home.”

She contends that learning and trying new ventures isn’t limited by age. “We were retired when I went to UPS University to learn how to operate a UPS store. You can be whatever you want to be if you’re willing to learn new skills. While most of my friends are retiring, it seems that I am just beginning,” she laughs.

Talbert had remained interested in her hometown alma mater, maintaining ties and visiting family in the area. “I would ask if an alumni association had been started, but there wasn’t one,” she explained. “When we moved back, I wanted to get involved as a booster for the College’s growth.”

Her penchant for history evolved into genealogical research and an interest in archives. “I love the detective work of research. I attribute my saving things, like the old Lion’s Tale newspapers and the inaugural BJC yearbooks and campus snapshots, to that passion. At the time we were attending Brunswick Junior College, we didn’t really grasp the uniqueness of being the first – the first students, the first clubs, the first athletes. But in keeping those things, I accidentally became a historian. I was part of the genesis of the College of Coastal Georgia.”

Talbert became a founding member of the College of Coastal Georgia Alumni Association, serving first on the Advisory Council and now as a member of the leadership group of the Alumni Association. She is the association’s membership chair. Whenever a volunteer is needed, from making posters and banners to welcoming students at move-in day in Lakeside Village, she is there.

She concludes, “One thing I will say with certainty – alumni should be proud of this school!” u

Rolling up her sleeves.Alumna of the Year Lillian Prosser Talbert ’68

Courtesy of Lillian Prosser Talbert

The Crest - 1968


RUSSELL MALONE

Adm

it One

- $25

.00

Broug

ht to

you t

hroug

h the

gen

eros

ity o

f the

Julie

and

Eric

Epste

in Fo

unda

tion:

From

the C

ity to

the G

olden

Isles

Febr

uary

21 - 6

:30 p

.m.

Sout

heas

t Geo

rgia

Conf

eren

ce C

ente

r

Terril

l Thom

as A

udito

rium

Colle

ge o

f Coa

stal G

eorg

ia

Colle

ge o

f Coa

stal G

eorg

ia Fo

unda

tion P

rese

nts:

Virt

uoso

and

Jaz

z Jo

urna

lists

Ass

ocia

tion

201

1 G

uita

rist o

f the

Yea

r...

RUSSELL MALONE

Adm

it One

- $25

.00Bro

ught

to yo

u thro

ugh t

he g

ener

osity

of t

he

Julie

and

Eric

Epste

in Fo

unda

tion:

From

the C

ity to

the G

olden

Isles

Febr

uary

21 - 6

:30 p

.m.

Sout

heas

t Geo

rgia

Confe

renc

e Ce

nter

Terril

l Thom

as A

udito

rium

Colle

ge o

f Coa

stal G

eorg

ia

Colle

ge o

f Coa

stal G

eorg

ia Fo

unda

tion P

rese

nts:

Virt

uoso

and

Jaz

z Jo

urna

lists

Ass

ocia

tion

201

1 G

uita

rist o

f the

Yea

r...

True to the vision of serving as a catalyst for cultural development in the Golden Isles, Coastal Georgia provided

outstanding programs this winter and spring - all new to the area - and the community is calling for more. The concerts and live performances filled the seats of the Thomas Auditorium and the Coffin Gymnasium. Literary and film enthusiasts expressed appreciation for the smaller-scale events as well.

A generous gift from the Julie and Eric Epstein Charitable Foundation established a new concert series, “From the City to the Golden Isles,” bringing the area outstanding talent normally appearing in New York City.

The Ossia Chamber Players, members of New York City’s Ossia Symphony Orchestra, played for the inaugural series concert on December 7 in the Thomas Auditorium of the Southeast Georgia Conference Center on campus. The concert included a guest appearance by internationally-renowned violinist Maestro Luis Haza. Orlando Alonso, artistic director and conductor of Ossia, and

15 musicians with the orchestra played Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Op. 40 and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings with Haza as the featured soloist for Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor.

In early February, the College hosted a multi-media presentation by actor, author, jazz singer and filmmaker Byron Motley on The Negro Baseball Leagues: An American Legacy in the Thomas Auditorium. As an entertainer, Byron Motley has performed on Broadway, on stage with the Boston Pops Orchestra, and worked with names such as Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand and Dionne Warwick. He co-authored Ruling Over Monarchs, Giants and Stars: True Tales of Breaking Barriers, Umpiring Baseball Legends, and Wild Adventures in the Negro Leagues (Skyhorse/Sports Publishing, February 2012) with his father, Bob Motley, who was an umpire in the League between

The hottest tickets in town...Cultural programing enriches campus

Members of the Ossia Chamber Players opened the new concert series, “From the City to the Golden Isles.”


the mid-1940s and 50s. His father called the balls and strikes of such legendary Negro League players as Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays and Satchel Paige.

Biographer Penelope Niven, author of Thornton Wilder: A Life, was one of the featured speakers for Coastal Georgia’s celebration of The Big Read. The book selection for the community’s 2013 Big Read featured Wilder’s novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and his play, Our Town, both Pulitzer Prize winners. All of The Big Read campus programs were free.

Step Afrika!, a professional dance company headquartered in Washington, DC, rocked the walls of the Coffin Gymnasium on February 15. The company began in 1994 as a cross-cultural exchange program with the Soweto Dance Theatre of Johannesburg, South Africa. Their first full production in January 2000 was a sold-out run at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, as part of the Imagination Celebration. Now the ensemble tours the U.S. annually, as well as performing internationally and on the stages of the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Center in New York City, and at the White House. The dance tradition of stepping, which sprang from song and dance rituals practiced by African-American college fraternities and sororities in the early 20th century, uses the human body as an instrument to create stunning rhythms and sounds by combining footsteps, claps and spoken words.

Jazz guitarist Russell Malone headlined the second “From the City to the Golden Isles” concert in late February. Born in Albany, Georgia,

Malone began playing onstage in Atlanta during 1986 with organist Jimmy Smith.

He’s played on NPR and appeared in Robert Altman’s 1996 movie, Kansas

City. He’s been a member of the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band; played on five albums

with Diana Krall, including three Grammy-nominated albums, and toured the world

with her; and worked with such well-known names as Ron Carter (Golden Striker Trio),

Branford Marsalis, B.B. King, Roy Hargrove, Benny Green, Ray Brown, Bill Frisell, Shirley

Horn, Christina Aguilera, David Sanborn, Aretha Franklin, Sonny Rollins and Natalie Cole – to name

just a few. Bassist Daryl Johns appeared with Malone

as his accompanist. Johns was a member of the 2012 Thelonious Monk National High School All-Star Jazz Sextet and was featured as WBGO 88.3FM Jazz Star of Tomorrow at the 2011 Champions of Jazz benefit at Lincoln Center. In 2010, he was one of 30 high school

students from across the U.S. selected by the Grammy Foundation to participate in the prestigious Grammy Jazz Ensemble program. Johns’ composition, Toys for Roy, was winner of the 2010 Downbeat Magazine student music award for best original song. As part of a College-sponsored outreach program, Johns conducted an interactive bass workshop with local Coastal Youth Symphony musicians during his visit.

Campus organizations launched an international film festival in mid-April, free to the general public, showing titles from Brazil, France, Great Britain and

Sweden at the Stembler Theatre. Community members listed film festivals as a cultural enhancement the College could potentially provide in research conducted during 2011 for the College Foundation-sponsored report of the Planning Committee for Cultural, Arts and Lifelong Learning Programs. u

FEBRUARY 15, 2013COFFIN GYM AT 8 PMTICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGHTHE LIGHTHOUSE BOOKSTORE:Phone Orders: 912-279-5972In Person: One College DriveBrunswick, GeorgiaTICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE,

www.ccgabooks.comPUBLIC TICKETS $10FACULTY & STAFF TICKETS $5STUDENTS ARE FREE WITH CCGA ID

TICKETS AVAILABLEAT THE DOOR AT 7PM

COLLEGE of COASTAL GEORGIA PRESENTSThe hottest tickets in town...

Music flowed like water from the strings of his guitar as Russell Malone played world-class jazz to a packed auditorium for the second concert “From the City to the Golden Isles.”


In an announcement made on March 4 at the American Council on Education annual conference in Washington, DC,

the Corporation for National and Community Service included the College of Coastal Georgia in the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

According to the notification received by Dr. Phillis George, director of the College’s Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement, the Honor Roll “recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and meaningful outcomes in their communities.” Selection is recognition from the highest level of the College’s commitment to service and community engagement.

The application submitted by the College’s Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement focused on general community service initiatives, according to Dr. George. Projects listed included CCGA Builds with Habitat for Humanity, a campus-wide engagement project; the Coastal Emergency Management Project, an environment management system implemented and made possible by a summer 2012 Coca-Cola Bin Grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation and Keep America Beautiful; and the Coastal Beach Sweeps on Jekyll Island, partnering with the Jekyll Island Authority, Keep Brunswick-Golden Isles Beautiful and the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia.

The College beach sweeps in 2011 and 2012 bagged over

1,000 pounds of debris on the Jekyll Island beach. This year, College students, faculty, staff and friends teamed for the annual Jekyll Island service project, but instead of the beach, they tackled the trash along the causeway and marsh at the request of the Jekyll Island Authority, Andrew Smith, Director of Student Activities, noted.

Launched on January 21 as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service commemoration, CCGA Builds was a College-sponsored construction project with Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County. During spring term 2013, College students, faculty, staff and friends, including a group of West Virginia Wesleyan students on alternative spring break, built two new safe and affordable homes on adjacent Blain Street lots in the neighborhood across Altama Avenue, within walking distance of the campus. The Center and the Office of Student Life worked together to coordinate the project and recruit volunteers on and off campus.

“The involvement of CCGA in our most recent building project was great and made a very positive impact in countless ways,” Bert Brown, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County, recounted. “With over 150 volunteers from the College we were able to stay on the project plan to complete two homes in the short span of three months. The efforts of the athletic teams, clubs and organizations, students, faculty, and staff made this project a real joy for all, especially our construction

supervisor and our regular volunteers. But that’s not all – the College extended the invitation to its community partners, such as Communities in Schools and United Way Young Leaders Society, in this building project.”

“One of the complementary impacts of this partnership was the additional leadership support that we received. Working closely with Dr. Hepburn, Dr. George, Cody Cocchi and Andrew Smith was a special experience. We cannot thank them enough for their capable and encouraging leadership in connection with this project.”

“The impact on the homeowners was heartfelt,” Brown said. ”They were amazed at how many volunteers were willing to give their time to help with the construction. The son of one of the

Building a better community... one class at a time.

Courtesy of Student Activities


A Coastal Georgia student team, Roger Charnock and Jean Daniell, earned a Global Top 100 ranking for their

performance as part of an online business simulation. Within two weeks of starting the simulation as a team, they tied for 26th best worldwide during mid-February in overall game-to-date score and have continued their competitive position.

Dr. Graeme Coetzer, Associate Professor of Management, School of Business and Public Affairs, introduced the organizational strategy simulation, GLO-BUS, in the capstone class for the BBA degree in fall term 2012. According to Dr. Coetzer, the simulation is used by universities and companies around the world, requiring student and corporate teams to compete in running a global manufacturer and retailer of digital cameras.

Four measures are used in compiling team position: overall score for the current year, earnings per share, return on average equity and stock price.

Charnock and Daniell, both seniors, had never worked together prior to the class. They didn’t even start the class as a team, they explained, but were in two gender-based teams of four students each. After the first week of class, Dr. Coetzer mixed the teams up, announcing the equivalent of a corporate spin-off and pairing Charnock and Daniell.

For Charnock, a non-traditional student, the simulation was similar to what he had done in retail sales for over 30 years, but with additional complexity. “We determine the grade of camera, manufacturing costs, market and selling price. The simulation sets the scenarios. We compare what other companies in the program are doing. Then we predict and respond. Each week we have a decision to make. We can easily spend 20 hours every week just tweaking our variables and running the models to check results.”

Daniell’s interest is marketing. Her skill is thinking outside the box, looking for new angles, probing the risks and what-ifs. Going green was her idea, which changed the image of their products and increased demand at the retail outlets built into the simulation. She described the project as “building a castle out of a tree house” and extolled the immediacy of seeing the impact marketing decisions make. “The simulation is very visual and the realism is vital. With this class, all my other courses have finally added up to an ‘aha!’ I can see it. I get it.”

“It’s as close to real life as you can get,” Charnock agreed. Now working as a co-op student with FLETC, he is beginning his new career in procurement as a contract specialist with the goal of becoming an analyst.

In addition to gaining invaluable experience, Daniell relished competing successfully against much bigger schools.

“They demonstrate that our students are capable of competing with the best and brightest around the world,” Dr. Coetzer said. u

College GLO-BUS duo making waves nationally

new homeowners told me one Saturday that he had never lived in a house made out of wood. I told him that it is much more than a house made out of wood. It is a home built with the caring support of volunteers who want to make our community a better place to live and want to see young people like him have all the opportunities that living in a safe, decent and stable home can bring to him and generations to follow.”

Summing it up, Brown declared, “CCGA Builds - homes and creates rewarding experiences that transforms lives!”

“Inclusion on the Honor Roll is indeed the pinnacle for an engaged campus. In our first year of application, the College of

Coastal Georgia joined this elite group,” College President Valerie Hepburn said. “Only seven other University System of Georgia institutions earned membership on the national Honor Roll.

“The quality and quantity of community service and civic engagement are key criteria in the selection process. Our small institution stands toe-to-toe with much larger and better resourced universities,” she said, expressing particular thanks to the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation for its financial support of the College’s vision and work in service-learning. “The real award goes to our wonderful students and the myriad services they have provided across Coastal Georgia.” u

Jean Daniell and Roger Charnock are Coastal’s daunting duo in a business strategy simulation program.


“If there are four things I love, they are history, politics, writing and arguing. American Studies takes all that and

wraps it in a convenient package that promises a great career with those four things included,” freshman Nate Smith of Brunswick said, describing his interest in Coastal Georgia’s newest degree program.

Coastal Georgia will be the first school in the University System of Georgia to offer a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies. The Board of Regents of the USG approved the new baccalaureate program in March for the School of Arts and Sciences.

“Given the rich historical and natural resources of our communities, the American Studies degree is a perfect fit for Coastal Georgia. We are honored to become one of more than 300 top-ranking colleges and universities across the country to offer this signature degree. And, we are thrilled to be the ‘first and only’ in Georgia’s public university system!” said College President Valerie A. Hepburn.

American Studies is a gateway (bachelor’s) degree, synthesizing popular areas of study into a coherent, robust program. As the inaugural Bachelor of Arts degree, it provides a marketable outcome for philosophy, English, communications,

history, political science, art or sociology majors in the social sciences and the arts and humanities departments of the School of Arts and Sciences. Not only could the program provide a pre-law course of study, for example, but it also provides a strong option for many liberal arts and social science majors who wish to remain at Coastal Georgia to complete their undergraduate education.

The American Studies degree will offer two areas of concentration: Environmental and Regional Studies (ERS) and Cultural Studies and Communication (CSC).

The two main components of the program are 60 credit hours of required common core curriculum followed by 60 program hours that immerse students in the critical issues facing the United States. The rich opportunities for service-learning offered by the coastal region significantly enhance the program. Students in the ERS track will benefit directly from proximity to the coastal ecosystem that is also a major transportation and shipping corridor. The acquisition of Cannon’s Point by the St. Simons Land Trust provides unique field-learning resources. Students in the CSC track will draw on the art, literary and cultural resources of the barrier islands, ranging from regional literary and artistic

American StudiesCoastal Georgia becomes the first school in the University System of Georgia to offer a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies

Bachelor of Arts


resources to the Gullah-Geechee culture and a wide range of historic preservation, museum and archival settings.

“The degree provides an interdisciplinary, community-centered approach to understanding history, ecology, economic development, and resource sustainability, which can be studied right here in a region steeped in tourism, industry and global trade. We are well-positioned to create this 21st century degree which prepares students for a variety of careers in management, technical writing, journalism, diplomatic service, law, archival/museum studies, emerging media, and ‘green’ industries,” Dr. Hepburn said.

Dr. Robert Bleil, Assistant Professor of English in the Department of Arts and Humanities, elaborated: “American Studies allows faculty to collaborate across traditional disciplinary lines—in the case of the environmental writing course, for example, that combines topics and approaches in anthropology, biology, ecology, English, history, political science and sociology—and allows the College to respond to the changing needs of the local, regional, national and international communities.”

“With our recent purchases of Cannon’s Point, we are especially positioned to cooperate with students who are pursuing this degree,” Ben Slade, executive director of the St. Simons land Trust, wrote in October, supporting the American Studies program development. “Opportunities for service learning abound in the plans we have for Cannon’s Point.”

Spud Woodward, director of the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, cited the need for a skilled, competent workforce for the DNR and other state and federal agencies involved in coastal management. “We have particular need of individuals who can synthesize a variety of information into a coherent body of knowledge to inform conservation policymaking. Most importantly, these individuals must be able to effectively communicate this knowledge to policymakers and the general public,” he wrote.”I anticipate the proposed program producing such individuals.”

Heather Heath, a professional actress and executive director of Golden Isles Arts and Humanities, agreed in the letter she wrote. “For our own region of Georgia, we are steeped in environmental, historic and cultural resources.

Graduates from this new degree program may look no further than Glynn County for opportunities to start their careers as employers here are always on the lookout for individuals with the skill sets the American Studies program can provide.”

Smith wants to become a music critic. “I take music very seriously. I enjoy listening to practically every genre, I talk nonstop about music, and above all I enjoy being cynical and snarky. American Studies provides different written opinions in prose through its studies of African American, Southern, and women’s

Historic assets on Cannons Point include shell middens dating back to 2500 B.C., ruins of John Couper’s original plantation residence built in the 1800s, and slave quarters from the antebellum period.

Courtesy of St. Simons Land Trust


literature programs. This broadens the scope of opinion and allows different ways to approach all brands of writing. American Studies is a great way to explore opinions so I can add my own.”

Sophomore Byron Anderson, a Camden County High School graduate, wants to combine his interest in music, films and foundations. “The fact that the new degree will enable me to continue to study communications and the broad fields of study within the degree are what interest me,” he explained. ”I want to work in the field of entertainment, specifically music and film, but I ultimately want to use music and film as platforms to start awareness and support foundations. I would use the intercultural knowledge, the communication and the writing skills that I gain from the degree to better enhance my chances of making my dream a reality.”

“In order for me to be taken seriously, especially in the business and corporate world, I have to be able to understand others, know how to communicate with others, and be able to express and articulate my thoughts and plans intelligently, and I believe this degree…can be a door of opportunity for me,” Anderson summarized.

Woody Woodside, President of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, would probably agree with Anderson’s assessment. In a letter of support for the program, he wrote: “The new degree program will also foster the development of future community leaders who will possess strong written, oral, analytical, and problem-solving skills to be successful and productive in a variety of job sectors.”

“American Studies graduates are highly valued by employers in both the public and the private sector for the skills and approaches that they bring to the workforce,” echoed Dr.Bleil. “In addition to finely honed analytical and communication skills, American Studies graduates are trained to approach problems comprehensively; thus they are adept at bring constituents together to solve problems efficiently.”

Dana Haza, former senior regional manager for the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, noted in December that the Center’s research and experience led to the conclusion that the nonprofit sector had a vacancy of educated, developed leaders. “The need is immediate and vast,” she wrote. “A 21st century leader of a charitable organization needs to have a sound educational foundation. With the two tracks of Environmental and Regional Studies (ERS) and Cultural Studies and Communication (CSC) students will be able to draw on their own community as sphere of learning. Such a degree would provide this balanced educational approach.” Haza currently serves as president and CEO of the United Way of Coastal Georgia.

“Service-learning is a critical component of this kind of program because it allows students to gain real-world experience in analysis and problem-solving, and it strengthens crucial ties between the College and the community,” Dr. Bleil concluded. “Service-learning partnerships create creative opportunities for the community, and students build the community and industry connections that will launch their careers.” u

“American Studies graduates are highly valued by employers in both the public and the private sector for the skills and approaches that they bring to the workforce.”

—Dr. Robert Bleil, Assistant Professor of English Department of Arts and Humanities

American Studies


Alumna Carol Thomas Harris ’75 and Foundation trustee Duane Harris are the power couple most likely to be found

volunteering on campus. Groundbreakings, athletic games, ribbon cuttings, concerts, commencement, meetings, receptions, service days and even the Regents’ Awards for Excellence in Education black-tie gala in Atlanta – they are there to represent or work on behalf of the College.

They were recognized for their efforts during Honors Day on April 26.

Carol graduated with an associate in psychology from Coastal (then Brunswick Junior College), going on to UGA for her BA and Georgia Southern for her MEd in psychology. “My parents were from Glynn County. My dad was in the Navy, so we lived all over. I was a high school junior in Hawaii when he received orders for Glynco, so I completed my senior year at Brunswick High School. With college, everyone was starting over, so I had an opportunity to make friends. I was into everything – the year book, drama club, and anything else that was fun. Even as a commuter college, we had a recreation center and a very active student life,” she recalled.

Duane was also from a military family; his dad was with Army Air Corps counter intelligence, which became the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. “I was born in Illinois, lived in Japan during the Korean War, spent second grade in San Antonio, was in Denver until my sophomore year, then Guam, then back to Colorado, where I got my BS in biological science and fisheries from Colorado State. In Guam, when I wasn’t in class, I was in the water. I think I was always destined to live on an island. My shell collection is mostly from Guam, but some of my most significant finds – like the wooly mammoth tooth – are from local dives.”

With water and weather in mind, Duane applied for his first job - the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He started in July 1970 and remained with them until he retired in 2002. Now he owns Sea Georgia Adventures, a charter fishing and environmental consulting company.

Originally Duane’s ties to the College stemmed from teaching diving with Buddy Harris when the current weight room in the Coffin Building was a pool instead. He was recruited to serve on the Foundation Board of Trustees for the community college by Dr. Dorothy Lord, the president, serving as chairman the last two years of her term. “I was all set to transition off. Fat chance,” he laughed. Instead, he became involved in the restructuring, chairing the steering committee for the College’s strategic master plan, 2020 Vision: A Decade and Beyond (May 2009). “That was a great experience – probably my favorite time – as we envisioned the future and what the College could become,” he said.

Carol recalled that Dr. Lord had expressed interest in starting an alumni group, but the idea never seemed to take off. “Then Dr. Hepburn recruited Glenn Carson ’80. Glenn knew my family; he

recruited me for the Alumni Advisory Committee. Now the Alumni Association keeps growing!”

They have a long list of reasons for why Coastal Georgia has become such a special school. “Students don’t have to go away. They can get a wonderful, quality education right here,” Carol stressed.

“People are starting to get it,” Duane added. “Coastal Georgia is a community resource – much more so now than it was as a

community college. This isn’t about just educating your kids. This is for the region, enriching all our lives.”

Their College volunteerism stems from a sense of duty and responsibility. “That’s the mantra for any oldest child in a military family – which we both are,” Duane quipped, “but volunteering for the College is also lots of fun!”

They would like to begin ratcheting down. Travel is the lure – Australia, New Zealand. “Time to really retire,” Duane concluded, “so I can dive the Great Barrier Reef.”u

Power CoupleDuane and Carol Harris, volunteers of the year


Five Coastal Georgia upperclassmen traveled to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for their five-day spring break in early March,

but it wasn’t to soak up the sunshine. Instead, Arron Campbell, Jamie Junot, Danielle Martin, Holli Perry and Karen Price joined Dr. Phillis George, Director of the Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement, and Assistant Director Cody Cocchi, for an alternative spring break inspired by author Natasha Trethewey’s memoir, Beyond Katrina.

“This was our inaugural alternative spring break,” Dr. George said. “The participants placed a high premium on giving back and they sacrificed vacation days and well-earned leisure time in order to go.”

“I was blessed with an understanding job that allowed me to take the week off to go and experience this spring break,” nursing major Jamie Junot said.

Singer and songwriter Danielle Martin, a middle grades education major, decided to go on the trip to be more productive - helping people less fortunate, rebuilding a community, and visiting Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana for the first time. “I was shocked at some of the devastation that remained in the

cities of New Orleans and Biloxi,” she said. “I was grief stricken, imagining myself in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina - truly heartbreaking at times.”

Karen Price and Holli Perry, a mother-daughter duo, participated in two Jekyll Island Beach Sweeps together. They decided to share this service-learning opportunity as well.

“I truly believe in service learning. I have had several wonderful experiences and made numerous connections. This was a phenomenal opportunity for me to see a part of our country I’ve never seen, give help to a community that really needs it, and share a once-of-a-lifetime experience with my daughter,” Karen said.” I am an education major. As teachers, we see the devastation of poverty impacting children’s education every day. When a child does not receive an adequate education at home or in school, the child has virtually no chance of stopping the downward spiral.”

The team hit the road, spending time in the field and in reflecting as they worked with the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain and the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio (GCCDS) to restore a wildlife/watershed habitat. They also

Alternative Spring Break not just a trip to the beach

(l-r) Karen Price, Holli Perry, Jamie Junot, Danielle Martin and Arron Campbell

Cody Cocchi (3)


worked with Hope Community Development Agency to create a healthy marsh habitat as part of the Bayou Auguste Project—which seeks to rebuild a sustainable community in east Biloxi.

“Communities include parks, views and gathering places – not just safe shelter,” Dr. George noted. “GCCDS is not only building innovative new houses based on FEMA regulations, but they’ve teamed with Hope CDA to assist residents in securing the financial means to live in the houses. These programs include the environment as part of the community lifestyle. Rebuilding and restoring the bayou impacts the residents’ quality of life. Picking up debris, pulling weeds and applying mulch has a surprisingly positive impact.”

“The people you work with appreciate what you are doing, and they make sure you see things you would never have seen as a simple tourist,” Price stressed. “On our trip, for example, we saw how a bayou became a dirty ditch. We helped to restore one of those bayous, and we were taken to see an already finished restoration. It was beautiful! That’s something I never would have seen as a tourist.”

The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory of The University of Southern Mississippi in Ocean Springs served as their hub during the trip, with side trips to New Orleans to tour the 9th Ward and to visit Tulane, Loyola, and other cultural sites. They also visited The University of Southern Mississippi’s Katrina Research Center as well as USM’s Gulf Coast Campus which was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and, more recently, Hurricane Isaac.

“I was surprised how damaged their society still is,” Perry said.

“Buildings were rebuilt, establishments back up and running, but the gap between the very wealthy and very poor had only been worsened, it seemed, by the storm.”

Junot also echoed surprise at the continued desolation and dislocation. “I even saw two houses with the spray-painted circles on the front telling authorities how many people were found [dead] in the residence. Where houses once stood there are now tall, beautiful buildings that the original residents could not afford.”

Martin responded to what she was witnessing by writing a song which begins:

“Sitting here on Davis Bayou, days go by and hours fly too In my heart now I am longing to be home againOh my life in Mississippi, how my thoughts pass by so quicklyOne by one like ants they’re marching on to brighter days…”Arron Campbell was surprised by the unity achieved by the

students while completing the restoration projects. “None of us knew one another. So, it was exciting to see us come together as a

team in such a short amount of time,” he observed. “The only aspect of the trip I would probably change is the length. It seemed as soon as we were all working as a team and getting into the groove of things, it was time to leave.”

In addition to field work, the students interacted with local biologists, USM faculty, Land Trust representatives, the COO of Hope Community Development Association and Connie Moran, Ocean Springs’ mayor.

“This trip was an opportunity to see how others are fighting the impact of poverty and devastation to bring pride back to neighborhoods and families,” Price said. ”Given a sense of pride, people are given a sense of opportunity. Given a hand, they will use those opportunities.”

As a line of Martin’s song says, “In a world that sometimes treats me wrong, I do press on.” u

Junot and Martin remove debris to help restore Bayou Auguste.

Junot and Campbell kayak on Davis Bayou.

Cody Cocchi (3)


“We use the title ‘coach’ for our writing center staff because we believe it better represents what we do. We provide

outside perspective and feedback, not remedial or editing services, and we view students as writers.”

With these words, Dr. Jennifer Gray, Assistant Professor of English and Writing Center Director, and five of the Center’s student coaches began their presentation at the Student Success in Writing Conference in Savannah during February. The annual conference is sponsored by Georgia Southern University.

The Center’s topic was Traditionally Nontraditional: Navigating the Spaces between Writing Teacher, Writing Tutor, and Non-Traditional Writing Student. Ashley Cain, Hannah Carmichael, David Frey, Steve Strickland, Beth Tasciotti and Dr. Gray shared their insights and experiences in creating successful strategies for non-traditional students, moving beyond paper

and writing skills to discussions about frustrations, time management and strengthening study habits.

“We are both advocates for the writing students and for the writing teacher,” Dr. Gray continued. “We hear things from students that teachers don’t hear, and we hear things from teachers that students don’t hear. This provides us with a unique perspective about writing at the college level…as we navigate the spaces between teacher, tutor and student.”

“I’m not writing their paper. I can provide affirmation. I can confirm ability, which helps to offset fear of criticism and to build confidence.

But it is the student’s work.”

— David Frey ’13

The Writing Center A Collaboration of Coaches and Writers


Although non-traditional students were the focus of their conference presentation, the writers who utilize the Center are as varied as the coaches themselves.

Steve Strickland ’15, a biology major from Jesup, explained, “Writing is essential. I spent 30 years writing reports while in law enforcement. I dreaded going to college and I dreaded composition. Discovering the creativity in composition was a new experience for me. Now I want to write a book about my years in law enforcement.”

Hannah Carmichael ’15, a Glynn Academy graduate, is applying to the nursing program. “I love world lit, but I’m most helpful in reviewing structured writing. I intuitively understand the American Psychological Association (APA) format. Different disciplines have different styles – APA for the social sciences, Modern Language Association (MLA) format for the humanities. I can see the light bulbs go off in students’ heads when they begin to understand APA format for the order of information in citations.”

Elisabeth Tasciotti’s parents were missionaries. The sophomore lived most of her life in Brazil. Bilingual in Portuguese and English, she taught English as a second language. Now she’s pursuing a BA in American Studies. “Starting as a supplemental instructor in the ATTIC program for Dr. Gray’s class, I became a tutor and then a Writing Center coach. As coaches, our purpose is to help students find a voice in their writing without hesitating because of structure or grammar.”

“We examine assignments and provide feedback based on class conventions” Carmichael elaborated. “We study what the disciplines require and the professors expect, providing a broader spectrum for looking at the assignment.”

“We’re peer-to-peer,” Strickland added. “We’re not grading the papers or correcting them.”

“But we can help reduce a student’s anxiety, especially with their first essay in a new class,” Tasciotti said.

David Frey ’13, also a Glynn Academy graduate, is pursuing his interest in sound design. He writes music scores and lyrics. “There is more to what we do than critiquing reports and papers,” he stressed. “I look at content more than format – not just factual knowledge, but how the information is synthesized and assimilated. Writing isn’t cutting and pasting; it’s understanding. The student should absorb the information.”

“The idea isn’t to transcribe – it’s to create,” Strickland agreed. ““The writer should have an opinion or vision of their own to

express the concept. Otherwise, plagiarism can become an issue,” Tasciotti warned, “not intentionally as much as not understanding how to properly credit another’s intellectual property.”

“I’m not writing their paper,” Frey emphasized. “I can provide affirmation. I can confirm ability, which helps to offset fear of criticism and to build confidence. But it is the student’s work.”

“Students catch most of their mistakes when they read their work out loud to a coach. They can hear themselves if the material is organized and logical,” Strickland noted.

“This isn’t something that can be accomplished last minute, however,” Tasciotti pointed out. “Writing requires planning. Some professors even give extra credit to students who use the Center’s resources. They tell us students become more engaged in learning as part of the process.”

“Think of us as a consulting firm,” Strickland said. “Even good writers still need feedback to develop. We’re that audience.”

“We’ve been through the same struggles,” Carmichael concluded. “We understand the process of writing. Conversations can be genuinely clarifying. We really like doing this – we learn ourselves. That’s why we’re here.” u

Writing coach and student Beth Tasciotti reviews an assignment with student Brittney Mitchell.

The Correll Center for Teacher Education and Preparation hosts The Writing Center.


College of Coastal Georgia women’s basketball coach Betsy Harris isn’t resting on any laurels after guiding the Mariners to the

national tournament in just the program’s second year of existence.She is already moving forward with recruiting and assembling

a team that can hopefully build on what the Mariners have accomplished in their first two seasons.

But after returning home from the national tournament, Harris started putting together a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings from the team’s season. And while reading some of the stories about the team, the coach realized more than she had previously that what the Mariners accomplished this season was definitely something special.

“What we did was pretty amazing, doing it in our second year,” Harris said. “We had to get a team together quickly last year and get everyone on the same page.”

Combine this year’s 24-9 record with the 19-10 mark the Mariners recorded last year in their inaugural season and the Mariners are 43-19 in the program’s first two seasons.

By making the national tournament, the Mariners were one of only 32 teams who had the chance to compete for the national championship in Frankfort, Ky.

Of the team’s nine losses, three were to Lee University, which went on to play for the national championship, and one was to Cumberland (Tenn.) which defeated the Mariners in the opening round of the national tournament before reaching the Fab Four, where the Bulldogs lost to Lee. Coastal Georgia also lost two games to NCAA-level programs early in the season.

Harris hopes the quick success by the Mariners will make the program even more appealing to potential players going forward.

“I’m hoping it will attract even better talent to the program,” she said. “Every year in recruiting you always try to bring in better players than what you already have.”

The trip to the national tournament also verified what Harris already felt like she needed to do to improve the program and take it to another level.

The Mariners weren’t so much short on talent as they were overall consistency.

“We played hard most of the time,” Harris said. “We always played to the level of our competition which can be a good and bad thing.

“But I felt like we had the talent to match most everyone. We just

have to get our players to play smarter. The two things that hurt us were not playing as smart as we should and not hitting shots. Those two things were problems all year. When you get to the national tournament, you have to take better care of the basketball and make shots to be successful.”

Crystal Chaney led the Mariners in scoring with 11.7 points a game and averaged 7.9 rebounds, the second-best total on the team.

Maria Marshall was second on the team in scoring with 9.9 points and led the Mariners in rebounding with 8.8 boards a game.

Together, the senior tandem was named to the All-Conference team for the Southern States Athletic Conference, becoming the first Coastal Georgia student-athletes to earn all-conference honors. u

Historic season on the hardwoodWomen’s basketball receives invitation to national tournament in first year of eligibility by Kevin Price

Team members: (kneeling l-r) Janne Tullius, Madel Madden, Olivia Melvin, Sofie Schedler, Sequoya Aldridge, Courtney Saunds; (standing l-r) Assistant Coach Lanajia Ernest, Brittany Clark, Maria Marshall, Shaikiera Armstrong, Crystal Chaney, Margaret Harvey, Janele Tucker, Head Coach Betsey Harris.

Kevin Price


The College of Coastal Georgia women’s basketball team

received a pair of national honors after their historic 2012-2013 season.

Senior forward Crystal Chaney was named an NAIA Honorable-Mention All-America on Thursday by the national office.

Earlier this week, senior guard Brittany Clark was named as a 2012-13 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

By getting named an Honorable-Mention All-American, Chaney becomes the first Coastal Georgia student-athlete to achieve All-American status in the NAIA.

All Coastal Georgia teams competed in the NAIA last season for the first time, but the school’s teams were not eligible for rankings or postseason competition until this year while the athletes also were not eligible for conference or national awards until this year as well.

Chaney had already been named to the All-Conference team in the Southern States Athletic Conference at the league tournament.

In January, the senior from Lawrenceville also was named for an SSAC Player of the Week award to become the first Coastal Georgia student-athlete to be named for the weekly award given by the conference.

Chaney led the Mariners in scoring this season with 11.7 points a game and was second on the team in rebounding with 7.9 boards a game.

Chaney, who ranked among the best in the SSAC in several categories, scored a season-high 22 points in the season opener against Concordia and recorded a season-best 20 rebounds

in a game at Truett-McConnell during the week she was named for the player of the week award. She also scored 20 points in that same game.

Clark, who was lost early in the season due to an injury, was one of 124 Division I women’s basketball players to be named a scholar-athlete. To be considered for the award, a player must maintain a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved junior academic status.

Clark was also named to the SSAC All-Academic team. u

Junior golfer and Jack Dinos Scholarship recipient Dylan Freeman was named

Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Golfer of the Year

Freeman has the top stroke average among SSAC players with a 73.0 scoring average which is tied for 10th best in the country. Out of 17 rounds played, the Coastal Georgia junior’s low score is a 69 and that is one of five sub-par rounds he has posted this season.

Freeman has won twice this season in seven starts and has recorded two other top five finishes and also has a top-10 and top-15 finish. He has finished out of the top 15 in a

tournament only once this year.“He had a strong fall and has played well

this spring,” Cook said. “He’s played really well against some strong fields.”

Freeman said the player of the year honor was a goal of his coming into the season, but playing well to help the team was his top priority.

“I think that’s the biggest reason I’ve played as well as I have,” he said.

In addition to Freeman, the four other Mariners, Chase Miller, Hunter Cornelius, Allen Bradford and Alan Barnhardt were named to the all-conference team. u

Chaney named Honorable Mention All-America, Clark named Daktronics NAIA Scholar Athlete

Mariners honored nationally

Crystal Chaney

Freeman named golfer of the year

Southern States Athletic Conference


Put me in coach...Former Brunswick Junior College baseball player Richard Moore ’69 recalls days on the diamond

BrunswickSophomore members of the 1969 Brunswick Junior College Baseball team: Steve Harris, Steve Gardner, Richard Moore, Freddy Tullos, and Tony Tolbert.

The Crest - 1969


If Coastal Georgia re-introduces baseball as a varsity sport, it will make some alumni - like Richard

Moore ’69 - very happy. Moore played on the College team (Brunswick Junior College at the time) his freshman and sophomore years, after playing at Glynn Academy.

“The baseball program was a young program. We didn’t have scholarship players, so we were playing simply for love of the game,” Moore said. “We didn’t win any championships, but we were competitive and the camaraderie among the players was exceptional. The baseball program was very important to me at the time because I had aspirations of pursuing a baseball career. Playing at the junior college level, I could see the big step up in the level of competition from high school to college. I realized the bright lights of playing professional baseball had to take a back seat to my education.”

He recalls the quality of the professors – as well as the difficulty of some of the classes – as another important part of his BJC experience.

“I was completing my associate degree in business. By 1969, I was married, had a baby, and was looking for a four-year college where I could complete my business degree through an accredited night school program. In a conversation with one of my BJC professors about my situation, he related his experience with Georgia State, recommending it as an excellent business school with a comprehensive night program,” Moore explained.

His professor’s recommendation led him to Atlanta. Moore’s high school friend, current College of Coastal Georgia Foundation trustee Jack Kilgore, was a college co-op student at Atlanta Gas Light and helped him get an interview in sales there. Moore began working for Atlanta Gas Light, now a subsidiary of AGL Resources, after graduating from BJC in 1969. He completed his BBA at Georgia State University in 1972 while working full time and later graduated from the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma as his career with AGL focused increasingly on economic development, marketing and government relations.

“Fairly early in my career I had the opportunity to go to Washington, DC on an executive loan program with our national trade association, the American Gas Association,” Moore shared. “The program had five participants from other utilities located across the nation and we were working in five different areas of expertise with regulatory agencies located in Washington. I was working in marketing with AGL, so that was my specialization for the association. This was an incredible educational experience, not only broadening my industry base, but also introducing me to many people willing to share their knowledge. This also provided a gateway to the governmental process, which I had not been exposed to previously. I was able to parlay the new experience into

becoming a lobbyist for AGL when I returned to Georgia, enjoying many great years of working with Georgia’s legislators.”

Moore was named managing director of Corporate Community Relations and Economic Development for AGL Resources in April 2012. He also serves as a working partner on Georgia Allies, a public-private partnership formed to help promote the state’s marketing efforts. He is a board member of the Development Authority of Cobb County, the Georgia Academy of Economic Development and the Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers. He was awarded a life-time membership to the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce for his work in membership and is a past chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Red Carpet Tour, the state’s major annual economic development event for bringing new businesses to the state. He is a member of the Georgia Economic Developer’s Association and former chairman of its legislative committee.

Now living in Marietta, he and his wife Mitzi have four grown children, two granddaughters and a slew of good friends. Some, like Foundation trustee Jack Kilgore, have been friends for many years.

“When Richard moved to Glynn County and was the new kid in school, I reached out to him because I had moved to Glynn County four years earlier and knew exactly how he felt,” Kilgore reminisced. “We had a lot of common interests and over that first year we just grew closer and closer. I think we became lifelong friends because Richard is a very genuine and very loyal person. It’s a trite statement, but Richard is someone you would want with you if you had to go to war. He has never let me down and has always been my friend through good times and bad. And it doesn’t hurt that he can take a joke, loves to have a good time and lives life to the fullest.”

Next trip to the Golden Isles to visit the Kilgores, the Moores plan to tour the much-altered Coastal Georgia campus as well. “And when the College fields a new baseball team, you can count on me coming back to see a game,” he laughed. uBrunswick

Then and Now: Richard Moore’s class picture from the 1969 Brunswick Junior College Crest yearbook along side a current picture of Moore.

The Crest - 1969

The Crest - 1969

Courtesy Richard Moore


The Atlantic Ocean was colder than usual on the final Friday in March. Small waves lapped on the shore, rushing cool water

over Taylor Ballard’s toes each time they delicately crashed. The College of Coastal Georgia freshman pushed through the initial chill as she walked further out into the water – ankle deep at first, then to her calves, and finally to her knees. Today, she was going to learn how to stand-up paddleboard.

Ballard, a native of Lilburn, Ga., is no stranger to the outdoors. She’d kayaked before in the areas surrounding her parents’ Gwinnett County home, but she’d never been able to experience stand-up paddleboarding – think of an oversized surfboard with an oar – until now.

“At first I was shaking so much it was hard to catch my balance, so I started on my knees,” Ballard admits. “My friend Kristina said, ‘if you stand up first then I’ll do it.’

“So with a little encouragement, I centered myself on the board and put my right foot slightly in front of my left, like the instructor said. Once I was up for a few minutes, I was a lot more comfortable.”

By the end of their first run, Ballard and her friends were successfully navigating the paddleboards on the placid ocean just off the beach of St. Simons Island, minutes away from the College’s Brunswick Campus.

Ballard is just one of the many students to partake in outdoor recreation, one of the newest programmatic offerings of the College’s Office of Student Life. In the fall of 2012, the Recreation and Wellness department began offering trips, or as the staff calls them, “excursions,” to engage the students in off-campus adventure activities available within the Golden Isles.

Outdoor excursions during the 2012-13 academic year included the stand-up paddleboarding session, kayaking in the marshes of Brunswick and the tidal creeks of St. Simons, bike riding on Jekyll Island, rock climbing at an indoor facility in Jacksonville, Florida. and attending a Jacksonville Suns baseball game.

Heidi Leming, Vice President for Student Affairs, believes outdoor recreation can have a positive impact on students and allow them to experience life outside the boundaries of the institution.

“The purpose of this program is to introduce students to opportunities beyond campus,” Leming says. “We want them to figure out how to engage in local community recreational opportunities that will continue to foster physical fitness and help them make healthy lifestyle choices.”

With more incoming students originating from Atlanta and other inland locations, it is likely they’ve not experienced the full scope of coastal activities available in the area’s surrounding campus.

No student left inside...Office of Recreation and Wellness offers students opportunities beyond walls of the classroom by Andrew Smith

Sophomore Taylor Ballard’s first day on a paddleboard was a success.


Spending time at the beach is a fun escape during the week or on weekends for many students, but it’s an easily achievable pastime. Getting out on the water in a kayak or paddle board, biking through marshlands on eco-friendly pathways, or going camping on a secluded island are uniquely exhilarating experiences – ones that Coastal Georgia seeks to make readily available to its students.

Besides the physical benefits and the sheer fun of trying something new and spontaneous, there are other benefits to the excursions – like meeting new students and getting up close and personal with the coastal ecosystem.

“For me it was fun to meet people I don’t see on a regular basis and get to know other students,” says Ballard, who has attended multiple trips. “Sure, my friends were there, but I was able to bond with other students as well. I really extended my friend zone.”

Alexander Tharpe, a freshman employed by the Recreation and Wellness department as a student assistant, has seen numerous students make personal connections they might not normally make in the classroom or in passing on campus.

“If you put two people that don’t know each other in a tandem kayak, they’re going to have to communicate and break down whatever barriers separate them,” Tharpe says. “A lot of people struggle with that at first but as the excursion goes on they end up working together to complete the trip.”

Brianna Ridings, a freshman from Alpharetta, Ga., can’t help but smile when she recalls her first Coastal Georgia kayaking trip and how she learned about the intricate coastal ecology.

While gliding through a marsh estuary in a tandem kayak last

September, Ridings and her kayaking partner came upon a cluster of juvenile shrimp just below the surface. As the kayak came closer, the tiny shrimp began to pop out of the water all around them and a few even landed in Ridings’ lap. The tour guide would later explain the occurrence was common, but the experience, she says, is one that will stick with her forever.

“Being able to explore the coastal environment is a great learning experience for our students,” Ridings says. “I think it’s awesome that the College offers so many programs that promote the coast and all it has to offer.”

To run the excursions, the College works in partnership with local businesses and their staff who provide equipment, instruction and supervision when necessary. While the excursions are funded primarily from student fees, there is a deposit or small fee for students to secure their spot on the trip and cover some of the costs. The College can accommodate anywhere from 10-25 students for

each excursion depending on the activity. In his role on the staff, Tharpe

helps lead the trips with other student employees and his supervisor the director of student activities. Tharpe has made every excursion this spring and can’t wait for the upcoming fall slate, which includes more kayaking, paddle boarding and an overnight camping trip to Cumberland Island.

“In the future we could grow this program rapidly, because there are so many different recreational opportunities for the College to offer its students,” Tharpe says enthusiastically. “Kayaking, camping, sporting events and a host of other opportunities—we just need to pick what we want to do.

“If the College can create lasting memories for students and allow them to try something new that they wouldn’t be able to do at another institution, then we’ve accomplished our goal.” u

No student left inside...Office of Recreation and Wellness offers students opportunities beyond walls of the classroom by Andrew Smith

Alexander Tharpe enjoys a laugh on St. Simons Island

Student Activities Office (3)


College signs agreement with FLETC

Law enforcement personnel receiving training in three basic programs at FLETC can now receive college credit for their

work through Coastal Georgia. Connie L. Patrick, Director of the Federal Law Enforcement

Training Center, and Dr. Valerie A. Hepburn, President of the College, signed a historic agreement between the two institutions on February 27 to provide college credit hours for FLETC training programs with learning outcomes equivalent to college courses in criminal justice. Up to 12 hours of college credit can be earned and applied towards degree programs at Coastal Georgia or potentially transferred to another college or university. Through the University System of Georgia’s eCore program – the electronic core curriculum available for online study – additional hours of academic credit can be completed for an associate degree in criminal justice from Coastal Georgia.

Patrick, who is a College Foundation trustee, provides oversight to the training of the majority of federal officers and agents from more than 90 federal organizations. FLETC also provides training to state, local, and international police, graduating approximately 70,000 students annually.

“Someday every U.S. border agent could be an alumnus of the College of Coastal Georgia,” Dr. Skip Mounts, Dean of the School of Business and Public Affairs, pointed out. “In addition to an associate degree, the course work can be applied to baccalaureate degrees in business administration, public affairs and psychology. The program offers some very real career-enhancement opportunities.” u

Credit where credit is due...School of Business develops academic credit partnerships with FLETC and UGA

Connie L. Patrick, Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and Dr. Valerie A. Hepburn, President of the College, sign the historic agreement on February 27


A suggestion from Dr. Jim Jones, Vice President of Research and Development for Rich

Products, led to a memorandum of understanding between the College and the Food Science and Technology Department of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences that will credit Coastal Georgia’s culinary arts program towards requirements for a BSA in food science.

The partnership with the University of Georgia will assist Coastal Georgia students attain a specific baccalaureate degree – a BSA with a major in food science. The transfer admission agreement was executed in March.

Coastal Georgia culinary arts students will be able to begin upper-level coursework immediately upon transfer. The culinary arts courses will be treated as electives under the business area of emphasis within the food science BSA.

“The UGA Food Science and Technology program is the only Institute of Food Technology-approved program in the University System of Georgia. Coastal Georgia’s culinary arts program is the only American Culinary Federation-accredited program in the University System of Georgia. For us to foster research chefs and become a resource for food science was the creative idea of Rich Products’ Jim Jones, who serves on the food science industry board and our School of Business and Public Affairs’ hospitality industry advisory board, spanning both disciplines,” Dr. Skip Mounts, Dean of the School of Business and Public Affairs, explained. “Without Jim's dual membership and our great partnership with Rich's this CCGA/UGA relationship would not have been on our radar.”

“This will be a win for the students, both institutions, the Golden Isles and Georgia,” Dr. Jones said. “This unique University System of Georgia program provides students the opportunity to attain the highly productive and industry-valued educational combination of both food science and culinary. These students will leave the University System of Georgia with the ability to blend the direct connection of delighting the consumer with the food science background needed to be a food industry and restaurant new-product innovator.”

“This UGA/CCGA or CCGA/UGA, depending on where the students begin, combined degree will bring top caliber food science students to CCGA and UGA and increase the notoriety and size of our local culinary program,” Dr. Jones stressed. “Automatic acceptance to the UGA food science program for CCGA culinary students will also be a draw for our local program. The CCGA culinary connection to St. Simons Island and the Golden Isles will entice additional students into the UGA food science program. Plus restaurants, hotels, caterers and food manufacturers like Rich Products in the Golden Isles will also benefit from this through work study programs, internships, temporary assignments and locally-trained highly-qualified prospective employees who are educated in both culinary and food science.”

“This is a marriage of two great programs,” Dean Mounts summarized. “We are very proud of our work in culinary. It is one of the many things that make the College so special within the University System of Georgia.” u

Credit where credit is due...Culinology Comes to the Coast

Career enhancement and skills development in the culinary arts program expanded this year when a Jekyll Island restaurant, FINS, was opened for students to prepare and serve a four-course meal with wine pairings to a sold-out audience on February 26 – the first time a culinary arts dinner was offered in Glynn County by the College program. Middle photo: LaTrece Rudolph. Bottom photo: Walter Carithers.


Advancement Officeone College DriveBrunswick, Georgia 31520ccga.edu

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBRUNSWICK, GAPERMIT NO. 245

Grand entrance!Workers complete finishing touches on the Colleges Founders Gate and James A. Bishop Arch,

creating the signature gateway to Campus. The entrance will be completed in May, 2013.

Documents

CCGA Magazine - Spring 2013