The Magazine of Elon, Summer 2012

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T H E M A G A Z I N E O F

ELON EXPANDS DOMESTIC STUDY PROGRAMSON LOCATION

Contents

RESEARCH AS INTERVENTIONBY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

Professor Cindy Fair may never write a prescription or raise a scalpel, but she’s making a major impact on the lives of young adults living with HIV/AIDS.

AGGRESSIVE COMPASSIONBY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

An exercise program developed by Prince Deese ’77 gives people with Parkinson’s Disease a chance to improve their quality of life – and helps Deese keep a link to his athletic past.

DEEP BREATHSBY ERIC TOWNSEND

Inspired by her brothers’ struggles with respiratory diseases, Professor Mary Jo Festle examines the complicated physical and emotional experiences of lung transplant patients in her new book.

Cover Story { Cover photo by J McMerty }

HOME SCHOOLAs Elon prepares to expand its off -campus study programs in the United States, the thriving Elon in New York, Elon in Los Angeles and Bridges programs show just how transformative these initiatives can be.

2 Under the Oaks

12 Phoenix Sports

26 Alumni Action

30 Class Notes

39 Making a Diff erence

I AM ELONRising senior Lauren Clapp can tell you exactly when she realized the importance of her Elon College Fellows research. She was administering surveys at a Burlington, N.C., farm stand when a group of boys strolled up to check out the produce. They confused the oblong yellow squash with bananas.

“It was a very real moment,” Lauren says, “and a concrete example that what we’re trying to do out there is important.”

The project is a tangible representation of Lauren’s interest in food justice: a community garden for the patrons of the Mayco Bigelow Community Center in Burlington. It dovetails with her double major in human service studies and public health studies – majors she chose specifi cally because they off er “the best opportunity to really make a diff erence.”

Lauren will bring that enthusiasm to campus this fall as she and another student make presentations to fi rst-year students advocating equality and healthy behaviors. Also active in Spectrum, Elon’s Queer-Straight Alliance, Lauren looks forward to helping eliminate health disparities within the larger LGBTQ community once she graduates in May.

LAUREN IS ELON.Visit elon.edu/magazine to see more of her story, part of our “I Am Elon” multimedia series featuring Elon students in their own words.

This summer marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX, legislation that changed the landscape of college athletics forever – and continues to shape the intercol-legiate athletics program at Elon. University trustee Deborah Yow Bowden ’74, athletics director at North Carolina State University and one of the most accomplished women in the world of athletics administration, summed up the law’s impact: “Title IX was the second-most important piece of civil rights legislation passed in this country. Had it not passed, opportunities for women in this country and the world would be vastly diff erent.”

When I asked legendary Professor Emerita Janie Brown to refl ect on the birth of women’s athletics at Elon, she sounded like a Nike commercial: “We just did it.” Th e desire for women’s athletics opportuni-ties arose from the students themselves, and they did everything from buying their own uniforms to driving their own cars to games to make it happen. Janie recalls that student-athlete Teddy Ireland Baxter ’76 had a sewing machine and took charge of sewing numbers on uniforms.

Our earliest record of women’s athletics is a handwritten schedule for the basketball team in 1970–71, but more offi cial records for the team exist beginning in 1971–72. Volleyball was added in 1972–73. Both teams were coached by one of the true greats of intercollegiate athletics, the late Kay Yow.

Today, Elon celebrates the addition of its 10th women’s intercollegiate sport –

lacrosse. Construction proceeds apace on Hunt Soft ball Park, named in recognition of trustee Vicky Hunt and Th e Hon. Sam Hunt of Burlington, N.C., whose generosity dem-onstrates our continuing commitment to advancing women’s intercollegiate athletics.

Th e ripple eff ects of women’s athletics at Elon are tremendous. Th is summer, more than 1,100 girls visited Elon to participate in camps for basketball, volleyball, soccer and soft ball, preparing future generations of students with lessons in leadership, teamwork, discipline and commitment to personal excellence.

Forty years aft er Title IX, Elon has emerged as an institution off ering both top-fl ight academics and Division I athletics. Our women student-athletes, such as rising senior Ali Deatsch, are pursuing amazing accomplishments. Ali, a volleyball star and physics major, became the fi rst student-athlete to receive Elon’s prestigious Lumen

Prize, which funds exceptional research and creative projects for top students. Her project, “Optimizing Heating Effi ciency of Magnetic Microspheres for Magnetic Hyperthermia Treatment of Malignant Tumors,” studies a method of destroy-ing malignant cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched. It’s hard not to come full circle and appreciate how proud Kay Yow would be to see a team she began with such humble resources now attracting student-athletes with the intellectual gift s to study and help conquer the disease Kay so courageously fought.

As the father of two daughters, I am grateful for the tide of opportunity that Title IX swept in. We should all celebrate the fact that American higher education will be forever better because of the progress that has been achieved over the past four decades.

Leo M. LambertPresident

UNDER THE OAKS

TITLE IX LEAVES A

LEGACY AT ELON

{ Upper left: Hunt Softball Park will open in spring 2013 across Williamson Avenue from Latham Park. Lower left: Rising junior Kelsey Harris helped Elon women’s basketball reach the 2011 Women’s Basketball Invitational. Below: Rising senior Ali Deatsch became the fi rst student-athlete to receive Elon’s Lumen Prize in 2011. }

facebook.com/leomlambert twitter.com/headphoenix

2 the magazine of elon

Bold innovation leveraged through an open dialogue will create new ways to solve problems. You do it every day on Facebook and Twitter. Be bold, take chances and follow your passion. Th is is your time for greatness.Steve Schuckenbrock ’82, president of Dell Services, in his May 19

address to the Class of 2012 at Commencement Under the Oaks.

Maya Angelou to headline Elon’s Fall Convocation

Distinguished poet and author Maya Angelou will visit Elon this fall for an evening event to share stories of her life and people she has met, as well as recite her award-winning poetry.

“An Evening with Maya Angelou” will take place Thursday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Alumni Gym.

Angelou has served on two presi-dential committees, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000 and Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received three Grammy Awards. The list of her published verse, nonfi ction and fi ction includes more than 30 bestselling titles.

Tickets will be available to the general public this fall through the Elon University Box Offi ce.

RAGHU TADEPALLI NAMED LOVE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DEANRaghu Tadepalli began duties as dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business on July 1. Tadepalli came to Elon from Babson College in Massachu-setts where he served as Murata Dean and Professor of Marketing in the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.

“Raghu understands the importance of an undergraduate busi-ness education in the context of a liberal arts university,” Elon Provost Steven House said. “His international and gradu-ate education experience will be a tremendous asset for the Love School of Business.”

Before his tenure at Babson, Tadepalli served as dean of the gradu-ate school and associate dean in the Williams College of Business at

Xavier University. He also taught at North Dakota State University and the University of Illinois at Chicago, winning numer-ous awards for teaching, research and service. Tadepalli said he looks forward to bringing that experience to his work with the Love School’s outstanding faculty and staff .

“Our collective goal will be to provide our

students with an educa-tional experience that transforms them into knowledgeable, responsi-ble business professionals and leaders who make a diff erence in their profes-sions, their organizations and the global economy,” he said.

Tadepalli holds bache-lor’s and master’s degrees in commerce with a major in accounting from Andhra University in India. He completed a Master of Business Administration degree from Arizona State University and earned his doctorate from Virginia Tech. Tadepalli succeeds Scott Buechler, assistant professor of business communications and chair of the Depart-ment of Management, who served as interim dean of the Love School of Business.

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UNDER THE OAKS

summer 2012 3

The Magazine of Elonsummer 2012 | vol. 74, no. 3

Th e Magazine of Elon is published quarterly for alumni, parents and friends by the Offi ce of University Communications.

© 2012, Elon University

EDITOR

Kristin M. Simonetti ’05

DESIGNER

Christopher Eyl

PHOTOGRAPHER

Kim Walker

EDITORIAL STAFF

Holley BerryKeren Rivas ’04Eric Townsend

STUDENT WRITERS

Natalie Allison ’13Caitlin O’Donnell ’13

VICE PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

Daniel J. Anderson

EDITORIAL OFFICES

Th e Magazine of Elon2030 Campus BoxElon, NC 27244-2020

(336) 278-7415elon.edu/magazine

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CHAIR

Wesley R. Elingburg p’11Greensboro, N.C.

ELON ALUMNI BOARD, PRESIDENT

John Hill ’76 Severna Park, Md.

YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL, PRESIDENT

Britten Ginsburg Pund ’06 Columbia, Md.

PARENTS COUNCIL, COPRESIDENTS

Kelly & Meredith Graves p’12 p’13 Charlotte, N.C.

BOARD OF VISITORS, CHAIR

Russell R. Wilson p’86 Burlington, N.C.

SCHOOL OF LAW ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR

David Gergen Cambridge, Mass.

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR

Brian Williams p’13 New Canaan, Conn.

LOVE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR

William S. Creekmuir p’09 p’10 Atlanta, Ga.

PHOENIX CLUB ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR

Mike Cross Burlington, N.C.

{ Aisha Mitchell ’12 }

Aisha Mitchell named youth trusteeA member of the Class of 2012 who majored in international studies, Aisha

Mitchell joined the board of trustees at its spring retreat, becoming the body’s newest youth trustee. She will serve a two-year term on the board.

An outstanding student, Mitchell received dean’s or president’s list recognition each semester she spent at Elon and annually received a Phillips-Perry Black Excel-lence Award for academics from 2009 through 2011. She studied abroad twice in China and once in India and plans to attend graduate school to study international aff airs or international development.

{ Josh Hexter }

Josh Hexter to lead Elon women’s lacrosseJosh Hexter will be the fi rst head coach of the Elon

women’s lacrosse team when it takes the fi eld beginning in 2013–14 as part of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Hexter served as an associ-ate head coach with the Duke women’s lacrosse program for the past eight seasons, during which the Blue Devils amassed a 119–42 record, and won three ACC regular-season champion-ships and an ACC Tournament title. Th e team reached the national semifi nals fi ve times.

“Not only does Josh have head coaching experience, but he has been an integral part of developing lacrosse programs that are achieving high levels of success year in and year out,” Elon Director of Athletics Dave Blank said.

Hexter looks forward to beginning a similar tradition with the Phoenix.

“A solid foundation for success has been built at Elon, and my job now is to extend that excellence to the women’s lacrosse program,” he said. “We’ve got a tremendous plan in place, and I am looking for-ward to getting started.”

Prior to his arrival at Duke, Hexter served as head women’s lacrosse coach at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts and assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Th e College of the Holy Cross. A 1995 graduate of Assumption College, Hexter starred as a defenseman for the lacrosse team and became the fi rst player in school history to earn a spot in the East-West New England All-Star Game.

University purchases Elon Homes property, expands South CampusElon has agreed to purchase the Snyder Campus of Elon Homes and Schools for Children, located south of the railroad tracks.

Elon originally purchased 75 of the property’s 95 acres in 2003 to establish South Cam-pus, which houses Holt Chapel, Harden Clubhouse, the Phoenix Club Sports Fields, Worsley Golf Training Center and Driving Range and two admin-istrative buildings – Johnston Hall and Truitt Hall. In 2009, Holland House, previously the residence of Elon presidents, was moved from Haggard Avenue to South Campus.

Over the next year, Elon will engage in a planning process to determine how the new facilities and land will be used to advance the university’s core academic mission and support operations. Th e property cur-rently includes fi ve buildings and a soccer fi eld.

Th e purchase is the latest chapter in a relationship that began in 1907, when the Chris-

tian Orphanage, the forerunner of Elon Homes and Schools for Children, opened adjacent to the Elon College campus. Both institutions were founded by leaders of the Christian Church, the predecessor of today’s United Church of Christ, and shared deep community ties and generous donors who supported both the college and the orphanage.

Stay updated on university happenings and connect with fellow Elon students, parents and alumni through several of our social media accounts:

FACEBOOKSearch for these pages:

Elon University

Elon Alumni Association

Elon Phoenix

Elon University School of Law

Elon University School of Communications

Elon University Martha and Spencer Love School of Business

Elon University School of Education

Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences

Elon University Admissions

Elon University Poll

Imagining the Internet

TWITTER@ElonUniversity

@ElonNews

@ElonAlumni

@ElonPhoenix

INSTAGRAMElonUniversity

FOLLOW US

UNDER THE OAKS


Becki Burchette Buff aloe ’69

I lived in Staley the year it opened and we still had construction going on around us. It was radical for its times to have girls and guys technically in the same building with a dining hall included. It seems like just yesterday.

Andy Tracewell ’96

WSOE Studio, Back Door Pizza, Harper Center lounge & pool hall, temporary workout facilities, fi reworks and water balloon fi ghts down Moffi tt Hall, the stench of the stairways – especially on warm weekends, sneaking into Staley and bringing girls into Moffi tt, dry pinto beans for a steak swap in the dining hall, (not) getting out onto the Moffi tt roof …

Lynne Adams ’76

OMG. I crawled through a win-dow there to get in after curfew!

Dave Morrow ’07 L’10

My mother lived in Staley when they put phone lines in each room, and I lived in Moffi tt when they disconnected the phone lines because everyone uses cell phones now. Great memories there with my roommate, Clifton Johnson ’07!

Anne Fowler Gilliam ’77

Back in the ’70s, Moffi tt guys would climb out on the roof on their side late at night and “moon” the ladies in Staley. And then there was the “pencil-in-the-door” trick after lockup (this was when the ladies had a curfew), so we could get back in the dorm after eating at Waffl e House in the wee morning hours.

Tonya Albert Creamer ’08

Harden meal in PJs because it was just downstairs … taking about eight chocolate chip cookies back up to our room to warm in the microwave, which may or may not have burned and set off the alarm.

View more photos and recollections of Harper Center at elon.edu/magazine, and follow E-Net for updates on the construction of the Global Neighborhood.

Alex Kennedy ’03

I will miss you, Harden, especially when it was Family Weekend, Homecoming, etc., and the food was awesome.

Chuck Taylor ’74

I lived in Moffi tt 1970–73. I remember one time the housemother gathering those from the boys and the girls sides of the building in the lobby. I can’t remember what we’d done that was so egregious, but I distinctly remember her saying: “I … am … appalled.”

Jill Norman Ruppe ’01

I remember being a brand new freshman, walking back and forth from North Dorm to Harden with a crew of great girlfriends. Nearly 15 years later, they still razz me for my meal choices – Harden fries and pizza. Even though the campus must change, the relationships built there will last a lifetime!

David King ’89

Lived in Staley dorm freshman and sophomore year – watched the Space Shuttle (Chal-lenger) accident in 1986 in the student commons area.

Pat Utz ’76

What happens at Staley stays at Staley…

Tiff any Rudy ’08

Moffi tt … some of the best memories from freshman year (’04–’05). No one throws a late-night Slip ‘n’ Slide party like Moffi tt Misfi ts!

SAYING GOODBYE TO HARPER CENTERHarden Dining Hall may have been the place where you ate lunch on your fi rst campus visit. Moffi tt may have been where you met your freshman roommate and eventual best friend on move-in day. Staley may have been the place you stayed up all night long, cramming for fall semester fi nals with your hallmates.

On June 21, work crews began demoli-tion of Harper Center, a dormitory/dining complex that’s been a staple of the campus landscape since 1968. Th e demolition makes way for construction of the new Global Neighborhood living/learning community (see page 7).

We asked alumni to share their favor-ite memories of Harper Center with us on Facebook, and more than 120 responded. Here are some of our favorites.

s

s

UNDER THE OAKS

summer 2012 5

Four faculty & staff members were honored May 9 at Elon’s annual awards luncheon for

superior scholarship, teaching,

mentoring and service. David Copeland, A.J. Fletcher

Professor in the School of

Communications and director

of the interactive media

master’s program, received

the Daniels-Danieley Award

for Excellence in Teaching.

Rebecca Todd Peters,

associate professor and chair

of religious studies, received

the Distinguished Scholar

Award. Jim Donathan,

associate director of academic

advising and director of

academic support, received

the Ward Family Excellence in

Mentoring Award. Deborah Long, director of the Elon

Academy and professor of

education, received the

Periclean Award for Civic

Engagement and Social

Responsibility.

Six staff members were recognized May 25 at the university’s annual Staff Appreciation Day. Dave Worden, director

of environmental services,

was named Physical Plant

Staff Member of the Year;

Marsha Boone, executive

assistant to the vice president

of admissions and fi nancial

planning, was named Offi ce

Staff Member of the Year; and

Carolyn Nelson, director

of design in University

Communications, was named

Administrative Staff Member

of the Year. Three new awards

were given for 2011–12:

Jennifer Fish, administrative

assistant for the Teaching

Fellows program, received the

Phoenix Rising Award; Brian Chandler, HVACR supervisor,

received the Phoenix

Community Engagement

Award; and J McMerty ’99,

director of the Elon in Los

Angeles program, won the

Phoenix Innovation Award.

Five faculty from Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Communications

published books in recent

months. Anthony Weston,

professor of philosophy

and environmental studies,

has written his 12th book,

Mobilizing the Green

Imagination: An Exuberant

Manifesto. Jeff rey Coker,

associate professor of

biology, completed his fi rst

general-interest book, titled

Reinventing Life: A Guide to our

Evolutionary Future. Barbara Miller, associate professor of

communications, published

her fi rst book, Marketplace

Advocacy Campaigns:

Generating Public Support

for Business and Industry.

Vic Costello, associate

professor of communications,

also fi nished his fi rst book,

Multimedia Foundations: Core

Concepts for Digital Design.

Naeemah Clark, assistant

professor of communications,

joined two former colleagues

in writing Diversity in U.S.

Mass Media.

{ l-r, Deborah Long,

Jim Donathan,

Rebecca Todd

Peters & David

Copeland }

FACULTY/STAFFFACULTY/STAFF SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT

Elon athletics selects fi ve for Hall of Fame

Five outstanding athletics alumni will be honored Saturday, Sept. 8, as part of Elon’s 42nd Sports Hall of Fame Class. Lakia Hayes Morton ’98 (women’s basketball), Kelly Lloyd Roscoe ’99 (softball), Derrick Moore ’01 (football), Whit Bryant ’03 (baseball) and Brandon Mason ’04 G’06 (football) will be inducted at a 1:30 p.m. ceremony in Whitley Auditorium. They will be recognized during halftime of Elon’s home opener against North Carolina Central at 7 p.m. in Rhodes Stadium.

Admission to the afternoon ceremony is free. Tickets for the football game are available via the athletics ticket offi ce at (336) 278-6750 or elonphoenix.com.

RICHARD MCGEORGE ’ ELECTED TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46 recalls a time he visited Hawaii in the early 1970s, when a hotel porter took note of his Elon College luggage tag.

“He looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know much about Elon, but I sure hope McGeorge can do something for the Packers this season,’” Danieley says.

Th e man referred to former Elon football player Rich-ard McGeorge ’71, whom the Green Bay Packers draft ed with the 16th overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft . And in July, McGeorge added to his impressive list of accolades, becoming the fi rst Elon football player to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

McGeorge was one of seven people inducted into the Divisional Hall of Fame, which considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (for-merly I-AA), Divisions II and III, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Th e personifi cation of the term “student-athlete,” McGeorge, a tight end, was twice named a fi rst-team All-American and an Academic All-American during his collegiate career.

Danieley recalls another story about McGeorge: the night he was draft ed twice.

“Th e night of the NFL draft was the same night of the Selective Service draft in Washington, D.C.,” Danieley explains, adding that several Elon students gathered in Alamance to fi nd out if they’d been draft ed into the military. McGeorge was the fi rst to have his birth date drawn; later, he learned the Packers selected him, too.

McGeorge played nine years in the NFL, all with the Packers. He was inducted into the

Elon Sports Hall of Fame in 1979 and the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1980.

After McGeorge’s collegiate career came

to a close, his parents gave Danieley this

handpainted fi gurine in full Packers uniform

with McGeorge’s name and number on

the jersey. “They wanted to make sure

I remembered him,” Danieley says.

UNDER THE OAKS

,

,

cGeo gwith the P

Elon SpNAIA H


CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON GLOBAL NEIGHBORHOODSite work began in June on the Global Neighborhood, a residential complex that will replace the former Harper Center and Story Center buildings beside Lake Mary Nell.

Slated for completion before the fall 2014 semester, the fi ve residential build-ings of the Global Neighborhood will house 600 fi rst-year students, upper-class resident mentors, international students and a faculty scholar-in-resi-dence. Th e Global Neighborhood will be the new home of the Isabella Cannon International Centre and include faculty offi ces, an international café, meeting rooms, and a theatre and international media room. An expansive commons building will overlook Lake Mary Nell and facilitate student and faculty inter-action. It will include a grand hall large enough to host major campus events.

Th e Global Neighborhood is part of Elon’s Residential Campus Plan, which will increase the number of upper-class students living on campus and integrate students’ academic, social and resi-dential experiences. Th e plan calls for seven distinct campus neighborhoods designed to meet the needs of students at various stages of their college careers .

ELON ACADEMY CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY AT GALA Several students in the Elon Academy, a three-year program for academically talented Alamance County students with no family history of attend-ing college or who come from homes with fi nancial need, joined the program’s alumni, faculty and benefactors at an April 27 gala at Alamance Country Club. In addition to comments from President Leo M. Lambert, program director Deborah Long and a

handful of alumni and current students, attendees listened to a keynote speech from former North Carolina state Sen. Howard Lee, currently executive director of the N.C. Education Cabinet. He encour-aged them to “pay it forward” by supporting the Elon Academy and its students.

“It isn’t just money, it’s giving a part of your-self,” Lee said. “It’s investing your time to say to a young person, not only are you valuable, but you are capable of succeeding no matter what ZIP code you come from or live in.”

The Elon Academy welcomed its sixth class of scholars to campus in June.

LAKE MARY NELL

{ The Elon Academy’s Ambassadors Program places students in local elementary schools to spark children’s interest in higher education. }

UNDER THE OAKS

Four recent alumni received awards from the prestigious Fulbright Program to support

study, teaching and travel abroad

next year. Jensen Suther ’12 will

study in Frankfurt, Germany on

a Fulbright U.S. Student Grant.

Shannalee Van Beek ’12 (Bahrain),

Natalie Lampert ’11 (Sri Lanka)

and Hunter Gros ’10 (India) will

travel with the support of Fulbright

English Teaching Assistantship

grants. Ten Elon students or alumni,

including these recipients, have

been awarded Fulbright grants

since 2007.

Amanda Bienz ’12 and Chelsie Wagner ’09 were selected to receive Graduate Research Fellowships from the National

Science Foundation to support

their doctoral studies. Bienz will

study scientifi c computing at the

University of Illinois at Urbana-

Champaign, and Wagner will study

marine ecology at the University

of California at Santa Barbara or

the University of Hawaii. They are

two of only four Elon students

who have received the NSF grants,

joining Larissa Ferretti ’09 and

Geoff rey Lynn ’07.

STUDENTSTUDENT SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT

{ l-r, William & Paige Barnett P’07 & senior Jamie Albright }

A ONEOFAKIND LIBRARYTh e relationship among science, religion and culture has been a focus of American culture for decades, yielding both raging debates in the public sphere and measured consideration and deep refl ection in churches and schools nationwide. A major project led by Pranab Das, pro-fessor of physics, sought to shed light on the questions underlying this dialogue and off er a unique resource to teachers, students and scholars in the United States and around the world.

For the past four years, Das led the International Society for Science and Religion Library Project, which produced a 225-book collection now considered the defi nitive authority on the subject.

“Examining these issues was an intellectual opportunity like no other,” says Das, who served as the project’s executive

editor and program manager. Th e eff ort was supported by a $2 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

“Science and religion are the two great enduring human knowledge systems. Th rough these traditions, we have come to our way of knowing. Over the centuries, these two fi elds have complemented one another and also been in confl ict.”

Das started the project by identifying about 2,000 books and narrowed the list to 400 fi nalists, each of which was reviewed by an editorial board of four international scholars. Authors included historians, philosophers, theologians and scientists. Th ere were books about faiths, including Christian-ity, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, Confucianism and others. Th ere were books about science, including biology, physics, cos-

mology, mathematics, ecology and others. Th ere were clas-sic works by Charles Darwin, Bertrand Russell and Immanuel Kant, as well as contem porary tomes about bioethics, biotech-nology and sustainability.

Th e fi nal products – more than 35,000 volumes – were shipped to universities and research centers in 47 countries on six continents. Forty sets of the library were sent to the United States, and Elon owns one that is kept in the Truitt Center for Religious & Spiritual Life.

Das calls the experience,

which aff ected his own think-ing on complex issues related to science and religion, “the most intellectually satisfying pursuit” of his life.

“I’m proud to have been a part of this interdisciplinary work,” he says. “We hope that this collection can fruitfully serve students, scholars and lay readers by off ering the most important idea systems, underly-ing information and categories analysis relevant to each of the main strands of dialogue in sci-ence and the human spirit.”

{ Pranab Das }

Gloria So, a rising junior, received the LIN Media Digital Scholarship Award, which guarantees her internships over the next two

summers and up to 20,000 for expenses during her fi nal two years at Elon. So is an Honors Fellow who is pursuing an independent major in

human rights and social justice activism.

Jamie Albright, a rising senior and Lumen Prize recipient, received the fi rst

Thomas Barnett ‘07 “Breaking

Down Barriers” Scholarship at

April’s Omicron Delta Kappa

leadership honor society annual

awards program. Barnett died

in June 2007 after a lengthy

battle with Friedrich’s Ataxia, a

rare genetic disorder, and was

an advocate for people with

disabilities on Elon’s campus.

Barnett’s parents, William and

Paige, established the award in

their son’s memory. Albright, a

human service studies major,

is studying messages that

adolescents who were born

with HIV receive from medical

care providers.

UNDER THE OAKS


CAMPUS UNCOMMONS

BY CAITLIN O’DONNELL ’13

When Mark Albertson joined Elon in 1978 as assistant registrar, he parked his car in a lot in front of Alamance, where Fonville Fountain now resides. Students completed registration and paid tuition and fees by hand in Alumni Gym. And the size of the graduating class that year? 307 – about 1,000 fewer students than the Class of 2012.

No matter the changes or challenges Albertson has faced in his 34 years at Elon, he’s always met them with a smile and the needs of the student in mind.

“I’ve had a philosophy of remembering people as individuals, and I’ve always tried to implement policies as if I were the student at the other end of it,” Albertson says.

That’s partly because, during his fi rst decades on campus – before computers and the Internet – he sat face-to-face with those very students.

“Along with keeping up with advances in technology and applying good common sense, (that philosophy) has kept me in reasonably good graces with the administration, our students and the faculty.”

Reasonably is an understatement: When Albertson retires at the end of the calendar year, he’ll leave rather large shoes to fi ll. But he’s confi dent Elon will keep humming along just fi ne.

“I think whatever accomplishments I’ve had, the most critical and most important has been the staff I put together,” he says. “My staff is what makes this offi ce.”

What faculty or staff member do you

think is uncommon? Send a suggestion to

[email protected].

John Gardner ’01 joins advancement staff 2001 alumnus John Gardner has returned to Elon to serve as assistant director of major gifts in the Offi ce of University Advancement. He will meet with alumni and parents interested in supporting the university.

Gardner spent 11 years in political fundraising, working on state and national cam-paigns. As an undergraduate, he served as Student Government Association president during his junior and senior years and was a member of Elon’s chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, which he now advises. Gardner is a past member of the Young Alumni Council and the board of the Triangle Alumni Chapter.

“I am excited by this new opportunity to work with parents and alumni who want to support Elon,” Gardner said. “My Elon experience continues to exceed my expectations, and I look forward to helping move this great university forward.”

TOO YOUNG FOR PLANNED GIVING?Think again.It’s never too early to start thinking about making a planned gift to Elon, says Ca rolyn DeFrancesco, the university’s new director of planned giving. An attorney with years of experience to her credit, she’s worked in development offi ces at Brown University and most recently at Greensboro College, where she served as vice president for institutional advancement. DeFrancesco sheds some light on this oft en overlooked yet meaningful way of supporting Elon.

Providing for Elon in your will is a

common way for a donor to make

a planned gift to the university.

What makes these gifts so popular?

Gift s through wills or trusts, known as bequests, are popular because they do not require a current fi nancial contribution and are easy to arrange. A few sentences in a will indicating your intention to leave a specifi c amount or percentage of your estate to Elon would be enough. Th ese gift s do not aff ect your current lifestyle in any way, and they provide vital resources for Elon’s future.

How can these gifts benefi t Elon?

You can direct your gift to sup-port a particular program or area of interest, or make a gift with no restrictions, which gives Elon maximum fl exibility to use

the funds where they are needed most. You also can modify your bequest should your needs change in the future. Whatever priority you choose, you will create an important legacy at the university.

Are there planned gifts

that can benefi t donors and

the university today?

Yes. For example, a charitable gift annuity (CGA) is an option. Th e university suggests a minimum gift of $10,000; you will receive an immediate tax deduction and a fi xed monthly payment based upon your age. Many donors fi nd this to be an attractive investment strategy because they can make a gift to Elon now and receive a higher percentage return than many CDs or money market accounts are off ering. You also can name Elon as a benefi ciary of a retirement or life insurance plan.

Why are planned gifts

important to Elon’s future?

Planned gift s help build a pipe-line of support for generations to come because they represent future dollars. Th ey are essen-tial to the long-term fi nancial health, stability and success of Elon. We hope more alumni, parents and friends will choose planned giving as part of their fi nancial planning.

Are there fi nancial benefi ts

to making a planned gift?

Yes. Most planned gift s off er attractive advantages for reduc-ing your tax liability, including gift and estate taxes. You also can diversify your holdings by creat-ing charitable trusts. A thorough discussion of popular planned gift s and how they work can be found at our website (please visit elon.plannedgiving.org). I encourage readers to call me to discuss the many options that are available. I am happy to take you through the process and help you fi nd the gift that suits your needs. Planned gift s are appro-priate for donors of all ages.

How does Elon recognize donors

who make planned gifts?

Donors who make planned gift s become members of Order of the Oak, Elon’s planned giving recognition society. Order of the Oak members are invited to cultural events and special recep-tions on campus each year. Th e most important benefi t you will receive from joining Order of the Oak is the satisfaction of helping to secure Elon’s future.

DeFrancesco can be reached at [email protected] or (336) 278-7454. See page 39 to learn more about how alumni such as David Beahm ’83 make a diff erence at Elon through planned gifts.

{ Carolyn DeFrancesco }

BY JALEH HAGIGH

UNDER THE OAKS

LONG LIVE ELON


Obesity is on the rise in the United States. Meanwhile,

millions of people around the world are malnourished or die of hunger every day. How can we reconcile these facts? What can we learn, if anything, from cultural and societal trends related to nutrition, and what can we do as individuals about global hunger?

These are some of the issues Barry Beedle, professor of exercise science, addresses in his Nutrition in the 21st Century course, a new take on the Science of Nutrients class he has taught for years. Topics of emphasis include the role nutrition plays in helping cognitive, emotional and physical function; trends and controversies related to nutrition around the world; and ways this knowledge can shed light on issues such as renewable resources, organic farming, food insecurity and terrorism.

Students begin by focusing attention on their own eating habits and nutritional needs. Beedle assigns articles about practical skills, such as reading and understanding food labels and writing refl ection papers about their diets. While nutrition has become a popular topic in mainstream America in recent years

– stories highlighting the

benefi ts or downsides of consuming certain foods are commonplace in news and talk shows – Beedle says it seldom translates to positive changes at the personal level.

“You need to think about what you eat. You need variety among and within each food group,” he says. Eating salads every day, for example, doesn’t provide the necessary variety.

The course then turns to broader issues related to nutrition. For instance, students might study the use of botany as medicine in Central and South America, the function of certain foods as health boosters and the relationship between diets and chronic diseases. Elon’s emphasis on study abroad means many of these students have seen other parts of the world, an experience Beedle says helps them make better connections with the course material.

Beedle taught the class online this sum-mer, so many of his students completed the

assignments while travel-ing or working outside of Elon. He says he hopes students complete the course with a better knowledge of nutrition that they can apply in their personal and profes-sional lives.

“I want them to under-stand the relationship of food and cultures and to integrate that knowl-edge into being good global citizens,” Beedle says.

ABOUT THE PROFESSOR

Beedle has been a member of

the Elon faculty for 34 years. He

has taught a variety of courses,

including physiology exercise,

research methods and senior

seminar. His research interests

focus on physical fi tness testing

and training.

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Nutrition: An Applied Approach

by Janice Thompson and

Melinda Manore

Staying Healthy with Nutrition by

Elson Haas with Buck Levin

Food Smart: Understanding

Nutrition in the 21st Century

by Diana Hunter

SYLLASYLLABUZZBUZZ BY KEREN RIVAS ’ BY KEREN RIVAS ’

{ GST : Nutrition in the st Century }

{ Barry Beedle }

UNDER THE OAKS

Practice makes perfectParents support critical rehearsal space

expansion for performing arts

From country hams to hamming it up onstage, Elon’s Gerald L. Francis Center is staying true to its origins. Th e building, which formerly housed operations for Smithfi eld Ham, will include an expansion for performing arts.

Th e expansion project received a major boost this spring following a $750,000 gift from Don and Ellen Scott, parents of Teddy Scott ’10, an alumnus of Elon’s nationally acclaimed music theatre program. Th e family’s gift is the fi rst signifi cant commit-ment to the project, which will be named Scott Studios.

“Th e Department of Performing Arts is one of the jewels of Elon University,” Don Scott says. “Ellen and I were pleased to learn of the acquisition of the (Francis Center) space and hope our contribution will help Elon achieve complete funding for the studios.”

Elon completed renovations on about 40 percent of the Francis Center in January to house the School of Health Sciences. Th e nearly 13,000-square-foot expansion for performing arts will serve students in the acting, music, dance, music theatre, theatre studies, and theatrical design and production programs. It will complement the department’s home in the Center for the Arts, which includes McCrary Th eatre, Yeager Recital Hall, Black Box Th eatre, and several dance and rehearsal studios.

Plans for the renovated space include a studio theatre, a rehearsal studio similar in size to the McCrary Th eatre stage, a dance studio and music rehearsal space. Cur-rently, students and faculty use McCrary and Yeager for rehearsals and live perfor-mances. Both venues regularly host major campus events, limiting the time perform-ing arts students can use them.

“Th is expansion is going to take per-forming arts at Elon to the next level in the complexity of shows we can do, as well as enhance the outstanding performances we are already doing,” says Fred Rubeck, chair of the Department of Performing Arts.

To learn more about how you can sup-port this and other capital projects at Elon, visit elon.edu/giving.

summer 2012 11

When did you realize you had the skills to be a star receiver? Aft er the Richmond game (Mellette caught 18 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the Sept. 17, 2010, matchup). Before that, I knew I could play, and my coaches always told me I was raw material. Aft er that game, everything clicked in my head, and it took off from there.

Take us inside the locker room two hours before a game. What are you doing? I’m listening to random game day music, anything from rap to country, even slow jams just to help me relax. I’m eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch – I’ve gotta have a little container of that before the game. I’ll even have some at halft ime. Th en I’m walking around, joking with my teammates or out on the fi eld warm-ing up. Whatever I can do to relax and

get ready to play. I try not to bother anybody, because we all have our own pregame rituals.

Let’s play some word-association. I say Rhodes Stadium, you say: My home.

Coach Jason Swepson: Second father.

Appalachian State: (he pauses, then laughs) Rivals.

2013 NFL Draft : Can’t wait.

What are people telling you about your prospects for the draft ? I can’t talk to NFL teams or agents. But my parents, they’ll Google my name – I don’t know why, but they do – they’ve seen some things. So far, it’s looking pretty good. I’ve been told I’m projected as one of the better wideouts in the next draft . Hopefully, I’ll have a great season, an injury-free

WELCOME TO#MERLENATION

Where is Merle Nation, you ask? If there were such a place, Elon, N.C., would be its capital and Rhodes Stadium would be its White House, where its most famous

citizen gets work done. But Merle Nation isn’t a place – it’s a Twitter

hashtag (#MerleNation) and a community of Phoenix football fans who hang on every acrobatic catch made by senior Aaron Mellette, who according to ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is among the best wide receiver prospects in the nation.

Why is it called “Merle” Nation, you ask?“Merle is actually my fi rst name. A lot of people are

surprised when I tell them that,” explains Mellette, a Sanford, N.C., native. “It’s my father’s name, but I’m not a ‘junior.’ We have diff erent middle names.”

Th at’s just one of many things you likely don’t know about Mellette. In a conversation with Th e Magazine of Elon, he shed some light on a few others.

Join the

conversation

on Twitter by using

the MerleNation

hashtag and following

@ElonPhoenix

PHOENIX SPORTS ▶ elonphoenix.com


GOING OUT ON TOPIn April 2011, Amy Salek (l) fi nished second to Western Carolina University’s Felicia Garren (r) in the 400-meter fi nals at the Southern Conference Track & Field Championships.

When Salek returned to Elon last August to begin her senior season, she vowed it wouldn’t happen again.

“I came into this year wanting to have fun with my races. I wanted to go out with a smile on my face,” she says.

“But I also said ‘I want to win the 400 at conference.’”

In April 2012, Salek made good on her promise. In the fi nals of the 400 meters, Salek and Garren entered the last turn shoulder-to-shoulder before Salek pulled away in the fi nal stretch, defeating her rival for the SoCon crown in 54:66.

“It was an awesome, humbling experi-ence,” says Salek, who became the fi rst Elon champion in the event. “I remember every moment so vividly. It’s something I dreamed of doing since freshman year.”

Salek’s competitive sprinting career may be at its end, but she has no plans to leave the running trade, which she’s plied since age 7. This summer, she worked as a coach with the U.S. Olympic Cross Country Team in Lake Placid, N.Y., and the exercise science major looks forward to entering the fi eld of corporate wellness.

Across the pond

The Elon men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to England in July, attending Wimbledon, playing matches against top British tennis academies and taking in the sights of London – such as this visit to Westminster Abbey. Seventeen student-athletes joined coaches and administrators on the voyage, which marked just the second study abroad program organized by Elon’s Depart-ment of Athletics. Sophomore Stefan Fortmann shares his thoughts on the experience at elon.edu/magazine.

season, and get invited to the (NFL) Combine where I can show off my skill set alongside the top wideouts from the FBS (Football Bowl Subdi-vision) conferences.

Does that add any extra pressure for your upcoming season? If I let it, I feel like it could. In the back of my head, I’ll be thinking, “I really want to have a good game.” But when it comes down to it, once I fi nd my sense of relaxation, it becomes just another game. I won’t stress about it. I know my teammates are going to be there to help take the pressure off my shoulders so I don’t have to try to do everything every Saturday.

What’s been your favorite part of playing football at Elon? Watching how the seniors approached their last season. It’s something I’ve watched ever since I got here back in ’08 – listening to them and see-ing how they prepared themselves for each practice, knowing that it’s one step closer to their fi nal game. I’d watch how they prepared mentally and learn as much as possible, because at some point, I knew my time would come. Unfortunately, that time for me is coming really quickly. I’m going to enjoy every facet of it, even the off sea-son – I’ll enjoy early workouts for a change. Th ey’re going to be the last ones with my teammates. It’s going to be hard when I don’t see these people every day.

If you could write the script for your senior season, how would it end? It’d have eight wins, as of now. Just the mark to get to the playoff s. I want to put a banner up in there (Rhodes Stadium) beside the one that’s already there. Winning a fi rst-round playoff game. I want to be on the fi rst team in so long that’s won a playoff game. Th at’s defi nitely how I’d like it to end. I know that much.

Catch Aaron Mellette in action this season at Rhodes Stadium! Tickets for all home games are available at elonphoenix.com

Photo b

y Stefan Fortmann

Photo courtesy of South

ern Con

ference

PHOENIX SPORTS

summer 2012 13

RESEARCH AS INTERVENTION

BY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

On a quiet morning a few days aft er Commencement, Cindy Fair found herself in a place she hadn’t spent much time in the past few months: her offi ce on the second fl oor of Alamance Building. The professor of

human service studies returned in May aft er spending a yearlong sabbatical studying the fertility desires and intentions of youth living with perinatal HIV infection – or, put more sim-ply, whether young adults born with HIV want to or expect to have children. Her focus on reproductive decisions grew out of her previ-ous research examining adolescents’ transition from pediatric to adult infectious disease care.

“Because of the advances in medicine, chil-dren who were born with HIV in the 1980s and ’90s and weren’t expected to live past age 2 are now reaching their 30s,” Fair explains.

But support for the psychosocial eff ects the disease has on patients and their families hasn’t exactly kept pace with technology.

“Th ey’re asking questions about how to navi-gate relationships, about whether they want to or should have children,” Fair continues. “Th ey need the knowledge and tools to manage the disease in this new phase of life.”

Some of the problems facing these young people are systemic. Many adolescents with maternally transmitted HIV have received care via Medicaid, but that oft en ends at age

18 unless the person enrolls in college or has private insurance. The pediatricians these patients have grown up with typically see 60–100 patients in a practice, while the adult physicians they’re transitioning to might see more than 1,000, spreading time, technological and fi nancial resources thin.

Other problems are more personal. Ado-lescents born with HIV oft en develop strong bonds with their pediatricians over several years and fi nd it diffi cult to forge comparable rapport with their physicians in the adult clinic. Th ese patients may not feel comfortable talking about their disease status or asking questions about sex and the potential for transmitting HIV.

Th ere are many implications for this phe-

{ How does Cindy Fair handle

the stress of such emotionally

draining research? “I eat a lot

of chocolate. I’ll intentionally

rent movies like ‘Terms of

Endearment’ that it’s OK to

bawl at,” she says. “It makes

me deeply appreciative for my

healthy children.” }


nomenon, but one of the most alarming is that many patients are falling out of treatment alto-gether, which could turn back the clock on the progress that’s been made in bringing HIV/AIDS under control in the United States.

Using her professional connections with local agencies, the National Institutes of Health and Duke University Medical Center, where she served as a clinical social worker and researcher for fi ve years in the late 1990s, Fair spent hundreds of hours in the past year study-ing young adults with HIV, their families and medical providers via interviews, focus groups and surveys.

She’s found that a patient’s level of disease knowledge is directly related to the quality of their interaction with their doctors; that a creative writing therapy group is an eff ec-tive, low-cost means of helping teens with HIV become comfortable talking about the disease; that the overwhelming majority of young adults with HIV intend to have children; and that providers aren’t informing teens consid-ering motherhood about the proper ways to ensure they don’t pass HIV on to their children.

“In the early 1990s, before treatments were approved, mothers with a high viral load had a 30 percent chance of passing the virus to their children. Now, with treatment and education about how to interrupt maternal transmis-sion of the disease, mothers have less than a 1 percent chance of passing HIV on to their chil-dren,” Fair says. “But our research found that few patients were being asked by providers, ‘Do you want to have a child?’ or ‘Do you know that you can have a healthy child?’”

Fair’s interest in HIV/AIDS – particularly the psychological aspects of the disease – dates to the year aft er she graduated from Davidson College in 1987. She was an assistant teacher at a school for children with emotional problems in San Francisco, where many of the school’s children were bussed from Oakland. At the time, Oakland was gaining a reputation as the crack cocaine capital of the world, and the Bay Area was becoming ground zero for the emerg-ing HIV/AIDS epidemic.

For many of the children she worked with, HIV was quickly becoming a fact of life. Fair, who grew up with a mother who suff ered from diabetes, found herself able to relate to some of their struggles.

“If you take away the stigma of HIV/AIDS, it’s just like having a family member with any other chronic disease, like multiple sclerosis,” she says.

Th e experience and her personal history led her to work as a clinical social worker at the National Institutes of Health and Duke and later complete doctoral studies in public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her nearly 20 years as a scholar,

she’s published more than 30 articles in leading journals and made more than 25 presentations at national and international professional and scholarly conferences.

“When people in our fi eld conduct a lit-erature review or are learning about HIV/AIDS and children, Cindy’s name will come up, or her academic publications will come up,” says Dr. Lori Wiener, head of the pediatric psycho-social support and research program at the

National Cancer Institute and a longtime col-league of Fair’s. “Her work guides practice and informs interventions.”

Fair’s scholarship attracts Elon’s best and brightest students. She has mentored nearly two dozen undergraduate research projects since arriving in 1999, and those relationships have not only produced presentations and pub-lications, but also professionals contributing to the fi eld of HIV/AIDS care, such as Britten Ginsburg Pund ’06.

“My work with Dr. Fair is why I do what I do now,” says Pund, a senior manager of health care access for the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors who was named a 2010 “AIDS Hero” by a national nonprofi t organization. “She instills a sense of confi dence in your ability to take ownership of a project, and the knowledge base and experience to suc-ceed as a professional. Th e skills I learned from her I use every day.”

Two of Fair’s most recent mentees, Lauren Taylor ’10 and Jamie Albright ’13, received the Lumen Prize, Elon’s premier award to support and celebrate academic research and creative achievement.

Albright’s Lumen project dovetails with Fair’s current research about the reproduc-tive decisions facing young adults born with

HIV. She worked closely with Fair over the past year conducting interviews with patients and surveying providers to fi nd places where their perspectives intersect and diverge. Last Sep-tember, Albright joined Fair and Wiener at a

“think tank” at the NIH that brought together leading scholars and practitioners in the fi elds of social work, psychology, medicine, nursing and more to address the issue of the adolescent HIV transition.

“People talk a lot about sitting at the ‘big table,’ and working with Dr. Fair I’ve been able to do that and have a voice, not just tag along for the ride,” Albright says.

Albright coauthored a study Fair presented at the 19th International AIDS Conference in July and two other abstracts accepted for presentation at October’s national American Public Health Association meeting. By the time Albright graduates in May, Fair estimates, she likely will have four coauthored journal articles to her credit.

Th at’s more publications than many fi rst-year faculty members in the fi eld can list on their resumes, Fair adds.

“Th ey keep me on my toes, organized and busy – especially this past year I’ve been on sabbatical,” she says. “It’s like going to the gym with a friend. It’s a lot easier to go when you’ve got someone else to go with you and hold you accountable.”

Th ese research relationships off er Fair the chance to keep a toe in the pool of social work. Despite spending more than a decade in aca-demia, she still feels a strong pull toward the immediate impact of clinical care. She thinks of her scholarship as “research as interven-tion;” though she’s not providing direct care to the people she works with, she’s able to off er them an opportunity to make positive change in their lives.

“I’ll speak with someone who’s never told their story before, and they’ll tell me things they wouldn’t even tell their families,” Fair says.

“It’s very meaningful, very powerful for them to have their story listened to. It gives me goose-bumps just thinking about it.”

Fair may never write a prescription for med-ication or counsel a young woman born with HIV through her diffi cult decision of whether to have children. But Wiener, for one, is cer-tain Fair’s research will have a lasting impact with the patients she studies – and people well beyond.

“Th is work will make a diff erence because nothing is out there about this at this point. It’s not only applicable to HIV and AIDS, but also other infectious diseases,” Wiener says. “It’s pioneering work, and it will have implications not only for our country but also for the rest of the world over time as people struggle with these issues.”

“People talk a lot about sitting at the ‘big table,’ and working with Dr. Fair, I’ve been able to do that and have a voice, not just tag along for the ride.” Jamie Albright ’13

summer 2012 15

AGGRESSIVE COMPASSION

BY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

Prince Deese ’77 has the look of a former football player – and a pretty good one at that. He has broad shoulders, thick legs and an air of powerful confi dence about him. Yet when an elderly couple walks into A.C.T. by Deese, his Greensboro, N.C., fitness studio, on a Wednesday

morning, his jaw loosens into a big smile.“How are you doing sir?” he asks in a booming voice.“I’m here,” the man responds in a significantly

weaker tone, his hands shaking as he tries to grip the handles of his walker.

“No,” Deese responds, reaching out to shake the man’s hand. “You’re better than just ‘here.’” He guides the man and his wife toward Tom Robinson, one of Deese’s certifi ed staff trainers, who gets the man ready for the 10 a.m. exercise class specifi cally designed for people with Parkinson’s Disease.

Deese’s Parkinson’s program, which he began in 2003, is recommended by a number of neurologists throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region. In 2009, Club Business International, a leading magazine for the health and fi tness industry, devoted a feature


to Deese and the program. To Deese’s knowl-edge, it’s one of a few in the state and just a handful nationwide.

“When you get calls from people from Raleigh to Winston-Salem saying, ‘My neu-rologist told me to contact you for help,’ or when clients ask you, ‘Where else can we go for training if we move?’ you know you’ve got something rare,” Deese says.

“We don’t use ‘can’t’ in here,” Deese says as he walks through A.C.T.’s new facility, which opened in May. “You might say, ‘I don’t under-stand’ or ‘I need assistance,’ but you don’t say ‘can’t.’”

It’s a lesson learned from a lifetime of over-coming obstacles. Once upon a time Deese was, in fact, a very accomplished football player, starring at running back for coach Shirley S. “Red” Wilson’s Fightin’ Christians in the mid-1970s. A member of the Elon Sports Hall of Fame, Deese drew scouts from the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Elon’s games his junior season. He hoped to join the latter club in 1977.

Fate, however, had other plans. In one of the fi nal games of his senior season, a defen-sive lineman landed on Deese’s ankle during a tackle, shredding ligaments and tendons and dislocating his ankle so dramatically that doctors at Duke University Medical Center wondered how the bone hadn’t broken in two. Th ough he tried to rehab the injury, two years later he fi nally put his NFL dreams to rest.

“I decided that walking without a limp was more important to me than playing football,” Deese recalls.

Th e next two decades saw Deese pursue sev-eral diff erent careers in teaching and coaching at the high school level, pharmaceutical sales, manufacturing and entrepreneurship. But he still felt drawn to the world of athletics.

“Football players are aggressive by nature. When you’re not playing anymore, you need some way to release those aggressions. Otherwise, psychologically, you’re going to blow up,” he explains.

Deese found his outlet in personal train-ing and fi tness coaching. He worked at it on the side throughout the 1980s and early ’90s, as “fi tness wasn’t quite a full-time career yet,” he says. In 1993, he decided to try the career full time, joining Ronney Barnes Nautilus, a Greensboro-based gym, as a personal trainer and later became its general manager and fi tness director.

Th e inspiration for Deese’s Parkinson’s pro-gram didn’t actually have the disease. In 2001, a teenager came to Deese’s gym asking for help bulking up. Th e young man dreamed of

becoming a college football player but was born with one arm and weighed about 140 pounds. Deese had his work cut out for him, but he and the teenager worked to add more than 30 pounds of muscle to the youngster’s slight frame.

As luck would have it, the young man’s mother worked with a neurologist and asked if Deese might be able to help her with a hand-ful of people who’d stopped making progress in their treatments for Parkinson’s. Deese took up the challenge, diving into research about the disease and its eff ects on the body.

“Th e physical eff ects are a cycle: Th e symp-toms make it hard to move, so you move less. Moving less makes it even harder to move. But exercise can help break that cycle,” says Jane Freund, an associate professor in Elon’s Department of Physical Th erapy Education.

For example, Freund says, people with Parkinson’s oft en have a short, shuffl ing gait. Walking on a treadmill encourages a person to lengthen his or her stride to keep up with the belt. Routine treadmill workouts, coupled with verbal cues, can help that person walk with longer strides in his or her everyday life.

“Once people fi nish a prescribed physical therapy regimen, they need a place to con-tinue exercising, and that’s the piece that’s missing – community access to programs like this,” Freund says.

Deese received guidance and referrals from neurologists and therapists in the Greensboro area, and the program grew from six to 25 people within a year. In 2007, when the gym he worked for closed, Deese and his wife, Gina, took the opportunity to open their own fi tness studio, and A.C.T. by Deese was born.

Today, A.C.T. counts more than 300 mem-bers from all walks of life: athletes seeking advanced training, people recovering from

surgery, even those just looking for a comfort-able environment in which to work out. Yet programs for clients with special needs were some of the early staples of Deese’s business. At its largest, the Parkinson’s program has served 60 clients at a time. Right now, he says, it’s hov-ering around 40.

Th e Parkinson’s class at A.C.T. is held twice weekly, on Mondays and Wednesdays, and on this Wednesday morning, 10 clients sit in a semicircle of chairs, taking instructions from Shawn Ijames, a former Deese colleague who joined A.C.T. two years ago.

“I won’t hire trainers unless they can work with our special needs clients,” says Deese, who pops in on classes when he can but has passed much of the day-to-day operation of the spe-cial needs programs to his staff . “If you can’t work with this group, how can you work with anyone else?”

Th e group Ijames works with today includes people in various stages of Parkinson’s, from those suff ering just a slight hand tremor to those who struggle to walk even with assis-tance. He instructs them to cross their legs at the ankles and stretch slowly toward their feet. He helps those less fl exible accomplish the task. Next, he asks the group to stretch their hands and fi ngers. As they stretch, he asks them questions to associate the action with an everyday task.

“What do you use your fi ngers for every day?” Ijames asks as he walks around the room. “Writing checks? Getting money out of your wallet?”

Freund says that while exercise isn’t a cure, research suggests that when people with move-ment disorders such as Parkinson’s engage in physical activity under appropriate guidance, the eff ects of the disease may diminish. And that’s exactly what Deese hopes to achieve.

“Our class is like a lifeline. It helps put our clients back in the mainstream,” Deese says. “It gives them an opportunity to enjoy life a little bit longer.”

To underscore his point, Deese tells a story about one of his fi rst Parkinson’s program cli-ents who passed away a few years ago. Th e man, a salesman for a local textile company, walked into Deese’s program and hadn’t been able to tie his shoes for eight years. For a man who’d experienced much professional and personal success, being unable to complete such a minor task was particularly diffi cult to accept.

“Aft er several sessions, one day he walked in and he told me ‘I actually crossed my legs and tied my shoes today!’ To some, it seems like such a small thing, but for me to see that, it was big,” Deese says, smiling at the memory. “When you see someone do something they couldn’t do before they came in, you want to shed tears.”

THE SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVEDyer Diehl G’01, an assistant professor in the University of Indianapolis’ Krannert School of Physical Therapy, teaches courses in neuroscience and conducts research about exercise interventions for people with Parkinson’s Disease.

Recently, Diehl and several colleagues studied the ways a specially designed boxing training pro-gram aff ected the balance, mobility and quality of life for people with mild to severe Parkinson’s. An article summarizing the study, published in the January 2011 edition of the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, stated that people who took part in the program “showed short-term and long-term improvement in balance, gait, activities of daily living and quality of life after the boxing program.”

summer 2012 17

DEEP BREATHS

John Festle lived like most boys in the 1970s, playing baseball and basketball with friends, devouring pretzels at every opportunity, even working as a batboy for the Chicago Cubs while in high school. As Mary Jo Festle, professor of history, writes

of her brother in the introduction to her new book, Second Wind: Oral Histories of Lung Transplant Survivors, “others may have won-dered about his frequent coughs … but they didn’t distract him.”

Th ose frequent coughs, as the Festle fam-ily knew all too well, were the eff ects of the cystic fi brosis ravaging John’s lungs. Daily pounding on his chest for respiratory therapy, piles of pills he needed for treatment and increasing frequency of hospital visits all signaled the irreversible decline that Mary Jo and her family knew they couldn’t stop with-out a miracle. Th ough John had made plans to be evaluated for a lung transplant, he drew his last breath in a hospital bed, just aft er

midnight on Christmas Day 1990, his family at his side. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the Festle family’s last encounter with the disease.

In Second Wind, published this spring by Palgrave McMillan, Festle probes the psyches of men and women who wait for, receive and deal with the side eff ects of lung transplants for conditions including cystic fi brosis, primary pulmonary hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fi brosis and chronic obstruc-tive pulmonary disease. Th e book includes interviews with 58 lung transplant recipi-ents, as well as Dr. James D. Hardy, the fi rst surgeon to successfully complete a human lung transplant.

Emotions range from anxiety to gratitude among American lung transplant recipients. Survivors who spoke with Festle refl ected on the guilt they sometimes felt at using the lungs of someone who died; the anxiety of their wait, not knowing if they would ever leave the hospital; and the excruciating recovery that can take years, assuming the

lungs weren’t rejected. Bearing witness to the complexity of transplantations serves survi-vors and potential transplant patients alike.

“People who are waiting for transplants need a support system,” says Tom Archer, president of the national Second Wind Lung Transplant Association. “It’s a lonely time (while) waiting. If you become immobile and you’re stuck at home, you don’t see people.”

Over the course of several years beginning in 1997, Festle enlisted the help of under-graduate researchers and students in her upper-level general studies courses about the

Mary Jo Festle examines the lesser-known side of lung transplantation BY ERIC TOWNSEND


{ l-r, Bob & John Festle }

history of lung transplants. Some of these students conducted interviews with survi-vors for class projects, traveling the state to visit patients in their homes and experienc-ing perspective-altering interactions.

Th ere was Courtney Wells ’01, a broad-cast communications and journalism double major who lied to her roommates when they heard her sob over a homework assignment. Years later, Wells still remem-bers the handout: the story of a father who lost his son in a car accident and, some time later, asked if he could press his ear against the chest of the transplant patient who received his son’s heart.

“From the movies or TV, you get the impression that people get a transplant, and everything is hunky-dory, and they live happily ever aft er,” Wells says. “Th ere are two sides to every story. Th ere’s the family that lost someone and the family that got to keep someone.”

Or take Melissa Pace Garrison ’98, an accounting and history double major and one of the fi rst students to take part in Elon’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences. Garrison worked with Festle in 1997, conducting four interviews with lung transplant recipients. One of the most dif-fi cult interviews, Garrison recalls, was with a woman about the same age as her who had recently undergone a double lung transplant.

“I was thinking of all the things I looked forward to in the future, and I started to worry about her future,” Garrison says, add-ing the woman has since passed away. “She would have done it (the transplant) again. It bought her some years of life, even though they weren’t as good. I was very, very sad.”

Th en you have Gretchen Buskirk ’04, a sports medicine major whose child-hood friend died while waiting for a heart transplant. Th at early experience led her to Festle’s course, for which she interviewed a female lung transplant recipient. Years later, Buskirk heard from the woman’s family aft er she died and learned that the woman had kept a tape of their interview. Aft er her death, a daughter discovered the recording and sought Buskirk to off er gratitude for the opportunity to hear her mother laugh again.

“What we did in that class was more than a project. It helped so many people,” Buskirk says.

Th e years of work behind Second Wind exemplify why Festle has been recognized oft en by her peers at Elon. Currently serving as the associate director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, Festle has received the Elon College Excel-lence in Teaching Award and the university’s

fi rst Senior Faculty Research Fellowship. In 2011, she received the prestigious Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Since joining Elon’s faculty in 1993, Festle has published a book on women in athletics and articles in respected journals. Yet Sec-ond Wind has been a profoundly personal aff air, carrying with it bittersweet memories. Festle had a very close relationship with her youngest brother, Bob. Like John, Bob suf-fered from cystic fi brosis.

“Th e apple of my eye,” she writes in the book, “I vowed to know what he was think-ing and feeling.”

By 1996, Bob found himself close to death in Chicago, hundreds of miles from Mary Jo, as he, too, awaited lungs. Unlike John, Bob’s new lungs arrived just in time for transplantation. Over the next fi ve years, Bob completed his college degree, trav-eled to Italy and taught middle school. But

before long, chronic rejection set in, and Bob died of complications from the rejec-tion in June 2001 at age 27.

Mary Jo dedicated Second Wind not only to John and Bob but also to “all those who know lung disease and organ trans-plantation,” including doctors, nurses and advocates.

“Th ere certainly were times when it felt more urgent and meaningful because of personal connections, and there were times when it was more diffi cult because of those connections,” Festle says. “In the beginning, Bob was alive, so I saw this partly as a way to be connected to his experiences but also to a larger community of people having similar experiences. Th e dedication is to them – but it’s also to anyone with a connec-tion to lung transplantation.”

‘I WAS A REALLY SICK MAN FOR A VERY LONG TIME’

Lee Wallace ’86 received a double lung transplant in January

2012 as idiopathic pulmonary fi brosis attacked his body. The

following are excerpts from Wallace’s interview with the Offi ce of

University Communications; a full transcript of the interview can

be viewed at elon.edu/magazine.

When did you fi rst realize something was wrong?The symptoms started about fi ve

or six years ago. I felt more out of

breath after my regular dog walks,

and at the end of the workweek,

I felt a lot more exhausted than

usual. It turned into getting out

of breath talking on the phone

or eating and, really, my wife

Leslie noticed things a lot more

than I did. I just attributed it to

getting older.

What were the considerations made when you decided you wanted a transplant?I really did not want to do it for

a long time. Lung transplants

don’t have a great success

rate. I remember being at Duke

(University Medical Center) with

pneumonia, and my doctor

talked with Leslie about how to

call Hospice and what to expect

when Hospice came to the house.

I thought, ‘I’m either going to die,

or maybe I’ll give this thing one

more shot.’

Do you think about the circumstances behind the donation?The nursing staff on the trans-

plant fl oor all speculated that my

lungs came from a teenager. I

think that our bodies are kind

of like clothes that we wear

while we’re here in this plane

of existence, that our spirits are

another entity that exist beyond

the world. Everybody should take

care of their bodies to make sure

organs are good enough to use

for somebody else if they’re not

around to use them.

Are there lifestyle changes you’ve had to make since the transplant?I take a handful of medicine

every day, twice a day. There are

breathing and physical exercises.

Cleanliness is a big issue, too.

Dust, mold and food cleanliness,

we have to pay a lot of attention

to that.

What resources would you recommend to those interested in lung transplants?There’ve been a couple of national

organizations that have helped

us. One is helpHOPElive.org to

manage fundraising money and

make sure money was spent

appropriately. Leslie and our good

friends have really made me able

to do this. I was a really sick man

for a very long time. Sitting here

today on this beautiful day hang-

ing out in my backyard with my

dog, reading a book and talking to

you feels pretty awesome.

summer 2012 19

{ l-r, Leslie & Lee ’86 Wallace }

HOME SCHOOL

L.A.

Photo by J McMerty


Summer programs in New York & Los Angeles lead Elon’s expansion of domestic study programs

It’s no secret that over the past two decades, Elon has distinguished itself among the nation’s

best universities for study abroad opportunities. Yet as Elon’s international programs grew exponentially, a small but strong contingent of students sought to connect their classroom learning to real-world situations a bit closer to home. They looked not overseas but toward destinations such as New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Bay St. Louis, Miss.

“A sequestered on-campus experience isn’t what our students are looking for. Th ey want to take their Elon education on an adventure, and they can encounter cultural, political and religious diff erence and diversity in this country as well as they can abroad,” explains Associate Provost Connie Book, who leads the commit-tee developing a new Offi ce of Domestic Programs at Elon.

For example, the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement regularly takes students on alternative break trips to places such as the Gulf Coast for hurricane relief and the mountains of Appalachia to sup-port aff ordable housing programs. Each Winter Term, Teaching Fel-lows travel to the nation’s capital to participate in seminars at Th e Washington Center and visit relevant sites, including the U.S. Department of Education.

“Our students come back thinking diff erently about educa-

summer 2012 21

tion and their voice in it,” says Glenda Crawford, professor of education and director of the Teaching Fellows program.

“We don’t want our students to think only about the classroom but how their role shapes and is shaped by the political world around them. And there’s no better place to do that than in Washington, D.C.”

While the existence of domestic pro-grams isn’t a recent phenomenon, to date there hasn’t been the kind of organiza-tion and guidance for Elon’s U.S.-based study programs akin to that for interna-

tional programs. Oft en, faculty and staff organizers of domestic programs alone bear the responsibility for marketing their programs to students, assigning and col-lecting payments, and ensuring planned activities and assignments achieve appro-priate rigor to receive course credit.

Th at’s a lot for just one or two people to handle. And that’s exactly the kind of work that will be assigned to Elon’s new director of domestic programs, who will begin work this fall. Incorporating a streamlined model for domestic program develop-ment and management – similar to how the Isabella Cannon International Centre manages study abroad programs – will allow the university to provide additional and more diverse programs and enable faculty and staff to focus on deepening the intellectual and experiential aspects of their courses.

Th e thriving Elon in New York and Elon in L.A. summer programs off er perhaps the best examples of how trans-formative domestic study programs can

be. Th e nine-week programs provide stu-dents aff ordable housing in each city. Each student takes at least one academic course and completes an internship in a fi eld ranging from journalism to entertainment to business. Alumni and parents in the New York and L.A. metropolitan areas reach out and connect with students, help-ing them build professional and personal networks.

Book, who served as associate dean of the School of Communications when both the Elon in New York and L.A. programs were established, has seen fi rsthand the change in students when they return to campus each fall.

“Th ey are much more aggressive about their education and that makes them great role models for fi rst- and second-year stu-dents,” she says. “Th e trickle-down eff ect is that it shows those younger students how to take advantage of their education.”

But don’t take Book’s word for it. In the following pages, students and alumni of the Elon in New York and L.A. programs, as well as the new Bridges programs for recent graduates, off er insight about how they have been forever changed by their domestic study experiences.

What is Elon in New York?

A nine-week summer experience for up to

30 students of any major. Students take one

general studies course and complete an

internship for six credit hours. They live in

housing at The New School on Manhattan’s

Lower West Side and receive mentoring from

Elon alumni and parents in the area.

What is Elon in Los Angeles?

A nine-week summer experience for up to 40

students, especially those in communications.

Students choose one course from several elec-

tives and complete an internship for six credit

hours. They live in corporate apartments in

Burbank, Calif., and receive mentoring from

Elon alumni in the area. Beginning in spring

2013, Elon will off er a spring-semester pro-

gram in L.A. open to students from all colleges

and universities in the nation.

What is Bridges?

Established this year, the nine-week program

gives recent graduates the tools they need

to succeed as professionals in New York City

and Los Angeles. They live in apartment-style

housing, attend seminars about job search

strategies, personal fi nance, relocation and

networking, and have access to an on-site

career adviser to give their postgraduate lives

a kick start.

“Our students want to take their Elon education on an adventure, and they can encounter cultural, political and religious diff erence and diversity in this country as well as they can abroad.”– Associate Provost Connie Book

N.Y.


What additional domestic study programs are in development?

Book says programs may vary in

length, from travel as part of an Elon-

based course to service or educational

trips held during breaks. Currently,

several Winter Term 2013 course

off erings will incorporate domestic

travel. These include a history course

taught by Assistant Professor Amy

Johnson examining the African dias-

pora in America; a religious studies

course taught by Associate Professor

Toddie Peters about religious

pluralism; and an environmental

studies course taught by Professor

Anthony Weston focusing on life in an

Arizona biosphere.

How can you support Elon’s expansion of domestic study programs?

While these programs don’t require

a visa or an international fl ight,

they aren’t inexpensive. If you’re

interested in making a gift to Elon to

support student access to domestic

study opportunities or other

urgent institutional needs, please

contact the Offi ce of Annual Giving at

(336) 278-7459.

NNEKA ENURAH ’associate producer, PopSugar Studios

I can safely say that I would not be where I am professionally if I had not participated in the Elon in L.A. program. During my summer in L.A., I connected with industry professionals, gained an appreciation and better understand-ing of networking and learned how much work it would be to move across the country and begin a career all on my own.

It also gave my mom a chance to come to terms with the fact that I was serious about not going back to Marietta, Ga., aft er graduation.

Today, I work for PopSugar Studios & TV as an associate producer. Th e job includes covering live events from the Academy Awards to this summer’s premiere of “Th e Amazing Spider-Man.” It’s always been my dream to be a producer, but until the Elon in L.A. program, it seemed out of reach. Th ere’s no class on how to become a producer or how to make it in the entertainment industry. You have to get out there and connect with people, try things, fail and learn from your mistakes. Being able to collaborate with like-minded students, learning how to juggle academics and a full-time intern-ship at Fox Studios, and adjusting to life in a new city while still an undergraduate helps big-time. It’s also impressive to future employers.

Today, I’m proud to say I’m still actively involved with the Elon in L.A. program. Besides serving as a mentor, I show support by attend-ing events and helping students fi nd internships and jobs whenever I can. I know the positive impact it can have on students, and it’s also great to be connected to the Elon community while being so far away.

L.A.

Photo by J McMerty

summer 2012 23

HOLLACE JEFFORDS ’production intern, Broadway Artists Alliance

I enrolled in Elon in New York last sum-mer for several reasons. First, there was the selfi sh opportunity of getting to live in the heart of Manhattan for nine weeks and to take advantage of all that the city has to off er. Th en there were more practi-cal reasons, mainly that I knew I wanted to live in New York at some point in my life, so the program became a kind of test for me. Could I live in New York on my own? Would the city break me? Was I really ready to take a step like this?

It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life, and for that I’m “truly blessed and duly grateful” (I thought it’d be appropriate to bring in a song lyric, from John Bucchino’s “It’s Only Life,” con-sidering how many musical shows and theatrical productions I had the privilege of seeing last summer). I was working as an intern with the actor Alan Cumming, which meant I spent my days transcrib-ing his video footage, organizing and scheduling his calendar and even getting treated to some great premiere parties, including the New York opening of “Th e Smurfs” movie!

Beyond work, Elon in New York forced me to meet challenges of living

in the city head-on. I learned about the history and culture of the city, how to navigate the subway and keep myself safe, and most importantly how to get my job done while balancing life and class in the best city on Earth. I learned that life in New York City is hard, and the roller-coaster is never ending.

I ended last summer more mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted than I ever had been in my life, but it was a lesson that I needed to learn and

gave me the preparation I needed to come back and start my career. And now I’m here again, working as a production intern for Broadway Artists Alliance, a professional training program for young musical theater performers. It’s an oppor-tunity I couldn’t have found without an Elon contact. My experience in Elon in NYC is the only reason I feel successful living here again. And for that I’m “truly blessed and duly grateful!”

CHRISTOPHER BOSAK ’intern, Fremantle Media

Elon in L.A. is perfectly summed up in its slogan, “living, learning, interning in Los Angeles.” Every second is spent doing one of those things and, oft en, we do all three at the same time.

For many of us, the internship is the most valuable part of the program. For me, it’s like entering the minor leagues of baseball; the big show is right around the corner. Th is summer, I’m working at Fremantle Media. You may not know them by name, but you’ve probably seen a few of their products, such as the hit shows “American Idol” and “Th e Price is Right.” Tuesday through Friday, I’m researching and compiling information for various projects. It can be tedious, but it’s worth it for the little moments, such as when you realize “America’s Got Talent” is pro-duced in the offi ces above your desk.

We’re also honing our skills in an aca-demic setting. Every Monday, all the students meet and study production, acting or public relations. Not only are we learning valuable information, but we’re also producing materi-als that look professional enough to send to employers. Th ese “reels” are a must-have when entering the job market.

Elon in L.A. is about exploration, too. We’re taking in the city’s unique culture and human landscape. In the last few weeks I’ve seen the Dodgers take on the White Sox, a Cirque Du Soleil show in the Dolby Th eatre (formerly Kodak Th eatre) and movies you can see only in select cities. We’re not merely living in L.A., we’re experiencing L.A.

For me, the element of Elon in L.A. that has helped the most is the group with which I’ve traveled. Elon faculty and students are the perfect companions to venture with into an unknown city. Th e enthusiastic people around me erased the discomfort I usually get when I don’t know my way around a new place. Having these friends nearby have allowed me to bravely explore these alien streets, get to know Southern California and, maybe, decide to make L.A. home soon.

“The program became kind of a test for me. Could I live in New York on my own? Would the city break me? Was I really ready to take a step like this? It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.”– Hollace Jeff ords ’12

L.A.

N.Y.


REBECCA SMITH ’NYC Bridges program

As I started packing for New York, I realized that I wasn’t just relocating for a summer internship like last year, when I went to Emmaus, Pa., to work at Rodale Magazines. I needed to fi gure out what to do with everything I owned and without knowing when I’d be returning home for a visit. During my taxi ride from the airport to our temporary housing in Th e New School’s dorms in Chelsea, I made myself repeat “this is home” over and over.

During our fi rst week in New York, we met alumni and friends of Elon who work in the city in advertising, magazines, fi nance, movies, theater and public relations. Getting to have conversations in small groups with each speaker has been so valuable. Each person we met would list several people they knew in the city who could help us land a job. Aft er one week, we all had several contacts that we considered mentors. We even took self-defense and cooking classes, and enjoyed a panoramic view of the city from atop “30 Rock,” the NBC building.

Aft er that, we were on our own to network and fi nd our jobs. Th e connections we’ve made wouldn’t be possible without the doors Bridges has helped open. Getting to wake up in the city every morning and call New York home has been one of the most amazing feelings. Every night, the eight of us come back with ideas and con-nections for the other people in the group.

At Commencement, President Lambert says “You may leave Elon, but Elon will never leave you.” I only left campus two months ago but I’ve seen how this is true. I have met so many Elon graduates ready to reach out and help the newest arrivals to New York, and all of us in the Bridges program talk about how we can’t wait to be the next mentors. Th is program has helped us learn how to balance the life we left behind with the life we’re looking for now.

GRACE ELKUS ’intern, Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine

During my fi rst two years at Elon, I developed a strong sense of what I hoped to do career-wise aft er I graduate, which is to work for a food publication. But the one thing the incredible resources off ered to me on campus couldn’t provide was the real-world experience I need to be com-petitive in the job market. Th at’s why I applied to Elon in New York.

What’s great about this program is that it takes care of all the logistics that go with spending a summer in the city. Knowing that my credits would transfer and my housing was in place, I was able to focus fully on searching for an internship. When I accepted an off er to be an editorial intern in the food department of Every Day with Rachael Ray, I knew I had taken the fi rst step toward what would be an unforgettable summer.

My internship allows me to do fun and exciting things every day, from whipping up pesto in the test kitchen and assisting with taste tests to attending cooking classes and participating in staff meetings. I’ve also received invaluable advice from many of the editors, and their food expertise has inspired me to attend culinary school aft er I graduate from Elon.

Th e Elon in New York course has been equally stimu-lating. We don’t gather in a classroom but out in the city. We’ve taken a walking tour of the Lower East Side, conducted research at the New York Public Library and sat speechless as we saw the newest reporting technology at Th e New York Times. We’ve been to Broadway, Wall Street and Madison Avenue, getting a view of the city and its big-gest industries that we simply couldn’t get on campus.

When I’m not in the offi ce or class, I spend my time exploring the city – Central Park, Murray’s Cheese Shop, Little Italy, Chelsea Market, the Highline and more. I can’t believe how quickly the summer has passed, and I say this with my fi ngers crossed – I won’t be bidding my fi nal fare-wells at the end of this summer. Th is is just the beginning.

“Each person we met would list several people they knew in the city who could help us land a job. After one week, we all had several contacts that we considered mentors.”Rebecca Smith ‘12

N.Y.

N.Y.

{ l-r, Rebecca

Smith ’12 &

mentor Katie

Sherman ’04 }

summer 2012 25

NEED SOME ELON IN YOUR LIFE?W ith fall just around the corner, there

are many chances to reconnect with Elon. From athletic contests to alumni chapter and club events to Homecoming Weekend, there’s something to interest just about everyone.

If tailgating and cheering on the football team is your thing, you won’t want

to miss the season opener against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Saturday, Sept. 1. Gather your family and friends for a pregame Elon tailgate on UNC’s historic Polk Place quad. Aft erward, stroll over to Kenan Stadium as the Phoenix take

on the Tar Heels for a 12:30 p.m. televised matchup (see p. 27 for details).

Yearning to return to campus and reconnect with the people and places that were part of your Elon experience? Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 19–21, is a prime opportunity to gather your former classmates and journey to Elon for a weekend full of reminiscing. With a multitude of events planned, we’re confi dent that you’ll want to attend. For the most up-to-date information about Homecoming happenings, visit elon.edu/homecoming.

Elon’s alumni chapters and clubs will ramp up their events schedules in the coming weeks. If you can’t come back to Elon, I encourage you to see what they have in store near you and make it a priority to attend at least one event in the waning weeks of summer and fi rst weeks of fall. Visit our website, elon.edu/alumni, for a constantly updated schedule of regional programs.

From all of us at Elon, we hope to see you soon.

Sallie

{ Sallie Hutton ’92 }

Sign up for the online alumni directoryTh e Elon Alumni Association’s new online directory gives graduates unprecedented resources for personal and professional networking. Make sure to update your profi le today!

Th e password-protected database off ers basic and advanced search options to help alumni reconnect and also allows graduates to quickly update contact information with the university. Visit elon.edu/alumni and click the “Alumni Directory Register/

Login” button (pictured above) on the right side of the page. For questions, call the Offi ce of Alumni Engagement at (877) 784-3566 or email [email protected].

Elon hosts fi rst alumni Volunteer Leadership SummitMore than 60 graduates from all eras attended the May 4–5 event, learning how to become critical partners, advocates and investors in Elon.

Th e summit included tours of new campus facilities and a Friday night volunteer appreciation dinner with President Leo M. Lambert, who challenged the group to assume ownership of Elon and responsibility for furthering its success. On Saturday, alumni heard updates on Elon’s current strategic plan, Th e Elon

Commitment, before participating in breakout sessions addressing various facets of the alumni experience, such as managing volunteers, supporting Elon admissions and advancement programs,

and connecting students with career opportunities.

Several alumni presented or led discussions in the breakout sessions, including Jodie Luke ’79, Mark Richter ’99, Lindsey Goodman Baker ’04, Dan Hanson ’05, Natasha Christensen ’07, Kristin Smith ’07, Devin Kelley ’08 and Kelsey Glover ’11.

Trustee Kebbler McGhee Williams ’98 closed the day’s meetings with a brief address about the importance of alumni

engagement in the life of the university.

“I’ve recognized that there were people who came before me who made my Elon experience possible, and because there is no way I can pay them back directly, I must pay it forward,” she said. “I encourage you to partner with, advocate for and invest in Elon. Th e future of this institution depends on it.”

Following the summit, the Elon Alumni Board and Young Alumni Council held their spring meetings, at which John Hill ’76 and

Britten Ginsburg Pund ’06 assumed the presidency of each body, respectively.

For more information about how to get involved as an alumni volunteer, visit elon.edu/alumni.

ALUMNI ACTION


Here’s to dear ole Elon …

What’s on tap = Guided tours of campus with President Emeritus

J. Earl Danieley ’46 and Associate Dean of Admissions Barry Bradberry ’75

= Phoenix Club golf tournament

= Receptions hosted by the schools of communications, business, education and arts & sciences

= Young Alumni Party at Th e Fat Frogg

= NPHC Step Show

= Stop Hunger Now meal-packing service event

= Elon Alumni Association Awards ceremony

= Pregame tailgating throughout campus

= Alumni Sunday worship services

= And much more!

New this yearGet in on the ground fl oor of Elon’s new Hispanic-Latino Alumni Group. An interest meeting will be held on Saturday morning.

Get loud, get proudCheer on All-American senior receiver Aaron Mellette and the Phoenix football team against Western Carolina in a pivotal Southern Conference matchup in Rhodes Stadium.

Back by popular demandPhoenix Phest returns: Join alums of all eras for an evening of live Motown, beach, R&B and Oldies music.

Celebrate your milestonesTh ese groups will hold reunions or gatherings:

= Alpha Kappa Alpha

= Alpha Omicron Pi

= Band Alumni

= Black Alumni Network/NPHC Alumni

= Classes of 1962, 2002 and 2007

= Emanons

= Kappa Alpha Order

= Kappa Delta

= Lambda Chi Alpha

= Sigma Chi

= Sigma Kappa

= Sigma Phi Epsilon

= Sigma Pi

= Teaching Fellows

For more informationVisit us online at elon.edu/homecoming.

Elon vs. UNC football tripSupport the Phoenix as they take on the Tar Heels for the fi rst time on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Register today for the Phoenix Club’s package: for 75 per person, enjoy roundtrip transportation from Elon to UNC, admission to the pregame tailgate party and a game ticket. Alumni interested in the game but not the package may purchase tickets for 35 per person. Admission to the tailgate party is 15 per person.

Following the game, stop by the offi cial Elon gathering at He’s Not Here (112 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill) for some live entertainment.

To place your order, call the athletics tickets offi ce at (336) 278-6750. For questions, please contact the Phoenix Club’s Hilary Fogle ’11 at [email protected].

don your maroon and gold and fire up the fight song:

Homecoming 2012 is almost here!

ALUMNI ACTION

summer 2012 27

Elon graduates throughout the country gave back to their communities during the inaugural Nationwide Alumni Month of Service. Chapters and clubs orga-nized events in April to share the Elon tradition of service in their cities and towns. Several alumni reg-istered activities of their own to make an impact on their communities.

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t with

thos

e who

hav

e not

be

en so

luck

y but

are s

trivi

ng to

mak

e bet

ter l

ives f

or th

emse

lves.”

Here

are j

ust a

fe

w ex

ampl

es.

See m

ore a

t el

on.e

du/

riseu

pand

serv

e

Balti

mor

e Cha

pter

Tiff

any

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hens

’99,

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ve E

arle

y ’0

4 G’

10,

Chr

istie

Alle

n ’0

5, Be

rnad

ette

Bui

’09

and J

enni

fer H

iltw

ine ’

09 p

acke

d m

eals

for a

n aft

ern

oon

at th

e M

ovea

ble F

east

Food

Ban

k, wh

ere t

he ch

apte

r has

held

serv

ice ev

ents

for t

he p

ast s

ever

al ye

ars. “

Each

tim

e we h

ave p

artic

ipat

ed in

an ev

ent t

here

, we’v

e had

the o

ppor

tuni

ty to

lear

n a l

ittle

mor

e abo

ut th

e in

divi

duals

we’r

e abl

e to

help

,” Tiff

any s

ays.

Bost

on C

hapt

er A

lum

ni vo

lunt

eere

d at

the P

ine S

treet

Inn,

whi

ch se

rves

mor

e tha

n 12

,000

hom

eless

in

divid

uals

in gr

eater

Bos

ton.

Hea

ther

’06

and

Sean

Whi

te ’0

6, M

egha

n C

rone

n ’0

9, L

ibby

Rus

sell

’10 an

d Ky

le S

hade

’10

atte

nded

th

e eve

nt. “W

e fee

l tha

t it’s

impo

rtant

for u

s to

cont

inue

our ‘E

lon

ways

’ of v

aluin

g ser

vice

and

livin

g our

dail

y live

s with

com

pass

ion

for

each

othe

r and

thos

e les

s for

tuna

te,” L

ibby

says

.

Trac

y-Ly

nn S

chus

ter ’

94 G

’05 T

racy

serv

es as

pre

siden

t of H

abita

t for

Hum

anity

’s ne

w As

he C

ount

y (N.

C.) c

hapt

er an

d sp

ent m

uch

of A

pril

help

ing t

he or

gani

zatio

n co

nstru

ct it

s fi rs

t hou

se. “M

y fi rs

t int

rodu

ctio

n to

Hab

itat

was w

hile

I was

at E

lon,”

she s

ays, “

and

now,

her

e I am

, stil

l inv

olve

d an

d ap

plyi

ng w

hat I

lear

ned

to se

rve o

ther

s. So

cool

– so

bles

sed!

”

ALUMNI ACTION

ELON ALUMNI ‘RISE UP AND SERVE’ IN APRIL


OTHE

R SER

VICE

ACTI

VITI

ESA

tlant

a Te

n al

umni

par

ticip

ated

in th

e

Knoc

k O

ut C

ance

r 5K

Run

in M

arie

tta,

Ga.

Aliss

a W

ilke

’09

won

the

wom

en’s

divi

sion

of th

e ra

ce, w

hich

supp

orts

the

Leuk

emia

&

Lym

phom

a So

ciet

y.

Cha

rlot

te A

t the

ir tw

o Ap

ril e

vent

s,

chap

ter m

embe

rs d

onat

ed sc

hool

supp

lies

to C

lass

room

Cen

tral

, an

orga

niza

tion

that

oper

ates

a “f

ree

stor

e” fo

r tea

cher

s in

seve

n

scho

ol d

istr

icts

surr

ound

ing

the

Que

en C

ity.

Nas

hvill

e Al

umni

gat

here

d to

take

part

in th

e Be

st B

uddi

es F

riend

ship

Wal

k in

Cent

enni

al P

ark.

Seat

tle F

iftee

n gr

adua

tes t

ook

part

in a

vol

unte

er o

utin

g at

the

Balla

rd F

ood

Bank

dow

ntow

n.

Was

hing

ton,

D.C

. Ei

ghte

en a

lum

ni

volu

ntee

red

for a

n af

tern

oon

at th

e D.

C.

Cent

ral K

itche

n, w

hich

pre

pare

s mor

e th

an

5,00

0 m

eals

dai

ly fo

r the

hom

eles

s in

the

natio

n’s c

apita

l.

Chr

is M

artin

’78

Chris

, pre

siden

t and

ceo

of P

rovi

dent

Ban

k an

d pa

st-pr

esid

ent o

f the

Elo

n Al

umni

Boa

rd, le

d se

vera

l of h

is co

lleag

ues i

n th

e com

pany

’s an

nual

day o

f cor

pora

te

serv

ice. Th

e gr

oup

volu

ntee

red

at th

e Uni

ted W

ay of

Hud

son

Coun

ty, N

.J., p

repa

ring d

onat

ed cl

othi

ng an

d ho

useh

old

good

s for

sale

at th

e org

aniza

tion’s

reta

il sto

re.

Lari

ssa

Ferr

etti

’09

& B

rian

Bea

ty ’0

9 La

rissa

and

Brian

par

ticip

ated

in th

e Aub

urn,

Ala.

, Rela

y for

Life

even

t to

supp

ort t

he A

mer

ican

Canc

er

Socie

ty. It

’s a p

erso

nal c

ause

for L

ariss

a, wh

ose f

athe

r, Rich

ard,

is a l

ung c

ance

r sur

vivo

r. Th e

fam

ily ra

ised

appr

oxim

ately

$2,0

00 fo

r can

cer r

esea

rch.

Chi

cago

Cha

pter

Jea

nette

Olli

’03,

Kat

ie O

linge

r ’07

, Kat

ie R

eese

’09

and

Emily

San

ner ’

10 jo

ined

alum

ni of

othe

r uni

vers

ities

to h

elp re

furb

ish St

. Mar

gare

t Mar

y Sch

ool

in C

hica

go. “M

akin

g the

com

mun

ity yo

u ca

ll ho

me a

brig

hter

plac

e in

som

e way

can

only

impr

ove t

he

envi

ronm

ent w

here

you

live,”

Jean

ette

says

, “and

hop

eful

ly it

will

insp

ire ot

hers

to gi

ve b

ack,

too.”

Tria

ngle

Cha

pter

Al

umni

atte

nded

two

even

ts to

supp

ort t

he n

eedy

in

cent

ral N

orth

Car

olin

a. Th

ey co

llect

ed ca

nned

go

ods a

t a so

cial t

hen

dona

ted

the i

tem

s to

the

Food

Ban

k of

Cen

tral a

nd E

aste

rn N

orth

Car

olin

a wh

ile vo

lunt

eerin

g on-

site a

few

days

late

r.WELCOME TO THE CITY

Help Elon graduates new to your city feel at home! You won’t want to miss these popular events hosted by our Elon Alumni Association chapters and clubs around the country. For details about the listed chapters and information about events we’ve just added, visit elon.edu/alumni.

We’re looking forward to seeing you!

AUG. Charlotte

AUG. Atlanta

AUG. New York City

AUG. Boston

SEPT. Philadelphia

SEPT. Baltimore

SEPT. Washington, D.C.

SEPT. Charleston

ALUMNI ACTION

summer 2012 29

CLASS NOTES Sara Hook Burton, the eldest

daughter of Elon legend Dr. A.L. Hook, recently turned 96. Her daughter reports that she is now living in a memory care unit at an assisted living community.

“Even down here in Wilmington, you don’t have

to explain when you mention you’re an Elon graduate,” says Jesse W. Harrington, who served as president of the Class of 1939. He remembers meeting his wife, Edna Barrier Harrington ’42, when he visited Elon, and they married during World War II when he was granted leave from the army.

Elizabeth “Lib” Armfi eld Hobson fondly recalls be-

ing a cheerleader for the Fightin’ Christians, especially supporting Walter L. Hobson Jr. ’42, her hus-band and an Elon Sports Hall-of-Famer. Now 90, Lib stays busy gardening and swimming three days a week – she won two gold medals at the state’s senior games a few years ago.

Janet Olivia Ward Brown says Elon’s growth is “the

greatest honor it could be given.” She encourages Elon students and alumni to go into the world and share our freedom with others.

Carrie Mize Genaway re-members life in the old

Ladies’ Hall because, “being an only child, I loved sharing with my classmates,” she says. She advises students and alumni to keep up personal connections with special friends and teachers.

John D. Vance fondly remem-bers choir trips to Virginia,

New England and New York City; meeting his wife, Martha Veazey Vance ’50; and performing plays in Whitley with the drama group under the direction of Betty Smith. He lives in Leesburg, Fla.

Daniel C. Patton remembers well his excellent religion

professors, Dr. Sloan and Dr. Reynolds. But it was his math pro-fessor, Dr. Coble, whom he recalls most fondly. “He took so much time with me aft er class to help me struggle through geometry,” Daniel says.

Gail McCutcheon Michael advises current students to

use their educational background

and to allow time to develop their faith.

In short, says Alfred I. “Al” Capuano, “Elon saved me.”

He recalls coming to Elon aft er a terrible fi rst year of college at the University of Miami. “Elon gave me a second chance. When I attended, it felt like I was part of an extended family, and I hope it never changes that aspect of its character,” Al says. “I always believed Elon stood for honor, integrity, industriousness and ex-cellence in how we should live our lives. I’ve tried my best to be true to those Elon core values.”

Roger E. Wood was named the 2011–12 president of the

Virginia Dental Association. He lives in Midlothian, Va.

Charles L. “Chuck” Ball says his novel, Mingo’s Cave, is

now available through Amazon in the United States and several other countries. All proceeds from book sales go to Ocean Cure Inc., which gives free surfi ng lessons to medi-cally fragile and at-risk youth and adults. Chuck lives in Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

Page W. Summerlin and Barbara Krauss Summerlin

’75 live in Lynchburg, Va., but are looking forward to spending more time at their North Carolina beach house. Page retired in June aft er 17 years working for his bread distrib-uting business.

Faith Pease Fredericks has retired aft er 37 years of

teaching elementary and middle school Spanish in the Catholic Archdiocese of Maryland’s school system. She has begun a second career teaching Spanish in Baltimore County’s Senior Community Centers. She lives in Middle River, Md.

Dennis B. Bullis retired in March aft er 35 years with

Lowe’s Companies. He lives in Graham, N.C.

1st Sgt. Don Ritter gave the keynote speech at the West

Chester, Pa., Memorial Day Parade on May 26. Ritter has received the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Achievement Medal among other decorations. He served in Iraq in 2005–06 and 2008–09. Don, still active in the Delaware Army

National Guard, is a safety di-rector at Chalmers & Kubek in Philadelphia.

Lisa Foster Faulk retired in August aft er 30 years work-

ing with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County (N.C.) Schools. She most recently served as a curriculum coordinator for the school district. Lisa lives in Winston-Salem with her husband, Turner Faulk ’79, who owns Faulk Trucks, Inc.

Linda Clark and Keith Doxey were married on

11/28/11. Th e couple live in Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom. ■ Cecil G.S. Coates lives in Raleigh, N.C., where he is the secondary student support team coordinator for Wake County Public Schools. He is president elect of the North Carolina School Counselor Association and also owns a busi-ness, Cabin Antiques.

Bill Coff man {MBA’88} re-minds his Sigma Pi brothers

about the fraternity’s 35th anniver-sary at Homecoming 2012. For ad-ditional information, email him at bcoff man@coff manmenswear.com. ■ Jeff rey L. Smith received the 2011 Duke Energy Citizenship Service Award from the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Chamber of Commerce at its annual meeting. He is a litiga-tion paralegal for Syngenta Crop Protection LLC.

Ken Bobbitt and his wife, Ann, recently purchased a

beach house in Beaufort, N.C., which has been named the “coolest small town in America.”

Todd D. McGirk is senior vice president of vendor

management for Bank of America in uptown Charlotte, N.C., where he’s lived since 2005. He’s enjoying reconnecting with fellow Elon graduates and fraternity brothers.

Kathleen Woods Mills has joined the Wake Forest

University School of Medicine as a prospect research analyst for the development offi ce. She lives with her husband, Robert, in Greensboro, N.C.

Kelly Rochelle Adkins has graduated from the

University of Richmond’s pastry arts program. ■ John G. Bell was promoted to principal of Selma Middle School in Johnston County, N.C. He lives in Louisburg, N.C.,

Todd Hershey ’92, Jennifer Hershey, & children

Oscar, Henry, Jackson & Oliver

Michelle B. Clifton ’92Cecil G.S. Coates ’81

Linda Clark Doxey ’81 & Keith Doxey

Sarah Noble Dougherty ’95, Stephen Dougherty,

& children Graycen, Ryan & Erin


with his wife, Maryann Caverly Bell ’91. ■ Last fall, Michelle B. Clift on wrote a chapter and co-ed-ited a handbook, Personal Injury Practice in North Carolina, in part-nership with the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. Michelle practices in Winston-Salem, N.C., and belongs to the North Carolina and Forsyth County bar associ-ations. ■ Todd Hershey and his wife, Jennifer, recently celebrated their ninth anniversary and wel-comed their fourth son, Oscar Campbell. Oscar joins big brothers Henry, Jackson and Oliver.

Michele Woodward Adams joined ReEmploy Ability as

a marketing representative, man-aging the company’s accounts in Texas and Oklahoma and devel-oping business throughout the Midwest. Michele and her daugh-ters, Abby and Grace, live in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area. ■ Gray West and Debbie Ziton-West welcomed twins Eli and Marina on 1/27/12. Th e family lives in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Ron M. Shovlin and his wife, Kara, began a clothing line,

“I Dare You Challengeware,” in 2010 to help motivate people to get active. Check out their products at challengewear.com. Th ey live in Westfi eld, N.J.

Sarah Noble Dougherty and Stephen Dougherty

welcomed a daughter, Graycen Lynn, on 12/8/11. She joins older siblings Ryan and Erin. Th e family lives in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. ■ Kristin Elizabeth Hayes and David Hartnett welcomed a daughter, Story Grace, on 4/14/11. Th e family lives in Long Branch, N.J.

Heather Shaff er Braue and Tim Braue welcomed

a daughter, Harper Tinsley, on 1/18/12. Harper joins older brothers Maddox and Hudson. Th e family lives in Fallston, Md. ■ Suzanne Silvestro Stevenson and Robbie Stevenson welcomed twins Jacob Th omas and Joshua Loudon on 12/19/11. Th ey join older brother Ryan. Th e family lives in Tulsa, Okla.

Christel James Aviles has launched Breathtaking

Youth Players, a performing arts group that raises money for pediatric asthma patients at the Children’s Hospital of

Philadelphia. Th e group was in-spired by Christel’s oldest daughter, Domonique, a gift ed young actress and vocalist who suff ers from severe asthma. ■ Jason Forsythe and Lisa Forsythe welcomed a son, Wyatt James, on 5/9/11. Wyatt joins older siblings Ava and William. Jason is an internal sales manager for Lincoln Financial, and the family lives in Glenside, Pa. ■ Lisa Roark Scotto and Joe Scotto welcomed a son, Th omas Joseph, on 2/6/12. Th omas joins older sister Claire. Lisa is a commercial account manager for TriSure in Raleigh, N.C.

Sarah Elder Burford and Th addeus Burford welcomed

a daughter, Marley Michaela, on 4/19/12. Th e family lives in Virginia Beach, Va. ■ Daniel Anderson

“Andy” Dietrich is co-owner of Champion Chevrolet Cadillac in Johnson City, Tenn. It has been the top Chevy dealer in the state for the past four years and won mul-tiple “Mark of Excellence” awards from GM. Andy was named one of upper-east Tennessee and south-west Virginia’s “top 40 under 40” this year. ■ Jenny Th igpen Kelly and Casey Kelly welcomed a son, Michael Anderson, on 1/4/11. Jenny is a staff accountant with Gold Crown Management, Inc. Th e family lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C. ■ Susie A. Mahoney has joined the University of Cincinnati and works in the Offi ce of Student Activities and Leadership Development. She completed her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Indiana University last year and received a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina in 2002. ■ Kent Wyatt was featured in the quarterly newsletter of the Oregon City/County Management Association about his family’s legacy in mu-nicipal government. Kent works as a senior management analyst for the city of Tigard, Ore., and his father, Ed, served as the manager of several cities in North Carolina. Kent also founded an organiza-tion, Emerging Local Government Leaders, which fosters relation-ships between organizations in the public and private sector.

Emily Tucker Barzee and Scott Barzee welcomed

a son, Braxton, on 1/14/12. Th e family lives in Huntersville, N.C. ■ Katie Sheffl er Bittle and

a charitable gift annuity of $10,000 or more to Elon will guar-antee you a fi xed income for the rest of your life. With market interest rates near historic lows, a gift annuity is an attractive way for you to increase your income and make a gift to Elon at the same time. You will receive immediate tax benefi ts and can defer capital gains. Th e payment rate of a charitable gift annuity depends on your age at the time of the gift – the older you are, the higher the rate.

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES CAN PROVIDE INCOME FOR LIFE

O N E B E N E F I C I A R Y

A G E A N N U I T Y R AT E

60 4.4%65 4.7%70 5.1%

T W O B E N E F I C I A R I E S

A G E A N N U I T Y R AT E

60/65 4.0%67/67 4.4%71/73 4.7%

To calculate a gift annuity for you, your spouse or a family member, visit elon.plannedgiving.org.

Annuity rates are subject to change. The annuity rate remains fi xed once your gift is made.

rates as of january ,

Talk with us today about how you may benefi t from a life income gift to Elon and other gift planning opportunities.

please contact:

Carolyn DeFrancesco, Director of Planned Giving(336) 278-7454 • [email protected] • elon.plannedgiving.org

CLASS NOTES

summer 2012 31

to fi ght cyber crimes. He lives in Arlington, Va. ■ Julie Denise Faulk and Billy Grooms were married on 4/14/12. Julie is a physical therapist with Palmetto Healthcare, and the couple live in Darlington, S.C. ■ Todd Harra and Melissa Harra welcomed a daughter, Brooke Ann, on 3/9/12. Todd is a funeral direc-tor for McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes in Wilmington, Del. ■ Stephanie Kearns Kepplinger and Keith Kepplinger welcomed a son, Landon Th omas, on 8/2/11. Th e family lives in Rolesville, N.C. ■ Sarah Southard Nelson and Brian Nelson ’05 welcomed their fi rst child, Lydia Faye, on 3/30/12. Th e family lives in Knoxville, Tenn. ■ Renita Leak Webb is the new elementary director/principal for Kestrel Heights School, a public charter school in Durham, N.C. ■ Laura Wright and Michael Casey were married on 10/1/11 in Cape Hatteras, N.C. Th e couple have lived in Beijing, China, for the past two years. Alumni in attendance were Anna Molaski Lamb ’02 and Katie Batten Page ’02.

Joseph F. Richardson com-pleted his MBA from the

University of Phoenix in June. He is the director of Mountainside Summer Camp, a division of Bar-T Summer Camps, and lives in Gaithersburg, Md. ■ Stan Smith and Katie Smith welcomed a daughter, Lola Mae, on 1/10/12. Stan is a teacher at Ledford High School, and the family lives in High Point, N.C.

Bre Keenan Bolivar grad-uated with medical and

Master of Public Health degrees from Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine. She and her husband, Omar, will be moving to Asheville, N.C., where she will work as a resident physi-cian in obstetrics and gynecology at the Mountain Area Health Education Center. ■ In April, David C. Douglas received a re-gional RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting. Aft er spending four years with WISC-TV in Madison, Wis., he left to become a freelance cross-plat-form journalist based in Chicago. Visit his website at daviddouglas.tv. ■ Melissa Holland Hlinovsky thanks all her fellow Elon alumnae who threw her a baby shower in April. Head women’s tennis coach Elizabeth Anderson, Kelly Fleck,

Devaughn Bittle welcomed a daughter, Olivia Ann, on 5/14/11. Katie is a second-grade teacher at Middletown Primary School in Frederick County, Md.

Janell Snyder Fisher and Shaun Fisher welcomed

a daughter, Holland Maria, on 6/24/11. Th e family lives in Marietta, Pa. ■ Michael C. McQuarrie became the new ath-letic director at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., this summer. ■ Cory Elizabeth Yankush and Dustin Wilharm were married on 10/8/11 in Asheville, N.C., where they live. Alumni in attendance were Kelsey Wells Zgieb, Beth Hickman ’02 and Megan Elliott LaRoque ’02.

Brian Baute {MBA} has joined Queens University in

Charlotte, N.C., as a manager of enterprise application systems. ■ Steven Dennis has joined Lorillard Tobacco as a marketing director. He lives in Greensboro, N.C. ■ Dan Evans was promoted to a su-pervisory special agent at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., where he will instruct agents working

Todd Harra ’04,

Melissa Harra &

daughter Brooke

Julie Faulk Grooms

’04 & Billy Grooms

Cory Yankush

Wilharm ’03 &

Dustin Wilharm

Janell Snyder Fisher ’03

& daughter Holland

Emily Tucker Barzee

’02, Scott Barzee &

son Braxton

Lisa Roark Scotto ’98,

Joe Scotto, & children

Thomas & Claire

Stan Smith ’05, Katie

Smith & daughter Lola

Laura Wright Casey

’04 & Michael Casey

Stephanie Kearns Kepplinger ’04,

Keith Kepplinger & children

LIGHTS, CAMERA …

Grace McPhillips ’03 is making a movie, and she’s looking for a few good Elon alumni to take part.

A graduate of Elon’s music theater program, McPhillips has worked for several years as an actress, writer and producer in Chicago. A short film she produced and starred in, “Fitting,” was featured in a March screening series in Chicago. Now she has embarked on a much larger project.

In partnership with a Los Angeles-based screenwriter, McPhillips wrote a feature-length script about the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Zelda and McPhillips share a hometown of Montgomery, Ala., where McPhillips hopes to shoot the film. Tentatively titled “Beautiful Little Fools,” the story follows lead character Zelda Stone, who moves from Seattle to Montgomery with her husband and discovers she shares a name with one of the town’s most famous natives. In addition to co-writing and producing the film, McPhillips expects to play one of the film’s lead roles.

She and her partner, veteran Hollywood producer Bob Hudgins, plan to begin filming in the fall. She’s interested in getting Elon alumni involved in several capacities, from on-screen talent (the script has 76 speaking roles) to production staff and investors.

“I love connecting with people I know and trust,” McPhillips says. “I would love Elon people to have a role in this film.”

Email [email protected] if you are interested in getting involved.

Suzanne Silvestro Stevenson ’96,

Robbie Stevenson, & children Jacob,

Joshua & Ryan

CLASS NOTES


A NEW WORLDVIEWBY CAITLIN O’DONNELL ’13

S he may have been thousands of miles from home, but Beth Roberts ’07 was surrounded by reminders of the United States – specifi cally, President Barack Obama.

“Malians love Americans, and you can buy anything and everything with Obama on it,” Roberts says. “They think Obama is African, even though I’m always telling them he’s American. You can buy Obama biscuits, cookies, boxer shorts, bags and T-shirts.”

For nearly two years, Roberts worked as a small enterprise development volunteer for the Peace Corps in the western African nation of Mali, where the citizens think of the United States primarily in terms of its wealth.

“They think all Americans are really rich, have huge cars and big houses,” she says. “Anything we could ever want in life we can get, because we’re in America.”

On April 8, a coup d’etat and a rebellion in north Mali forced an evacuation of volunteers, including Roberts. But during her time in the country, Roberts tried to bring a little bit of the American spirit of entrepreneurship to empower the citizens of a small Malian village. She taught English classes at a local high school and led a health and wellness course for women. She also worked closely with a group of women producing shea butter to sell at a local market, teaching them basic math and management skills.

“All but one of the women I worked with were illiterate, so we tried to fi gure out ways they could function as an organization without everyone being able to read and write,” Roberts says.

She picked up a local language called Bambara, which allowed her to communicate not only in her daily activities as a volunteer but also in less formal conversations with villagers.

“It’s a very social culture, so it was just sitting around, drinking tea and talking about what’s going on in the world,” Roberts says.

She also enjoyed the company of fellow Elon alumni Henry Cauley ’10 and Emily Alpert ’10, whom she met during the Peace Corps pre-service training. Both were health education volunteers and primarily worked with local health centers. For about four months, Cauley and Roberts worked together to train volunteers entering the program.

“During a time of transition and culture shock, it was nice to know that I already shared a bond with several other members of the group,” Roberts says. “We were going to Mali to represent not only the United States but also Elon together.”

Roberts says while she hopes her work positively aff ected some of the citizens of Mali, she can see the bigger picture.

“Members of the Peace Corps the world over will say what you have to get used to is not seeing progress, because two years to us seems like a long time, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a blip of time,” she explains.

Yet Roberts says her time in the Peace Corps strengthened her passion for politics and believes some of the strategies

and eff orts that are directed at foreign nations can be used to improve quality of life for needy Americans, too.

“I think often we’re looking across the ocean, not in our own backyards,” she says. “This experience has inspired me to continue to serve my community in the best way my time, money and talents can be spent.”

Now living in Washington, D.C., Roberts says she hopes to apply her experiences from the Peace Corps in a career focused on international issues.

{ Beth Roberts ’07 }

CLASS NOTES

summer 2012 33

Jill Pniewski, Lindsay Reinhardt, Elizabeth Shandley, Leigh Virtue, Kim Delp ’05, John Menser ’05, Ryan Nicolls ’05, Elliot Cardano ’07, Caity Cummings ’07, Anna Hinson Menser ’07 and Harriet Pharr ’07. ■ Kathleen Searles and John Nickerson were married on 7/23/11 in Asheville, N.C. Alumni in attendance were Amanda Taylor ’05, Kimberly Bari, Ian Bearup, Hayley Gravette, AJ Luce, Bill Primrose, Emily Sears, Tracy Trave and Monica Van Dongen. Th e couple live in Augusta, Ga., where Kathleen is an assistant professor of political science at Augusta State University and John is an account manager with Arc. ■ Laura Somerville has been named one of Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30 by the local chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Th e list recognizes individuals who exem-plify leadership, professionalism and service. Laura is an account assistant at DVL Public Relations and Advertising and serves as co-president of Elon’s Nashville Alumni Chapter. ■ Christopher B. Sponaugle graduated from Ross University School of Medicine in June. He will serve his residency at Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Va.

Rachel Eresman is a voca-tional assessor for Easter

Seals Tri-State and will relocate to the North Carolina Triad region soon. ■ Th omas M. Halloran graduated from Georgetown University in May with a Master of Public Policy degree. He will remain in Washington, D.C., as an environmental consultant with David Gardiner & Associates. ■ Breanna Hart and Jason Raue were married on 8/26/11. Liz McConville served as maid of honor. Th e couple live in Cherry Hill, N.J. ■ Jarrett G. Meadors is now a full partner with Merrill Lynch’s sports and entertainment group in Charlotte, N.C. ■ Tara Sissom appeared in a recent run of Eugene O’Neill’s “Th e Iceman Cometh” that starred Nathan Lane at Chicago’s Goodman Th eatre.

Two collages produced by Megan Coyle were ac-

cepted into the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art’s permanent collection. Th e works, “Mallard Duck” and “Flamingo Dancers,” can be viewed at the museum on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Megan

lives in Alexandria, Va. ■ Kelsey C. Davis received a Master of Education in bilingual/bicul-tural education and English as a second language from DePaul University. ■ Jake Emerson com-pleted his MBA at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in May. He works as an assistant vice president in EagleBank’s commercial lending department and lives in Chevy Chase, Md. ■ Joseph R. Mills and Christina Lynnette Reynolds were married on 4/28/12. Joseph is a photographer and Christina is a massage therapist. Th e couple live in North Redington Beach, Fla. ■ Jennifer Rampal and Matthew McGreevy were married on 4/21/12 in Jekyll Island, Ga. Th e couple live in Los Angeles, Calif. ■ Rob Saunders has joined Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Winston-Salem, N.C., as a fi nancial representative. ■ Jeff rey Schointuch and Monica Kobelinski ’10 were married on 6/25/11. Jeff rey works as a business development manager for C.H. Robinson and Monica will begin studies at the University of North Carolina Medical School in the fall. Th e couple live in Chapel Hill, N.C. ■ Laura Sinden and Marty P. Callinan were married on 3/17/12. Alumni in attendance were Lauren Durr, Andy Fox, Chris Gaudreau, Marissa Hardcastle, Brad Hartland, Sean McCauley, Todd Ruff ner and Hillary Stoker. Laura works as a statistician for the Centers for Disease Control and Marty is a stats analyst for ESPN. Th ey live in Atlanta, Ga. ■ Katie Spell received the Southeastern Panhellenic Conference’s New Professional Advisor of the Year Award at its annual conference in Atlanta, Ga. She is the assistant director of fraternity and sorority life at the University of South Carolina, where she earned her master’s de-gree. ■ Jacqueline Spry graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a master’s degree in social work. She will begin a fel-lowship for 2012–13 in the Veterans Administration’s Interprofessional Psychosocial Rehabilitation Fellowship. ■ Matthew Th ornell graduated with honors from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business with a master’s degree in technology commercialization.

Ashley Poole

McEwen ’09 &

Kevin McEwen

Alex Nickodem ’09

& Kristi Townsend

Nickodem

Jacqueline Spry ’08

Laura Sinden Callinan ’08 &

Marty Callinan ’08Tara Sissom ’07, center, with actor Nathan Lane

Melissa Holland Hlinovsky ’06 & fellow Elon tennis alumnae

Breanna Hart Raue

’07 & Jason Raue ’07

Kathleen Searles

Nickerson ’06 &

John Nickerson ’06 Day Peery Palmer ’06, George Palmer & friends

Kristin N. Hilgartner ’10

David C. Douglas ’06

Michelle Mastaler Henson, Catharine Mullen Palmer, Whitney Butcher ’09, Allison Carney ’09, Jennifer Tucci ’09 and Paige Kensrue ’10 were in attendance. ■ Laura K. Mackie has received her master’s degree from Smith College School for Social Work. She will begin a postgraduate fel-lowship this fall at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Counseling and Psychological Health. ■ Day Peery and George Palmer were married on 4/30/11 in Charlotte, N.C. Alumni in at-tendance were Kathryn Atkinson, Scott Christenbury, Stephanie Freeman, Zach Jonas, Erin Lewis,

CLASS NOTES


{ Stacey Walters ’92 }

I f it’s true that adversity builds character, Stacey Walters ’92 has gotten quite the workout over the past several years.

When Stacey graduated with honors from Elon with a degree in biology in 1992, married her high school sweetheart, Roland, a year later and moved to Michigan in 1995 to begin law school, she fi gured they had left Roland’s family’s dairy farm for good. She never imagined the sharp turns her life would take after that.

Toward the end of the couple’s time in Michigan, Roland’s father learned he had cancer. After traveling back to North Carolina frequently to look after the family’s Efl and farm, the Walters moved to Roanoke, Va., before settling back down in their home state, taking over the farm after Roland’s father died. But that wasn’t all.

In 2008, the Walters welcomed their second child, daughter Shayla, who was born with a heart defect. Five months later, Shayla’s heart stopped for 45 minutes, and she was left with cerebral palsy, cortical vision impairment and conditions requiring her to use a feeding tube. Needing time to care for her daughter, Stacey left her job in insurance defense litigation in Greensboro and took a job that promised more fl exibility. But she was laid off just a few

months later and has been unable to fi nd employment since.

Meanwhile, Roland had put signifi cant energy toward turning their farm into a viable business.

“He had a vision of trying to make the farm sustainable,” Stacey says, which required Roland to learn a way of farming far diff erent from what he’d experienced growing up. “Because it was just Roland (working), we had to gear it toward one man being able to run it on his own.”

In 2004, they began feeding their cows grass instead of grain. Then they stopped using chemical treatments Roland’s family had relied on when he was growing up and bought a herd of goats to help manage the weeds. They started off ering free-range roaster chickens and eggs and pastured pork and, last summer, they stocked a pond with catfi sh. Recently, they added produce and planted 500 blueberry bushes with plans to start a “pick-your-own” program that would open to the public next spring. Stacey brought the Earth-friendly spirit to their home, making her own cleaning supplies to eliminate toxic chemicals.

Yet the transition to sustainable farming – like seemingly everything else in the Walters’ life – hasn’t gone without struggles

and fi nancial setbacks. In 2007, during a severe drought, the farm’s well went dry and they needed to dig a new one. They later sold more than half their herd to avoid going further into debt to buy hay for the cows they kept.

But she and Roland are looking past the setbacks toward possibilities for the future. Stacey says when the farm begins to turn a profi t, they would like to start a farm-to-fork restaurant and possibly open a bed and breakfast overlooking a waterfall near the back of their property. Stacey also is looking to reinvigorate her legal career, opening S. Walters Law in Mebane in February. Though she’s currently the fi rm’s only employee, she’s working hard at spreading the word about her business.

“When I can pull myself up by the bootstraps, I know there will be a success story behind it – because I’m not a quitter,” Stacey says. “I feel like all the varied experiences I’ve had throughout my life and at Elon have made me a more well-rounded person.”

Visit waltersunlimited.com to learn more about the Walters’

farm and their chemical-free products; swalterslaw.com

provides information about Stacey’s law practice.

BY THE BOOTSTRAPSBY NATALIE ALLISON ’13

CLASS NOTES

summer 2012 35

Alisha Corbin graduated summa cum laude from

the University of Florida in May, earning a Master of Pharmacy with emphasis in forensic DNA and serology. ■ Scott D. Leighty completed his master’s degree in education with a focus on student aff airs from N.C. State University. He has joined Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity in Charlotte, N.C., where he will serve as the director of standards and accountabil-ity. ■ Katie Mannen graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law in May. ■ Alex Nickodem and Kristi Townsend were married on 1/21/12. Scott Jones served as best man, and Sean O’Connor and Travis Meeks were groomsmen. Th e couple live in Greensboro, N.C., where Alex serves as a brand representative for Red Oak Brewery. ■ John E. Planisek is teaching high school choir in Chicago, Ill. In May, he and his show choir performed for an audience that included First Lady Michelle Obama at an

event during the NATO summit. ■ Ashley Poole and Kevin McEwen were married on 4/21/12. Th ey live in Kingsport, Tenn. ■ Nicole M. Quarles-Th omas’s book, Th ink Career! Th e Young Person’s Guide to Career Planning in the Real World, was published in April. She hopes to help teens, young adults and recent high school graduates learn techniques of successful individuals. She lives in Atlanta, Ga. ■ Barron L. Th ompson {LAW} and Emily Th ompson welcomed a daughter, Ava Annabelle, on 4/14/12. Barron is an attorney in Asheboro, N.C. ■ Chad W. Zimmermann graduated from the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State University in May and plans to sit for the Pennsylvania Bar Examination this summer.

Megan Cunningham grad-uated from Florida State

University in April with a master’s degree in French with a concen-tration in contemporary French and Francophone studies. ■ Lindsay J. Eversole and Joseph A. Simmons were married on 7/9/11 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Alumni par-ticipating in the wedding were Christopher Beeson and Amelia

Martin. Lindsay is a fi ft h-grade teacher at Elon Elementary School and Joseph is pursuing graduate studies in physics at N.C. State University. Th e couple live in Mebane, N.C. ■ Kristin N. Hilgartner graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a master’s degree in Spanish. She will begin a doctoral program in Spanish at the University of Virginia this fall. Kristin is the fi rst in her immediate family to complete college, and her younger brother, Joshua Hilgartner, is an Elon Academy scholar who will at-tend Wake Forest University next year. ■ Makaila McKinley com-pleted a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in child development from the Eliot Pearson Department of Child Development at Tuft s University. ■ Barbara McPherson Smith {M.Ed.} has received her National Board Certifi cation in special education, birth through age 21. She lives in Cary, N.C. ■ Katie Strickland and Brian Swift were married on 10/15/11. Alumni in attendance were Kathryn Huff man, Sara Pasquinelli, Brian Fisher, Jana Schibler, Cindy

In MemoriamLawrence G. Gordon Sr. ’38, Winston-Salem, N.C. 4/7/12.Silvio W. Caruso ’41, Clinton, N.C. 2/27/12.Th e Rev. Jesse Howard Cates ’45, Burlington, N.C. 4/1/12.Julia Williams ’45, Green Lake, Wis. 4/27/12.Blanche Hunter Coghill Harper ’48, Acworth, Ga. 5/6/12.George T. Parker ’49, Columbia, S.C. 5/9/12.James N. “Jimmy” Hall ’51, Burlington, N.C. 5/6/12.Henry T. Hoppe III ’52, Charlotte, N.C. 1/19/12.Albert M. Stephens ’53, Washington, N.C. 1/26/11.Rebecca A. “Becky” Bradley Johnson ’55, Greensboro, N.C. 4/30/12.Francis S. “Tony” Stump ’55, Danville, Va. 5/7/12.William B. Barham ’60, Burlington, N.C. 5/3/12.William T. “Bill” Brooks ’60, St. Petersburg, Fla. 4/23/12.Milton C. Grose ’64, Asheboro, N.C. 5/14/12.Charlie H. Strigo ’64, Brevard, N.C. 12/22/11.Larry C. Rayfi eld ’67, Greensboro, N.C. 4/6/12.Th e Rev. Dolan A. Talbert ’68, Suff olk, Va. 5/9/12.Daniel “Cecil” Johnson ’70, Raleigh, N.C. 5/16/12.Harold L. Th ornton ’73, Mebane, N.C. 5/14/12.Harriet Bolger Payne ’75, Greensboro, N.C. 4/8/12.Bobby L. Goodman ’79, Burlington, N.C. 4/19/12.Tamara Miller Poretsky ’85, Sparks, Md. 2/4/12.Randolph D. “Dolph” Mills III ’98, Henderson, N.C. 4/27/12.Carroll B. “Carey” Scovel ’06, Columbia, S.C. 4/21/12.

Brittany Cadwallader

Burton ’12 &

Philip Burton

Laura Wylie

McDougall ’11 &

Scott McDougall ’09

Ashley Ward Brown ’11 &

Jonathan Brown

Class of 2011 alumni at the Rock ‘n’ Roll D.C. Half Marathon

Katie Strickland Swift ’10, Brian Swift & friends

Lindsay Eversole Simmons ’10,

Joseph Simmons ’10 & friends

CLASS NOTES


THE LIFERBY NATALIE ALLISON ’13

K yle Wills ’81 just can’t stay away from Elon athletics.

Mere hours after his wedding, Wills found himself at an Elon College football game at Lenoir-Rhyne University – a quick stop before he and his wife, Linda Lloyd Wills ’82, began their honeymoon in the North Carolina mountains.

When their only child, Lindsey, was born in 1989, he left the hospital a few hours later to attend an Elon basketball tournament.

Some people might think he’s crazy, but Wills just loves what he does.

Currently Elon’s senior associate athletic director for business operations

– the latest in a string of titles he’s held in Elon’s Department of Athletics – Wills oversees the department’s entire budget. And he hasn’t missed a home football game since 1970. Based on an average of fi ve home games per season over 41 seasons, that’s well more than 200 games. That doesn’t count playoff

and championship games, which Elon hosted regularly in the 1970s and ’80s.

Wills’ streak began at age 12, when his father, Terry, joined Elon as an athletic trainer in 1970. Wills went on to attend Elon for college and, fi ttingly enough, he roomed in the gym alongside his best friend and former Elon football star Mitch Rippy ’80. They were responsible for shutting down late-night pickup basketball games and locking up the building.

“It was awesome,” Wills remembers. “Think about it as a guy would: At 5:30 or 6 p.m., teams fi nished practicing, and the gym was packed until 11, when we ran everyone out. I’d shower and change in the locker room, and I could cut the lights back on and shoot basketball by myself if I couldn’t sleep.”

Though he’s spent the majority of his life at Elon, Wills says he’s never felt a pull to leave.

“It’s never stagnant. I think what keeps a lot of people here is that

Elon is always moving and changing, especially over the past 20 years,” Wills says. He adds that one of the benefi ts of being part of Elon athletics for so long has been seeing some of the university’s best athletes in their prime. Even more special to him is when one of those stars is the son of a college buddy, such as Scott Riddle ’11, whose father, Jimmy Riddle ’79, was a star in his own right back in the day.

“Scott felt like a little bit of a son, because Jimmy and I were so close,” Wills says. “I’d say (Scott) is one of the top fi ve best players I’ve seen in Elon’s history.”

In his early years, Wills’ devotion to Elon football was at his own leisure. But now employed at Elon, attending football games has been a welcome part of nearly every position he’s held on staff .

“We only have fi ve or six home games a year, so it’s sort of all hands on deck,” he says. “It feels like you need to be there for all those games when you’ve got up to 11,000 people in the stands.”

But Wills is always there. And he doesn’t mind.

{ Kyle Wills ’81 }

CLASS NOTES

summer 2012 37

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Blanchard, Molly Costigan, Walt Yates, Sarah Vavrek, Lisa Bodine, Lindsay Depow and Jessica Flammer ’09. Th e couple live in Seattle, Wash. ■ Kimberly Duggins Wiseman has received a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Wyoming. She lives in Laramie, Wyo.

Sean M. Butler was recognized last December as an All-

American Flag Football Offi cial by American Collegiate Intramural Sports at its national tournament hosted by the University of West

Florida. He lives in Flanders, N.J. ■ Daniel W. Higginbotham is one of several alumni who learned under the wing of Bill Webb, as-sociate professor of performing arts. Daniel works with Cirque du Soleil’s “LOVE” in Las Vegas; Paige Carter ’12 is interning with Cirque Du Soleil’s “Ka,” Matt Artigues ’12 is interning with PRG, a produc-tion company; and Stuart Richie ’10 is a stage manager for Cirque du Soleil’s “Alegria” traveling show. Bill frequently travels to Las Vegas on business-related trips, Daniel

says, and he always stops by to see how his students are doing. ■ Several members of the Class of 2011 gathered in Washington, D.C., March 17 for the Rock ’n’ Roll USA Half Marathon. Natalie Lampert, Jesse Lee and Erika Pescatore participated in the race, and Riley Beetner, Rachel Perron, Kayla Hicken and Christy Zimmerman attended to cheer on their fellow alums. ■ Ashley Nicole Ward and Jonathan E. Brown were married on 4/7/12. ■ Laura Ann Wylie and Scott MacDougall ’09 were

married on 3/31/12 in Vienna, Va. Laura works as a fi rst-grade teacher for Fairfax County Schools and Scott is a government analyst. Th ey live in Oakton, Va.

Brittany Nicole Cadwallader and Philip A. Burton were

married on 4/14/12 in Lake Wylie, S.C. Brittany manages devel-opment and marketing for Th e Salvation Army of High Point, N.C., where the couple live.

CLASS NOTES


about how you can make a diff erence at Elon by contacting Carolyn DeFrancesco, Director of Planned Giving ■ (336) 278-7454 ■ [email protected] ■ elon.plannedgiving.org

{ David Beahm ’83 }

LEARN MORE

Ask David Beahm ’83 why he gives back to his alma mater, and he’ll give you a simple answer.

“If we as alumni don’t step up, who will?” he says. “We have to invest in Elon to move the university forward.”

Beahm made an estate gift that in the future will provide scholarship assistance for students in the Department of Performing Arts, where Beahm earned a degree in music.

“Elon gave me a foundation and professors who believed in me. Without that, I really and truly believe I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he says. “Elon showed me that I could soar.”

Beahm is president of David Beahm

Design, one of the nation’s premier event-plan-ning fi rms, and David Beahm Destinations, which provides upscale travel experiences across the globe. His client list includes plenty of celebrities, but good luck getting Beahm to talk about any of them. He’d rather talk about his love for Elon and the professors who changed his life, including Fletcher Moore ’34, a former dean, longtime music faculty mem-ber and a gift ed pianist and organist.

“He was the fi rst professor who made me realize that I had a voice. I’ll never forget him,” Beahm says. “Th e music faculty were a fam-ily, and they took me under their wings and showed me my potential.”

Aft er graduating from Elon, Beahm taught music in his home state of Virginia before pursuing a career in the arts in California and New York. He left the stage in 1998 to launch David Beahm Design.

Beahm encourages other alumni to con-sider placing Elon in their estates.

“Th e process of making this gift was a lot simpler than I thought it would be, and it makes a lot of sense,” he says. “I have to be fi s-cally responsible to my company now, but I’m not going to miss the money when I’m gone. I want to know that my money is going where it can do the most good. What can I say? Elon has stolen my heart.”

‘ELON HAS STOLEN MY HEART’BY JALEH HAGIGH

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

summer 2012 39

COMMENCEMENT

University photographer Kim Walker captured unforgettable moments from Commencement, such as this smile from Ashley Jobe ‘12, pictured at right. Our graduates shared some great ones via Instagram, too. See more from Walker and our newest alumni at elon.edu/magazine.

I look forward to coming back to reunions and being introduced to the loves of your lives. I look forward to being invited to weddings, and I look forward to opening the mail to see the announcements of your fi rst-born children. We’re a family now, and that’s what a family does.

TAYLOR MARTIN ’, CLASS PRESIDENT

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Toll Free: (877) 784-3566elon.edu/alumni

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Documents

The Magazine of Elon, Summer 2012