Delta State
Delta State
SPRING 2010Ticket to Ride
Liz Davis wins MTV’s Starmaker
1.800.GO.TO.DSU www.deltastate.edu
PULL YOUR WEIGHT!
Show your school pride by helping recruit future Statesmen and Lady Statesmen.
There are several ways alumni can help recruit. Try staffing a college fair in your community, submit names and addresses of the college bound students in your family or community, and market Delta State in your community or work place.
Contact the Office of Admissions at 662.846.4020 or visit www.deltastate.edu to find out more ways you can help!
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DEPARTMENTS
On the cover: Liz Davis in studio. Photo by Michael Gomez Photography.
2
President’s Message
3
Alumni Message
4
Campus Briefs
8
Athletics
12
Development
24
With the Classes
FEATURES
PAYING IT FORWARD
PAYING IT FORWARD
HITTING THE HIGH NOTES
HITTING THE HIGH NOTES
A TRUE STATESMAN
A TRUE STATESMAN
Making it Possible for Future Generations to
Pursue Higher Education.
Alumnus Liz Davis convinces P. Diddy to do something
he has never done before.
Charlie Capps kept the Delta at the forefront
of Mississippi politics.
Contents Spring 2010
Alumni Magazine
President...Dr. John Hilpert
Alumni Magazine Advisory Board:
Editor ... Dr. Michelle Roberts Managing Editor ...Michael Gann Alumni Board Representative ... John Cox Alumni Representative ... Edward Pope Foundation Representative ...Billy Nowell Academic Council Representative ...Jeff Slagell Staff Council Representative ... Deborah Moore Alumni-Foundation, Department Editor ... Jeffrey Farris Athletics, Department Editor ... Matt Jones
Executive Director, Alumni-Foundation ... Keith Fulcher
Board of Directors
Delta State University Alumni Association: John Cox, President; George Bassi, President Elect; Serena Clark, Secretary/Treasurer; Daye Dearing, Past President; Judson Thigpen, Foundation President; Michael Aguzzi, Rob Armour, Billy Dorgan, Ryan England, Sayward Fortner, Chrissy LaMastus, Felecia Lee, Mary Luther, Richard Myers, Cary New, Jeremy Pittman, Russ Russell, Karen Swain, Sarah Tapley, Walter Trevathan, Dwaun Warmack, Dana Warrington, Lynn Weaver
Board of Directors
Delta State University Foundation, Inc.: Judson Thigpen, President; Mike Neyman, Vice President; Anne Weissinger, Secretary/Treasurer; Frank Sibley, Past President; John Cox, Alumni President; David Abney, Dr. Bill Alford, Louis Baioni, Anita Bologna, Ike Brunetti, Hunter Cade, Jeff Ross Capwell, John Crawford, Rex DeLoach, Keith Derbes, Dr. Anna Looney Dill, Hank Drake, Carl Easley, Webster Franklin, Bryce Griffis, Earnest Hart, Tim Harvey, Tom Janoush, Peter Jernberg, Gloria Johnson, Ed Kossman, Jr., Rex Lyon, Ned Mitchell, Billy Nowell, Carol Puckett, Randy Randall, Nan Sanders, Jeff Tarver, Sam Waggoner, Brian Waldrop, Margaret Walker, Dr. David Webber
The Delta State Magazine is published by the Vice President for University Relations, DSU Box A-1, 1003 West Sunflower Road
Cleveland, Mississippi 38733 E-Mail: alumnimagazine@deltastate.edu
Phone: 662.846.4000
Design: Laura F. Walker, Department of Communications and Marketing
Note: In an effort to reduce our environmental impact,
Liz Davis performs during MTV’s Starmaker competition.
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Dear Friends,
If one works for several years in higher education, it is a certainty he or she will have experienced what I like to call the vicissitudes of funding. In other words, the amount of money available to open the doors, fill the seats, and operate is changeable, usually within a reasonable range of variability. During my 32 years in senior administration, funding has been pretty stable within such a range . . . until recently.
Now budget cuts prompted by the sluggish national economy and the resultant shortfalls in state revenues remind me of the surf. As one retreating wave drags sand and shells into the ocean, the next wave rolls in steeper and crashes harder.
We’ve cut millions because of four mid-term reductions this year alone, and almost surely there are more rollbacks on the way. Believe it or not, many higher education colleagues in other states are facing even worse situations.
Though managing for stability and quality in a long and deep recession is difficult, it is unquestionably worth the time and energy everyone is giving. When you see students graduating and taking the first steps toward career success, you know the teaching, research, and service of the university deserve our best efforts.
As you read the contents of this alumni magazine, you will enjoy a small
sampling of the many accomplishments, events, and developments happening at your university. Every day I remind folks that despite the budget reductions, more than 90 percent of our funding resources are intact and our organization is strong. We are fortunate to have a history of sound operations and a resilient team of faculty and staff.
We’re also fortunate to have generous alumni and friends. At the Delta State Foundation and the Delta State Alumni Association giving has never been better. Folks know it is time to help with scholarships and unrestricted gifts available for the areas of greatest need. We are very grateful to everyone whose heart and billfold open a little wider these days to help us meet our challenges.
All the best to you for a pleasant and productive summer! Visit when you can.
Sincerely,
John M. Hilpert
President
Dear Alumni and Friends:
Just the other day, a friend of mine asked me, “Why do you spend so much time with Delta State?” The answer to that question is very simple. Like most of you, I love our University, and I want it to continue to be the jewel in the Delta that we all know it to be. I loved my time at Delta State, and I want to see other students enjoy similar experiences. I simply feel that it is our duty to give back to the University who has given us so much.
We have a very ambitious year planned for your Alumni Association. We have over twenty-five chapter meetings planned for the upcoming year, as well as our special events for Spring Sports Weekend in Cleveland, New York City, Atlanta, and Lake Tiak-O’khata. I have had the pleasure of meeting a great number of you when I have visited the local chapters, and the enthusiasm that everyone brings for our alma mater is refreshing. I am pleased to report that membership in the Alumni Association is at an all-time high, and that the Statesmen Nation is alive and well. I cannot say “thank you” enough to all of our many friends and volunteers who have helped our Alumni Association continue to grow and prosper.
I am sure that a great number of you have heard or read about the great challenges that our University
is facing in these tough economic times. However, I want to personally encourage each of you to remain positive about our University, and to continue to do your part to make it grow. While many of you lend important and significant specific support to the University throughout the year, please know that one of the greatest gifts you can give the University is your loyalty. I have said it at countless chapter meetings in the last fourteen months, but in my mind, the single greatest marketing tool this University possesses is each alumni’s individual support. When a friend or colleague inquires of you where you went to school, I want you to stick out your chest with pride and say, “Delta State University.” Please recommend a potential student to our recruiting office. Please continue to do your part to help further the legacy of our great university. Your continued good work “in the field” will only further our mission of being one of America’s greatest regional universities.
It continues to be an honor to serve all of you as your National Alumni Association President. I look forward to seeing all of you in the year ahead. Go Statesmen!
All my best,
John C. Cox ’96
National Alumni Association President Joohhnh CC. Cox xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx’9’9’9’9’9’9’9’9’9’9’9999999999999999999996
Alumni Message
JOIN YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Graduation Year or Year Attended _____________________________________Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________ (for our tax records, please use your full legal name)
Nickname ______________________________________________ Birth date ______ / _______ / ______________
Address _________________________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________________________________________
Employer ________________________________________________________________________________________
Job Title _________________________________________________________________________________________
Email ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Please check the type of membership that best suits your needs.
1 year ($20 Single, $30 Joint) Life ($400 Single, $600 Joint)
Total amount enclosed: __________________________________________
Check VISA MasterCard
Card #: _________________________________________________________
Name: __________________________________________________________ (exactly as it appears on card)
Make check payable to DSU Alumni Association
MAIL TO: DSU Box 3104, 1003 West Sunflower Road, Cleveland, MS 38733
The Delta State Quadrangle is the highly visible, major entrance to the University from Highway 8. Several historically significant buildings face the Quad. But one of the most recognizable and significant features of the Delta State campus has been the magnificent heritage oak trees that surround it. The original oaks were planted in 1926. Unfortunately, the large heritage oaks were ravaged by the Ice Storm of 1994, and many had to be removed after the storm. Some of the original oaks that remain have continued to decline in structural stability and had to be removed.
During the winter break, the Department of Facilities Management embarked on a campus enhancement project that included the removal of damaged oak trees that posed a possible safety hazard.
“I am one of many alumni who graduated on the Quad, and I have fond memories of times spent there as a student and administrator,” said President Emeritus Dr. Kent Wyatt (’56). “In 1994 we were advised that the severity of the ice storm damaged the trees to the extent that most would not be sustainable over time. Following the ice storm, new oak trees were planted between each of the existing oaks that remained knowing that at sometime in the future the damaged oaks would have to be replaced. I have great sentiment for the
oak trees on the Quad, however safety for students and campus personnel cannot be compromised. Having to remove some of the old oaks is regrettable, but necessary, and I am confident the restoration plan will preserve the aesthetic identity of the Quad.”
Funding for the project, which includes replacement of the trees and other landscape improvements, is provided through a $15,000 grant from the Mississippi Transportation Enhancement Tree Planting Program. “Since 1994, we have replaced some of the heritage trees with new oak trees,” said Linda A. Smith, Delta State’s landscape architect and alumnus. “The grant will provide the resources to fill in the spaces on the Quad with a
collection of
native Mississippi oaks, which will restore the visual and architectural aesthetics of the Quad and preserve a significant part of the identity of Delta State.”
Tree replacement began in early January with approximately 30 new oaks of various species planted. The new trees range from 12 to 15 feet tall and will be part of a developing landscape master plan designed to create a campus arboretum and gardens of horticultural significance. The oaks will be a significant tree collection for Delta State and will provide educational resources for the University and the community.
Campus Briefs
Campus Enhancement Project
Severely damaged trees were removed from the Quad as part of the Campus Enhancement Campaign.
Students stay
Delta State’s Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Information Technologies (GIT) was recently called on once again by the federal government to produce maps to assist the earthquake stricken area of Haiti. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the capital and most populated city of the Caribbean island nation, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas causing incalculable loss of life.
With a host of rescue missions being sent to assist in relief efforts, Delta State’s Center was contacted by a member of the Department of Homeland Security with a request for maps that could assist the efforts of numerous government and independent relief agencies.
A U.S. National Grid, which is a coordinate system that helps responders by providing a common, spatially-based reference in a landscape devoid of the visual cues (street signs, buildings, etc.) that are needed for navigation, is being conducted by Delta State’s GIT Center with the support of the U.S. Geological Survey.
According to Director Talbot Brooks, “The Center has extensive experience in working during times of crisis from both the emergency response and geospatial support perspectives. We hope we may contribute to the larger effort by creating usable products and services that will help save lives in the immediate term and facilitate recovery in the longer term.”
Miriam C. Davis,
Dr. John M. Hilpert Delta State University President Dr. John M. Hilpert was elected to the prestigious position of Chair of the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges at the organization’s annual conference in December. He assumes the duties of Chair in 2010 after serving as 2009 Vice Chair and having served on the 2008 Executive Council of the Commission.
Pat Hilpert Delta State University First Lady Pat Hilpert was selected to the editorial board of the Clarion Ledger. Chosen from more than 100 applicants, Hilpert will
serve on the 12-member reader board that is charged with analyzing latest news and opinion trends and discussing what position the newspaper will take on a range of issues.
Dr. Paulette Meikle-Yaw
Dr. Paulette Meikle-Yaw was selected as the 2010 Educator of the year by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of the Institutions of Higher
Learning. She is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Community Development and has introduced students to diverse perspectives and cultures in the classroom.
Dr. John C. Merrill Dr. John C. Merrill (’49), journalism educator and author, donated the awards he has earned during his journalism career and his 33 published
volumes to the Delta State Archives and Museum.
NEWSMAKERS
Delta State Assists
Haitian Relief
Michael Maloney, US National Grid Coordinator at Delta State, works with GIT students Jeremy Simmons and Chris Smith to develop maps to aid search and rescue responders on the ground in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
At this year’s opening convocation President John Hilpert
announced that Delta State University would celebrate the “Year of the Arts” as part of its ongoing series of annual “Year of” themes.
The Year of the Arts Planning Committee, chaired by Collier Parker (’79), dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, organized a series of musical performances, plays, art exhibitions, lectures/ presentations, brown bag lunches, in-service workshops, afterschool sessions, etc. that took place throughout the year.
Delta art lovers were treated to a number of events such as the sculpture exhibition by Glenn Zweygardt titled “Green Logic and
Other Orbits.” Music and film buffs watched “Out of This World:
An Avant-Garde Adventure in Film and Music” with the score performed live by Bruce Levingston. Literary and music writers attended The Mississippi Writers Round Table, and music lovers were treated to “Thacker Mountain Radio: Delta Edition,” at the Delta Music Institute.
“The Year of the Arts provides a tremendous opportunity for Delta State University and the Cleveland community to showcase the special relationship and appreciation that has always existed between the University, the community, and the arts,” said Parker. cation f” ng Other Or watch A i t by B and m The Mi
Campus Briefs
Going Green
Any Delta State fan or alumnus knows that Delta State’s color has always been green. However, the university is going a different kind of green by initiating
a recycling pilot project as a part of the campus’ Green Initiatives program. The pilot project will focus on educating the campus community about the
importance and benefits of recycling, as well as collecting and recycling paper, plastic, and aluminum cans from designated locations on campus.
The Facilities Management Department will set up collection stations at Hammett Residence Hall and W. M. Kethley Hall as part of the initiation of Phase One of the recycling program. The pilot program will also set up collection stations in eight other strategic locations around campus including
the H.L. Nowell Student Union.
The Madison Center, directed by Dr. Garry Jennings, is coordinating student volunteers from across campus, including the Phi Mu Fraternity, who will participate in the collection and sorting of recyclables from Hammett and Kethley Halls. Delta State’s long range plans for the recycling
program include developing educational seminars and programs as well as partnering with other local agencies, businesses, and schools to foster a community-wide recycling program.
Delta State to Become Tobacco-Free
This fall, Delta State University will kick the habit and snuff out tobacco use on campus to help reduce the health risks caused by tobacco and to try and ensure a healthier environment for faculty, staff, and students.
Tobacco dependence is the nation’s most preventable cause of death and disease. Nationally, tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths or an estimated 440,000 deaths per year in the United States or approximately
1,200 people each day.*
The university’s new tobacco-free policy will affect all grounds and buildings on the campus, and follows a series of steps to curb the use of tobacco on university grounds.
“We are developing a cessation support program with assistance from the Bolivar Medical Center that we hope will create an easier, successful transition to a tobacco free environment,” said Vice President of Student
Affairs Wayne Blansett (’73).
“The decision to become a tobacco-free campus aligns perfectly with the goals of the Healthy Campus/Community Initiative to improve the health of our community,” said President John M. Hilpert. “We will make this change gradually with input from the campus
community on how best to put our new policy into practice.”
*Source: Florida Hospital Association and the University of Florida Health Science Center (http://tobaccofree.health.ufl.edu/about/index.php)
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Going Green
Any Delta State fan or alumnus knows that Delta State’s color has always been green. However, the university is going a different kind of green by initiating
a recycling pilot project as a part of the campus’ Green Initiatives program. The pilot project will focus on educating the campus community about the
importance and benefits of recycling, as well as collecting and recycling paper, plastic, and aluminum cans from designated locations on campus.
The Facilities Management Department will set up collection stations at Hammett Residence Hall and W. M. Kethley Hall as part of the initiation of Phase One of the recycling program. The pilot program will also set up collection stations in eight other strategic locations around campus including
the H.L. Nowell Student Union.
The Madison Center, directed by Dr. Garry Jennings, is coordinating student volunteers from across campus, including the Phi Mu Fraternity, who will participate in the collection and sorting of recyclables from Hammett and Kethley Halls. Delta State’s long range plans for the recycling
program include developing educational seminars and programs as well as partnering with other local agencies, businesses, and schools to foster a community-wide recycling program. This falll, DeDeltlta aState University
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President John M. Hilpert has vowed to maintain stability in academic programs despite the budgetary challenges facing all Mississippi universities. To date, decreases to budgets across Mississippi’s public universities are nearing $40 million, with Delta State experiencing a decrease of $3.5 million.
Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Hank Bounds predicts cuts to the university system that will result in a reduction of $1,031,045 for Delta State next year. Expected mandatory increases in costs—health insurance, retirement plans, and faculty promotions—could bring the total to be addressed in FY11 to $1,797,977. The Institutions for Higher Learning Board recently granted the request for a nine percent tuition increase for next year, making the
anticipated net reduction $604,477. About 45 percent of the total cuts to the university budget have directly affected
personnel—layoffs, lost positions that happened to be vacant, or reductions in the amount of state support. The personnel
reductions come from all divisions of the university, and to date all have been staff positions.
“We are working to minimize the cuts and to maintain stability in academic programs to the extent possible,” said Hilpert. “As I said earlier this year in the State of the University address and in previous correspondence, nearly 90 percent of our overall university budget remains intact. Our most important efforts must go toward fulfilling our teaching, research, and service missions for our students and for the citizens of the Mississippi Delta. The Delta State University Hamilton-White Child
Development Center has a long and proud history of service to the University and the community. The Center, which serves as a laboratory school within the College of Education, provides a supervised environment for students in the College of Education to gain hands-on experiences in working with preschool children.
The Center dates back to 1942 when Miss Minnie Patton, an Associate Professor in Home Economics at Delta State College, organized a nursery school which offered half day educational experiences for preschoolers. Over the past 68 years the Center has experienced significant changes. What once housed two half-day classrooms for four- and
five-year-old children, has grown to a full day, year-round program with five classrooms. The Center currently serves 70 families with children from six weeks to five years of
age.
Nearly 70 years after its creation, the Center is still providing excellent care and education to small children and providing hands-on experiences for Child Development students. And although the Center has expanded, the philosophy has remained the same. Children are able to actively explore with appropriate developmental
activities and materials. The curriculum is centered on developmentally appropriate language, art, math, and science activities.
To help celebrate this outstanding achievement of service and to say thank you to all of the families who have supported it over the years, the Center is planning a series of events to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2012. If you or a family member attended the Child Development Center, please contact Leigh-Anne Gant at 662.846.4320 or e-mail at lgant@deltastate.edu.
Taylor Montessi, Cruz Oguz, and Elaine Weiss learn while they play at the Hamilton-White Child Development Center.
Staying the Course
SGA President Taylor Miller, of Duncan, talks with Senator Terry Brown (’72), of Columbus, during the 2010 Brown Bag Legislative Luncheon in Jackson about the impact of budget cuts on students.
Kevie Dixon (’92) has always been a giver. From his playing days for Head Coach Steve Rives and the Delta State basketball team, to the present, where he gives freely to the youth of Paulding County, Ga., as the director of the Boys and Girls Club.
Dixon came to Delta State from Meridian as a freshman in 1988. According to Rives, hard work was always the great equalizer for Dixon. “He was a good athlete, not a great one, but he made himself into a good player because he worked so hard. My ultimate compliment to give to any player was to refer to him as a warrior.”
Recalling his playing days under his former coach, Dixon was nearly brought to tears as he heard Rives’ words repeated. “When I was playing, all I knew how to do was to play hard. I wanted to be the best. I did the extra things. I ran, jumped rope, and lifted weights. I always wanted to feel that if I wasn’t the best, that I was close to the best,” Dixon said.
Fighting through adversity is something Dixon learned early in his career as Rives was trying to build the Statesmen into a winning program. The Statesmen failed to win more than 13 games in any of Dixon’s first three seasons, but it all paid off his senior year as the Statesmen finished 20–8 in 1991, including 10 wins in league play. “When you lose enough, you learn how to win,” added Dixon. “We had the respect of everyone in the league.”
Dixon finished his career as the sixth leading scorer in Statesmen history with 1,386 points and fourth with 814 career rebounds. The former Statesman would go on to play professional basketball all over the world.
After hanging up his sneakers, Dixon decided it was time to accept his calling to work with children. “I have always been a people person, but working with kids has always been special to me. I knew that this was what I was destined to do.”
As Director of the Paulding County Boys
and Girls Club in Dallas, Ga., Dixon faces the heavy-hearted task of molding boys and girls into young men and women. The challenge is made easier by knowing he has helped to change a life while building relationships that last forever.
Dixon has also given back to his alma matter, helping to organize the fall Basketball Alumni Reunion. The event was attended by over 100 former Statesmen and their families. “God had a lot to do with everyone coming together, and we want there to always be a connection with the program,” said Dixon.
Dixon chooses to give back to Delta State for many reasons, but the biggest is the love he feels for his university. “You can’t have a successful program if you don’t have the guys,
who have been a part of the program, giving back to the Delta State family. We wanted to make sure that we left a legacy. These guys (current and future student athletes) deserve the best, and it’s our job to help make that happen.”
In 2005, Delta State gave Dixon another precious gift, as he was inducted into the Delta State Sports Hall of Fame. “It was very touching. Words can’t describe the impact. It was a Hallmark moment —it made me feel like I had accomplished something. I felt like I had won a championship.”
For those who have watched Dixon grow as a person, player, and mentor, his accomplishments off the court mean so much more.
Athletics
Giving Back to Community
and Basketball
Social Networking Pushing
Statesmen and Lady Statesmen
to Forefront of the GSC/NCAA DII
Delta State University Athleticshas the strongest social network following in all of the Gulf South Conference and is rapidly developing into one of the best in NCAA Division II. With thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter, Statesmen and Lady Statesmen fans are enjoying new ways to follow their favorite team.
Join the Delta State network and follow Statesmen and Lady Statesmen Athletics like never before.
Delta State University Head Football Coach Ron Roberts announced the addition of E.K. Franks to the Statesmen staff in January. Franks, a former University of Wisconsin and Kansas State University assistant, will coach the defensive line and coordinate strength and conditioning.
Franks, who spent the past few years in the private business sector, last coached on the staff of Barry Alverez and Bret Bielema at the University of Wisconsin from 2004–2006. Prior to joining the Badgers staff, Franks served as the defensive line coach at Texas State under then Defensive Coordinator Ron Roberts. The Wellington, Kan., native began his coaching career as a strength and
conditioning coach for renowned Kansas State Head Coach Bill Snyder. Franks collaboratively managed and supervised the strength programs for over 100 Wildcat football players and assisted with the training of over 100 Lady Wildcats from 2000–2001.
An active community leader, Franks served on the board of the Kansas-based non-profit organization “Success Achieved in Future Environments,” which helps mentor youth through athletics.
During his career, Franks has coached hundreds of successful student-athletes including Wes Welker (New England Patriots), Terrance Newman (Dallas Cowboys), Darren Sproles (San Diego Chargers), Sheldon Williams (Atlanta Hawks), Nicole Ohlde (Minnesota Lynx), Laurie Koehn (Washington Mystics), Brian Aylor (New York Yankees), and Mitch Simons (Montreal Expos).
Conner Tops 100-Win Plateau Delta State’s win in Tampa on Dec. 21, 2009 will stand out in the mind of Head Coach Jason Conner for years to
come. The Lakeland, Fla., native has compiled a 66–35 record at Delta State. His winning percentage of .653 as the Statesmen’s head coach ranks third among Delta State coaches with at least 50 wins.
Hicks-Green Snaps GSC Record Statesman
linebacker Lardester Hicks-Green snapped the Gulf South Conference
and school record for career tackles with 343—ranking 25th all-time in NCAA Division II history. The three-time All-American and 2008 GSC Player of the Year broke the previous mark of 330 tackles (Tim Polk, Harding) by 13 tackles.
Point Guard U: Sarita “Bug” Cooper and Chad Akins, two of basketball’s current stars, are trying to put Delta State on the point guard map. Their combined accomplishments are astounding— 1,068 assists, 1,398 points, five All-Gulf South Conference, two All-Region and one All-American honors. Both guards are chasing assists records at DSU and the GSC.
SPORTS SHORTS
E.K. Franks
Statesmen Football
Statesmen Football
Welcomes Franks
Welcomes Franks
TM
TWITTER.COM/DSUSTATESMEN Get score and schedule updates.
FACEBOOK.COM/DSUSTATESMEN Watch exclusive interviews and post-game highlights, and view photos from athletic events.
Athletics
Some say that good things come to those who wait, or patience is a virtue. There are hundreds of sayings and proverbs regarding former Delta State catcher and current San Francisco Giant Eli Whiteside’s (’01) situation. But it’s his views that are the strongest. “I belong here and I finally started to believe that,” said Whiteside.
Whiteside started his run to the majors in Cleveland, as a catcher for the Statesmen from 1999–2001. “He was born to wear the gear,” Head Coach Mike Kinnison (’77) said of Eli. “He was already a pretty good package coming into Delta State. Being here just helped him get to that next level.”
Eli called his own game behind the plate, a rarity for a freshman under Kinnison. But Whiteside got some one-on-one assistance from Kinnison and the older catchers in an attempt to hone his craft. “I don’t think I would be where I am now without having been a part of the Delta State program,” Whiteside said. “They taught me how to be a man and about work ethic. They turn out pretty good baseball players there, but they turn out some pretty good people too.”
After his three years in the Delta, Eli took his shot at a dream of playing professional baseball. Whiteside was drafted in 2001by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round of the amateur draft and went on to sign with the Orioles. He fought through the minor league system for three years before getting a chance with the big club on July 5, 2005 in Yankee Stadium versus New York.
“When I was up with Baltimore, I felt that I was just holding a spot until someone would come back and be healthy,” Whiteside said. He appeared in nine games and stepped to the plate 12 times, collecting three hits.
His first Major League at-bat came against future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson in Yankee Stadium. “It was kind of surreal. 50,000 people were there and my family was in the stands,” he said. “It was a pretty cool moment.” Eli and Randy would meet again, but Eli would have never expected how.
Eli kept battling through the minors in the Orioles system for six years before the team granted him free agency in October of 2007. Three weeks later the Minnesota Twins came calling, signing him to a free agent deal. He thought that was his break, a team where he fit in based on the needs of the franchise. But the Twins weren’t stuck on Eli.
“My agent and I felt the Twins would be a good fit for me, and from everything they (the Twins) were saying, we felt that I had a chance to make this team out of spring training.”
As all “rags to riches” stories go, that wasn’t the case. Minnesota terminated his contract a few months later.
This was the lowest moment of Eli’s career. Dropped by a team that he felt he could make, Eli was left to reevaluate his life and began wondering if the dream of a professional baseball career had just passed him by.
But six days later, the San Francisco Giants dialed his number. They saw the same promise that Mike Kinnison and the coaching staff at
Catching a Break on the
Road Less Traveled
ACADEMIC SUCCESSES ON THE FIELD
Delta State saw when the freshman from New Albany stepped foot on campus.
In almost movie-plot style, his second chance came in the form of a free agent deal with the Giants. He was in uniform for the Triple AAA Giants’ affiliate Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League in no time.
He didn’t think he was starting the season that well with the bat. So Eli spent extra time with Fresno hitting coach Hensley Meulens, who is currently the hitting coach of the Giants.
All of that work paid off because on May 24, 2009, Whiteside was called up to the pros and was the starting catcher against the Seattle Mariners. Catching for highly touted left handed pitcher Barry Zito, he also got an RBI single in the fifth.
“I was anxiously pulling for him to have some success at that level . . . to really solidify himself,” added Kinnison.
From there it was one heartfelt moment after another. Almost a month later on July 10, 2009 Eli was part of history when he caught a no-hitter for Jonathan Sanchez against the San Diego Padres.
Then as that moment started to set in, on August 5, 2009 Whiteside made ESPN’s top plays, not with the glove or the arm, but with a first pitch fastball that he put into the seats at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. His first career home run was a grand slam that would later prove to be the difference against the Astros that night.
As fate would have it, Randy Johnson and Eli Whiteside did meet again. Randy began Eli’s career with some tough sliders and it was Eli who ended Johnson’s by calling for those same sliders from behind the plate. Johnson pitched his final professional game on October 4, 2009 with Eli dropping the fingers for the “Big Unit.”
Almost as quickly as 2009 ended for Whiteside, training began for a new year behind the plate for the Giants. The fighting is never over for a professional ball player, especially one from a small town who went to a small school. But Eli got his chance, saw his break, and ran with it. How far will he run? You never know. But you have to think the run will be fun.
Over the years, Delta State University has prided itself on having one of the most successful athletic programs in the state of Mississippi in terms of both athletic and classroom excellence by its student-athletes. Over the last four years alone, more than 400 student-athletes have received recognition for their achievements in the classroom.
At the conclusion of the 2002–2003 academic year (the most recent year for which information is available), Delta State graduated 60 percent of its student-athletes and had an academic success rate of 75 percent.* While these numbers may not say much by themselves, they speak volumes when compared to the rest of the Gulf South Conference and to the Delta State student body as a whole.
Delta State’s 60 percent graduation rate among student-athletes ranked third among the 14 schools of the GSC, and was first among the 11 member schools that field football teams. Only Alabama-Huntsville and Christian Brothers graduated athletes at a higher rate.
When compared to the Delta State student body as a whole, Statesmen and Lady Statesmen athletes look even more like the big men and women on campus when it comes to their studies. Delta State reported a graduation rate of 43 percent of its overall student body.
And while all 13 varsity sports have contributed significantly to the academic success of Delta State athletes, one sport in particular continues to set the standard for Statesmen academic excellence. The Statesmen baseball team has established a legacy of producing athletes who excel on and off the field. Since 1970, 24 Statesmen baseball players have received Academic All-American honors. Only Notre Dame (29), Bucknell (28), Wichita State (26) and Illinois Wesleyan (25) have produced more. Delta State is the only NCAA Division II program, among the top 10 schools, in terms of Academic All-America baseball honorees.
Given their history, there is no doubt that the academic success of Statesmen and Lady Statesmen athletes will continue to be one of many traditions associated with Delta State University.
Eli Whiteside
A Legacy of Giving
T. Steve Cwikiel, Jr., a native of Rosedale,graduated from Delta State College in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Following a two-year tour of duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Army he earned his MBA in 1974. At Delta State he was active in the student government and a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. Steve’s career led him to FedEx in Memphis where he was the Senior Information Systems Auditor. Steve first paid his $3.00 alumni annual dues shortly after graduation and consistently paid his annual dues to the Association. He never forgot his love for his alma mater and for the Alumni Association, which he demonstrated by attending every alumni event held in the Memphis area and serving as a volunteer leader.
Steve not only made plans to support the National Alumni Association during his lifetime, he also planned his estate to provide a five-figure gift through his will. Unfortunately, Steve lost his life on May 30, 2009 after a lengthy illness. Over his lifetime, Steve supported the University through gifts to the Emma Lytle Art Fund, the Annual Fund, Bill LaForge Scholarship Fund, John Quon Accounting Fund, and the Pike Chapter Room
Fund. While Steve will be remembered for his financial support of the University, his memory and legacy will live on through the Delta State accounting graduates he hired at FedEx. He was very aggressive in his pursuit of Delta State accounting graduates, like Donnie House (’99) and Jamie Bailey (’03), and giving them an
opportunity to begin their careers at FedEx as interns.
“Steve is the second alumnus that I am aware of to specifically name the Alumni Association as a beneficiary to their estate,” said Keith Fulcher (’83), Executive Director of the Alumni-Foundation. “Maxine Holcomb, a 1931 graduate and former chair of the Art Department, left a five-figure gift to the Alumni Association.” Steve was also one of the earliest members of the Quadrangle Oak Society, the planned giving recognition club.
“Estate gifts to the Alumni Association
help support its mission to perpetuate the memories of university life and to provide a medium through which interest in Delta State University may be promoted,” said John Cox (’96), National Alumni Association President. “I encourage all alumni to consider supporting the Association in the same ways that Steve did by paying dues and naming the Association as a beneficiary to their estate.”
The University mourns the loss of Steve, but his legacy and memory will forever be part of the National Alumni Association.
To discuss a gift to the Alumni Association call 662.846.4704 or e-mail foundation@deltastate.edu.
A Delta State Christmas
What better gifts could be received on Christmas than Delta State logo t-shirts and sweatshirts, especially if both of your parents are graduates of Delta State? That’s what Neal (’92) and Kyla Middleton Holcomb (’92) surprised their children with on Christmas morning . . . a variety of Delta State apparel wear from the Jimmy R. Williams Bookstore located in the H. L. Nowell Student Union. Neal, an accounting graduate and CPA in Rolling Fork, and Kyla, a School of Nursing graduate and Nurse Practitioner in Greenville, expect that their children Shelby, a 7th grader at Sharkey-Issaquena Academy (SIA), and Walker, a 4th grader at SIA, will follow in their footsteps and graduate from Delta State. Shelby will be a Delta State graduate in the year 2019 and Walker will receive his diploma in Walter Sillers Coliseum in the year 2022.
To outfi t your family in Delta State apparel visit the website www.dlsu.bkstr.com or call 662.846.4640.
Development
The Madison Foundation, of Port Gibson, recently presented Delta State University with a grant for $100,000 to establish the “Madison Foundation $100,000 Statesman Challenge.” The goal of the Challenge gift is to encourage others to support Delta State by making a gift to the Annual Fund and inspire alumni and friends to renew, and possibly increase, their Annual Fund gift. The Challenge Gift was given in memory of Delta State alumnus Allen Burrell (’73), from Port Gibson, who was a city attorney that was murdered in 2006.
Established in 2007, the Madison Foundation originated with Wiley Hatcher, a resident of Port Gibson. “Wiley said he wanted to help people in need and instructed us to give the money away,” said Madison Foundation board member J. O. “Joc” Carpenter. “We believe this tribute to Allen is a worthwhile way to memorialize his life, and hope that the grant provides the stimulus for others to make gifts to Delta State.”
“The Madison Foundation $100,000 Statesman Challenge” is a unique grant with the purpose of establishing an unrestricted endowment. Since the grant was established, another alumnus decided to make a $50,000 bequest in her will to establish her own unrestricted endowment,” said Keith Fulcher (’83), executive director of the Alumni-Foundation. “The grant is unique in that it is a challenge grant that we hope inspires our alumni and supporters to make a gift to help us match the grant. We invite everyone to help us match the grant whether it’s a gift of $10 or $50,000.”
Gifts towards the match may be made via the Delta State Foundation’s secure online giving website http://www.deltastate.edu/pages/481.asp. All gifts are tax-deducible to the fullest extent of the law. For more information on making gifts to the University, contact the Foundation by e-mail at foundation@deltastate.edu, by calling 662.846.4704, or by sending a text message to 662.719.1732.
Alumnus memorialized
with $100,000 Grant from
the Madison Foundation
Michelle Burrell, widow of Allen Burrell, and President John Hilpert accept the Madison Foundation’s $100,000 grant from J.O. “Joc” Carpenter of Port Gibson.
Corley Luckett, the 2003 Rose Drake Burrell Memorial Scholarship recipient, met Allen Burrell at the Scholarship Luncheon.
Allen Burrell visits with Hugh Ellis Walker, former executive director of the Alumni-Foundation, following the Scholarship Luncheon in 2003. In 2006 a memorial tree was planted at the entrance
of Kent Wyatt Hall and the Hugh Ellis Walker Alumni-Foundation House in memory of Allen Burrell. The event was attended by family, friends, and other loved ones.
Kaye Smith Hamblin, a 1960 graduate of Delta State University, always understood the importance of family and education in her life. Her parents, Ralph R. (’35) and Elsie C. Smith (’36), graduates of Delta State Teachers College, dedicated their lives to encouraging students to attend college. The one institution they always recommended first was Delta State, which was a “Mecca” to them. Kaye Smith Hamblin could think of no better way to honor her parents than establishing the Ralph and Elsie Smith Endowed Scholarship in the College of Education. Hamblin stated, “They would be pleased to know this scholarship assists talented and dedicated students in realizing their dream to become teachers.”
College life for Ralph and Elsie began in the fall of 1931, which were the early years of the Great Depression. Ralph R. Smith and Elsie Caveness left the hills of northeast Mississippi in Prentiss County to attend Delta State Teachers College in Cleveland, where they began dating. Mr. Smith’s parents were unable to give him any financial support, but his older brother agreed to help him. The next fall when Ralph was ready to return to school, his brother said he could no longer help. Ralph’s mother, Ma Smith, gave him $3 that she got from selling chickens, and he hitchhiked back to Cleveland.
On arrival at Delta State, Ralph went to see President William Kethley and told the president how much he wanted to return to school. President Kethley said, “Son, if you want to go to school that much, I will help you find a way.” So the president took him to Kroger to get a job shelving groceries after hours. Smith also rang the class bells, delivered the college mail, collected and delivered dry cleaning in the dorms, sold tailor-made suits, mowed grass on the campus, and even slept at the president’s home to protect Mrs. Kethley and their daughter, Brooke, when the president was out of town. Ralph always thought it so ironic that a poor boy from northeast hill country was chosen by his classmates as “best dressed.” He
also was chosen “most handsome.” Ralph also played basketball and sang in the Delta Singers. When he graduated in 1935, his father traveled to Delta State for the ceremony.
Elsie Caveness worked in the cafeteria to help pay her way through school. She was so poor that she wore cardboard in the bottom of her shoes when she wore holes in them. She attended Delta State for two years and then dropped out to teach third and fourth grade at Marietta. She was only 17 at the time and was paid $54 a month. The school paid her with a warrant, but the bank wouldn’t cash it, so her father paid her salary. After two years of teaching she returned to Delta State to complete her degree in elementary education. At the Carnival Ball she was crowned queen by President Kethley and she and Dr. Kethley led the grand march to open the ball. Unfortunately, her father died on March 5, 1936, before she graduated in May.
Ralph proposed to Elsie during their college time and they were married on May 28, 1936. Mrs. Kethley, the wife of the college president, hosted the reception and wedding for family members. They were married for 62 years, until Mr. Smith’s death in 1999. Mrs. Elsie Smith passed away on May 2, 2007.
The Smiths devoted much of their lives to the education of children. Elsie was a grade school teacher for thirty-four years, teaching at West Corinth, Marietta, New Site, and Booneville. She also served as the elementary school supervisor for Prentiss County. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Iota, a professional organization for educators, and a charter member of the Upsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, the honor society for women educators.
Ralph was an educator for thirty years. His first teaching job was as girls’ basketball coach and teacher at Kossuth. After several years at Kossuth he became the principal at West Corinth High School and later moved back to Prentiss County where he served as principal
at Marietta High School and New Site High School. In 1968 he became the administrator of the Northeast Mississippi Hospital in Booneville, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 1980. In addition to his teaching and hospital careers, he owned and operated a large farm in the New Site community. He was also a founding board member of Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, serving from 1948–1966.
“The Delta State University Foundation is pleased that Kaye chose to memorialize her parents through an endowed scholarship,” said Judson Thigpen (’79), President of the Delta State University Foundation Board of Directors. “I invite everyone who is considering how they can change the life of a young person to contact the Foundation and discuss the best method for making a gift.”
The Foundation may be contacted by e-mail at foundation@deltastate.edu, by calling 662.846.4704 or by text messaging 662.719.1732.
Development
Daughter endows scholarship
in memory of parents
Sharon Mathis Krugler, a native of Tacoma, Washington, has lived in Cleveland since age two. Her father, a helicopter mechanic in the U. S. Army, served in Vietnam, and when discharged in 1975, returned to Cleveland to operate Mathis Gulf, a service station next to Delta Cream on Highway 61. Sharon, a graduate of Bayou Academy, has worked at the Delta State University Alumni-Foundation Office since 2006. She’s served as secretary to the Alumni Association and in May 2008 was promoted to Administrative Assistant to the Alumni-Foundation Executive Director.
“When I first started in the Alumni Office I really did not understand what the Foundation did for the University. Now that I have been in a position to assist both the Alumni Association and the Foundation, I see the importance of fund-raising and how it helps our students,” said Krugler. “When people ask me where I work and what our office does, I tell them how their gifts are used to help students, especially those students who are struggling financially.”
Sharon, a single-mother of two children, faces her own financial struggles. “Getting paid once a month is a challenge. I never know from day-to-day what expenses will arise, especially caring for my 13-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. There are many people, like me, who have struggled.”
“The reason I am going to Delta State is to show my children how important a college education is. I am the first-generation of my family to attend college and will be the first from my immediate family to graduate.” Sharon, classified as a sophomore, is scheduled to graduate in 2014. “My family was primarily factory workers who instilled in me a work ethic
that I hope to pass on to my children. I went to work at age 17 at Western Sizzlin’ to take care of my personal needs as a way to help my family with the finances. I worked at Wal-Mart, CommonWealth National Insurance, Lister Engine Skeen, and then at WDTL ending up in full time radio ad sales before being hired by Vicki Fioranelli (’68), former director of the Alumni Association.”
“I have seen so many
students come in our office crying because they may have to drop out of school due to finances. I heard Missy Pearce (’99), the Annual Fund director, say one day that if all alumni gave $25 annually, we’d have more money to assist our needy and deserving students. So on February 19, 2009 I made my first gift of $25 to the Annual Fund.” Sharon increased her gift by over 10% this year to $30. “When I received the Annual Fund appeal letter inviting me to consider a 10 percent
increase, I decided to up it to $30 rather than the $27.50.” “At the Foundation, we often use the phrase ‘sacrificial giving’ and Sharon demonstrates that concept to the fullest,” said Judson Thigpen (’79), president of the Delta State Foundation Board of Directors. “Sharon was recognized at our February Foundation Board of Directors meeting for the example she is setting for all alumni and donors.” Not only is Sharon contributing to the Annual Fund, she has also signed up to become a Life Member of the National Alumni Association. “Vicki Fioranelli encouraged me a few years ago to join and I decided to begin making annual payments of $50. That way I will have my Life dues paid off by the time I graduate.”
Leading by Example
GIVING TO HELP OTHERS
Gifts to help support the Scholarship Program may be mailed to DSU Foundation, Inc., DSU Box 3141, Cleveland, MS 38733 or gifts may be made online using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express at the secure website http://www.deltastate.edu/pages/481.asp.
he
tor, say one day that
annually, we’d have more money to needy and deserving students. So on y 19, 2009 I made my first gift of $25 nnual Fund.” Sharon increased her gift 10% this year to $30. “When I received nual Fund appeal letter inviting me to der a 10 percent
making annual p y
will have my Life dues paid off by t graduate.”
ogram DSU may d, or e .asp.
PAYING
it
FORWARD
Donors explain, ‘We Give
to Delta State Because of
What Delta State Gave Us.’
By Lynne Jeter
The “Pay it Forward” expression, used to describe the concept of doing good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives, was made popular in 2000 with the Warner Brothers film, Pay It Forward. However, the concept has been around for many years.
Through financial support and hard work, Dr. Bob and Sylvia Ferguson ’62, are implementing the “Pay it Forward’ concept by helping to launch the Tishomingo Master Teaching Initiative, a partnership of Delta State’s College of Education and the Tishomingo County School District. This Initiative, made possible by the Tri-State Educational Foundation, provides scholarships to teachers in Tishomingo County and was established in response to a need in the Tishomingo School District for providing advanced study for teachers. The first cohort of graduates to complete the initiative program included 28 students earning advanced teaching degrees. Bob and Sylvia saw first-hand the impact of their time, talent and treasure when they had the chance to meet the first class of Tishomingo County students receiving Master of Education degrees in Elementary Education during a December reception on campus. “We enjoy giving back to Delta State because of so much Delta State gave us,” Bob Ferguson, a retired educator, said simply.
Azrie Vassel ’08, a 62-year-old from Mound Bayou, embraces the message that every gift counts. For 30 years she lived in Chicago and worked for a major telecommunications company. Upon her retirement, she returned to her hometown and enrolled at Delta State to learn more about computer information systems. Last April, she signed up for a monthly payroll deduction of $20.08 to support The Annual Fund, an amount selected in honor of the year she completed her degree. I give to the Foundation so that programs in place can be retained to assist everyone who wants to pursue their educational dreams,” she added.
Joe Aguzzi and his late brother, Victor, were drafted into the military to fight
in World War II following high school graduation, and therefore they did not have a chance to attend college. After they were discharged, the brothers went to work on the family farm in Cleveland, which has grown from 40 acres of cotton to 10,000 acres of
mainly rice and soybean crops since the Aguzzi family emigrated from Italy in 1895. “We knew how important education was, so we wanted to make sure our children and grandchildren
would be able to get a college degree,” said Aguzzi, who has more than 20 family members that have graduated from Delta State.
“My brother and I made a scholarship gift to Delta State in 2003,” said Aguzzi, whose brother died just months after the gift was made. “We recognized that Delta State is not only convenient (about a mile away from us), but it’s also a great value. We’re still reaping the benefits of our children going there.”
Jane Hammett Youell, a 90-year-old retiree from Clarksdale, has named Delta
State as a beneficiary in her will, even though she never graduated.
“I wanted to major in home
economics, but I couldn’t get past organic chemistry,” she confided. “My husband told me years later, ‘I wish I’d known you then. I would’ve walked you through it.’
“The point I made to my three daughters and that I want to make by giving to the Foundation is that people need encouragement, many times financial, to keep going when the going gets tough.”
Josh Jeter , a wide receiver during the 1999 football season at Delta State, would not have been able to complete his college education without scholarship assistance. The Bentonia native is now director of ”Takes 2 Fitness” in Nashville, Tennessee, where he trains Music City’s elite.
“I’ll always be grateful for help from the Foundation,” he said. “Without scholarship money, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today.”
“I love hearing stories about students like Josh,” said Jean Friedman of Coronado, California. The Greenville
native says she continues her annual gift-giving tradition to the Foundation “because it makes me feel good.” There’s nothing, really nothing, more important than getting a good education. It’ll change the world. I’m going to continue doing my part, and I hope others will follow my lead.” Delta State’s Foundation staff strive to help those individuals who want to pay forward their good deeds. Keith Fulcher ’83, executive director of the Delta State Alumni-Foundation, summarized their efforts this way “It takes donors of all ages and backgrounds, with all sizes of gifts, to ensure that future generations can move forward in their pursuit of education. Anyone can take part in Paying it Forward.”
Dr. Bob and Sylvia Ferguson pose with members of the Tishomingo Master Teaching Initiative at a reception following fall 2009 graduation.
It takes donors of all
ages and backgrounds,
with all sizes of gifts to
the Foundation, so that
future generations can
move forward in their
Singer Liz Davis Clings to
her Country Roots and
Makes History
T
he only southerner among 14 competitors living together in a Los Angeles mansion, Liz Davis had survived 10 weeks and 11 eliminations on MTV’s reality series hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs and had made it to the final three.Now, it was her turn to convince the judges that she deserved to be the winner and to become the first predominantly country artist to sign with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records.
She told the cameras prior to her performance, “I want to try and convince P. Diddy to do one thing he has never done before . . . Go Country. I’m going to go out there and let everybody know it’s okay to be country. It’s okay to have a little redneck in ’em.”
Davis strode into the spotlight in her high-heeled cowboy boots and immediately owned the stage. Her strong, sassy rendition of the Gretchen Wilson song, “Redneck Woman,” impressed the judges— performer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, music industry executive and former Billboard editor Tamara Coniff, choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson, and Diddy. But so did the powerful performances by the other two finalists, Melody Angel and Todd Sarvies. It was anybody’s guess who would go home a star.
Friends and family who gathered together at Ridgeland’s Alumni House Sports Grill to watch the October 25 broadcast of the finale were on the edge of their seats. The show was taped in advance but no one, including Davis, knew the outcome. To ensure secrecy for last October’s series finale, three alternate endings were taped, showing each of the finalists winning StarMaker.
It had been a long road just getting to this night. Davis had moved to Nashville in 2007 to pursue a singing career and almost decided not to make the trip to Atlanta for the StarMaker auditions after
hearing about the opportunity at the last minute.
Although she had no time to prepare, Davis’ delivery of another song of Wilson’s “Here for the Party” got her noticed. An a capella performance of one of her original songs got her on the show.
“I sang very slowly so they could hear every single inch of my voice,” she said. “It was an awesome, scary, nerve-wracking experience!”
The show, filmed in Los Angeles, began its 10-week run on August 16, 2009—the 32nd anniversary of the death of rock-and-roll king Elvis Presley.
Davis’ dad, Dale ’81, who played baseball at Delta State from 1977 to 1981 under legendary coach “Boo” Ferriss, expressed some concern when he heard his daughter would be on the show.
“He said, ‘Oh, gosh, don’t embarrass us, Elizabeth!’ because he knew that some reality shows were distasteful and full of drama,” recalled Davis, with a laugh. “But I felt pretty comfortable since Mark Burnett produced it. He’s been associated with clean shows such as Survivor and The Apprentice. He’s the nicest, down-to-earth guy. He makes shows real without too much unnecessary drama.”
But what’s a reality series without a few meltdowns? StarMaker filmed contestants—“14 divas,” Davis joked, not only performing on stage, but also completing tasks every week. The seven boys and seven girls were pressure-tested in many ways. For example, to see how she would react under fire, producers poked fun at Davis’ southern accent. However, her bubbly personality quickly allayed their concerns.
“It was,” Davis emphasized, “a life-changing experience.”
>> By Lynne Jeter
