spring 2011 a magazine for alumni and friends
IN THIS ISSUE
5 Learning by serving12 Happy Birthday, Hawkes
16 Vision 2020: New strategic plan looks ahead
Jan Term trip opens eyes, hearts of travelers
COLUMNS
LAGR A N G E CO L L E G E A Magazine for Alumni and Friends Vol. 15, No. 2President Dan McAlexander
Vice President for Advancement Will Jones
Editor
Dean Hartman Assistant Editor Debby Durrence Development Writer Karen Clark Recruitment Writer Lee Davis
Alumni and Community Relations Editors Martha Pirkle, Susan Hancock
Webmaster David Beard ’01 Designer
Stacy Gorman Jackson ’00
LaGrange College (USPS 299-300), including Columns, its official publication for alumni and friends, and the Progress Report and Annual Donor Roll, is published quarterly by LaGrange College, 601 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240-2999. Periodical class postage paid at LaGrange, GA, and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LaGrange College, 601 Broad Street, LaGrange, GA 30240-2999.
Correspondence should be directed to the Com- munications and Marketing Office at the above address, e-mailed to [email protected], or faxed to (706) 880-8763.
Classnotes should be sent to the Alumni and Community Relations Office at the same ad- dress, e-mailed to [email protected], or faxed to (706) 880-8757.
Indicates additional material on the College’s Web site found at www.lagrange.edu
A four-year liberal arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church, LaGrange College is consistently ranked in the top 10 and as a “best value” among Southern colleges by U.S.News & World Report. The college, an award winner in sustainability, is the oldest private institu- tion of higher learning in Georgia and has an
from the president
A world-class education
Upon returning home, they use phrases like “absolutely amazing” and “simply breathtaking.” Senior Katie Hein says,
“I did more things in 14 days than most people will ever get to experience in an entire lifetime.”
These are student reactions to January Interim Term, specifically to time spent in a study-abroad experience. Now entering its second decade, the col-
lege’s Jan Term encourages students to explore unique course content and topics outside of their majors, and it encourages them to expand their boundaries.
During the four weeks between fall and spring semesters, our students are likely to be investigating animal behavior in Costa Rica, studying the book of Revelation in Turkey, or exploring sustainable housing in Botswana. (Read about this year’s journey to China on page 7.)
The only program of its kind in the state, Jan Term symbol- izes our commitment to transforming lives through a global education—a commitment we intend to strengthen. Beginning with the entering class of 2011, the college will offer support of up to $2,500 to all students who originate their freshman studies at LaGrange College and wish to experience a foreign or domestic Study-Away journey their junior or senior years.
This pledge is just one part of our institution’s new strategic plan, which was approved last fall by our Board of Trustees.
Entitled Vision 2020: From Promise to Prominence (and out- lined on page 16 of this issue), the plan describes new direc- tions and initiatives that will help the college make bold steps forward.
We are excited by the projects under way and the progress being made, all in support of our vision: transforming our stu- dents’ lives. Thank you for your part in ensuring a world-class education for each of them.
Dan McAlexander President
in this issue
Cover
Jan Term participants marveled at the wonders of China during the college’s first trip to that country. In this issue’s cover story, some of the travelers talk about their unforgettable experience. (Photo by Dr. David Ahearn) PAGE 7
by Debby Durrence
3 Notebook Political Science class wins award; 3D Journeys under way; Special Olympians come to campus; more
4 Around Campus New club offers free bikes on loan; Jan Term classes feature service; Mentoring Mondays launched; more
18 Alumni and Friends Wall of Distinction celebrates donors; Longtime postmaster retires; Basketball player scores 1,000th point; more
21 Classnotes Julia Dyar has book published; Classmates gather for getaway;
Alumni share their moves and milestones;
more
Vision 2020
Board approves new strategic plan designed to bring the future into focus.
by Dean Hartman
PAGE
16
Three Jan Term classes stress servant-leadership.
PAGE 5.
Happy birthday, Hawkes
When Hawkes Hall opened its doors in 1911, it began a century of housing students in its dorm rooms and its classrooms. Now, 100 years later, former students remember their time spent within those red-brick walls.
by Debby Durrence
PAGE
12
notebook
snapshot The boys are back
The LaGrange College baseball team has returned to the diamond, kicking off its season on Feb. 11 at Oglethorpe University, winning 7-2. The team is returning after clinching the Great South Athletic Conference tournament title last year for the third time since 2006 and reaching the NCAA regional tourna- ment. Women’s softball also took the field in February, with the 2010 GSAC Player of the Year Katie Ison returning for her senior year.
Political science class wins national award
Students in Dr. John Tures’
fall semester political science class recently won honors in a national contest designed to get younger people interested in their eco- nomic future. With their essay and video presentation, the team received a third-place award and a $2,000 cash prize in the iOMe Challenge contest.
The students had just two weeks to put together a 10,000- word, 25-page essay on the national savings rate. To connect with the audience, they opted to spoof an episode of the popular Discovery Channel show “MythBusters,”
testing if such a savings rate crisis has happened before in America, is currently happening and what happened in other countries with similar shallow savings rates.
First place went to Texas Tech, and second place went to the Uni- versity of Nevada at Reno.
Storytelling event garners honor, marks milestone
The Azalea Storytelling Festival celebrated two milestones this year—its 15th birthday and its designation as a Top 20 Event for March by the Southeast Tourism Society.
The annual event, a past win- ner of the National Storytelling Leadership Award, was held March 4-6 at Callaway Auditorium, and featured some of the most popular storytellers from past years, includ- ing Donald Davis, Kathryn Tucker Windham and Ed Stiv- ender. Carol Cain ’82 of
notebook
COLUMNS, Spring 2011 3
Hogansville returned as emcee.
“We are so excited and honored to receive the Top 20 designation this year,”
said Joyce Morgan, one of the festival’s co-founders. “It is a validation of what we’ve always known—that this is one of the preeminent storytelling events in the Southeast, if not the country.”
Professors’ work selected by education council
A classroom exercise created by Dr. Sarah Beth Mallory, Chair of the Biology Department, and Dr. Sharon Livingston, Visiting Assistant Profes- sor of Education, has been chosen by the Council for Aid to Education for inclusion in the organization’s library as a model performance task, accord- ing to Lisa Bolitzer, research associate at the council.
Mallory and Livingston’s project was a design for learning, teaching and assessing around the subject of Georgia’s political and environmental water- resource struggles.
The two have been active in sup- plying information about theory and practice related to performance tasks as mechanisms within the Collegiate Learning Assessment paradigm.
3D Journeys under way
The new educational travel pro- gram 3D Journeys is off to a strong start after more than 135 people attended the inaugural lecture on Jan. 24, hearing Dr. Lisa Crutchfield, Assistant Professor of History, discuss Georgia colonial history.
With the theme of the Georgia coast, other lectures will discuss the ecology of the barrier islands, photogra- phy and literature by Georgia authors.
A trip to Coastal Georgia will be April 18-20, hosted by President Dan McAl- exander and first lady Celeste Myall.
Martha Pirkle, Director of Alumni and Community Relations, said volun- teers have been the driving force of the
project.
“Judy Boggus and Ann Beason of LaGrange are our co-chairs,” Pirkle said. “They have worked closely with Celeste and other community members to make sure this is a success. We are thrilled with the turnout at the first lec- ture, and the trip sold out in 36 hours.”
Choir receives ‘inaugural’ invite
The college’s Chamber Singers were excited when they received an invitation to perform during a luncheon immedi- ately preceding the swearing-in of Na- than Deal, Georgia’s new governor, on Jan. 10. The choir was the only college choral group invited to perform during inaugural activities.
But Mother Nature had other ideas.
A crippling winter storm blew into the state the day before. All inaugura- tion activities, except for the actual ceremony, were canceled.
Debbie Ogle, Director of Choral Activities, said they were disappointed but were delighted to have been in- vited. She was told a make-up event is planned for later in the spring.
“It was certainly an honor to be asked to sing for those people closest to him—his family, staff and transition team,” she said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
Panther football represented in bowl game
For the second year in a row, LaGrange College football helped repre- sent the United States of America at the 2010 Tazón de Estrellas (Bowl of the
Stars) in Mexico.
LaGrange seniors Andrew Christie, Drew McAdams, Jon Milner and Josh Stripling were part of the 44-man Team Stars and Stripes roster that defeated the CONADEIP All-Stars 48-7 on Dec.
18 at the Tec de Monterrey Stadium in Toluca, Mexico. Last year, Richard Okpani and Alex Sapp represented LaGrange in the game.
The players were nominated by head coaches at NCAA Division III col- leges, with almost 200 players submit- ted to kick off the selection process.
Special Olympians come to campus
The men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted the fourth annual Red and Black Day in February, working with about 100 Troup County Special Olympians.
Mark Isenhour, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, has organized his players for the event every year, say- ing they often are more excited about their time on the court with the young players than they are about their regular season games.
The visitors cheered while the col- lege players staged a short game and a shooting match, then they joined the Panthers on the court for games and skill training.
After their work in Mari- otti Gym, all the participants ad- journed to the dining hall for lunch.
photo by Brooke Vallaster
around campus
The latest club on campus aims to help students go places … on their bicycles.
Bike enthusiast Trevor Jones ini- tially started the group to promote the joys of cycling, but it quickly moved into a higher gear.
“When you talk to people about their bikes, it brings back their child- hood,” he said. “I like bringing back those simple values and encouraging people to have fun.”
The junior enlisted sophomore Paige Castle to help form the club, which has since taken on the added dimensions of wellness, community service and sustainability.
Last semester, the group started a bike rental program that allows students to sign out a bike “to ride to classes or even do their shopping” for as long as they need—for free.
New bike lanes near campus have helped encourage group rides, and the club plans to lobby the city for more.
The group’s leadership also hopes to use their bicycles as tools to work with underserved children in nearby commu- nities. And, a bicycle polo match is on tap for later this spring.
“We’re bringing people together who wouldn’t normally hang out together,”
Trevor said. “A bike is so universal.
“When I talk to people about rid-
ing, their normal response is, ‘I haven’t ridden in so long.’ And then they go home and get their bikes out of the ga- rage and rediscover how fun it can be.”
Group promotes pedal power
The new bike club on campus encourages the ac- tivity with group rides. It also organized a bicycle rental program that allows students to sign out a bike for transportation or recreation.
A new initiative is working to connect students with successful alumni and friends of the college.
Mentoring Mondays kicked off this semester and is already show- ing signs of success, said SOURCE Center Director Todd Prater.
“We’ve had some very positive reactions from alumni, as well as our students,” he said. “We have programs booked seven weeks out, and our first ones generated a lot of interest.”
The weekly program is designed to give students a chance to meet various professionals to discuss op- portunities after college and how to prepare for them.
“The expectation is that Men- toring Mondays will be the catalyst for more in-depth conversations with individual students throughout their academic careers and create relationships that will help them succeed in their professional endeavors,”
Prater said.
SOURCE—an acronym for Student Opportunity, Undergraduate Resources and Community Engage-
ment—serves as a student’s connection to all aspects of college life, said Prater.
“One of our goals is to facilitate relationships that will assist students in developing networks within the college community, as well as with alumni and
local community members,” he said.
Mentoring Monday sessions are from 3 to 5 p.m. every Monday in the SOURCE Center on the second floor of Smith Hall. Some events may include additional features.
“When Michelle Bedingfield was here from Harmony House, a local domestic violence shelter, she led an seminar on unhealthy relationships prior to the mentor- ing sessions,” Prater said. “We plan these to be as meaningful to our students as possible, all in a very casual atmosphere.”
Some of the first speakers/
mentors included Kimberly Mc- Kay Martin ’02, a certified pub- lic accountant; Theresa Horton, a physical therapist with Ultra Care Inc.; and Susan Summerour Middlebrooks ’94, a social worker at Burwell PsycoEducational Center.
Prater said he is excited about the response to Mentoring Mondays.
“We hope that it will become a staple of the SOURCE Center,” he said.
“The plan is to have an event happening in the center every Monday.”
Mentoring Mondays making connections
Todd Prater, SOURCE director, watches as Mi- chelle Striplin Bedingfield ’93 of Harmony House talks to student Molly Korb during a recent Men- toring Monday session.
aroundcampus
COLUMNS, Spring 2011 5
Servant-leadership engaged students in three of this year’s January Interim Term classes, with a strong emphasis on the serving. Students weatherproofed at- tics, prepared food in soup kitchens and assembled Red Cross disaster kits—
while learning about their community and themselves.
The three classes were inspired by the vision of bringing a comprehensive servant-leadership component to the LaGrange first-year student experience.
Assistant Professor of Business Linda McMullen and her class explored 26 Ways to Make a Difference, with the
“26” representing the member agencies of United Way of West Georgia, Inc.
She chose her emphasis because of her five-year involvement with United Way and her passion for servant-learning.
“For me, the attraction is not about community service,” she said. “It’s about an ethic that some of your responsibil- ity as a citizen is to partner with other people and help them become stronger and healthier citizens.”
And that concept of partnership is what she tried to help students grasp.
After spending initial class periods jointly with the other two groups, her students selected a United Way agency to work with, and then spent three hours each day at their chosen site.
Students opted for programs
like the Boys and Girls Club, The Active Life se- nior center and Circle of Care, a group that works with pregnant teens and new moms.
In the resulting reports and journals, Mc- Mullen saw the message was being driven home.
“One of the biggest revelations for my classes was they discovered that some of their perceptions about people who are underserved were wrong.”
One student in particular shared that she had never been exposed to anyone in that category. Her experience motivated her to seek out and collect donated items for those she had met.
“It made such an impression on her,” McMullen said.
Assistant Professor of Religion Alvin Lingenfelter and his students spent the month looking at the issue of hunger in America. The Our Daily
Bread class examined the facts and then served the hungry and the groups that sup- port those with food needs.
Their work took them from local soup kitchens and community meal programs to food banks and farms.
Assistant Professor of Math- ematics Dr. Jon Ernstberger took most of his students out of their comfort zones—and his—with the Affordable and Sustainable
Housing class.
“My other two Jan Terms were math classes … and this class was pretty out of the box, which is exactly what a Jan Term class is supposed to be for everybody,” he said.
His students examined the financial burdens and environmental conse- quences of substandard housing. Their hands-on component included assisting with energy audits and working with Community Action for Improvement (CAFI) to help weatherize homes, including laying vapor barriers, caulk- ing windows and doors, and helping to change out appliances.
“These students crawled under houses and into attic spaces; they put on Tyvek suits and braved tough condi- tions … and spiders,” he said. “They did incredible work.”
A particularly meaningful day was spent at the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta, a warehouse offering donated furniture to those facing challenges. In the span of six hours, the group helped organize everything from mirrors and tables to bed frames and cabinets in six acres of warehouse. They also helped
“customers” load their selected items.
“With some exceptions, these students were from comfortable middle- class homes,” Dr. Ernstberger said.
“Most had never faced anything like this. I think it was a real eye- opener.”
Students learn by serving during Jan Term
At right, Jasmine Farmer works with a child at a United Way agency. Below, Nate Crawford helps to weatherize an attic while learning about sustainable housing.
Studying hunger in America took Megan Sachs, center, and Christa Von Borstel to a local soup kitchen.
aroundcampus
For his latest book, Dr. John Cook faced the challenge of “writing a lot about a very little.” Taking readers back to the period from roughly 41 to 137 A.D., he had limited source material to draw on in examining the approach of the Roman government to the early followers of Christ.
“Roman Attitudes Toward the Christians: From Claudius to Hadrian”
represents Dr. Cook’s fourth published book, and the third to take a look at the interaction between a new religion and the pagan world.
“This is all so interesting to me because there always have been persecu- tions of Christians down through his- tory,” he said. Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the college, he believes the confrontation and cooperation seen during the period is a vital topic for those wishing to understand the devel- opment of the early church.
The converts Dr. Cook describes were sometimes ignored or tolerated, sometimes persecuted and tortured—
perhaps most notoriously by Nero, noted for dressing them in animal skins to have them torn apart by dogs and for burning them.
“The Christians were so different from anything the Romans had met before,” he said. “I have become increas- ingly convinced that once Christian- ity separated from Judaism and began converting pagans that some Romans quickly began to suspect it had the potential of tearing the fabric of Roman society apart.
“In the book, I look at the ques- tion of Roman law, of how courts could be used against a religion, and then I turn it on its head and look at how the Christians could use law against pagans and Jews.”
Dr. Cook also believes that the persecutions of Nero and Trajan may be crucial for interpreting certain texts of the New Testament, including Mark, 1 Peter and Revelation.
“There was a vicious persecution in 64 under Nero, and it’s possible that Mark is written in response to that. So when Jesus says, ‘Take up your cross,’
that would have meant a lot to Chris- tians of that time because Nero cruci- fied Christians and then used them as human torches.”
Though often the realm of histori- ans, Dr. Cook believes his source texts also beg to be examined by religious scholars.
“Because this involves the history of Christians and their encounters with the Roman Empire, it can’t be left en- tirely to the classical historians,” he said.
“Every generation has to read and re-read these texts. The development of Christianity and the history of this pe- riod are highly controversial, and there’s good reason for that. The resources are hard to get at, and they’re spotty in some cases.”
Writing the book took him out of his comfort zone, he said, crediting Public Services Librarian and classicist Dr. Arthur Robinson for his help with many translation issues.
“If I hadn’t had him to help me
with the Latin, I probably couldn’t have done this book,” he said. “And it just goes to show how important collabora- tion is in projects like this.
“The nice thing about the college is that people are helpful. This faculty is so collegial.”
He also says that his New Testa- ment and Church History classes provide valuable insights.
“There’s not a single course that I teach in New Testament where I don’t talk about Nero’s persecution, and so I get good feedback,” he said.
Next, Dr. Cook will turn his schol- arly attention to another topic that blends religion and history: He is under contract to write a book about crucifixion.
“I’m going to look at the Roman and Greek practice of crucifixion, and also look at some of the medical as- pects—and even look at the practice in the Muslim world, Japan and China.”
For him, such work brings added meaning to the biblical texts.
“These books make the New Testa- ment come alive for me. Those people really took their faith seriously, and they were willing to take up their cross.”
New book examines early church and Roman Empire
Dr. John Cook, left, has published a new book that examines Roman attitudes toward early Christians.
Public Services Librarian Dr. Arthur Robinson, right, helped him with translation issues for the work.
COLUMNS, Spring 2011 7
Jan Term trip opens eyes, hearts of travelers
by Debby Durrence
Katie O’Dell and Maryl Burke pause for a photo outside the Wong Tai Sing Temple in Kowloon.
frigid wind whipped the group as they stood at the base of one of the most famous sites in the world.
Jessica Shaver, a senior political science major from Prattville, Ala., was awestruck as she looked up at the Great Wall of China.
“It was amazing,” she says. “The history at that place is incredible. A group of about five of us decided to climb all the way to the top, which was quite a feat with the freezing tempera- ture and terrifying wind. It was defi- nitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget.”
The moment was especially powerful for Katie Bomar, a senior religion and philosophy major from Palmetto, Ga.
In May of 2009, Katie was critically injured in a traffic accident. She suffered a severe brain injury and was in a coma for 40 days and in the hospital for four months, followed by weeks of intense physical therapy.
“It was like my brain was sent back to where I was 5 years old,” she says. “I had to learn to walk and talk all over again. I came back to school as soon as I could because that’s the only thing I knew
I really wanted.”
When she heard about the January Interim Term trip to China, she was thrilled.
“I wanted to go immediately be- cause I adore travel and that’s one place I never thought I’d be able to go,” she says. “Because of therapy, I was in good enough shape to travel.”
As she stood at the foot of the Great Wall, she turned to Dr. David Ahearn, Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department and leader of the trip.
“I told him that a year ago, my goal for the day was to get from the bed to the bathroom. But now, look at me—
I’m in China!”
For the first time, students, teach- ers and friends of the college traveled to
China for a Jan Term experience, ex- amining such subjects as Chinese
medicine, art and architecture and traditional and new re-
ligion. But participants say it’s the personal lessons
learned in their interac- tions with the Chinese
people that will stay with them for the
rest of their lives.
First impressions
After a 13- hour trip, the group landed in Beijing for a three- day visit. While there, the travelers vis- ited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden
City, Yonghe Temple and a silk shop.
“The Forbidden City was beauti- ful,” senior Katie Hein writes in a class blog on the college’s website. “I was very impressed by all the detail on the buildings.”
On the last day in Beijing, the group was given a free day, but most of them stayed together. They visited the Temple of Heaven, a large park area.
There, they had the first of several fun interactions with the Chinese people.
“We joined in with some locals playing a hacky sack-type game,” Katie says. “We also did some dancing and exercising that looked a lot like our Zumba, except it was for old people. It was a blast!”
Jessica says that scene was played out in almost any park they visited.
“There were always retired people dancing, practicing Tai Chi and playing games,” she says. “They all seemed so happy and laid back, and were com- pletely fine with us joining in. It was such a casual thing, to just dance in the middle of a park despite all the people walking by and watching.”
The ugly and the awesome Leaving Beijing, the LaGrange explorers traveled to Xi’an, where they were greeted by a cloud of air pollution.
Katie quoted her roommate as say- ing, “I’m inhaling the cancer.”
“That was a very accurate descrip- tion,” she says. “Everything there was gray, and a film of dust and grime covered everything.”
However, a visit to view the Ter- The travelers from LaGrange
dance and play a game similar to hacky sack with Chinese resi- dents while in a park in Beijing.
COLUMNS, Spring 2011 9
racotta Warriors replaced all thoughts of bad air with the sheer wonder of legions of sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China.
The figures, dating from 210 B.C., were discovered in 1974 by local farm- ers. Varying in height according to their roles (with the tallest being the gener- als), the army includes warriors, chari- ots, horses, officials, acrobats, strong- men and musicians. It is estimated that the three pits contain more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. Most of them still remain in the pits near the emper- or’s burial ground.
Food and religion in Chengdu The next stop was Chengdu. Some of the highlights of the visit included a visit to the Panda Research Center, Jinli Old Street, a Sichuan Opera production and the famous Leshan Giant Buddha.
However, Katie writes that her favorite part was simply roaming the streets.
“There were tons of markets and street vendors where you could buy just about whatever you wanted. In Chengdu, I found my sense of adven- ture. I tried some really interesting food, such as a whole quail on a stick, some grilled squid, and some really awe-
some crepes from a street-side cart!”
While in Chengdu, the group went to services at a Methodist church in the city. The size of the congregation took them by surprise.
“I wasn’t expecting to see many followers, especially considering China’s history with all things foreign and reli-
gious,” Jessica says. “But in the Chris- tian churches we visited, there were several services always filled beyond maximum capacity. It was inspiring to see such a resurgence, despite their past struggles.”
The marvels of Hong Kong
After four days in Chengdu, the group moved on to the last stop of their trip—Hong Kong, “where we crammed the top 10 things to do in Hong Kong into two days,” laughs Katie.
The first day, they visited the Stan- ley Market, Victoria’s Peak, a temple and the famous Night Market.
“Imagine a street full of tents filled with vendors selling everything from fake jade jewelry to remote control toys,” Katie says. “It was absolutely insane.”
The following day included more Hong Kong markets and a dim sum lunch. The last night of the trip was highlighted with a viewing of the nightly Symphony of Lights in downtown Hong Kong. The show uses colored lights, laser The cold but excited group huddles for a photo at the Great Wall. They are, from left, front row, Kathryn Shroeder, Katie Hein, Mary Kate Henry and Victor Arias Allen;
middle row, Daniel Yim, Jessica Shaver, Katie O’Dell, Elizabeth Shroeder, Katie Bomar, Jeannie Smith and George Lankford; back row, Maryl Burke, David Ahearn, Philip Shroeder, Charles Smith, Kyle Wetzel and Andrew Gawler.
Enjoying a street lunch in Chengdu in the Sichuan Province are, from left, Jeannie Smith, Kyle Wetzel, Maryl Burke, Katie O’Dell, guide Eric Zuang and Andrew Gawler.
beams and searchlights synchronized to music and narration to celebrate the energy and spirit of the city.
Lasting impressions
Dr. Ahearn says it was interesting to watch the students’ reactions to what they learned.
“What struck everybody was the scale of China—the development is overwhelming,” he says. “In Beijing, there were more than 200 construc- tion cranes building skyscrapers every- where.”
They also were surprised at the Chinese attitude toward America.
“You get a sense that in China, America does not matter,” he says. “The Chinese think they are the center of the
universe. I think that was eye-opening for a lot of our students.”
Dr. Ahearn says one of his most memorable experiences was worshipping in Chengdu.
“We visited a Methodist church that has more than 5,000 members,”
he says. “It was incredibly moving to be sitting there in that packed church, singing those familiar hymns—and to realize that we were in China.”
The travelers say moments like those will stay with them forever.
“I did more things in 14 days than most people will ever get to experi- ence in an entire lifetime, and I feel so incredibly blessed,” says Katie Hein.
“When people ask me how my trip was, I find myself using words like ‘awesome’
or ‘amazing,’ but honestly, those words don’t do it justice. And I don’t know if I will ever find the words that can.” n The Leshan Giant Buddha is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province. It is the larg- est carved stone Buddha in the world.
This church in Chengdu has more than 5,000 members.
A new world view
Beyond the wonders of China, Jan Term allowed LaGrange students to explore a range of other destinations and topics. Senior Kaylen Short enjoyed the Beauty and Art of Barcelona, and his photo, at left, hints at the one true international language:
chocolate. In the center, a re-enactment of the Battle of New Orleans is captured by senior Katie Hearn. Her Testing the Myths of the War of 1812 class traveled to key sites of the now nearly 200-year-old struggle. The Ireland of Yeats and Joyce was the topic examined by senior Amber Kelley, evidenced by her shot of the Emerald Isle’s coastline.
COLUMNS, Spring 2011 11
From left, husband-and-wife team Mary Houston Allen and Young J. Allen, as well as Louise Anderson Manget, Class of 1894, served as missionaries in China. Mary Allen attended LaGrange Female Academy in 1855.
The history of Christianity in China is a rich one, full of triumphs and tragedies, often stained with blood and repression.
But students in Dr. David Ahearn’s United Methodist Studies class recently discovered that the work of missionaries with LaGrange College connections is deeply interwoven into that Chinese tapestry.
Kelsey Tinker and Kaylen Short researched the life and work of Young John Allen, who served in China from 1860 until his death in 1907. Allen’s wife, Mary Houston Allen, attended LaGrange College, then LaGrange Female College, in 1855.
“This area of Georgia is rich with Chinese missionary history, but there has only been a limited amount of research about it,” says Kelsey.
Their goal in studying Allen was to connect him directly to the college, Kaylen says.
“I got so excited when I found a letter between Mary and Dessie Byrd where Dessie says how much she was going to miss Mary after she trans- ferred,” he says. “This confirmed that Mary Houston was an important part of the early days of LaGrange College and as such, so was Young John Allen, who was the one who insisted that she attend the female college here.”
Kandice Cook looked into the story of Dr. Fred Manget and his wife, Louise Anderson Manget, namesake for the college’s Manget Building. Mrs. Manget was the daughter of a Methodist minister who served in LaGrange. She graduated from LaGrange Female College in 1894.
She and Dr. Manget were married in 1909 and moved to China.
Once there, Dr. Manget turned his study into a makeshift operating room, and Louise was his surgical nurse and administered anesthesia to the patients, despite her lack of medical training.
By the start of the First World War, he was primarily treating soldiers, and had turned his study-clinic into a 60-bed hospital. He later founded a hospital for the treatment of opium addiction.
During her research at the Pitts Theological Library at Emory University, Kandice came across an ornate Chinese scroll bearing a certificate of award to Fred Manget, given by Chiang Kai-Shek.
“The award was the highest given by the Republic of China—equivalent to our Congressional Medal of Honor,”
says Dr. Ahearn, Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department. “The Mangets led a true life of service in the
‘Doctors Without Borders’ model.”
Elissa Marks studied Virginia Atkinson, who graduated as valedicto- rian from LaGrange Female College in
1880. In 1884, Atkinson saw an appeal from Allen, asking for women mis- sionaries to China. She answered the call and spent almost the rest of her life there.
When tensions between the United States and Japan reached a breaking point in 1941, missionaries in the region were urged to return to America. How- ever, Atkinson was reluctant to leave, and it was only the promise of Dr. Fred Manget to personally take her back to China when it was safe that persuaded her. She never returned, dying in December 1941, after being in America less than a year.
Dr. William H. Park served as a medical missionary in China for 40 years. In her research, Molly Korb learned that Park’s daughter, Margarita, attended LaGrange Female College from 1902-1903. Margarita and her husband joined her parents to serve as missionaries.
The students called the experience one of the most rewarding of their aca- demic careers.
“I never knew sitting in a chair all day, scavenging through newspaper clippings and old photos could be so ex- hausting, but I would go again tomorrow if asked,” Kelsey says. “It was an adven- ture. We didn’t know what to expect, and we didn’t leave empty-handed.
“I have learned so much about Georgia, China, LaGrange College and the people from these places, and I feel very fortunate to have been in a class with this opportunity.”
College has historic ties to China missions
Auburn University Archives
Virginia Atkinson, Class of 1880, worked in China as a missionary most of her life.
Allen photos from ‘The Man Who Seeded China’ by Warren A. Candler
COLUMNS, Spring 2011 13
The history of the college is in- grained in the red bricks that enfold the building—the third structure to be built at what was then called the LaGrange Female College. It became a home away from home for hundreds of young women who formed lifelong friendships during their time on the Hill.
Strong ties
Miriam Lowe Adamson ’49 thinks back fondly on her time in Hawkes.
“I lived there my sophomore year with Clare Foster Nesmith, who remains my best friend to this day,”
she says. “Hawkes also contained the library, some classrooms and a small swimming pool in the basement.”
Although the students enjoyed happy times together, their closeness also helped in times of tragedy. In De- cember 1946, a fire raged through the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta.
“Some of the 119 victims were young people attending a conference.
Many of us knew at least one of those who died. That was a horrible day.”
But there were also celebrations, she says.
“There was the time when one of our classmates ran away and got married.
They remained married until her hus- band’s death more than 50 years later.”
A Christmas angel
Sally Curtis Askew ’62 vividly remembers a special Christmas treat in 1958.
“There was a woman named Claire Walker in my freshman class,” she says.
“She had the most gorgeous soprano voice I had ever heard. Just before Christmas break after Quiet Hour one night, I heard this voice singing ‘O Holy Night.’ Claire was standing on the
stairs to the third floor of Hawkes sing- ing. I have never forgotten that night and how beautifully she sang. In my minds’ eye I can see her right now and hear that song.”
For many years, teachers also lived in Hawkes with the students. That probably tried the patience of one or two of them, Askew says.
“Dr. Jennie Lee Epps lived on the same floor as I did. One night someone covered the toilets with plastic wrap, and Dr. Epps didn’t notice until too late. She laughed about it, but I am sure she was disgusted with juvenile antics like that. But she continued to live in Hawkes with all the students until her final illness a few years later.”
For 100 years, Hawkes Hall has been a stately presence on the LaGrange campus. It has sheltered students in its dorm rooms and housed classes that nurtured young minds. During its early years, Hawkes also was home to an indoor swimming pool, as well as the library and offices of the president and registrar.
Rufus Smith, president of LaGrange Female College (which later became LaGrange College), stands in a field on the Vernon Street side of the brand new Hawkes Hall soon after its opening in 1911.
For many years, the quadrangle side of Hawkes featured a three-tiered porch.
The verandas were removed in the early 1950s.
July 1911 Bulletin of The LaGrange College
14 COLUMNS, Spring 2011
‘Second Floor Hawkes’
Cathy Wright Sargent ’81 viv- idly remembers her freshman year in Hawkes.
“I lived in room 214, a corner room on the Chapel end of the building.
Most of the girls on the second floor quickly became a band of friends who called ourselves ‘Second Floor Hawkes.’
She says her floor’s resident advisor lived across the hall.
“We loved her, and would gather in her room for big-sisterly advice.
Oddly enough, there was only one closet in that room. The opposite closet space seemed to be walled up. She told us that was because a girl hanged her- self in that closet years ago. I’m sure there’s no merit to that story, but it was fun to hear.”
Sargent says the requisite pranks were played.
“There were clothes stolen out of the bathroom while one showered, buckets of cold water thrown upon one while she showered, rooms rolled with
toilet tissue, rooms rearranged while the tenant was in class,” she says. “But more often, we would simply hang out together in someone’s room, studying, snacking, talking about boys and about life, watching a soap opera (we had a
‘Ryan’s Hope’ fan club that year) or a movie on TV, listening to music, and forming fast friendships.”
Those famous fire escapes For many years, the metal fire escapes on Hawkes provided the setting for all kinds of student activities.
“They may not have been aestheti- cally pleasing, but I’m now sentimen- tal about them,” says Lori Medlock Anderson ’83.
“We sat on the fire escape that overlooked the patio when the weather was pretty and watched all the action on campus—also on the other side that overlooked the Chapel whenever a wedding was held. The fire escape doors were supposed to be locked at a certain hour, so it was a nightly custom to ‘rig’ the door with a coat hanger so we could sneak back in after the front door was locked.
“Not that I or any of my friends ever did that,” she says with a laugh.
Spring was a busy time around Hawkes, she says.
“When the weather started to get warm, every afternoon after classes
“They may not have been
aesthetically pleasing, but I’m now sentimental about them.”
Lori Medlock Anderson ’83.
1) The metal fire escapes at each end of Hawkes were favorite gathering places for students. In this photo from the 1980s, college workers use the fire escapes to help replace the mattresses in the dorm.
2) In its early days, the college’s library was housed in Hawkes.
3) The basement of Hawkes also fea- tured an indoor swimming pool that held 30,000 gallons of water.
Before the opening of school in the fall of 1910, the announcement was made that a new building would be com- pleted on campus before the following February. Park A. Dallis, the architect employed earlier to devise a master plan for the campus, designed the building.
The plan was for the structure to be positioned at right angles to College Home (Smith Hall) and the College Building (Dobbs Building). A single- story porch with brick columns would span the south side, facing Vernon Street. On the courtyard side, there would be a three-tiered porch that would connect to its neighbors.
The building was the first built on campus wired for electricity at the time of construction. It was named in honor of Harriet Hawkes, the mother of Albert King Hawkes, an Atlanta optometrist and manufacturer, who was a major donor to the building fund.
The new building was officially opened at graduation in June 1911.
In the early 1950s, the front veran- das were removed and fire escapes were added. In 1959, when the new gym and Manget opened, the Art Depart- ment relocated to the ground floor of Hawkes, where it stayed until 1982, when the Lamar Dodd Art Center opened. Hawkes now houses the Educa- tion Department.
The most recent renovation was completed in 1992. Upgrades included new air conditioning and heating systems, new wiring and plumbing, refinishing of hardwood floors and the addition of thermal windows and an elevator. The building was equipped with updated fire protection systems, includ- ing sprinklers. The brick was cleaned and the roof replaced. The old fire escapes were removed and stair towers were con- structed at each end of the building.
The history of Hawkes
*Information drawn from a history of the college being written by Clark Johnson.
COLUMNS, Spring 2011 15
we would change into our swimsuits, take a radio and Cokes, and lie out in the sun on ‘Hawkes Beach,’ the little bridge that connects Hawkes to Smith.
If you wanted to know anything that was going on, all you had
to do was stand under the bridge and eavesdrop on the conversation.”
Although the build- ing lacked the modern bells-and-whistles found in present-day dorms, it had something money couldn’t buy—a charm that comes with history.
“We had no air con- ditioning, an old radiator for heat, plaster walls that a single nail would shat- ter and one pay phone that everyone on the hall shared, but our rooms had high ceilings, huge windows and
so much character,” she says. “I lived there all four years and loved it.”
Front-row seat
Kirby McCartney, Student Life Administrative Assistant, has been the resident director in Hawkes since 2003.
She says she’s seen some interesting things during that time.
“One afternoon a painter was work- ing in Hawkes Parlor and the RA came
running in, all in a panic. She insisted that he go with her to one of the girl’s rooms because they wanted him to look at the ceiling tiles in her closet. As he stood there, the tiles started rising up
a few inches, hovering there and then slowly coming back down in place. In a few minutes it did it again.”
McCartney says the girls had heard all the ghost stories about Hawkes and were sure the closet was haunted.
“The painter called a friend who worked in air conditioning. He said when the air conditioner starts up, the suction would pull the tiles up, and as it evened out, the suction reduced and
the tiles would drop back into place. I don’t think they believed him, but the student lived in that room the rest of the school year.”
The story continues Every fall, a new group of students moves into Hawkes. For some, this is their first time on the Hill. For others, it is the continuation of a fam- ily tradition.
“We have had a good many students move into Hawkes Hall where their mother, grandmother or aunt had lived,” McCart- ney says. “I always try to put them into the room that belonged to their fam- ily member. They are so thrilled to be in the same room.”
Anderson says the memories made in Hawkes can last a lifetime.
“I remember being a student when my mom and her college friends would come back for Homecoming,” she says.
“They all wanted to take a peek at the rooms they lived in in Hawkes. Now I’m their age and completely under- stand how they felt. I made friends in Hawkes who remain my friends to this day. It’s a very special place.” n
The bridge that connects Hawkes to Smith Hall was a favorite sunbathing spot that students called ‘Hawkes Beach.’
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