EchoesF A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 0

INS IDE :

CAPITOL GAINS:Georgia House Speaker David E. Ralston, ’74

+ YHC Alumni Leaders in Public Service+ Commencement 2010 Coverage+ Homecoming/Alumni Weekend Highlights

T H E O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F Y O U N G H A R R I S C O L L E G E

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ContentsD E PA RT M E N T S

5 From the Valley

35 On Campus

44 Forever Young Harris

50 Mountain Lions Roundup

56 Class Notes

Young Harris College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact theCommission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Young Harris College.

On the CoverSpeaker of the Georgia Houseof Representatives David E.Ralston, '74, stands in hisoffice at the Capitol.

PHOTOGRAPH JENNIFER STALCUP

On this PageYoung Harris College openedthe new 57,000-square-footRecreation Center in August.The state-of-the-art facilityfeatures a 37-foot-high rockclimbing wall beside a fullyequipped weight room andfitness center. See full storyon page 6.

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FEATURES

12 Commencement 2010 Highlights14 The Honor Roll20 Capitol Gains24 Rising Stars28 Making New Memories

Homecoming/Alumni Weekend 2010

40 Bright Lights, Big Talent

Campaign of CourageFall is definitely in the air here at Young Harris College. Outside, that

means the mountains are bursting in color, and the chilly breezes makeeverything crisp. Inside, it means the television is loaded with political ads–very few of which are inspiring, to say the least. It sure makes me glad to behere on the YHC campus, surrounded by the beautiful landscape and 800-plus wonderful students–rather than being embroiled in a political campaign!While so much of political campaigning these days is, sadly, very negative–

we are proud to feature in this issue of Echoes some of our YHC alumni whohave committed themselves to public service. Speaker of the Georgia Houseof Representatives David Ralston, ’74, featured on our cover, is one of thebest. He returned to campus to deliver our Commencement address this pastspring, and I had the pleasure of awarding him an honorary bachelor’sdegree in our new business and public policy program. David and I wereinitially elected to the Georgia Legislature in the same year (1992), and I’vehad the privilege of knowing him and working with him over the years. Ayear before his election asSpeaker, he was the lone voice atthe State Capitol to stand up andspeak out against a scandaloussituation that had developed inthe Speaker’s office. He waspunished and “back-benched” fordoing so–but a year later, whenthe scandal became publicknowledge, his peers gave himthe vote of confidence by electinghim as Speaker. He represents aclear example of courage andintegrity in Georgia politics today.David Ralston is not alone.

Young Harris College has helped to educate and shape the value systems of anumber of public servants ranging from the best known, former U.S. Senatorand Georgia Governor Zell Miller, ’51, to some like Buddy Carter, ’77, whowas inspired by the leadership of Miller and other YHC predecessors. Youwill enjoy the perspectives of our elected and appointed alumni on the issuesthat impact all our lives–and you’ll surely be impressed, as I was, at the YHCconnections in government and public service.We will also introduce you to several of our new business and public

policy majors who will certainly carry on the YHC tradition of greatleadership in business and public service.I hope you will be able to come and visit YHC soon–to enjoy fall in the

mountains and to take in a Mountain Lions basketball game! Both willimprove your mood if you are tired of those campaign ads!

Warmly,

Cathy CoxPresident

F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

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EchoesVOLUME 12, ISSUE 2, FALL/WINTER 2010

The Official Magazine of Young Harris College

PRESIDENTCathy Cox

PROVOST/EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTDr. Ron Ingle

VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCEWade Benson

VICE PRESIDENT FOR CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY

Ken Faneuff

VICE PRESIDENT FOR

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Clinton Hobbs, ’88

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Dr. Ron Roach

VICE PRESIDENT FOR

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

Susan Rogers

VICE PRESIDENT FOR PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT

AND CHIEF OF STAFFRosemary Royston ’89

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT

Jay Stroman

CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Jerry Nix

E D I T O R I A L S TA F FEDITOR

Denise Cook

STAFF WRITER AND EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Krystin Dean

ART DIRECTOR

Melissa Mitchell

CONTRIBUTORS

Peggy Cozart, Heather Deyton, Candice Dyer,Brian Howard, Emily Sane, Joseph Terry

PHOTOGRAPHYJim and Lisa Bryant, Peggy Cozart, Krystin Dean,

Scott Dean, Dana Ensley, ’97, Fred Gerlich,Philip Sampson, ’84, Jennifer Stalcup

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Echoes Magazine, Office of Alumni ServicesP.O. Box 275, Young Harris, Georgia 30582Phone (706) 379-5173 • Fax (706) 379-4572Website www.yhc.edu • Email alumni@yhc.edu

TO UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS AND TO SUPPORT

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE:Call (800) 241-3754, ext. 5173 or

(706) 379-5173 or email alumni@yhc.edu

Echoes is published by the Office of Communicationsand Marketing at Young Harris College. The views andopinions presented in this publication are notnecessarily those of the editors or the official policies ofthe College.

Copyright 2010 Young Harris College

1 College Street | Young Harris, Georgia 30582

www.yhc.edu

YHC President Cathy Cox and Speakerof the Georgia House of RepresentativesDavid Ralston, ‘74

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Young Harris College strengthenedits position as a four-year college thispast summer with the adoption of anew visual identity and the unveilingof a newly launched interactivewebsite, www.YHC.edu.In July, YHC officially adopted a

new College logo. The new markoffers a modern, youthful feel withemphasis on the College’s beautiful,unique mountain location combinedwith reference to its long establishedhistory. It was developed afterconducting extensive research with avariety of audiences and Collegestakeholders and has received positivefeedback from prospective students,current students, faculty, staff, alumniand friends of the College.The new website is highlighted by

an immersive “virtual tour” featurethat provides visitors with acustomized experience, delivered byvirtual tour guides, student profilesand video testimonials, thatshowcases the uniqueopportunities available at YHC.

The customized onlineexperience fits the needs of today’stech-savvy user and is intended tomirror the personalized attentionstudents receive on campus.The master website

focuses on providinginformation andresources in a user-friendly setting.Sections from YHC’sprevious site—Academics,Alumni,Admissions,Student Life andNews andEvents—have

been enhanced toincorporate the College’srecent growth. Severaladditions providedynamic and up-to-dateinformation on YHC’sconstantly evolvingcampus, including asocial media news feedcalled “YHC Buzz” thatfeatures YHC-affiliatedTwitter feeds.“Growing to a four-year

college has been anincredible opportunity,which very few colleges

ever experience,” YHC PresidentCathy Cox said. “We’ve had thechance to evaluate and improveeverything we do, and all of ourdecisions throughout this processhave been focused on helping useducate, inspire and empower ourstudents.”

Young Harris College President Cathy Cox met with YHC alumniand friends at the annual meetings of the North and South Georgiaconferences of the United Methodist Church this past June.President Cox hosted a dinner on June 8 at the University of

Georgia Tifton Campus during the South Georgia Conference’sannual meeting in Tifton.Later that month, she welcomed alumni and friends to

a College-hosted reception on June 17 at The ClassicCenter during the North Georgia Conference’s annualmeeting in Athens.

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Adopts New Visual Identity,Launches New Website

YHC President Cox speaks to alumni and friends gatheredat the South Georgia Conference annual meeting in Tiftonon June 8.

President Cox Meets withAlumni and FriendsAT NORTH AND SOUTH GEORGIA CONFERENCES

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On Aug.16, Young HarrisCollege President Cathy Coxcut a ceremonial ribbon tomark the official opening of thecampus’ new RecreationCenter. Following the ribboncutting, students were invitedto tour the facility whileenjoying prize giveaways,smoothie samples anddemonstrations of the rockclimbing wall as well askickboxing/abs, Zumba and bodytoning classes.

This 57,000-square-foot facilityfeatures a first-class, fully equippedweight room and fitness center, animpressive 37-foot-high rock climbing

wall and an elevated indoor joggingtrack surrounding the state-of-the-art1,100-purple-seat, NCAA-regulationarena that will serve as the new homeof Mountain Lions basketball. Thecenter also boasts the Balance Café,a healthy food and juice bar,multipurpose classrooms for yoga,

dance and aerobics, office space andlocker rooms for the athleticdepartment and wide expanses ofwindows to enjoy the surroundingmountain-landscape views.

The facility has been designed andconstructed to LEED (Leadership in

Energy and EnvironmentalDesign) standards and is expectedto earn LEED certification withinthe next few months. TheRecreation Center is the secondnew facility to be completed aspart of Young Harris College’sstrategic plan to make thetransformation to four-year statusand will be the second facility toearn LEED certification.

Young Harris College studentshave unlimited access to thefacility’s amenities, and fitness

center memberships are also availableto YHC faculty and staff as well as thelocal community. Special membershiprates are available for Young HarrisCollege alumni.

For more information regardingmemberships and amenities, call(706) 379-4472 or visit www.yhc.edu.

In August, Young Harris College broke allprevious enrollment records with the largest fallenrollment in the College’s history of 819 studentson campus, representing an 18 percent increaseover last year’s record fall enrollment of 696students. This marks the second record enrollmentin 2010, as YHC also saw its largest springenrollment ever of 683 students.“This is the fourth straight year we have had

record enrollment, and we have exceeded ourenrollment and retention goals in every category,”Vice President for Enrollment Management Clint

Hobbs, ’88 said.Enrollment at Young Harris College has

increased by more than 50 percent since 2005,advancing the College’s goal to steadily growenrollment to 1,200 students within 10 years.The Fall 2010 freshman class consists of 382

students, making it the third-largest freshmanclass in the history of the College. The numberof students transferring to YHC increased this

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Enrollment and Retention Grow Steadily

Clint Hobbs, ‘88

Young Harris College President CathyCox cut a ceremonial ribbon to markthe official opening of the RecreationCenter on Aug. 16. President Cox wasaccompanied by members andcoaches of the men’s and women’sbasketball teams as well as RecreationCenter staff members.

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Opens New Recreation Center

“This is the fourth straight yearwe have had record enrollment.”

Since Young Harris College opened the 200-bedresidence hall in August 2009, the new studenthousing facility, Enotah Hall, has continued togarner awards and praise from externalorganizations.The $16 million, 62,500-square-foot, three-

story building was recognized with LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)Silver certification in January 2010 by the U.S.Green Building Council, making it the first highereducation facility in Georgia north of the Atlantaarea to achieve this level of certification. It has alsobeen featured in a variety of newspapers, websitesand industry publications, including Today’s

Campus Online, Eco-Structure,EcoHome, Architechweb.com, TheChronicle of Higher Education,University Business, Stone World,and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.YHC’s general contractor for the

project, Hardin ConstructionCompany, was recently recognizedwith the 2010 Excellence InConstruction (EIC) award by theAssociated Builders and Contractorsof Georgia, Inc., for theconstruction of Enotah Hall. TheEIC award demonstrates acompany’s commitment to,and achievement of, thehighest quality construction.Hardin was presented theaward during the organization’sstate convention at Lake

Lanier Islands in Buford. Hardin received atotal of six awards at the awards banquet,including four Excellence in Constructionawards and two Merit awards.Hardin also constructed YHC’s recently

opened 57,000-square-foot RecreationCenter that is expected to earn LEEDcertification within the next few months.

ENOTAH HALL

Continues toEarn Accolades

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fall, as 71 students transferred to YHC from 30colleges and universities across the country,including many four-year institutions.“The freshman class is more diverse than ever with a

record high of 15 countries represented and an ethnicpercentage of around 15 percent, which is nearlydouble what it was at the beginning of last year,”Hobbs said. “The class is also more geographicallydiverse than ever with more than 16 percent comingfrom outside the borders of Georgia.”YHC is also retaining students who plan to graduate

with a bachelor’s degree, as 40 percent of last year’ssophomores chose to return for their junior year. InSpring 2011, the College will award its first bachelor’sdegrees since earning accreditation to do so in 2008 toa graduating class of 50-60 students.

Young HarrisCollege PresidentCathy Cox wasfeatured in theSeptember 2010issue of GeorgiaTrend. In themagazine’s 25thanniversary issue,25 of Georgia’s stateleaders shared theirperspectives in“Vision,Determination

and Optimism: Georgia LeadersLook Ahead.” President Cox is thefeatured expert on public and privatehigher education in Georgia.

The article is available online inthe YHC News archives atwww.yhc.edu or atwww.georgiatrend.com.

PRESIDENT COX

Featured inSeptemberGeorgia Trend

Hardin Construction Company receivedthe 2010 Excellence in ConstructionAward for Enotah Hall.

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Enotah Hall’s GreenFamily Lobby

Thirteen new full-time faculty members joined YoungHarris College in August for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Dr. Joe Anderson, Associate Professor of Math

Dr. Matthew Byron, Assistant Professor of History

Dr. Drew Cavin, Assistant Professor of Outdoor Education

Dr. Rachel Chaves, Assistant Professor of Theatre

Dr. Nathan (Eric) Dickman, Assistant Professor of Religion

Dr. Victor Kane, Assistant Professor of Business andPublic Policy

Dr. Andrea Kwiatkowski, Assistant Professor of Biology

Dr. Sharon Jackson, Assistant Professor of Education

Mary Land, Senior Instructor of Music and Director of Bands

Mitchell Richards, Instructor of Computer Science

Dr. Jennifer Schroeder, Assistant Professor of Biology

Joseph Terry, Instructor of Communication Studies

Dr. Isabelle Therriault, Assistant Professor of Spanishand French

Dr. Victor Kane has more than 25years of private sector experience inmarketing, strategic planning, marketingresearch, government relations andbusiness development. As an advertisingexecutive and entrepreneur, he co-founded The Network 360, a multimediamarketing communications company. Hisresearch interests include best practices

and cross-cultural variations in corporate social responsibilityand the interplay of marketing and public policy.

Dr. Joe Anderson is interested incombinatorics research, primarilyfocusing on matroid theory and graphtheory. His training includes a master’sdegree and doctorate in mathematicsfrom the University of Mississippi, alongwith a bachelor’s degree in educationfrom Delta State University.

Mary Land has recently been electedpresident of the Georgia Music EducatorsAssociation, and she continues to makeappearances as adjudicator, conductor andclinician throughout the country. She is a10-time recipient of the National BandAssociation Citation of Excellence and hasbeen presented the Women Band DirectorsInternational Scroll of Excellence four times.

Dr. Isabelle Therriault’s teaching andresearch interests include the SpanishGolden Age and colonial literature. She haspublished several articles and participatedin conferences regarding topics such astheatrical performance, gender,bilingualism and historiography.

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

WelcomesNew Faculty

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Completes10-YearReaffirmationCampus Review,Launches QEPIn March, Young Harris College submitted the

compliance documentation to its accrediting agency,the Commission on Colleges of the SouthernAssociation of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and theSACS onsite team visited the campus Sept. 21-23.After conducting a thorough review of all aspects of

the College’s programs and procedures, the committeefound YHC in full compliance of all core requirementsof SACS and recommended its reaffirmation. Thecommittee’s recommendation on the College’s 10-yearreaffirmation will formally be presented by SACS inJune 2011.“This is a huge accomplishment and vividly

demonstrates the good work we are doing to growYoung Harris College according to the best academic

Dr. Victor Kane

Dr. Joe Anderson

Mary Land

Dr. IsabelleTherriault

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and professional guidelines,” said YHCPresident Cathy Cox.The SACS onsite team commended the

College’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), aprogram that was adopted in March 2009 as amajor component of YHC’s 10-yearreaffirmation process and officially launchedon campus during the Fall 2010 semester.Inspired by the Latin term for “rhetoric,” thisstudent learning initiative is called Rhetorica:The Art of Writing and Speaking at YoungHarris College.“The Rhetorica program is off to a great

start,” said Mark Rollins, Ph.D., assistantprofessor of English and QEP committee chair.“The faculty, staff and students who worked sohard for more than two years to identify,develop, raise awareness and begin pilotingthe QEP look forward to seeing thetransformation in our students’communication skills as a result of theprogram.”To facilitate Rhetorica’s mission of improving

written and spoken communication skillsacross the curriculum, 15 faculty membersbegan teaching writing- or speaking-intensiveversions of their classes this fall, and 19courses have been formally designatedwriting-intensive, speaking-intensive or both.Faculty members are receiving training

throughout the semester regarding effectivetechniques for writing and speakinginstruction and are also utilizing an electronicresource bank.As part of the QEP, a new Center for Writing

and Speaking designed to assist students withpapers and presentations opened this fall inthe building that once housed Lawrence andReba’s Café. Assistant Professor ofCommunication Studies Jennifer Hallett,Ph.D., serves as the speaking center director,while Professor of English and Director of theAcademic Success Center Louisa Franklinserves as the writing center director. Thecenter is staffed by seven student tutors whohave received extensive training and nationalcertification.

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YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE ELECTS

New TrusteesAT SPRING MEETING

Two new members were elected to the Young HarrisCollege Board of Trustees at its semi-annual meeting onApril 23, 2010.

René M. Diaz is currently President and CEO of DiazFoods and The Zaid Group, LLC, in Atlanta. He is afounding board member of AtlanticCapital Bank and serves on the Coca-Cola Hispanic Advisory Council. Diazis very involved in the community atboth the local and national level andhas served on the board of directors ofnumerous companies and non-profits,including Children’s Healthcare ofAtlanta (Egleston/Scotish RiteHospitals), Atlanta SymphonyOrchestra, Atlanta Community FoodBank, The Carter Center, TheCommunity Foundation and the Latin AmericanAssociation. He is currently chair elect for the GeorgiaHispanic Chamber of Commerce. He has been named oneof the “Top 100 Most Influential Atlantans” by the AtlantaBusiness Chronicle multiple times in the last decade andwas also recently featured as one of Georgia Trend’s “40Under 40.” He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Barbarella,and their three children, Alexander (17), Julia (5) andOlivia (3).

Margaret R. Buker is retired fromher position as senior counsel at theSiemens Corporation. In this role, sheadvised corporate management onlegal issues for 28 years. Bukercurrently serves as president for thePiedmont Charitable Foundation andis secretary of the J. William andElizabeth S. Robinson Foundation, Inc.Buker’s father, John William Robinson,was a long-time member and pastchairman of the Young Harris CollegeBoard of Trustees as well as board chairman and CEO forthe John H. Harland Company. He also served as head ofseveral charitable foundations, including the PiedmontCharitable Foundation and the J. William and Elizabeth S.Robinson Foundation. Buker lives in Atlanta with herhusband, Chuck. They have two children, Charles (22)and Meg (20).

Margaret R. Buker

René M. Diaz

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In October, Young Harris Collegeannounced a new partnership withChick-fil-A’s WinShape Foundation tohost its newest WinShape Campsprogram. Designed for female campersin grades 1-6, the One WeekOvernight Camp for Girls is set tobegin in June 2011.“We are very excited to have

WinShape Camps coming to YoungHarris College,” said YHC PresidentCathy Cox. “We believe this will be agreat partnership and a greatexperience for everyone involved.Chick-fil-A and the WinShapeFoundation are well-known, well-respected organizations, and themission and values of their WinShapeCamps program are a perfect match forour values and strengths.”Campers will stay in the College’s

new LEED Silver-certified residencehall, Enotah Hall, and enjoy manycampus facilities, including the new,state-of-the-art, 57,000-square-footRecreation Center.“In an effort to maximize our

opportunity of influence in the lives ofyoung girls, WinShape Camps isthrilled to offer this new program andto partner with Young Harris College,”WinShape Camps Girls Director TrudyCathy White said. “We are offering a

unique and incredibly fun program inan absolutely beautiful location.”Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy,

White’s father, created WinShapeCamps in 1985 with a passion to have apositive impact on young peoplethrough a summer camp experiencethat allows them to sharpen character,grow in relationships and deepenChristian faith. Other WinShape Campsprograms are primarily hosted at BerryCollege.“WinShape had been looking to

expand its camp offerings at a new sitein a beautiful location with facilities thatmake it possible to host outdoor

activities including horseback riding,tubing and golf, and they felt YHCperfectly matched their needs,” saidYHC Camps and Conferences DirectorBrett Beazley. “Our campus will now be

buzzing during the summerwith young campers growingand learning the strong valuesWinShape has to offer.”Campers will enjoy a highly

recreational experience whilegrowing spiritually and buildingrelationships and teamworkskills. The One Week OvernightCamp for Girls ensuresindividual attention for allcampers with an impressive 7-to-1 camper-to-staff ratio, andYHC students will have theopportunity to stay and work as

summer staff for the camps.“This will be a valuable experience

for our students as well,” Beazleyadded.In 2012, WinShape Camps plans to

expand the One Week Overnight Campfor Girls at YHC to include eightsessions over two months and host asenior camp for female campers ingrades 7-12.Children and grandchildren of Young

Harris College alumni, faculty and staffare eligible for a 25 percent discount onthe regular camp rate for this inauguralyear. Registration opened Oct. 10.

For more information aboutWinShape’s One Week Overnight Campfor Girls and to watch a video featuringCox and White, visit the new websitewww.oneweekcamp.com.

WinShape Camps Senior Director ofCamp Ministry Ken Thomas, YHCPresident Cathy Cox and WinShapeCamps Girls Director Trudy CathyWhite tour the YHC campus.

Now offering nine bachelor’s degrees with more on theway, Young Harris College is attracting a growing number oftransfer students seeking a strong liberal arts environment inwhich to complete their bachelor’s degrees. YHC President

Cathy Cox signed an articulation agreement with AndrewCollege President David Seyle, Ph.D., on May 3, creating anofficial transfer agreement for students coming to YHC fromAndrew College, a private, United Methodist-affiliated, two-year liberal arts institution with an enrollment ofapproximately 350.The two-part contract includes an articulation agreement

that facilitates a smooth transfer of students and credit hoursbetween the two institutions and a transfer admissionguarantee for Andrew students who complete the required

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE SIGNSARTICULATION AGREEMENT WITH

Andrew College

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Partners with Chick-fil-A’sWinShape Camps Program

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On May 12, Young Harris College’s Duckworth Libraryand University of Georgia’s Richard B. Russell Library forPolitical Research and Studies celebrated the opening of theoral history collection Reflections on Georgia Politics with animpressive array of Georgia political veterans at the GeorgiaCenter on the University of Georgia campus. The project is acollaboration of the twoinstitutions.

Reflections on Georgia Politicsbegan in the fall of 2006 atYoung Harris College as a lectureand discussion program hostedby political historian, campaignconsultant and YHC alumnusBob Short, ’51. Short is a veteranpublic affairs and politicalconsultant who YHC PresidentCathy Cox has called “the mosteffective politician I’ve everknown who was never elected tooffice.” He has served as administrative aide to four Georgiagovernors and two U.S. senators. He also managed thecampaigns of several public officials, including Jimmy Carterwhen he ran for governor of Georgia in 1966.In late 2007, the Richard B. Russell Library at the

University of Georgia began producing Reflections onGeorgia Politics as an oral history video series to furtherilluminate and personalize the tectonic shifts that occurredin Georgia politics in the late 20th century.“Today we celebrate this great partnership between UGA

and Young Harris College, to preserve a very unusual andvery valuable recording of Georgia history,” President Coxsaid. “Most of all, we want to jointly recognize and thankBob Short for his understanding of the historical value

of these interviews, for his persistence in nailing down andarranging all of the interviews and for his incrediblejournalistic style, which made all the interviewees feel verycomfortable in telling the stories of Georgia from theirpersonal perspectives.”Former governors, constitutional officers, congressmen

and senators, state legislators,political organizers and journalistshave strengthened the broad netcast by Reflections on GeorgiaPolitics. At 137 interviews andcounting, and almost five days ofvideo footage, the collectionrepresents a tremendous historicalresource.“Reflections on Georgia Politics

is a monumental achievement; itis a magnificent accomplishment,”said former U.S. Senator andGeorgia Governor and YHC

alumnus Zell Miller, ’51. “No one could have done thisexcept Bob Short. He had the contacts around the state; hehad the encyclopedic knowledge of Georgia politics; and hehad the desire, patience, stamina and will to criss-cross thisstate time and time again to interview well over 100 menand women who have made significant contributions toGeorgia politics.”The video interviews and transcripts for Reflections on

Georgia Politics may be accessed at www.yhc.edu/reflectionsor www.itunes.uga.edu.

For more information about Reflections on GeorgiaPolitics, contact Dawn Lamade, dean of library services,at (706) 379-5142 or dlamade@yhc.edu.

Ed Jenkins, Bob Short, Cathy Cox and Zell Miller

at UGA’s Georgia Center in Athens

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Celebrates Opening of Political HistoryCollection and Partnership with UGA

general education coursework and meet Young HarrisCollege admissions requirements.“We have a long history of cooperating with Andrew

as a sister college. We look forward to continuedcollaboration, and this agreement will smooth the wayfor Andrew students to continue their education atYoung Harris. Given the similarity in our history andmission, we believe those students will greatly benefit fromcompleting their degrees at Young Harris College,” said RonRoach, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs at YHC.

(From left to right) YHC Vice President for AcademicAffairs Dr. Ron Roach, YHC President Cathy Cox, AndrewCollege President Dr. David Seyle and Andrew CollegeBoard of Trustees Chair George Flowers

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YHC alumnus and Speaker of theGeorgia House of RepresentativesDavid E. Ralston, ’74, addressed thegraduates on the theme of courageand character. He commended themembers of the Class of 2010 on theirachievements and challenged themto be ethical leaders. Young HarrisCollege President Cathy Cox presentedRalston with an honorary bachelor ofscience in business and public policy,a degree that will be awarded for thefirst time at Young Harris College inMay 2011.

Ralston was born in Ellijay, wherehe graduated from Gilmer CountyHigh School. He attended YoungHarris College and went on to earnhis bachelor’s degree at North GeorgiaCollege & State University and latera law degree from the University ofGeorgia School of Law.

In addition to conferring academicdegrees at the ceremony, PresidentCox also awarded the President’sMedallion, the highest honorbestowed by Young Harris College, to

Young Harris College alumnus andSpeaker of the Georgia House ofRepresentatives David E. Ralston, ‘74,delivered the commencementaddress.

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Confers 147 Degrees duringMay 8 CommencementYoung Harris College held its commencement ceremony

on Saturday, May 8, at 11 a.m. in Glenn Auditorium of theClegg Fine Arts Building on the YHC campus. The Collegeawarded 147 associate degrees to students in liberal arts,religious studies, art, musical theatre, music, theatre,science, allied health, athletic training, business, educationand outdoor education.

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Student Government AssociationPresident Matthew Kammerer, a then-junior business and public policymajor from Loganville, and SpeakerDavid E. Ralston, ‘74, enjoy aconversation prior to thecommencement ceremony.

YHC Class of 2010

William H. “Bill” Fox, ’50, and MaryAnn Nielsen Fox of Young Harris,longtime beloved theatre and musicprofessors whose 80 combined yearsof service to the College laid thefoundation for the College’s Divisionof Fine Arts. The President’sMedallion is awarded to alumni andfriends of Young Harris College whohave made extraordinarycontributions to the College.

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(From left to right) President’sMedallion recipients William H.“Bill” Fox, ‘50, and Mary AnnNielsen Fox with YHC PresidentCathy Cox.

Left: (From left to right) The 2010 YHCCommencement platform partyincluded YHC Campus Minister andAssistant Professor of Religious StudiesRev. Dr. Tim Moore, YHC AlumniAssociation President Carol Chastain,‘84, Student Government AssociationPresident Matthew Kammerer, Inter-religious Council President MichelleBrun, YHC President Cathy Cox,Speaker David E. Ralston, ‘74, YHCProvost/Executive Vice President Dr.Ron Ingle, YHC Trustee Clair WoffordFrazier, ‘81, and President’s Medallionrecipients YHC Adjunct Professor ofMusic Mary Ann Neilson Fox andWilliam H. “Bill” Fox, ‘50.

Left: Speaker of the Georgia House ofRepresentatives David E. Ralston, ‘74,is presented an honorary bachelor ofscience degree in business and publicpolicy by YHC President Cathy Cox.

Also, in an age of cheap soundbytes, these YHC alumni speak, on thestump or over coffee, with unusualeloquence, a tradition dating back tothe old Phi Chi debating society, anall-star lineup of informed smoothtalkers, directed for a time by Englishprofessor Edna Herren.She is remembered as Exornati, “the

honored or exalted one,” by thecourtly Jack Brinkley, a 1949 alumnusand long-time U.S. Congressman. “Shetaught me the difference between‘genuine’ and ‘genuWINE,’” he said.“To me, she had a certain mystique—adirectness that was combined with

insight and kindness, all ofwhich translated into the

wisdom of an uncommon teacher.”Under her tutelage, Brinkley, Zell

Miller, ’51, Ed Jenkins, ’51, and BobShort, ’51 hashed out the finer pointsof resolutions together, donnedtuxedos and trounced the competitionin championships. “It was high dramafor us,” Brinkley recalled.Added Short, “Undefeated! We were

undefeated!”All of these political veterans credit

those experiences with shaping theirdestinies, and, as educators andleaders, have worked to instill theprinciples of critical analysis andpolished delivery in younger up-and-comers such as Hank Huckaby, ’62,Mickey Channell, ’62, David Ralston,’74, and Buddy Carter, ’77.

Forty years after his graduation fromYHC, Miller made certain that Herrenhad a front-row seat at hisgubernatorial inauguration.“I’ve heard that education is the

lighting of a fire, not the filling of apail,” Miller said. “Young Harris is aplace that lights those fires. It is part ofwhat I am and have been; it is where Ilearned the value of hard work and thesignificance of God. It is where Iexperienced the thrill of inspiringteachers, where I developedfriendships that have endured decadesand where I found the joy of lastinglove in my wife, Shirley. I simply can’timagine how empty my life would bewithout Young Harris College.”

The Honor RollALUMNI LEADERS DEDICATED TO PUBLIC SERVICE

B Y C A N D I C E D Y E R

To call them the “Young Harris Mafia” would sound too crass.The remarkably long line of political leaders who have emerged from the small liberal arts

college in the North Georgia mountains may be close-knit and supportive of each other, but theyare distinguished by more statesman-like qualities than cronyism and opportunism. They talksincerely of public service as an “honorable calling,” decry the incivility that impedes progressand explain their accomplishments with refreshing, small-town humility. Their collective valuessystem could be called “populist” in the best sense of the word.

Edna Herren

Phi Chi 1949; Jack Brinkley, third row, tenth from left;Zell Miller, fourth row, third from right

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Upper Left: Zell MillerAbove: Jack BrinkleyLeft: Ed Jenkins

JACK BRINKLEY “grew up readingPerry Mason books” in Faceville nearthe Florida border and, today, is thatrare Southern gentleman who quotesVirginia Woolf as well as Shakespeare.After graduation from Young HarrisCollege, he was a teacher and an AirForce pilot before earning his jurisdoctorate degree from the Universityof Georgia and establishing a lawpractice in Columbus. A Democrat, heserved in the General Assembly andthen won eight consecutive terms inthe U.S. House of Representatives from1967 to 1983 with the pledge “toremember who I am, where I’m from,and who sent me.”“I tried to keep that promise by

being faithful in attendance andvoting, by always, ever, giving ahelping hand to constituents who hadproblems with the sometimes heavyhand of bureaucracy,” Brinkleyexplained.During the Vietnam War, he helped

secure a federal charter for the GoldStar Wives organization, and in 1981,he was president of the House prayerbreakfast group that met weekly.In his final years on Capitol Hill, he

was dean of the Georgia delegationand zone whip for Georgia and SouthCarolina. He helped establish theAndersonville National Historic Site

and fortify Warm Springs, amongother preservation-oriented projects,and, as chairman of the MilitaryConstruction Subcommittee of theArmed Services Committee, he wasinstrumental in locating a combinedbasic and advanced infantry-trainingunit at Fort Benning. “The growth andbuild-up continue to this day withcombined infantry and armor trainingcenters,” he said.Of our current economic crisis, he

has observed, “It is shameful, theinterest rates being paid to small andmoderate savers by financialinstitutions. When federal funds areprovided to the banks at little or nointerest, what incentive is there for thebanks to pay more interest than that toyou and me? Savings have traditionally

been rewarded, but now the lack ofnecessity to pay fair interest amountsto a double subsidy from uscollectively, with our tax dollars, andfrom us individually throughnonpayment of interest to us. To printmoney almost indiscriminately and tospend money from borrowed moneydoes not meet the Benjamin Franklinor Jack Brinkley tests.”Nevertheless, he remains upbeat.

“Under the authority of the ballot box,we must be conscientious aboutsending good men and good womento Washington,” he said. “There isnothing wrong with this country that afew seasons of common sense cannotcorrect.”

ZELL MILLER, a 1951 alumnus,famously grew up in the mountains ofYoung Harris and has worked as aprofessor and baseball coach for hisalma mater. He began his politicalcareer as mayor of his hometown,served in the state Senate, and waselected lieutenant governor in 1974,serving four terms, making him thelongest office-holder of that post inGeorgia history. He served as governorfrom 1991 to 1999 and as a U.S.senator from 2000 to 2005.As governor, he removed the sales

tax from groceries, raised teachers’salaries to the highest in the Southeastand presided over an era of roaringprosperity when Georgia was creating

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“To print money almostindiscriminately and to spendmoney from borrowed moneydoes not meet the BenjaminFranklin or Jack Brinkleytests.”

Jack Brinkley, ‘49

Zell Miller, ‘51

“We have to compromise in orderto pay for the things we want todo, whether it’s health care orwaging a war.”

2,000 jobs per week. He alsoestablished the HOPE ScholarshipProgram (Helping Outstanding PupilsEducationally), which uses state lotteryfunds to pay for the college tuition ofGeorgia students with a high schoolG.P.A. of 3.0.“I would invite valedictorians to the

Governor’s Mansion,” he said, “and Iwas disappointed that so many ofthem planned to attend collegeelsewhere, which meant that theymight end up leaving Georgia forgood. I wanted a merit-based way tokeep young scholars in the state, and Iwas inspired by the G.I. Bill, whichpaid my way and taught me thevaluable lesson that when you givesomething, you get something inreturn.”As a United States senator, he grew

more culturally conservative in hisleanings, writing the best-seller ANational Party No More: TheConscience of a Conservative Democrat,but he supported the BipartisanCampaign Reform Act along withbroad-based tax cuts.Lately, he has grown increasingly

pessimistic about the state of thenation.

“The art of governing is aboutbudgeting,” he said. “We have to havea balanced budget in Georgia, butthat’s not the case in Washington.They’re supposed to pass 13 separatebudgets in different areas ofgovernment, and this year Congresshas gone home without passing asingle one. Things have become sopartisan on both sides that they’drather fight over an issue than getresults. Sometimes, you have tocompromise—that’s how ourConstitution came about. We have tocompromise in order to pay for thethings we want to do, whether it’shealth care or waging a war. My mamaused to say, as part of her scripture,‘Take what you want but pay for it.’Instead, we’re running up a deficit forour children and grandchildren.”

ED JENKINS played a role in manypivotal events that reverberate intoday’s crises. He and Miller fondlydescribe each other as “best friends,”having grown up together in theBlairsville/Young Harris area wherethey “supported each other, foughtoccasionally, and plotted our politicalfutures early on,” said Jenkins with alaugh. The 1951 alumnus served inthe Coast Guard and then as anassistant to congressman PhillipLandrum. He was elected to the U.S.House of Representatives in 1977,where he stayed for 16 years, in acoveted post on the influential Waysand Means Committee.Jenkins investigated the Iran-Contra

Affair, involving the unlawful sale ofmissiles to Iran, and he trekkedaround Pakistan and Afghanistan ontrade missions with TexasCongressman Charlie Wilson, whoseexploits were chronicled in the 2007Oscar-nominated movie CharlieWilson’s War. “That was one of themost interesting segments of mycareer,” Jenkins said. “It taught me thatwe need to look after our own nationbefore getting involved in othercountries’ conflicts and trying tochange them.”As a result, he said, he voted against

the Persian Gulf War in 1990. “I tooka lot of heat for that at the time, a lotof heat, but I had to vote myconscience.”He also helped reduce capital gains,

estate, and income taxes, lowering therates from 70 percent to 39 percent,and he worked on the TradeSubcommittee as chairman of thetextile caucus. “I did everything Icould to protect Georgia’s textileindustry from cheap foreign imports,”he said. “It started going away in the1990s, but I tried to stave that off aslong as I could. Today, China is such astrong economic force, which is stillcurtailing us and manipulatingcurrency as it relates to the dollar. Welikely will need to get much firmerwith our trading partners.”He echoes some of Miller’s

sentiments but is more sanguine aboutthe future.“I think we will pull out of this

downturn over the next four years,”Jenkins said. “But some very harddecisions will have to be made, notjust about our excessive spending andits risk of inflation but also about ourentitlement programs. Too, we’vefought these two wars that we haven’tpaid for yet. At some point, we all willhave to come to grips with that.”

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“But some very hard decisionswill have to be made, not justabout our excessive spending andits risk of inflation but also aboutour entitlement programs.”

Ed Jenkins, ‘51

CHARLES ROBERT “BOB” SHORT,another alumnus of that storied YHCclass of 1951, comes from a RabunCounty political dynasty that can betraced to his great-great-grandfather,and includes his mother, “Mama” NanShort, who served on the city councilfor more than 30 years. “It’s just in mygenes,” he said.After a stint in the Air Force, he

covered sports for the Atlanta Journaland then, in 1959, took a post at theGeorgia governor’s office, working as aspeechwriter, legislative liaison, andadministrator of the Governor’sHonors Program throughout theadministrations of Marvin Griffin,Ernest Vandiver, and Carl Sanders. Hecoordinated the campaign of JimmyCarter in his 1966 gubernatorial bid,and then acted as press secretary forCarter’s opponent in that race, LesterMaddox. In 1968, President Lyndon B.Johnson appointed Short regionaldirector of the Office of EmergencyPreparedness—the forerunner ofFEMA.“While we dealt with tornados and

hurricanes and their aftermath, the realpurpose of that agency was tocoordinate resources at a federal, stateand local level to prepare for a nuclearattack from the Russians, who were

acting up,” Short explained. “Nuclearholocaust was on everybody’s mindthen.”He later served as a political adviser

and special assistant to fellow alumnusMiller during his terms as Georgiagovernor and U.S. senator.Short has worked to document the

pivotal moments in Georgia politics ina biography of the colorful LesterMaddox, Everything is Pickrick, whichwon the “Author of the Year” laurelfrom the Georgia Writers Association.In 2006, he began a lecture anddiscussion program at YHC called“Reflections on Georgia Politics,” andthen reached out to the University ofGeorgia’s Richard B. Russell Library forPolitical Research and Studies to helpmake it an oral history series. Availableonline and on DVD, it featuresinterviews with 137 Georgians whohave been politically active. The

collection was officially unveiled inMay 2010 as a collaboration of the twoinstitutions. “That’s what I’m proudestof,” Short said, “because it was such anhonor to be associated with many ofthose people who shaped our history,and it’s important to document thataccumulated wisdom.”

Brinkley, Miller, Jenkins and Shortreign as the old lions—mountainlions—of Southern politics, still activeand in demand as consultants andadvisers to leaders across the region,including many of their YHC protégéswho are tackling health care reform,water conservation, budget crises andother challenges facing the state ofGeorgia.

HENRY “HANK” HUCKABY, a 1962alumnus, would race home fromschool as a child in Griffin to watchthe McCarthy hearings on television,dreaming of a career in politics. Hestudied at YHC under Zell Miller andlater supported him in several roles,starting with his 1964 congressionalcampaign and later in staff research forthe state Senate during Miller’s tenureas lieutenant governor of Georgia.When his mentor became governor,Huckaby worked for five years asdirector of the Office of Planning andBudget, which essentially controls thepocketbook for the state of Georgia.He managed the state’s more than $10billion overall budget, which includednewly implemented programs such asthe HOPE Scholarship.“That was one of the highlights of

my career because of the outstanding

Hank Huckaby, ‘62

“We need a steady hand to cutunnecessary spending and keeptaxes low but in an open andprudent way. I’ve done it before,and I will do it again.”

“It was such an honor to beassociated with many of thosepeople who shaped our history,and it’s important to documentthat accumulated wisdom.”

Bob Short, ‘51

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leaders I worked so closely with,”Huckaby said.From 1980 to 1991, Huckaby

served as executive director of theGeorgia Housing and FinanceAuthority. “It was a new, fledglingentity when I started, and 10 yearslater, we were handling a budget ofover a billion dollars in mortgages forlow- and moderate-income Georgians,which enabled so many people tomove into their first homes, making alasting impact on their lives,” he said.“I still hear from some of them eventoday, which is a good feeling.”Next Huckaby worked on the

business end of academia, as directorof the Fiscal Research Program atGeorgia State University and then assenior vice president of finance for theUniversity of Georgia, alsocontributing his time and expertise tomore than 25 for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.He retired from UGA in 2006, but

has recently been hard at work on thecampaign trail, running for StateHouse District 113, the seat vacated byretiring Representative Bob Smith. TheDistrict comprises Oconee County andparts of Oglethorpe, Morgan andClarke counties.“I enjoyed spending time with my

grandchildren, doing volunteer workand staying active in the MethodistChurch, which is important to me,”Huckaby said. “But I couldn’t helplooking at the changing politicallandscape over the past couple of yearsand wondering if there were ways Icould help. Back when Zell won thegovernor’s office, he also inherited arecession, with reserves spent,

revenues falling, cutbacks. We’rein a different kind of

recession now, but

there are enough parallels that I thinkmy experience in budgeting, financialmanagement and housing could makea real difference.”Those enduring values of common-

sense fiscal responsibility, he said, startedat Young Harris College. “After all, that’swhere I met Zell Miller—and where Imet my wife, Amy!” he added. “We needa steady hand to cut unnecessaryspending and keep taxes low but in anopen and prudent way. I’ve done itbefore, and I will do it again.”

MICKEY CHANNELL, a 1962alumnus from Washington, Ga.,studied and played baseball under thetutelage and coaching of Miller. “Bygiving me a historical perspective, Zelltaught me that public service isn’t adirty business but a high calling thatcan make a lasting and substantialdifference in people’s quality of life,”Channell said, “and that came fullcircle when I ran successfully for theHouse in 1992 when Zell wasgovernor.”After serving 12 years on his

hometown’s school board, Channell iscompleting his 18th year as a staterepresentative and is runningunopposed for another term, focusing

much of his energy and acumen onhealth care. One of the mostmeaningful highlights of his career, hesaid, was crafting, side-by-side withMiller, the PeachCare for Kidslegislation, which secured affordablehealth services for 250,000 children oflow-income working families.“There’s a lot of hard, sometimes

unsavory work in politics, with lots ofmeetings, but when you’re able tomake such a positive impact on thehealth and well-being of hundreds ofthousands of our children, well, that’sgratifying.”Channell is the former chairman of

the Community Health Subcommitteeof Appropriations, and he continues toserve on the committee, whichoversees the $14 billion Department ofCommunity Health, Department ofHuman Resources and Department ofLabor budget.“In the coming year, we’ll be

focusing on public health, on thebenefit program for our stateemployees and, of course, on thebudgetary aspects of the health reformat the national level,” he said. “That’sone of the biggest changes to comeabout in a generation with a 2,700-page bill, the details of which stillhaven’t really been ironed out at thefederal level, so we’re trying to get ourarms around it, figure out how toimplement it and pay for it in Georgia.It’s a huge challenge, but we’re goingto get it done!”

“There’s a lot of hard, sometimesunsavory work in politics...butwhen you’re able to make such apositive impact on the health andwell-being of hundreds ofthousands of our children, well,that’s gratifying.”Mickey Channell, ‘62

EARL “BUDDY” CARTER, a 1977alumnus, got his first taste of politicsat YHC, where he was electedpresident of his freshman class. Fornine years, he served as mayor ofPooler, his hometown, which, underhis leadership, tripled in populationand quadrupled in land size thanks toaggressive annexation policies. Carter,a pharmacist, worked to recruit job-creating industry, including JCB, thefourth-largest manufacturer of heavy,industrial equipment, which relocatedits North American headquarters tothe small town nearSavannah.

He then served for five years in theGeorgia House of Representatives,working on the Committee on Healthand Human Services. At one point,Carter shared a Capitol office as suite-mate with YHC alumnus DavidRalston, ’74, who is now Speaker ofthe House.This year, Carter was elected to the

state Senate, where he is working toaddress some of the kitchen-tableissues he encountered as a small-townpharmacist. He has introduced thePatient Safety Act, which would createa comprehensive database ofprescriptions for pain medication in aneffort to combat the “second-worstdrug abuse problem in the country.”He also is sponsoring legislation for

the pharmacy caucus that wouldrequire insurance companies to pay for

a 10-day supply of medicinethat a doctor prescribes, even if

it is not on the insurer’s approvedlist of drugs. “Let’s say a mother witha sick child comes in with aprescription on a late Fridayafternoon,” he explained. “Supposeshe can’t reach the doctor to get theprescription changed, and the childgets sicker over the weekend andends up in the emergency room. I’m

trying to deal with that kind ofsituation.”Carter, too, says he was inspired by

his YHC forebearers. “Just look at thetradition there—Zell Miller, Ed Jenkinsand Jack Brinkley, who is simply anamazing person. They all areinspirations to learn and draw from,no matter what field you’re in, but forpublic service especially. They haveshown us how tomake Georgiabetter incountless ways,for everybodywho lives here.”

“Zell Miller, Ed Jenkins and JackBrinkley...They have shown ushow to make Georgia better incountless ways, for everybodywho lives here.”

Buddy Carter, ‘77

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Right: Phi Chi 1951; Ed Jenkins, first row,third from left; Bob Short, third row, fourthfrom left, Zell Miller, third row last

Left: MickeyChannellAbove: HankHuckaby

Left: Bob ShortAbove: BuddyCarter

David Ralston’s electionearlier this year as Georgia’sSpeaker of the House wasconducted with quick andquiet dispatch after an ethicsscandal had toppled hispredecessor.

The vote of 116-58 made jadedpolitical observers perk up andtake notice. Ralston, a Class of1974 Young Harris Collegealumnus and Blue Ridge attorney,is the first North Georgian tohold this post in more than 150years, and his support from someDemocrats signals what everyonehopes will be a new era ofcooperation.“You’ve made a country boy

very happy,” Ralston told hiscolleagues, adding later, “What Iwas most proud of in the roll callfor Speaker was that 16 membersof the other party crossed partylines to vote for me. I want towork with the people across theaisle. We have to look beyondparty label, race, geography andother things we perceive asdivisions and differences if we aregoing to solve problems.”Among the lessons he and

other Young Harris Collegegraduates have learned from theirclose-knit communities is thatsuch neighborliness is not onlypleasant, it also gets results.Ralston has been working

Speaker of the Georgia House ofRepresentatives David E. Ralston,‘74, in his Atlanta office in theCapitol.

Capitol GainsTHE Honor ROLL | ALUMNI LEADERS DEDICATED TO PUBLIC SERVICE

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Capitol GainsB Y C A N D I C E D Y E R

successfully toward a transportationplan for Georgians inside and outsidethe perimeter, better trauma care forunderserved communities and a waterconservation strategy that balancesurban and agricultural needs, amongother initiatives that strive for inclusivebalance across the state. Also, thanksto his ethics reforms, Georgia nowranks among the top five states withthe strictest policies that regulate thewheeling-and-dealing betweenlegislators and lobbyists.After a political season fraught with

kicking-and-screaming partisanshipand other unseemly behavior, Ralstoncomes across to many as a courtlyhandshake, sealing a square deal.“David is a breath of fresh air,” said

former U.S. Senator and GeorgiaGovernor Zell Miller, ’51. “Talk aboutthe right person at just the right time.”Ralston, an Ellijay native, was

elected to the state Senate in 1992 andserved until 1998 when he won theRepublican nomination for attorneygeneral of Georgia. In 2002, he waselected to the Georgia House torepresent the 7th District, whichincludes the counties of Fannin andGilmer and part of Dawson. Hesucceeded Glenn Richardson asSpeaker of the House in January.Education, Ralston said, remains an

urgent priority.“Georgia is in a position now where

we don’t have to take second place toany other state when it comes tohigher education,” he said, “and wecertainly don’t need to go backward.”With that goal in mind, he is

pushing for a constitutionalamendment to ensure that all of theproceeds raised for the HOPEScholarship Program (HelpingOutstanding Pupils Educationally) are

used exclusively for education and notdiverted or siphoned off, here andthere, toward other projects, as somelawmakers have done in the past.“In a sense, HOPE is a victim of its

own success,” Ralston said ofthe program Millerintroduced. “We have abigger population of highschool graduates who wantto go on to college andvocational school, and wealso have more older,nontraditional students goingback to school to improvetheir resumes and trainingfor better jobs in thiseconomy. Georgians wantmore education. Theproblem is that the moneytaken out of HOPE is notequal to what we are pullingin for it. But that can befixed.”Ralston, who earned his

bachelor’s degree at NorthGeorgia College & StateUniversity and law degree atthe University of Georgia,concedes that he was not themost studious freshman

when he first arrived in the enchantedvalley.“But Young Harris College helped

me focus and develop discipline,” heexplained, “and reinforced the sensethat political service is an honorablecalling, which demands honorablebehavior. I mean, look at all of thegreat leaders who went to college here.Their example alone is inspiring.”

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Georgians want more education.The problem is that the moneytaken out of HOPE is not equalto what we are pulling in for it.But that can be fixed.”

David Ralston, ‘74

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As this election year slowly fades fromour collective memories, its long-termpolitical impact will probably not beknown for years or even decades.Despite their critical impact onPresidential governance (and mediacoverage), midterm elections oftencorrelate very little with thesubsequent Presidential election, ashistory has shown. For example,President Reagan’s Republican Partywas stunned in 1982, with Democratspicking up 28 total seats in the Houseand Senate, only to see Reagan coast toan easy reelection two years later,winning 49 out of 50 states. Likewise,the Republican Party’s “Contract withAmerica” in 1994 netted the GOP ahuge 62 seats during the 1994midterms, but the momentum couldnot be sustained for another two yearsas President Clinton narrowly wonreelection. Conversely, PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush held his own in1990 with his Republican Party onlylosing 8 seats, but he would not havethe same fortune only two years lateras he lost his reelection. As a scholar ofmedia, I find few moments in ourAmerican political and media

landscape as consistently unsettling asan election season—especially amidterm election during a president’sfirst term. During a time period whenmedia could be extremely valuable intrying to make sense of the partisanbickering, it seems media oftenamplify the rhetoric.The influential role of media in

shaping election campaign rhetoricpushes candidates toward attempts atcreating short, catchy slogans thatoften fall flat in conveying anysemblance of a meaningful message. Icannot even fathom a guess at howmany times I have driven by a “Deal.Real.” sign, Nathan Deal’s slogan forhis Republican gubernatorial run,asking myself what the signs aresupposed to mean. Has our politicaldiscourse really been reduced tomerely rhyming? Based on a visit tohis website, Deal appears moreinterested in selling the glib logo thanmaking sense of its meaning. Ofcourse, my confusion about Deal’smessage is also matched by mysurprise to see Barnes’ return to thecampaign trail, after his suddencampaign loss amid various

controversies during the midtermelections of 2002. At least themessage he is trying to convey, “MakeGeorgia Work,” is somewhat morecoherent drawing from a uniqueposition of already serving asgovernor. Of course, slogans are bydefinition self-limiting, and we neednews media to take us beyond theslogans.An online blog post from the Wall

Street Journal on Sept. 23 summedup the Georgia governor’s race withthe linked Google News headline,

“Ga. Governor’s Race: ‘King Roy’ vs.‘Shady Deal.’” With such a catchyfight title, I think Barnes and Deal arehalfway toward working out a pay-per-view boxing match. Here is anexample of where media could moveus past the negative rhetoric, butinstead, due to the conventions ofmodern day political reporting andlarger structures of the news industry,media fall in line with the campaignsto amplify the negative rhetoric andextend it to television news, talk newsprogramming and front pages.Despite election season surveys

indicating that voters are frustrated bythe regularity and intensity of negativecampaigning, media effects researchhas consistently shown that negativecampaigning is highly successful. Oneprinciple of media effects that has beenshown to exist with respect to negativecampaigning is the sleeper effect,which demonstrates that whilenegative campaigning might besomewhat effective initially, and mighteven be mitigated through defensiveresponse-driven advertising, thenegative attack becomes more effectiveover time. Another media phenomenafound with negative campaigning is

You are likely receiving this issue ofEchoes recently after once again havingvisited your polling place on thatfamiliar, ritualized first Tuesday ofNovember. Many are probably relievedthat the heightened debate and name-calling of a midterm election is over.Now, we can just get on with thesomewhat more palatable name-callingof our everyday political discourse.

Joseph Terry

VIEWPOINT

TheTruth about Media and PoliticsB Y J O S E P H T E R R Y, I N S T R U C T O R O F C O M M U N I C A T I O N S T U D I E S

confirmation bias, a tendency forindividuals to favor information, whether itis true or not, if it reflects theirpreconceptions or biases. There is nogreater reason to negatively campaign thanthe very behavior of voters themselveswho, despite decrying the impact ofnegative campaigning on our politicalprocess, consistently tune into the mostsensationalistic and bombastic newscoverage.Why does this matter? It is a simple

matter of facts over misinformation. Pollingand studies consistently show ourelectorate is less informed than ever before.In fact, some polls have indicated that themore people watch television newsprogramming, the less informed they are. Ademocracy cannot operate without aninformed citizenry, and these issues extendbeyond campaigns to basic politicalknowledge. Perhaps the most appropriatecontemporary example of confirmationbias is recent polling indicating thegrowing percentage of Americans whobelieve President Barack Obama is aMuslim. Despite no evidence to this claim,a recent poll from the nonpartisan PewResearch Centre indicates thatapproximately 20 percent of Americansbelieve Obama is a Muslim, up from 11percent in March 2009. It would appear,the more a public figure is discussed byour media system, the less informed theelectorate becomes about that figure.Furthermore, despite his outspoken recordas a practicing Christian, only a third ofAmericans believe he is a Christian. In fact,away from the confines of mainstreammedia, President Obama has been muchmore candid about his faith than manypast American presidents. In a 2008interview in Christianity Today, whilea candidate for President, he said, “Iam a Christian, and I am a devoutChristian. I believe in the redemptive

death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ibelieve that that faith gives me a path to becleansed of sin and have eternal life…..Accepting Jesus Christ in my life has beena powerful guide for my conduct and myvalues and my ideals.”My advice for how individuals can move

beyond media disinformation is to seek outother outlets of political news reportingand advocate for change by our politiciansand media. Approach all media with acritical perspective, and, in many instances,just turn off the programs that are simplyapproaching news as mere entertainment.Our political system and democracy ask usall to do more.

Joseph Terry joined the Young HarrisCollege communication studiesfaculty in August 2010, teachingprimarily within the mediacommunication concentration. Hisresearch areas include culturalpolicy studies, popular musicstudies, media policy and reform,cultural studies and politicaleconomy of communications. Heis currently completing hisdoctoral dissertation, Policy forCulture’s Sake? Cultural Theory,Popular Music, and the CanadianState, from the University ofColorado at Boulder. To askquestions, comment or furtherdiscuss this topic with Terry,email him at jlterry@yhc.edu.

Viewpoint

“It would appear, themorea public figure isdiscussed by ourmedia system, the

lessinformed the

electorate becomesabout that figure.”

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VOTE

Vote

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Rising StarsNEW DEGREE PROGRAM PREPARES STUDENTS TO LEAD

B Y K R Y S T I N D E A N

(From left to right)Young Harris Collegebusiness and publicpolicy majors andStudent GovernmentAssociation membersCJ Cypress, BrittanyMcKinnon, Jack Tripp,Megan Shook andMatthew Kammerer

High demands for ethically andsocially responsible behaviorconfront the business world andthe political arena now more than

ever, prompting up-and-coming leaders to

seek more integrated training thatgives them a leading edge overrivals or competitors.Young Harris College students

enrolled in the new business andpublic policy degree program are

being equipped with clear thinkingand sound reasoning skills througha rich set of courses dealing withmanagement, economics,leadership, ethics and public policyanalysis. The College has joinedthe ranks of such esteemed ivy-league institutions as Penn andHarvard by becoming one of only afew schools in the country offeringthe innovative, integratedcurriculum.The program is attracting some

of the best and brightest.

Beginning in May 2011, a newly cultivated brood ofbudding leaders, savvy in the arts of both businessprofessionalism and public service, will graduate fromYoung Harris College and enter the workforce fullyprepared to take on careers in law, public service,government, business and more.

25

Stu

dentSpotlight

MEGAN SHOOK, now a senior atYHC, had always planned to obtainher associate degree in business atYoung Harris College.“I grew up listening to family

members reminisce about theirexperiences here, and I could neverpicture going anywhere else,” theYoung Harris native said.Her plans changed slightly when

the College introduced the businessand public policy degree in 2009.“I thought the addition of public

policy would provide me with aneven stronger foundation for lawschool,” Shook said. “If I happen tochange my mind about what I wantto do, this major will open the doorto several career paths.”For now, Shook plans to pursue

prosecutorial law, a field she says willprovide “immensely satisfying work.”To prepare, she has been interningon two political campaigns, assistingwith District Attorney Stan Gunter’srace for the Georgia Court of Appealsand incumbent Stephen Allison’s racefor the Georgia House ofRepresentatives.“I have learned so much by

working on these campaigns andmade valuable contacts that will behelpful in my future endeavors,” saidShook, who also polishes herpolitical prowess at YHC as StudentGovernment Association (SGA)treasurer and a member of theCollege Republicans.These real-life lessons coincide

with those she is learning inside theclassroom at YHC. “One of the mostimportant things I’ve learned is howto think, form my own opinions andhave the conviction to stand up formy beliefs,” she said.Developing that confidence,

wisdom and ability to think criticallyis not hard among YHC’s caringfaculty and fellow students. “It isalmost indescribable the waystudents here form bonds that last alifetime. The atmosphere is unlikeanywhere else.”

Fellow seniorMATTHEW

KAMMERER agrees. “We arechallenged daily with questions thatpush us to think deeper into coreissues of business and government,”he said. “I know that this major willprepare me for many things later inlife.”While the beautiful surroundings is

one of the reasons the Loganvillenative chose to attend Young HarrisCollege, it was the opportunity totake on leadership roles early thatsolidified the decision.Kammerer has served as president

of YHC’s SGA for three terms andcurrently serves as the senior internfor the Bonner Leaders Program—aposition he also held last year whenthe program began. In his free time,he runs UX Booth, an online blogabout usability and user experience(www.uxbooth.com), and works as aconsultant in the user experience andonline advertising fields.“The most important thing I have

learned during my studies is that wehave so much control over businessby the way we present ourselves,think critically about problems andmake decisions,” said Kammerer,who hopes to eventually own hisown business in the technology or

CJ Cypress, Jack Tripp and MeganShook prepare for a StudentGovernment Association meeting.

animal field.Last summer, Kammerer landed an

internship with BuySellAds.com, anonline advertising company based inBoston, and because of his exemplaryperformance, he has a job lined upat the company when he graduatesin May.“I am excited to have the chance to

go right into the marketing field andsee where it takes me,” he said.

When it comes to plans for thefuture, senior CJ CYPRESS is notafraid to set the bar high.“I am thinking about starting a

business to gain some experience, andthen I want to earn my MBA and go tolaw school,” said Cypress regarding hisfuture career plans. “I want to go intocorporate law and then become a

college professor—maybe even atYHC.”According to Cypress, who is from

Atlanta, the multi-faceted business andpublic policy degree has prepared himto achieve these lofty goals.“I chose this major because it will

open many doors for me after I leaveYoung Harris. It doesn’t limit me to afew career choices, but instead givesme the knowledge and skills needed topursue a number of opportunities,” heexplained. “I have learned that to be agood business person, you must knowhow the government’s policies affectyou and vice versa.”Cypress is already getting a taste of

government as a senior senator inYHC’s SGA. He also plays intramuralsports, participates in Greek life andplays the drums for his band, TheVisualizers.

He looks to the program’sdistinguished faculty to prepare himfor life after YHC.“I have learned from my professors

that the most valuable lessons learnedin school do not come from textbooks,but rather from general classdiscussion and teaching thatincorporates real-world application,”Cypress said.He will soon get the chance to apply

what he has learned. Cypress plans tocomplete a public policy-basedinternship before graduation. “It ispart of our curriculum, and it is agood way to figure out what we reallywant to do—or not do—with ourlives,” he said.

BRITTANY MCKINNON is stilldeciding what the future will hold forher. She knows that versatility iscrucial to succeed and believes herstudies at Young Harris College haveallowed her to become a well-roundedleader.“I am interested in both business

and public policy and wanted to beable to work in either field. Thisunique degree will allow me to dothat,” said the senior from Murphy,N.C., who hopes to become either alegislative aid or business executiveassistant.McKinnon feels that the dedicated

YHC faculty has helped prepare herfor future endeavors by providingguidance inside and outside theclassroom.

Student Government Association(SGA) President Matthew Kammererand SGA Secretary Britnney McKinnonreview a meeting agenda.

Rising Stars | NEW DEGREE PROGRAM PREPARES STUDENTS TO LEAD

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“Our professors not only care thatwe grasp the subject matter, but theyalso care about our growth asindividuals,” McKinnon said. “Theyteach us that memorization ofspecific information is not asimportant as understandingoverarching concepts and a constantwillingness to learn.”McKinnon is taking part in a

special study regarding business inAppalachia by preparing a coursethat defines the region, details thearea’s demographics and exploresmajor industries.“It will also teach some of the

distinct culture of the area and lookat public policy, because these twofactors are so heavily intertwinedwith business in the area,” sheexplained.When McKinnon is not focusing

on her studies, she serves as secretaryof YHC’s SGA, works as a tutor in theAcademic Success Center andperforms in the YHC Choir andwomen’s a cappella group SouthernHarmony. Although her days as astudent are coming to a close, sheplans to be an active alumna.“The best part about YHC is the

unique bond that students form witheach other and with the college,”McKinnon said. “Coming back tocampus always feels a little likecoming home.”

JACK TRIPP agrees that this qualityis one of the defining features ofYoung Harris. “I have come to lovethe sense of family that exists here,”he said. “It is difficult to explain.”

The junior from Fayetteville alsobelieves that the business and publicpolicy program provides studentswith the necessary tools to beginimpacting the world beforegraduation—something Tripp strivesto do at YHC before pursuing acareer in public service.“The most important piece of the

Young Harris experience is theexploration of the human condition,”Tripp said. “With exposure toliterature and the arts found at YoungHarris, students are able to searchdeep into areas of themselves thatthey knew existed, but neverpreviously knew how to reach.”Tripp serves as a College

Representative, Student Ambassadorand SGA Vice President. He is alsoinvolved in religious life activities,participates in Greek Life and singsin the YHC Choir.According to Tripp, his leadership

position in SGA is helping himprepare for his future endeavors. “Myrole in SGA has taught me how torepresent the interests of others.

Stepping back and understanding theconcerns of a community, instead ofyours alone, is an empoweringexperience,” he said.After serving as a counselor at

Camp Kaleo in Forsyth for the lasttwo years, Tripp hopes to gain first-hand experience in his field nextsummer. “I want an internship thatwill help me understand howgovernment and society interact withone another and how we can helpbetter that relationship,” Tripp said.He plans to pursue a career

dedicated to public service in aneffort to pay it forward.“I have been given a great many

opportunities throughout my life tobecome who I am today,” he said. “Ihope to find myself working towardand realizing those moments thattouch the soul. I feel compelled tohelp fix things that are broken, tostand in the gap, to set things right. Iwant to be the right person in theright place at the right time that doesthe right thing.”

Front row (left to right): CJ Cypress,Jack Tripp and Megan Shook; Backrow (left to right): Brittany McKinnonand Matthew Kammerer

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The highlight of Friday eveningwas the Celebration ReunionDinner and Alumni AwardsCeremony at Brasstown ValleyResort. Alumni from across allgenerations gathered to reminisceand honor a group of outstandingalumni. Members of the Class of1960 were recognized as specialguests of the evening incommemoration of their 50threunion. Young Harris CollegePresident Cathy Cox welcomed thecrowd and congratulated the Classof 1960.After dinner, alumni association

board members presented theannual alumni awards. The YoungAlumni Achievement Award waspresented to Holly GunterRoyston, ’01, of Atlanta, Ga. TheSusan B. Harris Award waspresented to Elizabeth HamptonCornelius, ’57, of Dahlonega, Ga.The Iuventus Award was presented

to Bob Short ’51, of Blairsville, Ga.The Artemas Lester Award waspresented to Rev. Dr. RobertOzment, ’46, of Rome, Ga. TheDistinguished Alumni Award forLifetime Career Achievement waspresented to Jack Brinkley, ’49, ofColumbus, Ga.The alumni association also

honored Dr. Harry and HarrietHargrove Hill, of Powder Springs,Ga., as recipients of the NancyLouise Haynes Stephens SandersonRobertsonOutstandingFriend Awardfor theirexceptionalsupport of

Young Harris College. Dr. Hill is alongtime trustee of the College,and along with his wife,established the W. Harry andHarriet Hill Society for PlannedGifts. In 2008, the Collegededicated Hillgrove Hall in honorof the couple’s generosity.On Saturday morning, alumni

gathered in Glenn Auditorium forPresident Cox’s College Update.Following President Cox’swelcome, Young Harris CollegeBoard of Trustees Chairman JerryNix brought greetings from theboard. Next, President Coxrecognized the Class of 1960 incelebration of their 50th reunionthen recognized all reunion classes,emeriti faculty and staff, andcurrent faculty and staff. YoungHarris College Alumni AssociationPresident Carol Chastain, ’84,recognized the 2010 alumni awardrecipients.

MemoriesALUMNI

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“Making New Memories” was the theme as more than1,500 Young Harris College alumni, their families andfriends made their way back to Young Harris this pastsummer for Homecoming/Alumni Weekend 2010. Thecelebration held Friday-Sunday, July 23-25, was a fun-filled weekend of reconnecting and reuniting with oldfriends, classmates and professors. Alumni and theirfamilies enjoyed many activities and special events onand around the beautiful mountain campus.

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The College Update was followedby a special dedication ceremony

and ribbon cutting forthe Green FamilyLobby insideEnotah Hall. Theevent honoredMrs. Lillie MaeGreen, ofGainesville, for hergenerosity to theCollege. Together,President Cox andMrs. Green cut theribbon to officially

unveil the lobby exhibit that tellsthe inspiring story of the GreenFamily and their legacy.On Saturday afternoon, alumni

mingled with family, friends andfaculty during a lunch on the plazawith activities for all ages and live“ruckus music” performed byCornbread Ted and theButterbeans, composed of YHCDepartment of Art Chair andAssociate Professor of Art TedWhisenhunt, Assistant Professor ofPhilosophy Jamie Watson, Ph.D.,and their wives Adjunct Instructor

of EnglishEloiseWhisenhunt,Ph.D., andDarlena

Watson.Saturday evening culminated

with an outdoor dinner at TheRidges Resort and Club. Alumnifrom all classes and groupsgathered to mingle and enjoy livemusic on the shores of LakeChatuge.The weekend’s festivities wrapped

up Sunday morning with worshipservices at Sharp Memorial UnitedMethodist Church led by Rev. ScottHearns, ’80.“Everyone had a great time at

Homecoming/Alumni Weekend2010,” said Alumni BoardHomecoming Committee ChairCandler Ginn, ’77. “Plans arealready underway for next year’sgathering, which will be a very

special celebration ofYHC’s 125thanniversary.”

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Class of ‘90

All Classes at the Ridges Resort

MemoriesALUMNI

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Greatest Generation Classes ‘35–‘46

Class of ‘60

Class of ‘80

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After graduating from Young HarrisCollege, where she was a member ofDelta Psi Omega theatre honorsociety, Gamma Psi and Phi ThetaKappa Honor Society, Holly GunterRoyston, ’01, graduated summa cumlaude from Georgia State University in2003. She received the Presidential

Scholarship Award for the highest GPA in the School of Journalism as well as theOutstanding Academic Achievement in Undergraduate Studies Award. She beganher career with the Atlanta Community Food Bank in late 2002, where she hasworked on various events and programs, including Atlanta Braves pitcher JohnSmoltz’s Strike Out Hunger program. In 2009, Royston was promoted to projectmanager of the food bank’s Hunger Walk, an annual event that brings togetherpeople of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds to fight hunger in Georgia. Underher leadership, the 2010 event on March 14 broke all records, raising nearly half amillion dollars to date. Royston is a member of the Georgia chapter of MeetingProfessionals International and Golden Key International Society.

Also an alumna of North GeorgiaCollege & State University,Elizabeth “Liz” HamptonCornelius, ’57, is a member of theLumpkin County Chamber ofCommerce, the Amicalola EMC TaskForce, Dahlonega United MethodistChurch, and AMBUCS, a non-profitservice organization dedicated topeople with disabilities. She has been involved in the Lumpkin County 4-Hprogram for more than 20 years, and since her retirement from the LumpkinCounty Extension Service in 1995, she has continued to work with youth as asubstitute teacher. Cornelius also served as the home economist (now calledfamily and consumer science specialist) for the Lumpkin County school system.She has shared her wealth of knowledge with the masses through her “Lunch andLearn” radio program and in the pages of The Dahlonega Nugget. In recognition of her hard work and commitment tocommunity service, Cornelius was named the Dahlonega Gold Rush Grand Marshall and crowned the 2008 Gold RushQueen. Exemplifying the same level of service and commitment to her alma mater, Cornelius always encourages alumniparticipation through hosting alumni events and frequently sending cards and letters to her Young Harris Collegeclassmates. The epitome of a dedicated supporter, she sends a gift to the College every month.

HOLLY GUNTER ROYSTON, ’01Young Alumni Achievement AwardGiven to an alumnus or alumna who hasgraduated within the last 15 years and has

excelled in his or her career

ELIZABETH “LIZ” HAMPTON

CORNELIUS, ’57Susan B. Harris Award

Given to an outstanding alumna whohas provided strong support for Young

Harris College

YHC President Cathy Cox, HollyGunter Royston, ‘01, and KeithRoyston

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Annual Alumni Awards

YHC President Cathy Cox and LizHampton Cornelius, ‘57

The annual Alumni Awards Ceremony was held Friday evening, July 23, as part of the CelebrationDinner at Brasstown Valley Resort during Homecoming/Alumni Weekend 2010. Following the meal,six awards were presented by members of the YHC Alumni Board on behalf of the Young HarrisCollege Alumni Association to outstanding alumni and friends of the College.

Following his days at YoungHarris College, where he wasan all-state, junior-collegebasketball player, CharlesRobert “Bob” Short, ’51,earned degrees from GeorgiaSouthern University andWoodrow Wilson College ofLaw. After serving several

years in the Air Force, he began his career as a sports writer for theAtlanta Journal in 1956. He served in various capacities in thegubernatorial administrations of Marvin Griffin, Ernest Vandiver and CarlSanders and coordinated the gubernatorial campaign of Jimmy Carter in1966. He then worked as press secretary for Carter’s opponent in that race,

Governor Lester Maddox, in 1967 and 1968. Later, in 1999, he published Everything is Pickrick, a biography of Maddoxthat earned Short “Author of the Year” from the Georgia Writers Association. After entering the private sector in the1970s, Short remained an active political adviser, serving as special assistant to U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor ZellMiller, ’51, and Senator Johnny Isakson. In 2006 he created Reflections on Georgia Politics, a lecture series for YoungHarris College’s Institute for Continuing Learning that grew into an oral history partnership between the University ofGeorgia and the College. In 2010, the collection was officially unveiled, and Short was honored for his founding role inthe project.

In addition to Young HarrisCollege, Rev. Dr. Robert V. Ozment,’46, holds degrees from JacksonvilleState University, Emory’s CandlerSchool of Theology and BostonUniversity. He began his lifetime ofministry early, serving a six-churchcircuit in North Carolina while astudent at Young Harris. He pastored churches from 1944 until retirement in1989 in Alabama, Massachusetts, Georgia (including Atlanta’s First UnitedMethodist Church), Havana, Cuba, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also servedon the faculty of Emory’s Oxford College and as a guest professor at the CandlerSchool. He has authored six books and, for many years, was a columnist for 20daily and weekly newspapers in Georgia and Alabama. Always a bold championfor his alma mater, he wrote in one column, “I have attended great universities all over this country, but the mark left onme by Young Harris is…the most important.” In 1972, he was elected to the Young Harris College Board of Trustees andcontinues to serve today.

REV. DR. ROBERT V. OZMENT, ’46Artemas Lester Award

Given to an alumnus or alumna inrecognition of a lifetime dedicated to

ministry and a commitment toChristian service

CHARLES ROBERT “BOB” SHORT, ’51Iuventus Award

Given to an alumnus or alumna who hasrendered great service to Young Harris

College and made significant contributionsto the education of youth

YHC President Cathy Cox, Bob Short, ‘51,and Diana Short

Rev. Dr. Robert Ozment, ‘46, and YHCAlumni Association President CarolChastain, ‘84

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MemoriesALUMNI

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Few couples have had as great animpact on the physical and financiallandscape of Young Harris College asDr. William Harry and HarrietHargrove Hill. A trustee of theCollege since 1976, Dr. Hill playedan integral part in establishing the W.Harry and Harriet Hill Society forPlanned Gifts, which now has dozensof members. He and Mrs. Hill haveprovided scholarship funds to eligible

students (including the Hillgrove Scholarship for graduates of Powder Springs’Hillgrove High School), endowed two chairs at the College and continue to makegifts each year in honor and memory of friends. Dr. Hill plays an active role in

recruiting students, bringing young men and women to tour the campus and meet professors, students and administrators. Aretired physician, he also offers support and advice for the College’s biology program. Dr. and Mrs. Hill are both dedicatedUnited Methodists and active members of McEachern United Methodist Church in Powder Springs. They established theMcEachern Scholarship in 2002 for students in their church who wish to attend Young Harris College. In 2008, the Collegededicated Hillgrove Hall residence hall in honor of their generosity to YHC.

Former U.S. Congressman and attorneyJack T. Brinkley, ’49, has dedicated hiscareer to public service. After graduatingfrom Young Harris College, he taught inpublic schools for two years then served asan Air Force pilot from 1951 to 1956. Hereceived his law degree from the Universityof Georgia in 1959 then began practicing lawin Columbus. In 1964, he was elected to theGeorgia House of Representatives and justtwo years later won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served there until hisretirement in 1982. Because of his military background and the nature of his district,Brinkley was alert to the needs of Fort Benning and Robins Air Force Base and to theneeds of military personnel and veterans in his district. He served in prominent positionson both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Veterans’ AffairsCommittee. In 1970, he was responsible for having the site of the National Cemeteryshifted from Atlanta to Fort Mitchell, Ala. He considered himself an independentDemocrat and cast his vote according to the issue rather than the party line.Brinkley was elected to the Young Harris College Board of Trustees in 1990 andbecame an emeritus trustee in 1998. In 1983, he established and endowed theJack Brinkley Sr. Congressional Scholarship.

JACK T. BRINKLEY, ’49Distinguished Alumni Award forLifetime Career Achievement

Given to an alumnus or alumna who hasdemonstrated great success in his or hercareer following a successful foundation

laid by Young Harris College

DR. WILLIAM HARRY HILL AND

HARRIET HARGROVE HILL

Nancy Louise Haynes StephensSanderson Robertson

Outstanding Friend AwardGiven to a friend of Young Harris

College who has dedicated his or hertime, resources and energy to ensure a

successful future for the College

To nominate a Young Harris Collegealumnus, alumna or friend for a 2011award, contact the Office of AlumniServices at (800) 241-3754, ext. 5334or (706) 379-5334, or send an email toalumni@yhc.edu.

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Jack Brinkley, ‘49, and YHCAlumni Association President-Elect Rufus Brown, ‘60

YHC President Cathy Cox, HarrietHargrove Hill and Dr. Harry Hill

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Young Harris College faculty, staffand students are instituting newprograms and initiatives this fall toensure that sustainability remains atop priority on campus. For most ofthe YHC community, being green goeshand-in-handwith school spirit.Bonner Leaders

Program Directorand AcademicService LearningCoordinator RobCampbell andAssistant Professor of Biology JenniferSchroeder, Ph.D., are the new co-chairs of the College’s institution-widesustainability committee, overseeing agroup comprised of nine faculty, staffand students.This year, the committee, previously

structured as an academic entity, willpartner with the Office of Safety andCompliance to establish SustainabilityTactics and EnvironmentalManagement (STEM), an initiative toimplement campus-wide proceduresthat reflect the sustainability goals ofthe College. This initiative willencompass issues such as composting,using environmentally friendly paintsand supplies and ensuring thatconstruction sites use sustainablepractices.The YHC Student Government

Association (SGA) is also working toimplement more “green” practices atthe College. Last year, SGA purchasedrecycling bins for every room in eachresidence hall on campus with part ofits “green fee” fund, established forcampus-wide sustainability programs.YHC students pay a $5 per semestergreen fee, and the College matches the

student contribution.This fall, SGA has led an effort for

more student organizations to getinvolved and assist with campus-widerecycling by collecting plastics,aluminum and corrugated cardboard

in return for astipend for theirorganizations.According to

SGA PresidentMatthewKammerer, asenior business

and public policy major fromLoganville, SGA recently elected asustainability chair, senior Englishmajor Jill Tuttle of McCaysville, tohelp achieve this goal.“I have also established an ad-

hoc committee to accomplishmany major goals regardingsustainability: to better market anddistribute the green fee, to analyzeall aspects of student life in regardsto sustainability and to set long-term goals,” Kammerer said.To help jumpstart this process,

SGA provided funding for seniorbiology major Jacob Stone ofWoodstock and Associate Professorof Biology Brenda Hull to attendthe 2010 Southern BioenergyConference in Tifton in August.“The tradeoff that

the SGA Senateasked for in fundingthe trip was thatJacob present whathe learned to theSenate and bring inproposals regardinghow to best use ourgreen fee funds. Many

of our large ideas have originated fromhis resulting presentation,” Kammerersaid.Some of these ideas include

establishing food composting andreusable coffee cups in the CampusRestaurant, as well as building a“green” park featuring picnic tablesthat power laptops and cell phonechargers through solar panels.

Students EnjoyWelcomeWeek 2010The Young Harris College campus was

bustling with activity the weekend of Aug.14-15 as 819 new and returning studentsarrived to prepare for the start of the fallsemester on Aug. 17. Events continued

throughout the first week ofclasses as part of Welcome Week2010, which featured activitieseach day for students to enjoy.Sponsored by the Division ofStudent Development, thelineup included a novelty fair,live music on the lawn, outdoorgames and activities, trivia andbingo nights, a “Mountain

Luau” barbecue on the plaza, movie nightand a magician show.

Students, Faculty and StaffLove Purple, Live Green at YHC

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Bonner Leaders ProgramGrows Membership and Expands OutreachThe Bonner Leaders Program at

Young Harris College nearly doubled inmembership this year, as ninefreshmen joined six returning membersduring the fall semester. New studentsselected for the program includefreshmen Ethan Burch of Young Harris,Sara Caulder of Canton, Bekah Herumof Blairsville, Nathan Hughes of YoungHarris, Marissa Knoblich of Acworth,Whitney Marcus of Murphy, N.C.,Jacob Scarborough of Colbert, KinseyWade of Duluth and Brian Walker ofPowder Springs. In addition, seniorbusiness and public policy majorMatthew Kammerer, of Loganville, willreprise his role as Bonner LeadersProgram intern.The program launched at the College

in Fall 2009 as an initiative to offerstudents a unique, intensive experienceto foster civic engagement. BonnerLeaders are asked to make a two-yearcommitment and may remain in theprogram for four years. Members areselected at the beginning of each fallsemester, and enrollment is expected tosteadily grow to approximately 40students.The Bonner Leaders Program is

sponsored by the Bonner Foundation,which was founded in the 1990s inpartnership with approximately 80colleges and universities nationwide. Itssupported programs seek to engagestudents in civic outreach to strengthentheir communities, to build mutuallybeneficial relationships betweencampuses and community partners andto clarify and develop personal,vocational and professional strengthsfor learning and leadership.The program has significantly

increased the amountof community partnersites this fall, addingseven new sites to thetwo that were availablelast year. These sitesinclude the HintonCenter for Rural Life,Towns County FamilyConnection at TownsCounty Schools,Regency Hospice,Hiawassee RiverWatershed Coalition,Mountain Shelter Humane Society,U.M.A.R. (a Methodist organizationserving adults with developmentaldisabilities), Ninth District, Support inAbusive Family Emergencies, Inc.(S.A.F.E.), and the Young HarrisMayor’s Office.These sites offer engaging

opportunities for students to addresscritical social issues and make apositive impact in the local community.In return for their work, BonnerLeaders receive financial awards madeavailable through the work-studyprogram, the AmeriCorps Program andsummer service stipends.This year, the Bonner Leaders joined

forces with the Office of Religious Lifeand Office of Campus Activities toform a community service organizationcalled S.E.R.V.E. (Service, Education,Responsibility, Voice and Engagement)that co-sponsors a monthly campus-wide volunteer opportunity.These events include a Make-A-

Difference Day in October that allowedstudents, faculty and staff to take partin service activities at several sites onand off campus. In November, the

group will host an event duringNational Hunger and HomelessnessAwareness Week in conjunction withthe Office of First Year Experience aswell as a Lake Chatuge clean-up.Bonner Leaders commit

approximately 125 hours of work inthe community per semester inaddition to 400 hours over twosummers. Eighty percent of hours mustbe spent in direct contact with personsat their work sites, while up to 20percent can be spent completingdevelopment, enrichment andreflection activities.“We just formed a Bonner Leadership

Council made up of tworepresentatives of the first-year andsecond-year Bonner cohorts that willprovide guidance and input on theoverall shape and direction of the

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Young Harris College’s 2010-2011Bonner Leaders include (front row, leftto right) Marissa Knoblich, KinseyWade, Whitney Marcus, Sara Caulder,Brian Walker, (back row, left to right)senior intern Matthew Kammerer,Jacob Scarborough, Ethan Burch andNathan Hughes.

In August, Young Harris Collegehosted a special lecture by AdamShepard, author of Scratch Beginnings:Me, $25, and the Search for theAmerican Dream. The inspiringmemoir was selected as the inauguralbook for “Ship of Thought: CommonReading Program,” a campus-widereading program adopted by theCollege as part of the new First YearExperience initiative for incomingfreshmen.

“Assigning this reading allows formoderated discussion of the readingduring a student’s first semester andcan bring the diversity of student

viewpoints to theforefront and providean occasion formodeling intellectualengagement withdifferent ideas thatare expected incollege,” Director ofOrientation andFirst YearExperience NikiFjeldal said.The common

reading program is designed toprovide an opportunity for studentscoming from different backgrounds tohave a shared experience as well asbring members of the campus togetheras a community by creating commonground for academic discussion.Small-group discussions betweenstudents, faculty and staff concerningScratch Beginnings were held duringWelcome Weekend in preparation forShepard’s lecture.

Scratch Beginnings chroniclesShepard’s attempt to make somethingout of nothing to achieve the AmericanDream. With a sleeping bag, theclothes on his back and $25, andrestricted from using his contacts orcollege education, he headed toCharleston, S.C., to work his way outof homelessness and into a life thatwould give him the opportunity forsuccess.During the lecture, Shepard credited

his outlook on life as what allowed himto achieve this goal and encouragedstudents to share his positive attitude.“You either go 100 percent or not atall,” he said. “This applies to everythingin your life, and it’s a very importantlesson as you go into these next fouryears. You have the opportunity to dosome incredible things, and I hope yourealize you can.”

Shepard also encouraged students to

try to make a difference in thecommunity, whether by simplyvolunteering for one hour each weekor tutoring a child in need ofassistance. “The question is ‘What areyou going to do now?’ What is it inthese four years that you can do tomake a difference?” Shepard said.To facilitate the Ship of Thought

program, events were held on and offcampus to give students theopportunity to volunteer in the localcommunity and beyond. These eventsincluded a special day of service incollaboration with the Towns CountyFood Pantry in Young Harris and a fallbreak trip in October to Charleston,S.C., that allowed students to visit anumber of the locations discussed inScratch Beginnings and conductvolunteer work at non-profitorganizations in the region. A specialchapel service was also held inSeptember that encompassed thethemes of Scratch Beginnings.

Campus-Wide ReadingProgram Author Visits YHC

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Adam Shepard autographs copies of hisbook, Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, andthe Search for the American Dream,following a special lecture at YHC.

Author Adam Shepard (second fromleft) with (from left to right) seniorJanelle Morris, sophomore Josh Stroudand junior Kathleen Layton

program,” Bonner Leaders ProgramDirector Rob Campbell said.Members of the Leadership

Council, along with Kammerer andCampbell, attended the BonnerCongress Conference at WashburnUniversity in Topeka, Kan., inOctober, to discuss potential projectsand social entrepreneurship

opportunities.The Bonner Leaders are preparing

to pilot a new component to theprogram called Bonner Partners forstudents who are unable to commit toall requirements for being a BonnerLeader.“Bonner Partners will work one or

two hours at a community partner

site, attend Bonner meetings and beeligible to go on Bonner trips.Although they will not receivescholarship money, they will receiveofficial recognition from the College ontheir transcripts,” Campbell explained.

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Fine Arts Offers Biggest Fall Season EverYoung Harris College’s Division of

Fine Arts is offering a sensationallineup of special events,performances and exhibits for the fallsemester that showcases the talentsof YHC students and faculty as wellas many guest artists.Theatre Young Harris, directed by

Assistant Professor of Theatre andDepartment of Theatre Chair EddieCollins, introduced two new seriesthis year, the Studio Series andAlmost Mainstage Series, making the2010-2011 season the biggest in theCollege’s history. Four of the five fallproductions showcase studentdirection, marking another first forthe College. The group opened thesemester with sold-out performancesof Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award-

winning hitCabaret, Sept. 23-26 and Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Next thetheatre companypresented itschildren’s show,Lilly’s PurplePlastic Purse,which wasdirected bysenior KatieMarlowe, a

musical theatre majorfrom Clermont. Thisshow was presentedOct. 19-22 toapproximately 4,000elementary studentsfrom three states, alongwith a free publicperformance duringYHC’s annual Family

Weekend on Oct. 23.The Studio Series opened its

inaugural season in November withthe renowned innovative SamuelBeckett drama Waiting for Godot,Nov. 5-6, directed by senior RyanBender, a musical theatre major fromBraselton.The Almost Mainstage Series

follows with two plays performed inrepertory, starting with Neil Simon’sdark drama The Gingerbread Ladyon Nov. 18 and 20, directed bysophomore Brandon Engelskirchen,a theatre major from Kannapolis,N.C., followed by the Pulitzer Prize-

winning play Rabbit Hole, Nov. 19and 21, directed by junior JordanFleming, a musical theatre majorfrom Marietta.The Campus Gate Art Gallery has

hosted three unique exhibitsthroughout the semester. AssociateProfessor of Art and Department ofArt Chair Ted Whisenhunt’sexhibition “Alabama Vernacular”explored the collaboration ofcultures and spirituality of the BlackBelt Region of his native Alabama.“The Exposing Stitch” by YHCalumna Britney Carroll, ’04, utilizedgarment making and embroidery toaddress the artist’s personalapprehensions, emotional tensionsand fears. “Integrate” by Darius andBethanne Hill, on display throughDec. 3, showcases Darius’exploration of his family’s African-American heritage through mixed

The Campus Gate Art Galleryhosted the opening reception for“Alabama Vernacular,” a body ofwork by Art Department Chair andAssociate Professor of Art TedWhisenhunt, on Aug. 26.

“The Exposing Stitch,” an exhibitby Young Harris College alumnaBritney Carroll, ’04, opened onSept. 30.

Theatre Young Harris’ sold-out performances of Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award-winning hit Cabaret featured junior Tyler Ogburn, of Blairsville, as the Kit KatKlub’s colorful Emcee and senior Misty Barber, of Nashville, as English cabaretperformer Sally Bowles.

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media on woodand papercombined withBethanne’s collection of editorial,book and CD illustrations as well asworks from her ongoing series ofpaintings focusing on the rural South.The Department of Music

presented three performances byguest artists to start the semesterincluding “A Dash of Brass” featuringCharles Calloway, trumpet, and JamesLand, tuba, on Aug. 31, “Love Songsfrom Opera to Musical Theatre”featuring husband-and-wife duoJennifer Robinson and Dr. BradleyRobinson, on Sept. 12, and a recitalby Emory’s renowned universityorganist Timothy Albrecht, on Sept.16. On Oct. 23, Southern Harmony,YHC’s 12-voice female a cappellagroup, and their 12-voice malecounterpart, The Compulsive Lyres,both directed by Professor of Musicand Director of Choral and VocalActivities Jeff Bauman, hostedAcapalooza—the first of twopresentations this academic year.Instructor of Guitar and MusicHistory Richard Knepp playedclassical works at his Faculty ArtistRecital on Oct. 26 before directinggroup and solo pieces by the YHCGuitar Ensemble on Nov. 11. TheYHC Concert Band and the YHCCommunity Band perform familiar

classic and contemporary works,Nov. 9, with Mary Land, seniorinstructor of music and director ofbands, serving as conductor. On Nov.16, the YHC Jazz Band, directed byDean of the Division of Fine Arts

Benny Ferguson, Ph.D., will team upwith the YHC Pep Band, directed byLand, to present an enchantingevening of instrumental music. Vocalperformances will close out thesemester, as the Lanier Chamber

Singers visit YHC Nov. 18, andthe YHC Choir, conducted byBauman, will present a tributeto the 1940s big band eraduring “An Evening at theU.S.O.,” Nov. 12-13, as afundraiser for their highlyanticipated spring EuropeanTour before hosting their annualChristmas concert, Nov. 30.

Visit www.yhc.edu forinformation about upcoming finearts events.

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The Young Harris College Choir will hostconcerts throughout the year to benefitthe spring European Tour, including “AnEvening at the U.S.O.” on Nov. 12-13.

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Guest artists Charles Calloway (pictured),trumpet, and James Land, tuba,presented “A Dash of Brass” on Aug. 31.

Concert organist Timothy Albrecht performed originalarrangements along with classical pieces by Handel andBach during a guest artist recital on Sept. 16.

“Alabama Vernacular”explored the cultureand spirituality of theBlack Belt Region ofAlabama.

The not-so-well-keptsecret is out. Young HarrisCollege is a thriving hubof cultural and artisticactivity. The performingarts have always been amajor part of the school’sstudent experience. Musicand theatre, richtraditions at YHC, are twokey elements of theperforming arts program,where students can earnbachelor’s degrees inmusic, theatre and in thesomewhat unique offeringof musical theatre.Blending talents andgenres comes naturally toYHC and its Division ofFine Arts. Among thefaculty bringing musicand theatre together areEddie Collins, assistantprofessor of theatre, chairof the theatre department

and co-coordinator of the musical theatre program, andJeffrey Bauman, professor of music and director ofchoral and vocal activities.The two educators bring a perfect blend of artistic

talent, professional experience and educationalcredentials to the work they do. The advantages of theirdepartments reaching across distinctly drawn lines areclear. “Working with Eddie the past three years has beengreat. Prior to his arrival, the musical theatreproductions were directed primarily by adjunct faculty,and the benefit of having someone devote their full

attention to the program has been tremendous. Eddie isa great advocate for the program both on and offcampus and he brings a lot of energy and drive to ourmusical theatre program,” said Bauman.Likewise, Collins conveyed his thoughts on working

with Bauman. “Jeff is one of my best friends and apassionate music professional,” he said. “We havecollaborated on six shows over the last three years andget along beautifully. He challenges the studentsmusically and is able to bring together exquisitemusicians for the orchestra.”The YHC musical theatre program is split between the

theatre and music departments with nearly all musicand theatre faculty working with at least one studentinvolved in any given musical theatre production.Collins said of a recent show, “We had a cast of threetheatre majors, two music majors and nine musicaltheatre majors along with four music students in theband. Faculty members from theatre directed,choreographed, designed and built the show, whilemusic faculty worked with the band and singers. Ittakes a lot of people to put on a show like Cabaret, fromprivate voice lessons, to teaching kids to paint, toopening the box office.”Collins was working as an actor in Milwaukee and

Chicago and, as he tells it, “didn’t even know there weremountains in Georgia,” when he signed on three yearsago to fill in for another professor for one semester todirect a couple of shows at YHC. At the time the now-married Collins was planning his future and saw thetemporary stint as an opportunity to earn enoughmoney to cover the cost of an engagement ring. Lookingback, he says the decision to make the move permanentwas easy. “The level of talent here was astonishing.” Headded, “That, combined with the administration’ssupport of the arts, blew me away.” He enthusiasticallynotes that Young Harris College President Cathy Cox

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BRIGHT LIGHTS,BIG TALENTB Y P E G G Y C O Z A R T

Professor of Music andDirector of Choral andVocal Activities JeffreyBauman and AssistantProfessor of Theatre,Chair of the TheatreDepartment and Co-Coordinator of theMusical Theatre ProgramEddie Collins

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makes the effort to attend everyshow the department stages.Collins’ timing could not have

been better, as the College wasabout to make the transition froma two-year institution to a full four-year program. With a historicallystrong commitment to the arts,theatre was planned as one of thefirst nine bachelor’s degreeofferings. Of the opportunity tohelp shape the program he said,“For me personally and artistically,it was a no-brainer.”In the spring of 2008, Collins

joined the theatre department asthe third member of a three-personfaculty. The department has sincegrown to include three full-timefaculty and two full-time staffmembers as well as two adjunctdance instructors, and, in 2009, hebecame the department chair.Making the move to a four-year

degreeprogram wasa rigorousundertaking.Collins and hiscolleagues hadto preparedetaileddocumentsoutlining theplanned designandimplementation of the curriculumthe school would offer. Their workwas presented to the SouthernAssociation of Colleges andSchools (SACS) in 2008 andapproval came about a year later,in late 2009. This fall thedepartment began officially offeringbachelor of arts degrees in theatreand musical theatre. This May,YHC will see the first five graduatesin musical theatre, and in May2012, the first theatre majors willearn their four-year degrees.Additionally, the music

department has a rich history atYHC and features one of the largestfaculty rosters on campus. Baumanhas been the director of choral andvocal activities since 1992. Heholds bachelor of arts degrees inmusic education and musicperformance from Spring ArborUniversity in Michigan and masterof music degrees in choralconducting performance and vocalperformance from Bowling GreenState University in Ohio. The

Michigan nativecame to Young Harris in

the fall of 1992, just out of gradschool, drawn by the ruralatmosphere and the promise ofmilder winters.In his 19 years at the college,

Bauman has seen the performingarts thrive and grow. May 2011will see the first YHC graduates toreceive bachelor of arts degrees inmusic. “The evolution of the schoolis something that has kept my jobinteresting. I feel very fortunate,”he said. “I have endeavored to havelarge, high-quality performinggroups. This is one of the things inour favor when music was chosenas one of the first four-year majors.We had a thriving performing andeducational group.”In a typical day Bauman teaches

courses ranging from MusicAppreciation and Fundamentals ofMusic to Applied Voice andConducting. He also directs theYoung Harris College Choir and ismusic director of the musicaltheatre program. In addition tomaintaining office hours for

Eddie CollinsB.A., University of VirginiaM.F.A., Wayne State University

“The level of talent here was astonishing. That,combined with the administration’s support of thearts, blew me away.”

EDDIE COLLINS

meetings and planning, his dailyroutine may include choralarranging or leading rehearsals forthe various vocal groups he oversees.“I teach applied lessons to voicemajors every day of the week, and Igenerally have a choral rehearsal anda musical theatre rehearsal,” heexplained.Bauman, whose father taught band

at a small liberal arts school inMichigan, values the educationoffered at YHC. “For our students,YHC gives them the opportunity toparticipate in the arts at a highartistic level while they enjoy thebenefits of being at a small, liberalarts college. This combination is rareand speaks to YHC’s commitment to

our fine arts programs.”The versatile professor comes from

a talented family of musicians. Inaddition to his band instructor fatherhe noted, “All my aunts and unclesare musicians.” In fact, he is afounding member of The BaumanFamily Band. The group performslocally and features Bauman ondrums and backup vocals, his wife,Diane, on bass and their fourchildren, who play guitar and sing.Throughout his years at YHC,

Bauman has maintained a career as avaried and talented professionalperformer. “I have enjoyedtremendously the artistic andacademic freedom afforded me byYHC. It has given me theopportunity to explore variousaspects of my art and made me amuch more well-rounded musician,”said Bauman, whose performancecredits include work with theAshville Lyric Opera, the SouthCarolina Opera and the CroswellOpera House. His musical theatrecredits include roles in South Pacific,Camelot, Sweeney Todd andOklahoma. Additionally, he has anumber of oratorio and concertcredits to his name. Bauman is aprolific choral writer and arrangeras well. A committed workingartist, he typically writes two tothree pieces per semester and haseven taken a six-month sabbaticalthat allowed him the opportunityto write the Christmas cantata OnThis Day. In the long term, helooks forward to developingchoral arranging courses.Bauman serves as the choral

director for the 85-member

Young Harris College Choir. Thegroup performs locally andregionally and is preparing for itsfirst-ever European performancetour in May 2011. “I saw the trip asthe next step for the Choir at theCollege. I think a cross-culturalexperience is very important foreverybody,” he said. About half ofthe choir members have signed onto make the 10-day trip that willinclude stops in Prague, Vienna andMunich with performances to begiven at schools, community centersand churches. Most of the YHCChoir’s performances throughout theacademic year will serve asfundraisers for the trip.Bauman is also an active member

of the local community, serving asmusic director at the First UnitedMethodist Church of Union Countyand directing a high school honorchoir made up of singers from threesurrounding counties. Serving thecommunity and the region comes asnaturally to Bauman as it does toYHC. “The arts are extremelyimportant at YHC for manyreasons,” he said, “but chief amongthem is our ability to connect to thesurrounding community. Every yearwe produce a variety of events oncampus that are open to the public,often at little or no cost, and ourstudents frequently perform atchurch and community events forvarious organizations. Unlike manycolleges which are situated in moremetropolitan areas, our productionsare very well attended by membersof the community.”Collins expounds on the idea

noting the mission of the Division of

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BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG TALENT

Fine Arts starts with the education ofstudents but includes serving theregion. Each year his departmentstages four big shows, a musical, aclassic show, a children’s piece and acontemporary piece. The first showof the 2010-2011 season was theprovocative musical Cabaret, whichtells the story of a young Americanwriter living in Berlin as the Nazisrise to power. Shows are chosenthrough discussion among thefaculty, staff and students, andCollins explains that Cabaret notonly is “a work of importance and astory that needs to be told on aregular basis,” but it also is the kindof musical he looks for that stretchesperformers. During the final dressrehearsal of the show Collins’ calmenthusiasm and clear affection forhis students comes through. “Everyday, it’s, ‘What can we do better?How can we teach our kids better?’”he said. “We are never satisfied inour department, always looking forways to improve artistically and forthe benefit of the students. I couldn’task for a better working situation.”Collins was born in Texas, grew

up in New Orleans, attended collegein Virginia and has, he said, “livedall over the south.” After graduatingfrom the University of Virginia witha degree in drama, he actedprofessionally but left theatre for thebusiness world and a series of whathe describes as “real jobs,” includingwork as an insurance claims adjusterand a sales executive. The restlessCollins nearly went to medical

school—one of his many jobs wasworking at a hospital. Eventually, hiscircuitous journey led him back toNew Orleans where he again becameinvolved in the theatre scene andrealized he wanted to return toschool and get back into acting forgood. Collins earned his M.F.A. inacting from Wayne State Universityin Detroit in 2004 and soon foundwork acting professionally inMilwaukee, Chicago and Detroit,both on stage doing classical theatreand musicals, as well as appearing inregional television commercials.The worldly-wise educator has a

ready answer for anyone who mayquestion the choice to study theatre.“It’s two-fold,” he explained. “First,there is the possibility of pursuing acareer in performing arts, whetheron stage or backstage. And second,theatre is the best possible liberalarts education, teaching creativethinking, problem solving, workingwell with others, working ondeadlines, communicating effectively,confidence, discipline and writing—all things we expect from goodadults.”Collins believes the programs at

YHC do a great job of “looking atthe whole student,” and he cites theadvantage of small enrollment andsmall class sizes in carrying out theYHC mission to educate, inspire andempower students. “I think studentsare getting that in a lot of disciplineshere at YHC. It is a differenteducational process.” He notes thatthis year, in addition to the four-

show Mainstage Series, the theatredepartment is presenting for the firsttime some additional, student-directed productions. “Havingstudents direct gives them power,whether they become performers oraccountants,” said Collins.Summing up his thoughts on what

he thinks makes the arts programsso successful at YHC Collins said, “Ilike the students. I love thementoring relationship with thestudents. There’s something uniqueabout the kids that decide to comehere. There is something good andwholesome and true about the YHCstudents.” Bauman agrees. “Throughtheir experiences here, many of ourstudents have gone on to successfulcareers in performance, education,arts administration and churchmusic,” he said. “The way ourfaculty and our student body areevolving along with the Collegemakes me very excited for what thefuture will bring to the fine arts atYoung Harris.”

OnCam

pus

Jeffrey BaumanB.A., Spring Arbor UniversityM.M., Bowling Green StateUniversity

“The arts are extremely important at YHC for manyreasons, but chief among them is our ability toconnect to the surrounding community.”

JEFFREY BAUMAN

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The Green family of Gainesvilleoffers a lesson in investing—investing in learning, hard work,living frugally and serving others.These investments returned to themhappy, meaningful lives and anongoing opportunity to make adifference in the lives of others.Frank and Lillie Mae Green

opened their grocery store inGainesville in 1950. After using allof their cash to purchase equipmentfor the store, and then allowingcustomers credit, the Greensstruggled to keep afloat until theincome finally starting coming.“We earned our money the hard

way,” said Lillie Mae. “We deliveredgroceries and even put food away inthe refrigerator for folks who weren’tat home. We picked up people’schildren from school if they weren’table to in the afternoon. And then,when we’d just gotten established,along came the chain stores. Itwasn’t easy.”Over the next four decades the

Greens tripled the store’s size andbuilt a business known for itspersonal service, fine meats and avaried selection of products.While other old-fashioned mom-

and-pop stores went under, Green’ssurvived selling items that could notbe found anywhere else in town.The store earned the loyalty of itscustomers and awards from theGeorgia Retail Food DealersAssociation.The Greens’ son, Ronnie, worked

in his parents’ store too, including onweekends and in the summers whilehe attended Young Harris College.After graduating in 1965, he went onto earn a degree in business from the

University of Georgia.The learning never stopped.

Ronnie enrolled in courses atGainesville College for the sheer joyof learning. He would stay awake atnight reading and took specialinterest in investing. Over the years,he earned a law degree and a realestate license but chose a career inthe Greens’ store. He took thegreatest pleasure in talking with andhelping customers. He became abeloved fixture in the store knownfor asking, “How can I help youdarling?”Frank and Lillie Mae sold the store

in 1995. Rather than continue thefamily’s ownership, Ronnie chose towork for new owners, whichallowed him to continue helpingcustomers.“The only language he knew was

kind,” wrote Gainesville Timesmanaging editor Johnny Vardeman,in an obituary after Ronnie’s sudden,unexpected death from a heartattack in March 2001. Only uponhis death did Ronnie’s parents learnthat he had accumulated an estate ofseveral million dollars through hisastute investments.With Ronnie’s

estate and their ownsavings, Frank andLillie Mae begandonating money tosupport health andeducation causes innortheast Georgia.Following Frank’sdeath in January2008, Lillie Mae hascontinued to makegifts on behalf of thefamily, including

one to Young Harris College. In2009, she designated a planned giftof $2 million to name the lobby ofEnotah Hall and made specialprovisions through her estate tofurther endow the Ronnie GreenEndowed Scholarship.Young Harris College honored

Mrs. Green for her generosity at adedication ceremony duringHomecoming/Alumni Weekend2010 on July 24, naming the first-floor common area of the College’snewest residence hall the “GreenFamily Lobby.”YHC President Cathy Cox and

Mrs. Green cut a ceremonial ribbonto officially unveil a lobby exhibitthat tells her family’s story of ethicalbusiness practices, exceptionalcustomer service, wise financialsavings and a lifetime dedicated tohard work.“We are extremely thankful for the

generosity of Mrs. Green and herfamily,” President Cox said. “We arepleased that the Green Family namenow holds a publicly distinctive spoton our campus in honor of theGreens’ inspiring story and legacy.”

The Best Investments

Mrs. Lillie Mae Green

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YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Choir Prepares for FirstEver European TourIn May 2011, members of the Young Harris College Choir, led by YHC Professor of

Music and Director of Choral and Vocal Activities Jeff Bauman, will have theopportunity to travel on a sightseeing and performance tour of Europe. The groupwill explore the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany on a 10-day excursion,immersing themselves in the art, history and music of Europe’s cultural hubs whileperforming in at least four historic European venues, such as Prague’s St. VitusCathedral, Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral and Munich’s Frauenkirche.“This trip will be a cultural and historical epiphany for many of the students,”

Bauman said. “We will walk the streets of Vienna where Mozart and Schubert spentmuch of their creative lives. We will sing in magnificent buildings that were builtbefore America was a country. Our students will gain a great deal of perspective fromtheir life-changing experiences in foreign countries.”“I hope to absorb knowledge from the different cultures we will be experiencing,”

said Katie Marlowe, a senior musical theatre major from Clermont. “I want to go onthis trip because I love music. I want to sing in a beautiful cathedral—and hear howwe sound in different venues. I want to discover Europe with really wonderfulpeople, learn about Europe’s music history and leave our own mark on Europethrough our music.”To offset tour costs, which are estimated to be $2,700 per person, a percentage of

all 2010-2011 gifts to YHC’s Friends of the Arts (FOTA) fund will be used to makethe trip affordable for YHC choir members.

In addition, FOTA patrons have the opportunity to sponsor a student to attend thetrip, in keeping with FOTA’s goal to promote the exploration of new endeavors andlearning experiences.“This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will help me gain a better

understanding of European culture and the differences between America andEurope,” said JeRee Dukes, a sophomore music major from Agnes. “I am most excitedabout performing in European places.”Several choral concerts throughout the 2010-2011 academic year will serve as

fundraisers with all proceeds going to help students fund the trip. Events this fallinclude the Oct. 23 Acapalooza concert, featuring YHC’s a cappella groups SouthernHarmony and The Compulsive Lyres, and the Young Harris CollegeChoir’s presentation of “An Evening at the U.S.O.,” Friday andSaturday, Nov. 12-13, at the First United Methodist Church ofUnion County in Blairsville.“When the community supports the arts, my heart is touched,”

Marlowe said. “It means a lot to know that there are people outthere who support what we are passionate about. This trip will be away for us to broaden our horizons and enhance our education. Itwill be an experience of a lifetime.”

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Get BackstageWITH FRIENDS OFTHE ARTS ATYOUNG HARRISCOLLEGE

Play a leading role in thearts at Young Harris Collegeby becoming a member ofFriends of the Arts.Your support enables the

Division of Fine Arts atYoung Harris College tocontinue offering qualityprogramming that benefitsstudent development andenhances the local culturallandscape. Students areoffered creative andperforming opportunities inArt, Music, Musical Theatreand Theatre. Friends of theArts supports Young HarrisCollege’s goals to enablestudents to grow and learn inan environment ofuncompromised artistic andacademic freedom andintegrity.All members receive a

welcome packet, semi-annualnewsletter, annual springdinner with YHC PresidentCathy Cox and namerecognition in eventprograms.

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For more information on the Young Harris College Choir’s European Tour and how to support it, contact Directorof Development and Planned Giving Jennifer McAfee at (706) 379-5318, or make a gift online at www.yhc.edu.

In September, the 25-member Young Harris College Board ofAssociates kicked off the 2010-2011 Local Scholarship Campaign,which seeks to provide scholarship funding for the approximately200 local students attending YHC this year from Fannin, Gilmer,Towns and Union counties in Georgia and Cherokee and Claycounties in North Carolina.

Established in 1991, the Board of Associates is a groupof local business and civic leaders who act asambassadors for the College and serve as a soundingboard for the community. They are the driving forcebehind the Local Scholarship Campaign. Every fall, theBoard launches this annual campaign in an effort to assistthe College in providing scholarship aid to the studentsof these six surrounding counties.During this year, more than $1.9 million in scholarship

dollars will be awarded to local students, reflecting acommitment by the College and the community to thesestudents. Gifts from the local communities to thiscampaign make much of this scholarship assistancepossible.Last year’s board exceeded its goal by raising more than

$70,000. Now with record enrollment for the fourthconsecutive year, including seniors for the first time innearly a century, the Board of Associates set its 2010-2011 goal at $75,000.Students like Caleb Kelley, a junior history major from

Union County, and Alyssa Cain, a freshman educationmajor from Gilmer County, benefit from the scholarshipmoney raised. “By receiving support from the LocalScholarship Campaign, I have been able to obtain aquality liberal arts education while remaining close to myfamily and friends,” Kelley said. Cain added, “I havedreamed of coming to YHC since I was in the sixth grade.Because of my local scholarship, I was finally able tofulfill my dream.”

“My local scholarship makes me feel as if the hardwork I put forth in high school paid off,” said KarissaCross, a freshman biology major from Cherokee County,

N.C. “It has allowed me to get a greateducation as a result.”

For more information or to contribute tothe 2010-2011 Local ScholarshipCampaign, contact Jennifer McAfee in theOffice of Advancement at (706) 379-5318or visit www.yhc.edu.

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE BOARD OF ASSOCIATES KICKS OFF

2010-2011 Local Scholarship Campaign

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Caleb Kelley

Alyssa Cain

Karissa Cross

Rick Davenport, ChairRick’s RentalBlairsville, GA

Angie Kelley, Vice-ChairPiedmont Heart InstituteBlairsville, GA and Murphy, NC

Matthew AkinsBlue Ridge Mountain EMCYoung Harris, GA

Herman ClarkClark & Clark, Attorneys atLaw, PCEllijay, GA

Mary ColwellCivic LeaderBlairsville, GA

Norman CooperNorth Georgia NewsBlairsville, GA

Robert “Bob” Head ’59Head Westgate CorporationBlairsville, GA

Jeremy HendersonBB&TMurphy, NC

Charles JenkinsCivic LeaderBlairsville, GA

Kuy LimAsianoHiawassee, GA

Mikellah Davis Makepeace ’97Wolf Creek BroadcastingYoung Harris, GA

Marla Kephart MashburnUnited Community BankHayesville, NC

J. Britt McAfee ’91J. Britt McAfee Law Firm, LLCBlairsville, GA

Stephanie W. McConnell ’92Stephanie W. McConnell, PCHiawassee, GA

Brian MundyMundy’s Heating & AirConditioningMurphy, NC

W.C. Nelson ’63Nelson Tractor CompanyBlairsville, GA

Greg OwenbyNorth Georgia StoneBlairsville, GA

Julie PayneBank of HiawasseeHiawassee, GA

McKenzie Davis Payne ’00Advanced Digital CableHiawassee, GA

Hugh Rogers, ‘91McCaysville Drug CenterMcCaysville, GA

Darrin SparksCadence BankBlairsville, GA

Tony StewartWalmartBlairsville, GA

Jamie TallentUnited Community BankEllijay, GA

Michael Thompson ’72Civic LeaderMurphy, NC

Holly TigerAnderson’s andTiger’s storesHiawassee, GA andHayesville, NC

2010 -2011 BOARD OF ASSOCIATES

The annual Clay Dotson Open golf tournament to benefit studentscholarships at Young Harris College was held May 17 at BrasstownValley Resort. Approximately 150 players enjoyed morning andafternoon flights followed by an awards ceremony. The tournament is theCollege’s premier scholarship fundraiser.Prize categories included overall winners for each flight as well as low

net and low gross scores, longest drive, closest to the pin and closestputt. The tournament also featured an Alumni Team Challenge in whicha prize was awarded to the team of fourYHC alumni with the lowest score.Prizes were awarded as follows:

MORNING FL IGHT:

Flight 1 Winner: Charles Nicholson,Vaughn Green, Marvin McArthur

Flight 2 Winner: Brian Mashburn,Matthew Akins, Erik Brinke,Dale Anderson

Overall Low Gross: Greg Young, ChrisRobbins, Danny Hemphill, Bo Wright

Overall Low Net: Bart Boyd, ChrisGarmon, Britt McAfee, Zeke Farriba

Closest to the Pin: Joe Winters

Longest Drive: Paul Gribble

Putting Contest Winner: Frank Butler

AFTERNOON FL IGHT:

Flight 1 Winner: Joe Winters, ChetRoach, Brad Noyes, Anne Shurley

Flight 2 Winner: Jackson Kane, JoeGreco, Greg Delaney, Mark Levine

Overall Low Gross: Derek Slack, SteveRowe, Toby Swartz, Keith Chatterton

Overall Low Net: Colton Payne,Marvin McArthur, Jeff Kelly, Clint Hobbs

Closest to the Pin: Pete Pruitt

Longest Drive: Dave Slack

Putting Contest Winner: Jason Karnes

Alumni Challenge Winner: Bart Boyd,Chris Garmon, Britt McAfee,Zeke Farriba

2010 CLAY DOTSON OPENSPONSORS :A&A Auto Rental of BlairsvilleAdvanced Disposal ServicesARAMARKArtBytes, Inc.Avient Museum ServicesBank of Hiawassee, Blairsville & Blue RidgeBB&TBB&T Huffaker & TrimbleBenefit Support, Inc./CMA AgencyBKR Metcalf DavisBlue Ridge Mountain EMCBrailsford & DunlaveyBrasstown Valley ResortBruce L. Ferguson, P.C.Carl Patterson Carpet SalesCHA, Inc.Choate Construction CompanyCornerstone Management, Inc.Cox & Son Roofing, Inc.Custom Home & Commercial PaintingDuplicating Products, Inc.Eberly & Associates, Inc.Follett Higher Education GroupFurby Company, Inc.Gainesville Janitor Supply, Inc.Georgia Florida United Methodist FederalCredit UnionHardin ConstructionHayes, James & AssociatesHeritage PropaneHope-Beckham, Inc.Hank and Amy HuckabyJacky Jones Chrysler, Dodge, JeepKOR SystemsLord Aeck Sargent ArchitectureMann Mechanical Company, Inc.Men on the MoveMinistries of GraceKurt Momand and Heather MomandMontag & Caldwell, Inc.Nantahala Bank and Trust CompanyNortheast Georgia Living MagazineParker PetroleumPrime, Buchholz & AssociatesState Street Global AdvisorsThe Lambert Co.The Oconee InstituteTowns County Lions ClubTri-State Utility Products, Inc.United Community BankVMDO ArchitectsWolf Creek Broadcasting

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Benefits Scholarships

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Morning Flight 2 Winner

Morning Flight 1 Winner

Afternoon Flight 2 Winner

Alumni Challenge Winner

Afternoon Flight 1 Winner

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Young Harris College received a $132,500 planned giftfrom the Foster Charitable Trust that will establish theRalph O. and Johnnie Irene Foster Endowed Scholarship.This scholarship will be awarded annually to localstudents from Towns and Union counties.“We are extremely grateful to receive this

generous gift that will benefit our local studentsand allow them to receive a world-class educationwhile remaining close to home,” Young HarrisCollege President Cathy Cox said. “Endowedscholarships are one of the greatest ways to giveback to the College, as they benefit our studentsfor generations to come.”The Foster Charitable Trust was established by

the estate of Ralph and Johnnie Irene Foster. Bothnatives of Young Harris, Ralph and Johnniemarried in 1947 and moved to Akron, Ohio,where Ralph was employed by the B. F. GoodrichCompany. Johnnie worked for the Ohio BellTelephone Company. Upon retiring, the couplereturned home to North Georgia and bought a home nearLake Chatuge in Towns County to be near the lake,mountains and people they loved.Ralph passed away in 1980, leaving Johnnie the sole

heir to the Foster Farm on Mining Gap Trail, a propertyhe had owned since 1938. In 2004, Johnnie set up acharitable remainder trust to benefit organizations in thelocal community, including Young Harris College. Shepassed away in June 2009.According to Nancy Broshears, co-trustee of the

Foster Charitable Trust and sister of Johnnie Foster,Young Harris College has special meaning to her andher family. “My grandson Jeffery recently graduatedcum laude from Young Harris College,” Broshears said,“and is doing well at Georgia Tech.”In keeping with Johnnie’s wishes for the proceeds

from the Foster Farm to help worthwhile causes, theproperty was recently sold to Towns County to build arecreation park that will include athletic fields andhiking and walking trails. “That would have been what

my sister wanted—something beneficial to many peoplefor years to come as a memorial to her and her husbandRalph,” Broshears said.Broshears’ grandson, Jeffery Shook, ’09, presented the

gift for YHC on behalf of his great aunt to President Coxat a special event held on Aug. 19 at nearby BrasstownValley Resort.“His graduation from YHC was the last public function

that my sister Johnnie attended,” Broshears said of Shook.“She made it possible for him to get an education.”Through this family’s generosity and legacy, the Ralph

O. and Johnnie Irene Foster Endowed Scholarship willnow make it possible for many generations of localstudents to earn a college degree close to home.

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Receives $132,500Planned Gift forLocal Scholarships

YHC Vice President for Enrollment Management ClintHobbs, ‘88 (far left), President Cathy Cox (second fromright) and Vice President for Advancement Jay Stroman(far right) accept a gift of $132,500 for Young HarrisCollege presented by Jeffery Shook, ‘09, and NancyBroshears.

YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE

Offers New PlannedGiving WebsiteThe Young Harris College Office of Advancement

has created a new interactive planned giving websitethat features stories of donors who have madeplanned gifts to Young Harris College as well asexamples of how to make a planned gift and tools tohelp calculate and customize the right type of gift foreach donor. Planned gifts offer immense flexibility for

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Young Harris College alumnaMargaret Appleby McCormick, ’30,always cherished the opportunity shewas given to attend YHC throughgenerous financial support, and shewanted to ensure that other youngwomen were granted the sameopportunity.To fulfill his wife’s wish, Colonel

Harold D. McCormick established theMargaret Appleby McCormickEndowed Scholarship at YoungHarris College in 1989 to benefitexemplary female students in need offinancial assistance. When he died in1992, he contributed a planned giftof $100,000 to the scholarship fundin honor of his wife.After she passed away in March

2010 at the age of 98, MargaretAppleby McCormick made anidentical planned gift of $100,000 toYHC through her estate to benefit theendowed scholarship that bears hername.“Young Harris College definitely

held a special place in her heart,” saidCeil Jarrett, ’75, McCormick’s nieceand member of the YHC AlumniBoard. “She was always grateful for

the opportunity to attend YHC.”Colonel and Margaret McCormick

made many generous gifts to theCollege over the years and regularlycontributed to the endowedscholarship fund. McCormick’s sister,Jane Appleby, and brother-in-law,Sam Flint, also made gifts to the fundeach year on McCormick’s birthday.A Latin scholar, McCormick

graduated valedictorian of her class in1930. She taught high school in ruralGeorgia to help support her familybefore returning to her hometown ofWinder in 1933 to work as a lawclerk in the office of Judge RobertRussell. While working there, sheread law and passed the Georgia BarExamination, although she neverpracticed.Two years later, Judge Russell’s

brother, U.S. Senator Richard BrevardRussell, asked McCormick to serve ashis secretary. She worked in SenatorRussell’s offices in Georgia andWashington, D.C., until 1948 whenshe married Colonel McCormick.“Although she traveled all over

the world as the wife of an officerin the U.S. Army and retired with

him in Fort Monmouth, N.J., MissMaggie always considered Georgiahome,” said Connie Platt,McCormick’s stepdaughter. “She hadthe fondest memories of YoungHarris. She treasured her time at YHCand remembered many happy daysthere.”Through McCormick’s endowed

scholarship and planned gift, herlegacy will give future generations ofwomen the opportunity to earn theirdegree at McCormick’s beloved almamater.“She always said that she never

would have been able to go to YoungHarris without a scholarship,” saidJarrett, “and she never forgot that.”

Margaret Appleby McCormick, ‘30

A Gift from the HeartB Y K R Y S T I N D E A N

alumni and friends of the College whowish to make a lasting contribution toYHC without making an immediatecash gift. Planned gifts may also makedonors eligible for substantial tax orfinancial benefits.The website also gives visitors the

opportunity to sign up to receive the“Legacy” e-newsletter, which offersplanned giving information and tips aswell as spotlight stories about recentdonors.Donors who make a planned gift to

Young Harris College becomemembers of the W. Harry andHarriet Hill Society for PlannedGifts.

To explore the new website andsign up for the e-newsletter, visitwww.yhc.edu/plannedgiving. Formore information contact YHCDirector of Development andPlanned Giving Jennifer McAfeeat (706) 379-5318 orjmcafee@yhc.edu.

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Big things are right around the corner as theYoung Harris College men’s and women’sbasketball teams prepare for their inauguralseason.One of the highlights of the 2010-2011

schedule will be the men’s season opener inCharlotte, N.C., as Young Harris College meetsthe Virginia Intermont College Cobras at TimeWarner Cable Arena—the home of the CharlotteBobcats—on the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 13,prior to the start of the Bobcats’ game that nightagainst the Utah Jazz.Men’s basketball head coach Pete Herrmann

arranged the contest. “I am good friends withBobcats’ coach Larry Brown and his staff, and Icoached Jazz point guard Sundiata Gaines at theUniversity of Georgia,” Herrmann explained.“The game should give our players a perspectiveon the season. The opportunity to open in an NBAarena will be something big for them and ourprogram.”Just two days later, the Young Harris College

men’s and women’s teams will take on the NorthGeorgia College & State University Saints for theMountain Lions’ home opener on Monday, Nov.15, in the new YHC Recreation Center arena. Thewomen tip off their season at 5:30 p.m., and themen follow at 7:30 p.m.“This seems like a natural rivalry we want to develop,”

Herrmann said. “I like (North Georgia men’s head coach)Chris Faulkner, and he has done a tremendous job withhis teams. By being so close and part of a conference weare interested in, this rivalry just seems natural. Ourathletic director, Randy Dunn, came from North Georgia,and I can see this rivalry being good for many years.”The men’s team, playing their first season in four

decades, will travel just 12 times during the 26-gameschedule and will play host to a Christmas tournament.The Mountain Lions will be young with only three players

having any collegiate experience. For Herrmann, this yearis a chance to get back into the game of basketball. Hecame to Young Harris College from Athens, where hecoached six seasons for the Georgia Bulldogs. He also

served as the associate head coach and, in2009, as the interim head coach.During his last season at Georgia,

Herrmann led a young team to wins againstconference rivals Kentucky and Florida.Prior to his time at Georgia, he coached atthe United States Naval Academy, KansasState, Virginia and Western Kentucky.The women will travel just 13 times during

their season’s 25-game schedule. Highlightsinclude three schools that women’s headcoach Brenda Paul has been a part of—North Georgia College & State University,Tennessee Wesleyan College and BerryCollege.This season will provide a lot of

excitement as Paul is just nine wins shy of450 for her career, which began atTennessee Wesleyan in 1978. She had a28-21 record in two years. She coached atBerry from 1980-1985, compiling a 139-28 mark during that time and helping theVikings to district championships all fiveyears. While in Rome, Ga., Paul led herteam to three top-eight NAIA NationalTournament finishes, including semifinalappearances in both 1982 and 1984. Eightof her Berry players earned All-Americanhonors. Before coming to Young HarrisCollege, Paul coached at Elon Universityfrom 1994 to 2008. She also coached atGeorgia State and Mississippi State.“The total atmosphere attracted me to

this coaching position,” Paul said. “We will be a youngteam and it will take time to mature. We willgain experience one game at a time.”Paul looks forward to opening the

2010-2011 season on Nov. 15 andagrees with Herrmann that theMountain Lions will quicklydevelop a rivalry with NorthGeorgia, which is her almamater.The YHC Athletics

Department has made

50 yhcathletics.com

IS BACK!IS BACK!

Young Harris College

BASKETBALL

B Y B R I A N H O W A R D

Above: (top) YHC men’sbasketball player GarrettKopydlowski and(bottom, left to right)YHC women’s basketballplayers Meghan Brownand Judith Hall getready for the MountainLions’ inaugural season.

available a variety of ticket options.The VIP Premium Seating season ticket package is $150

per seat and includes an assigned seat at center court forall men’s and women’s home games on either the east orwest sides of the arena, plus access to an exclusive halftimehospitality suite.

The Reserved Seating season ticket package is $120 perseat and includes an assigned seat for all men’s andwomen’s home games.In addition, $6 general admission tickets may be

purchased at the door for each individual game based onavailability.

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GOOD FOR ALL 27 HOME GAMESVIP Premium Seating: $150/seatBest seats in the house at center court plus halftime hospitality suite!

Reserved Seating: $120/seat

For more information or to purchase season tickets, contact YHC Athletics Dept.(706) 379-5296 or elhuffman@yhc.eduyhcathletics.com

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SEASON TICKETS

The Mountain Lions welcomed eightnew coaches to athletic teams at YoungHarris College.

Jay Brown, ’06, MattHenson, ’05, and TravisHuffman were added tobaseball head coach RickRobinson’s staff this pastsummer.Brown comes from the

University of SouthCarolina, where he was apitcher and a teamcaptain on the 2010National Championshipbaseball team. Prior toplaying at SouthCarolina, the Brunswicknative played forRobinson on the YHCbaseball team from 2004to 2006.Henson, a native of

Morganton, has been alifelong supporter of

Young Harris College baseball. Heplayed two years for Robinson, andthen continued his career at theUniversity of North Carolina atAsheville. While there, he helped leadthe team to itsfirst Big SouthConferenceChampionship in2006.Huffman spent

the previous threeyears workingwith the hittersand outfielders asan assistant coachat Division I OldDominion University. Before that, heserved as an assistant coach forHampden-Sydney College. Huffmanwas the head coach at Pleasant RidgeHigh School in Easton, Kan., for twoseasons, where he compiled a 26-18record, and helped lead the 2005squad to their first-ever state playoff

appearance. The Pleasant Ridge teamwon the 2005 qualifying regional andearned its first-ever top-10 stateranking. In addition, Huffman’s squadset school records for most wins in aseason (16).Andre Morgan and Heath Hooper

join men’s basketball head coach PeteHerrmann’s staff.Morgan served as an assistant coach

at North GeorgiaCollege & StateUniversity last year.He played twocollegiate seasons atKennesaw StateUniversity, earningFreshman of the Yearhonors, and he alsoplayed two years atNorth Georgia wherehe earned All-PeachBelt Conferencehonors.Hooper, who

graduated fromTowns County HighSchool in 2005,played collegiatebasketball all fouryears at ReinhardtCollege.

Andre Morgan

Heath Hooper

Brian Howard joined Young Harris College’sDepartment of Athletics in September assports information director (SID).Howard is no stranger to college athletics,

having spent time previously at University ofWest Alabama, Ouachita Baptist University andLeTourneau University. Prior to spending the past year atNCAA Division III LeTourneau in Longview, Texas, Howardspent a year and a half as the SID at Ouachita Baptist.A native of Akron, Ohio, Howard graduated from Ashland

University in the spring of 2000 and immediately began

working at the El Dorado News-Times in Arkansas. Healso worked for several newspapers in West Virginia,South Carolina and Georgia (Jonesboro).During his five-year newspaper career, Howard had

the privilege to interview several top athletes andcoaches, including Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, GainesAdams, Tommy Bowden and Lou Holtz. He workedthree Peach Belt Conference basketball tournamentsand one NCAA Division II women’s basketball regional.Howard has been around sports his entire life,

spending 15 years as a soccer player. While at Ashland,he served as a sports anchor for the campus televisionstation, campus disc jockey, sports play-by-play and colorcommentator and sports producer. He also worked in thesports information office during his senior year and was asports writer for the collegiate newspaper.

Brian Howard

Athletics Welcomes

New SID

Jay Brown

Matt Henson

Travis Huffman

New Coaches JoinAthletics Department

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Ciaran Traquairis no stranger to theYoung HarrisCollege soccerprograms as he joinsmen’s head coachMark McKeever’sstaff.Traquair was an

assistant coach withthe YHC women’s soccer program in2007. He left after that season tobecome the assistant coach for themen’s soccer team at his alma mater,Shorter College, from 2008 to 2010.As a player, Traquair was a two-year

team captain at Shorter and a three-time Most Valuable Player. He holdsthe record for most assists in programhistory and led the nation in thatcategory during the 2007 season with17. While at Shorter, he was named2004 SSAC All-Conference HonorableMention. In 2005, he was namedSSAC All-Conference Second Team.Traquair wrapped up his career with aSSAC All-Conference First-Teamselection in 2006. After graduation

from Shorter in2007, Traquair played semi-professional soccer for the MississippiBrilla FC of the PDL League in 2008and the Chattanooga FC of the NPSLin 2009.Robbie Stancil brings

more than 30 years ofcoaching experience andan overall record of 407-218 to her first season asassistant coach for HeadCoach Brenda Paul’swomen’s basketballteam. She holds degreesfrom Wesleyan College,North Georgia Collegeand Lincoln MemorialUniversity. Her coaching backgroundincludes softball, basketball, volleyball,soccer and tennis at the high schoollevel with four consecutive sub-regiontitles, six region championships, twoquarterfinal appearances, one semifinalappearance and a state runner-up title.She has also coached at North GeorgiaCollege & State University, where sheled the women’s volleyball team to the

NAIA DistrictChampionship, whileearning the NAIACoach of the Yearhonors. She also served

as women’ssoftball headcoach, again earningNAIA Coach of the Year honors,and as women’s basketballassistant coach.Kelly Blount joins Head

Coach Jacob Turner’s staff formen’s and women’s tennis.The Augusta native graduated

from Mercer University in 2008after playing tennis all four

years. She was the Atlantic SunConference Player of the Week twiceand earned Atlantic Sun ConferenceAll-Academic honors. Whilecompleting her master’s degree atMercer, she served as an academicassistant with the athletic departmentfor a year then was an assistant tenniscoach the following year.

Ciaran Traquair

Robbie Stancil

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Jacob Turner, who was named men’s tennis head coachin April, recently accepted the responsibility of alsoleading the women’s team after Alli Hillman, ’05, left YHCto complete graduate study, and Kelly Blount recentlyjoined Turner as assistant coach for both teams.“We are in a rebuilding phase as we continue to make

the transition to a four-year college and will continue togrow stronger over the next few years,” Turner said.Young Harris College revived the men’s tennis program

in 2009.Since September, Turner and Blount are growing YHC’s

tennis program at a beautiful, new tennis complex locatedeast of the main campus on Hwy 76. The Mountain Lionsare currently holding practices on the facility’s 12 lighted,

tournament-quality courts and will play their first matchesat the new complex on Feb. 8 against North GeorgiaCollege & State University.YHC’s adjacent Berry House will soon become home to

a pro shop, locker rooms and offices for the tennis, golfand cross country programs.YHC students, faculty and staff will have access to the

facility’s amenities, and memberships will be available tothe local community.“My goal is for this new facility to be the premier tennis

complex in the tri-state area. I want everyone at YHC tobe proud of the complex and what it offers to thesurrounding community,” Turner said.

YHC GrowsTennis ProgramADDS NEW COURTS

YHC Tennis Complex

Kelly Blount

54 yhcathletics.com

MEN’S SOCCER

Head Coach Mark McKeever enteredthe season hoping to develop andstrengthen a young team. Despite a slowstart, the Mountain Lions started

building on the success of a3-3 tie against Coker andpicked up back-to-backwins at home againstShorter and Erskine,outscoring their opponents7-3 at both matches. “Theteam got stronger as theseason went on,”

McKeever said. “We gained morestructure and understanding, and I amdelighted with the team’s work ethic. We

have competed against some greatprograms this season and it has been agreat learning environment for the lads.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Playing a schedule that included allNCAA Division II and NAIA schools,Young Harris College’swomen’s soccer team had aslow start to the season butbounced back quickly. Theteam struggled early onwith losses to Tusculumand North GeorgiaCollege & StateUniversity beforerecovering with wins overBrevard College and St. AndrewsPresbyterian College. The teamcontinued to find success when facing afield dominated by four-yearcompetition. “I am proud of the qualityplayers that define this women’s soccerprogram. They are dedicated and

driven, and they are building afoundation for the program,” Women’sSoccer Head Coach Kathy Brown said.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Young Harris College’s men’s crosscountry team opened the season byfinishing ninth at the University of

Georgia Invitational and the GreatAmerican Nike Festival. Twomajor highlights of the seasonoccurred when the Mountain Lionscaptured third at the GeorgiaSouthwestern Remembrance Runand followed the performance witha fifth-place finish at the MercerRunfit Sports Invitational. Three of

the top 20 places in the GeorgiaSouthwestern Remembrance Run wentto Young Harris runners, with freshmanBrandon Banks, of Commerce, finishingninth, freshman Terry Miller, of Athens,finishing 19th, and freshman TrentJones, of Lakeland, Fla., finishing 20th.

Niall McCabe

FallSports

Recap

Rachel Wilkes

“Most athletes have aspirations toplay professionally,” said Young HarrisCollege Athletic Director Randy Dunn,

as he reflected onthe path that ledhim to YHC. “Fromhigh school, andthose even younger,to college players,athletes dreamabout going to thenext level.”Dunn, like most

athletes, hadaspirations to have a

career in sports. He played basketball atMurray County High School inChatsworth and received a basketballscholarship to play for the Saints atNorth Georgia College in Dahlonega.

After his junior year at NorthGeorgia, Dunn had a car accident andbroke his back. Doctors advised the all-conference basketball player not toreturn to the court for his senior year,even after rehabilitation.“At that young age, you think you are

invincible,” Dunn said. “I had the driveand determination to recover andreturn to the game. I had alreadyplayed three years at North Georgia.Eventually I realized I shouldn’t play,but I still wanted to be involved withthe game.”Dunn graduated from North Georgia

with a bachelor’s degree in health andphysical education in 1980. He thenattended Georgia Southwestern StateUniversity in Americus and received hisM.Ed. in physical education.

At GSSU, Dunn returned to thegame when he started coaching. Heserved as an assistant basketball coachfor the Hurricanes.In 1981, he became the assistant

basketball coach for the Braves at theUniversity of West Georgia inCarrollton.The following year Dunn returned to

his alma mater to coach the Saints.Starting in 1989, he led the men’sbasketball team as the head coach for14 seasons.The Saints won the Georgia-Alabama-

Carolina Conference regular seasonchampionship in 1996 and advanced tothe National Association ofIntercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)National Tournament. Thanks to histeam’s success, Dunn was also namedthe GACC Men’s Basketball Coach ofthe Year in 1996.“Winning the championship at North

Georgia is certainly one of my favoritesports memories,” Dunn said. “Moreimportant to me, however, are the

New Athletic Director Brings

Passion for the GameB Y E M I L Y S A N E

Randy Dunn

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WOMEN’S CROSSCOUNTRY

Young Harris College’s women’s crosscountry team had multiple top-10finishes throughout the season. The

team started off with asixth-place finish atthe University ofGeorgia Invitationalfollowed by seventh-place finishes inback-to-back racesat the Mercer RunfitSports Invitational

and Great American Nike Festival. TheMountain Lions took third place at theGeorgia Southwestern RemembranceRun. Four of the top 20 places went toYoung Harris runners, with freshmanErica Brooks, of Watkinsville, finishingninth, sophomore Heather Richbourg,of Blairsville, finishing 12th, sophomoreChristelle Vereb, of Hayesville, N.C.,finishing 15th, and sophomore StaceyKeahon, of Suwanee, finishing 19th.

MEN’S GOLF

The men’s golf team saw steadyresults this fall as they prepare for thespring season. The highlight came at therain-soaked Georgia Mountain Trophy,when the team took second placeoverall. Five of the top 10 spots at thetournament went to Young Harrisgolfers, with sophomore Matt Peeler, ofWilliamson, finishing fifth, junior ChaseHankla, of Valdosta, tiedfor sixth, sophomore MattLewallen, of Clarkesville,tied for eighth, andsophomore Evan Jordan, ofGriffin, and sophomoreJesse Brock, ofWatkinsville, tied for 10th.

WOMEN’S GOLF

The Young HarrisCollege’s women’s golf teamstarted the fall strong withthree top-10 finishes. TheMountain Lions finished

sixth in the Piedmont Fall Invitational.Freshman Rachel Mason, of Ringgold,finished sixth overall in the tournament,firing a 78 in the second round ofcompetition. The team also finishedseventh at the Eat-A-Peach Collegiateand10th at the Chick-Fil-A CollegiateInvitational where Mason recordedthree birdies, finishing tied for 30th.

memories of helping the student-athletes grow and watching themsucceed on and off the court. Seeingformer players who are now reachingout and impacting students throughcoaching—now, that’s a true win.”While coaching basketball at North

Georgia, Dunn started serving as thecollege’s athletic director. He becamethe full-time athletic director in 2003,after retiring from coaching basketball.In 2005, Dunn helped North Georgia

transition from the NAIA to theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) Division II.He brought this valuable experience

with him to Young Harris College inJune, when Dunn started as the firstfull-time athletic director for theMountain Lions.“I considered coming to Young Harris

at a time when I could have consideredretiring,” Dunn said. “I would havebeen able to spend more time with myfamily, travel more and golf more. This

was a decision I could not enter intowithout great consideration. It wascritical for me and the College.”After meeting with the Young Harris

College administration, includingPresident Cathy Cox, and visiting thecampus, Dunn knew he wanted to be apart of the YHC community.“I couldn’t help but be excited,”

Dunn said. “The vision theadministration has to lead the Collegeand its athletics program into the futureis great for the College, the alumni andthe local area.”Before coming to Young Harris

College, Dunn knew YHC’s newwomen’s basketball head coach, BrendaPaul. The two attended North Georgiaas undergraduate students at the sametime.“I quickly learned why this college is

growing—great people,” Dunn said.“The students, the coaches—everyoneis great. They have the work ethic andknowledge to succeed.”

In his first year at YHC, Dunn willfollow a busy playbook. He will helpthe College with the process oftransitioning to the NCAA Division II,which includes submitting anapplication for membership to theNCAA and considering improvementsto athletic facilities.“By next July, we hope to be a part of

the NCAA,” Dunn said. “We want tocompete in a conference as soon as wecan. We are going in the right direction,but we have to keep moving.”Dunn brings experience to Young

Harris College athletics, but mostimportantly, he brings aspirations.“You can never quit pushing ahead,”

he said. “I am up to the challenge ofpromoting Young Harris College in apositive manner throughout thecommunity, region and nation. It willtake lots of hard work, but it will beworth it. I am ready to be a part of thatgame.”

In addition to a new institutional logo, YoungHarris College introduced redesigned athleticslogos and spirit marks this past summer. The designthat inspired the new mountain lion profile wassubmitted by a YHC student-athlete.

55

Erica Brooks (right)

Mover and Shaker Sees Green FutureB Y P E G G Y C O Z A R T

56

Young Harris College alumnus andtrustee Brantley Barrow, ’74, wasrecently named to the 2010 list of“Who’s Who in Commercial RealEstate in Atlanta” by the AtlantaBusiness Chronicle. The list is acompilation of “the industry’s moversand shakers who will be instrumentalin reshaping the commercial industryas it recovers.”Barrow brings more than three

decades of experience in finance andmanagement to his role as chairman ofthe Atlanta-based Hardin ConstructionCompany. After earning his associatedegree from Young Harris College in1974, he graduated summa cum laudefrom the University of Georgia with abachelor of business administrationdegree. He spent several years inaccounting at Arthur Anderson beforejoining Hardin as a controller in 1979and rising to CFO 10 years later. In1993, Barrow was an integral part of ateam that bought the company fromits founding family, and in 2003, hebecame company chairman.Barrow regards his days as a student

at Young Harris College as the bestyears of his life. “It was a great place totransition from being in the nest tobeing out of the nest—a great place tobuild camaraderie and grow up,” hesaid.He has served on the Board of

Trustees since 2004. “I always lovedthe school and stayed in touch withclassmates and became interested inserving at YHC,” he recalled.In addition to his service on the

Board, Barrow has been involved withthe recent growth at his alma mater asHardin completed several projects onthe YHC campus, including the new,200-bed Enotah Hall, the new 57,000-square-foot YHC Recreation Centerand a new parking lot—all toaccommodate the College’s record

enrollment numbers.Enotah Hall, a 62,500-square-foot

residential facility that opened in2009, is the first higher educationbuilding in the state north of Atlantato earn LEED (Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design) Silvercertification from the U.S. GreenBuilding Council (USGBC). The LEEDcertification process is aninternationally recognized programrating the sustainability of buildingdesign and construction.Additionally, the new Recreation

Center, which opened in August, isexpected to earn LEED certificationwithin the next few months.Hardin has been constructing LEED-

certified buildings since the early2000s, and in fact, Barrow notes, thecompany built the first LEED Gold-certified office building in theSoutheast—the Arthur M. BlankFamily Foundation building.As a community and industry

leader, Barrow recognizes the benefitsof going green. “You design thebuilding to save energy costs and tolessen damage on the environment,”he explained, citing the use of locallysourced materials, the recycling ofconstruction waste and even the use ofdaylight lighting sources as part of theLEED certification process.Of the Enotah Hall project meeting

LEED Silver standards Barrowexplained, “President Cathy Cox andthe whole team at YHC were veryinterested in the LEED process.” Headded, “Sustainable practices areimportant to the College and thestandard for all of its newconstruction.”Barrow values the opportunity to

serve his alma mater professionally andbe a part of its four-year transformationand sustainability efforts. “It means agreat deal to me to give back to YoungHarris College,” he said. “It gives me agreat sense of pride.”

Chet Roach of Brailsford & Dunlavey, Jackson Kane of Lord, Aeck & SergentArchitecture, Brantley Barrow, ‘74, chairman of Hardin Construction Company,Bob Catalfano of Hardin and Robert Kochansky of Hardin served on the projectteam for Enotah Hall.

Class

Note

sClass NotesShare your news with other Young Harris College alumni and friends.Send achievements, announcements and photos to: Young Harris College Class NotesOffice of Alumni Services • P.O. Box 275 Young Harris, GA 30582 • alumni@yhc.edu

A C H I E V E M E N T S &A N N O U N C E M E N T S

1 9 5 0 s

JANE HAWKINS WALKER, ’59, recentlypublished a new historical novel andlove story entitled In The Lion’s Pawabout the Cherokees and their removalfrom the southeastern part of the U.S.during the latter 1830s. Moreinformation is available atwww.widowofsighingpines.com.

1 9 6 0 s

CREG SMITH, ’68, graduated from theUniversity of Georgia in 1970 with adegree in journalism. Later that year, hebecame a reporter/anchor at WSLS-TVand moved to Roanoke, Va., where hemet and married his wife, who is now aretired teacher. He accepted a new job in1973 that began a career spanning 36years representing the petroleumindustry and moved to the Atlanta areawhere their two sons (currently ages 35and 31) were born. In the mid-1980s, hetransferred to API’s Washington, D.C.,office where he worked for nearly 25years until retiring at the end of 2009.Their oldest son, along with his wife anddaughter (age 4), lives in Charlotte, N.C.,and their youngest son lives near them innorthern Virginia.

JILL GARRARD HICKS, ’69, and DAVID

HICKS, ’69, celebrated their 40thwedding anniversary in Augustwith three of their four children.Since 1977, they have lived inCanada with dual citizenship inCanada and the U.S. They missfamily and the beautiful hills ofGeorgia but have visited often.David recently retired after manyyears working at the School for theDeaf in Milton, Ontario. Jillhomeschooled their children for 18years and is now a lactationconsultant in her local hospital.

1 9 7 0 s

PATRICK TRITT, ’72, was elected governorof the Georgia District of KiwanisInternational for the 2010-2011 term atthe organization’s 91st annual conventionin August 2010. He is a charter memberof the Classic City Kiwanis Club inwhich he has held many offices,including president and secretary. Onthe district level, he has served asdistinguished lieutenant governor twiceand state committee chair on sevenoccasions. For his service he has twicereceived the Georgia Outstanding LeaderAward, the Kiwanis InternationalFoundation Leadership Award, and theGeorge F. Hixson Fellow. Tritt has alsoserved his community on the SalvationArmy Advisory Board (17 years), AthensClarke County Library Board (10 years),and Northeast Georgia Council of theBoy Scouts of America (20 years). Hewas presented the BSA’s Silver BeaverAward in 2008 and serves on theExecutive Board.

JON “GARY” BRANAN, ’73, is a proudgrandfather or “G-Dad” of threewonderful grandkids: Garrison BlairEnfield (age 4) and Kennedy HelenEnfield (age 2) of Atlanta, Ga., and SeidelElizabeth (age 4 months) of San Diego,Calif.

1 9 9 0 s

MATT TOMMEY, ’93, is now a basketmaker living in Asheville, N.C. He workswith natural materials like kudzu andother vines and bark. He was recentlyhired as a visiting instructor at the JohnC. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown,N.C. His work is available for view atwww.matttommey.com/kudzu.

REV. CATHERINE BOOTHE, ’99, wasordained as a Full Connection Deacon inthe North Georgia Conference of theUnited Methodist Church during theJune 2010 conference meeting in Athens,Ga. She is serving on the new YHCYoung Alumni Council.

2 0 0 0 s

BURT BARTO, ’05, who played YHCbaseball from 2003-2005, is now themarketing coordinator for Career Sportsand Entertainment in Atlanta, Ga. He hasrecently been involved in research workfor the Atlanta Dream, Atlanta’sprofessional women’s basketball program.

MARC MCAFEE, ’07, graduated from theUniversity of Georgia’s Grady School ofJournalism and is now a reporter forWMBB-TV in Panama City, Fla., the NBCnews affiliate for the Florida panhandle

(Continued on page 59)

THE MEETING OF THE “BIG FOUR”Past YHC President Clay Dotson, who also servedas professor of history and dean of the faculty,past YHC President Ray Farley, who also served asprofessor of history and dean of the College, O.V.Lewis, who served as professor of business,registrar and director of admissions, and DavidFrazier, who served as dean of students anddirector of admissions, met for lunch in Tennesseethis past May, for the first time in a long time. The“big four,” as Lewis called them, had fun catchingup on each other’s “aches and pains” and vowed to meet more often.

Send your reunion and family photos to Echoes, or share them on YHC’s Facebook page.

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58

This past May, Young Harris Collegealumnus and trustee Douglas B.“Doug” Mitchell, ’61, was honored bythe Boy Scouts of America (BSA) at theBSA’s national annual meeting in Dallaswith their highest commendation, theSilver Buffalo Award for DistinguishedService to Youth.The Atlanta real estate developer

earned the honor in recognition of hisvolunteer service to the Scouts. Theaward has been given annually since1925 to civic-minded men and womenfor their invaluable contributions andservice to youth. Past recipientsinclude Neil Armstrong, Walt Disney,Charles Lindbergh, Colin Powell and14 U.S. presidents.Mitchell’s involvement with the Boy

Scouts dates back more than 50 years.Growing up on a farm in FayetteCounty, he joined the Flint RiverCouncil as a Cub Scout, ultimatelyrising to the rank of Eagle Scout in1957.He reminisces about his grandfather

making a special deal with him. “If Ibecame the first Eagle in FayetteCounty he promised to send me to theJamboree,” he recalled. “I missed beingthe first by six months.”He earned the distinguished rank

the following year and attended theNational Scout Jamboree in ValleyForge, Penn. That same summer, the15-year-old traveled to the WorldScout Jamboree in England. Duringthe memorable six-week trip he metthe Queen of England and performedthe Indian Fire Dance on Britishtelevision.Mitchell came to Young Harris

College in 1959 and credits the schoolwith helping him “settle down and getreal” before going on to graduate witha business degree from AuburnUniversity in 1964. “If I had gonedirectly to Auburn I don’t think I

would have made it,” he said. Thelocation of YHC, he explained, had alot to do with his ability to focus. “Youhad to look for distractions.”In the enchanted valley he described

as “nice, settling and serene,” Mitchellfound a warm and concerned studentbody and faculty. “There were less than500 students so you got to know mostof them. I remember there being acaring attitude about your education inthe atmosphere on campus.”Former U. S. Senator and Georgia

Governor Zell Miller, ’51, wasMitchell’s political science teacher andmade a memorable impression on theyoung student. “He used to tell us, ‘Ifyou don’t like what’s going on, don’tstand on the outside throwing rocks—get involved,’” Mitchell recalled.He did get involved and has served

on the YHC Board of Trustees since1995 and as chair of the academicaffairs committee since 2000. “I’m themost excited I have ever been aboutYHC as we now take it from a two-year to a four-year college,” he said.Mitchell also chaired the presidentialsearch committee that chose CathyCox. “She was head and shoulders

above the rest,” he said, “and she’sproved that.”After graduating from Auburn,

Mitchell went on to hold jobs with thePhipps Land Company, the GeorgiaChamber of Commerce, HUD, C&SBank and the Glynn County (Ga.)Chamber of Commerce. In the 1970s,he was instrumental in thedevelopment and success of PeachtreeCity, one of the nation’s first plannedmaster communities, in his homecounty of Fayette.He used his experience as a

developer to help expand Scoutingfacilities in the Atlanta area, and hasbeen instrumental in growingprograms at BSA’s Florida NationalHigh Adventure Sea Base. Hiscontributions have had a lasting effecton Scouting and have directlybenefited thousands of youth.Mitchell’s community involvement

also extends beyond Scouting. He hasworked with numerous groups thatbenefit young people, including theHambridge Center for Creative Artsand Sciences, the Rabun Gap–Nacoochee School and WoodwardAcademy and Tech High, a tuition-freecharter school in Atlanta. He has beenactive with the Urban Land Institute,the Trust for Public Lands andLeadership Georgia.Mitchell has been honored by the

BSA with the Silver Beaver and SilverAntelope awards. He is also a James E.West Fellow and a Scouting HeritageSociety member.Receiving the Silver Buffalo Award is

a crowning achievement. “To benominated is unbelievable, but to bechosen to receive it is the absoluteultimate honor,” he said. “Joining theranks of the outstanding men andwomen who have received this awardis the highlight of my Scouting career.”

Boy Scouts of America Honors AlumnusB Y P E G G Y C O Z A R T

Douglas B. Mitchell, ’61

area. He was busy over the pastsummer reporting on oil spill-related stories, including themoving of delicate sea turtleeggs from their beach nests tothe NASA space center so theycould hatch in safety andwithout the threat of oil. He isserving on the new YHC YoungAlumni Council.

E N G A G E M E N T S ,M A R R I A G E S A N D

B I R T H S

1 9 4 0 s

MARY GARDNER WILLIAMS, ’48,is engaged to Curtis Tucker.The wedding is scheduled forNov. 26, 2010.

1 9 9 0 s

SAMANTHA SPEARS EVANS, ’90,married Todd Evans on Oct.10,2010. The couple lives inMarietta, Ga., where Samanthaworks at Marist School andalso runs TSI Photos, a lifestylephotography company.

PAUL DURFIELD, ’91, and hiswife, Julie, announce the birthof their fourth son, Jeremiah,on April 29, 2010.

SCOTT THOMPSON, ’93, andRhonda Thompson proudlyannounce the birth of CollinScott Thompson on Feb. 19,2010.

KATIE BRANAN THOMSON, ’98,married John Thomson onNov. 11, 2006, at the ForsythPark fountain in Savannah, Ga.They were blessed with adaughter, Seidel Elizabeth, onMay 9, 2010. Katie is apharmacist in San Diego, Calif.

KILEY MITCHAM HOUSTON, ’99,announces the birth of her sonSamuel Nolan Houston on May19, 2010. He joins four-year-old sister Lauren.

2 0 0 0 s

DEANA NORRIS MARTIN, ’01,and Chris Martin were marriedon March 22, 2008, at CampGlisson in Dahlonega, Ga., andnow reside in Acworth, Ga.Their son Cannon MichaelMartin was born on Dec. 25,2009.

CHRIS PUCKETT, ’01, andSUZANNE SMITH PUCKETT, ’00,welcomed their first child,Harrison Michael, on March 3,2010.

JESSICA STINSON ROBERTS, ’01,and John Roberts were marriedon June 19, 2010, at ChristEpiscopal Church in Macon, Ga.

BURT BARTO, ’05, recentlymarried KATIE WEST, ’05.

ASHLEY FITTS, ’05, marriedSecond Lieutenant Joshua S.Gaetano on May 2, 2010, atWolf Mountain Vineyards inDahlonega, Ga.

HOPE MCENTYRE, ’07,married Brad Hanes onNov. 7, 2010, to becomeMr. and Mrs. McEntyre.

BRANDON LEWIS BORN, ’09,proposed to KELSEY DIANE

NORRIS, ’09, at sundownon the beautiful coast ofSouth Carolina on Aug. 8,2010. They plan to getmarried in early 2012.

WILSON H. AUSTIN JR., ’62Aug. 12, 2010

MARY F. BARBER, ’40Aug. 11, 2010

JENNIFER C. CAPPS, ’93Aug. 9, 2010

SARA E. ELY, ’47July 19, 2010

RICHARD D. FREEMAN, ’56July 29, 2010

STEVE J. GARRISON, ’63July 3, 2010

CHARLES E. HILL, ’57July 15, 2010

EDITH P. JOHNSON, ’66Sept. 21, 2010

M. PATRICIA KIRK, ’57July 11, 2010

PAT W. KRICK, ’57June 11, 2010

JOHN D. MCCORD, ’36Sept. 17, 2010

MARGARET APPLEBYMCCORMICK, ’30March 30, 2010

FRANCES MOORE

Friend of YHCJune 20, 2010

JON C. PEACOCK, ’56June 23, 2010

LYNDA G. REA, ’67June 26, 2010

JAMES F. TAYLOR, ’36Aug. 20, 2010

SUE TODD, ’58June 27, 2010

CARROL I. TUCKER, ’58Sept. 2, 2010

JENNIFER E. YARBROUGH, ’82July 28, 2010

Class Notes

2010 -2011 YHC YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCILCreated in 2010, the new Young Alumni Council serves Young

Harris College by planning young alumni gatherings and programsand creating opportunities to encourage alumni to stay connectedand involved with YHC.

Matthew P. Anderson, ’03Atlanta, Ga.

Catherine A. Boothe, ’99Atlanta, Ga.

Heather Moody Breeden, ’99Sandy Springs, Ga.

Ralph D. “Skip” Breeden, ’99Sandy Springs, Ga.

Jessie B. Collins, ’05Hull, Ga.

Jodie Ivester Crome, ’03Savannah, Ga.

Alexander J. Ginn, ’09Royston, Ga.

Matthew C. Lund, ’00Athens, Ga.

Marc W. McAfee, ’07Panama City, Fla.

Beth Haggerty Odum, ’96Smyrna, Ga.

Holly Gunter Royston, ’01Atlanta, Ga.

Nancy Mann Williams, ’02Canton, Ga.

2010 -2011 YHC ALUMNI ASSOCIAT ION BOARDThe Young Harris College Alumni Association is led by a 22-member board made up of

alumni representing a wide range of generations.

Carol A. Chastain, ’84PresidentYoung Harris, Ga.

Rufus L. Brown, ’60President-ElectGainesville, Ga.

Lita Tipton Barnette, ’85Clarkesville, Ga.

Robert P. Bolton, ’76Ellenwood, Ga.

Richard J. Burrell, ’47Lilburn, Ga.

George M. “Bud”Clegg, ’55Dahlonega, Ga.

Jared W. Downs, ’96Savannah, Ga.

Ramona Joseph Fricks, ’71Rome, Ga.

Oscar Garrison, ’90Hoschton, Ga.

W. Ron Hinson, ’76Atlanta, Ga.

Candler Ginn, ’77Cartersville, Ga.

Sylvia McCoyHutchinson, ’58Athens, Ga.

Ceil Jarrett, ’75Berkeley Lake, Ga.

Brian S. Johnson, ’94Atlanta, Ga.

Jan Biggers Keith, ’69Atlanta, Ga.

Shirley Carver Miller, ’54Young Harris, Ga.

Rob M. Murray, ’75Young Harris, Ga.

Ed Nichols, ’60Clarkesville, Ga.

Linda Lee Boleyn Saye, ’61Atlanta, Ga.

Michele A. Turner, ’95Athens, Ga.

Todd Turner, ’81Hiawassee, Ga.

Barbara MarshallWilliford, ’87Marietta, Ga.

59

Class

Note

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Office of Alumni ServicesP.O. Box 275Young Harris, GA 30582

For up-to-the-minute news, announcements and fun, connect with YHC online.Find us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @YH_College.

www.yhc.edu

Beginning in January 2011, Young HarrisCollege will commemorate its 125thanniversary with a year full of celebrations,including a Founder’s Day Weekend in January.

In May, YHC will confer its first bachelor’sdegrees in nearly a century to a class of 50+seniors. Former U.S. Senator and GeorgiaGovernor Zell Miller, ’51, will deliver thecommencement address for the specialoccasion.

The festivities will culminate next summerwith a very special Alumni Weekend whenYHC honors the Class of 1961’s 50th reunionand celebrates the College’s rich heritage andpromising future.

SAVE THE DATE FOR

ALUMNI WEEKEND 2011 JULY 29-31.