georgetown college sociology department newsletter 2012

7/30/2019 Georgetown College Sociology Department Newsletter 2012

1/12

Fall/Winter 2012Georgetown College

SOCIOLOGY NEWSLETTER

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

This is an exciting time for the sociology department at Georgetown Col-lege. We closed out the 2011-2012 academic year by celebrating our larg-est graduating class to date! We applauded 15 seniors as they walkedacross the stage to receive their diplomas, and are currently supporting twoother senior majors who will finish their sociology degree this fall. Two ofour graduates entered highly respected PhD programs this fall. Two seniorsalso presented papers at international conferences. And, multiple others are

now engaged in humanitarian work from the West coast to the Appalachianregion and from South America to Western Europe. We are so proud of thework our graduates are doing, inside and out of the classroom.

This academic year we have the privilege of sending two of our juniors tostudy at the prestigious Oxford University. Not only are our studentsachieving high marks academically, but they are also highly engaged in thelocal community. The majority of our majors and minors participate in ourinternship program which does a great job of bringing the classroom andcommunity together. At the same time, many of these internship experienc-es also open up future employment opportunities for our students. Addi-tionally, the department continues to be trailblazers for Georgetown Col-

leges service learning initiative. Well over half of the students taking soci-ology courses this year will have the opportunity through our service learn-ing program to work alongside community partners in an effort to solveissues that affect the campus and our surrounding communities.

I am so proud of our students and their many accomplishments. They aretruly amazing young people who want to, and tell me they can, change theworld! I ask for your continued support of our program and students. Thiscomes in many forms: spreading the word about the wonderful things hap-pening in the department, connecting us to community partners for our ser-vice learning program, and providing funds that will allow the sociologydepartment to continue to prepare our students for the challenges of the

21st century.

I cant thank you enough for your support and active role in our mission to developadvocates for change, committed to scholarship, social justice, and empowerment.

Best Wishes,Eric Carter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

The Oxford Connection . 2

Outstanding Students ...3

Faculty Spotlights.......... 4

Kentuckians For The

Commonwealth ............. 5

Campus Culture Change:

Justice Initiatives .......... 6

Real Utopias with Erik

Olin Wright7

Future Plans .................. 8

Make a Positive Differ-

ence ................................ 9


2/12

The title of Outstanding Senior in Sociology fits no student better than re-

cent graduate, Chris Lord. Chris, a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, now

holds bachelors degrees in both Sociology and Spanish, and is an esteemed

student in both disciplines by students and faculty alike. He plans to immedi-

ately pursue a masters degree in education as well as in sociology within

the coming years. Chris four-year career at Georgetown shows promise for

his future success as he has shown an exemplary commitment to academics

and service in Georgetown and abroad.

Chris explained that he chose sociology as one of his majors, mainly be-

cause of my concern for the inequalities that exist in America and because

of the lack of answers that I have gotten from other sources in my life. I

was looking for a historic explanation for why things were the way they were.

With sociology as his foundation, Chris has made the most of his undergraduate experience as he

explored answers to his questions.

Chris is a natural leader and has taken advantage of numerous opportunities to use his gifts. During

his time at Georgetown, Chris has served as both a volunteer and a leader in the Scroggins Park Af-

ter School Tutoring Program. Chris also helped lead a student Plunge to Poverty among thosewithout homes in Lexington. He served in the campus Student Abolitionist Movement, and was a

Spanish tutor at Georgetown College. He also volunteered at Anne Mason Elementary and Scott

County High Schools, both in Georgetown.

A study abroad experience in Mexico led Chris to his current job with Teach for America. Within

the program, he will teach English as a second language in Ohio. He plans to engage the American

education system as a long term career goal, whether as a teacher, administrator, or a community

member engaging the youth, parents, and schools in important social discussions, says the gradu-

ate. There is no doubt that Chris outstanding academic diligence and social attentiveness will be a

service to any career path he chooses.

THE OXFORD CONNECTION

OUTSTANDING SENIOR: CHRIS LORD

The Oxford Program at

Georgetown College offers stu-

dents a variety of unique opportu-

nities to complete some portion of

their program of study throughRegents Park College in the Uni-

versity of Oxford. Regents Park

College has been one of the per-

manent private halls at Oxford

University since 1957, and it

shares with Georgetown College

a commitment to provide a rigor-

ous education in an intentionally

Christian context. Georgetown

College established a partnership

with Regents Park in 1998,

opening the door for our students

to study at Oxford in a variety of

programs. Since 2008, 4 sociolo-gy majors (Carrie Summers,

Adriana Nez, Samantha

Yeates, and Robert Carter) com-

pleted the Oxford Program and 2

are going this Spring (Caliesha

Comley and Morgan Reeves).

This rigorous program benefits

our students in preparing them for

graduate school and beyond.

Regents Park College

Oxford University


3/12

3

Adriana Nez

Outstanding Upper-class Research

This award is presented to a sociology ma-

jor with at least a 3.0 GPA who completes

an outstanding senior research project.

Darius Gates

Community Commitment Award

This award is presented to a sociology

major through an internship/s who

makes a difference in the Georgetown

community.

Aaron Padgett

C.W. Mills Award


major with at least a 3.0 GPA who ex-

emplifies the intersection of scholar-

ship and social activism.

Morgan Reeves

C.W. Mills Award


major with at least a 3.0 GPA who ex-

emplifies the intersection of scholar-

ship and social activism.

Caliesha Comley

Carlton/Deason Scholarship

This scholarship honors J. Richard

Carlton and Mary E. Carlton and in

memory of Owen W. and Betty Jean

Deason. The award is presented to a

rising junior or senior who is majoring

in sociology or history and is based on

student academic performance, prom-

ise, character, and need.

STUDENT AWARD WINNERS

ALPHA KAPPA DELTA

HONOR SOCIETY

The Georgetown CollegeSociology Department is

excited to establish a

campus chapter of Alpha

Kappa Delta (AKD), the

International Sociology

Honor Society, this se-

mester.

The purpose of this socie-

ty is to promote excellent

scholarship in the studyof sociology, research of

social problems, and oth-

er such activities as will

lead to improvement in

the human condition.

To be eligible to apply for

AKD membership, a stu-

dent must be a junior,

have completed 4 courses

in sociology, have anoverall GPA of 3.3 or be

ranked in the top 35% of

his/her class, and have

achieved a sociology GPA

of 3.0.

Seven students were in-

ducted into the honor

society this fall. They are:

Seniors: Claire Strnad,Layla Padgett, Kelsey

Ach, Brandy Smith, and

Shelby Barron.

Juniors: Morgan Reeves

and Caliesha Comley.


4/12

FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS

Dr. Eric M. Carter joined the facultyof Georgetown College in Fall 2006as an Assistant Professor of Sociolo-

gy.Dr. Carter received his bachelorsdegree in sociology from CarsonNewman College. He went on to re-ceive his masters degree in sociologyfrom Marshall University, and hisPhD in sociology from Kansas StateUniversity, where his work focusedon the sociology of work and labormarkets, social change, social stratifi-

cation, and the sociology of sports andculture. Dr. Carters dissertation, ti-tled, Failing at Success, centered on

anomie and deviance in the NationalFootball League. He is currently thechair of the department. Dr. Carter isthe author of the book,Boys GoneWild: Fame, Fortune, and Deviance

Among Professional Football Players.He is also involved in research in theareas of sports, stratification, and edu-cation.

4

Dr. Sarah E. Cribbs joined the faculty

of Georgetown College in Fall 2011as an Assistant Professor of Sociolo-gy. Dr. Cribbs areas of teaching inter-est include race and ethnicity, gender,health and illness, applied sociology,research methods and other corecourses. Dr. Cribbs currently serves asthe faculty advisor for SociologyClub, Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), andas the co-advisor for Student Womenand Gender Society (SWAGS). She isthe Chair of the committee on Civic

Engagement (where service learningis housed) and member of the HonorsProgram Committee and Oxford Pro-gram Committee.

Dr. Cribbs received her PhD in sociol

ogy from the University of Oregon in2011. Her dissertation, Rooted in thePast, Blind to the Present: Health CareAdministrators Perceived Role andResponse to Spanish-Speaking Immi-grants in a New Settlement Community,investigated the ways in whichthe administrators within one healthcare system perceived and framedtheir institutions changes resultingfrom new, Spanish-speaking immi-grant population growth within their

surrounding metropolitan area. Dr.Cribbs recently published in the Jour-nal of Social Work and Social Welfarand the Journal of Black Studies.

Dr. Stephanie Holcomb-Kreinerjoined the faculty of Georgetown Col-lege in Spring 2012 as Visiting Assis-tant Professor of Sociology and waspromoted this Fall semester to Assis-tant Professor of Sociology. Dr. Hol-

comb-Kreiner received her PhD insociology from the University of Ken-tucky in Spring 2012. Her disserta-tion, entitled Explaining Benefit Var-iability in FMNP in Kentucky: AnApplication of Pierre Bourdieus The-ory, represents her diverse interestsin food-related behaviors, social ine-quality, program evaluation, sustaina-bility and community development.Dr. Holcomb-Kreiner has several pro-jects underway. She is working to

expand service learning into hercourses, and this semester has workedwith Habitat for Humanitys Restoreon paint recycling. She is also guidingthe implementation of a sustainablelandscaping project on GCs campus,

which will serve as a demonstrationgarden and eventually an outsideclassroom space. As part of her em-phasis on engaged and applied schol-arship, Dr. Holcomb-Kreiner is draft-ing an article on food-related behav-iors among low-income individualsand pursuing LEED certification, ini-tially as a Green Associate and culmi-nating in LEED AP NeighborhoodDevelopment (LEED AP ND) creden-tials.


5/12

SOCIOLOGY CLUB ALLIES

WITH KENTUCKIANS FOR THE

COMMONWEALTH

The Georgetown Sociology Club has been a phenomenal partner

of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, connecting with the

broader community to learn and to make a difference, empower-

ing citizens to have a say in our democracy.

Sociology Club students have engaged in a wide variety of activi-

ties, often also playing a key role in helping other students to get

involved in grassroots organizing and community service as well.

Amongst other things, they have:

Registered voters on campus, at community festivals and in

nearby African American Communities.

Gained first-hand experience talking to legislators about a

range of issues in Frankfort and participating in rallies there.

Worked in solidarity with the Georgetown NAACP for the

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march.

Organized a tremendous Earth Day concert last semester that

brought out hundreds of students.

Began networking with student activists from UK, starting to

make a space to learn from each other.

We hope and expect that the Georgetown Sociology Club willcontinue to play a vital role in the community and cant help but

think that this kind of experiential learning will make them even

better citizens of this Commonwealth and planet.

Dave Newton, KFTC Deputy Organizing Director

5

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth is a statewide citizens organization working for

a new balance of power and a just society. As we work together we build our strength,

individually and as a group, and we find solutions to real life problems. We use direct

action to challenge and change unfair political, economic and social systems. Our

membership is open to all people who are committed to equality, democracy and non-

violent change.


6/12

CAMPUS CULTURE CHANGE

The Student Abolitionist Movement (SAM) is a

network of students fighting to end modern-day

slavery. SAM provides students with key pro-

grams and resources to educate, advocate, and

take action for the end of the global slave trade.

The Student Abolitionist Movement raises

awareness of human trafficking through docu-

mentary screenings, discussions, guest lectures,and workshops and raises money for local and

international non-profits with abolitionist goals

through their biannual Back-handing Slavery Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. Fair Trade Initiatives are

also supported by SAM which hosts an annual Holiday Fair Trade Market. Additionally, SAM members

were given the opportunity to host the First Kentucky Conference on Human Trafficking in Spring 2012

on Georgetowns campus which achieved great success.

The Georgetown Sustainability Initiative (GSI)

began in 2011 as a combination of past environ-

mental groups Creation Care, Green Team, and a

Recycling Committee. The organization was

founded on the principle to raise awareness of en-

vironmental issues and to help Georgetown Col-

lege transition to a more sustainable institution.

Students, faculty, staff, and administration work

together to implement Earth-friendly practices

onto campus. GSI has been successful upon its

inception and has accomplished a variety of goals,

including the installation of more recycling bins

on campus, work in the GC community garden,

and the screening of the documentary Tapped,

which examines the bottled water industry.

GSIs most significant achievement was an Earth

Day Celebration we sponsored on April 22, 2012which gathered over 200 people from the college

and community. The crowd included more than 20

campus and non-profit organizations committed to

justice. GSI was also excited to host renowned

Kentucky-born cellist Ben Sollee who incorpo-

rates environmental activism in his songwriting.

STUDENT ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT

6

GEORGETOWN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE

SOCIOLOGY STUDENTS LEAD THE WAY IN SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE


7/12

No social advance rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes throughthe tireless efforts and persistent work of dedicated individuals.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Student Women and Gender Society

(SWAGS) is a group on Georgetown College's

campus that studies the social construction of

gender and raises awareness concerning its so-

cial, cultural, and political implications. The

purpose of the organization is to empower the

people in our communities, as well as all mem-

bers of Georgetown College, regardless of their

gender or sexual orientation.

Last spring, SWAGS hosted a documentary

screening ofMiss Representation, an expos of

media portrayal of women, especially women involved in politics, which was followed by a lively

discussion. The group also invited the campus community to participate in the Clothesline Project,

which led up to an amazing turnout of over 100 students, faculty, and administration at SWAGS

Take Back the Night event. Take Back the Night consisted of a rally and speech by former SWAGS

advisor Dr. Erin Tarver, followed by a march in downtown Georgetown and a candlelight vigil to

honor victims of sexual violence. In the near future, SWAGS members are designing a sexual vio-

lence education program to present to students entering Georgetown College.

Sociology students and facul-

ty met and conversed with

American Sociological Asso-

ciation President Erik Olin

Wright this past spring after

attending his lecture on RealUtopias at Berea College.

Wright inspired the crowd

with a simple message,

which he restated in his blog:

In the ideal world I imagine

there probably is some place

for a bit of capitalism, some

role for capitalism. No socio-

economic structure is ever

purely one kind of economic

system. American capitalism

has public libraries, whichdistribute books in decidedly

non-capitalist ways. So I

suspect that there would be a

niche for capitalism even in a

radically democratic egalitar-

ian society.

STUDENT WOMEN AND GENDER SOCIETY

REAL UTOPIAS WITH ERIK OLIN WRIGHT

7


8/12

SOCIOLOGY

DEPARTMENT

NEWSLETTER

The Sociology Department

Newsletter is published

by:

The Sociology Department

of Georgetown College

400 East College Street

Georgetown, KY 40324

Contact Information

Phone and Fax:

(502) 863-7968

Email:

[email protected]

Designed by:

Caliesha Comley

FUTURE PLANS

The Sociology Department is look-

ing forward with an eye for justice

and a green thumb!

As part of our sustainable community

development emphasis, our environ-

ment and sustainability course has

completed the preliminary steps to

implement a demonstration garden

behind the Sociology House. Along

with research on the symbolic and

social effects of resource-intensive

landscaping, we have conducted re-

search on climatology, native plants,

and both the benefits and challenges

to sustainable landscaping. We have

proposed a Demonstration Garden

that will serve as a model for sustaina-

ble landscaping and provide an out-

door classroom space. We will be

completing Stage One, perennial pe-

rimeter plantings. This includes hard-

wood native trees to support the

health of our urban forests and peren-

nial wildflowers and bushes to pro-

mote water filtration and mitigate run-

off from the parking lots adjacent to

the Sociology House. Stage Two will

include the planting of native grasses

and the installation of benches and

water barrels to collect rainwater.

Several grants have been identified

and proposals will be submitted in an

effort to secure ample funding. Stage

Two will begin in late Spring 2013

and will be completed during Fall

2013. Stage Three will include perme-

able walkways, arbors, and expanded

native plantings. Stage Three is ex-

pected to begin late Spring 2014.

As the department works to make ser-

vice learning an integral part of its

curriculum, Dr. Holcomb-Kreiner and

Ms. Shannon Cribbs, director of the

Center for Civic Engagement, are in

the exploratory stages of planning atrip for globalization and development

students to participate in an interna-

tional build with Habitat for Humani-

ty. Habitat for Humanity builds sim-

ple, decent homes in an effort to elim-

inate poverty housing in the United

States and worldwide. Partnering

with Habitat would give students the

opportunity to apply their sociological

imagination to a significant social

problem and see firsthand the results

of social engagement. It would also

facilitate international understanding

and bring to life the principles dis-

cussed in our globalization and devel-

opment course. Costs for participation

in a Global Village build vary, but

those costs do include in-country

transportation, food, accommodations

and travel medical insurance. Travel

to the country is not included. Therange for currently arranged trips is

$1200 to $2500 per person for two

weeks. We are tentatively setting the

date for Spring 2014 to allow for suf-

ficient fundraising.

8


9/12

Remember when you attended Georgetown College and wished there wasmore you could achieve but the finances werent always available? While the

Sociology Department is growing and making a significant impact on stu-

dents lives, our needs remain the same as when you were here. And, we

want to improve. You chose to make a difference when you selected Sociol-

ogy as your principle area of study. Continue to make that difference by sup-

porting your alma mater and its students who, like you, also want to make a

positive difference with their lives. We would appreciate your help.

You may make a tax-deductible gift in any amount by mail, phone or online

at www.georgetowncollege.edu/giving. When making a gift online, please

specify Sociology under Designation on form.

We thank you again for your continued support.

Alumni and friends of the Sociology Department,

My name is Cristian Nez and I am proud to say that I am

President of the Sociology Club. The rebirth of the club took

place in the spring of 2012 thanks to a significant wealth of

energy in the sociology department and among sociology

students. The mission of the Sociology Club is to create an

atmosphere for students to discuss sociological topics, to

educate and empower the student body to take action on

social justice issues, and to become immersed in the com-

munity through service and outreach activities. In view of

this mission, the sociology club has had a very exciting se-

mester!

Every Wednesday night sociology students are welcome to

indulge in snack, great company, and talk about the subject

matter they are currently studying or do homework. In part-

nership with other organizations on campus concerned with

social justice, we hosted a workshop to inform students on

how sociology can help explain issues like human rights,

gender inequality, and sustainability! In the immediate future

we hope to get Georgetown alumnus and current director of

the Highlander Center, Pam McMichael, to come and talkwith students about the Highlander Center and her experi-

ences there. Sociology Club, of course, would not have been

able to plan or accomplish any of these things had it not been

for the outstanding alumni who have laid the foundation for

current sociology students. On behalf of the Sociology Club

I would like to thank you very much for your support and

contributions over the years.

YOUR HELP WILL MAKE A POSITIVE

DIFFERENCE

SOCIOLOGY CLUB OFFERS THANKS

9

CONTACT THE

SOCIOLOGY

DEPARTMENT

Dr. Eric M. Carter

Department Head

Email: Eric_Carter

Dr. Sarah E. Cribbs

Assistant Professor

Email: Sarah_Cribbs

Dr. Stephanie Holcomb-

Kreiner

Visiting Assistant Professor

Email: Stephanie_Holcomb

-Kreiner

*all email addresses end in

@georgetowncollege.edu


10/12

YOUR LOGOHERE

Please Share What We Are About With Prospective Students

Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and conse-

quences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organiza-

tions, communities, and societies, and how people interact in these contexts.

Since human behavior is shaped by social factors, the subject matter of sociology rang-

es from the family to education; from crime to religion; from the divisions of race, social

class, and gender to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from environment and

sustainability to the sociology of sports. Few fields have such a broad scope and rele-

vance for research, theory, service, and the application of knowledge.

The Sociology Department emphasizes engaged pedagogy, critical thinking, theoretical

and methodological understanding, service learning, and the application of theory to

practice. Sociology majors have the opportunity to be involved in research and sustaina-

ble community development as well as local community service projects.

Since many sociology majors continue their education in graduate school, the depart-

ment seeks to prepare them for success at the graduate level. Others often utilize their

sociology degree for work in community development, human and community services,

the business world, and a wide variety of careers that involve problem-solving and gath-

ering, organizing and analyzing information (i.e., data).

The department sponsors the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Soci-

ology Honors Society.

2012-2013 College CatalogPage 197


11/12

ALUMNI QUESTIONNAIRE

Please fill out and return to us at below address or email to

[email protected].

Name:

Year of Graduation:

Address (if different from mailing label):

City: State: Zip Code:

Phone:

Email:

Please tell us what you are doing now, along with anything else

you would like to share with the department.

GEORGETOWN COLLEGE

SOCIOLOGY

Combining our departments

small size with intellectual di-

versity, commitment to com-

munity engagement and service

learning, a generous student-

faculty ratio, and strong tradi-

tion of commitment to students,

our current department seeks to

provide students with the skills

and values needed to under-

stand complex social systems

and to participate in empower-

ment and reform that can create

a more just, equitable, and sus-

tainable world.

Mailing Address:

Department of Sociology

Georgetown College400 East College Street

Georgetown, KY 40324


12/12

Georgetown College

Department of Sociology

400 East College Street

Georgetown, KY

40324

Phone and Fax:502-863-7968

E-mail:

[email protected]

georgetown college sociology department newsletter 2012

Documents