A Georgia Baptist Institution
April 2008
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Regardless how long you’ve been away, sometimes it just feels good to come home - to Shorter. On April 19, nearly two dozen alumni from the classes of 1938-1958 plus guests returned to campus for the favorite springtime reunion tradition, Heritage on the Hill. This event, honoring 50th reunion classes and earlier, is a complement to later class reunions held during Homecoming in the fall. In fact, four of the 12 surviving members of the Class of 1938 attended the weekend event to celebrate their 70th class reunion. |
The alumni had plenty of time to reflect on their time at Shorter and share life updates. During the reunion luncheon, Shorter College President Dr. Harold E. Newman discussed the college today. The group also enjoyed musical entertainment and current student perspectives, and reunion classes were recognized.
To learn more about Heritage on the Hill, contact Suzanne Scott (’74), senior director of development, at sscott@shorter.edu.
Lady Hawks Softball Repeat as SSAC Champions after a week of awards
The Lady Hawks softball team can now call themselves SSAC champions. Following a 10-9 and 5-0 win over Faulkner University. This is the second year in a row that the Lady Hawks have captured the regular season title. Shorter College will now take the first seed in the Southern States Athletic Conference beginning on Thursday at the Alto Park Softball Complex in Rome. The tournament will be played through Saturday and live stats and bracket information can be found on Shorter College's Web site as well as the SSAC site. On Monday, Jessica Sanders was named the SSAC Softball Player of the Week. Sanders hit an outstanding .526 on the week with an .895 slugging percentage. Against Lee, she went 4-for-7 with two runs and an RBI, and continued her streak against Emmanuel, with four hits, five runs, a double, a home run, and four RBI in two games against the Lady Lions. Ending the week against Faulkner, Sanders hit a three-run home run, enabling the Shorter Lady Hawks to clinch the SSAC regular season title. |
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The week of April 14 saw multiple honors for the Lady Hawks softball team. Becca Thomas received the SSAC Softball Pitcher of the Week award, and Kerry Hammond earned the SSAC Player of the Week award.
Becca, a junior from Montgomery, Ala., pitched three shutouts leading up to the award. Against Reinhardt, she pitched a complete six-inning game giving up only one hit, striking out two and walking none. She followed the performance with shutouts against Southern Wesleyan and Brenau, striking out a combined six batters in 12 innings of work.
Kerry, a senior from Kennesaw, Ga., had four home runs on the week and batted in nine runs, with a batting average of .412. She went a perfect 3-for-3 in the first of two games against Reinhardt, with a home run and three RBI. In Shorter's first game against Southern Wesleyan, Kerry hit two home runs to go a perfect 2-for-2.
"It was a great week for us," said Head Coach Melanie Carter. "Both Kerry and Becca stepped up for us and delivered outstanding performances in some key games in our conference."
Keep up with the Lady Hawks online at www.goshorterhawks.com.
Italy… the Vatican… the Shorter Chorale
There is no need to clean your glasses. You read the title correctly. The Shorter Chorale is only weeks away from its tour of Italy in May. The choral ensemble, under the direction of Shorter alumna Dr. Martha Shaw (’80), will perform at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. They will sing Mass at the historic basilica, where the Pope often presides. “This opportunity is the most prestigious invitation the Chorale has ever received,” according to Dr. Alan Wingard, dean of the School of the Arts. |
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In addition, the 10-day tour will feature performances in select venues in Rome, Florence and Venice, including St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.
An online journal of the students’ experiences will be posted on Shorter’s Web site in late May, so be sure to check back and follow their travels!
Students will receive degrees at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Winthrop-King Centre. For additional commencement information, visit www.shorter.edu/academics/commencement.htm.
Gift to college helps fund residence hall improvements
Shorter College has received a $500,000 pledge from the Benjamin F. Brady Charitable Foundation to help fund improvements to the college’s residence halls. Foundation President Phill Bettis presented a check for the first installment of $50,000 to Shorter College President Harold E. Newman on Friday, April 4. The remainder of the pledge will be paid out over a seven-year period; in addition to the check received on April 4, the college will receive $50,000 for the next three years and $100,000 a year for the following three years.
“We are most grateful for the support of the Brady Foundation and for the leadership of Phill Bettis in making this gift a reality,” said Dr. Newman. “Their generous gift will aid us in making improvements to Roberts Hall this summer and to other student housing facilities in the coming years. Since approximately 60 percent of Shorter’s traditional students live on campus, the Brady Foundation’s gift will have a significant impact on our student body.”
The Benjamin F. Brady Foundation funds causes in North Georgia that relate to education, health care, children and religious activities.
In the photo, Foundation President Phill Bettis (left) and his wife, Wanda, receive a plaque that will be hung at Roberts Hall, the site of the first renovations funded by the foundation's gift. They are pictured with Shorter College President Dr. Harold Newman (right) and Trustee Chairman Dr. Nelson Price (second from left).
Want more of Shorter magazine? Go online
The spring issue of Shorter magazine has been mailed and most likely has already arrived in your mailbox. But if you sit at the computer more than in the recliner, check out the magazine’s online extras that include the print version’s full stories plus additional photo galleries and web links.
In the spring 2008 issue, you can read recent news from alumni, athletics and campus updates. Featured in this issue is alumna Phyllis Tickle (’55), faculty member Tom Smith, a wrap-up of recent mission work around the world, and work toward hosting the upcoming NAIA football championship.
Shorter promotes three faculty members
Three Shorter College faculty members were promoted during the April 4 meeting of the Shorter College Board of Trustees. Dr. Barbara Finn was promoted to the rank of associate professor of management; Dr. Alan Hix was promoted to associate professor of religion; and Dr. Linda Lister was promoted to the rank of associate professor of music.
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Dr. Finn, a resident of Atlanta, has been a full-time member of Shorter’s Professional Studies faculty since 2002 and serves as the chair of undergraduate business programs in the School of Business Management. In addition to her administration responsibilities, Dr. Finn teaches management and leadership in the college’s Professional Studies program for working adults. A former business executive, she has extensive industry experience in management, marketing, human resources and leadership development. She earned a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Georgia, a Master of Business Administration in marketing from Valdosta State |
University and a doctorate in business from Capella University. She also completed Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program.
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A Rome native, Dr. Hix serves as chairman of Shorter’s Department of Religion and Philosophy. His 28 years of ministry experience contribute significantly to his work at Shorter, where he teaches biblical studies classes with an emphasis in New Testament and also advises religion majors. Dr. Hix earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration from Shorter College and both Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in biblical studies from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He participated in additional graduate studies in archeology with the University of South Florida. Currently, |
Dr. Hix serves as interim pastor of Everett Springs Baptist Church in Armuchee, and he was recently appointed as an associate director of excavation in Kursi, Israel.
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Also a Rome resident, Dr. Lister joined the Shorter College faculty in 2002 and serves as the coordinator of vocal studies and the college’s opera director. In addition to her faculty responsibilities, she has many solo credits such as performances with the Prague Radio Symphony and the Washington Symphony Orchestra; she was also a featured soprano soloist on the Albany Records CDs “The American Soloist” and “Midnight Tolls.” Dr. Lister earned her Bachelor of Arts in music from Vassar College, a Master of Music in voice performance from Eastman School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. |
Also a composer and librettist, Dr. Lister has premiered two original one-act operas at Shorter.
Pray for Shorter’s summer missionaries As the semester winds down, everyone is busy making final plans for the summer. For more than a dozen Shorter students, these preparations include prayer and study as they prepare physically and spiritually to serve as missionaries on location this summer. For a glimpse at the summer assignments of Shorter students, visit Student Missions online. The college’s final chapel service of the semester will serve as a commissioning send-off before Shorter students will lead youth retreats, volunteer at children’s camps and minister to the needy across the world. Please keep Shorter missionaries in your prayers this summer! |
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Magazine publishes article by Shorter professor
Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher (’82), Shorter’s scholar in residence and associate professor of English, has an article appearing in the April 2008 issue of Columbia, the magazine of the Knights of Columbus organization.
The current issue of the magazine includes a three-page article, “Living Out the Truths of His Name,” about the significance of the name of Pope Benedict. The essay is excerpted from Dr. Butcher’s book Man of Blessing: A Life of St. Benedict, which was published by Paraclete Press in 2006.
The English edition of Columbia has a circulation of 1.7 million copies, and the publication is also translated into French and Spanish.
For additional information on Dr. Butcher’s recent work, visit www.shorter.edu/about/news/2008/04_14_08_carmen_butcher.htm.
SPORTS NEWS
Hawks to play in VSN Football Classic
Shorter seniors Jamie Stewart and Jeremy New will get one more chance to wear their Hawks football helmets after the two were selected to play in the Victory Sports Network Senior Football Classic in Platte City, Mo.
The two Hawks are among 17 Mid-South Conference players selected to play in the game that includes some of the top graduating players from NAIA schools. Jamie and Jeremy helped the Hawks establish a solid foundation in the first three years of Shorter’s football program. As a linebacker for the Hawks, Jamie earned All-Conference first team honors after recording 59 total tackles (nine for losses), two sacks and an interception. Jeremy, who roamed the Shorter secondary at safety, had 27 tackles last fall, six of those for losses, and had 2.5 sacks.
To view the Hawks’ fall 2008 football schedule, visit www.goshorterhawks.com.
Four! Or should we say “Fourth!”
In the Agnes McAmis Memorial Golf Tournament, the Shorter College women's golf team took home fourth place, with Daniela Vargas taking home the low medalist award. She was one stroke ahead of second place with a two-day total of 139.
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Johanna Babra was second for the Lady Hawks with a 162, and was followed by Cristy Pak (shooting 164), Ahmreen Humayun and Ashley Trenz (both shooting 174). Shorter's two-day score of 636, followed first-place Belmont Abbey College by 30 strokes. The Lady Hawks will travel next to the Region XIII Tournament on April 27-29 in Fort Gaines, Ga., before the NAIA National Tournament on May 20-23 in San Diego. Keep up with their success online at www.goshorterhawks.com. |
Commencement
Saturday, May 3
Speaker: Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher
Click here for more information.
Homecoming
September 26-28
If you graduated in a year ending in 3 or 8, this is your class reunion year!
Interested in serving on your class reunion planning committee? Contact the alumni office at cmitchell@shorter.edu
Liberty Mutual: Savings on auto and homeowner’s insurance to Shorter alumni
For a free, no-obligation rate quote, call Beth Blalock at 770) 924-6464 x 206 or e-mail Beth.Blalock@LibertyMutual.com.
"I've switched my homeowner's and automobile insurance to Liberty Mutual. Not only does Shorter receive a portion of my payments, but coupled with the discount for alumni, I've realized an annual savings of more than $1,300. I've also made a new friend in Beth Blalock, who
is Liberty Mutual’s quote representative for Shorter.”
Shorter alumnus Clark Samples (’71)
"The Bank of America credit card is a wonderful tool for alumni to promote Shorter through name recognition. Every time I present the card, a new person sees the Shorter College name, and often asks about the college.
Shorter alumna Patsy Drummond (’62)
Travel Benefits: Savings on resort vacation
condominium rentals 
for Shorter alumni
To review available locations and dates as well as booking information, visit www.alumnitravelbenefits.com/shorter.asp or call (888) 729-3842. Use Shorter’s code AGA-002.
"We had a wonderful trip to Disney World! The condo through Alumni Travel Benefits was beautiful; it exceeded our expectations in every way!”
Shorter alumna Tina Chapman (’04)
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