Alumni Magazine Spring 2019 by Columbus State University

COLUMBUS STATE THE MAGAZINE OF COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS

SPRING 2019

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION A Close-Up on CSU’s Film Production Program THEATER ALUMNI’S SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS CSU LOVE STORIES CSU, THEN AND NOW PART TWO: GATEWAY TO THE FUTURE SPRING 2019

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FROM THE PRESIDENT The new “CSU Teaching Contract Guarantee” ensures that every graduate of the education program will find employment within the Muscogee County School District

ver the past 60 years, CSU has played a critical role in helping to create and bridge the middle class in the Columbus area. We have helped people find jobs and careers. We have helped industries flourish in our community, businesses that might otherwise have gone to Atlanta or Birmingham or some other presumed “greener pasture.” Because of Columbus State University and our focus of meeting the needs of the industries, businesses, and economic development of this area, we have been able to not only provide the region with a very well-educated workforce, but we’ve also been able to graduate well-educated citizens — the kind of folks that are absolutely necessary to continuing moving our community forward, to encourage continued advancement, enhancement, and economic development. We change lives. We change families. We change communities. This summer, we will be embarking on a new branding campaign: Create You. This is not an “off the shelf” template. This is not a cookie-cutter approach to defining who we are as an institution. Through in-depth analysis, rigorous introspection, and months of self-searching and soul-searching, we arrived at the steadfast conclusion that CSU truly is creative to our very core … in every endeavor, across all disciplines, in everything we do every day. This isn’t manufactured hype. It is a discovery of who we are, who we have always been. Of the thousands of institutions of higher education in the United States, few can truly say they are “Creative to the Core.” But we can.

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Creativity is so woven into the fabric of CSU that you can both see it and sense it. It is so central to who CSU is that “creativity” is included among our core values. It is inherent in the way our curriculum is evolving to meet the needs of an ever-changing world. Cyber-security. Robotics. Film and television. Education. Health sciences. We challenge all of our students to be creative problem solvers, to look at complex challenges and see things in new ways, to discover unexpected solutions that will revolutionize business, technology, science, and the arts. While our branding is changing, our values are not. Over the past 60 years, we have built a place where dreamers become doers, where commonplace becomes extraordinary, where goals become achievements. In this place, we learn. We observe. We listen. We question. We engage. And then, we act. We find a new way to tell a story. A new way to light a spark. A new way to solve a puzzle. A new way to make a difference in the world. We are Columbus State University. Creative to the core. And I can’t wait to see what we create together this year.

Chris Markwood President

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOL. 25 NO. 2 • FALL 2018

EDITOR

Josh Becker CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kristin Andris Josh Becker Jeff Belflower CSU Archives CSU Communications Department

MAGAZINE LAYOUT & DESIGN

Rowland Publishing, Inc. VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

Rocky Kettering ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT & SPECIAL EVENTS

Jennifer Joyner CHIEF OF STAFF

John Lester

DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

Greg Hudgison ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO:

Columbus State Alumni Magazine Office of University Relations Columbus State University 4225 University Ave. Columbus, GA 31907 ur@columbusstate.edu @COLUMBUSSTATE @CSUCOUGARALUMNI FACEBOOK.COM/COLUMBUSSTATE FACEBOOK.COM/ COLUMBUSSTATEUNIVERSITYALUMNI

ON THE COVER CSU’s communication department is preparing students to work in the entertainment industry with its film production program.

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES

2 President’s Letter 5 What’s Trending 6 Campus News 24 Class Notes 27 Q&A: Kimberly Bellflower

10 John Stidham

28 31

CSU Love Stories A look back at the beginning of some

Professional Playwright

Alumni Scene Upcoming Events

Finding a new passion in screen printing

Building the Foundations of CSU Part two of our four-part series sees

16 20

changes for CSU, both structurally and in the student body

Flat Rock Studio

beautiful relationships

See page 16 for the full story.

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The CSU Fund

Your support for CSU students is critical to their success. Gifts through the CSU Fund create opportunities and open new doors for students. We are especially excited to promote the CSU Fund this year because we are reaching the end of our historic First Choice Comprehensive Campaign. Any gift amount to any college, program or project counts as part of the final total! To date, we have received more than $91 million in cash, pledges and planned gifts and nearly $25 million in property, gifts in kind and related income. Do not miss your opportunity to be a part of this success story! When you make your gift, you are investing in the growth and success that define this exciting chapter in our history. The close of this campaign is just the beginning for more than 8,500 students who are making CSU their First Choice for Higher Education. Give online by visiting Giving.ColumbusState.edu or speak to a Foundation Representative at 706-507-8945. To show your support via mail, please send gifts to 4225 University Avenue, Columbus, GA 31907 Please make all checks payable to the CSU Foundation.

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WHAT’S TRENDING

FIND US ON FLICKR

TOP HASHTAGS:

#GoCSU @ColumbusState

New campus photos are always available for download at flickr.com/ ColumbusStateU

#ColumbusNotClayton #ColumbusState

WHO TO FOLLOW

MOTHER DAUGHTER GRADUATES

CSU’s Center for Career Development is still here for you, even after you graduate! Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to learn about services and events for alumni.

Mother Andrea and daughter DeUndra both graduated from CSU on the same day with the same degree.

PRESIDENTS’ DAY WITH A PRESIDENT More than 30 history and political science students traveled to Plains, GA. on Presidents Day to meet President Jimmy Carter.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Columbus State to Offer Nexus Degree in Cyber Security Columbus State University was recently approved by the Board of Regents to offer a new nexus degree in cybersecurity in financial technology. Available to students beginning fall 2019, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the 60-credithour degree will emphasize hands-on learning to prepare students for a career in cybersecurity. “Our steadfast commitment to innovative workforce development is strengthened even further through the launch of this Nexus degree in cybersecurity in financial technology,” said CSU Provost Deborah Bordelon. “Students who complete this program will have a solid cybersecurity foundation and be well-prepared to enter into financial technology fields. The benefits of a well-prepared workforce in this area will be realized by our industry partners and our local, regional, national, and international communities.” Students in the program will be required to complete six credit hours of experiential learning. Placement has already been secured in cooperation with CSU’s university information and technology services (UITS) security operations center. Students will learn how to monitor CSU’s network and investigate and resolve suspicious activities. Similar opportunities could also arise with company partners in and around the city of Columbus.

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CSU used National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Education Framework standards to determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities most needed by cybersecurity professionals. Input from CSU’s primary industry constituents — including TSYS, Aflac, Delta Data, Synovus, Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and Fort Benning — was also instrumental in the degree’s design. Currently there are more than 300,000 potential cybersecurity job openings available throughout U.S. The nexus degree in cybersecurity in financial technology will be the second nexus degree offered by CSU. The university’s first nexus degree, which is in film production, was approved by the Board of Regents in August 2018 as one of the first-ever nexus degrees in the state of Georgia. Nexus degrees emphasize hands-on experiential learning, skilled knowledge, and connections with industry in high-demand fields. In addition to earning approval for the new nexus degree at the January Board of Regents meeting, CSU was also featured on the agenda as the “Campus Spotlight.” President Markwood, Dr. Danna Gibson, Chair of the Department of Communication, and students Ginger Steele and Timothy Pitts updated the board on CSU’s film and video production academy.

CAMPUS NEWS

Columbus State University Unveils Newly Renovated LeNoir Hall

CSU’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center Celebrates National Award and NASA Community Day Partners Three staff members at Columbus State University’s Coca Cola Space Science Center recently received NASA’s prestigious Group Achievement Award for their work on the Kennedy Space Center’s first ever off-site NASA Community Day. CCSSC hosted a reception Tuesday to celebrate the award and honor all community members involved in the project. “The Columbus community really pulled together to make the Kennedy Space Center’s first-ever, off-site NASA Community Day a success. Now those efforts are being recognized at the highest level,” said Wanja Ngugi, Assistant Director of the CCSSC. “This award is a testament to all who worked on the project, and we would like to take the time to recognize those who made it possible.” Ngugi was one of the award recipients, along with CCSSC Executive Director Shawn Cruzen and CCSSC Coordinator of Student Engagement & Community Programs Michael Johnson. In 2018, Johnson won a President’s Staff Excellence Award for his work on NASA Community Day. NASA’s Group Achievement Award is given to government and/or nongovernment individuals for an outstanding group accomplishment that contributed substantially to NASA’s mission. Signed by NASA’s Administrator Jim Bridenstine, the certificate recognizes the “superb teamwork in the innovative approach, efficient planning, and successful execution” of NASA Community Day. Hosted in 2017, the event — themed “Columbus Goes to Mars” — included a weekend of NASA activities at three different venues, a screening of the movie Hidden Figures at the National Infantry Museum, and classroom visits at local schools by Kennedy Space Center staff. The Columbus Visitors Bureau, Columbus Museum, the National Infantry Museum, and the Muscogee County School District were all key partners involved in the event.

Columbus State University unveiled its newly renovated and expanded LeNoir Hall at an official ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 27. About 100 students, faculty, staff, elected officials, and donors gathered at the event to celebrate the conclusion of the 15-month construction on the state-of-the-art science teaching facility. Speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony included state representatives Calvin Smyre, Richard Smith, and Rick Jasperse, chairman of the House Higher Education Committee. CSU President Chris Markwood, College of Letters and Sciences Dean Dennis Rome, graduate student Ashley Desensi, and chief of staff John Lester also gave remarks. Students were available to offer tours of the facility and to treat guests with laboratory-made liquid nitrogen ice cream. Renovations on the 22,000-square-foot building, as well as the construction of the 21,000-square-foot addition, were backed by $13.3 million in state funding. Private donors added about $2 million in private funds. The new addition includes six new laboratories, two student lobby/meeting areas, three student study areas, renovation of several existing labs, and some of the most sophisticated science equipment. One new lab has 12 chemical vent hoods, which is triple the total number previously available. The new lab and additional facilities, which open for classes in January 2019, will serve both undergraduate and graduate studies, facilitate growth in the sciences, and assist faculty members. LeNoir Hall was named for Dr. William “Bill” LeNoir, who served as acting president of Columbus College, now Columbus State University, twice during his 34year career as a botany professor. LeNoir retired as dean emeritus in 1995.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Muscogee County School District Announces Teaching Contract Guarantee with Columbus State University The Muscogee County School District and Columbus State University announced a new initiative within their partnership today. All graduates of CSU’s education program, who meet the necessary requirements, will be guaranteed a teaching contract with MCSD. The “CSU Teaching Contract Guarantee” will become effective immediately. “Columbus State University and the Muscogee County School District have enjoyed a long and enduring symbiotic relationship. In light of our ongoing and growing partnership, we wanted to express our confidence in the graduates they produce through this tangible gesture, which we believe

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to be mutually beneficial for both institutions. In doing so, we hope to promote the development and retention of local teaching talent as well as attracting potential talent to our community,” said Dr. David Lewis, MCSD Superintendent of Education. CSU has proven to be the largest educational resource of teachers to MCSD; more than 70 percent of district educators hold one or more degrees from the institution. This partnership will provide a unique opportunity to develop new and innovative ways of attracting candidates to the public education field. Under the new program, all graduates from CSU’s teacher education program

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will be guaranteed a teaching contract within MCSD, contingent upon the following conditions: • Candidates successfully pass the student teaching component of his/her degree. • Candidates meet Georgia Professional Standards Commission induction certification requirements. “We are honored that Muscogee County School District believes so strongly in CSU’s teacher education program that they are willing to guarantee virtually all of our education students jobs upon graduation,” said

CAMPUS NEWS

Columbus State University Student Receives Inaugural Film Scholarship

Chris Markwood, CSU President. “CSU prides itself on preparing tomorrow’s teachers for the classroom, and we are thrilled to see that MCSD recognizes CSU’s longstanding reputation of developing extraordinary teachers.” Other initiatives brought forth by partnership with MCSD and CSU include the annual one-day E3 conference, which has trained hundreds of MCSD educators (pre-K to doctoral) over the past two years in October. Short for “engage, equip, and energize,” E3 is a roadmap for transformative education in the 21st century. Additional professional development sessions have also been provided to MCSD educators throughout the year. “We are excited to have reached a level in our partnership that Muscogee County School District has established this job guarantee for our education students,” said Deidre Greer, Dean of the CSU College of Education and Health Professions. “The confidence MCSD is placing in our graduates through this initiative is a testament to our commitment to preparing excellent teachers.”

Columbus State University communications student Timothy Pitts was awarded the inaugural Georgia Power Business of Film Rising Star Student Scholarship. Pitts, a non-traditional student and Navy veteran, was presented the $5,000 award at the 2018 Business of Film event at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. “Timothy has shown himself diligent in his studies and grateful for the opportunity to complete a degree,” said Danna Gibson, CSU department of communications chair and professor, who submitted Pitts’ nomination for the scholarship. “Timothy is the perfect fit for this prestigious lifechanging award.” Pitts, a former welder and Navy emergency medical technician, began coursework at CSU in 2018. He is pursuing a bachelor of arts in communication with film production concentration, as well as a film production certificate. He has maintained a 3.75 GPA and is expected to graduate in summer of 2020. “Timothy has excelled in his film production courses and has volunteered on numerous productions sets. His work ethic has won him the admiration of professors and producers alike — one who asked for Timothy by name for upcoming film productions,” said Gibson. However, despite his strong performance Pitts faced the depletion of his Post-9/11 GI Bill funds. This would have left him three semesters short of his degree. Receiving this award ensures that Pitts will be able to continue his studies to completion.

“Because of Georgia Power, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and this scholarship, I’m not only able to complete my degree but also show my children that no matter where you start in life, you can find your purpose and pursue your passion,” said Pitts. Pitts, who is the first recipient of the new scholarship, was selected among nominations from the Savannah College of Art and Design and Georgia State University. The scholarship will be awarded annually during the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Business of Film event. Georgia Power has been a presenting sponsor of the event, which focuses on the future of Georgia’s rapidly growing film industry, since 2016. “We’re so pleased to partner with Georgia Power on the annual Business of Film event and this inaugural scholarship,” said David Rubinger, president and publisher of Atlanta Business Chronicle. “Through their economic development and workforce development initiatives, Georgia Power plays a major role in recruiting the film industry to our state, and they understand the importance of attracting and keeping film dollars in Georgia.” From major motion pictures to indie films and television series, Georgia Power uses its properties, business partnerships, power grids, and other assets to make Georgia a one-stop shop for filmmakers. Through its economic development team, Georgia Power provides access to industrial properties, lakes, generating facilities, and parks, as well as assists with lighting and power needs.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

John Stidham assists wife and fellow artist Amber produce large-scale urban art installation in Newnam, GA; attends the Walking Dead wrap party; and gets creative in the studio.

Drawing with Silk John Stidham’s Layered Approach to the Artist’s Life STORY BY JOSH BECKER

t took a long time for serigraphy to establish itself as a true American art form. From the Latin for “silk” and the Greek for “writing or drawing,” serigraphy, also known as screen printing, is the oldest form of printing, tracing its roots to the woodcuts and woodblock prints of the Song Dynasty, an era of Chinese history that began in 960 A.D. It would take nearly a millennium before Andy Warhol introduced the technique into popular culture with his series of Campbell’s soup cans and his diptych of Marilyn Monroe. It would come to define his career and change the definition of art forever.

It also took a long time for ’05 CSU alum John Stidham to discover serigraphy, but when he did, it changed his life, too. “Earlier in my studies, I learned a lot of intense, difficult techniques. I took drawing with Jeff Burton; painting with Jamie Howard and Orion Wertz; sculpture with David Gentry. I even studied jewelry and metals with Trish Ramsey. These professors really made an impact on me, they taught me everything I know about drawing and painting.” When Stidham was introduced to

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screen printing, it all clicked; every discipline he had surveyed, every technique he had mastered, the threads all came together with serigraphy. “It’s a mix of drawing and painting and printmaking. When I finally discovered screen printing, I was like, ‘Oh, I could have been doing it this way the whole time, instead of stabbing my hands while engraving copper plates or boring plates in acid.’ ” Stidham took his newfound knowledge and started screen printing T-shirts. A T-shirt he produced for his band Dead Ripe would eventually catch the attention of fellow CSU alum Jenn Moye, who was then working as a graphic designer on zombie-apocalypse juggernaut “The Walking Dead.” “I was working on Paul Rudd’s independent film ‘The Fundamentals of Caring,’ doing some screen printing, some set decorating, brought in some props that were used in the movie. That’s when Jenn approached me. She needed some artwork for a room that Carl Grimes was living in — this was back in season four, after the prison was overrun — and she thought my style would fit the set design. In the episode

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‘After,’ you can see a Dead Ripe poster in Carl’s bedroom. It was pretty cool, knowing that millions of people had seen my art.” Stidham would eventually join the crew of “The Walking Dead” as a set painter for seasons six and seven. He cautions that it was not the most glamorous position, but one that was incredibly rewarding. “A set painter is like a worker bee. If it needs paint — a house, walls, fences, any object that needs painting — that’s what I would do. That’s the grunt work of a set painter. Still, I’m grateful for every day I was there.” His next gig was season two of “Halt & Catch Fire,” an AMC drama about the personal computer boom of the ’80s. From there, his career was turned “Upside Down” when he joined the crew of Netflix’s nostalgiasoaked supernatural sci-fi series, “Stranger Things.” “I started working on “Stranger Things” in season two, and was promoted to scenic artist. My role as a scenic artist is often to age things, make things look rundown. It’s more artistic, there is more carving involved,

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working with foam, more spraying with cup gun sprayers. In general, it requires more advanced techniques. In fact, sculpture has recently taken on a much more significant role in my career. Right now, for the current season of ‘Stranger Things,’ I’m carving these massive tunnels, cavernous spaces that actors will be exploring; and my previous training in sculpture — and even the jewelry course, working with smaller objects — the techniques I learned at CSU have given me an opportunity to work on some incredible projects.” Stidham is truly grateful for his time at CSU, so much so that he decided to give back to his alma mater in the most significant and meaningful way imaginable: he came back to share his knowledge and expertise with

the next generation of art students. It would prove to be impactful for both student and teacher. “One really cool thing that happened when I came back to CSU in 2014 to teach serigraphy was that I got to see my old painting professor Jamie Howard. I asked the secretary at school how to get in touch with him, and she said that he is usually hanging out on his front porch down in the Historic District and, sure enough, I drove down there looking for him and there he was sitting on his porch. He passed away the next year, so I’m glad I got the opportunity to thank him for teaching me so much and for being such an inspiration in my career, letting him know that his advice helped and that I’m making something of myself.”

Stidham painting a mural at Karvelas Pizza Co. in Hogansville, 2018.

Mark your calendar to attend

The Red & Blue

An evening supporting scholarships for students.

OCTOBER 17, 2019

Gala SPRING 2019

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FEATURE John Townsend served as a representative with the 1964-1965 Student

60th Anniversary Part Two: Gateway to the Future STORY BY JOSH BECKER

n Wednesday, January 2nd, 1963, everything changed. Twenty years after the formation of the “Greater Columbus Committee” that paved the way for a homegrown institute of higher learning, and five years after establishing the makeshift college at Shannon Hosiery Mill, the main campus of Columbus College officially opened its doors to a proud student body and a welcoming community. To mark the occasion, students new and old joined public spectators in the new state-of-the-art gymnasium to watch as a talented and battle-tested varsity basketball squad took on a team of Columbus College alumni. Previously, both teams had played all their games at Columbus High School or on the road, so the atmosphere at the first true home game was electric. Coach Sonny Clements’ team defeated the alumni 81-65, but finally having a

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court to call their own made everyone a winner on that winter night long ago. A few days later, on January 6th, the administration invited the community to attend the Formal Opening Ceremony. Approximately 1,200 people packed into the crowded gymnasium, eager to be a part of history. The two-hour program boasted enthusiastic speeches from then-president Thomas Y. Whitley; Muscogee County School Board superintendent, William Henry Shaw; and the governor-elect of Georgia, Carl E. Sanders. The soundtrack for the festivities was provided by legendary conductor Robert M. Barr and the Jordan Vocational High School band along with the Columbus College choir, then directed by Katherine B. Mahan. During his speech, Gov.-elect Sanders, who had visited Columbus in 1957 as a member of the junior college study committee, marveled at what a generation of community activism had

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achieved; but he was equally impressed and inspired at what could be accomplished in the future, predicting that four-year status for the fledgling institution was both imminent and inevitable. The saying “if you build it, they will come” proved to be an understatement as enrollment numbers soared. The last year at the mill campus, the student body maxed out at a still-impressive 768. In the space of a decade, that number would skyrocket to 5,674. There were many contributing factors

FEATURE to this surge in enrollment. First, there were simply more college-aged students across the nation, thanks to the post-war Boomer explosion. Another factor was a shifting of goals amongst American youth, with greater access to higher education giving students both more career paths to explore and an escape hatch to avoid being drafted into the quagmire of the Vietnam War. However, the most likely factor in the enrollment rise was the fulfillment of Gov. Sanders’ prediction that Columbus College, would — sooner rather than later — shift its status from a two-year college to a four-year institution. This prognostication was prophetic as Columbus College was elevated to four-year institution just two years after moving to the main campus. The population explosion would prove to be a double-edged sword as the elevated number of students on campus quickly outgrew the original facilities and threatened to overwhelm the faculty and staff. The college that had been dubbed “Cody Road High” due to its small size and modest architecture would be asked to grow up fast. Luckily, Whitley’s administration was determined to sustain the momentum of the past 20 years, to aggressively pursue growth and expand the fledgling institution’s infrastructure, curriculum, and reputation. CSU would again benefit from the philanthropy and generosity of local business and community leaders. By the end of the year, early patrons established the Columbus College Foundation, a trusteeship designed to promote the cause of higher education at Columbus College through fundraising, the creation of scholarships and endowments, and supporting the educational objectives of the college. The first Columbus College Foundation Board of Trustees took office in 1964, its members a deep and distinguished roster of local luminaries that included, among others, such prominent names as Bickerstaff, Blanchard, Davidson, Hardaway, Jordan and Woodruff. The Foundation made an immediate impact on the campus by organizing an executive committee that would raise money to support the educational objectives of

the college, such as faculty development grants, the purchase of adjoining properties, construction of new, state-of-theart facilities, and the acquisition of the necessary tools and equipment needed to offer cutting-edge programs in criminal justice, dental hygiene, and nursing. In a little over 10 years, the Foundation would raise nearly $1.5 million in support of the college’s bold and ambitious strategic plan, a plan not possible with state funding alone. During this period of rapid expansion, the growing college also benefited from the vision and dedication of individual patrons like Ruth Schwob and D. Abbott Turner. The widow of Simon Schwob, Ruth Schwob was a prominent patron of the arts and, as the administration and foundation would soon discover, an extraordinary fundraiser. Dr. Whitley was impressed by her passion and commitment to helping create a program of excellence in the arts. “In working with Mrs. Schwob, I became convinced that a strong music program was in the best interests of Columbus College,” related Whitley in an oral history recorded in 1982. “She was interested in improving the appreciation of arts, music, and drama in the Columbus area, and I began to see that this was a way to definitely involve a great many more people in Columbus, and that the fine arts program, particularly the one in music, should serve as a very good window between the community and the college.” Schwob, with the blessing of the Foundation, set a goal of $500,000. Once matched by state and federal funds, she exceeded her goal to the tune of $1.25 million. The Fine Arts Hall opened in May 1969 and would house the fine and performing arts programs for the next three decades until operations began to migrate to the RiverPark campus. The Schwob family’s legacy lives on to this day in the Simon Schwob Memorial Library and the worldrenowned Schwob School of Music. In the early years of Columbus College, continuing education programs were scattered all across campus. As interest in the programs grew, so did the need for a facility to permanently house Continuing Education. Whitley met with

“THE NAMING OF THESE BUILDINGS FOR THESE SEVEN COMMUNITY GIANTS JUST CONFIRMS AN EPITAPH: THAT YOU LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE YOU LEAVE BEHIND — YOU NEVER DIE.” — JAC H. ROTHCHILD local businessman D. Abbott Turner to strategize the ways and means of buoying support and raising the funds needed for construction. Rather than simply offer aid and assistance in the endeavor, Turner resolved to fund the million-dollar project as a way to honor and preserve the memory of his recently-deceased wife, Elizabeth Bradley Turner. The Elizabeth Bradley Turner Center for Continuing Education opened in November 1974, offering Columbus citizens yet another avenue to explore educational opportunities, career enhancement, and personal growth. By 1969, Columbus College had physically outgrown the nickname of “Cody Road High” (though the public perception would prove harder to shake). That year, on June 1, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the names of seven buildings, the same buildings in which faculty, staff and students still work, learn and play to this day. These are more than simple brick-and-mortar structures, they are monuments to the community leaders who helped make the vision of CSU a reality. Joining the already-named Schwob Library was Arnold Hall, named after Robert Arnold, a local lawyer and longstanding member of the Columbus Public Schools; Davidson Student Center, named in honor of steadfast college advocate J.Q. Davidson; Howard Hall, whose namesake William Howard was one of Columbus College’s first faculty

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FEATURE members; Illges Hall, in homage to John P. Illges, a prominent business leader; Richards Hall, in honor of former Columbus mayor Walter A. Richards; Tucker Hall, in celebration of the life of longtime editor of the Columbus Enquirer-Sun, William C. Tucker, Sr.; and Woodruff Gym, named to honor the legacy of local philanthropist James W. Woodruff, Sr. A ceremony was held so that one generation could acknowledge the diligence, determination, and sacrifice of the ones that came before. Jac H. Rothchild served as master of ceremonies, remarking that “the naming of these buildings for these seven community giants just confirms an epitaph: that you live in the hearts of those you leave behind — you never die.” This would prove to be a period of rapid and revolutionary growth at Columbus College, not only in terms of buildings, programs, and enrollment, but also of maturity, humility, and acceptance. John Townsend was a good student throughout his schooling, and he applied for admission at Columbus College upon graduating from Spencer High School in 1963. President Whitley was immediately impressed with Townsend’s qualifications, personally calling the Board of Regents “to tell them we did have an applicant who, if white, there’d be no question about his enrollment.” Whitley’s administration understood that desegregation

was not a matter of if, but when; and Townsend’s application provided the faculty, staff, and students of Columbus College with the opportunity to approach the present with openness, optimism and the belief that every citizen should, by right, have access to higher education. And so it was that in 1963, the first year on the main campus, Columbus College became a fully integrated institution. There were no protests. There was no violence. The transition to integration occurred more peacefully here than it did at a number of other college campuses across the South. Which isn’t to say there were no incidents hinting at a simmering unrest. There inevitably were, such as the time Townsend’s locker was set on fire. Still, more often than not, newly admitted African-American students were welcomed with tolerance, acceptance, and respect. Columbus College had truly become an institution of higher learning open to the entire community; and as the African-American student population grew, so too did awareness of the civil rights issues of the day. In the early 1970s, several decisions were made by the administration and Student Government Association to ensure that Columbus College would forever uphold the tenets of excellence, equality, civility, and inclusion. The first issue at hand was to revisit and reevaluate the official school colors, which at the time were the gold and grey of the confederate soldiers’ uniform. In April 1969, the student body voted in favor of changing the

Stan Lee, creator of Marvel Comics, seated during an interview at CSU, July 5, 1977

Streakers, March 1974

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colors to the patriotic palette of red, white, and blue. Another decision was made in January 1970, when the SGA banned the playing of “Dixie” at basketball games and other schoolsanctioned events. The issue of the mascot, however, would prove to be a much more difficult conversation. An attempt to remove the Rebel mascot in a democratic fashion devolved into fierce and fiery arguments between the students who supported the controversial symbol and the students who saw this as an opportunity to move forward together and adapt new traditions so that every student could be a part of the campus and proud of their school. After a three-year stalemate, the administration took it upon themselves to bring closure to the matter, with President Whitley announcing on Feb. 27, 1970, that the Rebel mascot would henceforth be retired. Two months later, an election was held to determine the new mascot. The runoff came down to two choices: the Titans or the Cougars. On May 6, it was reported in The Saber that Columbus College would forever be the home of the Cougars. Columbus College had just weathered its first controversy and came out the other side stronger, closer, and better than before. A new identity and diverse student body invigorated the campus. The Black Student Union was formed “to stimulate the study of contemporary culture, emphasis the importance of achieving excellence, and encourage

participation in campus activities.” Notable figures regularly visited the campus, from Stan Lee and Vincent Price to Jimmy Carter and Ralph Nader. And the rise of Greek Life provided the campus with all manner of shenanigans, perhaps the most infamous of which is “Streaker Week.” In 1974, from March 6–8, Columbus College Cougars joined in the craze that swept across the nation in the wake of Ray Stevens’ “The Streak.” Participating students would meet at Davidson, disrobe, and high tail it towards Howard. Whitley was more bemused than alarmed. “I think I’m a little bit too old to streak. It’s a fad just like swallowing goldfish was. The sap rises in the spring and so do the saps. You tend to have some erratic behavior.” Columbus Chief of Police Curtis McClung was even more blunt in his assessment of the

situation. “I conferred with Dr. Whitley and decided streaking should be considered a school activity — it was their problem.” Dr. Thomas Y. Whitley retired on June 30, 1979. He had served as president of Columbus College for 21 years. One of his last acts before his retirement was the dedication of the Alumni Gateway on East Lindsey Creek Drive. It was a well-timed capstone to a tenure characterized by strong community partnerships, a willingness to be bold and ambitious, and a clear vision to elevate the status and reputation of Columbus College. Uncertain times were ahead. Battles would be fought, souls would be searched and lessons would be hard learned. Still, even with the troubles ahead — perhaps even because of them — the best was yet to come.

1971 Feb-Davidson center exterior

Alumni Gateway Construction, 1979 In the next installment, “Part Three: University Avenue,” the campus expands, an icon is built from the bricks of the past and the commuter college races towards university status.

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Cougarfest | CSU Basketball | Evening on the Top | Homecoming Parade | Alumni Recognition Awards SPRING 2019

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CSU students get hands-on experience in the field of film production 16

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COVER STORY

Ready For Our Close-up How CSU Brought The Georgia Film Academy to the Chattahoochee Valley STORY BY JOSH BECKER

n December 2015, it was announced that a statewide initiative — the Georgia Film Academy’s pilot certification program — was soon to be launched in order to prepare Georgians for a career in the burgeoning film industry. The fledgling academy would launch Jan. 11, 2016 under the leadership of Jeff Stepakoff, a Georgia native with over 30 years of experience in the film industry. Columbus State University was already on Stepakoff’s radar thanks to an early encounter with Dr. Danna Gibson, professor and chair of CSU’s Department of Communication. Dr. Gibson attended a presentation Stepakoff delivered to department chairs of communication programs across the state regarding Gov. Nathan Deal’s goal of establishing a trained workforce for film and television. Following

the meeting, Gibson approached him and said, “Do not overlook Columbus State University.” A month later, Stepakoff visited Columbus and met with Dr. Gibson, along with Peter Bowden, president & CEO of the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau; Paul Pierce, producing artistic director for The Springer Opera House; and various members of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce. The delegation showed Stepakoff around town, touring the community’s world-class facilities, cataloging the wealth of local resources, and engaging with the passionate and visionary community leaders championing the establishment of a homegrown hub for the film and television industry of Georgia. Near the end of Stepakoff’s trip, a

meeting was held in a conference room in One Arsenal with Stepakoff, Gibson, and Dr. Richard Baxter, associate vice president of engagement and economic development at CSU. Gibson recalls her reaction when Stepakoff broached the subject of needing a university to act as a proving ground for the Georgia Film Academy curriculum. “My legs are too short to kick from across the table, but it was one of those things literally where we look at each other and know it’s a matter of ‘I’m game if you are.’ ” Processes and procedures move slowly and deliberately in the halls of academia. To be the first university in Georgia to offer the Georgia Film Academy curriculum would take mountain-moving levels of preparation, persistence and, yes, a little luck. To move forward with CSU in pole

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position, Stepakoff needed a guaranteed enrollment of 10 students in classes that were set to begin in January, mere weeks away. “When we got back from Thanksgiving break, I immediately had my faculty vote on the GFA curriculum, and it passed. We sent it to the college level, and they approved it. Then, we got it passed by the University Curriculum Committee — all in the space of a couple weeks!” The program officially launched that January, an enormous and expeditious feat of curriculum development. What time had not allowed for was any form of promotion. Gibson chose to recruit from within, putting out feelers in communication department courses like integrated media. Enrolling 10 students proved to be even easier than hoped. “Within the first 30 minutes, we reached the cap, which at that time was 17. And I had seven more on a waitlist!” Gibson informed the Georgia Film Academy of the incredible response to the program, and the decision was made to expand the enrollment cap to 25 students per course. That number was met day one, but the calls kept coming. Within three days, a second course was created. It too immediately maxed capacity. As the inquiries poured in, Gibson began to notice something she had not expected: the demograph-

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ics of prospective students were all over the map. “What was intriguing to me was not only were the regular students interested in these courses, but I was also getting people who were transitioning out of the military. I was getting people who had lost their jobs or were in jobs that were phasing out. People were coming to my office, and they were begging for an opportunity because they felt that this was a way they could have a satisfactory job that would provide a salary with which they could support their families.” Interest in the Academy has been so overwhelming, no efforts to market or promote the program have been needed. Semester after semester, there has inevitably been a lengthy waiting list, with classroom space in the Carpenter Building soon reaching capacity and overflow courses being held on the weekends. Gibson saw the writing on the wall: It was obvious that the popularity and demand of the Georgia Film Academy would soon require a facility of its own to accommodate the rapid growth of the program. Enter the W.C. Bradley Company. Last August, Columbus State University held a ceremonial ribbon cutting at Flat Rock Studio, a former W.C. Bradley Co. warehouse situated on an 80-acre lot off Jameson Road. The

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warehouse boasts 180,000 square feet of building space, including 140,000 square feet of studio and sound-stage space, 40,000 square feet of office and production facilities, dedicated workshop areas, and two separate stages. This sprawling complex is now the home of CSU’s Georgia Film Academy program. Columbus State president Chris Markwood expressed his gratitude for the extraordinary gift. “The servant leaders at W.C. Bradley Co. really stepped up to the need for this incredible facility. Now our students will have the tremendous opportunity to stay in Columbus and train at a real live production studio.” Marc Olivié, president and CEO of W.C. Bradley Co., is also excited about the potential. “We are proud to be part a team that has been working for more than a year on a strategy to help draw the film and television industry to the Columbus area. The growth and economic impact that has occurred as a result of Georgia Film and Television tax credits, primarily in and around the Atlanta area, has been phenomenal and is now approaching close to $9.5 billion annually. Our hope is that Columbus can further participate in this economic growth and support of the film and television industry through the formation of Flat Rock Studio.” The ribbon cutting was a triumphant celebration, the fruition of years of diligence, determination, and the unerring belief that Hollywood dreams really could come true in Columbus. This victory helped pave the way for another, when the University System of Georgia approved CSU to become the first university in the state to offer the new nexus degree in film production. The nexus degree is a 60-credit-hour degree — 42 credit hours in general education and 12 credit hours in film industrybased knowledge — that emphasizes experiential learning and is aimed at meeting the qualifications of potential employers. Graduates of the degree won’t have to look far for work, thanks in part to a partnership between CSU, W.C. Bradley Co., and the Convention and Visitors Bureau all aiming to establish Columbus as the third film hub in Georgia through the foundation of the Columbus Film

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Fund. The $5 million fund was created to incentivize producers to bring film and television productions to the city. “The reason that we needed this fund as an incentive is that if you film outside of the union production center, which is in Atlanta, then you have to pay per diem, housing, and travel for those workers,” explained Dr. Baxter. “If you bring a crew from Atlanta to Columbus and there’s 120 people in the crew, you’re going to have to pay these extra expenses. The film fund was created to minimize or give a financial incentive for producers to bring their production here, and we’ll cover the additional cost that they might incur from filming outside of Atlanta.” The Georgia Film Academy. The Columbus Film Fund. Flat Rock Studio. The nexus degree in film production. All of these puzzle pieces are finally coming together, and the picture they reveal is a community ready for its closeup. There are many cities throughout the nation with citywide initiatives aimed at attracting film and television production. Columbus, though, is unique. While other communities may brim with ambition, inspired by visionaries and financed by philanthropists, CSU’s nexus degree at Flat Rock Studio is revolutionary, an exciting

opportunity to prepare students for jobs on the horizon. The Chattahoochee Valley has a long cinematic history. Phenix City took the spotlight in Phil Karlson’s “The Phenix City Story,” a film noir docudrama set in “the wickedest town in America” that is both on the list of “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” as well as one of Martin Scorsese’s favorite films. John Wayne later brought George Takei to Fort Benning to film 1968’s pro-Vietnam polemic “The Green Berets.” Roger Ebert would go on to give the production zero stars, eventually including it on his “Most Hated” list. And in 1976, there was the so-bad-it’s-good indie horror film “Kiss of the Tarantula,” most notable for scenes shot at Columbus High School and Flat Rock Park, as well as receiving the Mystery Science Theater 3000 “RiffTrax” treatment in 2015. From “We Were Soldiers” to “Your Mother Wears Combat Boots,” “The Fighting Temptations” to “A Haunting in Georgia,” the Chattahoochee Valley region has been on the periphery of stardom, occasionally getting screen time as a set location but rarely receiving credit for creative development, pre- and post-production, or distribution. Thanks to CSU’s nexus degree at Flat Rock Studio, that is all about to change.

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FEATURE

CSU Love Stories A Look Back at the Beginning of Some Beautiful Relationships STORY BY KATIE EVANS

Kristen, B.A. ’14, & Mike HOW THEY MET We met in the CCT building in our first class of freshman year. It was the Freshman Seminar that we were required to take. There was supposed to be a back-to-school foam party out in front of the clock tower that week, and we were supposed to meet there outside of class. Well, we forgot to swap numbers, so we never had the chance to call each other that day. I showed up with a friend, and we walked around for a good hour looking for Mike. We never found him, so we decided to leave and go get dinner. I figured Mike just stood me up. Well, I see him in class the next morning, and I walked right up to him and said, “Missed you at the foam thing,” figuring he would make some excuse. Turned out that he was there, too, but we never ran into each other. We laughed about it, and swapped numbers. We went out that weekend, and we’ve been together since.

Haley, B.S. ’15, & Taylor, B.S. ’14, Clay

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HOW THEY MET Taylor and I met in Dr. Frazier’s cell biology class in 2012. He sat in front of me and always found a reason to talk to me. We quickly became friends and eventually started dating. We spent most of our time at CSU in LeNoir Hall. FAVORITE MEMORY My favorite memory was when Taylor and I went on our first study abroad trip to Andros Island with Dr. Hughes in 2013. It was Taylor’s first time out of the country and my first time alone. It was during this trip that we both realized our passion for serving others. We really bonded during that trip and made many other lifelong friends. YEARS TOGETHER 6 years, married 1 year OCCUPATION Haley is a medical student at VCOM-Auburn and Taylor is a pursuing a career in nursing CURRENT CITY Auburn, AL

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Rickeya, B.M. ’11, & Trip, B.M., ’11, Parker HOW THEY MET Trip and I met in the Fall of 2007 at a Wind Ensemble meet & greet before classes officially started at the Schwob School of Music on the RiverPark Campus. We were both Music Education majors. FAVORITE MEMORY My favorite memory of Trip is from our first day of classes as freshmen. Our Music Fundamentals professor asked everyone to introduce themselves by saying their name, where they’re from, instrument/voice and favorite piece of music. While everyone else listed classical pieces, when it was Trip’s turn to introduce himself, he stood up in front of the whole class and said that his favorite song was “Crank Dat” by Soulja Boi and performed the dance. YEARS TOGETHER 8 years,married 6 CHILDREN Clara (6) Forrest (3) OCCUPATION Rickeya and Trip are Special Education Teachers CURRENT CITY Columbus, GA

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Katie, B.A. ’11 & M.Ed. ’13, & Josh, B.M. ’12, Evans HOW THEY MET We were introduced at a Sigma Nu party by mutual friends and eventually set up to attend our semi-formal together in May 2009. We eventually started dating January 2010 and never looked back! FAVORITE MEMORY The Sigma Nu’s volunteered at the CSU baseball concession stands, and since we both lived close to CSU, we’d spend a lot of our weekends there together with our friends! Since then, we’ve made a lot of memories together at CSU Alumni Association events and have enjoyed introducing our friends and family to CSU events and the campus. YEARS TOGETHER 9 years CHILDREN Piper (10 months) OCCUPATION Katie is a Associate Director of Alumni Engagement at CSU and Josh is a Band & Orchestra Director at Double Churches Middle School CURRENT CITY Columbus, GA

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Stephanie, B.S.N. ’11, & Robert, B.S. ’12, Carroll HOW THEY MET Robert and I often joke about how we met, because, well, it was by accident! During our freshman orientation, Robert met another Stephanie and later requested to be friends on Facebook with who he thought he met, however he friend requested me! After months of messaging each other on Facebook, we finally met in person on the “the hill,” (leaving courtyard 1). Robert immediately recognized I was not the Stephanie he initially met at orientation months before. Years later, we still joke about this encounter. FAVORITE MEMORY Our favorite memory is using our Courgarcash during frequent date walks to Blimpie which later became Einsteins YEARS TOGETHER 11 years, married 4 OCCUPATION Stephanie is a Nurse Practitioner and Robert is a Web Developer CURRENT CITY Atlanta, GA

NOW

THEN

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FEATURE

Deonna, B.S. ’98, & Scott, B.S. ’97, Johnston

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HOW THEY MET Scott Johnston and I met at the Courtyard. I made friends with a friend of his over the summer after our first year. When Scott got back to school in the fall of ‘95, his friend brought him over to meet me at my dorm room. We became friends and hung out for the next two years. He was always trying to get me to go out with him, and I finally realized I was in love with him a couple of months before he graduated in ‘97. We have been together ever since. FAVORITE MEMORY I was floundering in my declared major. Scott came to CSU (Columbus College when we started) knowing exactly what he wanted to do. He was a CRJ major and said I should come to some CRJ classes to see if I liked them, and if I didn’t, then they could be electives. I did like them and have worked in law enforcement for the past 20 years. We used to study together each morning in the Davidson Student Center before walking across campus to Howard Hall for Professor Archie Rainey’s 10 point quizzes. YEARS TOGETHER Almost 20 years CHILDREN Natalie (15), Nathan (11) OCCUPATION Deonna is a Assistant Chief Community Supervision Officer of GA Department of Community Supervision and Scott is a Defense Attorney at Virgil Brown & Associates CURRENT CITY Locust Grove, GA

Kelly, B.A. ‘01, & Dennis, B.S. ‘03 & M.S. ‘04, McAbee HOW THEY MET Kelly and Dennis met at a sorority and fraternity mixer in 1999. They went on their first date the next week. FAVORITE MEMORY In between classes, they’d meet at the clock tower. YEARS TOGETHER married 15 years CHILDREN 1 son (13) CURRENT CITY Lawrenceville, GA

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Tassie, B.A. ’05, M.P.A. ’07, & M.A.T. ’11, & Robbie, B.A. ’07 & M.A.T. ‘10, Stone HOW THEY MET Robbie and I met in Dr. Harris’ Training & Development class in Howard Hall when we were put in a group project together in fall of 2005. Our first date was to Phi Mu Formal on Dec. 10, 2005, and we’ve been together ever since.

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FAVORITE MEMORY Our favorite CSU memory was when we got engaged at the clock tower. YEARS TOGETHER 13 years, married 11 CHILDREN Jordan (4), Carly (2) OCCUPATION Tassie is a Special Education Teacher at Adairsville Middle School and Robbie is a English Teacher & Football coach at Adairsville High School CURRENT CITY Adairsville, GA

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Shaqualya, B.S. ’06 & M.P.A. ’09, & Vincent, B.M. ’04, Sneed HOW THEY MET Shaqualya and Vincent met on campus but were later reintroduced by a mutual friend in 2016. They were married on April 28, 2018. Vincent Sneed is a 2004 graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education while Shaqualya Sneed is a 2009 graduate with a MPA, BS, CPC-P, CPMA. OCCUPATION Shaqualya is a Coding Supervisor and Vincent is a Band Director at Denmark High School CURRENT CITY Chamblee, GA

Kristin, B.B.A. ’13 & M.S. ’15, & Cates Culpepper HOW THEY MET Cates and I met at Bull Creek Golf Course in August the week before classes started. It was the home golf course for both men’s and women’s golf teams at that time. It was my senior year, and Cates had just transferred to CSU his junior year. I walked up to Cates and introduced myself, and he couldn’t even talk. FAVORITE MEMORY The women’s home tournament was held at Columbus Country Club when it was my senior year. The tournament is held in February, and the weather never cooperates, and Cates and I were not officially dating yet. But my parents came to the tournament, and Cates’ mom came from work early to meet my parents and walk through the rain. Everyone just knew there was something special about our relationship. YEARS TOGETHER 6 years, married 2 OCCUPATION Kristin is a Catalog Manager at Cintas and Cates is a Marketing Manager at SERVPRO of Phenix City, Eufaula, & Tuskegee/SERVPRO of Lee County CURRENT CITY Columbus, GA

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NOW THEN

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Amanda, B.S.Ed. ’12, & Nick, B.S. ’11, Gagnon HOW THEY MET My husband, Nick, and I met during our college days at CSU. Although we grew up in the same small town in Alabama, it was not until we both lived right across the street from one another in Columbus that we met. We had mutual friends that introduced us. For a “Phi Mu loves CSU” event, we wrote cards and made signs for the basketball team. I baked brownies for Nick, but his teammates ate them all. It didn’t matter though, because I had already caught his attention. Very shortly after we met, I knew Nick was the one for me. His Christian faith, sense of humor and eagerness to pursue my heart were enough to be certain. We began dating in 2009 and married in 2013. The past 10 years have flown by because I am married to my best friend. We are thankful for the opportunity that we had to meet at CSU. CSU will always be a special place in our story. FAVORITE MEMORY My favorite memories of us during our time at CSU include watching Nick play basketball for CSU and attending Phi Mu formals together. YEARS TOGETHER 10 years CHILDREN Julia Ruth (7 months) OCCUPATION Amanda is a 3rd Grade Teacher at Durham Public Schools and Nick works at Communities in Schools CURRENT CITY Durham, NC

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CLASS NOTES 1975 Charles E. Merkel, Jr., B.A. ’75 was inducted into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame by Florida Governor Rick Scott. This award went to military veterans who have made significant contributions to the state with an emphasis on postmilitary service.

nonprofit community housing development organization in the capacity of Research and Acquisitions Analyst. Gary married Cynthia Gavin Moseley on Sept. 22, 2018, at Christ Community Church in Columbus, Georgia.

1992

1978

Mitigation of Risks. Eleanor is currently an associate faculty member for the University of Phoenix.

1999 Wanda Dunham, M.P.A. ’99, was promoted to chief of system safety, security and emergency management for MARTA. She made history with her previous appointment to MARTA Police Chief in 2006 as the first African-American and woman to hold the position.

2001

David Coxon, B.B.A. ’78, was installed as a board member for the Georgia Bankers Association. David is currently the president and CEO of Georgia Primary Bank in Atlanta.

1983 Suzanne Allen, B.S.Ed. ’83, has been named Executive Director of the Barberton Community Foundation.

Gary K. Moseley, B.S. ’86, retired from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in Atlanta on June 1, 2018, where he had been employed in various assisted-housing programs since 1989. After retirement from Georgia DCA, Gary began new work with the NeighborWorks Columbus

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1993 Imke Casey, A.S.N. ’93, was elected to the Board of Nurses for the American Health Council. She currently works as a nurse anesthetist at the Indian Health Services Department, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

1996 Scott Pratt, B.B.A. ’96, was inducted into the Columbus State Athletic Hall of Fame. A three-time All-American, Lonardi will go down as one of the best golfers in Columbus State history. He won the first ever Peach Belt Conference Championship in 1992.

1986

James Dennard, M.S. ’92, was named President and CEO for UNC Lenoir Health Care in Chapel Hill, N.C.

2006

Tony Kirkland, Jr. B.B.A. ’01, joined SmartBank as their vice president and regional credit officer for the Chattanooga area. Teresa McCook, B.S. ’01 & M.P.A. ‘10, was named South Georgia Technical College Instructor of the Year.

2003 Darrell Seldon, M.Ed. ’03, was promoted to assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Phenix City Schools.

2004 Bobby Bickley, B.B.A ’04 earned a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting from Valdosta State University. He has joined the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra as the assistant conductor.

LaDonna Collins, B.S. ‘06, is the new Executive Director of the nonprofit, Rome Floyd County Commission on Children and Youth.

2007 Ken Nesbitt, B.S. ‘07, was elected chairman of the Air Wisconsin Master Executive Council.

2009 Jason McKenzie, B.B.A. ’09, was named as one of Columbus & The Valley Magazine’s 5 Under 40.

2010 Alex Espana, B.B.A.’10, was hired at the leader of golf course and tournament programs at ONE CLUB Gulf Shores. Brad Parks, M.P.A.’10, was named Special Agent in Charge of the GBI’s Office of Privacy and Compliance.

2011

Rusty Easom, B.S.Ed. ’04 was named head coach of the Rutland High School football team.

2005

Eleanor Thompson, A.A.S.C.J. ’96, B.S. ’96, & M.P.A. ’97, recently published a book, The Insider Threat: Assessment and

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Angela William,M.P.A. ’05, was promoted to Deputy Director of Facilities Administration/Support for the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Alfredrick Campbell, M.P.A. ’11, was promoted from deputy police chief to police chief at Chattahoochee Technical College.

Julio Portillo, B.B.A. ’05 & M.P.A.’07 was named to Georgia Trends 40 Under 40.

Steven Chambers, B.S. ’11, was named a Rising Star by Columbus & The Valley Magazine.

CLASS NOTES

Timothy Bussey, B.A. ’12 was named assistant director for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Kenyon College in Ohio.

She is currently pursuing her specialist’s degree in school psychology from Georgia Southern.

2013

2017

Mallory Naugher, B.S.Ed.’11 & M.Ed.’16, was named Harris County’s Teacher of the Year. She currently teaches fourthgrade English language arts and social studies at Mulberry Creek Elementary School.

Chris Grimes, M.P.S.A. ‘17, was named director of emergency management in Forsyth County, Georgia.

Notes! Visit Alumni. ColumbusState.edu. alumni engagement, the CSU Alumni Association and information on

2015

upcoming events,

Teal Ewer, M.M. ’15, was named ceremonial bugler for the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. Hayley Henderson Tillery, B.A. ’12 & M.S. ’15 married Rusty Tillery on Oct. 27, 2018, at Moores Mill Golf Club in Auburn, Alabama.

Submit to Class

To learn more about Keith Meadows, M.P.A. ’13, was named police chief for the city of South Fulton.

2012

Want to share your exciting news with fellow alumni?

Shanice Murphy, B.S. ‘15, received a scholarship from the Georgia Association of School Psychologists fall conference.

Charise Clay, B.A. ‘17, accepted a position with the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce as the destination and marketing coordinator and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Troy University.

call (706) 507-8946 or visit Alumni. ColumbusState.edu.

NEVER STOP EXPANDING YOUR HORIZONS

Travel with CSU Alumni Association! For more information, visit alumni.ColumbusState.edu/Travel 25

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*Travelers do not have to be alumni of CSU to participate.

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FEATURE

Everyday Heroes: How the Life and Legacy of an Alum Inspired Theatre Department’s Successful Annual Giving Campaigns STORY BY JOSH BECKER

SU Theatre alum Rearcous Smith (’08) never met a stranger. If you knew Rearcous, you were his friend. He was one of those incredible people who overflowed with life, love, and light. His optimism was boundless, his energy and enthusiasm infectious. He had a remarkable way of bringing people together, an uncanny ability to draw people closer, no matter the perceived distance between them. He wasn’t just a generous actor, he was a generous man. Rearcous passed away April 21, 2009. While his absence still hangs heavy around those whose lives he touched, his legacy lives on, and he is still a transformational presence on campus, the Columbus theatre community, and beyond. In 2017, as he was readying to make his Broadway debut, Michael Stiggers got a call from the CSU theatre department Director of Development Cameron Bean. Stiggers and Bean met on the first day of class back in 2003 and have been friends ever since. “Whenever Cameron hits me up with a brainstorm or a chance to collaborate, I’m all in!” exclaimed Stiggers. “He asked me if I would like to get involved as the 2018 Alumni Fund Chair for the Theatre Department. I believe at this time, we only had a handful of theatre alums making annual gifts to the department and I remember thinking ‘Well surely, we can do better than that.’ With the way the department has grown in enrollment since we began, we wanted to plan out something to help connect and mobilize more theatre alums.”

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Stiggers and Bean began strategizing the upcoming campaign, setting a goal to raise $6,000 in scholarship awards for current theatre students. While there were many variables and moving parts to the campaign, there was never a question as to the inspiration behind the endeavor. “We realized that we needed something that we could all rally behind as an alumni group,” said Stiggers. This was clearly a role written for Rearcous. “To know Rearcous was truly a blessing, and his life and legacy was celebrated throughout the entire Columbus arts community,” Stiggers said. “Springer Artistic Director Paul Pierce would always tell the story of when he first met Rearcous in an audition. Paul would ask ‘Rea’ how did he pronounce his name. His response was, ‘Just think ‘We Are Close.’ That was it. That was what we wanted to honor in our efforts. As we give back to the department, we did so in that memory, reminding the current generation of students that we may not know you personally, but we are connected. We’re rooting for you. WE ARE CLOSE.” It was decided early on in the planning stage that Stiggers would be the face of the campaign. “I was very excited about it because we currently have more CSU theatre alums working in multiple areas of arts and entertainment in just about every major city in the country and a number of markets overseas as well. This was an opportunity for all of us to come together and not just to raise money, but

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also begin to use our influence to build our alumni network.” To kick the campaign off, they unveiled the EverydayHeroes Fundraising website, a platform that would make it simple and accessible for alums to give. “We reached out to 20 fellow alums now living and working in different regions before we launched,” Stiggers said. “We took everyone through the steps of creating their own fundraising pages on the platform. One by one, we had more faces involved with the campaign that I would make visible by sharing on Facebook and Instagram.” The impact was immense and immediate, and also a bit surprising for Stiggers. “We were able to raise funds from total strangers just from our influence. It was great because I got a chance to reconnect with friends that I haven’t seen or heard from in years. Just establishing relationships enabled us to do something great.” Influence and networking were key to the success of the “We Are Close” campaign. “When we started the campaign, I talked with Cameron about what it meant to me to be the first CSU theatre alum in a Broadway show. This was an opportunity for not just me but all of us to use the influence we now have,” Stiggers said. “I really applaud and celebrate our generation of alums for being some of the first brave ones to venture out to the major entertainment markets of the nation and making good things happen. We are beginning to open up doors and opportunities for our current students to take even further, and it

FEATURE

begins with letting them know that we see them now and that we were once in their position.” As for current students, there are a lot more of them now than there were 16 years ago. When Stiggers and Bean started at CSU back in 2003, the department was still on the main campus and was comprised of around 70 students. Today, enrollment has tripled and theatre students learn their craft in a cutting edge, world class arts complex. “We Are Close” has proven to be a testament to the passionate collaborations and enduring relationships of the ever-expanding theatre family. “I’m very proud that our alums see the importance of just coming together,” Stiggers beamed. “In my opinion, this wasn’t really about the money. We made a statement with this because most of us are still starving artists, working one job to the next, supporting ourselves the best way we know how while still pursuing our artistry. We didn’t need to be millionaires to reach our goal; we just needed to get active because we had the numbers. Twenty dollars here and 40 dollars there is a possible feat when you’re still dealing with student-loan payments. The impact was in taking that handful of annual alumni donations and growing it to over 150 collective gifts.” After the conclusion of the campaign, theatre department faculty matched the campaign total, ultimately raising $12,000 in available scholarship funds. And “We Are Close” was only the beginning. This year’s campaign is in full swing, helmed by alums Lena DeLoache and Katie Truett. Both co-chairs were active participants in “We Are Close” and have taken what they learned and experienced in that campaign and built upon it for “We Believe.” For DeLoache, who recently worked on a project with Amber Ruffin from Late Night with Seth Meyers and is currently head writer and showrunner for an upcoming indie comedy series in production, the “We Are Close” campaign reminded her of what a huge impact one person can have. “Rearcous touched so many people and continues to be such an inspiration to this day. With that in mind,

I felt like I could be a part of changing people’s lives for the better, and I starting seeking ways to do it. So when I was asked about doing the next campaign, my first thought was “omg, this is what I’ve been looking for!” Truett, who uses her position as a fulltime Delta flight attendant to produce web videos for the campaign in which she catches up with CSU theatre alumni around the world to find out what they have been working on, recalls her involvement in “We Are Close.” “Rearcous was a close friend of mine in college,” she says, “and I was happy to assist in any way humanly possible, whether by donating money, helping to rally the troops by posting and reposting on social media, I even purchased a chair at the theatre during Cameron’s ‘Take A Seat’ campaign.” Now that DeLoache and Truett are in the drivers’ seats, they are constantly looking for ways to keep up the momentum of “We Are Close” while simultaneously putting their own stamp on “We Believe.” “From a purely financial perspective, ‘We are Close’ was a wonderful success in that it reached — and exceeded — its goal!” exclaimed DeLoache. “We still have a long way to reach our financial goal for ‘We Believe.’ But from a community standpoint, last year’s campaign reignited the theatre family to stay better connected, and this year, Katie and I are taking that to the next level, really encouraging our theatre family to share their stories and to reach out to one another. It’s a wonderful continuation of momentum.” Truett agrees. “‘We Are Close’ set a lovely precedence for what we can do with alumni, of what we can achieve when we all come together. This time, Lena and I were determined to open up the campaign, to make something that was intensely personal, a little more universal. Some people didn’t know Rearcous, they don’t know how special he was, so we’ve tried to make the focus on reconnecting and building on that sense of community again. Whether you are currently a student or you were a student 15 years ago, once you join this department, you are part of a community forever.”

Today, that community is larger than it has ever been. “The world of theatre is so massive, and people connect with it in many different ways,” said DeLoache. “Many of our alumni are pursuing careers in film and television, many are educators and arts managers, so many technical theatre alumni are working all over the nation, and in an industry where success can often come from ‘who you know,’ it’s wonderful to be able to reach out to other CSU alumni for support, advice, work. I absolutely love seeing CSU alumni reunite in the professional world and collaborate with one another, it’s the coolest thing! And beyond that, no matter what field you are in now, the tools and resources from your theatre family can be valuable assets. You never know who might hold the missing piece to your puzzle!” Truett urges alumni who have participated in the past to stay engaged and for those who have yet to reconnect, to remember. “Part of ‘We Believe’ is about encouraging alumni to remember. What made you want to be there? What fanned your passions, what inspired you? We want you to remember all the good times, the bad times; the long hours you spent together; the blood, sweat, and tears. It’s getting back to the root of it all that is what really touches people. You go through this experience with people you come to think of as family and, looking back, you realize that it did something to you, it changed you, it helped transformed you into the person you are today. Regardless of if you are working in the industry or doing something totally different, our time here was — is — important.” The spirit of Rearcous lives on through people like Stiggers, Bean, DeLoache and Truett. Like Rearcous, they are incredible people overflowing with life, love and light; their optimism boundless, their energy and enthusiasm infectious. Their guidance and inspiration continue to unite people, living examples that we can bring each other closer; that there are no strangers; that there’s nothing we can’t achieve, so long as we believe. In each other and in ourselves.

SPRING 2019

Columbus State

ALUMNI SCENE 1. Jessica Ferriter, M.S. ’16, enjoying First Thursday at Buckhead in February. 2. Board Members, Melanie Phillips (L), B.S. ’05, M.Ed. ‘10, & Ed.S. ‘11, and Marvin Crumbs (R) B.S. ‘94 & M.Ed. ’97 entertaining guest, Heaven Hookfin (C) at First Thursday at Buckhead in February.. 3. Alumnae Keigan Evans, B.S. ‘05 & M.P.A. ’07, Ashley Turner, M.P.A. ’15, Gloria Wonnum, M.P.A. ’10, Dee Lindsey, M.P.A. ’17, and Devereaux Lindsey M.P.A. ’16 attended the Macon Regional Event at Natalia’s. 4. Stephanie Tyner, B.M. ’03, and her husband, Tim, at our event in Macon. 5. Zachary Seldon, B.S. ’06, and his wife, Marsha, at our event in Macon. 6. College of the Arts graduates, Nick Sostillio, B.S.Ed. ‘12, Richard Frazier, B.S.Ed. ‘11, Shelby English, B.F.A. ‘15, Trey English, B.M. ‘13, and Chris Freeman, B.S.Ed. ‘13 attended the Macon Regional Event at Natalia’s. 7. Navarro Hall, B.A. ’13, Chuck McDaniel, B.B.A. ’87, CSU President, Dr. Chris Markwood, and Dean of the Turner College of Business, Linda Hadley, during the Synovus Alumni Lunch. 8. Provost and Executive Vice President, Dr. Bordelon, Caroline Moyer, B.B.A. ’16, Brenda Williams, B.S.’92, and Bonnie Anderson, B.B.A. ’09 during the Synovus Alumni Lunch.

9. Cissy Giglio, B.B.A. ’95 & M.B.A. ’95, Jeanine Evans, B.A. ’08, Heather Horn, B.S. ’02 & M.P.A. ’04, and Jennifer Fournoy, B.B.A. ’04, after the CSU Synovus Alumni Luncheon. 10. Kyle Williams, Torrey Wiley, B.S. ’97, Ben Thames, B.B.A. ’97, Adam Coursey, B.B.A.’99 &

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ALUMNI SCENE M.B.A. ’02 and Andy Luker, B.B.A. ’12, celebrating Ben’s honor during the Alumni Recognition Awards. 11. Matt Daniels, B.A. ’16, playing cornhole at CougarFest during Homecoming.

12. Carlie Hinson, B.B.A. ’16 & M.S. ’18, Alexis Knox, B.S. ’16, and Jordan Hughes, B.S.Ed. ‘16, enjoying CougarFest.

13. Mercer and Mike Peña, B.B.A. ’99, at Evening on the Top during Homecoming.

14. Aubrey Smith, B.S.Ed. ’07, Victoria Smith, B.B.A. ’09, Troy Jackson, B.B.A. ’11, Cortney Laughlin, B.A. ’11 & M.S. ’12, Maggie Reese, B.A. ’13, and Bill Weathers, B.S. ’10 & M.P.A. ’12, enjoying the Young Alumni Sunset Social during Homecoming. 15. Kabreshia Rumph, B.S.Ed. ’13, and Nickkia Johnson, B.B.A. ’13 hanging out in the newly renovated Greek Center during Sips Before Steps.

16. Alumnae of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. participating in the Sips Before Steps reception. 17. Recent graduate Kaitlyn Powell completed 48 out of the 58 traditions to earn her traditions medal in December.

18. Recent graduate Taylor Schuler completed 48 out of the 58 traditions to earn her traditions medal in December. 19. Recent graduate Kelsey Parker completed 48 out of the 58 traditions to earn her traditions medal in December.

20. Recent graduate Chase Worthey completed 48 out of the 58 traditions to earn her traditions medal in December.

SPRING 2019

Columbus State

ALUMNI Q&A

Alumni Q&A with Kimberly Belflower BY JOSH BECKER | PHOTO BY JEFF BELFLOWER Q: How did the years you spent at CSU pursuing your Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Studies prepare you for your career in the arts? A: CSU provided me with a well-rounded theatrical education that has informed everything I’ve done since. It also introduced me to people who completely changed me on a molecular level, as friends and crushes and teachers who you meet in college tend to do. CSU does an amazing job at making sure that you’re well-versed in every aspect of theatre. I took every acting and directing class available, did dramaturgy for a mainstage show, took my first-ever playwriting class with Becky Becker. … Having experience with other areas of theatre makes me a better playwright today. I’m able to write for actors in a really intuitive way, knowing what kinds of language and stories spoke to me when I was performing. I’m able to write for directors with an understanding of the bigger picture. Q: Your life on the stage has opened doors across the country — from Atlanta to Austin, New York to now Milwaukee for the world debut of “Lost Girl.” What have you learned from the experience of working in so many different places with an everchanging cast of characters? A: Working in so many places, with so many people, has made me a better writer, a more generous and adaptable collaborator and a richer human being. I try to always approach the world and my career through the eyes of a student; I’m constantly learning from all of these experiences and accumulating that knowledge to take with me into my next venture. Every time feels new and different and exciting. I’ve also learned that theatre is a small world and a deeply relationship-driven one. Treating people with kindness and being grateful for every opportunity might sound like “duh” or inconsequential, but focusing on those things and making genuine connections with people has been responsible for everything good in my career so far.

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Q: What was the inspiration for “Lost Girl?” A: The seed of Lost Girl was planted when I reread Peter Pan in college and asked myself — what happened to Wendy Darling after she returned home from Neverland? We find out in the last chapter of the book that Wendy grew up and had children of her own, but her life between puberty and motherhood is left to the reader’s imagination. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Wendy would be like at my age. I was a student at CSU, and my heart had just been badly broken for the first time. Around the same time, my friend Sarah told me I had Wendy Darling Syndrome. I didn’t know what that was. “You’re always trying to save the little Lost Boys,” she explained, which felt uncomfortably true. I’ve always been really good at taking care of people, especially boys I perceived as needing my help. In Neverland, the land of forgetting, Wendy Darling was tasked with remembering the things the boys didn’t have time for: bedtime stories, taking medicine. How would that memory serve her — or ruin her — as she grew up? Would she move on easily, or would those memories paralyze her? If Peter Pan stands for all the boys who won’t grow up, Wendy Darling stands for all the girls who have to and all the pain that goes along with it. Because I identified with her so deeply, Wendy’s post-Neverland life and my own heartbreak became intertwined. Writing her journey became a surrogate for my own — the places and people I left behind in order to become the person I wanted to be, the kind of person who stopped worrying about saving the lost boys and started saving herself. So I had the idea for the play when I was 20, wrote some pages here and there, but I didn’t finish the first draft of the play until I was about 25. I wrote some other plays before and after. Then I applied and got into grad school with Lost Girl when I was 26, kept working on it, then the play was produced at UT Austin when I was 29. Now I’m 30, and the play’s been picked up by Milwaukee Rep and just won the Kennedy Center’s Darrell Ayers National Playwriting Award. It’s a pretty amazing way to close out a decade of work on this play.

Mark your calendars!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Visit Alumni.ColumbusState.edu and ColumbusState.edu/Calendar for a full list of alumni and campus events. APRIL

CSU Department of Theatre — One Man, Two Guvnors April 12–14, 18–20, at

Riverside Theatre Complex. For tickets and more information, visit columbusstate.edu/

theatre.

Schwob School of Music — Salon at Six April 23, 6 p.m. Schwob

School of Music presents its special event Salon at Six at the Illges House. Tickets are $50, must be purchased in advance and include cocktails and dinner along with an intimate musical performance. For more information, call (706) 507- 8933.

CSU Athletics — 16th Annual Cougar Classic – Herbert Greene 5th Year Scholarship Golf Tournament

April 26. Contact Jimbo Davis at davis_jimbo@ columbusstate.edu for more information.

Oxbow Meadows — Reptile Fest April 27, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at Oxbow Meadows

Environmental Learning Center. 3535 South Lumpkin Road. For more information, go to oxbow.

columbusstate.edu.

MAY

Schwob School of Music — Schwob Jazz in the Loft May 3, 7 p.m. The Loft on Broadway. For more information, visit music.

columbusstate.edu.

CSU Department of Art — One BFA Senior Thesis Exhibition Reception

May 4, 4 p.m. Illges Gallery,

Corn Center for the Visual Arts. For more information, visit

art. columbusstate.edu.

Schwob School of Music — Summerflute

May 28–June 1. In a fun,

creative and supportive atmosphere, Summerflute provides an opportunity to learn and become more engaging and expressive performers. For more information, visit

summerflute. org.

Columbus State University — Spring 2019 Commencement

May 12–13 at Lumpkin Center. Visit graduation. columbusstate.edu for more information.

CSU Department of Theatre — Don’t Dress for Dinner May 23–25, May 30.

Bernard’s plans for a romantic rendezvous with his mistress are complete with a gourmet caterer and an alibi courtesy of his friend, Robert. But when Bernard’s wife learns that Robert will be visiting for the weekend, she decides to stay in town for a surprise tryst of her own. For more information, visit theatre.

columbusstate.edu.

JUNE

CSU Department of Theatre — Don’t Dress for Dinner

June 1, June 6–8, June 13, 20, 27. Bernard’s plans for a

romantic rendezvous with his mistress are complete with a gourmet caterer and an alibi courtesy of his friend, Robert. But when Bernard’s wife learns that Robert will be visiting for the weekend, she decides to stay in town for a surprise tryst of her own. For more information, visit

theatre.columbusstate.edu.

CSU Department of Theatre — Corduroy June 13–15, June 18–22, June 25–29. Based on the

classic children’s book by Don Freeman. Join Corduroy on his delightfully destructive chase through every section of the department store in search of his missing button. For more information, visit theatre.

columbusstate.edu.

CSU Department of Theatre — Legally Blonde: The Musical June 14–15, June 21–22, June 28–29. A fabulously

fun international awardwinning musical based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde. For more information, visit

theatre.columbusstate.edu.

Coca-Cola Space Science Center — 50th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration June 14–15. CSU’s CCSSC

features Kevin J. Anderson, A Star Wars Author. Ticketing and more event announcements available at ccssc.org.

Coca-Cola Space Science Center — 50th Anniversary of Apollo Celebration June 21. CSU’s CCSSC features Fred Haise, Apollo 13 Astronaut. Ticketing and more event announcements available at ccssc.org.

JULY

Oxbow Meadows — Honey Harvest July 13, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

at Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center. 3535 South Lumpkin Road. For more information, go to oxbow.

columbusstate.edu.

AUGUST

Leadership Institute at Columbus State University — Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum: Science of Leadership 2019

August 26–27 at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. Register at jblf.org or call (706) 327-4522 for more information.

SEPTEMBER

Alumni Engagement — First Thursday

September 5. For more information, visit Alumni.

ColumbusState.edu.

Alumni Engagement – Atlanta Regional Event

September 12. Please join CSU Alumni and friends for an exciting evening at Maggiano’s Little Italy at Buckhead, Atlanta. For more information, visit Alumni.ColumbusState.edu.

Oxbow Meadows — Fairy Fest September 14, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at Oxbow Meadows

Environmental Learning Center. 3535 South Lumpkin Road. For more information, go to oxbow.

columbusstate.edu.

OCTOBER

Alumni Engagement — Homecoming

October 14–19. Get ready for Red & Blue Gala, CougarFest, Evening on the Top and much more. For more information, visit Alumni.ColumbusState.edu.

Oxbow Meadows — Honey Harvest October 19, 6–9 p.m.

at Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center. 3535 South Lumpkin Road. For more information, go to oxbow.

columbusstate.edu.

SPRING 2019

Columbus State

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Parents: If this issue is addressed to a son or daughter who no longers live at home, please send the correct address to advancementservices@ColumbusState.edu Thank you.

10.15.2019 Will you be all in for CSU?

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