The Piper | Summer 2020 | Vol.50, No. 1

IN THIS TOGETHER

RESPONDING TO A STRANGE NEW WORLD,

the PIPER

PG 18

1

IN DIALOGUE A CONVERSATION WITH OUR READERS

Crystal Kemp, ’91

J. Eric Wilson, ’06

Tanya Ford, ’93

The issue was well organized and the design was well done.

Good balance of stories students, faculty, alumni - it is all there. Great use of photography, infographics and copywriting. I think there should be something more brand specific to the cover.

I am thankful to have this publication. I think it is a great tool for staying connected to alumni.

It was the first time I’ve read that publication from cover to cover. Quite frankly, it was the first time that the content was interesting and relevant, not to mention the overhauled design.

Mail items we received from Lyon used to be addressed to [both of us]. Recently things have been addressed just to Shane Ford. While I very much appreciate that our household only receives one item each mailing, I find it discouraging that my name has been omitted.

I feel certain that if I were not married to an alumnus, I would be receiving correspondence in my own name on a regular basis.

From the Editor

the PIPER

Have thoughts about this Piper issue? Have a suggestion for future stories? Let us know!

Submit your responses to alumni@lyon.edu, and start the conversation!

2

We agree – the cover could definitely have been more “Lyon.” Let us know what you think of this cover, featuring hundreds of faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

From the Editor Thanks! Keep an eye out for more design changes this issue as we continue to improve! In this issue, you’ll see that we’ve worked to balance out stories between our alumni community, and the news from current college campus community, and we’ve worked hard to expand the Milestones section.

From the Editor Yikes! We are sorry about that.

We value all of our alumni and always want to recognize both in households with married alumni. Our new vendor better understands our desire, and you should have found this issue addressed to both of you. If you didn’t, we want to know.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 24 Summer 2020 | Volume 50 | Issue 1

A Strange new World

Students, alumni, staff and faculty adjust to life during COVID-19

But at least we face them together.

4 Coming home

Alumni share lessons learned with students

I would like to tell you our students will return this fall and that we have a definitive plan for how to move forward. However, I can’t. We are in the unknown, continuously adapting to a force of nature we cannot control. On the positive side, we are not the only institution confronting these challenges.

6 Giving Back

Lyon College student creates CREAR for Latino community outreach

9 Connecting to Gen Z

Student influencers connect college with prospective students

12 Strange Brew

Assistant Professor Alexander Beeser leads course on fermentation science

18

14 FaceS of the Scots

Athletes and alumni recall favorite memories playing for Lyon College

34 Scholar and a gentleman

23 Conversation With President Joey King

37 Family Tree

Lyon College president outlines what’s next in higher education

24 Graduation Day 26 Blount Brothers

Trio of Lyon College alumni providing support to communities in trying times

28 Leading By Example

Lyon alumni Shannon Vinson, Sarah Oquist and Gretchen Hall share lessons in leadership

From crisis comes renewal. We have seen Lyon and institutions across the country develop new and creative ways to continue the mission of education. Although I cannot assure you of a concrete plan for the future, I can assure you we are equipped with innovative faculty and staff dedicated to providing for our students.

George Maxfield Evans

Hance, Moser and Crawford families linked to Lyon across the generations

40 About the Author

Published works by former students

42 Milestones Alumni updates

W. Joseph King, Ph.D.

co-author of How to Run a College and the 18th president of Lyon College.

q&a with President King pg 23

32 Legacy of Giving

Many lives touched by Mahony Endowed Scholarship

T

www.alumni.lyon.edu | @LyonCollegeAlumni

the PIPER

CONTENTS

18

o say this past semester did not go as “expected” is an understatement. I watched our student-filled campus empty in a matter of two days in March. I saw professors implement remote learning for the first time. I continue to watch, probably just like you, to see what happens next. We are facing unprecedented times.

3

Giving Tuesday Thank you for your support of our students on Giving Tuesday 2019!

Morgun Henson, ’19

COMING HOME ALUMNI SPEAKERS ENLIGHTEN STUDENTS

the PIPER

ridge hester, ’19

4

L

yon College welcomed several alumni from across the country during the 2019-20 school year to speak to current students about potential career paths. Occasionally, alumni utilized remote technology for virtual visits, adopting the practice before the the global pandemic made it a way of life.

Jonathan Dannatt, Ph.D., ’14; Ridge Hester, ’19; and Morgun Henson, ’19 used different delivery methods for presentations on a wide range of subjects to give back to current Scots and share their unique experiences and insights.

Ridge Hester is currently an ultrasound sales consultant in the commercial leadership program at GE Healthcare and completing a master’s in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University. While a student at Lyon, Hester learned about the INROADS paid internship from Career Services Director Annette Castleberry. Through INROADS, Hester worked at the Federal Home Loan Bank in Des Moines, Iowa, was hired after the summer internship, and continued working remotely during his senior year.

“I feel like I am in a unique position to inspire students,” he said. “They really can do anything, and Lyon gives them such a great foundation.”

When Castleberry asked Hester to share his INROADS experience with current students, he didn’t hesitate. He recalls that he was in Milwaukee with 10 inches of snow on the ground, so he Skyped into a “Lunch & Learn” class open to all students. Hester, who has now presented to students twice, hopes to inspire them to apply for the competitive INROADS internship and thinks it is important for alumni to speak to students about their careers and post-Lyon experiences.

“We were in their shoes. We can share our stories and experiences and let them know they can, and will, cross the finish line!”

Henson recalls listening to visiting alumni artists sharing their experiences while she was a student in the art program, and said it was encouraging to see how people grow in different directions with a career in art. She wants to give back to current students by offering hope to Lyon art majors.

“A lot of people fear a lack of jobs in the art communi-

$47K raised on just one

day - Tuesday, Dec. 3

158

total donors

76 (48.1%)

Alumni Donors

82

Non-Alumni Donors

93.5% Scholarships 2.6% Academic Programs 2.5% Athletics $640 (1.4%) other areas of support

ty,” Henson said. “But using an art degree does not always mean that you will be a full-time artist who sits in a studio painting all day. I use my art degree in my marketing role daily.”

Henson is currently the marketing manager at David’s Home and Sleep Center in Batesville. She handles all of the graphic design, event planning, and company branding, and said she hopes to show current art students some of the possible fields they can enter.

Henson stays connected to current Lyon students through her sorority, Phi Mu, serving as alumna adviser. She also remains close with her faculty adviser, Professor of Art Dustyn Bork, and was happy to receive an invitation to speak to his Year One class in fall 2019. She spoke about her experience with the murals class, and shared a visual presentation of the murals that were completed by Lyon art students in 2019.

“Lyon offered so many mentorship opportunities while I was a student. I’m glad I can be an example of how people can grow with a career in art.”

Dannatt’s career has grown from a double major in chemistry and mathematics at Lyon to assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Dallas, where he teaches organic chemistry and conducts labs and research. While at Lyon, he was a supplemental instruction leader for Associate Professor of Mathematics Tharang Wijetunge, Ph.D., and eventually “traded places” with Associate Professor of Chemistry

Irosha Nawarathne, Ph.D., when she left Michigan to teach chemistry at Lyon just as Dannatt headed to Michigan to do doctoral work. He has stayed close with the couple, and last fall they invited him to speak to current students about his research experience as a doctoral student. On Nov. 25, 2019, Dannatt spoke to a classroom full of students and faculty on his research: “Advancing Frontiers in C-H Activation Borylation.”

“I really tried to give the students a snapshot of what graduate school and doctoral research might look like for them,” Dannatt explained.

Dannatt recalls that, as an undergraduate, he attended a presentation by Gabriel LeBlanc, ’10, who was in graduate school at Vanderbilt University at that time.

“He really made an impression on me and motivated me to want to do the same thing for students someday.”

In addition to “paying it forward” to help current students, Dannatt said he is grateful for his former professors and stays in touch with many of them.

“Lyon is a cornerstone in both education and preparation for your future, but alumni in the workforce can shed light on the actual paths that students might follow when they start their careers, he said.”

are you willing to mentor or share your story with current students? to help light the path for them, reach out to us dirEctly at alumni@lyon. edu or register on scotsconnect. we will work with you to ensure a mutually rewarding experience. www.scotsconnect.com

dr. jonathan dannatt, ’14

Founders' Day Choir Reunion The Alumni Choir will perform at the Convocation.

Andrea Steward, ’89, guest director 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30

Register at lyon.edu/choir-reunion. For the music or more information, contact cindy.barber@lyon.edu

the PIPER

Rehearsal will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30.

A luncheon will follow the Convocation.

5

José Balderas Jr. (left) and Los Viejitos (The Old Ones) pose in front of the Batesville mural at CREAR’s Census2020 event.

Photo submitted by CREAR

CREAR LYON STUDENT the PIPER

GIVES BACK TO LATINO COMMUNITY

6

F

or José Balderas Jr., college was never an option ... until it was. With graduation on the horizon, his high school counselor in Midland, Arkansas, told him it was time to start thinking about applying to college. Balderas knew nothing about the process. His parents had never pushed him to consider it because they did not know the opportunity was available to him.

“They thought it was out of our bounds, not something we could ever achieve,” Balderas said.

As he started getting interested in the idea, he also started realizing all the language barriers in his family’s way. From applications to financial aid forms, everything was in English. With his parents predominantly speaking Spanish, Balderas not only had to fill out the paperwork but also translate it for his parents.

Still, Balderas decided to give college a shot.

“I figured even if I couldn’t do it then I could at least help my siblings get into college in the future,” he said.

Balderas wanted to stay close to Batesville to continue helping his family, so his counselor encouraged him to look at Lyon College. His parents were intimidated by the cost of tuition, room and board, and Balderas assured them that about 98% of Lyon students received financial aid.

“They felt like when you filled out an ap-

plication it was a commitment to pay,” he said.

“Back then, we didn’t know how it worked.”

Eventually, the family scheduled a campus visit designed for first-generation students and their parents. Balderas was impressed by the academic buildings. His parents could not stop mentioning how green the grass was.

Balderas immediately signed up for a second visit, and his parents attended with him again.

They started warming up to the idea after hearing about the one-on-one interaction between faculty and staff, and Balderas convinced them to make a deposit.

Now a Lyon junior, his college journey inspired him to make the path easier for other Latino high school students. He researched local nonprofits to partner with but found none that addressed the specific needs of the Latino community.

Undeterred, Balderas formed his own.

Balderas established Create, Rise, Educate, Achieve, Represent (CREAR) in 2019.

CREAR offers educational programs, provides resources to the younger generation, and fosters unity through events that bring the Latino community (Latino is the term preferred by CREAR’s team) together by celebrating its traditions and culture. Its acronym, “crear,” means “to create” in Spanish.

While CREAR was only recently established, it has already grown from one person to over

Lyon has been busy this year, racking up some serious recognition!

1,000 members, who are either volunteering or receiving some sort of benefit from the organization. CREAR is looking to form chapters in other counties, as well as a Lyon College chapter.

According to CREAR, nearly 15% of Batesville’s population is Latino. CREAR is the first formalized group in Independence County to address the needs of the Latino community through monthly informational meetings, held in a friendly bilingual format, that anyone can attend.

Balderas reached out to his aunt, attorney Corazon de Jesus Galvan, for advice on how to start a nonprofit. She told him it would be important to file articles of incorporation for the organization, to form a board of directors, and to file for nonprofit status with the Arkansas Secretary of State.

He later partnered with the Dean of Campus Life and Diversity Lai-Monté Hunter and Hispanic Outreach Officer Bill Oliva of First Community Bank to make connections.

Balderas said he is grateful to have had mentors to turn to during this process. “[Hunter] really pushed me. I’m a shy person, but he and several of the professors encouraged me to pursue this,” Balderas said. “I felt comfortable asking for help and asking for pointers on what to do. The support system at Lyon was important in my life and helped me get CREAR going.”

CREAR held its first inauguration in the

Brown Chapel Fine Arts Building on Dec. 7, inducting both its board of directors and its Honor Court composed of area high school students from Batesville and Southside. The organization has already hosted a few events.

The Lyon Fiesta, held in September on Lyon’s campus, honored the Latino culture and traditions with dance, music, food, and games. In October, the organization hosted the Cena de Exito (Dinner of Success), which recognized the accomplishments of area high school students.

CREAR recently partnered with Arkansas United in its efforts to encourage the Latino community to fill out the U.S. Census this year.

“Arkansas United gave us a lot of tips and plans,” Balderas said. “We managed to host two census events in Batesville before the coronavirus pandemic shut things down.”

CREAR also hosted an informal discussion with representatives from the Mexican Consulate to discuss resources the consulate could bring to Batesville.

“We discussed things like passports and Mexican identification cards,” he said. “We’re talking with them about doing free health and education clinics here in the future.”

Balderas said it sometimes feels weird to operate a volunteer organization as a college student.

“It’s awkward that the board members are looking to me, and I’m the youngest one,”

the PIPER

The Mini-Mahue dance group performs at the Lyon Fiesta in September. Photo submitted by CREAR

7

Board assistant Carmen Galvan (left), executive director José Balderas Jr. and CAO Corazon Galvan Tenorio (bottom right) meet with Director of Community Affairs for the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock, Maria de Monservat Aguilar Rodriguez. Photo Submitted by CREAR.

the PIPER

he said, laughing. “I’m used to taking orders from adults, so it amazes me that this is actually happening.”

CREAR’s initial focus was on preparing high school students for higher education, but members quickly saw the need for adult education as well, including financial literacy. According to PolitiFact California, roughly 40% of the Latino population nationwide is hesitant to call 911.

“Many don’t know how, are afraid to call, or just can’t speak the language,” Balderas said.

The overall goal is to help Latino community members feel confident where they live.

“I want CREAR to be a voice for the Latino community and to let them know there are resources and opportunities out there,” Balderas said. “I want to minimize any fear people have.”

Balderas believes CREAR may be his career calling. “I’ve always wanted to help people.

When I came to Lyon, I didn’t know what to do,”

8

Balderas said. “Now that this is getting big, I’m thinking about majoring in Spanish and business administration to help me help CREAR.” CREAR plans to file for nonprofit 501(c)(3) status in 2020. “We’ve gotten so much positive feedback not just from the Batesville community but also from Little Rock and other areas.”

Balderas said CREAR would not have happened without his experience at Lyon. Staff and faculty members like Hunter and College Chaplain Rev. Margaret Alsup helped him “create a vision for what [he] wanted to see in the organization.”

“Lyon was the foundation for us to get started.

I’m super happy and super grateful.”

“lyon was the foundation for us to get started.”

–José Balderas Jr.

Student influencers HELP LYON CONNECT TO GEN Z

W

hy am I going to listen to someone who is not in school tell me to go to their college? ” Universities have been struggling with that question as they try to market their schools to Generation Z, students born between 1995 and 2010. In the article “How Millenials Are Marketing to Gen Z” in Entrepreneur magazine, Jacky Chau warns that Gen Z students have grown up surrounded by technology, “making traditional marketing efforts relatively useless.” Colleges must get creative to reach these students.

This year, the Marketing and Communications Department launched the Lyon Influencers program. Current students applied for the opportunity to be brand ambassadors and use their personal social media platforms to promote Lyon College to prospective students.

Director of Communications Madeline Pyle, ’15, said the idea was inspired by an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education about a Princeton student using YouTube to document his college experience.

“He had a large high school following because he talked about dorm rooms, studying, midterms, exams and other aspects of college

life,” Pyle said. “Gen Z students trust their peers to get their information. They look to students around their age in college to determine where they want to go.”

Influencer marketing, according to Chau, uses individuals who have gained online followings to share content with their followers, influencing the purchases and decisions these followers make.

“It seemed like something we should definitely do because we always need more content,” Pyle said, “and this was a great way to accomplish that.”

For its first year, the Lyon Influencer program selected five students: Hayley Cormican, Alexandria “LeeLee” Denton, Marcos Fernandez de Oliveira, Katherine “KJ” Jeane and Michael Jorgensen.

Cormican and Jeane already had younger followings on social media because their younger sisters are still in high school. They wanted to be influencers to provide these students with an inside look at college life.

“I wish I would have had a student from the university to connect with as a senior in high

the PIPER

“

9

school,” Jeane said, “so I thought it would be a good opportunity.”

Fernandez de Oliveira, an international student from Argentina, had already been acting as an influencer for people in his home country.

“I’m really interested in social media and have been using my Instagram so people in Argentina could see what it’s like here,” he said.

Jorgensen wanted to combat the idea that there is nothing to do on campus.

“A lot of people I talked to thought that Lyon was so boring,” he said. “I, on the other hand, loved campus and got involved in many clubs and activities. I thought that sharing what Lyon had to offer would make the campus community better and get more people to be involved.”

Pyle said the Lyon Influencers create multiple posts each month, covering campus events

and sharing moments from their personal experiences as college students. She measures Facebook and Instagram analytics every month, and she uses the unique lyon.edu links each influencer has in their social media bio to track how many people were directed to the website from their profiles.

The influencers created short videos at the beginning of the school year to introduce themselves online.

“Those videos still give us great engagement,” Pyle said. “Some of them are the most engaging videos we’ve had for the whole year on Instagram.”

Fernandez de Oliveira said he tries to show what prospective students “could relate to, and share why I like Lyon so much.”

Jeane said she enjoys connecting in person

Michael Jorgensen

with people she’s met over social media.

“I’ve gotten to take photos at a homecoming event and speak to potential freshman students at admissions events,” Jeane said. “It’s really cool to connect with the people in person that I’m connecting with over social media.”

Pyle enjoys seeing the students’ creative process and hearing their ideas for Lyon’s social media.

“The influencers that we have are fantastic.

They work hard to provide great content, and they have been able to encourage prospective students to come to campus.”

Cormican, a Batesville native, said a lot of her friends in the area attend local community colleges before transferring to Lyon, so she has worked to connect them with the information and resources they need.

“One friend said she really needed to visit,

the PIPER

Alexandria Denton

10

Katherine Jeane

and I told her she could click the link in my bio to set one up. Then she deposited and really liked it!”

Denton, who plays for the women’s soccer team, said her role as an influencer has made visiting high school athletes comfortable approaching her with questions about Lyon.

“A lot of them are afraid to ask the coaches stuff, so I’m able to give them more insight on the school.”

Jeane has not only interacted with prospec-

tive students face-to-face at admissions events but also communicated with the parents of high school seniors.

“They’ll reach out to me saying ‘Hey, if my kiddo comes to visit Lyon, would you be willing to show them around?’”

All five students said they would love to be influencers again next year.

“It showed me something completely new and really got me out of my comfort zone,” said Fernandez de Oliveira. “I always look forward to that.”

Cormican said the highlight for her was getting to take over the athletics page on social media one day.

Hayley Cormican and Sonny

“Personally, I try to show what people could relate to and share why I like Lyon so much,” — Marcos Fernandez De Oliveira

the PIPER

“That was really fun. Getting to experience that from an administrator’s perspective and see what other people do was exciting,” Cormican said. “That opened my eyes to how we appeal to students, and it was cool seeing how much athletics influences students.”

For Denton, the highlight was taking over social media for the soccer senior day.

“I got to show the fun part of being an athlete here. We were able to decorate the entire locker room and have music. Being able to show that side and promote the women’s soccer team was cool.”

Pyle said one of her favorite moments was when Jorgensen received a 30-pound package of oatmeal from Quaker Oats after talking about how much he loves oatmeal in his intro video.

“That was cool because you hear about companies sending famous influencers their products to promote. I thought it was neat that we could provide that experience for one of our students.”

She looks forward to continuing the program.

“It’s definitely been a learning experience,” Pyle said. “We’ve had to make adjustments as we go, but overall it’s been successful and a lot of fun for both the students and us.”

11

FERMENTATION

the PIPER

THE SCIENCE OF BREW

12

A

“Evidence suggests that students who view utility in their classes are more engaged and retain more material” — Dr. Alexander Beeser

Alexander Beeser, Ph.D., has been featured on TV stations in five states for his new fermentation science course

beer guy,’” Beeser said.

All in all, the story of Beeser and the beer brewing course was featured on TV stations in five states, including Florida, Texas, and Missouri. For the first two months of the spring 2020 semester, the course followed Beeser’s plans.

“It was going really well,” Beeser said. “Having students that have different experiences than I do led me to learning as much from them as they have from me.”

But his plans drastically changed on March 16 when the college announced students would leave campus and transition to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Obviously, the course relied on in-person labs, and Beeser said the last half of the course was supposed to be “hands-on.”

Along with tours to local breweries, Beeser had planned for the students to go through a “whole brew day,” which is about a six- to eighthour process. But the changes ultimately brewed a result that Beeser is “really satisfied” with.

“Actually, this semester’s class has really informed me as to what can work and what won’t,” he said. “I will likely try to change the time of the class away from 8 a.m. and responsibly incorporate more aspects of subjective perception: tastings.”

Remote instruction has also inspired Beeser to add another facet of fermentation to the course: breadmaking.

“I’d like to figure out if we could somehow incorporate some baking into the class as well, Beeser said. “Because who doesn’t like fresh baked bread?”

With breadmaking and brewing, Beeser hopes to expand students’ appreciation for fermentation.

“No matter how different beers are, fermentation is at the core of every one,” he said. “If I can get students to consider quality over quantity that wouldn’t make me upset in the least.”

the PIPER

s a homebrewer, Alexander Beeser, Ph.D., has learned that the finished product is not always as expected. Sometimes, it’s even better. The same can be said for his new fermentation science course.

Thanks to Beeser, assistant professor of biology, Lyon College became the first private college in Arkansas to offer fermentation science to students ages 21 and older. With the support of Provost Melissa Taverner, the course was approved to begin in spring 2020.

Students learn the science behind not only brewing beer but also the processes behind other products such as kombucha, a type of fermented tea.

“I hope students will leave with a better appreciation of fermentation,” Beeser said. “Evidence suggests that students who view utility in their classes are more engaged and retain more material.”

Taverner said Lyon checked with its legal counsel before adding the course. She was quick to add, “We’re not going to have products for sale.”

Word quickly spread about the course, and Beeser and his fermentation lab inside the Derby Science Building became quite popular among media outlets.

After visits from TV stations in Jonesboro and Little Rock, plus a feature in Arkansas Business, Beeser and the course caught the eye of WREG Channel 3 in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people who come onto campus now recognize me as ‘the

13

F A C E S O F T H E S C O T S the PIPER

LY O N A T H L E T E S

14

STUDENTS

KYLAN BARNETT BASEBALL

Elizabeth “Liz” Henderson is moving from the basketball court to the classroom after several successful seasons at Lyon College. The Newark native has helped the Scots go to the national tournament three years in a row and ended her senior year by winning the regular season championship.

“Beating Freed Hardeman on a last second shot was the best part of the season,” Henderson said.

Her older brothers all played basketball, so she has been around the sport her whole life.

She loves the competitiveness of the sport and its emphasis on teamwork. During her time on the women’s basketball team, Henderson was named All-AMC Honorable Mention as a freshman, All-AMC Second Team and NAIA All-American Honorable Mention as both a sophomore and junior and All-AMC First Team, AMC Defensive Team and NAIA AllAmerican Second Team as a senior.

Henderson is grateful to have had mentors like Coaches Tracy Stewart-Lange and Julie Church, as well as her high school coach, Casey Scribner, on the court and Elementary Education Professor Dr. Karin Brown on campus. She hopes to pay that guidance forward in her new teaching position at Cedar Ridge Elementary School, which she will begin after graduation.

“What I will miss most about Lyon are the friendships,” Henderson said.

ADDISON HARMON SOFTBALL For Addison Harmon, being a Scot is basically a family tradition. The junior was inspired to play softball at Lyon College after seeing the community her brother, Colt Harmon, ’15, found on the Scots baseball team. Their younger sister, Blysse Harmon, followed in their footsteps and was a freshman basketball player this year. “My whole family has been through here. My mom thinks she should get a discount,” Addison Harmon said, laughing.

The Greenbrier native has played softball every spring since the age of 4, so having this year’s season end early due to the COVID-19 pandemic was a hard adjustment. She regrets that her teammates didn’t get to make the memories they were supposed to this year. “I really feel for the seniors who didn’t get to do that.”

Harmon currently plans to stay at Lyon an extra year to finish her full term of athletic eligibility. She has enjoyed seeing the Scots softball program grow stronger.

“We’ve been building our reputation every single year. We’ve been getting bigger targets on our backs because we continue to win. Seeing how that’s transformed has been exciting.”

the PIPER

ELIZABETH “LIZ” HENDERSON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Playing baseball at Lyon College has been a gift for Kylan Barnett. The West Palm Beach, Florida, native visited Lyon his senior year of high school, and the coaches welcomed him like family. “I loved the atmosphere and community and how they embraced me. I didn’t second guess my decision.”

During his time at Lyon, Barnett was named Honorable Mention All-American at the end of his junior year and Pre-Season All-American his senior year. “My favorite memories are winning the conference tournament my freshman year and winning conference outright sophomore year. Getting to experience the dogpile at the end was crazy and exciting!”

The senior was disappointed to have his final year cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s heartbreaking the way it ended. I think this would have been a big year for us because we were the highest ranked team since Coach Roepcke has been coaching here.”

After graduation, Barnett will try to go professional in baseball. If that doesn’t work out, he will either get a master’s degree in sports management or become a police officer or firefighter.

“I couldn’t have picked a better place to go than Lyon. Everyone was so supportive and welcoming.”

15

the PIPER

16

TOMAS AND BRUNO MARISCOTTI MEN’S GOLF

IGNACIO “NACHO” GOMEZ FOOTBALL

Not every student athlete can say they played with their brother in college. Lyon’s Men’s Golf Team has two who can. Tomas and Bruno Mariscotti, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, got started when their dad would take them to the golf course every other weekend as kids.

“We loved it,” Tomas said. “I could get up at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday to go play 9 holes, but it was impossible for me to wake up at 7:45 a.m. to go to school.”

Bruno loves the competition of golf and how the sport has enabled him to meet people from all over the world. Tomas loves that golf is a sport you can never perfect. “It is a very up and down game. One day you feel like you’ve got it all under control, and the next day nothing is working.” He embraces that mental challenge and tries to get better every day.

The brothers have also embraced the competition between each other. Tomas said they always push each other to get better and represent Lyon the best they can. “Sometimes it can get a bit frustrating when [Bruno] beats me since I’m the older one,” he said, laughing.

“But that just motivates me more to keep working on my game.”

Bruno said it has been an unbelievable experience playing on the same team. “My brother has always been a role model to me, and I always try to learn from him on and off the course.”

Bruno said the highlight of his career at Lyon so far has been tying for second place at the Williams Baptist College Invite as a freshman.

The junior is majoring in business economics with an emphasis on finance. He plans to get his MBA after graduation.

Tomas said his biggest golf accomplishments were shooting his lowest round in competition (67-5 under par) in 2018 and being named Academic All-Conference in spring 2019. Although he was originally going to graduate in 2019, he has decided to play one more year of golf at Lyon after meeting with his coach and advisor.

“That means Bruno and I will be graduating together next year!”

Ignacio “Nacho” Gomez has been breaking records on the football field since he arrived at Lyon College. The junior has set the Most Points in a Season and the All-Time Scoring records. He has been named a Pre-season All-Conference Special Teams Player, a Preseason All-American Kicker, the 1st and 2nd All-Conference Team Kicker and Punter and Special Teams Player of the Week numerous times. “Beating the top-ranked Ottawa University football team 18 to 14 last season is also up there in my highlights,” Nacho said.

He likes how no game is ever the same in football. There is no guarantee of winning at the end. “I’m almost sure no one, including myself, would want to watch a football game knowing for sure what the outcome would be.”

The Wilmer, Texas, native considers his dad and mom to be his biggest mentors. His parents have always pushed him to his limits in everything he has done. “Because of them, I’m where I stand today.”

He said playing at Lyon is special because of the bonds between teammates and the support from the community. After graduating next year, he plans to stay in the football world by either playing or coaching.

KENDRA KELLEY VOLLEYBALL Kendra Kelley has been around Lyon College her whole life. That’s what happens when your dad is Kirk Kelley, who coached Scots in baseball and football for over 20 years. Kendra, herself a captain of the volleyball team her junior and senior years, enjoys having that connection. “One of my biggest inspirations has been my dad,” she said. “He’s taught me a lot about how to be a good leader and teammate.”

The Bartlesville, Oklahoma, native is graduating with a major in Spanish this year. She has balanced athletics and academics at Lyon by maintaining a strict schedule for herself, working on assignments during the day to accommodate both classes and practice.

Kendra has been playing volleyball since seventh grade and has played for four years at Lyon, playing two years on the Scots softball team as well. She has been named Academic All-Conference for three years, Honorable Mention All-Conference her freshman year, and Second Team All-Conference her senior year. She was even recognized as an NAIADaktronics Scholar Athlete for reaching junior year with a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Kendra is getting married this June and will move to Kansas City, where her husband will start dental school.

“I’ll miss the community at Lyon,” she said, “and the constant support that’s always there.”

ALUMNI

TONY ROEPCKE HEAD BASEBALL COACH

D AV I D B R O G D O N ALUMNUS

RONNIE BROGDON ALUMNUS

Tony Roepcke, ’06, has had a nontraditional journey with the Scots baseball program. He first got into coaching with his son’s little league team and met former head baseball coach Kirk Kelley, whose son was also on the team. As the two became closer, Kelley asked Roepcke about playing college baseball for him. Wanting to get his college education, Roepcke took him up on the offer and became the oldest player to ever don a baseball uniform for the Scots at 32.

After graduating, he started working as an assistant coach for the Scots and was promoted to head baseball coach four years later when Kelley retired.

Roepcke said his favorite part about coaching is the relationships that he builds with both his players and other coaches. “The fundamentals of baseball are fun and important, but it’s mainly about helping young men become great men and leave Lyon better than how they came in.”

Since being head coach, the Scots baseball team won the American Midwest Conference Tournament in 2017, won the conference outright in 2018 and has been to the national tournament about eight times. “We’ve never gotten past the opening round of the world series, but going there is a major feat in itself.”

Roepcke said watching this year’s season get cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic was a letdown because the team had been ranked 13th in the nation in the most recent season poll. “It was only getting better from there. I truly believe this is the year we were going to make it to the NAIA World Series, so that was demoralizing for the team.”

Ultimately though, he said, those achievements pale in comparison to the relationships players take with them after graduation. Roepcke credits Kelley, former assistant coaches Ben Neyen and Robbie Holmes, and his current assistant coaches Jacob Huffman and Gary Sevier for the strength of the Scots baseball program. “Any accolades people want to give me go to them because if you have a quality staff then you have quality players. Our philosophy is to improve every year, whether it’s a little or a lot.”

Roepcke lives in Batesville with his wife Jeanne, ’97. Their son, Talan, ’15, also played on the Scots baseball team.

“That was a highlight. Getting to coach my son was one of the biggest blessings I could have.”

David Brogdon, ’93, witnessed a lot of “firsts” during his time on campus. He was on the committee that wrote the Honor Code and served on the first Honor Council. He saw Arkansas College adopt a new name and graduated in the first class of seniors who could choose to have Lyon College listed on their diplomas. However, his biggest first happened nearly two decades after his graduation.

In 2012, David was named to the Lyon College Athletic Hall of Fame for basketball, an honor he shares with his father, Ronnie Brogdon, ’70. They are the first and only father and son to be listed in the Hall of Fame. “It was pretty cool,” David said. “I’d always been around Lyon as a kid because my dad and mom are alumni.”

He grew up around Coach Terry Garner and the Scots basketball program. By the time he graduated high school, he had quite a few offers from other colleges, but Lyon seemed like the natural choice. “My dad had been there several years prior, and I wanted to try to continue a legacy. It was pretty special being able to do that.”

David fondly remembers practicing and traveling with his teammates and credits Coach Garner for creating a great sense of team unity for the Scots. He said nothing compared to having big wins over rival universities. “When you do hard things with a group of people and have some success, it’s pretty rewarding.”

Even after graduation, David has continued to support the Scots, becoming the biggest donor for the men’s basketball program. He has served on search committees for coaches and even started a scholarship for men’s basketball players. “I’ve always tried to support the men’s basketball team and help with everything I can up there.”

David served as the chief financial officer (CFO) for Bad Boy Motors for 20 years and was named the CFO of the Year by Arkansas Business in 2015. After the company was sold to a private equity group, he was named as the new president of the company. David and his sister are also a co-owner of Stars Academy in Batesville.

David now lives in Little Rock. He has three children, Zac Brogdon, Alex Brogdon and Amanda Holder, and two grandchildren, Drake and Jenna Holder.

For Ronnie Brogdon, ’70, basketball has always been “a family deal.” His dad was a basketball player in the late 1920s and early 1930s, playing when the game was still 6-on-6. Ronnie and his older brother followed in their father’s footsteps, even practicing with their grandmother. “She would get out in the backyard and shoot baskets with me at 80 years old,” he said, laughing. “We’re all basketball nuts.”

Ronnie considers himself fortunate to have played for Coach Dick Winnigham during his time at Arkansas College. He said Winnigham was “ahead of his time in coaching.” The highlight of his Scots basketball career was winning the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) tournament in 1968. “I coached for 29 years, and I used stuff I learned from Coach,” Ronnie said.

“There’s no doubt about it. I have to give all the credit to Winningham.”

He even got to coach his sons, David and Jay, at Highland High School, where he served as a math teacher, coach, assistant principal, athletic director, high school principal and later superintendent during his 22-year career there. “I wore a lot of different hats at Highland, but the relationship you have with your kids while coaching them is pretty special.”

The last thing he expected was to become half of the only father-son duo in the Lyon College Athletic Hall of Fame with David. “It was a special honor to be inducted, but then when my son was inducted and we became the only father and son inductees… well, it’s almost unbelievable.”

Not content to rest on his laurels, Ronnie has continued to support the men’s basketball program. He has served on the executive committee of Lyon College tournaments since its inception in the 1970s and on the Hall of Fame selection committee since its inception in the late 1980s.

After retiring from Highland, he and his wife, Kay Evans Brogdon, ’69, moved to Batesville to be closer to their kids and grandkids. Now that he’s nearby, Ronnie attends all home basketball games. “I love to watch the women and men play, and I think Coach Tracy Stewart-Lange and Coach Chad Tapp are doing a fantastic job!”

Ronnie and Kay have three children, David Brogdon, Jay Brogdon and Mary Katherine Hardin, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

the PIPER

COACH

17

STRANGE NEW WORLD

I the PIPER

t’s a bright and surprisingly warm March morning in Batesville, Arkansas. With spring now in full swing in the Ozarks, the trees, with their vivid green canopy, cast a calming shade over the sidewalks and the Georgian red brick buildings. The welcome sound of birds and the gurgling fountains fills the air on what promises to be a magnificent day on the Lyon College campus.

18

Andrew Schnitzius, stabbing at his iPhone on the nightstand, silencing the third snooze alarm, has just woken up. It’s a good thing, too,

because in about five minutes he’s supposed to be in class. He scrambles, throwing on a makeshift outfit and makes his way to his seat.

On his way, he notices none of the early morning campus beauty. That’s because Andrew is not on campus. He’s not even in Batesville.

Instead, he’s in Penn Valley, California, a small hamlet of 1,600, just west of the National Tahoe Forest. Like his more than 600 Lyon classmates, Schnitzius is learning from home.

“The times they are a changin’,” says Bob

Dylan, Nobel Laureate and prophet.

Lyon, like nearly every one of the more than 5,300 colleges and universities in the United States, suspended on-campus instruction and sent the vast majority of its students home.

Beginning March 16, the college did something it had never done before. In the span of 14 days, Lyon transitioned from a 147-year-old model of in-person, highlypersonalized, interactive liberal arts education to entirely remote instruction.

Adapt and Overcome: staff Adjust student services During pandemic Several departments on campus had to adapt in order to serve students on and off campus during the COVID-19 crisis.

DEC. 31, 2019 Chinese health officials inform the WHO about a cluster of 41 patients with a mysterious pneumonia in Wuhan Province.

JAN. 7, 2020 Novel Coronavirus identified

JAN. 11 First recorded death (China)

JAN. 20 First U.S. case reported, Washington State

JAN. 30 WHO declares global public-health emergency

FEB. 29 U.S. reports first death on American soil

MARCH 8 Italy places all 60 million residents on lockdown

MARCH 9 University of Washington becomes first university to switch to all remote-instruction

MARCH 11 WHO declares the outbreak a pandemic

Director of Health and Wellness Haley Haile said her office typically welcomes walk-ins during the school year. In light of the pandemic, however, the office saw students by appointment only for the remainder of the semester. Appointments could be either virtual or in-person, depending on if students remained on campus.

“I have a 24/7 phone that students can call if concerned about COVID symptoms,” she said.

“The rule of healthcare continues to be: adapt and overcome.”

Director of Counseling Diane Ellis conducts individual counseling sessions with students and does outreach projects on different mental health topics throughout the school year. Because of the pandemic, she switched to an online telebehavioral health platform and did outreach on the Lyon app. Due to the restrictions of her counseling license, Ellis was able to see only students who were in Arkansas, however, she sent therapist options to out of state students.

Director of Student Engagement Unswella “Sway” Ankton said that Student Activities Council "SAC" traditionally hosts multiple events each month during the school year with the hopes of connecting with students.

She said programming started off a bit rocky because there were not any guidelines that speak to successfully transitioning to virtual programming.

SAC was able to host programs like trivia night and Family Feud online and encouraged students to participate by giving them the information on how to play on multiple platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and the Lyon App. Ankton said participation has been “outstanding.”

allowed students to stay on campus and continued providing meals on campus.

“They trusted that their students knew what they needed,” Howell said.

The switch to remote learning created both benefits and difficulties. Howell was able to watch lectures and complete coursework on a self-designed schedule, although there were times of isolation and loneliness.

Ankton said SAC continued to serve the students who remained on campus collaborating with the Lyon Education and Adventure Program (LEAP) and Campus Ministries to put on events like a scavenger hunt and Easter egg hunt. SAC also hosted Night on the Town, hoping what is traditionally one of campus’ biggest events would “provide a sense of normalcy.”

Residential Life staff also held events, including streaming movies as well as a competition where every student was given a potato and a set time limit to create an outfit for it.

“Our mission states that we strive to provide programs that promote student engagement, foster community and enrich campus life,” Ankton said. “This pandemic will not get in the way of us doing just that.”

Class of 2020 Seniors What they missed (WTM) Iva Popović of Novi Sad, Serbia “The graduation ceremony would’ve been very special to me, as my mom would have traveled to the U.S. for the first time to support me on that important day.”

Freshman Destiny Howell appreciated that Lyon

MARCH 12-16 NCAA and NAIA cancel all spring sports

The College announces that faculty and staff will begin training courses starting March 13 to prepare for the possibility of transitioning to remote instruction. All campus events, on-campus athletic competitions and foreign travel are cancelled. The Arkansas Scottish Festival is postponed. Immuno-compromised students are offered assistance in leaving campus immediately.

MARCH 13

The American Midwest Conference Council of Presidents votes unanimously to cancel all remaining intercollegiate athletic activities including conference championships for the 2020 spring season.

MARCH 15

In light of recent COVID-19 developments, Lyon College announces on social media that its response team will meet immediately the following morning to determine more definitive plans for remote learning and campus closures. A complete statement with those plans would be shared following that meeting.

the PIPER

MARCH 12

19

How to NOT tour campus during a pandemic Like many colleges across the country, Lyon had to adapt its recruitment tactics. With campus closed, no prospective students could physically visit the beautiful campus, one of Lyon College’s biggest selling points.

A shutdown of campus tours came after enrollment services saw record visits in March.

The day after students returned from spring break to virtual classes, Lyon College launched the video “This is NOT a Campus Tour.”

Admissions counselor Shelby LeGardye, ’18, walked around campus demonstrating what a student would see on a Lyon College tour, but throughout the video she emphasized that, of course, this was “not a campus tour.”

“We’d stop by the Salty Dog for a cup of coffee, and I’d show you the only pet-friendly residence hall in Arkansas, but this isn’t a campus tour,” said LeGardye, smiling while petting a dog on the quad.

Enrollment services created a virtual visit option, so prospective students could still be eligible for Lyon College’s visit grant, which is awarded to students who visit campus before committing to the college. The admissions team also hosted its first-ever virtual Preview Day via Zoom video in mid-April.

the PIPER

MARCH 16

20

President W. Joseph King announces that effective immediately, students are dismissed from campus. Classes are suspended until March 30, and courses will resume exclusively through remote instruction for the remainder of the semester. Students who wish to remain on campus are asked to submit a waiver through the Student Life Office. NAIA announces that it is canceling the spring 2020 sports season, effective immediately. At 5 p.m., Kenton Adler plays his bagpipe around campus as students pack their cars to leave.

Staying #LinkedToLyon Faculty and staff knew how difficult it would be for not only students, but also all of the Lyon community to adapt and engage while being apart. Lyon College’s social media has offered all kinds of opportunities to stay connected.

media started the “BYOB: Build Your Own Bagpipe” challenge where participants would attempt to build a bagpipe look-alike out of household items (See Page 22). The winner was a potato bagpipe.

The college introduced its new social media hashtag, #LinkedToLyon, on the Monday students virtually returned from spring break and faced the new reality of remote instruction.

The College also utilized TikTok to keep students connected with videos expressing how much the Lyon community missed its students. Dean of Students Patrick Mulick, Ph.D., performed the popular dance “Renegade,” and President Joey King, Ph.D. searched for students in classrooms.

#LinkedToLyon was more than a hashtag. It was a campaign launched to help students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends feel together despite being apart. Lyon College shared an assortment of social media posts and activities that stakeholders could interact with from the comfort of their quarantines, including virtual scavenger hunts, bingo, and TikTok videos.

During the weekend the Arkansas Scottish Festival would have taken place, Lyon’s social

Another social media hit was a one-minute video featuring King in his kilt wandering around the empty campus. The video concluded with King telling the students “see you soon” and assuring the audience he and the video’s filmmaker, who was also in a kilt, stayed six feet apart. Two days after its debut, the video had over 3,000 views on Facebook and 1,800 impressions on Instagram.

MARCH 18

MARCH 30

To protect students remaining on campus, Lyon College announces no visitors are allowed on campus until further notice. The College launches the Student Emergency Fund to support students with financial needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students virtually return from spring break and begin remote instruction. Approximately 40 students remain on campus.

Meanwhile, in Jonesboro

2020 Seniors | Wtm

On Saturday, March 28, an F3 tornado touched down in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Despite destroying hundreds of homes and businesses, including Jonesboro’s mall, no lives were lost.

Only a few minor injuries were reported. The lack of deaths has been attributed to social distancing practices put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m thankful that I was able to remain on campus for my last semester. However, it’s certainly not the same. What I’ve missed the most has been the presence of my peers and professors. I realized too late that it may be my last time seeing many of them in a long time.”

Jessie (Hurt) Brown: “This pandemic has made

volunteering for tornado relief efforts hard. Over

Brown owns a farm supply and hardware store with two locations in northeast Arkansas – Jonesboro and Trumann. She said her stores are cleaned frequently and staff is practicing social distancing to help prevent spreading the virus, while also offering curbside pickup.

Daniel Armstrong of Cabot, Arkansas

The day after the tornado, Brown opened her store to those who may have needed supplies.

“We are normally not open on Sunday, but felt the need to be available for our community,” she said, adding that the staff distributed tarps to those in need.

APRIL 7 Roughly 95% of all Americans, and more than one-third of humanity under some form of lockdown

Continued on pg. 22

MARCH 31

President King announces Lyon College will refund a prorated amount to students for room and board.

APRIL 3

Provost Melissa Taverner, Ph.D., announces Lyon College will hold a virtual commencement on May 16 and a virtual honors convocation on April 21.

APRIL 20

President King is interviewed on NPR’s “All Things Considered” about colleges reopening in the fall. He is quoted saying, “I think we’re still 50/50 on whether the fall semester looks normal.”

the PIPER

Jessie Hurt Brown, ʼ11, and Andrew Nadzam, ʼ10, and Jessica (Enderlin) Nadzam, ʼ15, share what life has been like in Jonesboro post-tornado and how they have tried to help their community:

130 homes were totally destroyed, and volunteering while still practicing social distancing is almost impossible.”

21

Student Emergency Fund The Lyon College Student Emergency Fund has raised $13,000 to help approximately 40 students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds raised were a combined effort between Lyon College’s Student Government Association and donors.

“This fund was important because we had so many students displaced and so many students and families in such huge need as a result of COVID-19,” Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Patrick Mulick, Ph.D., said.

The College announced the launch of the fund in mid-March after taking the unprecedented step of dismissing students from campus and transitioning to remote instruction.

“Within hours of President Joey King’s announcement, we heard from many alumni and friends who just wanted to say, ‘Let me know what I can do,’” said Vice President for Advancement David Hutchison, Ed.D. Mulick said the funds helped recipients with living expenses such as rent, utilities and food.

In their own words...

DR. BETH MILLIGAN, ’84

Emergency Medicine, Little Rock, AR “I would say that I am very impressed with the skills of the physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists. We have trained for this our whole lives.”

MARY BANKS, ’12

Firefighter, EMT, Germantown, TN “The stress level in the firehouse is high because we all have families and we go out into the public every day facing the unknown while our families sit at home wondering if we are OK.”

LEILANI OCASIO, ’18

STEVE GREEN, ’87

Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, Fayetteville, AR “The need in our community is growing.

It has been a moving experience to be part of such an impactful organization during this trying time.”

Andrew Nadzam:

Andrew Nadzam suffered a leg injury at the beginning of March, so he has been unable to physically volunteer as he would like. However, that hasn’t stopped him from helping.

“I was really looking forward to the last part of my senior year because it was going to be the first time since high school that I would no longer be a student athlete.

I was excited to live like a regular student, and was excited to go to every single event and soak in every experience. … I was not ready to go when they gave us the news.”

the PIPER

22

sas,” he said. “I also proposed that Jonesboro Kiwanis Club donate to both of those organizations. The Jonesboro Kiwanis Club graciously donated $500 to each organization, in addition to the $500 the club annually donates to each organization.”

Jessica (Enderlin) Nadzam:

In late January, Jessica Nazdam started to implement a mini-virus unit in her biology classes at Jonesboro High School. They discussed viral structure, best prevention tips, and treatments and vaccines, all to get them familiar with the science of viruses before COVID-19 began to really impact them.

“I didn’t want to alarm them,” she said, “but I wanted them to have some scientific background knowledge to help them sort through whatever other news they got that might not be as reliable.”

Elissa Douglass of Slidell, Louisiana

Lyon College is among 5,600 colleges and universities that receives funding ($670,000) through the CARES Act: 50% for institutional support, 50% for student needs.

Superintendent of Schools, Cave City, AR “It’s been a learning experience for us. The hardest part is not seeing our students on a daily basis.”

Continued from 21

2020 Seniors | Wtm

Lyon College recognizes students for their hard work during the first-ever virtual honors convocation.

TRACY KILGOUR LOWRY, ’94

Home Hospice Care, Newport, AR “This pandemic has also changed the grief and bereavement process. Funerals are a very important part of the grief process.”

“We decided that the best way we could help was to make financial donations to the United Way of Northeast Arkansas Tornado Relief Fund and the Food Bank of Northeast Arkan-

APRIL 21

CHARLES DENNIS, ’01

Feeding America, San Antonio, TX “We’ve never encountered anything of this magnitude, affecting all 200 of our food banks.”

Jessica Nazdam said several of her students said the information helped them navigate through the information overload they receive on a daily basis through the internet.

“If that’s one small good outcome, I’m grateful for it,” she said.

APRIL 29

Lyon College mails graduating seniors their commencement packets, which include hoods, honors cords, and commencement programs.

MAY 16

The Class of 2020 graduates from Lyon College via a virtual ceremony.

A Conversation with President Joey King So, what’s next? That’s the question on every student’s mind, and the challenge every college administration is facing. You may have heard Lyon College President Joey King address that question during a recent segment with NPR higher education reporter Elissa Nadworny.

King told Nadworny he views the chances of the fall semester looking “normal” as 50/50.

Following president King’s visit with Nadworny, we decided to sit down with him for a more in-depth conversation about what the future holds, not just for Lyon, but for higher education at large.

What have the most significant short-term impacts been on higher education, and on Lyon College specifically?

King: Affordability has long been our most pressing concern, but the employment disruption caused by the pandemic is profound.

The average age of a parent of a first-year college student is 44. So, according to The New York Times, half of our parents lost their ability to pay for college (in the first 30 days of the pandemic).

What are some of the more long-term trends that you think will come from this?

What are our challenges going forward?

King: Lyon has a very strong commitment to first

generation students and students with substantial need. Those students and their families will be hardest hit by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. For the next several years, that will be our greatest budgetary challenge. More generally, demographics will be a challenge.

With the exception of Texas and Oklahoma, the number of college-going students in our region is declining. In 2026, we will begin to feel the aftershocks from the Great Recession (18 years earlier). We expect a 12% to 15% decline in college-going students at that point.

What opportunities might there be for Lyon College after the pandemic ends?

King: That is difficult to contemplate at this point. However, just by going through the crisis, we have found ourselves more resilient, creative and flexible. Liberal arts colleges are steeped in tradition and often set in their ways.

Lyon is no exception, but the pandemic has required us to challenge assumptions and find a way forward. Perhaps our greatest opportunity is to internalize those experiences in our day-to-day practices and in strategic thinking going forward.

What challenges might there be for Lyon College if social distancing persists into the fall semester?

King: If we are unable to be a residential campus in the fall, that will be a significant challenge. If we are unable to have athletic competitions in the fall, that will compound the challenge even further. Nevertheless, we have to plan for those eventualities. We have established a task force to look at different options, not only for course delivery but in format and structure. Whether or not we have to implement these plans, they could present future possibilities for more flexibility and greater use of technology to fulfill our mission.

the PIPER

King: Clearly, institutions will have to focus on efficiency and targeted revenue opportunities, like graduate programs, to maintain affordability and access for undergraduate students. Long term, they will have to re-examine assumptions. For example, the summer has long been ignored, with the exception of a smattering of summer school courses and hosting camps.

That means that the campus is substantially underutilized for a third of the year. Many institutions will likely move to a full summer term, operating the academic calendar year-round.

23

celebrates Lyon seniors’ perseverance

Virtual commencement the PIPER

24

C

ommencement speakers had one message in common for the Lyon College Class of 2020: keep moving forward in these uncertain times. “This is no small feat, especially at Lyon where we were pushed to grow past all expectations, even the expectations we had for ourselves,” senior class president Felicia Horn said, acknowledging that commencement looked different because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She encouraged seniors to still treasure the milestone, adding college experiences may become a distant memory soon, but “their effect on our lives will be immeasurable.”

“I hope as we move forward all of us find our happiness in life and that we are never strangers,” Horn said. “Lastly, I wish to say thanks for the memories. I am so grateful to have met all of you.”

Dr. Tami Bond, the Walter Scott Jr. Presidential Chair in Energy, Environment and Health at Colorado State University, gave the commencement address. She assured seniors that uncertainty is OK, especially during a global pandemic.

“I did not realize that the best major I could have chosen was ‘Not today, thank you,’”

said Bond, who received her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at 29 after dropping out when she was 18. Although Bond has since received her master’s degree and Ph.D. and has become a professor, she admitted that she still has not figured out what she wants to do when she grows up.

“Since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, you have a lot more uncertainty than I did,” Bond said. “Give yourself a break.”

Bond advised seniors that it is OK to grieve what they have lost. However, she said, they must keep moving forward. Bond told seniors she was not going to give them advice on what to do next, concluding that drawing that map will be their “lifelong job.”

“You don’t have to know what you want to do with your life, but you do have to know what you want to do next,” Bond said. “Even if that seems hazy, do something. Follow your compass.”

“It is a messy, uncomfortable, frustrating and joyous process,” she added. “Graduates of Lyon College, congratulations on your achievement! We are all looking forward to seeing how you map this world.”

the PIPER

Director of Creative Services Chris Hill worked with students, staff and faculty in April and May to replicate Lyon traditions on camera, including the faculty gauntlet and the torch-lighting ceremony around Bryan Lake. “We wanted to provide a solution that both honored our graduates and the uniqueness of the Lyon experience,” Hill said.

Graduates were mailed packages with their academic regalia, a commencement program and information about how to enjoy the virtual commencement ceremony prior to the event. The Office of Marketing and Communications then sent out videos to graduates featuring Dr. Terrell Tebbetts explaining the logistics and symbolism of the academic regalia. Parents were sent a companion video that offered a tutorial on how to “hood” their graduates.

Jake Cypert, Lyon’s visual storyteller, shot the virtual commencement ceremony over the course of a few weeks in late April and early May, recording segments with the Pipe Band, Dr. Russell Stinson on the organ and the commencement speakers.

Hill said 86 faculty and staff members submitted videos of themselves applauding the graduates for the virtual gauntlet. On the Friday before commencement, the College hosted “Lights and Pipes” on the new multipurpose field to honor the Class of 2020. The Pipe Band played the traditional set for the Scots Walk.

Diplomas and commencement awards were delivered via mail in the week following the ceremony. While several parts of commencement weekend could not be replicated, Hill said the hope was to communicate the pride the College has for its 148th graduating class. “Seeing the whole of the Lyon community come together to celebrate our students’ success, while physically separate, was no surprise,” Hill said.

25

Blount brothers respond to pandemic from different angles B

Dr. Robert Blount, ’91 University of Iowa Health care

Benjamin Blount, ’88, Ph.D. CenterS for Disease Control and Prevention and Kelly byrd blount, ‘89

the PIPER

enjamin, Robert and Roswell “R.D.” Blount share more in common than a last name and an alma mater. After graduating from Lyon College, then Arkansas College, the three brothers find themselves uniquely prepared to offer aid, expertise and support.

26

Roswell “R.D.” Blount, ’86 , PH.D. Centerville Presbyterian Church

Dr. Robert Blount, ’91

Benjamin Blount, Roswell ‘R.D.’ ’88, Ph.D. Blount, ’86, PH.D.

Dr. Robert Blount has been serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Iowa Health Care. As a pulmonary and critical care physician, Blount has been directly treating COVID-positive patients in the hospital’s intensive care units (ICUs).

The virus has drastically changed the protocols for medical staff and even shifted the organization of the hospital. One ICU is dedicated solely to COVID-positive patients.

Anyone who is critically ill for any other reason is placed in a different unit to prevent exposure to the novel coronavirus.

The amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) medical staff must wear when entering ICUs has made connecting with patients and colleagues on a personal level more difficult.

“You’re at a distance now and also have masks and face shields on,” he said. “As a physician, I really like to have that personal contact with my patients.”

Blount said the biggest challenge is watching critically ill patients in isolation struggle alone.

One of the beautiful parts about working in ICUs typically, he said, is seeing the family and loved ones by the bedside, providing support to the patient. “If we have somebody dying of COVID, it’s particularly traumatic,” Blount said. “They’re dying by themselves.

It’s heart-wrenching.” Fortunately, Blount said the hospital has had a lot of success helping COVID-positive patients recover. Blount said the community response reminds him of his time at Lyon College, which engendered a sense of camaraderie and “obligation to your fellow students and to your teachers.”

“Those were some of the most influential years of my life,” Blount said. “In a general sense, Lyon has given me the fortitude to tackle these crisis situations.”

He also encouraged people to remain patient and to not get “quarantine fatigue.”

“Because I work in the ICU, I see how sick people get with COVID. I see young people and old people dying from it.” Blount concluded.

“This is not something to take lightly. That’s my advice.”

The technical knowledge Benjamin Blount gained in chemistry and biochemistry at Lyon College started him on the path to become Chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Tobacco and Volatiles Branch. Blount leads a staff of 90, with a mission to quantify harmful chemical exposures and advise policymakers to protect public health.

His lab specializes in measurements of people’s exposure to harmful chemicals.

“Although it was 35 years ago, the chemistry and biochemistry I learned from Roberta Bustin, Bert Holmes and Scott Peterson have stuck with me and are still useful today,” Blount said of his time at Lyon College.

Blount and his staff haven’t been involved in the COVID-19 outbreak response. Instead, his department is finalizing an intense emergency response to a different crisis — an outbreak of vaping-induced lung injuries and death. Their research was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine under the title “Vitamin E Acetate in Bronchoalveolar-Lavage Fluid Associated with EVALI.” Blount said they worked round-the-clock for three months.

Blount worked as a research assistant with a Lyon biology professor for a year after graduation and in the summer of 1989, he and his wife relocated to Berkeley, California, to begin graduate school. University of California, Berkeley had one of the best programs in the country for training researchers in understanding health and disease.

Blount studied under the guidance of Dr. Bruce Ames, who developed the Ames Test for carcinogens. Blount’s research used an emerging technology called mass spectrometry to measure chemical markers in biological specimens to better understand harmful exposures and the resulting disease processes.

Blount obtained his Ph.D. in 1994 and traveled to Sydney, Australia, to start his career and have “another travel adventure.”

Two years later, he started his work at the CDC. Blount said he is grateful that Lyon College prepared him for this path as a researcher and a “whole person.”

From serving in the ICU to serving a church congregation, the Blount brothers have seen how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of life, and they will continue to support and meet the needs of their communities.

the PIPER

Dr. Roswell “R.D.” Blount, ’86, is a preacher at Centerville Presbyterian Church in Centerville, Iowa, and has been leading weekly online services to help the congregation through the pandemic.

“As we go through difficult times, what is the purpose God has for us in those times?”

Blount asked in a recent message to youth. “He wants us to depend on Him now. That is the purpose for hard times.”

Blount encouraged adult congregants to use this period of social distancing to reflect on their study of Jesus’ beatitudes and to seek God’s guidance while working on forgiveness and mercy. When not in the pulpit, Blount has been transitioning leadership on the family’s fourgeneration farm and teaching sociology parttime at the local community college.

After graduating from Lyon, he worked as a social worker. He obtained his master’s degree in sociology at Iowa State University and his Ph.D. in religious and cross-cultural studies at Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia.

Blount developed “The Strategic Collaboration Framework” in his dissertation, which offers 10 “tools” that apply directly to maximizing parishioner collaboration during the pandemic. The “Strengths Based Planning,” for example, helped him identify members of the congregation to feature in the online sermons.

Blount hopes to continue being a source of hope.

“An idea I put forward in one of my initial emails to our church session was to reflect Christ’s light in the midst of this cultural pandemic darkness,” Blount said. “Especially for those who are involved in our weekly online services, it is a point of hope and church community. I believe that this is happening.”

27

PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP

Three women, three regions of the country, three different fields. What they have in common is passion to make the world a better place and Lyon College degrees to help achieve their missions. Meet Shannon Vinson, Gretchen Hall and Sarah Oquist – three extraordinary women who have chosen work that contributes to the greater good.

Shannon Vinson What attracted you to this career?

SV: My faith comes first in my life, and I feel serving others is truly my calling. All of my greatest memories involve being helpful to others in some way ... with organizations like Habitat for Humanity. My mom and dad (the late John Vinson, ’73) have always encouraged me to dream big, follow my heart, and never give up.

I was hired as a reporter for ABC News in Washington, D.C. when Sept. 11, 2001 happened. Almost 3,000 people were killed during these terrorist attacks, and I felt that talking about that news simply wasn’t enough — I wanted to do something about it. My grandfather flew attack, bomber, trainer and transport aircraft as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps. To honor my family’s history and heritage, I went to the nearest recruiter and said, “I just want to help.” Looking back, this reminds me of Isaiah 6:8 — “Send me.”

And I was certainly sent! I deployed five times in support of our nation (Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and a forward operating location for U.S. AFRICOM) and had the opportunity to fly the mighty C-130, The “Hercules.” The adage of “join the military, see the world” has certainly rung true for me, and I encourage anyone interested in putting on the uniform to please reach out to me or chat with a recruiter.

Shannon Vinson, ’02

the PIPER

Lieutenant Colonel | United States Air Force Director of Logistics | 713th COS Det 1.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickman, HI

28

If you could give advice to your younger self at Lyon College, what would it be?

SV: Focus on really understanding and employing

what you’re learning. The exemplary education Lyon provides will be the rock-solid foundation upon which you build. What this unique college offers simply cannot be found anywhere else. While I now have learned and live the Air Force core values of integrity,

SARAH OQUIST, ’93 Professional Speaker, Executive Coach, Corporate Board Director, and Attorney Oquist McFadden Consulting, Minneapolis, MN

Q&A pg.30

Shannon Vinson, Class of 2002

What impact have your undergraduate experiences at Lyon had on shaping your philosophy as a leader?

SV: I made mistakes as a person and student

at Lyon, but my classmates and professors helped me learn. I think as a human being it’s important to realize no one is perfect. We all have missteps and things we regret. As Maya Angelou said: ‘I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.’

Viewing this truth through a leadership lens, I believe giving people grace, kindness, and understanding can move mountains, regardless of the situation. We grow in the challenging times, not the charmed ones!

Imagine you are sharing a meal with three of the greatest leaders who have ever lived. Describe that event as vividly as possible.

What a wonderful imaginary thing!

I would go to great lengths to gather and present things that might be special to these incredible leaders. My effort would be to honor these fascinating people, put them at ease, and perhaps share a meal that might remind them of home. For example, I’d prepare some mieliepap porridge and (as unique as the man himself) ‘Peanut Butter and Spinach soup’ from Xoliswa Ndoyiya’s cookbook for the honorable Nelson Mandela.

I would do my level best to present the delicious ‘Great Food, All Day Long’ roast chicken recipe from the legendary Maya Angelou. Because President Abraham Lincoln was known for eating sparingly, my hope would be that this food met with his approval.

I would then ask about their hearts for service and helping others. I would ask how they handled other people being hurtful to them.

How did you respond to people who were negative and spoke unfavorably about you?

I am hoping the dinner could conclude with some more nice local Arkansas dessert port or perhaps some good local strong coffee. I would thank everyone for their time, candor, and accomplishments … as their lives paved the way for so many of us to serve in uniform, help others and improve our own lives with broken-down barriers. We are blessed; and I am grateful.

As a leader in your present role, what are some ways that you could help current Lyon students develop their leadership potential?

SV: I would love to help anyone connected to

Lyon in developing that leadership potential!

Having been in the military for 17 years, I’ve been fortunate to not only attend many substantive leadership courses, but gain trialby-fire exposure to some real-world “lessons learned” situations. Additionally, I have compiled quite a lot of written ‘life and work advice’ from some pretty incredible mentors along the way who were very gracious to share their battle-tested insights. Finally, I’m so grateful to have developed a network of friends and colleagues around the world that dream big, follow their hearts, and never give up (like my parents taught me)!

What’s next for you?

SV: I just received news I was selected for

promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, which is the rank my grandfather attained and subsequently retired with. My family has also moved to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickman, Hawaii, where I’m working as Director of Logistics for the 713th Combat Operations Squadron Det 1. Our mission is to provide steady state, contingency, and wartime augmentation to Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) through reach-back capability, direct augmentation, and the ability to deploy throughout the U.S. Indo-Pacific theater. Next, I am hopeful that my family will be reunited soon! My husband is an active duty U.S. Army officer currently stationed in Fort Belvoir, Virginia with U.S. Army Cyber Command.

the PIPER

service before self, and excellence in all we do, I would advise my younger self to exist by these tenets. An Air Force Reserve General (and later Under Secretary of Defense) said: ‘If you can write well, you’ll always have a job.’ In my career, this has been 100% true. I also recommend writing not just to build a growth mindset, focus on gratitude, and strengthen your resilience, but also to remember that we all have ups and downs in life. Sharing your journey with those that follow is important because ‘history is written by the victors,’ as Winston Churchill said.

Finally, keep that positive attitude because as Retired Gen. Colin Powell said, ‘Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.’

29

Sarah Oquist, Class of 1993

and outcomes that help minimize risk, and for equipping and empowering leaders to be inspired and at their best.

At this time in my life, I am more aware of having been designed for a purpose, and I am more faithful in discerning where I could be of most impact and service. It’s not only been wildly fun, but I’ve been fulfilled by the audience response of inspiration, empowerment, and gratitude for practical strategies for real change, personally and professionally.

If you could give advice to your younger Lyon College self, what would it be?

SO: Show up. A dear friend of mine told me long ago, ‘Cricket, 80% of life is about showing up.’ Even in my daily life now, I have times I don’t think I can do it or I don’t want to do it. Especially when I can feel the human conditions of doubt, fatigue, confusion or despair trickling in and I can feel my body pulling back from the work, the meeting, the event or whatever it is, I remind myself: I gotta show up. So, then I show up and I face head-on my fear, doubt or whatever. I can’t recall ever regretting that I showed up, even when it didn’t go well.

SARAH OQUIST What attracted you to this career?

the PIPER

SO: I don’t have a traditional career to point to in answering this question. I’ve been a finance/real estate lawyer for a national law firm, a banking/finance lawyer for a national bank, a CEO for a hospitality conglomerate, an owner/COO of a commercial litigation law firm and now a national speaker, consultant and a board director of six companies.

30

I’ve always wanted to make a difference. I never thought I could change the world, but I’ve always wanted my life to have added more than I took. Gratefully, I’ve had a number of teachers along the way – both in terms of real, live people but also in terms of experiences of success and failure – that helped me understand that my most effective and efficient way of contributing to the world around me was identifying what my heart truly loved doing and what my skills were uniquely positioned to contribute. I absolutely love being able to share what I’ve learned with others in hopes of them being more inspired, more equipped, more empowered, and ultimately more successful. I realized I have a knack for asking insightful questions that clarify murky situations, for quickly and strategically running through numerous paths

Do the work. I am reminded of canoeing with my older brother when we were young and how he’d yell at me to row. ‘The boat’s not going to move itself,’ he’d tell me. Both our parents were hard workers, doing manual labor to provide for our family and evidencing that no job is unimportant if it adds positively to others’ lives or the companies’ bottom line.

Trust the direction and the outcome. This is the step that’s the hardest. Throughout my young adult days, I struggled at times with feelings of fear and anxiety, a perspective of scarcity and a need for control. The idea of trusting the direction and the outcome would have been met with flat-out disinterest.

Yet, it’s what has served most in navigating difficult times.

Pay attention to the results and impact. This is the most important step. How did I do? What did I achieve? Did I enjoy doing it, all of it, or part of it? In business, I check: did I meet the deadline, the budget and the goals? And, what was the impact? Impact on me? Impact on others?

Adjust as necessary. Analyze the information I receive in the direction, outcome and impact to determine where my life needs adjusting.

I’m the single most responsible person for my fulfillment and happiness.

What impact have your undergraduate experiences at Lyon had on shaping your philosophy as a leader?

SO: This question easily floods me with

numerous examples of faculty, staff and fellow students who challenged me, taught me and supported me. The way that my Lyon experiences shaped my leadership can be seen in my strong focus on fostering leadership in those around me, equipping them with what they need to succeed and empowering them to excel. The emphasis on developing our critical thinking, our problem-solving capabilities, our communication skills and our sense of community responsibility was the perfect foundation of leadership training I needed during the perfect years of my life to learn how to be a great leader and an even more productive member of our society.

Imagine you are sharing a meal with three of the greatest leaders who have ever lived. Describe the event as vividly as possible.

SO: For a meal to be the most valuable use of

my time, I’d pick three of the most significant leaders who also provided diversity in thought, style and experience: Jesus, Michelle Obama, and Donald Trump. Yet, I’d retain the ability to mute anyone and to hear not just the words they spoke but also their thoughts – yes, mind reading, if I’m imagining, then I’m going all out. I want to understand their experiences, their motivations, their goals, their coping mechanisms, their strategies, their ability to amass and influence such loyal followers, as well as to see their skill in interacting with each other.

As a leader in your present role, what are some ways that you could help current Lyon students develop their leadership potential?

SO: I enjoy interacting with students, especially conversations in which I can identify unique gifts to encourage or in which I can provide practical, useful advice. So many of us underestimate or underutilize our strengths and gifts because we don’t understand that the particular skill or ability is a strength.

What’s next for you?

SO: That’s a superb question. I don’t know the specific outcome but I believe if I keep showing up, doing the work in front of me to be done and asking to be open to what’s next best for me, something will unfold that I cannot deny is what’s next.

Gretchen Hall, ’01 President and CEO Little Rock (AR) Convention and Visitors Bureau

Gretchen Hall What attracted you to this career?

GH: I really lucked into it. I didn’t know about

If you could give advice to your younger Lyon College self, what would it be?

GH: Find opportunities to volunteer or get

involved in a variety of organizations. These activities allow you to meet people, expand your network and expose you to potential career paths.

GH: Basketball was a large part of my

Lyon experience and sports have played a tremendous role in developing my leadership skills. From learning teamwork, discipline and resilience to developing a work ethic and communication skills, participating in sports certainly taught me life skills far beyond the court.

Imagine you are sharing a meal with three of the greatest leaders who have ever lived. Describe the event as vividly as possible.

GH: Nelson Mandela, Ruth Bader Ginsburg,

Gretchen Hall Class of 2001

What impact have your undergraduate experiences at Lyon had on shaping your philosophy as a leader?

and Franklin D. Roosevelt. I have true admiration for each of these individuals and marvel at their accomplishments and focus on the betterment for all humanity.

I admire Nelson Mandela’s courage, persistence, and unwavering belief in basic human rights. RBG is one of the most compassionate, intellectual, and forwardthinking people in U.S. history. FDR’s steady hand and political acumen restored public confidence and belief in oneself, changed the way government governed, and brought economic recovery to a broken system.

As a leader in your present role, what are some ways that you could help current Lyon students develop their leadership potential?

GH: Take every opportunity afforded to you,

and sometimes that may mean working your tail off at a job you don’t even like, because that job may lead to the next open door. I also cannot overstate that the little things in life matter … if you can’t do the little things right, you will never be able to do the big things successfully. And last, my new favorite quotation: ‘No amount of talent will ever overcome a bad attitude.’ - author unknown

What’s next for you?

GH: I was recently elected to the executive

committee of our international trade association, and will be the association chair in 2021-22.

the PIPER

the tourism industry when I graduated, but I had some experience managing sporting events and that experience was a good fit for my first job as an event coordinator at the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau (LRCVB). I later fell in love with the industry because I never live the same day twice, we work with a lot of influential partners, we promote our city and impact the quality of life in our community.

31

the PIPER

* * Joseph Kirby Mahony

32

“Education: A debt due from present to future generations.”

-George Peabody, father of modern philanthropy. 1795-1869

B

* * Joseph Kirby Mahony and Roberta Armstrong Mahony

Scholarship recipient, eric morgan, ’11

Scholarship recipient Peggy (Arnold) Dufek, ʼ65

future for our youth.

First awarded in 1950, the scholarship has played a vital role in the lives of generations of students like Peggy (Arnold) Dufek, ʼ65.

“It was very important to me because I didn’t receive any assistance from my family. I was on my own,” said Dufek, who majored in Christian Education and went on to study at the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (now Union Presbyterian Seminary) in Richmond, Virginia.

While her career led to other paths, she credits her time at Arkansas College as beneficial to her life, and, Dufek said, she could not have finished her education without scholarships. Inspired by the Mahonys’ act of philanthropy, she has supported the Annual Fund every year since 1985.

For Eric Morgan, ʼ11, the Mahony Endowed Scholarship was one of several theology and ministry scholarships underwriting his financial aid package.

“I knew I wanted to go to graduate school, seminary actually, and I knew I needed an institution with a strong education and a rigorous curriculum to prepare me,” Morgan said. “That’s why I chose Lyon. And, knowing I would need to accrue debt at the graduate level, having this scholarship support meant even more because every scholarship dollar for undergrad was one less in debt as I entered grad school.”

Morgan said he likes to think that the Mahonys would have been pleased with their investment in him.

“Lyon was very formative for me,” he said. “It made an opportunity for me to get involved in the community, to develop relationships with others whom I probably would not have otherwise, and gave me a stronger sense of purpose and connection.”

His mentorship by professors Nikki Yonts and Paul Bube as well as by then-college chaplain Nancy McSpadden were vital in shaping Morgan into the man he is today, he said.

“Knowing that, with perseverance and resources, I can achieve what I set out to do … they helped me understand and believe in myself,” he said.

Morgan now is “paying it forward” through his work as an academic adviser with the Student Success division of Nashville State Community College in Tennessee. He has also joined the ScotsConnect platform.

“I think it will help give me opportunities to become more connected with current students and alumni,” he said, adding that he plans to give back financially also as means and opportunity allow. “I know the benefit of and the need for scholarship aid. Working at a state school, I know COVID-19 is having an impact on this college’s financial future, so I’m certain that impact is being felt more strongly at a private school like Lyon.”

Emon Mahony of El Dorado was in elementary school when his grandfather established the Roberta Armstrong Mahony Endowed Scholarship to honor his grandmother’s memory.

“They were devout Presbyterians,” he said.

“My grandmother’s family was instrumental in starting the Presbyterian church in El Dorado.”

Together, they instilled in their family a strong belief in the mission of higher education, and a strong sense of philanthropy toward it.

That family foundation of generosity led Emon Mahony to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, who established his own scholarship at South Arkansas Community College. Interestingly, before being contacted for this article, Mahony was not even aware of his grandparents’ scholarship at Lyon, but he was not surprised that they had created it so many years ago.

“My family has a deep belief that the purpose of education is to teach people how to learn,” Emon Mahony said. “But, what really matters is what you do after you leave (college or university): Are you contributing to the general wellbeing of your community?”

* * Photos of Joseph Kirby Mahony and RobertA Armstrong Mahony courtesy of Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas

the PIPER

efore a single building stood on Lyon College’s campus, there was a scholarship. Little could a small town lawyer in remote El Dorado, Arkansas, know that his gift, made as America shed itself of the shadows of a world war and instead faced the dawning of a cold war, would endure for now three quarters of a century and lead to dozens of lives transformed through the simple gift of an education.

The Roberta Armstrong Mahony Endowed Scholarship, named in memory of Joseph Kirby Mahony’s late wife and which supports students pursuing ministry, is now one of the most awarded endowed scholarships in the history of Lyon College, with students still receiving it to this day. Launched with that first $10,000 gift in 1949, the Mahony endowment now has a market value greater than $65,000 while also paying out more than $50,000 in aid to students over the last two decades alone.

Held in high esteem for her radiant Christian character as well as her generosity in promoting the cause of Christian education, Mrs. Mahony served as a trustee of then Arkansas College, helping steer the institution during the height of the Great Depression, from 1931 until 1933.

In an era when people struggled to survive on little, it was the spirit of men and women like her that inspired others to hope for a better

33

the PIPER

Scholarship Honors Multifaceted Alumnus Graduation Was Just The Start 34

For George Maxfield Evans

T

Suzanne blair, ’68

her to everything. Growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, math and science weren’t thought to be suitable subjects for girls. Blair, however, as the daughter of a high school chemistry teacher, grew up playing with Bunsen burners and pipettes.

“I played with dolls, but he also taught me to hunt and fish,” she says. “He took me to the chemistry lab but would also lead me through a call and response recitation of Wordsworth’s Daffodils in the spring when our yard was abloom. In short, he provided me an upbringing where experience was not limited by my gender.”

The lesson stuck with Blair. In 1977, she founded the nonprofit Batesville Montessori School. Much of her life has revolved around Lyon College. Since then, she’s worked as an editor and served on the board of the literary press Story Line Press, as well as worked as a freelance reviewer and member of the National Book Critics Circle with reviews appearing primarily in the Philadelphia Inquirer as well as an occasional poet and essayist with work published in the U.S. and in England. She has also served on the Literature Fellowships Panels of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Now, she can add philanthropist to that long list of accomplishments, all of which she attributes to the foundation that her father provided her, many years ago. This, she says, is a way to pay it forward.

“I started this scholarship to perpetuate his spirit of acceptance and encouragement, Blair said.

“Though attitudes have changed a lot, after a certain level girls and young women can still be hesitant to pursue science or mathematics. That’s why I established the George Maxfield Evans prize for the female student with the highest grade in calculus at Lyon — as encouragement. This scholarship is an extension of that purpose — to provide encouragement and assistance to women who choose this path.”

the PIPER

o his mother, he was George Maxfield Evans; to everyone else, he was simply, “Budge.” A Batesville resident, Lyon College graduate (then Arkansas College), army veteran and one-time sheriff’s deputy, Budge managed to be a great many things in life. Now, nearly four decades since he passed, you can add namesake of an endowed scholarship to that list, as his daughter, Suzanne Blair, ’68 recently established the George Maxfield Evans Endowed Scholarship.

“He was somewhat of a character,” Blair said, as she prepared to share a little about her father’s story.

Those six words hardly prepare you for the winding path that Budge’s life took, beginning notably with his stint as an Independence County Sheriff’s Deputy in the 1930s.

“These were days not too removed from frontier time when a sheriff and his deputy relied on posses to help round up serious law breakers,” Blair said.

“These expeditions could, and did, involve shootouts.”

A member of the Arkansas National Guard when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Budge ultimately served in the Aleutian Islands. After his return from World War II he became a teacher of chemistry and physics. Here, Blair cautions that Budge was nothing like the stereotype of a scientist - nerdy and withdrawn. Not only was Budge a gifted athlete, hunter, and passionate fisherman, he had an adventurous streak. This first became apparent to his family on his 12th birthday when he took off to spend two weeks hopping freight trains with his friend “Eggie” Coleman.

It wasn’t until later in life, Blair says, that she appreciated one of the most significant things her father bequeathed her.

“In the '50s when I was growing up, the South was still very much segregated, yet my father was an integrationist,” Blair said. “He believed that segregation was wrong, that all human beings were equal, and that it was wrong to denigrate any group.”

Blair remembers her father as a passionate supporter of education. She has followed his example and is currently serving as a member of the Lyon College Board of Trustees. Though Blair began her college education elsewhere, she returned to Batesville for her senior year, receiving her bachelor’s degree while also working the public relations office.

“I’ve been around Lyon College all of my life,” she said.

Indeed, there’s a family history of connection to the college, dating all the way back to her Maxfield ancestors who were in the very first graduating class of Arkansas College. Having been instrumental in helping establish the college’s creative writing programs, Blair also taught French as an adjunct faulty member.

The new scholarship is designated to support female students majoring in a STEM field, with a special preference for those hoping to succeed in a field where women are traditionally underrepresented. When asked why support STEM, when she herself has lived a life immersed in the humanities, Blair responded by saying that her father exposed

35

I’m grateful to be able to spend this time with my family, but being away from campus shows me what I appreciate so much about Lyon. I understand the significance of the life skills I was perfecting like time management and self-discipline. I miss the academic environment and open, intellectual exchange with my classmates and friends. I miss the close, personal relationships with faculty members.

-Michelle

the PIPER

Class of 2023

36

Our students ended their year at home, and we were all reminded of how important we are to each other.

Help bring them back to campus next year with a gift to the Annual Scholarship Fund. Nearly all our students receive a financial aid package from Lyon and your gift goes directly to support their needs.

Give online at lyon.edu/give or text GIVE to (870) 433-2822 and help us bring our students home!

LYON LEGACIES FOLLOWING IN FAMILY’S FOOTSTEPS

the PIPER

A

lumni often say that the Lyon College community feels like family. In some cases, it is more than just a feeling. Families like the Hances, Mosers and Crawfords have multiple generations linking their legacies to Lyon.

Maggie Hance, ’13, was the third generation in her family to attend Lyon. She was preceded by six family members: her grandfather, Clyde Orville Hance, ’53; her grandmother, LouAnn Hance, ’52; her uncle, Eric Hance, ’78; her father, Paul Hance, ’81; her aunt, Ellen Terrell Case, ’82; and her aunt, Heather Ericson Terrell, ’96.

Maggie Hance even met her husband, Drew Nolley, ’14, while at Lyon.

“I attended out of a mix of chance and inspiration by family members,” Hance said.

“I never really thought about the connection to family until I attended Honors Day with my parents.”

Her father discussed his experience and shared some of the stories connected with each building, like Spragins Hall. She later talked with her grandmother about the possibility of attending Lyon.

“She disclosed to me the importance Lyon/ Arkansas College has had on my family, which made Lyon even more attractive in my selection process.”

Earvin Moser, ’73, originally came to Arkansas College in 1962 to play basketball under Coach R.C. “Dick” Winningham. His father had died his senior year of high school, and Moser couldn’t afford to continue college after his freshman year. When he later began working at White Rogers, the company offered to pay for him to finish his college

37

“I think it’s important for young alumni to stay involved,” -Will Crawford, ’19

Gene crawford ‘85 (from left), Ruth Pellow ’87, pam hipp ’89, terri crawford ’91, will crawford ’19 and lauren gunderman ’16

education as long as he took business-related classes and maintained all A’s and B’s.

“I worked full-time and went to class full-time,” said Moser, who worked at White Rogers for 35 years. His daughter-in-law, Shelly Moser, ’97, later graduated from Lyon, and her son, Payne Moser, is a current student and a pole vaulter for the track team.

“It feels good to see my grandson here,” Earvin Moser said. “It happened naturally.” Shelly Moser’s father attended Lyon for a year. Her sister and brother-in-law, Chastity, ’03, and Greg Manry, ’01, are graduates. “Shelly didn’t want to leave Batesville, and athletics drew in Payne,” Earvin

said. “They’re both elders in the Presbyterian Church, so Lyon’s ties to the church helped, too.”

For the Crawfords, their family practically began on campus. Terri Crawford, ’91, and her husband, Gene Crawford, ’85, met through their Lyon connections.

Gene Crawford actually met his future motherin-law, Ruth Pellow, ’87, first in their sociology class. “My mom had suffered a severe illness,” Terri Crawford said. “When she came through that, she decided to go back to college as a nontraditional student.”

Terri’s sister, Pam Hipp, ’89, followed a few years later, and Terri decided to attend Lyon as well since it was close to home. She joined Circle K International as a sophomore and met her husband, who had recently joined the Batesville Kiwanis Club. “Gene and I never overlapped at Lyon. He was already out and working, and we didn’t date until two years after we met.”

“Lyon changed the trajectory of my life,” Gene Crawford said. “How would I know the woman

who sat in front of me in sociology would be my mother-in-law?” As luck would have it, their oldest son, Will Crawford, ’19, would later meet his wife, Lauren Gunderman, ’16, at Lyon College.

“She was a senior when I was a freshman,” Will Crawford said.

“She would hang out with the older brothers in my fraternity, so we became friends over the years.”

Terri Crawford had chosen Lyon because it was close to her hometown, Heber Springs.

Will Crawford had a connection from visiting his grandparents in Batesville. Terri Crawford’s mother majored in psychology, and her sister majored in English. Terri majored in biology.

“Everyone in the family was so good at arguing,” said Will Crawford, who majored in political science and history. “I needed to be just as good, so I came to Lyon.”

Lyon College changed a lot between the different generations’ time on campus.

“The size of the college, and even the name,

have changed!” Earvin Moser said, laughing.

Maggie Hance said that Honor and Social Council weren’t around during some of her family’s time on campus, and big events, like Chapel Walk and Bid Day for Greek Life, seem to be much different from how they were in the past. “It sounds like they’re much tamer,” she said, laughing.

Will Crawford said the layout of campus is probably the biggest change that happened between his parents’ time at Lyon and his own.

Gene Crawford noted how different the student union is from his time on campus.

Still, family traditions unite their experiences at

Laura and paul hance ’81 and maggie hance ’13

Lyon. Greek Life at Lyon/Arkansas College was the same for almost everyone, Maggie Hance said, noting her grandmother was a member of Kappa Kappa Alpha. Her father, uncle and husband were all members of Kappa Sigma. Her aunt, Heather, was a member of Alpha Xi Delta, and Maggie Hance was a member of Phi Mu. “While we each had different stories, we all agree that Greek Life at Lyon was a big part of our experience,” said Maggie Hance, who, like her aunt, cheered at Lyon College.

Greek Life was also an experience Terri Crawford shared with her family. She, her sister and her mother were all members of Alpha Xi, and Will Crawford was a member of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT). Terri Crawford also spent time in Australia as part of the Honors International Program, and it was important to her that her son, Will, travel overseas.

Earvin Moser said it has been fun to go from playing on the basketball court as a Scot to supporting Payne Moser at track meets.

“We used to come to sporting events to watch some relatives who played basketball at Lyon,” Earvin Moser said. “We’ll keep coming for Payne.”

Maggie said the Hances are still heavily involved with the Lyon community.

“We are close to many of our friends who graduated or attended with us, and the majority of my family still attend the Scottish Festival or other Lyon events throughout the year,” Maggie Hance said. She and Drew invited several Lyon faculty

Earvin Moser ’73, Shelly Moser ’97 and lyon sophomore payne moser

and staff to their wedding, and she kept in touch with Director of Counseling Diane Ellis while attending graduate school.

Since moving back to Batesville a few years ago, Gene and Terri have served as “Community Friends” for Lyon’s international students. Will Crawford often visits campus for Scottish Festival and ZBT events. “I think it’s important for young alumni to stay involved,” Crawford said. “We find we’re very protective of Lyon,” Gene said. “Lyon changed my life.”

Earvin Moser said the family hopes his granddaughter, Julianna Moser, will be the next Scot on the track team.

“We hope she follows in Payne’s footsteps,” Earvin Moser said.

PLANT YOUR LYON LEGACY AND HELP OTHERS GROW Explore options for beginning your own endowed scholarship or program.

Contact Gina Garrett, CFRE Executive Director of Advancement

the PIPER

(870)307-7557 • gina.garrett@lyon.edu

39

Recent Books

by Lyon Alumni Zoar

By Camella Wade, ’11 Zoar is the second book in Reverie, a fantasy trilogy about a young woman named Althea trying to save magic and save the world. In this installment: Althea has saved magic and defeated the Sodocs, but her journey’s not over yet.

She must go back to Reverie for a new mission. With old friends and new challenges ahead, Althea will learn more than she could ever imagine about Reverie, magic, and herself.

Yesterday Today: Life in the Ozarks

By Blake Perkins, ’08, Editor Published in the University of Arkansas Press’s Chronicles of the Ozarks series, this book is an account written by Batesville resident Catherine S. Barker during the Great Depression based on her observations and reflections as a federal social worker in rural communities of Independence and neighboring counties in 1933-34.

the PIPER

The Calling Dream

By Thomas Nixon, ’73 (published under Karlyle Tomms)

40

At the age of 10, in 1945, Ronald Dennison, the son of a backwoods Arkansas preacher, began having profound and religious dreams about a strange redheaded woman. Throughout his life, she seduced him, called him to become a televangelist, while she berated him for his sins of lust.

Yet she held a secret so dark that he dared never admit it, even to himself. The more famous and wealthier he became, the more he struggled with himself about his lust, his adultery, his fetish, and his shame until, one day, his life reached a breaking point, and his torment could no longer be contained.

When you support Lyon College, you help fund need-based scholarships for talented students who are working hard today to make a better tomorrow.

Give $35 or more* to the Lyon College Annual Scholarship Fund and we’ll send you a pair of limited-edition Scots Socks featuring the Lyon logo and school colors as our way of saying thanks.

Visit lyon.edu/socks or text SOCKS to (870) 433-2822 to make your gift today! *All households that make a one-time gift of $35 or more to the Annual Scholarship Fund will be sent a pair of limited-edition Scots Socks to express our appreciation for your support. For gifts under $55.50, the fair market value of the item will reduce the tax credit of your gift, in accordance with federal tax regulations.

IN MemoriAm Class Passed 1950 7/6/2019 1960 7/11/2019 2013 7/13/2019 1949 7/19/2019 1951 7/26/2019 1947 8/4/2019 1951 8/5/2019 1978 8/8/2019 1953 8/22/2019 1946 8/31/2019 1963 9/17/2019 1974 9/26/2019 1958 10/4/2019

Alumni Thomas Paganelli Robert Wade Tom Garner Randell Watkins Roy Hicks Maxine Hicks Catherine Conine Linda Younger Mary Bassham Joyce Merritt Beverly Johnson Bobbie Collard George Kopp

Class Passed Alumni Class Passed 1973 10/15/2019 Patricia Buercklin 1953 2/7/2020 1970 10/24/2019 Frances Williams 1947 2/9/2020 1982 11/3/2019 Irvin Kimmer 1973 2/15/2020 1970 11/8/2019 Dewey Mishler 1976 3/3/2020 1950 11/14/2019 Amy Henley 1993 3/17/2020 1950 11/20/2019 Charles Covington 1978 3/18/2020 1950 11/27/2019 Ruth Jones 1961 3/20/2020 1980 11/27/2019 Christopher Spencer 1985 4/12/2020 1967 12/6/2019 Martha Shirrell 1959 4/20/2020 1953 12/26/2019 Alberto Steward, Jr. 2019 4/30/2020 1957 1/5/2020 Katherine Tripp 1948 5/6/2020 1954 1/31/2020 Emmejean Webb 1981 5/6/2020 1966 2/1/2020

Mieko Uchida Peek

Dr. Tom Carpenter

Prof. Frances Williams ’47

Dr. Chip Sample

Nancy McSpadden

“she was a great colleague she changed the lives of many students. Her retirement was a loss. Her passing brings that loss close to our hearts. “

“Dr. Carpenter always kept his students close to his heart and promoted their interests at every turn.”

“Frances Williams was a highly intelligent and purpose-driven colleague in her work at the college. Her ties to AC/Lyon were strong, as she was an alumna herself as well as the wife of alumnus Dr. Franklin Williams and the mother of alumnus Steve Williams.”

“Dr. Sample was always a highly engaged and affable colleague and teacher, a faculty member whom both his fellow professors and his students found it easy to relate to.”

“She was a kind-hearted person with tons of spunk.

Nancy showed the human side of what it means to be a minister, what it means to care for fellow beings.”

*Remembrances provided by Dr. Terrell Tebbetts & Rev. Maggie Alsup, ‘11

the PIPER

Alumni Ova Case Kenneth Watson Minnie Fernow Charles Fallis Helen Fulbright Freeman Mobley Hattie Wise David Robison Garrett Fahl Emma McAdams Earnest Allen Rickey Platt James Williams

41

Milestones 1963

1997

2003

Mary Pyron Lawson, ’97, has won the

Joseph Rugger, ’03, was selected for the

1998

2004

Houston Community College/NISOD award for teaching excellence.

Kristina Hood Dunn, ’04, has been selected as one of five recipients of the Lead Learn Proclaim Award presented by the National Catholic Education Association.

Bill Walmsley, ’63, is again serving as

president of the Arkansas Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, a nonprofit of all owners and trainers at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas

1967 Pete Musgrave, ’67, was appointed to the Batesville, Arkansas city council.

1977 Dennis Whitener, ’77, retired on March 18

1999

1986

Ben Brainard, ’99, joined the Lyon College

Tracey Stewart-Lange ’86, was named

Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year in the American Midwest Conference.

1988 Stan Fowler, ’88, was named the 2019 Arkansas High School Coach of the Year across all sports, and also took home the Outstanding Girls Coach award and Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.

1993 Dr. Roberta Guerrina, ’93, will be

joining the executive committee of the UACES, the Academic Association for Contemporary European Studies, as the equality, inclusion, and diversity officer.

1996 Arthur Rogers, ’96, is teaching Latin at

New Covenant Schools in Lynchburg, Va.

Have something to share?

the PIPER

Tell us about it so we can include it in the next issue!

42

Ron Hanks, ’98, and his wife Elizabeth welcomed their son Riley Olan Hanks into the world on October 30, 2019. Riley was born in Los Angeles, California and was 7 pounds, 11 ounces, 22 inches long.

Justin Hawkins, ’98, just celebrated his seven year work anniversary as director of coaching at Arkansas United Soccer Club.

after 42 years at LaCroix Precision Optics.

Send your news to alumni@lyon.edu or give us a call at 870.307.7527

2020 AICPA Outstanding Young CPA Award. Married Brittany Rugger, May 1st.

Board of Trustees.

Dr. Terri Teague, ’99, completed her D.O. degree at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and finished her family medicine residency at St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York. She is now working at MississippiCare in Pontotoc and Oxford, Mississippi as a family physician.

2001 Joshua Baugh, ’01, started a new career

2005

Holly Beckwith, ’05, and husband Clay welcomed their third little boy, Isaac, into the world on Feb. 24, 2020.

Andrew ,’05 & Jennifer (Cross) Shepherd, ’07, announce the birth of their son

Anthony James Shepherd. Anthony was born at Christchurch Women’s Hospital (Christchurch, New Zealand) on April 16, 2020, 8 pounds, 13 ounces and 21.6 inches. This is their second child and Carter (age 7) is a very proud big brother.

2006 Dr. Adam Long, ’06, was appointed executive director of Arkansas Heritage Sites at Arkansas State University.

with KGBTexas Communications, a fullservice communications and advertising firm, as a public engagement strategist.

Josh Manning, ’06, started a new job as deputy managing editor of assignment, The Western Journal.

Gretchen Hall, ’01, was named to the 2020 Arkansas’s Top Influencers by Arkansas Money & Politics.

J. Eric Wilson, ’06, joined the board of directors for ArmorText, in Washington D.C.

Donald Taylor, ’01, became the director of human resources at Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri.

2007 Eric Bork, ’07, recently started a new

position as a marketing strategist at Pattern – a financial consultancy agency for doctors and dentists – in Omaha, Nebraska.

2008 Rachel Rowe Wood, ’08, has started a

new job as marketing director at Legacy Construction Management Inc., of Fayetteville, Arkansas.

2011 Christopher Dickie, ’11, was named to the Arkansas Alcohol and Drug Abuse Coordinating Council by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and was also named to the Arkansas Business 40 Under 40.

2014

THE LYON COLLEGE ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Summer 2020 / Volume 50, Issue 1 In This Together

Editor

Dr. David Hutchison

Roger, ’14, and Andrea Glaude welcomed

their son Brady on April 22, 2020. Brady weighed 4 pounds, 5 ounces, and was 17.25 inches long, and joins big sister Lyla Kate!

2009 Sarah Fendley, ’09, graduated from

William H. Bowen School of Law UA Little Rock.

2010

Mary Anne Gunter, ’14, recently was

inducted into the International Association of Trauma Professionals, and earned the Certified Family Trauma Professional credential. Her doctoral dissertation was accepted for presentation at the Arkansas Public Health Association annual meeting, as well as the annual national meeting of the American Family Therapy Academy.

2015 Jonathan Farrar, ’15, accepted an offer to Bridget Nutt Hall, ’10, and husband Dave Hall welcomed daughter Everley Blake Hall into the family on August 20, 2019.

Bridget also started a new job as manager of education service sales at Medallia, in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Andrew Nadzam, ’10, and his mother Carla Nadzam are now practicing together as Nadzam Law Firm, PLC in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

become the athletic academic coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Madeline Pyle, ’15, was promoted to director of communications at Lyon College.

2018 Nathaniel Ayers, ’18, completed his master of education in educational leadership at the University of Arkansas.

Marissa Barrett, ’18, has been accepted into the Duke University School of Medicine Program for Physician Assistant studies, beginning August 2020.

Shane Russell, ’10, and his wife Leila

welcomed their first baby, Edison Cole, on March 13, 2020 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Edison weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 21.5 inches long.

2019 Madisson Wiliams, ’19, became the new head volleyball coach and health and physical education teacher at Newport High School in Newport, Arkansas.

Writers

Madeline Pyle, ’15, Gina Garrett, ‘93, Kelby Newcomb ’15 , Cindy Barber ’85 Mary Lemings, Jill Mobley

Photographers

Chris Hill Jake Cypert Dawson Angeles ’20 Bryson Davis ’21

Submissions

For milestones, birth or death notices, email alumni@lyon.edu. To update your information, visit alumni.lyon.edu

Vice President for Advancement Dr. David Hutchison

Director of Communications Madeline Pyle, ’15

Director of Creative Services Chris Hill

President

Dr. W. Joseph King

Provost

Dr. Melissa Taverner

Executive Vice President Matt Crisman

Lyon College

2300 Highland Road, Batesville, AR 72501 870.307.7000 lyon.edu

This publication was produced in coordination with Arkansas Business Publishing Group.

Office of Advancement 2300 Highland Road Batesville, AR 72501

TWO MEMORABLE EVENTS.

ONE EPIC WEEKEND.

the PIPER

OCTOBER 9–11, 2020 • LYON.EDU/HOMECOMING

4

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Little Rock, AR Permit NO. 62