Letter from the Editor

a Word from your Editor

Service is one of Piedmont’s three core values. Through our teaching and student experiences, the institution strives to “cultivate a sense of gratitude and duty to humanity.” Stories of service have resonated through the pages of our recent issues.

Bryan Schroeder ’03 was the cover feature last fall. Schroeder is the executive director of Giving Kitchen, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that provides financial assistance and social service connections to food service workers (See page 25).

And last spring, we shone the spotlight on Octavius Mulligan ’95, Justine Clay ’12, Brie Ballinger ’15, Daniel Lindsey ’15, Kristen Van Bueren ’17, and Olivia Gibson ’19 who helped heal the sick, slow the spread, and educate our young people during the early outbreak of the pandemic.

Our latest installment is Brandon Callahan ’14, an operations manager for Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization. Before joining Team Rubicon, Callahan served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Based in Houston, Texas, Callahan has worked in a disaster relief role in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Texas.

We hope his story inspires you as much as it inspired us.

John Roberts, Editor

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

We welcome letters on any topic covered in the Journal. They should be limited to 150 words, refer to a subject from the most recent issue, and include the writer’s name, city/state, and class year/degree (if applicable). Your notes may be emailed to journal@piedmont. edu. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor and may be edited for length and clarity.

SPRING 2020

Stories from the Front PAGE 8

Gold stars for the Journal

“The last two Journals have been excellent. I can’t say enough words of praise. The articles have been very interesting, and the font and contrast of the issues were excellent, too. They were very easy to read. Gold stars all around.”

—Parks Miller MA ’00 and

Cathy Miller, former Piedmont staff

Spotlight on the Academic Power of Piedmont

2020

Turning a Cold Case Hot The work of three forensic science students, including Haley Bolt ’20, may have solved a murder. Pg.8

FOCUS 20.indd 1

8/26/20 3:07 PM

Three cheers for FOCUS

"I just finished reading the Piedmont FOCUS magazine and it’s wonderful. The cover really grabs you, just like a murder mystery should, and their story, and all the others, does not disappoint! I really enjoyed the whole issue."

Congratulations!

— Dr. Rick Rose, Retired Chair,

Piedmont Theatre Department

Many of our Journal readers also receive FOCUS, an annual publication that highlights the academic power of Piedmont. If you’d like to be added to the mailing list, please contact us at journal@piedmont.edu.

Remembering Anna

By John Roberts

Last fall the Piedmont community was shaken by news that one of its own—freshman

Anna Mackenzie

Whitlock—had died in an automobile accident while on the way to campus. In August, members of Anna’s family visited the Demorest campus to celebrate her life and dedicate a memorial bench in her name.

The bench, flanked by three pink dogwood trees, is located near the Swanson Center for the Performing Arts & Communications. It’s a place where Anna, a mass communications major, would have spent a lot of her time.

Known for her Christian faith, open heart, and caring nature, Whitlock was remembered with comments from friend and classmate Laura Platé ’20, Dr. Joe Dennis, chair of the mass communications department, and Piedmont Campus Minister Tim Garvin-Leighton.

Platé, who described Whitlock as “a fellow Lion…an artist, an actress, and a dancer,” spoke to 40 students, faculty, and staff members who gathered for the mid-afternoon remembrance.

“College is for becoming who you are, and it is easy to see the fault in humanity in these moments—the fragility of the human experience,” she said. “But we also see the good in people; the good that comes in our little college town tucked away in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains.”

Following the ceremony, members of Anna’s family— father Joey Whitlock ’93, mother Leigh, and siblings Drew, Abigail, Maggie, and Maley—chatted with professors and posed for photos at the flower-laden bench.

Members of the Whitlock family pose with a memorial bench for Anna Whitlock that was dedicated August 18. Pictured, from left, are Drew, Maley, Maggie, Joey, Abigail, and Leigh.

New residence hall planned

As part of a continuing plan to enhance housing facilities, construction on a 60,000-square-foot residence hall is scheduled to begin early next year.

Mystic Hall will house 264 students and is to be located near Plymouth Hall. When

Fred Bucher, associate vice

completed, it will be Piedmont’s president for facilities, is a largest residential complex former U.S. Army Ranger. and pave the way for a string of additional housing renovations. The building, named after a Connecticut seaport, recognizes Piedmont’s historical ties to Congregational Churches, which were established by Pilgrims throughout New England during the 1600s.

Fred Bucher, associate vice president for facilities, said when the new building opens, Purcell Hall (constructed in 1969 and located near the athletic facilities) will be shuttered for a year-long renovation project.

After the Purcell project is completed, Wallace Hall, built in 1959, will be razed to make room for a parking lot, and Getman-Babcock will be converted to administrative offices.

Piedmont ranked safest campus in America

Piedmont College has the safest campus in America according to a popular website that researches and rates colleges, schools, neighborhoods, and companies.

Niche, based in Pittsburgh, uses student reviews, statistics, and U.S. Chief Jim Andrews is a native of Habersham County and Department of Education joined Piedmont in 2019. data to compile the rankings on 1,336 colleges and universities.

With a main residential campus in Demorest and a commuter campus in Athens, Piedmont enrolls approximately 2,500 graduate and undergraduate students. During a time of pandemic and uncertainty, safety is a growing concern with students and parents.

“Our success is due to having a faculty and staff take a genuine interest in our students both personally and academically,” said Piedmont Police Chief Jim Andrews. “Piedmont is a community where people look after and out for our neighbors.”

A license to destroy

Piedmont loans houses to firefighters for training

By John Roberts

Late this summer, fire vehicles and flashing lights were a break through windows, demolish walls, and destroy property common sight on the Demorest campus. But there was on multiple structures. no emergency. “This is a great opportunity for our firefighters,” said Firefighters throughout Demorest Fire Chief Kenneth Northeast Georgia were there Ranalli. “It is really rare that to conduct training exercises This is a great opportunity for we get a building to train in. using five Piedmont houses. our firefighters. It is really rare But it is really special when we The college, which had the homes constructed in that we get a building to train in. get several to train.” Ranalli learned through the 1960s, had plans to raze But it is really special when we a college employee that the the properties to make room get several to train. houses would be demolished for a new residential hall (See page 5). Before calling —Kenneth Ranalli, Demorest Fire Chief and reached out to Piedmont to determine if the structures in the bulldozers, though, could be used. The college was administrators developed a more than happy to comply. plan to loan the structures to area firefighting agencies “They don’t normally get to do this live training, for training. so it’s been a tremendous benefit to the firefighters,” said More than 50 firefighters representing Habersham, Fred Bucher, assistant vice president for facilities Stephens, and White counties completed exercises at the management. “It is a great community project for us because houses throughout July. Most were mock rescues with it helps our neighbors.” artificial smoke. It was a singular chance for the firefighters to

Four join Piedmont Board

By John Roberts

Piedmont welcomed four new members—Febby Faerber,

Dr. Dionne Rosser-

Mims ’99, Lisa P. Hamby, and Kimberly Melton—to the Board of Trustees October 23 during the governing body’s fall meeting. An Ohio native, Febby Faerber attended Marshall University (Huntington, West Virginia) and in 2014 moved with her family to the Atlanta area where she has been active in charities that support children and education. Faerber’s daughter, the late Alexandra Nicole, graduated from Piedmont’s R.H. Daniel School of Nursing and Health Sciences in 2015. Rosser-Mims serves as ViceChancellor for the Phenix City Campus at Troy University (Troy, Alabama). She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Georgia. Rosser-Mims, who has worked in higher education for more than two decades, has authored four books and published many articles and book chapters. As a Piedmont student, she served as president of the student government association.

Lisa Pruitt-Hamby is a stakeholder in PruittHealth, a large network of senior healthcare facilities located throughout the Southeast. She earned a bachelor of science degree in dietetics and institution management from the University of Georgia, lives in Demorest, and is Trustee of the Pruitt Foundation, a family foundation that supports community initiatives. PruittHamby has also served on the board of the Stephens County Salvation Army.

An investor relations manager at Windsor Stevens Holdings in Atlanta, Kimberly D. Melton earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University (Flint, Michigan) and an MBA from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. In addition to serving on nonprofit boards, including the Georgia Justice Project, Melton has been a homeschool educator for the last 15 years, promoting creative learning and independent thinking.

The addition of Faerber, RosserMims, Pruitt-Hamby, and Melton helps to create a more diverse Board, which includes 32 members.

“We are delighted that these four esteemed women have joined the Piedmont Board of Trustees,” said Board Chairman Thomas A. Arrendale III. “And we look forward to benefiting from their wise counsel and insight. Diversity, in its various forms, helps to create a more robust and vibrant organization that is reflective of our community. Piedmont continues to strive for diversity, and these appointments represent a big step in that direction.”

Febby Faerber

Dr. Dionne Rosser-Mims

Lisa Pruitt-Hamby

Kimberly Melton

New home in Athens

Piedmont College plans to relocate its Athens campus to this four-story downtown building in February

By John Roberts

Piedmont College’s next Athens campus home will be a modern, four-story brick building at 1282 Prince Avenue. The 32,700-square-foot edifice is still under construction and is located about half a mile from the current campus. Piedmont plans to move into the new space in February.

The college has entered into a lease-purchase agreement for the institution’s current Athens campus at 595 Prince Avenue. That property, a former church campus and private school, has served as Piedmont’s Athens home since 2006.

“This move opens an exciting new chapter for Piedmont,” said President James F. Mellichamp. “Next year, we will have a new name and a modern, new Athens home. The upgrade reflects our transformational growth and emergence as a regional liberal arts university. Piedmont opened an Athens campus 25 years ago. And this relocation illustrates our enduring commitment to the Athens-Clarke County community.”

The new campus is conveniently located within walking distance of Athens’ vibrant and historic downtown district. Piedmont will be the sole tenant of the building, which features an interior that is flooded with natural light and has a 160-space parking garage.

The move will have little impact on the approximately 500 students and 50 faculty and staff who study and work on the Athens campus. Those enrolling in undergraduate programs at the Athens campus must have earned at least 30 hours of transferable college credit.

To meet the needs of working adults, Piedmont has transitioned many classes and courses to an online or hybrid format in recent years. The new campus space in Athens will give the college greater flexibility to meet the changing demands of non-traditional students.

April 8-10. Mark it down. On those days Piedmont officially gets a new name, a new logo, and a new message.

And the college is planning a big celebration and an even bigger reveal. Arts and Sciences,

“Lion Fest: The Big Reveal” will likely include a and Education—will Friday night gala, a community event, and an on-campus be transitioning to college,” said Saturday evening celebration with live music. John Roberts, associate vice president of

A group of 15-20 staff, faculty, students, marketing and communication. “So, in many and alumni are developing details for the event, ways this will be a comprehensive makeover.” which should be available in January. Roberts added that the committees are

“This will be a historic developing plans for and transformational moment a weekend when the for Piedmont,” said President “This will be a historic and college/university pulls James F. Mellichamp. “In a sense, we will be closing one transformational moment back the curtain on a new logo, new signage, messaging, chapter and opening another. for Piedmont. In a sense, we and a website. All events will We want our entire Piedmont will be closing one chapter and be held during the inaugural family to join us and share our opening another. We want our Lion Fest, Piedmont’s Alumni enthusiasm for the future.” Mellichamp said the entire Piedmont family to join Weekend. The inaugural Yonahian Society Gala, which will celebrate college began laying the us and share our enthusiasm those who make an annual groundwork for the weekend for the future.” contribution of $1,000 or more, last spring when a team of faculty and staff developed —President James F. Mellichamp will kick-start the activities. Events may be held on the alumni branding and messaging quad and will likely include that is informing Piedmont’s musical performances, short new website, which is currently under construction. speeches, open houses, and food, he said.

Earlier this fall, the college hosted a series of focus The committees are also developing groups with students, alumni, faculty, and staff to gather alternative plans in the event there is inclement feedback on a new Piedmont logo. Regina McCormick ’08, weather or strict public health protocols. design manager, and Tyler Mann, assistant professor of “We are optimists and are hoping to host a traditional graphic design and photography, are leading the logo effort. outdoor gathering,” said Roberts. “But we also know

“Not only is the name of the institution changing, but the that we are working with two big unknowns: public names of the four academic areas—Harry W. Walker School of health and early April weather in Northeast Georgia.” Business, R.H. Daniel School of Nursing and Health Sciences,

By John Roberts

BRINGING Calm

Callahan serves with veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon

By Terrie Ellerbee ’95

TO

Brandon Callahan helped homeowners affected by flooding in South Carolina during his first operation with Team Rubicon in 2015.

Greyshirts are hard-charging, take-control, and get-stuff-done types who bring a sense of calm after a catastrophe. They belong to Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization led by veterans that combines the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Team Rubicon has deployed across the U.S. and around the world to provide immediate relief to those impacted by disasters and humanitarian crises.

“We challenge the idea that ‘good enough’ is an acceptable answer when people are suffering,” said Brandon Callahan ’14. He is operations manager for Team Rubicon’s Project Rebuild program and based in Houston, Texas.

Callahan grew up in North Georgia and was dual enrolled at Piedmont while a student at Rabun County High School. History professor Dr. Al Pleysier is one of the reasons he came “right back to Piedmont” after serving six years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He’d taken a class with him. Callahan was a Marine Reservist when he doubled-majored in history and criminal justice.

He was in graduate school at American University in Washington, D.C., in 2015 when he was so moved by the suffering following a 1,000year flooding event in Columbia, South Carolina, that he took a break to go help out. That was his first experience volunteering with Team Rubicon. “I fell in love,” Callahan said. He completed his master of science in justice, law, and criminology in 2016.

After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Callahan was deployed to Houston. Harvey lingered in the area for four days that August, dropping historic amounts of rain. The Houston Chronicle reported that the total was approximately 27 trillion gallons, enough to fill the Astrodome 86,000 times.

That is the type of disaster that Team Rubicon Greyshirts tackle, and they can be on the ground in hours. Callahan said they “speak the same language” as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and similar state and local organizations. They reinforce them and amplify their efforts. “Veterans who’ve been formerly deployed are not going to be as overwhelmed by the chaos that comes after a disaster, so we’re able to bring some calm to that chaos and act swiftly and decisively when others may not,” Callahan said.

Greyshirts show up, clean out houses, and “rip out what needs to be ripped out,” he said. “That is a good start. If you’re a survivor of a disaster and a homeowner, that puts you on the right track. Now you’re left with a house that is stripped down to bare studs and there’s nothing in it.”

“So, what comes next? Our Rebuild program launched in 2018 to rebuild

Team Rubicon names some disaster clean-ups. Above left, Operation Herschel’s Ace was in Graves County, Kentucky, after a tornado left a path of destruction 19 miles long in 2016. Herschel pays homage to the late World War II pilot Herschel Green, who was born in the county. At right, Team Rubicon in action in Moore, Oklahoma, in 2013. The organization assisted more than 450 homeowners during Operation Starting Gun. That name refers to the 1880s land rush that started with a gunshot.

The name Team Rubicon came about because that first team crossed the Artibonite River from the Dominican Republic into Haiti. Julius Caesar had his Rubicon, the river he was ordered not to cross but did anyway, risking death. Like Caesar, what would become Team Rubicon had passed the point of no return.

people’s houses free of charge.” To date, Project Rebuild has built 105 homes in Houston; 40 in Collier County, Florida, after Hurricane Irma; and 503 in Puerto Rico, which was also affected by Irma before Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

Team Rubicon got its start in 2010 after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Co-founders Jake Wood and William McNulty gathered a small group of veterans, first responders, and medical professionals and headed for Port-au-Prince. They stopped by an R.E.I. store to find matching shirts on their way to the airport to make that journey to Haiti. All they found on the clearance rack that covered the sizes they needed were grey Under Armour t-shirts. Hence, Greyshirts.

The name Team Rubicon came about because that first team crossed the Artibonite River from the Dominican Republic into Haiti. Julius Caesar had his Rubicon, the river he was ordered not to cross but did anyway, risking death. Like Caesar, what would become Team Rubicon had passed the point of no return. “Burn the boats” is a common refrain, meaning “just go. Don’t look back. Make a decision.” “You might be wrong, or you might end up the emperor of Rome,” Callahan said. The logo is like the organization: disruptive in the best possible way. It flips the traditional red cross of aid on its side. The river down the middle is the Artibonite.

Restoring a sense of purpose While all are welcome to join Team Rubicon—after a background check and some online courses—most of the 135,000 people and counting in the organization are military veterans. For them, Team Rubicon restores a sense of purpose and the camaraderie found in military service.

“Losing that support system of brothers and sisters amplifies every other problem in your life,” Callahan said. “We’re not a veterans’ service organization. We don’t provide services to veterans. We create opportunities for service so veterans can help themselves. It’s an amazing model.

“There really is nothing else like it other than, for

me, the Marine Corps. We in the organization point out all the time that it’s all the things that we love about the military without all the bull,” he said.

“Service is probably the best way that people can work on themselves,” Callahan said. “In service of others—it’s one of the noblest things we can do for our fellow humans.”

There are no typical days, weeks, or months with Team Rubicon. Callahan would frequently travel in a “normal” year, but many in the organization now work from home due to COVID-19 concerns.

He was deployed for two weeks to New York City in the early days of the pandemic to assist multiple local and state agencies as well as several hospitals while Team Rubicon assessed how best to help out. The organization has leaned forward into the pandemic while aggressively seeking out opportunities to assist communities.

Callahan advises Piedmont students who are struggling with the changes brought about by COVID-19 to write their own story.

“You make the best of it, and if it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted it to, that’s on you,” Callahan said. “Second, don’t get discouraged when your story doesn’t work out the way your draft looked. Don’t be afraid to change. There is nothing wrong with a ‘new normal.’ It is what it is. Look for ways to make the best of it.”

Callahan could have never predicted how his path would lead to a job he loves, but he does know that Piedmont prepared him. His passion as a student was debate, and he said “it has been entirely too long” since he has talked to Dr. Janice Moss, the mass communications professor who leads the debate team. “Everyone on the faculty and staff at Piedmont was open to not just me, but every student trying every crazy idea we had just to see what would happen,” he said. “That’s how you learn how to lead. You learn how to fail.”

Brandon Callahan, standing, third from left, with Team Rubicon Co-Founder Jake Wood, CEO; Art delaCruz, President and Chief Operating Officer; and Dennis Clancey, Disruptor in Residence. The seated “just dudes” (Callahan’s words) are the five living former presidents in 2017 who were part of the One America Appeal fundraising event in College Station, Texas, after a devastating hurricane season. From left, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. President Donald Trump appeared via a recorded video. “It was inspiring to witness a unified voice of support during such a disastrous event,” Callahan said.

Legacy of Love

Craig and Febby Faerber with a portrait of their daughter, Alexandra.

Alexandra Faerber still offering others a helping hand through scholarship

By Terrie Ellerbee ’95

Alexandra Nicole Faerber ’15 was a kind soul talked about the flexibility that the degree would provide. with a free spirit who could be tough when “I think nursing is such a noble profession, and there she needed to be. She liked to help people in are so many options,” Craig said. “I was really happy that need and would not abide anyone being excluded. she became a nurse, and I encouraged her to, but she was “She didn’t judge others,” said her father, Craig. “She a free spirit. She was going to do what she wanted.” accepted people and just assumed they were good.” Her mother, Febby, said Alexandra

Alexandra, who was 27 years old when she passed was a worrier as a student. away on April 8 after a short illness, had always looked out “She didn’t take grades for granted, that is for sure,” she for people who were older or otherwise fragile, Craig said. said. “She was one of those people who say, ’I know I just failed This became evident that test.’ You would ask later when her elementary how she did, and she would school took students to say, ’Oh, I got a B-plus.’” nursing homes for visits. She pressured

“She would come away herself because she with all the folks there loving wanted to do well. her, and she was friends with “She was very proud them,” he said. “Even while that she graduated as growing up, if there was a nurse,” Febby said. “It a need or somebody was is not an easy major.” shunned, she was the one Alexandra shared who would always reach out stories about her work life to them. She would be the with her family. They could one to take up for them.” be gross—like why she

Alexandra became would have to purchase new a nurse and was caring Alexandra Faerber is pinned during a ceremony that initiates new nurses at Piedmont’s Athens campus in 2015. shoes—and Febby said they for patients who weren’t always “G-rated.” were fragile and in “She was no shrinking some cases elderly when she passed away. She worked violet. She would come home and say, ’you wouldn’t at a long-term acute care (LTAC) facility that provides believe what somebody said to me today.’ People say all specialized care and extended rehabilitation, including sorts of things to you, but she was not easily offended.” prolonged mechanical ventilation for patients. At the same time, Alexandra was not one to say negative

The technicians at the LTAC loved Alexandra because things about others. Febby said her daughter believed “if she would help them out in ways other nurses typically you send good out into the world, you’ll get good back.” didn’t. She went out of her way to lend a hand. The scholarship that bears her name will carry on that

Alexandra had chosen Piedmont’s Athens legacy for her. campus after considering the University of Georgia The Alexandra Nicole Faerber Memorial Scholarship in and attending Clemson University for a semester. Nursing was established earlier this year through generous

Craig said Piedmont wasn’t overwhelming. gifts from family and friends. It is awarded annually to two

“She felt that it was a better school for her students who have been accepted and are in good standing and would be a better experience,” he said. in the R.H. Daniel School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

She started college undecided about a major. Craig The first recipients are Jasmine Lopez and has always been a “big fan of nurses." He and Alexandra Garion Williams.

Dr. Mary Griggs, 1962 Yonahian yearbook photo

History highlights & interesting stories

Keeper of theFlame

Dr. Mary Griggs served Piedmont for 35 Years

By Terrie Ellerbee ’95

The Yonahian staff honored Dr. Mary Griggs ’32 by dedicating the annual to her in 1962. It would be dedicated to her again two decades later, following her death in 1982. Athens-based journalist Pete McCommons, a nephew by marriage, wrote about Griggs in a column not long after she passed. He titled it “Keeper of the flame” and wrote that Griggs was the protector of the old homeplace, family history, and heirlooms, including a coverlet woven by Elijah Kimzey, an ancestor who was a Georgia legislator in the 1860s.

Griggs taught at schools around north Georgia until the late 1950s when she became head of the mathematics department at Piedmont, her alma mater.

“There her lifelong love of learning found a forum,” McCommons wrote. “Math to her was not an isolated system but a way of coming to grips with the world she loved to study and teach. She demanded competence from her students but would work with them as long as they wanted her help. Her home was frequently filled with students she tutored for free.”

Griggs was chair of mathematics for 20 of the 35 years she served at Piedmont. She was as beloved a teacher as she was a force on the faculty. She served on the academic affairs committee, self-study financial resource committee, selfstudy steering committee, and the faculty social committee.

She also took on extra responsibilities, including advising the Gamma Chi Society, the Torch Club, and the National Honorary Scholarship Society, Alpha Chi.

Even after she retired, Griggs remained involved with Piedmont, including guiding The Torch until she died.

Griggs also played a prominent role in the city of Demorest. She helped number all the houses in town and served on the board of a new nursing home in nearby Clarkesville.

McCommons wrote about Griggs’ thriftiness as well. Each year she would gift Christmas cookies in Cool Whip containers she saved all year just for the occasion.

“Her frugality in small things contrasted with her large generosity whenever family members needed her help,” he wrote.

Her generosity extends to Piedmont students. The Mary L. Griggs Mathematics Scholarship was established by family members and colleagues on November 22, 1982. The name was changed to the Griggs Mathematics Scholarship in 1993.

Griggs could see Yonah Mountain from her front yard, making the dedications of the Yonahian even more fitting. McCommons referred to her as a “quietly loving example of a stalwart woman” rising before and challenging those left behind—just like that very mountain.

Athletics accolades & accomplishments

Persevering through a Pandemic

By Ron Wagner

Piedmont athletic teams had no problem “What I’ve seen is it was so tough on these kids in the getting dressed up for the fall season. Finding spring, and to come back and have the opportunity to be somewhere to go proved to be a challenge. practicing and being in a routine—I think they’re happy “Almost impossible,” said athletics director they get to do that,” he said, referring to the season being Jim Peeples when asked how difficult it was to schedule halted in March when students were sent home for remote opponents in the fall, instruction in response “and I think that has been to the pandemic. “There a drain on our coaching are many Division III staff. They were given institutions that are not permission to do this, and even allowing their teams they got the commitment to practice, so our kids from our administration. see this as a blessing The frustration is not being that we’re having the able to find (other) people ability to do what we’re who are willing to do that.” doing right now.”

Piedmont About 10 percent administrators made the of nearly 3,000 colleges decision in August to open nationwide were remotethe college to in-person only for the 2020 fall instruction and allow Matthew Leemann ’22 continues to set school records for the men’s golf semester, according to the school’s 21 teams to team only to break them again in the next tournament. the Chronicle of Higher prepare and participate in Education, and 34 percent games and tournaments. The problem was very few other more were primarily online. Only 27 percent were primarily NCAA institutions followed suit, meaning that two months or fully in-person. Individual schools and conferences made after the start of classes the only sports that had been able to their own decisions about whether to play sports in such an find anyone to compete against were men’s and women’s golf. upended landscape. For cost and safety reasons many opted

Throw in the NCAA’s decision to cancel all fall not to or abandoned attempts after COVID outbreaks. sports championships, and coaches and athletes both The USA South’s member institutions voted were forced to do some soul-searching about why they unanimously in July to postpone conference competition were pushing through practices, daily temperature until the spring but left the option available for nonchecks, and unpleasant weekly COVID-19 tests. conference games or tournaments. Though only golf was Peeples thinks they liked what they found. able to take advantage initially, September experiences at

the Transylvania Fall Invite in Lexington, Kentucky, and the JT Poston Invitational in Hartwell turned out, in some ways, to be better than what would have been possible in a normal season.

At the JT Poston, for example, the Lion men were the only non-NCAA Division I team in the six-school field but ended up finishing ahead of Mercer and Central Arkansas. In Lexington, the Piedmont men and women teed it up together for safety reasons, which is highly unusual.

“That was cool for our athletes to compete against scholarship athletes … I think it’s tremendous for the growth of the program,” Peeples said. “And rarely in any golf events today do men and women play at the same time. They are always separate events.”

Peeples said the institution’s can-do attitude extends beyond athletics. Theatre productions are still being held. So are concerts, art shows, and other student activities.

“President Mellichamp has encouraged all of us to forge ahead and find something that is close to normal for our students. He understands that these experiences make us Piedmont,” he said. “Doing this takes courage. His leadership during this time has been inspirational.”

Though Piedmont has been more active than most schools in pursuing athletic competition, Peeples stresses safety has always been paramount and will remain so.

“From the beginning the mindset was, ’how are we going to get our students back to campus in the fall safely and provide them the education that they deserve?’” he said. “We’ve put in place the things the NCAA has required, and the protocols for the rest of the student body aren’t that much different from what our student-athletes have.”

Also, the new men’s and women’s swim teams began practicing September 8 and working out six days a week. The first meet in school history was held October 31 at Point University in Valley, Alabama. The men’s team took first and the women second. The inaugural home meet at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center is slated for January 16.

Coach Teddy Guyer mined Georgia heavily to build his roster from scratch, with 23 of 28 swimmers hailing

Piedmont swim teams excelled in their first meet, with the men finishing first and the women second.

from the Peach State. Twenty-six are freshmen.

“COVID has affected our season with the cancellation of a few meets, so we’re not swimming as many as we would like to,” Guyer said.

Normalcy will return, and when it does, Peeples thinks it will come with a new perspective.

“It’s tough to see how difficult this has been on the student-athletes, but the realization that something can be taken away I’m not sure has ever been more real than in the moment that we’re living in right now,” he said. “I think there’s a ton of valuable lessons that they’re learning from this, and if they get to compete, it will be icing on the cake. And if we have the chance to compete for championships that will be like the candles on top.”

Alumni Awards

Distinguished Alumni Kelly Girtz MAT ’98

Excellence in Education William "Billy" Harrell Ed.S. ’13

Alumni Service Esther Charmaine Schneider Ed.S. ’98

Pacesetter

Bennett Bryan ’05, MBA ’19

Each year, the Piedmont Alumni Association recognizes exemplary alumni. These awards were scheduled to be given during Lion Fest (formerly Alumni Weekend), which was canceled in 2020 due to coronavirus safety concerns. It is expected to return in spring 2021.

To honor this year’s recipients, members of the Institutional Advancement team, along with Alumni Association President Lisa Black MA ’01, Ed.S. ’07, visited honorees individually to present awards. Read more about them and see a video commemorating the presentations on the Lions Share Network Alumni Awards page at alumni.piedmont.edu.

2020-21 Alumni Association

Board of Directors

Officers

Lisa Black MA ’01, Ed.S. ’07, President Sierra Nicholson ’03, President-Elect Michael Santowski Jr. ’06, Vice President David Abbot ’67, Secretary Dock Sisk ’72, Treasurer Lauren Goza ’05, MBA ’07, Alumni Trustee

Directors

Nicole Booth ’02, Director Jill Bradley ’80, Director Stefanie Couch ’07, Director Matt Desing ’02, Director Jacob Douylliez ’12, Director Gerald Dunn ’65, Director Pamela Getman ’12, Director Nicholas Kastner ’03, MBA ’06, Director Judy Lunsford ’87, Director Evan Nissley ’08, Director Bryan Schroeder ’03, Director Bill Secor ’06, Director Jenni Shepard ’03, MAT ’05, Director

Student Representative

Danielle Barker

Sports Hall of Fame

Walter Scruggs (1965) When he enrolled in 1965, Walter “Willie” Scruggs was the first Black student-athlete to play at Piedmont. He was also the first Black studentathlete on any collegiate or university varsity team in Georgia. He was a starting forward on the basketball team. Scruggs passed away after his first semester due to injuries sustained in a Christmas Eve car accident. Because so many hundreds of people wanted to attend Scruggs’ funeral, it was moved to a larger church.

Synethia Owens, sister of Walter Scruggs (1965), accepted the Hall of Fame Award for her late brother.

Sarah Lane May ’08 Sarah Lane May ’08 serves as Associate Athletics Director for Business Operations at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She was an All-Academic in both volleyball and basketball in the same season at Piedmont. May was one of four Lady Lions with more than 1,000 career kills, second all-time in service aces (205), and the volleyball team went 84-58 during her career. She was named MVP of the 2007 Great South Athletic Conference volleyball tournament when Piedmont claimed the title.

Kevin Caldwell ’13 MBA ’14 Kevin Caldwell ’13, MBA ’14 holds multiple career records and numerous individual awards from his baseball career at Piedmont, with several in the Top 10 All-Time. He ranks No. 1 all-time in the NCAA era for wins (23) and second for innings pitched (297). He places third in fewest walks allowed per game (2.36), strikeouts (201), and games started (40). In 2013, he received the ABCA National Gold Glove Award as the country’s best fielding pitcher.

For a limited time, make a gift of $10 or more to any fund and receive a free Piedmont mask!

Enjoy more connections with fellow alums!

It’s now easier than ever to connect with your Piedmont College classmates! The Office of Institutional Advancement is excited to announce that we’ve updated the alumni portion of Piedmont’s website, creating a unique way for alumni to engage with the college and each other.

Join our new Lions Share Network at alumni.piedmont.edu!

The Lions Share Network will enable you to: • Search for more than 20,000 alumni using our new Online Alumni Directory • Register for Piedmont events • Join one or more Communities for networking • Apply to be a mentor • Shop in our online store • Make a financial gift to support an area at Piedmont that is special to you

We hope that you and your Piedmont friends will enjoy this new website. Sign up today and encourage your fellow alumni to join us in this exciting new venture. See you there.

Katie Deal

Director of Alumni Engagement and Development kdeal@piedmont.edu | 706-776-0146

Golf Tourney Winners

Piedmont’s 32nd Annual Coach Cave Memorial Golf Tournament generated approximately $20,000 for the college’s athletic programs.

Eighty-seven players took part in the July 27 event, which was hosted at the Highland Walk Golf Course in Royston.

The winning team, top photo, was comprised of (left to right) Adam Smith, Ronnie Edwards, and Tim Travis.

The second place team (below) represented The Classic Center in Athens and included (left to right) Steve Card, Paul Cramer, Fred Butler, and Nick Arnold.