The Spring Hill College Magazine | Fall 2010 by Spring Hill College

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Inside this issue: New Student Center • 100th Anniver sar y of St. Joseph Chapel • 4X4 Students

The Spring Hill College Magazine Volume 4, Number 3

President’s Letter Dear Alumni and Friends,

Editor: Lindsay Hughes, MLA ’08

Art Director: Margaret Broach

Photography: Marc Lamkin Seth Laubinger ’02 Keith Necaise

Contributing Writers: Joe Ackels ’11 Rebecca H. Appenzeller ’74 Monde Donaldson Jim Stennett

President: Rev. Richard P. Salmi, S.J.

Director of Communications & Institutional Marketing: John Kerr The Spring Hill College Magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Communications and Marketing.

Comments should be addressed to: Lindsay Hughes, Editor Spring Hill College Magazine, 4000 Dauphin Street

The new academic year has begun with recordbreaking enrollments here at the Hill. We welcomed our largest ever freshman class with a wonderful induction ceremony on their first day here. It began in St. Joseph Chapel and included a procession and candle lighting ceremony on the Avenue of the Oaks. The induction ceremony introduced students to the College’s new promise statement: “Forming leaders engaged in learning, faith, justice and service for life.” This is the promise we make to all of our students and that we ask them to live out every day. Our students are encouraged to be leaders on campus and in the community. Spring Hill students are expected to be actively engaged in their education, in developing their faith, and in acts of justice and service. In short, we promise that when they graduate that they will be prepared to be leaders for life. Our new student center graces the cover of this magazine and it stands as a symbol of our commitment to students, to the community and to our world. As you will read, it is quickly becoming the gathering place for our students and the campus community. We are also celebrating the building’s designation as a “Silver LEED Certified” building, indicating that it is one that pays attention to sustainability and the responsible use of energy and natural resources. The student center also completes the transformation of the center of campus. Surrounding the Rydex Commons, the student center, along with the Burke Memorial Library and St. Joseph Chapel, stand as a testimony to Spring Hill College’s commitment to the development of the mind, body and spirit of our students. Walking from the student center back to my office the other day, I stopped into St. Joseph Chapel. It was striking the contrast between the new and the old, between modern technology and a history of deep faith. The student center represents progress and the future, while the chapel reminds us all of the solid foundation upon which our faith and this college has been built. For 100 years St. Joseph Chapel has been heart and home to the campus and the surrounding community. And so we celebrate the new and the old here at the Hill, and we pray that God will continue to bless us with the courage to forge ahead and the wisdom to remember the past. May God bless you all in this wonderful season of autumn.

Mobile, AL 36608-1791 (251) 380-2289 or (877) SPR-HILL lhughes@shc.edu

Richard P. Salmi, S.J.

Table of Contents Campus News

From China to Mobile

Joe Ackels ’11

Badger News

Jim Stennett

Student Center Gets Students’ Stamp of Approval

Lindsay Hughes, MLA ’08

St. Joseph Chapel Celebrates 100 Years

160 Years of the Avenue of the Oaks

4 Years on the Hill by 4 SHC Students

Lindsay Hughes, MLA ’08

Nugent Honors Friendship with Brother Blank through Scholarship

John Kerr

Chapter Updates

Class Notes

A Planned Gift for the ‘Perfect College’

Rebecca H. Appenzeller ’74

Upcoming Events

Inside Back Cover

CampusNews Induction ceremony signals new tradition on the Hill

Kicking off a Spring Hill tradition, new students were welcomed into the Spring Hill community at a candlelight induction ceremony Aug. 20. The procession formed outside of St. Joseph Chapel and ended at the Avenue of the Oaks, symbolizing where students begin and end their journey on the Hill. Photo by Keith Necaise.

2010 Freshman Class Profile 392 students – largest class ever Female: 65% Male: 35% 60% Catholic 59% from out of state 91% reside on campus Average high school GPA: 3.5 Average ACT score: 24

Record-breaking Enrollment Total Student Body: 1,601 Traditional Undergraduates: 1,230

Studebaker joins SHC as Director of Admissions Spring Hill College welcomes Brian Studebaker as director of admissions. He joined the staff in June after serving as director of admission at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wis., from 2004 to 2009. “It’s an honor to Studebaker be joining a group of admissions professionals who are dedicated to their students and to the College,” Studebaker said. “With the combination of both new and experienced recruiters, we are looking forward to continued growth in enrollment through new online initiatives, entering untried geographic markets, and strengthening our collaborations with alumni, faculty, current students and local organizations. It’s definitely an exciting time to be part of the Spring Hill community.” He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., and a Master of Science in management and organizational behavior from Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wis. Studebaker’s appointment follows the retirement of Steve Pochard, who served as dean of admissions and financial aid from 1995 to spring 2010.

U.S. News ranks Spring Hill College 17th in the South Spring Hill College is ranked once again in the top 20 Southern universities and colleges, according to the 2011 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.”

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Spring Hill is ranked 17th among the Southern colleges and universities granting master’s degrees. The U.S. News rankings are based on several quality measures including academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, peer assessment and graduation rate performance. Colleges and universities are listed in various categories depending on their size, location and other factors. The college is ranked 11th among only 15 schools listed in the South’s “Great Schools, Great Prices” category, colleges that offer quality academic programs, affordable tuition and significant financial aid. Spring Hill College is also listed in the region’s “A-Plus Schools for B Students” category, campuses where B students thrive in an engaged student body.

Service day honors St. Ignatius Loyola

Spring Hill part of transfer articulation agreement with Alabama’s community colleges Spring Hill College has entered into a transfer articulation agreement with the Alabama Community Colleges System, designed to allow students at two-year colleges to transfer to bachelor’s degree programs at four-year independent colleges and universities. A new transfer guide/agreement will direct students through their first two years of coursework to assure earned credits are transferable and will give them the information they need in preparation for transfer to Spring Hill or any of the other Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (AAICU) member institutions. Community college students in Alabama can already transfer their earned credits to any of the state’s public four-year campuses.

More than 70 SHC faculty and staff participated in the first-ever Community Day of Service on July 29 to honor St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Employees volunteered at six sites in the community: Mobile Area Food Bank, Mobile Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Habitat for Humanity, Mobile Association for Retarded Citizens (MARC), Little Flower Catholic School, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Photo by Keith Necaise.

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

CampusNews Library Friends celebrate 50th anniversary of “To Kill a Mockingbird”

McClure - the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Photo by Keith Necaise.

McClure speaks to first-year students Over the summer, first-year students at Spring Hill College were assigned to read “A Pearl in the Storm,” a true story by Tori Murden McClure, the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. McClure is the vice president for external relations, enrollment management and student affairs at Spalding University. In addition to being the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic, she is also the first woman to ski overland to the South Pole. The summer reading is part of the college’s FirstYear Common Reading Project, coordinated through the office of student affairs.

The Friends of the Spring Hill College Library and the Friends of the Mobile Public Library celebrated on Sept. 1 the 50th anniversary of the acclaimed novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The program featured a documentary film and a panel discussion with several authors. The documentary highlights the recent publication by author Mary McDonough Murphy, “Scout, Atticus & Boo: A celebration of 50 years of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’” Panelists included: Dr. John Hafner, recipient of the Eugene Current-Garcia Award as Alabama’s Distinguished Literary Scholar for 2009 and professor emeritus of English at Spring Hill College; Carolyn Haines, recipient of the Harper Lee Award as Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of the Year for 2010; and Roy Hoffman, author of “Almost Family,” winner of the 1983 Lillian Smith Award as the “best book in the South.”

Rev. Gregory F. Lucey, S.J., to lead AJCU in 2011

Lucey. Photo by Seth Laubinger ’02.

Former Spring Hill College president Rev. Gregory F. Lucey, S.J., will join the staff of From Left: Hoffman, Hafner and Haines make up the the Association of Jesuit ‘Mockingbird’ panel. Photo by Keith Necaise. Colleges and Universities (AJCU) on Jan. 1, 2011. He will succeed Rev. Charles Currie, S.J., as the president of AJCU beginning July 1, 2011. AJCU promotes numerous collaborative efforts among the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities, represents the schools in Congress and with the Federal Government, Jesuit and Church officials, and other higher education associations. The offices are located in Washington, D.C. Lucey, 77, was Spring Hill’s 37th president and retired from the college on June 1, 2009, after serving as the college’s CEO for 12 years. Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

BadgerNews

Yiting Cao joins volleyball team By Joe Ackels ’11

Originally from Shanghai, China, Yiting Cao (pronounced “Ye-ting Dow”) recently joined the Spring Hill women’s volleyball team. A quiet and polite young woman, Cao moved from Shanghai to the United States in July 2008. She was searching for a different lifestyle, new culture and new people. And, she wanted to play volleyball. “America was a great place to go to play volleyball and receive a scholarship,” Cao says. A few of her former teammates had moved to the U.S. from Shanghai in order to play volleyball and attend college. They offered a firsthand look into what life was like in America, and this helped in Cao’s ultimate decision. Cao left her mother, Junrong Cao, and her father, Xiuzhen Huang, at home in Shanghai but talks to them regularly on her cell phone and with her Web camera. Cao learned some English while living in Shanghai and furthered her knowledge by attending junior college in the States. Cao transferred to Spring Hill for her junior and senior years from Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Ill. A 6-foot right side hitter, she is a 2009 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and American Volleyball

Coaches Association (AVCA) 1st team All American. Cao started playing volleyball when she was about 9 years old. “As far as women’s sports in Shanghai go, volleyball is probably the most popular,” she says. Cao chose Spring Hill over three other National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) colleges she had visited because of the small class sizes and because of Spring Hill’s volleyball coach, Peggy Martin. “Coach Martin offered me a lot of help in making my decision because she made me feel very comfortable, and I knew she would be there if I needed her,” Cao says. “We are very blessed to have Yiting join our program. She adds much needed experience to a very young team,” Martin says. “Once Yiting visited the campus this summer, Spring Hill sold itself.” Cao’s favorite aspect of Spring Hill’s campus is the size. She wanted her teammates, friends and the staff to be close to her. “The small school helps me, and the volleyball girls are my close friends now because we spend a lot of time together,” she says. Shuhong Zhou is Cao’s favorite sports figure. Zhou was part of the Chinese Olympic women’s volleyball team that won the gold Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Cao. Photo by Seth Laubinger ’02.

medal in 2003 in Athens and the gold medal in the 2003 Volleyball World Cup. Cao met Zhou in person one day at a routine practice. “She came and practiced with us and she was really nice, and the whole team loved her,” Cao says. “My grandfather told me when I was young that he hoped that one day I would be able to wear China’s flag on my jersey,” she says. Her grandfather’s dreams came true when in 2007 Cao played on the World Junior National Championship team for China. A graphic design major, Cao hopes to find a job in the U.S. in the design field after she graduates. “If I can’t find a job that I like in graphic design, I might return home to be with my family and friends in Shanghai,” she says. Cao has found her place at Spring Hill College, where she can work to achieve her own dreams with people close by who are willing to help. Joe Ackels ’11 is an intern in the Office of Communications and Institutional Marketing.

BadgerNews

For the latest Badger news visit www.shcbadgers.com

By Jim Stennett

Eight teams earn NAIA academic awards

Men’s and women’s soccer struggle in early going

This summer the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) recognized eight Spring Hill College athletic teams with its annual Scholar Team Award. This marks the third consecutive year that more than half of the intercollegiate sports teams at SHC have received the prestigious award. The women’s cross country team stood atop the Badgers’ GPA standings for the second year in a row with a combined 3.43. Other team qualifiers for the honor were women’s soccer with 3.41, women’s tennis with 3.37, volleyball with 3.34, men’s tennis with 3.15, men’s golf with 3.14, women’s golf with 3.07, and men’s cross country with 3.06. For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) as defined by the institution.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams suffered through rocky starts to the 2010 season with the men holding a 2-7-1 record and the women standing at 3-7 halfway through the schedule. Sophomore Frankie Pica of Ellisville, Mo., and freshman Tony Auck of St. Louis, Mo., each have scored three goals for the men so far this year, while sophomore Sarah Uptmor of Cape Girardeau, Mo., leads the women’s squad with six goals scored.

Volleyball opens season on hot streak Head Coach Peggy Martin opened the 2010 volleyball season with her team firing on all cylinders. The Badgers built a 14-2 record that included a streak of nine wins. During the ninematch run, Spring Hill lost just one set and trailed by more than two points in any set only four times. In her second season, Martin Martin restructured her team by bringing in eight freshmen and two junior college transfer students. Among the transfers is two-time NJCAA All-American Yiting Cao of Shanghai, China, who ranks in the Top Ten of NAIA scorers by averaging 4.5 kills per set. The junior leads the Badgers in kills with 208 and service aces with 32. Other Badger leaders include freshman Meredith Donald from Mobile’s McGill-Toolen Catholic High School with 152 digs, and fellow McGill-Toolen alumna freshman Sha Sha Buchanan who has nine solo blocks at the net and assisted in 40 other blocks. Freshman Taryn Nash of Independence, Mo., is also an impressive young player who stepped into the starting role as setter and handed out 493 of the Badgers’ 572 total assists.

Cross country teams look strong at early meets In the first few meets of 2010, the SHC men’s and women’s cross country teams looked to be strong contenders for the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) championships to be decided in November. Both teams finished 2nd at the Radisson Hotel Wolfpack Classic to open the year in New Orleans, and both squads were the top College Division finishers at the Azalea City Classic in Mobile and the Gulf Coast Stampede in Pensacola, Fla. Juniors Kate Imwalle from McGill-Toolen Catholic and Will Kirkikis of Kenner, La., swept the SSAC Runners of the Week Award in consecutives for their performances at the Azalea City and Gulf Coast meets.

Imwalle

Kirkikis

Jim Stennett is Sports Information Director at Spring Hill College.

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Above: The new student center. Below: The old campus center.

By Lindsay Hughes, MLA ’08 Photos by Marc Lamkin/ The Architects Group (TAG) and Keith Necaise

Whether students are new to Spring Hill College, or lament the year trekking across campus to dine in the “pooleteria,” or recall the distinctive scent of the former 1960s-era campus center, they can all agree that the new student center is a welcomed gathering place for the Spring Hill community. Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

The dining room

Demolition began in January 2009 on the old campus center, built in 1964. Over the course of the year, the College community witnessed the construction progress on the new student center, which was erected on the site of the old center. In the meantime, students dined in the makeshift cafeteria, a platform built over the pool in the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center. The space affectionately – or perhaps begrudgingly – came to be called the “pooleteria.” The U.S. Green Building Council awarded the student center Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver-level certification. Designed by The Architects Group (TAG), the project achieved LEED certification by using recycled building materials, recycling 95 percent of construction waste, reducing the facility’s energy needs by 14 percent,

The Cloister

and installing efficient plumbing fixtures,

at dinner or the Cloister social, students

among other initiatives. The building is the first LEED-certified multipurpose complex in Mobile, Ala. The new student center opened for business in the summer of 2010. Student affairs, student involvement and campus ministry moved into their new office spaces; faculty and staff enjoyed their first meal in the new dining room. And, in the fall, the College sprung to life again as the students returned to campus. A packed calendar of activities during “Weeks of Welcome” revolved around showcasing the new “living room” of the College. “These events enabled students to take full advantage of some of the cool things that the student center has to offer,” said Cory Bronenkamp ’11 of St. Louis, student body president. “Whether it was the band that played

are for sure enjoying every aspect of the state-of-the-art building.” In addition to housing offices, the student center features a 9,600-squarefoot dining room, a food-court-style serving area where foods are prepared fresh and served on request, an expanded bookstore, a comfortable lounge, and wireless Internet availability throughout the facility. The revamped Cloister, with its pub-like atmosphere, is furnished with booths, couches, flatscreen televisions and a pool table. The center provides ample work and meeting space for student organizations, and the multifunctional LeBlanc Conference Room is available for rental to public groups. Bronenkamp said students are more likely to attend events or get involved in activities that are located in the student center, because students truly enjoy

“I thoroughly love the new building, and especially the fact that it is a certified green building is impressive.” — Kevin Smith ’14

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

“Not many students at other schools can say that they have the opportunity to enjoy meals and socialize with their professors and even their university’s president on a daily basis. The new student center has allowed Spring Hill to grow closer as a community.” — Evan Yearwood ’12

spending time there. “For me, it’s a place to hang out and shoot a game of pool while enjoying some good food and entertainment. It’s finally a place where we can gather and have a genuinely good time,” he said. “What makes the Spring

The objective of the student center is to connect students, faculty and staff to out-of-class learning and to foster social and leadership development. Yearwood has noticed that the new center attracts more faculty and staff to join the students

elementary education major. “Our meals always turn into a two-hour ordeal once we’ve gone around the entire caf and hung out with everyone.” Kevin Smith ’14 of Rocky River, Ohio said, “I thoroughly love the new

Hill experience so special is that we are such a small, tight-knit community. This new student center will contribute to that community atmosphere in ways that we’ve never seen before.” Evan Yearwood ’12, a nursing major from Brownsburg, Ind., agrees. “It gives students a healthy and resourceful place to eat and socialize. The Cloister has already been a hub of community building,” Yearwood said. “You can walk into the Cloister at all hours of the day (and night) and you find students enjoying one another’s company in a safe and fun environment. It’s the perfect place for students to gather to watch the big game on a Saturday afternoon or to take that late-night study snack break.”

for meals, illustrating the communitybuilding aspect of the center. “I have truly cherished the relationships that I have been able to form with the faculty of Spring Hill College,” he said. “Not many students at other schools can say that they have the opportunity to enjoy meals and socialize with their professors and even their university’s president on a daily basis. The new student center has allowed Spring Hill to grow closer as a community.” A freshman from New Orleans, Ainsley Messina ’14 said students take full advantage of the student center to socialize with one another. “The student center has been an awesome place for my friends and I to hang out,” said the

building, and especially the fact that it is a certified green building is impressive.” Smith, a communication arts and political science major, added that although he never experienced the old campus center on a daily basis, he remembers that during his campus visit, the building was an “eyesore.” “To take it full circle,” he said, “I am now a Springhillian ambassador, and when I give tours to potential new students, the student center is one of the main focal points our campus has to offer.”

The lobby

Editor Lindsay Hughes, MLA ’08 is Assistant Director of Communications at Spring Hill College.

The bookstore Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Spring Hill College Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2010

Built in 1909-1910, St. Joseph Chapel is the center of the faith community at Spring Hill College. And, for many, the Chapel represents milestones in their lives, from baptisms to weddings. It proclaims the Jesuit identity of the College and fosters the spiritual growth of each student during his or her college experience at Spring Hill.

Celebrating the chapel’s centennial year, alumni and friends reflect on St. Joseph’s impact on their lives.

Photo by Seth Laubinger ’02

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Photo courtesy of Spring Hill College Archives.

View more reflections from alumni and friends at www.shc.edu/chapel-anniversary.

Built in 1909-1910,

chapel’s centennial

St. Joseph Chapel is

year, alumni and

the center of the faith

friends reflect on St.

community at Spring

Joseph’s impact on

Hill College. And, for

their lives.

many, the Chapel

“From the moment we stepped inside St. Joseph Chapel, I knew we all had made the correct choice for college. Hardly a ‘chapel,’ it is a beautiful, peaceful and cool place to share with the Spring Hill community. Living so far away from Mobile (Baltimore, Md.), it gave me great peace of mind after leaving the Sunday service that freshman year. And four years later, in 2009, the baccalaureate service on graduation weekend made me wish I could attend Mass every Sunday at St Joseph. Oh, for homilies that teach us, inspire us and remind us how we must care for each other. How lucky your students and Mobile!”

represents milestones in their own lives, from baptisms to weddings. It proclaims the

Chapel Centennial Art Competition & Exhibit March 21-April 22, 2011 Bedsole Gallery and Mini Rotunda Gallery, Fine and Performing Arts Center The art show will feature student and faculty works of art inspired by St. Joseph Chapel. Entered works of art will be subject to a jury review and top picks will be included in the gallery show.

Jesuit identity of the College and fosters the spiritual growth of each student during his or her college experience at Spring Hill.

Pat Bailey, Parent Sparks Glencoe, MD

Celebrating the 13

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

“Pat Swingle singing “There is a Balm in Gilead” while Ira played the organ. God bless the Swingles – may they rest in peace.” Julie Walsh ’90 Honolulu, HI

“Special weekday Mass said for Omicron Sigma Fraternity, 1976” Rob Silk ’77 Silver Spring, MD

“St. Joseph Chapel has the quietest of nights and the most beautiful of sunset memories for me. This is where I found the Catholic faith and the beauty it holds.” Lee May ’08 Auburn, AL

“9/11 happened my freshman year at SHC. On that terrible day, the community gathered at St. Joseph for an impromptu prayer service. It was moments like that when I would feel so blessed to be a part of the Spring Hill family. As I looked at all of the faces around me, I fell in love with Spring Hill. The people I was sitting with that day are still some of my dearest friends.” Kate Browning ’05 Mobile, AL “My first memory of St. Joseph Chapel was a visit to the campus right before my sister graduated in 1996. At the age of 11, I was in awe of its beauty as it was unlike any sanctuary I had seen before. The majestic statues depicting the Stations of the Cross haunted me. The grandeur and simplicity of the Gothic architecture gave me my first sense of the universal church. I had thought that chapels like St. Joseph

only existed in Europe and other distant lands, yet here was one on the Gulf Coast. The Chapel’s age and beauty made me feel like a yarn in the colorful tapestry of the church and helped me recognize that a global Church was one that included me and the place I call home. Years later as a student at Spring Hill, I fell in love with the Chapel. My freshman year, St. Joseph Chapel was undergoing its most recent renovation. As such, its beauty was mostly hidden. Nonetheless, I felt a deep connection to the history of the campus and a true sense of God’s presence within its walls. The warm light that shines out its amber windows was like the warm embrace of God. I felt like part of something bigger. … Most of the time I spent in the Chapel as a student involved serving on the altar, preparing for Mass as a sacristan, or practicing with the Troubadours. However, the memories that stick out most were the late nights of prayer and reflection when St. Joseph Chapel was a refuge from the shipwrecks I often faced. Sitting in the pews in the stillness of the night awakened me to the true peace that only comes from God. There is no other place on earth with as much spiritual meaning for me. I cannot stop by the campus without paying at least a short visit.

160 years of the Avenue of the Oaks This year marks the 160th anniversary of the Avenue of the Oaks. For more than 60 years, the avenue has been the traditional site for the College’s commencement ceremonies, and thousands of graduates have processed under the giant oaks that Roger Stewart planted in 1850. Stewart, a Scottish cotton merchant, purchased the property adjacent to the College and in 1848 built a Greek revival home, known as “Stewartfield.” The Avenue of the Oaks originally was part of an oval racetrack, which curved around the front of the house at the south end of the avenue. The College purchased the house and property in 1903 from Stewart’s oldest daughter, Annie Stewart Field. The first graduation ceremony on the avenue was held in 1949. Prior to 1930, commencements were held at the old Battle House auditorium in downtown Mobile, and from 1930 to 1949 in Byrne Library on the campus. Alumni and friends are invited to leave their memories of the avenue, by visiting the Web at www.shc.edu/ avenue-anniversary. Some reflections may be included in the spring 2011 issue of the Spring Hill College Magazine.

The true ‘wisdom flowing from the hill’ is the centrality of Christ in its mission. The true beauty of the Hill is the centrality of St. Joseph Chapel on its campus.” Chris Holcomb ’07 Pensacola, FL

According to the Spring Hill College Archives, Roger Stewart planted the original oaks in

“Freshman year, my good friend Adam Ganucheau and I would come to the

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

1850, and commencement first took place on the avenue in 1949.

4X4

4 Years on the Hill by SHC Students 4 Stories by Lindsay Hughes, MLA ’08 Photos by Seth Laubinger ’02

It’s senior year for the four students who have shared with us their journey on the Hill. For the past three years, Lenna Altamirano, John Koch, Javier Portal and Jasmine Williams have immersed themselves in the Spring Hill experience through academic endeavors, Greek life, athletics and campus ministry activities. We’ll catch up with them one last time at commencement to find out their post-graduation plans, whether it’s entering medical school or graduate school or embarking on their professional careers.

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Lenna Altamirano ’11 Metairie, La. Nursing Major Spanish Minor

Lenna Altamirano is confident that nursing is her calling. Altamirano’s junior year introduced her to nursing school, a challenging and enlightening experience that solidified her decision to enter the profession. “When it was time for us to do our clinical work at the local hospital, it assured me that nursing is exactly what I should be studying,” she says. “It was so rewarding to me when I was able to take care of my patients, and it made me feel very helpful.” Altamirano was able to apply directly what she learned in the classroom to the hospital setting. “I think that it was the best part, because in any other class I have taken at SHC, I learned the information and always thought, how would this apply to my everyday life?” she says. “But in nursing, everything you learn is always applied in the hospital because each patient is different and may have one of my many things we learned.” Over the summer, Altamirano worked as a nursing assistant in the labor and delivery unit at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. “I loved every minute of it!” she says enthusiastically. “I learned so much from the nurses at work, and although I worked 12-hour shifts, it did not seem like a job to me because I enjoyed going to work every day. I can’t wait to go back and work during the holidays.” Altamirano plans to work at Ochsner for a year after graduation, and then apply to become a traveling nurse. Ideally, she would like to work in pediatrics or labor and delivery. This year she intends to excel in her studies, savor the time left with her friends, and remain active in her sorority, Delta Delta Delta. “I have met so many great friends here that it will be hard to say goodbye, but I know we are so close that distance will not affect our strong friendships,” she says. “Spring Hill has been a great experience and has strengthened my religion. The classes have prepared me for my future,” she adds. “It will be a decision that I will not regret making. I am very happy that I chose Spring Hill College.”

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Jasmine Williams ’11

Theodore, Ala. Communication Arts Major (Journalism)

If Jasmine Williams could summarize her experience on the Hill with one word, it would be “awakening.”

“I am definitely a different person now than I was four years ago, and I would like to think that’s good thing,” she says. During her junior year, Williams interned at the local FOX affiliate, WALA-TV; volunteered at Strickland Youth Center in Mobile; led a freshman seminar group; and was active in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. She served as vice president of records for Lambda Pi Eta, the national communications honor society, and as a reporter for The SpringHillian student newspaper. “I had a lot of ups, and sometimes downs, but it was a great experience,” she says of her time on The SpringHillian staff. Over the summer, Williams worked with the Catholic Volunteer Network in Washington D.C., during her first visit to the nation’s capital. “I was able to visit and experience so much of our nation’s history for the first time and learn more on how I can be more involved in community service, now and postgraduation,” she says. “I would definitely say it was a life-changing experience.” This semester Williams is interning at WPMI-TV, an NBC affiliate, and she is looking forward to gaining more experience in the journalism field and working on her senior seminar project. However, she is keeping her options open, as she hopes to travel and explore international service opportunities. “During my senior year I am planning to take the time to smooth all of the edges,” she says. “This is the time to say and do all of the things I haven’t done. This is my time to prove myself, to my professors, the college and my department.” Williams’s advice to underclassmen, including her sister Jatorri, who is a member of this year’s freshman class: “Live your years whole-heartedly so that you can’t look back and say that there’s something you would have done differently. Always look for opportunities to help others. Anyone can say they changed themselves, but to say you made a significant difference in someone else’s life is big deal.”

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

John Koch ’11

O’Fallon, Mo. Biology/Pre-Health Major Theology and Chemistry Minor

John Koch has a hard time saying “no,” but maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

memories I take away from SHC,” he says. “I made many new friendships with the students who went on the trip, and I am hoping to go on another trip this year. It really showed me the effect that I can have on someone when I give of my time.” Koch, whose younger brother Steven is a member

“I keep getting involved in more and more activities,”

of the freshman cohort, says he plans to get as much

he says. “I have found, though, that I work and perform

as he can out of his senior year and leave Spring Hill

best when I am busy, so I guess there is a positive side

with many more great memories. “Overall, my Spring Hill experience has been

to it.” Koch says his junior year was not as academically

amazing,” he says. “I have had so much fun, made so

challenging as sophomore year, but he maintained

many great friends, and learned so many new things that

a packed schedule with his involvement in the American

I do not think I could have made a better decision than

Medical Student Association, SHAPe (Spring Hill

to come here. I feel that Spring Hill has prepared me both

Awakening Program), Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity,

academically and personally to succeed far beyond my

Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit honor society, and the service-

time here.”

immersion trip to Belize. That’s not to say Koch had a light academic load. As he prepares for medical school at Saint Louis University, he spends his days absorbing material from textbooks, class lectures and science labs. Dr. Michael Ferry’s bioethics course, for example, covered issues ranging from abortion, research ethics, and physician-patient relationships. “It really made me look at many of the issues I will face when I become a physician,” he says of Ferry’s class. “I realized that even though I had my opinions, I was forced to back them up not only to the class but also to myself.” The summer after freshman year, Koch shadowed his family doctor in Missouri. He returned to the doctor’s office over the summer and worked as a medical receptionist and assistant. “I was able to learn a lot more of the clinical aspect of medicine this summer and shadow my doctor to see what the life of a physician is like,” Koch says. “He has really shown great interest in my studies to become a physician and has helped me immensely by allowing me to learn all the different aspects of running a private practice.” In February, Koch traveled to Belize City, where he and fellow students built a house for a family in need. “The immersion trip to Belize will be one of the best

Spring Hill Hill College College Magazine Magazine ••Fall Spring Fall 2010 2010

Javier Portal ’11

Miami, Fla. International Business Major Finance Minor

Among the highlights from Javier Portal’s junior year was playing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men’s Golf National Championships. In his first three years as a member of the men’s golf team, Portal played in 20 events, including eight out of nine events his junior year. Last year was Portal’s most successful as an individual player. His best showing was a 2nd place finish at the Alabama State University Fall Classic in Montgomery, where he shot a -3 (141). The men’s golf team finished the year as one of the top 30 teams in the country and won the last three events of the spring season, earning them a berth in the National Championships, which took place in May at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. “The team is returning four starters this year, so the expectations are sky high,” Portal says. “We expect to be National Title contenders. I’m really looking forward to being on the team and am excited for the season this year.” On the academic front, Portal says he has enjoyed diving into upper-level classes in business and finance. Over the summer, he took courses at home in Miami and interned in the accounting department at Doctors ER Services. “It was a great experience,” he says of his internship. “I was able to get my feet wet in the ‘real world.’” After graduation, Portal plans to obtain a master’s degree in international business and pursue a career in the banking or financial industry. In the meantime, he plans to live his last year at SHC to the fullest. “My SHC experience has been unbelievable,” he says. “This school has given me so much more than just an education. SHC is a special place, and every student here would agree with that. I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything else.” Portal’s advice to freshmen: “Soak it all in and enjoy your time at Spring Hill. It’s a special place, and before you know it, you’re almost done with it all and moving on with life.”

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Nugent honors friendship with Brother Blank through scholarship By John Kerr

There is nothing like a friend to be there for you. John Nugent ’79 certainly believes that. And for him, one friend from his days spent at Spring Hill College was always there and helped keep him on track: Brother Ferrell Blank, S.J. The two friends talk frequently to this day. Nugent decided to transfer to Spring Hill from St. Bonaventure University, a Franciscan liberal arts university in western New York. He said he needed to “make a change” in his life. “I needed to go in a new direction,” Nugent said. “I needed to get my priorities straight and commit my life to a stronger relationship with God. I decided on Spring Hill to help me make those changes.” A business major, Nugent arrived on the Hill in 1978 and headed for his room that was assigned in Walsh Hall. That’s where he first met Brother Blank, who lived on his floor and always had an open door for students to come by and talk. Brother Blank arrived at Spring Hill in 1961 and by 1979 had become the man who kept the College humming – the “go-to guy” for important maintenance issues, plumbing, heating and cooling, refrigeration, electricity and even making sure all the locks and keys worked properly. He was a certified plant engineer and was named Engineer of the Year in Mobile in 1972-73. Today, at age 74, he’s still on the go, managing the Jesuit villa in Perdido Bay, staying active with the Knights of Columbus, and helping out the Jesuit community and campus

regularly. Blank celebrated his 50th year as a Jesuit in 2006. “We became fast friends,” Nugent said. “He was always interested in others and made you feel more important than he was. He is a humble, servant-oriented man.” “Brother Blank helped to ground me, make me a better person and to look at my life in a new way, “ Nugent added. “John is a good person, knows how to make decisions well, and is easygoing in many ways,” Blank said. “We got along so well. John and some other guys would come by all the time. Sometimes we’d have some pretty good gumbo.” To show his appreciation for his friend and mentor, Nugent has established a scholarship for needy students in honor of Brother Blank. “He has had such a positive impact on the College, so many students, and certainly on me,” Nugent said. “Brother befriends so many people. His stories and his name need to always continue.” Nugent’s life directions have been good ones. He is now president and CEO of Serena Software, a company in California that helps organizations orchestrate their application development, information technology and business processes. Software 500 ranks Serena 131st on the list of the 500 largest software companies in the world based on software and services revenue. Prior to joining Serena Software, Nugent served as executive vice president of worldwide operations at SAP Business Objects, and before Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Nugent

that served in executive and senior sales management positions at Oracle Corporation for 17 years. Nugent’s sales career began at Software International, where he spent more than six years marketing and selling mainframe applications software to Fortune 1000 companies. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of Harvard Business School. He and his wife, Marilyn, live in Menlo Park, Calif. So what advice does Nugent give to college students now? “Get your priorities straight,” he said. “Make sure you have a strong relationship with God and your family, and follow your passions, use your gifts. And, we all need a friend like Brother Blank, someone who is always there for you. Keep them close and cherish them.” To find out more about the Brother Ferrell Blank, S.J. Scholarship, contact Dr. Samantha Church in the Development Office at (251) 414-3208 or schurch@shc.edu. John Kerr is Director of Communications and Institutional Marketing at Spring Hill College. 20

ChapterUpdates

1 Chicago - Ray Dempsey ’76 and Cara Parrillo ’88 look over the Chicago Cubs items donated by Jim Hendry ’77 at the auction. 2 Mobile - Chris Williams ’88, left, and James Brandyburg ’88, right, visit with Nick Grant ’14 at the AHANA Mix and Mingle in Mobile.

Atlanta Atlanta alumni turned out in early August to watch the Braves take on the New York Mets at this family friendly event. Chapter president Ginger Sundberg ’98 coordinated the event.

Chicago Chicago alumni braved an early visit from the cold to play in the alumni chapter’s 15th annual golf tournament Sept. 25 at Highland Golf Course. Ray Dempsey ’76 and Greg Schlax ’77 made up the winning team. Chapter president Rob Dunkel ’94 turned over the reigns to incoming president

3 Lunch and Learn - Chip Gardner ’04, left, of Houston gave his advice to Gable Fortune ’12, Pat Dolan ’12 and Matt Jordan ’12 at the Lunch and Learn in the new student center.

Conor Gee ’07. A live auction and dinner followed the tournament.

Mobile Minority alumni leaders from Mobile came together on campus in late August for the AHANA Mix and Mingle for all students as part of the College’s Weeks of Welcome activities. Alumni met with students in timed round table sessions to share their work experiences and give career advice. Sonja Bivins ’85 and Tyloria Crenshaw ’85 headed the event, which was co-sponsored by SHC Career Services.

4 Lunch and Learn - Eddie Acevedo ’05, who developed the idea for Lunch and Learn, is joined by Caitlin Smitherman ’12, left, and Brittani Lewis ’12 in the new student center. 5 St. Louis - Enjoying the social in St. Louis are Jimmy Rapp ’11, Sean Rapp, Kristi Sobbe ’93, Kevin Dielschneider and Steve Kocian ’94. 6 St. Louis - Meghan Lane Siebenman ’95, Brendan Lane ’02 and their mother, Karen Lane, took part in the Cardinals vs. Cubs pre-game festivities.

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Members of the SHC National Alumni Board gathered in the dining room of the new student center prior to their fall meeting to share their expertise with the student body at a “Lunch and Learn,” an idea developed by Eddie Acevedo ’05.

St. Louis A record number of alumni came from across the country to cheer on their favorite team at the Cardinals vs. Cubs game in St. Louis in August. Alumni from Kansas City, Mobile, Chicago and St. Louis met at JBuck’s prior to the game.

Visit Flickr

for the SHC Alumni Photo Gallery www.flickr.com/photos/shcalumni

ClassNotes 1940s Cecilia (Cookie) Sebastian Smith ’66 has lived in Houston for 30 years. She and her husband, Jerry, have five children, Rob, Murray, Staphnie, Gerald and Nick, and nine grandchildren. Jerry is a CPA and Cecilia is an accountant.

1950s Ray Jackson ’52 turned 85 in January and takes delight in being a Eucharistic minister to the sick and taking Holy Communion to the elderly in nursing homes in his parish boundaries in Winter Haven, Fla. Rev. Daniel J. Sullivan, S.J. ’55 received the Bene Merenti Medal last March from Fordham University, for 40 years of service on the biological science faculty. During his time at Fordham, he had a one-year Fulbright Research Fellowship to Nigeria, and sabbaticals at other agricultural institutes in South America and India. Patricia Barr ’58 was recognized as one of the “Fab 40 Alumni” by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Health Professions.

1960s Leon F. Bouvier ’61 and Dudley Poston (Texas A&M University) recently published a textbook in demography by Cambridge University Press titled “Population and Society: An Introduction to Demography.” Carole Crenshaw Quayle ’61 married Donald Clayton on May 8, 2010 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, followed by a reception at the Bienville Club in Mobile. Terry Earley ’64 is retiring after 44 years in the carpet and flooring industry. Terry will be joining his wife, Jessica, in her successful interior design business in Dallas, Texas. Joan North, Ph.D. ’64 recently retired from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, where she served as dean of the College of Professional Studies since 1985. She previously held administrative posts at the University of Alabama and two private Midwest colleges. In the 1960s, she created and directed the first Head Start program in the state of Alabama. Joan is looking forward to spending her

retirement years enjoying hobbies such as tennis, vermiculture, gardening and jewelry making. Her husband, Storm, is an independent Mac computer consultant. Joe Chimento ’65 and his wife, Leone, have retired to Oceanside, Calif.

1970s Frank P. Reuter Jr. ’71 and Rhonda Reuter recently celebrated 26 years of marriage. He practiced internal medicine in Tyler, Texas for 30 years and is board certified in internal medicine and geriatrics. Reggie Copeland ’75 of Adams & Reese law firm in Mobile has been selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of the “Best Lawyers In America.”

1980s Michael Satterthwaite ’83 completed a master’s degree at the University of South Alabama in 1985 and a Doctorate in Psychology in 2009 at California Coast University. Laurie Gulley ’88 recently was named principal at the St. Bede campus of Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School in Montgomery, Ala. Benjamin J. “John” Stebor IV ’88 was promoted to Lt. Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. John has spent the last two years readying National Guard and Army Reserve units for deployment to the Far East. During this tour of duty, he has been stationed in military posts from California to South Carolina. John is in Mississippi conducting an evaluation program. Leanne Berg ’89 was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, education honor society, and Phi Kappa Honor Society during fall 2009. She obtained a Master of Education in the area of psychometry from the University of South Alabama in May 2010. Leanne continues to be employed by the Mobile County Public School System as a special education teacher. Michael Kintz ’89 was elected chairman of the board of Junior Achievement of Mobile. John J. Zollinger ’89 is president of Northshore Home Bank and resides in Madisonville, La.

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

1990s Tracey Moore Brachle ’92 and her husband, Paul, announce the birth of their second child, Mary Kate, born March 4, 2010. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 19.75 inches long. Mary Kate joins big brother Luke. They reside in Cincinnati, Ohio. David Kirk DePriest ’92 and Barbara Ann Hudson were married on July 21, 2007 in Greenville, S.C. Groomsmen and ushers from Spring Hill included Kevin Andrews ’94, Doug Layman ’93, Brad Copenhaver ’93, Sam Coates ’94, Derek Wright ’94 and P.J. Thelen ’93. Barbara Ann graduated from East Carolina University in 2001 and works as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Kirk graduated from Oklahoma State University medical school in 1998 and works for Integris Baptist Hospital as chief of surgery. The couple resides in Enid, Okla. Kevin Andrews ’94 and Erin Boettcher Andrews ’95 welcomed their third child, William Grady Andrews, on July 4, 2009. Grady joins big brother Kevin Jr., 5, and big sister Norah Kate, 3. The family resides in Suwanee, Ga. Trey Mayhall ’95 and Emma Mayhall announce the birth of their third son, Graham Waller, born April 15, 2010 in Mobile. Graham weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. Travis Grant ’96 and Carole Rathle Grant ’99 are happy to announce the birth of their second daughter, Stella Simone Marie, born Nov. 23, 2009. She weighed 9 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21.25 inches long. Stella’s big sister, Gabrielle, is 2 years old. Travis is an attorney, and Carole is the director of youth ministry at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. They reside in Mobile. David Weems ’96 and Lindsey Stuardi Weems ’00 announce the birth of their third son, David Stuardi, born Sept. 29, 2010 in Mobile. He was 7 pounds, 15 ounces. He was welcomed home by big brothers, Patrick and Joseph. Sarah Esslinger-Rogers ’97 graduated from the University of Alabama at Huntsville with a Master of Science in Nursing in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program.

ClassNotes Ben ’97 and Meredith ’97 Latino welcomed their daughter, Isabella Marie, on April 23, 2009. Isabella joins big brother Ben Russell, who is 5. The Latinos reside in Wake Forest, N.C. Audra Foret Fields ’99 and her husband, Zack, welcomed their son Brent William on Sept. 14, 2009. Brent joins big brother Adam Zachary. The family resides in Metairie, La. Lauren Hebert ’99 earned her M.D. from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans in May. Following graduation, she will begin her pediatrics residency at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore. She will be accompanied by her husband and two dogs. Delvin Seawright ’99 passed the Certified Public Accountant exam and earned the CPA designation. Delvin is an adjunct accounting instructor with Troy University – Montgomery Campus. He is also a Certified Government Financial Manager. Delvin and his wife, Lori, reside in Montgomery, Ala.

2000s Drs. Amy Welch Bednar ’00 and Anthony Bednar welcomed their second daughter, Addison Mary, on Nov. 23, 2009. The family resides in Vicksburg, Miss. Jason Gerth ’00 and his wife, Ashleigh, announce the birth of their son, Jason Jr., born on March 31, 2009. Jason is an attorney in Mobile specializing in commercial and business litigation. Jason holds law licenses in Alabama and Florida. Claire Pabody ’00 is furthering her marine science career by working with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. She works for Dr. Sean Powers in the Fisheries Ecology Lab as a research assistant, after receiving a master’s degree in marine science from the University of Alabama.

College alumni in attendance were Megan Ford Sawyer ’00, Susie Saint Veasey ’00, Alicia Jacob Corley ’00, Terry Hillery ’00, Kristen Kammer Hattox ’99 and Ashley Wolfe ’04. Samantha Fenwick Kurtz ’01 and Michael Kurtz announce the birth of Aubin Elisabeth on May 22, 2009. She joins big brother Eaton. The Kurtz family lives in St. Louis. Samantha is an accountant at Cassidy Turley, a commercial property management firm. Paul W. McMullan ’01 and Dr. Taralyn McMullan welcomed their first child, Emrie Lyn McMullan, on July 15, 2010. The McMullan family resides in Mobile, Ala. Sara Kathryn Skilling ’01 and Matthew Hill announce the arrival of baby Watson Donovan, born May 11, 2010. He is welcomed by big sister Annabelle, 3, and big brother Charlie, 1. Rob Beckmann ’02 and Katie Duckworth Beckmann ’04 announce the birth of their daughter, Caroline Louise, born Jan. 19, 2010. She weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 23 inches long. Mark Christman ’02 and Renée Hurley Christman ’03 announce the birth of their son, Brock Adrien, born July 16, 2010. Brock weighed 9 pounds and was 20.5 inches long. The Christman family resides in Ormond Beach, Fla. BJ Bertucci ’03 and Christina Przybylski Bertucci ’01 welcomed their second daughter, Sarah Christine, on April 19, 2010. BJ teaches choir and piano at St. Amant High School in Gonzales, La., and Christina works for the Ascension Parish School Board.

Brady Carroll Peters ’00 and her husband, Dan, announce the birth of their daughter, Cullen Elizabeth Peters, born Feb. 28, 2010. She weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. Brady, Dan and Cullen recently moved to Baltimore, Md., from Louisville, Ky.

Penny Dupre ’03 married Michael Do on Sept. 6, 2009 at Southern Oaks Plantation in New Orleans. In attendance were Mary Williams ’03, maid of honor; Suzanne Lu ’03, bridesmaid; Ralph Marbacher ’01; Tamica James ’03; Jeremy Rush ’03; and Cesar Castillo ’02. The couple resides in Metairie, La., where Penny is a pediatric resident at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans/Children’s Hospital, and Michael is a general surgery resident at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation.

Lynn Rush ’00 and Philip Frisby were married Jan. 9, 2010 at the Nativity BVM Cathedral in Biloxi, Miss. Rev. Gregory F. Lucey, S.J., was the officiant. Spring Hill

Jeremiah Kolb ’03 and Sarah Pugh Kolb ’03 announce the birth of their daughter, Caroline Stewart, born March 18, 2010. She weighed 7 pounds and was 19 inches long.

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Ann Marie Bradley Kononchek ’04 and Kevin Kononchek ’04 announce the birth of their second child, Brendan Thomas Kononchek. He was born June 21, 2010 at 12:14 p.m. at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. He weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 22 inches long. He joins big sister Avery Lindley Kononchek. James Hecker ’05 and his wife, Amanda, announce the birth of their daughter Clara Nell Sullivan Hecker, born May 3, 2010. She weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and was 19 inches long. Jake Ledkins ’05 and Allison Pokladnik ’07 were married in St. Joseph Chapel at Spring Hill College on March 6, 2010. The couple resides in Saraland, Ala. Lenice Emanuel, MLA ’06 recently was named CEO of Tampa Bay YWCA. She is the first African-American to hold that position in the organization’s 94-year history. Evan Lee ’06 married Elizabeth “Betsy” Housh ’06 on May 16, 2009 in Pensacola Beach, Fla. William Bradley Pitts ’06 recently completed all requirements for a Doctoral of Medicine degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He has accepted an internal medicine residency appointment with the USA Hospital System in Mobile. Elizabeth Bondy ’07 married Justin Fortenberry on April 16, 2010 in their hometown of Baton Rouge, La. Allison Pokladnik Ledkins ’07 of Baton Rouge was an attendant in the wedding. Elizabeth works in property management, and Justin works in engineering and surveying. The couple resides in Baton Rouge. Rachel Crum ’07 lives in New Orleans and is working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Our Lady of Holy Cross College. She started clinicals this spring. Ashley Cyr ’08 completed a master’s degree in elementary education at Spring Hill College in July 2010. She lives in Mobile, Ala. Katharine Lea ’08 and Jason Gristina ’07 were married in St. Joseph Chapel on May 15, 2010. Rev. Mike Williams, S.J., presided. Alumni attendants included Kelsey Bailey ’08,

Does Someone You Know Deserve an Award?

Shee’ Dueitt ’08, Bob Smith ’08, Melvin Gerrets ’08 and Scott Gristina ’02. The couple honeymooned on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Jason and Katie reside in Mandeville, La. Jason is an accountant at Omni Bank, and Katie is working toward an M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders/Speech Language Pathology.

Spring Hill College presents several honors annually to outstanding alumni and non-alumni who, through various acts and achievements, have shown their commitment to Spring Hill College and their communities. We encourage you to take a few minutes to nominate outstanding individuals who deserve recognition in these areas.

Claire Bailey ’09 joined the Baltimorebased creative agency Mission Media as a marketing manager.

Ignatian Award Community service and humanitarianism

Helen Cecelia Gwatkin ’09 and Norman McLeod McInnis IV were married April 10, 2010 at St. Joseph Chapel. They reside in Mobile, Ala.

Karopczyc Award Young alumnus for outstanding service to College or community

Christopher C. Ladner ’09 and Lori Addie Brannin ’10 were married June 19, 2010 in Bay St. Louis, Miss.

In Memoriam James “Jim” Canale ’68

Gautrelet Award Outstanding professional achievement

Dr. Larry D. Hall passed away Sept. 14, 2010 after a difficult battle with brain

Athletic Hall of Fame Outstanding athletic achievement In adherence to the award descriptions, I hereby nominate:

William T. Drury ’42

cancer. He joined the Spring

Helen Baumhauer DuMars ’70

Hill College faculty in 1978

Nominee:

Judith Shannon England ’86

and served the department

Date Submitted:

of sociology as professor and

Class (if known):

Ullman Jackson Fortenberry ’44 Eugene W. Fuquay ’63 John A. Hanrahan ’59 Charles T. Jenks ’70 Nicholas Henry Jongebloed ’53 William Pete Kinnally ’55 Robert Lee Kruse ’54 Joseph “Joey” Leonard ’79 Edward L. Leslie ’39 Chuck Madden ’71 James Francis McGah ’79 William Warren Mills ’53 Ronald Benedict Morrison ’63

chair during his 31-year tenure. Hall earned his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 1979. A native of Mobile, he was an active member

Ralph Dewey St. Ament ’50 Mary Jo Steger ’59 Ernest F. Tonsmeire ’42

Professional Affiliation:

of the Mobile Optimist Club.

Reasons for Nomination:

Hall is survived by his mother, Sharron; his children, Dale H.

Thomas E. Ryan ’57

Zip Code:

Church and a devoted member

Thomas Leighton Nelson ’50

William “Bill” Anthony Price ’59

City/State:

For the Following Award(s):

Ellie Hall; his wife of 41 years,

Owen Sullivan “Sully” O’Rourke Jr. ’58

of Christ United Methodist

Juan M. Navia ’00 Martin “Marty” O’Donnell ’59

Address:

Hall and Leigh Ellen Nettles; and his granddaughter,

Submitted by: Address: City/State/Zip Code: Phone:

Class:

Clara Katherine Nettles. Memorial donations may be made to Wilmer Hall Children’s Home, 3811 Old Shell Road, Mobile, AL 36608.

Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Please detach and send this completed form to: Office of Alumni Programs 4000 Dauphin Street Mobile, AL 36608 Or, complete online at www.shc.edu/alumni If you have questions about any of these awards, please call the Alumni Office toll-free at (877) SPR-HILL. 24

A planned gift for the ‘perfect college’ By Rebecca H. Appenzeller ’74

Inevitably, in the course of a conversation regarding my history, I get the question: “So, where did you go

to school?” I love that question because it enables me to extol the virtues of Spring Hill and reminisce about some of the truly great times in my life.

Appenzeller

husband, Craig Brown, also recently

be used as student financial aid.

for me, Spring Hill was it. I wanted

retired, and we live just south of

Ultimately, however, I recognize

the adventure of a school far from

Dayton, Ohio.

that there are many needs, and I trust

If ever there was a perfect college

my hometown of Springfield, Ill., but

the administration to use the money

the security and familial environment

boards that are generally focused

as they see fit in the best interest

of a small college where I could feel

on youth health and development,

of the College.

connected. The culture was nurturing

and our gifts to Spring Hill are in

but also intellectually demanding,

keeping with our desire to provide

For more information or assistance

and looking back today I credit a great

opportunities for young people to

with establishing an estate gift,

deal of whatever successes I have had

apply themselves to achieve their

contact Rinda Mueller at

to the life lessons learned at Spring

potential.

(877) SPR-HILL, (251) 380-2285

The last time we updated our

Hill.

or rmueller@shc.edu.

wills, Craig and I decided that since

Visit www.shc.edu/plannedgiving

support from classmates, priests,

our families were self sufficient,

to learn more about how planned

faculty and staff enabled me to learn,

we would dedicate a percentage

giving can provide tax savings while

experience and enjoy life, relate to

of our estate to support several

supporting Spring Hill College.

people on many levels, and especially

organizations for which we have a

to grow and mature.

special affinity. Spring Hill certainly fit

In particular, the friendships and

I returned to the Midwest after college, had a fulfilling career in

We serve on several nonprofit

that bill. I would like our contributions to

corporate law, and retired about

help other Spring Hill students receive

a year ago as general counsel of a

the same opportunity I did, and

private corporation in Cincinnati. My

my first thought was that it should Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

Ride in Style Show your Spring Hill pride Alabama alumni, parents and friends of Spring Hill College: The new SHC vanity tag will be available at your local probate court judge’s or license commissioner’s office in January. Cost is only $50 per year, plus your annual car tag fee. Spring Hill College benefits from the sale of each tag, and your contribution is tax-deductible.

For details, visit shc.edu/alumni or the SHC Alumni Facebook page.

Nov. 12 - Reception with Rev. Richard P. Salmi, S.J. Singer Island Oceanfront Hilton, 6 p.m. West Palm Beach

Nov. 13 - Welcome Reception for Rev. Richard P. Salmi, S.J. Home of Peggy Rolando ’72, 7 p.m. Coral Gables, Fla.

Dec. 2 - Mobile Chapter Christmas Party Stewartfield, 6 p.m. Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve Mass St. Joseph Chapel, 5 p.m.

December - Dallas/New York City Christmas Parties TBA Spring Hill College Magazine • Fall 2010

By giving to the Spring Hill College Fund, you help us fulfill our promise statement of forming leaders engaged in learning, faith, justice and service for life. “I have always believed leaders are never born; they’re made. I was once in the very same seats of the kids that I now tutor today. It felt so good to know that someone believed in me to such an extent that they would take time out of their busy schedules to help me become greater.”

DeMarco Wills ’11

Hometown: Mobile, AL Major: Journalism and Marketing

www.shc.edu/giving

Spring Hill College

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Mobile, AL Permit No. 1450

4000 Dauphin Street Mobile, AL 36608-1791

Save the Date - April 8-10, 2011 Homecoming on the Hill Honoring classes ending in 1s and 6s New activities, new venues and lots of memories We invite you back to campus for Homecoming

Graphic art by Jacqueline Cherigo â&#x20AC;&#x2122;10

Find up-to-date Homecoming information, including accommodations and lost lists at www.shc.edu/homecoming.