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Bingo
Wednesday, March 12
Panther's Den
9:00 PM
"Akhmatova"
Friday, March 14
Grousbeck Auditorium
7:30 PM
"Akhmatova"
Saturday, March 15
Grousbeck Auditorium
2:00 PM
Panther Preview
Saturday, March 15
Register Online »
DJ
Party
Saturday, March 15
Panther's Den
10:00 PM
Mr.
and Mrs. Ferrum Pageant
Monday,
March 17
Panther's Den
8:00 PM
Holocaust
Concert
Wednesday, March 19
Grousbeck Auditorium
7:00 PM
Frank
X. Walker
Wednesday, March 26
Blue Ridge Mountain Room
7:00 PM
Relay
for Life
Friday, April 4
Baseball Field
Begins 6:00 PM and Ends 6:00 AM
Alumni
Events
March
Staunton/Shenandoah
Valley Chapter
Thursday, March 27th
Rowe’s Family Restaurant, 6:00 pm
April
Secretarial Sciences Tea Party
Saturday, April 5th, 3:00 pm
The Virginia Room of Franklin Hall
Dr. Jennifer Braaten, President of Ferrum College, will provide updates
from the College.
More info »
Ferrum Baseball vs. Emory and Henry
Monday, April 21st, 7:00 pm
Calfee Park, Pulaski
Ferrum Baseball vs. Guilford College
Tuesday, April 22nd, 6:00 pm
Hooker Field, Martinsville
Roanoke Chapter
Thursday, April 24th, 6:00 pm
El Rodeo (Electric Road-Beside Gold’s Gym)
Alumni Board of Directors Meeting
Saturday, April 26th, 11:00 am
Founders Room, Stanley Library
Senior Dinner Dance
Wednesday, April 30th, 6:00 pm
Westlake Golf and Country Club
May
Richmond Alumni Chapter
Thursday, May 15th, 6:00 pm
Bull and Bear Club
June
Roanoke Chapter
Thursday, June 12th, 6:00 pm
TBA
July
Roanoke and Franklin County Chapters
Saturday, July 12th, 6:00 pm
Salem Avalanche Game
Meet at the Blue Ridge Copier Cove
Staunton/Shenandoah Valley Chapter
Thursday, July 23rd, 6:00 pm
TBA
August
Roanoke and Franklin County Chapters
Saturday, August 9th, 6:30 pm
BRDT-Little Women
Washington, DC Chapter
Thursday, August 24th, TBA
Nationals vs. Mets
September
Hampton Roads/Tidewater
Sunday, September 21st
Norfolk, TBA
Dr. Braaten will be the guest speaker.
Attention
Class The Career Services Office staff hopes you are settling into the
next phase of your life direction. |
Larry Heaton
Climbing to
the Top!
The Smith Mountain Laker
featured Former Ferrum
College Board of Trustee
Member Larry Heaton in
a recent article.
See it here on page 38.
Athletics
News:
Women's Basketball Players Named All-Conference Men Close with USA South Tournament Quarterfinal Loss Women's Basketball Advances in USA South Tournament |
Mitchell, Tharp Earn Top USA South Men's Basketball Honors
Spring
Break in Jamaica: It’s Definitely a Call to Mission By Wes Astin Having completed a 2007 mission trip to Guatemala, a cruise for friends of Ferrum College to Bermuda, and led a 2-week trip to Israel and Palestine in early 2008, I made the decision to take a break from traveling during the College Spring Break 2008. I also made a promise when I accepted the role as college chaplain to never turn students down if they wanted to live out the Ferrum College motto: “Not Self But Others." New
Assistant Dean
Ferrum College will soon welcome a new Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. Dr. Gail Summer will serve as our new Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the end of March. Gail comes to us from Lenoir Rhyne College where she was a Professor of Education. She has had considerable experience in central academic administration at Lenoir Rhyne as well. Food Services
Creates Special Food Displays
Chef Bo and his staff have been extremely busy creating amazing food displays for students, faculty and staff during the past few months If you didn’t get a chance to enjoy these spectacular treats, don’t worry, there will be more to come! Don't Forget
your Ferrum Gear at the Ferrum College Bookstore!
Roanoke
Chapter Spotlight
Dr. Joseph Stogner was our special guest at our Roanoke Chapter gathering on February 21 and we had record attendance at the dinner. Thank you to Roanoke Chapter committee members Gretchen Hager Tipps '00, Stuart Smith '95, Jon Morris '94, and Joey Cornwell '02 for spreading the word about the dinner. Thanks also to all of Dr. Stogner's former students who came back to spend time with Joe and Jane!
Letter from
Clint L. Hege, Jr. '69
Dear Alumni and Friends of Ferrum: Hello and greetings from the Alumni Board of Directors! I hope you are having a happy and healthy 2008 thus far! I am writing to bring you updates on some of the exciting plans in store for our alumni family this year. |
Dear Friends:
We are well into the spring semester and look forward this month to St. Patrick’s Day, the official “first day” of spring and the return of our students from spring break. As always I invite you to scroll below this letter to read all about the Ferrum people, special events, announcements and activities that make our campus such a vibrant and happening place!
An incident on our campus at the end of February provoked a storm of media attention. As a result of a reported intruder in Bassett Hall we immediately put into place our emergency planning procedures to try to insure the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff (see letter). We have received tremendous support for the way in which this situation was handled, not only from our Ferrum family of alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends, but also from the various TV, radio and print reporters who made their way to Ferrum to cover this event.
As you know, we are already in the Lenten
season and Easter arrives early this year, on Sunday, March 23. My
wish is that the spirit of the Resurrection remains with us throughout
a glorious spring and beyond as we reflect upon the timeless messages
of forgiveness, renewal, and hope that are so much a part of the paschal
celebrations of Easter and Passover.
Sincerely,
Jennifer L. Braaten
President
Top
Stories
Ferrum College
Campus Expansion Continues
Construction
will begin in the near future on a new three-story residence hall to
be located on the west side of the Ferrum College campus. The
building will house 120 students, two to a room, and will help accommodate
the continuing growth in enrollment that the college has been experiencing
over the last several years. Completion of the project is expected
before the beginning of the fall 2008 semester.
Mod-U-Kraf Homes of Rocky
Mount will construct most of the all-brick structure off-site, reducing
construction delays. Scott Manufacturing,
Blackwater Millwork, and MW Manufacturers Inc. are among other Franklin
County-based companies who will also be involved in the project. The
manufacturing process could serve as a prototype building method for
other colleges and universities that are also in need of quality, fast-track
construction. The new structure will be energy efficient and meet ENERGY
STAR certifications.
Bobby Thompson, Vice President of Business Affairs at Ferrum College, says, “It is extremely gratifying to see the teamwork of local manufacturers and suppliers to help Ferrum College as we strive to continue to provide quality residence space in a record amount of time for our growing enrollment. We especially appreciate the many county agencies that offered their guidance and expertise throughout this process. ”
Richard Huff, Franklin County Administrator, says, “It is a very positive
sign to see Ferrum College continue with their growth and investment
in our community. They are a major asset to all of Franklin County
and we look forward to our excellent relationship as partners in progress.”
Ferrum College Celebrates
Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, Ferrum College hosted several
events, including a compelling and captivating performance by Melissa Waddy-Thibodeaux
who plays Harriet Tubman in a one-woman show called “The Resurrection
of General Harriet Tubman for Literacy.” The one-woman play, presented
by Flying Geese Productions, is the story of the Underground Railroad
and the “Woman They Called Moses,” Mrs. Harriet Ross Tubman-Davis. Thibodeaux’s
performance has been highly acclaimed and she has been captivating audiences
on a national platform.
On
January 21st, a special Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration was held
in the Panther’s Den of Franklin Hall. The program included
guest speaker Lt. Col. (Ret) Larry D. Moore. Moore, a Franklin
County native, gave an inspirational talk encouraging students to do
their best in school. During
his speech, he challenged the audience to emulate King’s habit of raising questions. “Life
is not supposed to provide you with answers but provide you with questions for
us to answer.” Moore said. “We should think about other nations,
countries with lands and what kind of impact we can have.” He stresses the importance
of life-long learning and travels extensively throughout the world to spread
his message. He is a true believer that education is the hope and future of this
country.
To round out the month’s activities, students got the chance to show off their
creative side. They spent hours one evening outlining everyone's body and
then decorating it. They each picked a famous black American they most
admire, and who shares similar goals to place onto their outline. You can
see their work displayed in each of the dorm buildings throughout campus.
Ferrum College Looks For Its "Biggest Loser" in Campus-Wide Competition
Ferrum
College is looking for its own “Biggest Loser” in a campus-wide competition
to find the person who can lose the most amount of weight. Approximately
40 students, faculty and staff have signed up to compete in the 10-week
contest. This race to shed the most pounds is different from the
popular television show in that Ferrum participants must work out and
diet completely on their own; no personal trainer is there to push them
along the way.
“We wanted to try to promote a healthier lifestyle and healthier eating
habits and this is a way we can do that,” says freshman Andrew Maxwell,
organizer of the contest. “We have about 40 faculty and students
working out and eating right to win this competition and many say they’re
already seeing results,” he says.
The competition, which began at the end of January, will continue until
the final weigh-in on April 8th. The winner will be chosen by the
percentage of body fat lost so everyone will have an equal chance to
win. If the winner is a student, they will receive $300 in cash. If
a faculty or staff member wins the competition, they walk away with bragging
rights!
Ferrum College
Psychology Students Work to Promote Literacy
Members of the Ferrum College Psychology Club
held a book fair at Barnes & Noble at Tanglewood Mall in
January to promote literacy and raise money for Ferrum Elementary
School and the Psychology Club. During the entire three-days
of the book fair, students were able to raise nearly $600 for
the elementary school and the club. Children’s crafts, coffee
samplings, story times, book signings and even a surprise appearance
by Curious George (aka Professor Kevin Reilly) kept everyone
entertained.
Sharon Stein, Associate Professor of Psychology at Ferrum College, says,
“The Psychology Club has always been actively involved in service to others
by participating in a variety of community projects. We also felt the
book fair fits well with the college’s theme this year of “Social and Economic
Justice” and the profession of psychology. We know how important it is
for children to play – this is how they deal and adjust. Our goal in this current
project is to promote the love of books in children by encouraging them to
come to a bookstore, have fun with crafts and story time, and maybe pick out
a book they’ll enjoy.”
Distinguished Ferrum College History Professor to be Featured on an Upcoming Series on The Discovery Channel
Ferrum College Professor of History, Dr. Richard Smith, is getting a lot of attention these days. He will soon be featured on an episode of a new series that will debut this summer on The Discovery Channel. The show will be hosted by award-winning television personality Josh Bernstein, widely known for his popular adventure-archaeology series called “Digging for the Truth” on the History Channel. The episode featuring Dr. Smith, entitled “Africa’s El Dorado,” will focus on the history of the Saharan desert city of Timbuktu, which was the center of the gold trade between the 14th and 16th Century. Bernstein called on Dr. Smith because of his expertise on Saharan history during this time frame.
His
upcoming debut on the show is creating a lot of media buzz. He
has been interviewed about his experiences by The Roanoke Times, on Cable
12’s Rise N’ Shine show, and local public radio station WVTF.
Dr. Smith has taught at Ferrum College for 32 years and has received
several distinctions, including the Forrest S. and Jean B. Williams Distinguished
Teaching Professorship in the Humanities, and the Cheatham Fellowship
for his research in preparation for publication of a work on premodern
trade currently in press. He
is one of only a handful of people in the world specializing in 16th
and 17th Century Saharan history.
In
2006, Dr. Smith wrote and published “Ahmad al-Mansur,” a biography of
a Moroccan Sultan. Because of his knowledge about this period
in history, the show’s producers contacted Dr. Smith to assist them in
their investigation surrounding the history of the Sultan, who created
a renegade army of mercenaries to attack the gold center of the ancient
world. The producers flew Dr. Smith to Marrakech in Morocco for the filming
of their hunt for the remaining gold. Once there,
they visited the only two historical sights that might lead them to the gold:
The El Badi Palace and the Saadian tombs.
The Saadian tombs contain the tombs of Ahmad al-Mansur’s family and are still
in good condition. The El Badi Palace, built by Ahmad al-Mansur, is now in ruins.
The funding for El Badi, which means “marvelous” in Arabic, was one of the reasons
for Al-Mansur’s attack on Timbuktu. This Versailles like ruin is extensive and
should make for an interesting feature on the show. For more information or to
schedule an interview with Dr. Smith, contact the Public Relations Department
at 365-4300.
Ferrum College Graduate Seen on Super Bowl Advertisement
If you happened to have been one of the millions of people who were tuned in to this year’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, you may have seen a commercial starring a Ferrum College grad. Cliff Todd, ’95, who is now an actor living in Hollywood, California, made a brief but memorable appearance during an advertisement for Pepsi Max. If you missed it, you can still see here.
Cliff is a Richmond native and majored in Theatre at Ferrum. It was
his versatile acting experiences at Ferrum with both the Jack Tale Players and
the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre that he says prepared him for the
hard-knock life of Hollywood. “The hands-on experience I got at Ferrum was
amazing,” says Cliff. “The range of roles I was able to play gave me tremendous
flexibility as an actor. To go from rehearsing a play in two weeks
and then performing it prepared me for much larger roles later in my career.
I was very impressed with the drama department there because it was so small
and I was able to develop great relationships with the professors. You don’t
get that at a larger University.”
Cliff and his wife, who is also an actor, continue to audition for as many
roles as they can. For the past 6 years, Cliff has been working with
an in-house performance group called Groundlings Theatre, a job
that he says gives him the flexibility to have the time to audition for commercial
and television work. He says his experience of working with the producers
for the Pepsi Max commercial was a dream come true and will help when he
walks into his next audition. “It’s not about who you know here, it’s
all about who knows you,” he says.
Ferrum College Students Help Community with Tax Returns
For Ferrum College accounting students, the past few months have been extremely busy. A team of students, led by Associate Professor of Accounting, Dave Sulzen, has been crunching the numbers to complete tax returns for low-income people in Franklin County. It’s all part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. This is an official IRS sponsored program, providing students with all of the training materials, 3 computers, a printer, and guidance. In return, they provide the manpower. The program is intended to help low-income individuals in the community to get their refunds, and maybe even an earned-income credit.
This is the seventh year students have been working with this program.
When they first started, they only did 36 returns. However, last
year they did over 150, and are expecting to top that this year.
Ferrum College Honors Faculty/Staff for Years of Service
Ferrum College held a special employee recognition dinner to pay tribute to Ferrum College faculty and staff who have contributed the last 5, 10, 20, even 40 years to help make Ferrum College the growing success it is today.
5 Years 10 Years 15 Years |
20 Years 25 Years 30 Years 35 Years 40 Years |
We also wished
9 of our employees who have retired from service to Ferrum College
the very best. |
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Wallpapers
Photo
Galleries
January
2008
"Collage,
Assemblage and Mixed Media"
January
2008
Blue
Ridge Institute Renovation Project
November
2007
Southern Virginia
University Faculty
November 6, 2007
Bread & Puppet
Theatre
November 2, 2007
Moore
Hall Dedication
October
2007
United
Way Bowlathon
October
27, 2007
Blue
Ridge Folklife Festival
October 13, 2007
Homecoming
Weekend
October 12, 2007
Corron
Classic Panther Open
October
10, 2007
Human
Services Career Fair
October 2007
Blue
Ridge Clay Invitational
September
2007
Family
Weekend Photos
September
2007
Moore
Hall
September
2007
Betsy
Bannan Art Exhibit
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Call
for Nominations for the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards Ferrum College will recognize the outstanding achievements of alumni who exemplify the three eras of Ferrum College: Ferrum Training School, Ferrum Junior College, and Ferrum College. Nominees should: Names, addresses, and biographical information should be sent to Ferrum College, Alumni Office, PO Box 1000, Ferrum, VA 24088-9000, by FAX 540-365-4203, or by E-Mail to alumni@ferrum.edu. All nominations must be received by February 15, 2008. |
Ferrum College Launches New Classes through its Lifelong
Learning Program
Ferrum
College, in partnership with Condensed Curriculum International (CCI), is launching
two new programs in the allied health fields through its Lifelong Learning
Program. The programs, Pharmacy Technician Certification
and Medical Billing and Coding, are designed to prepare students to take the
certification exams in each respective area. Both programs are scheduled to
accommodate the adult learner by meeting in the evening or on weekends. Medical
Billing and Coding is a 70-hour program that will meet on Monday and
Wednesday evenings beginning on March 10th. Pharmacy Technician is
a 50-hour program that will meet on Saturdays beginning March 15th. Both
programs will be held at The Franklin Center in Rocky Mount.
Read More »
Scholarship Activities of Faculty & Staff
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