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ALUMNI PODCASTS<br />
DEAR BSC<br />
MAKING MUSIC<br />
’SOUTHERN<br />
A Publication for Alumni and Friends Fall/Winter <strong>2021</strong> | Volume 46, Number 1<br />
the<br />
ISSUE<br />
’Southern Sounds<br />
BSC Playlist<br />
BSC<br />
Birmingham-Southern College
SNOW DAY<br />
On February 16, <strong>2021</strong>, Birmingham-Southern College experienced<br />
a rare snow day. Winter Storm Uri brought snow, ice, and freezing<br />
temperatures to Alabama, with north and north-central areas of<br />
the state receiving a light coating of snow and flurries lingering into<br />
the early afternoon. The snow was gone by the next day, but the<br />
memories — and photographs — remain.
sc snapshots<br />
Conceptual, cerebral, and cooler than a snow day in Alabama, People Years features lead<br />
singer/guitarist Chris Rowell ’95, keyboardist Tony Oliver, bassist Greg Slamen, and drummer<br />
Wes McDonald. The band’s second album, XIV, is “full of dreamy, distorted guitars, haunting<br />
keyboards and propulsive bass and drums,” says Chris Davidson, Magic City Bands. “The record<br />
unfolds as chapters of a sonic novel … slowly building an exhilarating musical catharsis.”<br />
People<br />
Years
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: A playlist that I am working<br />
on is hit songs with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section,<br />
“The Swampers,” as the supporting studio band. These<br />
songs include “When a Man Loves Woman” by Percy Sledge,<br />
“Respect” by Aretha Franklin, “I’ll Take You There” by the<br />
Staple Singers, “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones, and<br />
“Kodachrome” by Paul Simon, among others.<br />
Muscle<br />
Shoals<br />
Sound<br />
Letter from the<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
In the summer of 1980, three of my best friends<br />
and I drove to Atlanta to see The Who in concert.<br />
It was their first U.S. tour since the death of their<br />
outlandish drummer, Keith Moon. We adored The<br />
Who. We had all their albums, and we had seen<br />
each of their movies several times each. We dissected<br />
the symbolic meaning of “Tommy.” We felt the<br />
energy and euphoria of Jimmy’s rebellious and<br />
tragic life in “Quadrophenia.” We came to “know”<br />
Pete, Roger, John, and Keith from “The Kids Are<br />
Alright.” And now, we were traveling to see all of<br />
them in person (except for Keith) at the Omni in<br />
Atlanta. At the age of 15, it was one of the greatest<br />
concerts of my life, though not because it was the<br />
greatest concert. Rather, something about The Who<br />
spoke to me as a 15-year-old boy.<br />
To memorialize the concert, my friends and I<br />
decided to make a cassette tape with every song in<br />
the concert in the exact order played. Our resources<br />
were limited, but our creativity was not. We had<br />
one tape deck, one turntable, a receiver, and two<br />
speakers. For some reason, our tape deck would not<br />
record directly from the turntable via the receiver.<br />
So, to make this recording, we put two speakers<br />
facing each other, standing about three feet apart.<br />
Then we hung a microphone between the speakers<br />
and plugged it into our tape deck. We did this four<br />
times to create four copies of our The Who concert,<br />
which we played over and over for our final two<br />
years of high school.<br />
One of the great benefits of technological<br />
developments over the last 40 years is the access<br />
to music. In the early 2000s, I remember the<br />
excitement of paying $1 a song to line up music<br />
on my iPod. It was so much better than the Sony<br />
Walkman. Little did I know, Napster would launch<br />
in 1999 and change the model of music distribution<br />
for the next generation. I was just happy to have<br />
access to the music I wanted to listen to at any time<br />
or any place.<br />
As a young executive who traveled internationally<br />
twice a month, turning on my iPod and reclining<br />
in my seat gave me a needed sense of comfort, a<br />
feeling of being at home at 40,000 feet over the<br />
Atlantic. The downside to the iPod was that it was<br />
another device I had to carry around with me at<br />
all times. I had no room in my pockets. I had to<br />
resort to wearing a Blackberry holster, the sign of<br />
the business cowboy in the 2000s. In retrospect, the<br />
Blackberry on the belt was the fashion equivalent of<br />
a pocket protector.<br />
If the delivery of music was transformed over a<br />
15-year period from 1995 through 2010, we are<br />
currently experiencing a similar transformational<br />
time with video. Growing up in Alabama, I have
Like all new technology, streaming is a powerful<br />
tool. One can use it to limit oneself, to isolate<br />
oneself. One can also use it to expand oneself.<br />
always loved college football (Go Panthers!).<br />
When I lived in Japan in 1993, I had no access to<br />
game scores. On Sunday mornings (late Saturday<br />
night back in the U.S.), I would walk about 10<br />
blocks to my office. I would go inside, sit down<br />
at my trading desk, log in to my Bloomberg<br />
terminal, and pull up all the scores and written<br />
highlights. My parents saved the Sunday<br />
“Birmingham News” sports pages so I could read<br />
them all when I came home for Christmas. Today,<br />
I would be able to pull out my phone at 3:30<br />
a.m. in a bar in Roppongi and watch any game on<br />
television that was kicking off at 2:30 p.m. Central<br />
Time. Anyone can watch almost anything now on<br />
television or any streaming service on their phone.<br />
Access to sports, television, and movies is no<br />
longer constrained by location (if there is internet<br />
connectivity) or time.<br />
Is all this good? On the one hand, there is a<br />
social loss. We don’t have the opportunities to be<br />
creative to access them. More significantly, when<br />
everyone watches what they want to watch, we<br />
separate into our own worlds. How many times<br />
do we walk into rooms where people are watching<br />
something different on their phones? Their heads<br />
are down; they don’t acknowledge each other<br />
much less relate to each other.<br />
On the other hand, we all have been empowered<br />
to listen to and watch what we want. We are not<br />
dependent on playlists or TV shows by executives<br />
we don’t know who are being paid by advertisers.<br />
Because access has become easier, we have more<br />
content: more TV shows, more movies, and more<br />
music. Our social fragmentation may well cause<br />
us to lose certain social skills. It is not like I have<br />
the same social skills as my grandparents. What we<br />
don’t often realize is that those faces who are in<br />
phones are also communicating with friends, many<br />
of whom they would not be able to be close to<br />
without iPhones and social platforms. New social<br />
skills are forming.<br />
With respect to increasing access to music and<br />
video, I believe the benefits are huge. Growing<br />
up idolizing the British Invasion, I wasn’t<br />
interested in country music. I associated it with<br />
overproduction (“The Nashville Sound”) and<br />
saccharine and slick performances on “Hee Haw”<br />
(if you have never heard of “Hee Haw,” you can<br />
look it up on YouTube). I made a playlist a few<br />
years ago on my iPhone, and my kids called me<br />
an idiot and showed me Spotify. Brave new world!<br />
Playlists on Spotify introduced me to music I did<br />
not know existed. Now, if I hear an artist I like,<br />
I go to Spotify and play not just their songs, but<br />
also their “playlists.”<br />
Not long ago, I listened to an Elvis Costello<br />
playlist. It had 1980s music I liked: The Style<br />
Council, Squeeze (managed at one time by<br />
BSC graduate Miles Copeland III ’66, who<br />
you can read more about on pg. 40), The Jam,<br />
The Replacements. It also had music I was not<br />
expecting. In the late 1980s, Costello spent time<br />
in Nashville, a time that had a huge influence on<br />
him. His list also includes Lucinda Williams, The<br />
Flying Burrito Brothers, The Jayhawks, and John<br />
Hiatt. I listened to country music that I found<br />
culturally accessible. I pulled up playlists from two<br />
artists I had liked for years, Lyle Lovett and John<br />
Prine – their playlists introduced me to Townes<br />
Van Zandt, Iris Dement, and my new favorite,<br />
Alabama’s own Jason Isbell.<br />
Like all new technology, streaming is a powerful<br />
tool. One can use it to limit oneself, to isolate<br />
oneself. One can also use it to expand oneself.<br />
For me, Spotify is a little of each. I find new music<br />
and then I create my own lists. By and large, it is<br />
expansive. Without it, I would have fewer playlists;<br />
I would know less music and listen to less music.<br />
Who knows what is next? Gaming and virtual<br />
reality? Whatever it is, we can be sure that it will be<br />
powerful, which means it can enrich our lives or<br />
isolate us. That will be up to us. As for me, the one<br />
thing for sure is that I will take up whatever new<br />
technology is invented 10 years after everyone else.<br />
Forward, Ever!<br />
Daniel B. Coleman<br />
President
’SOUTHERN MAGAZINE<br />
VOLUME 46, NUMBER 1<br />
Daniel B. Coleman, President<br />
DeLynn M. Zell ’86, Chair,<br />
Board of Trustees<br />
’Southern magazine is published<br />
by the Office of Communications<br />
at Birmingham-Southern College,<br />
Birmingham, Alabama 35254.<br />
Non-profit postage paid at B’ham.,<br />
AL Permit No. 2575. ©<strong>2021</strong><br />
Birmingham-Southern College<br />
<strong>2021</strong>-2022 ALUMNI BOARD<br />
Thomas Waters ’86, President<br />
Rodney Barganier ’94<br />
Danzey Burnham ’78<br />
Devan Byrd ’13<br />
Paul Fancher ’97<br />
Jeris Burns Gaston ’05<br />
Betty Gunn ’60<br />
<strong>2021</strong>-2022 YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL<br />
Jennifer Commander ’12, President<br />
Denzel Okinedo ’16, President-Elect<br />
Kandace Hamilton ’06<br />
Christopher Byard ’07<br />
Glorious Bates ’10<br />
Ansley Emmet ’10<br />
John Gunnells ’10<br />
Kathleen Hillen ’10<br />
Julie Paul ’10<br />
Tyler Marsh ’11<br />
Holly Laine NeSmith ’11<br />
Charlsie Wigley ’11<br />
LaDarius Woods ’11<br />
LJ Campbell ’12<br />
Lauren Miles Kelley ’12<br />
Sarah McCune ’12<br />
Alex Miller ’12<br />
Katie Stewart ’12<br />
Brittany Arias Sturdivant ’13<br />
Brooke Warren Rebarchak ’13<br />
Chelsea Smith ’13<br />
Chelsea Vance Velez ’13<br />
Stephen Wilson ’13<br />
Ana Lejava ’14<br />
M’Kayl Lewis ’14<br />
Terria Punturo Steele ’14<br />
Susan Tuberville ’14<br />
Clayton Humphries ’15<br />
Gabby Joiner ’15<br />
4 / ’southern<br />
George Lane ’95<br />
Byron Mathews ’70<br />
Jeb Pittard ’98<br />
Leanna Bankester Pittard ’98<br />
Greer Real Tirrill ’79<br />
Reba Simmons MPPM ‘00<br />
Michael Flynn ’16<br />
Patrick Fox ’16<br />
Katie Waters-McCormack ’16<br />
John White ’16<br />
Emily Ballew ’17<br />
Emily Eidson ’17<br />
Jalon Hollie ’17<br />
Bethany Kuerten ’17<br />
Samantha Laflin ’17<br />
Jay Williams ’17<br />
Lauren Brasher ’18<br />
Sam Campbell ’18<br />
Shiv Desai ’18<br />
Katie Kassis ’18<br />
Damian Mitchell ’18<br />
Kelsey Peake ’18<br />
Justin Woolfolk ’18<br />
Vindhya Basetty ’19<br />
Jackson Massey ’19<br />
Kyler Jackson ’19<br />
Andrew Triplett ’19<br />
Leah White ’19<br />
Aaron Beane ’20<br />
Olivia Jones ’20<br />
Diamond Spears ’20<br />
Leah Thomas ’20<br />
Christopher McClintock ’21<br />
Olivia Seckinger ’21<br />
Zac Venos ’21<br />
1856 TOUR<br />
Editorial Offices<br />
10 Stockham Building<br />
900 Arkadelphia Road<br />
Box 549004<br />
Birmingham, AL 35254<br />
Phone: (205) 226-4922<br />
E-mail: communications@bsc.edu<br />
Virginia Gilbert Loftin<br />
Vice President for Advancement<br />
and Communications<br />
Executive Editor<br />
Amy Bickers Abeyta<br />
Assistant Vice President<br />
of Communications<br />
Art Directors<br />
Patrick Bradford<br />
Assistant Director of<br />
Visual Content<br />
Traci Edwards<br />
Assistant Director of<br />
Visual Content<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Alexis Barton<br />
Nicholas Mathey<br />
Sports Information Director<br />
Jesse Roberson<br />
Elizabeth Sturgeon<br />
Communications Coordinator<br />
Jordan Taylor<br />
Marketing and Digital Media<br />
Coordinator-Athletics<br />
Photography<br />
Cameron Carnes<br />
Photographer and Videographer<br />
Dustin Massey ’12<br />
Courtney Wild ’23<br />
Office of Alumni Engagement<br />
Jennifer Howard Waters ’86<br />
Director<br />
Dana McArthur Porter ’03<br />
Assistant Director<br />
www.bsc.edu
CONTENTS<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
2<br />
Letter from the President<br />
6<br />
Campus Life<br />
12<br />
Panther Pride<br />
16<br />
Office Hours<br />
17<br />
Off Hours<br />
18<br />
A Day in the Life<br />
20<br />
The Next Chapter<br />
60<br />
Giving to BSC<br />
64<br />
Lifelong Learning<br />
FEATURES<br />
21<br />
Remembering GALA<br />
When stars fell on Alabama: A<br />
look back at the biennial event<br />
that honored distinguished<br />
women and supported students<br />
from 1977-2004<br />
23<br />
Special Section:<br />
Dear BSC<br />
Alumni pen tributes to the many<br />
ways Birmingham-Southern<br />
prepared them for their lives<br />
beyond the Hilltop<br />
20<br />
37<br />
The<br />
Playlist Issue<br />
‘SOUTHERN MAGAZINE // VOLUME 46, NUMBER 1<br />
48<br />
37<br />
Alumni Features<br />
BSC highlights a few grads and a student<br />
in the music business: I.R.S Records cofounder<br />
Miles Copeland III ’66, country<br />
hitmaker Walker Hayes ’02, singer/<br />
songwriter Jada Cato ’17, and Moxie<br />
Hotel guitarist Price Pewitt<br />
44<br />
BSC Virtual Book Clubs<br />
Alumni, faculty, staff, and community<br />
members connect online for BSC’s Fall<br />
<strong>2021</strong> Virtual Book Clubs<br />
46<br />
Alumni Podcasts<br />
Find out which BSC grads are sharing<br />
insight, expertise, and more in podcasts<br />
55<br />
Distinguished Alumni<br />
Awards<br />
Photos from the Homecomingweekend<br />
tribute to the 2020<br />
Alumni Awards honorees and <strong>2021</strong><br />
Posthumous Honorees<br />
63<br />
Hilltop Tribute<br />
Joelle Phillips ’89 remembers mentor<br />
and friend Clay C. Long ’58<br />
SCAN AND TAP<br />
Throughout this issue, you will see QR<br />
codes that link to songs, playlists, and<br />
videos related to each story. To access<br />
a QR code, open the camera app on<br />
your smartphone, point it at the code,<br />
and hold it steady for a few seconds.<br />
When the notification appears, tap it to<br />
go to the link.<br />
If you prefer to visit links via your<br />
computer, you can find every link in this<br />
issue on the BSC Blog at blog.bsc.edu.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 5
Campus Life<br />
Panther Partnerships<br />
Learning New Skills<br />
Professor of Biology Dr. Pete VanZandt celebrated 15 years at the College by<br />
becoming a BSC student himself. Returning to the other side of the classroom –<br />
and making time to formally study outside of his research expertise – is something<br />
VanZandt has been wanting to do for a long time, and BSC’s Accelerated Data<br />
Science Program presented the perfect opportunity to do so.<br />
“As faculty, we all love the process of learning more,” VanZandt says. “If we have<br />
the time, I know that lots of us would like to take more classes. This was one of the<br />
most humbling, difficult experiences I’ve ever had, but, if it wasn’t that difficult, I<br />
would not have valued it as I do.”<br />
Last summer, VanZandt was part of the very first data science cohort through<br />
the College’s collaborative program with Flatiron School. He adds his time in<br />
the program to the list of strenuous, and at times grueling, challenges that have<br />
become some of his proudest achievements, like earning his doctorate degree,<br />
finishing several ultramarathons, and biking for 24 hours straight.<br />
“I’ve always believed that computing should be a part of every major,” he says.<br />
“There’s not a discipline, department, or aspect of our lives that’s not touched<br />
by data. I saw this program as an opportunity to increase my skills and better<br />
understand the possible connections between computing and what our students<br />
can do and what I can teach.”<br />
After completing pre-work assignments, and bringing his 25 years in<br />
statistics and some experience in programming languages, VanZandt joined<br />
undergraduate students, recent graduates, and professionals to learn a<br />
completely new skillset at a rapid pace.<br />
He consistently found ways to apply the knowledge to his work as a faculty<br />
member and administrator. VanZandt’s two final projects focused on moths, his<br />
research expertise, and on BSC graduation predictors.<br />
“I never would have known how to apply these different and novel data science<br />
approaches if I hadn’t taken this class,” Van Zandt says. “As chair of the biology<br />
department, I’m interested in how students progress through their first-year<br />
sequence. I have the tools now to do an analysis on what factors are leading<br />
students to be successful through those first four courses.”<br />
Though many students in the data science program are looking to change their<br />
career or break into Birmingham’s growing data science companies, VanZandt<br />
brought a different but nonetheless important goal – to gain a new expertise on<br />
data science that he will find numerous ways to bring into his current position.<br />
“And having a student’s perspective again is something that’s going to make my<br />
teaching better.”<br />
SGA LEADERSHIP<br />
Elections for <strong>2021</strong>-2022 Student Government<br />
Association positions concluded on Thursday,<br />
Sept 16. The executive board, led by SGA President<br />
Laura Alice Hillhouse, is another all-female team<br />
– last year’s SGA executive board was the first allfemale<br />
team since 2012.<br />
Laura Alice Hillhouse is a senior business<br />
administration major from Florence, Ala. She<br />
was the 2020-<strong>2021</strong> SGA Treasurer, is involved in<br />
Greek Life, and is a ’Southern Ambassador. She<br />
is also Vice President of We the Neighbors, an<br />
organization dedicated to breaking down stigma<br />
surrounding homelessness through education and<br />
service-learning opportunities.<br />
The other elected executives are:<br />
Vice President Anna Withers Wellingham, a<br />
sophomore political science major from Mountain<br />
Brook, Ala. She is involved in Greek Life, Quest II,<br />
Orientation Team, Active Minds, Concert Choir,<br />
Cheerleading, and is a volunteer for Religious<br />
Life. She also works as the supervisor for the BSC<br />
Bookstore.<br />
64<br />
// ’southern
BRINGING THE WORLD TO BSC<br />
Birmingham-Southern College will serve as one of the more than 25 competition sites around<br />
Birmingham for The World Games 2022. The multi-sport event will be held from July 7- 17, 2022.<br />
An anticipated 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries will participate in 34 unique, multidisciplinary<br />
sports throughout The Games.<br />
Goldfarb Field at Berylson Soccer Park, the home of Birmingham-Southern Soccer, will play host to<br />
Fistball. Bill Battle Coliseum, the home of Birmingham-Southern Basketball and Volleyball, will host a<br />
variety of competitions including Orienteering, Karate, Wushu, and Ju-Jitsu. Birmingham-Southern residence<br />
halls will also be the accommodation for several athletes competing at The Games in their dormitories.<br />
The World Games 2022 Birmingham marks the 40th anniversary of the event and will generate an<br />
estimated $256 million in economic impact. The World Games was established by the International<br />
World Games Association, an organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee.<br />
Wondering what Fistball is? Learn about The World Games sports at twg2022.com/sports/.<br />
David Benck ’90, senior vice president and general counsel at Hibbett<br />
Sporting Goods Inc., is secretary of the World Games 2022 board of directors.<br />
ALL-FEMALE AGAIN FOR <strong>2021</strong>-2022<br />
Secretary Madison Blair, a junior English major from<br />
Hoover, Ala. She was also the 2020-<strong>2021</strong> secretary. She<br />
is involved in Greek Life, the Orientation Team, and<br />
‘Southern Ambassadors, and is a writing center tutor.<br />
Treasurer Lauren Barnett, a junior double majoring<br />
in history and economics with a Distinction in Poverty<br />
Studies. She is involved in the Orientation Team, the<br />
Bonner Leader program, the Harrison Honors program,<br />
‘Southern Ambassadors, Quest II, Religious Life, Greek<br />
Life, and ARC tutoring.<br />
ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ARE:<br />
Senior Representatives<br />
Mayci Hartley<br />
Paige Williamson<br />
Junior Representatives<br />
Paige Washington<br />
Martha Louise Waters<br />
Sophomore Representatives<br />
Jamie Archer<br />
Honey Green<br />
Freshmen<br />
Representatives<br />
Xuan Huynh<br />
Daniel Johnson<br />
Lauren Overton<br />
Commuter<br />
Representatives<br />
Lilia Lopez<br />
Magali Valdez<br />
Lakeview Residence Hall<br />
Representative<br />
Malcolm Hogan<br />
Pierce Residence Hall<br />
Representative<br />
Constance Hodges<br />
Bruno Residence Hall<br />
Representative<br />
Sara Beth Hill<br />
Bill & Lyndra Daniel Residence Hall<br />
Representative<br />
Kenyé Underwood<br />
Hilltop Village Apartment Representatives<br />
Jannah Moede | Wheeler Coleman<br />
Fraternity Row Representative<br />
Jake Ogle<br />
Sorority Row Representative<br />
Greta Kyburz<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 7
Campus Life<br />
CELEBRATING<br />
50 YEARS<br />
When Janice Poplau came to interview at Birmingham-Southern in<br />
the summer of 1971, she took her very first plane ride from Minnesota<br />
to Alabama. Fifty years later, she’s made Birmingham and the N.E. Miles<br />
Library her home and is still helping the campus community with research<br />
and reading of all kinds.<br />
Over the years, Poplau’s position has shifted from overseeing the card<br />
catalog – which she eventually helped digitize – to managing the College’s<br />
interlibrary loan program. In both areas, she loves helping students and<br />
professors complete their research and discover books and materials that are<br />
essential to their work.<br />
One of the first big projects Poplau took on at the College was<br />
reclassifying the library collection from the Dewey Decimal System to<br />
the Library of Congress Classification. As she completed this project, the<br />
library began to outgrow its space in what is now the M. Paul Phillips<br />
Administration Building.<br />
In 1976, the library moved from the Phillips Building to the brand-new<br />
Rush Learning Center and N.E. Miles Library at the heart of the campus.<br />
Poplau remembers getting students’ help to carefully move catalog cards<br />
from the old filing cabinets in her car because “I didn’t trust the movers with<br />
the card catalogue,” she says.<br />
Now, 75 percent of her role is focused on interlibrary loans. Poplau gets to<br />
meet professors and students from all areas of campus.<br />
“It’s a great service for students to take advantage of for help with<br />
research and papers,” she says.<br />
Between different roles, buildings, and changes in her 50 years, a library<br />
director once told Poplau that there wasn’t a book in the library that hasn’t<br />
gone across her desk. She says that’s probably true.<br />
Read about other BSC employees celebrating service milestones in the<br />
<strong>2021</strong> Service Awards post at blog.bsc.edu.<br />
Fulbright Scholar Maria Augusta Zhunio<br />
In fall <strong>2021</strong>, Birmingham-Southern was<br />
one of 40 schools in the country to host<br />
a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, and one<br />
of the few selected schools to welcome an<br />
instructor who has already worked with its<br />
students and faculty.<br />
Fulbright Scholar Maria Augusta Zhunio,<br />
professor at the University of Cuenca in<br />
her hometown of Cuenca, Ecuador, spent<br />
the fall term on the Hilltop to teach in the<br />
Department of Modern Foreign Languages,<br />
engage with students and faculty across<br />
campus, and serve as a visiting scholar to the<br />
greater Birmingham area.<br />
Along with her business courses at the<br />
University of Cuenca, Zhunio teaches English<br />
language at the university and teaches Spanish<br />
to international students at the CEDEI<br />
Foundation, where BSC students studied<br />
during E-Term in 2017 and 2019.<br />
Professor of Spanish Dr. Barbara<br />
Domcekova and Professor of Chemistry Dr.<br />
Laura Stultz – who served as the codirectors<br />
of the Fulbright project – first met Zhunio<br />
through the CEDEI classes that were part<br />
of their Cuenca E-Term project, a threeweek<br />
immersion in Spanish language and<br />
Ecuadorian culture.<br />
8<br />
/ ’southern
<strong>2021</strong> OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR<br />
At our <strong>2021</strong> Commencement ceremony<br />
held in mid-May, Dr. Duane H. Pontius, Jr.,<br />
T. Morris Hackney Professor of Physics, was<br />
named the <strong>2021</strong> Outstanding Educator of<br />
the Year. A 1981 alumnus of Birmingham-<br />
Southern and a member of the faculty since<br />
1999, Pontius earned his Ph. D. in Space<br />
Physics and Astronomy from Rice University<br />
in 1988. As the <strong>2021</strong> Outstanding Educator,<br />
Pontius will serve as the 2022 Commencement<br />
speaker at the May 20, 2022, ceremony.<br />
During his career as a research scientist<br />
in space physics, an early success was his<br />
prediction of small, depleted magnetic flux<br />
tubes in the Earth’s magnetosphere, which<br />
has been firmly established by subsequent<br />
satellite observations. His ongoing research<br />
has made fundamental contributions to<br />
our understanding of Jupiter and Saturn<br />
by exploring electromagnetic coupling<br />
between the planets’ atmospheres and their<br />
magnetospheres. He developed a theoretical<br />
model that played a role in the Cassini<br />
spacecraft’s discovery of geysers on Saturn’s<br />
moon Enceladus. His work with two BSC<br />
physics majors resolved a long-standing<br />
puzzle about Saturn, that its rotation rate<br />
appears to vary with time. At BSC, he has<br />
concentrated on overhauling the pedagogy<br />
for introductory physics in line with advances<br />
from educational research.<br />
Exploring and Connecting at Harvard<br />
“This experience increases their<br />
proficiency and raises their confidence<br />
because they are communicating entirely<br />
in Spanish, whether it is with their host<br />
families, teachers at CEDEI, or people<br />
they interact with outside the class<br />
while they explore Cuenca and the local<br />
community,” Domcekova says.<br />
In Zhunio’s fall course, “Introduction<br />
to Economic Development in Latin<br />
America,” she combined her background<br />
in finance and economics with her<br />
experience teaching Spanish and English<br />
as second languages.<br />
Two BSC students were selected<br />
to attend the Harvard Divinity<br />
School Diversity and Explorations<br />
Program. Rachel Mixon, senior<br />
studio art major, and Thornton<br />
Muncher, senior literature, religion,<br />
and mythology major visited<br />
Harvard Oct. 26-28 to learn<br />
about possible areas of study and<br />
make connections with other high<br />
achieving, committed students<br />
who are interested in social justice,<br />
inclusion, and theology.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 9
Campus Life<br />
From Campus<br />
to Cannes<br />
Senior Natalie Justus spent part of summer<br />
<strong>2021</strong> in France working at one of the most<br />
esteemed and influential film events – the<br />
Cannes International Film Festival.<br />
Justus arrived one day before the festival<br />
began on July 5 and spent two weeks working<br />
with ticket distribution for The American<br />
Pavilion, the hospitality and communications<br />
hub for the thousands of Americans attending<br />
the Cannes Film Festival. In her role, she<br />
managed tickets at the Pavilion for industry<br />
insiders, student programs, and raffles for the<br />
most sought-after premieres.<br />
“I have always wanted to attend the<br />
Cannes Film Festival,” Justus says. “I was<br />
already planning on studying abroad in<br />
France during spring 2020, so applying was<br />
an easy decision.”<br />
Before the 2020 event was canceled<br />
during the pandemic, Justus had already<br />
applied to be a part of The American<br />
Pavilion student program, an opportunity<br />
she learned about from Assistant Professor<br />
of Media and Film Studies Robert Corna.<br />
Her position was then honored for the<br />
next three years, and she made her way to<br />
Cannes this summer, despite knowing it<br />
would be so different from years past.<br />
“My favorite part of the experience –<br />
aside from walking the red carpet in black<br />
tie attire – was meeting all the different film<br />
industry professionals and hearing about<br />
what they do and how they got there,”<br />
Justus says. “The highlight was when Haley<br />
Lu Richardson came to the Pavilion to talk<br />
about her newest film at the festival and her<br />
career as an actress.”<br />
Richardson starred in “After Yang,” which<br />
showed on July 8 among the other world<br />
premieres that make the Cannes Film<br />
Festival the largest film festival in the world.<br />
Over the two-week festival, screenings took<br />
place across multiple theatres, plus two<br />
Red Carpet Premieres at the Grand Theatre<br />
Lumiere every night.<br />
Justus had the opportunity to attend the<br />
premiere of “Stillwater,” starring Matt Damon,<br />
and it was one of her favorite films she saw<br />
during her time in Cannes. She also attended<br />
the Q&A following the next day and heard<br />
Damon speak about the film.<br />
“I got to see Matt Damon’s reaction to the<br />
film’s standing ovation – definitely a memory<br />
I will never forget,” Justus says.<br />
Along with the magic behind the festival<br />
and the red-carpet experience, Justus brought<br />
back knowledge that she will carry into her<br />
major in media and film studies and her<br />
future career goals. Through her program<br />
with The American Pavilion, she got to<br />
hear from actors and producers, publicists,<br />
entertainment lawyers, and other experts in<br />
the industry. Justus also got to work alongside<br />
other students with similar goals.<br />
“I got a much closer look inside what<br />
my future career may look like and made<br />
multiple connections that I will be able to<br />
reach out to after graduation,” she says. “I<br />
am still unsure which route I will choose,<br />
but It is nice to hear that there are so many<br />
different possibilities and career paths<br />
within the film industry.”<br />
NATIONAL<br />
COLLEGIATE RANKINGS<br />
U.S. News & World Report included Birmingham-Southern College<br />
on the list of top National Liberal Arts Colleges in “Best Colleges”<br />
for 2022, moving the College two spots higher than its <strong>2021</strong> ranking.<br />
BSC also is one of 52 colleges included on the 2022 U.S. News & World<br />
Report — A+ Schools for B Students (National Liberal Arts Colleges) list.<br />
The rankings were released Sept. 13.<br />
“We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report has once again moved<br />
us up in the rankings,” said BSC President Daniel B. Coleman. “In a time<br />
that has presented unprecedented challenges for our campus, our country,<br />
and the world, BSC has remained focused on providing an excellent<br />
education and a meaningful campus experience. We are especially proud<br />
of our students who have worked hard to excel academically while<br />
striving to keep our campus safe for in-person learning.”<br />
The guide lists BSC at #128 — tied with seven other liberal arts<br />
colleges: Albion, Eckerd, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts,<br />
Morehouse, Presbyterian, Ripon, and Roanoke. U.S. News & World Report<br />
included 167 institutions in its prestigious “national liberal arts college”<br />
rankings. There are about 500 liberal arts colleges in the United States.<br />
The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, now in their<br />
37th year, are considered the “gold standard” of higher education<br />
rankings, examined 1,452 degree-granting institutions in the United<br />
States on 17 measures of academic quality.<br />
Birmingham-Southern College also is featured in the “Fiske Guide<br />
to Colleges 2022.” As the best-selling college guide on the market,<br />
Fiske offers profiles of more than 300 of the “best and most interesting”<br />
colleges in the country. The guide describes BSC as a college “striving<br />
to prepare students for all aspects of the modern world, with high-tech<br />
facilities and a curriculum that prioritizes critical thinking, teamwork,<br />
and global awareness.”<br />
10 / ’southern<br />
6 / ’southern
PANTHER<br />
PARTNERSHIPS<br />
In November, Birmingham-Southern College announced 33 students<br />
– selected through a competitive process – and 33 Birmingham-area<br />
professionals, including 20 BSC alumni, who make up the <strong>2021</strong>-2022 class<br />
of the Panther Partnerships Mentoring Program. Through this intensive,<br />
structured program, volunteer mentors help students achieve individualized<br />
goals in pursuit of their educational and career ambitions.<br />
THE <strong>2021</strong>-2022 PANTHER PARTNERS ARE:<br />
• Khalil Almansoob, a sophomore<br />
business finance major, mentored by<br />
Tom Carruthers, principal at Red Rock<br />
Realty Group, Inc.<br />
• Jamie Archer, a sophomore urban<br />
environmental studies major, mentored<br />
by Katie Adams ’12, program manager at<br />
UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health<br />
• Sharee Davenport, a sophomore<br />
psychology major, mentored by Cassandra<br />
Winston-Griffin, DNP, adult nurse<br />
practitioner at WorkDOC1st<br />
• Casey Gilreath, a senior history major,<br />
mentored by Jackson Stewart ’08,<br />
Executive Vice President & General Counsel<br />
at Sanders Capital Partners, LLC<br />
• Amanda Goolsby, a senior political<br />
science major, mentored by Nic Palmer<br />
’15, program analyst at United States State<br />
Department Bureau of Diplomatic Security<br />
• Aaliyah Hammond, a senior sociology<br />
major, mentored by Ava Young ’02,<br />
entrepreneur at Metropolitan Day School<br />
• Shayla Hill, a senior psychology major,<br />
mentored by Steve Milliron, PT, ATC,<br />
Clinic Director at Encore Rehabilitation<br />
• Lindsey Hitchcock, a sophomore religion<br />
major, mentored by Elizabeth Peters, MD<br />
’94, pediatrician for Children’s of Alabama,<br />
Mayfair Medical Group<br />
• Hannah Jackson, a sophomore musical<br />
theatre major, mentored by Morgan Smith<br />
’03, Actor/Writer with SAG/AFTRA<br />
• Jasleen Judge, a senior political science<br />
major, mentored by Devan Byrd ’13, trial<br />
lawyer at Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP<br />
• Anna Kanter, a junior business finance<br />
major, mentored by Chandler Grace<br />
Peltier ’15, treasury solutions consultant at<br />
Truist<br />
• Joseph Kilcoyne, a senior business<br />
administration major, mentored by<br />
Arndt Haddenbrock ’95, national account<br />
executive at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co<br />
• Nikki Lee, a sophomore biology<br />
major, mentored by La’Tanya Scott,<br />
environmental science educator at The<br />
Cahaba River Society<br />
• Alex Lewis, a junior biology major,<br />
mentored by Ann Marie Arciniegas<br />
Bernal, MD, pediatric ophthalmology<br />
and strabismus at UAB Department of<br />
Ophthalmology<br />
• Lilia Lopez, a junior health sciences major,<br />
mentored by Howard Day, OD, ’83,<br />
optometrist at Day Eye Care<br />
• Anna Blake Lowe, a senior psychology<br />
and English major, mentored by<br />
Caroline King ’13, physician assistant at<br />
Massachusetts General Hospital<br />
• Amayrany Martinez, a sophomore<br />
architectural studies major, mentored<br />
by Taylor Davis ’01, principal at TPD<br />
Architect<br />
• Zionne McCrear, a junior biology major,<br />
mentored by Lauren Nassetta, MD ’01,<br />
Pediatric Hospitalist, Associate Director<br />
of Peds Residency Program and Chief<br />
Wellness Officer at UAB Department of<br />
Pediatrics<br />
• Ally Mildenberger, a junior business<br />
management and marketing major,<br />
mentored by Kristen McGee, realtor at<br />
RealtySouth<br />
• Sara Morales, a senior business marketing<br />
major, mentored by Adelaide Matte, CEO<br />
of AMD Creative + Set Me Up<br />
• Sabrina Morgavi, a junior political science<br />
major, mentored by Ellise Washington<br />
’11, founder and principal attorney at EMW<br />
LAW LLC<br />
• Jake Ogle, a sophomore urban<br />
environmental studies major, mentored<br />
by Eric Francher, a real estate acquisitions<br />
manager at Navigate Affordable Housing<br />
Partners<br />
• Sarah Rushing, a senior health sciences<br />
major, mentored by Carol Ann Nicrosi,<br />
DMD ’90, DMD, Children and Teen<br />
Dental Group<br />
• Elijah Schwartzkopf, a junior psychology<br />
major, mentored by Michael Falligant,<br />
Director of Mental Health Services<br />
at Crisis Center<br />
• Caroline Seale, a junior psychology major,<br />
mentored by Brian Bellenger, PhD, I-O<br />
Psychologist and Division Manager of<br />
Employment Testing at Personnel Board of<br />
Jefferson County<br />
• Emily Sills, a junior health sciences major,<br />
mentored by Rachel Jones ’10, registered<br />
nurse at Destination Travelcare<br />
• Lucy Thompson, a sophomore business<br />
major, mentored by Wilson Nash ’07,<br />
Legal Director at Brasfield & Gorrie<br />
• Magali Valdez, a junior Spanish for the<br />
workplace major, mentored by Daniel<br />
Lopez Rubio, attorney at Lopez Rubio<br />
Abogados<br />
• Johanna Villvicenzio, a junior biology<br />
major, mentored by David Hall, MD ’12,<br />
physician at Southview Medical Group<br />
• Abi Waller, a senior fine arts major,<br />
mentored by John Lytle Wilson ’99, artist<br />
at John Lytle Wilson<br />
• Ming White, a senior accounting major,<br />
mentored by Dennise Armas ’17, senior<br />
auditor at Ernst & Young<br />
• Paige Williamson, a senior psychology<br />
major, mentored by Elizabeth<br />
Richardson, PhD ’00, assistant professor/<br />
clinical psychologist at University of<br />
Montevallo and<br />
• Mallory Wilson, a junior business<br />
management major, mentored by Jamie<br />
Dabal ’03, Vice President of Operations at<br />
Children’s of Alabama<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 11
Panther Pride<br />
A SOFTBALL SEASON FOR THE BOOKS<br />
The Panthers were looking to take home<br />
another SAA Conference Tournament<br />
Championship, making it back-to-back wins<br />
since the tournament was cancelled in 2020.<br />
After coming off a great season in 2019, it<br />
was heartbreaking for their season to be cut<br />
short and the chance at defending their title<br />
to be taken away.<br />
After starting off their <strong>2021</strong> season with 12<br />
straight wins, Birmingham-Southern softball<br />
amassed only eight losses in their season<br />
to end with an impressive 33-8 overall<br />
record. BSC won 13 of its 15 conference<br />
games, earning them the Southern Athletic<br />
Association regular season title. They went<br />
on to face Rhodes in their first game of the<br />
conference tournament and won that game<br />
with an impressive 11-7 score. Birmingham-<br />
Southern went on to sweep Berry, even run<br />
ruling them 8-0 in their final game, to take<br />
home their back-to-back and third overall<br />
Southern Athletic Association Tournament<br />
Championship, earning them an automatic<br />
bid into the NCAA Championship.<br />
The No. 5 seeded Panthers went on<br />
to face the University of Redlands in the<br />
first round before facing No. 9 Salisbury<br />
University in the semi-finals. BSC made an<br />
impressive run to sweep the host No.7 East<br />
Texas Baptist University and went undefeated<br />
throughout the regional tournament in<br />
Marshall, coming home with the first ever<br />
regional championship and trip to the NCAA<br />
National Tournament.<br />
Battling to stay alive in the tournament,<br />
BSC faced No. 14 University of Rochester in<br />
the first round on May 27, going into extra<br />
innings, the Panthers came out victorious in<br />
the 9th inning, winning 3-2. The Panthers<br />
sadly fell in the second round to No. 2<br />
Virginia Wesleyan but were able to bounce<br />
back and beat University of Wisconsin-<br />
Oshkosh 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals.<br />
BSC Ultimately fell to the reigning national<br />
champions, No. 2 Texas Lutheran, the<br />
Panthers finished their historic season ranked<br />
fifth in the nation and took home third place<br />
in the National Tournament.<br />
New Leadership<br />
Looking to make a repeat of last<br />
year, Birmingham-Southern brought in<br />
Amanda Locke as the new head coach.<br />
Locke comes to BSC from Northwestern<br />
State University (NSU) in Natchitoches,<br />
La. She graduated from the University<br />
of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science<br />
in 2011, where she was a member of the<br />
softball team from 2008-2012. In 2012,<br />
the team won the NCAA Softball National<br />
Championship. As a player, Locke was<br />
named to the 2012 All SEC Team and the<br />
2012 Academic All SEC, among numerous<br />
other honors. With 54 career home runs, she<br />
ranks third in Alabama history.<br />
“I am beyond excited to join the<br />
Birmingham-Southern family and am<br />
extremely grateful to President Daniel<br />
Coleman, Athletic Director Kyndall Waters,<br />
and the rest of the hiring committee,” Locke<br />
said. “I have so much respect for this softball<br />
program and all of the incredible women<br />
who have built it. This is something that I<br />
have looked forward to since my coaching<br />
career began. I am honored to represent this<br />
program as their head coach.”<br />
12 / ’southern
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:<br />
Songs for motivation. Find all the songs BSC Athletics teams are<br />
listening to now in the ‘Southern Sound playlist.<br />
BSC Football Has<br />
Best-Ever Season<br />
A season that will go down as one of the<br />
best in program history came to an end<br />
Nov. 27 when Birmingham-Southern fell to<br />
#2 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the<br />
second round of the NCAA Football Playoffs.<br />
Led by Coach Tony Joe White, this was the<br />
first 10-win season in program history, and for<br />
the first time ever, the Panthers won a NCAA<br />
Division III National Football Championship<br />
Playoff game. Plus, a record 21 student-athletes<br />
were named to All-Conference Honors on<br />
Nov. 23. BSC was awarded six first team<br />
honors, nine second team honors, and five<br />
were voted honorable mention.<br />
Receiving All-Conference Honors were:<br />
DJ Albright; Jimmy Anderson; Brandon<br />
Armstrong; Court Coley; Cameron DeArman;<br />
Tavion Fleming; Zach Ford; Trey Gory;<br />
Michael Gray; Wes Guilford; Aidan Hood;<br />
Derrick Maddox; Byron Millsap; Chris Moore;<br />
Gage Motes; Gentry Neese; Brandon Rew;<br />
Gibbs Sherrell; Robert Shufford; Garrett<br />
Smith; and Carson Walter. Senior Robert<br />
Shufford ranked in the top 20 in Division III<br />
in rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, and<br />
rushing yards per game.<br />
The 21 All-Conference Honors studentathletes<br />
set a new single-season record for<br />
the BSC football program. There were also<br />
numerous team records, and individual season<br />
records broken throughout the season.<br />
HISTORY IN OVERTIME<br />
Facing a shortened season due to COVID-19, the Birmingham-Southern men’s<br />
soccer team’s goal and chances at winning the conference title got even more difficult.<br />
In March 2020, the Panthers started their conference journey, ending with a 5-1<br />
conference record. They opened it up with a win at home against Hendrix, before<br />
facing their first loss of the conference season against Rhodes.<br />
The Panthers went on to win the rest of their conference games. Birmingham-<br />
Southern played an incredible overtime game against Berry for their final game of the<br />
regular season, so close to achieving their goal. Facing the team who was going after<br />
the same opportunity and battling for the title, the Panthers knew it would be a fight.<br />
After a scoreless first half, the game was still up for anyone to take. Goalkeeper<br />
Jack Hunt faced four shots and made one save to keep Berry off the scoreboard. The<br />
second half began with physicality, but a foul on Birmingham-Southern brought<br />
Berry a penalty kick in the 64th minute of play. The Vikings were able to capitalize<br />
on the penalty and scored the first goal of the game. Not long after, Berry received a<br />
yellow card that gave Birmingham-Southern a chance to tie up the game. Sophomore<br />
Coleman Jennings netted the penalty shot to tie the game. Jack Hunt would face<br />
six more shots, saving three, in the second half to keep the Panthers in the fight.<br />
Regulation ended with the game tied 1-1, making this an overtime battle for the title.<br />
At the 94:12-mark, first-year student Pirmin Blattmann booted a free kick into<br />
the box, but the Berry goalkeeper punched it out. Making quick moves, the punched<br />
ball was collected by sophomore Bryan Arteaga Cruz at the corner of the box. Arteaga<br />
Cruz made his way to the end line, cut back to his left foot, and served a cross to the<br />
middle of the box where junior Christian Hernandez finished it with a bicycle kick<br />
to make history for Birmingham-Southern. The bicycle kick from Hernandez won<br />
the game for Birmingham-Southern and gave them the Southern Athletic Association<br />
Regular Season Championship, making them the first team in the men’s soccer<br />
program to gain the title.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 13
Panther Pride<br />
HALL OF FAME<br />
Birmingham-Southern Athletics celebrated its <strong>2021</strong> Hall of Fame inductions<br />
Oct. 21 during the Hall of Fame dinner ceremony. The five athletes inducted<br />
were Allison Popp White (women’s Soccer, 2000), Taylor Bassett (softball,<br />
2015), Larry Thomas (men’s basketball, 2015), Blake Stevens (baseball, 2015),<br />
and Tiarra Goode (women’s track & field, 2016).<br />
Allison Popp White ’00 was part of the women’s soccer team from 1996-1999.<br />
Popp White earned three All-TranSouth selections in 1996, 1997 and 1998. She<br />
was also selected to the All-Tournament team twice in her career. Popp White<br />
holds several records at Birmingham-Southern: She is first in program history in<br />
saves (467) and shutouts (22), and second in program history in wins (32), save<br />
percentage (.837), single season saves (202) and wins (13). Popp White holds the<br />
single-game record for most saves in a match with 23.<br />
Taylor Bassett ’15 was a member of the Panther softball team from 2012-<br />
2015. Bassett earned two All-Region honors in 2013 and 2015. She earned<br />
Southern Athletic Association Player of the Year in 2013, as well as All-<br />
Southern Athletic Association selections in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Her legacy<br />
as Birmingham-Southern includes ranking first in program history for on-base<br />
percentage (.475) and home runs (29). Bassett also ranks second in program<br />
history in RBIs (132). In 2013, she was announced as the BSC Female Athlete of<br />
the Year.<br />
Larry Thomas ’15 joined the men’s basketball team from 2011-2015.<br />
Thomas earned three All-Southern Athletic Association selections in the 2012-<br />
13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, as well as Southern Athletic Association<br />
Player of the Year for 2013-14 and 2014-15. Thomas was also selected for<br />
the D3Hoops.com All-Region team in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. His<br />
accolades do not end there, Thomas was also a two-time NABC All-American<br />
in 2013-14 and 2014-15. His legacy at Birmingham-Southern includes being<br />
awarded BSC Male Athlete of the Year in 2014 and being the all-time leading<br />
scorer in program history with 1,666 points.<br />
Blake Stevens ’15 was a part of the Panther baseball team from 2012-2015.<br />
Stevens earned Southern Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and<br />
2015, as well as Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Newcomer of the<br />
Year in 2012. Stevens also received South Region Pitcher of the Year in 2014<br />
and 2015, All-South Region team in 2012, 2014 and 2015. He was a twotime<br />
CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2014 and 2015, a two-time ABCA<br />
All-American in 2014 and 2015, and D3baseball.com All-American in 2015.<br />
D3baseball.com also recognized him as Pitcher of the Year in 2015. His legacy at<br />
Birmingham-Southern includes being awarded BSC Male Athlete of the Year in<br />
2014 and 2015, as well as being the program leader in career strikeouts with 340<br />
and innings pitched with 336.1.<br />
Tiarra Goode ’16 was on the women’s track and field team from 2011-2015.<br />
Goode earned USTFCCCA South/Southeast Region Women’s Track Athlete of<br />
the Year in 2012 and 2013, 10 conference titles and 13 All-American honors. She<br />
was a two-time national champion in the 100m hurdles and 60m dash in 2012<br />
and a two-time national runner-up in 100m hurdles and 60m dash in 2013. Her<br />
legacy at Birmingham-Southern includes being BSC’s first individual national<br />
champion and first in Division III era, as well as being named BSC Newcomer of<br />
the Year in 2011 and BSC Female Athlete of the Year in 2012, 2013 and 2015.<br />
14 / ’southern
Athlete Awards<br />
During the shortened 2020-21 athletic<br />
year, Birmingham-Southern student-athletes<br />
received 114 all-conference honors, 15 allregion<br />
selections, nine conference Player of<br />
the Year awards, seven team championships,<br />
two Coach of the Year awards, six All-<br />
America honors, and a trip to the softball<br />
world series.<br />
With an impressive showing not only in<br />
conference but nationally, Birmingham-<br />
Southern also presented awards to the<br />
following teams and individuals.<br />
Sigma Alpha Alpha<br />
BSC inducted 13 new members into<br />
Sigma Alpha Alpha, the Southern Athletic<br />
Association honors society for graduating<br />
seniors. Inductees must earn above a 3.5<br />
cumulative grade point average over the<br />
course of their time at BSC and represent<br />
their programs on either the first or second<br />
all-conference teams. This year’s inductees<br />
were from baseball, Will Evans and Robbie<br />
Lively; from football, Trevor Oakes and<br />
Wells Smith; from women’s golf, Alexis<br />
Chambers; from women’s soccer, Sydney<br />
Barrow and Abby Kay Choate; from softball,<br />
Saydee Keith; from men’s swimming and<br />
diving, Sam Arnold, Driscoll Crabbe, and<br />
Max Stoneking; from women’s swimming<br />
and diving, Kasey Godwin, and from<br />
women’s tennis, Alyssa Yager.<br />
Male and Female Newcomers of the Year<br />
Hallet Green of men’s tennis and Hailee<br />
Bryan of softball were named male and<br />
female newcomer of the year. Green was<br />
named SAA Player of the Year. He went 16-1<br />
overall in singles, 8-0 against conference<br />
opponents, playing mostly out of the No.<br />
1 position. In doubles, Green went 14-4<br />
competing with three different partners,<br />
going undefeated in the No. 1 spot. Bryan<br />
was named both SAA Pitcher of the Year<br />
and Newcomer of the Year. Named to the<br />
National Fastpitch Coaches Association<br />
All-Region Third Team, she helped lead<br />
the Panthers to their first NCAA Regional<br />
championship and appearance in the<br />
World Series. Bryan ranked nationally in<br />
10 different categories, including ninth in<br />
saves. She also led the conference in seven<br />
categories including shutouts and strikeouts.<br />
Ben Sinclair Teammate of the Year<br />
This is the fifth year of the Sinclair Award,<br />
given annually to a student-athlete who<br />
enriches their program through attitude,<br />
positivity, and by being their teammates’<br />
biggest fan and supporter every single day.<br />
They serve as a role model by the way they<br />
live their life and are considered the hardest<br />
working member of any team. This year’s<br />
recipients are Alyssa Yager of women’s tennis<br />
and David Minton of baseball.<br />
Johnny Johnson Most Inspirational Senior<br />
Johnny Johnson was one of the most<br />
beloved and dedicated administrators<br />
at Birmingham-Southern. Johnson was<br />
instrumental in helping the college develop<br />
a plan for moving its athletic program<br />
to the NCAA Division I level. In honor<br />
of his behind-the-scenes work for two<br />
decades at Birmingham-Southern, the<br />
athletic department created an annual<br />
award honoring senior student-athletes<br />
who exemplify the qualities of scholarship,<br />
leadership, citizenship, and the selfless<br />
attitude in and out of the athletic arena, who<br />
inspires teammates, coaches, and fans. This<br />
year’s recipients were Leah Middleton of<br />
women’s basketball and Zac Venos of men’s<br />
lacrosse.<br />
Ann Dielen Female Athlete of the Year<br />
The Female Athlete of the Year was named<br />
for long-time tennis coach Ann Dielen, who<br />
coached for over 40 years on the Hilltop.<br />
Dielen was instrumental in the advancement<br />
of women’s sports at Birmingham-Southern.<br />
This year’s winner was Mary Katherine<br />
Stewart from women’s swimming and<br />
diving. Named SAA Swimmer of the Year,<br />
Stewart collected six titles at the conference<br />
championships. She was also selected as an<br />
All-American by the College Swimming and<br />
Diving Coaches Association of America for<br />
the 200 backstroke.<br />
Larry D. Striplin Male Athlete of the Year<br />
The Male Athlete of the Year award was<br />
named in honor of late benefactor Larry<br />
D. Striplin, who passed away in 2012 at<br />
the age of 82. He was a 1952 graduate of<br />
Birmingham-Southern and is a member<br />
of the BSC Sports Hall of Fame. This year’s<br />
award recipient is sophomore Coleman<br />
Jennings of men’s soccer. Named SAA Player<br />
of the Year, Jennings led the country in<br />
game winning goals and penalty kick, and<br />
finished the year ranked No. 2 nationally in<br />
total goals and total points. Jennings, a team<br />
captain, helped lead the Panthers their first<br />
SAA championship in program history and<br />
the top seed in the conference tournament.<br />
Man and Woman of the Year<br />
The Man and Woman of the Year awards<br />
were created by the Southern Athletic<br />
Association in 2013 to be the league’s biggest<br />
and most prestigious awards. Nominees<br />
must be seniors with no remaining eligibility.<br />
BSC’s selections will go on to be in the<br />
running for <strong>2021</strong> SAA Man and Woman<br />
of the Year. The <strong>2021</strong> Man and Woman of<br />
the Year are Andy Hammond of baseball<br />
and Abby Kay Choate of women’s soccer.<br />
A fifth-year senior, Hammond has helped<br />
BSC baseball win three SAA championships,<br />
regional and super regional titles, and a<br />
trip to the World Series Championship.<br />
The first-team all-conference pitcher was<br />
named second-team all-region by both<br />
ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com.<br />
Choate, a team captain, is a three-time All-<br />
SAA selection. She was named conference<br />
newcomer of the year her freshman season<br />
and has been voted United Soccer Coaches<br />
All-South Region twice in her career.<br />
Team of the Year<br />
After making a historic run to the NCAA<br />
Division III Women’s College World<br />
Series, BSC softball was named the <strong>2021</strong><br />
Team of the Year. The Panthers repeated<br />
as Southern Athletic Association regular<br />
season and tournament champions. They<br />
went undefeated in the Marshall regional<br />
and saw five earn all-tournament nods<br />
including most outstanding player and most<br />
outstanding pitcher. The Panthers opened<br />
their first World Series appearance with a<br />
3-2 nine inning walk off win over Rochester.<br />
When they fell to Virginia Wesleyan in the<br />
second round, BSC battled to a 2-1 win over<br />
Wisconsin-Oshkosh to play in the semifinals<br />
against reigning national champion Texas<br />
Lutheran. Despite not making it to the<br />
championship series, BSC softball was<br />
ranked as high as No. 3 in the country.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 15
Roald Hazelhoff<br />
office hours<br />
Jay<br />
McShann<br />
Roald Hazelhoff has a proper office in the Southern Environmental<br />
Center – right above the center’s award-winning interactive museum –<br />
but we consider the Hugh Kaul EcoScape his real office.<br />
If you walk or drive toward the west end of campus, passing the<br />
residence halls, the lake, and then the intermural fields, you’ll find the<br />
four-acre oasis of native plants and recycled art. The EcoScape garden<br />
and outdoor classroom celebrated its 25th anniversary in <strong>2021</strong> and is<br />
one example of Hazelhoff’s work to make BSC a more sustainable and<br />
beautiful place.<br />
A Holland native and past resident of Japan and Hong Kong,<br />
Hazelhoff has lived in Birmingham since 1988, when he joined BSC<br />
as an assistant professor of political science. It didn’t take long to push<br />
students outdoors.<br />
“I became feared on campus because there was no chance of passing<br />
if you didn’t help plant trees,” he says.<br />
As quickly as Hazelhoff spearheaded environmental efforts on<br />
campus, his work was recognized at the national level. The College<br />
received the Point of Light Award on Earth Day in 1990 from President<br />
George H.W. Bush, who visited campus to honor students, faculty,<br />
and staff for their work to beautify surrounding neighborhoods and<br />
educate young students in the community.<br />
Hazelhoff formally transitioned to his current role in 1992 as<br />
founder and director of the Southern Environmental Center, and<br />
he’s made the entire campus greener. Alongside the Hess Center and<br />
the Department of Biology, he helped found the major and minor<br />
in environmental science; he made campus buildings more energy<br />
efficient; with the help of BSC students, he planted more than 1,000<br />
trees; and he beautified areas across campus, including the corner<br />
that is now the EcoScape and the landscaping around Clay C. Long<br />
Alumni Plaza.<br />
“Now, you have a pedestrian-friendly campus and a reason to be<br />
outside,” Hazelhoff says. “The Residence Quad is connected to the<br />
Academic Quad. And by virtue of the lake, we are connected to the<br />
recreational components.”<br />
In the EcoScape, you’ll find lush greens, native plants, edible plants<br />
– like figs and different herbs, depending on the time of year – and<br />
maybe a few critters. Hazelhoff recently spotted a red-tailed hawk<br />
surrounded by crows.<br />
“There’s always something to see and color throughout the year,”<br />
he says. “For fall, you can look for asters that come out, and the crepe<br />
myrtles are always beautiful in early fall. As some of the vegetation<br />
dies back, you discover and appreciate the things that were once<br />
obscured. You can see owls, hawks, rabbits, and our fox family.”<br />
Hazelhoff welcomes everyone to the EcoScape – students, faculty<br />
and their classes, and the Birmingham community. All Southern<br />
Environmental Center programs are designed for visitors to learn about<br />
and enjoy the environment.<br />
“We’ve been given space on campus to do some creative things that<br />
benefited the campus as well as the community,” he says.<br />
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Jay McShann<br />
16 / ’southern
off hours<br />
Queenie Hawkins<br />
Jekalyn<br />
Carr<br />
LOVE Ms. Queenie! The best<br />
campus mama, and yet she<br />
hasn’t aged a single day since I<br />
was there nearly 20 years ago!<br />
What’s your secret, Queenie?!<br />
Abbott Jones Downs ’05<br />
To know Ms. Queenie Hawkins is to love her. She is a Hilltop living<br />
legend – and our longtime campus queen – whose compassion has<br />
been unmatched during her 43 years at the College.<br />
To most people on campus, Hawkins says, her life outside of campus<br />
coffee shop Panther Perk is no surprise.<br />
“You know I love to talk,” she says, “and I lay it all out. It’s just<br />
conversations all day long.”<br />
Those who know Hawkins know one of her favorite places is New<br />
Hope Baptist Church in the West End, where quite a few students have<br />
gone to church with her over the years. They know that when Hawkins<br />
isn’t on campus, she loves to walk, and looks closely at all the flowers<br />
and plants along her regular walking trails.<br />
They know she likes things that are happy and funny, like her<br />
favorite TV shows and movies, including “The Andy Griffith Show,”<br />
“Leave it to Beaver,” and anything Tyler Perry. And she’s always<br />
laughing, whether it’s with her family around the kitchen table or with<br />
students, faculty, and staff on campus.<br />
For Hawkins, the BSC community has the same impact on her<br />
personal life that it has on her workday. Family is important to<br />
Hawkins, and BSC students become a part of her family, exchanging<br />
cards and replacing April Fools’ Day with celebrations for Hawkins’<br />
birthday on April 1.<br />
“I have the chance to meet parents, grandmas, nanas, the whole nine<br />
yards,” she says. “I get to see them graduate and then have children,<br />
and their children come here.”<br />
Ever since Hawkins was a child, friends and family have always<br />
confided in her. She is one of nine children in her family – the oldest<br />
girl with five brothers and three sisters – and always knows how to<br />
make them laugh. She was the peacemaker between her friends during<br />
her school days in Greenville, Alabama, and she can always turn to<br />
someone with her wisdom.<br />
She’s been the same welcoming, comforting, and joyful presence in<br />
her different roles at BSC – she began working in the cafeteria in 1979,<br />
spent 14 or so years in residential quad dining, and now handcrafts<br />
caramel macchiatos as the Panther Perk barista. And her positivity<br />
extends far outside of class and past graduation.<br />
“They come in and call me their sunshine,” Hawkins says. “People<br />
say, ‘Do you always have a good day?’ And I say I try to have a good<br />
day no matter what. It doesn’t take much to make me happy — if<br />
somebody’s having a bad day, and I can say one sentence to that person<br />
that changes their day, then I’m happy.”<br />
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Jekalyn Carr<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 17<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 17
a day in the life<br />
Remi Wolf<br />
Hillary Beard ’12<br />
Hillary Beard is approaching year 10 in U.S. Rep. Terri A. Sewell’s (D-AL) office. Before becoming Sewell’s chief of staff in December 2020,<br />
Beard joined the team as an intern right after graduating from BSC and rose through the ranks in different press and legislative roles over the<br />
years. At this point in her career, she sees the District 7 Congresswoman as one of her most valued guides.<br />
“Every day, I learn new things about her, our district, and our government,” Beard says. “I’ve learned a lot about her way of thinking, her<br />
voice, and how she will respond to various issues and scenarios.”<br />
As chief of staff, Beard manages a team of about 25 individuals – including fellow BSC alumni Robyn Gulley ’20, legislative correspondent,<br />
and Trammell McCullough ’21, congressional intern – with a diverse range of skills and backgrounds. She also keeps up with the<br />
Congresswoman’s relationships with the White House and Cabinet, other members of Congress, and outside stakeholders.<br />
We asked her to break down a day in her life on Capitol Hill.<br />
18 / ’southern
8 a.m.: Beard gets into her office in the Rayburn House Office<br />
Building, one of the Congressional buildings on the southern<br />
side of the Capitol. First, she has a call with Sewell’s team, and<br />
then she prepares for committee and stakeholder meetings. The<br />
Congresswoman is assigned to the House Committee on Ways<br />
and Means, which will influence many of Beard’s activities and<br />
discussions throughout the day.<br />
9 a.m.: Mornings call for meetings, all of which build and maintain<br />
the relationships that are crucial to Sewell’s goals and how the team<br />
serves her constituents. “On the policy front, we’re always looking<br />
at and drafting legislation and working with other congressional<br />
offices, committees, federal agencies, and stakeholders,” Beard says.<br />
“You need input from all of those entities, and your relationships can<br />
make or break your ability to get a bill or policy change across the<br />
finish line.”<br />
Beard meets with the other chiefs of staff from the Ways<br />
and Means Committee, then with the chiefs of staff from the<br />
Democratic Caucus and New Democratic Coalition, a faction of<br />
moderate democrats.<br />
11 a.m.: Beard joins Sewell for other meetings with committee<br />
and caucus members. They both go to a meeting on voting rights<br />
legislation with House leadership, including Speaker of the<br />
House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny<br />
Hoyer (D-MD), the House Judiciary Committee, and voting rights<br />
stakeholders, like representatives from the Brennan Center for<br />
Justice. In the room, Beard sits on the periphery and takes notes as<br />
she listens to the conversation.<br />
12 p.m.: They walk to their next meeting – they take the Capitol’s<br />
underground tunnels, excluding when meetings took place on Zoom<br />
during the pandemic – with the Ways and Means Committee Chair<br />
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) and other members to discuss health<br />
care and tax policies.<br />
1:30 p.m.: Once she returns to her office, Beard gets a chance to sit<br />
down and answer emails – emails are always filling up her inbox. She<br />
reconnects with other members of Sewell’s staff and answers their<br />
questions. Then, she touches base with District Director Melinda<br />
Williams or Deputy District Director Ollie Davison, who are both<br />
based in Alabama, to hear about what’s going on in the district.<br />
3 p.m.: Beard and the rest of the team spend the afternoon<br />
meeting with stakeholders to talk about their concerns and the<br />
Congresswoman’s insight on legislation. She hears from various<br />
companies and organizations, ranging from Alabama Power to UAB<br />
to Alabama Arise, about how upcoming legislation will impact them<br />
and the district.<br />
5 p.m.: Sometimes, Beard will head to an evening event, like a dinner,<br />
fundraiser, or reception, often with organizations that are visiting<br />
from Alabama. If she doesn’t have an event, she stays in the office<br />
and works until she feels like her day’s work is complete. Prior to<br />
the last two years, she would often work late into the evening, but<br />
the pandemic has taught her that there is only so much we can<br />
accomplish in one day and that personal time is precious.<br />
She’ll take a bus, catch a ride with a friend, or walk since she lives<br />
close, and she wraps up another day on the Hill.<br />
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Remi Wolf<br />
Your relationships<br />
can make or break<br />
your ability to get a<br />
bill or policy change<br />
across the finish line.<br />
POLITICAL<br />
PLAYERS<br />
There are several other BSC alumni with<br />
a wide range of government positions in the<br />
nation’s capital.<br />
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt ’87 (R-AL) has<br />
represented Alabama District 4 for more than<br />
20 years and serves on the House Committee<br />
on Appropriations. Prior to running for federal<br />
office in 1997, Aderholt served as a municipal<br />
judge in Haleyville, Alabama, following the<br />
footsteps of his father, the late Hon. Bobby R.<br />
Aderholt ’57, attorney and judge who served<br />
on Alabama’s 25th Judicial Circuit for 31<br />
years. Aderholt’s mother, Mary Frances Brown<br />
Aderholt ’58, and wife, Caroline McDonald<br />
Aderholt ’90, also attended BSC.<br />
Watson Donald ’01 was named U.S. Sen.<br />
Richard Shelby (R-AL)’s chief of staff in July<br />
<strong>2021</strong>. This new role marks Donald’s return<br />
to Shelby’s staff after serving as his national<br />
security advisor from 2007-2009. He also<br />
worked with former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL)<br />
and former U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL),<br />
which launched his legislative experience.<br />
Morgan Murphy ’94 and Bradley Hayes<br />
’99 both hold senior roles on U.S. Sen. Tommy<br />
Tuberville’s (R-AL) staff – Murphy as senior<br />
advisor and Hayes as legislative director.<br />
Murphy serves as an advisor on national<br />
security, foreign affairs, intelligence, and space<br />
and brings a wide background as a U.S. Navy<br />
Captain, bestselling author, and former press<br />
secretary to the U.S. Secretary of Defense.<br />
Hayes oversees the legislative agenda, and he<br />
has previously served in executive positions at<br />
the U.S. International Development Finance<br />
Corporation, the U.S. Office of Management<br />
and Budget, and U.S. Customs and Border<br />
Protection.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 19
the next chapter<br />
Damian Mitchell ’18<br />
Every morning, Damian Mitchell sets his alarm for<br />
4:27 a.m.<br />
“A lot of people would just round up and set their<br />
alarm to 4:30,” Mitchell says, “but I want to be somewhere<br />
between good and great. Good people wake up at 4:30,<br />
and great people wake up at 4:25. I’m not great just yet,<br />
but I’ll try to get somewhere in the middle.”<br />
As a producer and radio host at WJOX 94.5 in<br />
Birmingham, Mitchell begins the day by lining up<br />
commercials and reviewing game-day cuts and press<br />
conferences for his 6 a.m. radio shows – Jox Morning<br />
every weekday, and Jox Game Day every Saturday. To<br />
Mitchell, the early mornings never feel like work because<br />
he’s talking about the sports news on air that he’s always<br />
watched, discussed, and argued over with friends.<br />
Mitchell joined the station in 2019, focusing on<br />
production. He soon gained his first on-air opportunity in<br />
20-second traffic updates for the Birmingham area, which<br />
led to bigger roles in front of the microphone.<br />
Mitchell is involved in almost every aspect of several<br />
WJOX shows – collecting daily scores and stats, managing<br />
sound, and starring as the on-air personality. Every day,<br />
he combines his degree in media and film studies with<br />
his love for sports and his past as a BSC football player<br />
– and he brings BSC into the Jox Morning conversation<br />
whenever possible.<br />
“I got the chance to put my personality out there,”<br />
he says. “People often want my perspective because<br />
I’m the youngest person in the building, and I have<br />
playing experience.”<br />
Just as he did as a football player, he analyzes his<br />
performance, listening to each show after it airs to study<br />
what he did right and how he can improve.<br />
“You can’t focus on just one thing in radio, and I want<br />
to be the most prepared person in the room,” Mitchell<br />
says. “I look at every show I do as a game. I want to get<br />
better with every show.”<br />
He follows advice from Head Football Coach Tony<br />
Joe White – to balance seeking perfection and knowing<br />
that you can’t be perfect – and from Associate Lecturer<br />
of English Melinda Rainey Thompson – to find a clear<br />
and genuine voice with his own humor and personality<br />
at the core.<br />
“I always knew I wanted to stick around the game,<br />
and sports radio has given me that chance,” Mitchell<br />
says. “It’s just me speaking my mind because I know<br />
what these guys are going through. I’m living my dream<br />
– I’m getting paid to talk about sports.”<br />
Currently listening to:<br />
Florida Georgia Line<br />
Are you a graduate of the last decade? Tell us what you’re<br />
doing next! Email communications@bsc.edu.<br />
20 / ’southern
emembering<br />
gala<br />
when<br />
Stars<br />
fell on<br />
birmingham<br />
c<br />
You had to be there.<br />
No, really: You had to be there in person to experience the splendor and star power<br />
of Birmingham-Southern’s biennial GALA.<br />
From 1977 through 2004, under then President Dr. Neal Berte’s direction, GALA<br />
recognized 208 of the world’s most accomplished and well-known women. The spotlight<br />
wasn’t limited to the living legends, as they engaged with students and faculty, and<br />
mixed and mingled with the College’s supporters at large. It shone brightly on Birmingham-Southern’s<br />
students and highlighted the city of Birmingham, too.<br />
Best of all, Birmingham’s leading social event benefited fine and performing arts<br />
students in the form of scholarships and priceless professional contacts.<br />
Imagine: Orchids flown in from Singapore (GALA 5) and Bette Davis, a member of<br />
Hollywood royalty, holding court a few tables away. Or, at GALA 6: Carolina Herrera<br />
arrives at the elegant Ireland house for cocktails, and you get close enough for her to<br />
compliment your ensemble.<br />
Well, it could have happened.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 21
GALA<br />
What definitely did happen is that after a threeday<br />
whirl of lunches, dinners, showcases, and<br />
seminars, guests took their positive impressions<br />
back home and further expanded Birmingham-<br />
Southern’s reputation. The support lasted<br />
long after the festivities ended, as some made<br />
generous donations to the school. Others<br />
returned as lecturers, commencement speakers,<br />
or for the next GALA, serving as Chairs,<br />
suggesting additional honorees for consideration.<br />
Still others connected with students and fostered<br />
friendships with guests.<br />
This salute to legendary women of the world<br />
was originated by George Delfavero as a benefit<br />
for St. Vincent’s Hospital. Early honorees included<br />
First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson and Nancy<br />
Reagan. It transitioned to Birmingham-Southern<br />
in 1977; over the next 27 years 208 women<br />
spanning almost every profession were honored.<br />
A deep dive into BSC’s archives reveals<br />
dossiers, resumes, articles, photos, and even<br />
handwritten correspondence from the recipients<br />
themselves. Their ranks include Estée Lauder,<br />
Gwen Ifill, Lee Radziwill, Princess Marcella<br />
Borghese, Mother Clara Hale, Olivia de<br />
Havilland, Helen Gurley Brown, Faye Wattleton,<br />
Marilyn Quayle, Lindy Boggs, Diane von<br />
Furstenberg, Paloma Picasso, Barbara Walters,<br />
Heather Whitestone, Fannie Flagg, Elaine Chao,<br />
and even “Wonder Woman” Lynda Carter.<br />
GALA brought the school the type of<br />
publicity many would pay for, Dr. Berte said<br />
in his memoirs, “Servant Leader” — publicity<br />
well-documented by “Women’s Wear Daily,”<br />
Liz Smith, the “New York Post,” and even Dick<br />
Coffee’s “Birmingham Doins.” The commentary<br />
marveled at the celebrities headed South,<br />
complimented Birmingham’s charm, and praised<br />
the local hospitality. Fittingly, a 1987 “Atlanta<br />
Constitution” headline credited Dr. Berte for<br />
“breathing life” into the campus by initiating<br />
an event that brought Birmingham-Southern<br />
both glowing national attention and increased<br />
financial support.<br />
An event of this scale required extensive<br />
planning and collaboration, and records reveal<br />
how many people, businesses and organizations<br />
worked to make it a success both on campus<br />
and off. From arrivals and departures to the<br />
awards ceremony and dinner, to the fine arts<br />
showcase and receptions, to luncheons and<br />
breakfasts, to marketing, research, security,<br />
decor and transportation, no detail was spared.<br />
Numerous florists, chefs, hotels, stores, and other<br />
vendors participated behind the scenes. Across<br />
Birmingham, people contributed expertise and<br />
donations and served on committees, boards<br />
and as advisors for the occasion.<br />
Students participated as performers, ushers,<br />
hostesses, and drivers. During his senior year,<br />
Josh Vasa ’03 chaperoned CNN anchor<br />
and GALA honoree Frederica Whitfield. He<br />
recalled being starstruck.<br />
“I wore my best suit, which was something<br />
that my dad probably bought me,” Vasa<br />
remembered. “The conversation was<br />
fascinating. I was blown away by how much<br />
experience she had. She’d reported from<br />
several war zones, and I believe she was in her<br />
early 30s then. To have done that at that age<br />
was really impressive.”<br />
Vasa believes GALA was ahead of its time in<br />
honoring powerful women, particularly women<br />
of color. He noted that for decades the College<br />
offered programming and engagement around<br />
leadership issues, now common diversity and<br />
inclusion activities today.<br />
“That’s a testimony to Dr. Berte’s values,<br />
focus and big mindedness,” Vasa said. “He’s<br />
always been on the front lines of bringing<br />
together the community at large, and doing so<br />
in a way that provides insight,” he continued.<br />
Tyrenda Williams-Reed ’01 and Scarlett<br />
Singleton ’01 agreed.<br />
“That it was at Birmingham-Southern<br />
seems a natural fit for how Dr. Berte felt about<br />
excellence. Don’t hide it; showcase it and put<br />
it on a stage so the world can aspire to it. We<br />
need more of that now,” Williams-Reed said.<br />
Reminiscing gave Singleton a chance<br />
to remember the ambitious young woman<br />
she’d been in college. She recognized that<br />
Birmingham-Southern gave students the<br />
tools to reach their aspirations both in the<br />
classroom and through GALA, which offered<br />
what she called “up close and personal access<br />
to amazing women.”<br />
Now, GALA lives on in the memories<br />
of those who were fortunate enough to<br />
experience it firsthand.<br />
“To have something where around 15<br />
national figures come to the city at once, every<br />
two years — boy, I don’t know that we have<br />
many activities like that here now,” Vasa said.<br />
“It would be wonderful to bring something like<br />
that back to Birmingham.”<br />
22 4 // ’southern
Dear BSC,<br />
Throughout <strong>2021</strong>, special editions of From the Hilltop – our alumni<br />
newsletter – highlighted students, faculty, and alumni in specific disciplines<br />
and career paths. Each featured an essay by a guest editor about their time<br />
on the Hilltop and how it shaped their lives. We’ve collected them here.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 23
Dear BSC,<br />
Fine and Performing Arts<br />
Dana McArthur Porter ’03<br />
Humanities<br />
Gin Phillips ’97<br />
Letter from A New Graduate<br />
Sutton Smith ’21<br />
Education<br />
Dr. Amelia Gunn Spencer ’85<br />
Business and Accounting<br />
Terry L. Smiley ’94<br />
Health Sciences<br />
Dr. J. Kevin Tucker ’86<br />
Religious Life<br />
Keith Thompson ’83<br />
Social Sciences<br />
Bill Smith ’96<br />
Law<br />
Matthew Penfield ’92<br />
Mathematics and Computer Science<br />
Dr. Renee Brown Harmon ’83<br />
25<br />
26<br />
28<br />
29<br />
30<br />
31<br />
32<br />
33<br />
34<br />
35<br />
624/<br />
/ ’southern
One of my first classes at Birmingham-Southern was Beginning Acting, a class<br />
required of all theatre and musical theatre majors. The course reflected a “learning<br />
by doing” approach and was an introduction to the craft of acting, with focus<br />
on clarity and creativity in communication and performance skills, and the<br />
development of character analysis skills. Students learned basic acting principles, presented<br />
scene work with partners, and journaled progress throughout the semester. At the end of the<br />
course, we were given an assignment to write a final paper, titled: “My Growth as an Actor.”<br />
As most new, naïve students do, I waited until the last minute and joined the other<br />
procrastinators in the computer lab to put my thoughts together in hopes that my professor<br />
would see past a last-minute, hammered-out composition and praise my efforts with a<br />
moderate score that would satisfy both my ego and my professor’s lesson plans. When my<br />
work was returned to me, there was a clear<br />
message from my professor written across<br />
the top of my paper: “Nice attempt at an<br />
essay.”<br />
I don’t remember the letter grade I made<br />
on that disastrous essay. But to this day, I can<br />
still see the handwritten words written across<br />
the top of my three-page paper. At the time<br />
I was embarrassed, and a bit shocked that<br />
he even cared enough to call me out on my<br />
lackluster efforts. What I didn’t know at the<br />
time is that he was sending me a message as<br />
I began my journey at BSC. A message about<br />
rising to the challenge, doing better.<br />
Two years later, I found myself back<br />
in Beginning Acting class – this time as<br />
his Teaching Assistant. Little did I know,<br />
Theatre 120 wasn’t finite. This course didn’t<br />
particularly have a start and an end for me.<br />
It was just one lesson in a long series of<br />
lessons, and ultimately nudged and pushed<br />
me into a trajectory that I’m still growing<br />
into today. Over the past twenty years, I’ve<br />
had a successful career teaching theatre to<br />
young actors locally, all while honing my skills as a performer on stages from Carnegie Hall to<br />
Hong Kong.<br />
And you know what? That professor has been there for me the whole time. Because what<br />
started as a student/teacher relationship, evolved into a mentorship. And not only has this<br />
professor helped me grow as actor; more importantly, he has guided my growth as a person.<br />
Which appears to be a regular theme on the Hilltop.<br />
Two months ago, I started a new role as a staff member at Birmingham-Southern. And in my<br />
first few weeks I sat down in the cafeteria and enjoyed coffee and conversation with my friend<br />
and colleague – my former professor – Alan Litsey. We talked about theatre. We talked about<br />
work. We talked about life. I wanted to follow him to the classroom and soak up discussion<br />
about Theatre as Human Rights Activism with his current students. But instead, I returned to<br />
my office. Where I find myself once again reflecting on my growth.<br />
• • •<br />
Dana McArthur Porter ’03 (MPPM ’11) returned to the Hilltop in June <strong>2021</strong> as the<br />
assistant director of alumni engagement, following her years working in the Office of Admission<br />
from 2007 to 2012. Porter has taught and performed nationally and internationally with her<br />
biggest theatre accomplishment being cast in “The Sound of Music” Asia Tour. She has also<br />
performed and taught with numerous Birmingham-based groups, including Alabama Symphony<br />
Orchestra, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, and the Virginia Samford Theatre.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 25
I<br />
write stories for a living. This still seems slightly crazy to me: people actually pay me<br />
money to make things up. It’s a job I was afraid to even hope for back when I graduated<br />
from Birmingham-Southern.<br />
I think of BSC as a crucial part of my path to becoming a novelist, although not in the<br />
ways you might think. I never took a single creative writing class, for instance. But I tend to think of<br />
a liberal arts education in terms of story. So many of us – and I am definitely talking about myself<br />
here – come to college knowing only our own limited world. We know one story, our own, and we<br />
barely understand that one. But in those four years at college, every class discussion, every novel read<br />
and underlined, every chat in a professor’s office or late-night conversation in a Waffle House offers<br />
up another story to add to our collection.<br />
I left college with so many more stories than I started with. And – even better – I left with the<br />
sense that there were endless stories out there, and I wanted to learn them.<br />
So. My story. I came to BSC knowing what it was like to be a girl growing up in Montgomery,<br />
Alabama, raised in a very traditional fashion by a family full of schoolteachers. I wanted to go far<br />
away for college. I would have gone across the country if my family had let me. Instead, I wound up<br />
an hour and a half away from home.<br />
But as I look back, it strikes me that I travelled<br />
an incredible distance. I had a contracted major of<br />
political journalism, which was a blend of English<br />
and political science. (Speaking of expanding your<br />
perspective, I’d never even heard of political science<br />
before I came to BSC.) I had entirely new worlds<br />
opened to me early on in Dr. Ed LaMonte’s Civil<br />
Rights and Justice. That class was a revelation. I was<br />
from Montgomery, for goodness’ sake, and I’d never<br />
heard a teacher say a single word about the Civil<br />
Rights Movement. It was one of the best lessons I ever<br />
learned – that not only were there other viewpoints<br />
out there different from my own, but they could be<br />
playing out right next to me and I’d never have any<br />
clue if I didn’t bother to pay attention. I think of Fred<br />
Ashe’s interim on Voices of Homelessness, where<br />
I read plenty and listened plenty and spent nights<br />
in homeless shelters and realized, once again, the<br />
power of trying to see through someone else’s eyes. I<br />
think of Sandra Sprayberry and Bill Nicholas’ Plural<br />
America, Abe Fawal’s Arabic Literature and Culture,<br />
Bob Wingard’s Religion and Society, Natalie Davis’<br />
Contemporary Southern Politics and Comparative Politics. I think of interims spent in Guatemala<br />
for language study and in Washington, D.C., for an internship with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.<br />
The world was so much bigger than I’d realized.<br />
I haven’t even touched on the literature. To be a writer, sure, you have to write. But you also have<br />
to read. It’s the BSC English department that introduced me to Virginia Woolf and Don DeLillo and<br />
Thomas Pynchon and Charlotte Bronte and James Joyce and Toni Morrison, oh, Toni Morrison,<br />
who showed me how a sentence could make you lose your breath and how a novel could change<br />
you. Those books were all the more powerful because the classes were small enough that you could<br />
really get a good argument – sorry, discussion – going and it could stretch out down the hallway<br />
and back to the dorms and maybe even to the coffee shop later that night. I love the magic of those<br />
BSC overlaps: the classroom spilling into late nights, textbooks connecting with airplane tickets,<br />
professors who knew my parents’ names.<br />
I love how all the stories came together, and, years later, they’re still coming together.<br />
• • •<br />
Gin Phillips ’97 has written six novels, and her work has been published in 29 countries. Her latest<br />
novel, “Family Law,” was released in May <strong>2021</strong>. You can read more about her work at ginphillips.com or<br />
follow her on Instagram or Twitter.<br />
We know<br />
we barely<br />
those four<br />
discussion,<br />
chat in a<br />
conversation<br />
up another<br />
26 / ’southern
one story, our own, and<br />
understand that one. But in<br />
years at college, every class<br />
every novel read and underlined, every<br />
professor’s office or late-night<br />
in a Waffle House offers<br />
story to add to our collection.<br />
–Gin Phillips ’97<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 27
As soon as I stepped foot on campus, my<br />
was over....I canceled my other tours and<br />
I was going to be a part of the Birmingham<br />
College class of <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
–Sutton Smith ’21<br />
Icome from a family of<br />
Birmingham-Southern College<br />
graduates, including my mother<br />
and father – who met at BSC – and<br />
maternal grandfather, aunts and uncles on<br />
both sides of my family, and several cousins.<br />
My paternal grandfather served on the BSC<br />
Board of Trustees for some time. So naturally,<br />
as a junior in high school beginning her<br />
college search, I was vehemently opposed to<br />
falling into the family tradition and going to<br />
BSC. After some not-so-gentle nudging from<br />
my parents, I begrudgingly agreed to tour the<br />
Hilltop – but only to tour.<br />
As soon as I stepped foot on campus, my<br />
college search was over.<br />
I visited BSC on a Friday afternoon with<br />
plans to drive to Tuscaloosa and Nashville that<br />
weekend to tour other schools, but after leaving<br />
BSC I canceled my other tours and drove home.<br />
I was going to be a part of the Birmingham-Southern College class of<br />
<strong>2021</strong>. My parents, grandparents, and other extended family were thrilled,<br />
and I was fully confident in my decision in a way that not many of my<br />
other high school friends were about their<br />
own choices to attend other schools.<br />
As I began my freshman year in fall<br />
2017, my decision was affirmed over<br />
and over again. I took classes that<br />
challenged my previous understanding<br />
of the world and prompted me to think<br />
critically about things I had never before<br />
considered. I like to credit my two<br />
academic advisors – Dr. Mark Schantz<br />
of the history department and Dr. Amy<br />
Cottrill of the religion department – for<br />
wrecking everything I thought I knew in<br />
those first few months on campus. Dr.<br />
Schantz’s freshman honors class on W.E.B.<br />
Du Bois and American History in the<br />
20th Century sparked deep thought and<br />
compelling conversations about my racial<br />
and socioeconomic privilege and shed<br />
new light on current issues in society such<br />
as police brutality against people of color. In Dr. Cottrill’s Abrahamic<br />
Religions class, my shallow understanding of the Christian faith of my<br />
childhood broadened as she introduced me to the faiths of Islam and<br />
28 / ’southern
college search<br />
drove home.<br />
-Southern<br />
Judaism. I owe a great deal of credit to Dr. Cottrill for setting me on the<br />
path to divinity school early in my college career. Through the rest of<br />
my time at BSC, Dr. Cottrill and Dr. Schantz remained mentors, helping<br />
me navigate everything from my senior research papers to graduate<br />
school applications.<br />
Life outside of the classroom on the Hilltop provided opportunities<br />
for community building and leadership development, and I made it<br />
my mission to take advantage of as many of those as I could. Early on,<br />
I became involved in the Student Government Association, the Quest II<br />
Student Programing Board, Religious Life, and Greek life. I served as the<br />
Director of Concerts for Quest II, planning our campus-wide concerts<br />
in the fall and spring with the help of a committee. Some highlights<br />
of that time included long, fun days setting up hospitality rooms for<br />
our musicians with my committee members and getting starstruck<br />
when meeting artists such as The Band Camino, Bryce Vine, and Drew<br />
Holcomb.<br />
My student involvement continued as I relaunched and served<br />
as president of the BSC chapter of the Alabama College Democrats<br />
leading up to the 2020 elections and worked to encourage all students,<br />
regardless of political affiliation, to use their voice and vote. Additionally,<br />
I channeled my passion for mental health awareness and established<br />
a chapter of a national organization called Active Minds that works to<br />
educate college students on mental health to reduce stigma surrounding<br />
mental illness. Both the College Democrats and Active Minds remain<br />
thriving groups on BSC’s campus that are creating positive change and<br />
getting students involved in the things they care about.<br />
During my first two years at BSC, I served as an SGA class<br />
representative. As a nervous freshman, I walked into my very first SGA<br />
meeting and saw then-president Toby White, class of 2018. In that<br />
moment, I decided that I wanted to be the SGA president and create<br />
significant, positive change at BSC. Four years later, Toby and I have<br />
now reconnected in New Haven, Conn., where we are both attending<br />
graduate programs at Yale University. My time as SGA president was<br />
an honor and a privilege, and I loved every minute of it. Through<br />
working with a phenomenal group of women on the executive board<br />
and then the broader body of representatives, we established new<br />
mental health initiatives and programming, funded projects to make<br />
campus more accessible to those with differing abilities, and wrote and<br />
passed a resolution supporting of students of color and committing to<br />
anti-racism efforts. I am immensely proud of the work accomplished<br />
that year and humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve the<br />
Birmingham-Southern community.<br />
As I began thinking about options for graduate school, my<br />
aforementioned history advisor, Dr. Mark Schantz, began talking to<br />
me about applying to Yale Divinity School, his alma mater. I would<br />
scoff and tell Dr. Schantz that applying to Yale would be a waste of<br />
time and resources. For one thing, it’s Yale, but more importantly, it’s in<br />
Connecticut! As a born and raised Alabamian, I was fairly certain that<br />
I would freeze to death in a New England winter. Finally, Dr. Schantz<br />
succeeded in convincing me to apply, and he guided me through the<br />
process of personal statements, recommendation letters, and scholarship<br />
applications. I spent most of my senior year in anticipation of either<br />
rejections or acceptances from the handful of schools to which I applied.<br />
On March 15, <strong>2021</strong>, I opened an email and received word that I<br />
had been admitted to Yale Divinity School and awarded a full-tuition<br />
scholarship. I was floored. Today, almost exactly six months later, I am<br />
writing this essay in the beautiful Sterling Divinity Library surrounded<br />
by seemingly millions of books and the some of the world’s finest<br />
theologians.<br />
As I begin a new chapter of my life in a place I never imagined I<br />
would be, I am homesick for the Hilltop and all of the people who<br />
make it such a special place. I am nervous as fall begins to creep in,<br />
knowing that before long it will be very, very cold here in Connecticut<br />
and that I am not built to sustain temperatures below 30 degrees. I am<br />
also filled with excitement at the possibilities in front of me – so many<br />
things to learn, books to read, people to meet, and new places to explore.<br />
More than anything, however, I am filled with gratitude. I am<br />
immensely, overwhelmingly, and exponentially grateful for my time at<br />
Birmingham-Southern College and its faculty and staff for cultivating<br />
in me the intellectual tools and leadership abilities needed to thrive in<br />
a new place. Though up here at Yale the slogan is “Go Bulldogs,” I will<br />
always hold this truth above all else – Forward, Ever.<br />
• • •<br />
Sutton Smith ’21 graduated summa cum laude with majors<br />
in history and religion and is now a student at Yale University School of<br />
Divinity. She served as SGA president during her senior year and received<br />
the President’s Service Award on Honors Day <strong>2021</strong>. She was a 2020<br />
finalist for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, established by<br />
Congress to recognize students seeking careers in public service.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 29
I<br />
am a rebellious person. I believe<br />
it is in my DNA, but it didn’t hurt<br />
that I was a preacher’s kid; we are<br />
known for our rebellion. Almost<br />
every good decision I have made in my life has<br />
been walking backwards through the open door.<br />
When thinking about where to attend college,<br />
I swore I would not go to BSC. Why? Because<br />
everyone expected me to, like the rest of my<br />
family! Both of my parents attended, as did my<br />
uncle, aunt, and great-uncle.<br />
But I came to campus as a youth<br />
representative to the United Methodist<br />
Conference. One night I sat by the old fountain,<br />
brightly lit on the beautiful campus, and<br />
knew that I would come to BSC.<br />
Another choice I made reluctantly<br />
was to become a teacher. I come from<br />
a family of teachers – my mother, my<br />
sister, both maternal grandparents, aunts,<br />
uncles. Everyone expected me to study<br />
to become a teacher. Instead, I chose an<br />
interdisciplinary major in biology and<br />
psychology.<br />
One of my first classes was Biology 101<br />
with Dr. Paul Bailey. He was so passionate<br />
and knowledgeable about the information<br />
he taught! I fell in love with learning,<br />
developing a curiosity within me that I<br />
never knew existed.<br />
Dr. Jeanette Runquist was another giant<br />
in my studies. She challenged my mind<br />
more than I had ever experienced. The<br />
academic content in her classes, Anatomy &<br />
Physiology and Embryology, was challenging,<br />
but Dr. Runquist made it all make sense.<br />
At BSC, I learned so much academically. I<br />
took religion classes with Dr. Robert Wingard,<br />
history classes with Dr. Henry Randall,<br />
education classes with Dr. Bob Whetstone,<br />
and art classes with Dr. Bob Shelton. These<br />
professors didn’t just teach me about their<br />
academic content. They taught me that I was<br />
capable of doing hard things. Looking back,<br />
I am unsure that I had a natural inclination<br />
to understand the sciences. Still, because I<br />
connected with the faculty at BSC, they ignited<br />
a desire to learn that I had not yet experienced.<br />
It is difficult to say whether I learned more<br />
through the academic or social side of college<br />
at BSC. Preachers move from place to place, in<br />
my case all across North Alabama. My family<br />
never lived anywhere for more than four years.<br />
As a result, I never quite found my tribe in high<br />
school. Oh, I tried and did everything I could to<br />
fit in with my peers. My father recounts when<br />
he saw me as a tall, skinny 15-year-old, walking<br />
with my friends at a football game, leaning<br />
forward, my shoulders hunched, so I would not<br />
be taller than the other girls. Always the new<br />
girl. But at BSC, I found real friends who, after<br />
almost 40 years, have proven to be life-long<br />
friends, like Maria Alexander ’86, Kathy<br />
Leos ’85, Judy Pittman ’87, and Leigh Ann<br />
Sisson ’87. Through these friends, I learned<br />
about fierce love and loyalty. I also met my<br />
husband, Brad Spencer ’86, while on the<br />
Hilltop, and three of our children, Graham<br />
’16, Liza ’16, and Isa ’24 have attended BSC.<br />
To say that my experience at BSC changed<br />
my life would be an understatement. Because<br />
of the faculty, staff, and peers at BSC, I<br />
became a life-long learner and recognized<br />
the importance of teachers in the lives of<br />
their students. Not long after I graduated<br />
from BSC, I finally followed my call to be an<br />
educator. The amazing thing is that when<br />
I decided to go into education, I pointed<br />
to Dr. Wingard, Dr. Randall, Dr. Runquist,<br />
and others as my guides. Because of the<br />
In 2008, I returned to the Hilltop, this time to be a<br />
education. I am honored to be a part of the mission of<br />
people for lives of significance.<br />
–Dr, Amelia Gunn Spenceer ’21<br />
30 / ’southern
connections I made with my professors at<br />
BSC, I was committed to connecting with my<br />
students. It is my hope that while I taught my<br />
students the academic content they needed<br />
to learn, I also encouraged them, supported<br />
them, and loved them so they too could<br />
become confident learners.<br />
In 2008, I returned to the Hilltop, this<br />
time to be a professor of education. I<br />
am honored to be a part of the mission<br />
of preparing young people for lives of<br />
significance. Don’t tell anyone, but I have<br />
long said that I would do this job without<br />
pay! My colleagues and students remind me<br />
every day why this is the case.<br />
I recently read a novel called “The Midnight<br />
Library” by Matt Haig. The main character,<br />
Nora, gets the opportunity to look back<br />
and relive any of the choices in her life. As I<br />
look back on my choices, one of the best is<br />
choosing ’Southern – both times.<br />
• • •<br />
Dr. Amelia Gunn Spencer ’85<br />
serves as associate professor of education and<br />
the chair for the department. She holds master’s<br />
degrees in early childhood special education and<br />
counseling from the University of Alabama and<br />
her Ph.D. in special education from the University<br />
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On the Hilltop,<br />
Spencer teaches courses human development,<br />
special education, collaborative education, and<br />
education psychology.<br />
professor of<br />
preparing young<br />
Over 30 years ago, I was a senior<br />
at Talladega High School in the<br />
process of making one of the most<br />
important decisions in my life:<br />
selecting a college. I was a student-athlete, and<br />
was fortunate to have scholarship offers from<br />
academic institutions throughout the Southeast.<br />
I wanted to attend an institution where I<br />
could balance my pursuit of academics and<br />
athletics without sacrificing the opportunity<br />
for spiritual and social growth. My trusted high<br />
school coach felt that BSC would be well-suited<br />
to my goals. BSC had just won a national<br />
championship in basketball and was known<br />
as one of the top academic institutions in the<br />
State. Needless to say, my coach was right.<br />
However, it did take some time for me to<br />
appreciate the full value of my educational experience. I must admit that I was slightly<br />
intimidated upon arriving on the beautiful campus, being surrounded by the nation’s top<br />
academic achievers. The transition to college life was made easier by access to welcoming<br />
groups which made social interaction simple. A Bible study led by Ralph Watson included<br />
diverse students from across BSC and allowed me to grow while making me feel like I<br />
was at home. Groups like this one were open to anyone on campus to foster connections<br />
within the BSC family.<br />
The liberal arts experience at Birmingham-Southern is an excellent fit for someone<br />
wishing to gain a quality education while getting prepared to meet real-world challenges.<br />
The liberal arts focus allowed me to explore a variety of academic areas from theology<br />
to science, literature, and the arts. While I majored in Business, many of the concepts<br />
learned from other disciplines enhanced my understanding and experience in my core<br />
business courses. I gained transferable skills that have been beneficial to my career,<br />
having worked in marketing, operations, customer service, economic and community<br />
development, and external affairs. Small classes created an intimate culture which<br />
afforded the privilege to be instructed by experienced faculty members who were always<br />
willing to provide guidance outside of the classroom. These instructors demanded hard<br />
work which they paired with enough attention to help us excel. Many of the relationships<br />
with faculty members such as Dr. Byron Chew and Dr. Jack Taylor have gone far beyond<br />
my years at BSC.<br />
Athletically, I was fortunate to play on teams that won 100 games over four years. I<br />
learned the importance of preparation, teamwork, and a strong work ethic. Above all, I<br />
cherish the memories of playing with individuals of high character and integrity.<br />
Working on community service projects and engaging with youth reinforced my desire<br />
to be part of a team that serves people. Since BSC, I have enjoyed the pleasure of working<br />
in the energy industry for nearly 27 years, teaming up with others who are elevating the<br />
state of Alabama by providing solutions that make a positive difference.<br />
I took a chance by accepting the admission to BSC in that I had no prior connection to<br />
the school, and none of my friends from high school were joining me on the adventure.<br />
Yet I graduated from college with a well-rounded education that continues to serve me to<br />
this day, an experience that helped me find purpose and relationships that will last for the<br />
rest of my life. I am grateful for my time on the Hilltop.<br />
• • •<br />
Terry L. Smiley ’94 (MPPM ’07) serves as vice president of the Eastern Division<br />
of Alabama Power Company, where he is oversees the company’s operations, sales, economic<br />
and community development and external affairs activities. He serves on the boards of the<br />
A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Clubs, the Birmingham Education Foundation, and the Central Six<br />
Development Council.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 31
I<br />
stumbled into medicine as a career. Like many students<br />
entering Birmingham-Southern in fall 1982, I thought<br />
that medicine might be in my future, so I made sure<br />
to take general chemistry, organic chemistry, and<br />
physics, which were required for admission to most<br />
medical schools, while at the same time availing myself of the full<br />
smorgasbord of a liberal arts curriculum: Professor Grace Marquez’s<br />
advanced Spanish literature course, Professor Bill Ramsey’s Senior<br />
Seminar for English majors (which he allowed me to take as a nonmajor),<br />
Southern Chorale under Professor William Baxter, piano with<br />
Professor Jane Gibbs, Introduction to<br />
Christianity with Professor Earl Gossett,<br />
Philosophy 101 with Professor O.C.<br />
Weaver, and several political science<br />
courses with Professor Natalie Davis.<br />
My certainty about medicine as a<br />
career was shaken in my sophomore<br />
year when my father was diagnosed<br />
with colon cancer and died within<br />
four months of his diagnosis. Our<br />
family’s first experience with the world<br />
of medicine in the context of a lifethreatening<br />
illness was not a positive<br />
one. While we knew that my father’s<br />
prognosis was not good, the way in<br />
which the news was delivered seemed<br />
callous and cold. In a last-ditch effort at<br />
finding some possibility of treatment,<br />
my father was admitted to UAB Hospital,<br />
where our family experienced kindness,<br />
love, and grace from the physicians, nurses, social workers, nurses’<br />
assistants and all the members of the staff. The interns, residents, and<br />
fellows displayed empathy and compassion in a way that made me<br />
want to emulate them and re-committed me to a career in medicine.<br />
And when my father died in the spring of my sophomore year, my<br />
Birmingham-Southern family rallied around me in a way that I never<br />
expected and probably would not have experienced at a large university.<br />
Empathy is the characteristic most desirable in a physician that my<br />
liberal arts education at Birmingham-Southern helped me to develop<br />
both inside and outside the classroom. Whether learning in the<br />
classroom under Professor J. David Fraley about the underlying causes<br />
of the French revolution, or discussing the domestic violence that<br />
Celie suffered in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple in Professor Ramsey’s<br />
senior seminar, we were encouraged to think honestly and deeply about<br />
historical movements and characters, and to put ourselves in their<br />
shoes, i.e., to empathize. That same learning was reinforced outside the<br />
classroom. Chaplain Stewart Jackson was one of the first ministers I can<br />
recall to preach about “social justice,” and he practiced it and led by<br />
example with students. Our group, Christians for Social Justice, under<br />
Stewart’s leadership, volunteered at the Birmingham Firehouse Shelter.<br />
Again, we were called to serve and empathize with those who had been<br />
dealt the devastating hand of homelessness. Finally, I must recognize<br />
the wonderful example of servant leadership provided by President<br />
and Mrs. Neal Berte, who selflessly served the BSC community and the<br />
greater Birmingham community in too many ways to enumerate.<br />
In the wake of the devastation of COVID-19 and the death of George<br />
Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, physicians and healthcare<br />
leaders have been encouraged to think more deeply about the<br />
underlying causes of the vast disparities in health and disease outcomes<br />
in the United States. When we practice medicine with empathy, we are<br />
forced to think not just about the fact that the patient is not adhering<br />
to the treatment plan but also about the systemic and structural barriers<br />
that led to the patient’s non-adherence with the treatment plan. I am<br />
forever grateful that the foundation provided at Birmingham-Southern<br />
has allowed me to not only become a<br />
physician but also to strive to practice<br />
with empathy and compassion.<br />
While I have focused in this reflection<br />
on the non-science aspect of my BSC<br />
education, I would be remiss if I did not<br />
acknowledge the outstanding science<br />
faculty who helped me and so many of<br />
my fellow students to become health<br />
professionals through their gifts as<br />
teachers. I had the fortune of being taught<br />
by Professors Paul Bailey, Dan Holliman,<br />
and Doug Waits in biology; Professor<br />
Tom Moore in chemistry; Professor<br />
Hoyt Kaylor in physics; and Professors<br />
Lola Kiser and Natarwlal Bosmia in<br />
mathematics. I learned in the classroom<br />
from my professors, but we also learned<br />
as students from each other. Those nights<br />
spent huddled together with friends<br />
studying chemistry and biology in our dorm rooms or in Phillips<br />
Science are precious memories indelibly imprinted on my brain and<br />
which forged friendships that have lasted to this day. Let us keep these<br />
“Forward, Ever” traditions alive.<br />
• • •<br />
Dr. J. Kevin Tucker ’86 is vice president of Education, Mass<br />
General Brigham, and Master in Clinical Service Operations Program<br />
director, former director of the BWH/MGH Joint Nephrology Fellowship<br />
Program, and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.<br />
He earned his medical degree at Cornell University. He is a member of the<br />
BSC Board of Trustees.<br />
Birmingham-Southern<br />
quality education while<br />
32 / ’southern
It would not be hyperbole to say that Birmingham-<br />
Southern changed my life. It would be fact.<br />
When I began looking at colleges, BSC wasn’t even<br />
on my list. When time came for me to choose a college,<br />
I was originally going to Emory University in Atlanta. I had recently<br />
received a roommate preference form from Emory when two friends<br />
I highly respected, Jim Pool and Jayne Collins, invited me to attend a<br />
BSC basketball game. That night, I met people who would become my<br />
friends and remain my friends for the rest of my life. I realize this might<br />
sound like a romanticized remembrance, but really, it is a fact. I still<br />
enjoy substantive friendships with many<br />
of these same people today.<br />
My wife, Linda, who did attend<br />
Emory, describes it this way: “I went to<br />
Emory and got a world-class education.<br />
Keith went to BSC and got a world-class<br />
education and made lifelong friends.”<br />
That’s also why two of our sons went to<br />
BSC. None of them went to Emory.<br />
Imagine what it is like as a parent<br />
listening to your college-age children<br />
talk with enthusiasm and excitement<br />
about what they are learning in a<br />
class with professors like Mark Lester,<br />
Amy Cottrill, Alan Litsey, Randy Law,<br />
or Michael Flowers. Again, this is not<br />
romanticized reminiscing; this is what<br />
happened. I will confess that each time<br />
I heard their passion for what they were<br />
experiencing from their professors, it<br />
was initially hard to speak, which is true anytime a dream comes true.<br />
There were times I thought I could hear their brains expanding over the<br />
phone. (OK, that might be a little hyperbole). Still, what an amazing<br />
experience!<br />
About 25 years after I had graduated from BSC, I was given the<br />
opportunity to work at the College. I was hesitant about working at<br />
my alma mater, because sometimes when you see behind the curtain<br />
it is easy to become disillusioned and lose respect for people you<br />
once thought of as heroes. While I certainly saw the more human and<br />
sometimes exasperated side of some of the faculty and staff, what I<br />
really discovered behind the curtain was how incredibly dedicated they<br />
all are. While working at BSC, I found campus police who were feeding<br />
student’s goldfish while they are on Spring Break. I found professors<br />
who were going the extra mile to try and help a struggling student learn<br />
to open their mind to new concepts regarding complex problems.<br />
I saw coaches who were great at coaching sports, and even better at<br />
developing the players into quality people. I watched productions and<br />
performances that not only moved the heart but planted important<br />
questions in the mind. I once more experienced the unending<br />
hospitality from people like Miss Johnnie and Queenie, who always<br />
served you an ample portion of grace with the food they provided<br />
for you. I met alumni from all over the<br />
world and from all generations who<br />
were unusually thoughtful, intelligent,<br />
compassionate, and engaged in their<br />
community. What I found at BSC 25 years<br />
after I graduated was a more in-depth<br />
exposure to the same transformative<br />
knowledge and relationships I experienced<br />
as a student.<br />
What I find at the College now is<br />
a dedicated, insightful, hardworking<br />
president, faculty, and staff who are<br />
making the sacrifices necessary to continue<br />
transforming students into adults who<br />
are unusually thoughtful, intelligent,<br />
compassionate, and engaged in their<br />
community.<br />
As a trustee, I occasionally get to listen<br />
to students who seem so much smarter<br />
than I was as a student, and every time I<br />
hear them, I shake my head and wonder “How I was allowed entrance<br />
into this place?” Every time I reflect on this question, I am filled with<br />
gratitude, because this College changed my life and the lives of people I<br />
love. And that’s a fact.<br />
Forward Ever. Always.<br />
• • •<br />
Rev. Keith D. Thompson ’83 is senior pastor at Canterbury<br />
United Methodist Church in Birmingham. He holds a master of divinity<br />
degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and a master’s<br />
degree in community counseling from the University of Alabama.<br />
Thompson is vice chair of the BSC Board of Trustees.<br />
is an excellent fit for someone wishing to gain a<br />
getting prepared to meet real-world challenges.<br />
–Terry Smiley ’94<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 33
What I learned on the Hilltop continues to<br />
shape my personal and professional relationships,<br />
my understanding of my community and the<br />
world, and how I am called to make a difference<br />
where I am planted.<br />
Matthew Penfield ’92<br />
I<br />
remember when Dr.<br />
Neal Berte came to<br />
my hometown for a<br />
recruiting event for<br />
the College. I was in junior high,<br />
and my parents had invited him<br />
to dinner at our house afterwards,<br />
and unbeknownst to me, he<br />
took note of my collection of<br />
college pennants. The following<br />
week, I got a personal note from<br />
him that said he couldn’t help<br />
but notice the absence of a BSC<br />
pennant on my wall and sent one<br />
along for good measure. It got my<br />
attention.<br />
Several years later, as a high school senior interested in politics<br />
and government, I participated in ’Southern’s Model Senate program<br />
with 99 other students from around the Southeast. I was impressed<br />
that the College’s political science department had created such<br />
an interesting event that brought government to life for my fellow<br />
senators and me. (I was Missouri Senator John Danforth, by the way.)<br />
When it came time to choose a college, Birmingham-Southern was<br />
one of several other well-regarded southern liberal arts schools on<br />
my list. I was truly up in the air until late in the spring of my senior<br />
year. In the final analysis, it was the people of BSC that tipped the<br />
scales for me to the Hilltop. My brother was a junior history major<br />
with an amazing group of friends, President Berte made a personal<br />
impression on me, and for someone interested in politics, the<br />
first-class faculty members in the political science department both<br />
excited and intimidated me.<br />
In retrospect, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.<br />
Once on campus, I found my crowd and quickly made what have<br />
become lifelong friends. On the academic front, I was able to focus<br />
on my passion for politics while also exploring other areas of interest<br />
like the theatre. The variety of a liberal arts curriculum suited me<br />
and, as I’ve learned through the years, prepared me well for rich and<br />
diverse experiences in life.<br />
Ed LaMonte, through his Civil Rights & Justice class, taught me<br />
things about my home state and its role in our country’s continuing<br />
struggle with civil rights that opened my eyes to the past all around<br />
me. Bob Slagter taught me research methods and statistical analysis<br />
that I still use to this day in my career in politics and public affairs.<br />
And the great Natalie Davis taught me not only how to think<br />
critically, but how to turn theory into practice in the political realm—<br />
all the while asking all the right questions to challenge me along the<br />
way. When I railed about the cynical nature of many in the political<br />
arena, she countered with optimism as the other side of the same<br />
coin, and about the power to positively impact people’s lives through<br />
the public policy process.<br />
To be sure, it is easy to get cynical in today’s broken and divided<br />
public discourse. But the academic, moral, and personal lessons<br />
instilled in me at BSC equipped me well for my time in the political<br />
arena. I consider myself lucky to fight for things that I care about like<br />
access to better mental health care for all, preserving our planet for<br />
future generations, advancing equality for LGBTQ people, and much<br />
more. Like most professions, there are good days and bad days, and<br />
it can be unnervingly unpredictable. But with gratitude for my time<br />
on the Hilltop, I’m always ready for the coin toss.<br />
• • •<br />
Bill Smith ’96 serves as the co-founder of Inseparable, a coalition<br />
organization advocating for better mental health policy through improving<br />
access to health care, increasing research, and investing in prevention<br />
and early intervention. Smith is also a founding partner of Civitas Public<br />
Affairs Group, a values-based firm working on some of the most pressing<br />
societal challenges of our day. He has more than two decades of experience<br />
34 / ’southern
in campaign management, messaging research and communications, and<br />
movement building. His brother, the late Jack Smith ’93, and niece,<br />
Sutton Smith ’21, both graduated from BSC, and his father, the late<br />
Joel P. Smith, served on the Board of Trustees.<br />
One of my favorite<br />
authors is Frederic<br />
Buechner. In his<br />
book “The Longing<br />
for Home,” Buechner reflects on<br />
the importance of home in our<br />
lives. One meaning of home is<br />
our place of origin. For me, that is<br />
Birmingham-Southern College. It<br />
was the joy of my childhood – a<br />
land of adventure for a group<br />
of faculty kids that grew up on<br />
Greensboro Road. And it is also my<br />
alma mater – the place that formed<br />
me and prepared me for a life<br />
beyond the Hilltop.<br />
BSC runs deep in my family. It was my aunt, Betty Jo Harmon,<br />
who first made the decision to attend BSC. She sang with Dr. Hugh<br />
Thomas, traveled to Town Hall in New York, and then taught voice in<br />
the conservatory. She was also my first voice teacher. My mom, Elise<br />
McWilliams Penfield, followed in her sister’s footsteps and graduated<br />
from BSC. But in just a few short years she returned with my dad, Dr.<br />
H. Irvin Penfield, and they made a home for us on that short street we<br />
called faculty row.<br />
Growing up on campus shaped me in ways I did not fully realize<br />
until much later in life. I was surrounded by great minds, but they were<br />
more than that, they were great people. I would walk next door to take<br />
piano lessons from Barbara Thomas. Years later, I continued my piano<br />
lessons up the street with Nancy Wingard. Richard and Dorothy Ward<br />
helped me prepare for college auditions and made me work on my<br />
German until it met their approval. The street provided dinner parties,<br />
trick or treating, caroling and sing-alongs, and a whole host of faculty<br />
and staff (including campus security) that looked after me. I learned<br />
to appreciate good music not only by attending performances in the<br />
music building, but also by opening my window on weekend nights<br />
and listening to the sound of bands rise up from fraternity row (when<br />
it was on that side of campus). I had many parents on campus, but it<br />
was my mom and dad who grounded me – literally and figuratively –<br />
and were my role models of a life well lived.<br />
Amazingly, the care and comfort I experienced as a child carried over<br />
into my days as a student. I soon learned that it was not because I grew<br />
up on campus, but because I was a BSC student. The BSC community<br />
was and is special. It is a place where students are challenged to<br />
question freely, think critically, serve abundantly, and discover the<br />
meaning of community. And my time at BSC prepared me for a career<br />
of lifelong learning.<br />
Some of my most impactful experiences came each January. My<br />
first Interim term (now known as E-Term) gave me the opportunity to<br />
perform the role of the Count in “The Marriage of Figaro.” Surrounded<br />
my incredible talent and commitment taught me the value of working<br />
hard to reach a common goal. As a service-learning team member<br />
my second and third years, I traveled to Zimbabwe and Brazil and<br />
experienced the gift that comes from serving and being served by<br />
others. My Senior Interim was an in-depth examination of the Vietnam<br />
War with Dr. Slaughter. In that class we heard directly from veterans<br />
and how that war shaped our country. Each experience was incredibly<br />
different, but equally as life changing.<br />
When I finally left the Hilltop, I carried BSC with me to Candler<br />
School of Theology, to Saint Paul School of Theology, and to<br />
Cumberland School of Law. And what I learned on the Hilltop<br />
continues to shape my personal and professional relationships, my<br />
understanding of my community and the world, and how I am called<br />
to make a difference where I am planted.<br />
My family laughs at me because I am always talking about what<br />
degree I will get next. Maybe it will be a Ph.D. in Political Science like<br />
my dad, or a M.A. in Speech Arts like my mom. In reality, my time in<br />
school is done and I have now passed that on to my daughters. But<br />
my curiosity and hunger for learning, most of which was placed in<br />
me during my years on the Hilltop, has not gone away. For those of us<br />
who call BSC home, it is has forever shaped who we are and how we<br />
encounter the world. And for that, I am thankful.<br />
• • •<br />
Matthew Penfield ’92 has been recognized in various<br />
publications such as the Best Lawyers in America®, Chambers USA<br />
Guide to ‘America’s Leading Lawyers for Business,’ and Mid-South Super<br />
Lawyers. Penfield sits on the board of directors of Opera Birmingham,<br />
Workshops Empowerment, Inc. and the Norton Board at BSC. Penfield<br />
received a Master of Divinity from Emory University in 1997, a Doctor of<br />
Ministry from Saint Paul School of Theology in 2007, and a Juris Doctor,<br />
summa cum laude, from Cumberland School of Law in 2009.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 35
I<br />
was 17 the summer after my junior year in high<br />
school when I first became a student at Birmingham-<br />
Southern College. Along with about 30 other high<br />
school students from across Alabama and west Florida,<br />
I lived in a dormitory, ate in the cafeteria, and took two classes as<br />
a Summer Scholar with regularly enrolled<br />
students. I loved it! I took Art History and<br />
Human Growth and Development, taught<br />
by legends of BSC, Prof. Lloyd Sloan and<br />
Dr. Bob Whetstone ’55, respectively.<br />
It was an easy decision to choose<br />
‘Southern as my college after that. Initially,<br />
I had planned on dental school after<br />
college, but changed my mind to medical<br />
school my junior year. Because the<br />
prerequisite classes were the same, it was<br />
an easy switch.<br />
Deciding on a major was a little more<br />
complicated. Most pre-med students<br />
chose to major in chemistry or biology<br />
because we already were required to take<br />
so many of them for medical school.<br />
Because I so enjoyed Biology 101, taught<br />
by another BSC legend, Dr. Paul Bailey, I chose biology.<br />
My schedules for the first two years were pretty typical for a prehealth<br />
career student: a biology, a chemistry, a mathematics, and<br />
an English class. But we were only required to take Calculus I and<br />
II, and I had completed those my freshman year. I kept enrolling<br />
in a mathematics class semester after semester because it was<br />
fun—a game, a puzzle. And there was that other BSC legend who<br />
made it all so beautifully clear, Dr. Lola Kiser. I wasn’t one of those<br />
premier math majors who were assigned the especially difficult<br />
proofs by Dr. Kiser, but I held my own in the upper-level classes.<br />
Because I had enough credits for both biology and mathematics,<br />
I ended up with an interdisciplinary major in both. Interviewing<br />
for medical schools with an interesting major like that made for<br />
unique conversations. Throwing in my love of art history and<br />
literature didn’t hurt either.<br />
But scholarly pursuits weren’t necessarily the best parts of my time<br />
at Birmingham-Southern. I have frequently told high school and<br />
college mentees that while medical school<br />
certainly teaches you how to be a physician,<br />
college teaches you how to be a human being.<br />
Focusing on where to go to medical school<br />
may not be as important as focusing on where<br />
to go to college. Living on campus taught me<br />
important life skills and gave me a safe and<br />
secure place to succeed, and sometimes fail. I<br />
had many opportunities to lead, as well as to<br />
volunteer, tutor, and mentor. (And to cheer on<br />
the Panthers as a cheerleader!)<br />
I made lifelong friends, and I even met<br />
my future husband, Dr. Harvey Harmon<br />
’82, at BSC. I can’t say when we actually<br />
met, because when you go to a small liberal<br />
arts college, you just know everyone there,<br />
especially if you are enrolled in the same<br />
pre-med classes. We started dating my<br />
senior year, and when we were accepted into the same medical<br />
school in the same year, that clinched it for us as a couple, and we<br />
married after completing our first year of med school.<br />
And 35 years after I graduated from Birmingham-Southern<br />
College, our youngest daughter, Christina Harmon ’18, graduated,<br />
having experienced her share of legends, and loving every minute<br />
of her time on the Hilltop.<br />
• • •<br />
Dr. Renee Brown Harmon ’83 has retired from<br />
her medical practice and is the author of “Surfing the Waves of<br />
Alzheimer’s: Principles of Caregiving That Kept Me Upright” (Many<br />
Hats Publishing, 2020). Follow her blog at reneeharmon.com.<br />
Living on campus taught me important life<br />
skills and gave me a safe and secure place to<br />
succeed, and sometimes fail.<br />
–Renee Brown Harmon ’83<br />
36 / ’southern
alumni stories<br />
MAKING music<br />
Whether they’re behind the scenes or in the spotlight (or creating the viral TikTok dance of summer <strong>2021</strong>),<br />
Birmingham-Southern graduates and students are hard at work in every area of the music industry. They can be<br />
found at the top of the charts, on tour across the South, or even in a business class on campus in between shows.<br />
Download a playlist and listen while you read about a few BSC names behind the music.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 37
FANCY LIKE<br />
WALKER HAYES ’02<br />
Walker Hayes<br />
Playlist<br />
You might know Walker Hayes as the Applebee’s guy,<br />
or the Nashville-based country artist and family man, but<br />
we remember him as a piano major at BSC. Hayes always<br />
channeled the music kid you only see in movies. He would<br />
instantly find the piano in the room – he could play almost<br />
anything – and he would make up songs on the fly.<br />
Hayes’ summer track, “Fancy Like,” took <strong>2021</strong> by storm,<br />
and it’s bringing his favorite low-key date spots with his<br />
wife, Laney Beville Hayes ’01, into the limelight. He saw<br />
the track hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song<br />
Sales chart and spend consecutive weeks on the Hot<br />
Country Songs chart.<br />
The ode to the Wendy’s Frosty and Applebee’s Bourbon<br />
Street Steak has also inspired the viral TikTok dance started<br />
by Hayes and his daughter, Lela. Since its<br />
release, the song and dance have swept the<br />
Internet, leading to Hayes’ appearances<br />
on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “CBS<br />
Sunday Morning,” and “The Tonight Show<br />
Starring Jimmy Fallon,” plus a Grammy nomination for Best<br />
Country Song. Hayes also toured throughout the fall and<br />
released his single “U Gurl” on Oct. 14.<br />
Some alumni – especially those who were in the<br />
choir with Hayes – might remember him for his musical<br />
moments, or for his goofier moments. Any time the choir<br />
got on the bus for a trip or performance, Hayes booked<br />
his way to the front, grabbed<br />
the microphone, and sang<br />
“Rappers Delight.”<br />
We’ll have to<br />
grab a Natty Light<br />
sometime soon and<br />
hear more of Hayes’<br />
best BSC stories.<br />
Laney Beville Hayes ‘01<br />
and Walker Hayes ‘02<br />
THE FANCY LIKE TOUR<br />
If you’re in Alabama, you can catch Walker Hayes live at the<br />
Saenger Theatre in Mobile on Thursday, Feb. 17 — purchase<br />
tickets at Ticketmaster.com – or at Iron City in Birmingham<br />
on Saturday, Feb. 19 – purchase tickets at ironcitybham.<br />
com. Find more tour dates on walkerhayes.com.<br />
38 / ’southern
Moxie Hotel<br />
Playlist<br />
Moxie Hotel<br />
At 12 years old, BSC business major Price Pewitt began to form<br />
his first few bands. He watched them grow, eventually partnering up<br />
with rival musicians, and has seen the music evolve into the modern<br />
rock/pop hybrid that is Moxie Hotel.<br />
Pewitt is the vocalist and bassist for Moxie Hotel, along with<br />
guitarists and vocalists Stanton Langley and Anderson Gore and<br />
drummer Sims Ruffino. They’re bringing pop music “without losing<br />
that element of explosive, energetic rock” to Birmingham and venues<br />
all over the east coast.<br />
“Moxie Hotel has a couple regions to its style, but it largely centers<br />
around this ironic notion to take what we do very seriously, but<br />
not ourselves,” Pewitt says. “Hence why some of the content may<br />
sound or look so dramatic, but if you come see us live, it’s a lot of us<br />
laughing and interacting with the crowd.”<br />
At Crestline Elementary and Mountain Brook Junior High, Pewitt<br />
and Langley crossed paths and began a few groups, leading to what<br />
Pewitt sees as their first real band, Riverbend.<br />
“I introduced the band to Sims when we were 15, after rivaling his<br />
bands for years,” Pewitt says. “We buried the hatchet and got busy<br />
quickly. After high school, it came time to decide how far we would<br />
be willing to take it.”<br />
Pewitt, Langley, and Ruffino got a production deal in Nashville,<br />
which led them to find Gore, another local musician-turned<br />
bandmate. Together, the four members all bring a love for pop and<br />
rock and collectively channel that energy, while still bringing their<br />
own preferences and varying commitments to the rock roots –<br />
creating the equilibrium Pewitt likes about their style, which was set<br />
in stone once they added Gore.<br />
“That’s really when we rebranded to Moxie Hotel and found our<br />
new sound, our vibe, and essentially started over with this lineup and<br />
our producers who stuck with us all the way through the madness of<br />
the pandemic and internal changes.”<br />
Moxie has performed at several campus events, like E-Fest and<br />
Spring Bash, and has multiple ties to BSC: Pewitt transferred to the<br />
Hilltop in 2020, Ruffino attended BSC in 2018 and 2019, and his<br />
brother, Max Ruffino, is a current first-year student.<br />
Last summer, Moxie traveled to venues in Texas, Virginia, Georgia,<br />
and Washington, D.C. The musicians also played the Sloss Music and<br />
Arts Festival and with Cage the Elephant at the 1065 Music Festival<br />
in Mobile. They plan to keep traveling, and Pewitt is developing a<br />
marketing focus within his business major to help manage the band.<br />
“It is my friends, my career, my income, my passion – all tied into<br />
one project with a purpose to meet people of all kinds and include<br />
people in what we do,” Pewitt says. “It’s very cathartic to me knowing<br />
that whether I’m in a business mood, a creative mood, or a social<br />
mood, I have an outlet through the band.”<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 39
Before Miles Axe Copeland III<br />
produced some of the biggest names<br />
of the new wave scene – The Police,<br />
The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, and<br />
R.E.M. – he was a political science<br />
student at Birmingham-Southern, a<br />
world away from where he grew up.<br />
The son of CIA officer Miles Axe Copeland, Jr.,’41,<br />
and Lorraine Adie, a British secret intelligence agent<br />
and archaeologist, Copeland and his younger siblings<br />
spent their childhood in Damascus, Cairo, and Beirut.<br />
But when the time came to choose a college, he<br />
traveled across the world to his father’s alma mater and<br />
hometown, where many family members still lived.<br />
“My father wanted me to know what real America<br />
was,” Copeland says.<br />
He covers the Birmingham years near the beginning<br />
of his memoir, “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: My<br />
Life in the Music Business,” released in July <strong>2021</strong>. The<br />
book chronicles his failures and successes as the music<br />
and entertainment executive who managed The Police,<br />
guided Sting’s music and acting career, and co-founded<br />
I.R.S. Records, the label for some of the most popular<br />
bands of the 1980s.<br />
AN AMERICAN EDUCATION<br />
Arriving in the American South during the Civil Rights<br />
Movement, Copeland says he was shocked to witness<br />
discrimination he thought he had left in Beirut – only<br />
this was fueled by race rather than religion. Copeland<br />
says his experience in Birmingham both disrupted and<br />
informed his identity.<br />
Having seen so much of the world through his family’s<br />
moves around the Middle East and his father’s role<br />
in covert operations, including coups d’etat in Syria,<br />
Egypt, and Iran, he remembers being shocked to meet<br />
Alabamians who had rarely or never left the South. Most,<br />
he recalls, were unfamiliar with the places he called home.<br />
BSC prepared Copeland for graduate work at the<br />
American University of Beirut and was an important<br />
timeline<br />
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1975 - Startruckin’ 75<br />
Copeland’s European festival tour featured<br />
bands from his very first record label, British<br />
Talent Managers, as well as Soft Machine,<br />
Mahavishnu Orchestra, Lou Reed, and Tina<br />
Turner. Startruckin’ 75 was the first of its<br />
kind and showcased Copeland’s innovative<br />
promotional ideas, though its shortcomings<br />
led to the end of the label and pushed him<br />
towards other pursuits.<br />
1978 – Outlandos d’Amour<br />
Shortly after forming The Police, Sting,<br />
Steward Copeland, and Andy Summers<br />
recorded and released their first album,<br />
“Outlandos d’Amour.” With confidence in<br />
the album – ever since hearing “Roxanne” –<br />
Copeland made an undeniable offer to the<br />
U.K. label A&M Records, who signed The<br />
Police, and he independently financed their<br />
U.S. tour.<br />
1979 - I.R.S. Is Born<br />
The Police became one of the hottest bands<br />
in the world, and A&M Records recognized<br />
Copeland’s successful strategy and fresh<br />
perspective on the industry. Copeland worked<br />
with A&M executives to launch a U.S. division<br />
– the International Record Syndicate, or I.R.S.<br />
Records. R.E.M., The Go-Go’s, The Bangles,<br />
Buzzcocks, and The Cramps soon produced some<br />
of the label’s biggest hits.
The Best of Sting<br />
and The Police<br />
Playlist<br />
MILES AXE<br />
Copeland III ’66<br />
Copeland and Adriana Corajoria after knighting musicians Sir<br />
Dominic Miller and Sir Mark Hudson at Chateau Marouatte.<br />
1984 – Solo Careers<br />
The Police went on a hiatus, leading the members<br />
to each pursue other projects. Copeland<br />
continued to managed Sting’s seven solo albums<br />
and emerging film career, and he followed his<br />
brother’s other band collaborations and launched<br />
Stewart’s career as a film soundtrack composer.<br />
1987 – The Film Division<br />
Copeland expanded I.R.S. Records and<br />
founded I.R.S. Media, which acted as the label’s<br />
film division until 1996. During these years,<br />
Copeland executive produced more than 25<br />
films, including “One False Move,” “Tom and<br />
Viv,” and “Bank Robber.”<br />
1992 – Original Songwriters Conference<br />
Inviting musicians to the Chateau Marouatte,<br />
his 14th century castle in Perigord Vert,<br />
France, Copeland hosted his very first annual<br />
songwriter’s retreat. Notable attendees of<br />
the Marouatte “camps” are Celine Dion,<br />
Aerosmith, Carole King, Keith Urban, and Jon<br />
Bon Jovi.<br />
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introduction to the United States, the place<br />
where punk and new wave music would later<br />
be embraced with open arms, and which<br />
helped shape his career.<br />
THE FAMILY BUSINESS<br />
In 1967, Copeland “fell into music.” At<br />
the time, his brother, Stewart – who would<br />
eventually rise to fame as the drummer for<br />
The Police – was playing with Wichita Vortex<br />
Sutra, a local band in Beirut. Miles was known<br />
for throwing parties, so Stewart brought him<br />
on to create a psychedelic atmosphere for one<br />
of their shows, completed with black lights<br />
and fluorescent paint that covered everyone in<br />
the crowd.<br />
“I’d always been a big fan of music, but I<br />
never imagined anyone in my family being<br />
in music,” Copeland says. “Then I saw<br />
my brother up there drumming. My brain<br />
opened up to the idea.”<br />
Eventually, his work in the music business<br />
snowballed: He relocated to London with his<br />
family, connected with musicians at clubs,<br />
soon managed his first group (Wishbone<br />
Ash), made record deals, and partnered with<br />
agencies. This work led to Startruckin’ 75, the<br />
festival that Copeland calls, “an unmitigated,<br />
pull-the-rug-from-under-you, clean-out-thebank-account<br />
disaster.”<br />
But as Copeland makes clear throughout<br />
his memoir, the low points and frequent<br />
crises shaped him into a manager willing<br />
to take risks, especially as new wave music<br />
began to take form.<br />
“I found myself befriending the punks<br />
because they didn’t care if I had any money,”<br />
he says. “It was in a time when the mainstream<br />
business figured this whole new wave punk<br />
thing was a fad that would disappear, yet it was<br />
really a new generation perking up saying, ‘We<br />
want our heroes, and we want to do it our way.’<br />
I recognized that and was one of the first to<br />
actually pay attention.”<br />
When he brought The Police to New York,<br />
he saw “people begin to wake up” to their<br />
music. The group recorded their first album in<br />
1978 and together – the Copelands, Sting, and<br />
guitarist Andy Summers – offered something<br />
no one had ever experienced before, in sound<br />
and in presence. The Police brought a fusion of<br />
punk, jazz, and reggae, and Copeland booked<br />
tours to places no one else was going and<br />
developed their iconic mystique.<br />
“The show that did change our lives was to<br />
four people in northern New York,” Copeland<br />
says, “because one of the four happened to<br />
be a DJ, who fell in love with the group and<br />
started banging the single on the radio.”<br />
In the world of music and business,<br />
Copeland says instinct and gut feeling work.<br />
“You can have an idea and do it on your<br />
own,” he says. “Some of the strangest stuff I<br />
did was some of the most successful.”<br />
RETURNING TO THE HILLTOP<br />
With his success, Birmingham was never<br />
completely forgotten. He still has family<br />
in the area, including his cousin, Diane<br />
Copeland North ’65, and has visited since<br />
his graduation from BSC.<br />
During a trip to Alabama in the ‘80s,<br />
Copeland visited his uncle Hunter Copeland<br />
and his wife, whose daughter from a previous<br />
marriage was a Mountain Brook High School<br />
graduate named Courteney Cox. Copeland<br />
connected Cox with his brother Ian – also<br />
a music promoter, booking agent, and the<br />
third Copeland on the new wave scene – who<br />
hired her as his secretary in New York. Cox<br />
went on to sign with Ford Modeling Agency<br />
and eventually rose to stardom on the hit<br />
sitcom “Friends.”<br />
Another time on tour, Copeland swung<br />
by campus to visit his old fraternity. “When<br />
The Police were really big, we did a show in<br />
Birmingham, and I went to the SAE house<br />
and gave out free tickets,” he says. “It was my<br />
opportunity to go back home and show how<br />
I made it.”<br />
LESSONS LEARNED<br />
Between the music industry and his<br />
proximity to huge international events<br />
during his childhood, Copeland had a rich<br />
bank of colorful stories to pull from for his<br />
book, which is part personal history and part<br />
motivational lessons.<br />
He writes that people are the same<br />
everywhere, that risk-taking pays off, and that<br />
you can never be too proud. The most central<br />
and universal lesson is that you’ll always have<br />
successes and failures, but those failures could<br />
set you up for something greater and even<br />
more innovative – “Roxanne”-level great.<br />
“My real story starts with a disaster,”<br />
Copeland writes in the preface, referencing<br />
the aforementioned Startruckin’ 75 festivalturned-fiasco.<br />
“But had it not happened, The<br />
Police would never have risen to become<br />
the biggest rock band in the world; Jools<br />
Holland would not have ended up on TV;<br />
The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, R.E.M., and many<br />
other music stars might never have made it<br />
either. It’s strange how a fluke, a disaster, an<br />
unlikely event can lead to incredible results.<br />
But that is in essence what happened to me.”<br />
HEAD OVER HEELS<br />
In November, the College had a subtle Miles Copeland shout-out through BSC Theatre’s fall production of “Head Over Heels.” The pastoral romp serves<br />
as an adaptation of Sir Phillip Sydney’s “The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia” through the music of The Go-Go’s.<br />
Copeland immediately saw the potential of the Los Angeles rockers when I.R.S. Records signed them in 1981. With some leftover funds after a Police<br />
video shoot came in under budget, Copeland produced the “Our Lips Are Sealed” music video. The all-female group became hugely successful, selling<br />
more than seven million records worldwide.<br />
1999 – Brand New Day<br />
Sting’s album “Brand New Day” and its twoyear<br />
world tour align closely with Copeland’s<br />
growing interest in Algerian and French Ra<br />
music. Performances of worldwide superhit<br />
“Desert Rose” – the album’s duet with Cheb<br />
Mami – at the 2003 Super Bowl and 42nd<br />
annual Grammy Awards broke ground as the<br />
first time a song in Arabic was performed at<br />
both of those events.<br />
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2002 – World Music<br />
The late 1990s/early 2000s marked<br />
Copeland’s shift into world music, the<br />
bellydance business, and his presence as a<br />
spokesperson on events in the Middle East. His<br />
label Ark 21 released 2002 compilation album<br />
“Voices of Hope” in support of the Sabera<br />
Foundation in Calcutta, featuring songs from<br />
Sting, Elton John, Cher, Bob Dylan, and others.<br />
The Best of<br />
I.R.S Records
Make Me<br />
Wanna (2019)<br />
Rising<br />
STAR<br />
“My experience at BSC taught me that no matter what room you get<br />
into, you can be successful,” says Jada Cato ’17.<br />
Only four years out of college and the Birmingham-based country<br />
music singer/songwriter has already been in some impressive rooms.<br />
In 2020, Cato made her Country Music Television debut on a “Concert<br />
for Love & Acceptance” – Grammy nominee and Dove Award winning<br />
country star Ty Herndon created the annual concert with GLAAD in 2015<br />
– and past performers have included Reba McEntire, Jake Owen, Mickey<br />
Guyton, and Tanya Tucker. Cato was also the 2019 recipient of GLAAD’s<br />
National Rising Star award for her commitment to enhancing LGBTQ<br />
representation.<br />
Cato’s range of talents is impressive – she plays the guitar, piano, and<br />
ukulele. She has been seen across the country in “Legally Blonde,” “Into<br />
the Woods,” and “Sing Out!” She has also appeared in commercials<br />
for companies like State Farm and Adopt-A-Highway, and skits for “It’s<br />
A Southern Thing.” Her songwriting sessions with Nashville producer,<br />
songwriter, and musician Erik Halbig, who has written songs for Sara<br />
Evans, Collin Raye, and more, led to her recording her first EP with<br />
Halbig at the helm.<br />
A Georgia native, Cato was a theatre major and religion minor and<br />
says her Hilltop experience prepared her well for taking the stage, in<br />
venues around Birmingham and across the country.<br />
“In country music, performance-wise, having a good awareness of<br />
yourself and of others on stage and knowing how to navigate the stage is<br />
huge,” she says. “Dance was a huge part of my training, and something<br />
that I like to incorporate into my shows now as well.”<br />
She says BSC prepared her for the business side of country music, too.<br />
“They teach you to stay one step ahead of the game. And that’s<br />
what you have to do in this business. The hardest class that I took was<br />
probably my theatre literature class. I learned so much. The professors<br />
really care, so they push you. They also give you a lot of grace.”<br />
Learn more about Jada Cato at jadacatomusic.com.<br />
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FALL VIRTUAL BOOK CLUBS ENGAGE<br />
HILLTOP ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY<br />
The last time I participated in a book club was<br />
during Junior Great Books in middle school.<br />
Each week, a motley crew of students gathered<br />
with our leader, Mrs. Loveless, for snacks<br />
and to discuss condensed versions of classic<br />
literature. As an adult, I’ve often missed the<br />
chance to rant and rave about the printed<br />
word with friends and strangers.<br />
That’s why I jumped at the invitation to volunteer as a guest facilitator<br />
for Birmingham-Southern’s Virtual Fall Book Clubs. While there’d be no fun<br />
Book It personal pan pizza prize for reading, and certainly less middle school<br />
awkwardness, losing myself in the pages of “If I Were the Boss of You” would<br />
be both a welcome escape and an opportunity to connect with others during a<br />
decidedly disconnected time.<br />
Reader and three-time book club participant Rachel Barron Keeler ’19 agreed.<br />
“I love the ways that Birmingham-Southern has tried to keep the community<br />
together, especially during COVID,” she said. “This was something fun to look forward<br />
to.” She pointed out that in our modern society, it takes effort to visit a bookstore or<br />
library and select a book, but it’s worth it.<br />
Keeler has long found reading to be meaningful. And through the diverse<br />
experience and perspectives presented, book clubs offer something more.<br />
“It’s hard to have more academic conversations once you’re out of school,” she said.<br />
“[Birmingham-Southern’s book clubs] give me a chance to stretch my legs again and<br />
remember how to have those difficult conversations and share my opinions.”<br />
Beyond that, the virtual book clubs promote lifelong learning and safe and effective<br />
discourse, and actively support alumni by offering a space where they can share their<br />
work and engage with readers.<br />
A few weeks before the book clubs met, I spoke with “Shopping Bagged” author, call<br />
center manager, and drummer Maury Levine ’91. (Full disclosure: We once worked<br />
together at a call center offering Southern-themed cookbooks.) A self-described<br />
“retail nerd,” he grew up spending time in his father’s office at Eastwood Mall and<br />
wanting to be a mall manager.<br />
“I got this really cool behind-the-scenes look at Eastwood’s stores and the people<br />
who ran them,” Levine said. “I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if there was a body buried<br />
under a mall?”<br />
Levine said he was heavily influenced by humor columnist Dave Barry and by comic<br />
crime fiction writer Donald E. Westlake. When Westlake’s death coincided with the<br />
demolition of Eastlake Mall, he felt the two developments were a sign that he should<br />
write his book.<br />
Now that “Shopping Bagged” is published and up for discussion, Levine appreciates<br />
the support from his alma mater.<br />
“It’s nice to have your art read by somebody,” he said. “The audience might not be<br />
millions like John Grisham or Stephen King have, but I made some people laugh and<br />
that’s kind of what we all need, you know?”<br />
Birmingham-Southern’s Fall Virtual Book Club<br />
included the following selections:<br />
• “Bay Boy” by Watt Key ’92<br />
• “The Newspaper Boy” by Chervis Isom ’62<br />
• “Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer’s” by Dr. Renee Brown<br />
Harmon ’83<br />
• “Family Law” by Gin Phillips ’97<br />
• “A Family Place” by Charles Gaines ’64<br />
• “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back” by Miles A.<br />
Copeland III ’66<br />
• “Shopping Bagged” by Maury Levine ’91<br />
• “If I Were the Boss of You” by Associate<br />
Lecturer of English Melinda Rainey Thompson<br />
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Additionally, most of the fall sessions included facilitators<br />
who are members of the Birmingham-Southern community,<br />
such as Kyle Bass ’86, Mike Chappell ’82, Rev. Evan Garner<br />
’02, Sue Dill Grogan ’73, Lars Porter ’04, (MPPM ’11),<br />
Dr. Fred Ashe, professor emeritus of English, and Kenneth<br />
Cox, BSC’s head cross country and track and field coach and<br />
associate athletic director for student-athlete mentorship.<br />
Alexis Barton is a Birmingham-based journalist and vice<br />
president of internal business communications at PNC.<br />
Her work has appeared online at shondaland.com and in<br />
The Daily Beast, on stage with The Moth, in print and on TV<br />
statewide, and on radio across the United States through<br />
NPR. Barton was the facilitator of the “If I Were the Boss Of<br />
You” Virtual Book Club.<br />
I love the ways that Birmingham-Southern<br />
has tried to keep the community together,<br />
especially during COVID.<br />
Rachel Barron Keeler ’19<br />
For announcements related to future book club dates and opportunities<br />
to sign up, follow The BSC Blog online.<br />
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alumni<br />
PODCASTS<br />
The sky’s the limit when it comes to the podcast world. Alumni near and<br />
far have started podcasts that allow them to share their expertise, explore<br />
their interests, and have honest discussions about life. Take a listen to one of<br />
these shows created, recorded, produced, and hosted by BSC graduates.<br />
Do you know more alumni with their own podcasts? Let us know at<br />
communications@bsc.edu.<br />
Armchair<br />
Theology<br />
Armchair<br />
Theology<br />
Ross Furio ’16 helped launch the “Armchair Theology”<br />
podcast in 2020 as an extension of the Twitter account<br />
@armchairtheo and blog that Clay Farrington dedicated<br />
to reading scripture daily as a community. As hosts,<br />
Furio and Farrington read through the Bible and provide<br />
commentary, sometimes with special guests like Denson<br />
N. Franklin Professor of Religion Dr. Amy Cottrill.<br />
Check Your<br />
Aesthetic<br />
Beyond<br />
Our<br />
Lips<br />
Beyond<br />
Our Lips<br />
Dentist Dr. Lora Pacha Gaxiola ’04 and<br />
gynecologist Dr. Ginny Nicholson Winston<br />
’04 explore connections between their fields<br />
and share unique perspectives on life as<br />
working moms. In “Beyond Our Lips,” the<br />
longtime friends and BSC classmates talk<br />
through aspects of women’s health, ranging<br />
from pregnancy to routine screening to<br />
mental health.<br />
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Check<br />
Your<br />
Aesthetic<br />
Hosts Katie Campbell ’21 and Alexis Adams are<br />
here to help you grow your business, search for<br />
inspiration, and connect with other powerhouse<br />
female creatives. Their conversations about<br />
entrepreneurship, social media, design, self-care,<br />
and the creative industry are best suited for the<br />
self-starting creative twenty-something or anyone<br />
interested in the industry.
StellaFit<br />
Portola Valley, California-based fitness StellaFit<br />
and lifestyle consultant Stella Taylor<br />
Bergan ’89 dives into wellness and living<br />
your best life, tackling topics like nutrition,<br />
exercise, sleep, and stress. The podcast is just one<br />
extension of StellaFit, Bergan’s hub for workout videos,<br />
recipes, lifestyle coaching, and more.<br />
Jane Talks<br />
to a Wall<br />
Jane Talks<br />
to a Wall<br />
Jane Torbert ’14 is a self-proclaimed<br />
millennial expat with a lot to say, all stemming<br />
from well-informed curiosity. “Jane Talks to a<br />
Wall” is her place to fall down rabbit holes and<br />
talk about environmentalism, consumption,<br />
and living responsibly.<br />
Wrapped<br />
Two Idiots<br />
Reading<br />
Comics<br />
Two Idiots<br />
Reading<br />
Comics<br />
Comic book readers of all kinds are<br />
welcome in the book club that is<br />
“Two Idiots Reading Comics,” hosted<br />
by Davis Crocker ’17 and Ryan<br />
Tallmage ’17. Each week, Crocker<br />
and Tallmage read one graphic novel –<br />
perfect for anyone new to comics or in<br />
need of a place to start.<br />
Music connoisseurs<br />
Colton Hinderliter ’18,<br />
Ryan Key ’18, and Adam<br />
Stansell ’17 count down<br />
their favorite singles and<br />
Wrapped<br />
albums and share why they<br />
make the top tier. The hosts<br />
cover all kinds of genres – new and old – and<br />
make Spotify playlists with their countdowns.<br />
Every Dollar<br />
Counts<br />
Every Dollar<br />
Counts<br />
Hosts Jay Stubbs ’99 and Josh Null discuss the various<br />
investment and insurance services that are available for consumers,<br />
plus the lifestyle interests of dedicated investors. They often invite<br />
the “best and brightest guests” from the industry for listeners who are<br />
serious about their financial plan.<br />
My Gothic<br />
Dissertation<br />
My Gothic<br />
Dissertation<br />
While completing her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa, Anna Williams<br />
’08 did what no other doctoral student has done before: She created<br />
a dissertation about writing a dissertation, through the lens of Gothic<br />
literature, and did so in a seven-episode podcast series. “My Gothic<br />
Dissertation” explores several novels and how the trapped, mysterious<br />
Gothic protagonist compares to the striving grad student.<br />
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BSC<br />
HOMECOMING<br />
Return to the Hilltop<br />
On the weekend of Oct. 23, we welcomed alumni, family, and friends to campus for the first<br />
Homecoming since 2019. Thanks to beautiful fall weather, almost all events were outdoors, allowing<br />
the BSC family to gather safely. The weekend included reunions, open houses, a BSC author booksigning<br />
event, an alumni choir sing-along, “the Big Tailgate,” athletic events, a Hilltop market, a<br />
Provost’s Forum, and more. See if you spot any familiar faces in the crowd. Forward, Ever!<br />
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Homecoming <strong>2021</strong> included a special event honoring accomplished alumni. The Distinguished<br />
Alumni Awards brunch was held Saturday, Oct. 23, in Bruno Great Hall in Norton Campus Center.<br />
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Daniel Coleman, BSC President<br />
Byron Mathews ‘70<br />
Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr. ‘84<br />
At table: Bernard Mays ’04, his wife<br />
Stephanie Mays ’04, their daughter Savannah<br />
and his parents, Bernard and Belinda Mays.<br />
Barbie Lesch ‘71 and Bill Eiland ’70<br />
Dr. Tondra Loder-Jackson ‘89<br />
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Since the 2020 event canceled due to the COVID-19<br />
pandemic, the <strong>2021</strong> event honored 2020 recipients Dr. Michael<br />
Callahan ’67, Dr. Lawrence Durham ‘63, and Tondra Loder-<br />
Jackson ‘89, and 2019 recipient Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, Jr. ’84,<br />
who was unable to attend the 2019 event.<br />
Also honored at the Oct. 23 brunch were 2020 Outstanding<br />
Young Alumna Casey Daniel ’07, Outstanding Young Alumnus<br />
Bernard Mays, Jr. ’04, and Rising Star Hannah Byrne ’16.<br />
These honorees were featured in the Winter 2020/<strong>2021</strong> issue<br />
of ‘Southern. Read their stories on the BSC Blog at blog.bsc.edu.<br />
For the first time, the Distinguished Alumni Awards<br />
recognized posthumous honorees.<br />
The <strong>2021</strong> Posthumous Honorees are Bernard Lockhart ’83, Dr.<br />
James Donald Patrick ’57, and Pamela Payton-Wright ’63.<br />
Patrick Finnerty, husband of<br />
Dr. Casey Daniel, and their son,<br />
Daniel Finnerty.<br />
Laura Levenson, wife of Rev.<br />
Dr. Russ Levenson, and their<br />
god-daughter, Mollie Shuster.<br />
bernard<br />
lockhart ’83<br />
Bernard Lockhart founded Magic City Smooth Jazz, a nonprofit<br />
dedicated to exposing residents to great jazz, and launched its Jazz in<br />
the Park series in 2010 with five concerts around the city. He and wife,<br />
Jacqueline Lockhart, applied for grants and wrote letters seeking support<br />
from local and national arts foundations. The series also presented jazz<br />
concerts at parks in other Alabama cities, including Bessemer, Helena,<br />
Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa. Lockhart’s career also included stints in<br />
event planner at Southern Progress, as director and event organizer for<br />
Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, and as event manager at Trussville<br />
Civic Center. Lockhart died in December 2020 at UAB Hospital from<br />
complications related to COVID-19. He is survived by his wife, his<br />
daughters, Bernadette and Rachel, and his son, John.<br />
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Bernard Mays Jr. ‘04<br />
Adelia Patrick Thompson ’86,<br />
daughter of Dr. Donald Patrick<br />
dr. james<br />
donald patrick ’57<br />
A man with multiple groundbreaking roles, Dr. James<br />
Donald Patrick was the first person in the state of Alabama<br />
to receive a Ph.D. in vocational rehabilitation and the first<br />
vocational rehab counselor at the newly created Spain<br />
Rehabilitation Center at UAB. From there, he went on to<br />
help found Lakeshore Rehab Center and Foundation, which<br />
is well-known in the community as a highly successful<br />
rehabilitation facility. Patrick was an active member of<br />
Canterbury United Methodist Church for 45 years. He is<br />
survived by his wife of 59 years, Margaret Hines Patrick;<br />
daughter Adelia Patrick Thompson and her husband, J. Lynn<br />
Thompson; son Bentley Hines Patrick and his wife, Melissa<br />
Self Patrick, and their daughters, Mary Rose Patrick and<br />
Sarah Elizabeth Patrick; his brother, Billy Wayne Patrick, and<br />
his wife, Sarah Goodlett Patrick, and their children, Bryan<br />
Patrick and Amanda Patrick Booher.<br />
Barbara Quackenbush ‘65,<br />
sister of posthumous honoree<br />
Pamela Payton-Wright ‘63<br />
Dr. Lawrence Durham ‘63<br />
Lynda Daniel, mother of Casey Daniel, and Amanda Daniel<br />
Pendergrass ‘03, sister<br />
58 / ’southern
Dr. Michael Callahan ‘67<br />
Pamela<br />
Payton-wright ’63<br />
Dr. Neal Berte, President Emeritus<br />
Dr. Casey Daniel ‘07<br />
Dr. Stewart Jackson,<br />
former BSC Chaplain<br />
Pamela Payton-Wright was a graduate of both<br />
Birmingham-Southern College and the Royal Academy of<br />
Dramatic Art, where she received the Special Medal and<br />
the Edmund Gray Prize for High Comedy. She was crowned<br />
Miss Tuscaloosa in 1961 and was also a finalist in the Miss<br />
Alabama contest. She began her television career in 1972<br />
as Rhonda on “Corky.” In 1979, she joined the cast of<br />
“Another World” as Hazel Parker. Payton-Wright appeared in<br />
numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions. She won<br />
a Drama Desk Award for her performance as Lavinia Mannon<br />
in the 1972 Broadway revival of “Mourning Becomes<br />
Electra.” Her television credits included PBS productions<br />
of “The Prodigal,” “Brother to Dragons,” and “The Adams<br />
Chronicles.” She earned an Emmy nomination for her work<br />
in “The Adams Chronicles.” In 1991, Payton-Wright joined<br />
the cast of the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live” in the<br />
recurring role of sweet-natured Agatha “Addie” Cramer. She<br />
died on December 14, 2019. Payton-Wright is survived by<br />
her son, Oliver Dickon Hedley Butler, and his wife, Cynthia<br />
Flowers, brother Gordon Trafford Payton Wright, and sisters<br />
Brenda Payton-Wright Davies and Barbara Payton-Wright<br />
Quackenbush ’65.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 59
Giving to BSC<br />
Honoring Loved Ones<br />
Through Student Support<br />
Weezer<br />
When you think about what a liberal arts education looks like, turn to<br />
Andre Yu Tiamco.<br />
A senior at Birmingham-Southern, Yu Tiamco is finishing up his physics major,<br />
along with minors in math, music, and data science. He is also active on campus<br />
as the president of Spectrum and the secretary of Identity – both of which are<br />
LGBTQ+ student organizations that lead inclusive events and offer support – and<br />
as the vice president of Theta Chi Fraternity.<br />
With on-campus leadership and classes across several departments, Yu Tiamco<br />
is involved in multiple fields. That’s one of the reasons he was first drawn to BSC<br />
after hearing about it from his brother, Nino Yu Tiamco ’13, and sister-in-law,<br />
Catherine Gilliland Yu Tiamco ’14.<br />
“Smaller schools have much more interconnected communities, and BSC is no<br />
exception,” Yu Tiamco says. “I enjoy being able to walk around campus and see<br />
faces ranging from familiar to friendly daily. My brother and his wife both spoke<br />
very highly of the school, specifically praising the value of a liberal arts education,<br />
even for STEM majors such as myself.”<br />
Yu Tiamco will graduate 70 years after Dr. H. Newton Malony ’52, but both<br />
share the same academic dedication, campus involvement, and pursuit of<br />
multiple subjects across disciplines. It’s no mistake that they share an appreciation<br />
of their education – Yu Tiamco is a recipient of the Amy Malony Samuels<br />
Endowed Scholarship.<br />
The scholarship was established and named after Dr. Malony’s mother,<br />
Amy Malony Samuels, a schoolteacher who worked hard to support her son’s<br />
education. She carefully saved up her money and, in 1969, left a bequest of<br />
$10,000 to the College to support more hardworking and deserving BSC students.<br />
Malony was an active student at BSC, where he met his wife, Suzanna Davis<br />
Malony ’54. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in history, he went on to pursue<br />
several graduate degrees, earning his Master of Divinity from Yale University and<br />
his Master of Science and Ph.D. in psychology from Vanderbilt University.<br />
Much like Yu Tiamco, Malony studied seemingly disconnected disciplines,<br />
but each subject played an important role in his career at Fuller Theological<br />
Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he served as a professor with<br />
distinction from 1969 to 2015.<br />
After Samuels established the scholarship, the Malony family also committed<br />
to supporting the endowment and, in 2009, decided to fund a new scholarship<br />
honoring Suzanna Davis Malony’s parents, educators Grace Davis and Harold<br />
Davis. The Davis family showed a commitment to education and generosity, and<br />
they are now honored through an additional award for BSC students.<br />
Endowed scholarships like those from the Malony and Davis families support<br />
BSC students throughout their time on the Hilltop and support whatever goals<br />
and dreams they pursue. For Yu Tiamco, he hopes to begin Ph.D. work in physics<br />
and see where that takes him – maybe back into the classroom as a professor.<br />
“The scholarships I have received during my time at BSC have provided the<br />
monetary leeway to not only succeed in my academics, but to do so comfortably<br />
such that I can more freely enjoy my time here as well,” he says.<br />
If you want to learn more about planned giving and other scholarships at the<br />
College, please email advancement@bsc.edu.<br />
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Weezer<br />
60 / ’southern
Help students recharge<br />
at the Fountain<br />
In its fall <strong>2021</strong> campaign, the Hilltop Parent & Family<br />
Fund focused on making the Clay Long Alumni Fountain<br />
Plaza in front of Norton Campus Center even more useful<br />
for our campus community. While there are plenty of chairs<br />
and tables at this popular gathering spot thanks to the 2019<br />
Hilltop Parent & Family Fund project and support from the<br />
Student Government Association, now there will be a way<br />
to charge laptops, tablets, phones, and other devices in the<br />
outdoor space.<br />
To meet this need, the Hilltop Parent & Family Fund is<br />
raising funds to purchase solar-powered outdoor charging<br />
stations. These energy-smart solar stations will benefit<br />
residential and commuter students as well as the entire campus<br />
community. To make your gift, visit bsc.edu/give/parents.<br />
For more information about the Hilltop Parent & Family<br />
Fund or BSC’s annual giving programs, contact Danielle Ivey<br />
Buchanan, director of annual giving, at (205) 226-4979 or<br />
mdbucha1@bsc.edu.<br />
The fall 2020 Hilltop Parent & Family<br />
Fund project provided more than 80<br />
weatherproof Adirondack chairs for<br />
outdoor spaces across campus.<br />
Each of the 87 Adirondack chairs<br />
includes a named plaque honoring an<br />
alumnus or member of the BSC family.<br />
The chairs have created comfortable<br />
outdoor spaces for students to gather,<br />
study, and socialize.<br />
INVESTED IN OUR STUDENTS ADIRONDACK CHAIRS PROVIDED GIFTS FROM BSC FAMILIES<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 61
Giving to BSC<br />
Mark Your Calendar For Forward Ever Day 2022<br />
On April 7, the Birmingham-Southern community will celebrate our sixth annual Forward<br />
Ever Day, the College’s 24-hour day of giving that supports all areas of campus.<br />
The Forward Ever Fund, through the support of alumni, faculty, staff, families, and<br />
other donors, raises money for scholarships, research opportunities, departmental needs,<br />
student development and organizations events, renovations, equipment, and more.<br />
Donors can designate their gifts to support a specific office, academic department, or<br />
student organization.<br />
Forward Ever Day <strong>2021</strong> set records for total dollars raised and number of gifts, with<br />
$477,213 raised from 1,966 donors.<br />
Every Forward Ever Day, alumni and other donors participate in competitions to help<br />
departments or organizations win additional funds. Academic departments, student<br />
organizations, and Greek chapters compete to win Forward Ever Day “titles”: most dollars<br />
raised, most donors, and best social media presence.<br />
In <strong>2021</strong>, the business and accounting program won the $5,000 Grand Prize for highest<br />
total dollar amount raised by a department. The department’s award money was used<br />
to update the common spaces in Harbert where students and faculty meet for tutoring,<br />
studying, and to participate in collaborative projects.<br />
One of the easiest ways to get involved in Forward Ever Day is by spreading the word. Share<br />
posts on social media or connect with your BSC friends, professors, and colleagues about what<br />
you want to support. You can even win one of our contests – Ansley Collins Browns ‘01 won<br />
the <strong>2021</strong> Ambassador contest for bringing in the highest overall number of gifts.<br />
Sign up to serve as an ambassador and help us promote the day.<br />
Sign up at bsc.edu/FEDambassador.<br />
TWO EASY WAYS TO GIVE TO BSC<br />
BSC <strong>2021</strong><br />
IF YOU LIVE IN ALABAMA, BUY A BSC CAR TAG.<br />
BSC gets about $45 from each affinity tag sold and uses that money to fund Driven to<br />
Succeed Scholarships for Alabama residents. Ask for a BSC tag at your local DMV. Send us<br />
your receipt and we’ll send you a tax receipt for the deductible portion.<br />
DESIGNATE BSC AS YOUR NON-PROFIT OF CHOICE WHEN YOU<br />
SHOP ON AMAZON SMILE.<br />
Visit smile.amazon.com to do your Amazon shopping, and 0.5% of eligible<br />
purchases will be donated directly to BSC. Once signed into smile.amazon.com,<br />
you will be prompted to pick a charity. You can choose one from the provided list<br />
or type in another of your choosing. Type “Birmingham-Southern College,” and our<br />
organization will appear.<br />
There is no cost to us or you – 100% of the donation generated from eligible purchases<br />
goes to BSC. For frequent Amazon users, this additional perk is a great way to give back to<br />
BSC effortlessly. Note: Amazon does not share customer information with us, so we are<br />
unable to credit individual donors when we receive contributions from Amazon.<br />
62 / ’southern
Remembering Clay Long<br />
A Hilltop Tribute<br />
At Birmingham-Southern, I<br />
discovered so many of the most<br />
important people in my life. I still<br />
treasure the connection to friends,<br />
sorority sisters, theatre cast mates<br />
and professors. I even met my<br />
husband at BSC, but it wasn’t<br />
until later, when I gave him my<br />
torts outline in law school, that I<br />
think I won his heart. (It was an<br />
excellent outline.)<br />
While I was a student on the<br />
Hilltop, I didn’t realize that one<br />
of the most important school<br />
connections I would ever make<br />
was with a BSC student who<br />
arrived at BSC before I was<br />
born. In fact, by the time I was<br />
a freshman, Clay Long had<br />
graduated from Harvard law<br />
school, clerked for Supreme<br />
Court Justice Hugo Black and<br />
co-founded a law firm in Atlanta<br />
that would go on to become one<br />
of the nation’s finest.<br />
I met Clay when I interviewed<br />
for a summer clerkship with<br />
Long, Aldridge & Norman. I remember that he took me to dinner<br />
in a car that had been converted to run on natural gas because he<br />
was concerned about the environment. He was the first person<br />
I can remember talking about climate change. Clay didn’t just<br />
talk; he devoted his talents to conservation, chairing the Georgia<br />
Conservancy Board and working with policy makers to protect<br />
Georgia’s environment.<br />
Joelle James Phillips ’89 is president<br />
of AT&T Tennessee in Nashville and a<br />
member of the Birmingham-Southern<br />
College Board of Trustees.<br />
In my first year at the firm, I was<br />
lucky to work on a case with Clay. My<br />
most vivid memory of that experience<br />
was a meeting during which Clay<br />
rejected an option presented because<br />
it was morally wrong. He didn’t make<br />
a production of it, and he didn’t<br />
entertain any discussion about whether<br />
the client agreed. He was a fierce<br />
competitor, but he would no more<br />
consider an unethical move than he<br />
would have cheated at tennis – and<br />
I would never have bet against him<br />
winning in – or on – the court.<br />
Clay was so comfortable in his own<br />
skin. He knew who he was and what<br />
he cared about. In a profession where<br />
outsized egos are common, Clay didn’t<br />
seem to need any affirmation from the<br />
crowd. He was funny but didn’t need<br />
the whole room to hear the punch<br />
line.<br />
I was heartbroken that the BSC<br />
family lost such an important and<br />
dear friend. Clay’s example will forever<br />
inspire me.<br />
CLAY C. LONG ’58<br />
Lawyer and conservationist Clay C. Long<br />
passed away May 29, <strong>2021</strong>, at 85 after<br />
battling a neurological illness. He graduated<br />
summa cum laude from Birmingham-Southern<br />
College and magna cum laude from Harvard<br />
Law School. As a law clerk for Justice Hugo<br />
Black of the U.S. Supreme Court, he drafted<br />
the ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright, the<br />
landmark case establishing that poor people<br />
charged with crimes have a right to an attorney.<br />
1974, Long co-founded Long, Aldridge,<br />
Stevens & Sumner, a corporate and commercial<br />
real estate practice, which 28 years later<br />
merged with a Washington-based firm to<br />
become McKenna Long & Aldridge. During his<br />
life, Long received many awards and accolades,<br />
including the Atlanta Bar Association’s<br />
Leadership Award – of which he was the first<br />
recipient – an honorary Doctor of Laws degree<br />
from BSC, and the Lifetime Achievement<br />
Award from the Anti-Defamation League.<br />
Long gave back to his community in many<br />
ways – by serving as Chairman of the Board<br />
of MARTA, as Chairman of the Georgia<br />
Conservancy, and by working on environmental<br />
issues with the Nature Conservancy, the<br />
Jekyll Island Authority, and the Jekyll Island<br />
Foundation. He was chair of the Georgia<br />
Greenspace Commission and served as<br />
President of the Atlanta United Way. He was a<br />
member of the boards of directors of Research<br />
Atlanta, the Atlanta Urban League, the Atlanta-<br />
Fulton County Public Library, the Metropolitan<br />
Atlanta Community Foundation, Birmingham-<br />
Southern College, and many others.<br />
Long is survived by his wife of 61 years,<br />
Elizabeth E. Long, his daughter and sonin-law,<br />
Katie Long and Adam Gelb, and his<br />
grandchildren, Max Gelb and Kate Denton. He<br />
was preceded in death in 2003 by his beloved<br />
daughter, Polly Long Denton.<br />
FALL/WINTER <strong>2021</strong> / 63
lifelong learner<br />
Christian Strevy ’10<br />
Christian Strevy, who earned a BFA in art at Birmingham-<br />
Southern College in 2010, strongly exemplifies the school’s value of<br />
lifelong learning.<br />
He has a wide, ever-growing range of interests, including plants,<br />
animals, insects, and geology.<br />
And Strevy – now a Philadelphia-based filmmaker – is also hosting<br />
a series of YouTube videos to explore these interests and share them<br />
with the world.<br />
The series, “Old Scout,” began in 2018 by depicting Strevy’s quest to<br />
earn all the merit badges from Cub Scout to Eagle Scout in one year.<br />
That quest stemmed from Strevy’s regrets about dropping out of Cub<br />
Scouts when he was 10 years old. He quit before he had a chance to<br />
enjoy the outdoor scouting activities, such as camping, he had come to<br />
love as an adult.<br />
Strevy successfully completed that initial one-year stage of the “Old<br />
Scout” series in 2019.<br />
And Strevy – along with series co-creator and fellow BSC graduate<br />
Julie St. John ’11 – resumed “Old Scout” in 2020 after a pandemicinduced<br />
hiatus.<br />
The project began with Strevy wondering if he could complete all<br />
the merit badges in one year.<br />
“It was a little bit of a stunt,” he said.<br />
But “Old Scout” became something more.<br />
Strevy and St. John, who earned a BFA in 2011, have continued the<br />
series because it’s an entertaining way to explore subjects they have<br />
“strong curiosity” about, Strevy said.<br />
A Vestavia Hills native, Strevy earned an MFA in film in 2015<br />
from Temple University in Philadelphia. At Temple, he made a web<br />
series, “Gunner Jackson,” that was shown at numerous film festivals,<br />
including Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham.<br />
Strevy began “Old Scout” on his 30th birthday, June 14, 2018, and<br />
a year later, he filmed an episode that was based on an Eagle Scout<br />
graduation. For that episode, Strevy, St. John, and friends staged a<br />
pinewood derby, the wood-car racing event popular in scouting.<br />
Strevy said he and St. John like the old Boy Scouts curriculum from<br />
the 1950s and before.<br />
“It was more experiment-based or adventure-based,” he said.<br />
In the newer curriculum, the rocks and minerals merit badge book,<br />
for example, “is more like a book report,” Strevy said. In the old<br />
curriculum, scouts were told to collect 25 rocks and minerals in the field.<br />
Making the episodes “is a great way to start hobbies and learn about<br />
science.” For example, he started collecting insects and is making an<br />
episode about them. He even became interested in stamp collecting.<br />
“We did that episode, and I realized they’re tiny, beautiful, little<br />
engraved works of art that you put on mail,” Strevy said.<br />
Since restarting “Old Scout,” Strevy and St. John have made two<br />
more episodes.<br />
St. John does “the tedious, hard work of producing the episodes,”<br />
Strevy said, while he directs and does most of the editing.<br />
“We’re just doing them at our own pace and taking our time doing<br />
them, which is really fun,” Strevy said.<br />
OLD SCOUT<br />
Follow along as Christian Strevy completes the entire<br />
curriculum of Scouts from Cub to Eagle in one year.<br />
From knot-tying to safe hiking to a pinewood derby<br />
finale, find out if an old scout can learn new tricks in<br />
this 45-episode series.<br />
Old<br />
Scout<br />
64 / ’southern
Stay in<br />
TOUCH!<br />
Rowdy’s<br />
Playlist<br />
Keep up with news from the Hilltop – and let<br />
us know what’s happening with you.<br />
THE BSC BLOG<br />
At blog.bsc.edu, you’ll find stories about<br />
alumni, athletics, student life, faculty<br />
achievements, and upcoming events.<br />
CLASS NOTES<br />
Monthly updates about BSC alumni and<br />
friends of the College are now online at<br />
blog.bsc.edu.<br />
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!<br />
@birminghamsouthern<br />
@bscalums<br />
@birminghamsouthern<br />
@bsc_alumni<br />
@fromthehilltop<br />
FIVE EASY WAYS TO ENGAGE<br />
1. Update your contact information.<br />
Visit bsc.edu/alumni to provide a current<br />
address, phone, or email, share your current<br />
employment information, or notify us of a name<br />
change. That will help ensure you are on the list<br />
for regional and career-focused alumni events.<br />
2. Submit a Class Note. Share news of career<br />
updates, weddings, births, and other life events<br />
at bsc.edu/alumni.<br />
3. Honor a classmate. Nominate a fellow<br />
graduate for the Distinguished Alumni Award<br />
or the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.<br />
Nominations are made online beginning in<br />
January at bsc.edu/alumni.<br />
4. Send us a future BSC student. Email our<br />
Admissions staff at admissions@bsc.edu<br />
with the names of the best students you know<br />
so we can give them the warmest welcome<br />
on campus visits and at recruiting events. We<br />
especially want to know about legacy students.<br />
5. Help us tell the BSC story. Share the<br />
names of alumni who have interesting jobs or<br />
are making a big impact in their community so<br />
we can feature them online and in print. Email<br />
us at alumni@bsc.edu.
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As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, most events you see in this issue took place outdoors. The College remains vigilant and follows<br />
testing and masking protocols based on advice from public health experts. In fall <strong>2021</strong>, our students achieved an 85 percent vaccination rate.