'Southern 2021

ALUMNI PODCASTS
DEAR BSC
MAKING MUSIC
’SOUTHERN
A Publication for Alumni and Friends Fall/Winter 2021 | Volume 46, Number 1
the
ISSUE
’Southern Sounds
BSC Playlist
BSC
Birmingham-Southern College

SNOW DAY
On February 16, 2021, Birmingham-Southern College experienced
a rare snow day. Winter Storm Uri brought snow, ice, and freezing
temperatures to Alabama, with north and north-central areas of
the state receiving a light coating of snow and flurries lingering into
the early afternoon. The snow was gone by the next day, but the
memories — and photographs — remain.

sc snapshots
Conceptual, cerebral, and cooler than a snow day in Alabama, People Years features lead
singer/guitarist Chris Rowell ’95, keyboardist Tony Oliver, bassist Greg Slamen, and drummer
Wes McDonald. The band’s second album, XIV, is “full of dreamy, distorted guitars, haunting
keyboards and propulsive bass and drums,” says Chris Davidson, Magic City Bands. “The record
unfolds as chapters of a sonic novel … slowly building an exhilarating musical catharsis.”
People
Years

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: A playlist that I am working
on is hit songs with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section,
“The Swampers,” as the supporting studio band. These
songs include “When a Man Loves Woman” by Percy Sledge,
“Respect” by Aretha Franklin, “I’ll Take You There” by the
Staple Singers, “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones, and
“Kodachrome” by Paul Simon, among others.
Muscle
Shoals
Sound
Letter from the
PRESIDENT
In the summer of 1980, three of my best friends
and I drove to Atlanta to see The Who in concert.
It was their first U.S. tour since the death of their
outlandish drummer, Keith Moon. We adored The
Who. We had all their albums, and we had seen
each of their movies several times each. We dissected
the symbolic meaning of “Tommy.” We felt the
energy and euphoria of Jimmy’s rebellious and
tragic life in “Quadrophenia.” We came to “know”
Pete, Roger, John, and Keith from “The Kids Are
Alright.” And now, we were traveling to see all of
them in person (except for Keith) at the Omni in
Atlanta. At the age of 15, it was one of the greatest
concerts of my life, though not because it was the
greatest concert. Rather, something about The Who
spoke to me as a 15-year-old boy.
To memorialize the concert, my friends and I
decided to make a cassette tape with every song in
the concert in the exact order played. Our resources
were limited, but our creativity was not. We had
one tape deck, one turntable, a receiver, and two
speakers. For some reason, our tape deck would not
record directly from the turntable via the receiver.
So, to make this recording, we put two speakers
facing each other, standing about three feet apart.
Then we hung a microphone between the speakers
and plugged it into our tape deck. We did this four
times to create four copies of our The Who concert,
which we played over and over for our final two
years of high school.
One of the great benefits of technological
developments over the last 40 years is the access
to music. In the early 2000s, I remember the
excitement of paying $1 a song to line up music
on my iPod. It was so much better than the Sony
Walkman. Little did I know, Napster would launch
in 1999 and change the model of music distribution
for the next generation. I was just happy to have
access to the music I wanted to listen to at any time
or any place.
As a young executive who traveled internationally
twice a month, turning on my iPod and reclining
in my seat gave me a needed sense of comfort, a
feeling of being at home at 40,000 feet over the
Atlantic. The downside to the iPod was that it was
another device I had to carry around with me at
all times. I had no room in my pockets. I had to
resort to wearing a Blackberry holster, the sign of
the business cowboy in the 2000s. In retrospect, the
Blackberry on the belt was the fashion equivalent of
a pocket protector.
If the delivery of music was transformed over a
15-year period from 1995 through 2010, we are
currently experiencing a similar transformational
time with video. Growing up in Alabama, I have

Like all new technology, streaming is a powerful
tool. One can use it to limit oneself, to isolate
oneself. One can also use it to expand oneself.
always loved college football (Go Panthers!).
When I lived in Japan in 1993, I had no access to
game scores. On Sunday mornings (late Saturday
night back in the U.S.), I would walk about 10
blocks to my office. I would go inside, sit down
at my trading desk, log in to my Bloomberg
terminal, and pull up all the scores and written
highlights. My parents saved the Sunday
“Birmingham News” sports pages so I could read
them all when I came home for Christmas. Today,
I would be able to pull out my phone at 3:30
a.m. in a bar in Roppongi and watch any game on
television that was kicking off at 2:30 p.m. Central
Time. Anyone can watch almost anything now on
television or any streaming service on their phone.
Access to sports, television, and movies is no
longer constrained by location (if there is internet
connectivity) or time.
Is all this good? On the one hand, there is a
social loss. We don’t have the opportunities to be
creative to access them. More significantly, when
everyone watches what they want to watch, we
separate into our own worlds. How many times
do we walk into rooms where people are watching
something different on their phones? Their heads
are down; they don’t acknowledge each other
much less relate to each other.
On the other hand, we all have been empowered
to listen to and watch what we want. We are not
dependent on playlists or TV shows by executives
we don’t know who are being paid by advertisers.
Because access has become easier, we have more
content: more TV shows, more movies, and more
music. Our social fragmentation may well cause
us to lose certain social skills. It is not like I have
the same social skills as my grandparents. What we
don’t often realize is that those faces who are in
phones are also communicating with friends, many
of whom they would not be able to be close to
without iPhones and social platforms. New social
skills are forming.
With respect to increasing access to music and
video, I believe the benefits are huge. Growing
up idolizing the British Invasion, I wasn’t
interested in country music. I associated it with
overproduction (“The Nashville Sound”) and
saccharine and slick performances on “Hee Haw”
(if you have never heard of “Hee Haw,” you can
look it up on YouTube). I made a playlist a few
years ago on my iPhone, and my kids called me
an idiot and showed me Spotify. Brave new world!
Playlists on Spotify introduced me to music I did
not know existed. Now, if I hear an artist I like,
I go to Spotify and play not just their songs, but
also their “playlists.”
Not long ago, I listened to an Elvis Costello
playlist. It had 1980s music I liked: The Style
Council, Squeeze (managed at one time by
BSC graduate Miles Copeland III ’66, who
you can read more about on pg. 40), The Jam,
The Replacements. It also had music I was not
expecting. In the late 1980s, Costello spent time
in Nashville, a time that had a huge influence on
him. His list also includes Lucinda Williams, The
Flying Burrito Brothers, The Jayhawks, and John
Hiatt. I listened to country music that I found
culturally accessible. I pulled up playlists from two
artists I had liked for years, Lyle Lovett and John
Prine – their playlists introduced me to Townes
Van Zandt, Iris Dement, and my new favorite,
Alabama’s own Jason Isbell.
Like all new technology, streaming is a powerful
tool. One can use it to limit oneself, to isolate
oneself. One can also use it to expand oneself.
For me, Spotify is a little of each. I find new music
and then I create my own lists. By and large, it is
expansive. Without it, I would have fewer playlists;
I would know less music and listen to less music.
Who knows what is next? Gaming and virtual
reality? Whatever it is, we can be sure that it will be
powerful, which means it can enrich our lives or
isolate us. That will be up to us. As for me, the one
thing for sure is that I will take up whatever new
technology is invented 10 years after everyone else.
Forward, Ever!
Daniel B. Coleman
President

’SOUTHERN MAGAZINE
VOLUME 46, NUMBER 1
Daniel B. Coleman, President
DeLynn M. Zell ’86, Chair,
Board of Trustees
’Southern magazine is published
by the Office of Communications
at Birmingham-Southern College,
Birmingham, Alabama 35254.
Non-profit postage paid at B’ham.,
AL Permit No. 2575. ©2021
Birmingham-Southern College
2021-2022 ALUMNI BOARD
Thomas Waters ’86, President
Rodney Barganier ’94
Danzey Burnham ’78
Devan Byrd ’13
Paul Fancher ’97
Jeris Burns Gaston ’05
Betty Gunn ’60
2021-2022 YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL
Jennifer Commander ’12, President
Denzel Okinedo ’16, President-Elect
Kandace Hamilton ’06
Christopher Byard ’07
Glorious Bates ’10
Ansley Emmet ’10
John Gunnells ’10
Kathleen Hillen ’10
Julie Paul ’10
Tyler Marsh ’11
Holly Laine NeSmith ’11
Charlsie Wigley ’11
LaDarius Woods ’11
LJ Campbell ’12
Lauren Miles Kelley ’12
Sarah McCune ’12
Alex Miller ’12
Katie Stewart ’12
Brittany Arias Sturdivant ’13
Brooke Warren Rebarchak ’13
Chelsea Smith ’13
Chelsea Vance Velez ’13
Stephen Wilson ’13
Ana Lejava ’14
M’Kayl Lewis ’14
Terria Punturo Steele ’14
Susan Tuberville ’14
Clayton Humphries ’15
Gabby Joiner ’15
4 / ’southern
George Lane ’95
Byron Mathews ’70
Jeb Pittard ’98
Leanna Bankester Pittard ’98
Greer Real Tirrill ’79
Reba Simmons MPPM ‘00
Michael Flynn ’16
Patrick Fox ’16
Katie Waters-McCormack ’16
John White ’16
Emily Ballew ’17
Emily Eidson ’17
Jalon Hollie ’17
Bethany Kuerten ’17
Samantha Laflin ’17
Jay Williams ’17
Lauren Brasher ’18
Sam Campbell ’18
Shiv Desai ’18
Katie Kassis ’18
Damian Mitchell ’18
Kelsey Peake ’18
Justin Woolfolk ’18
Vindhya Basetty ’19
Jackson Massey ’19
Kyler Jackson ’19
Andrew Triplett ’19
Leah White ’19
Aaron Beane ’20
Olivia Jones ’20
Diamond Spears ’20
Leah Thomas ’20
Christopher McClintock ’21
Olivia Seckinger ’21
Zac Venos ’21
1856 TOUR
Editorial Offices
10 Stockham Building
900 Arkadelphia Road
Box 549004
Birmingham, AL 35254
Phone: (205) 226-4922
E-mail: communications@bsc.edu
Virginia Gilbert Loftin
Vice President for Advancement
and Communications
Executive Editor
Amy Bickers Abeyta
Assistant Vice President
of Communications
Art Directors
Patrick Bradford
Assistant Director of
Visual Content
Traci Edwards
Assistant Director of
Visual Content
Contributing Writers
Alexis Barton
Nicholas Mathey
Sports Information Director
Jesse Roberson
Elizabeth Sturgeon
Communications Coordinator
Jordan Taylor
Marketing and Digital Media
Coordinator-Athletics
Photography
Cameron Carnes
Photographer and Videographer
Dustin Massey ’12
Courtney Wild ’23
Office of Alumni Engagement
Jennifer Howard Waters ’86
Director
Dana McArthur Porter ’03
Assistant Director
www.bsc.edu

CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS
2
Letter from the President
6
Campus Life
12
Panther Pride
16
Office Hours
17
Off Hours
18
A Day in the Life
20
The Next Chapter
60
Giving to BSC
64
Lifelong Learning
FEATURES
21
Remembering GALA
When stars fell on Alabama: A
look back at the biennial event
that honored distinguished
women and supported students
from 1977-2004
23
Special Section:
Dear BSC
Alumni pen tributes to the many
ways Birmingham-Southern
prepared them for their lives
beyond the Hilltop
20
37
The
Playlist Issue
‘SOUTHERN MAGAZINE // VOLUME 46, NUMBER 1
48
37
Alumni Features
BSC highlights a few grads and a student
in the music business: I.R.S Records cofounder
Miles Copeland III ’66, country
hitmaker Walker Hayes ’02, singer/
songwriter Jada Cato ’17, and Moxie
Hotel guitarist Price Pewitt
44
BSC Virtual Book Clubs
Alumni, faculty, staff, and community
members connect online for BSC’s Fall
2021 Virtual Book Clubs
46
Alumni Podcasts
Find out which BSC grads are sharing
insight, expertise, and more in podcasts
55
Distinguished Alumni
Awards
Photos from the Homecomingweekend
tribute to the 2020
Alumni Awards honorees and 2021
Posthumous Honorees
63
Hilltop Tribute
Joelle Phillips ’89 remembers mentor
and friend Clay C. Long ’58
SCAN AND TAP
Throughout this issue, you will see QR
codes that link to songs, playlists, and
videos related to each story. To access
a QR code, open the camera app on
your smartphone, point it at the code,
and hold it steady for a few seconds.
When the notification appears, tap it to
go to the link.
If you prefer to visit links via your
computer, you can find every link in this
issue on the BSC Blog at blog.bsc.edu.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 5

Campus Life
Panther Partnerships
Learning New Skills
Professor of Biology Dr. Pete VanZandt celebrated 15 years at the College by
becoming a BSC student himself. Returning to the other side of the classroom –
and making time to formally study outside of his research expertise – is something
VanZandt has been wanting to do for a long time, and BSC’s Accelerated Data
Science Program presented the perfect opportunity to do so.
“As faculty, we all love the process of learning more,” VanZandt says. “If we have
the time, I know that lots of us would like to take more classes. This was one of the
most humbling, difficult experiences I’ve ever had, but, if it wasn’t that difficult, I
would not have valued it as I do.”
Last summer, VanZandt was part of the very first data science cohort through
the College’s collaborative program with Flatiron School. He adds his time in
the program to the list of strenuous, and at times grueling, challenges that have
become some of his proudest achievements, like earning his doctorate degree,
finishing several ultramarathons, and biking for 24 hours straight.
“I’ve always believed that computing should be a part of every major,” he says.
“There’s not a discipline, department, or aspect of our lives that’s not touched
by data. I saw this program as an opportunity to increase my skills and better
understand the possible connections between computing and what our students
can do and what I can teach.”
After completing pre-work assignments, and bringing his 25 years in
statistics and some experience in programming languages, VanZandt joined
undergraduate students, recent graduates, and professionals to learn a
completely new skillset at a rapid pace.
He consistently found ways to apply the knowledge to his work as a faculty
member and administrator. VanZandt’s two final projects focused on moths, his
research expertise, and on BSC graduation predictors.
“I never would have known how to apply these different and novel data science
approaches if I hadn’t taken this class,” Van Zandt says. “As chair of the biology
department, I’m interested in how students progress through their first-year
sequence. I have the tools now to do an analysis on what factors are leading
students to be successful through those first four courses.”
Though many students in the data science program are looking to change their
career or break into Birmingham’s growing data science companies, VanZandt
brought a different but nonetheless important goal – to gain a new expertise on
data science that he will find numerous ways to bring into his current position.
“And having a student’s perspective again is something that’s going to make my
teaching better.”
SGA LEADERSHIP
Elections for 2021-2022 Student Government
Association positions concluded on Thursday,
Sept 16. The executive board, led by SGA President
Laura Alice Hillhouse, is another all-female team
– last year’s SGA executive board was the first allfemale
team since 2012.
Laura Alice Hillhouse is a senior business
administration major from Florence, Ala. She
was the 2020-2021 SGA Treasurer, is involved in
Greek Life, and is a ’Southern Ambassador. She
is also Vice President of We the Neighbors, an
organization dedicated to breaking down stigma
surrounding homelessness through education and
service-learning opportunities.
The other elected executives are:
Vice President Anna Withers Wellingham, a
sophomore political science major from Mountain
Brook, Ala. She is involved in Greek Life, Quest II,
Orientation Team, Active Minds, Concert Choir,
Cheerleading, and is a volunteer for Religious
Life. She also works as the supervisor for the BSC
Bookstore.
64
// ’southern

BRINGING THE WORLD TO BSC
Birmingham-Southern College will serve as one of the more than 25 competition sites around
Birmingham for The World Games 2022. The multi-sport event will be held from July 7- 17, 2022.
An anticipated 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries will participate in 34 unique, multidisciplinary
sports throughout The Games.
Goldfarb Field at Berylson Soccer Park, the home of Birmingham-Southern Soccer, will play host to
Fistball. Bill Battle Coliseum, the home of Birmingham-Southern Basketball and Volleyball, will host a
variety of competitions including Orienteering, Karate, Wushu, and Ju-Jitsu. Birmingham-Southern residence
halls will also be the accommodation for several athletes competing at The Games in their dormitories.
The World Games 2022 Birmingham marks the 40th anniversary of the event and will generate an
estimated $256 million in economic impact. The World Games was established by the International
World Games Association, an organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Wondering what Fistball is? Learn about The World Games sports at twg2022.com/sports/.
David Benck ’90, senior vice president and general counsel at Hibbett
Sporting Goods Inc., is secretary of the World Games 2022 board of directors.
ALL-FEMALE AGAIN FOR 2021-2022
Secretary Madison Blair, a junior English major from
Hoover, Ala. She was also the 2020-2021 secretary. She
is involved in Greek Life, the Orientation Team, and
‘Southern Ambassadors, and is a writing center tutor.
Treasurer Lauren Barnett, a junior double majoring
in history and economics with a Distinction in Poverty
Studies. She is involved in the Orientation Team, the
Bonner Leader program, the Harrison Honors program,
‘Southern Ambassadors, Quest II, Religious Life, Greek
Life, and ARC tutoring.
ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ARE:
Senior Representatives
Mayci Hartley
Paige Williamson
Junior Representatives
Paige Washington
Martha Louise Waters
Sophomore Representatives
Jamie Archer
Honey Green
Freshmen
Representatives
Xuan Huynh
Daniel Johnson
Lauren Overton
Commuter
Representatives
Lilia Lopez
Magali Valdez
Lakeview Residence Hall
Representative
Malcolm Hogan
Pierce Residence Hall
Representative
Constance Hodges
Bruno Residence Hall
Representative
Sara Beth Hill
Bill & Lyndra Daniel Residence Hall
Representative
Kenyé Underwood
Hilltop Village Apartment Representatives
Jannah Moede | Wheeler Coleman
Fraternity Row Representative
Jake Ogle
Sorority Row Representative
Greta Kyburz
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 7

Campus Life
CELEBRATING
50 YEARS
When Janice Poplau came to interview at Birmingham-Southern in
the summer of 1971, she took her very first plane ride from Minnesota
to Alabama. Fifty years later, she’s made Birmingham and the N.E. Miles
Library her home and is still helping the campus community with research
and reading of all kinds.
Over the years, Poplau’s position has shifted from overseeing the card
catalog – which she eventually helped digitize – to managing the College’s
interlibrary loan program. In both areas, she loves helping students and
professors complete their research and discover books and materials that are
essential to their work.
One of the first big projects Poplau took on at the College was
reclassifying the library collection from the Dewey Decimal System to
the Library of Congress Classification. As she completed this project, the
library began to outgrow its space in what is now the M. Paul Phillips
Administration Building.
In 1976, the library moved from the Phillips Building to the brand-new
Rush Learning Center and N.E. Miles Library at the heart of the campus.
Poplau remembers getting students’ help to carefully move catalog cards
from the old filing cabinets in her car because “I didn’t trust the movers with
the card catalogue,” she says.
Now, 75 percent of her role is focused on interlibrary loans. Poplau gets to
meet professors and students from all areas of campus.
“It’s a great service for students to take advantage of for help with
research and papers,” she says.
Between different roles, buildings, and changes in her 50 years, a library
director once told Poplau that there wasn’t a book in the library that hasn’t
gone across her desk. She says that’s probably true.
Read about other BSC employees celebrating service milestones in the
2021 Service Awards post at blog.bsc.edu.
Fulbright Scholar Maria Augusta Zhunio
In fall 2021, Birmingham-Southern was
one of 40 schools in the country to host
a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, and one
of the few selected schools to welcome an
instructor who has already worked with its
students and faculty.
Fulbright Scholar Maria Augusta Zhunio,
professor at the University of Cuenca in
her hometown of Cuenca, Ecuador, spent
the fall term on the Hilltop to teach in the
Department of Modern Foreign Languages,
engage with students and faculty across
campus, and serve as a visiting scholar to the
greater Birmingham area.
Along with her business courses at the
University of Cuenca, Zhunio teaches English
language at the university and teaches Spanish
to international students at the CEDEI
Foundation, where BSC students studied
during E-Term in 2017 and 2019.
Professor of Spanish Dr. Barbara
Domcekova and Professor of Chemistry Dr.
Laura Stultz – who served as the codirectors
of the Fulbright project – first met Zhunio
through the CEDEI classes that were part
of their Cuenca E-Term project, a threeweek
immersion in Spanish language and
Ecuadorian culture.
8
/ ’southern

2021 OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR
At our 2021 Commencement ceremony
held in mid-May, Dr. Duane H. Pontius, Jr.,
T. Morris Hackney Professor of Physics, was
named the 2021 Outstanding Educator of
the Year. A 1981 alumnus of Birmingham-
Southern and a member of the faculty since
1999, Pontius earned his Ph. D. in Space
Physics and Astronomy from Rice University
in 1988. As the 2021 Outstanding Educator,
Pontius will serve as the 2022 Commencement
speaker at the May 20, 2022, ceremony.
During his career as a research scientist
in space physics, an early success was his
prediction of small, depleted magnetic flux
tubes in the Earth’s magnetosphere, which
has been firmly established by subsequent
satellite observations. His ongoing research
has made fundamental contributions to
our understanding of Jupiter and Saturn
by exploring electromagnetic coupling
between the planets’ atmospheres and their
magnetospheres. He developed a theoretical
model that played a role in the Cassini
spacecraft’s discovery of geysers on Saturn’s
moon Enceladus. His work with two BSC
physics majors resolved a long-standing
puzzle about Saturn, that its rotation rate
appears to vary with time. At BSC, he has
concentrated on overhauling the pedagogy
for introductory physics in line with advances
from educational research.
Exploring and Connecting at Harvard
“This experience increases their
proficiency and raises their confidence
because they are communicating entirely
in Spanish, whether it is with their host
families, teachers at CEDEI, or people
they interact with outside the class
while they explore Cuenca and the local
community,” Domcekova says.
In Zhunio’s fall course, “Introduction
to Economic Development in Latin
America,” she combined her background
in finance and economics with her
experience teaching Spanish and English
as second languages.
Two BSC students were selected
to attend the Harvard Divinity
School Diversity and Explorations
Program. Rachel Mixon, senior
studio art major, and Thornton
Muncher, senior literature, religion,
and mythology major visited
Harvard Oct. 26-28 to learn
about possible areas of study and
make connections with other high
achieving, committed students
who are interested in social justice,
inclusion, and theology.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 9

Campus Life
From Campus
to Cannes
Senior Natalie Justus spent part of summer
2021 in France working at one of the most
esteemed and influential film events – the
Cannes International Film Festival.
Justus arrived one day before the festival
began on July 5 and spent two weeks working
with ticket distribution for The American
Pavilion, the hospitality and communications
hub for the thousands of Americans attending
the Cannes Film Festival. In her role, she
managed tickets at the Pavilion for industry
insiders, student programs, and raffles for the
most sought-after premieres.
“I have always wanted to attend the
Cannes Film Festival,” Justus says. “I was
already planning on studying abroad in
France during spring 2020, so applying was
an easy decision.”
Before the 2020 event was canceled
during the pandemic, Justus had already
applied to be a part of The American
Pavilion student program, an opportunity
she learned about from Assistant Professor
of Media and Film Studies Robert Corna.
Her position was then honored for the
next three years, and she made her way to
Cannes this summer, despite knowing it
would be so different from years past.
“My favorite part of the experience –
aside from walking the red carpet in black
tie attire – was meeting all the different film
industry professionals and hearing about
what they do and how they got there,”
Justus says. “The highlight was when Haley
Lu Richardson came to the Pavilion to talk
about her newest film at the festival and her
career as an actress.”
Richardson starred in “After Yang,” which
showed on July 8 among the other world
premieres that make the Cannes Film
Festival the largest film festival in the world.
Over the two-week festival, screenings took
place across multiple theatres, plus two
Red Carpet Premieres at the Grand Theatre
Lumiere every night.
Justus had the opportunity to attend the
premiere of “Stillwater,” starring Matt Damon,
and it was one of her favorite films she saw
during her time in Cannes. She also attended
the Q&A following the next day and heard
Damon speak about the film.
“I got to see Matt Damon’s reaction to the
film’s standing ovation – definitely a memory
I will never forget,” Justus says.
Along with the magic behind the festival
and the red-carpet experience, Justus brought
back knowledge that she will carry into her
major in media and film studies and her
future career goals. Through her program
with The American Pavilion, she got to
hear from actors and producers, publicists,
entertainment lawyers, and other experts in
the industry. Justus also got to work alongside
other students with similar goals.
“I got a much closer look inside what
my future career may look like and made
multiple connections that I will be able to
reach out to after graduation,” she says. “I
am still unsure which route I will choose,
but It is nice to hear that there are so many
different possibilities and career paths
within the film industry.”
NATIONAL
COLLEGIATE RANKINGS
U.S. News & World Report included Birmingham-Southern College
on the list of top National Liberal Arts Colleges in “Best Colleges”
for 2022, moving the College two spots higher than its 2021 ranking.
BSC also is one of 52 colleges included on the 2022 U.S. News & World
Report — A+ Schools for B Students (National Liberal Arts Colleges) list.
The rankings were released Sept. 13.
“We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report has once again moved
us up in the rankings,” said BSC President Daniel B. Coleman. “In a time
that has presented unprecedented challenges for our campus, our country,
and the world, BSC has remained focused on providing an excellent
education and a meaningful campus experience. We are especially proud
of our students who have worked hard to excel academically while
striving to keep our campus safe for in-person learning.”
The guide lists BSC at #128 — tied with seven other liberal arts
colleges: Albion, Eckerd, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts,
Morehouse, Presbyterian, Ripon, and Roanoke. U.S. News & World Report
included 167 institutions in its prestigious “national liberal arts college”
rankings. There are about 500 liberal arts colleges in the United States.
The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, now in their
37th year, are considered the “gold standard” of higher education
rankings, examined 1,452 degree-granting institutions in the United
States on 17 measures of academic quality.
Birmingham-Southern College also is featured in the “Fiske Guide
to Colleges 2022.” As the best-selling college guide on the market,
Fiske offers profiles of more than 300 of the “best and most interesting”
colleges in the country. The guide describes BSC as a college “striving
to prepare students for all aspects of the modern world, with high-tech
facilities and a curriculum that prioritizes critical thinking, teamwork,
and global awareness.”
10 / ’southern
6 / ’southern

PANTHER
PARTNERSHIPS
In November, Birmingham-Southern College announced 33 students
– selected through a competitive process – and 33 Birmingham-area
professionals, including 20 BSC alumni, who make up the 2021-2022 class
of the Panther Partnerships Mentoring Program. Through this intensive,
structured program, volunteer mentors help students achieve individualized
goals in pursuit of their educational and career ambitions.
THE 2021-2022 PANTHER PARTNERS ARE:
• Khalil Almansoob, a sophomore
business finance major, mentored by
Tom Carruthers, principal at Red Rock
Realty Group, Inc.
• Jamie Archer, a sophomore urban
environmental studies major, mentored
by Katie Adams ’12, program manager at
UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health
• Sharee Davenport, a sophomore
psychology major, mentored by Cassandra
Winston-Griffin, DNP, adult nurse
practitioner at WorkDOC1st
• Casey Gilreath, a senior history major,
mentored by Jackson Stewart ’08,
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
at Sanders Capital Partners, LLC
• Amanda Goolsby, a senior political
science major, mentored by Nic Palmer
’15, program analyst at United States State
Department Bureau of Diplomatic Security
• Aaliyah Hammond, a senior sociology
major, mentored by Ava Young ’02,
entrepreneur at Metropolitan Day School
• Shayla Hill, a senior psychology major,
mentored by Steve Milliron, PT, ATC,
Clinic Director at Encore Rehabilitation
• Lindsey Hitchcock, a sophomore religion
major, mentored by Elizabeth Peters, MD
’94, pediatrician for Children’s of Alabama,
Mayfair Medical Group
• Hannah Jackson, a sophomore musical
theatre major, mentored by Morgan Smith
’03, Actor/Writer with SAG/AFTRA
• Jasleen Judge, a senior political science
major, mentored by Devan Byrd ’13, trial
lawyer at Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP
• Anna Kanter, a junior business finance
major, mentored by Chandler Grace
Peltier ’15, treasury solutions consultant at
Truist
• Joseph Kilcoyne, a senior business
administration major, mentored by
Arndt Haddenbrock ’95, national account
executive at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co
• Nikki Lee, a sophomore biology
major, mentored by La’Tanya Scott,
environmental science educator at The
Cahaba River Society
• Alex Lewis, a junior biology major,
mentored by Ann Marie Arciniegas
Bernal, MD, pediatric ophthalmology
and strabismus at UAB Department of
Ophthalmology
• Lilia Lopez, a junior health sciences major,
mentored by Howard Day, OD, ’83,
optometrist at Day Eye Care
• Anna Blake Lowe, a senior psychology
and English major, mentored by
Caroline King ’13, physician assistant at
Massachusetts General Hospital
• Amayrany Martinez, a sophomore
architectural studies major, mentored
by Taylor Davis ’01, principal at TPD
Architect
• Zionne McCrear, a junior biology major,
mentored by Lauren Nassetta, MD ’01,
Pediatric Hospitalist, Associate Director
of Peds Residency Program and Chief
Wellness Officer at UAB Department of
Pediatrics
• Ally Mildenberger, a junior business
management and marketing major,
mentored by Kristen McGee, realtor at
RealtySouth
• Sara Morales, a senior business marketing
major, mentored by Adelaide Matte, CEO
of AMD Creative + Set Me Up
• Sabrina Morgavi, a junior political science
major, mentored by Ellise Washington
’11, founder and principal attorney at EMW
LAW LLC
• Jake Ogle, a sophomore urban
environmental studies major, mentored
by Eric Francher, a real estate acquisitions
manager at Navigate Affordable Housing
Partners
• Sarah Rushing, a senior health sciences
major, mentored by Carol Ann Nicrosi,
DMD ’90, DMD, Children and Teen
Dental Group
• Elijah Schwartzkopf, a junior psychology
major, mentored by Michael Falligant,
Director of Mental Health Services
at Crisis Center
• Caroline Seale, a junior psychology major,
mentored by Brian Bellenger, PhD, I-O
Psychologist and Division Manager of
Employment Testing at Personnel Board of
Jefferson County
• Emily Sills, a junior health sciences major,
mentored by Rachel Jones ’10, registered
nurse at Destination Travelcare
• Lucy Thompson, a sophomore business
major, mentored by Wilson Nash ’07,
Legal Director at Brasfield & Gorrie
• Magali Valdez, a junior Spanish for the
workplace major, mentored by Daniel
Lopez Rubio, attorney at Lopez Rubio
Abogados
• Johanna Villvicenzio, a junior biology
major, mentored by David Hall, MD ’12,
physician at Southview Medical Group
• Abi Waller, a senior fine arts major,
mentored by John Lytle Wilson ’99, artist
at John Lytle Wilson
• Ming White, a senior accounting major,
mentored by Dennise Armas ’17, senior
auditor at Ernst & Young
• Paige Williamson, a senior psychology
major, mentored by Elizabeth
Richardson, PhD ’00, assistant professor/
clinical psychologist at University of
Montevallo and
• Mallory Wilson, a junior business
management major, mentored by Jamie
Dabal ’03, Vice President of Operations at
Children’s of Alabama
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 11

Panther Pride
A SOFTBALL SEASON FOR THE BOOKS
The Panthers were looking to take home
another SAA Conference Tournament
Championship, making it back-to-back wins
since the tournament was cancelled in 2020.
After coming off a great season in 2019, it
was heartbreaking for their season to be cut
short and the chance at defending their title
to be taken away.
After starting off their 2021 season with 12
straight wins, Birmingham-Southern softball
amassed only eight losses in their season
to end with an impressive 33-8 overall
record. BSC won 13 of its 15 conference
games, earning them the Southern Athletic
Association regular season title. They went
on to face Rhodes in their first game of the
conference tournament and won that game
with an impressive 11-7 score. Birmingham-
Southern went on to sweep Berry, even run
ruling them 8-0 in their final game, to take
home their back-to-back and third overall
Southern Athletic Association Tournament
Championship, earning them an automatic
bid into the NCAA Championship.
The No. 5 seeded Panthers went on
to face the University of Redlands in the
first round before facing No. 9 Salisbury
University in the semi-finals. BSC made an
impressive run to sweep the host No.7 East
Texas Baptist University and went undefeated
throughout the regional tournament in
Marshall, coming home with the first ever
regional championship and trip to the NCAA
National Tournament.
Battling to stay alive in the tournament,
BSC faced No. 14 University of Rochester in
the first round on May 27, going into extra
innings, the Panthers came out victorious in
the 9th inning, winning 3-2. The Panthers
sadly fell in the second round to No. 2
Virginia Wesleyan but were able to bounce
back and beat University of Wisconsin-
Oshkosh 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals.
BSC Ultimately fell to the reigning national
champions, No. 2 Texas Lutheran, the
Panthers finished their historic season ranked
fifth in the nation and took home third place
in the National Tournament.
New Leadership
Looking to make a repeat of last
year, Birmingham-Southern brought in
Amanda Locke as the new head coach.
Locke comes to BSC from Northwestern
State University (NSU) in Natchitoches,
La. She graduated from the University
of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science
in 2011, where she was a member of the
softball team from 2008-2012. In 2012,
the team won the NCAA Softball National
Championship. As a player, Locke was
named to the 2012 All SEC Team and the
2012 Academic All SEC, among numerous
other honors. With 54 career home runs, she
ranks third in Alabama history.
“I am beyond excited to join the
Birmingham-Southern family and am
extremely grateful to President Daniel
Coleman, Athletic Director Kyndall Waters,
and the rest of the hiring committee,” Locke
said. “I have so much respect for this softball
program and all of the incredible women
who have built it. This is something that I
have looked forward to since my coaching
career began. I am honored to represent this
program as their head coach.”
12 / ’southern

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:
Songs for motivation. Find all the songs BSC Athletics teams are
listening to now in the ‘Southern Sound playlist.
BSC Football Has
Best-Ever Season
A season that will go down as one of the
best in program history came to an end
Nov. 27 when Birmingham-Southern fell to
#2 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the
second round of the NCAA Football Playoffs.
Led by Coach Tony Joe White, this was the
first 10-win season in program history, and for
the first time ever, the Panthers won a NCAA
Division III National Football Championship
Playoff game. Plus, a record 21 student-athletes
were named to All-Conference Honors on
Nov. 23. BSC was awarded six first team
honors, nine second team honors, and five
were voted honorable mention.
Receiving All-Conference Honors were:
DJ Albright; Jimmy Anderson; Brandon
Armstrong; Court Coley; Cameron DeArman;
Tavion Fleming; Zach Ford; Trey Gory;
Michael Gray; Wes Guilford; Aidan Hood;
Derrick Maddox; Byron Millsap; Chris Moore;
Gage Motes; Gentry Neese; Brandon Rew;
Gibbs Sherrell; Robert Shufford; Garrett
Smith; and Carson Walter. Senior Robert
Shufford ranked in the top 20 in Division III
in rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, and
rushing yards per game.
The 21 All-Conference Honors studentathletes
set a new single-season record for
the BSC football program. There were also
numerous team records, and individual season
records broken throughout the season.
HISTORY IN OVERTIME
Facing a shortened season due to COVID-19, the Birmingham-Southern men’s
soccer team’s goal and chances at winning the conference title got even more difficult.
In March 2020, the Panthers started their conference journey, ending with a 5-1
conference record. They opened it up with a win at home against Hendrix, before
facing their first loss of the conference season against Rhodes.
The Panthers went on to win the rest of their conference games. Birmingham-
Southern played an incredible overtime game against Berry for their final game of the
regular season, so close to achieving their goal. Facing the team who was going after
the same opportunity and battling for the title, the Panthers knew it would be a fight.
After a scoreless first half, the game was still up for anyone to take. Goalkeeper
Jack Hunt faced four shots and made one save to keep Berry off the scoreboard. The
second half began with physicality, but a foul on Birmingham-Southern brought
Berry a penalty kick in the 64th minute of play. The Vikings were able to capitalize
on the penalty and scored the first goal of the game. Not long after, Berry received a
yellow card that gave Birmingham-Southern a chance to tie up the game. Sophomore
Coleman Jennings netted the penalty shot to tie the game. Jack Hunt would face
six more shots, saving three, in the second half to keep the Panthers in the fight.
Regulation ended with the game tied 1-1, making this an overtime battle for the title.
At the 94:12-mark, first-year student Pirmin Blattmann booted a free kick into
the box, but the Berry goalkeeper punched it out. Making quick moves, the punched
ball was collected by sophomore Bryan Arteaga Cruz at the corner of the box. Arteaga
Cruz made his way to the end line, cut back to his left foot, and served a cross to the
middle of the box where junior Christian Hernandez finished it with a bicycle kick
to make history for Birmingham-Southern. The bicycle kick from Hernandez won
the game for Birmingham-Southern and gave them the Southern Athletic Association
Regular Season Championship, making them the first team in the men’s soccer
program to gain the title.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 13

Panther Pride
HALL OF FAME
Birmingham-Southern Athletics celebrated its 2021 Hall of Fame inductions
Oct. 21 during the Hall of Fame dinner ceremony. The five athletes inducted
were Allison Popp White (women’s Soccer, 2000), Taylor Bassett (softball,
2015), Larry Thomas (men’s basketball, 2015), Blake Stevens (baseball, 2015),
and Tiarra Goode (women’s track & field, 2016).
Allison Popp White ’00 was part of the women’s soccer team from 1996-1999.
Popp White earned three All-TranSouth selections in 1996, 1997 and 1998. She
was also selected to the All-Tournament team twice in her career. Popp White
holds several records at Birmingham-Southern: She is first in program history in
saves (467) and shutouts (22), and second in program history in wins (32), save
percentage (.837), single season saves (202) and wins (13). Popp White holds the
single-game record for most saves in a match with 23.
Taylor Bassett ’15 was a member of the Panther softball team from 2012-
2015. Bassett earned two All-Region honors in 2013 and 2015. She earned
Southern Athletic Association Player of the Year in 2013, as well as All-
Southern Athletic Association selections in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Her legacy
as Birmingham-Southern includes ranking first in program history for on-base
percentage (.475) and home runs (29). Bassett also ranks second in program
history in RBIs (132). In 2013, she was announced as the BSC Female Athlete of
the Year.
Larry Thomas ’15 joined the men’s basketball team from 2011-2015.
Thomas earned three All-Southern Athletic Association selections in the 2012-
13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, as well as Southern Athletic Association
Player of the Year for 2013-14 and 2014-15. Thomas was also selected for
the D3Hoops.com All-Region team in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. His
accolades do not end there, Thomas was also a two-time NABC All-American
in 2013-14 and 2014-15. His legacy at Birmingham-Southern includes being
awarded BSC Male Athlete of the Year in 2014 and being the all-time leading
scorer in program history with 1,666 points.
Blake Stevens ’15 was a part of the Panther baseball team from 2012-2015.
Stevens earned Southern Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and
2015, as well as Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Newcomer of the
Year in 2012. Stevens also received South Region Pitcher of the Year in 2014
and 2015, All-South Region team in 2012, 2014 and 2015. He was a twotime
CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2014 and 2015, a two-time ABCA
All-American in 2014 and 2015, and D3baseball.com All-American in 2015.
D3baseball.com also recognized him as Pitcher of the Year in 2015. His legacy at
Birmingham-Southern includes being awarded BSC Male Athlete of the Year in
2014 and 2015, as well as being the program leader in career strikeouts with 340
and innings pitched with 336.1.
Tiarra Goode ’16 was on the women’s track and field team from 2011-2015.
Goode earned USTFCCCA South/Southeast Region Women’s Track Athlete of
the Year in 2012 and 2013, 10 conference titles and 13 All-American honors. She
was a two-time national champion in the 100m hurdles and 60m dash in 2012
and a two-time national runner-up in 100m hurdles and 60m dash in 2013. Her
legacy at Birmingham-Southern includes being BSC’s first individual national
champion and first in Division III era, as well as being named BSC Newcomer of
the Year in 2011 and BSC Female Athlete of the Year in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
14 / ’southern

Athlete Awards
During the shortened 2020-21 athletic
year, Birmingham-Southern student-athletes
received 114 all-conference honors, 15 allregion
selections, nine conference Player of
the Year awards, seven team championships,
two Coach of the Year awards, six All-
America honors, and a trip to the softball
world series.
With an impressive showing not only in
conference but nationally, Birmingham-
Southern also presented awards to the
following teams and individuals.
Sigma Alpha Alpha
BSC inducted 13 new members into
Sigma Alpha Alpha, the Southern Athletic
Association honors society for graduating
seniors. Inductees must earn above a 3.5
cumulative grade point average over the
course of their time at BSC and represent
their programs on either the first or second
all-conference teams. This year’s inductees
were from baseball, Will Evans and Robbie
Lively; from football, Trevor Oakes and
Wells Smith; from women’s golf, Alexis
Chambers; from women’s soccer, Sydney
Barrow and Abby Kay Choate; from softball,
Saydee Keith; from men’s swimming and
diving, Sam Arnold, Driscoll Crabbe, and
Max Stoneking; from women’s swimming
and diving, Kasey Godwin, and from
women’s tennis, Alyssa Yager.
Male and Female Newcomers of the Year
Hallet Green of men’s tennis and Hailee
Bryan of softball were named male and
female newcomer of the year. Green was
named SAA Player of the Year. He went 16-1
overall in singles, 8-0 against conference
opponents, playing mostly out of the No.
1 position. In doubles, Green went 14-4
competing with three different partners,
going undefeated in the No. 1 spot. Bryan
was named both SAA Pitcher of the Year
and Newcomer of the Year. Named to the
National Fastpitch Coaches Association
All-Region Third Team, she helped lead
the Panthers to their first NCAA Regional
championship and appearance in the
World Series. Bryan ranked nationally in
10 different categories, including ninth in
saves. She also led the conference in seven
categories including shutouts and strikeouts.
Ben Sinclair Teammate of the Year
This is the fifth year of the Sinclair Award,
given annually to a student-athlete who
enriches their program through attitude,
positivity, and by being their teammates’
biggest fan and supporter every single day.
They serve as a role model by the way they
live their life and are considered the hardest
working member of any team. This year’s
recipients are Alyssa Yager of women’s tennis
and David Minton of baseball.
Johnny Johnson Most Inspirational Senior
Johnny Johnson was one of the most
beloved and dedicated administrators
at Birmingham-Southern. Johnson was
instrumental in helping the college develop
a plan for moving its athletic program
to the NCAA Division I level. In honor
of his behind-the-scenes work for two
decades at Birmingham-Southern, the
athletic department created an annual
award honoring senior student-athletes
who exemplify the qualities of scholarship,
leadership, citizenship, and the selfless
attitude in and out of the athletic arena, who
inspires teammates, coaches, and fans. This
year’s recipients were Leah Middleton of
women’s basketball and Zac Venos of men’s
lacrosse.
Ann Dielen Female Athlete of the Year
The Female Athlete of the Year was named
for long-time tennis coach Ann Dielen, who
coached for over 40 years on the Hilltop.
Dielen was instrumental in the advancement
of women’s sports at Birmingham-Southern.
This year’s winner was Mary Katherine
Stewart from women’s swimming and
diving. Named SAA Swimmer of the Year,
Stewart collected six titles at the conference
championships. She was also selected as an
All-American by the College Swimming and
Diving Coaches Association of America for
the 200 backstroke.
Larry D. Striplin Male Athlete of the Year
The Male Athlete of the Year award was
named in honor of late benefactor Larry
D. Striplin, who passed away in 2012 at
the age of 82. He was a 1952 graduate of
Birmingham-Southern and is a member
of the BSC Sports Hall of Fame. This year’s
award recipient is sophomore Coleman
Jennings of men’s soccer. Named SAA Player
of the Year, Jennings led the country in
game winning goals and penalty kick, and
finished the year ranked No. 2 nationally in
total goals and total points. Jennings, a team
captain, helped lead the Panthers their first
SAA championship in program history and
the top seed in the conference tournament.
Man and Woman of the Year
The Man and Woman of the Year awards
were created by the Southern Athletic
Association in 2013 to be the league’s biggest
and most prestigious awards. Nominees
must be seniors with no remaining eligibility.
BSC’s selections will go on to be in the
running for 2021 SAA Man and Woman
of the Year. The 2021 Man and Woman of
the Year are Andy Hammond of baseball
and Abby Kay Choate of women’s soccer.
A fifth-year senior, Hammond has helped
BSC baseball win three SAA championships,
regional and super regional titles, and a
trip to the World Series Championship.
The first-team all-conference pitcher was
named second-team all-region by both
ABCA/Rawlings and D3baseball.com.
Choate, a team captain, is a three-time All-
SAA selection. She was named conference
newcomer of the year her freshman season
and has been voted United Soccer Coaches
All-South Region twice in her career.
Team of the Year
After making a historic run to the NCAA
Division III Women’s College World
Series, BSC softball was named the 2021
Team of the Year. The Panthers repeated
as Southern Athletic Association regular
season and tournament champions. They
went undefeated in the Marshall regional
and saw five earn all-tournament nods
including most outstanding player and most
outstanding pitcher. The Panthers opened
their first World Series appearance with a
3-2 nine inning walk off win over Rochester.
When they fell to Virginia Wesleyan in the
second round, BSC battled to a 2-1 win over
Wisconsin-Oshkosh to play in the semifinals
against reigning national champion Texas
Lutheran. Despite not making it to the
championship series, BSC softball was
ranked as high as No. 3 in the country.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 15

Roald Hazelhoff
office hours
Jay
McShann
Roald Hazelhoff has a proper office in the Southern Environmental
Center – right above the center’s award-winning interactive museum –
but we consider the Hugh Kaul EcoScape his real office.
If you walk or drive toward the west end of campus, passing the
residence halls, the lake, and then the intermural fields, you’ll find the
four-acre oasis of native plants and recycled art. The EcoScape garden
and outdoor classroom celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021 and is
one example of Hazelhoff’s work to make BSC a more sustainable and
beautiful place.
A Holland native and past resident of Japan and Hong Kong,
Hazelhoff has lived in Birmingham since 1988, when he joined BSC
as an assistant professor of political science. It didn’t take long to push
students outdoors.
“I became feared on campus because there was no chance of passing
if you didn’t help plant trees,” he says.
As quickly as Hazelhoff spearheaded environmental efforts on
campus, his work was recognized at the national level. The College
received the Point of Light Award on Earth Day in 1990 from President
George H.W. Bush, who visited campus to honor students, faculty,
and staff for their work to beautify surrounding neighborhoods and
educate young students in the community.
Hazelhoff formally transitioned to his current role in 1992 as
founder and director of the Southern Environmental Center, and
he’s made the entire campus greener. Alongside the Hess Center and
the Department of Biology, he helped found the major and minor
in environmental science; he made campus buildings more energy
efficient; with the help of BSC students, he planted more than 1,000
trees; and he beautified areas across campus, including the corner
that is now the EcoScape and the landscaping around Clay C. Long
Alumni Plaza.
“Now, you have a pedestrian-friendly campus and a reason to be
outside,” Hazelhoff says. “The Residence Quad is connected to the
Academic Quad. And by virtue of the lake, we are connected to the
recreational components.”
In the EcoScape, you’ll find lush greens, native plants, edible plants
– like figs and different herbs, depending on the time of year – and
maybe a few critters. Hazelhoff recently spotted a red-tailed hawk
surrounded by crows.
“There’s always something to see and color throughout the year,”
he says. “For fall, you can look for asters that come out, and the crepe
myrtles are always beautiful in early fall. As some of the vegetation
dies back, you discover and appreciate the things that were once
obscured. You can see owls, hawks, rabbits, and our fox family.”
Hazelhoff welcomes everyone to the EcoScape – students, faculty
and their classes, and the Birmingham community. All Southern
Environmental Center programs are designed for visitors to learn about
and enjoy the environment.
“We’ve been given space on campus to do some creative things that
benefited the campus as well as the community,” he says.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Jay McShann
16 / ’southern

off hours
Queenie Hawkins
Jekalyn
Carr
LOVE Ms. Queenie! The best
campus mama, and yet she
hasn’t aged a single day since I
was there nearly 20 years ago!
What’s your secret, Queenie?!
Abbott Jones Downs ’05
To know Ms. Queenie Hawkins is to love her. She is a Hilltop living
legend – and our longtime campus queen – whose compassion has
been unmatched during her 43 years at the College.
To most people on campus, Hawkins says, her life outside of campus
coffee shop Panther Perk is no surprise.
“You know I love to talk,” she says, “and I lay it all out. It’s just
conversations all day long.”
Those who know Hawkins know one of her favorite places is New
Hope Baptist Church in the West End, where quite a few students have
gone to church with her over the years. They know that when Hawkins
isn’t on campus, she loves to walk, and looks closely at all the flowers
and plants along her regular walking trails.
They know she likes things that are happy and funny, like her
favorite TV shows and movies, including “The Andy Griffith Show,”
“Leave it to Beaver,” and anything Tyler Perry. And she’s always
laughing, whether it’s with her family around the kitchen table or with
students, faculty, and staff on campus.
For Hawkins, the BSC community has the same impact on her
personal life that it has on her workday. Family is important to
Hawkins, and BSC students become a part of her family, exchanging
cards and replacing April Fools’ Day with celebrations for Hawkins’
birthday on April 1.
“I have the chance to meet parents, grandmas, nanas, the whole nine
yards,” she says. “I get to see them graduate and then have children,
and their children come here.”
Ever since Hawkins was a child, friends and family have always
confided in her. She is one of nine children in her family – the oldest
girl with five brothers and three sisters – and always knows how to
make them laugh. She was the peacemaker between her friends during
her school days in Greenville, Alabama, and she can always turn to
someone with her wisdom.
She’s been the same welcoming, comforting, and joyful presence in
her different roles at BSC – she began working in the cafeteria in 1979,
spent 14 or so years in residential quad dining, and now handcrafts
caramel macchiatos as the Panther Perk barista. And her positivity
extends far outside of class and past graduation.
“They come in and call me their sunshine,” Hawkins says. “People
say, ‘Do you always have a good day?’ And I say I try to have a good
day no matter what. It doesn’t take much to make me happy — if
somebody’s having a bad day, and I can say one sentence to that person
that changes their day, then I’m happy.”
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Jekalyn Carr
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 17
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 17

a day in the life
Remi Wolf
Hillary Beard ’12
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,
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
years. At this point in her career, she sees the District 7 Congresswoman as one of her most valued guides.
“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
voice, and how she will respond to various issues and scenarios.”
As chief of staff, Beard manages a team of about 25 individuals – including fellow BSC alumni Robyn Gulley ’20, legislative correspondent,
and Trammell McCullough ’21, congressional intern – with a diverse range of skills and backgrounds. She also keeps up with the
Congresswoman’s relationships with the White House and Cabinet, other members of Congress, and outside stakeholders.
We asked her to break down a day in her life on Capitol Hill.
18 / ’southern

8 a.m.: Beard gets into her office in the Rayburn House Office
Building, one of the Congressional buildings on the southern
side of the Capitol. First, she has a call with Sewell’s team, and
then she prepares for committee and stakeholder meetings. The
Congresswoman is assigned to the House Committee on Ways
and Means, which will influence many of Beard’s activities and
discussions throughout the day.
9 a.m.: Mornings call for meetings, all of which build and maintain
the relationships that are crucial to Sewell’s goals and how the team
serves her constituents. “On the policy front, we’re always looking
at and drafting legislation and working with other congressional
offices, committees, federal agencies, and stakeholders,” Beard says.
“You need input from all of those entities, and your relationships can
make or break your ability to get a bill or policy change across the
finish line.”
Beard meets with the other chiefs of staff from the Ways
and Means Committee, then with the chiefs of staff from the
Democratic Caucus and New Democratic Coalition, a faction of
moderate democrats.
11 a.m.: Beard joins Sewell for other meetings with committee
and caucus members. They both go to a meeting on voting rights
legislation with House leadership, including Speaker of the
House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny
Hoyer (D-MD), the House Judiciary Committee, and voting rights
stakeholders, like representatives from the Brennan Center for
Justice. In the room, Beard sits on the periphery and takes notes as
she listens to the conversation.
12 p.m.: They walk to their next meeting – they take the Capitol’s
underground tunnels, excluding when meetings took place on Zoom
during the pandemic – with the Ways and Means Committee Chair
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) and other members to discuss health
care and tax policies.
1:30 p.m.: Once she returns to her office, Beard gets a chance to sit
down and answer emails – emails are always filling up her inbox. She
reconnects with other members of Sewell’s staff and answers their
questions. Then, she touches base with District Director Melinda
Williams or Deputy District Director Ollie Davison, who are both
based in Alabama, to hear about what’s going on in the district.
3 p.m.: Beard and the rest of the team spend the afternoon
meeting with stakeholders to talk about their concerns and the
Congresswoman’s insight on legislation. She hears from various
companies and organizations, ranging from Alabama Power to UAB
to Alabama Arise, about how upcoming legislation will impact them
and the district.
5 p.m.: Sometimes, Beard will head to an evening event, like a dinner,
fundraiser, or reception, often with organizations that are visiting
from Alabama. If she doesn’t have an event, she stays in the office
and works until she feels like her day’s work is complete. Prior to
the last two years, she would often work late into the evening, but
the pandemic has taught her that there is only so much we can
accomplish in one day and that personal time is precious.
She’ll take a bus, catch a ride with a friend, or walk since she lives
close, and she wraps up another day on the Hill.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Remi Wolf
Your relationships
can make or break
your ability to get a
bill or policy change
across the finish line.
POLITICAL
PLAYERS
There are several other BSC alumni with
a wide range of government positions in the
nation’s capital.
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt ’87 (R-AL) has
represented Alabama District 4 for more than
20 years and serves on the House Committee
on Appropriations. Prior to running for federal
office in 1997, Aderholt served as a municipal
judge in Haleyville, Alabama, following the
footsteps of his father, the late Hon. Bobby R.
Aderholt ’57, attorney and judge who served
on Alabama’s 25th Judicial Circuit for 31
years. Aderholt’s mother, Mary Frances Brown
Aderholt ’58, and wife, Caroline McDonald
Aderholt ’90, also attended BSC.
Watson Donald ’01 was named U.S. Sen.
Richard Shelby (R-AL)’s chief of staff in July
2021. This new role marks Donald’s return
to Shelby’s staff after serving as his national
security advisor from 2007-2009. He also
worked with former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL)
and former U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL),
which launched his legislative experience.
Morgan Murphy ’94 and Bradley Hayes
’99 both hold senior roles on U.S. Sen. Tommy
Tuberville’s (R-AL) staff – Murphy as senior
advisor and Hayes as legislative director.
Murphy serves as an advisor on national
security, foreign affairs, intelligence, and space
and brings a wide background as a U.S. Navy
Captain, bestselling author, and former press
secretary to the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Hayes oversees the legislative agenda, and he
has previously served in executive positions at
the U.S. International Development Finance
Corporation, the U.S. Office of Management
and Budget, and U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 19

the next chapter
Damian Mitchell ’18
Every morning, Damian Mitchell sets his alarm for
4:27 a.m.
“A lot of people would just round up and set their
alarm to 4:30,” Mitchell says, “but I want to be somewhere
between good and great. Good people wake up at 4:30,
and great people wake up at 4:25. I’m not great just yet,
but I’ll try to get somewhere in the middle.”
As a producer and radio host at WJOX 94.5 in
Birmingham, Mitchell begins the day by lining up
commercials and reviewing game-day cuts and press
conferences for his 6 a.m. radio shows – Jox Morning
every weekday, and Jox Game Day every Saturday. To
Mitchell, the early mornings never feel like work because
he’s talking about the sports news on air that he’s always
watched, discussed, and argued over with friends.
Mitchell joined the station in 2019, focusing on
production. He soon gained his first on-air opportunity in
20-second traffic updates for the Birmingham area, which
led to bigger roles in front of the microphone.
Mitchell is involved in almost every aspect of several
WJOX shows – collecting daily scores and stats, managing
sound, and starring as the on-air personality. Every day,
he combines his degree in media and film studies with
his love for sports and his past as a BSC football player
– and he brings BSC into the Jox Morning conversation
whenever possible.
“I got the chance to put my personality out there,”
he says. “People often want my perspective because
I’m the youngest person in the building, and I have
playing experience.”
Just as he did as a football player, he analyzes his
performance, listening to each show after it airs to study
what he did right and how he can improve.
“You can’t focus on just one thing in radio, and I want
to be the most prepared person in the room,” Mitchell
says. “I look at every show I do as a game. I want to get
better with every show.”
He follows advice from Head Football Coach Tony
Joe White – to balance seeking perfection and knowing
that you can’t be perfect – and from Associate Lecturer
of English Melinda Rainey Thompson – to find a clear
and genuine voice with his own humor and personality
at the core.
“I always knew I wanted to stick around the game,
and sports radio has given me that chance,” Mitchell
says. “It’s just me speaking my mind because I know
what these guys are going through. I’m living my dream
– I’m getting paid to talk about sports.”
Currently listening to:
Florida Georgia Line
Are you a graduate of the last decade? Tell us what you’re
doing next! Email communications@bsc.edu.
20 / ’southern

emembering
gala
when
Stars
fell on
birmingham
c
You had to be there.
No, really: You had to be there in person to experience the splendor and star power
of Birmingham-Southern’s biennial GALA.
From 1977 through 2004, under then President Dr. Neal Berte’s direction, GALA
recognized 208 of the world’s most accomplished and well-known women. The spotlight
wasn’t limited to the living legends, as they engaged with students and faculty, and
mixed and mingled with the College’s supporters at large. It shone brightly on Birmingham-Southern’s
students and highlighted the city of Birmingham, too.
Best of all, Birmingham’s leading social event benefited fine and performing arts
students in the form of scholarships and priceless professional contacts.
Imagine: Orchids flown in from Singapore (GALA 5) and Bette Davis, a member of
Hollywood royalty, holding court a few tables away. Or, at GALA 6: Carolina Herrera
arrives at the elegant Ireland house for cocktails, and you get close enough for her to
compliment your ensemble.
Well, it could have happened.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 21

GALA
What definitely did happen is that after a threeday
whirl of lunches, dinners, showcases, and
seminars, guests took their positive impressions
back home and further expanded Birmingham-
Southern’s reputation. The support lasted
long after the festivities ended, as some made
generous donations to the school. Others
returned as lecturers, commencement speakers,
or for the next GALA, serving as Chairs,
suggesting additional honorees for consideration.
Still others connected with students and fostered
friendships with guests.
This salute to legendary women of the world
was originated by George Delfavero as a benefit
for St. Vincent’s Hospital. Early honorees included
First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson and Nancy
Reagan. It transitioned to Birmingham-Southern
in 1977; over the next 27 years 208 women
spanning almost every profession were honored.
A deep dive into BSC’s archives reveals
dossiers, resumes, articles, photos, and even
handwritten correspondence from the recipients
themselves. Their ranks include Estée Lauder,
Gwen Ifill, Lee Radziwill, Princess Marcella
Borghese, Mother Clara Hale, Olivia de
Havilland, Helen Gurley Brown, Faye Wattleton,
Marilyn Quayle, Lindy Boggs, Diane von
Furstenberg, Paloma Picasso, Barbara Walters,
Heather Whitestone, Fannie Flagg, Elaine Chao,
and even “Wonder Woman” Lynda Carter.
GALA brought the school the type of
publicity many would pay for, Dr. Berte said
in his memoirs, “Servant Leader” — publicity
well-documented by “Women’s Wear Daily,”
Liz Smith, the “New York Post,” and even Dick
Coffee’s “Birmingham Doins.” The commentary
marveled at the celebrities headed South,
complimented Birmingham’s charm, and praised
the local hospitality. Fittingly, a 1987 “Atlanta
Constitution” headline credited Dr. Berte for
“breathing life” into the campus by initiating
an event that brought Birmingham-Southern
both glowing national attention and increased
financial support.
An event of this scale required extensive
planning and collaboration, and records reveal
how many people, businesses and organizations
worked to make it a success both on campus
and off. From arrivals and departures to the
awards ceremony and dinner, to the fine arts
showcase and receptions, to luncheons and
breakfasts, to marketing, research, security,
decor and transportation, no detail was spared.
Numerous florists, chefs, hotels, stores, and other
vendors participated behind the scenes. Across
Birmingham, people contributed expertise and
donations and served on committees, boards
and as advisors for the occasion.
Students participated as performers, ushers,
hostesses, and drivers. During his senior year,
Josh Vasa ’03 chaperoned CNN anchor
and GALA honoree Frederica Whitfield. He
recalled being starstruck.
“I wore my best suit, which was something
that my dad probably bought me,” Vasa
remembered. “The conversation was
fascinating. I was blown away by how much
experience she had. She’d reported from
several war zones, and I believe she was in her
early 30s then. To have done that at that age
was really impressive.”
Vasa believes GALA was ahead of its time in
honoring powerful women, particularly women
of color. He noted that for decades the College
offered programming and engagement around
leadership issues, now common diversity and
inclusion activities today.
“That’s a testimony to Dr. Berte’s values,
focus and big mindedness,” Vasa said. “He’s
always been on the front lines of bringing
together the community at large, and doing so
in a way that provides insight,” he continued.
Tyrenda Williams-Reed ’01 and Scarlett
Singleton ’01 agreed.
“That it was at Birmingham-Southern
seems a natural fit for how Dr. Berte felt about
excellence. Don’t hide it; showcase it and put
it on a stage so the world can aspire to it. We
need more of that now,” Williams-Reed said.
Reminiscing gave Singleton a chance
to remember the ambitious young woman
she’d been in college. She recognized that
Birmingham-Southern gave students the
tools to reach their aspirations both in the
classroom and through GALA, which offered
what she called “up close and personal access
to amazing women.”
Now, GALA lives on in the memories
of those who were fortunate enough to
experience it firsthand.
“To have something where around 15
national figures come to the city at once, every
two years — boy, I don’t know that we have
many activities like that here now,” Vasa said.
“It would be wonderful to bring something like
that back to Birmingham.”
22 4 // ’southern

Dear BSC,
Throughout 2021, special editions of From the Hilltop – our alumni
newsletter – highlighted students, faculty, and alumni in specific disciplines
and career paths. Each featured an essay by a guest editor about their time
on the Hilltop and how it shaped their lives. We’ve collected them here.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 23

Dear BSC,
Fine and Performing Arts
Dana McArthur Porter ’03
Humanities
Gin Phillips ’97
Letter from A New Graduate
Sutton Smith ’21
Education
Dr. Amelia Gunn Spencer ’85
Business and Accounting
Terry L. Smiley ’94
Health Sciences
Dr. J. Kevin Tucker ’86
Religious Life
Keith Thompson ’83
Social Sciences
Bill Smith ’96
Law
Matthew Penfield ’92
Mathematics and Computer Science
Dr. Renee Brown Harmon ’83
25
26
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
624/
/ ’southern

One of my first classes at Birmingham-Southern was Beginning Acting, a class
required of all theatre and musical theatre majors. The course reflected a “learning
by doing” approach and was an introduction to the craft of acting, with focus
on clarity and creativity in communication and performance skills, and the
development of character analysis skills. Students learned basic acting principles, presented
scene work with partners, and journaled progress throughout the semester. At the end of the
course, we were given an assignment to write a final paper, titled: “My Growth as an Actor.”
As most new, naïve students do, I waited until the last minute and joined the other
procrastinators in the computer lab to put my thoughts together in hopes that my professor
would see past a last-minute, hammered-out composition and praise my efforts with a
moderate score that would satisfy both my ego and my professor’s lesson plans. When my
work was returned to me, there was a clear
message from my professor written across
the top of my paper: “Nice attempt at an
essay.”
I don’t remember the letter grade I made
on that disastrous essay. But to this day, I can
still see the handwritten words written across
the top of my three-page paper. At the time
I was embarrassed, and a bit shocked that
he even cared enough to call me out on my
lackluster efforts. What I didn’t know at the
time is that he was sending me a message as
I began my journey at BSC. A message about
rising to the challenge, doing better.
Two years later, I found myself back
in Beginning Acting class – this time as
his Teaching Assistant. Little did I know,
Theatre 120 wasn’t finite. This course didn’t
particularly have a start and an end for me.
It was just one lesson in a long series of
lessons, and ultimately nudged and pushed
me into a trajectory that I’m still growing
into today. Over the past twenty years, I’ve
had a successful career teaching theatre to
young actors locally, all while honing my skills as a performer on stages from Carnegie Hall to
Hong Kong.
And you know what? That professor has been there for me the whole time. Because what
started as a student/teacher relationship, evolved into a mentorship. And not only has this
professor helped me grow as actor; more importantly, he has guided my growth as a person.
Which appears to be a regular theme on the Hilltop.
Two months ago, I started a new role as a staff member at Birmingham-Southern. And in my
first few weeks I sat down in the cafeteria and enjoyed coffee and conversation with my friend
and colleague – my former professor – Alan Litsey. We talked about theatre. We talked about
work. We talked about life. I wanted to follow him to the classroom and soak up discussion
about Theatre as Human Rights Activism with his current students. But instead, I returned to
my office. Where I find myself once again reflecting on my growth.
• • •
Dana McArthur Porter ’03 (MPPM ’11) returned to the Hilltop in June 2021 as the
assistant director of alumni engagement, following her years working in the Office of Admission
from 2007 to 2012. Porter has taught and performed nationally and internationally with her
biggest theatre accomplishment being cast in “The Sound of Music” Asia Tour. She has also
performed and taught with numerous Birmingham-based groups, including Alabama Symphony
Orchestra, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, and the Virginia Samford Theatre.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 25

I
write stories for a living. This still seems slightly crazy to me: people actually pay me
money to make things up. It’s a job I was afraid to even hope for back when I graduated
from Birmingham-Southern.
I think of BSC as a crucial part of my path to becoming a novelist, although not in the
ways you might think. I never took a single creative writing class, for instance. But I tend to think of
a liberal arts education in terms of story. So many of us – and I am definitely talking about myself
here – come to college knowing only our own limited world. We know one story, our own, and we
barely understand that one. But in those four years at college, every class discussion, every novel read
and underlined, every chat in a professor’s office or late-night conversation in a Waffle House offers
up another story to add to our collection.
I left college with so many more stories than I started with. And – even better – I left with the
sense that there were endless stories out there, and I wanted to learn them.
So. My story. I came to BSC knowing what it was like to be a girl growing up in Montgomery,
Alabama, raised in a very traditional fashion by a family full of schoolteachers. I wanted to go far
away for college. I would have gone across the country if my family had let me. Instead, I wound up
an hour and a half away from home.
But as I look back, it strikes me that I travelled
an incredible distance. I had a contracted major of
political journalism, which was a blend of English
and political science. (Speaking of expanding your
perspective, I’d never even heard of political science
before I came to BSC.) I had entirely new worlds
opened to me early on in Dr. Ed LaMonte’s Civil
Rights and Justice. That class was a revelation. I was
from Montgomery, for goodness’ sake, and I’d never
heard a teacher say a single word about the Civil
Rights Movement. It was one of the best lessons I ever
learned – that not only were there other viewpoints
out there different from my own, but they could be
playing out right next to me and I’d never have any
clue if I didn’t bother to pay attention. I think of Fred
Ashe’s interim on Voices of Homelessness, where
I read plenty and listened plenty and spent nights
in homeless shelters and realized, once again, the
power of trying to see through someone else’s eyes. I
think of Sandra Sprayberry and Bill Nicholas’ Plural
America, Abe Fawal’s Arabic Literature and Culture,
Bob Wingard’s Religion and Society, Natalie Davis’
Contemporary Southern Politics and Comparative Politics. I think of interims spent in Guatemala
for language study and in Washington, D.C., for an internship with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The world was so much bigger than I’d realized.
I haven’t even touched on the literature. To be a writer, sure, you have to write. But you also have
to read. It’s the BSC English department that introduced me to Virginia Woolf and Don DeLillo and
Thomas Pynchon and Charlotte Bronte and James Joyce and Toni Morrison, oh, Toni Morrison,
who showed me how a sentence could make you lose your breath and how a novel could change
you. Those books were all the more powerful because the classes were small enough that you could
really get a good argument – sorry, discussion – going and it could stretch out down the hallway
and back to the dorms and maybe even to the coffee shop later that night. I love the magic of those
BSC overlaps: the classroom spilling into late nights, textbooks connecting with airplane tickets,
professors who knew my parents’ names.
I love how all the stories came together, and, years later, they’re still coming together.
• • •
Gin Phillips ’97 has written six novels, and her work has been published in 29 countries. Her latest
novel, “Family Law,” was released in May 2021. You can read more about her work at ginphillips.com or
follow her on Instagram or Twitter.
We know
we barely
those four
discussion,
chat in a
conversation
up another
26 / ’southern

one story, our own, and
understand that one. But in
years at college, every class
every novel read and underlined, every
professor’s office or late-night
in a Waffle House offers
story to add to our collection.
–Gin Phillips ’97
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 27

As soon as I stepped foot on campus, my
was over....I canceled my other tours and
I was going to be a part of the Birmingham
College class of 2021.
–Sutton Smith ’21
Icome from a family of
Birmingham-Southern College
graduates, including my mother
and father – who met at BSC – and
maternal grandfather, aunts and uncles on
both sides of my family, and several cousins.
My paternal grandfather served on the BSC
Board of Trustees for some time. So naturally,
as a junior in high school beginning her
college search, I was vehemently opposed to
falling into the family tradition and going to
BSC. After some not-so-gentle nudging from
my parents, I begrudgingly agreed to tour the
Hilltop – but only to tour.
As soon as I stepped foot on campus, my
college search was over.
I visited BSC on a Friday afternoon with
plans to drive to Tuscaloosa and Nashville that
weekend to tour other schools, but after leaving
BSC I canceled my other tours and drove home.
I was going to be a part of the Birmingham-Southern College class of
2021. My parents, grandparents, and other extended family were thrilled,
and I was fully confident in my decision in a way that not many of my
other high school friends were about their
own choices to attend other schools.
As I began my freshman year in fall
2017, my decision was affirmed over
and over again. I took classes that
challenged my previous understanding
of the world and prompted me to think
critically about things I had never before
considered. I like to credit my two
academic advisors – Dr. Mark Schantz
of the history department and Dr. Amy
Cottrill of the religion department – for
wrecking everything I thought I knew in
those first few months on campus. Dr.
Schantz’s freshman honors class on W.E.B.
Du Bois and American History in the
20th Century sparked deep thought and
compelling conversations about my racial
and socioeconomic privilege and shed
new light on current issues in society such
as police brutality against people of color. In Dr. Cottrill’s Abrahamic
Religions class, my shallow understanding of the Christian faith of my
childhood broadened as she introduced me to the faiths of Islam and
28 / ’southern

college search
drove home.
-Southern
Judaism. I owe a great deal of credit to Dr. Cottrill for setting me on the
path to divinity school early in my college career. Through the rest of
my time at BSC, Dr. Cottrill and Dr. Schantz remained mentors, helping
me navigate everything from my senior research papers to graduate
school applications.
Life outside of the classroom on the Hilltop provided opportunities
for community building and leadership development, and I made it
my mission to take advantage of as many of those as I could. Early on,
I became involved in the Student Government Association, the Quest II
Student Programing Board, Religious Life, and Greek life. I served as the
Director of Concerts for Quest II, planning our campus-wide concerts
in the fall and spring with the help of a committee. Some highlights
of that time included long, fun days setting up hospitality rooms for
our musicians with my committee members and getting starstruck
when meeting artists such as The Band Camino, Bryce Vine, and Drew
Holcomb.
My student involvement continued as I relaunched and served
as president of the BSC chapter of the Alabama College Democrats
leading up to the 2020 elections and worked to encourage all students,
regardless of political affiliation, to use their voice and vote. Additionally,
I channeled my passion for mental health awareness and established
a chapter of a national organization called Active Minds that works to
educate college students on mental health to reduce stigma surrounding
mental illness. Both the College Democrats and Active Minds remain
thriving groups on BSC’s campus that are creating positive change and
getting students involved in the things they care about.
During my first two years at BSC, I served as an SGA class
representative. As a nervous freshman, I walked into my very first SGA
meeting and saw then-president Toby White, class of 2018. In that
moment, I decided that I wanted to be the SGA president and create
significant, positive change at BSC. Four years later, Toby and I have
now reconnected in New Haven, Conn., where we are both attending
graduate programs at Yale University. My time as SGA president was
an honor and a privilege, and I loved every minute of it. Through
working with a phenomenal group of women on the executive board
and then the broader body of representatives, we established new
mental health initiatives and programming, funded projects to make
campus more accessible to those with differing abilities, and wrote and
passed a resolution supporting of students of color and committing to
anti-racism efforts. I am immensely proud of the work accomplished
that year and humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve the
Birmingham-Southern community.
As I began thinking about options for graduate school, my
aforementioned history advisor, Dr. Mark Schantz, began talking to
me about applying to Yale Divinity School, his alma mater. I would
scoff and tell Dr. Schantz that applying to Yale would be a waste of
time and resources. For one thing, it’s Yale, but more importantly, it’s in
Connecticut! As a born and raised Alabamian, I was fairly certain that
I would freeze to death in a New England winter. Finally, Dr. Schantz
succeeded in convincing me to apply, and he guided me through the
process of personal statements, recommendation letters, and scholarship
applications. I spent most of my senior year in anticipation of either
rejections or acceptances from the handful of schools to which I applied.
On March 15, 2021, I opened an email and received word that I
had been admitted to Yale Divinity School and awarded a full-tuition
scholarship. I was floored. Today, almost exactly six months later, I am
writing this essay in the beautiful Sterling Divinity Library surrounded
by seemingly millions of books and the some of the world’s finest
theologians.
As I begin a new chapter of my life in a place I never imagined I
would be, I am homesick for the Hilltop and all of the people who
make it such a special place. I am nervous as fall begins to creep in,
knowing that before long it will be very, very cold here in Connecticut
and that I am not built to sustain temperatures below 30 degrees. I am
also filled with excitement at the possibilities in front of me – so many
things to learn, books to read, people to meet, and new places to explore.
More than anything, however, I am filled with gratitude. I am
immensely, overwhelmingly, and exponentially grateful for my time at
Birmingham-Southern College and its faculty and staff for cultivating
in me the intellectual tools and leadership abilities needed to thrive in
a new place. Though up here at Yale the slogan is “Go Bulldogs,” I will
always hold this truth above all else – Forward, Ever.
• • •
Sutton Smith ’21 graduated summa cum laude with majors
in history and religion and is now a student at Yale University School of
Divinity. She served as SGA president during her senior year and received
the President’s Service Award on Honors Day 2021. She was a 2020
finalist for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, established by
Congress to recognize students seeking careers in public service.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 29

I
am a rebellious person. I believe
it is in my DNA, but it didn’t hurt
that I was a preacher’s kid; we are
known for our rebellion. Almost
every good decision I have made in my life has
been walking backwards through the open door.
When thinking about where to attend college,
I swore I would not go to BSC. Why? Because
everyone expected me to, like the rest of my
family! Both of my parents attended, as did my
uncle, aunt, and great-uncle.
But I came to campus as a youth
representative to the United Methodist
Conference. One night I sat by the old fountain,
brightly lit on the beautiful campus, and
knew that I would come to BSC.
Another choice I made reluctantly
was to become a teacher. I come from
a family of teachers – my mother, my
sister, both maternal grandparents, aunts,
uncles. Everyone expected me to study
to become a teacher. Instead, I chose an
interdisciplinary major in biology and
psychology.
One of my first classes was Biology 101
with Dr. Paul Bailey. He was so passionate
and knowledgeable about the information
he taught! I fell in love with learning,
developing a curiosity within me that I
never knew existed.
Dr. Jeanette Runquist was another giant
in my studies. She challenged my mind
more than I had ever experienced. The
academic content in her classes, Anatomy &
Physiology and Embryology, was challenging,
but Dr. Runquist made it all make sense.
At BSC, I learned so much academically. I
took religion classes with Dr. Robert Wingard,
history classes with Dr. Henry Randall,
education classes with Dr. Bob Whetstone,
and art classes with Dr. Bob Shelton. These
professors didn’t just teach me about their
academic content. They taught me that I was
capable of doing hard things. Looking back,
I am unsure that I had a natural inclination
to understand the sciences. Still, because I
connected with the faculty at BSC, they ignited
a desire to learn that I had not yet experienced.
It is difficult to say whether I learned more
through the academic or social side of college
at BSC. Preachers move from place to place, in
my case all across North Alabama. My family
never lived anywhere for more than four years.
As a result, I never quite found my tribe in high
school. Oh, I tried and did everything I could to
fit in with my peers. My father recounts when
he saw me as a tall, skinny 15-year-old, walking
with my friends at a football game, leaning
forward, my shoulders hunched, so I would not
be taller than the other girls. Always the new
girl. But at BSC, I found real friends who, after
almost 40 years, have proven to be life-long
friends, like Maria Alexander ’86, Kathy
Leos ’85, Judy Pittman ’87, and Leigh Ann
Sisson ’87. Through these friends, I learned
about fierce love and loyalty. I also met my
husband, Brad Spencer ’86, while on the
Hilltop, and three of our children, Graham
’16, Liza ’16, and Isa ’24 have attended BSC.
To say that my experience at BSC changed
my life would be an understatement. Because
of the faculty, staff, and peers at BSC, I
became a life-long learner and recognized
the importance of teachers in the lives of
their students. Not long after I graduated
from BSC, I finally followed my call to be an
educator. The amazing thing is that when
I decided to go into education, I pointed
to Dr. Wingard, Dr. Randall, Dr. Runquist,
and others as my guides. Because of the
In 2008, I returned to the Hilltop, this time to be a
education. I am honored to be a part of the mission of
people for lives of significance.
–Dr, Amelia Gunn Spenceer ’21
30 / ’southern

connections I made with my professors at
BSC, I was committed to connecting with my
students. It is my hope that while I taught my
students the academic content they needed
to learn, I also encouraged them, supported
them, and loved them so they too could
become confident learners.
In 2008, I returned to the Hilltop, this
time to be a professor of education. I
am honored to be a part of the mission
of preparing young people for lives of
significance. Don’t tell anyone, but I have
long said that I would do this job without
pay! My colleagues and students remind me
every day why this is the case.
I recently read a novel called “The Midnight
Library” by Matt Haig. The main character,
Nora, gets the opportunity to look back
and relive any of the choices in her life. As I
look back on my choices, one of the best is
choosing ’Southern – both times.
• • •
Dr. Amelia Gunn Spencer ’85
serves as associate professor of education and
the chair for the department. She holds master’s
degrees in early childhood special education and
counseling from the University of Alabama and
her Ph.D. in special education from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On the Hilltop,
Spencer teaches courses human development,
special education, collaborative education, and
education psychology.
professor of
preparing young
Over 30 years ago, I was a senior
at Talladega High School in the
process of making one of the most
important decisions in my life:
selecting a college. I was a student-athlete, and
was fortunate to have scholarship offers from
academic institutions throughout the Southeast.
I wanted to attend an institution where I
could balance my pursuit of academics and
athletics without sacrificing the opportunity
for spiritual and social growth. My trusted high
school coach felt that BSC would be well-suited
to my goals. BSC had just won a national
championship in basketball and was known
as one of the top academic institutions in the
State. Needless to say, my coach was right.
However, it did take some time for me to
appreciate the full value of my educational experience. I must admit that I was slightly
intimidated upon arriving on the beautiful campus, being surrounded by the nation’s top
academic achievers. The transition to college life was made easier by access to welcoming
groups which made social interaction simple. A Bible study led by Ralph Watson included
diverse students from across BSC and allowed me to grow while making me feel like I
was at home. Groups like this one were open to anyone on campus to foster connections
within the BSC family.
The liberal arts experience at Birmingham-Southern is an excellent fit for someone
wishing to gain a quality education while getting prepared to meet real-world challenges.
The liberal arts focus allowed me to explore a variety of academic areas from theology
to science, literature, and the arts. While I majored in Business, many of the concepts
learned from other disciplines enhanced my understanding and experience in my core
business courses. I gained transferable skills that have been beneficial to my career,
having worked in marketing, operations, customer service, economic and community
development, and external affairs. Small classes created an intimate culture which
afforded the privilege to be instructed by experienced faculty members who were always
willing to provide guidance outside of the classroom. These instructors demanded hard
work which they paired with enough attention to help us excel. Many of the relationships
with faculty members such as Dr. Byron Chew and Dr. Jack Taylor have gone far beyond
my years at BSC.
Athletically, I was fortunate to play on teams that won 100 games over four years. I
learned the importance of preparation, teamwork, and a strong work ethic. Above all, I
cherish the memories of playing with individuals of high character and integrity.
Working on community service projects and engaging with youth reinforced my desire
to be part of a team that serves people. Since BSC, I have enjoyed the pleasure of working
in the energy industry for nearly 27 years, teaming up with others who are elevating the
state of Alabama by providing solutions that make a positive difference.
I took a chance by accepting the admission to BSC in that I had no prior connection to
the school, and none of my friends from high school were joining me on the adventure.
Yet I graduated from college with a well-rounded education that continues to serve me to
this day, an experience that helped me find purpose and relationships that will last for the
rest of my life. I am grateful for my time on the Hilltop.
• • •
Terry L. Smiley ’94 (MPPM ’07) serves as vice president of the Eastern Division
of Alabama Power Company, where he is oversees the company’s operations, sales, economic
and community development and external affairs activities. He serves on the boards of the
A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Clubs, the Birmingham Education Foundation, and the Central Six
Development Council.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 31

I
stumbled into medicine as a career. Like many students
entering Birmingham-Southern in fall 1982, I thought
that medicine might be in my future, so I made sure
to take general chemistry, organic chemistry, and
physics, which were required for admission to most
medical schools, while at the same time availing myself of the full
smorgasbord of a liberal arts curriculum: Professor Grace Marquez’s
advanced Spanish literature course, Professor Bill Ramsey’s Senior
Seminar for English majors (which he allowed me to take as a nonmajor),
Southern Chorale under Professor William Baxter, piano with
Professor Jane Gibbs, Introduction to
Christianity with Professor Earl Gossett,
Philosophy 101 with Professor O.C.
Weaver, and several political science
courses with Professor Natalie Davis.
My certainty about medicine as a
career was shaken in my sophomore
year when my father was diagnosed
with colon cancer and died within
four months of his diagnosis. Our
family’s first experience with the world
of medicine in the context of a lifethreatening
illness was not a positive
one. While we knew that my father’s
prognosis was not good, the way in
which the news was delivered seemed
callous and cold. In a last-ditch effort at
finding some possibility of treatment,
my father was admitted to UAB Hospital,
where our family experienced kindness,
love, and grace from the physicians, nurses, social workers, nurses’
assistants and all the members of the staff. The interns, residents, and
fellows displayed empathy and compassion in a way that made me
want to emulate them and re-committed me to a career in medicine.
And when my father died in the spring of my sophomore year, my
Birmingham-Southern family rallied around me in a way that I never
expected and probably would not have experienced at a large university.
Empathy is the characteristic most desirable in a physician that my
liberal arts education at Birmingham-Southern helped me to develop
both inside and outside the classroom. Whether learning in the
classroom under Professor J. David Fraley about the underlying causes
of the French revolution, or discussing the domestic violence that
Celie suffered in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple in Professor Ramsey’s
senior seminar, we were encouraged to think honestly and deeply about
historical movements and characters, and to put ourselves in their
shoes, i.e., to empathize. That same learning was reinforced outside the
classroom. Chaplain Stewart Jackson was one of the first ministers I can
recall to preach about “social justice,” and he practiced it and led by
example with students. Our group, Christians for Social Justice, under
Stewart’s leadership, volunteered at the Birmingham Firehouse Shelter.
Again, we were called to serve and empathize with those who had been
dealt the devastating hand of homelessness. Finally, I must recognize
the wonderful example of servant leadership provided by President
and Mrs. Neal Berte, who selflessly served the BSC community and the
greater Birmingham community in too many ways to enumerate.
In the wake of the devastation of COVID-19 and the death of George
Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, physicians and healthcare
leaders have been encouraged to think more deeply about the
underlying causes of the vast disparities in health and disease outcomes
in the United States. When we practice medicine with empathy, we are
forced to think not just about the fact that the patient is not adhering
to the treatment plan but also about the systemic and structural barriers
that led to the patient’s non-adherence with the treatment plan. I am
forever grateful that the foundation provided at Birmingham-Southern
has allowed me to not only become a
physician but also to strive to practice
with empathy and compassion.
While I have focused in this reflection
on the non-science aspect of my BSC
education, I would be remiss if I did not
acknowledge the outstanding science
faculty who helped me and so many of
my fellow students to become health
professionals through their gifts as
teachers. I had the fortune of being taught
by Professors Paul Bailey, Dan Holliman,
and Doug Waits in biology; Professor
Tom Moore in chemistry; Professor
Hoyt Kaylor in physics; and Professors
Lola Kiser and Natarwlal Bosmia in
mathematics. I learned in the classroom
from my professors, but we also learned
as students from each other. Those nights
spent huddled together with friends
studying chemistry and biology in our dorm rooms or in Phillips
Science are precious memories indelibly imprinted on my brain and
which forged friendships that have lasted to this day. Let us keep these
“Forward, Ever” traditions alive.
• • •
Dr. J. Kevin Tucker ’86 is vice president of Education, Mass
General Brigham, and Master in Clinical Service Operations Program
director, former director of the BWH/MGH Joint Nephrology Fellowship
Program, and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
He earned his medical degree at Cornell University. He is a member of the
BSC Board of Trustees.
Birmingham-Southern
quality education while
32 / ’southern

It would not be hyperbole to say that Birmingham-
Southern changed my life. It would be fact.
When I began looking at colleges, BSC wasn’t even
on my list. When time came for me to choose a college,
I was originally going to Emory University in Atlanta. I had recently
received a roommate preference form from Emory when two friends
I highly respected, Jim Pool and Jayne Collins, invited me to attend a
BSC basketball game. That night, I met people who would become my
friends and remain my friends for the rest of my life. I realize this might
sound like a romanticized remembrance, but really, it is a fact. I still
enjoy substantive friendships with many
of these same people today.
My wife, Linda, who did attend
Emory, describes it this way: “I went to
Emory and got a world-class education.
Keith went to BSC and got a world-class
education and made lifelong friends.”
That’s also why two of our sons went to
BSC. None of them went to Emory.
Imagine what it is like as a parent
listening to your college-age children
talk with enthusiasm and excitement
about what they are learning in a
class with professors like Mark Lester,
Amy Cottrill, Alan Litsey, Randy Law,
or Michael Flowers. Again, this is not
romanticized reminiscing; this is what
happened. I will confess that each time
I heard their passion for what they were
experiencing from their professors, it
was initially hard to speak, which is true anytime a dream comes true.
There were times I thought I could hear their brains expanding over the
phone. (OK, that might be a little hyperbole). Still, what an amazing
experience!
About 25 years after I had graduated from BSC, I was given the
opportunity to work at the College. I was hesitant about working at
my alma mater, because sometimes when you see behind the curtain
it is easy to become disillusioned and lose respect for people you
once thought of as heroes. While I certainly saw the more human and
sometimes exasperated side of some of the faculty and staff, what I
really discovered behind the curtain was how incredibly dedicated they
all are. While working at BSC, I found campus police who were feeding
student’s goldfish while they are on Spring Break. I found professors
who were going the extra mile to try and help a struggling student learn
to open their mind to new concepts regarding complex problems.
I saw coaches who were great at coaching sports, and even better at
developing the players into quality people. I watched productions and
performances that not only moved the heart but planted important
questions in the mind. I once more experienced the unending
hospitality from people like Miss Johnnie and Queenie, who always
served you an ample portion of grace with the food they provided
for you. I met alumni from all over the
world and from all generations who
were unusually thoughtful, intelligent,
compassionate, and engaged in their
community. What I found at BSC 25 years
after I graduated was a more in-depth
exposure to the same transformative
knowledge and relationships I experienced
as a student.
What I find at the College now is
a dedicated, insightful, hardworking
president, faculty, and staff who are
making the sacrifices necessary to continue
transforming students into adults who
are unusually thoughtful, intelligent,
compassionate, and engaged in their
community.
As a trustee, I occasionally get to listen
to students who seem so much smarter
than I was as a student, and every time I
hear them, I shake my head and wonder “How I was allowed entrance
into this place?” Every time I reflect on this question, I am filled with
gratitude, because this College changed my life and the lives of people I
love. And that’s a fact.
Forward Ever. Always.
• • •
Rev. Keith D. Thompson ’83 is senior pastor at Canterbury
United Methodist Church in Birmingham. He holds a master of divinity
degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and a master’s
degree in community counseling from the University of Alabama.
Thompson is vice chair of the BSC Board of Trustees.
is an excellent fit for someone wishing to gain a
getting prepared to meet real-world challenges.
–Terry Smiley ’94
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 33

What I learned on the Hilltop continues to
shape my personal and professional relationships,
my understanding of my community and the
world, and how I am called to make a difference
where I am planted.
Matthew Penfield ’92
I
remember when Dr.
Neal Berte came to
my hometown for a
recruiting event for
the College. I was in junior high,
and my parents had invited him
to dinner at our house afterwards,
and unbeknownst to me, he
took note of my collection of
college pennants. The following
week, I got a personal note from
him that said he couldn’t help
but notice the absence of a BSC
pennant on my wall and sent one
along for good measure. It got my
attention.
Several years later, as a high school senior interested in politics
and government, I participated in ’Southern’s Model Senate program
with 99 other students from around the Southeast. I was impressed
that the College’s political science department had created such
an interesting event that brought government to life for my fellow
senators and me. (I was Missouri Senator John Danforth, by the way.)
When it came time to choose a college, Birmingham-Southern was
one of several other well-regarded southern liberal arts schools on
my list. I was truly up in the air until late in the spring of my senior
year. In the final analysis, it was the people of BSC that tipped the
scales for me to the Hilltop. My brother was a junior history major
with an amazing group of friends, President Berte made a personal
impression on me, and for someone interested in politics, the
first-class faculty members in the political science department both
excited and intimidated me.
In retrospect, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Once on campus, I found my crowd and quickly made what have
become lifelong friends. On the academic front, I was able to focus
on my passion for politics while also exploring other areas of interest
like the theatre. The variety of a liberal arts curriculum suited me
and, as I’ve learned through the years, prepared me well for rich and
diverse experiences in life.
Ed LaMonte, through his Civil Rights & Justice class, taught me
things about my home state and its role in our country’s continuing
struggle with civil rights that opened my eyes to the past all around
me. Bob Slagter taught me research methods and statistical analysis
that I still use to this day in my career in politics and public affairs.
And the great Natalie Davis taught me not only how to think
critically, but how to turn theory into practice in the political realm—
all the while asking all the right questions to challenge me along the
way. When I railed about the cynical nature of many in the political
arena, she countered with optimism as the other side of the same
coin, and about the power to positively impact people’s lives through
the public policy process.
To be sure, it is easy to get cynical in today’s broken and divided
public discourse. But the academic, moral, and personal lessons
instilled in me at BSC equipped me well for my time in the political
arena. I consider myself lucky to fight for things that I care about like
access to better mental health care for all, preserving our planet for
future generations, advancing equality for LGBTQ people, and much
more. Like most professions, there are good days and bad days, and
it can be unnervingly unpredictable. But with gratitude for my time
on the Hilltop, I’m always ready for the coin toss.
• • •
Bill Smith ’96 serves as the co-founder of Inseparable, a coalition
organization advocating for better mental health policy through improving
access to health care, increasing research, and investing in prevention
and early intervention. Smith is also a founding partner of Civitas Public
Affairs Group, a values-based firm working on some of the most pressing
societal challenges of our day. He has more than two decades of experience
34 / ’southern

in campaign management, messaging research and communications, and
movement building. His brother, the late Jack Smith ’93, and niece,
Sutton Smith ’21, both graduated from BSC, and his father, the late
Joel P. Smith, served on the Board of Trustees.
One of my favorite
authors is Frederic
Buechner. In his
book “The Longing
for Home,” Buechner reflects on
the importance of home in our
lives. One meaning of home is
our place of origin. For me, that is
Birmingham-Southern College. It
was the joy of my childhood – a
land of adventure for a group
of faculty kids that grew up on
Greensboro Road. And it is also my
alma mater – the place that formed
me and prepared me for a life
beyond the Hilltop.
BSC runs deep in my family. It was my aunt, Betty Jo Harmon,
who first made the decision to attend BSC. She sang with Dr. Hugh
Thomas, traveled to Town Hall in New York, and then taught voice in
the conservatory. She was also my first voice teacher. My mom, Elise
McWilliams Penfield, followed in her sister’s footsteps and graduated
from BSC. But in just a few short years she returned with my dad, Dr.
H. Irvin Penfield, and they made a home for us on that short street we
called faculty row.
Growing up on campus shaped me in ways I did not fully realize
until much later in life. I was surrounded by great minds, but they were
more than that, they were great people. I would walk next door to take
piano lessons from Barbara Thomas. Years later, I continued my piano
lessons up the street with Nancy Wingard. Richard and Dorothy Ward
helped me prepare for college auditions and made me work on my
German until it met their approval. The street provided dinner parties,
trick or treating, caroling and sing-alongs, and a whole host of faculty
and staff (including campus security) that looked after me. I learned
to appreciate good music not only by attending performances in the
music building, but also by opening my window on weekend nights
and listening to the sound of bands rise up from fraternity row (when
it was on that side of campus). I had many parents on campus, but it
was my mom and dad who grounded me – literally and figuratively –
and were my role models of a life well lived.
Amazingly, the care and comfort I experienced as a child carried over
into my days as a student. I soon learned that it was not because I grew
up on campus, but because I was a BSC student. The BSC community
was and is special. It is a place where students are challenged to
question freely, think critically, serve abundantly, and discover the
meaning of community. And my time at BSC prepared me for a career
of lifelong learning.
Some of my most impactful experiences came each January. My
first Interim term (now known as E-Term) gave me the opportunity to
perform the role of the Count in “The Marriage of Figaro.” Surrounded
my incredible talent and commitment taught me the value of working
hard to reach a common goal. As a service-learning team member
my second and third years, I traveled to Zimbabwe and Brazil and
experienced the gift that comes from serving and being served by
others. My Senior Interim was an in-depth examination of the Vietnam
War with Dr. Slaughter. In that class we heard directly from veterans
and how that war shaped our country. Each experience was incredibly
different, but equally as life changing.
When I finally left the Hilltop, I carried BSC with me to Candler
School of Theology, to Saint Paul School of Theology, and to
Cumberland School of Law. And what I learned on the Hilltop
continues to shape my personal and professional relationships, my
understanding of my community and the world, and how I am called
to make a difference where I am planted.
My family laughs at me because I am always talking about what
degree I will get next. Maybe it will be a Ph.D. in Political Science like
my dad, or a M.A. in Speech Arts like my mom. In reality, my time in
school is done and I have now passed that on to my daughters. But
my curiosity and hunger for learning, most of which was placed in
me during my years on the Hilltop, has not gone away. For those of us
who call BSC home, it is has forever shaped who we are and how we
encounter the world. And for that, I am thankful.
• • •
Matthew Penfield ’92 has been recognized in various
publications such as the Best Lawyers in America®, Chambers USA
Guide to ‘America’s Leading Lawyers for Business,’ and Mid-South Super
Lawyers. Penfield sits on the board of directors of Opera Birmingham,
Workshops Empowerment, Inc. and the Norton Board at BSC. Penfield
received a Master of Divinity from Emory University in 1997, a Doctor of
Ministry from Saint Paul School of Theology in 2007, and a Juris Doctor,
summa cum laude, from Cumberland School of Law in 2009.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 35

I
was 17 the summer after my junior year in high
school when I first became a student at Birmingham-
Southern College. Along with about 30 other high
school students from across Alabama and west Florida,
I lived in a dormitory, ate in the cafeteria, and took two classes as
a Summer Scholar with regularly enrolled
students. I loved it! I took Art History and
Human Growth and Development, taught
by legends of BSC, Prof. Lloyd Sloan and
Dr. Bob Whetstone ’55, respectively.
It was an easy decision to choose
‘Southern as my college after that. Initially,
I had planned on dental school after
college, but changed my mind to medical
school my junior year. Because the
prerequisite classes were the same, it was
an easy switch.
Deciding on a major was a little more
complicated. Most pre-med students
chose to major in chemistry or biology
because we already were required to take
so many of them for medical school.
Because I so enjoyed Biology 101, taught
by another BSC legend, Dr. Paul Bailey, I chose biology.
My schedules for the first two years were pretty typical for a prehealth
career student: a biology, a chemistry, a mathematics, and
an English class. But we were only required to take Calculus I and
II, and I had completed those my freshman year. I kept enrolling
in a mathematics class semester after semester because it was
fun—a game, a puzzle. And there was that other BSC legend who
made it all so beautifully clear, Dr. Lola Kiser. I wasn’t one of those
premier math majors who were assigned the especially difficult
proofs by Dr. Kiser, but I held my own in the upper-level classes.
Because I had enough credits for both biology and mathematics,
I ended up with an interdisciplinary major in both. Interviewing
for medical schools with an interesting major like that made for
unique conversations. Throwing in my love of art history and
literature didn’t hurt either.
But scholarly pursuits weren’t necessarily the best parts of my time
at Birmingham-Southern. I have frequently told high school and
college mentees that while medical school
certainly teaches you how to be a physician,
college teaches you how to be a human being.
Focusing on where to go to medical school
may not be as important as focusing on where
to go to college. Living on campus taught me
important life skills and gave me a safe and
secure place to succeed, and sometimes fail. I
had many opportunities to lead, as well as to
volunteer, tutor, and mentor. (And to cheer on
the Panthers as a cheerleader!)
I made lifelong friends, and I even met
my future husband, Dr. Harvey Harmon
’82, at BSC. I can’t say when we actually
met, because when you go to a small liberal
arts college, you just know everyone there,
especially if you are enrolled in the same
pre-med classes. We started dating my
senior year, and when we were accepted into the same medical
school in the same year, that clinched it for us as a couple, and we
married after completing our first year of med school.
And 35 years after I graduated from Birmingham-Southern
College, our youngest daughter, Christina Harmon ’18, graduated,
having experienced her share of legends, and loving every minute
of her time on the Hilltop.
• • •
Dr. Renee Brown Harmon ’83 has retired from
her medical practice and is the author of “Surfing the Waves of
Alzheimer’s: Principles of Caregiving That Kept Me Upright” (Many
Hats Publishing, 2020). Follow her blog at reneeharmon.com.
Living on campus taught me important life
skills and gave me a safe and secure place to
succeed, and sometimes fail.
–Renee Brown Harmon ’83
36 / ’southern

alumni stories
MAKING music
Whether they’re behind the scenes or in the spotlight (or creating the viral TikTok dance of summer 2021),
Birmingham-Southern graduates and students are hard at work in every area of the music industry. They can be
found at the top of the charts, on tour across the South, or even in a business class on campus in between shows.
Download a playlist and listen while you read about a few BSC names behind the music.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 37

FANCY LIKE
WALKER HAYES ’02
Walker Hayes
Playlist
You might know Walker Hayes as the Applebee’s guy,
or the Nashville-based country artist and family man, but
we remember him as a piano major at BSC. Hayes always
channeled the music kid you only see in movies. He would
instantly find the piano in the room – he could play almost
anything – and he would make up songs on the fly.
Hayes’ summer track, “Fancy Like,” took 2021 by storm,
and it’s bringing his favorite low-key date spots with his
wife, Laney Beville Hayes ’01, into the limelight. He saw
the track hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song
Sales chart and spend consecutive weeks on the Hot
Country Songs chart.
The ode to the Wendy’s Frosty and Applebee’s Bourbon
Street Steak has also inspired the viral TikTok dance started
by Hayes and his daughter, Lela. Since its
release, the song and dance have swept the
Internet, leading to Hayes’ appearances
on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “CBS
Sunday Morning,” and “The Tonight Show
Starring Jimmy Fallon,” plus a Grammy nomination for Best
Country Song. Hayes also toured throughout the fall and
released his single “U Gurl” on Oct. 14.
Some alumni – especially those who were in the
choir with Hayes – might remember him for his musical
moments, or for his goofier moments. Any time the choir
got on the bus for a trip or performance, Hayes booked
his way to the front, grabbed
the microphone, and sang
“Rappers Delight.”
We’ll have to
grab a Natty Light
sometime soon and
hear more of Hayes’
best BSC stories.
Laney Beville Hayes ‘01
and Walker Hayes ‘02
THE FANCY LIKE TOUR
If you’re in Alabama, you can catch Walker Hayes live at the
Saenger Theatre in Mobile on Thursday, Feb. 17 — purchase
tickets at Ticketmaster.com – or at Iron City in Birmingham
on Saturday, Feb. 19 – purchase tickets at ironcitybham.
com. Find more tour dates on walkerhayes.com.
38 / ’southern

Moxie Hotel
Playlist
Moxie Hotel
At 12 years old, BSC business major Price Pewitt began to form
his first few bands. He watched them grow, eventually partnering up
with rival musicians, and has seen the music evolve into the modern
rock/pop hybrid that is Moxie Hotel.
Pewitt is the vocalist and bassist for Moxie Hotel, along with
guitarists and vocalists Stanton Langley and Anderson Gore and
drummer Sims Ruffino. They’re bringing pop music “without losing
that element of explosive, energetic rock” to Birmingham and venues
all over the east coast.
“Moxie Hotel has a couple regions to its style, but it largely centers
around this ironic notion to take what we do very seriously, but
not ourselves,” Pewitt says. “Hence why some of the content may
sound or look so dramatic, but if you come see us live, it’s a lot of us
laughing and interacting with the crowd.”
At Crestline Elementary and Mountain Brook Junior High, Pewitt
and Langley crossed paths and began a few groups, leading to what
Pewitt sees as their first real band, Riverbend.
“I introduced the band to Sims when we were 15, after rivaling his
bands for years,” Pewitt says. “We buried the hatchet and got busy
quickly. After high school, it came time to decide how far we would
be willing to take it.”
Pewitt, Langley, and Ruffino got a production deal in Nashville,
which led them to find Gore, another local musician-turned
bandmate. Together, the four members all bring a love for pop and
rock and collectively channel that energy, while still bringing their
own preferences and varying commitments to the rock roots –
creating the equilibrium Pewitt likes about their style, which was set
in stone once they added Gore.
“That’s really when we rebranded to Moxie Hotel and found our
new sound, our vibe, and essentially started over with this lineup and
our producers who stuck with us all the way through the madness of
the pandemic and internal changes.”
Moxie has performed at several campus events, like E-Fest and
Spring Bash, and has multiple ties to BSC: Pewitt transferred to the
Hilltop in 2020, Ruffino attended BSC in 2018 and 2019, and his
brother, Max Ruffino, is a current first-year student.
Last summer, Moxie traveled to venues in Texas, Virginia, Georgia,
and Washington, D.C. The musicians also played the Sloss Music and
Arts Festival and with Cage the Elephant at the 1065 Music Festival
in Mobile. They plan to keep traveling, and Pewitt is developing a
marketing focus within his business major to help manage the band.
“It is my friends, my career, my income, my passion – all tied into
one project with a purpose to meet people of all kinds and include
people in what we do,” Pewitt says. “It’s very cathartic to me knowing
that whether I’m in a business mood, a creative mood, or a social
mood, I have an outlet through the band.”
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 39

Before Miles Axe Copeland III
produced some of the biggest names
of the new wave scene – The Police,
The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, and
R.E.M. – he was a political science
student at Birmingham-Southern, a
world away from where he grew up.
The son of CIA officer Miles Axe Copeland, Jr.,’41,
and Lorraine Adie, a British secret intelligence agent
and archaeologist, Copeland and his younger siblings
spent their childhood in Damascus, Cairo, and Beirut.
But when the time came to choose a college, he
traveled across the world to his father’s alma mater and
hometown, where many family members still lived.
“My father wanted me to know what real America
was,” Copeland says.
He covers the Birmingham years near the beginning
of his memoir, “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: My
Life in the Music Business,” released in July 2021. The
book chronicles his failures and successes as the music
and entertainment executive who managed The Police,
guided Sting’s music and acting career, and co-founded
I.R.S. Records, the label for some of the most popular
bands of the 1980s.
AN AMERICAN EDUCATION
Arriving in the American South during the Civil Rights
Movement, Copeland says he was shocked to witness
discrimination he thought he had left in Beirut – only
this was fueled by race rather than religion. Copeland
says his experience in Birmingham both disrupted and
informed his identity.
Having seen so much of the world through his family’s
moves around the Middle East and his father’s role
in covert operations, including coups d’etat in Syria,
Egypt, and Iran, he remembers being shocked to meet
Alabamians who had rarely or never left the South. Most,
he recalls, were unfamiliar with the places he called home.
BSC prepared Copeland for graduate work at the
American University of Beirut and was an important
timeline
40 / ’southern
1975 - Startruckin’ 75
Copeland’s European festival tour featured
bands from his very first record label, British
Talent Managers, as well as Soft Machine,
Mahavishnu Orchestra, Lou Reed, and Tina
Turner. Startruckin’ 75 was the first of its
kind and showcased Copeland’s innovative
promotional ideas, though its shortcomings
led to the end of the label and pushed him
towards other pursuits.
1978 – Outlandos d’Amour
Shortly after forming The Police, Sting,
Steward Copeland, and Andy Summers
recorded and released their first album,
“Outlandos d’Amour.” With confidence in
the album – ever since hearing “Roxanne” –
Copeland made an undeniable offer to the
U.K. label A&M Records, who signed The
Police, and he independently financed their
U.S. tour.
1979 - I.R.S. Is Born
The Police became one of the hottest bands
in the world, and A&M Records recognized
Copeland’s successful strategy and fresh
perspective on the industry. Copeland worked
with A&M executives to launch a U.S. division
– the International Record Syndicate, or I.R.S.
Records. R.E.M., The Go-Go’s, The Bangles,
Buzzcocks, and The Cramps soon produced some
of the label’s biggest hits.

The Best of Sting
and The Police
Playlist
MILES AXE
Copeland III ’66
Copeland and Adriana Corajoria after knighting musicians Sir
Dominic Miller and Sir Mark Hudson at Chateau Marouatte.
1984 – Solo Careers
The Police went on a hiatus, leading the members
to each pursue other projects. Copeland
continued to managed Sting’s seven solo albums
and emerging film career, and he followed his
brother’s other band collaborations and launched
Stewart’s career as a film soundtrack composer.
1987 – The Film Division
Copeland expanded I.R.S. Records and
founded I.R.S. Media, which acted as the label’s
film division until 1996. During these years,
Copeland executive produced more than 25
films, including “One False Move,” “Tom and
Viv,” and “Bank Robber.”
1992 – Original Songwriters Conference
Inviting musicians to the Chateau Marouatte,
his 14th century castle in Perigord Vert,
France, Copeland hosted his very first annual
songwriter’s retreat. Notable attendees of
the Marouatte “camps” are Celine Dion,
Aerosmith, Carole King, Keith Urban, and Jon
Bon Jovi.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 41

introduction to the United States, the place
where punk and new wave music would later
be embraced with open arms, and which
helped shape his career.
THE FAMILY BUSINESS
In 1967, Copeland “fell into music.” At
the time, his brother, Stewart – who would
eventually rise to fame as the drummer for
The Police – was playing with Wichita Vortex
Sutra, a local band in Beirut. Miles was known
for throwing parties, so Stewart brought him
on to create a psychedelic atmosphere for one
of their shows, completed with black lights
and fluorescent paint that covered everyone in
the crowd.
“I’d always been a big fan of music, but I
never imagined anyone in my family being
in music,” Copeland says. “Then I saw
my brother up there drumming. My brain
opened up to the idea.”
Eventually, his work in the music business
snowballed: He relocated to London with his
family, connected with musicians at clubs,
soon managed his first group (Wishbone
Ash), made record deals, and partnered with
agencies. This work led to Startruckin’ 75, the
festival that Copeland calls, “an unmitigated,
pull-the-rug-from-under-you, clean-out-thebank-account
disaster.”
But as Copeland makes clear throughout
his memoir, the low points and frequent
crises shaped him into a manager willing
to take risks, especially as new wave music
began to take form.
“I found myself befriending the punks
because they didn’t care if I had any money,”
he says. “It was in a time when the mainstream
business figured this whole new wave punk
thing was a fad that would disappear, yet it was
really a new generation perking up saying, ‘We
want our heroes, and we want to do it our way.’
I recognized that and was one of the first to
actually pay attention.”
When he brought The Police to New York,
he saw “people begin to wake up” to their
music. The group recorded their first album in
1978 and together – the Copelands, Sting, and
guitarist Andy Summers – offered something
no one had ever experienced before, in sound
and in presence. The Police brought a fusion of
punk, jazz, and reggae, and Copeland booked
tours to places no one else was going and
developed their iconic mystique.
“The show that did change our lives was to
four people in northern New York,” Copeland
says, “because one of the four happened to
be a DJ, who fell in love with the group and
started banging the single on the radio.”
In the world of music and business,
Copeland says instinct and gut feeling work.
“You can have an idea and do it on your
own,” he says. “Some of the strangest stuff I
did was some of the most successful.”
RETURNING TO THE HILLTOP
With his success, Birmingham was never
completely forgotten. He still has family
in the area, including his cousin, Diane
Copeland North ’65, and has visited since
his graduation from BSC.
During a trip to Alabama in the ‘80s,
Copeland visited his uncle Hunter Copeland
and his wife, whose daughter from a previous
marriage was a Mountain Brook High School
graduate named Courteney Cox. Copeland
connected Cox with his brother Ian – also
a music promoter, booking agent, and the
third Copeland on the new wave scene – who
hired her as his secretary in New York. Cox
went on to sign with Ford Modeling Agency
and eventually rose to stardom on the hit
sitcom “Friends.”
Another time on tour, Copeland swung
by campus to visit his old fraternity. “When
The Police were really big, we did a show in
Birmingham, and I went to the SAE house
and gave out free tickets,” he says. “It was my
opportunity to go back home and show how
I made it.”
LESSONS LEARNED
Between the music industry and his
proximity to huge international events
during his childhood, Copeland had a rich
bank of colorful stories to pull from for his
book, which is part personal history and part
motivational lessons.
He writes that people are the same
everywhere, that risk-taking pays off, and that
you can never be too proud. The most central
and universal lesson is that you’ll always have
successes and failures, but those failures could
set you up for something greater and even
more innovative – “Roxanne”-level great.
“My real story starts with a disaster,”
Copeland writes in the preface, referencing
the aforementioned Startruckin’ 75 festivalturned-fiasco.
“But had it not happened, The
Police would never have risen to become
the biggest rock band in the world; Jools
Holland would not have ended up on TV;
The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, R.E.M., and many
other music stars might never have made it
either. It’s strange how a fluke, a disaster, an
unlikely event can lead to incredible results.
But that is in essence what happened to me.”
HEAD OVER HEELS
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
as an adaptation of Sir Phillip Sydney’s “The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia” through the music of The Go-Go’s.
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
video shoot came in under budget, Copeland produced the “Our Lips Are Sealed” music video. The all-female group became hugely successful, selling
more than seven million records worldwide.
1999 – Brand New Day
Sting’s album “Brand New Day” and its twoyear
world tour align closely with Copeland’s
growing interest in Algerian and French Ra
music. Performances of worldwide superhit
“Desert Rose” – the album’s duet with Cheb
Mami – at the 2003 Super Bowl and 42nd
annual Grammy Awards broke ground as the
first time a song in Arabic was performed at
both of those events.
42 / ’southern
2002 – World Music
The late 1990s/early 2000s marked
Copeland’s shift into world music, the
bellydance business, and his presence as a
spokesperson on events in the Middle East. His
label Ark 21 released 2002 compilation album
“Voices of Hope” in support of the Sabera
Foundation in Calcutta, featuring songs from
Sting, Elton John, Cher, Bob Dylan, and others.
The Best of
I.R.S Records

Make Me
Wanna (2019)
Rising
STAR
“My experience at BSC taught me that no matter what room you get
into, you can be successful,” says Jada Cato ’17.
Only four years out of college and the Birmingham-based country
music singer/songwriter has already been in some impressive rooms.
In 2020, Cato made her Country Music Television debut on a “Concert
for Love & Acceptance” – Grammy nominee and Dove Award winning
country star Ty Herndon created the annual concert with GLAAD in 2015
– and past performers have included Reba McEntire, Jake Owen, Mickey
Guyton, and Tanya Tucker. Cato was also the 2019 recipient of GLAAD’s
National Rising Star award for her commitment to enhancing LGBTQ
representation.
Cato’s range of talents is impressive – she plays the guitar, piano, and
ukulele. She has been seen across the country in “Legally Blonde,” “Into
the Woods,” and “Sing Out!” She has also appeared in commercials
for companies like State Farm and Adopt-A-Highway, and skits for “It’s
A Southern Thing.” Her songwriting sessions with Nashville producer,
songwriter, and musician Erik Halbig, who has written songs for Sara
Evans, Collin Raye, and more, led to her recording her first EP with
Halbig at the helm.
A Georgia native, Cato was a theatre major and religion minor and
says her Hilltop experience prepared her well for taking the stage, in
venues around Birmingham and across the country.
“In country music, performance-wise, having a good awareness of
yourself and of others on stage and knowing how to navigate the stage is
huge,” she says. “Dance was a huge part of my training, and something
that I like to incorporate into my shows now as well.”
She says BSC prepared her for the business side of country music, too.
“They teach you to stay one step ahead of the game. And that’s
what you have to do in this business. The hardest class that I took was
probably my theatre literature class. I learned so much. The professors
really care, so they push you. They also give you a lot of grace.”
Learn more about Jada Cato at jadacatomusic.com.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 43

FALL VIRTUAL BOOK CLUBS ENGAGE
HILLTOP ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY
The last time I participated in a book club was
during Junior Great Books in middle school.
Each week, a motley crew of students gathered
with our leader, Mrs. Loveless, for snacks
and to discuss condensed versions of classic
literature. As an adult, I’ve often missed the
chance to rant and rave about the printed
word with friends and strangers.
That’s why I jumped at the invitation to volunteer as a guest facilitator
for Birmingham-Southern’s Virtual Fall Book Clubs. While there’d be no fun
Book It personal pan pizza prize for reading, and certainly less middle school
awkwardness, losing myself in the pages of “If I Were the Boss of You” would
be both a welcome escape and an opportunity to connect with others during a
decidedly disconnected time.
Reader and three-time book club participant Rachel Barron Keeler ’19 agreed.
“I love the ways that Birmingham-Southern has tried to keep the community
together, especially during COVID,” she said. “This was something fun to look forward
to.” She pointed out that in our modern society, it takes effort to visit a bookstore or
library and select a book, but it’s worth it.
Keeler has long found reading to be meaningful. And through the diverse
experience and perspectives presented, book clubs offer something more.
“It’s hard to have more academic conversations once you’re out of school,” she said.
“[Birmingham-Southern’s book clubs] give me a chance to stretch my legs again and
remember how to have those difficult conversations and share my opinions.”
Beyond that, the virtual book clubs promote lifelong learning and safe and effective
discourse, and actively support alumni by offering a space where they can share their
work and engage with readers.
A few weeks before the book clubs met, I spoke with “Shopping Bagged” author, call
center manager, and drummer Maury Levine ’91. (Full disclosure: We once worked
together at a call center offering Southern-themed cookbooks.) A self-described
“retail nerd,” he grew up spending time in his father’s office at Eastwood Mall and
wanting to be a mall manager.
“I got this really cool behind-the-scenes look at Eastwood’s stores and the people
who ran them,” Levine said. “I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if there was a body buried
under a mall?”
Levine said he was heavily influenced by humor columnist Dave Barry and by comic
crime fiction writer Donald E. Westlake. When Westlake’s death coincided with the
demolition of Eastlake Mall, he felt the two developments were a sign that he should
write his book.
Now that “Shopping Bagged” is published and up for discussion, Levine appreciates
the support from his alma mater.
“It’s nice to have your art read by somebody,” he said. “The audience might not be
millions like John Grisham or Stephen King have, but I made some people laugh and
that’s kind of what we all need, you know?”
Birmingham-Southern’s Fall Virtual Book Club
included the following selections:
• “Bay Boy” by Watt Key ’92
• “The Newspaper Boy” by Chervis Isom ’62
• “Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer’s” by Dr. Renee Brown
Harmon ’83
• “Family Law” by Gin Phillips ’97
• “A Family Place” by Charles Gaines ’64
• “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back” by Miles A.
Copeland III ’66
• “Shopping Bagged” by Maury Levine ’91
• “If I Were the Boss of You” by Associate
Lecturer of English Melinda Rainey Thompson
44 / ’southern

Additionally, most of the fall sessions included facilitators
who are members of the Birmingham-Southern community,
such as Kyle Bass ’86, Mike Chappell ’82, Rev. Evan Garner
’02, Sue Dill Grogan ’73, Lars Porter ’04, (MPPM ’11),
Dr. Fred Ashe, professor emeritus of English, and Kenneth
Cox, BSC’s head cross country and track and field coach and
associate athletic director for student-athlete mentorship.
Alexis Barton is a Birmingham-based journalist and vice
president of internal business communications at PNC.
Her work has appeared online at shondaland.com and in
The Daily Beast, on stage with The Moth, in print and on TV
statewide, and on radio across the United States through
NPR. Barton was the facilitator of the “If I Were the Boss Of
You” Virtual Book Club.
I love the ways that Birmingham-Southern
has tried to keep the community together,
especially during COVID.
Rachel Barron Keeler ’19
For announcements related to future book club dates and opportunities
to sign up, follow The BSC Blog online.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 45

alumni
PODCASTS
The sky’s the limit when it comes to the podcast world. Alumni near and
far have started podcasts that allow them to share their expertise, explore
their interests, and have honest discussions about life. Take a listen to one of
these shows created, recorded, produced, and hosted by BSC graduates.
Do you know more alumni with their own podcasts? Let us know at
communications@bsc.edu.
Armchair
Theology
Armchair
Theology
Ross Furio ’16 helped launch the “Armchair Theology”
podcast in 2020 as an extension of the Twitter account
@armchairtheo and blog that Clay Farrington dedicated
to reading scripture daily as a community. As hosts,
Furio and Farrington read through the Bible and provide
commentary, sometimes with special guests like Denson
N. Franklin Professor of Religion Dr. Amy Cottrill.
Check Your
Aesthetic
Beyond
Our
Lips
Beyond
Our Lips
Dentist Dr. Lora Pacha Gaxiola ’04 and
gynecologist Dr. Ginny Nicholson Winston
’04 explore connections between their fields
and share unique perspectives on life as
working moms. In “Beyond Our Lips,” the
longtime friends and BSC classmates talk
through aspects of women’s health, ranging
from pregnancy to routine screening to
mental health.
46 / ’southern
Check
Your
Aesthetic
Hosts Katie Campbell ’21 and Alexis Adams are
here to help you grow your business, search for
inspiration, and connect with other powerhouse
female creatives. Their conversations about
entrepreneurship, social media, design, self-care,
and the creative industry are best suited for the
self-starting creative twenty-something or anyone
interested in the industry.

StellaFit
Portola Valley, California-based fitness StellaFit
and lifestyle consultant Stella Taylor
Bergan ’89 dives into wellness and living
your best life, tackling topics like nutrition,
exercise, sleep, and stress. The podcast is just one
extension of StellaFit, Bergan’s hub for workout videos,
recipes, lifestyle coaching, and more.
Jane Talks
to a Wall
Jane Talks
to a Wall
Jane Torbert ’14 is a self-proclaimed
millennial expat with a lot to say, all stemming
from well-informed curiosity. “Jane Talks to a
Wall” is her place to fall down rabbit holes and
talk about environmentalism, consumption,
and living responsibly.
Wrapped
Two Idiots
Reading
Comics
Two Idiots
Reading
Comics
Comic book readers of all kinds are
welcome in the book club that is
“Two Idiots Reading Comics,” hosted
by Davis Crocker ’17 and Ryan
Tallmage ’17. Each week, Crocker
and Tallmage read one graphic novel –
perfect for anyone new to comics or in
need of a place to start.
Music connoisseurs
Colton Hinderliter ’18,
Ryan Key ’18, and Adam
Stansell ’17 count down
their favorite singles and
Wrapped
albums and share why they
make the top tier. The hosts
cover all kinds of genres – new and old – and
make Spotify playlists with their countdowns.
Every Dollar
Counts
Every Dollar
Counts
Hosts Jay Stubbs ’99 and Josh Null discuss the various
investment and insurance services that are available for consumers,
plus the lifestyle interests of dedicated investors. They often invite
the “best and brightest guests” from the industry for listeners who are
serious about their financial plan.
My Gothic
Dissertation
My Gothic
Dissertation
While completing her Ph.D. at the University of Iowa, Anna Williams
’08 did what no other doctoral student has done before: She created
a dissertation about writing a dissertation, through the lens of Gothic
literature, and did so in a seven-episode podcast series. “My Gothic
Dissertation” explores several novels and how the trapped, mysterious
Gothic protagonist compares to the striving grad student.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 47

BSC
HOMECOMING
Return to the Hilltop
On the weekend of Oct. 23, we welcomed alumni, family, and friends to campus for the first
Homecoming since 2019. Thanks to beautiful fall weather, almost all events were outdoors, allowing
the BSC family to gather safely. The weekend included reunions, open houses, a BSC author booksigning
event, an alumni choir sing-along, “the Big Tailgate,” athletic events, a Hilltop market, a
Provost’s Forum, and more. See if you spot any familiar faces in the crowd. Forward, Ever!
48 / ’southern

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54 / ’southern

Homecoming 2021 included a special event honoring accomplished alumni. The Distinguished
Alumni Awards brunch was held Saturday, Oct. 23, in Bruno Great Hall in Norton Campus Center.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 55

Daniel Coleman, BSC President
Byron Mathews ‘70
Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr. ‘84
At table: Bernard Mays ’04, his wife
Stephanie Mays ’04, their daughter Savannah
and his parents, Bernard and Belinda Mays.
Barbie Lesch ‘71 and Bill Eiland ’70
Dr. Tondra Loder-Jackson ‘89
56 / ’southern

Since the 2020 event canceled due to the COVID-19
pandemic, the 2021 event honored 2020 recipients Dr. Michael
Callahan ’67, Dr. Lawrence Durham ‘63, and Tondra Loder-
Jackson ‘89, and 2019 recipient Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, Jr. ’84,
who was unable to attend the 2019 event.
Also honored at the Oct. 23 brunch were 2020 Outstanding
Young Alumna Casey Daniel ’07, Outstanding Young Alumnus
Bernard Mays, Jr. ’04, and Rising Star Hannah Byrne ’16.
These honorees were featured in the Winter 2020/2021 issue
of ‘Southern. Read their stories on the BSC Blog at blog.bsc.edu.
For the first time, the Distinguished Alumni Awards
recognized posthumous honorees.
The 2021 Posthumous Honorees are Bernard Lockhart ’83, Dr.
James Donald Patrick ’57, and Pamela Payton-Wright ’63.
Patrick Finnerty, husband of
Dr. Casey Daniel, and their son,
Daniel Finnerty.
Laura Levenson, wife of Rev.
Dr. Russ Levenson, and their
god-daughter, Mollie Shuster.
bernard
lockhart ’83
Bernard Lockhart founded Magic City Smooth Jazz, a nonprofit
dedicated to exposing residents to great jazz, and launched its Jazz in
the Park series in 2010 with five concerts around the city. He and wife,
Jacqueline Lockhart, applied for grants and wrote letters seeking support
from local and national arts foundations. The series also presented jazz
concerts at parks in other Alabama cities, including Bessemer, Helena,
Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa. Lockhart’s career also included stints in
event planner at Southern Progress, as director and event organizer for
Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, and as event manager at Trussville
Civic Center. Lockhart died in December 2020 at UAB Hospital from
complications related to COVID-19. He is survived by his wife, his
daughters, Bernadette and Rachel, and his son, John.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 57

Bernard Mays Jr. ‘04
Adelia Patrick Thompson ’86,
daughter of Dr. Donald Patrick
dr. james
donald patrick ’57
A man with multiple groundbreaking roles, Dr. James
Donald Patrick was the first person in the state of Alabama
to receive a Ph.D. in vocational rehabilitation and the first
vocational rehab counselor at the newly created Spain
Rehabilitation Center at UAB. From there, he went on to
help found Lakeshore Rehab Center and Foundation, which
is well-known in the community as a highly successful
rehabilitation facility. Patrick was an active member of
Canterbury United Methodist Church for 45 years. He is
survived by his wife of 59 years, Margaret Hines Patrick;
daughter Adelia Patrick Thompson and her husband, J. Lynn
Thompson; son Bentley Hines Patrick and his wife, Melissa
Self Patrick, and their daughters, Mary Rose Patrick and
Sarah Elizabeth Patrick; his brother, Billy Wayne Patrick, and
his wife, Sarah Goodlett Patrick, and their children, Bryan
Patrick and Amanda Patrick Booher.
Barbara Quackenbush ‘65,
sister of posthumous honoree
Pamela Payton-Wright ‘63
Dr. Lawrence Durham ‘63
Lynda Daniel, mother of Casey Daniel, and Amanda Daniel
Pendergrass ‘03, sister
58 / ’southern

Dr. Michael Callahan ‘67
Pamela
Payton-wright ’63
Dr. Neal Berte, President Emeritus
Dr. Casey Daniel ‘07
Dr. Stewart Jackson,
former BSC Chaplain
Pamela Payton-Wright was a graduate of both
Birmingham-Southern College and the Royal Academy of
Dramatic Art, where she received the Special Medal and
the Edmund Gray Prize for High Comedy. She was crowned
Miss Tuscaloosa in 1961 and was also a finalist in the Miss
Alabama contest. She began her television career in 1972
as Rhonda on “Corky.” In 1979, she joined the cast of
“Another World” as Hazel Parker. Payton-Wright appeared in
numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions. She won
a Drama Desk Award for her performance as Lavinia Mannon
in the 1972 Broadway revival of “Mourning Becomes
Electra.” Her television credits included PBS productions
of “The Prodigal,” “Brother to Dragons,” and “The Adams
Chronicles.” She earned an Emmy nomination for her work
in “The Adams Chronicles.” In 1991, Payton-Wright joined
the cast of the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live” in the
recurring role of sweet-natured Agatha “Addie” Cramer. She
died on December 14, 2019. Payton-Wright is survived by
her son, Oliver Dickon Hedley Butler, and his wife, Cynthia
Flowers, brother Gordon Trafford Payton Wright, and sisters
Brenda Payton-Wright Davies and Barbara Payton-Wright
Quackenbush ’65.
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Giving to BSC
Honoring Loved Ones
Through Student Support
Weezer
When you think about what a liberal arts education looks like, turn to
Andre Yu Tiamco.
A senior at Birmingham-Southern, Yu Tiamco is finishing up his physics major,
along with minors in math, music, and data science. He is also active on campus
as the president of Spectrum and the secretary of Identity – both of which are
LGBTQ+ student organizations that lead inclusive events and offer support – and
as the vice president of Theta Chi Fraternity.
With on-campus leadership and classes across several departments, Yu Tiamco
is involved in multiple fields. That’s one of the reasons he was first drawn to BSC
after hearing about it from his brother, Nino Yu Tiamco ’13, and sister-in-law,
Catherine Gilliland Yu Tiamco ’14.
“Smaller schools have much more interconnected communities, and BSC is no
exception,” Yu Tiamco says. “I enjoy being able to walk around campus and see
faces ranging from familiar to friendly daily. My brother and his wife both spoke
very highly of the school, specifically praising the value of a liberal arts education,
even for STEM majors such as myself.”
Yu Tiamco will graduate 70 years after Dr. H. Newton Malony ’52, but both
share the same academic dedication, campus involvement, and pursuit of
multiple subjects across disciplines. It’s no mistake that they share an appreciation
of their education – Yu Tiamco is a recipient of the Amy Malony Samuels
Endowed Scholarship.
The scholarship was established and named after Dr. Malony’s mother,
Amy Malony Samuels, a schoolteacher who worked hard to support her son’s
education. She carefully saved up her money and, in 1969, left a bequest of
$10,000 to the College to support more hardworking and deserving BSC students.
Malony was an active student at BSC, where he met his wife, Suzanna Davis
Malony ’54. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in history, he went on to pursue
several graduate degrees, earning his Master of Divinity from Yale University and
his Master of Science and Ph.D. in psychology from Vanderbilt University.
Much like Yu Tiamco, Malony studied seemingly disconnected disciplines,
but each subject played an important role in his career at Fuller Theological
Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he served as a professor with
distinction from 1969 to 2015.
After Samuels established the scholarship, the Malony family also committed
to supporting the endowment and, in 2009, decided to fund a new scholarship
honoring Suzanna Davis Malony’s parents, educators Grace Davis and Harold
Davis. The Davis family showed a commitment to education and generosity, and
they are now honored through an additional award for BSC students.
Endowed scholarships like those from the Malony and Davis families support
BSC students throughout their time on the Hilltop and support whatever goals
and dreams they pursue. For Yu Tiamco, he hopes to begin Ph.D. work in physics
and see where that takes him – maybe back into the classroom as a professor.
“The scholarships I have received during my time at BSC have provided the
monetary leeway to not only succeed in my academics, but to do so comfortably
such that I can more freely enjoy my time here as well,” he says.
If you want to learn more about planned giving and other scholarships at the
College, please email advancement@bsc.edu.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Weezer
60 / ’southern

Help students recharge
at the Fountain
In its fall 2021 campaign, the Hilltop Parent & Family
Fund focused on making the Clay Long Alumni Fountain
Plaza in front of Norton Campus Center even more useful
for our campus community. While there are plenty of chairs
and tables at this popular gathering spot thanks to the 2019
Hilltop Parent & Family Fund project and support from the
Student Government Association, now there will be a way
to charge laptops, tablets, phones, and other devices in the
outdoor space.
To meet this need, the Hilltop Parent & Family Fund is
raising funds to purchase solar-powered outdoor charging
stations. These energy-smart solar stations will benefit
residential and commuter students as well as the entire campus
community. To make your gift, visit bsc.edu/give/parents.
For more information about the Hilltop Parent & Family
Fund or BSC’s annual giving programs, contact Danielle Ivey
Buchanan, director of annual giving, at (205) 226-4979 or
mdbucha1@bsc.edu.
The fall 2020 Hilltop Parent & Family
Fund project provided more than 80
weatherproof Adirondack chairs for
outdoor spaces across campus.
Each of the 87 Adirondack chairs
includes a named plaque honoring an
alumnus or member of the BSC family.
The chairs have created comfortable
outdoor spaces for students to gather,
study, and socialize.
INVESTED IN OUR STUDENTS ADIRONDACK CHAIRS PROVIDED GIFTS FROM BSC FAMILIES
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 61

Giving to BSC
Mark Your Calendar For Forward Ever Day 2022
On April 7, the Birmingham-Southern community will celebrate our sixth annual Forward
Ever Day, the College’s 24-hour day of giving that supports all areas of campus.
The Forward Ever Fund, through the support of alumni, faculty, staff, families, and
other donors, raises money for scholarships, research opportunities, departmental needs,
student development and organizations events, renovations, equipment, and more.
Donors can designate their gifts to support a specific office, academic department, or
student organization.
Forward Ever Day 2021 set records for total dollars raised and number of gifts, with
$477,213 raised from 1,966 donors.
Every Forward Ever Day, alumni and other donors participate in competitions to help
departments or organizations win additional funds. Academic departments, student
organizations, and Greek chapters compete to win Forward Ever Day “titles”: most dollars
raised, most donors, and best social media presence.
In 2021, the business and accounting program won the $5,000 Grand Prize for highest
total dollar amount raised by a department. The department’s award money was used
to update the common spaces in Harbert where students and faculty meet for tutoring,
studying, and to participate in collaborative projects.
One of the easiest ways to get involved in Forward Ever Day is by spreading the word. Share
posts on social media or connect with your BSC friends, professors, and colleagues about what
you want to support. You can even win one of our contests – Ansley Collins Browns ‘01 won
the 2021 Ambassador contest for bringing in the highest overall number of gifts.
Sign up to serve as an ambassador and help us promote the day.
Sign up at bsc.edu/FEDambassador.
TWO EASY WAYS TO GIVE TO BSC
BSC 2021
IF YOU LIVE IN ALABAMA, BUY A BSC CAR TAG.
BSC gets about $45 from each affinity tag sold and uses that money to fund Driven to
Succeed Scholarships for Alabama residents. Ask for a BSC tag at your local DMV. Send us
your receipt and we’ll send you a tax receipt for the deductible portion.
DESIGNATE BSC AS YOUR NON-PROFIT OF CHOICE WHEN YOU
SHOP ON AMAZON SMILE.
Visit smile.amazon.com to do your Amazon shopping, and 0.5% of eligible
purchases will be donated directly to BSC. Once signed into smile.amazon.com,
you will be prompted to pick a charity. You can choose one from the provided list
or type in another of your choosing. Type “Birmingham-Southern College,” and our
organization will appear.
There is no cost to us or you – 100% of the donation generated from eligible purchases
goes to BSC. For frequent Amazon users, this additional perk is a great way to give back to
BSC effortlessly. Note: Amazon does not share customer information with us, so we are
unable to credit individual donors when we receive contributions from Amazon.
62 / ’southern

Remembering Clay Long
A Hilltop Tribute
At Birmingham-Southern, I
discovered so many of the most
important people in my life. I still
treasure the connection to friends,
sorority sisters, theatre cast mates
and professors. I even met my
husband at BSC, but it wasn’t
until later, when I gave him my
torts outline in law school, that I
think I won his heart. (It was an
excellent outline.)
While I was a student on the
Hilltop, I didn’t realize that one
of the most important school
connections I would ever make
was with a BSC student who
arrived at BSC before I was
born. In fact, by the time I was
a freshman, Clay Long had
graduated from Harvard law
school, clerked for Supreme
Court Justice Hugo Black and
co-founded a law firm in Atlanta
that would go on to become one
of the nation’s finest.
I met Clay when I interviewed
for a summer clerkship with
Long, Aldridge & Norman. I remember that he took me to dinner
in a car that had been converted to run on natural gas because he
was concerned about the environment. He was the first person
I can remember talking about climate change. Clay didn’t just
talk; he devoted his talents to conservation, chairing the Georgia
Conservancy Board and working with policy makers to protect
Georgia’s environment.
Joelle James Phillips ’89 is president
of AT&T Tennessee in Nashville and a
member of the Birmingham-Southern
College Board of Trustees.
In my first year at the firm, I was
lucky to work on a case with Clay. My
most vivid memory of that experience
was a meeting during which Clay
rejected an option presented because
it was morally wrong. He didn’t make
a production of it, and he didn’t
entertain any discussion about whether
the client agreed. He was a fierce
competitor, but he would no more
consider an unethical move than he
would have cheated at tennis – and
I would never have bet against him
winning in – or on – the court.
Clay was so comfortable in his own
skin. He knew who he was and what
he cared about. In a profession where
outsized egos are common, Clay didn’t
seem to need any affirmation from the
crowd. He was funny but didn’t need
the whole room to hear the punch
line.
I was heartbroken that the BSC
family lost such an important and
dear friend. Clay’s example will forever
inspire me.
CLAY C. LONG ’58
Lawyer and conservationist Clay C. Long
passed away May 29, 2021, at 85 after
battling a neurological illness. He graduated
summa cum laude from Birmingham-Southern
College and magna cum laude from Harvard
Law School. As a law clerk for Justice Hugo
Black of the U.S. Supreme Court, he drafted
the ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright, the
landmark case establishing that poor people
charged with crimes have a right to an attorney.
1974, Long co-founded Long, Aldridge,
Stevens & Sumner, a corporate and commercial
real estate practice, which 28 years later
merged with a Washington-based firm to
become McKenna Long & Aldridge. During his
life, Long received many awards and accolades,
including the Atlanta Bar Association’s
Leadership Award – of which he was the first
recipient – an honorary Doctor of Laws degree
from BSC, and the Lifetime Achievement
Award from the Anti-Defamation League.
Long gave back to his community in many
ways – by serving as Chairman of the Board
of MARTA, as Chairman of the Georgia
Conservancy, and by working on environmental
issues with the Nature Conservancy, the
Jekyll Island Authority, and the Jekyll Island
Foundation. He was chair of the Georgia
Greenspace Commission and served as
President of the Atlanta United Way. He was a
member of the boards of directors of Research
Atlanta, the Atlanta Urban League, the Atlanta-
Fulton County Public Library, the Metropolitan
Atlanta Community Foundation, Birmingham-
Southern College, and many others.
Long is survived by his wife of 61 years,
Elizabeth E. Long, his daughter and sonin-law,
Katie Long and Adam Gelb, and his
grandchildren, Max Gelb and Kate Denton. He
was preceded in death in 2003 by his beloved
daughter, Polly Long Denton.
FALL/WINTER 2021 / 63

lifelong learner
Christian Strevy ’10
Christian Strevy, who earned a BFA in art at Birmingham-
Southern College in 2010, strongly exemplifies the school’s value of
lifelong learning.
He has a wide, ever-growing range of interests, including plants,
animals, insects, and geology.
And Strevy – now a Philadelphia-based filmmaker – is also hosting
a series of YouTube videos to explore these interests and share them
with the world.
The series, “Old Scout,” began in 2018 by depicting Strevy’s quest to
earn all the merit badges from Cub Scout to Eagle Scout in one year.
That quest stemmed from Strevy’s regrets about dropping out of Cub
Scouts when he was 10 years old. He quit before he had a chance to
enjoy the outdoor scouting activities, such as camping, he had come to
love as an adult.
Strevy successfully completed that initial one-year stage of the “Old
Scout” series in 2019.
And Strevy – along with series co-creator and fellow BSC graduate
Julie St. John ’11 – resumed “Old Scout” in 2020 after a pandemicinduced
hiatus.
The project began with Strevy wondering if he could complete all
the merit badges in one year.
“It was a little bit of a stunt,” he said.
But “Old Scout” became something more.
Strevy and St. John, who earned a BFA in 2011, have continued the
series because it’s an entertaining way to explore subjects they have
“strong curiosity” about, Strevy said.
A Vestavia Hills native, Strevy earned an MFA in film in 2015
from Temple University in Philadelphia. At Temple, he made a web
series, “Gunner Jackson,” that was shown at numerous film festivals,
including Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham.
Strevy began “Old Scout” on his 30th birthday, June 14, 2018, and
a year later, he filmed an episode that was based on an Eagle Scout
graduation. For that episode, Strevy, St. John, and friends staged a
pinewood derby, the wood-car racing event popular in scouting.
Strevy said he and St. John like the old Boy Scouts curriculum from
the 1950s and before.
“It was more experiment-based or adventure-based,” he said.
In the newer curriculum, the rocks and minerals merit badge book,
for example, “is more like a book report,” Strevy said. In the old
curriculum, scouts were told to collect 25 rocks and minerals in the field.
Making the episodes “is a great way to start hobbies and learn about
science.” For example, he started collecting insects and is making an
episode about them. He even became interested in stamp collecting.
“We did that episode, and I realized they’re tiny, beautiful, little
engraved works of art that you put on mail,” Strevy said.
Since restarting “Old Scout,” Strevy and St. John have made two
more episodes.
St. John does “the tedious, hard work of producing the episodes,”
Strevy said, while he directs and does most of the editing.
“We’re just doing them at our own pace and taking our time doing
them, which is really fun,” Strevy said.
OLD SCOUT
Follow along as Christian Strevy completes the entire
curriculum of Scouts from Cub to Eagle in one year.
From knot-tying to safe hiking to a pinewood derby
finale, find out if an old scout can learn new tricks in
this 45-episode series.
Old
Scout
64 / ’southern

Stay in
TOUCH!
Rowdy’s
Playlist
Keep up with news from the Hilltop – and let
us know what’s happening with you.
THE BSC BLOG
At blog.bsc.edu, you’ll find stories about
alumni, athletics, student life, faculty
achievements, and upcoming events.
CLASS NOTES
Monthly updates about BSC alumni and
friends of the College are now online at
blog.bsc.edu.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
@birminghamsouthern
@bscalums
@birminghamsouthern
@bsc_alumni
@fromthehilltop
FIVE EASY WAYS TO ENGAGE
1. Update your contact information.
Visit bsc.edu/alumni to provide a current
address, phone, or email, share your current
employment information, or notify us of a name
change. That will help ensure you are on the list
for regional and career-focused alumni events.
2. Submit a Class Note. Share news of career
updates, weddings, births, and other life events
at bsc.edu/alumni.
3. Honor a classmate. Nominate a fellow
graduate for the Distinguished Alumni Award
or the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
Nominations are made online beginning in
January at bsc.edu/alumni.
4. Send us a future BSC student. Email our
Admissions staff at admissions@bsc.edu
with the names of the best students you know
so we can give them the warmest welcome
on campus visits and at recruiting events. We
especially want to know about legacy students.
5. Help us tell the BSC story. Share the
names of alumni who have interesting jobs or
are making a big impact in their community so
we can feature them online and in print. Email
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
testing and masking protocols based on advice from public health experts. In fall 2021, our students achieved an 85 percent vaccination rate.