fall 2009 alumni voice
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Valdosta State University Alumni
Alumna Alumna Debra Fordham Debra Fordham
takes on Hollywoodtakes on Hollywood
Angela’s House:Channeling Grief into Action
Baseball Greats: Where are they Now?
City’s LegendsRemain Alive
Beautiful Symmetry: The Lives of Kaleidoscope Shop Owners
The VSU Bookstore and Tech Shop will
be relocating, under one roof, January
2010. The stores will have extended
hours and will be located on the fi rst and
second fl oors of the Student Union.
In the meantime, do not forget to visit the
VSU Bookstore at its current location,
1306 North Patterson Street, across from
the University Center. The VSU Tech
Shop is located in Langdale Hall.
Valdosta State University Valdosta State University BookstoreBookstore
Phone: 229-333-5666Phone: 229-333-5666Fax: 229-245-2232Fax: 229-245-2232
vsu.collegestoreonline.comvsu.collegestoreonline.com
441861_Valdosta.indd 1 9/22/09 9:39:58 AM
ContentsFall 2009
www.valdosta.edu
Valdosta State University Alumni Voice
Features17 Baseball Greats: Where are they Now?
Three VSU baseball alumni share tales from the field and university memories as they reflect on their days beneath the stately pines.
22 Prime Time Scribe Devoted to her Roots
Distinguished Alumna Debra Fordham is enjoying big-time success in the City of Angels, but this gifted writer for the stage and screen has continued to give back to her alma mater and serve as an inspiration to fellow Blazers.
25 City’s Legends Remain Alive
Sociology professor Dr. Kathleen Lowney explores the sometimes creepy, often bizarre — always interesting—urban legends in Valdosta.
28 Beautiful Symmetry
Bobby (Snow) Boal, ’46, never imagined the colorful reflections of a childhood toy would someday mirror and shape the lives of her and her husband, but life has a way of turning out to be every bit as enchanting as the view through a kaleidoscope.
30 Angela’s House
A brush with personal tragedy leads to a VSU alumnus’s personal mission to provide for medically frail children.
Valdosta State University Alumni
Published forValdosta State University Alumni1500 N. Patterson StreetValdosta, GA 31698alumni@valdosta.eduwww.valdostastate.org
Published by
Naylor, LLC5950 NW 1st PlaceGainesville, FL 32607Phone: (800) 369-6220(352) 332-1252Fax: (352) 331-3525www.naylor.com
For information about advertising, contact Kathryn Hillgardner, publication director:T: 800-369-6220, ext. 3384E: khillgar@naylor.com
© 2009 Naylor, LLC and Valdosta State University reserve the right to reproduce content contained in this publication with the consent of the publisher.
PublisherChris Hodges
EditorJon Pasierb
Project ManagerKatie Usher
MarketingHeather Zimmerman
Advertising Sales: Michelle Adelman, Norman McGill, Nicki NeSmith
Layout and DesignBrenda Nowosad
Advertising ArtGregg Paris
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2009/VSUT0309/9440
Valdosta State University Bookstore
Phone: 229-333-5666Fax: 229-245-2232
vsu.collegestoreonline.com
441861_Valdosta.indd 1 9/22/09 9:39:58 AM
Fall 2009 • 3
Valdosta State University is a Regional University of the University System of Georgia. It is an equal opportunity educational institution which does not discriminate against any applicant for admission or any student or employee based on the sex, race, religion, color, national origin or disability of the individual.Visit VSU on the Web: www.valdosta.edu
EditorKate H. Elliott
WritersThressea H. BoydJennifer L. Tanner, ‘04 & ‘08
Student writersAmanda Blank, ‘09Thomas DaleCarolanne HinesNatalie QuinnFracesca Zagami
PhotographerBobby Lacey
VSU Alumni Association Offi cersPresidentGreg Voyles, ‘91
Vice PresidentJeff Hooks, ‘87
SecretaryLeigh Broomberg, ‘96
TreasurerJerry Johnson, ‘72
Valdosta State UniversityPresidentDr. Patrick J. Schloss
Director of Alumni RelationsJohn Trombetta, ‘01
ABOUT THE PUBLICATIONThe Valdosta State University Alumni Voice is the offi cial alumni magazine of the Valdosta State University Alumni Association. The full-color publication is distributed three times each year to more than 45,000 VSU alumni and constituents to inform them of Valdosta State news and excite them about the achievements of those who once walked through its halls.Check out the Voice online at www.valdosta.edu/voice!
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCESend all editorial correspondence to:Kate H. ElliottCommunications UnitValdosta State University1500 N. Patterson St.Valdosta, GA 31698E-mail: kaheine@valdosta.eduWeb: www.valdosta.edu/voice
CLASS NOTESSend all class notes to:Alumni Database ManagementValdosta State University1500 N. Patterson St.Valdosta, GA 31698E-mail: alumni@valdosta.eduWeb: www.valdostastate.org
Departments 5 Presidential Connections
6 Alumni Association News
9 Your Letters
10 Blazer Briefs
15 The Dish
17 Blazer Athletics
31 From Where I Stand
32 Bookends
34 Class Notes
About the CoverDistinguished alumna Debra Ford-
ham's friend and photographer
Carter Dyal shot this photo of Deb
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on
California's Hollywood Boulevard.
The DishBlazer Dining's Executive Chef Karl Elliott (left) and baseball coach Greg Guilliams won the Copper Chef culinary competition, based on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.”
Kate H. Elliott
2009-2010 VSU Season Tickets2009-2010 VSU Season Tickets
Call or click to get yours today!Call or click to get yours today!
229-333-SEAT229-333-SEATwww.vstateblazers.comwww.vstateblazers.com
440128_valdosta.indd 1 8/28/09 5:44:07 PM
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4 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
Fall 2009 • 5
From
the
Pre
sid
ent
From
the
VSU
Alu
mn
i Ass
ocia
tion
Pre
sid
ent
Wayne Rambo
My term as VSU Alumni Association President has come to a close. A lot has happened at VSU during the
last two years since my tenure began. Although I will remain active in the alumni association, I am proud
to pass the gavel to Greg Voyles, ’91, who will serve as the new alumni association president.
Much has happened in the last two years, but there is more still to come. VSU continues to be poised
for greatness, which is evident by the growing number of fans we see at sporting events, the increased
enrollment, and the amount of VSU T-shirts, hats, bumper stickers and other paraphernalia we see around
town and across the nation.
We as alumni need to continue to do our part as the university grows. Dedication to VSU‘s future can
take on many forms—a fi nancial contribution, participation in alumni events, or maybe returning to cam-
pus to watch a game or a performance. The time to show your support is now!
A good example of a supportive alumna is Debra Fordham, ’91, VSU’s 2009 Distinguished Alumnus of
the Year. Debra has managed to make quite a name for herself as a writer and producer on some very suc-
cessful television shows, including “Scrubs” and Lifetime’s “Army Wives.” She has given countless hours of
her time to help with workshops, set up auditions and work one-on-one with students, particularly those
students studying theatre. Debra has also funded numerous scholarships and helped eager VSU graduates
network within the entertainment industry. Read more about Debra and her tremendous contributions
to VSU in the following pages of this issue.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as VSU Alumni Association President during the last two years.
Although I may no longer be in offi ce, I will continue to show my support for VSU, and I encourage you
to do the same.
Best Wishes and GO BLAZERS!
Wayne Rambo, ’86
It is always wonderful to greet members of the Valdosta State University fam-
ily. Whether joining alumni on our 12-city Connections Tour, visiting students at
Palms Dining Hall, or debating lofty issues with the Faculty Senate, there is an
abiding respect for our institution and our mission.
Valdosta State University benefi ts from proud traditions. Its symbols—the
dome over West Hall, the campus green and the Valdosta State logo all mean a
great many things to a great many people. Mostly, they mean excellence. Faculty
members are quick to recognize that our student body includes the brightest and
best of our region. In fact, more than 20 of our incoming freshmen were valedic-
torians or salutatorians. Faculty members also recognize that for many students,
success is measured by the value added through the Valdosta State experience.
To our alumni, the symbols suggest a connection to one of the most impor-
tant times in their lives. I love to hear the stories of “fi rst romance” on the front
lawn, “impossible to satisfy” professors, or pranks gone awry. I love to see the
incredible role that Valdosta State has played in people’s lives.
We boast more than 40,000 alumni, each with a unique story. The number
grows annually, as students assume leadership roles in business, the arts, edu-
cation and medicine. Our alumni make a diff erence, and we are proud to have
played a small part in their achievement.
I hope to continue meeting as many alumni and friends as possible. Please stay
connected and join us in making the future bright for all things Valdosta!
Sincerely,
Patrick J. Schloss
GreetingsVSU Alumni and Friends,
Dear Fellow Alumni,
Valdosta State University President Patrick J. Schloss
and his wife, Dr. Maureen Schloss, are joined by
Susan and Chuck Steel at the 2009 A Blazin Hot
Night Gala, which raised nearly $60,000 to benefi t
the VSU Foundation, Inc. Look for details about the
2010 black-tie fundraiser event this spring at www.
valdosta.edu/gala.
6 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
Ass
ocia
tion
New
s
Educational Icon Turns 103By Kate H. Elliott
CO
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From left, Genie Certain and her aunt, Louise Milam, ’26, look through the scrapbook Certain made for her aunt’s 90th birthday. Milam, who graduated with a two-year degree from Georgia State Woman’s College, was an educator for 43 years. The Cartersville, Ga., resident celebrated her 103rd birthday in September.
Milam, ’26, turned 103 in September, and the two are still piecing
together scrapbooks of attic memories; but they have left some pages
blank, as Milam continues to be recognized for her impact on the lives
of others.
In June, the Georgia Federation of Business and Professional Women’s
Clubs, Inc. named Milam the 2009 Woman in History. The educator of 43
years stood out among hundreds of candidates because of her decades
of leadership in education and women’s workplace rights. Her volunteer
work through the Presbyterian Church and Cartersville Hospital Pink
Ladies has endeared her to many of the town’s residents.
Milam grew up in Bartow County with her fi ve brothers and older
sister, Eugenia (Milam) Jolly, ’27. The sisters, separated by two years,
attended class in a one-room schoolhouse before packing their trunks
on the train to Valdosta. The ladies attended Georgia State Woman’s
College for two years to attain teaching degrees.
“My grandfather served as the superintendent of schools, and my
grandmother graduated in 1900 from Wesleyan College in Macon, so
they were familiar with the area,” said Certain. “Louise said that their
father had friends in Valdosta, which made the family more comfortable
about sending the girls to the ‘big city.’”
Each fall, the Milam girls would pack their bags for Valdosta and
not return home until that summer. They received a well-rounded
education with hands-on teaching experience gained during rota-
tions at a laboratory school on campus. Milam remembered Mrs. Beck
as the head of campus dining and said she would never forget the
legendary strict direction of Miss Annie Powe Hopper, dean of women.
Shenanigans never enticed Louise and Eugenia, partially due to the
friendship between their father and Dr. Richard Powell, the college’s
fi rst president, who served the institution for 22 years.
“We enjoyed our years at Valdosta, and it opened our eyes as coun-
try girls,” said Milam. “We had never heard of ‘gym’ before. We wore
uniforms, walked to church, and we helped pay for our education by
working in the dining hall.”
Milam is still quite sharp, although her health is failing. She still makes
a phone call to her brother once a day and remains the matriarch of the
family and an icon of service and education in the community. ■
BN Georgia State Woman’s College students Louise Milam (back row, kneeling) and her older sister, Eugenia (Milam) Jolly (standing, her arm around Louise) after graduating with their two-year degrees to become school teachers
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GENIE CERTAIN BEGAN RUMMAGING through her aunt’s attic memories shortly before
Louise Milam’s 90th birthday. She was determined to chronicle decades of family photo-
graphs stuff ed into shoeboxes and unearth cherished trinkets stowed in packing boxes.
Certain spent hundreds of hours among the cobwebs and stale attic air, and even more
time sitting beside her aunt as Milam shared stories from the past.
Fall 2009 • 7
Fun
MORE THAN 130 VSU alumni and friends
turned out July 30 for the Jacksonville Suns
baseball game, during which VSU Alumni
Association President Wayne Rambo, ’86,
threw out the fi rst pitch. The association
plans to hold this and similar family-friendly
events each year.
From left, Samantha and Eric Steifel, ’03, stand with Tommy Thomas, ’62, who taught physical education at VSU for 40 years and led the VSU Baseball team to its first national championship victory.
VSU Alumni Association president Wayne Rambo, ’86, stands with Jacksonville Suns mascot, Southpaw, prior to the game against the Birmingham Barons of Alabama.
VSU at a ComputerScreen Near YouTHE VSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION is now just a few mouse clicks away.
During the past year, the association has expanded its online presence to include a VSU Alumni
Voice Web site, a Facebook page and a Twitter account. If these terms sound like gibberish, read
the information below to fi nd out how you can connect with the university and its alumni via the
World Wide Web.
VSU Alumni Voice Web site www.valdosta.edu/voice
What it offers?Visitors will be able to read all of the content published in the printed version of the alumni
magazine as well as any additional pictures and/or multimedia elements that accompany the
printed edition. Visitors will also be able to search for past articles, participate in online polls and
post comments about specifi c stories. The Alumni Voice Web site links directly to various VSU
sites, including the campus news page and the VSU Flickr account, which is a gallery of VSU-
related photos found at http://www.fl ickr.com/groups/valdostastate/.
Valdosta State Alumni Relations Facebook Groupwww.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22370785647
What it offers?Millions of people across the world use Facebook to keep in touch with personal and profes-
sional contacts. Friends of the Valdosta State University Alumni Relations Facebook group may
view the latest association events and information posts. Members post comments and peruse
the online social networking site for college friends and former professors.
To become a friend of the Alumni Relations Facebook group, go to www.facebook.com and
type “Alumni Relations Facebook Group” in the search fi eld. Click “Join this Group” located below
the giant V-State graphic. Click “Join,” and the group will be added to your network.
“Facebook is much more fl exible and effi cient than e-mail, which makes communicating with
our alumni much easier,” said John Trombetta, ’01, director of alumni relations. “It’s especially
great for last minute communication; we’ve tried postcards, newspapers and e-mail, but Facebook
always works.”
The VSU Alumni Relations group has gathered about 800 members since it was created a
year ago.
Alumni TweetsVSU Alumni Relations Twitter page: twitter.com/VSTATEALUMNI
VSU’s offi cial Twitter page: www.twitter.com/valdostastate
What they offer?VSU has also plunged into the Twitter phenomenon, which boasts about 14 million users in
the United States alone.
The free microblogging service allows users to broadcast updates and receive small, 140-char-
acter messages, called “tweets,” from other users. Because the site may be accessed from any
Internet device or SMS capable cell phone, its broadcast-style text messages are perfect for busy
adults looking to keep up with friends and world events.
Alumni tweets are mostly reminders about upcoming alumni events and major VSU
sporting competitions. The VSU’s main Twitter site enables the alumni association to instantly
remind people about upcoming campus events and warn the VSU community about health
and weather threats. ■
with the SUNS
8 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
Ass
ocia
tion
New
s
From left to right, Jerry Boatright (father of current football player, Bubba Boatright), Earl Chambers (VSU Defensive Line Coach) and David Elsenrath (VSU Offensive Line Coach) catch up with other.
From left, former VSU Football players Jeff Hooks, ’87, Jessie Tuggle, ’92, and Scott Mowry, ’88, pause for a photo at the VSU Football Alumni Event on July 14 in Atlanta.
A Gridiron Celebration
SEND US A FAVORITE picture of
your kid(s) dressed in VSU gear. The
most spirited photos will be pub-
lished in a future VSU Alumni Voice
magazine.
Pint-sizedPhoto Contest
Write us about your favorite place to hang out in
Valdosta during those good ol’ college years. Don’t forget
to mention why the establishment stands out in your mind!
We want to hear about your best – printable – college
memories.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE building on campus
and why?
Sydney Hammond, the daughter of Richard and Leighia Hammond, gives Blaze a big hug at the VSU Wellness Fair.
KA
TE
H. E
LL
IOT
E-mail photos in JPEG format to Editor
Kate H. Elliott at kaheine@valdosta.edu.
Write to Us
FORMER VSU FOOTBALL PLAYERS and coaches met
for food and fellowship at the
VSU Football Alumni Event on
July 14 in Atlanta.
Fall 2009 • 9
Editor’s Note: Response to ErrorThank you to the VSU alumni and friends who alerted us to errors in “Stepping Into
Fellowship,” an article published on page 34 of the spring 2009 edition. The editorial team
apologizes for the errors and trusts that running the corrected article in this issue highlights the
wonderful accomplishments and hard work members of the Zeta Phi Beta step team put into
their 2008 step show victory. ■
Your Letters
The VSU Alumni VOICE recently carried
a photograph and brief account of Dr.
Lewis Holders’, ’47, memories of the
dedication of the new library in 1941 (spring
2009, pg. 8). First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was the
keynote speaker. I had the unexpected pleasure
of interviewing Mrs. Roosevelt and attending
the luncheon with this gracious lady. The edi-
tor of the Campus Canopy (student newspaper)
became seriously ill, and I was assigned the
exciting experience of interviewing the presi-
dents’ wife. I had only 15 minutes before meet-
ing her in the library … I was unprepared and
breathless of course.
Excerpts from “First Lady is Really Up to Her
Title in Interview,” published Saturday, March
29, 1941:
“Goodness an interview with the ‘fi rst lady!’
This is the most exciting thing that’s happened
in years … centuries, in fact. To get down to
business, now … bright and early you fi nd ye
olde Campus Canopy Reporter sitting on the
steps of the new library … waiting.
“What do you think of our campus, Mrs.
Roosevelt? ‘Well,’ she graciously answered, ‘I
haven’t seen enough of the campus, yet, but
I find the girls themselves a very delightful
group.’”
“Mrs. Roosevelt, dressed in blue with a cor-
sage of Talisman roses, gave a stirring address.
She delivered a challenge to the youth of
America to take advantage of every opportunity
and to learn everything in their reach. Charming
and gracious, the First Lady was interesting and
well-liked by everyone.” ■
— Ann May (Pryor) Cobb, ’43, of Athens, Ga.
The VSU Alumni Voice welcomes your letters, e-mails and phone calls with story sug-
gestions and other comments. Letters to the editor may be edited for length, clarity and
style. Send letters and photos to the address below or e-mail them to news@valdosta.edu.
Please include your daytime telephone number, address, degree and graduation year.
Communications Unit
c/o Voice Editor Kate H. Elliott
Valdosta State University
1500 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta, GA 31698
Interview with First Lady
Cobb
Still Playing After All These Years
The article (“Still Playing After All
These Years,” spring 2009, pg. 40-41)
was just great. I had a number of
people come to me and tell me it was a
good article and that they did not know
that I played in a band while in college.
Every single comment was positive. Each
conversation provided the opportunity to
relive those great college years of the 60s.
Thanks so much for doing the article.
— Andy Patterson, ’75, of Valdosta, Ga.
The article, “Still Playing After All These Years,” that includes Andy Patterson as a member
of “The House of Commons” band gave me a better insight of one of Park University’s adjunct
faculty (He teaches at least one sociology or psychology course per term). We knew he rode
a motorcycle, but who knew he also played guitar and was a member of a band in college?
I think it’s great that he could get back together so easily with the band members and pick
up where they left off so many years ago. There is no better way to have a reunion than to
relive some of the best times in college. ■
— Juanita Walker
Campus Center Director, Park University, at Moody Air Force Base
10 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
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MORE THAN 50,000 FOOTBALL fans swayed to
“Don’t Stop Believing” as VSU’s 145-member marching
band performed the Journey-themed halftime show
during a Jacksonville Jaguars home game Aug. 22.
The Jaguars’ crushed the Buccaneers during this pre-
season brawl, but many VSU fans were more interested
in the mid-game entertainment. VSU Blazin’ Brigade
Marching Band Director Eric Bradshaw said the 7-minute
show was a hit. Fans seemed to enjoy VSU’s renditions of
the American Rock band’s songs, including “Stone in Love,”
“Lights,” and “Any Way You Want It.”
“This was by far the largest crowd we have ever played
since I have been at VSU, and I am pretty sure in the history
of our band,” said Eric Bradshaw, who has directed the
band for the past seven years. “It is wonderful for our stu-
dents to experience the energy of playing in front of such
a large live audience, and it is great exposure for VSU.”
Those who missed the Aug. 22 game need not despair.
The marching band will play the Journey show at halftimes
during the fi rst half of the VSU Football season. Bradshaw
said the Blazin’ Brigade will feature a Broadway musicals
show the second half of VSU games.
“It is wonderful
for our students
to experience the
energy of playing
in front of such
a large live
audience, and it
is great exposure
for VSU,” said
Eric Bradshaw,
who has directed
the band for the
past seven years.
Marching Band Takes the Jaguars’ Field
Fall 2009 • 11
Valdosta State University President Patrick
J. Schloss signed the American College
and University Presidents Climate
Commitment in late April, joining more than
600 of the nation’s higher education institu-
tions determined to become more climate neu-
tral. The document formally commits VSU to
develop a plan that eliminates greenhouse gas
emission over time and integrates sustainability
into the academic curriculum.
“This is a signifi cant step in Valdosta State’s
efforts towards sustainability,” Schloss said.
“Sustainability is an issue of great importance
to our students, faculty, staff and community.
In the past several months we have made
important advancements and look forward to
accomplishing the objectives outlined in the
commitment.”
Go to www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/
for more information about the Presidents Climate
Commitment.
Atraveling exhibition of photographs
depicting the Great Depression made a
stop at Valdosta State University in late
August.
The iconic collection of prints, housed in
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Presidential Library and
Museum, were taken between 1935 and 1942
by the legendary photography unit of the Farm
Security Administration, a New Deal Agency
President Roosevelt created to aid struggling farm
workers during the Depression. Photographers,
such as Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks and Ben
Shahn, battled natural disasters and economic
hardship to capture images of America’s endur-
ance, hope and misfortune.
The photographic collection is titled “This Great Nation Will Endure” from FDR’s famous speech at the lowest point of the Great Depression when he proclaimed, “This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper ... the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
This Great Nation Will Endure”
Fine Arts Gallery Showcases Depression Prints
President Signs Climate Commitment
“
The Fine Arts Gallery, located
on the first floor of the VSU
Fine Arts Building, is an edu-
cationally enriching venue
that showcases faculty and
student artwork as well
as the work of artists out-
side the region. Learn more
about upcoming exhibits
at www.valdosta.edu/art/
VSU_FineArtsGallery.shtml
The Valdosta State Chamber Singers, an elite choral
ensemble of 28 singers, will perform a sampling of holiday
favorites by candlelight this December in the grand acousti-
cal stage of West Hall’s rotunda.
Read more about this and other Department of Music
student and faculty concerts at www.valdosta.edu/music/.
Elite Choir to Perform in Rotunda
12 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
Blaz
er B
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Biology Department Secures Natural History Collection
A 2,000-pound stuff ed buff alo is one of the nearly 300 specimens the Valdosta
State University Biology Department acquired when the state of Georgia began
distributing items once displayed in the Georgia Capital Museum. Dr. Leslie S.
Jones, associate professor of science education and equine reproductive physiology,
said the extensive collections of fi sh, birds, reptiles and mushrooms will bring cur-
riculum to life for students enrolled in science courses at VSU. When not being used
in class, the specimens will be displayed in educational dioramas within the Hugh C.
Bailey Science Center.
See more photos of the natural history collection at VSU’s Flickr account
www.fl ickr.com/photos/valdostastate/3607238157/
Georgia and Reade Halls Restored
When honors students claimed their beds in Reade
Hall this fall, they experienced the historic class
and style of when the building was fi rst built in
1936. Former Georgia Hall residents might not recognize
the rebuilt building, which doubled in size and is outfi tted
with the latest technologies, including SMART rooms and
wireless Internet. The two, yearlong renovation projects
greeted students at move-in day with a nod to VSU’s past
and a symbol of progress.
Go to www.valdosta.edu/news/releases/halls.081109 to read
more about the renovation projects.
Reade Hall, located between Bailey Science Center and Powell Hall, was named in 1957 in honor of VSU’s third president, Frank R. Reade. The residence hall, built in 1936, had previously been named Senior Hall.
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Georgia Hall, which previously housed 200 students, now boasts 494 beds in a mix of two- and four-person style suites.
Fall 2009 • 13
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This organization receives financial support for allowing Liberty Mutual to offer this auto and home insurance program.*Figure based on a February 2008 sample of auto policyholder savings when comparing their former premium with those of Liberty Mutual’s group auto and home program. Individual premiums and savings will vary. **Discounts and credits areavailable where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; except in Massachusetts, not all applicants may qualify. †Accident Forgiveness coverage subject to termsand conditions of Liberty Mutual’s underwriting guidelines and is not available in all states.Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA. A consumer report from a consumer reporting agency and/or a motor vehicle report, on all drivers listed on your policy, maybe obtained where state laws and regulations allow. Please consult a Liberty Mutual specialist for specific details.©2008 Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. All Rights Reserved.
AUTO
HOME
With Group Savings Plus®, Valdosta State University
alumni can get more from their auto and home insurance.
Savings of up to $327.96 or more a year on auto insurance*with a special group discount and other discounts**
432927_Liberty.indd 1 9/21/09 11:26:17 PM
Move-in Day More than 1,900 fi rst-year students moved into VSU residence halls August
13. Upperclass students moved in the rest of the week to fi ll up VSU’s 3,000 beds
on campus.
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14 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
See a name you recognize? Contact specifi c departments to pass along your well wishes or to
be put in touch with former faculty and staff members.
VSU Hosts Inaugural Graduate Research Symposium
Valdosta State University hosted its inaugural
Graduate Research and Scholarship Symposium
May 1. The poster session format allowed graduate
students to showcase their research and scholar-
ship eff orts overseen by faculty mentors.
Projects refl ected all areas of graduate study
and focused on topics such as music as an alter-
native to traditional medical and psychodynamic
therapy; the eff ects of smoking cessation on the
voice; barriers to rural health care access; loss and
bereavement issues in the cycle of addiction; the
night lives of nine-banded armadillos, and many
other intriguing concepts.
“Graduate programs at VSU provide a solid
foundation for continuous learning as our students
grow as scholars and professionals,” Dr. Karla Hull,
interim dean of the Graduate School, said.
“This is an honor for the selected students and
it provides them with an opportunity to showcase
their ability to use their research and scholarship
knowledge and skills to address the needs of their
communities and their professional disciplines.”
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Biology professor Dr. Jim Loughry and graduate student Kier Ancona collaborated for two years to study how nine-banded armadillos spend their time. Studies at Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge in Hollandale, Miss., revealed that armadillos spend most of their waking hours feeding, which is more than virtually every other documented species. The graduate research, presented at the symposium, is the first detailed description of how armadillos budget time. This photo shows a marked armadillo interrupting a foraging about to survey its surroundings.
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VSU’s 2009 retirees mingle at the ninth annual retiree luncheon at the University Center. During the program, retirees were introduced to the Valdosta State Retiree Association, which promotes fellowship and campus service opportunities for hundreds of retirees eager to continue supporting the values and mission of VSU.
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Hats off to VSU’s 2009 RetireesValdosta State University’s Council on Staff Affairs and the Valdosta State Retiree
Association honored more than 20 VSU retirees at the Retired Faculty & Staff Luncheon
in mid-June.
VSU 2009 Retirees
Martha Berrian (Palms Dining):
1996-2008
James Black (Finance and
Administration): 2005-2008, 1969-1999
Ronald Blease (Building Maintenance):
1984-2009
Maxine Brown (Auxiliary Facilities):
1989-2009
Henry Calhoun (Land & Ground
Maintenance): 1996-2009
Rita Collins (Student Health Services):
1976-2008
Elaine Dawkins (Odum Library):
1983-2008
Sandra Denson (Odum Library):
1983-2008
Charles Hudson (Registrar): 1998-2008
Betty Jackson (Parking and
Transportation): 1997-2008
Phyllis Jackson (Custodial Services):
1998-2009
James Plondke (Music Department):
1993-2008
George Rudd (Building Maintenance):
1983-2009
Rebecca Tippett (Aerospace Studies):
1988-2009
Carolyn Cox (Adult & Career Education):
1983-2009
William Fredenberger (Management):
1988-2009
William Huitt (Psychology & Counseling):
1985-2009
Sandra Walker (Modern and Classical
Languages): 1985-2009
Hilary Harper (Sociology Department):
1995-2009
W. Kent Moore (College of Business
Administration): 1979-2009
Brenda Faulkner (Housing and Residence
Life): 1993-2009
Become a member of the Valdosta State
Retiree Association at:
http://tinyurl.com/VSURetirees
See pictures from the 2009 VSU Retiree
Luncheon at VSU’s Flickr account:
http://www.fl ickr.com/
photos/valdostastate/
sets/72157620451434998/
Fall 2009 • 15
TWO BLAZER COACHES CORED, diced and peeled their way through Blazer Dining’s
2009 Copper Chef Cook-off , which featured apples as the secret ingredient. Head baseball
coach Greg Guilliams and Blazer Dining’s Executive Chef Karl Elliott won the hourlong
culinary competition, based on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” Their menu included
shrimp cakes with apple slaw and mustard sauce, and bacon wrapped pork loin with
Parmesan polenta and caramelized apples. The duo fi nished the menu with apple strudel
and vanilla ice cream.
The D
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Copper Chef 2009
By Kate H. Elliott
“Apples are very versatile in cooking. There
are many varieties with different qualities
apples can be served hot or cold, sweet or
savory, which made it an easy ingredient to
work with,” said Elliott, who began working at
VSU in the spring. “We did not prepare ahead
of time. I think having to improvise and think
on your feet is what makes these types of
competitions fun and challenging.”
The crowd favorite may have been the
shrimp cakes with apple slaw, but football
defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen, and cater-
ing chef Earnest “Ernie” Duncan didn’t let the
baseball team win without a fi ght. Cauthen
and Duncan made stuff ed pork loin, apple
stir-fry and apple dumplings as their three
original recipes for an appetizer, dinner and
Blazer Dining’s Executive Chef Karl Elliott (left) and baseball coach Greg Guilliams won the hourlong culinary competition, based on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.”
KA
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dessert. However, much like the uncertainty
of athletic competitions, anything can hap-
pen in “kitchen stadium” as it is called on the
Food Network.
“The experience was great. I did not really
know what to expect. I just followed the
instructions from my chef. It is somewhat
competitive,” said Cauthen, who aimed to
defend football’s two-time Copper Chef
reign. “However, you really don’t know what
your opponent is doing. It is very busy.”
The teams crafted their recipes before a
crowd of fans and eight judges representing
a cross section of campus. Charlotte Foster, a
medical records clerk at the Student Health
Center, had never served as a food compe-
tition judge before Copper Chef. She said
Apple Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped
8 sage leaves, fresh
2 cups thick-cut white bread cubes,
crusts removed
1 egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth,
plus more if needed
1 (3 pound) pork loin roast, butterfl ied
Directions: Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-
high heat. Add onion, apples and sage to the
skillet. Sauté until softened. Remove skillet from
the heat and gently stir in the bread, egg, but-
ter, salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth
gradually until everything is moistened. Let
the stuffing mixture cool completely before
putting it into the pork loin. Spoon the stuff -
ing in a horizontal line down the center of the
pork. Roll the pork over the stuffi ng, jelly roll
style, ending with the seam down and fat side
up. Lightly score the fat, in a diamond pattern,
with a sharp knife. Tightly tie the pork roast up
with butcher’s twine, season the meat with
additional salt and pepper, and transfer to
a roasting pan. Roast the pork for about 90
minutes or until an instant-read thermometer
registers 160-degrees F. Remove loin from the
oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Garnish with apples and fresh herbs.
Recipe courtesy of Chef Earnest Duncan
Coaches Face Off in Blazer Stadium
16 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
she remembers watching in amazement
at how quickly the chefs began preparing
dishes moments after the ingredient was
called and the timer began. Another of the
eight judges, Lauren Davis, president of the
Student Government Association, said her
favorite dish was the baseball team’s apple
strudel.
“All of the contestants were wonder-
ful, but the winning team stood out with
their creativity and fun interactions with the
crowd,” Davis said. “The two kept making
jokes with the judges about why they were
the best team. Everyone just had a great
time.”
Cauthen, who has worked at VSU since
2007, loves to cook. He is particularly tal-
ented at making armadillo eggs, which are
breaded peppers stuffed with pork and
cheese. He was a prep cook at a restaurant
chain growing up, so the competition was
not his fi rst rodeo. Cauthen said the Copper
Chef’s second place trophy is on display
in his house, and his kids give him a diffi -
cult time for not winning. The graduate of
Stephen F. Austin University said he hopes to
participate in next year’s competition. Chef
Duncan agrees.
“I enjoy participating in this event every
year. Cooking is my passion,” Duncan said.
“It is intense having both the judges and the
audience watch my every move, but it isn’t
just about preparing food. The best part is
sharing it because the food brings everyone
together.”
The apple standoff was Guilliams second
Copper Chef. Guilliams, who is not a huge
apple fan, said his strategy for success was
to take orders from Chef Karl, who has been
cooking since he could reach the stovetop.
Guilliams compared the event to an athletic
contest.
“I certainly appreciate the skill and
expertise that Karl demonstrated. It was
intense just like an athletic competition,”
said Guilliams, who began working at VSU
in 2007. “The diff erence was I did not have
to make any personnel changes during the
event. Karl and I were it.”
The football and baseball teams have
been battling it out in Blazer kitchens for
the past three years. So far, the football
team has dominated the countertops with
two victories. Next year, though, it’s any-
one’s game. ■
VSU Football Defensive Coordinator Joe Cauthen, and catering chef Earnest “Ernie” Duncan didn’t let the baseball team win without a fight. Cauthen and Duncan made stuffed pork loin, apple stir-fry and apple dumplings.
KA
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Ingredients
3 Tablespoons olive oil
½ pound cooked shrimp (71/90 ct)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1/8 cup minced celery, minced
1/8 cup red bell pepper, fi nely diced
1/8 cup green onions, sliced
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
4 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 dash hot sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
1 ½ Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
(or to taste)
¼ cup vegetable oil for frying
Extra panko breadcrumbs for breading
Directions: Cook and peel shrimp. Place
shrimp in food processor and pulse until
coarsely ground (not to a paste). In a large
bowl, mix ground shrimp with egg, celery, bell
pepper, green onion, mustard, mayo, parsley,
hot sauce, lemon juice breadcrumbs, and Old
Bay seasoning. Mix well. Mixture should hold
shape and be somewhat moist. If too moist,
add breadcrumbs. Form 12, 2 ½-ounce cakes.
Lightly coat each cake with breadcrumbs.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy skillet. When
the oil reaches about 325-degrees, place cakes
in oil and fry on each side until golden brown.
Drain cakes on a paper towel.
For slaw:
4 tart apples, cut into small matchsticks
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
½ cup red cabbage, shredded
½ cup fennel bulb, fi nely sliced
¼ cup of mixed herbs, such as chives, fl at leaf
parsley, tarragon and/or celery leaves
For mustard sauce:
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons sugar
2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ Tablespoon tarragon, chopped
1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
Directions: Place all prepared fruits, veg-
etables and herbs in a large bowl. In a sepa-
rate bowl, whisk together the mustard sauce
ingredients. Pour enough dressing over the
slaw to moisten the vegetables and fruit. Be
careful not to over saturate. Let mixture chill in
the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Reserve
extra sauce to drizzle over the shrimp cakes.
Makes 12 servings.
Georgia Shrimp Cakes with Apple Slaw and Mustard Dressing
Recipe courtesy of Chef Karl Elliott
Fall 2009 • 17
THREE VSU BASEBALL ALUMNI share
tales from the fi eld and university memories
as they refl ect on how their days beneath
the stately pines infl uenced their lives.
By Amanda Blank, student writer
THE LINEUP: Tom Johnson, ’66, Kip McLeod
’83 and Jason Bulger, ’03
At Bat: Tom Johnson, ’66 & ’73, Shortstop
The athletic scholarships Tom Johnson
earned to play baseball and basketball for
Valdosta State from 1962-67 enabled him to
pay for an education he so desperately desired.
The 6’1” guard on the basketball court earned
a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a master’s
degree in school administration and chartered
the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership organiza-
tion. The experience he gained in the class-
room and on the fi eld at VSU has infl uenced
his nurturing leadership style as headmaster of
Bayside Academy in Daphne, Ala., a position he
has held for the past 12 years.
Johnson may have left the univer-
sity decades ago, but his college ties have
remained strong. Johnson, and his wife of 43
years, Lee “Peachy” (Daniel), ’66, gather each
June with former Valdosta State athletes for
an annual fi shing trip along the St. Johns River
in Florida. The reunions provide the friends
with a venue to relive memories from their
days as Rebels, which was the campus mas-
cot from 1950 to 1972. Johnson said this past
year, former basketball coach Gary Colson
fl ew in from California to attend the reunion.
Although Johnson has now switched
from playing baseball to teeing off on the
green, the 64-year-old said he is a dedicated
spectator at all the high school baseball
games in Daphne.
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Tom Johnson, ’66 & ’78, was a dominating student-athlete. Johnson, who works as a school headmaster, played shortstop for the baseball team and guard on the basketball court.
Blazer Ath
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How did your time as a Rebel help you in your current career?
“It helped during those times when the
pressure is on. You go through ball games
when you need a base hit or make a free
throw that puts you ahead; those pressure
situations that you go through in athletics
help mold you to how you’ll respond to
pressure situations in life.”
What do you hope VSU sports fans remember about you?
“I hope they remember that I was a
competitor, and that I always played the
game every fan appreciates. Also, that I had
the desire to win.”
What do you miss about VSU?“I miss all the activities of living in a col-
lege town. I, along with others, probably
spent most of our college days in the gym
or on the baseball fi eld. We spent a great
deal of time in the student center, the old
S&K Drive In, Hitching Post and The Tavern.
One cannot forget the hot, sultry nights
and mosquito filled cars at the drive-in
movie near where the Park Avenue Bank is
located today.”
Kip McLeod has remained an avid VSU baseball fan. The Hahira Middle School pr incipa l sa id he gathered much of his patient administrative style from the leadership styles of the coaches he played for at Valdosta State.
At Bat: Kip McLeod, ’80, ’83 & ’98 Pitcher
Not only was Kip McLeod a pitcher for
the 1979 VSU national championship
baseball team, he was also a
graduate assistant until 1983, when he
became the first full-time assistant coach
from 1986 until 1991. While he worked
at VSU, McLeod earned a bachelor’s and
master’s degree in physical education. He
later returned to VSU to earn a master’s
degree in educational leadership.
McLeod left VSU in 1991 to take a job as
the Lowndes High School baseball coach,
a position he held for 10 years. For the last
five years, McLeod — who has put in 30
years of coaching various levels of baseball
— coach-assists part-time at Lowndes
County High School. McLeod is in his fifth
year as principal of Hahira Middle School.
Throughout various career transitions,
McLeod has remained an avid baseball fan,
and since 1982, he has organized the down
marker chain gang at football games. The
chain gang, for those who are not familiar
with football lingo, is the group of people who
drag chains along the field to mark various
downs.
Do you have a favorite memory from playing baseball at VSU?
“My absolute favorite memory is winning
the national championship of 1979.”
Any embarrassing moments on the field?
“Giving up runs during the Florida State
game. It was my only loss as a senior in 1980,
and it had been a game I was really looking
forward to since Florida State is my favorite
team aside from VSU. A random aside is that
game was the fi rst time we had lights on the
fi eld.”
When did you start playing baseball?“As a kid I wasn’t very fast, but I had a strong
arm which led me to playing baseball.
I played at Lowndes High School from 1974-
1976. We were the state runner-up in 1975.”
How did your time as a Blazer help you in your current career?
“It taught me work ethic and how to work
with people. Under Tommy Thomas (who
coached VSU Baseball for 40 years), I learned
how to deal with people — how you should
take the time to listen to people and how to
share and answer questions they have. I try to
apply this to my job as a principal, to listen to
people. I also learned a lot about doing the
right thing, no matter who it made happy.”
Baseball Greats: Where Are They Now?
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18 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
At Bat: Jason Bulger, ’03, Third Basemen and Pitcher
Jason Bulger was tossing baseballs before he
could walk, which might explain his career
as a Major League Baseball pitcher/relief
pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
While pursuing an undergraduate degree in busi-
ness management, the native of Lawrenceville,
Ga., played third base for the Blazers until his
senior year, when he developed an affi nity for
the pitcher’s mound. Bulger and his brothers,
Kevin and Brian, were each selected in the 2001
free agent draft — the fi rst time three brothers
have been selected in the same draft.
A fi rst-round pick in 2001, Bulger signed on
with the Arizona Diamondbacks and made his
debut as an major league player in 2005. He
was traded to the Angels in 2006, where the 6’4”
right-hander is currently the relief pitcher. On
July 28, Bulger pitched a perfect ninth inning
against the Cleveland Indians to get his fi rst
career save in the majors.
What is your favorite memory from playing baseball at VSU?
“The friends I made and the people I met.
I’m very blessed to play this game at the major
league level, but it was more fun at VSU. The
close friends, teammates and faculty are what I
remember best about my time at VSU.”
What do you hope VSU sports fans remember about you?
“I’d like them to remember less about
my accomplishments on the fi eld and more
about my work ethic and my character off
of the fi eld.”
Blaz
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Watch Jason Bulger pitch a perfect ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians to earn his first MLB save at http://www.mlb. com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5800383&c_id=ana.
TREA BRINSON IS GLAD to be in Valdosta. After spending years in Charlotte’s urban anonymity,
the friendly city is a welcome change of scenery. But Brinson is not here for the Southern hospital-
ity; as a Warner Robins native, he is familiar with “yes ma’ am” and homemade pecan pie. Brinson
has relocated to Georgia to spread the word of God to Christian student-athletes at VSU.
Standing on the Sidelines, Looking UBy Thomas Dale, student writer
He began his calling this summer as
the first full-time chaplain of VSU’s
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a non-
profi t, interdenominational ministry that reaches
out to young athletes throughout the world.
Up until this year, volunteers have organized
VSU’s FCA activities — a management method
that has lacked consistency and dedication.
Community interest remained strong, however,
and donations from area residents created a
strong fi nancial base to support a formal FCA
chapter.
The search for the new chaplain lasted
two years and considered more than 30 appli-
cants before the local organization decided on
Brinson, who has a bachelor’s degree in Biblical
studies and is working toward a master’s degree
in divinity. Community members, including
Barbara Griffi n, ’66, said they are ecstatic VSU
student-athletes may now look to a consistent,
passionate leader for guidance.
“I am really excited to see the addition of
Trea Brinson,” said Griffi n, who is a mother of
two VSU graduates. “All students are faced with
many choices and some are especially hard
in light of today’s culture. Wrong choices can
yield devastating consequences with lives get-
ting completely off track. VSU is indeed blessed
with Trea on board for the coaches and the
students.”
The newly organized FCA has leased a house
on Baytree to serve as home for the chaplain
and headquarters for the organization. An anon-
ymous member of the community off ered FCA
the house, across from the College of Education
Center, for a reduced cost. Ambling Companies,
Inc., of Valdosta furnished the home at no cost.
“The community has really stepped up for
us,” Brinson said. “Quality Construction Company
has built a volleyball court for us and even land-
scaped the yard. It’s almost like the city was
waiting, and when FCA fi nally came, everyone
was really excited to do what it takes.”
During the past few months, FCA has been
gathering support and securing its footing
at VSU. Brinson has held meetings with local
Read more about Bulger and the LA Angels season at http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=ana.
pastors to familiarize himself with the Christian
population in Valdosta and has hosted dinners
with VSU coaches to help build relationships with
the teams.
“The coaches are all on board with us — every
one of them,” Brinson said. “Some of them even
sat in during my job interviews, so they are defi -
nitely committed to what FCA stands for.”
Although the community support Brinson
has built is key, athlete relationships are equally
essential. Brinson has attended every possible
practice and event. During the fall semester, the
organization will provide chaplain services and
free counseling for all 13 sports teams at the uni-
versity. Brinson plans to lead weekly team Bible
studies and frequent fellowship events to build
strong, lasting relationships with VSU’s student-
athletes.
“College is this time in life when you make all of
your major decisions,” Brinson said. “This is the time
you decide what you’re going to be occupation-
ally, who you’re going to marry, what you’re going
to be. We believe that Christ should be the core of
those decisions, and we try to build character and
integrity now, when it’s most important.”
Brinson invites every student, parent and
community member who has an interest
in being involved with the FCA to call him at
(478) 542-0002. ■
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Fall 2009 • 19
VSU’s Quarterback MechanicBy Kate H. Elliott
Trea Brinson began his calling this summer as t he f i rs t f u l l - t i me chapla i n of V SU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a non-profit, interdenominational ministry that reaches out to the young athletes throughout the world.
g Up
ROBBY BROWN THREW HIS fi rst football as quarterback at age 9
and his most memorable pass at the Georgia Institute of Technology,
where he graduated in 2004. Before he ever stepped onto the fi eld, he
sat alongside it — watching his father referee and coach beneath the
Friday night lights. After years of play, Brown joined the VSU Blazers in
July to guide and strengthen the Blazer’s passing game.
“I love to teach,” Brown said of his coach-
ing philosophy. “I love the look on players’
faces when you have communicated the
correct way to do something and they fi g-
ure it out. I came to Valdosta because the
whole community expects to be the best.
The football here is second to none, and as
a coach, you want to be at the highest level
possible.”
The native of Blairsville, Ga., began his
coaching career as a graduate assistant at
Troy University in Alabama for two years
before he served as the off ensive coordina-
tor at Division II Southwest Baptist in Bolivar,
Mo. He came to VSU from Henderson State
University in Arkadelphia, Ark., where he ran
off ensives for the Reddies since 2008.
The coaching position at VSU opened
up in the spring when former VSU Off ensive
Coordinator Buster Faulkner took a position at
the University of Central Arkansas. Brown said
he is excited to work with the VSU coaching
staff , which is known for its successful col-
laboration and talented athlete pool. VSU
Football Head Coach David Dean, returned
the sentiment.
“Coach Brown is an excellent teacher of
quarterback mechanics. He is a good per-
son and also a good teacher, both qualities
I look for in hiring a coach,” said Dean, who
in his fi rst year of coaching led the Blazers
to the 2007 NCAA Division II national cham-
pionship. “He brings a wealth of off ensive
knowledge and a lot of new ideas that we
can use to expand what we can do with our
off ense.”
Brown said he is eager to guide VSU quar-
terbacks. Having worked for teams that play
VSU, Brown is familiar with the team’s off en-
sive strengths.
“I’m an even-keeled guy,” the NASCAR
enthusiast said about his style of coaching.
“I didn’t have this unbelievable talent when I
played, I was more of a student of the game.
I don’t get real high or real low, but I have a
lot of energy.”
Brown enjoys the outdoors and watching
Atlanta Braves baseball games with his wife
of fi ve years, Rachel, who is an art teacher.
Brown is an avid animal lover with a particu-
lar fondness for horses. It’s fi tting Brown is
now a member of the VSU community since
he named his childhood horse “Blaze.” The
third-grade Christmas present still grazes in
the pasture where Brown grew up. ■
How did your time as a Blazer help you in your current career?
“My work ethic started at VSU. Being a Major League
Baseball player aff ects you both physically and men-
tally, and I learned how to handle that through play-
ing at VSU. The seniors took me under their wing and
showed me how it was done; because of that and
my teammates and coaches, I was able to gain a solid
work ethic.”
Do you still keep up with VSU sports?“Yeah, I get on the Internet and see how the base-
ball and football teams are doing; actually I watch
every sport and keep up with all sports. I am proud
to be a Blazer.”
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20 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
Blaz
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FO R M E R L ADY B L A Z E R K ATH LE E N
“Katie” Steff en, ’07, was awarded a Fulbright-
Garcia Robles Scholarship for the Bi-National
Business Program. The U.S. Department of
State grant provides American students the
opportunity to acquire professional experi-
ence and cultural understanding working
for a company or non-profi t organization in
Mexico.
In September, the summa cum laude gradu-
ate began the prestigious full-time internship
program with the New Business and Finance
Department of Nestle Mexico, Mexico City. She will work for 10 months on a project that
introduces a new Nestle product into the Mexican market. Steff en said the comprehensive
education she received earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management at
VSU has prepared her to tackle the project from market research to fi nal introduction of
the product.
“I hope to gain awesome international work experience, while using this opportunity to
improve my business Spanish,” said Steff en, who is taking night business classes at el Instituto
Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) as she works toward an MBA and ultimately a Ph.D.
“Like most people my age, I hope this great experience can give me more clues as to what
I want to do long-term.”
Steff en played basketball at Valdosta State for two years, and many remember the 5’7”
shooting guard for her part in the Lady Blazers trip to the 2004-05 NCAA tournament. In
the fi rst round of play, Steff en was instrumental in the win against Florida Technical College.
Steff en was an ideal student-athlete involved in almost every aspect of campus life. She
served as a resident assistant, volunteered for the Migrant Education Agency and participated
in the Society for International Students, the Langdale College of Business Administration
Student Advisory Board and the ultimate frisbee club team.
“These are the kinds of stories collegiate athletics are all about,” said Jennifer Head,
women’s basketball assistant coach and senior woman administrator. “Let’s celebrate her
determination and success.”
As a junior, Steff en had her fi rst taste of international business — she spent the year
studying abroad in Murica, Spain. Following graduation, she spent a year in Germany on a
scholarship from the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program. She spent the fi rst six
months studying German to prepare for a six-month internship with the Georgia Department
of Economic Development’s European Offi ce in Munich.
To qualify for the Fulbright scholarship, Steff en was required to present essays and
recommendation letters, interview with a 12-person panel via Skype and interview with
each of the participating companies to determine the best match for her term. The almost
10-month application process resulted in her scholarship award and placement with Nestle
Mexico – her top choice. ■
Former Lady Blazer Receives International Scholarship
CO
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Katie Steffen, right, next to Traci (Newton) Gast, ’06 & ’08, af ter a Lady Blazers basketbal l game. Steffen attained many honors during her undergraduate career, including the President ’s Award a nd the Outstanding Management Student Award, both earned as a senior.
QUICK HITS: FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD14-1 Wins/losses for the 2002
season — best record
since football’s inception
at VSU in 1982
340 Total points the Blazers
scored during the 2008
season
22 Number of games Coach
David Dean has won since
he took over as head
coach in 2007
5,832 Average game
attendance during the
2008 Blazer football
season
24 Number of Blazer players
who have joined the
professional ranks
155 Number of tackles scored
by record-holder Cliff
Fouty during the 1982
season
6’7” Height of 285 lb freshman
Mesh Wokomaty — the
tallest Blazer on the 2009
roster
3 Number of interceptions
in a single game at
Bazemore-Hyder Stadium
by record-holder Wesley
Brown
21 Record number of
touchdowns scored in
a single season, held by
Robert Williams (1994),
Stanley Flanders (1994)
and Aaron Jenkins (2001)
Fall 2009 • 21
Valdosta State Tallies Seven All-Americans:Four Blazers, Three Lady Blazers Named All-American
Seven Valdosta State tennis players
were named to the 2009 Intercollegiate
Tennis Association’s (ITA) All-American
team. Four Blazers and three Lady Blazers
made the team.
A singles player must fi nish in the top
20 of the fi nal ITA rankings while a doubles
player must be in the top 10 for All-American
status. Daniel Dueren, Florian Halb and
Joerg Ekkenga all made the singles group
with fi nal rankings of fourth, 12th and 17th
respectively. Ekkenga joined Leos Jelinek as
all-Americans in doubles competition.
Dominique Rothlaender and Natali
Gumbrecht also claimed all-american
status in singles with rankings of 16th
and 17th. Rothlaender teamed with Tina
Trautmann to also make all-american in
doubles play.
The Blazers finished the season 16-4
and undefeated in Gulf South Conference
play. The Lady Blazers team was one of
the final four left in the nation before fall-
ing to Armstrong Atlantic State, the 2009
National Champions. ■
Volleyball Set to Serve a Winning Season
The VSU Volleyball team welcomes Katie
Onushko out of South Forsyth High School
in Cumming, Ga. Head coach Sia Poyer said
the 5’10” outside hitter’s ability to dominate
both the left and right side of the court brings
versatility to the team’s off ense.
Onushko has had a strong start at VSU,
leading the team in kills with 20 during the
season opener against the University of
South Carolina-Aiken. The freshman said
she chose Valdosta State because of the
successful volleyball program and her love
for the campus.
Onushko rounds out an impressive vol-
leyball team this season. Poyer said the team
has really “stepped up” and shown its men-
tal toughness. Outside hitters Irene Hannan
and team captain Ruthie King, setter Emelia
Saulter and middle blocker Arielle Parnell
have pushed the team in its consistency and
positive attitude. ■
All-Sports ChampionsValdosta State repeated as the Gulf South
Conference All-Sports Champions. West
Florida took the women’s award while the
Blazers claimed the men’s spot. Both teams
were the first to repeat since Jacksonville
State in 1992-93.
Valdosta State is the fi rst men’s team to
repeat since North Alabama in 1994-96. The
Blazers are only the sixth men’s team to repeat
since the inception of the award.
Men’s tennis won the Gulf South
Conference Championship to help the Blazers
earn the award while basketball and baseball
both fi nished second in the GSC. Football was
third while golf fi nished fourth.
The Lady Blazers fi nished fi fth in the run-
ning for the All-Sports award. ■
Sports BriefsMeet the Blazers
Hundreds of area girls and boys par-
ticipated in “Meet the Blazers” day
at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in late
August. The football, dance and cheer-
leading teams held free clinics for children
ages 5-13, who also enjoyed lunch and an
autograph session with their favorite VSU
athletes.
Blazer football players and coaches
engaged their youngest fans in football drills
and discussed the importance of staying
focused both on and off the fi eld. Dance and
cheerleading squads conveyed the impor-
tance of safety as they taught the young
athletes a few of VSU’s favorite chants, dance
moves and stunts.
Following the morning clinics, the crowd
enjoyed hot dogs as they patiently waited
for VSU players to sign a team photograph
for each child. BO
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Valdosta State has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the Gulf South Conference championship, according to a vote by league coaches, as announced by the GSC Office on Thursday. The Sporting News has ranked VSU No. 4 in the country in its preseason poll.
22 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
Prime Time Scribe Devoted t
SHE PENNED COLORFUL THEMATIC
narrations for ABC’s quirky comedy-drama
“Scrubs.” Her full-length play illustrates the
collision between rooted swamp life and
industrial encroachment. These days, she
chronicles loneliness and pride on Lifetime’s
original series, “Army Wives.”
The characters, scenes and plots of Debra
Fordham’s writing career have changed with
the seasons; but without pajamas, white noise
and peanut M&Ms, the 33-year-old might
have joined the Coast Guard.
“Writing for me is an ever-changing ebb
and fl ow of creativity. Sometimes I’m better in
the morning. Sometimes I get on a roll late in
the day and write into the wee hours. There’s
really no rhyme or reason,” said Fordham,
who debated entering the U.S. Coast Guard
or studying to be a history professor before
she found her niche in television prose. “But
there are three absolutes for me to be produc-
tive — I wear pajamas, the television is on for
white noise, and I crave a constant stream of
Goldfi sh crackers and peanut M&Ms.”
The clever, private Tallahassee native,
who moved to Los Angeles 16 years ago
to try her hand at show business, has since
earned three Emmy nominations and a
Peabody Award. Her friends at Valdosta
State University are proud of her resume
— but the alumni association named her
the 2009 Alumna of the Year because of her
intense dedication to the university and its
students. Director of Alumni Relations John
Trombetta, ’01, said Fordham’s contribu-
tions — from scholarship funds to seasoned
guidance — are priceless.
“She has had tremendous professional
success in a tremendously competitive
arena, yet she is still so grounded, and so
giving of her time, talent and resources,”
Trombetta said. “Her generosity to VSU has
provided VSU students with insight into the
By Kate H. Elliott
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d to her Roots What is something few people know or would be
surprised to know about you?
I dream of restoring an old car or truck.
Did you ever perform on stage while at VSU? If so,
what was your most embarrassing/favorite role?
Yep. My favorite role was my very fi rst role, Belinda
in “Noises Off.” As for “embarrassing,” well, that
could mean several things. I was absolutely terrible
in “Little Foxes” — so that was embarrassing. But
the most embarrassing moment onstage was when
my skirt fell off during a performance of “Dracula.”
Do you have a favorite theatre production?
Currently on Broadway is “Next to Normal.” That I
performed in, “Gypsy” or “Noises Off.” In general,
probably “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
Do you watch a lot of TV?
Working in television has ruined TV for me. I’m too
aware of the writing, the directing, the acting.
I still love reruns of the shows I grew up with, but
I don’t watch much current programming. “Friday
Night Lights” and “Chuck” are my only two “must
see” programs right now.
If you have an iPod, what are the most listened
to songs?
My iPod is packed with show tunes. Right now,
the most played song is “Superboy & the Invisible
Girl” from the Tony-nominated “Next to Normal.”
I’m completely obsessed with that show! (You can
take the girl out of the theatre but you can’t take the
theatre out of the girl.)
Three scoops of ice cream, what would they be?
I only need two scoops – Ben & Jerry’s New York
Super Fudge Chunk and Chocolate Chip Cookie
Dough. Heaven!
Do you have any TV show writing pet peeves?
Oh sure. Bad writing in general really irks me, but
I’m particularly sensitive to bad storytelling. Tell the
story well, plug the holes, earn the big moments. I
also hate “clams.” That’s sitcom lingo for dialogue
or stories that have been overused. For example,
having two dates on the same night. Or getting
stuck in a bank vault/freezer/elevator/etc. Examples
of clammy jokes would be “He’s right behind me,
isn’t he?” “Did I say that out loud?” “Houston, we
have a problem.”
What is your role in the writing process?
Television writing is very collaborative. There are
usually 8 to 10 writers on a staff and you spend A
LOT of time together, sitting around a big table. We
come up with story ideas for the season as a group,
outline the individual episodes as a group, then we
take turns writing the actual scripts. This season, I
wrote three “Army Wives.”
Deb’s Trivia
entertainment industry that only someone
of her stature can provide.”
A Helping HandMost every year Fordham returns to her
old stomping grounds — the VSU Fine Arts
Building — to conduct free workshops for
theatre students and handpick scholarship
recipients. Fordham has fl own from L.A. to
New York for student-alumni networking
events and has even been known to give
feedback to playwright hopefuls and pass
along graduates’ headshots to the entertain-
ment industry.
“My professors invested a lot of time and
energy in me, so if I can help them out in
some way, I will. It is simply my way of saying
thanks,” said Fordham, who graduated from
VSU in 1991. “But beyond that, I really do feel
a kinship with the students in Valdosta. I was
a small-town girl with no money and no con-
nections. VSU gave me the courage to dream
big and the skills to make it happen. That’s an
amazing gift that I’m eager to give to the next
generation.”
Bailee DesRocher, ’04, received the
fi rst VSU Alumni Theatre Scholarship, which
Fordham funded. When DesRocher asked
Fordham how she could ever return the gen-
erous advance, Fordham replied simply, “pay it
forward.” DesRocher, who specializes in sketch
comedy and musicals, credits Fordham’s
advice with giving her the gumption to get
on a plane bound for Hollywood. Fordham’s
story gave DesRocher the assurance that she
wouldn’t have to compromise her values to
be successful in the City of Angels.
“I hadn’t considered an acting career in
Hollywood when I was in college, but Deb’s
visit and then our class trip to L.A. made me
rethink it,” said DesRocher, who returned
to VSU in 2006 for the Peach State Summer
Theatre season. “It seemed like a daunting
task to pack up your life in the Southeast and
head all the way to California, but she did it
and I thought I could too. So I did.”
Fordham transferred to Valdosta State
from a Tallahassee community college her
junior year, but the eager performance major
soon made her mark as a talented performer
and dedicated student. The avid athlete
mastered tap dancing, managed the box
offi ce, and acted in a number of children’s
tours and full-length plays. Her talent for the
written word revealed itself in a playwriting
class taught by theatre professor Jacque
Wheeler, who has since become Fordham’s
lifelong friend and mentor. Upon gradua-
tion, Fordham was awarded VSU’s highest
honor — the Annie Powe Hopper Award —
bestowed upon an exemplary student who
possesses the character and dignity associ-
ated with the fi rst dean of women.
“Deb was talented in all aspects of theatre
— from stage management to acting — but
when she took the playwright class, I realized
she had a real gift,” said Wheeler, who has
worked at VSU since 1986. “She is a true sto-
ryteller with no one limiting style. She has a
24 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
great sense of humor and is particularly good
at capturing how people speak.”
After graduation, Fordham took to the
stage as a resident company member at the
Burt Reynolds Institute Theatre in Jupiter,
Florida. A year later, she moved to Los Angeles
and sold sandwiches out of a cooler to pay
rent. Three months after her arrival, Fordham
traded in her food cart for a job as a pro-
duction assistant — shuttling cappuccinos
and script revisions to actors — eventually
landing on the set of “Murphy Brown.” Her
storyline behind the scenes of comedy and
drama began.
“No one gets anywhere in life without a
helping hand,” Fordham said. “My VSU profes-
sors gave me an important recommendation.
An alumna in Los Angeles (Karen Heck, ’85)
got me my fi rst production assistant job. A
writer at “Murphy Brown” handed my scripts
to his agent, who then signed me. The list
goes on and on. I cannot stress enough how
well VSC prepared me for my career.”
Taking the StageIn 2003, Fordham began writing and pro-
ducing fast-paced, slapstick dialogue for com-
edy-drama “Scrubs.” Over the course of eight
a writer for Lifetime Television’s series “Army
Wives.” With nearly 4 million viewers, the
series has pushed Fordham to expand her
writing and research skills to accommodate
the hourlong format. When she is not writing,
casting or editing fi lm, she is likely conduc-
ing research for scripts or fi lming on set in
Charleston, S.C.
“Research is a very important part of any
writing. For ‘Army Wives,’ I didn’t have to look
that far — my sister was an army wife for
over 20 years. But I still read lots of books,
talked to Army wives and Googled every-
thing I could fi nd,” said Fordham, who said
she dreams of writing for Meryl Streep one
day. “The Department of Defense was kind
enough to arrange a research trip to Ft. Irwin.
The entire writing staff was fl own there by
Blackhawk helicopter.”
Home Sweet HomeFordham may map out characters’ lives,
but her own is an open book. The “work-in-
progress,” as she describes herself, is open
to whatever challenges and opportunities
prime time directs her way. One certainty is
that VSU will never be written out of her life;
the campus, the people and the program are
all too much a part of who she was and who
she has become.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without
VSU, so I feel an obligation to give back as
much as I can. I’ve funded some scholarships,
brought in some guest professionals — but
the thing I enjoy most is coming back myself
for workshops,” Fordham said. “My goal is sim-
ply to demystify Los Angeles and the enter-
tainment industry in general. I think it’s easy
to get intimidated by it all — especially being
from a small town in the South. My message
is, ‘Hey, if you’ve got big dreams, give it a try.
If you don’t like it, you can always move back;
but at least you won’t have any regrets.’” ■
seasons, Fordham wrote sixteen episodes,
two of which, “My Life in Four Cameras” and
“My Musical,” are considered to be among
the show’s best episodes. Fordham made her
television acting debut at the end of episode
“My Full Moon.”
Between routine 12-hour days writing and
taping episodes, Fordham managed to write
a screenplay for Michael Douglas’ Further
Films and “Holler Me Home,” a full-length
play about balancing tradition and progress.
Fordham chose Valdosta State University to
premiere the play on February 14, 2008, in
Sawyer Theatre. At Fordham’s request, long-
time theatre professor Dr. Randy Wheeler
came out of retirement to direct the play.
“It was very exciting to direct the fi rst full
scale production of a former student whom
I admire so much,” said Wheeler, who worked
at VSU for 26 years before retiring in 2006. “I
know the play has the potential to appeal to
a very wide audience. I hope she will continue
to work on the piece and look for other ven-
ues. It is a play of much merit.”
Cricket chirps and swamper hollers set
the mood of the Okefenokee Swamp in
1930, when the federal government began
to explore the untamed marshland. Fordham,
whose grandmother lived in the swamp,
shares the lives of a hardworking, principled
people and their struggles when confronted
with change. Writing a play about home was
cathartic for Fordham.
“Seeing ‘Holler Me Home’ on stage was a
revelation. It was funnier. It was more touch-
ing. The themes really came through,” said
Fordham, who said she misses everything
(even thunderstorms) about the South except
the bugs and humidity. “I was blown away by
how committed the cast and crew were. They
put so much thought behind the production
and were so invested in making it work. Just
amazing.”
“Holler Me Home” was accepted into
WaterTower Theatre’s 2008 Out of the Loop
Festival in Addison, Texas. Ever the perfec-
tionist, Fordham is currenly rewriting the play
using what she learned from the Valdosta
staging. Her hope is to have her agent shop
“Holler Me Home” around New York within
the next year, giving the piece a life outside
of Georgia.
In December 2008, Fordham transitioned
from the comical vignettes of fi ctional Sacred
Heart Hospital to the drama of military life as
PH
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Fall 2009 • 25
been its worst offender. Vines have taken
over nearly every part of the concrete, and
patches of grass have somehow managed to
sprout up between cracks along the bridge’s
surface. When any fl ooding occurs, Spook
Bridge always fi nds itself under water. More
than half a century ago, a fl ood completely
washed out and destroyed most of the roads
surrounding the bridge.
Spook Bridge — now closed to the pub-
lic — stands as one of the region’s greatest
legends, a place that has inspired three gen-
erations of high school dares and mischief.
However, crime and structural hazards have
put the bridge’s future in question. For years,
Brooks County police have been trying to
crack down on tourists and miscreants,
making several arrests for trespassing. And
although many in Valdosta see the bridge as
a fi xed part of local lore, some less romantic
citizens want the bridge torn down — that is
unless the ghosts put up a fi ght.
The Bell HouseVito’s Pizzeria and Lounge, which recently
moved downtown, has become a staple of
the VSU student experience, off ering up late-
“Think you haven’t heard one? Guess
again,” said Lowney. “Many times the sto-
ries we tell each other as true are actually
more like tall tales. People share these stories
with others, but the stories rarely happen to
them; instead, they happen to ‘my friend’ or
‘my cousin.’ Social scientists have abbrevi-
ated this “friend of a friend” phenomenon as
FOAF-tales.”
Lowney said teenagers in particular are
drawn to myth, not just for their spookiness,
but because urban legends allow adolescents
to flirt with the boundary between child-
hood and adulthood. Valdosta youth have
fueled a tall tale or two; the city’s haunted
traditions stretch back farther than most of
the living can recall. Though their origins
remain shrouded in mystery, the city’s three
most notorious legends remain alive. Ghost
hunters return to Spook Bridge year after year
in hopes of spotting a shadow wandering
through the ruins. Waiters at Vito’s Pizzeria
and Lounge, housed in the Bell House, swear
to have seen an apparition. Teenagers con-
tinue to pour baby powder on their wind-
shields at “The Dip” to capture the handprints
of ghosts pushing their car down the hill.
Spook BridgeSpook Bridge is arguably the
county’s most famous relic — a
dangerous, decaying landmark
that has been the crux of high
school dares and general small
town curiosity for decades. The
bridge was a well-traveled over-
pass above the Withlacoochee
River from 1920 to about 1950.
Lowney said that many sto-
ries have come to be associated
with the bridge, and some hold
more truth than others.
The most common ghost
stories associated with the
bridge stem from the dilapidated
house that stands nearby. As one version of
the legend claims, the man who lived in the
house killed his wife before ending his own.
Ghost hunters have reportedly seen both
ghosts patrolling the bridge near the couple’s
former residence.
Other tales focus on the wrecks that
have occurred on the bridge, including one
about a high school couple whose car ran
through the railings and swept them into the
river. Believers swear that people who drive
across the bridge can hear the young couple
screaming and feel the reverberation of them
banging on the hood.
Fortunately for the faint of heart, the road
to the bridge has long been blocked. The
road has been literally torn apart, the asphalt
ripped back off of the earth. Still, visitors have
found their way through the debris. The rail-
ings and cracked concrete roadway boast an
impressive graffi ti word count. The center of
the bridge has been completely scorched by
many fi res, and layers of broken glass make
the entire bridge a danger to foot traffi c.
As damaging as ghosts and gawkers have
been to the bridge, nature has probably
By Kate H. Elliott and Thomas Dale, student writer
SPOOK BRIDGE
BELL HOUSE
BO
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T HERE IS SOMETHING FASCINATING about a good urban legend. Human
nature seems to gravitate toward the unbelievable, daring us to consider absurd
tales of mad meat-hook murders or libraries that talk back after hours. But
sociology professor Dr. Kathleen Lowney said lore is more pervasive than one
might think. Legend and myth are not confi ned to fl ashlight-lit sleepovers and
stories ’round the campfi re.
26 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
said people have heard strange barking from
in the house, and he claims to have felt the
dog brush up against his leg.
One weekend in 2007, the Tif ton’s
Southern Ghost Hunters Paranormal
Investigations of Georgia explored the house.
The team spent several hours on the second
fl oor of the house, where they said to have
captured spirit voices with their recording
equipment. The electronic voice phenomena
revealed a female humming, a female singing
and a male saying what sounds like, “Why did
you shove me?”
The Bell House is defi nitely worth the visit.
For the ghost hunter hobbyist, it’s positively
essential; few Georgia haunted houses are as
well documented and infamous as this house
on North Ashley Street, and even fewer have
served pizza.
The DipValdosta’s little haunted hill is surprisingly
elusive. Most everyone has heard of The Dip,
but few people agree on its location. The
actual hill, sometimes referred to as “Spook
Hill,” seems to uproot and move with each
generation.
The details of this particular legend are
just as vague as its location. Supposedly, cars
either stalled or left in neutral roll up the hill
without being pushed. Some stories place
The Dip at a railroad crossing, where, if the
car is left stalled on the tracks, some ghostly
do-gooder gives it a gentle push out of harms
way. Dust the back of the car with baby pow-
der, and you can see handprints left over by
the ghost’s shove.
The legend of The Dip is likely a transplant
legend. Similar stories about railroad tracks
and freeway exit ramps exist throughout the
country.
Lowney said there is no harm in exploring
the creepier side of history. Telling tall tales
is one of society’s oldest traditions. So next
time you hear a creepy story, gladly indulge
yourself in the space where fantasy meets
reality.
If you want to read some of the “oldie but
goody” urban legends, Lowney recommends
books by folklorist Dr. Jan Harold Brunvand.
He publishes collections of urban legends,
including “The Choking Doberman and Other
‘New’ Urban Legends.”
night pizza and live music relatively close
to campus. Its former location at 500 North
Ashley St. had been the residence of James
“Doc” Bell, who in classic haunted house
tradition ended his own life in 1964 with a
noose in the attic. Others add that before he
took his own life, he killed his daughter, but
even those people can’t unanimously decide
whether she was pushed out the top fl oor
window or hanged from the rafters. What
they can agree on is that at least one of the
two, if not both, never left home.
The peeling paint and creaky porch boards
add to the house’s mystery. Andy Drazdowski,
a former VSU student, has gathered quite
a handful of ghost stories from working at
Vito’s since it opened. Drazdowski said the
restaurant is located solely on the fi rst fl oor
because too many workers and visitors had
creepy encounters upstairs.
“Once, I took a customer’s order, and when
I came back she looked really scared. She told
me she saw a man walk through the room,
staring right at her, and walk up the stairs to
the second fl oor,” Drazdowski said. “I went
and got a picture of him. Sure enough, he
was the man she had seen.”
Throughout the years, employees have
witnessed items fl ying off shelves and felt
water dripping on their heads when there
were no leaks above them. Employees say
that if the house is left a little bit messy, they
can always expect to find the place even
messier in the morning — overturned chairs
and scattered plates and utensils. The family
dog may have stuck around, too. Drazdowski
Pound HallDr. Fred Ware doesn’t believe in ghost
stories, but Pound Hall has certainly tried to
make him a believer.
The VSU business professor of 38 years has
worked out of an offi ce in the 1922 Georgian
building since the 1970s. Ever since his fi rst
day behind the desk, tales of a ghost have
wafted down from the attic rafters, where
the alleged apparition is said to have hanged
himself decades ago.
“Every time something gets misplaced, we
(the faculty) always blame it on the ghost,”
Ware said. “We did have one year when every
day we would come in and sugar was strewn
about the break room. Some people were
certain it was the ghost, but we later heard
it was a prankster having a laugh with the
coff ee supplies.”
Again, Ware is a ghost skeptic, but that
doesn’t mean the old building hasn’t sent
shivers up his spine now and again, particularly
at night. About 2 a.m. one morning, Ware
returned from a school trip to collect some
papers and books from his Pound Hall offi ce.
He recalls the light switches didn’t work, so he
crept through the dark halls navigating with
his hands along the narrow walls. The blue
hue from his computer screen illuminated
his offi ce, and he walked toward the light.
Ware found the light switch and fl ipped it on.
He yelled. A man sitting at his desk whirled
around and screamed in unison.
“It’s not what you think. A custodial worker
decided to take a quick nap after his shift, but
he ended up falling asleep at my desk,” said
Ware. “It wasn’t a ghost, but it sure gave me
the fright of my life.” ■
MA
P B
Y N
ATA
LIE
QU
INN
Zeta Phi Beta stepper Whitley Witherspoon played basketball and volleyball in high school. The junior sports medicine major said the dedication and physicality of stepping rivals any sports’ team practice.“Stepping is intense, and I definitely sweat the same, if not more than when I played sports,” Witherspoon said. “But you are so into the movements as a group, you forget you are working hard. The long hours are worth it for the bond I have formed with my sisters.”
BO
BB
Y L
AC
EY
Stepping Into Fellowship
What to do in Columbus
BRANDIE ALLEN EASILY FELL in line with
her father’s footsteps. The 21-year-old junior
grew up watching her father perform intricate
rhythms of steps and claps in unison with
other members of the Phi Beta Sigma step
team at Valdosta State University. Allen knew
from the moment she saw her fi rst step per-
formance that it would be an activity instilled
in her forever.
“My dad always reminisces about his times
on the step team, talking about his perfor-
mances in the old gym,” said Allen, who is
majoring in communication sciences and dis-
orders. “I remember when I’d go home and
practice stepping he would stop me to show
me a few of his steps.”
These days, Allen is the one with the
impressive moves as step team coordinator
for Zeta Phi Beta. Her sorority celebrated a
victorious triumph at the 2008 Homecoming
Step Show on Oct. 13 in the P.E. Complex.
“When you fi nish with the routine you feel
a sense of accomplishment and a bond with
everyone else stepping that you can’t feel
with other people,” she said. “You relate to the
Columbus, Georgia is a city unafraid of change … yet careful to uphold its heritage.
Come experience this one of a kind city and her true Southern hospitality. Come see
“What Progress Has Preserved.”
Experience the energy of this vibrant city! Explore the 15-mile Chattahoochee
RiverWalk, step aboard the USS Water Witch, a life-size replica of the Civil War ironclad
gunboat at the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus, blast millions of
light years into space at the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, take in a performance
at the Springer Opera House, the State Theatre of Georgia, and trace the footsteps
of the infantrymen from the French and Indian War to Vietnam to the sands of the
Persian Gulf at the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park. Music,
Broadway shows, art, history, great food and true Southern hospitality … discover it
all in Columbus, GA!
www.visitcolumbusga.com
(800) 999.1613
Fall 2009 • 27
By Natalie Quinn, student writer
other girls on the team
and remember everything
you’ve been through with
each other.”
The win brought a
sense of pride to the
sorority, but preparation
for the show is what truly
brought the team together. The women
practiced everyday — Sunday through
Thursday — starting at 9:30 p.m. and some-
times practicing as late as 1 a.m. Allen said
practices encourage and require a strong
bond of support and positive attitudes
among the girls.
Sorority members collaborated for nearly
a year to develop a theme and routine
of steps to convey the message of their
8-minute show.
“When you are in the middle of stepping,
you feel an outer body experience, where
you have to keep on stepping, but yet you
are also in the moment, the adrenaline is
really high,” Allen said.
Allen continues to step with her team,
making her father proud and feeling a sense
of closeness to the black community. ■
28 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
BOBBY SNOW BOAL, ’46, never imagined the colorful refl ections of a childhood toy
would someday mirror and shape her life and that of husband, Dr. Jan Boal, a retired math-
ematics professor.
The Boals are the proud owners of Atlanta’s The Kaleidoscope Shop, a colorfully eclectic
shop that features the work of 140 kaleidoscope artists — more than any store in the
world. Several magazines, including Southern Living, have dedicated pages to the magical
shop and its equally enchanting owners.
“In a typical kaleidoscope, many diff erent items — a colorful bead, a gear from an old pocket
watch, a paper clip, a gem from a broken earring — are placed in the turning end piece, where
they fall together randomly,” Bobby said. “Many varied and apparently random events in our
lives have fallen together over the years to bring us to this point, where, transformed — it would
seem by God’s design — everything has fallen into place.”
(Snow) Harrell, ’45, of Newnan, Ga., at First
Baptist Church of Valdosta in 1953. Since
their union, Bobby and Jan have enjoyed
many years of informing people that “No,”
they did not switch their nametags.
“Yes, I have a name associated with
boys, and Jan has a girl’s name,” Bobby said
with a smile. “When we were moving into
our fi rst apartment, I noticed a little cedar
chest, the kind often given away to female
high school graduates. I was the only girl in
my class who didn’t get one. ‘I was the only
boy who did get one,’ Jan said. Our names
have kept life interesting.”
The two settled into married life at their
cozy apartment on Evelyn Place in Atlanta.
Bobby was teaching art at West Fulton High
School, and Jan was fi nishing up master’s
coursework at Georgia Tech, where he
received a bachelor’s degree in mathemati-
cal engineering and a master’s degree in
mathematics. The guiding light of their
path shifted when Jan received a scholar-
ship to earn his doctorate at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and a Rotary
Club grant to travel in Europe. Bobby quit
her job to travel with Jan through seven
countries in Europe before settling at M.I.T.
in Cambridge, Mass.
“Two of our children were born while we
were there,” Bobby said. “I was a busy mom
with toddlers that had to be zipped into
snowsuits and boots every time we ven-
tured out. It snowed a lot. When we hung
the diapers out to dry, they froze stiff .”
Bobby, who had adjusted to life as a
homemaker, wrote and illustrated a children’s
book, A Tree for Phyllis & Me, in 1957 while
she was expecting their second child, Emily
Wert. The book chronicles her Valdosta child-
hood adventures, namely climbing trees with
neighbor Phyllis (Wade) Iserman, ’49, of
Hazelwood, N.C.
“As a little girl, I used to write tiny books for
my dolls,” Bobby said. “But the idea of writing
a book for publication grew out of the desire
to help put Jan through school.”
Their enchanting tale bounced from
South Carolina — where Jan worked as a
math professor for nine years — back to their
rosy memories of Atlanta, where Jan took over
as chair of the math department at Georgia
State University in 1969.
Inn FocusBy 1985, Jan was nearing retirement, and
their three children were all grown up with
families. Jan and Bobby were again ready to
refocus their lives on two of their greatest
passions — meeting people and cooking.
Beautiful SymmetryThe Lives of Kaleidoscope Shop Owners
Reflecting BackBobby’s taste for the prismatic life dates
back to her days at Georgia State Woman’s
College (GSWC), where she attended after
graduating as Valdosta High School’s vale-
dictorian in 1944. She spent two years major-
ing in chemistry, but one art class later, and
Bobby was painting her future in brush-
strokes. By her junior year, Bobby — who
had never spent more than one night away
from her family home on Brookwood Drive
— was eager to “push herself from the nest.”
She transferred to the University of Georgia,
where in 1948 she graduated with a bach-
elor’s degree in art.
Bobby found her niche in the corporate
world as an assistant advertising manager at
the Muse’s Department Store in Atlanta. While
she was sketching the men’s shoe depart-
ment one afternoon, she ran into a hand-
some Georgia Tech student. The following
Sunday, Jan asked her to walk home from
church, and the two have been walking side
by side ever since.
“He bussed tables at the faculty club at
midday for $1 plus lunch and sold slide rules
to buy my engagement ring,” Bobby said.
“The night he proposed to me on the porch
of my boarding house, I rushed upstairs
breathlessly to show off my ring. ‘I was just
bowled over,’ I told the other girls. ‘You made
a pun,’ they said. I ran downstairs and told Jan
what I had said, and he replied, ‘Well, I was
snowed under.’ (My maiden name is Snow).”
The two were married in a double wed-
ding ceremony with Bobby’s sister, Virginia
By Kate H. Elliott and Amanda Blank, student writer
The Boals credit much of their kaleidoscope expertise to a friendship with Cozy Baker, the world’s leading expert on the fanciful trinkets. Cozy founded an international kaleidoscope organization, The Brewster Society, and boasts the largest private col lect ion of scopes according to The Guinness Book of World Records.
The two purchased The Veranda Inn, in
Senoia, Ga., a bed and breakfast listed on
the National Register of Historic Places. The
1906 Greek revival mansion with its ornate
tin ceilings, eleven fi replaces and heart pine
fl oors was the perfect setting for the Boal’s
next endeavor.
“We plunged into remodeling the old
Hollberg Hotel, and within months we were
hosting weddings, teas and caring for over-
night guests,” Boal said of the inn, which
Atlanta magazine named one of the state’s
four, four-star inns. “Soon we were so busy
arranging fl owers, cooking and serving our
homemade fi ve-course meals, that we had
to limit our dinner guests to those people
staying at the inn.”
Guests from all over the world stayed with
the Boals — challenging Jan to one of his old
fashioned board games or sampling Bobby’s
tangerine asparagus salad. Oscar winners and
actors such as Elijah Wood, Kathy Bates and
Jessica Tandy are among the famous people
who have enjoyed the Veranda’s antique
elegance.
“A highlight for us was the night President
George W. Bush called us to speak to Newt
Gingrich, who was staying at our inn,” Bobby
said. “By and large, they were all friendly, easy-
going, fun-loving people who enjoyed inns,
the other guests, the food, and whatever was
going on. Rich or poor, famous or infamous,
huggable or prickly, they were a delight to
get to know.”
One guest to the Veranda would illumi-
nate the Boal’s next, most colorful venture.
Cozy Baker — known by many as the “First
Lady” of kaleidoscopes — became a regular
at the inn, where — by the way — William
Jennings Bryan stayed while running for pres-
ident in 1908. Her praises drew other kaleido-
scope enthusiasts, who brought with them
intriguing variations of the fanciful art form.
“We had started a small gift shop, but
before we sold The Veranda, our shop cov-
ered three rooms and extended to all the
guest rooms and hallways,” Bobby said.
Looking ForwardThe pair sold The Veranda in 2005 and
found a home for their overwhelming col-
lection of kaleidoscopes in Atlanta, where
the families of their three children— Bob,
Emily and Ginger — reside. The Kaleidoscope
Guests from all over the world stayed with the Boals ... Oscar win-
ners such as Elijah Wood, and actors Chris O’Donnell, Kathy Bates
and Jessica Tandy are among the famous people who have enjoyed
the Veranda’s antique elegance.
World-class restaurants, festive nightlife, seven professional sports teams and an abundance of excit-
ing attractions and events help make Atlanta the center for entertainment in the South. Experience
a diverse and thriving cultural scene at the city’s many theatres, museums, galleries, concert halls
and family attractions. Explore the city’s role in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement at museums
like the Atlanta History Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
Enjoy the world’s largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, taste the World of Coca-Cola or go
behind-the-scenes at the Inside CNN Studio Tour. Immerse your inner-gourmand at critically-
acclaimed restaurants featuring new Southern cuisine or take in the city’s eclectic nightlife, off ering
a vibe for every taste. Indulge at one of the cities more than 12,000 hotel rooms or explore the city’s
boutique shopping with original designers, antique shops or funky thrift stores. For more informa-
tion, visit www.atlanta.net.
What to do in At lanta
Shop, 2186 Henderson Mill Road in Briarcliff
Village, opened in 2006. Bobby said the pair
is blessed to have a life fi lled with childhood
wonderment.
“Like most people, my husband and I fell
in love with kaleidoscopes as children. There
was unbelievable mystery captured inside
each little inexpensive kaleidoscope at the
Five &Ten,” Bobby said, recalling her fi rst expe-
riences with the childhood toy. “We looked
inside the cardboard tube to see a wonder-
ful color burst design, turned the end piece
and — presto — a new design fell into place
with a ‘click’…and the magic went on…turn,
click, oooh…turn, click, ooh!”
The entire Boal family — now 20 strong
and three generations, mostly in Atlanta — is
committed to bringing joy to people through
the simple pleasures at The Kaleidoscope
Shop. From inexpensive looking glass neck-
laces and cardboard versions to kaleido-
scopes of exotic woods, brass, stained glass
and leather, the shop has something for every
customer in search of a visual adventure. ■
Fall 2009 • 29
30 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
I t was Aug. 30, 1989, and Bob
Policastro, ’82, was eagerly waiting to
cradle his firstborn. A doctor emerged
from the intensive care unit to inform
Bob and his wife, Angie, that their daugh-
ter suffered severe brain damage dur-
ing birth. Angela would require 24-hour
nursing care and remain dependent on
machines to survive.
“It was an overbearing shock,” said Bob,
who at the time was working in sales for
Northwest Airlines. “It was like an out of
body experience. All my senses shut down.
I wondered how this could happen to my
baby, such an innocent baby?”
The Policastros received exceptional
support from hospital staff , but the pair felt
lost and alone once they emerged from the
automatic doors into a world without 24-hour
care and panic buttons. Few home-based
services were available to assist them with
Angela’s care, and the services they did seek
out were poorly coordinated and stretched
thin. No specialized hospitals in the area could
meet her needs; so, the couple traveled two
hours each day to visit their daughter at a
long-term care facility in Connecticut.
“As a parent, you’re left wondering, ‘What
now? Where do I go?’ Angela spent the fi rst
six months in North Shore University Hospital
(in New York) and her next seven months in a
hospital for specialized care (in Connecticut),”
Bob said. “The facility was especially beautiful,
and it off ered the potential long-term care
she required as well as therapy and round
the clock nursing.”
The daily commutes were well worth spend-
ing time with their fi rstborn, Bob said, because
Angela didn’t survive to see her second birthday.
They felt blessed, he said, to spend so much time
with their daughter before she died.
The Policastros’ channeled their grief into
action. The two committed themselves to
improving the lives of disabled and medi-
cally frail children and their families. In 1992,
they created a 501(c)(3) non-profit organiza-
tion called Angela’s House, which provides an
array of services for medically fragile children
and their families. Angie, who had also worked
for Northwest Airlines, went back to school to
become a nurse.
“The children who live here are cared for in a
warm, loving environment suited to accommo-
date their complex physical and medical needs,”
Bob said. “We’re here to put our arms around
these families, and give them as much support
in every way we can.”
In 2000, the Policastros opened their first
24-hour care home in East Moriches, N.Y., and
four years later opened a second home in
Smithtown, N.Y.
These full-time care
facilities designed
for children who
cannot live at home
are among the fi rst
of their kind in New
York State. With
spacious, comfort-
able rooms deco-
rated with custom
wall murals, the
homes look more
l i ke gr an dma’s
house than the
sterilized quarters
of traditional long-
term care facilities. The outdoor area with a play-
ground and patio provide much needed laughs
and outdoor exploration.
“Seeing and feeling the pain of having a
medically frail child opened my eyes to a world I
could have never imagined existed,” Bob said. “I
saw fi rsthand the supports needed, the diffi culty
of taking a frail child home and the need for an
out-of-home placement when a child can no
longer be cared for at home. This diffi cult situa-
tion put me in a position to help change things
and we are proud to say we did.”
Bob Policastro with his family, Bobby, Vinny, Alyssa, Joey and his wife, Angie. The entire family is extremely involved in Angela’s House projects.
By Kate H. Elliot and Carolanne Hines, student writer
Angela’s HouseChanneling Grief into Action
CO
UR
TE
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OF
TH
E P
OL
ICA
ST
RO
S
Splashes of Hope is a non-prof it organization of artists who change the environment of health care facilities by creating therapeutic murals. Artists in the organization painted murals in each bedroom at Angela’s House II in Smithtown, N.Y.
CO
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’S H
OU
SE
Fall 2009 • 31
The full-time staff members engage chil-
dren in playful, educational activities in addi-
tion to administering medication, feeding and
bathing residents. The home also provides
outpatient services. Nurses make daily visits
to the homes of children with disabilities to
ensure the homes are accessible, provide the
children with medical therapies and assess
any changes in developmental needs.
“We have worked with many organizations
and hospitals to create all the programs we
have today,” Bob said. “We worked in collabora-
tion with Independent Group Home Living to
design these facilities like regular homes — a
standard living room and den, along with nurs-
ing stations and other medical necessities.”
Angela’s House has helped parents wade
through the emotional and fi nancial obliga-
tions and resources available to them through
the organization’s Case Management Care at
Home program. Specialty nurses work in tan-
dem with parents to seek out medical supplies,
therapeutic equipment and various reimburse-
ment programs and grants to mediate the
costs associated with caring for medically frail
children.
“We have learned that many parents of chil-
dren with special health care needs cannot
address problems at hand because they are too
busy dealing with the day-to-day care of their
child,” Bob said. “Many of these pressing issues
can crush a family or cause great stress if they
are not addressed or resolved.”
Angela’s House also addresses the emo-
tional hills and valleys families travel when
dealing with overwhelming care demands
and financial constraints. Parents involved
with Angela’s House are off ered resources for
counseling, training and advocacy. ■
A photo of Angela Policastro in her first year of life. In 1990, the Policastros lost their firstborn to complications from brain damage suffered during birth.
CO
UR
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OF
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’S H
OU
SE
Investing with a ConscienceInterest in Socially Responsible Investing Increases
MANY INVESTORS HAVE STRONG opinions that don’t involve their views on inter-
est rates and stock prices. Such views might include well-known causes like support
for a clean environment or concern for the poor and the disadvantaged.
Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) seeks to reconcile these two objectives by
helping investors create diversifi ed portfolios that meet investors’ ethical standards
and deliver performance companies. SRI investing recognizes that corporate respon-
sibility and societal concerns are an important part of many investment decisions
particularly with the world’s increased focus on sustainability and climate change,
among others.
Increasing InterestDuring the last several decades, many investors have shown an increased appetite
for social investors. The Social Investment Forum, a nonprofi t group that promotes
socially responsible investing, estimates that $1 out of every $9 invested in the U.S.
today is involved in socially responsible investing.
Socially responsible investing gained in popularity because more and more inves-
tors — seeking to fuse morals into their fi nancial decision — began realizing they
could do so and continue to make sound returns on investments.
Leading By ExampleSome of the nation’s most prominent institutional investors have added a social
focus to their investment decisions. These institutions — many with signifi cant assets
and often with great public, political and media clout — have become well-known
advocates for social issues, often refl ected in their socially responsible projects. The
California Public Employees’ Retirement System, for example, one of the world’s
largest public pensions announced support for the United Nation’s Principles for
Responsible Investment, which is a menu of possible global actions on environmental,
social and corporate issues.
Professional GuidanceIt is now much easier to access professionally managed, socially responsible vehi-
cles. Many investment fi rms have created specifi c investment processes that exclude
companies that, in the investor’s view, focus on non-socially responsible or acceptable
activities. Once these decisions have been made, the manager constructs a diversifi ed
portfolio within the desired constraints. The goal is to deliver performance consistent
with the investor’s return objectives and tolerance for risk.
Structuring investments consistent with social, environmental or ethical objectives
off er investors a way to align their portfolios to their own objectives. ■
Bob Goddard is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney located in Valdosta,
Ga., and may be reached at (229) 244-0310 or Robert.a.goddard@smithbarney.com.
By Bob Goddard, ’91
From W
here I Stand
32 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
STEVE EKSTROM, ’01, is not just your average comic book collector. The lifelong fan owns more than 12,000 editions of the graphic
narrations. His love for comics turned into a profession when he published his fi rst comic book, “Breakfast,” in 2008. Desperado Publishing
included the story in July 2008 as part of the award-winning anthology, “Negative Burn #20.”
Book
end
s
Comic Fan Writes his own Storyline
“I was in San Diego for
Comic-Con International
and I ventured into a local
shop and bought a copy
of Negative Burn #20,” said
Ekstrom, who still uses his
Incredible Hulk trashcan
from kindergarten. “My sis-
ter pointed out to the shop
clerk that I was one of the
writers featured in the book,
so he asked me to sign the
remaining copies in the
store. It was a pretty awe-
some feeling.”
Ekstrom said his comic
books pay homage to the
comics he grew up reading
as a child, but his style devi-
ates from the traditional to
incorporate darker sides of
humanity. “Breakfast,” for
instance, is the tale of two
law enforcement agents’
shocking investigation into
cases of missing women.
“It’s an amazing form of
expression for me — and it
has to be one of the coolest
jobs on the planet. In a way, I get to be a perpetual twelve-year-old,”
the 33-year-old said.
“Haunted” is Ekstrom’s second comic, which has been selected for
publication in Image Comics’ Popgun Volume 4. He also has a project
being reviewed by Zuda Comics called “The Ares Imperative,” which
recently fi nished third in an online Webcomic competition held by
a branch of DC Comics.
Ekstrom is also currently at work on his fi rst creator-owned series,
“The Mantle,” teaming up with artist Mikael Bergkvist and color-
ist Jesse Turnbull. Ekstrom, who works as a freelance journalist for
Newsarama.com, is also writing his fi rst graphic novel and a graphic
novel script.
“I like doing anything that enriches my senses and helps me tell a
better story,” Ekstrom said. “I also read quite a bit. I like to cook. I love
fi lm and music, and I love to socialize.” ■
Comic book author Steve Ekstrom published his third comic book in July 2009. “The Ares Imperative” won third place in an online Webcomic competition held by a branch of DC Comics.
PH
OT
OS
CO
UR
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OF
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EV
E E
KS
TR
OM
By Francesca Zagami, student writer
Comic book author Steve Ekstrom also works as a freelance journalist for Newsarama.com, one of the top news Web sites in the comic book entertainment news industry.
Fall 2009 • 33
Zola Myers, ’96 DRUG ADDICTION IS OFTEN conveyed
in news reports and professional journals
through statistical research. Data are an ideal
means to illustrate trends and calculate the
eff ectiveness of programs; but as executive
director for Cook County Family Connection,
Zola Myers witnesses the personal struggles
of addiction every day. In 2007, Myers pub-
lished a book fi lled with anonymous accounts
of teenagers and young adults in Lowdnes
and Cook counties as they journey through
addiction and sometimes recovery. The book
also delves into the broad spectrum of emo-
tions experienced by users’ family and friends.
“‘Dancing with The Dragon’ was created
simply as a looking glass — a window through
which we can see, learn and perhaps understand
the various issues surrounding addiction,” said Myers, who earned bachelor’s degrees
in sociology and anthropology from VSU. “Compiling the individual stories was a
heartbreaking and laborious journey. However, if we touch but one life through this
endeavor, if we save one soul from the battle of addiction, if we spare one parent
the sadness of losing a child to this dragon … then it has been well worth all of the
time and eff ort.”
The book’s title is a reference to the many associations among drug abuse and
the word and image of a dragon. Myers explains in the book that “chasing the
dragon” is slang for someone in the act of smoking heroin, and that the powder form
of cocaine is often referred to as “the white dragon.” Consequently, Myers writes that
someone in recovery or rehabilitation is said to be “slaying or beating the dragon.”
The Valdosta native, who lives in Sparks, Ga., said she couldn’t have completed
the book without the help of her son, Nolan Myers, who designed the book’s cover
and content artwork.
“When the idea for this book was conceived, the intent was to give a face to the
problem of addiction,” said the former social worker, who also serves as a resource
specialist for the Department of Family and Children Services. “The sole purpose was
to allow those who had struggled with addiction to share their stories in their own
voices, straight from their own hearts.”
In 2007, Myers received the Georgia Family Connection 2007 Achievement
Award for her community collaboration and dedication to secure $1.5 million to
support local youth programs. The Cook County Family Connection is one of three
organizations in Georgia that recently received a $625,000 fi ve-year grant award
by the Federal Drug Free Communities support program to expand the region’s
alcohol and drug prevention eff orts. ■
To learn more about the book or to speak with Myers about substance abuse prevention
in the area, e-mail her at cookccy@planttel.net or call (229) 549-7976.
JAMES LAWRENCE, ‘62, published his fi rst novel, “Cannon
on the Loose” in 2008. The classic whodunit tale, set in
Savannah, follows private eye, Russell “Rusty” Cannon as he
solves a murder that occurs in the home of one of the town’s
elite businessmen. The main suspect changes as the mystery
unfolds, and the plot thickens as Rusty falls in love with the
dead man’s secretary.
Lawrence wrote the novel after retiring from 43 years in
the banking and fi nance industry; the 68-year-old, Adel native
dedicated “Cannon on the Loose” to the Cook County High
School Class of 1958, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in
2008. Lawrence credits his high school class — and the instruc-
tion of demanding English teacher, the late Kate Wilkes — with
giving him confi dence and inspiration for the book.
“If somebody likes a good mystery novel, then this is the
book for them,” said Lawrence, who graduated with a Bachelor
of Business Administration from Valdosta State. “I think a lot of
people like to read about places they recognize. Although I
don’t write about actual places in Savannah, the book is set in a
town many of us know well, and it has a Southern familiarity.”
Lawrence has written two books since he fi nished “Cannon
on the Loose” three years ago. Late in 2007, Lawrence wrote
“Haunting of Sandy Bluff ,” a murder mystery/ghost story based
on the legend of Sandy Bluff Road near a railroad track that runs
between Adel and Nashville.
His third book, “Ambush at Santa Cruz,” is what Lawrence
calls “a good old fashioned Western” with fast gunfi ghts and
images of the Old West. He is planning to write a sequel titled
“Return to Santa Cruz.”
Lawrence lives in a 110-year-old house on Adel’s Hutchinson
Avenue. The grandfather of fi ve purchased the home 12 years
ago, and has since restored the home that was built by an early
mayor of Adel. ■
Myers, ’96, speaks and conducts workshops about substance abuse and leadership issues. She plans to graduate from VSU with a master’s degree in sociology in Dec. 2010.
Dancing With The Dragon’ – An Honest Look at Drug Addiction
Besides restoring homes, Lawrence is an active member of the Adel United Methodist Church and a 13-year member of the Cook County Exchange Club.
A Classic Whodunit Tale ‘By Kate H. Elliott
By Kate H. Elliott
CO
UR
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OF
MY
ER
S
34 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
THE BOSTON TEA PARTY, the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and the XYZ Aff air — from
A to Z, students in Gwen Desselle’s U.S. history class moved through the alphabet naming
events that spanned 230 plus years. In game show fashion, the 2010 Georgia Teacher of the
Year kept the students engaged as they reviewed for their fi nal test in U.S. history.
Cla
ss N
otes
Georgia Teacher of the Year
Her energetic teaching style and inter-
action with students is a clear indication
as to why she received the highest award
given to a Georgia public school teacher.
Desselle, a 32-year veteran educa-
tor from Moultrie, Ga., earned her bach-
elor’s, master’s and educational specialist
degrees from Valdosta State University.
Her teaching career began at Valdosta
High School in 1977 and then a few short
years later she returned home to Colquitt
County, where she has been ever since.
Desselle and her husband, James, a
middle school social studies teacher, are
avid travelers, who have visited every
state in the nation and many European
countries. Their quest to see the world
has impacted their son, Jay, who is study-
ing international aff airs at the University
of Georgia.
“Our travels help us relate to the stu-
dents — we have stories and pictures
about the places we study and tell our
students what it was like in the past and
how it has changed today,” Desselle said.
Colquit t County Superintendent
Leonard McCoy credits Desselle’s success
in her ability to bring history alive.
“Not only does she know it, she in a
sense lives it through her travels and the
manner in which she presents it,” McCoy
said. “Humor plays a major role in her
classes as she makes learning fun.”
A voracious reader, Desselle conveys
to her students the importance of reading
and how the knowledge it brings helps
link subjects past and present.
“I use a lot of anecdotes to share about
fi gures from history,” Desselle said. “I also
bring a sense of humor — I can laugh at
myself and get kids to laugh, too. I enjoy
what I do and kids realize it.”
She describes her teaching style as fl ex-
ible and student oriented. Her classroom les-
sons are interactive and incorporate a variety
of activities to help maintain the students’
interest and involvement.
“I am always seeking a new and better
way to help students learn,” Desselle said. “I
keep the lessons relevant – no busy work and
every assignment has a purpose and is linked
to the state standards.”
Always looking for ways to engage the
imagination of her students, Desselle enjoys
her job and realizes what she does is impor-
tant and works to gain trust and respect from
each student.
“I am fair — kids know I have their interest
at heart and they trust me to do what is best
for them.”
As Georgia Teacher of the Year, Desselle
will spend the 2009-10 school year traveling
around the state as an advocate for the teach-
ing profession and conducting workshops
and programs for current and future educa-
tors. She will compete for the 2010 National
Teacher of the Year and serve as an adviser to
State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox
and the Georgia Department of Education.
1940sRuth T. Morrison, ‘43, of Duluth, Ga., died
Nov. 11, 2008, in Lawrenceville, Ga.
1950sPatricia (Sutherland) Kelly, ’50, of Falls
Church, Va., died June 12.
1970sEllen Cowne, ’72 & ’76,
of Colbert, Ga., has worked in
education for nearly 40 years,
but her jewelry business is now
making the grade. A number
of shows and galleries, includ-
ing the Art of Oconee Gallery,
have showcased her work. Go
to www.ellencowne.com to view the former
school superintendant’s work.
Dr. William C. “Bill” Waters IV, ’76 &
’78, of Carrollton, Ga., was appointed by
Governor Sonny Perdue to the Georgia Board
for Physician Workforce. The 56-year-old is the
chief medical offi cer at Tanner Medical Center,
Inc., and previously served as director of critical
care services at Tanner Medical Center.
Becki Hynson, ’76, ’89 & ’90, of Lake
Wales, Fla., was an educator for 17 years, but
since 2005 has had the wheels turning on a
second career. Hynson, the former dean of
students at Boone Middle School in Haines
City, now owns and operates Motorcycle Safety
Training. Go to www.learn2ridenow.com for
more information about Hynson and her
motorcycle outfi t.
Claire (Deckbar) Taylor, ‘76, is the new
principal at Rosa Parks-Edison Elementary
School in Indianapolis, Ind.
Mildred (Morse) Hunter, ’77, of Valdosta,
Ga., died June 25. The 86-year-old was well
known in Valdosta for her involvement in the
organization of the city’s annual Rev. Martin
Luther King Jr. celebrations. She taught in
the area for 38 years and was a member of
Macedonia First Baptist Church for about 70
years. In 2004, the mother of three was hon-
ored with the Unsung Heroes Award presented
by the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses.
By Thressea Boyd
Educator Honored for Energetic Passion and Student Interaction
Cowne
Gwen Desselle
Fall 2009 • 35
DeWitt Smith, ’77, of Athens, Ga., is
one of the 50 potters whose work was
displayed in Watkinsville at the Seventh
Annual Perspectives 2009: Georgia Pottery
Invitational.
Skip Fite,’78, is the new head base-
ball coach of the Division II program at the
University of West Georgia in LaGrange,
Ga. Fite had served as the Augusta State
baseball coach since 1985. He is returning
to West Georgia, where he had served as
the assistant coach from 1978-81 before
leading Brewton-Parker for four years.
Tommy T. Thomas, ’78, assumed
duties as the deputy under secretary of
defense for military
community and family
policy in May. Thomas
is also in charge of
all militar y honors
and mortuary affairs.
Thomas is the recipi-
ent of several medals,
including the Legion of
Merit with one bronze
oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit
Award with Valor and three bronze oak
leaf clusters, and Air Force Organizational
Excellence Award with two bronze oak leaf
clusters.
1980sRooney Bowen III, ’81, was elected
as the probate judge for Dooly County, Ga.
Since assuming his position, Bowen said
he has also begun working on his biggest
platform — educating youth about the
laws.
Tim Hurd, ’81, has joined Sterling
Precision Machining in Summerville, S.C.,
as general manager. He has more than 20
years experience in sales and operations
management in a variety of manufactur-
ing industries.
Karen Spillers Freyermuth, ’84 & ’85,
of Macon, Ga., was promoted in January to
CEO of Aging Aircraft Consulting, in Warner
Robins, Ga. The company provides aero-
space technical and logistics services to
the U.S. Department of Defense, foreign
countries and commercial industry.
Keith Parks, ‘84, of Americus, Ga.,
celebrated 20 years of service as the min-
ister of music at First Baptist Church of
Americus. He has since taken over as the head
pastor for First Baptist.
Lt. Col. Jamie Scott Brady, ’88, has been
promoted to the rank of colonel in the U.S.
Air Force. He is assis-
tant director of the
Department of Defense
A s s i g n m e n t a n d
Separation Policy at the
Pentagon in Washington,
D.C. Brady deployed to
Iraq for six months in
2006 to support the mis-
sion of Operation Iraqi
Freedom. He is married to Karen (Smolchek)
Brady, ’88.
Dr. Jenny L. Jones, ’88 & ’02, is an assis-
tant professor at Virginia Commonwealth
University’s School of Social Work in Richmond,
Va. The author of several books is an expert in
child welfare issues related to work force devel-
opment, and is researching the impact of HIV/
AIDS on families and children.
Sgt. Steven Jones, ’88, of Thomasville, Ga.
was the 2009 recipient of the Thomas County
Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award. He and his
wife, Krista, have two children.
Dr. Jewrell Rivers, ’88 & ’89, of Tifton, Ga.,
has been approved for tenure by the Board of
Regents of the University
System of Georgia. Rivers,
an associate professor
of sociology and crimi-
nal justice, has been a
member of the Abraham
Baldwin Agricultural
College faculty since
2001. In the 1990s, Rivers
worked in VSU’s Offi ce of Equal Opportunity
Programs and Multicultural Aff airs and taught
classes for the sociology department.
Jimmy Brookins Jr., ’89, of Charlotte, N.C.,
was named defensive assistant for the Southern
Tech Wildcats football program. While playing
football at Valdosta State, Brookins was twice
named to the All Gulf South Conference team
and received the Hugh C. Bailey Player of the
Year Award.
Col. Carl Buhler, ’89, took over Robins Air
Force Base command of the 78th Air Base Wing,
which is responsible for all support operations
at the almost 9,000-acre installation.
Larry Stubbs, ’89, of Americus, Ga.,
has stepped into the role of superintendent
of Schley County Schools. Stubbs, the for-
mer principal of Schley County Middle/
High School, previously served as a teacher
and administrator in the Tri-County School
System.
Angela Westra, ’89, was named presi-
dent of the Americus-Sumter Chamber of
Commerce.
1990sLeslie Shultz, ’90, of Warner Robins,
Ga., was appointed principal of David Perdue
Primary School for the 2009-10 school year.
Shultz has been with the Houston County
school system for 18 years and most recently
served as the assistant principal for instruction
at David Perdue Primary School.
Keren (Bass) Wynn, ’91, was named vice
president of administrative services for the
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. The cer-
tifi ed public accountant is responsible for the
institution’s overall fi scal management.
Lt. Col. Mike Buck, ’92, of Great Falls,
Mont., assumed command of the 186th
Fighter Squadron in June 2008 after returning
from his third combat deployment to Iraq. He
recently completed training to fl y the F-15C
and is supervising the squadron’s conversion
to operations with that aircraft.
Rev. William Todd Cason, ’92, of Brooks
County, Ga., is the principle of C.A. Gray Middle
School. Cason serves on the YMCA Board
of Directors, is a member of the T.E.A.C.H
Outreach Ministries and the Professional
Association of Georgia Educators. Cason and
his wife, Lana (Duncan) Cason have three chil-
dren, Amber, Chelsea and William.
Lori (Mobley) Groover, ‘92, of Hinesville,
Ga., died Aug. 8. Groover was in transition
to become the Director of Athletic Training
Services at the Medical College of Georgia
when she was diagnosed with cancer in June.
Groover, who served as an athletic trainer for
the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, had previ-
ously served as an assistant professor in the
School of Allied Health Sciences and coor-
dinator of health sciences at Nicholls State
University in Thibodauz, La.
Charles Akridge, ’93 & ’96 , of
Cedartown, Ga., was named the city manager
of Cedartown in April. He has worked in city
planning and management roles in Acworth,
Moultrie and Fairburn as well as for Worth,
Camden and Turner counties.
Brady
Thomas
Rivers
36 • Valdosta State University Alumni Association
Alvin Payton, ’95, was announced as the
vice president of adult education for Wiregrass
Georgia Technical College. He is currently a
student in the doctor of public administration
program at Valdosta State University. Payton,
is a member of Sons of Amvets and serves on
the Valdosta City Council and the local YMCA
Board of Directors.
Chris Cason, ’96, is the director for the
Columbus Habitat for Humanity. He is in charge
of this year’s project, “Building on Faith,” which
works to develop a coalition of churches to
serve others. Cason and his wife, Melissa, have
two children, Ansley and Collin.
Kimberly C. Homer, ‘96, of Thomasville,
Ga., was named the 2008 Correctional
Offi cer of the Year at federal prison FCI/FDC
Tallahassee. The facility’s case manager has
been employed by the Federal Bureau of
Prisons since 1998.
Jason Kendrick, ’97, of Naples, Fla., is con-
sidered among the best 10 softball players of
all time and is an outfi elder on the 2009 USA
Softball Men’s Slow-Pitch National Team. He
plays left fi eld for the top softball team in the
world — Dan Smith’s Team Combat, based
in San Jose, Calif. Kendrick has received more
than two decades’ worth of accolades for his
play, including induction into the United States
Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Hall of
Fame. He is one of only fi ve players to accumu-
late 200 hits and score 200 runs in the USSSA
Men’s Major World Series.
Stephanie (Barber) Landeen, ’97 & ’07,
of Bainbridge, Ga., has been named Teacher
of the Year at West Bainbridge Elementary
School. She has taught third-grade for the past
three years and previously taught fi fth grade
for nine years.
Ben Maddox, ’97, of Clinton, Miss.,
became the director
of Mississippi College’s
Baptist Student Union
in July. The 34-year-
old previously served
as the campus minister
for the Arkansas Baptist
State Convention and
the campus minister at Southern Arkansas
University in Magnolia, Ark. Maddox and his
wife, Karen, are proud parents of their six-year-
old son, Brock.
Blake Brantley, ’98, of Albany, Ga.,
announced the formation of his fi rm, Blake N.
Brantley, LLC., in Albany, Ga. The fi rm focuses
on workers’ compensation, automobile
accidents and DUI cases. Brantley also serves
as solicitor for the municipal courts of Camilla
and Warwick.
Connie Coff ey, ’98, was named vice pres-
ident of student aff airs for Wiregrass Georgia
Technical College. She will continue in her
current position as vice president of student
aff airs at East Central Tech until July 2010.
Diane (Waldron) Welch, ’99, has been
named the 2009 Teacher of the Year at Jones-
Wheat Elementary in Bainbridge, Ga. Welch
and her husband, Bruce, have three children,
Gayla, Cole and Gerren.
2000sJason Johns, ‘00, of Houston, Texas,
was named a “Rising Star” by Texas Monthly
magazine. The award is based on a three-part
system that determines the top 2.5 percent of
the state’s up-and-coming lawyers.
Ryan Sulkowski, ’01, is the new football
coach at Rifl e High School in Rifl e, Colo. His
wife, Heather, also works at Rifl e High School
as the new volleyball coach.
Cedric Dickerson, ’02 & ’04, of Atlanta,
Ga., hosted his fourth annual youth football
camp in July. Dickerson is a former Liberty
County Panther football player and Canadian
Football League professional. Dickerson, who
coaches high school football at Lassiter High
School in Marietta, Ga., recently married.
Kristen (Hawkins)
Fryzel, ‘02, was hon-
o r e d i n K e n t u c k y
this June as the 2009
Kentucky High School
Athletic Trainer of the
Year. Fryzel is a certi-
fied athletic trainer for
Sacred Heart Academy
in Louisville, Ky.
Dr. Tobias Huning,
’03, was inducted into
the Lander Athletics Hall
of Fame. Huning taught
at Memphis University,
and is now a profes-
sor in Columbus State
University’s management
and marketing department.
Matt King, ’03,
has been named
Teacher of the Year
at Warner Robins
Midd le Scho ol .
King lives with his
wife, Mandy, and two Boston Terriers, Lilly
and Sunny.
Andrew Perry, ‘04, of Atlanta, Ga.,
graduated in August from the University of
Louisiana at Monroe with a Master of Science
in Biology.
Brian Hurtak, ’05, was one of 31 college
graduates selected to participate in the PGA
Tour’s Diversity Internship Program during
the summer 2009. A graduate student at
the Georgia Institute of Technology, Hurtak
served as a pgatour.com editorial assistant.
Hurtak, who was named as an Academic All-
American Golfer by the NCAA, has worked
as a loan advisor for Amerisave Mortgage
Corporation, where he was awarded the
Kudos Award for exemplary customer
service.
Anna “Marcie” Kinsey, ‘05, of Valdosta,
Ga., graduated in March 2009 with a Doctor
of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College
of Chiropractic Florida. She has returned to
Valdosta as a chiropractor for Hutchinson
Chiropractic Center.
Jessica Brooke Martin, ’06, of Valdosta,
Ga., was awarded the Scott Sanders Waddell
Memorial Scholarship from the Medical
College of Georgia in April. Each year,
Physician Assistant Department faculty
select a student that possesses the qualities
of dedication and fellowship demonstrated
by Waddell, a former student who died of
complications from cystic fi brosis.
Lt. Michael Pope, ’08, has graduated from
basic military training and Offi cer Candidate
School at Fort Benning, Ga. He will be attend-
ing fl ight school at Fort Rucker, Ala.
Robert “Tucker” Pruitt, ’08, joined
Georgia Southern University’s staff as off en-
sive assistant/quarterback coach. Pruitt
is working toward a master’s degree in
Educational Leadership at VSU.
Ellen Singletary, ’08, of Valdosta, Ga., is
one of 215 members of AmeriCorps’ National
Civilian Community Corps who completed 10
months of full-time service to communities in
need. She and her team members completed
a series of six- to eight-week long projects in
diff erent communities across the country.
Shena Faith, ’09, was named the new
coordinator of fitness programs at the
University of Vermont. Faith is trained in
lyengar yoga, a heart rate training instruc-
tional course, and Forza, a class based on
martial arts. She is one of the state’s only
instructors trained in both disciplines. ■
444267_valdosta_CVB.indd 1 10/1/09 5:57:16 PM
Fryzel
Maddox
Huning
King
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