UNION COLLEGE • FALL ’10

From the Snack Bar

to FacebookThis classy redhead keeps us connected

EditorBrenna Wallhausser

DesignerMissy Frederick, ’91

PhotographyEmily Baker, ’12

Missy Frederick, ’91BillGreer.net, page 6

Gabrielle Mellendorf, ’07Melissa Newman, ’08

Jay Stancil

ContributorsCarrie Bistline, ’09

Melissa NewmanKassandra Patterson, ’12

Jay StancilBrenna Wallhausser

UNioN is published by theoffices of College

Communications and Annual Giving-Alumni

Relations for alumni and friends of the college.

Mailing AddressUnion College

310 College Street, Box 7Barbourville, KY 40906

Alumni officeMelissa Newman

Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations

(606) 546-1226

E-mailalumni@unionky.edueditor@unionky.edu

Web Addresseswww.unionky.edu

www.ucbulldogs.com

Events, activities, programs and facilities of Union College are

available to all without regard to race, color, marital status, sex,

religion, national origin, disability or age.

Union College is accredited by the Southern Association of

Colleges to award degrees at baccalaureate and

master’s levels.

Reprint PolicyUNioN encourages reprinting of

materials contained herein. Permission to reprint may be

obtained by contacting the office of College Communications.

OCommentary

Association officers

PresidentRon Sell, ’69

President-ElectJohn Dodd, ’89

SecretaryBeverly Carr Bradway, ’81

TreasurerDarren West, ’99

Director, Annual Giving andAlumni RelationsMelissa Newman, ’08

Union College PresidentEdward D. de Rosset

Vice President AdvancementDenise Wainscott, ’74, ’77 MA Alumni TrusteesClass of 2011Don Calitri, ’64, ’65 MARobert Dunaway, ’86Donald Jones, ’79

Board of Directors

Class of 2011Brittany Carter, ’07Alessandra Tavolini, ’06, ’08 MAHarry Yates, ’66Luis Prior, ’01Rachel Lewis-Rapier, ’98Adam Patin, ’00Barbara Trevor, ’63

Class of 2012Carrie Bistline, ’09Rose Brown, ’64Tom Posey, ’92, ’02 MAJohn Dodd, ’89Tim Saunders, ’04

Class of 2013 Jessica Baker, ’10Chuck Conley, ’64Jack Downey, ’66 Pete Green, ’91Taryn Jacobus, ’05, ’08 MA

  October 2010 was an extraordinary time in the life of our college.  It was a time for confirming that undergraduate enrollment was up once again to a quarter-century high of 785 full-time students.  It was a time to note the expansion and development of the campus along Johnson Lane and Manchester Street.  And it was a time to take note of and enjoy the beauty of the campus and the increasing appeal of our general campus and athletic facilities.        For two straight weeks in October our focus was first on welcoming homecoming guests through an array of gatherings, activities and special recognitions. On the heels of homecoming, we welcomed our Board of Trustees for another historic meeting that was a blend of regular business as well as closing phases of a strategic planning initiative begun November 2009.    October’s homecoming weekend was awash in sunny fall weather and color.  It was a splendid time to walk about and see the continuing work on college grounds and buildings, to revisit old haunts where conversations, activities and special events in your lives took place.  It’s a singular time of year where, if you keep moving and cross familiar trails, you are likely to hear a medley of stories, reflections and observations that cover over half of the college’s history.  Bringing the storylines together each homecoming, and adding new characters to the mix, keeps the plot refreshed and moving toward the surprise of new discovery.  We had guests this year who hadn’t returned since their graduation 50 years ago.  Homecoming 2010 ranks as one of the best-attended in our history.    One of our important stewardship responsibilities to you is to care for the college to the best of our ability and resources, so that the perceived and applied value of your degree and your pride in Union increases.  In vital ways, the determined work of our faculty and staff, and your interest and support, make our story as strong as it has ever been. We have record enrollments with higher average ACT scores. We’ve recently received a series of major grants, one of which is a highly competitive National Science Foundation award. Our first nursing students joined us this fall and we rededicated the historical 1919 Soldiers and Sailors Gymnasium—once slated for demolition. Design work has begun to repurpose the former Knox County Hospital building to house our nursing and health science programs. We purchased seven properties along Manchester Street for immediate use in housing students, additional parking and future building sites. At its annual meeting in October, the Board of Trustees took note that Union’s financials are balanced and have been strong for seven consecutive years. All our accreditations are current and in best standing.  Seven new board members were approved, each of whom is a distinguished Union graduate. Critical needs for new student housing, scholarship funding, internships, renovated science facilities and faculty development funding were underscored.  A ten-year strategic planning draft was approved, outlining the next chapter of the Union story.  A final document will be approved in April 2011.  We look forward to sharing it with you—it is your legacy, too.   Thank you for your friendship and loyalty to Union.

Ed de RossetPresident

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UNIONa l u m n i m a g a z i n e

FEATURESCOVERSTORY8Our Classy Redhead

12In the Shadow of the MountainsJoe Matvey, ’82, came to Union with an urban, inner-city background and a long-ing for the mountains. A sociologist, poet and computer expert, Joe’s new book shows how thoroughly the “finest backdrop” weaved itself into his life and work.

DEPARTMENTS

FALL ’10

From honey buns to wake-up calls, Vivian Smith mothered students for 45 years. Now, at 76, this larger-than-life personality and Union icon takes to Facebook to keep hundreds of Union people connected.

14Homecoming

Students find that the Union classroom is not contained by walls—or continents. On Campus • 4

2 On Campus 6 Union People 22 Union Athletics 24 Association News

27 Connections 30 Class Notes 33 At Last

Alumni and friends returned in record-setting numbers to reunite, reacquaint, and repeat the word, “wow.”

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S N A P S H O Ton campus

  Every fall, just in time to take advantage of summer’s last warm days, Union invites hundreds to campus for 

two simultaneous events:  Family Day and Fall Open House.  The former gives parents and siblings a chance 

to visit their students, have brunch on the lawn, enjoy football and soccer games, and tackle an ice cream bar 

replete with all the toppings.   Inflatables and face painting keep young siblings entertained. The friendly and 

festival-like atmosphere makes Fall Open House even more enjoyable for prospective Union students visiting 

campus the same day.

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$2.5 million in new grants fund academic programs  Over the last several months, Union received millions in grant dollars to fund new and existing academic programs.  In late spring, the college learned it won a competitive grant from the National Science Foundation. The nearly half-million dollar award will be used to fund scholarships and a support program for southeastern Kentucky students majoring in biology, chemistry and mathematics. The program is designed to increase retention among students studying in the designated disciplines, and to foster connection between students and related industry and post-graduate education opportunities.  Daniel Covington, Ph.D., chair of Union’s Department of Natural Sciences, says the chance for students to conduct research and get hands-on experience is also important to the scholarship program.  “They’ll use the knowledge and skills they learn to go out into the community and identify and address community problems,” he says. “And, we will enhance research opportunities both here on this campus, and through collaborative efforts with the Appalachian College Association and the research institutions of Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina.”  Students in the scholarship program will take advantage of specialized support services, offered, in part, by Union’s Student Support Services program.  It, too, has received federal funding to continue offering academic support such as tutoring, mentoring, workshops, career counseling and advising.  The U.S. Department of Education announced in August that it will award 

Board of Trustees invites internal feedback on strategic plan  At their annual October meeting, Union’s Board of Trustees gave its blessing to a working draft of the college’s ten-year strategic plan.    Between November and February, Union employees will have an opportunity to review the plan and give feedback before a final draft is voted on at the board’s April meeting.  The draft was completed over the course of one year through the work of 

six strategy teams.  The teams included representatives from trustees, faculty, staff, administration, alumni and students.   The six strategy areas are employee development, student development, commitment to region, campus beauty and facilities, financial stability and academic development.  The draft plan includes ten-year strategies and goals related to each area, and a set of tactics that can be completed within the first 18 months of the 

plan.  The next step is to develop a communication and implementation process for the plan, which will determine how to share its contents with all Union constituents. A firm has also been engaged to help Union prepare to raise funds for the far-reaching strategies and goals developed by the college.   

the program $1.5 million over the course of the next five years.  The program serves first-generation and/or low-income students.    Current and future health science students will also benefit from new funding.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Union $495,000 toward rehabilitation of the former Knox County Hospital building. Once renovated, the site will serve as the home of Union’s new Department of Nursing and Health Sciences.  In the fall, Union welcomed the first group of RN-to-BSN nursing students.  The athletic training major also falls within the new department. Additional majors are expected to be added in the future.

Campus prepares for annual Phonathon: Feb. 14-24  Planning and preparation for the annual Union College Phonathon are in full swing.  This year, students will call alumni and friends between Feb. 14 and 24.  Though the purpose of Phonathon is to raise dollars for the Student Impact Fund, student callers also enjoy the chance to touch base with alumni and hear about their Union experiences.    They are eager to have their calls answered and hear friendly voices on 

the other end of a phone line—and from another Union era.  The Student Impact Fund, formerly known as the Union Fund, provides resources to bridge the gap between the actual cost of a college education and what students pay in tuition.  The fund supports all aspects of college and campus life, from much-needed scholarships to academic program development.  Student callers will remind alumni 

and friends that even the smallest gifts make a difference.  If just half of Union’s alumni and friends pledged $25 during Phonathon, the total would fund $5,000 scholarships for 30 students.  To make a pledge in advance of the Phonathon event, visit www.unionky.edu/Advance/CCPledge.asp or call 606-546-1659.

Dan Covington, Ph.D., outlines details of Union’s National Science Foun-dation Award for media and guests at an August press conference.

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Major acquisition expands campus boundaries

DecemberChristmas Festival Concert and ReceptionWith three choirs, gifted accompanists and the talented direction of Union’s V. Gay Gandy, the Christmas Festival concert has become a tradition. The concert features three choirs: the Union College Singers, Union Harmony and the Union College Regional Chorus. The audience gets a chance to participate as well; the sing-along of favorite carols has become 

  In late summer, Union finalized a purchase that adds nearly all frontage properties along Manchester Street between First and Third streets to the Union campus. Three facilities included in the purchase were immediately put into use as housing for staff and the growing student body. Three additional structures and empty lots are also part of the acquisition and may be utilized as parking space and student housing.  The ability to immediately put a few of the properties into use as housing helped make the purchase revenue neutral for the college.  President Ed de Rosset says the acquisition signals a shift in how the college conceives of the campus and its limits.

  “The Executive Committee of Union’s Board of Trustees recognized that it was time to rethink the future of the college,” says President de Rosset. “They concluded that acquiring these contiguous properties would solve the immediate housing needs in an affordable way, as well as represent a prudent strategic plan for enlarging the campus.”  Other recent purchases and partnerships also jump the campus curb line, which has long been bordered by College, Manchester, Johnson and Allison streets.     Two years ago, the college added the privately owned College Hotel–across College Street from the chapel–to its profile after a large fall enrollment required additional housing. The hotel was converted into housing for 20 students 

and is now known as Union Court.  More recently, a partnership with Knox County led to Union’s plan to renovate the former Knox County Hospital building. It is located across Johnson Lane from the Miller Science Center and will house Union’s new Department of Nursing and Health Sciences by 2013.

Union students take on Greece, AustriaBy Kassandra Patterson, ’12

  It wasn’t a typical summer for Emily Baker, Aaron Farmer and Raymond Smith. The three Union students studied art, culture and history abroad in Greece and Austria through the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS).  For Emily, the ten-hour flight to Greece was the first time she had ever flown. Yet the junior found the experience to be worth any pre-flight jitters. Classes like Life and Art in Ancient Greece, she says, gave her a new respect for different 

from the experience of talking to the Austrians personally than anything else,” he says.  “I got a new perspective and it broadened my horizon.”   Both students say they have acquired the “travel bug” and are eager to see more of the world and experience other cultures. Aaron, for one, highly recommends the opportunity KIIS offers and hopes parents will consider encouraging their students to take advantage of the program. “Send your kids to study abroad at least once. . . it’s such an opportunity that no one should pass up. I would recommend it for everyone.” 

cultures and people.  “It opened my eyes,” says Emily.    One highlight of the trip was the chance to visit an ancient theater.  “The Theater at Epidaurus was a big deal since I’m a theatre minor. I’ve been studying this for years and I finally got to go and check out the acoustics.”   Aaron, a sophomore, went to Bregenz, Austria, to study German language and culture. For him, classes were only part of the learning experience. Aaron spent most evenings at a local pub and eatery, making new friends with whom he continues to keep in touch. “I learned so much more 

Winter and spring events feature arts, culture

The Christmas Festival concert and reception is the highlight of Union’s winter events. This year’s concert will open with an arrangement of “Joy to the World” accompanied by both piano and organ, and close with “A Christmas Blessing.” Both will be sung by all three participating choirs.

The following list is not comprehensive. Watch the calendar on Union’s Web site at www.unionky.edu or call 606-546-1230 to stay abreast of upcoming offerings and learn more about the events listed below.

Emily Baker visits the Theater at Epidaurus while studying abroad in Greece.

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NOTEWORTHYacademics in action

a staple of the event.  Another staple is the reception afterwards in the atrium of Sharp Academic Center, where concert-goers gather to savor refreshments, Christmas decorations and a chance to mingle.

JanuaryCivil Rights Film FestivalThe Civil Rights Film Festival uses movies to spur reflection and discussion. On each of three evenings, guests will watch a film that is followed by a group discussion. The event gives participants a chance to explore how themes and ideas in the films relate to civil rights issues. Gabrielle Mellendorf, director of Union’s Common Partners program, says the “film festival is growing, and we hope to make this year bigger and better.”  

February“Twelve Angry Jurors”The spring production for Union College Theatre features the powerful drama of a jury, a life or death decision, and the sole dissenter who challenges his peers’ unanimous judgment of the defendant accused of murder. 

A Valentine ConcertThe Union College Singers, Union Harmony and the Regional Chorus will regale guests with a selection of sentimental favorites perfect for a romantic Valentine’s evening.  

“The Afro that Ate Kentucky” and Other PoemsJoin author Bianca Spriggs for an evening of Affrilachian poetry at Union’s annual Celebration of Diversity event.  

The Staley Lectures with Martin MartyTheologian Martin Marty, Ph.D., is the Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago Divinity School. The author of over 50 books, Dr. Marty is a National Medal of Humanities recipient and the winner of a National Book Award for “Righteous Empire.” For the two Staley Lectures, he will discuss the theme of trust as explored in his new book, “Building Cultures of Trust.”

Undergraduate Research Symposium in September. Union took the largest group of any ACA school. Professor Jimmy Dean Smith, director of Union’s Honors Community, served as the students’ chief advisor for the research project and presentations.   

Emily Baker, Aaron Farmer and Raymond Smith participated in the Kentucky Institute for International Study (KIIS) program over the summer. Emily studied in Greece, while Aaron and Raymond took classes in Austria.  

Mike Adams, Koby Hearn and Colin McEachran, all sports management majors, spent their summers gaining invaluable experience through competitive internships. Mike worked with the Carolina Baseball Center in South Carolina, Koby spent time with the Lexington Hustlers Baseball Club, and Colin interned with Multi Sport Canada.

Nineteen students presented research projects at the first annual Union College Undergraduate and Graduate Research Forum in April. The event is primarily intended to promote and encourage research among Union’s psychology students, though other disciplines are invited to participate.

Matt Nourmohamadian, a recreation management major, has earned a Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) appointment with the U.S. Forest Service in California. Once they complete their degree and related program requirements, SCEP participants are hired by the appointing agency. Also, over the course of the spring and summer, eight recreation management majors completed internships with Corps of Engineer sites and state and national parks in Kentucky, Tennessee and Rhode Island. 

Bethany Outland and Susan Smith have been accepted for induction into the Phi Alpha National Honor Society, a social work honor society.  Both are members of Rho Zeta, Union’s new chapter of Phi Alpha. Bethany and Susan are senior social work majors.

April Union College Singers and Union Harmony Spring Concert

Redbud Festival and Quilting Workshop

MayUnion College Regional Chorus Spring Concert

Tricia Fuentes and Zhanine Gilbert have been selected by professor and writer Erich Goode to conduct interviews for a forthcoming sociology textbook, the eighth edition of “Drugs in American Society.” Both students will receive credit in the textbook for their work, which involved arranging, conducting and transcribing interviews that will help shed light on drug use in rural areas. The project was supervised by Union sociology professor Linda Silber, whose e-mail exchange with Dr. Goode, professor emeritus at Stony Brook University in New York, led to the students’ involvement.

Jason King, a graduate psychology student, and Union professor Jonathan Hammersley have been approved by the American Psychological Association to write an online behavioral health continuing education course. The course will help health care providers understand the effects of caffeine use and withdrawal.

Lori Bargo, Jennifer Burke, Jessica Burke, Jonathan Fields, Derrick Herron, Juleda Hyde, Nicole Jeck, Heidi Marsh, Aaron McCollum and Bradley Nelson each presented academic research in both paper and poster sections at the Appalachian College Association (ACA)-University of North Carolina-Asheville 

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Dena Gassner, ’80

Dena is a social worker and the founder and di-rector of the Center for Understanding in Nash-ville. The agency offers support to adolescents and adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS), a form of autism. She is also involved with Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership (GRASP) and the Autism Society of America. She is inspired by her children, Patrick, who has AS, and Katie. She and her husband, Rick, have been married for 17 years. In the accompany-ing photograph, Dena is wearing Irlen Lenses, which filter certain colors from light and help her cope with AS.

Passion for Social Work: When I was blessed with two delicious and unique children, I had no option but to “dig in” and learn all I could. My daughter was the EverReady Battery Bunny (ADHD) and my son was Yertle the Turtle (autism and learning disabilities). Learning to help them exercised one of my own autism traits. I have As-perger Syndrome, which allowed me to gather tre-mendous amounts of information from the research I did on their behalf. I developed a reputation for being knowledgeable. 

Greatest Union Lessons: God has a wicked sense of humor! The harder you run from God’s plan, the faster He pulls you into His intention for your life.

Union Mentors: Dr. Jan Finkel discovered my writing skills. Dr. Judi Jennings advocated for me when I did not yet have my identity or a voice with which to self-advocate. Dr. Ray Gibson helped me find Union, which was the small, intimate school setting I needed. I am still in touch with my “West Side Story” dance partner, Glenn Nichols, and Rev. Steve Marshall, who was a student pastor with me and remains one of my spiritual mentors. My friends Mary Tinsley and Marilyn Goldblatt were my first fashion and social skills coaches.

Gratitude for Success: Not a day goes by when I am unaware that, without my son having autism, I would not have known of my own. Because of Patrick, I know who I am and live an authentic life. My daughter continues to teach me how to parent . . . and how to value one’s talent and abilities. My husband has taught me unconditional love. 

Good Advice to Live By: Be authentic. Be honest. Be yourself. It’s who God planned for you to be.

1UNIONALUMNI • 7

U N I O N P E O P L E

1

Ben Phillips, ’02

Ben is a project engineer with Stantec, a global design firm with one of the largest geotechnical labs in the east. He earned his master’s from the University of Kentucky in 2005. Ben worked on the geotechnical drilling and testing of the levee system in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. The task included over 300 miles of levee and was one of the largest drilling jobs in U.S. history, with as many as 25 drill rigs working simultaneously. The disastrous consequences of hurricane Katrina prompted a call for levee inspections in other locations, which Ben now performs. He is involved in the inspection of U.S. Army Corps of Engineer levees in Oklahoma and Kansas, with other teams in the company inspecting levees in Arkansas, Kentucky, New York, West Virginia and Florida.

Passion for Engineering: I always wanted to be an engineer from the time I was in high school. I was always interested in heavy equipment and building things.

Greatest Union Lessons: While at Union, I had to juggle a double major in physics and math while racing mountain bikes on the first team that Union had. Time management and self-discipline were key in being able to train and study.

Union Mentors: Dr. Joyce, former president, was instrumental in bringing cycling to Union, and I would not have been there without the mountain biking program. Dr. Henshaw, physics professor, prepared me academically for the engineering program that I entered after leaving Union. He always taught his classes with a problem-solving approach that still serves me well. Alumnus Dr. Phillip Sharp . . . was a role model, proving that Union College doesn’t have to be the final destination of an academic career. It can be the first step to continued success in fields that are not even offered at Union.

Gratitude for Success: I have had help from countless numbers of people throughout life that all have contributed to the person I am today. My parents should get most of the credit, but I am also grateful to the teachers, professors and staff at Union and the University of Kentucky, and to colleagues and staff at Stantec. And, I have the best friends that anyone could ever ask for.

Good Advice to Live By: Put God first and everything else will find its place.  

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We’ve been Vivian Smith fans since she introduced us to her honey buns at the Snack Bar. Her Snack Bar is now Facebook, where this Union icon continues to keep us connected.

View Photos of Vivian (6)

InformationBirthday:December 7Current City:Barbourville, KY

E-mail:beulahland@hotmail.com

1UNIONALUMNI • 9

By Carrie Bistline, ’09

Vivian Smith is one classy redhead.58 years ago and continuing

That’s something most 76 year-olds can’t boast. But, then again, how many 76 year-olds do you find on Facebook? It will be no surprise to many that Vivian is among the minority, beating the social networking odds, doing what many her age can hardly understand, let alone participate in so successfully. Less than 10 percent of Facebook users, after all, are over the age of 55. But, this is Vivian. Those who know her know that Vivian is an odds-beater. Her foray into social networking is really just a continuation of her career as a Union employee, spanning 45 years begin-ning in 1952 and ending just before the new century. Before her retirement, Vivian was one of Union’s common threads, connecting people and generations, usually over the counter of the old Snack Bar. Vivian’s first job was in Union’s cafeteria, then located in the basement of Centennial Hall. She and the college work-study students waited tables with restaurant-style service, serving fresh, wholesome meals. The meals were cooked by Al and Ethel Creasy, using food often purchased from local farmers. In the 60s, however, Union opted for the more economic and time-efficient food service option. Vivian worked a few years in the new buffet-style cafeteria, but was eventually moved to the old Snack Bar in the Student Center’s lower level. It was in the Snack Bar that she found her niche. “We had an old jukebox and a big-screen TV. We thought we was in hog heaven,” she says, drawing out the “o” in hog for several seconds. Then, with a don’t-you-dare smile and a nod to the interviewer’s notebook, she asks, “You gonna put that in there?” The Snack Bar, which opened early and closed late, gave the tender spitfire an opportunity to get to know students

better. “There was only one restaurant I remember being in town then–the J&B Café–and all the stores and that restaurant closed at dark,” Vivian remembers. “So, the students came to the Snack Bar to hang out, and all of them knew they had a friend in us girls. Me, Josie Hensley, Jenetta Johnson, Louise Babbs and a few others always cooked for the students and talked to them, keeping their spirits up if they were down or homesick.” The college occasionally held all-night parties for students, providing entertainment such as games, food and swimming for as long as the students could hold their eyes open. Vivian remembers how the late-night activity affected their appe-tites. “Those kids would go swimming at four in the morning, then come in the Snack Bar broke, busted and disgusted, wantin’ me to cook them biscuits and gravy. And I did it, too.” It was just one example of how far Vivian would go to help students, who shared their triumphs and travails with her. She did not step–she broad jumped–over typical professional boundaries. That was just fine with everyone, though. In fact, she could easily be said to be the red-headed embodiment of Union’s current emphasis on a personal education, 50 years before “one-to-one” was officially a college slogan. One morning, for instance, she looked around the Snack Bar and didn’t see one of her regulars, whom she knew was due in class in less than an hour. Vivian marched to the girl’s dorm room, dragged her out of bed and to the Snack Bar, made her one of her famous honey buns—heated and buttered—and sent her to class. That young student was Anne Reed, ’74, now a member of Union’s Board of Trustees. Her motherly disposition led her into service as more than

“Guess how many friends I have!” Vivian Smith says with a proud grin. “Five hundred and eighty something! Most of them are people I met through Union.”

10 • UNIONALUMNI

an alarm clock. Unable to stand by as young male students attempted, but failed, at domestic chores, Vivian intervened. “Some of them boys who had never been away from home came in there and they’d be burning their clothes to a crisp because they didn’t know how to do their laundry,” Vivian says. “So, I would go on over to their apartment and show them how to do it.” From cleaning young, helpless coaches’ apart-ments to buying medicine for sick students who didn’t have the money, the entire Union community knew they could come to Vivian for anything. On rare occasions, though, students took that familiar-ity too far. One young male student unwisely decided to give Vivian a playful, inappropriate slap as she walked by. She may be a compassionate soul, but Vivian doesn’t brook disrespect. She turned, picked up a chair, and threw it at him. “Go ahead and tell the president,” she yelled. “You ain’t gonna touch me like that again!” Though that student may not think of Vivian with affection, most remember her as a kind and endear-ingly feisty campus matriarch. “Vivian was the best,” says Anne Reed. “She knew every student by name and loved them all. And we loved her.” Anne has maintained her friendship with Vivian over the years, still grateful for the extra mile Vivian went to make sure she made it to class. “She is one classy redhead,” says Anne. “I’m proud to call her my friend.” Similar friendships formed with countless stu-dents, in part because Vivian’s lively but laidback manner made her an ideal confidant. They did not hesitate to disclose their secrets and antics to her. When, for instance, she saw a Volkswagen on top of the boys’ dorm and shook her head in disbelief, pranksters nearly tripped over themselves to con-fess to her their responsibility. She laughed with them and never told a soul. “I knew nearly everything that went on in this school,” says Vivian. “Half of it I can’t even tell you. We didn’t make too much money, but we sure had fun.” Vivian’s time at Union wasn’t all fun and games, though. She married Denver Smith shortly after be-ing hired. When they began a family, Vivian had to figure out how to raise three children while working full-time. They often stayed in the Snack Bar as she worked. She also had to take on side jobs to make ends meet.

“Heated, well-buttered honey buns rest in memory as Vivian’s sumptuous gift to civilization. Still yet, her legacy goes deeper: she has been a respected friend to many of the more interesting, complex and gifted people who passed her way.” – President Ed de Rosset

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of her husband, who is very ill. She doesn’t mind her job. She has always taken care of the people she loves. But, she says, she will not be left behind by this world. She spends her spare time finding people on Face-book she never thought she’d have the chance to speak with again. “I look on there and find somebody I know and it just makes my day. I found two on there last night that I ain’t seen in 30 years!” She glows as she talks about these re-connections. The people she “friends” on Facebook are clearly glad to have found her, too. One of them, Donna Dobo Canchola, ’77, made a comment on Vivian’s Facebook page that speaks volumes about her ability to continue bringing Union people together, even if it is over a keyboard rather than the Snack Bar counter. “Hi, Vivian!” Donna wrote. “So good to see you here on Facebook. With all of the familiar names and faces, it’s almost like hanging out in the snack bar again!”

One of those side jobs involved Ed Black, the former vice president for administration at Union. Vivian babysat his children, who sometimes joined her children at the Snack Bar. The friendship she formed with “Mr. Black,” as she calls him, still means a great deal to Vivian. “I know he’s deceased now, but I will always love Mr. Black dearly,” Vivian says. “He did so many nice things for me during all the years he worked at Union.” Ed Black was fond of Vivian, and she valued his esteem. She prizes a memory of a conversation in 1999, just before she retired, between her, Ed Black and others. “He said, ‘There’s one thing about Vivian. Nobody ever went hungry. If a student came in there with no money, she’d feed them anyway,’” she remembers him saying. Vivian’s quick response was in character: proud, defiant, determined. “’Amen, brother.’ I said to him. ’I done it, and I’d do it again.’” Vivian spent her last years at Union working as part of the housekeeping team. She formed several friendships in that role, especially with Dan Covington, now chair of the Depart-ment of Natural Sciences. “Dan Covington has tried to keep me straight ever since he met me,” Vivian says, shaking her head. “But, he can’t.” These days, Vivian spends her time as the primary caretaker

No one would be prouder of Vivian’s embrace of technology than Ed Black.

U

This year marks the tenth anniversary of his death. A beloved Union friend, alumnus and administrator, Ed graduated in 1964 and began working at Union immediately. He remained with the college until his death in 2000. Ed held what college historian W.G. Marigold called “a bewildering succession of positions.” Several of those were in the student life area, and Ed was well known for his rapport with and respect of students. Later, when he became one of Union’s senior administrators, the array of positions and deep institutional knowledge served him well. He was, and is, considered one of the college’s legacy leaders. The reach of Ed Black’s legacy is broad and deep. President Ed de Rosset, who worked alongside Ed for several years, remembers him as “the most unprepossessing and yet most respected of senior college administrators. No one knew the state of Union, her vulnerabilities and promise, nor how to navigate her shallows and rapids, better than Ed Black.” In his final years at Union, technology was particularly important to Ed. He tuned into discussion about an Internet long before it was a reality for the average computer user, and he sensed how critical technology would be for all students. He led the ef-fort to write grants and find funds, worked to create a campus culture that would adopt emerging technologies, and helped establish the first serious technology infrastructure. Ed was also responsible for the college-city technology collaborative that got Union off to a fine start and led, four years later, to Barbourville drawing national notice as one of the best-wired small towns in the U.S. Ed’s efforts laid the groundwork for all that is in place at Union now, including online classes, enterprise e-mail, text messaging and more.His name graces the front of the Edward H. Black Technology Center. The concept for the facility was the subject of Ed’s last major grant preparation. Written into the grant was Ed’s intent for the facility to be used by the community and the college to support education, training and communica-tion. He did not live to see it dedicated in 2003, but it stands as a permanent tribute to Ed’s formative contributions to technology at Union and his exhaustive work to ensure that the college stay ahead of the curve and share its resources with the community. “Ed Black was a special gift to Union,” says President de Rosset, “someone who bonded for life to help her live and thrive—a man from the New Jersey coast for all seasons of the life of Kentucky’s first college in the mountains.” U

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When sociologist Joseph Matvey, Ph.D., originally wrote and published “Regionalism and Globalization: Essays on Appalachia, Globalization, and Global Computerization,” the subtitle likely came as no surprise to his Union classmates. Joe thrived in the mountains surrounding Union. Even now, nearly 30 years after he left the area, his experience at Union and in the region permeates his life and scholarship. Joe was born and raised in inner-city Pittsburgh before moving into the suburbs in his teenage years. Throughout high school, he longed to see and live in the mountains. He had heard about the Appalachian Mountains and wanted to study in them. Joe’s first college choice was Thiel College in Pennsylvania because they had an Appalachian semester, a program that allows students to study for a semester at a college in Appalachia. Joe, however, wanted more than just a semester in the mountains, so he asked Thiel where they sent their students. Union College was the answer. He contacted Union right away and got a quick, and surprising, response; he was called out of class one day because a Union admissions counselor was there to spend some time with him. “I knew right then this was the place I wanted to be,” says Joe. “So I came down in the spring with a friend. We visited Cumberland Gap, Cumberland Falls, Stinking Creek, Corbin, Pine Mountain State Park … and fell in love with the place.”

A book by Joe Matvey, ’82, shows how the mountains followed the Pittsburgh native, even years after leaving them behind.

“… always, howeverreturning to your finest backdrop,the acclivity of eastern Kentucky –how deepthese habits from the heart . . .”—from “Sketches of Memory” in Joe Matvey’s book, “Regionalism and Globalization.”

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1UNIONALUMNI • 13

A book by Joe Matvey, ’82, shows how the mountains followed the Pittsburgh native, even years after leaving them behind.

When he enrolled, Joe became very involved on campus and felt at home. He worked in the bookstore and adored his supervisor, Phyllis Sexton. He joined Mu Omega Beta with seven other pledges and still keeps in touch with many of his frat brothers. He also became involved with national, state, and local politics and the Student Senate. But it was the chance to immerse himself in the long-admired Appalachians that made Joe’s Union experience so memorable. He declared a double major in sociology and Appalachian studies and a minor in economics, which gave him an opportunity to study the mountains he loved from complementary angles. He was impressed by Union’s “commitment to Appalachia, like the Appalachian semester, the Appalachian studies major, workshops, festivals and many other things.” And, of course, there were the mountains that drew him to Union in the first place, always beckoning. “I think we all hiked one or more of the surrounding mountains not but five minutes from campus in every direction.  What other school can boast that?” says Joe. When his undergraduate studies came to an end, Joe left Kentucky to pursue advanced degrees in sociology at the University of Pittsburgh. The young man who spent four years focused on a specific region of the country—Appalachia—found himself studying globalization under the tutelage of professor Roland Robertson, who Joe calls “the foremost theorist on globalization across the entire field of sociology.” When he began to study globalization in earnest, it was impossible not to view it through the lens of his experience at Union, especially when it came time to write a dissertation. “I followed my heart and chose a topic I knew best: a thesis on Appalachia,” Joe writes in the introduction to his book. The dissertation helped form the foundation the book, though it is ultimately the result of 25 years of ongoing social research and thinking. Interestingly, the book became a leisure and intellectual pursuit of sorts for Joe; he left academia in 1989 due to a long-term illness. He has since worked either for his late father’s company or with his wife as part of a home-based business, but Joe never stopped being a sociologist. He continued his research, and published the first edition of “Regionalism and Globalization” in 2005. The second edition was released earlier this year. It contains several revisions, adds four new chapters and is interspersed with a collection of Joe’s poetry. The latter softens the work and gives readers insight into Joe’s lingering affection for his time at Union, his experience in the mountains, and the relationships he formed during those years in the Appalachians. The central themes of the book, as the title suggests, focus on Appalachia, globalization and global computerization. The first five chapters are devoted to a study of the economy and culture of coal in both northern and central Appalachia. Economically, Joe posits that capital and wealth are drained from the region by the corporate structure of the coal industry, where vast, out-of-state, multinational parents centralize profit from Appalachian subsidiary units and divert them into the

The second edition of Joe Matvey’s book, “Regionalism and Globalization,” was published earlier this year. In it, the former Union sociology student takes a closer look at Appalachia in the context of globalization.

metropolitan areas across the U.S. and the globe. This is a model familiar throughout the world, Joe suggests, and one that is central to the way globalization has developed. It is an important structure to note, not necessarily for the sake of judgment, but to help understand the cultural and economic conditions decried by many inside and outside the region. Joe maintains that it is these economic and corporate structures, not the culture or people of central Appalachia, that have created and maintained poverty in the region throughout its industrial history. Culturally, Joe contends that while Appalachia is like any other place in America, there are also continued patterns of subsistence in the region at higher levels than elsewhere. The subsistence culture, Joe says, has caused many to think of the region as “backward” or “stalled.” Joe’s argument, though, is that the economic structure contributes to long-standing cultural practices, such as subsistence farming and crafts. “It’s not just that you have quilting and crafting because the region is rural; there are many other rural areas in the U.S. where subsistence practices died out,” Joe says. The culture is not backward, he insists, but “dynamic and adapting, confronting a depressed boom-bust economy with practices that have long created value in the Appalachian household.” Though the book, as Joe puts it, is “at its heart a sociology book written from a sociological perspective,” the tone and poetic touches make clear that it is also an ode to the mountains Joe has always loved and to his college experience in their midst. Professor Robertson, who wrote the introduction for the 2010 edition, calls it “an interesting and moving account of the changes in thinking of a particular author over a few decades, one who was intimately familiar with the Appalachian region and moved on to consider Appalachia in a global context.” The book is, in part, Joe’s way of giving back to a region that still fuels his intellect and imagination and continues to crook its finger at him from afar.

By Carrie Bistline, ’09

U

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  Under brilliant blue skies and surrounded by fall color, a record number of alumni and friends made their way back to Union for Homecoming 2010.  “This may well be an historic homecoming,” President Ed de Rosset said at the weekend’s awards banquet. “By num-bers, spirit, engagement and storylines, Homecoming 2010 is still another confirmation that these are very good times at Union.”  This year’s theme—Mirror, Mirror, What Do UC?—invited guests to reflect on changes at Union since their student days.  And, though, everything from Pfeiffer (“There are men 

in there now?!”) to the Snack Bar (“What? No honey buns?”) may have changed, there were few complaints.  “In fact,” says President de Rosset, “the word I heard re-peatedly was, ‘wow.’  We had many return this year who have not seen the campus in over a decade. They were effusive about how beautiful it is now. It’s a refrain we hear through-out each year, but it is especially rewarding to hear that level of pride and satisfaction from our alumni.”  Union’s 2011 Homecoming weekend will take place on Oct. 14-16. 

HOMECOMING

HOMECOMING

Hall of Fame

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HOMECOMINGRising Star

Clavia Ruth Wooten-Kee, Ph.D., ’96Athletic Hall of Fame

Gregory Lee Duncum, ’89Educators Hall of Fame

Sonya L. Jones, Ph.D., ’69

Distinguished Athletic Alumni Service Award

Don T. Lawson, ’76

Distinguished Alumni Service Award

Gerald, ’56, and Bonnye (Moore) Swim, ’64

Educators Hall of FameMelissa Evans, ’93, ‘95 MA

HOMECOMING

Hall of Fame

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1UNIONALUMNI • 17

Spirit of Soldiers and Sailors

The Ferocious Few Intramural Basketball Team

Dan Sullivan, ’57Rodney Neely, ’57

Jim Walters, ’56Shirley Goodin, ’57

Walter Dick, ’56,  ‘79 MAGlen Lehew, ’56

Athletic Hall of FameTeam of Distinction

Union Bulldog Golf Teams, 1969-72

front rowJohn Hauser, ’78Tom Bennett, ’72Steve Jeffers, ’74 

back rowTom Card, ’70

Bill Hill, ’70, ’71 MALarry Inkster, ’72, ’73 MA

Chuck Reich, ’74

Athletic Hall of FameTeam of Distinction

Union Bulldog Track Team, 1955

front rowJim Todd, ’58

Gerald Swim, ’56Ernest Trosper, ’55Doyle Swanner, ’57 Darrell Fleming, ’57 

back rowRodney Neely, ’57 

Walter Dick, ’56, ’79 MAW.D. Sergeant, ’55

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HOMECOMING Decades Reunions

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First row, from left (seated): Sarita (Cook) Marland, ’55; Robin T. Boswell, ’57; Mary Todd, ’58; Elsie Parker, ’47; Jessie Gayle Tye, ’50; Glenna Vickers Burton, ’58, ’69 MA; and Wayne Lambert, ’58. Second row, from left (seated): Dan Sullivan, ’57; Jim Todd, ’58; Willie Boughton DeSpain, ’56; James Parker, ’47; Arthur “Bud” Lanham, ’59; David Bennett, ’57; and Rodney Neely, ’57. Back row, from left (standing): Larry “Rex” Hale, ’57; Fred Marland, ’55; W.C. Sergeant, ’60; Ernest Trosper, ’55; Walter Dick, ’56, ’79 MA; Gene Trammell, ’51; Richard L. Moore, ’51; Don Burton, ’68; Glenn Lehew, ’56; Darrell Fleming, ’57; and Jim Walters, ’56.

1950

s &

ear

lier

1960

s

First row, from left (seated): LoAnna Allen Woods, ’65; Mabel Helen Bingham McKenzie, ’60; Jean (Hopper) Wooton, ’65, ’75 MA; Sandra Shetler, ’65; Stella Bingham Smith, ’60, ’67 MA; Paula Hampton Frase, ’65, ’86 MA; Rose Bloyd Brown, ’64; and Bob Brown, ’63. Middle row, from left: Rebecca Bird Conley, ’64; Joanna Carter Busroe, ’60; Doris Leslie Bickel, ’62; Kathryn “Kay” Mir, ’60; Shirley T. Sergeant, ’64; Sheila D. Halter, ’69, ’75 MA; Judy Bird Calitri, ’68, ’71 MA; and Monna Lane, ’66. Back row, from left (standing): John Bowling, ’60; Chuck Conley, ’64; David McKenzie, ’60; Noel White, ’60; Betty Jane White, ’61; Bucky Colclough, ’62; Susan Mink Colclough, ’64; Doug Logan, ’68; Florentino “Chico” Mir, ’60; Tom Amis, ’67; Alvis Wooton, ’62, ’64 MA; Clyde Evans, ’60; Danny J. Strunk, ’64; Harry Yates, ’66; David Creighton, ’64; Jim Norman, ’60; Bob Unterreiner, ’60; Don Calitri, ’64, ’65 MA; Don Lane, ’65; Raleigh Mitchell, ’60; Leonard Shetler, ’65; and Bob Heffern, ’65.

HOMECOMING Decades Reunions

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HOMECOMING Decades Reunions19

70s

1980

s

First row, from left (seated on floor): John Logan, ’78; Steve Jeffers, ’74; Donnie Looper, ’74; Tony Auzenne, ’78; Becky (Culp) Wiant, ’77; Donna Dobo Canchola, ’77; and Charlie Akins, ’76. Second row, from left (seated): Greg Marsden, ’77; Doris Stewart, ’75; Diana Mills, ’75, ’78 MA; Stella Auzenne, ’78; Myrlyn Lawson, ’76; Hugh Hale, ’75, ’05 MA; Charley Bibble, ’75; Deborah (Bill) Hamar, ’79; and Jacqualeen Sellards, ’79. Third row, from left (seated): Bill Oxendine, ’74, ’85 MA; Jo Liming, ’71; Dorothy Elam Oxendine, ’74; Patricia Parker, ’77; Denise Cope Wainscott, ’74, ’77 MA; Ruth Hensley Goss, ’78; Cheryl Alvis Salzman, ’78; and Carolyn Vinyard, ’77. From left, back row (standing): Bill Swafford, ’76; Christopher Brand, ’75; Chuck Reich, ’74; Larry Inkster, ’72, ’73 MA; Bob Beck, ’79; Terry McMonagle, ’80; Steve Liming, ’70; Jack Heller, ’70; Doyle Mills, ’70; Hock-soon (Robert) Goh, ’70; Tom Card, ’70; John Desparrois, ’73; Ed Busser, ’72; Jeffrey Sowles, ’75; Ron Riskie, ’70; Ed Hammell, ’77, ’78 MA; Sandy (Hash) Keys, ’79, ’87 MA; Sue (Slater) Milone, ’79; Roberta Taylor, ’79; Robert Malone, ’79; Debbie Estes, ’79; David Ganary, ’71, ’72 MA; Bill Hill, ’70, ’71 MA; Joseph Boswell, ’79, ’07 MA; Don Jones, ’79.

First row, from left (seated): John Dodd, ’89; Deborah (Bill) Hamar, ’80; Sandy (Hash) Keys, ’79, ’87 MA; and Kimberly Martin, ’86. Second row, from left: Cindy Reinhardt, ’85; Pam (Garner) Smith, ’84; and Lora Morrison ’85. From left, third row (standing): Prentis Ragland, ’87; Tim Miniard, ’89; Steve Bradford, ’88; Steve Marshall, ’80; Dena Newman Gassner, ’80; Glenn Nichols, ’80; Mike Goss, ’80; Terry McMonagle, ’80; Steve Hoskins, ’85; Roscoe Burns, ’88; Frank Newman, ’88; James Russell Pope, ’87; Chaz C. Martin, ’87, ’90 MA; and Greg Thomas, ’89.

HOMECOMINGDecades Reunions

20 • UNIONALUMNI

1UNIONALUMNI • 21

HOMECOMING HOMECOMINGDecades Reunions

First row, from left (seated): Debbie (Anderson) Pidgeon, ’98; Jessica Terry Bergman, ’98; and Matt Bergman, ’99. Second row, from left (seated): Melissa Hyde Frederick,’ 91; Melissa Newman, ’08; Rachel Lewis Rapier, ’98; and LaRonda Taylor, ’07. Back row, from left (standing): Scott Russell; Toni Alvis Gambrel, ’90; Jackie Blackburn, ’90, ’10 MA; Bryan Erslan, ’90; Rodger G. Cotton, ’94; Gabrielle Mellendorf, ’07; Tommy Oates, ’94; Jerry Jackson, ’90; Mike Fields, ’99; Larry Porter ,’91; Christi Lefevers, ’97; Andre Washington, ’95; Michael Gray, ’93; and John Carreker, ’89.

Front row, from left (kneeling): Jessica Baker, ’10, and Carley Blankenship, ’10. Second row, from left (seated): Meghann Gaunt Chesnut, ’07; Allison Fowler, ’08; and Penny Mills, ’00. Third row, from left (seated): Angie Armstrong, ’09; Marlee Cooper, ’09; and Deena O’Hare, ’09. Back row, from left (standing): Nikki Baker Sizemore, ’07; Christopher Lee Osborne, ’08, ’10 MA; Karisha Couch-Hayton, ’02; Aaron Troutman, ’05; Rafael Forti, ’04, ’06 MA; Ricardo Rodriquez, ’04; Gabrielle Mellendorf, ’07; Sam Lee, ’09; Wendy Thompson House, ’00; Dawn Halter Smith, ’00; Lynette Vanover, ’05; Kate Crum, ’02; Anisa James, ’05; and Mike Warren, ‘01.

1990

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Football Roundup

  On the heels of his record-setting performance, Union senior running back Armond Smith landed a spot in “Sports Il-lustrated’s” “Faces in the Crowd” section.Armond (Stone Mountain, Ga.) is among six persons featured in the October 18 edition.  He earned the recognition after setting school records for most rushing yards, 

  It’s been a season of milestones for the Union football team as several offensive records have fallen left and right. Mean-while, the Bulldogs are picking up the victories.  After a slow start to the 2010 season, Union won four of its last five games to improve to 6-4 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-South Conference West (as of press time). And, during the recent winning stretch, the Bulldogs have piled on the points.Through eight games, Union has scored 338 total points, which is second-most in program history. The Bulldogs tallied 369 points during the 2008 campaign, but they played 12 games that season. Union has posted 40 or more points four times this season, including a whopping 84 points against Bethel (Tenn.) on Oct. 9. In fact, the Bulldogs have scored the second-most and fifth-most points in a game this season as they tallied 61 against UVa-Wise on Sept. 25.  As evidenced by its points total, the 

Union offense has been prolific this season, ranking sixth in the NAIA in total rushing offense (2,485 yards), eighth in total offense yards per game (461.7) and ninth in total scoring offense (393).  In addition to amazing team statistics, there have been a number of standout individual performances. Here is a listing of some of the top highlights:  Senior running back Armond Smith rushed for a school record 312 yards and five touchdowns on 16 carries against Bethel (Tenn.) on Oct. 9. He has four 100-yard rushing games this season and has scored 12 rushing touchdowns.  Junior quarterback Mike Brinkley became the career leader in touchdown passes. He currently has 78. Mike moved up to second on the program’s all-time passing list with 6,908 career passing yards, and threw for a career-high 345 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in an 84-55 win over Bethel (Tenn.) on Oct. 9.

Senior wide receiver Sean Mackey tied the school record for most touch-down catches in a game with three against Bethel (Tenn.) on Oct. 9. He has 11 touch-down receptions on the season and leads the team with 36 catches.  Senior running back Terence Pollock became the Bulldogs’ all-time leading rusher and currently has 3,337 rushing yards. He also became the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (32) and total touchdowns (35) in program history, and rushed for a then-school record 231 yards and four touchdowns in a 61-26 win over UVa-Wise on Sept. 25.  Other highlights include head coach Tommy Reid collecting his 40th career victory, Armond and Terence being named both NAIA and Mid-South Conference Offensive Players of the Week, and a 48-0 shutout win over Kentucky Christian – only the program’s seventh shutout win since being reinstated in 1984.

Smith featured in SI’s ‘Faces in the Crowd’

Running back Armond Smith’s high-scoring game made him a “Sports Illustrated” “Face in the Crowd.”

touchdowns and points in the 84-55 win over Bethel (Tenn.) on Oct. 9. Armond ran for 312 yards and five touchdowns on 16 carries, accounting for 30 of the Bulldogs’ points.  For his effort, he was named the Mid-South Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the NAIA Offensive Player of the Week and the Victory Sports Network Of-

fensive Player of the Week.  On the season, Armond leads the team in rushing with 1,133 yards and 13 touch-downs on 129 carries. He ranks fourth in the NAIA in total rushing yards, eighth in rushing yards per game (113.3), 11th in total scoring (84 points), seventh in all-purpose yards (1309) and 11th in all-purpose yards per game (150.9).

Senior Terence Polluck is Union’s new all-time leading rusher, with 3,337 rushing yards.

Sean Mackey, a wide receiver, has tied the school record for most touchdown passes in a game.

Quarterback Mike Brinkley set career and school records during Union’s high-scoring win against Bethel College.

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U N I O N A T H L E T I C S

The Union College cycling team ended its 2010 season on a high note in October, registering a second-place finish in Divi-sion II at the 2010 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships.  As a team, the Bulldogs finished with 608 points, as team Division II national champion Brevard (N.C.) finished with 630 points.  Union was led by senior Rachel Millsop (Little Rock, Ark.), who captured the Divi-sion II Women’s Omnium with 443 points overall. Meanwhile, for the men, the Bulldogs had three of the top five finishers in the individual Omnium standings, with Wesley Lamberson (Limestone, Tenn.) finishing second, Zach Winn (Port Hope, Canada) placing fourth and Brad Nelson (Carmel, Ind.) finishing in fifth.  Rachel captured the Division II Om-nium after finishing second in both the cross country and short track, eighth in the downhill and 10th in the 4-cross. She became the third Union rider to win the Omninum, joining Zach, who won on the men’s side the last two seasons, and Amanda McKay, who captured it in 2002.  Other top performances for the women included freshman Catherine Harnden’s (Ontario, Canada) performances in the downhill (sixth), 4-cross (seventh) and cross country (11th) events, along with Maria Esswein’s (Perryville, Mo.) 11th-place finish in the cross country.  On the men’s side, Wesley placed fourth in short track, sixth in cross country, 16th in 4-cross and 22nd in downhill. Zach placed seventh in short track, Bennett Winn (Ontario, Canada) finished eighth in the downhill and Brad finished in 11th-place in the cross country.  Prior to nationals, Union won the Southeastern Cycling Collegiate Confer-ence championship as Rachel and Zach earned SECCC Female and Male Rider of the Year honors.  Overall, it was the Bulldogs’ sixth con-ference crown in program history.  Individually, Bulldog riders collected six out of eight first-place finishes. Lead-ing the way was Rachel, who won the conference’s Ladies Omnium Champion-ship after earning four first-place medals 

  Union’s Yvon Haessig claimed seventh place at the 2010 USTA/ITA NAIA Na-tional Small College Championships, held in Mobile, Ala., on Oct. 14-17.  Yvon (Vancouver, Canada) advanced to the championships by winning the ITA Southeast Regional Singles Championship at Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky., on Sept. 23-26, becoming the first Bulldog to do so.  Entering the eight-person field as the No. 8 seed, Yvon lost his first two matches before winning the seventh-place match.  He lost 6-3, 6-3 to top-seeded Remy Caffardo of Graceland (Iowa), who finished as the tournament runner-up. In his second match, Yvon fell 6-2, 6-4 to 

Haessig places 7th at National Small College Championships

Yvon Haessig, middle, is the first Bulldog to win the ITA Southeast Regional Singles Champion-ship. He is pictured with Union tennis coach Daniel Finn, right, and Brescia’s tennis coach, Jack Etchison, left.

Vladislav Khudziy of Huntingdon (Ind.), who ended as the fifth-place finisher.  At the ITA Southeast Regional, Union had four of the top nine seeds in the 48-person field. Nicolas Ernst (Rietheim, Germany) was the top seed with Pierre Vernin (Le Coteau, France) third, Yvon sixth and Bartos Micher (Junginen, Ger-many) No. 9.  Yvon had to beat teammate Nicholas in the finals, needing three sets to get past his fellow Bulldog. Yvon won the first set 6-4 but Nicholas took the second frame 6-2. Yvon, though, sealed the win with a 6-1 decision in the third and final set.  Union nearly sent a doubles team to the ITA nationals as well, as Nicolas and Pierre made it to the region final round before losing 8-6 to Carlon Anton and Pablo Numbela of Campbellsville (Ky.). Nicolas and Pierre entered the regional as the No. 1 seed.  Union won the 2010 Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and advanced to the second round of the NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship Tourna-ment.

(time trial, cross country, short track and dual slalom).  On the men’s side, Zach, a senior, cap-tured the top spot in the time trial portion of the competition, while Wesley finished second and Brad placed fourth. In the short track, Wesley captured his collegiate short track win to lead the way, while Zach placed fifth in the event.  In cross country, the Bulldogs registered three top 10 finishes with Zach leading the pack with a fourth-place finish, while, in the dual slalom, he registered a strong second-place finish. On the women’s side, freshman Catherine finished a solid fourth in the slalom.

Millsop wins NCCA DII Omnium

Senior Rachel Millsop won the Division II Wom-en’s Omnium during the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships.

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  If you’re missing college rivalries, consider continuing a friendly competition with the University of the Cumberlands. Union’s Kentucky alumni have a new opportunity to keep the rivalry alive and support a good cause.  The Battle of the Tin Plates pits Union against University of the Cumberlands in an attempt to have the highest number of Kentucky alumni who purchase license plates that boast their alma mater’s name and logo.  The license plate costs just $10 per year above regular vehicle registration fees. The $10 fee from the purchase of Union College license plates goes directly into Union’s Student Impact Fund.  As many alumni know, Union’s and Cumberlands’ football teams take to the turf each fall in the Battle of the Brass Lantern.  The Battle of the Tin Plates gives Union and its alumni another fun opportunity to vie for annual bragging rights and show their college pride along Kentucky’s highways, all while raising scholarship and support funds for students.    As of June 30, 2010, the end of Union’s fiscal year, University of the Cumberlands alumni had a total of 769 plates on the road while Union College alumni boasted a total of 406. Totals from the 2011 fiscal year won’t be available until June 30, 2011. Union College license plates purchased between now and June 30 will help Union claim victory in the inaugural Battle of the Tin Plates.  Alumni can request and purchase the Union College license plate through your local County Court Clerk. Details and images are available at www.unionky.edu/Alumni/UCLicensePlate.asp.

UC vs. U of CBattle of the Tin Plates begins

  Union’s and Cumberlands’ rivalry is just one component of a statewide competition between Kentucky independent colleges and universities.  The Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU), of which Union is a member, launched the license plate program to raise scholarship funds for students and awareness of Kentucky’s independent colleges. Each year, all 20 AIKCU member institutions compete to put the most plates on the road.  Alumni who live out of state can show their pride, too.  The college store offers chrome Union College license plate frames. Pick one up next time you’re on campus or buy online at unionky.edu/UCStore.

  For alumni who haven’t looked at Union’s discount travel packages in a while, it’s time to take another peek.  Last spring, Travel Benefits, the company that Union contracts with to offer travel discounts to alumni, revamped its Web site. The company has partnered with Endless Vacation Rentals by Wyndham Worldwide and offers 7,000 participating hotels around the globe, as well as selected condo and cabin specials as low as $400 per week.  The site is searchable by top vacation destinations, region, state, beach and by last-minute vacations (which come with a substantial discount over and above the usual). You can even request e-mail updates when your ideal vacation at your ideal price becomes available.

Worldwide travel discounts available for alumni and friendsSend snapshots of Travel Benefits vacation to be posted on the Web

  The new Travel Benefits Web site requires no password from the user. To get their substantial discounts, alumni simply access their Web site from within the Union College Web site. You can do so by visiting www.unionky.edu/Alumni/Travel.asp.  There is no sales pitch and no strings attached when you use the site. You simply book, pay and have a great time. It’s just one more way Union can say thank you to alumni and friends for keeping in touch with us.   The alumni office would love to see a photo of you on your Travel Benefits vacation wearing your Union attire. We will begin to post these photos on the Web as soon as we receive submissions. If you 

have a Travel Benefits picture you’d like to submit, please send it to alumni@unionky.edu.

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A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S

New Alumni Association Board members welcomed at fall meetingRon Sell is new president after passing-of-gavel ceremony  Amidst the excitement of homecoming weekend, the Alumni Association Board held the passing-of-the-gavel ceremony at the fall meeting and welcomed a new president.  Outgoing Alumni Association President Joe Beavon, ’66, could not be present for the ceremony, but he contacted incoming president Ron Sell, ’69, to offer congratulations. Melissa Newman, alumni relations director, turned the gavel over to Ron at the beginning of the board meeting.  Incoming officers include Beverly Carr Bradway, ’81, secretary;  Darren West, ’99, treasurer;  and John Dodd, ’89, president-elect. The three new officers, along with Ron Sell, will serve two years on the board. After the president-elect’s two-year term is completed, he will take the president’s seat to serve another two years.  Outgoing officers include secretary Margaret West, ’97, and treasurer Tim Davis, ’93.  Outgoing members-at-large, who have served three-year terms on the board as the class of 2010, include Jessica Bergman, ’98; Matt Bergman, ’99; Jennifer Bryant, ’04; Kevin R. Smith, ’06; Gabrielle Mellendorf, ’07; and August Mangeney, ’07.  Incoming members-at-large, who will serve as the class of 2013, include Jessica Baker, ’10; Chuck Conley, ’64; Jack Downey, ’66; Pete Green, ’91; and Taryn Jacobus, ’05, ’08.  The Union College Alumni Association represents alumni within the campus community. The board also seats three alumni trustees who represent 

Melissa Newman passes the gavel to Ron Sell, ’69, the new Union College Alumni Association President.

Incoming Alumni Association Board officers: John Dodd, ’89, president-elect, and Darren West, ’99, treasurer. Not pictured is Beverly Carr Bradway, ’81, secretary.

Outgoing Alumni Association Board officers: Margaret West, ’97, secretary, and Tim Davis, ’93, treasurer.

Outgoing Alumni Association Board members-at-large: Gabrielle Mellendorf, ’07, and Jennifer Bryant, ’04.

Incoming Alumni Association Board members-at-large: Jack Downey, ’66; Taryn Jacobus, ’05, ’08 MA; Jessica Baker, ’10; and Charles Conley, ’64. Not pictured is Pete Greene, ’91.

the views of the alumni board to the Union College Board of Trustees.  Elections for officers are every two years and for alumni trustees every four 

years. New members-at-large are seated each fall at the Alumni Association’s fall homecoming meeting.   For more information about the board or serving 

on the board, contact Melissa Newman in alumni relations at 606-546-1226 or alumni@unionky.edu.

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Win a free smartphone with alumni e-mail, cell phone drive  As phone wires become a thing of the past, e-communications evolve, and Union gears up for Phonathon 2011, the alumni office staff continues to think of creative ways to keep in touch with Union’s thousands of alumni.  Soliciting current e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers is a key part of that effort.  To boost the number of accurate cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses on file, Union is giving away a smartphone to one lucky alumni winner. From December 1, 2010, to Jan. 31, 2011, the alumni office will accept cell phone number and e-mail updates as entries for the contest.  One winner will be drawn at random to receive a smartphone of his or her choice. To enter, alumni should send their cell number and e-mail address to the alumni office through mail or e-mail by Jan. 31. The winner will be notified on Feb. 15 at 6:00 p.m. as the kick-off call for Phonathon 2011.  Alumni can send their e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers to alumni@

unionky.edu. Make sure the subject line reads “Union College Alumni Smartphone Contest.”  Alumni may also send their submission by mail to Union College Alumni Smartphone Contest, 310 College Street, Box 7, Barbourville, Ky., 40906.  Those who enter via e-mail will receive an e-confirmation.  Melissa Newman, who directs the alumni office, says the alumni staff collects updates, including cell numbers and e-mail addresses, throughout the year at events, through personal contact and via the Union Web site.  There is concern, though, that many alumni are being left out of the communication loop.  In recent years, Union’s alumni office began publishing an e-newsletter and sending other e-communications.  Those whose information is outdated may miss out on alumni perks, news and other items.     The winner can choose among any smartphone on the market, but the data or voice services will be the responsibility of the winner.  One entry per alumnus is permitted.

  Mack the Bulldog made his first comment on Facebook during Phonathon last spring. What were his first words? “I am excited to be Facebooking with Union College alumni. Become my friend on FB and have a 1:1 alumni connection at Union!”   Since that time, he has accumulated a pack of over 300 friends and counting.   Mack’s goal is simple: to provide information about upcoming alumni events, post pictures and news of past events, answer alumni questions, and share nostalgic photos and comments that spark conversation about the Union experience.  Mack’s friends are not just those who have graduated in the past 20 years. They range 

Hundreds join the pack as Mack the Bulldog debuts on Facebookfrom 1950’s-era alumni to 2010 graduates. Alumni of all ages appreciate hearing about upcoming events and college happenings in real time rather than waiting for a printed piece to arrive in the mail.  Since his debut to social networking, Mack has gotten over 300 RSVPs to various events, including over 150 for Homecoming 2010.  He has answered countless questions about what’s going on at Union, from information about the old hospital renovation project to how many incoming freshmen the college counted this fall.  He also likes photos. Union’s print pieces, including the alumni magazine, have limited space for event photos, but Facebook allows for 

unlimited uploads. Mack posts all photos from events. After the 2010 Alumni Football Day, for instance, Mack shared close to 50 photographs with his pack of friends and followers.   Alumni who haven’t “friended” Mack on Facebook yet can find him at www.facebook.com/mack.thebulldog.  When Mack appeared on Facebook, he joined the ranks of several other Union College Facebook pages, including the official Union College Facebook page, the Union College Bulldogs athletics page, 

and the recently added site just for the UC Bulldog Store.  Thousands of alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff, students, prospective students and community members follow the Union College Facebook sites.  

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Proving that former Union softball players will take any opportunity to rekindle the spirit, Debbie (Anderson) Pidgeon savored ten minutes with fellow softball alumnae just 30 minutes prior to her fall 2009 wedding. Front row, from left: Suzanne Jacobs, ’99; Sally Hammitt, ’99; Amy (Criswell) Schooler, ’99. Back row, from left: Nicole (Vidito) Sloan; Trisha DeWitte, ’99; Renee Hicks, ’93, ’99 MA; Mandy Phifer, ’99; Debbie Pidgeon, ’98; Abbie (Mitchell) Rector, ’00; and Michelle Yorgy, ’98.

Nuptials, softball style

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Alumni Baseball Day

Alumni baseball players return for the annual last home game of the season. Being recognized on the field are, from left, Matt Mahony, ’07; Dale Pigg, ’57; Rex Hale, ’57; Darin Wilson, ’96; Nate Zettler, ’02; Larry Inkster, ’68; Jerry Carey, ’59; Union President Ed de Rosset; Joe Heatherly, ’95; and Union baseball Coach Bart Osborne.

Back on their turf

Participants in the 2010 Alumni Football Day take a pause from flag football, tours and a picnic lunch to pose for a group shot. Front row, from left: Colby Wilson, ’08; Tom Posey, ’90, ’02 RI; Johnny “Cartoon” Carreker, ’89, winner of the game’s most valuable player award; Kip Jones, ’91; Clarence Mackey, ’93; and Tommy Reid, ’98 MA, Union’s head football coach. Back row, from left: John Dodd, ’89; David Hammer, ’07; Travis Bethel, ’05; Shaun Person, ’03; Patrick Kellendorf, ’07; Will Hancock, ’95; Vincent Turpin, ’90; Nick Ruggieri, ’08; Larry S. Salyer,’89, and son; Larry W. Porter, ’89; Melissa Newman, ’08, alumni director; and President Ed de Rosset.

A gathering of ‘aughts’

Several alumni from the first decade of the century get together in central Kentucky to reminisce about their college days and catch up on what’s new. From left: Gabe Curtis, ’06; Lakita Hampton Curtis, ’05; Amber Hensley, ’05; Tim Saunders, ’04; Kalyn Hampton Saunders, ’06; Kevin Smith, ’06; and Emily Jones, ’07.

Alumni at the Bar

Lexington area alumni and Union alumni staff enjoy a joint event with members of the Kentucky Bar Association (KBA). Front row, from left (seated): Doyle Mills, ’70, and his granddaughter Melody; Cherry Owens, ’70; Vivian Landrum; Casey Armour, Union political science instructor; and Dale Moore, ’71. Second row, from left: Union President Ed de Rosset; Chuck Tanner, NG; Mary Withers; Marc Roland, ’88; John Landrum; Don Jones, ’79; Pete Moore, ’59; and Jessica Terry Bergman, ’98, Union’s major gifts officer. Third row, from left: Benjamin Phillips, ’02; Melissa Newman, ’08, Union’s alumni director; Robert Armour, chair of Union’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and a professor of criminal justice; Hon. Paul Isaacs, ’66, chair of Union’s Board of Trustees; Frank Newman, ’88; and Rhenda Mills.

UMC Conference luncheon

The alumni staff hosts a luncheon in Covington, Ky., during the 2010 Kentucky Annual Conference for the United Methodist Church. From left: David Miller, ’87, Union’s college minister; President Ed de Rosset; Bob Sweeney, NG; Pam Sweeney; Jessica Terry Bergman, ’98; Janis Perry; Tom Perry, NG; Jane Squires; Milton Dunaway; Bill Squires; Kathy McCurdy; Darleen Carmicle; Ernie Carmicle, ’89; and Mary Alice Lay, a professor of education at Union.

Events&Gatherings

Several alumni participate in the annual Union College Homecoming Golf Tournament at Wasioto Winds in Pineville, Ky. Front row, from left: Matt Bergman, ’99, with Gus Bergman; Bob Unterreiner, ’60; Jim Norman, ’60; Ronny Garland; President Ed de Rosset; Tommy Helton, ’05, ’08 MA; Terry Smallwood, ’72; Jonathan Masters, a prospective student; and Steve Simpson. Middle row, from left: Tony Auzenne, ’74; John Logan, ’78; and Bill Swafford, ’73, ’76 MA. Back row, from left: Rick Jones; Terry McMonagle, ’80; Jeff North; Greg Lewis, ’96; Don Lawson, ’76; Doug Logan, ’68; John Hauser, ’78; Steve Jeffers, ’74; Bill Hill, ’70, ’71 MA; Glenn Proffitt, ’80; Larry Inkster, ’72, ’73 MA; Ryan Proffitt; Jeff Tingle; Christopher Brand, ’75; and Chuck Reich, ’74.

Homecoming golf scramble

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Indiana trustee and friends

Denise Wainscott, vice president for advancement, visits with Edna Mann, Union College trustee. Edna is a strong advocate for Union’s new Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, inviting family and friends to support the program. From left: Terri Mann, Gerry Mann, Edna Mann, Bruce Hopkins and Sabina Hopkins.

South Haven, Mich., gathering

From left: Nola and Donnie Looper, ’74; Richard and Gail Brodhagen, ’65; Robert Linderman, ’68; Joyce and Edward Bocock, ’62; Linda Pifer and Eric Pifer, ’64; Diana Gallup; Stuart Comiskey, ’67; and Denise Wainscott, ’74, ’77 MA, Union’s vice president for advancement.

From left: David Creighton, ’64; Barbara Franks, ’75; James and Linda Taft, ’59; and Denise Wainscott.

Detroit-Novi, Mich., area gathering

Alumni gatherings also took place in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Holland, Mich., though photos are not available. In Grand Rapids, Alvis Wooton, ’62, and his wife, Jean Wooton, attended. In Holland, the group included Pam Wallace Foster, ’67; Sheri Cowan McKinstry, ’66; Gail Matheson Brodhagen, ’65; Joyce Bocock, ’65; Howard Murphy, ’67; Joe Foster, ’66; and Bill McKinstry, ’66,’68 MA.

Grand Rapids and Holland, Mich., gatherings

Swim team reunion

Music and theatre reunion

50th reunion

The class of 1960 celebrates their 50th reunion. From left: Union College President Ed de Rosset; W.C. Sergeant, ’60; Shirley Sergeant, ’64; Evelyn “Ginger” Purdin, ’49; Jim Norman, ’60; Jessie Gayle Tye, ’50; David McKenzie, ’60; Helen McKenzie; Noel White, ’60; Jo Carter Busroe; Chico Mir; ’60; Stella Bingham Smith; ’60; Robert Unterreiner, Jr., ’60; Bob McGuire, ’60; Mary Todd, ’58; Robert Halcomb, ’60; John Bowling, ’60; Jim Todd, ’58; Raleigh Mitchell, ’60; and Darrell Fleming, ’60. Not pictured: Ambrose Dudley, ’58.

Union’s music and theatre students reunite in the Frances Patridge student center café. From left: Andelys “Candy” Wood, prof. of English at Union; Patricia Parker, ’77; Carolyn (Madigan) Vineyard, ’77; Melissa Newman, director of alumni relations; Roberta Taylor, ’77; Debbie Estes, ’79; Donald Jones, ’79; Cheryl Alvis Salzman, ’78; Charlie Atkins, ’80; Sandy Hash Keys, ’79; Donna Dobo Canchola, ’77; Steve Poteet Marshall, ’80; Beverly Lenzer Mahugh, ’81; Clif Mahugh; Ed Hammell, ’77; Leo Dontchos, former music instructor at Union; Deborah (Bill) Hamar, ’78; and Mark McCarty, ’75. Not pictured: Dena Newman Gassner, ’80, and Jaqualeen Sellards, ’79.

Former and current Bulldog swimmers gather at the Robsion Arena pool for a homecoming reunion and exhibition meet. Front row, from left: Don Calitri, ’64, ’65 MA, former swim coach; David Ganary, ’71, ’72 MA; Dena Gonzalez, ’10; Rafael Forti, ’04, ’06 MA, current swim coach; and Dennis Hamilton, ’72. Back row, from left: Larry “Rex” Hale, ’58; Bob O’Steen, ’61; Bucky Colclough, ’62; Bill Lloyd, ’63; Chuck Conley, ’64; Ed Busser, ’72; and Adam “Woody” Woodard, ’09.

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Alumni Football DaySat., April 9  Head football coach Tommy Reid will begin the day with a tour of football facilities at 10 a.m. Then, former players will participate, if they wish, in an all-alumni game of flag football. Just before the game, former Union Bulldog football players will be called onto the field and recognized along with Union’s newest football recruits. Lunch is on the alumni office. Contact the alumni office if you plan to attend:  alumni@unionky.edu or Melissa Newman, alumni director, at 606-546-1226. (See a photo from last spring’s alumni football day on page 27.)

Alumni Baseball DaySat., April 16  The day begins at the alumni tent with registration and alumni gifts. Then, former Bulldog baseball players are invited to be recognized on the field just before the Union Bulldog baseball team’s game versus Reinhardt. A tour of campus is offered afterward. Lunch is on the alumni office. Contact the alumni office if you plan to attend: alumni@unionky.edu or Melissa Newman, alumni director, at 606-546-1226.  (See a photo from last spring’s alumni baseball day on page 27.)

Inaugural Basketball Alumni WeekendJan. 28-29, 2011  For this first-time event, the alumni office will partner with basketball coaches Tim Curry and Sean Gillespie to host alumni basketball players for a weekend packed with activities. Both coaches are excited about the new event.   “I am really looking forward to a great weekend welcoming our former players back to campus,” says Coach Curry. “We encourage all former Lady Bulldogs to make plans to attend and participate in the weekend’s activities.”  Coach Gillespie is especially eager to meet basketball alumni whose legacy helped build the program.   “I think it’s important to meet basketball alumni who have gone before us,” says Coach Gillespie. “I look forward to meeting and sharing stories with those who have competed at Union.”  The tentative schedule includes an alumni-student game, reception, brunch, campus tours, and home games for both men’s and women’s basketball. Alumni will be recognized on the court between the two games. The weekend event will also feature the Basketball Locker Room Renovation Project, which gives donors the opportunity to have their name, number and player information permanently placed in the lockers. The renovation includes new flooring, lockers, seating, video system with drop-down screen, study lounge and more. For more information, contact Coach Curry at  tcurry@unionky.edu or 606-546-1682, or Coach Gillespie at  sgillespie@unionky.edu or 606-546-1705. 

Upcoming Athletic EventsCampus visits

Richard Beason, ’50, and Mary Etta (Snyder) Beason visit with President Ed de Rosset during a spring stop on campus. The Beasons explored the newly renovated Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Gymnasium and took a short tour of campus led by President de Rosset.

President Ed de Rosset joins Otie Manning, a 4.0 graduate of Somerset High School, and his family at Slate Branch Retreat House in Somerset, Ky. The party enjoyed lunch at the facility compliments of The Jones Educational Foundation, Inc. From left: President Ed de Rosset; Otie Manning, who has been awarded a scholarship and will play baseball at Union; Sonya Jones, ’69, Ph.D., president of the foundation; and Otie’s grandparents.

Sandra (Mason) Porter ,’59, treats her grandsons to a Union College visit. Sandra showed them where she spent most of her time as a music major: the Fine Arts Building. From left: Wesley Porter, Jacob Porter, Sandra, Mason Porter, and Sandra’s husband, Charlie Porter.

130 • UNIONALUMNI

Class Notable

Meredith “Lynn” Waage Van Vorst, ’55, is now retired and lives in Glennville, NY, with her husband, Robert A. Van Vorst, who recently received the Habitat G. Albert Finke Award.

T H R O U G H 6 / 3 0 / 1 0

’50

C L A S S N O T E S

’60

Union College trustee Harry Herren, ’66, has been appointed by Kentucky Governor Steven Beshear to the Kentucky Humanities Council Board of Directors. Harry, a retired partner of Woodward, Hobson & Fulton, LLP, earned a juris doctor from the University of Louisville. 

Roger D. Matthews, ’60, is the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries and has received the J.D. Robing Lifetime Achievement Award, the Goodwill Industries International Hall of Fame 

Award, the Gerald Clore International Award and the P.J. Trevethon Training Award. He lives in Roanoke, Va., with his wife, Bonnie M. Matthews, ’62. Sallye Eleanor (Elli) Thompson Gillum,’65, is a college professor at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Bell County, Ky. She was listed among “Who’s Who in American Teachers” in 2005 and has taken her students to Turkey on mission trips twice a year since 2007. Spring 2011 will make their tenth trip. Sallye and her husband, Danny, live in London, Ky.

Harry is a past president of the Louisville Orchestra Board of Directors and a current board member of the Historic Homes Foundation, Inc., and the Family and Children’s Agency. He also served on the Jefferson County Advisory Board for ten years. Harry now serves on the Committee for Access to Artistic Excellence and the Arts and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Application Committee, both committees of the National Endowment for the Arts.

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T H R O U G H 6 / 3 0 / 1 0C L A S S N O T E S

’90

’80Joe Meibers, ’80, is a second grade teacher for Fairfield City Schools and has been named to “Who’s Who in American Teachers.” He and his wife, Laura, live in Liberty Township, Ohio.

James Ricotta, Jr., ’90, is the principal at Toms River Regional Schools in Toms River. He is also the president of Toms River Administrative and Supervisory Council. He and his wife, Gretchen, live in Toms River, NJ.

Nathan Ambrose, ’92, ’94 MA, is a teacher for the Leslie County School System. The University of Kentucky recently awarded Nathan a doctoral degree in education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction. 

Class Notable Joseph J. Matvey III, ’82, recently published “Regionalism and Globalization: Essays on Appalachia, Globalization, and Global Computerization.” The text explores why Appalachia remains in the periphery, underdeveloped and underutilized, and why technology is 

a key factor in the globalization process. The book also considers globalization as a comprehensive paradigmatic shift in how we’ve come to know the world. Joe earned his doctorate in sociology at the University of Pittsburgh in 1987. He specializes in cultural change and macro-structural change. Joe’s research centers on globalization, computerization and Appalachian studies. He continues to research and write, although he currently works with Web design and Ubuntu Linux systems. Joe and his wife, Lois, have been married 15 years. They live in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Tom Card, ’70, is a retired life member of the Professional Golfers Association of America. He is the manager of the Quarter-Trump International Beach Resort and club manager of the 2010 PGA Tour. He and his wife, Judy, live in Plantation, Fla.

Cherry Owens, ’70, has retired as career law clerk to Chief Judge Joseph M. Scott, Jr., for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, EDKY. She lives in Lexington, Ky.

Vanda Gay Abner Williams,’70, has retired from the Lee County Board of Education after 20 years of service as their developmental interventionist. She lives in St. Helens, Ky.

’70

Robert V. Heffern, ’65, is a college professor at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. He was recently appointed chair of the education department. He and his wife, Diane, live in Corbin, Ky.

Florene Pridemore, ’65, has retired from New Haven Community Schools after 45 years of teaching primary grades. She considers it an honor to have taught three generations in her community. She lives in Richmond, Mich.

Irving D. Schoenacker, ’69, has been selected Chess Coach of the Year for New York’s All Greater Rochester Area. He has coached a chess team at a school in southwestern New York for several years and has led the mostly six, seven and eight-year-olds to competitions at the high school level for five years with a record of 66-19-1. In 2010, the team made it to the top five. Irving lives in Nunda, NY.

The University Council of Education named Nathan a Clark Scholar. He presented findings of his qualitative dissertation at the American Educational Research Association Conference in Chicago. Nathan lives in Hyden, Ky.

Billy J. Hensley, ’98, ’01 MA, has accepted a position with the National Endowment for Financial Education as the director of education. Billy will oversee the foundation’s education, research and grant-making enterprise. Billy lives in Denver, Colo.

David Austin, ’63, a member of Union’s Board of Trustees, has authored a new book, “Lessons Learned: An Open Letter to Recreational Therapy Students and Practitioners.” Sagamore Publishing, LLC, announced publication of the book in September. 

132 • UNIONALUMNI

In MeMorIaM

Alumni

C L A S S N O T E ST H R O U G H 6 / 3 0 / 1 0

Future Bulldogs

Keep Your union FamilY “in the Know”Contact Alumni Relations

Web: www.unionky.edu/Alumni/AlumUpdate.aspe-mail: alumni@unionky.edu

mail: Alumni Relations, Union College, 310 College St. Box D-7, Barbourville, KY 40906

phone: Melissa Newman, 606-546-1226

NEW Classnotes Deadlines:Dec. 31, 2010 for the spring-summer 2011 issue

June 30, 2011 for the fall-winter 2011 issue

Sidney K. “Doc” Back, NGJune 24, 2010

David Wayne Banks, ’70 May 12, 2010

Stanley W. Bartz, ’50 March 27, 2010

Mitchell Bergman, ’72 July 26, 2010

Mae Bingham, NGJune 25, 2010

Mamye (Dickey) Botner, ’39 July 02, 2010

Mary L. Brown, NGAug. 14, 2010

Barbara Corey Carty, ’57 Aug. 11, 2010

Oren M. Chaney, Jr., NGJuly 30, 2010

Ruth E. (Estep) Haws, ’79 Feb. 26, 2010

James O. Knuckles, ’41 Aug. 7, 2010

Albert Keyes Layton, ’57 April 12, 2010

Robert C. Lewis, ’53 Feb. 26, 2010

Bradley Miracle, ’53 Aug. 7, 2010

Elva Moore, ’72 June 19, 2010

Evelyn Tye, ’50 Feb. 26, 2010

Amy “Bays” Gibson West, ’33July 7, 2010

Aaron Works, ’79 July 26, 2010

MarrIagesDebbie (Anderson) Pidgeon, ’98, married Benjamin Pidgeon on November 7, 2009

Elizabeth Louise Baker was born on July 3, 2010, to Trina (Emeigh) Baker, ’92, and William Baker.

August “Gus” Ford Bergman was born April 1, 2010, to Matt Bergman, ’99, and Jes-sica Terry Bergman, ’98.

Kelly Lee Evans Rankin, ’00, and her husband, Wade M. Rankin, welcomed daughter Ruger Lee Rankin to their fam-ily in 2009.

Matt and Jessica Bergman welcome August Ford, born in April.

CorreCtIons

Jessica Baker, ’10, has been admitted to the master’s program in education at the University of the Cumberlands. 

’10

William O. (Bill) Davis, ’10, completed an internship with the Cincinnati Bengals over the summer and has been hired by their security providers to work all home games for the fall 2010 season. Bill studied sports management at Union.

Greg Gibson, ’10, is a sales professional with his own Internet business with international reach. He is also beginning to race mountain bikes professionally. He lives in Murray, Utah.

Josh Presley, ’10, interned with the Knoxville Ice Bears, a professional ice hockey club and member of the Southern Premiere Hockey League, over the summer. Josh graduated with a degree in sports management.

Kirstie Warren, ’04, successfully defended her master’s thesis through Union’s graduate program in psychology. Kirstie’s thesis explores relationships among physical activity, depression and self-esteem in adolescents.  

David Pope, ’06, is the facility services assistant at Cumberland Gap National Park.  He recently completed a temporary duty assignment as the acting maintenance division chief at a national park outside of Nashville.

Kevin R. Smith, ’06, has accepted admittance to Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School 

of Public and International Affairs where he will study on a full-tuition fellowship.

Jason King, ’09, and Union professor Jonathan Hammersley, Ph.D., have been approved by the American Psychological Association to write an online health course on caffeine effects. Jason is a student in Union’s graduate psychology program.

Brian Strunk, ’09, began law school at the University of Louisville this fall.

’00

Our apologies to Alan Saylor,  who was incorrectly identified as Alan Taylor in the summer 2010 issue of the magazine.  The mistake appeared on page 17, under a photograph of Alan being commissioned as an Army officer during May’s Commencement ceremony.

1UNIONALUMNI • 33

 

A T L A S TWe know his name because we use it a lot.  It’s Victor.  Victor referees most home soccer games at Union.  He’s here so often, he’s practically part of the Union family. All the fans and players know him.  We like him. He likes us.  That’s why, when the game is close and every second counts, we feel comfortable asking from the stands, over and over, “Victor, how much time is left?”  And he always tells us.  Even when, five seconds prior, he may have heard us yell things far different in tone and content.  “No! That was NOT off-sides, Victor! Open your eyes!”  “Did you see that, Victor? Why didn’t you call that?”  “Terrible call, Victor! Terr-i-ble!”  Or worse.    (Nothing that makes us honorary hooligans, mind you, but certainly not nice things.  Soccer, after all, is known for its passionate and devoted fan base.)  Victor’s role as timekeeper developed when Union installed the new turf on Burch-Nau field and soccer games began to be played there.  Until then, the field was used solely for football, so the existing score-board did not keep time for soccer. For football, yes. Soccer, no.    Finally, in early September, that was corrected. After three years of soccer games on Burch-Nau field, Union installed a beautiful new scoreboard.  In addition to all its other lovely features—and they are lovely—the board now keeps time for soccer.  So, during this fall’s soccer season, Victor heard from us only when we were unconvinced by his call. We still like him, though. He still likes us, even if we no longer have reason to address him in dulcet tones from the stands.   His eyes are now firmly set on the field rather than on his watch, so he can do his job instead of answer our question.  And our eyes are on the board, keeping track of time, because we can. At last.

34 • UNIONALUMNI

UNION COLLEGEOffices of Alumni Relations and College Communications310 College Street, Box 7Barbourville, KY 40906

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