by Ron Hamilton - LaGrange College
by Ron Hamilton - LaGrange College
by Ron Hamilton - LaGrange College
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y <strong>Ron</strong> <strong>Hamilton</strong><br />
COLUMNS, Winter 2007 13
This year’s Homecoming theme, Great Expectations,<br />
was literary in nature, a “tip of the hat”<br />
to the library groundbreaking, which got the<br />
weekend under way Friday morning. But, of course,<br />
the theme referenced more than the library. It spoke<br />
of the expectations of all who came back to their alma<br />
mater: expectations of good times, good food and<br />
good memories mixed in with voices saying, “Good to<br />
see you.”<br />
With the weekend built around Saturday’s football<br />
game, the <strong>College</strong>’s south campus was once again<br />
the hub of Homecoming activity. The gridiron competition,<br />
which began at 6 p.m., was the Panther’s first<br />
evening contest at Callaway Stadium, and according<br />
to Senior Director of Development and <strong>College</strong> Relations<br />
Martha Pirkle, the later kickoff was a nice excuse<br />
for some extended tailgating.<br />
“People came early and stayed late,” Pirkle said.<br />
“We had tailgaters who arrived here at 8 o’clock that<br />
morning and didn’t leave until 11 o’clock that night.”<br />
And, Pirkle said, Homecoming attendees arrived<br />
in big numbers as well.<br />
“Last year, with the attraction of the first Homecoming<br />
football game, we had great attendance,” she<br />
said, “but this year was even better—and I heard so<br />
many stories of alumni who made it back for the first<br />
time in years.”<br />
In addition to the groundbreaking and football<br />
game, another Homecoming highlight was this year’s<br />
Alumni Celebration, which took place Saturday morning.<br />
The event offered a time to recognize the classes<br />
in reunion as well as several alumni award winners.<br />
Saturday morning also saw the Homecoming Parade<br />
caravan weave its way though the south campus<br />
for the second year in a row. This year’s parade float<br />
winners were the sisters of Kappa Delta, who rode<br />
atop a “Wish Upon a Star” themed float.<br />
The Panthers came up short in the Saturday evening<br />
football game against near<strong>by</strong> rival Huntingdon,<br />
but the atmosphere and attendance were impressive.<br />
During halftime, Nicki Gosdin ’08 of Newnan was<br />
crowned the Homecoming Queen, and the International<br />
Club was announced as the Banner Winner.<br />
After the game, a big crowd hung around to hear<br />
Eagles tribute band Tequila Sunrise perform to<br />
mark the final highlight of an event-filled day.<br />
The weekend concluded Sunday with the<br />
morning <strong>LaGrange</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong> Community<br />
Memorial<br />
Service in the<br />
Chapel and the<br />
afternoon Sports<br />
Hall of Fame induction<br />
in the Student<br />
Center. n<br />
Below, Doug Smith ’72, a cheerleader during his days on the Hill, waves the<br />
team banner just before the football game’s kickoff. Smith was given the<br />
honor of leading the team onto the field for the Panthers first evening contest<br />
at Callaway Stadium. Though rival Huntingdon won the game, the attendance<br />
and atmosphere were impressive.<br />
Below right, Janice Johnson Hall ’84 holds her organization’s banner during the<br />
Alumni Celebration held Oct. 27 at Callaway Auditorium. The event offered a<br />
time to recognize classes in reunion as well as several alumni award winners.<br />
Nicki Gosdin ’08 accepts a hug from<br />
Demetris Render ’08 shortly after<br />
being named Homecoming Queen<br />
during halftime of the football game.<br />
Kappa Delta won the parade float<br />
contest, while the International Club<br />
was the banner winner.<br />
14 COLUMNS, Winter 2007
Wall of Outstanding Alumni<br />
Dr. Arne Dietrich<br />
Dr. Arne Dietrich graduated from <strong>LaGrange</strong> <strong>College</strong> with<br />
a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology in 1990 and went<br />
on to earn the Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from the<br />
University of Georgia.<br />
Dietrich is currently an associate professor of psychology<br />
and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral<br />
Sciences at the American University of Beirut. His current<br />
research interests are the cognitive neuroscience of<br />
physical exercise and the neural basis of altered states of consciousness.<br />
His research has been featured in CNN, Reuters, ABC News, Yahoo.com,<br />
Runner’s World, Prevention and National Geographic Adventure.<br />
Katrina Pittman Graham<br />
Katrina Graham attended <strong>LaGrange</strong> <strong>College</strong> for two years<br />
before transferring to the University of Georgia and earning<br />
her bachelor’s degree in 1969.<br />
For more than 30 years, Graham worked in the natural<br />
gas industry, including serving as director of civic affairs of<br />
AGL Resources, the parent company of Atlanta Gas Light Co.<br />
Since 2000, she has held the position of Vice President<br />
of the Georgia Foundation for Independent <strong>College</strong>s and is responsible for<br />
the foundation’s fundraising strategies, proposals, grant requests and public<br />
relations.<br />
Over the years, Graham has served on the boards of Senior Connections,<br />
Atlanta Downtown Partnership and Camp Best Friends.<br />
Gertrude “Tut” Manly McFarland<br />
Gertrude McFarland graduated from <strong>LaGrange</strong> <strong>College</strong> with<br />
a Bachelor of Arts in Speech in 1947. For 22 years she taught<br />
private speech lessons in public schools before joining the<br />
Dalton (Ga.) Public School System as a third grade teacher in<br />
1969, a position she continued in until her retirement in 1991.<br />
McFarland, who has a passion for acting, spent three<br />
summer seasons with The Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va.,<br />
and one summer season with the Priscilla Beach Theatre in<br />
Plymouth, Mass. Additionally, she has worked with The Dalton Little Theatre<br />
for 60 years.<br />
An active member of Dalton First United Methodist Church, McFarland also<br />
has served as a member of the Pilot Club of Dalton for 56 years. She is an<br />
energetic traveler and has visited all seven continents.<br />
At top, Rick de Treville ’70 blows his horn during a Pep Band jam at the Homecoming<br />
game. The Orlando resident was invited to sit in with the student band members,<br />
who provide musical motivation during the game.<br />
Above, from left, Assistant Professor Linda<br />
Mason-Barber and Nursing Chair Dr. Celia Hay<br />
talk with Lisa Frasier ’08,<br />
Clinical Instructor<br />
Ginger Truitt and<br />
Lisa’s mom, Dorina<br />
Frasier, who<br />
were gathered<br />
for the Nursing<br />
Department<br />
Reunion.<br />
At right, Anne Shell<br />
Watkins ’57,<br />
left, shares a<br />
moment with<br />
Charlotte<br />
Raum Dodson<br />
’59.<br />
James “Jay” Allen Montgomery<br />
Jay Montgomery graduated from <strong>LaGrange</strong> <strong>College</strong> in<br />
1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, Drawing<br />
and Painting. He then attended the Portfolio Center in<br />
Atlanta, graduating from that institution’s Illustration<br />
Program in 1994.<br />
Since 1995, Montgomery has worked as a freelance<br />
illustrator with a client list that has included The New York<br />
Times, Coca-Cola, Georgia Pacific, Kodak, Chick-Fil-A,<br />
Owens Corning and The Cartoon Network.<br />
In addition to his freelance work, Montgomery also teaches graduate<br />
and undergraduate classes part-time at the Atlanta branch of the Savannah<br />
<strong>College</strong> of Art and Design. Over the years, he has won a number awards and<br />
contests, including placing first in last year’s ArtWanted.com’s Religious<br />
Easter Art Contest.<br />
Dr. Sonya Gaither Shepherd<br />
Dr. Sonya Shepherd graduated from <strong>LaGrange</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer<br />
Science. She went on to earn her Master of Science in<br />
Library Service from Clark-Atlanta University and her Ed.D.<br />
in Educational Administration from Georgia Southern<br />
University.<br />
Since 1995, Dr. Shepherd has worked at the Zach S.<br />
Henderson Library at Georgia Southern University where<br />
today she serves as a tenured associate professor and associate department<br />
head of information services.<br />
Dr. Shepherd is an active member of the Georgia Southern faculty and has<br />
served on the Black Green Task Force, as a faculty senate representative,<br />
on the Academic Standards Committee, the SACS Reaffirmation Team and<br />
Governance Task Force.<br />
Over the years, she has received numerous grants and recognitions,<br />
including being named a Frye Leadership Fellow in 2005.<br />
COLUMNS, Winter 2007 15
At right, members of the Class<br />
of 1957 pause for a photo. They<br />
are, from left, first row, Herb<br />
Owen, Bobbie June Efurd Dean,<br />
Julia Colvard Clary, Jeannine<br />
Johnson Dawson, Peggy Jones<br />
Yeadon, Winnie Langley Allen and<br />
Fred Allen; second row, Carolyn<br />
Morris, George Hurst, Barbie<br />
Brown Hurst, Anne “Popie” Hill<br />
Seay, Ann Shell Watkins and Phil<br />
Watkins; third row, Marianne<br />
Mitchell Adams, Dorothy O’Bryant<br />
Sosebee, Jackie Linn Jones,<br />
Shirley Hinton Jackson, Betty<br />
Moss McGuirt, Virginia Turner<br />
Clifton and Carolyn Bradley; fourth<br />
row, Ralph Johnson, Judy Greer,<br />
Carolyn Briscoe, Virginia Langford<br />
Koester, Eugene Koester, Milton<br />
McGuirt, Richard Clifton and Jim<br />
Jackson.<br />
Below right, the <strong>LaGrange</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
Memorial Service was held Oct.<br />
28 in the Chapel to remember<br />
members of the <strong>LaGrange</strong> family<br />
who have passed away since last<br />
Homecoming.<br />
Bottom right, the late Josh Fonner’s father, mother and sister<br />
(Fred, Penny and Jessica) participate in a ceremony that<br />
honored Josh just before the game. Josh, who played football<br />
for the Panthers last year, died in a car accident on Oct. 21.<br />
Below, Jessica Fonner grasps a handful of balloons. Fortythree<br />
(Josh’s jersey number) were released before the game.<br />
16 COLUMNS, Winter 2007