THE TALON

A grip on news in the Huntingdon College Community

March 30, 2023

WHAT’S NEW?

Hawking to the Finish

This is it! The final three weeks of spring term, and for some, the final three weeks of undergrad. Get ready for LOTS of meetings, events, and celebrations (and, of course, tests, papers, and studying). Remember that as the semester ends you’ll turn in your books at the Scarlet & Grey Shop and go through all of the normal check-out procedures for residence halls, mail keys, etc., so put all of that on your radar now. Pace yourself and finish strong.

Author Tim Tyson Speaks for Ellison-Chapman Benson Symposium

Huntingdon will welcome civil rights historian Dr. Timothy Tyson, senior research scholar at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and adjunct professor of American studies at the University of North Carolina, as the lecturer for the College’s Ellison-Chapman Benson Symposium, Thursday, April 13, 6:00–7:00 p.m., in the College’s Delchamps Recital Hall, Smith Music Building. Dr. Tyson is the author of multiple award-winning books, including “Blood Done Sign My Name,” a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, and “The Blood of Emmett Till,” a National Book Award longlist book. A book-signing will follow the lecture with books available for purchase, cash or check only. The event is open to the public.

Way More than Books

Houghton Memorial Library will present a panel of faculty who are published authors for the event, “How to Become a Published Author,” Tuesday, April 18, 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Library Atrium. Interested writers are welcome to come, both from the College and from the public. Earlier this month, the Library partnered with the History Club, College Democrats, College Republicans, and the Department of History and Political Science to offer a speaker on the Ukraine/Russia Conflict earlier this month, featuring Dr. Andrew Akin, associate professor of national security studies at the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base. This event was followed by a Zoom on Cybersecurity with Dr. Mikiba Morehead, a consultant with TNG Consulting.

It’s All Greek to these Hawks

During the March 13 Greek Awards ceremony, the following awards were bestowed:

• Academic Programming: Lambda Chi Alpha and Chi Omega
• Alumni Relations: Lambda Chi Alpha and Phi Mu
• Campus Involvement: Sigma Phi Epsilon and Phi Mu
• Community Service: Sigma Nu and Alpha Omicron Pi
• Innovative Program: Lambda Chi Alpha and Alpha Omicron Pi
• Interfraternity/Panhellenic Council Award: Sigma Nu/Chi Omega
• Programming: Sigma Phi Epsilon, Chi Omega
• Service Commitment: Lambda Chi Alpha and Alpha Omicron Pi
• Faculty Member of the Year: Bria Rochelle-Stephens ’18, Instructor of Religion
• Outstanding Chapter Adviser: Christina Marquart Akins ’06, Chi Omega
• Overall Chapter of Excellence: Lambda Chi Alpha
• Staff Member of the Year: Shaina Jones, ARAMARK Campus Dining Services
• Future Sorority Leader: Haley Sutherland ’26
• Greek Woman of the Year: Brooke Stefankiewicz ’24
• Future Fraternity Leader: Dawson Farni ’26
• Greek Man of the Year: Jack Young ’24

Mental Health Awareness Club Offers MHA Week

The Mental Health Awareness Club, under adviser Dr. Latonya Graham, director of counseling services, will host a week of events in April to make mental health a top-of-mind priority. See the Upcoming Dates and Deadlines section and watch for more information as these events are announced.

SGA Elections Approaching

The dates for SGA elections loom. Here is the timeline:

• April 3 – Election for SGA Executive and Judicial Offices
• April 4 – Runoff (if necessary) for SGA Executive and Judicial Offices
• April 5 – Qualifying begins for SGA Legislative Offices
• April 12 at 4 p.m. – Qualifying ends for SGA Legislative Offices
• April 17 – Election for SGA Legislative Offices
• April 18 – Runoff (if necessary) for SGA Legislative Offices
• April 20 – Terms begin for all newly elected SGA Executive, Judicial and Legislative Officers

Who Earns the Crown?

Thirteen Huntingdon women will vie for the crown and title of Miss Huntingdon at this year’s pageant, Saturday, April 1. The pageant will include the usual categories of poise, evening gown, casual dress, interview, and the renamed category of self-expression, allowing contestants whose talents may be in areas other than those normally identified with the word “talent” to communicate their gifts more readily. We wish all of the contestants a warm “Hawk ’em!” The pageant is at 7:00 p.m. in Ligon Chapel and all are welcome to attend.

Sports Talk

Composite Sports Schedule

• Baseball: 2023 Schedule The bats are flying at Posey Field as the Hawks stand at 13-8 this season with 16 regular season games to go. COLIN WHIBBS ’23 earned CCS Player of the Week March 6 for going 7 for 11 from the plate in the Hawks’ three-win weekend of games. He also recorded his 100^th career hit in game one of that weekend.
• Basketball 2022–2023 Schedules: Men; Women Huntingdon welcomes ZAC RICHARDS, former assistant men’s basketball coach at Birmingham-Southern College, as head men’s basketball coach for the 2023–2024 season.
• Beach Volleyball: Schedule The beach team has earned a smashing 16-9 record this spring. We hope they Hawk ’em at the AVCA D3 National Championships, April 15–16.
• Football: CLAY SIPPRELL ’23 has been awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship for the 2023–2024 academic year. He is the second Huntingdon student to win the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and will pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree next year. (DYLAN BOHLING ’22, men’s basketball, was the first student to receive the scholarship.) Joining the football coaching staff this month were CHAEL PRIDGEN ’17, offensive line coach, and RYAN WHITE ’14, defensive backs coach.
• Golf: 2022–2023 Schedules: Men; Women The men’s golf team finished third in the 15-team Wynlakes Intercollegiate Tournament hosted by the Hawks last weekend. GRANT GRONKA ’23 finished second individually. Earlier this month, the team finished 11^th at Jekyll Island, while the women’s team finished in the 20^th position; and 2^nd at Savannah Harbor, where the women finished in 11^th The men will compete in the CCS Conference Championship tournament April 16–18. The women’s team has one more tournament before the USA South Championship Tournament April 25–26.
• Lacrosse: Schedules:  Men; Women Give it up for midfielder GAGE KETTLEWELL ’26, who has earned Rookie of the Week honors twice this season, and face-off specialist BRENNON MADONIA ’25, Defensive Player of the Week three times this season. The men’s team stands at 5-5, 1-1 in conference, with two of their losses by only one point and all of their wins by decisive margins. The women’s team has struggled this season but has more than half of their contests left to play in the month of April.
• Softball: What a great season for the Hawks! Currently at 19-5, 3-1 in the CCS, four players have been called out for conference honors since the last Talon. KAMRYN MILLER ’26 earned CCS Rookie of the Week recognition March 27 after going 7 for 11 at the plate in 4 contests (including 3 team wins) during the weekend prior. On March 13, after double-header wins over Emory, JORDAN HOLMAN ’24 was named CCS Player of the Week for the second time this season after going 5 for 8 at the plate, batting 4 doubles and a homerun, scoring 5 runs, and driving in 9 runs; and MADDIE GRACE HUBBARD ’26 was named Rookie of the Week after going 6 for 8 at the plate with 4 runs and 2 runs driven in. BROOKE COOPER ’24 pitched 12 innings, allowing 10 hits and 3 runs in the Hawks’ contest against Mt. St. Joseph, earning her Pitcher of the Week honors February 27. Schedule
• Tennis: Schedules: Men; Women Both tennis teams enjoyed wins against LaGrange College February 17 and March 18, and the women’s team defeated Agnes Scott March 1. Other matches haven’t gone the Hawks’ way this month. Both teams travel to Maryville this weekend.
• Track and Field: Schedules: Men; Women The track teams have competed in six meets this spring, with three contests remaining before the CCS Championships, April 27–28. BREANNA SMITH ’24 set new school records in the 10000m and 5000m events (besting a 5000m record she set in an earlier meet in March) and CADEN HOWARD ’26 set a new school record in the 100m during the Falcon Classic at Montevallo. JALYN LEWIS ’24 set new school records in the 200m Dash and 400m Hurdles and the WOMEN’S 4X4 RELAY TEAM set a new school record at the CAU Panther Invitational.  

HAWKStars

• Students from the Departments of Sport Science and Physical Education and Athletics hosted a bracket of the Alabama Special Olympics Basketball Tournament March 10 in Roland Arena. The partnership was developed by the Ability Sport Network 12 years ago for the purpose of enhancing the lives of Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes through a mutual learning experience; providing a platform for recognition of Special Olympics athletes and Division III student-athletes within their communities; and raising awareness of Special Olympics, its programs and services.
• AUSTIN ARMSTRONG ’15 is the new defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators.
• SIDNEY CAROL HALL BARNHARDT ’19 has joined the marketing team for The Shoppes at EastChase, which is headed by SUZANNA WASSERMAN EDWARDS ’05.
• COLEMAN COSGROVE ’06, his wife, EMILY WEBSTER COSGROVE ’07, and their daughter, Amelia, have moved back to Auburn, Ala. Coleman is a psychiatrist for a company in Huntsville, Ala., and Emily manages a family business.
• DAN BAILEY ’64 and JUDY JOHNSON BAILEY ’65 were honored with the establishment of the Johnson-Bailey Spirit of Social Work Award by the ACSW Conference (Academy of Certified Social Workers) in spring 2023. Dan’s sister, JEANNE BAILY GAMBLE ’65, writes, “Judy and Dan were outstanding students at Huntingdon in psychology, social work, and history and continued to spread their learning after graduation. This award in their name is a perfect tribute.”
• B. DAVIS ’23 has been awarded the KPMG Master of Accounting with Data Analytics (MADA) Program Scholarship for study at Alabama State University.
• The former JOSH JOHNSON ’14, who has changed his name to J.B. SOMERS, is a contestant on this season of The Voice on NBC. J.B. is a former music minister and current recording artist in Nashville. He is working with coach Kelly Clarkson
• NICOLE DUFF KIMBROUGH ’08 and her husband, Jarvis, welcomed daughter Farah Janelle, Feb. 23, 2023.
• MICHAEL LAMBERT ’20 and his wife, Emily Grace, welcomed a son, Wilson Michael, March 9, 2023.
• The late ALICE LEE ’32, sister of NELLE HARPER LEE ’45, was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame this spring. An attorney in Monroeville, Ala., she managed her sister’s affairs and practiced law into her nineties. Born Sept. 11, 1911, she died in November 2014.
• Former offensive line coach ADAM MANN ’19 has joined the football coaching staff at the University of South Alabama.
• MALIK MARBLE ’18, a math teacher at Northside High School, was honored with the Kinetic Credit Union Golden Apple Award in February, presented by Channel 3 News in Columbus, Ga.
• PHILIP NEAL ’14 married Lindsey Miller, Feb. 25, 2023.
• LINDSEY HINCKLEY OLIVER ’08 and her new husband, Lee Ritchie (married March 26, 2022), have relocated to Carrollton, Ga., where she teaches English and coaches speech and debate for Carrollton High School. She earned her Education Specialist degree from the University of West Georgia in in December 2022.
• VIVIAN SCOTT ’23 has been accepted to the University of Tennessee graduate program in rhetoric and composition and offered full tuition and an assistantship for her studies.
• REBECCA JORDAN SHIPPEN ’12 and her husband, John, live in Auburn, Ala., with their twins, Charlotte and Luke. Rebecca completed her Master of Education degree at Auburn University in December 2022 and serves as the administrator of student recruiting and enrollment management for the Auburn University Honors College.
• GRANGER SHOOK ’09, who has served as head football coach at Trinity Episcopal School for three years, has been named head football coach for Pike Road School.
• HAYDEN SNEED ’16 married Payton Tonore, Feb. 18, 2023.
• Huntingdon welcomes JANE STRADER as College receptionist and a member of staff in the Office of Admission. Jane is the wife of new assistant football coach CHAEL PRIDGEN ’17.
• CHIP TAYLOR ’18 and his wife, Alyson, welcomed a daughter, Louise Adair, March 1, 2023.
• AARON TRIPLETT ’17 and his wife, Jade, welcomed a son, Luke Harrison, Feb. 28, 2023.

Prayers and Sympathy

• PATRICIA “PAT” PRESLEY BLEVINS ’67 died Feb. 25, 2023, in Orange Beach, Ala.
• CHERYL ANDEREGG LUMLEY ’68, a career educator in Snellville, Ga., died March 5, 2023. We extend sympathy to her family and to her three best friends from Huntingdon, JUNE GAY, SARAH GAIL HYTOWITZ, and NELDA LANE.
• NIMROD THOMPSON FRAZER ’54 died March 7, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. A powerful business leader in Montgomery, Rod earned his MBA from Harvard Business School after graduating from Huntingdon, and after serving in the military he founded, with Clifford Lanier, the Frazer Lanier Company and later Industrial Properties. He later joined Enstar as crisis chairman and CEO, moving it from $120 million in negative net worth to $23 million in the black. He was a published author and served on numerous community boards. A faithful and generous Huntingdon supporter, he was a member of the Order of the Countess of Huntingdon, the President’s Club, and the Huntingdon Society.
• The Huntingdon Family extends condolences to trustee FRED FROST ’81 on the death of his mother, Janet Frost, February 18, 2023.
• PAUL W. MILES passed away Feb. 14, 2023, in Montgomery. He was a long-standing friend and supporter of Huntingdon. We extend condolences to his family, including his wife, Mary, and his grandson, ALEX VAINSTEIN ’20, a member of the Houghton Library staff.
• BETTY “BEEBE” MERRILL PHILLIPS ’64 died Feb. 23, 2023, in Montgomery. She was predeceased by her husband, CHARLES “CHICK” PHILLIPS ’61.
• CLAIRE FLOWERS VARNEDOE THOMAS ’56 died Feb. 9, 2023, in Thomasville, Ga.
• The Huntingdon family mourned the passing of DR. ALLEN TUBBS, a retired member of faculty in the Department of Biology, who died February 23, 2023. Tubbs was a gentle soul with a dry sense of humor and a ready smile and laugh, and he mentored hundreds of Huntingdon science students during his years of teaching. He will be missed.
• Our thoughts and prayers are with SHARON and JILL TUCKER, archivist and assistant archivist for the College and for the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, upon the death of Sharon’s husband and Jill’s father, The Rev. Frank Tucker, March 10, 2023.
• Our thoughts and prayers are with trustee KEN UPCHURCH on the death of his father, WILLIAM KENDRICK UPCHURCH JR., March 23, 2023.
• MILTON A. “BUZZ” WENDLAND, husband of the late trustee DIANE SMITH WENDLAND ’53, father of trustee SUZIE WENDLAND RHODES ’80 and MARGARET WENDLAND MILLER ’95, and grandfather to MARGARET RHODES ’21, died March 11, 2023, in Autaugaville, Ala. The Wendland family established the Wendland Endowed Scholarship in 2021.
• We mourn the March 11 death and celebrate the life of JAMES W. WILSON III, son of James W. Wilson Jr., for whom the Wilson Gym is named; grandson of James W. Wilson Sr., for whom the Wilson Building is named; and brother to trustee WILL WILSON ’90, for whom the Will & Kelly Wilson Center is named.

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