An outspoken, longtime leader with the Kentucky Conference for Community and Justice (KCCJ) calls Georgetown College and President Bill Crouch “change agents for the nation as well as the South.”

“I almost feel like Martin Luther King Jr. is saying this is the kind of change institutions need to inspire students and open up a field of opportunities for a lifetime,” said Debra Hensley, board co-chair of the non-profit KCCJ.

Hensley challenged – a favorite word of the KCCJ, as it seeks to speak out and raise awareness – Georgetown College to continue embracing change as President Crouch accepted a 2007 Lauren K. Weinberg Humanitarian Award at the annual banquet April 19 at Lexington’s Marriott Griffin Gate Resort. Three individuals – Chester and Ann Grundy, who helped create and sustain Lexington’s Roots & Heritage Festival and Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, as well as UK’s Spotlight Jazz Series; and the well-known Habitat volunteer Pat Smith, who died in the crash of Comair flight 5191 – also received Weinberg awards.

This small social justice organization has been recognizing individuals and a handful of organizations or institutions since 1950 for embodying its vision of an equitable world that accepts the full and equal worth for all human beings. Arguably, their annual awards are central Kentucky’s most meaningful because they reward those who dare make a difference in the face of apathy and/or adversity – and not merely donors to the organization. In 1993, the (then) Bluegrass chapter of the National Conference of Community and Justice renamed their annual awards in honor of their passionate executive director of 13 years who died far too young of cancer at age 48. Today, the KCCJ seeks to collaborate with other social justice organizations.

“Lauren would have been especially glad for Georgetown because it personifies what she, the KCCJ and the (national) NCCJ stood for – the efforts to diversify and expose students to different people and ideas,” said Simone Salomon, who was recruited by Weinberg as a volunteer more than 25 years ago and served as interim director and board chair after her death.

Salomon said President Crouch explained to her that the campus isn’t as diverse as his young people need for success in the wider world because most of Georgetown’s student body comes from in-state. “This attitude takes courage,” she said.

Georgetown’s initiatives that impressed KCCJ include:

• the “pull through” scholarships the College has announced for five middle school children in the Baptist Church of Bracktown’s Black Male Working Academy
• the partnership with Bishop College alumni, which will include a building on Georgetown’s campus, pull-through scholarships and a business leadership program
• finessing the new working relationship with the Kentucky Baptist Convention in a amicable way

The above are merely the new pieces to the puzzle; President Crouch actually has been laying ground work for years – including formation of our Underground Railroad Research Institute and the partnership with the four national Black Baptist Conventions summer before last.

Sandy Canon, honorary dinner chair for the April event, helped Crouch and a committee with the language for the College’s current diversity statement four years ago that is intended to position Georgetown for Phi Beta Kappa status. “I thought then – wow! No other faith-based institution has done this,” she recalled.

Canon said she’d never forget Crouch telling her: “This is going to be tough, but it’s the right thing to do – it’s the right thing for the students to bring the world to them and prepare them for what’s next.”

Neither will she forget the look on Crouch’s face when she got to spring news of the award in front of all our trustees at the April meeting. “He was moved – the board was moved….they gave him two standing ovations,” said Canon, crediting Georgetown trustee Mike Scanlon – a former KCCJ board member – for arranging the surprise.

Lexington attorney Reggie Thomas, the other co-chair of KCCJ’s board, says Georgetown College must continue to be innovative if it truly wants to make a difference and do its part to eradicate racism. For true diversity, he would next have the College focus on the recruitment of faculty and administration – as well as other areas of personnel such as athletic staff and student life.

“We live in a society where you cannot say there is a dominant culture – and that’s what makes American rich,” Thomas said.

“The more exposure to different kinds of people, the more successful (Georgetown) students will be as they move through life.”

If you’ve been to any of your alma mater’s alumni events in recent years, you’ve heard coach-turned-cheerleader Mike Calhoun proclaim Georgetown’s graduates “the best in the world.” He believes it.

For the last six months though – as the alumni association director looked ahead to another 50th class reunion at commencement, there’s extra fervor in Calhoun’s voice for the Class of ’57. “It’s an extraordinary class – both in terms of what they’ve done with their lives and their loyalty to the school,” Calhoun said.

He couldn’t pick the usual two-to-four candidates to sound the call for May 11-12. So he named – it seems – at least a baker’s dozen.

That alone could bring “home” a record number of golden-agers. But, “there was a rare closeness in this – I think – the largest class up to that time,” said legendary GC historian Kitty Taylor, who will attend HER class’s 50th celebration after helping the College orchestrate so many others.

“We still care a lot for each other,” said Janet Nash, a cheerleader all four years and co-Belle of the Blue with Kitty Kelly Galloway in ’54. She says that famed Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille selected the co-winners from photographs that year. Incidentally, that was the first of four straight years that ’57 classmates were crowned Belle – with Martha Yocum Lytle, Edwina Wehrmeyer Fields and Zane Cohen following in 1955-57.

“Georgetown gave each of us just enough guidance to develop into the type of individuals that could make our dreams become a reality,” Nash said.

Bill and Ann Marshall, co-directors of our Marshall Center the past decade, spoke in amazement of the number of Georgetown couples who are still their friends. “We chose well,” chuckled Alice, a former Sigma Kappa president.

“Also, there was a spiritual sensitivity present that may have contributed to the loyalty in this class,” Bill added. He pointed out there were a significant number of Christians on the sports teams, a strong campus minister, an “unusual team” of dorm mothers and popular Bible teacher George Redding. “All that combined to make Georgetown a special experience.”

Rachel King first cited the Georgetown couples she still sees at Lexington’s Calvary Baptist – Frank and Rita Penn, Ken and Barbara Pinchback, Mike and Judy Adams, and Bob and Zane Cohen. Rachel, who was on our board of trustees when Bill Crouch was named president, said “I am most pleased – he’s definitely a visionary.”

Regulars at significant Georgetown College events, the Cohens reflected that so many in their class had similar backgrounds. “Most of us came from middle income families with the same values and we just melded,” Zane said.

“But, that’s not all good in today’s world – the diversity wasn’t there,” said Zane, adding that she and her trustee husband appreciate President Crouch’s attempts to open the College to a wide variety of races and cultures.

At Georgetown College’s Academic Honors Day, Provost Rosemary Allen introduced her three senior choices for the 2007 Dean’s Honor Awards – Sarah Stamper of Bethel, OH, left; Brittany Pappas of Mechanicsburg, PA; and Adam Glover of Glasgow, KY. Stamper, a Chemistry and Environmental Sciences major, will be an industrial chemist with Pittsburgh Plate Glass in Cincinnati after graduation May 12. Pappas, an Economics and German double major and Mathematics and History double minor, is one of GC’s record three Fulbright Scholars (see related story); she will teach English next year in Germany. Adam Glover, a Philosophy and Spanish double major and Classics minor, will teach English this summer at Colegio Bautista, Georgetown’s high school partner in Temuco, Chile, then pursue his Master’s in Hispanic Studies at the University of Kentucky this fall.

When the Georgetown College Tiger Symphonic Band closes out its “Viva la Grrr… 2006-07 season with the Annual Spring Concert Thursday night (April 26), prepare to be moved.

Student composer and trombone soloist Jon Myers plans to give patrons chills with his world-premiere of Jon’s Tune. “In many ways it represents my own life experiences – a bit of heartache, a bit of happiness, a bit of joy, a bit of sadness,” said the senior from Mayfield. “I hope that people will get goose bumps as they listen to the tune, remembering that life is glorious, even with the heartaches.”

Tiger Band Director Pete LaRue said, “Trust me – you shall get goose bumps and you will be in awe of the genius and sensitivity represented in this moving, bittersweet composition.”

LaRue’s exhilarating program in John L. Hill Chapel also includes Godzilla Eats Las Vegas by Eric Whitacre. “You’ll have to see and hear this to believe it – and still you might not believe this barn-burner,” he said. The free concert begins at 8 p.m.

As for Myers’ piece, Jon’s Tune came together more like one man building a barn – with organizing the song on his keyboard beginning last summer and finishing the layout in December. “I used a recording program on my computer to help compose the piece,” said Myers, who started writing the parts for the band over Christmas break. “Because my keyboard can simulate the sounds of every instrument in the band, I could use it and my multi-track recording program to hear what the piece would sound like well before the band ever played through it.”

Hardest, he said, was making sure the range of the parts corresponded to the ranges of the instruments. “You don’t want to give someone a part that is too high or too low for them to play),” he explained. “But, I didn’t force anything – it just came together.”

His life after Georgetown College is starting to come together as well. This fall he will marry Bardstown’s Kelsey Rowe, an ’06 Georgetown graduate who is pursuing a career as a speech pathologist – undoubtedly one of the “bits of joy” you’ll hear in Jon’s Tune. A Philosophy major and a Music and Chemistry double minor, Myers plans to apply for medical school.

But, he will devote this first summer out of school to his music. “I plan on doing some recording and trying to get my music ‘out there’,” said the son of Robert and Melissa Myers of Mayfield. “I’ve written several country songs, pop-rock songs, and hip hop beats, and would like to market them to mainstream artists. I would also like to compose more music for band.”

Thursday evening’s event will end with several other moving traditions, including the
Tiger Symphonic Band’s rendition of “The Old Scottish Melody” (as arranged by Charles Wiley) while a special video is shown. The concert will conclude with the announcement of the Outstanding Band Scholar of the Year and two other special Tiger Band awards.

Immediately following the concert, Band Scholars, their families and friends are invited to a reception in the Chapel lobby – celebrating the senior Band Scholars and the 162nd year of bands at Georgetown College, the oldest college or university band program in Kentucky.

Only a year ago, Georgetown College celebrated a first – two seniors receiving Fulbright Scholarships, the prestigious teaching-abroad awards named for the powerful, late Sen. J. William Fulbright and funded by the United States Department of State.

Breaking that record in 2007 are seniors Jordan Yeager, Sarah Sebastian and Brittany Pappas – the College’s 15th-17th Fulbrights since 1990. They’ll be teaching English in Spain, Hong Kong and Germany, respectively, for the 2007-08 school year.

“We see Georgetown moving up. Three is a pretty impressive number of grantees for a small school,” said Jody Dudderar, assistant director for U.S. student programs at the Institute of International Education. Approximately 1,400 Fulbright scholarships are awarded with housing, stipend and salary included. About 20 percent are still to be named for this year, but last year, Centre College and Berea College were the only other Kentucky independents with Fulbright Scholars – one each.

Even though Provost Rosemary Allen had her fingers crossed and lips sealed about their chances, she’s not surprised by the momentum that’s been growing at Georgetown. “As students witness what recent graduates have done, they are prepared to give it a try themselves,” Dr. Allen said. “The success of these three is testimony to the ambition, determination and quality of our student body.”

“I’m particularly pleased at how diverse these three students are in their interests,” Allen continued. She also noted that all have had life-changing experiences at Georgetown, emboldening them for the future.

Sarah Sebastian

The senior Biology major from Lancaster (KY) claimed a two-week, summer departmental trip to Belize in ’04 for a Tropical Biology course best prepared her for what lies ahead.

“I had to learn to be flexible, to be tolerant of cultural differences and to be willing to try and do new things,” said Sarah, who’s also a double minor in Chemistry and Psychology. That flexibility was tested when she learned she’s going to Hong Kong instead of South Korea – like ’06 Fulbrights Katie Dale (with whom she’s communicated) and Melinda Hall.

Sarah has also taken advantage of several Christian Leadership Scholarship mission trips and retreats. Though she’s not part of the program, Philosophy professor Roger Ward calls her an “honorary member. “Dr. Ward was a great influence,” she said. “In his Vocations seminar, I was constantly evaluating decisions and motives in my life.”

Said Dr. Allen, “I’m so proud of Sarah because as a ‘sciences’ major she’s going outside her comfort zone to teach English in China. But, this will make her stand out when she applies to med school.”

Since she plans to be a pediatrician and starting a family in 10 years, Sarah hopes to work or volunteer for a children’s hospital while in Hong Kong. A Dean’s List student, she is waiting for her last summer’s work with the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research to be published. She will graduate magna cum laude May 12 with a 3.75 GPA.

Jordan Yeager

Spanish and Education double major and English minor, the senior from Somerset has been on The Georgetonian newspaper staff since his sophomore year (copy editor, opinion page editor, managing editor). And, he was in concert choir for seven semesters until he had to give it up for student teaching – first at Scott County High and now Lexington’s Maxwell Elementary, the only Spanish-immersion school in Fayette County.

“He’s made a big impact with us,” said Mel Oldham ’68, a kindergarten teacher at Maxwell who has her rank one from Georgetown College. “His Spanish accent is so good. We thought he’d been to Peru for six months…but it turned out he was there only a week. We wish we could keep him!”

“We’ll remember Jordan for bringing in the music and teaching my kids to Salsa dance,” said Laura Prather, his Spanish 1 and 2 supervising teacher at Scott County earlier this semester. “They were out dancing in the halls for the other teachers!”

For someone who’s wanted to be a Spanish teacher since he arrived four years ago, teaching English in Madrid is ideal for him. In typical Jordan fashion, he said, “Ideally, I will settle down with a rich, attractive Spanish woman and live in Spain the rest of my life. In the unlikely event it doesn’t work out that way, I’d like to be a Spanish or ESL teacher somewhere in Kentucky.”

“Jordan’s completely fearless…will try anything,” Dr. Allen said. “I was immediately entranced by his humor, maturity and intelligence. I would’ve adopted him.”

Jordan, who will graduate summa cum laude, he’s made Dean’s List all four years and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

Brittany Pappas

A senior from Mechanicsburg, PA, she studied in Germany four weeks with the KIIS program in 2004. She got a sneak peek at the Fulbright experience when she visited Georgetown’s 12th Scholar, Michael Puglisi, at his assignment in Luedenscheid (north of Berlin) during her spring break from the College’s Oxford University partner, Regent’s Park, last year. And, she’ll take two intense German courses in Freiburg, Germany to complete a second major before teaching English to German high school students this fall.

A 2005 winner for Georgetown in Accounting Principles at the Phi Beta Lamba National Leadership Conference, Brittany plans to pursue a Master’s in Economics (her other major) or Financial Economics (she’s a Math minor).

“Brittany is a blend of poise, intelligence and intellectual adventurousness,” Dr. Allen said. “She puts learning above the importance of grades.

“Nothing surprises me about Brittany, who came here destined for success.”

But, her pet project during her Fulbright year may surprise – unless you knew she’d been home-schooled. “I’m helping promote making home-schooling a legal parental choice in Germany,” said Brittany, who has contacted the director of The Network for Freedom in Education and hopes to talk to German government officials to see where all this could lead.

“Surely, in 10 years, I’ll be home-schooling one or two of my children, and of course, teaching them German,” she said.

A President’s Ambassador and a recent inductee into Phi Kappa Phi honorary society, she will graduate summa cum laude with a 3.975 GPA.