Georgetown College

The Pawling Heritage Society of Georgetown College dinner-and-concert event – built around the March 7 Foust Artist Series show featuring the Sixties music of the Monarchs – just got better.

Members of the College’s Lyric Theatre Society – including seniors Ryland Pope of Harlan, Best Singer/Artist Overall at last fall’s National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) State Competition, and Lexington’s Jessie Rose Pennington, star of the independent film “Surviving Guthrie – will entertain at the dinner.

Pope will sing “When the Air Sings of Summer” from “The Old Maid and The Thief;” Pennington, who’s had the lead in numerous Maskrafters musicals, will perform “100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man” from “Wonderful Town.” Sophomores Michael Cannon of Stamping Ground and Madeline Gannon of Mount Sterling will sing “All Er Nuthin’” from “Oklahoma!”

Dinner and fellowship begin at 6 p.m. in the Hall of Fame Room, Cralle Student Center. Then at 8 p.m., the Louisville-based Monarchs will perform next door in John L. Hill Chapel.

The “package” is $23 per person (or $15 for dinner only). Call (502) 863-8041 by 5 p.m. Wednesday (March 4) for reservations. Concert-only tickets may be purchased at the door, $10 for adults; $8 for seniors, $5 for students.

Belle of the Blue Lindsay Conner, left, receives the crown from Chelsea Northrip

Junior Lindsay Conner, left, was crowned 2009 Belle of the Blue Saturday night in John L. Hill Chapel by reigning Belle and Sigma Kappa sister Chelsea Northrip of Lexington.

Conner, a top five finisher last year in this grandest of Georgetown College traditions, won the 60th scholarship pageant on her second try. A Show Choir performer all four years at Shelbyville (IN) High School, she sang Faith Hill’s “There You’ll Be” from the movie “Pearl Harbor” as her talent on Saturday.

First runner-up Arielle Evans, a freshman from Louisville, sang “Some Enchanted Evening” from the musical “South Pacific.” Second runner-up Rebecca Smith, a junior from Winchester, performed an interpretive ballet piece to “Before the Throne” by Shane and Shane. Smith also won Miss Congeniality and a $500 scholarship.

At ceremony’s end, the 2008 and 2009 Belles got to meet a number of past pageant participants on stage. Here, Chelsea Northrip, third from left, and Lindsay Conner posed with Becky Williams Hanson ’76, left, Ann Carlisle McCamy ’85, Zane Parke Cohen ’57 (and Belle of the Blue her senior year), Jo Lawless ’87 (Belle the same year), and Edwina Wehrmeyer Fields ’57 (Belle in ’56).

Several past participants brought “potential Tigers” with them. Lawless brought son Adam Badaracco, a sophomore at Louisville St. Xavier who attended the GC Football Camp last summer and (she e-mailed) “had a great time,

in large part due to my dear old friend, (assistant) Coach Bruce Owens.” McCamy brought her son Chris, a senior and baseball player at Lexington Christian Academy. Fields had with her grand-daughters Sophia and Savannah Fields and their mother Lynnell, a missionary in Honduras. “Phee” (Sophia), now 16 and home-schooled, will be a freshman when her GC sophomore sister is a senior.

2008 Belle of the Blue Chelsea Northrip, a senior from Lexington; 2009 Belle of the Blue Lindsay Conner, a junior from Shelbyville, INDIANA; first runner-up Arielle Evans, a freshman from Louisville, and second runner-up Rebecca Smith, a junior from Winchester. (Photo by Paul Atkinson/Rockledge Photography)

And, Becky Hanson, who perhaps travelled the furthest in the continental U.S. (Bloomington, Illinois), had college-age son Jordan with her.

Here’s more on this year’s winner and two runners-up – both of the latter being members of Phi Mu sorority:

Belle of the Blue Lindsay Conner

A serious scholar, she studied English Literature at Georgetown’s Oxford University partner Regent’s Park College in England fall semester (2008). “And, I’m thinking of applying for a Fulbright Scholarship my senior year,” said Lindsay, aware that 18 Georgetown students have been awarded a Fulbright since 1990 and taught abroad. This summer she (a Spanish minor) hopes to return to England and travel as well to Spain with friends she made at Oxford.

An English and Secondary Education double major, education is definitely in Lindsay’s blood. Both parents, Jim and Cindy Conner are elementary school principals in or near Shelbyville, south of Indianapolis. Lindsay will do her high school English student teaching in Spring 2010.

First Runner-Up Arielle Evans

As a freshman this fall, Arielle represented Kentucky in the National American Miss pageant at Disneyland in California during Thanksgiving week. An Honors graduate of Christian Academy of Louisville, she’s the daughter of Monte and Carmen Evans of the Lyndon area. She plans to major in Athletic Training and minor in Vocal Music and Spanish; and she’s already a member of Concert Choir and the new Lyric Theatre Society of Georgetown College. She’s a member of Phi Mu sorority, but represented Kight Hall.

2nd Runner-up Rebecca Smith

A Health Science major and Music minor from Winchester, she represented her Phi Mu sorority in BOTB. At Georgetown, she is a member of Creative Ministries, Campus Ministry Leadership Team, and Chorale, and is a student accompanist. A 2006 graduate of George Rogers Clark High School, she was a member of All-State Chorus 2004-06. Rebecca, a former Clark County Junior Miss Overall scholarship winner, is the daughter of Norman and Crystal Smith. She was also a student at Winchester’s Fara Tyree School of Dance for 14 years.

Feb. 19 – Matt Young ’96, left, gave a CEP talk – “Trying to Make Sense of a Messy Market: Can You Survive the Times” – that grabbed the attention of several hundred Georgetown College students who are concerned about the current global economic climate. He gave his take on U.S. President Barack Obama’s Stimulus Plan as well as the various bail-outs, but he also gave helpful hints for young people who are about to join the workforce and wanting to set themselves up for success.

Now a VP with West Virginia-based Horizon Financial Solutions, a company that stresses Christian principles in their business practices, Young said he hopes to return to his alma mater this spring and speak to students more about both the job market and “the pitfalls of debt.” Junior Lynnesy Rowland, president of the sponsoring Student Government Association, said “I’m not a Business major, but what (Matt) said I could certainly understand. It really helps those of us who are starting to apply for jobs after Georgetown.”

Above, Matt answered the questions of Cas Lane, a freshman Business major from Goshen, KY; Michael Clemons, a CLC/Spanish double major from Louisville, and president of the Senior Class; and Leah Babik, a French and Art double major/Political Science minor from Union, KY.

Matt returned to campus at the invitation of his Lambda Chi “big brother” James Koeppe, GC’s Director of Student Engagement. Matt was a President’s Ambassador as well as a member of the History Honorary Society and Greek Council. He is married to Ann Marie (Gordon) Young ’95 and they live in Hurricane, W.Va., with their daughter Caroline.

The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Georgetown College today with a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities.

Todd Gambill, Georgetown’s Vice President for Student Life & Dean of Students, said the honor is especially fitting for this college in today’s world. “Our mission references a desire to ‘prepare students for their place in society’,” Dr. Gambill said. “And hopefully community service opportunities are a way of preparing civic minded community members.”

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

The extensive community service done during Georgetown’s Freshman Orientation in August contributed heavily to this award for 2008. First-year students worked with over 25 locations to help those in need, including reading to disadvantaged children at Scroggins Park, participating in a Mock Rescue project with EMS and serving clients at Scott County’s Amen House.

“It was evident that many of our first-year students enjoyed their service projects during Orientation and even some mentioned their eagerness to give back to those in need in the future,” said Angela B. Taylor, Assistant Director of Student Activities & Greek Affairs.

“The Georgetown College community can be proud of our students for the work they have done to achieve this community service honor and recognition.”

“In this time of economic distress, we need volunteers more than ever. College students represent an enormous pool of idealism and energy to help tackle some of our toughest challenges,” said Stephen Goldsmith, vice chair of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees the Honor Roll. “We salute Georgetown College for making community service a campus priority, and thank the millions of college students who are helping to renew America through service to others.”

Overall, the Corporation honored six schools with Presidential Awards. In addition, 83 were named as Honor Roll With Distinction members and 546 schools as Honor Roll members. In total, 635 schools were recognized. A full list is available at www.nationalservice.gov/honorroll.

The Honor Roll is a program of the Corporation, in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is presented during the annual conference of the American Council on Education.

“I offer heartfelt congratulations to those institutions named to the 2008 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. College and university students across the country are making a difference in the lives of others every day – as are the institutions that encourage their students to serve others,” said American Council on Education President Molly Corbett Broad.

Recent studies have underlined the importance of service-learning and volunteering to college students. In 2006, 2.8 million college students gave more than 297 million hours of volunteer service, according to the Corporation’s Volunteering in America 2007 study. Expanding campus incentives for service is part of a larger initiative to spur higher levels of volunteering by America’s college students. The Corporation is working with a coalition of federal agencies, higher education and student associations, and nonprofit organizations to achieve this goal.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. The Corporation administers Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America, a program that supports service-learning in schools, institutions of higher education and community-based organizations. For more information, go to ww.nationalservice.gov.

Frankfort, KY (February 10, 2009)– Students across the commonwealth will have access to a Lincoln learning experience during the Lincoln Bicentennial this week, thanks to a partnership among several state agencies and organizations, including the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

Educational resources for Kentucky students include Lincoln-related lesson plans, an educational DVD, and a learning resource sheet specifically designed for the February 12, 2009 bicentennial.

“This is a great opportunity to educate our students about Kentucky’s Lincoln heritage as we honor the 200th anniversary of his birth,” said Kentucky Sen. Dan Kelly, co-chairman of the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. “Many Kentuckians have great pride in the fact that Lincoln was born here. These educational tools will allow future generations to understand the source of that pride.”

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), in cooperation with the Underground Railroad Research Institute at Georgetown College, created a network consisting of teachers across the state. Through this network, teachers created lesson plans and support materials for classroom use during the bicentennial. All lessons and units are in accordance with Kentucky’s content standards and are designed to be integrated into existing curricula. Lesson plans are available at Georgetown College’s Lincoln site or at KDE’s Lincoln site.

In addition, the Kentucky Historical Society, administrator of the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, provided and distributed printed learning resource sheets for more than 101,000 Kentucky fourth and fifth grade students, and Kentucky Educational Television (KET) provided DVDs to all Kentucky public schools. The 14-minute production, Lincoln: The Kentucky Years, includes segments from the KET documentary, Lincoln: I, too, am a Kentuckian, and other Lincoln-related productions.

Explore these Lincoln educational resources by visiting the KALBC school toolkit, or visit KET’s Lincoln page to view KET’s many Lincoln-related educational resources.

About Us

The mission of the KALBC is to commemorate, in conjunction with the National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, emphasizing Kentucky’s contribution to his thoughts and ideals, and to serve as a coordinator of statewide efforts to convey Lincoln’s Kentucky story and his legacy of freedom, democracy, and equal opportunity for all.

For more information about the Kentucky Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, visit www.kylincoln.org.

Contact

Laura Coleman
Lincoln Public Information & Marketing, KALBC
laura.coleman@ky.gov
502-564-1792, ext. 4419