McGee’s short one-act play, “The Engagement,” is about a young couple celebrating their engagement at a favorite restaurant with the young man’s widowed father. The young man is called away leaving his bride to be with his “communication challenged” father, but the young woman will not be ignored.

The Kentucky New Play Series selects two or three short plays of fifteen minutes in length or less by Kentucky playwrights for production each year at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville.

This year, three plays by Kentucky playwrights will be given their world premieres at the state fair on Monday, August 19. Selection of the three finalists will be made in early July, according to Bill McCann, KNPS producer.

Other 2013 semifinalists are Linda Caldwell, Somerset, “The Past is Not Past;” Gary Eldridge, Morehead, “The Beauty of Things;” Carol Mauriello, Olive Hill, “Rising from the Ashes;” and Tim Soulis, Lexington, “A Life in the Day of Bobby/Robert.”

Winning plays will be staged by the harriCYN Community Theatre of Cynthiana, Kentucky. Performances will be in the Heritage Hall Senior Room in the South Wing of the Fair and Exposition Center. The Senior Room is sponsored by Humana and the Louisville Department of Parks.

Bell earned his bachelor’s degree in education and master’s in education/counseling from Georgetown College. He received his doctorate in administration/supervision from the University of Kentucky in 2003.

As an educator, he taught and coached in the Lexington/Fayette Public Schools. He was Georgetown College athletic director (1998-2000) and interim athletic director at Eastern Kentucky University (2004-05).

Here is the full June 10, 2013, SEC release:

Birmingham, Ala. – Dr. Robert “Jake” Bell, a veteran college basketball official and conference coordinator, has been named Coordinator of SEC Men’s Basketball Officials, Commissioner Mike Slive announced today.

“We are pleased to have someone of Jake’s experience and background to lead the SEC’s men’s basketball officiating program.” Slive said. “His experience as an official and a coordinator will help guide an already solid officiating program. His appointment has the unanimous support of the conference’s 14 athletic directors and 14 head men’s basketball coaches.”

A long-time official in the SEC, he officiated in several conference tournaments as well as the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. Bell has served as the Coordinator of Basketball Officials for the Atlantic Sun Conference since 2006 and of the Southern Atlantic Association since 2012. He also worked as the Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials for the Mid-South Conference from 1996-2000.

“To be a part of the SEC again is a dream opportunity for me,” Bell said. “I feel so pleased to be part of such a great organization. My experience with the SEC dates back to the 1970s when Cliff Harper (former SEC Associate Commissioner) hired me to officiate in this league. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I look forward to getting started.”

Bell earned his Bachelor’s degree in Education (1965) and Master’s in Education/Counseling from Georgetown College. He received his Doctorate in Administration/Supervision from the University of Kentucky in 2003.

Brooklyn joined the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre’s Academy for Creative Excellence (ACE) after showing special talent in dance at an early age. There she appeared in several productions including the 2012 musical revue, “It’s a Grand Night for Singing!” She was also featured at the annual holiday sing-along concert “Alltech Holiday Celebration of Song,” where she was the lead vocalist on “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”

It was a year or so ago that Brooklyn began auditioning in New York City for such shows as “The Grinch” and “Godspell 2032.” In December, she received a call back to the Big Apple to audition for a swing role in the Broadway revival of “Annie.” She learned she was cast as the understudy to the actresses playing orphans Molly, Kate, Tessie, July and Duffy in January. She first appeared on stage as Kate on March 26 at the Palace Theatre.

Mom and dad are proud of Brooklyn’s ability in dance, voice and acting. We predict she will find a special place on stage at a future Tony Awards ceremony.

Alumnus and former football Tiger T.G. is now a regular commuter between Lexington and NYC. The former chief meteorologist for WKYT-TV in Lexington, he is devoting more time to family. Weather forecasting is still in his blood, however, so he is currently the “Weather Wizard” for the online news page KyForward.com. You can also follow his weather Tweets @TGWeather.

Assistant Director of Admissions Jeremiah Tudor

GEORGETOWN, KY – We know you’re proud to be a GC Tiger. Now show us!

We’re looking for photos of newly admitted students, current students, and alumni wearing their GC swag. We want to see your Tiger Pride – wearing (or holding) anything that says GC, just like assistant director of admissions Jeremiah Tudor is doing here.

Take a photo and send it to us. Individuals or groups; at home, on a vacation trip, wherever. Any setting is just fine!

Show everyone that you are a GC Tiger and proud of it!

Email your digital photo (highest resolution) as an attachment to alumni@georgetowncollege.edu. Tell us who you are along with when and where photo was taken.

Let’s have some Tiger Pride fun.

Special banner displayed on the Cralle Student Center, College Street, Georgetown.

GEORGETOWN, KY – Recently it was reported that a California teen has developed a super-capacitor that could lead to a 20- to 30-second phone charge. Then there was the story of a Louisville man who created Over, a very popular iPhone app which allows people to put text over photos.

That spirit of invention is just what sponsors hope to unleash in Kentucky’s youth at the inaugural Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs summer program, hosted on the Georgetown College campus June 9-29.

Announced in December by Governor Steve Beshear, the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) is a program that gives Kentucky high school students a hands-on opportunity to invent a product and create a business around it.

“Georgetown College is honoured to have been selected to be the host site for the first ever Governor’s School of Entrepreneurs in the Commonwealth,” said President Bill Crouch. “We are excited to have some of the most creative and energetic students in the state on our campus this summer.” Dr. Crouch added he looks forward to what they learn and develop.

Students selected for GSE will come ready to roll up their sleeves, work as a team, and create something that provides a real world solution.

GSE’s unique program brings teachers, schools, universities, graduate students, start-up technology companies, experienced entrepreneurs, scientists and engineers all together into a dynamic summer learning experience.

GSE selected students for the program by identifying those showing a passion for creating a product or idea and who possess a learning style that will thrive in a creative and innovative environment.

Limited to 50 participants, students will be grouped into small teams of no more than seven, based on their product idea or area of interest.

Each team will take an idea through the components of a business model — from product/service creation to customer engagement. Along the way, students will learn about company start-up and growth — from product development and design to production and operations to marketing, sales and revenue models. Students will engage in creative thinking and innovation, and learn the value of iteration, building a team, and leadership.

The program will include visits to area start-up companies, guest speakers, hands-on sessions with experts, field trips, and recreational activities. Teams will prepare their business models for “pitch day” when the teams will present their companies to a panel of investors. At the end, some teams may be ready to launch an actual company or product.

GSE faculty members are Raja Bhattacharya and Tom Welch.

A native of Kathmandu, Nepal, entrepreneurship is Raja’s passion and he is a successful serial entrepreneur and academician. At present, he is a faculty member with the Western Kentucky University Center for Entrepreneurship. His teaching areas of expertise lie in small business analysis and strategy, international entrepreneurship, small business management, innovation and creativity, venture financing, business planning, and social entrepreneurship.

Mr. Welch, now an independent consultant, is known around the country as an ardent revolutionary when it comes to the redesign of the learning process. Besides having taught an entrepreneurship course for high school students, he has been a high school French teacher, an English teacher, and a high school principal (East Jessamine, Nicholasville). As principal, he mandated that all administrators teach one class every day.

GSE organizers say that if Kentucky is to remain competitive in emerging economies driven by innovation, then talent must be developed early on and in a broad way. GSE aims to uncover young talent that traditional academic pathways may not draw out and hopes to stimulate and shape the next generation of leaders.

Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation (KSTC) will manage the three-week GSE program. The senior leadership team from KSTC includes Laurie Daugherty, Christine Wildes, and Liz Knapp. The GSE is patterned after the very successful Governor’s Scholars Program and the Governor’s School for the Arts.

Peter LaRue, Executive Director of Summer Program and Camps at Georgetown College, who was instrumental in securing the program, said, “It is a privilege and a pleasure for us to serve as the inaugural host site for GSE. It has been a delight to work with the KSTC team – planning and preparing this unique opportunity for these exceptional young people.”

Georgetown College was chosen for the inaugural program, selected through a competitive process, due to its reputation for innovation and broad experience in hosting successful summer programs for students, according to officials.

“Your program has met all of the nationally-recognized Standards for the Accreditation of Professional Athletic Training Programs,” wrote R. Mark Laursen, President of CAATE, in a letter to Georgetown College President Bill Crouch, dated May 20, 2013, adding, “The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education commends the faculty, staff, and administrators for your commitment to the advancement of quality education in Athletic Training, as well as your dedication to the preparation of highly qualified Athletic Training professionals.”

The Continuing Accreditation comes as a result of a comprehensive evaluation of GC’s Program, including a self-study and an on-site visit. Standards established by CAATE have the support of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Inc.

According to Mr. Laursen’s letter, the next comprehensive review of GC’s Athletic Training Program is scheduled to occur during the 2022-2023 academic year.

For more information on the Athletic Training Program in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies, contact the Office of Admissions. Toll free phone number: 800-788-9985.

Cyclists from all across the United States and Canada – as many as 1,500 – will headquarter in Georgetown to enjoy the beauty of springtime in the Bluegrass. Organizers promise the traditional Saturday Century route through both challenging and beautiful rolling Kentucky terrain.

Collectible pins will be given to those daring enough to ride the Century, climbing to the historic Jack Jouett House (“The Paul Revere of the South”) in Versailles, Kentucky. Other Saturday route options are 26, 35, 53, and 75 mile rides.

Sunday ride options include a 30 mile loop, a 50 miler that features a roll through the streets of Paris . . . Kentucky, or a 70-miler through the heart of the Bluegrass.

The Horsey Hundred is not a race; it is an opportunity for riders to share their cycling passion with the camaraderie of others in Kentucky horse country. This is a tandem friendly event with rolling hills and well maintained roads.

Online registration is $65 (by May 22). On-site registration is $90.

Many cyclists will reside on Georgetown College’s campus and be hosted by the College’s Summer Programs and Camps team.

GEORGETOWN, KY – Emotions ran high on a cloudy and cool morning as family and friends gathered this past Saturday on the lawn of Giddings Hall to watch members of the Class of 2013 receive their undergraduate degrees. A ceremony marking the beginning of the next stage in life’s journey for over 260 students, it was also Dr. Bill Crouch’s last Commencement after 22 years as President of Georgetown College.

President Crouch delivering the 2013 Commencement address

Dr. Crouch delivered the Commencement address, making his favorite Biblical passage one of the key tenets of his speech. Citing Proverbs 3:27 which reads “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to act,” President Crouch told students the verse was intended for each one of them as they go forward with their degree and the power with which they are enabled.

Set to retire on June 30 as Georgetown’s 23^rd president, Dr. Crouch congratulated the students on their liberal arts education, telling them they were prepared “for a life full of opportunities” through the lessons learned “in leadership, sacrifice, compromise, relationship and teamwork.”

Senior Speaker Evan Harrell challenging classmates

Middlesboro native Evan Harrell was chosen by his classmates to deliver the senior address. He urged fellow graduates to follow the Georgetown College motto of “Live. Learn. Believe.” Through numerous lighter comments and references to events mutually understood by students, he challenged them to “never stop . . . never stop learning, never stop changing, never stop growing.”

Another highlight of the ceremony was the annual presentation of the Don and Chris Kerr Cawthorne Excellence in Teaching Award. Established in 1988, it is the College’s highest recognition for teaching excellence. This year’s recipient was Rick Kopp, professor of Biology, described by a nominator “as a teacher who can convey . . .  warmth, respect, and encouragement to students with a single comment.”

Cawthorne Excellence in Teaching Award presented by President Crouch and Provost Allen

“The word that comes up again and again for this year’s winner is the word “love”—how he loves his job, loves his students, loves his subject, loves learning,” remarked Rosemary Allen, Provost, before presenting the award to one she described as truly kind, gentle and humble. “He loves challenging students in a difficult discipline and making THEM love it as much as he does. He values active hands-on learning, and he finds ways to speak to each student in a way that (the) student can understand.”

Natalie Jane Hymer, an Ecomomics/Spanish major from Louisville, received the President’s Award.

President’s Award winner Natalie Jane Hymer with President Crouch

“Natalie has proven to be active and involved in a variety of campus organizations, discovering the richness of diversity and the energy that comes from serving others,” said President Crouch in announcing the selection. “She has exemplified all that is right about being a Georgetonian and has shown impressive maturity, vision, and dedication throughout the years spent on campus. I am convinced that this year’s award winner will enjoy even greater success in the future as she helps change the world.”

Cheers and applause greeted graduates as they were announced and stepped forward to be congratulated by Provost Allen and handed the hard-earned diploma by President Crouch.

Photos: Wesley Folsom, Class of 2015

Classmates react to Senior Speaker Harrell’s remarks

President Crouch and Provost Rosemary Allen with Dr. John I. Durham, Baccalaureate speaker

GEORGETOWN, KY – Georgetown College’s Baccalaureate service held the evening before graduation offers a quieter, more intimate opportunity to pause and reflect on this rite of passage. Graduating seniors hear good advice from seasoned speakers and enjoy shared Biblical readings and messages in song. This year’s Baccalaureate speaker was Dr. John I. Durham, theologian and author.

In his remarks, Dr. Durham described how Elijah, Job, and Jesus visited places to learn, be challenged, but not to stay. He described Georgetown College as a place to learn, to graduate from, and move into the work God has for each one with the mystery of the Spirit and the vocation of God’s calling to serve one another.

Dr. Durham, now retired, has been a professor of religion and Old Testament theology at universities on several continents. He is author of The Biblical Rembrandt: Human Painter in a Landscape of Faith (Mercer University Press, 2004, 255 pages).

Georgetown’s ceremony is also a time for selected members of the campus family to be recognized for their dedication to Christ and exemplary service in His name. Each year, the College’s Marshall Center for Christian Ministry presents individual Christian Service Awards to a faculty member, a staff member, and a graduating senior nominated by the campus community. Each award is named for an outstanding Georgetown College alumnus and/or a former faculty or staff member.

Roger Ward, interim director of the Marshall Center, and President Crouch, present the Redding Faculty Award to Karyn McKenzie

The George Walker Redding Faculty Award, named for a 1927 alumnus who was a Bible professor at Georgetown College for 30 years, went to Karyn McKenzie, Professor of Psychology. A faculty member since 1996, Dr. McKenzie was described by one student nominator as “an incredible example of a life lived to serve, encourage, and inspire others.” Another said she is “one of the most compassionate, service-driven individuals that I have encountered. Her dedication to furthering the success of her students is phenomenal.”

Megan Lindsey Redditt ’04, assistant director of student wellness, received the Fendley Staff Award

Megan Redditt, Assistant Director of Student Wellness Center, was presented with the Kenneth Claiborne Fendley Staff Award. A 1949 alumnus, Fendley served Georgetown College for 30 years in public relations and fundraising. One of Megan’s nominators wrote that she “is an exemplary Christian servant on Georgetown’s campus. She has an optimistic, energetic presence, and goes above and beyond to ensure the health and flourishing of students, personally and professionally.”

The Norman and Martha Yocum Lytle Graduating Senior Award went to Betsie Phillips, a Magna Cum Laude Religion/Psychology major from Frankfort, Kentucky. The Lytle Award is named for 1957 graduates who spent a 34 year career as Baptist Missionaries in Israel and Russia. Of Ms. Phillips, a nominator described her as “easily one of the most involved students on Georgetown’s campus. [She] shows her Christian servant hood through attention and connection with others. She seeks to get to know and appreciate those around her, as well as develop her theological understanding and deepen her spirituality.”

Norman and Martha Yocum Lytle with Graduating Senior Award recipient Betsie Phillips

Each honoree was presented with a certificate, a monetary gift, and a huge “Thank you” on behalf of the Marshall Center and the Georgetown College family. Funding is provided by the families of these beloved Georgetonians for whom the awards are named.

Photos: Jim Allison; Wesley Folson, Class of 2015

As a result, the Committee voted today (May 9, 2013) to renew the search immediately with a second round of confidential interviews with leading existing applicants and, hopefully, schedule future campus visits as soon as possible.

The Committee remains very committed to a high-integrity process which will assure a strong, well-qualified leader for Georgetown College, one who has a strong consensus of support from the overall college community, and one who can further enhance the college’s outstanding reputation of high-quality programs and exceptional academics in a Christian environment.

The Committee would like to thank all those individuals that participated in the interview process for the first round of review and asks for future cooperation as the selection process continues. The desire is to maintain the balanced confidential/open process and the Committee will do everything within its power to protect confidential information and the well-being of persons that have pursued or will pursue the position.

Future updates on the Presidential Search progress will be provided in the weeks ahead.

Bachelor of Arts degrees are to be conferred on 136 students, while Bachelor of Science degrees will go to 122 students and Bachelor of Music Education degrees will be awarded to two students.

Commencement speaker is William H. Crouch, Jr., who is retiring on June 30 as the 23rd president of Georgetown College. The senior address will be given by Evan Harrell of Middlesboro, Kentucky.

While no honorary degrees are being awarded, the annual Cawthone Excellence in Teaching Award, established in 1988 by Don and Chris Kerr Cawthorne, will be presented to a full-time member of the Georgetown College faculty. The President’s Honor Award will also be presented by Dr. Crouch to a graduating senior.

In the event of rain on Saturday, Commencement will be held inside Davis-Reid Alumni Gym. A decision will be made early Saturday and posted on the College Web site, social media channels, etc. if the ceremony is to move to the gymnasium.

The Baccalaureate Service on Friday evening, May 10, at 7:30 in John L. Hill Chapel will feature a sermon by theologian Dr. John I. Durham. Christian Service Awards will be presented then also. These include the George w. Redding Award for Faculty, the Kenneth C. Fendley Award for Staff, and the Norman and Martha Yocum Lytle Award for a Graduating Senior.

Commencement events also include special recognition of members of the Class of 1963 who will reunite after 50 years with a dinner on Friday evening at the College’s Conference Center and breakfast on Saturday morning before attending the undergraduate commencement.

Categories include Outstanding Faculty Advisor, Outstanding Contribution to Student Life and Learning, the Rollie Graves Technology Award, and Top Tigers. Years of Service Pins are also presented.

Outstanding Faculty Advisory award recipients this year were Susan Bell, Professor of Psychology, and Eric Carter, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology. Recipients of the Outstanding Contribution to Student Life and Learning award were Sarah Cribbs, Assistant Professor of Sociology, and Faith Cracraft, Assistant Dean/Director for Academic Enhancement.

The Rollie Graves Technology Excellence Award, established in 1993, which comes with a cash prize, is sponsored by Douglas Graves (son) and Diane Graves Smith (daughter). Its purpose is to recognize innovative and effective uses of technology by faculty and staff to enhance learning and improve job performance. The Graves Award this year went to Christel Broady, Associate Professor of Graduate Education, and Jeremiah Tudor, Assistant Director of Admissions.

The Top Tigers program recognizes and rewards non-faculty employees in three distinct groups: Tiger Leaders, managers who directly supervise other employees; Caring Tigers, personnel in maintenance, grounds, and building service; and Tiger Supporters, who are chosen from among all other staff members.

This year’s Tiger Leader award winner was Grover Hibberd, Associate Vice President for Information Technology Services (ITS), who is retiring after 20 years. Grover was described as an excellent leader and communicator, especially to persons who are not “technical,” and as one who believes in customer service and in doing whatever he can to help employees meet their goals.

The Caring Tiger award went to Building Services Technician Tammy Moore, while the Tiger Supporter award was given to Bill Goins, Systems Programmer and CARS (data management) Coordinator in ITS.

Year of Service Pins were given to 17 individuals recognized for five years of service while six were honored for 10 years of service, seven for 15 years, three for 20 years, and one employee, electrician Donald Power, for 25 years as a Georgetown College employee.

Electrician Donnie Power received special recognition by President Crouch for 25 years of employment.

Tori Shover and Rachel Castillo, 2013 Fulbright Award recipients

GEORGETOWN, KY – Two graduating seniors have been notified they are 2013 Fulbright Scholars.

Victoria Lee “Tori” Shover, a Spanish and Elementary Education major from Louisville, Kentucky, and Rachel Ann Castillo, an English and Secondary Education major from Paducah, will spend the next year teaching English in Spain and South Korea, respectively.

Both Scholars are excited about their opportunity to travel abroad and plan to immerse themselves in learning about the local culture. The exact location for their teaching assistantships in each country will be determined at a future date.

These two awards bring to 28 the number of Georgetown College Fulbright recipients since 1989.

The Fulbright Program, established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then-Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” according to its Web site.

Georgetown College, the University of Kentucky, and Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) were selected to host the Training Institute by EducationUSA, a U.S. Department of State supported network of 400 advising centers around the world. The centers are based in embassies, university campuses and nonprofit organizations abroad, such as Fulbright commissions.

“The overall goal of the Training Institute is to provide accurate, up to date, information so the advisers can help international students, find the right opportunity,” said Carlton McLellan, senior manager for adviser professional development at the Institute of International Education.

EducationUSA holds three two-week Training Institutes a year in the U.S. The first week is held in Washington D.C. where the advisers attend workshops on leadership development and learn about the importance of a U.S. education and how it can promote diplomacy between the U.S. and other countries.

The second week of the Training Institute – held on UK, Georgetown and BCTC’s campuses through Friday – will cover international student experiences, admission processes, international student support services, financial aid and many other aspects of U.S. higher education.

“By hosting the EducationUSA Training Institute, Georgetown is able to give the advisers first-hand experience on a small, liberal arts college campus,” said Jason Snider, associate director of international student services at Georgetown College. “Not only does it help us better learn how to recruit international students to our campus, it allows the advisers to gain a more thorough understanding of a liberal arts education and what the Central Kentucky region has to offer.”

“Hosting the Training Institute is an opportunity share our expertise with the advisers – and I do believe we have a lot to offer – especially as a group of institutions,” said Audra Cryder, international representative for UK. “The insights and feedback from the international advisers will also help us improve our processes and meet the expectations of international students.”

According to Susan Carvalho, associate provost for international programs at UK, the Training Session is also a great opportunity to showcase the state of Kentucky to an international audience and show how UK, Georgetown College and BCTC provide a soft landing for their students and a high quality education.