St. Andrews Academics
“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” - Voltaire
Deborah Hawkins in Perspective
Caroline Mitchell
Professor Deborah Hawkins
is an Assistant Professor of
Philosophy and is in her first
year of teaching at SL Andrews.
Hawkins went back to school
as an adult to receive her B.A.
at California State University,
Northridge in 1993, her M.A.
at the University of California,
Irvine in 1998, and her Ph.D.
at the University of California,
Irvine in2003. ProfessorHawkins
has had about four years of
teaching experience and is really
excited to be working here.
What is your favorite thing
about St. Andrews?
1 applied for the position here
because of the school’s size.
With a school of this size, 1 get
to know all of the faculty and all
of my students. Also, this school
really supports interdisciplinary
teaching and studying, which
really important to
was
me.
Do you miss teaching classes
that you taught previously?
1 have never really missed any of
my old classes. They were fim
and 1 definitely enjoyed teaching
them, but starting over is fun, too.
1 get to do things differently here.
Was there a particular
person in your life who
led you to be a teacher?
From the very beginning of my
education, I was interested in how
people treated each other, which
led me to philosophy. Then,
during a meeting with my advisor,
he called me a philosopher, and
1 was shocked. This put the idea
in my mind that 1 could succeed
in the study of philosopny
and made me realize that
teaching could be a possibility.
What do you think the
school, or your department
in particular, could improve
upon?
Nothing specific, however, I do feel
that teachers need to stay awake to
the times and to the students’ needs
so that we can respond to them.
The world is always changing,
and we need to remember to
not get too stuck in our ways
and continue to change with it.
Philosophy is a large subject,
which area interests you the
most?
Well, as I said, I was always
interested in how people treat
each other and also in practical
philosophy. I really enjoy
social, political, and economic
philosophy because they seem
to be the most practical to me.
What ethical question is most
interesting to you?
The most interesting question to
me is what our view of human
beingsis. I believe that these views
of human beings influence the
way we treat each other socially,
politically, and economically.
Our class is very open for
discussions and questions. Is
this the way that you format
the majority of your classes?
Why do you think it is the best
way to teach?
I base my teachings on the way
that T would like to be taught.
However, more than that, 1 sense a
need in students today to really be
active in the learning process and
not just sit there and soak things
up. I think it is important for
your generation to see something
practical and relevant to their lives
in the ideas that I am trying to teach.
What is one thing you would
like for your students to take
away from your classes?
I want students to realize that they
need to be awake and thoughtful
to the people and things
around you. I also think it is
important to never stop learning.
Psychology Department
Provided by A1 Bardi
Five students and T have collected data from 290 St. Andrews students
and have developed a new scale called the Bachelor’s Degree Expec
tation Scale. The students are Renee Gubert, Chris Jones, Katherine
Meyer, Deihlia Nye and Hayley White. The title of the paper is What
Can 1 Get with a College Degree? Preliminary Psychometrics of the
Bachelor’s Degree Expectation Scale, and the paper will be presented
at the Carolinas Psychology Conference in Raleigh, NC on March 31st.
St. Andrews Academic Department News
History Department
Provided by David Herr
The History Department re
cently extended invitations
to pursue honors theses to
Jessica Potts, Patrick Shee-
gog, and Martin Kreshon.
Completing an honors the
sis in history is the highest
academic achievement for
history majors. Success
fully completing honors
in history is a multi-step
process. One must first
complete History 491 Hon
ors Seminar and develop
a thesis proposal. The De
partment permits students
who demonstrate appropri
ate preparation to enroll in
History 497 Honors Re
search, during the spring
semester of their senior
year. Upon completion of
a thesis the candidate must
successfully sit for an oral
defense of their research.
Senior Public History ma
jor Dan Dupree has been
an intern at the Museum
of the Cape Fear where he
has developed research for
new installations focused
on the Revolutionary War
and the pre-Revolution-
ary Regulator movement
Senior History major
Matt Hensley has been
interning with the De-
Tamble Library staff" as
he prepares for graduate
school in Library Science.
Senior James Varner is di
recting the Veterans Histo
ry Project and has already
completed a number of in
terviews with ’community
members. Students interest
ed in assisting or conduct
ing interviews with their
family members should
contact James through
the History Department.
The History Student As
sociation is developing a
new logo incorporating
representations of Flora
MacDonald College and
Presbyterian Junior Col
lege the parent institu
tions of St. Andrews.
History Department
Chair Dr. David Herr
was recently promoted
to Associate Professor,
Quest 1 in
tion with the College’s
One Book, One Com
munity program an
nounced recently the
selection of the first-
year student summer
reading experience.
First-year students, St.
Andrews faculty, up-
perclass people and the
Scotland County com
munity are invited to
read Blood Done Sign
My Name by historian
Dr. Timothy Tyson.
Tyson, who teaches at
Duke University, and
his administrative as-
SAGE Quest 1
Provided by David Herr
conjunc- an outstanding gospel
singer, will visit with
the community next
September. Tyson’s
work recounts the 1970
murder of Henry Mar
row in Oxford, NC and
the racial turmoil sur-
roimding his death. Ty
son grew up in Oxford
and his father, the Rev.
Vernon Tyson was pas
tor of the local Method
ist church. His experi
ence as a ten-year-old
and his training as an
historian create a com
pelling examination
of race in the South.
sistant Mary Williams,
English/ Creative Writing Department
Provided by Ron Bayes, Thomas Heffeman,
and David Bell
Heffeman Wins Mainichi and Ku.samakura Awards
Ceremonies it was an
nounced that more than
22,000 entries were
submitted in various
categories of the Con
test, named for the
novel Kusa Makura by
the great pre-WWl nov
elist Natsume Soseki.
Heffeman’s Grand
Prize haiku:
equinox
kayak paddling
two sides of dusk
Thomas Heffeman has
received an Honor
able Mention award
in the Tenth Annu
al Mainichi Interna
tional Haiku Contest,
recently announced
through the Mainichi
Shimbun in Tokyo, for
the following haiku;
the heat...
lofty, leafy bamboo
slowly bow
In November, Hef
feman received the
Kusamakura Grand
Prize for international
haiku. The prize includ
ed a trip to Kumamoto,
Japan, where the City
of Kumamoto spon
sors the annual contest.
At the Awards
Gravity Hill Winners Announced
Congradulations to the following faculty, staff,
students and alunmi who were accepted into
St. Andrews’ literary magazine. Gravity Hill.
Cam Abernathy
Peggy Anderson
Al Bardi
Ian Burkett
Sara Jean Deegan
Edwin Farrell
Marie Gilbert
Sherry Hamby
Carleigh Horvath
Caitlin Johnson
Jennifer Johnson
Jean Jones
Kimberly Neal
Ian Pratt
Catalina Ramirez
Parrish Ravelli
Ciara Seaborn
J.A.W. Schroeter
Mathew Stucke
Mason Tate
Emily Threlkeld
Kenny Walker
Mike Williams
Terrell Wood
Tasha Mehne
David Quillin
Lindsay Wolcott
Gravity Hill is one of St. Andrews Uter-
ary magazines that emphasizes the in
clusion of undergraduate poems and
other literary work. For further informa
tion please contact advisor David Bell
via email at BellDJ@sapc.edu or Ron
Bayes via email at Bayesron@sapc.edu.
St. Andrews Academic Department News continued on Page 4.