The Montre at C o I le a e S t y cl e n t Voice
WH
NE
Volume III, Number VIII Montreat, NC 28757 May 9, 2003
Mother and Daughter Graduate Together
By April Heyward
On Saturday, May 17, Janice
Zellers and her mother Maty Zellers
anticipate graduating together at Mon
treat’s commencement ceremony.
During the ceremony, Janice will
receive a Bachelor of Science Degree
in Elementary Education from the
School of the Arts and Sciences.
Her mother will earn a Bachelor of
Business Administration from the
Asheville School of Professional and
Game Seven
and Graduation
Adult Studies (SPAS) program.
Janice feels that it is unique that
she will share the same graduation
with her mother mostly because this
situation “hardly ever happens.”
Although both ladies consider
graduating from Montreat an excit
ing event, Mary said she “was ner
vous about overshadowing Janice’s
accomplishments.” In the end, Janice
did not think the double graduation
would be a problem.
By Dan Hesse
1985 - The Kansas City Royals
were facing the St. Louis Cardinals
in game seven of the World Series;
the game was a lopsided blowout as
the Royals sacked the Cardinals 11 -
0. Saberhagen’s dominating perfor
mance on the mound is not the point
of this vignette into my mind, game
seven was an abstract concept solidi
fied deep inside me on that October
evening. For the first time 1 sensed
the intensity and brilliance of game
seven, it represents the culmination
and closure of an arduous journey
littered with accomplishments and
moments squandered alike.
Such is graduation, the end of a
cumbersome trek whose prolonged
Continued on page 2
Mary also received her Associ
ates degree through the SPAS and
has been in the program for over
four years. Since she entered school
around the same time as her daugh
ter, Mary thinks that she “was able
to relate to the workload more than
other parents.”
Mary thinks that “It’s not usual for
people to wait until their children to
go to college” to start school.
While obtaining her degree, Mary
said she liked the “aceelerated pace”
of the SPAS program. A person “can
work full time and go to sehool and
get a four year degree in four years.”
In comparison, “it could take a
person about ten years to get the same
degree.”'
In sehool, both Zellers excelled
academically. Alpha Chi, Montreat’s
academic honors society, inducted
Janice into their organization during
fall semester 2002.
Through the SPAS program, Mary
recently became a member of the Pin
nacle Honor Society, an organization
Continued on page 2
Phonathon Boosts Scholarship Fund
By Emily Washburn
Thirty-one student volunteers
raised $15,753 for the Keystone
Scholarship Fund during this year’s
annual Phonathon. Over 90% of
enrolled students benefit from the
fund, which Financial Aid disburses
to various scholarships.
Fund giving increased 19% over
last year. “In a year when many
non-profits are experiencing reduced
giving because of the weak economy,
this is a great show of support from
our alumni,” says Bob Graham,
Alumni Director, “year-to-date
alumni giving is up.”
The Alumni Office hummed with
activity from 6-9 p.m., January 27
- February 20 (with a week break for
the seminar series Crossroads).
Sophomore Kortney Blythe “really
enjoyed the interaction between
[the callers]. It’s like a big party in
the office! And I liked talking with
alumni and hearing stories about how
it used to be.” Blythe claimed the
title of “Top Money-Magnet” for the
second year in a row at over $4505!
Fundraisers who reached $25 and
$50 goals won candy bars and t-shirts
respectively, and all participants
entered a raffle for free dinners and
ski passes.
Alumni proprietors of the Red
Radish, The Front Porch Grill, Per
ry’s Barbecue, Domino’s Pizza, and
Duck’s Hotdogs provided over 150
dinners for the volunteers.
Janice (left) and her mother. Mary Zellers, look forward to walking together at commencement.
May 17.
Freshman First to
Include All New Students
By Lyndsay Mayer and Becca Snyder
This fall, Freshmen First joins
Freshi'nen Orientation to foster imme
diate community building among new
students.
This year’s program will run from
August 21-25, facilitated by a team of
leaders from the faculty, staff, and stu
dent body. The week will be snapping
with scheduled activities from group
initiatives, Bible studies, team-building
games, and elected smaller group excur
sions and projects.
Incoming students must pay a $150
fee for the mandatory program.
Charlie Lance, Dean of Students,
says “the group building and the chance
for students to make a strong connection
with Montreat College” as soon as they
arrive on campus is a great strength of
Freshmen First.
Solid relationships between new stu
dents and the rest of the Montreat com
munity play an important role in student
retention. President Lindbeig revived
the college’s Retention Committee last
summer. The committee initiated the
revamping of the Freshman Orientation
program to include Freshmen First for
all incoming students.
On tlieir first day at Montreat, new
students will have tlie opportunity to meet
the faculty and staff at a picnic. Lance
says intentional effort will be made to
foster pxjtsonal relationships between
new students, faculty, and staff througli-
out tlie duration of Freshman First.
Freshmen Eric Spxxtn and Stephanie
Myers attended Freshman First in the
fall of2002. “1 tliink it’s a good thing to
go to, 1 enjoyed it and was so glad that I
went but 1 wouldn’t want to be made to
go. 1 think that takes away from it,” says
Spoon.
“I had a great time,” remembers
Myers. “1 didn’t really feel like a college
student, 1 felt more like I was at camp.”
Both Myers and Spoon were paired
witli roommates who were unable to
participate in Freshman First. When we
went to dinner, [my roommate] Chris
didn’t know a lot of people. 1 knew
everyone!” says Spoon.
Myers says she introdueed her room
mate, Alicia Kelly, to all the new friends
she had made at Freshman First. “Alicia
said she wishes she had gone, but she
still fit in pretty well,” jokes Myers.
Volunteer phon-a-thon callers gather to feed the keystone fund with fresh alumni donations