SWU Alumni E-News - February 2015

Southern Open Alumni Golf Tournament - May 22 – 24

Click here for details about this exciting opportunity for fun and fellowship with alumni and friends at Jekyll Island while supporting SWU’s students and programs. Trip includes playing a round in the Captain’s Choice Golf Tournament, and non-golfers can enjoy guided tours of Jekyll and St. Simon’s islands, plus a side trip to historic Savannah! Lodging will be at the Westin at Jekyll Island.

Save the date!

Feb. 16 - Preview Day, 9 a.m. Alumni, bring your children and/or grandchildren! Details
Feb. 28 - Warriors on the Road - Men's & Women's Basketball @Bob Jones Univ., Greenville
March 16 - Coach Mike Gillespie ('93) & Baseball team - Puerto Rico Report, 10 a.m., Newton Hobson auditorium
March 18 - Dr. Joshua Paul ('85)- Build and Bridge - Haiti Report, 10 a.m., Newton Hobson auditorium
March 20 - Grandparents Day/Preview Day - SWU Central campus swu.edu/grandparentsday
May 22-24 - SWU Alumni Golf Tournament, Jekyll Island, Ga.
April 3 & 4 - Warriors on the Road - Baseball @Barton, Wilson, N.C.
April 6 - Preview Day, 9 a.m. Details
June 19 - Preview Day, 9 a.m. Details
Sept. 21 - Southern Honors Golf Tournament, The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards
Oct. 30 & 31 - Homecoming

The Roasting of Keith Connor

An entertaining evening
of memories and laughter

SAVE THE DATE:

Thursday, April 23, 2015
To sponsor the event or purchase tickets, call the SWU Advancement Office at (864) 644-5006.

Alumni survey winners

Many thanks to those who filled out our alumni survey. The following winners were randomly selected to receive a shirt from the Alumni Office:

Rev. Elizabeth Bentley (’06) of Asheboro, N.C., currently employed with First Wesleyan Church, Asheboro.
Diane Mann (’89) of Six Mile, S.C., currently employed with Greenville Health System.
Dennis Cline (’05) of Lexington S.C, currently employed with S.C. Department of Transportation.

Congratulations!

Career Corner

There is a super career opportunity for someone with a flair for writing and an eye for design. If you're an experienced, deadline-focused and detail-oriented communicator, apply online at southcarolinablues.com. It's the Communications Specialist II position in Columbia, S.C.

Visit the SWU Career Services page

Lunch and Learn events planned

The Alumni Office is pleased to announce a partnership with First Citizens for a series of money management lunch and learn events – March Money Management Madness Mondays. Each Monday following Spring break – March 9, 16, 23 and 30 – there will be lunch and learn sessions on money management for our young alumni. These lunch and learn sessions will be hosted in the cafeteria beginning at 11:30 a.m. Each session will be only 20 minutes and there will be three sessions each Monday – 11:30 a.m., Noon and 12:30 p.m. For more information contact the Alumni Office at (864) 644-5385. No reservations are required, just bring your lunch over and join the Money Management learning session, in the area designated in the cafeteria.

Special offer promises added value for SWU Alumni

After more than a year of negotiations with Nationwide, we are proud to announce an official affinity program has been approved for our alumni. Over the course of the next year, SWU alumni will receive special offers crafted specifically for SWU Alumni. All Alumni can be confident that no private information was released in the partnership. Alumni will receive communications through e-mail and/or home address. We are excited SWU alumni can now receive great discounts, and special offers. SWU Alumni will continue to seek out opportunities that will provide added value to being an alumnus of Southern Wesleyan.

Nicholson Mitchell Center Update

We’re less than $50,000 away from our goal in this $1.4 million project of providing a place where future Christian ministry leaders will be prepared for service. There are still naming opportunities. Click here for more details and a link to give.

Spring Fine Arts Series

The Division of Fine Arts is planning a fantastic array of performances this spring, offering something for every taste – from classical to jazz. In March, Maria and the Von Trapps will return to the stage in the beloved musical “The Sound of Music.” Also, the Gospel Extravaganza will return this April. View the complete schedule.

Athletics

Basketball alumni return to SWU

Members of Southern Wesleyan University’s top 30 basketball alumni took to midcourt at halftime of the Belmont Abbey game, where they were reunited with longtime Head Basketball Coach Charles Wimphrie (third from right) and were honored by the fans Jan. 31 at Tysinger Gymnasium on the Central campus. Read more>>

Homerun Legacy

Work continues on the new clubhouse and dugout renovations at Dr. Keith Connor Baseball Field, the first phase in improvements to the facility. The university must raise $100,000 to complete the three phases of this exciting new project. Find out more about the Homerun Legacy and exciting renovations in store for Dr. Keith Connor Field!

Tickets:

Basketball tickets are $5 and are good for both games. SWU staff, faculty and students with ID are admitted for free. Tickets for baseball games are $5 for adults and $2 for students (elementary-college). All SWU staff, faculty and students with ID will be admitted for free. Volleyball and softball have no entry fees.

Schedules for upcoming games:

Alumni News

Alumnus receives Smith Award

City of Clemson Police Chief Jimmy Dixon (’90 AGS - Management of Human Resource, BS Business Management), received the Catherine Smith Award at the State of Clemson Luncheon Feb. 3. Pictured is Dixon addressing luncheon participants.

The award is given annually to a person who displays outstanding community involvement and support to the area chamber. Each award recipient has also made significant contributions to the greater good of the Clemson community and the chamber with an emphasis on citizenship and service. Dixon has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, having served as a deputy sheriff, investigator and instructor at the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy. He has been instrumental in fostering close cooperation between the city, the community and Clemson University in the areas of crime prevention and public safety. He is also a member of the Clemson Joint City University Advisory Board. Also, SWU President Tood Voss gave the invocation. Southern Wesleyan University was one of the luncheon sponsors.

Alumni collaborate with British institutions

Derrick (’94) and Paula Preusz Lemons (’94) are pictured with their children, Nathaniel and Zachary, during a recent trip to the United Kingdom. While there, Derrick collaborated with the faculty of prestigious universities there and Paula gave a talk at Kings College in London about her educational research.

Derrick was there two weeks and was involved in giving some talks and meeting with faculty at the University of Edinburgh, Durham University, University of Cambridge and Oxford University.
“My collaborators and I are looking at how to make theology useful to anthropologists in their work,” Derrick said. “Theologians for several decades have been very interested in anthropology, so there’s a lot in their field that has sprung up – theological anthropology and comparative anthropology. A lot of what I’m trying to develop is to make theology accessible to anthropologists.”
Derrick’s trip was funded by a three year John Templeton Foundation grant and also includes collaborations with faculty from Harvard University, Emory University and Wheaton College. Derrick and Paula are both on faculty at the University of Georgia. During the latter part of the trip, Paula brought over their children, Nathaniel and Zachary, to be introduced to Scotland and England.

Matt Blackwell (’13) has been accepted to dental school at Midwestern University in Arizona and is on the waiting list at Georgia Regents.

Courtney Bracken ('11) got married to Eric Scott on Feb. 7.

Crystal Propes ('13) passed her board exam and is now an ASCP certified technologist in molecular biology.

Kimberly Spainhour (’14) has been hired as a Forensic Technician at SLED to begin in March. Congratulations Kimberly!

#swusweethearts

We asked alumni to post on Facebook stories of how they met their spouses. Here are some of their posts:

Billie Faye Harvey (’43)
I was thirteen when I met a handsome "older" young man of eighteen. I was home for the weekend from the Wesleyan Methodist Academy in Central (now SWU) and I was singing in the choir when he and his family walked into the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tenn. Bob Harvey happened to sit down by my puppy-love sweetheart, David. He asked David who that cute little girl was on the front row of the choir. David said, "That's my girl." Bob replied, "You mean that WAS your girl." The rest is history.

Jessica Nicole Poore (’12)
Being the coffee addict I am, I was having coffee with a group of friends in Java City before my night class. Casey Poore walked through Java City wearing workout type clothing and caught my eye. One of my friends, Kevin Carter, must have noticed because he called Casey over to talk. Casey came over and we started talking. Before we knew it he had to go because ultimate frisbee was about to begin. The next Sunday, Casey showed up at my home church to hear me speak about missions work that I did during the summer. We've been married now for three years and have two beautiful baby boys! We are currently preparing to move to Indiana to minister to teens and children the Hartford City Wesleyan Church. We are so thankful and blessed to have met at SWU!

Veronica L. Clampitt (’13)
Tony and I met in high school but it wasn't until I visited SWU in 2009, three months before graduating from high school, that I knew he was the one for me. God led me to SWU and grew our relationship from friends to boyfriend/girlfriend in November 2009. Feb 3, was the third anniversary of our marriage. We left Mrs. Williams’ class early and went home to get married! I love how SWU played a huge part in our relationship!

Wesleyans to join with Billion Souls Network in 500-year recognition

On Oct 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the All Saints Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Southern Wesleyan University alumni have a fantastic opportunity in 2017 to travel to Germany and mark this momentous event. Details are coming. Read more>>

Class Ring Special

Order online with promo code swualumni and receive a $50 discount and Herff Jones will send a gift to SWU in your honor. Go to the Herff Jones website.

Alumni Walk bricks are $125. Proceeds support SWU's Promise Fund, which helps to increase fund scholarships and financial aid, invest in state-of-the-art classroom equipment, expand our campus ministries and enhance other student activities. Click here to order your brick!

Links

Follow Us!

Facebook

Instagram

Web