Virtually Shorter
December 2007

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Merry Christmas!

The Shorter College family wishes you a joyous and spirit-filled Christmas season and a very blessed 2008. While most Shorter College offices will be closed Dec. 17 through Jan. 1, a member of our Institutional Advancement staff will be available throughout the break except for Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Responses to voicemail and e-mail messages will be returned after this time. Best wishes for a relaxing and memorable Christmas season.

Shorter alumni family expands

On Saturday, Dec. 15, the Shorter College alumni body will expand by 404 individuals. Retired Brig. Gen. Michael H. Alexander will be the featured speaker during the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies, which will be held in the college’s Winthrop-King Centre. An estimated 201 students receiving the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science in Education, Bachelor of Business Administration, the Master of Business Administration, and the Master of Arts degrees will take part in the 10 a.m. ceremony.

The 2 p.m. ceremony will include approximately 203 students receiving the Associate of Science, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Management degrees.

For additional commencement information, visit www.shorter.edu/academics/commence.htm.

Same faces in new places

Shorter College’s Institutional Advancement staff has been reorganized to more effectively serve alumni and friends of the college. “Please join me in congratulating this great group of fine individuals,” said Vice President of Institutional Advancement Ken Fincher (’84). Roger “Chip” Mitchell (’02) has been promoted to director of alumni services and development at Shorter College. In this role, he will be responsible for the overall office of alumni affairs, including alumni events, alumni records, reports and profiles. Chip will also serve as the liaison with the Alumni Governing Board, and he will supervise Institutional Advancement student workers.

Chip Mitchell ('02)

Chip has served for more than four years in Shorter’s Office of Institutional Advancement. Most recently, he served as director of advancement services and phone-a-thon coordinator. He holds dual degrees from Shorter in church music and music education; he is also pursuing a Master of Business Administration through Shorter’s Professional Studies program. Chip also serves as the interim minister of music at Fifth Avenue Baptist in Rome.

Chip may be reached at cmitchell@shorter.edu or at (706) 233-7242.

Suzanne Scott (’74) has been named senior director of development. Suzanne will continue to lead the fundraising efforts of the friends of the school programs, the chamber and local businesses. She will also work with alumni who have celebrated their 50 th class reunion.

Suzanne majored in church music at Shorter, and she then earned a Master of Music from the University of Georgia. She is an active member of many local civic groups including the Seven Hills Rotary Club and the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Suzanne serves as the children’s choir director and coordinator at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

Suzanne may be reached at sscott@shorter.edu or at (706) 233-7341.

Stephanie Graves (’07) will take on a new role as the director of foundation relations and special events. “Stephanie is a talented event planner and has been excelling in that role,” said Ken Fincher. “In a new capacity, she will be stretching her wings and serving as our primary grant writer and foundation researcher as well.”

Stephanie has served on Shorter’s institutional advancement staff for more than two years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication and journalism from Samford University. She will join the Shorter alumni family on Dec. 15 when she graduates with a Master of Arts in leadership from Shorter College.

Stephanie may be reached at sgraves@shorter.edu or at (706) 233-7305.

Mmmmmmm… Breakfast really late

Pancakes and sausage, eggs and bacon, biscuits and gravy, Shorter's finals and Midnight Breakfast... At the close of fall semester, there are some pairs that fit perfectly every time. Hungry students packed Shorter's Hilltop Café during the late night hours on Monday, Dec. 3. In preparing for final exams, the annual tradition of Midnight Breakfast allows faculty and staff to serve "brain food" and encouragement to the traditional student body.

Whitney Mosley, coordinator of student life, estimated more than 340 students attended the event.

 Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell STOCK

A paraphrase of the opening lyrics to Bobby Helms’ 1957 popular Christmas song provide an easy way to remember the stock advantages that benefit both the donor and Shorter College during the holiday season. “The end of the year is a great time to transfer stock,” explained Vice President of Institutional Advancement Ken Fincher (’84). “However, it must be done before Jan. 1 to maximize tax advantages.” In addition to the tax advantages for year-end giving, your donation to Shorter College makes a worthwhile investment in the future of the college and the future of our students.

Please follow the stock transfer instructions online at hawkspace.shorter.edu or contact Ken Fincher at kfincher@shorter.edu or (706) 233-7293. He will be happy to help you gain financial advantages during this holiday season.

January arts events coming soon!

Brookes Chapel on Jan. 7. Rome City Auditorium on Jan 11-12. Callaway Theatre on Jan. 14-15. Since your destinations are finalized, we look forward to seeing you at the organ studio recital, “The Gondoliers” opera and the Shorter College dance concert, respectively! Now is the time to make reservations for Shorter’s arts events during spring semester. Beginning with these events in early January, the semester includes more than 20 theatre, music and art events for alumni and friends to enjoy.

Visit www.shorter.edu/academics/arts/calendar.htm for dates for each spring event. For ticket information and reservations, contact Shorter’s box office at (800) 868-6980 ext. 7288 or boxoffice@shorter.edu.

SPORTS NEWS

Basketball buzz: Updates on the Lady Hawks After receiving NAIA poll votes on Dec. 5 to place 33 rd in the nation, Shorter’s Lady Hawks have continued the season strong. The team is now 6-2, and they are currently undefeated in conference play. Most recently, a strong second half propelled the Lady Hawks to another conference victory as they beat the Southern Polytechnic Lady Hornets on Saturday, Dec. 8, 64-55. The visiting Lady Hornets (6-3, 1-2) took a 34-26 lead at the break, but the second half brought trouble, as they were outscored 38-21. Meanwhile, the Lady Hawks went on a 13-3 run and took the lead with 6:07 left to play and went 5-of-6 at the line in the final 47 seconds to ensure the win.

The 2007-2008 Lady Hawks media guide is now available online. For access to this publication and to follow the Lady Hawks’ season, visit www.goshorterhawks.com.

Season starts with success: Hawks basketball update

On the men’s court, the Hawks have already surpassed their 2006-2007 season record. Following a home victory and first conference win on Saturday, Dec. 8, the Hawks are now 7-4 overall for this season. After heading off to the locker room up 42-29 at the half against the Southern Polytechnic Hornets, Shorter returned to post an 8-2 run in the first two minutes of the second half to increase their lead to 19. Southern Poly (6-4, 1-2) cut down their deficit to eight with 1:35 left in the game but missed shots down the stretch as the Hawks went 7-of-8 at the line in the last four minutes to taste victory after a three-game losing streak. The Hawks beat the Hornets 74-60.

Additional recognition is due to the Hawks for their valiant play against the Troy University Trojans on Tuesday, Dec. 4. In Shorter's first NCAA Division I game in years, Kedric Wilson had a double-double, and the Hawks nearly pulled out an upset in their 83-72 loss against the Trojans.

The Trojans trailed for much of the first half, and Shorter held a 21-17 lead until Troy drained a three-pointer with 12:15 to play.

Shorter connected on 39.3 (24-of-61) percent from the floor and 30.6 (11-of-36) percent from behind the arc. Troy shot 42 (29-of-69) percent from the floor, while hitting 33.3 (11-of-33) percent from behind the arc.

Kedric led Shorter with a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Tomas Pranciliauskas added 19 and A.J. Martin added 11 in the loss.

Although the Hawks will be on the road through the holidays, fans can keep up with their play online at www.goshorterhawks.com. Media guides are also available for download.

Shorter golf teams earn NAIA ratings In the NAIA golf fall ratings released on Dec. 7, the Hawks and Lady Hawks earned distinction in their national recognition. The Lady Hawks golf team received 198 points in the NAIA ratings to place 11 th overall. In the women’s golf team’s season, they placed first at the Stonebridge Invitational (ahead of No. 3 Berry and No. 10 Southern Nazarene), and they followed that success with a second-place finish at the University of Mobile's Fall Classic. Shorter’s Daniela Vargas was the low-medalist at both events.

The Hawks golf team received votes to place 29 th in the nation. The men's golf team finished their season on Oct. 23 at the Lincoln Memorial Invitational. Shorter's Alex Lantz shot a final round of 68 to add to his first day round of 67 to finish with a final 135, nine strokes under; he earned the title of Tournament Medalist.

For overall NAIA ratings on the fall golf season, visit www.goshorterhawks.com.

Baseball, softball players spread Christmas spirit

In the midst of finals and off-season obligations, Shorter’s softball and baseball teams participated in the annual Community Christmas, a program sponsored and coordinated by the Office of Residence Life. Along with many students from across campus, members of the teams took an evening to share presents with seven children from the Open Door Home and the Hospitality House. Total, members of the Shorter community provided gifts to 47 children.

Community Christmas is an annual program coordinated by Shorter’s Office of Residence Life. This year, the Shorter Christian Association also provided a movie and refreshments for the guests.
 
On Wednesday, Nov. 28, softball and baseball players joined with fellow classmates and friends in Shorter’s Austin Moses Room to interact with children of all ages. Santa and Mrs. Claus distributed festive presents to children from the Rome community. These gifts were donated and wrapped by Shorter College individuals, student organizations and athletic teams.

"This is a great opportunity for Shorter students to get involved with those less fortunate around Christmas time," said Head Baseball Coach Matt Larry (’93). "You really get to see the difference you can make in the children’s lives."

To find out more about the Hawks’ involvement with Community Christmas, visit www.goshorterhawks.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS

Commencement
Saturday, Dec. 15
10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Rome, Ga.
For information visit www.shorter.edu/academics/commencement.htm

Sunday at Shorter (Prospective student event)
Sunday, March 30
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rome, Ga.
For information, contact Joan Blackwelder at jblackwelder@shorter.edu

Heritage on the Hill
Saturday, April 19
Details will be announced in 2008!

SHORTER ALUMNI BENEFITS

Liberty Mutual: Savings on auto and homeowner’s insurance to Shorter alumni

For a free, no-obligation rate quote, call Beth Blalock at (770) 924-6464 x 206 or e-mail Beth.Blalock@LibertyMutual.com.

"I've switched my homeowner's and automobile insurance to Liberty Mutual. Not only does Shorter receive a portion of my payments, but coupled with the discount for alumni, I've realized an annual savings of more than $1,300. I've also made a new friend in Beth Blalock, who
is Liberty Mutual’s quote representative for Shorter.”
Shorter alumnus Clark Samples (’71)

Shorter College Alumni Association
Platinum Plus MasterCard Credit Card

"The Bank of America credit card is a wonderful tool for alumni to promote Shorter through name recognition. Every time I present the card, a new person sees the Shorter College name, and often asks about the college.
Shorter alumna Patsy Drummond (’62)

Travel Benefits: Savings on resort vacation
condominium rentals for Shorter alumni

To review available locations and dates as well as booking information, visit www.alumnitravelbenefits.com/shorter.asp or call (888) 729-3842. Use Shorter’s code AGA-002.

"We had a wonderful trip to Disney World! The condo through Alumni Travel Benefits was beautiful; it exceeded our expectations in every way!”
Shorter alumna Tina Chapman (’04)

Got news? Maybe a new job or a new baby? Recently married? Share the good news with your friends through class notes in Shorter magazine. E-mail your news to wtaylor@shorter.edu . Be sure to include your full name, class year, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number. Please let fellow alumni know that they can subscribe to Virtually Shorter by visiting Shorter's alumni web community Hawkspace. You also can reach the Alumni Office at (800) 868-6980.

Virtually Shorter is compiled by the Office of Institutional Relations. If you have questions, comments or suggestions for our e-newsletter, e-mail Tracy Batchelor at tbatchelor@shorter.edu.

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