Hawks Face Faulkner in Homecoming Game

The Shorter Hawks are flying high this week, hoping to bring the Faulkner Eagles down to earth in Saturday’s homecoming game.

The 2:30 p.m. gridiron clash will take place at Barron Stadium. During the game, Shorter’s 2008 Homecoming Court and Alumni Award recipients will be recognized.

Shorter Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will also be highlighted.

To purchase tickets for the game, call the Shorter College box office at 706-233-7288.

To view a slideshow of images from the weekend, click here.

ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS

DAVID KEMP

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes those Shorter graduates who exhibit outstanding professional achievement, public service, or accomplishment in the arts and sciences.

This year’s recipient is David Kemp (’81). He is vice president and brand manager for Hawthorn Suites hotels and oversees operations, sales and marketing for more than 90 hotels in the U.S., Dubai, Turkey and Australia. Hawthorn Suites is a subsidiary of US Franchise Systems, Inc., a division of the Wyndham Hotel Group. Kemp has been with US Franchise Systems for 10 years serving in National Sales, Marketing and Operations roles.

Before joining USFS, Kemp served seven years with Cendant Corporation, Inc. in National Sales roles. Prior to working with Cendant, Kemp spent 11 years with Days Inns of America.

Kemp served on the National Business Travel Association’s Allied Council as Domestic Hotel Representative and on the board of directors for the Georgia Business Travel Association. He is an active member of the National Business Travel Association and is past vice president for the Society of Government Meeting Planners.

Kemp has sponsored two foster children in El Salvador and Kenya through the ChildReach organization. In 2005, he visited with his Kenyan foster child, his family and his school. Kemp also enjoys adventure travel and has sailed the Yangtze River in China, climbed Kilimanjaro and done inline speed-skate marathons in Miami, New York and Tahiti.

A native of Rome, Kemp received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Shorter College in 1981 and his master’s degree, also in marketing, from Mercer University in Atlanta in 1988. Kemp is a member of the St. Philip’s Episcopal Church and a 23-year resident of Atlanta.

DR. JOHN HEAD

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to graduates who have given outstanding service to the college in leadership, volunteerism, on-campus service, recruiting efforts, or financial support.

This year’s recipient is Dr. John D. Head, vice president of enrollment management for Shorter College, who has been employed at Shorter since July 2002. He has worked in higher education for 19 years, serving at church-related colleges in both Georgia and Tennessee.

Dr. Head earned the Doctor of Education degree with an emphasis in higher education administration from the University of Tennessee in 2005. He also earned a master’s degree in mass communication from the University of Georgia in 1989 and the Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications from Shorter College in 1987.

He began his career in higher education in 1989, teaching at Shorter College immediately after completing his master’s degree. Dr. Head then entered the admissions field at Reinhardt College in Waleska, later that year, serving as associated of admissions. In 1994 he became the director of admissions at Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, Tenn. and helped increase the college’s enrollment by over 75 percent in a four-year period. He also served as dean of institutional advancement at Tennessee Wesleyan and was involved in the college’s first successful capital campaign, raising $12 million dollars in a three-year campaign. Dr. Head also served as dean of students during his last year at Tennessee Wesleyan.

While at Shorter, Dr. Head has worked to increase enrollment through recruitment and retention. He has implemented initiatives to strategically target prospective students using demographic profiling and prospect mapping, helping the college to more effectively target students who have a higher likelihood of enrolling at the college. He has worked to create a need-based aid program to help students afford the cost of an education while maintaining the college’s targeted discount rate. Dr. Head has also been heavily involved in the strategic planning process and helping the college identify efforts to build enrollment and increase community on campus. One of the key initiatives he has been instrumental in helping the college implement is the learning community model in the freshmen year.

As an active member of the Shorter community, Dr. Head serves on several committees and volunteers whenever called upon. Most recently, he accompanied a group of Shorter students to New Orleans, La., to assist in post-Katrina cleanup and ministry. He also serves as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Rome and volunteers with the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Center as a youth sports coach. He also is a member of the board of directors for the Ruble International Education Initiative, a local non-profit organization that seeks to assist students from third-world countries attend colleges in the United States.

Dr. Head is a native of Trion. He has been married to his wife Lee Ann for 20 years; they met while freshmen at Shorter College in 1983. Dr. Head and his wife have one daughter, Katie.

CLIFF DUREN

The Distinguished Young Alumni Award is presented to alumni who have graduated from Shorter during the preceding 15 years and who show promise through their professional achievement, community service, and/or dedication to the college, and who embrace the Shorter College mission.

Duren, a 2001 graduate, earned a Bachelor of Music Education at Shorter majoring in voice. hile still a student, he started the Shorter men’s a cappella group, Somethin’ Else. Somethin’ Else continues to be an acclaimed Shorter ensemble for which Duren still arranges. Duren currently serves as associate minister of music/staff arranger at First Baptist Woodstock. In 2004, he earned a master of church music at Lee University.

An active composer, Duren has been nominated for two Dove Awards and currently has more than 70 pieces of music in print. He is also active in his church, participating in mission work in Cambodia, Argentina, Romania, and Costa Rica. He is married to April Hall Duren (’02), and together they have two children, MacMillan, and Sydney.

INDUCTEES for SHORTER ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

HAMP ALEXANDER

For 16 years during the 70s and 80s, Alexander served as the head men's basketball and baseball coach. In baseball, he posted 497 wins, six conference championships and four District 25 championships. In basketball, he led the Hawks to two conference titles. Alexander coached numerous All-Conference baseball and basketball players including seven NAIA All-Americans. Notably, 13 of his players signed professional contracts. Alexander was voted Coach of the Year a remarkable six times in baseball and twice in basketball.

RICHARD COWAN

Cowan, professor of mathematics and chair of the Department of Mathematics at Shorter, will be recognized for his distinguished service to Shorter College. He graduated magna cum laude and first in the Shorter Class of 1964. In 1969, Cowan returned to Shorter after earning his Ph.D. and has assisted in numerous capacities at Shorter, serving the athletic department as Faculty Athletic Representative, and as a member of the conference eligibility committee for over 30 years. Nationally respected, Cowan has been an invaluable resource to the NAIA on eligibility issues and has served as eligibility chair for the Hawks' and Lady Hawks' conference from 1986 to present. Cowan served as athletic director from 1979-1992 and was voted Athletic Director of the Year in 1992 while being honored the same year as the college's Teacher of the Year.

JOE HACKETT

Under Coach Alexander, inductee Joe Hackett set six NAIA records his junior year, one of which, 297 strikeouts, remains an unbroken NAIA record. His other records included 21 starts, 28 appearances, 177.2 innings pitched, 15 complete games and 20 wins. The three-year captain, Hackett was selected as a 1981 NAIA First Team All American and led the Hawks in back-to-back District 25 titles in 1980 and 1981. The Joe Hackett Award is given each year for the baseball MVP, and his No. 16 jersey is retired.

DWIGHT RAINEY

Representing the 1960s in the Hall is Rainey, a member of the 1965 conference champion basketball team who led the Hawks in free throw percentage with a career 86 percent average. In 1966-67, Rainey also led the team in field goal percentage and in 1967 for points per game. After leaving Shorter, Rainey spent 13 years coaching at Clemson and 32 years with its athletic department, during which Clemson won four national titles.

TRAMAINE PAUL

Paul was a three-time women's basketball All-American and a four-time Georgia Alabama Carolina All-Conference selection. In 2002, Paul was named the GACC Women's Basketball Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year. Earning the most votes for the 2002 Kodak All-American team, Paul played with the WBCA All Stars at the NCAA Final Four. Paul led the Lady Hawks to Shorter's first NAIA National Tournament appearance in 2002, led the NAIA in scoring with a 25.4 points per game average, and holds the record for career scoring with 2,450 points, 926 field goals, 587 free throws and 888 total rebounds. Paul's No. 44 jersey was retired in 2002.

VAUGHN ROBBINS and RICK SMITH

From 1971-75, Shorter had two remarkable athletes in Robbins (baseball) and Smith (men's tennis). Robbins led the Hawks in hitting all four years posting a .385 batting average, 40 HRs, 138 RBIs and a 20-9 pitching record. The 1975 NAIA All-American was a four-time All-Conference pick and a member of three consecutive GIAC Conference championship teams before signing with the Pittsburg Pirates in 1975. On the tennis court, Smith was a member of the first two men's conference championship teams and the first District 25 champions with a perfect 12-0 conference record. He was three-time All-Conference, All-District and a 1975 NAIA All-American second team selection. The 1973 team MVP and three-year captain for the Hawks, Smith was voted as an Outstanding College Athlete of America in 1973 and won numerous individual tennis awards for best singles and doubles player in his career.

MALIN EDSAND

In the late 1990s, tennis stand-out Edsand won the most matches for a freshman, posting a 28-2 record at No. 1 singles in 1997. A three-time NAIA All-American, Edsand led the Lady Hawks to a Georgia Alabama Carolina conference title and was selected as the GAC Conference Player of the Year in 1977. Only the second women's player to win more than 100 matches in her career, Edsand was a four-time GAC All-Conference selection.

2008 HOMECOMING COURT

Six underclassmen and 12 seniors will represent Shorter College on this year’s homecoming court.

Corey Crittell and Megan Ware were selected as freshmen representatives. Crittell is a psychology major from Augusta. Ware, a Lafayette resident, is majoring in health education.

Representing the sophomore class will be Tony Sidney and Natasha Woodruff. Sidney is a business major who hails from Forsyth. He is also on the Shorter College football team. Woodruff is also a business major. She is from Spartanburg, S.C., and is on the Shorter College track team, dance team, and serves as leader of Shorter’s FCA.

Scott Howard and Amber Wilson will represent the junior class. Howard is an accounting major from Rome. He is active in Student Orientation Staff, Baptist Collegiate Ministries and Fitton Activities Board. He is also the treasurer for Delta Sigma Phi and Epsilon Sigma sweetheart. Wilson, an English major, is a resident of Lawrenceville. She is active in Epsilon Sigma, Sigma Tau Delta, and BCM. She serves as the Panhellenic vice president of judicial affairs, The Argo Yearbook editor-in-chief, and SGA senator.

Shorter’s homecoming king and queen will be selected from a group of 12 seniors.

Grant Jordan is a senior majoring in musical theatre from Cumming. He is a member of “This, That, & the Other” and a member of the Dodge ball “DB’s.” He is also active in Shorter College musicals, plays, dance, concerts, and AHA productions.

Hannah Orr is a public relations senior from Cumming. She is active in Epsilon Sigma, Student Orientation Staff, Residence Life, Shorter Relations Society, Alpha Chi Honor Society, BCM, Fitton Activities Board, and SGA.

Jeremy Kirby is a senior majoring in religion and philosophy from Calhoun. He is involved in BCM, Epsilon Sigma as a sweetheart, missions, and working with the youth at Meadowdale Baptist Church.

Communications leadership senior Ashley Ottinger is from Loganville. She is involved in Epsilon Sigma, BCM, Fitton Activities Board, Residence Life, Shorter Orientation staff, editor-in-chief of the yearbook in 2006-2007, yearbook staff photographer for 2008-2009, and work study in the college’s post office.

Britt Hester is a senior majoring in communications from Fort Payne, Ala. He serves as the BCM president and an Epsilon Sigma sweetheart. He is involved in Shorter Relations Society and participates in Intramural Flag Football.

Emily Thomas, a senior English major with a minor in French, hails from Douglasville. Thomas is a member Epsilon Sigma, Shorter Relations Society, West Rome Baptist Church, and BCM.

Chris Brown is a senior majoring in Christian ministries from Snellville. He is the president of Delta Sigma Phi, an Epsilon Sigma Sweetheart, and a resident assistant. He is also involved in BCM and Fitton Activities Board.

Blue Ridge resident Jessica Davenport is a senior majoring in biology/ecology. She serves as the first vice president of Epsilon Sigma and a Delta Sigma Phi sweetheart. She is also involved in the Fitton Activities Board and Tri-Beta.

Biology and chemistry senior Andy McKenzie is from Columbus. He is the BCM worship coordinator and an Epsilon Sigma sweetheart.

Barbara Hornreich is a senior majoring in religion and philosophy/English from Orlando, Fla. She is the president of Phi Mu and a Chi Phi sweetheart alumna.

Preston Watson, a senior majoring in musical theatre, is from Chatsworth. He is involved in residence life, where he is the resident assistant for Bass A, and he is a member of Shorter Relations Society.

K’Ianca Dupree is a senior majoring in psychology from Columbus, Miss. She is on the Shorter College Track Team, where she is senior captain, the Student Athlete Advisory Board, the dance team, where she is also captain, and she is an FCA leader.

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