Monday, Feb 20, 2006 * Volume 8, Issue 11
A bi-weekly newsletter published by the University of the Ozarks Public Relations Office
Walton gift kicks off Promise of Excellence Campaign
A Valentine’s Day to Remember
Mrs. Helen R. Walton of Bentonville, Ark., has made a $20 million gift to University of the Ozarks, university officials announced on Tuesday, Feb. 14. More than 400 faculty, staff, students, friends and alumni gathered in Munger Chapel to hear the announcement from Ozarks President Dr. Rick Niece. The gift launches a broader fund-raising campaign in which the university will seek an additional $20 million in philanthropic support. The five-year, $40 million Promise of Excellence Campaign will fulfill key elements of the institution’s longrange strategic plan. The widow of Wal-Mart founder Sam M. Walton, Mrs. Walton is a long-time supporter of Ozarks and has served as chair of the university’s board of trustees. She has been the honorary lifetime chair of the board since 1984 and a member of the board since 1975. “This gift is consistent with Mrs. Walton’s long, active involvement with Ozarks and her love for our campus,” said Dr. Niece. “It is intended to assist the university in its continuing pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning.” Mrs. Walton’s lead gift provides dramatic enhancements to the university’s academic programs and creates a Teacher Education Program of Excellence that emphasizes the linkages between teacher education and other academic disciplines at the university. Another component of the gift builds up the general endowment to support all university departments. Specific elements of the gift include the creation of three new professorships and two new technical support positions, and the strengthening of one of the
Ozarks students, faculty and staff applaud the Feb. 14 announcement that Mrs. Helen R. Walton has donated $20 million to the university.
university’s existing professorships. The new faculty positions include professor-
ships in science education, business education and computer sciences. The gift also
Tragedy strikes campus community
There will be a memorial service in Munger Chapel on Wednesday for Josh Leverton and Trevor Morton, two Ozarks freshmen who lost their lives last week in a car accident in Oklahoma. Leverton, 18, from Corning, Ark., was a member of the universityís basketball team. Morton, 19, of The Colony, Texas, was a member of the soccer team. Mortonís funeral service was held Monday in Lewisville, Texas. The family has requested in lieu of flowers, that memorials be made to the U of O Athletic Department. Leverton’s funeral service was held Monday morning in
Josh Leverton
Trevor Morton
Corning. The family has requested memorials be made to the Corning Gymnasium Fund. The one-car accident happened about 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, on Highway 69 near McAlester, Okla., according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Walton gift continued from page one
U of O Homecoming Royalties
provides an endowment for the chairman’s position in the teacher education division. In addition, the gift provides for a coordinator of instructional technology to better link current and coming advances in computerized educational technology with the practice of teaching. Also, a director of institutional research will be added to closely monitor the teacher education programís performance, as well The campus raised more than $745 as that of the entire institution. for the Senior Activity Center (top In addition to the faculty and staff elements of the gift, fundphoto) while naming Dave DeHart ing is provided for the early identification and recruitment of proand Julia Frost as faculty/staff king spective teacher education students. A competitive loan/scholand queen. The student body elected arship fund will also be created to assist students seeking their seniors David Hamilton and Lori teaching licensure and to encourage the program’s graduates to Moon (left photo) homecoming king teach in Arkansas. and queen. “This gift further enhances the university’s already excellent academic program and will benefit the entire state of Arkansas as more and better educators enter our school systems,” said Dr. Niece. The $20 million gift is the second-largest in the university’s The University of the Ozarks Theatre will present its first 172-year history. In October of 1998, the Walton Family Chari- production of the Spring Semester, The Shape of Things, on table Support Foundation gave Ozarks $39.5 million as the lead Feb. 23, 24 and 25. gift of a $55 million Pride and Promise Campaign. The university The play, which is recommended for mature audiences only raised more than $60 million in the Pride and Promise Campaign. because of adult content and language, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. each evening in the Walton Fine Arts Center. Tickets are free for U of O faculty, staff and students. Written by Neil Labute, The Shape of Things is set on a ENDOWED CHAIRS: AN EXPLANATION small mid-western college campus. Overweight Adam falls in There seems to be some confusion on campus, and I love with outgoing and vivacious Evelyn. Adam begins a major want to clear any misunderstanding. The million dollar transformation that his friends, Jenny and Phillip, find not only endowments, that Mrs. Walton’s gift provides, do not mean difficult to accept, but deeply threatening to the foundation of that those new faculty and staff members will be earning one their friendships. million dollars. The production is directed by Ozarks Professor Bruce B. Presidents are famous for assuming that everyone Brown. The cast includes Jon Derrington as Adam, Kristina understands their language. Since we use terms commonly, Davenport as Evelyn, India Judd as Jenny and Garrett Kilgore we take for granted they are common for others as well. as Phillip. The crew includes Danielle Stover, Valerie Powell, One such term is endowment. An endowment is a permaGrace Harnish, Leah Short, Annie Mitchell, Jena Moreau, Rose nent fund or source of revenue for a university. The key Southwell, Dane Sanders, Phillip Perez, Lacey Ridenhour, Erin word in the definition is permanent. The gift amount always Fuller, Ashley Broomfield, Shala Plumlee, Diana Farrow, Jamey remains permanent. That is, if someone gives us one million Pritchett and Michael Schmoker. dollars, we assure them that we will not spend their gift below the original one million dollars. How do we manage that? We do it by spending only a percentage of the interest the money gains, thus not touching the corpus. (Sorry, there I go again!) By not spending the main part, the principle. In regard to the new faculty and staff endowments, we will spend 5 percent of the annual interest gained. The 5 percent will help us cover their salaries as well as health and retirement benefits. Although faculty and staff at Ozarks are each worth a million bucks, we are not able to pay them that much. Let me know if you have any other questions.
University Theatre to present Labute’s The Shape of Things
Dr. Rick Niece President
SIFE Love Bandits Mario Fernandez (left) and Jeffrey Hsu pay a visit to Dr. Robert Hilton as part of a Valentine Day fund-raiser.
Dr. Steven Oatis Associate Professor of History
The Rev. Jane A. Huffstetler of the St. James Presbyterian Church in Jenks, Okla., will be on campus this week as part of the Struthers Pastoral Study Leave Fellowship. The Rev. Huffstetler will have an office in Robson Library, Room 223 ... Methodist Campus Ministries will sponsor two Habitat for Humanity work days this semester, March 11 and April 1. Both projects will take place in Fort Smith. Transportation and lunch will be provided for all who would like to take part in this worthy endeavor. Sign-up sheets are in the Jones Learning Center ... The Scranton (Ark.) brothersister duo of David and Kari Pridgin won the 2-on-2 intramural coed basketball tournament held over the weekend. Second place went to Kerry Shirley and Jodie Clark ... Eleven new members will be inducted into the university’s chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi teacher education honor society at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, in Walker Hall ... The Mr. U of O competiton will be held at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 4, in the Walton Fine Arts Center ... The 10th annual Miss Ozark Highlands scholarship pageant is March 20 at Clarksville High School.
Dr. Oatis was born on March 13 in Massachusetts. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history at a college in Vermont and his graduate degrees at Emory University in Atlanta. He has been married to Amy Oatis, assistant professor of English, for seven years, and they have one daughter, Lilly. Oatis joined Ozarks’ faculty seven years ago. Before coming to Ozarks, he taught at Georgia State and Emory University. What interested you in history? I have always liked telling and reading stories and grew up in an area where history was important. It is something that has always fascinated me. What is one of the most exciting historical locations you have visited? I have visited the battlefield of Gettysburg and enjoy being in places where I feel a connection to history. What is something unique about you that most people don't know? I like punk rock. Clash was my favorite group. I also wrote a book titled, “South Carolina's Frontiers in the Era of the Yamasee War.” It took about five years to write and came out of my dissertation. What do you like to do in your spare time? I enjoy reading, fishing, and sports of all kinds. My favorite baseball team is the Boston Red Sox. I also like to cook and
hang out with my wife and daughter. What is your favorite book? “Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry. What is something you would like to be able to do in your lifetime? I have always wanted to see the upstairs in Elvis’ house in Graceland. What is your favorite food? Spaghetti and meatballs. Do you have any pets? Four cats and goldfish. What is an exciting experience that has happened to you since you began teaching here? I got to meet (former U.S. Senator) George McGovern through Phi Alpha Theta. Also, I was giving a final in Walker Hall in the semester of Spring 2005, and there was a tornado warning issued. We got to go to the basement to finish the final. What words would you say describe you best? Reflective and curious. I like thinking about everything before I talk. If you could go back to any time in history, what era would you like to experience? It would have to be something with air conditioning and modern medicine. I would like to know what the ’60s were like.
February
21 22 23 24 25 Chapel, 11 a.m. Softball (A), 1 & 3 p.m. Baseball (H), 1 p.m. Ozark's Live, 6:30 p.m. SC Play The Shape of Things, 7:30 p.m. Sign-ups end for 5 on 5 Basketball Baseball (A), 7 p.m. Play The Shape of Things, 7:30 p.m Play The Shape of Things, 7:30 p.m Softball (H), 1 & 3 p.m. ASC Basketball Tournament
Jared Owen is mobbed by his teammates after scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning in the Eaglesí 2-1 victory over Wisconsin-Platteville on Friday at Qualls Field. Owen scored on a double by Caleb Hilton. The Eagles split the doubleheader and stand 4-4 on the season heading into this weekendís games at Sul Ross State.
If you or your organization would like to submit information for the Campus Communique, please bring it by the Public Relations Office, located in the Mabee Administration Building, or contact editor Tiffany Rose at trose@ozarks.edu or (479) 849-5238.
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Eagles, Lady Eagles head to ASC playoffs
Both of the university’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will enter this week’s American Southwest Conference championship tournaments as No. 3 seeds. The Eagles will play McMurry University on Friday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m. in Brownwood, Texas. The Eagles earned a spot in the championship tournament for the second straight season and for the third time in the past five seasons. McMurry defeated Ozarks 110-80 in Abilene, Texas, earlier this season. The men’s ASC championship tournament will be held at Howard Payne University, the winner of the ASC West division, on February 24-26. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA III tournament. The Eagles (14-11, 14-8) dropped a 76-64 decision to LeTourneau University on Saturday. Habeeb Kareem led the Eagles with 27 points and 9 rebounds and Chris Williams chipped in 9 points. Ozarks had already clinched a spot in p.m. in Clinton, Mississippi. The Lady Eagles (12-13, 11-11) dropped a 93-92 heart-breaker to LeTourneau University on Saturday afternoon. LeTourneau was able to rebound a missed free throw shot and put in the game-winning basket as the buzzer sounded. Mandi Carter led the team with 16 points and 19 rebounds and Lindsey Nietert added a season-high 25 points. The ASC women’s championship tournament will be held at Mississippi College, the winner of the ASC East Division, on February 24-26. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA III tournament. Ozarks dropped a 74-59 decision to Howard Payne on December 3, 2005, in Brownwood, Texas. It is the first time the Lady Eagles have been to the conference post-season tournament since the 2001-2002 season.
Josh Joyner drives against UT-Dallas in the final home game of his career. the post-season tourney prior to their weekend trip to East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau. The Lady Eagles will face Howard Payne University on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7:30
Veterans lead softball team
First-year head softball coach Elizabeth Caroscio inherits nine starters and 12 returning letter-winners for the upcoming 2006 season. Caroscio faces the challenge of rebounding from last year’s 11-28-1 record and last-place finish in the American Southwest Conference East Division. The cupboard, however, is far from empty as five of the nine returning starters earned honorable-mention all-conference honors last season. With that in mind, the Lady Eagles are determined to bounce back from the 2005 campaign. “The girls want to bring this program to a new level,” said Caroscio, who came from NCAA III College of New Rochelle in New York where she was named 2005 Hudson Valley Women’s Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. “We are having a lot of fun, but they are also working really hard. They understand that working hard in practice will pay off. I can see the improvement and the confidence level increasing. I know they felt more prepared during our fall games.” The Lady Eagles appear to be ready for a breakout season behind a more experienced group of players. Last season, Ozarks started only one senior. The Lady Eagles will likely start seven upperclassmen this year, resulting in an improved defensive club and a more potent offensive attack at the plate. Offensively, Ozarks returns all-conference players in sophomore Chelsea Joslin (.423), junior Kara Bartholomew (.320), senior Erica Newell (.311), junior Brooke Grice (.270) and junior Jodie Clark (.231). “We have some good hitters,” said Caroscio. “We just have to know when to play the short game and know when to play the long game.” The offense starts with sophomore slugger Chelsea Joslin. Joslin tied for the league-lead in home runs (9) while finishing second in slugging percentage (.748), fifth in RBI (34) and fourth in total bases (83) and batting. The infield will be bolstered by sophomore shortstop Jessica Pianalto, senior second baseman Devon Bottoms and jun-
Devon Bottoms ior second baseman Tiffany Armstrong. Senior Trenda Neff and junior Jeanne Randall will play behind the plate. Junior outfielders Jodie Clark and Kara Bartholomew provide speed roaming the outfield and on the base paths. In the circle, Caroscio will rely on senior Dana Marvin, junior Chanceree Catlett and sophomore Andrea Mitchell.