Brett Loftis, Garrett Stafford and Conner Jelley

            It is a hot Saturday afternoon somewhere in the southeast United States.  There are warm grills, cold beverages and large tents covering patches of land.  Children are playing with their friends, students are talking amongst one another and parents are discussing how well the recruiting class has been performing.  Where is this majestical place? This is at a college football game.

What if Piedmont College could host this type of environment?

            “From a financial standpoint, many programs would see a decrease in their overall budget for the year. Some might see more of a decrease than others, but that would be necessary to compensate for the budget that would go into having a football program,” said Piedmont College Athletic Director Jim Peeples.  “To start a football program would take a decent amount of money when it comes to building the stadium, all the gear, and then hiring coaches for the team.”

            Why does Piedmont not have a football team already? Because  college football programs cost a lot of money to start up, maintain and compete for wins.  Also considering the pandemic, Piedmont College, like every other institution, lost revenue during the 2019-2020 school year.  According to the 2020 Piedmont President’s Report, Piedmont lost $5.5 million in revenue in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.  However, Piedmont has still been able to generate money.  According to the same report, Piedmont College generated $43 million in revenue during the 2019-2020 fiscal year.  

Furthermore, if Piedmont was able to add a football team, this would attract more students to the institution.  As a result, Piedmont would be able to bring more money in from tuition.  According to the same 2020 Piedmont President’s Report, the majority of revenue that was generated in 2019-2020 was from student tuition, which generated $31.4 million. 

Does Piedmont have the personnel and facilities to compete with other Division III football programs?

            “With our current turf field at the Walker Athletic Complex and without a stadium setting, it would be tough to house a football team with regards to locker rooms and stadium seating capacity for games,” said Assistant Athletic Director of Communications Danielle Percival.  “The staffing portion is an entirely different aspect, but knowing the amount of personnel it takes for the game day operations side — three staff members covering athletics communications — gameday operations and facilities wouldn’t cut it.”

            The potential biggest disadvantage would be that Piedmont is a smaller institution.  With being not as large as other institutions, this limits Piedmont in their land capacity, team personnel and amount of living space for the new students and student-athletes that would arrive on campus. 

Is the student population total holding the college back?

Piedmont has 2,400 total students between Demorest undergraduate, Athens undergraduate and graduate students.  According to NCSA Sports, the average student population of Division III schools who have a football program is 2,750 students.  Therefore, Piedmont has the number of students to help field a team. Additionally, with athletic communications depending so heavily on student workers to help out with athletic events, adding a football program would help create more student jobs on campus as well.

Would students be open to having a football program on campus?

            “Bringing in a football team obviously brings in a lot of question marks.  There would be some financial hurdles, as well as some personnel hurdles that we as Piedmont would have to jump over,” said sophomore sports communications major Presley Field.  “However, as a student worker for athletic communications and a huge football fan myself, I really feel like this could help the student body as a whole.  With bringing a football team onto campus, it would really raise the morale of students and give them a reason to stay here on the weekends instead of going home or getting into trouble.  A football program would obviously help the college as a whole, but it would benefit the students the most.”

            With the addition of a football program, it would not only attract the attention of new and current Piedmont students, but also former Lions as well.  The new football team could also give a reason for former Piedmont students and alumni to come back and give back to the institution. 

            “Going to football games would give me another reason to come back and see my friends who are still on campus,” said Piedmont 2020 alumnus Nathan Blackburn.  [DJ3] “Also, I think it would have given me and other students a reason to stay on weekends and not go home.”

            At the end of the day, Piedmont College is here for the students and to give them a high-quality education.  Although a football program would definitely add to the campus environment, it may not be in the cards now. But over the past decade the college has continued to add sports, most recently swimming last year. So the concept of a Piedmont Lions football team is not out of the realm of possibility.

            “Every time we’ve added sports, the campus population has grown, so naturally that would be the case if football was added as well,” said Percival.  “I believe Dr. James Mellichamp has successful individuals in place on campus — both within athletics and admissions — to continue to drive the student population up and maintain a strong campus community.”

Links: https://www.piedmont.edu/presidents-report

https://www.ncsasports.org/football/division-3-colleges#:~:text=Division%203%20schools%20are%20typically,to%20more%20than%2038%2C000%20students.

            Jack Harlow released his sixth studio album That’s What They All Say on Dec. 11, 2020.  Harlow, who is only 22, has been working on his musical craft since the age of 11.  A Louisville, Kentucky native, Harlow intertwines a lot of childhood and hometown background into his music. He also uses many anecdotes in his music that helps keep the listener “on their toes” — or rather “on their ears” — while they are listening to the hit album. 

            On track 1, “Rendezvous,” Harlow speaks of his past experiences in music and his personal life.  He recalls past tales of his childhood, while introducing the album.  He also hints at what the rest of the album will be like and information that he will give the listener throughout the album.  Harlow finishes out the song discussing how much his life has changed since he has become famous compared to when he was just beginning his musical journey. 

            On track 2, “Face of My City,” Harlow will have the listener jumping around and dancing in their room or jamming out in their car.  In this hit, Harlow and Atlanta rapper, Lil Baby, rap about their hometown roots and how recognizable they are in their respective hometowns.  This song is destined to be a hit in the club, or anywhere for that matter.

            On track 3, “21C/ Delta,” Harlow raps to a melodic beat about meeting a female on his Delta flight.  He talks about how the girl yearns to be something more and how infatuated he has already become with her.  Harlow has blocked out past experiences with females because he has been heartbroken before.  This is definitely a very chill song that could cheer up the listener’s day by clicking “play.” 

            On track 4, “Funny Seeing You Here,” Harlow raps about a former girlfriend whom he sees while partying.  He obviously misses the female, as he recalls the former memories of her, but then alludes to him cheating as to the reason why the two separated.  This song may be emotional for someone getting out of a relationship, but this is one of the many chill and good vibes from Harlow. 

            On track 5, “Way Out,” Harlow and fellow rapper Big Sean talk about how they are trying to get with a certain girl.  This song will definitely have the listener up and dancing around, as Harlow mixed his upbeat and chill style together on this track.

            On track 6, “Already Best Friends,” Harlow, along with fellow rapper Chris Brown, meet two females in a club who have just recently met, but have already become close.  Harlow would like to become closer with one of the women, but so does Brown.  The most interesting part of this track is that Harlow has a conversation with the girls towards the end of the song, but he voices both people.  This definitely features a more relaxed vibe and is one of the best songs on the album. 

On track 7, “Keep It Light,” Harlow discusses the people around him and how they sometimes talk bad about him or try to steal his fame.  This is one of the slower songs on the album, but still features a great melody that will have the listener’s head bopping. 

On track 8, “Creme,” Harlow talks about how he is the best of the best.  The song is low tempo, but Harlow helps speed up the flow with his up-tempo rapping.  Listeners will find themselves listening to this song once and then returning later to really understand what Harlow is saying.

On track 9, “Same Guy,” Harlow and Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine, combine to make one of the best collaborations on the album.  Harlow discusses how he will not change, and how fame has not changed him from who he was before.  Levine provides great vocals during the chorus.  Listeners will be surprised by how much they enjoy this song. 

On track 10, “Route 66,” Harlow and fellow Louisville rapper, EST Gee, combine to make the best song on the album and potentially the hottest song of the year.  Harlow and EST Gee discuss women and Louisville all while rapping to an up-tempo beat and rapping some incredible lyrics.  The listener will have this song blasting in their vehicle for the next few months. 

On track 11, “Tyler Herro,” Harlow raps about Miami Heat star, Tyler Herro.  Harlow uses this song to discuss how white people dislike Harlow, even though he is white.  This song is one of the biggest hits on the album and for very good reason. 

On track 12, “Luv Is Dro,” Harlow, along with fellow musicians Static Major and Bryson Tiller, combine to make a romantic rap masterpiece.  This song will have the listener wanting to go see their better half and fall in love all over again. 

On track 13, “What’s Poppin,” Harlow raps about his Louisville roots, everyday habits and his past.  By now, the listener has more than likely heard this hit as Harlow included this song on his last album as well. 

On track 14, “Baxter Avenue,” Harlow takes a melodic turn with an audible memoir.  Harlow dives deep into his childhood, parents, place in rap music as a white male and how he has made it this far with the same friends he had at the beginning.  This song will give the listener a different, yet positive outlook on Harlow.

On track 15, “What’s Poppin remix,” Harlow, along with fellow rappers DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne, remix the original hit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SONGThat’s What They All Say is one of the best albums of late 2020 and early 2021.  It marks Jack Harlow’s entry onto the scene as not just a rapper, but a cultural influencer.

Released December 11, 2020

Short Review

            Jack Harlow has finally made it on his latest album That’s What They All Say. On this new album, Harlow has 15 songs, including hits “Tyler Herro,” “Way, What’s Poppin” and the “What’s Poppin” remix.  This is Harlow’s sixth studio album, and by far his best.  Harlow, who is only 22 years old, has a bright future ahead of him.

Brett Loftis

            What is the worst thing that one human being can do to another human being?  There are probably a lot of things that can be thought of.  If you think about it long enough, you can come up with your own answer and probably pinpoint a time when you have experienced it in your own life or see it happen. However, what is the worse thing that a child can do to another child?   Bullying.

            Race relations, mental health and suicide rates are all major issues in America today.  In 2019, there were 47,511 suicides in the United States. Could these three issues all stem from one place?  Is there a time in a human’s life in where these terrible issues begin?  Is there a way to stop these issues before they even start?

            My name is Brett Loftis.  I am overall a very happy human being.  I live a great life as a college student at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia.  I am very involved in both the mass communications and the athletic communication departments at Piedmont.  I am a follower of Jesus Christ, an avid writer and a huge sports fan. However, there was a time in my life when I was not happy.  There was a time in my life when I did not know if I ever would want to move forward with my own life.  There was a time where I was bullied.

            As a male in today’s America, it is rather difficult to talk about the tough times in our lives.  We feel as if it is better to hide our emotions because it will make us appear sensitive if we discuss our low times in life.  I fall into this category as well.  I usually hide my emotions and not talk about them.  I bottle up times in my past when I was at an all-time low. 

When I was in middle school, I found myself at an all-time low.  I was bullied constantly for my size, my looks or even my school spirit at times.  I tried to surround myself with people who would build me up, but inevitably those same people would tear me down.  I tried to combat the name callings and the physical abuse by telling my teachers and administration, but no one seemed to care. My middle school had motivational speakers who came into our school to talk to us about bullying.  The very students who seemed to terrorize my life would be the very people who would now act as anti-bullying activists around these speakers.  These students never faced any repercussions for their treatment of others, but yet were looked at as “student body heroes.” Finally, after three years of going through living hell on a daily basis, I escaped.

            With the help of my loving parents, I transferred school districts to begin high school.  I found out when I arrived that there were kind people in the world.  Yes, there were still the people who liked to belittle others, but more people who wanted to uplift others.  I found out what I wanted to do in life.  I found friends who would last a lifetime.  Most of all, I found a will to live. 

            Today, I am trying to live life at its fullest.  I try to treat every single person I meet with the utmost respect.  I have now also found ways to combat those who do not treat others with the same amount of kindness.  With the help of Jesus, my parents, Clinton High School and Piedmont College, I have realized that everyone is destined for greatness somewhere in life.  However, just a few mean people can ruin their lives, and they may never get to experience their greatness in life.  Just remember, your life is worth living, greatness is out there and never give up on a life worth living because at the end of the day, every life is a life worth living.

Brett Loftis

            “Why do I have to register for this class?”

This is the most often-asked question at Piedmont College for students registering for classes.  As for most good questions, there are not a lot of good answers for this question.

            In order to receive and graduate with a 120-credit hour undergraduate degree from Piedmont College, students must take credit hours of general education classes.  The following subjects are the requirements for general education: 9 credit hours of communication class, 12 credit hours of humanity and arts, 9 credit hours of social sciences, 3 credit hours of math, 4 credit hours of natural sciences, 3 credit hours of ethics.  For many students, some, if not most, of these subject clusters do not apply whatsoever to what their majors are.  So, again, why do we have to take these classes?

            Most college students attend college for an average of eight semesters, which equates out to four school years. An average course load for a college student is 15 credit hours per semester.  Therefore, almost three out of the eight semesters that students are in college are dedicated to classes that are not even remotely tied into their major.  Students are taking classes that will not help take them further in their careers.  If anything, these classes are encouraging students to regress in life.  While a nursing student is stuck sitting in an American History class, they could be learning more about their own major. Are general education classes encouraging a well-rounded education or stopping students from maximizing themselves in their major?

            If students did not have to take  credit hours of general education classes, they could also graduate at a faster pace.  Students could finish their degree in four to five semesters, compared to the average six to eight semesters that it takes students right now. This would help cut down on the large student debt in our general population, help give students more knowledge about their majors and even help students have more “in the field” experience in their field.  All of these factors would then lead to greater success upon graduation and improve the quality of workers in society today. 

            All in all, there are no answers that can be given to Piedmont’s student population to why we have to take these classes, except that these classes give us a “well-rounded education.”  However, what does a “well-rounded education” do for someone in the real world? Does it help them land their first job?  Does it help them when working in their field of study?  Maybe general education classes help students become more “well-rounded” as a person, but that  does not help them become a well-rounded employee, because it took away from the time that students could have spent learning within their own major.  This is an issue not only at Piedmont College, but at institutions across the nation.  That leads to one final question: when will this be changed?

https://piedmont.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2018-2019/Undergraduate-Catalog/General-Education-and-Degree-Requirements/B-General-Education-Requirements-for-Degree-Completion-Program-B-A-B-F-A-B-S-or-B-S-N-Degree

Perhaps one of the biggest and most slept-on free agent signings of the 2020 offseason was the Atlanta Braves signing of outfielder Marcell Ozuna.  The “Big Bear” signed a one-year, $18 million contract to come to Atlanta in late January.  This contract was very similar to the one-year, $23 million that brought third baseman Josh Donaldson to Atlanta for the 2019 season.  This contract helped Donaldson have a rejuvenated season in Atlanta and in result, he signed a mega 4-year, $92 million deal with the Twins this offseason.  That poses the question after the season that Ozuna has had this year with the Braves: will The Big Bear stay or will he go?

There is no denying it, Ozuna has had a HUGE season to this point.  Yes, it is a 60-game season.  Yes, there are some players who opted out.  Yes, baseball games are being played under weird rules.  The National League has a designated hitter for the first time in the history of baseball.  Doubleheaders are only seven innings a piece.  In extra innings, a runner starts on second.  However, despite all of this, Marcell Ozuna is still having a HUGE season.  Through 50 games, Ozuna has a .314 batting average, 14 home runs, 44 runs batted in and a 1.5 WAR. To give context here, if the MLB was playing a 162-game season this season, Ozuna would be on pace to hit 45 home runs and 143 RBIs.  In other words, Ozuna is having a HUGE season.  However, is this good or bad for Braves fans? Yes, obviously it is good that Ozuna is producing for Atlanta, unless you are not a Braves fan.  Yes, Ozuna is contributing to the Braves second seed in the National League right now.  Yes, he is a sleeper for NL MVP right now.  However, the way he is playing could lead to his departure for a bigger contract, a better team and the single-season wonder of the Big Bear will fall into cracks of other great remarkable seasons. 

The Braves and the city of Atlanta needs Marcell Ozuna, and Marcell Ozuna needs us.  He needs the fans.  He needs the Braves.  He needs the money.  He needs the recognition from the rest of the league right now.  However, how much longer will this last?  The Braves need to pursue the Big Bear this offseason and give him a big pay day. 

A great man once said, “Legends never die.”  In many cases, the legacy that someone carries follows them long after they retire and leave this world.  Maxie Skinner’s legacy at Piedmont College is still very much so alive.  However, Livia Skinner plans to not only keep the Skinner name alive, but continue the Skinner legacy on and off the court. 

“My grandfather is the reason why I came here,” said junior Piedmont guard Livia Skinner.  “If it wasn’t for him, I would not even know about Piedmont.”

Piedmont found Livia Skinner.  After playing basketball for two years at the University of North Georgia, it was time for her to come back to her roots.  She was recruited out of high school by Piedmont College, but made the decision to attend UNG.  After transferring to Piedmont, Skinner thinks her time at UNG will benefit the Lady Lions.

“I have brought over a lot of experience.  It is two different competition levels,” said Livia Skinner.  “Regardless, I think I can just help carry the team and carry over what I learned from North Georgia.”

Between playing at a Division II school for the past two seasons and the greatness of her grandfather at Piedmont College, there would be a preconceived notion that Livia Skinner has a lot of pressure to perform this season.  However, she doesn’t feel the pressure. 

“I do not feel too much pressure,” said Skinner.  “Not a lot of my teammates know about him.  Personally, it is a good bit of pressure with my family and I just want to live up to his expectations.”

Following in the footsteps of her grandfather, Maxie Skinner, Livia has big expectations to live up to.  Maxie Skinner left a legacy at Piedmont College and in Habersham County, Georgia that people remember.  Maxie Skinner played basketball and baseball at Piedmont College.  He became the college’s first ever NAIA All-American when he averaged 32.8 points per game in his senior season of 1956.  Over his career, he scored more than 2,000 points on the hardwood for the Lions.  This was well before the 3-point line was implemented into the game of basketball.  Skinner was also a standout baseball player, and he was inducted into the Piedmont College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981. He was also inducted into the Northeast Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

“Maxie’s legacy is unbelievable.  He is one of the forefathers of Piedmont Athletics,” said Piedmont College Athletic Director Jim Peeples.  “Maxie should be in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, as he was a legendary high school and college basketball player.”

Maxie Skinner was also known and loved as Coach Skinner at Piedmont College.  After coaching at Toccoa High School and serving a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, Skinner returned to Banks County High School where he coached for 19 years.  He then returned to Habersham to serve as the Director of the Habersham County Parks and Recreation Center from 1978-1984.  Finally, Coach Skinner made his way back home.  He served as the Athletic Director and men’s basketball coach at Piedmont for nine years.  During his tenure, he also coached women’s basketball, softball and golf. 

“There was such a strong tie between Maxie and the basketball team, which was primarily his main focus,” said Jim Peeples. “I was really proud we could honor Maxie and retire his legacy a few years ago.  When we had our Maxie Skinner day, there were well over 100 of his former players and people here that day.  The lives that he impacted were crystal clear that day when you saw the love for that guy.”

Livia Skinner knows the legacy and the meaning that the last name “Skinner” means at Piedmont College.  Every time anyone walks into the Mize Athletic Center, Maxie Skinner’s jersey can be seen hung up.  His name is still mentioned around.  His name is still very well visible in the Piedmont record books.  His name is still recognized as one of the greatest coaches, players and people in the history of the school.  However, Livia Skinner just wants people to see her grandfather through her and her on-court play. 

“I just want people who knew my grandfather or know of my grandfather to see me and be reminded of how good of a basketball player he was,” said Livia Skinner. “Even if they didn’t know who he was, I just want to make another statement for the Skinner family name at Piedmont and keep the family name going.”

Sources:

https://piedmontlions.com/news/2016/1/19/GEN_0119162904.aspx

 [DJ1]

Forrest Gump once stated, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” This could not be more of a factual statement. Life has throw a lot at me in my eighteen and a half years of life so far. However, I would not change any of my experiences on this earth at all.

I was born in a small South Carolina town by the name of Spartanburg on May 19, 2001. I was raised in Union, SC, another small town nearby. My life has been one that involves Jesus Christ, sports, and family. I began going to church as a toddler, and I have gone ever since. I became a Christian at the age of five and Jesus Christ has always played a big role in my life. Sports have literally been in my life since before my mother even conceived me. As the only child, my father had the perfect name picked out for his only son. My father named me “Brett” after two great baseball players: Brett Butler, former centerfielder for the Atlanta Braves, and George Brett, Hall of Fame third baseman from the Kansas City Royals. My mother went along with this name because she had always loved the former Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. Jesus Christ, sports, and family are three pillars in my life that also have helped me reach new heights and led me to places I thought I would never go.

Before entering high school, I transferred school districts and enrolled at Clinton High School in Clinton, SC. To this day, that was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my entire life. The town and community of Clinton created a second family for me, but also opened many doors for me that otherwise would have not been able to happen. Through Clinton High School, I learned of a program at Clemson University called the Summer Scholars Program. Through this program, middle school and high school students are able to experience the lives of a Clemson student for one week in the summer. This program was made for me, because my childhood dream school was Clemson. So, in the summer before my senior year of high school, I attended a sports communications at Clemson. There, I met another rising senior from Asheville, NC by the name of Colby Cook. Colby’s dream was the same as mine, which is to become one of the greatest broadcasters of all-time. Colby and I bonded over the week of the camp and we stayed in touch after the camp. We both applied to Clemson in August, and in February, we both found out that we were waitlisted by Clemson. This meant that Colby and I were neither rejected nor accepted. At the time, this was devastating news because my college future in up in the air. The only school I had applied to was Clemson. However, looking back on this moment, God was again working in a mysterious way.

After I got waitlisted by Clemson, Colby told me about a small private institution in Georgia by the name of Piedmont College. He knew that the both of us were going to go to college for sports communications, and Colby could not stop bragging about Piedmont’s sports communications program. I listened to Colby and I applied to Piedmont. I visited, I fell in love, and I committed. I could have not went through more of a tough process. My childhood dream of attending Clemson University was not meant to be. However, my dream of becoming the greatest sports broadcaster of all-time is still alive. Coming to Piedmont College was one of the best decisions I ever made. As a second year student thus far at Piedmont, I have joined The Roar as the sports editor, became the Assistant Radio Station of WPCZ and the President of Piedmont Debate. I have also became the unofficial “voice of the Piedmont Lions” as I am also involved with broadcasting Piedmont sports. My journey thus far has brought me to Georgia. However, my story is still being written. After all, like Forrest said, “You never know what you are going to get.”

The COVID-19 pandemic moved the second annual Piedmont College Symposium to a virtual platform, but organizers say the event was still a success with 138 students presenting their research and more than 1,000 views on the event website.

Even though there has been a lot of promoting and conversation about the Syposium, Dr. Julia Schmitz, QEP Director and Chair of the Piedmont Symposium Committee, recognized that there were still some who were unsure of the event. 

“We have to build up momentum because it is new,” said Dr. Schmitz. “People are still a little bit undecided about it.” 

This confusion grew when the symposium was moved online.  There were many who wondered how the symposium would be done virtually or who would even attend.  Others wondered who would be able to put together an online forum for students to present in. Enter Dr. Melissa Tingle, QEP Assessment Fellow and mass communications professor.  

“My role shifted considerably when we had to move the symposium online.  At one point, we did not think we would have a symposium at all,” said Dr. Tingle. “However, Dr. Schmitz and I sat down, talked it all through and I decided since I am the web design teacher, that I should design a website for the symposium.”

However, Dr. Tingle still faced the challenge of putting everything together in a very short amount of time and being able to get it approved by the administration.  Working through the time crunch, Dr. Schmitz and Dr. Tingle were determined to find a way to allow students who had finished their research to be able to present at the Symposium. 

“I only had about 48 hours to come up with a structure and a game plan to submit to the administration so that we could get their approval,” Dr. Tingle said. “I was able to build the website in about 24 hours and then once we got the approval from everyone, we just started to program as much as we could.”  

Students were indeed able to present their research at the Piedmont Symposium virtually and just as planned on the Symposium’s originally scheduled day, April 15. Student presenters were appreciative of being able to present online.  Many of these students had finished their research well before the symposium was shifted to a virtual platform, and they wanted to be able share their findings.  Freshman Computer Science major Christophe Donsereaux was still very excited and pleased with how his presentation went.  

“Presenting was great.  We would have rather done it in person, but presenting online still impacted us very well,” Donsereaux said.  “I think the symposium is a great thing.  It shows other students how their peers are working in other classrooms and majors. I hope that the symposium continues.”  

Looking forward to future Piedmont Symposiums, Dr. Tingle is really invested in the idea of how the virtual aspect can be involved with the face to face presentations.  She also wants to see a few new outside faces involved with and attending the symposium.        

 “Moving forward, we want to see how we can keep the website going and integrate the virtual component with the face to face component without taking away from either,” Dr. Tingle said. “We also want to get the outside community and professional networks involved.  These students are presenting this great research, so how cool would it be to have professionals come in to give you critique and potentially offering you an internship?” 

The 2020 Piedmont Symposium was a success. Even though moving to a virtual platform cut the presentations from 300 to about 138, there was still a lot of viewership.  There were 692 people present at the live zoom presentations, as well as the Piedmont Symposium website had 1,100 views on the day of the symposium.  There was great research presented, many missed faces seen and a Piedmont College community reunited during this difficult time. Dr. Tingle gave an insight to how everyone felt that had involvement with the symposium.  

“We really did have a great time,” said Dr. Tingle.  “The students’ presentations were top notch.  I can only imagine what it would have been if we would have done it face to face.” 

Piedmont’s Vice President of Advancement, Craig Rogers, has only been at the College since July, however, he has already fallen in love.

“I love the liberal arts here at Piedmont.  I also love the diverse curriculum at such an amazing school,” Rogers said with excitement. “It is such a cliche saying, but Piedmont’s a ‘diamond in the rough’ with the arts, theater and music on one side, the nursing and business school on the other side and still have this liberal arts core with the education program.”

Rogers is a family man.  He lives in Clarksville with his wife and their two sons, Caleb and Connor, who attend school at Piedmont.  Rogers is very excited about his job here at Piedmont, but even more ecstatic about how much Piedmont and this area is able to give back to him.  

“I have two sons here, and as a customer, I am really happy.  As someone who has to market and raise money for the school, it’s a wonderful thing,” Rogers said, adding that he enjoys the work environment. “I like the people I work with quite a bit.  Dr. Mellichamp is a great leader, and the other three vice presidents are all really wonderful people. We all have different strengths, and it creates a powerful group.”

Rogers graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, and he earned a master’s in education from Averett University.  He has been working in advancement for 33 years now. He has since worked at five schools: Woodberry Forest Boarding School, Mars Hill College, Hampden-Sydney College, Longwood University and Hargrave Military Academy, serving as a leader in advancement and development positions.   Rogers has also worked for a Catholic Hospital System and the V Foundation in similar roles. However, after all of these stops, Rogers found Piedmont in a lucky way.

“It was luck finding Piedmont,” he said.  “A guy that works for Myers McRae that does professional headhunting called me and asked if I would be interested.  I was through with working for the Marines, and I applied for the job here. Over the course of three or four months and talking to people and waiting things out, I ended up getting the offer for the job, and it is great.  This is the best job I have ever had.”