Talon, The

40 Pages·2000·6 MB·English

by  University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association

WINTER 2000 THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
SOUTHERN MISS
CLAIMS 1999
LIBERTY BOWL
CHAMPIONSHIR
RANKED NO. 13
IN THE NATION
ALUMNI HIT
THE BEACHES AT
NORMANDY, PLAN
FOR RETURN
AWARD-WINNING
NEWSPAPER
COUPLE STILL
GAINING
NOTORIETY
FOR UNCOVERING
CORRUPTION
Uiiiiiuuuj
DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS:
We are pleased to present this first issue ofournew Southern such as a project in
Miss International AlumniAssociation magazine, The Talon. our School ofPoly-
With the newname comes a newlook, andwe hope you will mers and High Per-
enjoy this format. Our compliments and ourthanks to the formance Materials to
AlumniAssociation stafffor their efforts inbringing this about. develop a newmater-
ial forrepairing torn
The year 2000 will be a benchmark for Southern Miss. First, it retinas. Increased
marks our 90th year. Second, we will graduate our 100,000th funding for our
student in May. supercomputing area
focuses uponnational security issues. And the arts continue to
Like The Talon, our campuses are taking on anewlook. Ifyou justify their elite standingnationallybypresentingsome ofthe
have been on the Hattiesburg campus recently, you noticed a finest programs featuring students, faculty, and visitingartists.
newresidence hall under construction on the easternside of
the campus. The Student Plaza is also underway, and we will Our reputation in athletics is growing, as well. Ourvictory in
begin construction ofournew athletic centerin the summer. the Liberty Bowl in 1999, our successful inaugural year in
AtUSM GulfCoast, wewill soonbegin construction ofanew women's softball, our early season victories in men's and
classroom and office building, and anew librarybuildinghas women's basketball, and the prospects for our spring sports
been funded for that campus. are exciting.
We are committed to the highest quality in academic programs Southern Miss alumni have many reasons to be proud oftheir
and to holdingourstudents to ahigh standard ofachievement. alma mater. We have made great strides in our first 90 years.
Stricter academic standards for continuingstudentswere imple- The next decade, however, maybe the single most critical time
mented lastyearwith the strongsupport ofour Student Gov- in ourhistorybecause ofthe changes takingplace in ourstate
ernmentAssociation. Thisyear, we are beingrewardedbyhigh- and region and the demands that are beingmade upon us.
erlevels ofacademic achievement, andwe expect this trend to Ourbuilding program, our program forenhancingtechnology,
continue, resultingultimatelyinhigherretention rates and ourexpansion ofprograms on the USM GulfCoast campus,
highergraduation rates amongourstudents. and a capital campaign are among our top priorities. All of
these will need yoursupport.
In a nationwide surveyofhigh school guidance counselors by
KaplanNewsweek College Catalog 1999, Southern Misswas list- I invite yourcomments and questions and thankyou foryour
edas a top school in ahalf-dozen categories, including "Best commitment to The UniversityofSouthern Mississippi.
Value forYourMoney." And U.S. News and World Report ranks
some Southern Miss programs "amongthe best inAmerica."
Sincerely,
We are doingleading-edge research in several areas. We
W
obtained over $30 million in externally funded research this Horace Fleming
pastyear. These dollars aid the discovery ofnew knowledge, PRESIDENT
ALUMNI STAFF THE
EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR ROBERTD. PIERCE,II,'91
DIRECTOROFOPERATIONS MARKBOYLES73
MANAGEROFCOMMUNICATIONS RAYMONDREEVES'86
MANAGEROFPROGRAMS TIMBRELAND77,'82
SAAADVISOR/FIELDREPRESENTATIVE WILLHANSEN'96
ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT MARYJOMCKAY'82
ASSISTANTFIELDREPRESENTATIVE MARCHANTKENNEY'98 VOLUME 53. NUMBER 3 • WINTER 2000
INFORMATIONSERVICESSPECIALISTMELISSABLACKBURN
MAILclerk EDWARDWALLACE
RECEPTIONISTMIKEDANIELS FEATURES
DATAentryclerk ANNTRUNETTGARDNER
COMMUNICATIONSGRADUATEASSISTANT ELIZABETHYECK 4 STORMING THE BEACHES
SAAGRADUATEASSISTANT KERRIKELLY'98 Anewalumnitourisavailable tobringthe
CONSULTANTIN-RESIDENCE RICHARDCRAIG'86 nation's D-Daysacrificesclose tohome.
DIRECTORemeritus POWELLOGLETREE'48,'51
6 STILL GETTING THEIR KICKS
CONTRIBUTINGWRITER SHARONWERTZ Abriefhistory ofthe early days ofthe Dixie
Darlings, through the eyes ofa former member.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
8 WHAT GOES AROUND...
PRESIDENT RANDYPOPE
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONBENEFIELD Historycan repeatitself-two former
Southern Missroommatesare back together,
VICEPRESIDENT RON RUSSELL thanks to theirdaughters roomingtogetherat the
PASTPRESIDENT EDWILLIAMSON
University.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 10 NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
LANCEADAMS,STACYBUSBY, IRISEASTERLING,ANN C. Ahusband andwifejournalism teamdraws
GILLESPIE,JOHNGU1CE,DAVIDHOSEMAN,PAIGE the nationsattentionwhentheyuncover
HOWELL,JAMESHUTTO,LAWRENCEJOINER, corruption inasmallAlabamatown.
RAYMONDMcMULLAN,TRAVISNORMAN, SELLERS
NORR1S,TOMO'SHILEDS,MARSHAPETERS,BOBPOSEY, 26 GROWING THROUGH EDUCATION
TOMPOTTER,PAMROUSE, BOBSIMMONS, SAMMY The University's Economic Development
WINDER,RICHARDYOUNG Centerand Departmentareworkingtogive
professionalorganizations theknowledge
EX-OFFICIOBOARDMEMBERS:CURTREDDEN,DW1GHT
theyneed togrowand prosper.
EVANS,BILLPACE,DR. HORACEFLEMING,VIJI LEE
TheTalon (USPS652-240)ispublishedquarterlyby
TheUniversityofSouthernMississippiAlumniAssociation, DEPARTMENTS
Box5013,Hattiesburg,MS39406
Activemembershipduesof$35 9 GULF COAST UPDATE
(singlemembership)or$40(couple) 12 FROM FHE ARCHIVES
includesubscription
14 EAGLE CLUB NEWS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:USMPublicRelations, 15 ADMISSIONS UPDATE
USMTeachingLearningResourceCenter(TLRC),USMSports 16 NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
Information,HedermanBrothersPrintinginRidgeland,Miss.,
andthestaffoftheSouthernMissAlumniAssociation 19 SOUTHERN MISS MEMORIES
PenodicalpostagepaidatHattiesburg,MS39401 20 ATHLETIC UPDATE
(ApprovedJanuary20, 1955) 22 ALUMNI IN ACTION
POSTMASTER: 28 FOUNDATION NEWS
Sendaddresschangesto 30 CLASSNOTES
Box5013,Hattiesburg,MS 38 ALUMNI CALENDAR
39406-5013
[phone]
SOUTHERN MISS TRIVIA QUIZ
E-MAIL:[email protected] "WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" 3311 * rv-f r
WEBSITE:www.southernmiss.org r
ALUMNI PROFILES 33, 35, 36 ,
SOUTHERN MISS AT A GLANCE 37
ONTHECOVER:
TheAubrey K. LucasAdministration Building,
the most recognizable sue on campus
BACKCOVER:
The Pride ofMississippi made itselfheardduringthe
AA/EOE/ADAI Liberty Bowl Parade on Beale Street
"They answered the call to help
save the worldfrom the two most
powerful and ruthless military
machines ever assembled, BY RANDY POPE AND DR. ANDREW WIEST
instruments ofconquest in the AlumniAssociationPresident AssociateProfessorofHistory
hands offascist maniacs... They The beautiful rolling hills and ancient forRandyPope, the President ofthe
hedgerows ofNormandynow stand Southern MissAlumniAssociation. He
faced great odds and a late start,
silent, except for the noises ofeveryday ventured to Great Britain withhis family
but they did not protest. At a time life. Farmers tend their apple orchards, to spend two weekswithUSM's British
while black and white dairy cattle wan- Studies Program. Under the direction of
in their lives when their days and der in seemingly every field. On the Dr. Tim Hudson and Dr. Ken Panton, the
nights should have beenfilled beaches, couples walk hand in hand and British Studies Program is the largest ofits
children build sand castles and play. kind in Britain and has helped make
with innocent adventure, love,
Bells in churches built nearly 1,000 Southern Miss a leader in the field of
and the lessons ofthe workday years ago chime on the hour. It is some- international education. A study ofthe
times difficult for the modern visitor to events ofD-Dayhas longbeen the focus
world, they werefighting, often
believe that, 55 short years ago, these ofthe World War II course on the British
hand to hand, in the most same fields and beaches witnessed what studies program. Randy and hiswife,
many have called the most dramatic and Kathy decided to accompany Dr. Andrew
primitive conditions possible... ."
important event ofthe 20th century the Wiest and his class of21 students on a
-Tom Brokaw, Allied invasion ofoccupied Europe on three-dayvisit to Normandy. The experi-
The Greatest Generation D-DayJune 6, 1944. ence was a powerful one and resulted in
Thiswas once the veryheart of planning to make such a touravailable to
Hitlers vaunted "Fortress Europe". The alumni and friends ofSouthern Miss.
coastbristled with gun emplacements "I majored in history atUSM," said
manned by over 300,000 men under the Pope, now a Hattiesburg attorney. "But I
command ofthe feared Field Marshall don't think I've everhad such a sense of
Erwin Rommel. General Dwight Eisen- standing inhistory as when we were on
Cost: $3,299 PerPerson. hower realized that to win the Second Omaha Beach. Kathy and I stood with
There willbe a $275 surcharge for WorldWar he had to send the Allied AndyWiest and his students and listened
those desiringa single room. forces under his command to conquer as different students read aloud oral his-
Formore informationaboutthe Hitler's empire. The resultwas Operation tories ofsome ofthe menwho came
Southern MissAlumni Overlord, commonly known as "D-Day." ashore right where we were standing. We
The operationwas fraught with danger. had watched the openingscene ofSaving
"Greatest Generation" tour, please
contact Some 150,000 men, 6,000 ships, and Private Ryan on the bus on the way to the
Dr. AndrewWiest 9,000 aircraft would take part in the mas- beach that day. I asked Andy on the way
Alumni NormandyTour sive operation. Those numbers seem stag- back to the hotel thatnight what he
History Department gering, but the realitywas quite different. thought about the possibility ofan alum-
The University ofSouthern Mississippi Small, brave groups ofsoldiers had to ni experience comparable to what Kathy
Box 5047 overcome almost insurmountable odds on and I had the chance to experience with
Hattiesburg, MS 39406 that fateful day. the students."
During the summer of 1999, the We have decided to dojust that. The
events ofD-Day became much more real Southern Miss Alumni Association is
THE TALON
RANDYAND KATHYPOPENEARPOINTE-DU-HOC
proud to announce a new alumni tour of WITHTHEENGLISHCHANNELANDNORMANDY
Normandy, Paris and London. The trip BEACHES IN BACKGROUND.
will take place fromJune 23 throughJuly
3, 2000. This will be no ordinary tour,
however; Wiest, USM
Associate Professor of
History (and Southern
Miss alumnus) and a
specialist in military
history, will lead the
trip. Wiest has led
some 10 trips to Nor-
mandy, including one
forcadets at the Royal
MilitaryAcademy
Sandhurst. formystudents, under snow-white military crosses. The
Based in the his- many ofwhom settingis moving and beautiful and offers
toric medieval city of had grandfathers one the chance to reflect on the battle
Bayeux, the Normandy who fought in the and thank those brave members ofthe
tourwill take alumni war." "greatest generation" who gave theirall
and friends from the One ofthe for our freedom.
initial parachute land- most dramatic Though the trip is based around the
ings through the stops will be at tour ofNormandy there is even more.
breakout at St. Lo and Pointe-du-Hoc. What trip to Europe would be complete
the ultimate defeat ofthe Germans at the Here, Allied intelligence located a Ger- without some time set aside for a bit of
Falaise Pocket. All the while, participants man gun battery that had to be destroyed. traditional sight-seeing? The trip will
on the trip will stand in the very spots on The Germans considered the guns to be begin with two days in Paris and will
whichhistoryhungin the balance. What impregnable, for theysat atop a sheer conclude with two days in London,
follows are only a few highlights ofwhat 150-foot cliffrising out ofthe English where tour participants can enjoy sight-
tour participants can expect. Channel. After heavybombing ofthe seeing, shopping, and, iftheywish, the
Two ofthe first stops in Normandy for area, Eisenhower assigned the seemingly famousWest End ofLondon with its
the USM group will be Pegasus Bridge impossible task to a mere 250 U.S. multitude oftheaters. Wiestwill again be
and the sites ofAmerican parachute Rangers. These brave men used rocket- on hand to offer historic tours ofParis
drops, most notably Ste.-Me're-Eglise. propelled grapples to scale the cliffwhile and London for all interested participants.
One ofthe most memorable scenes in defending Germans peppered them with The opportunityto tourNormandy, a
Cornelius Ryan's epic movie The Longest deadly machine gun fire and grenades. It beautiful, ruralarea ofFrance filledwith
Day involves a paratrooperwhose para- was at Pointe-du-Hoc that, in 1984, Pres- history, togetherwith two daysin the
chute caught on one ofthe spires ofthe ident Reagan paid tribute to the American romanticcityofParisand two daysinthe
church in the village ofSte.-Me're-Eglise. effort on D-Day. greatroyal cityofLondon, with other
"We had a World War II veteranwith D-Daywas won and lost, however, on SouthernMissalumniand friends, issome-
us on the daywe visited Omaha Beach. In the most memorable thingyouwill notwant tomiss. It is
Ste.-Me're-Eglise last sum- battle ofD-Day, these American designedtobe ahands-onlearningexperi-
mer," saidWiest. "Aswe soldiers ofOmaha Beach won ence unlike an ordinary tour To walk in the
stood in the town square victory for the Allies. The veryfootstepsofAmericasgreatestheroes
with the church behind Southern Miss group will wade willbe aw-e-inspiringand fascinating.
uswith a parachute still ashore from the surfas these
draped over one ofthe men did, lookingas they did
spires ofthe church, I 29U"NITIENDFASNTTARTYESDIAVRISMIYON into the face ofthe daunting
asked him to read the 'WORLDWARn cliffline ahead with 250 yards "I am in awe ofthem, and I feel privi-
oral history ofone ofthe weerochamniotrhtahtafnrdeesdooumthmi(nghoturprlevaanidl,; ofopen beach to coverbefore leged to have been a witness to their lives
paratroopers who land- IaNolIlnAiNedTd-RdYaaym.dpih6viibjsiuioonneuss19ta4os*sr.amiuekldtt,hAteShHecOhRieEantOnN' they reached safety. Usingoral and their sacrifice... As 1 came to know-
ed in Ste.-Me're-Eglise. OUORMATAHLALEBHEALCIHEATMOOWNIGNYAO'UB.EATCHHEYHEGAADVE history accounts, the group will mam' ot them, and their stories. 1 became
He got about halfway SLETEHPECLOAMSRTAOKiElJl.EMOERAESVUERREY0OEUHTCH.EIWREDESVAOITUITOEN.YOU. relive the harrowing moments more convinced ofmy iiidgment on that
REMEMBERUS.
taofhnrdtohhuegashdtuttdhoeesnnttoaspr.rfaitnOiivnseheed A.,.SViIOLtCAHiOMM.fUEAnOESUUiNMCOVSJVUREQaIDNUDoUIRoSAVS-iUUITRSP.dISOaLOUULANsERDs,OPDDaOLEIoAuJHtGttfNEtAl.ObTNNiIRDTsRII'EEOOK9ttMIrPUiPEoAAHTuHDAREApAIeNEDIBs.SEAEBAHaULACOuIRHUBiQESePRUmIOEE.U.R- oBfeatceFrhirn,oarll,liyeb,sraatvhbeeorvyUe,niOatnmeddahvSiatcattoersy. dDsoaacyyiemtTayhrihksaisinsgptrhtoehdeugrc5ee0adtt.he"sta-ngnTeionvmeerraBstarirooyknaowaf,nDyH-ie
ETABLIRUNETETEDEPOSIT
up for him. That expe- O:NTO.DOOHSMMLO'RlT'lSTTRNEEPMOFSSEURNIT:PA0!RttLlEUVROUS.US cemetery, seen in both the Greatest Generation E^
rience ofhearing a vet- OORMIICAMANKOAUDSESV.OVASLSEAfLEURONNlSUEII opening and closingscenes of
SUUYEHHVOUSDENOUS
eran read that account Saving Private Ryan. Here some
was itselfan education 9,000 American soldiers lie
MONUMENTTOAMERICANSOLDIERS
ATOMAHABEACH
fl_
"ROCKETTES OF THE GRIDIRON"
The girlswere chosen by Dr. Mannoni
based on their dance and twirling ability.
There were originally 16 girls and two
BY ANNE SHARP LARMAN alternates, and, byyears end, the num-
berhad doubled. The original cos-
In 1954, Dr. Raymond Mannoni founded tume was ablackvelvet top and
the Dixie Darlings. He had avision and shorts. The top had a gold braid
wanted to start a drill team ofyoung over a scooped neckline, and the
women, patterned after the Kilgore Ran- shortshad a gold tassel on each side.
gerettes, to performwith the USM Band. The girls wore white bootswith
Dr. Mannoni had seen the Rangerettes black fringe, and donned white
perform at the Senior Bowl game in gloves on theirhands. The storyis
Mobile inJanuary, 1954. He calledJoyce often recalled ofthe Dixie Darling
Scimeca inJune of 1954 and asked herto who leftheruniform andboots
come to Southern Miss and audition. He behind in the dormitory The director
then had her photographedby the college at the time, Dr. FrancisJellinek, called
photographer and introducedJoyce to Dr. the highway patrol, and the uniformwas
Robert C. Cook (the college president). actually relayed from Hattiesburgto
Dr. Cook offeredJoyce a full scholarship, Ft.Benning, Ga., where we were sched-
which she accepted. uled to perform.
After the firstweek ofpractice and The number ofDarlings doubled over
beingcalled the "Dixie Maids," Mannoni theyears, and 50 became the average size
decided he did not like that particular ofthe group. The first appearance ofthe
title so he called everyone together to Dixie Darlingswas at the Southern Miss-
make a decision. After several suggestions Alabama game in Montgomeryin 1954.
he had narrowed it down to two names, Over the years the girls have performed at
the "Dixie Dancers" orthe "DixieDarlings." the Sugar Bowl, the SeniorBowl, the Blue-
Now itwas up to the girls for a decision, Gray Game, the CollegeAll-Star Game in
one ofwhich he hoped he would like. Chicago, 111., the Liberty Bowl andmany
The rest is history! The Dixie Darlings on others. In the beginning, the girls were
July4th, 1954, tooktheir first road trip from Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
to NewYorkwith Dr. Mannoni and the In 1961, we had girls from nine states,
band to participate in the Lions Club representing Pennsylvania, NewYork, Illi-
Convention. Scimeca and Mannoni nois, Florida, WestVirginia, Alabama,
worked hard that summeronchoreo- Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky. We
graphing dances to go with the show had the best publicitygoing; the media
theme music. Theirhardworkand deter- referred to us as the "World Famous Dixie
mination paid offthatsummer, as they Darlings." We were asked for our auto-
gained recognition and fame as the graphs, andwe were treated like royalty
*%"Rock&ettes ofthe Gridiron." no matterwhere we traveled. The girls
*$a
^MMgBsagaa^
loved the attention and so did USM, then Tootsie Pops were given. Overa three-
MSC (Mississippi Southern College). We yearperiod, I remember that we did not
were televised; they actuallyshowed us receive them on one occasion.
Miss. 39571. You may also contactAnne
performing on the screen. Parents, loved Finally, in 1994, the alumnae Dixie
Sharp Larman, 20031 Commission Rd..
ones, and friends were able to watch from Darlings got together for a reunion! Eigh-
home. Unlike today, where they show the teen girls attended our first year, and this Long Beach, Miss. 39560 or e-mail at
replays ofthe game and discuss play-by- year, 1999, we had 54 girls attend. That [email protected]. Ifyou wish to
play duringthe halftime, everyone in this was most exciting, as this was the 45th contribute to our scholarship fund for the
Dixie Darlings, please sendyour tax-
era stayed tuned in to see performances. year ofourcelebration.
We were described as exciting, colorful, In 1996, the Dixie DarlingAlumnae deductible check to USM Foundation.
pretty and expertly precise, the cream of started a scholarship fund. We were able Acct. 667, Box 10026, Hattiesburg, Miss.
39406.
the crop. Out ofthe 50 girls represented to issue our first scholarship in 1998 to
in 1961 through 1964, nine girls received seven girls. This year, we awarded 10 To all past, present, and future Dixie
Darlings; you always have friends in the
their doctorates. For the era, that surely scholarships, nine to Dixie Darlings and
was an accomplishment. one to a band member. Next year, we line. Return and have the Pride play as
We arrived one week early, as did the hope to do the same, but the band schol- you march one more time; thiswill give
football team, workinghard every day. arship issued willbe inmemory ofthe you the thrill ofa lifetime. Please come
We learned the routine on Monday, prac- late Dr. Raymond Mannoni. andjoin us on the field or on the side-
ticed on Tuesday, and auditioned on The Pride ofMississippi Band, the lines next year. I knowwewill double the
Wednesday. You had to make the cut on Dixie Darlings, and the Featurettes are numbers. It is such fun to renew old
Wednesday oryou didnot perform on what brought students to USM then and acquaintances and make new ones.
Friday The same rules apply today. Our still do today. All wish to be part ofan With each homecoming, we donate all
remaining dues, dividingthem between
Director, FrancisJellinek, was a dancer organization that is considered to be the
herselffrom NewYork. She was tough, best. The FineArts Department has the the scholarship fund and breast cancer
well respected, and a role model to us all. finest directors and deans headingup all research. We now have a hotline for those
MissJellinek wouldwalk the line before those spectacular shows that spectators who have cancer, including those just
wewent on the field, looking for perfec- flock to see. Even though they do not get diagnosed. Please call anytime; 601-247-
tion, neatness, shinedboots and clean the recognition today that we got then, 3199 or 850-432-1924.
gloves. Once in awhile you would see theirperformances come from their editor's note: Larman, the authoro\ this
herat the cafeteria makingsure we did undyinglove for dance. article, is oneofthechivingforces behind the
not overdo it with the food. Ifourperfor- Ifyou were ever a Dixie Darling or Dixie DarlingAlumnaeAssociation and the
mance was perfectwe would be reward- knowsomeone who was a DD, please preservation ofthegroup's heritage. 5^
edwith a Tootsie Pop. Ifit were what contact ourmembership chair, Dee K.
MissJellinek considered a bad show, no Ervine, at email [email protected] or
1525 E. Beach Blvd. #206, Pass Christian,
1=-'.'
R esidence Hall
^Kp-^eiv e su1 a e
nion
BY RAYMOND REEVES
Johnny' wasJohn Polk 71,Jan's hus-
band - and, coincidentally the former
roommate ofDan Clay 71, Susan's hus-
College is a time of learning
band.
(both in and out of the class-
"I thinkwe alwayskeptintouch - we
room), growth and transition. moved offto GeorgiaandSouthCarolina
One of the biggest challenges beforemovingbackto Mississippi," Susan
many new students face is said. "We exchangedpicturesofourkids
learning to live with a room- andcalledeverycouple ofyearsto catch
mate. It is not uncommon for up. Whenyoucallpeople like that, you
this to be the first time a stu- pickuprightwhereyouleftoffthe lasttime
dent has had to share a room, you talked. I don'tthinkJanand I everhad
and sometimes the adjustment anargument. Shehasn'tchangedatall-
can be tough. However, at she'saverysweet,verySouthernperson."
other times, it can be the The two made an interestingpair;Jan STANDING,LEFTTORIGHT:JULIEPOLK,OLIVIACLAY,
was fromJackson, and Susan, whose SUSANCLAY. SEATED:JANPOLK.
beginning of a strong relation-
stepmotherwas the niece ofthen-presi-
ship between two people.
dentWilliam D. McCain, was from Illi- with mymom, especiallyin that close of
nois. They loved to share clothes;Jan's
a space,"Julie admitted. "But the first
motherworked at a department store in time I met her, she was nothing like I
Jackson, and so she was able to get expected; we liked the same things, and I
clothes there, while Susan did most ofher
shoppingat home in Chicago. Needless wthaosurgehltie'vtehdi.s iFsalplrosbemaebsltyerg,oiwnegdtiodwoervke.r'y-I
to say, theybothbrought their own tastes thing together, andnow, even though we
to the combined wardrobe! bothhave busy schedules, we eat togeth-
"We got along great, even though our er and go to the Payne Center together
backgrounds were so different,"Jan said. wheneverwe can."
"I went home withher forspringbreak Olivia isjust as happywith the
once; it snowed and I was so excited and arrangement. "We get along reallywell.
wanted to get out in it, but she was used We went out a lot, especially at first; my
Htioonwshmiapnryepteiamtesit,setlfh?ough, does that rela- tfiorsittpaenrdsodnidnI'htawdaenvterto.knSohewnwawshoalsoowtnheed wmeo'dmbweououltd. cSahlel'adbloeuatve9aorme1s0s:a0g0easnadying
Jan Barrett Polk 74 and Susan Mar- something from Saks FifthAvenue." 'where are you?' and I'd call herback and
shall Claywere roommates during their say 'wherewouldyou be ifyou were me?'
gdaoyosdattiSmoesutmhaernnyMriosos.mmTahteeysehnajvoey,eddetvheel- Itwaspriorto Fall 1999 when Oliviawas this"sWeemekstienrd,osfohwaevedoonp'ptossieteeesacchhedoutlheesr
oinpetdouachfrwiietndhsheiapc,haonthderp.roTmhiesyednotowkheaevpe lMoeorkiidnigantoCtormamnsufnerittoytChoellUengiev.erSsuistyanfrwoams aMsonofdtaeny,sbauntdwWeeddnoetshdianygss.toSghee'tsherreaolneasy
a good reason to keep in touch; their seekingthe information her daughter to get alongwith."
daughters,Julie Polk and Olivia Clay, would need, and calledheroldroommate Needless to say, the parentsare happy
have continued the mothers' tradition and foradvice. Duringthe course ofthe con- withthisarrangement -besidestheunique-
began rooming togetherwhen Olivia versation, itcame up thatJulie waslooking ness ofseeingtheirroommate matchings
fora roommate, and, obviously Oliviawas passedalongto theirchildren, theyknow
arri"vWedeahtaSdougtohtteernntMoisksnothwisepaacshtoftalhle.r seekingone aswell. The girlsspoke on the that theirchild isin good hands. "Iwasso
through Pi Beta Phi," Susan said about phone severaltimes afterthat and decided pleased,"Jansaid. "I alwayswantto know
her andJans meeting. "I don't knowif to give this second-generation roommate the familyofthose whoJulie isstaying
she knewwhat she was getting into, but ideaa try - even ifJulie wasn't quite con- with, and thisis the first timewehave.
wWaneedgdJoiatdnarulepoa.nl"lgyrweealllly-wienllfaacst,rIoofimxmeadtJeosh.nny bvaeilncocan"IeugdswweaaitstIhfktirhhnsietenrtwkhimanItogcm,iot,u'wlifodImnuw'lyotdnmg'wetotolrmaiklkeoconaiugtnt'.lgievting wSSfihuonsmedeartnaeigawmoneeodsd,leIffihtrnaiovfaefne.rd",poioacmlkmieafdte-erl,iognhygtofuuripcenafdnr.orAmenaSldlSy
8
THE TALON
GULF COAST U P D AT
USM GULF COAST MOVING port ofEducation, goes to an undergradu- for parents and students to work together.
FORWARD WITH EXPANSION ate professorin eachstate who shows Teacher Nancy Huntersaid, 'We want to
The University ofSouthern Mississip- extraordinary dedication to teaching. Her get parents to use these math activities at
pi GulfCoast has begun recruitingstu- dedicationisseen through the programs home. It's a way to spend quality, learning
dents to fill 150 slots afterbeing delayed she has directed outside ofthe classroom. time with their children." Other teachers
since March. This recruitment is a step Masztal has developed and implemented were also welcome to come see the new
toward expanding the campus to a four- USMGC's School Reading Program. She math teaching methods.
yearprogram. U.S. District CourtJudge serves as project director for a Knight
AEROSPACE COMPANY FUNDS
Neal Biggers approved the revised fresh- Foundation Excellence in Education
man admission standards in November grant. She also has directed two separate USMGC SCHOLARSHIP
and lifted the injunction that stalled the programs that incorporate art and dance Computer Sciences Corporation/Aero-
expansion plans. Vice President Dr.James in the education process. jet has donated $2,000 to fund a scholar-
Williams said, "We had a pool ofover Masztal, who received USMs Excel- ship at The University ofSouthern Missis-
100 applicants when we were enjoined lence in TeachingAward for the 1985-86 sippi-GulfCoast. The scholarship, part of
by the court last summer, and now, we academic year, began her career as a pub- a five-year, $10,000 pledge by the com-
must develop a newpool under the lic school teacher in Dade County, Fla. pany, will be used for place-bound people
admission standards approved in the with families.
recent ruling." MATH EDUCATION UNITES CSC/Aerojet is a division ofGen Corp,
SheliaWhite, director ofpublic rela- USMGC AND BILOXI SCHOOLS a technology-based companywith strong
tions and marketing and recruitment, said Biloxi Public Schools and USMGC positions in aerospace, automotive, and
that the recruitment efforts will focus on teamed up to hold Family Math Night to related polymer products. George Dunn,
prospects who wish to obtain their com- reduce math anxiety and increase resident manager ofCSC/Aerojet at Sten-
plete four-year degree on the GulfCoast. parental involvement. Math Nightwas nis Space Center, presented the $2,000
Whites plan is to implement mixed part ofthe collaborationbetween the check to Dr. Louis Elias, associate vice-
advertising, direct mail and personal con- schools to implement national standards president for development at USMGC.
tact, targeted specifically at prospective for mathematics education. Funded
freshman. through a grant from theJohn S. and USMGC RECEIVES GRANT FOR
Williams said the University also will James Knight Foundation, the collabora- 'FUN AND SUN' PROGRAM
workwith the state College Board to seek tion was highlighted by the redesign of The state awarded a grant totaling
$2 million from the 2000 Legislature for the districts math curriculum. $37,334 to USMGC's Toy Library and
the expansion and $900,000 to establish At each school, math stations were set Technology Learning Center to develop
a center to provide some courses not up in each classroom with fun activities the "Fun and Sun for Everyone" program.
offered byUSM. With part ofthe money, the center pur-
chased two specially designed beach
MASZTAL NAMED STATE wheelchairs. The chairs have oversized
PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR
wheels, so they can be manipulated
The Carnegie Foundation for the through the sand. The centerwill loan
Advancement ofTeachinghas named Dr. the chairs on a two-week basis to people
Nancy Masztal the 1999 Mississippi Pro- with physical limitations brought on by
fessor ofthe Year. Masztal is the chair of spinal or traumatic brain injuries.
the Division ofEducation and Psychology The center also plans to purchase
at The University ofSouthern Mississippi independent fishing equipment, personal
GulfCoast. The organization selected flotation devices, continuous swim gear
Masztal from five nominees in Mississippi and swim diapers, in addition to the
to receive the award. wheelchairs.
The award, given inconjunctionwith The Toy Library and Technology
the Council forAdvancement and Sup- Learning Center loan program allows
children to use developmental and educa-
tional equipment that would be other-
DR. NANCY MASZTAL wise financially inaccessible.
COMMENCEMENT 1998
fl_
Things
never
Will
be normal
around
here'
BY RAYMOND REEVES know each otherverywell - ofcourse,
that's theway things are in the Student
Printz, you're close-knit. We were married
Severalwell-known names have been in 1964. We came backhere and I took
associatedwith Goodloe Sutton '66 and over the family newspaper, and we've
Jean Rodgers Sutton '63 ofLinden, Ala beenhere eversince."
recently. Names such as People magazine, Foryears, The Democrat-Reporterkept
OprahWinfrey, Playboy magazine, The the people ofMarengo Countyinformedas
New York Times, the National Enquirer to whatwasgoing on withinitsborders.
and, most recently, Reader's Digest. Other, The Suttonswere astrongpart ofthe com-
less mainstream names have also been munityand life seemedgood. In 1991, life
linkedwith the Suttons, such as Quill and changed forthe Suttonsand also forthe
AmericanJournalism Review. people inthat part ofthe state.
However, the one thing these widely W
varied names have in common in their '"^%
associationwith the Suttons is not a name
but a number - 067 85 003.
That number is how former Marengo
County sheriffRoger Davis is now
known; it is his identification numberin
prison. The couple thaiAmericanJournal-
ism Review referred to as "a team fornear-
ly 37 years, since theyworked togetherat
the Student Printz at The Universityof
Southern Mississippi" worked together to
uncover the corruption that Davisbuilt
duringhis time behind the badge.
Goodloeserves as the editorandpub-
lisher, withJeanas managingeditor, ofThe
Democrat-Reporter, the weeklynewspaper
in Linden. He is a Lindennative, and
grewup around the paper - itwas owned "In 1990, RogerDaviswasrunningfor
and operatedbyhis father, who pur- sheriff," Suttonsaid. "Hehadareallybad
chased the publicationin 1917 - andwas attitude towardsme,Jean, thenewspaper
workingin the "familybusiness" by the andeverybodywhoworkedhere, andI
timehe was six, sweepingthe floor and didn'tknowwhy. Hegotelectedandtook
stacking papers.Jeanwasborn inJackson, office inJanuaryof'91. ByChristmasof'91,
and the two arrived on the Southern Miss he hadboughthis daughtera four-wheel
campus as the 1960sbegan. ATVforabout $3,000andpaid foritwith
"I was going to Southern on a work theSheriffDepartment's funds. Weheard
scholarship; I was a linotype operator," about it, and, beforewe couldgetastory
Goodloe Sutton said. "She was coming written, he had gone and paid the dealer
from HindsJunior College, and she also and gottenreimbursed, the countywas
had a scholarship. We were both working reimbursed, sohewas prettywellcovered.
on the StudentPrintz. She was elected We startedtogo aheadand do astory-
business manager that first springand the untilwe found outthat thereshouldhave
nextyear I was elected editor. We got to beenmore than $150,000indrugfundsin
THE TALON