Photo: Tyler Rocquemore ’22
During the first in-person spring commencement ceremony in three years due to COVID, Berea College recognized 260 students. This included 45 students who graduated between 2019-2021. The 215 graduates for 2022 represented 18 different countries.
Guest speaker Geoffrey Canada, globally renowned president and creator of the Harlem Children’s Zone and advocate for education reform, spoke during the ceremony on meeting challenges facing our youth. (more…)
Jaden Johnson named Major of the Year in Health & Human Performance by Shape America
By Joey Martelli, Shape America
SHAPE America–Society of Health and Physical Educators honored Jaden Johnson of Berea College as a Major of the Year during the organization’s 136th National Convention and Expo, held April 26-30th in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The award celebrates outstanding undergraduate students in the health, physical education, recreation, and dance professions who are nominated by a faculty advisor or professor. Johnson was recognized on Tuesday, April 26th during the Opening General Session.
“The outstanding achievements of future professionals like Jaden is integral to the future of SHAPE America and our profession.” said SHAPE America President Terri Drain, the Founder and Coordinator of the Health and Physical Education Collaborative.
Photo: Tyler Rocquemore ’22
Berea College students Maria Alejandra Hernandez Diaz ’22 and Hunter McDavid ’22 have been named Thomas J. Watson Fellows.
The 54th Class of Watson Fellows was selected from just 41 private colleges and university partners across the United States. This year, 42 students were selected from a national pool of finalists in an extremely competitive process.
Ezell becomes the Appalachian Eagle during the Clear Creek premier of the full Ezell: Ballad of a Land Man performance (photo by Erica Chambers)
Ezell: Ballad of a Land Man, an award-winning outdoor eco-cultural theater, music and meal experience will be presented at the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center and the Pinnacles over Earth Day weekend, April 21 to 24, 2022.
Ezell is an environmental, cultural and spiritual parable derived from living in the foothills of Appalachia, one man among many seeking to make sense of the time, place and condition in which we live. In the story, Ezell’s choices, traumas, ancestors and more intersect with themes of domination and resilience as he seeks to take advantage of an anticipated fracking boom and the opportunity to reconnect with the people and land of his raising.
Súle Greg Wilson
Súle Greg Wilson, founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops, will perform at Ballad Night at Berea College on Friday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Gray Auditorium, Presser Hall. The evening is hosted by the Berea College Folk-Roots Ensemble.
Wilson will present a 30-minute set of African American ballads which will be followed by a ballad round robin. The performance is free and open to the public. All audience members must be masked as per college policy due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: Crystal Wylie ’05
Berea College recognized 80 students last week during its Mid-Year Ceremony. Alumnus and former Berea College Trustee Robert Yahng addressed the seniors, who represented 20 states and five different countries.
Berea College recognized 80 students last week during its Mid-Year Ceremony. Alumnus and former Berea College Trustee Robert Yahng addressed the seniors, who represented 20 states and five different countries.
Photo: Gaston Jarju ’23
Yahng, who was introduced by Board of Trustees Chair Stephanie Zeigler, spoke to the graduates of the importance of their achievement during what he called “extraordinary uncertainties.”
bell hooks speaking during the formal presentation of her papers to Berea College on April 10, 2017.
(Photo: Bethany Posey ’18)
Berea College is deeply saddened about the death of bell hooks, Distinguished Professor in Residence in Appalachian Studies, prodigious author, public intellectual and one of the country’s foremost feminist scholars. She died at her home in Berea after an extended illness.
Born Gloria Jean Watkins in Hopkinsville, Ky., on Sept. 25, 1952, she adopted the pen name “bell hooks” from her maternal great-grandmother, Bell Blair Hooks.
Symerdar Baskin was awarded the Honorary Alumna Award and Andrew Baskin received the Rodney C. Bussey Award of Special Merit at Homecoming 2021.
Photo: Crystal Wylie ’05
The Berea College Alumni Association presented Andrew Baskin with the Rodney C. Bussey Award of Special Merit during this year’s Black Student Union Pageant. Baskin’s wife, Symerdar, was presented with an Honorary Alumna Award.
Andrew Baskin was raised in Alcoa, Tenn., and came to Berea as a student in 1968. He majored in history and graduated in 1972 with enough hours for a double major in Black studies. In 1975, he earned a master’s degree in history at Virginia Tech University and went on to teach at Ferrum College in Virginia.
Chef Paul Runnels, the new chef at Berea’s Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant, has big plans for the historic restaurant.
Photo by Osman Bin Aamir ’24 / Berea College
At the young age of 14, Chef Paul Runnels knew he belonged in a kitchen.
He applied for a job at the Huntington Country Club, where he was hired to wash dishes. But he found he just couldn’t do that. He had too many questions. He wanted to know more.
“On my first day, I asked the chef what he was doing, and he said he was carving fruits and vegetables for trays,” Runnels recalled. “I told him I could do that, and he said ‘yeah, right.’ He found out really quick that I could.”
From his first job in his hometown of Huntington, W.Va., Runnells set his sights on becoming a chef, and from there, he hasn’t looked back. His path has taken him from the Culinary Institute of America to several high-profile chef positions and back close to home at Berea’s Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant, where he recently was hired as Executive Chef.
The Berea College Board of Trustees has elected Megan Torres of Alexandria, Va., and Cassie Helen Chambers Armstrong of Louisville, Ky., to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees.
Berea College Trustee Morgan Torres
After graduating from Berea College in 2009 with a degree in Business Administration, Torres returned to her home state of Virginia, where she worked at the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While there, she focused on a variety of projects, including contracting system administration, policy, training/certification management and performing market research for micro purchases.
Berea College President Lyle Roelofs and First Lady Laurie Roelofs pose for a photo in front of the President’s Home with the First Dog.
Photo by Crystal Wylie ’05 / Berea College
Photo by Chris Radcliffe
Berea College President Lyle Roelofs has announced his decision to retire, effective June 30, 2023. Roelofs arrived in Berea with his wife, Laurie, in 2012 to serve as the institution’s ninth president. From the very beginning, the Board of Trustees has been consistently impressed and pleased with their adoption of all things Berea and their broad success. The Berea College community is thankful to have worked side by side with Lyle and Laurie for what will be 11 years.
“It has been an honor and so very satisfying to have served Berea College as its ninth president,” President Roelofs said. “Everything about this school, from its transformative mission to the wonderful students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends, have made this such a privilege for Laurie and me.”
“The Board of Trustees and I are truly grateful for Lyle and First Lady Laurie Roelofs’ tremendous service to Berea College, and we are thankful for their longevity of service,” said Board Chair Stephanie Zeigler. “Their timing was remarkably fortuitous, and given their steady and thoughtful leadership throughout the unimaginable challenges brought on by COVID-19, Berea College is in a place of strength. Lyle’s early announcement regarding his retirement allows us ample time and a competitive edge for our search.”
Throughout his tenure, Roelofs has stayed true to the remarkable and unique mission of Berea College, leading in significant ways that have transformed the campus and elevated the college’s national profile.
Donna J. Dean, Ph.D. and Charles Crowe were elected to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees for six-year terms beginning immediately through June 30, 2027. Crowe previously served a six year term as alumni trustee from 2014-2020.
Donna J. Dean, Ph.D.
Dean’s career has included various positions in scientific research and administration. Most recently, she was an executive consultant to the Association for Women in Science in Washington, D.C. Previously, Dean was senior science advisor for Lewis-Burke Associates LLC and senior scholar in residence for the National Academy of Engineering. She served in various capacities for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, Md., including senior advisor for engineering in the office of the director; acting (and founding) director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; senior scientific advisor to the director; and several positions for the Center for Scientific Review/Division of Research Grants, NIH. Dean also was a consumer safety officer for the Division of Food Additives and Veterinary Drugs for the United States Food and Drug Administration, DHHS, Washington, D.C. She also has held laboratory and faculty-based positions as a research chemist for the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes NIH and as a visiting research fellow in the department of biology at Princeton University.
Students gathered in the Carter G. Woodson Center with Kristina Gamble, Director of the Black Cultural Center, to watch the live verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty in the death of George Floyd.
(Photo: Gaston Jarju ’23)
Dear Bereans,
During the past year, the Berea College community has held a number of peaceful demonstrations focused on racial justice in the wake of the police-involved deaths of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and George Floyd in Minneapolis. Today, a jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in the death of Mr. Floyd. For many members of our community, this verdict brings a sigh of relief. It shows that the legal system worked as it is designed to work, and that there can—and should—be accountability when members of law enforcement break the law.
In the preamble to our Great Commitments, Bereans call for peace with justice. In my view, today’s verdict represents a measure of justice for the family of Mr. Floyd and for those communities that have been denied justice for so long.
Even though we are still far from the ideal of full justice from which true peace can follow, it seems right to honor peace as we respond to this outcome. It is the Berea way to be peaceful in our interactions with others. Justice prevailed today, and let us resolve to continue the struggle to ensure that everyone—regardless of their race, gender identity, faith or political perspective—is treated fairly and justly. Let us show impartial love and a real commitment to peace at this important moment.
Lyle Roelofs, President
Berea College
Autumn Harvey, a junior majoring in history at Berea College, has been selected as a Newman Civic Fellow for 2021-2022 by Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization advancing the public purposes of higher education. Harvey joins 212 students from 39 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico, to form the 2021 Newman Civic Fellow cohort.
William L. Robbins was elected to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees for a six-year term beginning immediately through June 30, 2027.
For 26 years Robbins has been with Capital Group, an American financial services company, where he serves as a partner and equity portfolio manager. He is the principal investment officer of Capital Group Private Client Services, the American Mutual Fund and the Global Insights Fund. He also serves on the portfolio coordinating group for Capital International Investors and the Capital Solutions Group. He is a director of the American Mutual Fund, Investment Company of America, AMCAP Fund and Global Balanced Fund and previously served on the Board of the Capital Group Companies. Earlier in his career at Capital, Robbins was an equity investment analyst. Before joining Capital, Robbins was a part of the investment team at Tiger Management Corp. in New York and a financial analyst with Morgan Stanley.
The following article was originally posted on artscouncil.ky.gov.
Silas House is the recipient of the 2020 Artist Award from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear as part of the annual Governor’s Award in the Arts.
The Commonwealth’s most prestigious arts awards honor Kentucky individuals, businesses and organizations that make significant contributions to the arts in the state. Governor’s Awards in the Arts recipients exemplify a diversity of accomplishments in all areas of the arts as well as the irreplaceable value of those contributions to the state’s communities, educational environment and economy. The combined achievements and contributions of this year’s esteemed group of recipients demonstrate the many ways that citizens of Kentucky uphold the tradition of creating a rich cultural legacy.
The ceremony will be held on January 26 at 11 a.m. EST and is available to watch on YouTube.
Born in Corbin, Silas House, who was hailed by fellow Kentucky writer Barbara Kingsolver as one of her “favorite writers and human beings,” is a multiple award-winning, New York Times and nationally best-selling novelist.
The following was from an article titled, 2021’s Best and Worse States to Raise a Family, from WalletHub, and features commentary from Neil Mecham, Associate Professor of Child and Family Studies and Chair of the Child and Family Studies Department
Not all states are created equal. Some are more conducive to pleasant family life than others. With those differences in mind, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:
Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Child and Family Studies; Chair of the Child and Family Studies Department – Berea College
What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?
It might sound selfish, but parents should consider what an area holds for them – what they would like to do with their children. Developing strong supportive relationships with children is generally done while spending quality time with them, and parents are more likely to spend time with their children if they are doing things they, the parents, enjoy. So if you like to ride bikes, then selecting a city with established bike routes would allow being helpful. If attending cultural events brings you joy, then cities with venues for children would be important.
To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?
Quality of life can be measured in multiple ways. Taxes, education systems, industry, and wages all influence the financial aspect of the quality of life, but access to leisure activities and natural setting also has great influence. I know many families, not considered financially well off, who would rate their quality of life very high because they enjoy the opportunities their environment provides them.
How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?
Local authorities should prioritize providing access to nature-scape areas. Sports fields are good, and so are plastic playgrounds, but nature-scape parks and playgrounds provide the most variety and invitation for families to use them year-round.
How might Biden’s proposals related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being?
When parents need to work, they need to feel that their children are not just warehoused and kept safe. They want to feel that their children are growing; being challenged and enjoying their time. Supporting the childcare systems that can provide this level of quality care takes leaders who make it a priority, not an afterthought or lip service campaign promise.
In evaluating the best states for families, what are the top five indicators?
The following article was originally posted on moneygeek.com and features commentary from Theresa Lowder, Director of Student Financial Aid at Berea College.
By: Ingrid Cruz
Collectively, Americans owe nearly $1.51 trillion in outstanding student loans. Owing over a trillion dollars can affect millennials and, most recently, Generation Z. In addition, people over the age of 60 are also struggling with student loan debt, according to a 2020 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The average student loan borrower can expect payments from $200 to $300 per month. The coronavirus relief bill allowed for student loan repayment suspensions until September 30, but this was extended until December 31, 2020.
Understandably, people may be wondering what to do about repayment, particularly during uncertain economic times. The financial advice and expert insight in this guide have been compiled to help you formulate a plan to pay off your student loan debt.
(Photo: Brittany Lakes)
The Madison County Historical Society recently awarded certificates of recognition to Dr. Jacqueline Grigsby Burnside and staff members of the Berea College Special Collections and Archives.
Sharon Graves, president of the historical society, presented preservation awards at a brief outside ceremony on the steps of the Hutchins Library on the Berea College campus.
Jennifer Bentz, a Berea College alumna of Maryville, Tennessee, received a Fellowship worth $8,500 by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP)—the nation’s oldest collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Bentz is one of 58 recipients nationwide to receive a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship.
Bentz received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Berea College earlier this year. As a Phi Kappa Phi Fellow, Bentz will pursue a Doctor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
William S. (Bill) Daugherty was elected in April to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees for a term beginning July 1.
A 1976 Berea College alumnus and recipient of Berea’s 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Daugherty is a co-founder and serves as a Managing Partner of BlackRidge Resource Partners LLC, an independent exploration and production company with oil and gas production in Kentucky, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma and Wyoming.
“As an alumnus, I have always been grateful for the opportunities Berea College afforded me and the solid foundation I received for my future,” said Daugherty. “I look forward to giving back by serving as a contributing member of the Board of Trustees.”
Kristina Gamble was selected as director of Berea College’s Black Cultural Center in June. A Western Kentucky University (WKU) alumna, Gamble earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology. She currently is a doctoral candidate in WKU’s Educational Leadership Doctoral program.
“I am proud to have roots in south central Kentucky and Appalachia,” Gamble said. “It is an honor to serve as the new director of Berea’s Black Cultural Center. I am fully committed to Berea’s Great Commitments and to cultivating an environment that will promote the success and development of our African American students. I am excited to begin my journey at the first interracial and coeducational college in the South.”
Beloved Bereans,
This week, our nation has been roiled yet again by the videotaped killing on an unarmed African American man: George Floyd. In our own beloved Kentucky, protestors are marching for justice for Breonna Taylor, an African American woman shot in her own home by the police. Even in the midst of a pandemic, people of color remain targets, often with little recourse. Christian Cooper was bird watching in Central Park this past weekend, and asked a young woman to put her dog on a leash, which was required in that park. Instead, she told him that she was going to “call the police and tell them that an African American man was threatening her and her dog.” The message was clear—Mr. Cooper would be perceived by the police as a threat to her, and would, subsequently, be punished.
In 1857, the United States Supreme Court made a decision that, it seems, follows to this day. After an enslaved man, Dred Scott, sued for his freedom after being taken by his “owner” into what was then a “free” territory, the court wrote that “They had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order…: and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect:…” (Dred Scott, 60 U.S.at 407). Today, we stand as a nation at a moment when we must decide if the language of the Dred Scott Decision will guide our future, or the language of The Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all (men) peoples are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…” Here at Berea College, we have long stood on the side of justice, and today, we remain steadfast, holding to the motto of our Founder, the great Abolitionist Reverend John G. Fee, taken from Acts: 17:26, “God has made of One Blood All Peoples of the Earth.” Berea College remains steadfast in its support of all marginalized communities and peoples, and we ask that all Bereans remember these individuals—that we remember their names and their stories. That we never forget that we are, indeed, one blood.
Signed,
Officers of the College: Lyle Roelofs, Linda Strong-Leek, Channell Barbour, Sylvia Asante, Jeff Amburgey, Chad Berry, Phillip Logsdon, Matt Saderholm, Derrick Singleton, Teri Thompson, Judge Wilson
Trustees of the College: Robert Yahng (Chair), Vance Blade (Vice Chair), Vicki Allums, Celeste Armstrong, Charlotte Beason, Anne Bonnyman, David H. Chow, Charles Crow, Libby Culbreth, Samantha Earp, John Fleming, Mike Flowers, Nana Lampton, Betty Olinger, Miriam Pride, Dennis Roop, David Sloan, Rocky Tuan, Diane Wallace, Stephanie Ziegler, Elton White (honorary)
Faculty of the College: Rebecca Bates, Mike Berheide, A.J. Bodnar (spouse), Jill Bouma, Richard Cahill, Mark Calkins, Beth Crachiolo, Jean Cupidon, Leonard Curry, Liza DiSavino, Ashley Elston, Robert Foster, Nancy Gift, Nicholas Hartlep, Richard Hale, Megan Hoffman, Connie Lamb, Shannon Phelps, Ed McCormack, Cindy McGaha, Meta Mendel-Reyes, Ian Norris, Amanda Peach, Loretta Reynolds, Mary Robert-Garrett, Ron Rosen, Tyler Sergent, Rob Smith, Bobby Starnes, Teri Thesing, Julian Viera, Penelope Wong, Stephanie Woodie, Andrea Woodward
Staff of the College: Kishore Acharya, Dan Adams, Elaine Adams, Jenny Akins, T.J. Akins (spouse) Ray Arnold, Candis Arthur, Aaron Beale, Lisa Berry, Sarah Broomfield, Kim Brown, Susan Buckmaster, Charlie Campbell, Sarah Campbell, Nathaniel Clements, Ashley Cochrane, Jackie Collier, Abbie Darst, Richard Dodd, Gena Edwards, Mary Galloway, Judy Ginter, Andy Glenn, Amy Harmon, Ryan Hess, Mike Hogg, Alice Hooker, Terry Hosler, Leslie Kaylor, Tennant Kirk, Brittany Lakes, Julie LeBrun, Martina Leforce, Kelly Linville, Sheila Lyons, Laura Magner, Jason Miller, Sam Milligan, Dorothy Morgan, Judy Mott, Candace Mullins, Mark Nigro, Julianna O’Brien, Joan Pauly, Jessica Pena, Frank Polion, Laurie Roelofs, Sarah Rohrer, Lois Scott, Joanne Singh, Shawnna Southerland, Melissa Strobel, Sherry Thiele, Zack Thompson, Wendy Warren, Judith Weckman, Joe Wilkie, Crystal Wylie, Jenna Zimmerman
Students of the College: Cora Allison, Josiah Creech, Rachel Dodd, Amber Follin, Sean Mack, Eli Prater, Phoebe Weber
Retirees of the College: Kathryn Akural, Lothar Baumann, Carla Baumann, John Bolin, Sandra Bolin, Sandy Bolster, Steve Bolster, Jean Boyce, Robert Boyce, Peggy Burgio, Dorothy Chao (spouse), Eugene Chao, Debra Duerson-Swinford, Betty Hibler, Libby Jones, Roger Jones (spouse), Bill Laramee, Monica Laramee (spouse), Melissa Osborne, Harry Rice, Nancy Ryan, William Turner, Barbara Wade, Joan Weston
Alumni of the College: Dale Barlow, Donna Dean, Daniel Dennert, Carol Gilliam, Theresa Scherf
Members of the Berea community: Alice Zollicoffer
Jessica Napier ’00 (Photo: LEX 18)
Jessica Napier, a 2000 graduate of Berea College, has been named National Health Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America, an organization that champions health and physical educators at every level, from preschool to university graduate programs.
Dr. Dwayne Mack
Dr. Dwayne Mack was appointed vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Berea College effective July 1. Dr. Mack has been with the College since 2003 and has taught American history, African American history and general studies. He currently serves as professor of history and the Carter G. Woodson Chair in African American history. He brings to the position a wealth of knowledge from research and scholarship on diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, the civil rights movement, interracial education and the gendered past of Berea College. In this position, Mack also will be a member of the Administrative Committee.
“My approach to the vice president role is rooted in my longstanding commitment to collaborative leadership that cultivates diversity, equity and inclusion,” Mack said. “Ultimately, my work is driven by a commitment to social equality, with the aim of generating practices that have a practical impact. Creating a campus climate that is inclusive and diverse, and supports our Great Commitments and Climate Assessment Report will continue to be the most meaningful and rewarding work of my professional career. It is at the core of my research and praxis.”