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WILSON, N.C. - May is always a busy month for a college, and Barton started the month with a bang. With a control room dedication, a Founder's Day luncheon, and a book signing, May 1 was bursting with activity at Barton College.

Family, friends, and members of the campus community joined Phyllis Parish Howard, director of local production for WRAL-TV and Capitol Broadcasting Company of Raleigh, at the morning dedication of Barton College's television control room, which was named in her honor.

"Jim Goodmon, president and CEO of Capitol Broadcasting Company, chose to recognize the contributions of Phyllis Parish Howard and, through his generous philanthropy, has made the Phyllis Parish Howard Television Control Room a reality," said Barton president Norval C. Kneten in his opening remarks.

Parish Howard, a 1979 alumna and current trustee of Barton College, said, "My career in television began here on this campus, and so I'm so honored today that this WRAL and Capitol Broadcasting gift will continue Barton's future in the broadcasting industry."

Offering her thanks for the gift, junior Brittany Creamer, a mass communications major with a concentration in video broadcast production, said, "The generous donation of equipment has had a tremendous impact on me personally and my fellow classmates, allowing us to utilize the most current technology in our field. We are grateful to receive this generous donation."

The day was special not just for Parish Howard, but also for her parents Bill and Aileen Parish, who were honored at the Founder's Day luncheon.

Friends of the Parishes, Juanita Andrews and Dr. Gilbert Davis spoke of their friendship with the couple and relayed humorous memories from their shared past, stories ranging from antics in college to trips abroad.

Bill Parish began attending Atlantic Christian/Barton College in 1943, but World War II called him away to Mississippi in 1944 for training in the Army Air Corps. Aileen Reel also started her academic pursuits at Atlantic Christian in 1943, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1947. After marrying in 1951, the Parishes established their home in Wendell, rearing two daughters Patricia (always known as "Tricia") and Phyllis, both of whom became Atlantic Christian graduates in 1975 and 1979, respectively.

Late afternoon offered a book signing opportunity as the final activity of the day. Honoring former student-athlete, tennis coach, and athletic director Tom Parham, the gathering provided guests with the chance to meet the 1963 alumnus and have him sign their copy of his new book "Play Is Where Life Is." According to Parham's website http://tomparham.wordpress.com, the "stories range from the shenanigans of a preacher’s child, to the adventures of a freewheeling 1950s teenager; from a small college athlete to a National Hall of Fame tennis coach. Topics include crossroads, inventions called the automobile and television, tragedies, accidents, and plenty of drama from a cadre of small town characters."

With a control room dedication, a Founder's Day luncheon, and a book signing to start off one of the busiest months of the academic year, many at Barton will find themselves ready for the clichéd lazy summer days.

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or email kdozier@barton.edu.

Exercises Scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at 1:30 p.m.

WILSON, N.C. - Some 220 seniors will participate in the 106th annual commencement exercises of Barton College, scheduled for Sunday, May 18 on center campus at 1:30 p.m. Wilson Gymnasium is the rain site. Dr. Norval C. Kneten will preside over his fifth commencement program as president of Barton College. Dr. Terrence L. Grimes, vice president for academic affairs, will present the graduating class.

Dr. Richard Ekman, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, will deliver the commencement address. Dr. Ekman has served in this national leadership role since 2000. He previously served as Vice President for Programs of Atlantic Philanthropies and, from 1991 to 1999, as Secretary of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. From 1982 until 1991, he was a member of the staff of the National Endowment for the Humanities, first as Director of the Division of Education Programs, subsequently as Director of the Division of Research Programs. He currently serves as a member of many boards, including the National Advisory Committee of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, the Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins University Press, the Council of Harvard University's Graduate School Alumni Association, and the Board of Overseers Visiting Committee to the Harvard University libraries.

His previous experience includes service as Vice President and Dean of Hiram College, where he was also a tenured member of the history faculty. Earlier, he served as Assistant to the Provost at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and as Associate Director of the Department of Expository Writing at Harvard University. Dr. Ekman holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in the history of American civilization, the institution from which he also received his A.M. and A.B. (magna cum laude) degrees. Dr. Ekman also has been awarded honorary degrees by Marywood University, and Bethany, Georgetown, Hastings, Otterbein, Alderson-Broaddus, and Ursinus Colleges. He is co-author, with Richard E. Quandt, of Technology and Scholarly Communication (University of California Press, 1999).

He has previously been active as a member of a variety of professional boards including the Board of Directors of the American Association for Higher Education, the Educational Projects Advisory Committee of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the Advisory Committee of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, the Rackham Advancement Council of the University of Michigan, the Council of Harvard University's Villa I Tatti, the Board of Directors of the Society for Values in Higher Education, the Steering Committee of the Washington Higher Education Secretariat, the Board of Directors of the Council for the Understanding of Technology in Human Affairs, the Advisory Panel of the Consortium for the Advancement of Private Higher Education, the Boards of Trustees of Georgetown Day School and Collegiate School, and the Advisory Committee on Life-long Learning of the Ohio Board of Regents.

Participating in this year's commencement ceremony will be students who completed their baccalaureate degree requirements in December 2007 and May 2008, as well as candidates who expect to fulfill requirements over the summer. The three highest honors presented to Barton students: the Coggins Cup, the Hilley Cup, and the Hemby Leadership Cup, will be awarded. The Coggins Cup is presented annually to the student voted best all-around by the Barton faculty and staff. The Hilley Cup is presented annually to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade point average. The Hemby Leadership Cup is presented to the graduating senior, who in the estimation of the college community (including students, faculty and staff) has demonstrated outstanding leadership throughout a career at Barton College.

The Jefferson-Pilot Faculty Member of the Year awards will also be presented. The awards, given annually to two faculty members, include a cash stipend for international study.

Dr. Phillip H. Warren, class of 1971, president of the Barton College Alumni Association and its Alumni Board, will bring greetings to graduating seniors on behalf of the Alumni Association.

Barton's Commencement Day program will begin with the baccalaureate sermon Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in Howard Chapel. The Reverend Hollie E. Woodruff, chaplain of the college, will deliver the address. Lunch will be served in the Hamlin Student Center Dining Hall from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at no charge for seniors and $5.00 each for family members and guests.

The Commencement festivities will include a luncheon for seniors and their parents on Saturday afternoon, May 17 from noon to 1:30 p.m., hosted by Dr. and Mrs. Norval C. Kneten at the Barton-Graves House. The pinning ceremony for the graduates of the School of Nursing will follow at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening at First United Methodist Church.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

Wilson, N.C. - Members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in North Carolina joined the Barton College community on Tuesday, April 29, as the College honored the institution's historical ties with its founding church during the 2008 Founder's Week celebration. The featured speaker for the luncheon program on Tuesday was minister, lecturer, and author Dr. Fred Craddock.

Craddock, who examined the relationship of the church and higher education, said, "We're here to reflect on the relationship of this school and other schools like it to the church.

"Whatever gap there is, whatever distance there is between the church and the academy is not in the nature of the case. It's simply the church in two different postures: the church at worship and the church at study. Same people; and in the early, beginning days, under the same leadership."

Craddock sought to remind the listeners that churches and schools once operated together. As an example, Craddock mentioned the Jewish synagogue and its role in education: "It was a school, it was a synagogue, it was a worship place, it was a school. It was a school, it was a worship place, it was all the same. 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your mind,' they said. 'Use your mind! Use your mind! Use your mind!'"

Craddock said, "Eventually the school was separated, in terms of building and geography, from the church."

According to the speaker, the idea of the church at study is not popular today. "The church at worship we can handle; the church at work, we're doing better; but the church at study is not an image that's comfortable anymore," Craddock stated.

In bridging the gap between church and academy, Craddock believes that, from the church's side, a study of Jesus as a teacher would help a student prepare for college, to prepare for the difference between a church's "hermeneutic of assent" and the academic world's "hermeneutic of suspicion."

For the academy's part in bridging the gap, Craddock feels students should be encouraged to express what they believe. "We're in such a time of disconnect and discontinuity and pluralism and multicultural activity that it is very easy, it's very easy for us to get away with total silence about our beliefs and call it being ecumenical. 'I erase myself; and, therefore, I fit in everywhere.' The point is I'm making no contribution to anybody."

Secondly, "the opportunity and the encouragement for a student to get involved in the town, in the community, in the city where the school is located" is another way he believes the academy can help.

Thirdly, he advocated a "strong chaplain service for the students, especially the students who fall victim to their own contradictions, fall victim to the depression that comes from seeing some distance between my head and my heart, for the students who make bad decisions and they accumulate to a suicidal level."

In closing, Craddock said, "I would like to know when one of my young people come to your college that there be somebody there who helps them to see that, even in an academy, starting over is not only possible, but encouraged. That's in the best of all possible worlds, and I think that's where we are today at Barton College."

About the featured speaker:

Dr. Craddock is the Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament, Emeritus, in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. He joined the faculty at Emory following an appointment as chair of the Darbeth Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament at the Graduate Seminary of Phillips University in Enid, Okla. Dr. Craddock joined the Phillips University Department of Religion faculty in 1961, moving to the seminary in 1965 where he taught until 1979.

Dr. Craddock received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johnston Bible College in Knoxville, Tenn., a Bachelor of Divinity from Phillips University, and a Ph.D. in New Testament from Vanderbilt University. Post-doctoral studies were completed at Tübingen, Germany, and at Yale University.

An ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr. Craddock has served pastorates in Tennessee and Oklahoma. In addition, Dr. Craddock has served on the General Board and Administrative Committee of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), on the Commission on Theology of the Council on Christian Unity, and has chaired the Commission on Ministry for the Christian Church in Georgia. He presently is serving on the Task Force on Ministry for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Dr. Craddock is a member of the Association of Disciples for Theological Discussion, the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Society for New Testament Studies. He has served on the Editorial Board of Quarterly Review and on the Advisory Board of Interpretation. Dr. Craddock is the founding pastor of Cherry Log Christian Church and Director Emeritus of The Craddock Center, a program for serving the needs of people of Southern Appalachia.

In addition to preaching and teaching widely at church assemblies and ministers' conferences, Dr. Craddock has served as a guest professor at other seminaries. He has delivered the Thedford G. and Woodrow W. Sprinkle Lectures at Barton College, the Lyman Beecher Lectures at Yale, the Scott Lectures at Claremont School of Theology, the Adams Lectures at Southeastern Baptist Seminary, the Schaff Lectures at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, the Cole Lectures at Vanderbilt, the Westervelt Lectures at Austin Presbyterian Seminary, the Mullins Lectures at Southern Seminary, the Earl Lectures at Pacific School of Religion, and the Mullins Lectures at Southern Baptist Seminary. He was selected by "Newsweek" as one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English speaking world.

Dr. Craddock has written a number of books, including "The Pre-Existence of Christ" (1968), "As One Without Authority" (1971, rev. 1974 and 1979), "Overhearing the Gospel" (1978), "The Gospels" (1981), commentaries on "John" (1982), ‘Philippians" (1984), "Luke, Preaching" (1985), "First and Second Peter and Jude, Preaching" (1985), "The Craddock Stories, Listening to the Word: Studies in Honor of Fred Craddock." In addition, he has prepared with Lee Keck the "Pentecost 3, Series B" volume of the "Proclamation" series; with Ernest Saunders the "Epiphany" volume; with Carl Holladay, John Hayes, and Gene Tucker, the three volume series, "Preaching Through the Christian Year, Year A, Year B, Year C," and he has provided the "Commentary on the Gospel of Luke" in "Harper's One-Volume Commentary" (1988). Dr. Craddock has also contributed a number of articles to various journals. Most recently he has co-authored with Eugene Boring "The People's New Testament Commentary."

A native of Humboldt, Tenn., Dr. Craddock is married to the former Nettie Lee Dungan. They have a daughter and a son.

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or email kdozier@barton.edu. You may also contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email kdaughety@barton.edu.

Wilson, N.C. - Broadway stars Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell joined with campus and community dignitaries on April 24, to break ground for the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre.

Granting more than just their names to the theatre, the husband and wife team hope to use their New York connections to bring fellow Broadway stars to Barton to enrich our students' educational experiences.

"We've been talking back and forth with Bob [Wagner, director of theatre at Barton] about how we can best facilitate his programs," said Campbell as he discussed possibilities for theatre professionals to interact with Barton's theatre program.

"If he has directing students, we have plenty of directors and people that we know," Campbell said.

Kennedy remembered her early exposure to theatre professionals such as Terry Mann while she was at the North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh. She believed it helped prepare her for her professional career on stage.

"I already felt like I had a leg up," said Kennedy.

With the possibilities presented by partnerships with Broadway personalities, theatre students and supporters at Barton have much cause to celebrate.

In addition to professional relationships, the Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre, as a structure, offers more cause for celebration. The new building, which is to be located between Moye Science Hall and the Case Art Building, will provide Barton's students and theatre-goers with a black-box-theatre experience.

A black box theatre accommodates a variety of staging styles, ranging from proscenium to thrust to theatre-in-the-round and more. Because of its intimate atmosphere, black box theatres can feature one-man shows or larger productions without the need for microphones.

"It truly is the most useful kind of space," said Campbell describing the versatility of this type of theatre.

However, the versatility extends beyond the performance space. The theatre will also house classroom space and workshops. It also benefits the campus chapel. Currently, theatre productions at Barton are performed in Howard Chapel; so having a dedicated theatre allows the reclamation of Howard Chapel as a sacred space.

The coming of the Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre poises Barton to offer exceptional educational experiences to its students and enhanced entertainment to its theatre-goers.

"What we want to do from our end is try to also get the word out that Barton is a great place to come if you want to study," said Campbell.

Bob Wagner, Barton's director of theatre, said, "With the help and input of Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell and the Kennedy family and the amazing potential partnerships between Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy [Theatre] in Raleigh, … there is a lot of potential for my students to work with real theatre professionals in real, live theatre; and that's unusual for college theatre."

To learn how you can become part of the theatre program at Barton College, contact the Office of Admissions at 1-800-345-4973 or email enroll@barton.edu.

If you would like to contribute toward the theatre campaign, contact Carolyn H. Brown, vice president for institutional advancement, about seat-naming and other giving opportunities by calling 1-800-422-4699 or 252-399-6598 locally. Email may be addressed to chbrown@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or email at kdozier@barton.edu.

Wilson, N.C. - Barton students and employees in conjunction with the Wilson Rotary Club joined forces with relief organization Stop Hunger Now to pack 10,000 meals for the world's hungry on April 23.

Hosted in Barton College's Hardy Alumni Hall, assembly stations buzzed with activity and laughter as volunteers filled, weighed, sealed, and boxed the food. Periodically loud cheers punctuated the clamor as a gong sounded for every fifth box completed.

Each box, containing 36 bags of food, provided enough for 216 meals. The food itself was a mix of rice, textured soy flour, dehydrated vegetables, and a chicken-flavored vegetarian powder.

With an efficient assembly system and enthusiastic volunteers, the group reached their 10,000-meal goal in just over an hour.

Boasting a low overhead and using an efficient method of assembly, Stop Hunger Now is able to quickly pack meals at a small cost. According to their website http://www.stophungernow.com, "Each meal costs Stop Hunger Now 20¢ to prepare."

Linda Mercer, a programmer in the academic computing office, helped fill food bags and was impressed with the difference that Stop Hunger Now is able to make.

"I think it's wonderful that they can do so much with so little, " said Mercer.

Peter Damroth, a senior majoring in elementary education, also filled bags at one of the assembly stations. He said he got involved with the event because he felt that it was a good cause.

"It's nice to help out; it's rewarding. But it was fun at the same time," said Damroth.

Barton chaplain the Rev. Hollie Woodruff, who was in charge of the event, said, "I think it was great. It really brought everyone together." Woodruff said she looks forward to the next packaging event and wants to see Barton package even more meals next time.

To learn more about Stop Hunger Now, visit their site at http://www.stophungernow.com.

To learn more about service opportunities at Barton College, contact the Rev. Hollie Woodruff at 252-399-6368 or email hewoodruff@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or by email at kdozier@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - The Barton College/Wilson Symphony will present its annual Spring Concert on Sunday, May 4, at 3 p.m. in Howard Chapel on the Barton College campus. The orchestra, under the direction of Mark N. Peterson, will feature noted oboist Robert Burkett who will perform the "Concerto for Oboe and String Orchestra" by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The orchestra will also play Brahms' profoundly tuneful "Academic Festival Overture" and Franz Schubert's sparkling "Symphony No. 7."

Burkett, a native of Virginia Beach, Va., and currently a Greenville resident, is the orchestra's principal oboist and holder of the Jack and Daisy Wiggins Endowed Chair. He performs with several of the orchestras in the Carolinas including longtime associations with the Fayetteville Symphony and the Long Bay Symphony of Myrtle Beach, S.C. He is a two-time winner of the South Carolina MTNA Young Artist Chamber Music Competition and has appeared as a soloist on the 2003 American Cancer Society's Symphony of Hope Concert. Burkett has studied oboe with Dan Smith, Rebecca Nagel, and Bo Newsome.

Following the concert, the audience is cordially invited to meet the musicians at a reception in the Barton Art Museum hosted by ARAMARK Higher Education. Admission for the orchestra performance will be $10 at the door or by season ticket. All students within the community will be admitted free of charge as well as faculty, staff, and students of Barton College.

For additional information about the concert, please contact Lynn Medlin at 252-399-6309 or email: lmedlin@barton.edu.

Symphony Notes by Mark Peterson -

Considered by many as an "English nationalist composer," Williams is underappreciated despite his nine masterful symphonies. His compositions, like those of Dvorák and Grieg, are infused and colored by the nationality of their composer, but not overwhelmed by it. Williams sought to free English music from foreign domination so that it would truly be the music of the English people. As a student, he was first rejected by Elgar but was able to subsequently study with both the Frenchman Maurice Ravel and the German Max Bruch. While he mastered his teachers' techniques, his style remained uniquely English. The "Concerto for Oboe" was written in 1944 for the virtuoso Leon Goossens. The intended premiere on July 5, 1944 was cancelled because of German bombing. The Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Sargent, gave the first performance in Liverpool on September 30, 1944. The oboe concerto originates from a discarded sketch from the scherzo of his "Symphony No. 5 in D major."

Brahms composed the "Academic Festival Overture" during the summer of 1880 as a musical "thank you" to the University of Breslau, which had awarded him an honorary doctorate the previous year. The work is a potpourri of German student songs celebrating the less intellectual aspects of college life: wenching, wining, and freshman initiation! The various tunes include "Wir haben gebauet ein stattliches Haus" ("We have built a stately house") in the trumpets, followed by the noble "Landesvater" ("Father of his country") melody in the strings. Coming next is the lively tune of the freshman-initiation "fox-ride," "Was kommt dort von der Höhe?" ("What comes from there on high?"). All of these tunes parade past once again before Brahms brings in the oldest and most famous of German student songs, "Gaudeamus igitur," "Let us rejoice while we are still young; after a jolly youth and a burdensome old age, the earth will claim us."

Schubert was just 19 years old when he composed his Symphony No. 7. In Vienna in 1816, Mozart's influence was still strongly felt and, with this symphony, Schubert created the ultimate homage to his famous role model. With the exception of a few daring modulations and a handful of romantic harmonies, there is nothing in this work that Mozart would have found unusual or groundbreaking. Rather, he gave us a lively and scintillating work, infused with the best elements found in the symphonies of Haydn and Mozart, his illustrious Viennese predecessors.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - Barton College will celebrate Founder's Day on Thursday, May 1. Among the day's activities will be a campus community luncheon celebration honoring the College's relationship with the William Parish family. Alumni and long-time supporters of the College, Aileen and Bill Parish and their two daughters, Tricia and Phyllis, will be recognized at the luncheon planned for members of the Barton College community and special guests beginning at 11:15 a.m. in Hardy Alumni Hall.

Longtime supporters of Barton College and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Parish family has provided alumni leadership for many years in addition to supporting its educational mission, and providing financial support.

For additional information about the upcoming event, please contact Lynne Medlin, 252-399-6309 or email: lmedlin@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

Incoming Student Checklist:
- Application? Check!
- Transcripts? Check!
- SAT/ACT scores? Check!
- Acceptance letter? Double check!
- Deposit? … Um, hello? Deposit?

Did you know that May 1 is the National Tuition Deposit Deadline? With all the progress you have made in applying and being accepted at Barton College, don't trip up on the next step. Secure your seat in the fall 2008 class at Barton with your tuition deposit.

Barton College is currently accepting $200 advance tuition deposits for the fall 2008 semester. Be sure to make your deposit before the May 1 deadline. To save your place in this fall's class, call 1-800-345-4973 and pay with your Visa or MasterCard.

Remember housing preferences are made in order of tuition deposits received, so don't delay.

Become a Barton Bulldog today!

Wilson, N.C. - Members of the Barton College community will be packing meals on Wednesday, April 23, to help Stop Hunger Now feed hungry people around the world.

Meeting in the multipurpose room of Hardy Alumni Hall, participants will work from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. to reach their goal of 10,000 meals packed. This event provides a great opportunity for outreach, and campus groups are encouraged to participate.

According to the website http://www.stophungernow.org, "Stop Hunger Now is a non-profit, international relief organization committed to ending hunger worldwide. Stop Hunger Now leads ongoing efforts to feed the hungry around the world by providing direct emergency food and other life-saving aid to crisis areas."

For more information on the event including ways you can help, contact the Rev. Hollie Woodruff in the Office of the Chaplain at 252-399-6368 or email hewoodruff@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or by email at kdozier@barton.edu.

Wilson, N.C. - With golden shovels and upturned earth, the Barton campus and special invited guests will celebrate the groundbreaking for the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre on Thursday, April 24, at 11:30 a.m.

Named by former Barton trustee K. D. Kennedy, Jr., in honor of his daughter, Lauren Kennedy, and her husband, Alan Campbell, the black box theatre will provide a versatile space for Barton's students to perform their craft.

Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell will attend the event and provide special remarks. Both accomplished actors, they have performed on and off Broadway and provide Barton with a unique connection to the world of theatre. To learn more about their acting experience, visit http://www.alancampbell.net and http://www.laurenkennedy.com.

For information regarding naming a seat in the theatre and other gift opportunities, please contact Carolyn H. Brown, vice president for institutional advancement, at 252-399-6358 or email chbrown@barton.edu.

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Questions? Please contact Ken Dozier, web services manager at Barton College, at 252.399.6596 or by email at kdozier@barton.edu.