New awards program recognizes exceptional senior

Register, Charlie

University, Furman

English

Furman University

Furman MagazineVolume 48Issue 3 Fall 2005 Article 49-1-2005Jolly Good FellowsFurman UniversityCharlie RegisterFurman UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/furman-magazineThis Article is made available online by Journals, part of the Furman University Scholar Exchange (FUSE). It has been accepted for inclusion in FurmanMagazine by an authorized FUSE administrator. For terms of use, please refer to the FUSE Institutional Repository Guidelines. For more information,please contact scholarexchange@furman.edu.Recommended CitationUniversity, Furman and Register, Charlie (2005) "Jolly Good Fellows," Furman Magazine: Vol. 48 : Iss. 3 , Article 4.Available at: https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/furman-magazine/vol48/iss3/4THIS FALL, Furman launched an awards program that each year will recognize the accomplishments, contributions and potential of five outstanding students. The Furman Fellows awards are $5,000 fellowships presented to seniors who have demonstrated the ability to think creatively and imaginatively, who display distinctive and innovative problem-solving skills, and who have shown that they are capable of making a difference in the world and in the lives of others. The awards were established by a member of the board of trustees and his wife, who wish to remain anonymous. It is their hope that these stipends will open windows of opportunity for the recipients, enabling them to have an impact on their communities and the world at large. Each year, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to nominate students for the award. A committee will meet over the summer to make the selections, and the recipients will be introduced during Opening Convocation at the beginning of fall term. Following are brief profiles of the inaugural class of Furman Fellows. PHOTOS BY CHARLIE REGISTER What they're saying about Kimberly: "Kim will be one of those people who leads their communities toward new visions of justice and equality. She approaches everything she does with her own style and looks at issues with a view from outside the box." Current home: Spartanburg, S.C. Major: History Hobbies/special interests: Playing the piano, listening to/singing gospel music, playing team handball, lifting weights, running, sports in general, playing SCRABBLE®. Among her Furman activities: Religious Council; Diversity Council; president, Furman Gospel Ensemble; intern with Clubhouse Gang (ministry for inner-city children); reading tutor; team handball club. My biggest strength: My enthusiasm. I get excited about doing new things, helping people, trying to make some­thing better. Enthusiasm makes me a better leader, because enthusiasm is contagious. My greatest flaw: I speak my mind, which sometimes makes me appear abrasive and insensitive. Why I came to Furman: I came seeking to make a difference in the lives of the people that I would encounter. I knew that academics were important, but my focus was on sharing my time, energy and love with fellow classmates and the Greenville community. Best Furman experience: Playing team handball has been a blast, and singing in the Gospel Ensemble is a true joy. Traveling to Cuba and South Africa was amazing and enriching. And marching alongside Jesse Jackson in Greenville's Dignity Day March was unforgettable. However, if I must define a best Furman experience, it is the daily experience of molding and developing meaningful relationships with the students, staff and faculty. Favorite Furman course: African­American Protest Rhetoric (with Dr. Sean O' Rourke). Favorite literary work: Langston Hughes' "Mother to Son." It acknowl­edges life's struggles, but it leaves me feeling empowered. Person with whom I'd most like to have a conversation: Maya Angelou. Since I first read her work 10 years ago, her poems and speeches have motivated and encouraged me. I would truly enjoy the opportunity to sit with her and listen to her words of wisdom. Ten years from now I plan/hope to: I cleaned out my closet this summer and came across a composition that I wrote when I was 8, titled "My Three Goals for Life." Those goals included a desire to "clean up the world, teach little children, and preach." Thirteen years later, after contemplating many other vocations, I have concluded that my plans really have not changed. So I suspect that I will live out my third grade dream by being involved with some avenue of ministry and public education, while I pick up litter along the way. Reaction to receiving the Furman Fellows award: I learned that I had been selected for the award on my 21st birthday, so that was an incredible birthday present! I am truly thankful to those who made the award possible, and I feel extremely honored to be among the inaugural recipients. 3 4 What they're saying about Adrienne: "Adrienne is a strong and demonstrated leader in the environmental community in the Upstate of South Carolina. She is certainly helping Furman move more rapidly toward increased environmental sustainability. More important, she is intrinsically motivated to do these things . . .  she has started several of the environ­mental initiatives currently under way at Furman and is largely responsible for the growing environmental awareness of Furman students." C urrent home: Murfreesboro, Tenn. Major: Biology Hobbies/special interests: The environment, yoga, art, dance. Among her Furman activities: President of Beta Beta Beta, biology honorary society; former president of Environmental Action Group; former environmental intern with Associated Colleges of the South. My biggest strength: Work ethic. My greatest flaw: Over-committing myself. Why I came to Furman: I applied to a wide range of schools -public, private, large and small - and after working out financial issues and other choices, Furman felt most like a welcoming family. Best Furman experience: I did a term abroad in Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with the biology department. I'd dreamed of going to the rainforest and the Galapagos since I was a child, and it was indeed an amazing life experience. Most embarrassing Furman experience: My freshman year I was thrown in the lake for my birthday. I went in kicking and screaming (ask my brother hall) and came out with a sickness that lasted for a week and then was passed around my hall. It might have been a coincidence, but if you've been in the lake recently . . . .  Favorite Furman course: Tropical Ecology. Favorite book: The Kitchen God's Wife, by Amy Tan. She's one of my favorite contemporary authors and is just an excellent storyteller. I felt very connected to the characters. Favorite television show: I'm completely obsessed with Alias. What girl wouldn't love to be a spy every now and again? Person I 'd most like to have a conversation with and why: Charles Darwin. He founded the theory upon which modern biology is based, has a rather interesting life story, and I think would be a pretty enthralling lunch date. Next yea r  I plan/hope to: Attend graduate school, I'm just not sure where as of yet. Ten years from now I plan/hope to: Be a professor at a university. Reaction to receiving the Furman Fellows award: I was surprised by the news that I would be one of the inaugural Furman Fellows. I feel honored to be in the company of the other Fellows, and I'm grateful to the university and the faculty for recognizing me. Current home: Conyers, Ga. Major: Health and Exercise Science Hobbies/special interests: Drawing and painting, camping, sports. Among her Furman activities: President, Athletic Service Board; vice president, Health and Exercise Science Majors Club; student representative, Faculty Athletic Committee; Orientation staff; CHAMPS Life Skills Committee; middle infielder on softball team. My biggest strength: Work ethic. My greatest flaw: I'm a people pleaser who over-commits herself. Why I came to Furman: The scenery, the people, and Furman's strong repu­tation were all important factors in my decision. However, the main reason is that Furman presented amazing opportunities in two aspects of my life that I work equally hard at: academics and athletics. What they're saying a bout Joni: "When Joni noticed on a Web site that both the University of South Carolina and Clemson had links to their athletics pages, but Furman did not, she wrote the editors of the site requesting that Greenville's premiere university be adequately represented. The Web site quickly added a link. While a small and simple example, it only begins to show Joni's attitude and work ethic." Best Furman experience: The late nights at Waffle House with my team­mates or my sister hall. Most embarrassing Furman experience: I showed up for President Shi's Christmas party . . .  a week early. We had a 10-minute conversation in his kitchen before I left. Favorite Furman course: Kinesiology (with Dr. Raymond Moss). Favorite book: Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. It rid me of my high school opinions and changed the way I present myself. Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption, because of the classic triumph of good over evil. The main character's perseverance and intelli­gence make him easy to admire. Also, I love the ending. Person with whom I'd most like to have a conversation: Thomas Burnett. He and others made the decision on 9/11 to fight and crash their United Airlines Flight 93 in Penn­sylvania in order to prevent another terrorist attack and save lives. Next year I plan/hope to: Be a grad­uate assistant working toward a master's degree in sports administration. How­ever, I plan on keeping my options open should other opportunities present themselves. Ten years from now I plan/hope to: Be an athletic director in a university setting. The idea of combining both athletics and business sounds like the perfect career for me. Reaction to receiving the Furman Fellows award: When Benny Walker [VP for Enrollment] called and told me about the award, I thought it was some­thing I had to apply for. When he told me otherwise, I couldn't believe I had been chosen for doing the things that I love to do. 5 6 What they're saying about Deas (pronounced Daze): "His work for Furman as an on-line journalist during his time in Japan took the concept to a new level. In his photography, his movies and his writing, he provided a window into an experience that has fundamentally changed the way he looks at the world." (View his journal at www. furman .ed u/i nted .) C u rrent home: Mount Pleasant, S.C. Major: Asian Studies Hobbies/special interests: Photography, guitars, Japanese language, travel. Among his Furman activities:  Student assistant in graphic design, Marketing and Public Relations; two-time Japan Language House participant. My biggest strength: I'm a patient person when it comes to people who are socially inept. Why? Because I am at times socially inept. Some people think it's "kindness" or just my "nice guy" personality. But it's just patience and the ability to empathize with people who don't have it all together quite yet. I'm one of them. My greatest flaw: I'm overly apologetic. It really annoys people. In general I tend to be critical of myself, and my friends become frustrated with that. I wonder what they'll think of me answering the question "What is your greatest flaw?" Sorry guys! Oh no . . .  apologized again. Favorite Furman course: Ideas in Mathematics. I hate math with a fiery passion, so it's ironic that I chose this course. It revolved around abstract math, specifically the Riemann Hypothesis and prime number theory. My grade was to be expected - it matched my abilities in math, but the class itself was absolutely fascinating. Favorite book: Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness, for the amazing blend of intense fictional wonder and hard truth that fills their respective pages. I also love C.S. Lewis' work. Person with whom I'd most like to have a conversation: I can't pick one. I could choose the big obvious answers like Jesus, or Einstein, but instead, I'll say Alton Brown, from the show Good Eats. I just think we'd click with humor and odd pop culture references that nobody understands. And maybe I'd finally learn how to cook. Another answer I could give might be the guy who designs linoleum flooring. What kind of life must that guy lead? Next year I p lan/hope to: Return to Japan for a job opportunity, start seeping out graduate school programs, begin to reinvent myself. Ten years from now I plan/hope to: Have knocked out my college debt, hold a master's degree, and be in a situation where I can travel and learn in my free time. Reaction to receiving the Furman Fellows award: Complete and total shock. I do not feel that I deserve this award, but I am thrilled that someone out there thinks I do. I am not a wealthy person and have been putting myself through school here. This award makes it possible for me to graduate from Furman. I cannot put into words how much that means to me. What they're saying about April: "April embodies what the Furman Fellows award recognizes. She has contributed to the university without thought of reward, she steps in when a volunteer is needed, and she has demonstrated creativity and imagination in every endeavor she has undertaken." C urrent home: Daytona Beach, Fla. Major: Biochemistry Among her Furman activities: Director of programming, Heller Collegiate Educational Service Corps; 2005 May Day Play Day co-chair; news editor, The Paladin; founder and editor-in­chief of FurWoman, a women's issues journal; three-year volunteer with Greenville Mental Health Association; secretary of the Independent Film Society; head of self-esteem program for first-graders. My biggest strength: I'm a perfectionist. My greatest flaw: I'm a perfectionist. Why I came to Furman: The outstanding, engaged chemistry department and the pretty swans. Best Furman experience: When I was asked to be the student speaker at the Max and Trude Heller Terrace dedication in August at the Younts Conference Center. I got to sit between Max Heller (the former mayor of Greenville, Furman trustee and namesake of the Heller CESC) and Furman president David Shi. It was an honor to be present at such a historic and meaningful event. Most embarrassing Furman experience: For as long as I can remember I have talked in my sleep, but I have almost always had my own room so it was never a problem. The first time that I kept my roommate up all night with a rambling one­sided conversation I, of course, had no idea. I was mortified when she told me the next morning. Favorite Furman course: Introduction to Italian. Extremely divertente! Favorite book: Gone With the Wind. It has it all: a dark, dashing stranger, war, a twisted love triangle, Yankees, and a burning city. Favorite movie: Casablanca. It takes a story that is so distant from what we know and our world today, and makes it feel true. Person with whom I'd most like to have a conversation: Sandra Day O'Connor. One day I want her job, and I would like to ask her what it's like to sit on the highest court in the land. I'd also ask her for any tips she might have on being a successful female Justice. Next year I p lan/hope to: Be a decent law student! Ten years from now I plan/hope to: Have survived law school, gotten married, moved back to Florida, purchased an island or small country, and continued my volunteer work. Reaction to receiving the Furman Fellows award: I am flattered and - need I say it? - very, very, very appreciative. 7 

Jolly Good Fellows

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Jolly Good Fellows

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