The Ferrum College English program is hosting a reading by Cameron MacKenzie titled “Mythic Revolution: Pancho Villa and Historical Fiction” on September 25, 2018 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on the main floor of the Stanley Library in the LeAP Studio. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the reading, provided by Ferrum College’s Dining Services.
“I am not the revolution…I am the instrument of another hand.” So does Francisco “Pancho” Villa begin the tale of his journey from thief to warlord to the revolutionary leader of northern Mexico. By turns a confession and an act of seduction, The Beginning of His Excellent and Eventful Career chronicles a country remaking itself through blood and violence, giving shape to the boy who would dare to step from anonymity into power through the inexorable force of his will.
Cameron MacKenzie’s work has appeared in Able Muse, The Rumpus, SubStance and The Michigan Quarterly Review, among other journals. His collection of essays, Badiou and American Modernist Poetics, was published in August 2018 by Palgrave Macmillan. He teaches English at Ferrum College and reviews books for Roanoke Review. His novel, The Beginning of His Excellent and Eventful Career, chronicling the rise to power of Pancho Villa, was published in March 2018 by MadHat Press.
MacKenzie’s description of his creative writing and research process will include primary resources, presentation slides, and excerpted readings from the novel.
Ferrum College’s generosity was highlighted during the first football game of the season against Emory & Henry College. The game, which was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on September 1, was delayed until 7 that evening due to lightning in the area. Mike Ferguson, director of dining services at the College, called his team into action and whipped up a meal of spaghetti, grilled chicken and chocolate cake for 80+ hungry Emory & Henry football players and their coaches. Although the Panthers succumbed to Emory & Henry that evening with a score of 45-29, Ferrum players can hold their heads high as the College continued to exemplify their motto of “Not Self, But Others.”
Ferrum College held a campus-wide vocal competition, Oh, Say You Can Sing?, to find students, faculty,and/or staff to sing the national anthem prior to many of the home athletic events on the schedule. Eight students and one staff member were selected – check out the performance schedule for each singer below!
Class of 2019
Musical Theatre major
Class of 2020
Acting and Directing major with a minor in Sociology
Class of 1981
Director of Dining Services
Class of 2019
Theatre Arts major with an emphasis in Acting in Directing.
Class of 2019
Theatre Arts major with a minor in Education.
Class of 2021
Liberal Arts major with a minor in Elementary Education, Music and Psychology.
Class of 2022
Psychology Major
Class of 2019
Musical Theatre major
Class of 2019
Musical Theatre major with a minor in Religion
| Singer(s) | Game | Date/Time |
| Mariah Banks | Ferrum v. Emory and Henry College (Football) | September 1 |
| Lechelle Smith | Ferrum v. William Peace University (Soccer) | September 9, 3 PM |
| Mike Ferguson | Eastern Mennonite University (Soccer) | September 19, 6 PM |
| Amber Scott, Kathryn Bonner and Precious Leonard | Shenandoah University (Soccer) | September 29, 6 PM |
| Kayla Messenger, Keiosha Smalls and Amber Scott | Ferrum v. Bridgewater College (Soccer) | October 3, 6 PM |
| Fox Yates | Ferrum v. Mid-Atlantic Christian University (Soccer) | October 14, 2 PM |
| Amber Scott | Ferrum v. Guilford College (Soccer) | October 17, 4 PM |
| Lechelle Smith | Ferrum v. Hampden-Sydney (Soccer) | October 19, 6 PM |
| Lechelle Smith | Ferrum v. Methodist College (Basketball) | November 13, 7 PM |
| Amber Scott | Ferrum v. Averett College (Basketball) | November 25, 2 PM |
| Mike Ferguson | Ferrum v. Eastern Mennonite University (Basketball) | November 28, 7 PM |
| Lechelle Smith | Ferrum v. Randolph College (Basketball) | January 9, 7 PM |
| Amber Scott, Kathryn Bonner and Precious Leonard | Ferrum v. Shenandoah University (Basketball) | January 12, 2 PM |
| Kayla Messenger, Keiosha Smalls and Amber Scott | Ferrum v. Guildford College (Basketball) | January 16, 7 PM |
| Lechelle Smith | Ferrum v. Hampden-Sydney College (Basketball) | January 23, 7 PM |
| Amber Scott | Ferrum v. Lynchburg College | February 6, 7 PM |
| Mike Ferguson | Ferrum v. Roanoke College (Basketball) | February 13, 7 PM |
| Lechelle Smith | Ferrum v. Virginia Wesleyan University (Basketball) | February 16, 2 PM |
Explorer, extreme adventurer, speaker, and documentarian, Sean Burch, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Opening Convocation on Monday, August 27, 2018, at Ferrum College. The event, which is open to the entire campus community, will be held in Swartz Gym on campus beginning at 10 a.m. Classes will follow the special Midday Special Program schedule.
Named “One of the World’s Top Extreme Adventurers” by the National Geographic Society, Sean is an 8x world record holder spanning 6 countries and 5 continents, winner of National Geographic Channel’s Ultimate Survival Alaska TV show, and author of the acclaimed self-help book, Hyperfitness: 12 Weeks to Conquering Your Inner Everest (Penguin Random House). For over 25 years Sean has been a personal development and leadership specialist for Fortune 500 companies and institutions around the world. He was named Goodwill Ambassador to Nepal by their government, and was awarded Brand Personality of the Year by the Asia Pacific Foundation. Sean’s documentarian and photography work has been featured in news organizations including: BBC, AP, Reuters, CNN, CNNi, USA Today, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX world news outlets.
Sean has raised over $1 million dollars for third-world countries and has collaborated with non-profit organizations including The World Wildlife Fund, Nepal Trust, Love Hope Strength Foundation, ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation, Fujisan Club of Japan, Children’s Welfare Institutes (CWI) & orphanages in Tibet, and the Himalayan Rescue Association.
Pictured are (L-R) Ferrum College President David Johns, Ferrum College junior Darrian Marshall, Moore’s Electric Pre-construction Operations Manager Joe Byron, Ferrum College senior Jasmine Agee, American National Bank Executive Vice President and Regional President Kevin Meade, American National Bank Market President Todd Hammock, Ferrum College Vice President for Administration and Finance Chris Burnley, and Ferrum College Provost Aimé Sposato.
Ferrum College held a ribbon cutting for the completely renovated Riddick Hall this morning, Friday, August 3, which was attended by students, faculty, staff, construction company and bank officials, and members of the community. Following the ribbon cutting, those in attendance had the opportunity to tour the newly remodeled residence hall, which had the majority of its systems and infrastructure updated.
The 140 students housed in the co-ed Riddick Hall will enjoy individual room temperature controls, quartz countertops and porcelain tile finishes in the bathrooms, common-area lounges, enhanced security and fire safety systems, and state-of-the-art wireless connectivity. In Ferrum College’s continuing efforts toward energy conservation, all of the building’s lighting has been converted to LED.
“We are excited to reopen Riddick Hall to our students this fall,” said Ferrum College President David Johns. “This renovation project has taken a tired facility and transformed it into one of our most beautiful living spaces. Riddick is an important link between our past and the new future Ferrum is building. We are always looking for ways to improve and better serve our students and our region, so I am grateful to our team at the College and to our many partners who have helped make Ferrum an even better place to live, learn, work, and play.”
Riddick Hall is among five residence halls overlooking Adams Lake. The three-story structure was built in 1960 and named in honor of the Rev. Dr. Roland P. Riddick, a former chair of the Ferrum College Board of Trustees.
According to Ferrum College Vice President for Business and Finance Chris Burnley, “This has been one of the most exciting projects I have experienced. Due to the quality of the building’s original construction, we were able to preserve the existing structure and update it to be a vibrant and welcoming space that meets the demands of today’s students.”
Dr. Delia Heck with Deacon Couloute Schneyder in Haiti.
Delia Heck, associate professor of environmental science, spent her sabbatical working with Haitian and American partners on solar energy projects in rural villages of Haiti. She was featured recently in Leigh Prom’s article in The Franklin News-Post. Read the article here.
Jevontè Blount – Sarah Shuford photograph.
Jevontè Blount ’18 was recently named to the 2018 Governor’s Fellows Program by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. He is one of only 22 rising college seniors, graduating seniors, or graduate students from across the state to be named to the prestigious program. Blount will have the opportunity to gain valuable firsthand experience working under Cabinet secretaries and alongside staff in the Office of the Governor.
“I am pleased to welcome this year’s class of Governor’s Fellows to my office,” said Governor Northam. “Our Commonwealth is fortunate to have these talented young students serve in support of our state government. I look forward to seeing their contributions and watching them develop into leaders who will use their new skills and abilities to help build a stronger, more inclusive Virginia.”
Blount is placed in a division within the Office of the Governor for the duration of the summer. In his project assignments he will cultivate and sharpen his leadership skills, learn from special guest speakers from the administration, and take field trips across the Commonwealth.
Blount, from Hampton, Virginia, graduated from Ferrum College this past May with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and has been accepted into the Master in Public Administration (MPA) program at Virginia Tech. During his tenure at Ferrum College, he was in the FC Honor Society, on the Dean’s list, and served as Ferrum College Residence Hall Association (RHA) president.
The Blue Ridge Institute & Museum of Ferrum College, along with the Outlaw Cruisers Car Club of Rocky Mount, will sponsor the third annual Moonshine Heritage Car Show, which will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sat., June 9, 2018, at the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum on the campus of Ferrum College.
The show will feature more than 60 cars that either have a moonshine hauling history or were the type of vehicle that was used for transporting liquor. Admission is free and open to the public. Local favorite eateries Bowling’s Place Hotdogs and Daylight Donuts will be onsite.
Following the car show, a “run” will made from Ferrum to Twin Creeks Distillery in Henry where, from 2 – 4 p.m., participants will have the opportunity to see both an old time still and a modern still, and hear about the “makin’ of liquor” in the region. Finally, the Outlaw Cruisers Car Club will sponsor the Midpoint Cruise-in from 4 – 8 p.m. at Midpoint Chevrolet in Rocky Mount, which will feature music and food.
All cars have to be pre-registered for the car show. For more information or to register a vehicle, call (540) 365-4412.
Photo credit: Terry Hall Collection
Put on your dancing shoes–or boots, folks–it’s the “Blue Ridge Barn Dance” with local favorites, Five Mile Mountain Road and Larry Sigmon and Martha Spencer! Hosted by Mountains of Music Homecoming and Blue Ridge Institute & Museum, the event will be held Friday, June 8 from 7 – 10 p.m. at the Blue Ridge Farm Museum at Ferrum College. There will be plenty of boards for flatfooting and childrens’ games before the event. Bring the whole family for this Crooked Road musical showcase. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children and may be ordered online here.
Five Mile Mountain Road is a string band based in Boone Mill, Virginia. They love to romp through the great old time and early bluegrass songs and tunes and know how to get dancers up and moving and onto the barn dance floor. For extra entertainment, the band throws in early country and swing music for good measure.
Larry Sigmon of Callaway and Martha Spencer of Whitetop Mountain get more music out of the clawhammer banjo and an upright bass than many groups with three times the instruments. As their dedicated following of old time dance enthusiasts can attest, it is hard to find another group that can lay down as infectious a beat when Martha’s slap bass style is combined with Larry’s rock solid old time banjo playing.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity as part of the 4th Annual Mountains of Music Homecoming!
In the fall of 2018, Ferrum College will launch an expanded band program that will allow all students to continue their musical education at the College. Led by new director of bands, Dr. Sixto Montesinos, the Ferrum College Band Program will be all-inclusive and will feature:
Montesinos brings to the College significant experience teaching in a collegiate marching band program. During his doctoral studies, he participated in all aspects of instruction both visually and musically of the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights, as well as directed and supervised the Rutgers traveling pep bands. He also served as a sabbatical replacement for the director of bands at Lafayette College in Easton, PA.
“This is truly an exciting moment in the history of Ferrum College as we enter the Old Dominion Athletic Conference this fall,” said Provost Aimé Sposato, who was part of the search committee that chose Montesinos to be the new director of bands at Ferrum College.
Montesinos is proud to have been selected to head the Panther Band program and is excited to get to work. “It is obvious to me that the Panther Band is set up for success because of the kindness, passion, vision, and excitement coming from my future colleagues. I am honored to head this momentous initiative and lead the Panther Band into the future,” he said.
Montesinos’ current and future scholarly research revolves around investigating the role of the wind band and its history in Mexico from pre-hispanic times to the present. His writing has been published recently in the Instrumentalist Magazine and internationally by editorial review in the Journal of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He has traveled to Asia, Europe and South America as a conductor, flutist and guest lecturer. He was a featured soloist at the 2016 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. He is an active member of the College Band Directors National Association, World Association for Symphonic Bands, Virginia Music Educators Association, College Music Society and the Texas Music Educators Association.
Learn more about Montesinos and the Ferrum College Band Program here.
Ferrum College has selected Akademos as its online bookstore provider to help students obtain significant savings on course materials. The College, founded in 1913, offers nationally recognized bachelor’s degree programs ranging from business and environmental science to teacher education and criminal justice. Ferrum College will launch its online bookstore beginning Fall Semester 2018.
Seamless integration between the College’s student information system and the Akademos Course Materials Platform (CMP)TM will allow students to see a personalized listing of the textbooks required for each of their courses and to order materials for an entire term in less than five minutes.
A wide selection across new, used, rental and eBook formats will be offered, and when using Akademos’ proprietary peer-to-peer Marketplace of over 100 million textbooks, students will save an average of 60 percent off of publisher list prices. Additionally, students will have the freedom to use financial aid vouchers on all textbook purchases, including significantly discounted marketplace items.
“As the majority of our students receive financial aid, textbook affordability is a significant consideration in meeting their needs,” said Provost Aimé Sposato. “Our partnership with Akademos will not only address textbook affordability, it will also give our students a wider variety of course material formats, flexible purchasing options, and an easy-to-use platform that integrates with our student information system. All of this will, ultimately, support their success.”
The online bookstore will also support the College’s faculty and administrators, who will benefit from an easy-to-use and powerful Adoption & Analytics Portal. This platform offers a step-by-step guide for course material adoptions, recommendations, and adoption history, and the ability to compare real-time prices for course materials. The analytics tool will also enable Ferrum College faculty and leadership to track critical data, including student purchasing and bookstore utilization.
“We’re pleased to be working with Ferrum College and we look forward to helping them support their students success,” said John Squires, CEO, Akademos. “By providing them with more affordable textbooks and course materials we’ll be helping to lower the overall cost of education and support the College’s mission.”
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Paul L. Harris, Jr. ’65, was awarded the Benjamin M. Beckham Medallion, the College’s highest alumni honor, during commencement on Saturday, May 5. Named after the College’s first president, Dr. Benjamin M. Beckham, the Medallion is awarded to an alumnus or alumna who exemplify in an exceptional manner the Ferrum motto, “Not Self, But Others.” Harris was introduced to Ferrum College in 1963 by a pastor at his church in Richmond, Virginia. Classes for his first semester that fall were delayed as workers rushed to complete Chapman Hall and then, while making up for this lost time during Thanksgiving break, the campus, the nation, and the world were stunned by the assassination of President John Kennedy.
Despite this adverse beginning, Harris, who described himself at that time as “an indifferent student”, was inspired to become active in campus life, play for Colonel Bud Skeens’ first Panther tennis team, and achieve his Associates of Arts degree in 1965. He believes that his Ferrum experience helped him learn how to assume a role of leadership, gain self-confidence, and prove to himself that he could achieve higher goals than he had ever thought possible.
Harris went on to receive his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Richmond, serve as a staff sergeant in the US Air Force -Virginia Air National Guard, and work for Price Waterhouse in Washington, D.C. where he began an illustrious international career in business and financial management. He was vice president of finance at Universal Restoration from 1973 to 1976 and completed the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) Advanced Business Management Program in Fontainebleau, France in 1986. Recruited by British Aerospace North America, he and his family spent several years in London, England with their Commercial Aircraft Division. He returned to the states in 1992 to take on the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager responsible for the company’s investments in North America. He retired from British Aerospace in 2000 after 25 years of service.
As a former member of the United Christian Parish in Reston, Virginia, Harris served as chair of the Finance Committee. He is currently a member of Bethany United Methodist Church in Reedville, Virginia. His community involvement includes a position as commodore at the Virginia Yacht Club and board service for British Aerospace North America, Inc., Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club, Cheshire Homes of Arlington, Reflectone, Inc., the National Aviation Club, and the Washington Dulles Task Force. He has been a member of the Financial Executives Institute and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Harris joined the Ferrum College Board of Trustees in 2000 and in 2005 became the first alumnus to be named Chair. During his tenure he spoke of witnessing the same dedication from faculty and staff that he had experienced as a student and continuously expressed in pride in the College and its growth. His words are as relevant today as they were then, “To the current students at Ferrum I would hope that you will take advantage of all the opportunities that student life offers. Ferrum will always be a part of you and you will always remember your experiences, your friendships, and lessons learned. I still remember mine.”
In 2001, Harris and his wife established the Ferrum College Paul L. Harris ’65 and Susan Lee Harris Endowed Scholarship. The financial aid generated from this fund benefits Ferrum College students from Washington, D.C. and Fairfax or Northumberland Counties in Virginia. As endowment donors, the Harrises are members of the Ferrum College Beckham Society as well as the Arthur Society for their generous annual support of College programs and the Ruth Society for their consistent financial assistance.
Despite his impressive achievements, Harris remains humble and a man of character, generosity, and integrity – a worthy recipient of the 2018 Ferrum College Beckham Medallion.
