The Run Around
Centre College was founded 192 years ago today. Here are the news flashes from the week at Centre…
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1. Founders Day 2011 ends in turmoil after it transpired that Centre is not a dependable and honest Aquarius, but rather a stubborn and protective Capricorn. Official statement: we like being Aquarius; we refuse to change.
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2. Web story lists several ‘Reasons Centre is a national leader in value’, which is better than the original title, ‘Why is Centre cheap?’
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C6H0
3. Centre reputation written in Congressional Record, includes excerpt from Forbes and all of the C6H0 bricks.
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4. USA Olympic track and field athletes to share expertise at summer camp; students to share fastest lap times around the flame.
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5. Centre community promotes literacy with book drive, hoping to make up for years of confusion surrounding our misspelled name.
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6. Cento: Centre expands into the world of social media, adding study abroad trips to the third largest country in the world – Facebook.
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Flexible Faculty
7. Photo of the Week – eight faculty members use bodies to spell CENTRE, use Centre Term as an excuse to vacation in Mexico. OK, OK, I’m just jealous.
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The Run Around is compiled most Fridays by the Flame Runners.
The Run Around
Here are the news flashes from the week at Centre…
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1. Biology professor creates Centre Term course to explore Gulf oil spill. Back on campus, DPS explores Centre Term beer spill.
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2. Centre community adopts “Angels” this holiday season, which is the new politically correct term for transfer students.
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3. A Centre professor has cracked an important code that sheds light on Methodism. Did we mention this happened thirty years ago?
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4. Sights and Sounds: Centre Christmas Caroling - The only thing that would inspire Professors to sing during finals week.
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The Run Around is compiled every Friday by The Flame Runners.
We will be taking a short hiatus for the remainder of 2010, but promise to return at full strength in January 2011. In the meantime, thank you for following us this fall, and may you have a happy holidays and new year. >>TFR
Fairly Fresh Faculty
Ever wondered what your favorite professors looked like as bright-eyed freshmen? Think Dr. Mark Lucas never ages? Try and see if you can match the Centre professors with their freshman yearbook pictures below. First person to respond (via comment) with all the correct answers wins a Centre prize pack!
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
a. Dr. Mark Lucas – English
b. Dr. Preston Miles – Chemistry
c. Dr. Bill Garriott – Government (emeritus)
d. Dr. Jeffrey Fieberg – Chemistry
e. Dr. Marshall Wilt – Physics (emeritus)
f. Dr. Ray Hammond – Biology (emeritus)
g. Dr. Jason Neiser – Physics
h. Prof. Steve Powell – Art/Glass
i. Dr. Phil Lockett – Physics
Good Luck!
The Run Around
It’s December: the holiday season is officially underway, there’s a small amount of snow on the ground in Danville, and fall classes are coming to an end. Meanwhile, here are the news flashes from the week at Centre…
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1. Princeton Review again names Centre one of the nation’s greenest colleges, revealing that high emissions of intelligence are deemed not harmful for the ozone.
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2. Student Engagement Survey scores Centre highly in all categories, because hundreds of students filled out a survey to procrastinate studying.
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3. Wikileaks has released thousands of confidential documents, revealing that there is no such thing as a John Todd Stuart.
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4. Centre communications director Mike Norris announces retirement, and out of sheer habit, he writes his own press release. It is also rumored that Mike intends to steal every C, E, N, T, R, and E shirt on his way out the door.
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5. Dr. Rick Bradshaw was featured on Radio France International, heard by 80,000,000 listeners, which in metric is 14.
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6. Sights and Sounds – Centre students no strangers to “monkey business”.
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The Run Around is prepared every Friday (almost) by the Flame Runners. TFR wishes Mr. Norris a happy retirement.
December Alumni Events: Hotter Than Doorbusters at Target
With Thanksgiving still in our bellies and Christmas on the horizon, you’d think we’d be settling down for a long winter’s nap – but no! Instead of lingering in a tryptophan-induced coma, the Alumni Office is blasting ahead with more power than Santa’s sleigh. Here’s a sampling of what you can look forward to in December:
December 2, 2010: Jingle and Mingle (Danville, KY)
Join Centre alumni, parents, friends, staff and faculty for our annual holiday gathering at the Danville Country Club! Delicious food, dancing and music by Plan B will be sure to put you in the holiday spirit! Cost is $10 per person and a cash bar will be available. To register online, click here.
December 7, 2010: Dinner at Wall and Water (New York, NY)
Join us for dinner at Wall and Water, one of New York’s finest restaurants, located in the heart of the financial district! We’ll enjoy a delectable farm-to-table meal with all local ingredients while having a front-row seat for all of the culinary action! The cost is $25 per person, which includes dinner, dessert, non-alcoholic drinks and there will be a cash bar. To register online, click here.
December 8, 2010: Dinner at Noble American Cookery (Philadelphia, PA)
Continuing our tour of the Northeast’s most delicious cuisine, come meet us for dinner at the hot new Philadelphia eatery, Noble American Cookery! Enjoy local, sustainable cuisine presented with unique flair and style as Centre alumni, parents and friends catch up over dinner! The cost is $25, which includes dinner, dessert, non-alcoholic drinks and a cash bar will be available. To register for this event, click here.
December 9, 2010: Dinner at Anthem Kitchen and Bar (Boston, MA)
Centre alumni, parents and friends are invited for dinner and some of Boston’s best chowder at Anthem Kitchen and Bar. Winner of Chowderfest 2010, this is a meal not to be missed! The cost is $15 per person and includes dinner, dessert, non-alcoholic drinks and a cash bar will be available. To register for this event, click here.
December 9, 2010: Dinner at Water’s Edge (Mount Pleasant, SC)
If the cold of the North isn’t your cup of tea, join us at Mount Pleasant favorite, Water’s Edge, for dinner with a view! (Not to mention milder temperatures than our Boston event!) All Centre alumni, parents and friends are invited. The cost is $20/person and there will be a cash bar available. To register for this event, click here .
So, while the weather outside may be frightful, Centre alumni events promise to be delightful! Hope to see you there!
The Run Around
Prince William got engaged, Harry Potter is back in theaters, and everyone’s getting upset about having to walk through rather revealing body scanners at airports. Meanwhile, here are the news flashes from the week at Centre.
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1. Centre Named Number One in the South by Forbes magazine. Conflict between extraordinary pride and mild sense that they’re putting us on continues.
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2. Professor Mark Lucas has a new CD and it’s getting rave reviews. He’s just like Justin Bieber, only with a PhD in English Literature. And talent.
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3. Steve Powell has a new video showing him blowing glass… Because generations of Centre women needed one more reason to sigh meaningfully.
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4. Professor Ken Keffer has been named CASE Kentucky Professor of the Year. Suppose nobody attends the awards ceremony but Keffer gives a speech anyway… did he really make a noise?
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5. Centre has won a sustainability award. Winners are encouraged to recycle the trophy by melting it down to make a small, sterling silver pitch fork.
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6. For Poverty and Homelessness week students are sleeping in card board boxes. Good thing they’re all wearing $150 North Face jackets.
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7. Milton Reigelman, head of the Center for Global Learning, drops hints that he may have had a hand in orchestrating the recent royal engagement in order to boost numbers for the Centre in London program.
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The Run Around is compiled every Friday by the Flame Runners.
Speaking of flashes, we’ll leave you with this video of a flash mob that took place in the Cowan yesterday…
The Best in the South
Great news came to campus this week as Forbes magazine gave Centre the title of Best College in the South for the second year in a row. TFR’s James Barnard takes a closer look at the list.
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Many people will tell you that college rankings are flawed and meaningless – although it is often those colleges not in the rankings who are happy to tell you that. Now don’t get me wrong – we mustn’t take these lists too seriously. We mustn’t become complacent and brag about being the best, because that will inevitably result in becoming too big for our boots and losing our position when we stop focusing on our core mission.
However, we need not miss an opportunity to celebrate this recognition.
Perception is Reality
Take a look at the list. We’re holding rank with Washington and Lee, Rice, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Davidson. Forbes names us not just the best college, but the best of all the public and private colleges and universities in the south.
You can say what you want about rankings, but you cannot avoid the fact that we are keeping good company here. The list is not full of surprises – it’s all the institutions you’d expect to see and right there at the top is dear old Centre C. If it is true that perception is reality, then Centre will be perceived as a very real outstanding institution. Now we may already know this to be the case, but think of the millions of people out there in the world who do not know the Centre story and have not yet heard about this little gem in Kentucky. People use college rankings to make important life decisions, so being on top of this list can only be a good thing.
The Best
Let’s allow ourselves to take a moment to wallow in the glory of being number one – to give ourselves a celebratory pat on the back and say to ourselves, “you did great, Centre”.
WE’RE THE BEST COLLEGE IN THE SOUTH!!!
OK, straighten up. In a recent article published in the Lexington Herald-Leader, President Roush was reported as saying that more important than chasing the rankings is chasing the distinctions. It is these distinctions that the rankings use as a measure of ‘good’, so let’s take a closer look at things that contribute to Forbes methodology and consider why Centre is Number One.
Forbes’ Methodology
The rankings compiled by US News and World Report mainly measure inputs. This means that what the College puts into system is used as the primary gauge of doing a good job. Forbes prides itself on measuring outputs. I’m not saying either is better, but they are distinctly different. Forbes states five key areas that are assessed for each institution and this makes up the overall rankings for the nation. To get the list of the best colleges in the south, Forbes used the regional divisions used by the U.S. Census Bureau. The factors taken into consideration are student satisfaction, postgraduate success, student debt, four-year graduation rate, and competitive awards received by students, such as Rhodes scholarships.
As President Roush said himself, these are the things we should chase and the things we should celebrate. To be recognized for our achievement in those areas is a good thing, and something of which we should all be proud. If our students are satisfied, and graduate in four years with as low as possible debt, and our graduates then find success in their professional and scholarly careers, we are doing several things well.
All of these factors tie in to Centre’s mission, which is to prepare students for lives of learning, leadership, and service in a global society. Along with this, we give over 85% of our students some sort of institutional financial aid so that the Centre Experience remains open to students who deserve it, regardless of the socioeconomic background of their families.
While taking this title with a grain of salt, it is very much OK for us to be proud of the recognition that Forbes has given Centre for the last two years.
Hey, Remember that one time… at Homecoming?
It’s hard to believe that Homecoming 2010 was almost three weeks ago! And we’re proud to say that we think it was an absolute success! Hundreds of alumni were back on campus the weekend of October 22-23 – many here for reunions, and others just to see old friends or all of the new buildings on campus. It’s hard to narrow it down, but here are a few of the highlights of the weekend:
1. The weather. 70 degrees and sunny – showcasing the true beauty of Centre’s campus in the fall. 
2. Seeing over 70 members of the Class of 1960 back on campus to celebrate their 50th reunion! They were certainly a lively and fun crowd!
3. Over 2.5 million dollars was donated by all the reunion classes to go towards scholarships. What an achievement!
4. Smokey Robinson as the Homecoming Gala performer. Man, that guy can still move!
5. The always-moving Alumni Recognition Ceremony. Brian Mefford ’95 received the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award, Bettie Bateman Bond ’64, Bill Malone ’60, and David Steere ’53 received Distinguished Alumni Awards, and Cheryl Lewis ’84, Keith Tarter ’91, Norm Youtsey ’60, Paul Koshewa ’46, Frank Yeager ’57 and Joe Sandy ’79 were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.
6. Our newest Homecoming attraction – campus tours by golf cart! Given by students and alumni and development staffers, these informative and fun outings were extremely popular with alumni. We’ll be sure to bring them back next year!
7. A great evening of reunion parties was capped off by a great after-party featuring music by Centre’s own staff/faculty band – 
Dump Truck on the Run! Seeing alumni from the 1950′s to the 2000′s mingle hit the dance floor together was proof that the Centre bond crosses all generations!
If you were able to come back to campus this year, thanks for sharing a truly memorable weekend with us. If you couldn’t make it, we hope you’ll be back next year!
To view photos and highlights from Homecoming 2010, click here.
Thank You!
For the last two months our team of thirty student callers has been dialing away in a bid to connect to as many Centre alumni as possible. The fall Phonathon season has just come to an end, and this is an appropriate time to thank everyone who took our calls.
And by everyone, I mean all 4,931 of you! 4,075 of those people were alumni, while the rest were parents of current and former students or people who maintain some other relationship to the College. Speaking to just fewer than 5,000 people in two months is no easy task, and it’s a good thing we have such a great team of students to help us out. These calls – which I know can be annoying if we interrupt your dinner – are important. We go to great lengths to make Phonathon successful because it is a vital part of our fundraising operation.
I maintain that Phonathon is the easiest and most convenient way for people to give to Centre. I’m one of those people who puts the letter aside, who keeps meaning to go online and do it, but I just never get round to it. In Phonathon, we bring the task to you. We’ve talked to people waiting in line to vote, in important meetings, boarding planes, and all sorts. People lead busy lives and we are incredibly grateful for everyone who takes the time to pick up the phone and say “hello”.
Gifts made during the Phonathon support student scholarships, help us to support and retain outstanding educators, and keep the Centre experience extraordinary. We get gifts of $25, gifts of $2,500, and everything in between. It’s not just big gifts that are important – the huge number of donors who give through Phonathon account for around half of our annual total, and when you put all their gifts together you can make a real difference.
Of course, a special thank you goes to everyone who made generous pledges this fall. Over 2,700 people pledged collectively over $330,000. You are contributing to the lives of our current students and supporting their education experience at Centre that will literally transform their life. When they graduate they we hope that they will continue the giving tradition and do the same that was done for them, by you.
Did you miss your call? Don’t worry – you know that you can rely on us to call you in the spring and give you another opportunity!
The Run Around
Here are the news flashes from the week at Centre…
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1. A statue of Abraham Lincoln is to be erected on campus. I’m running the Abe, who’s with me?
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2. Centre receives ACS/Mellon grant for Environmental Studies. We used to pay professors in dollars, but I guess we’ll give melons a try.
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3. Wendell Berry to be at Centre for reading and commentary. Another great Kentuckian, but unlikely to get a statue since he’s actually been on campus.
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4. D.C. trip to Rally to Restore Sanity results in Centre students being interviewed by Norwegian TV. Being on Norwegian TV is a lot like being famous – without all the pesky fame.
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5. Centre Senior takes first place at Gill Heart Institute Cardiovascular Research Day. Or, translated means: Centre births future winner for a Nobel Prize in Medicine.
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6. TFR announces November alumni events: Centre alumni gather for cocktail receptions that will result in drunkenness, leading many to ask, what else is new?
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7. Admission Centre blog publishes Ten Commandments of College Visits, but leaves off most important commandment: Thou shalt not go to Transy.
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8. Rand Paul won a Kentucky senate seat this week. Centre College has begun research on who gave him his first set of eye exam tools.
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9. Nepalese Engineers have installed high-speed cell phone antennas on Mount Everest. It is rumored that Sewanee is considering relocating to Everest before they become the only campus on Earth where you cannot get service.
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The Run Around is compiled every Friday by the Abe Runners.
