President's Circle Donors

Dear Editors:

Just wanted to compliment you on your latest blockbuster issue of Marietta Magazine. Chock full of information and engaging stories. Interestingly enough, Jim Byer used to play golf with my step-brother, Paul Raymond. They met independent of me when both lived in Fort Lauderdale years ago. And another interesting tidbit regarding David McCullough’s The Pioneers, I have a step-sister, Lowely Finnerty on Martha’s Vineyard, who is distantly related to Rufus Putnam. Makes you wonder how I wound up at MC some 50 years ago!

P.S. Glad to know you’re a fan of Casey Kasem …

William Husted ’67

Dear Editors:

I enrolled at Marietta College 67 years ago and have enjoyed alumni communications ever since I graduated in 1957. Reading the story about MC's 100 Greatest Athletes brought back fond and still vivid memories of the MC basketball teams during the 1953-54 and 1954-55 seasons. These teams are, WITHOUT DOUBT, two of the best in MC history and are worthy of a feature article of their own (as do the best baseball teams and crews). The 1953-54 team had the best record in history, a fantastic 21-1. They were undefeated Ohio Conference champions and were the NUMBER 1 SMALL COLLEGE TEAM IN THE NATION! Their only loss (83-72) was in their second game of the season, playing on the road against Division I school Ohio University. MC then won 19 games in a row, culminating in the final home game of the season where MC inundated Ohio U. by the score of 116-93 (the most points scored by a MC team until 2015). "The Firehouse Five" employed a full-court press for virtually the entire game (predating the famous UCLA press by a decade). MC's center was 6-foot-5 and the other starters were 5-10 to about 6-1. Statistically the team averaged 86.5 points per game. That included six games with 90 or more points and three games with 100 or more points. They allowed their opponents 71.8 points per game. Mark “Buzzy” Davis was the high scorer at 24.3 points per game, followed by Tom Green, Ron Weekley and Nick Dan, at 14.0 to 14.4 points per game. The five starters made more than 40 percent of their field goal attempts. Buzzy Davis was chosen as the most valuable player on the All-Ohio Conference team. He was named to the first team of the All-Ohio Dream team. Tom Green made second team All-Ohio Conference and both Ron Weekley and Nick Dan received honorable mention. Coach Bill Whetsell was named Coach of the Year.

The 1954-55 team had a record of 21-4. Despite three more losses, one might argue that it was just as good or even a bit better than the 1953-54 team because they played a tougher schedule. They were again the undefeated Ohio Conference champions. Three of their four losses were to Division I teams, including two close losses to Ohio University. They also beat three Division I teams. Marietta averaged an astonishing 90.32 points per game, including five games with points in the 90s and eight games where they scored more than 100 points. They twice tied their previous year’s high score of 116 points. Opponents were held to an average 77 points per game. Buzzy Davis averaged 26.0 points, followed by Ron Weekly at 20.5, Tom Green at 12.5 and Nick Dan at 10.8. Buzzy’s 624 points in a season were a College and an Ohio Conference record. For the second straight year Buzzy was named to the All-Ohio Conference and All-Ohio teams.

I am well aware of the subjectivity involved in ranking athletes in different eras. Nonetheless, I want to pay tribute to Buzzy Davis. For the vast majority of the MC family that did not have the pleasure of seeing Buzzy play, I hope to show you what a phenomenal player he was. In the article, Buzzy Davis is ranked 27th among all athletes, 23rd among male athletes and third among basketball players. I did not see Jesse DuPerow ranked 25th among all athletes (second in basketball) or A.J. Edwards ranked ninth among all athletes (first in basketball). I did know Buzzy and I saw him play in every home game during his junior and senior seasons, as well as his three games at the Hofstra Tournament during his senior season.

First, I want to say a few words about Buzzy the person. From 1953 to 1955, Marietta was slightly more than half the size it is today. There were some 750 students. It seemed as if you knew everyone on campus. A quiet, unassuming man from Cairo, West Virginia, Buzzy was the star of the basketball team and therefore (since our football team was terrible) was the “Big Man On Campus” to the students, although he never thought or acted like that. Off the court Buzzy was just another student who got along famously with his classmates. You would see him on campus wearing his blue and white letterman’s jacket. He always greeted and even kidded with fellow students. Buzzy’s college life was the stuff of fairy tales. He was the best player on the two best teams in Marietta history and he married a girl who was a cheerleader and Homecoming Queen. After graduation, he played in a summer league composed of NBA and college stars, some of whom would become NBA players. He held his own in this fast company. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics. He was also drafted into the U.S. Army and did not continue his basketball career after his discharge.

In 1952-53 the MC basketball team was 10-10. Sophomores Davis and Ron Weekley (the leading rebounder) were joined by a trio of freshmen, Tom Green (defender, passer and driver), Nick Dan (an excellent shooter), and Don McCool (an in-your-face defender), who were to be instrumental in MC’s future basketball success. Buzzy was high scorer at 18.05 points per game. He was named to the All-Ohio Conference first team and received honorable mention on the All-Ohio team. In the following two years the MC basketball team performed beyond anyone’s expectations. The team was superbly coached by Bill Whetsell. He maximized its performance by using a full-court press — forcing steals leading to fast breaks for easy baskets. The press was highly effective against the vast majority of teams. The starters worked as a cohesive unit with each player knowing his role and executing it well. This cohesion was maintained when the regular substitutes entered the game. Buzzy Davis was the unquestioned leader of the team. He led by example, letting his play speak for itself. He seemingly effortlessly scored, mostly from the outside, using a two-handed set shot from his chest and a similar shot started at his forehead. He did not have a jump shot — it was not common during the early 1950s. He had a quick release and a high shooting percentage. When closely guarded, he could fake the shot and drive for a lay-up. Except for single game high score, Buzzy broke every scoring record in 1953-54 and broke them again in 1954-55. He substantially increased his scoring average each year, from 8.1 points per game as a freshman to 26.0 as a senior. Buzzy scored 1,672 points at Marietta. That record stood for more than 40 years.

A.J. Edwards, Jesse DuPerow and Buzzy Davis probably are the best male players in the history of MC basketball (although one could argue for Don Whiting who, from 1915-17, holds all-time records for points and field goals in a single game and career scoring average. Other standout players are Kevin Knab, Jason Hayes and Mike Rodich). DuPerow’s career ended in 2002 and Edwards' career ended in 2017. The game has changed little in the past 20 years, but it did change significantly since Buzzy’s career ended in 1955. The three greatest changes are the introduction of the jump shot, the introduction of the 3-point shot, and the increased athleticism of the players. Each of these changes improved the game (in my opinion) and Edwards and DuPerow benefited from each of these changes.

Buzzy did not have the benefit of these changes. We cannot quantitate the effect of the jump shot or increased athleticism, but we can make a few comments. Buzzy was able to full-court press for entire games, a testament to his fitness. If we estimate that better diets and training have increased athleticism (conservatively by 5-10 percent) we can assume that Buzzy would have benefited from these fitness advances. The effectiveness of the jump shot is shown by the fact that it has almost totally replaced the set shot and the one-hand push shot. Having watched Buzzy, I have no doubt that he would have easily adopted to the jump shot and that it would have improved his game. I am just as certain that Buzzy would have taken full advantage of the 3-point shot.

Without including the differences in basketball since Buzzy played, we can compare the players on the basis of their individual statistics and their team records as shown in the table below.

Edwards’ teams had by far the best record over his four-year career. They had tremendous winning records, won by far the most games and lost the fewest. Davis’ teams were next with two winning records, one .500 record and one losing record. Their four-year total was excellent. DuPerow’s teams had one winning, one .500 season and two losing records. The four-year record was a winning one, but only three games over .500. DuPerow’s teams had 49 losses, compared to 27 for Davis’ teams and 20 for Edwards’ teams. On average, Edwards’ teams were exceptional in each of his four years, having the second, third and fourth best records in program history. Davis’ teams had the best single year record and the best record for two consecutive years. DuPerow’s team’s best year ranked seventh. In passing and with pride we should mention that the 1915-16 MC basketball team had a 17-1 record with a win over West Virginia and 2 WINS over Kentucky.

The number of games played by Edwards (105) and DuPerow (101) are fairly similar, but far more than the 86 games played by Davis. The total number of games played greatly affects the number of total points scored, which will be discussed below. Davis averaged 19.4 points per game over his career, DuPerow averaged 19.3 and Edwards averaged 11.9. DuPerow was the best scorer in his freshman and sophomore seasons and Davis was the best scorer in his junior and senior teams, in which he posted the two highest averages. His 26.0 points per game and his 235 field goals in his senior year are the highest in MC basketball history. Edwards was third-best scorer in every year.

DuPerow scored a total of 1,948 points in 101 games, compared to 1,672 points in 86 games for Davis and 1,243 points in 105 games for Edwards. If we take Davis’ total and add 291 points, the number of points he presumably would have had in 15 more games (the number of games that DuPerow played in excess of those that Davis played), the total is 1,963, slightly higher than DuPerow’s total. A look at single season scoring shows Davis with 624 points in his senior year, despite playing fewer games. DuPerow (603) and Edwards (554) also scored the most points in their senior years. Davis’ 624 points remain, after 65 years, the most points scored in a season.

Unfortunately, I do not have access to Buzzy’s other statistics — assists, rebounds, blocked shots, turnovers and steals so I cannot compare him to DuPerow or Edwards in these categories. It must be noted that both Edwards and DuPerow were excellent rebounders and shot-blockers. Alternatively, we know that Davis still holds MC records for free throws made and attempted in a season and free throws made in a career. The only other statistic that we can try to use is the three-point field-goal. Edwards and DuPerow had and used the three-point shot. Edwards made 27-of-84 three-point shots (32.1 percent). DuPerow made 118-of-339 (34.8 percent). We can approximate the effect of the 3-point shot on Buzzy’s performance. At least 50 percent of his points were on outside shots. If there had been a three-point line there is no doubt that Buzzy would have taken full advantage of it. If we conservatively assume that 775 of his points were from outside, with a 3-point shot he would have 255 more points for a total of 1,904.

Without the substantial advantages of 15 additional games played and the three-point line, Buzzy still averaged as many points as DuPerow, and outscored him in their junior and senior years. At least as important is the fact that Buzzy led the best team and the best two consecutive teams in MC basketball history, whereas DuPerow’s teams, despite his scoring, were three games under .500 in his junior and senior years. One must conclude that on performance alone, Davis matched DuPerow, and if he had the advantage of the three-point line and the extra games, he would have had an even better total point record than DuPerow. Edward’s teams had the best four consecutive year records. Every one of his teams had an exceptional record. Even so, Buzzy’s 1953-54 team had an even better record and his 1953-54 and 1954-55 teams combined had a slightly better record than any two of Edward’s teams. On an individual basis, there is no comparison. Again, even without the advantages that Buzzy did not have, his individual scoring performance was far better than that of Edwards. It should be noted that Edwards did not become a starter until his junior year and that his relatively low scoring average may well be due to the excellence of his teams.

If I had to rank the teams that these MC greats played on, I would give the edge to Edwards teams over Buzzy’s teams, with DuPerow’s teams a distant third. On individual performance, notwithstanding my prejudice, I would give Buzzy the edge over DuPerow, with Edwards third (the opposite of the ranking in the article). Combining team and individual performance, I again give the edge to Buzzy. After 65 years, his best team and his two consecutive team records remain best in MC history. His single season records for scoring average, number of field goals, total points, most free throws made and attempted, and his career record for free throws made also rank #1 AFTER 65 YEARS!!! In all probability, his best two-year scoring average and total points are also the best in history. I certainly have no wish to belittle the contributions of other MC basketball greats, but I want to ensure that the accomplishments of a legend of MC basketball are not overlooked with the passage of time. In my, admittedly biased, but data-supported opinion, Buzzy belongs in the top 10 of all MC athletes and is STILL the best MC basketball player of all time.

With warmest regards,

Don J. Brenner, Ph.D. ’57

Allow me to start out by stating the obvious, the Fall issue of Marietta, The Magazine of Marietta College is not in printed format. TP and I were hopeful — way back in March 2020 — that the Fall printed edition would be possible. This was not the case, and will likely not be the case for the Winter 2021 edition, either. Everyone at the College understands how crucial it is to be good stewards of resources while in and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and staying digital, for now, is just one of many adjustments we can make to do our part.

And though we are being mindful of spending, that does not mean we haven’t explored new ways of engaging the Marietta College community. From the start of the pandemic, it was clear to us that communicating frequently with our various audiences on what was happening on campus was important — which is why we increased our social media posts, created and shared video messages from campus, began a new podcast that features current students, employees and alumni, and also created a Parent & Family Newsletter, which is a digital piece that is emailed monthly to the families of current students.

Every office on campus has adjusted their routines and enhanced their offerings to make sure the needs of the Pioneer community are being met, including those of our alumni. While many of our Homecoming-bound Pioneers would typically be rejoicing at this time with the sight of the illustrious Exit 1 sign — signaling that Marietta College is about five minutes away — our Office of Alumni Engagement has planned a new way to enjoy the weekend. STAY HOMEcoming allows all alumni to enjoy the weekend from the comforts of their homes.

You can see and register for the many events lined up here. There are many great opportunities to reconnect with your classmates, take a tour of campus, talk about old times — and not have to wait in long drink (or restroom) lines.

This has been a long year for everyone, and it’s our hope that your Marietta Magazine allows you to sit back, catch up with what is happening at the College and think about some of your own Marietta College memories.

‘I’ve been given a gift’

Music Therapy, Marietta perfect fit for 2020 McCoy Scholar

Unlike the majority of her Longwood High School classmates in Middle Island, New York, Lindsey McCoy ’24 started her college career with in-person classes this fall.

“I feel very lucky to be on campus, because most of my friends are attending colleges where they are remote-only this fall,” Lindsey says.

She also feels fortunate to be the 22nd recipient of the John G. and Jeanne B. McCoy Scholarship. The scholarship program was endowed in 1998 by John G. ’35 and Jeanne B. McCoy to promote and recognize outstanding academic ability and achievement in an incoming freshman student. The award includes tuition, fees, room and board, and is renewable for four years.

“When I applied for the scholarship, I thought I might have a chance to get it, but I knew there would be many other strong applicants,” Lindsey says. “I remember I got a call from President (Bill) Ruud on February 11th to tell me I was the scholarship winner. I think he was expecting me to be more excited, but I was so in shock I didn’t know what to say.”

Lindsey was also slightly concerned that since she shared the same last name as the scholarship that it might work against her. Despite the fact she has a grandfather who is John McCoy, she is not related to the McCoys who funded the scholarship.

“The first person I told was my co-worker at the public library,” Lindsey says. “She has been a role model for me and she kept telling me I would get it.”

One day early in the fall semester, Lindsey was lounging around with her roommate chatting about that paths they took to get to Marietta College.

Her roommate and high school friend, Kyla Andreas ’24, made up her mind early on in her senior year of high school to be a Pioneer and join the women’s lacrosse team. It took Lindsey a little longer and some persuading from her friend because she wanted to stay closer to her Long Island, New York, home.

“She would tell me about Marietta College and how she wanted me to look at it,” Lindsey says. “But I honestly never thought about going this far away from my family.”

Her interest in Marietta started to percolate a little when she learned about the Music Therapy program, so one afternoon after school she applied to Marietta and she quickly realized she was interested in the school 11 hours from home.

“When I told my mom that I thought I had found the right college for me, she asked me where it was,” Lindsey says. “When I said Ohio, she said, ‘Oh, no!’ ”

But her mom, Christine, started doing her own research and quickly realized Marietta might be a good fit for her youngest child.

“She’s my baby and my only girl and my other two children stayed at home. I told her through high school that four hours from home would be good, so if she had to get home she could,” Christine says. “We are so proud of her. The scholarship certainly sealed the deal, and we realize this will open up so many opportunities for her over the next four years.”

Christine says she and her husband, Paul, still had some concerns about Lindsey being so far away from home. But those fears quickly subsided while they moved their daughter into her residence hall room in August.

“Of course, bringing her to campus in August was bittersweet but we are so thrilled that Marietta is open and that she is able to go to school again,” Christine says. “I can honestly say that when it was time for us to leave, I didn’t cry because I felt like she really had found her second home. Everyone was so nice and my husband and I were so impressed with everything the College did to get ready for the semester so that she would be safe.”

Right now, Lindsey is focused on getting up to speed in her major. She got a bit of a jumpstart this summer by taking online guitar lessons with instructor Robert Coddington.

“Where I live, we didn’t have any programs that could prepare me for music therapy, so I’m slightly behind because I never took any music theory classes,” she says. “When I was in high school, I was thinking about studying psychology, social work and special education. But I was in every musical we had and every choir in my school, so I learned about music therapy and I realized it combined everything I wanted to do.”

She plans to take advantage of her situation, too.

“I’ve been given a gift and I’m not going to waste it,” Lindsey says. “I feel I have to do things that I may not have considered or believed I couldn’t afford before. I can’t imagine being this generous. I will never get to meet them, but the McCoys were able to think so far down the road and realize that they could help pave the path for someone’s life every single year. What amazing people to set aside that much money and be that kind-hearted.”

TOM PERRY

Catching up with past McCoy Scholars — Where are they now?”

Charlee Ottersberg ’15

Charlee is a Project Manager for Appficiency, which specializes in NetSuite implementations and integrations. She also continues to do freelance graphic design in her spare time. Charlee, who lives in Englewood, Colorado, with her fiancé, earned an MBA from the University of Denver. “My time at Marietta College is something I cherish and I owe my time there to being a McCoy Scholar. I am so grateful to have had the privilege to be a Pioneer thanks to the generosity of the McCoy family.”

Katie Kitchen ’21

Katie is majoring in both English and Political Science, while serving as the Student Body President this year. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the literary magazine, Pulse, and completed a summer research project as part of the Investigative Studies Program. She is the current president of Omicron Delta Kappa, leadership honorary, and Sigma Tau Delta, an English honorary. “I am extremely grateful for the McCoy Scholarship. Being a McCoy Scholar has allowed me the opportunity to attend Marietta College and take advantage of many experiences here that I would not have otherwise been able to do. One notable experience is my time studying abroad at Cambridge Law School in England, which was partially possibly because of the financial flexibility being a McCoy Scholar has allowed me during my time on campus.”

Rowan Henderson-Bernard ’22

Rowan is majoring in International Leadership and is working on minors in Gender Studies and Organizational Social Responsibility. She is an active member of campus and is involved in the Honors Program, United Women of Power and Scholars Community, as well as a Student Ambassador for the Office of Admission. She was also an EXCEL leader in 2019 and 2020. “Being a McCoy Scholar has meant the world to me. It has opened numerous doors and has even given me the ability to study abroad in Paris during the Spring 2019 semester. I think one of the coolest things it has done is inadvertently creating a little informal family of all the McCoy Scholars on campus. We all understand the immense honor and responsibility that we’ve been endowed with through this scholarship which has, in turn, led us to create our own little support network for each other.”

Jenna Senetra ’23

Jenna is majoring in Health Sciences and is working on a minor in Leadership. She is planning to propose her own major — Marine Sciences — in the near future, and she has tentatively planning a field station visit in the Bahamas this summer. She is a member of the women’s soccer team, MedLife, Honors Program and Equestrian Club, and is a volunteer with Pioneer Activities Council (PAC), which organizes student events on campus. She is looking forward to becoming a physician assistant and hopes to continue her schooling in the field at Marietta. “I don’t often discuss receiving the McCoy Scholarship with my friends or teammates, other than the occasional mention of how thankful I am to be able to attend college here; however, I don’t take this gift lightly. I can’t express the weight that was lifted off my shoulders when I heard the news from President Ruud and I knew I could call Marietta home for at least four years. It is more than I could have ever asked for. The extent to which MC went to provide me an education has factored into most of my decisions since arriving here last fall. I am sometimes overwhelmed by the implications of such a prestigious award and want to live up to the expectations of a McCoy Scholar.”

Marietta College continues to stand out

Once again, The Chronicle of Higher Education recognizes Marietta as a Great College to Work For and only one of 42 institutions to earn the Honor Roll distinction — Marietta’s second time on this list.

Other recent rankings include:

U.S. News & World Report ranks Marietta eighth Best Midwestern Regional College in its 2021 annual survey — and Marietta ranks No. 3 in the Best Value Schools category for the region.

The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranks Marietta 337th out of 801 colleges and universities considered for their rankings.

Washington Monthly lists Marietta College 62nd out of 248 Baccalaureate Colleges in the U.S. in its 2020 rankings.

Center for Health and Wellness adds second full-time nurse

Emergency room nurse Kim Gandee had a special connection to the College long before becoming one of two new full-time nurses on staff in Marietta’s Dr. J. Michael Harding Center for Health and Wellness.

“My husband is an alum (Jason ’95), so I was around MC in the mid-1990s,” she says. “I have a freshman and a senior on campus this year, so, working on campus seemed like it would be a great fit. The college has changed a lot over the years for the better. It has a great vibe and the students really are the best. I have been very impressed with all of them.”

In the past, the Center staffed only one full-time nurse to assist with student care, however, because of all the adjustments and the increased need for access to medical care that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to add a second full-time nurse. Gandee, along with Beth Casto, the former Director of Nursing for the Marietta-Belpre Health Department, began working in tandem at the start of the Fall semester helping students receive athletic physicals and allergy shots, and obtain medication refills and care during sick visits.

“We jumped right in and began taking care of our students with whatever they needed. COVID has definitely kept things interesting in the clinic,” Gandee says. “We are getting ready to offer flu clinics to the students, so we anticipate that will keep us busy through winter break. The students have been great about being proactive about their health and trying to keep our campus as safe and healthy as possible.”

Though Casto is used to serving a larger geographical area, she says Marietta College is like its own community.

“The students are so kind and so willing to take our recommendations,” Casto says. “It’s been wonderful to be able to work here.”

GI SMITH

Walker began teaching in the Communication Department at Marietta in 1999, and quickly found herself splitting time in the classroom with another new role: Director of First-Year Experience. With that change came conversations about retention, comprehensive programs and success measures.

“When I got here, we didn’t have the Academic Resource Center,” she says. “It was still the mindset of, ‘Look to your right, look to your left,’ and with pride, people are saying, ‘Next year, one of you, maybe two aren’t going to be here.’ And that was sort of a prideful thing because ‘We’re so rigorous and some of you are going to wash out.’ Thank goodness that higher education has moved past that and it’s more about having students ‘Look to your right, look to your left — what do you do for each other to help ensure that both people on either side and you are back next fall?’”

Long before COVID-19 caused Marietta College students to complete their Spring 2020 semesters remotely, the Retention Task Force — which consists of Schuck, Walker, Vice President for Student Life Richard Danford, and Senior Vice President for Administrative and Finance and Chief Financial Officer Michele Marra — was leading the charge to bring those classes back for Fall semester.

The group formed out of a recommendation from Foundations of Excellence, which was the quality initiative offered through the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. The College partnered with that organization — co-founded by John Gardner ’65, who is Chair and Chief Executive Officer — in late 2013 in preparation for the accreditation cycle in 2015.

“Our focus back then was all about creating a more comprehensive first-year program to better support our students toward success and to help them retain and to persist to graduation,” Walker says. “There were about 180 recommendations that came out of that, large and small, and one of the policy recommendations was the creation of a retention task force or group that would have folks at a high enough level where we could implement policy change.”

In addition to looking at environmental issues that impact retention, the group also examines if there are policies in place at Marietta that create barriers for students that keep them from being retained and being successful.

“Obviously, we are looking at how our transfer students and our Spring admits are doing — it’s holistic in terms of the programming that we do,” Walker says, “but actual measurements and reporting, we go back to the federal definition of retention, which is much narrower.”

William Clark, the College’s first Director of Institutional Research, reports Marietta’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) to the National Center for Education Statistics/U.S. Department of Education.

“The role of Institutional Research is to organize, and interpret data so as to facilitate informed decision making, and so that information becomes part of the College’s collective memory,” Clark says. “Without disciplined practice, information is never organized in a manner that allows meaningful inferences over time and is eventually lost — either physically or virtually as data systems are retired. Institutional Research also drives adoption of best practice in measurement, assessment, and data inference, so that stakeholders throughout the College realize their goals with any endeavor that concerns collection and use of data.”

Going beyond the numbers

Chasten Coleman ’23 laughs when asked about what activities and organizations he is involved in on campus.

“It’s probably faster if I tell you what I’m not involved in,” says the Marketing and Theatre major, who is also pursuing a minor in Coaching and is a member of the Track and Field and Cross Country teams. “I don’t like a lot of down time. I’ve always been a go, go, go type of person. I wasn’t expecting to be as involved on campus but I was expecting to be very involved.”

The Yadkinville, North Carolina, native visited campus numerous times before making his decision to attend Marietta.

“I picked Marietta because of the small size of the campus and also the close-knit community because I come from a small town,” he says. “But Marietta also gives me the opportunity to make close personal connections while still being a double major and minor and an athlete.”

As most of his classmates, teammates and friends left in March to finish the semester at home, Coleman remained on campus — and knew he would come back to Marietta for his sophomore year, as well, especially if the campus re-opened to everyone for in-person learning.

“Definitely,” he says. “I would say that is one of the main reasons why people came back, especially during a pandemic. I actually know that we admitted a student at Marietta College who is from New York and she’s actually the only student from her high school taking in-person classes this fall. Just the fact that we are in-person and we’re not going online, that’s the big reason why people came back. I know a lot of my friends said, ‘If we’re going to be online, I’ll do a year at a community college and then come back when we’re in person.’ ”

Assistant Professor of Sport Management Rick Smith agrees, particularly with student-athletes returning.

“If our conference or if our school or if our state would have said, ‘No sports for the full academic year of fall and spring,’ I think we would have seen a significant hit in numbers,” Smith says. “But because we have successfully opened up, have stayed open, laid out plans for a successful practice session in the fall, and are playing sports, as of right now, in the spring, I think that’s kept everyone here. If spring gets cancelled, I’m a little nervous. I’ve said publicly, hats off to everyone who has helped re-open this campus — all of us, especially our leadership, because I have family, friends who work at other schools that aren’t on campus right now. Hats off to all of us for doing it right.”

Providing the tools to succeed

With consistent data coming in and sound recommendations from the Foundations of Excellence review, there has been a shift from reaching a freshman class headcount to how the College can support the success of those students throughout all four years at Marietta.

Three areas that were identified early on that needed addressed were recruitment, the quality of the campus experience and persistence. Recruitment looked at what types of students were being admitted and succeeding.

“One of the interesting things that you’ll find is that the group of students that we retain best are those solid B students,” Walker says. “It’s not the highest scoring students or the lowest scoring students, it’s those solid B students that we retain best. The mind shift was that it’s not just about the numbers, we have to make the number, but if we’re going to recruit a certain type of student, we need to have the support systems in place at Marietta College to help them be successful.”

One of those resources, the Academic Resource Center, celebrated its 20th year on campus during the 2019-2020 academic year. The ARC offers academic success advising, free subject-specific and writing tutoring, and disability services. It also assists with the PioPREP (Prepare, Read, Engage, Persist) Academy, which is a summer program designed to help students who may need extra preparation for college before officially beginning their freshman year. The head start also allows staff to introduce the students to the various services on campus.

“We introduce resources when the stakes are low — when they’re not stressing out and not failing,” says Amanda Haney-Cech, who is the Director of the ARC. “We also introduce them to Student Financial Services, so they know where they can go for financial aid help and recognize them as friendly faces.”

Once the Spring 2020 semester ended, the Retention Task Force and supporting working groups kicked into high gear. Schuck’s office prepared and sent out students’ financial aid packages early so students weren’t stuck wondering if they could afford to return.

“And not just that, we’re doing a lot more kitchen table counseling and trying to make ourselves available in multiple formats — whether it’s through Zoom or face-to-face — to talk about things like the FAFSA, and the changes that have happened year-to-year,” Schuck says. “It’s really about being a resource and not just being the office that deals with money. We are here to answer questions and to make the award letter more understandable.”

Student experience is also improved when the majority of the offices they need to engage with moved to the same floor in Irvine to create a one-stop shop environment where students can meet with Financial Aid, Records and Student Employment.

Subgroups such as COMPASS (Committee On Motivation, Persistence And Student Success) and the CARE (Campus Awareness, Response and Evaluation) Team, which is a crisis response team, have played active roles in answering recurring or pop-up issues that students may have over the course of their undergraduate years — and those groups are informed by the Beacon Survey, a software platform that offers location services showing the various offices students have visited and the frequency in visits, as well as class attendance notification to show if a student is consistently missing class.

“COMPASS becomes the boots on the ground when we need to do outreach to students,” Walker says. “…The CARE Team comes into play when we are notified by Beacon or from someone outside of Beacon about a student who is in obvious crisis.”

Walker gave an example of a student who was “blowing up Beacon” and not responding to outreach. Multiple members are called in to respond so the student has immediate access to financial aid matters, and help with academic problems, mental health services or other issues.

“This was an Honors student, doing well, first generation but the student was missing class and not responding to people,” Walker says. “So, our freshman (Resident Director) had her (Resident Advisor) go get the student, walk to my office, and by the end of a 40-minute session and several phone calls, we’re not going to lose that student, who now has a way out of the hole they’re in.”

Schuck, who teaches two Pio 102 courses, says the culture of campus is familiarity — it’s about getting to know the student’s story and how to help them reach their goals.

“It’s not just about the first census,” Schuck says, “it’s about the last census and making sure that we are producing well-educated students who can contribute to society. I read an article that talked about higher education as a private good — will the students do well once they graduate — but shifting the mindset that higher education is a public good. It’s about educating a society so we have members who can contribute and be prosperous and make living wages.”

Coleman’s plan remains to stay active on campus, continue to compete for the Pioneers, earn his two degrees and a minor, and then enter the world of work in a career that involves marketing and theatre, and allows him time to also continue helping grow his sport. He says he never had a doubt that he would complete his undergraduate experience at Marietta, but adds that there are some improvements that still could be made at the College to help support student success.

“The one thing that I’ve noticed is the response times between offices are, for lack of a better term, lacking,” he says. “I know people get a lot of emails, but I’m the type of person that, if I get an email that needs a response, my response time is no more than 10 hours. I may not have the answer, but I let them know that I’ve seen it and that I’ve responded. Also, when you get someone new working on campus — like in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion or in the Office of Community Living — the student leaders on campus need to be made aware so they can inform students who is in that office and that they should stop in and say hello.”

When asked about their idea of retention success, both Walker and Schuck had the same, ready answer.

“We could easily give you the names of 10 or 20 students that, when they walk across the stage at graduation,” Schuck says, “that’s what retention success is — they made it and we know their stories and we know the time and the effort that everyone has put into them and now they’re walking across that stage.”

Walker adds that the student’s success is supported by these various groups who, instead of throwing up their hands when a barrier pops up, they are prepared to step in and guide the student.

“If you listen during Commencement, there will be larger applause from certain people in the room because we know what it took to get that person across the stage, and it’s such a triumph and such a success,” Walker says. “Every year, we add something different that helps more students get on that next stage — that’s the mission.”

GI SMITH

Before official practices could start, many of the men’s soccer players would meet at Marietta Field regularly to participate in informal gatherings. Coach Joe Bergin says the field is where they are used to being that time of year, so it was natural for them to congregate there.

“At this time of year, we are usually knee-deep into a season and right now we are not even into what we would consider a normal practice,” he says. “We’re all missing games, but the fact that we can have a ball out on the field and do a more normal practice is a good thing.”

Bergin’s squad is scheduled to play nine games this spring and the Pioneers open the season at home against Ohio Northern on March 14th.

While Marietta’s fall coaches all agree that they would prefer to be playing a typical schedule in September, October and November, they are going to take advantage of the extra time they are getting with the student-athletes during practices.

“The guys are handling things well. These are unusual times and we’re just trying to figure out a way to improve this team and get ahead for the future,” says Marietta football coach Andy Waddle. “We’re taking advantage of whatever they are giving us right now. We started out in groups of 10 and worked on some strength and conditioning. Now we are working on stuff on the field. We’re still in smaller groups, and we’re hoping to be able to continue to get better because we’re in smaller groups.

“One of the big advantages we have right now is we really get to spend time with those guys who are out there in that group.”

Football will play a four-game conference schedule over five weeks on Friday nights starting March 19th against Baldwin Wallace. The conference has been split into two divisions and the Pioneers are grouped with BW, John Carroll, Mount Union and Muskingum in the East Division. On April 16th, the top seeds from each division will play for the OAC championship. The same

Format will be used for the two-seeds and so on down the standings.

With 34 players on the roster, women’s soccer coach Sean Kaighin has scheduled “high-energy” scrimmages on every Friday in October.

“We have to make the best of the situation, and I have the roster to do it,” he says. “We’ve told the players that we are going to focus on the technical aspects during the week, but on Friday we want them to get out there and compete against each other. This is college soccer and we need them to bring it every day.”

The biggest adjustment for Embrey Roberts ’21 was the lack of urgency at the start of the semester.

“Since it is my fourth year, I was accustomed to coming in early and getting acclimated. It’s when you do your heavy training,” she says. “This year, we hardly did anything the first couple of weeks. … But I am really excited to scrimmage again. This fall kind of feels like a normal spring when the practices you are doing is related to fitness, ball work and improving your skills.”

Like the men’s program, Marietta’s women’s soccer team plays nine conference games and opens against Ohio Northern on March 14th but the Pioneers travel to Ada.

“It’s going to be different playing in the spring, but we will be ready if we get the opportunity,” Roberts says.

Volleyball is scheduled to play only OAC opponents starting at Ohio Northern on March 12th. Each matchup will be a doubleheader, so that each team will play 18 regular season games. The top four teams will advance to the semifinals on April 13th and the championship is on April 16th.

Senior volleyball player April Davis ’21 says out-of-conference games are like practice that help prepare the Pioneers for conference volleyball matches, so she is excited about the new schedule.

“If we had to choose any games to play, I would 100 percent choose to play our conference rivals,” she says. “It is a light at the end of the tunnel, even though it’s going to be a short season.”

The early practices have been eye-opening for Newman.

“They have been frustrated because they are not as good as they were in November,” she says. “You can’t just go in the backyard and do everything you need to do in volleyball. They’re knocking the rust off, so I’ve been talking about being patient. I’ve also told them, ‘give yourself some grace and give your teammates some grace.’ ”

Newman is also optimistic about her squad’s chances this season.

“We are close to being in the upper echelon of the OAC,” she says. “We’ve brought in a lot of talented players, and I think we can do that again next year. So, I’m excited to see how we do this spring but I also think the players we have now realize the fall 2021 season could really be our breakout season.”

Cross country is the only fall sport that is not getting a do-over in the spring because of the conflicts with indoor and outdoor track & field.

“I was against running cross country alongside indoor track & field because, to me, it ruins both sports,” says Jason Davis, who coaches cross country and track & field.

Instead of preparing for cross country, Marietta is focused on track & field — and having some fun.

“I told them we could choose to be negative or choose to be optimistic,” Jason Davis says. “I’m excited that we are being optimistic. We actually get a better training cycle, so we are trying to do some interesting things as well. We have turned Fridays into game day, so we are playing Ultimate Frisbee and sand volleyball. Once it became clear how athletics would be a part of the fall semester, I figured we had to figure out a way to have some fun.”

TOM PERRY

Using Zoom to relive the glory days

Coming back to campus to celebrate his class’ Golden Reunion in 2017 gave Harris Leventhal ’67 an idea: he wanted to start meeting with the brothers from his Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity via this live-video software not too many people had heard of at the time, Zoom.

He began reaching out to brothers from his era at Marietta, and soon the group began meeting bi-weekly.

“When we first started, it was just storytelling about things we did back when we were there,” says Leventhal, who teaches biology at a community college in Philadelphia. “After that, we started talking about what we’re doing and those who are gone; and now, it’s basically we’re talking about our families and more about current events — just like a bunch of guys if they were sitting around a table at the country club talking.”

One of those guys, Steve Lieberman ’64, whose brothers, William Lieberman ’68 and Edward Lieberman ’73 also attended Marietta and were members of the fraternity, says the bi-weekly reunions have brought back many fond and long-forgotten memories of the College.

“Reconnecting — it can be very difficult,” Lieberman says. “I’ve reached a point in age — I’m going to be 78 in a couple of weeks — and you know, your mortality faces you and you start thinking about the good times you had in life. And the thought of a lot of people who were important to me through the years came rushing back via this Zoom meeting. It’s been a lot of fun contacting guys and reminiscing.”

Among Lieberman’s memories are Dean John Sandt, Dean of Men and a Professor of Mathematics who was short and had a bit of a Southern accent, and the time a student used the bricks that were meant to build the new Dawes Library to brick up the entrance to Gilman Dining Hall, and when the two cement lions in front of the Washington County Courthouse ended up on campus. “I still have no idea how they pulled that off.”

Lieberman says he wanted to share his story with fellow alumni who may be able to start their own Zoom reunions and reconnect their fond memories with the people who helped create them.

Leventhal recalls choosing Marietta College while he was on spring break during his senior year at a preparatory school in New Jersey. One of his teachers attended Marietta on the G.I. Bill after World War II and spoke highly of it.

“I was spring vacationing my senior year, and my roommate and I made the rounds of all the colleges — Dickinson, Denison, OU, University of Denver — and when I drove to Marietta and I parked right across from The Pit. And, of course, the street was bricks and the town was beautiful. As soon as I got out the car, people were coming over to me. They saw my Pennsylvania license plates, asked where are you from, how are you doing, it just had a very warm feeling and it had a very New England feeling to me also. That’s why I chose it. I felt very comfortable there. I met my best friend (Elliott Goldberg ’67) there and we’ve been talking and seeing each other for 53 years.”

Leventhal says the TEP brothers often talk of current events, but also reminisce and reflect on the people at Marietta College who meant a great deal to their development.

“We had great professors,” Leventhal says. “This was one of the [topics] we had last week. We talked about which professors really made a difference that we could look back 50 years later and say, this person really caused me to do this or do that, was a definite part of their education that they remember.”

During their Zoom reunions, Leventhal says up to 16 brothers could be “on the call” ranging from the class of 1963 to 1973.

“At any given meeting, we have one person in Arizona, one in California, several in Miami, a person in Maine,” Leventhal says, “so we’re spread across the country but still we can come together.”

GI SMITH

Do you have a defining Marietta Moment you would like to share?

Send us a description of your experience. EMAIL: marketing@marietta.edu

MAIL: Editor, Marietta Magazine, Office of Communication and Brand Management, 215 Fifth St., Marietta OH 45750

1940s

Anson D. Longaker ’44 (Delta Upsilon) of Crystal Lake, Illinois (2/6/2020). Survivors include a daughter, Jane E. Longaker Levy ’66.

Frank S. Klugh ’45 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Clayton, Ohio (6/28/2020).

Marvin E. Hall ’47 of Canton, Ohio (3/5/2020).

Kenneth D. Simmons ’48 of Riegelsville, Pennsylvania (2/24/2020).

Eleanor M. Greeker Gardali ’49 (Sigma Kappa) of Gainesville, Texas (2/4/2020).

Sally H. Griffiths Pesce ’49 (Chi Omega) of Houston, Texas (3/10/2020). Survivors include daughters Janet E. Pesce Dunphy ’81 and Carolyn A. Pesce ’77, a son-in-law, Christopher C. Dunphy ’81, and a grandson, Victor R. Dunphy ’10.

Arnold R. Schwartz ’49 of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania (3/31/2020).

L. Edward Thomas ’49 of Cincinnati, Ohio (4/18/2020). Survivors include his wife, Patricia G. Graham Thomas ’50.

1950s

John William Becker ’50 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Longboat Key, Florida (7/28/2020).

Wilbur A. Morgan ’50 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Lafayette, New Jersey (7/31/2020).

Ralph S. Weaver ’50 (Delta Upsilon) of University Park, Florida (9/15/2020). Survivors include a son, Robb S. Weaver ’78.

William S. Blevins ’51 (Delta Upsilon) of Hamilton, Ohio (8/24/2020).

Mary R. Kestermeiser Bruch ’51 (Chi Omega, Phi Beta Kappa) of Hamilton, Virginia (6/5/2020).

Donald R. Lantz ’51 of Parkersburg, West Virginia (8/2/2020).

Frank D. Smith Jr. ’51 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Lumberton, New Jersey (7/6/2020). Survivors include his wife, Judith L. Little Smith ’50; a son, Frank D. Smith III ’79; and a daughter, Deborah A. Smith ’76.

John R. Young ’51 (Delta Upsilon) of Atlanta, Georgia (3/31/2020).

H. Smoot Fahlgren ’52 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Parkersburg, West Virginia (5/22/2020). Survivors include a daughter, Rebecca A. Fahlgren Graff ’78.

John S. Miller ’52 of Commerce, Oklahoma (4/18/2020).

Jack L. Mulligan ’52 of Charlotte, North Carolina (1/28/2020).

Kurt A. Dettmers ’53 (Delta Upsilon) of Kingwood, Texas (12/22/2019).

Richard F. Schaub ’53 of Somerville, New Jersey (5/12/2020).

Edwin C. Woodruff ’53 (Delta Upsilon) of Cedar Park, Texas (3/9/2020).

Marion V. Anthony Edwards ’54 (Chi Omega) of Saint Michaels, Maryland (5/10/2020). Survivors include a daughter, Joanne E. Edwards Duggan ’81, and a son-on-law, Michael P. Duggan ’80.

Eve C. McDavid Mullins ’54 (Sigma Kappa) of New York, New York (11/5/2019). Survivors include a daughter, Kathy A. DeMay Mullins ’75.

John W. Rosenlieb ’54 of Exton, Pennsylvania (4/17/2020).

Ronald Vogelbach ’54 (Delta Upsilon) of North Fort Myers, Florida (6/13/2020. Survivors include a son, William D. Vogelbach ’81.

William E. Baitinger ’55 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of West Lafayette, Indiana (3/17/2020).

Robert F. Goreth ’55 (Delta Upsilon) of Danville, California (4/25/2020).

David L. Hall ’55 of Marietta, Ohio (4/16/2020).

Dortha L. Harper White ’55 (Alpha Xi Delta) of Vienna, West Virginia (4/20/2020).

Frances S. Jackson Armstrong ’56 of Midland, Texas (4/4/2020).

Carl W. Kaufman ’56 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Medford, New Jersey (4/12/2020). Survivors include his wife, Carolyn J. Kaufman Williams ’57.

Eve Karin G. Kraepelien Pohlo ’56 (Sigma Kappa) of Northridge, California (6/24/2020).

Marialice Stuck Cruse ’57 (Sigma Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa) of Avon Lake, Ohio (4/6/2020). Survivors include a son, William C. Cruse ’84.

James N. Moon ’57 of Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania (7/25/2020).

Kenneth W. Wall ’57 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Marietta, Ohio (4/18/2020). Survivors include a daughter, Patricia A. Wall Stetson ’86.

Margaret A. Bird ’58 (Sigma Kappa) of Huntington, West Virginia (9/17/2020).

David F. Finch ’58 (Delta Upsilon) of Parkersburg, West Virginia (7/11/2020). Survivors include his wife, Shirley H. Finch ’93.

1960s

Richard A. Arieda ’60 of Trumbull, Connecticut (5/31/2020).

Nunzio V. Chelli ’60 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of West Hartford, Connecticut (3/24/2020).

Linda A. Ingols Dole ’60 (Chi Omega, Phi Beta Kappa) of Houston, Texas (8/5/2020).

Lloyd P. Drake ’60 of McConnelsville, Ohio (9/7/2020).

David G. Lambert ’60 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Washington Township, Ohio (1/16/2020).

Barbara Sloan Snyder ’60 (Chi Omega) of Aiken, South Carolina (7/15/2020).

James R. Freeman ’61 of Ripley, Ohio (1/2/2020).

Charles E. Myers ’61 of Ligonier, Pennsylvania (9/21/2020). Survivors include a son, Charles E. Myers ’88.

Robert R. Rankin Sr. ’61 of Nicholasville, Kentucky (4/30/2020).

Ronald K. Runkle ’61 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Charlotte, North Carolina (6/3/2020). Survivors include his wife, Jean A. Nilsson Runkle ’63.

David L. Fitzgerald ’62 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Mashpee, Massachusetts (8/2/2020).

Nancy E. Olsen Ross ’62 (Alpha Sigma Tau) of Kingston, Rhode Island (6/14/2020).

Stephen J. Suor ’62 (Tau Kappa Epsilon) of Issaquah, Washington (3/1/20). Survivors include his wife, Judith Kurtz Suor ’62.

Glen H. Carpenter ’63 of Belpre, Ohio (6/24/2020).

Richard J. Vargo ’63 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Lodi, California (1/20/2020).

Carl C. Heinrich ’64 (Delta Upsilon) of Reno, Ohio (3/18/2020). Survivors include his wife, Judith A. Cole Heinrich ’66.

Edmund C. Higgins ’64 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Guilford, Connecticut (9/13/2020).

John A. Weisser Jr. ’64 (Associate Trustee, Delta Upsilon) of Jupiter, Florida (3/3/2020).

Ronald J. Beaton ’65 of Columbus, Ohio (2/1/20).

Doris Austin Krasik ’65 of Dublin, Ohio (5/31/2020).

Barbara F. Lane ’65 (Chi Omega, Phi Beta Kappa) of Parker, Colorado (3/23/2020). Survivors include a cousin, Rebecca A. Gasior Booth ’99.

Frank Dito ’66 of Tucson, Arizona (10/3/2019).

Richard J. Frankel ’67 (Tau Kappa Epsilon) of Gallatin, Tennessee (1/23/2020).

Daniel A. Silver ’67 (Tau Epsilon Phi) of Wethersfield, Connecticut (5/6/2020).

Lawrence S. Brick ’68 (Tau Kappa Epsilon) of West Hartford, Connecticut (6/17/2020).

William M. Stevens III ’68 of Barnesville, Maryland (1/21/2020).

Glenn M. Collings ’69 (Tau Epsilon Phi) of Olympia, Washington (8/27/2020).

1970s

Robert G. Target ’70 (Delta Upsilon) of Cocoa Beach, Florida (4/24/2020). Survivors include his wife, Nanci M. Roten Target ’70.

Wendy A. Barry Cook ’71 (Alpha Sigma Tau) of Lowell, Ohio (10/4/20). Survivors include her husband, Dennis O. Cook ’79, and a brother Edwin K. Barry ’75.

Frank C. Fila ’71 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Louisville, Tennessee (5/10/2020).

Elsie Hall Kaiser ’71 (Alpha Xi Delta, Phi Beta Kappa) pf Eugene, Oregon (6/25/2020).

Alexander M. Pagnani ’71 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Fort Myers, Florida (4/13/2020).

Mark A. Roller ’72 of Kennebunkport, Maine (2/1/2020). Survivors include his wife, Gail L. MacDonald Roller ’72.

Dale I. Winters ’72 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Marietta, Ohio (9/30/2020).

Cathleen A. Reilly Romine ’73 of Spotsylvania, Virginia (4/2/2020). Survivors include her husband, John H. Romine ’73.

Larry M. Westfall ’75 of Hurricane, West Virginia (7/26/2020).

Howard I. Greenblatt ’76 (Tau Epsilon Phi) of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania (4/18/2020).

Garth H. Griffin ’76 (Delta Upsilon) of Shelter Island, New York (1/27/2020).

Margaret A. McKinney Weinlein ’76 (Alpha Xi Delta) of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania (1/7/2020).

Eleanor F. Feeney Paolino ’77 of Sea Isle City, New Jersey (1/27/2020).

Jon E. Hall ’78 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Freedom, Pennsylvania (2/17/2020). Survivors include his daughter, Ashley K. Hall Rector ’07.

1980s

Ann Marie Priscilla Palmisano ’81 (Alpha Xi Delta) of Farmington, Connecticut (9/18/2020). Survivors include a sister, Barbara L. Priscilla Wolf ’71; a niece, Kelly A. Wolf ’98; and a brother-in-law, Andrew H. Wolf ’71.

Janet Zonker Reed ’84 (Sigma Kappa) of Woodsfield, Ohio (2/2/2020).

1990s

James A. Roberts ’92 of Marietta, Ohio (7/7/2020). Survivors include his wife, Lou Ann Siegel Roberts ’03; and a daughter, Embrey Roberts ’21.

2000s

Daniel J. Dowling ’02 of Silver Spring, Maryland (1/7/2020).

Billy Ray Dunn (Emeritus Professor of Education) of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (7/31/2020).

We can’t be here together, but we can still cheer together!

This time of year, we would normally see thousands of fans cheering for our student athletes at Marietta Field, Don Drumm Stadium, on the river, or at the golf course. Intercollegiate competition may be postponed, but our Pioneers are still working hard, and we don’t have to be there in person to continue to cheer them on.

This (STAY)Homecoming, we invite alumni, students, families, staff and fans to show their support for the Pioneers and help us virtually sell out Don Drumm Stadium by making a gift. Every $5 increment will count as one ticket sold toward a special online game as we hope to fill all 5,000 seats!

Show your support for your favorite team or a specific athlete this Homecoming and we’ll celebrate the Pioneer spirit together. All of our teams are competing, and the team that fills the most seats by noon on Saturday, October 17 will win an additional $1,000 prize for their program, thanks to a generous challenge grant from an alumnus.

Want to have an even larger impact? The "Virtual Team Captain" who inspires the most fans by sharing the campaign with their network will also be awarded $500 to distribute to the team of their choice. Contact Senior Director of Annual Giving Kathryn Gloor at kathryn.gloor@marietta.edu to learn more or become a Captain, and keep an eye on your email so you don’t miss the invitation to our special, live-streamed Homecoming games you can attend from the comfort of your own home.