Really fun and interesting lunch

Tim Morton was in town this week. He works for Sonoco in Brussels helping in marketing and sales in the European Industrial Products operations.Tim, who got his masters degree in communication from North Carolina State, is a 2007 graduate of Coker with a degree in Communication. He was at lunch with Marcos Sola, a 2005 graduate of Coker who majored in graphic design. Marcos has been working with Sonoco's Corporate Communication team as one of the graphic designers.

I really appreciate their letting me share lunch with them and hear a little bit about how their careers are going, some of the interesting things on which they are working and some of their perspectives in our ever-changing world. Tim mentioned that he ran into Dr. Cathy Cuppett at Taste of Coker on Thursday night and told her how much he wished he'd taken more Spanish and language in College. He now works at one of the international cross roads of business and sees daily how much having more than one language can mean. Marcos, who is bilingual, then discussed what a difference it makes for him when he is in South America and people find out he speaks English. Nothing world changing in these snippets but concrete examples that I can use when talking with students today.

We also got into marketing talk and one particular tool that never existed when I was in that corporate marketing world -- The IPAD. Marcos has been responsible for programming IPADS his colleagues will be using to become more effective and efficient at a coming major trade show. Both Marcos and Tim love the IPAD. Me -- I did see and touch one recently.

While I might go on, the other extremely interesting thing is that we were at a great Thai restaurant in downtown Hartsville called Bow Thai, which is owned by two other Coker graduates -- one of whom, Donnie Quist, was also a communication major.

From a faculty person perspective and even more from a friend perspective, this was a fun and interesting lunch with a couple of really competent, professionals who I am so glad are Coker College graduates.

Cobra Basketball Men have scrimmage with UNC Wilmington

This weekend the Coker College Men's basketball team is going to get a look at how well they have been progression with their preparation for the 2010-2011 basketball season. They will be taking on UNC Wilmington in Wilmington this Saturday. The Cobras are going to be a man down as last year's high scorer, Vatrick Thompson, was injured in a collision at practice this week and he will be out for some time. Coach Dan Schmotzer and the Cobras remain focused and this should be an interesting opening scrimmage.

Board Week at Coker College

This is the week of the Fall Coker Board of Trustee Board meetings. Several of the Board committees met on Wednesday afternoon and the larger board meetings will be on Thursday. One of the regular events of the Fall Coker Board meeting is a get get together for several of leadership donors, particularly in the Hartsville area. Last night the get together was at the home of Goz and Pat Segars. Goz is current chair of the Coker board and Pat has served Coker in many capacities including Board membership. Will Carswell, professor of music and Choral Director, had some of his singers highlighting this evening.

First Day of Official Basketball Practice

Most of the Coker campus is quiet beyond quiet but the Cobra basketball court in the gym echoed with energy from early this morning through late this afternoon as the first day of official practice for the 2010-2011 basketball season got underway for the Cobra Women and Men. Today is the exciting beginning and the wide open possibility of the new season.

Dr Ron Carter on CNN

The former provost of Coker College, Dr. Ron Carter, was on CNN recently discussing some of the critical needs of education. He gave a critical endorsement for something I spend some time with -- Media Literacy, but he also added important thoughts to critical discussion of holistic education. It was interesting listening to this interchange. Dr. Carter, who is president of Johnson C. Smith University, may quickly find himself a spokesperson for those who strongly believe that our education solution starts early and must be fully integrated into the lives of our children. He did not discount potential areas for strengthening but he does put responsibility on parents.

Side Note: Someone a couple of years my senior wanted to know what I find Facebook of value. This is one of those concrete examples. Ashley Grau, a former student, had picked up this link and posted to Facebook -- I had not seen it. Now I have seen it and am able to share it and that shows some of the value of Facebook.

Spring in October

There is not a cloud in the sharp blue sky and the temperature is a balmy 83 degrees and the the loudest sound is the ball against the bat on the Coker College campus this Sunday afternoon.

I think today is the formal end of Fall baseball and softball and both teams have scrimmages going on their fields. Feels like Spring though I think it is next week when basketball opens formal practice for the 2010-2011 season.

There were not a lot of people at the games this afternoon -- maybe they are in the library to study for the last midterms before Fall Break, which is this Thursday and Friday.

Cobra Baseball Team of '94 Into Coker Hall of Fame

Benjy Blanton was a member of the Coker College Baseball Team of 1994 that was inducted into the Coker Athletic Hall of Fame earlier this month. The video snippet here shows how the team moved as one to embrace Benjy's mother and father as they accepted his plaque. Benjy was killed in an auto accident and the Coker Baseball team remembers him with an annual award to one of the players.

Coker College adds lacrosse to sports offerings

Way too many decades ago I learned to play lacrosse and spent two years on a college team as one of the people helping to make the numbers. While I played a little, I was certainly not very good but I did enjoy the sport. Have considered lacrosse my favorite sport for most of my life. That is why is it great news that Coker College announced this morning that we will have a lacrosse team playing in Conference Carolinas for the 2011-2012 season. It will be a tough conference as I hear there are already two Division II Lacrosse Champions in the conference.

Homecoming a big success

Greg Batchelor was honored as the Young Alum of the Year. He was a former baseball player while at Coker.

The women's soccer team had a 0-0 tie with Chowan and the men's team won their game against Chowan 2-0.

Earlier in the week the college had announced getting control of a large gift from the family of Major James Lide Coker. This $1.2 million gift is being added to the endowment of the college.

Friends presenting at Conferences

Christian Stryker, Coker College's media relations and Sports Information Director, just sent out a release about David McCracken and Melinda Norris presenting at a conference next week:

For Immediate Release-October 1, 2010


Coker Professors to Present at Popular Culture Conference

HARTRSVILLE, S.C. – A pair of Coker College professors will present papers at the Annual Popular Culture Association of the South Conference starting Thursday, October 7 in Savannah, Georgia.

Dr. David McCracken, Associate Professor of English, will present a paper entitled, "F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sheilah Graham in 1939: Romance and Realism,” while Melinda Norris, Associate Professor of Business Administration, will present her paper, “The Social Media Revolution: The New Marketing Medium.”

This is the second paper presentation by Dr. McCracken in as many weeks. On September 24, he presented his paper entitled, "Schadenfreude, Sober House, and the Exploitation of Addiction" at the Culturing the Popular Conference hosted by Converse College.