Wofford College

Wofford College. Department of Environmental Studies

Wofford College 
Digital Commons @ Wofford 
The Fierce Green Fire Environmental Studies 
5-20-2022 
The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 12 Issue 19 
Wofford College. Department of Environmental Studies 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/fiercegreenfire 
 Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons 
 
 
 
 
The Fierce Green Fire 
A Newsletter of the Wofford College Environmental Studies Program 
Volume 12, Issue 19 
 Environmental Studies 
Majors & Minors 
  
Elijah Ball 
Molly Bradach 
Robert Brook 
John Farrell 
Mia Girardi 
Aniah Kaltz 
Luke Nelson 
Sarah Peak 
Read Perkins 
Annie Smith 
Griffin Smith 
Cameron Sonefeld 
Lilie Steryous 
Payton Stott 
Adrianne Thackery 
Anna Windle 
Wade Wood 
 
May 20, 2022 Congratulations to the Class of 2022! 


English

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 12 Issue 19

Wofford College. Office of Marketing and Communications

ISSUE #110 | MAY 5, 2022 | FROM THE OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Presidential International Scholar
Paola Cruz ’23, a double major in sociology and anthropology and Spanish from Charlotte, North
Carolina, will be Wofford College’s Presidential International Scholar during the 2022-23 academic year.
Paola Cruz ’23 understands the healing and therapeutic benefits of writing.
Her smartphone has more than 800 notes that capture the moments she’s needed to record
thoughts and feelings.
“My mom passed when I was 14,” says Cruz, a double major in sociology and anthropology
and Spanish from Charlotte, North Carolina. “The only way I could grieve was by writing. It
turned my life around. The social worker told me every time I had a dream about my mom to
just write it down.”
Cruz’s mother died from gastric cancer. Her journal entries eventually turned into poems and
songs. The writing is inspiring her research as Wofford College’s Presidential International
Scholar for the 2022-23 academic year.
Wofford’s Presidential International Scholar is selected by the college’s president. “The
student most likely to make a difference in the future” is chosen to conduct independent
research in non-traditional locations. Students who have displayed a passion for service
learning and a globally minded intellectual curiosity are considered.
READ MORE
Learn more about the history of the Presidential International Scholars program.
Fulbright Fellow
Fields Chewning ’22 is Wofford’s 15th Fulbright Fellow since 2008. She’ll teach English in Germany
during the 2022-23 academic year.
Fields Chewning ’22 began taking German courses as a first-year student at Wofford College
and soon committed to taking a deep dive to understand the language and culture.
“I knew that to push myself to know more German and become competent in the language, I
would need to fully immerse myself in German,” says Chewning, a German and math major
from Spartanburg.
Her grasp of the language has led to her earning a Fulbright Fellowship. She’s the college’s
15th Fulbright Fellow in the past 14 years and the sixth chosen for Germany in that span.
“Fields has been highly motivated to improve her German since she started at Wofford,” says
Dr. Kirsten Krick-Aigner, professor of German. “Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, she
didn’t get a chance to study abroad in a German-speaking country. However, she continued
to seek out ways to live and study and now work in Germany. She put a tremendous effort
into her Fulbright application, and her personal essay demonstrates her commitment to
reaching her goal.”
Chewning will spend the 2022-23 academic year teaching English in Brandeburg, a state in
Northeast Germany. She’s awaiting details on the city and the school assignment.
READ MORE
Helping hands
Gracie Hicks ’23 was looking for help with a project. The women’s volleyball team was looking for a
project to help with. The Rev. Dr. Ron Robinson ’78 brought them together. On April 29, they packed
hygiene kits to ship to Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
When Gracie Hicks ’23 saw the images of women and children fleeing Ukraine with nothing
but the clothes on their backs, she knew she wanted to do something to help them.
Hicks, a Wofford College psychology major from Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, had a
nonprofit, Helping Hands Heal Families, and a project in mind. She just needed people to
help make it happen.
The Wofford volleyball team, meanwhile, was looking for a project to tackle. COVID-19 had
stymied the players’ ability to do a hands-on community service project the past two years,
and they were ready to get back in the game.
In the middle was the Rev. Dr. Ron Robinson ’78, Perkins-Prothro Chaplain and Professor of
Religion. He brought the two sides together.
READ MORE
Murrell Smith ’90 elected Speaker of the S.C.
House
State Rep. Murrell Smith ’90 was elected speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives on
April 28. He assumes his duties on May 12. Smith was first elected in 2000. In 2018, he was
elected chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. He is a co-founder of the Smith
Robinson law firm in Sumter, South Carolina. He has been recognized as a Best Lawyer by
Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation, as a Midlands Legal Elite for healthcare
law by Columbia Business Monthly and has been a Leadership in Law honoree by South
Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly. Charles Reid ’90, clerk of the state House of Representatives and
Smith’s Wofford classmate, administered the oath of office.
Wofford mourns loss of Bilanchone
Dr. Victor Bilanchone Jr., Wofford College professor of music emeritus, served as the college’s director of
music from 1972-2001. He died on April 27.
Dr. Victor Bilanchone Jr., Wofford College professor of music emeritus, is remembered for
his jovial spirit, his care for students and colleagues, and knowing how to get the best out of
his choral groups.
He died on April 27 at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home. He was 82.
“I will miss Vic desperately,” says Dr. Al Jeter ’74. “I honor these 50 years of friendship. I’m
grateful he was part of my life.”
Bilanchone, who served 29 years as Wofford’s director of music, arrived on campus in 1972.
Jeter says students immediately felt a new level of excitement.
Bilanchone took groups to perform concerts across the southeast during spring break, and
he would form the college’s first SATB (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) ensembles. He would
invite women from Converse College (now Converse University) to participate, and there
were performances with full orchestras.
READ MORE
Craig Burnette ’68 receives Order of the Palmetto
Craig Burnette’68 received the Order of the Palmetto on April 27 from William Grimsley, secretary of the
S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Craig Burnette ’68 received South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the
Palmetto, on April 27 at the grand opening of a new transitional residence in Spartanburg for
veterans experiencing homelessness.
An all-Wofford color guard, including ROTC cadets Rob Bernard ’24, Simon Holland ’25,
Brook Bozarth ’23, Carson Maske ’25 and Katie Sullivan ’25, participated in the event.
President Emeritus Joe Lesesne was also in attendance.
Burnette is a retired psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He has
dedicated much of his life to improving services and resources for Spartanburg’s veterans,
including those focused on mental health and homelessness. He spearheaded the Upstate
Stand Down event, which began in 2012, to help veterans access a range of stabilizing
services and resources in one place. Burnette also serves as the board chair for Warriors
Once Again, the new transitional residence, and Upstate Warrior Solution’s Spartanburg
Community Action Board.
2022 Greek Awards
Wofford’s fraternities and sororities concluded Greek Week by recognizing organizations and individuals.
Wofford College’s fraternities and sororities held their annual Greek Week the week of April
25 and concluded it with the annual Greek Awards that recognized both organizations and
individual achievements of members. Additionally, organizations raised $27,051 for the
Grateful Hearts Project, started by Cate Whitlatch ’24, a psychology major from Greensboro,
North Carolina. The project creates themed boxes of decorations for kids admitted to the
hospital.
See the complete list of award winners.
Follow us @woffordcollege


Conquer and Prevail Issue 110 May 5 2022

Wofford College.  Office of Marketing and Communications

Daily Announcements January 2022

Wofford College.  Department of Athletics

Men\u27s Tennis Record Book 2022-23

ISSUE #123 | OCT. 13, 2022 | FROM THE OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Pence giving Oct. 18 lecture
Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States, will give a lecture at Wofford College at
6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18. It will be free and open to the public. The public can register
beginning at noon on Friday, Oct. 14.
Mike Pence, the 48th vice president of the United States, will give a lecture at Wofford 
College at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, in Leonard Auditorium. The event will be free and 
open to the public. Registration is required.
Pence’s visit is part of the college’s Hipp Lecture Series on International Affairs and National 
Security. The public can register for the event online beginning at noon on Friday, Oct.
14. Click HERE to register. Possession of a ticket does not guarantee entry to the 
lecture. Doors open at 5 p.m. Seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 
Each person must have an e-ticket/QR code and valid ID to enter.
The college will livestream the event at this LINK.
“Mike Pence has served our nation with distinction as a U.S. congressman, governor and
vice president of the United States, where he led America’s response to the COVID-19
pandemic,” says Van Hipp, founder of the college’s Hipp Center for National Security and
Foreign Policy. “We are honored to have him at Wofford College and thrilled for students to
have the opportunity to hear from an American statesman of this stature.”
READ MORE
SURF at Wofford
MauriAnna Richardson ’25, a chemistry major from Columbia, South Carolina, is one of 29
Wofford College students who will present during this weekend’s Southern Conference
Undergraduate Research Forum (SURF), which will be held at Wofford.
Wofford College is hosting the Southern Conference Undergraduate Research Forum
(SURF) this Friday and Saturday in the Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts
and in the Chandler Center for Environmental Studies. This year’s SURF conference will be
one of the largest since it was established in 2016.
The forum provides an opportunity for students attending the 10 colleges and universities
competing athletically in the Southern Conference (SoCon) to share on the academic and
creative arts fields. Approximately 150 students from eight of the SoCon’s 10 institutions will
present during the forum.
“I’m very proud of our student researchers and I’m excited for them to have a unique
opportunity to share their work with a larger community of scholars,” says Dr. Ramón
Galiñanes Jr., Wofford’s director of undergraduate research and post-graduate fellowships.
The forum will begin Friday evening with a keynote address by Dr. Anne Catllá, associate
professor of mathematics and associate provost of curriculum and co-curriculum. A reception
will follow. Student presentations will take place Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
READ MORE
A Day for Wofford recap
Alexander Smalls’ homecoming
Trustee Craig Melvin ’01, a “TODAY” show host; Wofford President Nayef Samhat; Alexander Smalls
’74, a Grammy, Tony and James Beard Award winner; and Stephan Baity, director of culinary
operations for Wofford’s culinary partner AVI Foodsystems, participated in a cooking demonstration
while celebrating Smalls’ return to Wofford.
Alexander Smalls ’74 was welcomed back to campus on Oct. 12. The Tony, Grammy and
James Beard award winner visited with students in an environmental studies class and at the
Career Center in the Mungo Exchange before participating in a cooking demonstration and
an evening conversation for the public with Trustee Craig Melvin ’01, a “TODAY” show co-
host. Spartanburg City Council members Erica Brown ’00 and Jamie Fulmer ’92 presented
Smalls with the key to the city before he signed copies of his cookbooks. Learn more about
Smalls.
October events
Terriers will return to Wofford to celebrate Homecoming Oct. 27-29, and there are plenty of
history and art exhibits to visit on campus while catching up with friends.
Get an overview of this month’s events at Wofford and visit the campus calendar to find
more lectures and exhibits.
Athletics updates
Smith repeats as volleyball offensive player of the week
Jackson, women’s golf earn top-10 results in Edisto Island Invitational
Follow us @woffordcollege


Conquer and Prevail Issue 123 October 13 2022

ISSUE #102 | MARCH 3, 2022 | FROM THE OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
‘They done a very bad act’
Nora Williams ’21 will be one of Wofford College’s speakers during Women’s History Month. She’ll
discuss her research on rape during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
The cruelty of war has been well documented.
And Nora Williams ’21 has spent more than two years researching a specific aspect of it
during the Civil War, the 30 years before the war (Antebellum) and the Reconstruction era
following it—sexual assaults.
“Originally, I was only going to focus my research on the Civil War, but I didn’t feel right
leaving it there because it’d be naÏve to think this sexual violence ended after the Civil War,”
Williams says. “Women were seen as spoils of war or enemy civilians. During
Reconstruction, there was a different war going on during the age of social rebuilding.”
Williams will discuss her research during a Women’s History Month event at Wofford College
at 4 p.m. on March 30 in Olin Room 213. Her presentation is titled “‘They Done a Very Bad
Act’: Rape in the Civil War and Reconstruction.” It’s one of six events being sponsored by the
college’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Wofford’s Women’s Leadership Group.
See the complete list of events.
Williams conducted the research for her honors thesis. She scoured the 13-volume “Report
of the Joint Select Committee on the Condition of Affairs into the Late Insurrectionary
States,” which has testimonies from congressional hearings after congressmen traveled to
former Confederate states to hear grievances. She also reviewed 450 military Judge
Advocate General Corps (JAG) records.
READ MORE
Commitment to first-gen students
Dr. James Stukes, assistant dean of student success and college access, talks to students during
Wofford College’s First-Generation College Student Celebration in November.
First-generation students make up nearly 15% of the Wofford College student body. The
college’s commitment to supporting first-gen students has led it to be named a member of
the Center for First-generation Student Success’ First-gen Forward cohort for the 2022-23
academic year. The center is an initiative of NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher
Education and the Suder Foundation. Institutions selected for the cohort will receive
professional development, community-building experiences and a first look at the center’s
research and resources.
READ MORE
A report from the board of trustees’ February
meeting
From President Nayef H. Samhat
The Wofford College Board of Trustees was on campus Feb. 17-18 for a productive meeting
and opportunities to meet and talk with students and faculty, watch our women’s basketball
team in action and celebrate the grand re-opening of the Burwell Building.
The trustees approved the budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year. Operating budgets remain
largely flat except for some line-item increases for the library, high-impact practices, athletics
and scholarships. The additions to experiential learning and scholarships are the result of the
initial impact of the $150 million restricted gift to the endowment from Jerry Richardson ’59.
This summer the college will complete the Marsh Hall renovation, which brings the college’s
housing stock to very good condition and our first-year housing stock to excellent condition.
Other summer projects include paving and crosswalks on Evins and Cummings streets, a
complete interior renovation of the Wellness Center (thanks to a wonderful gift), and work to
improve Snyder Field and the track (thanks in part to generous gifts from Mike and Margaret
Green Young ’92, Ellen and Philip Asherman and members of the Parents’ Leadership
Council).
In addition, the board heard a report on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion progress,
goals and priorities from Dr. Dwain Pruitt ’95, chief equity officer. The board will receive
recommendations from the ad hoc committee on History, Memory and Commemoration
during the May meeting. Finally, the board formed an ad hoc committee on athletics to
examine significant strategic questions related to changes in the larger Division I landscape,
particularly the impact of the new NCAA constitution and the Transformation Committee.
Enrollment remains on pace to reach the college’s 490-student target for the Class of 2026.
Four years ago, we set upon a five-year plan that targeted a stable enrollment of 1,775-1,800
students. We expect to reach that goal one year early thanks to the dedicated faculty, staff
and coaches committed to student success; outstanding facilities; an endowment that has
nearly doubled over the past year and a renewed commitment to fulfilling our mission and
core values as a nationally ranked, residential liberal arts college.
We must think deliberately and creatively about our future, and we must do so with
responsibility to that future. This is our distinctive and exciting task, and I appreciate your
partnership.
SoCon venture pitch competition
Cassie Figueroa ’24 and Alec Schrader ’24 reached the finals of the inaugural Southern Conference
Entrepreneurship challenge, where teams from each SoCon institution pitched ideas for businesses.
Cassie Figueroa ’24 and Alec Schrader ’24 reached the finals of the inaugural Southern
Conference (SoCon) Entrepreneurship Challenge. The contest was held Feb. 25 and 26 at
The Citadel. All 10 colleges and universities competing in the SoCon athletics conference
had a team in the contest.
The duo pitched their concept for Campus Connections, a consolidated website where
college students can offer services, including haircuts, photography, oil changes, rides, etc.,
to others on college campuses. They had the winning concept during Wofford’s Terrier
StartUp Challenge last November, and they placed fourth in the 60-team field for SC
Innovates, a statewide venture pitch competition.
Figueroa is a business economics major from Charlotte, North Carolina. Schrader is a
biology and finance major from Fredonia, New York.
Heavy lifting
Kriti Baral ’25 and Will Hammontree ’23 spent Interim reading multiple classics and they gained skills that
can be used in other aspects of life.
By Brandi Wylie ’24
The name of the class was “Classic Reads,” and Will Hammontree ’23 and Kriti Baral ’25
took the title to heart.
Hammontree, a biology major from Greer, South Carolina, took on “War and Peace” and
"Crime and Punishment.” Baral, an undeclared major from Spartanburg, South Carolina,
went after “Wuthering Heights,” “Anna Karenina” and “Jude the Obscure.”
They finished them off during the four-week Interim.
“I read ‘War and Peace’ simply because I wanted a challenge and thought it would be cool to
say I had read ‘War and Peace,’” Hammontree says. “I also figured this was the perfect time
to tackle such a long book given the time I had.”
Hammontree says that the biggest accomplishment that he takes away from the Interim is
having an increased ability to focus for long periods of time. He hopes that will help him to be
successful in other areas of his life as well.
READ MORE
SoCon basketball tournaments
Jackie Carman ’22 was a consensus selection to the All-SoCon First Team. She’s averaged 12.3 points
per game.
The women’s basketball team is entering the Southern Conference (SoCon) tournament as a
No. 2 seed, its highest in program history, as it plays No. 7 East Tennessee State University
at 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday). Five members of the team were named to all-conference
teams (Jackie Carman ’22, Lilly Hatton ’23, Niyah Lutz ’22, Reagan Rapert ’25 and Alexis
Tomlin ’22). Learn more about the honorees. The team finished the regular season 16-12
overall and 11-3 in the conference.
The men’s team finished the regular season 18-12 overall and 10-8 in the conference. The
Terriers are the No. 4 seed going into the SoCon tournament and will face No. 5 VMI at 2:30
p.m. Saturday. B.J. Mack ’23 and Max Klesmit ’24 were named to all-conference teams.
Both the women’s and men’s tournaments are being played in Asheville, North Carolina.
Find information for both tournaments.
Follow us @woffordcollege


Conquer and Prevail Issue 102 March 3 2022

Wofford College 
Digital Commons @ Wofford 
The Fierce Green Fire Environmental Studies 
5-13-2022 
The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 12 Issue 18 
Wofford College. Department of Environmental Studies 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/fiercegreenfire 
 Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons 
 
 
 
 
 
The Fierce Green Fire 
A Newsletter of the Wofford College Environmental Studies Program 
Volume 12, Issue 18 
Semester Abroad in Panama 
by Wade Wood ’22 
 
 
ENVS senior 
Wade Wood 
spent spring 
semester 
studying in 
Panama. 
of Volcán Barú, walk through the 
historic parts of the city, and be 
introduced to so much incredible food.  
The most challenging but rewarding 
part of the semester was the independent 
study project that I completed during 
the final month. I studied trail 
degradation in Parque Nacional 
Soberanía and Parque Nacional Omar 
Torrijos. This project involved 
independently designing and executing 
a research project and traveling on my 
own to seven different cities throughout 
Panama. After completing our projects, 
the Universidad Technologica de 
Panama held a three-day symposium 
where all the students presented to 
students, faculty, and even a member of 
the US Embassy. Watching everyone’s 
presentation reminded me not only of 
all we accomplished, but also that I was 
surrounded by people that were just as 
crazy about the natural world as I was. 
 
This semester I was part of a group of 
thirty-six students from all over the US 
and Panama that completed an SIT 
program focusing on tropical ecology, 
marine ecosystems, and biodiversity 
conservation. This program was 
centered around field work and 
excursions, which means I traveled all 
around Panama and spent most of my 
class time in the middle of the ocean or 
the forest. Some of the amazing places 
that I spent my time were Panama City, 
El Valle de Antón, Cerro Punta, Guna 
Yala, Bocas del Toro, and Gamboa. 
My classwork included catching and 
identifying various amphibians and 
birds, collecting data on coral reef 
structures, photographing dolphin 
dorsal fins to use for identification, 
doing a homestay in an indigenous 
comarca, collecting mangrove roots, 
and so many other unimaginable 
activities. These once-in-a-lifetime 
experiences continued outside of the 
classroom when I got to hike to the top 
Students in Dr. Savage’s ENVS 101 class visited Refuge Farm in 
Roebuck, SC last week. 
 
 
____________________________________________________________________________________________ 
The Fierce Green Fire, Vol. 12 Issue 18 May 13, 2022 
 
Upcoming Events and Opportunities 
PROFILE OF THE WEEK: 
Ecosa – Certificate & Semester Programs in Sustainable Design 
Ecosa at Prescott College in Arizona offers a 
certificate program in Regenerative Ecological 
Design (RE-Design).  These semester-long 
immersion programs are a break from the traditional 
design schools that offer the traditional design 
education.  Their mission is “to restore health to the 
natural environment, and thus the human 
environment, through education in design.”   
Students with design or non-design based 
undergraduate degrees are encouraged to apply.  
“Students who participate in our program are 
pioneers searching for significant learning and 
novel ways of thinking.” This is a hands-on 
program that tackles real world issues and students 
produce sustainable design work in real life 
settings. 
Ecosa’s sustainable design semester programs can 
help to enhance design portfolios for applications 
to bachelors and master’s programs in architecture, 
urban planning, landscape architecture, and 
interior design.  
 
 
  
 
 
  
Ongoing Job Opportunities at Teton Science School 
 
  
Ongoing Job Opportunities with the US Forest Service 
Ongoing 
 
 
   
 
Job Opportunity with Spartanburg Area Conservancy – Conservation Director 
 
 June 1st   
Application Deadline 
Water Environment Association of SC Capital District Scholarships: 3 - $2500 scholarships 
will be awarded this fall. Sign up (student memberships are free) for scholarship 
information and application package. Contact Betsy Catchings, 
bcatchings@caycesc.gov Capital District Scholarship Committee Chair, for more 
details. 


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