Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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Loyalty Day: A Tradition of Community Support by JHANA LEWIS Fifty-fi ve years ago, the members of The North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Church and local Methodist churches had a brilliant and daring idea. Deciding that their town deserved a four-year college, these brave pioneers went out into the community canvassing funds to build a college from the ground up. They fi nally achieved their goal, saving enough money in 1956, opening the doors of then Methodist College, now Methodist University, in 1960 and congratulating their fi rst graduating class in 1964. Every second Tuesday in February, supporters of Methodist University continue this tradition of gathering community support, when more than 100 volunteers go out into the community and collect funds from Fayetteville’s business owners and community leaders to provide scholarships for Methodist students. This year, Loyalty Day will be held on February 8. Volunteers will be making phone calls and paying visits in the community to share information about Methodist University and the campaign’s “A Passion for Education” message. “We are grateful to the members of the Methodist University Foundation and the more than 100 business people and individuals who volunteer their time to make personal visits on Loyalty Day to raise funds for scholarships for our students,” said Lauren Cook Wike, director of the Annual Fund and Alumni Affairs for Methodist University. “It says so much to the community that these volunteer representatives have given of their time to help provide for educational opportunities for others — that is why Loyalty Day has been successful over its 54-year history.” Most importantly, Loyalty Day is about the students. Over 90 percent of Methodist University students received some form of scholarship or fi nancial aid. Without this assistance, many of these students would not have access to a Methodist education. The funds raised during Loyalty Day are devoted solely to the support of student scholarships. There are over 2,100 students from 41 states and 30 countries that depend on the generosity of the Fayetteville, Cumberland County, community on Loyalty Day and throughout the year. Wike noted that this year’s event has signifi cance in that it is the community’s fi rst introduction to the university’s new president, Dr. Ben Hancock. Hancock made his fi rst public appearance on Thursday, Jan. 20 at the Chamber Coffee Club. He was introduced by Harvey Wright II, a graduate of the class of 1970 and now the chairman of the Methodist University Board of Trustees. Methodist traditionally sponsors the January Coffee Club to kick off its annual Loyalty Day campaign, and the board thought it a fi tting time to introduce Hancock to the community. Dr. Hancock comes to Methodist from Ball State, where he served as vice president for University Advancement. Only the fourth president in the school’s history, Hancock was tapped for the position by the Board of Trustees in November 2010. He will offi cially take offi ce in March 2011. Hancock succeeds Dr. M. Elton Hendricks, who served as president of the university for 27 years. In his role as president, Hancock will also oversee the establishment of effective fundraising and alumni-relations strategies, systems, networks and practices. In addition to the traditional solicitation in the community, Methodist is adding a unique event to this year’s Loyalty Day activities: a benefi t concert featuring The Embers. The beach band has been named North Carolina’s offi cial musical ambassadors. For decades, The Embers have been making music by playing a mix of rhythm and blues and heart and soul. Tickets are $20 and are available now for the concert slated for Friday, Feb. 4, and can be purchased by visiting www.methodist.edu or by calling (910) 630-7167. For more information about Loyalty Day, please contact Lauren Wike at (910) 630-7167, e-mail to lwike@ methodist.edu or visit www.methodist. edu and select “Development.” JHANA LEWIS, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222. or edi- tor@upandcomingweekly.com. Methodist President Ties University Greatness to Community by STEPHANIE CRIDER Dr. Ben Hancock, the new president of Methodist University, took some time recently to talk with Up & Coming Weekly about his new role and his vision for the university. UCW: Tell us a little bit about yourself, where are you coming from and why you consider Methodist University a good fi t for you? Hancock: In terms of my personal background, I consider myself a dedicated husband and father, and I have been blessed with a wonderful family. We are very close and do many things together, even though our children are all adults and live in fi ve different states. We have had some wonderful experiences that make for great stories around the dinner table during our many family gatherings. I am also a fi rst generation college student, so I can identify with students and families who are also entering the higher education community for the fi rst time. Methodist has a great opportunity to deliver on an educational promise to these individuals and help them realize their personal and professional goals. There are several primary reasons for my excitement about joining Methodist University and the Fayetteville community. First and foremost, since my very fi rst visit this past fall, I have been overwhelmed by the people — both on campus and in the community. There is not only a tremendous sense of pride in what has been accomplished and the many assets available, but also a drive to continue to improve and provide the very best education possible to students within a caring environment. Our university theme of “Engage, Enrich and Empower” says it best. Finally, I fi rmly believe in Methodist’s mission and believe this is an exceptional time in the university’s history to join the community and move Methodist forward. There has been a successful track record in recent years, including a record enrollment this past fall, but everyone believes there is so much more we can do for current and future students to help them shape lives of meaning and purpose. UCW: What are your goals for the university? Hancock My short-terms goals are to learn as much about the university and Dr. Ben Hancock with the MU mascot and cheerleaders. community. “Collaboration, imagination, innovation and operation” will be the four keys to our success in these endeavors. UCW: What do you see as your biggest challenges at Methodist? Hancock The greatest opportunity is to do a better job of telling Methodist’s story. We have so many positive things to share about our growth in facilities, programs and enrollment. There is a commitment to excellence at the university that is a part of everything we do, and we have such quality people from the exceptional board of trustees and other volunteer leaders to every faculty and staff member on the campus. All of this sets the stage at Methodist for us to believe enthusiastically that “the best is yet to be.” As we tell the Methodist story and as we develop more partners in the community, we will set a course to enlarge the University’s footprint and imprint. We need to serve a wider geographic area as well as develop innovative programs to meet the needs here in Cumberland County, whether they be fi rst generation students, adult students or members of the military community and their families who would benefi t immensely by making Methodist their university home. In terms of impact, we have the nationally recognized programs and faculty to enable these individuals to meet their educational goals and achieve success in employment and graduate and professional school. UCW: What do you want Fayetteville to know about you and your plans while greater Fayetteville community as I can, and the best way to do that is to meet people and engage them in the life of Methodist University. I look forward to visiting with alumni, volunteers and community leaders to secure their input as we plan for the future of the university. We have recently approved a fi ve-year strategic plan, so my other immediate goal will be to make sure that we are on track with reaching the annual targets that were set forth in that plan by the university leadership and approved by the trustees. In the long-term, we need to make sure we are continuing to meet the needs of our current and future students, and that can only be done by looking at additional initiatives in partnership with our on-campus community as well as the external 12 UCW JAN. 26 - FEB. 1, 2011 you are here? Hancock: My plans for Methodist will grow out of a collaborative process with the internal and external community. There has never been a great university without a great community, and I also believe that the greatest communities have exceptional universities. National surveys ranking the “best places to live” consistently place university communities at the top of the list, and this is not by accident. It is based on the collective assets that both parties provide to enhance the quality of life for all members of the community. I also want Fayetteville to know that Methodist extends an invitation to visit our campus. If you have not visited us lately, you are in for a treat. In just the last few years there has been the addition of a new visual arts building, two new buildings for the P.A. program, and a new residence hall along with other improvements. And plans call for a new building for the nursing program and four new residence halls that will open this coming fall. But what you will most notice during your visit is not the facilities, but the warm hospitality each visitor receives. Methodist is a community resource and we will provide many more opportunities for community members to visit the campus and become engaged in the life of the University. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM