Volume 95, April 28, 2023 |
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Reinhardt Reflections of 140 years:
A Bit of Commencement History
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2023 marks the 140th year since Reinhardt was founded. With over 100 commencement ceremonies, Reinhardt is steeped in a rich history of learning, serving, and leading. Initial enrollment in 1883 ranged from elementary to high school age, with the first class of four high school students graduating in 1888. One of those four original graduates, the niece of co-founder Augustus Reinhardt, Fredonia Blanton, went on to teach at Reinhardt for over 40 years.
By the time that enrollment grew to over 200 students in 1890, commencement became an entertainment event for the community. Sometimes lasting several days, commencement provided students an opportunity to display their newly acquired knowledge, which our Convocation of Artists and Scholars event reflects even today.
The Reinhardt commencement of 1895 lasted five days and the catalog listing the events required eleven pages. Special presentations by primary, preparatory, and college students included orations, essays, short plays, dress parades, and skirmish drills by the Battalion of Cadets. The main orators each day were ministers, professors, and statesmen.
In the early 1900s, commencements were a time to wave the Reinhardt flag. Even farmers took off working and crammed into every Waleska home for four-day events which included pageants and a mock military battle. In an area where life usually ran calm, and students outnumbered residents, it was natural for everyone to turn out for an unusual attraction that brought crowds and excitement.
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Reinhardt Biology Students Team Up for
Earth Day BioBlitz
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Twenty Reinhardt University students and two faculty were among the participants of the BioBlitz at Staraland Nature Preserve last weekend. A BioBlitz is a biological inventory and provides a snapshot of an area’s biodiversity.
The biology students, along with professors Dr. Zach Felix and Kylie Stover spent two days adding hundreds of records of different organisms to the iNaturalist database. The observations collected serve as a record of the plants, animals, and fungi found at Staraland on Earth Day 2023.
A highlight was a night walk through the woods to observe dozens of blue ghost fireflies. An expert taught students how to catch spiders and start a list of spider species at Staraland.
The outing was hosted by former Reinhardt faculty member Keith Ray, who is now the Director of Conservation at Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land (STPAL). As they documented frogs, mammals, mushrooms, insects, and more, students teamed up with community members, a birder whose grandchild is a Reinhardt student, members of the North American Native Fish Association, and members of the iNaturalist community. Students also met the gentleman who donated the property to STPAL.
Dr. Felix is proud to participate with his students each year, “As Cherokee County grows and as the climate warms, these records are important to see how the community of living things also changes. Many of these species are not found in other parts of Georgia or even Cherokee County.”
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The opportunity to play soccer while earning a degree at Reinhardt prompted a student to move across the Atlantic Ocean. Senior Rafael Pais is from Switzerland, one of 55 international students from 22 countries currently attending the university.
Pais graduated from high school during the Covid-19 lock down which shut down sports. Even without the pandemic, Pais says a heavier course load at Swiss universities doesn’t allow time to play a competitive sport. Reinhardt University offered him the opportunity to be on the Eagles soccer team while getting his degree. Without ever visiting Georgia, Pais enrolled. Less than six months later the midfielder was named Offensive Player of the Week by the AAC. Twice he made the all-conference team.
Moving around the world, with few supplies, no familiar faces, and English as a second language is not easy. Pais says the kindness of people at Reinhardt made all the difference in settling in, “I thought people back home were nice, but southern hospitality is unmatched. On my first full day on campus, someone I didn’t know took me shopping. I don’t know if that would have happened back home.”
Three years later, Pais is getting ready to graduate with a 4.0 GPA and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He hopes to stay at Reinhardt to get an MBA and keep playing soccer.
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Classes have ended for the school year and graduation is next week. Dorm move-out is taking place now through May 6.
Gordy Dining Center and Starbucks will close on May 6. They will reopen when summer programs and camps begin on May 30. Hours will be limited and will vary, depending on the needs of the on-site events. Please call 770-720-5611 with your inquiries. Both facilities will be closed June 26-July 10 when there are no camps. Hours for The Landing will also vary.
The Funk Heritage Center remains open during its regular business hours. Reinhardt’s Hill Freeman Library remains open to the public: 8a-5p Monday through Friday but will be closed on weekends.
The Division of Student Affairs will all operate within its normal hours. That includes Campus Ministries, Res Life, Student Activities, and the Student Health Center.
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing students, faculty, and visiting writers will be on campus for two weeks in June for the MFA summer residency. This year, it will be June 13-23. To promote writing and help develop their skills, the students will participate in writing workshops, craft lectures, evening readings, and experiential learning activities. Ten students will graduate from the two-year program in a commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 23.
Planning ahead, the earliest return to the dorms is August 2 for fall athletes. New students come to campus on August 11, and returning students arrive on August 12, with the first day of classes on August 14, 2023.
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Women's Lacrosse Wins AAC |
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The Reinhardt Eagles earned the title as the 2023 AAC Women's Lacrosse Tournament Champions. The Eagles were the #2 seed heading into the tournament last Saturday. They matched up against the #1 seed, the University of the Cumberlands. On home turf, the Eagles won 14-13.
Shelby O'Neil, Mia Griswold, and Jillian Mello were named to the AAC All-Tournament Team. Freshman goalie, Madison Hasty, earned the AAC Tournament MVP.
Anna-Marie Gazzo played an outstanding game with 6 goals and 1 assist and Macy Fulton scored her 100th career point. Defensively, Madison Hasty had 17 great saves to help her team to victory.
The Reinhardt Eagles now make their way to the National Tournament in Southfield, Michigan May 3-6.
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Once
April 28-30
7:30pm Friday and Saturday,
3pm Sunday
Falany Performing Arts Center
A musical based on the 2007 film of the same name. The story centers on a Dublin street musician who is about to give up on his dream, when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs.
Please note this performance includes adult language and content and may not be appropriate for young audiences.
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2023 Commencement Ceremony
Friday, May 5 at 9:30am
Ken White Athletic Field
The event will take place rain or shine.
Lineup begins at 8am.
Congratulations Reinhardt University graduating class of '23!
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Brother Mojo
Tuesday, May 9 at 7pm
Falany Performing Arts Center
Bring a chair and enjoy a free, outdoor concert of classic rock and country!
This concert will be in the Falany parking lot.
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Bluegrass Festival
May 12-13, 2023
Friday from 5:30pm-9pm
Saturday from Noon-9pm
Funk Heritage Village
Join us for a weekend of music and living history at the Reinhardt Bluegrass Festival!
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The Wildermen
Friday, May 19 at 7pm
University Theater parking lot
Free Admission! Outdoor concert!
Enjoy this free alumni band from the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains. With their genre-bending Americana, song-spanning narratives, and intimate songwriting, The Wildermen make no apologies for spinning yarns about small-town toxic relationships, internet ads, Y2K, and everything in between.
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Help provide critical student scholarships while having a fun day out on the course!
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35th Annual Dave Henritze Scholarship Golf Classic
Tuesday, May 2, at the Capital City Club Crabapple in Milton, GA
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30th Annual United Methodist Scholarship Golf Outing
Wednesday, May 17 at the Lake Arrowhead Yacht & Golf Club in Waleska, GA
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Summer Camps at Reinhardt |
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There are lots of things for kids to do this summer on the Reinhardt University campus. Reinhardt faculty and students are leading unique opportunities for kids of all ages, plus other entities are also utilizing the beautiful campus for additional summer camps. |
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The Reinhardt Eagle is a weekly e-newsletter to keep you informed about Reinhardt University.
7300 Reinhardt Circle, Waleska, GA 30183 | 770-720-5600 | www.Reinhardt.edu
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