Inside Furman September, 2001

Bechtold named director of Continuing Education

Brad Bechtold, a native of Charlotte, N.C., and a 1988 graduate of Furman, has joined the administration as director of Continuing Education.

Bechtold, who majored in psychology at Furman, earned a Master of Science degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Clemson University. He is pursuing a doctorate in education from Clemson with a concentration in human resources development.

Before coming to Furman, Bechtold was the assistant dean of Continuing Education and the executive director of The Management Center at Greenville Technical College. He was responsible for strategic planning, human resources management, partnership development, marketing, and the financial performance of The Management Center.

Mark it on your calendar

Furman will kick off its 175th-anniversary celebration September 12 at Fall Convocation. A 30-minute video, produced by Don Koonce of Greenville, will be the highlight of the convocation. The video will celebrate Furman's history, accomplishments and relationship with Greenville.

It will be circulated to alumni clubs and civic groups and marketed to South Carolina Public Television for possible statewide airing.

Three qualify for world championship competition

Three members of Furman's Powerlifting Club have qualified for the World Natural Powerlifting Federation (WNPF) World Championship competition, to be hosted by Furman October 26-29.

The event, expected to attract more than 300 lifters from 10 countries, will be held at the Lay Physical Activities Center. Beau Greer, a Furman graduate student, will compete in the 148-pound Junior Division in the bench press. He is a two-time South Carolina state champion and holds both the state and American divisional records in the bench press with a lift of 315 pounds.

Jason Pagan, an undergraduate, will compete in the 181-pound Junior Division in the bench press. He is a three-time state champ and holds both the state and American records in his division with a bench press of 440 pounds.

Tony Caterisano, a health and exercise science professor, will compete in the 220-pound Masters Division in the bench press. He is a five-time state champion and holds the state record in his division with a lift of 310 pounds.

United Way night at Furman

The home football opener September 8 against Elon College has been designated United Way Night at Furman. In addition to giving away 2,000 tickets to United Way agencies, Furman will donate to the campaign thousands of dollars generated through ticket sales.

Prior to the 7 p.m. kickoff, there will be children's activities in front of the stadium, and a 60-foot hot-air balloon with the United Way logo will be on display.

United Way banners will hang in the stadium, and Sir Thanksalot (the United Way mascot) and the Furman Paladin will be on hand before and during the game. A United Way representative will flip the coin before the start of the game, and a child from a United Way agency will serve as "co-captain" for the Paladins.

Throughout the game, messages about the United Way and its services will be announced on the stadium public announcement system.

Furman to host NCAA Cross Country National Championship

The nation's best college distance runners - 255 men and 255 women - will converge on campus November 19 for the Division I NCAA Cross Country National Championship.

Furman previously hosted the event in 1997. Each field will be comprised of 31 seven-member teams and 38 individual runners who receive at-large invitations. The men will run a 10-kilometer race along the back nine of the university golf course, while the women will run 6 kilometers.

Team and individual champions will be crowned. The national championships will mark the culmination of a group of top-notch cross country meets at Furman this fall.

The university hosts it annual cross-country invitational October 13 in conjunction with the NCAA Pre-Meet, which is guaranteed to attract most if not all of the national championship hopefuls who will want to get a good look at the Furman course. Furman will also host the NCAA District III meet November 10.

The Athletic Department needs volunteers to help make the November 19 event a success. Volunteers will be needed for two-hour slots and may make up the time through flextime if approved by their supervisor. They will also receive commemorative gifts.

For more information about volunteer activities, call Marshall Bettendorf at 294-3435.

University to lose power during Christmas break

Facilities Services will shut down electrical power to the university for an undetermined amount of time during the week between Christmas and New Year's.

Doug Lange, director of Facilities Services, says workers will use the time to replace an unreliable overhead electric cable with an underground one. "This is the main cable that feeds all the buildings on campus," says Lange. "The length of the power outage will depend on how long it takes to do the work. We don't know right now, but want to let everyone know that this is on the horizon."

Outdoor sculpture enhances campus

Sculptures by two South Carolina artists have been erected on campus. A bronze, life-size statue of Alester G. Furman, Jr., now greets visitors to the Hartness Welcome Center.

The great-great grandson of university founder Richard C. Furman, Alester G. Furman Jr., was a longtime member of the Furman Board of Trustees. The administration building is named in his honor.

Created by Camden artist Maria Kirby-Smith, the statue is positioned in the Welcome Center plaza. It depicts Furman standing on a 19th-century doorsill taken from the former campus in Winnsboro.

In addition, a sculpture of a pair of blue herons has replaced the fountain that previously stood in front of Judson Hall. The fountain had deteriorated and was beyond repair. Charleston artist Lee Letts sculpted the herons, which were donated by North Carolina philanthropist Irwin Belk.