E-Lumine
June 13, 2008
Articles in this issue:
First graduate students receive degrees - [ Article Below ] Building changes ready as conferences start - [ Article Below ] Scopes Festival to feature Bryan impersonator - [ Article Below ] Catch Lions' Pride now - [ Article Below ]
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First graduate students receive degrees
The first cohort of Master’s degree candidates, the largest undergraduate class, and an honorary doctorate combined to make Bryan’s commencement on May 10 a historic event. 
Eleven graduate students received Master’s of Business Administration degrees, the first of what college officials expect to be a number of graduate programs. And, counting the 89 undergraduates who received degrees in December, the Class of 2008 includes a record 234 graduates.
 A special moment in the graduation program came as Bryan President Dr. Stephen D. Livesay conferred on Erwin D. “Lat” Latimer the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Mr. Latimer, who has served as a Bryan trustee since 1992, “models what it means to give everything that you have with every ounce of energy to promote Bryan,” Dr. Livesay said.
Paul Gutacker, a senior communication studies major from New Egypt, N.J., gave the commencement address. He challenged his classmates to allow “the Gospel of Jesus Christ [to] be a weighty hope which guides our very lives, and let our prayer be that of the Puritans: ‘May God be honored by the enlarging of our desires, the boldness of our hope, and the greatness of our expectation.’”
To see pictures of graduation, follow this link. Building changes ready as conferences start
Three remodeling projects are completed, and the campus is ready for its annual summer role as host for conferences, Vice President of Operations Tim Hostetler said. 
Renovations to the dining hall and kitchen and changing rooms in Huston Hall to house three students instead of two will have long-range value for students as well. “The renovations to the residence hall will give us 14 more beds,” Mr. Hostetler said. “That’s critical for enrollment increases.”
In the cafeteria, work done in May will allow Pioneer Food Services to implement new meal preparation and menu plans and to speed the serving time.
In Mercer Hall, a face-lift and slight office reconfiguration in the Admissions Department will provide a more welcoming appearance to prospective students and their families and allow for better work flow.
Mr. Hostetler said using the campus during the summer is a stewardship issue as well as a recruiting tool. “It has to do with putting our facilities to the best of their use as well as letting teens know who we are and what we are here for,” he said.
For two weeks, church groups will rent the campus, then, early in July, Summit will open its two two-week leadership conferences.
Scopes Festival to feature Bryan impersonator
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A new live performance will highlight the 21st annual Scopes Festival July 18-20, as the Dayton community celebrates the trial that sparked the idea to found Bryan College.
William Jennings Bryan will take the stage in the Rhea County Courthouse, through the dramatic efforts of Dr. Ted Kachel, in a program about the Great Commoner’s life and influence on America. The program will conclude with a reenactment of Bryan’s testimony during the Scopes Trial, with the part of Clarence Darrow being played by a Dayton attorney.
“Dr. Kachel has done a wonderful job distilling Bryan’s testimony for this performance,” Scopes Festival Director Tom Davis said. “He captures the heart of the matter, as well as the tension and humor that marked that critical portion of the trial.”
Prof. Kachel has toured extensively for the past 15 years, giving “mesmerizing” and “unforgettable” performances of William Jennings Bryan.
Highlighting musical performances during the festival will be old-time country musicians Norman and Nancy Blake. Norman is featured on the soundtrack of the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and he and Nancy participated in all three major national tours promoting the movie.
Additionally, the award-winning DVD of the Scopes Trial reenactment, “Inherit the Truth,” will be shown four times throughout the weekend.
For information or tickets, call the Dayton Chamber of Commerce at 423-775-0361 or visit the Bryan College web site at www.bryan.edu.
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Catch Lions' Pride now
 Through memorable interviews, illustrated with historic archival images and stunning new photographs, Bryan College: Lions' Pride brings to life the incredible story of the "little college that could."
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