MOVE-IN DAY Volunteers Needed
Each August, volunteers representing the
MMI Alumni Brigade donate their time to greet new cadets and assist
with uniform issue during move-in day. Students and family members
alike enjoy being welcomed to campus by alumni and friends of the
Institute. If you would like to volunteer for a shift on Monday, August 10, contact Carrie Williams, Alumni Director: cwilliams@marionmilitary.edu |
NEW Alumni Directory!
MMI has partnered with Harris Connect to produce another
alumni directory: the go-to resource for networking with former classmates and
business contacts. Postcards requesting information updates were mailed earlier
this spring, and dedicated operators are awaiting your call at 1-800-786-7583.
Make sure to call the hotline by July 12.
The 2010 edition will be published this fall and will be
available for purchase directly through Harris Connect, offering a range of
products from $24.99-$109.99. There is no charge to be listed in the
directory.
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2LT Haywood Represents MMI at Governor's Event 
On May 18, recent MMI graduate 2LT Darrius Haywood traveled to Montgomery, Ala., to represent our Army ROTC Department at Governor Bob Riley's Enlisted Awards Luncheon at Maxwell Air Force Base. As the top senior ROTC cadet at MMI, Haywood was presented with the 2010 Governor's Outstanding Service Member Award.
During MMI Honors Convocation, Haywood was named "Best All Around Cadet" within the Corps. He will attend the University of Memphis this fall.
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TIGER SPORTS
36 Athletes Receive Scholarship Offers
This Spring, a total of 36 MMI student-athletes received scholarship offers to play at four-year colleges and universities. Most have chosen to continue playing at the next level, while some will pursue other academic endeavors.
6 Tennis Players Headed to Service Academies
It was a banner year for the men's and women's tennis teams as they sent a bumper crop of players (six all told) to the U.S. Service Academies: Coast Guard Academy (Austin Dean, Karlin Joh, and Mariclair Vaillant), the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (Phillip Le and Chad Llewellyn), and the U.S. Naval Academy (Ashley Grafton).
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Save the Date: Upcoming Events
July 22 - Surplus Supply Sale
Aug. 2 - Athletes report Aug. 10 - New cadets report Aug. 16 - Returning cadets report Aug. 18 - Classes begin
Sept. 3 - Cresting Ceremony & Parade Oct. 15-16 - Parents' Weekend Oct. 29 - Ala. Military Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony
SCHOOL CALENDAR
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Reserve Your Room for Alumni Weekend 2011
Alumni Weekend 2011 is scheduled for April 7-10. We invite all alumni and friends to join us on campus for a host of activities and reunion celebrations. A block of rooms has already been reserved at The Hampton Inn, Selma for a special rate. Call 334-876-9995 to reserve your room under "Marion Military Institute Alumni." Further details will be posted on the MMI website at a later date. |
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Father Salutes Son from Iraq
MMI held its 94th annual Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony following Commencement on May 8. Those in attendance enjoyed a virtual appearance by SGM John Stanley of the 5th Special Forces Group, out of Baghdad, Iraq, as he rendered the first salute for his son, 2LT Jarrod Stanley, via skype.
"It was tremendous that our
technical staff members could provide a means through which Jarrod and
his family could share this special event with his father," said Susan Stevenson, Dean for Academics.
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For just $100, given to the Annual Fund Campaign - ROOM to GROW, earn a chance for a renovated MMI barracks room named in your honor. The bronze engraved plaques are normally reserved for donations of
$3,000 or more. The $100 in 100 Days Challenge runs from June 22 to September 30. Room drawings will take place at the end of EACH MONTH and will be announced online. The class with the greatest participation will also be recognized. Annual Donation fund options have been extended to offer donors a chance to pledge a minimum of $3,000 over a period of three years to receive a personalized plaque for a room in the barracks. For a gift of $500-$2,999 (now through Sept. 30), receive the opportunity to win a personalized plaque for a room or day room (an $8,000 value) in the barracks.
Pledge your support by donating online. Choose "Annual Fund Campaign" under Gift Description. Checks made payable to the MMI Foundation and noted "Annual Fund" may also be sent to the Development Office, 1101 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756.
Questions? Email smckee@marionmilitary.edu
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End-of-the Year Highlights
MMI closed out the Spring semester with some solid stats:
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26 cadets were inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the national
junior college honor society
- 30 Early Commissioning Program cadets received their second lieutenants bars during Army ROTC Spring Commissioning
- 57 Service Academy Prep cadets received appointments to the U.S. Service Academies
- 84 cadets were awarded an Associate's degree during Commencement Exercises
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Summer Renovations Underway
Construction crews have already begun work on several major campus renovations this summer. Bathrooms in Wilkerson and Murfee barracks are being completely renovated. With additional square footage (after taking in two cadet rooms on each floor), the new bathrooms will be able to accommodate more residents at one time. They will also feature privacy stalls, individual showers, brand new plumbing and fixtures, water-saving flush valves and new ventilation. Under the same construction contract, handicap ramps for Lovelace and Wilkerson will be installed, and porticos will be added to Wilkerson and Murfee.
The weight room will have a completely new look in August after it is expanded into the old racquetball courts. The result will be a comprehensive fitness center, complete with the latest equipment, which will serve not only athletes but the entire Corps of Cadets.
Funding the fitness center project is John Hunter '71 of Hilton Head, S.C., a longtime MMI supporter, Alumni Brigade Board member and former trustee. "You want nice equipment and a nice
environment so that cadets, faculty and staff can get in there and are inspired
to get healthy and enjoy a better quality of life," he notes. Mr. Hunter recently traveled to Marion to review the renovation progress. He is pictured (right) with MMI Board of Trustees member RADM Paul Robinson of Mobile, Ala.
Rane Hall is also slated for a facelift this summer. The entire first floor will receive new paint, flooring, fixtures, lighting, doors, and hardware. The finished product will serve as a showcase for future barracks renovations funded by the ROOM to GROW campaign.
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Read MMI's Strategic Plan online to learn more about our college's "blueprint for a bright future."
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Rane's Gift: HD Video Recording Capacity
In
May, the MMI Foundation received a generous
donation from MMI alumnus James W. Rane '64, CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving, manufacturer of
YellaWood. The gift consisted of an upgrade to the Historic MMI Chapel in the
form of High Definition digital recording and video equipment as well as a
Canon over-the-shoulder professional camcorder.
The
state-of-the-art video equipment in the chapel will allow for video recordings
of every event that takes place in the historic chapel. The camera is situated
on a 360-degree swivel stand, which allows for video to be captured in every
corner of the chapel.
"The professional, over-the-shoulder camcorder will
allow MMI to capture high quality video at any place on campus," said Aaron
Calvert, Public Relations Coordinator at MMI. "Everything in the last five
years has gone digital, and with these two camcorders we are going to be able
to show more people the great opportunities that MMI has to offer."
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FACULTY NEWS: Farewell Col. Thornton!
English Instructor Molly Thornton ended 23 years of
dedicated service to MMI upon retiring in May. During her tenure at MMI, she
taught both high school and college courses, chaired the English Department, served
on two Presidential Search Committees, and sponsored numerous cadet
organizations. Known to her students as "Colonel Thornton," she was the first
woman to hold that honorary rank at MMI.
During a May 10 reception in her honor hosted by faculty
member David Tipmore and Dean Susan Stevenson, Col. Thornton recounted a 45-year teaching career that
began in Metairie, La., at the urging of her mother.
"The most rewarding thing about teaching is feeling like
you've helped people meet their potential," she says. Col. Thornton and her husband, the Rev. Dr.
Dan Thornton (Judson College professor 1969-2010), entered retirement together.
They look forward to spending more time with their five grandchildren.
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Citizen Architect Documentary Profiles Samuel Mockbee '64
The late Samuel Mockbee (MMI class of 1964), is the subject of a new documentary film: Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio. A Mississippi native and Auburn University School of Architecture graduate, he founded Auburn University's Rural Studio, a design-build outreach program based in Newbern, Ala. Since its founding in 1993, students at the Rural Studio have built more than 80 projects in Hale, Perry and Marengo counties. Featuring never-before-seen interviews with Mockbee himself, the film also follows his former students, a local homeowner, and former Rural Studio instructor Jay Sanders (one of the film's producers). Other architects and designers weigh in on Mockbee's contributions to his chosen profession.Citizen Architect will air nationally on PBS on August 23 at 9 p.m. CST. Local screenings (including a July 28 Greensboro, Ala., premiere) can be found on the film's website. Citizen Architect is sponsored by Great Southern Wood Preserving, makers of YellaWood pressure-treated pine. Company founder/president/CEO Jimmy Rane began his friendship with Mockbee while they were both MMI cadets. |
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66 Incoming Freshmen Headed to Ft. Knox 
At the conclusion of two cycles of Tiger Camp held in late June on the MMI campus, the Army ROTC department had prepared 66 incoming Early Commissioning Program cadets for their summer Leader's Training Course (LTC) at Fort Knox, Ky. Of all the ROTC departments in the nation, MMI sent the second largest class to LTC this summer. Pictured: Tiger Camp participants during a Physical Trianing session at the MMI stadium |
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