Published in the Lee Clarion.
A major redesign to Lee University’s Web site went live Monday evening, January 26.
Functionality for the site that allows users to easily create personalized accounts, as well as other new features, will be rolled out a piece at a time throughout the semester, Craig Gray, director of Information Services & Technology said.
When the site debuted Monday evening, several links didn’t work, pages sometimes took over a minute to load, and more than a few links still pointed users to the older site.
Taryn Wright, a freshman telecommunications major, said that she thought the new layout made the site feel more professional.
“It looks more business-y,” she said. “I like the graphics.”
The first thing users will notice is a cleaner, much more visually appealing look and feel, Mr. Gray said.
“Navigation of the Web site has been significantly simplified with fewer options presented on the page,” he stated.
Jazmine Cox, a freshman church music major, agreed.
“I think it looks more organized,” she said. “The options look easier to use.”
Departing from the traditional white background, new pages are wrapped with a blue frame featuring light and dark tones.
Pages also include an integrated search bar in the top right corner and a new navigation system that shows users a trail of previous pages.
The Lee Flame logo also watermarks the primary content on every section page of the new site.
“It looks official; it looks like a university’s page,” senior athletic training major Richard Blackman said. “It’s easier to take in visually.”
Not every student was as impressed, however.
“It’s kind of the same,” senior physical education major Erin Brown said, noting that she thought pages did at least look cleaner.
Senior church music major Jonathan Zajas updated his Twitter and Facebook status immediately after catching his first glimpse of the change.
“If I had picked which university to go to based on Web sites, it would NOT have been Lee University,” he wrote. “Terrible.”
Mareta Martin, a freshman sociology major, said she liked the new color scheme but felt that some of the text was smaller and more difficult to read.
“It’s pretty, it stands out better than the other Web site,” she said, noting that it seemed more convenient overall.
The new site also makes it easier for departments to update their own pages, programmer analyst Breanna Gray said.
A senior at Lee, Ms. Gray is the project manager for a team of four student workers responsible for the transition of the site’s system.
“It’s a long process; we’ve got about 7,500 Web pages on the site,” said Nate Tucker, associate director of Information Systems & Technology. “[Now] it will be easier to maintain.”
Upgrading the previous site required a manual update to all 7,500 pages, said Nate Tucker, associate director of Information Systems & Technology. The new system will allow for a redesigned look to be easily added across the entire site, he said.
Implementation of a content management system will allow specific departments on campus to easily control the content on pages relative to their office for the first time, Tucker said.
Such changes will increase the speed of updates, Mr. Gray said.
“The new site isn’t as overwhelming [as the previous one],” Blackman said, adding that “It’s different, so it’s going to take time to get used to all the changes.”
Ms. Gray said she was prepared for a rocky transition.
“There’s always going to be a little bit of resistance to change,” Ms. Gray said. “I think that once people get used to it and get a feel for it, they’re really going to love it.”
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Student gives tip about giving tips
Published at the Editor's Weblog, the blog for the managing editor of the Lee Clarion.
Storms Hall is made of money. Girls at Lee? Not so much.
Lee University senior Chuck Morgan, an employee at the Cleveland Domino's Pizza, composed a Facebook note today bashing Lee students for their "mean" tipping practices.
"I'm tired of delivering...and getting stiffed," he wrote. "This is my lively hood, this is how I get by, and all you Lee Students do is send me away with no tip, thanks."
Morgan said that President Conn, as well as most of the faculty, usually tip well.
Mapping out the average tips across campus by dorm, Morgan said that male residence halls at Lee tend to be more generous than female residences, and even if the guys stiff him, they're still "nice about it."
The girls are a whole different story, he said.
"Not only don't [the girls] tip, I'd say almost 95 percent of the time, but they are mean about it."
Of the residence halls listed, Storms Hall tipped the most ($3.04) while Sharp-Davis reigned as the cheapest ($0.97). While he noted that he had never delivered to Atkins-Ellis Hall, the business administration/youth ministry major left a few residences off of the list including his own (Hicks Hall) and Brinsfield Row, Nora Chambers and Carroll Courts.
According to www.TipThePizzaGuy.com, on orders less than $20, the proper amount in 2008 was a $3 minimum.
Morgan's profile states that he is a shift leader and driver for the Domino's and that he has worked there for two years.
Read the full text of his message to friends below:
I work for a particular pizza company, that I will keep to myself although you can find out on my page, and we have several Lee specials for Lee students, and staff. Being a student myself I know that money is tight sometimes, thats why I got a job, but I'm tired of delivering to my place of higher education on a delivery and getting stiffed, for you who don't know what that means it not getting a tip. This is my lively hood, this is how I get by, and all you Lee Students do is send me away with no tip, thanks. This isn't the case for all of Lee. Dr. Paul Conn gives a generous tip, most of the faculty does, but you students... not so much.
Today I did go to O'Bannon Hall and got a $5 tip. I have noticed a trend though. When I go to a guys dorm, I tend to make more, but those ladies dorms is a different story. Now, I have gotten stiffed at a guys dorm before, but they are nice about it. Those girls though are mean. Not only don't they tip, I'd say almost 95% of the time, but they are mean about it. For instance, there are these things called credit/debit cards that girls pay with most of the time, and they have a line for tip, total, and signature. Lately what I have done, to insure that people realize there is a line for tips, I double circle the word "tip", and circle the word "total", and put a "x" where they need to sign, but the majority of the time those girls still just sign the slip and hand it back to me. If you are going to stiff your driver, atleast put $0.00 in the tip section. The last time I delivered to Sharp-Davis Hall, the girl was writing a "2" in the tip section, then crossed it out. That is messed up. Here is a list of the dorms in which tip the best since I have been a delivery driver. I also went through my records and figured out the average tip per dorm.
• Storms Hall $3.04
• Medlin Hall $2.69
• Hughes Hall $2.64
• O'bannon/Bowdle Hall $2.13
• Cross Hall $2.09
• Livingston/Keeble Hall $2.01
• Tharp Hall $1.68
• Simmons Hall $1.54
• Sharp-Davis $0.97
• Atkins-Ellis Hall --- (never have delivered here
You see it is crazy. It is mostly the girls' dorms that don't tip. So, please for the love of God, TIP YOUR DELIVERY DRIVER!!!!
Storms Hall is made of money. Girls at Lee? Not so much.
Lee University senior Chuck Morgan, an employee at the Cleveland Domino's Pizza, composed a Facebook note today bashing Lee students for their "mean" tipping practices.
"I'm tired of delivering...and getting stiffed," he wrote. "This is my lively hood, this is how I get by, and all you Lee Students do is send me away with no tip, thanks."
Morgan said that President Conn, as well as most of the faculty, usually tip well.
Mapping out the average tips across campus by dorm, Morgan said that male residence halls at Lee tend to be more generous than female residences, and even if the guys stiff him, they're still "nice about it."
The girls are a whole different story, he said.
"Not only don't [the girls] tip, I'd say almost 95 percent of the time, but they are mean about it."
Of the residence halls listed, Storms Hall tipped the most ($3.04) while Sharp-Davis reigned as the cheapest ($0.97). While he noted that he had never delivered to Atkins-Ellis Hall, the business administration/youth ministry major left a few residences off of the list including his own (Hicks Hall) and Brinsfield Row, Nora Chambers and Carroll Courts.
According to www.TipThePizzaGuy.com, on orders less than $20, the proper amount in 2008 was a $3 minimum.
Morgan's profile states that he is a shift leader and driver for the Domino's and that he has worked there for two years.
Read the full text of his message to friends below:
I work for a particular pizza company, that I will keep to myself although you can find out on my page, and we have several Lee specials for Lee students, and staff. Being a student myself I know that money is tight sometimes, thats why I got a job, but I'm tired of delivering to my place of higher education on a delivery and getting stiffed, for you who don't know what that means it not getting a tip. This is my lively hood, this is how I get by, and all you Lee Students do is send me away with no tip, thanks. This isn't the case for all of Lee. Dr. Paul Conn gives a generous tip, most of the faculty does, but you students... not so much.
Today I did go to O'Bannon Hall and got a $5 tip. I have noticed a trend though. When I go to a guys dorm, I tend to make more, but those ladies dorms is a different story. Now, I have gotten stiffed at a guys dorm before, but they are nice about it. Those girls though are mean. Not only don't they tip, I'd say almost 95% of the time, but they are mean about it. For instance, there are these things called credit/debit cards that girls pay with most of the time, and they have a line for tip, total, and signature. Lately what I have done, to insure that people realize there is a line for tips, I double circle the word "tip", and circle the word "total", and put a "x" where they need to sign, but the majority of the time those girls still just sign the slip and hand it back to me. If you are going to stiff your driver, atleast put $0.00 in the tip section. The last time I delivered to Sharp-Davis Hall, the girl was writing a "2" in the tip section, then crossed it out. That is messed up. Here is a list of the dorms in which tip the best since I have been a delivery driver. I also went through my records and figured out the average tip per dorm.
• Storms Hall $3.04
• Medlin Hall $2.69
• Hughes Hall $2.64
• O'bannon/Bowdle Hall $2.13
• Cross Hall $2.09
• Livingston/Keeble Hall $2.01
• Tharp Hall $1.68
• Simmons Hall $1.54
• Sharp-Davis $0.97
• Atkins-Ellis Hall --- (never have delivered here
You see it is crazy. It is mostly the girls' dorms that don't tip. So, please for the love of God, TIP YOUR DELIVERY DRIVER!!!!
Comparing Conn and Obama
Published at the Editor's Weblog, the blog for the managing editor of the Lee Clarion.
It's not hard to notice similarities between the careers of President Paul Conn and President Barack Obama. Take a look at the list we've developed below:
1) Both studied at Harvard University.
2) Both have authored bestselling books, including "The Possible Dream" and "Dreams of My Father."
3) Both are eloquent speakers who reach out to a young generation.
4) Both have been asked to run for office by the Democratic party.
5) Both have served as a college professor for over ten years.
6) Both assumed the presidency relatively young, while in their forties.
7) Both have ushered growth to their organizations. As director of Chicago's Developing Communities Project, Obama saw the staff grow from one to 13 and the annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000. Similarly, Conn has tripled Lee enrollment from 1,214 to more than 4,000. The size of Lee University's budget has quadrupled.
Notice anything else? Leave a comment and share your thoughts...
It's not hard to notice similarities between the careers of President Paul Conn and President Barack Obama. Take a look at the list we've developed below:
1) Both studied at Harvard University.
2) Both have authored bestselling books, including "The Possible Dream" and "Dreams of My Father."
3) Both are eloquent speakers who reach out to a young generation.
4) Both have been asked to run for office by the Democratic party.
5) Both have served as a college professor for over ten years.
6) Both assumed the presidency relatively young, while in their forties.
7) Both have ushered growth to their organizations. As director of Chicago's Developing Communities Project, Obama saw the staff grow from one to 13 and the annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000. Similarly, Conn has tripled Lee enrollment from 1,214 to more than 4,000. The size of Lee University's budget has quadrupled.
Notice anything else? Leave a comment and share your thoughts...
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Concerning Conn: The name that tells a tale.
Published at the Editor's Weblog, the blog for the managing editor of the Lee Clarion.
I wanted to see if it was possible to write a short fictional story about President Paul Conn using every modern root word in the English language that begins with the letters C and O and N.
It has indeed been accomplished, using each word, in fact, only once in the story. See how many you can count:
I must confess that it was a controversial move when Dr. Paul Conn, president of Lee University, converted the construction of Lee's newest building into the world's biggest conservatory.
Consequently, it was of foremost concern for Conn to conduct a confidential survey of incoming students to confirm the continuance of his concept.
While the board of directors gave their consent, they had asked Conn to consider his contract and consult his conscience before continuing as well.
The day the new but nameless building was consecrated Conn contacted the Church of God congregation to congratulate all on the conclusion of the project.
Confetti fell while the last bit of concrete was poured into a concentric circle contour conjoining the structure with the concourse.
Years later, a connoisseur of conquest, Conn was consoling a concert pianist who had just conducted his final concerto, when he conceived of another idea. He would hold a congressional hearing consisting of both congressmen and the constituency of Lee faculty. Perhaps they all could conjure a constitutional solution that would provide for all possible contingencies, no matter the context.
After all, his great great great great grandfather was a conquistador who conquered the Congo through a conspiracy involving a contaminated conch and a condemned, but congenial mad man carrying contraband pandas. If his ancestor could concoct such a scheme of consummate conflict, why couldn't he confront the halls of Congress to convey his point?
Conn was so confident in his plans that he confided them with his confidant the pianist, who unfortunately happened to be a conniving con man who confiscated the documents in a colorless container to carry to a convention for convicted felons.
President Conn realized that the condition of the documents must be controlled to prevent prospective Lee consumers from contra dancing in conga lines across the continent.
Not content with simply contending to constrain what his plans contained, Conn opened a contest the week before convocation to convince students to conform their thoughts and concenter their conversations toward a consecutive goal.
Conscious of the fact that the plans were the most consequential evidence of his plans to unite the campus, Conn concurred with his wife that convoking all pianists across the globe for a conference would take a concerted effort.
The big day came, concessions were sold at Alumni Park (despite a lack of condiments), students contributed their time, even Condoleezza Rice showed up to contemplate the plan with fellow conservatives.
Rice had just gotten off of a train and waved goodbye to the conductor when she realized that he too was among the confederacy of pianists. As the convoy of instrumentalists began to appear and convene (contrary to what many were constantly whispering would happen), Conn met with Rice to express his condolences for the end of her term.
It was then that Conn spotted the confounded contortionist of a pianist who stole his constructive master plan for the institution. Rice stared at him with contempt, peering past the contrast of black and white into the contaminant beneath: a continual heart of black.
At that moment Conn yelled "Go!" and the consortium of conspicuous piano players surrounding the thief condensed around him, confining him to a consequence worse than any conscientious judge would ever concede to in an act of conciliation.
Connecting his wrists in handcuffs, the angry mob cast his body upon the dining hall conveyor belt, where he conjugated with the dirty dishes as onlookers congregated to watch, concentrating on the ugly scene before them.
Suddenly, the plans (which had previously been concealed in his convex-turned-concave pocket), popped out before he reached the convection oven in the kitchen.
Then all of a sudden, the crowd's contagious detestation was no longer construed as anger but with a completely different connotation.
President Conn delivered a concise but empowering message to the onlookers and in congruency the crowd shut off the belt, just before the conceited thief rolled into the barrel of juice concentration not yet prepared for consumption.
Despite a fit of consternation from a local concierge, Conn, rice, and the pianist drove a convertible to a local convenience store to buy fig pudding for an evening feast beneath the stars where faculty and students alike would sit on the condensation-covered grass and point out constellations.
Later that night Conn met with the forgiven thief in a conclave at the campus greenhouse built only a few years before. The greenhouse was a conjunction of conception and construct, Conn explained to weeping tears. In the same way, a friendship is contrived from the convergence of consolidated efforts. The consolation was more than the pianist could comprehend, but he accepted it regardless.
The next day, as Conn was walking down the stairs of the Humanities Center, he realized that he might have come off as a bit condescending the night before, despite his efforts to contradict the behavior. After weighing the pros and cons of the situation, he decided that the conundrum had become a convolution, and the consistency of his morals depended on a quick apology.
Using the campus concordance to find his longtime friend, Conn met with him in the conservation room of the new building. A considerate and polite chat ensued and by the end of it the building was finally named, in honor of the prodigal pianist.
I wanted to see if it was possible to write a short fictional story about President Paul Conn using every modern root word in the English language that begins with the letters C and O and N.
It has indeed been accomplished, using each word, in fact, only once in the story. See how many you can count:
I must confess that it was a controversial move when Dr. Paul Conn, president of Lee University, converted the construction of Lee's newest building into the world's biggest conservatory.
Consequently, it was of foremost concern for Conn to conduct a confidential survey of incoming students to confirm the continuance of his concept.
While the board of directors gave their consent, they had asked Conn to consider his contract and consult his conscience before continuing as well.
The day the new but nameless building was consecrated Conn contacted the Church of God congregation to congratulate all on the conclusion of the project.
Confetti fell while the last bit of concrete was poured into a concentric circle contour conjoining the structure with the concourse.
Years later, a connoisseur of conquest, Conn was consoling a concert pianist who had just conducted his final concerto, when he conceived of another idea. He would hold a congressional hearing consisting of both congressmen and the constituency of Lee faculty. Perhaps they all could conjure a constitutional solution that would provide for all possible contingencies, no matter the context.
After all, his great great great great grandfather was a conquistador who conquered the Congo through a conspiracy involving a contaminated conch and a condemned, but congenial mad man carrying contraband pandas. If his ancestor could concoct such a scheme of consummate conflict, why couldn't he confront the halls of Congress to convey his point?
Conn was so confident in his plans that he confided them with his confidant the pianist, who unfortunately happened to be a conniving con man who confiscated the documents in a colorless container to carry to a convention for convicted felons.
President Conn realized that the condition of the documents must be controlled to prevent prospective Lee consumers from contra dancing in conga lines across the continent.
Not content with simply contending to constrain what his plans contained, Conn opened a contest the week before convocation to convince students to conform their thoughts and concenter their conversations toward a consecutive goal.
Conscious of the fact that the plans were the most consequential evidence of his plans to unite the campus, Conn concurred with his wife that convoking all pianists across the globe for a conference would take a concerted effort.
The big day came, concessions were sold at Alumni Park (despite a lack of condiments), students contributed their time, even Condoleezza Rice showed up to contemplate the plan with fellow conservatives.
Rice had just gotten off of a train and waved goodbye to the conductor when she realized that he too was among the confederacy of pianists. As the convoy of instrumentalists began to appear and convene (contrary to what many were constantly whispering would happen), Conn met with Rice to express his condolences for the end of her term.
It was then that Conn spotted the confounded contortionist of a pianist who stole his constructive master plan for the institution. Rice stared at him with contempt, peering past the contrast of black and white into the contaminant beneath: a continual heart of black.
At that moment Conn yelled "Go!" and the consortium of conspicuous piano players surrounding the thief condensed around him, confining him to a consequence worse than any conscientious judge would ever concede to in an act of conciliation.
Connecting his wrists in handcuffs, the angry mob cast his body upon the dining hall conveyor belt, where he conjugated with the dirty dishes as onlookers congregated to watch, concentrating on the ugly scene before them.
Suddenly, the plans (which had previously been concealed in his convex-turned-concave pocket), popped out before he reached the convection oven in the kitchen.
Then all of a sudden, the crowd's contagious detestation was no longer construed as anger but with a completely different connotation.
President Conn delivered a concise but empowering message to the onlookers and in congruency the crowd shut off the belt, just before the conceited thief rolled into the barrel of juice concentration not yet prepared for consumption.
Despite a fit of consternation from a local concierge, Conn, rice, and the pianist drove a convertible to a local convenience store to buy fig pudding for an evening feast beneath the stars where faculty and students alike would sit on the condensation-covered grass and point out constellations.
Later that night Conn met with the forgiven thief in a conclave at the campus greenhouse built only a few years before. The greenhouse was a conjunction of conception and construct, Conn explained to weeping tears. In the same way, a friendship is contrived from the convergence of consolidated efforts. The consolation was more than the pianist could comprehend, but he accepted it regardless.
The next day, as Conn was walking down the stairs of the Humanities Center, he realized that he might have come off as a bit condescending the night before, despite his efforts to contradict the behavior. After weighing the pros and cons of the situation, he decided that the conundrum had become a convolution, and the consistency of his morals depended on a quick apology.
Using the campus concordance to find his longtime friend, Conn met with him in the conservation room of the new building. A considerate and polite chat ensued and by the end of it the building was finally named, in honor of the prodigal pianist.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Why Doesn’t Facebook Have Full Sized Photos?
Published at AllFacebook.com, the unofficial Facebook blog.
The news arrived recently that Facebook videos are now available in high definition.
Facebook’s videos also have an embedding option now, for viewers to watch on external sites. The new features show just how serious Facebook is about catching up with YouTube, which just recently announced HD video uploads as well.
While Facebook is making steady improvement to becoming a premier player in online video, I feel it’s leaving the company’s real star product lagging behind in the mud: Photos. Facebook is by far the king of photo storage, sharing and viewing online. With close to 2 billion pictures, the site continues to add over 60 million more every week.
But the photo portion of the site is as stagnant as a used tic-tac-toe board.
When Facebook was relaunched with a new, wider interface only months ago, it seemed obvious that the extra space could be used for larger images and videos. Well, video is taken care of but photos seem smaller and smaller as time goes on.
Ever try using a Facebook photo for your desktop picture or to print on a calendar or fame on the wall? The quality is horrific. Even though photo size is limited to save storage space and maintain a fast load time for pages, just the option to view or download larger sizes of an image would be an amazing improvement.
Enough people have high-speed Internet, Facebook. The demand is there. Facebook could solidify its lead in online photo sharing, or, stand by and watch other companies chip away at marketshare.
The news arrived recently that Facebook videos are now available in high definition.
Facebook’s videos also have an embedding option now, for viewers to watch on external sites. The new features show just how serious Facebook is about catching up with YouTube, which just recently announced HD video uploads as well.
While Facebook is making steady improvement to becoming a premier player in online video, I feel it’s leaving the company’s real star product lagging behind in the mud: Photos. Facebook is by far the king of photo storage, sharing and viewing online. With close to 2 billion pictures, the site continues to add over 60 million more every week.
But the photo portion of the site is as stagnant as a used tic-tac-toe board.
When Facebook was relaunched with a new, wider interface only months ago, it seemed obvious that the extra space could be used for larger images and videos. Well, video is taken care of but photos seem smaller and smaller as time goes on.
Ever try using a Facebook photo for your desktop picture or to print on a calendar or fame on the wall? The quality is horrific. Even though photo size is limited to save storage space and maintain a fast load time for pages, just the option to view or download larger sizes of an image would be an amazing improvement.
Enough people have high-speed Internet, Facebook. The demand is there. Facebook could solidify its lead in online photo sharing, or, stand by and watch other companies chip away at marketshare.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
McKenzie Building donor files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Published at the Editor's Weblog, the blog for the managing editor of the Lee Clarion.
Cleveland businessman Steve "Toby" McKenzie has filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy listing over $151 million in liabilities. McKenzie's donation was central to the construction of the $1 million McKenzie Athletic Center built on Lee University's campus in 2003.
McKenzie's debt includes $200,000 to the Bank of Cleveland, but is mostly owed to banks across the nation. The largest debt, $15 million, is owed to Green Bank in Knoxville.
McKenzie's success in business was praised by Lee's president, Dr. Paul Conn, at the McKenzie Athletic Center's dedication ceremony in February 2003.
"His success as a businessperson is legendary in our community," Conn said. "He not only brings to the table a good business mind, but also a natural instinct. He works hard, applies a natural touch and treats people right. Toby was thinking outside the box, before most of us realized there was a box. We are proud to be a partner of his in this project."
At the ceremony McKenzie said that it was a pleasure to help young athletes at Lee, noting that a person's athleticism comes out in the world of business.
"This is a great thing for me," McKenzie said at the time. "I and my family appreciate being a part of it."
The bankruptcy was prompted in part by the shaky real estate market, Kyle R. Weems, Mckenzie's lawyer, said. "We fully expect to reorganize," he added.
The check cashing business helped McKenzie accumulate his initial fortune. Weems said that McKenzie now has ownership in 118 limited liability companies that deal in everything from construction to real estate.
McKenzie was a prominent donor to schools beyond Lee as well. The former UTC Roundhouse was named McKenzie Arena in his honor after a large gift to pay off the project's debt.
Cleveland businessman Steve "Toby" McKenzie has filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy listing over $151 million in liabilities. McKenzie's donation was central to the construction of the $1 million McKenzie Athletic Center built on Lee University's campus in 2003.
McKenzie's debt includes $200,000 to the Bank of Cleveland, but is mostly owed to banks across the nation. The largest debt, $15 million, is owed to Green Bank in Knoxville.
McKenzie's success in business was praised by Lee's president, Dr. Paul Conn, at the McKenzie Athletic Center's dedication ceremony in February 2003.
"His success as a businessperson is legendary in our community," Conn said. "He not only brings to the table a good business mind, but also a natural instinct. He works hard, applies a natural touch and treats people right. Toby was thinking outside the box, before most of us realized there was a box. We are proud to be a partner of his in this project."
At the ceremony McKenzie said that it was a pleasure to help young athletes at Lee, noting that a person's athleticism comes out in the world of business.
"This is a great thing for me," McKenzie said at the time. "I and my family appreciate being a part of it."
The bankruptcy was prompted in part by the shaky real estate market, Kyle R. Weems, Mckenzie's lawyer, said. "We fully expect to reorganize," he added.
The check cashing business helped McKenzie accumulate his initial fortune. Weems said that McKenzie now has ownership in 118 limited liability companies that deal in everything from construction to real estate.
McKenzie was a prominent donor to schools beyond Lee as well. The former UTC Roundhouse was named McKenzie Arena in his honor after a large gift to pay off the project's debt.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Who deserves the namesake?
Published at the Editor's Weblog, the blog for the managing editor of the Lee Clarion.
I just finished my class at Tomlinson Memorial before heading to the Payne Center for some lunch. Then I'll be at the Platt Building for a group meeting before going back to Jernigan Hall.
Doesn't sound familiar?
Perhaps you don't recognize the names because they're the only Lee University presidents not to have anything on campus named after them.
A.J. Tomlinson, T.S. Payne, John C. Jernigan and R. L. Platt put a combined total of 14 years in to serving the Lee community and today they're mostly forgotten remnants of history.
In fact, F.J. Lee, the institution's second president, only served as president for one year. So why does Flavius Josephus get the honor of having the entire school named after him?
Well, Lee was an early pastor at the North Cleveland Church of God, second general overseer of the denomination and authored ten books.
So second general overseer and second university president.
Who was the first and why isn't Lee named after him?
The first general overseer of the Church of God, the founding pastor of North Cleveland Church of God, and Lee's first president was Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson. He served the college for four years.
So why skip over the founding father of the whole shebang?
Perhaps because he was impeached from his position due to financial mismanagement and went on to form the Church of God of Prophecy.
Here's the history:
Through his work with Cashwell, Tomlinson became the general moderator of a new ministry known as the Church of God. Tomlinson's success in the Church of God was unparalleled. By 1914, Tomlinson had been granted the power to appoint pastors. Further, the church conferred upon him the position of general overseer for life. Unfortunately, Tomlinson was stripped of this position in 1923, when allegations of financial mismanagement surfaced. After being impeached from the church, Tomlinson moved on to form another group, known as the Church of the God of Prophecy.
The impeachment was the result of lax financial bookkeeping on Tomlinson's part. One explanation often cited for financial discrepancies was that Tomlinson may have used church funds to support struggling pastors and churches and had, on many occasions, reappropriated money from otherwise-designated funds, causing shortfalls. Although there was no indication that Tomlinson used church funds for himself, there were many within the organization who felt that this type of imprudence was an indicator of serious flaws within the organizational structure of the church.
So if Tomlinson gets the boot because he couldn't hire a financial adviser, who's next in line?
Oh yeah, Lee.
But let's think for a moment. Is there anyone else who might have deserved the namesake of the institution?
What about the first teacher of the school? Nora Chambers. She was perhaps also the second woman licensed by the Church of God to preach.
But then again, why would they name a flagship school after a woman, especially when to this day there has not been a female general overseer or president?
I know the suggestion comes a little late in the game, but why not name Lee after Dr. Charles Paul Conn?
Yes, everyone makes the jokes about Conn U. ("con you"), but seriously why not?
President Conn is Lee University's longest serving president with over two decades of service. If you add in his father's term, the Conn family has presided over Lee for 35 years, more than a third of the length of the school's existence.
Sure, Conn U. may get confused for being in Connecticut, but the real reason it won't change is because everyone likes the sound of "Lee."
It's short. It's easy to say and spell and type. It sounds modern and hip.
But in true perspective, let's look at who's done more for Lee.
Conn authored or co-authored 20 books, double the number of Lee's. Oh, and did Lee make it to the New York Times bestseller list?
Conn's also tripled Lee's population from 1,214 to over 4,000 today. And nearly 20 buildings have been constructed or renewed during his presidency.
Twenty-three years of service. One year of service.
Who deserves the credit?
I just finished my class at Tomlinson Memorial before heading to the Payne Center for some lunch. Then I'll be at the Platt Building for a group meeting before going back to Jernigan Hall.
Doesn't sound familiar?
Perhaps you don't recognize the names because they're the only Lee University presidents not to have anything on campus named after them.
A.J. Tomlinson, T.S. Payne, John C. Jernigan and R. L. Platt put a combined total of 14 years in to serving the Lee community and today they're mostly forgotten remnants of history.
In fact, F.J. Lee, the institution's second president, only served as president for one year. So why does Flavius Josephus get the honor of having the entire school named after him?
Well, Lee was an early pastor at the North Cleveland Church of God, second general overseer of the denomination and authored ten books.
So second general overseer and second university president.
Who was the first and why isn't Lee named after him?
The first general overseer of the Church of God, the founding pastor of North Cleveland Church of God, and Lee's first president was Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson. He served the college for four years.
So why skip over the founding father of the whole shebang?
Perhaps because he was impeached from his position due to financial mismanagement and went on to form the Church of God of Prophecy.
Here's the history:
Through his work with Cashwell, Tomlinson became the general moderator of a new ministry known as the Church of God. Tomlinson's success in the Church of God was unparalleled. By 1914, Tomlinson had been granted the power to appoint pastors. Further, the church conferred upon him the position of general overseer for life. Unfortunately, Tomlinson was stripped of this position in 1923, when allegations of financial mismanagement surfaced. After being impeached from the church, Tomlinson moved on to form another group, known as the Church of the God of Prophecy.
The impeachment was the result of lax financial bookkeeping on Tomlinson's part. One explanation often cited for financial discrepancies was that Tomlinson may have used church funds to support struggling pastors and churches and had, on many occasions, reappropriated money from otherwise-designated funds, causing shortfalls. Although there was no indication that Tomlinson used church funds for himself, there were many within the organization who felt that this type of imprudence was an indicator of serious flaws within the organizational structure of the church.
So if Tomlinson gets the boot because he couldn't hire a financial adviser, who's next in line?
Oh yeah, Lee.
But let's think for a moment. Is there anyone else who might have deserved the namesake of the institution?
What about the first teacher of the school? Nora Chambers. She was perhaps also the second woman licensed by the Church of God to preach.
But then again, why would they name a flagship school after a woman, especially when to this day there has not been a female general overseer or president?
I know the suggestion comes a little late in the game, but why not name Lee after Dr. Charles Paul Conn?
Yes, everyone makes the jokes about Conn U. ("con you"), but seriously why not?
President Conn is Lee University's longest serving president with over two decades of service. If you add in his father's term, the Conn family has presided over Lee for 35 years, more than a third of the length of the school's existence.
Sure, Conn U. may get confused for being in Connecticut, but the real reason it won't change is because everyone likes the sound of "Lee."
It's short. It's easy to say and spell and type. It sounds modern and hip.
But in true perspective, let's look at who's done more for Lee.
Conn authored or co-authored 20 books, double the number of Lee's. Oh, and did Lee make it to the New York Times bestseller list?
Conn's also tripled Lee's population from 1,214 to over 4,000 today. And nearly 20 buildings have been constructed or renewed during his presidency.
Twenty-three years of service. One year of service.
Who deserves the credit?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Keely Front Page Design
Posts
