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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Community-engagement success stories
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Division II schools have a history of connecting with their communities through campus events, especially athletics. Division II’s recent emphasis on community engagement has produced a Web site (diicommunity.org) that lets institutions share their community success stories and notify peers about upcoming events that put Division II institutions at the heart of their communities.
Following is a sample of those success stories:
Presbyterian College
Downtown Block Party
Presbyterian College held a block party in downtown Clinton, South Carolina, before the academic year began to give the incoming freshman class a chance to interact with local businesses. Presbyterian Athletics Director Bee Carlton said the downtown “literally becomes a town square” where freshman students and local businesses get to know each other. “Although the event is for the entire freshman orientation class, it presents a great opportunity for our freshman student-athletes to get connected with their freshman class,” Carlton said. “The event also helps local businesses get their name into the community.”
Adams State College
Hispanic Heritage Day
Adams State showcased cultural expressions ranging from Mexican folk dance to weaving to low riders at its Hispanic Heritage Day September 1 in Alamosa, Colorado. Sponsored by Adams State College and the school’s athletics department, the event recognized achievements by Hispanics in the San Luis Valley, at Adams State, and specifically, in Adams State athletics. The day featured an open cross country competition for high school and college teams. Former Adams State cross country coach Joe Vigil — whose 1992 team won the Division II national championship with a perfect score of 15 — manned the starting gun. “The NCAA is committed to helping Division II student-athletes become more engaged in their community,” said Athletics Director Larry Mortensen. “Activities such as Hispanic Heritage Day will broaden our students’ perspective, with benefits for both the college and community.”
Clark Atlanta University
Wednesday Wind Down
The free concert series launched in April is conducted in conjunction with the school’s well-known FM jazz station WCLK 91.9. The programs feature Atlanta-based artists and attract large crowds.
“Clark Atlanta is far enough outside downtown Atlanta that it might be hard of thinking of downtown as the school’s community, but it hasn’t stopped them from producing a jazz program series in Centennial Park in the heart of downtown,” said Division II community-engagement consultant Rich Luker. “The Wind Down is a great natural platform for introducing and welcoming people of Atlanta to a closer community experience with the school. This is a great example of how a small school in a huge city can make a big difference.”
For more information, see http://www.wclk.com/Wednesdaywinddown.html.
Erskine College
Adopt-A-Team
Each of Erskine’s 10 athletics teams adopted a team other than its own and worked on that team’s facility for two hours. SAAC member and assistant athletic trainer Jason Nussbaum coordinated the event. Afterward, the student-athletes enjoyed fellowship with a cookout and sand volleyball at the Erskine Shelter.
“We want our teams to know each other, to pull for each other and know we are all in this together,” Nussbaum said. “The student-athletes enjoyed the event much more than they thought they would.”
Erskine Director of Athletics Mark Peeler said the event was designed as part of the school’s commitment to the NCAA Division II initiative of “I Chose Division II.”
“Community engagement is a vital part of Division II athletics,” he said. “We want to engage our community, but we felt like we needed to engage our own family before we went outside ourselves. We have great young people in our program but they often worry only about their own sport. We want them to know we are all in this together, each pulling for each other. Hopefully, an event like this encourages that.”
Following is a sample of those success stories:
Presbyterian College
Downtown Block Party
Presbyterian College held a block party in downtown Clinton, South Carolina, before the academic year began to give the incoming freshman class a chance to interact with local businesses. Presbyterian Athletics Director Bee Carlton said the downtown “literally becomes a town square” where freshman students and local businesses get to know each other. “Although the event is for the entire freshman orientation class, it presents a great opportunity for our freshman student-athletes to get connected with their freshman class,” Carlton said. “The event also helps local businesses get their name into the community.”
Adams State College
Hispanic Heritage Day
Adams State showcased cultural expressions ranging from Mexican folk dance to weaving to low riders at its Hispanic Heritage Day September 1 in Alamosa, Colorado. Sponsored by Adams State College and the school’s athletics department, the event recognized achievements by Hispanics in the San Luis Valley, at Adams State, and specifically, in Adams State athletics. The day featured an open cross country competition for high school and college teams. Former Adams State cross country coach Joe Vigil — whose 1992 team won the Division II national championship with a perfect score of 15 — manned the starting gun. “The NCAA is committed to helping Division II student-athletes become more engaged in their community,” said Athletics Director Larry Mortensen. “Activities such as Hispanic Heritage Day will broaden our students’ perspective, with benefits for both the college and community.”
Clark Atlanta University
Wednesday Wind Down
The free concert series launched in April is conducted in conjunction with the school’s well-known FM jazz station WCLK 91.9. The programs feature Atlanta-based artists and attract large crowds.
“Clark Atlanta is far enough outside downtown Atlanta that it might be hard of thinking of downtown as the school’s community, but it hasn’t stopped them from producing a jazz program series in Centennial Park in the heart of downtown,” said Division II community-engagement consultant Rich Luker. “The Wind Down is a great natural platform for introducing and welcoming people of Atlanta to a closer community experience with the school. This is a great example of how a small school in a huge city can make a big difference.”
For more information, see http://www.wclk.com/Wednesdaywinddown.html.
Erskine College
Adopt-A-Team
Each of Erskine’s 10 athletics teams adopted a team other than its own and worked on that team’s facility for two hours. SAAC member and assistant athletic trainer Jason Nussbaum coordinated the event. Afterward, the student-athletes enjoyed fellowship with a cookout and sand volleyball at the Erskine Shelter.
“We want our teams to know each other, to pull for each other and know we are all in this together,” Nussbaum said. “The student-athletes enjoyed the event much more than they thought they would.”
Erskine Director of Athletics Mark Peeler said the event was designed as part of the school’s commitment to the NCAA Division II initiative of “I Chose Division II.”
“Community engagement is a vital part of Division II athletics,” he said. “We want to engage our community, but we felt like we needed to engage our own family before we went outside ourselves. We have great young people in our program but they often worry only about their own sport. We want them to know we are all in this together, each pulling for each other. Hopefully, an event like this encourages that.”
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