TROY News Center

TROY – Dr. Kenneth Blankenship, executive director of the Central Alabama Sports Commission, has been awarded the Sport Management Lifetime Achievement Award by the Southern Sport Management Association at its conference at Troy University.

The award came on April 11 during the ninth annual Southern Sport Management Conference, and recognizes Blankenship for his significant contributions to the Sport Management industry.

A native of Wetumpka, Blankenship began his career as a coach, teacher and athletic director at schools in Macon County and Selma. He was one of the founders of the Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Scholarship Program, serving as its executive director for 20 years. He served as executive director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association from 1996 until 2004.  From 1992 until 1994, he served as Director of Athletics at TROY, successfully leading the University’s transition  from Division II to Division I athletics.

Dr. Blankenship completed his undergraduate and master’s programs at TROY, and completed a doctorate in educational administration and supervision from Auburn University.

The Association also honored Dr. David K. Stotlar, of the University of Northern Colorado, with its Sport Management Scholar Lifetime Achievement Award, during a special awards dinner on April 11.

Dr. Stotlar, who teaches sport management and sport marketing, has authored more than 90 professional journal articles and has written more than 50 textbooks and book chapters in the field. He was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee as a delegate to the International Olympic Academy in Greece and the World University Games Forum in Italy and has served as a venue media center supervisor for the 2002 Olympic Games. Additionally, he has conducted international seminars in sport management and marketing for numerous national and international Olympic meetings.

Among Dr. Stotlar’s contributions to the profession is his service as president of the National American Society for Sport Management, and was an initial NASSM Research Fellow. His a founding member of the Sport Marketing Association.

Three Troy University students also won accolades during the conference. Riley Montgomery, a graduate student from Montgomery, and Jessica Lynch, a graduate student from Oxford, Miss., took home a second-place award for their poster presentation entitled “Measuring the Sponsorship Effectiveness at a Mid-Major Conference Football Program.”  Santiago Pinzon, a graduate student from Colombia, earned second-place honors with his oral presentation entitled “An Exploration of the Impacts and Needs of Brand Identity Campaigns within Divisions of the NCAA.”

The Association recognized Dr. Colby Jubenville, a sport management faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University, and Dr. Ben Goss, an association professor of entertainment management at Missouri State University, with service awards.

The conference, which brought together students from more than 24 universities and professionals from throughout the region, concluded Friday, April 12. Sponsors for the conference included TROY’s College of Health and Human Services, Troy Athletics and IMG College.

Dr. Kenneth Blankenship, executive director of the Central Alabama Sports Commission, was presented the Southern Sport Management Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award by Dr. Fred Green, an associate professor of kinesiology and health promotion at TROY, during its ninth annual conference at Troy University. (TROY photo)

Dr. Kenneth Blankenship, executive director of the Central Alabama Sports Commission, provided comments to the Southern Sport Management Association’s annual conference as Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. listens. Blankenship received the association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to high school and university athletics. (TROY photo)

Single tickets for the performance are on sale now and range in price from $25-$50. Balcony tickets for this show and the remaining shows in the season are buy one get one free while supplies last.

To purchase tickets, contact the theatre office at (334) 241-9567. Tickets may also be purchased online for an additional fee on the “Subscriber Series” page of the website: www.troy.edu/davistheatre.

The Davis Theatre is located in downtown Montgomery at 251 Montgomery Street. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon.

“The Addams Family” is sponsored by RSVP Montgomery and Touch of Class Limousine and Transport.

The 2012-2013 Season at the Davis Theatre will conclude on Saturday, May 25, with the musical “Dreamgirls.”

MONTGOMERY—Local families are invited to take a closer look at the night sky during the annual Astronomy Day celebration at the W.A. Gayle Planetarium on Saturday, April 20.

The event is held in partnership with the Auburn Astronomical Society and is designed to introduce families to the fun of astronomy. Admission is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own telescopes or binoculars as well.

Starting at 3 p.m., early visitors will be able to view the seven-day-old moon and the sun in the light of hydrogen-alpha with PST Solar Scopes. Members of the Auburn Astronomical Society will conduct a “Telescope Clinic” starting at 5 p.m. in which guests can bring malfunctioning or disassembled telescopes for repair.

At 6 p.m., Dr. Rodger G. Morrison, a TROY assistant professor of information systems, will give the presentation “Astrophotography:  Taking Good Pictures of Cool Stuff with Amateur Equipment,” inside the planetarium auditorium.

Following the presentation, Planetarium Director Rick Evans will lead a “Tour of the Night Sky” inside the planetarium, and after sunset, visitors will step outside for telescopic viewing of the night sky. There will be several telescopes available for viewing courtesy of the Auburn Astronomical Society, and participants will get the chance to view Jupiter, the moon and several binary star systems.

The W.A. Gayle Planetarium is located in Oak Park, across from Jackson Hospital and is operated by Troy University for the City of Montgomery. Opened in 1969, it is one of the largest planetariums between Atlanta and New Orleans.

For more information, call (334) 241-4799, or visit the W.A. Gayle Planetarium on Facebook.

TROY – A Fox News contributor, WSB talk radio host and blogger urged student journalists to know their facts, understand historical context and “tell the story” when they report the news.

Erick Erickson provided the keynote address at Friday’s M. Stanton Evans Symposium on Money, Politics and the Media at Troy University. The annual event is co-hosted by the University’s Hall School of Journalism and Communication and the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy.

“There are three things to being a great journalist: One, know what the facts really are. What is the truth? Remember, truth can change. A few years ago, science told us we had nine planets and, today, we only have eight. Know the truth at the time of your writing,” he said. “Two, What is your historical perspective? What happened before? Three: Tell the story. Build the human element around the facts. People want to be drawn to something more than themselves -- they are hungry for intellectual pursuit.”

Erickson, who is editor-in-chief of the Washington blog RedState.com, practiced law for six years, has managed political campaigns and spent three years as a CNN contributor before joining Fox News. He has co-authored “RedState Uprising,” and writes “Morning Briefing,” a daily email widely read by conservative pundits and activists. A graduate of Mercer University, he lives in Macon, Ga., where he is a former city councilman.

His speech to the symposium, named in honor of TROY faculty member Stan Evans who is a national columnist, commentator and book author, and former editor of the Indianapolis News, spoke on “Insta-Journalism and the Need for Slow.” He opined that “modern journalism has turned into a drive to be first, not accurate.”

“There is a need for slowness in news to allow for time to remove personal bias and consider all sides of the facts,” he said, calling on reporters to tone down sensationalism.

“It is common for reporters to think that somehow the world began in 2000. They have no sense of history and this means every new crisis is ‘the greatest crisis ever’ even when, historically, it's most likely not anywhere close,” he said.

Fox News contributor, conservative blogger and author Erick Erickson addresses journalism students at the annual M. Stanton Evans Symposium on Money, Politics and the Media at Troy University. (TROY photo)

DOTHAN—Troy University will celebrate its ties to the Wiregrass region with a number of special events during the annual Heritage Week celebration on the Dothan Campus April 15-19.

For more than 20 years the Dothan Campus has celebrated its history in the Wiregrass with the Heritage Week festivities, which include several free events that are open to the public.

Activities during the 2013 Heritage Week will include:

Monday, April 15

The Troy University Community Band of Dothan will perform at 6 p.m. inside Sony Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, April 16

The annual Health and Wellness Fair, featuring free information and screenings from local healthcare providers, will be from 9 a.m. to noon inside the Harrison Room in Malone Hall. Free and open to the public.

The Continuing Education Center will preview upcoming courses during an Open House from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside Adams Hall, room 200.

Wednesday, April 17

The spring picnic on the quad for faculty, staff and students will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The College of Arts and Sciences will present the annual Woodham Lecture Series at 11 a.m. inside the Sony Hall auditorium. History professor Dr. Robin O’Sullivan will present a lecture entitled “Breakfast of Champions: A History of the American Morning Meal—and Why it Matters.”

Friday, April 19

The Outstanding Student Honors Convocation will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. inside Sony Hall.

For more information about Heritage Week events, contact Dean of Students Bob Willis at (334) 983-6556 or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .