Rheatown Food Market has hosted the Saturday night jam session for 25 out of the 30 years that Reta Pirozzoli has owned the store. The music draws large crowds, between 30 and 40 every week.

I originally heard about Rheatown from a friend. As a musician, my interest was peaked, and this interest soon led me to take part in the experience. When I arrived, there was no room left between the venue and the rural road that connects Rheatown Food Market to Highway 11E. I parked in the gravel lot out back because, at six o’clock, there were rows of cars parked against the building’s barn slat walls.
As I entered the swinging glass front door, I was struck by the walls with their old country diner feel. I looked up and down, noticing an old moon pie advertisement hanging a little crooked, a Marlboro placard just under that, and a neat stack of firewood on the weathered wooden floor. I took a deep breath. The air was so thick, but not from cigarette smoke or the smell of country cooking. It was music that saturated the air. The musical atmosphere was so fulfilling, I momentarily gasped. The notes combined to produce a familiar tune, bringing back a memory of sitting on the porch and listening to family playing banjos and fiddles.

Entranced, I made my way towards the music. I sat down in a chair and listened for quite some time. I had brought a guitar, hoping to ask if I could play along, but when this group of regulars saw me with an instrument, they asked me to play with them. This came as a surprise to me. Those playing or singing wanted others to play and sing.

The musicians sat around in a circle and took turns singing. When it was my turn, I insisted that singing in front of people is not for me, but they were so encouraging. I remember quickly glancing around the room, making eye contact with two or three people. Their faces expressed a true desire to hear me sing, to see me participate. I sang, even though I was not very comfortable at first. However, with every heartening compliment and warm face, my anxiety eased, and I somehow made it through the song.

The modern fast-paced life simply does not penetrate the walls of Rheatown. Problems and troubles seem to be left at the door. Once inside, the music allows for relaxation, giving the mind a few hours to focus on things that are often considered trivial.

This however may be why some people think that bluegrass music is dying. Bluegrass is a relaxing pastime, but can be rather time consuming. It requires a person to put in time, and that’s time that many people today just don’t have. Still, others who are willing to offer up their time see it in a different light. Rheatown employee Ginger Shelton is one of those who see bluegrass as very alive. If you walk in on Saturday night, Shelton will probably be behind the counter—smiling big, working hard, and soaking up the music all around.

Shelton believes that the Saturday night jam is evidence that bluegrass music isn’t fading away. She said that while bluegrass music may be evolving to fit the times, it is not dying. Excited, she smiled and explained how Rheatown now has a website. “I’ve had people from another state come to the store and say they’ve seen us online,” she said.

Fifteen-year-old Daniel Norton also testifies that bluegrass isn’t on its deathbed. “If you got time to breathe,” said Norton, “you got time to pick.” The youngest musician to regularly attend Rheatown, Norton is easy to spot. But you would never guess his age by listening to his music. His fingers burn up the fretboards of the guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, or whatever else he decides to play; and his personality is as slick as his fingers. He is polite, but funny.

Norton and other musicians at Rheatown are so passionate about bluegrass that they don’t want to leave when the store closes up shop at 11. Norton says he’s been out in the parking lot playing until two in the morning several times. “They have to cut the lights out because they won’t quit playing,” said Linda Ford, a Rheatown regular. “Then they go out into the parking lot.”

The 30 to 40 people that attend Rheatown every week are no doubt passionate. A big problem however is that many people in the area do not have the chance to be avid supporters because they do not even know Rheatown exists. Musician and Tusculum College student Andrew Baker has been residing in Greenville for more than six months and had not heard of Rheatown until just recently. Baker is interested in different types of music venues and was surprised that he didn’t hear of Rheatown sooner. After I explained what Rheatown is and what they offer, Baker said, “I’m interested, and I’d like to attend sometime soon.”

If you are interested in discovering more about Rheatown, look them up on the web or just drop by sometime and see what it’s like for yourself. The jam usually starts around 6 or 6:30. And if your experience resembles mine, you’ll probably want to go back again and again. In fact, I enjoyed my experience to the extent that I plan to attend often. If you do decide to attend, let me lend the only advice I can: relax and immerse yourself in the traditions of Rheatown.

Compiled by Marcus Taylor and Josh Kibert

Written by Katie Pittser

Over the years, students have taken full advantage of the academic field trips worked into Tusculum’s curriculum. Due to the economy and budget crunches, Tusculum faced a tough decision when it cut down on extra-curricular trips.

“Trips that support the academic mission of Tusculum College have not been cancelled,” said Dr. Kim Estep, Tusculum’s Provost. “Virtually like every institution in the United States, Tusculum has felt the impact of the financial recession and is making adjustments in the budget to assure financial stability, despite the uncertain regional and national economy. The one thing that we have not compromised on is academics.”

According to Dr. Estep, the college will continue to prioritize academic expenditures and fund as many field experiences as possible that relate to the academic mission and integrity of Tusculum.

In agreement with Dr. Estep many academic trips have not been canceled but rather altered. According to the Center for Global Studies, the Service Learning Program in Belize, which is a four credit hour class has been re-routed to New Orleans.

“It certainly changes the landscape of the class from global issues to more regional ones,” said Robin Fife, who will be leading the trip.  “I’m hoping to return to Belize in the future when funding is available but New Orleans will offer a new set of challenges for students.”

The program is made available to help alleviate conditions of poverty and promote peace and prosperity through economic development, partnerships, and services. In the past the class of five to ten students travels Belize for eight to ten days. The previous cost for students was part of the regular fees and tuition paid to Tusculum because it is an academic class. Students were required to have a current U.S. passport, proper immunizations, and were responsible for the cost of airfare.

TC Students help locals clean up on a hot day in Belize.

Another “study abroad” academic trip, like the Belize program, is the Science Program in Costa Rica. The purpose of this trip, which is mainly for students in Field Biology I and II classes, is to acquaint students in the sciences with diverse tropical ecosystems, identify prevalent flora and fauna, and to experience Latin-American culture. Accommodations were located in bio-diverse parts of the country as the students stay at field stations. The destination has also been altered however and Florida will now replace Costa Rica. As budgets are tightened, students opportunities to travel abroad through TC are severely limited.

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“The college has been able to continue to support virtually all of the academic student trips that were planned this year,” said Dr. Estep. “In a few cases, the venues of international trips have changed. The scheduled trip to Costa Rica has been changed to travel to Florida, and the trip to Belize will be traveling to New Orleans. Each year, faculty request different trips. Every effort is made to fund as many trips as possible but is dictated by the academic objectives (student learning outcomes) of the program and available funds.”

Dr. Shelia Morton’s trip overseas is one of the only survivors. She is finalizing the itinerary of her scheduled academic trip to London and the surrounding areas such as the Lake District. This trip is set to leave March 23, as students would save roughly $70 each by leaving on Tuesday and returning the following Tuesday. While exploring the Lake District and London, students will travel through time as they study the British authors Wordsworth, Southey, Coleridge, Scott, Blake, and Keats. They will visit many of the famous places where the creativity of these selected authors flowed.

Dr. Estep made it clear that “most trips were not cancelled”.

“Changes in destination were made in response to a request to be more fiscally conscious and good stewards of the resources of the college in an effort to maintain academic integrity at all costs and to preserve the jobs of Tusculum College faculty and staff,” said Dr. Estep.

“Students are encouraged to continue to take advantage of as many academic field experiences as possible,” said Dr. Estep. “There are opportunities that are generally not available at larger institutions to undergraduate students. Like our small classes and focused calendar, the academic travel opportunities add value to each student’s learning in ways that will benefit students for years to come.”

In the end, student trips are an integral part of individual academic advancement. As college budgets shrink, travel becomes limited and more creative fund-raising as well as planning are required. While many international trips have been eliminated, the opportunity for domestic field experience remains, an fact many TC students are taking advantage of.

He presented a wonderful slideshow for his audience as he reminisced his childhood memories of how the cars changed throughout the years. The main dealerships that dominated the Americans were Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. This was before the bigger imports such as Toyota and Mitsubishi emerged. “I grew up in the 1950’s era. It was an exciting time dominated by the American made cars,” Charles Tunstall, assistant professor of library science.

Colors were a huge part of 1955 ranging from bright pink and yellow to two-toned colors such as black and white or black and electric blue. He mentioned that Mary Kay would give her employees a pink Cadillac each year while they worked for her for sponsorship as long as the sales were kept up to date. Another big event that occurred was this was the first year the V8 and the Hemi engine was introduced since people were not too concerned with gas prices at the time, it was all the rage. There was a car called the Caribbean that was described as “one block long and three colors high”. The women loved it due to the fact that they could get the car that matched their outfits and they received an umbrella and bag since accessories were a large demand.

“I found the cars shown in the slide show by Charles Tunstall were intriguing. The difference in designs and use of color displayed the creative side of those companies,” said Jessica Gold, a freshman.

Fins were a popular trend in 1957 and Ford took advantage of it. The Skyliner convertible was produced and it had a metal roof with a reverse hood, the downside was that there was minimum trunk space, big enough for possibly small luggage. Going on a week’s vacation in this car would not be the best option but maybe for a day’s drive to go see a friend or relative would be. Ford also tested out marketing a half car half truck. Nash and Hudson merged as they were failing and was known as American Motors Co. or AMC. As the decade was coming to an end, the el Camino came out in 1959, which was Chevy’s version of Ford’s half car half truck production and it can still be seen around today.

In hopes of opening the library to the community and bringing students in, other than to study, Charles Tunstall and Jack Smith have compiled events for this spring. In February there will be “Big Hearts and Little Readers: Children’s Story Hour 2,” Thursday February 11, 2010 at 6 p.m.

There will also be a musical performance “The American Musical Road Trip” by Marsha Griffith and friends on March 25^th at 6 pm and the second part March 31, 11:30 a.m.

Kyle Moore is one of the four returning starters from last year’s squad.  The South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year from last season is one of the main reasons that Tusculum has received the ranking it has.  His league leading 21.1 points per game along with the recording setting 101 three point field goals made and 203 free throws made can attribute to the hype that is surrounding the Pioneers but there is more to the team than just Moore.  “It’s a great accomplishment to receive the ranking that we got but it means nothing if we don’t produce wins on the court” he told the Frontier.

Tusculum has three other seniors on the team that have afforded the Pioneers some much needed experience.  The first of the three that has the most experience the previous season is Josh Bennett, who averaged 10.1 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 7.2 rebounds per game as well as leading the team in shooting percentage by hitting 52 percent of his shots and getting 1.1 blocks per game.  The other two seniors are Wes Taylor and Jimmy Boone who both had considerable roles for the Pioneers last year.  Taylor had to sit out the first two months of last season due to injury which caused him to miss considerable playing time and forced him to play catch up, averaging 3.8 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game.  Jimmy Boone is the other senior on the team and is going to see much more playing time this season.  Last year he averaged 6.1 points per game and 1.6 assists per game, some high notes for Boone last year was scoring a career high 24 points against Mt. Olive shooting 9-for-15 from the field including 6-of-9 from three-point range.

Another key component to this year’s team has come from Junior forward Rob Troutman.  He looks to continue the family trend that his brother Ryan left behind after last year.  Troutman averaged 9.4 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game last season and is looking too improve on that.

The Pioneers coach Jim Boone is now in his fifth season with the program and finally has all the pieces put together to make another run at the SAC title this year.  Boone has 381 wins entering this season.  “Getting Coach Boone his 400^th win this year would mean so much to this team because they want to be part of history and that if they were to get him his 400^th win that it would mean a successful year for everyone” Moore told the Frontier after last year’s 20 win season.

Coach Boone does not seem to worry about the milestone.  “It is really not that big of deal regarding the 400 wins, and I mean that in all sincerity – it’s of much so much greater importance to me that we are able to continue to help this team to grow, to improve, and to mature as a team on a daily basis so that we can reach our full potential.  To see this team reach its potential will mean so much more to me than an arbitrary number of wins”

So far this season the Pioneers have a 10-7 record, which has not lived up to the the team’s hopeful expectations.  One positive is that they are currently on a four game winning streak, with two of those wins coming on the road to conference rivals Newberry and Wingate.  After Monday night’s win against Lenoir-Rhyne, the Pioneers have to travel to Lincoln Memorial and Catawba.  Kyle Moore leads the Pioneers in points per game with 23.2 and behind him is Rob Troutman with 9.4.

From April 1st through the 7th, Venus and Pluto are working together on your behalf.  These are the two planets in charge of seduction and finances.  Venus is in your friends, teams, clubs, committees, associations, group activities, networking, Internet, and connectivity sector.  Pluto is in your marriage, best friends, business partnerships, rivals, enemies, and competitors (think yin-yang) sector.  Together, they create a wonderful energy for combining partnerships and social networking.  If you are looking for a romantic, social, or business partner, this is a great time to ask friends and colleagues to introduce you to interesting new people.  The Internet could be another lovely resource for finding various types of potential partners.  If you already have whatever type of partner you need, then this is also a good time for the two of you to enjoy socializing together and/or for the two of you to work on various networking projects together.  Venus and Pluto rule over all forms of wealth and seduction, so this is especially good news for romantic and/or professional partnerships.

From April 2nd through the 7th, Mercury joins Venus as she battles Mars.  Mercury makes the energy more argumentative.

From April 3rd through the 9th, Mercury also helps Venus and Pluto to bring more good news into you and your partner’s social activities.  Mercury contributes intelligence, communications, negotiations, bartering, bargaining, selling, purchasing, commitments, and/or a sense of community to the dynamic blending your social networking sector with your partnerships sector.

From April 8th through July 20th, Saturn revisits Virgo.  As mentioned before, Saturn is tangled up in a battle with Uranus during this time, so his focus will mostly be on a travel, academic, political, religious, legal, media, philosophical, and/or commercial dramas.

Written by Isiah Lyman & Abby Wolfenbarger

On January 18, 2010 Tusculum College held its first volunteer service day in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  From 2005 until 2007, students were required to attend classes on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, during which the college hosted symposiums to commemorate the influence of King.  However, this year the college has transformed it’s use of this holiday into an opportunity for students to participate in a day of service to the community.

Tusculum students responded to a request for volunteers from the Center for Civic Advancement and the Tusculum College Office of Multicultural Affairs.  These student volunteers spent the day helping children from the Greeneville Boys and Girls Club make art crafts for patients at the Niswonger Children’s Hospital.  When asked about the 13 student volunteers, Bonnie Taylor, the Coordinator for Student Life and Multicultural Affairs told the Frontier, “as students you may think of it as a low turn-out, but I was pleasantly surprised from the staff perspective. I really appreciate those students that came out. The children of the Boys and Girls club had a great time and are already talking about participating in something similar next year.” 

The participants from the Greeneville Boys and Girls Club, with assistance from Tusculum students, made tray-toppers and pet rocks, which they later distributed along with coloring books to the Children’s Hospital on January 25.  According to Taylor, “Tusculum hopes to continue having service days to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the upcoming years.” Freshman service volunteer, Vinton Copeland, reiterated the importance of a statement made by the CCA Director Joyce Doughty that “Martin Luther King Junior Day is not a day off but a day on.” 

Service is an important part of celebrating the remembrance of such an influential person as Dr. King.  He devoted his life to help others through his position as the spokesperson for nonviolent activism within the Civil Rights Movement.  Although helping children make ornamental crafts may seem like a small feat, it provided eager Tusculum students with a viable outlet to serve others and promote service within the community.

“As volunteers we showed the Boy’s and Girls Club children that there are other people out there they can provide assistance through ‘seemingly small’ service,” Sophomore Stacey Belletete told the Frontier.

Tusculum students were able to make a positive impact on the community, celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and enjoy themselves by teaching children of the Boys and Girls Club how something as small as a craft can have an enormous impact on someone. Participating Tusculum faculty and students alike hope that this year’s service day will encourage students to devote their efforts into volunteer work, especially on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Organized and lead by Tusculum Chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Weisz, associate professor of religion, the yearly program is a celebration of the Christmas season focusing on the true meaning of the holiday.

“The service reinforces the Judeo-Christian heritage of the college,” according to Dr. Weisz who believes it is very important for Tusculum to have these kinds of traditions.

The Lessons for the service included scripture from the Old and New Testaments, which featured readings from the Books of; Psalms, Genisis, Isaiah, Micah, Matthew, Luke, and John.  The readings were offered by students from the block 4 Hebrew and Christian Traditions class, taught by Weisz.

“The story of Salvation and the coming of Christ can be found in these nine lessons,” according to Dr. Weisz, he continues by saying, “This is a great way for students to experience the Presbyterian affiliation of the college.”  He also feels this is an excellent opportunity for students in his class to practice speaking and reading in front of audiences, a practical lesson to go along with the spiritual one.

Tusculum freshman Joshua Russell acted as Verger for the service. (A Verger leads the processional, often carrying a staff or Bible.)

Russell has been acting as the Deacon for the Religious Life Center this year. “He’s a very dedicated young man,” says Dr. Wiesz.

Brooke Haymaker shares scripture during the service.

The Carol portion of the service included congregational hymns as well as solos by Director of Academic Advising, Jill Jones.

Jones lent her beautiful voice to “Go Tell It on the Mountain”, and “What Songs Were Sung” while the collective hymns included “O little Town of Bethlehem”, “Joy to the World”, and “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Songs were accompanied on piano by, former professor of music, James Winfrey and Tusculum student Lake Montgomery. Montgomery, also a student in the block 4 class, is a member of the Kingsport Symphony Orchestra.

Refreshments, which were prepared by members of the Tusculum community, were served at the conclusion of the service.

“I was extremely pleased with the turn out,” says Wiesz, who also heads the Religious Life Center on the Tusculum campus.

The Religious Life Center sponsors weekly events which are open to the entire student body as well as faculty and staff.

With Bible studies Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 and Chapel services Wednesday morning at 11:30, students are invited to come to the Religious Life Center, located across the street from the Annie Hogan Byrd auditorium.

Dr. Wiesz hopes that in the coming years the Religious Life Center will become a more visible part of the Tusculum campus life, with students feeling welcome at the RLC as a place of community for the college.

Or, were you in choir? A band? Do you play an instrument you’ve had to give up since coming to Tusculum College?

You’re in luck! Tusculum College now has a Theater minor and is establishing a minor in Music.

Students have always been encouraged to participate in productions sponsored by Tusculum Arts Outreach, but now participation can get credits toward graduating with a minor in theater. The new minor includes an introduction course, as well as classes in stagecraft, acting, and dramatic literature in production. Students must also complete four semesters of theatrical practicum, a one hour credit in which you gain real experience acting and designing sets under the direction of Marilyn duBrisk, Director and Artist-in-Residence, and Frank Mengel, Technical Director.

“Frank’s a very good teacher. He lets you work in your own way,” said Paige Hudson, a freshman who works with Mengel for her work-study. “I’ve met a lot of friends this way.

For those of you who do not know, we already have several music classes. They include an introduction course in western music, and applied study in guitar, piano, organ, or voice. Students are also encouraged to participate in the Community Choir, a one-semester hour course. Now Tusculum needs your help and interest to decide what other courses will be added.

To establish 20 credit hours in Music, Tusculum plans on adding music theory and history classes, as well as courses in conducting, composition, and special music topics. In addition to the private lessons already available, with enough interest expressed, Tusculum will be able to pull local musicians from the community to teach just about anything. This could also be the foundation for starting a Tusculum College Marching Band.

“We are doing a lot of work through Student Affairs to see what our current students enjoy and do through music,” said Kim Estep, Provost. “If we have sufficient student interest, we will do it.”

One new idea proposed is the start of a Pep Band. The Music Club is helping Student Affairs look for students who play brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Tusculum has already found a sponsor so that we can have our very own Pep Band at sporting and other events. If you are interested in joining such a program, please attend the next Music Club meeting. The club meets every Tuesday in an upstairs library study room at 6 p.m. Every new participant is welcome. They need help with the several ideas they already have for the year, which include a new and improved Battle of the Bands, a recital for those taking private lessons on campus, and a cross culture event where Tusculum students will be able to experience music from all types of cultures. This year’s officers have not yet been elected, so stop by if you’re interested in being a member/officer or have any additional great ideas.

Alex Wiedemann, a freshman, has been taking nine years of piano lessons. He happened to see Piano on the course list for this year and immediately signed up. Jim Winfree, an adjunct from the community, teaches this course. He also plays at several local churches, including the Chapel service held in the Religious Life Center every Wednesday at noon.

Alex Wiedemann and Josh Kibert tickle the ivories in Annie Hogan Byrd

“He definitely knows what he’s doing,” said Wiedemann when asked about Mr. Winfree. “He’s a musical genius.”

Wiedemann takes lessons with Mr. Winfree downstairs at Annie Hogan Byrd. This is one of the applied study mini-courses that can be taken all semester for one credit hour. It requires a minimum of five hours weekly practice. Twelve half hour lessons are provided per semester.

“He’s more strict than my old teacher. She would let things slide, but he wants everything played exactly as it’s written. And when he gives you a new piece, he also gives you the history of the song. This helps you know what emotion to put behind it,” said Wiedemann.

If you’re interested in these courses you can consult the Tusculum College Handbook online where a detailed description of each class is provided. Please contact Student Affairs or the Music Club to express interest in a pep band. And Tusculum College Arts Outreach, located downstairs in Annie Hogan Byrd, can also be contacted for more information.

An average of 60 to 90 players attend the showcase each year from different parts of the country. Head Coach Doug Jones finds this is the best way to get a look at all of the players who contact him.

“We cannot afford to go and see all the players who contact us and this gives  us the opportunity to get them on campus and evaluate their ability,” said Jones.

Shortly after check-in, the boys were divided into  five teams (Carolina Blue, Team White, Team Gold, Team Red and Royal Blue) and were escorted to the indoor practice facility to be timed in the 60-yard dash. Once the teams went through the drill twice they headed back to Pioneer Park for a 45-minute workout in their primary positions with specialized coaches. Each player participated in several skill tests that included fielding, hitting and arm strength. Jones feels this showcase is unique because it gives the players the opportunity to work hands on with college and professional coaches.

“The showcase is a great way for us to get recruits that have expressed an interest in our program onto campus,” said Jones. “We also invite a lot of other colleges/Pro scouts to attend so the athletes will have a opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of them as well.”

Some of the players involved in the showcase this year agree that it is helpful working with college coaches in order to improve their play.

“I researched the showcase on the website,” said senior pitcher Seth Allen Powers. “The showcase is helping coaches evaluate me and is getting my name out to other colleges and coaches.”

For some players who already know about Tusculum and are interested in coming here, the showcase provides an opportunity for them to visit a familiar campus, but for others who are not that familiar with the school, it is a way for them to see and learn about another institute.

“I found out about the showcase from my friends and by going on the website,” said senior pitcher and 3^rd baseman Josh Hillard. “I really want to go here. Tusculum is my favorite college and I just like it here.”

Jones, not only thinks the showcase benefits the players, but it also helps him and his coaching staff get closer looks on some of the players in which they are interested. He believes it to be one of the biggest parts of the team’s recruiting process and already has kids lined up for next season.

“We also invite some kids that we have seen one or two times, and we feel like we need to see them one more time to determine if they are a fit for us,” said Jones. “The showcase is a big part of our recruiting because we get to see numerous players at one place and to top it off they get to see our campus. We usually sign 4 to 6 guys from the showcase each year.”

The coaches, however, were not alone working this showcase. Jones’ players helped manage the event and even stepped in to help coach the players in their assigned teams.

“I felt good about working and helping out Coach Jones,” said freshman pitcher Jeremy Barnes. “It takes a lot to run a showcase and the more help Coach gets, the easier it is on him.”

The showcase also gives players a sense of what it is like to take their game to the net level. By being able to work with and get constructive training from the coaches and current players during this camp, the players can discern what they need to improve on and at what they excel.

“If the showcase is run the right way we get a good reputation and it helps us get athletes to compete,” said Barnes. “It also gives the athlete a good idea of how good other players are and a small taste of the next level.”

After an intensive two-day camp, the showcase ended with the teams playing games against each other.

“On Sunday they will play in games, and by doing this, the colleges and pro scouts will get the chance to see the players work out and also see them in game play,” said Jones. “We want the campers to have a positive experience and feel like they learned something while they are here.”

Past Participants of the Tusculum Showcase have signed with colleges and universities from the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Southern, Sun Belt, South Atlantic, Big Ten, Big South, Colonial and many other top conferences. However, Jones would rather the players have enjoyed their time at Tusculum and feel as if they accomplished what they came for while they were here.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Tusculum College men’s basketball team dropped five spots and is ranked 19th in the nation according to this week’s National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Poll. 

The Pioneers (2-1) received 41 points and is the only South Atlantic Conference program listed.  It also marks the first time in school history that Tusculum has been nationally-ranked in consecutive weeks.

Tusculum won two of its three games last week as the Pioneers opened the season with an 81-64 home win over Tennessee Wesleyan.  In the opening game of last weekend’s John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic, Tusculum dropped a 47-43 decision to Christian Brothers, who advanced to last year’s NCAA II Elite Eight.  The Pioneers bounced back with a 63-49 victory over Lake Erie in the Classic’s consolation contest.

For a second straight time, BYU-Hawaii is a unanimous pick as the No. 1 team in the country.  Central Missouri State has jumped three spots and is listed No. 2, followed by Valdosta state, Florida Southern and Bentley to round out the top five.

A pair of upcoming Tusculum opponents are listed sixth and seventh in Augusta State (Dec. 12) and Bellarmine (Dec. 21). 

Southwest Baptist is eighth, followed by St. Cloud State, Findlay, Indiana (Pa.), Metro State, Kutztown, Winona state, Southwest Minnesota state, Rollins, Cal Poly Pomona, Grand Valley State, Tusculum, LeMoyne, West Virginia State, Humboldt State, Arkansas Tech, Seattle Pacific and Drury.

Tusculum returns to the hardwood this weekend for a pair of games at the Dick Campbell Classic, hosted by Carson-Newman in Jefferson City, Tenn.  The 19th-ranked Pioneers will face North Georgia on Friday at 8 p.m., followed by Saturday’s 2 p.m. match-up with Georgia College & State University.  GC&SU (2-0) continues to receive votes in the poll and has the most points (13) of any team not listed in the top 25.