Professor shares her history with FMU

Nisheeka Simmons

Staff Writer

610 words

Dr. Kay Lawrimore Belanger, MBA director, N. B. Baroody Professor of Marketing who once attended Francis Marion and is now back as a teacher has spent years of her life within the walls of Francis Marion University.

Belanger received her Bachelor of Science from Francis Marion College (now FMU), where she majored in political science and business. She went on to receive her masters of business administration (MBA)  and doctorate in business at the University of South Carolina.

“They were still building the library when I first visited FMC with my high school and I was here when they planted all the trees,” Belanger said. “I played basketball and received a letter from FMC.  Not many faculty members can say that.”

Belanger taught her first course in marketing in 1979 and joined the FMU faculty full time in 1987.  She currently teaches courses in Consumer Behavior, Principles of Marketing, Marketing Management and the marketing course in the MBA program.

Belanger said she became interested in a career in education while she was in high school.  She said when she was in high school she helped her teachers teach the special education classes.  Belanger said she had always enjoyed learning and wanted to share that with others.

“I came to Francis Marion to study to become a high school math teacher,” Belanger said. “I think I always wanted to be a teacher; I just took it to another level with university teaching.”

According to Belanger, she was always interested in business and marketing because she was intrigued with how companies got customers to make a purchase.  She now utilizes her skills to teach students those strategies.  Belanger said that she loves the look on the faces of her students when they begin to understand new information.

“My marketing students complete projects for clients, such as Pet Beds and Simple Suppers,” Belanger said.  “The students analyze businesses and help them come up with marketing and sales plans. They also helped design the new logo for the Pee Dee Thrift store down on East Palmetto Street.”

Belanger also said that she was once interested in politics and the building of political campaigns.  She said that her original career goal was to be a campaign manager for a politician.

“My freshman year I took a class taught by Dr. Neil Thigpen called Political Parties,” Belanger said. “It was primarily about how a campaign manager develops a strategy that helps get a politician into office.  That just intrigued me.”

Belanger has received several awards during her time at FMU, including the Outstanding FMU Alumni Award and the Outstanding School of business Award.  This past April, she was awarded the title of Distinguished Professor, which is the highest honor to be bestowed on a faculty member at FMU.  According to Belanger, a committee of students and past recipients decides who gets the title.  Belanger said that she was pleasantly surprised when she was announced as the recipient of this year’s award.

“The whole process is very secretive, so I had no idea I was receiving the award until the banquet,” Belanger said. “Then they started describing this person and I was thinking, ‘this does sound like me’.  There are so many professors on this campus that deserved it so I just truly felt honored.”

Belanger said her favorite aspect of her career at FMU is her colleagues.  She said that she works every day with some of the most amazing people.

“There are a lot of fantastic people working here,” Belanger said.  “They are creative, they’re stimulating, and they challenge me to become a better professor.”

Athletes went head-to-head against each other in various athletic games when the Francis Marion University (FMU) Athletic Department held its annual Buddy Night event on Friday, Aug. 27.

According to Murray Hartzler, FMU athletic director, Buddy Night is a great way for athletes from all sports to become acquainted with one another.  He added that the event helps athletes branch out and spend time with other sports team members they may not have spoken to before.

Held in the Smith University Center (UC), Buddy Night consisted of a series of competitions in which student athletes competed against one team at a time.  They were put to the test as they contended in games, such as free throw contests and a soccer goal-kick, that were related to the different sports on campus.

Twelve teams competed against each other, and student athletes were not the only ones having fun during the night.  Coaches laughed with members of their teams and joked with them about their athletic abilities in sports that are not similar to their own.

Phil Shaffer, senior English major, was among those enjoying the night and said it was “full of fun” for him.

“It was cool to compete in the games,” Shaffer said.  “I liked being able to interact with all of the athletes here.”

Coaches helped keep score of the events, and at the end of the night, the points were tallied to find out who the top four teams were.  The four teams then battled against each other in two separate rounds of tug-of-war.  The winners of both rounds battled it out and competed for the winning title.

The winning team was awarded with celebratory drawstring backpacks.

Athletes went head-to-head against each other in various athletic games when the Francis Marion University (FMU) Athletic Department held its annual Buddy Night event on Friday, Aug. 27. According to Murray Hartzler, FMU athletic director, Buddy Night is a great way for athletes from all sports to become acquainted with one another. He added that the event helps athletes branch out and spend time with other sports team members they may not have spoken to before. Held in the Smith University Center (UC), Buddy Night consisted of a series of competitions in which student athletes competed against one team at a time. They were put to the test as they contended in games, such as free throw contests and a soccer goal-kick, that were related to the different sports on campus.

Twelve teams competed against each other, and student athletes were not the only ones having fun during the night. Coaches laughed with members of their teams and joked with them about their athletic abilities in sports that are not similar to their own. Phil Shaffer, senior English major, was among those enjoying the night and said it was “full of fun” for him. “It was cool to compete in the games,” Shaffer said. “I liked being able to interact with all of the athletes here.”

 

Coaches helped keep score of the events, and at the end of the night, the points were tallied to find out who the top four teams were. The four teams then battled against each other in two separate rounds of tug-of-war. The winners of both rounds battled it out and competed for the winning title. The winning team was awarded with celebratory drawstring backpacks. Lauren Dreitlein, sophomore biology major, competed in her second Buddy Night and said her experience this year was different from the first one. Dreitlein added that she enjoyed how the night “bonded” all of the athletes together.“This year was different for me,” Dreitlein said. “I liked the addition of the water balloon toss.”

Along with Hartzler and the coaching staff, the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) worked to help plan Buddy Night. The SAAC made a list of events and presented them to Hartzler, who then reviewed the activities and approved them based on injury risk, space needs and time constraints. The Athletic Department has been hosting Buddy Night every year for almost 20 years, beginning with the previous athletic director, and it has been successful since its start.

In past years, the Athletic Department has held a large dinner for all of the athletes at the beginning of the fall semester. However, Hartzler explained, Buddy Night allows for more interaction among athletes. “Buddy Night brings teams together and allows them to see that they aren’t all divided, but they all comprise FMU Athletics,” Hartzler said.