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'98-'99 is last season for the Pied Pipers

Alumni to be honored at halftime

'98-'99 is last season for the Pied Pipers

Misty Russell/Features Editor

For the past 29 years, Dr. David Dye, Dean of the College of Communication and Fine arts, has led a group of actors and actresses in acting out moral values through original and well-known stories that have been passed down from generation to generation through singing, dancing and story-telling.

In their stories, good is rewarded and bad is punished, which is the moral purpose of art, Dye says.

But Pied Pipers, a long-standing Troy State University tradition is coming to an end after the 1998-99 academic year.

Dye began his career at TSU in 1970. During his first year, he initiated the idea of finding a way to serve the community through the arts. Therefore, he organized a group, the Pied Pipers, that had proposed their main purpose to find children and perform to their likings.

"During my graduate studies at Florida State University, I was a member of a group that got together to improvise children's stories on Saturday mornings," Dye said. "I took the idea and expanded on it."

This organization, comprising 10 members, which is open to the entire student body but consists primarly of drama majors. This year the group has seven drama majors and three education majors.

The Pied Pipers perform in bright and colorful costumes with no attempts to look like animals or any other characters.

"No lighting or sound effects are used," Dye said. "All of the special effects are created at a fast pace, broken down to suit the attention span of children, which has never been a problem."

Dye said it always suprises principals and teachers that the children are so attentive.

"We perform to non-metropolitan and rural-area primary schools, targeting kindergartens up to third grades," Dye said. "Performances have been held anywhere that an audience can be held; in libraries, auditoriums, gymnasiums, and even in the bed of a train."

The Pied Pipers are retiring from TSU because of the quarter/semester conversion.

The group usually tours during the two weeks in December when public schools are in session while Troy State students are beginning their winter break. The break, which changes under semester conversion, enabled the Pied Pipers to perform to surrounding public schools around the Wiregrass.

"The Pied Pipers have touched so many children," Dye said. "I will miss seeing parents, teachers and principals laughing and children skipping and singing after performances.

"My fondest memory of working with this group is a couple of years ago after a performance while the children were getting autographs, a child came up to me and asked, `Are all of these your children?'," Dye said. "The Pied Pipers make me smile and have kept me young. They help me enjoy the blessing of life while enriching the lives of others."

Dye said he looks forward to a new creation that will address young audiences.

"We will have to re-examine offerings for youth and find new ways to serve our community," Dye said.

The Pied Pipers Farewell Tour begins at McKenzie Elementary School on Nov. 19 and closes Dec. 11 at Abbeville Elementary School.

For information about the Pied Pipers or their performances, contact Dye at 670-3869.

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Alumni to be honored at halftime

Joe Zweirzchoski/Editor

One Homecoming event that hasn't received much publicity is the honoring of 1998's Distinguished Alumni of the Year and Honorary Alumnus.

Troy State University has named Larry Groce, Renis Jones and Neal Nichols as Distinguished Alumni of the Year and Kenny Harris Honorary Alumni of the Year.

"These are the highest honors the Alumni Association Board can award," said Faith Ward, director of alumni affairs. "Each year, the board honors those who are not only successful in their careers and civic lives, but who are also loyal alumni and friends to Troy State University. We always have many outstanding candidates to choose from, and this year was no exception."

A release from the TSU Public Affairs office stated award recipients are chosen by a vote of the 20-member TSU National Alumni Association Board, which solicits nominations from other Troy State alumni and the general public. The honorary alumnus award is bestowed upon a supporter of Troy State who is not an alumni.

Groce is a partner in the investment firm of J.C. Bradford and Co. and manages the firm's Montgomery office. He graduated from TSU in 1970 with a bachelor degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Groce was an outside linebacker on TSU's 1968 NAIA National Championship football team and was a member of the All-Alabama Collegiate Conference team for two years. He is a member of the board of directors of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce and has chaired several councils.

Groce's activities on behalf of TSU have included Advancement Board member of the Trojan Facility Campaign, Board of Directors of the Troy State National Alumni Association, past president of the NAA. Groce was also an inaugural inductee into Troy State's School of Accounting Hall of Honor.

Jones works in business development with Pearson, Humphries and Jones Architects in Montgomery. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Auburn, Jones went to Troy State University at Montgomery and graduated with a masters degree in business administration in 1987. He also received training from the American Institute of Architects.

Jones' work on behalf of Troy State includes committee chair of the TSUM Capital Campaign Development Committee, board member of the TSUM Alumni Association and the TSUM National Campaign Committee.

His many professional association affiliations include membership in the American Institute of Architects, the Society of Military Engineers and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Nichols has been a franchised automobile retailer for 25 years. He is the owner and operator of Nichols Oldsmobile-Pontiac-Buick, GMC Truck Inc. of Enterprise.

He is a 1969 graduate of Troy State and has served on the boards of directors of numerous civic and professional organizations. He is also a member of the Enterprise Rotary Club.

Harris, this years recipient of the Honorary Alumnus of the year, is now retired but has served as CEO of SouthTrust Bank in both Troy and Coffee County Bank in Enterprise as well as President of Harris Tire and Rubber Company.

Harris founded Summit Tire and Battery Company in 1974 and owned Southern Roasted Nuts which sells peanuts throughout the world.

He is currently a member of the Troy Chamber of Commerce, the Troy Industrial Board and the Troy Rotary Club.

TSU will honor the Alumni and honorary Alumnus during the Homecoming game against Nicholls State University on Saturday.

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