Posted on Friday, March 20, 2026
LaGrange College English & Writing Publication Studies Professor Dr. Laine Scott has built her life and distinguished teaching career around three keen interests: language, literature and travel. She’ll draw on all three March 23 for a 3D Journeys presentation entitled “French Literature and Culture as Experienced by One American Francophile.’’
Set at 10 a.m. in the Dickson Assembly Room of Turner Hall, Scott’s talk is the closing lecture of this year’s 3D Journeys series that has focused on France. She plans to give the audience a “dip and dive” into highlights of French culture, as she experienced it from an apartment in Paris, and the centuries-old French literary tradition, ranging from the 17th-century fables of Jean de La Fontaine to Adam Gopnik’s 2000 memoir “Paris to the Moon.”
“I’ll give my personal greatest hits list,” she said. “Bear in mind, I don’t teach French literature. I hope the audience will have reasonable expectations.”
Scott’s interest in world travel, in general, and all things French, in particular, dates to her high school years in Mobile, Alabama. She discovered an affinity for the French language and studied it all four years. Her first significant international travel came at age 15, when she spent a month in Romania on a handbell choir tour.
Scott earned a B.A. in Modern Languages at William and Mary, concentrating on French but expanding her focus to include Russian, German and Spanish.
Later, she used a small inheritance from her grandmother to pursue a seven-week French-immersion program at Middlebury College in Vermont that led to 10 months of graduate study in Paris and resulted in an M.A. in French. After returning to the U.S., she earned an M.A. in English at Salisbury State in Maryland.
She was just warming up.
Before turning to academia, Scott worked in international business for almost a decade and lived in Germany for two years. She joined the faculty at LaGrange College in 1998, shortly after earning her Ph.D. in English at the University of Alabama with a concentration in rhetoric and composition. She spent a sabbatical teaching in Japan, accompanied by her son, Phelan.
Dr. Scott identifies with the lifelong learners who make up the typical 3D audience because she’s also a lifelong learner. Currently she’s teaching herself the difficult Icelandic language. (There are fewer than 400,000 Icelandic speakers, she explained, so she’s doing her part to keep the language alive.)
Scott believes in the benefits of travel, she said, because she has experienced them herself. It comes down to curiosity.
“People in other countries don’t live like we do. When we experience their culture, we can learn what works for them and learn from them,” she said. “We can try different foods and marvel at the architecture.”
In her three decades “on the Hill,” Scott has been deeply involved in campus life, carrying a heavy teaching load and serving in multiple roles outside the classroom. A past president of the Faculty Assembly, she chaired the Humanities Department and English Department for several years and received the United Methodist General Board on Higher Education Excellence in Teaching award for 2023-24.
Most of all, she’s seen the college enrich the life of the community and vice versa.
“I am very happy here and feel so lucky to be here,” she said. “I have seen this place pick up and shine.”
The Scott lecture will mark the close of the college’s 16th year of offering free lectures and optional travel through its 3D (discover, discuss, develop) series. In late May, President Susanna Baxter and Mark Huffman will lead more than 30 3D travelers to sites in France including Nice, the Côte d’Azur, Provence, Paris and Normandy.
“We thank Professors Kevin Shirley and Carolyn Ford for their stimulating lectures on the history and art of France and look forward to Dr. Scott’s presentation on literature and culture,” said Dr. Lauranne Buchanan, who co-chairs the volunteer 3D committee with Carolyn Wynens. “As always, we welcome anyone with an interest in learning to join us on March 23, and we invite everyone to look for an announcement of the destination for our 17th season of 3-D Journeys lecture and travel series in late June. Until then, bon voyage!”
Habitat for Humanity Build
Saturday, March 21
11 a.m., 609 and 611 Ware Street, LaGrange, Georgia
Packing 10K Meals Service Project
Sunday, March 22
4 p.m., Turner Hall
Circle K Easter Basket Build
Tuesday, March 24
11 a.m., Bailey Room
Job Fair
Thursday, March 26
11 a.m., Dickson Assembly Room
Women’s Basketball
Laila Battle earned a spot on the D3hoops.com 2025-26 All-Region team for Region 6.
Women’s Soccer
Johnathan Barragan was recently announced as the new Head Coach for the LC Women’s Soccer program. He previously served as an assistant coach for Middle Georgia State University, a NCAA Division II college. “We are excited to welcome Johnathan to LaGrange College and to [have him] lead our Women’s Soccer program,” LaGrange Vice President of Athletics Matt Hayes said in a statement. “His experience at Middle Georgia State will serve him well in recruiting and elevating the program within the conference,” he said.
Baseball
LC hosts Asbury University (Wilmore, Kentucky) in a three-game Collegiate Conference of the South series this weekend. The Panthers play the Eagles in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 followed by the finale on Sunday, March 22 at noon. Senior Curt Bonner leads the team with a .337 / .434 / .456 line with 26 RBI and seven extra-base hits.
Softball
The Panthers return to action this weekend when they host Covenant College (Lookout Mountain, Georgia) on Friday, March 20, at 2 p.m. and Maryville College (Maryville, Tennessee) on Saturday, March 21, at noon, in a pair of CCS doubleheaders, the opening of their conference schedule. The team is led by senior Claire Chamberlain, who is batting .339 at the plate with 21 hits and eight walks.
Lacrosse
LC travels to Methodist University (Fayetteville, North Carolina) on Saturday, March 21, for a 3 p.m. game against the Monarchs. Senior Nicholas Murciano leads the team with 18 goals.
Beach Volleyball
The Panthers head to Emmanuel University (Franklin Springs, Georgia) for six matches on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21, playing the host Lions as well as teams from Colorado Mesa University (Grand Junction, Colorado) and Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, Tennessee).
Track & Field
LC will participate in the Emory Spring Break Challenge this weekend for its second outdoor competition of its inaugural season.
Freshmen Ryheem Mighten and A’mya Hill were recently recognized as All-Region honorees for the 2026 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field season.
Men’s Golf
The Panthers will compete in the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational hosted by Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, Georgia) March 20-22.
(Please note that schedules may change due to circumstances beyond our control. Please check www.lagrangepanthers.com to confirm.)
Friday, March 20 – Track at Emory Spring Break Classic, Atlanta, Georgia
Friday, March 20 – Men’s Golf at Jekyll Island Invitational, Jekyll Island, Georgia
Friday, March 20 – Beach Volleyball at Emmanuel University, TBD, Franklin Springs, Georgia
Friday, March 20 – Beach Volleyball vs. Colorado Mesa University (Grand Junction, Colorado) @Emmanuel, TBD, Franklin Springs, Georgia
Friday, March 20 – Beach Volleyball vs. Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, Tennessee) @Emmanuel, TBD, Franklin Springs, Georgia
Friday, March 20 – Softball (Home) vs. Covenant College (Lookout Mountain, Georgia), 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., LC Softball Complex
Saturday, March 21 – Track at Emory Spring Break Classic, Atlanta, Georgia
Saturday, March 21 – Men’s Golf at Jekyll Island Invitational, Jekyll Island, Georgia
Saturday, March 21 – Beach Volleyball at Emmanuel University, TBD, Franklin Springs, Georgia
Saturday, March 21 – Beach Volleyball vs. Colorado Mesa University @Emmanuel, TBD, Franklin Springs, Georgia
Saturday, March 21 – Beach Volleyball vs. Carson-Newman University @Emmanuel, TBD, Franklin Springs, Georgia
Saturday, March 21 – Softball (Home) vs. Maryville College (Maryville, Tennessee), noon and 2 p.m., LC Softball Complex
Saturday, March 21 – Men’s Tennis (Exhibition) at Truett-McConnell University, 1 p.m., Cleveland, Georgia
Saturday, March 21 – Women’s Tennis (Exhibition) at Truett-McConnell University, 1 p.m., Cleveland, Georgia
Saturday, March 21 – Baseball (Home) vs. Asbury University (Wilmore, Kentucky), 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., Cleaveland Field at Williamson Stadium
Saturday, March 21 – Lacrosse at Methodist University, 3 p.m., Fayetteville, North Carolina
Sunday, March 22 – Men’s Golf at Jekyll Island Invitational, Jekyll Island, Georgia
Sunday, March 22 – Men’s Tennis at Brevard College, noon, Brevard, North Carolina
Sunday, March 22 – Women’s Tennis at Brevard College, noon, Brevard, North Carolina
Sunday, March 22 – Baseball (Home) vs. Asbury University, noon, Cleaveland Field at Williamson Stadium
Monday, March 23 – Women’s Tennis at Agnes Scott, 4:30 p.m., Decatur, Georgia
Wednesday, March 25 – Beach Volleyball (Home) vs. Truett-McConnell University, TBD, Strack Beach Volleyball Courts
LaGrange College names new vice president for Academic Affairs, WRBL, March 17
Category: College, Academics, Global engagement
Keywords: Travel, Education
