The Reporter, October 1999

The Reporter is a publication produced by Western Carolina University featuring news, events, and campus community updates for faculty and staff. The publication began in August of 1970 and continues digitally today. Click on the link in the “Related Materials” field to access recent issues.From West to East: How We Can Help Material Donations • Contributions of bottled wa­ter, non-perishable food, baby food, diapers and wipes, clean­ing supplies, trash bags, mops, brooms, work gloves, and shovels are being accepted at the "Pride of the Mountains" collection site through Tues­day, October 5 at 7 p.m. Distribution centers request only new items, with unbroken seals. Please no clothing or pet food. Monetary Donations • Contributions to assist East Carolina students and employ­ees: Checks should be made payable to the ECU Develop­ment Foundation and speci­fied for "Hurricane Floyd Di­saster Relief." • Contributions to the Gov­ernor's disaster fund: Checks should be made payable t o Hurricane Floyd Disaster Re­lief Fund. • Contributions to the Ameri­can Red Cross: Checks should be made payable to American Red Cross, and specified for "N.C. Disaster Relief." Contributions will be be accepted by WCU's Office of Human Re­sources. October 5, 1999 News for the Faculty and Staff of Western Carolina University WCU Assists Sister UNC Campus and Eastern N.C. in Flood Recovery Efforts r more information on •mmunity relief efforts: www.wcu.edu WCU students, staff, and faculty are col­lecting supplies, materials, and monetary contributions to assist with disaster relief efforts in the eastern part of the state, including sister school East Carolina Univer­sity, still bailing water fol­lowing flooding caused by the recent Hurricane Floyd. A tractor-trailer used by the WCU "Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band is being loaded with needed items, such as bottled water, non-perishable food, baby food, diapers, shovels, and cleaning supplies. The truck, staffed by volunteers, is lo­cated near the center of campus, at the corner of Centennial Drive and Forest Hills Road. Dona­tions will be accepted through Tuesday, October 5. All items should be new, with unbroken seals, and no clothes or pet food are needed. The truck, with a driver provided by Bryson Trucking Company of Syl va, will depart Wednesday for a Rocky Mount-area distribution center, where contributions to help the devastated coastal plain of North East Carolina's main thoroughfare, Tenth Street, was submerged during recent flooding, cutting off the central residential area, College Hill, from the rest of campus. Floodwaters caused extensive damage in academic and commercial buildings and student parking areas. Carolina are being collected and disbursed. While the truck will be used to haul supplies to eastern North Carolina, monetary contribu­tions remain the most critical need in eastern North Carolina, relief organizers say. "Many members of the East Carolina com­munity have been left homeless, and in need of food, books, computers, school supplies, and other essentials. We want to help the devastated mem­bers of our University of North Carolina family and their neighbors get back on their feet as soon as possible," said Gene McAbee, director of Uni­versity Police, who is heading up the campuswide relief effort. McAbee earned the bachelor's and master's degrees from ECU and worked in Greenville and East Carolina police departments continued on page 2 Athletics Task Force to Hold Public Forum October 14 A task force conducting a comprehensive review of Western's intercollegiate athletics program will hold a public forum Thursday, October 14, to gather opinions on the future of intercollegiate sports at WCU. The forum will begin at 4 p.m. and will be held in the Grandroom of the Hinds University Center. All students, faculty, staff, and members of the surrounding community, are encouraged to participate. Chancellor John Bardo appointed the seventeen-member task force in August as part of an on-going, university-wide planning and review process. Bardo asked the task force, working with the assistance of a national consultant, to prepare a compre­hensive report that will address several strategic questions regarding WCU athletics. The task force is working with three fundamental assumptions: 1) WCU is committed to competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level (NCAA Division I-AA in football) and to continuing as a member of the Southern Conference; 2) WCU will maintain a balanced budget in athletics; and 3) WCU will maintain its commitment to gender equity. The task force is being chaired by Kenneth F. Wilson of Waynesville, a former chairman of WCU's board of tr ustees. Members are Daniel Allison, Tracy Biggs, Gurney Chambers, Ed Cody, Tori Ellison, Tom Frazier of Cullowhee, Ramsey Herron, Scott Higgins, Kathy Lance Berry Mauney of Lincolnton, Gayle Miller, Woody Padgett, Sue Persons, Marty Ramsey, Jonathan Rowe, and Charles Wolfe. Flood Recovery Efforts, continued prior to coming to Western. Other relief efforts include the collection of $1,700 in contributions for flood victims by members of the WCU Staff Forum during Mountain Heritage Week activities, a fund drive kicked off Monday by the WCU Student Government Association, and similar projects being organized by several Western clubs and organizations. In addition, the Small Business and Technology Development Center, located in the Mountain Resources Center on campus, has been asked to participate in a Depart­ment of Commerce program set up to extend immediate disaster assistance for businesses and agricultural enterprises in the sixty-six flood-stricken counties. SBTDC director Allan Steinberg said his staff and those of other westward centers would be on call to relieve workers manning the five centers for twelve-hour shifts at one-week intervals. Hurricane Research Takes Young Into the Storm's Eye Even as the East Coast braced against Hurricane Floyd and evacuating residents were suffering endless waits on interstate highways, Rob Young was preparing to set out for the beach to do some research. Floyd gave Young, an assistant professor of Geology, the opportu­nity he had been waiting for to begin a study designed to determine how major storms impact coastlines and coastal property. The two-year, $100,000 project is funded by a grant from the Public Entity Risk Institute and has as one of its objectives reducing storm damage caused by hurricanes. With Hurricane Floyd on the verge of becoming only the third Category 5 storm to hit the United States since record-keeping began, Young knew he would have his first chance to begin a project he hopes will lead one day to "more sane development practices on the coast." "People have been building really expensive homes right on the beach over the past 20 years, and the costs of the impact of hurricanes have risen sharply," Young said. "That means an increased tax burden at the local, state, and federal government levels to rebuild roads and repair infrastructure, and it causes severe hardships for insurance companies that provide coverage for coastal property." Although scientific methods for predicting hurri­canes have improved, there has been little documented research of methods to reduce storm damage, he said. "Without good data ranking the risk factors from hurricanes, coastal communities have been unable to prioritize spending on coastal protection," he said. "Information is needed on which factors are more important in mitigating the effects of hurricanes and heavy wind and rain storms—wider dunes or a wider beach, elevation or vegetation, for example." That's where the Public Entity Risk Institute grant project comes into play. The nonprofit group, formed as the result of the settlement of an anti-trust civil against thirty-two insurance industry organizations, works to help local governments, nonprofit groups and organizations, and small busi­nesses improve their risk management practices. During the two-year project, Young, working with several WCU student research assistants, will conduct reconnaissance work at hurricane impact areas along the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast immediately after landfall of a Category 3 or larger storm. Data will be collected using digital aerial videography, aerial photography, and surface mapping. Young then will use the collected data on overwash, erosion, property damage and storm surge to produce a "storm energy distribution map." The theory is that the map will illustrate that storm energy—and, thus, storm damage—is not expended uniformly along a coastline. "We know that such factors as sand dune height, beach width, vegetation cover, inlet proximity, elevation, and offshore slope all play a role in how much damage a storm causes," Young said. "What we don't know is which factors play the biggest role." Using high-tech geographic informa­tion system equipment, investigators will rank the contribution of each risk factor to the actual variation in intensity of storm damage. The rankings should produce a clear picture of where the most damage from future storms is likely to occur, and coastal communities can use the information to attempt to minimize the loss associated with such storms. Young is a consultant who has for eleven years conducted reconnaissance work at hurricane impact areas along the East Coast and Caribbean for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He was among the first on the scene following the devastating hurricanes Andrew in 1992 and Hugo in 1989. Last year, he took three WCU students to the North Carolina coast to help assess the damage caused by Hurricane Bonnie for FEMA. "Students will be helping me collect the data at hurricane impact areas as part of this new project," Young said. "But they'll come to an affected area only after a storm has passed. I d on't take students into the eye of the hurricane." O c t o b e r 5 , 1 9 9 9 • T h e R ep o r t e r Baroque Southeast performs at Coulter Recital Hall Wednesday, October 6. Tuesday, October 5 Concert—Guest artist Stacy Baker performs on the tuba and euphonium as part of "Octubafest." Also featuring the WCU Tuba/Euphonium En­semble. Free. 8 p.m., RH. (227-7242) Wednesday, October 6 WCU Town Hall—Race relations on a campus, community, and societal level is the topic of discussion. Sponsored by Equal Opportunity Programs and Multicultural Affairs. (227-7147) Concert—Baroque Southeast. Free. 8 p.m., RH. (227-7242) Thursday, October 7 Conference—"A Break at the Lake" for student services »c" Calendar October 5-17, 1999 Look for regular updates on the university's web site at www.wcu.edu/cal.html personnel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Harrell Center at Lake Junaluska. Prior registration required. (227-3307) Soccer—Catamounts vs. Liberty, 3 p.m., soccer field. (227-7338) Concert—Wind Ensemble. Free. 8 p.m., RH. (227-7242) Saturday, October 9 Fall break begins. Continues through Tuesday, October 12. Monday, October 11 WNC Civil War Roundtable— Milton Ready speaks on "North Carolina African American Troops." 6:30 p.m., Jackson County Justice Center. (227-7234) Tuesday, October 12 Meeting—Annual fall meeting of the N.C. Association of Educational Office Professionals, District I. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Prior registration required. (227-3339) Thursday, October 14 Open Forum—Athletics Task Force. 4 p.m., Grandroom, UC. (227-7100) Volleyball—Catamounts vs. East Tennessee State. Southern Conference match, 7 p.m., RRAC. (227-7338) Friday, October 15 Recital—Guest artists Leone Buyse, flute, and Michael Webster, clarinet. Free. 8 p.m., RH. (227-7242) Saturday, October 16 Football—Catamounts vs. Wofford. Southern Conference game, 6 p.m., WS/BW. (227-7338) WCU Open House—For prospective students and their families. Sponsored by Admissions and Academic Affairs. Registration begins at 9 a.m., RRAC. (227-7317) Sunday, October 17 Crafts—Pottery demonstration by Brant Barnes of Riverwood Pottery. Free. 2:30-3:30 p.m., MHC. (227-7129) *** Now Showing *** Exhibitions: Migration of the Scotch-Irish People (permanent exhibition) and Georgia Clay—Pottery in the Folk Tradition (through December 17). Slideshow spotlight programs available for viewing. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., weekdays, MHC. (227-7129) Ro Lohin: Recent Works. Solo exhibition of paintings by vis iting artist and assistant professor in WCU's Department of Art Through October 21. Chelsea Gallery, UC. (227-7206) Over the Line. An overview of contemporary drawing of artists based in New York and North Carolina. September 29 through October 27. 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., or by appointment, weekdays, Belk Gallery, BB. (227-3591) Key: $ - Admission fee; HA - Hoey Auditorium; HFR - H.F. Robinson Administration Building; HS/CF - Hennon Stadium/Childress Field; MHC - Mountain Heritage Center, NSA - Natural Sciences Auditorium; RRAC - Ramsey Regional Activity Center; RH - Recital Hall, Coulter Building; BB - Belk Building; UC - A.K. Hinds University Center; UOC - University Outreach Center, WS/BW - Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field WCU's volleyball team celebrated a win over Appalachian State recendy. The Lqdy Cats are 2-1 in Southern Conference play. Submissions: Send news items and calendar notices to WCU Calendar, 1601 Ramsey Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723 or e-mail to calendar#wpoff.wcu.edu Submit items for the electronic bulletin board on campus and for the university's calendar on the Internet at least one week prior to the event. O c t o b e r 5 , 1 9 9 9 • T he R e p o r t e r • "Victories Over Violence" is the theme of a program planned in recognition of October as Domestic Violence Prevention Month. The program, which is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, October 21, in Sylva's old courthouse, is sponsored by Jackson County's Domestic Violence Task Force. Jackson County District Attorney Bob Clark will introduce several local speakers focusing on improved services related to domestic violence in the area. Representatives from local agencies will have information booths, including WCU's Brother Peace, a social activist group for men working to change attitudes to stop violence against women. Co-chairs for Brother Peace are Robert Caruso, vice-chancellor for student affairs, and John Ritchie, director of counseling and psychological services. Admission is free and the public is welcome. For more information, contact Carolyn Burton, chair of the Domestic Violence Task Force, at 586-8931, or e-mail June Wytock (wytock@wcu.edu). • Faculty from the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations joined with the Principals Executive Program in September to host twelve new principals of North Carolina schools in an innovative training program. The Leadership of New Principals Program seeks to provide quality learning and networking opportunities for new principals in the state. The session hosted by Western focused on school safety with an emphasis on how a sense of place, belonging, and community contribute to a safe school. The twelve partici­pants were given an opportunity to meet and interact with principals and superintendents in the region and to visit schools in western North Carolina. WCU faculty involved in the training effort were educational leadership and foundations chair Penny Smith and Anna Hicks, coordina­tor of the master's program in school administration. • Forget that business about not wanting to join any club that would have you as a member. October is "open enrollment" month for Western's University Club. New or lapsed members can join or rejoin the UClub and have the one-time new-member initiation fee of $35 waived. Annual dues are $60, or $30 per semester, and this money is used to pay rent and utilities on the UClub house and to underwrite activities, such as the recent sponsorship of women's soccer. Faculty and staff new to WCU are particularly encouraged to join as a way of getting acquainted with and broadening connections in the community, according to UClub president Terry Nienhuis. Membership entitles any WCU faculty, staff member, administrator, retired WCU employee, or alumnus to attend all UClub functions. These include TGIF gatherings each Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and at least one UClub gathering every month at the UClub house across from Harrill residence hall. Monthly UClub activities this year will include a wine tasting in November, a Latin Night, the traditional UClub Christmas party, a Superbowl party, a Cajun dinner, a St. Patrick's Day celebration, and an end-of-the-year Crab Boil. The WCU UClub was founded in 1989 as a project of the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. The club, which is run by its members, has as its purpose to enhance a sense of community at WCU. It receives no financial support from the university apart from its rental of the UClub house. For more information on the UClub or to join, come to a TGIF gathering or contact Terry Nienhuis at 227-3926. The Reporter is published by the Office of Public Information. Rebecca Caldwell, editor. Mail faculty/staff notes, events, notices, and changes of address to The Reporter, 16 01 R amsey Center, or send them via e-mail to REPORTER@wPOfF.wcu.EOU 1,800 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $598.30, or $0.33 pe r copy. Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity Institution. Reporter Office of Public Information Publications LJnit 1601 Ramsey Center Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CULLOWHEE, N.C. PERMIT NO. 1 O c t o b e r 5 , 1 9 9 9 • Th e Re p o r t e r Reporter JHL News for the Faculty i October 18, and Staff of Western Carolina University Proposal Covers Final Phase for Campus Governance A vision for the University Advisory Council, the final phase of the un iversity governance process, will be presented in a n upcoming town hall and a series of open meetings with campus constituent groups. A seventeen-member task force, appointed by Chancellor John Bardo and made up of students, staff, and faculty, convened at the beginning of fall semester to "create a process for envisioning the council," according to task force chair Jane Hall. Its efforts have resulted in a proposed mission and purpose statement for the University Advisory Council as well as a suggested structure for the mem­bership and standing committees of the org anization. The advisory council will be unique on campus and off, Hall explained. "Our governance structure at WCU is unlike any we've studied, either in the University of North Carolina system or elsewhere," she said. "The advisory council will act as an organization supporting the three other governance bodies. Its task is not to create policy; it's rather to facilitate communication and leadership across campus." Open Meeting Schedule Monday, October 18 Student Government Association 5 p.m.. Catamount Room, UC Tuesday, October 19 Administrative Council 9 a.m., Hospitality Room, RRAC Wednesday, Octboer 20 Staff Forum, 9 a.m., UOC Faculty Senate, 3 p.m., Killian 104 Tuesday, November 2 Town Hall Forum 2:30 p.m., Grandroom, UC Town Hall Provides Forum for Varied Campus Views on Race Relations WCU students joined a panel of campus and community activists to address the topic of race relations during a week of dialogue highlighted by a "town hall" style campus meeting Wednesday, October 6. Part of a series of discussions taking place on college campuses across the county encouraged by the White House Office for One America, the WCU forum was sponsored by the university's of­fices of Multicul­tural Affairs and Equal Opportunity Programs. The event featured a panel of students, members of the fac­ulty and staff, and community leaders. "Ethnicity, re­ligion, gender, re­g i o n — s o m a n y — • — things make us who we are," said Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki, associate professor of art education and acting director of international programs. "Our most serious handicap, however, is the cultural baggage we carry through life. We take things out of the bags to feel comfortable in a situation, and, unfortu­nately, what we take out can sometimes be prejudice or bias." Njihia Mbit'iru, a student from Nairobi, Kenya, commented on his expe­rience of educating some American stu­dents about African cultures, and even geography, upon coming to continue his educa­tion at Western. "The ignorance I encountered was very disconcerting, questions such as where Kenya is and whether or not we write checks in Kenya. Just as interested as I was in America and American culture is the same interest that I wish I would encounter about my country." He advised other students at the forum to take time to talk to someone when they encounter ignorance and to "smash the stereotypes." Tom Pruett, university police chief, presented a somewhat different angle on struggling against stereotypes. Pruett said that the uniforms of police officers set them apart and create a culture of their own that is of­ten not per­ceived posi­tively. "I'm a different per- Panelists Michael T. Garrett, Zach LeQuire. Monique Douglas,and Chris Gunn (pictured above, left to right) respond to a full house at the re cent race relations forum. continued on page 2 Notes r He'Bs ack: Sedan's Brings Wicked Satire to WCU Playwright, best-selling author, radio star, and retired Macy's elf David Sedaris brings his unique brand of s ardonic humor to Western, Wednesday, October 20, in a one-man show. Sedaris' performance, part of the 1999-2000 Lectures, Concerts, and Exhibition Series, will be in the recital hall of the Coulter Building starting at 7:30 p.m. Sedaris first became known to National Public Radio's Morning Edition listeners reading from his Santaland Diaries about his experiences as Ma acy's department store elf. His irreverent style and wicked humor soo