The Reporter, December 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.Reporter JH- t Holiday Edition December 7, 1999 News for the Faculty and Staff of Western Carolina University Sincerely, Lj John W. Bardo Chancellor To the faculty and staff: Seasons greetings! Every year, as Deborah and I m ake plans to celebrate the holidays in Cullowhee, we are reminded of how blessed we truly are. Blessed to be living in a nation that is free and at peace. Blessed to be part of a state that values and supports public higher education. Blessed to be living in a beautiful mountain land. As we approach a new millennium, we can take pride in Western's 110-year history of stewardship on behalf of our students, the region, and state. We look forward with confidence to accomplishing the challenges of the next decade and century. In this season of great hope, let our hope be reaffirmed that, as an educational institution, we can make a difference in the lives of our students and in our community. Inside this Reporter issue you will read about members of our campus commu­nity who volunteer their time and talents locally. Actions such as these can make change possible on a global level as well. Again, happy holidays to you from Deborah and me! continued on page 2 in a new age "Where shall we begin? B egin with the heart, for the spring of life arises from the heart, and from there it runs in a circular manner. —Meister Eckhart Rob Routhieaux and students (above) learn organizational behavior while building a Habitat for Humanity home. You might see several familiar faces from among Western's faculty, staff, and students cooking and serving at the Community Table on a given night, including Sherry Fox (far right) of the Registrar's Office, and Howard Peters (center) of the Physical Pl ant. Living in community: Old ways to care Meister Eckhart, the German poet, philosopher, and mystic, wrote these words as he looked toward the dawning of the fourteenth century. A Dominican friar, he lived the idea of community, wherein each member's physical, intellectual, and spiritual nourish­ment was reliant on another. At the dawning of the twenty-first century, we grapple with the idea of commu­nity on so many levels. We sign off from a chat with friends on the other side of the world, while, on another screen, the televi­sion news flashes images of neighbors still left homeless from recent natural disasters. How, then, do we live in community? For many members of Western's faculty and staff, the answer does indeed arise from Meister Eckhart's dictum to start from the heart. The recent outpouring of supplies and support for flood victims in eastern North Carolina provides eloquent enough testi­mony. But many on campus, including students, also make contributions quietly and closer to home through volunteering their time and talents right here in Jackson County. Their efforts for organizations, too numerous to list, address causes connected to the environ­ment and to public educa­tion, to hunger and housing, to coaching youth and comforting those who are ill or infirm. "The need is there," said Bob Cochran, Deborah Bardo , a volunteer for the Jackson County Department on Aging, delivers hot meals to housebound seniors such as How ard Gibson of Sylva. Find out more about volunteer opportunities in Jackson County: Mountain Resource Center 227-7242 www.wcu.edu/mrc/nonprofit/ organization.htm Jackson County Community Volunteer Center 586-4858 Family Resource Center 586-2845 Living in community9 continued director of Jackson County Social Services. He and other county administrators know too well the reality of the statistics. Many residents of Jackson County have reason to wonder just where the economy is booming as poverty, unemployment, and high school drop-out rates rise well above the state's averages. On campus, Shannon Duke's familiar welcoming voice greets visitors to the adminis­tration building. She sets a reassuring tone as well in her work for the Community Table, which opened last summer to address the problem of hunger in Jackson County. Duke is one of several volunteers from Western who regularly cook and serve meals at the Asheville Highway location of what used to be Rosie's Cafe. Operating under the umbrella of REACH, the Community Table is open four nights a week and serves about sixty meals a night to those who come seeking fellowship and nutritious food. The volunteer efforts of Larry Hammer in the Admissions Office take him from one local school to another. As a parent, he saw the hurdle public schools face in keeping pace with new technologies and found a way to address the need with Western's help. Hammer wondered what would happen to the machines not purchased when students arrived at Western last year to begin their studies under the new computer requirement. A moment's inspiration soon had him negotiating with the supplier to buy the hardware at a discount for the Cullowhee Valley School. Mobilizing a moment later, the PTA set to work raising more than $20,000 in two weeks, their efforts eventually earning them a Governor's Award of Merit. Principal Ron Yount praised Hammer's ongoing commitment now that the equip­ment is in place. "A lot of this has come about because Larry Hammer wanted to make sure that the public school kids down the road would one day be prepared to do well at Western or any other university that has a computer requirement." Laurel Bleil's community service keeps her in contact with kids as well—contact sports that is. Bleil, who works in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, coaches baseball, basketball, and soccer for a variety of town- and county-run programs. "Coach­ing was contagious in our family," laughs Bleil, the wife of Western's head football coach, Bill Bleil. She began coaching to be able to spend more time with her own children; she keeps on, she says, because "all the kids are wonderful, and I get to see their improvement with each season. Sure it takes time," Bleil says, "but I mis s it when I'm not coaching." Echoing the sentiments of other campus volunteers, Bill Harne, head of the human services department, says that Western's rural location presents important opportunities for getting involved. "It would be easy for those of us who work here and for our students, especially, to isolate ourselves and not recognize the need around us." Harne feels that in forging closer connections between campus and the broader community everyone ben­efits. He enjoys wielding a hammer for Habitat for Humanity and serves on its board (along with several other Western faculty and staff members). "We'll be starting our fourth Habitat home in Jackson County soon, and we have land for at least that many more," says Harne. "What's most satisfying is moving those families who otherwise couldn't have afforded decent housing into their own home." Rob Routhieaux, assistant professor of management, agrees and adds that a Habitat house in progress provides an invaluable model for students in his organizational behavior class. "It's not all about showing up and getting patted on the back for picking up a paintbrush. It teaches students firsthand about the frustrations involved in coordinating a project of this scope and and the value of communicating well," Routhieaux says. Incorporating service learning into the syllabus is an ever-increasing emphasis at Western says Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Robert Caruso. A university-wide task force will meet throughout the spring to compile an inventory of existing efforts and present them as examples for faculty to follow. "The commitment of the university community to service extends the benefits of its scholarship to society—it's written right there in our mission," said Caruso. "More important, it's becoming standard practice for professors to include service projects in their curricula." n , ~ . . n — Rebecca Caldwell D e c e m b e r 7 , 1 9 9 9 • T he R e p o r t e r mi Calendar December 7, 1999-January 9, 2000 Look for regular updates on the university's web site at www.wcu.edu/cal.html Hoping your holidays bring time for high steppin' and high spirits. But don't forget the high ideal s with those resolutions for the n ew year. December 1999 Tuesday, December 7 Basketball—Lady Catamounts vs. Elon College, 7 p.m., RRAC. (227-7338) Auditions—For University Players' spring production of Romeo and Juliet. Sponsored by the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts. Through Wednesday, December 8. 7 p.m., HA. (227-7491) Concert—University Chorus and Catamount Singers, 8 p.m., RH. (227-7242) Thursday, December 9 Last day of classes. Old-Time Mountain Holiday Celebration—Featuring music, storytelling, and crafts for adults and kids. 3:30-6 p.m., MHC. (227-7129) Film—"Hollywood on the Tuckaseigee" featuring student works, 7:30 p.m., HA. (227-7491) Concert—Wind Ensemble, 8 p.m., RH. (227-7242) Friday, December 10 Reading Day. Ribbon-cutting Ceremony— Coulter Faculty Center's advanced technology area. 10:30 a.m.; day-long open house, Hunter Library. (227-7196) Saturday, December I I Final examinations. Through Friday, December 17. Sunday, December 12 Concert—WCU Community Chorus. 3 p.m., RH. (227-7242) Monday, December 13 Exam Breakfast—An exam week stress-busting tradition for students served by faculty and staff. Call for details to volunteer. 8-10 p.m., Brown Cafeteria. (227-7396) Tuesday, December 14 Ground-breaking ceremony— Regional Workforce Develop­ment Center with U.S. Represen­tative Charles Taylor. 10:30 a.m., site next to Belk Building. (227-7100) Wednesday, December 15 Open Meeting—Staff Forum. 9-11 a.m., UOC. (227-7323) *** 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) Goulash, Zooted. Exhibition of recent undergraduate works in observance of the closing of the millennium. Through December 16. Chelsea Gallery, UC. (227-7206) The Altered Forms of Nick Joerling and Leah Leitson. Expressively altered stoneware and porcelain forms crafted by North Carolina potters. Opening January 12. 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 Saturday, December 18 Commencement. 2 p.m., RRAC. (227-7677) Monday, December 20 Basketball—Lady Catamounts vs. Winthrop, 7 p.m., RRAC. (227-7338) Friday, December 24 Christmas and New Year's holidays. Through January 2, 2000. January 2000 Thursday, January 6 Basketball—Lady Catamounts vs. Coastal Carolina. 7 p.m., RRAC. (227-7338) Saturday, January 8 Basketball—Lady Catamounts vs. Davidson. Southern Confer­ence game, 2 p.m., RRAC. (227-7338) Editor's Note: This holiday issue of The Reporter is t he last of 1999. Publication inil resume with an issue to be dated January 10, 2000. Please send any items for submission by Friday, December 17, 1999. Our very best wishes for a safe and restful holiday. Send news items and calendar notices to WCU Calendar, 1601 Ramsey Center, Western Carolina University, CuBowhee, North Carolina 28723 or e-mml 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. D e c e m b e r 7 , 1 9 9 9 • T h e R e p or t e r oter • Robert Caruso, vice chancel­lor (Student Affairs), was the co­author for "The Diversity Continuum: Enhancing Student Interest and Access, Creating a Staying Environment, and Preparing Students for Transition" in Cultural Diversity: Curriculum, Classroom, and Climate Issues, published recently by Western Illinois University. • James Lewis, professor and head (History), celebrated the publication of his third book recently. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution was published by Kent State University Press in November. It is a study of the South Carolina state navy during the American Revolution, particularly one ship called the South Carolina. This frigate was the largest war vessel that the Americans had during the Revolution, sporting a crew of nearly 550 men. It was by far the most successful of all American ships on the high seas, orchestrating the capture of the British Bahamas in 1782. The frigate ended its fighting life in a duel against three British warships off Delaware Bay over Christmas of 1782. • Nonso Okereafoezeke, assistant professor (Criminal Justice), organized and chaired a panel on "Construing 'Crime' in a Heterogeneous Society" and presented a paper on "Socio- Cultural Variables in the Interpretation and Application of Criminal Laws in the Twenty-first Century U.S.A." Both activities were parts of the American Society of Criminology Confer­ence, held in Toronto in November. • Robert A. Vartabedian, dean (College of Arts and Sciences), was one of the presenters at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association, held November 4-7 in Chicago. Vartabedian's presentation was titled "The Role of the Former Director of Forensics at Large Research Institutions." Vartabedian's presentation was part of a program on "Reflections and Opportunities 'After' Forensics." The National Communication Association is the oldest and largest scholarly society for the communication discipline. Membership includes individuals from more than twenty-five countries. • Karen White, assistant professor (Health Sciences) and nutritionist (University Health Services), published an abstract in the September supplement issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The abstract was selected for an original contribu­tion presentation titled "Accep­tance of Healthier School Lunches by Second Through Fifth Grade Students in the Rural Arkansas Delta" at the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association in October. Kathy Hosig, assistant professor (Health Sciences), made a poster presenta­tion at the annual meeting. Her topic was "Establishing a Nutri­tion Position Shared Between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs at a Small State Univer­sity." Ten students in Western's nutrition and dietetics program attended the meeting as well. • June Wytock, psychologist (Counseling and Psychological Services), was awarded a Certifi­cate of Recognition recently by the Jackson County Domestic Violence Intervention Task Force. Wytock also was recognized for coordinating Domestic Violence Prevention Month activities and the "Victories Over Violence" event in October. "Victories" focused on Jackson County agencies that work with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. Wytock coordinates the research subcommittee that brings WCU faculty together to conduct multi-disciplinary research on domestic violence. The Reporter is published by the Office of Public Information. Rebecca Caldwell, editor. Hail faculty/staff notes, events, notices, and changes of address to The Reporter, 1601 Ramsey Center, or send them via e-mail to REPORTER@WPOFF.WCU.EDU 1,800 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $329.15 or $0.18 per copy. Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity Institution. Reporter Office of Public Information Publications Unit 1601 Ramsey Center Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CULLOWHEE, N.C. PERMIT NO. 1 D e c e m b e r 7 , 1 9 9 9 • T he R e p o r t e