NEWS & CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

A pilot event for a Tusculum College program entitled “Explorations in Thought” was held Jan. 11-12 at the Roan Mountain Bed and Breakfast at Roan Mountain, Tenn.

A group of faculty, staff and alumni, along with a member of the college’s Board of Trustees, joined to explore and discuss the theme “Heroism: the Persistence of the Human Spirit.” This was done through a common reading of Timothy Egan’s “The Worst Hard Time,” a book chronicling the struggles of Depression-era Americans who faced the “Dust Bowl,” the worst environmental disaster in American history.

They also watched films with a similar focus on heroism: “Hotel Rwanda” and a film concerning Dr. Jeri Nielsen’s struggle to treat her own breast cancer while she was stationed at the South Pole.

Participants also engaged in activities to foster further discussion of how to develop and honor heroes in the classroom and community as part of Tusculum College’s focus on the Civic Arts.

“This was a successful event, helping to develop campus community,” said one participating faculty member. “I enjoyed getting to know my colleagues and members of our broader campus community better. I have never considered addressing the issue of heroism before in class, but I am now considering ways to incorporate it into my course this block.”

The concept for “Explorations in Thought” was suggested by Interim President Dr. Russell Nichols.

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The life and good work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was celebrated during a remembrance ceremony held in the living room area of the Niswonger Commons on January 24th. The ceremony was sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and was part of a week-long series of special events planned around Dr. King’s birthday.

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Weisz opened the ceremony with a prayer and a song. Beth Chamberlain provided an inspired version of the song “Lift Ever’y Voice and Sing” with piano accompaniment by Jim Winfree. Students in the Religious Life Program also read a Litany of the occasion of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday.

Dr. Weisz closed the remembrance ceremony with a short prayer, and then invited the attendees to remain for refreshments and fellowship after the ceremony.

See more photos of the remembrance ceremony.

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Tusculum College students may compete for $4,000 in cash prizes by entering the Curtis ‘28 and Billie Owens Literary Prize Contests.

Students may submit their best work in Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry and/or Scriptwriting. Each category’s prize is $1,000.

The rules are as follows:

• Submit bound entries in a folder
• Attach a cover letter stating
  1. your name
  2. local address
  3. local telephone number
  4. e-mail address
  5. the title(s) of your work
  6. the genre(s) you are entering
• Do not include your name or any other identifying information on any page except the cover page
• Submissions may contain as many stories as you wish, but must total between 10-25 pages
• Submit at least three poems, no longer than a combined 12 pages
• You may submit in as many categories as you wish

Submission deadline: 12:00 noon on February 1, 2008

Submit to Pat Stansberry, 213 Virginia Hall

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There’s a new game room in Katherine Hall! Over the Christmas break, the final touches were put in converting the one-time weight room and locker area in Katherine into a new game room for all students!

The new game room provides students with:

• a pool table, freshly resurfaced with “Pioneer Orange” felt
• two Foos ball tables
• a practice putting surface
• an X-Box 360, with DDR dance pad
• a large LCD, flat-screen TV
• board games
• darts
• plenty of space to relax and to converse

During the official opening, students crowded around the cake and other refreshments and chatted with faculty and staff members.

Dean of Students and VP for Student Affairs, Dr. David McMahan introduced SGA President Duane Randolph who officially announced the game room was open to students.

View more photos from the Game Room opening ceremony.

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