NEWS & CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

A group of Tusculum College students, faculty and administrators had the chance to learn about service to others from an international perspective Tuesday evening.

Dr. Vinita Eusebius, a professor of zoology in India who coordinates children’s ministries in her dioceses, visited the campus as part of the Peacemaking Program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This program connects Presbyterian churches and colleges affiliated with the denomination with individuals who have been involved in peacemaking, social justice and service to others from across the globe. Tusculum is the oldest co-educational institution affiliated with the denomination.

Dr. Eusebius met with a small group of students, faculty and administrators to discuss her work in the ministries for children at risk, which she describes as her passion. The event was hosted by the College’s Witherspoon Society, which regularly sponsors programs for students and faculty to discuss religion-related issues and topics.

Working in the Churches of North India ecumenical efforts, Dr. Eusebius plans programs for children at risk using a rights-based approach. She explained that human rights are an issue in India because many there define human rights as rights for men, but not for women or children.

In India, there are 44 million children living on the streets, Dr. Eusebius said. The children are categorized in three different ways, she continued. “Children of the street” are those who are part of homeless families. “Children on the street” are those who have come to urban areas to work and have occasional contact with their families. “Children in the street” are those who have been abandoned by their families, in many cases because their family does not have the resources to care for them.

Children are sometime left at train stations and some have been left outside churches. “People know that Christians know how to take care of these children,” she said.

With the needs of these at-risk children, the churches decided to bring children to center stage in their ministries, she said. “We respond to the needs of the children,” she said. “The children are outside the church. The children are everywhere.”

Dr. Eusebius has been trained in children’s rights issues and is one of a team that travels to churches to train their members about children’s rights and empower them to address needs in their community. She explained that the team members help the churches identify the main issues facing children at risk in their community. These issues vary according to the community and can range from child prostitution to child bonded labor in factories to beggar communities in which street children are organized to beg and give what they receive to the adult organizers.

After a congregation decides what issue should be addressed, she helps the congregation decide what program or programs it is going to undertake to help at-risk children.

The congregations work together in a cooperative effort with members of the Student Christian Movement, another organization in which Dr. Eusebius is involved. The Student Christian Movement has about 20,000 to 30,000 college students as members in India. Students study the Bible and provide service to their communities.

Working collaboratively, churches and the college students have established shelters and community centers for street children and other programs, she said.

Dr. Eusebius also spoke briefly about some of the other social issues facing India, which college students in the Student Christian Movement are involved in addressing. These include discrimination due to the caste system, privatization of water resources, religious intolerance and gender issues.

Tusculum was Dr. Eusebius’s first stop in her month-long visit to the United States as part of the program this year. She will also be visiting Nebraska and Wisconsin before returning to India. This is the second year that Dr. Eusebius has been involved in the program.

Dr. Eusebius has been involved in peacemaking efforts for 32 years and has been active more than 25 in the Student Christian Movement. She teaches at Ewing Christian College in Allahabad, which was established by a Presbyterian missionary. Her husband also teaches there and is head of the chemistry department.

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One of Tusculum College’s own participated in a wreath laying ceremony honoring the birthday of Margaret Johnson Patterson Bartlett, the great-granddaughter of 17th President Andrew Johnson on Monday.

Elizabeth Chamberlain, an education major from Greeneville, sang, “America the Beautiful” as part of the ceremony. The event is sponsored by the Nolachuckey Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution organization and was held at Bartlett’s grave site on Monument Hill.

Bartlett, a Tusculum College alumni from the Class of 1924, was a long-time supporter of the College, donating the collection of Johnson’s private and family papers and family artifacts to the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library, as well as playing a key role in the establishing of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site here in Greeneville.

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Tusculum College reached a historic milestone with the entrance of its 2009-2010 residential class, with 370 new students, an increase of 5.7 percent over last year’s all-time high.

The registration total was announced by Jacquelyn D. Elliott, vice president for enrollment management for Tusculum College, who said that the number includes 310 entering freshmen, 53 transfer students and seven new international students.

“Tusculum College’s residential program continues to grow for a number of reasons,” she said. “Our admission focus is on a more structured search, and we are more focused in how we reach out to potential students in the Appalachian area.”

“It is part of our mission to serve those in this area, and our office has been more conscientious about providing access for students in the Appalachian region through financial aid packages and support.”

Tusculum College, which has a tradition of reaching out to first-generation college students, did so again, with 38.5 percent of the fall entering class listed as first-generation college students.

Of the new students in this year’s entering class, 71 percent are from the State of Tennessee, and 29 percent are from outside the state. Thirty-six of the new students are from Greene County, which is about 10 percent of the entering class, she added. Sixteen percent of the Tusculum College new class of students are athletic scholarship recipients.

According to Elliott, the new students in total received $4,054,905 in financial aid, through a combination of in state, federal and College-provided scholarships, loans and grants.

Elliott said the large entering class produced a residence halls occupancy rate which is “more than 100 percent.”

“For the first time, residential housing capacity has been met, which makes for lively student activities, full stands at athletic events and creates a better environment for students as more students are involved in campus activities.”

According to Elliott, this year’s entering student class is not only an unusually large entering class, but also is better prepared academically. The average ACT scores of incoming students increased from 21.66 last year to 21.75 this year and remains above the state average of 20.

Elliott said the College will continue to recruit new students and is still accepting applications and registrations for students who will be able to start classes in January, the beginning of the spring semester.

“We are reassured that students and their parents are realizing that even in difficult economic times, an education is a valuable investment, and we are pleased that so many of those families have chosen Tusculum College as a place where they feel confident their student can be successful,” said Elliott.

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An opening reception will be held at the Allison Gallery in Rankin House at Tusculum College for an exhibition of the work of Deborah Bryan, assistant professor of art at the College. The reception will be held on Friday, October 2 from 4-6 p.m.

The exhibit, “Detritus: Recent Work by Deborah Bryan,” will open Friday, October 2 and run through October 29.

In regard to art work in the exhibit, Bryan stated, “People have noticed that when I walk, I often look down at the ground. Far from a sign of shyness, this actually represents a fascination with discarded, unwanted, lost, misplaced, faded, trampled and frayed objects.”

Bryan added that as a college art professor, she teaches her students that a large part of art is learning to look at the world around them with the eye of an artist, and thus to notice things that others often ignore.

The print series in the exhibit, according to Bryan, takes that philosophy to a logical conclusion, one in which objects that would normally be overlooked, or even thought of as debris, are portrayed as worthy of consideration. The subject matter includes old blossoms, dried and curled leaves, trash, pieces of lichen and a shred of a bird’s nest.

“To contribute to the overall look of the series, I sometime use the backs of old, previously etched copper plates, which often include scratches and odd marks where the etching process for the original print crept onto the back,” said Bryan.

“While my larger work usually involves a narrative, in smaller work, I like to celebrate the structure and intricacies of natural objects such as gumballs in the gutter, beechnut shells discarded by squirrels or saved objects found hiding in boxes in my studio.”

Many of the objects in the Detritus series are specific to or somehow representative of the East Tennessee region, whether they are red bud pods (collected on campus from the Niswonger Commons parking lot), rhododendron blossoms, poplar spears or magnolia pods.

“The beauty of the area is not just what is immediately visible, but what often lurks in the gutter,” said Bryan.

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Congressman Zach Wamp (R-3rd District), who announced in January his intentions to seek the office of Governor of Tennessee, visited the Tusculum College campus on Monday, meeting with President Nancy B. Moody, members of the Tusculum College Cabinet and other campus leaders. Wamp, who has previously worked with Dr. Moody on efforts to support higher education in the State of Tennessee, was in Greene County on a campaign stop that also included meetings with local government officials and the local Republican organization. During his visit, Wamp spent part of the morning with campus leaders discussing legislation and answering questions regarding education, economic development and Hope Scholarship funding. Wamp was also provided a “mini-tour” of the campus in which he had the opportunity to visit the Thomas J. Garland Library and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library.

Dr. Troy Goodale, assistant professor of political science, and his “State and Local Government” class took advantage of the stop at Tusculum College and spent a few minutes at the end of the visit discussing campaign strategy and party politics and hosted members of Congressman Wamp’s campaign team in their classroom.  Before leaving campus, Wamp took a few minutes from his busy schedule to talk to Goodale and his students.

“It was a hands-on learning experience for the class to get the perspective on the governor’s race for more than one hour from two important members of Congressman Wamp’s Campaign Team,”  Dr. Goodale stated.  “We then met briefly with the Congressman. This is just one advantage of the Block System and longer class meeting times: to be able to fit in unconventional, interactive learning at the spur of the moment when opportunities present themselves.”

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Representatives from the Greene County Health Department and the Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Office were on the Tusculum College campus in September to inform staff and faculty about the H1N1 virus and answer questions regarding the pandemic that has hit college campuses nationwide.

“After participating in the countywide planning session a few weeks ago, we decided to take it a step further and bring this information to our staff and faculty to help them better prepare should H1N1 become an issue for us on campus,” said Tusculum President Nancy B. Moody.

Jamie Swift, director of communicable diseases for the Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Office presented an overview of pandemics, highlighting others such as the 1918 Spanish Flu that spread worldwide.

“On June 11, a pandemic was declared with H1N1 by the World Health Organization, based on its worldwide spread, not on its severity,” said Swift, adding that H1N1’s severity rates about a two on a one-to-five scale.

The virus, marked by fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue and often diarrhea and vomiting, has resulted in eight deaths to date in Tennessee.  Swift told the group that the high-risk categories for H1N1 include pregnant women, infants and children, health care workers and young adults, such as those on a college campus. Those over 65 years of age are the least affected category and may have developed some immunity due to a pandemic virus from the 1940s. However, she added, for the most part, the H1N1 flu “seems to be a little milder than season flu.”

Swift recommended that if staff and faculty encounter students with the potential symptoms of H1N1 flu they should encourage them to see the campus nurse as quickly as possible.

Rebecca English of the Greene County Health Department talked to the group about preventative measures, including some steps such as installing hand sanitization stations across the campus, which Tusculum College has already done. Other tips like covering a cough and avoiding eye, nose and mouth touching were also suggested.

Key to prevention is good hand hygiene and social isolation for those who are diagnosed with the flu. She added that to date, there have been no cases confirmed of seasonal flu, so all current cases of flu are highly likely to be the H1N1 strain.

English also recommended that everyone get a seasonal flu shot, and the College has dates in place, including one last Thursday, for students, staff and faculty to receive seasonal flu vaccinations on campus. In addition, it is hoped that an H1N1 vaccine will be available in October, and English also recommended getting that vaccination. Clinics will be held at the Greene County Health Department when those vaccinations become available and will be offered free-of-charge; however, high-risk groups will have the opportunity to receive the vaccination before those who are not in the high-risk groups.

She also recommended social isolation for those who are diagnosed with the flu, encouraging professors and supervisors to work with their students and employees who are diagnosed with the flu and enable them to stay at home until they have gone a minimum of 24-hours after their fever has subsided without the use of medications.

According to Mark Stokes, director of facilities management at the College and chairman of the campus Health and Safety Committee, the College has an H1N1 plan in place and will continue to coordinate with the health department and other agencies to be prepared should the number of cases in the area dramatically increase.

“We are doing what we can on the preventative side,” said Stokes, citing the addition of the hand sanitizer stations and information sessions to educate students, faculty and staff on what they can do to stay healthy. He added, that the College is prepared and has a plan in place should the number of cases of flu reach higher levels.

“We are doing what we can to assure the continuity of instruction and to maintain essential operations should further steps need to be taken, and we are working closely with the dean of students, the college nurse and the Athletic Training Department as the front line of defense,” said Stokes.

English commended College officials on their preparation and their participation in the countywide efforts and encouraged everyone to stay aware of current information by staying in touch with local agencies and monitoring reports from the Center for Disease Control.

“Prepare for the worse, hope for the best,” said English.

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Congratulations to Tusculum College student Beth Anne Collins, the first place winner in the Tusculum College Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Logo Design contest. Collins, a freshman from Afton, received a $50 cash prize and will see her logo used in promotional materials for the College’s QEP, which is focused on Problem Solving with Reflective Judgment.

Collins received her prize and recognition at the Spirit Week Ice Cream Social held on Friday and was presented her award by Dr. Bill Garris, assistant professor of psychology and the QEP Director for the College.

Congratulations also goes to the three finalists who were recognized as well, Nathan Carver, sophomore arts and design major from Clarksville; Tylan Adams,  junior arts and design major from Greeneville, and Brooke Wedding, senior arts and design major from Chuckey. Garris told the gathered crowd that the judges had a very difficult decision among the four very talented finalists.

The QEP is intended to be an ongoing plan to improve an aspect of higher education as part of the re-affirmation of accreditation process for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC). After much brainstorming and research, culminating in an institution-wide vote, Problem Solving with Reflective Judgment was selected as Tusculum College’s QEP topic and is consistent with the College’s mission and purpose statements.

To begin the improvement process and help students with problem solving and reflective judgment, faculty development will be provided to equip professors in targeted courses to teach using problem-based learning, case-study method and reasoning through moral and ethical dilemmas. Next, having practiced with problem solving and reflective judgment in the classroom, students will address “problem-solving in the world.” In this phase, Tusculum’s current service learning programs, independently conducted research projects and internships will be retooled to more intentionally integrate, advance and measure reflective judgment.

For more information on the QEP or Problem Solving with Reflective Judgment, contact Dr. Garris at Ext. 5298.

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Taking an opportunity of turning a campus event into a learning experience, Barth Cox, assistant professor of film and broadcasting at Tusculum College, arranged to have his mass media students take notes from a top sports event director in town to direct the nationally televised football game between Tusculum and Wingate University on Thursday, September 24.

Mark Grant, a television sports director for CBS Sports, visited with a group of Cox’s mass media majors on Wednesday, September 23, and shared his experiences as well as gave tips and advice to the aspiring media students.

“To have this type of professional speak personally to our students is the kind of opportunity you don’t get very often, particularly in this size market,” said Cox. “The students walked away with a better understanding of the profession they are preparing to enter.”

Grant began his career at a local Cablevision station in Baton Rouge, La., and through hard work, persistence and taking advantage of “defining moments” in his life has risen to become one of the top sports event directors in the country and has covered sports all over the world and in 48 states.

He talked to the students about hard work and making their own opportunities. He also told his own story that started with him “knocking on doors” and volunteering for any job that would help him gain experience and improve his skills in the broadcasting field.

Grant said that while he worked for the local cable company as a producer and director, he learned much of his craft through stints volunteering for ESPN when their crews were in the area shooting an event.

“I ran errands, made coffee, worked as a cameraman, anything that would let me see how things were done at that level. Then, I would bring what I learned back to my small high school game broadcasts and applied the new skills to those productions,” said Grant.

The skills he learned from working with these professional crews allowed him to win several awards for production and eventually got him a job with ESPN.

And, while he didn’t start out as a director, working for ESPN put him in position to take advantage of what he calls his “most defining moment.”

The director of the Division 1AA National Championship game, at which Grant was working, had to leave the site when his wife went into labor, providing Grant the opportunity to step in and direct his first game and event for ESPN, which he called “his coming out party” as a director.

“What I think is important to tell students whenever I have the opportunity - these defining moments will come in your life, and you need to watch for those opportunities and then take them and hit a home run,” said Grant. “Don’t be safe, take the chance and give it your best.”

Grant also shared inside information about how directors get hired, contract negotiation, work schedules and how to “move up the ladder.”

“Don’t ever be happy with where you are in life. Always put yourself in a position where someone else wants you. Always put yourself in a position to win. Never stop learning and improving,” he told the students.

Several of the students in the Tusculum class had the opportunity to work as part of the broadcast team with CBS on Thursday, and he advised them to take advantage of any opportunity like this that comes their way.

“I recommend to you that you find a mentor - two mentors - one far away who does what you want to be doing really, really well, and one close by who will tell you the truth. Sometimes you need to be criticized in order to get better. Find someone who will tell you where your weaknesses are so that you can improve.”

Grant also talked to the students about giving back. He is adjunct professor at Louisiana State University and enjoys mentoring students who are interested in the broadcasting field. He is also an active volunteer in the community and sits on the boards of the local YMCA, the Boy Scouts of America and the Volunteer Health Corps.

“It is very important to give back and to be a mentor to other people who want to be like you. When you are given that opportunity to do that, you should do it,” he said.

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On Thursday, September 24, the Tusculum College football game against Wingate University is scheduled to be televised on CBS College Sports and FSN South. So, bring a friend and support the Pioneers. Help fill the stands and visitors section and cheer for the cameras! Kickoff is at 8:05 p.m.

Everyone is encouraged to attend, bring a friend and consider sitting on the visitors side, which will be in the direct line of sight of the main broadcasting cameras. Wear your Tusculum orange for greatest visual effect. And, if you don’t have the perfect thing to wear, the Tusculum College Bookstore is hosting a t-shirt sale, buy one and get the second at half price. In addition, on Tuesday of Pioneer Spirit Week (September 22) take advantage of a 20 percent discount on selected items.

Also planned for the game, the Greeneville High School Marching Band will support the team from the stands and perform a half-time show.

The Pioneer Club Tailgate Party will be held from 6-7:45 p.m. on the concourse at Pioneer Park. RSVPs are requested. To RSVP, contact bsell@tusculum.edu or call (423) 636-7303. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Tailgate Party.

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Have you ever wondered if you are storing family photographs correctly to preserve them for future generations? Has a great-grandmother’s quilt been handed down to you and in time, you want to be able to give it to your granddaughter? Do you want to know how to better care for your antiques?

The answer to these questions and more will be provided through an exhibit and special presentations to be given during October at the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library in commemoration of National Archives Month.

The museum, located on the Tusculum College campus, will have on display the exhibit, “Preserving Your Traditions” during the month of October. The exhibit will provide an overview of archives and share information on how to care for personal collections. The public is invited to come view the treasures in the Tusculum College Archives and learn how to care for their own treasures. There is no admission fee to the exhibit or related presentations.

As part of the exhibit, which begins Oct. 5, visitors will have the rare opportunity to handle items such as records, books, photographs and other materials maintained in the Tusculum College Archives. Visitors will wear protective gloves, as a professional archivist does, and handle objects spanning the past 100 years of Tusculum College history.

Through this hands-on experience, visitors will learn about the results of improper storage and gain a greater appreciation of historic objects. Handling the objects will also actively illustrate the purpose of archives - to make documents and objects available and accessible to visitors.

Special presentations about how to care for various types of objects from clothing to film will be presented on Friday, October 30.

During the morning, Myers Brown, curator of extension services at the Tennessee State Museum, will make two 30-minute presentations about the care of clothing, memorabilia and decorative arts.

Amy Collins, archivist at East Tennessee State University’s Archives of Appalachia, will give two 30-minute presentations during the afternoon about the care of paper, photographs and film.

The presentations will alternate with 30-minute screenings of historic films of Tusculum College campus life in the 1940s-60s. The films include period scenes of campus, sporting events and class activities. The films were unreadable a year ago and represent an on-going process to migrate antiquated media onto new media.

Do-it-yourself kits of archival supplies to help individuals to care properly for their collections will available for $15 at the museum.

The Tusculum College Archives are also available anytime as a research source for academic papers and projects. For more information about the Archives, call 423-636-7348 or e-mail kcuff@tusculum.edu. Walk-in researchers are welcome.

The museum is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  It is recommended that anyone planning a visit call in advance.

The Museums of Tusculum College administer the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library and the Doak House Museum on campus. The Doak House Museum, the 19th century home of the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon Doak, co-founder of Tusculum College, hosts thousands of school children from the region for a variety of educational programs related to the 19th century and CHARACTER COUNTS! The President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library houses a special collection of items relating to the 17th president, the college’s archives and volumes from the institution’s original library. The museums are also two of the 10 structures on the Tusculum campus on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum department also offers one of the few undergraduate degree programs in museum studies in the country.

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