NEWS & CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

Students at Tusculum College are doing what they can to make a difference in the lives of those in need in East Tennessee by sponsoring a food drive to support The Second Harvest Food Bank and the Feeding America program.

“Pioneers Can! - Stack Up Against Hunger” is a program started by Professor Robin Fife’s Service Learning Class. Fife, assistant professor of social sciences, said she is allowing the students to plan, operate and manage every aspect of the campaign. The goal of the students, who kicked off the program on Wednesday, October 27, is to collect 10,000 pounds of food by November 12.

To get to 10,000 pounds, they are asking everyone on and off campus to consider donating at least 10 cans of food to be stacked up in the Pioneer Perk in a giant pyramid. However, donations of any size will be accepted. Anyone wishing to donate canned or boxed goods may do so by dropping them in one of the Second Harvest food collection barrels on campus at the entrances to Virginia and McCormick halls, the Thomas J. Garland Library and in the cafeteria and Pioneer Arena in Niswonger Commons.  Donations can also be dropped off at the Center for Civic Advancement at Rankin Hall, Room 203. Cash donations will also be accepted at the Center for Civic Advancement Office.

“We are accepting any canned or boxed items that are sealed and are not past their expiration dates,” said Sarah Moss, a junior from Nashville, Tenn. She added that some of the top items needed are peanut butter, cereal, macaroni and cheese as well as baby food and diapers. Also in high demand are canned meats, vegetables and fruits.

Students will also be accepting donations from the community at several special events schedule for campus during the campaign. Collections will be taken on Friday, October 29, at the Tusculum volleyball game at 7 p.m.; on Saturday, October 30, at the football game at 1:30, the women’s soccer game at 6 p.m. and at the men’s soccer game at 8 p.m., and on Nov. 5-7 at productions of “The King and I” at Annie Hogan Byrd auditorium.

 ”These students are very capable and they are realizing what’s involved in pulling something like this together. They are learning and at the same time helping people in our regional who are in need,” said Fife.

America’s Second Harvest is the United States’ largest domestic hunger relief organization, with a network of more than 200 food banks and food-rescue programs. The regional Food Bank serves 250 agencies in Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. Their vision is that no one goes hungry because they do not have access to food.

“All of the food goes back to the Second Harvest Food Bank and is used to serve only those in East Tennessee and especially Greene County,” said Dustin Collins, a senior psychology major from Bluff City, Tenn. “If you need help, they are there to help you without discrimination of age, sex, race or circumstance.”  He added, “10 cans really can make a difference right here at home.”

According to Fife, part of the very mission of Tusculum College is serving the communities and others in need and learning to be servant leaders is what the service learning classes are all about.

“These students really do care about helping others, and now they are learning how to take those feelings and put them into action,” Fife said.

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Providing resources, programs and support are the focus points of a Master Partnership agreement signed by Tusculum College’s Mentors for Kids Program and Hal Henard Elementary School.

 The contract became official October 21 at a signing ceremony at Hal Henard Elementary School and is part of the Partners in Education program, a joint project of the Greene County School System, the Greeneville City School System, and the Greene County Partnership.  The contract was established for one year, after which time it will be evaluated and considered for renewal.

 According to Partners in Education Director Kelly Burrell, “This partnership is an example of how common goals can be met when schools and civic/community groups, school groups, or businesses collaborate and it will provide wonderful opportunities for the students at Hal Henard.”

 Objectives of the partnership are:  to develop resources, including, but not limited to funding, associate involvement and ideas; to provide an avenue for interaction between the Tusculum College’s Mentors for Kids Program and Hal Henard Elementary School’s Third Grade classes; to improve student knowledge of the commitment to education and community involvement by Tusculum College and its Mentors for Kids Program; to work together to improve awareness of every day issues facing students; to create a partnership that enables personnel from the elementary school education level and college level to interact and accomplish common goals; to work together on joint projects such as fundraising and school events/programs; and, to establish positive relationships with teachers, students, and the Hal Henard community as a whole.

 Major activities outlined in the contract include the following:  Tusculum College’s Mentors for Kids Program was developed to motivate youth and communities to achieve different experiences to inspire them to transform lives, education to change attitudes, and connections to increase opportunities; Tusculum College staff and students will work with all three (3) third grade classes from Hal Henard Elementary School in an effort to provide learning opportunities for them; Tusculum College staff and students will met with Hal Henard 3^rd grade students every Tuesday for five (5) weeks in order to allow the youngsters to experience life on a college campus and engage in various educational activities; Tusculum College’s Mentors for Kids Program will encourage the 3^rd grade students to write in a journal about their day each week and are also presented with a book to keep from the college at the conclusion of each meeting day; Tusculum College’s Mentors for Kids Program will lead programs for students involving teamwork, cultural diversity, history, higher education, and athletic training.  Other programs of work may be incorporated in the future; and Hal Henard Elementary School will place a banner in their gymnasium designating Tusculum College’s Mentors for Kids Program as its Partner in Education.

 The Partners in Education program was formed to provide a link between businesses, organizations and institutions and the public school systems in order to enhance and expand educational opportunities for all students.

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The Andrew Johnson Society of Tusculum College will be hosting a public debate on at the Greeneville campus on Thursday, October 28, from 7-9 p.m. Also participating will be the College Democrat organization.

The event will be held in the Chalmers Conference Center in the Niswonger Commons and is free of charge and open to the public.

The beginning program will be a mock debate between members of the two student organizations. The mock debate will be followed by representatives for candidates for governor and regional and local who will each be given the opportunity to address the attendees.

The group is expecting representatives from the two Tennessee gubernatorial campaigns of Mr. Bill Haslam and Mr. Mike McWherter.

Haslam is in his seventh year as mayor of Knoxville and prior to that helped to lead his family business, Pilot Travel Centers, for 18 years. He is the Republican nominee.

McWherter, the Democratic Party nominee, has been a successful businessman and has owned and operated a successful beverage distributorship in Jackson, Tenn. McWherter has never held prior public office.

“We want to provide an event that will inform the community of the candidates’ stand on the issues so that they can be better informed when they go to vote,” said Isiah Lyman, President of the Andrew Johnson Society.

The students will also hold voter registration opportunities on campus between now and the election.

For more information on the event, contact Dr. Joel Van Amberg, assistant professor of history and advisor to the Andrew Johnson Society, at 423-633-7300.

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Jacquelyn D. Elliott, vice president for enrollment management at Tusculum College, has been elected to the Executive Committee of the Southern Association for Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (SACRAO).

Elliott, who has been at Tusculum since 2006, will serve a two-year term as vice president for professional development on the Executive Committee.

In this position, Elliott will be responsible for coordinating and supervising the professional growth and development activities of SACRAO. She will also serve as a member of the organization’s Program Committee, coordinate the activities of the Professional Development Committee and serve as an ex-officio member of the Journal Editorial Board.

SACRAO is an organization with a mission to provide for the dissemination of information, the exchange of ideas and leadership in policy interpretation in the southern region for professionals working in college registrar and admission offices. The association has members from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

To maintain a leadership position in pursuit of its mission, SACRAO identifies and promotes standards and best practices affecting admission officers, student-service professionals and registrars and other academic support.

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Discover what prehistoric Northeast Tennessee was like in a presentation Tuesday, Oct. 26, at Tusculum College.

“The Gray Fossil Site: Relics, Remnants and Resources” will be presented by Jeanne Zavada, director of the East Tennessee State University and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum and Gray Fossil Site. The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum College campus.

Zavada will share the amazing story of the fossil site and describe the resources available at the site and the Natural History Museum during the presentation, which is part of Tusculum College Arts Outreach’s Acts, Arts, Academia 2010-11 performance and lecture series.

The Gray Fossil Site has garnered much attention and interest from both paleontologists and the general public. Discovered during preparatory work for a state highway project in 2000, the site has revealed an entire ecosystem that existed four to seven million years ago, allowing a glimpse into what the southern Appalachians looked like at the end of the era known as the Miocene Epoch.

Many of the plants and animals discovered are extinct, while others exist today, but not in eastern Tennessee. Some plants, such as oak and hickory trees, were part of the main diet for the prehistoric animals and are still part of the East Tennessee landscape. Four species of turtles found at the site continue to live in the region’s forests.

Thousands of specimens have been excavated by paleontologists, staff and volunteers during the past decade including alligators, camels, sloths, elephants, rhinos, tapirs, peccary, and other species totally new to science.

The Gray site has also provided the largest cache of tapir fossils anywhere in the world.

The site is nearly five acres in size and 100 feet deep. The fossil remains of the Gray site have been uniquely preserved by rich, organic matter that filled what had been a vibrant pond that attracted a variety of animals.

To introduce visitors to the site, a Natural History Museum and Visitor Center was constructed that offers tours of ongoing fossil digs, interactive exhibits and education programs for people of all ages. The museum also features temporary traveling exhibits. An education annex is now under construction that will feature a rooftop outdoor classroom with a weather monitoring station, a café, an indoor wet lab and a second outdoor classroom.

Admission is $6 per person, and tickets will be available at the door. For more information about the program, please contact Tusculum College Arts Outreach at 423.798.1620 or jhollowell@tusculum.edu or visit http//arts.tusculum.edu.

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Approximately 300 alumni and friends of Tusculum College returned to campus for Homecoming 2010 activities Oct. 8 and 9.

Homecoming activities included a parade, a tailgate party, an alumni dinner and dance, Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a memorial service and the annual Alumni Association meeting.

In addition, this year’s festivities included the Inauguration of Dr. Nancy B. Moody, Tusculum College’s 27^th and first female president, and related events. Alumni representing almost each class beginning with the class of 1940 marched in the processional for the ceremony, and Dr. Robert Pollock, a member of the class of 1965 and president of the Alumni Association, spoke during the ceremony on behalf of the alumni.

At half-time of the football game, seniors Jerwayne Gunn and Amber Sharp were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. Gunn is a graphic design major from Antioch, Tenn., and a student assistant with the Lady Pioneers women’s basketball team and a peer mentor for the Quest group. Sharp is an athletic training major from Tazewell, Tenn., who is the president of the Bonner Leaders program and a member of the President’s Society, the Student Alumni Association, Athletic Training Student Society and Iota Tau Alpha.

During the annual Alumni Association meeting, members of the Class of 1960 presented a class gift of $2,000 to Dr. Moody in honor of their 50^th anniversary. The gift was used to purchase a defibrillator for use by campus safety.

Also during the meeting, awards were presented to a distinguished alumnus and a long-time professor and staff member. Recipients of the awards are nominated by alumni.

Howard Doscher of East Hanover, N.J., a member of the class of 1960, was the recipient of the Pioneer Award, the highest honor presented by the Alumni Association for exemplifying the Pioneer spirit of excellence and service to others. A veteran of the U.S. Army and the New Jersey National Guard, Doscher had a 33-year distinguished career at Chubb Life Insurance Company, holding various leadership positions. He later founded the Economic Management Group, a specialty insurance consulting firm.

Doscher is deeply involved in his community, serving on the East Hanover Environmental Commission, coaching little league teams and helping teach his church’s confirmation class. He devotes considerable time to the Knights of Columbus and the Deer Lake Club, a family recreation center. Doscher has been a longtime supporter of his alma mater and served on Tusculum’s Board of Trustees in the 1980s.

Honored with the National Living Faculty Award was Dr. David Bow, professor of physical education, who has been a leader and positive influence in the classroom and on campus for more than 20 years.  Dr. Bow teaches a variety of classes in both the Residential College and Graduate and Professional Studies programs. He has served in several leadership positions including coordinator and chairman of the Physical Education program, director of athletics and a coach. His work for the athletics department has been recognized by his induction into the Tusculum College Sports Hall of Fame. Dr. Bow is a member of several professional physical education organizations and has served as president of the Tennessee Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

Receiving the National Alumni Recognition Award was Jeanne Stokes, director of the federal TRIO Program at Tusculum College. Stokes has positively touched hundreds of lives in the East Tennessee region through her work with the programs that provide enrichment activities to encourage prospective first-generation college students to continue their education after high school as well as provide services to students once they enter college. Stokes has been involved in the Tusculum TRIO Programs for 20 years at Tusculum, joining the staff as coordinator for the Talent Search program. She has been an instructor at Tusculum and Warren Wilson colleges and also worked as a teacher at Concord Middle School and EastView Elementary. At Tusculum, she also serves as a member of the Judicial Review Board, the Quality Enhancement Plan Steering Committee and as an advisor for students.

On Saturday evening, three new members were inducted into the Tusculum College Sports Hall of Fame.  This year’s induction class included All-Region women’s cross country runner Amanda Musick Hale, a 2004 graduate; All-Conference quarterback Caleb Slover, a 2003 graduate, and All-Region volleyball standout Deb Varney Zevetchin, a 1998 graduate.

Also presented during the ceremony was the Sports Benefactor Award, which recognizes an individual for their contributions toward the Pioneer athletic programs. The 2010 recipient was Larry Coughlin, a long-time supporter of Tusculum athletics. Coughlin is currently serving as the chairman of the 2010-11 Pioneer Club Campaign, which provides funds for scholarships for student athletes and program support.

The date has been selected for Homecoming 2011, which will be Sept. 23 and 24.

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Back by popular demand, “Haints and Boogers: Ghosts and Spirits at Tusculum College and Upper East Tennessee” will return in a supersized program.

This year’s event, “Part 2: Elmer’s Revenge,” will be a Tusculum College arts and leisure credit event, beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 28, in the specially-darkened main reading room of the Thomas J. Garland Library. The whole library staff will all be involved in parts of the presentation, including Elmer the Library Gremlin. 

The presentation will included illustrated stories concerning paranormal activities on campus and in the surrounding community and refreshments will follow the presentation.

“We have expanded the program this year to include ghost stories of Tusculum, Lincoln Memorial University and East Tennessee State University, plus Greene County and the East Tennessee region,” said Library Director Jack Smith. “Also new this year, each of our non-Tennessee born staff members will share stories from their home states, including Kentucky, Wyoming and Ohio.”

The event, which will include ghost stories and tales from among others, Virginia, Haynes and Katherine Halls, is open to the public and free of charge.  No reservations are required.

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Senior Zachary (Zack) Smith has been honored as the first “Student of the Block” for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Smith, a professional writing and journalism major from Granville, Ohio, was recognized in a ceremony October 7 as the “Student of the Block” for the first block of the new academic year. The award is presented each block by the Office of Student Affairs to recognize students for academic achievement, leadership on campus and contributions to the college community.

An active student on campus, Zack has participated in theatre productions, the Tusculum College Community Chorus, Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, as well as served as editor in chief of the Pioneer Frontier campus newspaper.  He also enjoys playing lacrosse, and his love of service began in high school when one of his projects was establishing a middle school lacrosse program.

While he values his co-curricular experience, Zack upholds his responsibility as an academically sound student. Boasting a 3.67 GPA in his courses, Zack truly enjoys his academic career and values the lessons it has taught him. “I am proud to have never missed the Dean’s List here at Tusculum College” he said. “It is easy to overlook a course or take a mental break from time to time. Although I encountered many challenging courses at Tusculum College, I consistently strive to do my best work without exception.”

Some of his favorite courses have been his business courses (especially international business and management), literature and copy editing. Among his favorite professors are Dr. Tom McFarland, associate professor of business administration; Dr. Antonio Bos, professor of business administration; Dr. Desirae Matherly, assistant professor of English, and Wayne Thomas, assistant professor of English. Smith said that each brings a unique experience to the classroom.  ”Dr. McFarland demonstrated such a high level of professionalism. Dr. Bos brought humor to difficult situations. Dr. Thomas is my advisor and was the first professor I had in class at Tusculum College - he sets the bar high. And Dr. Matherly brought a new perspective to the department, is a dedicated editor [advisor] for the newspaper and always has her door open.”

The son of Sharon Smith and Bruce Smith, Zack is an intuitive, intelligent and hard working individual with a deep love of Tusculum College. “I chose Tusculum because of the block system and because I was excited to come to Tennessee,” said Zack. The youngest brother of Doug and Brian, Zack is a natural mentor to others because of the leadership his siblings provided for him during his youth. “He has proven himself to be a creative and patient mentor with a sharp sense for needed changes and the confidence to effect those changes when required,” said Dr. Matherly of Zack’s leadership capabilities as the Pioneer Frontier editor-in-chief.

Mentorship is very important to Zack and helped to shape the individual he is today. “My brothers have been father figures to me because they are older and lived life… my uncle Bill Mason is a superintendent and influenced my decision to become a teacher… and Michael Caravana (head coach of the Denison University LaCrosse team) taught me organizational skills and to work hard all of the time” he said.

Zack’s dedication to his studies and being a civic-minded community member is often thankless but he finds it very rewarding. Zack serves as a coach, promotional director and counselor for the Lacrosse Academy, and a volunteer at the front desk of the Community Ministries Food Bank in Greeneville. He also serves as president of the Tusculum College Alpha Chi chapter. Zack was rewarded for his dedication to the Pioneer Frontier as the English department’s 2009 Journalist of the Year. Wayne Thomas describes him as “the epitome of what a Tusculum student should be… he’s going to make a fantastic teacher.”

Reflecting on his personal experience at college, Zack offers the following advice to his fellow students “the years of my life passed very fast - don’t waste your time sitting in your room…go out and build some memories.”

Realizing students often view college as a time in which to be a young adult with no responsibilities, Zack challenges Tusculum students to ” focus on career building because you can’t expect advisors to come to you, you need to make decisions….during your entire college career, you should be thinking of what you want to do when you leave.”

He also provides the four following points to become academically successful: follow your syllabus for each class and put aside what you want to do in the moment for fun for long-term results academically; make your voice heard though participation in campus events and groups; don’t lose sight of your goals, and stay on track.

With his time on the campus drawing to a close (Zack graduates in December 2010), he fondly recalls memories of great times on the campus. “Spring Fling is always a good time, attending football and baseball games, Saturday night trips to The Valley, spending time studying in the Library - I’ve put in a lot of hours digging through research material and information for different projects,” he said.
“I will miss the schedule - once I leave the quality of my life will probably go down… I tell my summer lacrosse camp students that they should definitely go to college because it’s a big sleepover with all of your friends and its completely your own schedule- with no parents!”

The College will lose a great member of the student body when Zack receives his degree and continues on to graduate school to obtain his master of arts in education but will gain an insightful and dedicated alumnus. “During my time at Tusculum College, the school and its faculty have taught me many important things outside of my academic endeavors.” he said. “I have learned to cherish the knowledge I’ve gained and to appreciate the uniqueness of my opportunities. I have further embraced the spirit of my own civic duties and the positive impact my actions can have on the lives of others. Thank you to the people at Tusculum College who work behind the scenes - the people who do all the work that has to be done to run the college.”

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Tusculum College student David Ronsckevitz, a senior English and creative writing major from Franklin, Tenn., is featured in this month’s issue of Connotation Press, an international literary magazine.

Ronsckevitz’s one-act play, “The House of Autumn Fire,” is featured along with an introductory biography on Ronsckevitz. The play began during Ronsckevitz’s advanced scriptwriting class last fall under English Professor Wayne Thomas. Thomas is also the author of Ronsckevitz’s introduction.

Thomas notes that Ronsckevitz’s “prose is smart and sometimes poetic and sometimes…. tough enough to make you shudder.”

The play centers on a suspicious fire that resulted in the death of an entire family, save one teenage girl, and that girl’s retelling of what led up to the fire. The play is set on sacred Cherokee land in the Appalachian Mountains. The play’s full text can be found on the Connotation Press’ website at http://www.connotationpress.com/featured-undergrads/588-david-roncskevitz-introduced-by-wayne-thomas-october-2010.

According to Thomas, an earlier draft of the play was selected by visiting writer Patrick Madden as a winner of the 2009-2010 Curtis-Owens Literary Awards. 

Ronsckevitz is assistant managing editor of “The Tusculum Review,” the college’s international literary journal.

“Connotation Press” has only been around for a year, but the journal has already featured a U. S. Poet Laureate, two Pulitzer Prize winners and more than a half dozen U. S. State Laureates. Its website is regularly visited by people in 91 different countries.

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The Study Abroad Club held an organizational meeting on Wednesday, September 29, to bring together students who are interested in travel and study abroad opportunities. The meeting was led by Dr. Geir Bergvin, director of the Center for Global Studies, who will serve as the advisor to the group.

“Slowly but surely we are getting more students interested and offering then more opportunities to study abroad,” said Bergvin.

The organizational mission of the group is to increase interest in the study abroad programs and to have the club members promote study abroad opportunities to others on campus.

Also present were Dr. Tom McFarland, associate professor of business administration and also a member of the Center for Global Studies Advisory Council, and Bonnie Weston, representing student affairs.

Bergvin, explained the program and the government structure of the Global Studies Program, as well as possible programming and event opportunities the students could be involved with in this academic year.

Officers were elected and include co-presidents Andrew Baker, a sophomore majoring in creative writing and planning a trip to Australia this year; and Luis Zamora, an international student majoring in management and economics. Zamora was born in Germany and later moved to Chile.

“This is my study abroad program, and I have realized it opens your mind immensely,” said Zamora. Baker said that while he is very excited about his own upcoming study abroad opportunity, his main goal is to promote study abroad in the overall Tusculum community.

Bergvin told the students, “You have an opportunity to build an organization from scratch and motivate other students to get involved by spreading the value and interest of study broad and encouraging others to get involved.”

For more information on the Study Abroad Club or the Center for Global Studies, contact Bergvin at Ext. 5012, email at gbergvin@tusculum.edu or by stopping by the Center for Global Studies Office in the Pilloni Office, Room 121 in the Thomas J. Garland Library.

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