Lees-McRae College News

What does a boy born in the heart of the Toe River Valley in a house about 50 yards from the public library grow up to be? In Daniel Barron’s case, the answer was clear. He has worked throughout his professional life in the library field, and today he is the director of the AMY Regional Library which serves the valley of his birth.

Barron, who has always spread the gospel of the benefits of libraries, will present his program Books, Buns and Beyond: Get it at Your Public Library on Wednesday, July 15, in the Stafford Room of the Carson Library at Lees-McRae College. His talk will be the first of this summer’s Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture Series.

“Today’s libraries offer a great deal for everyone, especially during these economic hard times,” says Barron, Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina where he served 30 years as a faculty member and Director of the School.

Barron returned to his Toe River Valley roots in Bakersville after retiring from his career at USC, but quickly found himself back at work, this time as interim director of the AMY Regional Library System. When asked to fill the position on an interim basis he said, “Sure, I can do it for that long. I taught it for 30 years—hey—let’s see if I can do it. About six weeks into the job, I really got interested.”

After his interim period, Barron was appointed Director in January 2007. Since then he has worked diligently serving the people of Avery, Mitchell and Yancey Counties. The system’s libraries today are more than a place simply to check out books, they are full blown information centers ready and willing to help with education from GED through graduate school. Working with families to find help in literacy for adults and children, providing access to information through the Internet, carrying everything from the latest best sellers to a variety of movies are just a few of the many services that Barron will talk about in his program Wednesday evening.

This sixth-generation Western North Carolina native serves the people of the Toe River Valley with skills amassed over a lifetime in his profession and with passion for his people and his libraries. Do yourself a favor and come to Lees-McRae to learn how you can best utilize the many services offered by your library system.

Daniel Barron’s program on July 15 is the first in this year’s series of Stephenson Center Lectures at Lees-McRae. On July 22, Dr. Roberta Herrin, director of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University will present a lecture, and on July 29 in Evans Auditorium Beech Mountain Echoes will present a program of mountain music showing the heritage of musicians and instrument makers from Beech Mountain.

All of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia’s summer programs are free of charge and open to the public. For information call 828-898-8729.

The 37^th Annual Alumni Arts and Crafts Show and Sale will be held July 11-19 in the Cannon Student Center at Lees-McRae College as part of Alumni Frolic Week.

Come and check out all the handmade arts and crafts on display, and get a head start on your holiday shopping.

The unique show began as an outdoor “clothesline” exhibition held by two alumni in 1973 and has grown to a show of more than 25 vendors. Items for sale include pottery, woodworking items, jewelry, pillows, wooden bowls, paintings, crocheted items, ceramics, stained glass, mosaics, floral arrangements and much more.

“All are welcome at our week-long indoor show! Don’t let the rain keep you from coming out to shop! Our show features high quality work at prices that fit any budget,” said Michelle Vance Scott ‘86/’90, coordinator of volunteers for the show.

The schedule for the show is as follows:

Saturday, July 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, July 12, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday, July 13 - Friday, July 17, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, July 18, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, July 19, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The show and sale is free and open to the public. For more information on the Arts and Crafts Show and Sale or Alumni Frolic Week, please contact Sandy Ramsey by email at ramsey@lmc.edu or by telephone at (828) 898-2489.   Â

Since its inception, the show has contributed more than $222,500 to College projects, including the purchase of computers, audio-equipment and physical plant improvements. In addition, an invested endowment of $135,000 provides annual Alumni Arts and Crafts Scholarships to worthy students. All proceeds benefit the college.

Lees-McRae College has been honored with a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation to restore the film In The Mountains Is A Place Called Home. The film, a 1959 production of the college, is the story of an orphan child, brought to Grandfather Home, who grows up, graduates from Lees-McRae, and whose experiences at the home, the college, and hospital are retold as she views her childhood and college years in retrospect.

According to its website, The National Film Preservation Foundation is the nonprofit organization created by the U.S. Congress to help save America’s film heritage. It supports activities nationwide that preserve American films and improve film access for study, education, and exhibition. Founded in 1997 its mission is to preserve American films that would be unlikely to survive without public support.

Other award recipients this year include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Country Music Hall of Fame, Rhode Island Historical Society, American Museum of Natural History, George Eastman House, and many more. A complete list may be found on the NFPF web site at www.filmpreservation.org.

Once restored, the film will be available in DVD format at the James H. Carson Library for anyone interested in viewing it.

Photo: From The Pinnacles, Fourth Quarter—November, 1959. At left is Daisy Long, a Lees-McRae graduate who played the leading role in the film. The young girl is Kathy Cook of Grandfather Home who played the younger version of Daisy’s character in the film.

Forty Lees-McRae students were inducted into the national college honor society Alpha Chi in ceremonies on campus.

They are Charles Austin; Lauren Ayer; Lynn Barber; Lisa Bell; Ryan Black; Kayla Blevins; Krista Brown; Billy Burleson; Susanna van Rensselaer Buschmann; Kisha Byrd; Karen Cavanaugh; Kelly Chatterton; Ashleigh Contouris; Megan Davis; Amanda Elliott; Ashley Franklin; Samantha Gibbs; Lorrie Gouge; Rodney Graham; April Greene; Della Grindstaff; Benjamin Hill; Jesse Hoots; Jennifer Hurd; Hnicole James; Donna Jones; Miranda Lilly; Ashley May; Aleksander Mojski; Elizabeth O’Hagan; Tina Peterson; Kathryn Smith; Stephanie Stewart; Brittany Thomas; Eva Tomko; Kathy Trice; Anna Vanbuskirk; Megan Vleit; Anne Vue; Vicki Wild; and Michelle Williams.

The organization, with chapters at more than 200 colleges nationwide, recognizes, for academic excellence, juniors and seniors from all academic disciplines.

Alpha Chi’s objectives are to develop and recognize scholarship and those elements of character that make scholarship effective for good. The organization encourages graduate study and offers a scholarship program for outstanding student members.

Photos of Alpha Chi inductees will be available on the Lees-McRae College website soon.

FORUM at Lees-McRae College celebrates 30 years this season with exceptional performances by groups including The Marlins, The Four Freshmen and the Western Piedmont Symphony.

Don’t miss out on this wonderful season that kicks off with an opening social with special entertainment on June 9. The performances begin June 16, with one each Tuesday evening through the summer.

“In response to our 30^th anniversary, we’ve arranged to have several of our FORUM patrons’ favorites back to perform this year. The programs are going to be wonderful this season!” said Cliff Williams, president of FORUM. “You don’t want to miss out on this special year.”

FORUM began in 1979 as an organization formed by a group of “summer people” with the purpose of bringing cultural programs to Banner Elk. Affiliated with Lees-McRae College, FORUM has grown to be a large organization made up of local residents, “summer people” and Lees-McRae College staff that provides programs of both cultural enrichment and wholesome entertainment to the community.

The 2009 season opens with The Marlins on June 16. The Marlins offer everything from Big Band to Classical melodies, foot-tapping Ragtime to down home bluegrass. On June 23, the Marco Vega Quintet is sure to please the audience with a huge repertoire of familiar favorites including “A Time for Us”, “Somewhere My Love”, and “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina”, plus native songs and costumes of Paraguay.

FORUM favorite Emile Pandolfi provides a combination of charm, laughter and the exquisite styling of a master pianist on June 30. On July 7, John Gordon Ross returns for his 16^th season as music director and conductor of the Western Piedmont Symphony for a patriotic pops concert.

Mac Frampton, with trumpeter Cecil Welch, returns for his fifth FORUM performance on July 14. His “Pop Go the Classics” production features Frampton on the piano and six other world class musicians. On July 21, Nathan Granner will serenade the FORUM audience with his tenor voice that has been described as vibrant, flexible, full of fire and comparable to Mario Lonzo. His program consists of Americana to Broadway.

On July 18, The Four Freshmen, in their 61^st year of performance, will bring their unique brand of vocal harmony to audiences worldwide. As their website states, “The names and faces have changed a few times along the road, but the legendary sound continues…”

To round out the FORUM season, Footworks will perform on Aug. 4. From the clogging of Southern Appalachia to the step dances of Ireland, the six dancers and four musicians of Footworks celebrate the world of percussive dance.

For more information about FORUM, visit go.lmc.edu/forum. To become a FORUM patron, contact Sandy Ramsey at ramsey@lmc.edu or (828) 898-8748.

The Lees-McRae College Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Jane B. Stephenson, elected Dr. Scott Colley, President Emeritus of Berry College in Georgia, to be president of Lees-McRae beginning June 1.

Dr. Colley brings years of experience in higher education administration to the College including strategic planning, capitol fund management and alumni relations.

“We are delighted to have as our next President an experienced educator who not only has been a college President, but has taught college level English, served as a Department Chair, and as a Provost. Dr. Colley’s wealth of experience will be most beneficial to Lees-McRae College and we look forward to Dr. Colley and his wife becoming an important addition to the college family,” said Jane B. Stephenson ‘57, Chair of the Board of Trustees.

While serving Berry College from 1998 to 2006, Dr. Colley led the college during a successful $100 million campaign. During his tenure, the college thoroughly renovated two major classroom buildings and an alumni center, constructed a new science building and residence hall, and began construction of a new student athletic center.

Prior to serving as president of Berry College, Dr. Colley served as Provost and dean of the faculty of Hampden-Sydney College from 1988 to 1998. In addition to administrative duties, he continued to teach freshman writing courses, surveys of literature, humanities and Shakespeare. He currently serves as a faculty member of the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Program at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Colley also served on the faculty of Vanderbilt University for 20 years. He was a member of the English department from 1968 to 1988. In 1981, he was named associate dean of the college, later serving as chair of the department of English.

A graduate of Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, Dr. Colley earned his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of Chicago. He has published three dozen scholarly articles and reviews in such publications as Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England, Shakespeare Quarterly and Shakespeare Studies. He is the editor or co-editor of two Shakespeare editions and author of books on 17^th-century playwright John Marston and Shakespeare’s Richard III.

Nearly 500 Lees-McRae College students, faculty and staff stepped out of their classrooms and offices on April 29 to participate in the fifth annual Mountain Day of Service. Participants took part in more than 35 service projects throughout the county and across campus.

“Mountain Day of Service is a way for students to give back to our school and the surrounding community. It is really nice to spend the day getting your hands dirty, because then you can look back and see the impact of your work on the community. When I visited Lees-McRae and learned that an entire day each year was dedicated to community service, I knew this was the school for me,” said freshman Katie Alexander.

On-campus projects included planting trees and flowers, building recycling receptacles and a turtle habitat at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute, refurbishing the outdoor basketball court, painting parking space lines and general campus clean-up.

As for off-campus work, projects included painting fire hydrants for the Banner Elk Volunteer Fire Department, highway clean-up for Hickory Nut Gap Road, landscaping and window painting at the Banner Elk School, a clean-up of the Valle Crucis Park, Elk River and Shawneehaw Creek clean-ups, as well as projects with community agencies including ACADA, Habitat for Humanity, RAM’s Rack and Blazing Saddles.

Selena Hilemon, director of community outreach, oversees the organization of Mountain Day of Service and continues to be inspired by the overwhelming support from campus. “Mountain Day of Service is a wonderful way to bring our student’s learning full circle. At Lees-McRae we believe that our students’ education is not complete if left in the classroom. Dr. Bushman has led us to take an even more intentional step in this direction and his leadership and support are invaluable,” Hilemon said.

The tradition of Mountain Day at Lees-McRae goes back to the school’s founder, the Rev. Edgar Tufts. Each fall, Tufts would surprise the school during chapel by announcing, “it was a good day to climb Beech.” Following the proclamation, the entire school would set off up the mountain. When they reached the end of the five-mile climb, a feast of potatoes and corn and sandwiches would be waiting on the group.

Mountain Day was renewed during the early years of the 21^st century, more than 100 years after Tufts founded the school. It became a fall and spring tradition, though the hike was limited to Wildcat Lake via the Hemlock Trail. In 2005, President David Bushman began a new tradition making the spring Mountain Day a day of service, and leaving fall Mountain Day a day of rest and fun.

“Mountain Day of Service is a very special way of celebrating community and our stewardship of these ancient mountains, and a way of reminding ourselves that we have an obligation to be in service to each other and to the common good. It represents the transformative power of a Lees-McRae education and is something the whole College takes great pride in. Our students, faculty and staff really do make a difference.”

On April 24, Lees-McRae College raised $7,748 for the American Cancer Society during the College’s fourth annual mini Relay For Life fundraiser, greatly surpassing the $5,000 goal.

Each year, Lees-McRae chooses to host a “mini-relay,” which means the event lasts for six hours (6 p.m. to midnight) instead of the traditional 24 hours. But in only six hours, more than $1,800 was raised during the event with nearly 200 students in attendance.

Fifteen teams of students, faculty, and staff spent two months raising money, with the winning team being service sorority Delta Omicron Theta with a total of $1,300. Each team put together various fundraisers including a spaghetti dinner, spare change collections and selling t-shirts and the signature Relay For Life footprints and luminaries.

To begin the night, Megan Walters, Lees-McRae’s director of campus life and Relay for Life coordinator, welcomed everyone and said a special thank-you to those who helped raise money. She then introduced the screening of a film titled Relay For Life: A Documentary, which was shot and edited by Lees-McRae junior, Megan Hall. The documentary gave a background on Relay For Life at Lees-McRae College, team fundraising efforts and stories of Lees-McRae students’ experiences with cancer.

After the film, Julie Loveless, a Lees-McRae freshman and breast cancer survivor, spoke about her experience with cancer and how much it meant to her to see so many people coming out to support the cause.

“It’s so fun to see the students compete with each other to see who can raise the most money!  They bend over backwards to outdo each other and that’s the best kind of campus competition I can think of,” said Megan Walters, coordinator of the event. “The students, faculty, and staff who come to the Relay event have so much fun and learn a lot about how cancer affects every community, even ours.  I’m thrilled to be involved with this fantastic event!”

The evening also included a Mock Rock featuring choreographed karaoke performances by each participating team. Since this year marks the 25^th anniversary of Relay For Life, each team commemorated the anniversary with 80s themed attire and performances.

With this triumphant event to build on, Lees-McRae Relay participants look forward to many more successful years to come.

If you’d like to find out more about Relay For Life, log on to www.relayforlife.org.

Lees-McRae College will host its second annual Senior Research Symposium on May 8 from 1-4 p.m. in Evans Auditorium in the Cannon Student Center.

The senior research symposium is a celebration of student research and the achievements of graduating seniors. The symposium will feature formal presentations from various academic programs as well as a general poster and project presentation session from 2-3 p.m.  

The entire campus community is invited to attend. 

For information, contact Dr. Michael Vines at (828) 898-8757.

Lees-McRae College will host Run for the Fiesta, a charity race to benefit programming at the Carol and Glenn Arthur Student Recreation Complex at Lees-McRae May 2. The entry fee for the race is $20 and it begins at 1 p.m. at the historic Lees-McRae Mill Pond.

We will run, walk, jog or stroll through Lees-McRae College’s campus and on the Banner Elk Greenway to get to Los Arcoiris for fantastic Mexican food.  All participants will get a fiesta shirt, a raffle ticket for chances at great prizes, a chance at several free giveaways, free food and great drink specials, all while supporting a great cause!

“The Arthur Student Recreation Complex has become a staple in the Banner Elk community, offering programs to the local community, families and, of course, Lees-McRae College students.  We’d love to be able to offer even more activities to the community and continue to keep the events at the lowest possible cost… which is usually FREE!” said Dani Usedom, Director of Campus Recreation at Lees-McRae.

Registration will run from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Participants may also print and mail an entry form from the website, or register online and pay at the event.

Kathryn Gatewood, whose children haven’t missed one Kidz Zone yet, said, “We’re new to the Banner Elk community, and I have appreciated Lees-McRae College so much for opening up the new [Arthur] Student Recreation Complex for Kidz Zone every Monday and Friday.  Not only has it been an awesome place for our kids to have fun with other kids, but it’s also been a good place for parents to hang out.”

Kidz Zone is a free program for local children to come and get active in the Carol and Glenn Arthur Student Recreation Complex on Mondays and Fridays from 3-5 p.m.  Kidz Zone is just one of the many programs that will benefit from the proceeds of the race.

Lees-McRae junior Katie-Marie Legg said, “I am really excited for the event! I have been telling all of my friends and professors about it. I am definitely not going to miss out on this one!”

Prizes include a $50 gift certificate to Nike.com, iTunes gift cards, local restaurant gift certificates, Lees-McRae College gear, water bottles, socks and much more!

Mars Hill Alum, Kate Pritchard said, “I have been looking forward to this event for the past month!  Banner Elk has some great running trails and I can’t wait to take part in the fiesta at Los Arcoiris.”

For those interested in making a weekend out of the trip, we have reserved great rates with our friends over at the Best Western Mountain Lodge.  Call 828.898.4571 and ask for the Run for the Fiesta Lees-McRae College rate!�

There are plenty of other things to do in Banner Elk that weekend, so come on out.  Choppers, in the Best Western Mountain Lodge, is having its grand opening event on May 1 and Lees-McRae College one-act play performances will take place on May 2-3.

“This event should be a total blast and is a great way to do something active, make a difference in a community and meet some new people,” said Usedom.

Click here to register for the race.

Lees-McRae College Performing Arts will perform The Love of the Nightingale by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbacher. This production is will begin Friday, April 24 and run through Monday, April 27. Nightingale is a re-visioning of the Greek myth of Philomele and Procne, two Athenian sisters. While the play deals with an ancient myth, it is by no means a story without meaning for today’s audience.

In the play, the sisters are separated by Procne’s marriage to a military commander from a distant land. In the course of events, Philomele is silenced both physically and mentally by acts of violence that are carried out in the name of love. The responsibility of onlookers in tragedy is explored through a traditional chorus that commentates throughout the production. While the sisters are reunited through a magical ending, there are no easy answers given for questions of justice and accountability.

The production team for Nightingale includes Dr. Tessa Carr as director, Dr. Michael Hannah as costume designer, Chris Carr as set designer, Danielle Curtis as lighting designer, and Jason Pickering as sound designer. Together they have created a world situated somewhere between the past and the future with elements that blend ancient traditions with modern twists.

For the Love of the Nightingale opens on Friday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Hayes Auditorium in Banner Elk, North Carolina on the campus of Lees-McRae College and runs through April 27 with daily shows at 7:30 p.m. except for Sunday, April 26 at 2 p.m.

There is no box office daily or weekly. Please arrive early to purchase tickets the night of the show. There is no reserved seating. For more information, visit the Lees-McRae website at www.go.lmc.edu/performances, call (828) 898-8709 for an automated message system, or email baisdend@lmc.edu.

Amanda Elliott of Lees-McRae College received the third annual North Carolina Campus Compact Community Impact Student Award during the Compact’s Student Conference held at High Point University last. Twenty-seven college students across the state received the award for making significant, innovative contributions to their campus’ efforts to address local community needs.

State Senator Vernon Malone of Wake County and the Compact’s Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Keyne, presented the award to Elliott before an audience of more than 250 college students and guests representing 33 higher education institutions. President of High Point University, Dr. Nido Qubein, initiated the ceremony, emphasizing the conference’s theme, “The Power is Yours.”

Elliott is a senior honors student who has been a part of the Bonner Leaders Program on campus since her freshman year. She has already completed over 1,900 hours of community service, is a member of Amnesty International and Optimist International, and serves as senior class president, as well as the Senior Intern in the Community Outreach Office. In her various roles, Elliott has organized protests against human rights violations, worked on campaigns to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness and used her energy to increase the capacity and ability of the Community Outreach Office to connect volunteers and local organizations. Elliott, along with a fellow student from a service-learning class, wrote a proposal for the campus’ food service about the potential benefits of using local and organic foods.

North Carolina Campus Compact is a statewide coalition of higher education presidents and chancellors established to encourage and support campus engagement in the community. For more information, contact Jamarl Clark at (336) 278-7194.

Celebrated novelist Lee Smith will present a program on her work in the Stafford Room of the Carson Library at Lees-McRae College on Thursday, April 23, at 1:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Stephenson Center for Appalachia, the event is open to the public.

The author has received numerous awards for her fiction, including two O’Henry Awards, the Southern Book Critics Award and the Academy Award in Literature presented by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. While Appalachia is proud to claim her as a regional novelist, Lee Smith has won a national audience for her novels and short stories.

Smith has been a story-teller for as long as she can remember.

“I started telling stories as soon as I could talk–true stories, and made-up stories, too. It has always been hard for me to tell the difference between them. My father was fond of saying that I would climb a tree to tell a lie rather than stand on the ground to tell the truth. In fact, in the mountains of southwestern Virginia where I grew up, a lie was often called a story,” she writes on her website.

Smith will specifically address her novel, Saving Grace, which Professor Allen Speer has taught in one of his classes this semester.

“We are looking at the theme of what part the natural world plays in our life stories,” says Speer. “We explore nature and the sacred in Appalachia, and Lee Smith’s work concerns those same issues.”

Lees-McRae’s Stephenson Center for Appalachia invites the public to participate in this special event, the third in a series of Stephenson Center lectures this semester. The Stafford Room is located on the second floor of the James H. Carson Library.

For information contact Meghan Wright in the Communications Office at Lees-McRae College at (828) 898-8729.

Nina Fischesser, Director of the Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute (BRWI) at Lees-McRae College, was selected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to attend a national forum, February 19 and 20 in San Diego, California, entitled “It’s Alive! Petals to Primates: Preservation Challenges of Living Collections.” She is one of more than 50 representatives of small and medium-sized living collection institutions nationwide invited to participate based on their leadership in the profession and in their communities.

The conference program explored the range of challenges facing America’s smaller institutions housing collections of plants and animals. National conservation leaders, government officials, and professionals from zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers and living history farms addressed issues relevant to caring for and sustaining treasured living collections. IMLS, the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries, museums and living collections, presented this event in cooperation with the San Diego Zoo, and Heritage Preservation, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving the country’s heritage.

“Living collection institutions—from aquariums to zoos—play a very special role in our communities. We value them as places where we can learn about natural history and science, consider concepts of conservation and sustainability, and experience nature with friends and family,” said IMLS Director Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D. “At IMLS, we know that these special museums face unique conservation challenges. We are delighted to offer this opportunity for professionals from these institutions to come together and learn from each other.”

The Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute at Lees-McRae College cares for more than 600 injured or orphaned wild animals from western North Carolina annually. These include animals attacked by cats, hit by cars, with gunshot wounds, caught in fences and a myriad of other human-induced causes. This vital wildlife rehabilitation work includes medical assistance (in conjunction with trained veterinarians), feeding, housing and supportive care. Fully recovered animals are released in appropriate wild habitats.

The BRWI is also the central point of the wildlife rehabilitation and pre-veterinary science disciplines at Lees-McRae College. Students at the Institute become intimately familiar with the care, needs, and behavior of wild and domesticated vertebrates. The program offers a wide range of classroom and laboratory courses balanced with clinical experience performed in the Institute.

Nina Fischesser, the Institute’s director, has been rehabilitating wildlife since 1989 and serves as the guiding force behind the mission of the Institute. Dr. Lee Bolt, the veterinarian who treats the all the wildlife that at the Institute, accompanied Fischesser to the conference. They both hope to bring back much of what they learned at the conference and put it into action at the Institute.

“We were the only rehab center [at the conference]. We’re one of a kind. It was almost like our debut into the world of living collections. Even though the Institute is not as large as other places, our program has a big impact on our communities. It was a great opportunity to introduce all of these people to what wildlife rehabilitation is like in the higher education setting,” said Fischesser.

Fischesser was also able to make some unique connections at the conference. The San Diego Zoo, largely considered the best zoo in the world, expressed interest in collaborating with the BRWI, which would be an incredible resource for students. Fischesser also made some international connections that could open up possibilities for future international service trips. One trip would take students to China to work with giant pandas, and the other would travel to Mexico and work in all of the three zoos located in the heart of Mexico City.

“What this was all about was connections - connecting to other places and other people. Dr. Radice basically told us ‘Don’t be shy.’ Make friends, make connections. This is how we will succeed in protecting what is precious to us. Overall, we’re much more effective when we have each other,” said Fischesser.

The BRWI was awarded a Conservation Project Support grant from the IMLS last spring. One goal of the grant is to install and utilize digital cameras and hardware to monitor rehabilitation animals and maintain digital archives.

While in San Diego, Fischesser and Dr. Bolt consulted with personnel at the zoo on use of the video equipment that will be installed at the center this year.

Dr. Bolt will use the video equipment in his office, Sweeten Creek Animal Hospital, so that Fischesser and  students can follow the wildlife cases from beginning to end, including observation of treatments at the animal hospital.

“Dr. Bolt wanted to see how he could use the new technology in his office too,” Fischesser explained. “[At the BRWI], we will be able to follow behaviors of animals in the absence of human presence. We can track who is having a hard time and why and who is successful and why.”

Also with funds from the grant, the BRWI will improve its website, utilizing the digital videos on the Web. Visitors to the website will be able to follow an animal’s progress online.

“We will record and archive progress in the flight cages. We’ll have video from when the bird first arrives at the center until he’s ready for release,” Fischesser said. “We can follow the rehab of these animals full-circle.”

The improvements in technology at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute will benefit the center greatly, both in the rehabilitation of the animals and in the education of the students.

For more information about the IMLS, log on to www.imls.gov. For more information about the BRWI, log on to www.brwi.lmc.edu.

Lees-McRae College just released an Economic Impact Study outlining the economic impact the College has on Banner Elk, Avery County and Western North Carolina communities. The recent study found that during the 2007-2008 fiscal year, Lees-McRae College contributed $48 million to the area.

“We have always known that Lees-McRae is a cultural and educational anchor in the region, and this study confirms that we are a significant economic driver as well. With an annual total economic impact of nearly $50 million, Lees-McRae and our alumni form an essential part of the fabric of life in Western North Carolina,” said President David W. Bushman. “The impact of our commitment to educating young people reaches well beyond just those who get a diploma from Lees-McRae.”

In 2007, the Town of Banner Elk gained a net benefit of $50,000 from the presence of Lees-McRae College. Lees-McRae produced 30.3% of the Town’s revenues, and only accounted for 28.6% of expenditures.

Avery County’s economy also benefited from the presence of Lees-McRae in 2007. The College contributed $15.4 million to the County’s economy in 2007. One out of every $15 spent in Avery County was a result of the College’s presence.

Taking into account the cumulative contributions of Lees-McRae College, the county government gained a net benefit of $1.4 million from the presence of the College. The College accounted for 7.7% of revenue in the county and only 2.9% of the expenditures, a 4.8% net benefit.

The study found that Lees-McRae College and its alumni also have a significant impact on the economy of Western North Carolina. Contributions of $48 million in the 2007-2008 fiscal year to the region included $37.5 million as a result of the College, its employees, students, and visitors; $5.8 million in increased earnings of alumni; and $3.2 million as a result of social benefits due to positive lifestyle choices.

Outside of monetary contributions, Lees-McRae College also provided numerous employment opportunities in the area. During the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the College and its subcontractors employed 201 full-time people and were responsible for creating 525 other new jobs in Western North Carolina.

In essence, Lees-McRae College provides numerous advantages for Banner Elk, Avery County and Western North Carolina. The College offers education for area residents whose lifestyles and earning capacities are measurably enhanced by its programs. The College’s presence also generates many economic opportunities for local government and businesses.

The College attracts students and visitors from elsewhere and therefore brings in substantial dollars from outside Western North Carolina. The town and region report net revenues from the College’s presence. These economic advantages, coupled with the additional cultural benefits the College offers, attest to the significant contribution of Lees-McRae College to Banner Elk and Western North Carolina.

Dr. David W. Bushman announced Thursday, March 5, 2009, that he will be stepping down as the 13^th president of Lees-McRae College effective May 31, 2009. He will return to Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, to serve as the founding dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Math. Dr. Bushman has been president of Lees-McRae since October 2004.

Prior to serving Lees-McRae, Dr. Bushman served as a tenured professor of biology, Chair of the Department of Science, Director of the Office of Assessment and Dean of Academic Services at Mount St. Mary’s, where he worked for 13 years.

“While [my wife] Suzanne and I retain strong family and emotional ties to Maryland, it is impossible to leave Lees-McRae, an institution that means so much to me, without great sadness. I am proud of all that we have accomplished and am optimistic about what the future can hold for Lees-McRae. I will always share in the joy of the renaissance that is taking place here,” Dr. Bushman wrote in a letter to student, faculty and staff.

“I thank David for his service to Lees-McRae College. By every measure, he leaves Lees-McRae a stronger institution than it was five years ago,” said Jane B. Stephenson ‘57, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “During his service to the College, we’ve seen a broadened and deepened base of alumni and donor support, and we continue to see steady growth in our enrollment and retention. Members of the Board of Trustees and I are committed to providing a smooth transition in leadership for the College to ensure its continued success.”

Dr. David W. Bushman joined Lees-McRae College in June 2004 as senior vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the faculty. He served as Interim President from October 2004 to April 2005, when he was named the 13^th president of the College. His inauguration was held September 30, 2005.

On February 10, over 200 Lees-McRae College students skated the night away in Reynolds Gym in the Carol and Glenn Student Recreation Complex.

Hosted by Campus Recreation, the 1970s and 80s themed roller skating night was one of the most successful events so far this year, and had a very special sponsor – Stacy Thompson, a Lees-McRae College Alumna.

Thompson graduated in 2004 with a degree in sociology. She then decided to go into the family business – Kate’s Skating Rink with locations in Gastonia and Lowell, NC.

“I thank Lees-McRae because they have helped me and the family business, in ways we never thought possible. My degree in Sociology has been endlessly helpful, because it allows me to better understand the diversity of people that walk through our doors every day and night. Also, I took a lot of education classes, and that has spurred me to stay very close with all the school principals and PTO representatives. We have all kinds of reward parties, fundraisers and school trips each year! Kate’s isn’t just a skating rink to me, it’s my life, and I thank Lees-McRae for opening my eyes to that,” said Stacy Thompson, owner and operator of Kate’s Skating Rink.

Kate’s Skating Rink provided all of the skates, which Thompson delivered personally so she could join in the festivities.

“I wish I had brought more skates! There were students lined up ready to go, but luckily everyone was really nice about sharing sizes. I had a really good time. I was pleasantly surprised with the turnout and happy to see all the students having fun together,” said Thompson.

Students waited in line dressed in spandex, loud makeup and knee-high socks just to get a chance to lace-up a pair of roller skates and glide across the floor with all their friends.

“I’ve never seen so many different groups of students smiling and hanging out together!  Everyone was packed into the Carol and Glenn Arthur Student Recreation Complex and had a blast doing something a little out of the ordinary! Stacy Thompson helped us put on one of the most successful events of the year,” said Dani Usedom ‘07, director of campus recreation.

Delta Omicron Theta, one of four Greek organizations on campus, helped organize contests throughout the night. They held a costume contest and a skate-off, both for prizes, and traditional games like Limbo and Red Light-Green Light just for fun!

“Delta Omicron Theta was so excited about the opportunity to work with the Student Recreation Complex and Campus Recreation to host Lees-McRae’s first Retro Skate Night!  This was something all the Sisters wanted to do as a group, and to be able to bring it to the campus as a whole made it that much better. We all had such a great time, and we hope we will be able to do it again next year!” said Lindsey Pike, President of Delta Omicron Theta.

Although the Skate Night was planned for students, faculty and staff alike came out to join in the roller skating craze.

“When Dani [Usedom] suggested a roller skating event, I thought, ‘This is going to be really great, or really scary!’  The good news is that it was a huge success, and people came out of the woodwork to skate the night away and impress us with their 80s outfits. The bad news is that it can’t happen every single night!  I am excited that Dani and the wonderful alumna Stacy Thompson are both interested in putting this program on again in the future. I can’t wait to wear a side ponytail again!” said Megan Walters, Director of Campus Life.

On Tuesday, February 10, award-winning Cherokee singer/songwriter, Michael Jacobs, will visit Lees-McRae College, performing in MacDonald Dining Hall at noon and in Evans Auditorium at 3:30 p.m.

So who is Michael Jacobs?

There is no doubt that Cherokee recording artist Michael Jacobs is a remarkable and creative musician. A powerful singer, his passionate delivery is impressive. He sings like he means it… because he does.

But Michael’s skills as a songwriter, a painter with words and music, are what set him apart. His incredible blend of Native American and American “roots” music, a mixture of pop, rock and folk, artfully fuses contemporary and traditional sounds and powerful imagery. As an artist, Michael is not interested simply in educating people about Native American culture or “Native” issues. His songs address human issues: peace, justice, suffering, the environment, relationships, wholeness and even spirituality. His music soothes, encourages and challenges the listener.

Michael’s debut solo CD, Sacred Nation, received a 2003 Native American Music Award and his remarkable follow-up recording, They Come Dancing, was nominated in 2004. JPoet of Native Peoples magazine writes, “Michael Jacobs has a big, raspy voice, one that often draws comparisons to Don Henley and he sings with an understated power that gives every lyric the ring of truth. There isn’t a weak song on the album, and many sound like potential standards. Its power and polish lay the groundwork for other artists looking for ways to combine Native tradition and popular music without diminishing the power of either form.”

The Journey, Michael’s third CD, received a 2006 Indian Summer Music Award and was nominated for a 2006 Just Plain Folks Award and two 2007 Native American Music Awards.

Michael’s latest album, the aptly named masterpiece, Mystery, is as diverse thematically as it is musically. Covering topics from the environment and politics to the ecstasy and agony of life and relationships, Mystery will rock you with its power and move you to tears with its tenderness and poignancy. It recently received two 2008 Indian Summer Music Awards for Best Pop Recording and Best Rock Recording.

To date, Michael has performed at over 100 colleges and universities in 19 states, besides numerous libraries, museums, pow-wows, festivals and fairs across the U.S. and Canada.

Michael Jacobs’ visit is sponsored by the Global Community Center.

Distinguished poet, novelist, and biographer Robert Morgan will present a program on his latest project, Boone: A Biography at Lees-McRae College on Thursday, February 5 at 7:00 p.m. in Evans Auditorium.

Morgan, a native of Hendersonville, North Carolina, grew up on his family’s farm, and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a B. A. in English, then received his Master of Fine Arts degree from UNC-Greensboro. Since 1971 he has taught at Cornell University where he is the Kappa Alpha Professor of English.

He published his first volume of poetry, Zirconia Poems, in 1969. Since that time his poetry, novels and short stories have won such awards as the James G. Hanes Poetry Prize, the North Carolina Literature Award, The Southern Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and the Appalachian Writers Association Book of the Year. Oprah Winfrey selected his novel Gap Creek for her Oprah Book Club, and the book was a New York Times bestseller.

Morgan’s biography of Daniel Boone has been acclaimed as one of the most important books about American history and culture to be published in recent years. Richard Bausch, author of Wives and Lovers says: “Wow. Boone is a pleasure. I wish more first-rate novelist-poets wrote biography. Robert Morgan has given us the man himself, so much more interesting and impressive than all the myths about him.”
Lees-McRae’s Stephenson Center for Appalachia invites the public to participate in this special event. The evening will begin with a reception at 5:30 in the King-Shivell Lounge in the Cannon Student Center.

“We are privileged to have such a distinguished figure in Appalachian Letters as Robert Morgan visit our campus and community,” says Dr. Michael Joslin, Director of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia. “His poetry and fiction have celebrated Appalachia over the years, and his biography of Boone illuminates this archetypal figure not just of our region, but of the nation. Robert Morgan is an entertaining speaker who exactly fits Lees-McRae’s motto: ‘in the mountains, of the mountains and for the mountains’.”

Everyone is invited to attend the reception and the program. For more information contact Meghan Wright, director of public relations at Lees-McRae College, at (828) 898-8729.

Lees-McRae College honored Dorothy M. “Dotti” Shelton and R. Edwin “Ed” Shelton, of Dobson and Banner Elk, NC, with the Rev. Edgar Tufts Founder’s Medal, the most prestigious non-academic award given by the College, as part of the College’s Founder’s Day celebrations.

The medal reads, “Individuals selected to receive the Founder’s Medal reflect the ideals of our founder and have made extraordinary contributions of time, talent and treasure to the College.”

Dotti and Ed Shelton have a long history with Lees-McRae. Mr. Shelton is an alumnus of the class of 1960 and was awarded an honorary degree in Political Science in 1995. He and Dotti serve on the College’s Board of Visitors and have helped fund many projects at Lees-McRae including the automation project for the James H. Carson Library in 1995-96. Most recently the foyer of the Carol and Glenn Arthur Student Recreation Complex was named in honor of Dotti.

Dotti Shelton, an artist, has donated several paintings to Lees-McRae over the years, both for display and auction at the Scholarship Gala. Her art can be found in Alta Vista Gallery in Valle Crucis and Hampton House Gallery in Winston-Salem and King, NC.

“I am genuinely pleased that we can honor Dotti and Ed as Founder’s Medal recipients. Without question they represent the best ideals of Lees-McRae’s founder, the Rev. Edgar Tufts. The Sheltons have been deeply connected to Lees-McRae for many years, supporting us with gifts of time, talent and treasure. Dotti and Ed continue to demonstrate the joy of serving others through their commitment to civic and educational causes. They embody the very core of our educational mission as they model for our students a life of meaning and purpose,” said Dr. David W. Bushman, President of Lees-McRae College.

The Sheltons are entrepreneurs in every sense of the word. Ed Shelton and his brother, Charlie, co-founded companies including The Shelton Companies of Charlotte, Shelco, Inc., Fortis Homes, King Sash, Carolinas’ Distribution Services, and most recently, Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, NC. The award-winning Shelton Vineyards, opened in 1999, is the largest family-owned estate winery in North Carolina. Ed Shelton was also inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 2007.

They are also very civically engaged. The Sheltons not only serve Lees-McRae in many ways, Mr. Shelton serves on The North Carolina Economic Development Board, North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry, Board of Visitors for the Babcock School of Management at Wake Forest, Board of Trustees at Queens University and the Board of Directors of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, among others.

Photo: Dotti and Ed Shelton are photographed with President Bushman and leaders of the volunteer boards at Lees-McRae. From left are Paul N. Stephenson, Alumni Trustee Representative; Martha McAfee Krieger, President of the Lees-McRae College Alumni Association; Dr. David W. Bushman, College President; Dotti and Ed Shelton, recipients of the Rev. Edgar Tufts Founder’s Medal; Jane B. Stephenson, Chair of the Board of Trustees; and Parker Grubbs, Chair of the Board of Visitors.

The Global Community Center at Lees-McRae College took on a new face last fall with the hire of director Scott Crawford. Crawford replaces previous director Robert Black and intern Justin Eads, who, along with Center founder and campus chaplain Kathy Campbell, shepherded the Global Community Center through the previous two years of rapid growth. The hire of Crawford as the Center’s first full-time director marks a commitment by Lees-McRae to further emphasize and develop its international programs.

“I’m fortunate to have inherited a wonderful situation,” Crawford notes after his first two months on the job. “Kathy, Robert and Justin have laid a strong foundation for developing global awareness on this campus. I look forward to building upon their success.”

A relative newcomer to North Carolina, Crawford has spent a lifetime amassing experience that will serve him well in his new position. Born and raised in Ohio, Crawford earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his master’s in Global Education from Ohio State. He then traveled widely, living in New York, Washington, D.C., Colorado and Puerto Rico before landing for a decade in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he and his wife, Sabrina, founded the first high school on the island of St. John. Crawford headed the school for six years, growing it from 13 to 180 students, achieving accreditation, getting 100% of his graduates into college, and finally securing land and moving the school onto its permanent campus before he and Sabrina relocated to North Carolina last year.

Crawford looks forward to utilizing this experience to take the Global Community Center to the next level. “As the world shrinks, the development of a student’s global consciousness becomes all the more vital,” he says. “We must provide opportunities for our students to interact with other cultures, engage in dialogue about differing belief structures and world views, and discover the commonalities and challenges that unite us.”

To this end, Crawford hopes to expand on-campus programs focused on global issues and to increase study and service opportunities abroad. This latter goal comes with an additional challenge: finding sustainable funding sources, something he is no stranger to from his days on St. John. “To really make a difference, our study abroad opportunities must be available to all students,” he notes. “Not just to those who can afford it.” Already Crawford is working with the school’s Advancement Office to create a sustainable development plan for international programs.

Crawford has long been an advocate for global education, having developed a travel and service program for his school on St. John. “[Travel] was so vital there, because many of our students had never left the Caribbean,” he says. “There is something acutely satisfying about watching students react to new experiences: touching snow for the first time, or seeing their first highway interchange, or interacting in a meaningful way with someone from a completely different culture.”

Crawford sees a similar sense of urgency at Lees-McRae, where many students have not traveled widely beyond their home state. “It’s a big, exciting world with many challenges ahead,” Crawford notes. “I’m thrilled to be in a position to help students understand that, and then embrace it.”

To help do just that, the Global Community Center has sponsored many service-based trips in past years, with many more to come. Students have visited such countries as New Zealand, Guatemala, Mexico, India and Ireland. But Crawford does not plan on stopping there. Preparation for trips to Mexico (January 2009), the Southwest (March 2009), Fiji (January 2010) and Guatemala (January 2010) are already in full swing.

Just as important as the beauty of the location, Crawford has worked to ensure that students are able to be immersed in the culture and walk away with a better understanding of each particular region and people. One way in which this feat is accomplished is by having the students eat and sleep with the people they are learning about. This could mean staying in an International Studies Center, a rural village, a Navajo Reservation or the home of a local family, depending on the region.

Domestically, the Global Community Center is making huge strides in opening the eyes of the students as to the amount of cultural diversity found right here on the Lees-McRae campus. With over 25 different countries represented, Lees-McRae has become quite the global destination. The International Club (a club sponsored by the Global Community Center) aims to tap into this diversity to bring a spirit of vibrancy and cultural awareness to the mountains.

They are achieving this dream by hosting such events as “International Night,” in which students from a different country can bring an awareness of their culture to the campus. The club hosted its first “international night” of the year in September, celebrating Mexican Independence Day with an authentic flare. Abril Rodriguez, a freshman from Mexico, helped plan both the decorations and the menu for the fiesta, turning the McRae House lawn into a flag-filled plaza ready for a celebration.

Further plans include a two-phase joint project between International Club and the college administration, in which MacDonald Dining Hall will be receiving an international makeover in coming months. Phase One, that is already complete, will see the hanging of flags in the cafeteria for each country currently represented by a student or faculty member on campus.

Phase Two will be a contest to create a mural on the opposite wall depicting Lees-McRae’s new tagline—Dream, Dare, Achieve—in every language spoken on campus. Students will be allowed to submit designs, which will then be reviewed by a panel made up of members of the administration, International Club, and students and faculty from the art department. The winning design will then be painted on the wall. When completed, the new decor will be a wonderful reminder as students come and go at mealtimes that they truly inhabit a diverse world…right here in Banner Elk.

Service-based international trips, International Nights and campus-wide diversity awareness only show a minuscule portion of the overall impact of the Global Community Center. With Scott Crawford as the new director, the Global Community Center will be certain to continue to leave its mark on the students and faculty of Lees-McRae College.

Lees-McRae College just wrapped up its pilot January Term, or, as it’s known around campus, J-term.  This three-week semester will occur just prior to the spring semester and has created some very unique opportunities inside and outside of the classroom.

“We wanted to afford students the opportunity to experience a different type of class, and faculty the chance to exercise their creativity in developing and teaching the new classes. In general, J-term courses are intended to focus on topics of high interest, and class sessions are intended to be much more interactive,” said Lees-McRae College Provost, Dr. Debra Thatcher.

Although the J-term is a relatively new idea to Lees-McRae, colleges across the country have been utilizing its opportunities for years.  These include such institutions as Elon University, Mt. Holyoke College, St. Mary’s College, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Virginia.  When the University of Virginia ran their pilot J-term back in 2005, 100 percent of the students who participated in post-J-term evaluations indicated that the university should continue to offer the J-term; Lees-McRae is hoping for similar results.

On the campus of Lees-McRae College, faculty members were excited to have the freedom to teach courses, and course material, that they could not teach during a normal semester.  This also includes the opportunity for travel courses, both domestic and international.

“The [J-term] course I’m offering is “Jesus in Hollywood.” This exploration into the Jesus film genre would not work well during a regular semester due to the fact that we need significant amounts of time to analyze and discuss these interesting and diverse films,” said Ken Craig, Professor of Religious Studies.

The J-term course is set-up so that students are in class for three hours Monday through Friday for the duration of the semester.  This allows the professors an outlet to do a more creative and interactive curriculum.

“January term presents a unique venue for students to engage in academic coursework from a new and different perspective compared to traditional semesters,” said Graham Spann, Associate Professor of Sociology.  “In my Sociology of Food course, for example, students get exposure to research on how food matters…In addition to pedagogy centered on books and papers, this class lends itself to travel.  So for the first time at Lees-McRae, we are using the January Term to branch out from the Banner Elk campus and go on a road trip.  We begin a nine day adventure in Memphis, TN …Between Memphis and New Orleans is the Mississippi River, and phase two of our trip takes us through Batesville, Greenville, and Natchez, MS…Next, New Orleans…Finally, Birmingham.”

There will also be a substantial amount of international travel during current and subsequent J-terms.  The plans are already made for a trip to Fiji in 2010 which will focus on everything from understanding coral reef ecology and the effects of global warming to the Fijian culture and their belief structure and values of sustainability.

“The course is being taught in the J-term because that short 3-week term is perfect for travelling long distances for an intensive period of study for a significant number of credit hours…Another consideration is that it’s a great way of getting away from the cold for a while in the depths of winter!” said Dr. Fiona Chrystall, Associate Professor of Environmental Science.

During the initial J-term, Scott Crawford, the Director of the Global Community Center, took a group of ten students and staff to Mexico to live with, and learn from, a group of Benedictine Nuns.

“[These] Sisters have one overriding mission that guides their endeavors, and that is the pursuit of social justice in Mexico. They are driven by their faith in these efforts, and are not about to get hung up on dogma. Instead, they deliver an unfiltered look at the challenges faced by Mexico’s poor in the purest way possible: by taking their guests out to meet the people themselves-experiential education at its best. Over the course of ten days, our group sat through just three lectures from “experts”, university professors and government officials who stopped by to provide context on the economic, political and religious climate currently affecting Mexican society. The rest of the time was spent among the poor and marginalized peoples of Mexico,” said Crawford.

From a liberal arts standpoint, Lees-McRae is ready to give their students yet another opportunity to gain a well-rounded, but not necessarily traditional, education by implementing the J-term.  This is an amazing opportunity for students and faculty to experiment together and think outside of the orthodox educational box, so to speak.

 “J-term allows students and faculty alike to focus on one course in an intensive manner for three weeks. As such, there is much more freedom to move away from traditional modes of teaching to more active engagement, such as class projects, field trips, and study abroad. I think faculty and students alike will find the J-term experience to be exciting, something to look forward to each year as a change of pace,” said Thatcher.

Lees-McRae College lends a helping hand to families in need in Avery County during the holiday season with the annual canned food drive. Last week the College donated 4,600 food items to the Reaching Avery Ministry (RAM) Emergency Food Pantry in Newland.

Tabatha Nelson, office assistant at RAM, calls Lees-McRae’s donation a blessing. “Without local donors like Lees-McRae, we couldn’t operate.”

She explained that local churches, schools and individuals in the community keep the doors open at RAM. Generous donations throughout the year allow RAM to help hundreds of families in need right here in Avery County.

With a suffering economy and many people out of work, there is a great need for donations this year. The food pantry is always in need of non-perishable food items including peanut butter, canned tuna, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti noodles and sauce, hot and cold cereals, canned fruit, dried pinto beans, canned vegetables and canned soups.

With Lees-McRae’s donation, Nelson says the food should carry RAM through the winter. However, they can always use more. Monetary donations also allow RAM to purchase food through Manna Food Bank.

“We’re thankful to have RAM and its emergency services in Avery County to assist families in need,” said Rev. Kathy Campbell, College Chaplain and organizer of the food drive. “Always the next step is to find out why people are hungry and what we can do to help families before they reach times of crisis.”

Lees-McRae has been having a food drive for over a decade now. In recent years, the food drive has grown larger and is the campus’s largest fall service project with donation numbers in the 4,000 to 5,000 range.

“We’re grateful to have the opportunity to assist RAM in their service to Avery County, and we hope to inspire other businesses, churches, groups and individuals to do the same,” said Rev. Campbell.

After opening its doors in 1982 as a thrift shop, RAM has grown over the years and moved into its current facility on New Vale Road in Newland in 2004. Providing food in emergency situations remains a primary goal for RAM. However, thrift shop sales help provide funds for particular cases of need, including assistance with mortgage and rent payments, electricity and fuel oil bills, and temporary housing for needy transients and burn-out victims.

For more information or for help, call 733-5095.

The John B. Stephenson Center for Appalachia at Lees-McRae College presents a poetry reading by Dr. Don Johnson, professor of English at East Tennessee State University on Monday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium in the Cannon Student Center.

A widely respected poet, Johnson is the author of two books of poems, The Importance of Visible Scars and Watauga Drawdown, and he has published over 100 poems in journals and magazines and edited a collection of contemporary baseball poems, entitled Hummers, Knucklers, and Slow Curves. A collection of his poetry will be published shortly. He is also the poetry editor of Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature. In addition he has published fiction, a short story, “Awake in Waikiki,” which appeared in Louisiana Literature, and is working on a novel set in Southern Appalachia.

“We are privileged to have Don Johnson visit our campus,” said Dr. Michael Joslin, director of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia. “His readings both entertain and explore subjects meaningful for students and a general audience. His work provokes thought, laughter, and occasionally tears.”

    Lees-McRae College invites everyone to attend the reading. For information contact Meghan Wright, associate director of communications at (828) 898-8729 or wrightm@lmc.edu.

Oprah’s Angel Network remembers Jane Stephenson and the New Opportunity School for Women five years after Stephenson, founder of the school, received the Network’s Use Your Life award in 2003 for her work with the three-week residential program that helps under-served, low-income Appalachian women develop the skills necessary to improve their lives.

The Use Your Life award is given by Oprah’s Angel Network to individuals who make a difference in their communities and change lives for the better. Well, that’s exactly what Jane Stephenson has done in southern Appalachia with the New Opportunity School for Women.

Founded in 1987 in Berea, KY, the New Opportunity School for Women opened an expansion site at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk in 2005. Together the programs have graduated more than 580 women in the Appalachian region with 76% of the graduates currently employed, enrolled in further education, or both.

“Our affiliation with Oprah’s Angel Network is such an honor, and this will help to enhance our outreach efforts in both recruitment and fundraising. The New Opportunity School for Women has been serving women of southern Appalachia for over 20 years now, and we are so grateful for the continued interest and support from this community,” said Lori Sliwa, Director of the New Opportunity School for Women at Lees-McRae. “The 41 graduates of the program at Lees-McRae College are a testament to the success of the program, and each one of them has gone on to make positive changes for themselves and their families.”

The next session of the New Opportunity School for Women at Lees-McRae is July 12 – Aug. 1, 2009. For more information on the program or for an application, visit www.nosw.org.

To read the latest article on the New Opportunity School for Women by Oprah’s Angel Network, visit http://oprahsangelnetwork.org/stories/312-new-opportunities-for-appala

Colleges of Distinction, a guide to excellence in education, recognized Lees-McRae College as one of six colleges in North Carolina named a college of distinction by the 2008 edition.

In ranking colleges, Colleges of Distinction takes a unique approach. Instead of looking for the richest or most famous schools, they ask what really matters: Which colleges are the best places to learn, to grow, and to succeed?

Well, Lees-McRae is one of those recognized, and one of only 34 in the South, in the four areas of distinction: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes.

“Colleges of Distinction provides an excellent opportunity for us to highlight the experiences that make a Lees-McRae College education so exceptional: faculty and staff who are dedicated to each student’s success, opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the community through service and internships, unique academic programs, and a location rich in history and natural beauty,” said Provost Dr. Debra Thatcher.

To visit Colleges of Distinction online, click here.

The Lees-McRae Bobcats pedaled to a second place finish in the Division I Omnium for the second consecutive year at the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals, narrowly falling to defending champions Fort Lewis College of Durango, Colorado. The Bobcats also claimed four individual national titles along with nine additional podium spots at the three day event held on the campus of Lees-McRae and Sugar Mountain Resort October 24-26, 2008.

Top performers for the Bobcats include Carla Swart, who claimed the national title on the cross country event on Friday, won short track Saturday morning and then was crowned the DI Women’s Omnium Champion Sunday afternoon; Chloe Jackson, who sped to gold in dual slalom; Brad Perley, who finished third in cross country and second in short track; Scott Stewart with a second in cross country and the DI Men’s Omnium; and Aaron Bradford who claimed third in DI Omnium.

The Wrap Up

More than 300 cyclists from Division I and Division II schools descended upon the campus of Lees-McRae this past weekend for the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships, the second time the event has been held on the grounds of a college.  Battling through mud, fog, and technically difficult courses these student athletes fought to win one of the 22 national championship crowns awarded over the course of the three day event.

Cross Country

The competition kicked off Friday morning with the DI & DII men under drizzly, gray skies remniscient of last year’s event, although the grueling 4.3 mile loop through the back side of campus was in better condition. Lees-McRae rider Scott Stewart took the lead on the twenty-two mile race, with defending champion Benjamin Sonntag (Fort Lewis College) following within striking distance and LMC teammate Brad Perley sandwiching him in from behind. The race continued that way until lap four when Sonntag and Stewart began swapping leads, each taking advantage whenever the mostly single track course opened up. By the end of the fourth lap, Sonntag, riding with a broken index finger, had gained the lead for good and finished a minute ahead of LMC’s Scott Stewart. Brad Perley held on to claim third.

Lees-McRae had all five riders finish in the top twelve in a dominating performance by the men. Randy Laprairie (Warren, Mich.) rode to ninth, Aaron Bradford (Auburn, Wash.) 11^th, and Erick Thompson (Shoreview, Minn.) in 12th.

In men’s DII it was Tristan Cowie of Brevard College (Brevard, N.C.) who claimed gold, followed by Zach Winn of Union College (Union, Barbourville, Ky.) and Logan Wetsell of Western Washington University (Bellingham, Wash.).

The women’s races were shortened to three laps as the rain began to move into the area, but that did not stop junior Lees-McRae cyclist Carla Swart (Buford, Ga.) from riding to her first national title of the weekend in DI women’s. Swart, who finished fourth last year in this event, was all business from the start, her determination evident on her face. Jamie Dinkins (UT-Chattanooga) finished second followed by Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado-Boulder).

The Bobcats were well represented in this event as well. Teammates Niki Dallaire (Louisville, Ky.) pedaled to a seventh place finish, while Jo Markham (Collierville, Tenn.) and Ally Stacher (Etna, Calif.) finished ninth and tenth respectively. Kristi Henne (Plainview, Ark.) rounded out the Bobcat riders with a 16^th place.

Appalachian States’ Rebecca Tomaszewski pedaled to first place on a single gear bike. Melissa Marts of Colorado School of Mines finished less than 30 seconds behind to claim second, and Katherine Harris of Massachusetts Institute of Technology took her first trip to the podium with a third place in women’s DII.

Short Track

Saturday morning kicked off in the mist and rain on a one-mile, rain-drenched short track course that started on a flat stretch of grass, went through the woods and over a creek. Women’s DII were the first to hit the course, and Katharine Harris netted another trip to the podium, this time to the top when she defeated Rebecca Tomaszewski. Kay Sherwood of Colorado College took third.

DII men’s short track saw a repeat of yesterday’s top two when Tristan Cowie and Zach Winn took first and second respectively. Union College also took the third spot on the podium when Greg Gibson finished ahead of cross country’s third place finisher Logan Wetsell.

With a national title in cross country already under her belt the Bobcat’s Carla Swart destroyed the field finishing a full minute ahead of second place finisher Amanda Miller (Colorado State University) in the DI women’s