Summer - July 2011 - Volume 14
	SCHOLARS TRAVEL TO OCRACOKE ISLAND, NC A group of West Scholars from the Academy for Teaching, and Environmental Scholars from the Catawba Center for the Environment traveled to the Outer Banks following Catawba’s commencement exercises. The trip was led by Dr. Cyndi Osterhus, Dr. Bonita Bloodworth, and Dr. Sue Calcagni. Of stout heart – the group departed from the Catawba campus at 2:45 a.m. on Monday, May 16^th. They managed to rest up during the bus ride, for their exciting few days on the NC coast. With initial stops at Kitty Hawk and the Wright Brothers Museum, Jockey’s Ridge and the Bodie Island Lighthouse, they arrived at Ocracoke by ferry, to check into the quaint cottages of Edwards of Ocracoke. Edwards of Ocracoke Owners since 1996, Wayne and Trudy Clark and Bert and Sarah Clark – photo courtesy of Edwards of Ocracoke website On Tuesday, May 17^th, the Scholars were hosted by Principal Walter Padgett, for a tour and discussion at the Ocracoke School. Ocracoke School is out of the norm, as it is comprised of grades Pre-Kindergarten through grade twelve. Principal, Walter Padgett, Ocracoke School – Photo courtesy of Ocracoke School website Photos courtesy of Dr. Sue Calcagni Wednesday, May 18^th provided Scholars an opportunity to visit NCCAT (the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching). NCCAT is a recognized national leader in professional development programming for teachers. Established by the state legislature in 1985, NCCAT provides a year-round curriculum of intensive cross-disciplinary seminars in the sciences, arts, humanities, technology, leadership, communication, and health and wellness. NCCAT is a place where teachers “advance teaching as an art and a profession” through a wide range of experiential study and learning opportunities. NCCAT keeps good teachers teaching. Photo courtesy of Dr. Sue Calcagni NCCAT Blog: by Jana Burkhardt, ’10 West Scholar from Willoughby, Ohio The scholars boarded the bus for a short trip to the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT). We started the tour on the boardwalk looking at the wildlife, including the plastic animal in the tall marshy grass that scared many of us! We were able to see small schools of fish and hermit crabs swimming in the marsh area. Mr. Alton Balance, a Center Fellow and member of the teaching staff at NCCAT, explained to us that they are working hard to return the shore to its original size. Mr. Balance stated that erosion over the years had brought the water line close to the NCCAT building. He explained how the stone walls help to limit the impact the waves have on a beach. Next, we went inside to a conference room, and Mr. Ballance began his presentation on the history of the building and the island. The building was originally a naval base and so it has a fantastic lookout that we were able to go up. He showed us that there is so much culture and history to this island that makes it what it is today. In our explorations afterwards we were able to understand things that he spoke about, such as how fishing is a way of life for many residents on Ocracoke Island. Our tour at NCCAT was indeed memorable and a great experience. On Thursday, May 19^th, Scholars spent the bulk of their day exploring Ocracoke Island and enjoying a little beach time. In the late afternoon a sunset Kayaking trip was planned as an environmental excursion into the marshes and the Pamlico Sound. Brittany Moore, Environmental Scholar, said she “loves to Kayak but never dreamed that in May there would be such wind and strong currents.” Logo courtesy of Ride The Wind website Kayak Tour Blog: by Jeremy Proctor, Environmental Scholar Kayaking allowed us to take a tour of the island’s wildlife in a way that was hard to compare. Starting at Silver Lake Harbor, we traveled along the island’s watery edge to an eel grass bed. Using our nets, we found many forms of marine life including hermit crabs. Next we moved further into the inland waterways and explored the tidal creeks flowing through the marshes, seeing many hermit crabs, oysters and even snakes. Our guide from Ride the Wind Surf and Kayak Company, and our Environmental faculty member, Dr. Sue Calcagni, each provided excellent information relating to the ecology of the coastal area. Photo courtesy of Dr. Sue Calcagni Friday, May 20^th was another early start for the group as they packed up and headed for the Ocracoke Island Ferry for the trip to Swan Quarter and home. They arrived on the mainland around 9:00 a.m. and headed west, stopping in Historic Bath, NC for a little culture and historical background.. Ferry Ride – photo courtesy of Lizzle Davis, ’09 West Scholar from East Bend, NC L to R: Dr. Bonita Bloodworth, Jessica Everett, ’09 Scholar, Winston-Salem, NC and Lizzle Davis, ’09 Scholar, East Bend, NC and Dr. Cyndi Osterhus - Photo courtesy of Lizzle Davis Scholars in Ocracoke - Photo courtesy of Jessica Clark, ’08 West Scholar, Salisbury, NC L to R Back Row: David Garcia, Jana Burkhardt, Lizzle Davis, Jessica Everett, Anne Mabry, Brittany Myers, Samantha Lackey, Taylor Doss, Denise Grissom, Brittany Moore and Jeremy Proctor (Enviro Scholars). L to R Front Row: Aliyah Khan, Casey Baucom and Jessica Clark. That Jockey’s Ridge climb - Photo courtesy of Dr. Sue Calcagni L to R: Jana Burkhardt, ’10 Scholar, Willoughby, OH, Samantha Lackey, ’08 Scholar, Seville, OH, Jessica Clark, ’08 Scholar, Salisbury, NC, Taylor Doss, ’08 Scholar, Boonville, NC, Denise Grissom, ’09 Scholar, Stokesdale, NC Photos courtesy of Jessica Clark, ’08 West Scholar, Salisbury, NC L to R: Jana, Samantha, Taylor, Denise, Jesse L to R: Aliyah Khan, ’10 Scholar, China Grove, NC and Anne Mabry, ’10 Scholar China Grove, NC L to R: Taylor Doss, ’08 Scholar, Boonville, NC, David Garcia, ’10 Scholar, King, NC; Denise Grissom, ’09 Scholar, Stokesdale, NC WHAT SCHOLARS ARE DOING! Catawba Singers Take on Europe Compliments of the Catawba Website, Tonia Black-Gold and Ashton Tibbitt Forty-two Catawba College students, members of the Catawba Singers, returned May 25 from a 10-day trip to Europe that included stops in four different countries. For some of the students, the trip marked their first plane ride or their first trip outside the United States. It was an eye-opening, life-enriching experience for them, and although their time abroad was brief, it will be memorable and likely viewed through time’s unwavering glass as a pivotal moment in each of their lives. They will recall their 10 days abroad as the trip when they discovered how large the world is, how varied its people are, and how finite their place is in it. On the final day of the trip, en route to the Frankfurt Airport, each of the students and the adults accompanying them were asked to provide written responses to three questions. Two members of the Catawba Singers are also West Teaching Scholars with the Ritchie Academy for Teaching. Read their responses to the three questions asked below……. Junior, Aubrey Barton of Salisbury, NC - ’09 West Scholar 1. What was your favorite experience on this trip? “There were a lot of meaningful experiences on this trip.  The most meaningful and emotional experience for me, however, was our visit and impromptu performance at the church (Weis Kirsche) in the meadow.  The church and the scenery surrounding it were beautiful.  We were told that this church was a Catholic Pilgrimage Church built for healing.  I am not Catholic, but my Nana was.  My Nana was a beautiful lady inside and out.  She was overtaken with the disease Alzheimer’s and passed away about a week before we came on this trip.  I had been so busy that I hadn’t given myself time to grieve and was holding guilt for not seeing her as much as I could have.  Coming to the little church in the meadow gave me an overwhelming feeling of peace in this situation, and I feel as if by being there I was honoring her, as if I now knew she was at peace with Christ, completely healed with her full mind back, smiling down on me.  As we left, I bought a rosary to lay at her grave sight when I return home.  It was a moving experience, one that I will never forget.” 2. How has your perspective changed on this trip? “On this trip, my eyes were opened to an entire beautiful world.  Everywhere we went was more beautiful and reflected the enormity of God’s glory.  Most of all, I realized that no matter where in the world you are, you and I are not that different from those who are around us.  Everyone in the world can be connected by love and gratitude that each one of use can live out in our daily lives.  Language and cultural barriers are broken down when people show genuine care and appreciation for each other, which was shown in every one of our concerts.  It didn’t matter that we didn’t speak the same language.  We touched the audience and they touched us.  Loving and caring actions and attitudes unite all of us.  All of God’s children, his church that expands across what we ourselves can fathom.” 3. What have you learned through your experiences? “Aside from the culture on this trip, I learned to cherish every moment I’ve been given.  This lesson was evident throughout the entire trip, but was especially evident to me at Dachau.  Here, I discovered one of the very places where people were oppressed for their beliefs and torn away from their families in a single moment.  Visiting Dachau and actually standing in the courtyard, made me really think though that something as horrible as what happened at Dachau may never happen again, at any moment, something could occur in our own lives that changes it forever.  So, we must remember to treasure every moment we are given somewhere or with someone, and take very chance around us --reach out and touch the lives of those around us. Sophomore, Allison Andrews of Sherrills Ford, NC - ’10 West Scholar 1. What was your favorite experience on this trip? “The most meaningful experience that I have had on this trip is making music with the people I have met and made a family with throughout this year.  This trip has made me realize the relationships I have built with other people and to be able to share our passions is something that is much greater than ourselves.  Music is the driving force of our passions and when we share music together, nothing is impossible.  I am so grateful for this opportunity to share music with the people on this bus and the audience members we have touched.” 2. How has your perspective changed on this trip? “My perspective of the world has changed by knowing that there are so many things greater than ourselves.  In America, all I see is rush, rush, rush.  In Europe, I saw moments of peace and serenity that exist nowhere else.  It’s so amazing to just sit down and take the world in around you and that is so rarely seen inside the U.S. border.” 3. What have you learned through your experiences? “During this trip, I have learned so much, not only about historical moments, the importance of great musicality, and the appreciation for life that exists around the world, but I have also learned more about myself.  It’s funny how life sometimes smacks you in the face and I feel like life has left my cheek red this past week and a half.  This trip has helped me to see what I want in life.  I don’t know how I’m going to get it just yet, but there are endless possibilities to obtain what you want when you believe in yourself.  I’m learning how to do that now.” Catawba College Presidential Honor Roll Announced A total of 122 students have been named to the Presidential Honor Roll List for the 2010-2011 academic year at Catawba College, according to Dr. W. Richard Stephens, Jr., Provost of the College. Students named to the Presidential Honor Roll List have achieved a 3.7 grade point average in 30 or more semester hours. Students on the 2010-2011 Presidential Honor Roll List include West Scholars from North Carolina: Belmont - Christina Cherrie Faircloth, ’09 Scholar Boonville - Taylor Bri Ann Doss, ’08 Scholar Conover - Cameron Michael Beard, ’10 Scholar Dobson - Julie Roseann Gilley, ’08 Scholar East Bend - Elizabeth Grace Davis, ’09 Scholar Fayetteville - Jacob Robert Regensburger, ’10 Scholar Hamptonville - Amelia Danielle Baity, ’09 Scholar Kannapolis - Lindsay Catherine King, ’10 Scholar King - Tara Caitlin Borre , ’10 Scholar Kings Mountain - Alecia Marsha Meeks, ’08 Scholar Midland - Madison Michele McKinney, ’10 Scholar Mocksville -Sarah Ashley Moore, ’08 Scholar Raleigh - Anna Clare Toole, ’10 Scholar Salisbury - Jessica Lee Clark, ’08 Scholar and Cristin Andrea Ritchie, ’10 Scholar Statesville - Bridgett Nicole Henderson, ’08 Scholar West Scholar from Maine: Sarah Yie-Wah Morse, North Berwick, ’08 Scholar OTHER STORIES WE DIDN’T COVER FROM SPRING SEMESTER – JUST LOOK AT WHAT WE MISSED! Students Share Their Research at 2011 Interdisciplinary Research Symposium Again this year, Catawba College students from various disciplines shared their diverse research projects during the 2011 Interdisciplinary Research Symposium held Thursday, April 21 in the Leonard Lounge of the Cannon Student Center. Faculty, staff and students on campus dropped by during the two-hour event to listen and learn from these students. As usual, Catawba faculty members served as research advisors, and in some cases, co-authors, of the projects. Academic areas represented included biology, chemistry, education and history, honors/English, honors/music, honors/theatre arts, mathematics, psychology, religion and philosophy, Spanish, and theatre arts. Following is a list of presentations that were on display by two of our West Teaching Scholars and the faculty members who were involved in the research for them: BIOLOGY GPS mapping of salamanders in the Catawba College Ecological Preserve: Jonathan Cooley of Mooresville, with co-authors Travis Burner of Staunton, Va., Jennifer Goble of Salisbury, Johnny Money of King, Lisa Moore of Monroe, Sarah Moore, ’08 Scholar of Mocksville, Jeremy Proctor Environmental Scholar, of China Grove, Devin Rodgers of Glen Burnie, Md., and Kyra Thurow of Holly Springs, and research advisor Dr. Joe Poston. Floristic Study and Plant Communities of the Bittinger Tract in Davie County, North Carolina ; Devin Rodgers of Glen Burnie, Md., and research advisor Dr. Michael Baranski. Sarah Moore, ’08 West Scholar from Mooresville, NC (far right) Radio tracking tufted titmice: Kyra Thurow of Holly Springs, with co-authors Travis Burner of Staunton, Va., Jonathan Cooley of Mooresville, Jennifer Goble of Salisbury, Johnny Money of King, Lisa Moore of Monroe, Sarah Moore of Mocksville, Jeremy Proctor of China Grove, and Devin Rodgers of Glen Burnie, Md., and research advisor Dr. Joe Poston. EDUCATION & HISTORY A Side-By-Side Educational Experience: Cooperative Learning in Middle School Social Studies: Laura E. Ritchie, ’07 Scholar of Salisbury with research advisor Dr. Gary Freeze. Laura Ritchie, ’07 Scholar from Salisbury, NC (right) TEACHER EDUCATION NEWS Catawba Alumna and Teacher of Year Bonds with Students By Sarah Campbell, Salisburypost.com Photo courtesy of The Salisbury Post Theresa Pierce '10 can't walk down the halls at Overton Elementary School without students waving, calling out her name or running to hug her. "They are always so excited to see her," Jennifer Sheppard, the school's Title I coordinator, said. Pierce was recently named the Rowan-Salisbury Teacher of the Year, an accolade Sheppard said is well-deserved. Read more: http://www.catawba.edu/news/archive/2011/06/06/piercebonding.aspx Photo courtesy of The Lexington Dispatch Catawba Alumna Retires after 38 Years in Education Kathy Conte, a 1973 alumna of Catawba College, retired from Charles England Elementary School after a 38-year career in education. After receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education at Catawba, Conte started her career at Cecil School teaching third grade. Later, she taught at Southwest Elementary School and Dunbar School, which was later renamed to Charles England. Conte attributes a calling from God as the reason she became a teacher. Read more: http://www.catawba.edu/news/archive/2011/06/13/conte_retires.aspx Gealy Announces Seven Golf Commitments for 2011-12 (5/27/11) - Photo courtesy of the Catawba Website The Catawba College golf teams will be adding a large class in the fall of 2011.  Head Men’s and Women’s Coach, Sam Gealy, has announced three women’s commitments and four on the men’s side. Local standout Madison Kennedy (Salisbury High) highlights the three new additions to Gealy’s women’s program.  Joining Kennedy will be Tailar Murphy (Northern Guilford) and Carmen Grubb (Davie High), of Mocksville, NC who round out those coming in the fall. Carmen indicates she would like to major in teacher education at Catawba.
· May 16^th through May 20^th OCRACOKE TRIP – West Scholars and Environmental Scholars, joint trip · May 30, 2011 MEMORIAL DAY – College Closed · June 14, 2011 FLAG DAY · June 21, 2011 FIRST DAY OF SUMMER · June 28, 2011 C-3 CAMP COUNSELOR’S MEETING · July 4, 2011 JULY 4^TH HOLIDAY – College Closed · July 10^th through July 15^th CATAWBA CONSERVATION CAMP
Updates on our Martha Kirkland West Teaching Scholars and what they are doing.
We are plugging along through this hot, hazy, and humid summer working our way toward our welcome to a new freshman cohort! We can’t wait for the new freshmen – but we are enjoying the quieter summer months.
More Ocracoke photos Courtesy of Dr. Sue Calcagni That long bus ride home! FOOTNOTES FROM SPRING SEMESTER! Just a few things we missed. Catawba Cares Day and Green Pig Day – just two of the many events that Volunteer Catawba sponsors. Our West Scholars are pictured. Some images contributed by Jon Rhodes '08. Amelia Baity (far left), ’09 West Scholar Heather Cheek, ’09 West Scholar, top left Sarah Morse, ’08 West Scholar (center in far right and below right) First Generation Students Visited Washington, DC A group of Catawba College's first-year, first-generation students visited Washington, D.C., before the spring semester began thanks to a $100,000 CIC/Walmart College Success Awards grant. Seventeen first-year students, all first-generation college students, visited Washington area museums, historical sites, government offices and Catawba College alumni while participating in their fully funded trip. Read more » Photos courtesy of Lizzle Davis Julie Gilley, ’08 Scholar (left front) Lizzle Davis, ’09 Scholar (center) Alabama Tornado Relief Trip (May 16-22) From the Catawba Website A group of students, faculty and staff from Catawba College departed on May 16 for the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham, Alabama area on a mission trip to assist with clean up and recovery after recent destructive tornadoes there. The weeklong trip was coordinated by Volunteer Catawba. Jay Laurens will post blogs of the students' experiences. Volunteering for the trip was rising sophomore, Savannah Goodnight, China Grove, NC - ’10 West Scholar. Read more » Savannah Goodnight, ’10 Scholar Photos from Alabama Volunteerism Courtesy of Jay Laurens SUMMER INTERNSHIP ’09 West Scholar, Casey Baucom from Marshville, NC is involved with a summer internship through the Lilly Center, with the Partners in Learning Child Development Center. Partners is located on property behind the Catawba Campus and serves the Rowan community by providing child care services from infants up to a More at Four program. Casey dropped by seeking a contact name because Partners will be having their “water play” soon and they needed access to sprinklers. Casey said she was “having so much fun” in her role at Partners and was “loving every minute of the time with the children.” Legion Baseball and West Scholars! American Legion Baseball is heating up all across the state – and West Scholars are players! Cameron Beard, sophomore Scholar Current West Scholar and rising sophomore, Cameron Beard, ’10 Scholar from Conover, NC and three new incoming freshmen Scholars, part of the ’11 Cohort, Justin Morris, Rockwell, NC, Jacob Shepherd, Claremont, NC, and Matt Laurens, Salisbury, NC are making big plays for their Legion teams. Shortstop, Justin Morris is playing for the Rowan County American Legion team and has consistent hits in all seven games leading into the June 12^th game. Matt Laurens is also on the Rowan Legion team! Cameron Beard and Jacob Shepherd are both big playmakers for the Post 48 American Legion team in Newton, NC. Read More: From the Salisbury Post - Published June 09, 2011 By David Shaw | Post Sports Correspondent Legion Baseball: Rowan 11, Statesville 1 SALISBURY, NC — Things are heating up at Newman Park — and it has nothing to do with the 94-degree temperature that greeted Rowan County’s American Legion baseball team Wednesday night. Instead, it has everything to do with pitcher Thomas Allen and shortstop Justin Morris. Morris homered for the second straight game. Justin Morris, incoming freshman Scholar ---------------------------- From the Hickory Daily Record - Published: June 06, 2011 By Gary Olinger | Record Sports Correspondent Shepherd's grand slam leads Hickory's runaway win Post 48 drills Alexander County 15-5 in American Legion baseball NEWTON, NC - Hickory hammered out another win in American Legion baseball. Post 48 pounded four home runs -- including a grand slam by Jacob Shepherd. Cameron Beard belted one with the bases empty as Hickory (5-1) produced its highest run total of the season. Jacob Shepherd, incoming freshman Scholar Matt Laurens, incoming freshman Scholar Catawba Football and West Scholars! Catawba coach Chip Hester continues to add new commitments after signing day for Catawba’s 2011 fall football season. The list includes eight transfers. Included among a listing of new players is incoming freshman and ’11 Cohort West Scholar, Zach McNeill (OL, 6-3, 300, Trinity,NC /Trinity HS). Zachary McNeill, incoming freshman Scholar MORE TEACHER EDUCATION NEWS Open House for Catawba's Evening Program in Salisbury Catawba College's School of Evening Studies sponsored an open house on the Catawba campus on Monday, June 20, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. in Ketner Hall, Room 108. Prospective students were invited to drop by at any time for an overview of the program and financial aid opportunities. Two bachelor's degree programs are offered in the evening: Business Administration with concentrations in Management and Information Systems, and Birth-Kindergarten Education for community college graduates who have completed the A.A.S. degree with the Early Childhood Associate major. www.catawba.edu/academyforteaching (704) 637-4499