Spring - June 2011 – Volume 13
	GRADUATION 2011 ’07 West Scholars: Alexa Rae Baird , Plainfield, NJ, Education: Elementary (K-6), magna cum laude Kelli Ferguson, Raleigh, NC, Education: Middle School (6-9) Stephanie Michelle Hill, China Grove, NC, magna cum laude William Tyler Howe, Salisbury, NC, Music, K - 12 Education Zachary Justin Poole , Salisbury, NC, Physical Education, K-12 Education Laura Elaine Ritchie , Salisbury, NC, Education: Middle School (6-9), summa cum laude Philip Tyler Russ , Polkville, NC, Physical Education, K-12 Education Veronica Blair Sanders, Mount Pleasant, NC, Education: Elementary (K-6) Elizabeth Nicole Sloop, Salisbury, NC, Education: Elementary (K-6), magna cum laude Hannah Marie Thomas, Robbins, NC, Physical Education, K-12 Education, cum laude ’08 West Scholars: Alecia Marsha Meeks, Kings Mountain, NC, Education: Elementary (K-6), cum laude SENIOR INVESTITURE (5/12/11) Seniors in their caps, tassels and gowns assembled in Omwake-Dearborn Chapel on Thursday, May 12 for the Senior Investiture ceremony and were invested with hoods. The service is for all seniors in all programs, and their families and guests as well as for faculty and staff. Alexa Baird Elizabeth Sloop Philip Russ & Zach Poole Hannah Thomas Philip Russ Zach Poole Kelli Ferguson Laura Ritchie ALPHA CHI HONOR SOCIETY (5/13/11) Graduates of Alpha Chi honor society gathered in a ceremony Friday in Omwake-Dearborn Chapel. The ceremony was followed by a reception on the Chapel green. Elizabeth Sloop Stephanie Hill & Alexa Baird Sarah Morse Laura Ritchie Sarah Morse & Julie Gilley Stephanie Hill BACCALAUREATE SERVICE OF WORSHIP (5/13/11) Graduating seniors from both the traditional day and the School of Evening and Graduate Studies programs attended Catawba's Baccalaureate Service at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 13 in the Omwake-Dearborn Chapel on campus. Kristopher Watson of Voorhees, N.J., a 2011 graduate and tenor, wowed those gathered with a solo performance of "Over the Rainbow"  at the request of outgoing President Dr. W. Craig Turner. Blair Sanders (left) Stephanie Hill & Laura Ritchie Elizabeth Sloop & Blair Sanders Tyler Howe MARSHAL’S WALK AND RECEPTION (5/13/11) Following the May 13 Baccalaureate Service, Catawba's 2011 graduating class processed by candlelight in the traditional Marshal's Walk. After each graduate lit his or her candle from the lighted candles carried by faculty members, they made their way from the Omwake-Dearborn Chapel, along Oliver's Way, to the exterior of the Robertson College-Community Center. Attendees gathered afterwards in Peeler Crystal Lounge for a reception. Laura Ritchie Laura Ritchie Kelli Ferguson & Tyler Howe (background) Hannah Thomas APPLE AWARDS FOR WEST SCHOLARS Following Commencement services, the Academy for Teaching manned a table inside Peeler Crystal Lounge in order to have one final meet and greet with graduating Senior Scholars. Dr. Cyndi Osterhus and Dr. Bonita Bloodworth presented each Senior West Scholar with an “Apple Award” commemorating their four years at Catawba and acknowledgeing them as the first graduating cohort of Martha Kirkland West Teaching Scholars. DAY PROGRAM COMMENCEMENT (5/14/11) Salisbury Post article about graduation 2011 by Post writer Mark Wineka. A short exerpt is presented below. To read the entire article use the web link. http://www.salisburypost.com/News/051511-catawba-college-graduation-w-wayne-pix-qcd photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post Catawba College education major Hannah Thomas from Robbins, NC has a card saying "Will Work for Food." She has not been able to get a teaching job so far. Hannah Thomas of Robbins walked into the auditorium Saturday with a cardboard sign that said, “Will Work for Food,” betraying the uncertainty many of the Catawba graduates are feeling as they enter the workforce. Thomas is looking for a teaching position in physical education and has applied for jobs in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Her brother handed her the sign before she went in. Thomas, whose mother is a Catawba graduate, said she made great friends at the school and would encourage any high school senior to consider it as an educational option. The school is small enough that she knew virtually every senior accepting his or her diploma Saturday, Thomas said. Catawba College also is a choice sometimes for students who grew up in Rowan County. Elizabeth Sloop, a West Rowan High graduate, received her Catawba College diploma Saturday in elementary education. A Martha West Teaching Fellow, Sloop did her student teaching at Millbridge Elementary and, in the short term, will be a substitute teacher at Overton Elementary until the end of the school year. Catawba College gave Sloop a chance to travel to places such as New York, Washington, Savannah and Atlanta. But staying based in Rowan County the past four years had its advantages, too. “I was able to live at home and save a lot of money that way,” Sloop said, adding it also allowed her to remain active in her church and community. QUOTES FROM THE GRADS (excerpts fron the Catawba Website by three of our West Scholars) Hannah Thomas '11 Physical Education; Cross Country "The Physical Education program allowed me to enter the classroom during my first year, and prepared me for my future in the school system. I chose Physical Education because I enjoy working with kids and am passionate about the health of our future generations. After graduation, I hope to teach Elementary PE at a school in North Carolina." Alexa Baird '11 Elementary Education; Women's Soccer "My plans for the future include being accepted in the Teach for America program, where I will teach in a rural school distric which is known to have low test scores and high poverty risks. I have been placed in Eastern North Carolina, where I plan on getting my Master’s degree in Education while teaching. I would love to stay in North Carolina; however, I would not mind traveling to other states to teach. While teaching, I plan to continue my love for soccer by coaching youth children." Elizabeth Sloop '11 Elementary Education "Outside of the classroom, I have been fortunate to participate in a wide variety of activities through the Martha West Teaching Scholars program. In addition to wonderful travel experiences, this program has allowed me to observe the differences in schools in major cities as well as rural areas. I have also been involved with Catawba's SNCAE, which has allowed me to work on my leadership and teamwork skills, which will be invaluable when I begin my teaching career." West Scholars Campus Activities and Involvement (during the final weeks of the 2011 Spring Semester) Catawba Students are Ready for Summer Opportunities From The Pioneer April 26, 2011 • Lizzle Davis, ’09 West Scholar, Writer Filed under Student Life & News, Top Stories Lizzle Davis Though the exam weeks ahead are surely prompting some Catawba students to look forward to a short summer hiatus from the demands of the everyday, others are planning busy summers filled with new experiences and great opportunities. I took a poll to see just what Catawba students are diving into this summer. Suzy Williams, a Math major and ’09 West Scholar, from Efland, North Carolina, will be working with Wilmore Electronics in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Suzy will be creating circuit boards, and will be employed full time. Though summer for most means R&R and a well-deserved break from papers and exams, the students at Catawba are sure to capture every summer opportunity that comes their way. The April 15^th event for Catawbapalooza week was a Toga Party The event was sponsored by The Delphinian Society and DAS. The event for Friday is usually a luau, but this year the societies chose to try something new. Front Row: 5^th from the left, Whitney Corriher, ’09 Scholar, 8^th from left, Hannah Thomas, past president and ’07 Scholar. Field Study in Jamaica by students in the "Biogeography and Literature of Islands" honors course Blog: Suzy Williams, ’09 West Scholar, Efland, NC The trip to Jamaica was one of the best and most memorable experiences of my life.  I decided to write about the trip and how the Rastafarian culture can be seen in everything that we took part in.  The Rastafarian culture was really experienced while visiting the Bob Marley Mausoleum.  While there, “Crazy” Curtis explained what the three colors, red, gold, and green of the Rasta flag represented.  Curtis explained that the red represents the common color of blood that runs through every person, gold represents the sun and the wealth of the homeland, and green represents the vegetation and everything living.  There are many ways that the Rastafarian colors are spread throughout the island. (To read the rest of Suzy’s blog and see all the great photos, visit the Catawba News Bureau website.) http://www.catawba.edu/gallery/2011/blog/jamaica/entry5.asp DISCOVERY DAY April 30, 2011 Discovery Day is a comprehensive introduction for admitted and deposited students and their families. It is a fun day with various outside activities, and attending deposit paid students receive their class registration, e-mail address, and have the opportunity to request a roommate. A number of West Scholars were volunteers for the day to assist faculty and staff. Photos! Anna Toole, ’10 West Scholar, Simpsonville, SC (left) Heather Cheek, ’09 West Scholar, Ramseur, NC (right) Brittany Myers, ’09 West Scholar, Shelby, NC Lindsay King, ’10 West Scholar, Kannapolis, NC (left photo, pink shirt) Sarah Morse, ’08 West Scholar, North Berwick, Maine (right photo, blue hoodie) Lindsay King, ’10 West Scholar, Kannapolis, NC WEST SCHOLARS –Athletics! Follow all athletic activities, by clicking the link to the CATAWBA ATHLETICS WEBSITE. http://www.gocatawbaindians.com Catawba College has announced its 2010-11 athletic award winners for its student-athletes. The awards were presented at the annual athletic ceremony held at the Keppel Auditorium on Tuesday, May 3. Heading the list of award winners were Alexa Baird, ’07 West Scholar from Plainfield, NJ and Marty Tuohy, who were awarded the Lomax and Kirkland Awards for the top female and male senior athletes, and Lainey Edwards and Patrick Dennis, who were given the Wurster Awards for team leadership. The awards for team MVPs went to: Josh Hohn (Baseball), Dominick Reid (Men's Basketball), Dana Hicks (Women's Basketball), Olivia Myers and Christian Crifasi (Cross Country), Brandon Bunn (Football), Brad Cline (Men’s Golf), Eileen Purpur (Women’s Golf), Braden Artem (Lacrosse), Carson Smith (Men's Soccer), Alexa Baird (Women's Soccer), Carly Sabat (Softball), Ashley Owens (Women’s Swimming), Mikael Karlsson (Men’s Swimming), Matthew Nicholson (Men's Tennis), Kasia Zielinski (Women's Tennis), Kaitlyn Whitmer (Volleyball), Megan Reed (Cheerleading) and Kelsey Divers and Kasia Zielinski (Athletic Training). Softball Cancer Fundraiser At the end of softball season, the Lady Indians and Tusculum split a softball doubleheader at Whitley Field.  The Catawba Indians won the opener 3-0, while the Pioneers won the second game 2-0.  Catawba stands 9-5 in the SAC. Carly Sabat went 3-for-3 while Khourtni Hester and Kayla Myers hit solo home runs to spark Catawba to the game one win.  Emily Huneycutt tossed her second straight shutout to improve to 14-7. Hester led off the second for Catawba with a solo home run to give Huneycutt the only run she would need. Amanda Terry, ’09 Scholar, Cordova, NC added a RBI double in the frame to push the lead to 2-0. Myers would pad the lead with her solo shot to start the fifth. Huneycutt scattered five hits and struck out four. The Pioneers took advantage of a shaky defensive inning by Catawba to grab the split.  After an error and two outs, Tusculum strung together three hits to plate a pair of runs.  Paige Sneed and MacDonald drove home the runs. Elizabeth Johnson allowed five hits, walked none and struck out one in hurling the shutout.  She improved to 15-3.  Alli Justice’s  double in the sixth got the tying run in scoring position for Catawba, but Johnson got Tara Gibbs to fly out to center to end the frame. Justice had two of the five hits for Catawba, while Sabat added another hit.  Brittany Murray took the loss for the Lady Indians.  She surrendered just four hits with a pair of unearned runs. The Cancer fundraiser had several of Catawba’s fans showing up in the appropriate pink. The T-shirts were being sold, and the donation jar was on the table. The Lady Indians enjoyed sporting their ‘pink’ uniforms for the event. Catawba Lacrosse Wins Championship! The Catawba Men’s lacrosse team claimed the Deep South Conference Tournament Championship near season’s end, against the Florida Southern University Moccasins in Florida.  This was the first championship win for the Indians after having lost in the finals the previous three years. 2^nd from left, Daniel Couchenour, ’10 West Scholar www.catawba.edu/academyforteaching (704) 637-4499
Senior Investiture Thursday, May 12^th Alpha Chi Honor Society Friday, May 13^th Baccalaureate Friday, May 13^th Marshall’s Walk & Reception Friday, May 13^th Commencement Saturday, May 14^th Ocracoke Excursion –West Scholars and Environmental Scholars May 16^th -- May 20^th Catawba Conservation Camp July 10^th – July 15^th
We hope you enjoy the photo profiling of our graduating seniors as you review their experiences during this exciting weekend of activities
We hope you will share our Newsletter with all of your family, friends, coworkers and anyone you know who has an interest in teaching. Catawba’s West Scholars continue to be involved in every aspect of campus life through their leadership, scholarship and service. They are broadly represented in athletics, music, theatre and science. We anticipate a wonderful new ’11 West Scholars cohort joining us in the fall, and we will be introducing them to you then. The tradition continues even as we bid a final farewell to the groundbreaking ’07 West Scholars.
Congratulations to Shay Meeks! Alecia Marsha Meeks, ’08 West Scholar finishes early (Shay is on the right) We have several West Scholars who are officially members of the ’08 Cohort, and they have moved forward toward the completion of their programs early. One in particular, Alecia Marsha (Shay) Meeks, of Kings Mountain, NC. Shay officially graduated this May, but will be returning in the fall to complete her student teaching assignment for teacher licensure. We will feature Shay and the other ’08 Scholars - Jesse Clark, Stephanie Riddle and Sarah Morse, in fall issues of the Newsletter. Graduation Candids Alexa Baird, Plainfield, NJ Kelli Ferguson (far right), Raleigh, NC Stephanie Hill (right), China Grove, NC Blair Sanders, Mt. Pleasant, NC Zach Poole, Salisbury, NC Elizabeth Sloop, Salisbury, NC Hannah Thomas, Robbins, NC Stephanie Hill, China Grove, NC Elizabeth Sloop, Salisbury, NC Stephanie Hill (front row) Junior Marshals from the day program for the 2010-2011 academic year are: James Walker Abbott of Winston-Salem, Michelle L. Chaffee of Holly Springs, Whitney Leigh Corriher of Salisbury (’09 West Scholar), Marissa Elizabeth DiMarco of Voorhees, N.J., Lori Beth Fraley of Cleveland, Julie Roseann Gilley of Dobson (’08 West Scholar), Allison Michelle Justice of Bishopville, Md., Whitney Paige Mullis of Kannapolis, Gail Elaine Murray of Shallotte, Joshua Logan Owens of Mt. Pleasant, Alyssa Darlene Retundie of Mooresville, Claire Elise Robinson of Houston, Texas Jesse Mitchell Siak of Hendersonville, Robin Elizabeth Tynes of Black Mountain, Amanda Gwyn Williams of Indian Trail. WHAT SCHOLARS ARE DOING! Zach Poole, ’07 West Scholar Salisbury, NC With graduation from Catawba behind him, Zach has decided to continue his education and recently passed the LSAT. He is looking into Law School enrollment with options at UNC-Chapel Hill, Campbell University, or Elon. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day, standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. We are going to keep in touch with Zach as he moves forward in his law studies. Daniel Couchenour, ’10 West Scholar, Fort Mill, SC Following his final exam, Daniel stopped by the Academy office to give big goodbye hugs with hearty thank-you’s for his first year of college. Daniel said his first plans at home were to help his grandparents take out a large tree! He had a big grin when he said that, so he must be looking forward to a little physical labor!! Daniel will be working in early June as a coach/counselor at a Lacrosse Camp in Charlotte, NC; and from June 20^th through August 14^th he will be in Pennsylvania near the Poconos, as a coach at an all athletics camp. A busy summer indeed. We hope to hear from you while you are away – but if we don’t, we can’t wait for your smiling face to return in the fall. Kelly Ferguson, ’07 West Scholar, Raleigh, NC Kelly stopped in to say her final farewell just before commencement, and said she will be pounding the pavement right away; as she visits school systems in the Raleigh area. She plans to move back “home” with her parents in Raleigh. She’s got a few leads and was very optimistic. She said she’d love to be teaching math and coaching in the fall, somewhere near home! Keep us posted, please. Elizabeth Sloop, ’07 West Scholar, Salisbury, NC Elizabeth came into the Academy office with exciting news! She’s finishing up the Rowan-Salisbury School system’s academic year as a Kindergarten teacher at Overton Elementary School. We are sending our best wishes your way Elizabeth, and that this great opportunity translates into a permanent position with the RSS system. Love you Elizabeth, and stop by the office anytime! Samantha Lackey, ’08 West Scholar, Seville, Ohio When Sam dropped by to do a little computer work in the CMC on “Study Day,” she shared her summer plans. She’s spending the summer in Destin, Florida. She hopes to be working all summer long, saving a little money, and maybe getting in a round of golf here and there. In order to complete her student teaching next year, as a senior; Samantha will not be part of the Catawba College Women’s Golf Team. We are sure you the team is going to miss your contribution. Keep that handicap low this summer and give us a call while you are gone. We’ll see you in the fall. Julie Gilley, ’08 West Scholar, Dobson, NC Julie emailed following her exams, saying, “I'm interning this summer (for at least a month) at the Childrens Center of Surry, a center that helps abused and neglected children in Surry County, NC. I'll most likely work their summer camp as well. I'll know more about my position a little later on this month.” NOTE: As it turned out, Julie’s internship becan earlier than expected and she was unable to go on the Ocracoke excursion with West and Environmental Scholars as she had planned. Julie, we look forward to hearing more about your experiences with your summer internship. Email us over the coming months. The Academy for Teaching and The Center for the Environment are getting ready for an exciting week of fun as we conduct The Catawba Conservation Camp for middle school girls, from Rowan, Davie, Davidson, Cabarrus, Iredell and Stanly Counties in NC will be held during the week of July 10^th through July 15^th, 2011 Applications have been processed and our campers are notified! Watch for our after-camp info in upcoming newsletters. The Academy for Teaching C-3 Office (704) 637-4499 Church Youth Empowerment Weekend (CYEW) 2011 an Interdenominational Event for High School Youth July 15-17, 2011 at Catawba College The cost for the 3-day event is just $25 per person, with food and lodging included! On-line registration is available at catawaba.edu/CYEW. Individual students or entire youth groups may register. Our deadline for registration is June 30, 2011, so please help us get the word out quickly if you know youth who would benefit from this experience. If you have any questions, please contact Jay Laurens, Coordinator of Outreach Programs, at (704) 637-4725 or jlaurens@catawba.edu Know a high school student with an interest in the environment? The Center for the Environment at Catawba College and Rocky Mountain Institute will team up in July, 2011 to create a summer program for high school students to learn how to apply environmental leadership to their areas of interest. Contact the Catawba College Center for the Environment! (704) 637-4727 Don’t forget, a new Cohort of West Scholars will be joining the Academy for Teaching next fall. We can’t wait to introduce them to you! Have a great summer!