Theatre-goers will be treated to a coming-of-age play if they attend a performance of "Uncommon Women and Others" running November 8 through 18 in Florence Busby Corriher Theatre on the campus of Catawba College.

Alumni, a retired professor and coach, and numerous former recipients of the institution's prestigious Whitener Awards will be recognized and honored during Catawba College Homecoming festivities slated Nov. 3-5. Several sporting events, including an alumni golf tournament, an alumni lacrosse game, a blue and white men's basketball game, and a home football game, along with an alumni block party are also scheduled.

Catawba College Theatre Arts students, working to fulfill a portion of the requirements needed to obtain their bachelor of fine arts degrees in musical theatre, are collaborating to present the musical, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." The production will be offered at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Nov. 2 and 3, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5 in Peeler Crystal Lounge of the Robertson College-Community Center on campus.

Beginning January 2007, Catawba College will host the Piedmont's only independent indoor drumline, "Cohesive," which will be open to area percussionists ages 14-21. "Cohesive," which is affiliated with Winter Guard International, will be under the direction of Lea Meyers of Charlotte, a former music educator and professional musician with extensive concert and marching percussion expertise.

A candidate for local office wrote in the following question: Q: What impact do political signs (yard signs, billboards, etc.) have on voters? Is there a saturation point at which voters are actually turned off by the number of a particular candidate's signs? Do voters actually consider the type, creativity or number of signs when they enter a voting booth?

The six candidates vying for three seats on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners never mentioned their party affiliation Thursday night, but they all stressed their conservative credentials. "It doesn't matter what I tell you," said Chad Mitchell, the lone incumbent in the race, "What defines me is my actions ... my record."

Candidates for the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education weighed in on key school issues during a Tuesday evening candidates' forum at Catawba College. The forum, sponsored by Catawba College, The Salisbury Post and the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, gave candidates two minutes each to answer questions as well as the chance to make opening and closing remarks.

To say that the Democratic-led General Assembly spent a $2.4 billion state surplus like drunken sailors is an insult to drunken sailors everywhere, Republican State Sen. Andrew Brock of Davie County said Thursday night.

His fellow Catawba College Trustees surprised Charlotte Mayor and College Alumnus Pat McCrory '78 on his birthday, Tuesday, October 17th. McCrory's 50th birthday coincided with the semi-annual meeting of the Board of Trustees and a decorated cake and balloons marked the occasion.

Catawba College trustees, administrators, gathered with family and friends of the late Enoch Goodman Monday, October 16, to pay tribute to the man who served for more than 50 years on the board of trustees and who through his many financial contributions to the college earned the distinction of being the most generous alumni donor in its history.

While students, faculty and staff of Catawba College looked on, Abernethy Hall began to come down on the overcast morning of Thursday, October 19. The Knoxville, Tennessee-based E. Luke Green, an environmentally sensitive demolition company, used a track hoe to claw away and push on the walls of the building, gradually destroying portions of it.

For the past 21 years, farmer John Peeler of Davie County has driven to the Catawba College campus on Monday and Wednesday evenings for martial arts class. But the 55-year old father of four says he hasn’t participated in class simply to learn to fight and defend himself, but rather to stay in shape, keep limber and alleviate back problems.

Catawba College's Business Honor Society recently inducted new members. New members, all of whom are juniors, include Christopher T. Brown of Burlington; Theresa B. Owens of Salisbury; Christopher B. Rae of Hudson, Wis.; and Carrie L. Wollaston of Landenburg, Pa. Officers for the organization this year include seniors Hayley M. Bollinger of Simpsonville, S.C., president; and Nicki S. Vaughn of Graham, secretary.

Dr. Constance Rogers-Lowery, an assistant professor of biology at Catawba College and two Catawba students, seniors Amanda Durham of Rockwell and Christopher Junker of Salisbury, attended the Fifth Annual Charlotte's Emerging Role in Biotechnology Conference at UNCC on October 12, 2006. Durham, a biology major, and Junker, a chemistry major, participated in "Biotech – It's Academic," a biotechnology quiz bowl contest. The Catawba team won second place in the contest and were awarded a $300 check

At the recent North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference in Greensboro, Dr. Sharon Sullivan, assistant professor of mathematics at Catawba College, presented a talk "Teaching Math through Art."

Fourteen Catawba College students were honored in a pinning ceremony October 10 in Tom Smith Auditorium for their admission to the Teacher Education Program. The ceremony was sponsored by the Student North Carolina Association of Educators' (SNCAE).

Faculty and students involved in Catawba College's upcoming production of Dr. Janice Moore Fuller's world premiere experimental work, Machine Play or I'm Not Nadine, will offer a one–hour symposium Thursday, October 19 in which they discuss the collaborative process of creating the production. The symposium is scheduled between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Rowan Public Library at 201 W. Fisher Street.

Dr. Aaron Butler, a visiting assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center at Catawba College, recently made a presentation at the annual conference of the Popular Culture/American Culture Association in the South, which was held October 5-7 in Savannah, Georgia.

A manuscript written by Dr. Sheila Brownlow, Catawba College's Jefferson Pilot Professor of Psychology and director of the College Honors Program, in collaboration with three former Catawba College students, Mary Attea ('05), Alex Lopez ('06), and Jill Makransky ('06), has been accepted for publication.

The Catawba College Theatre Arts Department will offer the world premiere of an original play by College Writer-in-Residence Janice Moore Fuller, "Machine Play or I'm Not Nadine," October 25-29 in Hedrick Theatre on campus. The play, directed by Dr. Beth Homan, assistant professor of theatre arts, was workshopped this summer by Catawba College students and faculty who traveled to Estonia expressly for that purpose.

The Ledford High School Marching Band from Davidson County won the Lord Salisbury Cup during the October 7th Lord Salisbury Marching Band Classic held at Catawba College. Ledford obtained a 91.5 overall score out a possible 100.

Rashad Smith, an associate dean of admissions at Catawba College, was among the presenters at the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. His presentation, "Electronic Communications: Websites, E-newsletters, E-mails, RSS Feeds, Blogs, and Blending Print and Electronic Communications," focused on different electronic communication tools available to institutions.

Come and say hello to our National Football League Alumni returning for Homecoming, 2006. Confirmations of attendance have been received from Ed Koontz'68, Drew Buie'69, Ike Hill'70 and David Taylor'72. The Catawba Claw, Bucky Pope'63 is also a possibility to attend.

Eight local musicians have been selected to play in a movie being filmed in the Charlotte region. "We're kind of excited about it," Dr. Stephen Etters said Tuesday. Etters is associate professor of music education at Catawba College and a member of the Catawba Brass. All five members of the Catawba Brass will take part in the film along with three other Rowan County musicians.

Dayna Anderson, a Catawba College professor of theatre arts, has earned an international certification from Alexander Technique International. She becomes one of six instructors in North Carolina to obtain such certification. Alexander Technique is a way of thinking about the body, its use, and the rediscovery of freedom/ease and joy of movement.

Dr. Bethany Sinnott, a Catawba College professor of English, was one of five Shakespearian scholars from state colleges and universities invited to speak at Elizabeth's Bard Weekend in High Point Sept. 23-24. That event was organized by the N.C. Shakespeare Festival (NCSF).