Catawba College alumnus Ben Prater '02 returned to campus in late November to help mark the 15th anniversary of the Center for the Environment and the 10th anniversary of the building that houses it, and to share some real-world advice about landing a job with current students.

The Catawba College community celebrated its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Service together on Monday, November 21 in the Cannon Student Center. The event was co-sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA) and the President's Office.

In a recent WCNC.com article, Catawba College Professor of Politics and political expert Dr. J. Michael Bitzer commented on the two N.C. congressmen who have stood their ground in the budget divide issue. Bitzer says Haywood County's Heath Shuler's role in the debate could serve him well in a conservative district. "He probably sees himself more as a bridge between the two parties," Bitzer says, pegging Shuler as "a classic, conservative-moderate Southern Democrat."

On November 12th, the activity room at the Lutheran Home at Trinity Oaks was transformed into "LaVille Lumiere" – or "the City of Lights," as Paris is called. This magical transformation was a result of the hard work of Volunteer Catawba and nearly 70 Catawba College student and staff volunteers, who set out to provide the residents of this skilled nursing facility with an evening to remember at the sixth annual Harvest Moon Ball.

Catawba College's production of"A Tuna Christmas" brings an abundance of humor to the holiday. The play, by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, runs Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 at 10 p.m. (after hours showing follows Catawba's"Service of Lessons and Carols") and Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Florence Busby Corriher Theatre on campus.

Four students in Catawba College's Artist Development Program will offer a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, Nov. 20 in the lobby of Hoke Hall on campus. Students Allijah Motika of Asheville, Olivia Albertson of Thomasville, Caleb Casper of Waxhaw and Alex Gage of Harrisburg will offer different selections, ranging from deep Southern Country to Techno.

The Alumni Board of Directors hosted a Catawba College Faculty and Staff Appreciation Reception on Thursday, November 17 from 3:00 to 4:00pm in the lobby of the Hedrick Administration Building. Dessert and hot apple cider was served. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Alumni Board of Directors hosted the event to thank Catawba's employees for their continuous positive impact on students and the campus community, as well as...

Though it was only mid-November, the sounds of Christmas could be heard coming from the Cannon Student Center recently as volunteers scurried around, filling shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for children in impoverished and war torn countries. On November 15th, approximately 40 students and several staff members enthusiastically participated in the Operation Christmas Child Packing Party – a joint effort of Volunteer Catawba and the Student Affairs Office.

Source: offoffbroadway.broadwayworld.com (EDITOR'S NOTE: Catawba College alumna McKenna Dabbs graduated with a BFA in Directing/Performance. She is a director, producer and writer based in New York City.) Karina Martins and McKenna Dabbs in conjunction with Fresh Ground Pepper, present a limited engagement of "All the Rats and Rags" at 3LD Art and Technology Center from November 17-20.

The Catawba PRIDE Marching Band is the recently reformed marching band at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. The last marching band Catawba had was in 1973, and in the past five years they have been entertained with a drumline at football games and a pep band at basketball games. This year, visitors saw a marching band with a hornline, drumline, and colorguard, and all with brand new uniforms.

One hundred and seventy five needy local families will enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner this year, courtesy of Catawba College's annual "Duck Draw. " The eighth annual event, sponsored by the college's Residence Life Staff, raised $3,500 that will be used to buy materials for the Thanksgiving meals. A plastic duck might seem an unlikely starting point for a Thanksgiving dinner, but thanks to this year's successful results, "Duck Draw" has raised money since its inception to provide holiday meals for

By Kathy Chaffin, SalisburyPost.com - The Center for the Environment's 15th anniversary celebration on November 10 elicited a host of praise and appreciation for the work of the Center and for those who have brought its mission to life. Among the 80-plus people at the celebration included Catawba officials and professors, members of the Center Advisory Board and supporters. "The Center is all of us," said Executive Director John Wear, "and we all feel very proud of what we have accomplished."

The Center for Faith and the Arts will hold its annual Colloquy on Monday, November 21, at 7:00 p.m. in Tom Smith Auditorium on the Catawba College campus. Co-sponsored by Catawba's English Department, the Colloquy will feature Cathy Smith Bowers, North Carolina's Poet Laureate.

Catawba College President, Dr. Joseph Oxendine, announced the hiring of Amy Harrell Williams as assistant to the president on Oct. 31. Williams replaces Linda Hamilton who retired from Catawba on Oct. 28 after 29 years of service. Williams, a Salisbury native, graduated from Davidson College and has worked at Catawba since 2001. She joined the college as executive assistant to then President Fred Corriher and served in that capacity during the last year before his retirement in 2002.

The recent big news was my trip to India to visit my dad, who was there for a month volunteering. I went with a fellow volunteer named Samantha. The first thing that struck me about India was its similarity to Indonesia. It is crowded and dangerous to cross the street, it is dirty and there is so much pollution the inside of your nose turns black. Yet at the same time it is oddly charming and enjoyable.

Six Catawba College brass students performed for a Nov. 9 Veterans Day Service/Meal at Stallings Memorial Baptist Church. The students included Brent Messenger (Music Education '12), Melanie Hudson (Music Education '12), John Lincourt (Music Performance '12), Taylor Lee (Music Education '16), Zach Veitenheimer (Music Education '16), and Ryn Crawford (Theatre Arts '16).

What causes humans to be self-serving and self-indulgent? Are there biological or other bases for this behavior? Are we incurably captive to it, or is it possible to overcome such tendencies? If so, how? Over the past several thousand years, theologians and philosophers have constantly wrestled with this question. The Christian tradition attributes our corrupted nature to the Genesis "Fall," and the resulting concept of original sin, viewing it as something we are powerless to control...

Source: raleigh.broadwayworld.com - Heavenly melodies are at the heart of a romantic musical showcase when the North Carolina Symphony, led by Music Director Grant Llewellyn and featuring concertmaster Brian Reagin and soprano Christina Pier, presents "Mahler's Fourth Symphony."

The Cabarrus County Public Library will present "A Look at the Cannon Family," a lecture by historian and Catawba College Professor Gary Freeze, on November 10 at 5:30pm at the Cabarrus County Public Library. Freeze will discuss the history of the Cannon family, their business and cultural legacies and their contributions to the Cabarrus County community. This event is free and open to the public.

With much going on in the area of politics and voting right now, Catawba College politics professor Dr. J. Michael Bitzer has been frequently sought after to comment on these hot topics. Read the stories in which Bitzer has been recently featured...

Catawba College politics professor Dr. J. Michael Bitzer, who has followed South Carolina politics for two decades, recently commented on the questions raised by Gov. Nikki Haley's use of donated plane rides. "That's quid pro quo," Bitzer said.

Catawba College political science professor Dr. Michael Bitzer spoke to WSOC-TV about the impact of the campaigns Anthony Foxx and Scott Stone have been running these past few months.

by Carlisle Holeman Scott '72 - Scott recounts a very eventful Thanksgiving holiday while at Catawba. Watch video...

2011 marks the eighth year that Catawba College's Residence Life staff has used plastic ducks to raise money to buy Thanksgiving turkey dinners for needy local families. A plastic duck might seem an unlikely starting point for a Thanksgiving dinner, but to date, Catawba's annual Thanksgiving Dinner "Duck Draw" has raised money to provide the holiday meal for more than 800 families.

Before she retired from Catawba College after 29 years service, Linda Hamilton traded tears and memories with Mark Wurster, son of the late college president, Dr. Stephen Wurster, who had hired her in 1982. Linda had given Mark the gift of his late father's academic regalia before her last day at Catawba, October 28. The long-time assistant to the president, who served five different Catawba presidents during her career, still holds the man who brought her to the college in high esteem.

Catawba College first-year students enrolled in the "Living Globally" first year seminar learned about globalization in an unexpected way — from their t-shirts. The students in this honors class, taught by Dr. Steve Coggin, Dean of Catawba's School of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology, went through their closets and noted the country of origin for their t-shirts. They then used this information to produce a world map showing where the items in their wardrobes were manufactured.