Spring Commencement will be Saturday, May 7

May 7 will mark a milestone for about 350 Tusculum College students who will reach the successful completion of their educational journey by earning degrees during the Spring Commencement Ceremony that day.

Two ceremonies are planned and both will take place in the Pioneer Arena of the Niswonger Commons. The first will be at 10 a.m. and will include students earning degrees from the Traditional College program. The second will be at 2 p.m. and include students earning Master’s degrees and the students earning degrees from the Graduate and Professional Studies bachelor’s programs.

Tusculum College applauds the graduates for their hard-earned achievements and is preparing for May 7 as a day of celebration for the newest alumni and their families. The College is busy making preparations to make the day a memorable one and you can help.

Family members are asked to carpool if possible rather than bring multiple cars to the ceremony to help lessen congestion on campus. As you arrive on campus, security personnel will direct you to a parking area and shuttles will provided from outer lots to the Niswonger Commons.

If you are any of your family members or guests requires special handicapped seating accommodations, please contact Bobbie Greenway at 423-636-7300 ext. 5154 so your needs can be addressed. There will be handicapped parking available in the large parking lot at the Niswonger Commons. Please let the security personnel directing traffic and parking know that you need handicapped parking if it is needed and they will direct you to the lot. Please note that Tusculum will not be able to provide wheelchairs. Those with special seating accommodations are asked to arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony.

You can also help by helping your graduate be at the Pioneer Arena in time for graduation practice. For the morning ceremony, practice begins at 8:45 a.m. and it begins 12:45 p.m. for the 2 p.m. ceremony. Graduates who arrive prior to the practice times are asked to report to the cafeteria.

Graduates are not allowed to have personnel items such as purses and cameras with them during the ceremony. You can assist them by obtaining these items from them prior to graduation practice and holding them.  Prior to the practice is a good time for this and other communication between you and your graduate because after graduation practice, the graduates go to the cafeteria where they placed in order for the procession and for the ceremony. It is easier for the College staff getting the graduates in line if they stay inside the cafeteria during this period.

The Pioneer Arena will open for guest seating after completion of the rehearsal. Guests are asked to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony.

No tickets are required for graduation and there is no limit on the number of guests per graduate. However, to help provide seating for all, guests are asked to not hold seats for others in the last 45 minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony.

Programs will be placed on the seat of each graduate and they will be distributed to guests at the Pioneer Arena primary entrances. The program will also posted on the Tusculum web site following the ceremony. For graduates unable to attend the ceremony, diplomas will be mailed to the graduates’ home addresses after Commencement Day provided all academic and financial obligations are satisfied.

To help preserve the prestigious decorum of the commencement ceremony, guests are asked to observe the following:

  • As a courtesy to other attendees, please consider making alternative arrangements for very young children.  Due to fire marshal regulations, no baby carriers or strollers will be allowed in the auditorium.
  • Cell phones are to be turned off or switched to the silent operating mode during the ceremony.  Do not speak on a cell phone or carry on a conversation during the ceremony as this prevents others from hearing and enjoying the ceremony.
  • Commencement is both a joyous and solemn event.  Please express your excitement in ways that will not prevent others from hearing the speaker and enjoying the ceremony.  Use of air horns, yelling or stomping are disruptive.
  • Please refrain from taking pictures until after your graduate receives his or her diploma.  This will allow the ceremony to flow smoothly and reduce the distractions and disturbances to other audience members as they try to see and hear ongoing presentations.
  • As a courtesy to and out of respect for your fellow graduates, you and your family are requested to remain in the auditorium until the conclusion of the ceremony. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the faculty traditionally forms a gauntlet and applauds the graduates as they recess from the auditorium.  We ask that your family and friends be respectful of this tradition and remain in the auditorium until the graduates have exited the auditorium.

 

Key times and dates for Old Oak Festival at Tusculum College

The Old Oak Festival will return this weekend to the Tusculum College campus April 15-17, featuring crafts, music, art shows, theater, children’s activities, festival food and more.

Music headliners include Fiddlin’ Carson Peters, just off his appearance on the “Steve Harvey Show.” Peters will play twice on Saturday, at the Doak House Museum at 11 a.m. and on the main stage at noon. Friday night will wrap up with Pink Floyd Tribute band, Prism beginning at 8 p.m. and Sunday will feature the Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band playing at 12:30 p.m.

The official opening ceremony and parade will be at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, and the Old Oak Festival Church Service will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Winners of the Historical Monument Lego competition will be announced at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Doak House Museum.

GLAWPIGT (Great Literature Alive & Well, Playing In Greeneville, Tennessee) presents a one-hour showcase during each day of the Festival. Show times are Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 16, at 2 p.m. and Sunday, April 17, at 2 p.m.

Sponsors of the event include Artistic Printers, Fatz Cafe, The Greeneville Sun, Radio Greeneville and Wayne Thomas.

There is no fee to attend the festival, other than the admission fee for the GLAWPIGT performances. Art vendor hours will be Friday from noon until 6 p.m. Author Row and the food vendors will remain open until 9 p.m. On Saturday, hours will be from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. for art vendors and 9 p.m. for the rest of the festival. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, contact Price at 423-636-7303.

Coolers and alcohol are prohibited.

For updates and more information or to see the full schedule of performances and event times, visit the website at www.oldoakfestival.org or on facebook.

 

Old Oak Festival returns this weekend, April 15-17

The Carson Peters Band will be returning to the Old Oak Festival.

The Old Oak Festival will return this weekend to the Tusculum College campus April 15-17, featuring crafts, music, art shows, theater, children’s activities, festival food and much, much more.

The Old Oak festival will span across three days and will feature something for everyone, including crafts, music, art, theater, puppetry, and area authors, as well as gallery and museum exhibits.

Craft vendors will include pottery, painting, jewelry, stoneware, weaving, woodworking, gourd art, pine needle baskets and much more.

Throughout the weekend on stage, the festival will present the sounds of the region, with a wide variety of music from bluegrass to jazz to regionally-known vocalists and musicians.

Fiddlin’ Carson Peters returns again to headline the Old Oak Festival, along with the Smoky Mountain Bluegrass band and a host of regional talent. Musicians kicking off the show on Friday include Bean Tree Remedy featuring Ashley Bean, Dave Nunez and the Perfect World Band, Mike Joy, My New Favorites and Prism – a tribute to Pink Floyd. Friday night will also feature Jack & Michael on the Terrace entertaining for a faculty and alumni social event.

On Saturday, expect good old-fashioned fun from Shiloh and the Tusculum College Band closing out the night, but also plan to get to the festival early to hear Stem Winder, the Thursday Night Boys, Jakie Keasling & Friends, New Chronic Dream, the Kevin Wilder Group, The Dandy Lions, Absinthe Gray, Jimmie D and the House Rockers and the Madisons. The night will conclude with a drum circle. There will be a parade at the center of the Tusculum campus, beginning at 10:45 a.m.

The Carson Peters Band will be on the main stage on Saturday as well. Additionally on Saturday, some favorite features return, including the “Conduct Us” session with the Tusculum College Band, where anyone can step up and take over the conductor’s baton.

Winners of this year’s annual Curtis-Owens Literary Awards will be the main event at the Tusculum Review Launch Party set for the Thomas J. Garland Library Terrace, 4-6 p.m. This year’s event will feature 2016 winners Jennie Frost (fiction), Sarah Holly (nonfiction), and Emily Waryck. These readers will be paired with winners from years’ past, David Roncskevitz, Andrew Baker and Joseph Wade Borden. Additionally, copies of the 2016 The Tusculum Review will be available.

Following the 10 a.m. Old Oak Festival Church Service in the main tent, Sunday’s artists will include Jim and Curtis Moneyhun, Steve Brown, the Tusculum College Handbell Choir, the Matthew Hurd Band, Able Brown and the regional favorite, the Great Smoky Mountain Bluegrass band.

“Each year the festival grows and this year is no exception,” said David Price, festival coordinator and director of music for Tusculum College. “There are many high quality craft vendors, more authors and surprises planned for throughout the weekend.”

One surprise that Price said will be unique to the festival is the launching of a trebuchet, built by Tusculum faculty and students. There will also be a catapult craft activity for children of all ages.

According to Dr. Peter Noll, assistant professor of history, “Over the past year, students and faculty have been meeting informally via a teaching and learning circle to read about and discuss a book about medieval technology and social change. The trebuchet we built represents the “enhancement” activity for group.”

According to Dr. Noll, the trebuchet is a gravity powered machine that changed the way siege warfare occurred beginning in the 13th century until it was supplanted by cannon. “We have built a scaled down version that is capable of launching a grapefruit 90 yards, oranges about 75. We plan on demonstrating it throughout the day on Saturday.”

The two museums on the Tusculum camps, the Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Library and Museum will both be offering free tours on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Fiddlin’ Carson Peters Band will have an encore concert at the Doak House on Saturday afternoon as well.

A reception at will be held at the President Andrew Johnson Library and Museum on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. for new exhibit “Prologue: Andrew Johnson’s Political Career before the Vice Presidency.”

Throughout the festival, the Tusculum College Gaming Club will be hosting a video gaming event in the Pioneer Perk in Niswonger Commons on the Greeneville campus. The event will run Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight; Saturday from noon until 1 a.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The event will feature multiple televisions and game sets with various games such as Guitar Hero, SingStar, Super Smash Bros., Call of Duty, FIFA and League of Legends. Attendees may come play the games from our library or bring their own.

During the weekend the LEGO contest entries will be on display at the Doak House, and the winners will be announced at 2 p.m. on Sunday. For more information and rules on the LEGO competition, contact Dollie Boyd, director of museums at dboyd@tusculum.edu.

Additional new features include horse and carriage rides, sponsored by Tymley Travel, and a lineup of 10 workshops designed for high school students, through which five participants will be awarded a $500 scholarship.

The high school workshops will be offered in morning and afternoon shifts, from 9-11 a.m. and 12:30-2:30 p.m. Workshop topics include an educational wetland tour and nature writing, contemporary poetry, drawing, playwriting, and music theory and songwriting. Acting, brief essay or prose poem, tree identification, photo manipulation and songwriting will be offered as well.

As part of the entertainment, Old Oak attendees will have the opportunity to see GLAWPIGT (Great Literature Alive & Well, Playing In Greeneville, Tennessee) as they present a one-hour showcase during each day of the Festival. Show times are Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 16, at 2 p.m. and Sunday, April 17, at 2 p.m.

A truly varied hour of entertainment, the showcase includes sketch comedy, young adult fiction, poetry, amusing literary analysis, unique interpretations of fairy tales, Shakespeare and even Vaudeville style comedy.

General seating is $5 and tickets will be available one-hour prior to show time at the box office. The performance will be held in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd building.

GLAWPIGT, which is celebrating its 30th year, is a literary performance group founded by Tusculum College Artist-in-Residence Marilyn duBrisk and sponsored by Tusculum College Arts Outreach. The group meets weekly during the academic year. It is comprised of students from East Tennessee ranging in ages from 10 to 17. For more information about the show case or GLAWPIGT, please contact Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620.

Another returning favorite is Joyce Carroll, puppet master. Carroll will be a puppet troubadour, appearing through the festival with spontaneous performances.

Sponsors of the event include Artistic Printers, Fatz Cafe, The Greeneville Sun, Radio Greeneville and Wayne Thomas.

There is no fee to attend the festival, other than the admission fee for the GLAWPIGT performances. Art vendor hours will be Friday from noon until 6 p.m. Author Row and the food vendors will remain open until 9 p.m. On Saturday, hours will be from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. for art vendors and 9 p.m. for the rest of the festival. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, contact Price at 423-636-7303.

Coolers and alcohol are prohibited.

For updates and more information, visit the website at www.oldoakfestival.org or on facebook.

 

 

Crafters of all types will be featured at this weekend’s Old Oak Festival at Tusculum College, as well as music, theater and festival food.

 

Fabulous Cars of the 50s to be feature of lecture at Tusculum College

“They Don’t Make ‘em Anymore:  Those Fabulous Cars of the Fifties” will be presented by Librarian Charles Tunstall on Tuesday, April 26, at 6 p.m. in the Thomas J. Garland Library.

The event will include a presentation and discussion of the American automobile industry during the 1950s. Through a series of slides and commentary, the audience will be introduced to one of the most exciting eras in automotive history. Highlights will include the flamboyant designs and color schemes, the horsepower race and a counter-cultural movement toward compact and imported cars.

Tunstall will present a portrait of American popular culture and how tastes can suddenly and radically change.

“This period of time points up the fickleness of what Americans waned, and how they changed their minds,” said Tunstall, adding that the audience will witness the rise of “The Big Three” and the fall of a number of independent manufacturers.

Community members are invited to bring cars from this era to campus for display. Set-up will begin at 5 p.m. in the Niswonger Commons parking lot. Shuttle service will be provided from the parking lot to the library. The event is free and open to the public.

 

Tusculum Service-Learning Students Lead Wetland Tour

On Tuesday, April 5, 2016, three service-learning students from Tusculum College conducted a student-led wetland tour of the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland on the Greeneville campus, under the direction of the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance.

Samantha Cochran, Chris Hutson, and Preston Tucker provided attendees with information on stormwater wetlands, history of the on-campus wetland, as well as facts about the importance of wetlands in protecting water quality. All three students are juniors, with Cochran majoring in psychology and Hutson and tucker majoring in business.

“Being able to work with Kristen and work on my leadership skills was the best part,” said Cochran. Hutson added, “The wetland is an important asset to our campus and the Greene County community.”

Stormwater wetlands function to filter nutrients and pollutants from nearby runoff, with the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland draining runoff from the campus before it is deposited into College Creek, running alongside the wetland area. College Creek is on the Environmental Protection Agency’s 303d list of impaired streams and is one of 58 impaired streams in Greene County.

By students sharing information on the importance of wetlands, they are encouraging environmental stewardship and protection of our valuable water resources. Tucker said, “We need to do all we can for the Nolichucky; it is vital to this community.”

MNWA appreciates all the effort put in by Tusculum students in protecting our watershed. For information on scheduling a tour of the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland, please contact Appalachia CARES AmeriCorps Member Kristen Lane at mnwa.tn@gmail.com.

Tusculum students learn from leading Wetlands tour.

 

By Kristen Lane ’14

Tusculum to offer online and onsite summer term courses

Online, on-site courses, as well as dual enrollment for high school students are all being offered as course options in Tusculum College’s upcoming summer program. Tusculum will offer a variety of courses and course options for high school or college students wanting to get ahead in their college career or needing specific classes.

The first session, Term A, will be the week of May 9 through the week of June 11. The second session, Term B, will begin the week of June 13 and run through the week of July 23.

Education courses will be offered in three terms, the first is May 9 to May 28, the second is June 6 to July 2 and the third will run July 11 to August 6.

Summer offerings include a variety of courses in education, business and general studies and are being offered in Greeneville, Morristown and Knoxville. Many courses are being offered online during the summer term in order to best meet the demanding schedules of students. The full list of the courses can be found here.

Dual enrollment courses for current high school students include offerings in English, sociology, history, psychology and art.

“Summer term is a great time for anyone to get a few college credits completed,” said LeAnn Hughes, vice president of enrollment management and marketing. “High School students can get a jump on college through dual enrollment, and students in degree programs can use this time to get ahead or catch up or just to take a course that interests them. Additionally, the online option makes it easy to get the work done on whatever schedule the student may have.”

Competitive summer tuition rates, as well as a summer payment plan, are being offered, and registration is open now.

For more information or to register for courses, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 423-636-7300 ext. 5311. The Registrar’s Office is located in Office G-12 on the ground floor of Virginia Hall on the Greeneville campus. 

 

Upgrades completed on Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland at Tusculum College

Vegetation removal and replacement, new signage and a walking tour brochure are among the improvements made recently at the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland at Tusculum College.

Cattail removal at the Wetlands

The projects, funded by a 319 grant administered by the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance, were carried out with assistance from Kristen Lane, a graduate of Tusculum College and an Appalachia CARES AmeriCorps Member serving with MNWA, and Dan Barnett, former faculty member at Tusculum and the current chairman of the MNWA. Other key assistances was provided by Tim Ormond, hydrological engineer from Asheville, N.C.

The Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland provides science students with an outdoor classroom and experiment center, while tending to the environment that supports campus life. In addition, the wetland provides stormwater retention from parking lots and roadways. This allows the pollutants to settle out of the water before it returns to College Creek and ultimately the Nolichucky River.

According to Lane, cattail removal was completed at the site in early spring, with more than 150 volunteers working at the wetlands in this effort to remove cattails and clean up the wetlands, as well as transplanting some other vegetation. Lane explained that the cattails had become invasive and were actually preventing the wetland from cleaning the moving stream as it was designed to do.

Additionally, signage has been added to describe the habitat for those who visit the wetland on their own. Barnett said that three separate signs were placed on the walkway. Each of the signs focuses on what the wetland is, how it works and what can be seen from the walkway. He added that a brochure with additional information about the Hayden Wetland is also in production that will be available at the site as well as online.

“By the end of April everything will be complete and in place and school students will be begin visiting in May,” said Barnett. More than 600 Greeneville and Greene County students have participated in educational programs at the wetland since its completion in 2013.

The 319 grant received by MNWA for the project came from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. More than $15,000 has been spent on upgrades at the site to date.

“The wetland project is an invaluable resource to the environment and serves to support educational experiences for the science program. In addition to Tusculum students, this wetland is a community resource in which the college collaborates with the Greeneville City and Greene County school systems to provide an environment for research ranging from elementary education to college senior projects,” said Dr. Nancy Moody, president of the college.

In February, the Tusculum College Board of Trustees was informed that a gift had been received by the college that would allow for a pavilion to be constructed as part of the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland project, and plans are in the works. MNWA made an additional contribution to this project for some construction materials and architectural design.

The Hayden Wetland project has been collaboration with the MNWA since the beginning when Hayden headed the organization. The college continues to support MNWA by providing the organization office space on campus. Additionally, the living stipend for the AmeriCorps member position has been generously provided by Dr. Scott Niswonger, local businessman, philanthropist and member of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees.

“Tusculum College has been very supportive of the project,” said Barnett. “David Martin and the staff of facilities management has been very helpful, providing continued maintenance at the facility.”

The wetland was named in honor of the late Paul E. Hayden because of his commitment and dedication to seeing the project through to completion and his many years of environmental stewardship.

Before

 

 

After

 

Short skits by Greene County youth will be featured as part of Old Oak Festival, April 15-17

The Old Oak Festival will return to Tusculum College campus April 15-17, featuring crafts, music, art shows, theater, kids activities, festival food and much, much more.

As part of the entertainment, Old Oak attendees will have the opportunity to see GLAWPIGT (Great Literature Alive & Well, Playing In Greeneville, Tennessee) as they present a one-hour showcase during each day of the Festival. Show times are Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 16, at 2 p.m. and Sunday, April 17, at 2 p.m.

A truly varied hour of entertainment, the showcase includes sketch comedy, young adult fiction, poetry, amusing literary analysis, unique interpretations of fairy tales, Shakespeare and even Vaudeville style comedy.

General seating is $5 and tickets will be available one-hour prior to show time at the box office. The performance will be held in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd building.

GLAWPIGT, which is celebrating its 30th year, is a literary performance group founded by Tusculum College Artist-in-Residence Marilyn duBrisk and sponsored by Tusculum College Arts Outreach. The group meets weekly during the academic year. It is comprised of students from East Tennessee ranging in ages from 10 to 17. For more information about the show case or GLAWPIGT, please contact Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620.

The Old Oak festival will span across three days and will feature something for everyone, including crafts, music, art, theater, storytelling and area authors, as well as gallery and museum exhibits.

Throughout the weekend on stage, the festival will present the sounds of the region, with a wide variety of music from bluegrass to jazz to regionally-known vocalists and musicians.

Fiddlin’ Carson Peters returns again to headline the Old Oak Festival, along with the Smoky Mountain Bluegrass band and a host of regional talent. Musicians kicking off the show on Friday include Bean Tree Remedy featuring Ashley Bean, Dave Nunez and the Perfect World Band, Mike Joy, My New Favorites and Prism – a tribute to Pink Floyd. Friday night will also feature Jack & Michael on the Terrace entertaining for an alumni event.

On Saturday, expect good old-fashioned fun from Shiloh and the Tusculum College Band closing out the night, but also plan to get to the festival early to hear Stem Winder, the Thursday Night Boys, Jake Keasly & Friends, New Chronic Dream, the Kevin Wilder Group, The Dandy Lions, Absinthe Gray, Jimmie D and the House Rockers and the Madisons.

The Carson Peters Band will be on the main stage on Saturday as well. Additionally on Saturday, some favorite features return, including the “Conduct Us” session with the Tusculum College Band, where anyone can step up and take over the conductor’s baton.

Sunday’s artists include Jim and Curtis Moneyhun, Steve Brown, the Tusculum College Handbell Choir, the Matthew Hurd Band and the regional favorite, the Great Smoky Mountain Bluegrass band.

“The musical acts this year will provide a wide variety to suit all musical tastes, with some top rate performances on all three days,” said David Price, festival coordinator and director of music for Tusculum College.

A new feature for the Old Oak Festival this year will be horse and carriage rides, sponsored by Tymley Travel, and a lineup of 10 workshops designed for high school students, through which five participants will be awarded a $500 scholarship.

The high school workshops will be offered in morning and afternoon shifts, from 9-11 a.m. and 12:30-2:30 p.m. The morning workshops will consist of an educational wetland tour and nature writing, contemporary poetry, drawing, playwriting, and music theory and songwriting. Acting, brief essay or prose poem, tree identification, photo manipulation and songwriting will be offered in the afternoon.

Another returning favorite is Joyce Carroll, puppet master. Carroll will be a puppet troubadour, appearing through the festival with spontaneous performances.

Sponsors of the event include Artistic Printers, Fatz Cafe, The Greeneville Sun, Radio Greeneville and Wayne Thomas.

There is no fee to attend the festival, other than the admission fee for the GLAWPIGT performances. Art vendor hours will be Friday from noon until 6 p.m. Author Row and the food vendors will remain open until 9 p.m. On Saturday, hours will be from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.  for art vendors and 9 p.m. for the rest of the festival. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, contact Price at 423-636-7303.

Coolers and alcohol are prohibited.

For updates and more information, visit the website at www.oldoakfestival.org or on facebook.

 

Great Literature Alive & Well and Playing In Greeneville, Tennessee will put on three shows during the Old Oak Festival, April 15-17.

A note to parents from the President

Since her inception in 1794, Tusculum College has developed into an important reflection of the greater region, where strides toward growth and excellence are balanced with a desire to remain deeply rooted in our community. In our mission to provide a liberal arts education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts environment, with pathways for career preparation, personal development and civic engagement, we recognize that our work here affects our campus community, as well as our surrounding families, neighborhoods and businesses. We are intentionally conscious of and measured by the impact we make.

Tusculum College is committed to continuous improvement in creating a learning environment that allows her students to achieve academic excellence, as well as to grow strong in body, mind and spirit. Recently improvements were made to the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland that included vegetation removal and replacement, new signage and a walking tour brochure. More than 300 volunteers worked on removing cattails and reseeding the area with native plants. The cattails had become invasive and were actually preventing the wetlands from cleaning the moving stream as it was designed to do. Signage has been added to describe the habitat for those who visit the wetlands on their own. Additionally, the Tusculum College Board of Trustees was informed that a gift had been received by the college that would allow for a pavilion to be constructed as part of the wetlands project. The Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland provides science students with an outdoor classroom and experiment center, while tending to the environment that supports campus life. Since its completion in 2014, more than 600 Greeneville and Greene County students have participated in educational programs at the wetlands.

Please continue to support Tusculum and your students in building a world-class faculty, staff, programs and learning communities that meet the needs of today and tomorrow.

.

Best Regards,

Nancy B. Moody, PhD

President

Update on construction of the new Tusculum College science and math building

With concreting completed and the majority of the roofing done as well, construction of the Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math at Tusculum College moves into a new phase with permanent power being set and water proofing, windows and brick beginning.

According to David Martin, director of facilities for Tusculum College, the building is now “dried in” and exterior framing complete. “Interior framing is at 80 percent and will be completed by early April,” said Martin.

It is expected that the construction will be completed by the end of the year and will be ready for utilization when students return for spring semester 2017.

The Meen Center for Science and Math will be a four-story structure of approximately 100,000 square feet. Interiors include wings for biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science and environmental science. There will also be lab space and research areas for both faculty and students.

The ground floor features the environmental science wing with a loading dock, as well as large general classroom spaces and classrooms equipped for distance learning programs. A large lecture hall will be included on the ground floor. Space is also allocated to house the Bachelor of Science degree program in nursing and at least one other graduate level health-related program.

Music lineup announced for Old Oak Festival, April 15-17

The Carson Peters Band will be returning to the Old Oak Festival.

Fiddlin’ Carson Peters returns again to headline the Old Oak Festival, along with the Smoky Mountain Bluegrass band and a host of regional talent as the event will once again be held on the Tusculum College campus, April 15-17.

The Old Oak Festival features a wide variety of music, food and fun, spanning across three days and featuring something for everyone, be it live music, theater, arts and crafts or fabulous festival food.

Throughout the weekend on stage, the festival will present the sounds of the region, with a wide variety of music from bluegrass to jazz to regionally-known vocalists and musicians. Musicians kicking off the show on Friday include Bean Tree Remedy featuring Ashley Bean, Dave Nunez and the Perfect World Band, Mike Joy, My New Favorites and Prism – a tribute to Pink Floyd. Friday night will also feature Jack & Michael on the Terrace entertaining for an alumni event.

On Saturday, expect good old fashion fun from Shiloh and the Tusculum College Band closing out the night, but also plan to get to the festival early to hear the Stem Winder, the Thursday Night Boys, Jake Keasly & Friends, the Dandy Lions, Absinthe Gray, Jimmie D and the House Rockers and the Madisons.

The Carson Peters Band will be on the main stage on Saturday as well. Additionally on Saturday, some favorite features will be back, including the “Conduct Us” session with the Tusculum College Band, where anyone can step up and take over the conductor’s baton.

Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band

Sunday’s artists include Jim and Curtis Moneyhun, Steve Brown, the Tusculum College Handbell Choir, the Matthew Hurd Band and the regional favorite, the Smoky Mountain Bluegrass band.

“The musical acts this year will provide a wide variety to suit all musical tastes, with some top rate performances on all three days,” said David Price, festival coordinator and director of music for Tusculum College.

A new feature for the Old Oak Festival this year will be horse and carriage rides, sponsored by Tymley Travel, and a lineup of 10 workshops designed for high school students, through which five participants will be awarded a $500 scholarship.

The high school workshops will be offered in morning and afternoon shifts, from 9-11 a.m. and 12:30-2:30 p.m. The morning workshops will consist of an educational wetland tour and nature writing, contemporary poetry, drawing, playwriting, and music theory and songwriting. Acting, brief essay or prose poem, tree identification, photo manipulation and songwriting will be offered in the afternoon.

Another returning favorite is Joyce Carroll, puppet master. Carroll will be a puppet troubadour, appearing through the festival with spontaneous performances.

As part of the entertainment, there will be three performances during the festival of GLAWPIGT (Great Literature Alive and Well and Playing in Greeneville, Tennessee) Showcase, presented by the group comprised of local students under the direction of Arts Outreach Director Marilyn duBrisk. Show times are Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Performances will be held in the Behan Arena Theatre in the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building.

Sponsors of the event include Artistic Printers, Fatz Cafe, The Greeneville Sun, Radio Greeneville and Wayne Thomas.

There is no fee to attend the festival, other than the admission fee to the GLAWPIGT performances. Art vendor hours will be Friday from noon until 6 p.m. Author Row and the food vendors will remain open until 9 p.m. On Saturday, hours will be from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.  for art vendors and 9 p.m. for the rest of the festival. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, contact Price at 423-636-7303.

Coolers and alcohol are prohibited during the festival.

For updates and more information, visit the website at www.oldoakfestival.org or on facebook.

Meen Center construction moving into new phase

The construction of the new Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math is moving into a new phase.

With concreting completed and the majority of the roofing done as well, construction of the Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math at Tusculum College moves into a new phase with permanent power being set and water proofing, windows and brick beginning.

According to David Martin, director of facilities for Tusculum College, the building is now “dried in” and exterior framing complete.  “Interior framing is at 80 percent and will be completed by early April,” said Martin.

It is expected that the construction will be completed by the end of the year and will be ready for utilization when students return for spring semester 2017.

The Meen Center for Science and Math will be a four-story structure of approximately 100,000 square feet. Interiors include wings for biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science and environmental science. There will also be lab space and research areas for both faculty and students.

The ground floor features the environmental science wing with a loading dock, as well as large general classroom spaces and classrooms equipped for distance learning programs. A large lecture hall will be included on the ground floor. Space is also allocated to house the Bachelor of Science degree program in nursing and at least one other graduate level health-related program.

Windows have started to be installed as exterior framing is nearing completion.