Classes of 1966-68 to be celebrated during Golden Pioneer events

Classes of 1966, 1967 and 1968: Tusculum College wants to celebrate you.

Members of each of these classes are encouraged to mark their calendars and make plans to attend  Golden Pioneer events to mark each classes’ 50-year anniversary.

The Class of 1966 will be celebrated during this year’s Golden Pioneer celebration on May 6 – 7.  For more details or to register for the 2016 celebration, please visit this page.

Members of the Class of 1967 will be the focus of the 2017 Golden Pioneer celebration on May 5 – 6 of next year.

Plans are also under way for the celebration for the Class of 1968, which will be May 4 – 5, 2018. 1968 Golden Pioneer Committee members have been chosen and include Cheryl Sykes Eschweiler, Kim Lapsley Muir, Ron L. May, Bob “Goose” Gardner, Carol Moncada Goodman, Frank “Rosie” Horsman, Beverly Brooks Jurkiewicz, Katherine Krebs Serritella and Ken “Hoss” Blackley.

The Golden Pioneer celebrations occur during the spring commencement weekend and include recognition and social celebration, that includes a reception at the President’s House.

Donning a golden cap and gown, each participant is presenting a commemorative medallion and be recognized by for their dedication and loyalty to the College for the past 50 years. The class members participate in the Commencement processional and will be recognized during the ceremony from the podium.

Dr. Ken Bowman ’70 to retire after distinguished career at Alcoa

Dr. Ken Bowman '70

Dr. Ken A. Bowman ’70 will soon be entering a new season of his life as he retires from Alcoa on April 1, after 39 years of dedicated service to the company.

Bowman, who serves his Alma Mater as chair of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees, began his career with Alcoa in 1976, working in the Physical Chemistry, Ingot Casting, Smelting Process Development and Packaging divisions.  In 1992, he transferred to Alcoa’s Rigid Packaging Development Division which evolved to become today’s GRP Center of Excellence for Engineering, Technology and Manufacturing Excellence. At the time of his retirement he was serving as manager of coating technology.

Dr. Bowman holds 17 U.S. patents, and his work has been recognized through several publications, Alcoa Laboratory’s Merit Award for “Job Performance,” and three Arthur Vining Davis Awards for “Team Technical Achievement” (these being the predecessor to the current Impact Awards): 1) The Continuous Melting and Treating System Team in 1986; 2) The Alcoa E-Coat® Team in 1992; and 3) The High Strength Formable Coated End Stock Team in 1996-97.  In addition, his numerous distinctions include serving as program chairman for Alcoa’s Centennial Symposium on Electrochemistry and receiving the Sigma Xi ATC Chapter “Best Technical Paper” award.

His varied technical contributions have included aluminum purification, the manufacture of aluminum-lithium alloys, skim and UBC processing, separation of UBC alloys, the electrowinning of rare earth metals and scandium, and most notably, the development and successful commercialization of Alcoa’s E-Coat® process and products at Warrick Operations.  Dr. Bowman supported the former Alcoa Smelting Process in Anderson County, TX.  Additionally, his technical contributions to Alcoa’s former magnesium manufacturing process in Addy, WA, had a major financial impact on that location.

In recent years Dr. Bowman’s team has led the commissioning and successful startup of three processing lines.

Dr. Bowman and his wife, Jo Ellen, plan to continue to live near Apollo, PA, spending even more time with the families of their four children and ten grandchildren. In addition to his service to Tusculum, he also plans to stay busy with his many favorite year-round outdoor activities including golf and driving his 1999 red Corvette convertible, volunteer projects at Jo Ellen’s Domestic Violence Victims’ Center and Shelter and making maple syrup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

’60s

Allen Rothe ’63 and Carolyn Dyer Rothe ’66 of Mohawk, TN, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 26, 2015.

 

’80s

Tony Feathers ’83 has been named one of the 2016 Teachers of the Year for the Greeneville City School System. Feathers has been selected as the system’s representative for the high school level. He serves as the art and photography teacher at Greeneville High School. He has 29 years of teaching experience, nine of which have been at GHS.

 

’90s

Karen Richter May ’91 of McDonald, TN, has been inducted into the Old Timers Hall of Fame by the Cleveland Parks and Recreation Department. The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who had a positive impact on local sports programs, either as a player or a coach. May was inducted for her contributions to local basketball. She began playing basketball at the local YMCA in Cleveland and was one of the top players for the Cleveland Junior High and Cleveland High School teams. She was recognized in high as an All-State player. She chose to continue her education and pursue her love of basketball at Lee College after high school. At Lee, she was the all-time leading rebounder in school history and was a member of the 1986 national championship team. She was also named an Academic All-American team and later continued her academic excellence at Tusculum, earning a master’s degree in education with a 4.0 grade point average. May taught at the elementary-age level for eight years in Bradley County and home-school hear own children. She also helps her husband operate their family business, 3-D Construction. She is also active in her church, Mount Olive Church of God.

Samantha Burston ’97 of Philadelphia, PA, was named  vice president of operations  for The CMA Group in February. She was previously a sales representative for North American Cable Equipment.

Anthony P. Jones ’97 of Seven Devils, NC, has been named director of student financial aid at Appalachian State University. He will begin his new position on April 1. He will be responsible for the administration of all federal, state and institutional financial aid programs; interpretation, implementation and administration of those programs in accordance with governing rules and regulatory authorities; implementation of scholarship awards within the overall financial aid packages; and the stewardship of the entire financial aid program effort in a manner that supports Appalachian’s strategic plan and enrollment goals. Jones was previously serving as member of the faculty in Appalachian State’s Department of Leadership and Educational Studies. He worked in various capacities with the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Aid Assistance (ACSFA) in Washington, D.C., including serving as director of policy research before being promoted to deputy executive director. Also in Washington, D.C., he was a trainer and regulatory analyst for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and a served as a policy analyst/program specialist with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education. Jones also has worked in or directed financial aid offices at his Alma Mater, North Carolina  State University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is pursuing a doctorate in higher education from the University of Georgia.

Bert Seay ’98 of Mosheim, TN, has been promoted by the Town of Greeneville to the position of chief building official.  Seay has served as Greeneville building inspector for the past three years, providing inspection and other essential services of the Planning, Building and Development Department. Seay is certified with the International Code Council and licensed by the State of Tennessee as a residential and commercial inspector in the areas of building, plumbing and mechanical systems. He was awarded scholarships from the International Code Council to attend Code Development hearings in Portland, Ore., in 2012 and Atlantic City, N.J., in 2013 as a governmental voting representative for this area and the State of Tennessee.

 

 

’00s

Brent Dyson ’04 of Glade Spring, VA, has been appointed as vice president and loan officer for First Bank and Trust Company in Abingdon, VA. Dyson has 11 years of prior banking experience, most recently with Bank of Marion. In his new position he will focus on mortgage and commercial lending, as well as agricultural lending. Dyson is a member of the Washington County Virginia Rotary.

Carla Renner ’05 has been named one of the 2016 Teachers of the Year for the Greeneville City School System. Renner is a fifth-grade teacher at Tusculum View Elementary School, was selected as the system-wide representative for grades fifth through eighth. She has been a member of the Tusculum View faculty for 11 years.

 

’10s

Ben Spillner ’13 of Greeneville, TN, has named director of stadium operations for the Greeneville Astros. Ben came to the Astros as an operations assistant during the 2012 and 2013 seasons and served as a sales account executive for the past two years. He will continue to assist with group sales, corporate sales, social media, and the layout of the game-day program while overseeing the team retail store, online store orders and facility management during the Astros season at Pioneer Park.

 

 

 

 

Jarrell and Brittany (Bible) NeSmith ’09 ’10 welcomed Fowler Grey NeSmith on March 21, 2016, weighing in at 8 lbs. and 6 oz and 20.5 inches long. The new baby already has a strong Tusculum connection as the couple announced they were expecting during the ceremony inducting Jarrell into the Tusculum Sports Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

 

’40s

Claude Galbreath Swafford ’48 of Jasper, TN, passed away March 25, 2016. A trailblazer, Galbreath took over operating her family’s business while starting college at Tusculum during World War II. However, her ambitions soon took her to Knoxville, where she enrolled in the law school at the University of Tennessee over her mother’s objections. She was one of only two women in her law school class. Mrs. Swafford became one of the first 100 female lawyers in Tennessee. Two years after becoming an attorney, she successfully argued her first case before the Tennessee Supreme Court. Although she practiced law, her real passion was improving public education. Mrs. Swafford held a fundamental, core belief that every child, regardless of circumstance, had a right to have an education as good as the education she provided her own children. As a member of the Marion County Board of Education she oversaw construction of several new schools and hand-picked the architects to insure integrity. Of her 20 years as a member of the Marion County School Board, Mrs. Swafford served as chair for 10 of those years and was President of the Tennessee School Board Association for four years. She was an alternate delegate to two Republican National Conventions and honored as the 1999 Tennessee Statesman of the Year. Mrs. Swafford was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve on the Board of the National Legal Services Corporation. Following two terms, she was then appointed by Secretary of Defense to serve on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. She traveled as a three-star general in this capacity.

Samuel “Sam” P. Roller ’49 of Portland, OR, passed away March 1, 2016, of natural causes. Mr. Roller was a native of Kingsport, TN, and was a veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he enrolled at Tusculum, where he not only earned a degree in science but also met the love of his life, Nan Jean Thomas ’49. The coupled moved to Oregon in 1949 where they married. Mr. Roller joined the McKesson Co. as a sales representative in Pendleton in 1950 and later moved to Corvallis in 1962. He had a 40-year career with McKesson and received many awards from the company for various sales milestones. Mr. Roller was known as an outgoing, caring individual who developed many friendships with his customers and acquaintances. Some of his best memories were the various travels around the world with customers at McKesson shows. He also enjoyed fishing trips to Alaska. Mr. Roller and his wife were involved with National Garden Clubs. Retiring from McKesson is 1989, he fulfilled his continuing enthusiasm for working with people as a sales representative, selling walking canes around the country, and becoming known as “The Caneman.” Mr. Roller and his wife fully retired in 2006 and moved from Corvallis to the Terwilliger Plaza in Portland where they enjoyed their time meeting new and old friends. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Portland. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Samuel P. and Nan Jean Roller Endowment Scholarship Fund at Tusculum College, P.O. Box 5040, Greeneville, TN 37743.

 

’50s

Zelma Zeller Platz Schroker ’51 of Onancock, VA, passed away on March 23, 2016. Mrs. Schroker was an x-ray technician at St. Peters Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. She was most recently a member of Belle Haven United Methodist Church and a past member of Harlingen Church. Her survivors include brothers and Tusculum alumni Kenneth Zeller ’60 and Ted Zeller ’60 and sister-in-law and Tusculum alumna Sandra Zeller ’61.

 

’60s

The Reverend John Edson ’66 died suddenly at his home in Dillsburg, PA, on March 14, 2016. The Rev. Edson was a retired Episcopal priest and served many parishes around the country.

 

’80s

Fay Duncan Lane ’86 of Knoxville, TN, passed away at her home on March 18, 2016. Mrs. Lane worked at the Y-12 and K-25 facilities and retired after 40 years of service to Martin Marietta. She was a faithful member of Second Baptist Church of Clinton.

 

’90s

Robert Williams ’92 of Nickelsville, VA, passed away on March 26, 2016. Mr. Williams was an electrical engineer technician at Eastman Chemical, retiring in 2003 after 28 and a half years of service. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Gate City, VA. He enjoyed helping his wife’s family with their farm and was an avid NASCAR farm.

 

 

Spots still available in upcoming papier-mâché workshop

Tusculum College’s Doak House Museum will offer classes in papier-mâché sculpture on April 23 and 30, from 9 a.m. to noon.

According to Dollie Boyd, director of museums at Tusculum College, papier-mâché art is a fun way to create a variety of sculptures, from masks to piñatas. “With this lightweight, easy to use medium, the only limit is your imagination,” she said.

Participants will learn the basics of papier-mâché, from making armature to sculpting and painting the finished project. This class will focus on creating a decorative wall medallion.

Materials will be provided. The class is open to the public, ages 12 and up, for a fee of $30. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information and reservations, contact Dollie Boyd at the Doak House Museum dboyd@tusculum.edu or 423-636-8554.

 

Contest seeks historical monuments made from Legos

Tusculum College’s Doak House Museum is hosting a Lego Historian competition, which will commemorate history in East Tennessee. Participants may use Lego blocks, or other plastic bricks, to design and build a historic structure located in East Tennessee.

“This is a first-time event for the Museums of Tusculum College, and we are hoping to get as many people involved through modeling historic buildings and monuments with their Lego blocks as possible,” said Dollie Boyd, director of museums.

The Doak House Museum will be accepting submissions April 11-14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event will culminate during the Old Oak Festival on the Tusculum College campus, April 15-17. Attendees of the Old Oak Festival will have the opportunity vote for their favorite on Saturday, April 16, 1-3 p.m.

Prizes will be awarded in five categories: kindergarten-grade 2, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12 and adults. The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, April 17, at 3 p.m.

To be eligible, the historic structure must be located in East Tennessee and be more than 100 years old, such as any of the historic structures located on the Tusculum College campus, at Exchange Place in Kingsport or in Jonesborough. Entries must be the participant’s own creation, and entries based on a kit or online design are not eligible.

Entries must be secured on a base no bigger than 24 by 24 inches and may not reach over four feet tall. The base may be decorated to compliment the project. Only one entry will be accepted per participant or team.

Registration is open online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lego-historians-project-drop-off-tickets-22657057870. Deliver completed projects to the Doak House Museum, 690 Erwin Highway, Greeneville, TN 37745.

For complete contest rules, contact Dollie Boyd at the Doak House Museum dboyd@tusculum.edu or 423-636-8554.

 

 

Tusculum College to screen documentary “Armor of Light”

Tusculum College will host an advanced screening of “Armor of Light” on Thursday, April 21, at 7 p.m.

Presented by Independent Lens and East Tennessee PBS in partnership with Tusculum College’s department of civic studies, the movie follows Rev. Rob Schenck, an evangelical minister who preaches about the toll of gun violence in America.

“Students will benefit from watching this documentary by their exposure to different viewpoints and perspectives concerning important and controversial matters such as abortion and gun rights and will hopefully gain a deeper understanding of the moral principles of civility, tolerance and how to work with others to find solutions for these significant and often divisive social issues,” said Dr. Troy Goodale, chair of the department of civic studies and associate professor of political science at Tusculum College.

As an anti-abortion activist, Rev. Schenck questions whether being pro-gun conflicts with being pro-life. He meets Lucy McBath, the mother of an unarmed boy who was murdered in Florida and whose case became a landmark in the fight against “stand your ground” laws.

The documentary’s trailer states, “Through their stories, intercut with revealing footage underlining the marriage between the religious right and the NRA, “The Armor of Light” asserts that even in the face of heartbreak, outrage and political affiliations, it is possible for people to evolve their opinions and potentially come together to find common ground.”

The screening is free and open to the public and will be followed by a discussion session. An Arts and Lecture Series event for residential students, the film is rate PG-13, and its running time is 88 minutes.

 

By Stephanie Turner, senior journalism and professional writing major from Shelbyville

 

Curtis Owens literature prize winners announced

Tusculum College students Jennie Frost, Emily Wyrick and Sarah Holly are the winners of the 2016 Curtis and Billie Owens Literary Awards.

The awards, which are given annually to recognize the literary achievements of the college’s students, are open to all Tusculum College students.

Frost, a senior creative writing major from Friendsville won the fiction category; Waryck a junior creative writing major from New Concord, Ohio, picked up the prize for poetry; and Holly, a senior creative writing major from Johnson City won the non-fiction category.

Honorable mentions were given in the fiction, poetry and nonfiction categories. Six students received an honorable mention for original works, including Holly (poetry), Frost (poetry) and Waryck (fiction). Additional honorable mentions were awarded to Austen Herron a senior from Durham, North Carolina, and Tyler Brown, a freshman from Rockwood, both in the  non-fiction category, and Emily Watson, a junior from Watauga for her fiction entry.

The winners’ works will be included in a publication to be released during the 2016 Old Oak Festival, April 15-17. Additionally, the winners will read their selections at the Tusculum Review Launch Party scheduled from Saturday, April 16, at 4 p.m. on the Terrace of the Thomas J. Garland Library on the Greeneville campus, as part of the 2016 Old Oak Festival.

The Curtis and Billie Owens Literary Awards are annually given to recognize the literary achievements of Tusculum College’s creative writing students. The literary award was named for Curtis Owens, a 1928 graduate of Tusculum College who went on to a teaching career at what is now Pace University in New York. He and his wife established the award at his alma mater to encourage and reward excellence in writing among Tusculum College students.

The event also featured readings by contest judge Eric Lundgren and fiction writer Dr. Meagan Cass, and was part of the Humanities Series, sponsored by the Tusculum College English Department.

 

From left, 2016 Curtis Owens Literary Prize award winners Tyler Brown, Sarah Holly, Jennie Frost, Judge Eric Lundgren, Emily Waryck, Emily Watson and Austen Herron.

 

Tusculum College Sport Management program ranked among most affordable

Tusculum College has earned a No. 22 ranking by Sports Management Degree Guide in its listing of the “50 Most Affordable Small Southern Colleges for Sports Management in 2015.”

For the rankings, Sports Management Degree Guide used the National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator database to examine 61 institutions in the U.S. and Puerto Rico offering four-year bachelor’s degrees in sport and/or fitness administration/management and located in the South with an undergraduate enrollment of less than 3,000 students. From these, Sports Management Degree Guide selected the least expensive based on net price.

According to the recent article, recommended Sports Management programs on the list are accredited by reputable governing bodies, offer quality courses and academic rigor and allow students to hone their skills in particular areas of interest.

“This specialty degree program does not have to come at a hefty price tag. In fact, we have located some of the most affordable small Southern colleges to earn an accredited sports management degree,” the report states.

Tusculum College offers an undergraduate sports management degree program within the School of Education. Students who complete the requirements for the program earn a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management.

This program combines knowledge and skills required for leaders in athletics, sports, recreation and fitness. By integrating management and marketing principles with sport and fitness components, students are prepared for job opportunities in sport management, recreation, athletics and fitness settings or are prepared for graduate studies in sport management.

To see the complete list of school ranked by Sports Management Degree Guide, visit http://www.sports-management-degrees.com/affordable-small-southern-colleges-for-a-sports-management-degree-2016-bachelors/.

For more information on Tusculum College, the sports management degree program or enrollment and financial aid, contact the Admissions Office at 423-636-7374.

 

Tusculum College student is speaker at national conference for Operation Christmas Child

Kojo Abakah was 12-years-old and living in the West African country of Ghana when he received a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child.

Today, Abakah is a student at Tusculum College preparing for a career in pharmacy, and now puts together those shoeboxes that have the power to change lives. Abakah works with Tusculum Baptist Church in putting shoeboxes together and preparing them for delivery so he can spread God’s love to other children. Additionally, he has become a spokesperson for the organization, now traveling to their national conferences letting volunteers know that the work they do does have an impact.

Kojo Abakah

“I remember receiving the box from missionaries,” said Abakah. “I came to know the Lord after receiving the box. They taught us Jesus loves you because the Bible tells us so. And after their message, they gave us each our own box.

“As soon as I got my box, I took my books and my bag, and I just left to home. I ran home. When I got home, I showed it to my family, and we opened it. To my amazement, I had a yo-yo, a toy car, pencils. I was so grateful. And when I rolled my yo-yo, I remembered, Jesus loves me, because the Bible tells me so. I learned to pray, read the Bible and spent a lot of time in church after that.”

This week Abakah travels to Washington D.C. as a speaker at the Operation Christmas Child regional conference.  This will be his second appearance, having spoken to volunteers in Kansas City in early March.  He will also travel to the San Francisco and Atlanta meetings. So far it has been a solo experience, but he is looking forward to the San Francisco trip, during which he will have a traveling companion.

“Mama Jones” will accompany Abakah on this trip. Debra Jones met Abakah through Tusculum Baptist Church as has been his mother away from home, even having Abakah stay with her during the summer months when he is not in school and cannot return to Africa.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to see places I might not have ever seen,” said Abakah. “I am truly blessed.” These speeches give him the opportunity to share his stories with thousands of volunteers, so that they can hear what a difference just one shoebox can make.

And, while he admits to some pre-speech nerves as he prepares to address groups of more than 600, he credits Tusculum with preparing him as a speaker, and he credits God with getting him to Tusculum.

“God’s plan is not always our plan,” when asked how he ended up at Tusculum College. “It is by learning to listen to God that I found Tusculum College.

“ I always wanted to study in the U.S, but for a young man in Ghana, attending school in the United States is expensive and a difficult process. I used the Internet to find a list of colleges and universities in the U.S. I was going through them, state by state, looking at every one when I understood the message. I knew I was mean to apply to a school I had never heard of before. I continued my search, but I knew when I saw the name Tusculum, it was God’s direction. No one in my family ever got such an opportunity, and it has been the right place for me. Unlike school in Ghana, the teachers have time for you, and you get the attention of the teacher. Everything is different.”

Abakah plans on finishing his undergraduate degree at Tusculum and then attending graduate school in pharmacy. He then wishes to return to Africa, where health care professionals are desperately needed.

 

Tusculum College students spend spring break on service trip

In early March, students from Tusculum College along with other volunteers participated in an alternative spring break that included a focus on service, rather than surf time.

The students took a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, where they rebuilt two houses, both of which suffered flood damage from more than a foot of water entering the homes during the devastating floods last fall.

The first day in Charleston began with a few memorable mishaps: a broken shower head, a collapsed ceiling and a water spill. However, this did not deter the students of Tusculum College who dived into their project on the first day when they met the family who would benefit from their service hours

The first home needed the bottom two feet of all the walls insulated and dry-walled, according to student West Conner, a senior from Alpharetta, Georgia, adding that the second home needed the interior primed and repainted.

“I can proudly say after a first day’s work, Ms. Amanda’s home was entirely insulated and mostly dry-walled, and Charles and Mary Joe’s home was entirely primed and ready to be painted,” said Conner.

On Tuesday, the group arrived ahead of schedule and immediately started working.

Haylee Reed, a junior, biology major from Winchester said, “The paint didn’t match the paint on the upper portion of the wall. It was only a shade darker, but it was just enough to be irritating. With the help of Ronda and Sarah, we made a straight line barrier around all the walls to mark where the new paint stopped. It actually turned out looking alright.”

Also accompanying the group was Tiffany Dearstone, student life coordinator at Tusculum.

At the end of the day, Reed said, “We still had a lot of work to do, but we were working quickly and efficiently. After dinner, we all sat around the table and talked about our favorite parts of the day.”

Christian Howard, a junior, special education major from Greeneville, said the group livened up on Wednesday morning as they pulled into the driveway to being another day at work.

Splitting into two groups, they began work on both homes. “The back house crew worked their hardest and finished dray-walling the entire house, besides a little left in the laundry room. The front house worked through the colors and smell of the new paint,” said Howard.

With more than half of the work finished, the students were rewarded with an evening of shopping in Charleston.

On Thursday, one group finished dry-walling the garage and continued touching up primer and painting Charles and Mary Joe’s home. Robert Nichols said, “Tiffany and Haylee went through the rooms that we had completed Wednesday and made sure that the paint was even and that there was none on the ceiling.

“When we got back, most of us went right to our cots and air mattresses and fell right asleep. All in all, it was a great day. We finished our tasks at the houses, and it felt good to have accomplished them.”

Friday morning found the group in high spirits, as they spent the day exploring and touring Charleston. Steven Hollingshead, a former Bonner Leader and a 2015 graduate of Tusculum College who joined the trip as a volunteer said, “The morning was wonderful, because we all knew we had completed a great amount of work this week with incredible precision and diligence, and we were excited about our day of fun in the sun.”

 

Front row standing from left to right is Rev. Dr. Ronda Gentry, Tiffany Dearstone, Tarah Helms, Haylee Reed, Steven Hollingshead and Briana "BW" Werder. Middle row, left to right, are Dennis Acquah, Morgan Jones, Mary Jo (the home owner, with Elsa the dog), Sarah Galentine, Deondra Thomas and Jalesa Perkins. Back row, left to right are Amanda (homeowner), Charles (homeowner), Robert Nichols, Kirai Kozak, Christian Howard, Rod (contractor), West Conner and Courtney Washburn.

 

Registration for fall 2016 semester begins next week

The next two weeks will be busy ones at Tusculum College as registration for the 2016 fall semester will begin for students in the traditional academic program.

Registration for rising and continuing juniors and seniors will be March 21 through 24. Registration will be open for continuing  freshmen and rising and continuing sophomores will be March 28 through April 1.

Students have been encouraged to visit various offices such as the Financial Aid, Business, the Registrar and Student Affairs to ensure the are ready to begin the registration process. A registration orientation event was held in February to allow students to finish this process.

In registering, students are to follow a set of steps. First,they are to make an appointment to meet with their academic adviser to discuss their schedule and the courses needed to continue on the path towards earning their degree. While it is important for students to regularly meet with their academic adviser, it is crucial for students to meet with their adviser in preparing their schedule for the fall as the College will be implementing a new schedule formatthat allows students to personalize and customize their schedules to a greater extent than in the current format.

Students then fill out a fall 2016 registration form and then visit the Business Office and Financial Aid (if their status was not cleared during the pre-registration visit).

Once that is completed, students submit their form to the Registrar’s Office.

For students living on campus, submitting their registration form enables them to complete the Housing Selection process.  Juniors and seniors will have housing placement preference as they will be able to complete the process a week ahead of the underclassmen. Students complete the process by submitting Housing Selection forms along with signed Housing License Agreements to Student Affairs. Students are able on these forms to indicate preference of residence hall on campus and indicate their preference for roommate(s).

However, after April 1, incoming students placements will begin, and current students who have not completed registration by the beginning of April will have their placements made as they are received.

Tusculum College English majors honored at literary festival

Four Tusculum College students were recently recognized at the Hollins University 56th Annual Lex Allen Literary Festival in Roanoke, Virginia.

Students were invited to submit creative works for the festival’s contests in poetry and fiction, and Tusculum College English majors Macy French of Kingsport, Jennie Frost of Friendsville, Sarah Holly of Johnson City and Emily Waryck of New Concord, Ohio, were selected as finalists in the poetry category. Also attending was student Emily Watson of Watauga.

French’s poem, “Nature and Nurture in Binary,” was selected as runner-up winner in the poetry category. Work of the poetry finalists were read and discussed in a poetry panel comprised of poets Ricardo Pau-Llosa, Cathy Hankla and Jeanne Larsen.

The group, accompanied by Heather Patterson, English department chair and associate professor of English, were participants in the conference that included readings by Pulitzer Prize nominee, poet Ricardo Pau-Llosa, Los Angeles Times columnist and essayist Meghan Daum, and winner of the Berlin Prize Fellowship, novelist Fred Drury.

“It was a treat to see our students praised so highly by attendees of the festival. Hollins’s contest pool was quite large and impressively talented,” said Patterson.

“I can say with confidence that Tusculum College’s creative writing program is one of the best undergraduate writing programs currently operating, and I feel that folks outside of Tusculum are recognizing that fact more and more. The writers who come out of our program are being published in esteemed journals, winning awards, being hired for internships and jobs and getting into top-notch graduate school programs. We can now add more success at Lex Allen to our long and lengthening list of our students’ achievements.”

 

Tusculum students competed against 211 entrants in poetry from colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, including Stanford University, Hollins University, University of Arizona, Georgetown University, University of Pittsburg, Malone University, Austin Peay State University, Pennsylvania State University at Erie and the University of Toronto.

 

From left to right: Emily Waryck (finalist), Emily Watson, Sarah Holly (finalist), Jennie Frost (finalist) and Macy French (runner-up winner).