Due to a scheduling conflict, next week’s Inky Johnson program at Tusculum College has been postponed 48 hours and will be held on Saturday, August 27^th.  The event featuring the former University of Tennessee football student-athlete and now motivational speaker will begin at 5 p.m at Tusculum’s Pioneer Arena on the Greeneville campus.

The program was originally slated for Thursday, Aug. 25^th but had to be rescheduled due to an unforeseen schedule conflict.

The event is co-sponsored by Mortgage Investors Group – Office of Nick Hirschy (NMLS Unique Identifier # 491929, TN License # 124766) and South State Contractors, Inc.

On September 9, 2006, it started as a normal college football game at Neyland Stadium. If anything, the event was an afterthought, dropped into the schedule at the last minute.  For Inky Johnson, though, the game changed everything. A routine tackle turned into a life-threatening injury, and nothing has been normal for Inky ever since. Not with a paralyzed right arm. Not with daily pain. Not with constant physical challenges.

His dream had always been to play professional sports. You might think his injury would have destroyed his motivation and crushed his spirit. But that’s only because you don’t know Inky.

Who is Inquoris “Inky” Johnson? He could be described as the survivor of an underprivileged past. He could be described as a refugee of poverty and violence. He could be described as a success story stained by tragedy. But if you look deeper, you’ll discover something else.

You’ll see a man who looks in the face of defeat and says, “Am I really failing, or is God prevailing?” You’ll see a man gripped by the promise that God has purposes and plans far beyond our own. And you’ll be inspired by his relentless determination, which he loves to impart to others through his dramatic story.

Inky has a master’s degree in sports psychology from the University of Tennessee. He devotes much of his time to mentoring athletes and underprivileged youth.

Admission to the event is $10 per person and will be sold at the door on the day of the event beginning at 4 p.m. Tusculum College students, faculty and staff will be admitted free. Students, faculty and staff in the Greeneville and Greene County school systems will also be admitted free.

ESPN will have a SC Feature presentation on the Inky Johnson Story which will air this Sunday (Aug. 14) morning at 10 a.m. (EST).

Tusculum ARCHES students had the pleasure of viewing a one-of-kind theatrical presentation by the Tennessee Stage Company on Aug. 5. Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor” was presented in an outdoor theater in Knoxville’s historic Market Square. The group also stopped for dinner at Tupelo Honey. ARCHES is a federally funded TRIO program for Graduate and Professional Studies students aimed at first-generation college students in an effort to increase retention, participation,and overall success of these students. Anyone interested in joining ARCHES may contact Dr. David Smith (dsmith@tusculum.edu), Stephanie Langley (slangley@tusculum.edu) or Keima Talley (ktalley@tusculum.edu) for further information.

From right to left: Shannon Brown, Shaunna Passmore, Brent Cooper, Keima, Stephanie, Chasity Nevels and Angela Kagley

: Barbara Holt, costume director for Tusculum Arts Outreach, works on some of the costumes for the fall Theatre-at-Tusculum production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." Auditions for the musical will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 22-23 at Tusculum College.

Theatre-at-Tusculum announces auditions for Aug. 22 and 23 for its annual fall musical directed by Marilyn duBrisk. This year duBrisk and her creative team will be producing the Tony Award-winning musical comedy “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.”

Auditions for adults and high school students will be held Monday, Aug. 22, and Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 6 p.m. in the Annie Hogan Byrd Theatre at Tusculum College. Auditions will consist of singing, choreography and readings from the show’s script. No prepared audition pieces are required, and registration for those wishing to audition will begin at 5:30 p.m., with callbacks being held on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m.

Performance dates are Nov. 4-6 and 10-13. Rehearsals will take place three evenings a week beginning Aug. 30 from approximately 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with some Sunday rehearsals scheduled as needed.

The production team is looking to cast approximately 25 men and women of varying ages for this production. Roles available include seven leading and supporting roles for men, and two leading roles for women. An ensemble of 16 or more men and women are needed to complete the cast. Those wishing to audition should be prepared to list any scheduling conflicts between Aug. 30 and the performance dates at auditions.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” premiered on Broadway in 1962 and was awarded several Tony Awards that year including Best Musical and Best Author (Musical). The show was adapted in to a popular film in 1966 staring Broadway legends Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford in the leading roles of Pseudolus and Hysterium respectively, and was later revived on Broadway in 1996 starring Nathan Lane.

The music and lyrics for the show were written by renowned Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim (Follies, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods), and with Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story), with book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.

Music Theatre International describes the musical as “Broadway’s greatest farce” and as “light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written. ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2,000-year-old comedies of Roman playwright, Plautus, with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ is a nonstop laugh fest in which Pseudolus, a crafty slave, struggles to win the hand of a beautiful, but slow-witted, courtesan named Philia for his young master, Hero, in exchange for freedom. The plot twists and turns with cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors and a showgirl or two.”

Members of the production team meet to discuss the fall musical. From left in the front are Angie Clendenon, musical director; Kasie Shelnutt, accompanist, and Kim Berry, choreographer. In the back from left, are Brian Ricker, assistant director, holding Aly Shelnutt, daughter of Kasie Shelnutt and honorary production team member; and Marilyn duBrisk, director.

For the production, duBrisk has assembled a talented production staff, including Angie Clendenon as musical director, Kim Berry as choreographer, Suzanne Greene as stage manager, Kasie Shelnutt as accompanist and David Price as percussionist. The production staff also includes Tusculum Arts Outreach staff members Brian Ricker as assistant director, Barbara Holt as costume director, Frank Mengel as set designer and Jennifer Hollowell as box office manager.

For more information regarding auditions or to see a full character breakdown, please visit the Arts Outreach website at http://arts.tusculum.edu, TC Arts Outreach on Facebook or call 423-798-1620.

“I have tried but I just can’t get along with my roommate.” “I need this math class for my major, but I am not sure I am going to be able to pass.” “My ID card doesn’t work in the cafeteria, what should I do?”

Hopefully, you won’t hear these type of comments from your student in the coming weeks. But, if you do, the information will help you to know how to guide your student to find the assistance on campus he or she needs.

Tusculum encourages parents to listen to their students’ concerns and then advise them in who they should contact on campus in resolving their issues, whether it be resolving a conflict with a roommate, finding academic tutoring or getting help with a computer problem. Encourage your student to try to resolve the issue on his or her own, an important step in developing independence, offering them suggestions of whom to contact on campus.

Below is a listing of various topics and whom should be contacted about those topics:

– Academic advising. For questions regarding declaring majors or changing majors, please contact the director of academic advising in Room 121 of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building. The director of academic advising can also answer questions about academic requirements. Advisers are assigned as a student enters Tusculum. Students who are undecided as majors are assigned to general advisers until they decide which major to pursue, when they are assigned an adviser in that discipline.

– Accessibility for students with disabilities. Students who may need accommodations for disabilities, should contact the Academic Resource Center counselors on the first floor of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building.

– Arts and Lectures requirement – the director of academic advising. Please see academic advising above.

– Athletics. Any issues with the College’s varsity sports should be address to the athletic director in Rankin Hall. Any issues with an intramural sport should be brought to the attention of the Office of Student Affairs in Niswonger Commons.

– Automobile registration. All students should have the cars they are driving on campus registered. Contact the Director of Campus Safety on the main level of the Niswonger Commons about car registration or parking questions.

– Bills and payments issues, including deferred payments. Please contact the Business Office on the first floor of McCormick Hall.

– Campus activities and club and organization information. For campus activities, please call the student life coordinator for campus activities, whose office is in the Pioneer Gym. Club and organization questions should be directed to the associate sean of students on the main level of the Niswonger Commons.

– Computer services. For computer issues, students should contact the Computer Help Desk, located on the top level of the Niswonger Commons.

– Financial aid. For assistance with financial aid, please contact the director of financial aid in Virginia Hall on the second floor.

– Food services. For questions about dining options or concerns, please contact the campus dining manager in the Niswonger Commons cafeteria.

– Grade appeals. Tusculum has a process, outlined in the College catalog, for making grading appeals. The first person to contact is the instructor for the course.

– Hometown news. If you have questions about getting news about your student in the local newspaper, please call the Office of College Communication at 423.636.7304. The office sends releases about academic honors and other student achievement and activities to hometown newspapers.

– ID cards. If a student loses a card or the magnetic strip on the back stops working, please contact the student life administrative assistant in the Office of Student Affairs on the main level of the Niswonger Commons.

– International student services. Please contact the director of academic advising.

– Instructor/quality of instruction issues. The academic chair over that program should be contacted. Call the campus operator for contact information regarding the appropriate chair.

– Parking citation appeal. Appeals for parking tickets should be made to the dean of students in the Office of Student Affairs. The Motor Vehicle Operations Guide provides information about this process and can be found online under the “documents” menu on the Student Affairs webpage.

– Paychecks. While students pick up paychecks for work study in the Business Office, any issues regarding them need to be directed to the director of financial aid in Virginia Hall.

– Roommate, residence hall issues. The Office of Student Affairs should be contacted for any issues regarding roommates, room assignments, switching rooms, etc.

– Transfer credit. Any questions or issues with transfer credit should be addressed by the Registrar’s Office on the ground level of Virginia Hall.

For issues not listed here, please contact the dean of students. A listing of issues and personnel and contact information can be found in the Student Handbook, which is provided online on the Student Affairs page.

Students and their families participate in some friendly competition during a cornhole tournament during a recent Family Weekend.

Mark your calendars and make plans to attend Family Weekend 2016 on September 23 and 24on the Tusculum College campus.

Tusculum welcomes parents, grandparents, siblings and other family members for a weekend of activities that allow students and their families to have fun together as well give families a better understanding of life on campus.

The schedule of activities is being finalized and will be announced soon. Continue to watch the website for details. Past year’s activities have included opportunities for families to attend class, tour new additions to campus such as the wetlands and arboretum, participate in some friendly competition with each other and attend an athletic event as a family.

Sept. 23 and 24 will be a busy time on campus. In addition to Family Weekend, there will be a  campus-wide “Zombie Tag” competition, prospective students will be visiting as part of an open house event and the Pioneer football and volleyball teams will have home contests.

Summer continues to bring more accolades for Tusculum student-athletes for their performance in the classroom.

The Tusculum Men’s and Women’s tennis teams have earned recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as All-Academic Teams, and four members of the men’s golf team have been named to the 2015-2016 NCAA Division II Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar Men’s Golf Team.

Tennis team honors

The Tusculum is one of only 49 NCAA Division II colleges and universities to have both its men’s and women’s teams earn ITA All-Academic Team honors. The ITA All-Academic Team Award is presented to any ITA program that has above a 3.2 cumulative grade point average for the academic year.   This is the 10^th straight year the Pioneer men’s tennis team has earned the ITA All-Academic team award. It is the fifth straight year that the women’s tennis team has received the distinction.

All eight of the men’s tennis team earned the ITA Scholar Athlete distinction: Toby de Klerk, Tashique Kader, Eduardo Muñoz, Fabian Paier, Leon Seiz, David Siegle, Tim Stierle and Jonas Winkelmann. ITA Scholar Athletes are student-athletes who are a varsity letter-winner, have a GPA of 3.5 or higher for the current academic year and have been enrolled at their present school for at least two semesters.

Men’s tennis boasted an impressive 3.825 team GPA for this academic year, and the team members’ 3.646 cumulative GPA is the best of Tusculum’s 16 sponsored sports.

The women’s tennis team had seven of its members earn ITA Scholar Athlete distinction including Sarah Baker, Jule Brass, Franziska Funke, Adrienne Kaye, Erin Mills, Amanda Sumner and Emily Waters. The Pioneers recorded a 3.622 team GPA, the second-best of Tusculum’s sponsored sports.  The women’s tennis team has earned the ITA award 10 times in the last 13 years.

Tusculum’s fifth consecutive ITA All-Academic Team Award and 10th time in the last 13 years.

Men’s Golf honors

Seniors Nick Forsberg and Brad Hawkins return to the 015-2016 NCAA Division II Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar Men’s Golf Team for a second straight season, while juniors Taylor Smith and Preston Tucker make their inaugural appearances.

Ninety-one (91) Division II golfers in the country have been recognized by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for the distinction. To be eligible, an individual must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least three full years at the collegiate level, participate in 70 percent of his team’s competitive rounds and have a stroke average under 78.0 and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2. Honorees must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.

Tusculum’s four honorees are the most in the South Atlantic Conference, which boasted 13 representatives.

Hawkins, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, has a 3.61 cumulative grade point average and was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team earlier this summer.  The sport management major has been selected to the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.

Forsberg, a native of Staples, Minnesota, also garnered Academic All-America® recognition last month.  He graduated from Tusculum in May with a 3.75 GPA and majored in sport management.  He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.  He has been named the SAC Men’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year in each of the last two seasons.

Smith, a native of Gray, Tennessee, has a 3.30 GPA and is majoring in business administration.  He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor and the Tusculum Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

Tucker rounds out the Tusculum honorees on the GCAA All-America Scholar Team.  The Knoxville, Tennessee product has a 3.90 GPA while majoring in business administration.  He is a member of the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, President’s List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.