Tusculum students provide a day of service as part of campus tradition

Tusculum College students, faculty, staff and alumni demonstrated the college’s commitment to both learning and serving on Tuesday, Sept. 15, as they spent the day helping others and improving the community.

All freshmen and first-year transfer students participated in Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day as part of the Tusculum Experience course. Many other students, faculty, staff and alumni also volunteered. Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day is one of the longest-held traditions on the Tusculum campus and involves students spending time in service to others.

“Community engagement is a key element of the Tusculum College experience,” said Ronda Gentry, director of the Center for Civic Advancement and coordinator of the event. “Nettie Day serves as an introduction to our new students and a reminder to our entire community of the importance and value of community involvement.”

Students hosted a “fun field day” for local elementary school students in the morning. The day was complete with water balloons, limbo games, jump ropes and hula hoops. In the afternoon volunteers worked to spruce up the campus, mending fences at the Doak House Museum, painting in the residence halls and house, landscaping across campus and de-molding books at the President Andrew Johnson Library and Museum.

Tusculum College students and Greene County elementary school students pass a hula hoop to each other during one of the Field Day activities on campus Tuesday morning.

This year, Nettie Day was held as part of the Orange Rush activities on campus, which included a variety of activities to engage new students and encourage them to get involved on campus and in the community. Service activities were conducted at all the Tusculum sites and campus, including Greeneville, Knoxville, Morristown and Kingsport. Nearly 600 volunteers participated.

“Reflective decision-making, concern for others, and action to make the world a better place are and have for 222 years been ingrained in the key values of this institution,” said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College. “It is a hallmark of the Tusculum College student and the Tusculum College alumni.”

Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day, which is conducted under the auspices of the Center for Civic Advancement, honors the memory and altruistic way of life of Nettie Fowler McCormick, widow of reaper inventor Cyrus McCormick, who was a 19th century supporter and advocate of Tusculum College. The McCormicks, staunch Presbyterians from Chicago, learned of Tusculum College through Tusculum graduates who attended their McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and became some of the most significant donors in the college’s history.

Tusculum College students work to repair the fence at the Doak House Museum as part of Nettie Day on campus.

Nettie McCormick is recognized as the college’s first Benefactor, a term that in Tusculum usage denotes a donor whose cumulative gifts total at least $1 million. Nettie McCormick funded construction of several of Tusculum’s historic structures, including Haynes Hall, Rankin Hall, Welty-Craig Hall, Virginia Hall and McCormick Hall, which is named after the McCormick family.

McCormick Day, now often informally called Nettie Day at the college, began as a day of cleaning the campus in reflection of Nettie McCormick’s insistence on clean living environments. The day has evolved to take on a more generalized community service emphasis.

To view more photos from Nettie Day, visit Tusculum’s Facebook page.

Dr. Desirae Matherly has work featured in anthology

Tusculum College’s Dr. Desirae Matherly, associate professor of English, will have an essay featured in “After Montaigne, Contemporary Essayists Cover the Essays.”

The anthology focuses on the work of Michel de Montaigne and will be available in September in both hardback and ebook from the University of Georgia Press.

Each of the 28 contributors to the collection has selected one of Montaigne’s 107 essays and written his or her own essay of the same title and on the same theme, using a quote from Montaigne’s essay as an epigraph.

Dr. Matherly’s essay is titled, “On the Power of the Imagination.”

Dr. Desirae Matherly

The collection is edited by David Lazar, professor in the nonfiction program at Columbia College Chicago, and Patrick Madden, associate professor of English at Brigham Young University.

Dr. Matherly teaches writing at Tusculum College and serves as nonfiction editor for “The Tusculum Review.” Her most recent essays appear in “Hotel Amerika,” “Descant” and “Red Holler: An Anthology of Contemporary Appalachian Literature.” Four of her essays have made the Notable List in “The Best American Essays,” and one essay was anthologized in “The Best Creative Nonfiction.”

Dr. Matherly earned a Ph.D in creative writing, nonfiction as well as a Master of Arts in creative writing, nonfiction both from Ohio University. She received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and English from East Tennessee State University and was a Harper Fellow at the University of Chicago.

Tusculum College students to provide a day of service in the community as part of campus tradition

Tusculum College students will demonstrate the college’s commitment to both learning and serving on Tuesday, Sept. 15, as they spend a day helping others and improving the community.

All freshmen and first-year transfer students will participate in Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day as part of the Tusculum Experience course. Many other students, faculty, staff and alumni have also made plans to volunteer. Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day is one of the longest-held traditions on the Tusculum campus and involves students spending time in service to others. Some of the projects that the students will undertake include working with local non-profit organizations and schools.

“Community engagement is a key element of the Tusculum College experience,” said Ronda Gentry, director of the Center for Civic Advancement and coordinator of the event. “Nettie Day serves as an introduction to our new students and a reminder to our entire community of the importance and value of community involvmenet.”

This year, Nettie Day will be part of the Orange Rush activities on campus, which include a variety of activities to engage new students and encourage them to get involved on campus and in the community. Service activities will be conducted at all the Tusculum sites and campus, including Greeneville, Knoxville, Morristown and Kingsport.

Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day, which is conducted under the auspices of the Center for Civic Advancement, honors the memory and altruistic way of life of Nettie Fowler McCormick, widow of reaper inventor Cyrus McCormick, who was a 19th century supporter and advocate of Tusculum College. The McCormicks, staunch Presbyterians from Chicago, learned of Tusculum College through Tusculum graduates who attended their McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and became some of the most significant donors in the college’s history.

Nettie McCormick is recognized as the college’s first Benefactor, a term that in Tusculum usage denotes a donor whose cumulative gifts total at least $1 million. Nettie McCormick funded construction of several of Tusculum’s historic structures, including Haynes Hall, Rankin Hall, Welty-Craig Hall, Virginia Hall and McCormick Hall, which is named after the McCormick family.

McCormick Day, now often informally called Nettie Day at the college, began as a day of cleaning the campus in reflection of Nettie McCormick’s insistence on clean living environments. The day has evolved to take on a more generalized community service emphasis.

New lecture series to focus on science and math topics

Oyster farming and graduate programs in mathematics are two of several topics to be covered as part of Tusculum College’s new Math and Science Lecture Series.

The first event was held on Monday, Sept. 21,   and featured Dr. Ron May ’68, vice president for academic affairs at Tusculum College, who addressed the topic of “Oyster Farming and the Chesapeake Bay.”  Dr. May’s presentation included discussion of fishing regulations designed to prevent over-harvesting of oysters in their natural habitat, the pollution and destruction of that natural habitat in the Chesapeake Bay and programs to support oyster farms to help meet the public demand for the popular seafood.

The first presentation in the new Math and Science Lecture Series was by Dr. Ron May, who spoke about oyster farming.

Alex Wiedemann

The next lecture will be on Monday, Nov. 23, and will feature Alex Wiedemann, a 2013 graduate of Tusculum College returns to his alma mater to discuss his experience as a doctoral degree candidate in mathematics at the University of South Carolina.

The lecture series will resume during the spring 2016 semester on Tuesday, Feb. 16, and will feature Dr. Richard Thompson, assistant professor of chemistry. The final lecture for the academic year will be on Monday, April 25, with Dr. Gregory Nelson, retired senior vice president and chief technology officer of Eastman Chemical Company and a member of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information on the lecture series, contact Dr. Melissa Keller, assistant professor of chemistry and chair of the science department at mkeller@tusculum.edu.

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

Construction continues on the Dr. Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Mathematics on the Tusculum College campus.

According to David Martin, director of facilities for Tusculum College, the crews are continuing to set steel and the walls are set to be poured this week. The water lines have been approved by the Greeneville Water Department.

“The masonry is completed for now with the exception of a few loose ends,” said Martin. He added, “That part of the project is done until the bricking begins.”

Anyone interested in watching construction progress for the Meen Center for Science and Math may do so via web cam feed on the Tusculum website http://my.tusculum.edu/cam/.

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.

The contractors, Rentenbach Constructors Incorporated, began work in early May.

The building’s construction is part of the Tusculum First Campaign, which seeks to provide students with the best possible living and learning communities, innovative and responsive academic programs, and expanded opportunities for students to become engaged as global citizens. For more information on how to contribute to the campaign, contact Heather Patchett, vice president for Institutional Advancement, directly by calling 423-636-7303 or 1-800-729-0256 ext. 5303 or by emailing hpatchett@tusculum.edu.

 

Construction continues on the Dr. Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Mathematics on the Tusculum College campus.

Orange Rush fills first Block Break with fun activities and opportunities to serve

The Tusculum campus is in an “Orange Rush” for the next five days.

“Orange Rush” is a five days of activities designed to help students enjoy the first Block Break of the 2015-16 year as well as serve other sand learn valuable life skills.  Please see the schedule below to learn more about the variety of events scheduled.

Tusculum student represents Sri Lanka at United Nations summit

Tusculum College student Michael Fernando represented his home country of Sri Lanka on the floor of the United Nations in New York as part of the Youth for Human Rights International Summit.

Michael Fernando, a senior Tusculum College student from Sri Lanka majoring in accounting, general management and economics and international business, attended the 12th annual Youth for Human Rights International Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on August 27-28.

Fernando served in his official capacity as youth ambassador of Sri Lanka. On Friday, Aug. 27, he delivered a speech about his work with the Youth for Human Rights International organization and the concept that freedom should be free.

Fernando said, “Freedom should be free; however, in most parts of the world it isn’t. Because of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we shouldn’t have to fight for freedom. We shouldn’t have to argue and we shouldn’t have to convince someone else of our rights. As soon as we are born into this world, we should have those rights, and they are protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It’s important that governments are held accountable to those rights.

“Had the fundamental rights of the Sri Lankan people, all our people, been preserved and had the 30 inherent human rights been respected, we wouldn’t have entered a civil war, and 100,000 people wouldn’t have lost their lives. It started because one person thought they could oppress someone else. Whereas, there is a human right that says we are all born free and equal. Had we been respectful of those rights, we could have avoided a 25-year long war. That was all man-made.”

Fernando spoke about the accomplishments of the Sri Lanka model nations, including giving 300 bicycles to areas of need in Sri Lanka, so that children would have a way to go to school. He was also part of starting One World Volunteers, a program that connected students, who wanted to volunteer, to people who needed them. He participated in many fundraisers and awareness programs, and additionally, his group broke the Guinness world record of the largest human word formation by forming the word “youth.”

Michael Fernando

“Despite our differences—different schools, races, casts, religions, countries, socioeconomic classes, nationalities, languages — we were able to understand the importance of community service through civic engagement and be different but be together in order to spread the message of peace, freedom, love and unity.”

Youth ambassadors and delegates from all around the world attended the summit, as well. Several spoke about the accomplishments in their country, such as awareness walks and volunteer campaigns for those in need.

“We learned about what they had done in their own countries, in their own communities to further the cause of human rights. It was amazing. The statistics show that the organization alone through their extensive volunteer network throughout the world conducted at least three events a day. That’s a tremendous feat,” said Fernando. “It was a great weekend, and I was just so privileged to be a part of that audience.”

Also in attendance was the former aid of Eleanor Roosevelt, Ella Torrey. Torrey gave a keynote address of when Roosevelt presented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the summit, Torrey received a human rights hero award.

He added that the world needs someone who will defend their rights no matter what. “That is our responsibility. I was standing in a room full of people who are the beacon of hope to a society whose voices were stolen and think that freedom isn’t free,” said Fernando.

He added, “There are many people who go to prestigious schools identify that as their accomplishment. The beauty of Tusculum College is that there is a staff, faculty and student body that will support you and want to help you accomplish more than just schoolwork.”

“I would like to thank the administration and the school for supporting me in my journey to New York. I want to think the donors, the administration, the faculty, the student body and the community here that supported me in that journey. I would like to thank Dr. Mary Shuttleworth for inviting me, and Dr. (Bruce) Ferguson for sponsoring my stay in New York.”

“I want to specially thank Dr. (Nancy) Moody for doing everything that is within her power to ensure us, the students, can surpass even our own expectations. She puts opportunities in front of us, and we have to go take them.”

Pioneer Golf program to host free clinic for Tusculum students Sept. 17

The Tusculum College men’s and women’s golf teams will host a free clinic for Tusculum College students with an interest in learning more about the game of golf. The free clinic, set for Thursday, Sept. 17, at 4 p.m. in the Indoor Practice Facility on the Greeneville campus, will be conducted by Pioneer head coach and veteran PGA golf professional Bob Dibble and members of the Tusculum golf teams. The clinic is designed for non-golfers and beginners, with a focus on learning the basics, including grip, stance, swing and putting stroke.

A note to parents from the President

 

 

 

 

It is always an exciting time when students return to campus for fall term and classes begin. In August, we worked with our new students through Orientation, getting to know them and watching their first steps toward degree completion. I think that every person including faculty, staff, administrators and students had a lot of fun last week ramping up for the start of the academic year which was officially kicked off at the Opening Convocation on Thursday, Aug. 27.

We also kicked off a new initiative on campus, The Individual Wellness through Community Engagement Initiative, a campus-wide program with the primary purpose of encouraging the Tusculum community—including students, faculty, staff and alumni—to lead and maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Wellness is a lifelong pursuit and often requires encouragement. As such, our aim is to indoctrinate its importance and approaches on our campuses through continuous communal activities that reach our entire population and focus on Social, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and/or Spiritual health. Additionally, we recognize that people succeed better if every aspect of their lives is attended to in a balanced way. This is the first of several campus wide events we have planned that we hope meets the needs of each member of the Tusculum Community. The first event, the Interfaith Prayer Service included remarks from a variety of spiritual leaders and proved to be a powerful, thoughtful and communal experience, as we focused on spiritual health.

 

Coming up this month is our Orange Rush celebration at our first block break, which includes Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day, when all new students, and many of our returners, as well as faculty and staff will spend the day doing ‘good’ in our community. I hope you are getting good reports from your student(s). We certainly are enjoying getting to know them.

 

Best Regards,

 

 

Nancy B. Moody, PhD

Office of Admission seeking individual for open position

Tusculum’s Office of Admission is looking for someone enthusiastic about the College to help educate prospective students about Tusculum and its programs. Alumni interested in working in higher education are encouraged to consider the position of full-time admission representative and campus visit coordinator.

Below is the description of the position:

OFFICE OF ADMISSION

Full-Time Admission Representative and Campus Visit Coordinator: The primary responsibility is to educate prospective students and families about Tusculum College and its programs. Candidates are required to develop a rapport with a variety of other constituents including counselors, faculty, Tusculum staff, alumni and current students to organize, plan and implement successful campus visit days and open houses. Fairly extensive overnight fall & early spring travel (3-5 weeks) will be to high schools and college recruitment programs in selected Eastern and Southern states additional primary duties include significant telecounseling, reviewing applications, interviewing future Tusculum Pioneers, and assisting with all recruitment events.

 

Qualifications for the above position: Prior recruitment experience with a four-year college or university, preferred. Effective oral and written communication skills, an outgoing personality, the ability to work independently, and as part of a team, a flexible attitude, and a willingness to work frequent evenings and weekends is required.

 

This is a comprehensive position and requires a strong work ethic to be successful.  Extensive knowledge of computers and a good driving record are also required.  A Bachelors degree is required.

 

To apply, send a cover letter, current résumé and three references to: Human Resources, Tusculum College, P.O. Box 5093, Greeneville, TN 37743 or email:tcresume@tusculum.edu.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue for two weeks.

Tusculum College is an equal opportunity employer.

 

Award-winning author Sharyn McCrumb to discuss ‘King’s Mountain’ novel Sept. 22

Award-winning Southern author Sharyn McCrumb will discuss the award-winning novel, “King's Mountain” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Tusculum College. (Photograph by Randy Joyner)

Esteemed Southern author Sharyn McCrumb will discuss her novel “King’s Mountain” and the use of history and folklore in her work during a presentation Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Tusculum College.

The presentation will be at 7 p.m. in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level (side entrance) of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum campus. This is the fourth time that the popular author has been a part of Tusculum Arts Outreach’s annual Acts, Arts, Academia Performance and Lecture Series.

McCrumb will be discussing her novel, “King’s Mountain,” which received the Patricia Winn Award for Southern Fiction presented by the Clarksville Writers Conference and has been honored by the Edward Buncombe Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Asheville, N.C. The novel chronicles the events surrounding the 1780 Battle of King’s Mountain during the American Revolution. While George Washington’s forces were struggling in the North, the victory for the Americans at King’s Mountain renewed optimism among the colonists for the cause. Thomas Jefferson described it as the turning point for the war.

“King’s Moutain” is told from the points of view of Patriot leader John Sevier and Tory camp follower Virginia Sal and brings to life the people and events in the southern front of the Revolution. Sevier was one of the Overmountain Men, unpaid volunteers who gathered to fight for the American cause west of Charlotte, N.C. The Overmountain Men were a who’s who of the colonial frontier. In addition to Sevier, they included Isaac Shelby, first governor of Kentucky; William Campbell, brother-in-law of Virginia governor Patrick Henry; John Crockett, father of frontiersman Davy Crockett; David Vance, grandfather of North Carolina’s Civil War governor Zebulon B. Vance, and Light-Horse Harry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee.

The Rev. Samuel Doak, who co-founded Tusculum College with his son, is also featured in the novel. Rev. Doak prayed for the troops as they mustered at Sycamore Shoals before crossing the mountains into North Carolina.

McCrumb will also discuss the use of history and folklore in her work. The author is best known for her Appalachian “Ballad” novels, which weave together the legends, natural wonders and contemporary issues of Appalachia. Her novels include New York Times best sellers, “She Walks These Hills” and “The Rosewood Casket” that deal with the issue of the vanishing wilderness; “The Ballad of Frankie Silver,” the story of the first woman hanged for murder in North Carolina; “The Songcatcher,” a genealogy in music, and “Ghost Riders,” an account of the Civil War in the Appalachians. More recent novels are “The Devil Amongst the Lawyers” which examines the media stereotyping of rural areas, and “The Ballad of Tom Dooley,” that brings to light new evidence in the true story behind the famous mountain ballad.
McCrumb’s great-grandfathers were circuit preachers in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains a hundred years ago, riding horseback over the ridges to preach in a different community each week. It is from these men that McCrumb says she gets her regard for books, her gift of storytelling and public speaking and her love of the Appalachian Mountains.

Admission to the presentation is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors over the age of 60 and $5 for children 12 years of age and under. Tickets may be reserved or purchased at the door, beginning at 6 p.m. the evening of the event. For more information about the program or to reserve tickets, call Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620 or email jhollowell@tusculum.edu.

Tusculum College student represents Sri Lanka at United Nations summit

Michael Fernando, a senior Tusculum College student from Sri Lanka majoring in accounting, general management and economics and international business, attended the 12th annual Youth for Human Rights International Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on August 27-28.

Fernando served in his official capacity as youth ambassador of Sri Lanka. On Friday, Aug. 27, he delivered a speech about his work with the Youth for Human Rights International organization and the concept that freedom should be free.

Fernando said, “Freedom should be free; however, in most parts of the world it isn’t. Because of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we shouldn’t have to fight for freedom. We shouldn’t have to argue and we shouldn’t have to convince someone else of our rights. As soon as we are born into this world, we should have those rights, and they are protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It’s important that governments are held accountable to those rights.

“Had the fundamental rights of the Sri Lankan people, all our people, been preserved and had the 30 inherent human rights been respected, we wouldn’t have entered a civil war, and 100,000 people wouldn’t have lost their lives. It started because one person thought they could oppress someone else. Whereas, there is a human right that says we are all born free and equal. Had we been respectful of those rights, we could have avoided a 25-year long war. That was all man-made.”

Fernando spoke about the accomplishments of the Sri Lanka model nations, including giving 300 bicycles to areas of need in Sri Lanka, so that children would have a way to go to school. He was also part of starting One World Volunteers, a program that connected students, who wanted to volunteer, to people who needed them. He participated in many fundraisers and awareness programs, and additionally, his group broke the Guinness world record of the largest human word formation by forming the word “youth.”

“Despite our differences—different schools, races, casts, religions, countries, socioeconomic classes, nationalities, languages — we were able to understand the importance of community service through civic engagement and be different but be together in order to spread the message of peace, freedom, love and unity.”

Youth ambassadors and delegates from all around the world attended the summit, as well. Several spoke about the accomplishments in their country, such as awareness walks and volunteer campaigns for those in need.

“We learned about what they had done in their own countries, in their own communities to further the cause of human rights. It was amazing. The statistics show that the organization alone through their extensive volunteer network throughout the world conducted at least three events a day. That’s a tremendous feat,” said Fernando. “It was a great weekend, and I was just so privileged to be a part of that audience.”

Also in attendance was the former aid of Eleanor Roosevelt, Ella Torrey. Torrey gave a keynote address of when Roosevelt presented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the summit, Torrey received a human rights hero award.

He added that the world needs someone who will defend their rights no matter what. “That is our responsibility. I was standing in a room full of people who are the beacon of hope to a society whose voices were stolen and think that freedom isn’t free,” said Fernando.

He added, “There are many people who go to prestigious schools identify that as their accomplishment. The beauty of Tusculum College is that there is a staff, faculty and student body that will support you and want to help you accomplish more than just schoolwork.”

“I would like to thank the administration and the school for supporting me in my journey to New York. I want to think the donors, the administration, the faculty, the student body and the community here that supported me in that journey. I would like to thank Dr. Mary Shuttleworth for inviting me, and Dr. (Bruce) Ferguson for sponsoring my stay in New York.”

“I want to specially thank Dr. (Nancy) Moody for doing everything that is within her power to ensure us, the students, can surpass even our own expectations. She puts opportunities in front of us, and we have to go take them.”

 

Story by Stephanie Turner, senior journalism and professional writing major from Shelbyville

 

Tusculum College student Michael Fernando, center, represented his home country of Sri Lanka on the floor of the United Nations in New York as part of the Youth for Human Rights International Summit.