Dreary days in January and February can lead to the “winter blahs,” but a number of campus organizations are working to ward off the doldrums with a plethora of activities.
— The Honors Programs recently had an evening of energetic academic discourse while they enjoyed a pizza treat. Twenty students in the program gathered with faculty members for discussion of the controversial book, “In Defense of Elitism” by William Henry III. The book advocates a return to a stronger sense of personal responsibility and recognition that while individuals may all be equal in the eyes of the law, they have quite different abilities, a fact that needs to be acknowledged and adapted to. Ron McCallister, Director of the School of Arts and Humanities, led the discussion. The Honors Program plans to hold additional book discussion events in the future.
— Students in the English Student Organization had the chance to sample some traditional Scottish fare during its third annual “Burns Supper” on January 26. The Tusculum event followed the order of a traditional Scottish Burns Supper, held in January to celebrate the birthday of poet Robert Burns. An eighteenth century Romantic poet, Burns is widely considered the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. The event began with the reading of Burns’ “Selkirk Grace,” which was followed by the “piping and cutting of the haggis.” During the meal, students read selections of Burns’ poetry. The supper ended with the singing of perhaps Burns’ most well known work, “Auld Lang Syne.”
— The newly established Track & Field Club competed successfully in the Niswonger Invitational at ETSU’s Mini Dome on January 30 and 31. The athletes of the Track & Field Club (Brian Marshall, John Hester, Derenik Culbreath, Radarius Franklin, Antione Cross, Elvis Machado, Simon Holzapfel, and Madeleine Ledbetter) were all well in the mix against approximately 100 college teams such as the University of Tennessee, University of Georgia, High Point, East Tennessee State, Appalachian State, Elon, UNC-Asheville, Western Carolina, Furman, Virginia Tech, South Carolina State, Winthrop, Georgia State, East Carolina, Wake Forest, Marshall, and Davidson. Brian Marshall just missed the finals (the top 12 times) in the 60m Dash against a field of 124 sprinters. Simon Holzapfel barely missed out on a spot in the 3,000m run Finals by a mere four seconds.
— A new group has also formed on campus to help the Tusculum community be more ecologically minded. The Pioneer Green Team is a club formed with a focus on increasing recycling on campus. The club is recycling cans currently an hopes to increase it to collecting plastic and paper as well.