August 29, 2006   Vol. 10   No. 5


Community News


U.S. News cites service-learning, small class sizes at WWC

WWC has been recognized in the 2007 edition of America’s Best Colleges, published by U.S. News & World Report, as having one of the nation’s leading service-learning programs. The recognition marks the fifth consecutive year WWC  has received the distinction. In addition, WWC ranks No. 1 among southern schools in the guide’s “Best Universities – Master’s” category with the “Highest Proportion of Classes Under 20,” at 88 percent. The College also achieved the top ranking in its category in the 2006 edition of the guide.

Warren Wilson is one of only 25 schools across the country listed in the “Service Learning” category of “Programs to Look For” in choosing a college – programs the guide calls “outstanding examples of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success.” The guide says: “In service-learning programs, required (or for-credit) volunteer work in the community is an instructional strategy. What’s learned in the field bolsters what happens in class and vice versa.”

In detailing how outstanding examples of academic programs were selected, the guide explains, “With the help of education experts… we identified eight such program types. We then invited college presidents, chief academic officers and deans of admission to nominate up to 10 institutions with stellar examples of each kind of program.” WWC’s service-learning program dates to the early 1960s. This past year alone, the students gave some 25,000 hours of service to community.

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Environmental research databank

The Environmental Research Databank is now online at
http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~elc/databank1.shtml

This website includes
* Student tutorials for writing grants
* List of search engines for science-based research
* Links to agencies and organizations that support research/outreach efforts
* List of funders
* Links to email lists that disseminate information on funding and research opportunities
* Links to research conducted by WWC faculty, students and staff

Several of these categories have deadlines that are coming up in one to three months. Please note the EPA's 4th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity, and the Planet is due
Dec. 21.

Contact Phillip Gibson, director of research and community outreach at the Environmental Leadership Center for information regarding the Environmental Research Databank – ext. 3781 or pgibson@warren-wilson.edu.

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White oak in front of Schafer to be removed

The large white oak in front of Schafer will have to be removed this fall, according to Tom LaMuraglia. The combination of a lightening strike before the fire, the fire itself, and construction activity above its roots have weakened the tree. Branches are being removed and the remaining trunk will come down when there is time. Efforts will be made to save plenty of stump for a carving.

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Welcome, International Students

Please welcome WWC’s new international students:
Murad Behnam Ibrahimi, Azerbaijan
Kopano Boineelo Mmalane, Botswana
Lei Zhao, China
Natalie Maria Arosemena-Achi, Ecuador
Admas Hailemariam Gonfa, Ethiopia
Anesh Prasai, Nepal
Dalmu Sherpa, Nepal
Robin Dhakal, Nepal
Sylvia Mooney, Northern Ireland
Hae Ri Kim, South Korea
Elisabeth Marisol Medina Amani, USA/Guatemala
 Nicolette Despina Douvris, USA/Greece

International students bring so much to our campus life. Make the opportunity to know each one through shared living in dorms, in classes and campus activities, share meals in the cafeteria, find any occasion to find more about them, their customs, their language, their country – but above all welcome them as friends.

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Journalism internships

Asheville's multicultural newspaper, The Urban News and Observer, seeks students who are interested in learning about journalism for internships this fall. Students will earn academic credit for their work at the paper. Please see Carol Howard in the English Department for details, ext. 3720, choward@warren-wilson.edu.

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An invitation from theatre director Graham Paul to talk about race

To the Warren Wilson community:

Because I am directing a play this semester which will deal with issues of racial difference (The Oroonoko Project: black/white/red  encounters), I am very interested to learn how we are talking about issues of race at Warren Wilson and what members of the community think. I am inviting all members of the community who would like to participate in a short, informal  conversation about race to meet me on the Kittredge Theatre stage at  6:30 p.m. Wed., Aug. 30. As a white male, I am concerned with questions of my own racial identity and the privileges it entails, how I perceive and am perceived by people of other races, and how that plays out in our own and the larger community. As a theatre director, I am interested in addressing those concerns through performance, and I am hoping to  assemble a large, multi-racial group which will carry this conversation into a rehearsal process and end up with a performance which will, in turn, contribute to an ongoing conversation about race. As a member of the community, I would like to be a part of  such an ongoing conversation. If you have an interest in these matters and think they are of some urgency, please join me on the stage – even if you have no particular interest in theatre. You won't have to perform; just to talk and think and listen.

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Home athletic events this week

Wed., Aug. 30 - women’s soccer vs. Brenau College, 5 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 2 - women’s soccer vs. St. Andrews College, 3 p.m.

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Chapel choir rehearsals

Wed., Aug. 30, 7 p.m., Fellowship Hall behind the Chapel. The choir is open to students, staff, faculty and community members without an audition. Students may receive academic credit (1 hr.) for the course. The Chapel Choir rehearses Wednesday evenings, 7-8:30 p.m., and sings for most Sunday morning services at the College Chapel. Info: Steven Williams (director), ext. 3048 or Kittredge 129.

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Laursen International Center open house

Join the WorldWide and International Student Advisor's offices for an open house Sept. 1 from 7:30-10 a.m. in lower Laursen. Share breakfast treats and visit our beautiful new space. Bring questions and friends.

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At Holden Gallery

Holden Gallery begins its 2006-07 year on Sept. 8 with Charles Ritchie: “Works on Paper.” The exhibition will continue through Nov. 3, when a closing reception at 6:30 p.m. will feature the artist’s presentation “The Page as Portrait.” Regular gallery hours are 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Info: 771-3034.   

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WWC Ensembles

WWC Chorale (aka FolkChoir)
MUS 105, Sunday, 7–9 p.m. & Wednesday, 4–6 p.m. Kittredge Rm 20.

WWC Chamber Ensemble – woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings. MUS 125, Instrumental Ensemble, Wednesday 7–9 p.m., Kittredge 20.

Info: Milt, ext. 3765 or mcrotts@warren-wilson.edu

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Theatre auditions Sept. 7-8

Warren Wilson Theatre is pleased to announce auditions for its first two productions of the 06-07 “Season of Light and Dark.” Joint auditions will be held on Mon., Sept. 4 and Tues., Sept. 5, 7 p.m. on the Kittredge Theatre stage, and will be conducted by  Katie Anne Towner, director of Endgame, and Graham Paul, director of  The Oroonoko project: black/white/red encounters. Auditioners are  encouraged but not required to prepare a short speech of any kind,  and may come either Monday or Tuesday night.

Samuel Beckett’s Endgame is one of the seminal texts of the twentieth  century (or any other century), often compared to Shakespeare’s King Lear. It is a dark, brilliant, and often highly comic evocation of life and relationships stripped to the absolutely bare essentials, written in Beckett's spare, resonant style. It requires a cast of four actors. The play is on reserve in the library.

The Oroonoko project: black/white/red encounters will be a performance piece which will look at issues of racial difference through the lens of certain early eighteenth-century texts, primarily using the stage adaption of Aphra Behn's Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave (though it may also contain contemporary material created by the  actors). Additionally, it concerns a visit by four Iroquois sachems to Queen Anne's London in 1710. It will be presented in a highly  theatrical and non-realistic style. It will require an ensemble of about fifteen performers and we are hoping for a multi-racial, international cast.  The text for Southerne's adaption of Oroonoko is on reserve in the library.

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Carolina Mountains Literary Festival

The Carolina Mountains Literacy Festival, held in Burnsville, N.C., takes place Sept. 15-16. Info: http://www.cmlitfest.com.

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Our own Pete Turchi to speak on campus

If I Knew Where I Was Going, I Could Get There From Here, But I’d be less Inclined to Bother; or, The Writer’s Plight

Mark your calendars now for this fall’s Harwood-Cole Lecture, sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Pete Turchi, director of the MFA Program for Writers and award-winning author of numerous books, will be our speaker. The event will mark the 30th anniversary of the MFA program and the 20th anniversary of the Friends of the Library organization. Sat., Nov. 4, 4 p.m. in Canon Lounge, Gladfelter Student Center.   

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WWC Garden market

The Warren Wilson Garden Market runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Friday in front of Gladfelter. The Tuesday Farmer's Market is held at the Garden from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Info: Karen, ext. 3066.

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Ride-For-Free on city buses

Students, branch out from already free Route 29! From now through mid-November all Asheville residents may ride the bus for free during the Asheville Transit System’s 90-day promotional campaign. The purpose is to encourage people who have never used Asheville's transit network to give it a try. Info: Info: http://www.ashevilletransit.com.

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Fair trade coffee

The College Chapel is offering fair trade coffee to the community. Fair trade coffee is a program that enables farmers in developing countries to receive a fair price for their product. The next order will be mailed around Sept. 1 and delivered by the end of September. Contact Julia Richards, 298-0672, for information.

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Homecoming 2007

Information on Homecoming 2007 is now available online at http://alumni.warren-wilson.edu/homecoming.shtml.

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Campus housing available for rent
 
110 B Cabin Hill (Ray)
This is a two-bedroom ranch style duplex with a combined dining room/living room area. It has wall-to-wall carpet and radiant/baseboard heat. There are washer/dryer connections and a small porch in the back. Rent is $271.75. If you are interested in applying for this residence, please complete a housing application (available in the Business/Human Resources Office). Occupants of this campus unit will be required to pay a $200 security deposit and $200 pet deposit, if applicable, and be responsible for 100% of the utilities. Application deadline is Fri., Sep. 8 at 4 p.m.

The Personnel Advisory Committee will use the following criteria will making recommendations for campus housing assignments. The Personnel Advisory Committee will use a point system that acknowledges family size and seniority. This system is described below.

*5 points per IRS-defined dependent living in home

*5 points per five years of full-time employment and one additional point for each year thereafter.

*Children are considered part of a household as long as they are considered dependents under IRS guidelines. Other family members, such as dependent parents, living in the home will be taken into account in need determination.
 
If you are applying for campus housing and feel that you have special circumstances that you would like to present before the Personnel Advisory Committee, please contact Gail Baylor, ext. 2048, to be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.  

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Campus house for sale  

Jim and Julie Watson originally built this one and one half story farmhouse located at 116 North Lane Extension.  After Jim and Julie retired and relocated to South Carolina, Morning Naughton and Jason Michaels purchased the house. The College has recently repurchased the home and is offering it for sale. The price of the house is $220,000 (plus $1 for the land).
 
This home features 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1,816 gross heated square feet. Amenities include a covered porch and deck, 2-car garage, and it is move-in ready. Heating is gas forced water system. There is also central air.
 
This house is offered, consistent with the College’s established policy, to current staff and faculty, with the proviso that the College maintains the right of first refusal when vacated by the buyer. There are other restrictions which apply; we will share these with serious potential buyers.  This is not a bidding situation; the staff or faculty member with the most seniority who pays the pays the advertised price will be awarded the home. Also consistent with the College policy, a discount off the purchase of $200 per year of employment will be granted to the buyer.
 
If you would like to review the appraisal, please stop by the Business/Human Resources Office (Ogg 206).
 
For additional information, call Larry Modlin at ext. 2056 or Gail Baylor at 2048. Please submit offers in writing to Gail Baylor, CPO 6364, by 5 p.m., Sept. 8.

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WorldWide
Upper Dodge
Ext. 3057

There are still a few spaces available in ENS 378 - Ecology and Leadership: Expedition in the Florida Everglades, a new 3-credit course taught by Mallory McDuff and N.C. Outward Bound School staff. This course will meet weekly during term 2 and will examine the cultural, political, and natural history of the Florida Everglades. Focus will be on the relationships between people of diverse cultures and their interaction with the ecology of the Everglades. Over winter break, students will embark on an immersive expedition through sawgrass, mangrove and cypress swamps, pinelands, open water, and hardwood hammocks. Good physical condition, ability to adapt to and travel in diverse conditions, and willingness to commit to course learning objectives and specific parameters are required. Contact the WorldWide office as soon as possible to take advantage of this exciting opportunity.

Study abroad in Spain – Through a special cooperation agreement, Warren Wilson students with advanced Spanish language skills now have the opportunity to spend a semester studying at the University of Granada, founded in 1526 in beautiful southern Spain. Courses are offered in Spanish through University’s Centro de Lenguas Modernas in literature, history, art history, economics, geography, language and culture. Students live with Spanish family hosts, and several excursions and cultural activities are included throughout the semester, including a two-day trip to Cordoba and Seville. Students interested in applying for the spring 2007 semester should contact Naomi Otterness (ext. 3783) as soon as possible.

The WorldWide program, in conjunction with our London partner, is pleased to offer an exciting new education abroad option for summer 2007. WWC’s own David Mycoff will be teaching “Shakespeare in Text and Performance” on the campus of Imperial College of the University of London, from May 18 - June 12. WorldWide-qualified Warren Wilson students may participate in this 3-credit course at a greatly reduced cost. Because this program has no on-campus component, it’s a great choice for students whose schedule won’t permit them to take a traditional WorldWide course, as well as anyone interested in English literature or history. Please contact the WorldWide office in lower Laursen for more details.

Applications for spring WorldWide courses will go to pre-registered students on Sept. 1. These applications are due back in the WorldWide office by Sept. 15.

Planning on study abroad in spring 2007? Applications for WWC study abroad programs in London, France, Germany, Japan, Northern Ireland, Spain, Thailand, and the BorderLinks' Semester on the Border are due to Naomi Otterness by Sept. 15. WorldWide-qualified students who are interested in studying abroad during the spring 2007 semester should come by the WorldWide office in lower Laursen to discuss possibilities.

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Send Us News
Submit your news for WWC This Week to jbowers@warren-wilson.edu. The deadline for the Sept. 5 issue is Friday, Sept. 1 by 5 p.m.

Classifieds and Lost & Found are located online at www.warren-wilson.edu/forums/.

For more campus news, visit http://www.warren-wilson.edu/internal/index.php.

To view a listing of campus events, click the “Calendars” link from left column on the Inside page.

WWC Emergency Information Line (828) 258-4521.